#which is Super important for both of them!!

[pls-do-crimes-to-me]

I've realized the reason this sits so unwell with me is that it reminds me of "don't eat anything with ingredients you can't pronounce". Both are incredibly both are incredibly unrelated metrics to use pigeons were completely different from AI just as names of chemicals are completely unrelated to how they affect your body. The only possible reasoning behind the argument is just, anything away from nature cannot be trusted.

READ RESEARCH PAPERS. For gods sake, there are so many scientists with the same concerns as you actually doing studies to find reliable results. A better rule of thumb is don't trust an AI that wasn't published with a peer reviewed article proving it works properly. Literally all AIs came from research labs and if they didn't test it that's like eating something that's not fda approved. (Also look for studies that have been duplicated as those are more reliable but depending on how new the AI it might not have that). And read it critically, ask questions like what was the sample size, what was their p value, did what the study actually prove back up their conclusion or did they take a jump.

For the love of god please stop spreading this anti intellectualism pretending like regular people cannot access scientific knowledge. READ RESEARCH PAPERS I'M BEGGING YOU. It's hard at first but having the knowledge of how research is done is a super important literacy skills (I'm so sorry they didn't teach it to you in high school)

AI is being pushes on is left right and centre but knowing how it works, knowing that not all AI is generative AI, knowing when you can and can't trust it, knowing when a biased AI uncovered the bias of humans and what to do is WAYYYY more empowering then sticking your heads in the sand PLEASE.

This is away from my main point of "please read research articles to properly decide on your opinion of an AI and not just if it seems like something a pidgeon could do" and more "AI is not a one dimensionally bad thing"

I'm majoring in cognitive science which means o get a fun mix of both psych classes and computer science classes and what I have overall learnt is thst both human minds and any algorithm based on output coming from a human mind will be biased.

Specifically I took a forensic psychology course that looked at the different ways of deciding if someone was safe to re-enter the community and the data showed that using and algorithm rather than a human clinical made the results much more accurate (not perfect but a considerable improvement [clinical judgement AUC=0.55, actuarial tools AUC=0.68-0.80]. note random chance sits at 0.5). The fact of the matter is this isn't a choice where you can choose human just because you feel like a pigeon shouldn't be doing it. If you don't let them out when you could have: a reformed person is being kept away from freedom, from their family, from possibly helping the world again, if you let them out when you shouldn't have: another person is being turned into a victim.

I understand the ethical issues that come with AI and how because of capitalism many corporations are using it as a swap out for humans. But the issue with that is capitalism, not AI

A good rule of thumb for AI is "would you trust a trained pigeon to do this?"

"We trained a pigeon to recognise cancerous cell clusters and somehow they're really good at it" okay great, that's something that could plausibly be a thing.

"We trained a pigeon to recognise good CV:s and left it in charge of sorting through all our job applications" uh perhaps consider not doing that.

[anthurak]

So here’s an interesting little theory spun out of a recent conversation between myself and @tumblingxelian:

Looking back in hindsight, I think it’s rather interesting how the Branwen Tribe turned out to not nearly be as much of a ‘big deal’ as I think many might have been expecting. Particularly those of us (myself included) from the early, Pre-V4 days of the fandom who had a few years to stew with any number of theories and headcanons about the mysterious bandit tribe that Qrow and Raven grew up in.

Like I think many of us were probably expecting some ruthless, deadly band of thieves and murderers, feared throughout the land as one of the most capable criminal organizations of Remnant. Which we admittedly did get a couple oblique hints to via Qrow.

Rather than the frankly rather pathetic gaggle of common cutthroats and, well bandits living in a small circle of tents in the woods we meet in Volume 5. Who end up serving as little more than background extras or convenient punchable mooks for Yang to demonstrate her skills on and seem to have been completely ditched by Raven herself following the volume.

Now to get one important point out of the way first, this is NOT meant to be a criticism of how the Branwen tribe actually turned out. Regardless of any theories, headcanons or ‘potential’ we may have come up with for them, I think how the series ended up presenting the tribe in Volume 5 works perfectly fine.

For one, given the pacing of Volumes 4 and 5, there really wasn’t any room to really DO all that much with the tribe, so it makes sense that they weren’t given all that much attention. And given what Volume 5 wanted to do with Yang’s, Raven’s and Cinder’s characters, it just makes more sense that the tribe ends up being a bunch of sniveling parasites and bullies rather than anything intensely badass and super organized.

And on top of all that, I think there is some very interesting theorizing that can be done on why the Branwen Tribe might be in such a sorry state.

Namely, that the tribe might have once been that ruthless and deadly band of trained killers that we may have assumed they were, but by the present day of the series have been reduced to only a pale shadow of what they once were.

For one, we do get a few hints that the Branwen Tribe may have at one time been a way bigger deal. We know that they trained Raven and Qrow to the point that they were able to both be accepted into Beacon without any formal training (ala Blake) and get the attention of Ozpin. And we know that Raven and Qrow were originally sent to infiltrate Beacon on the tribes’ orders for some nefarious ends, which certainly implies some pretty major aims and ambitions on the part of the tribe.

So what could have changed?

Well, for the most fun option; what if this all ended up playing into all those adventures that Team STRQ went on?

You see for a while now I’ve become more and more convinced that Team STRQ’s backstory was essentially being the main characters of a typical, standard, ‘played straight’ fantasy adventure story. Specifically to contrast Team RWBY and the show as a whole being much more trope-twisting and genre-subverting.

So I think it’s only natural that Raven’s and Qrow’s family of deadly, ruthless bandits could have wound up being one of the main ‘villains’ of that story.

After all, we know that Raven and Qrow were originally sent to ‘infiltrate Beacon’ by their tribe, clearly for some nefarious ends. So I’d say it was only a matter of time before the pair’s conflict of loyalties between their ‘old family’ and ‘new family’ finally came to a head. And it’s likewise pretty obvious which side both Raven and Qrow ended up choosing in the end.

Like I think it’s all too easy to imagine some big arc/conflict where the tribe finally tries to exploit their ‘agents’ within Beacon and get Qrow and Raven to turn on their teammates/new family and friends as part of some villainous scheme. Only for a few years of team bonding, character development and potential romantic/homoerotic tension to throw a wrench into all that as Raven and Qrow finally turn on their cruel/manipulative/abusive/evil old family and choose their kind, supporting and loving new family.

A conflict which also logically happens to end with Raven’s and Qrow’s evil parents, mentor-figures and ‘older siblings’ all either dead or arrested.

Which I think helps to very neatly explain the disconnect between the deadly and capable Branwen tribe we heard about and the sorry, pathetic state we actually see them in at present. Because the leadership and probably all of the actually capable/competent members of the tribe were wiped out by Team STRQ (and probably more than a few friends) some 30-odd years ago. Leaving whoever was left to either squabble over the scraps, cut and run, or just become Grimm chow.

So that when Raven finally showed up to take charge years later, there was pretty much nothing left of the old Branwen tribe.

In fact, here’s a rather interesting subtle detail:

Has anyone else noticed that in the background shots of the Branwen tribe we see in Volume 5, nobody in the tribe looks to be Raven’s age or older?

