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the7thcrow · 2 years

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I posted 764 times in 2022

That's 156 more posts than 2021!

235 posts created (31%)

529 posts reblogged (69%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@the7thcrow

@sorikkung

@hongism

@svnthpop

I tagged 755 of my posts in 2022

Only 1% of my posts had no tags

#corynn thinks - 234 posts

#asks - 95 posts

#srb - 91 posts

#mutual pals🕺🏼 - 60 posts

#fic recs - 50 posts

#corynn:💡 - 36 posts

#natgig feedback - 35 posts

#male wife - 33 posts

#itzy - 20 posts

#my enemy <3 - 20 posts

Longest Tag: 135 characters

#have definitely been thinking about the need to work on my protagonist building though and i think the amount of strictly reader insert

My Top Posts in 2022:

Not all that Glitters is Gold -> 07

series pairing: (fem) princess!reader x seonghwa x san x wooyoung. eventual polyamory.

series masterlist | previous chapter

Part Seven: an orphanage, an elemental, and comfort

series rating: 16+

series genre: action and adventure. romance. angst. fluff. suggestive. fantasy au.

series warnings: character death, blood and violence, weaponry, injury, suggestive content, mxm content, elements of misogyny, language, monsters. (will only be using chapter specific warnings for things not included on this list.)

summary: as a princess fleeing a royal assassination attempt, you have no choice but to put your trust in a band of three thieves in order to reach the kingdom of kuroku alive. however, amongst magic, deceit, and the bounty hunters that are hot on your trail, you realize that you might have stumbled upon a relationship far more complicated than what meets the eye.

chapter details beneath the cut ->

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268 notes - Posted November 17, 2022

toxin | psh

pairing: historian!seonghwa x (fem) goddess!reader.

wc: 9.4k

genre: meet-ugly. angst. suggestive. magic au. god/goddess au.

summary: having fallen victim to a rather bizarre betrayal by a colleague, seonghwa finds himself in an even more bizarre situation. that being the unexpected success of their summoning ritual that leaves him subject to the will of a fertility goddess, as well as his own intemperate desire.

warnings: cults and cult activities, character death, religious tones (although any relation to a real religion is strictly coincidental, this is entirely made up), guns and violence, blood, mild gore, elements of mind control, heavy making out, aphrodisiac of sorts (?), generally dominant and submissive tones.

a/n: that’s.. a lot more warnings than i originally intended there to be. lmao oops. maybe i’m a tad insane for this, but if you’re also insane and prepared for a wild ride, strap in and enjoy. twas inspired by the ponzonya mv by purple kiss.

... .. .

“Something about this seems… off,” Seonghwa whispers, voice low so that only the man next to him is able to hear. The reasoning for his hushed tone is abundantly clear, eyes darting around the room to ensure that none of the others might be listening. That none of them are aware of his hesitancy, of his nervous reluctance.

Fortunately, they don’t seem to notice. The cave bustles with activity, the different men dressed in dark robes busying themselves as they prepare the room for the ritual. Dressing the once dreary cave with items of luxury, they carry large silk tapestries and golden decor, dragging in velvet furniture and barrels of expensive wine, so that the room appears fit for royalty.

Although Seonghwa supposes that in a way, after all, it is. Although the subject may be considered to hold far grander superiority than any earthly king may hope to achieve.

“Are we certain this is a good idea?” He presses a little further, nudging the man next to him, who’s name he’s learned is Hongjoong. Although eccentric, he seems to be a tad more understanding than the rest of his colleagues. After the past few weeks of this mess, he’s the closest thing that the historian could consider as a friend.

Although the fact stands that for all the kindness and sympathy the small, delicate man seems to offer, he also is the head of this organization.

“Cult,” Seonghwa reminds himself, because organization is simply too light a term to define exactly what he’s gotten himself caught up in. “He’s the head of a cult.”

“Don’t fret, Dr. Park,” Hongjoong replies, accompanied by far too easy of a smile, as his hands dust along the altar before him, tracing the carved runes with his fingers. “It will all be worth it, you’ll see.”

“I just,” Seonghwa starts again, swallowing deeply as he glances around the room. There’s an itch under his skin, one that screams for him to stop this whole disaster, that something is undeniably wrong. “I’m just not sure about this.”

The smile on Hongjoong’s face falls almost immediately, eyebrows furrowing together in concern. “You’re not telling me that you’re getting cold feet now, are you?” He asks, and although his tone is far more worried than accusatory, there is something of an edge to them, an unspoken warning.

The underlying message that hints if Seonghwa really were to be having cold feet, then the sweetness of his words and their friendship could quickly turn sour.

“No, of course not,” Seonghwa rushes quickly, nails digging into his palm in a desperate release of panic, as he plasters a smile onto his face. “It’s just that the air feels a little different today, don’t you think? A little off?”

Hongjoong nods in agreement, although the gesture shows far more eagerness and excitement compared to the sick nausea Seongwha feels.

“I feel it too,” Hongjoong states, before clasping both his hands on Seonghwa’s shoulders, shaking him slightly. “It means we’re about to do something extraordinary.”

With that the man leaves his side, most likely to check that everything else is in order. That all artifacts and sigils for the ceremony are in the proper place and planned to perfection.

Artifacts. Seonghwa can’t help but chuckle at the word, at the entire foundation of his life's work that has led him to this moment.

As a historian and archeologist, he always liked to believe that his work would bring him to new places and adventures. That he’d get to travel to ancient lands, and dig up the remnants of their history and beauty, to walk with past societies as if they were his own.

Well, he supposes that the universe may have taken these wishes a little too literally.

When Hongjoong first arrived at the historian’s makeshift office a few weeks ago, nestled deep within the forest and about a mile’s walk from the nearest village, he was in search of an artifact that Seonghwa had recently added to his collection of study. Upon first meeting, the historian had found the man delightful.

They’d talked over brandy for the utmost of three hours, discussing the ancient religion native to the area, and their different perspectives and findings. Hongjoong, he learned, was very well-versed in the identities and roles of the many different gods and goddesses, and had plenty to offer that Seonghwa had yet to discover in texts of his own.

Of course at the moment, Seonghwa didn’t know why Hongjoong was so well acquainted with this myth. If he had, perhaps he would have kindly said goodbye to the younger man, before proceeding to usher him out of the office and lock the door behind him.

But Seonghwa did not know this at the time, so instead - after an entire evening of pleasant conversation - he accepted Hongjoong’s invitation to view his own collection of artifacts and ancient texts back at the man’s apartment the following night.

And so one evening turned into two, and then two into three, and over the next couple weeks it was safe to say that a certain level of trust had been established between them. This was Hongjoong’s plan after all, to establish a bond before he started to introduce the more… eccentric parts of his research.

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368 notes - Posted May 13, 2022

atonement

pairing: witch!wooyoung x (fem) hunter!reader

summary: get in, get the job done, get out before sunrise. as a hunter that is your motto, a sacred rule for whenever you dare to enter a witch’s lair. however, on this particular solo quest, your plans take a turn that you never could have quite anticipated.

word count: 6.2k

genre: enemies to lovers au. supernatural au. suggestive. romance.

warnings: sacrilegious tones, knives, attempted murder, themes of misogyny (not from wooyoung), heavy making out, bondage but make it magical.

rating: 16+

a/n: this is self-indulgent. i just needed to write some woo enemies to lovers, okay? don’t judge me.

...

Get in, get the job done, get out before sunrise.

A mantra that you can’t help but repeat over and over in your mind as you make your way down the narrow alleyway, footsteps echoing against the lantern-lit, cobblestone path. You press your hand firmly against the knife fastened to your thigh, feeling it’s cool metal hilt even through the fabric of your dress. The only source of protection against the danger you are willingly approaching.

The danger you’ve approached countless times before, but then again, never alone. That is exactly what makes tonight different, what makes the risk tenfold. You’re entirely on your own this time round, none of your hunting band willing to join you on this particular little escapade. All too frightened to approach the rumours that have been plaguing your city these last couple months.

The alleyway takes another turn, and you find yourself on a main drag, doing your best to hurry as you sprint across the street before hiding yourself once more. A woman out this late is thought to be unseemly, as well as dangerous. The last thing you need is to catch the attention of the wrong set of eyes, whether it be gossip or something far more sinister you might catch yourself up in.

These thoughts are put to a halt as you see your destination further down the alley, a small shop, the only light emitted from the run-down building shining through it’s single stained window.

As you approach closer, you can see that the sign hanging above the shop simply reads “Artisan Goods.” No semblance of creativity or personable flare, but of course, it doesn’t need one.

Because it’s not actually an artisan goods store, it’s simply masquerading to be.

You approach the window, peeking inside to see if there are any other customers. If there are, you will wait until they are gone, until any possible witnesses for what you are about to do are out of the way.

Fortunately, you see that the shop is empty of any buyers. The only person inside being the owner, who currently has his back turned as he adjusts the display of goods stationed behind the counter.

The exact man you’re looking for tonight.

You adjust your hair, doing your best to look poised and put-together as you take a deep breath, preparing for your act. Deception is something you’ve trained well in, and you know the in’s and out’s of fooling a man.

There are two major rules: Look attractive and keep them distracted. You pull both off, they always let their guard down. Every single time.

You push open the door, the soft jingle of the entry bell ringing as you do so, pulling the man’s attention from the display to yourself.

“Ah, welcome,” he says, setting down the jar of jam in his hands and facing you fully. He has dark hair, parted in the middle and falling long over his eyes. A sharp jawline, tall nose-bridge, and straight teeth. He’s handsome, but that comes as no surprise. All witches are attractive, as well as vein. They have magic to make themselves beautiful, and you have yet to meet one that didn’t refrain from using it.

Your hunting group states this is a sin, a defiance against creation. Frankly, you couldn’t care less, spells for vanity are the very least of the dangers that witches are capable of.

“Can I help you find anything in particular?” He asks, watching you with a curious look. It’s late for a woman to be out by herself, and he is fully aware of that. You won’t be able to catch him off guard at the moment, but luckily you are prepared for this.

“Chrysopoeia,” you state, silently reveling in the way the man smiles, expression shifting from wary to delighted. The term is the name of an old alchemical text, written by the witch Cleopatra herself. However, it doubles as a code in occult circles around the city, a way of proving that you are also a practitioner of the dark arts. They change every couple months, and fortunately for you, it hasn’t since your last hunt.

The man grins, walking out from behind the counter and pulling a pair of keys from his pocket. He moves over to a wall of tapestries, gently peeling back the fabrics to reveal a hidden door.

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431 notes - Posted January 8, 2022

not all that glitters is gold: mlist ♛

series trailer I series playlist

series pairing: (fem) princess!reader x seonghwa x san x wooyoung. eventual polyamory.

series genre: action and adventure. romance. angst. fluff. suggestive. fantasy au.

current word count: 87.9k

chapter list:

part one: a sacrifice, a narrow escape, and three bandits. (10.0k)

“Where are we going to go?” You ask as Mingi removes his cloak, handing the garment over to you. You put it on, throwing the hood over your head. Best to take any precautions available.

“Assuming we get out of here alive,” he starts, checking to see if the horse’s saddle is in proper condition. “Kuroku.”

part two: a thrice stolen necklace, two scorpions, and a lie. (10.1k)

Your neck feels abnormally bare. Naked, the last part of your home falling into the grasp of a thief.

“There,” you whisper, shifting your attention back to the map, not looking the elemental in the eye. “Happy?”

Woo chuckles before slipping the necklace into his back pocket. “Actually, I am.”

part three: a blacksmith, a nightmare, and oh-so-sweet empathy. (12.9k)

You feel the presence of a figure settle behind you, as San awkwardly clears his throat.

“I meant to tell you earlier,” he says, voice quiet. You can faintly see his reflection through the window as well, and his expression is somber. “I just wasn’t sure how.”

part four: an old enemy, jealousy, and a bar-room brawl. (12.3k)

You don’t even get the chance to turn around and see who it is before San speaks.

“Fuck,” he mutters beneath his breath, good eye wide as his gaze shifts from the door, to you, to the table. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

part five: a desert, a strange tavern, and the influence of desire. (16.7k)

“It’s strange for a tavern to be out here,” San comments, casting a wary glance to which you return. “I wouldn’t think there��d be much business.”

“Maybe they run off of people like us,” Woo offers with a shrug. “Fools who don’t bring enough water.”

part six: a rest-stop, illusions, and a begrudging truce. (12.7k)

And yet, something about the way San’s hand sits on his shoulder, remaining an entire arm-length away, makes him feel…small.

It’s what drives him to say his next few words, to finally let a fraction of what’s been building inside of him slip. To be selfish for once.

“Do I make you uncomfortable, San?”

part seven: an orphanage, an elemental, and comfort. (13.2k)

“Have you ever killed a person?” You ask, and Wooyoung finds he isn’t surprised by the question. He doesn’t want to answer it, but he isn’t surprised by it.

He also believes the answer is something you should hear.

“I have,” he replies. “But sometimes people are monsters too.”

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714 notes - Posted February 16, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

just in case | hhj

pairing: hyunjin x (gn) reader.

wc: 8.6k

genre: fluff. angst. suggestive. romcom. office au. valentine’s day au. coworkers to lovers. slight enemies to lovers.

warnings: alcohol, heavy making out, a both snarky and unreliable narrator, all around just inappropriate behaviour for a workplace (but what else would you expect from an office au lmao.)

summary: your valentine’s day plans of bad cable and a bottle of wine take an unexpected turn, as when leaving the office you witness a completely different side of your least favourite coworker, hwang hyunjin. perhaps valentine’s day really does hold a little bit of magic.

a/n: this is so disgustingly late, frankly i’m ashamed. but life and such, you know how it is. this is for the sweet treats from skz event hosted by @districtninewriters. hope you all enjoy, and i’d recommend checking out everyone else’s works!! also i lowkey resent this fic for how long it has taken me, so i hope it’s okay.

Sunday’s are the worst.

With the office being full of coworkers hungover and regretful from the previous night’s little escapades, as well as consumed by the dread of being forced to work during the weekend, the air always seems to hang a little lower on Sunday’s.

Of course, today is no normal Sunday. Not at all, and it is apparent in the excited buzz and extra chatter that fills the office with a tad more enthusiasm than annoyance.

No, today is no normal Sunday, but rather Valentine’s Day.

Which depending on exactly who you are and the activities you have planned for the evening, could either mean that this particular Sunday is slightly better or worse than average. For some, it’s a night of romance - budding or long-term - of roses and chocolate and candlelit dinners, of longing glances and playing footsie under the table.

While for others, it’s nothing special, no significant other to share the night with, and the giddy attitude that fills the air is only slightly nauseating.

You are a part of this latter.

It should be made clear that you don’t hate Valentine’s Day. Frankly, an extra night just to celebrate the love in a relationship is really quite sweet, and you are not such a killjoy as to rain on other’s parades.

However, that doesn’t mean you can’t hate the way that people in the office treat Valentine’s Day. At least a little.

This particularly applies to Gahyeon, who is now peaking over your cubicle, a far too cheery smile on her face.

“Any plans for the night?” She asks sweetly, expression innocent, although you’re fairly certain she already knows the answer.

“No,” you say shortly, before realizing that might be too blunt, and frankly, a little rude. “Nothing tonight. You?”

