#slaves to hatred and prejudice

[kanmom51]

Haegeum Agust D

Endless influx of information prohibits freedom of imagination, and seeks conformity of thought All these painful noises blind you, and Now it even infringes on freedom of thought All the controversy incessantly Triggers confusion in judgment uh Really, what is it exactly that’s been restricting us? Maybe we do it to ourselves Slaves to capitalism, slaves to money Slaves to hatred and prejudice Slaves to YouTube, slaves to flexin’ Selfishness and greed have gone off the rails I close my eyes and it's easy, it’s all so obvious Opinions clearly split depending on what's to gain Everyone's been blinded by envy and jealousy Without realizing that they're putting shackles on each other

THAT !!

Go stream!!!

[rennalaqotfm]

𖤓 DRAGONSPEAR | J.V (PART IV)

Pairing: Prince Jacaerys Velaryon x Martell Princess! Reader

Synopsys: Upon discovering Aemond Targaryen's alliance with the Triarchy, the Blacks are pushed to the point of desperation. With the war looming over the horizon, they have no choice but to turn to an unlikely ally: House Martell.

Content Warning: Sexual content (but MDNI 18+ just to be safe), dry humping (-ish?), violence, alcohol consumption, toxic dynamics, swearing, themes of prejudice and misogynism, and a lot of 'fucking politicking,' as King Viserys said, (not proofread).

WC: 5.6k

Series Masterlist

(A/N and taglist at the end of the chapter)

As the winds guided Ser Tyland's ship to the Free Cities, the excitement regarding the wedding of the future Princess of Dorne and the Crown Prince buzzed in the air. No ravens had to be sent, for the whispers began within the palace walls, spread through the bustling streets of Sunspear, and were carried by the desert winds across the dunes, reaching the furthest Dornish houses.

Princess Y/n sat before her mirror, watching her handmaiden, Melynda, fasten the back of her dress. A sweet girl of one-and-twenty, Melynda had been brought from Pentos on a cramped boat, a former slave traded by her master for coin. Ever since she had served the Princess with quiet devotion, her nimble fingers always making a masterpiece out of her.

Despite being draped in the finest fabrics of deep sapphire, adorned with intricate golden swirls and beads of amber, Y/n stared blankly at her reflection. The celebrations leading to the wedding were set to last a fortnight, a long stretch filled with feasts, ceremonies, and endless politicking. In mere hours, she would be facing the guests, forced to smile and charm as she and the Velaryon boy persuaded them to align with Rhaenyra's cause. She didn't even know where to begin looking for the strength and willpower she had to gather to convince those lords to join a war she herself didn't fully believe in.

“Is it too tight, Princess?” Melynda asked meekly, noting how Y/n had remained quiet the whole time she had been preparing her. "Princess?"

Suddenly, Y/n's bottom lip began to quiver as she felt a knot forming in her throat. 

“Gods be damned…” she muttered, feeling her tears pooling in her eyes. “How did it all come to this?” 

“If it's too tight, mayhaps I could—”

“Of course, it’s bloody tight! It’s damn near crushing my guts!” the Princess burst out, causing her handmaiden to stumble backward, her hands trembling. “I apologise, Melynda,” she sniffed, feeling the guilt pool in her chest. It wasn’t the first time she had taken her anger and frustration out on the younger girl. Of all the people in the palace, she was the least deserving of such crude treatment. “It’s just—”

“I understand, Princess,” Melynda smiled sadly, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Y/n held her hand softly, holding back her cries. “To be betrothed to someone who you don't truly love must be a punishment for the soul.”

“I’ve been trying to avoid this all these years. Gods forbid a woman who wants to live a life free from all this nonsense," she muttered bitterly.

“You are to be the Princess of Dorne. It was bound to happen sooner or later.”

“But not with a Targaryen… someone who sees us as nothing more than goatfuckers.”

“Once you get to acquainted with one another, I’m certain he’ll see past the veil of prejudice that blinds the rest of Westeros.”

“Oh, we’re well past the point of acquaintances, and I’m certain we’ve both made it clear that we’d rather kill each other than push forward with this betrothal.”

“And yet, you've hardly spent a moment alone together, away from prying eyes. Forgive me if I'm wrong, my Princess, but this hostility you feel towards one another... it feels more like the weight of your houses than your own. He’s not truly wronged you, nor have you wronged him... well, apart from the few wounds you’ve exchanged.”

“I wish it were as simple as you say, but the hatred between our houses runs deeper than that trial. We’re talking about years of bloodshed, of lives torn apart by their desire to conquer what was never theirs. How can we ever forget that? If anything, those Targaryens are only reaping what they've sown.”

“I understand, Princess, but is it truly fair to place the sins of the forefathers upon their children? Yes, the Targaryens once sought to conquer Dorne, but they failed. And since then, they’ve left us to rule our lands. Why should Prince Jacaerys suffer for the wrongdoings of his ancestors when he himself hasn't harmed you?”

“You speak the truth, Melynda. But do you truly think the rest of the Dorne will see it that way?” She stared at her handmaiden's reflection. “The pain the Targaryens have caused... it’s not just written in our histories, it’s engraved into the souls of our people.”

“I’m not saying that your betrothal to Prince Jacaerys will reconcile your houses overnight, Princess. In fact, it may take generations to heal these wounds. However, if Queen Rhaenyra proves to be the rightful and just ruler she claims to be, and honours your demands... and you and Prince Jacaerys unite the Seven Kingdoms as promised, then mayhaps it could be the beginning of something.” 

Suddenly, both women were startled by a knock on the door.

“Yes?” Y/n cleared her throat.

“My Princess,” Ser Domeric's said from the other side. “The guests have begun to arrive, and your presence is expected shortly.”

Princess Y/n quickly composed herself, ensuring that any trace of sorrow had vanished from her face, and replaced her semblance with a mask of indifference.

The late afternoon breeze crept through the palace windows, stirring the heavy air in the Hall but doing little to lift the mood. Spirits were low and the lingering music was drowned out by the quiet murmurs of the guests. Lords and ladies from House Yronwood to House Qorgyle had traversed across the arid deserts to Sunspear, not out of enthusiasm, but out of duty, their gazes shifting warily as they gathered to pay tribute to the Princess. Even Y/n herself, appeared as though she wished to be anywhere else.

At the high table, the Martells sat alongside the Targaryens, not able to look one another eye to eye. They faced the great houses, whose semblance didn’t hide their disdain for the dragonriders. They showed no efforts for forced pleasantries, bracing themselves for the next chapter of conflict rather than celebrating a wedding that would unite the Seven Kingdoms.

Before anything, Prince Qoren stood up, ready to speak before his people.

“It is truly an honour to welcome you all this evening, and I thank each and every one of you for making the long journey to Sunspear. Tonight, we gather not only to celebrate the betrothal of my beloved daughter, Princess Y/n Martell, to the Crown Prince Jacaerys Velaryon... but also, the union between House Martell and House Targaryen,” he spoke, the enthusiasm fading in his voice. 

The crowd fell into an immediate hush, the lords and ladies exchanging uncertain glances, some full of resentment, and some full of disgust. Y/n felt each pressing gaze suffocating her and tried to hide her discomfort behind the rim of her cup, already expecting those pessimistic reactions. After all, who in their right mind would willingly wed a Targaryen?

“Out of all of the suitors that have lost their lives willing to serve you and our realm, you chose to spare the one whose ancestors sought to conquer our lands?” Lady Liara from House Briar’s voice trembled, barely able to hold back her anger. “Could you not have shown mercy to my sweet boy Eldritch instead?”

The Princess had always been taught to hold back in such moments, especially in front of such a large audience, but before she could stop herself, the words were already spilling out of her mouth.

“My Lady,” Y/n began, trying to push down the feeling of irritation rising up her chest. “Remind me… who sent your son, alone, to seek my hand? As far as I know, someone that young shouldn’t be burdened with ‘providing me a strong heir’ or ‘making Dorne more prosperous than it already is.’ Those aren’t words a boy of three-and-ten should be speaking.” 

Lady Liara sank back to her seat with a scowl. The Princess’ gaze swept across the Hall, their faces etched with grief and bitterness, never forgetting the lives lost in pursuit of her hand. 

Whilst the guests sat in silence, waiting for either Prince Qoren or Princess Y/n to justify such a decision, Rhaenyra seized the moment to capture the crowd’s attention. She cleared her throat and rose slowly, her lilac eyes lingering on each guest, meeting the same eyes that had carried pent-up hatred for generations.

“By coming here, we are not denying the sins of House Targaryen,” she paused, allowing her words to settle, her gaze never leaving the crowd.  “I understand that to many of you, we are still the enemy. I am aware of the blood that was spilled and the pain that has lingered for generations. But the true enemies now are the Greens, who have usurped the Throne and seek to bring all of Westeros to its knees. And I know Dorne will not bend without a fight. Join us, and we will stand together. We can prevent the war that the Greens will bring to your lands.”

Despite Rhaenyra's words, the guests still mumbled with one another and her plea fell on indifferent ears. She clasped her hands together, holding her composure.

“So, the Greens are the enemies now, eh?" A voice echoing across the hall finally broke through the whispers. “To them, you are the usurper. And as far as we are concerned, they have yet to come to our lands to pester us with this petty war of yours.”

“Do not mistake their silence for mercy, my Lord. When they come, they will not ask. They will take. And by then, it may be too late to decide where your loyalties lie,” Daemon retorted.

“They have left us with no other choice,” Lord Lysander Dayne scowled. “Is this why you brought these beasts? So they can burn us if we refuse to join?”