Obviously there are plenty of full-grown adults in the tribe and it’s admittedly always been difficult to accurately gauge anyone’s age in RWBY based on appearance alone. But even still, there doesn’t seem to be anyone who looks quite as old as Raven, and there DEFINITELY isn’t anyone clearly older than Raven either.

Basically, I think that when Raven showed up 10+ years ago to take charge of the tribe (or maybe just to hide), there were only a scant handful of members left who were her age or older, those who even REMEMBERED her. With everyone else either being too young to remember Raven or having been recruited in the 15 or so intervening years. And of course, Raven would end up killing those handful of ‘senior’ members of the tribe as part of her takeover. With the rest either falling in line or being killed themselves. Or perhaps were simply kicked out by Raven.

So by the time we reach the present day of RWBY where we actually see the Branwen tribe in Volume 5, there really is NO ONE actually LEFT of the ‘original’ Branwen tribe.

Save, ironically enough, Raven herself.

All in all, I think this is a rather neat and elegant way of essentially having ‘both’ versions of the Branwen Tribe being ‘canon’ in one way or another. The ruthless and deathly band of killers that raised Raven and Qrow in the past, and the gaggle of common cutthroats we see in the present.

[steppingonyourshadow]

Lee watches Legend of Zang Hai: Episodes 1-10

Decided to clean up and post my commentary thread here for easier reading.

Plot, language, culture, history, Chinese TV and novel tropes, and general commentary.

Episode 1

Man, I kind of can't believe it's actually here? And it looks so good?

You can tell by the mode of dress etc that this is an alternate history Ming dynasty.

The Ming dynasty ruled from 1368 to 1644 (Elizabeth I died in 1603, if that helps you situate yourself). It was a time of great flourishing of the arts and literature but fewer advancements in science.

The nation of Dong Xia/冬夏 is an invention of the Lost Tomb franchise. There was a real East (also Dong) Xia but it was destroyed by the Mongols long before the Ming dynasty.

On a less scholarly note the child actors are all absolutely adorable.

Kuai Duo's job is 钦天监监正 - basically, the imperial astronomer. It was an important, extremely politically sensitive role (and we'll talk about why later) but not a super highly ranked one.

Think of it as architect, astrologer and astronomer all in one.

Our protagonist says his dad Kuai Duo is an expert at 堪舆 (kanyu), a term we're gonna come across a lot.

Kanyu (Chinese geomancy) is the proper term for what is now popularly called fengshui - a combination of philosophy, astrology, geography and anthropology.

So funny to me that baby Zhi Nu (Nu is a suffix for child names, which is why both kids' names have it) is already digging tunnels what with his character being based on a Lost Tomb legend who would go on to make a lot of them.

Zhi Nu/Zang Hai's parents are played brilliantly by a duo who really look like they could be Xiao Zhan's parents, the Hong Kong actor and singer Wallace Chung and the Taiwanese actress and singer Michelle Chen.

Michelle previously encountered Xiao Zhan during his survival show days.

In an episode full of horrifying, tragic moments I think I was most struck by Gou Li's decision to impersonate Zhi Nu (and therefore die for him).

What a well-shot, well-made, amazingly acted episode.

Episode 2

The selection that the masked man recites to Zhi Nu is from the poem 即事 by the Song dynasty poet and philosopher 王安石. It's about how small our lives are in the grand scheme of creation.

1) Masked Man is so sus. He's so clearly pushing Zhi Nu along this path for his own reasons. 

2) The cosmetic surgery scene depicts real techniques and tools from traditional Chinese medicine.

Oh before I go on, I should say that if you came into this expecting straightforward good and evil instead of complex people, you're watching the wrong show.

Everyone in China knows Zheng Xiaolong, he's made so many classic shows and he's known for portraying complex humanity.

Kuai Duo was (and Zhi Nu is) an expert in building with 榫卯 (Mortise-and-tenon), a construction technique first used in China during the Neolithic period, in which wood components were made to interlock with perfect fit, without using screws or glue.

The death puzzle is solved by Zhi Nu using a poem by a 易学 (literally the study of changes) scholar. 

易学 derives from I Ching (the Book of Changes) and is the study of philosophy, science, divination and meteorology from a Chinese worldview. 

We talked about kanyu before and how it's geography and architecture and astronomy.

Not sure how they're translating the other thing Zhi Nu is learning but it's basically how to win friends and influence people (con artistry, except sometimes you're not lying).

The scene with Liu Chu is really interesting because (spoilers) it turns out Zang Hai is a natural at manipulating others' feelings, as she says. 

But he's also inherently a little impulsive, as she also points out.

The puzzle scene is incredible. Our boy is so fucked up. The fact that he recites the massacre of his family so calmly and with a smile just makes it even more fucked up.

Zang Hai's making a murder list, he's checking it twice, he already knows they're all terrible motherfuckers.

Episode 3

One thing I have to commend this show for is that all the actors feel like they belong in this era. No one has overly modern posture/affect/speech (a very common problem with idol dramas that always takes me out).

Xing Dou quotes from the Song dynasty poem 晏殊: "觥船一棹百分空。何处不相逢" - no need to be sorrowful at parting, we could always meet again elsewhere.

Which is certainly interesting in context.

The fireworks are 药发木偶, an art form originating in the Song dynasty in which artisans made puppets of popular characters and installed fireworks to make them dance. They were used for celebrations.

The beautiful screen here is actually a hand-carved lantern - another traditional art form.

I love how much Zang Hai has going on behind his eyes at all times. 

Let's be real, Xiang Antu is letting him off easy not only because she wants to fuck with him but also because she thinks he's cute.

Shadow plays have their own English wiki entry.

The use of instruments to change one's voice to suit the role like Ba-gongzi does here is a part of the tradition.

The play is a convenient recap of the political situation - a heir-less emperor, and two of the political powers (the Marquis and Cao-gonggong with his secret police).

Eunuchs could be very powerful during the Ming dynasty.

The Emperor is the child of the Dowager Noble Consort and of course he wants his mother to remain buried with the previous emperor rather than have her dug up and the Dowager Empress put in to replace her as tradition demands (because the Dowager Empress was the wife).

See, what was Liu Chu saying last ep about not being taken in by a friendly face?

I love that Zang Hai can't fight and is even a little clumsy. Pure guile protag (I was going to say hero but that word is so loaded in English).

From this ep you may have seen that kanyu fengshui is not just decisions about buildings. It's actually mostly politics.

We're going to return to this idea. 

Three things about Zang Hai:

1) man loves to smile humbly head bowed at someone he wants to murder

2) he's learned the best way to avoid being fooled is to fool everyone else

3) that self-destructive, reckless streak is a mile wide.

Zang Hai figures out that the solution to the tomb is contained in phrases from 滴天髓, a famous divination text

Two things about the Marquis (fandom calls him by his title Lord/Duke Pingjin):

- clearly very sensitive to any implication that he's past it, that retainer was very silly 

- note him saying his residence would burn down if he left it to Chu-daren.

Episode 4

Did you see how he gave himself barely a second to grieve and rage?

(Insert kitten thinks only of murder meme here.)

Zang Hai only had a second to feel emotions because he then immediately had to put on his most harmless smol bean facade, down to bowing his back like a peasant awed to be surrounded by power and wealth. Someone who knows his place.

