#honour mode shenanigans

[qxeenofstars]

Wizard Towers and their unimaginable horrors... for example, bad lighting. I will now proceed to have nightmares about this until unforeseeable future. (Also, unfair, but Astarion is also getting his share of the bad lighting and he still manages to look pretty)

[wordsandrobots]

I just wanted to say I have so much respect for the incredible essays and fic you write for IBO, and I’m so grateful you’re in this fandom.

I was wondering, have you talked previously about McGillis’ line of “Is there such thing as true happiness and fake happiness?” especially when considered alongside his line of wanting to make Almiria happy? If not, what do you make of that?

It’s been floating around in my head ever since I watched the show, but I haven’t been able to figure out exactly what to make of it and haven’t had the time to rewatch the show yet.

Thank you! My brain has been set to overdrive on the subject of Iron-Blooded Orphans for more than three years now (please send help) so I'm not sure I could have stopped if I tried.

Anyway. Oh boy. That line. No, I haven't written commentary on it previously, at least not directly. But it underpins literally everything I've done in terms of fanfic spiralling out of McGillis' actions, so I have thought about it quite a lot.

For me -- apart from being the moment Gaelio realises precisely how far he's fucked everything up -- that question is the distillation of McGillis as a character. And as much as he says it about his treatment of Almira, it also serves as an excellent vector for examining McGillis and Gaelio's changing relationship throughout the entire show, specifically with regard to why Gaelio is Always Wrong (TM) about his best-friend-turned-mortal-enemy.

The context here is important, since this final scene is the one point in the entire show where we can uncomplicatedly say McGillis is being completely open. He's lost. He's dying. Everything he hoped to achieve has fallen to pieces. Visually, he's been stripped back to his child self, hair fallen wild and expression dulled. This is McGillis undone. It no longer matters what he does or how he presents, so he's finally able to be honest with Gaelio. All the masks are off.

Gaelio, of course, is in full avenger mode, demanding McGillis stay alive long enough to look directly at the consequences of his actions and face his crimes. And McGillis finally admits that all the jumping up and down and masked-ghost shenanigans was unnecessary: he'd *always* seen Gaelio and always held affection for him. He wasn't some cold traitor, saying all the right things to get close enough to stab everyone in the back. Gaelio and Carta were his friends, and though that was anathema to his desire for power, it wasn't a fraud. He even promised to make Gaelio's sister happy for the sake of their friendship.

The English dub script adds the phrase 'no matter the cost' to the end of this statement and I think that's a very acute sentiment, given McGillis nearly dies sooner due to the wound he suffered stopping Almiria from killing herself. His own actions prove he means what he says: even at the cost of harm to himself, he was determined to honour his word on at least this point.

Predictably, Gaelio responds by reiterating the accusation of McGillis spreading delusions. Any happiness McGillis gave to Almiria could only be fake (due to the scheming, backstabbing, brother-murdering and so on). Which leads McGillis to asking, does it matter?

Are there such things as true and fake happiness?

I mentioned masks. For Gaelio, that's a literal object, a disguise to conceal his survival (from anybody who doesn't have the official height chart to hand, at least), that is literally discarded at this point. But for McGillis, the masks always run deeper. Indeed, if there's one thing we can say about his Montag persona and the attendant jester's visage, it's that it allows him to act more like he really wants to, to the point he starts getting a little giddy.

No, for him, masking is performance. Acting. The construction of a surface persona to meet the demands of the situation he's in. Gaelio draws attention to this when describing how McGillis changed as they grew into teenagers, opting to actively fit in with the social scene around them and only seeming to share his 'true' feelings when the two were alone. As the audience, though, we can trace his chameleonic nature back further. In the montage of McGillis' past, we see him adapting to the various situations he is forced into, first by teaching himself to commit violence to establish dominance, then by cultivating studiousness. It seems unlikely McGillis being chosen as Iznario's heir was disconnected from how hard he worked on building himself up in order to survive. Learning how to navigate social and political environments is a natural progression of these efforts.

That this *is* conscious construction is key. Because McGillis also sets out to transform himself into the ideal Agnika Kaieru represents. Ultimately this culminates in physically altering his body so he can use Gundam Bael, but it's far more than that. He trains himself in the two-sword fighting style Agnika used, long before he's anywhere near achieving his goal. He immerses himself in Gjallarhorn's hierarchy and assists skilled, lower-class officers like Isurugi. He dispenses with his childhood sombreness in favour of an authoritative, rigorous, charismatic professional persona. All of this serves his goal of achieving absolute power, yes. It's also about shaping himself into what he thinks he should be -- the embodiment of the characteristics he attributes to Agnika.

There are a few positive aspects to this. Gaelio, operating on the assumption McGillis is a cynical back-stabber, thinks he goes to Mars to survey the mobile armour situation for personal gain. But in truth McGillis goes to ensure Hashmal doesn't awaken. It's the kind of move someone in Gjallarhorn *should* make, so he does. That he is later inspired to go after the Order of the Seven Stars as Gaelio originally imagined he intended is a reaction to things spiralling out of control and exciting him with the world's most ill-advised historical re-enactment; it's not where he comes into the situation. Likewise, he seems to have been a fairly good inspector, exposing corrupt officers like Coral and later doing due diligence on pulling the Outer Earth Orbit Regulatory Joint Fleet (oh cripes I can write than from memory) into proper fighting shape.

At the same time, it means McGillis is always dishonest with other people. He's always got an angle, is always holding something back, always tries to fit everyone into his plans, somehow. Even when he is truthful (such as saying he's admired Carta for treating him as an equal when they were kids or sharing his faith in Agnika's principles with Almiria), there are other factors to consider. His scheme to gain power inside Gjallarhorn, his need to keep things running smoothly, his obsession with being the individual who can transform the world -- these are in play right up until he is bleeding out on the floor.

It's natural, given this, to ask 'who is the true McGillis?' What really exists underneath the layers of performance? However, I think doing so is to repeat a lot of Gaelio's mistakes because, as we eventually find out, McGillis himself fails to draw a meaningful boundary between 'real' and 'fake'.

He promised Gaelio he'd take care of Almiria while in the act of killing him. It was politically prudent to maintain the engagement and he also considered Gaelio a true friend, so there's good reason to honour the promise. On top of that, Almiria is someone he appears to care greatly for, perhaps out of fellow-feeling since she is as much a pawn in others' games as he once was. Thus, her happiness becomes one of his chief goals. To this end, he accommodates her wishes to be seen as a grown-up lady (as imagined by a nine-year-old) and explains how what he is doing will benefit them both. He goes so far as to stop her from harming herself once his deception is exposed, promising that one day, she will be truly happy despite everything.

And the next time he refers to Almiria in any way -- the last time, prior to his final confrontation with Gaelio -- it is to internally chide her for being so troublesome as to leave him with a wound that negatively affects his battlefield performance. Placed alongside his earlier lines to her and the act of putting his hand in the way of the dagger she aimed at her throat, it's an *incredibly* dismissive reaction. It would be easy to read this as him having only pretended to care about Almiria all along, concealing a real disdain. Except, again -- he put his hand in the way of that dagger, without hesitation.

What's going on here?

