#the tricky thing about historical records

[from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras]

OK, the absence of female Rohirrim political leaders and warriors from the Middle Earth historical record…let’s get into it.

There’s a reason this remains a significant point of debate in the fandom, and it’s because the source material is confusing. Clearly, there is/was a role for women in public life in Rohan that is unlike anything we see in the other realms of Men (or hobbits or dwarves!). The concept of shieldmaidens has obviously been in their culture for a long time. Éowyn is one. Someone thought it worth their time to train her to fight, and the people (speaking through the voice of Háma) know her to be “fearless” and trust her to be their leader. The men of Elfhelm’s éored have no problem with her presence among them in Gondor, and though people are shocked to find her injured on the field, no one is scandalized by the very idea that she was there. So there are Rohirrim all over this story who are behaving in ways that suggest female leadership and female martial ability are not inherently surprising or objectionable to them.

And yet…there is not a single named female Rohirrim either before or after Éowyn in any part of the text of LOTR that we know to have wielded any actual political authority or who fought in battle. If those women existed, why/how are they not in the historical record?

The most satisfying answer TO ME is tied up in which historical records we’re looking at. By the framing device of LOTR, the text that we’re reading is ostensibly the story as documented in the Red Book of Westmarch. The appendices, where we find histories and legends of Rohan, were meant to have been written by the hobbits with some contributions by Aragorn, Gimli and others — but NONE OF THE AUTHORS WERE ROHIRRIM. Yes, they surely spoke to Éomer and Éowyn as the sections on the House of Eorl were written, but the sibs didn’t write the text themselves. Outsiders did. So the text does not represent a direct Rohirrim version of Rohan history. THAT version doesn’t exist in writing anywhere, because that’s not how the Rohirrim operate. They preserve their histories and legends through song, poetry and storytelling. Which brings me to this line from Appendix A:

”Many lords and warriors, and many fair and valiant women, are named in the songs of Rohan that still remember the north.” [emphasis added]

That’s confirmation right there that Rohan history as the Rohirrim practice it DOES include “many” women. And if they have songs that remember many women of the north (i.e., their direct ancestors among the Northmen) then surely their more recent songs, poems and stories would also cover the women of more recent times. So the problem is not that the Rohirrim don’t remember women in their (oral) historical record. The book tells us that they do. Maybe the problem is that the men of outside cultures who wrote the book — those who notably came from societies where women had no comparable roles — didn’t choose to include those parts when they created this written historical record. They noted that the Rohirrim name many women in their histories, and then they proceeded to only tell us about some of the men. That’s a skill issue for the authors, not for Rohan.

So in my mind, an average Rohirrim could talk to you about great warrior heroines of the Northmen or the exploits of some of Rohan’s powerful queens and princesses.* That’s not to say that Rohan was drowning in such figures, but they existed and people knew about them. It means there was enough of them and enough awareness of them to create space in their culture to have those views that we see in the main story (i.e., a willingness to accept both a woman as a leader of the people and a woman as a rider in the army when those things were presented to them). It reconciles the strange contradiction between the apparent culture in Rohan and their history as it was given to us as readers. Make of that what you will, but I like it for me!

*And yes, this could presumably explain the omission of Héra from WOTR in the telling of Helm Hammerhand’s story, though that gets complicated by the fact that WOTR contradicts the published Helm story in a few significant ways. (Which, for the record, I am fine with, but it means I view WOTR as more of an AU than a literal extension of the source text!)

[marlynnofmany]

If everyone in the fantasy world is near-immortal, then sure their sense of history could be a little different. But.

10,000 years ago in our world, woolly mammoths and saber-toothed tigers were still going strong.

starting an elite paramilitary black ops group who sneak into the homes of authors and cut one to three zeroes off any number of years given in a fantasy or sci-fi novel

[physalian]

Character Types: The Coward

Specifically, the cowardly protagonist, because this character is so tricky to make compelling and not insufferable.

Cowards, much like schemers, tend to be the antithesis of a brave, selfless hero. They look out for themselves first, and if anyone else benefits, it’s a happy accident. Unlike schemers, they’re missing an inflated ego. They lack the drive and confidence to connive and claw for power.

Which tends to make cowards extremely unlikable, because not only are they unheroic, they’re useless. Plenty of characters get called cowards when they’re not, they’re just being sensible, and plenty more wear that badge proudly.

So how do you make one that isn’t a burden on the story and endlessly frustrating to the audience?

Well, I wrote one, and so far haven’t had any complaints.

Elias is my protagonist in Eternal Night, and he is a coward, and he knows it. He’s quiet, a bit of a cynic, a proud introvert, and a nerd. He also lives in a hyper-survivalist society that doesn’t waste any time on superfluous things like mourning their dead or facing their emotions because if they did they’d all steep into a depression rot and never escape.

The survival rate of hunting parties outside their cave is pretty low and Elias already lost his only brother to an accident, and has absolutely no desire to leave the cave. He’s got a perfect job as the Keeper—bookkeeping, inventory, and historical record.

He has a valid reason to be selfish: Being brave just gets you killed.

Elias is not a “chosen one”. He’s just extremely unlucky and cannot catch a break, dragged around by different vampires and clashing covens, none of whom really like him all that much, but for plot reasons he’s important to their plans.

The only character who cares about him is a Fixer and my Fixer absolutely suffers for sticking his neck out for Elias.

There is no “the power was inside you all along” moment, no “you’re the one true king to unite all the vampire covens” moment. Elias’s whole plot journey is to do whatever it takes to survive to the next morning and maybe also woo a boyfriend cause eyyyyy.

His whole story journey, which is different than the plot, is learning how fucked his clan’s survivalist nature made him. He’s missing so many social skills, so many milestones in life, so many experiences that are just a given to everyone he meets.

To somebody who’s never seen the stars or even clouds before, dumping him into a castle of 200 strangers and asking him to make friends is a tall order. Dumping him into a den of what he’s been raised to think of as monsters and stockholm-syndromed blood slaves and asking him to make friends is damn near impossible.

Elias is self-serving, and self-sabotaging in nearly every way. He’s wrong, about most everything he says, and doesn’t get away with it.

Elias’s refusal to make nice and let old grudges fade makes him extremely disliked by everyone in his new home, except for one person. So when the time comes for Drama and Plot, they do not give a single shit about protecting him, because he didn’t give a shit about protecting them.

“I just want to be normal” heroes are annoying, unless the task they’re chosen for is hell. Everybody wants to be a wizard at Hogwarts. But nobody’s signing up to volunteer for the Hunger Games.

Elias’s “fuck this I want to go home” selfishness does have merit. He doesn’t want to be food. But everywhere he turns, characters are proving him wrong about how it’s not “just being food,” how their society benefits everyone in the harsh environment they live in, how they’re doing the best they can with what they have and it’s not perfect but it’s better than the alternative.

He fights it at every turn. It’s not just “wah I hate vampires because they’re icky” it’s “I’ve been raised to hate vampires, and you ripped me from my home and everything I ever knew and they might all be dead now. If I start sleeping with the enemy and forgive and forget, then who am I?”

Elias might be a coward, but he’s not lazy, and he’s not stupid. He doesn’t throw a tantrum and refuse to accept the alternatives to being food. He works hard for his place (once he gets over his weaponized incompetence), works hard to try and save himself by learning more about his world and geography and all his possible escape routes, and when his survivalist upbringing of “do or die” comes in, Elias doesn’t freeze when he’s cornered, he comes alive.

So he’s still very much a “coward” in that he primarily only wants to save himself (and the one other character he cares about), but he’s not a couch potato, not a damsel in distress who can’t lift a finger to break the locks on his own cage, and the plans he does come up with to stay alive actually work.

I don’t expect Elias to be anyone’s favorite character, he wasn’t designed that way. He’s a walking tragedy constantly in the wrong place at the wrong time and gets caught in the middle of a fight he never asked for over and over again.

—

I also don’t see a ton of protagonists like him, so if you’re going to write one, or even a cowardly side character who audiences aren’t supposed to hate, I’ll synthesize the above points here:

Give them a valid reason for why they’re selfish, some reason that might have anyone else in their situation probably making the same choices

Make it clear that they are wrong, and that their own cowardice is their largest hurdle, and that either the plot or other characters don’t let them get away with it

Give them positive traits to balance out the cowardice. Maybe they’re kind, or they’re funny or they’re clever, but audiences do need something to root for

Give them agency. They can’t sit around like a bump on a log being a burden to the plot and the other characters. Even if they’re only in it to save themselves, they still have to work to accomplish that

Bonus option: Give them somebody else to shed their cowardice for, especially if they pick the absolute worst moment possible to suddenly become a hero

—

If you’re interested in Elias’s story, the first book in the planned trilogy is out now: Eternal Night of the Northern Sky

[melancholitas]

For Law's 30th birthday, the Hearts decide to get creative.

While their Captain may not be so keen on celebrating that day, he's definitely in for a ride. If he wants to or not. (Bepo's shimmering, beady polar bear eyes are always a critical hit, so he can't nope out of that, ever.)

-They cook up a feast, including some traditional North Blue dishes and some comfort food they had at Wolf's back in the day (yes, half of it is a variety of Onigiri)

-It was a collective decision to design Law a unique, original coin for his collection. The casting was a bit tricky, but they managed. (Probably in memory of either his birthday, the Hearts as a whole, the Captain himself, or his lost family/Corazón/Flevance based on the little crumbs they got to know about those instances)

-To make it a little more exciting, they even came up with a small treasure hunt for it. Using some historical and medical riddles to guide him there.

-Over the years, the crew also accumulated many pictures of their time together. Bepo and Ikkaku made a whole album out of it.

-Luckily, they even managed to get quite a handful of their Captain in all sorts of states and moods. Penguin and Shachi made it their mission to create a little slide show with them. Even tossing in some embarrassing ones they sneaked from Swallow Island and adding their own commentary to it.

-They also borrowed a recorder to tape the whole thing.

The whole crew is howling. It's wholesome, hilarious, awkward, chaotic, beautiful, combining all the facets of their friend. But mostly, it's so damn affectionate Law cried himself to sleep that night.

He might have 'confiscated' that video, but he'll treasure all of their loving gifts until the end of his days. He's secretly rewatching it every other night when his thoughts get bad again.

