#she's a very modern woman by the standards of the time period

[mot-hesbian]

I feel like we should talk about the fact that Penelope is the most modern character in Bridgerton more than we do

[princesssarisa]

Pride and Prejudice adaptations with a modern setting – e.g. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Bride and Prejudice, Pride and Prejudice: A Latter-Day Comedy, Fire Island – seem to almost always save Lydia from Wickham in the end. Either Darcy stops the elopement, or the elopement is replaced with an online sex tape which is taken down. Wickham is either arrested or at least left behind permanently, and Lydia learns a lesson and gets a happy ending. Neither she nor the other characters have to live with her mistake for the rest of their lives the way they do in the original.

I've just been rereading several people's posts on this subject, and about Lydia's portrayal in general, which show some very different opinions about it all.

Of course, part of the issue is that in a modern setting, it's much easier to save Lydia. In most of the modern Western world, a teenage girl running off with a 30-year-old man would result in the man being arrested, not in their needing to get married to save both the girl's reputation and her whole family's. And even if they did get married, divorce is an option.

But I suspect the bigger issue is that Austen's original ending is considered cruel, unfair, and a product of outdated morals.

People view Austen as punishing Lydia for being a "bad girl" by leaving her trapped in a loveless marriage to a worthless man and always living on the edge of poverty, when by modern standards, she's guilty only of teenage foolishness. They accuse Austen of "making an example" of Lydia to teach young female readers how to behave, in contrast to the virtuous, well-behaved Elizabeth and Jane with their happy endings, and they call it anti-feminist.

Not only is Lydia's marriage bleak for her, it slightly mars Elizabeth and Darcy's happy ending too, as well as Jane and Bingley's. It means Wickham will always be a part of their lives, and for Lydia's sake, they're forced to treat him as a family member. Darcy is forced to financially assist his worst enemy – though at least he draws the line by not letting Wickham visit Pemberley – and even Jane and Bingley's patience is worn thin by the long periods of time Wickham and Lydia stay with them.

By modern standards of romantic comedy, this isn't normal. The heroine, the hero, and all their family and friends are expected to live entirely "happily ever after," while the antagonist – especially if he's a womanizer who preys on teenage girls – is expected to be punished, then never heard from again.

But of course, Austen didn't write simple romantic comedy. Her work was social commentary. Lydia's ending arguably isn't a punishment, but simply the only way her story could end without disgracing her or killing her off, and it arguably it serves less to condemn Lydia herself than to condemn the society that lets men like Wickham get away with preying on naïve young girls and forces their victims to marry them or else be disgraced forever. It also condemns the type of bad parenting that leads to Lydia's mistake. Lydia is the product of her upbringing, after all: between Mrs. Bennet's spoiling and Mr. Bennet's neglect, she's never had any decent parental guidance or protection. And our heroines, Elizabeth and Jane, both pity their sister and regret that marriage to Wickham is the only way to save her honor. No sympathetic character ever says she deserves it.

The fact that Lydia is trapped in a bad marriage, and that Wickham does go unpunished and the other characters will always have to tolerate him and even cater to him for Lydia's sake, arguably drives home Austen's social criticism. The fact that it adds bittersweetness to the otherwise blissfully happy ending is arguably part of the point. If we change it just to create a happier ending, or in the name of "feminism" and "justice for Lydia," doesn't that dilute the message?

Then there's the fact that by the standards of Austen's era, Lydia's ending is remarkably happy. She doesn't die, or end up abandoned and forced into sex work or a life of seclusion. Nor, despite Mr. Collins' recommendation, does her family cut ties with her: the ending reveals that Jane and Elizabeth regularly welcome her into their homes, and Elizabeth "frequently" sends her money. Other authors would have punished her much more severely.

But of course, that was a different time. While in Austen's original context, Lydia's fate might seem fairly happy and lenient, by modern standards it seems more cruel. And since most of the modern retellings that change her fate are screen adaptations, not books, maybe the difference in art form further justifies the change. I'm thinking of that post I recently reblogged, which argued that some of Austen's more "merciless" plot points would seem darker on film than in print, and therefore tend to be softened in adaptations.

So how should a modernized adaptation handle Lydia's ending? Is it better and more progressive when they save her from Wickham? Or for the sake of social commentary and retaining Austen's sharp edges, should the writers follow the book and find a way (not necessarily marriage to Wickham, but some modern equivalent) for her mistake to leave her trapped in a less-than-happy life, and add a slight bittersweet note to the other characters' endings too?

I think a case can be made for both choices and I'd like to know other people's viewpoints.

[jinitak]

Rant about the book Jom is reading

The book Jom is reading from is Khan Chang Khan Phaen, a Thai literary classic. It is folklore from Siphon Buri and was only written down long after it was conceived.

The story by modern standards is quite problematic, I have summarised the story below but there is a TL;DR below this paragraph;

Khun Phaen (previous name, Phlai Kaeo), Wan Thong (previous name, Pham Phi La Lai) and Khun Chang were childhood friends, Shun Chang is handsome whilst Shun Phaen is balding. Wan Thong would fall in love with Khun Phaen and Khun Chang would fall in love with Wan Thong and they marry but he was sent to command an army to Ching Mai. During his absence, Khan Chang came up with a scheme to get Wan Thong to marry him, by lying that Khun Phaen was killed in action, it worked and Wan Thong was unwillingly married to him. When Khun Phaen came back, he found what happened and tried to get Wan Thong back, despite him finding a wife in Chiang Mai already. He kidnap Wan Thong from Khan Chang, getting a 3rd wife in process. Each side would kidnap Wan Thong back and fourth a couple times which led to a trial by Phra Phanwasa (meaning the Queen mother), the matriarch of the Kingdom, which ended in Wan Thong being executed for not wanting to commit to either men.

TL;DR a woman gets stuck in a love triangle between a man she loved which betrayed her trust and a man she didn't love who treated her well but their relationship was based on lies. In the end she was executed for not committing to a relationship. (Who could blame her to be honest)

Parts of this epic is actually mandated in Thai schools (I had this for one of my Thai midterms, lol) and in the education system, they focus on the literary rather than the historical context behind the epic.

Many scholars such as Sujit Wongthes believe that this epic is actually a story about a fictional hero of the Suphannaphum Kingdom, one of the kingdoms that would become Ayutthaya in the 14th century. The Suphannaphum dynasty would rule Ayutthaya for much of its early history, which might explain how the story is so widespread.

Sujit believes that many aspects of the epic is representative of the early history of the Suvarnabhumi (not the airport) region, such as

Khun Phaen being a name for the Hindu god of creation, Brahma

Khun Phaen's magical sword, the "Fa Fuen" is named after an ancestral god of the Nan and Luang Prabang region.

When presenting the "Fa Fuen" to Phra Phanwasa, she placed it next to the Chai Si sword, which is representative of the Lao-Khmer origins of Ayutthaya.

All in all, Sujit argues that this folklore is more rooted in the ruling classes than the popular folk. This analysis of Khun Chang Khun Phaen is not present in the episode though, as this would ruin the mood of it so much.

