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[lizardho]

I came out to my dad as bisexual at 14 and I was PANICKED because I had a crush on a guy in my Boy Scout troop and thought I was Going To Hell Forever and he was so kind and understanding of my distress, but he had NO idea what bisexuality was. He just said “yeah but you like girls too? This is normal. Everyone is like this.” And I love my dad and trust him with my life to this day and the idea that the concept of bisexuality had not occurred to him had not occurred to me so I put it off.

By 16 though I had a crush on like THREE boys. Three entire boys in my Boy Scout troop. I felt like my sin was slowly advancing, until like an untreated cancer it had become metastatic. I remember bawling my L’il limp-wristed sissy eyes out in his big rumbly truck on the way home from a scout meeting and him telling me that it was OK, that he still loved me if I was gay, but that he knew I wasn��t gay because I still had crushes on women and that meant I was straight. I didn’t quite know how to explain that those felt *~*different*~* and that I felt like I was losing a fight to evil inside me but I again felt comforted by his reassurances and his genuine fatherly love.

At 18 I was like “hey I’m realizing all my friends are going on missions. I don’t wanna do that. Idk how to say that and I don’t have a ‘good enough’ reason to not wanna go.” So I just put it off. Again, my parents were extremely supportive of the information I gave them (I blamed it on perpetually forgetting to start the paperwork.) and one day my mom texted me that she had done the paperwork for me! And that all I needed was to get a physical! So I did that (it was awkward af tbh, my hernia check was done by a trainee doctor and she spent like 3 minutes fishing around my inguinal canals before her attending rescued me) and was sent to Mexico City where I learned that in addition to dipshit himbos with strong hands and scruffy guys with artistic hearts I was REALLY into chubby Latin men with strong personalities who bullied me a little when I lived in Mexico.

I remember my first companion got annoyed with me during an argument and said we were just gonna wrestle and whoever won the wrestling match won the argument (I stg I am dead serious this happened.) I was like…SWEATING when he tore off his tie and threw his white button-down shirt onto the ground (I won btw, don’t ask me how).

I remember one of my companions with this really intense, almost manic energy telling me that he was gonna make sure I was safe in a new area I didn’t know very well. He cooked breakfast for me and we’d go shopping together on P-Days and in the mornings before breakfast he’d jog around and do pull-ups with his shirt off and I’d do anything but look at him because my face would break out in a sweat so intense he’d think I was crying and come over to see if I was OK and somehow make it worse. He let me play D&D with myself in the evenings even though it was against mission rules because he knew how lonely and stressed I was.

I remember one of my companions was a big chubby man with a loud voice and a great sense of humor. He was kind and direct when addressing conflicts with me, and always bragged about how he knew the secrets of women’s minds and it felt like he really did since it almost always boiled down to “Treat Them Like People and Love Them a Lot. Don’t Stop Being A Person For Them. Also Eat Them Out Sloppy Style.” Our P-Day activities sometimes felt like dates, and it seemed like he was more attentive to my emotional state than I was since he was always the first to suggest we slow down our Divinely Mandated, God-Ordained, Super Sacred Work and Wonder to get a snack or check out a Pawn Shop (I love Pawn Shops).

I remember another companion who asked me to bully him every time he did something against his goal of losing weight. It was like he gave me Carte Blanche to take out my crush on him by being a nuisance and I LOVED that. I remember having a breakdown one day after we’d spent the afternoon frantically cleaning our disgusting-barely-habitable mission house to make it look less vile that it was (not our fault imo?) and I started bawling and he pulled me into a hug and he smelled good and he told me he knew it wasn’t just the house and that I was mad at him for being a Huge Dickhead for about a week (true) and that he would work on it. (He’s also a huge chaser but that’s a separate thing.)

I remember one of my companions waking up early (and our schedule is already built for sleep deprivation) to make me a “birthday cake” from knock-off Nutella and bread. He used matches for candles and woke me up, lit the ‘candles,’ pulled them out, then smashed it in my face and took a bunch of pictures while I was still madrugada and disoriented as fuck. He had the same sense of humor as one of my HS crushes and I could push his buttons pretty easily which was so fun.

I came home from my mission and started back at BYU where I became actively and aggressively suicidal. I had a stalker the year I moved up there and my dad’s solution to that was to get me a gun. I know he wouldn’t have bought me a gun if he could have read my mind, but I had a loaded pistol under my bed during a trifecta faith/sexuality/gender crisis and that was not helpful. I remember that the day I decided to kill myself I figured I’d call the BYU CAPS and see if I could get into therapy because it felt like what I was “supposed to do” so I could check my suicide boxes. My therapist was the guy who’d helped me pick a major the year before and was this drop-dead gorgeous Hawaiian man who cried when I told him how I’d been feeling.

A few weeks into therapy I met another stunning man with soft eyes and a scruffy illegal-at-BYU beard he kept pushing his luck with. He was funny, kind, patient, married, and wouldn’t give me the time of day if he knew I was crushing on him. We were in my history of psych class, which was inarguably the worst psych class I have ever had, and we studied together for every assignment and test and I realized that my feelings for him and for all the men I’d already mentioned were in direct conflict with my faith and relationship with God. My already agonizing spiritual conflict became even more wretched and as a result of this plus some other tightly-packed experiences with Mormonisms bullshit, I left the church.

After leaving the church I decided to move back to AZ and transfer to ASU. My mom helped me get a dog since I think it had started to dawn on my family that my mental health was barely getting me through the day, and she knew that we both loved dogs. Madi made my last year at BYU livable while I got my shit together and transferred. In that last year, I went on a date with quite possibly the only semi-openly-out trans person on BYU campus. It was not a great date imo, I was not doing well, but the person I spoke with was fun and fascinating and talked to me about Gender Dysphoria and it really cemented my need to go. To leave and never come back to that fucking school.

I started at ASU a month after my last semester at BYU and within a very short time frame it felt like I was coming back together, like a puzzle magically putting itself together in an environment that wasn’t slowly draining that puzzle’s will to live.

On the 4th of July, the year I started at ASU, I saw a transition timeline photo of a gorgeous happy beautiful happy radiant happy woman and her former Mormon missionary self and I realized the light that was on in her eyes was the light that was off in mine. I looked into transitioning for 3 days, sleeping about 10 hours total during that time. I started talking to other trans people on Reddit (one of whom is now my beautiful fiancée @cintailed) and after about a month of making preparations to be disowned and kicked out, something I was not sure would happen but was ready to go through to Turn On The Lights, I came out to my family and it was amazing. I started HRT a month after that. I secretly dated some dorky guys for about a year while I applied to grad schools. I got into a great grad school for me and my needs. I got FFS. I did my trainings and classes. Me and my fiancée moved in together after some LDR shenanigans. We’ve lived together now for 4 years of basically marital bliss. We have a cat named Grandmother Esmeralda Weatherwax who bites the hell out of my feet about three times a day. My bi-cycle continues to be part of my life but now it’s not as scary. Baby gays in my life have started to look to me for advice. Idk how this all happened so fast. When the years, months, weeks, days, and hours seems to crawl by so slowly now they are rushing past me so fast it’s almost bewildering. Whereas before I felt like I was living on borrowed time, past my ‘expiration date,’ now it feels like I can Fucking Breathe. I’m training myself to slow down now and it feels worth it to Live In The Moment.

Idk why I wrote this. Idk why these thoughts only seem to come up on Sundays when I’m supposed to be writing my dissertation. Idk why I’m crying rn or why I feel so happy. I’m gonna post this shit then get on with my dissertation I guess. Read more Terry Pratchett and give yourselves the time you need. Get a pet. Talk to someone. Re-examine the events that brought you here. Be gayer. Love y’all 💕

[embracing-the-ineffable]

Save Good Omens 3!

The delightfully legendary subversive movement among key GO players continues! First, Mickey Ralph, Lead Graphic Designer, tweets on 10/15, "Well team, we may have bloody done the impossible. Looks like I might be headed back up to Scotland" and then adds "KEEP SHOWING LOVE!!", "PROVE TO THEM ITS WORTH IT!!", "@FYeahGoodOmens pls jump in and rally the troops!" (tweet since deleted). Plus a comment on Instagram, "Oops! Not me leaking info to hungry fans":

And now Peter Anderson Studio, today, 10/18, "here's a sign we designed that could perhaps lead you to a nice little cottage" and a reply to someone (about their "weeks of silence") with a gif with the text "Were you silent or were you silencedt?!":

That post was replaced with this less-obviously-GO one (the comments are great, go read them!), "Many of you may not know we design signage sometimes too! Here’s one we made for South Downs National Park a few years ago":

They're feeding us hope in return for us showing strong support to Amazon to #ResumeGoodOmens3 🥰 Keep it up everyone, let's get our hashtags trending!

[amjustagirl]

Chapter 3

pairing: hoshina soshiro x f! reader

genre: romance, angst

wc: 3.6k

summary: you've loved soshiro since you were seven. he will always place his duty above you.

chapt 1 / chapt 2 / chapt 3 / chapt 4 / chapt 5

The fight with Number 12 is exhausting, but Hoshina Soshiro emerges victorious. 

Not that he had any doubt (lies, what a fuckin’ lie, cos there was a point where he thought he’d drop dead from exhaustion, because Number 12 really was the new improved Number 10, who’d damn near run him into the ground), but other than the fact that he’d very much like to curl up in his bunk and sleep for the next week, he is pleased with himself. 

He wonders a little about the choice of location of Number 12’s appearance. Chofu airport is outside of central Tokyo, mostly suburban other than the circle of industrial Izumo Tech buildings a few streets down which he’s too familiar with (you come to mind, but he dismisses that thought immediately), but evacuation efforts seemed relatively complete, so he doesn’t pay any of this a second thought.

Because, of course, Number 9 tries to get its dirty paws on Captain Mina Ashiro. And, as everyone knows, if Captain Mina Ashiro is absorbed by Number 9, so too with her would be the rest of Japan’s hopes of withstanding the kaiju threat. 

Hoshina Soshiro therefore has no space in his mind to deal with anything but that.

By the end of the entire ordeal with Number 9, he can barely prop his eyelids up. He has reports to make, the casualties in his division to account for, troops to rally because the kaiju threat is never over, they’ll hit exactly when his back is turned. The Captain deserves a break with all that she’s gone through today, so it’s his time to step up and support her wherever he can. 

Still, he sneaks a look at his phone. 

 <stay safe>  <don’t be eaten by a kaiju>  <eat ‘em for brekkie instead>

He’s tempted to respond, but tells himself that he has no time to. It’s not that he’s avoiding you deliberately. Things have been hectic, and you wanted distance, hadn’t you, to give your friendship breathing space, let it recover from any awkwardness that lingers. It feels strange, being bereft of you these past few months. His fingers draft texts to you before his brain catches up to remind him that he needs to stay away from you. He wanders about the base on his days off, tracing an aimless circuit between his room, the gym and his desk, burying himself in paperwork and relentless training.

He tells himself this is how it should be. Duty never stops its call. 

“Okonogi san, report on any casualties in the area.”

“Mostly clear”, she reports. “Most civilians managed to clear out with the help of the Japan Ground Self Defense Force.” 

He closes his eyes in relief, though there’s still a prickling feeling of unease. “What about the Izumo Tech buildings?” 

He recalls blowing right through some of the buildings in the compound, blasting through concrete, leaving nothing but rubble behind. Surely no one remained in those buildings. 

“Mm”, Okonogi hesitates. “We can’t say for certain but rescue workers said they may have had some people trapped in the wreckage.’

It’s not his purview to concern himself with rescue efforts when his speciality is to fight and exterminate monsters. So he returns to base, doles out back slaps and hi fives to his officers, especially his baby ducklings, as he teasingly names his latest batch of recruits, swallows perfectly marbled beef courtesy of Izumo-kun, which reminds him - 

“I may have knocked down some of your family’s buildings in a fight”, he jokes. “Send the bill to Number 12 instead of me though, a vice captain’s paycheck won’t cut it.” 

Instead of laughing at his joke, Haruichi remains pensieve. “Last I heard, a couple of our employees were being dug out of those buildings”, he says somberly. 

Soshiro forgets how to breathe. 

“There were people in those buildings?” he demands. 

“Not everyone left when the evacuation signal went off”, Haruichi replies. “Apparently some people got trapped in the weapon forge -”

His body reacts before Haruichi has a chance to finish. He doesn’t bother if he makes a scene by shooting to his feet, racing outside the mess hall to punch your number into his phone. “Pick up, damnit”, he snarls, pacing outside, pinching his nose bridge because his calls go unanswered, your phone isn’t even connected to the network - 

Perhaps you just dropped your phone in the chaos. There’s no way you’re still stuck there. You should’ve been smart enough to run at the first sign of trouble -

“Vice Captain, do you want me to check -” 

He blurts out your name. Bless Izumo Haruichi who springs into action without asking questions. 

“Hey, nii-san - yeah, look, could you help me look into something?” 

He’s probably overreacting. For all he knows, you’re warm and snug in your bed in your cramped apartment, not buried beneath tons of burnt concrete and twisted pillars. Now, in the valley of despair, he admits what he’s always known - he misses you dearly, has felt the loss of your easy friendship over the last few months, mourned the absence of your laughter and smiles. 