[doctornerdington]

Daniel Hart, composer for the IWTV score, did an AMA on Reddit. Posting some interesting bits I want to remember.

Oftentimes, instrumentation is dictated by the scenes themselves: things like the dialogue, the timbre of people's voices when they speak, the lighting, the set design, how fast actors are moving, how fast the camera is moving...certain instruments behave better in certain situations. BUT, that being said, a lot of Lestat's scenes revolve around piano, a lot of Louis revolves around strings in S1 AND we specifically made tenor saxophone his instrument for S2. Armand gets the cor anglais playing the melody under his monologue about the "Amadeo" painting in the museum in S2, and I think Claudia gets the whole orchestra! But we did often incorporate celesta when it made sense for Claudia themes.

It did not occur to me that the timbre of the actors' speaking voices would impact instrumentation. Or how integrated all the various technical elements are. Wowwwww this team is on fire.

Also! Armand! Gets! The! Cor! Anglais! If you don't think I could write an entire meta about Armand being represented by a transposing instrument (and for that monologue), hahaha you don't know meeeeee.

More under the cut.

How much historical research do I do? As much as possible, given the information available, and the time constraints of a project. I spent a lot of time with Gershwin and Ravel before and during IWTV S2. I spent a lot of time with their music (which I would do anyway, because I loooooove it), but I also spent time learning more about those composers, and yes, analyzing some of their musical structures more fully than I had before.

S2 influences: Henry Cowell, Meredith Monk, Howlin' Wolf, Shirley Temple, Jason Lindner Big Band, The Teeth, Carlos Salzedo and Alice Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, David Lang, Caroline Shaw.

Because there's a lot of piano in the score for S1 and S2, I'm moving things around on the piano all the time, to find the right register both for the piece itself, and for the voice in the scene, which can be a very tricky balance. There's a piece of piano music which goes for quite some time under Lestat's longest monologue during the trial in S2. Almost all of it is pretty high on the keyboard, leaving all that lower space for Sam's baritone to shine through. I think that was one of our most successful balances of dialogue and score.

Re: "The Whole World was Ready to Return" It's a very difficult piece to perform, and both the version I made at home (with me on violins and violas) and the version we recorded with the orchestra in Vienna took a long time to make. That kind of minimalism - short, repetitive phrases - can be hard to maintain over time. Thank you all for listening to it and enjoying it.

[It's on Spotify btw, and it's gorrrrgeous.]

[the-lincyclopedia]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Pretending I got tagged by @cricketnationrise!

How many works do you have on ao3?

As of an hour ago: 214. I just recorded a podfic tonight.

What's your total ao3 word count?

494,201. I really hope to pass the half-million mark this year. It won't take much. I just haven't had basically any writing energy lately.

What fandoms do you write for?

These days? The Queen's Thief, when I write fic at all. Historically also Check Please, Carry On/the Simon Snow trilogy, Sherlock, the Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Yuri on Ice, PJO, Boyfriend Material, Good Omens, and more.

Top five fics by kudos:

Love in the Time of Influenza - Carry On - Snowbaz sickfic

Face the Future with You - Check Please - autistic!Jack x ADHD!Bitty

The Aftermath of Angelic Assumptions - Good Omens - Ineffable Husbands sickfic

Man Oh Man, You're My Best Friend - Check Please - Zimbits fake dating

Nightmares - Carry On - Snowbaz hurt/comfort

Do you respond to comments?

Basically always.

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

the only soul who can tell which smiles i'm faking - a Kent-centric ficlet set just after Jack's overdose

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Most of my 200+ fics have happy endings, so I don't really know how to answer that.

Do you get hate on fics?

Not recently, but it was a pretty regular and normal occurrence when I was on FFN in my teens. Once, someone sent me flames on 18 separate chapters of a multi-chapter fic in a two-day period. It sucked. But also, comments with concrit were so, so common for me to receive in my teens that I figured they were a normal and expected part of the fandom experience, and I have so much cognitive dissonance when people say they're not and never have been. I've neither given nor received unsolicited concrit in quite a few years, and I fully understand that they're not part of the culture on AO3, but two of my longest-lasting fandom friendships began with concrit on FFN (once giving, once receiving), and I think "this has never been a normal part of fandom culture" is an overstatement. I also think there's a difference between hate (which I've received several times) and the majority of unsolicited concrit that I've received. Not everything that's rude is hateful.

Do you write smut?

I have written M-rated grinding once and E-rated sex once. Not sure if I'll write either again. I'm pretty darn ace.

Weirdest crossover:

A Little Help - Lizzie Bennet (firmly of the Lizzie Bennet Diaries canon, not the original P&P) meets Eric Bittle at Vidcon and the two of them become close friends.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge. I know of at least three spinoffs of fics of mine, though.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not to my knowledge.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not exactly, but when I'm in a relationship with someone I share fandoms with, the alpha reading/cheer reading/yes-and-ing/etc can blur into co-creation. And honestly I've also had key alpha readers who I haven't dated.

All time favorite ship?

Gosh, I can't pick.

What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

My Queen's Thief fic where the characters all study abroad together. I have a detailed outline and a few thousand words, but I've had so little creative energy for the past several months.

What are your writing strengths?

I usually say persistence, but I don't know if I've had as much of that lately. Um . . . clarity, SPAG, and like--I have a really clear memory of what it was like to be younger, and I think that brings life to the stuff I write about college/other parts of life that I've already passed through.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Describing things. I prefer writing dialogue, but I'm also never sure if my characters sound like people. Realism in general is tricky for me--I get too hung up on logistics and then completely fail at writing people with realistic motivations. So lots of stuff.

Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

I almost never do it. I could maybe swing it with Swedish, although one time I tried and got corrected by a Finn (which was welcome and they were right, but it made me wary of trying again).

First fandom you wrote in?

I don't want to answer this publicly because I feel like the story of me getting into fandom/into writing in general is pretty unique, and I might tell it someday with my real name attached if I ever get published. (I just checked, and there are literally zero fics on AO3 for the book I first wrote fic of. The fic that I wrote is not on AO3, since I was ten years old and it was 2006, and I'm very grateful that, although I entered online fandom young, I didn't enter it quite that young.) The first fandom for which I posted fic was probably the wizard one that we're no longer naming. May have been Artemis Fowl or PJO, though.

Favorite fic you've written?

To Every Single Kid I Used to Be - an epistolary fic in which 25-year-old Jack Zimmermann writes letters to his younger self, one letter per year of his life. Featuring autistic!Jack and a whole lot of real details from my own life.

Anyone who wants to play, feel free to say I tagged you, but I'm specifically tagging @doggernaut, @eponymiad, @worldsentwined, @cartograffiti, and @the-knights-who-say-book!

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

Hello sex witch! Long time listener, first time caller, love how you do the teaching you do 😄

I was having a chat with my (college age) sibling, and I found she might have some... skewed views on the morality of being sexual. Think along the lines of purity culture, with a sprinkling of religious teaching, and a dash of how legality/morality must be intertwined. I know that sort of thing can lead to some unhealthy thinking, and honestly, I'm a little worried!

This is just background for context, I'm not asking you to solve or even unpack all that lol. But I really vibe with your stance on sex-neutrality, and it seems like a good concept to introduce her too. Like, a lil'nudge.

My personal sex-neutality mindset was gained over years of life experience and internet osmosis, which is really difficult to condense into a "quick-start guide," given I've never really had to educate on it before. I mean, I'll start with the definition, but she would probably prefer having sources other than just me talking for hours lol.

So. TL;DR. As an educator, do you happen to have any resources you could point me towards on sex-neuteality? Books, websites, podcasts, previous posts..? Things I could pass along?

Thank you so much sorry for the length

hey anon,

this is a tricky one because, as you said, sex neutrality is something that comes about from a lifetime of nurturing influences. adopting a totally new mindset is rarely something that can be adopted by one book or video essay, no matter how good they are. this is especially true in the face of religious influence, which can be very difficult to tactfully circumvent without making someone feel as if they're being criticized for being religious at all.

just having a figure in their life (that's you!) who's willing to start and engage with non-judgmental discussions about sexuality can be really helpful for people unlearning sexual stigma, so congrats to you for doing the hardest work just by being present!

having said that, you can't do everything and a recommended media list never hurts. there isn't a lot of work (that I'm familiar with, at least) that just sit you right down and say "hey. here's why sex neutrality good," so I'm going to drop work where that's sort of a powerful background radiation.

Emily Nagoski's book Come As Your Are is a pretty great guide for cis women learning to get comfortable with their bodies and sexualities and, more importantly, the possibilities of communication to find a relationship and sexual style that works for them! I really like the way Nagoski normalizes such a wide range of different needs and desires while assuring readers that there's no "wrong" approach; it's very comforting! if your sister is a podcast person, Nagoski also has an eight part podcast series of the same name where she debunks myths and answers more questions about sexuality.

actually hi as long as we're talking about podcasts Kate Lister, a historian who specializes in historical records of sex work, has a terribly fun podcast called Betwixt the Sheets that's nothing but sex friendly fun. it's got enough interesting historical meat to it that it's not even obvious sex neutral propaganda on the surface; some of my favorite episodes have Lister interviewing other academics about Queen Victoria's dietary habits and Hollywood portrayals of vodun.

if we want to talk about the 101 of getting comfortable with one's own genitalia and reproductive health, I must point to Dr. Jennifer Gunter's Vagina Bible. Dr. Gunter has made a whole career out of debunking medical misinformation, wellness scams, and Goop over on twitter. I think she should be allowed to attack Gwyneth Paltrow with a sword but I can't make that happen so I can at least promote her book.

if your sister starts feeling adventurous, Dr. Lindsey Doe's youtube channel Sexplanations has been a formative influence on me and has years worth of videos covering tons of topics in quick, unabashedly enthusiastic bursts of information. this video where Dr. Doe talks about her own instances of internalized sex negativity could be an excellent starting point, especially if you want to discuss it together like a lil youtube bookclub.

for a longer youtube dive, Khadija Mbowe's ruminations on sex positive feminism, its shortcomings, and which parts they see as worth preserving could also be a great point of conversation, especially for someone whose coming into the conversation not identifying with sex positivity. caveat that they do link to Christine Emba's book Rethinking Sex in the video description and I cannot in good conscience recommend or fuck with that at all, sorry.