But its inclusion even though it seems out of place (Suphan Buri is in the central parts of Thailand whilst the story is set in the north), is actually not that weird. In the period of the series, Bangkok has just had a major reforms to local administration, ditching the Mandala system in favour of western style centralisation based on colonial administration in the Dutch East Indies. This had the effect of Bangkok suppressing Lanna culture and a "Siamisation" of Lanna. Yai's family who I presume is local administrators sent from Bangkok shows this very cleary, he doesn't try to blend in with locals, he speak the central (Siamese) tongue and reads Siamese literature.

The inclusion of this epic rather than using something most Thai people already know to create the scene, it also creates the historical backdrop in which the series is set.

Thank you for coming to my TedTalk. I might talk about Sunthon Phu, which Yai recited whilst drunk and also talk about the historical context behind the series too. Please tell me if you are interested.

[thegamingcatmom]

Do you think Mother Miranda likes swimming?

Additionally, what kinda swimwear would she have?

I love that one. 🤭

Right so, I did mention in one post that she likes bird baths. But swimming? I actually don't think so. Not particularly. It's just so...wet, lol. A different kind of wet than the nice, warm baths she takes then and now.

The only occasion where I could see her taking a quick dive is when her wings require some extra attention. But, even then, it's more of a *flaps her wings aggressively* to make sure the water reaches every nook and cranny. It can hardly be called "swimming".

Much like this. :3

(Crows suck at swimming btw. I looked it up, lol.)

As for her swimwear-

The first thing that came to mind was black and short, lel.

The black fits, but I'm not sure how much skin she'd be willing to show. Probs a lot more with her s/o, but in an open space for everyone to see? I think she's someone who views those things as sacred, also because of the time period she comes from.

Which-

(Source: https://www.visualmood.com/blogs/blog/the-history-of-women-s-bathing-suits-a-journey-through-time?srsltid=AfmBOoo9dOWwAS6SVGe4TMAyEoqkgor2scRiaMANvQRObG4n15MRu-bt)

Ofc I looked that one up too, and it´s really quite interesting.

(I love history.)

Miranda was born sometime in the late 19th century (around 1870 to 1899, probs closer to 1900 though), which means she likely would´ve gone for something that covers most of the body. Just like the Mad Priestess we know and thirst for today.

(She´s so damn fine.)

The only things exposed are her hands and face sadly. Granted, that´s quite the norm for a priestess outfit and doesn´t necessarily tell us anything about her personal preferences, but I still think her swimwear would be of similar design (meaning: full body).

Why? Well, she chose to parade as The Priestess. It wasn´t something that was given to her or decided by the people. She did it because it allowed her to take full control over the village and its inhabitants, ensuring that nobody would question her or her methods.

And why would nobody question her or her methods? Because, back when the village was just a village, the belief in divine beings was strong. There was no technology or modern medicine to rely on, so people resorted to praying in times of hardship (sickness, poverty, crop failure etc). It gave them hope and stability, and Miranda took full advantage of that.

In fact, I wouldn´t put it past Miri to be the one responsible for sudden outbreaks of sickness or the cattle perishing of some mysterious illness. She´d then swoop in as The Priestess, telling them a sacrifice was due (aka: a new specimen to work on), and, SURPRISE-

Mysteriously cured.

BUT, I digress-

It all comes down to her time period, basically. I´d like to think Miranda is a woman who values and clings to the old ways (except when it comes to medicine) and, back then, it was all about modesty. Something we see reflected in pretty much every village woman - they´re covered head to toe.

...And she´s also possessive af, let´s not forget that. I doubt she´d much like if her s/o ran around half-naked. Some things are meant for her eyes only, and vice versa. 🤭

(Miri got high standards that she expects her s/o to follow. I don´t make the rules. 🤷🏻‍♀️)

With that said, I could see her going for something like this:

(Source: https://h5.lazada.com.my/products/women-swimwear-for-girls-one-piece-swimsuit-with-chest-pads-long-sleeve-bathing-surfing-swimming-suit-i2966475023.html)

...She´s mayhaps making a compromise with the legs here.

(And she will deny those puppy eyes having anything to do with that down to her very last breath.)

.

.

.

...Not me being unable to get Miri in a diving suit out of my head now though. 😭🫠

Thanks a lot for your ask! 💋

[empirearchives]

I want to learn more about Napoleon and Josephine’s relationship. Can you tell me about it?

Of course! I love talking about Napoleon and Josephine’s relationship 💕💕💕

Let’s see. Well, Josephine was Napoleon’s first wife, and Napoleon was Josephine’s second and final husband.

They were married in 1796 when Napoleon was 26 and Josephine was 32. Their marriage lasted until December 1809, when Napoleon was 40 and Josephine was 46. They separated for political reasons, and Napoleon said “She has graced fifteen years of my life, and the memory of this will remain for ever stamped on my heart.” (Sergeant, The Empress Josephine; Napoleon's Enchantress Volume 2, p. 517)

Long periods of their marriage were spent apart due to the war. Josephine wrote to Napoleon when he was far away in Warsaw in 1807: “I took a husband in order to be with him!” (Castelot, Napoleon, p. 320)

Other times were spent traveling and living together. They had no natural children together, but Napoleon adopted Josephine’s children from her first marriage.

It was not an arranged marriage set up by their parents. In fact, Napoleon did not even ask for his mother’s permission (or tell her until after), which was considered to be disrespectful as it broke traditional Corsican custom. Napoleon’s parents had an arranged marriage when they were teenagers. Josephine’s first marriage was arranged when she was a teenager. Napoleon set up many of his relatives marriages. But Josephine and Napoleon’s marriage was a love match, so in that way, it was unique.

Josephine was Napoleon’s “star” or memento of good luck. When they got together, he got her a medallion that said “To Destiny” which is really quite prescient considering that they had no idea then what an amazing and extraordinary destiny they would have together. Together they lived through wars, created and broke empires. They ushered in the modern era and played a key role in all its hopes and sorrows. The years in which they were at the forefront were ones of incredible social, cultural, economic and political transformation.

Many details of their relationship are murky. Unfortunately, not a lot of writing from Josephine has survived, though there is some. However, we are very lucky that Josephine saved so many of Napoleon’s letters to her and kept them safe, so they have survived when so many other letters have not.

One of the appealing aspects of their relationship and the reason why a lot of people find it fascinating is because it is considered to be a more “equal” relationship, relatively speaking when considering the standards of the age. In many ways (though not all), it was actually a reversal of norms. It was not a child marriage. It was not an arranged marriage. It was a rare case of a man marrying an older woman instead of a younger woman. At the beginning of their relationship, it was Josephine who had greater influence (though Napoleon would quickly become the more dominant one). In actuality, Josephine had a lot of issues, but she did come from the old French aristocracy and she was also part of the social circle of wealthy and politically powerful French elites. Napoleon did not come from either group. From his perspective, Josephine was a glamorous and alluring figure. She was part of an exclusive world that was out of reach for people like him and so many others. So what you see, Napoleon married up the social ladder.

What is interesting is that Josephine technically married down the social ladder and she managed to pick the one who would make her an empress. It is quite an ironic twist of fate. Who could have seen it coming?

But you know, she found him alluring too, and saw something fascinating in him. This is what Josephine said after meeting Napoleon for the first time: “His piercing look has something about it quite mysterious which impresses even the directors.” (Zamoyski, Napoleon: A Life, p. 106)

She described him as having “the strength of a passion of which he speaks with a force which does not permit any doubt as to its sincerity.” (Zamoyski, Napoleon: A Life, p. 106)

Her first impression of him was of someone who she found to be both unsettling and extraordinary.

