#Farmer-Memorial-Quotes

[estherdedlock]

There’s a delicious theory going around that the Greek class wasn’t responsible for Harry McRee’s death...which of course, would render everything that happened afterwards all the more dreadful. I’ve been turning this over in my head and I’ve cooked up two different scenarios.

First, let’s recall what Henry remembers:

I heard something behind me, or someone, and I wheeled around...and swung at whatever it was---a large, indistinct, yellow thing---with my closed fist...I felt a terrible pain in my knuckles and then, almost instantly, something knocked the breath right out of me. It was dark, you understand; I couldn’t really see. I swung out again with my right, hard as I could and with all my weight behind it, and this time I heard a loud crack and a scream...I looked down at my hand and saw it was covered with blood, and worse than blood. Then Charles stepped forward and saw that it was a man. He was dead...He had on a yellow plaid shirt...and his neck was broken, and, unpleasant to say, his brains were all over his face.

Henry goes on to recount that Charles and Francis all remember different things, and Camilla seemingly has no memory of what happened at all, although her hair is drenched in blood.

Scenario 1: McRee Was Killed by Someone Else We’re told (via the Hampden Examiner) that McRee had “several  enemies” among the local poultry farmers, so it’s possible he may have been attacked by one of them. Maybe McRee survived the assault but was stumbling around his property, mortally wounded, when he had the misfortune to run into the Greek class and they inadvertently finished him off. The Examiner described McRee’s body as badly “mutilated,” so whatever the Greek class did to him would have covered up the real murder. Regardless, the Greek kids would still have been responsible for McRee’s death. If you run into someone who’s been the victim of a brutal crime, your responsibility is to help them, not finish beating them to death. All the same, it’s fascinating to speculate that McRee’s death was part of a whole different cycle of violence that had nothing to do with Henry et al, but in which fate ensnared them and triggered a whole new, pre-ordained cycle of violence. Or, to quote Aeschylus in the Oresteia: “Where will this frenzy of evil end?”

Scenario 2: McRee Was Killed by Something Else The group claims to recall the presence of a fifth person that night, but no one can say who it was. What if it wasn’t a  person, but a large wild animal, specifically, a mountain lion...a catamount? An animal that big could very well feel like another person in the dark, especially to a bunch of kids who were out of their minds. Supporting this theory is the very deep bite that Charles suffers that night, which is referred to several times with awe by the rest of the group. “Four inches around and the teeth marks just gouged in,” says Francis. “Looks like that deer took a plug out of your arm,” says Bunny. Would a wildcat take a chunk out of someone without killing them? Possibly. Might the same wildcat get frightened away by something, but then come across another human later and attack them? Perhaps a poultry farmer out on his property for a midnight stroll?

Henry says he saw a “large, indistinct yellow thing,” and then “something knocked the breath right out of me.” We jump to the conclusion the “yellow thing” must have been McRee’s flannel shirt, because Henry tells us that’s what McRee was wearing. But a large, tawny mountain lion might also look yellow in the moonlight. Henry never says that he felt a person hit him. The “something” that “knocked the breath” out of Henry could very well have been the animal taking off into the woods...after mauling McRee to death.

In this scenario, McRee would have already been dead when Henry stumbled into the scene. The “loud crack and a scream” that Henry heard could have been anything -- maybe Henry actually punched the lion and drove it off. What follows next, though, is pretty indisputable: The kids set about mutilating McCree’s body. There’s a vast difference between desecrating a corpse and murdering someone, but unfortunately, it hardly matters to the outcome. Tearing into McRee’s body would have destroyed evidence of a wild animal attack, leaving the group as the apparent killers. Without any clear memory of what really happened that night, the kids believe themselves guilty, so what they do to Bunny is inevitable...but all the more tragic if they never actually killed McCree themselves.

A seemingly unimportant incident occurs near the end of the book:

We were rounding a corner. Suddenly, in the wash of the headlights, a large animal loomed in my path. I hit the brakes hard. For half a moment I found myself looking through the windshield at a pair of glowing eyes. Then, in a flash, it bounded away.   We sat for a moment, shaken, at full stop.   “What was that?” said Francis.   “I don’t know. A deer maybe.”   “That wasn’t a deer.”   “Then a dog.”   “It looked like some kind of a cat to me.”   Actually, that was what it had looked like to me too. “But it was too big,” I said.   “Maybe it was a cougar or something.”   “They don’t have those around here.”   “They used to. They called them catamounts. Cat-o-the-Mountain. Like Catamount Street in town.”   The night breeze was chilly. A dog barked somewhere. There wasn’t much traffic on that road at night.   I put the car in gear.

So...what is this? A random bit of eerie atmospherics from Ms. Tartt? I don’t know. There seems to be very little in TSH that is random.

Perhaps she is, in fact, slyly pointing us in the direction of McCree’s real killer. Telling us, with hint after maddening hint, that even though the eventual outcome of that night in the woods would have been no different, fate is all the more cruel because the murder, which was a catalyst for everything that happened afterwards, was never even a murder at all.

#the secret history #dark academia #donna tartt #henry winter #richard papen #francis abernathy #charles macaulay #camilla macaulay #bunny corcoran

[jungle-angel]

Tis The Busiest Season (Rhett Abbott x Reader)

Summary: It's the day after Thanksgiving and you and Rhett have yet another holiday to prep for

The day after Thanksgiving in your house was always the best which meant leftovers for the next week and a half. Rhett had awoken after Royal to go and make sure that Abigail didn't need to be milked and that her calves were fed while you and Cecelia had begun hauling out the Christmas decorations from the attic.

"You good there Grumpy?" Cecelia asked him.

"Never better Ma," Rhett answered, finally able to dig into a piece of the pumpkin pie from the night before.

"Where's your father?"

"Can't a man eat his lunch in peace?" Royal called from the kitchen with a mouthful of his after-thanksgiving sandwich.

Cecelia rolled her eyes. "Didn't your Ma teach ya'll not to talk with your mouth full?" she asked.

"She taught me alot of things Cece," Royal chuckled. "But unfortunately that wasn't one of'em."

Royal gave her a playful peck on the lips, you and Rhett laughing a little bit. "How's Abigail lookin son?" Royal asked.

"She's good," Rhett answered. "Calves nursed this mornin which makes less work for us."

"Damn right it does," Royal answered. "Stuck four good buckets full of milk out on the back porch for the farmer's market next week and a few bottles I can give to Ten Horses after he helped us with that house downtown."

"Aw hell, you guys are still workin on that place?" Rhett groaned.

"Oh yeah," Royal answered. "Shoulda known what I was gettin into when Beth bought it at the police auction last spring. Place was a fuckin dump. John, Thomas, Mo and I all went in there and it was a floor-to-ceiling hoarder nightmare."

"Eeew," Rhett chuckled.

"Alright lets see what's on here for movies," Royal said, sinking down into the recliner.

"Everything's done for the day, so what else are we gonna do?" you chuckled, helping Cecelia with the decorations.

Royal switched on one of the streaming services and chose National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, a favorite of yours and Rhett's and one that he and his father had quoted frequently around the holidays. Thank God the girls were with Kayce and Monica for the day and that Tatum and Tanner were napping upstairs, otherwise Hannah would be running around repeating it all.

You and Rhett thoroughly enjoyed yourselves while you helped his mother decorate the house, letting Royal relax for a while after a long week. You found the little needle-felted gnomes, fairies, angels and little Santas you had made four years ago when your now fifth graders, had been in first grade along with the little mitten ornaments that had Rhett's name and date of birth on it, the little banner reading Rhett James Abbott b. 1/29/1993 and a little teddy bear in Marine Corps. dress blues which had been a gift from his grandpa River.

"Oh my God look," you squeaked. "Remember this?"

Rhett laughed a little but his eyes softened when he saw it, a little red, gold and green baby rattle ornament that had been from Amy's very first Christmas along with a Winnie The Pooh and Piglet in their little stocking caps. You both found the little bluebirds and the little wood-carved Santa head that looked more like a wizard than anything else, both having come from Switzerland with Rhett's grandmother.

But the one that you couldn't wait to put out was the one thing that you and Rhett wanted to keep in the family. It was a wooden Nativity scene that Royal had made in his woodshed with John, the figures and animals painstakingly hand painted. It had been a wedding gift for you and Rhett since you had gotten married close to Christmas and the memories it held were more precious than all the gold in the world.

"You ready for the Christmas chaos?" you asked him.

"Hell no," Rhett laughed. "But with you? Hell yes, sweetheart."

#rhett abbott #rhett abbott x reader #royal abbott #cecelia abbott #royal x cecelia abbott #outer range

[myeagleexpert]

The Silence of the Seven

Synopsis:

The peaceful atmosphere is shattered when Yuu finds one of her friends in a coma of unknown causes. Determined to uncover the truth, Yuu and her friends begin investigating the case and discover a curious pattern that links the victims. But as the investigation progresses, they find themselves in a tangle with powerful enemies, and this time the danger is out of Twisted Wonderland. Yuu and her friends will have to fight against unknown forces to find answers and unravel the mystery before it's too late.

Notes: I won't give many warnings before each chapter, because, you know, the suspense. Yuu is a girl and is around 18 years old. I'm just saying that we will have many platonic and romantic moments in the series, and that you always read until the end of the chapter <3

Chapter I: I'll Get You

Yuu walked through the long corridors of the ancient library, passing them as if he knew every old corner and every forgotten book. Because actually, she does. As soon as she arrived in this strange world, she tried in every way to return to her original dimension, digging through all the books on multi-dimensional travel, mining any and all information about how to return home. But that's not why she's here today and with Riddle much less.

“If you want to survive in this world, you have to learn about it”

It was the purpose Riddle insisted on taking some classes with the foreign student. The leader of Heartslabyul had crimson red hair and the temper of a kindergarten principal, his nostrils always smoked and his mouth recited the 810 questionable laws of the Queen of Hearts. If not for the beautiful blue-gray eyes, Yuu would have joined the chaos of anarchy, but being peaceful she opted for one provocation or another.

"Riddle, I've been wondering, are these laws really necessary?" usually this led to some fun discussions with the grinning Cheshire cat

Today they were at a secluded table in the ancient library, discussing the origin of some figures and mythology.

“According to historians, the Queen of Hearts had a proportionate head, but due to an accident just before the coronation, she suffered an injury that led to swelling of her head.”

“And your ego…” Yuu muttered, he had several things to say about the tyrannical majesty but bit his tongue… today at least

"What did you say?"

“What about the creatures from the Kingdom of Roses?”