Angela Chen's book Ace, about asexuality, is genuinely so so wonderful, and I think required reading for anyone trying to make sense of any kind of sexuality.

Meg-John Barker's book Rewriting the Rules is a maybe a more expansive version of Nagoski's book, less focused on sex and much more interested in expanding ideas of what relationships can look like and encouraging personal expression within them. honestly I think that's a really important part of embracing sex negativity - more compassion and less judgment for yourself can lead to more compassion and less judgment for others, right? right, hopefully.

Jaclyn Friedman's book Unscrewed is a delight, and does something similar to Mbowe's video linked above by highlighting ways in which commercialized #girlboss "sex positivty" is useless and then providing instances of real people doing actual, tangibly useful and positive work. Friedman highlights everything from queer youth shelters to orgs run by and for trans sex workers of color to reproductive justice organizations; it's a great dip into a lot of different radical causes without (hopefully) being too overwhelming.

I hope this serves as a good starting place for a lot of positive conversations with your sibling! good luck, friend xoxo

[crmsndragonwngss]

Rehosted from rocksound.tv. Be sure to visit the page and support rocksound and the author, and to see the digital feature, which includes photos of the band!

ERRA, ‘Cure’ | The Album Story

by Jack Rogers | March 28, 2024

ERRA return with their highly anticipated sixth studio album ‘Cure’, featuring recent singles ‘Pale Iris’ and ‘Blue Reverie’ and set for release on April 05 via UNFD. Ahead of its arrival, we chatted with vocalist JT Cavey and guitarist and songwriter Jesse Cash about the process behind the record, from capturing their modern metalcore sound to lyric writing, choosing the artwork and more.

Read ERRA ‘Cure’ | The Album Story below:

ERRA are still determining what it is about the last few years that has allowed them to rise to the top of the modern metalcore ladder, but they aren’t complaining. Thanks to this shift in scene perception and passion, these have been the most successful and exciting years of their decade-and-a-half career. And with that success and building a ravenously passionate fanbase, they have felt the most at ease with their creativity. They can do whatever they want, and that’s a fantastic spot to be in.

“The biggest thing we have taken in is that we are blessed to be able to do our own thing,” vocalist JT Cavey smiles. “We have always been hyper-focused on ourselves within self-improvement and creating stuff that we like, but now we are lucky to have cultivated a fanbase that just trusts us. We’ve grown substantially post-COVID, and I can’t explain why things like that have happened, but we are grateful. We can continue to be ourselves while making the things we have always been working on. It’s really nice.”

It’s with this openness that they have been able to create a record as dense, destructive, and dizzying as ‘Cure’. Weaving gleefully between all-out sonic battery, ethereal atmospheres, and experimental expansion, it is a collection of songs that pushes what is expected of the band without losing any of the phenomenal technicality and vigour that has defined them all these years.

“I think part of why this album is cool is because it does sound more accessible to us, but it doesn’t sacrifice anything,” guitarist and primary songwriter Jesse Cash expands. “It gets tricky when accessibility becomes an objective. It ends up backfiring a lot. We hoped that it would sound easy to listen to whilst still managing to be personal and profound. Hearing the end result made us realise that’s what we did. More than anything, this sounds like an ERRA record.”

To dive deeper into everything that makes ‘Cure’ what it is, Rock Sound sat down with JT and Jesse to discuss the ebbs and flows that go into crafting such a gorgeously gritty piece of art.

THE SOUND

Historically, when it comes to ERRA heading into the studio to commit a record to tape, most of the music is already in place. That comes down to meticulous pre-production and demoing from Jesse, serving as a foundation of what he anticipates that particular chapter of the band to encompass. In the case of ‘Cure’, rhythm was the focus, with more attention being put on what the right hand was doing more than the left in terms of guitar playing. The result is groove, and lots of it.

“Because of the time that had passed since our last record [2021’s ‘ERRA’], this album was going to sound different no matter what,” he muses. “I really wanted to focus mostly on groove because that is what I listen to and enjoy more recently. Bands like Tool and Gojira and Meshuggah, a lot of the technicality of those bands is just crazy rhythm. It’s way more of a workout on the right hand. So that is how my guitar adapted to the riffs I wrote. It just naturally happened, as that was the style of metal I was listening to.”

That’s how you end up with the pulsating brutality of ‘Slow Sour Bleed’ rubbing shoulders with the shimmering gorgeousness of ‘Past Life Persona’. The painstaking intensity of ‘Crawl Backwards Out Of Heaven’ slots perfectly next to the all-seeing power of ‘Glimpse’. It is a tapestry of technicality and tenacity that feels as grand as it does natural. By focusing on how their creativity can serve the individual song rather than the broader picture, the possible leaps and bounds felt all the more endless.

“I feel like we had more fun with these songs in the risks we were taking, even if you could call them a risk,” JT adds. “As long as people trust in and have faith in that, including ourselves, then we can’t go wrong.”

THE COLLABORATORS

One of the most significant changes from how ERRA have previously functioned is introducing an external producer. With Jesse being so hands-on throughout their career, they knew that if they would let somebody else into the fold, they needed to know exactly what this was all about. That’s where Daniel Braunstein comes into the mix. The man behind the desk for bands such as Spiritbox, The Ghost Inside, Volumes and Silent Planet, he is as close to modern metalcore royalty as you are going to get. Being so intertwined into understanding what it takes to write a song that is as boundary-pushing as it is wonderfully heavy, there was nobody else better on their list.

“Just the simple notion of having a producer involved meant that [this album] would be different,” Jesse explains. “There’s more space for the songs to change and evolve. And Dan was the right producer for us. He understands the assignment more than anyone else would because he is in the middle of the genre—creating a more nuanced version of metal.”

Even with such high regard and understanding for what he was capable of, Jesse went to extra lengths to ensure they were all on the same working page when it came time to hit the studio. With both him and Dan living in Los Angeles, it was easy to pop around and see how he functions whilst sitting in on a handful of sessions with other bands, one being their close friends Kingdom Of Giants as they worked on their track ‘Wasted Space’. Over two years, they built a relationship that allowed the creation of ‘Cure’ to be as seamless as possible.

“I feel like Dan allowed Jesse to be pretty experimental within this record,” JT points out. “He’s not a yes man, and he will tell you when he’s not feeling something, but he also has a lot of great ideas and is incredibly supportive. He’s very diplomatic like that. We couldn’t ask for more.”

THE LYRICS

So often in heavy music, the lyrics take a backseat. This is something that ERRA make sure is far from the case, even putting more emphasis on what their songs are saying at times than what it sounds like. Making sure that whatever direction they were heading in sonically, the words attached served them. Because of this, ‘Cure’ became quite the dark record in the grand scheme of things. Dwelling in the darkness is something that Jesse and JT are used to and more than happy to express. This time around, much of their expression came from the other forms of media that Jesse was consuming. One such morsel was the 1997 film Cure, a Japanese atmospheric crime picture that wallows in the depths of unhinged brutality and philosophical questioning. Though nothing on the record is actually inspired by the movie, despite sharing the title, the atmosphere and pondering of existence, and the pursuit of purpose within that questioning, is draped throughout.

“Records are an imprint of a time and place of where you are at,” Jesse muses. “So, when we were tracking this one, I dipped my toes into the darkness and stayed there for a few months with the content I was ingesting. It enforced the way the record sounded and felt. Because of that, the record is pretty dark but ends on a positive note. It’s the idea of focusing on the darkness, but then somebody turns on a flashlight. I like how it is focused in that way.”

Though much of what Jesse was being inspired by could be seen as nihilistic and bleak, that’s not to say it reflects on who the band are as people or how they want their mindsets to be interpreted. It’s more of a case of understanding that these ways of thinking exist and that it is possible to approach life from these angles and feel like you have everything figured out through this lens. Every person making their way through this life views their everyday differently, and that is as beautiful as it is overwhelming when you think about it too much. Using ERRA to try to interpret these different strands of humanity, no matter how pitch-black they may seem, is how Jesse learns more about himself and his own way of seeing things. It’s also so he knows that the band have done enough to cover every base they can.

“We’re making songs; it doesn’t always have to be a direct reflection of us,” He expands. “This isn’t us saying we are super dark people, but I just want to go there and see what I find. Any kind of art is about trying to nail down a relatable feeling. Something to make you understand what you are going through and feeling. That’s why I take it so seriously, and it’s what I obsess over the most during the process. Let’s make these lyrics as good as they can be. We’re going to be a band that does that.”

THE TITLE AND ARTWORK

If this album wasn’t going to be called ‘Cure’, another option batted around was ‘Wish’. Though it ended up being the former, ‘Wish’ is still an essential word to the record’s anatomy. It is not just the title of the ethereal introduction to the stunning ‘Glimpse’ but also a word that appears in a particular lyric alongside cure in the sprawling title track. In many ways, both go hand in hand. The idea of a cure is rooted in positivity, but what if the cure that ails our existence is that nothing truly matters. What if all we were wishing for was to exist in the grey rather than spiral and bounce between the black and white?

That ambiguity stretches into the eerie artwork, showing off distorted human-like figures clinging to each other like their lives depend on it. As you move further away from the details, you see how these figures make up a gigantic earth-shaped structure. Such a foreboding structure feels otherworldly in scope, but on a smaller scale, it almost represents how much we depend on connection to make it through the day. It’s as human as it is alien, depressing as it is enlightening, and that is absolutely the point.

“This collection of beings forming a sphere—it’s pretty interesting and exciting,” Jesse explains. “This broad view of humanity that, at times, can be bleak. At other times, it can be very beautiful and connecting. There’s a lyric in the title track I like where we say, ‘We are connected by loneliness, through a kinship of detachment. The juxtaposition in these words that defile one another—those are my favourite kinds of themes.”

Though many of the themes within the record come from a pursuit of understanding, Jesse realises that being able to sit and question what everything means and what purpose is within that is a luxury. Many people are just trying to make it from dawn to dusk, getting enough food, sleep and shelter. In many ways, that is what all of this is about. Being content in what we are capable of and understanding that our neighbours are just trying to do the same.