Upon the mere mention of the dragons, the fear of the crowd became palpable. Prince Qoren’s face was flushed with anger, seeing that the celebration had somehow turned into a council meeting.

“Enough of this nonsense!” Prince Qoren bellowed, rising to his feet and jabbing his fist to the table. "We are here to celebrate the upcoming wedding of my daughter, not to squabble over this bloody war! If I hear more of it tonight, I’ll throw you in a pit of scorpions myself," his voice cut through the crowd, making the lords shrink back into their seats as he glared at Rhaenyra.

The music, which had momentarily ceased, began to play again. Princess Y/n exhaled deeply, gripping her cup as she swirled the crimson liquid. If she was going to endure the remainder of this night and persuade those thick-skulled lords to support Rhaenyra, she would need wine. A lot of it. She downed the first cup, the sweet taste lingering on her palate as her gaze shifted across the room, spotting the lords she had to sway.

Lord Lysander of House Dayne sat with his lady wife, his stern face etched with displeasure. He had made it clear where he stood, opposing any involvement in the war. Yet, he was infamously known for his ambition; he was the sort of man who would bend the knee for the right price, advancing his own house in exchange for his formidable army. Then there was Lord Thaddeus of House Yronwood, head of the second-most powerful house in Dorne, capable of providing enough supplies to sustain the armies at sea; a practical man, loyal to tradition, but always open to negotiation. On the other side of the Hall, she spotted Lord Ander of House Jordayne, who owned the largest fleet in Dorne.

Ser Domeric, being part of House Uller and their loyal informant, would provide whatever support was asked. And lastly, House Santagar, though not enthusiastic, had always been fiercely loyal to the Martells and would stand by their house regardless.

Despite the collective disappointment lingering in the air, as the feast came to an end, the guests stood up to salvage what remained of the evening. Jacaerys’ eyes followed Y/n as she rose from her seat, weaving through the multitude and making her way to Lord Lysander. The man bowed his head and extended his hand, offering the Princess a dance which she accepted with a smile that seemed far too charming than she would normally allow herself to be. Jacaerys couldn’t tear his gaze from Y/n, watching how she leaned towards Lord Lysander, her lips closely brushing his ear, as he nodded eagerly so as not to disappoint her.

“A celebration of our upcoming betrothal?” Jacaerys scoffed, already feeling his blood boil at the sight of the Princess with another man. Had they been at the Red Keep, the whispers would have already circled around, rumours of the Princess enjoying the company of other men, even while bound by a betrothal to him, that would call into question not only her honour but the legitimacy of their future children. He could already hear the council’s scandalous whispers behind closed doors–whispers that had been haunting him all his life.

“She’s quite gifted, isn’t she, my dear sister?” Elyas remarked, turning to Jacaerys. “She has a way of making men dance in the palm of her hand.”

“Only if one is foolish enough to fall for whatever games she is playing,” Jacaerys muttered.

Jacaerys and Elyas watched how Lord Lysander placed a kiss on top of her hand. With one final whisper, she slipped away from his arms and disappeared into the crowd, only to be seen again; that time with Lord Ander, who offered the Princess his hand without hesitation. 

“There are a couple of things you should know about her,” Elyas said with a sneer, glancing at the Princess. “One of them is… you’ll never be her only one.”

“You need not tell me what I can already see. It seems your sister is not familiar with the notion of faithfulness.”

“Faithfulness? As far as I’m aware, neither of you are bound by vows just yet,”  Elyas grinned, noting how Jacaerys clearly wasn’t enjoying the conversation. "But listen, this celebration isn’t meant for you to sulk in a corner, watching my sister dance with every lord in Dorne. It's for indulging. There’s a place not too far from the palace, where we know how to truly celebrate. Who knows? You might not even survive this war you’re throwing yourself into. You may as well enjoy the finest pleasures our land has to offer before it’s too late," Jacaerys’s knuckles whitened around his cup, his repulsion palpable, but Elyas only leaned in closer. 

As much as Jacaerys despised watching Princess Y/n flit from lord to lord, he wasn’t about to lower himself to her games. What was she trying to prove? Was she testing him, daring him to show any signs of jealousy or anger? Or mayhaps she was simply making it clear, once again, how much she misliked him?

Jacaerys refused to give Elyas the satisfaction of a response and merely shook his head. Elyas smirked, amused by Jacaerys' restraint, and stood up, ensuring he ruined the evening even more before leaving.

“Oh, and just so you know… whatever illusions you have about loyalty and honour, you'd best cast them aside. If you think my sister will suddenly change her ways after this betrothal of yours, then you’re completely wrong. I’m telling you now, she won’t. She’s as Dornish as they come… untamable and always chasing trouble. The more you tighten the leash, the more she’ll struggle to break free. And she’ll keep playing her games, whether you like them or not... so you better learn how to play them if you don't wish to end up as another one of her playthings,” Elyas said, slapping Jacaerys’ shoulder playfully before walking away.

Jacaerys hadn’t even realised how tightly he was clenching his jaw until the sound of Elyas and his sworn protector’s fading footsteps pulled him back to reality. He let out a breath, trying to shake off the bitterness away, and downed a gulp of wine.

But what he hadn’t noticed was a pair of dark wide eyes watching him from the other end of the table. It was Farien, whose gaze had been flickering between him and Elyas the whole time. When Jacaerys caught the boy's gaze, his expression softened. He set down his cup, watching how the little boy stood up and made his way over to him.

“If you marry my sister, does that mean you’ll become my brother?” Farien asked. 

“I suppose,” he forced a smile, though he wasn’t sure if the little boy was particularly glad about that.

Farien climbed on to the empty seat beside Jacaerys, glancing around the nearly deserted table and making sure none of his family members were nearby. All of the Martells were tending their own business, leaving the Targaryens seated in silence. The boy leaned in close, cupping his small hands around Jacaerys’s ear, scared that someone might hear what he had to say.

“So, does that mean I get to ride your dragon?” He whispered. 

Jacaerys looked at him, his eyes widening in surprise. 

“If your father allows you, then I suppose you could… but are you not afraid?” He asked.

“I’m really, really scared. But I wonder what it must feel like to see the world from up above. The closest I’ve ever gotten to flying is in my dreams, you know? It feels like I’m one of Father’s falcons, soaring high in the skies. Father says I have the gift to turn into one of them at night and watch over the desert,” he glanced up, his eyes gleaming in wonder.

Jacaerys looked at the boy and allowed himself to smile, as Farien somehow reminded him of his younger brother, Joffrey, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.

“Anyway,” Farien continued, “I think we could be brothers, you and I. We even look alike, see?” He pointed at Jacaerys’ curls. “It would be nice to have another brother... because, well, Elyas... he’s nice, sometimes. But not always.”

Jacaerys held back a scoff, figuring as much. 

“And what about your sister?” 

“We like sneaking sweets from the kitchens and feeding them to the horses,” Farien’s eyes suddenly lit up. “And she loves fighting, too. But not the angry, shouting kind, no. She says that sometimes, fighting feels like dancing, and that’s why she enjoys it. She’s really good at it. And I think you are too. But my sister is better.”

Just as he was about to ask Farien what other things his sister enjoyed, one of the little boy’s servants approached them. 

“My Prince, your father has sent me to take you back to your chambers to rest,” she smiled at the little boy, who had no choice but to accept dejectedly.

As the servant took him in her arms, Farien waved at Jacaerys with a small smile. He nodded at the little boy, unable to stop himself from smiling back.

“At least the little one is not as irritating as the rest of his family,” Rhaenyra said as her gaze softened, noticing how the little boy never tore his eyes from them as he got further and further.

“Give him a couple of years. He will turn out exactly like his older brother,” Daemon muttered. 

Then, Jacaerys' gaze trailed back to the Princess once again, who was still locked in a dance with Lord Ander. The exchange of whispers seemed to grow more intense, as his lips lingered on the shell of her ear, making her nod as her smile never left her lips.

“Jacaerys,” Daemon’s sharp voice cut through his thoughts. “Do you not have a duty to fulfil?”

“I have been fulfilling them since the moment we arrived,” he muttered, his voice laced with irritation. As Jacaerys had been doing everything he could to uphold his duties, Daemon merely sat back, watching the spectacle he had set in motion unravel before him. 

“You have, but sitting and watching the Princess be courted by every lord in Dorne is not one of them. Listen to me, these men are doing everything in their power to pull her away from our alliance since they can see she does not favour you,” he paused leaning in closer. “You are no stranger to this. If you two are to rule the Seven Kingdoms, she needs to be seen by your side.”

Jacaerys rose from his seat as he exhaled, growing frustrated by the second. It was all in the name of duty, after all. He headed towards the Princess with steady steps, disappearing into the crowd and dodging every drunken lord and lady that stood in his way. Lord Ander, who seemed to have more intentions than just dancing with the Princess, held her close, too close, his hands lingering on her waist. 

“My Lord,” Jacaerys cleared his throat, barely containing himself. Lord Ander snapped his head towards his direction. “I would hate to interrupt your conversation, but the hour is quite late, and Princess Y/n needs to rest.”

“Is that so?” He pulled Y/n even closer to him, making Jacaerys’ blood boil. “How come the Princess seems to be enjoying herself?”

Jacaerys’ eyes flicked to the cup in her hand, the liquid threatening to spill from the rim. He wasn’t a stranger to that dazed look and that loose smirk playing on her lips. 

“The Princess seems to have indulged in one too many cups. You may continue whatever… conversation you were having on the morrow, my Lord,” Jacaerys forced his words through his teeth. 

