#and she has the family background I see Amal having

[dulcewrites]

The way I just realized Masaba Gupta would make the perfect fc for Amal… like !!!!! This is mother

[cryptidmads]

good evening nsr community, i went through the ama from today and came back with an armful or two of lore. there’s a bunch more than last time, and i included bbj as well as the npcs. cozy up, check under the cut, and prepare for a long read. enjoy!

today's ama featured wan hazmer and daim dziauddin again, as well as concept artist ellie and animator ben fong.

BUNK BED JUNCTION (FT. DK WEST)

- mayday and zuke live in the sewers because they're an underground band. it's a pun - there were originally two variations of bbj leaving the sewers - one with mayday hi-fiving gigi (which had a 95% chance of happening), and one with zuke awkwardly fumbling and attempting to hi-five gigi (which had a 5% chance) - one of the inspirations for mayday and zuke were the two main characters of samurai champloo (zuke was jin, mayday was mugen) - someone asked about if the rest of the cast had their own shadow puppets. ben suggested a lemur for mayday, while ellie suggested a zucchini for zuke. she may have been joking. - mayday's guitar solos were done by different people, but zuke's drum solos were all done by bruno valverde. - zuke was the one who implemented the canister thing into mayday's guitar. - someone asked who of the cast are the introverts and who are the extroverts. mayday is an extrovert, zuke is an introvert. - the team does have a bit of lore for mayday and zuke and how they met, but they want to save it in case of a future project. - mayday was inspired by both genevieve from company of thieves and the unbreakable kimmy schmidt. - ben did the animation for mayday swinging the hammer in the workshop. - haz recalls seeing some fanart of mayday being brought up as a rich girl. he doesn't remember the artist, but he does like the idea. - the japanese version has zuke say he has a phd rather than a master's degree. this is apparently a mistake. - the pattern on zuke's pants was inspired by jolyne cujoh and prosciutto from jojo's bizarre adventure. - zuke's toilet seat collection came partially from a story from one of the environmental artists where one of their high school friends pranked another friend with a toilet seat. - zuke does a lot of reading and is naturally inquisitive about things like tech and mechanics. - dk west's shadow puppet abilities might run in the family, and zuke may have it as well. - both zuke and dk west are connected by percussion (zuke with the drums, west with the hand claps) - zuke and west weren't always designed to be related -- west was originally designed as "some guy who comes and goes," but was made into zuke's brother later on in production - dk west is an extrovert.

DJ SUBATOMIC SUPERNOVA

- djss' dj name is obviously a stage name, but the team didn't have a real name for him in the script or anything. - haz joked that his name is bob salad. that's not canon but from what i seen the chat loved it lol - haz brings up the symbolism of djss spinning the planets around himself and how it represents that he thinks of himself as the center of the universe. - ellie helped design the districts, and something she noted about dj's is that it's supposed to look the "slummiest" because he cares more about himself and less about things like blackouts. - dj had some lines cut from his boss fight. those lines? mini lectures towards bbj during every phase. they were cut because the team felt like they were too much for the game, but they want to share them one day. - daim says that dj could be either introverted or extroverted becuase of how much time he spends alone looking at the stars. - dj was never planned to have an approach segment, but funk fiction wasn't told that, so he made him an approach theme anyway. - dodo ice pops are traffic light flavoured, which is a popular ice cream in malaysia. it's strawberry, pineapple, and lime flavored.

SAYU AND THE NERD SQUAD

- three of sayu's creators were based on staff members at metronomik. remi (voiced by ben) was based on one of the programmers and one of the environmental artists (ellie calls him "the lovechild of two dudes"), tila was based on (and voiced by) ellie herself, and dodo was based on danish mak (another environmental artist who also voices him). - sofa wasn't based on anyone in particular, he was more of a "general otaku guy" according to ellie (though haz joked that ellie could just say he was based on him). - dodo is daim's favorite npc -- he also designed him! - sayu was ellie's favorite character to design. she loves drawing mermaids. - the progression in sayu's fight where you go deeper into the "ocean" is supposed to be a metaphor for going deeper into the internet/the deep web. - ellie suggested that if sayu were to have a shadow puppet, it would be a cat. - as for the introvert/extrovert debate, daim says sayu is technically comprised of 4 introverts. sayu herself is the extrovert mask they wear. - sayu's ahoge is a submarine periscope. remi looks through it in one of the cutscenes. - sayu's not a mech. she's remotely controlled by her creators from their computer room. - the backstory between remi and tila is meant to show that artists can come from all sorts of backgrounds.

YINU AND MAMA

- yinu's promotional video was one of the first ones done before they brought in lzbros, so it originally looked different from how it looks in the game now. - yinu's mother's eyes are yellow because she spends most of the fight focusing on yinu (who is mainly yellow). when her eyes go blank white, it represents that she's momentarily forgotten what she loves the most. when her eyes become yellow again after the fight, it means she's remembered yinu and her piano playing. - the way ellie describes natura is that yinu is a plant and her mother is very protective of her, and one of the distinctive features is that there are a lot of domes with plants inside, particularly on the roofs of the houses. - yinu's commercial was not intended to reference little miss fortune. the commercial was shown in 2018, while LMF came out a year later. - yinu's mom turning into a giant tree monster isn't exclusive to her just being angry at bbj. apparently the whole plant thing runs in the yinu family.

1010

- 1010's concept as a boy band had been around since before the team started production, but they were the last to be fully designed -- their designs weren't finalized until way later on. - 1010 were ellie’s least favorite characters to design. she doesn't like drawing guys OR robots. - 1010's early designs had them wearing tuxedos. - 1010 do have memories. - the inspiration for the butt plates came from one of ben's gundam figures from his collection in the metronomik office. thanks ben. - ellie's favorite member of 1010 is purl-hew/blue. - eloni/green is apparently the rapper of the group. - the jingle you hear from the carousel in metro division is a carnival remix of 1010's boss theme. - the numbers underneath 1010's names on the autographs are completely random.

NEON J

- neon j is a dancer. daim explains that in addition to being in the navy, dance has always been his true passion. - in the final phase of 1010's fight, he was originally supposed to control the dance moves of the factory as he was fighting you, but it was cut due to limited resources. - daim designed neon j based on ellie's designs for 1010. - neon j's factory's dance moves were all animated by ben -- no mocap needed. the factory was also his favorite thing to animate. - daim says that "neon j is to tatiana as soundwave is to megatron." basically he is extremely loyal to tatiana. - neon j was one of earliest members of nsr. - neon j seeing 1010 as his sons wasn't planned, but daim loves the concept so much that he could see it being canon. - daim says neon j's brain is "probably" still inside the monitor head. somehow. - neon j is an extrovert. - haz likes the idea of neon j being blind and using his sonar to "see" things. ben joked that the screen worked like giant glasses. - neon j originally had red dots that would pop up on his face when the sonar moved by that were meant to represent acne, and that would've been the reason why he's mostly behind the scenes.

EVE

- in mayday's side of the room when eve splits up bbj, the hands all over the walls are meant to be there to show how eve is angrier at mayday than she is at zuke. - the time signature for the music in mayday's room during the fight is 6/8, whereas in zuke's room it's 4/4. - ellie suggested a platypus shadow puppet for eve. the rest of the team seems to be on board. - eve was ben's least favorite character to animate. he said he struggled with animating her dance moves because it was something he'd never done before, and he still doesn't think he did a good enough job. - eve was born with her split skin tone. - apparently eve's near scrapping had something to do with costs. haz was the one who stopped it from happening. - eve's outfit was partly inspired by beyonce, while her jacket was partly inspired by ariana grande. the team took some inspiration from bjork, as well. - the sleeves on eve's jacket were apparently limbs at one point. - eve is an introvert.

NPCS/OTHER CHARACTERS

- part of tatiana's symbolism is how she used to be a rock star, but her flame/passion slowly burned away, and now she's just a rock, referencing how she was literally on fire as the rock star kul fyra, but now looks burnt out. - daim thinks kliff is older than tatiana, probably over 50. - in addition to the neon j dance lore mentioned above, kayane rambling about neon j after the 1010 fight was supposed to be connected to her watching neon j dance. - ben and haz's favorite npc is mia, and ellie's is dj zam. - dj zam was inspired by one of ellie's college friends, who she says "makes you feel comfortable to be around". - ellie thinks dj zam's neck tattoo says "i love mom". - amal the unicorn was inspired by lady amalthea from the 80's animated film "the last unicorn". he was originally written to be a real talking unicorn, but it was changed partially because his horn wasn't in the right spot on his head. - zed was based on game designer dzaid and has hyperacusis, a hearing disorder that makes it difficult to deal with everyday sounds. - yiruk's name is an anagram of kiryu, the protagonist of the yakuza games. - chef sunshine's design is a homage to julia child. she originally had a bigger physique, but was changed to match lylia's bubbly performance.

[nostraightheadcanons]

Can we have some NPC headcannons please?

 You sure can! I love making headcanons for NPCS, they deserve so much more love in my opinion! I may only do two for now because they ended pretty long, but if you’d more don’t be afraid to shoot another ask!

Kayane

☆ Presumably around 19 to 21 years old. ☆ She comes from a rich family, her parents are both wealthy entrepreneurs and dote on her older brother while she is left more in the shadows. Her parents are the money equals affection type with her, I headcanon her as someone who is generally pretty lonely. Probably struggles with making friends her age that are genuine. ☆ She fell in love with 1010 not because of their ideal perfect boyfriend gimmick but rather the message they spread. 1010 is all about sharing love . She treasures them dearly because no matter who you are or what you look like or your background they’ll always have love to spare. Her adoration for them is not one of a creepy obsessive fangirl because I’m not partially fond of headcanons that depict her that way. ☆ Pretty peppy and bubbly! She’s actually really kind and helpful but most of the time her personality is overshadowed by the fact she’s a fan of 1010. Lost in Metro Divsion, don’t worry Kayane is here to help! She’s the kind of introvert who just adores making friends and will talk to just about anybody! ☆ She adores the community and friends she has found through 1010 and is seen trying to recruit others in the fanclubs because more people means more friends. All the fans gathered together under the same want of love and comfort, and through the boyband they have found friendships and bonds that are unbreakable. ☆ She was reasonably upset after the whole BBJ revolution because Mayday and Zuke destroyed them seemingly without a care. Mayday called herself a fan but she fought them anyway under the guise of revolution and freedom. However the only good thing to come out of the revolution in her eyes is the fact the fans got to see more of the mysterious producer of 1010! Neon J! Something about the fact he was so willing to protect his troops and the city was heartwarming and inspirational; she couldn’t help but make a fanclub for him! He’s super duper cool! ☆ 1010 and Neon J know her personally. She is afterall the head of the fanclub, and I believe she is a major drive in the fanbase as well. She loves to do fan zines and 1010 based fan events along with charity streams, so much so the troops and Captain know her and met her in person multiple times! She even earned the nickname Kayane Pepper from Yellow | Green.

Celine

☆ Around 29 - 31 years olds. She is the older sister of Gigi and Joey. Gigi [27] being  the middle kid while Joey [25]  the youngest. All of them share a similar colour palette so honestly I really do see them all as siblings. Celine is the mature older sibling who deals with both of her brother’s shenanigans. ☆ Gigi’s a very fun loving dude, chill and friendly- very giving and such- he tries to see the good and everything and is the one that often cheers and brings out Celines bubbly loving side- her protective and funny side that not a lot of people get to see- he’s the middle who had to watch his big sister give up everything and his little brother struggle in the world- he’s faced hardships and how the world is unfair-  ☆ Joeys uppity to fuck and had “refined” tastes as a music elitist he wants more his fine taste and how artists don’t seem to try in his eyes comes from his Celine worked her absolute ass off for what? Scraps! His bitterness comes from the situation and everything around him. If his sister can work harder than these diluted trashy pop stars can, why do they deserve his praise? ☆ All of them provide comfort for one another, and all can equally be the anchor that can ground the others too. Since they’ve all dealt with loss and pain before, trust and honesty is a really big thing for all of them. 

☆ Both of her parents sadly passed away while she was a teenager so she had to step up to look after her brothers. Taking on two jobs to support them and put money on the table she had to self her own dreams and wants for the time being. She suffers from having to mature so quickly in life she struggles opening up and letting her walls down. She’s so used to having to be the strong figure head she ignores and pushes down her own feelings in return. ☆ Her mother was an aspiring fashion designer albeit their family wasn’t the most wealthy. Her mother used to create clothes from whatever scraps she could find using hand me downs as well. The two always bonded by doing make up and dressing up. So fashion, art and makeup is a big comfort for her, she feels complete and close to her mother in a sense when dolled up in the clothes. It is an art form an extension of who you are. Beauty is pain. Each stitch, each yard of fabric comes with a price. She has a dream and she’ll work herself to the bone to achieve it. She wants to thrive in a world that was pitted against her. Her mother’s creations really inspired her to be the fashionista and designer she is today. ☆  Actually decent friends with Zed, the two met when they were in their late teens! She was a waitress in a small local diner and he was the nerdy guy who was always at the same table, same time of the same day each week with no fail. Celine may seem like a popular preppy girl but it was quite the opposite, she was more of the loner type due to home situation and Zed being the socially awkward nerd. The two despite the odds became good friends, seeing him was always the highlight of her week. ☆ Possibly has the biggest crush on Amal you’ve ever seen and hates it too. Somehow that dorky unicorn man galloped his way into her heart. With his god awful taste in fashion and his embarrassing love for unicorns, somehow she finds it cute and endearing although she’d never admit it out loud.

[curlyhairedbibliophile]

Book Haul 📚😍

First of what might be many book hauls this month ... my wallet will not survive 🙈

Freshwater | Akwaeke Emezi | Goodreads Ada has always been unusual. As an infant in southern Nigeria, she is a source of deep concern to her family. Her parents successfully prayed her into existence, but something must have gone awry, as the young Ada becomes a troubled child, prone to violent fits of anger and grief. Born "with one foot on the other side," she begins to develop separate selves. When Ada travels to America for college, a traumatic event crystallizes the selves into something more powerful. As Ada fades into the background of her own mind and these alters--now protective, now hedonistic--move into control, Ada's life spirals in a dangerous direction. Unsettling, heart-wrenching, dark, and powerful, Freshwater dazzles with ferocious energy and serpentine grace, heralding the arrival of a fierce new literary voice.

Punching the Air | Ibi Zoboi & Yusef Salaam | Goodreads The story that I thought was my life didn’t start on the day I was born Amal Shahid has always been an artist and a poet. But even in a diverse art school, he’s seen as disruptive and unmotivated by a biased system. Then one fateful night, an altercation in a gentrifying neighborhood escalates into tragedy. “Boys just being boys” turns out to be true only when those boys are white. The story that I think will be my life starts today Suddenly, at just sixteen years old, Amal’s bright future is upended: he is convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and sent to prison. Despair and rage almost sink him until he turns to the refuge of his words, his art. This never should have been his story. But can he change it? With spellbinding lyricism, award-winning author Ibi Zoboi and prison reform activist Yusef Salaam tell a moving and deeply profound story about how one boy is able to maintain his humanity and fight for the truth, in a system designed to strip him of both.

Transcendent Kingdom | Yaa Gyasi | Goodreads Gifty is a fifth year candidate in neuroscience at Stanford School of Medicine studying reward seeking behavior in mice and the neural circuits of depression and addiction. Her brother, Nana, was a gifted high school athlete who died of a heroin overdose after a knee injury left him hooked on OxyContin. Her suicidal mother is living in her bed. Gifty is determined to discover the scientific basis for the suffering she sees all around her. 

But even as she turns to the hard sciences to unlock the mystery of her family's loss, she finds herself hungering for her childhood faith, and grappling with the evangelical church in which she was raised, whose promise of salvation remains as tantalizing as it is elusive. Transcendent Kingdom is a deeply moving portrait of a family of Ghanain immigrants ravaged by depression and addiction and grief--a novel about faith, science, religion, love. Exquisitely written, emotionally searing, this is an exceptionally powerful follow-up to Gyasi's phenomenal debut.

[goddamnelsa]

Liz’s Top Books of 2020

blatantly stolen from @alamorn but also i wanted to feel accomplished that i did in fact read published books this year before descending entirely into mdzs/the untamed fanfiction :) :) :) :)

In two parts! Books I read that actually came out in 2020, and then honorable mentions of books I read in 2020 that were published in previous years. Enjoy!