“Felix and I are going out for drinks later,” she replies, a faint blush lacing her cheeks at the mention of her fiance. You’ve met Felix a few times, the blonde sometimes opting to come inside when picking her up after a later shift. He’s nice. Cute. A well-suited match for her, based on the very brief conversations you’ve had with him.

“We’re going to Dominique’s,” she adds, and you manage to refrain from letting your surprise show. Felix clearly has expensive taste, although you suppose the ring he gave her two months ago was already a pretty obvious indication of that.

“Well, I’m sure the two of you will have a good time,” you offer, returning to face your computer screen, assuming that the conversation is over and you’re free to return to your work. However, this is not the case, as Gahyeon continues to stare at you from over-top the cubicle, chin resting over top of her crossed arms.

“I got you a gift,” she says, causing you to twist your chair to face her once more, raising an eyebrow. She disappears back into her own space, searching for whatever she wishes to give you.

“Here,” she calls out, before once again popping her head back up into your line of sight. She has a gift bag in her hand, one that is so narrow and tall in length you already have a good idea of what it might be.

After taking the bag, you find your assumption proven correct, as you pull out a rather hefty bottle of wine.

You stare at the gift, before flickering your gaze back to Gahyeon. It’s not that you don’t like it, in fact, it’s your favourite brand. Even a tad more expensive than you typically let yourself reach for, unless for a special occasion.

You’re more so just confused as to exactly why Gahyeon would be giving you a bottle of wine, on Valentine’s Day none-the-less.

Her smile falls slightly. “Do you not like it?”

“No!” You rush out, quickly changing your bewildered expression into a smile. You certainly don’t want her to feel bad for getting you a gift, however strange it might be. “I mean, no - but not no as in no I hate it - sorry, yes. Yes, I like it. Thank you.”

She smiles again, and you let yourself relax slightly, taking a breath. “I’m more so just a bit lost,” you continue, examining the bottle once more. “What is this for?”

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749 notes - Posted March 27, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#counting down the days before natgig masterlist surpasses just in case #lmao can’t wait #this is pretty cool tho #thx everyone for the great year <3

11 notes · View notes

tehuti88-art · 2 years

Photo

12/23/22: r/SketchDaily theme, "Holiday Free Draw Friday." (Sorry, I use Free Draw Fridays to practice my characters although I'm not too good at it. I may draw something holidayish soon.)

This week's character from my anthro WWII storyline is Untersturmführer (2nd Lt.) Paul Wozniak, sans cap (top drawing) and with cap (bottom drawing). He's one of the bad guys but has a secret that would make the other bad guys turn on him in an instant if they knew. There'll be more about him later in my art Tumblr and Toyhou.se.

Regarding his design, he's a gray poodle. (My poodle characters don't have those goofy fluffy cuts.)

TUMBLR EDIT 1: Only tangentially related, but I felt like sharing. As I was finishing up Paul Wozniak's entry, I got the urge to try to dig around and find out if I really have German ancestry or not. I definitely have French-Canadian ancestry through my maternal great-grandmother--there are records--but all I had to go on for my dad's side of the family was vague word of mouth. My mother had told me I have Pennsylvania Dutch (German) ancestry, but there was nothing to back that up; plus, when I asked her more recently, this time she said my ancestry is Dutch--completely different thing. My surname sounds German and I'd been told it is--BUT, it's also a word in English, and Google searches told me it's more often found in the UK--it could be German, yet it could also be English, Dutch, even Ashkenazi Jewish. It isn't included on Wikipedia's list of German surnames. I'm not close to extended family, I won't post my name online for safety reasons (people tend not to answer me when I post questions on forums anyway so I've given up), and I figured my dad himself either doesn't know or doesn't care (he's the sort who finds lots of questions irritating)...so I decided to try Google again. All I had to go on was my paternal grandfather's name, and my hometown, where he'd also lived. I started there.

This brought me first to the 1940 Census and my great-grandfather--as well as a tie to a Pennsylvania county with a high Pennsylvania Dutch population. I followed him to a genealogy site where I found my great-great-grandfather. I followed him to a personal genealogy site of Pennsylvania families, then followed that to various other sites. After a couple of hours (during which I took a break to work on my art for that day), plus a few additional details in the day or so after, I'd at last solved the mystery of my uncertain paternal ancestry and the origin of my surname.

I learned that my family had resided in Pennsylvania for over a century before coming to Michigan.

I learned that my family surname had changed spelling likely sometime in the late 1700s.

I learned my ancestors immigrated from Europe to Pennsylvania in 1767 on a ship called the Sally.

I learned that the earliest ancestor I could track down was a farmer named Georg, who was born around 1590. (Here the recorded trail I can find ends.)

And I learned that my family and my family name could be tracked to a particular state in Germany: We are, in fact, of German descent.

As for the name of the particular state in Germany from which my family originates?...my family comes from the state of Hesse.

I make up lots of stuff, but I could not have made this up if I tried.

Hope somebody enjoyed.

TUMBLR EDIT 2: So all right. I mentioned previously that I'd explain this SS character's decidedly odd name, so here we go.

I've made passing reference to newish character Lt. Paul Wozniak in previous entries, though until recently (I think it was Dobermann's entry?) never referred to him by name. This is largely because he only recently acquired one, and he had his first name quite a while before the last name came along. I had trouble figuring out what "Lt. Paul's" name should be but was already leaning toward something unusual; then "unusual" clearly developed into "Polish," so here we are. I went with one I knew how to pronounce (having attended school with a girl surnamed Wosniak, who I believe secretly hated my guts, but whatever).

This is a matter I haven't looked into as much as others, but suffice it to say, the Nazis hated the Poles. I don't know if they were persecuted to the same extent as the Jews, but many Slavic peoples, Poles included, were considered subhuman, and often forced into camps. Lt. Wozniak, being in the SS yet having what comes across as a "forbidden" name, seemed like it'd make for a pretty juicy plot point. And there was a tiny basis in fact for giving an SS member such a name, so I couldn't pass it up.

So what inspired such an odd choice? A fellow named...uh...Odilo Globocnik. *checks* Holy crap I spelled it right, though it took me a few backspaces. Anyway. Who is this weird-named dude? Long story short, he was an Austrian SS officer who participated in murdering the Poles, as well as various other garbagey acts. I shan't dwell on him as all he and Wozniak have in common is their odd naming circumstances. According to Wikipedia, Odilo (easier to type that than that surname) was Slovenian/Serbian/Croatian. I. e., Slavic. Yet he was still a high-ranking member of the SS and even participated in ethnic cleansing of other Slavic peoples. What up? I'm not sure if I understand what I'm reading right, but Odilo seems to have been another instance of the Nazis being big ol' flaming hypocrites when it suited them. Some of Odilo's fellows apparently ridiculed him for his non-Aryan name, but others, including Himmler himself, simply came up with an excuse: Oh, dude named Globocnik is TOTALLY Aryan! He just has a funny-spelled name because it was "Slavicized"! Yeah, that's the ticket! 🙄

I'm not sure what it was about Odilo that got him this easy pass, but there you go. It's similar in my story. Paul Wozniak, I believe, actually IS of Polish descent, so technically he should not end up accepted into the SS, but he is. He comes from a well-off family with connections--this plot point isn't developed yet, but perhaps they're even connected to Col. Rupprecht Heidenreich, which is one of the biggest connections you can get in this storyline without being connected to the Reichsführer himself. (Himmler never appears by name in my story though a guy who might be him briefly appears once or twice.) Heidenreich proves he's a hypocrite elsewhere in the story by expressing virulent antisemitism--e. g., he vows to shoot any Jew who sets foot on his land--while being a-OK having an affair with a half-Jewish woman (when she tells him this and asks if it'll be a problem, he outright says that makes it more "exciting.") Anyway, Wozniak's family are living in Germany at the time of the story and they consider themselves German and all that but, well, technicalities. They have big hopes for their son, big hopes he doesn't really share but he has no real say. They pull strings, insist they're not dirty Poles but they just have "Policized" names (yes that is a completely misused word there), he meets the SS criteria, and joins the Waffen-SS. Goes off to fight in the war. He's kind of young and definitely inexperienced, and the guy who ends up with him in his unit doesn't want to deal with the task of showing him the ropes, so passes him off to one of his other guys who has a lot more combat experience, having served in the Great War, and is named, you guessed it, Gunter Hesse.

Hesse's not terribly enthused about having to babysit New Guy but doesn't complain, gives him a crash course in how things are done. Wozniak is a fast learner so it doesn't go too badly. His personality is quite different from Hesse's--Hesse is more of a loner, doesn't really "click" with most of the younger soldiers, is the quiet stoic type, rather humorless most of the time, definitely not chatty, and comes from a lower-middle class background--his parents were killed when he was an infant so he was raised in an orphanage and spent some time in poverty after being dismissed from the army. Wozniak is younger, more sociable, loves to chat and joke around, and as I already made clear comes from the upper-middle class, has never wanted for anything. The two of them shouldn't really get along, but Wozniak wears Hesse down and they become rather decent friends. They aren't always in touch with each other since Hesse actually serves in Vincenz Immerwahr's unit, but they meet and fight alongside each other often. So of course Wozniak catches word when Hesse submits a complaint against Immerwahr for acting inappropriately toward him. Immerwahr's interest in younger men (he's older than Hesse is) is well known by most in the Waffen-SS, though Hesse wasn't in the loop. Well, he is now, and he complains about it. And his complaint is promptly brushed off by the Allgemeine-SS, which investigates such things. Hesse is humiliated but has to abide by the decision; he just decides to try to avoid Immerwahr's company as much as possible until he can figure out how to transfer to another unit.

Wozniak doesn't comment on the situation since he knows that'll just embarrass Hesse even more, though he does feel rather disappointed about it. Not because he's disgusted by Immerwahr's behavior, but because he has a crush on Hesse, too. And now he's just learned it'll never be requited, because Hesse is skeeved out by people like him. Le sigh.

So now you see Wozniak in fact has TWO very big things working against him: He's of Polish descent, AND, well...you know. He never really wanted to be in the SS, that was his parents' idea, but here we are.

Wozniak ends up getting seriously wounded and carried off to hospital; he sees Hesse, who helped save his life, standing and watching as he departs. He learns that he can remain in the SS by transferring to their noncombatant branch, the Allgemeine-SS, which deals in security and intelligence; it isn't glamorous but he transfers. He ends up serving Heidenreich's vast office dealing with recordkeeping and investigating complaints against SS officers. One day a new officer arrives in an adjacent office and Wozniak is surprised to recognize his old companion, Hesse--much similar to Wozniak, he too ended up wounded, and on the advice of the Waffen-SS physician who saw to his injury, Erich Arzt, decided to transfer so he could continue serving in the SS. Wozniak pops in to say hello and Hesse, surprised, greets him back. It looks like they'll be serving by each other yet again, albeit in a completely different capacity.

Wozniak isn't one of the major characters, and over time Hesse's friendship with Theodor Schulte kind of supplants his relationship with him, though this is largely because Schulte follows him out in the field more often, and carries out unpleasant tasks for him, whereas Wozniak tends to work from the office. One big exception to this is when Hesse is assigned to investigate the deaths of Inga Dobermann, a close friend, and the Nazi official whom she killed before dying herself. (I believe this occurs before Hesse and Schulte meet, though I could be wrong.) It's outside the scope of this entry that Inga is NOT, in fact, dead, her death was merely faked by her husband and members of the resistance movement, the Diamond Network. Despite his years-long friendship with the Dobermanns, Hesse is again out of the loop, for obvious reasons. Inga's husband, Louis Dobermann, requests that the investigation be kept low key out of respect for Inga (actually, to avoid the truth coming out, that she's Jewish and not really dead); he knows Hesse has long had romantic feelings for her, and plans on this working in his favor. Indeed it does, with Hesse taking the lead in the investigation and asking Heidenreich to allow him to keep things quiet. He requests to work with only one other officer, and chooses Wozniak, knowing he can keep things mum.

Wozniak has of course heard of the Dobermanns--they're a prominent Junker family well known for their philanthropy--though he's never really interacted with them, and doesn't know all the details of Hesse's relationship with them. (Louis Dobermann saved Hesse's life in the Great War, and Inga, who'd met the two men as they recovered in hospital, insisted on taking him in after he overdosed on morphine--prior to joining the SS, he'd lived with them and helped care for their daughter ever since. He now divides his time between the Dobermann estate and his SS-provided apartment in the city.) He picks up bits and pieces as the investigation goes on. One big hint about the exact nature of things is Hesse's reaction to Inga's "death." He initially reacts with numb shock, running on autopilot as he hurries to the estate to check out the crime scene and then returns to the city to seek Heidenreich's approval to investigate. Heidenreich calls Wozniak since it's quite late at night and most officers are at home; Wozniak agrees to meet Hesse early in the morning, while Hesse goes to get a few hours of sleep. Wozniak isn't quite sure why Hesse has gone to all this trouble, but starts to assume there's more to it than meets the eye. He shows up to work yet Hesse doesn't report to the office as expected, so Wozniak goes to his apartment, knocks, waits a bit. Hesse finally answers, groggy and bleary eyed, and lets him in; he's still dressed from the previous night but is rumpled, and asks Wozniak to wait a few moments while he washes and straightens himself up to head back to the Dobermann estate. Wozniak does so, but is vaguely perplexed; Hesse is well known for being a teetotaler, at the most he may have a glass of wine or beer once a week or so but he almost exclusively sticks to club soda. So why does he look so hungover?

Wozniak wanders around the suite a little bit and notices that the door to Hesse's private quarters is cracked open; peering within, he notices something sitting on the bed: a small kit with a syringe. He knows exactly what that must be. When Hesse comes out of the bathroom, still drying himself off, Wozniak gestures at the kit and murmurs, "You sure you're good to go, Kamerad...?" Hesse glances at the kit but then nods, and Wozniak exits the room to let him get dressed. As they leave a few moments later he can tell Hesse never actually took the drug; something must have stopped him from doing so after he prepared the needle. Something else is to blame for his uncharacteristically shabby state when he answered the door. There's no smell of alcohol on him, so Wozniak assumes a completely different cause: Hesse must have cried himself to sleep. He still isn't sure of all the particulars, but now he can tell Hesse cared for Inga very deeply.

Wozniak assists in the investigation by doing most of the behind-the-scenes work, such as digging into the SS personal records for information on the man Inga killed and why he might have been on the property in the first place. He's a bit more clear eyed than Hesse is about the whole affair, and senses something is fishy, but Hesse quickly shuts him down when he tries to suggest Dobermann may be hiding something; Hesse isn't stupid, Wozniak knows that he knows, on some level, that things aren't quite right. Yet Hesse deliberately chooses to ignore this, so Wozniak goes along with it. Both of them know Dobermann isn't telling the entire truth about Inga's "death," and is in effect using Hesse's feelings for her to ensure the investigation doesn't go too deep...and they allow him to do this, anyway. Hesse is a very by-the-book type (him filing a complaint against Immerwahr and expecting it to go anywhere is proof of this), so his behavior in the Dobermann investigation is very atypical indeed. The two of them basically pin the blame on the dead guy and let things rest there.