“I don’t think the record declares any answer or preaches anything. It’s a bit more open and ambiguous,” Jesse admits. “I think we are always doing that. It’s a dicey place to be, as everyone is right and everyone is wrong at exactly the same time. It’s a difficult thing to carry around and show off, but there is a sweet spot to it. It’s about not letting your mind dominate you within the ambiguity.”

THE FUTURE

On a professional level, ERRA are having the time of their lives right now. They have more eyes on them than ever before, and as they approach their biggest-ever headline tour, even more will be facing their way. Though on that more profound level, this era of the band will allow the variety of eyes and ears engaged in their output to expand. Described by JT as a “Delivery service for whatever you want from us”, it means that within the ambiguous scope of what they have achieved with ‘Cure’, the potential connection will be even more prominent. From searching for your calling to simply trying to make your brain quiet down a bit, ERRA is the cure. Though that might not have been the intention, it’s a pretty extraordinary place to be.

“The album we have made is so full of variety; the avenue you want to travel down is up to you,” JT smiles. “That’s the same across every song on the record. It’s just really fun to be able to do that. I feel like with any artist, a part of their journey is presenting a practical thing impractically and hoping it clicks with somebody. We are all on a different means of connecting and trying to meet in the middle. That feels like a global goal, and we’re having fun participating in that.”

[thepastisalreadywritten]

London (CNN) — An art historian has identified a missing portrait of King Henry VIII after spotting it on social media.

British fine art researcher Adam Busiakiewicz was idly scrolling on X when he was stopped in his tracks by a post from somebody he follows.

The post was a photograph shared by Tim Cox, Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire, an honorary position representing the British Crown in the central English county.

It showed a gathering at a reception in Warwick’s Shire Hall, where Warwickshire County Council is based.

But Busiakiewicz wasn’t interested in the people smiling at the camera.

His focus was on the background where, hanging on a wall, was what he suspected was a missing portrait of the Tudor monarch Henry VIII.

In a post published on his blog earlier this month, Busiakiewicz said he had been “scrolling at speed” when he spotted the painting “with a distinctive arched top” on the wall.

He was immediately reminded of a series of 22 portraits commissioned by a local politician and tapestry-maker during the 1590s.

According to Busiakiewicz, Ralph Sheldon (1623–1684) commissioned the pictures – which were mostly of kings, queens and “significant contemporary international figures” – to hang in his home, Weston House in Warwickshire.

The reason they had arched tops was because they “were once incorporated into an architectural frieze of the Long Gallery at Weston,” Busiakiewicz said.

In a press release sent to CNN, Busiakiewicz said the arched top was a “special feature of the Sheldon set,” while the painting’s frame was “identical to other surviving examples.”

The painting also showed the king holding a sword and wearing a feathered hat – just as he appeared in an engraving of the Long Hall made by antiquarian Henry Shaw in 1839.

The series of portraits was later dispersed at auction and “the majority remain untraced to this day,” according to Busiakiewicz.

After making his theory public, Busiakiewicz visited Warwick’s Shire Hall together with local historian Aaron Manning to see the painting close up.

“The portrait is large, and completely in-line with the other Sheldon portraits,” Busiakiewicz wrote in a later blog post, on July 22.

In a telephone call with CNN, Busiakiewicz revealed that this was not the first discovery he had made thanks to social media.

In 2018, he stumbled across a picture a friend had taken at a wedding and posted on Instagram.

It featured a portrait that he identified as the work of 17th-century female artist Joan Carlile (1606–1679).

“Social media is a crazy thing,” Busiakiewicz told CNN, “because some people use it to watch cat videos and follow what’s going on in the world, and then people like me just look at what people have hanging on their walls.”

A spokesperson for Warwickshire County Council told CNN in an email that Busiakiewicz and Manning approached them about the painting and arranged to come and see it.

“Adam and Aaron viewed the painting at Shire Hall, and have confirmed they think it is definitely one of the Ralph Sheldon commissions,” the spokesperson wrote.

“Since this discovery, the painting has been moved into our Museum Collections Centre to allow further research to take place.”

Busiakiewicz told CNN that the identity of the painter is not known, but the creator of the portraits is sometimes referred to as "The Sheldon Master.”

He is now working on trying to establish the painting’s provenance.

It was acquired by the council as recently as 1951 but there are gaps in the records.

“Provenance is always such a really tricky thing - it’s very hard sometimes to find, particularly when pictures are sold privately. But there’s no doubt that this is Ralph Sheldon’s painting of Henry VIII,” he said.

“Looking at paintings and pictures of paintings is my life and it’s great fun, particularly when you can in some way right a historic wrong, let’s say.

Pictures that are overlooked, pictures that aren’t appreciated as much as they might be.”

[aliypop]

That's Alright For Such a Night

(Rewrite Chapter 5)

Word Count: 2,764

Writers Note: So far I'm enjoying rewriting this, and Now I'm adding and Rewriting my fanfic series Anyway you do into it to really solidify the timeline.

Warning: mostly fluff / Historic Language and Values

Pairing: POC OC x Elvis

Plot: During the Louisiana Hayride two breakout stars meet in a rush only to learn they've dealt their cards in the hands of fate.

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8

Memphis Tennessee, 1956

There was something in the 61-degree Tennesee carnival air. Perhaps it was funnel cake, cotton candy, the petting zoo nearby, or the slight chill in the air, Or maybe it was the feeling of a spring fling waiting to start. 

"I think that may have been my best performance yet," Denise said, walking past the sights and sounds. "And with your growing fame that you've been achieving, you'll be saying the same thing too. Right, Cecelia...Cecelia..." Looking next to her, the young woman she was calling out for was already gone. 

"Jesus Christ, this child..." 

"Need some help finding her?" Rosa asked,

"No... I do not." Denise huffed, 

"Don't be Cruel, to a Heart that's true." were the lyrics and melody coming from the stage right in front of the young woman. Cecelia heard the familiar voice sing. She had listened to the song millions of times. And she had practically worn every record he had out, Blue eyes looking into her brown eyes and through her brown skin. That was the moment in her 21 years on Earth when she could say she was in love with someone. It was just now tricky hiding it from her mother,

"Cecelia! There you are," Denise mumbled as her daughter focused on the young man with the gyrations going on, disgusted that her daughter of such class would even be looking at such a thing. Then again, if she knew the things her daughter had done while her mother was on tour, she'd be disgusted by such things. 

"What is he doing with hips..."

"Mother, haven't you heard it's called dancing." Cecelia's glance never left his. And his glance never left hers. Cecelia was watching as he caught the flying undergarments thrown his way. She couldn't help but laugh, and it seemed neither could he. Denise had to admit he was cute, with his perfect smile and hair. But something told her she would have to do something if he even thought to talk to her daughter. Denise knew his type, the shy playboy, and she wouldn't have someone like him ruin her daughter's blazing trail. 

"Up next in 16 minutes on this stage is Cecelia Valmos and The Garnets!"  

The crowd of teenagers began to cheer even louder as the growing pain of nerves began to kick in for her.

"Oh shit..." she mumbled as her mother nudged her, running through to the dressing room backstage. She took a deep breath as she gathered herself together. 

"You were almost late," Daphane smirked, brushing her hair as she straightened her dress.

"What were you doing out there," Rosa asked, watching as Scotty winked at her, 

"Oh, I know!" Daphane raised her hand,

"Stairing at your boyfriend." They both teased as Cecelia rolled her eyes, 

"Oh, whatever, you two." 

"So whatcha gonna sing?"

"Midge, what the hell are you doing back here!" Cecelia clutched her heart.

"I'm your mother's assistant, who's been practically your everything while she's been away."

"Right, uh, probably something from our Jazz album?" Cecelia shrugged as she smiled, 

"This is going to be career suicide, Cece..."

"Not if you follow my lead, Rosa." Cecelia handed her coat to Midge as a slight chill went down her spine from nerves. 

"Your mothers gonna be pissed about that dress," Midge smirked,

"Midge, she ain't the boss of me!"

"She's our manager..." Daphane smirked

"Right." 

Midge glanced at the girls as she then handed Cecelia her Gretsch guitar. 

"Good luck, kids."

"Don't need it." they winked,

"What're you gals gonna play for us tonight?" The host said, 

 "Our new single." She scanned the crowd for the one person she hoped hadn't left yet.

"What would that be..." The host asked, scanning all three girls. It was the first time he'd ever seen such a sight. Three black girls dressed a bit risque in wiggle dresses.

"Oh God, she's embarrassing the label already." Denise sighed. Midge and Cherly, standing next to her, cheer them on. 

"Hmm... Oh, uh, Is you or is you ain't my baby," she said. The band began to play the intro. It was a bit slow and agonizing like she was performing one of her mother's hit jazz songs, which she was. Well, a cover more so. 

Cecelia could see the crowd in front of her losing interest, and it didn't help her anymore that she was a young woman of color in Tennessee, but it wouldn't stop her.

"Mind if we swing it, boys," she whispered to the band. "Guess they mind..." Rosa groaned,

"Follow my lead." Cecelia mouthed, to Rosa and Daphane,

Taking the pick to her guitar, she did a rift that almost stopped the crowd and got his attention. Playing the melody but making it anew, she took a deep breath and sang. 

"Is you is or is you ain't my baby?" her singing was mesmerizing as her fingers picked and plucked the strings, blue eyes attached to her every word, "The way you're acting. Lately makes me doubt." she grinned, her mother wasn't pleased with the rock n roll blues infusion. But she was proud of her daughter not being so awkward, like when she was a kid.

"Youse is still my baby, baby. Seems my flame in your heart's done gone out..." 

 Elvis had wanted to be the strings under her fingertips. The melody of her music. It almost made him wonder, was this how it felt when she watched him. All those nights ago at The Hayride?

"Elvis, you coming?"

"Yeah... Yeah..." he nodded his friends off as his eyes were glued on her. Sure, he had her records and had been trying to decipher her rifts and guitar licks. Ever since they had been on tour performing. But, seeing her again back from her tour, he couldn't even fathom his feelings that grew stronger for the woman he so loved and missed,

Cecelia had noticed as he walked off into the distance alone. It was almost like he was lost, like something was missing. 