It hurts enough to miss you. It’s unbearable to even consider he might never see you again. 

“Yeah”, Haruichi says, face dropping. “Thanks for letting me know.” 

His blood goes cold. 

“They pulled her out of the wreckage a while ago. She’s undergoing surgery right now.” 

For the first time in his life, he rails against his duty. He can’t leave his post, but the Captain orders him to go when she catches him harassing the hospital staff with endless calls throughout the night, asking only that he return before sunrise. It’s three quarters of an hour, maybe less if he floors the car he borrowed, weaving through kaiju decimated streets. 

He’s listed as one of your emergency contacts, probably because the rest of your family’s hours away in Osaka, so the doctors fill him in on your condition, even though he’s not family. 

Bones broken, by concrete crushing your body. Right side covered in burns, from a fire spread through the wreckage. Internal bleeding, probably a severe concussion, and they’re not sure your body will withstand the combined damage from all your injuries. 

“Too soon to tell”, the doctors shake their heads. “We’ll keep you updated.” 

Soshiro wants to punch the walls. Instead, he clenches his teeth. “Please do”, he replies tightly. 

There is nothing he can do but go back to base and wait. 

The hospital probably would put him on a blacklist if it weren’t the aftermath of a national emergency considering the way he bombards them every morning and night with calls to check on your status. You go through skin grafts for your burns, and he promptly loses his mind with worry when they tell him you’re on severe antibiotics to fight off the infections. Two nights ago, the doctors called him to say that they’re wheeling you back into surgery, having detected the source of bleeding in your stomach, and after another long sleepless night, all they can tell him is that they hope your condition should stabilise eventually. 

He’s on the verge of raising his voice to tell them to shove their half baked updates up their ass, when he remembers it’s not their fault you’re lying unmoving and broken in a narrow hospital bed. 

(it’s his) 

(he did this to you)

When they finally give him the okay to visit, he rushes to your side late at night with leave from the Captain, who merely reminds him not to break the speed limit. It’s past visiting hours but the nurses know better than to get in his way as he throws open the door to your room. 

You’re hooked up to machines which pump your lungs full of air, bruised and puffy and wholly unrecognisable under bone white bandages that wrap around most of your right side. You’re so still and unmoving that - if not for the beep of the machine registering your heart beat - 

He’s not going to finish that train of thought. He’s not. 

“Hey”, he breathes. He doesn’t dare touch you, lest you shatter. 

He stays by your bedside the entire night, slouched in one of those uncomfortable hospital chairs. “My week’s been awful”, he tells her. “It’s been hell trying to cobble together reports about what happened in the fight with Number 12. Plus, we have to rebuild our division and our base, so everyone’s running on fumes.” 

He talks and talks until the sun rises, and he gets up to go. 

“Don’t sleep for too long”, he says, and adds softly. “Stay safe, please.” 

The next day off he has, he returns, a large bouquet of flowers in tow. Your parents are there, finally able to make the trek from Osaka, almost impossible after the shinkansen schedules were disrupted and the highways unpassable. But they’re here, and though they look at him in askance, they quietly thank him for looking after you.

He wonders what they’ll say if they find out it was him who buried you deep in the ground. He’s too much of a coward to confess this to them when you might not wake up to see them again. 

He can’t quite put his finger on why, but he’s always been sure your mother dislikes him. Her smile, when directed at him, is too tight. She insists on you addressing him as the “young master” instead of his given name, which he prefers, and now, she laments the fact that it’s him who’s come to visit you instead of ‘that lovely Yamamoto-kun who sent those nice flowers’, when the door closes behind him. 

It’s a little petty, but he sends an even bigger bouquet of blooms a few days later, making sure to sign his name on an exceptionally large gift card. 

More information comes in on his fight with Number 12. He flips immediately to the section on civilian casualties, of which there are thankfully fewer than expected, though there’s a brief section on employees trapped in the Izumo Tech compound, of particular note because of its national security significance, though it states that several weapons technicians managed to retrieve a substantial amount of tech (specifically, blades) before the building came down on them. 

His stomach turns. He has to dash to the toilet, the taste of vomit burning acid in his mouth. 

The recruits all mutter why Vice Captain Hoshina’s in such a foul mood, forcing them to run laps for the most minor of infractions during training. He’s rude to the doctors when he calls them at night, claiming they still can’t be certain if you’re going to pull through, and even if you do, they also can’t say for sure that you’ll ever open your eyes again. 

Unable to sleep, he takes his frustration out on the training room. 

“Vice Captain.”

He snaps into a salute. “At ease, it’s after hours”, Mina Ashiro takes a seat beside him. “Staying up late to train?” 

“Yes, ma’am”, he replies. It’s the only thing that keeps his mind clear from worries. His sleep is marred by nightmares, his body unable to relax, anticipating the call from the hospital that he fears will inevitably come. 

“You were just doing your job”, she tells him. 

Despite the dark cloud he’s found himself trapped in this past week, his lips can’t help but quirk up at his Captain knowing exactly what’s on his mind. “I know”, he replies simply. “Still.” 

“Strictly off the record”, Mina says. “I’d behave exactly like you if it were Kafka in that hospital bed.” 

“Pretty sure it’ll take a nuclear bomb to take out Hibino-san but I’ll take your word for it.” 

“Hmm”, Mina hums. She’s a woman of few words, so it’s rare that she seeks him out for a conversation on anything that isn’t work related. “Do you ever wonder if we’re too focused on our jobs?”

“With due respect, Captain”, he replies. “That’s probably how we’ve managed to stay alive.” 

“Yes”, she says, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “But sometimes I think we forget what we do this all for.” 

 “And if I may be so bold”, he ventures. “What do you do this all for?” 

“When I was eight, a kaiju attacked my hometown. It wasn’t very large, now in hindsight, but it was large enough to destroy my childhood home, horrible enough to kill my cat.”

“So you resolved to grow up and be the best sniper the Defense Force had ever seen.” 

Mina chuckles. “I don’t think my eight year old self even knew how to be so ambitious.” Her expression sobers. “No, I just never wanted to see my parents cry again.” 

“It seems you’ve achieved your goal.” 

“Have I?” she asks, pulling at her hair absentmindedly. “I haven’t been back to visit my parents in years. I didn’t even keep in touch with Kafka despite us being close friends who grew up together. Yes, maybe in the grand scheme of things, I’ve kept the wider public safe - but that doesn’t change the fact that I’ve lost years of friendship, I’ve lost time I could’ve spent with the people I love.” 

“And you’re saying I’m the same?” 

Mina’s smile is serene. “It’s for you to decide that.”

She lets him ponder on her words in solitude, closing the door to the training room behind her. 

He still remembers the day he met you. 

You’re hiding behind a pillar, dressed in your kimono the same shade of blue as the hydrangeas that bloom in June. The presence of someone his age watching him spar spurs him on, makes him want to show off everything he’s got and give Sochiro a good fight. He’s convinced that the fight pushed Sochiro hard enough to grab you as a distraction from the fact that he’s actually being challenged by his younger brother. 

He doesn’t care if Sochiro’s bullying ways are directed at him. But when he makes you cry, he intervenes without thinking, even though it results in being beaten black and blue. 

But you look at him with stars in your eyes. “You’re amazing”, you tell him. For the first time in his life, Soshiro Hoshina believes that he is strong. 

It’s a cliche, but it’s easier to bear his older brother’s bullying and teasing if you’re there to spur him on with your cheerful words. You’ve always been in his corner, always happy to make a fuss over him, ooh and aah over every new move he learns, making him feel seen when everyone else’s attention is always focused on Sochiro, his more brilliant, gifted older brother

(to be seen is to be loved) 

You’ve supported him through every rainy day, every snowy day, every day of his life since his childhood, making it your life goal to craft the swords he wields. “I’ll make the sharpest blade so you can go be the best swordsman in the world!” you promised him, and so you have. You took up your family’s craft despite being but a slip of a girl, spending hours in the choking heat to learn a dying craft. You worked with an unerring focus in school, first to get into the country’s top engineering course, then graduating with flying colours to land a job at Izumo Tech, spending years subsisting on cup noodles and energy drinks. 

He’s never once even considered the toll it must’ve taken on you, the sacrifice of any semblance of a social life, the sacrifice of leaving Osaka, the comfortable cocoon of your family and friends to follow him to Tokyo. He’s ashamed to admit that he never gave any of this any thought, never really considered what it was like for you, only taking what you were too happy to give, your attention, your time. Every choice you’ve made, you’ve only made for him.  

And how has he repaid you? 

By running away when you admitted to feeling more than friendship for him. He convinced himself at the time with the excuse that he’s too busy, he really has no space in his life for anything but work and the art of the sword. It is all he’s lived and breathed for his entire life. 

But now - 

Now that he’s on the cusp of losing you, he thinks about the sun in your smile, the steel in your spine. He thinks about how much he admires your work ethic, your talent, your warmth and kindness. He remembers how much your friendship chased away the shadows of his self doubts, how you helped shoulder the burdens of chasing his dreams. 

Every rest day he gets to spend off-base, he chooses to spend it with you. Either at a cafe, which you always let him pick, allowing him to satisfy the cravings of his sweet tooth, or in the cramped apartment you call home, indulging in a fizzy can of beer as he talks your ear off about everything and nothing at once. With you, he can be Soshiro Hoshina without pretence, because there’s nothing about him that you haven’t seen. 

He’d ignored that twinge in his chest when you asked about getting yourself a boyfriend, fighting the urge to blurt out that he doesn’t think there’s a guy out there good enough to deserve you. So much so that he buries his relief when you admit that you’re not actually dating anyone by flippantly downplaying how much you mean to him, giving you instead the impression that you’re only worth as much as your usefulness to him. 

No wonder you’d been avoiding him. He didn’t even give you a chance to lick your wounds in private, cornering you, pressing you until you reveal your feelings for him. He’s so thrown by your confession that he reacts by running and hiding, doesn’t spend the time to unpack how he truly feels, doesn’t spare a thought for how you might feel, having your feelings thrown in your face so cruelly. 

How had he been this stupid? 

Worse yet, it’s his fault you’re fighting for your life in a narrow hospital bed. Collateral damage is unfortunately part and parcel of kaiju extermination, he knows that, but he was having fun swinging his sword, never thinking that he might be the cause of you never opening your eyes again. 

Fuck. 

He doesn’t deserve you, doesn’t deserve the chance to look you in the eye, never mind stand by your side. 

Your mother makes that clear the next time their paths cross that she’s of the same view. She’s stiffly polite, as if too painfully reminded that she has to be cordial to the second son of her husband’s longtime business associate, but after she pointedly asks him to shift his flowers to the side to make room for Yamamoto-san’s potted monstrosity, he goes in with a direct attack.   

“You don’t seem to like me very much.” 

To her credit, she doesn’t try to lie. “I care for my daughter”, she replies. 

“So do I”, he retorts without pause.  Because he does, even if he’s stupid enough to realise it a decade too late. 

“Hm”, she grunts, her doubt clear. 

“Since I was eight and she was seven”, he says, the words awkward in his mouth because it’s strange to admit how he feels about you to your mother who clearly disapproves of him, but it’s also a relief to put it to words. “I think I’ve always cared.” 

“I don’t think she knows that”, your mother says, the gentlest he’s ever heard her.  

“If she wakes up - ”, he corrects himself immediately, “when she wakes up -”, but even then his voice falters, because it’s been so long that you’ve been still and unmoving in this bed, swaddled in hospital sheets that too closely resemble a shroud. 

By the gods, what if it’s too late -

“When she wakes up”, your mother says without a tremble of uncertainty in her voice, “you should tell her that yourself.” 

He wishes he had an ounce of your mother’s unwavering faith in fate, because weeks later, your room remains colourless, white and sterile. He places yet another bouquet by your bedside, an array of blue and purple hydrangeas, the last of this year’s summer.

“Wake up”, he tells you. “Last chance for us to catch the fireworks festivals and eat shaved ice. I won’t have to steal your ice cream if we go.” 

You don’t move. 

“Your brother’s wedding’s been postponed because everyone’s waiting for you. Better get up soon, cos’ no one wants to get married in the winter.”

The room remains silent. 

The linoleum of the floor is so beige it makes him want to stomp a hole right through it, make it a little less bland and unappealing. He can’t bring himself to nod at the terrified nurse who squeaks at him to leave the room when it’s time to change your dressing. He’s not known to be emotional, but grief claws up his sternum, longing has his throat in a chokehold. 

“When you wake up, I’ve got a question to ask you. Don’t you wanna wake up to find out what it is?” 

He doesn’t know why he expects a response. 

“Stay safe.” A quiet sigh. Seeya soon.” 

It’s almost dawn by the time he pulls into the base.

Rain drums on the roof of the car, the morning a greyish, cloudy blue. He pulls on his combat jacket, the skin at the back of his neck prickling into goosebumps. His phone rings just as he gets out of the seat, thumb swipes right promptly when he sees the hospital’s number light up the screen. 

“Vice Captain Hoshina speaking.” 

“S-sir”, it must be that nervous nurse from earlier in the night. “You asked us to call if there’s any change in the patient’s condition -”

The beat of his heart grows thunderous in his ears. 

“Yes?” 

a/n: *dum dum dummmmm* another cliffhanger!!!