There was infidelity in their marriage. First by Josephine, then mostly by Napoleon. They kind of mirrored each other. At first Napoleon was passionately devoted to Josephine, whereas she was unfaithful. Then Napoleon felt quite alienated and betrayed by that, so he became more guarded. Whereas Josephine fell increasingly more in love with Napoleon and was loyal to him, while he was the one being unfaithful and having affairs.

After their marriage ended, Napoleon continued to support and provide for Josephine for the rest of her life. He was no longer her husband, but he was her “protector”. They saw each other in person less and less. That’s not to say that they forgot about each other or ever stopped caring about each other.

This is from a letter to Josephine that Napoleon wrote when he abdicated and was headed to his first exile in 1814:

“Farewell my dear Joséphine, resign yourself just as I do and never lose the memory of the one who has never forgotten you and never will forget you.” (Lentz, Napoléon: “My Ambition Was Great”, p. 131)

I genuinely believe that Josephine died of a broken heart, even though it sounds cheesy. It’s impossible for me to believe that it was just a coincidence when considering the timing. She “caught a chill” a few weeks after Napoleon fell, and she never recovered. When Josephine learned about Napoleon’s exile to Elba, she said “If it were not for his wife I would go lock myself up with him!” (Erickson, Josephine: A Life of the Empress, p. 337)

She wrote to her son on 9 April 1814: “What a week I have spent, my dear Eugene! How I have suffered at the way they have treated the emperor! What attacks in the newspapers, what ingratitude on the part of those upon whom he showered his favors! But there is nothing more to hope for. All is finished.” (Erickson, Josephine: A Life of the Empress, p. 335)

She died on 29 May 1814, the month after Napoleon abdicated. Napoleon never saw her again. When he was younger, he wrote to her: “Have a good rest. Haste to get well. Come and join me, so that, at least, before dying, we could say—‘We were happy for so many days!!’” (Hall, Napoleon's letters to Josephine)

And I think they truly spent many happy days together. In 1814, Napoleon was speaking to Caulaincourt about Eugène (Josephine’s son), and he said “His mother made me very happy. Those are the sweetest recollections of my life.” (Knapton, Empress Josephine, p. 317)

Different people have different opinions, but I think they were soulmates or perhaps even toxic soulmates. They had a turbulent relationship, and of course they had flaws. Both of them were unfaithful, dishonest, toxic and possessive. But their strengths and weaknesses complemented each other a lot and they seemed to genuinely love being together. In the end, it was a rare and unique love.

[miracles-and-butterflies]

[Reincarnation AU]

Mirabel, to Disney: Honestly, one of my biggest issues is how frequently I’m animated into flouncing my skirts and showing off my bloomers like some careless strumpet.

Mirabel: If any woman had done that even once, given the time period, she would have faced a damning blow to her reputation and severe consequences. Even more so for a fifteen-year-old!

Mirabel: Ignoring the fact that I would never do any of that and I’m etiquette trained - passed with full merits, not to brag - why would you need to animate that at all? Or at the very least, why on numerous occasion? The joke only lands once. And I know you don’t care about proper standards or polite manners in this modern era, but none of you would showcase a child in her bra, so why am I not worthy of the same respect?

Mirabel: That is all I have to say. *turns and walks away* Oh, and do notice I did not bow before leaving because I do not respect any of you.

Disney:

Luisa: Just to be clear: the rest of us didn’t bow in our first lives, that was not a normal thing to do, Mirabel is just adding insult to injury; she was etiquette trained and did have flawless marks, she is bragging because Isabela didn’t; and, most importantly, she is absolutely right about this. What the fuck is wrong with you people, drawing a child in her underwear?

[stephensmithuk]

The Hound of the Baskervilles: The Curse of the Baskervilles

CW for discussion of crimes against humanity.

Devonshire is a historical alternative name for the county of Devon, these days not seeing that much use. Devon and next-door Cornwall have a friendly rivalry going over various things, including the order in which you put cream and jam on a scone. Cornwall does jam first, Devon cream. Getting it the wrong round in the relevant county can attract disapproving looks.

Mainstream Christianity believes that the only sin that cannot be forgiven by God is "blaspheming against the Holy Spirit", which is a continuous and arrogant rejection of it. It is generally deemed impossible for a Christian to actually do because if you worried that you've done it, you're not rejecting the Holy Spirit.

The Great Rebellion is the then standard name for what is commonly called the English Civil War or less commonly, but more correctly the War of the Three Kingdoms - England, Scotland and Ireland all being their own kingdoms under a single monarch, Wales is a principality. Lasting from 1639 to 1653 and including a whole bunch of conflicts, including two English Civil Wars. Various videos explaining the whole rather complex affair with varying degrees of comedy can be found on YouTube, but the popular version is that a bunch of republicans (Roundheads) with short hair fought a bunch of monarchists with long hair (Cavaliers). To quote Arnold Rimmer, it ended "1-0 to the pudding-basins" and King Charles I ended up losing his head in public.

Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon, a key member of the governments of Charles I and Charles II wrote some memoirs of the whole period. Initially written between 1646 and 1648 as a defence of the former, his fall from power and exile in 1667 (he was made to carry the can for the English defeat against the Netherlands in the Second Anglo-Dutch War despite having little involvement) resulted in a massive expansion and re-write of The History of the Rebellion, which generally runs to no less than six volumes. One can compare it to Winston Churchill's The Second World War it seems - interesting, but watch for bias.

A yeoman in this context was a commoner who owned the land that he farmed, as opposed to being merely a tenant. Indeed a third of all farmland remains run by tenanted farmers; including much of Dartmoor, which is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, the land holdings of a (male only) heir to the throne.

A maiden is traditionally an unmarried girl or young woman, with a strong implication of virginity to boot.

Michaelmas is a Christian festival held on 29 September in honour Saint Michael and all the other angels. It was traditionally associated with the end of harvest and a bunch of other stuff, including the legal calendar. The Lord Mayor of London (not to be confused with the Mayor of London) is elected on this. Traditionally the meal eaten here included goose, but it has very much fallen out of fashion in modern Britain.

A carouse (also a verb) is basically a long drinking and dancing event; "Carouse" turns up as a skill in some RPG systems i.e. the ability to do this effectively without ending up on the floor next to your vomit.

"Terrible oaths" here mean foul language.

A league is three statute miles, so she's got to get nine miles or 14.9 kilometres. That's a rather long way to go, especially in the dark.

A flagon is a large vessel for containing drink, about 2 imperial pints or 1.1 litres in capacity. You can either use it for pouring (in which case it will have a spout) or drinking from directly.

Trenchers were flat wood or metal plates used for serving food. In medieval times, they would be made of stale bread. After the meal, these and the juices, leftovers etc. would be generally given to the poor. Eating the trencher yourself was considered rather vulgar.

"Wench" has had various meanings over the years. In Shakespeare's time, it was a neutral or even endearing term for a young woman. It then evolved into a female server, particularly at a tavern (with the associated sexy costume, although I am not sure when that became a thing) and from there to being a term for a prostitute, with "wenching" becoming a verb to mean using the services of them. With an associated meaning of a promiscuous woman. It is not clear whether the writer is using the term or Hugo is here. I can see the latter using it in a rather venomous way.

A kerchief is another name for a bandana.

