#Does Achievers University accept second choice

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[deliciousangelfestival]

The Audacity Of This B - Lloyd Hansen Series

Character: Lloyd Hansen x Rich!Female Reader

Summary: Reader's ex-fiance suddenly visits her. What does he want? And how will Lloyd react?

Words Count: 4.200,-

Warning: 18+, smut, death character, bad words.

Authors Note: Thank you for leaving any comments, likes, and reblogs.

I love you all. 💕💕💕😘😘😘

If you have any feedback or want to ask any questions please send it to my inbox. 

This chapter is from Lloyd Hansen's Series - 3 Billion Divorce.

Check out Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Extra Story

And check out my other stories from Masterlist.

Some relationships couldn't work out. It happened.

Like Ethan, his biggest regret is losing you.

That was his fault for letting his insecurity win. 

Seeing you with someone else makes him want to puke. 

His pointed finger moves between you and Lloyd. “You’re married?”

You move closer to Lloyd to rest your hand on his chest. You look at him with a warm gaze; Lloyd smiles back at you without any signal. 

He's a good actor. 

“ Yes.” 

Ethan crunched his face when he saw the intimate act. He altered his gaze. “I don’t believe you.”

"You chose him over me ?!"

"Ethan, if you came here to disrespect my husband, get the hell out."

Ethan took a step back. You've changed. 

He knew there was a big gap between you both. His parents always compare your achievements to his.

Everyone said he would be the luckiest person to have you as his wife. It felt like his pride was being stomped. 

"You're missing a good chance, Y/N."

After Ethan left, both of you were still in the same position. You tried to push Lloyd away, but he didn't budge. 

 He wondered how you ended with Ethan. “Do you like him?” 

You were silent then he saw you smile for a second “At first.” 

Lloyd clenched his fist; the thought of you with someone else just irked him.

"So… he's your type huh?" Lloyd sneered like he was mocking you.

"He wasn't my choice. When I studied abroad, they chose a fiance for me without my knowledge."

To be precise, your grandmother chose Ethan. She picks her closest aid to monitor you. 

If your relatives couldn’t tame you, your husband could do it.

“I thought I found a good guy. He was sweet at first, but it didn't work out."

He smiled, but his displeasure was obvious. “There shouldn’t be any secrets between us, honey.”

You scoffed. Lying doesn't work with Lloyd."I despised him."

Lloyd thought so.

“It’s difficult to break the engagement. Since both families benefit from this.”

At that time, L/N company with Wielder Construction needed to work together to remodel the train station in New York. 

“They basically sold you.”

“It’s a normal thing in my family.” Your uncles and aunties got married not by their choice, except by your parents.

“Ethan was sweet and respectful. He visited me when I studied at Oxford. He left a great impression. I thought why not give it a try? On the semester break, I went to his place to surprise him. But what I found was, he had a sex party, and he made out with my cousin. Turned out she went to the university with him.” You felt betrayed when you saw the vulgar scene. 

“You told your grandfather?”

You nodded. “And he saw the video but he told me to stay silent. That’s when I realized he needed this marriage too.”

“I almost gave up and accepted my fate to have a lifeless marriage. But then I remembered grandfather hated people who lost his money. He will toss anyone who he thinks is useless."

"So when Ethan asked to invest in his new business, I gave him 500 million dollars and I told my grandfather. He appreciated that I gave Ethan a chance."

Lloyd coughed. Every time you mention money, it is always an outrageous amount. Your ex is an idiot. 

“It was your scheme from the beginning, you know he will lose it.” 

He learned you are also a risk taker since you don't mind losing that money to get what you want. 

You chuckled. “It was big news and the media loved to see the downfall of rich kids.But the most important part is my grandfather who was really mad. He didn’t want a stupid grandson-in-law. And he cut the engagement."

Lloyd learned that you are pretty manipulative when he heard the whole story. He could probably finish all his missions faster if you work with him. 

"Do you want me to handle him? He seems like trouble like your relatives."

You shook your head and made a cross with both of your arms. “I don't want to get in any trouble since Ethan’s father is Robert Wielder.”

That last name was familiar. Lloyd's expression was enough to tell that he knew. You nodded. “Ethan's uncle is the President, Nolan Wielder. I don’t want to deal with the Secret Service, FBI and CIA.”

Lloyd agreed in his line of work; he knew some people he couldn't touch. "You're right it's a pain in the ass."

"What does it mean you will miss a good life?"

“I didn't follow his update after the engagement broke. But it seems like he has started joining politics."

“Him?” Lloyd didn't believe it when you said that, but when he looked down from your office window. There's a billboard with Ethan's campaign photo.

“Wielder has a long history in politics but only for the male heir. Nolan only has a daughter, and the only male heir to continue their tradition is Ethan. Robert is ambitious to make his son a President.”

He gathered all the dots and could figure out that Ethan came here to check on you. And want to marry you since he still single. 

Voters prefer married candidates.

You sighed heavily. “I miscalculated the bad outcome. I'm sure his father will call me.”

Your guess was correct, after a minute your secretary knocked on your door. 

"Miss, there's some,-"

You move closer to your table and pick up the phone. "Hello?"

“Ah, my dear Y/N. How are you?” The older man's voice sounds friendly but vicious at the same time. 

“I’m good.”

“I hear what happened with your family. It’s tragic but necessary to get rid of the rotten parts.”

You didn't say anything because he didn't help you when you struggled.

“I'm inviting you to the gala dinner. I insist. I heard you also got married. I’m sad you didn’t invite me. I want to get to know him.” The other side seemed to know you didn't want to talk, so he cut to the chase. 

“Yes, Robert.”

You lowered your head and sighed heavily. "Do you have suits, Lloyd?"

“Why?”

"We got invited to the gala dinner.”

Lloyd was bored and decided to walk around at your company. Jimmy stood before him, lifted his left palm and pointed his fourth finger. 

Lloyd raised his eyebrows. “I don’t understand sign language, old man.”

Jimmy rolled his eyes. “This generation…" He sighed heavily. "What I meant was you should give Y/N a ring.”

Lloyd pinched the bridge of his nose. Both of you forgot the most important thing to make acting as husband and wife more believable. No wonder Ethan doesn't believe you when you tell him you got married. A woman like you needs to wear a beautiful ring. 

Lloyd picks up his phone. “Find me the most expensive wedding ring, size 13.”

Lloyd entered your room and saw you dressed in a gown. You look elegant and mature in the evening dress. 

You also saw him looking good. He was dressed in a perfectly fitting black suit. He seems like a gentleman. 

He knelt near you and pulled a red velvet box from his pocket. “Y/N L/N, I swear on the 3 billion dollars I will never betray and let you get hurt. Because you're the greatest asset that I ever had.”

Your heart skipped a beat for a moment. You knew it was only for an act. “I do. From now on, let’s get along."

Lloyd didn't know why, but he thought the proposal was real for a moment. He must keep his head clear and remember this is just a contract.

He stood up and sat on the side of your bed. "Is this a good idea to show my face at the gala?"

"It's perfect timing. All the guests know me. If I introduce you as my husband. No one will bother me anymore."

At the gala.

Everyone gasped and whispered when they saw you walk into the room.

You force the corners of your mouth to curl up when you greet other guests.

You whispered to your partner, "I just came back 2 days ago, and it seems they knew everything."

Lloyd chuckled.

One of the most effective weapons is gossip. "Walls have ears, my dear." Lloyd played his part well. 

Too well. He stroked your hair and kissed your temple. 

In other people's eyes, both of you look close and intimate. And with the ring on your fingers, they believe you are already married.

The host of the party sees it too. Ethan and his father, Robert, saw you and Lloyd look like newlyweds. 

Ethan tried to fake a smile, but it was seen through. Robert notices his son wants to cry. He whispered, "If you didn't invest in that fake start-up, both of you are married now. Now look, she chose a mercenary to be her husband."

You gripped Lloyd's arm tighter when you greeted Robert and Ethan. The older man seems friendly and welcoming, but his conversation always leads to gaslighting.

Robert gave a quick kiss on both of your cheeks. "Welcome Y/N." Then he moved to Lloyd. He didn't bother to offer a handshake, "Mr. Hansen. I heard about your work in Prague. It was impressive but such a mess."

Lloyd doesn't bother when someone underestimates him. In his line of work, he already used too with harsh words.

You must keep the act longer since you got seated at the same table as the host party. They changed it at the last minute. 

After everyone got seated and talked, Robert broke the mood by asking, “When will you get divorced? You signed prenup right? My lawyers will help you.”

You raised your voice. “Excuse me?”

“You picked a dangerous man to be your husband, Y/N. His hands had taken out hundreds of lives. You deserved better."

You crossed your arms; you decided not to be friendly with him anymore. “Not so different from us. There’s no big business without the blood of innocent people.”

What you meant was you weren't that innocent too. You knew the company your grandfather was built with real tears and blood.

"I think this conversation will only disrespect my husband. So I think we will leave." You start to move from your seat.

"We're not done yet."

"L/N company won't stop donating to your brother next year election campaign."

"My brother will be forever grateful. What I want to ask is the 500 billion dollar project. Your uncle promised me I would be part of it, and I got 20%."

“Then your project will get into trouble, my dear.”

"You need my connection. Without my help, you won't get it easy, Y/N. Remember, I've been playing this game longer than you."

"That's bullshit. Your company doesn't take part. And it was my uncle who promised you, not me. I'm not your business partner."

You clenched your fist holding out any anger. The audacity of this old man. He didn't do anything to get this mega project. For those 4 years of running and hiding, you are still reaching out to a potential business partner. 

You were lucky; you found your grandfather's old notebook before you got cast out. 

Inside he wrote some contacts of business partnerships that he worked with. 

"I will be straight to the point, Mr Wielder. My answer is No." You lift yourself from the chair.

“If you leave, you will miss a chance to be the 1st lady.”

Before you could say anything, Lloyd had already stabbed the table knife between Robert's fingers to the table. 

It made everyone near the table gasp and get scared. Even the musicians stop playing their instruments. Lloyd waves his hand to signal everyone to look the other way. He already controls the rooms. 

He smiled but sounded displeased. "I've been reading about your son's campaign situation. His name doesn't have a strong brand. He will lose the election if he doesn't have L/N company to back him up."

"Now, I will give two choices." Loyd is pissed; these people not just disrespect him but you too. 

"I will stab your son's eyes or slit his throat with this knife?"

Lloyd said with a calm smile. But everyone at the table felt fear. Ethan wants to move, but his father makes an eye signal not to stay in his position.

Robert keeps his composure. "Both of them don't give me any benefits."

"Exactly."

Robert noticed you didn't tell Lloyd to stop, which means you supported his doing. "I see; we couldn't reach the same point of view. And I apologise."

"That's great.” Lloyd pulled the knife from the table.”You've known my line of work. Keep your hands away from my wife." 

He stood up and linked your arms to him, and put his hand on your back. Both of you left the party. 

Ethan could only watch your back before he asked his father, “Do you want me to give him a lesson?”

Robert snapped, “No, stay here and play with your dick.” He is pissed that they wouldn't be humiliated like this if his son were good and could tame Y/N; they wouldn't be humiliated like this. 

Inside the car on the way home, both of you were silent. It made Lloyd restless. "Y/N, did I make a mistake?" 

His act could ruin your good image and business for having a lunatic husband. 

This is the first time you saw him lose confidence. You shook. "You didn't do anything wrong."

He didn’t believe it.

You smiled and held his hand. "It’s true, Lloyd. Everyone will know I have a husband who is not a coward and doesn't take shit if someone underestimates him."

After you said that, he finally felt relieved. He is grateful for the nighttime; if it was daylight, you could see his blushed cheeks.

'Growl.' 

"Sorry, I couldn't eat anything at that party." You pick up a phone and start typing to order food, "I'm craving a cheeseburger; what about you?"

"Same."

Back at your shared apartment.

After the two sets of cheeseburgers and 3 bottles of wine, both of you felt comfortable with each other.

Lloyd saw you were already drunk because you kept playing with a fork. He asked, "Is Wielder superior to your family?"

You felt dizzy and moved your chair closer to Lloyd. You nodded your head multiple times and opened your arms. "He gets along with the mafia; he even blocked the importer ship that belongs to my grandfather. Since then, Grandpa has chosen to keep his enemy close."

Lloyd chuckled, seeing you being dramatic at explaining things. "Did you forget that you are a reliable husband now?"

That’s right; you have someone to rely on. You don’t know if it’s because of the alcohol, but you want to kiss him. 

Your gaze didn’t move from his lips.

“Can I kiss you?”

Lloyd didn’t expect your question. 

Don’t need any answer. 

Soon both lips collided, and a tongue entered your parted mouth. You could feel a strong hand wrapped around the back of your neck. Lloyd bit and sucked your lips several times, then smirked. “Are you sure you want to do this?

Your heart was beating fast as if it could pop out of your chest at any moment. “Maybe?” You have a long giggle before you pass out. 

Lloyd catches your head before it hits the table. He sighed heavily since you woke up the fire inside of him.

The next day, when you wake up, you feel a headache. You didn’t remember what happened after you finished the third bottle of wine. When you want to get another sleep, your phone rings.

‘RING’

You weren’t ready to accept any call, but it was your secretary. He never called in the morning unless it was important.

When you listened to what he said, the hangover you had immediately went and jumped off the bed. 

Lloyd, an early riser, was sitting in the living room. He was enjoying the morning coffee while looking at your door. 

Your door suddenly opened.

“Morning.” He noticed you were already wearing an outdoor outfit, not the usual one. “Where are you going?”

You were fixing your jacket. “There’s an accident at one project site. I must check before the media comes and talk with the project safety manager.” You didn't want this accident to stop the progress. 

This will be your first time handling the project independently without your grandfather's guidance. 

While preparing all your stuff, Lloyd hopes for something different. 

“You didn’t remember what happened last night?"

“No.”

