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gwenllian-in-the-abbey · 1 month

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"Yet you toil still in service to men. Your father, your husband, and your son. You desire not to be free but to make a window in the wall of your prison."

Episodes 9

What's your opinion on the speech?

Rhaenys' speech here is a bit silly. What woman doesn't "toil in service to men" in this world? Medieval women were not even allowed to own property or sign contracts. Part of this show's problem is that some of the writers seem to be under the impression that Westeros is undergoing a feminist movement and Alicent is "team patriarchy" while Rhaenyra is "team feminism," as if Rhaenyra's own "right" to rule doesn't derive specifically from a man, her father, granting her that right, as if that same man couldn't snatch it from her on a whim. She has to toil in service to her own father, and even if she becomes queen, she will find herself surrounded by and beholden to men who will very quickly remove their support if she does not dance to their tune, and in fact we see this in the Dance, where Rhaenyra has terrible advisors but she's not really able to remove them because she can't risk them going over to the other side. And when she does attempt to assert herself against them, this is precisely what they do.

I think many people don't understand that the idea of women as an oppressed group, with solidarity across class lines, religious lines, and ethnic lines, that is, intersectional feminism, is extremely modern. Rhaenys cannot separate herself from her class interests, she lacks even the most basic framework necessary to do so. She might see her sex as a prison, but her greater allegiance would be to the Targaryen royalty that she was born into. Breaking free from the prison of patriarchy would mean also being metaphorically exiled from her own royal privilege. When it came to the council of 101, Rhaenys did not risk alienating herself from her grandfather the king in order to assert her right to the throne, instead she put forward her son Laenor as an alternative. In her marriage with Lord Corlys, she deferred to him rather than risk her status as Lady of Driftmark. Rhaenys did not pit herself against the might of the patriarchy because it would mean pitting herself against the might of the monarchy itself.

This isn't a criticism of Rhaenys. She only did what most women in her position would have done. She did not have what Rhaenyra had, the mandate of a king who had thrown the might of the monarchy behind her cause, declaring her an exception. Viserys did not sign a decree asserting absolute primogeniture because he could not pit the monarchy against the patriarchy when the monarchy itself relied on the patriarchy to uphold it. And in our world, knowing that monarchy and patriarchy waled hand in hand, many medieval/early modern queens regnant very much avoided overly associating themselves with womenhood, instead leaning into the rhetoric that they were female in body, but male in spirit. They believed that as exceptional women, they might claim a sort of honorary male status. Think of Elizabeth I's speech to the troops at Tilbury as they prepared to face the Spanish Armada, when she said:

"I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too..."

Notice how she concedes the point about her "weak and feeble" woman's body? She then goes on to say that she has the heart and stomach not of a man, but of a king, aligning herself not only with manhood, but with royalty, which is the source of her exceptional status. And this is echoed in the idea of Rhaenyra seeing herself as an exception, when Lord Corlys reminds her that if she allows women to inherit the seats of Stokeworth and Rosby, she may lose the support of lords who took her side. They were siding not with a woman because they believed in smashing the patriarchy, but rather they were siding with monarchy, believing Rhaenyra had the mandate of the old king. However that mandate could be revoked if Rhaenyra were to turn against the patriarchy and attempt to divorce it from the monarchy.

So the ironic thing is, Rhaenyra is doing very nearly the same thing Rhaenys is accusing Alicent of doing, except if womanhood is a prison, then perhaps rather than building a window in the prison, Rhaenyra has secured parole for good behavior. She could be put back into the prison at any time and is keenly aware of that. The prison of patriarchy, after all, still exists within the walled confines of feudal monarchy, and neither Rhaenys nor Rhaenyra are attempting to climb those walls.

#asks #hotd critical #rhaenys targaryen #anti rhaenyra targaryen #anti team black #but not really #team green

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elenamegan14 · 7 months

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Yandere One Piece - Irish/Nordic Fae Folk Myth X F!Reader - Prologue

It's a spooky season, and I have yet to see any Yandere One Piece reader fics based on Slavic myths and legends! Blame me for being too invested in Bramble: the Mountain King game.

---

Once, there was a childless couple who lived in a quaint village. Although the village is rich in tradition and harvest, it was also a fearsome place. Not far from them lies a great forest called the Grand Line, a home of every fae folks, each more astounding and nightmarish than man had ever known.

But that was where our story began.

One night, on a full moon during a winter’s eve, the couple is visited by a frail, old woman. They immediately brought her in, warmed her, and fed her. When all is done, she transforms into a beautiful fairy. A member of the fairy monarchy, Rogue.

To thank the couple, Rogue rewarded them with something they had yearned for years: a child. And so, on the first day of Spring, a healthy baby girl was born.

Alas, even the fairy world has it;s own rules, and the rule is crueler than the rules of mankind. A baby who is granted life by the fairy must be returned back by the ripe age of thirteen. Rogue did not want her work to go to waste, so she told the couple that they must move the child away from the village, never to enter any fairy rings at any cost, and give their child a pair of special earrings made of iron to protect them.

Thus, the family evaded the pursuit of the fae folks beyond the age of thirteen. In retaliation, the fae folks began to terrorize the villagers - they would not stop to torment them until the child was given to them. Furious at the fleeing family for putting them into this bedlam, the villagers set up a trap to return the child back to the Grand Line.

Eighteen years have passed, and the child grew up in the Kingdom of Goa. With each passing day, the blessings from Rogue had made the child cunning, wise, and attractive. The child was a curious oddity amongst her peers, but there was one person who despised her existence more so than the others.

Sarie is the daughter of a notorious monarchy in the Goa Kingdom. Although she has everything in the palm of her hand, she is wicked jealous of the child’s charm and beauty. Her opportunity stuck when a vengeful villager asked her to cooperate to rid of the child’s existence in the mortal world.

Soon after, Sarie begged her fiancee, Sterry, to arrange a special trip only for his classmates, the child included, straight to the child’s original village. Sterry and his cohorts lured the child to the edge of the forest, right before the entrance of Grand Line. Once there, Sarie threw her scarf into the middle of the fairy ring and asked the child to pick it up for her.

The child is confused. Why should she follow such a petty instruction? Also, the child pleaded that she was not supposed to enter the fairy ring at any cost. However, Sterry and their classmates loudly demanded her to do so.

When the child reluctantly tried to enter the fairy ring, Sterry once again ordered the child to take off the child’s iron earrings for Sarie. She tried to refuse but Sterry warned her that if she disobeyed, he would make sure that she became the enemy of Goa.

The child had always wanted to be accepted by Sterry and Sarie - she did not understand what she had done wrong to receive his ire. The child also knew that Sarie and Sterry’s family had more power than her family did. She hastily took off her earrings and gave them to Sarie. With a heavy heart, she entered the fairy ring.

Sterry and Sarie’s deception became light once she turned around inside the fairy ring, only to find herself alone in a strange forest. She ran back and forth, calling for her classmates.

None answered.

Alone, terrified, and confused, the child trekked into the woods of Grand Line on her own, in hoping to find her way home… not knowing that she had fulfilled her promise…

And break the village’s curse.

---

You are wandering around the fogged oath, unable to see what's beyond. Suddenly, you heard footsteps. Behind you, in front of you, everywhere! You barely have a moment's rest when a mischievous-looking human-like creature appears before your very eyes. Shrieking, you fall back behind, astounded by what you see.

"Shishishi! Did I scare you?" The creature grinned hugely, enhancing his unique shaggy features with a stitched scar underneath his left eye.

Monkey D. Luffy, the Pookah, has arrived. Next

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ladywaterfall · 3 months

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I, for one, will never forget that time i wrote a mlp g2 fanfic in which moon shadow stole an ancient powerful necklace which granted the wearer the ability to see into the future from queen silver rain because moon was an orphan with no friends except dainty dove, who was a pegasus/earth pony hybrid and couldn't fly even after her moult (in this fanfic pegasi have fluffy wings until age 12, then they grow into their flight feathers), but then the leader of the orphanage twinkle star (who was also a pegasus/flutter pony hybrid) got hired by queen silver rain to murder dove, but dove escaped and is now hiding in the woods near the pegasus kingdom, but moon doesn't know that and is planning her revenge on the monarchy.

meanwhile, sundance hates her responsibilities as the princess of the earth ponies, along with her brother firefly and her sister crystal, who has always been overlooked by her parents sunsparkle and night star (who dies while trying to stop moon shadow from escaping with the necklace), until light heart commits arson in the castle during the midsummer day tryouts for a new jester (her popular sister trixiebelle was chosen instead of her) and she ans sundance escape through a secret passage which sunsparkle ordered secret tale and merry moments to build before they ran away to the lost library in the middle of the rainbow forest.

Afterwards sundance meets sweet berry (who is melanistic and has really strong magic) in a cottage in the woods and together they go back to the castle, assuming light heart was captured. they sneak into the castle and watch crystal deliver a prophecy about incoming doom, then sunsparkle tells sundance that sweet berry killed her sibling ivy with her magic. they look for light heart in the dungeons, but instead find moon shadow, who drugged all the guards and she knocks sundance unconscious right before light heart showed up. turns out she had been in hiding in a nearby town. they run away from the scene of the crime and decide to go to the lost library, but not before scaring all the royal guards with sweet berry's magic.

they meet merry moments and secret tale at the lost library, who casually tell light heart that she is a hybrid and that trixiebelle is not her real sister. sundance captures moon shadow and makes her give up the necklace that she took from crystal, and she joins their friend group. merry moments suggests that they should go to the flutter kingdom, because she doesn't recognise the necklace and the flutter kingdom is the most mysterious of all the kingdoms. moon shadow leaves to contact her ex girlfriend dainty dove.

sundance, light heart and sweet berry go to the flutter kingdom, where they meet an exiled border guard named morning glory. she says that the flutter kingdom is an opressive dystopia ever since the old rulers mysteriously disappeared and were replaced by the new queen. morning glory disguses light heart and sweet berry as sundance's government officials and they visit the palace while sweet berry has an existencial crisis about killing ivy by accident five years ago. morning glory breaks into the royal library and finds out that she is actually the lost princess of the flutter ponies, but she rejects this responsibility in favour of escaping with light heart to the unicorn kingdom.

light heart meets her sister dainty dove, moon shadow, crystal (who ran away after sunsparkle tried to use her prophecy powers to declare war on the other kingdoms, and copper glow, who is an outcast from society due to not having magic. together they spy on queen silver swirl, and discover that she is stealing the unicorns' magic in order to conquer the world (why is every ruler in this fanfic trying to conquer the world smh) and that crystal is secretly half unicorn, and that the necklace was worthless all along. all the kingdoms go over and have an epic fight, which the main characters stop of course. crystal also turns her mom into a ghost because yes.

i spent half an hour typing this out.