The pistols of the period were single-shot weapons requiring reloading with powder, wadding and shot. Even with regular practice like in an army (where this was a major part of drill), you'd be looking at a 15 to 20 second reloading time. It was commonplace to carry two pistols (a brace) as a result, at which point the fight was either over, or it was time to get your sword out. Some went still further - Blackbeard, who was going progressively crazy with syphilis, is recorded as carrying six loaded pistols on him.

There were 16 fatal dog on human attacks in the UK from January to September 2023; a sharp rise blamed on the American XL Bully breed, which was promptly banned in England and Wales as a result.

Providence means God's intervention in the universe.

"Which would not forever punish the innocent beyond that third or fourth generation which is threatened in Holy Writ" is a reference to the Commandment about not creating graven images or idols, either the Second Commandment or part of the First depending on your denomination; Anglicans put it as the Second.

"The probable Liberal candidate for Mid-Devon" is going to form part of a post discussing late Victorian elections, because I could go on all days about those. Central Devon was a narrow Conservative hold in 2024, by the way.

Nouveaux riches is French for "new rich", commonly rendered as "new money". The "aristocracy" on both sides of the Atlantic (see The Gilded Age) looked down on the new millionaires who were being created by the Industrial Revolution, such as railway tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt.

The discovery of diamonds at Kimberley in 1867, followed by gold at Witwatersrand in 1886, led to a vast boom that turned what would become South Africa from an agricultural economy to a wealthy industrial one... most of that wealth ending in the hands of white people, of course. Indeed, it led to the actual creation of South Africa in the first place.

Inquests are held in England and Wales after any death that is violent, unnatural, a possible suicide or in custody. These were at the time conducted with a jury, but this has become much rarer since 1927, when a coroner can do it on their own in many cases. In the case of a murder, an inquest will be opened and adjourned to allow the police to investigate. This process can take quite a while; after the Manchester Arena bombing of 2017, a full public inquiry into the event was held and following the end of that in 2003, the same judge then conducted an inquest into the death of the bomber himself, as was legally required. No public hearings were held in this case to avoid attention and save public money. The conclusion was officially logged as "suicide while undertaking a terror attack that murdered 22 innocent victims and injured many others", Sir John Saunders clearly that merely putting "suicide" was insufficient.

The Gypsy and Traveller community have long been associated with horses, with the Appleby Horse Fair being held every June in Cumbria. The RSPCA have a large presence at the event to deal with any animal welfare issues, issuing warnings and will take animals away or prosecute people if required. The 2024 event saw two horses worked to death, the official website posting the RSPCA's request for information on those responsible.

I've discussed Bushmen/San in one of my posts on The Sign of Four.

"Hottentot" is a now-offensive term for the Khoekhoe nomadic pastoralists of Southern Africa, often grouped with the San. Its use in the 1964 Mary Poppins film has seen that movie reclassified in the UK from a U (universal) to a PG.

They are split into the Northern Khoekhoe or Nama, located in Namibia and Botswana, and the Southern Khoekhoe or Cape Khoe found in the SW coastal regions of South Africa. At the time this book was set, these were, respectively:

German South West Africa

Bechaunaland Protectorate (de facto independent until 1891 when the British took active control)

The Cape Colony

Two years after publication, separate Nama and Herero rebellions in the former against colonial rule (the German aim being ethnic cleansing) were brutally defeated, with the peoples either shot dead, driven into the desert or placed into concentration camps. They were subjected to medical experiments, skulls being taken to Germany for use as demonstration of "racial inferiority". The similarities between this genocide and the Holocaust are clear, although the precise connections are debated by historians.

It is estimated that up to 80% of the indigenous population died as a result.

Germany has in the last decade offically recognised this as a genocide, agreed to pay €1.1 billion to the affected communities and has returned the human remains held in German universities or teaching hospitals.

On a final note, Mortimer failing to mention the footprints around the body might be considered perjury.

[soon-palestine]

I'm looking over the New York Times reports on Tara Reade's testimony of Biden raping her, and it is astonishing just how depraved these scum are. They went back decades to her college records to question her credibility. They talked to her childhood acquaintances. Utter insanity

whenever a fact adds to Reade's credibility, the NYT immediately frames it as questionable and to be dismissed. She told her story to someone during the period it happened? That guy is pro-Trump now, so that's meaningless, ignore it. Just utter shameless propaganda

hey New York Times what are the politics of the Israeli woman you just gave a 4000 word profile to mustering every resource at your disposal to turn into the most credible trustworthy person in human history? What are the politics of those "doctors" she told her story to? Tell us

you spent paragraph after paragraph detailing Tara Reade's entire political history from when she was in college to the present as if it mattered to her testimony of Biden raping her. What are the politics of Amit Soussana? Not a single word on that. Are her politics this:

the NYT poured over Tara Reade's blog posts about politics and Russia and totally irrelevant topics to make her appear as a crazed pathological liar. That was their job. They destroyed her life intentionally. They ripped it apart. But Amit Soussana was painted as a Holy Saint

she's a lawyer who understands the plight of Palestinians when bombs went off, she loves people, she feeds stray cats, she gives to the homeless. She's actually the reincarnation of Jesus. So every word she says is 100% pure fact about those dirty backward Palestinian animals

this may work on your depraved genocidal liberal base, who gleefully participated in the public lynching of Tara Reade, looking into every inch of her life from when she was a baby to present to frame her as a liar. But it doesn't work on those who aren't in your genocidal cult

no one in the media class will bother to give Amit Soussana the Tara Reade treatment. And remember, Amit comes from a genocidal systematically racist apartheid society where dehumanization of Palestinians is ingrained in the very culture. So she actually must get that treatment

that is the standard the New York Times and all the good liberals have when it comes to every other racist apartheid society where lurid genocidal atrocity propaganda and allegations against its victims are rife, except Israel, as I detailed here:

as I said in that thread, unlike the New York Times, who intentionally fabricate genocidal atrocity propaganda as has been proven with the Gettleman, Schwartz, Sella hoax, and destroys people like Tara Reade, I will actually be principled and apply the same evidentiary standard

the most depraved part of the NYT pouring over every inch of Tara Reade's life, from blog posts to interviewing 100 of her passing acquaintances, neighbors, they actually got one of her neighbors from decades ago to smear her, is that Biden actually is a pathological liar:

do you know that Biden lied about how his wife and child died, blaming a "drunk driver" even though he wasn't at fault at all, just so he could have a good "dramatic" story to tell to the press? He destroyed that man's life. But the NYT finds him credible

most importantly, WHAT THE FUCK DOES ANY OF THIS HAVE TO DO WITH TARA READE'S TESTIMONY THAT BIDEN RAPED HER? Nothing. The NYT set out to destroy her, to annihilate her life. But with Amit Soussana they've turned into BelieveAllWomen again, and you're not allowed to question her

I'm sorry NYT, you're the actual rape apologists and deniers. In fact you are the most depraved rape deniers in modern history, not just for Biden, but also Bill Clinton and other Democrats. You are the most depraved scum filth rag that has ever existed in human history

[dangermousie]

A web novel recommendation - Wishing You Eternal Happiness

I am currently about a fifth into a novel that is in the running to replace Dreamer in the Spring Boudoir as my favorite het web novel. It is Peng Lai Ke’s Wishing You Eternal Happiness/ 表妹万福.