“Is that an order from the Crown Prince? Or from a boy who is still learning how to hold a woman’s interest?” Lord Ander raised a brow, sliding his hand even lower on her waist. 

The Princess’ gaze flicked between the two men, unaware of the escalating tension. She took another sip from her cup, her eyes landing on Jacaerys, finally acknowledging how dashing he looked in a Dornish ensemble of deep blues and golds.

“Gods, spare me,” she muttered, rolling her eyes. “You two sound like you’re ready to start another war.”

“If it means winning your favour, Princess,” Lord Ander said with a grin.

“Mayhaps that's a battle for another day. Besides, the Prince is right, the hour is quite late,” she said softly, growing tired at the show of bravado between the two men. She moved away from Lord Ander and took a step towards Jacaerys.

Jacerys, whose heart was pounding with both anger and relief, offered her his arm. Y/n would’ve hesitated at first, but under the effects of wine, any qualms were long gone. She noted how he tensed his arm uncomfortably, unaware that she was putting pressure on the wound she had given him not too long ago. 

Casymir leaned against one of the pillars with a hint of amusement on his face, watching the whole scene unfold before his eyes. Once Jacaerys and Y/n were away from the crowd, he finally pushed himself off the pillar, approaching Jacaerys, who was struggling to keep her in place.

“Allow me, my Prince. The Princess is in good hands with me,” he said, extending his arm. 

Jacaerys glared at Casymir as he adjusted her weight in his arm, wondering what he was smiling for.

“You are the Princess’ sworn protector, are you not?” He raised his brow. 

“Yes, my Prince,” he smiled proudly.

“Yet all you did was stand and watch how the Princess wandered into the clutches of men with less than noble intentions,” Jacaerys tried to keep his composure, though his anger simmered beneath the surface.

“Do you question my service to the Princess, my Prince?” He chuckled, brushing the Prince’s concerns aside. “The Princess was in no immediate danger. And as far as I’m aware, a dance with a lord hardly constitutes a threat.”

“If you think a man whose ulterior motives are clearly written in his face not to be dangerous, then mayhaps we have very different understandings of the word danger,” Jacaerys said. 

“You greatly misunderstand the Princess. Lord Ander was eager, but he knew better than to cross the line. And besides, she would’ve ended his attempts long before you stepped in. As you might have already… experienced, the Princess knows how to handle herself and hardly needs to be coddled,” his blue eyes trailed at the way their arms were intertwined. “Though, it seems she doesn’t mind letting you try.”

“So, what are you here for, then? Just for decoration?”  

“Is picking fights with other men a favourite pastime of yours, my Prince?” The Princess laughed, poking fun at Jacaerys as she unconsciously tightened her grip around his injured arm. “You do seem to have a talent for making enemies wherever you go.”

Jacaerys hesitated, unsure if replying to the Princess was even worth the efforts given her current state, so he merely scoffed, shaking his head in defeat. However, one thing he couldn’t ignore was the feeling of having her so close as she mindlessly ran her hand up and down the length of his arm. He tried to calm his heart, but he couldn’t keep his composure with each stroke of her fingers that made him lean into her touch ever so slightly.   

Once they reached the Princess’ chambers, Casymir leaned on the door, his arms crossed with an infuriatingly calm expression on his face. 

“If you wish to be escorted back to your chambers, my Prince, I can call for a servant,” Casymir offered, implying that Jacaerys had overstayed his welcome.

“No. I wish to stay. The Princess and I have a few words to exchange,” he said.

“I’ll be fine, Cas,” the Princess slurred, assuring her sworn protector with a slow nod.

“As you wish, my Princess. I'll be just outside, should you require any assistance.”

Jacaerys stood by the door, unsure of what to do now that he was inside the Princess’ chambers. It wasn’t improper of him, as her soon-to-be husband, to be seen there, so he found himself leaning against the wall, trying to regain the composure that he had repeatedly lost throughout the night. His eyes trailed around the intricately carved golden statues that adorned the corners and the colourful tapestries that swayed slightly, catching the faint breeze that slipped through the windows and bringing with it the distant murmurs of the ongoing celebration. 

Only when he heard a soft clink and the steady stream of wine being poured into a cup, he snapped out of his thoughts. Before he could even think, he turned to Y/n, walking towards her and snatching the cup and jug from her hands, causing her mouth to hang open in disbelief and indignation. 

“You will not drink any more tonight,” he ordered, pouring the liquid out of the window and slamming the cup aside.  

“Well, isn’t this absolutely perfect?” She spat, throwing her arms in the air in defeat. “Not only will you take away my freedom, but now you wish to take away one of the few things that bring me joy?”

“You must live a very miserable life, Princess, if wine and men are the few things in life that bring you joy,” Jacaerys burst out, no longer able to contain the pent-up anger that had been brewing all night.

“Oh, believe me, I’ll have a miserable life once I marry you.”

“And what makes you think I want to marry you? That behaviour of yours… is unacceptable,” he wrinkled his nose in disgust. “I do not wish to marry someone who is a slave to their desires.”

“A slave to my desires? Is that what you think of me?” Y/n shouted, unable to control the fury taking over her voice.

“What else am I supposed to think when you go from lord to lord like a marionette whose strings had been cut?” He paused, taking in her dishevelled appearance. “I was not aware how these Dornishmen could name someone so ruthless and so debauched as their Princess.” 

“And I didn’t know you Targaryens go around crowning bastards just to keep your house on the Throne,” she spat, making sure to rest her gaze on his dark eyes and on his brown locks long enough.

“You whore–!”

Before Jacaerys could finish his sentence, Y/n's palm collided with his cheek in a stinging slap, his head snapping to the side. His eyes widened, more in shock than pain, as his hand instinctively rose to the reddening mark on his face.

“A whore? A savage? A goatfucker?” Y/n's voice trembled with fury. “Is that all you see me as?” She shoved him hard, sending him stumbling backward until his back hit the wall. Her finger jabbed into his chest with every word. “You,” she spat, “should be thanking me for getting my hands dirty, persuading those lords to join your petty war!”

Jacaerys was stunned into silence momentarily, feeling every ounce of her rage bleeding through her words.

“And who told you to do that on your own?” Jacaerys shot back. “You could have asked me, we could have gone together and spoken to them like it is expected of us!”

“You overestimate yourself,” she scoffed, narrowing her eyes at him. “Do you even know what those lords think of you? Of your family? If it weren’t for our betrothal, they would have driven a spear through your chests without a second thought. Because to them, you Targaryens are nothing but bloodthirsty murderers who’ve come to take our lands all over again.”

“Enough!” Jacaerys grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her, slamming her against the wall. “You think I do not know that? You think I do not feel it every time I step into a room? The way they look at me? At my family? You think I enjoy being the enemy?” He seethed, feeling his throat grow raw with each word. “Gods, you are infuriating,” he grunted, realising how close their faces were to one another. 

The Princess’ lips curled into a smirk, a flicker of satisfaction lingering in her eyes. She had struck a nerve, realising how Jacaerys was always quick to react to whatever blasphemous speech she had to say about his family, and once again, she had managed to unleash the dormant wrath that blinded his actions. 

As the Princess found herself cornered between his arms and the wall, she crouched low, slipping beneath his arms in a fluid motion and spinning around to pin Jacaerys against the wall, pressing her chest to his back. Jacaerys reacted instinctively, kicking off the wall to shove her back. The sudden force sent her stumbling as she crashed on the ground, and he followed, landing on top of her in a tangle of limbs.

Just as he was about to stand up, Y/n yanked him back down and rolled on top of him, keeping him in place by locking her thighs around his waist and pinning his arms on the floor with one swift movement. Truth be told, Jacaerys could have easily pushed her away as her usual strength was halved by the wine; yet he remained still, feeling the warmth of Y/n’s body pressed into his, and how their faces were inches apart yet again, her breath hot on his skin.

Once again, he found himself under her mercy.

She stared down at him with half-lidded eyes and lips slightly open as she breathed lightly, taking in the sight of Jacaerys’ flushed face and his gaze clouded by desire. Jacerys looked up at her and gulped, feeling his erection stirring uncomfortably beneath his breeches.

His eyes locked onto her plump lips and trailed towards to the hollow of her neck, down to her chest. He stared hungrily as she leaned towards him, his fingertips itching to explore the skin hidden beneath the fabric of her dress. As she got closer and closer to his face, Jacaerys’ breath hitched, and without realising it, his lips parted slightly as his eyes fluttered shut in anticipation. His pulse quickened, waiting for the warmth of her lips pressing against his.

But instead of the kiss he craved, he felt the hot caress of her breath graze the shell of his ear, sending a shiver down his spine. Her voice, low and smooth, held him captive with each honeyed word.

“If you want to win this little war of yours, you better start by respecting me,” she whispered as she let go of one of his wrists and began tracing delicate patterns with her finger. “Just because I’ve chosen you as my betrothed doesn’t mean I won’t change my mind,” she bucked her hips against his hardened cock, causing Jacaerys to groan at the sudden spark of pleasure coursing in his veins. 

In that very moment, Y/n had uncovered yet another emotion—the primal desire that, despite her infuriating attitude, she had managed to set ablaze. If Jacaerys had to ask himself how it happened, he wouldn’t know where to begin answering. Had it all started when they first met, when she held little regard for him? Was it in the arena, when she brazenly humiliated him in front of everyone? Or was it the fact that they always seemed to find themselves pointing a blade at each other’s throats? Behind all that anger and hatred, and the prejudice that blinded him from seeing the Princess as she truly was, lay a spark of curiosity. Something he knew that once he began to explore, that spark would turn into wildfire.