Well, McGillis presents in whichever way he needs to in order to navigate his circumstances, saying whatever he thinks is most likely to get the outcome he wants. That's his base state for interacting with the world, as a consequence of growing up the way he did. Seeing no distinction in the veracity of happiness speaks to a very outcome-focused view on human interaction. What difference does it make if a positive reaction is prompted by sincerity or by moulding oneself into a form best suiting the other person? They're still happy. Or giving the appearance of it. That's enough, right?

We eventually see this approach fail with Tekkadan, owing to McGillis' misunderstandings about them. Towards the end of the show, stripped of material superiority, his appeals to their fighting spirit fall flat. He tries to sway them on the level he thinks they operate (pride, desire for power, strength of will) rather than the shared loyalty and familial bonds that actually drive them forward. He simply doesn't realise the things they have pursued were always a means to an end -- each other's safety -- rather than the end itself.

That failure highlights both how important it is to engage with the reality of what you're trying to manipulate (the critical distinction separating him from Rustal) and how genuine McGillis is about his stated goals. He really does want to become the all-powerful leader of Gjallarhorn and believes that will allow him to make the world better. He'd do anything to achieve it. Just like he really means to ensure Almiria's happiness, however much he needs to cover up and present differently -- or even suffer physical harm -- to do so.

That right there is the fundamental problem with how Gaelio sees him throughout Season 2. He doesn't get that McGillis' performances are not strictly falsehoods but tools used to obtain the outcome he's proclaiming to anyone who'll listen. The act may be pieced together from truth or lies or force of strength; what matters is that it *works*.

I spent my essay about Agnika focusing on McGillis' ideology. What the true/false happiness line exemplifies is his methodology or, more strictly, the survival strategy he adapted into a generalised approach. It's the Tekkadan strategy error -- applying the same methods over and over in situations where they are increasingly counter-productive -- writ on a subtler scale. A compulsive need to treat every interpersonal encounter as having a specific outcome, where the actual content, the human connection, and the emotional impact lose any significance beyond 'if X then Y'.

The kicker being that, when McGillis does have to deal with genuine emotions on their own terms, he shoves them as far away from himself as he can. Carta and Gaelio should have been his closest allies and loyalist supporters, not to mention a positive impact on his wellbeing due to, you know, actually caring about him as a person. Instead, he kills/tries to kill them, not just because their deaths serve his ambitions but because they gave him something other than his ambitions -- full stop. Something else. And he couldn't have both.

McGillis could not build himself into the perfect embodiment of individualism while keeping his friends close. He couldn't continue to persist on an outcome-focused approach with unprompted, un-targeted happiness just happening to him. From everything else about his character, I'm not sure he could ever have trusted the feelings Carta and Gaelio induced in him. Far better to construct the happiness he thought he wanted. Far safer. Far more natural, for someone under no illusions about the world's hypocrisies, or what people do in order to survive.

The tragedy is that this is an inescapable problem. McGillis was always going to chose the constructed ideal future over the reality that lay within touching distance. The damage, for that's what this is, was done long before anyone who cared was in a position to intervene. This is somebody who'd execute the people he cares for and who cannot understand his best friend crying over his dying admission of affection, any more than he can grasp why being willing to do anything to ensure a little girl's happiness isn't necessarily laudable. Where would you even begin trying to unpick that?

Which of course is exactly what makes him so effective within this story. There's a paradox at the heart of McGillis, which is part of why I've never tried to write his perspective in my fic, where he manages to be profoundly honest and chronically self-deluding, the signifiers of a manipulative bastard twisted around into . . . I don't really want to call it pathology because I think that undersells the active choice to be who he is. But we see how he got there, the trauma that went into making him, how different aspects of it meshed together, shaping him one after the other. It's not just the homelessness, or the sexual assault, or being trafficked, or being made a pawn in a political game, or fixating on a historical figure. It's all of them put together, and I think it's a fantastic bit of character work.

There simply isn't a solution. Just an inescapable arc towards disaster, and the devastation of a pair of siblings who each loved him more dearly than he could possibly conceptualise.

-----

That's more or less where I land on things, anyway. Hopefully this was mostly coherent, as rambles go? Like with everything to do with McGillis, I can never just pull one thread. The man's a living rats-nest, which I love about him but does make it difficult to be succinct!

Thank you very much for the ask, and for your kind words. I will admit to feeling a degree of 'if there's no active fandom for this show, I'll damn well do it myself' when I started writing the fic and the essays, so it delights me no end to know there are people getting a kick out of them. :)

[oathkeeper-of-tarth]

boom-squirrel replied:

Okay, I'm curious... if Teadpoled-Isobel-strikes-back™, who's the one in Last Light sustaining the shield??? oO Doppelganger?!

Hahah, well, that's obviously one of the moments when modded playthroughs like this one take a bunch of suspension of disbelief.

I call this one "The Duality of Isobel".

My justification and vague storyline idea for this HM run was that an abducted tadpoled Isobel from around the end of Act 2 ends up back on the nautiloid, via a timely divine intervention or some such brand of shenanigans (Selûne? maybe? or something altogether more sinister?). And now she is on a big mission to fix everything.

But honestly, if you could find an excuse for Jaheira and the Last Light bunch surviving without Isobel there to establish the haven so Act 2 can still work vaguely similarly, I think Isobel would be a really, really awesome origin with interesting ties into the narrative. Kicking off with her resurrection, running away from Ketheric, and ending up abducted and tadpoled on the nautiloid with the others instead of at the inn. Maybe some amnesia thrown in there to keep some of the mystique of Ketheric's storyline for the player and pacing out the reveals (a la Durge).

This is also a killer idea for some AU fanfic, I will note.

Also part of my romance pick considerations, beyond, you know, just me wanting to play out one I haven't done yet (hence no Shadowheart, I'm aware she is the obvious choice here). NPC Isobel and Aylin will of course get their beautifully touching reunion and live as happily ever after as I can manage, Honour Mode permitting (knock on wood, so far it has been), but my PC Isobel will ultimately want and need to basically leave Faerûn. So I felt it would be fitting to have her go off dragon riding with Lae'zel and have various astral (mis)adventures. Visit the actual Tears of Selûne and all, it's super Meaningful. And having Lae'zel going from constantly ragging on Isobel for being weak and soft-hearted - with me pointedly picking every single Aggressively Compassionate Selûnite Cleric dialogue option in her presence, while also showing flashes of that Isobel-brand Steel that is very much there - to finally becoming open to the very idea of tenderness and being protected is a very nice arc, I think.

I have committed severe overthinking of everything mentioned above. Now, for the Aylin playthrough I have no explanation whatsoever beyond the lethal combination of "I felt like it" with "big lady pretty" and a truly unconquerable addiction to playing paladins.

[suzieb-fit]

Tried a new breakfast. Milky collagen and inulin coffee with apple, cinnamon and chia seed pudding with strawberries and cacao.

Not loving the pudding. But always ready to try something different. I wish I'd stuck to my usual walnuts, though 😅

Only 12hrs "fast", after serious low blood sugar shenanigans about an hour before bedtime last night. It messed me up, and I went into "panic bunge mode". Ate way too much.

Then it was a high level rebound situation, which I was fully expecting, all through the night. A few insulin correction doses, but it stayed high.

I had an online training session booked in for 7am, which I honoured of course, but oh how I wanted to just stay in bed! I just went very low effort on the workout myself, but made sure I worked our fabulous Alison hard!

