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bengiyo · 4 months ago

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Peaceful Property: How I Yearn For a Good Procedural

I was originally excited about Peaceful Property because I genuinely like following BL actors into their other work to show that we are a loyal viewer base. Following Nishijima to Drive My Car (2021) was one of the best decisions I made that year. I’ve been thinking about the experience of watching Peaceful Property and why I felt so frustrated by the show. I wanted to write out my thoughts on procedurals, BL bait, and fandom so that I can move on from this show.

The Loss Case-of-the-Week in Favor of Unearned Home Sympathy

My biggest struggle with this show was losing its case-of-the-week format around the midpoint. I was really intrigued in the early stories by how Home’s family’s business practices led to the terminal situations affecting some of the ghost stories. Like @lurkingshan I had hoped to see the show develop a common theme with its focus on stories about poverty. I also saw some potential in the read from @/maybe-boys-do-love after the episode focusing on Ride. No one was alone in this early read (@valentinaonthemoon).

Through the end of episode 6, I had a ton of excitement about the show handling its themes around justice and forgiveness. We knew that Home was the one responsible for Peach's current predicament, and that Home’s grandfather and uncle were in on the cover up. Home knew what he had done to Peach, and fretted over it throughout episode 6. After five weeks of them focusing on completing a final act and providing closure for ghosts, I had hoped they’d give Home the chance to sit with the horror of the consequences of his own action and cowardice. I wanted the show to reckon with how Home, completely sober, left a stranger for dead, and only now cares about it because Peach is helping him feel less lonely.

Unfortunately, much of this frayed after the reveal that Home ran over Peach and the push to make Peach forgive him in the episode with the ghosts at the site of that camp. I didn’t share @respectthepetty’s read on the situation, but I did respect it and see how she got there. However, like @my-rose-tinted-glasses, it felt like the show started to rely on the inherent goodwill of shippers to overcome a major relationship break rather than deal with the underlying issues.

I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with having the show turn to focus on how Home deals with Peach and Pangpang after the reveal that he left Peach for dead on the street, but I really struggled with the show not letting Home process the horror of what he did. This carries forward as we deal with the way Home’s family stole land from locals, and did not accommodate them through construction: something that had direct impacts on Kan and her father. By the time the show is forced to reckon with this, it handwaves it through Home with “You guys win! No problem!” (@twig-tea) It then goes on to give Home ghost sensing powers so he can rely Kan’s father’s final words which are just ‘get some friends?’ Now, I do think you need strong connections to survive activist work, but it felt really shitty to have the rich kid whose family caused all of this be the one to deliver this message. As with everything after Home’s biggest mistake is revealed, the show values the feeling of sympathy and forgiveness over the real work required for genuine reconciliation.

Finally, the show jumps to the internal struggles of Home’s family in the final third of the show to focus on the destructiveness of their greed and its internal effects as well, but this feels like yet another unearned copout. The show works hard on the back half to pretend like the grandpa was just a silly old man, but there’s no way he doesn’t know what his people did to those communities, and he also knew exactly why Home was sent to America. The entire bit about the “family curse” in the last few episodes completely soured the show for me. It feels like the show even knows that, because it calls itself cringe through Pangpang when Home says he’ll “listen to those we’ve ignored.” Way to undercut the premise after giving Home the ability to hear ghosts.

In the end, I found myself frustrated by the show turning to Newwie’s inherent charm to get us to want sympathy for Home rather than writing a genuine crisis in Home, and forcing him to grow. It feels poignant to me that the show thought it was funny to have Peach be mistaken for the help in Home’s house, and then later have Home and Peach independently decide to stay in Bangkok without talking to each other about it. Not talking about anything important was the big theme of their relationship after the hit-and-run reveal. The show did not reward any of us paying attention to its early themes on class (@lurkingshan).I never got the closure I needed here, and it’s the big sticking point of the show with me.

BL Bait Kinda Sucks

As many of you already know, I don’t currently like what GMMTV is doing with branded pairs, and I think their shows are giving a warped view on found family narratives. I enjoyed following Off and Gun into The Trainee because they were playing a gay romance inside of a show that allowed for stories about a wider ensemble. I am really struggling with the conversation around the ways we apply queer readings to Peaceful Property because almost all of it relies on familiarity with Tay and New exclusively, and not anything the show did on screen.

With this show, I’m struggling with the found family aspect and the moving goal posts. I don’t think Home agreeing to reinstate an onerous contract on Peach and Pangpang is a kind move from him. I also don’t know that the team basking in the glow of Home’s goodwill as the final shot is a great look either, and feels kinda paternalistic. We had a whole movie about people stuck sucking from the teat of a rich guy and how shitty that goes two years ago.

GMMTV creates its branded pairs so they can literally be used as a brand. They have these people working almost every day to sell something on socials, or at a fashion event, or appearing at an event. I wasn’t bothered by Tay and New working together outside of BL after the fantastic work they did in Cherry Magic earlier this year. I don’t mind them using their most popular actors to attract a viewer base that will follow them almost anywhere to ship them.

I also actually like stories about the bonds between men. Currently, GMMTV is adapting School 2013 (2012) with High School Frenemy (2024). The broken relationship between two of the male characters there is incredibly well done in School 2013, and I do not think that show would be improved by making that an actual romance. I think they’re both fertile ground for shipping, but the show’s primary focus on the state of life in a failing school for the students and faculty is better served by the intensity of feelings over the broken bonds between men. People are still shipping Goblin and Reaper from Goblin (2016), but again, that story is actually better without an actual sexual or romantic connection between Kim Shin and Reaper. With Peaceful Property, I don’t think they finished the work of building and resolving this friendship between Home and Peach, and it leaves me wanting.

I share a lot of @italianpersonwithashippersheart’s general concerns around the commerce around BL with GMMTV. That being said, I don’t begrudge @respectthepetty and others having fun calling the show gay. What I’m struggling with is the difference between the shipping being satisfying versus the show being satisfying. I lost my emotional connection to this show when it failed to resolve the break in the middle. The back half of the watch is hollow for me, and I just can't let my willingness to ship Tay and New make up for that failure.

I Need a Good Procedural

What I realized the most from watching this is that I need another good procedural in my life. The first half of Peaceful Property gave me some of that, but the back half did not. I enjoyed the performances everyone gave on this show, despite my lingering qualms with what the show chose to prioritize. I’m happy that everyone seems like they had a lot of fun working on this show, and I’m glad that the viewers clearly responded to that. This was actually a genuinely pretty show to look at, and I’m glad that GMMTV continues to embrace color in their shows this year (with a few glaring exceptions).

With that, I will put this show to rest. This show ended up not being what I thought it was giving, and I’ll be moving on. I’ll see you all much later on future GMMTV works.

#Ben writes #peaceful property

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its-my-barbeque · 1 year ago

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Started thinking about the implications and now I have a theory: The reason why General John MacNamara is so different in TGWDLM and Black Friday is because of who is telling the story.

We know the narrator for TGWDLM is Pokey. Its a retelling of the events and he is in control of what we see and hear - its why the characters cant hear the instruments but we can. This is also backed by the title number and Emma specifically (but that's a post for another time).

In Black Friday, we don't have confirmation on who the narrator is but tis safe to assume one of two options; either the ensemble (Tom, Becky, Lex, etc) or Webby. In this case, we're leaning towards Webby as there are interactions that would be difficult to see otherwise - ie the presidents office before the start of 'Monsters and Men'.

In regards to MacNamara, we know the Lords have history with him. During 'Made in America', while Wilbur is the one who calls out to him, in the captions its credited to Wiggly. This could be attributed to him being a General for PEIP, but there was a little too much malice in the ost for me to believe that's the case. While we don't see it happen, it's clear that MacNamara has not only impeded the Lords progress, but has actively stopped them - probably on multiple occasions. Additionally, he is a Warrior of Light: he can wield the Blade of Truth and has helped Hannah and Lex (Webby's chosen vessels) on multiple occasions (Orb Weaver isn't out yet but that is the synopsis so that would make the pervious point true on two sperate accounts). And even if he isn't a Warrior of Light, the enemy of my enemy is my friend - he is at the very least and ally of Webby.

Now for how that affects his characterization;

In TGWDLM MacNamara is a bit more aggressive and sporadic, even to a silly extent that can seem a bit much at times. He has wide eyes, he's constantly moving, and goes on tangents. Then, despite his title of General, he is easily defeated and absorbed by the Hive. Why is that? Well, because Pokey is the narrator. I wouldn't push it so far as to say its propaganda against PEIP ("look at how silly this so-called military is. even their general is weak! they couldn't be a threat if they tried"), but it absolutely carries a mocking tone. Pokey wants you to laugh at MacNamara, not take him seriously.

In Black Friday, however, MacNamara carries a very different tone. He's calm, collected, knows exactly how to handle almost every situation. In this one, you could actually believe that he is a General and not just some guy with a gun. This can be attributed to Webby being the narrator. She agrees with his values (note 'the value of the human heart' dialog vs 'The Witch in the Web' and how Webby treats Willabella) and, as stated previously, is allied with him in some way. Webby wants to paint MacNamara in a good light, and have you see him as a hero.

#-eve #general john macnamara #the guy who didn't like musicals #black friday #webby hatchetfield #pokotho #the lords in black #hatchetfield #hatchetverse #just some fun little thoughts

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1solone · 9 months ago

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🇺🇸MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND🇺🇸

Unfortunately, today, way too many people look at Memorial Day as a recreational day, simply a later date from school or a settled day from work. Military families and families of countless veterans, on another hand, have been afflicted by the pain and suffering of seeing their brothers, husbands or children set off to war, you start with the American Revolution until today's actions in the Middle East, through the devastating Civil war, into World War I and II, and throughout the Vietnam and Korean Wars. In their mind, Memorial Day is just a day to think on their loss and suffering, and to honor those who have served to guard America's interests.

Saying goodbye to a family member you could at almost no time see again is probably the most devastating feeling a relative may perpetually have, because they only never truly know if that individual is coming back. Their heart skips a defeat everytime that the doorbell rings while their family member is abroad, performing the best duty they'll perpetually perform while they defend justice and the quest for liberty. In the home, though, their family members dread as soon as they open that door, since the pulse quickens and horrible thoughts of a note of imminent loss haunts them. They fear answering the phone. They dread reading their mail. Life itself becomes an apparently endless, helpless watch for news, hopefully good news, but potentially news of the worst possible kind.

For a few people, the lucky ones, they just endure worries of losing a family member in battle for a couple years, but that in and of itself might have long-lasting, life altering ramifications. Worries causes great stress, making families walk on eggshells for entire tours of duty, as children go without their mother or father for long periods of time. For too many, the headlines and the ramifications are worse. They lose a family member to war, or their family member is seriously injured, maimed, or psychologically damaged while they defend our nation and its interests.

Let's not your investment veterans themselves and the sacrifices they've made. We only have to start the headlines to start to see the hardships they face, the daily dangers they deal with, and the horrors they endure. Veterans are and have now been our protectors, our defenders, and often at great cost, even for the survivors of war. War itself is hell, since the famous saying goes, and these many, wonderful men and women have entered hell willingly for centuries to guard the America they love, and to create another for many Americans.

