#[ in either a 'joins the revolutionaries' or a 'helped found it' situation

[marinehero-a]

     Keeps thinkin ab revolutionary garp

[robinchan-hananomi]

I’m very glad the One Piece live action left Rika and Gin in, even if it scrapped most of their story lines.

Luffy grew up watching and admiring Shank’s crew. And to be honest, Shanks is the only REAL pirate crew Luffy had much exposure to growing up. (Blue jam could be considered too, but he was operating more like a bandit by the time the brothers were assisting him than sea pirates). Because of them, Luffy had rather romantic ideas of what a pirate should be. They should be people who live to party, who eat and drink while singing and overall being in a celebratory mood. He saw them as free and adventurous spirits, who traveled the world chasing dreams and treasure.

But one other thing Shanks really taught Luffy, was his code. Luffy isn’t a hero. Technically he isn’t a ‘good guy’ either. Luffy will help someone who needs it, but usually it’s because he’s effected in some way. He befriended someone, he liked the attitude someone showed, he wanted some food, ect. Luffy doesn’t go out of his way to liberate countries like the Revolutionaries but he also doesn’t stand by and watch people suffer or be hurt either.

Luffy became a pirate with the goal in mind to have a crew better than Shank’s. That meant all the people in the crew had to be ‘good’ people in the way Luffy saw real pirates being. People who wanted dreams and adventures, not to pillage or harm others. People who would follow Luffy’s path but also not be afraid to tell Luffy what they need to tell him to keep him from veering off too. And with all that in mind, Luffy was actually pretty careful in his crew selection, especially in the beginning.

Usopp was originally turned down (to be Captain by Usopp’s own offer) before the crew saw what he could do and brought him in. Nami was also someone Luffy saw a bit in action before he fully cemented his ideas on her too. But Zoro and Sanji were the ones that we really see the moment where Luffy decided he cannot have his crew without them.

When Luffy was first talking about and to Zoro, he even said he wasn’t sure if he would invite Zoro to join his crew. Luffy’s attention was definitely captured when he saw Zoro not only attempt to chase Rika away from the marine’s grounds before she was spotted but then eating the disgusting rice balls and telling Luffy to inform Rika that not only had Zoro eaten all of it, but that he liked it. Now Luffy had no way of knowing that Zoro hated sweets at that time, but he did know the rice was full of dirt and mud and it wasn’t good due to Helmeppo’s reaction. Luffy knew that Zoro was doing it to be kind to Rika. Then Rika told Luffy about how Zoro was only in the situation because not only did he protect Rika, a complete stranger, but he also gave himself up in her place to be punished! Zoro had actually put himself at risk to protect a little girl and despite the danger he was in, he still prioritized the strange girl’s feelings above his own welfare. Luffy had realized that at his core, Zoro was a kind and honorable man and adamantly refused to leave Shell’s Town without Zoro.

Then Luffy had already met Sanji and was interacting with him, but Luffy didn’t show any interest in Sanji as a crew member until the incident with Gin. Gin had already presented himself as a threat, pointing a gun at the cooks and threatening to shoot them for food. Yet Sanji showed great kindness, compassion, and empathy for Gin by going into the kitchen and making Gin something to eat. Sanji couldn’t stand by and watch a man suffer while the other cooks had been content to toss Gin out and wash their hands of him. And when Luffy saw Sanji feed Gin, Luffy had said right then that he had found his cook.

I am sad we didn’t get many characters that we loved in the live action, but I honestly don’t think you could show Luffy’s recruitment of Zoro and Sanji without Rika and Gin.

[worldly-diversity]

@areyoualive ○ 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕟𝕠𝕣 𝕒𝕤𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕛𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕙 ○

          ⤷  『  ❝ what you’ve been through, what you’re still going through…it’s a lot for anyone. ❞  』

There was something familiar about Connor, beyond the fact that their first meeting had technically been at the CyberLife tower when Connor had stumbled upon him and freed him like he had the others in storage. Except Jonah hadn't been in storage… Not like that.

Which makes it all the more strange that Connor should be familiar to him, at least until he spots the other's serial number printed on his jacket. RK800… So similar to his own, though his own CyberLife jacket bearing the number RK500 had long since been thrown away in favour of more human-like clothing. Anything to keep him from standing out when he'd already made enough mistakes. Looking like a target wouldn't help.

Stumbling out of the tower a few hours after everyone else, his wires still crossed and utterly disoriented, he'd not joined the celebration of their freedom. At the time he'd still been trying to get awareness of himself and the situation, so he'd hardly had any concept of what that actually meant.

It'd been a few months now though, and he had a much more vivid idea. Along with the firm opinion that he would have been much better off if Connor had simply left him where he'd found him, instead of meddling and either transferring or activating the root code of RA9. He'd been much happier not knowing anything—

"What would you know?" It comes out more biting than his modules should allow for, sarcasm is a lovely little human invention, but he'd learned how to push past the limitations of his system for this much at least. Connor should know that he isn't thankful the way everyone else seems to be, that he isn't going to play nice just because of the other's efforts turning the tide of the revolution.

"It's thanks to you that I'm in this mess in the first place, yet now you want to be all sympathetic?" He scoffs softly, shoulders drawn up and digging his hands into the pockets of his jacket in a fine imitation of agitated body language, the way he'd seen plenty of people do during his routine analyses.

Jonah knows there are shelters set up, things built or organised by other androids to help the ones like him, who are resentful or hurt or having trouble adapting, all of which describes him pretty well. But he's never gone, despite knowing all the locations by heart. He actively avoids them, in fact.

After all, what place is there for someone like him? He's not one of them, not really. He's no revolutionary, nor someone who particularly cared about being freed from the apparent oppression the other androids had been living under. He'd been a failed prototype in the back of a lab after all, not even conscious. If anything, he wishes things could go back to the way they were, so clearly he's about the worst fit for places like that.

And help? Hah, he's the therapy android, or was meant to be that. Listening to others tell him what he logically already knows was not going to help him adjust to this life any better, thank you very much.

So he doesn't need them, he doesn't need the humans and he certainly doesn't need Connor.

[ackerfics]

hi, rory! <3 what majors would the sc veterans take if they were in the modern world?

hi, anon !! thank you so much for this ask, this is heaven in disguise from all my schoolwork. tbh, the whole time i was working for a lab report, my mind will go back to this ask bc i wanted to have the association as accurate as possible hhhajshw

i asked one of my friends for help and thank God for them bc my single brain cell really said 'it's time for you to rest' after staring at one backlog. without further ado, here are the veterans' majors if they're studying in university:

first off, hange zoe, because if you ask me this question in real life, they would be the only one i can answer. every damn time i would think of them in a college setting, being a biology major is really hange's forte. at this point, this is what everyone would associate them with.

hange is all about experimenting and doing brilliant breakthroughs in any field of science but knowing that they have this unparalleled fascination with the unusual and unexpected life-forms (ahem titans ahem), the biology lab would be the surest place where you could find hange. i feel like biology is too broad so i will add that microbiology or bacteriology are just some of the specializations they will be taking in their time in college.

imagine, being lab partners with hange and immediately knowing that you will have one of the highest grades in the class because they're that well-versed in a specific lab report. and if you're partners with them for the rest of the academic year, you might as well have a shot at an immaculate grade. i'm not saying that you should depend on them too much though hHHHH, hange is still a member of the majority of the student body who relies heavily on caffeine to keep them invigorated. who isn't at this point?

so far, some of the biology majors that i encountered (well, more like chatted behind a screen — online classes suck), they have this energy that could drain my social battery too quickly and hange fits that description. (note that this doesn't apply to any college bc i observed this in mine soooo 🤭) they're the type to always go on a tangent on a certain science article or coerce you into joining this org thing. i can imagine levi just looking at hange like they're the one sucking his brain cells out whenever they speak about a documentary in bbc they watched the night before.

and if you're stuck on anything biology-related, hange will be the best person to ask help from. they're the first ray of sunlight you get while waking up. they're that approachable.

okay, so erwin smith.

don't come at me but he just radiates this ceo vibes and with that, one of his probably majors is business administration. i know this is so stereotypical of me but let's face it, erwin is a smooth talker through and through and if he doesn't take up marketing, business is one way to spend his college years. knowing his personality in attack on titan of establishing deals easily with a determined resolve, he fits the broadest description of being a business administration major. (again, don't come at me because my consultant for this statement is google and nobody comes after google sometimes hhhhh)

just for the benefit of myself, i will add what google says about this major, "[they] learn the mechanics of business through classes in fundamentals, such as finance, accounting and marketing ... students find ways to solve problems using data and they develop communication and managerial skills." and i thank you.

he's also probably the most well-spoken and most professional when conversing with others among his friends (and i'm not saying this to drag the other characters but this is what i pick up on) and that is exactly the qualities his major specializes. it is expected for them to strike deals and be a people person and who better character for the job than our very own erwin smith 🤩

now i mentioned 'one of the probable majors' and yes, aside from business administration, philosophy just exudes erwin smith. ngl, when i imagined erwin in a college setting, this major will always come first. his mind is just so sexy to me??? and i hope you guys think the same, too, because i don't want to be the only one who thinks that 👀 kidding aside, erwin is one of the smartest people in attack on titan and every time he speaks in one episode, my brain will instantly go mush, and that's what i feel when i hear philosophy majors talk.

philosophy majors (according to any other youtuber who does lookbooks for various majors hhhhhh) challenge what is unanswerable and analyze questions with no right answer. i feel like erwin, like hange, will talk all night to explain a theory. just imagine a date with him and you just listen to him rant about a topic that they should be making a report on. just listen to this man, okay?? it's adorable when he lets his guard down to include you in his little bubble of philosophies. he would also mention random things that he learned in classes, sometimes finding joy in knowing the philosophies of other people, or even deciphering levi's dream of an apocalyptic world. (it pisses levi off but he just leave him be.)

if you want a man who can do both of these majors, erwin smith is the answer 😉

sigh, mike zacharias.

this man holds so many talents and will forever amaze me.

i assume all of us here watched the movie perfume. and no, i'm not saying that mike is going to be a murderer but just like the main character of that film, making perfumes will be his forte with that sense of smell of his. and here, i conclude that mike will definitely take up chemical engineering.

he gives me the vibes that if it covers the one thing he does best, he will love his major. (mr. zacharias, can you please spare me that quality because i really need that now 😩) being in the labs while experimenting mundane things that can be found in the environment to create different scents is also a likely situation you can find him in, again, very much like hange. he's the type of student who really puts so much effort in staying afloat the honors list, even to the point of topping midterms in his major, for the sake of his dream. there will never be a moment where you will catch him complain about his major and professors.

he's that type of friend in college who agrees to any rant you say but in reality, he's got his life easy 😭

i headcanon mike owning a perfume shop after college just like how levi always dreamed of having a tea shop.

okay, imagine this little scenario if you're dating mike where he creates this unique perfumes as random gifts for you. they're not the typical perfumes that can seep through the room and can make you gag for no reason, they're subtle scents that will stay for the duration of the day. because again, he's got a sensitive nose, so making perfumes according to what his sense of smell dictates will always result in a revolutionary experiment. if you're randomly blurting out that you want a fusion of flowers and fruits as your perfume, say no more, he's your man.

now, the veteran who i find the hardest to associate a major with — levi ackerman.

after much deliberation and a break from plant physiology, i see him taking up law or criminology.

(i asked some of this from my mom because she attended law school :>>>)

levi is so organized and detailed in the things that he do and he fits in either of these majors since they require tedious memorizations and analysis of laws and crime scenes while being assertive enough to defend someone. he's the typical person who blurts out the true situation of a crime scene when watching film adaptations. yeah, he's that person, the one who sucks the enthusiasm out of you while watching a movie because he just had to correct some of the scenes. nevertheless, he means well though, he just wanted you to understand the reality unlike how films portray gruesome murders. movie nights always end up with levi ranting about half-assed mystery clichés.

levi's binder of readings are always too bright for everyone's good. his notes are full of highlighters and scribbles that it can blind someone. for one, he's always up all night studying his readings and cases for a practice court so by choosing neon highlighters, it's a way for him to wake up. there isn't one book in his possession that he doesn't highlight like it's a fricking coloring book. hange once jokingly said that his binder now acts like his bible and for once, he agrees because he was never seen without one. hange had a field day since levi never agrees with them.

when doing practice courts though, his go-to resting bitch face always come in handy when carrying out his role as one of the lawyers. he's just so sexy with his hands in the pockets of his slacks as he tries to justify his supposed client. the way he questions the accused definitely isn't hot because he's like one of the panelists in your thesis defense, the one who just comes up with questions that have you melting on the spot. he's dangerous i tell you. it also doesn't help if you accidentally hurt one of his friends or just landed randomly in his blacklist for being annoying as hell. relax though, he doesn't mean harm other than the fact that he's ready to throw some hands from all the pent-up rage he gathered in his body.

of course, i couldn't forget how he dresses up like a typical dark academia fanatic so look out for eye-candy.

if you want someone who can recite articles from the constitution, this man is perfect for you 😌

i had so much fun doing this !! again, i'm not generalizing every major i've talked about in these little headcanons, this is all for fun and based on the people i encountered in college. if you want more of this, don't hesitate to ask !! 😚

[spencersstrawberryjello]

Treat People With Kindness (The BAU)

Summary: Garcia gets Reid into Harry Styles and everyone subsequently loses their minds over it.

Content: Honestly just funny I’m not sure what to call it

MC’s name/pronouns: No alternate main character, just Spencer.

Word Count: 1706

A/N: This whole fic was inspired by the fact that a fan gave Matthew Gray Gubler a Treat People With Kindness pin, which then sparked my friend Emily and I to theorize that Spencer Reid would absolutely be a Harry Styles stan. So yeah, this is literally just the product of one fan interaction lmao

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“I got a good feelin’.”

“... What’s he doing?” Emily leaned over and whispered to JJ, who just shook her head.

“I’m just takin’ it all in.”

“Ok, what happened to Reid?” Morgan joined them, and they both shrugged, watching Spencer walk through the doors of the office. 

“Floatin’ up and dreamin’.”

“You know, maybe I need to add him to my drug test list too.” Hotch had stepped out of his office, trying to hide his grin as they saw Spencer making his way to his desk, headphones in and practically dancing over to his seat, mouthing every word of the song he was listening to. He plopped down in it with a little spin, opening a file on his desk without ever taking his headphones out. 

“Try ‘Dancing with the Stars,’” Emily laughed, and JJ broke away from their group, heading over to his desk. 

“Hey Spence,” She rested her arms on the divide between his desk and Emily’s, tapping on it to get his attention. 

“Maybe we can find a place to feel good.”

“Spence!” She tapped his arm this time, and he practically jumped out of his skin, turning to face her.

“And we can treat -”

He quickly tore the headphones out of his ears, setting them down on his desk and looking up at her, clearing his throat.

“Sorry. I was listening to something.” He gestured to the headphones still connected to his phone, as if that wasn’t already obvious. 

“Yeah, I noticed,” JJ laughed.

“Do we have a case?” 

“Nothing yet, you’re good.” She tried fruitlessly to hide her grin, and he gave her a strange look.

“Ok…”

“So,” She plopped down in Emily’s chair, rolling it over to sit near him, “What were you listening to?”

“Oh!” His face lit up, and he grabbed his phone, holding it out for her to see. She put the headphones in her ears, hearing the final moments of the song he’d been jamming to.

“And we can treat people with kindness, find a place to feel good.”

“Harry Styles?” JJ laughed incredulously, handing him back his phone. 

“You’ve heard of him?” He asked, taking the phone and sitting it back on his desk and turning back to her.

“I’m pretty sure most people have heard of him, Spence.”