DROP THE LINK-

but fr there's SO MUCH going on here. I love that you did that.

The corruption of ponies in power. arson. mysterious conspiracies. lost princesses. accidental murder?? turning your mom into a ghost. TRULY iconic. absolutely love it.

#also g2 representation!#truly the first time I have seen night star in anything #the high stakes and drama wow #this reads like the plot of a YA novel OR how we actually played with our toys in childhood #my little pony #my little pony g2 #my little pony fic #g2 mlp

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fitzrove · 1 month

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Rambling about Hass in Elisabeth for a REALLY long time. TL;DR - yeah, it is necessary as a song...

Because of the costumes and staging people often just see it as "the antisemitism song", which it is, strongly, but I think sometimes the wider context presented therein is ignored. Really, the song shows how antisemitism and hatred are fuelling and entangled with other movements!!

The nationalists in that song come from various groups and social classes, and identify as their enemies:

Socialists

Pacifists

Jewish writers

Jewish women

"Those who are not like us"

Crown prince Rudolf (because of his - historically strong - friendships and other positive associations with Jews)

The Habsburgs as a whole

Elisabeth and her Heinrich Heine (= a Jewish poet) monument project (which also attracted such strong criticism from German nationalists [Austrian Germans who were nationalists, not "Germans" in the modern sense] historically)

Hungary

The "barons" - so the nobility

The "slavic state"

The ongoing "betrayal of the people"

And to contrast, they identify as good:

Strength ("the strong wins, the weak fails", and also "strong leaders") and "purity"

"Unity"

Glory/splendour ("pracht")

Christian values

"Unified Germany", an alliance with Prussia and even an Anschluss (the joining of Austria and other "ethnically German" [so-called] lands to the German Reich. Hmm does anyone remember who also strove for and eventually implemented this... /s)

The conservative Wilhelm II as emperor (again, they want to join Austria into the German Reich)

So like. There is a glorification of all things "German" and of conservative values (religion) and reactionary power politics ("weakness" was and is by similar groups now considered to be a major flaw of liberalism and a liberal world order - in the song, pacifism and socialism are also connected to it), as exemplified by Wilhelm II's Germany specifically. To contrast, racial enemies ("non-Germans") threatening "racial purity" must be eliminated, with violence if necessary. And the Habsburg monarchy, being a multinational empire, is described as immoral and weak because of it being multinational (and the position of Slavs and Hungarians in politics and imperial administration).

The themes of "betraying the people" (Volksverrat) are especially interesting because the enemies of the nationalists as listed in the song, Jewish women, pacifists and socialists, were also the people blamed for German defeat in WW1 (the "stab in the back" at the home front myth). It's overall 19th and 20th century anti-establishment fascist imagery.

Ajdkkf I don't think I'm clearly making my argument but the song's key functions are:

To dispel the myth of the late 19th century being "the good old days", the glory days of Austria before the world wars somehow magically came to happen and ruined it. In fact, the songs shows that the developments leading to the world wars stem from politics and mass movements of hatred that developed alongside and gave power to & drew power from nationalism in the 19th century

To show the audience exactly what Rudolf is talking about in "Die Schatten werden Länger (reprise)". What is the "evil that is developing"? It's not Rudolf's personal petty wish for more power, or his angst about not being emperor yet, or some generic amorphous disdain for how FJ is reigning; it's not the lack of Hungarian independence either, for god's sake. I will die on this hill, if you cut Hass or replace it with conspiracy or whatever you can cut Rudolf as well, Elisabeth as a show is (in my opinion) a good portrayal of him precisely because it depicts him as a political thinker (in contrast to many depictions and post-Mayerling accounts which diminish that and just talk about Mayerling and his "immorality" - a talking point devised by the nationalists and antisemitists who hated him lol, liberal politics were connected to lack of morality) and someone who, unlike most of his contemporaries, saw that antisemitism, emphasis on "power" and realist power politics, exclusionary/hateful rhetoric and excess nationalism would lead to ruin. AND Hass also shows that he was hated by the German nationalists for this! As was his mother, for her sympathy to Heine...

To connect genuine popular dissatisfaction (from Milch - Hass is a reprise of Milch in terms of rhythm and the call-and-response structure where Lucheni talks to the crowd) with inequality, the lack of democracy and the excesses of royalty... to the rise and presentation of fascism as a "solution"

To show that 19th century nationalism was, in many ways, exclusionary, antisemitic, racist and "war-mongering", and that this rhetoric is old - not somehow magically appearing for WW2 and then disappearing again - and will time and again rise... and that it's everyone's responsibility to recognise it for what it is when it happens, if we are to have a reasonable, decent world to live in.

The framing of Hass sometimes confuses people I will never recover from that one post cancelling Elisabeth das musical for being antisemitic because Hass exists ajiddfkdllfgl what's next, it's pro-suicide and homophobic because a character technically dies from being gay? but to me it's rather clear that it's unsympathetic lol, with the whole doomsday atmosphere (no music, just footsteps/marching and drums and screaming, it's meant to be threatening), the way the ensemble harshly criticises the most sympathetically portrayed characters we have seen so far (Elisabeth and Rudolf) for things that seem petty and harmless (having Jewish friends), and the extremely direct comparison drawn to N*zism (to indicate what such a movement would develop to) in many stagings. I don't know how to say this but somehow I've always assumed that "H*tler and n*zism = evil" is EXTREMELY common knowledge and it mystifies me when people like. Think it should have been stated more clearly in the show. Like, the show is working off the assumption that you know what it is and that it's bad because of the millions and millions of people they killed............. this is EXTREMELY common knowledge in Europe, not least in Germany and Austria lol.

So um yeah akwkldlf, sorry for the ramble, I just feel like the song can be poorly understood and criticised on shaky ground sometimes. I mean, I am not Jewish and not equipped to talk about whether it's triggering or traumatising to watch especially with lived or family experience of antisemitic violence... But I think for non-Jewish people there is a huge responsibility to be aware and vigilant of antisemitism, historically and in the present, and sometimes it needs to be hammered home for people to understand...

By that last point I also somewhat mean... I think you don't "get" to be triggered by it if you're not Jewish but perhaps otherwise affected by politics of hatred. Of course I'm not emotions police lol, but many Jewish people have intergenerational trauma AND have to live with extremely similar antisemitic rhetoric and culture to this day, so there I understand criticisms - and there is also a discussion to be had about how and to what extent it is ok to use and display Jewish suffering as a device to educate non-Jewish people.

But anyway, to my original point. This is something I've seen people say and I just... if you're queer and it makes you uncomfortable to see Hass because modern n*zis hate you and it's traumatic, I mean, it's valid to feel uncomfortable and you can choose not to watch it personally to avoid being triggered, but you don't get to call for it to be erased from the show for "problematic content" or for "escapism" or to make you feel better. It is there because the destruction of the 19th century world, and Rudolf's and Elisabeth's suffering, is intrinsically tied to the rise of such hateful politics and without that being shown there is no show. You don't get to make it something it's not, this show is not ONLY an epic gothic romance with imaginary boyfriend, it's a commentary on past, present and future politics in that it shows the dangers of conservatism, antisemitism, racism and illiberalism. Calling for or supporting censorship, or state emphasis on militarism/"destroying the enemy", or advocating hatred, violence or oppression against any group based on ethnicity, religion, race, political views, etc. are all political stances held by and propagated by various people today in various political contexts. And you are not immune to antisemitism or reactionary nationalism if you're queer or whatever, so you have the constant responsibility to think critically about your worldview and your politics!!

#politics #musicals #theatre

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stromuprisahat · 11 months

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Question: how do you justify what the darkling did to Genya, Alina and Nikolai? I don’t even mean this to sound rude, but I’m just genuinely curious how you just brush past that when you say the Darkling never did anything he’d have to apologize for 🙃

I'd start with stating that I don't like the word "justify". Google says its meaning is "to show or prove to be right or reasonable", which to me sounds like something that's expected whenever you're about to do something that might offend or hurt anyone. Like pre-made apology you owe people even though you might not have anything to apologize for in the end.

It's really about lack of better words. Czech dictionary translates "justify" as "odůvodnit" or "ospravedlnit", out of which the first one is strictly without that moral baggage. Closer to "give reason".

Aleksander's actions are often perceived out of context, as malicious crimes he committed for his own enjoyment, or whatever suits the antis best, while there are plenty of factors we shouldn't fail to consider.

Ravka- The country he loves, even though it doesn't love him. Rarely peaceful- according to Shadow and Bone, current wars last for over a century. Drained by both its neighbours, split in two for long enough it's pretty unbelievable the West is only planning to secede, poor, with ruling class, who doesn't care and has no reason to.

Grisha- From outright hated to respected, but in constant danger anywhere else, Aleksander manged to carve out a place for them under conditions. The Crown allows Grisha to live right on its backyard (to better keep an eye on), safely train and serve as soldiers or servants of noble houses, as long as they're useful, but... also has no need or intention to take it further. Grisha are glorified, envied serfs in fancy clothes. They're used by monarchy, despised and distrusted by masses, as proved by several little things throughout the first book and instant pogroms once the Fold moves (And don't forget there were no survivors- no true witnesses-, aside from few of the Darkling's people.).