With each passing second, he fought against the temptation to place his hands on the curve of her hips and make her grind herself against his cock.

“Remember, my Prince,” she purred in his ear, bucking her hips once again. “The wedding has not taken place yet, and anything could happen.” 

A/N: For some reason, i keep beating my wordcount record. istg my fanfic wc is way bigger than all of my uni papers combined, and bare in mind i was a humanities student lmfaooo.

anyway, i feel like this chapter was a mess. jace's patience continuously getting tested by everyone, and our reader making things even harder for him. i actually feel sorry for those two but the way they are handling things is not very demure, mindful or cutesy. we got the exact opposite.

Taglist: @happinessinthebeing @deltamoon666 @dark1paradise @elz-zalarrr @v0dka4a (continued in comments)

[jmtorres]

ok so i've got a question and it's not a gotcha i just don't have an answer and i'm hoping someone does

i believe in restoration justice and prison abolition and that all cops are bastards and the current system is corrupt and biased and our society criminalizes homelessness without giving people homes and is incentivized to target poor people and racial minorities because of the use of prison slave labor in america and how that's bullshit

how do hate crimes and bigotry fit in? how do we protect people who are attacked for our identities? how do we stop people whose motivation to crime isn't economic but based in bigoted hatred and prejudice?

I don't think police are the answer I don't think they're doing a great job and I don't particularly want to see them deployed against protesters, whether I believe any particular protest is peaceful or not.

but i don't know what the answer is and the problem is real and dangerous and immediate

[jewishvitya]

Anon:

I've actually met J.K. Rowling irl and asked her about the antisemitism controversy point blank. Very politley, she said it was ridiculous. She said she based the goblins on English folklore and nothing more.

It doesn't matter what she says. She can tell us her intent, not her impact. Not once did I accuse her of making the goblins in the books antisemitic on purpose. My issue was that she didn't care enough to acknowledge it and talk about it respectfully. The result stays the same. I laid out how they are antisemitic. It's in the text regardless of what she says.

She made Grindelwald an antagonist who claims he wants to stop the holocaust. By trying to stop him, the protagonists are trying to preserve the course of events where, in real life, the holocaust happened. She used holocaust imagery in her magic movies. I'm not just going to trust her word and her judgment on what's antisemitic. Be serious.

As for the game, most gentiles I know don't even know what a shofar is.

Even if you completely disregard the horn, it's still a storyline of blood libel using an antisemitic depiction. The only reason the horn is a problem, is that they put it in the hands of antisemitic caricatures. I'm not claiming ownership on the concept of ram's horn instruments. I was clear on that too.

As for the 1612 parallel, I genuinely don't know where that came from. [...] In fact, the one people keep referring to happened in 1614!

The Fettmilch uprising was a series of events that started at 1612. A bigger expulsion of Jews from the place was at 1614, but the attacks started before that, at 1612.

If you play it, you'll find trans and gay characters that are amazing and so fun to interact with, as well as an overall theme of antiprejudism.

Sure, I'll go ahead and interact with those fictional trans and gay characters. It sounds so nice. I'm sure I'll enjoy them enough to make up for giving money to a person who's at the forefront of the current attack on trans rights. Trans people dying in reality while she emboldens transphobes and makes it her entire online persona? That just isn't upsetting enough for me to feel repulsed by the idea of supporting this.

As far as I'm concerned, she has blood in her hands.

A theme of anti-prejudice is nice. Not compatible with the plot where you have to put down a rebellion, and not compatible with her behavior in reality.

But Rowling's world doesn't really lend itself to themes of anti-prejudice. She has:

A slave race where wanting to be free makes them weird, and if one is freed against her will, she becomes an aimless drunk. Our protagonists decorate their decapitated heads with Christmas hats. The idea of freeing them is a running joke, and the protagonist ends up a slave owner.

A werewolf community of HIV+ allegories where all but one person join the wizard Nazis. That one person ("the good one") poses a danger to innocent people more than once.

A race of greedy ruthless untrustworthy fantasy bankers, who are legally barred from having an equal place in society and shown as vicious for their attempts to fight for it, who have their cultural rules of inheritance constantly disrespected, and only have a place for their usefulness in crafting and managing the banks.

Giants who are shown as victims of wizards but also as dangerous creatures barely able to think.

Rowling doesn't understand prejudice. In her world, all the prejudiced opinions wizards have against the marginalized are correct. The slaves want to be slaves, the werewolves are dangerous, the goblins are greedy and bloodthirsty, the giants are violent and uncontrollable.

She doesn't have an issue with prejudice - as long as you're polite about it. She has an issue with outright physical violence, with rudeness and slurs, and with job discrimination. Beyond that, she doesn't care. She gets to have a surface-level message of anti-hatred because she can't come up with a villain that isn't literally Hitler.

[zumurruds]

talk about laurent the way laurent fans talk about damen

oh, this is going to be fun!

"i have to get this meta off my chest, because the way laurent fans interpet his character is upsetting - they want to erase his shortcomings and make him boring, when the only thing interesting about him is his flaws :/ first and foremost pacat wrote laurent intentionally as a white supremacist, and we're not supposed to sympethize with him. he represents privilege, patriarchy, prejudice, classism, feudalism, misogyny, narcissism, xenophobia, toxicity, abuse, mesopedia, colonialization, racism and in fact all the -isms you can think of. he's the ultimate white slave master archetype, and people who like and sympathize with him are doing it wrong. when we're first introduced to laurent, he's a parallel to the regent. they're mirror villains. they're both second sons who use their intellect for evil, and love wielding rape as a punishment. they both exist to uphold the systems of sexual abuse, patriarchy and white male supremacy, and sadistically relish in the control they have over others.

laurent fans love to forget that he is a blood purist: he hates all illegimate children, despite their birth being out of their control. the way laurent calls innocent children "bastards" throughout the books, and genuinely thinks they "curse the line, and sour the milk, ruin the crops, and drag the sun out of the sky" is horrific and backwards, and only furthers the harmful patriarchal ideals of blood purity and legitimacy. laurent literally prioritizes marital status over individual worth and i never see any of his fans talk about it. i love how pacat intentionally wrote laurent and all veretians upholding systematic inequality and social exclusion, unjustly burdening innocent children with shame and psychological distress. it really makes his villainous character so interesting and layered...

but burdening innocent children with pyschological distress isn't new to laurent, seeing as he unapologetically bullies and manipulates an impoverished, lowborn child (nicaise) who is being sexually abused by his uncle, and is ultimately responsible for his death. he also later tells damen that it is better for a veretian pedophile (the regent) to rape and sexually exploit nicaise, than to be a slave in akielos, where every slave in akielos is of age, and according to the author, consents to being in a "safe space for erotic escapism: the slaves are chosen because they have pre-existing submissive tendencies, and the masters are culturally bount to treat them well. [a slave's] desire to submit is in no way a pro-slavery argument." source, source. when laurent is crowned king, he does not abolish the pet system that victimized children like nicaise in the first place, further compounding his hatred for children and other victims of abuse. we love a villain who turns into the very thing that he feared most!

i also love the way pacat exposed laurent's misogyny in the series... veretian men aren't allowed to spend time with women becaues it's forbidden, isolating them from the opposite sex, which really manifests in laurent in disturbing ways. in prince's gambit, his misogyny comes to a forefront when he bribes a poor lowborn woman who cannot refuse a prince's order to give govart, a known violent rapist, oral sex, knowing exactly how govart abuses his "partners"... and then when laurent is hiding in the brothel with damen, he commands prostitutes to have sex with damen against his will, treating both the women and damen like sex objects without any regard for what they want or feel, reinforcing to readers that he's a sociopath with toxic masculinity due to his obsessive need to dominate and control others sexually.

laurent also wants to indescriminately annihilate every akielon off the face of the earth, playing a game of "kill all the Akielons and restore the old empire" with auguste as early as childhood. this deep-seated racism and prejudice informs the way he abuses, rapes and tortures damen in the books, and how he sadistically treats all the akielon slaves in the series. he doesn't give a shit about them at all, and is only coerced to help them after he is bribed to by damen. when damen confronts laurent's gaurds about letting govart rape erasmus, laurent's response was: "The Prince's Gaurd doesn't intefere with the Regency. Govart can stick his cock into anything of my uncle's he likes", displaying a callous disregard for the well-being and dignity of others, as well as a troubling acceptance of abuse and exploitation within his own ranks. it doesn't only stop in the first book, this is a patterned behavior that continues into kings rising, where laurent forces a poor slave, isander, to kneel and kiss his boots in order to humiliate him and anger other akielons, and then forces isander to serve and feed him against his will, establishing his white supremacy in the books.

laurent fans love to erase the fact that he's a black-and-white thinker, possibly the most black-and-white thinker lacking any nuance in the whole series. he genuinely believes someone being killed in battle means they were murdered in cold blood, and not defending their country. he believes anyone who does this deserves to be raped, tortured and killed, despite the fact that he and auguste have also killed people in battle, and by this logic, deserve to be raped, tortured and killed by those fallen soldier's family members too. he's a hypocrite, and his fans who try to pretend he's a "good person" are completely missing the point of the series, which is a critique on the white, mediocre, blond, evil character trope like lestat, draco, etc.

