#come on i only registered for the france shows

[nerdygaymormon]

Didn’t he try to get his gay employee to marry a woman lol? I love him, he was a sweet, kind man, but also old and a lifelong Republican.

Most American voters register with one of the two major political parties. I don't know why Fred Rogers registered as a Republican, but what Republicans stood for in the 1950's & 1960's is very different from how we think of that party today. According to his wife, Fred was "very independent in the way he voted."

————————————————————

It is true that Fred Rogers encouraged a gay employee to marry a woman. I think it's an unfortunate part of his history, but I think it's helpful to fill in more of the story.

Francois Clemmons was hired by Fred Rogers to be the first Black person to have a recurring role on children’s television. He would be Officer Clemmons on the show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, and he kept that roll for 25 years.

In his memoir, Officer Clemmons, Franc shares that one day in 1968, he was called into Fred’s office at the studio.

“Franc, we’ve come to love you here in the Neighborhood. You have talents and gifts that set you apart and above the crowd, and we want to ensure your place with us. Someone, we’re not able to say who, has informed us that you were seen at the local gay bar downtown with a buddy from school. Now I want you to know, Franc, that if you’re gay, it doesn’t matter to me at all. Whatever you say and do is fine with me, but if you’re going to be on the show, as an important member of the Neighborhood, you can’t be ‘out’ as gay. People must not know. … Many of the wrong people will get the worst idea, and we don’t want them thinking and talking about you like that. If those people put up enough fuss, then I couldn’t have you on the program. It’s not an issue for me. I don’t think you’re less of a person. I don’t think you’re immoral.”

Clemmons began to sob because he could only have the job only if he stayed in the closet.

If it had been known a gay man was a regular part of a children's show, it would've been cancelled. Remember, this is pre-Stonewall.

“You can have it all if you can keep that part of it out of the limelight. Have you ever thought of getting married? People do make some compromises in life.”

Francois Clemmons married a woman in 1968. In 1974 they divorced and Franc began living as an openly gay man.

Fred Rogers changed his advice, urging Clemmons to find a gay man he was happy with. He also stopped asking Clemmons to remain in the closet, and he warmly welcomed Clemmons' gay friends whenever they visited the television set. I've read that this change came from Fred getting to know and becoming friends with gay people.

—————————

Having a Black man as a police officer on the show was making a statement in support of Civil Rights. The most iconic encounter between Officer Clemmons and Mr. Rogers on the television show occurred in 1969.

At a time when many community pools were strictly segregated, Mr. Rogers invited Officer Clemmons to join him and cool his feet in a plastic wading pool. As Officer Clemmons was getting out of the pool, Mr. Rogers helped him dry his feet.

This exemplified the message that all people are equal and valued and loved

The core values of the television show were: Love your neighbor as yourself, be kind, say “I'm sorry,” smile, accept people and help them grow, be forgiving, see each day as a new chance to be happy, positive and kind. The show talked about grief, divorce, race issues and disability.

Fred Rogers' character regularly said, “there's no person in the whole world just like you” and “I like you just the way you are.” It was an example of radical acceptance.

In addition to Franc Clemmons, John Reardon is another openly gay man who regularly appeared on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, so it seems Fred Rogers personally didn't have an issue with gay people, but having them be open on the show was not something possible at that time. I'm sad that an openly gay character never occurred on the show.

Fred Rogers shared that evangelicals would sometimes write to him asking him to condemn homosexuality, and he never would, instead saying he — and God — loved everyone just as they were. Since 1967, Fred and his wife worshipped at Pittsburgh’s Sixth Avenue Presbyterian Church which was a diverse, progressive church where women were equal, social justice was the theme, and since the 1960's has engaged in a ministry to gay people and was the first Presbyterian church to ordain gays & lesbians.

While he was not a public advocate for gay rights, his message of unconditional acceptance didn't exclude any genders, orientations or races.

[maniculum]

Bestiaryposting Results -- Hreksong

Slightly awkward timing on this one: the animal in question happened to come up on a recent episode of our podcast (We literally quoted a line from the Bodley MS 764 entry, because it was relevant to the story we were reading). So any of the artists who listen may have gotten spoilers. (I say "may", but I've already seen one art post that references the episode.) Sorry about that, artists. Kind of a bizarre coincidence, actually -- it's pretty rare that we happen across bestiary material in a narrative text, and the fact that we did so shortly before the relevant entry came up in the rotation... well, the odds are against it.

Anyway, anyone who doesn't know what this is about should check out https://maniculum.tumblr.com/bestiaryposting. You can also check the "maniculum bestiaryposting" tag to see what beast is the current prompt. The entry for this week's drawings can be found here:

Art below the cut, roughly chronological, as always.

@silverhart-makes-art (link to post here) decided that the best interpretation of the information given was that this was a sort of arboreal mongoose that practiced mouthbrooding. If you want to know what the reasoning was there, you should read the linked post -- it all makes sense there. I absolutely love that the one in the picture is opening its mouth to show the baby riding inside. Silverhart indicates that this is a quicker sketch than usual, but frankly their animal-drawing skills are so good that even a quick sketch is impressive from my perspective.

@cheapsweets (link to post here) did separate drawings for the large outdoor version (upper image, carrying its young) and the small indoor version (lower image, stealing someone's food). The linked post, which explains the design in some detail, indicates that CheapSweets was thinking along similar lines as Silverhart -- i.e., what kind of animal is known for hunting snakes? I like the pose in the first image, and I really like the scene depicted in the second one. On one hand, I'm sure having little creatures live in your roof and steal food literally out of your hands is quite frustrating, but on the other hand, it's very funny. Look at that little guy just brazenly stealing some chicken (or whatever type of bird). The idea of them using their back legs to grip rafters for exactly this purpose is excellent.

@strixcattus (link to post here) decided these could be birds, and has drawn these owl-like creatures for us. They look a bit surly, but that could just be the feather pattern on their faces. As always, I strongly recommend checking out that linked post, as Strixcattus writes brilliant interpretations of these entries in the register of a modern naturalist to accompany the illustrations.

@pomrania (link to post here) has noted that cats live in houses and eat mice, and given us this charming domestic scene. They also note the issues with this interpretation in the linked post, which of course you should read. I think the poses of the cats are very well done here; one of those kittens looks like it wants to paw at the monk's belt but can very much not reach.

And now for the Aberdeen Bestiary:

I'm not sure about the head proportions -- I'd suggest that the flattened snout is because the artist ran out of space, if it weren't for the fact that they were fine letting the back foot extend into the border -- but that is recognizably a weasel.

A few things to note from this:

1. Medieval people apparently had not only mice in their homes, but weasels, which I'd never really thought about. I'm not sure what the distinction they're drawing between the type you find in your home and the type you find in the woods is about, though.

2. The weasel's healing magic crops up in multiple texts, including the Lais of Marie de France and Volsungasaga. It's less common than you might think to find overlap between bestiary-weirdness and narrative-weirdness, so that's pretty notable.

3. I have no friggin' idea why anyone thought they gave birth through their ears. Baffling.

[seeminglyranch87]

Taylor & Travis Timeline

June 2024 - Part 1

June 2 - The Eras Tour, Groupama Stadium, Lyon France N1 - rain show.

The Prophecy x Long Story Short (guitar) & Fifteen x You're On You're Own Kid (piano)

June 3 - The Eras Tour, Groupama Stadium, Lyon France N2

Glitch x Everything Has Changed (guitar) & Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus (piano)

June 6 - Travis to appear on Good Morning America

June 7 - Chiefs OTA's, Kansas City - Travis (x)

The Eras Tour, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, UK N1

Would've Could've Should've x I Know Places (guitar) & ‘Tis The Damn Season x Daylight (piano)

June 8 - The Eras Tour, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, UK N2

The Bolter x Getaway Car (guitar) & All Of The Girls You’ve Loved Before x Crazier (piano)

More promotional deals for Travis; Accelerator with Livvy Dunne.

June 9 - The Eras Tour, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, UK N3

It's Nice To Have A Friend x Dorothea (guitar) & Haunted x Exile (piano)

Travis participates in David Njoku’s celebrity softball game. Travis is winner of the home run derby

June 10 - Travis in KC for media day (x) Let's go #87

Travis comments on GoJo & Golic's podcast where he raves about Travis' athleticism, simulating a conversation between Tay & Trav (x)

"The only thing I can come back to with all this ... is how difficult it is to register on the Richter scale in the house that he's now apart of with Taylor Swift where its like 'Oh babe, what did you do this weekend?' 'Well, I stimulated the global economy, I went to a new a new city and enriched the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, babe, what did you do?' 'I cracked 11 dingers (11 home runs) in a celebrity softball game, feeling pretty great about this one babe, thanks for asking' "

June 11 - Chiefs training camp

Travis is asked at Chiefs press conference what he and his significant other cook together based on the Youtube Short Taylor posted (x 6:30)

"I'm gonna keep that one it myself, because I thoroughly enjoy cooking with her, so its something I'd rather keep personal" and later adds " Taylor makes a great pop tart and cinnamon roll" with a big grin on his face as he leaves.