He made a mental note not to let you drink because you don’t remember.

At the construction site

Lloyd didn’t have a good feeling when both of you arrived at the location. "I don't like this."

"Me too. But I have to be responsible."

"That's not what I meant. Something doesn't seem right."

When you visited the site, a group surrounded you and brought you to the location. In just a second, you got separated from Lloyd.

“Y/N!”

You couldn’t hear his scream. One of the employees said, “Miss Y/N, over there is where the accident happened.”

When you followed him, you felt pain in your back. Before your hand could touch it, your head was covered with black cloth.

You got kidnapped again.

Lloyd wasn’t fast enough this time because the kidnapper used a helicopter. 

"Fuck."

He took his phone. "Find out which idiot used a helicopter in the daylight to kidnap my wife!!!"

Somewhere in an unknown location, 

"Urghh." Your eyes are still closed because of the dizziness.

With the hangover and the headache you got from the back hit made you puke.

"Geez, Y/N this is an Italian leather shoe."

That familiar voice made you open your eyelids. "Ethan, what the fuck? Not you too."

"Y/N, I'm sorry. This is the only way I could talk to you."

"This is an idiot move, you idiot."

"Stop talking like that. Y/N, let's just say this is intervention."

"For what?"

"Your husband. Y/N please leave him. He's not good enough for you."

You rolled your eyes. "You just want my money."

"Uh, you make this difficult Y/N. Seems like I can't have a conversation with you."

He snapped his fingers and someone appeared holding a gun. 

He heavily sighed, if you just give him another chance, both of you could have a happy life. 

"Get rid of her." He said that before he left the cottage.

'That's it?' 

You were shocked with how your ex-fiance negotiated. He didn't even try and just gave up. 

This is the biggest of the red flags you see in him. Giving up quickly and not wanting to admit his own mistakes. 

You know the hitman getting closer. "Wait, wait. I could give you more money. 4 billion dollars."

The killer laughed mockingly, thinking you would never have that much money. "Yeah, like I could be a billionaire in one day."

Based on his voice you realised he's not American no wonder why he didn't believe you. 

He aimed the gun closer to your forehead.

You closed your eyes, accepting your fate.

'BANG.'

At the loud gunshot, something warm and damp splashed on your face. You inhaled the fishy smell. 

"ARGH!!"

You were shocked; you weren’t ready. 

Blood splatters on your face. 

That was the first time you had someone die in front of your eyes. 

Since you became the target of your relatives, there was a time you got into a dangerous moment. 

"You should've accepted the money." Lloyd's voice made you feel safe. 

You were on adrenaline; your eyes kept seeing the hitman who had a bullet pierced into his forehead. 

Lloyd took off his jacket to cover your face.

"Send the dead body to Wielder house." He gave instructions to his subordinates. 

"Did he hurt you?" Lloyd ran to you and then cut the rope around your hands. You immediately wrapped his shoulder with his arms, rested your head on his neck, and cried.

"No. Take me home. Please." Your crying made him feel more guilty. He holds you tighter. 

When he found who it was, he immediately drove to the hidden cottage while his team ruined the Wielder building. That old man Robert will get another stroke. His stupid son tried to kidnap his wife. 

You went home and took a shower for the 5th time. No matter how much soap you put on your body, you could still smell the blood. You want it to disappear. 

It's the first time you got covered with blood from head to toe. And you hope this is the last time. 

In the end, you can handle it and sit on the floor. “ARGH!!!” To let out your frustration. 

“You were stressed and scared, didn’t you?”

“Isn't it obvious?"

“Y/N.”

You saw him already taken off his shirt; he only wore his brief. You didn't have the energy to ask him why. 

“I gave you my permission to use my body.”

“...”

“To release some stress. It’s my fault you got kidnapped.”

He shamelessly looked up and down your body. “I’m dying to touch your body, and I haven’t shown you my night duty as your husband.”

There was silence; your brain couldn’t think at all. You only have two choices, go to a psychiatrist to talk about your problem that ended without any solution or fucked Lloyd to release the stress you’ve been holding for years.

“Fuck it.” You kissed him, which surprised him for a while, but he didn’t want to miss the chance.

Lloyd's hands grasped your breasts and gently twisted your nipples. You gasped, and your heart beat faster and faster. 

He licked your pink nipples and tugged at them lightly with his teeth. You saw his perfectly toned body was breathtakingly hot. You hold his shoulder. 

“Can we continue this in the bedroom?”

“Yes, wife.”

He lifted your body while you hugged him by his neck. When he found the bed, he put you down gently. You spread your legs apart and wrapped your legs around his waist. You are already wet. His manhood pushed in. 

It felt so good. 

Your body trembled, and Lloyd enjoyed you watching your face. At the climax, he shoved his penis deep inside you. You felt the blood of your body rush down. 

He slowly pulled out his manhood, rested beside you, and gently caressed your cheek. 

Your finger sweeps his messy hair. “This is,-”

He left small kisses on your shoulders, lay beside you, and pulled you into his arms. “Don’t say anything, both of us need this.”

He was right; you were exhausted. You closed your eyes and burrowed in his arms. 

Lloyd pressed his lips to the top of your head. “Sweet dream, sweetheart.”

'RING'

"Urgh", The grumble voice came from Lloyd, who woke up because of the annoying ringtone. 

"Sunshine, if it's another accident, just send Jimmy."

You also didn't want to pick up the phone, but the only people who knew this number were the people you trusted. 

You couldn't turn your body to the nightstand since you were still trapped in Lloyd cuddled. Only one of your arms could reach the phone beside you. 

"Hello."

"Y/N, in another 5 minutes there will be another call. You have to answer it."

"Wait a-"

Jimmy had hung up the phone before you could ask.

Lloyd, who still closed his eyes, kissed your temple.

 "Whose that?"

"Jimmy, he told me to answer the next call."

"Hmm, you should."

You became fully awake and curious about what Lloyd and Jimmy knew that you didn't.

'RING.'

You immediately answer, "Hello."

"Miss L/N."

You hold your breath for a second when you hear the voice. You only know it from the television. 

You pushed yourself from Lloyd's firm grip, which made him whine. There's no way you answer the phone while looking at the naked man. 

You cleared your throat "Mr. President."

"I received a package from you. This is useful to stop my brother's ambition. There is no way I would let my spoiled nephew enter politics, and ruin my hard work."

You agree with what he said. You didn't like Robert. If you have to choose, you prefer to work with his older brother, Nolan, because of his work ethic. He loves his country and tries to make it better. 

Nolan knew his nephew didn't have the guts to enter politics. He prefers to choose anyone smarter than his nephew. 

So this is what Lloyd's doing. You caressed his hair. "Glad to help."

"And…"

“Your husband has a quiet reputation. Perhaps sooner I will need his skills.”

“I really recommend his service sir.”  Your reply made the other line laugh. Both of you made small talk before the call ended. 

You put down the phone and grab his head to kiss Lloyd.

He pulled you back into his arms again."You seem happy.”

“Yup." Of course, you were delighted; the country's leader called you personally. You giggled. "I got a new friend and a potential client for Hansen Security.”

Lloyd could only enjoy this peaceful morning. Not just you get rid of the stupid ex-fiance, but he also receives a powerful client. 

He thought if this was married life, it was not that bad. Lloyd can't explain for some reason but wishes this fake marriage would last forever. 

Thank you for reading, besties. 💓🥹

A/N: All mistakes are on me. I will fix it when I get more inspiration.

The next part will be the aftermath of their divorce.

Taglist, thank you for the reblogged 💖😘

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[testudoaubrei-blog]

Still thinking about John Gaius who is definitely my ultimate poor little meow meow. He has done and continues to do such horrible things while refusing to change and also he subverts so much of what we expect from a villain.

First off, I don't think it is coincidence that Tasmyn Muir made sure to put him on the 'right' side of contemporary politics. He hates billionaires, loves queer people, fuck is a disaster bisexual himself, and isn't some white dude from America. He is also literally chosen by the earth herself to save her, and he really does care for her, and for his friends, I think. He certainly doesn't believe the wrong things or reason incorrectly, he wants to achieve goals most of us readers agree with. He is a perfect vaguely left of center hero in terms of being on 'our side' unless you are a vegan or a cow.

He is also, and I can't emphasize this enough, incredibly likable. He is funny, self effacing and can seem very considerate. Almost alone among characters in the setting, he doesn't accept the world as it is, or rage against its injustices, he seems to actually understand that this world (the society he created) is fucking ridiculous in a way that is kind of funny. I say he is almost alone in this because there is another irreverent wiseass who doesn't take things seriously, his daughter, Gideon Nav. And he is a lot like her.

But for all this John is as much a villain as this series has one (being ambivalent about villains in a serious moral sense, if not in the scenery chewing sense).

And it's tempting to reify that and make it some property of John or something that he lacks. To make being a controlling mastermind or a tyrant devoid of empathy some essential part of his make up and not a choice he had made. And I just don't see that.

I look at John and I see failure. Failure to actually save the world despite his magical powers - to the point where he killed it himself. Failure to confront that initial failure and rebuild the world as something whole, instead creating a crippled society out of his need to avoid responsibility and seek revenge. And failure for ten thousand years to do something better, something new rather than play out this self absorbed pageant of self justification across the known universe.

I think on a lot of narratives there is something that divides their heroes and villains and that this is the moral core of the narrative. Now Tasmyn Muir seems to loathe moralizing or pay answers (hence making the tyrannical God Emperor of the universe a bisexual progressive twitch streamer) but I think we can see on the series a divide between those characters who seek to revenge themselves for old wrongs and continue this forever war, and those who want to do something new. John, and for that matter, a lot of the BoE (who let us emphasize are often shown doing -absolutely horrible things-*) are in the first camp. The Sixth and maybe some of our other heroes are in the second. (Interestingly our two heroines are in a much more ambiguous position stuck in the middle, but often more on the side of the bad guys!).

Anyway I am going to have John brainrot until Alecto comes out.

*Commander Wake might as well wear a 'there are no good guys in this war' t-shirt.

[corvideon]

so I’ve finally gotten around to watching dhmis, the television series, which i was wary of because honestly i think this kind of story does better in a shorter format. but all that aside, i think i finally understand the “lore” behind the series. here’s my theory:

1. yellow guy was once a child prodigy of some kind. he invented a “third symbolic subset” outside of both numbers and letters, and worked with these seemingly magical symbols to study spatial distribution. spatial distribution of what? unimportant.

2. what is important is what yellow guy invented: a way to store space inside of space. a pocket dimension, essentially, and a way to control that pocket dimension with his symbols

3. yellow guy then dies in a tragic accident, leaving his parents, Lesley and Roy, in relative agony. Lesley uses yellow guy’s journal, and the magic symbols therein, to recreate a pocket-dimension of their old home. nothing inside of it feels quite real—thus its puppet-y nature. but here she can create replicas of everything she’s lost… her son, and his two friends (who may have been his friends since before the accident or may have just been two random people Lesley found)

3. Lesley, now insanely messed up after maintaining this pocket dimension for centuries (long past since the apocalypse occurred in the outside world) enjoys torturing the Three Of Them endlessly via the Teachers. Roy dies at some point along the way, but she simply replaces him too. Roy isn’t important. he’s just a messed-up maintenance guy for this universe

4. there’s just one problem. yellow guy is too intelligent. he figures out he’s in a pocket dimension every time. so Lesley intentionally handicaps him by providing him with “weak batteries.” when he miraculously gets his batteries replaced anyway, Lesley decides to play one last endless game, and gives him back his old journal so he can finally figure out how this world of his works

5. Lesley does this knowing full well that the instant red guy and duck see yellow guy again, they will tear out his batteries and replace them with his old ones. after centuries or perhaps millennia of torturing them, that’s how well she knows every possible choice they could make. and she knows that low-battery yellow guy, with the journal containing the only true key to his freedom in his hands, and with a shredder nearby, will choose to shred.

of course, there’s a second layer to all this, which is that the series as a whole has grown more complicated as time goes by. just as there is more attention to detail, and more puppetry, better sets, more voice actors, etc, with each new generation of the show the lore grows deeper, and escape becomes more and more impossible. even if the Three Of Them manage to escape their hellscape in one series, the next reboot will just put them right back where they belong. that’s the true, cosmic-level horror at the heart of the series… not Roy or Lesley, but The Show itself

if you’re wondering how all this relates to the original series, where red guy seems to escape temporarily to the real world and Roy seems to be controlling everything via the Control Panel… there’s a simple explanation:

1. Red Guy either did escape to the real world, in which case the presence of many other “red guys” there implies that he has escaped many times and simply been replaced, or he never escaped at all and merely believed himself to be in the real world

2. If we accept that red guy did escape into the real world in the original series, then that places the original series before the apocalypse, possibly hundreds of years before the tv series. this in turn explains the control panel being replaced by Lesley’s dollhouse and piano… it simply evolved over time. any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, after all

3. when red guy unplugged the control panel, he only achieved a pyrrhic victory—he destroyed his entire universe, and Lesley had to reset everything. why she chose to replace everyone’s original colors, i don’t know

lastly, if you’re wondering how Lesley managed to keep herself alive so long if this series has continued across hundreds of years… look at those stitches on her face. notice how we only ever see her gloved hands. Lesley taxidermied herself somewhere along the way. she’s a puppet, too

[thelongestway]

Sorting FFXIV: Hythlodaeus (Snake Primary/Badger Secondary)

The Ancients' sortings have been rotating in my head for a while now, and so I'd like to start with my favorite: Hythlodaeus, who I've sorted as a Snake/Badger. Naturally, lots of Endwalker spoilers follow!

Primary: In a universe where many of the grand movers and shakers - the ones who create, but also the ones who fuck up so spectacularly that the universe reels for eons - are Idealists, Hythlodaeus is a quiet Snake, whose catch phrase, appropriately, is "at least I'm not entirely useless!"