[dracowars]

Could I please request an Anakin X reader where reader gets overwhelmed in a mission and Anakin gets her out?

overwhelmed | anakin skywalker

pairing: anakin x jedi!reader

word count: 1,1k

summary: where y/n gets overwhelmed on a mission

a/n: i missed writing so much, especially for anakin so i really hope that you enjoy it <3 feedback and reblogging is always appreciated!

warnings: angst, mentions of death, mentions of blood

universe: star wars

"What's happening down there?!", Anakin screams at the hologram map in front of him, demanding to know what is going on on the planet beneath the Resolute. His eyes frantically roam over the map, trying to find the source that caused the small transporter and the protective shields around it to be blown to bits. "General Y/L/N, do you copy?"

It was supposed to be an easy mission with no complications. The plan was simple: deliver the required weapons and care packages to the surface of Ryloth to support the troops and then leave again without a trace, not alarming the Separatists while giving your men an advantage. But instead of doing that, you walked right into a trap.

Pressing your body, which is still shaking from the bomb's hard impact, against a shattered part of the transporter, you try to control your breath, squinting your eyes to see through the dust. Inhaling it, you cough several times, waving your hand in front of your face to make the smoke slowly disappear. You hardly see anything around you, at most silhouettes of soldiers lying on the ground, injured or worse. And very close by, you hear the loud mechnical noise of spider droids coming your way.

Ignoring the panic rising within your veins, you close your eyes and try to think about your next move, trying to find a way out of this. Only then do you notice your com and the voice coming from it, instantly grounding you.

"I copy. We ran into an ambush, I don't know how many of my men survived", you answer into the comlink, forcing your voice to sound as steady as possible. But Anakin notices. He always does.

"You need to get out of there. Right now!", Anakin says with pressure, not paying attention to the fact that he has never felt so relieved to hear you voice, that, as far as he can tell, you are safe and sound. And he does not care what his men around him think, why he is so keen on getting you out of there in one piece.

When the explosions happened, Anakin felt his heart stop, his world stopped spinning. But hearing your voice right now makes it a lot more bearable because you are still there, you are still with him. He should have been down there with you and he is beating himself up for not insisting on coming with you.

"Sir, I don't think that is possible", another voice clarifies through the comlink as Bly, your commander, approaches your side, kneeling in front of you as he speaks to Anakin. His armor is covered in dust and mud, but he appears to have survived the attack without any major damages.

"Why not?", both Anakin and you ask at the same time.

"General, you are injured", Bly points out, motioning to your lower body, which is, indeed, covered in blood. Taking in a deep, shaky breath, your eyes widen and you press your hand on the bleeding wound where a piece of metal must have hit you. Only then do you notice the excruciating pain running through your body, previously hidden by the adrenaline that was still rushing through your veins mere seconds ago.

"How bad is it?", Anakin wants to know immediately, his knuckles turning white from grabbing the table with the hologram map forcefully as it is making fun of him for not being down there with you, only showing him what happened without him being able to intervene.

"I don't think any important organs are damaged, but I can't be sure, Sir. And the Separatists are approaching our current location quickly", Bly explains, offering you an encouraging smile, but all you can feel is bile rising up your throat and panic lacing your laboured breathing. "They knew we would come."

"And they were only waiting to strike", Anakin concludes, lowering his head while searching for answers. But with his heart painfully beating against his chest and your ragged breathing over the com, he can't concentrate. He needs to get you out of there.

"Prepare a shuttle", he orders one of the clones around him, his voice harsh and demanding while you are down there, possibly fighting for your life right now.

"Sir, we are not equipped for such a rescue", you hear from afar, the unbearable pain blocking everything out.

"I can do it, Anakin. It's f-fine", you try to convince him, your hands trembling and your voice only a whisper. Every breath hurts, it gets worse every second and you know that you reached your limit.

You know you won't make it. Even with Bly by your side, the chances of leaving this planet alive are falling close to zero. This realization hits you hard and a single tear slips down your cheek, leaving a wet streak on your dirty face.

"A-Anakin?", you call out to him in pain, the beeping in your ears getting louder and louder. But he does not answer.

Looking up at the sky, in the direction where your transporter came from, where Anakin is located right now, you force a smile on your lips. Black stars cloud your vision as you desperately reach for the Force, calling him.

"General, what are you-", is the last static sound you hear before your body slips into complete darkness.

════════════

Anakin is not the type to stand there doing nothing when the love of his life is on the verge of leaving this galaxy, no matter the cost. And he certainly does not care about being equipped for the rescue. Because if someone is going to get you out of there safely, then it is Anakin Skywalker.

And that is exactly what he is planning on doing the moment he leaves the bridge, when he jumps into the Twilight and lands on the rough surface of Ryloth. When he takes down every single droid with his own hands, leaving behind a trail of destruction. When he finally reaches you, unconscious frame held up by your loyal commander.

Immediately, he takes you onto his arms, carrying you to his ship with the remaining soldiers following and flanking you. The determination in Anakin's eyes is eerie, he speaks no word, only making sure to get you off this planet in no time.

Tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, he reaches out to you with the Force, just like you did before leaving into unconsciousness, telling him to leave you behind and complete the mission. The moment he does, he feels your warmth, your joy emanating through his body and your eyes flutter. Softly, your hand touches his, your lips parting ever so slightly as you croak: "I knew you would come."

"I always will", Anakin answers, placing a delicate kiss on your forehead, squeezing your hand in his gently. "I will always come for you, my angel."

[shelyue99]

An incomplete list of Lewis Nixon’s roles during the war. ( it’s incomplete because certainly there are more, the following are just what I get from reading Beyond Band of Brothers, the Biggest Brother and Parachute Infantry):

Nix's job titles during the war: Assistant platoon leader of Easy Company - 2d Battalion S-2 (Intelligence Officer)- 506th Regiment S-2 - 2d Battalion S-3 (Operation Officer)

• Briefed the men before the jump

• In Normandy, helped with bringing the TNT to Brécourt Manor to destroy the battery guns, brought the maps Dick found at Brécourt Manor to Utah Beach

• Brought back two Sherman tanks from Utah Beach to help Dick clear the areas and secure the causeway

• Brought up the 81mm mortars from battalion headquarters company to reinforce Easy in Holland

• Made way back to battalion and brought trucks to help with the withdrawal when Easy was pulling back from Nuenen

Though tightly squeezed and under heavy fire, Easy held its ground. The Germans did not enter Nuenen. As the sky drew dark, Winters, badly outnumbered, finally ordered his men to withdraw. A short distance west of the village, a line of American deuce-and-a-half trucks waited for them, as did Lewis Nixon. He had been with Easy when it ran into the Germans. Knowing Winters would need help, he made his way back to battalion and ordered up the trucks.

"Thought maybe you could use a ride," Nixon said to Winters as his friend approached.

• Checked roadblocks with Dick, when Dick checked one direction Nixon checked the other

• Made rounds and checked on men during the night while Dick did the same during the day

One main difference between the two was the hours they kept. Winters was an early riser. He loved getting up early and getting a start on the day. Nixon was a night owl. He did his best work in the afternoon and at night. When they were out on the line, this proved an ideal arrangement. Winters kept tabs on the men during the day; Nixon made the rounds at night. This kept company commanders on their toes because they never knew when one or the other would show up and expect a status report.

•Accompanied Dick on a battalion inspection tour, but because of the urine incident instead they drove to Nijmegen to look for hot showers

Updated: in Holland, Nixon briefed the men and assigned them reconnaissance patrol to confirm the Dutch Underground’s intelligence report, to see whether German troops had moved into the village of Volkel.

• In Bastogne, Nixon acted as a liaison between battalion and regiment to clear confusion and kept the 2d Battalion out of a lot of trouble.

It is difficult to comprehend the confusion that characterized our first night at Bastogne. No one seemed to know where our boundaries lay, nor did anyone understand our precise mission. Since Colonel Strayer remained at regimental headquarters, I ordered Captain Nixon to locate Colonel Sink's command post and to coordinate with Major Hester, the regimental operations officer, to ensure we had our orders correct. Over the next few weeks, Nixon made many trips back to regiment to keep us informed and to ensure we understood our orders and our boundaries with adjacent units. This system worked well and kept 2d Battalion out of a lot of trouble.

Nix's greatest contribution to the successful defense of Bastogne was serving as a liaison between battalion and regimental headquarters. No man contributed more to keeping the regiment together during the ensuing battle. Nixon performed exceeding well in interpreting regimental orders and coordinating operational support while I positioned myself close to the forward edge of the battle area.

To give you an idea how dedicated Nixon was to the 506th PIR, at Bastogne he had his name drawn from a hat in a lottery that would have given him a thirty-day leave to the United States. Nix refused the offer, saying he wanted to stay with the outfit on the line. How do you explain that kind of dedication? Such devotion is never discussed by the men, but it is never forgotten. At the time, the 506th PIR was very short of men and officers, especially good, proven officers.

The young German Winters captured wasn't the only one confused. Officers on the line were often uncertain about their responsibilities and instructions. Not the least of these befuddled men was Strayer himself.

After attending briefings at regimental or division HQ, Strayer would gather his battalion staff around him and fill them in. Unfortunately, Winters often found Strayer's information vague and confusing. He cast questioning glances at Nixon, who would respond by rolling his eyes. After these briefings, Nixon would walk back to regiment to meet with Major Hester for clarification.

"Strayer had no goddamn idea what he was supposed to do," Winters said sixty years later. "But there's more than one way of skinning a cat, and the system Nixon and I had worked. Nixon did a good job. He kept 2nd Battalion out of a lot of trouble."

• Bitching with Dick about the brass and the army

"You know what this is, don't you," Winters told Nixon after receiving the orders. "Taylor's finally back and now he has to show off for Eisenhower." "Yeah," Nixon replied. "He probably figures we've just been sitting on our asses back there in Bastogne, and now he expects us to go out and kick German butt."

Winters' awareness of Taylor's return was based on firsthand experience. Shortly after the commanding general's arrival, after the siege of Bastogne had been broken, Taylor had visited his men in the field.

While inspecting 2nd Battalion's front, he strode briskly along the line with Winters and the other officers trailing along behind. Finishing, he turned to Winters and said, "Watch those woods in front of you." Then he left. Winters' jaw dropped, then he turned to Nixon.

"'Watch those woods in front of you'? " he said. "What the hell did he think we've been doing while he was back in Washington?"

Now that the men were no longer living outside in the ice and snow, the army saw fit to ship them sixty-one hundred pairs of winter shoepacs, arctic socks, felt insoles and six thousand yards of white cloth, enough to make two thousand snowsuits.

"Oh my, how we could have used them six weeks ago at Bastogne," Winters said to Nixon as he looked at the stacks of cold-weather gear his men no longer needed.

"Guess we should be glad we got them at all," Nixon said wryly. "They could have shipped them to the Pacific."

• Accompanied and drove around with Dick on various occasions in Germany/Austria, including inspecting German surrendered troops, the weapons, the mess hall, etc.

• Being Dick’s close friend, confidant, companion,emotional support person, the one Dick could talk to and unburden himself

As different in temperament as Nixon and I were, he was the one man to whom I could talk. He provided an outlet that allowed me to unburden myself as a combat leader.

[kidrauhlschik]

Let the World Burn ~ I.N. 4

4. Drunk in Love

-

-

In the end, he managed to forget that a king is nothing without his queen.

-

~

Part 1, 2, 3, & 5 will be linked in the master list above!

Pairings: Jeongin x Reader (and some love triangles among the way.) enemies to lovers, royalty au!

Warnings: ANGST, implied smut, war, aggression, anxiety, depression, death, please let me know if i miss anything... (this was heavily inspired by the song “Let the world burn” by Chris Grey.

Word Count: 3.8k??

~

After Minho had been in Rexerum court for two weeks, he understood the gist. You and Felix thought him the ins and outs, you'd caught him up with everything you could tell him that you hadn't already told on the weekly letters you'd sent to him.

Now, he was prepared to join court, not as an outsider, but as your ally. You were nothing but grateful. Yet, you were scared. Minho was the head of guards. He would not stand for Jeongin's disrespect. You considered warning him, but at this point, you'd much rather see him make decisions on his own, rather than to be influenced by you.

You, Felix, and Minho stand outside of the council doors, before the guards.

"Alright Min, welcome to Rexerum." You give him a humorless chuckle before the guards open the doors for the three of you, you standing in front, with the two following close behind.

Jeongin nods to the new invitee at court. Chan had told him that you needed support from home, and he just waved it off.

However, he couldn't help but wonder... Why did you need help from Eldoria? Were you that upset here?

Minho bowed before the king, "Your majesty, I am Lee Minho, head of Eldorian guards. At your service." To which Jeongin nodded in acknowledgment.

You took your usual spot beside your husband, Felix next to you and Minho next to him. Then, the king began to speak.

"There are words that Aurora's troops are heading towards our borders. We need assistance." Immediately, the king makes eye-contact with Minho.

"What may you suggest King Jeongin?" Minho asks with no hesitation.

Jeongin clears his throat before he proceeds, "As our countries are united-" The king gets interrupted before he can finish his sentence, "Are they?" Minho asks challengingly.

"I beg your pardon?" The king asks offendintely as the rest of the council looks to the ground so they can hide their expressions.