"Don't wait up, Midge."

"Cece..."

"I'll be right back." She walked towards the carousel as adoring fans nearly flooded her view for more autographs. And pictures and praises, Cecelia had her eyes still set on the pair of nicely filled-out white pants leaning against the wall. Much like he was back in Florida,

"You okay?" startling the young man, he looked at her. "Yeah, just uh thinkin." his voice was deep with a southern drawl that could bring Jesus to his knees, and my, did she miss it.

 "Well. You were great out there, Pres, but you're always great up there." a slight red tint on his cheeks, 

"Nah, that goes to you," Elvis wrapped his arms around her waist. "You really know your way around the strings."

"I try to." She giggled, holding onto him, "But, Elvis, my dear?"

"Hmm..."

"Tell me more." they both laughed, butterflies in her stomach as he continued laughing harder, 

"God, I missed your laugh," Elvis said as he gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

"Say you maybe wanna get out of here an-" Cecelia stepped closer towards him until they both heard.

"Elvis, my boy..." 

"Cecelia, there you are."

"That's my manager." they both said in unison. The two a bit aggravated.

"Call me when you get home to Nashville?"

"If that's alright with you." she smiled back at him. The pair walked to their respected managers. 

 July, 1956 Beale Street

"Cece, you warmed up tonight." Her hair had been in a bun of pin curls and a pin curl swoop on her forehead. "Of course I am. After all, I'm releasing another album anyways," Cecelia responded to a few of the patrons. 

"You might as well. Besides, didn't ya mama open a new recording studio down here."

"She did. Why, I do not know, but I can tell you, we've had some random person callin the place 5 times a day." she laughed. 

"Sounds like a lunatic." BB King smirked as he looked at her, 

"Hey, you know who your hair reminds me of..."

"Don't you say it..." 

"My good friend Elvis. You tryin be like him or something?" he nudged her, 

"No." she deadpanned. Maybe it was a bit of a lie, or maybe. She was tired of the press referring to her as "Well... if it ain't my competition, Lady Elvis." that charming smile was right on his face. And there she was again, feeling things she couldn't hide. No matter how many times they both had tried to,

 "If it isn't Mr. Suit tails and singin' to hound dogs," she smirked, 

"That's cold, don't you think, Cece," BB mumbled as Cecelia sighed. Elvis had a hurt expression on his face. 

"And I thought we were friends, babydoll." He winked at her as she laughed,

"Oh sugarpie, don't cry." she teased as she stood up, walking towards the stage. Elvis wouldn't lie and say the joke didn't hurt, coming from her. Well, it wasn't half bad. Besides, she was cute, and he liked how they always seemed to banter. Watching her perform was like therapy to him. Her voice was his medicine, and her glance was his weakness. Catching his gaze, she looked away as a deep blush arose. 

"You like her, don't you..." 

"I-I well."

"Well, don't." 

"And why not, " he glanced at the man beside him. 

"I'm her boyfriend," he said, his pompadour bigger than Elvis's. He looked a bit defeated at the news, considering who he was to Cecelia, 

"Just kidding, they call me Little Richard baby, and you got it bad." he winked as Elvis rolled his eyes, 

"I wouldn't say I do."

"You're lookin at her the way the girls all look at you." 

"An how do they look at me," Elvis asked,

"Like they wanna fu-"

"You two talkin about fans?" 

"Cece, you were uh- uh amazing." Elvis stuttered. She realized he did that every time she talked to him. Or when he was flustered by her.

"Thanks, say can we talk," she asked. Both Richard and Elvis stood up,

 "Alone..." she mumbled. Elvis had a smug look on his face, but on the inside, he was panicking. Did he do something wrong? or say something odd, 

"Yeah, sure thing, mama." 

"Yeah, sure thing, mama." That's the best you could think to say. 

He thought to himself until he felt her hand touch his. It was like he was awakened from a sleeping spell. Cecelia pulled him through the club's crowd. As they were outside on the balcony, he couldn't help but take in her beautiful brown skin in the moonlight and how ethereal she looked. A slight cold chill ran past her arms, causing her to shiver. Elvis had noticed as he took his suit jacket and placed it over her shoulders, 

"What did you want to talk to me about baby." He asked, putting his arms around her

"I'm sorry about that Hound Dog joke," she said, poking her head through the window. She saw a few spies of the press lurking around. 

"Cece, it didn't hurt much," he shrugged, "Not like how being on that damn show did," he mumbled.

 "El, I saw the whole thing, we all did," she sighed,

 "The Colonel says it was a smart move." 

"For who," Cecelia said, looking directly into his eyes, 

"For me. I mean, they want clean fun, and I can I- can"

"Lie to yourself and be somebody you're not." she laughed, 

"I mean. If the colo-"

"Elvis Aaron Presley, you serenaded a dog on live television in a tux. That's not the Elvis I know nor like." she stared into his soul, "The Elvis I like was the one I saw at the Hayride with the wiggly hips." she smiled, "So much that I miss those hips st-" She stopped talking as she heard footsteps.

"Hurry, they're over here..." 

"El... how much do you trust me."

"As much as Captain Marvel Jr believes in finding the rock of eternity."

"That's a lot of trust," she smirked, taking his hand and climbing the ladder on the side of the building. She then tried to get off the ladder until she noticed her babydoll-heeled shoe was stuck. She tried to pull away to break free. But it wouldn't budge, and the press was getting closer. She then tugged one last time until she heard a 

SNAP!

Oh, how Midge and her mother were going to kill her. Nearly tumbling over, she had landed into Elvis, who was carrying her like Lois Lane. She wouldn't lie and say she didn't enjoy it.

 "Don't worry, darlin, I gotcha." he looked down as their eyes met again. It was just like a river flowing to the sea. His heart was nearly pounding at how close they were again. He could smell Cecelia's rose perfume while taking in every detail of her face. Elvis was madly in love with her. And he was glad to say she was his. Carrying her downtown in his arms, the two had gotten weird stares, but Elvis didn't care. After all, he was pretty well known in Beale Street, too. In the background, there was music, setting a romantic scene for the two lovers.

 "Would you care to dance?" Cecelia asked, handing her hand out to him,

"On what dance floor," he asked, putting her down gently on the concrete. She took his hand. And it was like electricity shot down his body. They were in the middle of Beale Street. Traffic was slowing down, and it was only them, 

" Anywhere's a dance floor if you're in the arms of the right one." taking her hand, he spun her close to his chest, the two pressed close together, her other shoe on the sidewalk. 

"You're gonna dance barefoot in the street?"

"I don't see why not?" her eyes twinkled as he blushed hard.

"Lord have mercy... I can't with you, Cece," he mumbled as he laughed, her eyes looking up at him as she held onto his 6'0 frame. Spinning her into his arms, he heard the band play the melody of one of his songs. His right hand held hers, and his left on her back. The two swaying as her head was on his chest, he felt butterflies in his stomach flutter, 

"Love me, tender. Love me sweet, never let me go."  He sang as she swayed with him. 

"You have made my life complete, and I love you. so." Cecelia felt every word he was singing to her. Cecelia knew how Elvis felt about her. After all, they had secretly been dating. But she couldn't deny that when he looked at her, it was like she was his universe, 

"Love me tender, love me true, all my dreams fulfilled

For my darlin', I love you, and I always will." He dipped her, and their eyes locked onto one another. His eyes looked at her lips, then her eyes, then again at her lips. He wanted to cherish her and never let her go. He wanted to prove that she was all he ever wanted and ever needed and-

SPWOOSH!

It was as if buckets of water were splashed on them.

 "No one said anything about a rainstorm."Elvis chuckled, picking her up as she laughed, her hair getting puffy from the water. Cecelia kissed Elvis as he kissed her back, sweetly and giggling, 

"Oh, your mama's gonna be pissed."

"Honey, I know." Cecelia laughed harder. They both felt free and secure as if they were the only couple in the world, and it felt amazing to not have to worry or care about who saw them. That was until there were papers on every doorstep with them dancing in the street as the cover. 

Elvis Presley Dances With Negro Singer Cecelia Valmos.

Cecelia had been summoned into her mother's office, while Elvis had the Colonel scolding him like a child.

"I can't believe you would do this after everything I've done for you!" Denise said, rubbing her temples,

"It's not that bad, Mother," Cecelia said, looking at the newspaper. She was definitely going to show Elvis that picture when she saw him. Besides, it was cute.

"My boy, this could be career suicide," Tom grumbled. Elvis had laughed. If that bit from him singing to a dog wasn't career suicide, then he'd say he was doing just fine.

"What are we gonna say." Denise look at Cecelia

"How am I gonna cover this up my boy." Tom asked Elvis

"Any way you do?" 

Taglist: If you wanna be tagged let me know!

@darkmoviesquotespizza

@sissylittlefeather

@richardslady121

@thegettingbyp2

@presleyenterprise

@sissylittlefeather

@dkayfixates

@rjmartin11

@thetaoofzoe

MORE IN CHAPTER 6!

[freakingoutthesquares]

Pulp's Guide To Sheffield Words: Gina Morris, Photographer: Louise Rhodes Taken from the New Musical Express, 3 April 1993 Transcription: Acrylic Afternoons

Welcome to Sheffield, home of Sound City '93. Your guides through the historical sights, prime drinking places and doss-spots of steel city are local pop gurus Pulp.

Situated in the 'alternative' area of the city (Division Street), amid the second hand clothes shops and 'in' cafes, is Warp Records, the shop, the label, the empire. Warp is the most important British dance label outside London, responsible for club/chart hits like LFO's 'We Are Back', Tricky Disco's 'Tricky Disco' and Nightmares On Wax's 'Aftermath'. Started back in July '89 by Steve Beckett and Rob Mitchell, Warp has expanded to massive worldwide recognition. Recently they set up an offshoot indie label, Gift, and signed local god-like legends Pulp and hopefuls Newspeak and Various Vegetables.

"This is the safe area of town," says our guide and Pulp lead singer, Jarvis. "You get a lot of grief if you're alternative round certain parts of Sheffield. It's like Pac Man, you have to dodge your way through the centre of town to get to Division Street. Anyhow, this is the shop that started the record labels Warp and Gift, the Warp Empire began right here. Arrgh! There's a large display of our new single in the window."