This novel couldn’t be more different from Dreamer, with its hard-edged and hard-souled protagonists ruthlessly cleaving their way to the world and, eventually, each other, its smart cynical air. Except in one thing - the world of Wishing is just as bloody and dark. Its two protagonists are gentle, deeply wounded souls who may find salvation in each other but even something as basic as safety almost seems out of reach. 

Jiafu, our heroine, is neither a modern-day transmigrator, nor some exotic princess or demoness. She is very much a period woman of her time, from a weathy merchant clan, whose beauty is her curse. You can tell the novel’s tone from that utterly bleak opening chapter where she, a favorite concubine of a capricious dying emperor, is ordered to be buried alive with him and is not even given the “grace” of white silk but slowly suffocates in the coffin, scrabbling at the lid. There is no grand threats of vengeance on her part, not dramatic opera events. Just despair and death. The whole introductory chapter is haunted by emotional ghosts - the empress’ unrequited love for the monster on the imperial bed (turning into desire for Jiafu’s suffering after he dies), the emperor slowly dying in his prime after waging too many wars, and his fear of being haunted by Pei Youan, a brilliant if sickly minister who died of illness long ago on one of imperial campaigns. There is no triumph for anyone, only loss. 

Jiafu wakes up in the past after her death but there are no plans for grand revenge or world domination. All she wants is to stay with her family and to avoid the future emperor and also her future husband - in her past life, he gladly gave her away to the emperor once the emperor asks sending her to a life of trauma and horror and eventually awful death. Her schemes to do so are small and driven by desperation. But unfortunately, things never go as she wishes. The marriage may be easily scuttled but the attention of the royal monster not so much. 

Jiafu is such a deeply wounded person - some of the deep melancholy of the novel is that she wants so little - a normal life with someone who won’t sell her or bury her alive; she does not need to love him or even be married - and even that seems almost impossible to achieve. She is fighting for her life so desperately. 

Her widowed mother and brother are lovely but they cannot be her bulwark. Who can? Pei Youan. 

Let’s get this out of the way - I FREAKING LOVE PEI YOUAN!!!! He is a rare cnovel ML who would be considered a good person by any standard. But he is no shining powerful hero. Pei Youan, despite his brains and ability, drifts through life. I don’t mean he’s abandoned “work” - he assists the father of Jiafu’s eventual monster emperor ably etc etc. But emotionally he just exists, having given up on anything in his life, a sort of a living ghost. In modern terms, he clearly has depression. Apparently his background is pretty awful (and it does not take much to guess he’s actually not a Pei but a secret son of the imperial dude/Jiafu’s emperor’s half brother and in past life got killed for that) but all the bad stuff that has happened has not made him weak or self-pitying or dramatic, just a quiet, competent ghost. Jiafu is fighting for her life desperately - not even for happiness but for survival - but she knows happiness is possible, it’s just lower on her Maslow hierarchy of needs. But I don’t think Pei Youan can process happiness for him can exist.

Anyway, Pei Youan (at least in his ostensible identity as a member of the Pei family) and Jiafu are some sort of distant cousins. The reason Jiafu latches on him is because he is the sole man in her past life who showed her kindness and tried to protect her. When the emperor took her for the first time in past life, she begged for his help and despite barely knowing her, he managed to get her out and send her to her husband (only for said husband to gladly gift her back to the emperor.) Jiafu knows he is not interested in her, she knows he dies young, but he is her best bet, all she hopes is to marry him or even be his concubine, anything to stay out of the paws of the future emperor who fixates on her yet again. The scene where she explains it to him after he protected her, her desperation meeting his quiet competence but denial is one of my favorites.

I am spoiled enough to know eventually they do get married and things go all to hell for Pei Youan even more than before (In fact, @mercipourleslivres who knows me too well, sold me on this novel by mentioning that at one point Jiafu gets to be a Decembrist wife) and there is ultimately a hard-won happy ending. But even this early in, when they have not interacted that much, it is lovely to see Jiafu feel reassured around him, her desperation mixing with a tiny bit of reassurance at least and to see frozen Pei Youan feel something around her and not even understanding that this is his coming alive somehow, slowly and tentatively, but unmistakably so.

OK, where to find? The novel is complete in Chinese and can be found all the usual places. There is an abandoned translation of the first 20-odd chapters than can be found on novelupdates.

And I made a word doc of the MTL of the entire novel, here:

https://www.mediafire.com/file/yfoqmeaetx9xe3a/wishing_you.docx/file

Happy reading!

[see-arcane]

This made me realise that Mina uses "my __" a lot (my Jonathan, my beloved husband, my dear one) compared to him doing so no wonder she'd be not pleased if someone tried to snatch him away

The thing about Jonathan and Mina is that they are both very much more than the standard 'in love' with each other that you'll see in a lot of Mandatory Love Interests in media. They're not just in love.

They're in crush.

They're in infatuation.

They're in 'my beloved is all that matters and dear God I don't know how I got lucky enough to win the romance lottery to convince them I was worthy, but I will spend every second of every day trying to earn that love.'

The main difference lays somewhere in--sigh along with me--the gender politics of it all. Because the thing is, even if we barely squint at the time period (and, sadly, even at our modern relationship pitfalls), Mina is very, very aware that, by partner standards, she is the one who got the 'luckier' pull. Specifically because Stoker wrote Jonathan as the rule-breaking, love worshipping, refusing-to-other or abandon champion of a Prince Charming out of the whole cast; and possibly out of most male romantic leads in the era's literature, Period.

Meanwhile, despite Mina being very much her own breakthrough of early feminism and interesting traits--again, sighing over the New Woman commentary, but still--when we look past the unique/strong/smart character facets, we really see a lot of the Classic Darling Female Love Interest formula at her core. She is sweet and caring and loving and loved.

As all good non-hag non-femme fatale characters were at the time. You can't throw a rock in Victorian and earlier lit without hitting a similarly winsome young lady. They pop up like charming weeds.

It's Jonathan Harker who stands apart. Jonathan Harker who loves unconditionally, who does not conform to classic masculine heroism, who would fight God and the Devil to hold his beloved above all harm, who would damn himself, who would kill and die to keep his beloved safe and happy. Who would--gasp!--rather be equal with his partner, even preferring to let her take the lead!

Which was un-fucking-heard of at the time. Even if she/Stoker weren't really caught up on what New Women actually stood for, I'd bet money that Mina knew exactly how rare a prize like Mr. Harker was in a sea of brutes and cheats and general misogynistic louts looking for a housemaid they could imprison with a wedding band and belittle on a daily basis before they go out to meet mistresses 1-3.

Mina is not an idiot. Jonathan is not either, but I think he is blessedly naïve enough to think there was anyone else in the world who would champion Mina as much as he does, as much as she deserves. She's Mina, for crying out loud! An angel! A goddess in and of herself! Who wouldn't adore her as he does? And to Van Helsing and the Suitor Squad's credit, they do come close, risking what they do...

But they do make that murder oath.

And for that, Mina is grateful. She did ask for it.

But though she never writes it, maybe only rarely dares to even think it--such a blasphemous, selfish thought!--she is doubly grateful that Jonathan never swore with them. Proof positive, that. Somewhere in her, a secret proud voice whispers:

Look, Mina Harker née Murray. Look at the paragon among lovers you have tricked into loving you and being your knight. You have wed Eros himself, lucky Psyche that you are. He does not even realize what a treasure he is. The one treasure that matters. The one which evil powers have tried so hard to steal away. Do not let them, Mina. Let them have gold and magic and your own blood if they must, but never, ever him.