Taylor out at Casa Cruz in Notting Hill, London, UK dining with Cara Delevingne, Stella McCartney, Phoebe Waller Bridges, Kate Moss, Este Haim, Danielle Haim, Lena Dunham, Andrew Scott, Martin McDonagh & others. Taylor wears the choker she also wore to the Grammy's when announcing TTPD and receiving her 4th Album Of The Year. I'm suspicious...

Look at that smirk...

New Heights Ep. 94 airs (x) Jason and Travis talk about Travis’ Kids Choice Awards nomination, Jason is convinced Travis will win. Jason is not recognised by young women and girls...

“oh my god you’re the brother of the Travis dating Taylor Swift!!”

June 12 - Chiefs training camp. "Tight end Travis Kelce made a great catch over the middle despite good coverage during a 7-on-7 period."

Go to previous update -> May part 3

Go to next update -> June part 2

Return to the timeline

[il-predestinato]

Interview with Charles Leclerc from Sportweek (La Gazetta dello Sport): “I play the piano, I love art, I want to fly. And I dreamed of Ferrari” (published January 7, 2023).

What is fashion for you?

Charles: “A way of expressing oneself without speaking. I realized this when I started travelling all over the world, thanks to F1, visiting countries and cities I didn't know before.

“I realized that dressing well had a different meaning according to different cultures and traditions. That's when fashion really started to interest me, I would say from 2017, even though I've always liked it.”

What was the next step?

Charles: “I started attending fashion shows, then I became a testimonial for Giorgio Armani and then I came more and more into contact with this environment.”

You also take great care over the graphics of your racing helmets. Which design do you like the most?

Charles: “Probably the one used in France (2022), with the reproduction on the two halves of the photographs of my father Hervé and Jules Bianchi.”

Ferrari is red, but for your 488 Pista you chose a different colour.

Charles: “At that time I was using a matte black helmet with the Monégasque flag going from the front to the back. So I decided to order the car exactly the same. I still like it very much.”

What did you think when you saw yourself in a Ferrari suit for the first time?

Charles: “It was a very big emotion, because it was my childhood dream to get into F1 and race for the Prancing Horse, even though at that time I was not yet an official Ferrari driver (only FDA).”

Do you have any good-luck charms you don't part with?

Charles: “I had some as a kid. My grandmother always used to sew a cross inside my overalls, under the sponsors' logos, but that tradition has disappeared since she is no longer here…”

How do you express your creativity?

Charles: “Mainly through music. I play the piano and invent my own pieces. I will never be as good with a pencil at drawing.”

How do you choose the clothes you wear every day?

Charles: “There's a very classic part of me, which seeks simplicity and comfort, and another more creative part that leads me to play around with streetwear.

“I let myself be guided by the mood of the day, by how I feel, because dressing is a way of making something clear with one's image.”

Will we see a clothing line of your own like Hamilton did?

Charles: “I had started the project, but I stopped. Maybe in the future.”

Do you ever talk about fashion with Lewis Hamilton?

Charles: “Sometimes we discuss the brands we like. He really has good taste and a lot of courage to show off the strangest looks when he comes to the circuits.”

Favourite colours or colours you would never wear?

Charles: “These days I prefer grey, beige and white. I'm not a big fan of fuchsia, in the sense that I wouldn't see myself dressed all in fuchsia, but I've worn that too.”

How do you feel about walking the catwalk?

Charles: “I'm not comfortable. Too many stares on me. But I like to watch the show and observe the more unusual garments. I was at the Ferrari Style show in Milan last year and before that at Armani.”

Try describing the feeling of driving an F1 car to someone who does not know racing. Valentino Rossi, when he tested the Ferrari, said: It is faster than I thought.

Charles: “A nice definition, because it is difficult for a normal person to think about the speed of a F1 car. I always make the comparison with the Rollercoaster. It's like being up there, but keeping everything under control.”

Why are you happy racing?

Charles: “For the adrenaline and because on the track I feel free.”

Do you like motorbikes?

Charles: “I have one motorbike, customised, which I bought in Bali when I went there on a trip with my best friends. We rented it on the spot and I wanted to take it with me to Monte Carlo, even though it was a mess to get it registered to ride there.”

Why that particular motorbike?

Charles: “Because of the memories it holds. I had just arrived in F1 and I decided to take all my closest friends on holiday, for the first time outside Europe. We had a great time.”

Do you still think of getting a flying license?

Charles: “I've already had a few lessons, I'm now at 11 to 13 hours of flying, let's say I have the basics. I had to stop, I hope to start again in 2023. There is a lot of theory to study and I obviously like the practice more.”

How was the feeling?

Charles: “Excellent. I like the stall tests, because there's adrenaline, but also checking the plane in general. And to say that I've always been afraid of flying...”

What do you mean?

Charles: “Even though I've taken planes countless times in my life, I wasn't calm. Now, knowing what pilots do and all the options there are in case of unexpected events, has reassured me.”

Even today you are karting like when you were a kid. Would it be nice to discover a new Leclerc?

Charles: “I would like to help talented young people, who don't have the means, to emerge and make their dreams come true. However, it is a project that takes time and which I therefore see as possible only in the future.”

What does it mean to be the hero of so many very young people?

Charles: “Every time I come to Maranello, outside the Ferrari factory there are always kids waiting for me. In recent years, F1 has regained popularity, also thanks to Netflix. It's nice to see a child's eyes light up when we make a photo. A small gesture is enough, which does not cost effort, to give joy to others.”

Do you feel like an example to follow?

Charles: “I try to be myself, behaving well, if this can then serve as an inspiration for those who observe me, I'm happy about it.”

Translation by vetteleclerc.

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

It appears that Steve Himber serves as both SH's American manager and a CB employee. If this is the case, this freelancer from Outlander Con, like Highlanders7 in the UK this weekend, could be a Starz employee and might be utilizing the route available to US citizens seeking to work in the UK.

In the UK, anyone applying for a work permit must first receive an offer of employment, which comes in the form of a sponsorship certificate from a UK employer holding a sponsor license issued by the UK Border Agency (UKBA). The licence holder in this case would be STARZ. The strict points-based evaluation in his case is of little significance for STARZ.

When people wonder if there is no Host in the UK interested in this kind of work or if Outlander simply doesn’t excite in the UK as it does in the US, it's worth noting the low-key interest in the Outlander cast among Brits. What will Steven do when Outlander is over? 🧐

Posted 20th July 2024

@hereprettykitty - I know he has his own company in the US that is not registered in the UK for work and his company is not part of the global mobility program. He’s earning income on UK soil, and for that, He must be employed by a UK company that is located in the UK (convention organisers maybe or Starz)— He needs to pay UK income tax, even though he doesn’t live in the UK. I agree he only shows up when the bigger stars are attending and he’s there to make sure it goes smoothly for his income. The same situation happened in Australia and France.

I haven't seen him around other Outlander cast as a personal chaperone except for SH and now CB as for Starz a television network not need accompanies. Does anyone know his talent list? He has a dominant position in Outlander cons Monopolies are discouraged in free-market economies because they stifle competition, limit consumer substitutes, and thus, limit consumer choice.

[ms-hells-bells]

Hannah Barnes, BBC journalist, is publishing a book about Tavistock next week. The telegraph published some of the stats she found in her research. 97.5% of children at Tavistock had autism, depression, or 'other problems that might have explained their unhappiness,' 25% had been in care (0.67% for gen pop), 42% had a parental bereavement and 'Children referred to Gids were ten times more likely than the national average to have a registered sex offender as a parent'

i couldn't find any stats like that in the telegraph article, but if it's true, that's insane. and even with those stats, hannah is being as delicate and 'both sides' as possible, stating that many children CAN be happy transitioning. but the stats don't lie, and i believe the final collapse of at least transition of minors is upon us with this book. at least, for the uk (and multiple other european nations). i believe that the united states, new zealand, and others will follow in the near future.

(i had to freeze and copy this article to avoid the paywall, but i managed, so that everyone can view it)

whenever medical scandals happen, we look back and wonder how well-intentioned people ended up doing bad things. Do No Harm is surely the ethical cornerstone for medics. There will always be cutting-edge procedures or drugs but the trialed patients will be consenting adults. Not children.

This was not the case at the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) that became part of the prestigious Tavistock clinic. The “Tavi” was once considered the premier psychodynamic outpatient unit in the country. Many of the greats worked there, from Bion to Bowlby to Laing.

In 1994 GIDS became part of The “Tavi” and by 2009 had a new director, Dr Polly Carmichael. Yet by July 2022, following Dr Hilary Cass’s report, GIDS was deemed neither a safe nor viable option for young people with gender-related stress and it was closed down. 

This NHS service was said to be using “poorly evidenced treatments on some of the most vulnerable people in society”. As shocking as this is, the bigger shock is the number of people who knew about this and did nothing.