I'm now doing that whole "listening to my body" thing. And today it's saying "YOU NEED TO REST!!". Who am I to argue? 🤔😋.

Strong collagen coffee, (boring instant) with full fat milk. Roasted and salted macadamia and walnuts.

Feet up. Book.

My nurture time from yesterday has had to be extended by another day.

So I'm seriously considering a 36hr "fat fast" starting after dinner.

Get this "curl up in a ball, eating all the things" phase out of my system, then throw myself a curveball.

Mucus no better. Waiting for intolerance results (might be days yet). Diabetes drama kicked my butt last night. Rough night. Sluggish, a little burned out and just......Ugh.

So yeah, as it is now written, so shall it be done.....

[havnblog]

Similar Apps to Bear and Things 3

I saw a simple question on Reddit today, and it sparked an answer.

Any other apps similar to Bear and Things 3? Looking for similar apps to these two that perfectly balances minimalism, functionality, and UI/aesthetics.

I interpreted this as not being about the specific functionalities, and the types of apps (note-taker and task-manager), but the way those apps feel. Because, if you haven’t used them, you really should. They are truly special pieces of software. I will write more about some of these apps later, but

here’s my answer:

Oooh, I like this question!

I’m the kind of person who really values how a piece of software feels (in addition to looks and works.). But I 100% get that I might seem like an idiot for using pricier, and maybe less powerful, software, just because I think it’s nice, heh.

I really like both Bear and Things, but I’ve gone for a workflow where I mostly use plaintext/.md files, which I then access from different apps. The files are located in the folder for NotePlan, which I use it because it has good task and calendar support, so it fills the function of both Bear and Things. And compared to Obsidian and Logseq, it’s closer to Bear in terms of nice-ness — though not quite at that level.

Here are som apps I’d say are on that level, though:

These are apps that (mostly) adhere to principles of Fast Software, the Best Software, and are filled with details you might not appreciate at first glance.

Paper (Severely overpriced, but very nice, files-based Markdown editor. The “preview mode” is also a great rich text editor that still outputs Markdown.)

Bike (A brilliant, but simple, outliner. Not expensive! Also files based — which I don’t prefer, but I still use these two apps because they’re such a joy to use. The way it handles rich text should be copied by all. So clever! And 2.0 looks very promising as well.)

TaskPaper (Plain-text task manager, by the same developer as Bike. Almost as pleasant to use, which still makes it nicer than most apps. Lightning fast, and plays quite nice with NotePlan — so I can use both apps, with the same files.)

Ivory (A great Mastodon client, with a remarkable feel. They’ve made a custom scrolling engine, which is just so delightful! It’s not my favourite, though, because Mona is almost as nice, but has several features I really like. I’ve written a bit about it here.)

Telegram (I’m not vouching for its security or the owners — but as a simple chat app with friends and family, which is my use case, it’s head and shoulders above the rest. Especially compared to the other three I’ve used the most: iMessage, Messenger and Signal (though I still recommend Signal if you want more security — and they deserve the support). I’ve given examples of why here.)

Nova (Just a really nice code editor, with a good business model, and som noob-friendly options I like, like rainbow brackets and code structure headings. A Mac-assed Mac app if there ever was one.)

Honourable mentions:

Ulysses (Before I used Paper, I would’ve put this on the list! Still really nice.)

iA Writer (Very opinionated, and I don’t agree with the opinions. Still nice, though!)

Reeder and Mela (RSS reader and recipe manager made by the same developer. He’s also working on the next version of Reeder now, and while the TestFlight is pretty bare-bones, it feels outstanding. To be frank, these might deserve a spot on the other list — but when the new version of Reeder drops, it’s a shoo-in. It also supports more than text! However, just like with Mastodon, my favourite client is almost as nice, but has a killer feature: I use Lire because it caches full articles from truncated RSS feeds.

Arc (I really like the attention to detail here. I’ve personally decided not to use it due to the combination of Chromium and questionable AI shenanigans, but it’s still the best browser IMO.)

Mimestream (The same hippie stuff that makes me not want to use Chromium also keeps me away from Gmail, so I can’t use this app. Hopefully, they’ll support JMAP (here’s why I use Fastmail) in the future because it looks really, really good!)

Raycast (Just feels modern and fast, while managing to do many things without being too busy.)

Zed (Another code editor. Less noob-friendly and featureful than Nova, as it’s still a bit early for this. But oh-boy, it’s fast!)

Tot (A neat little note-taker of the “Post-it” variety. Free on the Mac, and the iOS version is currently 50% off until 8th of July 2024!)

[hopepetal]

Well since we're doing these...

Happy New Year! I have made so many friends over the past year who I have come to love and cherish so much. You guys are my everything and I'm so honoured and happy that you've managed to put up with my shenanigans for this long.

Some extra special friends I've made:

@whumpopology @sableflynn @sapphirechao @iboopsstuff @whumpy-arts-and-crafts @suspicious-whumping-egg @whump-a-la-mode @actress4him @whumpingmydarlings @painful-pooch @whumper-in-training @onlywhump @abyssopelagicsystem @for-the-love-of-angst @pimclementine @ everyone in the whump a woman server! Y'all are the best!

[beyond-far-horizons]

Analysing the Zutara Cave Scene from a Writing and Psychological perspective

Forgive me, I’m an enthusiastic newbie to the ATLA fandom and Zutara (mainly because I knew the ship was perfect for me but was not canon and so I held off watching it for years.) So I know you’ve heard it all before but I wanted to break down this famous scene in more depth from my background as both a writer and a student of psychology. It’s also important since the age old ship wars are being resurrected (which I want no part of) and Zutara and this scene has been looked down on and belittled from some quarters. 

Warning - Wall of Text TM incoming!

The main thing that gets most people is these mortal enemies going from hating each other to being open and vulnerable in about five minutes of screen time. I get the impression more time and therefore more conversation has gone on off screen, but it’s amazing that Katara goes from tirade at the literal face of the Fire Nation (a country whose plagued her people and killed her mother, and Zuko himself who has hunted her and her friends, captured her at least twice and has had several intense fights with her) 

to tenderly touching Zuko’s face and “let me use our one of its kind Holy Water TM to maybe heal your face.” 

Also as others have pointed out Zuko lets this ‘peasant’ (who defeated him, wounded his pride and foiled his lifelong goal several times) touch his scar when he doesn’t let anyone else do that at this point, even girls he’s been close to. 

I doubt many Zutara shippers think this happened because the two suddenly decided the other was hot, even though there might be an unconscious physical attraction under all the animosity. But no-one can deny the writers were trying to show a shared connection that makes them open up to each other. That to me makes the relationship much deeper whether it’s platonic or romantic. 

Katara, despite her understandable rage at Zuko, is surprisingly open to forgiving and helping him as soon as he  -

a) mentions they have something in common - the Fire Nation being responsible in some way for the loss of their mothers.

b) his resolution to make his own destiny and overcome his difficult past associated with the scar.

I just love this about her character. She’s passionate, feisty and full of integrity but she can’t stop herself wanting to help make things better, even to one of her worst enemies. Her compassion is such a strength and it comes out even more when she realises she’s accidentally hurt his feelings re his face.