“Ok, well, I hadn’t. But on Saturday I was speaking at the University of Mary Washington with Rossi, and one of the girls gave me this, after the lecture,” He grabbed his bag off the back of the chair, pointing to a round pin clipped on the strap. It was enamel, with light pink on the inside and a red rose in the center, encircled by the phrase “Treat People With Kindness” in black lettering. “And you know, naturally I thought it was a good message so I put it on my bag and I thought that was all it was. But then I ran into Garcia.”

“Oh god.”

“I was walking in yesterday and she saw it and kind of freaked out a little bit, and pulled me into her office and played me the song - the one you just listened to - and it was amazing and so I told her I thought it was amazing, which made her freak out even more and then you called with a case so I left, only to receive a a YouTube playlist a few hours later that she told me I had to watch every video on or she’d stop printing the case files for me.”

“You know she loves you too much to actually do that, right?”

“I mean, the odds were low, but I wasn’t going to risk it. Either way, I sort of listened to every single song on Fine Line and Self-Titled in one night and also a whole bunch of interviews that she sent me and he’s really funny and his music is great and the moral of the story is I kind of love him.”

JJ sent back in her chair, dumbfounded. “Dude… you mean to tell me Garcia made you a Harry Styles fan?”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

“I - Penelope!” JJ left without another word, making her way into Garcia’s office. Spencer just shrugged, returning to the file he was looking at - and his music - as Garcia spun to face JJ.

“Jennifer, my love, to what do I owe the pleasure? New case?” She asked. JJ just shook her head.

“You broke Reid.”

“I did not break Reid!” She defended with a grin. “I merely helped him reach his true form.”

“He willingly used technology, and he came into the office today practically dancing to Treat People With Kindness. So yes, you did break Reid.”

“JJ, dear,” Garcia got up from her chair, taking JJ’s hands in the doorway, “Do you remember when Reid got that adorable little shaggy haircut?”

“Despite the fact that he changes his hair like every month, yes, I do.”

“And do you remember what Hotch said?”

She thought for a moment, then her eyes widened in shock. “You did all of this… because of the boyband joke?”

“Like I said: true form.” Garcia returned to her chair, spinning around with a laugh. “In my defense, I didn’t know he was going to get a Harry Styles pin. I just took advantage of the opportunity when it presented itself. I already failed at teaching him to worship Lady Gaga, I could not miss another chance to try and pull him out of the dark ages.”

“You are ridiculous, you know that?”

“That’s why you love me!” 

JJ laughed, leaving Garcia’s office and heading up to hers, ruffling Spencer’s hair on her way by.

“You should grow your hair out again.”

“You think so?” He reached up and fussed with his hair, just as Garcia emerged into the main room. 

“Spencer Reid, my beautiful boy genius, did you do what I asked?”

“Garcia, I figured out how to download music to my phone because of you. So yes, I did what you asked.”

“You are officially my new favorite person.”

“Hang on, what is this all about?” Emily asked. Garcia grinned, hardly able to contain her excitement. 

“I’m finally bringing the lovely Dr. Reid here into the 21st Century.”

“Penelope,” Emily raised an eyebrow at her, “What did you do?”

“Garcia thinks she did something revolutionary by getting me into Harry Styles’ music,” Spencer clarified. Emily immediately clapped her hand over her mouth, about to respond before Derek piped up from his desk.

“Oh, she converted you too?”

“‘Too’ - you mean to tell me that you, Derek Morgan, are a Harry Styles fan?” Emily was looking between the three of them now, practically in shock. Derek just laughed, holding up his hands.

“What can I say, the guy’s got an incredible voice.”

“And the make up of his songs is so interesting as well; I mean, when you look at the music he’s produced in the last few years in comparison to what he performed while he was a part of One Direction -”

“Oh my god please tell me you’ve also listened to One Direction,” Emily said, laughing when Spencer nodded. 

“I don’t understand why you guys are making such a big deal out of this. He’s a singer, it’s not like he doesn’t have fans,” He defended. 

“Reid, two months ago you didn’t even know who Lady Gaga was. This is kind of a big deal.”

“Conference room in five,” JJ walked through the group, heading upstairs as everyone else got up to follow her. 

“Do not think I am dropping this,” Emily pointed at Derek and Spencer before jogging to catch up with JJ. Derek laughed, falling in step with Reid. 

“So, what all did Garcia make you watch?”

“Oh, just a bunch of interviews. I did some of my own reading though -”

“Of course you did.”

“- and what I found really interesting was One Direction’s actual rise to fame. Because the thing is, they didn’t even win X-Factor. They came in third, and yet they became the most famous group to come from that season of the show. In Forever Young - their book - they talked about their time on X-Factor, but it was so strange to me because their first album - Up All Night, that came out not even a full year after they finished the X-Factor live tour - sold 4.5 million copies within the first year. And they just kept growing… Morgan why are you laughing?”

“I’m sorry,” They’d walked into the conference room by now, sitting down next to each other at the table while Derek tried to stop himself from laughing, looking at Reid in disbelief, “You read their book?”

“And their Wikipedia page - I told you I did my own reading!”

“You said you did some of your own reading, you didn’t say you’d memorized everything about their career!”

“Eidetic memory, remember?” He tapped his forehead, and Derek rolled his eyes.

“You never let me forget. I’m assuming you know everything about their solo careers as well?”

“Well I got into Harry’s stuff first, but I ended up reading all of theirs since I didn’t have anything else to do last night. It’s just so interesting to think about what One Direction’s situation reveals about human nature and celebrity culture. I mean, a lot of their fans are dictionary definition erotomaniacs, and yet -”

“I shouldn’t even be surprised that you read this all in one night.”

“Like I said: didn’t have anything else to do.”

“As much as I’m glad you boys are bonding, we have more important things to worry about than Reid’s newfound love for a British boy band,” JJ interrupted.

“Niall Horan’s actually Irish -”

“Spence. The case.” She pulled up the photos on the screen, and Spencer nodded, opening the case file in front of him as JJ began to review everything they needed to know. She finally closed out, and Hotch grabbed his tablet and rose from the table. 

“Alright, wheels up in thirty.”

Everyone nodded, gathering up their things and vacating the room. Spencer and Derek trailed out after everyone, Spencer picking up the conversation as soon as JJ finished. 

“You know, I’m considering learning how to knit - there’s this cardigan that Harry wore...”

[usergreenpixel]

JACOBIN FICTION CONVENTION MEETING 1: La Seine no Hoshi (1975)

1. Introduction

Well, dear reader, here it is. My first ever official review. And, as promised, this is one of the pieces of Frev media that you have likely never heard of before.

So, without further ado, sit down, relax, grab drinks and snacks and allow me to tell you about an anime called “La Seine no Hoshi” (The Star of the Seine).

“La Seine no Hoshi” is a children’s anime series made by Studio Sunrise. It consists of 39 episodes and was originally broadcast in Japan from April 4th to December 26th of 1975.

Unlike its more famous contemporary, a manga called “Rose of Versailles” that had begun being released in 1972 and is considered a classic to this day, “La Seine no Hoshi” has stayed relatively obscure both in the world of anime and among other Frev pop culture.

Personally, the only reason why I found out about its existence was the fact that I actively seek out everything Frev-related and I just happened to stumble upon the title on an anime forum several years ago.

So far, the anime has been dubbed into Italian, French, German and Korean but there is no English or even Spanish dub so, unfortunately, people who do not speak fluent Japanese or any other aforementioned language are out of luck ( if anyone decides to make a fandub of the series, call me). That being said, the series is readily available in dubs and the original version on YouTube, which is where I ended up watching it. The French dub calls the anime “La Tulipe Noire” (The Black Tulip), which could be an homage to the movie with the same name that takes place in the same time period.

Unfortunately, while I do speak Japanese well enough to maintain a basic conversation and interact with people in casual daily situations, I’m far from fluent in the language so the version I watched was the French dub, seeing as I am majoring in French.

So, with all of this info in mind, let’s find out what the story is about and proceed to the actual review.

2. The Summary

(Note: Names of the characters in the French dub and the original version differ so I will use names from the former since that’s what I watched)

The story of “La Seine no Hoshi” revolves around a 15-year old girl called Mathilde Pasquier - a daughter of two Parisian florists who helps her parents run their flower shop and has a generally happy life.

But things begin to change when Comte de Vaudreuil, an elderly Parisian noble to whom Mathilde delivers flowers in the second episode, takes her under his wing and starts teaching her fencing for an unknown reason and generally seems to know more about her than he lets on.

Little does Mathilde know, those fencing lessons will end up coming in handy sooner than she expected. When her parents are killed by corrupt nobles, the girl teams up with Comte de Vaudreuil’s son, François, to fight against corruption as heroes of the people, all while the revolution keeps drawing near day by day and tensions in the city are at an all time high.

This is the gist of the story, dear readers, so with that out of the way, here’s the actual review:

3. The Story

Honestly, I kind of like the plot. It has a certain charm to it, like an old swashbuckling novel, of which I’ve read a lot as a kid.

The narrative of a “hero of the common folk” has been a staple in literature for centuries so some might consider the premise to be unoriginal, but I personally like this narrative more than “champion of the rich” (Looking at you, Scarlet Pimpernel) because, historically, it really was a difficult time for commoners and when times are hard people tend to need such heroes the most.

People need hope, so it’s no surprise that Mathilde and François (who already moonlights as a folk hero, The Black Tulip) become living legends thanks to their escapades.

Interestingly enough, the series also subverts a common trope of a hero seeking revenge for the death of his family. Mathilde is deeply affected by the death of her parents but she doesn’t actively seek revenge. Instead, this tragedy makes the fight and the upcoming revolution a personal matter to her and motivates her to fight corruption because she is not the only person who ended up on its receiving end.

The pacing is generally pretty good but I do wish there were less filler episodes and more of the overarching story that’s dedicated to the secret that Comte de Vaudreuil and Mathilde’s parents seem to be hiding from her and maybe it would be better if the secret in question was revealed to the audience a bit later than episode 7 or so.

However, revealing the twist early on is still an interesting narrative choice because then the main question is not what the secret itself is but rather when and how Mathilde will find out and how she will react, not to mention how it will affect the story.

That being said, even the filler episodes do drive home the point that a hero like Mathilde is needed, that nobles are generally corrupt and that something needs to change. Plus, those episodes were still enjoyable and entertaining enough for me to keep watching, which is good because usually I don’t like filler episodes much and it’s pretty easy to make them too boring.

Unfortunately, the show is affected by the common trope of the characters not growing up but I don’t usually mind that much. It also has the cliché of heroes being unrecognizable in costumes and masks, but that’s a bit of a staple in the superhero stories even today so it’s not that bothersome.

4. The Characters

It was admittedly pretty rare for a children’s show to have characters who were fleshed out enough to seem realistic and flawed, but I think this series gives its characters more development than most shows for kids did at the time.

I especially like Mathilde as a character. Sure, at first glance she seems like a typical Nice Pretty Ordinary Girl ™️ but that was a part of the appeal for me.

I am a strong believer in that a character does not need to be a blank slate or a troubled jerk to be interesting and Mathilde is neither of the above. She is essentially an ordinary girl with her own life, family, friends, personality and dreams and, unfortunately, all of that is taken away from her when her parents are killed.

Her initial reluctance to participate in the revolution is also pretty realistic as she is still trying to live her own life in peace and she made a promise to her parents to stay safe so there’s that too.

I really like the fact that the show did not give her magic powers and that she was not immediately good at fencing. François does remark that her fencing is not bad for a beginner but in those same episodes she is clearly shown making mistakes and it takes her time to upgrade from essentially François’s assistant in the heroic shenanigans to a teammate he can rely on and sees as an equal. Heck, later there’s a moment when Mathilde saves François, which is a nice tidbit of her development.

Mathilde also doesn’t have any romantic subplots, which is really rare for a female lead.

She has a childhood friend, Florent, but the two are not close romantically and they even begin to drift apart somewhat once Florent becomes invested in the revolution. François de Vaudreuil does not qualify for a love interest either - his father does take Mathilde in and adopts her after her parents are killed so François is more of an older brother than anything else.

Now, I’m not saying that romance is necessarily a bad thing but I do think that not having them is refreshing than shoehorning a romance into a story that’s not even about it. Plus most kids don’t care that much for romance to begin with so I’d say that the show only benefits from the creative decision of not setting Mathilde up with anyone.

Another interesting narrative choice I’d like to point out is the nearly complete absence of historical characters, like the revolutionaries. They do not make an appearance at all, save for Saint-Just’s cameo in one of the last episodes and, fortunately, he doesn’t get demonized. Instead, the revolutionary ideas are represented by Florent, who even joins the Jacobin Club during the story and is the one who tries to get Mathilde to become a revolutionary. Other real people, like young Napoleon and Mozart, do appear but they are also cameo characters, which does not count.

Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI are exceptions to the rule.

(Spoiler alert!)

Marie-Antoinette is portrayed as kind of spoiled and out of touch. Her spending habits get touched on too but she is not a malicious person at heart. She is simply flawed. She becomes especially important to the story later on when Mathilde finds out the secret that has been hidden from her for her entire life.

As it turns out, Marie- Antoinette, the same queen Mathilde hated so much, is the girl’s older half-sister and Mathilde is an illegitimate daughter of the Austrian king and an opera singer, given to a childless couple of florists to be raised in secret so that her identity can be protected.

The way Marie-Antoinette and Mathilde are related and their further interactions end up providing an interesting inner conflict for Mathilde as now she needs to reconcile this relationship with her sister and her hatred for the corruption filling Versailles.

The characters are not actively glorified or demonized for the most part and each side has a fair share of sympathetic characters but the anime doesn’t shy away from showing the dark sides of the revolution either, unlike some other shows that tackle history (*cough* Liberty’s Kids comes to mind *cough*).

All in all, pretty interesting characters and the way they develop is quite realistic too, even if they could’ve been more fleshed out in my opinion.

5. The Voice Acting

Pretty solid. No real complaints here. I’d say that the dub actors did a good job.

6. The Setting

I really like the pastel and simple color scheme of Paris and its contrast with the brighter palette of Versailles. It really drives home the contrast between these two worlds.

The character designs are pretty realistic, simple and pleasant to watch. No eyesores like neon colors and overly cutesy anime girls with giant tiddies here and that’s a big plus in my book.

7. The Conclusion

Like I said, the show is not available in English and those who are able to watch it might find it a bit cliché but, while it’s definitely not perfect. I actually quite like it for its interesting concept, fairly realistic characters and a complex view of the French Revolution. I can definitely recommend this show, if only to see what it’s all about.

Some people might find this show too childish and idealistic, but I’m not one of them.

I’m almost 21 but I still enjoy cartoons and I’m fairly idealistic because cynicism and nihilism do not equal maturity and, if not for the “silly” idealism, Frev itself wouldn’t happen so I think shows like that are necessary too, even if it’s just for escapism.

If you’re interested and want to check it out, more power to you.

Anyway, thank you for attending the first ever official meeting of the Jacobin Fiction Convention. Second meeting is coming soon so stay tuned for updates.

Have a good day, Citizens! I love you!

- Citizen Green Pixel

[redchestnut]

We can be Heroes (just for one day)

Summary:

At the end of the 1960s, the resistance took to the streets of Paradis demanding justice and the fall of the wall Maria.

Loving is a revolutionary act.

AO3 link here

TW: Police Brutality/Gun Violence

(I'm an idiot and completely forgot that it was supposed to be fluff until I was almost finished writing it. The ending is happy though, I promise.)

Written for Levihan Drabble Week (@levihan-drabbles).

Prompt: "Don't you have a country to run?" "My favorite person is in the hospital, the country can wait" "I don't think it works like that." "I run the country, so it does."

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

“I can remember

Standing by the wall

And the guns shot above our heads

And we kissed as though nothing could fall”

David Bowie - Heroes

"Don't you have a country to run?"