“It is said that the creatures are extinct species from the kingdom during the colonization…- he stopped and looked for the page in the book with illustrations- When the settlers tried to explore some unknown lands it was reported that they found flowers so tall that they stopped them from going on, so they decided to cut them down and heard voices from the forest expelling them.” Was that supposed to be scary? An idea flashed through the mind of the magicless student, her eyes glistening with memories and she did the best horror storytelling voice she could muster.

“The legends here are very interesting, but in my world we have a different view of nature”

“Ah, please tell me Yuu.” Riddle leaned forward as Yuu approached, naturally curious and thirsty for knowledge.

“In the era of exploration, a rich farmer wanted to increase his lands and for that, he destroyed the protected lands of the indigenous people. Once he took his foreman to open the forest in a sacred land and on this day, the furious nature sent a creature with a head of fire and feet turned backwards to end man's miserable life.”

Widening his eyes and holding his breath, Riddle silently nodded his head for Yuu to continue "With an animalistic scream the creature drove a fiery stake through the heart of the man who fell 'dead' to the ground-

“Why the quotes? Is he not dead?” Rido questioned the physical quotation marks his friend made, but felt an immediate chill when he saw how much his face darkened.

“However… he was so hideously terrible that both heaven and hell rejected him and earth refused to bury such a devilish soul. The now Dry Corps was cursed eternally into a condition of filthy spirit doomed to roam the cities until the end of time but… it is said that if the Dry Corps finds a host as bad as it is, it will possess it and use the living body to do even worse evils until a stronger entity of nature appears.”

The so stern leader of Heartabull kept his eyes fixed on a specific corner, he felt anesthetized with so much information that he had just heard so much that he didn't even notice that Yuu had gotten up from his chair with the mischievous intentions of scaring him from behind.

“Riddlee~” with a light pat, the red-haired one let out a high-pitched squeal that, yes, the entire library heard.

“Oh by the Seven! Yuu!”

"Riddle-chan, you shouldn't make noise in the library, you know?" teased him

“I wouldn't have yelled if you hadn't—

“Yanoo….cans of tuna…” a darling feline, Grim, was sleeping peacefully with no problems on top of the books when he escaped words in his sleep Such an action, brought to the two leaders childish and innocent giggles, which were muffled by the soft fur of Grimm. A sweet moment few would ever see…

And like all good things come to an end….

"Aaaah Kingyo-chann I know you're there" a very familiar voice of the two echoed through the halls

“Aa-ah Floyd! He can't see me, otherwise I'll be late for the Riding Club" his little antennae flick up in warning and in agitated whispers he turns to Yuu

"I distract him, Grim takes him to the corridor 03 passage" whispered back Yuu and traded a can of tuna for his companion

The girl knew the secret passages of the NRC like the back of her hands, and Riddle trusted them so because Ramshackle's memorable duo were like brothers to him, which was very difficult considering the walls and barriers that had been built since his overblot .

“See you later, thank you.” "Thank you"

A code of signs was exchanged between the two before Riddle entered the dark secret passage on the other side of the library, the language was created little by little, a mix of the sign language of his dear world and Twisted Wonderland that deepened as he went. that the bonds with the other person were deepening.

“Who was Koebi-chann talking to?” The twin's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, he was at the table they'd been studying at just now, his posture relaxed with the familiar wide, sharp-toothed smile.

"Floyd, let's play."- determined she started her plan in mind.

“Aaah, I'm not in the mood to play tag with Koebi-chan, I want to play with Kingyo-chan"- Already uninterested Floyd got up with a serious expression

“What if we make a deal?” When Yuu stepped in front of the tallest one, he didn't expect those words from her "If you catch me in 3 minutes, I'll tell you where Riddle is, but if not, I won't tell you anything." Oh that got his attention, already setting the timer on her watch

“Koebi-chan is so creative! Let's play! I count ok: 1…2…3 and that's it! Run fast or I'll catch you~” the twin hummed, lazy voice but a predator's gaze

The two ran wild leaving the library, Yuu was dodging the tables while Floyd, the mermaid, preferred to jump on top of them to annoy the students. Outside, the girl got a good boost down the hall, taking advantage of Floyd trying to get through the door.

2 minutes…

Each on the opposite side of the hall, Floyd showing his sharp teeth and Yuu a playful smile, the laughter of both spread in the hall: loud, uncoordinated and without any concern. As she turned a corner that led to the patio, she lost Floyd and only then did the adrenaline let her remember a little thing: Where there's fire, there's smoke. And the horror twins, as Grim calls them, are a real fire. Floyd is here…where is Jade?

1 minute-she checked her watch

"Ahh I'm so close to getting rid of this crazy guy!"-She thought with her chest rising and falling and breathing heavily. Her eyes searched every possible place to climb or hide, Floyd is faster but if she can stay away from him until time stands still…

"The tree!"

30 seconds

The girl ran with all her might towards the patio tree, her loud footsteps alerted Floyd who was trying to see where she was. The little bug was out of breath and was trying to circle the patio trying to kill time to get to the damn tree just didn't count that—

“Oya oya, what do we have here?”- She didn't see where the voice was coming from, she just felt someone put her foot on her for her to fall, Floyd who is not silly at all, took the opportunity and grabbed the student rolling them both on the floor.

“I got you Koebi-chan!~~~” for a moment they forgot why they were running, laughing until their stomachs hurt, biting each other- hey, that's a sign of trust, right?- “Come on little shrimp…I got you ahead of time. You have to do your part of the bargain!”

“You cheated Floyd! I made the deal with you and not Jade-

“I was just passing by and coincidentally tripped over it just as our dear Yuu was running. Oh, I'm so sorry. What a tragedy.” With her hand on her chest, Jade helped her to get up from the ground, but her smile had nothing innocent about it.

“Don't even come with that Jade-” not here you felaa-” Floyd, it was supposed to be you alone but since I'm in a good mood today let's do this: I'll tell you where Riddle is NOT and you can hug me more…”

“What a good treat Koebii~” Floyd didn't need any more words to convince him, throwing his tall frame on top of Yuu and her brother, taking them to the ground.

But she was used to the twins' unpredictable tendencies. After all, 1 year had passed since his arrival. When she arrived in this strange world, everything was very “strange” for her, so much so that reality only dropped three days later, and when it did, all she could think about was hiding in a dark corner of the abandoned house.

The sun was setting when they got up, after laughing and talking about various topics Yuu would probably regret someday. After so much brutality, Floyd extended a gentle hand for his friend to stand up, his eyes widening as he realized—

“Neee~Koebi-chan, you're getting heavy and meaty too!” happily he comments

“Hunhun, and it looks stronger fufu. It ran a lot further this time and endured my brother's hugs longer” Jade congratulates her, looking at her legs and biceps that were no longer fragile matchsticks

“But if you grow too big, I won't be able to call you little shrimp anymore…ah! Ah! I know! If you grow any bigger I’ll call you the little lobster, okay?”

“Well, get ready, honey, I’m going to be a lobster!” determined Yuu hugs her friends and then says goodbye. She didn't know it, but there were eyes watching her...

A year later adaptation arrived, his body that had lost a lot of weight due to the excessive work of a certain crow and the constant stress that brought it, was weak and thin, but now with the balanced diet that Vil himself had prepared and physical exercises with Vargas she was able to get back to the body she was: strong, toned and curvy, she could keep up with the athletics group with Deuce and go for morning jogs with Jack - when Grim pushed her out of bed she inevitably woke up and by coincidence Jack was passing by Ramcharchle. Killing two with one stone.-

It was at the start of quiet sophomore year that her hair, once a shade of brown with golden, curly strands, was dyed night-black. Her hair was opaque before and didn't reach her chin, as the foreigner used her impulsive cuts as a defense mechanism, saying it was "not to draw attention". A year later, her hair was bust-length, shiny and perfectly brushed and styled.

At first glance, her ties were deepened here, but there was a symbolism behind it that left your mouth bitter. Her natural hair was her memory of home, something that says "I'm not from here, I have a place to go back". Crowley was the one who came up with the idea "Well, if you're going to stay longer, why don't you look like your beloved director who welcomed you as a father figure, my little bird?" Crowley and Crewel became very attached to the girl, always taking care of the puppy with affection but with hugs that didn't allow her to go very far. .

In her second year, she improved her beast taming capabilities. Occasionally, she is seen piloting a great blue dragon through the skies, or combing the fur of a dangerous chimera, or stopping Grim from stuffing his mouth with fish at Scarabia's dinner. The latter, he finds to be the most useful skill.

Not far from there, Riddle had finished his Riding training, saying goodbye elegantly to his colleagues and walking to the Heartstabull...unfortunately he didn't get there.

Trim..trim…

'Huh? Call from Carter?' - In the middle of her sacred coffee with Grim, Yuu receives a call from her senior, Carter Diamond. What would the magicam star want at a time like this?

-Hello? It's Yuu, all right senpai? -A-ahh Yuu, I need you to come to the dorm now! -Is it really necessary? I put my coffee on now… -What Yuu?? I'm not l-l- istening! Something… interfering… -The toast is warm too…want to have a coffee with me? -I'm serious Yuu! It's- an emergency! Come quickly!

And hung up…

Her precious coffee was already in the cup filled to the top, waiting to be taken and enjoyed by the tired student, but the agitated and trembling voice of the so cheerful Carter made her take only three sips worriedly, leaving quickly with Grim meowing that the toast would get cold. Until a hoarse, frightening scream interrupted her mind and the thousand scenarios of what could be happening.

“How strang-!!!”- Yuu gasps, clutching Grim protectively in her arms, despite being flustered the girl takes a moment to record the image of the sound maker, who was on an old pole near the house.

It was a white bird, a type of owl with a heart-shaped face and eyes like completely black spheres, then a hook-shaped beak. The creature turns 160 degrees and stares at Yuu and Grim, the girl feels a shiver run down her spine and a bad feeling settles in her stomach but….

Yuu decides that with so many fantastical creatures and so many overblots, a white owl is the least of her problems right now and continuing on her way more quickly she thinks back to what could have happened in the dorm, which she considered her second home.

Of all her imagined scenarios none came close to the vision in front of her.

Riddle was lying on the floor. His body pale and icy. His eyes were completely white, without corneas, without irises and without pupils. His red hair was an aged shade of red, as if all of his life had been sucked out of him. Veins, now transparent, pulsing reluctantly to life and bringing a barely existent low breath, no signs of waking up.

“Carter! What's going on? What happened to Riddle?”- one of the clones of the red haired one grabbed Yuu who ran when he saw the scene and tried to calm her down, while Trey covered his fallen friend's body with a jacket.

“Riddle took a long time to come back, 15min late. This has never happened before.”- Trey replied from afar.

“We arrived here and when we saw his state, we called you and the Director”- completed Carter, who was trying to take Yuu to check the body, he himself didn't have the courage- “We cast an invisible barrier spell, and we waited for the director to arrive to take him quickly to the infirmary.” he concluded.