Zuko in turn is softer with her than I’ve ever seen him with others, even Iroh most of the time. He doesn’t get angry or even really defensive and he opens up about his mother for the first time. Extraordinary considering he’s talking to an enemy.

But this isn’t the first time he’s tried to win Katara over against his normal combative persona. When he captured her in Ep 9 you’d expect him to threaten her, especially surrounded by his men and bloodthirsty pirates. Instead he asks for her understanding and tells her (the little peasant and enemy of the Fire Nation) about his lost honour.

He then goes momentarily into full skeevy villain mode (which I loved) and offers her necklace back by placing it round her neck. (As an aside, yes this was totally the wrong tactic considering it was her mother’s who the Fire Nation killed, but I do love that he unknowingly offered her a Water Tribe betrothal necklace.)

Analysing it more deeply from a writing and psychology perspective, I’d say Katara represents the integrity and vulnerability that is at the core of Zuko’s character - the thing that got him that scar and banishment from his warlike family. 

The same side he struggles with and that Iroh tries to heal and encourage within him. It’s masterly from a writing POV that they brought this mirror up and allowed Zuko to connect and own this aspect of himself again briefly before Azula (the opposite representation and Zuko’s ‘shadow’) literally crashes the party. This is truly his ‘crossroads of destiny’, raising the stakes and therefore making us  - the audience - ache all the more when Zuko makes the wrong but understandable decision to choose Azula and his family’s version of him and betray not just Katara but Iroh too (dat angst.)

(As an aside look at the framing of the above shot. They do this alot showing him literally caught between two sides. In the previous scene with Azula and Iroh, they show both the unscarred and then scarred profile of Zuko to show the ‘two sides of him’ symbolically represented by Azula and Iroh.)

Two sides, Fire and Water, the battle of opposites and the bringing of balance is of course the core of ATLA, and Zuko and Katara’s fraught relationship sums this theme up perfectly. Another reason so many still ship them and feel aggrieved by the non-canon ending. 

I think Zuko is so wounded by Katara’s refusal to forgive him and so determined to earn that forgiveness is because she represents his true ‘honour’ - the right way to be - to fight for balance and justice with integrity no matter what. Thus he must make amends to her, not just as someone he has wronged, but as the mirror of that aspect in himself. 

Thematically this is tied up beautifully in him asking her to join him to defeat Azula in the final season and them working together to do so. 

(As another aside, the theme of balance and Yin and Yang is also mirrored in Zuko and Katara’s relationship and character development. At the start Katara is the caring, altruistic almost motherly sort and Zuko is the angry, aggressive pursuer. However like Yin and Yang that contain an aspect of the other within them, whenever Katara meets Zuko she becomes more aggressive and is allowed to process her grief and anger, unlike with her friends. Zuko, in turn is often softened by her, reawakening his compassion and deeper feelings. Yes these aspects are also fostered by others, but Season 3 highlights this dynamic to Zutara allowing Katara to address her anger and Zuko to practice caregiving and support.)

Coming back to the Cave Scene -  the most poignant part for me isn’t actually the face touch (even though I love it). It’s the final glance between them as Katara and Aang leave. Katara looks back worried, it’s as if she can sense the threshold Zuko is on and feels torn between staying and supporting him and her duty to Aang. I feel if they had had more time together Azula would have had less chance to turn Zuko. 

He looks back at her softly and there’s a beautiful musical cue, hinting at things unsaid and unfinished, she gives him a final lingering glance, still anxious, then goes. 

We all know what happens next. 

Conclusion

Looking at this from a purely plot point of view it - 

raises the emotional stakes and therefore make Zuko’s betrayal hurt worse.

Sets up Zuko knowing about Katara’s healing abilities and Spirit Water so he knows there is a possibility the Avatar could be saved. This all plays into the shenanigans of Book 3, letting Zuko go back to the Fire Nation, Azula giving him the credit and then letting down her father etc.

Giving Zuko more character development work to earn everyone’s trust esp Katara’s when he finally makes the right choice.

However I’m surprised that Bryke didn’t realise how this episode would look to the eyes of most fans esp Zutarians. Yes you could say it’s hetero-normative and why can’t they be just platonic etc but it was the Noughties, it’s a kids show and they are blatantly playing into those well known tropes - Zuko’s previous verging-on flirtatious treatment of Katara, his uncharacteristic softness and openness with her, her touching his scar, the music, their lingering glances, Aang’s jealous look (you could argue it was animosity towards his enemy but while we get this from Zuko, it is definitely played as suspicion about a potential rival so close to ‘his girl’ from Aang’s side.)

Ultimately the writers didn’t choose the romantic route, which I feel is a real shame and missed opportunity because of the depth of feeling and potential there. But what I really resent is when people act like Zutarians were stupid and/or biased for seeing and loving that potential. I hope this analysis has shown that the romantic subtext was strong (and much more believable for me than with Katara and Aang) and in line with the core themes of ATLA itself. This also refutes the suggestion that Zutara was somehow dark, toxic or shallow cos ‘he’s a bad boy’ or something. 

Zuko was owning his own struggles, emotions and destiny in this scene, it’s why Katara finally opens up to him. She doesn’t have to ‘do the work for him’, but she supports him in it as he supports her later on when he earns her forgiveness. And that’s why I love it!

Thank you for coming to my TED talk...

[qxeenofstars]

He must be staring at my Tav's ass or something because he does this all the fucking time I'm losing my mind

[whopooh]

Thoughts about Miss Fisher and Antony and Cleopatra

I saw Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra from National Theatre on Youtube the other week, and I really want to talk about the parallels between Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries and the play – since this is the Shakespeare play that is most referenced of all in the show. Having finally seen the play, I want to explore this a bit!

Antony and Cleopatra��is very present in MFMM. In “Ruddy Gore”, when Phryne challenges him to perform, Jack quotes lines about Cleopatra from the play for her and to her: 

Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale  Her infinite variety: other women cloy  The appetites they feed: but she makes hungry  Where most she satisfies. 

It’s beautiful and so fitting to Phryne, and to Jack’s view of Phryne, and the way he speaks the last line is amazing (it also stops perfectly before the quote starts talking about “vile” things). Later, in “Murder in the Dark”, Phryne tries to persuade him to dress up as Antony to complement her Cleopatra in the masquerade. Jack replies with another quote from the play, suggesting he would then become “The triple pillar of the world transform'd / Into a strumpet's fool” – one of the harsh characteristics of Antony being in Cleopatra’s thrall. Phryne dismisses the charges, pointing out that he is rather a single pillar, and has been for rather too long. (Especially poignantly put since he has only been divorced for a few hours at this point, which Phryne doesn’t know.) Finally, when they find the corpse in "Murder à la Mode”, Jack quotes a line from the play after Phryne has shown him the pearl: “He kiss'd, – the last of many doubled kisses, – / This orient pearl”, rather suggestively apostrophing the closeness between them (the pearl is a token of love sent from Antony to Cleopatra) and at the same time making a cunnilingus joke. Phryne smiles and diffuses the tension by pointing out that even Mark Antony probably wouldn’t want to kiss that pearl (which has just been used as a murder weapon).

So, you want me to perform, Miss Fisher?

For a reference, then, this is used unusually consistently.