Top Books Published in 2020 (which are not in any kind of order because I can’t like rank stuff, I’m not that kind of person)

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin

What can I say except it’s N.K. Jemisin who wrote my favorite high fantasy series (The Inheritance Trilogy), won three consecutive Hugo Awards for her The Broken Earth trilogy, and she’s writing urban fantasy with Lovecraftian and superhero team flavor. I mean....obviously I was at the top of the wait list for this once my library ordered it. And it lived up to the hype!! Because of course!! It’s fabulously fast-paced with amazingly smart and interesting characters of diverse backgrounds. I kept thinking one of them was my favorite, and then another would have a great line and I would change my mind. It’s fine, they’re all technically one entity with several parts, so I can love them all and not choose (but it’s probably Bronca, let’s be real). And it’s the first of a series! And I’m counting down the days til there is more!

Axiom’s End by Lindsay Ellis

I definitely picked this up simply because Lindsay Ellis, one of my favorite video essayists, wrote it, and then ended up loving everything about it. I’m not usually one for First Contact stories, but I appreciate the very human-focused approach here, sticking solely to an ordinary girl’s perspective as she navigates being the person first in contact with a very alien alien. Cora’s attempts to humanize Ampersand are relatable, but I appreciate Ellis reminding us at almost every turn that Ampersand is super Not Human, no matter how much Cora reads into his actions. Ellis doesn’t gloss over the Science part either, especially when it comes to the race of aliens Ampersand belongs to. Again, the first of a series, and you will absolutely be screaming for the next book when this one is over.

You Had Me At Hola by Alexis Daria

Insert my obligatory “I don’t usually read romances blah blah blah.” Though, during lockdown, I attempted to branch out beyond my usual genres when I was attending a ton of publisher webinars about upcoming books. This one stood out to me because of its Latinx cast and the whole behind-the-scenes of a Jane The Virgin-esque show, based on a telenovela (of course). It is fantastic, a quick read with instantly likable and fun characters. And the tropes! We’re playing love interests but we have insane chemistry! A sensitive, traumatized male lead who learns to open up again! A sassy but insecure female lead who learns to let loose and love again! Hooking up, but we have to keep on the DL or else scandal! And of course, the extended families add to every scene they are in--I loved every interaction Ashton and Jasmine had with their families, it was the cherry on top of a fantastic read. Also the sex scenes are steamy. 

Beetle and the Hollowbones by Aliza Layne

I got this graphic novel as an advanced reader copy well before it came out, and after reading it, I was sCREAMING because I couldn’t tell all my graphic novel, queer coming-of-age-with-magic loving friends to immediately pick up a copy!! So thankfully, it’s out now, so I can scream to the heavens to please read this!!! It is such a sweet story with beautiful full-color art and fantastic world-building. It has the same silly, referential humor you see in a lot of kids/YA graphic novels these days, but Beetle packs in a lot of heart as well. 

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

Like many people in May/June of this year, I was reading, reading, reading a lot of books about racism from as many Black authors as I could get my hands on. There were many not published this year that should definitely be read (So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo being among the top), but this book really stuck with me because it is written specifically for a younger audience, and Jason Reynolds knows how to talk to kids about tough subjects. Stamped gets across difficult concepts like assimilationists and segregationists in an easy-to-understand, conversational style that doesn’t take away from any of the important history and nuance. This certainly is not The Book of antiracism studies, but it is a good starting point if you are daunted by lengthy title lists and aren’t sure where to begin. I highly recommend the audiobook as well, read by Reynolds himself.

(Side note: I watched this keynote address with Reynolds and Kendi which is an excellent primer into the background of how this book came to be. Reynolds is also just very interesting to listen to)

Honorable Mentions aka Books I read in 2020 that were published in previous years again, not ranked because I CAN’T, OKAY

White Is For Witching by Helen Oyeyemi

I read this book and then wanted to go back and read it immediately again, not necessarily because it was so amazing, but because I felt like I would get it even more if I did. This is a haunting little book that took turns I was not expecting, even with the book synopsis I read. It is disturbing and features descriptions of an eating disorder, so proceed with caution. However, if you like Gothic tales of haunted houses and the trauma inflicted on us by those who came before, I can’t recommend this one enough.

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

My last book club read before the pandemic D: We didn’t actually get to meet to discuss this book, but my club (all librarians) were working at our emergency call center at the same time and all reading it, so we KINDA got to discuss it, if not in a formal book club setting. ANYWAY, it’s a thrilling jaunt through 1920s Mexico, following a fantastic Cinderella-esque heroine who makes a deal with a Mayan god to retrieve his body. If you are a fan of the Percy Jackson-brand of mythological adventures, this is definitely one to add to your list, especially if you are looking for something a little bit more Adult.

Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker

Okay, I know it’s a young readers/middle grade book, but HEAR ME OUT. This is whimsical and haunting tale about seven little fox kits who set out to scare themselves shitless by hearing scary tales. Only one kit will remain when the night is over, but the one who does will get to hear a surprisingly sweet, and well-earned, happy ending. If you are a Neil Gaiman-esque horror fan, I recommend picking this up. Its scares are fairly scary, especially for its audience, but it’s an engaging story about the lengths we will go for the ones we love.

Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse

Did someone say Navajo monster-hunting heroine with magic powers navigating a post-apocalyptic world, oh and also saving it??? Look, Maggie is My Kind of Hero, in that she’s damaged, she drinks too much, she’s surly, but she has a seriously gooey heart of gold underneath all that armor. Navajo mythology is woven into this tale of monster-hunting, surviving. If you’re in Supernatural-disappointment-land, maybe give this a try! It has that Western-y, road trip feel to it, and again, I love the lead character. (It also has a currently published sequel and a soon-to-be-released third book as well!)

This is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

This was rec’ed to me by a librarian friend, with the words, “Oh, Liz, you’ll really like this.” And she was RIGHT. Red and Blue are on opposite sides of a war waged across time and decide to send letters to each other, at first, to taunt, but then, to understand, to learn, and to love. The details of the war don’t matter much, but what does matter is the achingly beautiful poetry with which Red and Blue reveal themselves to each other. I was told to listen to this one, but I’m glad I read it myself instead. The prose is very purple at times, and I appreciated being able to go back to passages to reread again and again. Oh, and it’s queer (Red and Blue are both female), and SPOILERS SPOILERS has a happy ending. 

(also there is a wangxian remix for my mdzs buds. and also a semi-officially sanctioned fanfic sequel???? at least amal el-mohtar linked it from goodreads so whoo! also also it’s very funny)

And that’s my Year in Books 2020! Seeing it laid out like this, I had a surprisingly good year for book reading even though I felt like I barely read anything. For awhile, reading was Hard, and I just wanted to consume fluffy, sweet fanfiction, but I’m getting back into it. Oh, and please let me know if you check any of these out!

Here’s to a good year for books in 2021! ✨

[laura-elizabeth91]

"Theresa May's Style: Put Your Head Down and Get to Work" By STEVEN ERLANGER for the New York Times JULY 13, 2016 LONDON — Her beloved father, an Anglican vicar, died in a car crash when she was 25, after she had been married only a year, and her mother, who had multiple sclerosis, died a few months later. For Theresa May, a cherished only child, the shock was devastating. It brought her even closer to her husband, Philip, two years younger, whom she had met at Oxford, at a Conservative Party disco. They bonded over cricket and silly university debates, like the one where Philip induced her to speak for the motion “That sex is good… but success is better.” Both became bankers, and Ms. May threw herself into the Conservative politics that had entranced her since the age of 12, when she liked to argue with her father and he asked her, in order to maintain neutrality in his parish, not to parade her Tory colors in public. “Politics captured me,” Ms. May said in 2014. “That sounds terribly trite,” she said, but “I wanted to make a difference, I wanted to be part of the debate.” On Wednesday, Ms. May, 59, became Britain’s prime minister, the last adult standing after other senior members of her party — the clever younger men from Britain’s elite schools, like her predecessor, David Cameron — schemed each other out of contention. For Ms. May, only Britain’s second female prime minister, it is a job she never publicly acknowledged wanting, until Mr. Cameron, bluff and self-confident, pushed his luck once too often,lost the referendum on keeping Britain in the European Union and quit. Ms. May, who had been home secretary, is considered “a safe pair of hands,” not flashy and even dull, who seems to be a candidate of continuity. But the country’s dire circumstances may demand more. And Ms. May, a traditional economic and social conservative in many respects, has signaled a desire to give her party a new focus on the need to build a fairer society. With Britain deeply divided over its decision to leave the European Union, its place in the world in flux, its unity threatened by calls for Scottish independence and its economy at risk, the times may require that Ms. May be both steady and bold. Her six-year tenure at the Home Office showed her to be a tough operator and put her in charge of a number of flash-point issues. She demanded police reforms to reduce racial profiling. She helped push through surveillance policies that had to balance fears of terrorism against civil liberties and confronted public pressure to reduce immigration, failing to meet government targets for doing so. If sometimes at odds with Mr. Cameron’s inner circle — she was a quiet critic of the government’s budget austerity — she nonetheless built a reputation as smart and competent. Damian Green, who worked for her as Home Office minister until 2014, said that “Theresa doesn’t do verbiage, doesn’t do speeches for the sake of making speeches. One of her virtues is that when she says something today she means it tomorrow.” But she will have to bind a badly torn party in which she has won esteem but few close friends. She will also have to juggle competing priorities in negotiating the withdrawal from the European Union under the watchful eye of Brexit supporters who remain wary of her commitment to their cause. Even though she publicly if tepidly supported remaining in Europe out of loyalty to Mr. Cameron, saying it would be best for the nation’s security, at heart “she is a Euroskeptic,” said Catherine Meyer, a former treasurer of the Conservative Party and a friend of the Mays’. “When she says Brexit means out, she means it.” While respected within the European Union as a tough and unpretentious negotiator, Ms. May will have to find the right balance between more controls on immigration that the voters demanded and at least partial access, if she can manage it, to the single market of the European Union. Friends say that her early religious upbringing — she is an Anglican but went to a Roman Catholic school — has given Ms. May a moral base, a steady personality and a feeling for the disadvantaged. “Her background has shaped her into somebody who is not going to feel sorry for herself or blame others for her mistakes, and who finds solace in moving forward, not to sit but to fight,” said Ms. Meyer, who worked with Ms. May on a charity for abducted children. A young woman who hunched her shoulders at school to seem less tall has grown into a proud master of her responsibilities. She lives for her work and her husband, a well-off investment banker, and their time together in their neat house in Sonning-on-Thames, in Berkshire, in the heart of her Maidenhead constituency, a village she shares with better-known types like the guitarist Jimmy Page and George and Amal Clooney. She likes to cook and owns more than 100 cookbooks, and will likely be glad that the Camerons took the heat for remodeling the ancient kitchen at 10 Downing Street. Mr. Cameron valued her workaholic talents, naming her Home Office secretary, one of the four senior cabinet posts, only the second woman to hold the job. Wary of her quiet ambition and wanting to protect his own favorite, George Osborne, the chancellor of the Exchequer, he never promoted her further. But he did not demote her, either, even as she failed to deliver on one of the government’s key pledges, to curb immigration. She was famous for fighting her corner, knowing her subject and keeping clear of the Cameron “chumocracy.” Ms. May is polite but not chummy, works late and does not hang around Parliament’s bars. Her lack of a “set of friends” was considered one of her great liabilities in the race to succeed Mr. Cameron, said Crispin Blunt, a Conservative member of Parliament who is one of her supporters. “There wasn’t an army of mates for her,” he said, but it allows her now to make appointments to her government on the basis of her own priorities and assessments. “In government, sometimes it’s difficult to be a woman surrounded by lots of men,” said Ms. Meyer. “Like Margaret Thatcher, she likes the company of men, but she’s capable of putting her fist down.” Ms. May was co-founder in 2005 of a group called “Women2Win,” to elect more women to Parliament and then nurture them, something that Mrs. Thatcher, the first woman to lead Britain, was often criticized for failing to do. In office, Ms. May has been rigorous, largely sticking to her brief, which she knew in depth, and not often consulting cabinet colleagues. One former minister, Kenneth Clarke, called her “a bloody difficult woman,” a description she embraced. She tends to work alone or with a small number of aides, like Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy, and has a tendency to micromanage, a senior civil servant said, asking anonymity. After two failed attempts, she was elected to Parliament in 1997. In 2002, when chosen to chair the party, Ms. May gave a speech about the need to reach out to the less fortunate. “Our base is too narrow and so, occasionally, are our sympathies,” she said. “You know what some people call us? The nasty party. I know that’s unfair, you know that’s unfair, but it’s the people out there that we have to convince.” In 2014, she again earned attention for taking on the powerful police union, the Police Federation, limiting “stop and search” because of racial bias and imposing elected oversight commissions on the police. To a stunned conference of police, shesaid: “The federation was created by an act of Parliament and it can be reformed by an act of Parliament. If you do not change of your own accord we will impose change on you.” Among her most controversial acts was helping to push through a so-called “snooper’s charter,” giving the police and security services new powers in a world of digital communications and terrorism. After criticism that the measure impinged too much on civil liberties and individual rights, she agreed to some changes. Ms. May has been compared to Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany – both daughters of Protestant clergymen, both with quiet, private husbands, both without children, both hardworking and rather distant. Ms. May clearly sees the similarities, including being underestimated by men. “If you look at somebody like Angela Merkel and think of what she’s actually achieved, you know, there are still people who don’t rate her, are a bit dismissive, perhaps because of the way she looks and dresses,” Ms. May said in a 2012 interview with the Daily Telegraph. “What matters is, what has she actually done? And, when you look at her abilities in terms of negotiation, and steering Germany through a difficult time, then hats off to her.” She has only rarely spoken publicly about her personal life, though it briefly became a campaign issue when one of her challengers, Angela Leadsom, seemed to suggest that she had a greater stake in Britain’s future because she has children and Ms. May does not. “You look at families all the time and you see there is something there that you don’t have,” Ms. May said in the 2012 interview with The Daily Telegraph, when asked about not having children. “You accept the hand life deals you.” Ms. May took the same attitude to her diagnosis of diabetes, for which she said she gave herself four injections a day. “Just get on and deal with it,” she said. She has made a calculated effort to show some inner life and spark by her choice of clothes, especially her kitten-heeled animal-print shoes, which the British press chronicles avidly. “You can be clever and like clothes,” she has said. “One of the challenges for women in politics is to be ourselves.” When asked on Desert Island Discs what single novel she wanted as a castaway, she answered, “Pride and Prejudice.” And her single luxury? “A lifetime subscription to Vogue.”

[theorangedeath]

Some webcomic recs

Webcomics are as underrated as they are varied. I mostly read printed comics now, but there’s no way I’d have gotten there had I not found webcomics before - believe me, I tried, but this damn hobby is super inaccessible to a beginner, not to mention expensive. Webcomics are like fanfics in that regard - hell, some of them are fan comics - in that there’s something for everyone, all within your reach, but in order to find something you like you have to either 1. Get very, VERY lucky, 2. Be prepared to read a lot of bad stuff in order to get to the good stuff, or 3. Hear about them from people you trust. 

I was a 2 - i would read anything, back in the day - and while i’m not as unconditionally enthusiastic as i was, there are still some gems I wish got the same appreciation as some talents in the industry. I’ll spare you the rest of the article (dm me for comic rants though), let’s get to it! 

note: all the comics are numbered as “1″ because tumblr messed up the google docs formatting 

Comics i still follow as they update because either tumblr starts posting about them right away or they’re on tapas

Check Please! 

https://omgcheckplease.tumblr.com/

I’m probably not the one introducing you to Check Please, as it’s one of the most popular webcomics out there, thank god. The parts of the fandom i’m familiar with are cool and wholesome, just like the work itself. It’s about a southern gay kid, Eric Bittle, who joins the hockey team in his college. It’s impossible not to love every single character there, the sports drama elements are great, and the format is like solidarity put into panels. The Samwell Men’s Hockey team’s motto is “we’ve got each other’s backs”, and there isn’t a single part of the comic that doesn’t 100% incorporate that. 

Heartstopper

https://tapas.io/series/Heartstopper

The 2000s so far have been a rough contest for the title of “sweetest ya romance” but guys, we found it, we can stop now. Nick and Charlie are in highschool, Charlie is gay and out (not by will), Nick plays rugby because apparently that’s what british jocks do. Can i make it any more obvious? It took me a while to fall in love with the artstyle but when i did i fell HARD - the creator is re-drawing some of the older chapters, though, so your experience might be different. The story’s captivating right away, and you want everyone there to be happy from pretty much page 1. The creator also writes ya prose, and some of her books are about other characters from the same school. I love all of them, but Radio Silence is my personal favorite. She also has two novellas about Nick and Charlie themselves, available as e-books. 