As time goes on, Wozniak does get to learn that the Dobermanns are Hesse's big blind spot, with him willing to bend or outright break the rules for them, and not just in regards to Inga's death. Hesse feels he owes them, and he's devoted to their daughter Adelina--treating her almost like she's his own--so even though he gets into heated arguments with Dobermann himself, he lets them get away with almost anything. The presence of Tobias Schäfer within the Dobermann household is a pretty big sign of this. Dobermann rescued Schäfer from the labor camp while Inga was still "alive," and brought him back to the estate to serve as the in-home physician. The thing is that Schäfer is Jewish, and it's illegal for him to practice medicine; also, he's deaf, which in the Nazis' eyes makes him even more "subhuman." So Dobermann's actions here are a big no-no. Wozniak meets Schäfer only later in the story when he accidentally runs into him during a visit to the estate; normally, Hesse has Schäfer hide when Nazis visit, though this time there was an oversight. (The same thing happens with Hasso Reinhardt, who currently runs the camp.) Wozniak isn't terribly antisemitic, despite working for the SS; he's more curious about Schäfer's presence than alarmed. Especially when he learns that Hesse's first reaction to Dobermann showing up with Schäfer was to demand that he return him to the camp, where Schäfer was just about to be sent to the firing squad. By the time Wozniak meets Schäfer, he and Hesse are on generally decent terms, and as I already mentioned, Hesse actively participates in concealing his presence, now. It's weird but Wozniak chalks it up yet again to Hesse's devotion to the Dobermanns. He never tips off his boss Heidenreich as to any of these irregularities, partly because of his own secrets.

At one point in the plot, a Lebensborn maternity home is bombed (still working out the details of this), and Wozniak, who was visiting at the time, ends up trapped with an unwed pregnant woman who goes into labor; he helps her deliver the baby. He runs into her (she needs a name now) later on in the story and learns she's going to give the baby up for adoption. This is normal; the SS established the Lebensborn maternity homes to provide for pregnant SS wives and unwed mothers, the latter of whom, if they're racially desirable enough, are expected to adopt their children out to SS families who don't have their own. Lebensborn helps protect these women from the stigma generally attached to being pregnant out of wedlock, and ensures their children a good home. Wozniak chats with this woman and gets to know a bit about her; she had a brief relationship with another SS officer, but he wasn't interested in making it serious, and bailed out when she discovered she was pregnant. Her family aren't thrilled about the situation, and threatened to disown her if she didn't get the situation "taken care of" somehow. Abortion is illegal for Aryan German citizens, due to the low birth rate, so Lebensborn is her only option. Despite all of Wozniak's efforts to get her to laugh or smile, she remains gloomy and vaguely hostile, so he asks if she even wants to put the child up for adoption; the look on her face makes it clear she doesn't. She simply has no other choice.

Wozniak suddenly hits upon an idea: He proposes. Out of the blue. (Yes, similarities to Ludolf Jäger's and Magdalena Jäger's tale, though keep reading, it's different.) He'll marry her, and pose as the officer who got her pregnant, insisting he's had a change of heart and has decided to marry her after all--this should resolve all her issues with her family. New Mother just gives him the most flabbergasted stare.

Wozniak: "Well...?"

New Mother: "What are you even getting at--?"

Wozniak: "Exactly as I said. What do you say?"

New Mother: "I say you've lost your head! What nonsense is this? We hardly know each other."

Wozniak: "So? I get the feeling that's pretty common with this thing, ja? Sounds like you didn't know the other fellow too well, either."

New Mother: "You're really terrible at this, you know?"

Wozniak: "And yet you're not saying nein."

New Mother: "And neither am I saying ja! You're being a horrible Arsch. Last thing I need right now is jokes."

Wozniak: "For once I'm serious. And so what do you say? Ja or nein?"

New Mother: "What do you think? I'm not even interested in you like that!"

Wozniak: "...Huh. I suppose I should be offended. I guess it's a good thing I'm not interested in you like that, either."

New Mother: (angrily) "And what's that supposed to mean--?" (blinks) "...Oh."

Wozniak explains: He's not being ENTIRELY selfless with his proposal. A marriage wouldn't benefit just her, it would benefit him as well: His family have been nagging at him to find a nice wife, settle down, have some kids. None of which he's interested in doing in the least. But they're getting kind of pushy about it, and the SS is too, since they request their eligible members to have families. Here, they can kill two birds with one stone: He can placate his family and the SS and help cover up his preferences by marrying her and claiming her child as his own, while she placates her family by marrying the "father" of her child and not getting disowned. She's very reluctant about this scheme, as it strikes her as terribly unfair to expect him to give up his own chance at a relationship by helping her; to which he frankly responds, "I already have no such chance, not unless I want to be executed." New Mother knows of course that the Third Reich forbids the sort of relationship Wozniak would be interested in, but she admittedly never thought about just how harsh the consequences can be--Wozniak doesn't look at all like the sort of person who'd be put in a camp or outright killed, yet he is. Still, she feels so much guilt over this--"It isn't fair, this isn't the way it should be"--that he has to do a lot of convincing to bring her around that it actually benefits him more than her, and she has nothing to feel bad about, she's not responsible for his happiness. They plan to visit their families before seeking permission from the SS, since the blessings of their relatives should carry some weight. Accordingly, they go to meet her parents first.

New Mother's parents watch in consternation as an unfamiliar car pulls in, an SS officer gets out (it's almost never a good thing to get a visit from the SS, so although they're good law-abiding Germans, they're nervous), then helps someone out of the passenger side--it's their daughter, and she's carrying a baby. They hurry out to meet her, wondering what's going on; when New Mother awkwardly introduces Wozniak, and he clarifies that he's the same officer she'd been seeing previously, they're surprised, but everyone goes inside to talk over tea. Wozniak is of course asked about his name (he provides the same BS story his parents always have--he's Aryan German, just the family name was changed when they lived in Poland--and they agree it must be true, he wouldn't have been allowed in the SS otherwise), and when asked the circumstances of him being there now, after he'd dumped their daughter, he expresses great contrition, explaining how when he saw her with their baby he realized what he had turned his back on; he's had a change of heart, and wishes to start a proper family. They ask how the two of them met in the first place; New Mother gets flustered, but Wozniak comes right out with an elaborate story that even explains why she didn't answer the question ("She's embarrassed that it isn't as romantic as she thinks it should be"). Her parents buy it hook, line, and sinker, and leave the room a moment to talk amongst themselves.

New Mother: (whispering) "What was all that??"

Wozniak: (whispering) "I had to say something, you weren't answering!"

New Mother: "How did you learn to--to LIE like that? Like you do it every day!"

Wozniak: "I DO do it every day! I sort of have to!"

Parents return to the room, give Wozniak a gentle finger shake over "his previous behavior," but for the most part are too thrilled to be angry. They offer their blessing. The two next visit Wozniak's parents. They're even more surprised than hers: "We had no idea you were even seeing anybody," his mother exclaims, "and now you show up with a baby?--why did you never tell us?" This time, Wozniak hems and haws, and New Mother speaks up--"He's embarrassed that it isn't as romantic as he thinks it should be"--and repeats the story Wozniak had told. His parents excuse themselves a moment.

Wozniak: (sideways glance) "I must be rubbing off on you already. You did that a little too easily."

Wozniak's parents reappear, give their blessing. Next up is the SS. Considering that both Wozniak and New Mother have already met SS physical/racial requirements, this step is the easiest of all; the most complicated aspect is the marriage ceremony and the baby's christening. Wozniak warns New Mother these might be weird. They go through with it, then depart, newly wed, New Mother carrying the baby and both of them staring off into space, brows furrowed pensively.

New Mother: "You're right. That was...weird."

Wozniak: "That's sort of how we do things."

New Mother: "What was that book he kept reading aloud from...?"

Wozniak: "Ah...Mein Kampf."

New Mother: "Oh."

Wozniak: "I don't recommend it, it's not very good."

New Mother: "Ja."

New Mother repeatedly agonizes over their choice to pose as a couple, feeling like she's depriving him of his own life, and Wozniak has to keep reassuring her otherwise. Over time it becomes clear she's actually developed some feelings for him after all, though he has no interest in reciprocating (a fact that he feels apologetic about, but it's not like he can do anything about it). They have to deal numerous times with awkward situations such as sharing a bed and keeping their families convinced they're into each other, as well as why no more children seem to be forthcoming...I haven't delved very much yet into all this, so I'm not sure how far they're both willing to go to maintain the act. They do grow to genuinely love each other in an unusual way, though, so the marriage isn't as pure a con job as it started out as.

Wozniak participates in Hesse's investigation of the murder of their boss, Col. Heidenreich; everyone is stunned when the killer turns out to be his own wife, Eva, with the assistance of...Capt. Arzt, who tended to Hesse's injuries and suggested he join the Allgemeine-SS all those years ago. Eva is hanged, whereas Arzt commits suicide while Hesse and Wozniak are taking him into custody. Wozniak sees Hesse's former blind devotion to the SS starting to waver, and he spends more time with his mistress Sophie; Wozniak catches wind of Hesse proposing to her, and encourages him to follow through--and soon. Ominous news is trickling in from the Eastern Front that the war is taking a bad turn, and Wozniak tells Hesse this might be a good time for him to retire to the country with Sophie--Hesse is surprised when Wozniak admits he's making similar plans in case things get worse. Surprised, because Wozniak is still young, and so resigning from the SS now seems premature. Hesse gets the same advice from SS major Jan Delbrück, who just returned from the front and so knows what's going on. Unfortunately for Hesse, he ignores this advice, although he does indicate to Sophie that he'll leave the SS if they refuse his request to marry her; events come to a head before he can act, and he, Schulte, and Sophie don't meet good ends.

Delbrück and Wozniak--independently of each other--are more clear eyed, and take action sooner. Delbrück barely makes it out of the city as the Allies arrive, while Wozniak hurries to fetch New Mother. She's bewildered when he bursts in, dressed in plain clothes, and tells her to get the baby and a few belongings as they have to leave right then. He urges her to contact her parents and tell them to leave as well, but a telephone call to them results in nothing: They've decided to stay where they are, confident the enemy will be defeated. Wozniak tries to suggest they go pick them up but New Mother cuts him off--turns out her parents have gone full Nazi, she's certain they won't come along, and what's more, they'll definitely never accept it should they find out the truth about their marriage--she suspects they may even become dangerous. Right now, it's best for them to focus on themselves, and the baby. He's surprised that she's willing to leave her family behind--he'd made the same decision regarding his own--but all she has to say to that is "We're the family now, ja?" She gathers some supplies for the baby, they get bundled into the car, and head out of the city and toward the mountains, where Wozniak reasons they stand a better chance of surviving. He says he knows someone he can contact for help after things settle down a little.

While I was taking a small break from typing this, Wozniak revealed the rest of his story to me, and it doesn't end the way I'd originally thought. Here we go, though. He and New Mother hide out in the mountains for a bit, then make their way toward Poland, where Wozniak says he still has extended family who might be able to help. (Here is where New Mother--holy cripes do I need to find her a name, by this point she's not exactly a new mother anymore--asks, dumbfounded, "Your family really does come from Poland?--you have Slavic blood? How on earth did they let you into the SS??" Wozniak simply confirms that yes, he's ethnically Polish, and also his family had connections, which counts for more than blood, apparently.) He tracks down a distant cousin who, from the looks of it, knows of his service in the SS. Relative agrees to meet him in an out-of-the-way place with some material to aid him, though it's not a friendly meeting.

Relative: "You have some real nerve showing your face here."

Wozniak: "I appreciate your help."

Relative: "Well, I don't appreciate seeing you." (nods at New Mother) "Who's she?"

Wozniak: "This is my wife."

Relative: "Wife--? Oh, this is rich. So you married one of them, too. Nice."

Wozniak: "I don't want to take up your time--"

Relative: "Don't worry about me, I don't want you taking up my time, either. Here. I do you ONE favor." (hands over some documents) "Papers you people love so much."

Wozniak: (looks at papers; they're in Polish, but New Mother can tell they're identity papers for three members of the Wozniak family) "Who are they?"

Relative: "WERE they. Don't worry, they don't need these papers anymore."

Wozniak: "What happened to them?"

Relative: (livid) "Don't you dare act like you don't know. Now I did my part. I don't want to see any of you ever again." (leaves)

New Mother: "Paul...you had family who died in the camps?"

Wozniak: "I didn't know any of them too well. Haven't been here since my parents left. Anyway..." (tucks papers away) "We're them, now."

New Mother can tell the tense interaction wears on him, but doesn't press. He gets the papers back out later for them to study and remember the details (Paul Wozniak's new name, for example, is Piotr (Peter) Wozniak) and ends up with tears flooding his eyes, but says nothing about what he's thinking. The three of them manage under their new identities to secure some funds and a small cabin in the woods--Wozniak deems living in the country safer than returning to a city--and they squeak by on hunting and gathering, supplementing this by doing minor jobs for their few distant neighbors who mostly keep to themselves. It isn't easy, but at least it's a living, and the two of them genuinely care for each other and the child. Things are sure to get easier as time goes by.

That's where I thought Wozniak's story basically ended, with the little family making it by on their own, relatively content. But a bit more emerged. They live this way for a year or so, maybe three, and are quite resilient and happy with each other. Winter arrives and it's always a difficult season but by now they know how to handle it. One day Wozniak heads outside to go hunting in the woods, but halts as soon as he notices footprints in the snow; further examination shows that during the night, someone came up to the cabin and tried peering inside. Feeling dread creeping up inside, Wozniak orders New Mother to lock the windows and door and to take the child and hole up in the cellar for now, and not come outside for anything; she repeatedly asks what's going on, but he doesn't answer, just insists: "Not for ANYTHING." She obeys, locking up everything after him and taking Child into the cellar--their food and supply stores are down here, so they can stay for a while--and waiting, filled with dread. After some time she hears it--a gun blast. Then a few moments later, a second. She huddles hugging Child tight, fighting not to burst into tears or to hurry out of their shelter, but there are no more gunshots--and no other sounds at all. Only after a few hours have passed without anything else happening does she instruct Child to stay hidden in the cellar, then ventures out. The cabin is just as it was left; no one's tried to enter. She unlocks the door, taking a rifle and sled with her--in case he's hurt--and follows Wozniak's tracks into the woods.

Wozniak has followed the other set of tracks. As soon as he catches a flicker of movement among the trees, he makes a noise--deliberately giving away his location--then, hearing the snow crunching, he hurries deeper into the trees and away from the cabin. The fact that nobody tried to break in in the night makes him hope that whoever this is isn't interested in his wife or child, but he leads them as far away as he can just in case. Finally he turns and his pursuer emerges: An unknown man with a shotgun, which he aims at Wozniak as soon as he sees he's turned around. He undoes the flaps on his cap to show his face and yells, "Do you remember me?" Wozniak has to squint at him for a moment or two, but at last a vague memory comes back to him; some years ago, when he and Hesse had been visiting the labor camp, a group of newly arrived prisoners had paraded past; one of them had stared keenly at the two SS officers, making eye contact with Wozniak; his stare had unsettled Wozniak and he'd turned away. That was it, that was the total of their interactions--yet Wozniak remembers him, and the man now says, "You do remember me. Good." He approaches, shotgun still aimed, as Wozniak slowly steps back, hands raised.

Stranger: "I told myself to never forget your faces. After I got out of that place. Tried tracking you both down. Couldn't find that other bastard. I guess you'll have to do."