This first meeting is electric, my god.

I said before that kanyu is politics. The issue here is that none of the other fengshui masters managed to 1) come up with the correct political solution that suited the Emperor and 2) give a convincing explanation for it that suited tradition and the rules.

Zang Hai saw that he needed to offer a story and a solution that would accomplish two things:

1) allow the burial to proceed (so appeasing broadly held values) in a way that doesn't degrade the Emperor's own mother

2) kept powerful regional lords from coming to the capital.

The spirits stuff is all politics and everyone knows it's politics but it needs to have a justification that makes it sound like it's from on high. 

This is the kind of ambiguity that you have to get very comfortable with in traditional and modern Chinese culture.

This scene is so tense I barely breathed. Masterful direction and performances all around.

One thing folks keep commenting on is how unique Zang Hai is as a protagonist - and one of those traits is his willingness to be totally shamelessly obsequious when it helps him.

Did you notice the big clock outside during the scene where they're waiting for noon?

Sundials have been in use in China for telling time since the Han dynasty.

Zang Hai references my OG historical blorbo Zhuge Liang's famous "with deference and prudence, to the state of one's depletion, until one's death" (鞠躬盡瘁，死而後已) in trying to pledge himself to the Marquis.

Except of course he's on his knees begging his enemy to take him on.

Zang Hai is also unique as a protag in this genre because as netizens say he's "绿茶" and "毒蛇" (green tea bitch and venomous snake).

Green tea (bitch can be omitted) means to act harmless and sweet in order to manipulate people, which is what he's doing here with the Marquis.

His fundamental sense of justice can be seen in how he saved the child and tried to get his fellow tomb sufferers a burial.

But he's not your conventional heroic morally pure protagonist in the Western sense.

The production actually built the Marquis' residence using period appropriate construction techniques. It took six months. The design was in part based on the Song dynasty painting 七夕乞巧图.

Zang Hai has managed to get himself a role as a 幕僚 to the Marquis, but what is that? The modern equivalent is basically a military general's staff, in ancient terms a strategist, advisor or aide.

Zang Hai was able to pull off his performance at the tomb because he noticed that the Imperial Observatory (responsible for burials) had become so corrupt that they'd dared to use substandard construction and materials on the Emperor's tomb, leading to it not being watertight.

The way the Three Stooges discuss Zang Hai is so slimy, full of insinuation about his youth. The truth is that they're incredibly bothered and threatened by his mere existence, as they ought to be.

(Two of them are playing Chinese chess.)

Zang Hai things:

1) He looks so good in that retainer's uniform.

2) Thank god he's so wily and such a good actor. Having to deal with the petty jealousy and bullying of Yang Zhen must be infuriating.

3) You can kind of see him plotting murder behind those eyes, can't you.

Episode 5

Oh god what a tense episode.

A note about forms of address. Before Zang Hai's employment by the Marquis, he uses 草民 to refer to himself in front of the powerful, basically "this peasant". 

Once he's employed, he switches to 小的 or 小人 ("this insignificant one").

The secret basement room has a super special lock (see the 士 character on it? That means it's an anti-theft lock with a very specialised key).

This is a hilarious second meet cute between Zang Hai and Zhuang Zhixing, two sneaks sneaking around, one of them much better at it than the other.

Zang Hai cannot resist giving Zhuang Zhixing attitude even while keeping his humble obsequious smol bean act up, hahaha.

Zang Hai's enormously clever long distance romancing of the Marquis works because no man, no matter how powerful or cruel, can resist the allure of someone who knows them.

And of course Zang Hai knows him entirely, he's spent years studying him in order to kill him.

The Three Stooges know that Zang Hai's smol bean act is just an act, but that's fine - they're meant to To them, he's cosplaying a clever boy desperate for advancement and willing to abase himself for it.

What they don't know is how far he's willing to go.

This conversation between Zhuang Zhixing and Antu about the Marquis' spoils of war from Dong Xia is a heavy hint as to her secret identity.

Dying that Zhuang Zhixing has been taking dad's spoils to fund his lifestyle and owes like 300x Zang Hai's monthly salary to Pillow Pavilion.

The worst party of all time:

1) the way this show builds tension is incredible.

2) Zang Hai is playing smol bean and thinking about murder again

3) lord this show is brutal. Thank god for Antu.

One of the common themes in the work of Zheng Xiaolong is the fundamental injustice of feudal society. Look how cheap the lives of common people are to those with even a little power like the Three Stooges.

Zang Hai is himself one of the common people, of course. That's why his situation is so precarious. He doesn't have any kind of protagonist halo keeping him out of the clutches of the powerful.

And again we see his compassion and sense of justice come to the fore.

Another thing that sets him apart:

He spends about 2 seconds raging about the injustice and then gets down to solving the immediate problem. Plotting murder is for the long term.

The retainers trying to get face time in front of the Marquis despite Yang Zhen's obstruction reminds me strongly of an Emperor's harem vying for any scrap of his attention (which is of course the subject of director Zheng Xiaolong's most famous work, Legend of Zhen Huan).

One more thing aboth the terrible party - we all get why Zang Hai said no to the girl right? Not because he has some kind of sexual purity thing going on, or a need to maintain a reputation, but because he can't let himself be owned by Yang Zhen.

Love this bath scene, so much to unpack:

- Zang Hai going from obsequious smile to looking at Zhuang Zhixing like he's a dumbass as soon as his back is turned

- how incredibly sinister Zang Hai seems particularly toward the end - that smile!

Zhuang Zhixing asking Zang Hai to bathe with him might have the air of a rich frivolous gongzi flirting with a cute servant if not for Zang Hai's scary scheming face (especially with that "why do you keep asking about my father" exchange) 

Zhuang Zhixing with a "let them eat cake" moment - as Zang Hai says, of course Zhuang Zhixing can afford to look down on those who need to spend their days eking out a living.  He doesn't have to worry about any of that.

A final note about the poor singing girl. Her song is in a folk style called 挂枝儿 and the song is called 蜻蜓 (Dragonfly).

The lyrics are flirty (appropriate for a sexy party), common (because the Three Stooges have common taste) and a warning to Zang Hai that he can't escape.

Episode 6

Yang Zhen's idea isn't that bad except for the part where it's a trap to kill Zang Hai.

The idea of one's 八字 came up a lot in this episode. 

Your 八字 is determined by your birth year, month, day and hour.  Chinese folks believed it could tell you whether two people were compatible, and what someone was best suited for.

Zang Hai very calmly telling Gao Ming that the Three Stooges definitely plan to make him a human sacrifice and sounding amused about it is pretty fucked up. 

Also fucked up to be building your own burial chamber.

We're gonna return to this idea many times so I'll just flag it for now - Zang Hai pretends that he fears death when he wants someone to think so but he really doesn't.

Because in his head, he's already dead. He's a vengeful ghost come to claim his due.

One of my favourite Zang Hais is when he's Just Asking Questions, all innocent (knowing that what he's asking is a deadly secret).

Xiao Zhan is so good at playing very smart people.

The device in the flashback is an armillary sphere - an astronomical device invented in 4th century BC.

This one in particular is a copy of a sphere invented in the Yuan dynasty which was, fun fact, melted down for scraps by a German missionary in the Qing dynasty.