Charity Case 

https://tapas.io/series/Charity-Case

I rarely start new webcomics anymore, but boy, this one got me FAST. and that was even before I realized it’s a polyam love story, which i love but is surprisingly rare in webcomics - at least the ones i know. Julien, an irresponsible young musician, resorts to sharing an apartment with two roomates who are a couple. I fell for the unique, gorgeous artstyle first, and by the time i realized i’m also super invested in the story and characters, it’s already become one of my favorites. Plus, Julien’s hair looks so soft! 

The Property of Hate 

http://thepropertyofhate.com/TPoH/

THIS is what comics should be. There’s so much passion here, not just for the story but for the storytelling as well - and the two aren’t as separated as you might think. A young girl is recruited by a TV man to be a hero. The world they enter seems nonsensical and arbitrary at first, but as they travel she discovers its logic, stories and secrets. She will also, as her title suggests, need to save it. There’s so much i love about this comic that i don’t know where to start, so i’ll just say this: it’s absolutely inspiring, in every sense of the word. Also, read the creator’s duck comics, they’ll make you feel things. 

Webcomics i occasionally remember to catch up on, get blown away all over again by how good they are, vow to check them regularly for updates then forget. And repeat 

Wilde Life

https://wildelifecomic.com/

I think this is the first ever webcomic i read that had a plot? I got on the wagon at around chapter 1 or 2 and it’s hard to believe it but it only gets better with time, even though it already starts at 100%. Oscar moves to a new town and immediately makes friends with a ghost and a grumpy teen werewolf. It has both monster-of-the-week type problems and overarching plots, and reading it feels nostalgic and brand new at the same time. The fantasy world has this special feel to it, that makes me miss growing up in the american wilderness even though i, well, didn’t. Plus, the creator is cool as hell. I knit her a hat in high school in exchange for a commission. 

Sfeer Theory

https://sfeertheory.com/

This comic got me through a hard time and i’ll forever be grateful for that. Also, it’s really, really good. This is another case of a comic where you fall in love with the art right away and before long you find yourself caring very much about the characters and the story. You might also find yourself growing out your hair to style it like Luca’s. If you’re me it’ll be a lost cause, so, uh, keep that in mind. Luca works as a technician at the prestigious Uitspan university. A mysterious, powerful man is looking to change that. While the comic’s biggest strength is probably the gorgeous, fascinating worldbuilding - and Luca’s hair - the characters are also ridiculously easy to relate to, even if we don’t know anything about them. Even the most meaningless extras are somehow compelling thanks to the dynamic, rich art style. And did i mention the hair? If you like it, you won’t be disappointed by everything else Little Foolery makes. 

How To Be a Werewolf

http://www.howtobeawerewolf.com/

I almost didn’t read this one! My brain has decided i don’t like werewolves and i don’t know how to reverse that. But then i saw Elias’ body language and it was extremely fun and friendly, and so was the rest of the comic, and the rest is history. Malaya knows she’s a werewolf, but seeing as she doesn’t know any other werewolves, dealing with that is hard. That is until Elias discovers her and decides to help, along with the rest of his pack. It’s filled with family and solidarity feelings, some dark mysteries and themes, and the art is beautiful and expressive. 

Monsterkind 

http://monsterkind.enenkay.com/

Another case of read-everything-this-creator-makes-it’s-all-amazing! Wallace, a social worker, moves - or rather, is moved - to District C, which is mostly populated by monsters. His heart’s in the right place, and apparently so is his apartment, because his neighbors are cool as heck and agree, some of them reluctantly, to help him get his bearings. There’s a mystery to uncover, some monsters to help and a dashing tea octopus to woo - for Kip to woo, anyway - and it’s all a delight to read. Every single character brings their own lovable-ness to the table, and even with the darker parts, reading this comic kinda feels like being hugged. 

Comics that no longer update

The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal - finished 

http://tjandamal.com/

Guys. guys! I’m pretty sure this is my all time favorite comic, web OR printed. I have the printed version, i still read it online occasionally, a lot of the songs mentioned in it are now saved on my spotify, i had it as my phone background for a good couple of years, the whole package. Amal comes out to his family and it ends with him having to drive to his sister’s graduation in Providence. There’s a guy in his kitchen who just so happens to need a lift there, and he’s willing to pay, and Amal’s too hungover to argue. What follows is the best roadtrip story ever. I’m seriously considering getting my license just to recreate that route. I just really love this story, okay? Oh, and if that wasn’t enough, the creator’s music taste is GOOD. 

Prague Race - to be continued in text 

https://www.praguerace.com/

The fantasy aesthetic to end all fantasy aesthetics. And the characters are good and interesting. And the world is well built and leaves you wanting more. AND there’s a cat. And it looks so good! Leona is irresponsible and spontaneous and gets her friends in some weird shit that leaves them trapped in a strange world, dealing with several curses, trying to survive and make sense of it all. I could spend a lifetime looking at the art and die happy. 

Shoot around - finished 

https://www.webtoons.com/en/drama/shoot-around/list?title_no=399&page=1

A girl’s basketball team and its coach, Jeff, deal with a zombie apocalypse. They make the most of the post apocalyptic world. There’s drama, friendship, found family, love and hope - it’s basically everything a zombie apocalypse narrative should be. And i love how the creator plays with the colors from chapter to chapter! 

Rock and Riot - finished 

https://tapas.io/series/Rock-and-Riot 

It’s cute! It’s fun! It’s a 1950’s queer ensamble cast high school drama! It’s what Grease would’ve been like in a better timeline, except we still got it in this timeline. The artstyle fits perfectly with the story and characters, but if you want to see what’s the creator capable of now, read their newest comic, Project Nought. It’s a cool sci fi story and just like in Rock and Riot, it’s super easy to connect to every character there. 

Alright there’s a lot more but i somehow wrote 4 google docs pages of webcomic recs in one sitting (this is what i’m able to focus on? Really, brain?) and i think that’s enough for now. Like i said, please dm me if you want to talk about anything here, rec some of your own, listen to my rants or tell me i’m a nerd. Or all of the above. I might make a similar post with print comic, but right now i have some dogs to pet. Keep being cool! 

[neuxue]

Books I’ve read this month

Because I always mean to write reviews and make recs lists and the like, and I never do, so here’s me actually holding myself to that. 

(Though none of these are reviews, really)

(I mean, if you know the sorts of things I like in a book, you could probably figure some things out, but otherwise...well, I tried)

(sort of)

FINISHED:

The Ruin of Kings (Book 1 of A Chorus of Dragons, by Jenn Lyons): This book kept showing up everywhere so I figured I’d give it a try. Overall I have somewhat mixed feelings about it; there were some things I loved and some things I was less sure about, and I think I’ll need to see more of the series before I decide. The way POV is handled is interesting, because it takes what might otherwise be a gimmick and turns it into an examination of identity, voice, agency, and perception that stands out as one of the strongest parts of the book. I’m also always here for explorations of divinity and mortality and the spaces in between. Typically of me, I latched straight on to a character whose presence can quite literally be described as marginal, but I have hope. I do recommend reading with some graph paper to hand, to keep track of the genealogies.

Also, “A Chorus of Dragons”???? Some people get all the best titles.

The Immortals Quartet (Wild Magic, Wolfspeaker, The Emperor Mage, The Realm of the Gods, by Tamora Pierce): I didn’t really expect to like these books, and...I didn’t really like these books. Tamora Pierce definitely features on my Childhood Reading List, but I never got around to these; I’m really not an animal person, and books about talking animals or people with magical bonds to animals just don’t do it for me (unless they’re dragons. Then it’s different). But I wanted to read Tempests and Slaughter, because I thought Numair might be as close as Tamora Pierce comes to writing My Type, so I figured these were a prerequisite. Which brings us to...

Tempests and Slaughter (Book 1 of ??? by Tamora Pierce): It’s called Tempests and Slaughter and it’s the origin story of an absurdly powerful sorcerer, so surely it’ll be my kind of thing, right? Except...it wasn’t. It was enjoyable, and it was very Tamora Pierce, but I guess that’s why I was disappointed; I like Tamora Pierce, and I enjoyed many of her books as a child, but I was expecting this to be something a bit different from her usual, and it wasn’t. Break him, Tamora. Break him and I’ll be interested.

The Poppy War (Book 1 of The Poppy War, by R.F. Kuang): This book is about, amongst other things, the weaponisation of gods. Which...I mean, I could just leave it there, because if ever a book had a one-sentence selling point designed specifically for me, that would be it. 

It begins in a way that feels familiar and almost cozy with nostalgia to someone who grew up reading Tamora Pierce and Ender’s Game and Harry Potter: fantasy school stories, where the first half is an extended training montage. And then it becomes more like the other things I grew up reading: darker, far more painful, and--which delighted me most--far less of a heroic origin story than I expected. Oh, it’s an origin story, all right, but...well. Rin is a great protagonist; she’s got frightening determination and competence, but also some harsh edges, prejudices, flaws in her judgment. And this book does not shy from that; I was genuinely surprised at just how far it committed, by the end, to things I always wish I could see play out on-screen but so rarely do. 

Other highlights: the lack of a romance sub-plot, the complete nonchalance with which both Rin and the narrative itself treat choices she makes regarding her body that many stories tend to dwell excessively on, and a parallel to a specific historical event that, for all that the larger context of said event is the basis for thousands upon thousands of stories, is itself rarely referenced so...directly. (How’s that for cryptic?)

This Is How You Lose the Time War (by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone):  What a book. I’d been waiting for this one for a while, because despite how cagey the authors were when talking about it, it definitely seemed like it was going to be an enemies-to-lovers story, but with time travel. They were also cagey about the characters’ genders, which made me hope that this might even be a queer enemies-to-lovers story, but with time travel. I was not disappointed.

I’m not always a fan of time travel stories, but this worked for me, mostly because while time travel does play a fundamental role, it also manages to be a background element in a story that is at its core about two enemy agents discovering each other. At times it reads almost like a fairytale, or perhaps a dream (when it doesn’t read like a love letter across a battlefield). Also, the prose. Some out-of-context quotes, just so you see what I’m talking about: ‘Ask the pilgrims how the labyrinth came to be, and they offer answers varied as their sins’ or ‘Gods and children first, they fill the boats’ or ‘the kind of London other Londons dream: sepia tinted, skies strung with dirigibles, the viciousness of empire acknowledged only as a rosy backdrop glow redolent of spice and petalled sugar’. 

***

UNFINISHED:

The Gathering Storm (Book 12 of The Wheel of Time, by Robert Jordan): don’t @ me.

The Game of Kings (Book 1 of The Lymond Chronicles, by Dorothy Dunnett): This has now been recommended to me twice, once when I specifically asked for books with betrayals and once by someone who sold it to me as my exact sort of thing, so I figured I should give it a go. I’ve now read the first chapter and come to a few conclusions. First: I have absolutely no idea what the fuck is going on. Second: I’m not sure I’m supposed to know what the fuck is going on. Third: Yeah, despite the fact that I don’t read as much historical fiction, this feels like my kind of thing (lovely prose! Obscure references! A protagonist who sets his own family’s home on fire for fun!). Fourth: This is definitely not a book to read with half my attention while commuting. So... putting this one on hold for now; I want to come back to it but right now my non-commuting reading time is mostly reserved for liveblogging WoT.

The Copper Promise (Book 1 of The Copper Cat, by Jen Williams): This is one I’ve seen a lot of good things about, but ultimately it just...felt like reading someone’s D&D campaign. And don’t get me wrong, it reads like a campaign that would be great fun to play in...but as a novel it doesn’t quite come together for me. There are elements of an interesting story, and there are some fun characters, but it lacks a certain depth of world and investment in what’s happening; I put it down and forgot to pick it back up again. 

[amongxylophonesandglockenspiels]

Bollywood Movies Part CLXXXIV: The Mollywood Takeover Part XXVI

Jomon (Dulquer Salmaan) is the disappointment of his family because he constantly dodges responsibility. His father Vincent tries various ways to make Jomon responsible, including making him run a store, but none of them really work. When Vincent faces financial catastrophe, the rest of his children abandon him, but Jomon takes him in and learns how to adult. 

Jomonte Suviseshangal is a great movie about a father-son relationship that is also about growing up. I really enjoyed the family dynamics involving Jomon’s older siblings and their spouses, especially because Jomon is the baby of the family and is treated like it. Mukesh and Dulquer really make this movie work. Favorite songs are Poonkattey (no subtitles) and Neelakasham (English subtitles).

Aji Mathew (Dulquer Salmaan), is an ardent communist who falls in love with college student Sarah (Karthika Muralidharan). When she goes back to America, she learns her family has arranged her marriage. When Aji finds out, he decides to go to America to stop the wedding. As he can’t get a visa in time, he decides to illegally enter America from the Mexican border.

CIA: Comrade in America has some glaring plot holes and is a bit slow. However, it does have some good acting and amazing cinematography. The cinematography for the duration of the illegal border crossing is spectacular! There are some great comic bits, mostly involving Aji’s friends and family in Kerala. Favorite songs are Kannil Kannil and Vaanam Thilathilakkanu. Neither song has subtitles.

Irshad “Ichappi” (Amal Shah) and Haseeb (Govind P. Pai) train pigeons and compete with them in Mattancherry. Ichappi is held back in 9th grade, but develops more confidence for it. Meanwhile, the two discover that one of their prize pigeons was stolen by their rival Rauf (Shine Tom Chacko) and plot to get her back. When a group of drug addict return to Mattancherry, Ichappi remembers what happened when they first came that cause his brother Shane (Shane Nigam) and father (Siddique) to have a falling out.

Parava is a wonderful movie about two kids and their tenacity,as well as loss and family conflict. It also really highlights the ambience of Mattancherry. I especially enjoyed how all the characters felt fully fledged, even though we only got to see little snippets of the background characters. Dulquer Salmaan is wonderful in his extended cameo that actually underpins the whole movie. Amal Shah and Govind P. Pai are amazing in their debut roles. Favorite songs are Pakalin Vaathil and Ormakal. Neither song has subtitles.

[anxaanya]

Chapter 1

Ok hi, this is gonna be a long intro so no on has to read this. But, very unrelated to what I am posting. I am super down at the moment? I literally have no friends and feel very pathetic rn so I wrote something? My life is literally a downhill spiral rn and I don’t even have anyone to talk to about it. Literally no one so I wrote bc I want to be in a another world so bad(preferably a really chill happy shojo anime where everything is pastel). Its not the best, i just wrote this on a whim and no one has to read this seriously but I want to be a writer and just wanna get myself out there. 

But anyways this is a part of a bigger story. I basically created a whole new character that i was debating on making it my own thing or just do a fanfic but I decided on fanfic bc it’s too similar to bp lol. So basically it’s about this girl named Amale who escaped like a slave trade and lost everything but years later she becomes like a warrior who wants to over throw the royal family bc they don’t do shit about it and like it keeps happening. And shes apart of like a girl warrior group like the Dora Malije and Erik comes and helps them lol. Its stupid but its not meant to be romantic. It’ll get there but rn I just want it to be super badass with badass women. And I want this to be comic(bc comics are basically fanfics, they just write different stories for the same characters lmao) 

But also Amale is inspired by Sumrider, this cool badass martial artist I love, check her out and also catwoman cuz animals are a big influence(I love animals) used later on and shell be really graceful and I just think catwoman is the coolest ever lmao

So here we go also trigger warnings: blood, human trafficking, rape, murder, death

I smiled as I dug my fingers deep into the bowl of wooden beads. They clanked beautifully against each other and in evidently calmed my nerves. I finally took one out the bowl and marveled at the walnut colored wood that was painted with ascents of red. I glanced in the mirror and met my eyes in the reflection. My cornrows were fresh and neat and ran down head, twisting, turned and overlapping each other along the way. The hairstyle allowed for my round forehead to be on display but I didn’t mind. They were painless yet tight enough to pull my already almond shaped eyes back to a smaller squint. I slipped the last bead on the end of my braid that fell over my ear, allowing it to move freely. I marveled at my bead work, shaking my head, letting the plaits dance as I closed my eyes.