Wozniak: "Bitte..."

Stranger: "Pretending to be a Pole to hide in plain sight. Sneaky, even for you fellows. You know some of you even put on prisoners' clothes to get away? Clever, but not clever enough."

Wozniak: "Bitte, I have people who depend on me..."

Stranger: (screaming) "SO DID I!" (raises gun) (voice cracking) "Maybe you'll meet them! Since I don't believe in Hell!" (fires)

There's a special kind of irony in Wozniak concealing his true ancestry all this time to protect himself, yet in it not protecting him when he needed it to, I guess. He falls to his knees, topples over backwards, goes still. The shooter stands there a moment, then approaches and kicks Wozniak's foot a couple of times--"Get up. Wake up." No response, so he nudges him with the gun barrel; Wozniak is limp. Then, unexpectedly...shooter starts gasping and shaking and his eyes flood with tears. He halfheartedly wipes them away.

Stranger: (crying) "They're still gone. It's not supposed to be like this." (sinks to his knees, drops shotgun, starts sobbing) "It isn't fair. Nothing's changed. I did it for nothing." (removes pistol from his belt, puts it to his head)

New Mother had heard two gunshots. She crests a rise, panting from all the trudging, then spots it: two forms lying still in the snow in a clearing. Lets out a cry--"Paul!"--and stumbles toward him. She drops down and pulls his head and shoulders into her lap and cries, "Nein, nein, nein, Paul," and hugs him tight, but he's growing cold by now. She eventually pulls herself together enough to dig a hole in the snow--pushing the stranger into it and covering him up--then gets Wozniak and the guns onto the sled and, still weeping, pulls him back home with her. All she can think of are the relatives he left behind in Poland; they made it clear they never wanted to see him again, but she makes plans to get to them anyway. She wants Wozniak to have a proper burial.

New Mother's story continues a little bit longer, but that's pretty much it for Wozniak's; I toyed with the idea of him having been wearing some sort of armor under his clothes and playing dead after the shot, but that was silly, and Wozniak himself wouldn't have it. I guess I don't like the thought of too many "bad guys" getting off with happy endings--even though Wozniak tries to be good, and never murders anyone, and never wished to be in the SS in the first place--he likely would have ended up a victim himself if he didn't join--still, he COULD have defied his parents and refused to join, or at least quit after being wounded rather than transfer into the Allgemeine-SS, whose investigations and recordkeeping often helped out the Holocaust as much as the actual killings did. He had a choice, and technically he is a bad guy. He survives the war, but not for very long.

[Paul Wozniak 2022 [‎Friday, ‎December ‎23, ‎2022, ‏‎4:00:13 AM]]

[Paul Wozniak 2022 2 [‎Friday, ‎December ‎23, ‎2022, ‏‎4:00:22 AM]]

#artists on tumblr #ibisPaint x #SketchDaily #original characters

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ducktracy · 3 years

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Someone said Porky and Daffy’s relationship is *built around* Daffy just being a jerk to Porky while Porky just takes it and I think I will never forgive TLTS again.

let me preface this by saying i don't hate TLTS and don't exactly like pinning the blame entirely down on it, i enjoy the show for what it is, it makes me laugh, it has a very talented crew who i respect. i'm also glad it's got people talking about these characters again, and i won't blame people for their ignorance because i'm sure as hell ignorant to a lot of things myself. if that’s all people know of these characters so far, i can’t entirely blame them. with that said...

GEEZ does that make me sad. as both friends or enemies, Porky and Daffy have a pretty invaluable dynamic. they’re the perfect comedy duo and their dynamic is most certainly NOT built around that… if anything, you could stretch it to be the opposite—how many times has Porky raised a gun to Daffy’s head now? or an axe? the very first Daffy short is all about Porky trying (and failing) to kill him!

i enjoy TLTS when i’m in the mood for it and i’ve recommended it to friends. however, and i know i sound like an old geyser, i don’t think the sitcom format works for these characters. the show is funny and it does things well, and i realize i’m biased with my own love of the originals, but putting these characters in a sitcom format is incredibly hindering.

the great thing about the originals is that you can put the characters in whatever situations you please. their personalities and dynamics carry the shorts. one cartoon Porky’s a pilgrim, next he’s a hunter, next he’s in outer space, next he’s a cop, next he’s throwing a birthday party. Daffy lives in a pond one short, a house another, a junkyard another. while you can still have various misadventures in TLTS, it feels like typecasting. Daffy is one of the most varied characters in animation history, and i really don’t like that he’s been reduced to “Peter Griffin the duck”, and for every episode too.

honestly, this is a problem with almost all post-theatrical adaptations--these characters vary from short to short, and there’s been a trend of trying to pin down ONE personality as THEIR personality. things get stale pretty quickly as a result, there needs to be some variety. make Daffy a jerk. make him a screwball. make him an in-between. just bring that CHANGE!! have fun! experiment! making Daffy a jerk who solely beats up on Porky as their personalities quickly eradicates any room for experimentation and evolution. this applies to LTC in the opposite sense, too (though i do like how The Case of Porky’s Pants has a slightly tamer Daffy. i hope we see more shorts with him like that).

ANYWAY. i wish people would go and seek out the originals more. i gave 0 shits about LT before i got into it, and i totally know how hard it is to be like “this is old” or “this is boring” or “this doesn’t appeal to me so i won’t watch it” but... don’t knock it ‘til you try it! you don’t have to like it, but i really just wish people would see how GREAT these characters can be. see all of the different combinations they can be twisted into. i try to watch something new every single day that i haven’t seen before, whether i like it or not. it’s just good to expand your palette that way... and especially with THESE characters, there’s a lot waiting in store.

not to mention, Porky and Daffy are the only characters who are actually FRIENDS in the original shorts, and even then half the time they’re trying to kill each other! if their dynamic purely was based on Daffy picking on Porky, i doubt their smiling faces would be plastered on a number of publicity sheets/the opening of dozens of LT shorts (including many that don’t involve them at all!)

they’re definitely an anomaly and their dynamic is certainly unique, but that’s what makes them great. the whole “Daffy hates Bugs so he must hate Porky too and everyone else” mindset is just uninformed.

and again, if anything, Porky’s usually the bully—it seems that 9 times out of 10, Daffy only retaliates out of self defense. the only short i can think of where Daffy is truly a prick to Porky totally unprovoked would probably be The Ducksters, though i could be missing some. his heckling is relatively innocent, or at least lighthearted—if Porky tried to split me in half with an axe for trying to stay out of the cold, i’d probably set off some rockets and send him flying down an empty elevator chute too.

I DIGRESS, i’m all talk, and i know too much about these characters and LIKE them too much. i can’t blame anyone for thinking that when TLTS is all they know, and i don’t want to entirely pin the blame down on TLTS either, but yeah, it sucks. watch the originals and see these characters in their “””original environments”””.

wanna see Porky and Daffy work together? watch Porky Pig’s Feat, Porky & Daffy, Tick Tock Tuckered, Porky’s Last Stand, most of the Chuck Jones P+D shorts in the ‘50s. wanna see ‘em at each other’s throats? My Favorite Duck, Duck Soup to Nuts, Daffy Doodles, Tom Turk and Daffy, Boobs in the Woods, Riff Raffy Daffy. a mix of both? Yankee Doodle Daffy, Baby Bottleneck, You Ought to Be in Pictures, etc etc etc, i’m just naming off the top of my head. there are so many more out there.

POINT IS, their dynamic varies, and all versions are worth watching. i’m a strong believer that some of the best Porky and Daffy cartoons are the ones where they’re paired together. they play off of each other incredibly well. do your animation history homework and watch some of the originals, i promise they’re not as old and as boring and as unfunny as you think they are.

#long post #agaib i need to reiterate i’m not knocking on anyone or anything i’m just ranting #i just don’t want to come off as someone spouting constant negativity for the sake of stirring up drama or me shaking my old cane yelling #‘these dern cartoons these days!!!!’#trust me. i get it. working in the animation industry i totally understand and feel the unnecessary hate towards things and it does suck and #i don’t want to come off as a ‘hater’. i’m more speaking out of my love and passion for the originals rather than disdain for new stuff #i just want to reiterate that because i don’t want to come across as an old hateful geyser who knows all. i don’t and am very ignorant to a #lot of things even including LT related facts #anonymous

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rosecorcoranwrites · 4 years

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Villain Motivation and the Banality of Evil

Motivation in Fact and Fiction

As you know by now, I am a huge true crime fan. I've read books by FBI profilers and crime historians, am addicted to the Investigation Discovery channel, and have even attended a semester of my local police departments "citizens police academy". This is a professional as well as a personal interest, given that I am currently outlining a mystery WIP set in an alternate version of our world. Thus, I want to understand crime investigation, different types of evidence, and, of course, motive. It's this last one—the motivation behind a villain's acts—that many authors, not just those who write mystery—concern themselves with. And, after examining hundreds of real-life crimes, I'm here to tell you that it's not that important.

Ok, it's a little important, in that a villain needs a motive, but it's not important that it be extremely groundbreaking, or extremely relatable, or extremely anything. Motives tend to be common place, not extreme, no matter how shocking the other aspects of a crime.

For example, the excellent book The Father of Forensics: The Groundbreaking Cases of Sir Bernard Spilsbury and the Beginnings of Modern CSI, which I raved about previously, contains a number of sensational cases where the bodies were either hideously mutilated or, conversely, found without any scratch on them. To add intrigue to injury, the murders happened in the early days of forensics, when procedures for dealing with evidence were still being worked out and when more modern investigative tools like AFIS, DNA testing, and psychological profiling were still decades away. Every case was fascinating in its details and in its eventual solution. Almost every case had, as a motive, either money or getting out of an unwanted relationship. That was it. The oddities of the bodies were the killers' attempts at not being caught, but the reasons for there being bodies in the first place were as average as could be.

In fact, the three main motives, according to Lt. Joe Kenda, of ID channel fame, are money, revenge, and sex. The more headline-catching serial-killer crimes happen, it seems, due to a desire for power or a thrill. I would say these five motives sum up most murders, maybe even most crimes. Once you cut away the mystery and the gore, all you're left with are some pretty average human desires: money/stuff, vengeance/justice, sex, power/control, and thrill/excitement. When people talk about the banality of evil, this is what they mean.

Take the motive of "money". We're all familiar with the idea, in real and fictional crime, of robbing banks or killing someone for their life insurance. Writers seem to find this an acceptable plot point: villain wants a lot of money and thus does very bad things. Yet, if you watch enough crime TV, you will know that real murders happen for sums as low as $400 or even $40. There was an episode of Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda where a man was shot and almost killed over an argument about 25 cents!

It also needn't be money, but material possessions. In one of the citizen's police academy classes, we learned about a local case where three teenagers broke into a man's house and stole, among other things, his corncob pipe. This pipe was the item he was most upset about, and often discussed in subsequent weeks. So the man lured one of the teenagers out to the woods and shot him execution-style. He was planning to do the same to the other two, and blame the whole crime on his teenaged lover. So that was one life ruined—and it would have been three others, had he not been caught—with the motive of revenge for a lost corncob pipe!

The Gap Between Good and Evil

I thus wonder why it is that we, as writers, tend to overlook such commonplace motivations. There's an unspoken assumption that the motivation of a villain must scale with their actions, so while sub-bosses or henchmen might get away with being in it for the money or the thrill, the Big Bad needs a more exciting or deep motivation. There's also a more recent idea being bandied about in internet circles that the villain should think he's the hero. I think both of these concepts are flawed, but let's take them one at a time.

Although I personally love "True Believer" villains that really do believe they are doing what is right, I don't think it's fair to say that all villains must be this way. After all, a great many real-life villains don't think they're doing something good; they just don't care. They want what they want and do what they can to get it without worrying about morality. I think the reason that this second sort of villain--the thrill-killer, the evil sorcerer, the bully--get a bad rap is that people (both readers and writers), don't understand evil. Yes, a villain who only desires evil is unrealistic, because, in fact, it's impossible to desire evil. But maybe I'm getting ahead of myself.

In the Catholic tradition, we hold that evil doesn't exist; it has no metaphysical reality. Evil is a privation, or absence, of good, similar to how a shadow doesn't exist, but is a privation, or absence, of light. Thus, a person cannot desire evil in and of itself, because they would be desiring nothing. Every evil act is done because someone is desiring something good, but disproportionately, or in a way that removes part of the good from that thing. Again, look at the five motives for murder. Each of those is a good, in and of themselves, but none justifies violating another person.

And thus we come to the other assumption about villains, that their actions must scale with their motives. I think, in fact, the opposite tends to make a more interesting villain. The motive can be something small--wanting revenge for some slight, or a peaceful life, or to be like everyone else. These might even be the same goods that the hero desires. What makes the villain villainous, and what can make them even more interesting, is what they are willing to do to fulfill these desires. Who or what are they willing to throw away? What rules are they willing to break? That distance, between what they want and how they get it is what separates them from the hero.

Types of Villains

This principle, that a villain must desire a good, but desire it disproportionately, can work for any type of villain.

Take the True Believer types: those that believe they are doing what's right. In this category, I would put people like Thanos (Avengers: Infinity War), as well as A.I.s like Agent Smith (The Matrix), VIKI (iRobot), and the Terminators (Terminator... obviously). Thanos is widely lauded as one of Marvel's best villains because he really does think he's doing the right thing. He is willing to throw away half of all sapient beings, plus the one person who he actually cares about, in order to save the other half. What he wants--peace and prosperity--is understandable, but while the gap between that and his genocidal actions is mathematically non-existent, it is morally huge. Similarly, the three A.I.s I mentioned are trying to save either robot-kind or human-kind, but are willing to murder thousands or even billions of humans in order to do it. Essentially, these villains are doing the classic Utilitarian trolley problem, but on a massive scale. They think they are the heroes, and truly do desire a good outcome, but the actions taken to bring that about are inexcusably evil.

Similar to the True Believers are a type of villain I will call the Desperate. These people are also trying to bring about good, but know that what they are doing is wrong. Mr. Freeze (Batman) is a classic example, as he commits crimes to get money and technology to save his wife. Actually, there are a whole slew of villains, mostly in anime and JRPGs, whose entire motivation is to save or resurrect a dead wife or girlfriend. They're trying to save someone they love, but they rarely brand themselves as saviors or heroes; Desperate types hold no such illusions. Sebastian, in my own series, is such a villain, in that he is willing to betray his friends and ally himself to bad people in order to save Chiaroscuro and make up for his past sins. He's willing to do evil that good may come of it, and actually uses the "I'm a bad person anyway" excuse as a justification for his actions.

On the flip side are those who don't care about whether or not they're doing good, which I will divide into three types: Dark Lords, Thrill Killers, and Egoists.

Dark Lords, obviously, include literal Dark Lords, such as Sauron and Voldemort, but I'm also going to throw in your average serial killer into this category. Why? Because they all want the same thing: power. The books I've read by FBI profilers chronicle the most gruesome crimes with motives ranging from rage to lust, but there is an ever present need of the killers to control, whether that's controlling their victims, the situation, or the police and firefighters (in the case of arsonists). Control is related to power, and power, in and of itself, is a good. This, in fact, is why it's wrong for these villains to take away the power or freedom of their victims. While a True Believer like Thanos sought balance, Dark Lords seek an imbalance, and want everything for themselves in an attempt to prove to themselves that they are more powerful, and thus better, than everyone else. These types of villains are, sadly, very realistic, but don't lend themselves to stories requiring a strong interpersonal conflict between hero and villain. They tend to act as a force of nature the hero must work against--whether in a fantasy against a Dark Lord or in a thriller against a serial murderer--and thus don't do much in the way of interpersonal conflict.