“What do you think it could be?”

“I don't know, I've never seen anything like it. It must have been something really strong to catch him off guard and leave him with…”- swallowing the fear and sadness trapped in his throat, the green-haired one tries to continue, being the responsible senpai ever-”… with that expression. terrified in the face.”

There were no signs of violence on the body, no spell fighting, no signs of poisoning. Grim didn't smell any different, saying it was the same as the one in the library.

“Let's sort this out, guys.”- giving one last look at his friend, Yuu puts his jacket over him again and stands up to look and investigate.

They checked every inch of that area, but the wind blew a small white feather from the enclosure.

You are here Next>>

#disney twst #yandere twisted wonderland #twst #tech #twisted wonderland #disney twisted wonderland #twist x reader #riddler x reader #deuce x reader #yandere x reader #malleus draconia #anime and manga #mystery #grim my beloved #grim twst #twst wonderland #twst yuu #twst mc #twst series #floyd leech #jade leech

[witcheroftheslothschool]

Red Rising Re-Read: Mentions of Mustang and Darrow’s Relationship in between Red Rising and Golden Son

I’m sure I’ve missed a few, but here are all quotes I collected, I desperately need a fanfiction of their time between Institute and Academy.

But I miss the kindest of them. The one who asked me to stay as I bid her and Mars goodbye on her balcony almost a year ago. Mustang. I gave her a horse-crested gold ring as a parting gift, and she gave me a razor. Fitting. The taste of her tears grows stale in memory. I have not heard from her since I left Mars. - Golden Son

I’m reminded of the warmth of her flesh, the mischief in her voice, the smell at the nape of her neck, the kindness of her heart. I stare so hard I almost miss her escort. - Golden Son

When I feel dirt, I honor Eo. And when I see fire, I remember the warmth and flicker of the flames across Mustang’s skin as we lay in our chamber of ice and snow. - Golden Son Note: Could also be a hint at their time in the cave during Red Rising.

I remember the warmth of Pax’s blood. The chill of Lea’s pale face in the cold morning after Antonia butchered her. The grainy red smear of haemanthus blossom. Mustang’s bare hip as we lay by the fire. - Golden Son

She’s never pried. She’s never asked about Eo, not when we shared time together after the institute when I was a rising lancer. Not when we rode horses at her family’s estate or walked through the gardens or dove in the coral reefs. I thought she must have forgotten I whispered the name of another girl as I lay with her in the institute’s snows. How stupid of me. How could she forget? How could it not linger there inside her, forcing her to wonder, as she lay with her head on my chest listening to my heart beat, if it didn’t belong to another girl, a dead girl. - Golden Son

I’ve sunken into memory, where this Golden game ones seemed so easy. What has changed? Mustang. “You’re more than this,” she whispered as I left her for the Academy. Tears swelled in her eyes, though her voice did not waver. “You don’t have to be a killer. You don’t have to court war.” “What other choice do I have?” I asked. “Me. I’m the other choice. Stay for me. Stay for what might be. At the institute, you made followers of boys and girls who have never known loyalty. If you go to the Academy, you abandon that to be my father’s warlord. That’s not what you are. That is not the man I…” She did not turn, but her face changed as her sentence trailed away, lips drawing a hard line. Love? Was that what we built at the year after the institute? If so, the word stuck in her throat, because she knew, as I knew that I had not given her all of me. I had not shared all that I am. Greedily, I kept secrets. And how could someone like her, someone with so much self-worth, bare herself and throw her heart at a man who gave so little in return? So she closed her golden eyes, showed the razor into my hands, and told me to go. - Golden Son

A vision of her is spawned in the darkness like so many before it- a girl riding away from me across a field of green, twisting in her saddle and laughing for me to follow. Hair rippling as would summer hay fluttering from a farmer’s wagon. - Morning Star

But I’m a world away from her, my friends. Lost in memory. I’ve been to the Hive before with ArchGovernor Augustus and Mustang. He brought the lancers to meet with Society economic ministers to discuss modernizing the moon’s infrastructure. After the meeting she and I snuck away to the moon’s famous aquarium. I’d rented it out at absurd cost and arranged a meal and wine to be served to us in front of the orca tank. Mustang always liked natural creatures more than Carved ones. - Morning Star

+ The Society gossiping about their relationship:

“It’s your constant presence on HC talk shows.” “I’ve never gone on the HC! I don’t even watch it!” “Oh, please. You relish our own celebrity. Even though they mock you, you bathe in the limelight and cloak this house with shame. We know your datapad search histories. We see you preening at yourself on the HC as though it were your personal mirror. The stories run on you and the ArchGovernor’s daughter-” - Golden Son

He grips my shoulder desperately, his hand weaker than I remember. “Tell me about your life. What the Academy is like. Tell me everything. Are you still lovers with that delectable Virginia au Augustus?” He frowns suddenly. “Oh, of course you’re not. She’s with-” - Golden Son

#red rising #golden son #morning star #red rising trilogy #reaper x mustang #darrow au andromedus #darrow of lykos #virginia au augustus #mustang #red rising spoilers #re reading #reaperstang #i love them

[romchat]

Ripe Town Ep. 1 visuals: Under the cover of light

I am absolutely LOVING the historical crime drama Ripe Town. It's moody, nicely paced, and has really solid acting. The show reminds me of a grimmer, more ruminative A League of Nobleman, and its restrained but equally masterful cinematography caught my eye from the first scene. If you're looking for a prestige drama, this is it.

I wanted to share some of the cinematography choices the show makes in its first episode that help set the perfect tone for a crime drama. Film nerds, there are so many goodies in this show.

Under the cover of light

What a great cold open.

The show drops us (literally) in a farm field with our main character, Qu Sangeng, and his partner, Gao Shicong. They are bailiffs who have been sent out into the fields to investigate the mysterious appearance of a scarecrow, and they soon discover it's the dead body of Sangeng's mentor, Captain Leng.

(Side Note: There's something intriguing about the way the camera lingers on this sea of gold as it swallows and propels Sangeng and Shicong toward the scarecrow. It's almost like the field is its own character with its own memories. I don't think this will be the last time the plot returns us to this location.)

We learn at the coroner's that Captain Leng had not only been strangled but also pierced with a wooden rod bearing the Confucian quote "My principle is unified." This inscription paired with the theatricality of the body's staging (in broad daylight, in an open field) lends a deeper meaning to the murder. As an officer of the law, it is Captain Leng's duty to uphold justice, so why else would the murderer distort a classic work of philosophy if not to indict Leng of some moral malpractice?

And to a certain extent, we can understand that indictment by how the show portrays Captain Leng and Sangeng's colleagues in the criminal court system. Just look at how these officials are introduced:

They're filmed in darkness or shadow, the use of low-key lighting giving each a suspicious air. The strategic use of props further reinforces our first impression of them as sinister, incompetent, and corrupt men.

It makes you think about what other crimes have been committed in these rooms under the guise of justice.

The virtuous (but unstable) lone cop

Given how the show portrays the police and court system, it's notable how our main character, Sangeng, is often blocked in relation to them. As a bailiff, Sangeng is intelligent and principled. When we look at the composition of his scenes with men in power, he is often positioned towards the other end of the screen with the vertical lines of beams or doors physically demarcating his separation from them. He doesn't share their ethics nor does he tolerate their power plays.

And yet in Episode 2, we see the usually stoic Sangeng display a startling amount of violence and abuse of power, similar to a colleague he had criticized for the same behavior during this episode. I'm curious to see if and how this investigation continues to unravel him.

If these walls could speak

Ok, my favorite part of this show's cinematography is its use of dirty framing. Look at these gorgeous shots:

Dirtying the frame is when the camera crew uses things like architecture, objects, or even people in the foreground to add depth to a shot. Ripe Town constantly uses windows, plants, etc. to frame our characters as they discuss the case, which is such a smart way of upping the show's creepy factor. It feels like there is always someone (possibly the killer?) watching from beyond the frame

But maybe even cooler is the constant use of background action:

Check out how often there are people in the background near enough to our main characters to observe but far enough to not be intrusive (or helpful). Throughout Episode 1, we see farmers, bailiffs, and other workers stand around as Sangeng works the case. Like with the dirty framing, there's a sense of surveillance but this time from the townspeople as a whole. It's the classic small-town mystery trope where you suspect everyone knows more than they let on.

I wonder if this notion of surveillance will become one of the show’s major themes: are people watching because they’re trying to protect a secret or are they watching because they're hoping someone will reveal and take accountability for those secrets?

Together, these filming techniques create a fascinating world where murder is committed during the day and secrets are revealed in the dark. I can't wait to see how the story continues to deliver more and more interesting visuals as its mysterious plot unfolds.

#Ripe Town #繁城之下 #Under the Prosperous City #Fan Cheng Zhi Xia #cdrama #bai yufan #meta #a league of nobleman

[stinkiesdraws]

How did you get into stardew valley? :3c

OKAY SO, I've actually been playing stardew for a LONG time. Someone commissioned me to draw their farmer x their love interest and the game was the payment. Don't ask for this commission piece because I don't think I have it anywhere tbh???

I have the exact date too of when I got it because right after an 8 hour playing session, I drew the beta design for Reina!!! March 12th 2017! Was when I started playing and created Reina for the very first time. Her old name was Ria no last name and she married Alex and completed the community center, or at least I hope I did...now that I think about it, I hated fishing so RIP....

Then I stopped playing for about two years, picked it back up in 2019 when it was on sale because multiplayer just came out and you got FOUR copies I think for one...(DOn't quote me on that, I have a bad memory and that's what I remember) So I bought it for my friends!!! But they hated the game so I didn't get to play with them....I think they like it more now, but I feel like that's because I won't shut up about my headcanons of Reina and Alex lol. And while I was replaying again, I redrew Reina! For some reason I wanted her to be really pretty? And girly for some reason. I think it was to contradict the tomboyish farmers that I normally saw in media. Like the farmer girls were really wild and one of the boys so I was like "I think I just want a super girly farmer" and so I tried my hardest to make her look pretty.