Minho continues, "I am saying, that our lands are united, yet, I have seen my men put their lives on the line for your country, but Eldoria has received nothing but empty promises from you. My king." The last two words come with a bite. You know when Minho is angered, and it seems as if he held that anger in until he saw the king face-to-face.

"I am your king! You shall not disrespect me in such way."

"I am a citizen of Eldoria. YN is my princess, my future queen. You are nothing but her husband. I would love to see you try to lead MY troops without me. Go ahead, King." You stare at Minho in pure astonishment. You are used to him speaking this way in your home country, but not to strangers. He could lose his head if you weren't there to protect him.

"You will not disrespect me in my own court!" The king begins, but your best friend put some sense into you.

"Our court!" You intercept. "This is our court Jeongin. Not yours. Do not talk down to my men. Anything Lee Minho says, I will stand behind. So take his words as mine. Do not undermine us." The council stays silent beyond that.

Minho speaks up first. "Well how about we send our leaders forward," The room stands still, "Send our strongest troops, we can take out their disposable troops. Aurora is desperate, like you are." Jeongin looks away at his words, mad, but listening. "I am willing to stand in front. As the head of troops, I refuse to let my soldiers sacrifice themselves before me, and with all due respect, I cannot even see you as a man if you cannot say the same."

"I am a king." Jeongin stands tall.

"Then show us, your highness."

Jeongin scoffs. He takes a glance at Chan before he makes eye-contact with you. "I will stand in front of my troops. So be it Lee Minho, let's both stand with our best troops against theirs."

Minho hides a smile with a cough. Only you and Felix can see his smugness. "Let's proceed with a plan then."

~

The plan was set, in less than two weeks, the troops, king, and one of your best friends, would be heading out for war.

It terrified you, not much for Jeongin, but for Minho. As aggressive and stubborn as he is, you know that he will lay out his life on the line for a cause. Although it is selfish and childish for a queen, you don't want him to be selfless. You want him to be safe.

All the stress in planning and affairs leads you back to your safe space.

However, you did not expect for your safe space to be invaded by the vermin that is the king.

"What are you doing here?" You ask, before he notices your presence.

He doesn't seem shaken, "This is my garden."

"Ours."

He chuckles to himself, "Have you come to challenge me once again?"

"Challenge you? Hardly. I have far more important matters to attend to than to waste my time on petty disputes with you." You turn to leave, but his voice stops you before you could take a few steps.

Without turning to face you, he continues, "Oh, of course. How could I forget? Your "important matters" always seem to conveniently align with undermining my authority."

"Is this what is all about? Your authority?" You scoff, "Your ego is as grand as your castle walls, yet just as fragile."

Jeongin finally stands to face you, "Fragile? You think my rule is fragile? You underestimate me, my dear. I am the king! The foundation upon which this kingdom stands."

Now that he faces you, you have a reason to challenge him, "And yet, your kingdom trembles beneath the weight of your tyranny."

A king and a queen with their own birthright may be the worst combination, neither of you were willing to back down.

He laughs incredulously at your statement. "Tyranny? Is that what you call it? My perfect rule. My loyal followers. The strength of my country. Is this what you call tyranny?!"

You held your head high before him, "You mistake fear for respect. A true leader earns the loyalty of their people, not demands it"

For a second, Jeongin hesitates, almost as a loss for words, but he recovers quickly, "Loyalty is earned through strength, not weakness. And weakness is something you seem to know all too well."

Why must he always this that way? Why is everything strength and terror to him? Why should the world be lead with an iron fist?

"Strength is not measured by the length of one's sword, but by the compassion in one's heart."

That earns you a hearty laugh from the king. "Compassion? You speak of compassion as if it were a weapon. But mark my words, queen, in this game of thrones, compassion is a luxury we cannot afford."

Done with the conversation, you approach the roses in the garden, hoping to grab a few before you gather yourself to your chambers.

As always, the king interrupts you, this time he holds your wrist in his hand.

His hand on yours brings electricity to your joints. You hadn't touched your husband in such a way since your wedding night. All the walls that you built specifically for him, seemed to shake with a mere touch.

What happened to the anger you had? It is most likely still be there, but the delusions you'd built since childhood, couldn't help but poke their heads through the cracks.

You have to hold your heart aside, "Is that everything you have to say?"

"What do you mean?" He always speaks with you as if it were an inconvenience so why is he, all of the sudden, acting as if he cared for what your opinions were.

He fixes his collar and continues to speak, "Well, you've been so outspoken at our councils. Where did your backbone go? Now you have a chance to talk to me face to face. Why don't you show me the real you?"

That makes you laugh out loud.

"You've known the real me. Before all of this bullshit. Before we even met." Your words leave bewildered.

"What?"

You try to remove your wrist from his hold, but his fist remains strong.

"Did you forget my letters or something?" You ask indignantly. "Let me go." You demand.

"Letters?" His grip weakens.

You pull your hand to your chest, finally leaving his grip. "The letters I sent you every damn week! Do not act like a fool! You have known of me since I was a child." You drop the flowers in your hands and glare at him one last time. "Do not be a pawn in a game of king and queens."

You walk away before you could hear his last words to you.

" I never received a letter from you..."

~

"I'm bored." Minho says as he opens your doors, disrupting you and Felix from your intense chess game.

"That's tragic." You say, still in deep concentration.

"I don't understand how the two of you have been twiddling your thumbs inside of these four walls for a year." He walks towards your window and opens the curtains. "Let's go horse riding, yeah?"

Without looking up, Felix responds. "Lady Rose and the king take their daily horse ride at this time." Which makes you roll your eyes in annoyance. How did you end up second to a mistress? The Eldorian princess you once were would laugh at your predicament.

Minho laughs, "Then let's ruin their little date."

"Minho, you know things in court are tense." You back away from the playing board, finally paying attention to your best friend.

He takes his coat off, getting comfortable on your bed, dramatically sighing before he continues, "You know you are the queen right? Did you forget when your mother shut all the castle doors when one of her maids stole her wedding ring?"

You laugh at the memory. "My mother was a bit... irrational at times."

"So why can't you be irrational as well? From what I've learned, the two of you have been sitting as decorations here before I showed up." Minho's words get to you, but he doesn't understand Rexerum court yet. Things don’t work the same as they were back home, affairs are handled in silence. You have to keep your cards to yourself.

Unlike you, Felix gets drawn up with his childhood friend. "What do you suggest Min?"

Minho sits up,  mischievously. "I say, we show them a bit of Eldoria while I'm here. Since you spineless ducks can't stand up for yourselves, I say we show them how to have fun." He looks at you and Felix, hoping one of the two would catch his bait.

You and Felix exchange doubtful looks, but before you could say anything to back out, your advisor speaks up. "I say we do it. It would be nice to show them what we're made of." Felix's courage catches you off guard, but he'd been acting weird lately, so his decision only shocks you in the slightest.

Before you know it, the three of you run down to the cellar. You probably look out of place. Running like children through guards and servants all staring at you in bewilderment. Felix and Minho wearing their usual suits and gems, as you run with them in a full gown, beige silk that you have to pick up in order to not trip on your skirt. Your laughs echo through the halls.

Before you know it, the three of you are sitting in a dark corner, seeing who could stomach the most wine.

It may not have been the best decision, but you felt safe with the two of them. No matter what happened, they'd have your back.

With slurred words, Minho masks, "Wait, wait," You and Felix stop your giggles to listen to what he has to say. "So all the letters the king sent you... they were written by the queen?"

You put your wine glass down in frustration. "That's what Chan said."

"Why do you believe him?" Minho asks.

"Why wouldn't I?"

Minho downs the rest of his glass, "Because it seems a bit convenient. Why would the mother of the king care for your feelings? She was a ruler, she knows that matters of diplomacy are above matters of the heart." You and Felix await for further explanation, but Minho seems a bit annoyed that the two of you aren't reading things the same way he is. "Only someone that cares for Jeongin's heart would do such thing."

You and Felix still stare at him waiting for further explanation. "You fucking idiots. Bang Chan wrote those letters. He cares for Jeongin, and what a coincidence that he grew close to YN so quickly."

You were about to dismiss him before he continued, "I am just saying, as a fellow strategist, that's what I would have done."

Maybe it was the alcohol induced boldness, but you couldn't help yourself. "Why don't we go ask him then?" Before either of the two could stop you, you run to the king's chambers, Felix and Minho close behind. Felix trying to stop you, and Minho ready for the show.

Jeongin's guards immediately stop you at his door, "I apologize your highness, but the king is occupied at this moment."

That typically would have been enough to turn you away, but you lacked shame at that moment, so you would not pass up a moment of courage (foolishness).

"As your queen, I order you to let us through." You say as confidently as possible, despite trying to hold back your laugh at the fact that it all seemed like a game to you.

The guards hesitate before they stand aside, which is enough for you to push forward and throw the chamber doors open.

You first make eye-contact with Rose, who looks outraged. Then, you look at Jeongin, who seems desperate. Usually, you'd try to read the room and asses the situation, but instead, you ignore the tension between the two. Minho suggested to show them Eldorian fun, and that is what you intend to do.

"Lady Rose! Fancy meeting you here. You look lovely, how was your horse riding date today?" You're never so bold, always aiming to stay decent and subtle, it catches her off guard.

"It went... Uhm... Okay?" Is all she could muster in the spot.

"I am so glad. Now, could you go and act your rank with the rest of my ladies? I have to speak with the king." You've never feared her, but at the moment, you no longer chose peace, letting the chaos rise. That may have been Minho's doing, but you accept it gracefully nevertheless.

"Could you please repeat yourself my queen?" She asks challengingly.

"You heard her Rose." The king is the one to intercept, which catches everyone by surprise.

Your lady looks at him incredulously, but when he doesn't budge, she looks at the ground and walks away with a sneer. If looks could kill, you'd be having tea with the grim reaper.

"Now, how should I address this invasion." Jeongin looks at the three of you.

"I could show you a real invasion." Minho whispers to himself, aware that he was still loud enough to be heard by everyone in the room.

"Min." You say in an attempt to calm him down.

However, Jeongin seems unaffected in the slightest. "I just want to know as to why I owe the honor."

Felix has been silent for dangerously too long, but that ended with the alcohol.

"Why are you such a dick?" Minho miserably hides a laugh, but you and Jeongin stare at Felix in shock.

"Felix!" Is all you can say, but your brain is hardly clear enough to say much else.

"I am just voicing what everyone is thinking." Felix pouts and begins to look around the room. "Your chambers are huge my king, why is your wife in such shit chambers?"

"Are your chambers not up to your standards?" The king disregards Felix and walks straight to you.

"Don't disregard me!" His deeps voice booms through the king's chambers. Everyone stills. Felix switched from your giggly friend to a headstrong man in a blink of an eye. For a second, he resembles the king, and the thought scares you.

"The queen is fucking perfect and you are an idiot to ignore her. You are a shit king to a kingdom that is two seconds from falling apart. You are foolish to sleep with other women. You want to know what I think? Even though you may not even remember my name. I think that you are distracting yourself from reality in the hands of another, too foolish to see that you were handed by the world, and you are rejecting it for a life in purgatory." He walks towards the king, standing a couple of inches away from his face. "Tread carefully my king. You never know when your world may flip upside down." A staring contest begins between the two men. Felix bold on alcohol, and Jeongin high on power. As you stare at them in complete astonishment, Minho is the first to gather his senses.

"Alright Lix, time to go."

When Minho grabs the younger man's shoulder, Felix only shakes him off. "Minho, you wanted to show Rexerum our colors, here are mine." He grabs Jeongin by the collar, "Stand with YN as a man, otherwise, I will."

Jeongin pushes him away in outrage, but before he could say anything, Minho stands in front of Felix.

"Forgive him my king." Like always, the last word is hard for him to say. "He has had a little too many drinks, allow me to take him away. Please forgive him." He quickly drags Felix away without interacting with the king more than he had to.

Even you are at a loss of words.

"What do you have to say?" Jeongin asks.

"Absolutely nothing. You should be aware that I stand behind my countrymen." You feel out of place, about to follow your friends out of the room.

"What the hell?" Jeongin stops you before you walk out. "What did Felix mean by that?"

"I do not understand what you are talking about." Your hands rest by on your sides. Awkwardly trying to figure out what to do in the strange room. A year of being Jeongin's wife meant nothing now.

"He practically confessed his love to you." Your husband stares at you, awaiting a reaction.

"Why does it matter to you?"

He walks towards you and puts his hands on your shoulders. "You are my wife." He says as if it meant anything.

You couldn't help but to laugh at him. "Yeah and Rose is your lover."

"Why does it matter to you all of the sudden? Jeongin asks as he walks towards his closet, seeking something more comfortable.

"It matters because you have no say in what I do or who I get involved with. It is not as if you were a decent husband."

As he grabs his robe he responds, "Then what do you want from me"

"I want you to respect me, as your queen, not your wife. I do not care for your affection anymore."

He stares at you, maybe in bewilderment. "Are the servants not respectful enough here?" He questions.

"The servants are perfect. The one who lacks is my own husband, the king. Forgive me if I am blunt, but as your wife, I will say, you are nothing to me." He seems offended by your words, almost confused.

"I am nothing to you?!"