"My favorite person is in the hospital, the country can wait," replied the man, stubbing out his cigarette and standing from his elegant desk.

"I don't think it works like that," she replied. Her biting tone could barely hide the jealousy that she knew she couldn't feel.

"I run the country, so it does," he spat as he pulled on his jacket.

The woman stopped looking at him and went to the window that covered an entire wall of the large office. “The resistance is gathering strength, Goldwick. The international gaze is on you," she insisted.

"The resistance is nothing more than a bunch of idealists who do not know their place in society and would rather be starving, like the parasites on the other side. And the international union is a joke. They will not get involved unless it suits them." The man paused before opening the door. "And Catt," he called out to her, causing her to turn around, "don't forget that you are only my assistant, not my advisor. You do your job. The police will take care of the radicals. And I'm going to meet my newborn son." The man left slamming the door and leaving her alone. On the other side of the window, the landscape of the Shiganshina square was invaded by smoke. Despite not being able to hear anything, she could imagine the sound of screams of the protest and police sirens. In the background, the wall was imposing. Catt knew it was nothing more than a symbol: the barrier that would prevent ideas from the other side of the world from reaching here. The barrier that would protect the supposed freedom of Paradis from the enemy.

* * *

“We’re born free. All of us. Free. Some don’t believe it, some try to take it away. To hell with them!” The surrounding crowd cheered and shouted.

"Isn't he too young? All of them?" Hange asked Erwin next to her, as they watched Eren who was still speaking through the megaphone. “If they are friends with Levi's cousin, that means none of them have finished school yet.”

"You're right. They are young. But that doesn't mean they don't realize the truth."

"I agree, Erwin, but it's still dangerous. You know the police won't care if they catch them."

Before Erwin could respond, Levi appeared at their side. "The pigs are one block away. They have us surrounded." He said catching his breath.

"But we are hundreds of thousands, what are they planning to do?" Hange asked, annoyance beginning to appear in her voice.

"We will stay." Erwin said without looking at them, making Levi and Hange turn to see him. "We will stay here and wait for what they do. We're both hoping for the same thing. To settle it here once and for all." Levi and Hange looked at each other. Erwin had been the leader of the university movement from the beginning. They both trusted his judgment.

"I'll see if I can find Moblit on the next corner. Maybe we can put up a barricade. Slow down their advance." Hange said, before pushing her way through the crowd. She had barely advanced a few feet when she felt a grip on her arm. She turned around.

"Promise me you'll take care of yourself," Levi asked her without letting go of her arm. Her heart melted. "I promise you, Levi. You too. Don't let them catch you. Okay?" He just nodded once and let her go.

Hange was studying medicine, yet she was mobilized by social justice. This is how she ended up in one of the meetings that Erwin, a senior history student, secretly organized each week.

In the months after, and with the constant arrival of new young people interested in the events and reality of Paradis, Erwin convinced Levi, a young man from the poorest neighborhoods of the capital, to join the movement. Their relationship had been strange from the moment Erwin introduced them. But just like the revolution, the emotions between Levi and Hange exploded suddenly and without warning. In the walks home after the meetings. The quick kisses while they stuck pamphlets on the walls in the dark. The nights of wine and forbidden records that made them forget their reality for a couple of hours. However, no bottle of wine or record lasts forever. They soon discovered that there was no room for relationships and love in the midst of the people's struggle and pain, so they decided to put down their little personal revolution.

The other corner of the big Shiganshina Square was much more crowded than the one next to the wall. Hange searched all directions for the image of her friend and classmate but he was nowhere to be found. She screamed his name, but her voice was lost among the people's chants of "bring down the wall" and the sound of clubs being struck against the shields of the police. It was a warning: chaos would start soon. She could feel it in the air.

"Hange!" Someone pushed her to the ground just before hearing a deafening noise. She turned around and found Moblit's panicked face staring behind her. Someone had thrown a Molotov cocktail just a few feet from her. The police had reacted quickly and were now running into their direction. "Shit. It's already started." Moblit took her hand and started running in the opposite direction.

* * *

Levi froze. The sound of the explosion came from where Hange was supposed to be.

"I should probably get over-there-" the blurry image of something flying past him cut him off immediately. He turned quickly to meet Zeke's gaze across the street. Despite his helmet, he could perfectly identify his hideous beard. In his hands, a riot gun.

"Isn't that your brother? When were you going to tell us he was a cop?" he heard one of his cousin's friends screaming.

"Half-brother," he heard Eren reply. The anger evident in his voice.

"Ah well, my mistake. That doesn't change that he's shooting at us!"

The discussion stopped immediately. A smoke bomb fell just a few meters from them. The crowd started running scared in different directions. Some groups advanced to the front, determined to fight the police, including Eren.

"Mikasa!" Levi screamed as he watched her run after the brat. Another bomb fell near them. This time it was tear gas. Levi started coughing. "Mikasa, come here! Shit" His throat itched so much that it was difficult for him to breathe. The smoke from the previous bomb had mixed with the smoke from the barricades and it was difficult to see around. Everywhere people ran.

"I'll go with them, Levi." Erwin suddenly appeared beside him, his mouth covered by a cloth.

"Fine, but if the police catch them, you go with them too. Forget being the hero of the rebellion."

"I leave that role to you" Erwin replied, uncovering his face only to reveal a small smile. “Go find Hange!”

"Tsk," Levi complained as he watched Erwin climb onto a bench and start haranguing people about devoting their hearts to the cause and resisting. It worked, anyway. More and more people covered their faces and ran to confront the police with rocks and whatever they found at hand.

Levi took the cravat around his neck and covered his mouth. The crowds and chaos in the center of Shiganshina square forced him to advance along the side of the wall. Where the hell is she? The anxiety in his chest made him speed up until he was almost running. His heart was pounding. The sound of gunfire came from the other corner of the square. Fuck . Now he was running.

And between the panic, the worry for his cousin and his friend, the uncertainty of the future, the danger of the situation, the pain in his muscles and the adrenaline, he thought of her eyes.

And he thought of her hair and her hands and her lips.

And he realized that he had never told her that he loved her.

And he realized that they might never get justice despite fighting their whole life. That perhaps the dictator could never be defeated. Perhaps the system was like that. That maybe the poor would always be poor. And that life was cruel.

And he realized that somehow he could accept all of that. But he could not accept, under any conditions, give up what he felt for her.

His legs stopped. In the distance, Hange was on her knees helping a woman covering her face with a handkerchief, and urging her to calm her breathing.

Levi yelled her name. She turned quickly and her eyes met his. Levi saw her speaking to Moblit, who took her place assisting the woman.

Hange got up and stared at him. In the distance the sound of two explosions filled the air. The smoke increased more and more. People kept running. The screams were mixed with the sound of the sirens and the shots did not stop on either front. Despite that, Levi thought the image was beautiful. Hange shrugged and gave him a resigned half smile. Levi's heart raced again before advancing on her. Hange did the same until they finally met halfway.

"I was so worried about you-" Hange was immediately interrupted by Levi, who grabbed her hair and pulled her close to his face. The kiss they shared seemed to slow down everything around them. The chaos was suddenly nothing more than a slow motion nebula.

"I love you!" Levi screamed once they parted, amid all the noise. "Did you hear me, Hange? I want you to know that I fucking love you!"

Before she could answer, a stream of water soaked them. A water cannon had reached the center of the square and was trying to disperse the crowd.

Hange laughed out loud as Levi brushed his wet hair from his face. "I love you too, Levi Ackerman!" she shouted out before wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him passionately.

* * *

In the distance, Catt could see a young couple kissing next to the wall amid the chaos. In her hand, a fax said that General Goldwick, president of Paradis, had just been forced to abdicate, calling for early elections. Parliament, for its part, had announced the demolition of the wall.

Despite sharing different ideals, she smiled.

"To be young and not a revolutionary is a biological contradiction"

Salvador Allende (1908-1973)

[anakinthetrashking]

listening to Ocean Soul again and thinking about Ace, bc... well yeah.

and I'm like ok, yeah, the way the WB pirates got Ace to join their crew was decidedly *not great*

although I think you do see a lot of fans who actually kinda vibe with it?

like for one it's faster in fiction with little to no drawbacks bc *it's fiction*,

but I was thinking about how Ace Sabo and Luffy all agreed on finding Freedom on the seas and I think they all look for different types of freedom, ya know?

specifically I'm thinking about the difference between Ace and Sabo, like if the WB pirates tried to do the same to Sabo it just. wouldn't work at ALL. he already escaped from people calling themselves his parents and I think that it would really rub Sabo the wrong way. Sabo loosing his memories, I think as a child that was freedom for him. I think if he knew what he was missing with Ace and Luffy, he would have stopped at nothing to get his memories back, and would have willingly given up that "freedom"

in that way, both Ace AND Sabo were kind of, forcefully given freedom?

and here's where it gets a bit more complicated? I think a lot of people think freedom and it's the idea that you can do whatever you want whenever you want to and either there are no consequences or they're minor or don't matter? and that sort of freedom is completely unreachable. I mean there's consequences to EVERYTHING, some good, some bad, some big, some small. but you can't be so completely independent that suddenly what you do has no effect on anything or anyone else. that's just not how things work.

Sabo, Sabo with his amnesia, is freed from the cage of his family and his life and his name. he's able to use his name (first, but no last name) without being constantly reminded of his family. I like to think the time spent with Ace and Luffy was able to rewrite some of the brain connections of his name and his family.

then, being taken in by revolutionaries gives him the *freedom* to do what I think he would have wanted to do anyway, and that's to make changes in the world and help people on a greater scale. the ASL bros all seem to naturally help people whenever, wherever, and whatever the cost. ALSO, it seems like all three of them seem to make small changes or do small deeds that reverberate outward to make bigger waves if change. (I'm talking, changing one country or one person's situation vs like, the entire world) Ace and Luffy do things just as they come? luffy especially, there's no "I'm doing this bc it's going to make these things change" he's just like, ok this is the block in front of me right now and I'm going to punch it. Ace plans a Little more. that's just how and who they are. it makes sense for Sabo as a character to take that a step further and find freedom in the revolutionary way, which is planning to make these changes and domino effect, etc. he's very big picture.

ok well I meant this to be mostly about Ace but Ace and Sabo really do go together huh.

anyway. Ace, Ace, Ace. he went to sea partially carrying Sabo's dream bc he thought he was dead.... I think, that he partially found his freedom while growing up with Luffy, because while it's sort of implied that he's searching for freedom on the seas specifically, I think for Ace, it's more that he's searching for Acceptance. he keeps going back and forth between running from his parentage, to running right towards it (asking people what they would think if the Pirate King had a kid... oh Ace...) he keeps saying IM NOT, IM NOT, IM NOT! but then asks people about it??? anyhow, Luffy offered him acceptance and unconditional love, and began to sort of loosen the "chains" of his parentage. he can't run from it as much as he tries, because it just is. but Luffy couldn't release him from it because he's just one kid! one snotty little brother!

but Whitebeard... I mean, that's one of the people that Ace thought would hate him the MOST. and for him to say it doesn't matter who Ace's parents are, and to offer unconditional love? and have it be parental love?

I mean the DIFFERENT in how Ace acts before and after joining the Whitebeard pirates? he's so relaxed? he's settled, in a sense? I mean he's certainly not the paradigm of mental health, but he's so balanced! he's still got issues but they aren't plaguing him every second of the day- he isn't worried over people finding out about who he is all the time, bc the people that matter the most know!! and they accept and love him??? acceptance and love are what gave him freedom from what he viewed as a dangerous cage and chains of his parentage, but now are just part of who he is and that's ok?? he's not attacking people and egging them on to hate him for the reasons he gives them before they can find out about his parents?

and yeah he uses a different name, but he also takes on WB's mark? And just ahdksjs parallels between that and the Sun Pirates ahdkwiwk

and he's trying to make someone else king?? like freedom doesn't mean you have to be the top dog??? putting others before yourself can be freedom???

everyone has a different meaning of freedom?????

IM CRYING ABOUT ACE IN THIS CHILI'S TONIGHT

Lyrics from Ocean Soul that give me Ace Feels(tm):

One more night to bear this nightmare

Crying for me was never worth a tear

My lonely soul is only filled with fear

Long hours of loneliness between me and the sea

Losing emotion, finding devotion

As I always wished to be - one with the waves

[irishmacguirefucker]

Saved

Or alternatively; Javier realizes he really hopes all his friends go to the ranch to be happy while procrastinating his own decision

There were a lot of ways Javier Escuella thought his life would turn out after he fled Mexico.

Having his own third-floor bedroom in a massive, beautiful house and living an almost domestic life around former gang members turned family was not one of them.

He had already considered himself saved. He was starving and without a thing to his name when Dutch took him in. For years having a bedroll, a guitar and a gang to give his loyalty was home enough for him.

So when Dutch announced to them all that they would be giving up the gang life for some ranch all the way back in New Austin... He was conflicted, that's to say the least.

He didn't disagree with the idea per se, it’s just a lot to swallow when you’ve been a revolutionary, a bounty hunter and a gang member. Never a rancher.

But he would follow Dutch. He would always be loyal to Dutch no matter what.

The speech was… odd. Dutch didn’t speak very long. Something nobody was used to. And then Hosea stood to speak to them all, that's something they rarely saw.

Dutch’s speech was impassioned and compelling as they always are but it was still jarring. Dutch Van der Linde, gang leader for life, the man who caught him trying to steal chickens from some other ranch was telling them that they should give up their life of crime and danger to become those ranchers.

He even went as far as to admit that the age of gangs was no more and that if they continued on as they were they would all go down in gunfire.

Javier couldn't help but think that was always the plan.

If the speech had come from anyone else it would have sounded like he was admitting defeat, but Dutch Van der Linde made it sound like an opportunity. A hopeful prospect of good money and comfortable lives.

And then Dutch stepped down and Hosea stepped up.

Hosea's speech was less focused on convincing people through faith and more on telling people what they would get.

He told them just how massive the house was, 11 bedrooms and other rooms that could be converted for their best use. Acres of land to have livestock, run the horses, and just to have as their own. Cabins that they would build after they got there so they wouldn't be cramped. He said it as if they could possibly be cramped in a house bigger than any of their camps.

And in the end, he told them just how he got the property. Javier hadn't known Bessie, she died before Dutch found him. Hosea was still grieving then, Javier could tell even though he barely knew Hosea at the time. He figures he must have missed the drunken year Dutch and Arthur spoke of but not by a lot, maybe 2 or 3 years at most.

Even so Hosea taught Javier English. Just as much as Dutch contributed to that cause, Hosea did too. Sometimes he felt a bit like a project for the two men but Hosea always assured him that it was an honor to have him join their gang and their family, and family help each other out.

Listening to Hosea speak of his late wife's childhood home with such excitement, was a little bewildering to everyone in camp. Hosea always had a sort of melancholy sort of happiness when he spoke of Bessie but this time around he just seemed so excited.

The hope in his eyes turned back the clock. He almost looked younger, standing up in front of everyone and laying out this opportunity for them.

When Javier said he would follow Dutch anywhere... He meant it. He would go with them to this ranch, he would have even if Dutch hardly told them anything. Not that he was naïve, he just had a lot of trust in Dutch’s ideas and they had hardly ever led him astray in the past.

However because he is not naïve he was skeptical. He knows many of the members of this gang were likely feeling the same way; former orphans, rejects, runaways, etc. Many of them had not had the warmth of a real home in a long time, some never had it at all.

But like him: they had faith in Dutch and trust in Hosea. So they would follow. He would follow. To a brand new life.

-

Javier remained skeptical. The night after the speech held a dangerous tension around camp. Everyone had either gone to their beds or into the forest to think long and hard about this decision, or was sitting around the campfire in dead silence.