Really enjoyed Zang Hai's guide to proper tomb construction (again, linking to something fans of the Tomb franchise would know about the original character of Wang Zanghai).

They're making 三合土 (tabia) - a real ancient Chinese construction material made from clay, lime and sand.

Zhuang Zhifu is your classic fuerdai - dad got him his cushy job and he can't even do it without doing a corruption and getting in trouble.

Even as thick as he is, he still managed to recognise that his dad is already a bit fond of Zang Hai.

Poor Zang Hai having to pretend he doesn't know who his own father is.

Loved "I'm not working for him, I'm working for me".

Using sticks to tell fortune in China dates back to the Jin dynasty and is still practiced in temples today.

Gao Ming quotes from the classic divination text the Book of Changes. 

(You can tell Gao Ming taught Zang Hai how to lie, he's great at this.)

One thing that really sets this show apart is that not only is Zang Hai starting from a position of total powerlessness, his enemies are extremely powerful *and* pretty clever. So his plotting needs to be even more intricate to fool them.

These poor folks "volunteering" to be buried as a human sacrifice so they can save their families.

And then Zang Hai just smiling a little like he's thinking "these lowlifes are so predictable".

Episode 7

We start with some classic bullshitting about the will of heaven from Chu-daren.

Everyone knows what he's actually happening but there's nothing to be gained from pointing it out. Same with the "volunteers" for human sacrifice.

Corruption is so rife in Great Yong that officials take a cut from even the money used to compensate the families of the human sacrifices.

Here Zang Hai refers to himself as 卑职 (this humble official), a form of address used by those of lower rank toward those of higher rank. 

Chu-daren is his boss. Zang Hai's path to advancement is through murdering all his immediate superiors.

Fans have been posting about how this show really exposes the fantasy of transmigrating to the past and being able to do well with "modern smarts" as just that - a fantasy out of step with the harshness and unfairness of feudal society. 

There's a colloquial Chinese phrase which is roughly "if you want to look pretty, wear mourning colours" (wearing very plain colours complements and elevates true beauty).

Imperial Chinese government officials were classified into a 9 rank system. Every single thing about their treatment was strictly in accordance with their rank. 

The Marquis is the first ranked military official in the country.

Loved Zang Hai's speech about how we can't wait for posterity to improve the world, we have to do it ourselves.

These men are all going to die anyway but they still have something to fear - the worst crimes were punished with death of one's entire clan.

Zang Hai came prepared, of course, but his enemies have done the same.

I genuinely gasped when the trap mechanism activated.

"Get up, we're going home" really got me. 

Zang Hai definitely should murder every single one of these scumbags.

God the scene with Ji-bobo (Uncle Ji) is so moving and well acted.

Lovely to tell him to live well but how can he when he's living on knives and murderous intent?

The shot of Zang Hai wiping blood onto his face ("sealing tears with blood") is incredible. Such a great idea.

Having Gao Ming make the Marquis think that Zang Hai is his lucky totem is so smart, I love it.

They're all so scared when he walks out of the royal tomb, like he's a ghost. And he is.

I love that Zang Hai not only plotted to come out of this alive but also to take down Yang Zhen at the same time, and he's clearly been planning all this ever since the birthday party from hell. Incredible.

Zang Hai uses the will of heaven and the well established rules governing imperial burials to apply pressure to not just the Marquis but the entire body of governing officials masterfully.

The Marquis correctly perceives that Zang Hai isn't afraid to die.

The Marquis immediately abandoning Yang Zhen and even tricking him into walking into the tomb is very funny and in character. Of course he's going to trade you in for a younger model, dude.

Love Zang Hai's facial expressions throughout this scene. Xiao Zhan has never looked better.

Xiao Zhan said that when he first read the script he was already picturing how he'd play this scene and you can really see why. It's amazing and he does an amazing job with it.

Episode 8

The one with the famous carriage scene.

The thing is this is kind of a rigged game. If the Marquis had really made up his mind to kill Zang Hai, he would not be in this carriage. He's in the carriage because the Marquis finds him amusing and wants to give him a chance.

Zang Hai's performance (not Xiao Zhan's, the character's) here is very interesting. He has the Marquis' number and has calibrated this persona to appeal to him. 

Let's call this persona smol bean white lotus Zang Hai - a docile, clever boy with nothing to his name, eager to advance.

I almost choked at Zang Hai's line about wanting to serve the Marquis with an unsullied/pure name.

Along with Zang Hai's delivery and the way the scene is shot, the subtext here is uh, rich. And will only get more so as the episode goes on.

The other thing Zang Hai is counting on is that the Marquis knows his underlings are a problem.

Zang Hai isn't just trying to save his own life, he's laying the groundwork for murder number two by making a paranoid man question his underling's loyalty.

Huang Jue's performance here is also really interesting because although his words are severe, it's crystal clear from body language and his face that he likes what Zang Hai has to say (especially the seemingly sincere praise for his abilities and achievements).

"My life is in the Marquis' hands" is such a clever thing to say in this moment.

The Marquis does enjoy resting his sword on Zang Hai's neck, doesn't he.

Qu Jiao, dude, don't you know questioning the Marquis' ability to command Zang Hai is like questioning his masculinity. Doing it in front of Zang Hai is even worse.

(More seriously this is Zang Hai's scheme of turning the Marquis against Qu Jiao working.)

I spent a lot of text on this scene but you gotta understand it was so viral and resulted in so many memes.

This one compares Zang Hai's poor little meow meow act to a famous scene from a Korean show.

Also I laugh at the green tea way Zang Hai looks at Qu Jiao here every time.

Nepo baby dummy Zhuang Zhifu isn't smart enough to perceive that his father wants Zang Hai around but his smartest moment might be perceiving the danger.

Again I almost choked laughing at his suggestion of marking up Zang Hai's face, like we're in a palace intrigue drama.

At this point there's really no suspense to the decision to kill Qu Jiao, at least once you've seen the look on the Marquis' face at Zhuang Zhifu's suggestion. Zang Hai isn't surprised either.

Notice how he doesn't sleep though :(

This next sequence can be read on a few levels if you're familiar with palace/household intrigue tropes (like the Chinese audience would be).

Consider what we're shown of Zang Hai's sudden elevation:

1) the Marquis has given him rooms next to his own, in the inner courtyard.

2) all the gifts. 

3) the retainer pointing out that even when Yang Zhen was in favour, he never got this treatment.

4) getting to eat with the Marquis' family. 

5) the Marquis offering to let all the other aides go and only use Zang Hai.

The text layer is that he's being treated as a very favoured courier. 

The subtext layer is how this feels like the entry of a new, highly favoured wife into a household/palace.

(Reminder that the director of this show directed the most famous palace intrigue drama of them all.

Folks see parallels between the relationship of the Emperor and Zhen Huan in Legend of Zhen Huan vs Zang Hai and the Marquis.)

Of course, the warlord/favoured strategist relationship is also traditionally very charged and intimate. See Sun Ce/Zhou Yu, Liu Bei/Zhuge Liang.

Zang Hai gets into character immediately, promising undying dedication and service and saying he's the Marquis' man (can also be translated as "this insignificant one belongs to the Marquis"). 