I actually forgot she has to wear glasses but normally wears contacts, so now she's blind without glasses. anyways what was I going with this? Might as well post another newer drawing of Reina

Here she is now in 2022/2023

(Ignore that Alex drawing IT'S REALLY BAD) But here she is :D OH RIGHT STEPH YOU ARE ANOTHER BIGGGG REASON I am BACK in the Stardew fandom. Her AU is really good, I shoved my oc in there for funies lol. Plus I wanted Amari and Reina to be besties <33333

#stardew valley #stardew #stardew valley farmer #farmer reina #stardew farmer #sdv farmer #farmer x alex #alex sdv #alex stardew valley #stardew alex #stardew valley alex #sdv alex #my art #stinkiesdraws #my artwork #original character #digital art #my ocs #gojo stan #send me asks

[alienejj]

(I took these pictures myself)

Part 5

This is a collection of short stories, 50 penguin's modern classics. They were sold together so I've no idea if they're sold separately. I bought them back when Book Depository was still a thing :( this is one of the few times I bought brand new books instead of thrifting them, I splurged on it because I was given Eid money around that time ahaha

Titles in this set (summary taken from the backs of the books):

41. THE PROBLEM THAT HAS NO NAME by BETTY FRIEDAN. The pioneering Betty Friedan gave voice to countless American housewives - who, despite being sold a dream of the perfect home and family, silently wondered 'Is this all?' - and set the women's movement in motion.

42. THE DIALOGUE OF TWO SNAILS by FEDERICO GARCÍA LORCA. A dazzling selection of the beautiful, brutal and darkly brilliant work of Spain's greatest twentieth-century poet, from his beloved Gypsy Ballads to pieces appearing in English for the first time.

43. OF DOGS AND WALLS by YUKO TSUSHIMA. Two luminous, tender stories from one of Japan's greatest twentieth-century writers, showing how childhood memories, dreams and fleeting encounters shape our lives.

44. MADAME DU DEFFAND AND THE IDIOTS by JAVIER MARÍAS. Five sparkling, irreverent brief portraits of famous literary figures (including libertines, eccentrics and rogues) from Spain's greatest living writer.

45. THE HAUNTED BOY by CARSON MCCULLERS. These moving stories by one of the great masters of Southern gothic portray love, sorrow and our search for happiness and understanding.

46. THE GARDEN OF FORKING PATHS by JORGE LUIS BORGES. Fantastical tales of mazes, puzzles, lost labyrinths and bookish mysteries, from the unique imagination of a literary magician.

47. FAME by ANDY WARHOL. The legendary pop artist Andy Warhol's hilarious, gossipy vignettes and aphorisms on the topics of love, fame and beauty.

48. THE SURVIVOR by PRIMO LEVI. From the writer who bore witness to the twentieth century's darkest days, these verses of beauty and horror include the poem that inspired the title of his memoir, If This Is a Man.

49. LANCE by VLADIMIR NABOKOV. These three dazzling stories of obsession, mania and an extra-terrestrial nightmare feature all the wit, dexterity and inventiveness that are the hallmarks of Nabokov's genius.

50. WHY I AM NOT GOING TO BUY A COMPUTER by WENDELL BERRY. The great American poet, novelist and farmer argues for a life lived slowly, and the value of home.

I reblog bookish content and since I have a home library I also make bookish content myself; aesthetic book pics, reviews, recommendations, quotes, excerpts, hauls and cats.

#nejj bookblr #classic books #light academia #dark academia #chaotic academia #academia #books #book review #booklr #book rec list #book recommendations #reading #readers #home library #thrifting #fiction #literature #penguin classics #cosycore #modern classics

[qtipcottonbuds]

𝙈𝙀𝙀𝙏 𝙈𝙀 𝘼𝙏 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘿𝙊𝘾𝙆𝙎.

thank yous for being vv patient with this fic psst psst @ anon requester >:D i feel this vould be better though >:( 

submitted request ;; if you're still taking requests, could i please request something fluffy with sebastian from sdv? x gn reader please 💕💕 your seb fics are my favorite!

warnings ;; overall sweetness and potential mild language etc

by qtipcottonbuds 2022. do not repost.

𝗦𝗘𝗕𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗔𝗡 𝗫 𝗚𝗡!𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗥

Wading through overgrown grass, ready to be scythed, accompanied by the rousing of cicadas and fireflies at the movement, Sebastian continues his trek up the walkway of your farm; you’d initially had plans to meet him, as well as Abigail and Sam, in the Saloon, for a brief catch-up. After some (constant) pestering from his friends to go and check on your whereabouts, he did have to reluctantly admit to himself - he was disappointed that you hadn’t turned up.

(Yeah, he enjoyed your company. So what?)

Sidestepping the unlocked gate, following the trail, Sebastian catches sight of you, metal watercan in hand and spraying across crops of peppers and corn. With a brief glance, you catch his eyes too, pausing in your movements.

“Ah, Seb - I’m so sorry. I was meaning to come and find you after I finished up here. I didn’t mean to keep you waiting for so long.”

“No, no,” he offers an indifferent wave of the hand, when he knows damn well Abigail had pulled him out of his musings, sat alone at the pool table, silently sulking, half an hour prior, ”None of that, it’s alright. Promise. Well, I promise. I can’t account for the potential wrath of Sam and Abigail. They were prepared to beat you, finally - quote unquote - at the pool table tonight.”

Setting the metal watercan aside on a nearby barrel, you lean over a wooden fence, forearms crossed over one another, “Well, good things do come to those who wait. If I’d have beaten them again tonight, they might’ve lost their confidence. Just sayin’. But, look, I am sorry. I should’ve messaged you guys at least.”

“Bit off more than you could chew?”

(Was it possible to be obsessed with the sound of someone laughing?)

“Ever the observant, Seb. But, uh, yes,” you tug at the hems of your sleeves, sheepishly, “This morning, I headed straight for the mines. And I, uh… completely forgot about watering my plants.”

Drawing closer, he, too, leans on the fence beside you, stifling a laugh, “Isn’t that, like, one of the basics of farming?”

“Shut up. I was mentally occupied, alright? Like a, uh, a toilet. Yeah. A toilet.”

“A toilet?” Sebastian raises his eyebrows.

Rolling your eyes, you turn away from his, hands now cupping your face.

“Anyway, Mr-Professional-Farmer-Guide-101, I was kinda back and forth between the blacksmith and the mines-” 

“How come you were at the mines exactly?” He blurts out, worried. They weren’t the safest of areas, and that was even without proper established supervision. They’d just been abandoned; sure, the upper levels were easier to navigate, with functioning lighting systems, but, the lower levels - there wasn’t any regulation. Or documentation.

Blinking, clicking your fingers together (you’d always had a habit of doing that, something about speeding up the thinking process), you suddenly grin, with a silent ‘A-ha!’ and shrug off your backpack. Releasing your weight off the fence, you place your bag onto the soil, rummaging through it.

“This is why,” with your hands cupped around the mineral, fingertips stained with dust and grit, you kick your bag with your foot, raising the ore upwards, “I’m not too sure when, but you’d mentioned - unless my memory is being a bit stupid - but you’d said about one of your favourite things, so I thought, why not try and get it.”

Sebastian only just manages to fight the urge to pull you in for a tight hug, but he doesn’t want to overstep his boundaries - the both of you aren’t like that, he tells himself bitterly.

“You could’ve gotten hurt,” is all he can offer, biting the side of his cheek.

You nod slowly, “Yeah. But, I wanted to get this for you,” pressing it into his hands, grinning.

Knowing if he supplied any other rebuttals it would become nothing more than a back and forth match of ‘yes and no,’ he sighs deeply, rubbing at his forehead - he already worried about you enough as it was, any more and he’d start to develop grey hairs. You’d remembered. Such a mundane thing, most people wouldn’t care to remember or think about. But, you did. You had.

“Just… Thank you. Really.” 

(It was just a crush. A small, tiny - tinytinybigtiny - crush. Nothing more).

He knows he’s shit at showing appreciation, formulating the words into a proper sentence, into something that would be more than enough than a heartfelt ‘thank you’, yet, you smile gently at him all the same, your posture relaxed, comfortable.

“I heard it’s raining tomorrow.”

Sebastian’s relieved at the change in topic. Anything more continued down that route, you might’ve been able to see the droplets of sweat down his neck.

“Is that so?” And, he already knows that, he checked, but he can’t help but play along.

“Meet me at the docks?”

“Meet you at the docks,” he reiterates, a flicker of a smile playing on his lips before he heads off, with a dismissive wave of the hand.

(It’s not a date. Not a date at all).

#stardew valley #stardew valley fluff #stardew valley sebastian #sdv #sdv sebastian #sebastian x gn reader #sebastian x gender neutral reader #sebastian x male reader #sebastian x female reader #gender neutral character #gender neutral reader #gender neutral y/n #gender neutral insert #x gender neutral reader #x female reader #x male reader

[spectator-moon]

My thoughts on Martyn Secret life lore stream (Eyes and Ears AU)

first, Martyn why would you hurt me with that imagery? Poor scar ;-;

-I really like the idea of the logo being the pincer on the Watchers. Grian is a force of nature and should be represented as such

-I am of the personal belief that Jimmy did not break free from the canary curse, since he died right before Wither/Warden boss fight and the entire point of Canarys is to warn of danger

-slightly irralevently but I need to draw the Scar

-BOY do I love the idea of Gem being used as the Watchers new tool because of the Zombie outbreak (send Gem all the love for that skill!!!)

-love Gem being taken by Watchers in general, especially adding in her lore that in Empires she thought everybody was just roleplaying, so she came in thinking it was roleplay and got stuck.

-i also like the idea of Jimmy getting struck down because of the Watchers being confused by his "funeral" and once Lizzy dies, then going "wait no he's supposed to be dead hold on-" and striking him down immediately

-i need more ideas for art. Also references. Please more references proportions are awful

-"if given the right tools, how many seeds of chaos can {Gem} sow, and it turns out, she's a bloody good farmer." Good quote. Make art for quote

-negative emotions being ~spicy~

-martyn being the seperate party in the gang of winners

-the watchers pushed Jimmy off a ledge

-players still having that sense of connections and support (i.e. swapping out) despite being in murder games (also I love the idea that when the Listeners swap out players, the players get a choice, so it's all the much more heartbreaking)

-(personal headcanon that Ren was desperately hoping Martyn would recognize him in Tango's body)

-(personal headcanon that all players start new life series incredibly sore from being tensed as they fall, even though they're unconscious)

-(other personal headcanon that fragmented players i.e. life series players are the only ones who can see the fragments on other servers)

-Speakers maybe being part of a group which works as mercenarys (being paid in whatever currency they use to give players the task of helping each other) (speakers being true neutral)

-y'all imagine the cinematic beauty of the climax I want full animaticssss

-Grian couldn't cash in on success because he either isn't fully in, or because the Watchers are being petty

-the two watchers being the actually evil equivalent of Jesse and James from pokemon

-Grian has emotions about previous series absolutely stunning idea

-like the idea that Winners get to keep their emotions (hence Pearl and Tilly, Grian w/ Scar, etc)

-Fragement lore fragment lore fragment lore

-THE PLAYERS ALL HAVE FRAGMENTS AND I NEED TO CHECK THE POST WHERE EVERYONE PUT THEIR IDEAS FOR PLACES

-Martyn is furry (fragment dog collar) (very not serious)

-fragments appear as important moments from lore? (Can Scar just have a big ol' one where he got punched in the face by Grian from third life?) (I know they don't appear because final death but it was a generator of so much angst)

-autocorrect my beloathed. (Grian ≠ Groan)

-sometimes fragments become scars, and everybody gets confused because "this moment wasn't important I have no emotional attachment to this moment why is there a scar?"