His own lives' experience- Let's be honest- centuries of watching his people- however close- die, drawbacks, betrayals, constantly repeating history... gives one quite a perspective. It's a miracle the Darkling is merely numb and tired, yet somehow hardly unfeeling. Unlike the young heroes he possesses enough self-control not to start begging, crying, screaming... He's lashing out, when he has a reason to believe it won't bite him in the ass, he's petty and hurts others, punishing them for hurting him.

setting- Forget 21st century morality. If we're talking about 19th century-esque world, it wouldn't only have fancy nobles, dashing princes to play pirates privateers and masses of uneducated peasants. The reason people think the way they do is they got there somehow. Ravka still has servitude, for gods' sake! Lives don't matter the way people want them to today! It won't be only about some being rich and some poor, there should be huge differences depending on one's circumstances of birth, bloodlines, wrongs or slights generations old... I'm aware we're suppose to pretend Alina get a pass, because she's "Living Saint", but for example slapping a member of royalty should cost her. Bastard or not, you let it slide once, and next thing you know people are getting ideas and building guillotines.

Now to your question:

Genya is the easiest. She got punished for disobeying direct order, betraying the Darkling for a girl she hardly knew and who was too self-involved to truly act like the friend Genya for some reason suddenly feels her to be.

Aleksander let Genya close enough to be considerably honest around her, at least regarding his intentions with Lantsovs. Dangerous thing to do for a man in his position (and although I have my theories, this reply is no place for them). That's why he made it personal. She didn't only abandon their cause, she hurt him, so he took what she valued most about herself, fitting his revenge into her expectable punishment.

He could've had her whipped. To death even. Instead he chose more personal approach.

Alina's the messiest, because way too many feelings got involved and Aleksander's shit in handling those. His only lasting relationship is his abusive mother, others tend to die on him. Alina's a personification of a dream. Someone to keep him company for the rest of eternity. A companion he longed for for so long, he's not able to handle the bitter truth. I don't think he ever considered his "One and Only Equal" might not be interested in his goals and while he might rationally understand Alina's so much younger, he quickly loses his patience and decides to speed up her development because her young self is interfering with his general plans.

Now, while younger Aleksander might have been more passionate, he was never allowed the luxury of recklessness or even childhood, as a consequence of which he has no idea how to handle hormonal teenagers. Alina's worldview is incredibly narrow and she has several mental mechanisms to prevent her from changing that, while Aleksander's living in constant paranoia, possibility of fight or flight 24/7. They're incompatible the way they are- Alina unwilling to change, Aleksander too rigid and lacking the luxury of choice- yet in each other's way too much to merely split up. The Darkling needs the Sun Summoner as a tool and a symbol, and as long as he breathes, Alina won't have a chance to regain her beloved anonymity.

What he did to her?

The Collar was his hand forced. Unreliable deserter possessing the power he needed to ensure ceasefire.

What else is there that couldn't be explain by simple "They're on opposite sides of a conflict."?

The only other moment that comes to my mind is him burning down the orphanage, one of my favourites. The situation is thus:

The Darkling occupies the Throne (Yay!), but he lacks wide support, numbers and resources, therefore he's forced to rule by fear, which is no way to go, when he wants to build future, where Grisha are accepted. Who does have the love of masses, is an undeserving "Saint" and rogue prince, starving his own people, while being cheered on for it, because he's thwarting the Darkling at the same time. I'll ignore Nikolai for now. So, how do you catch a single person, who could be hiding anywhere, with help from anyone, while you can count on no one? You make them come to you. You make them show themselves under circumstances you control.

Alina already fled slaughter of others three times, one she even directly caused. She might pretend to be a do-gooder, but she truly cares only about herself and her otkazat'sya past. Threatening Malyen already proved to be fruitful, but that one's out of Aleksander's reach, so he tries the next best thing. Destroying her "home". There's also poetry in it- he lost his mother for Alina, it's only fair she'd lose hers. As a symbol of the past Alina's so stubbornly clinging to, there's even some chance it WILL really hurt her, which is certainly plus for his vengeful self.

Eventually it proves to be ruthless, simple and utterly brilliant. Alina falls for his threat and meets him in the Fold.

It's a beautiful example of sacrificing a few (The Grisha teachers probably stayed with the children for their sake, and residents of the orphanage were also just doing their jobs as far as we know.) to end civil war and bring the other side to heel. Ravka wasn't able to handle two-front war, opening third one was insanity and I'm genuinely surprised the country didn't fall (or that West didn't use it to finally free itself from East). With Alina's power under control the Darkling could've attempted "Peace or the Fold" again, perhaps even succeed this time.

And then we have Nikolai.

Second-born Lantsov thwarting his plans, proposing "his" Sun Summoner, loved by masses and army alike because unlike Aleksander, he's otkazat'sya. Goals? Same. Positions? Incomparable. Willingness to give everything? Yes for both.

In better world, they could've been allies. One easily accepted, the other highly experienced. But the story doesn't want that, so Nikolai is serious contender and an obstacle in Aleksander's way to "Fine, I'll do it myself.". He needs to be gone. Killing him would be easiest and most permanent, but Kolya fucked up, when he made it personal.

Tricking the Darkling, shooting him, proposing to his "not"gf, evacuating royal family AND Baghra, starving his forces once Darkles sits on the throne... taking away Nikolai's most valuable quality, while keeping him conscious enough to comprehend it is the way to go!

There's also a POV that says showing your essence down your rival's throat to irrecoverably change him might be seen as a romantic gesture or outright foreplay, but I happen to be a Fannibal, so I'm aware the majority of Grishaverse fans might find my ideas of romance a bit harder to digest (pun absolutely intended).

To sum up: Most of the Darkling's actions corresponds with his position of 19th century-esque war general and revolutionary attempting Coup to save his bankrupt country, while hated by masses and lacking resources. Plus a drop of clever, petty vindictiveness.

(And whole bucket of bad writing, because there are things that just DON'T MAKE SENSE- both regarding worldbuilding and characterisation.)

#reply #Grishaverse #The Darkling #Genya Safin #Alina Starkov #Nikolai Lantsov #Darklina #Darkolai #grishanalyticritical #Ravka #Grisha #self centred and paranoid #degraded!Genya

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plethoraworldatlas · 3 months

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Basics of WoT: 4th Age

This is the starting information/overview of the state of the world in the grand scale for the Fourth Age project I worked on.

The setting takes place 25-35 years after the very end of the series (Most likely 1035 NE; A new Calendar has been proposed amongst all Dragon Peace nations, but only some have decided to start phasing it in, using two calendars until 1100 NE/65 PD "Post Dragon Reborn")

The Industrial Revolution has taken swing, the new Printing Press in particular igniting a thousand different fires of revolution and repression

Powers and abilities from Ages past creep back into the world, and new Powers never seen appear as well

The "Peace" of the Lands

The Dragon Peace unites all of the Westlands (also called Marhol) not occupied by the Seanchan, as well as the Aiel Three-fold Lands under a order of peace, with the Aiel taking the role of the primary Peacekeepers

The Griffin Truce, named for the Seanchan Raven and the Lion of Andor as the signing took place in Caemlyn, has formalized non-aggression between the Dragon Peace United nations and the Seanchan occupation and its Imperial Dominions

The Seanchan Empire under Empress Fortuona rules its Dominions, yet under the the Viewings of the Doomseer, they have yet to return in force to their fractured home Continent to reform the Empire as a whole

Republicanism has become a fire sweeping through a world of Monarchies, splitting the young Empire of the Sun and the founding member of the Republic's League, the Rivers Republic

The White Tower is rocked by scandal after the greatest journalistic reporting of the century reveals to the world a major secret of the Hall, as well as the different directions the Ajahs move

The Black Tower raises in prominence, yet the world still distrusts male channelers

The great Empire of Shara has collapsed to the joy of those they subjugated for centuries, only for the "Restoration Peacekeeping" to lead to strife as outsiders try to decide the fates of entire peoples

the Aiel balance their role as peacekeepers with the reckoning coming towards them; Fueds with the Seanchan, the uncertain future of the Three-fold Lands, New visions of possible futures guiding their choices as peacekeepers yet still each choice made to prevent one dark future seems to cause another. The Clans united under the Dragon Reborn, but what of the new holds in the Wetlands? What of the remnant Free Shaido? What of the Warrior society's without wars?

The Atha'an Meire have formed their Empire of All Seas in reaction to the new age of imperialism, Traveling and Gateways, and industrial trading

The Shadow's Corruption has diminished from the Blight, yet monsters and Trollocs and Darkfriends and Turned remain; With the Dark One sealed away, however, the now Free Trolloc are said to have turned from the chains their old master put on their minds, and collaboration between the White and Black Towers lead many to believe those forcibly Turned to the Shadow may yet be saved. Ancient hate does not die easily, and the Broderlanders and the world at large itch to take the new frontiers of the Wild North, to Crusade against what is seen as the last vestiges of the Dark

The Borderland Bloc has formed to unite the weary borderlanders among the Dragon Peace and rebuild greater and with more prominence; In 2 years, the First Premier Imperator's 12 year term shall end and a new ruler of the Bloc must be elected, with nearly every choice leading the Bloc into one grand conflict or another

Everloyal Darkfriends scheme still, and those forced to serve the Dark fight to survive a world where there is little mercy for those so much as touched once by the Shadow. Dreadlords attempt to carve out realms of their own

This and more is the state of the world.

Will the peace hard fought for stand strong, or is such a thing a fantasy during the rising Age of Empires and Industry? Will the world become one where all peoples and perhaps even all species exist together, or is domination inevitable? In a new age, called the Fourth Age by some, will the times to come be known as a Great Ending, or a Great Beginning?