Why? I would say that it’s used in several ways. Most easily, it’s a way to show the depth of Jack (he is more than “just a copper”, he knows his Shakespeare) as well as of Phryne and her flirting  – which also shows how well-matched they are. It brings out the sensuality of Phryne, and the energy between Phryne and Jack and how it could become much more, by bringing out the likeness to one of literary history’s famous love couples. But most of all, it interests me how the play simultaneously works as a parallel and a contrast to the duo we are watching – and how that says so very much about what the show is doing.

Antony and Cleopatra, National Theatre (Sophie Okonedo and Ralph Fiennes).

The parallels are many. Most strongly resonating is, I think, that both are love stories about adult, mature, accomplished, and independent people, who happen to find a strong passionate love in an age far from the teenages of Romeo and Juliet. They are capable, they have their own lives already before they meet – and then they meet someone they feel passionately about, and that love is depicted as so very tangible and real. Both Cleopatra and Phryne offer sensuality, pleasure, and fun to a person usually ruled by duty. Cleopatra is famed for her beauty, but also for her cleverness and capability (even if Shakespeare downplays that part, I’d say), and Phryne is as beautiful as she is clever. They are not afraid of “what people think” and very alluring to a man of honour who is used to follow the male order of the army and the police, accustomed to carry an “armour”. Antony and Jack are both competent, handsome, and worth to be admired. They are bound by duty, and by promises.

And this is where the contrasts take over from the parallels – because what is made of this are two very different things. Antony and Cleopatra, despite all the love, will end in tragedy, because love overrules duty. Antony will lose everything because he abandons the duty-bound ideal for pleasure and love (and a lot of horniness, to be frank), a chosen path that cannot be allowed in his world. [Note: It is very clear, though, that the characters around him still admire and love him, both his allies and his enemies; they simultaneously seem to feel he has gone astray and admire him for what he was.]

But this is not the case with Jack and Phryne. MFMM is not a tragedy, and the development of the plot shows us (and Jack) that a man can choose sensuality and love without losing his dignity. To go along with Phryne and her shenanigans is not to lose the path of duty, but a way to both complement and enhance it. Where Shakespeare’s play puts the male and the female as a kind of opposites, where the struggle between them threatens to bring the male down, in MFMM it is a mutually beneficial meeting.

“To be or not to be Mark Antony, that is the question.”

It is really notable in MFMM how the “norm” on the male/female division is challenged and proved to be unnecessary. We have all noted how Phryne and Jack have traits that traditionally are seen to belong to both genders, and they are mixed up in a great way. Phryne doesn’t lure Jack away from something, she is not dangerous or allowing lust to override rationality. Rather, with Phryne the creators have taken what could have been that, and completely upended it, filling it with so much humanity, care, and interesting traits. Phryne is utterly female, but she is not female in a way that is opposite, dark, threatening, or alluring like a siren. She may look like Cleopatra, but she is no Cleopatra.

And by this I don’t mean to downplay the power of the character Cleopatra – she is interesting and there are many nuances also in her, of course. But she is still depicted as the downfall of an honourable man – the fact that he follows her is his flaw, taking away his bravery and leadership to instead disastrously follow her lead: “My heart was to thy rudder tied by the strings, / And thou shouldst tow me after: o'er my spirit / Thy full supremacy thou knew'st, and that / Thy beck might from the bidding of the gods / Command me.” 

This is not what Phryne does. She is not here to apologize, but she is also not here to be someone’s flaw or downfall.

In Antony and Cleopatra, the talk about male and female, and the threat of them becoming mixed or swapped, is really overt. More than once, Antony is depicted in female terms and Cleopatra in male, and since the outcome is tragic, this has the potential to be seen as a bad thing [the power of the characters, despite the tragedy, can also say the opposite, that it can be seen as a good thing but in the wrong world, but I’ll use the first line of thought here]. One example is this description of Antony: “he fishes, drinks, and wastes / The lamps of night in revel; is not more man-like / Than Cleopatra; nor the queen of Ptolemy / More womanly than he.”

And this will be my final point here, that this mixture of gendered traits is a parallel with MFMM – but in MFMM this is unanimously depicted as something good. The fact that Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries in this sense isn’t anything like (for example) Antony and Cleopatra is its real strength, and a place where the show feels so incredibly hopeful.

“Come on, Jack, Just one gaudy night,” Phryne says, echoing Cleopatra’s “Come, / Let's have one other gaudy night” in the play.

Oh, and one more point! In the play, when Antony is going to war, Cleopatra helps buckle him up. In the show, Phryne helps to unbuckle Jack, or at least his tie, at the masquerade. That is such a fun parallel, and we get to see Jack a bit dishevelled – but again, this never compromises him, and when they need to chase a murderer, he is instantly ready to work.

*

PS. I would love to hear your thought about this! Please feel free to both agree and disagree or pick out other parts of the parallel!

*

[jj-lives]

Keep it Together (sing sing)- bmblb

“Can we make cookies for dessert?”

Ruby’s hopeful voice reaches Yang’s ears where she’s sitting on the couch watching the news.  It’s supposed to rain again the next day, which doesn’t bode well. Another day without pay won’t kill them, but it’s definitely not helping their situation.

“I don’t think so.” Yang flips the channel to some cartoons she knows Ruby likes and returns to the stove where she’s left Ruby in charge of stirring their dinner. “We don’t have the stuff to make cookies.”  Yang looks over her younger sister’s shoulder, approving of the soup’s unburnt appearance and smell. “Good job Ruby, looks delicious.”

“Can I go watch t.v. now?” The younger sibling asks, dropping the spoon already anticipating her answer.  

“Yeah, go on.”

Taking up the spot Ruby vacates, Yang stirs the mix of meat and vegetables.  There’s decidedly more vegetables than meat and even more broth than vegetables.  But there’s enough to last a few meals which will get them pretty close to payday.  

“Can you not go get stuff for cookies?”

Ruby’s using her puppy dog eyes when Yang turns to acknowledge her.  It hurts, because Yang would love to go out and get the cookie dough, come home and spend the evening making and eating them with Ruby.  She wants to give her sister all the things she deserves, the things that make her happy, the things Yang never got to have. But there’s literally less than a dollar in her bank account.  

“Not today.” Is all Yang can muster to say as she turns back to taste the soup.  The carrots are cooked all the way through so she turns off the stove and grabs a couple bowls from the cupboard.  She dishes them both equal amounts, making sure to pour more broth than anything in her own bowl. Ruby needs the nutrients more than she does, the youngest is still growing after all.  

They eat on the couch, in front of the television, laughing between bites at the cartoon shenanigans on the screen.  When Ruby’s finished Yang grabs her bowl and cleans up the mess dicing vegetables has caused on the kitchen counter. When everything is clean once more Yang glances at the clock on the stove.

“Ruby, it’s time to get ready for bed.”

“No, one more episode!” She’s demanding, which means she’s tired and experience has taught Yang that prolonging the inevitable only results in a larger argument.  

“No, get ready for bed.” Yang uses her stern voice so Ruby knows she means business.  Ruby only has two choices, she can either obey and head to bed or she can use the only other trump card in her deck. She chooses the latter.