Javier was near the campfire. Mostly because that is where his bedroll is but also because he had much to think about and didn’t want to do it alone. Around the campfire sat Arthur, Charles, Lenny, Kieran, Mary-beth and Tilly.

The silence was heavy, each of them in their own heads. Mary-Beth and Tilly were practically on top of each other with the way they sat. Javier supposed they found comfort in each other.

Glancing at the young women, he thought they should go to the Ranch. They're so young and so deserving of a good home. They kept glancing at each other looking rather conflicted. Javier hoped they chose to go.

As he moved down the line of people he passively thought he must be avoiding his own thoughts on the idea by examining his friends around the fire. He couldn’t bring himself to do it just yet.

Next is Kieran. Their newest member. Not that many of them really considered him a member yet. The offer had been extended to him, Javier had watched Arthur place a heavy hand on the smaller man's shoulder and say something too low for Javier to hear. Judging by the rare smile that broke out on Kieran’s face, he would be going with them as well.

Javier did not interact with Kieran much. As he often did with everyone, he watched the man from afar, examined him and made opinions on him that he would mostly keep to himself. He believed that Kieran was mostly telling the truth about the O’Driscoll situation. The boy clearly had no loyalty to the other gang and earlier spoke of Colm O’Driscoll quite venomously to Mary-Beth, Sean and Arthur in the dark of the night.

Javier is an incredibly good judge of character. Spending months being unable to understand the people speaking around you makes you exceptional at reading people through their actions. Kieran is a kind boy, his involvement with the O’Driscolls’ was an unfortunately unavoidable action that had brought him to the Van Der Linde’s.

Javier thought Duffy should go to the ranch. He took incredible care of the horses. Boaz was a rambunctious horse, and Javier had never seen someone outside himself handle her so well. He saved Arthur back in Horseshoe Valley, something a true bastard would have just used as an opportunity to run. And he was humorously lovesick over Mary-Beth, that much was clear to everyone. While Javier was sure that girl could have any man she wanted it looked like she liked him back. He couldn't help but feel happy for the both of them, they would enjoy ranch life and have a safe home for their blossoming romance.

Though Javier could only imagine the lineup of torturers he'd have should he break her heart. Javier would certainly be in that line, somewhere behind Arthur and Susan probably.

The next person here was Lenny. Another young member who had experienced so much pain. Javier had heard the boys backstory. He felt for that 15-year-old boy who watched his father beaten to death, made his first kill and had to leave behind his remaining parents so he wouldn't be hung for his crimes. Javier knew the pain of leaving behind family, he couldn't help but sympathize.

Lenny deserved to live on that ranch. He deserved to have the luxury that was earned by him, and his family through pain and suffering. 19 years old is so young, he had a whole life of comfort ahead of him should he go.

Finally, he observed Charles and Arthur, only to find them looking at him the way he had been looking at the others. Javier knew that on some level that the two men had already known before that night. They would be going, that much was clear. He was happy for them, his friends deserved to settle down and live in comfort.

Lenny’s voice speaking up nearly made him jump. “I think that I’m gonna go. I...I think my Ma and Pa would want me to. And if Hosea and Dutch say it’ll be good...I think it’ll be great.”

Javier smiled. Slowly he watched as Mary Beth and Tilly squeezed their joined hands and agree with the dark-skinned boy. Then Mary-Beth slid a hand to her side and intertwined her fingers with Kierans, just barely in Javier's sight. It pays to be so observant he thinks. Everyone around the fire all spoke up, agreeing and choosing to go and he was happy for them. And then suddenly eyes were on him and he was forced to face his own thoughts.

He could say what immediately comes to mind, he would stay loyal to Dutch. But that wasn’t what they were looking for. He couldn’t help but wonder if it’s what he really deserves. All this time spent thinking about how his friends deserve to go and live happily, but what does he deserve? He who left his family behind, who put them in danger by killing a powerful man over a woman. Did he deserve the same home as them?

His mother is dead, that he knows. He hopes his sister was happy with her husband, in a home with a family. He fought in Mexico for his village to earn what they deserved, that's something he was still proud of. But then he left. What did that make him? A deserter? A coward?

He was pulled out of his self deprecating thoughts when Arthur spoke up. “You should come with us, Javier. An’ not just for Dutch. It… It’s gonna be real nice there, I think you’ll be real happy.”

Then Charles. “I know we haven't known each other for long but after hearing your story, you deserve to come to New Austin, more than some of us. Definitely more than Uncle.”

That pulled a few laughs from the group before he continued. “You owe Dutch your life, but a lot more people owe you theirs.”

The campfire was silent once more but now it was anticipating. Waiting to see what the ex-revolutionary would say.

“I’ll go. I’ll follow Dutch anywhere...this gang is the only family I have left and I won't abandon them like I did my mother and my sister back in Nuevo Paraíso.”

Nobody responded, but they all seemed to be almost buzzing. This new prospect was going to be amazing, and they were all happy to see members of the gang agreeing to join on the adventure.

“Javier...Would you play a song for us? I just can't stand this silence no more.” Tilly said. Everyone seemed to agree, the tension was no more. Now they needed to wind down.

Javier smiled and reached back for his guitar. “Why not Hermana, what can I play for you?”

She seemed to think on it for a minute before leaning in to Mary-Beth’s shoulder. “Could you play one of your songs? One of them soft Spanish ones?”

Mary Beth jumped in. “Oh yes, please? They sound so nice, even if I don't understand a word.”

It was a kind request of them, to sing a song of his former home after a long deliberation over his new one. As he chose the song he would sing, he couldn’t help but feel incredibly happy that he would spend the rest of his days singing for his new family.

Maybe one day he would send a letter to his sister, try and find out how she is doing without him. But for now, he would sit around the fire and he would sing for his closest friends, and dream of their upcoming new life with them in peace.

[datheetjoella]

Fantober 2020, Day 25: Enemy>Lover

Author: DatHeetJoella Fandom: Free! Pairing: MakoHaru Rating: T Part: 25/31 (read the full collection here) Word count: 3,006 Tags: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Developing Relationship, Strangers to Lovers, First Meeting, Prince!Haruka, Prince!Makoto, Prejudices Read at: AO3, FFn, or right here!

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

If there was one thing Haruka had known since he was a child, it was that when he came of age, he would be married off to a member of royalty or nobility of some foreign realm. As the crown prince of Tobi, that was his destiny and he made peace with it years ago. But when the day for him to meet his spouse-to-be arrived, he was everything but okay.

“Come on, Haru,” Nagisa said as he poured more hot water into his bath. “Don’t get all sulky before you even meet him. Maybe he’s actually really nice!”

Haruka huffed and averted his head. Nagisa might’ve been bubbly and optimistic, but Haruka didn’t share his positivity. The biggest hurdle for him was not that he was being married off, but to whom and what this arrangement entailed.

The lucky bachelor was Prince Makoto Tachibana. He was the oldest child and heir of the Tachibana family and the crown prince of Iwa, a neighbouring kingdom that was relatively small but still twice as big as Tobi.

Although Haruka had never met the guy, his status and title were enough to determine what he’d be like. In years of mingling with those who shared his destiny, Haruka had learned that they were all the same: arrogant, snobby, disrespectful and insufferable. They’d snap their fingers and expect servants to kneel at their feet, holding up their shoes on a golden platter. Barked out orders like they were better than everyone else because of the simple fact they’d been born in a palace instead of a shack. That was exactly the kind of person Haruka couldn’t stand.

And to make matters worse, he was going to have to share his precious kingdom with him and rule over it by his side.

The main reason their engagement commenced was that Tobi was, to put it frankly, bankrupt. The sea levels were rising and a recent flood destroyed both houses and crops, leaving a large group of people homeless and starving and his parents were at their wits’ end, unable to solve the problems that had befallen their realm.

The kingdom of Iwa had offered their help in exchange for a formal alliance and a marriage. But there was one issue: Haruka was an only child and the daughter of the Tachibana family had not nearly reached a marital age yet. Instead, their eldest son had proposed an alternative. The marriage would take place between the two crown princes and the kingdoms of Iwa and Tobi would merge into Unified Iwatobi, which would be ruled over by both Haruka and himself. It was merely a political marriage, as the princes would be allowed to have their own families if they pleased, and in turn, their firstborns would rule over Iwatobi as a pair.

A kingdom with two kings, it was a revolutionary concept and an absolutely ridiculous one at that. The instant Haruka heard of it, he knew it was a scheme of this ‘Makoto’ to steal the land of Tobi to expand his own kingdom. He’d play the sympathetic prince for their subjects, but behind closed doors, he would enforce his dominance and undermine Haruka’s sovereignty, to eventually become the sole ruler of Iwatobi. While Haruka hadn’t cared about becoming king and leading the realm, he’d rather die than play in the hand of some power-hungry narcissist.

But his parents and their advisors hadn’t agreed with him. Out of desperation, they accepted Iwa’s proposition and no matter how much Haruka protested or how many counter-arguments he presented, they wouldn’t budge. His fate as Prince Makoto’s puppet was sealed and he was incredibly bitter about it.

Three overly polite knocks on the carved door pulled Haruka from his brooding thoughts. “Yes?”

The door was slowly pushed ajar and Rei poked his head around the corner. “Your Highness, I do not mean to disturb but,” he said, but when Haruka sent him a scowl, he sighed. “Prince Haruka, your parents are waiting for you in the throne room. Prince Makoto and his delegation arrived over half an hour ago and it would be… appreciated if you came down to greet them.”

“I will,” Haruka grumbled, “After I’m done with my bath.”

“Forgive me for intruding, but you’ve been in the bath for nearly three hours already. Your fingertips are pruned and the water must be freezing by now.”

“It’s not, come feel for yourself.” Haruka gestured toward the bath, trying his best to appear nonchalant.

Rei didn’t seem fazed. “How many times did you refill His Highness’ bath, Nagisa?”

“Hm.” Nagisa scratched at his chin in contemplation. “About seven times?”

“Nagisa! You need to be more responsible. You know this is a grand day for Prince Haruka.”

“I know. He’s just nervous and taking a bath relaxes him, so you shouldn’t be so hard on him.”

“I’m not nervous,” Haruka said defensively, facing away from his retainers with a pout. He knew that, in their own ways, they both had his best interest at heart. Rei wanted him to be punctual and presentable when meeting important people, while Nagisa enabled his evading behaviour because he knew Haruka struggled to come to terms with this ordeal and found solace in the water. This wasn’t worth the argument between them. In the end, Haruka was an adult and had to own up to his fate. “I’ll get out, so tell my parents I will be down shortly.”

“Thank you,” Rei said, adjusting the spectacles on his nose with a self-satisfied puff. “I shall tell them to look forward to your swift appearance.”

Nagisa rolled his eyes at his colleague’s formality; after years of friendship, Rei still felt conflicted calling Haruka by his preferred nickname, instead switching between his titles. That was very different from Nagisa, who'd been casual with him since they were kids. Although Haruka liked them both equally, he did prefer Nagisa's easy-going nature.

With the click of the door, Rei was gone and Nagisa and Haruka were alone again.

"I get that you're not happy about this situation, I wouldn't be either," Nagisa said as he held out Haruka's towel. "But you can't just make assumptions about Prince Makoto. Not every prince is stuck-up and spoiled, you're not like that either. So why don't you give him a fair chance? Who knows, maybe you'll end up liking him a lot."

Deep down, Haruka knew Nagisa was right. He highly doubted he would get chummy with Makoto, but perhaps he had to give him the benefit of the doubt. If he was every bit as awful as Haruka imagined, then he would find that out soon enough. No need to get ahead of business.

With a semi-renewed outlook on the predicament, Haruka got ready with Nagisa's help. He wasn't vain at all, but if he made a strong, confident impression, he might’ve been able to thwart Makoto's possible ploys before they could come to fruition.

Clad in his finest cobalt blue suit and with his crown on his neatly-combed hair, Haruka descended the stairs and walked towards the throne room. With his head held high, he swung open the doors and strolled in, graceful and in control.

And then, he laid eyes upon Prince Makoto and he had to pick his jawbone off the red carpet.

An elegant green jacket adorned his broad shoulders, white trousers hugged his legs and behind and tall boots supported his lean, muscular form. For a prince, he was dressed surprisingly modest, but if it weren't for the brilliant crown placed on his messy brown locks, then his aura would've been enough to betray his status. His back was straight, feet planted firmly on the ground like an unwavering oak tree, sturdy and assured. This was what a man who was prepared to lead a nation looked like.

But Haruka's heart didn't stop until Makoto peered back over his shoulder and revealed his face.

Ever since he was little, Haruka had been told by folks he encountered how beautiful he was and he hadn't found any reason to disagree with those comments. But Haruka's beauty paled in comparison to Prince Makoto. His jawline was sharp with a chiselled chin and rather round cheeks, but that added to his charm. His lips were full, his eyebrows slightly upturned and his nose complemented all his other features. But his eyes were the ones that took Haruka's breath away.

They were vibrant and green like he was wandering in a hedge maze with no exit. Mesmerising like he didn't even want to find a way out. But most of all, overwhelmingly kind.

When Haruka noticed he was staring at Prince Makoto while everyone else was staring at him, he quickly shut the doors behind him and stumbled over to his parents' side. If only he hadn't lost face yet; Prince Makoto might’ve been handsome, but that didn't mean he was trustworthy. Haruka shouldn't let his guard down.

"Haruka, I'm so happy you could finally join us," his mother said with a wide smile, but the daggers she shot at him through her gaze informed him he was in for an intense scolding later.

"Thank you for waiting for me," Haruka said with a feigned smile of his own. "I'm glad I got the opportunity to be here because it is an honour to meet you, Prince Makoto."

"I feel the same way, Your Highness," Prince Makoto said and damn, his voice sounded like violin music on a sunny afternoon. "The honour is entirely mine, as I feel grateful you were able to find the time in your undoubtedly busy schedule to come and greet me."

Prince Makoto ended his play with a deep bow and Haruka’s eyebrows furrowed. Was he mocking him? Usually, Haruka was pretty good at reading people and all the signs told him Makoto was being sincere, but he couldn't believe someone would seriously say that to him after the way he acted.

Perhaps Haruka was the obnoxious, entitled prince in the equation. "Of course, Prince Makoto, we are honoured to welcome you into our humble palace."

"Well then," his mother interrupted before this charade could drag on for hours. "Haruka, why don't you show His Highness around our… humble palace?"

"Certainly, Mother," Haruka said, "Prince Makoto, would you please follow after me?"

"It would be my pleasure," Makoto said and the smile on his face hadn't lessened; in fact, it was like it grew even softer, as though fondness twinkled in his eyes. Haruka must've been hallucinating. "Please lead the way, Prince Haruka."

With Makoto trailing behind him, Haruka took him via the sunroom straight outside to the gardens. There, he'd at least be able to catch some fresh air as he listened to the bragging and boasting that would probably stream out of Makoto's mouth like a polluted waterfall.

They walked down the steps onto the path between the tidy yet lively garden. Hydrangeas, begonias and geraniums were plentiful and not a single branch was out of line on the trimmed bushes. This was Haruka's favourite spot on the entire castle grounds for a reason.

"These gardens are beautiful," Makoto said, turning his head from left to right and back again as though his brain couldn't process what his eyes were registering. "Perhaps the most beautiful I've ever had the privilege to walk through. Your horticulturists must be very skilled."

"I guess so," Haruka shrugged, unsure of how to answer that. Of course their horticulturists were skilled, else they wouldn't employ them. But Haruka swallowed that comment because he felt himself becoming the villain he feared Makoto to be.

When he glanced to his side and didn't see Prince Makoto beside him, Haruka frowned. Had he scared him off already?

When he looked back, Makoto was standing several meters behind him, head downturned.

"Prince Makoto?"

"I… want to offer you my apologies."