To put it in context, this quote is coming from the man who, while being a fairly weak mage, is nonetheless the single best soulseer of his generation (exactly what it sounds like - he has the best aetherial sight), AND has responsibility for approving the creation of new blueprints for literally everything on the planet, from regular engineering to bioengineering.

...Who manages, at the same time, to have the reputation of someone who is not at all flashy, slightly inept, just a tad boring and wholly unexceptional. It's his friends who are the incredible ones, he's just along for the ride!..

...and to smooth things over, and to take care of those he cares for, and to watch and enjoy the world he has had so much of a hand in creating.

And then, when their time in the world is done, Hythlodaeus explicitly wants to leave the stage together with his closest friends - in a society where the socially acceptable way to die is to finish your work and make a conscious choice of descending into the Underworld, Hythlodaeus' fantasy is to help his friends achieve their goals and head off together with them, hand in hand.

That is a Snake Primary if I've ever seen one. Hythlodaeus is one of those Snakepris who - possibly because of the inherent conflict with his Secondary - does feel a little guilty about it, even as he has carefully maneuvered to be exactly where he prefers: in the background, providing support and vision. But sometimes his Badger Secondary just... Itches.

Secondary: Hythlodaeus is a Courtier Badger par excellence. In his friend group of powerful maverick mages with varying degrees of social competence, he is the glue that keeps them together and the soft unseen hand which defuses situations or subtly pushes them in the right direction. His powers of perception are uncanny and would be slightly terrifying - if not for the fact that Hythlodaeus cultivates an easygoing, even lax, persona, and usually manages to dispel any suspicions before they form in full.

Hyth is also extremely interesting in that he is explicitly the rare Courtier Badger Secondary who cultivates a reputation for having Zero Bookkeeper Skills - and, even rarer, through him we are shown a Courtier Badger/Bookkeeper Badger conflict!

Even though Hythlodaeus has a position of high responsibility, he is well-known for being an extraordinarily... Informal and carefree boss. The popular opinion is that this is situation exists because his second-in-command was the one picking up the slack:

But, funnily enough, we also get the same relationship (among other extremely Snake/Badger things! Go read the story if you like the type!) from Hythlodaeus' perspective... And it is a very peeved Courtier Badger going "yeah, you still don't understand what is actually important, do you? And how things are done around here? Sigh. Well, you can't outmaneuver me, anyway" to his Bookkeeper colleague.

His course decided, Hythlodaeus departed the bureau, taking only the briefest of moments to mention his plans to the senior secretary. While the industrious soul was accustomed to his superior's carefree nature, he nevertheless attempted to detain him, only to be defeated by the tried and trusted tactic of politely nodding and pretending not to hear.

[...]

"Truly, our proclivities are known to one and all." Elidibus and Mitron were no exception─indeed, when Azem or Emet-Selch visited the Bureau of the Architect, the staff usually refrained from asking their business and led them straight to Hythlodaeus. Only the redoubtable senior secretary and those not long in employment followed protocol to the letter."

And, finally, and perhaps crucially to the Snake/Badger combination, when Hythlodaeus' expansive Badger Secondary tells him that "yeah, we're ALL GOING TO DIE" - then he has zero qualms about sacrificing himself to let others live. But it is not an Idealist, nor even a Badger sacrifice, even as he lets his Secondary do the social dancing around it.

"Hythlodaeus, please." Emet-Selch had found him─after some effort, judging from his breathless, disheveled state. "You mustn't... With your wisdom and skill, surely you could do more for our people if you remained..."

"I was wise enough to recruit others who surpass me in every respect. Enough will survive me to ensure our work can continue."

Note the sneaky reference to Byregot here! Hythlodaeus' annoyance with his second-in-command aside, he has actually picked him for his Bookkeeper qualities! So that he can continue to do the important part of Hyth's work! That "I Do Not Pick My People Lightly, and He Will Get The Job Done" is, possibly, the epitome of Snake/Badger.

Bonus: watching a Snake/Badger run Absolute Circles socially around a Badger/Bird, who made a grand plan to save the world... And got absolutely blindsided by his Snake friend, someone who had never been one for self-sacrifice, going "right, so if someone needs to die, it might as well be me :)

And his reasoning in choosing to die for a cause is a fascinating look into when a Loyalist primary does this:

It hadn't been a concern voiced on behalf of the Amaurotines. Better to pretend otherwise, though.

To forestall the Final Days, the will of the star would be given shape and form. An offering of life unprecedented in scale would be required. The Convocation themselves had called for willing participants, and so Emet-Selch was in no position to deny any the right to volunteer. He could but dance around the unspeakable request and clench his fists in frustration when refused.

Hythlodaeus was not a fighter. It was the pragmatic choice to sacrifice himself. To be reduced to aether and serve as fuel for the great summoning─Hythlodaeus did not fear this. He understood death, and the terror which had come to grip many when it drew near, but that understanding only emboldened him to embrace it. Once, he would have died to perpetuate the cycle. Now, he would die to preserve a myriad lives that might yet be saved.

The Snake/Badger says: I am a very small creature. But even a small creature can make a difference in numbers. I don't get to end my life together with my friends, and that's sad. But if they get to live - and others, too, which is nice - I have zero regrets.

[oraclekleo]

All-In-One Universal Personal Reading Spread

Hello,

My dear readers and followers and requesters!

I have noticed (again) that you drop Yes / No questions into my inbox.

🟪◼🟦◼🟩◼🟨◼🟧◼🟥◼🟪◼🟦◼🟩◼🟨◼🟧◼🟥

One last time - I don’t use tarot cards to answer Yes / No questions. It's nonsense to ask Yes / No questions about complex life issues. Think about it! What kind of help will it be when you ask whether something will happen and I tell you No? It will only generate follow up questions like why not, what do I have to do for it to happen, etc.

So stop phrasing your questions like that, please.

🟪◼🟦◼🟩◼🟨◼🟧◼🟥◼🟪◼🟦◼🟩◼🟨◼🟧◼🟥

🟪◼🟦◼🟩◼🟨◼🟧◼🟥◼🟪◼🟦◼🟩◼🟨◼🟧◼🟥

When you have a question to which the natural answer is either yes or no, then try to determine what answer you want to hear. Let me show you a general example.

🟪◼🟦◼🟩◼🟨◼🟧◼🟥◼🟪◼🟦◼🟩◼🟨◼🟧◼🟥

Question: Will Lee Dong Wook fall in love with me in the span of one year from now?

Goal: Let’s assume here that my goal is for Lee Dong Wook to fall in love with me before September 2023.

Follow up Questions generated by my goal:

What do I need to focus on in order to make Lee Dong Wook fall in love with me?

What sacrifice do I need to bring so Lee Dong Wook falls in love with me?

How do I need to change my attitude to attract Lee Dong Wook?

What skills or abilities do I need to develop in order to attract Lee Dong Wook?

Which aspect of my life needs to change in order to attract Lee Dong Wook?

What do I need to leave behind so I can welcome Lee Dong Wook in my life?

And these are just the ones at the top of my head, I would probably come up with more detailed ones.

🟪◼🟦◼🟩◼🟨◼🟧◼🟥◼🟪◼🟦◼🟩◼🟨◼🟧◼🟥

See where this is going? Stop asking whether something will happen. I don’t know. The cards don’t know either. Future isn’t set in stone, it’s in your hands, you shape it by each and every choice you make and action you take (or inability to do these) every single second of your life. Recalibrate your brains to ask W / H questions and not only when it comes to tarot readings but in your everyday life. Don’t ask ‘will I be promoted at work’, start asking ‘what do I need to do to be promoted at work’. Instead of asking ‘does he have feelings for me’, ask ‘what do I need to do to attract him’. Don’t expect that somebody will sort your issues out while you’re sitting in the corner waiting. Take action! Take responsibility for your life. Trust me that if you try to do this for one week you will be astonished by the change in your life.

🟪◼🟦◼🟩◼🟨◼🟧◼🟥◼🟪◼🟦◼🟩◼🟨◼🟧◼🟥

Okay! Enough of lecturing!

In order to make things easier in the beginning, I have decided to assemble a simple and very universal spread for you that will give you answers to the most important questions connected with goal achievement. Nice and neat, right?

Please when you ask for this reading, describe your issue or situation in as many details as you feel comfortable with so I know what to connect the questions to.

All-In-One Universal Personal Reading Spread

What do I need to focus on / do / learn to achieve my goal?

What do I need to let go of / sacrifice / change to achieve my goal?

What do I need to improve / develop / embrace about myself in order to achieve my goal?

What do I need to accept about the other person / situation?

What obstacles will I face on my way?

How can I overcome those obstacles?

What’s the most likely outcome if I follow the advice?

🟪◼🟦◼🟩◼🟨◼🟧◼🟥◼🟪◼🟦◼🟩◼🟨◼🟧◼🟥

When you request, you can ask me to skip some of these questions if you feel like they don’t apply to your situation, of course.

Thank you for your cooperation. As you see I have a slight order obsession and will always try to break complex life issues to fit some sort of a matrix so have patience with me. It works, I promise. 😁

Have a great time! 💖

Kleo

[unnatieducations01]

Exploring The Benefits of NIOS Stream 2 Admission for Secondary Education

Are you seeking the best way to continue your studies to achieve your academic goal? Well, NIOS stream 2 admission is a perfect choice. The National Institute of Open Schooling provides unique solutions for students who cannot complete their secondary education for any reason. Therefore, applying for Stream 2 admission is essential to complete secondary education and open doors to brighter opportunities. Education plays an important role in both professional and personal growth. Here we provide some benefits of NIOS Stream 2 admission:

• Flexible learning environment

Unlike traditional schools, NIOS provides a flexible learning atmosphere for candidates. It means that students can study whenever they desire and worldwide. In addition, the flexibility of stream 2 admission allows individuals to balance their education with work and other responsibilities. NIOS makes education accessible to a large range of candidates without hassle.

• Government recognition

The government of India and other educational boards recognize the NIOS. Thus, completing secondary education through Stream 2 admission is recognized. The certificate received from NIOS has the same value as a traditional school certificate. On the other hand, learners can pursue higher education in the leading universities and enter their dream careers.

• Personalized approach

CBSE understands that every candidate might need tailored support. They provide a personalized approach, online resources, academic counseling, and study material to help candidates navigate their academic journey effectively. You can access experienced faculty members who are committed to helping students. The CBSE patrachar admission offers you a chance to boost your qualifications.

• No age restrictions

A significant benefit of joining NIOS stream two admissions is no age limitations. It does not matter if you seek to boost your qualifications or complete secondary education; NIOS offers a second chance for all age groups. In addition, it offers long-term learning and encourages people to achieve their educational goals at any age effectively.

• Greater career opportunities

If you complete your secondary education through NIOS, it helps to boost your career prospects. Many colleges and employers accept the CBSE certificates and offer excellent career opportunities. For this reason, many students apply for NIOS stream 2 admissions.

NIOS offers you a chance to complete your secondary education without hassle. It offers a flexible learning solution and quality education for individuals. In addition, you can get a valuable certificate from a recognized education board that boosts personal growth.

[unfoldingmoments]

Pain is a friend

Courage is the ability to act in the face of fear. That this seems impossible to most people is because of the way we experience fear. Fear is almost always linked to an image you have of something terrible happening in the future.

“I’ve gone through enough pain in my life. When is it going to stop? It’s human nature to think you know when you’ve had enough pain, to want a reprieve from your troubles. But life doesn’t work that way. There may be many positive things in your future—great joy and fulfillment. But inevitably, life will never exempt you from facing more pain. Once you accept this, your goal will no longer be for pain to stop; it will be to increase your tolerance for it—which is exactly what the Reversal of Desire will do for you. That leads to a much more positive way to look at pain. Pain is the universe’s way of demanding that you continue to learn. The more pain you can tolerate, the more you can learn. In this chapter, what you’re learning is how to MOVE FORWARD despite adversity. Every painful event is part of that training program. It’s only by accepting this that you can develop your potential to its fullest. Once you look at life this way, you won’t ask for pain to stop—because it’s really asking for your education to stop.

Isn’t it masochistic to desire pain? It depends on the kind of pain. There are 2 different kinds—one necessary and one unnecessary. Necessary pain is the kind you must go through to achieve your goals. If you’re a salesman, rejection is necessary pain. Unnecessary pain isn’t part of your journey forward. In fact, its purpose is to keep you stuck. That kind of pain is normally called masochistic. The masochist inflicts pain on himself under his own control, and he does it the same way over and over again. He uses the predictable familiarity of his pain of choice to actually keep himself in his Comfort Zone.

The Reversal of Desire overcomes phobias.

A phobia is an irrational fear or dislike of something—like spiders or tight spaces. Its effect is to put certain parts of life out of your reach. Even in mild forms, it can interfere with your functioning at work and in relationships.

The Reversal of Desire allows you to develop skills that require a disciplined, long-term commitment.

The biggest difference between those who succeed and those who fail at any endeavor is their level of commitment. Most people would like to be committed. But in practice, commitment requires an endless series of small painful actions. When a person has no way to deal with that pain, his commitment falls apart.

What You’re Fighting Against Pain avoidance is a powerful habit. You get immediate relief when you defer something painful. The penalty—helpless regret at a life you wasted—won’t come until far in the future. This is why most people can’t move forward and live life to the fullest. Cues to Use the Tool 1. The first cue comes when you have to do something uncomfortable and you feel fear or resistance. Use the tool right before you act.

2. The second cue occurs whenever you think about doing something painful or difficult. If you use the tool every time you have these thoughts, you’ll build a force that will allow you to act when the time comes. The Tool in Brief 1. Focus on the pain you’re avoiding; see it appear in front of you as a cloud. Silently scream, “Bring it on!” to demand the pain; you want it because it has great value. 2. Scream silently, “I love pain!” as you keep moving forward. Move so deeply into the pain you’re at one with it. 3. Feel the cloud spit you out and close behind you. Say inwardly, “Pain sets me free!” As you leave the cloud, feel yourself propelled forward into a realm of pure light. The Higher Force You’re Using The higher force that drives all of life expresses itself in relentless Forward Motion. The only way to connect to this force is to be in forward motion yourself. But to do that, you must face pain and be able to move past it. The Reversal of Desire lets you do this. Once the tool connects you to the Force of Forward Motion, the world is less intimidating, your energy is greater, and the future seems more hopeful.

by Phil Stutz, “The Tools.”