Hannah Barnes’s well-researched book delves into how this situation arose. She speaks to over 60 clinicians: psychologists, psychotherapists, nurses, social workers. It is this forensic approach that makes her findings so devastating. Barnes is not coming at this from an ideological viewpoint. Some of her interviewees are happily transitioned. Others are not. They feel that the risks of the medical pathway they were put on were never explained to them or that they were too young to understand the full implications. One girl asked if when given testosterone she would be able to produce sperm.

These patients were all distressed young people, often with complex problems: autism, eating disorders, self-harm, depression. Gender was often only one of their issues, yet somehow at GIDS, it came to override everything else. The clinic’s “affirmative model” meant affirming a child’s belief that they were transgender and giving them “time to think” by referring them for assessment for puberty blockers. The leadership of GIDS were following the “Dutch Protocol”, so-called as the Dutch had used these drugs since the late 80s, though the data was sketchy and did not support their use. There was no reduction in depression or self-harm. 

These drugs are not new; they had been used on male prisoners to chemically castrate them. As to the long-term effects on children, the research is poor. Some studies show they affect bone density, brain development and sexual function. France, Sweden and Finland have all paused their prescription until more longitudinal studies are done.

Dr Anna Hutchinson, one of Barnes’s main interviewees, became increasingly alarmed that children as young as 10 were being referred for blockers, which were spoken of as reversible – though they nearly always lead to the use of cross-sex hormones for life. 

The whole issue of gender dysphoria had by the mid-2000s become highly politicised. Stonewall declared in February 2015 that it was extending its remit to campaign for trans equality alongside lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) equality. The previous year GIDs moved to a “stage not age” approach on blockers so kids younger than 12 could be referred with a view to receiving a prescription.

In 2007, 50 kids a year had been referred to GIDS, but by 2020 there were around 5000. As a result, GIDS faced huge waiting lists, with junior shrinks having caseloads of 100, instead of 30 which would be the standard NHS practice. Many clinicians left. 

The workload was increasing so trainee psychiatrists were brought in. The atmosphere was said to be intense but familial, yet the problems presented were complex. If a girl had been sexually abused, for instance, she may have had good reason to hate her female body. Why would blockers be appropriate?

Concerns about autism or parental pressure were allegedly dismissed by Carmichael. Children were turning up identifying as other ethnicities such as Japanese. By 2017, three quarters of their patients were girls, a dramatic shift from the years up to 2010, when the majority were boys. Were they not asking why? 

Some who had come into the profession to do talking therapy did almost none, as patients were referred for drugs sometimes after two sessions. Meanwhile, some of the gay staff were wondering if this all just conversion therapy for gay kids. Some staff felt under surveillance; they had doubts but they were reticent as expressing them could lead to accusations of transphobia. To say that sex itself is immutable was clearly heretical.

Lone voices did speak. Someone darkly referred to the Mid Staffs scandal, where poor care had led to hundreds of deaths. Sonia Appleby whistle-blew. Dr David Bell whistle-blew. The silence began to break. Keira Bell – who was referred for blockers by GIDS at 16 and had a double mastectomy at 20, then regretted transitioning – took the Tavistock to court. The High Court’s judges were damning about the lack of long-term follow-up for patients and the lack of interest in detransitioners.

The court expressed its surprise repeatedly that GIDS could not say how many kids has been referred for blockers between 2011 and 2020 nor their ages. Data had not been collated on numbers of those with an autism diagnosis or those who progressed on to cross-sex hormones. The judges referred to “the experimental nature of this treatment and the profound impact it has”.

Though their judgement was overturned on appeal in 2021, the Tavistock’s image was irreparably damaged. It was almost as if this whole institution had been hijacked by the explosion of a dubious political ideology. Insiders simply described the situation as “mad”.

As someone who knew about this years ago, as people were writing to me asking my former newspaper to investigate it, it would suit my agenda to say this was all down to trans activism. But it’s not that simple.

Barnes illustrates that this was a massive institutional and leadership failure of safeguarding. Junior staff did not confront their blinkered managers. Some of the 10,000 children who went through GIDS were helped, for sure. As for the others? This incredibly important book shows that we still don’t know how many were damaged for life.

I want every institution and every politician who pontificates about gender to read this book and ask what happened to all those lost girls and boys – and why they were complicit.

[hardly-an-escape]

snippet: The Trenches Have Vanished Under the Plough

Square: B2 - Crying During Sex Rating: E Word Count: 789 Ship(s): Dream of the Endless | Morpheus/Hob Gadling Warnings: No archive warnings apply Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - human, Alternate Universe - no powers, 1910s, World War I, PTSD, scars, discussion of trench warfare, soldier Hob Gadling, period-typical homophobia, mutual pining, oral sex, anal fingering, anal sex, implied eating disorder Summary: In France in 1917, amidst the mud of the trenches and the bloody battles of the Great War, Captain Morpheus de Endelas and Corporal Robert “Hob” Gadling meet and are drawn irrevocably together. They begin an affair that ultimately threatens their hearts, their careers, and their very lives. It is not until after the war is over that the two broken men can even begin to think of picking up the shattered pieces of their lives and moving forward. But will they move toward one another, or away? Fill for @dreamlingbingo

When this excerpt begins, Armistice Day is several months behind them. Morpheus has found Hob in the cottage on the Sussex coast where, shellshocked and still recovering from his wounds, he has retreated from the world. After an argument about their parting and an emotionally charged confrontation, they fall into bed together, unable to deny the strength of their feelings for one another.

“What?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you naked before.”

“No,” says Morpheus. “No, I suppose not.”

Their trysts, Hob remembers all too well, were always hurried. Hidden. Clothing shoved aside just enough to reach what they needed in order to clutch at what pleasure they could. Now Hob looks his fill, eyes roving over the shapes he’s memorized by feel, if not by sight.

“You’re beautiful.”

Morpheus snorts, an ungentle and caustic sound that Hob doesn’t like at all.

“Look at me,” he says, gesturing down his body with a sweep of his arm.

“I am looking,” Hob says quietly.

Morpheus’s skin glows in the low light of the kerosene lamp. Even from across the room, Hob can pick out the scars – pale skin marred by even paler marks, except where some still show an angry red in places. It’s only been seven months since Armistice Day, after all. Not so much time to heal. A particularly bad one winds around Morpheus’s left knee like a vine. Hob has a matching one on his right. He’s surprised Morpheus doesn’t walk with a limp. He does, a bit, when it’s damp or when his leg has been strained.

Hob only realizes he’s still staring when he sees the pink flush creeping over Morpheus’s cheeks and chest, and registers his prick valiantly plumping a bit against his white thigh.

His tobacco pouch falls forgotten atop the table as he returns to the bed, drawn like a moth to a flame.

“You are. Beautiful,” Hob says, placing a knee on the mattress. “Beautiful,” he says, as he lies down beside Morpheus and runs a hand down his ribs, skims across his hip and his narrow flank. “Beautiful,” he whispers, tenderly urging the wasted thighs to straddle his chest. He fits his thumbs into the too-deep divots at his hips and gently pulls Morpheus forward, until his knees are snugged up into Hob’s armpits and his hardened prick can nudge against his waiting lips. Morpheus’s eyes are squeezed shut.

“Come, love,” he whispers into the silence between them, “let me show you. My beautiful man.”

He lifts his head, lets his mouth fall open, makes it as soft as he knows how, lolls his tongue out like a warm, red carpet welcoming his lover home. And carefully, Morpheus ruts forward into Hob’s mouth.

He moves slowly at first, so slowly, thighs tense, one hand braced on the simple wooden frame of Hob’s bed. Hob can see the scant muscles in his belly fluttering with the effort to stay upright, to keep his movements shallow; so he squeezes Morpheus’s hips and takes as much of his weight as he dares, encouraging him to move, desperate to feel every inch, every twitch.

When his prick bumps against the back of Hob’s throat Morpheus moans above him, loud and obscene in the quiet of the cottage, and Hob feels the vibration down into his chest, feels his own cock stir between his legs at the sound, the proof of Morpheus’s pleasure. When Morpheus’s thrusts quicken, Hob moans in turn.

Morpheus’s eyes fly open, piercing blue even in the dim light of the kerosene lamp, and his free hand, which had been flexing against his own thigh, steals tentatively into Hob’s hair. Their eyes are locked, now. Hob cannot look away. He will never be able to look away from Morpheus again. Beautiful, beautiful, he thinks, trying to broadcast his thoughts like a radio signal. My love, my beautiful man, stay, stay, be mine, my love, stay.

It is absurd, to think that Morpheus can hear him, and Hob is neither a mystic nor an occultist. But something happens, some spark catches between them; perhaps it is but physical passion, but Morpheus’s kiss-bitten lips part in astonishment, and those pristine eyes fill with tears and overflow, twin crystal streams that run down his thin face and drip onto Hob’s chin.

Hob wishes wildly that he could taste Morpheus’s tears, but then his hips are stuttering, and he is crying out again, and all Hob can taste is his own spit and Morpheus’s spend on the back of his tongue, and that is enough; that is a beauty all its own.