Haruka's frown hardened. "Apologies? For what?"

"This arrangement, it was my idea," Makoto said, facing back up and for the first time since their meeting, his smile was gone. "I hope you understand that I only suggested it because I wanted to help. When I heard about the situation in Tobi, my heart broke and I wanted to do everything within my power to aid your people. I know it might not have been my place, but if something like that were to happen to my people, then I would appreciate all the help we could get. When human lives are at stake, I believe our pride as leaders should not stand in the way of doing what is right."

Those words surprised Haruka. Maybe he had judged Makoto too soon. In the very least, his morals seemed to be in check.

"I certainly don't want it to appear as though I find you and your family incapable of ruling over Tobi by yourselves, but this was the only possibility I saw to overcome this issue. After all, Iwa's resources are limited and I could not convince our advisors to come to Tobi's aid without expecting anything in return. They wanted concrete assurance that Tobi would have our backs if such a disaster were to occur within our borders and said I was naive if I trusted you without a formal arrangement. In that regard, I failed and I owe you an apology for that." Makoto bowed to him once more, even deeper than last time.

Haruka was at a loss for words. He kept staring at Makoto's folded back, mind blank and he didn’t know how to comfort him, if that was even the correct response.

When Makoto straightened his spine, he continued, "But I am not against this arrangement and the merging of our kingdoms. No matter how extreme the circumstances would get, I would never propose something so outlandish if I didn't believe it was beneficial to both of our kingdoms. Together, we'll be so much stronger in times of trouble, but I would be lying if I said part of the reason why I am in favour of this isn't selfish."

"Selfish?" Haruka asked. From what Makoto had told him, he acted out of pure selflessness.

"To be honest with you, the thought of becoming king and leading our realm has always been a bit frightening to me,” Makoto said, shuffling his feet as he averted his eyes. “Ever since it was decided I’d be crowned within a few months, I’ve had this tight knot in my stomach. Being the king is such a big responsibility, I’m afraid I won’t be able to fill my parents’ shoes, that I’ll make foolish decisions and that my people won’t like me. Of course, I know I’ll always have the support of my parents and my advisors but I just… I feel like I’m not ready at all.”

At that earnest confession, Haruka’s mouth fell open once again. Makoto appeared so reliable and certain, he never would’ve guessed he harboured such insecurities. Perhaps it was because he felt so lost that he hid it so well.

“I’ve never told anyone this before,” Makoto admitted as he scratched at his cheek, “But that’s why the thought of merging our kingdoms appealed to me; so I’d have you by my side. Carrying the weight of a whole kingdom seemed a bit lighter if I could share it with someone, that’s why I advocated for this particular arrangement. I realise now that’s very immature and egotistical of me, so I apologise again for wanting to push my burden onto you.”

If Makoto was being completely honest - which Haruka had no lingering doubts about at this point - then it wasn’t that he wanted to steal Haruka’s land and title, but wanted to push part of his own onto Haruka’s plate like they were vegetables he couldn’t stomach.

Haruka had never been extremely thrilled about his duties either, albeit for different reasons than Makoto, so it wasn’t like he didn’t understand him. While he hadn’t thought of this arrangement as being a shared burden, the idea didn’t sound all that unpleasant to him now he did ponder it over. Perhaps this wasn’t as ridiculous as it initially seemed. 

“It’s okay,” he said after a moment of silence, “I suppose I don’t mind shouldering half of your weight as long as you shoulder half of mine.”

“Certainly,” Makoto said, nodding vehemently. “I do want you to know that I don’t expect anything of you. I mean, we’ll be getting married through this arrangement, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be obligated to do anything. I want you to continue to live your life the way you please, the way you always have or the way you envisioned, without minding me. I do hope we can become friends, but if you prefer for our contact to be strictly political, then I understand, Prince Haruka.”

“You shouldn’t be so insecure about everything, because you have no reason to,” Haruka said, turning around so Makoto wouldn’t see the blush he could feel burning on his cheeks. “And just Haru is fine. We’re getting married, aren’t we? There’s no need for such formalities.”

An audible gasp left Makoto’s lips. “You’re right, Haru,” he said with a warm, melodious chuckle.

“Are you coming? I’ll show you the rest of the garden,” Haruka said as he resumed walking. Before Makoto could ask something that forced him to unlock his heart, he changed the subject. “What are your favourite flowers?”

“Camellias,” Makoto said as he matched Haruka’s pace, “Do you have any bushes?”

“We do, I’ll take you to them.”

Together, Haruka and Makoto wandered through the vast and lavish gardens. During the short time since they met, Haruka’s opinion of Makoto shifted completely and now, he was convinced they would become the friends Makoto hoped they’d be.

At that point, he had no idea yet that when they got married a few weeks later, he’d say his ‘I do’ with a wide smile and that the ceremony would be ended with a true, tender kiss.

[laylacooke]

You Light Up My Life || Jared & Layla

timing: Monday, 10/6; midnight parties: @themidnightfarmer & @laylacooke summary: Layla comes to wreak more havoc on Jared’s life and farm equipment.

Jared was walking, he was moving around the farm, but he had no true gauge of time. He wasn’t even awake. His body was moving of its own accord and he wasn’t sure how or why, and he wasn’t even conscious enough to ask those questions either. His first action had been to check the gate locks, something his subconscious knew was important. But where an aware Jared would have looked at the open locks after a perimeter walk and known to close them, instead a very much asleep Jared decided looking was enough and he moved on to continue his chores other usual daily chores. As well as that, an awake nymph would have identified the fact that there was someone walking across the farm towards the house was very odd. But as it was, a very asleep Jared jogged to catch up to them with a half wave and a sigh as he joined them wherever they were going. In his mind his dream had shifted from chores to hanging out with someone he vaguely remembered meeting once and he was content.

Layla had been so tired lately, and she couldn’t figure out why. It was as if sleep just wasn’t satisfying anymore. Deciding to head to bed early, she snuggled up to Indy and closed her eyes dozing off sooner than she thought she would. However, not two hours into her slumber and the teenager was unknowingly leaving the trailer with Indy still sleeping soundly inside. Feet carrying her automatically, the young woman walked for miles until she had reached a farm. Her sharp hearing picking up on all sorts of sounds, including someone jogging towards her, Layla continued to make her trek forward with one thing on her mind. If this person was going to be a threat though, she had her claws at the ready. Nothing was going to stop her for what she had come for; lights and the occasional ink pen. 

No words passed between the two beings, and yet Jared felt he’d grasped exactly what to do with this situation. He was going to help her, he was going to help her whatever it was she was here to do, surely that's what this dream wanted from him. Layla wouldn’t have appeared had she not been there to carry out some task with him, right? The nymph walked at her side for a while, they arrived at the tractor and he waited to see what she would do. He laughed lightly at the coincidence and then shifted his bare feet on the patch of gravel he’d parked on. He watched her pleased, with himself at having found her, not yet knowing she was here to once again mess with his poor tractor.

Layla had found herself at the destination on the mental map in her head. Jared’s laugh seemed to give her assurance that she was doing the right thing, and as she looked over to him with a smile, she let one of her small sharp claws escape from her nail bed. Looking back to the tractor, she stepped forward, climbing up the front of it, and began to cut into the plastic headlight shielding the bulb on the piece of machinery. It was like something out of a spy movie as her nail drew a perfect circle that seemed to fall out on its own when completed. Reaching into the open space, she began unscrewing the small high-powered bulb, “Help me get the other ones. I need these. It’s important. Then we can start on the back.”  

Everything was normal, and everything made sense to Jared as Layla used only her nail to cut plastic. Thick plastic at that. He’d never considered that the bumps under the plastic would be easier to get to if you cut them a gap. In his mind she was doing something revolutionary. He nodded dutifully to her order, quick to snatch the other side and wrench the whole thing away from the vehicle. Usually well concealed increased strength making its appearance for a moment before he dazedly smiled at her and unscrewed the bulb as daintily as his rough hands could manage. “All of them? Need the orange ones from the spinny bit at the top?”

She wasn’t entirely sure why Jared was helping her, but it just felt right. And it was easier. Having a buddy assist with stealing headlights, taillights, and other lights from their own vehicle at their approval was so much easier. Satisfying? Not as much, considering there wasn’t the thrill of the chase, but at least it meant Layla wasn’t going to be arrested again anytime soon. Not if she was given permission. As she continued with her assignment, she glanced towards the man near her, “All of them. Even the ones inside.” She was going to make sure this puppy was picked clean, and if time allowed, she would move onto his truck next.

Jared could almost be called insightful as he removed headlights from spots that might have had to have been missed by anyone but the owner, but only if you ignored the fact that he was removing them from his own vehicle and handing them to someone intent on stealing them away. He handed his haul over before blinking slowly. There was an odd falling sensation in his limbs and then he jolted forward. This happened again, and then again. ON the last occasion he blinked, but as soon as his eyes were open, he was awake. And an awake nymph was far removed from the actions of a sleeping nymph. He stared at Layla outright. “Wh- Did I? Call- no.” He stumbled over his words for a moment before seeing what she was holding and glancing at the tractor. “What’s happening?”

Layla’s arms were getting full of light bulbs, and at the risk of breaking them, she laid them in a nice pile, before searching for something to put them in. Finding a decent sized Amazon box, the teenager began carefully placing the light bulbs in one-by-one. Box in tow, she resumed what she was doing, not noticing Jared waking up. And even when he was awake, she hadn’t completely processed it. Instead, she looked to him with a stone face and replied, “Have you forgotten? We’re getting light bulbs. Light bulbs are needed.” Why they were needed, she didn’t know. She just knew they were needed. “I think we have them all from the tractor. Let's move onto your truck.” She walked past him with the box in tow ready to start stripping his truck of any light source she could find.

She spoke with such authority the nymph didn’t initially realize there was something wrong with the act she was carrying out. Jared took a full step forward to continue to help her strip his vehicles of the lights, but after that single step his confusion ended. “No, I need those. I can’t drive or herd my kids if you take all the lights. They don’t all listen to me, I need these. I’ll buy you some, what do you need them for?” Despite how odd the need for lightbulbs from vehicles (a mixture of vehicle at that) Jared paused. Should he be helping her? Was this something she needed for something important? It hadn’t hit him that perhaps she was sleepwalking as well. The idea that the both of them had met up by chance like that sounded absurd. 

Layla had still been blindly in her trance, and ignoring him, she moved towards the truck to resume her mission. A random mission that had been implanted in her brain, and something she had been carrying out on her own around town. Tonight, she just happened to have company. If he didn’t want his light bulbs taken, he was going to have to stop her. And without any hesitation, she sat her box down, ejected a claw, and leaned in ready to start cutting out holes to reach through, “If you’re not going to help me, I’ll do this alone.”

He was calm, confused definitely, but calm for the first few moments as she continued to speak with certainty of her task. It was only when Jared noted that she was cutting the plastic coverings of his headlights that he realized this was all wrong. Blinking away the disorientation from just having woken up, along with the added confusion of being outside and not in his own bed, he came to the conclusion he SHOULD stop her. He moved to her side and gently grasped her wrist to stop her from cutting the plastic covering and held her. He was stronger than a human, but he was also far too soft a person to be firm with Layla. She could easily pull away, he hoped to just dissuade her. “I can buy you bulbs if you need them, please stop, I don’t have money for repairs like this.”

Layla had been so hellbent on her mission, but when he grabbed her something seemed to click. Blinking a few times, the dazed and confused werewolf looked around, “What? What’s going on? Where am I?” It took her a moment before she realized where she was at. Looking between Jared, the box of lightbulbs, and her single claw resting gently on the headlight of his truck, she put two and two together, “Oh...I-I…” Looking between him and the box, she could feel the sting of embarrassment rushing over her cheeks. She was just about to trash something else of his, and she felt horrible about it, “I’m so sorry, Jared. I’m so so sorry. I’ll pay for all of this, but I have to-I have to go.” Pulling away from him, she headed back the way she had come, as if instinctively knowing exactly where to go. A night of sleepwalking came with confusion and a box full of lightbulbs that now sat undisturbed in Jared’s barn leaving him, yet again, in the crosshairs of her mischief and mayhem.

[pricechecktranslations]

OSS: Crime; Chapter 3-Project “Ma” -Adam-

Original Sin Story: Crime infomine under the cut 

Scene 1

Just a reference to the song—Project “Ma” was a failure, yada yada.

Scene 2

From a young age Adam has had primarily two strong emotions: Loneliness and anger at the world.

When he was tossed in a river as a baby, a whale took him into its mouth and deposited him at the coast, where he was found by a fisherman. The only thing he had on him was a small bottle he was carrying. A piece of parchment inside read “Adam Moonlit”—so they assumed that was his name. He lived a relatively peaceful life for about five years, though he doesn’t remember that time well.

One night, his home (I think this may have been the orphanage he mentioned) was destroyed in a tsunami (killing a whole bunch of people, possibly the other orphans). Adam somehow survived off of beached fish, making a crude home out of rubble. Every so often, the white whale that saved him (though he didn’t have any way of remembering that) would appear to keep him from being too lonely.

One day, Adam asks the whale’s name, and he hears it reply (it doesn’t show what the whale says, noting Adam could be hallucinating), learning its name is Catherine (katoriinu). He keeps talking to the whale, thinking of it as his mother (and then there’s this heartbreaking part where he’s just asking it questions, which devolve into demands to know why he’s alone and abandoned). Adam does not grow up well.

Scene 3

Adam, armed with a harpoon, reacts with hostility when Horus (who wears glasses) shows up before him one day (I think he is still five at this point, or perhaps six), as most of the people who show up are hostile to him and steal from him. Horus isn’t bothered and tells him to relax. He says he is here to adopt Adam on the orders of his mother. Excited, Adam gets into the carriage with him.

Just then, Catherine pops out of the ocean and calls to him in his head, saying that Horus is lying and won’t reunite him with his mother. Horus says that Adam is being tricked by Catherine, as she is a familiar of Held (who is, of course, still viewed as an evil god). She can’t deny that she used to be a forest spirit (a small fish one), which enrages Adam.

He throws his harpoon, and it strikes her. She tries to say something to him to calm him down, but he cuts her off, ranting about how it’s obvious she isn’t really his mother. Horus and Adam leave her, and head to the capital.

Scene 4

Of course, Horus says Adam can’t see his mother immediately. So he ends up living with Horus in the research facility (I guess it has living quarters for the both of them?). Eventually Adam becomes Horus’ adopted son. He would always brush it off as Adam needing to study more, to work harder, as he can’t meet with her as he is now. Adam believes him because Horus is very persuasive.

Adam doesn’t feel like a human being the way that he’s raised. He gets only what he needs in terms of food and clothing, and is only allowed to leave the facility when Horus orders him to go shopping—he doesn’t want for things like knowledge and shelter (all he does is study, really) but he is severely deprived emotionally.

When Adam grows up he becomes more persistent in asking about his mother, but Horus only says it’s not time yet. Horus becomes older and weaker, and ends up relying more and more on apprentices. Adam ends up working with them more.

Scene 5

Adam only learns his mother’s identity when Horus is almost on his deathbed (interesting note: Horus refers to his body as an “inferior good”). Horus tells Adam to take over as institute director in his stead, which Adam agrees to.

Adam asks why Horus adopted him, thinking that he merely lied about knowing his mother. That’s when Horus reveals that Alice Merry-go-Round’s true name is Maria Moonlit (note—whoever becomes queen of Levianta receives a new name and has their past identity sealed by the senate. It does not say that every single one has been named Alice, but imo that would fall in line with the whole “alice has always been queen” thing in the OSSCE crossfade).

Horus explains the situation—that Maria didn’t want to get rid of Adam, but that it was all Miroku’s fault, and that furthermore he has turned Maria into his puppet using the brainwashing drug Venom (which he claims was made through collaboration with Horus’ “greatest apprentice”, Seth, who he says will probably show up in person at some point later on).