-PLAYERS CANNOT REMEMBER THE EMOTION GOBBLING AND ARE JUST GENERALLY CONFUSED WHEN THEY HAVE AN EMOTIONAL REACTION TO SOMETHING SOMEBODY SAYS

-headcanon that the Watchers do a real shoddy job at emotion gobbling and often leave the memory, which can prompt an emotional reaction. Also, Watchers actively ignore certain negative moments in favour of those spawning more negative emotions (like a cobblestone generator but for negative emotions)

-datastream Martyn??? Please explain I have not the time to watch all the vods

-eeeee winner theory!!!!!

-we love Villain scar

-PEOPLE CAN SHATTER IF THEYRE TOO FRAGMENTED OH MY GODS PLEASE FANART AND FICS

-so wait if they get to watch how it ends does that mean they had to sit and watch Scar go insane???? That makes that sadder

-so without any knowledge of Datastream Martyn, can I suggest that mayhaps datastream means that literally Martyn leaps between worlds by moving through the literal data stream? I have seen references to a Doc, so maybe he and Martyn were experimenting and Martyn got stuck? I know something happened to Doc, probably bad given that the reference was 'yes the red stuff was definitely ketchup', so was it because of the knowledge he has gained? Again, never seen any data stream so take all of this with a grain of salt. I just like analysing stories and have read enough to be able to pick out plotlines fairly well.

-oooh lore comic i want to read that

-Secret Keeper is Watchers putting on a trench coat and going "yes yes no watchers here yes yes"

-imagine how invasive it would be to spawn in and just KNOW the rules, with no background for why or how you have that information. Boy that could be a cesspit for angst. Imagine the panic of that inserted information. (Grian has to calm somebody down fic???)

-new lore enjoyer, but I love this already.

-making a proper movie with this concept would be AMAZING

-players were kidnapped lmao

-Scott having that forewarning for Jimmy and Scar is a funny thought

-Listeners are oldest children fighting their middle siblings (Watchers) because Mom and Dad will blame them for the poor player hurt

Making a part two because this is so long already

#secret life #martyn inthelittlewood #lore #Secret life lore #grian #watchers #listeners #fragments #eaefragments

[shivering-isles-cryptid]

The Theocratic Papers

Bit of background before you read these, these are 4 essays written by me in character for what I believed should have been a third option in the Skyrim Civil war. Also, warning, this was proofread but no spelling or grammatical errors were brought to my attention so I’m not sure if there are any or not, and it’s very long. Very.

Also here it is @nerevar-quote-and-star and @stormbeyondreality the complete thing, even though Mal has already read it all.

You can also find this on Ao3:

My fellow citizens of Skyrim. Our land has been plagued by a brutal war that has deprecated not just our home, but families. That’s why me and my comrades are proposing a third option. We shed our imperialized form and return to the glory days of the Old Nordic pantheon. The glory days of Kyne and Shor, Tsun and Stuhn, of Jhunal and the Testing Gods.

Now, i understand that this will be a difficult choice for many. The Imperials have had a grip on Skyrim for centuries, and we do not expect for it to change over night. But we do believe we can get there eventually, with the grace of Jhunal. In this document, we shall list the many reasons why we believe neither sides of this war are truly good options, and why we think you should join with us in returning to the true glory days of Skyrim.

Point 1: the Sins of a Stormcloak

The first issue we wish to bring to light is the sins and crimes committed by the Jarl of Windhelm. This list is by no means small, and many of them were well hidden by him and those using him.

First, the Markarth Incident. The Reachfolk took back the city, which was stolen from them in the first place, and treated all of the Nord residents fairly, allowing them to live their lives as if nothing changed. The Empire wasn’t going to do anything about it, as they were already spent from the Great War, and trying to keep the Aldmeri Dominion at bay. They had bigger enemies to worry about than some Skyrim natives fighting over land. But Jarl Hrolfdir decided he wanted his castle back, so he contacted Ulfric and told him he would allow Talos worship in his city. So Ulfric gathered a militia and ransacked Markarth, slaughtering women and children’s n’s every single Reachman in the city.

Stuhn teaches us the value in keeping prisoners of war. But Ulfric slaughtered all of them. Man, woman, child, none were spared by his harsh hand. This one example shows the cruelty in Ulfrics heart, as he took the kindhearted Reachman who merely fought for their homes and never harmed a single Nord that didn’t attack them first, and he massacred them all. That is what truly happened. It was not a Markarth Incident. It was a Markarth Massacre.

I have personally interviewed a Nord resident of Markarth who was present for this event, and his story will further support our argument.

“I was there when the Forsworn took the city. It was not a blood full battle, with the Legion having left us for the Imperial City. They dethroned Jarl Hrolfdir, instead of executing him. They lived in the city, occupying empty homes instead of removing us from ours. I remember them all, reuniting with family and friends, making new friends and starting new families. I watched children grow up, seeing elders die, and couples wed. 2 years they lived alongside us, families mixing and growing. Then he came. Ulfric, wielding powers long forgotten. He invaded the city, alongside a militia of farmers and mercenaries. And the dethroned Hrolfdir. Ulfric gathered every Reachman in the city to the city square, executing each and everyone of them. Man, woman, child, elder, it didn’t matter to him. They were all killed, save for Madanach and the few who escaped. He even killed Callacha, my sweet Callacha.”

At this moment, the man broke into tears at the memory. This quote acts as a first person account of the true event of the Markarth Massacre. Ulfric is no hero, he is a battle thirsty, power hungry man who doesn’t deserve any kind of power, much less the power of the Voice. And once our informant finished mourning his lost love, he continued to explain to us that despite the victory, Ulfric refused to cede the city to Hrolfdir until he decreed that Talos worship be allowed in the city. When the Thalmor agents came and demanded Ulfrics arrest, many of the cities residents demanded Hrolfdir agree.

Ulfric killed their friends, their families, and almost took control of their city, and then faced no punishment until another invading force came and demanded it. Ulfrics actions not only caused the deaths of hundreds of people and the ruin of countless lives, but he directly caused the Thalmor to occupy Skyrim, which they hadn’t paid any mind to nor did they enforce the White-Gold Concordant.

Second, Ulfric murdered the High King of Skyrim. This is a topic under heavy debate across Skyrim. The Stormcloaks argue that it was an honor-duel, a tradition that dates back to the first kings of Skyrim. That is something I can not argue with, as a challenge was made and accepted. But that does not mean Ulfrics victory followed the rules of the duel. Ulfric used a power not seen by any but the Greybeards for hundreds of years. His use of the Thu’um to kill Skyrims High King is an affront to Kyne and a bastardization of her gift to her people.

The Thu’um May once have been used by Nords the way swords are used today, but that day has long since past. Once upon a time, magicks were used by the Norse under the watchful tutelage of Jhunal, but that day was long ago, and has been replaced with a fear and hatred for the ancient arts. Would the Stormcloaks defend Ulfric the Murderer with as much fervor and fury if he had used a spell instead of a Shout? Would they still declare him king if he had used the gift of Jhunal instead of the gift of Kyne?

No, they wouldn’t have. And I ask you, dear reader, what is truly the difference between the two arts? What is the difference between flames from you hand and flames from your mouth? Moving back the High King Torygg. We hold members in our ranks who work in the Solitude Court, and their accounts of Torygg show that he agreed with Ulfric. He believed that Skyrim should be an independent nation, and that the Imperial Empire had grown weak.

But Ulfric challenged him anyway. And yes, I will admit that Ulfric couldn’t possibly have known of Toryggs beliefs, but if he had just given him a chance. If he had pleaded his case first, instead of jumping on the chance to challenge the young man. This challenge held no glory, no honor to be won. Torygg was young, with little martial training, and Ulfric was a war veteran wielding an ancient power from the Gods themselves.

All who die in worthy ways go to Shor, on the wings of Kyne and her daughters, but because of Ulfric, Torygg will be going to him young, dishonored, and without the wisdom of age.

Thirdly, Ulfric caused the return of the dragons, however unintentional it may have been. We all know of the Dragonborn. The hero who bears the soul of a dragon and the body of a mortal. We grew up on the stories of their return, on the stories of Alduins destruction of the world. And we all know the prophecy.

When misrule takes its place at the eight corners of the world.

When the Brass Tower walks and Time is reshaped

When the thrice-blessed fail and the Red-Tower trembles

When the Dragonborn Ruler loses his throne, and the White Tower falls

When the Snow Tower lies sundered, kingless, bleeding

The World-Eater wakes, and the Wheel turns upon the Last Dragonborn

Those last two lines are the ones I’d like to bring a focus to. “When the Snow Tower lies sundered, kingless, bleeding. The World-Eater wakes, and the Wheel turns upon the Last Dragonborn.” Our scholars have spent wells analyzing this prophecy, and they have come to the conclusion that the Snow Tower refers to Skyrim herself, a bit obvious once you look at it, and once we learned that, it was obvious what the other words meant.

With the death of High King Torygg, Ulfric set the final part of this prophecy into place. By killing the High King, he left Skyrim “sundered, kingless, bleeding.” He opened the path way for Alduin to return, setting in motion the end of the world. While he also set in motion the return of the Dragonborn, if the Dovahkiin had failed, all of Nirn would have fallen under his control.

Ulfrics lust for power and hunger for glory has placed not just him, not just Skyrim, but all of Tamriel in danger! He had endangered everyone in his quest for glory with no concern of the consequences. While he may not have known he would cause Alduins return, even the political backlash from the Empire, Thalmor, and Skyrim itself weren’t considered by Ulfric the Murderer.

All of these reason, and more we may not know yet, are why Ulfric is not fit to rule Skyrim, or even Windhelm. He has shown a blatant disregard for the lives of the Nords, and even though he claims to hold the values of a traditional Nord, he only follows the ones that support him and his lies. He calls for an ancient duel, then uses magic to win, he calls for religious freedom so he can worship an Imperial god. He lies and cheats when it suits him while preaching about honor and Nordic pride. But do not take my criticisms of Ulfric for support of the Empire, for that has issues of its own.

Point 2. Imperial Issues

The issues with the Legion are easier to list, as they have been happening for centuries, unlike Ulfrics all being within the past 20-30 years. Many of our issues are not with the legion itself, but with the Empire, much like Ulfric we have members who are war veterans, who fought in the Great War, who even joined the Civil War when the Empire called for them, but were dismissed due to injuries and saw how little the Empire truly cares about Skyrim.