Renowned in certain circles for their appalling dress sense, Pulp take us to the very heart of lurid-thread city. Freak Boutique, also on Division Street, is just one of a number of shops specialising in gruesome '70s wear.

Jarvis: "We shop here occasionally. The last thing I bought was a pink and purple patterned shirt. Sheffield's pretty good for second-hand clothes. The jumble sales are best because they're the purest form - you don't know what you'll get, the clothes haven't been sifted."

City Hall, aside from housing the council is also a famous heavy metal venue, boasting a sprung Saturday Night Fever-type floored ballroom.

"This is perhaps the only building that has decent architecture in the whole of Sheffield," observes drummer Nick. "The inside is marvellous. They have an indie disco in the ballroom every Saturday night,"

Jarvis: "Sheffield City Council used to be really radical. I remember when the buses were only 10p to go anywhere. That's why buses are mentioned quite a lot in our songs. Anyway, it all stopped in the mid-'80s. There are about six different bus companies now, like Eager Beaver, Yorkshire Terrier... it's, ridiculous - if the driver sees the stop they're supposed to be going to hasn't got any people at it, they change the number and go to one that has. People came from Japan to see our bus service - it was the envy of the Western World."

Jarvis: "Fargate is a pedestrianised area. This was the centre of Sheffield dole culture. In the summer, everyone would go dolestrolling. Sometimes it would take you a whole day to get from one end to the other because you got to know everyone. It was a nice little scene. Then they introduced YTS and it cut off the new generation. It just got older and sadder after that. It was also the place to come it you wanted to put a band together, you didn't bother putting ads in papers, you just walked up and down for 20 minutes."

At the very core of Sheffield's sports culture is the Crucible Theatre. Every year, top potters like Steve Davis and Jimmy White gather to compete for snooker's top prize.

Jarvis: "Yep, this is the famous Crucible Theatre, just off Fargate, snooker central. It used to be the favourite hangout for goths in Sheffield, when goth was the big thing. I'm not sure why, maybe it was because Ray Reardon looked a bit like Dracula."

Castle Square is a weird underground market, off Commercial Street, with an open air 'sun roof', known locally as the Hole In The Road. Once it was the meeting place for tramps and down-and-outs-but-on-the-way-ups. Now the authorities want to get rid of it.

Nick: "We've started the Hole In The Road campaign, the council want to fill it in with concrete, which will mean more people getting run over. We can't let them do it. It's all part of a conspiracy to dispense with the town centre altogether, and move everything out to Meadowhall (a huge shopping complex known locally as Meadow Hell)."

On the other side of the Market there's Ladies Bridge which runs over the River Don, the largest river in Sheffield. It's a beautiful part of the city despite being situated in the centre of the once prosperous, now derelict, steel industry warehouses.

Jarvis: "I went on a very good adventure down the River Don once. I had an inflatable boat and I went from here to Rotherham which is about eight miles away. It was like Apocalypse Now, there was all these factories pouring thick smoke across the water, we got attacked by gypsies and then there was a bloke stood on the river bank trying to shoot fish with an air rifle. It was probably the best thing I ever did. It's good to find an adventure in mundane surroundings. Sheffield is built on seven hills, just like Rome but I think that's where the similarities end."

Nick: "The Wicker is just a street, but it's a very special street. It's difficult to say why, but The Wicker arch was the gateway to all the old steel works. Sheffield's oldest brewery is just there, it always smells of hops round here."

Jarvis: "I used to live round here, in the same warehouse that FON Studios and our rehearsal rooms used to be... and the only porno cinema in Sheffield, Studio 567. I bet you didn't know Bob Marley spent a lot of time in Sheffield, did you? Well he didn't, but there's The Bob Marley Recording Studios anyway. I did once see Sly and Robbie on this road though, that was very bizarre."

FON Studios is Sheffield's most prolific recording house. In 1985 it was the first local commercial 24-track studio and over the fast few years has attracted such luminaries like Ian McCulloch, David Bowie, Yazz, Erasure, James, Altern8 and, erm, Rolf Harris. FON is the centre of Sheffield's music culture.

Nick: "Did you know FON actually stands for F*** Off Nazis?"

Jarvis: 'We recorded the LP 'Separations' here, and 'Countdown', 'O.U.' and 'My Legendary Girlfriend'. They're very nice to us. I can't imagine people coming to Sheffield to record because of its exotic location but FON is the best. It's where all the big names come but it's more a studio for techno acts, you couldn't get a grand piano in here, sorry Elton."

The Leadmill has appeared in the Top Ten venues in the NME Readers Poll every year since it opened in 1980 - not bad for a place that used to flood every time you flushed. Now it has the best venue toilets in Britain (fact) and been described by the House of Commons as a prime example of good business practice. Bands that have graced its boards include New Order, Simply Red, The Pogues and EMF.

Jarvis: "The Leadmill's a pretty important venue, I used to come here a lot before I moved to London. The main bus garage is just opposite and, when it first opened, they had a policy of letting bus drivers in for free. So a friend of mine got hold of a bus driver's uniform and got let in for nothing. It was a good little scam but the trouble was, he'd walk in and all the other drivers would be at the end of the bar saying, 'What route does he do then?'"

Of all the pubs in Sheffield The Washington Public House, just down the road from the Grosvenor Hotel, stands out as a reminder of when public houses were quiet family affairs decorated with the landlady's china.

"This is the only pub left where you don't get grief for looking slightly outlandish," remarks guitarist/violinist Russell. "They don't allow riff raff in here. The bar people are very friendly. If you went into town, you'd notice all the pubs have loud jukeboxes, you can't hear yourself talk. This is a little oasis of sanity."

Jarvis: "It also has a large quantity of tea pots, one of the finest collections in the land. It's a theme but it's for real. It's a '4 real' pub."

[hilarychuff]

20 questions for fic writers

tagged by @2btheanswertothequestion. ty for thinking of me!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

rn i have 23 but i have number 24 going up soon 😈

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

202,248

3. What fandoms do you write for?

rn i'm in my chrissy cunningham phase (stranger things) but i'm still in my overarching sansa stark phase (asoiaf). i have been known to do a rewatch and dip back into my jemma simmons phase (agents of shield). and i'll always sort of be in my lily evans phase (marauders).

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

i carry it in mine (asoiaf, jon/sansa canonish soulmate au)

all the best people see you (all the best people know) (stranger things, chrissy/robin s4 au)

i remember (i remember) (asoiaf, jon/sansa canon drabble)

in any world (in any way) (asoiaf, sansa-centric au graphics collection)

the royal records (asoiaf, jon princess diaries au)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

usually!! i really like getting comments and i guess i have assumed that having someone respond incentivizes them so i always want to incentivize comments!! i think it is i polite to say thank you also. and i mean i love to talk about my fic so i'm always like "oh y'all tryna chat????" but usually nobody is trying to chat back ahhahaha. sometimes i hide from comments if i'm feeling guilty about not updating something but i always appreciate comments and they're usually p motivating to me

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

hmmm. most of my fics are like alternate media-based au concepts or lil oneshots or stories that are yet to have endings, so hard to say exactly which is angstiest.

i think my angstiest story is a pre-hydra reveal agents of shield one i did as a secret santa for someone where fitz was dead(?!!?!?) and grant ward showed up to bring jemma simmons back to the team and that was yeaaaaars ago but whenever i think of it i'm always like ok wow i hope that is what that person wanted. what bold choices to make in a gift for a stranger!!

other than thaaat i do think of i carry it in mine as a fairly angsty fic but it's intended to have a not so angsty ending so

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

well please trust that any princess diaries or miss congeniality au is going to end up with the main ship getting together, presumably happily for the rest of their lives!! desert hearts (aka all the best people see you all the best people know) is heading towards a happy ending. howl (sansa-centric scream au) i think will have roughly as happy an ending as any horror movie final girl can hope for.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

ummmm not really. i definitely have but the only time it felt like anything other than a one-off was when i essentially started tumblr beef by wandering into the wrong tag. and that was not fun and people were hating on their own blogs for a min BUT it died down and nobody really went out of their way to bother me directly about it after that, so it was not ideal but it was fine. tagging etiquette is tricky!!

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

hmmmmmmmm historically no. but i have outlined smut!! and i'm thinking about actually writing some maybe even soon!! it's interesting bc i've discussed smut with friends and edited for them and used to roleplay and write smut scenes and that all felt fine but i haven't yet wrapped my head around the idea of being like "this is my little smut scene i made up all by myself and now i'm broadcasting it to the masses." feels like i'm opening myself up to psychoanalysis!! but also maybe once i actually write the smut scene i'll be like oh. no biggie. ok post. so we'll see hahahahah

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

not crossovers in the traditional sense but crossovers in the sense that i pick up my little blorbos and cast them in other tv shows/movies/etc, yes, constantly.

i mentioned howl above but i love that one, my sansa-centric scream au. i love jon snow mia thermopolis princess diaries hahahahah. i think it's cute and funny. i love using robin and chrissy from stranger things to make miss congeniality gay. the fic i'm posting in a few days for the stranger things rare pair big bang is also about robin and chrissy in a lil reality tv verse, so that one is really fun and silly and sweet too i think.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

i don't think so! the only time anything like this has happened to me was like a tumblr rp blog misunderstanding a long time ago.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

no but that would be cool!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

no but i started writing mainly through role playing! so that was co-writing just in a different sense, and i miss that. it's also just really fun to talk about ideas and stuff with friends and then not always actually have to write them. i do play around with concepts a lot with @mistysharks and @beholdthemem for chrissy and the stranger things teen crew, and @cellsshapedlikestars and i also help each other brainstorm sansa and jon related asoiaf stuff which i always super appreciate

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

i'm more of a favorite ship per fandom kind of gal than a favorite ship over all, but i'm also a multishipper in that i can kind of get into my main blorbos with anyone. i'm super still in my chrissy phase rn and i love writing her with robin, but also in a lil steve/chrissy/eddie ot3. that said i feel like i mainly read hellcheer!!