In just about any case you are able to consider, on Memorial Day, these veterans who protect us from dangers abroad, and who've protected us from dangers for centuries, deserve our respect and our remembrance, and yet Memorial Day 2024 Weekend has converted into a cook out once you start the pool for the summer.

"Traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished on the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten this is and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected. Many people no further remember the appropriate flag etiquette for the day."

In days past, great parades were thrown in honor of the wonderful veterans. Cities and townships gave speeches and held Memorial galas. In Israel, even today, to celebrate their Memorial Day, their television lists the names of all of the dead they've lost to war, and that simple process takes all the day. Perhaps we don't need to attend quite that extreme to honor the veterans who've served to guard us, but nonetheless, our ambivalence towards the real meaning behind Memorial Day is just a bit much.

It's high time that people do remember the American veterans which have made Memorial day and those many cook outs and days off that the Holiday now symbolizes possible. This season, we must try to go to a battle memorial, the grave of an expert, or at the least stop in a minute of silence reserved for the numerous who've sacrificed their lives to guard and supply the wonderful lives and opportunities that people have open to us today. This season, we must also honor and remember the numerous sacrifices of the families of veterans and war heroes, because if you believe about any of it, they sacrificed a lot for many of us Americans themselves.… ‿ℒℴνℯ⁀❤️always with ℒℴѵℯ ❤️🕊🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

#memorialdayweekend #MemorialDay2024

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twentiethcenturymoviesandtv · 2 years ago

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Mr. Smith Goes to Washington: Genre and Themes

At first glance, indeed, even at second glance, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington doesn’t seem to really lend itself to a specific genre the way The Goonies or The Princess Bride did. Whereas those films positively dripped with the atmosphere of an adventure or fantasy film, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is considerably more ‘real world’ than that, without necessarily heading into ‘slice of life’ territory.

If story is the backbone of a film, the underlying solid base, then genre is the trappings, the flavor, the seasonings the writers get to play with to create their final dish. Some stories automatically come with pre-packaged genre, as it would seem, stories like Frankenstein seem little suited to be anything other than a sci-fi horror film, after all, but most, and indeed some would say all stories have the capabilities of remaining solid in their identities, even with a completely different genre than we’re used to.

In the case of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, however, there doesn’t seem like there’s a lot of ingredients to mix.

Officially, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is labeled as a ‘political comedy-drama’, an eclectic mishmash of styles that doesn’t necessarily rear its head too often in the realm of film. Political films tend to be more true stories like All the President’s Men, or thrillers like The Manchurian Candidate. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is neither. However, that isn’t to say it’s not political.

The entire world of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is politics. It lives and breathes the inner workings of American bureaucracy, without either exploiting or sugarcoating it.

It is, at its core, an anti-politics political film. There is no pleasure that the film derives from exposing any corruption, nor does it take pains to pretend that corruption does not exist. It freely paints the politicians and the non-politicians as people, dealing with consequences to their actions: from Senator Paine, the tarnished hero, to Clarissa Saunders, the cynical, worn-out tool of Washington. The focus of the story is not so much on the inner workings of the state and country as it is the people that perform them, that manipulate the cogs of the machine to their own benefit, and those who stand to prevent it.

It’s not a very technical film. You don’t have to have a degree in law in order to understand the film, or allow it to resonate, and that, perhaps, is what makes it so special.

The ‘political’ slant of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington isn’t in the process that Saunders outlines to Jefferson in order to get his bill passed. On the contrary, the bill itself is a minor incident, the catalyst that forces the corruption out into the open. The story isn’t about the bill at all, nor is it even about the plot of the other politicians: it is about the politicians themselves. There are no parties mentioned, no real figures portrayed, no accurate historical events referenced: and yet something about this film did strike a chord in the very real Washington D.C.

Upon Mr. Smith’s release in Constitution Hall, DC dissolved into uproar about the film’s portrayal of American politics, to the point that Alben W. Barkley, the Senate Majority Leader at the time, remarked that it: “makes the Senate look like a bunch of crooks”.

In other words, something about this film struck some people, mostly the people in Washington, the wrong way. And yet, even at the time of its initial release, audiences, the Mr. Smiths of the USA, adored it for a reason.

At its core, chiefly, yes, Mr. Smith is a film about politics, and even history. Every fiber of the movie vibrates with patriotism, with love for America, and with pride in democracy. The film is not a condemnation as such as it is a warning: ‘we will lose what we have built if we think only of ourselves.’ It is a perfect combination of both a celebration of America’s past, and a concern for the future, a notation of the path the nation’s leaders seemed to be going down. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a story about big P Politics, all right, but it is not a scowling, scolding film, pointing an accusatory finger at the little p politicians, the fallen white knights. It is instead a film that holds up a figure of a person who knows on what the country was founded, and believes in it so strongly enough that he forces a change, even if it’s a small one.

And the film is also pretty funny, too.

The genre of ‘comedy’ tends to bring to mind slapstick or wordplay classics, and in the 1930s, the ‘comedians’ definitely had their specific brands: the Marx Brothers, the Three Stooges, Laurel and Hardy, and others were taking cinema by storm. Audiences, especially in the middle of the Great Depression, desperately wanted a laugh, and even though there were no pratfalls in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, there is a wry sense of humor about it, particularly near the beginning.

Early scenes in this film play almost like scenes from a ‘fish out of water’ comedy, with Jefferson Smith having no idea how to function in the new, fast-moving, cynical climate of Washington D.C. Other characters, such as Saunders and Diz, exist as quip-generating machines, full of the fast-paced, witty dialogue characteristic of films of the time. Many of the more comedic sequences in the story come about through direct conversation between Saunders and Smith and the subsequent clash of ideas and personalities.

So yeah, Mr. Smith is a pretty funny movie at times. I must admit though, it’s hard to make the argument that it’s a comedy.

Smith’s plight is not comedic, at least, not more than halfway through the story. He is not a comedic figure, nor are most of the characters around him. While one could make the argument that the initial conceit of the story is comedic, I am hard pressed to agree that the story remains a comedy throughout. If anything, the throughline of tragedy seems clearer, notably in the character of Senator Paine.

Paine is what Smith could have been: a noble figure broken by greed, by corruption, by fear, turned into another cog in someone else’s profit machine, willing to throw countless people under the bus for gain. By the end of the story, he is not only guilty, he is convicted, ashamed after being forced to confront what he has become. His story nearly ends in suicide, and it certainly ends in the ruination of his career, after having thrown away belief in all of the words he is so used to spouting. He is the warning thrust up before contemporary Washington’s eyes: the white knight tarnished by greed.

Smith’s story, though uncorrupted, is similarly bleak: unbelieved, unheard, and unable to get the word out, he ends the film exhausted and crushed after hours of seeming futility. The film’s happy ending does not come as a result of all of his hard work, but through the guilt of Senator Paine driving him to confess. Smith does not reach the climax of the film like a comedy protagonist does at all, but like a tragic hero.

And yet, this film isn’t a tragedy either.

So what is it?

I have a theory: that a film’s genre can be best solidified through a few major checkpoints: its themes, and its characters, specifically its protagonist.

The themes of Mr. Smith are obvious ones: duty to one’s country, certainly, but honesty above all. The liars are the villains, and the heroes tell the truth. The story is built around good morals and simplicity, with the center of virtue being Mr. Smith himself.

In another era, Smith himself may have been a knight in shining armor, risen to his position from peasantry to achieve noble deeds. As it is, in 1930s America, Smith is an ordinary man in an extraordinary position: an everyday guy elevated to the position of senator.

Of course, the intention was never to give him any real power, but nonetheless, power he wields. And it’s his decisions on handling that power that set him apart from the other characters. He behaves very much like a normal person, an average citizen in a political jungle with very little navigation. There is no hero’s journey here: if anything, Mr. Smith finishes the story as a broken, more cynical character rather than a triumphant hero. The victory is in refusing to compromise your principles, no matter the cost or circumstance, and there is no dragon to slay here: just men, corrupted by power.

In other words, it’s a drama.

While there are many forms of ‘drama’ in the broad spectrum, typically, the term ‘drama’ means that a subject is more dramatic than humorous, with a primary element of the story being conflict, but not necessarily of the physical kind. It’s a story with more of an emphasis on who the story is happening to, and why, with less concern for what exactly is happening.

Such is the case for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

Mr. Smith is a story about real people, people you or I might know, from the virtuous Jefferson Smith to the cynical Ms. Saunders, to the corrupt, but still human, politicians, some malicious, some merely led astray from their previous values. This is not a story of ‘heroes vs. villains’, this is a story about the ‘Right Thing to Do’, and the people with the courage to do it.

And that’s most of its appeal.

Capra’s passion is for people in this film, the everyday, the ordinary, the ‘Little Guy’ who becomes, not a dragonslayer, but a man with the opportunity to truly do some good, faced with tough decisions. It’s a story full of heart, sprinkled with humor, and loaded with humanity as it views, through very human lenses, the world of politics through a protagonist who’s meant to be a fish out of water.

That is Mr. Smith’s legacy.

The story isn’t groundbreaking. The cinematography isn’t breathtaking. The writing isn’t jaw-dropping. But the people, the characters, live and breathe on the screen as people, characters that the audiences love, and cheer for. We root for these people because of the drama of the situation, and the time and care that the film takes to delve into them.

That, more than the politics of the situation, is the reason people return to this film again and again.

And that, the people, the characters, is what we’ll be turning our attention to next time.

#Mr. Smith Goes to Washington #Mr. Smith Goes To Washington 1939 #1939 #30s #Film #Movies #Political #Drama #Comedy #James Stewart #Jean Arthur #Claude Rains #Edward Arnold #Thomas Mitchell #Frank Capra

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izmrw · 1 year ago

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A comment that I saw on YouTube and my response to it

“What makes me mad and sad is people calling Israel oppressors when this whole conflict started and has gone on for decades because

Palestine hates Jews and refuses to live in peace beside them. They claim ownership of Jews ancestral homeland (that they colonised even though they claim otherwise), start an almost century long conflict, and then cry that they are the victims when the first leader of Palestine essentially said Hitler was right!

I don't agree with what Israel's government is doing, but let's not act like this conflict isn't anti-Semitic at its core.

If you replace the word Palestinians with Nazis do you feel sad? If Israel was bombing neo-Nazis proclaiming to be innocent would you stand up for those neo-Nazis?

This conflict could end right this second if Palestine would stop being anti-Semitic. I see so many people claiming this isn't just about religious persecution, and yet I saw with my own eyes on social media an Israeli say they just want the conflict to end and to live in peace, and the response they received was 'We pray for you for death, destruction, torment, disasters, misfortunes, and eternal suffering. We will pray for your bodies to burn with diseases that have no cure. Sickness take you to the depths of hell and make you firewood for hell. God is with Palestine and we won't stop until all of you are dead'.

(Not only does this make me sick to know that someone could even think to type this and be so malicious, but as someone with Jewish heritage it's also a little frightening.)

And this was on a post about unicef calling for action to protect children in both countries...

Why is that the Holocaust is considered one of the worst events in history, but when Jews fight back against the people that want them dead, they become evil and vile?

Idk man supporting Palestine doesn't sit right with me.

Everyone is free to do what they want, and I'll still support this channel cause I come here for kpop content, but I don't agree with anyone supporting either side quite frankly.”

this has nothing to do with religion, i has nothing to do with anti-semitism and honestly its sad that you’d compare the likes of innocent palestinas to neo-nazis. it has never been about religion this is a political war, let me explain.