The first thing we should discuss is the Great War. This war weighed heavy on many people in Skyrim, and all of Tamriel, with the deaths of loved ones and almost themselves. This war with the Aldmeri Dominion is not an issue itself. The Dominion is a blight and that is plain for us all to see. Their head god is the killer of Shor, and they talk as if they’re inherently better than the Nords.

Our issue is not with the war. Our issue is with its conclusion. During the siege of the Imperial City, Emperor Titus Mede II sacrificed an entire Legion so he could escape. He then called all of the troops from Hammerfell and Skyrim back, leaving the provinces defenseless while he marched on the now Dominion controlled Imperial City. Jhunal and Stuhn teach us the importance of strategic planning, but this follows the precedent of the Empire abandoning Skyrim. Much like during the Oblivion Crisis, when our lands were ravaged by the forces of Mehrunes Dagon, and yet the Legion couldn’t spare a single legion to help. Yes, they had they’re own issues to deal with, but they couldn’t even send a militia?

Now, back to the Great War, more specifically the treaty that ended it. The White-Gold Concordant was a treaty signed by Emperor Titus Mede II 4E 175, after he had taken the Imperial City back. And it was completed unnecessary. The Empire had won, they had the City back, they had driven the Dominion from Hammerfell, it was only a matter of time before they regained their strength and took the rest of Cyrodiil back.

And they still signed it. They outlawed the worship of the God of the Empire. They gave Hammerfell to the Dominion, without even discussing it with them. They disbanded the Blades, the honor guard of the Empire. This is such an obvious show that the Empire doesn’t care for its citizens, or it’s traditions. They sold an entire country to the Dominion, what’s to stop them from doing it again? They outlawed the worship of the man who founded their empire, why wouldn’t they outlaw our gods? They disbanded the Blades, the personal guard of the Dragonborn, if they would throw out they’re own traditions without a second thought, imagine what they would do to ours?

Secondly, Titus Mede the First was not a liberator of the Empire, but a conqueror and the Mede Dynasty holds no legitimacy to their rule. After the assassination of Chancellor Ocato, a Nibenese witch-warrior was crowned emperor. While he was not liked by the people, he was favored by the Elder Council, who’s duty it is to choose the Emperor. They had made their choice, and as citizens of the Empire it was our duty to respect it.

But Titus Mede did not. He marched on the Imperial City, crowning himself Emperor. He conquered an Empire, not founded. He dethroned the Emperor and went against the Elder Council. This once again shows such a blatant disregard for tradition that we can’t help but fear what they’ll ignore next.

And our current Emperor, Titus Mede II has made our current empire a shadow of itself. Valenwood and Elsweyr have been ceded to the Thalmor, Morrowind has yet to recover from Red Mountain and hasn’t been a part of the Empire since 4E 48, Hammerfell was sold to the Dominion before ceding from the Empire itself, and Black Marsh was lost long ago. The current state of the Empire only includes 3 countries, and they struggle to hold onto even those.

Titus Mede II signed the Concordant which started the Civil War, and he makes no moves to end it, sending one general without an army, with no weapons, no money, and no supplies. He is unfit to rule, as he had proven time and time again. And that’s not even touching on the illegitimacy of his claim to the throne.

Titus Mede I stole his crown, conquering the Empire. Titus Mede II dragged the Empire to the ground. And neither are truly worthy of their titles. The Empire was started by the Slave-Queen Alessia with the help of Kyne and Mara. The Second Empire was started by Reman Cyrodiil, the next in the line of Dragonborn Emperors. The Third Empire was started by Tiber Septim, Dragon of the North. Our current empire was conquered by Titus Mede, a Nibenese noble with an ego.

One of these things are not like the others, with Titus Mede being the first non-Dragonborn emperor to start a new dynasty. Why, in this time of war and dragons, would the Last Dragonborn not be born in the line of Emperors, if they were truly meant to rule? Why would Akatosh not bless the ruling family with his blood if he truly approved of their reign. Because they hold no legitimate claim to the throne. Instead, he gave the power to Skyrim, with the blessing of Shor and Kyne, in order to stop Alduin the Word Eater and set the world to a new age.

The Last Dragonborn holds a stronger claim to the Empire than any of the Mede’s could hope for. And yet they make no grab for power, because they know they don’t have to. They have their kingdom here, in Skyrim. The land of the Nords and home of the Sons and Daughters of Kyne.

Now, while we call for a return to the Old Ways of Skyrim, we understand that many may have forgotten their roots, and will need a reminder. So in the next passage we shall educate you all on the true path of the Nords.

Point 3: Traditions and Customs

A return to tradition can not happen if we do not know our traditions and history. Us Nords are an ancient culture, and our ways date back to the founding of Skyrim. We have many things to cover, so this may be the longest part of the Papers. First, the gods of the Old Ways.

Kyne

The Kiss at the End. Goddess of the Storm. Widow of Shor and patron of warriors. The Mother of Men. She, her daughters, and Parthunaax taught the Nords the Thu’um or “Storm Voice”. Her tears over Shors death were the first rain in Nirn. She is associated with hawks.

Mara

Goddess of Love. Handmaiden of Kyne. Concubine of Shor. Goddess of fertility and agriculture. She is often depicted as a she-wolf.

Dibella

Goddess of Beauty. Worshipped across Skyrim, each of her cults being dedicated to different parts of her sphere. Some are devoted to women, others art, and others the more sensual sides of her. Dibella is often times associated with moths.

Stuhn

God of Ransom. Brother of Tsun, Shield-thane to Shor. Warrior-god who fought against the Aldmeri gods. He taught Men how to and the importance of taking prisoners of war, and is represented by the whale.

Jhunal

The Rune God. God of knowledge and hermetic orders. His worship and teachings have been shunned by modern day Skyrim. He is often times depicted as an owl or has an owl with him.

Shor

God of the Underworld. Shor sided with Men after the creation of the world. Elven gods conspired against him and brought along his defeat, dooming him to the afterlife, Sovengarde. He is the Chief of the Gods. Not explicitly worshipped, for he is a dead god. Shor is depicted as a fox in most cases. And it is commonly believed that Shor would come down to Earth in mortal vessels known as Shezzarines to the Imperials and Ysmir to us.

Orkey

Also called Old Knocker, he is the god of mortality. Nords once held lives as long as the elves, until Orkey tricked us into a bargain that shortened our life spans to 6 years, until Shor removed the curse. Orkey, like the other testing gods, is depicted as a snake.

Alduin

The World Eater. He is fated to destroy the world, eating it in order to make place for the next. He is both a creator and a harbinger of the apocalypse. Many of modern day Skyrim has become very well acquainted with Alduin, due to his return and defeat at the hands of the Dragonborn. Alduin is, obviously, depicted as a dragon.

The Testing Gods

Herma Mora (the Woodland Man) tests the Nords through wit. He is an ancient demon of knowledge, who spent much of Ysgramors life targeting him. He is also called Hermaeus Mora

Mauloch (God of Orcs) tests the Nords through warfare. Mauloch spent much time torturing the heirs of King Harald. He is also called Malacath.

Tsun

The Dead God of trials against adversity. He died defending Shor in battle and now guards the whalebone bridge leading to Shors Hall. He is the brother of Stuhn. Despite being one of the dead gods, when Tsun is honored he is often depicted as a bear.

Now that we have covered the Gods themselves, it’s time to talk about the traditions. One thing that is very important in both the old ways and modern ways is music and stories.

The skalds of old held places of high esteem in our society. The oral traditions and stories they passed down hold the history of our people, and the songs they spun acted as the light in the darkest of days. And with Dibella being the patron of the arts, it is no wonder that the skalds hold her favor.

Another part of our traditions are the ice wraith hunts. In the dead of winter, young men would go to the tallest peaks for weeks hunting the wraiths in order to earn their citizenship. This acted as not just a test of their battle prowess, but as a way to prove their faith in Kyne, for those who’s faith is strong are rewarded with an immunity to the cold.

One very special tradition is the naming ceremony. Where a priest of Jhunal and a priestess of Mara would use omens and prophecy to choose a name for a child during a special ceremony before they’re ninth birthday.

One tradition that is not so happy is the practice of wergild, an act of retribution in Stuhns name. Where if one life is taken, another must be given, or an amount of high value items will be taken as payment, if it is agreed upon.

To bring this back to a lighter note, there are 4 holidays celebrated in the ancient traditions. The first is the Feast of Dibella, where a silver, moth shaped mirror is displayed for the goddess so that she might be drawn in by her beauty and bless the city. Another holiday is Feast of the Dead, where on the 13th of Suns Dawn, a feast takes place in honor of the Five Hundread Companions of Ysgramor. One very special holiday is Konunleikar, which is a celebration of the 10th anniversary of the High Kings coronation, which we sadly did not get to celebrate for High King Torygg as we had not even made it to the one year anniversary of his rule.

One lost tradition is the use of the Thu’um. Like Ulfric and the Greybeards, the ancient Nords were capable of using the Thu’um and shouts since we were created by Kyne. The Ancient Tongues were a staple of Nordic civilization and honored as parts of the society. They were instrumental in wartime and sieges, while also acting as voices for the gods. But that changed when Jurgen Windcaller banned the use of Thu’um outside of times of “true need”.

Windcaller never specified what true need meant, and so the Greybeards, his disciples, sit in their home of High Hrothgar doing nothing as the world falls around them. Tiber Septim did establish the Imperial College of the Voice in hopes to return the practice to Skyrim, but it never amounted to anything.

The funerary rights used by ancient Nords are still in practice in many places today, such as Windhelm, Markarth, Winterhold, Riften, and Falkreath. While Falkreath doesn’t bury their dead in a tomb, the rites used are those done by ancient Mords, albeit with an Imperial twist that honors Arkay instead of Shor. Winterholds burial practices are more similar to Solstheim’s burials as they entomb the body’s in ice using magic only known by the College of Winterhold. Another funeral rite that was practiced by the ancient birds was ancestor veneration, with offerings of gold, wine, apples, snowberries, and weapons being left for them to take to the afterlife. This is a practice still held by many Norse to this day.

Now, we have covered as many of the old traditions as we can, it is time for us to move on to the true point of these essays. How the old ways and help us move into the future.

Point 4: The Future with the Past

We know how we sound, we must return to the past in order to move into the future. But listen to me my brothers and sisters. The Nords have lived under Imperial control since the first empire. Since Alessia, they have tried to convert us to their gods. They have tried to make us forget our culture in favor of there’s, and for centuries they had failed.