Notes:

I ramped up on some of the poetical wordings for this. Also, my notes are harder to read than I remember. Marhol is directly from @highladyluck from Tumblr, I was working on this long enough to see them post their idea for the name of the Continent and I always liked it better than Westlands. Obviously, Rand wanted the Dragon Peace to bring, well, peace, but it's still basically just a Renaissance version of the EU; These are nations that have fought since their founding, facing a changing world, an empire occupying their Continent's western coast, and strung together under an agreement they were forced to sign with peacekeepers they don't understand as a culture who also aren't honestly the best option. The Aiel got flanderized in the last books by Sanderson, but there are serious issues with them being last minute made into basically the nationality of Peacekeepers. The Seafolk Empire is interesting in that it forms to protect their trading culture as well as the ports they were granted yet remains a brutal empire. The Borderland Bloc is similar, the borderlanders basically thanklessly fighting the Shadow for centuries while many thought the Trollocs they fought fairy-tales, being the most devastated nations after the Last Battle, unifying to rebuild each other and make sure the rest of the Dragon Peace remembers them; Still, every choice for the future leader is an iffy one. Don't worry, Malkier has been reformed, it has an interesting place in this mess. Everyone admits Shara was a mess, so I decided to try and fix it; Shara is the name of the Continent, but also the Empire that ruled it, and the other nations they oppressed and erased are "free" with its fall. This being the beginning of the age of imperialism, though, how "free" they are under "reconstruction" is soon to be decided. That's it for this one, go ahead and ask questions about the summary, keep in mind I will be doing posts for basically every nation and faction I have so asking things like "what's up in Andor?" will be answered later or have a special post to ask under. Please share if you like, this is basically my first big attempt at a project like this.

#wheel of time fourth age #wot book spoilers #wot #wot on prime #wheel of time

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tomorrowusa · 4 months

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Uganda is Africa's most homophobic country. And the hatred unleashed there by the government and extremist religious groups has led to violence.

A prominent Ugandan LGBTQ+ activist is in a critical condition after he was stabbed on his way to work on Wednesday by unknown assailants on a motorbike.

Steven Kabuye, 25, suffered knife wounds and was left for dead in the assault on the outskirts of the capital Kampala before being found by local residents, police said. Human rights defenders have been warning about the risk of attacks on members of the LGBTQ+ community after Uganda last year adopted what is considered one of the harshest anti-gay laws in the world. Kabuye told detectives investigating the incident that he had been receiving death threats, according to a statement issued by police spokesperson Patrick Onyango. “According to Mr Kabuye, two unidentified individuals on a motorcycle, wearing helmets, approached him. The passenger jumped off and attacked him, specifically targeting his neck with a knife,” Onyango said. “Kabuye managed to shield his neck with his right arm, resulting in a stab wound to his hand. Despite attempting to flee, the assailants chased and stabbed him in the stomach and left him for dead,” he said, adding that local residents had found him and taken him to a medical clinic.

You can in certain instances get the death penalty for being gay in Uganda. The assailants probably felt it was their duty to try to murder Steven Kabuye.

In May last year, Uganda adopted anti-gay legislation containing provisions making “aggravated homosexuality” a potentially capital offence and setting out penalties for consensual same-sex relations of up to life in prison. Homosexuality has long been illegal in Uganda under a colonial-era law criminalising sexual activity “against the order of nature”, with life imprisonment possible for a conviction. The new law added further offences and punishments. Kabuye had posted on X that he was deeply concerned about the consequences of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023. “This law violates basic human rights and sets a dangerous precedent for discrimination and persecution against the LGBTQ+ community. Let us stand together in solidarity and fight against bigotry and hate,” he wrote.

Uganda is a good place to avoid even if locals just think you are LGBTQ+.

Uganda's homophobic President Yoweri Museveni seized power in January of 1986. That's so long ago that the Space Shuttle Challenger was still intact when he began his reign as de facto president for life. According to the journal Foreign Policy, Museveni may be looking to turn Uganda into a North Korea-style monarchy without crowns.

Politics in Uganda has become a parable of dynastic decay. For 37 years, President Yoweri Museveni has ruled with a supporting cast of relatives, army officers, and hangers-on. They see themselves as the only ones capable of running the country—and have profited handsomely from doing so. Museveni has twice had the constitution rewritten to remove limits on his rule. But he is now 78, and he cannot rewrite biology. Enter his 49-year-old son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba: a hard-drinking, trash-tweeting soldier who considers himself “the most handsome General on earth.” After a rapid promotion through the army ranks, Kainerugaba says he wants to run for president at the next election in 2026.

Uganda is part of the corrupt Axis of Homophobia which includes Russia and Iran. It deserves the same opprobrium which is directed at those decrepit régimes.

#lgbtq+#homophobia #steven kabuye #uganda #violence against gays #the axis of homophobia #yoweri museveni #muhoozi kainerugaba

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crybqbyme · 10 months

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01. Eternal vows - Union ------------------------------------------------------------------------

synopsis: The story revolves around two individuals, a vampire prince, Lee felix and princess _, who have been bound together in an arranged marriage since birth. As they navigate the challenges of their unique union in the modern world, they discover unexpected feelings and form a connection that transcends their initial obligations.

Pairing: Lee Felix

Genre: Angst/fluff Word count: 2.3k

previous - next

A arrangement made many many moons ago before you were even born. The kingdoms of Sunsuhan, which was led by the Lee’s and kingdom Esteria led by the the Aeryn’s. The kingdoms had been close since Esteria’s democracy turned to a monarchy when the most benevolent individuals in Esteria led the people to freedom. In order to receive protection from the kingdom of Sunsuhan, the second child of the family must marry the second child of the Lee’s. This event will unite the kingdoms and make them one, the kingdom will then be ruled by the couple.

At a young age you were told that you were going to save your kingdom and grant a blessing onto the townsfolk.

At a young age you were told that you were going to get to meet the ‘man of your dreams’ once you reached age 14.

At a young age you were told that you were going to marry the most handsome man at age 20.

At a young age you were told that you were a sacrifice.

At a young age you were told that you were receiving a blessing.

At a young age you were told that you didn’t have a choice in life.

At a young age you learned that you didn’t have a choice…

A rather loud knock interrupted your peaceful slumber. The anonymous individual shouted your name multiple times claiming that you were going to be late. Late? Late for what?

”Yes? What do I owe the pleasure of?” I inquire sounding rather sarcastic,” clearly, not my sleep…”

”My dear princess? Oh good, you’ve awoken from your deep slumber. I hope you slept all write. Um.. what did I come here for again? Oh yes! Happy birthday Princess! Your father would like to meet you at the dining hall.” The servant blabbers on for a few more seconds before leaving me to my thoughts.

Well, as a fourteen-year-old, its best to start of this year with a ‘new-year-new-me’ deal, so might as well be productive and begin getting dressed.

You head into my bathroom and stare at myself in the mirror. Glances through my body start from your hair to your feet, you don’t look any different nor do you feel any older. You go through all of the basics, from brushing your teeth to showering to changing into the outfit laid in front of your dresser. The gown is simply breathtaking, the ensemble was designed to capture the essence of regal elegance. Crafted from the finest silk, it cascades down in a voluminous A-line silhouette, gently hugging the bodice before flowing gracefully to the floor. A shimmering, iridescent sheen graces the fabric, creating an ethereal effect as it catches the light. The gown's waist is cinched with a dainty yet opulent satin sash, adorned with embroidered motifs and tiny pearls. From the waistline, the skirt billows out in layers of cascading fabric, akin to a cascade of moonlit waterfalls. You slip it on and watch as it falls to the floor, the size is fit perfectly no adjustments needed. The measurements must have been taken last week when three maids bombarded you with questions and harshly laid a string of measurement tape around my body.

The dazed stare in your eyes in cut off as the room door opens. A knight steps inside, sir Gregory. He’s been with me since childhood, a sad smile is laced across his face. His arms open up in the direction of the door, holding it out for you. Out of curtsy, a similar smile masks over you feature and I head out the door.

Sir Gregory steps onto your gown, a rather grimacing look is now plastered onto my face, but even at 14, I know not to interfere with the guards.

After a bit of a stroll, you are met with the doors of the dining room. Two intimidating guards appear in front of you and push the door open. You head inside with expectations to see your father and hope for a small visit from your mother, however, you gaze was met by a rather young boy and his two parents. The boys gaze doesn’t meet yours and his parents stare back with a sinister smile.

”Ah! Yes, my dear daughter. I’m glad to see that you have made it.” A fake laugh leaves your father's mouth, “Let me introduce you to Your Majesties, Mr. and Mrs. Lee and their son, prince Felix.”

As if on command, prince Felix lifts his head and smiles, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

You turn your head to them and bow with a confused smile.

As your father beckons everyone to sit down, your gaze is still captured onto Felix’s. Once you find your seat, which is to the right of your fathers, you tilt your head in his direction and mumble something to him.

”Good morning father, might I inquire as to the reason for their presence?” the side of my eyes peering to the strange individuals to the left of me.

”Verily, I sought to apprise thee of this matter at a later hour; however, I deem the present moment opportune. As thou art well cognizant, Felix doth bear the princely title of Sunsuhan, whilst thou, my dear, art the esteemed princess of Esteria.” my father informs alerting the attention of the king and queen, their gaze following mine, “A myriad of years hath passed since an arrangement was forged for thou twain. To unite the nations, thy union in marriage is the decree, that as one united realm, thou shalt reign o'er the lands, ruling both nations in harmony.”

Upon hearing the revelation, a mix of emotions swirls within you. The weight of responsibility and destiny settles heavily on your young shoulders, and you find it difficult to grasp the enormity of the situation. The realization that your entire life has been leading up to this moment, the joining of two kingdoms through your marriage, is both awe-inspiring and daunting.

As your gaze returns to Felix’s you notice his brown eyes look quite different to yours. Instead of uncertainty in his eyes, you notice a flicker of fear in his yet it changes back into a neutral gaze.

Attempting to maintain composure, you give a polite nod to the visiting royals, acknowledging the significance of their presence. Your mind races with questions, a desire to know more about Felix, and whether he shares the same feelings of trepidation and confusion since you can’t read his expressions at all.