75 years ago america decided to take palestine’s land and make it for jewish people after the world war. since 1948 palestinas are being murdered, this is a genocide. if you compare the death toll from israelis to palestinas its way more on their side. israel is being backed by the usa, they have military weapons and everything else whereas palestina has what? israel are commiting WAR crimes, they refuse to stop cease-fire when it has been agreed on by both sides, even russia doesn’t do that, bombing children’s hospitals and civilian towns, cutting off their access to food, water, electricity, all basic necessities to live.

israelis want to live “peacefully” with palestinas? isreal has never wanted to live peacefully with palestinas, they wouldnt have been bombing them for the last 75 years if that were the case, but also does that even sound right? palestinas should live peacefully with their oppressors, the ones who killed their family, friends everyone?

Israelis have been murdering innocent palestinas since 1948 and the retaliate for what the first? maybe second time? and all of a sudden it’s “my heart goes out to israel” where was this support for palestine when they were being slaughtered, when children were dying.

let me make a comparison for you, in the last 10 days more palestina children have been killed than in the ukraine conflict which started in 2022. israel claim to want to eradicate hamas, but it’s truly them trying to kill all palestinas.

you claim its religion but let me explain to you why it’s not. palestine used to be a peaceful country where muslims, jews and christians lived together as jerusalem is important for all of them. however after america forced their israel agenda on the land, it became moreso an apartheid for jewish people, now palestine is mainly muslim and christian, you compared palestinas to NAZIS? which is a grave misinformation on its own but you could not be further from the truth. the israeli government has called palestinas children of between the law of humanity and the law of the jungle, isreali politicians have said that thwir is a gal between the lives of israeli children and palestinian children, saying their lives aren’t worth as much, israel has also compared them to the likes of rats, which is very similar in what hitler did when he started the holocaust.

you also mentioned jews are fighting back against the ones that want them dead

strike 1, misinformation. first of all a lot of jewish people aren’t zionist, israelis are not even not the oppressed, they are the oppressor. isreal brought a gun to a, no not even a knife fight, but a a paper sword fight. the power is very mismatched.

the comment with palestinas wanting them dead, cannot be further from the truth, let me remind you again that palestina used to be 1/3 jewish, and also how are you so sure its not from an israeli, but fine let’s assume it’s not, the i guess it’d be from a radical-hama which is a terrorist organisation, think about it, because of a terrorist organisation that they claim they want to kill, innocent lives are being lost, when like ive said before, its not about eradicating hamas, israel bombed the children’s hospital in gaza, made up a fake story claiming that hamas bombed it and for what?

the entire thing is also politics usa is backing israel because they made israel, they pulled back all their ressources from ukraine to send to israel and Biden requested 69bil for help for israel (it would cost less to fix homelessness is the usa) china wants to support Palestine because they want to strip the usas power and become the 1. themselves.

you say palestine stole jews homeland which is strike 2, misinformation (again) I citied this from the internet and went to fact-check this with multiple different websites.

Can Jews have their own country? They are forbidden according to Torah, Talmud, their own highly rated scholars and the bible. The problem is that Israel has degenerated to a secular liberal state who do not follow their own religion anymore and the arguments for it are from the perspective of secular liberalism not religion.

like i said jerusalem is important for all 3 major religions claim that Palestine stole that is ridiculous, why should jerusalem be for jews only, by your way of thinking, isn’t that Islamophobic and anti-christianity?

twisting the genocide of palestinas to anti-semitism is misinformation.

being neutral is ignorance.

i hope before you decide to go compare palestinas to nazis again, you think about what i said, and educate yourself more.

#free palestine #genocide #palestine #eradication #ethnic cleansing #free gaza #shamal #yamen #kosomisrael

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deaddee-anime-brownfanlady · 1 year ago

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Fav Series to get to know me a little better.

Been seeing a few posts do this and thought it could be fun to try too. No pressure but feel free to join along if you want!

The Sandman- While I've read a few chapters of the comic (which I still need to read more of) par say, the Netflix show adaptation is so freaking good & seriously exceeded my expectations in terms of the visually effects also the storytelling is done so well & seeing Morpheus in live-action is also great too. So hyped for S2.

POSE- I swear this series doesn't get enough attention on it as far as I can tell. Because it's honestly I think one of the best shows I've seen so far, Set during 1980s America during the AIDs crisis with a mostly Black and POC casting that's focuses on Ballroom culture which offers a place of belonging to NY gay/queer communities. This show is a emotional roller-coaster that had me feeling so much for its great characters & it should be watched more by everyone because it's so good.

Arcane- Just seriously one of the best mature adult animated series thus far. Before I got into Arcane the only one or two thing I knew about it was hearing how awesome it was and that its based off of the long time popular online game League of Legends & that was pretty much it. But actually seeing this show upon first episode had me hooked from the start, everything dealing with this show is top-notch. From the fantastic, incredible 3d animation to the mature well-written compelling storytelling, along with well-rounded, morally complex flawed characters that feel so human in terms of the choices they make be it in the wrong or right, also the real banging soundtrack along with it. Just one of the bests series I so far seen.

Primal- Yet another example of really great adult animated series that have come out recently way ago. By the creator of Samurai Jack and Dexter Laboratory, Gennady Tartakovsky Primal is to me a good, well done showcasing of visual storytelling. Just a epic & awesome story about a caveman dub as Spear and his Dinosaur pal "Fang" that bonded over the loss of their families & now goes on a journey together through the violent prehistoric times. I consider this animated show to be akin to art, like a show with zero dialogue & all atmosphere & raw emotions. Just a piece of like animated art.

American Gods-Ah this show, Yet another one of Nail Gaiman works. I have a bit of some conflicted feelings on this show because while its so damned good and I seriously love everything about it on the premise of Gods and Deities from other cultures and mythology living within the modern world & trying to rebuild the influence they've once had on humanity & everything else how this show is put together in terms of visuals also storytelling is great...except for that damn cliffhanger and the fact that the show was cancelled...so yea. Still love it a bunch but eh...yeah.

Tuca & Bertie- Yet another fav adult cartoon show of mine that also got done so dirty yet again but also I feel don't get a lot of attention on it. Made by Lisa Hanawalt who in case you didn't know was the character designer of BoJack Horseman, and I would say Tuca & Bertie is like the less depressed and lesser cynical sister series of Bojack while still tackling some real heavy mature issues and problems. The world of Tuca & Bertie is one filled with mainly anthro bird people and dogs also talking plants people too. The show just has this more off-beat , zany , fun optimistic feel-good vibes going for it that's feels so inventing. But similar to Bojack in a way were its not afraid to get emotional serious about adult problems like sexual abuse or dealing with harassment & treating said issues with tact & maturity while still keeping the show overall light-hearted tone. Should be watched more.

The Midnight Gospel- The short way to giveaway on what this show is or deal with? Can be phase in one way. And that there's should be more animated Podcast. Made by Pendleton Ward the same man behind Adventure Time, I swear this show was quite the experience but in a good way. The animation is so trippy and yet so uniquely creative with using different styles. It follows a dude who goes inside a simulator to different worlds to try to interview people. The talks within this show can hit on many different levels with discussions of coping with loss and death or dealing with the struggles of hoping, a show you should take your time with, but so worth it.

Castlevania- I'll try to keep this one short & sweet. But another real awesome and oh so good adult animated series based off the classic game of the same title. great and amazingly done action /fight scenes as well as also just as wonderfully engaging and entertaining characters that you'll truly end up feeling so much for and the crap they have to deal with. Fantastic beautiful animation also the storyline and plot is just as good as the look of the show. Truly another banger.

AMC Interview with a Vampire- Now, this might sound like a controversial statement. But I deeply think and feel that this series version of interview with a Vampire is ten times more better then the movie. Not! That the movie is bad or anything, I very liked and enjoy the movie...but it never been one of my top fav movies to be honest. But the show on the other hand is so Top-notch on many levels, especially with the great performance of each actor. So Love Jacob Anderson playing as Louis de Pointe du lac and with him as an black man during 1900s America and how that's play into dealing with his vampirism, also his sexuality in terms of black queerness and showing the intricacies of the many challenges also jump ropes a black man having to keep the front of hypermasculinity especially black masculinity in a time era were being black your already seen as less than human is written so damned well. Also Sam Reid playing Lestat De Lioncourt is so fucking both great and entertaining to watch like for real, and Claudia in this show I feel is so much better then the one in the movie. Like I felt so much for her in this series. Like its so good.

Documentary Now- One of my most favorite comedy series that's never fails to creak me up. Like for real if you're interested in or into mockumentaries style of comedy then this show right here is right up there. Each episode focuses on a different "documentary " topic from dealing with a band rise & fall from success to the son of a famous chef overcoming his fears of chickens and taking over for his dad to a broken man that's ends up having a deep connection with a monkey. This show is just something else ^0^ .

Final Space- Final Space is probably one of if not the best adult animated series that I truly feel belongs right alongside with Bojack-Horseman to be honest. It's severely underrated in terms of adult animation which I think it's a shame because it really surprises me with how good it ended up becoming. At first glance looking at this sci-fi themed average typical comedy adult cartoon ended up being and becoming a much more well-rounded, emotional thought out very developed top-notch mature series. What I love about final space is that unlike other so-called “adult” animated shows is that it doesn’t try so hard with its adult humor or go overbroad with how much it tries to make it so “adultlike” such as having non-stop cussing or unnecessary super crude gore or out of place sex & nudity ( which I feel isn't always a bad thing when done right...but some adult cartoons tend to go overboard with it) This show has such a great balance of its comedy while also not afraid to get emotional serious about loss & grief or deal with some real heavy dramatic moments that are treated as serious as can be & isn't treated as a joke or a one off thing like how it would in certain other adult cartoons. One of the most mature animated series I've had the pleasure of watching & still pissed that it was done so wrong.

Welp that's about it! Sorry if this got too long ( ￣▽￣). This is just a couple of series I love. Tag in if ya'll want too!

@iamnmbr3 @dorkynerd23 @lokomotives

@feministfandomforever @uncleasriel

@zinexine @itwv-brainrot @vulgar-mary-p-ppins @captainbarinius @eddawrites @that1-otter @ghostbauhaus @freedom-and-beyond @dreballinarts @youlackconviction @toe-star @gey-scout

#tag game #tag along #reblog game #mutuals

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msclaritea · 2 years ago

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The Hollywood Strike Forces A Reckoning For The Trades | Defector

If you were on the website-formally-known-as-Twitter last week, first of all, my condolences, we are in hell together, and second, you might have seen a flurry of furious tweets from TV and film writers. Specifically, that anger took the form of retweeting a Variety article that focused on a key demand from the Writers Guild of America that drove them to strike, along with a simple message: “I asked for this.”

The Variety article in question quoted “one prominent showrunner” as saying that “every” showrunner they know is against key proposals the WGA brought to the table when talks started earlier this year with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), a proposal that would set a minimum number of writers that must be hired at each stage and size of television production. The WGA’s proposal has the number ranging from six up to 12, depending on those factors. “Nobody asked for this,” was the quote from an anonymous showrunner.