Better, in my opinion, are the Thrill Killer types, who see the world as a game, and are willing to do whatever it takes to have fun. Example of this are The Joker (Batman) and Mr. Sato (Ajin). Though The Joker is a bank-robbing thug, he's mostly in it for the laughs, and cares very deeply about whether or not things are funny. That doesn't make him any less abusive or violent, but the gap between his humor and his barbarity is what make him an interesting character. Mr. Sato, similarly, sees the world like one huge videogame, in which he has been given extra lives. Fun and games are a normal and natural good, but his villainy stems from what he is willing to do in this "game". Mr. Sato has absolutely no concern for human life, even his own, and kills hundreds of people (including himself, on multiple occasions!). The interest in this type of villain comes from watching their crazy schemes and then trying to figure out how the hero can possibly beat them. These villains are similar to Dark Lords in that they are something like a force of nature, but different in that the hero usually has to face off against them personally, outwit them, and deal with them as an individual person.

Finally, there are those who want something personally good, but have no regard for others. Technically, this could also describe Dark Lords and Thrill Killers, but here I mean really personal, as in specific to that person. Rather than something big like power or a crazy thrill, they tend to desire the utterly ordinary. Take the robot in Ex Machina. I'm not sure everyone would classify her as a villain, though she certainly did some evil things (it's up to interpretation whether she understands good and evil, though). What was her motivation? She wanted to go watch a crowd. She was, essentially, created to gather information, so that's what she went to go do. It makes sense that that's what she wants, but it doesn't justify what she did to the main character (even if he was kind of a doofus). Or Rezo the Red Priest (Slayers), who, in my opinion, has one of the best motivations of any villain ever. He was born blind and wanted to see. That's a totally understandable motivation. But he's willing to sacrifice the entire world to a demon lord in order to get that wish. Now that is a heckofa gap between a good desire and an evil action! And yet, is it really all that different from the sort of selfishness present in a man who would murder three teenagers over a corncob pipe? Real evil motivations are banal, and real evil actions are completely disproportionate to those motivations. Art, in the case of these last villains, is simply imitating life.

Asking What the Villains Want

Obviously, there are a million different ways of combining these villain type and motivations. Some villains want money so they can save a dying loved one. Some villains desire revenge because they truly believe they have been wronged. A Thrill Killer might find excitement in killing criminals. There is no one right way to write a villain, and there is no one motivation that is the only interesting kind. To anyone trying to write a villain, I suggest reading about or watching shows on real life criminals, from the Big Bads like Hitler, Stalin, and Mao to famous killers like Jack the Ripper and Ted Bundy to run of the mill criminals in your local newspaper. People don't become mass murderers or even petty thieves for no reason, but they also don't just do evil because it's the evil thing to do. Even the most gruesome atrocities were rooted in the desire for misplaced revenge, or disproportionate control, or a false belief in some so-called greater good. Then, I suggest reading and watching your favorite stories and asking what makes these villains tick. Is it the same as in real life? Is it different? What makes a great villain so great? You'll may just find that it's simply a matter of proportion.

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chibivesicle · 5 years

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Golden Kamuy chapters 231 & 232.

Hey all, here is my belated and likely as little bit shorter than normal summary. I’m taking the weekend off from dealing with work related stuff but I’m still off dealing with the constantly changing situation here. We start off with Inkarmat about to give birth with the assistance of Osoma’s mother and huci. I wondered why Osoma’s mom doesn’t have a name but if I recall all of the Ainu names in the manga have to not belong to a living person (I think from an interview with Noda) to be respectful, so I’m guessing it is trickier than normal to keep coming up with appropriate and proper names for the Ainu characters. This might be a good work around for the time being for Noda.

And the title page for the chapere tells us that is is birth and that Huci is the most seasoned midwife possible and that she was also Asirpa’s midwife. The title page also has the quote that “Purpose is handed down from heaven.” sticking with the central theme of the manga included in each volume of the manga.

The title page also makes it almost look like Huci is blessing someone perhaps linked to Asirpa. Tanigaki then being the dude that he is decides to leave Inkarmat in their hands as he uses this as an excuse to slip away and find Tsukishima.

In a way this is both in and out of character for him. It is in character for him to run away from emotional moments and duties but it is out of character for him to steal Sugimoto’s tagline that he’s immortal.

Inkarmat is clearly the smarter of the couple, he first off tells him to NOT fight or attempt to fight Tsukishima and then she flat out calls his bluff telling him that he’s not immortal and that he should run away by himself. She likely observed Tsukishima enough during her time at the hospital that she knew he wouldn’t give up and that if they want to be safe Tanigaki should draw him away.

It really doesn’t matter as soon as he leaves the house, he gets his ass handed to him by Tsukishima. He’s pushed back into the house and Tsukishima approaches everyone. Tanigaki again repeats similar actions in regards to what happened to him with Ogata as he sees it to be his job to protect who ever is there e.g. Huci and Osoma, now Huci, Osoma’s mom, Inkarmat. . . .

Tanigaki perplexes me - he’s one of the cast members who is more than willing to throw himself in the line of fire to protect women and children, but he’s also the most likely to run from his responsibilities. Why is he a hypocrite? There must be something more to this . . . I’m just still not sure what it is.

Tsukishima simply and in a deadpan fashion tells him that he’s been making the “wrong” choice for a long time now.

He distances himself from Huci and Inkarmat by referring to them as “this woman” and “that old lady” and that it is because of their influence over him he did not come back to the 27th. This makes a lot of sense from Tsukishima to be so weird about things. He has no fiancee to return home to and to family. He sees that he has no choice but to return to the 27th as it is all that he has.

Just as things are about to escalate Koito rushes in on horseback. He’s still wearing his yukuta from the hospital but threw on his boots and officer’s coat. Tsukishima doesn’t even look at Koito as he asks if Koito followed him to see if they would escape. And Koito firmly tells him that he can’t see what good would come from killing Tanigaki and Inkarmat. He points out that Tanigaki isn’t their only way to find Asirpa and that they should let them run away.

And here Koito is being incredibly logical and reasonable! They don’t need to reply on Tanigaki. Yes, Tsurumi sent him to find Asirpa but Koito is seeing the bigger picture, one that Tsukishima currently can’t see. Koito tries to reason with him that making a threat that you can’t follow through on is meaningless. Tsukishima then finally turns and threatens Koito with his pistol while keeping the rifle focused on Tanigaki and Inkarmat. He makes it clear that his threat to Koito from Karafuto is real. The zoom in on Tsukishima with his veins bulging out, the extreme stress lines under his eyes the chaotic screentone. He creepily asks which side the 2 lt. is on and follows it up with the fact that he learned he was used by Tsurumi that he now has joined the traitors.

The final panel shows an equally stressed out Koito where we can see a very distinct frown and stress lines as well as a rather messy screentone behind him. I really see that Koito is concerned but he seems more in control that I’ve seen from him. There is something about how he’s drawn here - I can’t quite put my finger on it but he seems more mature and determined. And I know that Koito can be a pretty determined guy but - but he’s different.

The next page then seals the deal for me. A full page Koito giving Sergent Tsukishima an order! Koito tells him to lower his weapon as it is an order! Koito has finally decided to take charge as he should as a second lieutenant. Time and time before we’ve seem him defer to Tsukishima and now he finally takes command.

He follows up with the fact that he’s going to watch both Tsukishima and Tsurumi to the very end [of this hunt for the gold].

Bam! Oh man, I have been waiting so long for Koito to take the initiative and use the potential leadership skills that he’s been keeping dormant. This is just such a satisfying page and turn of events.

The shock on Tsukishima’s face really brings it home. The little second lieutenant has finally grown up and he’s actually thought things through. I love the half light dark shading on Tsukishima’s face as he turns to look to Koito.

Furthermore, Koito uses Tsukishima’s own words to support his argument and where he stands in regards to Tsurumi. What has changed is that Koito will now be using his own judgement to analyze what Tsurumi is doing and not following orders blindly. I know this is a translation into english, but using the concept of justice gives Koito’s thought process more backing. He’s showing that he is a just and fair man, not someone who blindly follows orders and he is worried about how if he does something unjust he’ll have feelings of guilt and regret.

Therefore, Koito is letting us know how he intends to lead men, something he was sent to Karafuto to learn and I think he learned part of his beliefs during the Karafuto trip.

The next page is quite sad, Tsukishima admits that he has nothing to live for, so all he can do is his job - his job for Tsurumi that makes him unredeemable. He’s seen and caused so much death that Tsukishima doesn’t care anymore - he’s the empty shell of the man he once was and Koito tells him, his mentor that it isn’t true. Koito’s figured out that Tsukishima must have thrown away something so massive that becoming the inflexible right hand man of Tsurumi was all that he could do. Tsukishima is so many different emotions as Koito hits the nail on the head. His lips are puckered implying he’s biting them or holding something in as we can barely see his eyes.

Tsukishima finally shows us the face of his fiancee, smiling at him as her hair blows in the wind. He’s finally facing what he misses the most and his largest regret. He appears to tremble as he says Inkarmat’s name.

A completely broken and defeated [by himself] Tsukishima begins to ask her if “that girl is she. . .” and Inkarmat starts to move to give him an answer.

However, her fortune telling is interrupted by a contraction.

Tsukishima has given up - his barriers have been broken and he’s just a man who hurts and is in pain.

Osoma’s mom then is able to interrupt their conversation of sorts and orders all the boys to do her bidding to assist with the birth. The chapter then returns to Ainu culture 101, as elements of birthing are covered as they collect items that are used in childbirth. Koito, Tanigaki and Tsukishima are pretty much whipped into shape as they assist in all sorts of things, collecting straw, babysitting, collecting mugwort etc etc.

I personally saw this as a few pages of the tough men all being put in their place and dealing with the bigger picture - the fact that Inkarmat needs their help to give birth and that it is more important than any of their own self-imposed problems. I think the three of them standing outside of the house really get the point across. Tanigaki can’t look at either Koito and Tsukishima.

It really doesn’t matter since Tsukishima just had his own break down as he sits lost in his own thoughts while Koito stands firm with the lighting and viper’s child.

Inkarmat then safely delivers the child and the chapter ends. I think it really caps things off that the “miracle” of birth supersedes all of the shit these guys have been dealing with.

Chapter 232 continues where we left off with Inkarmat and Tanigaki. Of course now that Inkarmat has safely delivered their child, it is time for the - you guessed it - penis jokes!

Tanigaki gets all teary as he tells Inkarmat that she was great. His eyes are teary and sparkly as he thinks that the stump of the umbilical cord is a large penis - Tanigaki dick joke number 4,368 (ok, I jest). This then allows him to realize that he’s got a daughter as he becomes a complete teary mess.

His blushing and tears confuse me - I can’t tell if he is proud or disappointed of the fact that she’s well a girl. Sometimes, I just can’t get a handle on Noda’s sense of humor - but I think he’s disappointed . . . since the vast majority of east Asian men would want a son. But then Tanigaki isn’t 100% normal. I’m totally over contemplating this and I lack the cultural context to really get it.

Koito and Tsukishima confront the man from the 27th who was supposed to be watching out for Asirpa. Catching him re-handed and clearly hungover Koito is able to scare him into shape telling him to get his “shit together” and to report things are normal pretending like he’s doing the man a favor (and the dumb nobody interprets as such).

Osoma sees Tanigaki, seems surprised but then quickly returns to playing with another kid. She has moved on from her “crush” on him and Tanigaki seems a bit hurt as she moves along. Tanigaki needs to realize he doesn’t need a relationship with a child like Osoma, he’s got his own daughter now and Inkarmat to be with! Yeah dude, I get it, but time to be a real dad, not a fun uncle type.

At the same time Tsukishima asks Koito about his behaviour on Karafuto before they met up with Tsurumi again. Tsukishima asks him if he was “faking it” which Koito pretty much confirms with his statement that Tsukishima is “free to interpret it . . . - pausing - whichever way you like”.

As Koito says this we see another new facial expression from him, one of calm and again more maturity. Koito likely wasn’t comfortable or proud of what he did, but he was smart enough to know what to do - to con Tsukishima so to speak. Being a bit deceptive likely goes against Koito’s own feelings - I think it gets him closer to say someone like Ogata, a man who he always thought was running a long game con, but may feel a bit differently about him since Ogata told him the truth.

Koito then becomes more serious as he tells Tsukishima what he’s thinking. He doesn’t think that Tsurumi’s personal goals would be to sacrifice his men for his own wealth or power. He hints at the fact that Tsurumi would be motivated by a goal that is not so simple so to speak. He then asks Tsukishima it he has any idea - at first Tsukishima wonders if he lacks a “true goal” but then he realizes something.

As he has been Tsurumi’s right hand man, there is a flashback where he noticed that Tsurumi had someone’s finger bones when he’s been alone in his office.

He asks Koito if he’s seen the finger bones and Koito asks whose bones? Tsukishima then determines that maybe it is something else and he drops the idea.

As the topic drops off, Koito instead tries to cheer up Tsukishima and inspire him to follow him as a commanding officer. And that they should follow the more typical military mindset. Again the chapter returns to awkward Koito humor where he tries to modifiy his picture of Tsukishima with a half Koito face with Tsurumi to inspire Tsukishima.

With these post-birth events, I’ll now turn to this chapters title page here. This is a transition/summary title page. All the different groups are shown with their overall intentions. Tsukishima and Koito are looking for Asirpa for Tsurumi. Tanigaki and Inkarmat don’t have a direction implying they are leaving the immediate action. Sugimoto, Shiraishi and Asirpa are after the pirate, while even though Vasily in their group, he’s out for Ogata. Hijikata’s group is both looking for Asirpa and the Jack the ripper convict and Kikuta and Usami are also looking for him.

It is all one giant ball of confusion [cue love and rockets] but highlights so clearly that Vasily is not a part of team Sugimoto. I think Noda really wants to make it clear that Sugimoto’s game plan of the enemy of my enemy is my friend is likely going to backfire. Really he should just put out and ad “Russian snow leopard seeks Japanese lynx for kitty sniper games.”

The more I look at this page the more mis-matched teams I see, Kikuta and Usami has a fragile feel - likely more than just general dislike but true distrust. Ogata is back on team Hijikata but only out of convenience and the rest of his group is also a mess with Ariko caught between him and Tsurumi. Such a major theme of the groups in this manga is how so many aren’t actually good - they just serve a purpose for the short term but ultimately are playing different long games.

Now back to the chapter - 1 week later Tanigaki and Inkarmat leave the kotan with their daughter. Koito orders them to head south and to avoid running into any men from the 27th. Tanigaki is back to wearing Ainu garb to likely blend in and not draw as much attention back to traveling with Inkarmat.

As they are about to leave, Inkarmat offers to answer Tsukishima’s question about his fiancee, but now thinking more clearly he tells her that there is no need. All this tells us, the reader is that he’s come to some sort of peace and understanding with his actions. This is good, but we still don’t know what he has found his calm with in regards to his questions about her fate.