               “Amale.” Startled from my trance, I spun my head to the call of my name. My eyes were met with Sa’diyah’s. They were round and kind and shone through the only light in the dim room allowing for me to see her dilated pupil that swam pools of amber. Her locs were rolled into a secure updo and in the graceful way she walked, she began to saunter towards me, and folded her long legs under her as she sat.

               “I really think you should have choose a more practical hairstyle,” she laughed as she softly pushed my long braids behind me.

               “I did. It’s way more practical than an afro.” I retorted. “Which makes no sense. You know my hero is afro samurai,” I continued and she laughed again, still running her fingers through my braids breaking the quiet of the night with the clacking beads.

               “Are you ready for this Amale?” She asked as she dropped her hand from my hair and stared at me again.

               I bit my lip and turned away. “You know I have to.”

               She didn’t speak. Her unakite stone pendant glistened in the light. The crystal I gifted to her. The crystal that belonged to my sister. The crystal I could no longer hold because of the memories it held.

 I remembered the last day I saw her wear it.

 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 “Amale come!” My sister tugged at my wrist. My ears rung and my sister’s desperate plea voiced. I was frozen. I stood and never took my eyes off of my father’s body that lay in front of our front door. I stood as I watched the blood seep out of his still body. I watched as men in heavy uniforms and thick boots shot carelessly around our village. Their boots stomping on everything. Our crops. Our animals. Or lives. With giant guns strapped to their back, they killed those that were of no use to them and took those that were.

One of those men lay dead on our floor in the living room. He barged in uninvited. We were home alone. I sat on the couch watching afro samurai, one of my favorite shows and in that moment would finally witness merciless murder like those in this show. My sister hated that show and would never understand why our father would let me, a 10 year old girl watch something as violent as this. He always replied with, “Maybe she’ll learn something.” But I knew it was because he didn’t have the heart to tell either of us no. Spoiled was an understatement. My older sister was at the table, brewing a cup of tea for my father for when he returned from work. The sun was close to setting and he loved his cup of tea at the end of a long day. The tea sat on the counter as my sister washed dishes and talked on the phone to her boyfriend. I think they were fighting. He was cheater and I ever understood why my sister didn’t just leave him. Everyone wanted her. She was beautiful or I guess whatever was considered beautiful in these parts. We both shared a signature almond eye shape with a feminine slant and large full lips, two traits we inherited from our mother. My sister had long beautiful locs that contrasted amazingly with her skin. Her hair was as black as night and her edges were often free and curled in naps and kinks. (She didn’t care much for re-twisting.) Our black hair is another trait we had in common, although mine was much wilder, never done, and could barely hold a curl. My sister’s skin was a light golden brown, (that kind of reminded me of a lion’s coat which I would tease her for) and she has a cute button nose. I was told I would eventually grow into my forehead. My skin was a rich mahogany brown, kind of like…the rich beautiful brown of an antelope (My sister also hated my weird possession with animals.)

“Afia, I’m sorry, you know I love you,” I could hear the man on the other end speak as his voice was deep and booming. I could see why she liked him, he was super tall and muscular and I was too scared to ever look him in the eye when he spoke to me. “I hear you Oko just let me think about it.” She was now done with the dishes and leaned on the kitchen counter, playing with the unakite stone in her pendant that belonged to our mother. The stone aids in health and healing especially within pregnancy, which I find ironic as she died right after I was born.

The man that lay dead by our coffee table, barged in. And went straight to my sister, and yanked the phone from her fingers. “You’re a pretty little thing aren’t you,” he spoke through clenched teeth as he held her face tight towards his. I jumped from the couch attempting to pull him away from her. He glanced down at me and kicked me, sending me flying. “You’ll also do well in time little girl,” he spoke as he pushed my sister aside and began stomping toward me.

Out of nowhere I heard a loud boom. I screamed as blood flew from the man’s chest onto my face and he fell with a thud next to me. I shivered in shock as I just witnessed a real life murder. Afro Samurai still playing in the background and the sound made me sick to my stomach. My sister began to run to whoever stood behind me, tears streaming down her face, I heard the figure voice out, “Afia wait,” he called out to my sister.

I turned my head to see my father, shaking in fear. He held a tiny gun in front of him aiming at the man that lay next to me. He bleed out through his hip, the only spot without armor. He wasn’t dead.

“Father! Watch out!” I managed to scream. It was too late. The world moved in slow motion. My hearing was gone so I couldn’t hear myself scream in terror as I watched my father’s body drop. Blood spilling from his head. My sister’s screams were muted and I watched as she ran towards him and cried on his chest. I quickly remembered the man and grabbed my father’s hand gun that was soaking in a puddle of blood. I aimed at this man’s head and pulled the trigger.

My ears rung and the world was silent. Tears streamed down my face and I felt my sister grab my wrist, knocking the gun from my hand. She shook me to and fro as she screamed something I couldn’t hear. Her heavy pendant knocked against my shoulder as she yelled and I turned my attention to my father who I didn’t take my eyes off of. The sound returned and I finally heard my sister urging me to come and get out of here. All I could think of was the tea on the counter getting cold.  

 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

 “Amale, I’m sorry.”

“Huh?” I unconsciously played with Sa’diyah’s necklace.

“For bringin up-“

“It’s fine.” I cut Sa’diyah off and dropped the pendant.

“I just…please don’t be mad at me.” She continued.

I looked into her large round eyes. “I could never,” I retorted. I meant it. “You’re like my little sister Sa’diyah. I could never.” I glanced down. “My older sister was never mad at me. Or she never made it obvious at least.” I forced a laugh. And she laughed too.

Silence filled the room.

“So as your sister,” Sa’diyah’s began as she broke the silence. Her posture straightened and she smiled exposing her larger, straight white teeth. “I can tell you anything right.” She continued.

“Of course.”

“Um, I’m not gonna tell you now, but it’s about you know...”

“No I don’t know,” I answered trying to hide my annoyance.

“You know the guy that came out of nowhere kind of sorta leading our group in this rebellion.” As she spoke, I wished I weren’t this annoying at sixteen…

“What Sa’daiyah? What about him?” I said with a tone that showed my displease.

“Well it’s just, I was thinking that maybe-“

“He’s an amazing asset to this team. He knows everything about the royal family and he can get us in. Overthrowing them is essential. He’s essential. Remember, they took my sister. They did nothing when my village was taken over. My father died-“

 “My village was invaded too,” Sa’diyah spoke with an attitude.

“I know Sa’diyah, all the more reason.” I touched her shoulder but she brushed it off.

“I’m just saying, I don’t trust him.” Her eyes narrowed and her voice shifted to a hushed tone. “You better be right about him. If he-“

We were interrupted by melodic clanks. We both looked to see a large hand move away the beads that hung down the doorway. In walked a tall man, heavy boots, military pants and a tight tee. His weapons decorated his large solid body and his dreads where braided in two cornrows a top his head.

               His deep voice boomed. “Y’all ready?”

[willreadforbooze]

Hello!

Here’s our weekly wrap up from the WRFB crew =)

Sam’s Updates

I had such a weird week. I was so tired from work, and after the NEWTs, I wasn’t really feeling reading as much. I’m also emotionally exhausted by Darkdawn.

What I read this week:

Darkdawn by Jay Kristoff: I am destroyed by the end of this. While we knew the ending, it was still unexpectedly heartbreaking and beautiful.

What I’m currently reading:

  Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte: Listening to this on audio. I feel like this was allll over BookNet for a while. I’m enjoying it so far but we’ll see.

Only Human by Sylvain Neuvel: This is the third book in the Themis Files. I was talking about this with Parker this week, while I LOVED book 1, and book 2 was alright, this one has shifted tone drastically. It’s not bad, just not what I want it to be.

Linz’s Updates

Work wasn’t even that bad this week, but we saw my parents off to Ireland — it’s my mom’s first trip abroad and she isn’t QUITE over her fear of flying so I’m still exhausted from that sendoff. Also, had to do all my meal prep and errands a day early so I could brunch. Adulting is terrible.

What Linz read

  Wilder Girls by Rory Power: Minda reviewed it last month, but quick summary – an illness hits an all girls’ boarding school, and the school’s under quarantine while the government searches for a cure. When one student goes missing, her best friend Hetty will do anything to find out what happened to her–and finds out way more. VISCERAL descriptions, creepy world building, there were some things that left me a bit wanting but the overall writing was great.

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates: Coates’ first novel explores the life of a slave in Virginia. It’s epic and sweeping and gorgeous and I’ll write a review.

What Linz DNF

The Paper Magician by Charlie Holmberg: Eh. Ceony is a magic student is apprenticed to the magician Thane, whose specialty is Paper. She’s pissy because she thinks it’s a weak art, but starts to fall in love with Paper and duh starts crushing on Thane. 30% of the way through, Thane’s heart is literally stolen by a bad guy and Ceony decides to go get the heart and prevent Thane from dying. Just…eh. It’s weirdly paced, the world building wasn’t there for me, and Ceony kinda sucks.

What Linz is currently reading

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone: THIS IS SO WEIRD I LOVE IT

Ginny’s Updates:

Whatsup All! I’ve had a ridiculously fun week, and this next week is gonna be great cause I have some amazing friends! I was tailgating this weekend and I forgot how much I loved hanging out with my tailgating family, but unsurprisingly I read maybe 20 pages? Luckily the rest of my week had a little time.

Currently Reading:

Half Off Ragnarock by Seanan McGuire: The third book in the InCryptid series (for which I have reviews) switches focus to Verity’s brother Alex. So far, one of his coworkers at the zoo has been murdered by being turned to stone and Alex is desperately trying to solve the murder. Gonna be a fun ride.

Trouble in Lafayette Square by Gil Klein: Gil was actually a professor of mine, as well as a family friend. When his book finally got published I made sure to buy a copy though it took me a while to get around to it. This book focuses on the history that happened in Lafayette Square. For those who don’t know, Lafayette Square is the public park right near the White House. It was the home of a number of early Senators, Vice Presidents, and other influential historical figures. So far the book details a murder, a few affairs, and an attempted murder. Pretty fun stuff.

My Best Friends Mardi Gras Wedding by Erin Nicholas: I have a mini-group with a few of my friends where we find free books on Amazon and boy do we have fun with them. So far this book has covered some “not like other girl”-itis, the main character clearly being in love with her best friend, some of the worst flirting I’ve ever seen and Im like 15% in. Gonna be fun to review.

Finished:

Acting on Impulse by Mia Sosa: He’s an actor, she’s a personal trainer. They meet in Aruba and when she finds out he’s an actor she bolts. Plot happens and she ends up being his personal trainer and then they fall in love. There end up being a few parts of this I wasn’t thrilled about i.e. if someone is working for you DON’T FUCKING PUT THEM IN A WEIRD PLACE. They are your employee, stop pursuing them, full stop! I received an arc of one of the later books and thought it could be cute to start from the beginning but I don’t think I’m going to continue with the series. 2/5

No Judgements by Meg Cabot: I also received an arc of this for free. Bree is running away from some irritating people and ended up in cute sea-town where she meets been-there-forever-local Drew is who hot like burning. There’s a hurricane coming and far too many hints that something terrible would happen (untrue). That was a little irritating, but overall the book was pretty cute. I liked the characters on the island but thought the buildup to the hurricane was a little overblown for how things were after the fact. 3.5/5

Stripped  by Zoey Castile: Robyn is in a rut, in a job she doesn’t like and feeling like she’s losing herself, until she meets her neighbor who turns out to be a male stripper. There are sparks and they decide to date knowing it will have to end at the end of the summer. There’s a decent amount of drama as Robyn ends up bringing Zac to her best friends wedding. There’s a subplot about a shitty school principal and then way too easy a wrap up, but otherwise had some fun moments. 3/5

City of Miracles by Robert Jackson Bennett: The third book in the trilogy, this book finally focuses on Sigrud. I’m planning on writing a review of this so I’ll just give basic background. It’s 17 years after the first book, and Sigrud hasn’t appeared to age while his friends all seem withered. A close friend is murdered and Sigrud takes it upon himself to go and try to save their daughter.

Minda’s Updates

What Minda finished this week: 

Dry by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman – Done! Glad I picked this back up. Stay tuned for review.

What Minda is reading now:

On Swift Horses by Shannon Pufahl – I got this one at ALA! Out in November, so figured I’d get a head start.

Weekly Wrap Up: September 9 – 15, 2019 Hello! Here’s our weekly wrap up from the WRFB crew =) Sam's Updates I had such a weird week.

[dailykhaleej]

How Saudi parents help their children fast during Ramadan

JEDDAH: As one of many 5 Islamic pillars, fasting is a vital a part of most Saudi and Muslim houses. Younger children decide up the non secular act by parents main by instance, establishing it as a behavior as an alternative of an enforced family regime.

Muslims begin fasting as soon as they hit puberty, which doesn’t element a sure age, as it’s completely different per particular person. As such, there isn’t a particular age the place parents can dictate their children to begin fasting.

“Growing up, it’s known that children mimic their parents and those around them; they mimic speech, actions, food habits and fasting is another thing they pick up on when they see their parents, and later on classmates and teachers fasting,” Amal Turkistani, a mom of 5, informed Arab Information.

Children need social acceptance from an early age, they search reward and wish to impress adults round them, Turkustani added. “They want to be treated as adults. These actions say: ‘I’m not a child, I can fast just like you guys can’.”

Turkistani has 4 daughters and one son. She mentioned that she didn’t essentially have to show or organize them to fast, they simply requested questions and introduced once they had been prepared to begin.

BACKGROUND

Muslims begin fasting as soon as they attain puberty, which doesn’t element a sure age, as it’s completely different per particular person. As such, there isn’t a particular age the place parents can dictate their children to begin fasting.

“From there, you gradually ease them into it. My son, who is 12, is very stubborn — when he was around 6, he said he wanted to fast and I told him he could try it out. We went on a one-hour per day period, then a few hours, then half a day, then gradually a full day as the years went by,” Turkistani mentioned.

Muslims solely need to fast during Ramadan, it’s the best Islamic providing to children, she mentioned, as a result of the dedication interval could be very quick. Turkistani seen that sample in all of her children. They discovered it simpler to fast a single month than to hope 5 instances a day year-round.

Hanadi Al-Maghrabi, a 42-year-old mom from Jeddah, tried an identical technique together with her 8-year-old daughter. “I don’t want to force it upon her so I leave it up to her, but when she came and asked me about fasting and how it works, I proposed she tried fasting on weekends so she wouldn’t exert herself,” she mentioned.

Rising up, it’s recognized that children mimic their parents and people round them; they mimic speech, actions, meals habits and fasting is one other factor they decide up on once they see their parents, and afterward classmates and academics fasting.

Amal Turkistani

Layal Hassan, a mom of twins, mentioned a system of intermittent fasting labored for her sons.

“My boys started gradually, and what really helped was having them fast every alternate day. Starting out, parents need to be lenient and not guilt-trip their kids into it,” mentioned Hassan, noting {that a} harsh method would make children flinch away from non secular follow.

Ramadan is adopted by Eid Al-Fitr to have a good time the top of the fasting month, and in that respect, many children affiliate the festivities as a rewarding system for persevering by means of the month.

My boys began progressively, and what actually helped was having them fast each alternate day.

Layal Hassan

“Every Eid, children get money allowance (known as Eidiya) for the completion of Ramadan from members of the family, sometimes even extended family. To them, it’s a reward for fasting,” mentioned Turkistani.

Children can simply be motivated all through the day as properly, with smaller reward methods during the holy month. Al-Maghrabi would go away some sweet for her daughter after each iftar.

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[adambstingus]

Gentrification X: how an academic argument became the people’s protest

In the first of a special series on the impact of gentrification on cities around the world, Dan Hancox meets victims and beneficiaries of this highly emotive issue and finds that the anger is real, and resistance is coming to a head

When Amal had stopped crying, she apologised. I wake up so sick, you know? I have to go to study but I feel so sick. A victim of domestic violence and now a single mother, she lives with her three young children in grimy temporary accommodation in Tooting, south London. She was telling me that Wandsworth council, which has a legal obligation to house the family, tried sending them to a rented flat on the outskirts of Newcastle, then suggested West Bromwich. Shed never heard of either place. I said to them, I already told you, I have a job interview in London, I am studying in London, my children are at school in London, my ex-husband visits every week to help with the children.

West Bromwich, the council insisted, was her last chance. Otherwise she would be declared intentionally homeless, and be put out with her young children on the street. They said, just one option: West Bromwich. If I said no, they wouldnt give me another chance.