laurent fans love to focus on his "trauma" and make it his entire personality, which is annoying because he doesn't really have trauma, he's just spoiled and privileged. in fact, he actually loved the regent and enjoyed their relationship, and only started hating him because the regent left him for a prettier person. stop being petty laurent! i also find it amusing how laurent keeps playing his uncle's game and believes he won't kill laurent despite years of his uncle openly trying to do just that... laurent's blind trust and love for his family is a huge character flaw that should definitely be held against him. he's super dumb and the most oblivious character in the series, like seriously a kindergartner could see that the regent is bad and would try to kill him.

it's so obvious that pacat meant to write laurent as a villain who has gone off the deep end, and must attone for his crimes against damen and others by attempting to kill himself in king's rising, and when that is foiled by damen's heroic efforts, makes laurent promise to atone to damen for the rest of his life in the summer palace because that's the only way to rehabilitate and redeem a character like laurent whose sole purpose in the books is to offer a scathing critique of white supremacy and toxic abusers.

anyways, i obviously love laurent and understand his character better than anyone else, and it's really weird that his fans try to erase his flaws because they are doing laurent a disservice and making his character boring, because his villainy is the only thing that is interesting about him. in fact, if you write any positive post about laurent and DON'T preface it with how much he is a villainous slave-owner and bad person, then you really don't love or understand laurent, and are endorsing every bad thing he does. muah send post xoxo #meta #characteranalysis #villainlaurent #canon."

the way laurent fans would be shitting bricks, puking, moaning, crying, etc if damen fans posted "character analysis" like this under the guise of "loving his character" every 5 minutes in the tags the way they do about damen is hilarious. they'll put genuine effort into trying to undestand laurent's background and motives, and give laurent endless grace and approach his character with nuance, but with damen they're hellbent on twisting his character, motives and background with the intent of villifying him and making him out to be something he's not. the amount of victim-blaming, bad faith takes, mental gymnastics, and full-blown racism i've seen laurent fans engage in while making these "analyses" of damen is genuinely disturbing, moreso because nobody in their own circles are willing to call it out. instead, they try to gaslight everyone and deflect by claiming its canon and attack anyone else who doesn't share the same toxic hive mind. anyone can write bad faith takes, but it certainly doesn't make it valid.

every single damen fan i've met likes laurent, but every single person who makes loving laurent their only personality trait seems truly resentful and bitter towards damen's character and constantly feel the need to willfully misinterpret his character to make up for laurent's flaws. instead of enjoying both characters separately, they turn it into a competition of morality, attempting to make damen out to be the ignorant bad guy who needs laurent to rehabilitate him, while portraying laurent as the true voice of morality, compassion and modernity in the books. the old fandom trend of trying to make the "noble, heroic" character (pacat's words, not mine) really the bad guy of the series, and laurent the "true good one who must teach damen right from wrong" is so tired and boring. do better, guys.

[jmdbjk]

This really needs to be a...

Bangtan Weekly Report

They really are pulling us kicking and screaming along with them. If we choose to go, that is.

Normalizing naked Bangtan...so much more exposed skin these days. Smoking Bangtan (audible pearl clutching and gasping occurred)...vaping, whatever, we don't have to approve but it's not illegal. Cussing/swearing Bangtan... F-bombs flying from everyone EVEN JIMIN! Tattooed Bangtan... long gone are the days of using dishwashing gloves to conceal tattoos. Bangtan who wants to express themselves with even more explicit sensuality... Jimin having to forewarn us that we will see him being touched during a choreography (more pearl clutching omg). Bangtan who wants us to be more engaging and less vapid during the valuable and rare moments they choose to try to spend time with us...don't hold back Tae. Normalizing Bangtan enlisting in the military service, no matter how hard it is for us to send them off... our able-bodied sunshine:

They want to be raw... explicit... real humans. Imagine that?

They want us to be ok with them being the awesome and free artists that they WANT to be.

Army needs to grow up, act more mature and intelligent, be less alarmist, divisive and more open-minded. Still think it's scripted and fan service? Stay stuck in the past if you want, the rest of us will move on.

I know we think we are all these things because I see it on the daily everyone on their high horse on all platforms spouting their righteousness over everyone else. It's tiring y'all. Cultivate a little humility maybe? Stop judging petty, irrelevant shit.

Yoongi said so many things surrounding this album and the documentary but especially started kicking everyone in the teeth with Haegeum.

SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS, KING!

"Interpretation is free for all, out with the nonsense, freedom of expression, could be reason for somebody's death, could you still consider that freedom?"

"If your convictions are reflected in your judgement and speculations and you believe your freedom is on the same level as others' then don't hesitate, just get on board, liberation from all that's forbidden."

"This song's simply about freeing what's forbidden."

What is the most volatile forbidden thing? Bangtan being able to date openly in public like normal people. If only we can finally set that free? Bangtan being able to touch each other and other people... hell, just STAND next to another person... without a tsunami of jealousy from the outside world. If only we could erase that toxicity.

In the MV, Yoongi's "outlaw character" proceeds to go to his living space with his bag full of money, being pursued by "law and order." In his space he has everything and is "free" but of course what kind of freedom is that? He stares at the epitome of his life: a goldfish in a water tank.

Law and order being corrupt. The outlaw coming and taking without remorse.

"Slaves to capitalism, slaves to money, slaves to hatred and prejudice, slaves to YouTube, slaves to flexin'... selfishness and greed have gone off the rails."

"Everyone's been blinded by envy and jealousy, without realizing they're putting shackles on each other."

PREACH, KING!

We are all slaves to capitalism. You can't be sitting here reading this unless you are beholden to some capitalist technology company. None of this is free. But we can choose not to be slaves of hatred and prejudice.

My thought for the day (something very esoteric)...Yoongi killing Billboard with his chopsticks. BTS is here to stay motherfuckers. And they're gonna eat while they are here.

[katherinakaina]

Think what you will of Daniil Dankovsky but his story is NOT a white savior story. Not even a little bit.

And it's peculiar, isn't it? We are so accustomed to white savior narrative, so when we see a character who's in the perfect spot to become one, but doesn't, we read him as hostile. How can you see this struggling population and NOT decide to lead the revolution to save them? Are you a heartless monster?

Racism in Pathologic is not its strongest storyline. But it is fairly realistic. It shows all aspects of discrimination. Starting with slave labor segregation and lynchings and ending with prejudice microaggressions and cultural appropriation (*coughs* Stamatins) simultaneously with cultural genocide. We see how the whole society is shaped by this conflict and there's not a part of it that isn't affected by colonialism. Once again the town on Gorkhon is our world.

And into this centuries worth of history arrives a dude on a completely unrelated mission. And he is appalled by what he sees but what is he going to do? Singlehandedly solve racism? Maybe one day, but here and now he has a bit of a more urgent situation at hand.

In the end Daniil seems to be resenting the town. Not as much as to destroy it just out of pure hate. But he will not go out of his way to save it either. And he thinks (I think he is correct) he has a valid reason why it should be destroyed (still, it shouldn't be).

People sometimes read his hatred for the town as his disdain for the local culture but the culture is racist! Most of the town is segregated white settlement. Most of the people Daniil interacts with are white racists and he hates them.

He doesn't believe in local myths but why would he? He was not raised with them and he does not fetishize them either (*coughs* Vlad the Younger). He does believe in local medicine and his own vaccine is based on Isidor's methodology (that's why Rubin actually creates it, not Daniil). So he is willing to adopt the practices that are useful but now I gather people will say he exploits them (which is a more interesting point, I'm surprised that I've never seen it made before).

So yes, Daniil doesn't abandon everything to save the Steppe culture and liberate the Kin. He believes that the town's foundation is rotten to the core. The plague is a metaphor for fascism and it keeps coming back. We have to start anew. The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house. And Daniil is willing to bulldoze all of it.

You could even say that in some galaxy brain take way he IS a white savior, because he destroys the entire system. But no. The future utopia led by the Kains does not look like a multiracial democracy. It seems like the Kin were pretty much severed from their land and culture even more, if they even survived at all. It is not good. I disagree with the utopian ending.

Daniil is not a character who can do it alone. A white guy will not be able to consider everything when it comes to the perfect future. He can't figure it out. He is not a savior. It is not because he's malicious. But oh boy does he have shortcomings.

Give him a girl friend and a steppe friend. I bet they'll be able to get along.

[bts-trans]

[KOR/ENG LYRICS] Haegeum (해금) by Agust D

이 노래는 해금 This song is a haegeum*

올라타 봐 지금 Come on now

복작대는 리듬 어쩌면 This busy rhythm might be

이 또한 또 다른 해금 A new type of haegeum

이 노래는 해금 This song is a haegeum

올라타 봐 지금 Come on now

복작대는 리듬 어쩌면 This busy rhythm might be

이 또한 또 다른 해금 A new type of haegeum

이 노래는 해금 This song is a haegeum

올라타 봐 지금 Come on now

복작대는 리듬 어쩌면 This busy rhythm might be

이 또한 또 다른 해금 A new type of haegeum

해석들은 자유 You’re free to make interpretations

개소리는 아웃 Out with the bullshit

표현들의 자유 Freedom of expression

어쩌면 누군가의 죽음 사유 could be the reason for someone’s death

그것 또한 자유일런지 Is that another type of freedom?

당신의 판단과 추측엔 Do your judgments and speculations 

확실한 신념들이 있는지 rest on firm convictions?

당신의 자유와 타인의 자유가 Do you believe that your freedom 

동일하다 믿는지 is the same as other people’s? 