Here’s the short form of the argument: For decades, best practices for television were to have a large staff of writers to help outline a season of television, write scripts, and then be on set to produce their scripts, helping to make the changes as needed. This not only allowed the show to benefit from having writers around, it helped the staffers advance to running their own writers' rooms and eventually, the hope goes, their own shows. The cases where a single person wrote every single script of a show were few and far between.

The problem is that this standard was just oral tradition among good showrunners. And since execs wanted shows to be good and long-lasting, they approved budgets for that setup. Streaming undermined these norms, with CEOs who want a show that lasts two seasons, not 10 years, making it near impossible for showrunners to run things in a way that made sense. And so those few outliers—the cases where one writer did everything—became an excuse for studios to say, “You don’t really need writers.” When it came time for a new contract, the WGA determined that the best thing for the majority of writers was to force the studios to codify a system of bigger writers' rooms.

It’s been clear since before the strike that showrunners are not only supportive of a minimum writing staff but desperate for it. It was also evident early on in the strike that this was the case, as showrunners on Twitter pointed out how difficult their job had become without having at least six writers on staff. As a publication whose sole focus is the entertainment industry, there was no way for Variety to not know that those disagreeing are in the extreme minority.

And yet, the article isn’t framed as a small minority speaking up. It’s framed as the union forcing people who disagree to keep silent. While some attention is paid to why the WGA feels the need to mandate room size, it also presents a requirement as an undue burden on the few that don’t want a writers' room. What it neglects to mention–while stating that the WGA has given awards to shows written by one person–is that a union by its very nature has to do what is best for a broad collection of workers across the whole industry, not the handful of (often very loud) people who work differently.

It did not take long for the striking writers, extremely online and with a surplus of righteous anger on their hands right now, to seize on the story. This is because it was flagrantly wrong and also because they’ve had a lot of practice. You can have a great time on Twitter just plugging the link of any trade story on the strike into the search bar and watch striking actors and writers debunk it in real-time. There’s been a constant drip of suspiciously pro-studio strike stories in the trades since the strike began in May, and those on strike have been very quick to rebut them.

While it has always a bit of an open secret that the Hollywood trade publications can be little more than studio public relations, the strike has absolutely shattered their credibility. This tension has always existed in an industry town where the idea of “getting good publicity” serves all sides, creating a symbiotic relationship that has made the trades entirely dependent on studio sources. As the biggest entertainment story in decades unfolds, the trades’ practices are being exposed, with reporting that alternates between being useless to outwardly harmful.

Under normal circumstances the work that Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Deadline—and at this point in our late-stage capitalism hell, it is worth noting all three are owned by the same company, Penske Media Corporation—does is a form of access journalism that can seem harmless. Think fluffy profiles, actors interviewing actors, breathless awards speculation or hyping casting announcements and release dates.

The problem for the trades is all of that depends on being in the good books of the studios. Because they are industry papers, the assumption is that everyone in the industry reads them. That’s why the trades make so much money off of “for your consideration” ads, designed to get fellow insiders to vote for certain movies and actors in awards season. Not only is it de rigueur for studios to pay for those ads, actors placing their own is seen as declasse. So the most direct route to the trades has always been through the studios, and the studios likewise saw the trades as the best route to the rest of the industry.

For an example of how jealously the trades guard their access, you don’t have to look further than two weeks ago with Scott Feinberg and “the email heard around Hollywood.” Feinberg, the “executive editor of awards” for The Hollywood Reporter, got word that writers from other outlets were getting to see films before him. This was unacceptable to Feinberg. As Vanity Fair’s Charlotte Klein reported, he treated studios to a truly magical email stating, in part, “As you plan the rollout of your film(s), I would like to respectfully ask that you not show films to any of my fellow awards pundits before you show them to me, even if that person represents himself or herself to you as (a) a potential reviewer of it, (b) needing to see the film in order to be part of decisions about covers, or (c) really anything else.”

So the trades depend on the studios. But why are the studios sending things to the trades when, in theory, the writers and studios are under a media blackout? Since the WGA and the AMPTP are back at the bargaining table, neither side is supposed to be trying to manipulate the other through the media.

One answer is that the AMPTP fumbled the PR game real bad when the strike began. Ridiculously bad. There was not a rake they did not step on happily.

The studios made a bet that the public opinion would be against privileged writer elites keeping regular Americans from their entertainment. But the writers were not alone, they were joined by the 160,000 actors of SAG-AFTRA. Add to that recent polls showing public opinion in favor of striking writers and actors at a time when union support has experienced a resurgence in the country. It’s easy to see why the public is behind the unions, as studio executives cannot seem to keep their expensive shoes out of their definitely-worth-$40-million-per-year mouths. The PR problem is so severe that the AMPTP has reportedly begun bringing in multiple PR firms to help them with messaging.

It’s because things are going poorly for the studios that they once again are looking to the trades for help. For example, in June, The Hollywood Reporter published a profile of Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan—billed as “THR’s Producer of the Year”!—that probably didn’t go as anyone involved expected. While the article asks us to “appreciate what Sheridan has accomplished,” that’s not what happened. The AMPTP probably hoped the interview with Sheridan, who has happily put himself up as one of those one-in-a-million writers who does not need any help with his shows, would undermine the WGA’s demand for a minimum writers' room size.

Instead, Sheridan showed an intense lack of knowledge about how TV is made, proving he was not a solitary genius but someone who didn’t care about all the people who work on his shows. Sheridan claimed he receives no studio notes on his scripts and that “they tell me there’s a story coordinator, but I don’t know who that is.” First of all, it’s impossible not to have studio notes. If nothing else, lawyers have to make sure nothing in a script will get a studio sued. Also, as many writers, producers, and others in Hollywood pointed out, the job is script coordinator and they were probably making below a living wage to make sure those non-existent notes Sheridan claims are not in the script are actually incorporated.

It was a masterclass in discrediting yourself, which Sheridan capped off by threatening to leave the WGA over writers' room minimums. There was a rush to Twitter to point out that Sheridan’s view was, at best, wrong and, at worst, outright dangerous.

Not to leave out one of the other trades, Deadline—already with a reputation for publishing rumors its staid sisters wouldn’t—put out an article that said, “We heard that WGA strike captains and negotiating committee met yesterday to parse through the AMPTP’s offer. By the end of today, sources tell us we’re bound to have further clarity on talks.”

Now, had every fact in that sentence been correct, you could still suspect that the source was the AMPTP or an individual studio, since it frames the success of the talks as contingent on a meeting by the writers. Unfortunately for Deadline, not only were the facts wrong, writers were quick to point out that it was an absurd statement.

Some quick math: The negotiating committee is 26 people. There are over 200 strike captains. The negotiating committee and the WGA board make decisions to get an agreement that can be presented to the entire membership for a vote. Strike captains, as the name suggests, run the day-to-day organizing of the actual strike, and are too busy and too large as a group to do the job of a whole separate group of writers.

The line is gone from the article now, relegated to an editor’s note at the bottom stating, “The original story has been corrected to reflect the fact that the WGA-AMPTP meeting was in person, and that a rumor about WGA strike captains participating in the review of the AMPTP’s counterproposal was not confirmed.” I can only wonder if they got contacted by the WGA or if the roasting on Twitter was enough for Deadline’s editors.

If the studios had hoped to use the new round of talks between the WGA and AMPTP as a chance to rebrand their efforts, they may need to hire several more PR firms to clean up the mess. If they wanted to claw back the perception of their CEOs as reasonable business people, and the WGA as out-of-touch elites with ludicrous demands, it’s not working. Each of these stories shows the same old, ineffective strategy at work. It’s the same reason those FYC ads appear: they want to sow chaos among those further down the call sheet who read the trades. This might have worked during previous strikes, in an era where union leadership couldn’t communicate with the rank and file via cell phone.

I want to stress again that all three of these publications are owned by the same company (Penske Media Corporation) And they’re making the same mistakes over and over, burning credibility with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA. At the end of the day, without outright stating it, by printing these stories they are effectively taking the side of management in a labor dispute. That’s a bad look for anyone, it’s frankly a weird look when one of the groups striking is the writers. Because you’d think if anyone would fully understand the situation of the WGA, it would be other writers suffering from the same squeeze as the ones who work for TV and film. The way media has consolidated, fallen victim to vulture capital and Silicon Valley, and finally been replaced by AI, is everything the WGA is fighting. So while giant companies siding with giant companies wouldn’t really be a surprise, it is a problem when the company at issue is a media one.

It’s hard to tell what combination of malice and laziness is at fault here. Corporate overloads being what they are, they clearly want to keep studio connections comfortable and ad money flowing. That leaves the writers and editors at the trades, who chose the path of least resistance. It’s easy to do this in culture writing because so many people truly want access to famous people, glamorous red-carpet premieres–all the stuff fans use to populate their Instagram feed. Being confrontational is clearly not what the trades hired for, and sadly that’s contributing to the broader trend in media of devaluing of real reporting.

The trades need access to writers and actors for their stories, and, more importantly, to sell FYC ads–because, again, the value of those ads is that the trades are read by those in Hollywood—with actors being the largest bloc in the industry—who vote in the awards. What are they going to do with the Emmys postponed due to strike and FYC campaigns at a pause? What purpose do the trades serve if, at the end of all of this, actors and writers don’t trust them? And if they aren’t useful propaganda for the studios, what’s left for them?

When actors and writers can go directly to their peers and fans via social media, it seems that “access” isn’t what it once was. And if you can’t credibly cover the biggest entertainment story and there is no access, what’s left? Demanding to be the first in a screening, I guess.

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zero2herozed · 5 days ago

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Meanwhile, so many of the soldiers who were drafted to fight in that war would have hated anyone still touting Vietnam today. Most of them didn't want to fight. So many died needlessly to raise a sergeants rank. Its somewhat where 'fragging' truly originated, one private 'mistakenly' taking out their squad leader so that all of them aren't lead to their death. When every single death wasn't for America's safety, or even truly 'a war on communism' it only helped capitalism by padding rich politician's pockets.

And when they came home, the soldiers themselves were not only shamed for losing a war they never wanted, they also got called baby killers and many more deplorable things. Some instances because the 'regime' was using villager kids as soldiers or even as a bomber, but some instances simply because horrible men were drafted into the war against their will and took their anger out on *everyone* there, even the peaceful villages they were supposed to protect, destroying the whole village instead of just the munitions building that was the target. My father said there were villagers willingly selling their 12 year old daughters. Not like it doesn't happen here in America all the time, but still, it was the soldiers actively participating *with 12 year olds.* though outlandish rumors they had razor blades inside of them kept some like my father from taking a risk on any Vietnamese women, plenty still did, and got them pregnant, and left their half American kid to die when they pulled out.

AND THATS NOT EVEN INCLUDING AGENT ORANGE YET.