“Oh dear princess, I know it must be terrifying to know that you will become a vampire in the future, but we assure you that you have nothing to fear.” the queen replies with a look in her eyes that makes you shrink under her gaze.

“Father… what?”my heart starts pacing, a veil of dread covering my line of vision.

“Don’t test my patience just accept it as it is,” he says. “Especially after I have constructed a compromise according to your whims, young lady.”

Your brow furrows. You have no idea where this is going but you know you won’t like it, because you never like it.

After a tense breakfast filled with awkward silences and guarded glances, the final morsels are consumed, and the dining hall clears. As you rise from your seat, still grappling with the overwhelming revelation, your father's voice fills the room once more, commanding attention. With a somber tone, he addresses Prince Felix and his parents.

"Do not leave yet my child, as part of the unification of our realms, it is now time to acquaint you with the rest of the arrangements," he declares, his gaze lingering on you and Felix. "Henceforth, you, Princess, and Prince Felix shall share the same abode. A decision we believe will foster understanding and camaraderie between the two of you."

You don’t even bother to glance a Felix, knowing that his expression will hold no emotion.

Your father continues, "In addition, both of you shall commence your education together at the Royal Academy, a place where knowledge and friendship shall be cultivated side by side."

So, now he's taking over your life?! He’s going to be in your bed, in your school, in your everyday life for the rest of your life…

"Furthermore," your father announces, "when you both reach the age of 18, the engagement shall take place, sealing the bond that will unite our kingdoms in an unbreakable alliance. And at the age of 20, the marriage will come to fruition, symbolizing the harmony between our lands.”

After his speech, you choose to stay silent knowing that the consequences of opening your mouth could result in embarrassment and possibly harm. Cautiously, you lift up your head and peer at my father, he gives me an approving nod and requests Felix to follow behind me with his stuff. As you prepare to leave the room, you can't help but notice the king's demeanor, his expression seemingly tinged with a hint of displeasure. Politely acknowledging him with a nod, you step outside the dining hall. It strikes you that you've had only a brief interaction with Felix, a mere hour at most, hardly enough time for meaningful conversation—more like fleeting glances exchanged. Nervously, you find your hands absentmindedly fiddling with the fabric of your dress, and as you do, a loose pearl comes free, landing softly in your palm.

As your gaze fixates on the pearl, the door opens, and Felix enters the room. You half-expect him to be carrying a suitcase filled with his belongings, but all he has is a simple gray duffle bag slung over his shoulder. Deciding to keep your distance, you lead him through the castle's halls. However, as you traverse the familiar passageways, you can't help but notice an eerie absence—the knights who usually stand guard along the halls leading to your room are nowhere to be seen.

”What the? Where are all the guards?” softly, you find yourself questioning out loud.

Felix’s deep voice makes you jump, “Well princess, since I am a vampire my abilities are more enhanced then the guards that protect you, so instead, I’ll be the one protecting you instead. I hope you do not mind.”

As I spin around, our eyes meet. His gentle smile seems almost deceptive, like a mask hiding something, especially considering the unexpectedly deep voice that emanates from such a young boy. But in the blink of an eye, that warm facade dissipates, replaced by a neutral expression that only fuels my frustration. Why is he so unreadable? Does he know something I don't? Was he aware of the arrangements before I was? The questions churn within me, adding to my growing irritation.

“I do mind. You’re corrupting my life! Wherever I go you’ll be there! What ever I do you’ll be behind me! I don’t understand and I despise you.” your mind goes blank, and without thinking, I unleash a scream at him. But when I meet his gaze again, his reaction surprises me. It's not a hurt expression like I expected; instead, it appears emotionless. Feeling unsettled, I spin myself around and resume the walk to our room, enveloped in a cloud of upset silence.

As we enter the opulent room, an awkward silence hangs in the air.

"So, um, where should I put my stuff?" Felix asks hesitantly, breaking the tension.

You give a half-hearted smile, trying to act nonchalant hoping it made up slightly for your outbreak, "I'll, uh, make some space in the wardrobe." Your mind races with thoughts, but you can't find the right words to express them. The weight of the arranged marriage bears heavily on you, whereas Felix looks like he doesn’t care. As you clear a few hangers for his clothes, you can feel his gaze on me, but you dare not look back. This whole situation is just too overwhelming, and the silence between us only amplifies the uncertainty.

“Is this enough space?” you question, sparing him a side glance.

”Yes, thank you.” he mutters as he walks past me.

As night draws near, a sense of curiosity about Felix takes hold of me. The events of the day have been overwhelming, and amidst the chaos of arrangements and revelations, I can't help but wonder about the young prince who will now be a constant presence in my life. As I sit in my room, the grandeur of the castle surrounds me, but my thoughts are consumed by the enigma that is Felix.

My father summons us to join him for dinner. The atmosphere during the walk to the dining hall is heavy with an awkward silence, broken only by the sound of our footsteps echoing through the castle's corridors. Upon entering the grand dining hall, we find my father as the sole presence at the table. His keen gaze assesses both of us before gesturing for Felix and you to take your seats. A servant stands nearby, awaiting instructions.

My father clears his throat, and the room falls into silence. "I hope you both have had some time to bond over this arrangement," he begins, his tone stern and uncompromising. "You must understand that neither of you has a say in this matter, and any attempt to interfere or voice discontent will carry significant consequences. I shall retire from the room as I have already eaten. Take this opportunity to get to know each other better, for it is clear that communication between you both needs improvement."

With that, he departs, leaving us to face the weight of his words and the reality of our bound destinies. The silence in the dining hall is palpable, now filled with the unspoken tension between Felix and me. Worst. Birthday, Ever.

#stray kids #stray kids imagines #stray kids fanfiction #lee felix #lee felix x reader #lee felix x you #lee felix imagines #vampire felix #fantasy au #vampire au #felix imagines #felix image #stray kids imagine #fanfic #jyp #jyp stray kids

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metamatar · 9 months

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I think…idk was Camus a colonialist because he didn’t want to leave Algeria where he and his mother were born and raised or was he human?

When the Algerian War began in 1954, Camus was confronted with a moral dilemma. He identified with the Pieds-Noirs such as his own parents and defended the French government's actions against the revolt. He argued the Algerian uprising was an integral part of the "new Arab imperialism" led by Egypt, and an "anti-Western" offensive orchestrated by Russia to "encircle Europe" and "isolate the United States".

Are you really trying to litigate the Algerian war of uprising in 2023 on this side? Are you really trying to argue with a communist from the third world that anti colonial revolt amounts to white genocide? Are you sure about this?

Torture was a procedure in use since the beginning of the colonization of Algeria, which was initiated by the July Monarchy in 1830. Directed by Marshal Bugeaud, who became the first Governor-General of Algeria, the conquest of Algeria was marked by a "scorched earth" policy and the use of torture, which were legitimized by a racist ideology. Other historians also show that torture was fully a part of the colonialist system: "Torture in Algeria was engraved in the colonial act, it is the "normal" illustration of an abnormal system", wrote Nicolas Bancel, Pascal Blanchard, and Sandrine Lemaire, who have published decisive work on the phenomena of "human zoos." From the smokings (enfumades) of the Darha caves in 1844 by Pélissier to the 1945 riots in Sétif, Guelma and Kherrata", the repression in Algeria has used the same methods. [...]

Since the French did not consider the conflict to be a war but rather "maintaining order" in the country, the military did not consider themselves tied by the Geneva Convention [...] Alleg's book detailed the various torture methods, which included the infamous gégène, an electricity generator initially used for telephones, sleep deprivation, and truth serums, etc. Beside torturing actual suspects, the French military also buried alive old men. [...] The systematic use of torture created a national controversy which has had lasting effects on French and Algerian society.

[...] Atrocities committed against Algerians by the French army during the war included indiscriminate shootings into civilian crowds (such as during the Paris massacre of 1961), execution of civilians when rebel attacks occurred,[119] bombings of villages suspected of helping the FLN,[45] rape,[120] disembowelment of pregnant women,[121] imprisonment without food in small cells (some of which were small enough to impede lying down),[122] throwing detainees from helicopters and into the sea with concrete on their feet, and burying people alive.[123][124][125][126] Torture methods included beatings, mutilations, burning, hanging by the feet or hands, torture by electroshock, waterboarding, sleep deprivation and sexual assaults.[120][123][127][128][129]

I'm not sure how after reading and even personally investigating this, seeing a small but significant part of the French left go on strikes about it you maintain neutrality through it and be called merely "human."

#anon #im not defending sartre i have no patience for his refusal to stand with palestine #cw: violence #cw: rape #cw: colonial atrocities

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atopvisenyashill · 6 months

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George Is A Coward For Never Doing Gay Incest

an incomplete list of gay incest he could have done, it was right fucking there come onnnn

Rhaenys/Visenya you are telling me lesbian icon Visenya who hates her husband and lives completely separately from him for decades but somehow managed to live with him while Rhaenys is alive wasn’t in love with Rhaenys? that the paternity of both aenys and maegor is questioned and we get nothing to delve into how that affected the relationship between the sisters? cowardly!

Viserys/Daemon, i’m gonna be honest EYE consider this canon and there’s nothing george can do about it, like daemon beats the messenger who told him viserys remarried bc he’s so mad and that’s NOT gay rage over how much he wants to be his brother’s wife so they can be aegon and visenya and conquer the world together, even while daemon flaunts his privileges as a man?? nah i see right through gyldayn’s heterosexuality.

Aegon II/Aemond, you're telling me Aemond calls himself protector of the realm while his brother is dying of his wounds but specifically doesn't call himself king, and Aegon throws Aemond a party after Aemond kinslays and helps kicks off the war and those two weren't fucking?? whack.

Baela/Rhaena, Baela has this amazing, bad ass, ultimately completely useless stand off that ends in the deaths of two dragons, eventually married to an uncle/cousin who cheats on her constantly, and is completely shut out of politics aka she gets Rhaenyra-ed, and meanwhile Rhaena gets two husbands that adore her, a dragon, and significant respect from the Lords, I am telling you there is some sort of psychosexual obsession here in how in order for Rhaena to rise (and HEAL), Baela must fall and suffer, and Baela "trying desperately to be Daemon's mini me" Targaryen wouldn't get obsessive over this.