[f-ynn]

in some alternate universe The Art of Deal Making: a Guide would have a different beginnging...

(the scene would have been some time after they met in the bathroom)

First Look

„Oh my god, could you go any slower?”

The girl behind her scoffs, still audibly out of breath. “I should, if you continue chasing me through what could’ve been a nice and calm walk.”

Bora casts one look at her, a few steps ahead. “Try me. I'll leave you to the forest monsters.”

Yoohyeon stops for a second, actually contemplating her choices for once. Maybe stopping in a spooky forest like this isn’t the best option. Who knows what insects could crawl up her legs once she stands still, not like she believes in Bora's stupid monster tales. She decides against creating more tension and keeps on moving.

“I’ll have you known, my walking speed is perfectly fine-”

A tree branch snaps under Bora’s shoe. It echoes trough the woods and Yoohyeon looks up. The older woman keeps on moving forward, seemingly not a care in the world besides finding those damn ruins she read about. When in reality, her head is full, brimming and packed, with scenes she never would admit fulfil some of her deepest fantasies, involving sudden confrontations and a woman dressed in a deadly suit. Since that encounter, Bora couldn’t form a single thought without the mystery woman.

Yoohyeon on the other side is scared already. She really didn’t want to live out scary adventures in the shady parts of the woods. The furthest she ever went was the nearby park two streets down her old apartment. And neither does she have to run off excess energy that otherwise would be fuelling very inconvenient dreams.

Yoohyeon sets into motion again, a bit faster this time around because Bora has already far too many steps on her. She keeps on for some minutes before the whining sets in again. It’s not like she could do anything against that.

“It’s like God wanted to slow you down with those short legs and you said fuck that, I don’t care, I’m going to be faster than nature wanted me to.”

Bora barks out a laugh and she hears another rustling noise, “That’s a nice thought, but I think it has something to do with you not going outside much and me being very much in shape.”

“Yeah well, that’s why I’m better at games than you are. Now would you please slow down!”

Something squeaks in the distance and a growl somewhere in the bush next to them, making both girls jump.

Over the years, rumours of supernatural activities in these woods became louder and louder until some search team declared this forest safe. Nevertheless, even the proven existence of magical creatures or something supernatural makes their heads spin. Nowadays the news of a turned feral werewolf or vampire are a rarity, there are enough blood banks and help centers scattered across the land to prevent those accidents from happening. Something most normal citizens try to ignore because society has always been a little too slow about accepting new things.

Bora’s eyes widen and she looks at the younger girl, the two of them come to the silent agreement that this wasn’t just a little bird. “You wanna keep flexing your Minecraft achievements again or do you want to shut up and live another day?”

Yoohyeon runs before Bora could even form some sort of game plan.

“Minecraft is a legit and honourable game!” She yells over her shoulder.

Bora rolls her eyes, sprinting after her. “Sure, dumbass.”

Eventually they reach a clearing in the woods. Coincidentally Yoohyeon’s lanky legs brought them to the exact spot they wanted to explore. The clearing is made out of a couple yards of grass, wildflowers and a small hill in the middle. Bora pats her friend triumphally on the shoulder and jogs to the top of the hill. It’s definitely larger than she thought. A few stones and maybe a wall was her idea of the ruins. Not this.

On the hill, with a terraformed even ground, stood the remnants of a little castle. Depending on the era it’s from, maybe even a mansion. Nothing that could house more than twenty people, yet still a proud building in the middle of nowhere. The standing walls suggest a height of three stories and a tower of five levels on the west hand side.

Moss covered almost every single stone and vines closed the castle wall where stones are missing.

And Bora is in love.

She has read about this place in some of her magazines. It’s supposed to be an old orphanage for magical beings. A rescue center of some sorts. The cold and muddy stones leave them to wonder about those ancient times.

Yoohyeon comes up behind her and laughs at her friend who stands, mouth open, gaping at the ruins. She lifts her chin with a finger and gets punched an armful, but she couldn’t care less, seeing Bora, the usually so composed and confident Bora, this awestruck is hilarious. Bora’s eyes glim in delight, she absolutely loves discovering old ruins.

“You look so stupid right now,” Yoohyeon jokes and laughs right into Bora’s ears.

The latter winces and glares her way. “And you run like a baby deer.”

“Ouch, that's a compliment. Deer are cute.”

They wander around the building in search for something to get them inside or a little souvenir to take home or even the confirmation of a supernatural past would be enough for Bora. The walls at the ground are all closed up or at least too high for the two friends to peak inside. The broken windows start at a higher level, so without committing burglary they won’t get any further.

“See nothing here,” Yoohyeon leans against the cold stone of the entrance and watches Bora, “Can we please go now?”

Bora tries her luck again at the door, knocking, pulling and pushing with no avail. Meanwhile dark, rainy clouds are dimming the sunlight. It’s going to rain soon and Bora’s jacket would not survive a storm.

“Fine, let’s go,” She huffs surrendering, “I’ll make dino nuggets when we get home.”

[woednesdayaddams]

caed would like kisses cause his girl as been gone too long <3

little  does  wednesday  addams  know  that  her  choices  were  never  hers  to  begin  with.  without  hesitation,  she  approached  caed,  chin  lifted  up  to  look  at  him.  it  felt  like  forever  has  passed  by,  although  forever  was  but  a  fraction  of  a  second.  wednesday  always  has  been  the  puppet  controlled  by  the  mastermind  that  is  guiding  her  through  all  sorts  of  scenarios.  obsidians  have  been  staring  at  caed  for  way  too  long,  therefore,  wednesday's  mastermind  is  ought  to  do  something.  with  a  deadpan  expression  upon  her  visage,  she  grabs  his  arm,  pulling  him  down  to  her  level,  now  staring  into  his  ocean  eyes.

cue  the  break  of  the  glass.  the  reality  slowly  setting  in.  the  line  between  fiction  and  reality  slowly  dispersing  into  nothingness.

her  lips  purse  into  a  smile.  genuine,  uncharacteristic,  grotesque  for  all  to  see.  it  grows  wider  and  wider,  at  the  realisation  that  it  goes  beyond  the  mastermind's  own  interpretation.  wednesday  addams  has  chosen  caedmon  byron  with  both  what  her  heart  has  dictated  and  what  her  mind  has  carefully  chosen.  all  the  variables,  the  pros  and  cons,  have  fallen  to  become  one  singular  sentiment  –  one  she  has  chosen  to  run  from  for  far  too  long.  love,  as  some  tend  to  refer  to  this  peculiar  sentiment.  a  chuckle  escapes  from  her  lips,  genuine  once  more.  she  presses  her  lips  on  his,  her  eyes  batted  shut.  the  mastermind  has  failed  to  notice  that,  despite  its  hardest  attempts,  forever  could  be  counted  in  any  universe.  sometimes  it's  bailing  on  creating  a  storyline  and  other  times  it's  letting  the  muse  choose  what  to  do.

inside,  the  battle  had  ceased.  heart  pumps  blood  at  an  alert  pace,  the  little  part  of  her  brain  –  the  amygdala  –  has  chosen  to  freeze  in  that  moment,  for  it  was  what  was  meant  to  be  either  way.  her  hands  instinctively  cup  his  cheeks,  her  blood  pumping  faster  within  her  veins.  oh,  wednesday  has  indeed  chosen  caed.  she  wanted  him  if  he  decided  to  stay  the  same,  with  all  his  flaws,  she  has  long  accepted  them  all.  she  wanted  him  if  he  decided  to  change  all  the  way,  with  all  his  values,  she  would  accept  him  either  way.  she  knew  she'd  love  him  either  way.  he  was  everything  she  ever  needed  even  if  he  changed  or  stayed  the  same.

at  last,  she  pulls  back  from  the  kiss,  obsidians  staring  back  at  him,  perhaps  for  a  wee  bit  too  long.  and  her  smile  stayed  the  same,  despite  acknowledging  she's  changed  and  will  never  be  the  same.  "i  think  i  missed  you..."  she  uttered,  visage  contorting  due  to  confusion,  hence  the  line  diminishing  between  her  and  the  mastermind.  although,  the  smile  still  stuck  upon  her  grimace.  what  a  dreadful  imagery  for  all  to  witness.  although,  this  moment  was  just  between  them  two.  "something  odd  is  happening,  you  see,"  oh  no,  wednesday  is  growing  a  conscience  of  her  own.  that  is  not  acceptable.  "I  don't  know  how  to  explain  it."  better  stop  altogether,  you  are  messing  this  interpretation  –  it's  supposed  to  be  gloomy  and  dark.  wednesday.  stop.  "but  it's  eating  me  alive."  it  might  just  do  that,  i'm  inches  close  to  achieving  this  blog  right  now.  "i  think  i'm  in  love  with  you."  well  fuck  me  wednesday  friday  addams,  i  thought  we  established  you  don't  know  how  to  use  those  words.  all  the  times  you've  fought  with  your  mother  only  to  come  to  an  agreement  that  you  can  love  someone  and  you  apparently  want  to  spend  the  rest  of  your  life  staring  at  this  particular  black  dog  that  could  physically  step  on  you.  bad  wednesday.  and  poor  choice  of  words.  now  what?

time  stands  still  for  wednesday,  as  if  her  chest  is  clasped  together  tightly  within  a  monster's  grasp,  these  metaphorical  claws  digging  at  her  chest.  she  knows  she  cannot  take  the  words  back.  nor  does  she  intend  to.  what  was  said  was  also  owned.  obsidians  flicker  between  his  eyes  and  his  lips. forever starts now, i suppose.

[isaiahbie]

Does Feminism Entail Support for Abortion?

Abortion was legalized in the United States during what is often called the “second wave” women’s movement of the 1960s and ‘70s. Many self-proclaimed feminists argued for the right to abortion, claiming that it empowered women—that it gave them “choice” and control over their bodies and their reproduction. But does feminism really entail support for abortion?

The term “feminism” is used to mean different things. But if it is defined simply (and uncontroversially) as a commitment to the well-being of women and to the equal fundamental dignity and rights of both sexes, then it seems to me that feminism is inconsistent with abortion and/or the pro-choice movement in a number of important ways.

First (and most fundamentally), abortion relegates a class of vulnerable human beings (the unborn) to the status of non-persons that may be killed for the convenience or benefit of others. Thus, it contradicts the basic principle of equal dignity for all human beings, the same principle that properly grounds the feminist effort to ensure female equality with men.

Second, there is overwhelming evidence that abortion can harm women both physically and psychologically.¹ Yet defenders of legal abortion almost always downplay or dismiss these risks, and they typically oppose any requirements that women be properly informed of them prior to an abortion.

Third, the claim that abortion access is necessary for pregnant women to be equal to men—a common assertion of pro-choice feminists—implies that women are inferior by nature. Janet E. Smith, a professor of moral theology, wrote in her 1978 essay “Abortion As A Feminist Concern”:

“[Some argue] that as long as men [can] engage in sex without the ‘danger’ of becoming pregnant, women should have this ‘right’ also: otherwise the sexes would not be equal. Thus women should go to the extreme of killing their offspring in order to gain so-called ‘equality’ with men. It seems to me that feminists should find this a very ‘unliberated’ attitude. At root this argument suggests that the manner in which a male’s body functions is better than that of a woman. The argument amounts to an admission that a woman would rather be a man and that she is willing to. . . have sex on a man’s terms, not on a woman’s.”² 

Thus, Smith says, “Abortion is a denigration of women, a denial of one of the defining features of being a woman—her ability to bear children.”³  Philosopher Francis J. Beckwith explains further:

“[Some] popular abortion-choice rhetoric. . . asserts that women cannot achieve social and political equality without [abortion access]. . . . But the assumption behind this rhetoric—that equality can only be achieved through special surgery (abortion)—implies that women are naturally inferior to men, that they need abortion (a form of corrective surgery) to become equal with men. This is hardly consistent with any feminism that claims that men are not naturally superior to women. . . . It seems to me that this argument is rhetorically powerful in some circles because it taps into an unconscious sexism that assumes that male sexuality is the paradigm of human sexuality. Consequently, the inequality does not lie in the nature of women but in the disordered way in which our society places value on that nature. The key to ending this inequality is not to socialize women into the male paradigm, but to celebrate and honor the indispensable role that mothers play in caring for the most vulnerable and defenseless members of our population, the unborn.”⁴

Teresa Collett, a law professor at the University of St. Thomas, puts it this way: “True equality requires society to accept women with their fertility intact.”⁵ 

Fourth, suggesting that abortion is a “need” for some women—given difficult economic or social conditions—implies that women are unable to succeed economically or socially without killing their own offspring. Writes Janet Smith:

“Why is it that we assume women are incapable of dealing with the adversity of an unwanted pregnancy by any other means than that of destroying life? Is this a flattering view of women? Is this a true view of women? Are women so weak psychologically that they cannot deal with what I so often hear referred to as the ‘trauma’ of an unwanted pregnancy? I argue that by allowing women to abort their unwanted pregnancies we are telling them that we have a very low opinion of them. Isn’t a mark of a mature and responsible person the ability to face problems squarely? Does not the mature person have the ability and the desire to consider the well-being of all those who are involved in a situation which presents problems—not just herself?

In fact, I take the legalization of abortion to be an indication that as a society we expect less of our women than we do of our men. After all, society has traditionally in times of war asked men to risk their own lives. But we are unwilling to ask women to offer a few months of their lives in order to give life. Why is it that we expect men to be able to risk their lives for the well-being of us all, while we do not ask a woman to give a few months to protect a life she is responsible for creating?