The dangerous chemical dioxin that was dumped in mass on both troops and villagers alike, owned by Monsanto and experimented on the soldiers like guinea pigs like they always do, telling everyone it was entirely safe when they pretty much already knew it wasn't, spent years and billions denying it so not only did how many of the severe cases were dying before they had to pay out, but also their 2nd gen children have no clue where their genetic issues come from. Because oh yeah; this doesn't just affect the first gen it was actually dumped on. It permanently destabilized our DNA ways they still have no clue how deep it goes and are refusing to admit how many health problems could be related to agent orange than just spina bifida. All I know is I have the congenital heart problems as well as horrible joint and spine problems, I'm in pain every day, and I still don't get coverage in good ol capitalist America because "it could be naturally hereditary"

Losing my father to his agent orange caused illness at 14 did not lead to my 'fatherless' behavior being a communist. Its knowing all the ways my father suffered before his death, abused and abandoned by his country, making him jump through hoops and coming to the brink of suicide just to get the measly coverage he and my brother get now, the same coverage trump threatens to get rid of because the draft dodging coward 'doesnt like losers.' Its knowing that he was just a number to die when he was sent out, and only viewed as a medical experiment when he came back. No one deserved this war. Not the Vietnamese. Not the American soldiers. And especially not all the children of both ethnicities that were and genetically still are dragged into this b.s. to this day. I am disgusted that Americans are still trying to make excuses to tout how great we are, how they fought dirty to win, used war crimes against us. BUT NO, WE were the invaders, oppressing THEIR FREEDOM for our precious capitalism. Horrifically outforced for a fair battle, they did what they knew to survive and fought bravely to keep their way of living safe by whatever means possible. FUCK America and FUCK its late stage capitalism, I hope it fucking crumbles soon so I actually can have my community without the government sticking its nose in.

Anyway, sorry for the diatribe on the post that is definitely not mine, nor likely open to American input, but for the Americans reading this, reminder that Monsanto also did Round-Up, a weed killer that gave non-hodgekins lymphoma to the farmers they had spraying their fields of specially genetically modified plants that are immune to the roundup. They know their shit is still toxic. And America is letting them do it. <3

I love when I find a Usamerican complaining about how they lost in Vietnam because it makes me remember what a glorious victory the Vietnamese managed against the great empire of our times, and it still bites them. An example for all the free people of the world. Al gran pueblo vietnamita, salud.

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yourreddancer · 5 days ago

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Public Citizen lawsuit against the Dump administration

One of our lawsuits against the Trump regime is at the Supreme Court right now.

See our earlier note — copied below in case you missed it — for more about this breaking news.

******

Through what is sometimes referred to as its “shadow docket,” the Supreme Court will be deciding on an emergency basis whether the Trump administration must immediately resume funding for foreign assistance grants, as a U.S. district judge has ordered.

We could get a decision as early as tomorrow.

Here’s a refresher about this lawsuit:

January 20 On his very first day back in office, Donald Trump issues an executive order directing agencies to freeze foreign assistance that supports humanitarian efforts worldwide.

February 10 Public Citizen files a lawsuit on behalf of two organizations that receive federal grants for humanitarian work.

February 13 The judge, responding to our motion, requires resumption of foreign aid funding for our clients and others as the case proceeds.

February 26 With the administration so far having failed to comply with the order, the judge orders it to release funds by midnight that day for work already performed.

Instead, the administration asked the Supreme Court to overturn the judge’s order and excuse its noncompliance. The Supreme Court could rule tomorrow.

As Allison Zieve, the director of Public Citizen’s Litigation Group, told the media:

“The lengths to which the government is going to flout a court order, all for the goal of ending life-saving humanitarian assistance, are staggering.”

By the way, this is different from the separate lawsuit we filed over Trump’s illegal shutdown of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the five other lawsuits we’ve filed so far against Trump since he returned to power.

One other point worth making:

Polls reveal that many Americans think foreign aid accounts for 25% or even 50% of all federal spending and that they would prefer it to be something like 10% instead.

In reality, only about 1% of the federal budget — just one penny out of every dollar — goes to foreign aid.

With that relatively modest expenditure, American aid helps millions and millions of people all across the world who are facing famine and malnutrition, illness and disease, oppression, disaster, and death.

We are the richest country on Earth. But in 2023, there were 24 other countries that gave more, as a percentage of their gross national income, in development aid than the United States did.

Yet it seems that Donald Trump won’t be happy until America is dead last on that list.

Trump’s foreign aid freeze is selfish, shortsighted, and inhumane. We have to fight it with everything we’ve got.

For progress,

- Lisa Gilbert & Robert Weissman, Co-Presidents of Public Citizen

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desmon1995 · 5 days ago

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Hamilton, assimilation, and the myth of the model minority

From the moment Alexander Hamilton steps onto the stage, he is a man in search of belonging. A penniless immigrant from the Caribbean, he claws his way to the top of the fledgling American political system, armed with little more than intellect, ambition, and an unshakable belief in meritocracy. His story, as told in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton, has often been celebrated as an anthem of immigrant perseverance—proof that in America, those who work the hardest will be rewarded.

But look closer, and Hamilton is less a triumph of the immigrant dream than a cautionary tale about its limits. Hamilton’s defining flaw is not his hubris or his temper, but his desperate need to be accepted by the very system that will never fully embrace him. In his relentless pursuit of legitimacy—of a seat at the table—he becomes not just a participant in the American experiment but a willing enforcer of its status quo. And yet, despite his service, his sacrifices, and his brilliance, he remains an outsider, reduced to a myth only after his death.

Hamilton from My Shot onwards goes on a very uncomfortable and arguably sickening patriotic crusade.

He's always trying to prove himself to the powers that be in hopes that he can one day join their ranks and be considered as somebody in this new thing called the United States of America.

However, time and time again people like jefferson, not a thing, and even Burr remind Hamilton that his posturing as their equal is conditional at best.

Hamilton’s fatal flaw is not just his ambition but his inability to recognize that his supposed allies see him as useful, not equal.

Even Aaron Burr, who initially appears to be a cordial acquaintance, gradually develops a deep-seated resentment towards Hamilton. This animosity stems from Burr's perception that Hamilton, an immigrant and minority, is receiving opportunities that he, a native-born American, feels he deserves. Burr's sentiment reflects a toxic mix of xenophobia, elitism, and entitlement, which ultimately fuels his rivalry with Hamilton.

It's striking how Alexander Hamilton's character evolves throughout the musical. Initially, he's portrayed as a radical thinker, openly opposed to slavery and eager to challenge the status quo. However, as the story unfolds, he undergoes a transformation, gradually compromising his politics, family values, and personal morals in pursuit of the American Dream. Ironically, he by the end of the musical has become a convergent version of Aaron Burr.

In the end, Hamilton does carve out a seat at the table, but at a devastating cost. His political career implodes in scandal, his personal life crumbles, and in the final insult, he dies not in a grand battle of ideals, but in a petty duel with Burr. In life, his achievements are met with resistance, his brilliance overshadowed by his immigrant status. But in death, he is repurposed into something more palatable: the model minority, the immigrant success story, the patriot who proved that anyone can make it in America.

Hamilton now that he's deceased is finally accepted into the American canon, but as a tool to carve out the myth of what happens when you make it in America while simultaneously wiping out any of the real life struggles and misfortunes that not only he faced but how Americans at the time treated him and in some cases pushed him to do.

The hidden Factor about Hamilton is that the character we see in the musical is not actually him, it's a recollection of the man based on those who knew him be they enemies or otherwise, so we're essentially watching a hyperbolic caricature running around the stage.

Dead man tell no tales and because of that their narratives can be co-opted by their ops and they can be made to represent things that they likely would never avow but that's the name of the game when it comes to American mythology as well as propaganda.

Hamilton does not tell the story of an immigrant who wins. It tells the story of an immigrant who spends his entire life trying to win, only to be accepted on terms he would never have chosen. The lesson is not one of perseverance, but of caution: America does not reward those who fight for a seat at the table—it uses them, and when they are gone, it rewrites their story to suit its own needs.

and nearly a decade later, we are still seeing stuff like this play out before our very eyes with many migrants trying to fit into very conservative spaces in hopes that this would be a benefactor to their livelihood without realizing what's awaiting them on the other side of that pipeline.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-good-immigrant/

#lin manuel miranda #hamilton musical #election 2024 #broadway #immigrants #america

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butterflyintochains · 1 month ago

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Facing The Four Horsemen

Been wanting to write a mafia au set in my Butterfly Effect verse forever, so here's my attempt at it! Basically the premise is; the current Penguins core four are a force to be reckoned with in the underworld of North America's eternal gang wars. Called 'The Four Horsemen'. Leading the famous Pittsburgh Syndicate with grace, and engaging their enemies with no mercy.

TW: Violence, guns.

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Winter came for the Steel City far too quickly this year. Bringing an ungodly cold wind in with it, the snow hasn't let up in almost two weeks now. The city has mostly been settled since they drove the Flyers out last year. No one has dared to spread their tentacles into Pittsburgh since, all of their neighbours are now persona non grata anywhere near the city. Still, no one knows who the mole was that gave Couturier the tip off about their weapons cache. Rebuilding from that has not been easy, but they're almost there. The four leaders of the city's Syndicate are going crazy trying to figure out who told Couturier about the cache, and what more the Flyers Gang possibly know about them. Now, however, an all black Porsche makes its way down the street to an agreed upon meeting place. Driven by one of the infamous Four Horsemen. The Syndicate aren't just working on the Philadelphia case, but also frequent incursions from Edmonton and Washington. Erik arrives at the park, blanketed in fresh snow, and scans around for his best friend's silver Mercedes. Victor had something for him, and told him not to bring Kris for some weird reason. His phone buzzes, it's his husband. ''Hej, hjartat, what's up?''

Kris says. ''Salut, amour, just wondered if you got there safe.''

Erik affirms, looking around the vacant parking lot for Victor. ''Yeah, I'm at the spot, he's not here yet. I'm armed, but something doesn't feel right.''

Kris asks, after a moment of silence. ''Do you need me? Should I come to you?''

Erik says, looking around more, Victor is never late for anything, not even brushing his teeth, Erik learned that at the Ornskoldsvik Institute. ''No, stay put, I think I'm okay.'' Finally, the Mercedes appears. Victor parks, and steps out. ''Good to see you, Erik.'' He says.

Erik chuckles, and hugs Victor quickly, ears still dialed in on everything around them. ''Good to see you too, Victor. What's this thing you've got for us?''

Victor goes into his coat, pulling a slightly damaged phone out of his pocket. ''This. One of my guys in Tampa found it after we dealt with some business against a rival group a few months ago.'' He adds, handing it over. ''It's locked tight right now, but I was thinking one of your guys could jailbreak it.''

Erik nods, still feeling uneasy, maybe he did need Kris after all? ''Yeah, I think we...'' A single bullet from the trees pierces Victor's car hood, they both take their guns out, ready to pounce. Another bullet gets Victor's shoulder. ''Fuck, Victor, come on, we're leaving.'' Erik helps his best friend into his car, and they speed off for the house. Victor's head droops to one side with the blood loss. ''Vic, stay with me, we're almost there, promise.'' They loose the red Ferrari about two kilometers from the house. Erik helps Victor to the door, and unlocks it with one hand. ''Erik? What the...'' Kris begins to ask.

Erik shakes his head. ''No time, Victor's hurt.'' They sit him at the table, and help him out of his coat, blazer, and shirt. Kris grabs the medical kit from under the sink, they make as quick work as possible to treat the wound. ''What the hell happened?'' Kris asks, finishing the last set of stitches.

Erik says. ''We weren't alone, someone followed one of us to the park. They were in a red Ferrari, lost them a while before here, though.''

Kris asks, helping Victor back into his shirt and jacket. ''Who was it? Did you see any faces?''