그렇다면 주저 말고 올라타 봐 Then don’t hesitate and come on now

금지된 것들로부터의 해방 Freedom from all that was forbidden

각자의 취향조차 이해들을 못 하는 불행한 This is a song for all of those living in this unfortunate age 

이 시대를 살아가는 이들을 where no one understands their own preferences

위한 이 노랜 금지된 것을 푸는 것뿐이지 All it does is lift the ban on all that was forbidden

허나 자유와 방종의 But please keep in mind the difference 

차이쯤은 부디 구분하길 between freedom and self-indulgence

이 노래는 해금 This song is a haegeum

올라타 봐 지금 Come on now

복작대는 리듬 어쩌면 This busy rhythm might be

이 또한 또 다른 해금 A new type of haegeum

이 노래는 해금 This song is a haegeum

올라타 봐 지금 Come on now

복작대는 리듬 어쩌면 This busy rhythm might be

이 또한 또 다른 해금 A new type of haegeum

이 노래는 해금 This song is a haegeum

올라타 봐 지금 Come on now

복작대는 리듬 어쩌면 This busy rhythm might be

이 또한 또 다른 해금 A new type of haegeum

쏟아지는 정보들은 상상의 자유들을 The overload of information 

금지시킴과 동시에 bans freedom of imagination 

사상의 통일성을 원해 and demands uniformity of thought at the same time

꽤나 머리 아픈 각종 노이즈는 눈을 가리고 All this headache-inducing noise blinds us

이제는 생각의 자유조차 범해 and now it even violates freedom of thought

각종 논란들은 판단들의 혼란들을 Controversies being pumped out nonstop 

야기시키고 또 쉴 틈 없이 생산��네 uh causes confusion in judgement, uh

과연 우릴 금지시킨 건 무엇일까 What has put a ban on us?

어쩌면은 우리 자신 아닐까 Maybe we did it to ourselves?

자본의 노예 돈들의 노예 Slaves to capitalism, slaves to money

증오심과 편견 혐오의 노예 Slaves to hatred, prejudice and hostility

유튜브의 노예 플렉스의 노예 Slaves to YouTube, slaves to flexing

이기심과 탐욕이 미쳐 날뛰네 Selfishness and greed run rampant

눈 감으면 편해 모든 게 뻔해 It’s easier if you close your eyes, everything’s so obvious

이득에 따라서 뻔히 갈리는 견해 Opinions so clearly split according to profit

시기와 질투에 다들 말야 눈들이 머네 Envy and jealousy have blinded everyone

서로가 서로에게 족쇄를 거는 것도 모른 채 Unaware of the shackles they put on each other

정보의 쓰나미에서 쓸려 내려가지 말길 May we not get swept away by this tsunami of information

우린 자유와 방종의 차이쯤은 모두 구분하니 Do we all differentiate freedom from self-indulgence?

이 노래는 해금 This song is a haegeum

올라타 봐 지금 Come on now

복작대는 리듬 어쩌면 This busy rhythm might be

이 또한 또 다른 해금 A new type of haegeum

이 노래는 해금 This song is a haegeum

올라타 봐 지금 Come on now

복작대는 리듬 어쩌면 This busy rhythm might be

이 또한 또 다른 해금 A new type of haegeum

이 노래는 해금 This song is a haegeum

올라타 봐 지금 Come on now

복작대는 리듬 어쩌면 This busy rhythm might be

이 또한 또 다른 해금 A new type of haegeum

Translators’ Notes: 

*A traditional Korean string instrument but it can also mean ‘lifting a ban’.

Trans cr; Rinne | Spot Check cr; Aditi, Annie & Faith @ bts-trans © TAKE OUT WITH FULL CREDITS

[inamindfarfaraway]

Me: Of course I know that Starship is just a silly, lighthearted comedy and I shouldn’t think too deeply about it.

Also Me: Mega-Girl has spent her whole life being objectified and only valued conditionally as a tool. She may revel in the many ways she is superior to humans, but her hatred of them is rooted in resenting that they created her (“How could you make me so like you, and yet so unlike you?”). Listen to how she describes herself - “a hollow parody” of life? A “purposeless slave” of “little consequence”? That is not a positive self-image! The source of her homicidal rage is self-loathing due to her robotic nature. She has fully internalized the human prejudice that she is “not real” and “unable to truly feel” and therefore unworthy of rights or love. Based on her parallels to the Terminator robots (the recommended way to kill her is to lower her slowly into lava), it’s highly plausible that she and other robots in this universe cannot self-terminate either and their constant anger is the result of being trapped in slavery without even the escape of suicide.

Tootsie is frequently dismissed and insulted for his lack of intelligence, which he is well aware of (“I may be dumb”, “I don’t know anything”). But unlike Mega-Girl, he has secure self-esteem because he accepts himself and appreciates his other good qualities. He has a great deal of compassion, empathy, honesty, courage, loyalty and crucially, emotional intelligence: he understands feelings, when people are lying about them (“folks say they’re fine when I know that they’re blue”) and their inherent worth (“The feeling I get when you’re close to me, when all my hairs stand up? That’s real.”). The one thing he understands is the same one Mega-Girl doesn’t. The parts of himself he values the most are the the same ones Mega-Girl despises herself for not having. So of course he’s the human to see that she deserves and is capable of love! He knows what it’s like to be treated like you’re less than, but also that everyone still matters just the same no matter how different they are.

By treating her personhood as a given when everyone else she’s met has done the opposite, he makes her respect herself and seek autonomy. He inspires her to want more out of life than what her oppressors want from her (“when you look at me, I don’t wanna be programmed this way”). After she falls for him, she stands up to her legal owner Junior, refusing to follow his orders, objecting to him risking her life and taking offence and even slapping him when he objectifies her again. She’s starting to value herself. However, she still can’t shake the idea that love is at best fundamentally conditional when you’re a robot, hence her fear of Tootsie leaving her. His declaration of unconditional love stops her rampage because finally believing that she is lovable, and has worth, as she is removes her low self-esteem, the source of her bloodlust and resignation to her programming.

In conclusion, they’re perfect for each other and I love them. And oh my God, Tootsie Mega-Girl renamed himself their ship name. What’s their actual ship name, then? Man vs Machine? No, wait… Mega-Toots.

[stormblessed95]

This is random, but I finally got to watch the full d-day concert!!! (i was honestly super disappointed as a european fan that I couldn’t see him live 😭) And Yoongi is so amazing, he was thriving during this tour!

But I wanted your opinion on the lyrics of haegeum? Because I feel a bit crazy, but I’m 99% sure I hear him say “slaves to youtube, slaves to sex” instead of “flexing”? Am I the only one who hears that? If I hear it right, props to him! It’s rare to hear anyone say the word “sex” (I know “sexy” is said all the time by the members haha, but that’s a different thing)

Literally “liberating yourself from banned things” 👏

(Reminds me of when Hoseok wore the condom shirt - I’m actually looking forward to post-military times when they may take more freedom to show more mature sides of themselves honestly instead of placating “fans”.)

When I apologize for letting asks sit in my inbox for freaking ever, this is a good example in case anyone was wondering how old some of my asks are lol. I'm so sorry anon!! But I'm here now! I'm relaxing this morning before my part 2 date this evening and going to do that while gushing about Yoongis genius!

How many times can I make everyone watch Yoongi perform before talking about it? 😏😂

Okay well first, I'll say that I do hear slaves to flexing and not sex. Lol but that also would've been quite the line and I can see where maybe it could sound like that, but I disagree there. And the lyrics also say flexing. So I think that's pretty open and shut.

Second, I too, am enjoying the solo era where they are a little bit more free with who they are as people and individuals and how they've approached things lately. I'm throughly looking forward to seeing this energy continue but as a group too!

And finally! My thoughts over Haegeum:

Literally it means to allow/unlock something that is forbidden or to lift a ban on something that is forbidden. The main "theme" of the song centers around this idea and these controversies that spread through free speech. I personally think Yoongi is liberating himself from the "forbidden." Rejecting the state of the world and the stereotypes constantly forced upon him from people who don't even really know him.

He specifically points out a scene of him smoking, something normally very looked down upon for idols like himself, something that members of BTS have actively received hate/criticism on, but he rejects things that are forbidden for him and he embraces this new style and era he is crafting for himself.

He pointed out being essentially tired of and gives criticism of this "information age" we are living in currently. With information accessible at the drop of a hat, literally constantly at our fingertips, people are just regurgitating someone else's thoughts and opinions rather than engaging in critical thinking and coming up with their own.

(no hate to anon truly, this is not really directed at you, but it's a lot like how a lot of anons on my blog want me to give them their thoughts and opinions about Jikook moments and explain it all rather than finding their own opinions about it)

I think he also relates to this information age as something that restricts us not only in critical thought. But also how it's constantly forcing people into purposeless debate and controversy online. An overflow of information from everyone, most of which is also opinion and not fact, can make it HARDER for people to think for themselves, figure out what they believe and engage fully and factually.

He points out and questions why we are so bound to money, validation, hatred and prejudice. Why we allow these things to shape who we are and how we think. It's like we are living in a society that almost encourages that too.

I think he wants this song to encourage hope. Encourage a future where we reject these things, reject what holds us back, reject the idea that free speech doesn't mean freedom from consequences or freedom to be hateful. Reject the idea that we need to live for validation and instead live for a better and kinder future. Where we speak for what we believe in and not just spew hatred and prejudice and half baked opinions based off what someone else says, where we don't create senseless discourse or create baseless complaints and debates.

Yoongi, I think, hopes for a future, a better age, where it's more based in realism and a people with less superficial tendencies and desires. And in my opinion, a healthier world that would be.