To which I can only quote this genius RedNote post:

"Marquis, when a perfectly suited person appears who shares all your interests, gives extremely strong emotional support and meets your every need, don't doubt, it's just a pig slaughtering scam designed specifically for you."

This wordless scene with Chu Huaiming is so good. Next on the murder list and I think he knows it, now that the other two Stooges are gone.

The Marquis knows that Zang Hai is ambitious and even dangerous but he's confident that he can handle it, that Zang Hai can be tamed for his use and his family's use.

The way Antu forces Zang Hai into this meeting is so funny. I love their scenes together. Zang Hai clearly enjoys fucking with her and she's into it too.

The way his posture changes when he decides to drop the act.

Some culture stuff:

The drawings are 界画 (boundary drawings), a form of traditional Chinese art featuring detailed renderings of architecture. 

The painting in the background of Zang Hai's quarters is Hundred Cranes from Lu Ji, from the Ming dynasty.

The quarters chosen by the Marquis for Zang Hai are called 飞鸿印雪, from a poem by the great Song dynasty poet, writer and early food blogger Su Dongpo.

It depicts the faint, temporary marks left by the feet of waterfowl in snow. Zang Hai shows as much of himself as those steps.

Episode 9

AKA "in Great Yong all the domineering CEOs want me"

Antu really is bringing the domineering CEO energy - saying the Marquis sure is lucky to have Zang Hai and that anything the Marquis could give Zang Hai, she could too.

Antu to Zang Hai:

(Meme explanation.)

Antu is only saying out loud what everyone else is wondering - how has this very young man who came from nothing managed to rise so quickly? What kind of methods might he have employed?

(The actual answer is murder, of course.)

Zang Hai puts on a different act for Antu - an ambitious striver dazzled by the prospect of power and making a name for himself.

Antu's agenda is pretty obvious too. She doesn't want the Marquis to regain military power and threaten Great Yong's neighbours again.

It's not easy to be the man closest to the one in power. There's an idiom 伴君如伴虎 (to accompany the king is like living with a tiger). Keeping the favour of a tyrannical, mercurial man isn't easy, particularly with so many gunning for you or trying to get something from you.

All sorts of people will be trying to butter him up for access to the Marquis because it's clear that he's the flavour of the month and may well have influence over the Marquis. But there's no such thing as a free lunch.

This show portrays the complexity of corruption and bribery and how it can become formalised. 

Zang Hai brilliantly turns the potential massive liability into another way to score points with the Marquis, by helping improve his reputation.

Zang Hai apologises for acting without prior authority but he knows the Marquis will be happy and you only have to look at the Marquis' face to see he's right. 

Again he emphasises his awareness that he's the Marquis' man and his actions reflect on his master.

Again: everyone likes an underling who anticipates their every need and constantly thinks of the best thing for them.

The Marquis' affection toward Zang Hai is that of the powerful toward something in their power that they can give treats to for good behaviour. Like a pet. But free access to his private sanctum is a pretty big gift.

Zang Hai's clothing and guan have gotten much nicer too. 

Aw, Antu and Ba-gongzi are cute.

The use of children's rhymes to spend rumours or influence the discourse was very common back in the day.

In this case the rhyme is even correct. 

(In the original script Wang Zanghai was plagued by rumours of having obtained his position by seduction. Not a joke.)

Zang Hai's face at the concept of apologising to Antu, haha.

Have you noticed that his actual personality isn't deferential at all, it's actually impatient, kind of bratty and even mean at times (while being fundamentally sentimental and moral)?

Oh now this is a dilemma, the poison is an obvious trap but...

Christ, this trauma train. He was having a decent run pretending to be a living person and now the vengeful ghost is back in charge.  And he can't even do proper rites for his parents yet.

Oh right, *this* scene.

Look, I'm sure that's not the first person to want to wear that face.

Zang Hai getting them to take his shirt off by saying "actually you need more than my face" is very funny also.

Zang Hai's physical attempts to get out of danger are always so action movie female lead coded - he's allowed to do smart things like cut the rope but he's very easily overpowered and can never get out of danger by himself without using guile.

Oh wow, it's the other aide. I forgot about him. I also forgot Guan Feng got told to go into the hills! 

This is so lovely for Zang Hai. He's no longer alone. There's someone else on this path with him.

Episode 10

AKA the one with ethical archaeology and such a tense scene I almost couldn't watch

(Also, big fan of these robes.)

Kuai Duo teaching his son to preserve tombs and respect the dead and also murder tomb raiders is also a fun reference to Lost Tomb Wang Zanghai making all those tombs with extensive defences.

Pay attention to the story of Liu Xian and his shifu. I suspect it's going to be very relevant to Zang Hai's own story, quite aside to the tomb's plot relevance. 

衡 is an interesting character to use to encompass the virtues of the ideal Confucian - it means balance.

There's a sort of unreality to Zang Hai saying they'll succeed and all run away to somewhere nice where no one knows them. He doesn't even really believe it himself. 

Zang Hai being in charge of rites for the Marquis' parents must make him even more furious - the Marquis' parents get to enjoy worship and offerings from their descendants, while his own parents had their bodies desecrated and don't even have their proper resting place.

His father didn't want his craft to be used to kill. But his father is dead. Zang Hai cannot be the ideal gentleman his father wanted him to be.

I don't think I breathed during this scene with Zang Hai's doctored incense. 

But as netizens say, the moment Zang Hai starts begging for mercy with wet eyes you know he's gonna be fine.

The thing about men like the Marquis is that them liking you doesn't mean they trust you. In fact if they feel especially drawn to someone, that'll just make them more suspicious, particularly if that person is very clever. They'll also turn on a dime at any moment.

So the Marquis' feelings are genuine - like Huang Jue said, he probably wishes someone so good looking, capable and talented was part of his family. 

And his treatment of Zang Hai is genuine. But that doesn't mean Zang Hai is ever out of danger.

By the time he goes to see the Marquis, Zang Hai has fully recalibrated and is thinking rationally again.

Being a frightened little flower in need of protection works for the Marquis. Like Huang Jue said, the Marquis is into the green tea routine but only if it's from Zang Hai.

What kind of flex is "uncountable number of people want to kill me", Zhuang Luyin? 

He calls Zang Hai his 心腹 - confidant (literally "vital organs").

The Ming dynasty was plagued by powerful eunuchs who were effectively rulers. The character of Cao Jingxian was probably based on Ming dynasty eunuch Wei Zhongxian, the most infamous eunuch in Chinese history, whose power rivalled that of the Emperor. 

Every time we see a glimpse of Zang Hai under his masks it's just knives and rage and screaming.

The only thing keeping him tethered to life is revenge and that's a pretty horrible state to be in.

[isagrimorie]

[initial reactions] Superman 2025

Maybe hope is punk. 

I already posted my non-spoiler reactions earlier I’m going to add a little more. 

(Before anything else, I wanted to say that Superman 2025 has both a mid-credit and a post-credit scenes. They’re not plot relevant to a new movie, but it is fun little world building and relationship building bites.)

things i really liked (non-spoiler version) 

I really enjoyed how lived in this DCU is, this is a world that is already used to having the fantastic walk among them and almost have the fantastic be something mundane. Superheroes walk amongst them and eat in diners next to the populace. 

