#the Truth

[chromieclipse]

The Truth, Part 12.

Next. Previous. Start.

Revelations, so far.

[thence-we-came-forth]

Sketch for The Truth by @wanderingcas!!!! The scream I screamt when reading this scene!!!

(Spoilers for ch9 ig)

[sator-the-wanderer]

Discworld designs - The Truth

[sparrowace09]

Okay, so my basic premise is that Normal canonically had his first kiss with Pomona Panther (another high school mascot), presumably as Teeny. If he was a freshman, this could in theory have happened earlier in the year, but, for various reasons, I don't believe this to have been possible. First of all, we know it couldn't have been at a soccer game (the soccer team still attempting to convince Scary to join them, a couple other lines here and there), and soccer season can be either spring (usually starting around February) or fall, depending on region. We also know that, whenever this takes place, the two month anime timeskip was possible without any events relevant enough to mention occurring within it (this, to me, means it can't have encompassed March 3rd, Lincoln's canonical birthday, or finals, which are typically noteworthy, so ~May). So, I'm have to assume that this takes place somewhere in early to mid fall, because anywhere in Spring would either have encroached on soccer season or run into relevant events. Late fall would mean Christmas would make an appearance, which feels noteworthy. The school dance that happens may have been homecoming, which typically takes place in late September to October, so my theory is that when the season starts, it's late September. This would mean that they've only been in school around a month at this point, which is enough time for there to have been around 4 football games (presumably football would be the relevant sport), but like. First, this relies on the school Pomona Panther is from being one of these four. Second, this assumes Normal got the mascot at the very start of the year, and then, in a single month, built up quite a lot of mascot skills? All of this is technically possible, however, I posit: people also seem very tired of Teeny, which seems like a lot for not having been in school for that long, and Normal seems to know a surprising amount about Chapparral and their plans for this to be his first spin as a mascot. This leads into my final point: I theorize Normal skipping a grade helped lead to his lack of friends over the course of his entire freshman year (alongside the mascot stuff), despite actively running a club (which, sidebar, if he started that as a freshman, I'm deeply impressed) and whatnot.

Conclusion: I wish I hadn't accidentally deleted my original paragraph because that one was way better phrased. But regardless! It is my belief that Normal is a sophomore, same as everyone else!

What grades are the teens in? I assume they’re all sophomores, but I think people would disagree with me just because Normal and Lincoln (and Scary sometimes) give freshman so hard.

Anyways quick and dirty evidence. All the teens showed up to the same 10 year reunion. Taylor is the only teen with a confirmed age (I think). He’s 16, so a sophomore or a junior. Scary released sophomore slump, and was also previously on the varsity soccer team. Lincoln might actually be a freshman. He’d be the same age (because of homeschooling he’s one year older than everyone else), and since he works at the school he’d work the 10 year reunion every year. I don’t have any evidence for Normal.

[vanilla-extracter]

some ahnk moporkian bullshit (mostly moist and the truth)

[mrfroag]

Whoa check out this full unreleased extra from the Fullmetal alchemist manga guys-

[tak-angina-jasne]

because i ve seen a lot of people talking about starting discworld

REMEMBER THERE ARE FREE AUDIOBOOKS OF ALL OF THOSE BOOKS

here they are

[gentlemanjimcraddock]

I think William de Worde gets underrated as a Discworld protagonist. His book is great but it's not as riotously funny as some of the others. Moist basically replaced him as the not a Watchman Ankh-Morpork protagonist. The Truth often gets lumped in with Moist's books as "the industrial revolution series".

William is basically the opposite of Vimes. Vimes and his family clawed and scraped for everything they ever had. He's seen first hand what it means for the little people when the rich thinks the rules don't apply to them. That's why he does what he does. Vimes makes the law an equaliser, rather than a tool of tyranny.