~

A/N: Turns out, I'm a liar - one more part to go lol

[workingclasshistory]

On this day, 27 February 1973, armed Native American activists occupied Wounded Knee, South Dakota, in protest against tribal corruption and the continuing failure of the US government to fulfil treaties they signed with Indigenous peoples. Around 200 Oglala Lakota people, alongside activists in the American Indian Movement (AIM) took over the site of the 1890 massacre of Native Americans by US troops. National guard troops, FBI agents and federal marshals swarmed the area, shooting at occupiers with machine guns and tracer fire. Len Foster, a Diné (Navajo) man who took part in the occupation, recounted to Alysa Landry of Indian Country Today taking part in 11 firefights with federal officers: “Each one was very intense, very life-threatening… It was an intense, very serious engagement.” Despite suffering casualties, some fatal, the occupiers held out for 71 days until eventually surrendering. Though not successful in achieving its stated goals, the occupation galvanised huge support for AIM, famously including Marlon Brando’s boycott of that year’s Oscars, instead sending Sacheen Littlefeather, an Apache actor in his place to collect his best actor award, who delivered a speech about Wounded Knee to reporters backstage after she was threatened with arrest for speaking on the podium. For Len Foster, “In a way, it was a very beautiful experience… Wounded Knee opened a lot of hearts and minds to what oppression we were suffering. We were downtrodden, oppressed, made to feel ashamed. We were told to cut our long hair, not to participate in ceremonies, to become Christian and burn our medicine bundles. All the decisions we made at Wounded Knee affect our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.” Learn more about Indigenous resistance in the Americas in this book: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com/collections/books/products/500-years-of-indigenous-resistance-gord-hill https://www.facebook.com/workingclasshistory/photos/a.296224173896073/2219663954885409/?type=3

[emblemxeno]

Fire Emblem Heroes-CYL Bonus Quotes + My Ideas for the Ones Who Don't Have Them

Choose Your Legends Winners have bonus quotes when they are on a team you enter a map with and playing with English voices (only the English voices have these quotes actually)! These are popular or funny quotes from their home games or other appearances, like Smash Bros.

CYL1

"The future is *not* written."-Lucina's victory quote in Smash Bros.

"Roy's our boy!"-Roy's crowd chant in Smash Bros.

"I'll be your peerless warrior!"-Lyn's promising words to Mark at the end of FE7 prologue

"You... like Ike?"-Ike's crowd chant in Smash Bros.

CYL2

"Take me with you!"-Veronica... I think she says this once to Bruno, but I can't find where specificailly

"Together, we will always stay."-Ephraim's A Support with Eirika

"Nothing will ever come between us."-Celica to Alm as kids during Echoes' opening movie

"I just gotta be me, y'know?"-Hector's A Support with Lyn

CYL5

"Let's go rescue my brother!"-Eirika to her troops at the end of FE8 chapter 6

"Caeda, what's wrong!?"-Marth to Caeda in FE1 chapter 1

"Please forgive me, Goddess..."-A constant sentiment of Marianne's character, and said verbatim once she slays her first enemy in FE16 chapter 2

"There was something to report, wasn't there?"-A staple of Gatekeeper's dialogue, said verbatim in FE16 chapter 5

CYL6

"I am *no* chatterbox."-Reference to Hapi's nickname for Byleth

"There is more than one truth."-What Sigurd's ghost says to Seliph, after Seliph lands the finishing blow on Arvis and waits next to the beach in FE4 chapter 10

"My... autograph?"-Tiki's C Support with Anna

"You are yourself."-Chrom's consoling words to Robin in FE13 chapter 13

CYL8

"Now... what was so damned important?"-F!Robin's B Support with Chrom

"You must be joking."-Felix during his Goddess Tower event in FE16 chapter 9

"One day... I'll be left alone."-A reference to the correct response to one of her advice box questions during FE16's war phase (this one I'm not 100% on, if anyone has corrections let me know in the replies)

"I'm going to kill you, too."-Alfonse to Letizia during Book 6, Chapter 5, Part 5: I Killed Him

However, the winners of CYL3 (2019), CYL4 (2020), and CYL7 (2023) don't have these bonus quotes. The reasons, if the directors or higher ups of the localization team forgot or they weren't too high priority for the time, are unknown. So I thought I'd take a stab at what I think they'd be for those winners.

CYL3

"I'll have their heads on a platter!"-Camilla at the of FE14 chapter 3

"I'm proud I took your hand."-Eliwood's A support with Hector

"I have finally found my purpose."-Micaiah at the end of FE10 chapter 3-F

"This isn't where things end for us!"-Alm to Celica before returning to face Duma together in Echoes Act 5

CYL4

"You think I'm special?"-Lysithea's A support with Claude

"We'll scale the walls between us!"-Claude during Verdant Wind's final cutscene

"Take your first step!"-Edelgard to the Black Eagles after escaping the Holy Tomb

"I am finally home again..."-Dimitri at the end of Azure Moon chapter 18

CYL7

"Remember where you came from."-Mikoto to Corrin at the end of FE14 Revelation chapter 24

"My only wish was to see you again."-Soren to Ike in their base conversation in FE10 Endgame 5

"A gift of revelation..."-Seiðr to the Summoner, Book 7, Chapter 5, Part 1: Goddess's Descent

"Get eaten by a bear. I don't give a damn."-M!Robin's B support with Aversa

[dontforgetukraine]

@/RachelPAV: I have been in Ukraine for several weeks now meeting with everyone that PAV supports. Since 2022 we have supported several hundred volunteers in Ukraine with flights and equipment, both civilian and military. These are some observations based on what they report: 1. This is an entirely different war than it was in 2022 or 2023. The drone threat has changed everything. EVERYONE has agreed on this. The situation a year ago seems completely inapplicable now. 2. The needs in Ukraine are almost entirely military. The needs for civilians are drastically less than they were just a year ago. There are some small Ukrainian groups doing an excellent job assisting people when necessary and there is only a limited need for foreigners to be involved. 3. Being issued poor quality goods is still a surprisingly common occurrence. There are still fake tournaments out there. Same with fake NVGs, fake ACOGs, etc. 4. The injury rate and death rate for foreign military volunteers is higher than ever before. There are no signs of this changing. 5. The biggest needs continue to be the very non-sexy and non-exciting needs that have always existed. Car repairs, fuel, rent for the team house, ecoflows, and generators are needed by everyone. Most volunteers express the most gratitude that our donors are willing to help cover rent and fuel as without this they cannot do their work.

This checks out with everything I've read from articles too. Foreign soldiers that come over to fight are taken aback by how different the war is from wars they have experienced where they had air superiority. Then there is the amount of drones. Drones, drones, drones.

The last point is especially true. Check out the Donation Guide Master Post if you want to help out with the "non-sexy" and "non-exciting" needs.

Or if you want to help out a big-nonsexy fundraiser but super needed item, Constantine (aka @/Teoyaomiquu on twitter) has one going for excavators that is approved by Liberty Ukraine. You can find the PayPal link HERE or just click on the link to the twitter post.

Constantine writes"

"Why is this so important? Whether it's for offensive or defensive operations, the front lines have become much more dynamic, with the line of contact constantly shifting. This means new fortifications are urgently needed, but digging by hand is too slow, and our troops can’t keep up. Additionally, infantry units need to construct their own fortifications without depending on centralized units that sometimes misplace positions. This is crucial—it saves lives by providing shelter from UMPK bombs, artillery, and FPV drones. In the video, you can see an excavator donated by @/LibertyUkraineF to the 26th brigade, doing incredible work fortifying a Krab position. I spoke with an officer from the brigade, and he told me this machine has been a game-changer. It has significantly improved their security, reduced losses, and saved countless lives along with tens of millions of dollars worth of equipment. Help us continue making a difference."

[queenmarytudor]

Mary I's Fight For The Throne

20th July - Mary is victorious

Having heard of Robert Dudley proclaiming Jane queen in Kings Lynn, Mary sends "requiring them to apprehend the Lord Robert and also to lie in wait for the like apprehension of the Duke, if it shall happen him flee, as it is suspected he will do" following Mary's proclamation for his arrest on the 18th. 1

The Earl of Oxford finally arrives at Framlingham "with a large force of men whom he had quickly been able to gather at the moment of his desertion of the duke." 2

Still wanting more men, Mary and her Council decide to "discharge all manner of gaols [...] within the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk" 3, while 500 are appointed to attend upon Mary at all times to guard her from harm. 4

In the afternoon her troops are mustered in two separate companies led by the Earl of Sussex and Lord Thomas Wentworth, where "the standards were unfurled and the military colours set up; everyone armed themselves fully as if about to meet the enemy. The infantry made ready their pikes, the cavalry brandished lances, the archer bent his bow, and girded on his quiver; the harquebusier filled his weapon with powder, inserted its leaden ball and set his match burning." 5

At 4pm, Mary rides out from Framlingham castle on a white horse, and "gave warning in an order that no harquebusier should fire his gun, nor any archer release his arrow until her majesty had inspected the army. When this order was given, such was the respect that everyone felt for their sovereign that no harquebusier nor archer fired after the command; but the soldiers bowed low to the ground and awaited their beloved mistress's arrival." 6

On foot, Mary walks around the two divisions of her army for 3 hours, "speaking to them with exceptional kindness and with an approach so wonderfully relaxed as can scarcely be described, in consideration of their esteem for their sovereign, that she completely won everyone's affections." 7

After she finishes inspecting her troops, the cavalry put on a rousing display as they "streamed forth and beat and trod the ground with such a thunderous noise and spread so widely through the field that it seemed like one enemy in pursuit of another." 8

Returning to the castle, a delighted Mary discovers the "most welcome news, scarcely to be hoped for, that Northumberland had abandoned hope of success because of the continual desertions of his supporters, and on 19th July had likewise taken flight from Bury in the middle of the night." 9

The Earl of Arundel and Marquis of Winchester arrive to confirm the news, and reveal that the Privy Council have proclaimed her Queen in London. They go to their knees with a "dagger turned towards [their] stomachs in recognition of [their] offence and submission to the penalty deserved." 10

They also bring a letter wrote by the Privy Council following their proclamation a day prior:

Our bounden duties most humbly remembered to your excellent Majesty, it may like the same to understand that we your most humble faithful and obedient subjects, having always (God we take to witness) remained your Highness’ true and humble subjects in our hearts ever since the death of our late sovereign lord and master your Highness’ brother, whom God pardon; and seeing hitherto no possibility to utter our determination herein, without great destruction and bloodshed both of our selves and others till this time, have this day proclaimed in your City of London, your Majesty to be our true natural Sovereign liege lady and Queen, most humbly beseeching your Majesty to pardon and remit our former infirmities, and most graciously to accept our meanings, which have been ever to serve your Highness truly, and so shall remain with all our powers and forces to the effusion of our blood, as these bearers our very good lords the earl of Arundel and Lord Paget can, and be ready more particularly to declare; to whom it pay please your excellent Majesty to give firm credence; and thus we do and shall daily pray to Almighty God for the preservation of your most royal person long to reign over us, from your Majesties City of London, this day of XIX July, the first year of your most prosperous reign. 11

Mary gladly accepts their submission.

While Mary was inspecting her army, Northumberland had proclaimed her queen in Cambridge and retreated to the house of Sir John Cheke. The Mayor, discovering this, "attended by a large force drawn from both town and gown, had the duke's lodging surrounded and watched on all sides to stop him leaving or escaping." 12

Now, Mary sends Henry Jerningham and Northumberland's former ally the Earl of Arundel to arrest him. 13

Meanwhile...

Jane Grey, Guildford Dudley and the Duchess of Northumberland are detained in the Tower as prisoners. 14

The Bishop of London flees the city after his sermons. 15

Sources:

1.Acts of the Privy Council, Vol 4

2. Vita Mariae Angliae Reginae of Robert Wingfield

3. Acts of the Privy Council, Vol 4

4. Acts of the Privy Council, Vol 4

5. Vita Mariae Angliae Reginae of Robert Wingfield

6. Vita Mariae Angliae Reginae of Robert Wingfield

7. Vita Mariae Angliae Reginae of Robert Wingfield

8. Vita Mariae Angliae Reginae of Robert Wingfield

9. Vita Mariae Angliae Reginae of Robert Wingfield

10. Spanish State Papers, 22nd July 1553

11. Memorials of the Most Reverend Father in God, Thomas Cranmer, sometime Lord Archbishop of Canterbury

12. Vita Mariae Angliae Reginae of Robert Wingfield

13. Vita Mariae Angliae Reginae of Robert Wingfield

14. Spanish State Papers, 22nd July 1553

15. Spanish State Papers, 22nd July 1553

[warsamongthestars]

Back on my bullshit.

I've got a lot of questions, on how the TBBshow works exactly?

Cos yeah, its been clear for a long time, it doesn't want you asking questions because it will just, fall apart at the seams and go from Frankestein's monster to Frankenstein's ground floor beef.

Like, basic shit. Here's the Plot breaking questions:

HOW DID THEY RECRUIT STORMTROOPERS SO FAST? If they could just, recruit people out of the blue like that, like, Immediately Post-War side, not even 24 hours after the destruction of the Jedi Temple. Where the did they come from? And if they could just, come in like that, why weren't there any natborn armies during the Clone Wars itself? Recruitment takes a long time. Boot camps, at minimum, take 3 months real world. So, Plot Hole 1: Spawning Stormtroopers with Cheat Codes.