Victor shakes his head. ''No idea, all we saw was the car. Didn't even get a plate. Lost my Merc too.''

Kris nods, and sends a few texts. ''Right, that's two of ours going to get your stuff from your car, you're not going anywhere until that's healed.''

Victor asks, confounded at the hospitality, Tampa never offers this to rival groups. ''Really? Seriously?'' Erik nods, and starts tidying up the first aid stuff. ''Yeah, you're under the protection of the Four Horsemen while you're here.''

In time, Victor's stuff arrives, and he's put up in the guest room for a few days. The damaged burner phone sits on the table, one of the younger guys should be able to jailbreak it. Kris is able to turn it on, the battery is fully charged, and the lockscreen is all black. It requires a pin to open, as well as two security questions. He makes a mental note to pass it to PO or Drew next time they're all together, they'll know what to do with it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Word of the park incident spreads through the Syndicate quickly. The game they play is all gas no breaks, but they're woefully unprepared for an all out gang war right now. Tampa are friendly enough to them, so they're not risking anything from down south. Kris hands the phone over to PO and Drew to jailbreak it. They still have no clue who it belongs to. Haysey theorizes that it belongs to one of Couturier's men, and they shot Victor. It makes sense, but why would the Bolts and the Flyers be engaging with each other? ''That'd explain how they found us, Kev, but there's no history of Tampa having trouble with Philly.'' Sid says, eyeing up the phone suspiciously.

Geno muses aloud to the room. ''What if it's Washington?''

Victor shakes his head, and snuffs that theory out quickly. ''It's not, this isn't how Ovechkin moves, we'd have all known by now.''

Erik says, fiddling with his wedding ring. ''I think this is someone out west, I think we're dealing with something bigger than we expected.''

Rusty asks, sitting forward in his seat. ''How d'you mean?'' Erik sighs, and sits up straighter. ''Some of the western groups have been slowly pushing east to expand their influences. We had to kick some of the Knights out, and shut their casino down. I think there's some kind of alliance in the west.''

Kris asks his husband, who defected from the San Jose Family when their marriage was outed. ''Who do you think is spearheading it, Erik?''

Erik shrugs, and says. ''I think that's what's on that phone, and we won't know until we get into it.''

Drew says, brows knit together in concentration as they work on the phone. ''This thing is locked up like Alcatraz, whoever owned it must really value the contents of this thing.'' They get back onto Erik's theory. The conversation shifts along the way, to potential allies that they can pursue. Philadelphia and Washington are out right away, the Toronto Cartel are too risky, The Rangers would never act under anyone's lead but Kreider's. ''How about Boston? We've been friends with Bergy and Marchy since The Academy.'' Kris poses to Sid.

Sid writes the Bruins Syndicate on the cork board. ''Good shout, Kris, anyone else?''

Rusty says. ''Colorado?''

Geno scrunches up his face, he's not liked MacKinnon for years, and makes no secret of it either. ''I'd not trust the Mad Dog as far as I could throw him, medvezhonok.''

Erik says, trying to mediate for his brother-in-law. ''We know, Geno, believe me, we know. But, we'd be working with Landeskog, not MacKinnon, and they can be our eyes out west.''

Geno sighs, resigned to losing this argument, but clearly knowing that this is for the best. ''Fine, Sid, add them to the list.'' He adds, as Sid writes the Avalanche Syndicate to their allies list. ''But, if he gets any funny ideas with Sid, I get to humble him.''

Sid laughs at Geno's rare show of possessiveness. ''Fair enough, thank you for conceding at least, Geno.'' Their allies list is only three long, but it's something at least, and Boston are the most powerful group in the east. So, they've got some friends in high places for whatever this is. The meeting ends with arranging travel, Victor will be going home tomorrow to bring this pact idea to his boys. Erik volunteers to fly to Denver to talk with Landeskog, Ivy brings up going with him. ''No, Jack, you're staying here. I'm not having both of you in the firing line.'' Kris insists.

Matt Nieto says. ''I'll go with Karl, I've still got connections in Denver.'' Sid and Ricky volunteer to fly to Boston. Under the group's rules, Kris and Geno will be staying put here in Pittsburgh. There's never a time when all four of them are out of the city at the same time, they learned that the hard way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With Sid and Erik out of town with Nieto and Ricky, that leaves Kris and Geno to hold down the fort. The duo make the drive down to the lot Victor's Mercedes was taken to after the park incident. The kids are working on hacking into the burner phone, but the car itself is suspicious to them. Victor flew here from Tampa, so that car was a rental, someone must have bugged it. They're armed, as always, and accompanied by Bunts and Ivy. The juniors are shaping up into the Syndicate's best sharp shooters. Kris parks his Aston Martin, and they pile out into the lot, finding the Mercedes after a few minutes of searching. Bunts and Ivy to a quick patrol to make sure they weren't followed, hands resting on their hidden guns. Kris' hand goes to Erik's knife on his hip. The duo survey the car, finding something under the hood. ''An air tag, the light is on, so we've probably got minutes to get this dealt with.'' Bunts says.

Geno nods, and snaps a picture of it so they can track the serial number. ''Legend, kill it.''

Kris nods, still angry about the injury to his brother-in-law, Victor is family, no matter what. ''Gladly.'' He puts it on the tarmac, and shoots it. ''We should go, they'll be on us now.'' Jack says.

They pile back into the Aston, and get going for the Crosby-Malkin house. Kris keeps an eye on his rear view mirrors as he drives, he'd let Geno drive, but he drives too fast. And, Kris never lets anyone drive his Aston. ''Wonder how our husbands are getting on.'' Kris says, pulling into the driveway.

Geno says, getting on with lunch once they're inside. ''Sid said he's doing well with Brad and Patrice, no idea how they got Bergy back into the game.''

Jack removes his coat, and says. ''Erik called us last night, Landy is on board, but wants to fly out to us first.''

Bunts remarks, getting the table set while Kris and Geno cook. ''Should be fun having Geno and the Mad Dog in one place again.'' Kris laughs, the kids catch on fast these days. ''He'd not try anything, Bunts, trust me. He'll get it into his head that Sid's spoken for... someday.''

Geno says, looking less frustrated about reaching out to Denver than he was a few days ago. ''Besides, we're working with Landeskog, he's the one in charge there.''

During lunch, Sid calls them, Geno puts it on speaker. ''Privet, solnishko. What's going on?''

Sid's voice sounds pleased with something, he says. ''Hey, honey, we've secured the deal with Boston. Patrice suspects that Philly and Washington are funding people to de-stabilize our two groups. They're in, and coming south in about a week to talk with us.'' Kris chimes in, now worried about Erik in Denver, he's too close to San Jose. ''Great, get yourselves home to us.''

Sid says. ''Yeah, we're leaving this evening. How about Erik? And Victor's car?''

Kris wallows some pasta, and says. ''Erik's fine, said he's a day away from securing our alliance with Landy. Victor's Merc was bugged.'' Kris also decides to tell Sid about Victor's entourage for the visit. ''He's bringing Kucherov, Point, and Jake north to us.'' The prodigal son is returning home, even if it's just for this one thing.

Sid says, an unmistakable smile in his voice. ''Good to know we're seeing Jake again. It's been a while.'' And the last time was a run in with the Carolina Firm, who caught them backdoor funding a bunch of labour unions in Raleigh's business center a few months back. Staal was not pleased to have his old Syndicate in his city. To be honest, if he didn't, he shouldn't have made it so easy for them to infiltrate. ''Yeah, and we made a mess the last time too.'' Geno says, a wry smile on his face.

That evening, Kris gets called by Noel and Kevin to the group's weapons cache in Cranberry. Still armed with his gun and Erik's knife, he makes the short drive. ''What's going on, gents?'' Kris asks.

Noel grins wide, never exactly a good sign, but Kris trusts their enforcers. ''Just you wait, Kris.'' Behind them, a U-Haul truck pulls up into the driveway. Matt Grzelyck leaps out of the cabin from his trip out west. ''Long time no see, Grizz, what ya got for us?'' Haysey asks.

Matt says, with a smile as he opens the rear of the truck. ''Leverage, my friends, leverage.'' There's a treasure trove of cash and weapons in the truck, easily enough for their rebuild after the Flyers' heist last year. Kris spots something familiar, a gold inlaid sniper rifle. ''Is that what I think it is, Grizz?''

Matt nods, picking it up, and handing it over. ''Flower's gun, back in its true city. Was thinking Jars could have it.''

Kris asks. ''How did you even get this out of Vegas?'' Matt laughs, this story is clearly good. ''You'll never believe it, but the thing was just hanging up in a booth of one of Stone's God-awful casinos.''

Kris rolls his eyes, his best friend's signature weapon used as set dressing in that joke of a city. ''Can't say I'm surprised.'' Flower's out of the game now, living a peaceful life with Max in Minnesota, as they deserve. ''We should load this into the unit, and get out of here. Were you followed?'' Haysey asks.

Matt shakes his head. ''No, but they'll notice this lot is missing.'' The group work to unload the truck, then head home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Four Horsemen are reunited by the weekend. With the alliance meeting scheduled for a few days' time. Drew and PO are getting somewhere with the damaged burner phone. And, Geno has tracked the air tag's purchase to somewhere in DC. So, they're almost there. The Syndicate meet up at their base of operations, affectionately nicknamed 'The Igloo' by the juniors, a name that has stuck. PO and Drew look mighty pleased with themselves about something, the burner phone is still plugged into PO's laptop, but they seem to have made some degree of progress. ''So, good news and bad news, which do we want first?'' Drew asks.

Sid says, taking his seat at the head of the round table, the seat Mario once took up back in the old days. ''Good news first, boys, please.''

PO opens his laptop, and boots it up with a smile, and says. ''The first digit to the phone's pass-code is a nine. So, we're one quarter the way into the security questions.''

Drew picks up from here, and says. ''However, the remaining three digits leave us with thousands of combinations to scan through. Hence... the setup here.'' Drew continues, after taking a quick breath. ''Then, we've got the security questions.''

PO remarks, grimacing now. ''And, I'll bet all texts and images are kept behind their own pass-codes, so we'll need to crack those too.'' The duo are the best hackers in the state, capable of taking down the stock market in a matter of days, so they will jailbreak this thing. ''Anyways, what's going on with the pact?'' PO asks.

Sid says. ''Well, we've got Boston on side somehow. Added to Tampa, that's huge. Erik, what about you?'' Erik clears his throat, and sits straighter in his seat. ''We've also got Colorado out west.'' Erik continues, looking to Kris. ''Now, does my dear husband care to show us what's in the case he brought in?''

Kris stands, picking up the long case, he presses a quick kiss to Erik's temple before saying. ''Grizz came back from Vegas with enough weapons to restock us after Couturier's raid, and enough cash to refill our coffers. He also came home with this,'' He opens the case, extracting Flower's sniper rifle, Rosetta, he called it, as every good sniper does. ''Rosetta is home.'' Kris says.

Sid is breathless. ''Never thought I'd see that again.''

Cody furrows his brows, confused at the meaning of the weapon. ''Wait, I'm lost, what is that?''

Geno says, eyes misty. ''Rosetta, Flower's old sniper rifle.'' He looks back to Kris. ''What do we do with it, Legend?'' Kris takes a deep breath, holding it with near-reverence. ''Well, I was thinking Tristan could use it, as Flower intended.''