In this day of unparalleled opportunities for women, when women pride themselves on their ability to fend for themselves, when many agencies are designed for helping women in distress—why do we assume that women who become pregnant when inconvenient for them are not resourceful enough to find a way to nourish the life they have conceived?”⁶ 

Fifth, the acceptance of abortion may help enable the mistreatment of women. Abortion can be (and sometimes is) used to hide pregnancies resulting from incest and statutory rape, allowing those crimes to continue. Moreover, abortion access unfairly shifts the responsibility for child rearing to women. As Richard Stith writes, “Men these days can choose only sex, not fatherhood; mothers alone determine whether children shall be allowed to exist. Legalized abortion was supposed to grant enormous freedom to women, but it has had the perverse result of freeing men and trapping women.”⁷

So, I think there are good reasons to think that abortion is incompatible with the equal rights of every human being, and with the welfare and special dignity of women.

Notes:

¹ Elizabeth Ring-Cassidy and Ian Gentles, “Women’s Health After Abortion: The Medical and Psychological Evidence,” The deVeber Institute, 2003. ² Janet E. Smith, “Abortion As A Feminist Concern,” 1978. ³ Smith, Ibid. ⁴ Francis J. Beckwith, Defending Life: A Moral and Legal Case Against Abortion Choice, Cambridge University Press, 2007, p. 112. ⁵ Teresa Stanton Collet, “Abortion and Equality,” University of St. Thomas Blogs, January 29, 2010. ⁶ Smith, Ibid. ⁷ Richard Stith, “Her Choice, Her Problem: How Abortion Empowers Men,” First Things, August 2009.

[cappymightwrite]

What draws you to incest ?

*sighs* Ok, here we go. I'm a real card carrying Jonsa now aren't I?

Anon, listen. I know this is an anti question that gets bandied about a lot, aimed at provoking, etc, when we all know no Jonsa is out here being all you know what, it really is the incest, and the incest alone, that draws me in. I mean, come on now. Grow up.

If I was "drawn" to incest I'd be a fan of Cersei x Jaime, Lucrezia x Cesare, hell Oedipus x Jocasta etc... but I haven't displayed any interest in them now, have I? So, huh, it can't be that.

Frankly, it's a derivitive question that is really missing the mark. I'm not "drawn" to it, though yeah, it is an unavoidable element of Jonsa. The real question you should be asking though, is what draws GRRM to it? Because he obviously is drawn to it, specifically what is termed the "incest motif" in academic and literary scholarship. That is a far more worthwhile avenue of thinking and questioning, compared with asking me. Luckily for you though anon, I sort of anticipated getting this kind of question so had something in my drafts on standby...

You really don't have to look far, or that deeply, to be hit over the head by the connection between GRRM's literary influences and the incest motif. I mean, let's start with the big cheese himself, Tolkein:

Tolkein + Quenta Silmarillion

We know for definite that GRRM has been influenced by Tolkein, and in The Silmarillion you notably have a case of unintentional incest in Quenta Silmarillion, where Túrin Turambar, under the power of a curse, unwittingly murders his friend, as well as marries and impregnates his sister, Nienor Níniel, who herself had lost her memory due to an enchantment.

Mr Tolkein, "what draws you to incest?"

Old Norse + Völsunga saga

Tolkein, as a professor of Anglo-Saxon, was hugely influenced by Old English and Old Norse literature. The story of the ring Andvaranaut, told in Völsunga saga, is strongly thought to have been a key influence behind The Lord of the Rings. Also featured within this legendary saga is the relationship between the twins Signy and Sigmund — at one point in the saga, Signy tricks her brother into sleeping with her, which produces a son, Sinfjotli, of pure Völsung blood, raised with the singular purpose of enacting vengence.

Anonymous Norse saga writer, "what draws you to incest?"

Medieval Literature as a whole

A lot is made of how "true" to the storied past ASOIAF is, how reflective it is of medieval society (and earlier), its power structures, its ideals and martial values etc. ASOIAF, however, is not attempting historical accuracy, and should not be read as such. Yet it is clearly drawing from a version of the past, as depicted in medieval romances and pre-Christian mythology for instance, as well as dusty tomes on warfare strategy. As noted by Elizabeth Archibald in her article Incest in Medieval Literature and Society (1989):

Of course the Middle Ages inherited and retold a number of incest stories from the classical world. Through Statius they knew Oedipus, through Ovid they knew the stories of Canace, Byblis, Myrrha and Phaedra. All these stories end more or less tragically: the main characters either die or suffer metamorphosis. Medieval readers also knew the classical tradition of incest as a polemical accusation,* for instance the charges against Caligula and Nero. – p. 2

The word "polemic" is connected to controversy, to debate and dispute, therefore these classical texts were exploring the incest motif in order to create discussion on a controversial topic. In a way, your question of "what draws you to incest?" has a whiff of polemical accusation to it, but as I stated, you're missing the bigger question.

Moving back to the Middle Ages, however, it is interesting that we do see a trend of more incest stories appearing within new narratives between the 11th and 13th centuries, according to Archibald:

The texts I am thinking of include the legend of Judas, which makes him commit patricide and then incest before betraying Christ; the legend of Gregorius, product of sibling incest who marries his own mother, but after years of rigorous penance finally becomes a much respected pope; the legend of St Albanus, product of father-daughter incest, who marries his mother, does penance with both his parents but kills them when they relapse into sin, and after further penance dies a holy man; the exemplary stories about women who sleep with their sons, and bear children (whom they sometimes kill), but refuse to confess until the Virgin intervenes to save them; the legends of the incestuous begetting of Roland by Charlemagne and of Mordred by Arthur; and finally the Incestuous Father romances about calumniated wives, which resemble Chaucer's Man of Law's Tale except that the heroine's adventures begin when she runs away from home to escape her father's unwelcome advances. – p. 2

I mean... that last bit sounds eerily quite close to what we have going on with Petyr Baelish and Sansa Stark. But I digress. What I'm trying to say is that from a medieval and classical standpoint... GRRM is not unique in his exploration of the incest motif, far from it.

Sophocles, Ovid, Hartmann von Aue, Thomas Malory, etc., "what draws you to incest?"

Faulkner + The Sound and the Fury, and more!

Moving on to more modern influences though, when talking about the writing ethos at the heart of his work, GRRM has famously quoted William Faulker:

His mantra has always been William Faulkner’s comment in his Nobel prize acceptance speech, that only the “human heart in conflict with itself… is worth writing about”. [source]

I’ve never read any Faulker, so I did just a quick search on “Faulkner and incest” and I pulled up this article on JSTOR, called Faulkner and the Politics of Incest (1998). Apparently, Faulkner explores the incest motif in at least five novels, therefore it was enough of a distinctive theme in his work to warrant academic analysis. In this journal article, Karl F. Zender notes that:

[...] incest for Faulkner always remains tragic [...] – p. 746

Ah, we can see a bit of running theme here, can't we? But obviously, GRRM (one would hope) doesn’t just appreciate Faulkner’s writing for his extensive exploration of incest. This quote possibly sums up the potential artistic crossover between the two:

Beyond each level of achieved empathy in Faulkner's fiction stands a further level of exclusion and marginalization. – pp. 759–60

To me, the above parallels somewhat GRRM’s own interest in outcasts, in personal struggle (which incest also fits into):

I am attracted to bastards, cripples and broken things as is reflected in the book. Outcasts, second-class citizens for whatever reason. There’s more drama in characters like that, more to struggle with. [source]

Interestingly, however, this essay on Faulkner also connects his interest in the incest motif with the romantic poets, such as Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron:

As Peter Thorslev says in an important study of romantic representations of incest, " [p]arent-child incest is universally condemned in Romantic literature...; sibling incest, on the other hand, is invariably made sympathetic, is sometimes exonerated, and, in Byron's and Shelley's works, is definitely idealized.” – p. 741

Faulkner, "what draws you to incest?" ... I mean, that article gives some good explanations, actually.

Lord Byron, Manfred + The Bride of Abydos

Which brings us onto GRRM interest in the Romantics:

I was always intensely Romantic, even when I was too young to understand what that meant. But Romanticism has its dark side, as any Romantic soon discovers... which is where the melancholy comes in, I suppose. I don't know if this is a matter of artistic influences so much as it is of temperament. But there's always been something in a twilight that moves me, and a sunset speaks to me in a way that no sunrise ever has. [source]

I'm already in the process of writing a long meta about the influence of Lord Byron in ASOIAF, specifically examining this quote by GRRM:

The character I’m probably most like in real life is Samwell Tarly. Good old Sam. And the character I’d want to be? Well who wouldn’t want to be Jon Snow — the brooding, Byronic, romantic hero whom all the girls love. Theon [Greyjoy] is the one I’d fear becoming. Theon wants to be Jon Snow, but he can’t do it. He keeps making the wrong decisions. He keeps giving into his own selfish, worst impulses. [source]

Lord Byron, "what draws you to—", oh, um, right. Nevermind.

I'm not going to repeat myself here, but it's worth noting that there is a clear through line between GRRM and the Romantic writers, besides perhaps melancholic "temperament"... and it's incest.

But look, is choosing to explore the incest motif...well, a choice? Yeah, and an uncomfortable one at that, but it’s obvious that that is what GRRM is doing. I think it’s frankly a bit naive of some people to argue that GRRM would never do Jonsa because it’s pseudo-incest and therefore morally repugnant, no ifs, no buts. I’m sorry, as icky as it may be to our modern eyes, GRRM has set the president for it in his writing with the Targaryens and the Lannister twins.

The difference with them is that they knowingly commit incest, basing it in their own sense of exceptionalism, and there are/will be bad consequences — this arguably parallels the medieval narratives in which incest always ends badly, unless some kind of real penance is involved. For Jon and Sansa, however, the Jonsa argument is that they will choose not to commit incest, despite a confused attraction, and then will be rewarded in the narrative through the parentage reveal, a la Byron’s The Bride of Abydos. The Targaryens and Lannisters, in several ways excluding the incest (geez the amount of times I’ve written incest in this post), are foils for the Starks, and in particular, Jon and Sansa. Exploring the incest motif has been on the cards since the very beginning — just look at that infamous "original" outline — regardless of whether we personally consider that an interesting writing choice, or a morally inexcusable one.

Word of advice, or rather, warning... don't think you can catch me out with these kinds of questions. I have access to a university database, so if I feel like procrastinating my real academic work, I can and will pull out highly researched articles to school you, lmao.

But you know, thanks for the ask anyway, I guess.

[gliklofhameln]

The Christianity that eventually emerged from the tradition of Paul, Augustine, Anselm and Aquinas had strong Judaic elements. It spoke of faith, hope, charity, righteousness, love, forgiveness, the dignity of the human person and the sanctity of life. It valued humility and compassion. It spoke of a God who loves his creatures. But it also contained strands that were undeniably Greek and in striking contrast with the way Jews read the Hebrew Bible. The following are some of them.

The first and most obvious is universality. Judaism is a principled and unusual combination of universality and particularity: the universality of God, and the particularity of the ways in which we relate to God. The God of Israel is the God of all humanity, but the religion of Israel is not, and is not intented to be, the religion of all humanity. You do not have to be part of the Sinai covenant, or even the covenant of Abraham, to reach heaven and achieve salvation.

Pauline Christianity rejected this. The upside of this is its inclusivity, expressed most famously in Paul’s striking statement, ‘There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female’ (Galatians 3:28). The downside is its denial of any other route of salvation. Extra ecclesiam non est salus: ‘Outside the Church there is no salvation.’ Universality is supremely characteristic of Greek thought in the classic age between the sixth and third pre-Christian centuries (though of course it was not applied in their religious understanding). Above all it is the legacy of Plato, who utterly devalued particulars in favour of the universal form of all things. For Plato truth is universal and eternal or it is not truth at all. In that sense, Paul and Plato are soulmates.

The second is dualism. To a far greater extent that Judaism, Christianity after Paul develops a series of dualisms, between body and soul, the physical and the spiritual, earth and heaven, this life and the next, with the emphasis on the second of each pair. The body, says Paul in Romans, is recalcitrant. ‘What I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do’ (Romans 7:15). There is nothing like this in Jewish literature. To be sure there is the ‘evil inclination’, but no suggestion that because of our embodied condition we are slaves to sin. The entire set of contrasts — soul as against body, the afterlife as against this life — is massively Greek with much debt to Plato and traces of Gnosticism. Paul’s occasionally ambivalent remarks about sexuality and marriage also have no counterpart in mainstream Judaism.

Third is the Pauline reinterpretation, one of the most radical in the history of religion, of the story of Adam and Eve and ‘the Fall’, and the consequent tragic view of the human condition. There is no such interpretation of the passage in the Hebrew Bible. According to Judaism we are not destined to sin. In the very next chapter, before Cain murders his brother Abel, God reminds him of his essential freedom: ‘Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you can dominate it’ (Genesis 4:7). The collective forgiveness of humankind occurs, in the Hebrew Bible, after the Flood. ‘Never again,’ says God, ‘will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood’ (Genesis 8:21).

The human tragedy as described by Paul is more Greek than Jewish, and as for the idea of inherited sin, it is already negated in the sixth pre-Christian century by both Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Of course, in Christianity, tragedy is avoided by salvation: but salvation in this sense, the existential delivrance of the human person from the grip of sin, does not exist in Judaism. We choose. Sometimes we choose wrongly. We atone (in biblical times through the Temple service, post-biblically by repentance) and God forgives.

Fourth is the potential for the separation, unknown in Judaism, between ‘faith’ and ‘works’. In Judaism the two go hand in hand, Faithfulness is a matter of how you behave, not what your believe. Believing and doing are part of a single continuum, and both are a measure of a living relationship characterised by loyalty. In general one of the great differences between classical Greek and Hebraic thought thought is the immense emphasis in the latter on the will. We are, on a Jewish view, what we choose to be, and it is in the realm of choice, decision and action that the religious drama takes place. The Greek view emphasises far more the role of fate and the futility of fighting against it. Under its influence Christianity became more a religion of acceptance than protest  — the characteristic stance of the Hebrew prophets.