This isn’t like where the world is just getting used to the idea of super powered people, this is a populace that grew up with the reality of gods and monsters. This is something the MCU has been very inconsistent with world building wise. 

The movie is set in Metropolis. Do you know how much time I’ve waited for a Liveaction Clark Kent/Superman to start operating and living in Metropolis and not Smallville? A Damned Long Time. Smallville, the Metropolis years almost got there but Not really, since Clark wasn’t Superman yet and the next we see Tom Welling’s Clark he returned to Smallville and GAVE UP HIS POWERS, WTF. 

And then, I gave Superman and Lois a chance, I’ve mellowed on Hoechlin… kind of, like I get that he does a good Superman and a better Clark but Elizabeth Tulloch’s Lois was the winner there. But you know what S&L did? THEY MOVED TO SMALLVILLE. 

It took ten years to get Smallville Clark out of Smallville and it took until 2025 for us to finally have a Clark/Superman living and operating in Metropolis. I’VE WAITED A LONG TIME FOR THIS. 

LOIS LANE. Hands down I think Rachel Brosnahan has jumped to the top of my favorite movie Lois Lanes. She is Lois from the first moment she walked on screen to the last. A punk to her very core, inquisitive and brave. 

Nicholas Hoult is now my second favorite Lex Luthor. I also liked the Luthor on Superman and Lois. Unfortunately, I didn’t stick around with CW Supergirl to get to Lex Luthor version, who is apparently really good too. But Hoult’s Lex is the embodiment of Lex. The Hater, petty Lex. I can also see the influences from Michael Rosenbaum Lex, which Hoult said he took inspiration from. 

In fact both Nicholas Hoult and David Corenswet admitted their first exposure to Superman was through Smallville, and this is why it is important for Superman to always have some TV presence. They’re the gateway to Superman. 

I loved the music and the various riffs of the John Williams Superman march. But I also get why people wish David Corenswet’s Superman had a new Superman theme for himself. 

I may not be the greatest fan of Hans Zimmerman’s Superman theme but I also appreciate what it did for Cavill’s Superman. 

Mr. Terrific is amazing. It’s such a Take That to how that one X-Men movie screwed up with Edi Gathegi’s Darwin character. He was so much fun to watch! 

Guy Gardner and Hawkgirl were also fun, unfortunately, I think Hawkgirl was a little underserved. 

things that could be improved

I mentioned that this is an awesome comic book movie and it is and leans into it and all the best ways but also, it kind of feels like an episodic movie ripped out from a season of Superman: the Animated Series, or even of My Adventures of Superman, which I tell you is more and more like it. But it jarringly feels like it was edited like one too. It didn’t toss me out of the immersion, it’s just that some of the transitions felt noticeable. 

Anyway New Rockstars said that this Superman is Gunn’s best movie to date and that’s where I went. Oh hey, easy there, pardner. Gunn’s best movie made? I don’t share the sentiment. I would put Superman 2025 as something on the level of Guardians of  the Galaxy Vol. 1. A fun, romp of a movie but not the best. Let Gunn work up to that title first. 

In terms of cinematography this movie has its moments but if you liked the grand scope and epic shots and the quiet moments Snyder brought into Man of Steel* which I also really liked, loved even, the comic book-ness might not be your cup of tea, visually and tonally speaking and that’s okay. 

*(I have big issues with some other things in MoS but that’s not what we’re talking about).

I’ll be talking about the plot 

SPOILERS BELOW

One of the frequent criticisms I saw was that James Gunn just stole the plot from Batman v Superman. I rolled my eyes at that point and continue too because having rewatched Smallville, My Adventures of Superman, and some episodes of Superman & Lois its just inevitable that the question of Superman over stepping and being questioned on his sincerity will be brought up. 

In fact, some podcasts are kind of tired with this plot, and I get it. But Gunn did not steal this plot from Batman v Superman. In fact, this plot is more similar to Smallville’s Hero Registration Act arc than anything else. 

This Superman wears his heart on his sleeve, he’s only been operating as Superman for three years. He is still a rookie hero. He makes rookie mistakes and trusts too willingly, something that frustrates Lois to no end. 

But this Clark has also kind of distanced himself from his parents, he hasn’t visited the farm in a while. I think it’s because he thought he found his place in his Fortress of Solitude and having Jor-El and Lara’s message to him played on repeat. He’s lonely and latched on to this piece of his heritage. 

Sidenote: I love that Lara is included in this message because a lot of the time, Lara is forgotten and hardly mentioned to Clark. 

This Clark is also a little cocky, especially with how he thought Lois interviewing Superman meant that Lois would give him softball questions. LOL. Clark, you dumbass. 

Lois doesn’t know what a softball question even is. She doesn’t write fluff pieces. Clark mentions how he’s media trained but he only said that because the doofus has been interviewing himself. Something Lois pokes at several times. 

Lois pointedly asked him several times about how he interfered in a war. Clark gets riled up and agitated because, guess what? He wasn’t media trained. He isn’t used to someone questioning him. 

I love that this causes friction between Lois and Clark, because it should. Lois isn’t gonna handle Clark with kid gloves just because they were in a relationship. I love that it’s something on both their minds and Clark apologized how poorly he handled it. 

The main thing threat of the movie though is very much Lex Luthor. So far he is the BEST cinematic Lex Luthor. Hands down, no question. The Haterism from Lex floweth free. Every single thing that can go wrong on Superman’s life, he will try to accomplish. 

Caught in the crossfire are the other metahuman heroes like Guy Gardner, Mr. Terrific, and Hawkgirl, and Metamorpho and the various Humans like Rick Flag Sr., Near the end of the movie, the other DOD person with Flag Sr., pointed out that the metahumans have just gone and interfered in another sticky international matter again without oversight. And this feels like it’s a larger issue that might cross all the other DCU movies and shows. 

As I’ve said earlier, I love how active Lois is in this movie. She doesn’t stop, and she’s always thinking and she’s trying to figure out her own feelings for Clark Kent. She can smell a scam a mile away and she’s always questioning. But even as she’s questioning her relationship with Clark (because of her own misgivings and her own self doubt about how bad she is with relationships). 

Then Lex invades the fortress of solitude and takes a recording of Clark’s parents that had the first half containing how much they loved him. The second part of the recording was damaged but then somehow ‘retrieved’ by the Engineer, it claimed that both Jor-El and Lara wanted their son to rule over Earth and have a harem of women and have lots of children. 

I am still skeptical at this message, even as many people profess is genuine. I feel the next movie will have a twist in it that will say, no that’s not what it says. 

So Lex leaks the message to all the news outlets and does an interview himself. Clark is so shook but also realized that Lex invaded the FoS and arrives to find his robots destroyed and Krypto, missing. 

TLDR. Everything goes down and Clark as Superman allows himself to be arrested and he’s instantly brought somewhere else where other metahuman like him are imprisoned. There’s a lot that went down there that when he escapes with the help of Metamorpho, Mr Terrific and Lois. Clark is shaken and overwhelmed, and Lois brings Clark to Smallville to recuperate.