“I may wake in the night,” mutters Morpheus, “especially if the storm is bad. I do not sleep well, these days.”

“You? Really? That’s a bit hard to believe,” says Hob. “You know… we used to call you ‘the cat.’ Because you could curl up and doze off anywhere.”

“I know. I know you did,” says Morpheus. “Things are different, now.” His voice is rough, and so tired.

“Yeah,” says Hob. “Yeah, I know.” He clutches Morpheus a little closer and kisses his temple. “I know.”

Historical note: The title of this fic is from the song “No Man’s Land” (also known as  “The Green Fields of France” or “Willie McBride”) by Eric Bogle. I recommend this 1980 recording by the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, which makes me cry literally every time I hear it. It's one of the great anti-war songs of the 20th century.

This fic is almost complete! If you enjoyed this excerpt, subscribe to me on AO3 to get notified when the finished work is posted!

green = complete, orange = WIP

[hero-israel]

I'm over/sick of right wing zionists (in America) who clearly only care about using Israel as an issue to elect Republicans. People who gleefully take whatever shitty thing Cori Bush or Ilhan Omar (et al) tweeted/said and are like "look look! this is what Joe Biden thinks!" or tried to derail the conversation about Biden's Antisemitism combatting strategy because the Department of Ed sent a copy to CIAR (or whatever) Like are Democrats perfect? nope. But these Democrats in Congress are back bench fringe figures that Biden and others largely avoid, they've faced much more serious primaries (Omar nearly lost her seat in a primary) than you'd normally see and lots of Democrats want them gone, they are not representative of the party over all

and you SHOULDN'T want them to be! I'm as Democratic as they come but I'm Jewish and a Zionist, I know it will be DEEPLY unhealthy for Jewish Americans if Israel (or Jews) becomes a partisan issue. One party can not rule in Washington forever, and friends of Israel, true friends, should want Israel to be safe no matter which party is in office not yo-yo between one party that endorses the views of Ben-Gvir and Smotrich and a party that endorses BDS (not that the Democrats do or would, but if you listen to Republican Zionists...) like thats not whats best for Israel, the Jewish state needs to be able to count on a reliable ally no matter which party has the White House/Congress we should root out antisemites in deep blue/red districts with primaries and support the best candidate for Israel even if we don't like them on many other topics, like whatever Republican can take out Rand Paul, Thomas Massie, MTG or Paul Gosar as long as they like the Jews is a win in my book even though I'll likely not agree with them on anything else.

Very important message. A lot of sources I otherwise trust have been sniveling over Biden's antisemitism task force and I do not understand it at all. They were guided by Deborah Lipstadt! They endorsed the IHRA definition (which the government has already accepted anyway)! They are not turning it over to CAIR, there's some insignificant connection that they probably needed to make it look ecumenical. Honestly, people need to just take a win when one comes.

For a lifetime, American Jews have kept to our own brand of two-pronged, Democratic & Zionist political engagement. Unfortunately the rest of the country is no longer as bipartisan, and recent polling shows registered Democrats are visibly more sympathetic to Palestine than to Israel. As long as they are somewhat sympathetic to both and don't wish harm on either, we can work in that paradigm, but obviously I'd be more comfortable if our side were still the uniform favorite.

More unfortunately, I think most of the collapse of bipartisanship on Israel, and turning it into increasingly a Republican issue, was the result of personality and ego clashes between Obama and Netanyahu. The former was the best president in my lifetime and the latter did a pretty good job as PM until late 2022, but the two men just haaaated each other. Viscerally. Personally. And each of them magnified each other's worst aspects: Obama's sense of himself as a post-political avatar of change, Netanyahu's unstoppable douchebaggery and lying and general FoxNews-iness. Obama charged stupidly into the Iran Deal - his own version of the Iraq War, resting on false assumptions and applauded by false experts; Netanyahu then spit in Obama's face by attacking the Iran Deal on the floor of Congress.

There is an excellent overview of this time in the PBS documentary "Netanyahu At War." I think it is as honest and unbiased as any piece of reporting on Israel I've ever seen - and because it's PBS, the whole thing is available for free. Everyone reading this blog should watch it.

George W. Bush and Jacques Chirac also hated each other, personally. Each of them had staff members who recognized that the U.S. / France relationship was important enough that their personal feelings could not be allowed to get in the way, so the relationship was delegated to underlings and the two primaries rarely spoke to one another at all. That should have been the model for U.S. / Israel from 2008-2016. As is, things were set up for a split even BEFORE Trump came in and made a lot of high-profile moves in favor of Israel, and we are nowhere near seeing the full extent of the pain and damage that the mainstream Jewish community is going to suffer because of that poisoned pill.

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Bonus review: Migration! The episode where Luka knowing the identities is finally acknowledged in the most disappointing way possible.

We start the episode with my SO being shocked that Luka knows. In his defense, Wishmaker aired over a year ago and Luka's knowledge has been ignored since then, so I can't exactly blame a casual viewer for forgetting. So it's seriously a good thing that the episode spends so much time reminding us that he knows.

SO was excited to see where this went and then very unexcited when it led to Luka being voted off the island and nothing else. But, hey, at least someone knowing the identities actually led to consequences! It won't happen again, but this was a brief moment of narrative competence where they gave real weight to the "identities have to stay secret" BS that they've been undermining since Queen Bee and straight up butchering since Gang of Secrets.

If people kept having to leave Paris like this, then the lack of a Love Square reveal would feel logical. Especially because, in theory, Marinette is right about it being risky. Doubly so since they don't know that they know each other, so they think that they'll have to make up a story about how they met and such.

SO called bullshit on Anarka letting Kitty Section sign Bob Roth's contract and, yeah, did anyone buy that she'd allow that? Come on, let there be at least one competent parent on this show! Also, Luka's a bit of a pushover, but he's not stupid. I don't buy him telling the gang to sign those papers. (Also, can minors even sign a contract like that in France? I'd assume parents would need to be involved.)

It was at this point that Bob Roth' name registered with my SO. He paused the episode to go: "Wait, isn't that the painting guy?" Which, yes, the names are super similar and hard to differentiate when you hear them. Bob Ross is who most people would think of. Not sure if that's as true in France, but we changed Noel to Chris for localization! Why not this one, too?

(I know he's named after someone on the production team, but still. I would have chosen another name.)

The real standout moment of the episode? The duck getting hit with Bob Roth's magical golden record. Not because it was a particularly funny moment, but because it meant that I got to introduce the SO to Disco Duck! Yes, this is a real, serious song. It hit the top 10 in multiple countries. The 70's were a wild time.

SO countered with this thing, which pales in comparison to the glory of disco duck, imo, but feel free to tell me if you disagree

(I'm not going to post reviews for every episode, only the ones where I have something funny to say or a criticism that I haven't seen before. Originally, I skipped Migration, but someone asked about it and I realized that I did have some funny stuff to add in retrospect. Everyone deserves to experience Disco Duck at least once)

[my-mt-heart]

Hi MT, it seems the past year will haunt us forever. I really hoped we could finally move on from the fiasco but a certain someone is always trying to dig a deeper hole for himself and all the old feelings are coming forward again. Especially with the title.

What I'm always asking myself, what is the former cast thinking? I know it's business but some people came forward after shit went down and posted about sweet Melissa and how they appreciated working with her. So, they knew what presumably happened.

Now I'm curious if they register what happens right now in interviews, promotion etc, if they follow it at all. Only hard-core fans and people associated to TWD will know what bs is being told in interviews.

Remember JDM and his post in June? He was the first (and only) famous cast member who wrote about it. Trashing fans and ultimately damaging Melissa's reputation further. (Even after his tweet last year about taking a break and making people believe Melissa fans threatened his best friends family.)

Other cast members didn't get involved anymore. It all went quite. No one came forward. Do you think only the two are allowed to speak publicly and all the other had to sign NDAs. Because it seems those two can say whatever they want.

And now that you can promote shows again, why does someone not hype the second season with 8 million!!!!!!!!!!! follower with the most anticipated cast mate? Excuse me, co lead? Obviously others are allowed to share selfies, as seen today?

The not hyping is bothering me as much as the trash talk.

I don't know about the other cast members. I don't know what they know or what they don't know. As for JDM and Norman, AMC awarded them a level of privilege that's now gotten really out of hand. If a woman or poc said what JDM said last April, they would've been fired immediately. Not only was it unprofessional, but it also could've led to lawsuits since "a break" is not the narrative AMC and Melissa's team legally agreed to. Same goes for Norman's comments about "getting rid of" Angela. As a "boss," he should know better. But what has AMC done about any of it? Clearly not much, since those two still go around saying and doing whatever they want no matter how many people they hurt. I don't think they have any idea who Caryl's fans are, how many challenges a lot of them face in their own lives similar to Daryl's and Carol's. It makes the constant gaslighting even more disgusting.