Tristan's face lights up, he loves his Nightshade, but Flower raised him. ''Really? He wanted me to have it?'' Kris crosses the room to hand it over. ''He did. At least that's what he told me.''

Tristan takes it, as he should have before Stone got his mitts on it. ''Thank you, Kris.'' He reaches for Nightshade, and hands it to Ned. ''That's both of us now, Ned.''

The group discuss preparations for the summit, their incoming allies will be staying at hotels while they're here, but there's a lot of things that they'll need to be careful about. Even allies can't be allowed to see or know everything. The meeting room will be moved to the other end of the building, and all of their information will be locked away. A sound outside alerts Rusty. ''Everyone quiet.'' He goes to the window, scanning the streets outside, seeing three black Range Rovers. ''I think we're being watched.'' Rusty says, snapping some pictures of the vehicles. ''We don't need to move base, do we?'' Marcus asks, probably dreading packing up the medical rooms.

Sid shakes his head. ''No, our security measures will hold up.''

Drew assures his big brother. ''Yeah, PO and I recently installed some killer EMPs, anyone we don't like comes within sniffing distance, and all of their power goes out.''

Erik smiles, and shakes his head at the boys. ''You two are dangerous.''

PO proudly shrugs. ''Thanks, we do try.''

The meeting concludes, and the group get on with setting up for the summit. Sid locks the filing cabinets, and Kris moves their cork boards into a backroom. Geno surveys their internal security measures, and Erik is taken with Marcus, Joel, and Graves to survey the medical facility.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The summit day comes, and Victor, Gabe, Brad, and Patrice arrive with their small entourages. This also comes with the cracking of the burner phone's second pass-code digit. Drew happily informs them all that the second digit is a seven. But, that leaves so many more combinations for the final two digits, and the security questions. The quartet sit down with their visitors in the secondary meeting room. They'd all let the others in, but there's a precedence to things like this. Gabe presents a file of evidence of some dirty dealings going east from both Vegas and Edmonton. Kris surveys the sheets, brows knit together in concentration. ''This all seems very up to date, Gabe, but where did you get all of this information?''

Gabe says, collecting the sheets back in. ''Some of my agents were able to figure out that a bunch of Edmonton's oil refineries are backed by DC cash.''

Sid asks, still confused at all of this. ''Where do Philly and Vegas fit here? If at all?''

Gabe sighs, sitting back in his chair, nursing his coffee in his hands. ''That's where we've come up dry, Sid.''

Brad brings forth some evidence of his own, seemingly collected a while ago. ''Philly are using Vegas casinos to launder money from illegal weapons deals. Managed to get some pretty shocking bank statements from some connections in Philly.''

Erik asks the table, sipping his coffee. ''That leaves one final thing; are these two networks connected?''

Victor says to his best friend. ''I think the only way to figure that out is for your boys to jailbreak the phone I gave you.'' Geno says, clicking his pen a few times. ''Drew and PO said that'll be done tomorrow. But, we've got the security questions too.'' All of their evidence is pinned to a fresh board. And, the group sign into effect the accord between their gangs. Just as that's going on, Rusty bursts in. ''Sorry to interrupt, but we've got a situation on the outskirts of the city.''

Patrice asks. ''What kind of situation, Rust?''

They all flood out of the room at Rusty's behest, he tries to relay the information quickly. ''Looks like those Range Rovers from earlier in the week came from Philly, plates traced back to a dealership near their base.''

Kris asks. ''Have they found the cache?''

Haysey catches them near the exit, and says. ''No, we've sent Grizz and Tito in an unmarked truck to move everything to Wilkes.'' Lehky asks, handing his boss back his guns. ''How long do we have?''

Sid says, examining his knife. ''We've probably got an hour to stall them. Just don't say or do anything stupid, any of us.'' He spares a glance to Nate, Kris, and Erik in particular. They jump in their cars, and find the Flyers blocking off one of the city's bridges with their trucks. The arteries of the city are its bridges. ''Care to explain this, Couturier?'' Sid asks.

Couturier leans against his truck, a black Range Rover with garish orange chrome, and picks his nails. ''Not really, Crosby, no. Care to explain the virus link we all just got sent this morning?'' Kris barely manages to stifle a laugh, the boys are good, but he had no idea they were this good. ''Did you download it?'' Kris asks, hand resting on Erik's knife.

Konecny says. ''No shit we did, Letang, it was dressed up as a state-wide dangerous weather alert.''

Johnson locks eyes with Gabe, saying. ''Long time no see, Landy. Never thought I'd see you this side of the Mississippi again.'' Gabe shrugs, running a hand through his famous golden hair. ''Never thought I'd see you bowing to these people, Condor.''

In the tension, Hathaway's phone rings, he answers it in front of everyone. ''Yeah, Nic, what's going on?'' The quartet share their normal glance, that wordless conversation only they can have. ''The hell do you mean your systems are down?'' This had to be PO and Drew's good work. This might just be their smoking gun. ''Yeah, we're with Lemieux's birds, where did you think we were?'' Sid and Geno give Kris and Erik the nod, and they take off in their car back for base, and for the airport. Taking a small division of the Syndicate, and some of their allies with them. ''Why aren't Sid and Geno coming with us?'' Cale Makar asks when they board their private flight.

Kris checks that his two main handguns - Chevalier and Imperator - are locked in their case before take off. ''We've got a rule against it.'' He states. ''There must always be two at home.''

Erik says, sheathing Kris' knife, the exchange a gesture of devotion to protecting each other. ''Besides, we're going in no-holds-barred. Kris and I fight dirty, Sid and Geno don't.'' Winter is coming for DC, they'd best be ready. They've conspired against Pittsburgh for long enough.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The group spend a couple of days trailing some of the Capital Company, living out of a Pittsburgh-run hotel in the city. One of the two that Ovechkin hasn't shut down yet, along with three restaurants and a bank. Too busy funding Edmonton, and cozying up to Philadelphia to notice most likely. PO calls Kris on their second evening, the phone's pass-code is cracked, the final two digits being a two and a nine. Their weapons cache is safe in Wilkes now, a bit further away than the lock up in Cranberry, but they'll deal with it. Taking this incursion slowly hasn't been easy for anyone present, not least for the two leading it. The sun is quickly setting, and everyone is in their rental cars, sweeping the streets. ''What car does Wilson drive again, Kris?'' Gabe comes over the radio.

Kris answers, keeping his eyes up. ''A red Lamborghini with this God-awful white racing stripe own the middle. You and yours just leave Wilson to myself and Erik.''

Erik says, making sure his guns - Hugin and Munin - are loaded. ''We've had business with him for ages. Put Ivy and PO in the medical ward for weeks last we faced him.'' The Syndicate have less than no respect for Washington, not least that Ovechkin and Backstrom barely ever do their own dirty work. But, putting their kids in the ward is a step too far. Took PO's hand weeks to get back to proper usage, and Ivy still sleeps in his room in the Letang-Karlsson house out of fear of being alone. ''Fair enough, but I get first shot at Carlson, fucker put Steven in hospital for a month last time.'' Victor says over their comms link.

Kris says to his brother-in-law, spotting something in the very edge of his periphery. ''He's all yours, Vic. We're going silent, godspeed.'' Kris' suspicion is confirmed when he sees Wilson's Lamborghini. A far less refined car than his Aston or Erik's Porsche, the thing sticks out like a sore thumb. He kills the headlights of their rented Maserati, and tails Wilson. ''We do this for our boys, and get back to them, remember, hjartat?''

Kris nods, turning the steering wheel as Wilson rounds a corner. ''Yeah, and teach the Caps a lesson, they've gotten way too comfortable, amour.''

Erik keeps an eye on the rear view mirrors, if they've been detected in the city, it'll be now that Ovechkin sends someone. ''Could not agree more.''

They follow the Lamborghini for a few miles, arriving at a warehouse complex just outside of the city. Wilson parks, and steps out of his car, he doesn't bother looking around as he enters one of the warehouses. Rookie mistake, Kris and Erik park their car around the corner, and bail out. Erik slashes the tires. Kris finds a back entrance, and says to Erik in hushed French. ''Amour, venez avec moi.''

Erik nods, he knows that they must never be parted during missions like this. ''Oui, mon coeur.'' They head inside, guarding each other as they always do. It's darker in here than they'd like, but they're both used to that by now. Kris had to evacuate Erik from the compound in San Jose at night and by himself not super long ago. ''Mon coeur? Es-tu avec moi?'' Erik whispers in the darkness as they navigate the labyrinth of the warehouse.

Kris affirms, finding his husband's hand. ''Oui, mon amour, je suis ici, allez.''

They find the room where Wilson went. Hearing him on the phone with someone, standing near a shipment of something concealed under a white tarp. ''Yeah, it got here safe, thanks, Stone. Did McDavid get his shipment?'' There's a slight pause, then Wilson says. ''Good, and Couturier? Heard he got stuck with some of Lemieux's birds. A couple days ago.'' Kris taps Erik's knee, and points to Hugin in the dim light, then to Wilson. Erik assesses the question, and shakes his head. ''Yeah, Konecny told me about the meeting with Crosby's people. What d'you mean they intercepted it? Where?'' Another pause comes, and Wilson says. ''Lehigh Valley? Who intercepted it?'' Another long pause comes. ''Oh, so Saint Patrice is back in the game, eh? We'll take him down, and his Rat as well. Then, I get Letang and Karlsson, like we said I would.'' Kris and Erik don't think they like the thought of leaving PO and Jack as orphans, so they shoot the phone out of Wilson's hand.

Kris and Erik hear him take his gun out, and demand. ''Alright, come on out, I know you're both here.'' Guns raised, Kris and Erik face Wilson, the memory of Washington's most recent incursion into Pittsburgh fresh in their heads. ''How long had you been stalking me?'' Wilson asks.

Erik says, eyes fixed on Wilson's trigger finger. ''Long enough. How long did you and your friends think we'd put up with your bullshit?''

Wilson dodges Erik's question, and says. ''Did Crosby send his attack dogs on me? Too scared to do his own dirty work?''

Kris' hand goes to Erik's knife, holstered at his back under his coat. ''Funny, could ask you the same. Where are Ovechkin and Backstrom? Isn't this a little... unfair?'' He asks.

Wilson furrows his brows, and tilts his head. ''Unfair? How is it unfair? I put your precious boys out of commission once, didn't I?'' Erik smirks, casting a quick look to his husband. ''Well, you're all alone here, facing us, right? Didn't know your bosses held your life with so little value.''

Wilson sneers at them both. ''Well, I'll be paid a mint when you two are dead.'' Kris and Erik shoot the rolling door closed, Wilson's not getting out of here alive, not after what he did to the boys. If his death restores Pittsburgh as the top Syndicate in the area again, so be it. Better him than their family. In one terrible moment, Wilson shoots Erik in the leg twice, and gets him in a head lock. Kris is bleeding from the shoulder courtesy of a pretty good slashing from Wilson's knife. Wilson points his gun at Kris. ''What now, Letang? Might keep your pretty husband as a hostage, and we all know your lot don't have enough cash to buy him back.''

Kris says, limping closer to Wilson. ''If you harm a hair on his head, there's nowhere you can hide from me.'' He notices Erik pulling out the knife Kris gave him all those years ago. ''Or, do I kill you and force Karlsson to watch you die? I'm not fussy.''