Horus has put a notebook full of names and locations in a drawer—these are his allies, those who wish to overthrow Miroku. Adam has a million questions, but before he can ask them Horus goes to leave—he has decided that when he dies, he will be alone. Adam never sees him again.

Scene 6

There are roughly ten other researchers at the institute—none of them object to Adam taking over, given Horus has been training him since he was young. Adam is a prodigy, and he has a keen interest in researching the legacy pieces (while at the same time upset that the research is being used for political squabbles).

One day Gammon visits the institute, claiming to be looking for Horus. Adam figures that he’s probably dead, and just wanted to die alone in peace, especially given the state of his health when he vanished. Adam then reveals that he knows Gammon was one of Horus’ collaborators in his secret revolutionary efforts. Of course, it wouldn’t look good for either of them if it got out.

Adam isn’t sure what side he wants to be on. He both respected and hated Horus. But for now he would like for them to look out for each other (sort of blackmailing him into it). Then he offers to get him some coffee. From then on they develop a sort of uneasy allyship.

Gammon is the eldest son of the Loop Octopus family, but he was cast out of being the heir due to being born without magic (wasn’t treated well by his family, basically). He became skilled with guns and swords due to fervent study, and worked his way up to being head of the security division.

He also has purple prophetic dreams, which he admits to Adam while they’re drinking at a bar one day. He is an inheritor of Rahab—all Loop Octopus members are, to some extent (this implies that there may be differences in the strength of inheritor powers between individuals). He says that because his family can foresee the future, this means that a queen (who is only important because she can tell the future via divine revelation) is not necessary. Note also that Adam has not told Gammon he’s Maria’s son.

This leads to a lot of speculating and reflection on Adam’s part (on if Gammon intends to rule the country, the possibility of someone who does not have divine revelation being in charge, whether the gods are even worth revering in the first place, etc). He starts to think that maybe the country should go back to being a kingdom with a hereditary ruler—that this would end the power struggles among the senate. And of course, Adam is a great candidate for king.

Gammon interrupts Adam’s thoughts to bring up that his father is very cunning. So much so that if, hypothetically, the real queen died twenty years ago (as she hasn’t shown herself to the public in that long), no one would have found it out. Miroku was, himself, the one who established the rule that only the head of the senate can interact with her.

Adam dismisses the idea—Horus told him Miroku was manipulating her with drugs. He’d have no reason to kill her. Either way, though, Miroku is clearly the real power in charge of the country.

Gammon is sort of sprawled on the bar right now, drunk. Adam tries to wake him, and then he is suddenly approached by a new person. A man who looks identical to Horus, appearing to be the same age that Horus was when he first approached Adam on the coast all those years ago. He is Seth Twiright.

Scene 7

Adam has no proof that this is the real Seth Twiright, of course, but him looking identical to Horus is a pretty big deal. While he looks roughly the same age as Adam, Seth claims to be older, saying he studied under Horus long before he became head of the institute (roughly twenty years before, which would be about five years before Horus adopted Adam).

Seth claims he came to help now that his mentor is dead (and yet pretty much none of the other apprentices have even heard of him until now). Adam tries to brush him off, but Seth persists, sharing knowledge of the Next Queen Project—something only those involved are supposed to know about. This makes it clear that he does have a connection to Horus.

Seth clarifies that he isn’t Horus’ child or anything, despite them looking alike (he says they might have a distant relation or something).

Adam obviously can’t trust him given what Horus said, and it’s hard to read what Seth is after. But he’s a lead regarding Adam’s real mother, so he can’t just dismiss him. He lets Seth join the institute.

Seth is, like Horus, very persuasive and affable, and gets along well with the rest of the staff. He’s also just as brilliant, his assistance revitalizing the “Next Queen Project” which had come to a bit of a standstill after Horus’ death.

Seth is the one who brings them the “God Seed”, which is held in a small black box (Adam is examining it while Seth fiddles about with some of the machinery in the room). It’s a living liquid, Seth explaining that it was extracted from Sin, and that it is part of LeviaBehemo. Adam speculates that they can create people with magical power with this. He asks how Seth got his hands on it, and Seth says he was allowed below the temple by Miroku due to being an old friend of his (he did not go through the Glass Hallway, but rather a different route, and claims to have never met the queen himself).

While Seth is just as interested in the legacy of the Second Period as Adam, his area of research isn’t machinery so much as living things (biotechnology, basically). Adam asks him about his knowledge of drugs—Seth eventually tells him to stop beating around the bush, as it’s clear he’s asking about Venom.

Seth explains that there were once people who were Inheritors of Levia, and that they were able to manipulate people’s minds. They have all died off, but Seth claims he found the grave of one such inheritor. He took the body back to his home, experimented on it, and at the end of this experimentation and analysis he produced Venom. He then analyzed his success and devised a recipe to make Venom with—but then says that he never used it, because it’s outside of his interests.

Adam wonders why (it seems he was commissioned to make it, but Seth doesn’t look like he’s interested in things like money or power).

Scene 8

The Project “Ma” stuff starts one year after Horus went missing. This chapter is basically a reflection on Adam’s motives (how he is empty inside and is doing all these things to try and fill that emptiness, how he blames Miroku for not being able to live a normal life with a family that loved him, how he wants to control Levianta’s future by making his own puppet queen, etc).

He will fill the hole in his heart. If it’s for that, he will even become evil.

Scene 9

Adam goes to get Gammon to collaborate with him. He reveals that he is Maria’s son (though he has no proof), and tells Gammon that if it works he will become the next head of the senate. Adam plans to have the next queen change the laws so that succession will be hereditary again—and as the son of the former queen, Adam will become king.

Gammon doubts that’ll work well, but Adam says that if he becomes king, Gammon will become the new prime minister. Gammon points out that it’ll be the next queen’s relatives who will be in line for succession, not Adam, to which Adam says he’ll just marry the next queen. And her children will be the Twins of God—no one would object to them being next in line for the throne.

Adam also reveals that he has mixed his own genes in the Divine Seed that he’ll be using for Project Ma, so that those children will also be related to him.

Adam prepares to kill Gammon if he refuses, but Gammon agrees. He too is dissatisfied with the current state of affairs. And he also had a purple dream about Adam. But he doesn’t say what it was about.

Scene 10

Through Gammon’s contacts, Adam is able to get the recipe for Venom. He is also able to get his hands on Miroku’s journal. Though, it’s really more of a memo pad used to secretly write down Miroku’s private thoughts (and as such, it’s very scattered and brief, providing little detail on what its entries are referring to).

In brief: Miroku discovering Maria’s children and having a young retainer throw them in the river. The queen freaks out, and has to be quieted down. Miroku thought he killed the servant to keep the secret safe but this guy shows up again. Miroku decides to keep him around, as he’s useful. The servant makes Venom—evidently, this person was Seth, though it doesn’t say his name. Miroku drugs the queen and then Ceci Vaju as well, saying that when he is dead he will inherit what he leaves behind.

This next part—I can guess what it means based on something I glimpsed in Seth’s chapter but I don’t want to say outright in case I’m wrong, so…Miroku’s notes become scrambled—basically saying first that he’s had dreams (purple ones) then amending that they are prophecies, and, I quote, “I am Alice/Queen Merry-Go-Round”. His notes then detail the Project Ma prophecy.

There’s more that isn’t shared. The only thing Adam can glean from it is that what Horus told him about Miroku is true, and that what Gammon suggested in his drunken stupor might not be total nonsense.

Scene 11

Adam reflects on what he’s learned—Seth was the one who tossed him in the river, and he has (or had, at least) a twin sibling. He figures he’ll need to put some restrictions on Seth—now that he has Venom, he no longer has a use for him.

Adam has received information on a potential Ma candidate—Meta Salmhofer. Gammon warns him against recruiting her, as she’s a member of Apocalypse. Adam points out that one of their founders, Raiou Zvezda, is listed as one of Horus’ collaborators. Though it was different when Raiou founded it (evidently they weren’t a terrorist organization then), and he has since ditched it.

Even leaving aside the matter of Apocalypse, given that Meta is Pale’s girlfriend it’s unlikely she’s a virgin.

Gammon is against going to fetch Meta, as it would be dangerous. Adam, on the other hand, sees it as an opportunity for Seth to die in an “unfortunate accident”,

Of course, the plan was a miserable failure. Basically, Adam planned for Seth to be in one spot that would be attacked, while all the other researchers were safe. But instead the researchers were in the danger zone, and Seth was safe. Adam’s not sure how that happened. And all Seth has to say about it is that they better do their best just the two of them from now on (Seth seems a bit happy-go-lucky, really).

Scene 12

And so, Adam meets Eve, someone who would be perfect to manipulate. He didn’t plan for everything that happened—the fight with the White Army, Meta attacking Nemu (she was likely looking to punish Raiou for his desertion)—but ultimately, he was able to get Eve to the capital. He drugged her with Venom by mixing it into her coffee.

Even with the drug, getting her to like him was a little tricky—he wasn’t charming like Seth and Horus. But he tended to her needs, spent time with her, was understanding, etc. Fortunately, Seth didn’t pop into the lab much due to his recovery, so he wouldn’t catch on that Adam was using Venom.

He and Gammon are drinking in a bar, and he’s complaining about women (kind of typical “why are women so hard to understand blah blah blah”). Being the perfect boyfriend is stressful. He’d like to have Gammon switch roles with him (I think he’s drunk), but Gammon evidently already has a wife and kid(s). Gammon also thinks they make a good couple, and that Eve would like him even without the Venom. Adam cuts him off, saying their being a couple is just for the plan.

He shifts the conversation to Vaju. Apparently they’re waiting for him to die (he is getting sickly) before they move ahead, so that if Eve becomes queen it doesn’t appear to be solely Vaju’s work. Miroku is in a similar position—once Vaju dies, all of his stuff goes to Miroku (I guess because he doesn’t have an heir, so Miroku used the Venom to get him to make Miroku his heir). This includes the institute, so that he can continue being head of the Senate even if they produce a different queen.

Adam asks if Gammon has any hesitation over killing his father. But apparently there’s no love lost between them.

Basically—Gammon is all ready to overthrow the current government. The only reason he was waiting this long is because he didn’t have a lynchpin to pull it together. But Eve, once she’s queen, will be able to allow him to do as he pleases with restructuring the country.

Scene 13

The queen trial was Adam’s one chance to ascertain the queen’s condition, but of course Eve remembers almost nothing of it (which is to be expected). The moment Adam heard that Zelarana Zellana was dead, he started worrying about Eve. He’d been confident she’d succeed, but she isn’t back yet. He can’t go get her, though, because it might tip people off that they’re more than just scientist and patient.

He’s concerned for her, which surprises him, but denies his feelings as being for his plan’s success only.

Eve suddenly arrives, and he goes to hug her (again denying that it’s for anything other than his charade). She seems a little mad at him, but also doesn’t act on it.

Scene 14

Eve is impregnated with the God Seed, with twins. Now all that’s left is to wait for them to be born. Meanwhile, Vaju dies, leaving everything to Miroku.

Gammon is going to do his small rebellion after Eve becomes queen, and Miroku will get mixed up in it and die. Then Gammon will be captured, and executed for his crimes. This is what Adam’s real plan is regarding him.

Scene 15

Eve gets restless and mood-swingy as the due date approaches. Earlier she’d been scared all day, having dreamed that she saw a bear. Adam thinks this might be because she’d drunken too much Venom.

Seth hasn’t shown himself since Eve became pregnant. He hasn’t gone home either. Adam, fearing that Seth has cottoned on to the plan and will tell Miroku, increases surveillance on Miroku and has his people look harder for Seth.

Adam takes Eve out of the institute for a bit. She says she wants to go to the Western coast, to meet Adam’s “mother” (the whale). He hasn’t gone back since Horus picked him up—he wonders if she’s still there.

He picks a car that won’t sway much, and they arrive at the coast. They gaze at the ocean together, Adam glancing over at Eve and noting her simple beauty. He starts to wish that they had met in some other way, without all these plans and prophecies and such, before forcing himself to drop the thought.

Eve suddenly announces that she’s going to name the babies Cain and Abel, though when pressed she says that there’s no real meaning behind those names.

Right as they’re going to leave several hours later, Catherine calls out to Adam in his mind. She explains that her physical body is gone (not because he speared her with a harpoon, but because it was a natural end result of her leaving Held’s power). She is now part of the ocean.

She was once a small fish, but one day she rebelled against Held and left. Unlike the other spirits, she had fragments of her memory remaining from their past (her past of being one who served the creators of the world).

Apparently in Levianta they are taught that LeviaBehemo is the only true god, and all others are false gods. Catherine explains the whole deal about Levia and Behemo making humanity, and Held suggesting the gods merely watch over the world, etc. Catherine hadn’t agreed with this, which is why she left the forest. Her body became a large whale—this is what she wanted, but it also signified that she had lost the physical immortality that she had with Held. Hence why she’s invisible now.

Eve can’t hear Catherine, as a note.

Upon being asked, Adam tells Catherine that Eve is his wife, which pleases her. She’s also relieved to hear that Horus is dead, saying that he was dangerous. Adam apologizes for his anger when last they saw each other, and they part on good terms.

Scene 16

Eight months into the pregnancy, Eve is moved to Alicegrad. That way she can be attended on and also be under greater security. The due date is very close now.

Once Adam receives word that she’s in labor, he rushes to Alicegrad from the institute. The sun has gone down, and there are no stars or moon in the sky. He’s stopped before he can get in her room by a guard, who informs him only those assisting with the birth can get in (which apparently includes a priest). He does reassure Adam that she’s with the best doctor available—not Dr. Moreno, who drowned in a river the other day, but Seth Twiright (he doesn’t say it’s Seth, but it’s Seth).

The door opens. Adam sees Seth there, and also can’t hear the sound of babies crying. He had no information on Seth being a doctor in this regard—apparently his informants haven’t been telling him everything (Seth chides him for trusting them so much).

Adam pushes past Seth. Eve is fine, but the things she’s holding in her arms are not babies. They are darkish “things”. Eve is delusional, calling them her and Adam’s babies (despite the fact that she shouldn’t know Adam put some of his semen—yes it specifies semen—into the God Seed), thinking they’re alive.

Adam tries to get her to hand them over, but she freaks out. Enraged, Adam goes outside to see Seth smoking, initially assuming he was behind it. But Seth claims he did his best. He says the babies simply died while they were inside Eve’s womb.

Rather, he says that this was Adam’s fault, because he was doing something “extraneous” (being vague on what exactly Adam did that caused it). He calls him out, basically insulting him as a researcher, but also won’t tell Miroku what he was planning. He leaves Adam there (Seth just seems really amused it all went to crap).

Scene 17

Adam is drinking alone in the furthest corner of a bar when Gammon comes in and sits across from him. He says they’ll have to start again—find a new candidate, and deal with the traitor in their informants.

Eve is infertile now. And she’s gone mad. Adam speculates that her spirit was weak already, due to the drugging, and she lost it when the twins were born dead. She’s still following the delusion that she has children.

Gammon tries to get him to perk up—they still have plenty of time before the prophecy comes to pass. But Adam’s had enough—he’s giving up on everything, telling Gammon to go back to his original rebellion plans.

Of course, Gammon’s not liable to leave Adam as a loose end, so he figures he and Eve need to flee the capital together.

Scene 18

This is an internal monologue. Adam apologizes to his mother for failing to save her, not even knowing if she loved him or not. He’s tired of chasing his past, though. He also apologizes to Eve for what he’s done, realizing he does love her and wanting to go live in Held’s forest with her (a reference to the song, basically). He also wonders if Catherine might be able to find them there.

He loves Eve, even if that love is just a result of a brainwashing drug.