I think we're all aware Melissa isn't big on promotion herself, which I respect. Like I said before, Norman could easily build hype with new Caryl/McReedus photos or supporting Melissa/Carol/Caryl in interviews, but the way he's currently going about it (Melissa was always involved, Melissa knew about France the whole time) isn't in good faith.

[ultimatebottom69]

So i had an ask who went "Can you leave the vote shaming after the primaralies please ?"

And my genuine answrr is : No.

Cause we all know who's gonna be in the finals. Let's stop lying. Let's stop believing. We all fucking know. I am in the backwoods of france Rn and I know who the fuck trump is.

I will shame you if you don' register to vote. Cause you are the reason Trump even got elected the first time. Because nobody fucking voted and the ones that voted went "Well hilary cheated-"

Like. The only reason the republican wins elections is because they rig the fucking voting process. They litterally did it. Last time. When Biden won, you all remember the fucking shitshow ?? He did a fucking coup d'etat to stop the voting process.

We were making fun of Nebraska they couldn't fucking count fast enough.

We had Tiktoks full of LIVE SHOW of how much vote were processed.

The WHOLE WORLD was WATCHING YOU ALL. BEGGING YOU TO NOT FUCK THIS UP !

I am shaming your bitch ass cause I know if last time the congress members didn't get out on time they would have been killed and he would have won.

Like By Guy Fieri, get a fucking grip and go vote. I don' care who you voting, just fucking vote.

You know the facts. You know what you want. But you sure as hell ain' sitting out on that couch while your future and others's future will play AGAIn until the Nazi orange die.

You can vote for him. But don't complain about the consequences.

I ain't gonna bother with "Lesser of two evils" cause you all are super suspectible to propaganda to a degree where it gets alarming.

I' just gonna say. The war was here. When trump came. It's just that now we give a fuck. Biden has lots of default and is a fucker in ways but at least he mever told to his fellow citizens to drink bleach to cure Coronavirus or Autism.

I could go for hours of the number of shit Trump did. But there is already youtube playlist of that shit.

So vote. I am shaming you. Block me, send me anon hate. I don't care. You vote or you shut up when the consequences of your inactions will hit you in the face.

I will watch and judge. I been reblogging the voter registration post for a week now. I'l keep doing it when it comes nack on my dash. Or i'l search for it.

I give you the sword. Now what you do with it is your problem.

[jbaileyfansite]

Interview with Vanity Fair France (2023)

Jonathan Bailey: celebrity, LGBT rights and cycling, words from an actor “in search of transformation”

New darling of cinema, Jonathan Bailey, the actor who played Anthony in Bridgerton, is taking a step aside in fashion. For Vanity Fair, he talks about his relationship with celebrity and the importance of LGBT representation on screen. Confidences.

What should a person dream of, after having experienced dazzling success all over the planet? Jonathan Bailey was only waiting for one thing: to get on his bike and cycle through the south of France. A memory comes back and his eyes sparkle: “A year ago, I visited Aix, Manosque and Marseille. I was dazzled by the energy of the latter and the beauty of the street art. » So, as soon as he could, this cycling enthusiast took a getaway far from the fog of his native England for a fashion shoot on the Côte d'Azur. At 35, the actor says he is exploring “new facets of his personality”, by posing in front of a camera lens or acting in front of the camera.

In perpetual “quest for transformation”, he is now ready to delve into the “darkest corners” of the human soul, he explains. Far, far from the role of enamored viscount which propelled him to stardom. In 2020, Jonathan Bailey made a notable appearance in the Bridgerton show, on Netflix.

The series tells the adventures of two aristocratic families during the English Regency, between tails, top hats and romantic intrigues. In the first season, he was content to be the protective brother of the heroine, the fiery Viscount Anthony Bridgerton.

The second season propels him to the center of a sentimental intrigue. And Netflix broke a record, with 193 million hours of viewing in the first three days of broadcast. A line of dialogue went viral, cited thousands of times on social networks: “You are the bane of my existence and the object of all my desires. » The whole world fell under its spell. What followed were magazine covers, front rows of fashion shows, red carpets of posh evenings…

After that, the actor changed register and dared to tread the boards of the West End theater in London with a play with the evocative title, Cock. A return to his roots for someone who started, at the age of 6, with the Royal Shakespeare Company. “I feel feverish if I’m not on stage,” he explains. "Acting keeps me fit as an actor. » Another challenge: he will soon be starring in the highly anticipated Wicked, adaptation of the musical comedy dedicated to the witches of The Wizard of Oz, alongside Ariana Grande and Michelle Yeoh (Oscar winner for best actress in 2023). Could he be stalked by madness of grandeur? Never. “There is no guide to learning how to deal with fame,” he admits. "I just focused on my first passions, notably music, surrounded by my friends, my older sisters, my nephews. » A secret: he also got back into some gymnastic movements - which he admits are still "'slightly kooky'. By that I mean: eccentric and approximate."

Some habits deserted along the way. With fame, he lost his anonymity and a little of his tranquility. “I will never give up public transport,” he says. "On the other hand, I tend to “underdress” so as not to attract attention. » His relationship with clothing has thus changed. He is just beginning to master the subtle art of matching his jewelry (like here with Mazarin jewelry). “I’m exploring more of the jewelry world as I get older and more confident. » Until then, he only had one fear: accumulating coins to the point of “resembling the donkey Bourricot”, loaded with mismatched fake coins. No risk. On his wrist, he wears the Omega watch of which he is the ambassador. A big first for him: “I participated in the launch of the Summer Blue Seamaster range this year,” he explains with pride. "I felt the connection of the house with the people of the sea. The travelers, the adventurers. The surfing and paddle enthusiast in me was delighted.»

This digression into the fashion sphere allowed him to meet his favorite designers – Daniel Lee, Jonathan Anderson, Giorgio Armani. Because, in fashion as in cinema, he only aspires to work with “creative people”, he admits. A second of reflection, a burst of laughter. All things considered, he would see himself as a “sheep of a sherpa”. Literally, “sheep” of a creative master who would take him into his merciless universe.

His only condition? Uphold the values that are close to his heart. Starting with LGBTQIA+ representation on screen, which he missed so much during his childhood. He remembers, moved, his meeting with Matthew Rhys, who plays a leading character in the American soap opera Brothers and Sisters: Kevin Walker, a gay lawyer. “This actor was a game changer for me,” insists Jonathan Bailey. "I found a bit of my family in the characters of the series. In the middle, he played a guy who led a fulfilling life and had a wonderful partner.»

The British actor is delighted to see today the very popular “Elite, Heartstopper or even Gossip Girl” taking over, with diverse and varied narrative arcs aimed at young audiences. He himself made his contribution, since his career took off on Netflix as an openly homosexual actor playing an heterosexual character. “It’s as rare as seeing gay actors playing gay characters and being praised for that performance,” he emphasizes. We will soon find him in Fellow Travelers, a historical mini-series centered on a romance between two men in which he co-stars with Matt Bomer. Proof that an actor can absolutely play anything.

To the aspiring actors who follow him on the networks, he provides a lesson: “Representation is crucial, but being an artist also means being able to inhabit a character totally different from your own experience.» He is moved by having the luxury of choosing his projects, thinking back to the time when he went through auditions and accepted all the roles that came his way. When he talks about his job, Jonathan Bailey spins the love metaphor. “When I like a project, I feel a romantic spark. I let myself be carried away by something obvious. » Love at first sight guaranteed.

Source

[ellieellieoxenfree]

52 weeks, 52 movies: may

more catchup. watched some great stuff this month and some real fucking garbage.

a radiant girl (france) — 19-year-old irène (rebecca marder), a jewish girl, dreams of being an actress in 1942 france, blissfuly unaware of the horrors breathing down her neck.

okay, i know what this movie is going for. i get it. i know what point they’re trying to make, juxtaposing irène’s carefree joys against the encroaching nazi regime. except the nazis barely even register in this movie (until the very end), and the vague hints that occasionally pop up throughout don’t really register. there are mentions of surrendering radios and bicycles, and a few of irène’s classmates disappear, but she’s so self-absorbed and shallow that none of these things register to her on any level. she comes off as less a head-in-the-sand dreamer and more of a willfully obtuse ignoramus.

nor is she a particularly interesting character, nor is her story particularly interesting. she wants to be an actress. she flirts with boys. she has a weird quasi-incest moment with her brother that gave me the actual creeps. it’s all very pedestrian and dull and i could only stomach so many scenes of her giggling with her friends about acting or hatching schemes to get the cute optometrist to notice her. (she concocts an entire plan to get glasses she doesn’t need to get his attention. it is dreadfully boring.) by the time we got to an admittedly chilling ending — her boisterous singing in a cafe catches the eye of a nazi soldier, who cruises over to her with shark-like focus, right before the screen goes black — i was long past the point of giving the remotest fuck about her. she’s as shallow as a puddle two days after rain. she’s unable to conceptualize of the world or people around her, so watching her got very, very tiresome very very quickly. at no point does she put deeper thought into the things that are happening around her. her jewish faith feels equally like an afterthought and barely shows up in the movie. the only thing that seems to matter is having her flit around like an empty-headed simpleton declaiming monologues in pursuance of her dream. even the classmates around her don’t register as people. irène’s entire world is irène and everyone exists to orbit her.