Erik manages out, reversing his grip on Kris' knife. ''They'll still be finding your body when I'm eighty.'' He stabs Wilson's hand, and Kris plugs him twice in the head. The pendulum swings back to the Steel City, where it rightfully belongs. Erik collapses into Kris' arms, Kris pulls his phone out. ''Marcus, med evac, please, hurry here.'' He orders, vision burring from his own wound.

Marcus asks. ''Where the hell are you?''

Kris says, trying to look around. ''Capital One Warehouse, building four. Come quick, two casualties.''

Marcus affirms. ''Won't be long, hold tight.'' Kris hangs up, and helps Erik to the rolling door. He presses the button to open it, a cold night wind blowing around them. It seems to take ages, but Marcus arrives with his fellow medics - Cirelli from Tampa and Toews from Colorado. ''Is that who I think it is?'' Marcus asks.

Erik nods, accepting help into the Range Rover. ''Yes, Wilson is dead. How's Victor?''

Devon says. ''No idea, he was trailing the other Carlson an hour ago, went silent, and we've not heard back since.''

Kris gets in, and they get going for their rendez-vous point. ''Fantastic.''

They get back to the hotel, and are rushed into the makeshift medical area for treatment. They must both fall asleep afterwards, because all Erik remembers is Kris moving into his bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Washington neutralized for now, they fly back to Pittsburgh the next morning. Sid called them over breakfast telling them that divisions from Vegas and Edmonton are flying east to back up their friends in Philadelphia. Seems like Wilson and Carlson's deaths have lit a fire, so they all need to be in one place again. Kris does briefly consider calling Flower back in, but he's retired, and once you're back in, there's no way out. They're back at base by noon, and Sid instantly looks thunderstruck at the state of Kris, Erik, and Victor. He seems to need a few minutes to get his head in gear, but Geno doesn't, asking them. ''What the hell happened in DC?''

Erik says, taking his seat, and his husband's hand. ''Nothing the feds can prove, brother.''

Sid says. ''The man who put our nephews out for weeks is gone, isn't he? You went for Wilson, didn't you?''

Kris nods, leaning over to kiss his husband, they're safe, and so are the boys. ''We did, and if we're to be punished for that, it'll be thousands of years too late.''

Victor sits down awkwardly, clutching his broken ribs. ''The asshole who broke my husband's arm is dealt with too. We'll not see Ovechkin or Backstrom for months at minimum.''

Erik gives his brother a fatigued smile. ''Steven will be thrilled, min bror.'' Under Mario, the Pittsburgh Syndicate ran contracts, dealing with those who deserved it, seems like they're returning to the old days. Espionage is their second priority, Jagr always believed knowledge was power, and it's gotten them high in the underworld they exist in. Brad says, updating the DC division. ''We're heading home to Boston soon, Patrice and I have called Pasta to order a shutdown on any establishments run by DC, the Flyers, Vegas, and Edmonton.''

Patrice adds, fixing his black and gold tie. ''Including the port that we recently discovered Edmonton operating.''

Nate says. ''I've called ahead for an embargo on Vegas business in the Rockies too. They can get their cladding for their hotels and casinos somewhere else.''

Gabe smiles, proud of his second-in-command. ''Thank you for that, Mack.''

Kris asks, re-directing the conversation to the people coming east to Philly. ''How long do we have?''

Sid says, taking a deep breath, and fiddling with his wedding ring. ''Three days, and we're not shooting our way out this time. Wilson and the other Carlson will suffice.''

Victor asks, brows knit together in equal parts confusion and curiosity. ''Then, what are we doing, Sid?''

This time, it's Patrice who answers. ''We've got more than enough evidence here, and more to come on the burner phone, to put Stone, Couturier, and at least Perry away for a long time.''

Kris sighs, going to the feds wasn't exactly what he had in mind, but if it's the less bloody way out, so be it. ''So, we're going to the feds, Bergy?''

Patrice nods, not looking too much happier about it himself. ''Yeah, mon ami, it's our only option. Besides, we've all got enough spies between us to keep them humble.''

That night, Kris and Erik get home to Jack, who springs up from the couch, his face equal measures concerned and relieved. He embraces them both as soon as they've locked their weapons away in their office. ''God, I was worried, I've barely slept in four days.'' Jack says, and they can both see the fatigue in his eyes. Kris tries to comfort him, easier said than done half the time. ''We were always going to come home, mon dauphin, we're the best in the business.''

Jack says. ''Yeah, but Wilson's a monster.''

Erik says, crashing onto the couch. ''Oh, believe me, skatten mitt, we know, we were there that day. But, he's dealt with now.'' Jack seems to need a minute to process that, he knows his surrogate fathers are dangerous, but he never dreamed they'd be this dangerous. ''Oh... okay... I'm really tired, so I'm going to bed. Good night.''

Kris smiles, that one reserved for them both. ''Bonne nuit, mon dauphin.''

Erik mirrors this, relieved to be finally home, and able to sleep in his own bed tonight. ''God natt, skatten mitt.'' They get to bed themselves not too long later after arming the security measures for the house. Their home finally full, and falling silent for the night. The worst of it dealt with at last.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One thing everyone in the Pittsburgh Syndicate are forever in awe of is their leader's ability to look like he's in control of everything. Today, as they arrive at the park for the sting operation, Sidney Crosby is as calm as a summer sea amidst a firestorm around him. The burner phone, their smoking gun for this entire situation, is still unsolved. PO and Drew cracked the cod while Kris and Erik's group were in DC, but the two security questions are still an impasse for them. Rumour has it, the Capital Company are scrambling to maintain their reputation after the deaths of their top enforcers. Perhaps they should've left Pittsburgh and Tampa alone, but they weren't so smart. Sid does take notice of the lingering injuries, Erik is clearly favouring his left leg, Kris' arm is still bound up, and Victor's ribs are going to take a while to recover. But, neither of the three of them seem at all fussed about their injuries, they seem proud almost. And, Sid and Geno both know exactly why. The alliance leaders wait for the arrivals of Perry, Stone, and Couturier. Geno is surprised Ovechkin hasn't come to join the fun, but he never meets with others anyway, you need to go to him, not the other way around. Sid checks his watch. ''They're late.'' He says.

Brad says, checking his gun, just in case. ''That doesn't surprise me, Sid.'' They don't intend to shoot their way out of this, not least at eleven in the morning. But, it's an option.

Gabe sits on a picnic table, twirling his knife in his hand. ''Wonder what's keeping them?''

Erik sits down, needing to rest his aching leg, Marcus said if those bullets were two centimeters to the right, he'd be dead of a severed femoral. ''A flair for the dramatic, probably.''

Finally, after fifteen minutes of waiting, that truck pulls into the parking lot. Their three rivals pouring out, shedding any source of plausible deniability in the process. Sid rolls his eyes, Kris smirks at a rare show of frustration from his brother. ''About damn time, the hell kept you three so long?'' Sid demands.

Perry says, dusting off his coat. ''Well, hello to you too, Crosby.''

Kris fires back, he'll not tolerate this level of rudeness from these people who have infected their city. ''Cut the shit, Perry, you're in our city, you meet us on our terms. Being McDavid's attack dog doesn't make you special.''

Stone laughs, and says. ''And, being Crosby's does, Letang?''

Erik retorts, not taking any bullshit directed at his husband. ''As a matter of fact, yes, it does. Kris could take any of you three blindfolded. So could I.''

Patrice says to the three of them. ''Look, we've got you three dead to rights: wire fraud, money laundering, espionage, kidnapping, and extortion. Added to whatever is on this.'' He pulls out the burner phone.

Perry's eyes blow wide. ''Where'd you get that?'' Ah, there it is, the admission they need. Victor says, trying not to sound like he's in pain from his broken ribs. ''One of my guys found it after we took down a port in Tampa. Care to explain? Since the only one of us here to be in both my gang and Edmonton is you, Perry.''

Perry says, looking shell-shocked that the thing even exists. ''I'd hoped no one would find it.''

Victor says, raising an eyebrow. ''I know everything that goes on in my city, don't insult my intelligence like that.''

Geno nods to Stone. ''We also know that your lot are financing all of this.''

Couturier asks, looking suspicious of the whole meeting, broad daylight in a public place is never good for anyone in this underworld. ''You called the feds on us, didn't you?''

Sid responds, checking his watch. ''You three did that to yourselves, you're not as smart as you think you are, either of you.'' The group leave as the federal police arrive, Patrice hands the phone over, and Sid hands over their files. Safe to say, they've just crippled four entire gangs in the space of less than a month. Good, let that be a message to everyone else. You can rise as high as you want, but keep your eyes out for those you step on along the way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the days pass, the Syndicate's allies leave the city, with a peace accord between the four groups, signed to be in perpetuity. So, at least the Pittsburgh group know who their friends are if anything else happens. The trial date for Perry, Stone, and Couturier is set for late spring, and sentencing for summer if they're found guilty. They're not investigating Washington yet, but Sid and Geno are keeping a close eye on their oldest rivals. They've put Kris and Erik on rest orders at home as well, their injuries from the mission to DC will need to heal properly before they can get back to work. Rumour has it, Ovechkin is scrambling to replace Wilson and Carlson, but no one wants to take the jobs on. Sid is hopeful that no one will figure out who took them down. Tampa cannot afford to lose Victor, and they can't afford to lose Kris and Erik. ''Have they discovered our operations in DC yet, Sid?'' Geno asks him as they head in for a short group meeting, one the other half of their quartet will be missing.

Sid shakes his head. ''No, thank God, they're too busy trying to trace their enforcer's deaths. Apparently, there were no witnesses that night, so it's gonna be a bitch to figure out.''

Haysey asks them as they come in. ''How are Karl and Tanger?''

Geno says, smiling brightly. ''They're getting better, Jack's at home with them, so we'll not see any of the three of them today.''

Noel chuckles, leading them through to the training facility, where some of the newer recruits are honing their combat skills. ''Can't say I'm surprised, the kid's loyal to them.'' He is, fiercely loyal to Kris and Erik. Just as Rusty, Bunts, and Drew are to them, and Jake was once upon a time. Victor says he's turning into quite the closer in Tampa, though, and isn't someone the Miami Mob like to get on the wrong side of. ''So, what do we do now, boss?'' Marcus asks, coming in from checking on the medical ward.

Sid says, because this is their first duty, above all others. ''We protect each other and our city.'' Such are the duties Mario instilled in the three of them from day one. Protect each other, at all and any costs, and declare no quarter to those who harm them or their city. Fight smarter, not harder, and play the long game wherever possible. That's why they're now the third most powerful Syndicate in the east again, and Washington and Philadelphia are going to be rebuilding for the foreseeable future. They played stupid games, and won all of the stupid prizes. Serves them right.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

First Kris/Erik fic of the year finally done! Writer's block and a seasonal depression really hampered my work over the past month or so. But, I'm finally finding my feet again, thankfully. Wanted to get something done for them before the end of the month. I don't know how I feel about this fic yet, I've never written something like this before. I also think this could have been longer or better, but I want to get this up before I lose energy on it.

Good to be back in the saddle, even if I'm not sure about this fic yet. Guess I'll see how it does, right? I'm always reminding myself that this is not a zero-sum game.

Enjoy!

#tangerkarlsson

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