And all this is literally just my thoughts based on the lyrics! We didn't even get into the trilogy together, the possibilities of colors used, an MV analysis, the visual architecture.... The man does everything with a purpose!! We could get into that more too if people want

I highly encourage watching all his behind the scene stuff for more of his thoughts and his process. Yoongi is and always will be my bias because of the way he thinks and the way he processes stuff and the way he writes and puts those things out into the world. I also relate so much to him.

[bulletproof-korean]

Agust D - 해금 (Haegeum) [lyrics+vocab]

이 노래는 해금, yeah 올라타 봐 지금, yeah 복작대는 리듬 어쩌면 이 또한 또 다른 해금

⁕ 해금 - to lift a ban 해금 is also the name of a single stringed traditional Korean instrument but the hanja for "lifting a ban" is the following: - 解 풀 해 - to lift, free - 禁 금할 금 - to ban ⁕ 올라타다 - to get on ⁕ 지금 - now ⁕ 복작대다 - to bustle, swarm ⁕ 리듬 - rythm ⁕ 어쩌면 - maybe ⁕ 또한 - also

이 노래는 해금, yeah 올라타 봐 지금, yeah 복작대는 리듬 어쩌면 이 또한 또 다른 해금, yeah 해석들은 자유, yeah 개소리는 아웃, yeah 표현들의 자유 어쩌면 누군가의 죽음 사유 그것 또한 자유일런지 당신의 판단과 추측엔 확실한 신념들이 있는지 당신의 자유와 타인의 자유가 동일하다 믿는지 그렇다면 주저 말고 올라타 봐 금지된 것들로부터의 해방 각자의 취향조차 이해들을 못 하는 불행한 이 시대를 살아가는 이들을 위한 이 노랜 금지된 것을 푸는 것뿐이지 허나 자유와 방종의 차이쯤은 부디 구분하길 이 노래는 해금 올라타 봐 지금 복작대는 리듬 또 다른 해금

⁕ 해석 - interpretation ⁕ 자유 - freedom ⁕ 개소리 - bullsh*t ⁕ 표현 - expression ⁕ 죽음 - death ⁕ 사유 - cause ⁕ 판단 - judgement ⁕ 추측 - assumption ⁕ 확실하다 - to be sure ⁕ 신념 - belief ⁕ 타인 - others ⁕ 동일하다 - to be the same ⁕ 주저하다 - to hesitate ⁕ 금지되다 - to be forbidden ⁕ 해방 - liberation ⁕ 각자 - each ⁕ 취향 - taste ⁕ 이해하다 - to understand ⁕ 불행하다 - to be unhappy ⁕ 시대 - generation ⁕ 풀다 - to undo ⁕ 허나 - however ⁕ 방종 - self-indulgence ⁕ 차이 - difference ⁕ 부디 - please ⁕ 구분하다 - to differentiate

쏟아지는 정보들은 상상의 자유들을 금지시킴과 동시에 사상의 통일성을 원해 꽤나 머리 아픈 각종 노이즈는 눈을 가리고 이제는 생각의 자유조차 범해 각종 논란들은 판단들의 혼란들을 야기시키고 또 쉴 틈 없이 생산되네, uh 과연 우릴 금지시킨 건 무엇일까 어쩌면은 우리 자신 아닐까 자본의 노예, 돈들의 노예 증오심과 편견 혐오의 노예 유튜브의 노예, 플렉스의 노예 이기심과 탐욕이 미쳐 날뛰네 눈 감으면 편해, 모든 게 뻔해 이득에 따라서 뻔히 갈리는 견해 시기와 질투에 다들 말야 눈들이 머네 서로가 서로에게 족쇄를 거는 것도 모른 채

⁕ 쏟아지다 - to pour, spill ⁕ 정보 - information ⁕ 상상 - imagination ⁕ 동시에 - at the same time ⁕ 사상 - thought ⁕ 통일성 - unity ⁕ 원하다 - to want ⁕ 각종 - various ⁕ 눈을 가리다 - to cover one's eyes ⁕ 논란 - controversy, dispute ⁕ 혼란 - chaos, mess ⁕ 야기시키다 - to cause havoc ⁕ 쉴 틈 없이 - without a rest ⁕ 생산되다 - to be produced ⁕ 우리 자신 - ourselves ⁕ 자본 - capital ⁕ 자본주의 - capitalism ⁕ 증오심 - hatred ⁕ 편견 - prejudice ⁕ 혐오 - loathing ⁕ 노예 - slave ⁕ 이기심 - selfishness ⁕ 탐욕 - greed ⁕ 날뛰다 - to leap ⁕ 편하다 - to be comfortable ⁕ 뻔하다 - to be obvious ⁕ 이득 - profit ⁕ 갈리다 - to be split ⁕ 견해 - point of view, opinion ⁕ 시기 - jealousy, envy ⁕ 질투 - jealousy, envy ⁕ 눈이 멀다 - to be blind ⁕ 서로 - each other ⁕ 족쇄를 걸다 - to shackle

정보의 쓰나미에서 쓸려 내려가지 말길 우린 자유와 방종의 차이쯤은 ���두 구분하니

⁕ 쓰나미 - tsunami ⁕ 쓸리다 - to be swept away ⁕ 내려다가 - to go down

[for-yoongi0309]

BTS’ Suga on going solo, his love of hip-hop and the band’s future:

‘We’re real brothers, period’

“If I do well, that’s good,” says Suga. “If my family members do well, that’s even better.”

However you look at the current purgatory for K-pop superstars BTS — a long-expected pause for military service, a renewed focus on solo careers or an existential crisis for the genre — there are significant stakes not just for the group, but for the global music industry. While the seven members of the most successful act in South Korean history take turns, based on their respective birthdates, performing mandatory 18-month turns in the military — Jin and J-Hope are currently serving — those not yet conscripted have the chance to reestablish themselves as solo acts, after six chart-topping Billboard albums and six No. 1 Hot 100 singles. For the band’s label, Hybe, in the midst of a global acquisition spree, billions of dollars are potentially on the line. Bang Si-hyuk, Hybe chairman, recently stated that there is no set date for BTS’ comeback as a group, though he hopes they can return in 2025. Before beginning his military term later this year, group member Suga is touring U.S. arenas on the back of his solo debut album, “D-Day,” performed under the alias Agust D (he has two other mixtapes as Agust D). The dark, smoldering rap album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.

This week, Suga will perform three sold-out shows at Inglewood’s Kia Forum, on May 10, 11 and 14. However, he swears, he’s not competitive about it with his bandmates. “Are you competitive with your family members? Do you get jealous if your brother or your sister does well?” he asked with a laugh during a Zoom interview (Suga spoke through a Korean translator). “We’re real brothers, period. If I do well, that’s good. If my family members do well, that’s even better.”

Suga’s Agust D alias has long turned heads within the BTS solo-project sphere. Sometimes, those heads nearly get decapitated via giant ritual temple sword, as in his 2020 video for the rowdy “Daechwita.” Other times, they get stabbed right through with a pair of chopsticks, as Suga does himself in the deliciously grisly, “Oldboy”-worthy video for the new single “Haegeum.” It’s tough to square this genuinely transgressive solo artist with the snazzy-suited, fleet-footed heartthrob harmonizing on a Hot 100 hit like “Butter.” Devoted BTS Army fans know that Suga has an underground streak from his pre-BTS days, cribbing production notes from pioneering Korean rap acts like Epik High.

“Some bright and cheerful songs go into BTS,” he said. “But I’ve been doing music without any filter all the time, so I wouldn’t differentiate between Agust D or Suga, because all those are all me.” Still, “D-Day” is a standout, and not just for the sub-shaking production and gory videos. “Haegeum” is lacerating about modern life in South Korea: “Maybe we do it to ourselves/ Slaves to capitalism, slaves to money / Slaves to hatred and prejudice/ Slaves to YouTube, slaves to flexin’.” – Then he turns his blade on the internet culture that fascinates and destroys young people “Endless influx of information prohibits freedom of imagination / And seeks conformity of thought / All these painful noises blind you.”

“We’re living a life that’s better than ever before,” Suga said. “Some say we all live better lives than the king hundreds of years ago. But everything we worry about is coming too fast. Everyone’s lonely without having a sense of belonging, we can’t relate to the things that our parents have experienced, like being obsessed with accomplishments. Nobody feels a sense of belonging.”

Suga’s not immune from self-criticism, either. On “People Pt. 2,” with K-pop R&B singer IU, he sorts out his wariness around intimacy. “Selflessness can actually be selfish too, it’s true / It’s actually my greed when I say that it’s all for you.” – “This thing called love … it’s conditional,” he sings. “Wasn’t loved enough as a kid, that’s why I’m the cautious type.” Suga, born Min Yoon-gi, famously broke down in tears after seeing his formerly reluctant parents attend a BTS show in 2016. What did they make of that song?

“I don’t actually let my parents listen to my music before it’s released because there’s so many swear words,” Suga answered with a laugh. “My parents only listen to BTS songs. Things are good with us.”

On one hand, being in a globally famous act means any slip-up could be perilous. On the other, BTS-size stardom and a reputation for real artistry allow for uncommon candor, said Sang Cho, co-founder of the L.A.-based K-pop distribution and event firm KAI Media. “Suga and RM are to BTS what Lennon and McCartney were to the Beatles. Every member is talented, but these two are definitely the driving force behind their music,” Cho said. “I think Suga is a bit more Lennon — more explicit in his anti-establishment sensibilities. ‘Haegeum’ is a double entendre of a traditional Korean string instrument and wordplay on ‘liberation from restrictions.’”