“Dad would le-“

“But he’s not here, is he?” Yang cuts her off turning towards her, anger flaring.  He isn’t the one putting a roof over her head. He isn’t the one going to school and holding a full time job just so Ruby doesn’t have to realize how fucked up everything is.  He doesn’t care about them and Yang’s sick of Ruby using him as an excuse to not listen to her.

Ruby dips her head ashamed, but she quickly presses a button on the remote in her hand.  The light from the television disappears and Ruby makes her way silently, sheepishly to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

Anger deflating, Yang suddenly feels guilt.  Ruby doesn’t know how bad she struggles, because she never lets it show.  She’s always made a point of not letting her negative emotions show around her younger sibling.  Tai’s bad parenting has already taken its toll on her, she wasn’t about to let it affect Ruby’s innocence too.  Yang just wishes she had more money, a better job, just anything really to have set aside. She really would like to be able to have a nest egg where she could take a little out of to give Ruby the things she asked for.  She really doesn’t ask for much, cookies and small treats. Her requests should be achievable, and Yang is blessed that Ruby’s one that can take enjoyment out of the smallest things.

She sits up for another hour before following her sister to bed.  She might not have work but she still has school in the morning.

—-

Yang storms out the front doors of the school. She hates her Physics teacher with a passion.  No matter how hard she tries, she just can’t grasp the concepts. She’s good at math, so she has to assume it’s more his teaching methods than anything else, but he continually calls on her for the answers he knows she doesn’t have. She despises being embarrassed that way.  She’s a smart student, has above average grades, but he makes her feel stupid. Yang has enough negative thoughts about herself, enough doubts on if she’s doing things right when it comes to Ruby, she doesn’t need some pompous teacher making her feel worse about herself. She’s debated dropping out to get a second job- it would help with the money situation - but Yang knows that isn’t what’s right for her.  She doesn’t want to be a negative influence on Ruby, and Yang desperately does want to graduate.

She waits for Ruby in the parking lot, beside the beat up rusted junk she calls her car.  It isn’t much, but she needs it to get to her job. Yang doesn’t even want to think of what they would do if it broke down.  She barely has enough for rent and food to last between paydays, what would they do if she had to fork over any more on fixing her junk of a car?

Ruby’s taking longer than usual, probably caught up talking to one of her many friends.  Yang doesn’t mind waiting today, she doesn’t have to work even though the clouds are dispersing.  She’s happy to wait if Ruby’s enjoying herself. Plus, the fact Yang is probably going to have to pull a double shift to make up for the rain impacting the crews completion schedule doesn’t have her excited for tomorrow.  She’s happy to relax at least for one night.

Laughter brings Yang’s attention to a group of girls her own age.  Yang’s seen them around school, a couple may have even been her friends in an earlier lifetime.  There’s also the new girl; Blake was her name. Yang supposes she isn’t really new, having moved into the area the year before, but in their small town where no one moves into or out of she is still the new girl in Yang’s mind.  

She’s nice enough, from the interactions Yang has witnessed her in.  She hasn’t said a negative word to anyone as far as Yang knows, and generally has a positive standing with most students and teachers.  It’s not something that can be said for all of Blake’s friends however.

“Hey orphan, what are you looking at?”  Yang grits her teeth to stop from escalating the situation.  They’ll soon leave.

“She’s not an orphan, Chelsea.” Another speaks up, Yang can’t tell if she’s defending her or just a know-it-all needing to set the facts straight.

“Even worse,” Chelsea supplies, her perfect brunette hair bouncing as she swings her head in Yang’s direction, blue eyes burning with mischief. “Just means Blondie here wasn’t worth sticking around for.”  Her friends snicker at her comment but Yang notices Blake isn’t one of them.

Blake’s eyes switch from her cruel friends to meet Yang’s for the first time.  Her bodies reaction to the eye contact surprises Yang. The girl is pretty, beautiful even, but her eyes are piercing and it unnerves Yang’s usual confidence enough for her to actually take a shuffled step away from the raven haired girl.  She feels something jab sharply into the small of her back and she winces - she’s fallen back onto the mirror of the car behind her.

Blake’s friends roar louder, Yang’s pain adding to their amusement. The ears, so adorably perched atop Blake’s head twitch, one in the direction of her friends and one trained on Yang.  Blake notices they catch Yang’s attention and she narrows her amber eyes, challenging her? Yang isn’t sure what the look means.

“Hey, sis. Let’s go!”  Ruby bounds to the passenger side of the car, brushing unknowingly past the group of girls making Yang their sport. “Hey, can we get that stuff for cookies today?”

Yang shifts her gaze to her sister over the hood of the car. “Not today.”

“That’s what you said yesterday!” She complains.

“Maybe on the weekend.” Yang tries to placate her, noticing they’re still being scrutinized by the group behind Ruby. “Now get in.”

“Can we get ice cream then?” She’s switching treats thinking Yang’s just not into her cookie idea, and Yang would be touched that she’s thinking of her wants but that isn’t the issue.

“Get in the car, Ruby.” Yang tries more sternly.

“Is that a yes?” She asks hopeful.

“It’s a no.  Let’s go.”

“Why not?”

Glancing over Ruby’s shoulder Yang sees the group of girls whispering quietly to each other.  She knows they won’t stay silent for long, and although she’s sure Ruby doesn’t catch on to the reason she’s denying her, Yang knows the others can guess.  She desperately wants Ruby to get in the car before the older girls point out the unpleasant truth but her sister’s being extra stubborn and Yang doesn't want to make more of a scene by going into parental mode.

“Let’s go guys.” Yang’s eyes dart to find the source of the soft voice and she finds it came from Blake.  Amber eyes hold hers for a moment before they shift to her friends. “I need to get home, and you guys are my ride.” And with that Blake turns and walks further down the row of cars.  Her friends pause, but just shoot Yang matching glares before they move to follow their friend.

Ruby asks three more times on the way home before giving up on the idea of any treats that day.  It digs at Yang’s heart every time she has to deny her. She can tell Ruby isn’t pleased at having the same meal as the night before but she thankfully doesn’t voice her displeasure.  

“You have any homework?” Knowing the answer before she even asks.  Ruby is an honours student and always seems to finish any homework in class.

“Nope.”

Yang hums in response and moves to sit at their rarely used kitchen table.  She’s working on one of the Physic questions that stumped her earlier when she hears a knock at the door.  Confused, because they don’t get visitors, Yang quickly panics wondering if she forgot to pay rent but her bank account proves that she has.

Before she can move Ruby is already swinging the door open, like a visitor is a common occurrence.

“Yang, it’s for you.” Ruby calls, still standing at the door, staring at whoever is on the other side.

“What?” Yang stands and takes a step towards the door.

“It’s one of your friends from school.” Her answer confuses Yang even more.  She doesn’t have any friends, but when she steps around her sister she comes face to face with Blake.

“Hello.” Her voice is just as soft and eyes just as piercing as earlier and Yang is having trouble processing.  

“Hi.”  They stand in silence for an awkward moment and even Ruby seems to notice because she speaks up when neither of the older girls seem to be in a hurry to do so.

“Do you want to come in?” Ruby asks, opening the door wider. “I like your ears by the way.”

“Ruby!” Yang scolds, tearing her eyes from Blake to shoot her sister a disapproving look.

“What?” She asks perplexed. “They’re cute, don’t you think?”