WHY DIDN'T THE CLONE ARMY REBEL? If the argument is, that the chip just Wears off, and we know that our troops can and will just rebel against bad officers (We've seen it happen), and that they all do have a pretty strong moral backbone in general... ... How come when this, so called "Wear off" occurred, we didn't see a rebellion enmass? Especially after Kamino's destruction? Still can't recruit and train people that fast, and there's still an entire clone army, and its pretty clear that the show claims there are lots of clones in the ranks and hiearchy... Clearly, it must not just "Wear Off". Plot Hole 2: Attempting to claim that established Sci-Fi Brain Tumors isn't Sci-Fi Cancerous.

WHY IS EVERYTHING EVERWHERE ELSE? Where is Cody? What's going on with Rex and his Rebellion? Why did Echo join that exactly, and how come the Batch couldn't be convinced? Why the fuck is Ventress even There. The story (and its writers) keep wanting to push that "Everything is going to occur at a later time". Well, mothers and fuckers of the audience, if Star Wars were to end tomorrow, like full on Vault Sealed Forever, or nobody has access to these "other stories" either by money or medium--then no, the Story didn't happen somewhere else--it simply Didn't Happen at all. Thus, teasing stories that simply Aren't, and refusing to fill in the story that Is. Plot Hole 3: The Excitement is Farther than the Galaxy Far Far Away

PABU The Empire knows about Pabu, it bombed it for the sake of the Force. You tellin' me that, after Tantis was done, Pabu just magically regerated with anti-Evil Empire shields? And that it wasn't immediately placed under Imperial control like EVERY PLANET TBB HAS ESTABLISHED SO FAR!? Plot Hole 4: You don't need to see their identification, this is not the planet you are looking for.

EMERIE KARR I like her concept, so I'm gonna be picking on her execution. So female clone that is effectively a narrative clone of Omega, except if Emerie existed at the same time as the Bad Batch (likely as its hinted 5th member) and the Clone Wars, as we're supposedly meant to believe that Omega did--how come Omega didn't know about her before. Where the fuck was she. Why would Hemlock be finding a random clone in nowhere space and decide that she was sexy enough to be the sexy lady evil scientist? Her concept is great, but current execution breaks the timeline. Plot Hole 5: Omega split into Omega 2 by Mitosis

HOW ARE THEY BROTHERS EXACTLY? How are our Main Characters brothers? I don't mean in the literal sense, I mean in the sense of "These guys are brothers in arms thick and thin, been through so much shit and came together in support in the face of adversity" And yet, the only thing we see is, bickering, no conversations, refusal to confront topics that directly affect them with each other, obsessing about anything else but actually talking to each other, abandoning each other at a moment's notice for one bullshit thing after another without discussion. Utterly ignoring each other when lives are on the line... Leaving one for Dead... Claiming that they're trying to protect their child sister in order to give her a place to grow up, but insist on bringing her on every dangerous mission ever, treating her as a child soldier... ... When they could've just robbed the stupid lizard bitch and been on that isolated planet they were talking about in Episode 2 before the end of Season 1. After a certain point, I think I should be calling The Galactic Child Protective Services Plot Hole 6: With Brothers like these, who needs enemies?

KILLING A MAIN CHARACTER (Aka "oh my gods they killed Kenny") In congruent to the above Plot Hole. They killed Tech, where's the fallout? Where's the effect? Are you telling me that Mayday, a random one episode clone, was more narratively important than Tech, who's been with us for years? And that's just the written death. The narrative deaths have occurred to all the Bad Batch. this bad ass squad who works together like instinct, is suddenly failing at everything, like its their first day off Kamino. Even though, by the show's own visual environmental storytelling, the Batch have been performing missions together since the first battle of Geonosis. They're more experienced than the Republic Commandos by those tally mark counts in their room wall. And yet, inspite of the visual story telling and the Clone Wars, and every piece of Clone Media prior to this Ever, they're suddenly the big bumbling buffkins who can't operate without running headfirst into the nearest beehive. Character deaths themselves occured... ... From Hunter being a generally snarky, one of the guys, who puts on a show of leadership for the Reg's sake--because a shallowed out parody of Optimus Prime and Captain Rex. ... To Crosshair, a snippy, keen if cruel sniper but with a heart of empathy, reduced to a hyper soldier even without the tumor. When this is the kind of man who would pick a fight with god on toothpick power alone. ... To Wrecker, whom for some reason, suddenly lacks skills he had in the Clone Wars. ... To Tech, who no longer gives out fun facts, or even has an emotional reaction to people getting hurt, like he used to in his first introductory episodes. (Remember the horror he had when he realized the Algorithm had a Human voice?) ... To Echo, once bold and audactious, guised beyind a clone who is a seeming rule stickler--now a bitchy side piece who eventually just leaves instead of having a conversation with the very team that took him in, who reduced his once partner-batchmte Fives to a foot note. One story written death, Five Narrative Deaths, Five Character Deaths, because what was had in the Clone Wars--of which the TBBshow explicitly says its a direct sequel to--clearly wasn't here when this started. Whoever these guys are, they aren't the Bad Batch. Plot Hole 7: Fell at Sunrise and Was replaced by Mirrors

PLOT HOLE: the Rush A special mention plot hole that occurs when you place too much action in too short of time with too little thought. Effectively attempting to turn a TV show, subscription serivce or not, into a 25 minute long tiktok-vine-ytshort. Its exhausting, its Patience killing, it has no Pace; and to believe that this is a good thing, means that you are Also affected by the Rush and should probably pick up a real book or maybe play Pokemon Generation 1 or pick up a text adventure, because you are going too fast for your brain to handle it and it is not good for you. Its commercialism techniques. Don't make them the new norm.

If I've missed any plot holes, lemme know, I'll take a look. Even with my SPECIAL EYES (MY BRAND!) I can't spot everything.

[soul-eater-novel]

Suikoden I Soul Eater Light Novel Translation - Chapter 21!

For your reading pleasure and enjoyment, below the cut is the full rough English translation of chapter 21 of the official 1998 Suikoden I Soul Eater novel (volume 2 of 3). Individual page translations and original Japanese text can be found in the chapter 21 tag. As always, feedback on translations is welcome. This wraps up volume 2! Now on to the final volume 3. Thank you so much to everyone for your support and your comments. They keep me going! Eventually I want to run a Kickstarter to officially license and print these books!

Chapter 21: The Soul Eater

Tir rushed to the forefront of the battle. In the center of the melee, Teo fought on, covered in gore. Only a few members of his unit remained. Alen and Grenseal were at his side, having already lost all of their men. They fought against Flik and the others, who were frantically urging their own troops to battle. 

Tir pushed his way through the crowd of fighters. Kai and Varkas’ foot soldiers moved around behind Teo and cut off his escape route. He was isolated from the rest of his troops, but still he continued to fight. Even as his allies fell one by one, he swung his sword like a demon, cutting down the Liberation Army soldiers in droves. The area around Teo was splattered with blood, the air filled with screams. He was a one man army. 

The Liberation Army troops began to falter in the face of this onslaught. Like the tug of the tide, the soldiers pulled back, warily surrounding Teo and his two subordinates from a distance. In what seemed no time at all, Tir stood alone in front of the great general. Teo gazed at him. “You...” 

“Lord Teo McDohl!” A voice called out from behind Tir. Mathiu came galloping up to the soldiers, who had fallen as still and silent as corpses already in their graves. The tactician drew up beside Tir and brought his horse to a halt. “Lord Teo McDohl...” he said again. “Your army has been destroyed. We have decimated your ‘invincible’ armored cavalry as well as your main unit. Please accept your defeat and surrender gracefully.”

Teo lowered his sword. “And you must be... ” 

“I am Mathiu Silverberg. I previously served as Lord Kasim Hazil’s tactician.” 

“What nonsense are you spouting?!” shouted Alen, moving in front of Teo and brandishing his sword. “Like hell we’ll surrender! We’ll fight to the last man!”

Grenseal stepped forward as well, his sword at the ready. “I am prepared to give my life for the Empire. For Lord Teo.”

Seeing them ready to fight, Viktor and the others readied their weapons, too. But Teo motioned to Alen and Grenseal to stand down and moved his horse forward so he was directly in front of Mathiu. “I refuse. I am a proud general of the Empire and I serve Emperor Barbarossa. We have no intention of surrendering.” Staring straight at Mathiu, he continued. “You should be ashamed. You took the Empire’s money gladly enough when you served under Kasim Hazil, and yet now you command the Liberation Army.” Mathiu kept quiet with visible effort. 

Teo’s gaze slid from Mathiu to Tir, and he pointed his sword at his son. “You may have brought down our army, but you have not defeated me. Tir McDohl! The greatest turncoat under the heavens, who turned traitor and rose up against his own emperor he once served—I challenge you to single combat. And you will accept.”

Shocked, Tir was at a loss for words. It was only then he realized that he had caught Teo in an inescapable dilemma. 

The man who stands in front of me now is not my father, Teo. He is General Teo McDohl, in service to the Golden Emperor Barbarossa. 

General Teo, who fought to the bitter end in the Succession War, who would not hesitate to die for his emperor. He is a warrior who would gladly choose death over the disgrace of surrender. This war will not end without one of our deaths. 

Staring at Tir, who still stood in silence, Teo spoke again, his voice harsh. “What’s the matter, cold feet? Or are your personal emotions getting in the way of what you need to do as the leader of the Liberation Army? Did such naive thinking allow you to take the lives of our Imperial soldiers? Don’t make me laugh!”

“Gh...” Biting his lip, Tir gripped his staff.

If my father stands in my way as General Teo, then... I only have one choice. 

“Lord Tir, please do not take part in this foolishness!” shouted Mathiu, seeing Tir ready to leap into action. “Viktor! Take down General Teo!”

Viktor hesitated at Mathiu’s sudden order. He looked to Tir and, at a small nod from him, moved his unit back. Flik’s unit moved back next. Then Humphrey, Kai, and Varkas’ units. The soldiers ringed around them, forming a gaping circle. 

Teo, too, motioned to Alen and Grenseal to move back, creating their own circle. At the center of that circle, he dismounted his horse. Tir stared at Teo, who cut a majestic and imposing figure even surrounded on all sides by an enemy army. Quietly, he said to Mathiu, “Please, Mathiu... step back.”

“But, Lord Tir...” his tactician protested. 

“It’s okay, Mathiu. I won’t lose. I’ll win, for everyone’s sake. Please. Believe in me.”

Mathiu was silent. Looking down, he moved his horse back. 

“Thank you, Mathiu.” Holding his staff tight, Tir got off his horse and stepped forward to stand in front of Teo. 

Right now, I am no longer Teo’s son, Tir. I am Tir McDohl, leader of the Liberation Army. 

----

“Ryaaah!” Teo rushed out with all the force of a furious gale. Undaunted, Tir also leapt forward. 

CRACK!

They clashed with enough force to shatter their weapons. Teo wielded his sword with lightning speed. Tir deflected it with his staff. 

He exchanged a flurry of blows with Teo, surprised at the weight of the sword behind each attack. He parried the blow each time, but the blade bit into his staff more than he had expected it to. The shock of the impact was transmitted along the length of the rod. If he made a single wrong move, it would be sheared completely in half. 

“Yah!” In the moments between Teo’s attack, Tir whipped out with his staff to attack as well. But Teo blocked each one with ease. He wasn’t called ‘The Invincible General’ for nothing. As they fought, Tir realized just how strong a warrior Teo really was. 

“Graah!”

Teo slashed with his sword again, catching Tir off guard. He blocked the edge of the blade with this staff. The blade grazed his forehead and he shivered, chilled. Then Teo lunged again with his blade, this time aiming for Tir’s side. Flustered, Tir blocked that, too. He was only on the defensive. 

Just as he began to wonder whether he could ever defeat Teo, suddenly... In the break between the swoosh of Teo’s sword slashing by, Tir thought he heard a little voice cheering him on. “You can do it, Tir!” 

Who was that? 

Perhaps it was Viktor. 

Maybe it was Cleo. 

Or else that was Gremio, Odessa, and Ted’s voices...

The moment he thought of their faces, emotion welled in his breast. 

They’re the reason I’m fighting so hard. 

“Yaaaaah!” Tir moved into the offensive. He no longer thought of anything. For their sake, for himself, he aimed his staff at the man standing in front of him. 

Every time his staff struck Teo’s armor, it was as if he was smashing away at the sorrow that filled his soul. Every time Teo’s sword pushed back at him, it was as if the dam gates of that sadness burst open and flooded his heart anew. 

Teo looked as though he was thinking along similar lines. “For His Majesty!” he roared, glaring at Tir. “I will destroy you!” He wielded his sword with vigor once again. They fought fiercely for a time. Forgetting the fact that Teo was his father. Giving up on the fact that Tir was his son. There was nothing between them but the violent exchange of blows. 

All the generals and all their soldiers held their breath as they watched this fight unfold. But before long, it became obvious who the victor would be. Teo fought like a wild beast, gradually driving Tir back. He counterattacked as best he could, but Tir had to retreat bit by bit, until he stood directly in front of the soldiers. 