this was absolutely one i finished because it was for the challenge. i cannot recommend anyone do the same, regardless of the reason.

girl picture (finland) —three young women (aamu milonoff, eleonoora kauhanen, and linnea leino) navigate adolescent dreams and hardships over a handful of weekends.

oh, girl picture. oh, you. i wanted to like this more, and there were parts i liked. but the longer i sat with it the less settled about it i felt, and ultimately i concluded that it didn’t work for me. ultimately, it seemed unwilling to fully commit to following the story all the way through, so none of the storylines quite ever satisfied properly. they didn’t quite feel like i was voyeuristically dropping in and seeing a snapshot of a life, either; things artificially ended or resolved so abruptly that i felt a bit of whiplash.

for example, two protagonists, mimmi and emma, fall in love. there are tantalizing plot threads here with both characters; mimmi has clearly unresolved family issues, feeling out of place, replaced, and abandoned by her biological family, while emma is a figure skater struggling with the demands of competitive athleticism. their romance is so whirlwind as to be headache-inducing — this might be the fastest quasi-enemies-to-lovers speed run ever — but its ending is what truly sours it. mimmi, who wrestles with emotional honesty, becomes a relationship saboteur and throws the relationship in emma’s face, then grinds their affection into the dirt by ostentatiously going off with someone else at a party in front of her. they resolve this, but it’s less ‘resolving’ and more ‘emma is a doormat who just apparently takes her back and there’s no communication about it.’ it felt, quite frankly, rather unsettling and more than a little gross. i suppose a scene prior to their resolution, where mimmi tearfully calls her absent mother and has a bit of a cry with her, is meant to be shorthand for her growth, but it feels utterly inauthentic. we, as viewers, have no reason to believe in mimmi’s change of heart. emma just comes off as a weak-willed fool.

separately, their arcs could have been interesting. emma’s heart isn’t in skating; mimmi’s relationship issues clearly come from the parental abandonment she feels. but the film doesn’t dig into that in any meaningful way, or doesn’t dig enough, so it lacks a ton of the power it could have.

similarly, rönkkö, the third member of the trio, has intriguing notes to her characterization that both don’t add up and don’t bear fruit. she seeks sexual pleasure, which manifests as a series of ineptly fumbling encounters with teenage boys little more than moronic brutes, but the storyline doesn’t ever really seem to land in a satisfying way. i’ve read that she ultimately settles on asexuality, but everything is vaguely and hazily defined and the word never gets brought up. (it doesn’t necessarily need to be, although asexuality is still so underrepresented in media that the film’s unwillingness to commit to this story beat alongside the others gets more and more frustrating.)

the actors are capable, and some of the landscapes are simultaneously beautiful and hideous in their winter frigidity. but the longer i went on, the more i asked myself, what are you trying to say? and found the answer was nothing at all.

sapphire (uk) — when a young woman (yvonne buckingham) is found murdered, a number of secrets spill over and shake loose the casual racism and bigotry of the predominantly white community around her.

this was a tidy little treat of a movie from basil dearden, who, as criterion tells me, was known for his kitchen-sink realism. (two years after sapphire, he’d make britain’s first sympathetic film about homosexuality.) this packed a LOT into a short package — while i generally spoil a lot of the plot points in my movie reviews, i think this one’s worth discovering all the secrets on an actual viewing, other than to say that this tackled race relations head-on. it’s incredibly progressive and daring for 1959, covering a lot of topics that the american production code would have had a stroke over. most shockingly, the murdered woman isn’t demonized, despite what i will delicately term indiscreet behavior. it’s nice to see something from the 50s that’s more openly unvarnished; it’s not that the behaviors didn’t happen, but censorship shut down their mere mention in popular culture, so this is an incredibly interesting time capsule. obviously, there’s no shortage of more modern stories about scandals of the period, but this has the immediacy of current values and beliefs uncolored by future ways of thinking.

it was also particularly interesting to see depictions of black culture in 1950s london. i recently watched small axe, which was a modern take on many of those cultural landmarks and touchstones, so it was interesting to contrast what steve mcqueen was doing in his depictions versus what dearden did in his. (dearden was a white man, so did not have the intimate knowledge of the community, and some black critics have commented negatively on his depiction of race relations. as a white woman, i certainly am not qualified to speak over them, but i do applaud what dearden was doing within the context of the time period. for its era, it’s progressive. by modern standards, it may not be as progressive or speak to things as skillfully and thoughtfully as mcqueen could do in small axe, but for my money, it was still an incredibly bold feat of filmmaking. engrossing and highly recommended.

baby assassins (japan) — two high school girls (takaishi akari and izawa saori) who moonlight as assassins face personal crises when their bosses order them to share a living space.

i’m waffling about this one. (this was not intended originally to be a joke, but could be construed as one for other viewers of this movie.) the concept is great, as is the fight choreography (izawa saori, who is the most precious thing alive, is a former stuntwoman), and much of the cast works well together. on the other hand, it bears the hallmarks of an amateur director who isn’t quite sure of themselves or their vision or voice, so it doesn’t quite gel as well as it could have, and it tends to meander at points. when it’s on, it’s on; when it’s not, it’s just frustrating. as with many of the movies i’ve seen this year that didn’t quite live up to expectations, the bones are good. the bones are there and could be fashioned into something superlative. but it just doesn’t quite get there.

a lot of what i seem to keep criticizing is tone, and this suffers from some awkward tonal shifts that don’t always work. it veers from comedy to bloodthirstiness — there’s a gory scene where a yakuza member tortures a shopkeeper for a joke he doesn’t like, which seemed to belong in a darker movie — and the two things don’t always marry well. the movie is overall pretty gory at spots, with some setpieces of large-scale shootouts, but the torture scene feels deliberately cruel in much more grounded and realistic way than the over-the-top nature of the other fight scenes.

it’s also a bit thinly written at times, and i could have used some more beefing up to the script to better establish our characters, their jobs, and the world around them. due to the lack of connective tissue, it can get confusing regarding motivations and logistics, and another pass at the script to add in some connective tissue would have gone a long way.

but it is fun a lot of the time as well. the girls have an easy, natural chemistry, and director sagamoto yuko takes advantage of that to just showcase them in everyday situations — lounging around their apartment, eating together, lightly bickering. again, stronger/tighter writing would have done a lot to help give a better sense of who the girls are (chisato, played by takaishi, is the bubbly, giggly one, whereas mahiro (izawa) is the perpetually exhausted one who’s just done with a lot of this nonsense), but they do their best to carry the material anyway. given chances to shine, such as in a scene where they both need to get day jobs at a maid cafe, they perform admirably. in another scene, they argue over who’s responsible for finishing a job, while the bound and gagged hostage panics in the background. i really wanted the film to lean into the everyday absurdity in more scenes like this — again, a stronger director and writer could have coaxed out the inherent hilarity of the premise.

there is a sequel to baby assassins, which i unwisely picked up on a sale before watching the first one, but the longer i thought about it, the happier i was that i did. i don’t think the movie is a flop or unsalvageable, and i think that there’s enough potential in the material that sagamoto has the chance to learn and grow from his fumbles in the first one to make the second a stronger, leaner machine. we’ll see if i’m booboo the fool.

other viewing

polite society (uk)

willie dynamite (usa)

oh, god! (usa)

uhf* (usa)

borders of love (czech republic)

my fake boyfriend (canada)

the first wives club (usa)

street gang: how we got to sesame street (usa)

smarty (usa)

yomeddine (egypt)

chico and rita (spain)

words bubble up like soda pop (japan)

the girl can’t help it (usa)

the bride came COD (usa)

beans (canada)

born to win (usa)

the boy inside (japan)

the sum of us (australia)

the railway children (1970) (uk)

congrats my ex! (thailand)

leprechaun 5: leprechaun in the hood (usa)

love undercover (hong kong)

the bad guys (usa)

farha (jordan)

the kick (new zealand)

mahler (uk)

moonfleet (usa)

goodbye, mr loser! (china)

invasion of the body snatchers (1978) (usa)

the doctor and the girl (usa)

mangrove (uk)

challengers (usa)

working class (hong kong)

blondi (argentina)

the girl without hands (france)

in china they eat dogs (denmark)

my first summer (australia)

the secret of my success (usa)

men in white (1934) (usa)

lovers rock (uk)

just good friends s1 (uk)

kiss the blood off my hands (usa)

red white and blue (uk)

northern pursuit (usa)

guidance (canada)

[anotherhumaninthisworld]

Any info on Louise Sébastienne? I’d like to know more about her :3

You mean Danton’s second wife? In that case, good question, but unfortunately not one I think has very exciting answers… Louise left no written material behind, nor could I find any letters adressed to her. All that we really have are documents briefly mentioning her.