This was one London councils response to the housing crisis to spend £5m on properties for their poorer families, hundreds of miles away, while across the borough, the Meccano scaffolds rose up for the £15bn development of Nine Elms, where most flats will cost more than £1m.

The same year I met Amal, in 2014, on the other side of London the now notorious Focus E15 Mums were stepping up their campaign to remain in the city where theyd been born. Nine billion pounds on the Olympics and theyre telling us and our babies we have to go live in Hastings, lamented 19-year-old Adora Chilaisha during their occupation of East Thames housing association offices, as the hokey cokey played out in the background. Theres no way Im going anywhere, she said. My boy Desean is one, and I dont want him to grow up away from his family, from his home. I dont know anyone in Hastings.

An elderly man walks past a regeneration project hoarding in Elephant & Castle, London. Photograph: Richard Baker/In Pictures/Corbis

Two years later, both Amal and Adora and their children are still in London after a long and exhausting struggle against the authorities to simply stay where they are. Meanwhile, those same authorities prostrate themselves before luxury property developers, Chinese business conglomerates and buy-to-let rentiers.

Gentrification is an intensely emotive issue with almost endless potential for argument. That shouldnt be in the least bit surprising it speaks to fundamental questions of home, identity and community, how those places define us, and how we define them. The process of displacement of societys poorest members is, of course, not a new thing. You can trace it back centuries, to a time when there was a literal gentry responsible for social cleansing; when the bailiffs were on horseback and artisanal was a descriptor of a pre-industrial social class, rather than vogueish hipster branding.

Nonetheless, there is something of the zeitgeist about gentrification. Until a few years ago, only academic geographers and housing campaigners used the term. In recent years, however, the subject has entered the mainstream, and the word has become increasingly ubiquitous in what seems like almost every city across the world. But it is not only the debate that has intensified: opposition to gentrification is rapidly becoming less marginal, and more organised. While it is easy to locate historical rent strikes and neighbourhood uprisings to what you might call gentrification avant la lettre, for the first time, gentrification itself is a serious point of political contention and resistance.

The tipping point in the UK came last autumn, when members of Class Wars so-called Fuck Parade, flaming torches in hand, daubed SCUM on the windows of east Londons quintessential hipster cafe, Cereal Killer. The restaurant was already castigated by Channel Four News for serving £4 bowls of cereal in a borough in which thousands of poor families cant afford to feed their children. Although several people, myself included, argued that the bearded cereal entrepreneurs were hardly gentrifications true villains, the news was reported around the world not just as a riot that launched a thousand hot takes, but as the expression of a rising tide of anger. The issue had leaped into the mainstream.

The Cereal Killer Cafe in protest in Shoreditch, London. Photograph: @jamieosman

Last month, the pre-Christmas episode of This American Life featured an astonishing segment about a San Francisco dad going to see his six-year-old daughter in her school play, and discovering that the entire show was a fierce polemic against the malign influence of tech companies making the city a sterile playground for the rich. The play culminates in a huge demonstration outside city hall, with the young children holding placards reading resistance = love of community and singing that the city is not for sale.

So why now? The short answer is demand and supply: demand for well-positioned urban space is higher than ever, while the supply of housing options for the urban poor, and the strength and willingness of the state to provide them, is weaker than in decades. In urban policy, we are witnessing the triumph of the market and the capitulation of the state. If an area becomes desirable to those with money regardless if it was hitherto undesirable or dominated by public housing then sooner or later, the wealthy will get what they want. The problem, said Yolande Barthes from Savills estate agents at a Guardian Live debate last month, is the area of London that people want to live in hasnt expanded at the same rate as the population.

As Londons affordable housing crisis deepens spurred by the collapse of new social housing construction, and the sale of hundreds of thousands more social flats under right-to-buy the galvanisation of the British capitals local communities has been astonishing. This customised Google Map, created by Action East End, drops pins on the map for each hyper-local campaign. From Save Chrisp Street Market in the east to Save Portobello Road Market in the west, the campaigns many formed only in the last year range from demands to protect existing social housing, to protests against new luxury flat developments or against the destruction of community assets such as much-loved markets, nurseries, pubs and small businesses. At the time of writing, there are 53 different campaigns.

Focus E15 Mums fought eviction from the Carpenters Estate. Photograph: Jess Hurd/Guardian

One is Reclaim Brixton, who formed in March 2015 in opposition to the rapidly accelerating gentrification of the south London area. Co-founder Cyndi Anafos mother used to run a Ghanaian grocery in the covered market that has recently been rebranded Brixton Village, a target destination for food tourists and wealthy Londoners. Via social media, Anafo and friends arranged meetings, leading to a carnival-cum-demonstration in Brixton town centre that drew thousands and attracted widespread national media attention. For about 20 years its been on the edge of gentrification, Anafo says. But the last five or six years its all come to the fore Reclaim Brixton came about chiefly through frustration.

While the transformation of Brixton is visible in the proliferation of more expensive shops, bars and restaurants, and the influx of a non-resident, affluent demographic visiting places like Champagne + Fromage, Anafo is clear that the cultural and commercial changes are not the main event. It all comes down to housing, she says. Being a kind of accidental activist, and getting to know all the existing housing groups, made me realise the severity of the situation on the ground in Brixton, meeting people who are on eviction lists. People moan about particular types of businesses or shops, or estate agents like Foxtons, but my feeling is that rent stabilisation is something that could help everyone.

Last June, Berlin made headlines when it began enforcing rent controls for all, limiting landlords to charging new tenants more than 10% above the local average. The previous year rents had gone up by more than 9%. We dont want a situation like in London or Paris, said Reiner Wild of the Berlin Tenants Association. Such strident legislation to protect poorer citizens does not just drop out of the sky, of course. It emerges from a history of equally robust civic campaigning on housing, gentrification and the right to the city.

The Tacheles in Berlin was formed in the 1990s as a squat by artists seeking to save the building from demolition. It closed in 2012. Photograph: Sean Gallup/Getty

Nottingham University geographer Alex Vasudevan, author of a recent book on the subject, Metropolitan Preoccupations, says Berlin is in a sense diametrically different from London its a very poor city, where wages are one-third lower than its western German neighbours. In the wake of unification Berlin has seen waves of gentrification, while remaining very poor by German standards, says Vasudevan. Before the fall of the wall, there were subsidies given to squatters to renovate buildings, and they would be legalised as a result a kind of compromise. But that programme ended in 2002, and since the wall came down Berlin has become this laboratory of neoliberal urban governance.

As in London, Vasudevan says, funding for social housing collapsed, and simultaneously thousands of what used to be social housing properties were privatised. Berlin tried to become a financial centre. It failed. So then they went with the whole creative city agenda, or at least a version of it, connected with touristification and this kind of Airbnb urbanism. Theres a great Aibrnb map of Kreuzberg: until recently there was only one property in that neighbourhood that was available on the normal rental market everything else was Airbnb.

Grassroots resistance in Berlin has revolved mostly around very local geographies, such as saving one particular building, park, housing project, or even fighting the eviction of a much-loved Turkish grocery store. Nonetheless, Vasudevan explains that each victory has galvanised the city as a whole, and made gentrification even more of a common talking point than it is in London. The challenge now has been scaling up, making connections, and sharing information between neighbourhoods, and even internationally.

Theyve managed to get the rent cap by just being incredibly well-organised, and absolutely dogged and they are also good at talking to each other. You have local working-class Germans who remained in Kreuzberg, and Turkish migrants collaborating; so everything is written in both German and Turkish, theyre all networked.

The gigantic crocheted tribute to Wes Anderson which appeared at Bushwick Flea Market in Brooklyn. Photograph: London Kaye

Theyre also talking to the Plataforma de Afectados por la Hipoteca (PAH) in Spain, the grassroots group whose phenomenal success of blocking thousands of evictions propelled its spokeswoman, Ada Colau, to become mayor of Barcelona. Spains housing crisis has been so destructive that the PAHs use of community self-organisation and support, and direct action to block evictions, has been copied across the world. Ive seen Spanish parents in tears in PAH meetings, being comforted by their foreign-born (often Latin American) neighbours, before rallying to take on the banks trying to evict them. Ive also seen Sí Se Puede, the PAH documentary, screened to housing activists in London. The international sharing of both tactics and inspiration highlights globalisations double-edged sword: property developers and investors may be operating simultaneously in Berlin, London and Barcelona, but the people resisting gentrification in these cities are beginning to network themselves, too.

What remains to be seen is whether campaigning against gentrification will grow into any city-wide protests. Certainly, the G word has been tapped as the new culprit for a lot of urban tensions emerging from the influx of younger, whiter, wealthier people into city cores. After a yarn-bombing artist, with the support of the hipster Brooklyn Flea market, put up a 15ft crochet homage to Wes Anderson on the exterior wall of his family home in Bushwick without asking for permission, New Yorker Will Giron wrote: Gentrification has gotten to the point where every time I see a group of young white millennials in the hood my heart starts racing and a sense of anxiety starts falling over me.

***

The argument that gentrification represents a kind of urban neocolonialism is hard to miss. Spike Lee made it clear with his viral rant against Christopher Columbus syndrome in Brooklyn. Indeed, after decades of white flight to the US suburbs, since 2010 American cities have seen increases in white populations. Protests in 2014 targeted Microsofts corporate shuttle buses in Seattle; not only did they raise rents, went the argument, they didnt integrate, adding to social tensions in a city where working-class African-Americans were being pushed out. That same year, a video went viral of (older, whiter) Dropbox employees trying to get rid of mostly Latino young people from a football pitch in San Franciscos Mission district. (The Latinos protested, and won.)

It is surely the higher-profile, less sensitive invasions that get the headlines, but they speak to a deeper malaise of newly arriving communities with no interest in connecting with the existing populations they are displacing. Dont let the door hit you on the way out, they seem to say.

The Strata tower in Elephant & Castle, London. Photograph: Linda Nylind for the Guardian

Inevitably, the rise of anti-gentrification sentiment and action has provoked a counter-attack, either to defend the process or deny it exists. Critics of gentrification romanticise working-class poverty, goes the main line of argument. They hate change, and fetishise urban decrepitude. Dont you want the area to look nice? Dont you want poor people to have better lives? Giles Coren characterised anti-gentrifiers last year as middle-aged, middle-class dinosaurs who are determined to keep London shitty. Why? A mixture, he said, of aesthetics, nostalgia and condescension: Snobs [who] like the thought of people less well off than themselves scoffing rubbish [food], so they can keep on looking down at them for it.

This shit but real versus polished but soulless dichotomy was borne out in Hackney in London in 2009, when the boroughs mayor, Jules Pipe, condemned opponents of regeneration for wanting to keep Hackney crap prompting a tongue-in-cheek campaign proposing to do exactly that. The sad irony is that local community groups calling for positive state intervention to regenerate a local area for example, to make a local park safer, improve litter collection or fix transport will often have to wait for the area to become more affluent and desirable before those changes will take place. And in a grim example of the law of unintended consequences, where urban communities dosucceed in changing their neighbourhood for the better, the result is often higher rents, more interest from developers, and the gradual displacement of the very people who forced those changes into being.

Another argument used against anti-gentrification campaigns is that they are fighting a force of nature. Gentrification is a process as old as time itself, and you may as well just protest against the changing of the seasons. There is a tendency, as with anything, for older, more experienced commentators to take a puff on their pipe and remark, Oh you hot-heads, do you think any of this is new? This kind of response, while containing some truth, is often used to stifle action. This has all happened before carries with it an unstated corollary, … and is thus an organic, inevitable and inexorable process and, presumably, since we are both standing here today having this discussion, with all of our limbs intact, and roofs over our head, not an especially harmful one.

It is true that the feared mass exodus of poorer residents from inner London since the Conservatives introduced the bedroom tax and benefit caps has not occurred. Anecdotal evidence from charities and food banks suggests many are staying, paying more rent and just getting poorer. But the numbers of those forced out are still increasing substantially. Many people who are placed in temporary accommodation in outer London and deal with some horrendous conditions, jars of bugs and all are travelling enormous distances to work or school. Perhaps the most dramatic single visualisation of how gentrification is changing our cities is this map of the displacement of former residents of Elephant & Castles substantial social housing project, the Heygate Estate.

As the critic Jonathan Meades wrote in 2006: Privilege is centripetal. Want is centrifugal in the future, deprivation, crime and riots will be comfortably confined to outside the ring road.

The architects of gentrification are extremely careful not to talk about it. Given the word was coined by a Marxist, and is most often used by opponents of the property industry, this is good common sense on their part. When in 2014 I was asked to interview a property developer about gentrification, I worked through seven or eight before I found one willing to return my calls. Though I was careful not to scare them off by uttering the G word, their PR departments were too good at obfuscating until someone at property giant Bouygues Development agreed to speak.

Richard Fagg, deputy managing director, was neither hostile nor evasive, but still chose his words carefully. He denied that their building of expensive new blocks of flats would lead to any displacement. Instead, he suggested that poorer areas would benefit from becoming blended communities.

In the poor parts of London where weve been working in the past, they have been and I use this term politely but they have been social enclaves, Fagg said. No one buys homes there, because your money will probably depreciate. But thats changing. So hopefully, the likes of where were working in Barking, people are taking their hard-earned cash, investing it in a mortgage, buying a property because there youre getting good capital growth over time in the future. Yes, its starting at a low base. But youre going to get good growth, because the whole area is changing. Its not gentrification. Its just becoming a more balancedcommunity.

Fagg was not factually wrong about the demographic composition of London areas such as Barking, north Peckham or Elephant & Castle. In fact, many are concerned that whats happening to the Heygate Estate in Elephant & Castle will become an example that is replicated in the years to come. As the 1950s and 1960s tower blocks reach the end of their life a decline hastened by years of disinvestment and failure to address poverty one popular development model says they should be demolished and replaced with mixed use developments. Social problems are supposedly reduced if you dont have enclaves.

Simon Elmer from Architects for Social Housing points to Andrew Adoniss report City Villages: More Homes, Better Communities, which is the basis for Conservative housing plans, embodied in the housing bill currently going through parliament. The report recommends recategorising all social housing estates as brownfield land. In greater London, that amounts to 3,500 estates, 360,000 homes and more than one million people. The concern, says Elmer in a paper entitled The London Clearances, is that these ageing estates will be demolished and replaced with the same mix of luxury flats and affordable housing that have cropped up in Elephant Park, the new private development being built in place of the Heygate, and in which a two-bedroom flat will set you back £659,000. This past weekend David Cameron gave further shape to this plan when he announced a blitz on poverty, suggesting the demolition of sink estates in favour of more homes for private rent.

A protester smashes the front window of the Foxtons estate agency in Brixton. Photograph: Pierre Alozie/Demotix/Corbis

The property industry, meanwhile, has become markedly more sophisticated in how it readies the ground for demographic transformation, by engineering the change in atmosphere that will draw in young creatives to a new area. (Again, the colonial language is always bubbling just under the surface.) Sometimes this is called place-making, and amounts to extravagant marketing exercises that seek to brand (or rebrand) an area, to follow in the footsteps of the advertising industry and sell not just a product, the bricks and mortar, but an entire aspirational lifestyle.

We dont think its good enough to build a lovely flat, anyone can build a lovely flat anywhere, Fagg told me. From the very first moment, even before seeking planning permission, marketing is at the heart of your strategy. What are you offering over and above every London borough, every other developer? Particularly in London, when everyone is competing for your hard-earned capital to invest in their new location? In some cases, place-making has meant going to extraordinary lengths: in poor parts of Harlem, estate agents bought up vacant street-front commercial properties and opened four trendy coffee shops, in an unabashed attempt to instigate gentrification themselves.

Newham council released a promotional video, Regeneration Supernova, to encourage development in the borough.

It isnt the most flashy cultural manifestations of gentrification, the cereal cafes and the hipster baristas, who are the most influential actors in this process. Indeed, they are a distraction from where the most important decisions are taken. It is often the less glamorous and headline-grabbing developments, such as the granting of planning permission, the cynical redefining of affordable housing to mean 80% of market rate (it used to be more like 50%), the payment of cash to struggling councils by developers wishing to avoid their legal section 106 requirement to build affordable housing, or the eviction of poor families with no access to the media, that go under the radar, and where the real pain of gentrification resides.