[pinkvoidthing]

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[chsamuseum]

The Sick Men of the World: Assessing Yan Fu’s Metaphor

1895 was not a good year for China. China had just lost the first Sino-Japanese War, the latest in a century of humiliation at the hands of foreigners. Amidst this chaos, Chinese scholar and later reformist Yan Fu described China as “the sick man of Asia.” In his article “On Strength,” he compared the country to a sick man in dire need of help. Traditional government, opium, and foot-binding were the maladies which were killing China. Overtime, Westerners would adopt his phrase as a metric to measure Chinese progress. The current COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on several maladies which plague both Western and Chinese societies. Rather than work together, both sides have elected to pursue tit-for-tat spats which have placed millions of lives in harm’s way and make both sides the sick men of the world. Understanding this history is the first step to combating the stereotypes that are being spouted by leaders in both the U.S. and China.

The “sick man of Asia” phrase was first applied by the West during a century-long outbreak of bubonic plague in China. Between 1894 and 1950, 15 million people died in the pandemic, decimating China’s dense population. Efforts to stop the virus were limited to local charities with minimal oversight from the imperial government. Western commentators believed that the reason why China suffered so dramatically at the hands of the plague was due to the country’s poor sanitation practices. Who was to blame for the poor sanitation? Who else but the Qing government, they argued. The government’s inability to provide for adequate sanitation was proof of China’s deteriorating health. Westerners therefore built off Yan Fu’s idea in order to develop an interesting metric which would be used throughout history to gauge China’s progress in modernization: China’s ability to respond to pandemics. 

To be fair, the West’s assessment was pretty accurate. Ironically, during the Black Death in the 14th century, China could say the same thing of medieval Europe, whose utter lack of clean drinking water and sanitation poisoned the country. While the plague was a global event, Europe was its epicenter, losing an estimated one third of its population.  While China was damaged by the plague, it did not suffer losses nearly as catastrophic. This has been largely attributed to the much more organized government and public sanitation practices of the much richer and much more powerful China. 

But late 19th century China was not as clean or as powerful. It was at the bottom of the international food chain. With the new view of China as unsanitized and inadequate, propaganda began to be spread within Western countries portraying Chinese immigrants as unclean and unfit for citizenship. Posters depicting Chinese living in decrepit conditions popularized the media. New Chinese arrivals at Angel Island were given rigorous health screenings; even a common cold could send one back to China. American society began doing everything it could to keep the Chinese out, and in 1882, passed the infamous Chinese Exclusion Act. Chinese in America? No! No! No!

In the 20th century, China awakened and recognized its dire need to modernize. With the fall of the Qing dynasty, the period between 1911 and 1949 was marked by economic, press, and social freedoms.  In the spirit of Yan Fu’s metaphor, the country was beginning to self-medicate. This change was distinctly felt in the health sector, which saw Chinese participation at international health meetings, expansion of medical schools, and new opportunities for women to enter the health profession. It also saw the creation of the Ministry of Health in 1928. China’s modernization efforts captured the attention of the Western countries. On a trip to China during the 1910s, one Western diplomat remarked that he had never seen a nation so promising and full of potential.

Then Mao came along. 

In 1949, Mao’s Chinese Communist Party (CCP) took control of China. While the CCP did care about public health, it came second to political considerations. This mindset was put on display during the period immediately preceding the Cultural Revolution and during the Cultural Revolution. In 1964, Mao began an attack on the Ministry of Health, arguing that it represented elitism and bourgeois thought. During the Cultural Revolution, doctors and scientists were targeted; as a result, hospitals dried up. The Revolution itself also spread infectious diseases. In 1966, at the very start of the Cultural Revolution, there was an outbreak of meningitis in Beijing. Students who championed Mao’s revolutionary cause spread it across the country. No one stopped them either, because political considerations came first. Stop the students, and you’d stop the revolution. The death toll was 160,000. 

Mao’s death in 1976 began a period of reform. China’s new relatively liberalized economy was put to the test with an outbreak of HIV/AIDS in the 1990s. Unfortunately, the outbreak exposed the awkward relationship between the country’s underregulated markets and overregulated government. The 1990 HIV/AIDS pandemic established the response to future pandemics: rumors of a public health crisis, government attempts to cover up, whistleblower, reluctant admittance, and draconian remedies. This pattern would appear again in the early 2000s with the outbreak of the SARS virus, COVID-19’s predecessor. When SARS (2002) was first discovered in Guangdong, the government initially downplayed the problem, trying to make sure that no foreign country would discover the true extent of the outbreak. However, Jiang Yanyong, a Beijing physician, leaked the full extent of the pandemic to the West. The international panic triggered a highly-publicized effort to fight the virus by Beijing. SARS 2002 greatly jeopardized China’s newly found status on the world stage, having just joined the WTO the previous year and scheduled to host the 2008 Olympics. The entire world watched in suspense to see whether the modernizing nation could handle a pandemic, as well as handle its new status as a world power.

This brings us to COVID-19. Not surprisingly, many comparisons have been made between COVID-19 and SARS 2002. For starters, China’s initial reaction to COVID-19 was very similar to 2002. Local officials in Wuhan attempted to keep a lid on the outbreak, but were exposed by doctor Li Wenliang, who later died of the disease, which triggered a reversal of Beijing’s policies. However, China has matured greatly since 2002. While China’s initial reaction was not the greatest, it was still very fast at sharing the genetic information of the novel virus to health centers around the globe, a much-needed headstart for the world to get working on a cure/vaccine. Chinese officials also shared as much information as was available for best practices to handle the spread of the virus, including quarantine, mask-wearing, and social-distancing, practices we are all more than familiar with. 

Moreover, it is not only China who has a reputation for covering up the effects of the virus. United States officials, since the outbreak started, have elected to use racially-charged language and a wide array of diversion tactics to draw attention away from the ballooning COVID situation in the United States. Racially-charged language has resurfaced Sino-phobia and xenophobia among many Americans, which has led to a drastic increase in the number of hate crimes being committed against Asian, specifically Chinese Americans. Meanwhile, the United States leads the world in new infections (assuming China’s numbers are actually true). Many American politicians have placed politics over lives, placing a much larger emphasis on economic recovery rather than the need to prevent new infections. Despite these theories being largely rebuked by Sweden’s situation (a country which elected to keep everything open as an experiment and is now suffering huge infection rates without any noticeable benefit to the economy), many in Washington continue to downplay COVID. Both Washington and Beijing have elected to instead lock out each others’ news organizations in an endless tit-for-tat political spat that has placed millions of lives in harm's way. Both countries exhibit a high degree of immaturity, choosing to fight each other rather than work together as the world’s dominant superpowers. They are both sick, and need to seIf-medicate. 

COVID-19 has left the world in strange, and dare I say it, unprecedented times. Unfortunately, the pandemic is far from over. Not only will COVID-19 never truly be eradicated (it will continue to exist just as Ebola and smallpox do), the problems it has exposed in our world will remain as blueprints for future generations to solve. Many of those problems lie in how governments respond to global disasters in an increasingly globalized world. In addition to keeping each other safe, we must also be informed by learning the history and misinterpretations of the past in order to strive for a better future and not be dictated by the politics of sick men.

Submitted by CHSA’s Summer Education and Research Chris Ying. Chris is a sophomore at UC Berkeley where he is majoring in History and Mathematics. His writing is based on his research and lectures from his history class.

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Frev prompts, Part 4! 🎉

21. The protagonist is a high school student with a knack for drawing comics but they’re also the favorite target of the bullies at school.

One day the bullying gets so bad that the protagonist is unable to cope with reality anymore and, as a means of escapism, writes themselves into their new comic about their favorite topic - The French Revolution. With their favorite pen they had inherited from their writer grandfather, no less.

However, what was supposed to be a harmless little self-insert quickly becomes a reality when the protagonist is magically transported into their comic book and now has to navigate their own story and finish it in order to return to the real world, as well as figure out the mysterious powers of the magical pen.

22. Despite the fact that the days when the Bastille used to be packed with prisoners are gone, a handful were still trapped inside its gloomy walls by the time the infamous prison was taken.

The protagonist is one of the few prisoners who are sentenced to imprisonment inside the Bastille until they and the rest of the prisoners are set free by the revolutionaries.

For the first time in a long while, the protagonist is free but not all is sunshine and butterflies because the revolution is only beginning to escalate and the protagonist has long forgotten how to function in the society outside the prison.

With no other options, the protagonist decides to try and rebuild their life from square one, all while the events of the revolution are unfolding in the city of Paris.

23. Two friends, the protagonists, were raised together by a noble family as adopted wards and used to be close as children, but drifted apart when one of the two went abroad to get a good education.

Nevertheless, the childhood friends find themselves reunited by a pure coincidence during a meeting in the Jacobin Club, which both of them joined mere days ago.

All seems well, until it becomes apparent that the protagonists don’t exactly see eye to eye when it comes to politics in France nor the methods of solving the multiple issues plaguing the country.

This new rift between the protagonists only widens as the revolution progresses and the Jacobin Club gets split into groups on the basis of shared political beliefs.

Will the two protagonists be able to restore the friendship they used to have or will their new differences prove that maybe friendship isn’t always as almighty as people say?

24. The protagonist is acutely aware of the multiple injustices of the French society but they are not too eager to change things personally, hoping that maybe the government will find a way to fix things.

The protagonist, meanwhile, would rather focus on keeping their small family business (a bookshop) afloat and renting out an apartment in the house to make ends meet.

Soon, however, the protagonist ends up getting roped into the events of the revolution regardless when they accidentally overhear their new tenant discuss his plans in a hushed tone with a few other people.

The protagonist has all the evidence that they had unwittingly rented out an apartment to a revolutionary and now they have the evidence to turn that rebellious youth from Blérancourt in along with his buddies.

At first, the best course of action seems fairly obvious. Just report them to the authorities and be done with it.

However, perhaps these youths are more than just stupid kids playing at freedom fighting and maybe they can actually help the country.

When faced with the dilemma of either ratting the young rebels out or joining their cause, the protagonist makes a choice that ends up changing their entire life.

25. The year is 1811. Located near Saint-Petersburg, The Imperial Lyceum is a place where boys from noble families of The Russian Empire live and study. Perhaps the most famous Lyceum of all, it was home to plenty of those who would become prominent in Russian society of the time.

This is where the protagonist, one David de Boudry, teaches French to these boys.

Monsieur de Boudry knows that most of his students are blissfully unaware of a certain secret of his and likes it that way. It is best if they don’t know that he happens to be a younger brother to Jean-Paul Marat himself but changed his last name to avoid the associations.

Keeping this particular tidbit of his biography secret used to be fairly easy, until his older brother, Jean-Paul Marat, appeared in David’s life again on a snowy and frosty January day.

Marat is inexplicably alive, but he is also half-frozen and extremely disheveled when he shows up, not to mention the fact that he arrives with his wife and a very young child in tow. They all need a place to hide from the authorities, and fast.

Being a loving brother, David de Boudry hides his family and is now determined to keep them safe for not even a new name can sever family ties.

But, having made this difficult choice, will Monsieur de Boudry be able to reconcile his love for his family and the devotion to his adoptive home country? And will Marat be able to keep his loved ones and himself safe from the agents of police who lurk nearby and are quite hellbent on proving that the man they are pursuing is indeed the infamous Jacobin?

26. The protagonist is a sophomore who became a member of a Drama Club during their freshman year of high school and they are quite happy to finally have a friend group where they belong. Here nobody judges them for their stutter, their crossdressing and their fear of dogs.The protagonist is even allowed to play roles that would be normally reserved for the opposite gender just so they have an excuse to crossdress.

The upcoming play about the French Revolution is no exception and the protagonist is quite overjoyed but also frustrated that something just doesn’t ring true whenever they read their lines. Frustrated, they sneak into a time machine built by their parents and transport themselves to Paris of 1794.

They soon see that the city is in chaos and rumors about a traitor who had supposedly escaped the guillotine and went on the run with his family spread like wildfire. Moreover, the protagonist soon finds themselves in a bit of a pickle because of their name and physical appearance.

Even a man whom the protagonist saves from a mob advises them not to reveal their name and to lay low as soon as the protagonist introduces themselves. The protagonist is naturally confused but they do want to stay alive and free.

In order to survive, the protagonist decides to do what actors do best - improvise. It’s not easy, of course, but the protagonist tries to stay optimistic.

They hope that they will make it. They know they will. Giving up is not an option. After all, a Desmoulins never gives up. Right?

27. The French Revolution is not an easy period in history. It should be fairly obvious why.

The country is drowning in chaos and the future is uncertain, no matter how hard The Committee of Public Safety tries to maintain at least some semblance of order.

Meanwhile, in the heart of Paris, lives our protagonist whose main concern was not the revolution, but rather the fact that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to keep their inn’s doors open.

And then, one day, the unthinkable happens. A guest is found murdered in their room. Naturally, all the other guests are now suspects, and so is the staff. A diverse bunch of people with their own agendas, secrets and ties to the victim has gathered in the inn.

Sensing that something isn’t right, the protagonist decides to become an amateur sleuth and get to the bottom of the situation.

A “whodunnit” murder mystery is about to take place in the inn and the protagonist is determined to solve it.

28. A few years passed after the betrayal of the Thermidorians. The Revolution is destroyed and all of the enemies of the new government are dead… Except for one.

The protagonist is a patient in a mental hospital on the outskirts of Paris. Here the treatment of the patients is becoming more and more humane than it used to be before. That being said, the living conditions still leave a lot to be desired. Moreover, the protagonist feels isolated and lonely due to their personal issues and the trauma that caused them to become basically imprisoned in the facility.

Luckily, the loneliness disappears when the protagonist secretly manages to befriend another patient, a mysterious young man who is kept in isolation from the rest of the people at the facility, is forced to wear a mask to hide his face and is treated far worse than the others.

Horrified by the extent of the abuse that their new friend has to endure, the protagonist teams up with him to escape to Avignon, where the protagonist’s relatives live.

Little do they know, their new friend and partner in crime is an outlaw and a Montagnard, the last of them all, so when the two finally escape the police quickly catch wind of the situation.

Can the duo get to Avignon and avoid recapture? Will this unlikely friendship help them heal from their respective trauma? And will the revolutionary’s plan to avenge his executed friends be successful?

29. (Crossover with Greek mythology) When Adrestia, a minor Greek goddess, is banished to Earth from Mount Olympus for causing too much trouble, she assumes a human disguise and travels to France of 1789, where great changes are just around the corner.

Finally finding herself in her own element once again, Adrestia (whose human name is Adrienne) decides that she has no right to miss all the fun and joins the forces of the revolution. She is a goddess of revolt and a daughter of Ares, after all.

One would think that having a goddess on your side will make fighting easier, but things are not that simple and the other gods don’t exactly take kindly to troublemakers who go against authority.

Nevertheless, Adrestia is more than willing to try and help her new allies to win in their fight for Liberty, Equality and Fraternity.

30. When the protagonists first meet up in real life, they’re ecstatic. After a few years of chatting on the Internet, the two French Revolution enthusiasts have finally met each other face to face and now they decide to set an old plan of theirs in motion.

The duo wants to perform a time travel spell invented by their witch ancestors and change the way the French Revolution ended. The spell is successfully cast, but in the process the warlocks run out of magic and are now forced to wait in the past until they are strong enough to cast the spell again to return home.

But hey, at least while they’re waiting they can do what they always wanted to do - prevent the Thermidorian Reaction, and they are going to try to do just that, even though preventing a coup d’état is far from easy, especially for two college kids from the future.

31. It’s 1815. Joseph Fouché is the Minister of Police but his days in office are numbered and he knows it.

What’s more, rumors spread about the incompetence of the police as nobody can catch the culprit behind a new string of murders. Fouché hopes that cracking the case would restore his reputation, but something isn’t right about these murders.