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

i hope it doesn't surprise anyone to hear that i DO have designs to finish i carry it in mine!! and howl. and desert hearts. like i have specific enough endings in mind that i am working towards for all of those.

the wip that i wish i could finish but know i never will is my marauders mediator series au based on the meg cabot books where lily can talk to ghosts and james is a ghost. i started writing it like back in 2015!! and then even started rewriting it in 2020. and i still love it. but it would be a big project to take on and one that would take a lot more work to figure out, let alone just write, and i don't really see it happening. that said i will always love it!!!

i also started a resurrection au marauders story where lily etc all start coming back to life when harry is like 24 so seven years after the end of the books, and i always thought the like emotional drama in that was so slay too. but the resurrection show itself never really had good answers for the paranormal plot/how it would play out and so i didn't have anything to crib off of lmao. and i never really invested much thought into figuring it out myself iirc. so i never really knew like plotwise where i wanted it to go so much as i was just like "how would the characters react if this happened" but i did like that thought exercise. maybe i would've written more if it would've felt like that would be satisfying to read for other people without actual like. plot.

16. What are your writing strengths?

ummm i'm really interested in like. character profiles. so i think i tend to gravitate towards that sort of story personally. a character figuring themselves/what they want out.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

low key i just like almost never write physical description stuff into my stories?? like it's all fanfiction so i'm like ok first of all you already know what everybody looks like. it takes a lot more active effort for me to be like. does the reader need to know what the character looks like right now?? does the reader need to have a clear vision of where the characters are?? what the room looks like?? i could probably afford to do that more but i find that i tend to skip it a lot

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

hmmm i really only have one fic where that might apply i think. i'd probs try to do it minimally bc i wouldn't want to do a bad job but if it's just one line i could see myself just, you know, doing google translate if i don't know a speaker i can run it by

19. First fandom you wrote for?

harry potter!! i found my way to marauders era pretty quick.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

i have a lot of love and tenderness in my heart for desert hearts and i carry it in mine. so far those are like my heart-squeezey fics imo. but i also love howl!!! a combination of some of my favorite interests and stories. i feel like these are my main three wips too so i gotta just keep tinkering away until a new chapter falls out. hopefully sooner than later for desert hearts and i carry it in mine, which i have in fact been reorganizing a lil lately!!

anyway!!

ty again for the tag @2btheanswertothequestion!! if you want to do this: @cellsshapedlikestars @mistysharks @beholdthemem @chdarling

[singular-yike]

Got anything on Shiro-onee-sama? (I think I'm just going to make it my thing to give you cursed nicknames.)

We already did one on Hoojiro herself, so instead here's one on the almost cult-like organization that she belongs to herself: The "Ponderer of the Ivory Cup", or the "Thinker in the Eibon".

Depicted below: Hoojiro pondering her cup (Not really obviously but I have a format by now and it feels weird not having an image at all)

What we know

The Ponderer of the Ivory Cup was mentioned by Hoojiro in AWTIF as a mysterious group of philosopher-scientists.

They're an organization interested in researching the unknown mechanisms of the world, which they simply call "Unknowns", or "Black Boxes", systems whose internal workings are not understood, but can still achieve results based on inputs and outputs.

They're interested in understanding and making use of these unknowns, and to this end performs experiments with and on them.

Namesake: The Ivory Cup (Cup of Eibon)

The "Ivory Cup" (based on an MtG card of the same name), is the group's central theme of contemplation as well as their namesake.

According to Haru, it's a cup "filled from the abyss accumulated at the base of a spring of wisdom, deep-rooted at the pith of the world"... Whatever that may mean.

Curiously, someone has apparently seen this cup before, and claimed that it's mug-shaped. While Hoojiro never gets to reveal who, judging by Haru's reaction, it would seem that she at least believes that it's Tsubakura Enraku.

According to the group's English title, it would seem that the Ivory Cup is also called the "Cup of Eibon".

This makes reference to the fictional Lovecraftian magician "Eibon of Mhu-Thulan", first mentioned in the Hyperborean Cycle by Clark Ashton Smith.

The most famous artefact pertaining to him is the Book of Eibon, which contains the magic spells he practiced, records of the area he lived in and historical accounts of other mages.

When H. P. Lovecraft adopted the character and the book into his own writings, he wrote that the book was translated from its original lost language of "Hyperborea" into several other languages, notably Liber Ivonis in Latin and Livre d'Ivon in French.

Here, "Ivon" and "Ivonis" are meant to conjure up the image of ivory white, as opposed to the ebony black "Eibon" alludes to, both referenced in the titles of the object.

While there's nothing that ties either Eibon or his book to a cup, the name was likely picked for how much arcane knowledge his book had recorded, in reference to what the Ivory Cup itself seems to contain.

Name: Ponderer of the Ivory Cup

While the name "Thinker in the Eibon" is given to us directly in English, the Japanese title 象牙の杯を酌む者, which I had translated as "Ponderer of the Ivory Cup", is actually quite the tricky one.

It's all because of the verb used in the title, kumu (酌む), one that has a number of varying meanings. Complicating things is the object on which it acts, the "Ivory Cup", a term which itself acts as both a physical cup and a conceptual metaphor for the unknown.

So, if you care for a little behind-the-scenes "how I got to this translation" section, here we go. (And if not: feel free to skip this part I just need to get this out lol)

To understand how the verb is used, we must look at the three times Hoojiro herself used it in the story, here I'll italicize the word translated from kumu.

Hoojiro first used the word in protest to Haru's use of "philosopher" to describe her profession:

Haru "Yes, I get it, you’re not a scientist, you’re a philosopher." Hoojiro "Not a philosopher, a 'ponderer', of the Ivory Cup." Haru "....aren’t they the same after all?"

Here she uses the verb's definition of "to think, guess, hypothesize, contemplate, etc. about something" to make "ponderer" (酌む者 lit. a person who ponders/thinks/considers), which can be seen from Haru then refuting that the change of wording makes no difference.

Hoojiro next uses the term when talking about the Ivory Cup:

Hoojiro "It's the cup that is filled from the abyss accumulated at the base of a spring of wisdom, deep-rooted at the pith of the world."

It's fairly clear from the context that the cup is "drawing water" from the abyss. So kumu is used here under the definition "to fill a vessel (with liquid, typically saké)"; or to be metaphorically "drinking" from the abyss, under the definition "to drink (typically saké)".

Hoojiro finally uses the term when introducing the organization itself as a part of the organization's name.

Hoojiro "Although we do not understand the 'unknown' mechanisms, it is still possible to make use of them. We call the organization that tries to unravel these unknowns (black boxes), 'Ponderer' of the Ivory Cup (Thinker in the Eibon)."

Here the organization is the subject of her sentence that acts on the Ivory Cup in turn, and all three previously mentioned definitions are applicable:

The group "ponders" the unknowns that the Ivory Cup represents.

They metaphorically "drink" from the cup, partaking in its mysteries by both making uses of and experimenting with them.

They "draw water" from the cup, which is said to be from a "spring of wisdom", representing the knowledge they reveal and obtain from studying the black boxes.

Honestly, I'd say that the organization's Japanese title is actually "Ponderer(s) of the Ivory Cup", "Filler(s) of the Ivory Cup" and "Drinker(s) of the Ivory Cup" all at once.

In fact, the word choice was likely deliberately precisely because it is able to convey all three (six) of these meanings at once. Ultimately though, I chose "Ponderer of the Ivory Cup" to mirror the English title "Thinker in the Eibon".

Potential Theories

Right! So that's really all that we concretely have on the mysterious organisation. However, there are a few interesting possibilities that we could keep at the back of our mind:

It's very likely that Tsubakura is a member of this group too, especially considering that their previous research into dimensions certainly sounds like they fall under the group's interests

It's quite possible that Yabusame Houlen is involved as well, perhaps as a member or a target of study, thanks to their ability

In a similar vein, it's possible that Suzumi Kuzu was involved as well, thanks to their unique existence.

It may also be that they are related to how Yabusame and Suzumi became the way they are

And that's all that I really have on them, we can't get much until we learn more about them after all. In any case, I hope you enjoyed :)

[gummybugg]

(From @new-royston-cursebreakers for the character pen pals thing!)

Dear Frasier,

Hello! My name is Caelan Leroy and I’m writing from New Royston, Connecticut. My school, James Violett Memorial High School, is encouraging us students to sign up for a pen pal program to meet people and to learn more about the world outside New Royston’s curse, and I was intrigued when I saw your name on the list!

You see, my father is the mayor of New Royston, and coming from such a successful political family, I’m expected to take the mantle of politics when I grow up as well. Not that I don’t look forward to it, I’d say I’m a pretty good decision maker and I have quite a penchant for public speaking. But I got put into public school so I could ‘start building my voter base as early as possible’ so that’s how serious my family is about this.

I was hoping that, as the trusted assistant to the mayor of Crater City, you could give me some insight as to the background functions of political office. I know that if I wrote to Mayor Darcy, he’d give me the same spiel about putting in the hard work and serving the public and blah blah blah all the same stuff everyone else has told me about. You see things behind the scenes. I want to know the nitty-gritty stuff: what does a day look like for you? What’s the most challenging thing you have to do? Why did you get into this business in the first place, and how?

Of course, I’d be happy to answer any questions you have for me. Though I am only fourteen, so I’m not sure if I could be any help for an established man such as yourself. But rest assured that your advice shapes an impressionable young mind and helps prepare the children of today for the future of tomorrow. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Caelan Leroy

Dear Caelan Leroy,

First, I wanted to mention how you share a very similar story to Darcy’s. Second, you are very lucky this letter did not reach Darcy because he has a tendency to go a bit “overboard,” as they say. I'm sure you would not be too interested in an eleven-page manifesto on what it means to be mayor coming from a man with a savior complex. And if by some chance this letter gets run by him (which it will not; that I am certain of), I have no doubt that he would agree with me. 

A day in the life of Frasier, the mayor’s assistant… Let’s start with how each morning I come into the building (an hour before the mayor, mind you) I begin by checking missed messages. I’m not only a receptionist, but I also oversee business propositions, schedule public/private meetings, and am the first person anyone goes through before the mayor sees them…but I know you didn’t write to hear me rant about any of that. 