Saying that, the cultural manifestations of gentrification do matter. It is partly about symbolism, about a change in atmosphere that tells poorer residents that, soon, they will no longer belong. Or, in areas with an explosion of attractive bars and clubs, it is about the behaviour of the new arrivals; where that sense of belonging is indirectly seized from poorer families by revellers, students and nightlife tourists who drunkenly smash their beer bottles on the pavement.

A new independent boutique coffee shop may be benign in itself, but does it help usher in a new clientele to the area, even as a bridge-and-tunnel, just-visiting crowd? Will other hipster businesses follow suit? Will this surge lead to a buzz, to press coverage in newspapers aimed at middle-classes with the money to buy property, or help to entice buy-to-let landlords, property developer interest, and estate agents revaluation? Does this then entice bigger chain shops and cafes, lead to small businesses closing and rents rising? As the hugely telling place-making videos make abundantly clear, for the money-men, a proliferation of art galleries, hipsters and small independent businesses are a great sign. Indeed, for the sharper investors, by the time Starbucks arrives, youre already too late.

***

Last year I saw standup comedian Liam Williams tell a joke which went broadly as follows: Everyones talking about gentrification at the moment, and I can understand why. But its a difficult one, isnt it? There are so many pros and cons. On the one hand, your local area is nicer, safer, cleaner, there are cool new shops and cafes and bars to go to. But on the downside, you have to feel guilty about it.

A man makes coffee at a boutique cafe in Brixton. Photograph: Carl Court/AFP/Getty Images

It was delivered sardonically, undoubtedly tongue-in-cheek, but was also a useful pointer to white, liberal, middle-class feeling. It was also an unintended guide to what we talk about when we talk about gentrification that the filter for the media conversation remains depressingly narrow. The rise in volume of media coverage of gentrification in Britain has not been accompanied by a rise in awareness that minority citizens are more likely to be victims of displacement. The neighbourhoods on the receiving end of racial profiling and stop-and-search by police, or aggressive raids by border agents, are the same ones transforming into places ready to have the word village added to their name. For every story about the Focus E15 mums there have been two more along the lines of Im middle-class and even Im being pushed out of London.

Hard though it clearly is for them to believe, gentrification is not about newspaper columnists who want a bigger garden having to move to zone three. It is about people like Maria, a single mum of three forced out of Westminster into damp, cold, asthma-inducing temporary accommodation in Haringey. Although she is pregnant and has back problems, when I met her Maria was taking her kids on the 90-minute, three-bus journey back to their school in Westminster every morning, just to retain a modicum of stability. She would then spend the day sitting, penniless, in Westfield shopping centre, to keep warm.

At other times there is a risk of chauvinism and outright xenophobia. Anti-gentrification artist Gram Hilleard had his sardonic postcards featured in the Observer last year, and in an accompanying interview lamented that his family had been in the same area of London for the last 200 years, but now the indigenous Londoners have been moved out. Its not only suspect to talk about indigenous people in a major cosmopolitan city, its also a misunderstanding of what a city like London has always been.

Today, more than 300 languages are spoken and 36.7% of the population were born overseas; the proportion of people who can claim their family have been in the same area of any major city for 200 years continuously must be microscopically small. Legitimate coverage of super-rich Qatari, Chinese or Emirati investors buying up high-end properties in London and then leaving them empty can easily be taken out of proportion, and spill over into the misguided notion that the problem is wealthy foreigners, not wealthy investors. But what about our plucky homegrown rentiers, not to mention those granting planning permission to luxury flats and hotels rather than concentrating on building genuinely affordable homes?

Gentrification is a viscerally emotive subject. People take it incredibly personally. As the debate grows louder, fingers will be pointed wildly in every direction. I think I first noticed gentrification, before Id ever heard the word, when the branch of the discount supermarket Iceland in Balham, where I grew up in the 1980s, closed and was replaced by an organic supermarket called As Nature Intended.

In my childhood, this part of London wasnt particularly one thing or the other; neither particularly posh nor poor, central but not that central, mixed by race and class and age, the kind of area that thrived precisely because it didnt have a particularly clear identity. A couple of years after the organic supermarket opened, I saw a property advert on the tube that had created annoying alliterative couplets out of different London place names. Balham was Bankers Balham. I have rarely felt so ashamed. But I also know that none of this is at all important, in the scheme of things that places change, and they should change, and getting a bit sentimental about the fact you cant go home again is part of growing up.

The challenge for the citizens of the 21st century is to decouple this kind of personal sentiment from the generally unheard or ignored stories of displacement and suffering, from the resounding triumph of private profit in civic life over everything else trampling, in particular, the idea that shelter and the right to the city ought to be fundamental human rights. Gentrification is becoming one of the defining issues of our age.

As rich and poor people alike continue to flock to cities like London, Berlin and San Francisco, either for work or a better quality of life, the controversies will only intensify and multiply. Apologists for gentrification can continue to pretend a city is a force of nature, and displacement of poor people from their homes just ripples on the tide, but the rising popular sentiment against social cleansing is not merely a fabrication of leftwing activists, academics or journalists. The anger is real, and the determination to resist is growing.

Follow Guardian Cities on Twitter and Facebook and join the discussion

from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/gentrification-x-how-an-academic-argument-became-the-peoples-protest/ from All of Beer https://allofbeercom.tumblr.com/post/181391054767

[dragnews]

‘Stand by Me’: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Are Married

They both looked so happy, and so relaxed. They were beaming as they said their vows, and luckily, no one came forward to provide any reason that they might not be married. (This is always an exciting moment in a ceremony.)

It was an extraordinary mix of tradition and modernity, of centuries of history and up-to-the moment flourishes. Oprah was here, and so was Meghan’s mother, an African-American social worker who wore a conventional mother-of-the-bride outfit and also a nose stud.

It somehow looked charming and just right.

The entire royal family was here, along with a complement of English aristocrats and important personages. The music was stately and beautiful. The setting was awe-inspiring.

There was a flotilla of clergymen, an extraordinary mélange including the archbishop of Canterbury and — in a striking inclusion in this most ancient of places — the head of the Episcopal Church, the Most Rev. Michael Curry.

Chosen to give the address to the congregations, Bishop Curry, who is African-American, quoted Martin Luther King. His voice rising and falling with emotion, he made a big, generous, impassioned case for love as the most important thing there is, in religion and in life.

His address came after a reading by Lady Jane Fellowes, Harry’s aunt (her sister was Diana, Princess of Wales) that was both full of joy and a signal, it seemed, that the sadness in Harry’s life since his mother’s death had finally lifted.

It was a passage from the Song of Solomon: “Arise my love, my fair one, and come away; for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.”

Continue reading the main story

The dress was a success: sculptural simplicity.

Photo

Meghan Markle arriving for the wedding ceremony. Credit Pool photo by Andrew Matthews

Our fashion critic, Vanessa Friedman, is also watching, and she has a quick take for us on Meghan Markle’s dress.

It was absolutely simple: pure and sculptural, in double bonded silk cady with a wide boatneck, long sleeves and sweeping train.

It was Meghan Markle’s wedding dress. It was by Clare Waight Keller, a British woman and the first female designer of Givenchy. And it was everything people had hoped.

This was not a Cinderella choice, not one that spoke of fantasy or old-fashioned fairy tales. Instead, it placed the woman proudly front and center and underscored Ms. Markle’s own independence.

At the same time, it celebrated female strength, promoted a local designer and reached a hand across to Europe (where Ms. Waight Keller has a day job).

The five-meter veil was of silk tulle, with a trim of hand-embroidered flowers in silk threads and organza, and contained embroidery representing the flora of all 53 Commonwealth nations.

Video

The Royal Wedding: Highlights

The guest arrivals, the royal family, the chapel, the vows: Watch scenes from today’s celebration of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

By SARAH STEIN KERR and NATALIE RENEAU. Photo by Pool photo by Owen Humphreys. Watch in Times Video »

And it was entirely a surprise. In all the rumors that had swirled around The Dress, from Ralph & Russo to Stella McCartney, Ms. Waight Keller’s name had never come up. In the end, Ms. Markle outthought us all. As this starts, long may it continue.

And the After-Party Dress

The newly minted Duke and Duchess of Sussex departed Windsor for their evening reception at Frogmore House in a very James Bond fashion. The duchess wore a second dress by designer Stella McCartney. You can read our fashion critic Vanessa Friedman’s reaction here.

Continue reading the main story

A good time was had by all (even before the cocktails).

Photo

Guests taking their places inside St. George’s Chapel. Credit Pool photo by Danny Lawson

Unlike a lot of weddings — and certainly unlike Kate and William’s wedding, just seven years ago — the guests inside hung out in the aisles, air-kissing and gossiping. It’s a great royal-and-celebrity cocktail party! (Sadly without cocktails.)

Kate and William’s wedding was solemn, stately, stuffy, full of dignitaries, politicians, and the sort of boring personages known here as the great and the good.

But this looked totally fun for the guests — even more fun than, say, the Academy Awards — because no one was competing for anything and no one was forced to talk about their outfits to television reporters.

Part of the change in tone is down to the passage of time and to how much Britain, or perhaps the royal family, has changed in the last few years.

Another reason, of course, is that Harry, being the second son and not a future king, has the freedom to be more relaxed, less constrained by tradition, and less conventional than his brother. This wedding has nothing to do with dynasty, or ensuring the security of the royal line. (We hope they have kids! But only because it’s fun to have kids, not because it would be some sort of international crisis if they did not.)

This wedding had everything to do with two people who are totally into each other and wanted to have a great big happy celebration.

Oprah, Beckhams and Clooneys, oh my!

Photo

The guests included the British actor Idris Elba; his fiancée, Sabrina Dhowre; the British singer James Blunt; and Oprah Winfrey. Credit Chris Radburn/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

One of the great excitements about any wedding, of course, is the moment you learn who has been invited and who has not. Meghan and Harry’s list was kept secret, until the very moment that dozens of mysterious figures started to enter St. George’s Chapel.

It was very exciting. There was none other than Oprah Winfrey, in a snug pink dress, a pair of very cool sunglasses and a massive broad-brimmed hat spectacularly festooned with flowers. If anyone qualifies as American royalty, it is surely Oprah, with her ability to transcend race and background, and her great gift for openness and emotional candor.

Continue reading the main story

Kate Middleton’s parents, Carole and Michael, were there. They have always done such a good job of wearing appropriate outfits, smiling tastefully and saying nothing.

There was Charles Spencer, the Earl of Althorp, Diana’s brother, perhaps known best for his active love life and his impassioned attack on the British media after his sister’s death.

It turned into Celebrity Central. George and Amal Clooney made their stately, Hollywood-y entrance (She was in yellow with an interesting train).

David and Victoria Beckham, a.k.a. Posh and Becks, came in and graced some people in the crowd with their conversation.

From an American bishop, an extraordinary speech.

Photo

The Most Rev. Michael Curry Michael Curry, head of the Episcopal Church, gave a passionate address in which he quoted Martin Luther King. Credit Pool photo by Owen Humphreys

For many people, the most striking thing was the sermon by the charismatic Bishop Curry, who preached a ringing message of love — with references to Martin Luther King Jr. and to the legacy of American slavery — with such joy and such enthusiasm that it was impossible not to feel joyful and enthusiastic right alongside him.

“Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is as strong as death; passion as fierce as the grave. It’s flashes of fire, of raging flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it out.” — Bishop Michael Curry.

It was as if a Southern Baptist preacher had suddenly wandered onto the set of “Downton Abbey.”

The speech began trending on Twitter, with people marveling at the spectacle of seeing such a man saying such things in such a place.

A black reverend preaching to British royalty about the resilience of faith during slavery is 10000000% not what I thought I was waking up for, the royal wedding is good

— Elamin Abdelmahmoud (@elamin88) May 19, 2018

While reporters in the British press corps struggled to render the bishop’s remark that “we gotta get y’all married” (the BBC rendered it “you all”), they also pronounced themselves thrilled — and in a completely unironic way, which does not always come naturally to them.

“If Pippa was the unexpected star of Kate’s wedding, Michael Curry is the star of this one,” tweeted Fraser Nelson, editor of the conservative-leaning Spectator, which is about as tradition-bound as they come. “Wonderful, wonderful sermon,” he added.

The preacher is doing 50 in a 30 zone and it’s brilliant #RoyalWedding2018

— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) May 19, 2018

Monica Drake, an assistant managing editor at The Times, writes that Bishop Curry’s address was a nod to Ms. Markle’s heritage.

‘I never thought it would happen.’

Photo

Royal enthusiasts on the first train from London to Windsor on Saturday. Credit Facundo Arrizabalaga/EPA, via Shutterstock

Stephen Castle, who usually writes about Brexit and other serious matters but today has been promoted to matrimonial correspondent, based in Windsor, met two San Franciscans, Aaron Endre and Alex Conlon, dressed in wigs and white dresses.

Continue reading the main story

“I have had a crush on Harry my entire life, and this is my last-ditch effort to get him,” declared Mr. Endre, who described himself as a gay activist and performer. He was almost entirely kidding.

“Harry, what does it take?” he asked.

Different people had different reasons for coming.

Denise Crawford, who was raised in Jamaica, traveled from her home in Brooklyn to attend a wedding she considered a historic event.

“One of the children of slaves is marrying a royal whose forerunners sanctioned slavery,” she said. “The lion is lying down with the lamb.”

Alexa Koppenberg had come from Germany because she didn’t trust her web browser. It crashed when she watched the 2011 wedding of William and Kate.

“I think it’s great that she’s half African-American,” she said of Meghan Markle. “I never thought it would happen, as Harry always dated blondes before.”

A TV takeaway: Get off the red carpet.

Photo

Watching the wedding on a television in Windsor. Credit Adrian Dennis/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Margaret Lyons, one of our television critics, checks in from New York with a sense of how things played out on the air.

Continue reading the main story

Red carpet coverage for awards shows, particularly the Oscars, is strained, frequently sexist and often cringe-worthy — yet it persists. But if the varied and even decent live coverage of the royal wedding has anything to teach us, it’s that moving off the red carpet is the way to go.

Three hours of breathless coverage before an event even starts is … a lot.

Starting at 4 a.m. Eastern, every major outlet and several minor ones began broadcasting, but because no one was interviewing the actual high-profile guests, there was a lot less fawning.

Instead, the BBC broadcast had a brief discussion of the value of poetry with George the Poet (who, yes, is a poet). There were explanations of heraldic iconography, and interviews with people who run charities supported by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

The American networks were also largely genial, discussing floral design, Princess Diana, naves and what defines a “morning suit.” Everyone gushed about celebrity guests and Oprah’s early arrival.

Talking about fashion is fun and interesting when the people talking about it are fashion experts, not just celebrities. If there’s a lesson here, it’s this: The shift to a color commentary model, from the current locker-room interview one, is something is all red-carpet coverage should embrace.

Welcome to Windsor (you probably should have stayed home).

Photo

Residents of Windsor have been told that around 4,000 police officers will be deployed. Credit Emilio Morenatti/Associated Press

Anyone who found themselves in England on Saturday and thought about hopping on a train and heading to Windsor at the last minute came to a quick conclusion: bad idea.

First, there were the eager royal fans who, having arrived perhaps days earlier, had already snagged all the good spots along the procession route.

That was in addition to the thousands of police officers, some on horses, with their sniffer dogs, their metal fencing, their vehicle recognition technology, their closed-circuit TV cameras, their helicopters and their marine patrols of the river.

Continue reading the main story

Windsor was no place to fly a drone, either. The police designated the area an exclusion zone for low-flying traffic on Saturday.

More than 100,000 people were crowded into the little town today. No one is saying how much the security operation cost, but the current (unconfirmed) estimate is that it will come to as much as 30 million pounds.

That’s about $40 million, with the bill to be paid by British taxpayers.

Continue reading the main story

The post ‘Stand by Me’: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Are Married appeared first on World The News.

from World The News https://ift.tt/2kbWjrH via Today News

[dani-qrt]

‘Stand by Me’: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Are Married

They both looked so happy, and so relaxed. They were beaming as they said their vows, and luckily, no one came forward to provide any reason that they might not be married. (This is always an exciting moment in a ceremony.)

It was an extraordinary mix of tradition and modernity, of centuries of history and up-to-the moment flourishes. Oprah was here, and so was Meghan’s mother, an African-American social worker who wore a conventional mother-of-the-bride outfit and also a nose stud.

It somehow looked charming and just right.

The entire royal family was here, along with a complement of English aristocrats and important personages. The music was stately and beautiful. The setting was awe-inspiring.