So yes.

All this in mind, it is very little wonder that she enjoys referring to Jonathan as my husband, my love, my darling. My, my, my, mine, mine, mine. Hearing and saying it is a reassurance that she has not woken up from this sweet dream. Just as I'm sure Jonathan saying the same--or else repeating Mina's name like his own prayer--reassures him. They are real, they are in love, they are each other's.

And so when someone like Miss Helen Penelosa comes along and Mina catches wind of her plans for Jonathan, I can't not see her loading that revolver.

[lifmera]

Hello! I adore your writing! May I please have a match up for Hazbin Hotel, Chainsaw man and Sally face if it’s not too much trouble? I'm demisexual 27 year old plus sized woman. I’m 5"7 with fairly wide hips that dip to more narrow center and broad shoulders. My eyes are pale green bordering yellow with short almost shoulder length dark brown hair that is an orange blond from the top of my ears down. I have a septum piercing, two sets of ear piercings and glasses in sort of an aviator style that I forget to wear. I'm a little buff under all this fluff as I am a baker by trade. But I have been dealing with a shoulder injury has kinda left me feeling a bit fragile and frustrated. I've been told I'm fairly pretty but I just kinda don't see myself that by conventional standards. I'm not really self conscious about my body, I am just a large animal and people will just have to deal with that. I prefer to dress comfortably but if I can I enjoy wearing jumpsuits as well as black dresses.

I would describe my personality as caring but very direct. I Tend to prioritize others well being over my own. However, I am working on ensuring I take care of myself just as well. I tend to be reserved around other people but once I get comfortable I tend to ramble on my interests in short bursts, primarily around biology, cryptids, animation and practical effects. Honestly I enjoy being a bit aggressive with my friends- usually intimidation play or picking up people to help make them feel a little small. Admittedly when I feel comfortable around someone I prefer feeling small and protected if I’m not needed for comfort. I have many creative hobbies, primarily sketching, painting, sculpting, and crocheting. One of my favorite things to do is wildlife drawings. Though I find it difficult to hold on to my passions for prolonged periods of time, if someone I'm close to is passionate about something- I'm completely enthralled and try to be as supportive as possible. I love word play, often trying to force puns where they don't fit. I love horror and thriller movies and have a decent tolerance for gore but to be perfectly honest I have a hard time with handling prolonged scenes with people actively suffering.

This sounds a little silly but I imagine if I was a demon in hell I would probably resemble something of a chimera. I do apologize if this is a bit of a long submission! Thank you so much for your time!! 💚

I read sally face and started tweaking….

God i love sally face. AND THANK YOUUUUU.

.. I’ve decided to pair you with… ALASTOR, DENJI & LARRY JOHNSON!

Let’s be real. I think at first you’d remind him of his dear old mimzy. Before she died anyways, and obviously not dependent on him to fight your battles.

Alastor would find your rambling interesting, and he’d honestly probably learn something he hasn’t before? like “wow! Thats new.”

He’d want to learn more about your interests, also because he’s the radio demon, and doesn’t seem to really know much about the modern world- or care for it. But he IS based off a wendigo. So i’d think he’d find it interesting!

He LOVES when you paint, draw, crochet for hum! It reminds him or his own mother, and he’d probably become attached to you.

He’d also enjoy it if you did all of this, while he’s broadcasting too. He’s not able to always be there, but if he is, he’ll want to be with you.

Alastor would LOVE to watch horror movies, but if it makes you uncomfortable, or a scene does, he will pay no mind and skip it. Not like theres anything new he hasn’t seen.

If you were a chimera. He definitely would’ve been surprised at your look! Like- “oh ! Thats new.”

Ok … Denji time..

This man would NEVER JUDGE YOU. He can’t even bag someone.

Honestly i think he’d prefer someone chubbier, he’d LOVE to give hugs.

I think Denji would be a very physical touchy person, esp after what happened with… everyone. It’d help him protect you :)

When he found out about your shoulder injury? He was on your ass all day, every day. You don’t get away!

He loves that you take care of others, but this man is always hurt. He’d rather you be okay than he is!

He would love to listen to you ramble. Denji knows when to shut up, and i think he would enjoy listening!

Okay i know I’ve said this before but denji WILL make you draw pictures of you and him together- or he’ll draw them himself. Like stick figures holding hands!

If you crochet him something? Over the MOON. If its a piece of clothing he’s always wearing it. If its a plushie? He’s sleeping with it at night.

Denji would be indifferent to horror movies. I think he’d prefer comedy. He’s seen enough! :(

NOW LARRY 💛

I feel like i shouldn’t have to explain.

He’d LOVE YOU. You remind him of his friends :)

Your personality allows his to come out! He loves that you care for his friends, and his well being cause we know damn well he doesn’t.

Larry is a Listener instead of a talker. He’d love to listen to you ramble and ask questions while he’s painting! His favorite things at the same time!!

You draw with him, you paint, you crochet? Holy SHIT!!!! HE’D BE IN LOVE. Like! Okay !!! I LOVE YOU!!! 🧡🧡

I think he doesn’t mind any movie you guys watch. As long as it’s a mean of being able to cuddle with you on the couch and watch a movie.