“I-“ Yang turns back to the girl in their doorway, looking for any signs that she’s been affronted by Ruby’s unfiltered nature.  She can’t help but glance up at the ears Ruby has just mentioned. They twitch ever so slightly and Yang can feel her face heat up because yes, they are completely adorable.  

Blake’s melodious laughter fills the room and Yang meets her eyes once more.  They’re less penetrating than before, more gentle in their scrutinizing of the two sisters.

“I was hoping you two would like to join me for some ice cream.”

“Oh my god, yes!” Ruby is already shoving her feet into her shoes before the words can even process fully in Yang’s mind.

“I don’t think-“

“My treat.” Blake cuts her off, giving Yang a pointed look before softening her gaze and looking to Ruby.

“Does that mean I can’t get my usual?” Yang’s about to tell her to just get a normal cone instead of the giant monstrosity she usually gets but Blake speaks up before she can.

“You can get whatever you want.  I’m getting an extra large sundae so I’d rather not look like a pig on my own.”

Ruby squeals and rushes passed Blake, already bounding down the stairs. “Hurry up Yang!” She calls over her shoulder.

“You don’t have to do this.” Yang states but shoves her feet in her shoes anyway.  Ruby isn’t going to take no for an answer now.

“I know, but I want to.” Is Blake’s simple reply.

“Why? You don’t even know us.” Yang asks, stepping out into the hall, locking the door behind them.  “And how did you even know where we live?”

Blake chuckles. “Your car is pretty easy to recognize, and I only needed to knock on a few doors to find out which one is yours.”

“There’s no privacy in this world anymore.” Yang grits, glaring at the neighbours doors they pass, slowly following Ruby’s path.

Blake’s soft laugh at her comment pulls a smile from Yang.

“You know.” Blake speaks up, smiling coyly. “That’s the first time I’ve ever seen you smile.”

“What? I smile.” Yang defends.

“Not that I’ve seen, but you should definitely do it more often.”

“Huh?”

“You look really pretty when you smile.” She laughs again at Yang’s dumbfounded look. “And to answer your earlier question, I want to do this because I have younger siblings as well.  I know what it’s like to want to protect them from things, and how much it sucks when you can’t. Everyone needs some help here and there.” She shrugs as you both bound down the flight of stairs.  “I have some food in the trunk of my car if you’d like it. We can move it to your car later so Ruby doesn’t have to know.”

“I can’t-“

“I’d be more upset if you refused, but I’ll understand if you do.”

Ruby is jumping with excitement as they both emerge from the building.  Yang catches the amused smile on Blake’s face at her sister’s antics. She’s glad Blake seems to be enjoying her sister’s energy instead of being annoyed by it like some people.  

“My car’s parked at the end there Ruby.” Blake speaks up giving Ruby a destination.

“Oh my- Yang, it’s black and purple!” She squeals. “It’s so cool.”

“I’ll pay you back.” Yang says once Ruby is out of earshot.

“No need,” Opening her mouth to argue Blake beats her to it. “Though if you must, I am in the search of new friends, my current ones are getting on my nerves.”

“Oh yeah?” Yang smirks.  

“Yeah, they’re definitely too bitchy for my taste.”

It pulls a genuine laugh from her and it feels good, she’s been faking enough of them lately.  When her attention returns to the other girl Yang notices how surprised she looks. Her mouth is parted and eyes wide, ears perked straight up atop her head.  

“Wow,” Blake whispers and Yang raises a brow in question. “You should definitely do that more often too.”

“Come on,” Yang blushes, motioning towards Ruby waiting not at all patiently by Blake’s car. “If we don’t hurry you’re going to see the full wrath of my sister.”

“She’s tiny, what can she possibly do?” Blake laughs.

“Honestly?” Yang feins terror. “You do not want to find out.”

Blake rolls her eyes but moves into a jog. “Then we better hurry.”

Yang laughs again, but follows suit.  The smile Blake shoots her over her shoulder at the sound of her laughter has Yang promising to do it more.  

Anything to have Blake look at her like that again.

[shockapella-sweet]

Which MK wips would you do next once Guess Who's Coming to Dinner finishes (even though I want it to go on forever and ever)?

Eek, that feel when I know I’m not supposed to be on Tumblr at all because that poor fic needs to be updated. might just go on forever and ever and ever …

As I’ve said in a past post, Nonny, I can’t make any promises regarding WIPs like Stained Glass or Past The Point of No Return. I feel awful for having abandoned them for so long. Right now, however, GWCTD? is my main focus, and - having watched MK11′s, um, questionable Story Mode - I’ve got a lot of fanfic ideas that’s swimming around in my head. Whether I’ll actually get to writing some of them is another story and a half. ^-^;;

Mind you, I’ve considered writing a sort-of sequel fic to GWCTD? that’s a bit more dramatic and incorporates elements from MK11′s Story Mode; I’ve even thought of just retelling the Story Mode, albeit with the inclusion of missing characters like Kung Jin, Reptile, Mileena, etc.

Another fanfic I also thought of tackling was one that I came up with about three years ago, called Death at a Wedding. I ended up borrowing bits and pieces of its premise to use in GWCTD?, but the plot would be this:

A month or so after Shinnok’s defeat, Hanzo Hasashi and Kuai Liang become engaged to each other. They meet with Raiden at the Sky Temple for tea and tell him the good news. They also inform him that they want to have a low-key ceremony in the presence of close friends and allies.

But Raiden - out of the goodness of his heart - thinks it would be a good idea to invite Special Forces, Kotal Kahn (along with his posse) and the revenants to the wedding, so as to strengthen relations between Earthrealm, Outworld and the Netherrealm.

Cue all the shenanigans:

- Johnny Cage immediately appoints himself as the unofficial wedding reception-planner (all the while trying to figure out a way to get back together with Sonya Blade). Despite their initial protests, Hanzo and Kuai ultimately let him do his thing. They’ll sort out the actual ceremony-planning, of course,- Kenshi, who serves as the equivalent of Hanzo’s best man, becomes nervous at the prospect of making a speech at the reception (no thanks to Johnny). Luckily, a certain construct is there to listen to him while he practises, and also helps him to improve his speech.- Takeda and Jacqui Briggs are tasked with retrieving Hanzo’s wedding ring for Kuai from a jeweller. Jacqui tries it on for fun, only for it to get stuck on her ring finger, with no signs of it budging. Now the pair have to hide this fact from Hanzo and Jax (who’d get the wrong idea entirely, and will most likely throttle Takeda as a result).- Frost appoints herself as Kuai’s unofficial maid of honour, but treats the whole thing like it’s her wedding. Probably clashes with Cassie Cage from time to time.- Kotal Kahn and Kitana are at odds over Outworld’s rule, which leads them to ignoring their significant others (both Reptile and Liu Kang bond over their being snubbed). Plus, the wedding gives Ko-Ko a chance to ponder over his past … whatever the hell he had with D’Vorah.- Smoke is literally acting like a jealous ex, and does NOT want Kuai to marry Hanzo, whom Smoke treats like dirt. Kuai must try to keep the peace between them.- Perhaps a bachelor party of sorts goes awry, which leads to a slightly tipsy Kung Jin and an equally tipsy Erron Black sharing a little kiss … with Kung Lao right effin’ there to witness it.- Someone’s likely gonna die at this wedding, if it happens. Kuai, Hanzo and Raiden have regrets. Everyone does, in fact.