There was a flotilla of clergymen, an extraordinary mélange including the archbishop of Canterbury and — in a striking inclusion in this most ancient of places — the head of the Episcopal Church, the Most Rev. Michael Curry.

Chosen to give the address to the congregations, Bishop Curry, who is African-American, quoted Martin Luther King. His voice rising and falling with emotion, he made a big, generous, impassioned case for love as the most important thing there is, in religion and in life.

His address came after a reading by Lady Jane Fellowes, Harry’s aunt (her sister was Diana, Princess of Wales) that was both full of joy and a signal, it seemed, that the sadness in Harry’s life since his mother’s death had finally lifted.

It was a passage from the Song of Solomon: “Arise my love, my fair one, and come away; for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.”

Continue reading the main story

The dress was a success: sculptural simplicity.

Photo

Meghan Markle arriving for the wedding ceremony. Credit Pool photo by Andrew Matthews

Our fashion critic, Vanessa Friedman, is also watching, and she has a quick take for us on Meghan Markle’s dress.

It was absolutely simple: pure and sculptural, in double bonded silk cady with a wide boatneck, long sleeves and sweeping train.

It was Meghan Markle’s wedding dress. It was by Clare Waight Keller, a British woman and the first female designer of Givenchy. And it was everything people had hoped.

This was not a Cinderella choice, not one that spoke of fantasy or old-fashioned fairy tales. Instead, it placed the woman proudly front and center and underscored Ms. Markle’s own independence.

At the same time, it celebrated female strength, promoted a local designer and reached a hand across to Europe (where Ms. Waight Keller has a day job).

The five-meter veil was of silk tulle, with a trim of hand-embroidered flowers in silk threads and organza, and contained embroidery representing the flora of all 53 Commonwealth nations.

Video

The Royal Wedding: Highlights

The guest arrivals, the royal family, the chapel, the vows: Watch scenes from today’s celebration of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

By SARAH STEIN KERR and NATALIE RENEAU. Photo by Pool photo by Owen Humphreys. Watch in Times Video »

And it was entirely a surprise. In all the rumors that had swirled around The Dress, from Ralph & Russo to Stella McCartney, Ms. Waight Keller’s name had never come up. In the end, Ms. Markle outthought us all. As this starts, long may it continue.

And the After-Party Dress

The newly minted Duke and Duchess of Sussex departed Windsor for their evening reception at Frogmore House in a very James Bond fashion. The duchess wore a second dress by designer Stella McCartney. You can read our fashion critic Vanessa Friedman’s reaction here.

Continue reading the main story

A good time was had by all (even before the cocktails).

Photo

Guests taking their places inside St. George’s Chapel. Credit Pool photo by Danny Lawson

Unlike a lot of weddings — and certainly unlike Kate and William’s wedding, just seven years ago — the guests inside hung out in the aisles, air-kissing and gossiping. It’s a great royal-and-celebrity cocktail party! (Sadly without cocktails.)

Kate and William’s wedding was solemn, stately, stuffy, full of dignitaries, politicians, and the sort of boring personages known here as the great and the good.

But this looked totally fun for the guests — even more fun than, say, the Academy Awards — because no one was competing for anything and no one was forced to talk about their outfits to television reporters.

Part of the change in tone is down to the passage of time and to how much Britain, or perhaps the royal family, has changed in the last few years.

Another reason, of course, is that Harry, being the second son and not a future king, has the freedom to be more relaxed, less constrained by tradition, and less conventional than his brother. This wedding has nothing to do with dynasty, or ensuring the security of the royal line. (We hope they have kids! But only because it’s fun to have kids, not because it would be some sort of international crisis if they did not.)

This wedding had everything to do with two people who are totally into each other and wanted to have a great big happy celebration.

Oprah, Beckhams and Clooneys, oh my!

Photo

The guests included the British actor Idris Elba; his fiancée, Sabrina Dhowre; the British singer James Blunt; and Oprah Winfrey. Credit Chris Radburn/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

One of the great excitements about any wedding, of course, is the moment you learn who has been invited and who has not. Meghan and Harry’s list was kept secret, until the very moment that dozens of mysterious figures started to enter St. George’s Chapel.

It was very exciting. There was none other than Oprah Winfrey, in a snug pink dress, a pair of very cool sunglasses and a massive broad-brimmed hat spectacularly festooned with flowers. If anyone qualifies as American royalty, it is surely Oprah, with her ability to transcend race and background, and her great gift for openness and emotional candor.

Continue reading the main story

Kate Middleton’s parents, Carole and Michael, were there. They have always done such a good job of wearing appropriate outfits, smiling tastefully and saying nothing.

There was Charles Spencer, the Earl of Althorp, Diana’s brother, perhaps known best for his active love life and his impassioned attack on the British media after his sister’s death.

It turned into Celebrity Central. George and Amal Clooney made their stately, Hollywood-y entrance (She was in yellow with an interesting train).

David and Victoria Beckham, a.k.a. Posh and Becks, came in and graced some people in the crowd with their conversation.

From an American bishop, an extraordinary speech.

Photo

The Most Rev. Michael Curry Michael Curry, head of the Episcopal Church, gave a passionate address in which he quoted Martin Luther King. Credit Pool photo by Owen Humphreys

For many people, the most striking thing was the sermon by the charismatic Bishop Curry, who preached a ringing message of love — with references to Martin Luther King Jr. and to the legacy of American slavery — with such joy and such enthusiasm that it was impossible not to feel joyful and enthusiastic right alongside him.

“Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is as strong as death; passion as fierce as the grave. It’s flashes of fire, of raging flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it out.” — Bishop Michael Curry.

It was as if a Southern Baptist preacher had suddenly wandered onto the set of “Downton Abbey.”

The speech began trending on Twitter, with people marveling at the spectacle of seeing such a man saying such things in such a place.

A black reverend preaching to British royalty about the resilience of faith during slavery is 10000000% not what I thought I was waking up for, the royal wedding is good

— Elamin Abdelmahmoud (@elamin88) May 19, 2018

While reporters in the British press corps struggled to render the bishop’s remark that “we gotta get y’all married” (the BBC rendered it “you all”), they also pronounced themselves thrilled — and in a completely unironic way, which does not always come naturally to them.

“If Pippa was the unexpected star of Kate’s wedding, Michael Curry is the star of this one,” tweeted Fraser Nelson, editor of the conservative-leaning Spectator, which is about as tradition-bound as they come. “Wonderful, wonderful sermon,” he added.

The preacher is doing 50 in a 30 zone and it’s brilliant #RoyalWedding2018

— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) May 19, 2018

Monica Drake, an assistant managing editor at The Times, writes that Bishop Curry’s address was a nod to Ms. Markle’s heritage.

‘I never thought it would happen.’

Photo

Royal enthusiasts on the first train from London to Windsor on Saturday. Credit Facundo Arrizabalaga/EPA, via Shutterstock

Stephen Castle, who usually writes about Brexit and other serious matters but today has been promoted to matrimonial correspondent, based in Windsor, met two San Franciscans, Aaron Endre and Alex Conlon, dressed in wigs and white dresses.

Continue reading the main story

“I have had a crush on Harry my entire life, and this is my last-ditch effort to get him,” declared Mr. Endre, who described himself as a gay activist and performer. He was almost entirely kidding.

“Harry, what does it take?” he asked.

Different people had different reasons for coming.

Denise Crawford, who was raised in Jamaica, traveled from her home in Brooklyn to attend a wedding she considered a historic event.

“One of the children of slaves is marrying a royal whose forerunners sanctioned slavery,” she said. “The lion is lying down with the lamb.”

Alexa Koppenberg had come from Germany because she didn’t trust her web browser. It crashed when she watched the 2011 wedding of William and Kate.

“I think it’s great that she’s half African-American,” she said of Meghan Markle. “I never thought it would happen, as Harry always dated blondes before.”

A TV takeaway: Get off the red carpet.

Photo

Watching the wedding on a television in Windsor. Credit Adrian Dennis/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Margaret Lyons, one of our television critics, checks in from New York with a sense of how things played out on the air.

Continue reading the main story

Red carpet coverage for awards shows, particularly the Oscars, is strained, frequently sexist and often cringe-worthy — yet it persists. But if the varied and even decent live coverage of the royal wedding has anything to teach us, it’s that moving off the red carpet is the way to go.

Three hours of breathless coverage before an event even starts is … a lot.

Starting at 4 a.m. Eastern, every major outlet and several minor ones began broadcasting, but because no one was interviewing the actual high-profile guests, there was a lot less fawning.

Instead, the BBC broadcast had a brief discussion of the value of poetry with George the Poet (who, yes, is a poet). There were explanations of heraldic iconography, and interviews with people who run charities supported by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

The American networks were also largely genial, discussing floral design, Princess Diana, naves and what defines a “morning suit.” Everyone gushed about celebrity guests and Oprah’s early arrival.

Talking about fashion is fun and interesting when the people talking about it are fashion experts, not just celebrities. If there’s a lesson here, it’s this: The shift to a color commentary model, from the current locker-room interview one, is something is all red-carpet coverage should embrace.

Welcome to Windsor (you probably should have stayed home).

Photo

Residents of Windsor have been told that around 4,000 police officers will be deployed. Credit Emilio Morenatti/Associated Press

Anyone who found themselves in England on Saturday and thought about hopping on a train and heading to Windsor at the last minute came to a quick conclusion: bad idea.

First, there were the eager royal fans who, having arrived perhaps days earlier, had already snagged all the good spots along the procession route.

That was in addition to the thousands of police officers, some on horses, with their sniffer dogs, their metal fencing, their vehicle recognition technology, their closed-circuit TV cameras, their helicopters and their marine patrols of the river.

Continue reading the main story

Windsor was no place to fly a drone, either. The police designated the area an exclusion zone for low-flying traffic on Saturday.

More than 100,000 people were crowded into the little town today. No one is saying how much the security operation cost, but the current (unconfirmed) estimate is that it will come to as much as 30 million pounds.

That’s about $40 million, with the bill to be paid by British taxpayers.

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Family

prepare to get (emotionally) REKT bitch

“Family” Leadership meeting at Chez Iggy. Abby, “The bad news is Amal got away.” Shay: “How the fuck did that happen? We know who he is, we know who his followers are and how he’s recruiting them. We’ve got to be able to find him. Silas found us, for fuck’s sake.” Jack: “The first time, we had a mole, the second time, we kind of gave our position away.” Shay: “So should we send out an Amalekite mole? If he’s poaching dissatisfied AFG soldiers…” David: “I’m not gonna send someone out into that dangerous of a position. We can keep using Gilboan intel, and disseminate Amal’s image and information everywhere.” Abby: “If we make it well-known that Amal’s some random fucko with an unremarkable military record and a series of shitty retail jobs, we can deconstruct his scary, untouchable image.” Asher looks down at a newspaper, “If we’re on the subject of image, we came out looking like fucking heroes while Silas just sat on his fat ass.” He holds up the front page, showing images of David, Shay, Jack, and Isaiah. Isaiah, “Last night, I tweeted that I didn’t have a safety suit because we don’t have the resources to buy me a safety suit. Do you know how many people started sending me money after that?” Asher, “After seeing Jack go from hard-partying prince to dude who rescues babies, mother suddenly want their sons to join the AFG. We’ve got recruits coming in from all over.” David, snapping in frustration, “Amal got away, this is not a fucking good thing for us! And honestly what good are new recruits if we can’t train them?” Shay: “We need to be training recruits if we want to overthrow Silas. I can figure some sort of basic training regimen out. If we’re in the middle of a cease-fire, we might as well take full advantage of it.” David sighs, “Yeah, fine, as long as it doesn’t interfere with our campaign against Amal. He’s still our main focus.” Abby’s phone rings. Everyone looks at her as she answers it, “Shit, it’s from the palace,” she answers, “Hello?” On the other end, Helen speaks nervously into a speaker phone with Rose and Silas behind her, “Hello, who am I speaking to?” Abby: “Abigail Hatch of the Army of Free Gilboa, who is this?” Helen: “Helen Chawla. I- I’d like to speak to Prince Jack and Princess Michelle.” Rose and Silas both stand in the background. Abby, uneasily, “Hold on a second.” She lowers the phone, “Helen Chawla wants to speak to Jack and Michelle.” Jack and Michelle look at each other. Jack, “There’s no way Helen is talking to us without Mom and Dad listening in somehow.” Michelle, to Abby: “Is it about Seth?” Abby into the phone, “Is this about Seth?” Helen, “Yes.” Abby nods. Michelle draws in a sharp breath. Jack: “We’ll talk to Helen but we’ll do it through you.” Abby, into the phone, “They’ll talk, but through me.” Michelle turns to David, “Can we have some privacy, please?” Everyone quietly nods, gets up, and leaves. Abby, “I’ll put the speaker phone on,” she presses the button, “What do you want to say, Helen?” Helen wipes away a tear, “Their little brother, Seth, is very sick. He’s reached end-stage heart failure, and he’s been put on the transplant waiting list.” Michelle puts her hands over her mouth and holds back tears. Helen, “He- he wants to meet his brother and sister.” Jack, quietly, “Will Mom and Dad be there?”  Behind Helen, Rose hears Jack’s voice for the first time in over a year and tears up. Abby, “Will King Silas and Queen Rose be there?” Helen, “Seth has asked for his family to be together.” Jack, “No. I’m not doing that. I don’t want to be in the same room as my parents, neither does Michelle.” Rose cries. Michelle, tears falling out of her eyes, “Oh, shut the fuck up, Jack, you’ve never needed a new heart!” She looks at Abby, “We’ll do it. For Seth. When he gets his transplant.” Rose and Silas hear this, and incredulous relief comes over both their faces. Abby, “They’ll do it.” Michelle, speaking up, “But there’s going to be rules. Rose and Silas will follow our rules exactly, or we’ll get up and leave. First of all, Rose and Silas will only speak to us if they are spoken to first. Jack and I will arrive at the hospital and be escorted inside without them seeing us. Nobody will follow us either to or from the hospital. We will wait in a separate room by ourselves until Seth is ready to be seen. Then, and only then, will we be in the same room as Rose and Silas. We will tell Seth who we are and what our story is on our terms, and with no interruption. Afterwards, we’ll go back into the room to wait by ourselves until the surgery is over and Seth wakes up. After that, we’ll go and see him one last time. If he wants to meet with us again…. we’ll make the agreement there. We will be there for Seth, and Seth alone.” Abby, into the phone, “Did you get all that?” Helen, “Yes, I did.” Abby, “Will the king and queen agree to that?” Helen looks at Rose and Silas. They both nod. Helen, “They say yes.” Abby looks at Jack, “Jack, do you agree to this?” Jack thinks of a moment, and then says, “Yes. For Seth.” Abby, “It’s agreed, then. Contact me again when the transplant is ready.” Helen, weeping happily, “Thank you! Thank you so much! I- I can’t tell you how much this means to both me and Seth!” Michelle angrily wipes tears from her eyes. Abby, “You’re welcome, then. Goodbye.” She hangs up. Jack: “Shit.”