We can return to that strength again, if we return to the old ways. The ways of Kyne and Shor, Jhunal and Stuhn, Mara and Orkey. The gods gave us strength, and ever since we abandoned them, we have gotten weaker. Now do not get us wrong, we understand that this can not happen immediately. It will take time for the Nords to return to our old ways, so here is what we suggest.

First, we dethrone Ulfric as Jarl of Windhelm, replacing him with an actual True Nord of Skyrim. Then, we convene the moot to vote in a high king or queen who is dedicated to the old ways. Then, we reinstate the temples to the old gods in each city. Converting the temple of Kynareth in Whiterun to a temple of Kyne, the Temple of Talos in Windhelm to a temple of Shor, we shall open a temple of Stuhn in Morthal, and Winterhold shall be known as the City of Jhunal.

The High King or Queen shall also act as avatars of either Shor or Kyne on earth, being placed as the heads of not just the country, but also the religious practices.

The traditions named previously shall come back to Skyrim, with the naming ceremony and ice wraith hunt being the first to come back. We know that many in Skyrim do not hold the martial prowess for the ice wraith hunt, so we do not expect the first one to take place for 9 years after we take command, as to rightfully train Skyrims people in warfare, to at least take on a wraith.

Skyrims Halls of the Dead shall also be converted into temples of Shor and Tsun, and be open will laces of worship and veneration to not just the gods, but ancestors as well. Outside of each major city, there shall be a spot of nature and trees sacred to Kyne. Hunting is permitted here, as long as you can prove yourself to the goddess and her servants.

Efforts will be made to excavate Labyrinthian, and return it to the great city it once was. We shall also set up a museum to teach about Nordic heroes and history such as the Dragon Cult and the Nordic-Falmer War. With help from the College of Winterhold, we hope to excavate as many Nordic ruins we can, either converting them into cities, burial mounds, or at least setting the dead to rest.

And as for the Thalmor and Empire, they will be given a chance to leave Skyrim or join us, but if they wish for neither then we will make them leave. We hope to avoid war, as enough blood had been spilled during the Great War and Civil War, but if we are left with no other option, then we will fight and we will win for the glory of Skyrim and her children.

Now, one thing that neither side of the Civil War has yet to address is the Dragons. We will not be as blind. With the defeat of Alduin, the dragon threat has been reduced but not eliminated. So we shall create a group dedicated to wiping out the rest of the dragon threat. Under the patronage of Kyne, our Einherjar will eradicate the dragon threat from Skyrim.

This is not everything we wish to do, but it is as much as we can say at this point in the war. We hope this essay has convinced you to side with us against both the False Empire and the Traitorous Stormcloaks. If so, come to the Skyrim Historical Society in Whiterun and present them a copy of these papers and they shall know what to do next.

Published by the Skyrim Historical Society, Whiterun Wind District.

#elder scrolls #skyrim #tes #the elder scrolls #elder scrolls skyrim #Skyrim civil war #the theocratic papers #Skyrim essay #elder scrolls essay #tes essay #Nord #ancient birds #ancient Nordic #Kyne #Shor #Stuhn #Tsun #Alduin #ancient Skyrim #theocracy #Skyrim theocracy #semi theocracy #Nord religion #old Nord religion #what Skyrim should have been #vel talks

[bookwhurm]

Animal Farm by George Orwell

I’m rendered almost speechless by the relevancy of this title in the world we live in today that was written and published 78 years ago. It’s historically relevant and apparently one of the most devastating blows to Stalin’s agenda.

The thing that I fear the most is how it is still applicable in so many ways. It shows the tools that can be used to achieve a totalitarian government. The steps that need to be taken. They almost always form an “other” to be against. What was once the humans who indeed were taking advantage of them, it then became Snowball, then the nearby farmers. Whichever suited their agenda. Whichever kept the animals from turning inward with their suspicion and kept their worries outside of the ruling of the farm. The 7 commandments were constantly altered, but the intelligence of the pigs and the inability for many of the animals to read and write left the interpretation of it’s history entirely up to the pigs instead of the other animals they ruled over. The speeches and persuasive nature of Squealer was convincing propaganda that soothed any fears of the animals while the part of the sheep (this analogy was not lost on me) was to constantly chant whatever nonsense that Napoleon chose at times when protest was most imminent. To drown out whatever dissent was possible and confuse the masses. It’s hard to think over the shouting of short, catchy phrases.

The complete hypocrisy of the pigs to defy all the commandments by the end of the novel was astounding and it took me by surprise that none of the animals showed any dissent, though it’s not hard to imagine why when compared to the  many humans have turned the same blind eye for atrocities committed in their own countries. As an American, some that I can think of in the past decade were the imprisonment and separation of children of immigrants (the camps of children that no American did anything worth noting about, including me), the increase of rage against any and all racial/ethnic groups especially in the era of the Trump administration (starting with his campaigning against Mexican-Americans and how they ruin the country to the eventual physical abuse that happened to older Asian-Americans because of Covid-19), the continual divide in the classes to the point where most Americans only own 7% of the capital of the country combined (don’t quote me on that, this is from memory), and the events leading up to the 2020 protests for Black Lives Matter.

The important thing to take away from this novel is that while one person alone can’t take on the entirety of the system that was inherently built against them, it takes one person to stand up and rally while the support from those that believe in that message is the most integral to change. Groups accomplish change, whether it’s slowly or quickly like the rebellion on the farm. It also is a grim reminder to stick to your own guns and come to your own conclusions. To not base your beliefs only on what you are told and whichever statistics and facts are hand fed to you, but to do your own research from many different sources. To protect your beliefs and ideals even when you’re told otherwise.

Rating: 10/10 - How could it be anything else

#animal farm #george orwell #book review

[the-world-annealing]

Heroes, Hamlets, Hazards

Assume we're talking about the basic sort of setting D&D implies. There's exceptional people with exceptional powers, large and prosperous kingdoms bordered by swathes of monster-infested territory, and remote hamlets whose inhabitants somehow have a +1 Flaming Sword lying around for anyone willing to brave the conveniently nearby loot-filled dungeon.

This isn't what real-life history looked like. But the inaccuracies cancel out, and a remarkably coherent picture results.

Start with the heroes (a term used without moral valence). They swoop in, save the day, rescue the kidnapped children, slay the troll, and get rich doing it. I don't need to explain this bit to you, it's the literal foundational premise of the game.

But heroes don't always succeed. For every village saved from a rampaging giant or a covetous dragon, another wasn't. There's probably a lot of dispossessed peasants around, because that's an inevitable consequence of a setting where monsters exist and regularly threaten small villages.

But then the heroes enter the picture again, now rich, tired, and eager for retirement. For some, that retirement involves getting away from larger society: they seek solitude, to revisit a place of great beauty or mystery, or maybe simply because this hero has made some powerful enemies.

Except such a hero doesn't just want to buzz off to the middle of nowhere: he might be a swordmaster or an archmage, but can he darn socks? Can he make cheese? Can he even build himself a house? No, those are jobs for the peasantry. Of which there are quite a few around, as we've previously established.

So the hero liquidates a few assets, sets up an expedition, recruits some vagrants, and establishes a manorial settlement wherever they feel like it, clearing out weak foes when necessary.

(and more often than not, this village is established near a dungeon or magical locale the hero previously explored, either to allow the hero access to some local resource or for simple familiarity's sake)

For a time, there's peace. The peasants are still peasants, but their heroic overlord is powerful and invested in their survival, so all things considered they do pretty well. But as you might conclude from the continuous existence of quote unquote wilderness, this state is not stable.

The hero dies, and suddenly their peasants are dealing with all the security issues that their isolation brings. The farmers have found themselves in an adventure-friendly environment. Even so, most are loath to leave and return to the landless underclass; for most families, being part of it lies within living memory, and even subsistence farming compares favorably still.

But the hero's death has also brought a windfall of magic items; enchanted blades, potions, wands. Untrained laborers will have little success using them... but the sort of mercenary who could solve your problem is always looking for better magic loot. This is typically the step where your average adventuring party comes in.

This situation rarely ends well. The stopgap measures fail, the reserve of magic items dries up, population shrinks to zero as villagers die or flee, the cycle begins anew. All that remains is a ghost town with a run-down wizard's tower looking out over it: on the whole, it mostly served to redistribute items from established to aspiring heroes.

--------------------------------------

If you subscribe to this model, think about the following questions when worldbuilding a Threatened Remote Village! -Who used to protect this town from the sort of thing currently endangering it? -Did that protector fill any roles beyond killing monsters? Did a retired cleric act as healer, a ranger as bowyer? Who filled the resulting voids? -What magic items did the protector leave? What broader legacy can be seen? -The settlement is presumably quite recent; who or what did it replace? -Why would a hero choose to settle here, of all places? Are there magical or mundane locations of great importance or beauty close by? Does some supernatural being dwell near?

#d&d #worldbuilding #metaworldbuilding #dungeons and dragons

[fatehbaz]

Fragrant Frontier: Global Spice Entanglements from the Sino-Vietnamese Uplands. Edited by Sarah Turner, Annuska Derks, and Jean-Fracois Rousseau. Published in 2022 by Nordic Institute of Asian Studies Press. Part of the series NIAS Studies in Asian Topics.

Open access e-book available. (All blurbs, quotes, and reviews in this post are excerpted from: niaspress.dk/book/fragrant-frontier)

Publisher’s “about the book” blurb:

“Since its inception over two millennia ago, the spice trade has connected and transformed the environments, politics, cultures, and cuisines of vastly different societies around the world. The ‘magical’ qualities of spices mean they offer more than a mere food flavoring, often evoking memories of childhood events or specific festivals. Although spices are frequently found in our kitchen cupboards, how they get there has something of a mythical allure. In this ethnographically rich and insightful study, the authors embark on a journey of demystification that starts in the Sino-Vietnamese uplands with three spices – star anise, black cardamom, and cassia (cinnamon) – and ends on dining tables across the globe. This book foregrounds the experiences of ethnic minority farmers cultivating these spices, highlighting nuanced entanglements among livelihoods, environment, ethnic identity, and external pressures, as well as other factors at play. It then investigates the complex commodity chains that move and transform these spices from upland smallholdings and forests in this frontier to global markets, mapping the flows of spices, identifying the numerous actors involved, and teasing out critical power imbalances. Finally, it focuses on value-creation and the commoditization of these spices across a spectrum of people and places. This rich and carefully integrated volume offers new insights into upland frontier livelihoods and the ongoing implications of the contemporary agrarian transition. Moreover, it bridges the gap in our knowledge regarding how these specific spices, cultivated for centuries in the mountainous Sino-Vietnamese uplands, become everyday ingredients in Global North food, cosmetics, and medicines. Links to online resources, including story maps, provide further insights and visual highlights.”