Aegon III/Gaemon Palehair is possibly incest given we don’t know who Gaemon’s father is, also i know there’s an awkward age gap but see: my gay little hands and characters i like, also, there’s weird age gaps everywhere and aegon ii was old enough to have a bastard closer to aegon iii’s age if george had been less of a coward smh. so much here in the way gaemon’s crown is torn from his head along with his mothers and he’s forced to serve the monarchy, only to fall in love with the living embodiment of every painful memory gaemon has, of aegon resenting the crown on his own head bc if he’d been the fourth born son he could have never married and lived his life with gaemon, with his brothers, with his mother, but now they’re stuck in these roles that are going to devour them whole and he can see it coming but he can’t stop it!

Daena/Elaena, listen, two sisters with bastards who choose different sides of a war because daena has only ever found freedom with the traditional, racist fucks that want to crown her son so she throws her lot in with them because she will not be a prisoner ever again dammit and elaena was only ever freed when daeron allowed her an outlet for her immense intelligence and she’s in love with a dornish man who opens her eyes to the prejudices at court, and under all that are two girls who only ever found peace in the maidenvault through their small, stolen kisses and raising their bastards together, a little odd family forced together by the madness of their brother completely split apart by the madness of court LIKE??? HELLO?

Baelor Breakspear/Maekar, think of the POSSIBILITIES of how the monarchy is purposefully stepping away from incest only for two brothers so dissimilar to find an attraction between them they don’t understand, Maekar always jealous of all that Baelor is given while Baelor longs for Maekar’s relative freedom and they refuse to say what they really mean, how they really feel, and Baelor dies by Maekar’s hand IT IS GIVING ALRIGHT

Jon/Aegon VI, I will be pushing this literally until the day ados comes out and my whole “they gave show!dany aegon’s plot in the stormlands, the reach, and dorne which means jon/aegon is going to be full of homoeroticism and we will get a scene where Jon calls Aegon a child and Aegon throws a petulant fit in front of his unknown half baby brother” theory gets jossed. and if he doesn’t do it he’s a coward AND I STAND ON THAT.

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explodingsilver · 1 year

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Book review: Lightlark by Alex Aster

Back in January, I was in the mood to read a bad book, and Hoopla just so happens to have this one. You may remember hearing about it last year; it’s most famous for being 1) heavily advertised on TikTok, and 2) very poorly written. Turns out that second point is no joke. But it’s not just bad, it’s the specific flavor of bad that compels innocent bloggers on tumblr.edu to write 3,000 word reviews that don’t even exhaust every problem they had with the book. Such as myself, for example.

(This won’t be as long or as thorough as @crow-caller‘s definitive review, but it’s still the longest post I’ve ever written.)

The writing style

I’ve said it before, but the best way I can describe the writing style of this book is that it reads like it was written by a neural network that was trained entirely on Throne of Glass clones. Aster clearly knows what words she needs to use to make it fit the YA style, but she does not stop to consider whether the resulting sentence actually coheres. One of the more egregious examples:

Oro's betrayal was a glacier in her chest, throbbing and raw.

Are ‘throbbing’ and ‘raw’ really words that people use to describe glaciers? Because if so, that’s news to me.

But it’s not just the individual sentences that feel slightly off and more than a little bit auto-generated, it’s the whole damn plot. The sentences are merely a scaled-down version of this book’s uncanny feeling, like some strange literary version of Pumpelly’s rule. The actual plot is constructed with that same strategy of throwing the most popular components of YA fiction into one story with no thought given as to how they actually fit together. The protagonist, Isla Crown, is incredibly sheltered but also a fierce warrior, the plot revolves around an infamous fight-to-the-death where no one has actually died, there’s the two 500+ year old love interests, a rival woman whose main personality trait is hating the protagonist...

This is much more of a tangential problem, but I also suspect that the book would be about 3/4 of its current length if you just removed the unnecessary paragraph breaks. I can’t recall having that complaint about any other book I’ve read.

Lightlark and the Centennial

The whole conceit is that the titular island of Lightlark is surrounded by a storm that only lets up every 100 years, so the leaders of the six realms meet up during that brief window in order to try and break the curses on their realms. With a concept like that, you’d think that Lightlark is a vast wilderness with maybe a village of hardy recluses here and there, but no, it’s an absolute bustling city, practically the capital of the world. (As an aside, it’s hinted that the world does contain more than just the six realms, but the book is really bad at making this feel true.)

Let me preface my description of the Centennial with a disclaimer: I dislike it when a book’s magic system justifies the existence of hereditary monarchy. Obviously, a book’s magic system necessitating the existence of hereditary monarchy endears it to me even less. Well, guess what this book does! The prophecy they are following in order to break the curse says that a ruling line must come to an end, so none of these rulers have heirs. But in this world, a realm’s magic is stored in its royal family, being passed from parent to child, and if the line dies out, the whole realm will go extinct. Sad news for the guillotine fandom.

The Centennial is an infamously deadly affair, because in order for the prophecy to be fulfilled, someone has to die. Here’s the thing: this is the fifth Centennial, and all the realms are still around, meaning that no one has ever died at this notoriously fatal event. They’re not even allowed to try to kill each other until the halfway point, with the first half just being various demonstrations that are subject to the whims of the rulers who come up with them. Later this is explained by saying that it’s really tough to choose which realm has to die so the others can live, which fair enough, but still doesn’t explain the reputation.

Now, while everyone else tries to do their own thing, Isla and her best friend Celeste (the ruler of Starling) secretly try to find this fabled artifact called the Bondbreaker, which can break the curses, but requires enough blood to kill a person to activate. Their plan is to split the blood cost between them, and this should break the curses on their realms but not the others. Why Isla never suggests that all six look for it and split the blood cost six ways and break the curse for everyone is beyond me.

The realms and the curses

So first off, the six realms that are actually competing are named Wildling, Sunling, Moonling, Starling, Skyling, and Nightshade. I’m going to be real with you: I don’t like those names. The fact that five of them are [Noun]ling makes them feel like placeholders that Aster forgot to change before submitting the draft to a publisher, and ‘Starling’ and ‘Nightshade’ are already words with definitions that are never acknowledged by the book.

The curses are also strangely incongruent. Starlings all die at the age of 25, while Skylings can’t fly, something that no one else was able to do in the first place and so really doesn’t make me feel bad for them. The Wildlings, meanwhile, get hit with a double curse: they must kill whoever they fall in love with and they have to eat a human heart once a month!

Yeah, let’s talk about the Wildlings, shall we? Given that our protagonist is one, we end up learning a lot about them.

The Wildlings are, we’re told, a society of fierce Amazonian temptress warriors. They seem to be matriarchal, though this isn’t really explored in-depth. It’s also stated that they’re at risk of going extinct because of the curse that requires them to kill whoever they fall in love with. Now hold up: why would the society infamous for producing seductresses stick to monogamy so fiercely as to pose an extinction risk? You’d think a society like that would opt for a more “conceive via one-night stands and raise the child communally” approach or something similar, especially since this has been a problem for 500 years, but that would require Aster to think through the implications of her own worldbuilding.

Now you might be thinking “hey, maybe the extinction risk is because of the whole needing to eat human hearts thing”, and yeah, you might think. But that particular aspect of the curse is explored so little that I began to get the feeling that it only exists as an excuse for the Bad Boy Love Interest to give Isla the nickname ‘Hearteater’ (but more on him later).

(As a side note, the combination of the heart eating thing and them having nature powers made me realize that I would like them more if they were straight-up Bosmer with the serial numbers filed off, but that’s just my preference.)

Isla is notable in that, due to her parents falling in love without killing each other, she is not affected by the curses, but also has no powers. Given that the Centennial involves demonstrating her powers, she has to find ways to either fake it or distract everyone by doing something else. This is one of the few things I actually liked about the book, and also something that will be important to remember for later.

Isla’s abilities

Back when I read Throne of Glass, my biggest complaint with it was that it keeps hyping up Celaena as the most feared assassin in the land, yet she spends most of her screentime doing things like playing the piano and trying on pretty dresses. This book has the opposite problem: we’re constantly told that Isla is incredibly sheltered due to her guardians trying to hide her lack of powers, yet she is easily able to do things like beat two different 500+ year old guys (who have commanded armies!) in one-on-one combat. This is explained as her having been trained all her life by one of her guardians, but I still don’t think that accounts for her being strong enough to do that.

And speaking of things her guardians taught her: her guardians’ plan is for Isla to seduce the king of Lightlark, a notoriously cold and reclusive man, because in this universe, if someone falls in love with you, you get access to their powers, and since he has the power of four different realms, Isla would finally get actual powers. Do they ever test her to see if she can seduce anyone at all before sending her off to do this? No. They seem to be under the impression that packing a bunch of revealing dresses will be enough to do the trick.

Isla refuses to go along with this plan for reasons that amount to “I’m not a slut, I’m a good girl who wants True Love”. So of course, she gets herself into a love triangle.

The love interests

Because is it truly a bad YA book if the protagonist doesn’t have to choose between Boy Next Door and Badboy McHunky? (Good YA authors realize that this actually isn’t a necessary component.) As mentioned earlier, they’re both over 500 years old.

Badboy McHunky is Grimshaw (nicknamed Grim), the ruler of Nightshade. Here’s the thing: I fundamentally get the appeal of dark and brooding bad boy love interests, moreso than most people in my general Tumblr cohort. Darkness is sexy by default. So keep that in mind when I say that this guy did nothing for me. His only personality traits are being edgy and horny, and I say this as someone who generally considers those to be positive traits. And despite all the suggestive scenes and the book playing up their attraction to each other, I never figured out why he likes Isla in the first place.

He also just doesn’t really work as the bad boy that the book is trying to pass him off as. The book will do anything to sell him as a villain except for having him actually do anything evil on-screen. Even the reveal of the one genuinely bad thing he did makes him come across as less like a villain and more like some clueless schmuck who got played like a fiddle by the real villain.