So here's the thing: I have access to confidential information on business transactions, receipts telling me where and how money is being spent, and terabytes of private messages and historical records dating back over a hundred years. I am Darcy’s most trusted assistant, indeed! (Which also means I also have dirt on many important figures.)

The most challenging thing I have to do is dispose of those who disagree with the mayor. By “challenging,” I mean that sometimes the people I have to dispose of are hardly a threat by any means, yet I am bound by my contract to comply. Give them the red mark, and send them away. Where? I am under oath not to say.

How I got into the business is a tricky subject, but I believe that I am able to spare a few details. You see, Darcy and I have known each other for many years. Long ago, he had promised me we could change the world for the better, to save humanity together, and I was silly enough to believe him. You could say we didn’t/don’t see eye to eye on a few issues. But it's not like I can magically wave away my contract/duties. No, this position grants me intel I could never have received as a common citizen. I get to uncover the truth that goes on in this city while protecting those I care about, and that is a contract I could never bear to break. 

But enough about me! I wonder what public school is like these days, and am curious how that’s holding up. What’s your day-to-day life like in New Roysten? I’m not sure I’ve ever visited there. It sounds to me like both of our cities share a bit of mystique, and I would love to hear more about yours!

Thank you for taking time out of your day to reach out.

Sincerely,

Frasier

(tagging @writeouswriter for crater city content)

[wickedsrest-rp]

NAME: Wicked’s Rest Natural History Museum

LOCATION: Oldtown

With its rich history and strange mineral abnormalities, Wicked’s Rest is the perfect home for a natural history museum. For the most part, Wicked’s Rest Natural History Museum is completely ordinary, with exhibits ranging from oceanic fossils to live insects. The fact some of the fossils, artifacts, and bones on display are riddled with mystery is pretty standard for items that are centuries upon centuries old. The museum is popular among visitors and residents alike due to having some of the most unique specimens recorded in the field. The fact that those who research some of the stranger items seem to go missing without a trace probably isn’t related. Missing persons do seem to be par for the course in Wicked’s Rest as it is. 

There are several sets of bones that appear to be from the same animal, but no matter how they’re articulated, they don’t seem to be in quite the right place. Some patrons swear they’ve seen the bones tremble, but the curator swears it’s just a trick of the light. She’s probably right. 

One of the curators, Linda Barnes, is under the impression that there is nothing supernatural or magical about any items in their exhibitions. Those who work at the museum have probably heard her rants on people not being able to appreciate the historic discoveries for what they are. Other curators may be more in the know...

One collection that the museum boasts is a series of pottery pieces with inscriptions that appear to be in some sort of unknown language. While linguists have been unable to translate this potential language, if they are able to find patterns, that makes these pieces some of the oldest recorded samples of writing. This may actually be true, but linguists aren’t likely to have much luck. Demonic languages really are a tricky thing. 

The townspeople have a habit of claiming some of the fossils come from some of their renowned cryptids. Technically, they’re not all wrong. 

Many students at UMWR choose to complete internships at the museum. Often those giving tours throughout the week are students at the University. The museum does seem to have a hard time keeping interns, but that’s likely due to how many students never return to their dorms. 

A variety of different classes are offered at the museum, from kids’ mini archaeology digs to presentations on carbon dating, there truly is something for everyone. 

The museum proudly displays a variety of bones and miscellanea that were spit out at La Sauce. Some of the labels are speculative, since the bones don’t appear to come from any recognizable animal. What kind of dinosaur has six pairs of arms? Don’t think too hard about it.

[alertfacts]

Is it illegal to hit a girl? Uncovering the Truth Behind the Law

Ever heard the phrase ‘never hit a girl’? It's one of those unwritten rules that most of us grow up hearing. But, let’s be honest—life isn’t always as simple as catchy sayings. Sometimes, situations get messy, emotions run high, and people lose their cool. But when it comes to actually laying hands on someone—specifically a girl—you’ve got to ask yourself, is it illegal to hit a girl?

This question might seem straightforward, but the truth is, the law doesn’t always operate on simplicity. There's more to it than just a yes or no. In this article, we're going to dive into the nitty-gritty of what the law says about hitting a girl, explore the consequences, and answer some of the most pressing questions surrounding this topic. Buckle up, because we're about to uncover the truth behind the law!

The Law and Gender: Does It Matter?

First things first—does the law differentiate based on gender? The answer is both yes and no. In most legal systems, the law is designed to protect all individuals, regardless of gender. That means it’s illegal to hit anyone, whether they're male or female. However, society’s perception often varies, and these perceptions can sometimes influence the legal system.

Legal Protections for Women

Historically, women have been viewed as more vulnerable, and laws have evolved to offer them additional protections. For instance, domestic violence laws are often designed with women in mind, given that they are statistically more likely to be victims of such violence. But does this mean that hitting a girl carries harsher legal consequences than hitting a man? Not necessarily.

In cases of assault, the law typically looks at the circumstances surrounding the incident—what happened, why it happened, and who was involved—rather than solely focusing on gender. However, if the assault is part of a pattern of domestic abuse, or if the girl is a minor, then yes, the penalties can be more severe.

Assault Is Assault

When it comes to physical violence, assault is assault. Whether it’s a bar fight between two guys or an argument that turns physical between a man and a woman, the law is pretty clear: hitting someone without their consent is illegal. So, if you’re wondering, "is it illegal to hit a girl?" the short answer is absolutely yes. But let's dig deeper.

The Consequences: What Happens If You Hit a Girl?

Alright, so we’ve established that hitting a girl is illegal. But what exactly happens if you cross that line? Well, the consequences can vary depending on a few key factors:

The Severity of the Assault: Was it a slap or a full-on punch? Did it result in injuries? The more severe the assault, the harsher the penalties.

The Relationship Between the Parties: Are you strangers, friends, or in a romantic relationship? Domestic violence laws can come into play if you’re in a relationship with the girl.

Location of the Incident: Did the incident occur in a public place, at home, or in a school? Some locations have stricter penalties.

The Girl’s Age: If the girl is a minor, the consequences can be far more severe.

Potential Legal Penalties

Misdemeanor Assault: If the assault is minor (think pushing or shoving), it might be classified as a misdemeanor. This could result in fines, community service, or a short jail sentence.

Felony Assault: If the assault causes serious harm, or if it’s part of a pattern of abuse, it could be charged as a felony. This could lead to a lengthy prison sentence and a criminal record that follows you for life.

Restraining Orders: If the girl feels threatened, she might seek a restraining order against you. Violating this order could lead to further legal trouble.

Civil Lawsuits: In addition to criminal charges, the girl could also sue you in civil court for damages. This could result in you paying significant compensation.

Gender Stereotypes: The Double-Edged Sword

Now, here’s where things get a bit tricky. Society often views men as the aggressors and women as the victims, which can influence how cases are perceived and prosecuted. This isn’t to say that the law itself is biased, but societal attitudes can sometimes play a role in how justice is served.

The Role of Gender Stereotypes

Women as Victims: There's a stereotype that women are always the victims in situations of violence. While this is often true, it can sometimes lead to unfair assumptions in cases where the woman was the aggressor or where mutual violence occurred.

Men as Aggressors: Similarly, men are often seen as the aggressors, which can lead to harsher judgments and penalties. Even if a man was acting in self-defense, he might still face significant legal challenges if he hits a girl.

Breaking Down the Myths

It’s important to remember that the law is meant to be impartial. Whether you’re a man or a woman, the same rules apply: it’s illegal to hit someone, period. The key is to look at the specifics of each case rather than relying on stereotypes.

Self-Defense: Is It Ever Okay to Hit a Girl?

This brings us to another important question: is it ever okay to hit a girl? The answer, legally speaking, is that it depends on the circumstances. Self-defense is one of the few situations where hitting someone might be legally justified, but there are strict rules around this.

The Basics of Self-Defense

Imminent Threat: You must be facing an immediate threat of harm. If a girl is attacking you with a weapon, for example, you might be justified in using force to defend yourself.

Proportional Force: The force you use must be proportional to the threat. If a girl pushes you, responding with a punch might not be considered self-defense.

Duty to Retreat: In some places, you’re required to try and retreat before using force. If you can safely walk away from the situation, you should do so.

Legal Complications

Even if you’re acting in self-defense, hitting a girl can still lead to legal complications. You might have to prove that you were genuinely threatened and that your response was appropriate. This can be a challenging legal battle, and it’s one where gender stereotypes can sometimes come into play.

The Importance of Context: Not All Cases Are Created Equal

When discussing whether it’s illegal to hit a girl, it’s essential to consider the context. Every situation is unique, and the law takes this into account. Here are a few scenarios to illustrate how context matters:

Scenario 1: The Bar Fight

Imagine you’re at a bar, and a girl who’s had a bit too much to drink starts shoving you. You ask her to stop, but she keeps going, and eventually, you push her away. She stumbles and falls, and now you’re facing assault charges. In this case, the law might consider your actions a form of self-defense, especially if witnesses testify that she was the aggressor.

Scenario 2: The Domestic Dispute

Now, let’s say you’re in a heated argument with your girlfriend, and things escalate. She slaps you, and in the heat of the moment, you slap her back. This situation is more complex because it involves domestic violence. Even though she hit you first, your response might still lead to serious legal consequences, especially if there’s a history of violence.

Scenario 3: The Schoolyard Scuffle

Finally, consider a situation where a teenage boy and girl get into a fight at school. The girl punches the boy, and he punches her back. In this scenario, the school might get involved, and both students could face disciplinary action. Legally, both could be charged with assault, but the boy might face harsher penalties due to societal attitudes.

Conclusion

So, is it illegal to hit a girl? Yes, but the law is more nuanced than a simple "yes" or "no." The key takeaway is that violence is never the answer, and hitting someone—regardless of their gender—can lead to serious legal consequences. Whether it’s a bar fight, a domestic dispute, or a schoolyard scuffle, the law is clear: assault is illegal.

However, context matters. The specifics of each case—who was involved, what happened, and why—will ultimately determine the legal outcome. And while the law strives to be impartial, societal attitudes and gender stereotypes can sometimes influence how justice is served.

In the end, the best course of action is to walk away from any situation that could turn violent. Not only will this keep you out of legal trouble, but it’s also the right thing to do. After all, no one should ever resort to violence, no matter how heated the situation gets.