He definitely finds your puns funny.

~~~

I HOPE THIS WAS OKAY!!!

[yellowcry]

Hurricane is red

After some time in Encanto, Agustín starts getting friends.

Twice to once!

Agustín sat in the warm room. The stuff air rose around, pushing out of the window shutters. The fingers of his healthy hand squeezed the swelling on the opposite arms. The pain sizzled with fire under his skin, crawling all over the limb. Even being accident-prone, all types of broken bones, cuts, and animal bites were no pleasant. He was looking for Luisa earlier, planning to get her for a break. His daughter didn't have very healthy work habits, so Agústin tried to force her to rest himself. Most of the time, it worked as much as a rusty grinder.

So, now he sat after tripping in a very bad place. And he hadn't even seen Luisa. Much to his shocking delight, she didn't seem to work at the moment. His arm swelled, dripping with sizzling fire inside his bones. Agustín kept it still, not willing to feel more pain. There might or might not be any cracking sounds around the time he fell. Skin turned an oxygenless bluish pattern. 

The door slammed as if it were a drum that the drummer happened to hit too hard. Pepa, the tall gingerheaded woman broke in, scowling. Her loud footsteps echoed in the room as a series of deep scratches covered her cheek. The other one was on her arm. She might need stitches for that

"Hello?" Agustín asked, clamming his palms and leaning forward to see her.

Pepa clutched her jaw, looking down at him. "You here too?" She took a deep breath, whispering "Clear skies" and waving her hands over her head. Red stood bright on her pale thin skin.

Agustín stared at it, not knowing how to react. His brows furrowed as Pepa kept pushing an imaginary cloud away. 

Pepa paced around the room, energy spilling out of her body. Agustín didn't know what to say. The ginger Madrigal was an... expressive woman. Emotional and unsteady. Her healthy hand pressed against the damage. Face squirmed as the red vessels ran down 

"So, how are you?"  Agustín asked, to clear up the silent environment. The Madrigal was definitely in a bad condition. But it wasn't anything better if they just waited. 

Pepa chucked, cracking her back. "Ah, it's nothing, I've got so many injuries way worse than this in my teenage years!" She stated proud of herself, pale hand gripped onto her head. The blood clung to the ginger hair, but Pepa just shrugged it off after being told about this.

The funny thing that Agustín had learned after a bit of chatting was that Pepa was pretty much accident-prone too. It was better now but in her childhood... Oh boy! It wasn't clumsiness, she just loved seeking some troubles. Agustín supposed they could've been good friends. Or maybe he would've been dead by now. He got into enough painful situations without anyone dragging him along for an adventure. And she was energetic too. Agustín couldn't recall seeing her standing in one place longer than a very short time period. Like a boiling sun ball, never stopping.

She talked a lot, almost constantly once they got used to each other. Agustín didn't spend much time with the Madrigals. He supposed they had way better things to do and he still adjusted to the place. Because it was crazy. He had to expect that a town that was stuck in the middle of nowhere wasn't modern but this... everyone was so old-fashioned. Agustín preferred city clothes style, used to it way more than standard village shirts. He didn't even mention how strange everyone acted. Three days ago he saw a couple, reaction to rain as if it was the most shocking thing they could've waited for. And the lack of any medical place, only some elderly helping in their houses. All the doctors that he had met were so old... No offense.

He and Pepa walked down the streets. Now Agustín got a sling, holding his broken arm. Pepa complained that she had some minor injury and Julieta got worked up over nothing.

"Your hermana forces you to make sure you're okay?" Agustín clarified, his heart melted into a bubbling shape. It was cute. "That's so sweet of her."

Pepa shrugged, jumping forward. "Well that's her role." She jumped over the cracks like a child.

What did she mean by 'role'? Some siblingly thing probably. But Agustín lacked context to be sure about this.

Encanto was an unusual place, sticky like melted cheese, things had spread in a rapid temp. Always moving but frozen. 

"Are you free tomorrow?" Pepa turned to him, standing in front of the house. Not the one she stayed in when Agustín first met the Madrigals. But he supposed it was fair, it didn't have enough space for such a big family.

He nodded, fixing his glasses. Hm, he would need to ask if anyone has a tape in here to glue it. "I think yes, just need to make sure Luisa doesn't overwork herself."

Peps's green eyes lightened. "Yes!" She threw her hands to the sides. "There's a cool cave in the mountains, we're gonna see it." She asked, not bothering to wonder if Agustín himself wanted it too. He doubted he should go anywhere with his arm broken. He had enough self-acknowledge to realize how worse his wound would become. And he had a feeling Pepa shouldn't put much pressure on herself either.

"Maybe we should wait until we're healed?" Agustín asked, trying to get some sense into Pepa.

The woman crossed her arms, scoffing. "It's nothing!"

He and Pepa became friends after this. The latter soon pushed Agustín to socialize with the rest of the adult Madrigals. But it worked only with Julieta and Félix. Not much, but he knew it was a result. It was less than a month since he and Luisa came here. Still unused to the things around. The place felt like stuck in time, the look of shock when Agustín told them about simple modern injenery or principles was shocking.

Pepa was hyperactive and anxiously emotional in every of her movements. Felix stood steady as a pillow where his wife could fall. So caring and supportive. Truly they had a marriage made in heaven. Julieta was single, not like Agustín could say anything on this account.  He didn't want to ask questions, knowing how uncomfortable it could be. Especially when you moved to a new place. He supposed everyone in Encanto knew about what happened (except for himself) so maybe Julieta at least didn't have to deal with the blunt people. 

[thosearentcrimes]

Read Jane Eyre by Currer BeCharlotte Brontë. It's, uh, interesting. Worth reading, for sure? I'm happy I read it, which I can't always say about the classics. Some of them try my patience, while Jane Eyre was a quick and fun read. Whether you think it is good obviously depends on how you assign aesthetic value, though. I mean I know a lot of people are less preoccupied with politics in art, and for them, go ahead, but I think only some of the political problems are separable from the basic content of the book?

Like ok the racism is almost entirely unnecessary, though obviously predictable given the time period. It really starts ramping up towards the end of the book, too? I say almost, because it's obviously connected with the recurring phrenological theme which in turn relates to the main couple of the story not being very physically attractive. Which, to be clear, is a very nice thing for a novel to include, though perhaps less so when it is related explicitly to phrenology. Whatever.

So the thing about phrenology, and racism too, of course, is that obviously Victorians overwhelmingly understood those to be significant material, biological phenomena, right. And they're super not any of those, except insofar as they have the ability to impose themselves onto the material world, and even then not very much. So when you examine reality, including historical reality, from an enlightened point of view, you can see all of that is nonsense. However, assuming we accept the construct of a fictional world, in the fictional world of Jane Eyre, racism and phrenology are super real and material biological features of persons, rather than a pile of nonsense supported by confirmation bias. It's like if you were reading a comic or watching a TV show and it turned out everyone's personalities were actually determined by their blood ty-

ANYWAY, it's funny how gay Jane Eyre looks from a modern perspective, and I'm not just projecting I swear. Like, half the time Jane meets a woman, she becomes instantly obsessed with her, forms a codependent or dependent attachment to her, starts talking about how insanely perfect and good and beautiful she is and how much her male love interest isn't good enough for her, also one time she's given a description of a pretty lady and she starts drawing the most beautiful woman she can think of to imagine what she looks like. She develops what is barely deniably a gay crush on at least three women over the course of the book. Which is two more women than men. But it's important to recognize that this was a different, substantially more homosocial time, and that the way friendship and romance are expressed has changed significantly since the differentiation of homosexuality as its own identity. Why, even quite recently people wouldn't bat an eye over this kind of female friendship. Like, it feels like every other time my mom sees another woman, she'll start talking about how beautiful and talented and great she is and how her husband isn't good enough for her, and my mom isn-

ANYWAY, one of the real strengths of the book is simply in portraying Jane Eyre thinking and responding emotionally to stuff? It feels like such a basic thing, but it turns out a lot of writing novels is about doing the basics really well. If you make your main character emotionally and intellectually comprehensible to the audience, that'll help establish the stakes and sell the narrative. You feel like you know Jane and you can see why she makes all the stupid decisions she makes, you get a sense of why such an independent and proud woman would nonetheless be instinctively submissive the way Jane is. And the narration of an adult looking back over their childhood experiences is really well done I think. Comparing to Dickens is a bit absurd, because Dickens was quite frankly a slop merchant so you have to apply a different standard, but it is crazy how bad Dickens is at pulling that narrative voice off considering it was his whole deal.