Boy Next Door is Oro, the king of Lightlark and ruler of Sunling. He’s the one that Isla has been tasked with seducing, and he’s developed a sort of cold detachment from everyone specifically to prevent himself from falling in love. Of course, things like “spending a lot of time with Isla and at one point carrying her while flying Superman-style” don’t exactly work in service of that caution.

As a side note, given that he’s portrayed as cynical and world-weary, I spent the whole book picturing him as a handsome but tired bearded man. Imagine my disappointment when I finally saw the official art of him that shows him as looking like Ken from one of the newer Barbie movies. If this were a movie, he’d be played by one of the Sprouse twins.

In the end, I really did get some satisfaction out of Grim realizing that he can’t use Isla’s powers because she doesn’t love him anymore, while Oro can. But I get the impression that my reaction was supposed to be “serves him right”, and instead it was “oh thank fuck, she’s going to end up with the guy that she has the bare minimum amount of chemistry with”.

The plot twist(s)

Remember how earlier, I said that Isla’s lack of powers was one of the few things I truly liked about this book? Yeah, I use the past tense “liked” for a reason. Because not only is it revealed that she did in fact have Wildling powers the entire time, but her father was a Nightshade, and therefore she also has Nightshade powers! And the only reason she thought she was mundane is because her Nightshade powers were masking her Wildling powers! So not only does the best thing about the book not actually apply in the end, it doubly does not apply! It’s important to note that earlier, Oro told Isla that if a child is born to parents from different realms, the child only gets one realm’s power. I also don’t remember if the book ever addresses why she’s not affected by the curses if she’s had powers the entire time.

But that’s not all! It turns out that Celeste is actually Aurora, the one who caused the curses and is therefore immune to them, and has used her shapeshifting ability to pretend to be every member of her own line of descendants for the past 500 years! I don’t even want to try to comprehend the logistics of doing that.

But that’s not all! It turns out that the Bondbreaker is actually the Bondmaker, and its purpose is to steal someone’s powers!

But that’s not all! It turns out that Isla and Grim were in a relationship prior to the events of the book, and he memory wiped her so that she’d go along with her guardians’ plan! When she gets angry about this, he immediately tells her that he really did believe that this was necessary, as Aurora convinced him it was.

So Isla abruptly falls out of love with Grim, uses the Bondmaker on Aurora to steal her powers, and then kills Aurora, bringing the Starling ruling line to an end and fulfilling the prophecy. But since Isla now has Aurora’s powers, the Starlings don’t drop dead, and since Isla and Oro are in love, Isla now has all six powers.

The wardrobes

I know, I’m also surprised that there’s enough to say about this aspect to warrant its own section in the review. But there’s several things that bothered me about the Isla’s outfits, and I am normally not a stickler for fashion in books.

Thing number one: there was a weird color coding system in place for the realms, where every realm is obligated to wear one specific color. And by weird I don’t mean “counterintuitive”, because the color choices made sense, but weird as in “why does this system even exist in the first place?” I can understand color coding the leaders during the Centennial, but everyone must abide by this system all the time. The only reason I can think of is so that everyone can tell at a glance what realm any given person is from, which is something that I cannot see being used for good, but the book never even attempts to address this. But there’s a catch: because nature contains a variety of colors, Isla and the other Wildlings can wear any color they want as long as it’s not already claimed by another realm! Isn’t she unique? Here’s the problem: Aster seems to have forgotten that this is also true of the sky. The joke here is almost too obvious to make.

Another thing that bothers me is the anachronism in her clothing. I do not mean this in a “this fantasy based on a specific era has characters wearing clothes that went out of fashion ten years beforehand”, I mean that this is a medieval fantasy setting and yet Isla wears a modern day bra. She also owns several tank tops, which are even referred to as such by the text. Sometimes her outfit descriptions, particularly ones where she’s just relaxing in her room, make it sound like she’s about to get sold to One Direction. But not all of it. Sometimes you get descriptions like this:

[The armor] had been fashioned into parts that accentuated her figure while also protecting it–metal shoulder pads, chain mail sleeves and tights, metal-plated boots that ran up to the top of her thigh, a sculpted breastplate.

This is the kind of passage that would get posted to r/menwritingwomen and get 10k upvotes, with one comment pointing out that a woman wrote it buried in the comments section with 4 points. Why does she need chain mail tights if her boots cover all of her legs? How does she even move in those boots? Doesn’t matter. The first priority is looking sexy, with practicality a distant second.

Miscellaneous points that didn’t quite fit into the other sections

I understand that the marketing for this book promised diversity? Well, the actual extent of it is that the token black guy is mourning over his dead husband.

Isla does not realize that Starlings can use their magic to forge weapons despite watching them do it right in front of everyone in a previous chapter

The necklace Grim gives her is described as a “diamond large as a small potato”, and I’m torn between thinking about how much her neck must hurt and making a “large boulder the size of a small boulder” joke

The book implies that Isla has some sort of spine pocket and refuses to elaborate on this

One thing I will say in this book’s favor is that at least the title does not follow the ‘X of Y and Z’ format. I know that’s damning with the absolute faintest praise, but I really can’t tell books with those titles apart anymore.

At one point, Isla sees the teeth of some wicked creatures who are trying to kill her and realizes with fright that their teeth are "tools to eat with". This woman is ~20 years old and has gone most of her life not knowing what teeth are for.

Conclusion

Honestly, this isn’t the worst book I’ve ever read, it’s merely the worst professionally published book I’ve ever read (not counting those where the publishing house exists solely for the sake of that book, à la Handbook for Mortals). Lightlark is to Maas-style fantasy what Divergent was to YA dystopia: bad in a specific, formulaic way that exposes the scaffolding of the genre for all to see. It hasn’t caused the immediate collapse of the genre, but ten years from now it will be commonly cited as the beginning of the end.

#lightlark #alex aster #book review #ya fantasy #book discussion #original content do not steal

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grits-galraisedinthesouth · 1 year

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Meghan's Revenge Tour

Her "preggers" appearance on NOprah was designed to prevent Charles from "slimming down the monarchy" before the Queen's death.

Years ago, I recall "hearing" that Meghan was enraged 😡 to learn that at birth, the child could use Harry's titles, but not "prince or princess."

"Hell no. No son of mine is going to be called dumb." (Revenge p. 281)

Despite Scooby's tweet and Sara Latham's communications about forgoing titles to give Arkie a "normal life," Meghan hatched a "race card" plan to bully Charles.

The BRF was in a most vulnerable position as Prince Philip was hospitalized near death, and Queen Elizabeth was also suffering excruciating pain due to cancer.

This was the opportune moment for their enemy, Meghan Markle, to strike at them with baseless accusations about racism and fantastical stories about mental health.

Meghan needed those kids' titles for HER selfish purposes (and to ultimately leave Harry). She just confirmed to the entire world (again) that she is a pathological liar and a fraud.

In the end, all of this will backfire just like everything else she touches.

She has "markled" the invisibles.

It may take years for her treachery to be dealt with, but it is impossible to return EVIL for good, and simply carry on unscathed.

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.¹

Meghan Markle is a bully with "sharp elbows."² What Meghan wants, Meghan will bully ANYONE, even a child to get.³

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After the Queen's death, Scobie complained (via twatter) that the BRF website was not updated with Prince/Princess titles for the invisibles. No doubt, Meghan & Harry took legal action to DEMAND these titles.

It is past time for the BRF to issue restraining orders against the rabid "one plane crash away from the throne" Meghan & Harry. Also delete the non-working royals from the website.

¹Proverbs 16:18

²Told to Morton by mother of a childhood friend

³Harry's declaration to Palace Staff/Meghan bullied 3 year old Princess Charlotte

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#revenge #tom bower #fraud and fraudess #frauds #meghan markle is a liar #meghan markle is a nightmare #meghan markle is a bully #megxit #markled #strip the sussex titles

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momo-de-avis · 1 year

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In 1958, 5 French nuns arrived in Portugal, accompanied by 2 confessor priests, in what would become one of the most scandalous and most interesting events of our 19th century history, riddled with controversy, virulent attacks and insults, with newspapers spewing insults back and forth, until it caused the collapse of 2 governments and the expulsion of these nuns.

These nuns had arrived in Portugal for charity work, to help with the outbreaks of yellow fever and cholera, but the country had long since been “infected” by ideals of the French Revolution. In Parliament, there was the Regeneration and the Historics. In other words: the conservatives (sometimes called absolutists, but not really) and the Liberals (where the Radicals, who will evolve into Republicans, are).

The new logic of Reason, influenced by Enlightenment and the French Revolution, has convinced the Liberals that secularising education is urgent. There are two main arguments for this: 1) illiteracy must be fought with a non-religious education, because religious education is seen as indoctrination of (old) Catholic ideals. And 2) education, which until then had been majorly in the hands of religious orders (namely, Jesuits) is an aristocratic privilege. What this means is: only the aristocrats and nobility have acces to education. So it reasons to conclude that the most Catholic and conservative in the country are of higher status, and that leads us to the King himself. It’s one of the main reasons why future Republicans will fight for a secularised state: to remove the catholic church from the state’s power means removing power from the Monarchy, and the latter can only be abolished with the removal of the first. Although the idea isn’t quite formed yet at this moment, the “Radicals” within Parliament are planting the seed for future republicanism.

Inherently, this is a fight against the elites. The “charity sisters”, as they will be known, appear at a time when techincally, religious orders, including monastic ones, are banned, so it makes little sense to the Liberals why these women would be taken in a country that is on its way to become more and more secularised.

Until 1862, several members of Parliament will fight each other through speeches and published articles in several different newspapers, with O Português becoming the main voice against the presence of the sisters in the country. It gets to a degree where one certain conservative deputy claims to hide his newspapers to preserve “the purity of the ladies in his home”.