I’ve got to do something...

Clenching his jaw hard, Tir grunted, steeling himself. He put everything he had into this one strike against Teo. “Hah!” 

He put it all on the line—if this failed, there would be no second chances. But Teo dodged his blow. Tir was left wide open. 

Teo readied his sword. “This is farewell, son!” he yelled. The image of Teo raising his sword high overhead reflected in Tir’s pupils, his eyes open wide in fear. 

That was when he saw it. 

Teo had just called him son. Perhaps it had been meant as one final, parting kindness. But that kindness signaled both a weakening of Teo’s heart and a weakening of his defenses. 

And Tir caught it. Teo’s left side was wide open. 

Only a handful of days ago, Kai had taught him about the weak points on that side of the body. One hit to that vital spot could be a killing blow. 

“Uwaaah!” cried Tir, squeezing his eyes closed tight. In the darkness, Tir gripped his staff tight and swung it at Teo. 

ーーー

Something heavy hit the earth with a thud. 

Tir heard the sound, his eyes still shut, the shock of the impact still reverberating through his arms. He was surrounded on all sides by the cheers of the soldiers, but it was just meaningless background noise. He slowly opened his eyes. 

His father, his glittering armor, his sword... all lay quietly on the ground, atop the grass soaked in the blood of soldiers. 

“Father... father!” He threw down his staff and rushed over to Teo’s side. 

Alan and Grenseal dashed over, too. “Lord Teo!” 

Cleo, Flik, and Viktor also ran to them. “Lord Teo!”

“Father!” Among everyone’s cries, Teo quietly opened his eyes and stared up at Tir, his eyes filled with kindness. “Tir... you’ve grown... so strong...”

The moment he heard those words, the tears brimming in Tir’s eyes spilled over and fell. The man in front of him was no longer General Teo. He was Teo, Tir’s father. “Father...” 

“Tir... what are you crying for? Haven’t I always told you... boys don’t cry? Whatever happens... you grit your teeth... and bear it. You really have... gotten so much stronger...” 

Looking at Tir, overcome with tears, Teo smiled. It was, without a doubt, the smile of a father gazing at his son. His benevolent, brave smile soon turned to a grimace of pain as his breathing grew ragged. But Teo opened his mouth and, impossibly, laughed. “It is when we fight... that men grow strong. Tir... I just want to... say this one... last thing to you...”

“What is it, father?” 

“I knew you had joined the Liberation Army. I know why you did it, how you were driven out of the capital... and that it was all on false charges...” 

“What...?” Tir was kneeling by his father’s side, his eyes shut. But no matter how tightly he closed his eyes, it didn’t stop the tears from leaking out. “Father, why...? If you knew of all the horrible things the Empire is doing now, then how could you still support them?” 

“You understand why... better than anyone, don’t you?”

Something brushed Tir’s face softly. He slowly opened his eyes and saw Teo’s hand outstretched, wiping away his tears. 

“I live for what I believe in. I fight for what I believe in. That’s all. just like how you fight for the Liberation Army, Tir...”

Tir put his hand over his father’s hand, the hand that had so lovingly caressed his cheek. “I understand, father.”

“This is where... my fight ends. I have no regrets. Tir. You live for what you believe in, too. Do that, and you’ll always have my blessing. Because this is the path you have chosen, my son...” 

“Father...” As Teo’s voice grew weaker, Tir squeezed his hand harder. His father’s big, warm hands. The same hands and arms that had held him as a child. 

But these hands that had supported Tir had also supported the Empire. Now they were smeared with the battlefield’s muck and the blood that had poured from the soldiers. Tir’s tears fell on his father’s hand again. 

“Lord Teo! Hold on, please!” shouted Cleo. 

His gaze quietly shifted to her. “Cleo... please... keep watching over Tir... for me...”

“Of course I will, Lord Teo...” Tears spilled from her eyes. 

Teo was wracked with a violent cough. He looked to his two right-hand men. “Alan, Grenseal...” 

“We’re here, Lord Teo.”

“I have a request... for both of you...” 

“What is it, my Lord?” asked Grenseal. 

“No one can stop the flow of time... I fought for His Majesty, I fought for the man himself... not for the title. I was being stubborn. But you two don’t have to be. I want you to join the Liberation Army, to help Tir. For your own sake, as well...” 

“Gh...” The two commanders dropped to their knees beside Tir. 

The Liberation Army soldiers also quieted down, like an ocean growing calm. It was as if they were honoring Teo’s passing; the death of an enemy general who, even when it was down to just him alone, did not run but fought to the end. 

“Father…” 

“Tir… my son… don’t shed any more tears.” He squeezed Tir’s hand weakly once more. “I am happy. For a father, getting to see the moment... when his son surpasses him... is the greatest joy...”

Teo’s hand lost its grip. 

“Father! No!” howled Tir. “You can’t die!” 

But Teo’s eyes stayed shut.

“Keep fighting... my beloved... son.” 

“Father...! Father!” 

Tir held Teo tight. Heedless of the gore-spattered armor smearing red across his cheeks, Tir rocked his father’s body back and forth. But Teo did not stir. 

“Father…” Tir called out once more, weakly. 

Suddenly, something strange happened to his body. A dazzling light shone from the back of his right hand, even through the leather glove he wore. “What the—?”

He felt a searing pain, as if the back of his hand were on fire. The pain shot up to his elbow, his shoulder, his chest—soon it enveloped his whole body. 

He didn’t even have time to cry out. He collapsed on top of Teo and lost consciousness. 

ーーー

Voices reverberated in the dark. 

What in the world happened to Lord Tir?

I don’t know... a light suddenly shot out of the back of his right hand... 

Half in and out of fuzzy consciousness, he listened to the conversation. One speaker was elderly, while the other, uneasy voice belonged to a young woman. As Tir fought to stop the darkness surrounding him on all sides from swooping in again, the conversation went on. 

Well, no need to worry. What the lad needs now is some good rest. 

Thank you, Master Liukan. 

Tir finally regained consciousness. The elderly voice belonged to Liukan, and the young woman was probably Cleo. 

“Urgh...” Tir groaned. He heard the light pitter-patter of feet as someone came over to him. 

“Lord Tir, please don’t push yourself.” Cleo drew close and looked into Tir’s eyes, her expression worried. 

“Cleo... where are we...?” 

“We’re in your room in the castle, Lord Tir.”

“When did I...” Tir tried to move, but his limbs refused to listen to him. His body felt as heavy as lead. “Ugh...”

“You mustn't move yet!” Flustered, Cleo held Tir’s shoulders and tucked him back into the bed. “You collapsed on the battlefield. We carried you here. You’ve been asleep the whole time. I didn’t know what to think for a while there...” She sighed. “But it’s all okay now. Don’t push yourself. Just focus on resting up and recovering.”

“Thank you, Cleo...” Tir sighed, too. He craned his neck to see out the window. The sun was already sinking, the sky glowing with sunset. “Cleo...”

“Yes?” 

“I’m sorry, but could you let me be alone for a while?” 

“Of course,” she said, after a slight hesitation. “I’ll be in the corridor, so if you need me, just ring this bell.” She placed the small bell beside Tir’s pillow and left the room. 

The door snicked shut. Tir stared at it for a moment, then let out a big sigh. 

How did it come to this?

He gazed up at the sooty ceiling and thought back over everything that had happened, all of their battles. 

It all started with becoming leader of the Liberation Army. The Great Forest, the Garan Checkpoint... Those battles were difficult, but we kept winning. We were defeated at Scarletia Castle, but with Liukan’s help we were  eventually able to bring it down. 

Teo’s army crushed our forces, too, but with the fire spears and Kun To’s lake pirates we were even able to defeat the armored cavalry units, said to be the strongest in the Empire.  

Their allies grew by the day, and the momentum of the Liberation Army was boundless. However, seemingly in direct proportion to that momentum, Tir had suffered losses one after the other. 

Gremio. Then my father. You could dismiss it all as “fate”, but... 

Tir sighed again and the sheets rustled as he lifted his hands. His right hand still felt like lead. He placed it on his chest. His left hand lay on top of the blanket. He put his right hand over his left, the right still clad in its leather glove. 

Since Tir had parted ways with Ted, he had almost never gone without his glove. He was afraid of the Soul Eater Rune and its powers. Looking at it never failed to remind him of Ted. But now, he couldn’t help but take off the glove. 

Odessa’s death had been the first. Whenever someone important to him died, the back of his right hand felt weird. He hadn’t noticed it so strongly when Odessa had died, but with Gremio he had felt a burning pain, and when his father died, the back of his hand had begun to glow. 

Just what secrets does this rune hold...? 

Tir slowly took off his glove. He turned his hand around to look at the back, afraid of what he would see there. 

When he had gotten the Soul Eater from Ted, he was sure it had been black. Now it seemed to emit a faint glow. He felt a deep uneasiness steal into his heart. 

“Tir...” In the empty room, a woman’s gentle voice called out his name softly. 

“Lady Leknaat.” At Tir’s reply, a dazzling light scattered about the room. The lights gathered together into one point in the middle of the room and gradually took on human shape, eventually resolving into the form of Lady Leknaat herself. 

“Tir...” Lady Leknaat murmured his name again as she walked over to his bed. “I watched over your battle from afar. You fought well. Both you and your father.”

As she spoke, Leknaat held her hand to Tir’s forehead. Little sparks of light spilled from the palm of her hand, like countless stars in the night sky. His body, which had felt so heavy, began to feel a little lighter.  

“What in the world did you just do?” 

Leknaat smiled at the wonder in Tir’s voice. “That is the power of my rune.” She touched Tir’s body gently, moving her hand down to grasp his own. His right hand lay atop the blanket, his rune laid bare. “The Soul Eater... I sense a strong power in this rune. It is what has caused your body to grow so unbalanced. I have restrained its power slightly, so all will be well. You will be back to normal in a little while.”

“Lady Leknaat...” Unable to bear it any longer, he finally asked. “What is the Soul Eater? Ever since I received this rune from Ted, I’ve lost so many people I love. And when they pass away, this rune... aches. Please tell me... what does it mean, Lady Leknaat?” 

“Tir...” Grasping the Soul Eater tightly in her hand, Leknaat spoke. “It seems the time has come to speak to you.”

“To speak to me? About what?”

“About me, and about my older sister, Windy. And why she is so bent on obtaining this rune...”

Tir said nothing, staring at her. For he had long harbored doubts about this as well.

Leknaat was silent for a moment, then began her story. “My sister Windy and I are the last remaining members of the Gate Rune Clan. Long ago, our relatives were massacred at the hands of the Holy Harmonia Empire, which lays in the far north. All because the Harmonian Empire coveted the power of our runes.” 

“That’s awful...”

“I think Windy’s actions may be due to the grudge she bears. The “front” half of the Gate Rune my sister bears is not enough for her. She also covets the “back” half that I possess in order to obtain a full true rune and all the power it grants.” 

“You mean, Windy...?”

“Yes. She plans to use a true rune to exact her revenge. Since I shut myself away in my Magician’s Tower and erected a barrier all around it, my sister has been scouring the world for other True Runes scattered around the world. And what she found... was the Soul Eater.” 

“I see.”

“However, Tir...” Leknaat let go of the Soul Eater. “The power of true runes is too great a thing for humans to bear. If my sister obtains two true runes and uses that power to enact her revenge, it may bring calamity upon the world. But you, Tir... you can stop her.” 

Tir propped himself up, gazing at the Soul Eater. 

Leknaat went on. “It is no easy task, for you must wage war on two fronts. One is your battle against the Empire, and the other is with my sister. But as far as I can see, this battle has only one conclusion.” 

Leknaat took one step backward, then turned toward Tir and smiled. “Tir... I have pointed you toward the right path.” As Leknaat spoke those words, she once again scattered into lights around his chambers. 

“Wait, please!” Tir clambered out of bed unsteadily and stumbled toward Leknaat. “Please tell me... just what is the Soul Eater? What kind of power hides within it? If I don’t know that, I can’t...” 

“Tir...” Leknaat’s voice floated back to him from within the light. “What did Ted tell you about the rune?”

Tir thought back to what Ted had said, and tried to quote him word for word. “He said that the Soul Eater is a cursed rune...”

“That may be so. I’m sorry, Tir, but I do not know any more than that myself.” Even as she answered, Leknaat’s body was further enveloped in light. The light she emitted was dazzling. 

“But, Lady Leknaat—!”

“Tir. You will be able to control the Soul Eater’s power. Just remember, you must never lose hope.” 

“Lady Leknaat!” 

Even as Tir called out, the light disappeared. 

Lady Leknaat was nowhere to be seen. 

[ VOLUME 2 ★ END ]

***

お疲れ様でした！！！ ヽ(^o^)丿

*** Table of Contents

★ Chapters 0-1 ★ Chapters 2-3  ★ Chapters 4-5  ★ Chapters 6-7  ★ Chapters 8-9 ★ Chapters 10-11  ★ Chapters 12-13  ★ Chapters 14-15 ★ Chapters 16-17 ★ Chapters 18-19 ★ Chapter 20

«-first // archive // Ramsus-kun Scanslations

[girlactionfigure]

🔘Tuesday morning events from Israel  

ISRAEL REALTIME - Connecting to Israel in Realtime

Blessings for Rosh Chodesh (new Jewish month) of Elul, where the King is in the field (it is said during this month G-d is closer for prayer.)