Uh, the main couple is fucked up or whatever. She's a teenager and he could be her father, and is also literally her employer. Comes with the territory, obviously, he's a werewolf or whatever, that's the point. The part where he has his wife locked up in the attic probably a bit more of a problem, though it is hilarious how everyone is worried about the whole bigamy thing, and not about the wife being locked in an attic thing. Also he's like a massive misogynist, crazy (read: normal for Victorians) levels of hating women. I'm pretty sure the reason he gets crippled and blinded in the end is so that it's remotely plausible that he doesn't start beating Jane like six months into the marriage. Given all of this, it's a wonder that Brontë genuinely manages to sell the relationship, even with the added difficulty of me shipping Jane with half the female characters in the book. A testament to her skill and my sentimentality.

Who should read this book? I dunno, I think most of you have probably read it already or something. If you want to know the classics, the literary canon, this is one that is good to read, you'll probably have fun. Be aware that there's Surprise Racism and that the main couple is Problematique. If you want to modernize it, just pretend every time they talk about phrenology they're actually talking about astrological signs.

[janeicethesiren]

Black People in Kuroshitsuji is a criminally unexplored concept in fan works so I’m doing it myself

Hey guys, it’s me again and I’ve just slept for about 24 hours. And I wanna talk about black people!

——————————————————————————

I’ll just lay it all on the table here, I’m black. I’m a young, neroufunky black woman in her twenties and I’ve been a part of many fandoms for most of these years. Regarding anime, black butler is the very first anime I’ve ever been introduced too. It has a special place in my heart for that reason.

I really do love this series! It’s dark, gritty, mysterious, and so complex! I love the characters, and the setting has so much to enjoy! And, in my opinion, this fandom has some of the best fanfic writers out there!

But I have to say, as much as I love all the content (the black butler x reader stuff too!) I just wish I could find some content that featured us, y’know?

Sooooo therefore, I’m doing it myself!

Y’know the saying, make the content you want to see in the world (that’s not the quote but you know what I’m tryna say.)? I’ve always admired fanfic writers and I always wanted to make my own fanfics but I was way too embarrassed and unconfident in my own writing skills. But recently I said, “fuck it!” and decided to do it anyway.

I was just thinking, y’know? What would it be like, as a black woman from the modern era, to come into contact with this world and these characters? What kind of challenges would she face? What would she go through? Could she get along with them? How would they treat her?

The Kuroshitsuji characters are very unique. They are simultaneously a product of their environment and time period but they all also seem to exist, to-an-extent, outside of it. A lot of them are quite unconventional individuals (not to mention, supernaturals that generally look down on humans), and they don’t all necessarily follow the traditional thinking and values of that era.

But, on the other hand, we have seen them all grapple with and perpetuate some…archaic societal views as well, for our current standards. I just think it could be so interesting for a black character to actually make continued contact with them! Especially a black female character. It could be so cool! There’s so much story potential there and it’s completely unexplored!

So, with all of that being said, I’m actually writing a story right now! It’s 11 chapters in and I’m currently almost done with chapter 12. If you’ve made it this far, I’m more than happy to post a link to it for your enjoyment! And please, please feel free to give feedback. This is my first time writing a story of this magnitude and I am NOT a professional writer. So any and all critiques/compliments are welcome! Just please don’t be mean, I’m really sensitive 😭.

Anywho, as always, this post is way longer than I thought. But would that be something you guys are interested in? I’m also toying with the idea of doing black butler x black!reader headcanons! So if you wanna send me some request based on that premise, please feel free to do so 👀.

——————————————————————————

TLDR: A black female POV character for a Kuroshitsuji fic has a lot of potential for great storytelling and is criminally under explored so I’m currently writing my own fic about the idea. Also I might do some Black Butler x Black!reader headcanons so feel free to send some ideas/request in my inbox!

[papirouge]

Weak tradfems on this site or twitter will claim that hypergamy is evil only for their male audience. Because they seek allies in their male audience that don’t follow them to be “friends” their mal audience is full of chronically online weak links that absorb tate and manosphere material to compensate for their lack of masculinity identity that can only be achieved through self reflection and meditation.

But I don’t have a male audience and never will want one so I can comfortably say that it’s based for women to only choose the top male she can so her life and her children’s are better off than if she settles. Males will gaslit many girls into believing that we all settle for our partners but this is unhealthy for long term commitment. If you want to live a good life as a good wife, the best husband for you is one you must look for hard and take your time.

PERIOD. 🍵🔥🔥🔥

That's the whole fraud of those red pill (trad) women (especially on YouTube) whose entire audience is made of incels while they pretend being Feminity coach 🤡. And those women KNOW IT but they act dumb bc they know those incels are those who keep them relevant. Beyond than "allies" : they want that male validation through viewership and engagement.

I'll never understand tradfem being so icky about hypergamy bc hypergamy is extremely traditional. Dating and marrying bums without any real standards (financially) for your future husband is very modern. Men throughout history have always been comitted to provide for their entire family so it was natural for women to seek after financially secure men. But today, most "modern" men would call a woman a gold digger for simply refusing to split the bills (mind you, some of those are the same ones complaining abt feminism, when said feminism is what made women capable to make them split the bill.....🙄).

Real hypergamy channel ARE female dominated in their audience. High quality men are a scarcity, so a hypergamy channel calling women to step up their standards and pay average men dust is gonna make most of men get in their feelings and not follow/support such content 🥴

Female trad red pillers never address much criticism against men - it's mostly aimed torwards women (maybe that's why they might delusion themselves into think they're relevant for women...), so men are so comfortable following them ; because they know they'll never be held accountable on such space. And God knows that incels HATE accountability.

Chrissie (which is an actual hypergamy channel) clocks redpillers precisely on that hypocrisy. This video is mostly abt White female redpillers pandering to Black men (who for the most part are extremely colorist and will elevate women of other race over their own) but she pulls out extremely good point about how these red pill female guru are hypocritical snakes. Especially the "how can those red pill women call themselves 'Feminity Coach' when their whole audience are men?" 💀💀

btw if you're curious about the 'red pill women finesser' she's talking about, JustPearlyThings is one of them. Go check her YouTube channel because...damn girl is a piece of work 💀

Her video titles are a literal caricature of the red pill pickme it's insane :stupidly clickbaity, with cringe BUZZWORDS WORDED IN BIG LETTERS LIKE AN ANTI SJW FROM 2014....💀 So embarrassing... But this pandering (especially towards Black men) seems to work ; homegirl has 1+ million subscribers after only 3 years of existence... That White woman knows what she's doing👀

[kaleidoscope1967eyes]

10 and 25 for the ask game :)

10. What fact do they excitedly tell everyone about at every opportunity?

Oooh, good question... This is a piece of lore specific to my canon and not actual canon, but Luna's favorite fact is that the Jedi Code wasn't actually written in Basic--it's been translated from the original language (now near-untranslatable) to High Galactic to Tionese to countless other languages, and finally into Basic. Much of the text's original meaning has been adapted and distorted over time, often with unique interpretations across different cultures and time periods--and, in the process, absorbing the philosophies and traditions of other religions. The modern (pre-Empire) version, known in the academic world as "High Republic Standard," is the most recent (and most strict) iteration of the code. Basically, the importance of all this that Luna likes to emphasize is the fact that the Code is a living document, constantly evolving to fit the circumstances the Jedi face.

25. What subject / topic do they know a lot about that’s completely useless to the direct plot?

Aside from being a scholar in the usual sense, Luna is a very accomplished artist and musician, both in terms of knowledge and in terms of skill. She's always shown that spark of creativity, spending much of her childhood drawing or singing to the animals her family herded. During the days of her "cultural reeducation" in the Empire, part of how they molded her into a proper, refined young woman was by teaching her of the 'artistic superiority' of the Core Worlds. Aside from merely learning details meant to be memorized and tested, she also learned theory and technique, picking up multiple instruments and art styles. She favors the Alderaanian arts--and, once the planet has been destroyed, she's one of the few people left who can preserve them.

OC ask game!