It has to be mentioned that Portugal is backwards at this point. The majority of the country is heavily rural. There is no money for industrialisation. Illiteracy is only faced with more religious education. To make matters worse for the Liberals, the people are heavily, heavily catholic (just remember Maria da Fonte).

There’s an interesting episode in all of this that really conveys the sentiment of “religious freedom” that the Radicals preached. One deputy claims himself to be the most catholic man in the world, but he says he is so not because he follows the One True Faith, or because he accepts Jesus Christ as his saviour, but because he actively CHOSE to follow with his family’s traditions and remain catholic. He thus explains that true catholicism does not come from a universal truth, even less from reason, but from choice. This is a WILDLY radical thought: in the 1850s, the Constitution states that the Catholic Faith is the State’s Faith. It is unthinkable, right now, that one would be separated from another. Most of the time considered that, in order for a working State to properly function, it must keep in mind good morals and reason, and that inherently stems from Faith, from Catholicism, from God. For if one abandons God, there is no north-star for one to find Reason and Morality, no balance between Good and Evil. To state that Reason exists outside of Faith was not just revolutionary: this man caused an uproar in Parliament.

But this was the dream. To most Liberals, the charity sisters are here to further prove what has been such a devastating problem for the country: education is only, exclusively, catholic, full of indoctrination, and it is effective at the hands of Aristocrats. To conservatives, these good ladies of charity are not here to cause harm, but to practice charity and help the poor; to the Liberals, the women are a symptom of a bigger disease, one where catholicism infects the state.

The vast majority of government, especially the head of it (the king and the president of parliament) are all for the presence of the sisters in Portugal; they believe in a catholic education and think it’s unreasonable to conduct justice and act as government without Catholicism as guidance for reason. So the Radicals take it to where it truly matters: the streets. One day, the sisters of charity are met with stones by an angry mob, and as a consequence, the government FINALLY decides to take action. The president decrees that no more nuns are allowed to enter the country, and the ones we have now practising charity are the limit allowed in the country.

The liberals see this as smoke and are even more outraged. They want the expulsion of the sisters, period. It’s worth remarking upon that monastic orders had been banned in the 1830s, so from that perspective alone, it’s baffling that this would happen, especially as the sisters took on more and more relevance in society.

It does lead to their expulsion, though. They are finally sent back to france in 1862 (with the two confessor priests), putting an end to one of the most outraging and violent debates in Parliament. In a few years, new Republican ideas would be birthed by those who bred here, in this moment, the very fundamentals of a Republic. When the First Republic is installed, one of the first thigns they do is separate church and state and declare Religious freedom to all and any, no matter their creed (before that, religious freedom meant you could only practice your faith, if non catholic, in the privacy of your home. Synagoges, for example, were not allowed to have their front doors on main streets, but side ones).

It’s heartbreaking to think that, were the Republicans not so fucking looney, and had they managed to better hold the country and govern it, we wouldn’t have gotten back 50 years with Salazar’s regime. It was essentially the sheer instability of Republicanism and the desperation it created that led to a bunch of people to invite this man to power and then downplay his demands. By 1932, we had spat on the 1824 constitution, on the 1910 constitution, on the dreams of Sá da Bandeira and Herculano, and on the lives of all the “radicals” who wished for a secularised country where education would be far, far away from religious orders and people.

#just some thoughts

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dolphin1812 · 1 year

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Now that we’re (somewhat) back to Valjean, Hugo automatically makes sure we know his thoughts on one of the main themes of the book: poverty (and budgeting. He likes telling us everyone’s budgets).

“This vessel, battered as it was,—for the sea had handled it roughly,—produced a fine effect as it entered the roads. It flew some colors which procured for it the regulation salute of eleven guns, which it returned, shot for shot; total, twenty-two. It has been calculated that what with salvos, royal and military politenesses, courteous exchanges of uproar, signals of etiquette, formalities of roadsteads and citadels, sunrises and sunsets, saluted every day by all fortresses and all ships of war, openings and closings of ports, etc., the civilized world, discharged all over the earth, in the course of four and twenty hours, one hundred and fifty thousand useless shots. At six francs the shot, that comes to nine hundred thousand francs a day, three hundred millions a year, which vanish in smoke. This is a mere detail. All this time the poor were dying of hunger.”

Unlike with individual characters, we don’t know how much money the state has here. It’s not important. What is important is that rather than choosing to spend money on the poor, the state invests in spectacle, even for “battered” vessels like this one. The Restoration is, above all else, a façade; it hasn’t brought about a return to the old order because it can’t erase all of the changes brought about by the Revolution and Napoleon, but it also does nothing to address the problems in French society, instead covering them up, ignoring them, or distracting from them with as much pomp as it can manage. The “Spanish War” highlights this; it might be a financial war for the monarchy, but those fighting were trained under Napoleon, and it was revolting to the people because of the democratic beliefs instilled by the Revolution.

This isn’t analytical, but this passage is really beautiful:

“There comes an hour, nevertheless, when the gale breaks that sixty-foot yard like a straw, when the wind bends that mast four hundred feet tall, when that anchor, which weighs tens of thousands, is twisted in the jaws of the waves like a fisherman’s hook in the jaws of a pike, when those monstrous cannons utter plaintive and futile roars, which the hurricane bears forth into the void and into night, when all that power and all that majesty are engulfed in a power and majesty which are superior.”

Hugo is excellent at portraying the terrifying power of water (especially the sea), and this passage really highlights this strength.

The description of the incident aboard the Orion continues to display this talent, but it also parallels an earlier incident: the rescue of Fauchelevent. Like back then, there’s a crowd of onlookers who can’t/won’t help the dangling man, with his situation worsening until Valjean intervenes with a spectacular feat of strength. Like with Fauchelevent, he’s applauded, but it marks an end for him as well. With Fauchelevent, he sacrificed his freedom by revealing himself to Javert; here, his fall marks the end of 9430. Even the reveals are similar, with the name “Jean Valjean” appearing after we’ve seen this person act for some time. Once again, we see him as an outsider, ending even further from the scene that we began (a newspaper article vs the ship). He may be the main character, but we only know so much about him.

#les mis letters #lm 2.2.3 #jean valjean #fauchelevent #the orion

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autokratorissa · 1 year

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Charles Mountbatten-Windsor has been crowned, by the Grace of God, King of the United Kingdom and His other Realms. Great and egregious expense has gone towards the requisite magics, gone to pay for the actors and costumes required for performing the long-since written play. The ideological farce is done, and this walking survival sits anointed above the United Kingdom, this bastard monarchy unbefitting of the union of British nations it claims to be. Do not mistake the compliant client media and reprehensible political class for a true representation of the country: a great many of us are hungry and angry and want the whole thing burned to the ground. The pageantry is a distraction, as much for themselves as for anyone else. They rule atop a fragile semblance of order that, in the coming decades, will be pushed beyond its fettered limits by forces outside its control. But it is worth remembering that there was once a time when England dared to dream for something better, dared to fight, dared to win:— that there was once a time when England and the whole Isles was a republic, commonwealth, and free state.

A revolutionary army of the downtrodden and the oppressed fought for England to be free from kings and popes, for the wealth of this land to be held in common, for its leaders to belong to the people. This army defeated those who opposed it, both in revolutionary war to take power and in a coup d’état to purge the government of those who would not follow through on the victory. 374 years ago, a king of England, Scotland, and Ireland—a man the revolution called Charles Stuart, an act of glorious contempt to later be echoed by the lèse-majesté of the French address “Citizen Louis Capet”—was tried by a revolutionary tribunal for crimes against the people, found guilty of tyranny, treason, and murder, and executed. What ecstasy the common people must have felt that day! To see the heavens evaporate and all the possibilities of history open up to you now the divinely ordained tyranny was ended! To have sought the impossible and succeeded!

The tragedy of England is that her revolution died in its success: unable to cut the Gordian knot of the balancing act between aristocracy, bourgeoisie, and common people, and therefore unable to go far enough to secure its long-term survival by breaking the power of the nobility once and for all, the regime never found real stability, the radicals were sidelined, promises were broken, and all that had been achieved slowed to an inertia and a Restoration. But for a decade the British Isles were free from the stain of monarchy, and even at the last moment, as it all came crashing down around them, the loyal revolutionaries were willing to fight and tried to resist. The revolution ended, as it were, in the person of Daniel Axtell: a fervent revolutionary who had participated in the coup against the Long Parliament and served as captain of the guard during the trial of Charles Stuart, Axtell went to his death on the scaffold—went to be hung, drawn and quartered by the counterrevolution—unrepentant and proud, promising: ‘If I had a thousand lives, I could lay them all down for the Cause.’ The name of the Good Old Cause was still in the psyche of working-class politics in Britain as late as the nineteenth century and the Chartist movement.

How did it all come to this? Britain is a green and pleasant land, bleached white-yellow by the dying its masters have inflicted upon the earth; an island nation, fed by raging seas and rivers flowing off the snow-capped mountains and through the hedge-lined fields, that has been turned to a land of drought and shit-filled waterways; a rich country, grown fat off plunder and war and exploitation, in which a third of its children are malnourished; a country which led the world in rejecting the feudal order, in fighting for something new and free and good, which is today one of the most backwards regimes on earth and the most fragile and decrepit member of the imperialist chain that still encircles the world. Capitalism was born here. One day, it will die here. And when it does, the British people will have rediscovered the radicalism with which they once led history, and proclaimed again that their state will be a commonwealth, belonging to the working people, without a king or a house of lords. And when they do, we can look back and smile, knowing that we have relegated the likes of Charles and his palaces to oblivion. Should we ever get the chance, with delight and in the memory of those who came before us, we shall make no excuses for the terror, and for the republic: ‘We have no compassion and we ask no compassion from you. When our turn comes, we shall not make excuses for the terror. But the royal terrorists, the terrorists by the grace of God and the law, are in practice brutal, disdainful, and mean, in theory cowardly, secretive, and deceitful, and in both respects disreputable.’

#history #politics #socialism #leftism #communism #marxism #charles iii #united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland

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