As they ride off after waving goodbye to Huci, Tanigaki very shakily says how he feels about Huci and his connection with her. That he was saved by her again and that he’s always receiving her help, but his statement implies that he thinks he has never helped her back.

Inkarmat looks up at him softly, she’s blushing a little and there is a sparkle in her eye as she seems to think about what he’s said. Does Inkarmat think that Tanigaki saved her? That he doesn’t see his actions when he does help others? That he’s too hung up on owing Huci? I think here we see that Inkarmat is the more mature one again and that she will likely support him despite the fact that he really likes to make a mess of things even though he thinks his intentions are the best. I wonder since Tanigaki is just such a manly man that Noda wants him to be juxtaposed with strong women? Just throwing that out there.

The action then shifts to Sapporo with Kikuta and Usami on the search for our Jack the ripper convict. It is clear there is tension between these two men as Kikuta tells Usami to not do anything rash and that it is their job to just scout out the killer. As he’s demonstrated that he’s a clever one, he immediately wants them to change clothes to blend in with the civilians as they suspect that Hijikata’s entire group will be there and it would not be a fight that they could win. The more I hear from Kikuta the more of a similar vibe he gives off like Ogata. He thinks things through and is not impulsive or emotional when it comes to performing his duty.

As Kikuta and Usami walk right by Kirawus and Kadokura, the unlucky former prison guard officer finds a small coin on the ground blocking him from Usami’s line of sight. Usami then wonders if he did hear Kadokura . . . . but immediately writes it off as Usami is certain that Kadokura died in Abashiri.

Kirawus then comments that it must be a lucky day for Kadokura which is actually the truth. We all know that if Usami actually spotted him he’d immediately go after him and try to kill him again.

This missed connection ups the tension that their small scouting party will indeed cross paths with Hijikata’s and the convict.

Not only that but it is clear that Ogata is thinking in a very similar fashion to that of Kikuta. Ogata knows that the killer will go to the red light district and the police will also be looking into the case. Add onto that the fact that soldiers from his former division would be also there for “fun” likely means Tsurumi isn’t far behind.

Ogata then asks Hijikata if “you guys” dress up as peddlers again. This is interesting since when Hijikata did dress like that, it was when Shiraishi was captured by the 27th and and when Kiro was in the group while he was with Sugimoto, Asirpa and Ushiyama. I get the feeling that Ogata is making it very clear that he is not a part of Hijikata’s group while also teasing him a bit.

I’m personally dying for more Ogata action in these recent chapters, but I have to just accept this page. At least it is a good bang for your buck page as Ogata says a lot in those 3 speech bubbles.

What will be interesting is the fact that Kikuta and Ogata are thinking the same thing - as we know that they were both “Russian” kidnappers for Tsurumi in 1902 and realize they need to look for the convict discreetly.

But what I really think is the most important is that Ogata is making it abundantly clear that he’s only doing what serves his goal currently and that he is doing his own thing and that he’s confident enough to flat out tell Hijikata. He’s not one of his underlings, he’s not afraid of him, that he’s got his own thing to do. He’s also likely even more suspicious of Ariko knowing him and how Tsurumi operates.

The action then jumps to Asirpa, Sugimoto and Shiraishi in the Sorachi river valley.

They are doing some recon trying to find any people looking for gold dust and with unusual tattoos. Shiraishi is looking at the viewer - or maybe Vasily? I do find it interesting that Vasily is not in the picture. Or interesting is not the right word - I think is is important that again he’s not a part of their group unless Shiraishi is relying information to him?

The random Ainu man confirms that such a man has been seen and Sugimoto has his immediate murder eyes/scarf combo. Meanwhile Asirpa looks on at him rather coldly.

Sugimoto is more than ready to skin Boutarou and I just get the feeling that she’s ready to accept it as part and parcel of working with Sugimoto. . . .

The next page is a full page of Boutarou riding a horse holding a revolver looking dashing and sexy. it is clear he’s going to be both a charming and formidable convict.

Yet, this information is not the man who is being discussed. Instead, we are back to the idea of a peddler - that sells candy in a town. The last two pages have a very bizarre looking peddler who says that he’s selling candy. He looks like he’s giving candy to a kid but instead give him coal. The man is wearing a toque, has braided hair and a cloth over his face has he is laughing at the disappointed boy.

He then leads the disappointed boy off into the woods away from the mining town telling him he knows things much better than candy. And the chapter ends with the creepy man in a toque leading the boy out of town. Yay! Now we have another creepy man who isn’t our Jack the ripper nor our sexy Boutarou the pirate! Where is this going?

Overall, the second half of this chapter is a catch up/set up chapter. We know were everyone is and where they are going and who is going to encounter who in a matter of time.

Here are the most important parts of these two chapters.

1.) Tanigaki and Inkamat are out of the game for the time being. Yes, they are running off into hiding and for the time being they are out of the hunt. I suspect they will get involved again but not in the immediate future. I still have a gut feeling that Ogata will have to save Tanigaki - likely from Tsurumi.

2.) Showdown in Sapporo. Usami’s eagerness will likely clash with some of Hijikata’s group. Ogata and Kikuta are calling the same shots - will they meet and talk vs just shoot at each other? I have a feeling that these two groups will shift in the quest for the serial killer.

3.) Pirate hunting and a crazy peddler. Sugimoto and Asirpa are closing in on Boutarou. Is he independent of the crazy peddler or are they related? We know that he has men working for him that are somewhere. I’d guess he would start to build his faction to get involved in the group. I suspect that Vasily will cause some sort of issues, he’s no closer to finding Ogata who is in Sapporo.

4.) Tsurumi’s true motivations are revealed. The finger bones pretty much are the dead giveaway for Tsurumi’s motivations. They are linked to the death of Fina and Olga when he was a spy in Russia. As soon as everyone saw the finger bones, pretty much everyone I know went back to chapter 179. After Tsurumi held Olga he wrapped and laid her on Fina, who is missing a right pinky finger. And he then burnt down the photo studio as he leads town.

What is more interesting is how Tsurumi feels about this. I see several different possibilities.

i.) Tsurumi is guilty that it is his fault, he sent them away but they came back worried about him.

ii.) Tsurumi blames Wilk, Kiro and Sofia for what happened even though he assisted them.

iii.) Tsurumi blames the much larger system - the imperial Japanese government and a likely person who sold out his cover (someone in the 1st?) and Tsarist Russia making the partisans due to their poor treatment of the ethnic minorities in the far east.

Or is it all of these? I think we will need to see a bit more of his actions to get a good idea of what is driving him at heart.

5.) Koito finally grows up as a leader. Koito handles the Tanigaki-Tsukishima situation excellently. I really liked this part, he’s showing that he is not just some blind follower of Tsurumi and as it has been implied is an intelligent guy who has his own moral compass. He’s taking the time to think critically of things. Really hoping for him to talk to Ogata again.

That’s all I have for now.

#golden kamuy #golden kamuy meta #sugimoto saichi #asirpa #Shiraishi Yoshitake #vasily #tsukishima hajime #koito otonoshin #tanigaki genjirou #inkarmat #huci #tsurumi tokushirou #Usami Tokishige #warrant officer kikuta #kadokura #kirawus #hijikata toshizo #ogata hyakunosuke

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ducktracy · 3 years

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I am curious to know how you came to like Daffy and Porky so much. :-)

HMMMM... a myriad of reasons (because nothing can ever be simple huh?) but i think the biggest is just "i relate to them and think they're funny"

there IS something funny about saying you (in a general sense) relate to LT characters since they're so often vehicles for gags and humor BUT I DO HAHA. i relate to Daffy's overzealousness and always living at every extreme/a little TOO passionate and emotional, as well as always social and a little annoying, and i relate to Porky's very oblivious/gullible but good-hearted nature, being stubborn/persnickety and Just Kinda Weird and unintentionally eccentric in general LOL. i guess that's a very bare bones example but i'm also scratching my head here like wait...... how DO i relate to these 85 year old barnyard animals who just blow each other up... but i do! they're my buds

AAAAND when i got into LT i originally wanted to get into it for Bugs (THAT WORKED OUT WELL HUH) but got sidetracked and binged all of Bob Clampett's work first, and since Clampett's first 4 years of filmography were nothing but black and white Porky (and the occasional Daffy) cartoons i got attached to them very quickly through that; i thought the fact that these cartoons were in black and white and so DIFFERENT than what i was used to was really fascinating and that fascination has always stuck with me. i'm definitely apologetic of a lot of Porky cartoons i know are bad/mediocre but i love anyway HAHA i'm just really entertained by him in general. Porky's general existence is genuinely fascinating and hilarious to me (and not in a "haha look at the funny pig stutter" way, but more so "i think the way Porky carries himself and acts the way he does naturally is absolutely hilarious and a joke in itself, even when its not intended to be") and the same can be said for Daffy too, though much of my fascination from him comes from actual things he does and says rather than just merely existing

LIKE. a few weeks ago i watched Ali-Baba Bound which is a not very fantastic Clampett-Porky cartoon (racism aside), but i found myself going "oh my god, Porky said 6 lines in this short instead of 2!! he made a reference to Blondie and i understood it! THIS IS FANTASTIC!" and had to pause and ask myself what i was even saying. that usually goes for most mediocre Porky cartoons with me

Daffy i'm much more picky about because i'm more passionate about him/maintaining the depictions i like most so to speak, but i've just always really resonated with him (not counting the later Chuck Jones/Friz Freleng versions because that makes me look terrible and not what i have in mind when i say that HAHAHAHA). he's my favorite cartoon character! i've gone into it in depth before and will again when i can articulate it more clearly but i can relate to him a lot, and i've always been taken in with his charisma/social nature and fascinated by history

AND LIKE. they're my brand at this point, everyone knows me as That Porky and Daffy Guy (including my co-workers, the first Zoom meeting i ever attended my coworker said "i didn't recognize you because you weren't a duck!") and i don't see my interest fading anytime soon

my interest in LT isn't purely for Porky and Daffy, it's the history behind it and the people who made these characters so great more than anything, BUT with that said...i'd be lying if i said the reason why i watch 90% of modern LT media wasn't because that Daffy and/or Porky were in it in some capacity

when in doubt:

#i'll probably cover this more succinctly in reviews and stuff/when i'm in Analysis Mode i'm having trouble articulating myself #at the moment but HOPEFULLY you get the jist #long post #anonymous #Daffy i've definitely had the most AHAHA I DO THAT moments though typically when he's most annoying LOLLLLLL #A Pest in the House was the first Daffy short i saw as an adult and immediately sold me namely for the scene where he's laughing so hard he #can't tell his joke and then forgets the punchline halfway through. this has happened to me quite a few times to a cartoonish degree #or in Daffy Duck Hunt when he screams I'LL MAKE ALL THE NOISE I WANNA at Barnyard Dawg bc he shushed him the first time i saw that my heart #dropped because i could like. viscerally relate to his utter contempt and OFFENSE at being shushed (which is probably not a good look for #me HAAHAHA)#and when i say Porky/Daffy are my favorite characters i mean both together and separately #i don't care if Daffy and Porky are married or shooting at each other while bandaging their own bullet holes i love any dynamic they're in #I TRULY JUST ENJOY THEIR PRESENCE #and i've been very good about trumping my Chuck Jones Daffy-phobia HAHAHAHAHAHA it used to be ridiculous i'd refuse to watch anything #Chuck made past 1950. don't be like me that is a very idiotic move i'm legitimately embarrassed of

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reoflite · 4 years

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Why Forrest Gump is the movie we need

I wanted to step away from the more serious posts I’ve made recently to talk about a movie that I love. Sadly, it took several years for me to appreciate this film for what it is. As a child, I remember hearing my grandmother say it was a “stupid” movie. I carried this with me until early adulthood, when I began developing my own opinion about things. While I’m disappointed that it took me so long to see the film, it doesn’t take away from the impact it left on me.

I found that I had a lot to say about a movie that’s flirting with 26. Tom Hanks is...well, he’s just downright incredible. I am going to do my best to segment this post in a way that isn't overwhelming.

Tom Hanks: Let’s start with the obvious. His performance in this movie is something to be remembered. His 1995 Oscar win for his work in Forrest Gump confirms this. He nails everything, from the body language, down to the overall language of Forrest. At times, I forgot I was watching Tom Hanks. He made Forrest real for me. I recognize this section might look short to some, but he offers such a performance that you would need to see it play out on screen.

Jenny: A lot of people don’t like her character. She’s hard to digest, I get it. But then, consider all that we see her go through. She suffers horrific sexual abuse at the hands of her father, thus destroying any sense of trust she can ever hope to build with another human being. This person, in theory, should have been the one person that was made to protect her. Instead, he scars her for life. She copes by falling in and out of toxic relationships. She abuses drugs (they try to use this alongside the idea that it was the 60′s/70′s, and it’s what everyone was doing, but I disagree). When we experience her drug use, although maybe a bit more subtle, it’s used as a tool to numb, to free. Eventually, she gets her shit together. Carrying a part of Forrest propels her to a healthier and more fulfilling life, though it’s short. Jenny, in my mind, is the saddest part about this story.

Jenny and Forrest, together: A lot of people hate the idea. Again, I get it. You can make the argument that Jenny treats Forrest poorly. She is what I call a semi-colon in his life for a while. There isn’t any finality in her presence for most of the movie. She’s there one minute, then gone the next to continue another part of her journey. Forrest loves her unconditionally, despite her leaving him when she feels too pulled in. We see the push-and-pull of their relationship at various points; Forrest declaring his love for her in an authentic but simple way. It requires no show or elaborate moment, because it’s simple: He loves her. It’s very likely she loves him throughout the film, but she’s doing what she thinks is best by staying away from him. She sees herself as a black hole, waiting to suck in whoever comes near her. She doesn’t want that to happen to him.

Understanding the complexities of childhood sexual abuse and the impact it has on forming meaningful relationships isn’t for the faint of heart, but it’s worth exploring when looking at this film. Jenny is a damaged soul. Forrest is a pure soul, one that has a lasting impact on those he comes across. I don’t believe in the idea of anyone needing to “fix” anyone in a relationship; that’s unhealthy. Instead, I think Forrest offers her the balance love - true love - she has missed for most of her life. Up until their final few scenes together, Jenny’s motto has been to run when things get scary. In Forrest, she finally finds someone she doesn’t have to run from.

Forrest himself: We are introduced to Forrest when he’s a child. He has trouble walking. He’s a little slow. As much as I hate using that term, I think it’s OK here. Still, he’s inquisitive. He possesses an eagerness to understand those around him. His childlike naivety in the earlier parts of the film is charming.

He has given an undesirable set of circumstances in the beginning. Everyone around him acknowledges this as fact except Forrest. He doesn’t view his seeming lack of intelligence as a burden. Instead, he maintains a sense of positivity through it all. He uses his talent of speed to enroll in college. He seems to be up for the adventure of the Army following college; and yet, there isn’t a sense that he is without direction. The opportunity presented itself and he took it because...why not?

It’s here that he meets Bubba, someone that he finds brotherhood in. They are not the same. They come from completely different walks of life. Still, they relate on a level that’s difficult to achieve for characters that are literally written to end up together (as friends or something more).