Louise was born in Paris on March 3 1776. Her parents were Marc-Antoine Gély (1751-18) and Marie-Jeanne Léger Revel (1759-1825). According to Claude-François-Étienne Dupin (1767-1828) De la Révolution à la restauration, au service des administrés (2015) by Gildas Dacre-Wright, Louise was the youngest of three daughters. At the time of her marriage with Danton, she lived with her parents on the second floor of 24 of Cour de Commerce, a floor above her future husband.

When going through Danton biographies in order to find any info on Louise, three claims regarding the nature of their union continuously showed up. The first was that Louise knew the Dantons before marrying Georges, some saying her father Marc-Antoine had gotten into contact with Danton’s father by frequenting the latter’s café (Danton (1914) by Louis Madelin, Danton (1935) by Hermann Wendel), others that she was Gabrielle’s friend (Danton (1978) by Normann Hampson, Danton (1987) by Frank Dwyer). The second claim was that it was Gabrielle who begged the two to marry as a last wish (Life of Danton (1906) by Augustus Henry Beesly, Danton (1978) by Normann Hampson,  Danton (1987) by Frank Dwyer and the third that Louise, being a religious person, was the one who asked for the ceremony to be officiated by a refractory priest (Danton (1914) by Louis Madelin, Danton (1978) by Normann Hampson, Life of Danton (1906) by Augustus Henry Beesly, Danton (1935) by Hermann Wendel). However, none of these could cite a primary source (or any source for that matter) for these claims, Augustus Henry Beesly going so far as to say ”There is a story that his first wife had recommended the marriage” and Norman Hampson that ”Gabrielle is said to have urged Louise Gély, a friend of the family and barely fifteen, to take care of her two boys. Louise is believed to have insisted, not merely on a religious marriage but on one celebrated by a priest who had refused to accept the revolutionary religious settlement.” So perhaps these are just apocryphal claims that hold themselves alive because no one bothers to check their origin properly.

Regardless, the marriage contract was passed on June 14 1793, in the presence of family members of the bride and groom. According to it, Louise received a dowry of 10 000 livres from her parents, along with 30 000 livres from Danton’s aunt Lenoir, to have if she was to survive her husband.

According to Danton, Mémoire sur sa vie privée (1865) Louise and Danton had a child together that died young, although I’ve not seen that claim repeated anywhere else… EDIT: it could be from Histoire de la Révolution française (1850) by Nicolas Villiaumé, who in his turn claimed to have gotten the story from Louise herself:

[After the arrest of Danton and Desmoulins] Lucile ran to Madame Danton to suggest that she come with her to go find Robespierre, ask him for an explanation, and recall the feelings of friendship which had attached him to their husbands. Madame Danton refused, saying that she wanted nothing from a man who had showed himself to be the enemy of her husband. (I obtained this particularity from Madame Danton herself, who was then pregnant. She gave birth fifteen days after Danton's death, but her child did not live.)

On July 10 1794 a register was signed, handing custody of Danton’s two surviving children over to their maternal grandfather. Louise did not sign this paper, but her father did (perhaps only men could do it?). It’s hard to tell if Louise had taken care of her step-sons up until that point (that’s the conclusion drawn in Life in Revolutionary France (2020) by Mette Harder) or if they were taken in by their grandparents immediately and this was just a formal thing. It would nevertheless appear like Louise kept up contacts with Danton’s family. The paper L’Éclair wrote in 1895 that ”a correspondence (which I’ve not found any trace of) attests that Danton’s second wife and her father were still in contact with Danton’s sons and sister-in-law during the second empire.” Louise’s second husband, Dupin, had known the family before they married, and the godfather of the couple’s first surviving child may have been Danton’s brother-in-law François Victor Charpentier. Similarily, in 1812, Charpentier’s wife Constance painted a portrait of Louise (”Baronne Dupin”). Danton’s sons, however, couldn’t even get Louise’s name right in a memoir written 1846:

In the course of this same year, 1793, we cannot indicate the precise time, he (Danton) married, as his second wife, mademoiselle Sophie (sic) Gély, who was still alive two years ago (we do not know if she has died since).

On July 13 1795, Louise was present for the removal of seals for Danton’s old house, playing the role of Danton’s attorney general. According to the protocol she had at this point moved to Arcis-sur-Aube, where Danton’s mother also lived.

Louise got remarried to Claude-François-Étienne Dupin, by then chief secretary of the department of Seine, in 1796. They had a religious wedding ceremony on May 9 and a civil one the day right after. According to Claude-François-Étienne Dupin… (2015) the ceremony was presided over by abbé de Keravenant, who had also been in charge of the one between Louise and Danton. Louise’s father, along with four others, were the only witnessses. Louis Madelin claimed in his Danton (1914) to have received letters from people who knew Louise as an old woman, telling him that she disliked talking about Danton after remarrying. 

The couple first settled down in Danton’s old apartment, but they would move around a lot in the years to come, starting two years later when they went to live at Rue du Théâtre français instead. Dupin, being appointed baron of the Empire in 1809, sometimes went on long missions, while Louise mostly stayed at home and gave birth to their children. In 1808 the family moved to Niort after Dupin was appointed there, whose Maternal Charity Society (whose goal it was ”to help poor women in childbirth, to provide for their needs and help with the breastfeeding of their children”) Louise became a member of in 1812. They moved back to Paris one year after that. Dupin died 1828 and Louise 28 years later, aged 80. Both were buried in the Montparnasse Cemetery.

Dupin and Louise had five children together, of which the two youngest lived to see adulthood, a girl, Camille Antoinette (born 1801) and a boy, Antoine Louis Gabriel (1804-1856). The latter married in 1832 and had a child fifteen years later, but after that his lineage seems to end. Camille on the other hand had a girl, Marie Bellot de Kergorre (1837-1884), who in her turn gave birth to the French author René de Laigue (1862-1942, who actually has his own wikipedia page). René had two daughters that died in 2002 and 2008 respectively. I can’t find any info on whether they had children or not, but if they did, it’s possible Louise still has descendants that are alive and kicking, and if not, she at least had not that long ago.

Since, as mentioned, Louise left no writings behind, I couldn’t find anything regarding the idea that she was a royalist, which is what’s claimed on wikipedia among other places.

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[averagejoesolomon]

Here it is! The final chapter of Full Circle: 1984. Thank you so much for reading this one, I'm really rather pleased with how it turned out. I'll have a masterpost coming soon, but in the meantime, you can read all of Full Circle on Ao3. Enjoy!

Chapter Thirteen

Sunday breakfast is served at the leisurely hour of ten o’clock. Matt and Joe are encouraged to attend by the master of the estate, and Matt reckons this option is better than whatever complimentary motel breakfast they planned on. At Henry’s invitation, they take up residence in a pair of empty rooms on the third floor and, under the security of the Cameron family mansion, Matt gets the first full night of sleep he’s had since Romania. 

He has a dream about his mama, then wakes up weightless in the mid-morning sun. For a blink, there are eggs that need collecting, cows that need milking, and calves that need to be checked on, but it only takes one roll through down pillows and silk linens to remember he’s not in Nebraska anymore. Here, guards are posted at every gate. Warm towels wait in his private en suite bathroom. Come afternoon, Henry Cameron’s private helicopter will fly direct to Reagan National, sparing Matt and Joe their usual strand of evasive layovers through a half-dozen different cities. With nowhere to be and time to spare, Matt burrows further into the blankets and lets the morning linger.

When he does finally work his way downstairs, breakfast does not disappoint. Fresh fruit and pastries stretch across a table set for ten, everything drizzled in different types of chocolates, and honeys, and yogurts. The eggs are prepared three different ways—scrambled, hard boiled, and sunny-side-up—all plated with golden yolks toward the sky. The savory scents of bacon and sausage land heavy on his tongue and his stomach rumbles with anticipation.

Henry and Joe have already beaten Matt to the table, their tentative conversation revolving around a headline on the front page of this week’s paper. Henry seems impressed with Joe’s well spoken nature and Matt’s not one bit surprised. Joe’s an impressive sort of guy. Matt quietly joins them, taking the seat closest to a steaming plate of Belgian waffles, and listens in awe as two experts converse at a pace he can’t keep up with.

Matt is halfway through his second plate when he finally hears Abby’s voice. “Morning, Daddy.”

She bounces down the dining room’s single step, perfectly done up in a dress with yellow flowers spotted all across the fabric. Behind her, the sun reaches through the garden windows as though its only purpose is to light her every step. It leads her toward Henry, and she leaves a single kiss on his expectant cheek. “Good morning, my songbird,” he says, setting his paper aside. “Did you sleep well?”

She takes the seat next to Joe, reaching for all of her favorites to fill a plate of her own. “I had the craziest dream,” she starts, “about a Bolivian arms dealer I came across a couple of months ago—oh! Have you tried the sweet potato hash?”