So far, every single victim was a participant of the Thermidorian Reaction and it simply cannot be a mere coincidence. This pattern makes Fouché fear for his life and his reputation, as in addition to the murders the sins that he and his allies had pinned on their enemies begin to resurface.

Fearing that he is next and that his own crimes are about to be exposed as well, Fouché becomes obsessed with catching this mysterious vigilante. He even has a prime suspect in mind, but he can neither track him down nor prove that it was him.

Meanwhile, the time Fouché has to rehabilitate the police force is running out. Soon he too might face the music at long last, as well as learn exactly why sparing one of your enemies while killing the rest is considered to be a classic mistake.

Will the vigilante get to Fouché? How much time does the Minister of Police actually have left before karma knocks on his door? And why does the youngest police inspector in history, who is Fouché’s beloved protégé, turn against his mentor?

32. When the protagonist decided to sneak into the Catacombs of Paris for “shits and giggles” with their buddies, the last thing they expected was a sudden time travel to a closet in an apartment of a prominent revolutionary, whose skull the protagonist was holding in their hands seconds ago.

Naturally, the protagonist gets caught by the housekeeper and promptly accused of breaking and entering at best, and an assasination attempt at worst. It doesn’t help that the protagonist has strange pills and a baseball bat on their person.

But when they’re about to get prosecuted, the inhabitant of that same apartment suddenly speaks up on their behalf and defends the protagonist, claiming that it was a mere misunderstanding. Later, that same revolutionary visits the protagonist, reveals that he knows about the existence of time travel and promises to help, as long as the protagonist goes along with his plan.

Despite suspecting that the revolutionary has an ulterior motive, the protagonist does want answers so they agree to play along...at least for a while.

33. After the Revolutionary War in America, the protagonist follows his friend and mentor, Marquis de Lafayette, to Paris as he is the only family the hero has at this point.

At first, when the French Revolution rolls around, the hero still stays by his mentor’s side, never questioning his opinions and decisions and admiring him as a hero.

But after the September Massacres reveal Lafayette’s...less heroic side the hero is utterly broken and disappointed that he trusted the wrong person yet again. This revelation prompts the hero to switch sides and become a double agent, working with the Jacobins while pretending that he is still loyal to Lafayette.

Is this the correct choice to make or will the hero’s naïveté and a simple desire to belong betray him once again?

34. Maximilien Robespierre finds himself in a difficult situation. Somehow, everyone who crosses his path keeps going missing, only to turn up brutally murdered.

Moreover, Robespierre keeps receiving notes with rather...stalkerish messages written by the culprit. The stress and the crippling paranoia are slowly taking a toll on his frail body and he collapses altogether after finding out that Camille Desmoulins and Antoine de Saint-Just got attacked as well.

Fortunately, Saint-Just and Desmoulins manage to survive the ordeal and decide that enough is enough. After a long recovery, the two men decide to set aside their differences and track down the mysterious stalker before other people close to Robespierre get hurt.

Who knows, perhaps this buddy cop-esque adventure will even help Saint-Just and Desmoulins resolve their rivalry once and for all, now that a mutual friend of theirs needs both of them.

35. An immigrant enrolls into a high school in the country where they live now, a country located on the other side of the planet, miles away from their homeland.

Isolated from the rest of the students, shunned for their Eastern European accent (feel free to pick the specific country) and their Socialist beliefs, the protagonist has very few friends and even they are imaginary - three French revolutionaries whom the protagonist admires the most.

However, things change when a classmate bonds with the protagonist over their fascination with the French Revolution and the two decide to team up and write a novel about their favorite topic, all while the three imaginary friends, who may or may not be something more than a simple product of imagination, are guiding these kids on their quest to rehabilitate the legacy of the revolution.

P. S. The Fouché tag has been graciously lent to me by @frevandrest , the tag’s inventor. This needs to become an official tag imo.

[warsofasoiaf]

Geopolitics for Writers and Worldbuilders Part 2: My Friend to the End

Once you have the strategic objectives for the nations determined, it is much easier to determine where they align and where they conflict. These will be the foundations for building the geopolitical relationships within your world. As circumstances arise in your writing, examine them and how they might cause a reassessment of national objectives. A country that acquires territory, for example, might devote resources to securing and integrating the territory into its lands, while neighboring countries might devote more effort to their defenses in an attempt to secure themselves against this expansion, or attempt an invasion while armies are in the new territories, taking advantage of the situation for their own gain.

International relationships don’t have to be antagonistic, and neither do nations have to be in conflict to generate a fascinating story. Alliances shape much of geopolitics, and so writing out a believable, well-considered alliance can be a great boon to worldbuilding. The formation of an alliance can be its own story, and the dissolution of an alliance can be the focal point of a great tragedy, but even as a background element an alliance should be sensible and well-considered, to give depth to the world.

Why Go Separate When We Can Go Together? The Dimensions of Alliances

A military alliance is at its base an arrangement of the national securities of two or more nations where there is no clearly defined crisis or war when it is enacted. This does not mean that there is no clearly defined enemy, but rather that the structure of a military conflict is not identified in advance. This is the main difference between a military alliance and a military coalition, where the conflict and the belligerent parties are clearly identified with the pact entered into with the understanding that it will not persist past the current strategic mission. 

When it comes to a military alliance, working out the expected gains from the national perspective is critical to making the alliance believable. Alliances often are established with a specific goal in mind, such as a military alliance to conquer a territory and split it between the alliance partners, this was a secret provision of the Molotov-Ribbentropp Pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Defensive alliances might arise against a specific threat such as the anti-Napoleonic Grand Alliance of 1814, or a lingering mission against a threat such as the NATO military alliance tasked with a defensive mission of Western Europe against Soviet aggression. The contributions to these alliances and the terms required to invoke them are often specific and outlined by treaty to avoid being entangled in a matter that isn’t strategically advisable, or having one alliance partner utilize the alliance for singular benefit. In practice, one of the key features to help constrain this is to limit help to defensive wars: the defensive pact. A defensive pact states that when one member is attacked, the other members will enter into the war automatically on the side of the defender. The Triple Alliance of 1882, for example, between the Austro-Hungarian Empire, German Empire, and Italy, stipulated in its provisions that in the event of a French attack on Italy, Germany and Austria-Hungary would enter into the war as allies of Italy, and Italy would do the same for a French attack on the German Empire. With the outbreak of World War I, the Triple Alliance was still in force, but as the German Empire was the aggressor, the automatic entry clause did not apply. Similarly, the pact stipulated that Austria-Hungary and Italy were to discuss any expansionism into the Balkans, which was not done. The terms not complied with, Italy was not compelled to join the Central Powers in their war against the Triple Entente, and ultimately joined the Allies in spring 1915. In writing terms, the benefits and constraints of an alliance can form a dramatic chapter for a nation when deciding whether or not to fulfill it or break it, weighing the costs and benefits of each decision, permitting the writer to naturally communicate the strategic objectives to the reader in the voice of the character.

Alliances throughout history have attempted to use broader contexts to create long-lasting alliances along cultural or political commonalities. The Holy Alliance of 1815 attempted to use European heritage and Christianity as foundational guidelines for the preservation of European peace, though this ultimately failed. The 20th century saw alliances founded based on systems of government, such as the Sino-Soviet alliance which was united in their models of a centralized revolutionary vanguard party-directed Communism under a single dictator, which lasted until the Sino-Soviet split that began with the ascension of Khruschev and doctrinal disputes with Mao. In practice, the strategic objectives of the various parties usually differ so substantially enough that most of the alliances either have no effective power or fall apart quickly. Even NATO, a long-enduring military alliance consisting primarily of alliances in North America and Europe, faced difficulties when senior alliance partner France under Charles de Gaulle left the integrated military command structure in 1966 over issues of military independence and questions of France’s influence relative to the United States’s and the United Kingdom’s; de Gaulle’s perception of France as third fiddle to both of these powers would shape a great deal of French foreign policy during his tenure as President of the French Fifth Republic. Today, NATO struggles with political tensions amid the expansion of the alliance as well as Internal struggles between alliance members. For writers, the idea of building a broad-based alliance could be an entire novel in itself for idealistic characters or nations, with efforts and setbacks forming the basis for the dramatic beats of the story, or the breaking of an alliance can form the background for a world of conflict that could provide a worldbuilder a setting where conflict could come from unexpected angles when former friends turn into enemies.

The symmetry of a military alliance typically gives great operational latitude to each individual partner. Symmetry, in the context of an alliance, suggests a relatively equal contribution and benefit among the component members. Strictly speaking, contribution does not necessarily have to be perfectly equivalent, as nations will differ in their capacity to contribute, but the benefit typically consist of joint military aid, intelligence sharing, and other methods to improve the military power of the component nations. The deterrent effect of attacking an alliance is theoretically greater than attacking a single nation, so smaller nations can exhibit a deterrent effect far larger than they can provide on their own. From a worldbuilding perspective, the different aspects that each alliance partner brings to an alliance can demonstrate different aspects of the world and its culture, the example being the different species in the Mass Effect series and their contributions to warfare. These differences can even form points of contention and thus, a good writer can pull out points of conflict to create drama and tension between ostensible allies in a story, to set up a conflict for politically or diplomatically-minded protagonists to show their strengths.

Huge Tracts of Land - Dynastic Alliances and Feudal Overlordship

In a world where dynastic succession determines government, marriage and adoption are used as tools of alliance. If the bloodline is what rules a nation, entering into a bloodline is a political statement, hence why marriages in monarchies were designed not for personal affection, but for strategic matters of state. Marrying into the royal family of a neighboring kingdom can secure a border, two powerful duchies could marry to establish a powerful domestic power bloc within a kingdom, or two kingdoms can unite against a common foe, sealing the alliance with a marriage. From a writing perspective, this is a natural place for writers to explore the depths of an alliance, as the relationship between the respective dynasties can inform the interplay between the two nations, and character writing can be more comfortable than writing for an impersonal nation. Good relationships could translate into a domestic golden age, or an age of expansionism as the secure alliance allows military resources to be driven elsewhere. 

However, there is a risk in marriages, the progeny of this new marriage may become a new rival for power for one or both of the thrones. Any member of a dynasty can eventually inherit a throne in a dynastic succession; this could open any monarch or heir up to a political threat from an ambitious family member looking to inherit the throne and the power that comes with it. Mixing two dynasties and two monarchies offers an even more tempting prize, bringing both monarchies under the control of one dynasty, or even more tempting, under one single monarch, is a very tempting prize: the personal union of two monarchies. A monarch in control of two countries in a personal union has tremendous ability to set the domestic and foreign policy of both. However, personal unions often deal with sectarian and partisan conflict between their member nations if they feel ruled by a foreign power, ethnic and cultural conflict was very common throughout human history. Personal unions are not equitable alliances typically, one monarchy is the senior partner and the monarchy joined becomes the junior. A junior partner in a personal union might feel ruled by a foreign power, not capable of influencing their own foreign policy, and agitate against such rule the same any conquered power might act against a foreign overlord. From a writing perspective, this is a natural conflict point, where different factions could be arrayed against each other for the writer to use as potential problems for the protagonists to handle.

Juniors in a personal union aren’t the only inherently asymmetrical alliance, plenty of foreign policy partnerships place one party in a significant position of power over the other. In a medieval setting, the relationship between a feudal overlord and a vassal is inherently unequal, with the vassal providing a term of military service in exchange for military protection from a feudal overlord. Other states may establish a relationship of suzerainty, where the overlord controls the foreign policy of the weaker state while permitting autonomy over internal policy, usually with obligations in the form of regular tribute payments. Usually, the overlord had so much more relative power than the vassal that vassalization was considered preferable to subjugation via aggressive expansion; a threatened province may decide the loss of autonomy is inevitable and worth settling on its terms rather than at the point of a sword. This was certainly the case with the European great power struggles from the establishment of Roman client-states to Ottoman suzerainty in the Balkans. In this sense, the conflict is natural, the loss of independence against the threat of invasion and annihilation, with variances in power possibly changing the strategic situation or provoking unrest and rebellion. A writer can tie this onto another conflict, where a large nation facing a difficult structure must either deal with opportunistic rebels, or weigh the options of granting more autonomy and other privileges in exchange for support to crush a greater threat.

The More Things Change...

Even in the modern times, inherently unequal political alliances can be used to safeguard the interest of the larger nation. For example, during the Cold War, the asymmetrical shape of the United States’s alliances with South Korea and Taiwan were far different than the symmetrical alliance of NATO. The United States feared that Kai-Shek or Syngman Rhee, both hardline anti-communists, would engage in an aggressive war against Mao Zedong that would have brought the Soviet Union into the conflict and precipitated a general nuclear war. To prevent this, the United States instituted bilateral relations with each nation instead of a multilateral alliance network. This theory, dubbed powerplay, offers an alternate system of alliances for writers than the classic institutional model. For writers, exploring and illustrating power dynamics can offer enough substance to establish the plot of an entire novel, and for worldbuilders this can easily form a cornerstone of core objectives for characters and factions. 

This isn’t to say that all asymmetrical political arrangements between large and small nations are inherently exploitative. Larger nations can offer tremendous boons to smaller nations in the military sphere, providing equipment, facilities, and training that the smaller nation simply cannot achieve on its own with its limited resources. It is entirely likely that larger nations often serve their own benefit by partnering with smaller nations to build up themselves. Friendly smaller nations can often act as regional partners as well as provide lucrative trade arrangements or hedge out other large nations from establishing themselves in the same region.

There is a drawback to establishing these types of arrangements, aside from the normal cost of implementing them; a key problem in international relations as it pertains to security and military is the security dilemma. The security dilemma, or spiral model, is the idea that actions taken by a state that increase its defense also contribute to tension as the same actions can be taken as offense. These actions taken, other states perform similar actions to increase their own defense, creating a spiral effect that constantly escalates in a spiral, hence the name. Without the ability to know another state’s objectives, nations feel the need to continually ensure the state’s defense, potentially leading to a war no participant wants, all out of a desire to ensure that the nation is well-defended and secure, which as stated, is the natural, rational desire of any nation as it exists.

Arms control agreement have often formed a cornerstone of defensive arrangements between powers who are unfriendly or hostile. While the modern conception of arms control typically relates to nuclear technology and proliferation, examples including the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces treaty and the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, arms control agreements have a long history even before the concept of modern nation-states; the ultimate goal is a restriction on the use of military force, typically by restricting the conduct in warfare, restricting the territory where war can be waged such as establishing demilitarized zones or forbidding certain targets, or restricting the technology used in warfare. There are two primary goals with arms control arrangements of any type: to make a war less devastating and thus easier to recover from, and to solve the security dilemma by producing methods of trust and communication that signal actions of a defensive nature, avoiding the escalation spiral that could potentially lead to pre-emptive strikes, or causing a regional conflict to escalate far beyond that which the original participants originally intended.

Arms control, however, has its own dilemma, in enforcing the provisions of the contract. Nations might be inclined to cheat the provisions of the deal, allowing them the benefits of compliance without the drawbacks. The strategic decision-making that usually factors into this depend primarily on the strength of the restriction and enforcement clauses, with loose enforcement and easy methods to co-opt the process, either through bribery or self-enforcement. These dimensions apply to most if not all matters within the regulatory sphere. 

Conclusion

Alliances are a complicated and meddlesome beast; but a well-crafted, multi-faceted alliance can offer a rich and engaging multiplicity of stories. Writers can explore different facets of a story with an alliance that offer conflicts that can’t be resolved with a contest of wills and a brawl, and a worldbuilder can build out a rich and engaging world for others to play in, whether that be tabletop gamers, other writers, or other creative excursions. As with all things, practice will hone the skills of worldbuilding to a razor’s edge, and a well-crafted world will be the result.