But William is a pompous, arrogant, entitled, privileged little twit. At first, he hates it and tries desperately to be his father's opposite. He's the well meaning liberal. He knows racism is bad and abhors it, but he still treats trolls and dwarfs and vampires with kid gloves so he doesn't accidentally offend them. He doesn't stop to think about the food he's taking off of people's plates when he doesn't get his engravings done. He just sort of assumes the dwarfs at the press work for him rather than with him. Multiple characters called him out in this throughout the story, and he never really has a answer for them.

But like Otto says, he tries, and trying is how you get there. And William does get there, not by overcoming these flaws, but by using his privilege as a weapon against the rich and corrupt, like Vimes uses the law.

He takes the jewels, basically buys the dwarfs' loyalty with them. (Attempts) to blackmail his dad with them. Does blackmail Slant. Uses his little notebook to protect free speech against people like Vimes and Slant. Backs Vetinari into ensuring Harry King's daughter has a wedding overflowing with the rich and powerful, ensuring Harry will supply him with paper out of gratitude. His first response to a problem to either annoy it into leaving him alone or offering it a job.

William doesn't become a hero of the working class, not really. But he uses his pompous twittery to give them chances. To get a job, sure. But also to learn the truth. To help draw the lines that the rich can't just cross without fear of reprisal. To be the place where the falling angel meets the rising ape.

[elstabler]

the way he holds her hand with both of his and kisses her tenderly while his eyes never leave hers…he’s been a man in love since all those years ago

[chromieclipse]

Reprieve.

[noirandchocolate]

He knew about concerned citizens.  Whoever they were, they all spoke the same private language where ‘traditional values’ mean 'hang someone.’

Terry Pratchett, “The Truth”

[cirrus-grey]

Having thoughts about Drumknott and Vetinari again, and specifically about how much The Truth seems to be a turning point in their relationship. Drumknott is around, before that book, he's already Vetinari’s personal secretary, he's clearly a trusted and respected figure in the Palace, and yet his appearances are always brief, there-and-gone, just dropping off a file before disappearing again.

But in the books after that (and particularly by the time you get to Going Postal)? There’s barely a Vetinari scene without him, and there's a major increase in the number of scenes with just the two of them. Suddenly Drumknott is whispering information - and even corrections - in Vetinari’s ear, Vetinari is monologuing to him about philosophy and asking for his opinion, they're doing a double-act to keep visitors on their toes during meetings. They're a team, not just a politician and his secretary.

And I'm thinking about how, after the events of The Truth, Vetinari must have dug for the details on everything that happened. And he must have learned, either from the Watch or Drumknott himself, that Drumknott saw a man who looked like Vetinari attack him, and still argued for Vetinari’s innocence in the incident. That Drumknott chose to distrust the evidence of his own eyes before he would even consider distrusting Vetinari.

How rare must that be, for one of the most powerful political figures on the continent? To have earned that sort of loyalty and trust from someone, that the thought of betrayal never even crossed his mind?

Vetinari doesn't trust easily - he can't, too many people want to see him thrown from power, too many people could be plotting against him. But seeing someone else give him so much trust... well, that does seem to earn an equal amount in return, doesn't it?

[poppyseedxoxo]

In a million lifetimes, I will never understand why people break others down for fun.

[megafaunatic]

You think I am an it? Vell, let me act like an it.

*

terry pratchett's THE TRUTH

[tiredtriedfailures]

i know we joke about edwards "im 12 i met god, im an atheist" shtick but i hope yall know the significance of Edward and Alphonses resolve, its actually Al who first voices out his displeasure with the Law Of Equivalent Exchange. HE rejects you need to give up something to gain something of equal value, in that moment because he doesnt want to allow ANYONE to die to win. later on in the last episode it has been refined into "i can give back more than i receive" and him and Ed decide to scour the world to bypass this limit, help more people, fill out the blanks in the physical world. thats why flustered Winry offering more than half her life to Ed makes him laugh so much, thats exactly what hrs on the road to find out.

neither Ed, nor Al view The Truth as god. they see it to be just another law the world is governed by, like gravity. you dont worship gravity, you dont pray to it, you dont fear it and you certainly can fly if you know how it works and understand how elements around it work.

anyway thats why i think god was the big bang and we are like its cells in its bizarre adventure