Following his completion of basic training, we see he and Jenny cross paths. We are led to believe this is their first time meeting after graduating high school and college. This particular scene is great for both characters. Forrest “rescues” Jenny from the stage - men harassing her - and she establishes clear boundaries. It is, perhaps, the first and only time we see Jenny establish these boundaries in the entire film. There is a comfort with them that she is able to do this, even if it’s not in favor of Forrest during this particular time.

Perhaps one of the best lines in the film: “Forrest, you don’t know what love is.” This line sets the tone for the rest of the movie. Whether Forrest does so intentionally is unclear, but it’s done with such a subtlety that I did not initially catch it as a younger watcher.

Forrest and...everyone else: Going back to, “You don’t know what love is.” Let’s look at the events following this line, shall we?

Forrest saves his brothers during the raid in Vietnam, even after suffering injury himself. Ultimately, he’s looking to save Bubba, but we can’t talk about this scene without acknowledging that he saves everyone in his platoon that he can. He risks life and limb without a second thought

Lt. Dan treated Forrest poorly, for a lot of reasons. Like Jenny, he was damaged, but in a different way. His ego and “stolen destiny” prevent him from forming a heartwarming bond with Forrest, but Forrest doesn’t seem to let this stop him from helping him when he can. The bond of brotherhood from combat motivates him. Let us not forget that Forrest is just a decent human being, and Lt. Dan is in a position where he needs friendship. Forrest recognizes this at some level and offers his friendship throughout the film. One of my favorite scenes is when one of Lt. Dan’s friends (the two women from the bar) calls Forrest stupid. Lt. Dan immediately steps in and defends him. Later in the film, Forrest offers him a job on the boat he bought. Why? Because he promised him he would

Forrest’s relationship with his mother isn’t shown enough, in my opinion. At the beginning of the movie, we see her defend him. She does things for him that many might judge, but ultimately, she wants him to have the best life possible. It’s what mothers do! Eventually, she succumbs to old age. It’s unclear how old she is when she dies, but he cares for her. He pauses his life to give her a comfortable end to her life. We literally see him jump out of a boat to go be with his mother for her final days. This boils down to a mother-child bond that is difficult to break, but one that I find to be very touching

Back to Bubba. Sweet, dear Bubba. He doesn’t make it to the other side of the war, despite Forrest’s best efforts. His family is left reeling. Bubba’s mother has worked as a servant, much like her mother, and her mother’s mother. After Forrest invests in Apple, he hits it big. In keeping his promise to Bubba, Forrest gives Bubba’s mother and siblings half of his earnings from his fishing business, and money from his investment in Apple. He helps build a new church for Bubba’s family to worship. His attachment to Bubba doesn’t die with him; rather, it’s strengthened after his untimely death

Back to Jenny. As mentioned before, she’s in and out of the film. Her impact on Forrest is noted throughout the film, however. He writes to her almost every day (even though his letters are returned). They go for a long time without seeing each other. Following his return from service, Jenny is in an abusive relationship. Forrest sees her boyfriend hit her. This is perhaps the only “negative” side of Forrest we see throughout the film. Of course, I’m referring to Forrest beating the living daylights out of her boyfriend (whose name I don't care enough to remember). I think most of us would act similarly. (Side note: “Sorry I had a fight in the middle of your Black Panther party,” might be my favorite quote from anything ever.) They separate once more, and Forrest continues on with his life. He offers her a safe space when she visits him. More importantly, toward the end of her life, he offers her the comfort of a loving and fulfilling relationship

Truthfully, I could expand on a number of other reasons why I love this movie so much, but I think I highlighted some of the more profound moments here. Honorable mentions include Gary Sinise’s performance. I am less attached to his character, but I admire the positive steps he took in his life to become a better person. Forrest’s mother has a profound impact on Forrest, but in my opinion, this isn’t expanded on enough.

I’d be curious to hear your opinions on the movie.

#forrest gump #movies #positive rant

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bro-stoevsky · 6 years

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The Story of Lt. Michael Fitton and the Shark Papers

(@pilferingapples @thiswaitingheart @twofrontteethstillcrooked and @artificialities thank you for your Shark Papers support. @plinytheyounger as always thank you for listening to me BREATHLESSLY relate this on mobile during the workday.) and now

IT IS TIME for the story. The story of.....

Lt. Michael Fitton and the Shark Papers.

This story has every element necessary to a good story, those being:

Breakfast

Sharks

Paperwork

I accidentally stumbled upon the story of Lt. Michael Fitton and the Shark Papers last night in the following nigh-inscrutable anecdote about HMS Abergavenny:

“The tender Ferret and the cutter Sparrow were involved in a curious incident in which Ferret's captain, Acting Lieutenant Michael Fitton, served a shark to Lieutenant Hugh Wilie, captain of Sparrow and then surprised him with some papers.”

Reading this I have no idea what the fuck. You served someone a shark and “surprised him with some papers”? Like fine but. Why? Let us find out.

DISCLAIMER: I should warn you that this is not a legitimate academic inquiry into the Shark Papers, and certainly there are Shark Papers experts more expert than myself. But do they have my current feverish Shark Papers enthusiasm? I think not! Also it seems that the story of the Shark Papers, as with many good stories about sharks and/or papers, has split into many apocryphal directions. Still. It is time for the story......of Lt. Michael Fitton and the Shark Papers.

The year is 1799. The place, the Mona Passage. The West Indies? Very confusing trade wise. America? NEUTRAL in the war between England and France (despite fighting an undeclared war with France) honestly because we were busy with, I assume, an escalating workplace prank war between John Adams and Alexander Hamilton.

This was, in general, a very unsafe region in which to be an American merchant ship, fearing as they did not only harassment by the French but also sometimes the Royal Navy, Spanish, and Dutch as well as the prospect of returning home to find that Adams had superglued Hamilton’s wig to his head or released bees into his desk drawer.

Into this tense climate sails a brig called the Nancy.

A Lieutenant Hugh Wylie of HMS Sparrow, finding it suspicious in some way captures the ship and escorts it to Port Royal to find out exactly what is going on.

The captain of the ship, whose name is Thomas Briggs, insists that he has done nothing wrong. In some versions of the story his insistence is based on just straight the fuck up telling Wylie he and all his crew are Dutch. In other versions just his paperwork is Dutch, authorizing him to trade some goods in Curacao.

Either way, this story/paperwork/situation seems to check out with the prize court, and involve Holland somehow, and Lt. Wylie leaves Port Royal in disappointment.

Two notes on the character of Lt. Wylie (courtesy of Mr. Fitton):

(1) He seems to be dehydrated:

(2) Although he abhors the pope, he would save the pope from drowning if the pope happened to be drowning nearby:

HMS Sparrow rejoins the unfortunately-named HMS Ferret, which is being commanded by Acting Lieutenant Michael Fitton, of whom we know much more. He got up to a lot in his career, including the capture of some “30 or 40″ enemy ships and a great deal of derring-do, most notably during an action with the Spanish Santa Maria during which:

“Lieutenant Fitton leaped overboard; and, with his sword in his mouth, followed by the greater part of his crew similarly armed, swam to, boarded, and after a stout resistance carried, the Spanish schooner.”

He shows up injured twice, once after having been run over by a gun and once after falling down a hatch during a hurricane. Most intriguing of all is the delicious but, it seems, receipts-less tea spilled on wikipedia:

“Fitton never received a promotion beyond the rank of lieutenant. Not only did he lack a powerful patron but there is some suggestion that he may, by injudicious conduct early in his naval career, have made a powerful enemy.”

He is the main character in the 11 novels of the “Lieutenant Michael Fitton Adventures” which I have not read but have very disappointingly thwarted my nascent ambition to sit down and write 11 novels about him.

Unknown is whether he would save the pope from drowning if the pope happened to be drowning nearby.

On Wylie’s return, Fitton invites him to breakfast by signal and while killing time waiting for Wylie to come over he notices a dead cow in the water and associated sharks (Ferret was a tender ship to Abergavenny, and presumably on supply ships you do end up with a few dead cows in the water from time to time). One shark in particular catches his eye and and decides he wants a shark cartilage walking stick, apparently must-have accessory:

He catches the shark and gets a guy to butcher it. Inside the shark they discover a metal container and inside, some papers tied up with a string. The sailor who had been butchering the shark makes a joke:

In the retelling of this story, this joke remains, but gets less funny. By 1820 we hear nothing of this sailor’s “old blowing”:

Interestingly enough Fitton does not seem to be exaggerating his role in catching the shark, as he repeats it under oath:

We never know if he got his walking stick.

Fitton, figuring any papers you find inside a shark are probably worth something, dries them out and reads them, and discovers they relate to an American ship Nancy.

In some versions of this story this alone is the required proof -- the ship is American. In others, it shows her original orders, which are French and not Dutch. Fitton just calls it “mercantile affairs.” The most likely version, because it is the most complicated, and because it has as its end goal the acquisition of coffee, is that the shark papers formed part of a paper trail proving that the ship deposited its original, legal cargo on Aruba, where it took on illegal cargo, armaments which were sold to the French in Haiti (for coffee).

Either way, the shark had given Fitton receipts on the Nancy. Wylie, throughout this course of events, has still been rowing over. By now he has made it.

And he wants breakfast:

Fitton drags it out and some more delightfully period dialogue ensues:

You’ll be a boy all your life-time, Fitton!

They go back and forth and Wylie is increasingly frustrated by how much Fitton seems to know about the Nancy (his disappointment at losing the prize presumably still fresh) and STILL wanting breakfast. Hilariously, he seems fairly convinced that the American supercargo is in fact Dutch because his last name is Schultz, lending some credence to the “fake Dutch” version of events:

Fitton explains (but very annoyingly) that he knows all of this because he read it in the Shark Papers. Wylie cannot wrap his mind around the Shark Papers, which are in fact pretty far-fetched, and having heard Fitton explain the situation one too many times, STILL with no breakfast in sight, finally loses his patience with the breakfastless situation. I know people like this. Do you know people like this?

The story is almost over.

Wylie gets breakfast. In most cases, this breakfast is the shark. In every case, gratifyingly, the breakfast exists, which is a nice thing to know about a man in 1799 who so ardently wanted breakfast.

Then he rows back to his own ship and apparently goes about his day for a while before it all dawns on him that Shark Papers are just the smoking, sharky gun he needs to reverse the prize court’s finding about the Nancy, and immediately orders Fitton to accompany him back to Port Royal, where they and the shark papers are deposed, and the captain of the Nancy convicted of smuggling.

It is possible that the Shark Papers were only half of the evidence, the other half being provided by additional papers discovered in a pork barrel:

So hard drove........into the pork? or in the barrel?

In some versions, news gets ahead of them (though I can’t imagine how?) and Briggs escapes, leaving the Nancy behind. In a fictionalized account that one hopes is inspired by the real thing, he blames the shark, “...swinging out of court, exclaiming,

Wylie made £3,000 and Fitton £1,500 for his role in uncovering the Shark Papers.

But our hero is not done yet.

The shark jaws remained in Port Royal until they were lost after an earthquake; the Shark Papers were still in the museum of the Royal United Service Institution as of 1889, but my google image search of “royal united service institution museum shark papers” only yielded pictures of sharks.

Here ends the Story of Lt. Michael Fitton and the Shark Papers. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk on/Drunk History episode about this important subject.

I think there are morals to this story:

1. Sharks will eat anything, even and especially your secrets.

2. If a shark has eaten your secrets, your secrets are not necessarily safe.

3. If the pope is drowning nearby, it is a mark of good character to save him, even if you don’t like him

4. Sometimes all that’s standing between you and a shitload of prize money is your annoying friend, a dead cow, the desire for a walking stick, some patience with fishing, and one shark.

Addendum: Fitton’s career began with the discovery of some secret papers in the ocean, too. When he was 14, having just entered the service as a Captain’s Servant on HMS Vestal:

“...he witnessed that of an American packet having on board Mr. Laurens, ex-President of the Rebel Congress, who was proceeding to Holland with a secret treaty of alliance with the Dutch. This treaty, previously to the actual capture of the ship, had been thrown in a bag overboard, and would never have been discovered but for Mr. Fitton, who, being at the moment employed in furling the fore-top gallant sail, observed what he considered to be a man overboard, and instantly made a report which led to its recovery. A declaration of war against the Dutch, and the immediate sweeping of their numerous vessels from the face of the sea, were thus the momentous results of Mr. Fitton’s keenness.”

Michael Fitton, pulling receipts on from the ocean and its sharks since 1780.

#the story of lt. michael fitton and the shark papers #extremely long post #sharks #papers #those are the main elements of the story

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eb-byestelle · 6 years

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Ship game

Tagged by @fuzzykiddreamer (Thank you 💖 !!)

Shipping and Fandom Ask

Embrace your inner shipper! Answer questions about your favorite ships or fandoms. Reblog to participate and let your ship flag fly!

1.What are your top 10 manga/anime ships of all time?

Top 10 anime/manga:

Yuuki x Kaname - Vampire Knight

Victor x Yuri – Yuri !!! on ice

Mirai x Akihito - Kyoukai no Kanata

Izumi x Ryouma - Love Stage!!

Shiomi x Orina - Psychic Academy (very unpopular but really sweet ship ;3)

Emeraude x Zagato - Magic Knight Rayearth

Okabe x Kurisu - Steins;Gate

Edgar x Lydia - Hakushaku to Yousei

Yori x Iku - Boku wa Imouto ni Koi wo Suru

Valentino x Ranmaru - Ikoku Irokoi Romantan

I’m not very “shipper type”, but from anime/manga I guess these ten ships are sth I will always remember 💕 💖 💕 💖

2.What gif or screenshot most sums up your ship?

Yume

https://www.deviantart.com/jams-yy/art/Kaname-X-Yuuki-295424796

http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/vampire-knight/images/34332617/title/vampire-knight-fanart

(I add the links because for some reasons these gifs make that post is not able to be saved)

3. Describe your favorite ship in seven words or less.

Yume - Passionate, complicated, eternal love, above everything.

Victuuri - Harmonious, colorful, eros, agape, perfect duo,

Mirai x Akihito - Sacrifice, understanding, monsters in love.

Izumi x Ryouma - I love each part of you.

Shiomi x Orina - Innocent, lust, slow exploration.

Emeraude x Zagato - Protect your freedom - everything else can die.

Okabe x Makise - Time and space don’t matter.

Edgar x Lydia - Secrets, courtship, caramel hair.

Yori x Iku - Pure love, dirty love, love forever.

Valentino x Ranmaru - Opposites attract.

When I think which details connect all these ships, I’m gonna say: Romantic, unconventional, imperishable, full of mutual love and acceptation.

4.What’s your go-to episode or scene when you need ship feels?

Generally In this kind of situation I want to watch some moments when the love between couple is the most visible, usually when between the couple there is some intensive moment full of love.

Yume:

From manga VK: the whole vol 19 (including the cover 💖) - My heart melts when I look at each chapter T_T 💖

From anime VK: VKG - ep 2, 8 (I’ve always been in love with my own brother ;3) and 13 (this last scene T_T 💖 ..........)

Victuuri: the whole ep 10 - I.LOVE.WHOLE.THIS.EP !

Mirai x Akihito ; Shiomi x Orina ; Okabe x Kurisu: first kiss scenes (there is sth really moving in first kiss scenes ;3)

Izumi x Ryouma ; Yori x Iku: first time (both are just amazing...)