The fifth and most profound difference lies in the way the two traditions understood the key phrase in which God identifies himself to Moses at the burning bush. ‘Who are you? asks Moses. God replies, cryptically, Ehyeh asher ehyeh. This was translated into Greek as ego eimi ho on, and into Latin as ego sum qui sum, meaning ‘I am who I am’ or ‘I am he who is’. The early and medieval Christian theologians all understood the phrase to be speaking about ontology, the metaphysical nature of God’s existence. It meant that he was ‘Being-itself, timeless, immutable, incorporeal, understood as the subsiding act of all existing’. Augustine defines God as that which does not change and cannot change. Aquinas, continuing the same tradition, reads the Exodus formula as saying that God is ‘true being, that is being that is eternal, immutable, simple, self-sufficient, and the cause and principal of every creature’.

But this is the God of Aristotle and the philosophers, not the God of Abraham and the prophets. Ehyeh asher ehyeh means none of these things. It means ‘I will be what, where, or how I will be’. The essential element of the phrase is the dimension omitted by all the early Christian translations, namely the future tense. God is defining himself as the Lord of history who is about to intervene in an unprecedented way to liberate a group of slaves from the mightiest empire of the ancient world and lead them on a journey towards liberty. Already in the eleventh century, reacting against the neo-Aristotelianisn that he saw creeping into Judaism, Judah Halevi made the point that God introduces himself at the beginning of the Ten Commandments not as God who created heaven and earth, but by saying, ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.’

Far from being timeless and immutable, God in the Hebrew Bible is active, engaged, in constant dialogue with his people, calling, urging, warning, challenging and forgiving. When Malachi says in the name of God, ‘I the Lord do not change’ (Malachi 3:6), he is not speaking about his essence as pure being, the unmoved mover, but about his moral commitments. God keeps his promises even when his children break theirs. What does not change about God are the covenants he makes with Noah, Abraham and the Israelites at Sinai.

So remote is the God of pure being — the legacy of Plato and Aristotle, that the distance is bridged in Christianity by a figure that has no counterpart in Judaism, the Son of God, a person who is both human and divine. In Judaism we are all both human and divine, dust of the earth yet breathing God’s breath and bearing God’s image. These are profoundly different theologies.

    — Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks zt”l, in The Great Partnership: God, Science and the Search for Meaning

[cinnamonest]

Rewriting my Diluc housewife thoughts but I saved it in my notes this time, but I made it infinitely more sexist than it already was before bc 1) I was in the kink mood and 2) the spirits of writing gods possessed my body and told me that is the way all Diluc content should be, so, this is major 1950s-ish housewifey horrendously misogynistic shit, you've been warned. Like, even *I* looked back over this and was like "wow this is vile" which is kinda saying something for me so, putting the nastier parts under cut for the sake of my followers' eyes ----------- I was thinking about the post a while back about Diluc reforming a criminal darling - a thief around Mondstadt that's been on a crime spree and of course he catches wind of that and goes to defeat the perpetrator (surprisingly very easy? How is a thief this weak?) and haul the bastard off to jail except... What's this? Said criminal is actually just some girl and not a gross ugly bastard?? This changes things. Clearly, this was not an intentional act of malice or greed, but rather, he, master of criminal psychology™, rationalizes that the world is far too cruel for unwifed girls that have no one to depend on, a cold terrible place, so you must have been driven to these actions out of desperation. You had no provider, no caretaker, which are needs. How could you possibly be expected to provide a means of living for yourself?? This is just the consequences of the unfairness of the world. However, things all work out in the end. You need to be taken care of and restrained from these self-destructive choices by force (since you cannot recognize how bad it is, not that you're expected to, it's natural that you have poor perception, that's why you need a man to make choices for you), and he needs a wife. This solution benefits all parties.

He is, however, a rather dense man, and doesn't really think to like, tell you that. Or tell you anything. He's too lost in thought in his planning -- gonna get you new clothes to replace your ragged ones, gonna have to rearrange the guard schedule so they can watch the house better, all that -- and just kinda slings you up and over his shoulder without a word. Ignores you kicking and hitting because it doesn't really hurt or anything, you're too weak for that. Just says he’ll explain in detail later, but don’t worry, you’re not going to jail. He’s just taking you home. This is better, he says. Stop struggling so much, what, you want to go to jail? No? Then be still. And you don't recognize that it's good for you yet, but again, that's expected. In a better time or society, you would have been married off sooner, and prevented from ever falling victim to your own decision making to begin with, but the world isn't perfect and you can be forgiven for it. You're not responsible for your own actions since you can't comprehend them. It's frustrating and he sighs a bit over it, but that's just the way things are. You'll be happy in the long run, even if it takes a while, you're naturally programmed for a better lifestyle he has in mind. And, really, he's glad you weren't married off, because if you were then he never would have had you, so even though it was technically unideal, the stars align and the universe works out things perfectly. It's all the more of a sign that this was fate and you were made for him. The issue is that a hardened criminal darling is... Not the ideal candidate for a housewife. To some extent, he's right that the criminal underworld hardens a person, you can't survive in that realm if you're submissive or weak willed. And criminal darling certainly is not. Loud mouthed, opinionated, argumentative, bad attitude, defiant and aggressive and very much unafraid. A complete loose cannon. All very unfavorable traits. Worst of all, very much unaccepting of and ungrateful for the privilege of a second chance and being graciously granted the opportunity for a better life. Lots of bad behaviors.

The cursing is a problem. It's not very... Wife-like. Gives off a bad image, you know. Especially since said cursing is usually directed at him at a very loud volume with a snarl and getting all up in his face to tell him he's fucking insane and a bastard. To be honest, the worst part isn't the words themselves, it's the fact that you are so unafraid to be defiant and so fiery that is the primary issue. You disobey very deliberately. Little acts of pettiness. Being mean to the maids who are so graciously trying to teach you how to cook (at his direction), since you had no idea how to (and nearly burned his house down as a result). The first time you were mean and bitter and that's how you learned they report back to him about how you behaved. It did not go over well.  

Intentionally burning food. Once you somehow found a bottle in a cabinet somewhere in the mansion and put rat poison in his food, made him sick. Muttering a sarcastic whoops and shoving a vase off to crash and shatter on the floor. Early on you refused to wear all the nice dresses you were generously given and even tried to go through his clothes to find something to wear, which was kinda cute since it was way too big, but still. You mutter and grumble under your breath every time you're given a command. The most important thing is sex, though. You know, your job. One of your only real responsibilities. He has a very stressful job. It's only reasonable that he can expect to come home to his sweet, loving little wife with open arms and equally open legs. You've probably fucked around a bit right? For money, for favors, for intel, you get the idea, lots of ties to criminal gangs to earn their trust. So, if you do it for something so insignificant, how much more does he deserve it for taking care of you fully? You should -- and you will, with time -- drop to your knees the second he walks through the door. But instead, sigh, you fight and whimper and cover your face in shame after you spasm and cum, and worst of all, you actively try not to cum. You shouldn't feel ashamed of that, it's good, he says. Sure, you may not be officially married (since the laws of Mondstadt unfortunately require that whole "consent" thing for both parties, ugh), but, he's basically your husband right? So, it's perfectly normal, you're supposed to cum for him. Maybe once you're all knocked up you'll be even hornier, and less shameful. He actually wasn't expecting you to be this bad. Incredibly stubborn and prideful. Literally the exact opposite traits of a good wife, you know, submissive and humble and obedient. He kinda thought that it was like... automatic. That once he just kinda shoved you in the right environment, it would be like flipping a switch right? Apparently not. But no matter. It can be changed, with effort and time. You're worth it. See, you're not supposed to backtalk him, you're supposed to smile and do what you're told without question. You're supposed to submit and obey, and instead you seem hellbent on pissing him off out of spite - and frankly, you're doing a good job of achieving that. Every time you defy him it sparks an irritation he can't describe, worse than he'd normally get from just being snarled at by anyone - no, something about being disrespected by someone he feels is beneath him makes him much, much angrier than it would be if it were, say, one of the business partners who get snappy and argumentative very frequently. He could break you and it would be easy, don't you know that? You stomp and you hit him and you yell, but clearly you process that you have to look up to look him in the eye, you have to realize how much smaller you are. You hit him even though you have to know by now he'll just grab your wrists, and like always you'll be unable to even hope of pulling out of his grip, the strength difference between you two is so great. There's no way you don't realize all that, yet you continue to behave the way you do. The inferiority is so blatantly obvious, but you act as if it's not. He spends a lot of time contemplating the source of this, the cause of your behavior, it occupies his thoughts. It's like... You resent him for something. Could it possibly be kidnapping you and keeping you as a glorified sex slave? No, no, that's not it. It's something else, yes. Are you just bitter about being inferior in, you know, every conceivable way? Is that it? The criminality for you was compensation to make you feel powerful, perhaps. You have a complex. You resent him not for anything he's done, but because you know he's stronger and smarter and generally superior to you. You don't want to accept it. You're prideful when you shouldn't be. You're supposed to be humble and content with your inferiority. Yeah, that's it. You just have a negative perception of the lifestyle you're supposed to have. Maybe some event in your life or someone else warped your view of things. You don't realize how happy you'd be if you just accepted it. Yes, if you submitted to it, if you swallowed your pride and actually accepted your place, you'd find you would be very happy, you just don't know that. Or maybe, your brain can't grasp something like that. After all, that's the reason you're supposed to be the submissive party of the two of you, you're not as bright or perceptive (says the densest man alive). You have to be... Led. Guided. So he says it. He is, again, a dense man. He does not really think about the fact that perhaps blatantly confronting you with the epiphany he thinks he's had and specifically using the words inferior and weak and small is probably not going to make you very happy. You get bitchy and bratty and try to hit him and he sighs because, see, this is exactly what he's talking about. You reacting the way you did only confirms you do have a complex, he says. So, how could he go about... reconditioning? He is not the most creative man, but thankfully it's a rather easy problem to solve. If you're reminded of a reality often enough, you have to accept it. For starters, using physical strength against you. Maybe that will metaphorically open your eyes. Holds you down in place when you're hitting him like you do, firmly bending you over a counter or whatever and just holding you in place. Come on, try to get up, try to push him off. You snarl and claw at the marble and push will all your strength, but he doesn't budge, not until you politely apologize and ask him to let you up. If you're being difficult and not going where he tells you to, well, he can just sling you up over his shoulder and carry you. If you're fighting being fucked he can just flip you over and press your face into the mattress and hold you still, and you can't help but take the brutal reality that you're basically a ragdoll to him, that is, physically overpowering you doesn't even require trying. It helps to knock you down a peg, remind you of your place and maybe get you to swallow that pride a bit. The orgasms and fucking have a similar effect -- every time you can't help but feel like he has a power over you. And really, he kinda does. Every time you lay there still panting and shivering in aftershock, the shame comes swarming in, all the obscene noises you made and the way you came undone under the person that treats you like property. Even if the rational part of you knows better, you can't help but feel like in a way it's like you let him win, allowed yourself to more or less prove him right. Maybe you'll learn better if you're in more humiliating positions. Stuck getting rammed from behind, hand forcing your face down and ass up. Actually correcting bad behaviors requires more direct approaches, so he takes the... Old fashioned route. After all, it's pretty much guaranteed to work. You don't listen to words, you don't listen to reason, but you'll certainly listen to handprints and belt welts on your ass. It's the first time you really, truly break, and that brings him a lot of satisfaction. The first time you really cry and whimper and beg and apologize so profusely it feels like you mean it for once. Granted, for a while you just persist in your bad behaviors and even try to run when you see him sigh and take the belt off, but you never get far. And, most notably, you actually fix your behaviors, with enough reminders. At one point, the next time you start being bad and get to bitching and snarling and putting up a fight, you catch the look on his face and, for once, you shut your mouth and look down and mumble an apology by default. See, you're learning. Speaking of, you still have that major issue with backtalking him. You're supposed to submit to him and acknowledge his authority over you. So he gets firm. Grabs you by the jaw and forces you to look him in the eye and reminds you that you will *not* get an attitude with him. You *will* show some respect. You say yes sir and no sir and do what you're told. And if you forget, he can give you a reminder, if you want that. But you shake your head with fear in your eyes, say you don't want that. It makes you mad. You want to lash back, but you swallow your pride and mutter a fine - before realizing the mistake, violating the rule you were just reminded of. You stammer out a yes sir but it's already too late. He has to control himself too, not let his anger get the better of him. He speaks in a way that isn't snarling and mean, but rather firm, cold, a flat tone that asserts dominance and demands respect. But... still wants you to like him. So he has to be nice, too. After all, you'll learn better if you're rewarded for being good, right? So you can get little rewards. Words of affirmation. A pat to the head. He'll buy you something you want, let you drink a bit (since, as a thief, of course, you had a problem with that before you came home, but that had to be corrected too, since drunkenness isn't very befitting). And sooner or later he does have a really good little wife. He's proud of you. You smile and obey commands without complaining. He can come home every day, and rather than hearing a long report from the staff about how much trouble you caused that day, instead you have food and smiles and sweet affection waiting on him, you hug him when he walks through the door. You're polite and sweet to the various business partners and guests that come through -- you don't speak to them without permission though, of course, and you look down at the ground so you don't make eye contact with another man. People say he's lucky and how they wish they had a wife that was so outwardly affectionate to them as you are to him, always clinging to him physically. And you don't complain or every object to anything, you just smile and say yes and do it. It makes him happy in a weird way he can't quite articulate. A warm swell of pride, a feeling of success. You have vague memories of a time when you were breaking into houses just to scrape by, not knowing when you'd eat next, not knowing where you'd sleep. It's kind of a fuzzy memory now. You don't have to worry about those things anymore, and you're a lot happier this way.