♦️IDF DRONE STRIKE in TULKARM..  aircraft attacked a squad of armed terrorists who fired on troops.

▪️PROTEST - ANTI-GOVT.. Last night demonstrators broke through barriers near the Prime Minister's house on Gaza Street in Jerusalem and reached the corner of Gaza/Metodela, during the break-in the police used force to prevent it but without success. The police made 7-8 arrests.

▪️PROTEST - ANTI-HISTADRUT..  "A political strike that helps Hamas. You cost billions of shekels at our expense.'' A demonstration this morning in front of the house of the chairman of the Histadrut.

▪️RALLY - PRAYER FOR HOSTAGES.. Prayer rally - thousands participated in an event for the hostages and the soldiers at the Western Wall: "With the power of prayer we will win victory”.

▪️HAMAS SAYS - KILL THEM.. Abu Ubaydah: We tell everyone clearly that after the Nusairat incident (hostage rescue), new instructions were issued to the Mujahideen assigned to guard the prisoners (hostages) regarding their treatment if the occupation army approaches the place of their detention.  (The hostages were killed 2-3 days before the IDF reached them.)

▪️ISRAELI PRESIDENT HERTZOG SAYS.. The president against renewing the dispute on the legal issue: is this what we need now? Don't you dare, leave it to us.

▪️ONE OF THE COMPANIES SELLING COAL TO ISRAEL.. in Columbia was apparently a Hezbollah operation.  Meaning Hezbollah was selling discount Columbian coal to Israeli power stations to launder money and profit to support Hezbollah operations against Israel. (Nziv)

▪️Netanyahu: I insisted on live hostages in the deal, the mediators started at 12 and we have already gone up to 23.  (There are 109 hostages - 23 is the maximum offer?  Or the only ones left alive?)

▪️YESTERDAY’S ATTEMPTED CAR BOMB OF CHILDREN - LIVE FEED.. at Ateret: A camera was installed in the bomb vehicle to provide a live feed of the attack.

⭕ATTEMPTED INFILTRATION BY SEA - ROSH HANIKRA.. reports of an attempted infiltration from the sea near Rosh HaNikra - navy shots at a boat approaching from the direction of Lebanon.

⭕US CENTCOM - in the last day the Houthis hit 2 oil tankers, one Saudi and one registered in Panama and managed under a Greek flag.

⭕2 rounds of HEZBOLLAH ROCKETS at northern towns overnight.

⭕JENIN, TULKARM.. Our enemies report that at the same time as the seventh day of IDF activity in Jenin begins, IDF forces are returning, in large numbers, to operate in Tulkarm as well.

[mariacallous]

The United States and other major countries are close to finally finding a way to turn frozen Russian state assets into financial assistance for Ukraine, with this week’s G-7 meeting of finance officials in Italy expected to lay the groundwork for a breakthrough deal worth as much as 50 billion euros.

But the U.S. push to get allies on board with large-scale financial assistance to Ukraine is undercut by the Biden administration’s reiterated limits on what Ukraine can actually do with the assistance it receives, with Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory still a no-go for Washington. Those restrictions are becoming increasingly contentious as Russia continues its bloody offensive against Kharkiv using troops and weapons staged with impunity right across the border.

The good news for Ukraine is that after weeks of U.S. prodding, key members of the G-7 seem inclined to sign off on a novel way to aid Ukraine with frozen Russian assets. The idea, which will be discussed at the meeting this week in Italy and likely further developed in meetings over the summer, is to use the approximately 3 billion euros in annual proceeds from Russia’s 300-odd billion euros in frozen state assets to underwrite a loan for Kyiv worth as much as 50 billion euros. Germany, which was reluctant to entertain previous proposals to tap frozen Russian funds, was the latest country to throw its support behind the new initiative.

“I believe it’s vital and urgent that we collectively find a way forward to unlock the value of Russian sovereign assets immobilized in our jurisdictions for the benefit of Ukraine,” said U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in a speech in Germany on Tuesday. “This will be a key topic of conversation during G-7 meetings this week.”

The new plan, if it comes to fruition, would substitute a scheme that Europe just finalized this month on how to use the proceeds from Russian assets, which involved taxing the roughly 3 billion euros a year that accrue and sending the bulk of that money to Ukraine. Instead, the United States and allies in Europe and Asia would provide Ukraine with a lump sum rather than annual payments. 

That would go some way toward meeting Ukraine’s huge financial burdens in the medium term, and also insulate some future assistance for Ukraine from potential political upheavals in the United States after November’s presidential election; presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump has a mixed record on Ukraine and has consistently complained that the United States is doing more than Europe to support the country in its fight against Russia.

“The advantage is that you get the money for Ukraine now, and it would be partially Trump-proofed,” said Charles Lichfield, deputy director of the Geoeconomics Center at the Atlantic Council.

It’s no coincidence that Europe is just now coming around to even this watered-down way to tap frozen Russian funds, he added. Europe was reluctant to take further action to support Ukraine while U.S. assistance remained frozen. But Republican lawmakers in the United States finally unlocked billions of dollars in aid for Ukraine after months of delay, removing one possible European objection to taking a step that some countries still see as risking Russian retaliation.

Those European fears help explain why the United States and the United Kingdom have been unable to muster much support for more ambitious plans to seize the entirety of Russia’s frozen assets to aid Ukraine. The United States just passed a fresh law reaffirming its right to seize Russia’s assets, but the bulk of that money is held in Europe, making unilateral U.S. action unlikely and ineffective. Many European countries are worried that any move to seize the entirety of Russia’s frozen assets could spark tit-for-tat retaliation from Moscow, as well as threaten the euro’s attractiveness as an international reserve currency.

But Moscow isn’t waiting for an excuse to snatch Western assets in any event. In recent weeks, Russia has seized hundreds of millions of dollars in assets held by Western banks in Russia such as J.P. Morgan, Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, and UniCredit. Moscow has also shaken down Western businesses that left the country due to sanctions to the tune of more than $1 billion, and it continues to grab money even from companies such as IKEA that have suspended operations there.

A number of questions about the latest plan to use Russian assets remain, including the size of the loan, the timeframe of future revenues used to pay it back, and whether it would be underwritten by the entire G-7 or by the United States alone.

Perhaps the trickiest part of turning future revenues into current money is the fact that, as things stand now, the European Union needs to renew its sanctions on Russia every six months. That could cast a shadow over just how secure those future revenues meant to back a loan really are, Lichfield said. That uncertainty could increase the risk profile of any loan underwritten by the United States or other major economies.

“To lock in that revenue stream for 20 years, you’d need to change European Union law—you can’t have it subject to renewal every six months,” he said.

But the U.S.-driven progress in unlocking more aid for Ukraine remains undermined by the continued restrictions placed by the United States and some other Western allies on exactly what Ukraine can do with the military assistance it receives. 

Washington has since the start of the conflict warned Ukraine that it will not allow Kyiv to use U.S.-supplied weapons to strike at targets outside Ukraine itself, a prohibition that severely limits the utility of long-range weapons such as the recently supplied ATACMS, an Army missile system. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reiterated that prohibition this week, even as Russian forces staged just outside Ukraine’s reach are sowing death and destruction in places such as Kharkiv. Washington has even sought to extend the prohibition to Ukraine’s use of its own weapons, frowning on long-range drone strikes at vital targets inside Russia, though the White House has acknowledged that “Ukraine makes its own decisions about its military operations and how it uses equipment that it manufactures.”

From Washington’s perspective, the cautious approach makes sense when dealing with a nuclear-armed state that has repeatedly threatened to escalate the war if the United States and its allies keep bolstering Ukraine’s ability to defend itself. It’s not a trivial fear: Russia did practice starting a nuclear war just this week, ostensibly in response to increased Western involvement in Ukraine’s defense. But the Biden administration’s goal of keeping Ukraine from losing while keeping the war from widening is running into a logical cul-de-sac.

“They don’t want Ukraine to fall, but they also have the priority of keeping the war contained,” said Edward Hunter Christie, a senior research fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs. “The mind virus that has taken hold is that you can control the war through the tap of military assistance—dial it up, dial it down—but the U.S. administration has put itself on this tightrope where it is afraid of falling on either side.”

The United Kingdom, for its part, has seemingly removed such limits. Foreign Secretary David Cameron said earlier this month that Ukraine can use British-supplied weapons as it sees fit. But U.S. limits remain.

The problem with the U.S. constraints has come into sharp relief with the Russian attack on Kharkiv, a big Ukrainian city right on the Russian border. Due to U.S. restrictions, Ukrainian forces are powerless to interdict Russian forces that stage beyond the border, leading to more destruction and more Ukrainian deaths.

That, in turn, has led a chorus of U.S. lawmakers to call on the Biden administration to relax its restrictions on Ukrainian use of U.S. arms. A bipartisan group of House lawmakers sent Austin a letter this week, echoed by a similar plea from Sen. James Risch, the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. House Speaker Mike Johnson  Other prominent figures, including Mike McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia, have publicly questioned the continued U.S. restrictions. Even a lawmaker who held up U.S. aid for Ukraine, House Speaker Mike Johnson, is questioning the Biden administration’s limits on Ukraine’s targeting.

“The debate is live now, because of Kharkiv. Everybody can now see how absurd and damaging to Ukraine these caveats are,” said Christie, who was also formerly a NATO official. “We continue to be in a situation where Ukraine has to fight with one hand tied behind its back.”

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

January 14, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

You hear sometimes, now that we know the sordid details of the lives of some of our leading figures, that America has no heroes left.

When I was writing a book about the Wounded Knee Massacre, where heroism was pretty thin on the ground, I gave that a lot of thought. And I came to believe that heroism is neither being perfect, nor doing something spectacular. In fact, it’s just the opposite: it’s regular, flawed human beings choosing to put others before themselves, even at great cost, even if no one will ever know, even as they realize the walls might be closing in around them.

It means sitting down the night before D-Day and writing a letter praising the troops and taking all the blame for the next day’s failure upon yourself, in case things went wrong, as General Dwight D. Eisenhower did.

It means writing in your diary that you “still believe that people are really good at heart,” even while you are hiding in an attic from the men who are soon going to kill you, as Anne Frank did.

It means signing your name to the bottom of the Declaration of Independence in bold print, even though you know you are signing your own death warrant should the British capture you, as John Hancock did.

It means defending your people’s right to practice a religion you don’t share, even though you know you are becoming a dangerously visible target, as Sitting Bull did.

Sometimes it just means sitting down, even when you are told to stand up, as Rosa Parks did.

None of those people woke up one morning and said to themselves that they were about to do something heroic. It’s just that, when they had to, they did what was right.

On April 3, 1968, the night before the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated by a white supremacist, he gave a speech in support of sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee. Since 1966, King had tried to broaden the Civil Rights Movement for racial equality into a larger movement for economic justice. He joined the sanitation workers in Memphis, who were on strike after years of bad pay and such dangerous conditions that two men had been crushed to death in garbage compactors.

After his friend Ralph Abernathy introduced him to the crowd, King had something to say about heroes: “As I listened to Ralph Abernathy and his eloquent and generous introduction and then thought about myself, I wondered who he was talking about.”

Dr. King told the audience that, if God had let him choose any era in which to live, he would have chosen the one in which he had landed. “Now, that’s a strange statement to make,” King went on, “because the world is all messed up. The nation is sick. Trouble is in the land; confusion all around…. But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars.” Dr. King said that he felt blessed to live in an era when people had finally woken up and were working together for freedom and economic justice.

He knew he was in danger as he worked for a racially and economically just America. “I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter…because I’ve been to the mountaintop…. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life…. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!”

People are wrong to say that we have no heroes left.

Just as they have always been, they are all around us, choosing to do the right thing, no matter what.

Wishing you all a day of peace for Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2024.

[Image of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C., by Buddy Poland.]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[workingclasshistory]

On this day, 18 April 1945 workers in Turin, Italy, walked out on strike in protest at Nazi Germany occupation. Workers and resistance fighters distributed leaflets the previous night calling for a walkout. On the morning of April 18, factories, workshops, shops, markets, schools, transport and postal and telephone services were all shut down. Some workers, like at Fiat Mirafiori, occupied their plants, while thousands of others took to the streets. A huge march went through Piazza Sabotino, headed by women carrying Italian flags and placards, calling on the fascists to surrender, and singing the "Red Flag". One eyewitness, Giorgio Amendola, reported: "What impressed me was the confidence of the crowd, the firm and serene courage and an air of celebration and joy, everyone was happy and seemed to be saying: you see how strong we are. The fascists did not show up. In fact, the whole neighborhood was in our hands". Just over a week later, on April 27, partisans entered the city and by the following day the last remaining fascist troops had fled. We are currently producing a podcast miniseries about the partisan resistance in Italy, in conversation with surviving participants. You can get first listen, and help support our work like this by joining us on patreon. This helps us fund our work like producing the podcast, funding translation and transcription, purchasing research materials and so on. Learn more, sign up and get access to exclusive content at https://patreon.com/workingclasshistory Pictured: partisans in Turin around this time https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=611190447720841&set=a.602588028581083&type=3