Lydia x Edgar:

Ep 1 and some peculiary scene in ep 9 (bishounen + whiskey Jack Daniels + loved one = have fun! 💀🔥)

Emeraude x Zagato:

Two last eps of season 1 (romantic and horribly tragic at the same time...)

5.What song or songs remind you of your favorite fandom, character or ship?

Seal - Kiss from the rose 💕

It was a song when, while listening to it I read VK for the first time in 2010. In that moment I read first volume and I said: “Wow - This is great!” Later, after many years, after deeper listening, It turned out that the words of this song perfectly suit to the yume ship. From then on, I associate this song with both the first time when I was charmed by this series and with yume pair.

6. If the creators of your favorite fandom asked you to write the ship canon-confirmation episode, what will you write/how will it happen?

VK / Yume: A lot of things have already been said and done. However, I would doubtless make Yuuki and Kaname be together again (in the normal sense, not like now xp) and that Yuuki would say straight what we see while the whole series, but what hasn't been said directly - that Kaname is the love of her life and that she have never loved anyone so much as she loves Kaname. Such an expressions of feelings and the connection of these two after all these things they have survived (like in the case of Okabe x Kurisu or Mirai x Akihito) would be just a wonderful last chapter. In the case of anime series, I admit that I like the ending. And as for the continuation, we both know well how I would do it ^^

7.Do you prefer to indulge in (consume or create) fanart or fanfic of your favorite ship?

I prefer to indulge in create fanarts and fanfic but usually not related to my favorite ships.

8.Smut or fluff? (VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION xD)

I like both eqally ;3 Or remix 👀!!

9.What ship are you embarrassed to admit you like?

I guess none.

10.What task are you most likely to procrastinate so you can indulge in your ship or fandom?

Sometimes I’m able to not sleep all night because to the morning I’m talking with fans of sth I love, I’m watching my favorite serieses or watching/reading sth depends on it, don’t mentioning about when I’m writing sth by my own. Then the time doesn’t matter 💀 then anything doesn’t matter. It remind sth like a state of trance. - I recommend! 🔥🔥🔥

11.How many hours of the day do you spend reading fanfic or looking at fanart or other media?

In case of fanfics and fanarts, none. I choose to look for some nice edits or news about real series. I can spend from few minutes to few hours, but not everyday, only sometimes.

12.How many memorabilia’s do you own of your favorite fandom or ship (clothes, plushies, etc.)?

VK: The uniform of night class which I was sewing every day for two weeks so it’s really important to me 💖 I also have all 19 volumes, all DVDs, postcards, posters and badges. I will have soon also a fanbook ^^

Death Note: postcards, posters, badges and ofc. death note ;33

I have also a lot of some little details from various another serieses like all volumes of Love Stage. But mostly I focus on VK.

13.If you could own one authentic item from your favorite fandom world, what would it be?

All dragon balls xD or at least Goku’s four-star ball 💖

And the Kaname’s bed - with Kaname in the set! 🥂💕🔥

14.What fandom have you found to be too toxic to deal with?

Since I have been on Tumblr, I got involved in only one fandom, so tbh, I can't answer it, because I have no comparison with another fandoms. I also don't have an intend to get too involved in other fandoms, at most superficially.

Nevertheless, withouth doubt the continuous ships-war is tiring and ridiculous. I've always wondered, why among zekis the some of them are still such stubborn, that they can't just get over it and admit that Yuuki's first choice was always Kaname, and Zero on the end turned out to be only the "consolation prize". This is a sad truth, but these are the facts. I think that the only way to real, honest coexistence is to accept this truth on the both sides. Just like when yume accepted that zeki is also a canon and Zero to a degree was also loved by Yuuki in a romantic way, though by not as strong love as Kaname.

It's all simple and transparent, it's enough to notice it.

The answer: "She loves both equally." is no solution ... "She loves one the most." - this is the only acceptable solution in every LT. Even in Arabic harems there is a division on the "first wife" and "next wives". So it's a natural state of things - one the biggest choise. I think that this is the point of attachment and the right, healthy way to resolve this conflict.

It's interesting that when the VK manga was still published, among my native fandom there was also a clear division between yume and zeki. There was no hatred in this. It was just something like a gulf. Then I saw the same for MAL and here. It inspired me to create a theory that this division is not only a division into ships, but also a division based on a systems of views. And in such a situation it's quite difficult to blur the boundaries... That's why I think that determining ONE plot is the most reasonable way. Later we can at most see, how much my theory works in practice, and in how many cases it's jusr an ordinary, superficial choice of a "more cool ship in someone's taste".

15.Do you have or would you consider getting a tattoo depicting your favorite ship or fandom?

I don't think so I would ever have a tattoo, but I for sure wouldn't walk past indifferently next to earrings or necklace with the symbol of Cross Academy ;3 - I love this symbol, it's so beautiful !!

16.What is the strangest thing you’ve done to honor your favorite fandom, ship or character?

It’s hard tbh... One time I created with my friend some dumb “event” which looked like “A night with Kaname” xD She prefered Kain, but she also liked Kaname so it was no problem to do it with her. All night we created a funny or pervert memes, edits, posts, games, and we came up with that we would print the posters of our fave. As a result we didn’t do it but... when I think about it right now, this wish is still “alive” xD ...

It was also one night, when I wrote some poem about sth like “how it would be, if I would kiss someone like Kaname”. I mean, although I know he’s not real, it can’t be denied that It’s sth really pleasant to imagine that in our world there might exist someone such amazing like Kaname. This poem was sth like a vision of kiss with the potential, “real” Kaname. It’s a bit embarrasing, when I think about it because this erotic was incredibly personal and intimate, showing not just a kiss but some feelings accompanying to kiss the real love. So yeah, it was very personal and some kind of mix my deep symphaty and love to Kaname character + the description of my feelings while a real passionate kiss with someone, when my knees are bending, face is burning etc + the showing an experience of romantic moment with someone I love. So it was about Kaname and not about Kaname, sth between in other words xD

I also love to say about VK and Kaname in some serious discussion on studies. I think it’s nothing weird or embarassing to mentioned about some aspects from mangas on such an discussions. I think this manga are not just vampire and dumb LT thread but there is sth really deep and interesting, forcing as to think and reflect about what is love, sin, desire, death, will of life, etc... I love this in VK.

I’m tagging @eternalyumelove, @astharoshebarvon, @aphrodytevalentine

I know you guys love ships so have fun ! ;3 (If u want ;3)

#Tag Game #E.B. - by Estelle #Personal #VERY personal ;3 #Top 10 best couples

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pherryt · 6 years

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Supernatural Sci Fi Rec List

This is the second rec list in a series I’m making (first was the Destiny Fic Rec List). The art for this list was made by me ( @dragonpressgraphics ) for Colliding Worlds

By Pherryt/Me

What’s the Truth?: Wordcount: 8256, General, Destiel Android!Cas, Android phobia, Secrets, Explosions, Angst, Hurt/Comfort Summary: Dean has never made a secret of his hatred for AI's - especially androids. His whole world is turned on it's edge when he finds out Cas has been hiding something big from him since they met... and before he can even come to terms with it, he almost loses Cas for good.

Colliding Worlds: Wordcount: 54009, General, Destiel Crossover with Doctor Who, Canon Divergent Season 11 Summary What happens if the Doctor meets our boys? When the supernatural meets the other wordly? Can the boys expand their worldview to include aliens?? A fun exercise in colliding worlds...

Crossing Fantasies: Wordcount: 6839, Teen, Destiel Crossover with Star Trek, Bunker Fic Summary Dean's minding his own business in the bunker when 3 very impossible people show up in his room amid a glory of sparkles. There's no way he could be facing down Captain James T. Kirk, Doctor McCoy and Commander Spock - they're fictional characters from a TV show for fucks sake, right? So why was he holding a gun on the very real presence of three strangers claiming to be just that in his own bedroom at a supposedly impervious Bunker?

You Stole My Line!: Wordcount: 2888, General, Destiel Crossover with Doctor Who, Season Codas up to 12 Summary Because really, Dean's gonna brag about killing Hitler, and that's going to make some people a little jealous...you know who I'm talking about right? And then in the end, it helps Dean open up a little bit more...

Midnight Adventures: Wordcount: 8992, Explicit, DCJ Crossover with Doctor Who, Coitus Interuptus and feels Summary Dean, Jimmy and Cas had moved to the middle of nowhere for a reason. Relationships such as theirs were hardly ever understood to begin with. Throw in the fact that, well, Dean's boyfriends were related to each other, and it causes quite an outcry. So. Middle of nowhere. Lots of land and privacy. And all they wanted to do was celebrate their anniversary in peace. And sex (definitely sex). Of course, time traveling aliens with their magic box kinda put a damper on that. But that's okay - he makes up for it in the end.

The Replacement Engineer: Wordcount: 3061, Explicit, Destiel ABO, Non Trad, Omegas Cas and Dean, Switching Summary Dean's the doctor on Charlies ship, and he's just met Castiel - the replacement for their previous engineer. Nobody expected them to take such an instant liking to each other. After that, it was only a matter of time before Sam was scarred for life and Charlie needed to give the ship a few upgrades. But it wasn't really their fault!

Humanities Second Chance: Wordcount: 3076, Explicit, Saileen ABO, Post Apocalyptic, Omega Sam, Alpha Eileen, Switching Summary The world changed after the Earth rose up against humanity. Disaster after disaster struck, decimating the population, but as humans have always found a way to do - they survived. They might have changed a little in the process but, they survived. Not that the new generation of kids knew anything different. They hear the stories, the tales, but to them, this is the new normal. And Sam is about to embark on the next phase of his life - getting mated

Solitary Flights and Second Chances: Wordcount: 7415, General, Destiel Astronaut Dean, NASA style Summary All Dean's life, all he wanted was to go into space. He's sacrificed a lot on the way to that dream. Now he has it and he realizes... he sacrificed too much. Way too much. Sabatoge, injury and an aborted trip are a strange way to get back the things he lost... that most precious thing of all... but if he can salvage something good from all this, he'll take it. he just needs to get back home alive, first.

More Recs (Not Mine)

Purgatory: Population 1 By @jhoomwrites : Wordcount: 13165, Mature Destiel, Mark of Cain, Crashlanding Summary: While helping out a group of terraformers, Dean ends up with a mysterious Mark on his arm that gives him the urge to kill. After giving up on the idea of a cure, Dean comes up with the only solution he can think of: he takes his ship, picks a direction, and flies until he’s so lost no one will ever find him. And for a few years, it works. Dean has a planet full of monsters all to himself, monsters he can kill and maim and satisfy his dark impulses. At least until a stranger crash lands on his planet. Will Dean be able to resist long enough to help this man leave? And what if he doesn't want him to leave?

Well Build Ourselves by @reallyelegantsharkfish / : Wordcount: 5420, Explicit Destiel, Android Summary: An android walks into Dean’s shop. (italics)

I'll Cross the Sky for You by Superhoney : Wordcount: 33364, Explicit Destiel, Top!Cas, Bottom!Dean, Courier/Captan Cas, CoffeeShop Owner Dean Summary: Castiel thinks it sounds ridiculous: a spaceship that’s also an Earth-style coffeeshop? But upon his first visit to The Family Business, he quickly realizes that the owner, Dean Winchester, is incredibly handsome, the pastries are delicious, and the coffee is out of this world. One visit leads to another, and before long, Castiel is completely won over by both the coffeeship and its owner. It’s hard to maintain a relationship when you’re constantly flying across the vastness of space, but for the sake of both his heart and his stomach, Castiel swears he and Dean will make it work

And then there were five by @feartheophanim : Wordcount: 5969, Teen Destiel, Spaceflight, Ship to Ship Battle Summary: Dean is the best engineer on base, and his father keeps refusing his requests for off-world assignments. Pissed off with the same old-same old, Dean goes for a drink and meets a stranger who offers him a job on his ship. Things are harder than Dean expected, out there in space, but things soon take a turn for the strange. He is left with far more than he bargained for.

the light of falling stars by by @procasdeanating : Wordcount: 4980, Explicit Destiel, Alien!Cas, Battles Summary: … when Lieutenant Dean Winchester and the two ships under his command engaged in combat with a Seraph squadron. Two army ships were destroyed, while one fighter, presumably Lt. Winchester’s, made a forced landing on a nearby uninhabited class D planet after triggering the emergency protocol. The ongoing search has not produced conclusive results. Lt. Winchester is classified as missing in action…

The Ark by @pimentogirl : Wordcount: 2776, Explicit Destiel, reunion, hurt/comfort Summary: The Ark, a triple class interstellar craft, offering the opportunity to travel between colonies regardless of Tier Status... ...and the last place left to look...

Because of Harrison Bergeron by @nachsie : Wordcount: 5249, Not Rated destiel, sabriel, Android Summary: In the year 2081, amendments to the Constitution dictate that all Americans are fully equal and not allowed to be smarter, better-looking, or more physically able than anyone else. The Handicapper General's agents enforce the equality laws, forcing citizens to wear "handicaps": masks for those who are too beautiful, radios inside the ears of intelligent people, and heavy weights for the strong or athletic. When Harrison Bergeron in an attempt to overthrow the government is gunned down, the strongest able to break from the control start a rebellion that leads to an all out war. One rebellion group lead by Harrison's baby brother, Sam in it's attempt to destroy the government runs into a sleeper citizen base, running into by fate a sleeper teenager called Castiel

Real Skilled at People by Astarloa / : Wordcount: 1456, Mature (This reminds me of a Robert Heinlein short that I loved but can’t find anymore. If anyone knows where to find it, I’d love to know!) Summary: In an alternate future reality there's a black market doctor named Robert and a man who yearns for wings.

Looking to the Sky to Save Me by raths_kitten / : Wordcount: 8693, Explicit Destiel, Bounty Hunters Cas and Sam Summary: Sam and Castiel are bounty hunters. When a warrant is out for Dean, Sam convinces Castiel to catch him. Loosely based on Killjoys.

Dreaming in Digital by @ltleflrt : Wordcount: WIP (80k +), Explicit Destiel, Sabriel, Post Apocalyptic, Androids, Bounty Hunters Summary: When Dean finds a deactivated sex bot, he knows it's his lucky day.

Qualia by @imogenbynight : Wordcount: 26600, Explicit AI, Bring Tissues, Destiel, Sam/Jess Summary: When Sam & Jess move into a smart home, Dean finds an unlikely match in the AI that keeps it running.

Lost and Found by @destieltrashland : Wordcount: 22928, Explicit Destiel, Sam/Jess, Nod to Space Seed (Star Trek), Character Death (not Team Free Will) Summary: When he reached the hatch door he looked through the small window, shining the light from his helmet inside. The cargo area was cleaner than the front of the ship, due to being sealed off from the tear in the hull, and it still held a sizable number of items within. The items floated under nets keeping them tethered to the floor. “What strange readings?” he asked as he pointed his own tricorder inside. “Power signatures and –“ she paused, pressing buttons on the screen as if to confirm her assessment, “life signs.” �� ----- Castiel and crew find something unexpected while recovering an ancient spaceship. Dean and Sam struggle to adjust to life 300 years in the future.

#supernatural #sci fi #sci fi rec list #rec list #destiel #sabriel #dcj #crossovers #doctor who #star trek #androids #space ships

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