Silas and Helen in Seth’s hospital room. Silas, “Good news, puppy, Jack and Michelle have agreed to come and meet you.” A radiant smiles breaks over Seth’s face. Helen, “They’re gonna meet with you before you get your transplant. And they’re very happy to finally be meeting you.” Seth: “I really want to meet them. I saw them in the paper. They’re really cool.” Silas looks on, and grows very serious, “Seth, when they talk to you… they may say somethings about me that… aren’t very kind, but are still true.” Seth, “What do you mean?” Silas, “I wasn’t the best father to them. There’s a lot of things that I didn’t tell them, but I wish I did.” Seth, “Like about me?” Silas reaches into his coat, and pulls out two photographs: the picture of Jack and Michelle at the farm house, and the Benjamin family portrait. He hands them to Seth. Silas, “The little boy in the old picture is me, with my family. My parents, Chris and Joanne, and my sister, Kathleen.” Helen leans in and looks at the pictures, “Oh, my goodness, you look so much like Seth! I never knew you had a sister.” Silas, “She died when she was fourteen, of complications from HLHS. This was before transplants and palliative surgery. I never told Jack and Michelle about her, or about how I lived in fear of my father. They had to find out on their own.” Seth: “Why didn’t you tell them about her?” Silas, quietly, “Because it hurt too much. But I should have told them, just like I should have told them about you. Jack and Michelle would have been a very good brother and sister to you. I know they both love you very much. And I’m very happy that you’re going to meet them.” Seth looks hard at Silas, “Dad, can I talk to Mom alone for a second?” Silas, slightly surprised, “Sure thing, puppy. I’ll wait outside, and your mom can come and get me when it’s time to leave.” He stands up and goes outside. Seth looks over at Helen, “Mom, you have to promise not to tell Dad this.” Helen, “What is it, baby?” Seth, tears in his eyes, “I- I don’t want to be king.” Helen puts her hand over her mouth and chokes up. Seth, “Mom?” Helen: “I’ve been trying to get you out of the palace. I really have. Seth, “Can I just… tell Dad that I don’t want it?” Helen, “Oh, baby, I don’t- I don’t know if that’s gonna work. With both you and Jack gone, who’s gonna be king?” Seth: “David Shepherd.” Helen laughs, bitterly, “Don’t tell your Dad that. He will not be happy.” Seth: “So what can I do?” Helen, “I don’t know…. You can always be made king and then abdicate, I guess.” Seth: “But I want to be a medic, like Michelle.” Helen wipes tears away from her eyes, “I’m sorry, Seth, I- I don’t know what to tell you. I wish I did. I think the best thing you can do right now is just get ready for your transplant, and then focus on getting better. Can you do that for me?” Seth: “I’ll try.” Helen, forcing a smile, “Good boy.”

Abby and Michelle sleep soundly in a bed together. On the bedside table, Abby’s phone rings. She and and Michelle groan and stir. Michelle, “What fucking time is it?” On the alarm clock: 4:22. Abby grabs her phone and answers blearily, “Abigail Hatch, AFG.” Her face grows serious, and she looks over at Michelle, “Seth has a donor.”

Jack and Michelle sit in the back of a car, driving through a rainy day in downtown Shiloh. They are both dressed in suits, Michelle’s tattoos and scars are covered. Michelle, “God, it feels so wrong to be back in this part of Shiloh.” She shifts nervously in her seat, “Have you thought about what you’re gonna say?” Jack, “I put together a bunch of pictures to show him what our life in the AFG is like. I put in some pictures of you and Abby. I can delete them real quick if you don’t want to say anything.” Michelle, “No. I don’t want to leave anything out. I’m not like Silas.”

The SUV parks outside of the hospital. Helen stands beside an escort who holds and umbrella over her. Jack gets out, holding an umbrella, and Michelle follows. They hold hands and approach Helen, who smiles fondly at them. Helen goes over and hugs Michelle, “You’ve grown up so much!” Michelle smiles, painfully, “Hi, Helen.” Helen turns to Jack, “Jack, you’re so handsome now! I hope Seth looks like you when he grows up!” She hugs Jack. Jack, “How are you, Helen?” Helen, “I’m well. It’s been a rough couple of weeks. But I’m so happy you’re both here.” Michelle, “We’re here for Seth.” Helen looks for a moment at both Jack and Michelle, and hugs them both.

Jack and Michelle stand in a private waiting room, still nervous and holding hands. Jack: “You ready?” Michelle, taking a deep breath, “I’m ready.” A door opens, and Helen enters, “Okay, come on, Seth’s ready.” Jack and Michelle follow Helen down a hallway. Helen opens a door, and inside, Seth lays on a bed, Silas and Rose sitting in chairs beside him, holding hands. Rose covers her hand with her mouth. Jack and Michelle keep their eyes fixed on Seth as they enter. Michelle goes over to Seth, “Hi, Seth, I’m your sister, Michelle.” Jack, “I’m your brother, Jack.” Seth smiles, “I’m Seth. Nice to meet you.” Michelle smiles radiantly, “It’s very nice to meet you, Seth.” Helen, “Let me get some pictures!” Jack and Michelle pose awkwardly with Seth wile Helen snaps some pictures her phone. They both sit down, still avoiding looking at Rose and Silas. Michelle, “You know, I was sick, like you.” Seth, “I know. Dad told me.” Michelle, “I got my transplant when I was fourteen. And now I’m a medic saving lives.” Seth, “I saw you on the news. I saw both of you on the news.” Jack grins sheepishly, “Yeah, we end up in the news, a lot.” Michelle, “You’re gonna get better, with your new heart. You have to take medicine, but… you won’t get sick because of your heart, anymore.” Seth: “Can I see your scar?” Michelle grinning slyly, “All right.” She unbuttons her jacket, revealing a sleeveless shell underneath. Rose, who hasn’t seen Michelle’s tattoos up close, makes a noise of shock and disgust. Jack and Michelle both look at her. Seth doesn’t notice, “Woah, you have tattoos?!” Michelle looks back at Seth, “Yeah, I do,” she looks down at her chest, “The heartbreaker was the first one I got,” she puts her hands on it, “Breaking hearts is kind of my thing,” she turns her arm, “This is Joan of Arc. Underneath it, it says ‘I am not afraid. God is with me. I was born for this.’ Words I try to live by,” She turns her back, “I have a caduceus on my back because I’m a medic,” she extends her other arm, “Jack and I have matching tattoos here, for Apollo and Artemis. They’re a Greek god and goddess, and they’re twins, like us.” Seth looks at Jack, “Lemme see yours.” Jack, grinning, “Okay, hold on.” He removes one sleeve of his jacket, unbuttons his sleeve cuff, rolls his sleeve up, and extends his arm, “See?” Seth, “That’s so cool! I want one!” Michelle laughs, “Maybe you can get Hermes.” Seth looks at Helen, “Can I, Mom?” Helen, “When you’re eighteen.” Rose looks on in disgust, struggling to hold her tongue. Michelle touches her shoulder and points to her bullet scar, “And here I have the three stars of the Army of Free Gilboa. This one got kind of messed up because I got shot right there.” Rose, horrified, “You got shot?!” Jack and Michelle both stare at Rose. She sinks into her chair, realizing she wasn’t supposed to do this. Michelle, “I did. We were trying to escape over the Ammon border and I got shot.” Jack, “She stuck a needle in her chest to help re-inflate her lung. It was badass.” Michelle, “No point in being a medic if you can’t perform an emergency procedure on yourself.” Seth, “I want to be a medic, just like you.” Jack and Michelle both awkwardly look back at him. Jack, softly, “You can do whatever you want.” Seth smiles for a moment, and changes the subject, “Why did you two leave?” Michelle stares awkwardly at the floor. Jack, “You’re very lucky, Seth. Dad’s always been good to you. He wasn’t always so good to me and Michelle.” Seth, “Dad says you left because of David Shepherd.” Jack, “I fell in love with David, and that gave me the courage to leave, but, it wasn’t all him. I’d wanted to leave for a very long time, but I didn’t know how.” Seth, “You’re in love with him?” Jack, “Yeah. He loves me, too. Do you want to see some pictures of what our life is like?” Seth, “Sure.” Jack pulls a tablet out of his jacket pocket, pulls up some pictures, and hands it to Seth. On the screen is a cute couple-y picture of Jack and David in the woods behind Chez Iggy. Seth scrolls to the next picture, one of Michelle and Abby. Michelle, “That’s me and my girlfriend, Abby. I love her very much.” Silas shifts in his seat, but doesn’t say anything. Seth scrolls to the next picture, Jack and David on stage at the Gath blowout party. Jack laughs, “The first place we ran away to was Gath. After awhile, we wanted to get out, so we decided to make King Gerald think we were all really stupid by throwing this big party. I was blowing glitter out of my nose for a week.” Michelle, “That was fun.” Jack, “It was fun!” Seth scrolls again, a picture of Michelle wrapping Jack’s head in bandages. Michelle, “When I was going through medic training.” Another picture. Michelle, “That’s us getting our tattoos in Moab.” Another picture, Michelle, “We were tying to move around without getting noticed, so we all dyed our hair, and I gave David some piercings. Jack was too stubborn to change his hair.” Jack, “I grew a beard! And I taught you how to drive on that trip, so you can’t complain!” Another picture, Jack, David, and Shay in the woods, posing with guns. Seth, “Why do you have guns?” Jack: “Because we’re an army. We fight battles.” Seth, “Like with the Amalekites?” Jack: “Yeah.” Seth, “I know David Shepherd is trying to overthrow Dad. Do you want to kill him?” Jack, slowly, carefully thinking of each word, “I hope it doesn’t have to come to that.” Seth, “If David’s king, that means I don’t have to be king.” Jack, “Yeah, that’s true.” Seth, “What did Dad do to you, to make you want to overthrow him?” Jack thinks for a moment, “A lot of things. Too many things for me to possibly tell you in one sitting.” Michelle, without hesitating, “He lied to us about you. He lied to us about a lot of things.” Silas, very carefully, to Seth, “It wasn’t always so bad. I used to tuck them both in at night and read to them.” Jack, interrupting, suddenly angry, “You treated me like dirt, constantly told me I was weak, made me feel ashamed of who I am, and nothing I did was ever, ever good enough! David saved my life in ways that I can’t even describe to you!” Silas glares at Jack, but says nothing. Michelle, “We could have been your big brother and big sister. We would have loved you as our little brother so, so much. And Silas lied and kept you away from us.” Seth, “Why do you call him Silas?” Michelle: “Because after the way he betrayed me by lying about you, I can’t call him Dad,” She looks over at Silas, “I can’t even think of him as Dad.”  Jack looks back at Seth, “Like I said, you’re lucky, Dad’s been nice to you.” Seth looks back at the tablet and keeps scrolling. Jack, awkwardly changing the subject, “We spent some time in the desert, I got really sunburned.” Michelle, going along: “He looked like a lobster.” Seth scrolls again, David and Michelle in their AFG uniforms. Michelle, “That’s when we went to Royal Council in Damascus. You could have met me, then.” Seth: “A bomb went off.” Michelle, “Yeah, I was there when it happened. David and I saved a lot of lives. I should’ve brought the medals I got.” Seth: “I’ve seen pictures.” Seth scrolls again, a happy-looking group photo of the AFG leadership at Chez Iggy. Jack: “Those are all our friends. They’re more then friends, really. They’re our new family. We trust every single person in that photo with our lives.” Seth keep scrolling: cute couple photos of David and Jack, Michelle and Abby, silly sibling photos of Jack and Michelle. Silas, “You know, Seth, I’m proud of your brother and sister and what they’ve done.” Jack, Michelle, and Seth, all stare at Silas. There’s a knock at the door, and the doctor enters, “I’m sorry to interrupt, but the donor heart is here. We need to prep Seth for surgery.” Seth puts the tablet down. Michelle reaches over and puts her hand on Seth’s, her eyes brimming with tears, “I know this is scary. But you’re gonna get through this, and your life is gonna be so much better because of it.” Seth nods bravely, “I’m not afraid.” Michelle stands, and kisses Seth on the forehead, “I love you, Seth.” Jack stands up behind her, “I love you, too.” Silas and Rose stand, followed by Helen. Silas, “We all love you, Seth.” They step back, and the doctor and some nurses wheel Seth’s bed away. Everyone stands awkwardly not looking at each other. Finally, Michelle looks at Helen, “He’s wonderful. I’m proud to say he’s my brother.” Jack, “Me, too.” Helen, “Thank you so much.” Jack, “If Seth’s not here, we should go back to our waiting room.” Silas, “Can I ask one question?” Jack, “What?” Silas: “Are you happy?” Jack smiles slightly, “I have experienced more happiness in one year of living in tents with David than I did in twenty-three years of living in a palace with you.” Michelle, thinking carefully, “It’s hard to say you’re happy when you’re living in a war zone. But I don’t regret any of the decisions I’ve made. I’m happy with my life.” Silas, pained, “Good. I’m glad.” He turns and exits the room with Rose. Helen, “Can I speak with you in your waiting room?”

Helen sits with Jack and Michelle, “First of all, I am so, so sorry for all the pain that I’ve caused you. You have every reason to feel betrayed-” Michelle interrupts, “Silas was the one who betrayed us. We’re not angry at you.” Helen smiles painfully and wipes a tear from her eyes, “I saw the two of you growing up on news reports and in gossip columns, and I knew something was wrong in the palace. I knew you couldn’t have been happy. But Silas was so good to Seth. I was afraid to say anything. I should have.” Jack, “You couldn’t have changed anything. Not even David could get Dad to change.” Helen smiles encouragingly at Jack, “I always knew you’re a strong, smart, kind person, Jack. I’ve always hoped that Seth would take after you.” Jack, “Is he happy, at the palace?” Helen, tears falling down her face, “No. He isn’t. He’s told me so. But the fact that the two of you have managed to find happiness gives me so much hope.” Michelle reaches out and holds Helen’s hands. Helen, “I’m rooting for the two of you. I really I am. I hope David becomes king, and that he can get Seth away from all that. Because I can’t. I’ve tried.” Michelle, “We’ll do everything we can to support Seth.” Jack, “We’ve been trying all along to protect him, but we can’t be there, so it’s hard.” Helen smiles sadly, “Just do what you can to make sure that David becomes king, all right? And I’ll do what I can.” Jack reaches out and holds Helen’s hands, along with Michelle. Helen, “I’m so proud of both of you.”

Helen walks into the waiting room where Silas and Rose sit. Silas and Rose stare at her as she sits down. Rose, “What did they say?” Helen, “They’re glad to finally meet Seth. You have good kids.” Silas looks at his watch, “We still have a while to wait.” He looks at Helen, and everyone sits and waits in silence.

Jack and Michelle sit alone. Jack, “Do you think Dad really meant it when he said he’s proud of us, or was he just saying that for Seth?” Michelle: “Fuck if I know.” Jack: “I knew Seth would be unhappy. It’s hell, being the heir.” Michelle: “At least now he has us to talk to. Its easier when you have someone who knows exactly what you’re going through,” She leans over and puts her head on Jack’s shoulder, “We’re gonna take care of him." Jack puts an arm around her reassuringly. Cut to:  Michelle naps on Jack’s shoulder while Jack scrolls through his phone. The doctor enters. Jack shakes Michelle, and she looks up in surprise. Michelle, “What? Is- is it done already? It’s only been three hours!” The doctor sits down next to Michelle, “A blood clot went into Seth’s brain, and it caused a stroke. Seth died. I’m so sorry.” Michelle’s eyes widen in horror and disbelief, “Wh- what? That- My transplant went fine!” Doctor: “Complications can happen to anyone.” Jack rubs his face, and Michelle breathes heavily. Jack, “Thank you, doctor.” Doctor, “Is there anything you’d like me to do?” Michelle, stares out in shock, but then looks at the doctor, “Can- can we see him?” The doctor nods, “Of course.”

Jack and Michelle stand in the operating room, looking down at Seth’s small body. (“Medicine” Daughter). Jack cries silently while Michelle trembles and strokes Seth’s face. She sobs, strokes his hair, and leans over to kiss his forehead. She stands back up, and Jack puts his arm around her. She cries into his shoulder. The door opens, and Silas rushes in. He sees Seth, “Oh, no, no…” He looks over at Jack and Michelle, who stare back at him. Silas, “You can come home. We can be a family again.” He takes a step towards them, and Jack reflexively tightens his arm around Michelle. Silas, growing more desperate, “We need to be a family again. We have to be a family again!” Michelle stares at Silas, unable to say no. Silas takes another step towards them, “Please!” Jack pulls Michelle away and points furiously at Silas, “YOU STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM US!” He pulls Michelle away and out the door. He leads Michelle through the hospital, downstairs and to where their car sits waiting. He opens the door and they both get in. Jack, to the driver, “Take us back to Iggy’s. We’re done here.” Michelle begins to hyperventilate. Jack struggles to keep from crying. Michelle screams at the top of her lungs, screams again, and keeps screaming. Jack puts his arm around her and cries with her.

That night, David and Abby stand waiting outside Chez Iggy. Jack and Michelle’s SUV drives up. David and Abby both go and greet them with tight hugs. Jack is a mess and Michelle is beyond tears. David, “I’m so sorry.” In their room, Jack bawls uncontrollably into David’s shoulder while David strokes his hair. In her room, Michelle lays on her bed, listening to her heart with a stethoscope, not crying. Abby goes over and lays down beside her. She puts her hand on her arm, “What are you doing?” Michelle, “I’m listening to the heart in my chest. I can’t even call it my own. Another family lost their daughter so that I could have it. Today, another family lost their son so that Seth could have his heart. And Seth died, anyway.” Abby puts an arm around her, “I love you.” Michelle puts her arms around Abby, “I love you, too.”