---

NIAS Press also provides “about the author” blurbs:

“Sarah Turner is Professor of Geography at McGill University. She is a development geographer specializing in ethnic minority livelihoods, agrarian change, and everyday resistance in upland northern Vietnam and southwest China. She also works with street vendors and other members of the mobile informal economy [...] in urban Southeast Asia. [...] [S]he is also an editor of the journals Geoforum and Journal of Vietnamese Studies. Annuska Derks is an [...] is a social anthropologist interested in social transformation processes in Southeast Asia, in particular in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. Also widely published, her research focuses on migration, labor, gender, as well as the social lives of things [...]. Jean-François Rousseau [...] is a development geographer with research focusing on the relationships between agrarian change, infrastructure development – especially hydropower dams and sand-mining – and ethnic minority livelihood [...].”

---

NIAS Press quotes a couple of book reviews. From Janet Sturgeon of Simon Fraser University:

“This compelling study – one of the best integrated volumes I have read – traces the precarious livelihoods of ethnic minority farmers producing spices under two related processes. The first is global commodity chains, which the chapters follow from node to node along long-standing relations of trust. The second is misguided state-driven interventions to limit farmers’ land and get them to produce monocrops. These combined processes threaten farmers in the borderlands between Vietnam and China, while international traders of these lucrative spices become rich.”

---

Available to read, for free, at NIAS Press.

[izoryotaro]

Tales of the Emperor - Jack Winter

I found this book for $1 in the little store tucked into the back of the Toronto Library, when I was visiting with a friend. It seemed weird and interesting, so I though eh why not, and indeed, weird and interesting it was! I've collected my favourite quotes below and noted the section they were taken from (although these excerpts were rarely the beginning or entirety of the section).

The Emperor's schooling The academy presented no need to vacate and every incentive to stay on and, in the way of the academy, to seek out an abject corner in a neglected field of study and to become its propagator and its proponent, its proctor and its prodigy, its professor and, eventually, its professed. Indeed, the Emperor might have elected to remain at the academy, a prisoner of its delights, were it not for the profound misery he detected there.

Taking Tea I build my fire of bracken boughs, my bed of straw and twine. I boil and pour my nettle tea, not once expecting wine. Between my knees the valley lights flicker and are gone. Above my eaves the cooking fires beyond the clouds burn on. I never am invited to sup and sleep elsewhere. I'm too high up for some folk, for some not halfway there. Here beside me on this ledge where I sip and sit, The stunted tree has cracked the rock you'd think imprisoned it.

Regarding farmers The land and the army are lawful occupations. If a man's wealth is in next year's crop, he will not run with it on his back. If neighbouring states are kept always in peril of invasion, no man will run there. The land and the army are one occupation. Farmers endure and their hope is seasonal. With little alteration they can be used for war.

Reflections on reputation Reputation has no substance beyond report. Report is the whole of it, its origin, its occasion, its objective, its accomplishment, its residuum, not only its basis but its entirety. The reputation of any one of us depends upon who is reporting it, how he came by his opinion, his entitlement to it, his nature and his quality and his condition at the moment he permits it to be released, his (at the risk of wit-play) reputation. [...] The impulse to gather together the fragments of observation, the shards of gossip, the detritus of scandal, and to construct of them a reputation for another being is irresistible. [...] The attraction of it when done is unique. Who, after all, does not enjoy literature? In our natural state the least of us is an original of untamed will and contradictory impulse who, once arrested and examined, alters. He must be apprehended and scrutinized again and again. Our world with us in it moves on, and is incomprehensible. But characters wholly invented hold still.

The governing of the Empire When we named the date for our revolution, the First Emperor declared it a national holiday so that our massing in the streets appeared to be in his honour. When we looted the shops, the First Emperor declared all property common so that we would not be guilty of theft. When we decided to disband our revolution and go home, the First Emperor declared that the revolutionary army was required for the defence of the empire, and we remain conscripted.

The Festival of the Fall Immediately following any war, the restitution of a land, of its infrastructure and its chattel, is premised upon the will of the people to carry it out, something that itself requires the sort of psychic energy possessed by those whose recollection of war is merely historic. Such was not the case in the empire where everyone was pretty well convinced that any reconstruction merely would be the construction of a new target. This condition of the public temperament was not a matter of embitterment, but of practical observation and accurate short-term memory. The credulity needed for renewal would take several generations of innocence to acquire.

The Second Criterion (the vital axis) "In the mountains at the snow line, sparse in foliage, of boulders plentiful, there amid the scrub-bush, ancient rockfall, elder moss, there is born the river, born in tumult among ice-crags amid snowfields combed with blowholes, dropping sheerly down the rock face to the cauldron pool beneath. [...] Here an island temple hollow with crows, a broken bridge no more than a board, a barge half-sunk where a jetty stood. No men yet, only relics of their passing. Water-reeds, bending, paint the wind. Here antique pavilions too remote for tenants, vacant the horizon, seamless the sky. Indolent the river, loitering nearly shoreless, water by its ripples, pleats in unstained silk."

The first letter of the Imperial Historian I must complete my book. It is not that I want to write. I want to have written. The writing, that is a matter of the severest pain. How could it be otherwise?

The fifth letter of the Imperial Historian Oh, horror! In an age unenvisaged among folkways undreamt of, a passerby stoops to examine a shard, finds another to fit, lays a third as a through-band, and by such rude mechanics manages to build -- build what? A cairn in a landscape not yet evolved? A rough stone altar to gods unborn? A dyke to withstand who knows which beast from incursion upon what occult husbandry? No! No! A maimed book of my broken half-told tales bearing the name of another!

The advice of Li Ssu regarding archives Normally, conquerors destroy with zeal the archives of a conquered people. Which consideration does not apply to us. Your people, sire, have long since given up consulting their historians.

The last words of Li Ssu A man tortured for information gives the name of his friend because he is afraid to die alone. When they meet for execution, the betrayed forgives his betrayer. In whispers through the blindfold he confides that even now, if he were given the chance, he too would betray another to save himself, no, not to save himself, what is worse, he like his own betrayer would betray another only so as not to die alone. "That," he whispers, "is the advantage the authorities possess. They are not tempted into betrayal by the possibility of companionship."

Imperial gossip regarding Chao Kao In the final days of the empire, Chao Kao wielded much power and his deeds influenced the lives of many, but no book of the Emperor contains his life. Thereafter, no matter how important a man may be, if he is wholly without admirable parts, history chooses to ignore him as much as possible. Thus, if good is rewarded by the perpetuation of its name, then the reward for evil is oblivion, which probably is why evil so vigorously seeks its reward in the here and the now.

#quotes #Jack Winter #Tales of the Emperor #bette reads

[mad2jokes]

Funny

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[newsie-collective]

Romeo

Quickfire Favorites

Food: “Tha kin ya can eat”

Color: “Blue n red lik me socks”

Season: “Winter, I lik tha snow n it givs me a excuse ta cuddl”

Weather: “Snow duh”

Hobby: “Flirtin if tha count, n pickin up trinkets fo Fin”

Animal: “crows”

Memory: “Watchin Fin sav a baby boid. Him kept it warm in him pocket, was real cute”

Comfort Item: “Ion really got one les Fin count. Him giv good cuddles, speshully wen ya uset”

He gets his nickname as a nod to Romeo from Romeo and Juliet because he gets puppy crushes. He didn’t know why he had this nickname until someone read the book to him.

Fin quotes the line from the play (Romeo Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo) to call for Romeo which makes him smile and his tummy “feel weird n warm n happy”

Romeo has had a crush on pretty much every newsie at some point (and also Darcy and Bill). His current one is on Finch and this one had lasted a lot longer. He had had a crush on Finch before, it seems he always comes back to them. He says it feels different this time, much stronger. He says it gets stronger every time he gets “pulled back” to Finch

Speaking of books, Romeo cannot read.

Romeo can’t read so he really likes movies and video games. When he does watch/play he puts the captions on. It’s his way of trying to teach himself because he’s embarrassed by it.

English is also not his first language which is part of why reading is hard for him

He likes it when people read books to him, but he doesn’t ask for it often because he’s self conscious about not being able to read himself. His favorites, of course, fantasy books with romance (think knight in shining armor and princess)

Romeo does not know his parents. If he tries hard he can sort of recall what his mother’s voice sounded like, but it is all very distant memories. He was in and out of different orphanages. He was supposed to be on the orphan train to some farmer out in the midwest, but instead ran away from the orphanage to join the newsies. New York was all he had known and he didn’t like the idea of moving away

While in the orphanages Romeo was the runt of the litter so to speak. Part of the reason he is so small is because of the overcrowding and the horrible conditions. He was in a crib for way too long and of course never had a bed to himself. He was always last to be fed and sometimes would not get food at all. He was often picked on by both kids and grownups because of the way he looked. 

Romeo has vitiligo. It’s most obvious on his skin, but he does a few sections of hair that have also lost pigment

When his vitiligo started getting worse he was often called a cow or other mean names. He’s very insecure about his vitiligo because of it. He often uses makeup or dirt to hide it. 

Romeo flip flops between thinking he’s hot shit and worrying that he’s being too annoying and that everyone secretly hates him

He tends to pick up interests from other people, especially the ones he likes, because he wants to be able to relate to them. So, for example, he got really into rocks when he first crushed on Finch. When he was hanging out with Jack he tried to learn how to paint, etc etc.

He likes blue and socks with funky patterns

He tries to seem like nothing bothers him and that he can go with the flow, but it’s a cover up for how insecure he is. Because he crushes so easily he has had his fair share in heartbreak. And while he says everything is all good each time he was rejected stung more than the last. Because of this part of him believes he’s not good enough for anyone

He would absolutely wear a dress, but he’s too shy and would never admit it

Romeo is touch starved and craves physical intimacy. Not necessarily in a sexual way, he is perfectly happy with cuddles and kisses. He just craves feeling close with someone. As his name suggests he is a romantic at heart and he really wants to be able to have something like what he sees in the movies

He has a scar on his forehead under his hair from when he got hit with the baton by the police during the strike

Finch. This boy is fuckin obsessed with him. Absolutely head over heels in love

Romeo pictures Finch as a crow because “him smat n him lik ta pick up shiny thins”

Romeo referred to Finch as his songbird once and now all the newsies tease him for it

Finch makes Romeo feel safe and Finch is the one he will go to when he feels insecure or anxious

List of Newsies Resources Masterpost: https://at.tumblr.com/what-goesaround-comesaround/list-of-newsies-resources-masterpost/7hiw94mx9ps7

Romeo

Thanks guys! Hope you enjoyed

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#newsies #livesies #newsies of new york #carrying the banner #askthenewsies #romeo newsies #newsies romeo #newsies headcanons #🐰