(Before this, Lois reveals to Clark she was a punk kid growing up, and Clark claims he also liked punk stuff. Lois retorts a heart on sleeve guy like him can’t be punk. Clark returns that maybe being hopeful and open hearted is punk).

This is where Lois realizes that while she knows Clark the reporter and Superman the invincible hero, this is the first time Lois saw him as Clark. Clark who grew-up and had parents.

A Clark who listened to pop rock bands he claims are punk but Lois claims aren’t. As I suspected in a trailer shot of Lois looking at Clark being tended to by Jonathan and Martha Kent, this plays a big part where Lois solidifies what she feels for Clark.

The next morning Clark wakes up with Krypto resting on his chest with the sun on his face but he’s far from refreshed. 

And this is a scene in the Kent farm that I wish had more time to cook, because honestly I also wanted more Martha Kent. She’s supportive and no nonsense but I wish there was more there, there you know? 

While I did give kudos to Gunn bringing in Lara, I have to say the moms are under served. Even Pa Kent is too. This is where the weakness of the format comes in because Superman 2025 even though is the best comic book movie Superman… it also feels like its an episode lifted from a Superman TV show or comic book issue. We’re landed in media res, into a week into Superman’s life. And it is frustrating because I wanted more, more time, more everything. 

Pa Kent essentially tells him, who he is and wants to do doesn’t depend on what his parents tell him. It depends on what Clark chooses to do. 

The beauty of having the Justice Society League Gang is that Clark has someone to call for back-up to help when he has to do something else. This is how Superman’s able to handle the catastrophic dimensional rift that opened in Metropolis and discover who Ultraman was, who if you know the speculation wasn’t a surprise was a mindless clone of Clark. Krypto help defeat Ultraman and tossed into a blackhole (who I bet will become Bizarro or Doomsday) 

In the end, Clark as Superman was able to bring about his thesis statement: He is flawed and Human and he screws up and growing up Human, being Human is his greatest strength. He may have been born a Kryptonian but he’s also very much Human. 

Lois writes or has her article transcribe via Jimmy and releases her damning report about Lex Luthor just in time, spreading the word about the truth of Luthor’s crimes. It is quaint now and harkens to a different time where the truth can be a catalyst for change. The third act Lois doesn’t have a lot to do, unfortunately and what she does happens on screen while piloting Mr Terrific’s ship, flying what is essentially the Daily Planet’s senior staff. 

This ends in a stare down between a defeated Lex and an empowered Superman. Lois and Superman meet in the streets, after Lex is arrested. Superman tells Lois that he would like to give an interview to Lois, they enter a building with no one in it and Clark sweeps Lois into an epic kiss. 

Before the movie ends, Kara sweeps into the Fortress of Solitude to get ‘her dog’, it turns out that Krypto is Kara’s. She’s clearly drunk and is a mess, and they fly away. Earlier when Lex abducted Krypto and Clark’s expending effort to search for him, Lois asked him why all this effort for his dog. 

And then Clark tells Lois that Krypto might be all alone out there and scared and its clear he projected his feelings on to Krypto but also, its clear Clark was also talking about his cousin, Kara. 

Who is also all alone now, and maybe afraid, and maybe even a lot angrier than he is for losing a planet he has no memory of. 

The movie then ends with Clark watching videos of his parents but this time what’s projected is a video of his Earth Parents, signaling that he’s reconnected with his Human roots. 

In terms of cinematography there are lovely moments and points here but a controversial opinion: I think that this is on par with Guardians of the Galaxy vol 1 which is fun and nice but had room to cook and grow. But also, I think what will happen is that Fantastic Four: first steps will come out as a more polished movie than Superman 2025. And that’s okay. 

[theblackrook]

We know Fabre was executed on charges of plotting with enemy nations and being involved in the Compagnie des Indes case.

And for being corrupted, basically. But he denied everything.

How much responsibility did he really bear in all this? What was he actually guilty of?

Alright, let me start by saying right off the bat that I love you and you are my bestest friend, BUT ALSO — @anotherhumaninthisworld and @edgysaintjust HAVE BOTH made a REALLY really like SUPER amazing and good and spectacular post explaining everything.

I'm so serious PLEASE go read it, this post is bound to be just as long as both of theirs combined.

I will more or less be regurgitating what they so eloquently laid out — just in a more "feeding a baby bird" manner of speaking.

On top of this, I'd also like to gently remind everyone that most of my historical brainpower goes into obsessing over the personalities and feelings of these historical figures — so when it comes to the exact logistics of various executions and political events and all that… I’m just a tiny bit fuzzier. But hey, you can’t win 'em all, right?

ANYWAYS THE POST :

Context is very important so we'll touch on that first and foremost. If you're already well versed in all of this hokey-pokey I advise you to scroll down a bit to the read more.

The French East India Company, founded under Louis XIV, was a major trading monopoly with colonial and financial interests. By the time of the Revolution, it had become heavily corrupt and bankrupt.

In 1793, all joint-stock companies were banned by decree, and the company was to be liquidated.

A finance commission was created to oversee the liquidation: members included Fabre d'Églantine, François Chabot, Joseph Delaunay, Julien de Toulouse, Ramel, and Cambon.

Only the first four of them — Fabre, Chabot, Delaunay, and Julien — became involved in the scandal.

So What Happened?

Delaunay, Chabot, and Julien devised a plan: have the East India Company liquidate itself (which allowed for embezzlement and secrecy), in exchange for bribes. Fabre, initially, opposed this idea and proposed government-led liquidation, backed by Robespierre.

Delaunay attempted to bribe Fabre via Chabot (offering a WHOPPING 100,000 livres!!) — Fabre still ended up rejecting the decree draft and reinstated his amendments supporting government control.

Enter THE TRAP ™ !!

Chabot returned later with a supposed "clean" copy, which Fabre, half-asleep, signed without reviewing, assuming it was the version with his corrections.

Delaunay then altered the signed decree, making it look like Fabre had authored and endorsed a version favorable to the company. This decree was submitted to the Convention, and none of the fraud was noticed immediately.

Then We Get The Unraveling ™

Chabot, who was clearly having second thoughts, fearing exposure (and after being accused of moderation by the Jacobins), bursts into Robespierre's room and confesses the entire thing to him, using the excuse that he had only joined the scheme to expose it.

He went to the Committee of General Security, turned over the 100,000 livres (yes, the same money Fabre never actually touched), and spilled the whole scheme — pinning most of it on Delaunay, Julien, and of course, Fabre.

Now, was that a betrayal? Absolutely. Was it the truth? That's the part we're not so sure about.

The committee arrested the main players, including Fabre, and started investigating. And this is where things get even messier.

Fabre was genuinely surprised when shown the decree. He remembered the one Chabot gave him didn't have any of those suspicious cross-outs. Cambon even backed him up on this — he had seen Fabre's real corrections earlier, and they weren't the ones on the final document.

BUT: by this point, Fabre's name was all over the version that had been submitted. It had his signature. It looked like he had written the thing. It didn't help that Delaunay had literally copied the other signatures under his, and edited it to make it look finalized.

And Fabre, poor guy, never even got to see the original documents during his trial. When he asked? Denied!! 🙃

SO WHAT WAS FABRE ACTUALLY GUILTY OF??

okay, one, damn, calm down! Oy gevalt I'm getting there!! In any case, this is where things get very hazy — and where historians have been arguing for well over a century.