[tomorrow-and-tomorrows]

SNK 139.5: Towards the Final Pages with no Final Answers

The final pages of the updated ending are bold, but I think ultimately more evocative than the original preliminary ending.

Even after the intensely polarized reader reception that took issue with the lack of storytelling precision and clarity when it was most needed, SNK chose to end with a decisively ambiguous symbol. In literature, a symbol is something that clearly means something -- but with the most "literary" symbols, their meaning cannot be absolutely defined; any attempted answer as to what a symbol represents has no finality or certainty, and interpretation will remain ever open to debate. A symbol both invites and resists interpretation.

Naturally, the immediate response to the symbolic tree on the final page is to try answering the invitation to the question, "What does it mean?"

One prominent answer I've seen is that it symbolizes the continuation of the cycle of war and violence either because a) of the symbolic parallel to Ymir or b) on a more literal level, that it implies the actual potential revival of new era of Titans. A reasonable interpretation either way, but also, I think, an incomplete one.

The first reason for this is that "the endless cycle of war" was already clearly and powerful represented in the preceding panels:

The cycle of war was already continuing in the decades or centuries before the child arrived at the tree. A culminating image symbolizing the persistence or resurgence of an era of war as the final panel would thus arguably be redundant and unnecessary.

Furthermore, the chapter is entitled "Toward the Tree on That Hill." If the tree were simply a symbol of war, by implication the chapter could equally be called 'toward the endless cycle of war'. But such a relentlessly bleak and tonally flat ending sentiment would be firmly incongruous with the story's recurrent conviction in the equal cruelty and beauty of the world -- a conviction that I believe it has been faithful to all the way to its end.

The Long Defeat

But while on this topic of war, let's linger a moment on the "cruelty" side and the consequence of this wordless construction and subsequent destruction of a city -- the most bold and possibly controversial additional panels that are also my personal favourite additions.

One objection that has emerged against this brief sequence of Paradis' apparent destruction is that it renders the entire story to be "pointless". Eren's 80% Rumbling, Armin's diplomatic peace talks between the remnants of the Allied Nations and Paradis, and before that, the proposal of the 50-year plan and Zeke's euthanasia plan... everything, to the very beginning to the Survey Corps' dreams of some kind of freedom; was it all for nothing? All that striving, that hope, that final promise bestowed upon Armin: was it all a pointless story? Even more radically, is the story suggesting that Eren might as well have continued the Rumbling to 100% of the earth? Was Zeke's euthanasia plan the cruel but correct choice all along? What was the point of rejecting the 50-year plan if that had a greater chance of success at preventing this outcome?

I think Isayama suddenly pulling back to such a long-term view of history to the scale of decades or even centuries into the future calls for a reorientation in attitude towards exactly what kind of story we have been reading. Yes, if the metric is Paradis' survival, maybe it was indeed all "pointless". But that's also to say that, on the broadest scale, SNK is a story about futility, that it is a deliberate representation of the struggle to make one's actions historically meaningful.

In the long view of history, all the events, from Grisha running beyond the wall to see the airships and the first breaking of Wall Maria to Erwin's sacrifices, Paradis' discovery of the outside world, and finally to the Battle of Heaven and Earth, it would all merely be a handful of chapters in the history textbooks of the future. A future in which war and geopolitical conflict will continue even without Titans. That does not mean that all paths to the future are equal -- the 50-year plan would not have put an end to Titans, and Zeke's euthanasia plan distorts utilitarian ethics into just another form of oppression; there are better and worse decisions that lead to more and less degrees of suffering, but no decision can ever be the final one.

The additional panels remind us that in history, there never exists a singular "Final Solution". The reason there are readers who vehemently support Eren to have flattened 100% of the world, and the reason the Paradisians supported the oppressive, authoritarian, proto-fascist Jaegar Faction under Floch and even after the Rumbling, is that because they want to believe that a Final Solution to end conflict exists and will work. They resist the fundamental uncertainty and complexity of the situation, instead preferring a singular, unified, and coherent Answer to Paradis' struggle to survive. I'm reminded of the scholar Erich Auerbach's theorization of why fascism appealed to many people during periods of political and social crisis, change, and uncertainty. Writing in exile after fleeing Nazi Germany, he observed that:

"The temptation to entrust oneself to a sect which solved all problems with a single formula, whose power of suggestion imposed solidarity, and which ostracized everything which would not fit in and submit - this temptation was so great that, with many people, fascism hardly had to employ force when the time came for it to spread through the countries of old European culture." (from Mimesis p. 550)

This acutely describes the Jaegar Faction's rise to power and continued dominance in Paradis. But their promise of unity, of a single formula to wipe out the rest of the world either literally through the Rumbling, or to dominate them with military force, is a false one. Even if Eren had Rumbled 100% of the world instead of 80%, history would still go on. The external threat of the world may have been eliminated, but internal conflict and violence would still continue onward throughout the generations born on top of the blood of the rest of the world. Needless to say, out of all the options, Eren's 80% Rumbling is the very epitome of perpetuating the cycle of violence as it creates tens of thousands of war orphans like Eren once was, and it would justify employing violence for one's own self-interest to an extreme degree. For the generations to come that would valourize Eren as a hero, it would set a dangerous precedent for what degree of destruction is acceptable for self-defence -- nothing short of the attempt to flatten the entire world. It is no surprise that Paradis would meet a violent end when its founding one-party rule of the Jaegar Faction has their roots in such unapologetically bloody foundations.

Neither the 80% Rumbling nor the militaristic, ultra-nationalistic Jaegar faction that come to govern Paradis are glamourized as the "correct" solution to ensuring Paradis' future. (This can also put to rest any accusations of SNK's ending as "fascist" or "imperialist" propaganda, since the island's modern nation that they founded ends in war. All nations must fall eventually, but not all do in such blatant destruction). Importantly, neither is Armin's diplomatic mission naively idealized as that which permanently achieves world peace. No singular or unifying formula can work because reality is complicated. Entrusting oneself to seemingly simple Answers is simply insufficient, even if they are ideals of peaceful negotiation; that method may work given the right conditions, but the world will always eventually complicate its feasibility.

After all in the real world, there's the absurd irony that some in the West had called the First World War "The War to End all Wars". These days, WWI is merely one long chapter in our textbooks just a few pages away from the even longer chapter of the Second World War that is followed by all the rest of the conflicts that have followed since then even with the establishment of diplomatic organizations like the United Nations. In this sense, showing Paradis' eventual downfall is perhaps the only way to end such a series that is so concerned with history, from King Fritz's tribal expansion into empire, the rise and fall of Marleyan ascendency, and finally of the survival and apparent shattering of Paradis.

From its beginning to its end, SNK has poignantly evoked J.R.R. Tolkien's conception of history as The Long Defeat. In one character's words, "together through ages of the world we have fought the long defeat". That is to say, "no victory is complete, that evil rises again, and that even victory brings loss".

No heroes, only humans

Eren's desperate, fatalistic resignation to committing the Rumbling, along with the characters' rejection of all the rest of the earlier plans to ensure Paradis a future, are merely the actions of human beings to that began with the need to find not even necessarily a Final Answer, but at least an acceptable and feasible one for the time being. But the characterization of Eren's confusion, childishness, and regret in the final chapter is startlingly real in how it demonstrates how, all along, we have been dealing not with grand heroes, but simply people who have no answers at all. SNK has always been about failures - and often ironic failures; it has always been a story about painful and frequently futile struggle.

People make mistakes, they can be short-sighted, selfish, biased, immature, petty, and irrational, and I think the ending follows through with depicting the consequences of that.

Erwin's self-sacrifice before being able to reach the basement (and his regression to a childhood state in the moments before his death), Kenny's futile chasing after that universal compassion he had seen in Uri, Shadis never being acknowledged by history despite his final heroic action, and so on -- these stories of ironic, futile failures are still meaningful in their mere striving. Eren's ending and Paradis' demise despite Armin's endeavour to ensure them a peaceful future are entirely consistent with this.

SNK certainly follows the shounen trope in which young individuals are bestowed great power and correspondingly great responsibility, and must then reconcile the burden of possessing that greatness on which the fate of the world depends. Yet it is equally defined by its representation of the state that us normal human beings confront everyday: the struggle against the apparent powerlessness to enact any meaningful or lasting change at all. Simultaneously, this helpless state does not exempt us from the responsibility to act in whatever small capacity we are able to resist oppression, ideological extremism, and the perpetuation of violence.

Towards That Symbol

That was a rather long but vital digression about the additional "construction and destruction" pages. To return to the issue of the symbolism in the final panel, here I will turn from seemingly affirming the tree as symbolizing the cycle of violence, towards what I think is the greater complexity of what the tree might "actually" symbolize.

As I've said above, I don't believe that the final chapter title is synonymous with 'toward the endless cycle of war'. In tone, theme, and characterization, SNK has always been defined by the tension between cruelty and beauty, the will to violence and the underlying desire for peace, and the rest of the contradictory impulses that all simultaneously coexist. The end of SNK as a whole commits to a similar lack of closure, ambiguity, and interpretive openness.

So far I have rambled on about only a view of the perpetual "cruelty" of history. Where, then, is the "beauty"?

In short, the "tree = cycle of violence" interpretation is obviously based on how that this tree recalls the original tree in which the spine creature, as the source of the power of the Titans, resided. But it's worth first considering, what exactly is this creature? We seem to get our answer in the chapter that most precisely crystallizes the dual "cruelty and beauty" of the world:

The spine creature might be said to be life itself. Or more specifically, the will of life to perpetuate itself, for no reason at all but for the fleeting moments in which we feel distinctly glad to have existed in the world.

The creature at the source of the Titans, and in extension the Titans themselves, is neither inherently a positive or negative, "good" or "evil", creative or destructive force. It's both and all of those at once. As with any power, the Titans were merely a tool that was put to use to oppressive ends.

So as I now suggest that the tree at the end is symbolically a "Tree of Life", I don't at all mean "life" in the typically celebratory or optimistic sense: rather, I mean it in the ambiguous, ambivalent, uncertain, and complex sense that has been evoked throughout the above discussion of the inevitable continuation of war.

The title "Toward The Tree on That Hill" is derived from its associations with Eren and Mikasa, but more specifically of course, from Armin's affirmation of existence. However, the tree as a symbol of existential affirmation is undercut with the revelation that, despite Armin's diplomatic mediation between the Allied Nations and Paradis, the island nation never escapes war just as no nation in the history of the earth has ever fully escaped war.

The image of Armin running toward that life-affirming tree by the end becomes twisted and complicated, as the image of the anonymous child approaching the Tree of Life evokes both awe at its beauty and grandeur, and a deep dread at the foreboding of its cyclical return to Ymir's tree that signalled the beginning of a bloody era.

And I think that is precisely it: Life is not some idealized, beautiful vision that we always want to run toward; it is also ironic, complicated, and dreadful. It is ambivalent. Like a literary symbol, the meaning of life cannot be pinned down absolutely. The tree therefore becomes itself a symbol of uncertainty, of an open future that is cyclical both in its beauty and war.

As a final observation, it is surely no coincidence that, the small, black, birdlike silhouettes of the war planes destroying the city from the sky is replaced by the similarly small black silhouettes of birds in the final panel.

If the birds represent freedom from war, the irony is that the immediately surrounding land appears to be one completely empty of people save for the exploring child; it is a freedom attained only without people's presence. Yet at the same time, a child from some existing civilization has reached it; perhaps it is freedom that they have reached, perhaps it is something else that they see in the tree. What is it that they were looking for? What does the tree and its history represent for the child, and what does it mean for their future? Alternatively, does the child-in-the-forest imagery negatively recall the warning that the world is one huge forest of predator and prey that we need to protect children from entering?

Rather than providing answers, this tree embodies all of the potential questions, and all of the potential answers. These possibilities will unfold themselves into an uncertain future beyond the chapters of history that Eren, Armin, Mikasa, Zeke, Erwin, and all the rest of the characters were part of and left their mark on; and whatever future this child will witness or create, it will similarly be one of the struggle against futility, as the journey begins anew with each generation in every new era. Neither - or both - hopeful or despairing, the final image of this tree, just like life itself, contains those innumerable irresolvable tensions as it gestures towards all possibilities, both oppressive and free.

[jasontoddiefor]

Retranslation of the Sith Code from a Linguistic Perspective

Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Nwûl tash. Dzwol shâsotkun. Through passion, I gain strength. Shâsotjontû châtsatul nu tyûk. Through strength, I gain power. Tyûkjontû châtsatul nu midwan. Through power, I gain victory. Midwanjontû châtsatul nu asha. Through victory, my chains are broken. Ashajontû kotswinot itsu nuyak. The Force shall free me. Wonoksh Qyâsik nun.

Star Wars has a couple conlangs – from Huttese to Ryl, many cultures in a galaxy far, far away have their own words. The, admittedly, most famous conlang is Mando’a, the language of the Mandalorians. It has recently gained even more popularity due to The Mandalorian and the many headcanons about the clones and their culture floating around in fandom. While Mando’a is undoubtedly the conlang with the most extensive vocabulary, it is not the soundest Star Wars conlang from a linguistic perspective. That honor belongs to the version of the Sith conlang that was later amended and developed by Ben Grossblatt.

The Sith Code, as we know it, was developed by David Gaider in 2003 for the game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Grossblatt’s conlang was created seven years later in 2010.

When you consider this, Grossblatt had two options when creating his conlang and translation of the Code. He could translate the Code from English into Sith, or he could pretend the English (or “Basic”) version of the Code resulted from a translation from Sith.

Why does this matter?

[AO3]

This question is easily answered when you think about the various meanings of the words. As every bilingual person knows, translating a text from one language to another isn’t easy because there are no two languages whose vocabulary matches completely. Let’s take an example from the Code:

“asha” (noun) is translated as “victory”.