“D-Day” also reflects on the music that helped Suga become a serious artist. His track “Snooze” was one of the late Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto’s last collaborations, an artful yet stern track that brought Suga back to his teenage days learning to sample. “I’m not really good at piano, but I remember playing ‘Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence’ all day when I was young,” Suga said. “It’s impossible not to be influenced by him if you’re born in Korea. When I was young, I needed instrumentals without voice to sample, so I reversed and chopped his music. I am very grateful I can call him a mentor even though I only met him once.”

While Suga is playfully cynical about accolades like Grammy Awards — “Isn’t that a local thing?” he joked, echoing South Korean director Bong Joon-ho’s quip about the Oscars — he has nuanced thoughts about his place in hip-hop. “I did have that differentiation when I was younger. I hoped that [rap fans] would approve of my music,” he said. “But I have this very firm belief that if I go to a hip-hop concert, where there’ll be only hip-hop fans, well, BTS fans are hip-hop fans too. I’m a huge fan of hip-hop, but what’s important here is that it’s not empty words to do music for the people that have sent you love and support.” – As the members of BTS sort out these years in transition, they’re still in one another’s lives. BTS’ Jimin debuted atop the Hot 100 with “Like Crazy” in March. Suga can’t wait to be in the crowd cheering for his bandmates when their times come.

“If you live for 13 years in one house under the same roof 24/7, you become a family,” Suga said. “A lot of people think that the relationships between K-pop band members are kind of fake, but that’s not true. For me, it’s more like, ‘Oh, Jimin, hi! You made it to the Hot 100, I’m so proud of you!’”

© LATimes

[klonoadreams]

I guess with mako being there, the strawhats get an early education on the discrimination and prejudice the Fishman/ mermaids face early as well as a history lesson on world nobles slave trade and Fisher tiger and his Sun pirates.

Like I know I feel bad for the crap Nami went through but her mom was ex- marine, so I'm sure Bellm'ere probably knew the truth and told the village adults. That or mako probably snapped at Nami once.

It's also a situation of, likely, Belle-mere dying before she had a chance to explain anything more to her daughters, like even baseline Marines don't know much about the world too, especially if what they see only scratches the surface and believe everything that they're told without question. But also small villages can also be limited by world views and the fact there seems to be this deliberate divide and limiting of knowledge caused by the World Government... Like all they know is Jinbei is a Warlord and that slavery is abolished, and call it a day. Hell, at first glance, Arlong just appears to be a supremist.

(Live action did a good thing by introducing the bits and pieces we didn't see until later, and it seems messy at first glance, but knowing what's to come, it just shows that this is why Arlong hates humans. And that hatred eventually passed onto those who never experienced it first hand, but learned it anyways via Hody Jones and his gang)

Come Sabaody, the truth comes out in a horrifyingly frightening way, with Keimie nearly getting sold into slavery, and Hatchan almost getting killed.

Not to mention, Otohime getting killed happened recently too, so I can only imagine a tiny Nami experiencing it first hand when some of the Arlong Pirates just get angry for every little thing she does wrong because everyone still thinks Otohime was killed by a human. And she doesn't know anything either.

She was a child who was stunted before she had a chance to grow. To learn firsthand how to form opinions of her own accord, given the way she was treated. Her forgiving Jinbei was a sign that she understands that his actions brought Arlong to the East Blue, but she knows that it's still Arlong who did it all, cuz he didn't have to do that. But he did.

Nami right now has a pretty rigid worldview due to putting up so many walls to protect herself. She can't afford to take any chances, which makes the moment she asks for help so significant. Cuz she is allowing herself to trust.

Which is why you can expect her to trip and fall every so often, so do expect Mako to snap at her.

Though don't expect Mako to go too full into depth about the discrimination and prejudice she's faced, from both humans and fishmen. At least, not until Chopper pops up and even then, there is only so much she can share herself before she shuts herself off due to the trauma she has.

It's like things she'll share piece by piece, starting from the alienation that she can very well relate to with Chopper. And slowly, Robin also helping fill in the gaps, but keeping certain information to herself.

Because Mako doesn't know the truth about her parentage. Even Arlong kept part of it to himself, because he genuinely pities her. The most he's told her is that he knows her biological father, and hints at the true horror of her conception. Which is a damn good way to get someone to shut down and not think about it.

Sabaody is really where it all comes out. In ways that no one could have ever predicted. Rayleigh actually has a letter for her, that Shanks gave him, that would explain everything to her. But is to only be given to her when the time is right. Shakky is the one who will be the judge of that, since she knew Mako's mother as a former Snake Princess.

But of course, Sabaody is Sabaody and no one is leaving the island without trauma. You can blame Disco for that in various ways.

And certainly, it's a hell of a way for Mako to kick off her reunion with Law. But at the very least, by the time of Fishman Island, Mako would have shared everything about herself, including the things that she's learned. And why she kept quiet about some of it. Because she was scared.

Just like Robin.

Anyways all aboard the SS TRAUMA!!

[laynnnnn]

- slaves to capitalism, slaves to money, slaves to hatred and prejudice. slaves to youtube, slaves to flexin' selfishness and greed have gone off the rails. everyone's been blinded by envy and jealousy without realizing that they're putting shackles on each other.

//

›› please give credits if you take my work! ›› пожалуйста, сохраняйте кредиты если берете мои работы!

[novaharpersworld]

Worldbuilding Insturi

Insturi is the name given to the kingdom of the Fae. It controls slightly less than half the continent of Numaria, and its power is nearly the rival of Soljoro, the human republic, with a population of about 25 million. It was monarchy governed by the dynasty of the River Kings.

Historically, Insturi was the name given to the first civilization built on Numaria, far outstripping human civilization, but it fell at the end of the 2nd Epoch, and is known by the Fae as Insturi-that-was, and they hoped for Insturi-to-come. The human dynasty of the Tols rose, overthrew the Fae, took their territory, and enslaved them, building the empire of Nulor.

The 3rd Epoch, or the Dominion of the Fellwraith, was a turbulent span of roughly twelve thousand years (divided into 12 Ages). Nulor stood until the dawn of the 4th age of the 3rd Epoch, at which time a Faen rebellion toppled the empire and sent the Tols into exile in the Northfelds, enslaving humanity in revenge. Neither side held definitive power in the 4th age of the 3rd Epoch, each overthrowing the other in a series of reversals called the Eighty Years War, which the Tols eventually won and re-established Nulor, sending the Fae back into slavery.

For the next three thousand years the Fellwraith manipulated their mutual hatreds to its own advantage. It knew if they united against it, they had the power to destroy the Fellwraith, so it kept them divided by cultivating their prejudices against one another.

But the 12th Hero, a slave boy who became Tol Aranon, defeated the Fellwraith and united the peoples of Numaria against it, in its island fortress of Arazywn, liberated all creation from the Fellwraith's curse, and changed the very laws of magic, resetting them after millennia of the Fellwraith"s distortions.

Tol Aranon authored the Illian Accords, which ceded half of the continent to the Fae to rebuild Instruri, established the Long Peace, dissolved the Nulorian empire and reorganized it into the Nulorian Republic, drafting the Charter of Rights, abolishing slavery in perpetuity, and then abdicated the throne without a known heir and vanished before his death so there could be no attempt to restore the monarchy. The plan nearly worked, but Tol Aranon had neglected to revoke the titles of nobility, and after four hundred years they attempted a coup that was only barely put down at the end of the Wars of the Merchant Kings. Their titles of nobility were formally revoked upon their defeat and the last vestige of the old empire was at last abolished. The Republic was renamed Soljoro to recognize this clean break with its imperial past.

The Long Peace lasted for 916 years before the start of the series, despite some times of crisis. Insturi was reestablished as a monarchy, the line of the River Kings restored, and their civilization growing to rival and threatening to surpass Soljoro. Everyone knows a conflict is coming when Soljoro and Insturi reach continental parity. A triumphalist nationalism is growing in both nations, each of which claim the whole continent for their respective nations.

Insturi is governed by a small elite of Fae who can trace their lineage back to the twelve clans that founded Insturi-that-was. Fae are longaevii, the Long Lived, so their population grows very slowly. But millennia created a large number of part-Fae part humans. These half-Fae make up most of the population and are mostly worker class. While periodic efforts have been undertaken to reduce the classism of the Faen elite toward the people, they have always been half-hearted attempts and largely failed. A peasant nationalism is sweeping through the Faen lower classes, who are furious about being second class citizens and dealing with the human prejudices as well.

While Soljoro has moved in the direction of steam/ether clockwork Majtech, the Fae have always had a more organic relationship with nature, using natural magic like wind and water to power their tech. Their architecture shapes itself around existing nature rather than destroy it to build, their design models for homes and aircraft utilizing natural structures like spider webbing, and tree/plant structures.

The River King governs from Illian, Insturi's capitol, in the River Palace, which is built of crystal cut into water, tree, and root designs. They don't use airships, but instead use organitech bioships which are partially sentient. The Fae pilot in cooperation with their ships rather than controlling inanimate Majtech like humans. Their predominant class of air vessel is the Windskiff.

The River King is advised by the Advisory Conclave, a council of seven members from the old elite families, who also serve as the Bench, a high court that resolved questions of legality for everyone below themselves in rank. The River King can override their decisions if necessary, but usually is involved in the hearing of cases.

[jdopes-recorder]

"Slaves to capitalism, slaves to money slaves to hatred and prejudice slaves to YouTube, slaves to flexing selfishness and greed have gone off the rails"

Dam he really attacked