There are two (yes TWO!!!) main schools of thought:

The "He Did It" Camp (Albert Mathiez et al) This group sees Fabre as genuinely corrupt. They argue he accepted the bribe, helped manipulate the decree in favor of the East India Company, and basically sold out his revolutionary principles for cash. This view paints Fabre as an opportunist who finally got caught.

The "He Was Framed" Camp (Henri Houben, Michel Eude, and most modern biographers) This camp argues that Fabre was not guilty of corruption, and that he was manipulated and then scapegoated. According to this view, he never took the bribe, tried to prevent the fraud, and was misled into signing a falsified version of the decree. When things blew up, he became a convenient fall guy — partly due to his position, and very largely due to his reputation.

Which brings us to a key point:

Fabre's Reputation

I imagine that when most of you picture this 'first prize'–winning poet, you don't exactly envision an angelic cherub strumming a tiny lute. And would you have it — not many people during his time did, either.

Fabre had what we might call��� a reputation. He was a dramatist by profession, known for scandals, affairs, and some shady side gigs (like the iNfAmOuS shoe supply controversy), basically the works. He was close to Danton and had long been seen as too flamboyant and maybe a little too slippery for comfort.

So when his name popped up in a scandal, people were more than ready to believe the worst as he naturally had enemies. He was already associated with the "Indulgents," and in a political climate as volatile as the year they were in, that was more than enough.

It's actually heartbreaking: he may have been undone more by who he was perceived to be than by anything he definitively did.

Also worth noting: he wasn't just executed for the East India stuff. The charges thrown at him also included vague stuff like "plotting with enemy nations" and being part of a conspiracy. It was the same broad, paranoia-fueled wave of accusations that he himself had thrown at Hérault. But in the end, it didn't help: it just added more fuel to the fire, and all those names got pulled into the same whirlwind.. Poor Hérault.

What Do I Think?

I think Fabre was careless, possibly just a TAD naïve, and almost definitely not the main conspirator.

He didn't handle the situation well — that much is clear. Signing a document without checking it was a massive blunder. But the evidence we do have suggests that:

he opposed the company-friendly plan from the start,

he didn't accept the bribe,

and the version of the decree he saw and corrected was not the one that went to the Convention.

Add in the fact that he was denied the chance to even see the document he was accused over during his trial? That smells a lot more like political expediency than due process.. Ahem ahem coughh coughhhh...

So to answer your original question:

How much responsibility did he really bear in all this?

Not none — but not nearly as much as he was punished for. He wasn't blameless, but I don't believe he was the architect of the scheme either.

What was he actually guilty of?

At most? Being reckless, being too trusting, and — as always — being in the exact wrong place at the wrong time. And, of course, being Fabre d’Églantine. That alone was sometimes enough.

[nabaath-areng]

can something be considered an OC if they have no name, no personality, no lore, nothing, and you only keep drawing them here and there throughout the years for no discernible reason, cause it's happened to me twice

[lemodoe]

every time juno gets called slash calls himself lady i can feel my health bar going up in real time

[wisteriasymphony]

going full circle and making an au where actually it's Maria Elena Lucia Panadero-Cheng, holder of the ladybug miraculous under the title Bruja Rouge. adrien idk but he's finally gonna go by Grimalquin and he was raised by his grandma for most of his life so he says absolute dork shit like "Great Scott!" or whatever the french equivalent is. this is the only post this is all you're getting

[geddy-leesbian]

I've got 2 long rants about how much I despise 99% of Umbrella Chronicles and CVX sitting in my drafts not sure if I want to post them bc it could be swinging a bat at a hornet nest for sure

[1tsjusty0u]

man. totk couldve been so good

[arolesbianism]

Just realized I forgot to post these

[moe-broey]

Three of them

[doctorweebmd]

accidentally* brainstormed a very complete outline for chapters 4-8 for eih, which should theoretically take us through Part 1. which is. you know. a godsend or whatever.

*accidentally meaning i was just eating delicious pancakes and the thoughts happened. usually its me crying screaming and shitting myself in front of an empty word document where ideas manifest. this is notably much more pleasant.

[nenoname]

ok i'm kinda amused that my shitty photos of the stan comic is circling around like noooo you can find proper scans of those images and not be stuck using something i took in like 5 seconds with a super bad quality camera

[twistedappletree]

also adding before i pass out i think i have more in common with the firefighter than anyone else i’ve met tbh lmao

[please-picturemeintheweeds]

all the conversations on my dash about marriage are soooo interesting to me!! I talked to my partner’s mom last night about my intention to propose to her son this week and one of the things we talked about was how there’s this really insidious aspect of white feminism that convinces us that marriage and family are shameful or stupid to want because the real things in life are outside the home (ie. working under capitalism). That belief has historical roots in anti blackness and the split between white feminists and black feminists back in the 60s/70s. And idk it’s just so interesting to see how my mom, who raised me with a very strong foundation of second wave feminism, influenced my perception of pursuing my own happiness in ways that feel authentic to me! I love hard! And I want to be surrounded by love for the rest of my life! But in the back of my head, the entire six years of my relationship, her voice has been saying “you don’t need a man, marriage is not something to aspire to because it makes you weak and dependent.” Which is just so interesting bc she’s never said those exact words, but that’s the messaging that we get from second wave/white feminism. The thing is that I DO need other people! Nobody is actually independent, and it is a myth created by capitalism to fracture communities so that every single person is financially motivated to secure their own safety/basic needs without ever needing to rely on anyone else! Everybody needs their own personal house, car, furniture, dishes, electronics, etc because sharing is inherently “undeveloped”.

I was talking to my therapist about this recently and I brought up New Romantics, and how being a young adult in a cultural setting informed strongly by second wave feminism really convinced me (and a lot of people) that the Liberated way to be a woman was to not care about seeking that life-long stability in a partner. That to be free meant never opening yourself up to the vulnerability of a marital commitment. Which then leads into the lavender haze thinking of “the only kind of girl they see is a one night or a wife” which, by self-gaslighting, devalues marriage (she’s valid for this! We should not be put in boxes like that!).

Idk I just have been thinking a lot about the right to legally unite families, and how much power that union can have, and that there is in fact nothing Wrong with wanting to exercise the political right to choose your family. And I know, having worked with hundreds if not thousands of domestic violence survivors, how dangerous marriage can be. Being legally and financially bound to someone, especially if you haven’t been working outside the home during your marriage, can truly fuck up a person’s life and their ability to leave a situation. Idk I’m just thinking out loud, but to tie this all back into the conversations on here the last few days about Taylor and Travis, I just think that for some people, the reflexive horror at her potentially being engaged could be coming from a similar place of devaluing the pursuit of family/love in the context of a white feminist capitalist culture, which harms us all.

The revolution starts at home! And that doesn’t mean that nobody should be making commitments to each other ever!! And nobody should be forced or coerced into lifelong commitments, either. Pursuing and entering a marriage with someone who respects you, empowers you, wants to work together towards a shared vision of the future, listens to you, and shares responsibilities with you is an AMAZING thing! And as my partner’s mom said so simply to me last night: it deserves to be celebrated!!