This translation, however, does not explain what kind of victory “asha” refers to. While English may have only one term for victory, a Sith could differentiate between “victory you achieved on your own” and “victory by decimating your enemies”. Or “victory” might only be one translation of the word and others could be “dominance, control, superiority”. All these words lean into the direction of “victory” through the worldview of the Sith.

Basically, Grossblatt had to decide whether the English version should be the end result or the starting point of his version of the Code in Sith.

In this essay, I intend to treat the English version of the Code as the translation of the original Sith language. This is important because it means that this deconstruction of the Sith Code will be influenced by my own interpretation of the various other meanings as possible Sith word could have, which are not necessarily Canon/Legends based. I will be translating this Code line by line and, in the end, create a new version of the Code which will deviate from the Canon one but hopefully picks up the grammatical cues from the Sith version that the current one is lacking.

TLDR: I don’t want to just explain the grammar, I want to analyze it.

Now, a brief look at the in-universe history of the Code of the Sith to shed some light on the perspective I’ll take into consideration while translating.

The Code itself was allegedly created by the Fallen Jedi Sorzus Syn. It was meant to be a pendant and an update of the Jedi Code simultaneously. While this is technically speaking fine, we do run into some troubles from a historical perspective.

The Code was first authored on the planet Korriban in 6900 BBY. The Jedi Exiles didn’t speak the language of the Sith species, which were enslaved by the Jedi Exiles. They used translation talismans, which granted them the ability to speak and read Sith as if it were their mother tongue.

…

Yeah, that’s stupid. I know. But it’s space fairy tale science fiction, so we’ll accept it and move on.

If you are bilingual, you might notice that you are more capable of speaking about a given topic in one language than in the other. Therefore, it would make sense if it were easier for the Jedi Exiles to talk about the Dark side in Sith, which was uniquely suited to speak about it. However, when the Code only exists as a differentiating point to the Jedi, they were bound to slip into a rhetoric that would be more along the lines of that they’d used as Jedi. That could explain why the Sith Code in Basic/English seems to parallel the Jedi Code so much. My working hypothesis is that the Sith Code – given that it is supposed to reflect Sith philosophy – can stand on its own with its own meaning. Otherwise, the Sith would only ever see themselves in contrast to the Jedi, which, given their superiority complex, is a rather strange view. Therefore, my translation will focus on staying as close to the original Sith language as possible.

Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Nwûl tash. Dzwol shâsotkun.

Now tackling that first line of the Code. The interesting part here is that Basic translates the two sentences as one. The first sentence – Nwûl tash – consists of two nouns: “peace” and “lie”. The present tense copula (the “to be”) is dropped, leaving the two nouns. When comparing this to the following sentence, we immediately see the first issue. The verb dzwol refers to “to be”. We also know it can be translated as “to exist”, “to abide”. The question that arises at this point is whether the first sentence drops dzwol or another verb referring to “to be” that we don’t know. What becomes clear, however, is that different emphasis is put on the two sentences. Many languages drop the tense copula. When the copula is dropped, the relation between the other constituents (components of the sentence) is understood. So reading the first sentence, you gain the impression that the statement “Peace is a lie” is a fact of life. “Peace = Lie” would be a mathematical way of writing it down.

Another critical thing to mention here is that Sith, as far as we know, doesn’t make use of determiners (a/the), and as such, the statement could possibly also be read as “The peace is the lie” or “A peace is the lie” and so on. But given that we do not have any information on the grammar in that aspect, I will not elaborate any further.

Now, let’s take a look at the second sentence by comparison. Here we have an explicit present tense dzwol. Unlike the rest of the Code, this sentence follows the VSO word order. Given that the rest of the Code uses topicalization, we can conclude that the verb dzwol is the focus of this sentence. Given that we are also given the translations “to exist, to abide”, perhaps it would be a more appropriate choice to use one of these words when translating to properly show the difference between the omitted present tense copula and the explicit one here.

Following this, we have to deal with shâsot and -kun. -kun refers to the adjective “only” and modifies the noun. shâsot is interesting because we are given the translation “passion” in the Code. The vocabulary list, however, translates it as “struggle”. While both have overlapping meanings, I would argue in favor of the “struggle” translation.

“Passion” stems from the Latin “passio” meaning “suffering, enduring”. Nowadays, it is used­ in Christianity to describe the suffering of Christ, but also, citing Merriam-Websters here, “the state or capacity of being acted on by external agents or forces”, as well as being motivated/moved by intense emotions. However, “struggle”, is defined as “to make strenuous or violent efforts in the face of difficulties or opposition” and “to proceed with difficulty or with great effort”. Given that the first sentence of the Code refers to the idea that peace doesn’t exist, I believe an emphasis on the aspect of fighting, which we find in “struggle”, would be appropriate.

Personally, I’d prefer “to exist” over “abide” for the verb as well. “abide” may imply that only the struggle has to be endured. I’d favor a reading that instead emphasizes the contrast that the absence of peace means the presence of nothing but struggle. My translation of the first line of the Sith Code would therefore be:

Peace is a lie. Only struggle exists. Nwûl tash. Dzwol shâsotkun.

Now we can consider the next line: Through passion, I gain strength. Shâsotjontû châtsatul nu tyûk.

Before we can tackle the translation, we have to consider three grammatical construction.

Sith is typically VSO (Verb Subject Object).

Sith has instrumental case, which is marked on the noun with -jontû. Generally, this is translated as “by” or “with” or “using”.

Sith has alethic verb mood, which is marked on the verb with -atul. Alethic mood refers to “the truth in the world” as opposed to epistemic mood, which is “the truth in an individual's mind” (epistemic). While this differentiation is not without criticism, given that all truths in the world are filtered through our perceptions of the world, it is interesting to note that Sith apparently does make this difference.

Now that we have considered these, I will break down the second sentence. The first thing I have to mention is that this sentence and the following ones are topicalized. Shâsotjontû is the word shâsot in instrumental case. As before, I prefer the “struggle” translation. The instrumental case itself is translated as “through” which is an interesting choice as that is not a standard translation. I’d instead go with the “using” translation as it further highlights that a Sith utilizes whatever tools they deem necessary and needed. Objects and people are measured against what value they have for a given person, how useful they are if you want to spell it out. Furthermore, it highlights that the Sith, at one point, actually discussed the Code and the “best” way to use the Dark side.

The verb châtsatul is in alethic mood and translates to “gain”. This, again, also fits well with the “using” translation of the instrumental case. The subject of this sentence is nu the first person pronoun “I”. tyûk translates to “strength”. Here we run into the previously elaborated victory problem as well. The Code gives us no explanation of what kind of strength is meant here. The idea that it’s only physical strength is, of course, ridiculous. It could also cover mental strength and strength in the Force, as well as the words “might”, “courage”, “durability” and so on. This issue concerning the lack of vocabulary will continue to follow us through the complete translation of this text. As I have now elaborated on it twice, I will only make references to it in the future, with perhaps here and there a suggestion for a more appropriate translation.

My translation of the second line, taking -atul into consideration, would therefore be as follows:

Shâsotjontû châtsatul nu tyûk. Using struggle, I necessarily gain strength.

Now we can turn to the third line: Through strength, I gain power. Tyûkjontû châtsatul nu midwan.

The only new word here is midwan, which is translated as “power”. Again, the definition of power in this context isn’t clear. The translation of this line would be:

Tyûkjontû châtsatul nu midwan. Using strength, I necessarily gain power.

We can now turn to the next line: Through power, I gain victory. Midwanjontû châtsatul nu asha.

I already elaborated at length on the various possible definitions of “victory”. I, personally, prefer a reading that equals “victory” to “dominance”. What I also thought was interesting here is that the morpheme “asha” appears to be very common in Star Wars across cultures and languages. There are multiple people named with variations of that morpheme. And then, of course, there is also the planet Ashas Ree, which is deep in the territory of the former Sith Empire and had a Jedi Temple built on top of a Sith Temple. Ashas Ree could be the Basic version of a Sith term. While we do not have the word “Ree”, phonologically, it would be pronounced /riː/, and Sith has the consonant /r/ and the vowel /i:/.

A side note about Sith phonology: Sometime between the Jedi Exiles taking over and the Prequels era, the Sith lost the vowel /e/ or /ɛ/ as the Sith of that time still had words like “jen” meaning “shadow”, “dark”, and “hidden”. As this word, and others making use of it, are apparently still in use today, their vowel probably changed to /i/, /æ/, or /aɪ/. Or maybe the word “jen” is pronounced as it once was as English/Basic does have these vowels, and people can therefore say “jen”.

Returning to our translation, we can read:

Midwanjontû châtsatul nu asha. Using power, I necessarily gain victory.

And now we’re going to look at a line that made me cry:

Through victory, my chains are broken. Ashajontû kotswinot itsu nuyak.

Once more, before we can actually look at the translation, we have to look at the grammar. This is the breakdown Ben Grossblatt made of that sentence:

Ashajontû kotswinot itsu nuyak. Victory+INSTR break+ERG+LG INAM OBJ chain my+PL. Through victory, my chains break.

INSTR refers to instrumental case I already elaborated on.

ERG refers to Ergative. The interfix -win- is added to a transitive verb to indicate ergativity, meaning that the grammatical subject of that verb is its semantic object, while the true semantic agent remains unexpressed.

LG INAM OBJ means “large inanimate object”. This refers to the fact that the verb kots is part of a group of verbs called “handling verbs”. These verbs mark what kind of object is affected by them. -ot is the marker for “large inanimate object”. When searching for languages that use these “handling verbs”, Navajo was one of the first results.

Sith plurals appear to be marked on the articles or, given the lack of such, on the possessive markers: nuyak is therefore “my” and “the object I possess is plural”.

Now that we have tackled the grammar, I will elaborate on how it applies to this sentence. The ashajontû construction should be well-understood by now, so I will not linger on it.

Interesting is here that the possessive marker nuyak also indicates the number of the possessed object. In a way, this enhances the claim on the object as it is more intrinsically connected to it. The possessed object here is itsu, the “chain”, which only gains its plural through the possessive. It would be interesting here to know what the other verb markers are as “chains”, in this context, are categorized as physical objects. At the same time, their meaning is obviously meant to be metaphorical. Knowing whether Sith can make the difference and might choose to do so here would be beneficial when analyzing this line. However, evoking the image of physical chains here, which are broken, makes the act seem more striking.

And now we’ll tackle the verb. The root kots gets inflicted twice by the ergative marker and the object marker. According to Grossblatt, it can be read as “completely shatter” or “completely break”. As the purpose of the object marker -ot has already been elaborated on, I will now focus on the ergative marker.

Ergativity is one possible way of hiding the concrete agent of action without passivizing the sentence. Consider “The window broke” vs. “The window was broken” vs. “I broke the window”.

This makes the overall translation of the sentence rather interesting. The original translation reads “Through victory, my chains are broken” which is passive and not ergative. Therefore, it would be more correct to follow Grossblatt’s reading of “my chains break completely”. Still, the fact that we do not have an overt agent here makes this sentence quite interesting. While the method – ashajontû – is known, the agent could be either the speaker themself, or another person doing it for them. Given that the adverb “completely” is added to the verb, perhaps this sentence suggests that on your own, you can come quite far breaking your chains but not reach that finalized step. For that, you need victory.

Furthermore, this offers an interesting perspective on the Sith and their teachings, especially on the Banite Sith, if you read “victory” as something closer to “dominance”. In this case, the sentence almost seems to imply that by becoming stronger and surpassing another person, perhaps your Master, you manage to break your chains completely. An even deeper reading might allude to how the Sith conceptualize the chains that keep them. They appear to put their own freedom and thirst for power above everything else. Perhaps that is already too much interpretation for one line, but it was worth noting. In any case, my translation of that sentence is:

Ashajontû kotswinot itsu nuyak. Using victory, my chains break completely.

After this heavy sentence, we only have one left!

The Force shall free me. Wonoksh Qyâsik nun.

This sentence is relatively uncomplicated. nun is the accusative pronoun “me” and Qyâsik is the Sith word for Force. wonoksh is the word for “to free” in future tense. The future tense is marked by -oksh and this is the part where we get to the slightly complicated/annoying part of the sentence.

Again, we don’t know if this is the only future tense Sith has or what its exact purpose is. As opposed to English, which technically speaking only has the tenses “past” and “not-past”, Sith marks a definite future. However, this future could also have undertones such as an imperative mood. Sadly, we don’t know anything about it. Now for the future tense. As inquires across the globe have told me, “shall” is pretty outdated. In a modern translation of the Code, you’d probably say:

Wonoksh Qyâsik nun. The Force will free me.

But that detail is relatively minor. Now that I have broken down every line of the Code, let’s put it back together.

Peace is a lie. Only struggle exists. Using struggle, I necessarily gain strength. Using strength, I necessarily gain power. Using power, I necessarily gain victory. Using victory, my chains break completely. The Force will free me.

Does this Code sound better than the original work? Probably not. I have to say, I do prefer the “struggle” translation and I like the first line more in my version, but otherwise, this Code doesn’t sound particularly great. However, it was also not meant to sound good. The purpose was to create a translation closer to the Sith language version, to reverse-engineer it if you want. I do think that this endeavor was worthwhile as, for me, it has shed some more light on the thinking of the Sith.

And also this:

Sources

Star Wars: The Sith

Sith Language

Speak like a Sith article

Sith Code

Ben Grossblatt’s breakdown of his translation

Sorzus Syn, author of the Sith Code

History of the Sith Dynasties

Wookiepedia Search of asha

Translation talisman

Ashas Ree

Temple of Ashas Ree

Grammar

Zero copula

Merriam-Webster on passion

Merriam-Webster on struggle

Alethic modality

Navajo Handling Verbs

Navajo Classificatory Verbs

Ergativity

Instrumental case

Color Coded Version of this Essay