It’s not until Abby scoops two heaps of golden orange hash onto Matt’s plate that he registers the change in subject. Green eyes look up at him, those same green eyes that have enamored him for years, and he stumbles over all the words he can’t bring himself to say. “I, uh—no, not yet.”

“Best potatoes I’ve ever had,” she swears, landing two scoops on Joe’s plate next. He eyes her with a dangerous annoyance, but she ignores this with ease. “Anyway, I was in Bolivia and it was totally weird because my passport said I was in France…”

She carries on about a nonsensical South American op, details painting the broader picture of a dream gone wrong, but Matt loses track of the individual words. Instead, he watches her speak as though nothing has happened, move as though nothing is wrong, and act as though yesterday ain’t any different from today. From where Matt sits, there are apologies owed and good graces to be earned, but Abby shows no sign of ill will. She’s calm. She’s collected. She’s every bit as charming as she’s ever been. In the churning emotional bile of his own guilt, and anger, and rejection, Matt comes to the realization that Abby is awfully good at a lot of things, but she’s at her best when she’s hiding behind a smile, convincing the world that all is right.

The same cannot be said for Rachel.

Unlike Abby, Rachel’s appearance is a sudden, silent sort of affair that draws all air from the room. The sight sends a hitch through Matt’s breath as he takes in the unfamiliar softness of her features. A lopsided bun still carries leftover hairspray from the night before. Curls stray in every direction, catching golden wisps of sunrise. For the first time, he notices the faint rosy blotches that stain her cheeks in the morning. It matches the color of her lips exactly. Sage silk drapes down her shoulders, her hips, her legs and she is the very definition of elegant. Refined. Beautiful. “I thought you left.”

She looks right at Matt when she says it, brown eyes melting into amber as a sharp golden square cuts across them. Rachel has this way—has always had this way—of looking at him on purpose. She strips away every feature that allows him to hide in plain sight until she’s staring straight at the vulnerable core of him. Until it’s just her, looking at him, looking right back at her. 

It’s the sort of thing that sends a fella’s heart racing. The sort of thing that works up words without his brain’s permission. “I ain’t leaving you,” he promises. “Not that easy.”

The room stands still, save the slightest tick of Rachel’s eyebrows as they furrow together. A puzzle in need of solving. A question in need of answering. A rare display of confusion on the face of a woman who is never confused. All the while, her breath rises, and falls, and rises, and falls exactly in time with his own and he wonders if this is what she always looks like when she first wakes up. He wonders if she blinks awake without effort, or if she needs the alarm. He wonders if she snores, if she dreams, if she wakes up in the middle of the night, if she falls asleep easily or if it takes hours. He wonders what it might be like to fall asleep at her side. He wonders what it might be like to wake up with her.

He wonders what it might feel like to fall in love with Rachel Cameron. 

But before he has a chance to properly picture it, Rachel catches her breath once more. “I asked you to leave,” she says. “I asked you not to be here anymore.”

Matt opens his mouth to respond, but the words are clogged behind the apprehension that blossoms in his throat. Rachel’s wrath is a thing of legend, backed by a godly ability to hold grudges, and he’s seen it in action enough times to know he never wants to be on the receiving end. “I wasn’t—” he starts, but the sentence crumples. “I was just—”

“We cracked the case.” Joe taps into a fight that Matt can’t finish, and just in the nick of time. “I convinced him to stick around, so we could give you the details. Keep you from worrying about your dad any more than you already have.”

Rachel’s attention lands on Joe with more civility than she has ever granted him before. Matt does his best not to take it personally, but his heart is acting of its own accord and there’s nothing he can do to stop the sharp twinge that interrupts his pulse. “Okay,” she says, even and logical.  “Let’s hear the details, and then you can both be on your way.”

At this, Henry lets out the faintest sigh. “Darling, won’t you sit and join us?”

Rachel shakes her head. “I don’t want to sit.”

Abby joins his protest. “Rachel.”

“I do not want to sit,” she says, sharper this time.

Henry turns to bribery instead. “I had the kitchen make your favorite waffles.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Darling, please, just sit—”

“Who was it?” Rather than continue a fruitless argument, Rachel cuts straight to the fact-finding. There’s a mental case file somewhere in her head and her father is at the center of it. There’s an unmistakable impatience to her tone as she aims to collect every bit of information she can. “What did they want?”

For the slightest fraction of a second, Matt is overcome with temptation toward the truth. It ain’t the first time he’s wanted to tell Rachel about the Circle. She would be a brilliant asset, out strategizing one of the greatest strategic organizations in espionage. She has the mind for this sort of thing. She has the skill for it, too. Maybe he could even earn her favor back, just by coming clean.

But with a single glance at Henry, Matt remembers all the reasons to keep quiet. For family. For alliances. For life. Once a person is in with the Circle, they don’t get out alive, and Matt refuses to thrust that fate upon Rachel. “You were right,” he says, with all the spycraft he can muster. “It was someone from the party staff. They were looking for cash, and figured it was hidden in the most secure room they could find.”

The lie dangles in the air like bait in a stream. Tension twists in Matt’s chest as he waits for the realization, because Rachel is far too smart not to see the hook. Thankfully, Henry knows exactly when to step in. “The offender has been blacklisted and won’t be returning,” he adds, embellishing with an expert touch. “How horribly boring, that it turns out to be just a run-of-the-mill B&E.”

Rachel pauses. Stares her father down. Matt has known her long enough to know that she’s debating whether or not she believes the story, sorting through the presented facts and meticulously verifying them against her own perception. He wants to tell her not to try so hard. To stop chasing facts she doesn’t want to find. This story is so much easier to believe than the truth, and he hopes she can appreciate the blissful ignorance.

Finally, she clenches her jaw. She doesn’t believe them, but she must know better than to pursue any more questions. “Fine,” she says. “Then it’s handled. And you two can go back to Texas, or Romania, or wherever the hell you’re supposed to be right now.”

Another tug in Matt's chest. “Rachel, I’m sorry—”

“Leave, please, Matthew,” she says, sending a finger toward the foyer. “And please don’t bother calling.”

There’s not much more to it than that. When Rachel Cameron gives an order, the world molds around it, and Matt is no exception. It becomes clear that there’s nothing left to say, so Matt looks over the table at Joe and, wordlessly, Joe confirms it’s time to leave. Among his thank yous and goodbyes to Abby, Henry, and the kitchen staff, Matt’s mind scrambles for some way to save this. To get back to where he and Rachel used to be. But as he walks past her cold shoulder, he realizes that the two of them are never going to be as they were. Something fundamental has changed and there's no going back now.

As they pass, Rachel pays him no mind. She stands stark still, determined in her wants, breaking only when Joe walks by. “Joe,” she says, stiff and unwilling. 

It’s a shock, to say the least, to hear Joe’s name come out of her mouth. Matt prepares himself for the worst, waiting for a lecture, a screaming match, an all-out brawl—the natural conclusion to years of distrust now bubbling to the surface after a weekend of frustration. He waits for Rachel to tear into Joe the same way she had torn into Matt the night before, with all of the tears and betrayal.

But she doesn’t yell. Instead, she says. “Thank you.” 

The only person who looks more surprised than Matt is Joe himself. “Uh,” he says. “For what, exactly?”

Rachel hangs her head, a true rarity. “Michael wasn’t at his best last night. You stepped in.” She holds a hesitant hand to him, and it’s as close to an olive branch as the two of them might get. “I appreciated that, regardless of how the rest of the night went.”

Joe takes the offering and shakes. They both look equally uncomfortable with the moment, but Matt’s just glad for the temporary peace. “Uh, yeah. Sure. If you ever need backup,” Joe offers.

“You’ll be my last call,” Rachel reminds him.

Joe smiles. “And thank god for that.”

Their bags are already by the door, brought downstairs by a dutiful member of the house staff. Henry escorts them across the lawn and toward the launch pad where he says another set of private goodbyes. This time, he’s sure to include how he can be reached should they come across another breakthrough and sends them off with their next three Circle leads. 

When they’re finally strapped in and the blades begin to spin, Matt still can’t seem to shake the feeling that something is wrong. There’s an absent, gnawing feeling in his gut and he’s trained to listen to it. It’s not until he hears Joe’s voice, crackled through a bulky headset, that he realizes what’s causing it. “She’ll come back around,” Joe assures him. “She cares about you.”

This doesn’t offer the comfort Joe might hope for, because the truth of the matter is that maybe she’s better off. More and more, it seems like there’s a choice on the horizon. A sacrifice he didn’t know he was making. The people in his life are safer without the Circle, which means the people in his life are safer without him. He doesn’t get to go home for Easter. He doesn’t get to dance with pretty girls at the bar. He doesn’t get to follow Abby and Rachel to the ends of the earth. It's as thought his life doesn’t belong to him anymore.

As he watches the entire Cameron estate shrink to the size of his thumb, Matt’s only thought is that he has to try. He has to aim for greatness. He has to be kind, and thoughtful, and good, in the way Rachel Cameron wants him to be.

If after all this, his only legacy is love, he supposes that will have to be enough.