Yeah, Nonny, this idea has been sitting in my mind for the last three years. Of course, MK11′s Story Mode has forced me to rethink some things.

So, maybe something dramatic like a retelling of MK11 or a comedic fic might be the next step after I finish my current fic. The other WIPs, we’ll see. :)

[cat-sophia]

Happy 48th Captain Swan Day!

Hello Friends!

@winterbythesea is one of the most talented shipmates i know. She create amazing CS art and writes brilliant stories. Today we will focus on her wonderful stories. i fall in love with Given The Choice from the first read and i jump up and down with joy every time i see it’s updated. One of my fav of her stories that to this day has special place in my heart is bring back what once was mine - absolutely perfect story. I really hope that someday we will read more of Can’t Take The Sky, The Wicked Affair and Hogwarts AU - i’ll be so happy to read more!

Svenja, thank you for all you create, thank you for our conversations - not only about your perfect stories and art. Thank you that you share your talent with us! We are very grateful and we love you!

Her fics that I read and rec:

Multi Chapter

Given The Choice - Post-Neverland AU where Pan did not escape Pandora’s Box and Emma and Hook argue. A lot. (all chapters here) - missing scene

One Shots

Canon/Canon Divergence

Hidden Delights - in which David follows Emma, Hook and Neal on the way to Dark Hollow, and regrets his choices immensely when they meet an unexpected obstacle that threatens to get way too personal.

Magic Is Emotion - After Emma accidentally hurts Killian when she loses control of her magic, she decides that it’s for the best if they stay away from each other. But magic is emotion, and feelings can’t just be suppressed, and maybe it’s time to stop running… s4

tales of love and loss - ghost story set during the missing year, in which Killian hears stories of a ghostly lady in white who roams the seas in search of her lost love. But she isn’t real. She can’t be.

Double-Edged - Canon Divergence - where Zelena got hold of the dagger in Camelot. Separated from her family, Emma can do nothing except whatever Zelena commands – and she can’t remember what she’s already been made to do.

Heartbeat - Just a few missing scenes, basically Killian’s POV during and after Emma’s rescue in 4x02

in vitibus veritas - in which Emma, Hook, and Neal are unwilling participants in one of Pan’s little games while in Neverland.

Won't Say I'm In Love - Canon Divergence - set shortly after Neverland, in which the gang find themselves in the Enchanted Forest trying to defeat the Wicked Witch – and, in Emma’s case, trying not to admit her feelings for the pirate, until circumstances conspire to admit it for her

Love Is A Weapon - After Belle figures out that Rumple holds Killian’s heart, Emma is determined to get it back and save her pirate. Unfortunately, going up against the Dark One is anything but easy, especially when he holds the heart of someone you love… 4A  Canon Divergence (better than canon!) Part2 Part3

Wardrobe Change - Following a little accident with baby Neal, Emma tries to fix Killian’s wardrobe situation… with decidedly mixed results. s4

Pirate Skills - A missing scene from 4x05 - Killian helps Belle with babysitting little Neal.

Miscommunication - When David comes home to hear strange noises from his apartment, he can’t quite help jumping to conclusions…

bring back what once was mine - one-shot set at some point in the future, of Killian and Emma on a mission to save their child from the witch who kidnapped her (perfection!)

The Best Time - A battle aboard a ship. A marriage proposal. A captain nearby. And neither of them really have more time to waste. (A Captain Swan version of THAT scene from PotC).

A Name For A Prince - in which the Charmings name their son to honour a man who helped them fall in love and save their daughter. (A little fix-it fic because I still think it's weird that they called the baby Neal.)

Muscle Memory - in which Killian teaches Emma how to sword-fight, and they both explore this new thing between them. (Set in those six weeks after Elsa left. Because by the season 4 finale, Emma suddenly knew a lot about handling a sword, and we never got to see her learn.)

Pirate Diplomacy - A criminal mastermind and his crew runs afoul of Killian Jones... and his new sidekick. (A criminal mastermind and his crew runs afoul of Killian Jones... and his new sidekick.)

Of Princesses And Scoundrels - Emma gets one last addition to her team for the trip to the Underworld, and Killian makes a new friend. Because scoundrels don’t stay dead.

Cold Showers And Icy Looks - in which Emma and Killian have just battled a dragon, and Killian stumbles through some unintentional double-entendre as he tries to deal with the aftermath.

terrible and wonderful - Canon Divergence - where Killian remembers and Emma does not. Not really speculation, more just inspired by recent spoilers and the thought of Emma “meeting” Killian in full pirate swagger mode.

Love is (colour)blind - drabble

Traditions - Killian gets his hook stuck in the Christmas tree and Emma makes a joke about how he's the best looking ornament she's ever seen

a little missing scene of sorts set during the season 4 finale

Rain - CS ficlet (set during CS Movie)

Post-5.01 | 5x3 | 5x11 | after 5a spec | 5b spec | end of 5b spec | 5x8 | Post UW spec 5x21 spec - season 5 drabbles

Little smut drabble | Pancakes | Future | Post Underworld - drabbles

drabble - Killian’s longed hair | drabble - s6  “I like your particular brand of hope.” | drabble - Captain Swan + Charming + pancakes | drabble - some things - and some people - are well worth waiting for | drabble - what if Liam was in Storybrooke with his younger brother | drabble - As you wish drabble - Emma and Killian adopt little girl | drabble - set in s3 | drabble - "I'm gonna save my other princess" | drabble -  Emma and Killian trying to plan some sort of mission and Emma getting distracted

AU

Across The Stars - Once upon a time in a galaxy far far away… there was a princess who led a rebellion against an evil Empire, and a smuggler captain who was only in it for the money, and cared about nothing else. Or perhaps, he simply needed reminding that he could… Star Wars AU Part2 Part3

Hogwarts AU - Emma Swan has just started first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Part2

Motivated - scheming Liam and jealous Killian

Caught On Camera - Emma has tried to make the relationship with Walsh work, but when he all but rejects her live on TV, she finds a willing substitute in her bodyguard.

love love peace peace (and a little revenge) - in which Killian does Eurovision.

Can’t Take The Sky - Emma Swan and Killian Jones team up to apprehend an armed and dangerous military deserter, who just so happens to be Killian’s brother. Shenanigans ensure - in space. Sci-fi AU (I’d love to read more!)

The Wicked Affair - Killian Jones is a secret agent working for R.E.G.A.L., an international espionage and law enforcement agency. Emma Swan is an expert thief who has bested him more than once. And now, they have to work together. The fate of the world might just depend on it. Part2 (so good - it would be awesome to read more!)

drabble - EF AU smut

edit: @winterbythesea fics that i read after making this post:

you spin me right ‘round - A little Emma and Hook moment featuring sword-fighting, an overdramatic move with limited uses, and unexpected feelings. Set sometime in season 4.

Scars That Linger -  A little bit set in Camelot, in which some members of the court bring up old insecurities for Killian, and Emma finds a way to reassure him. AU in that Emma is not the Dark One.

[abundantchewtoys]

Homestuck^2 Bonus re: Catnapped part 2

My reactions to this bonus chapter are under the cut!

Page 9

Ahahaahahahahah.

So Jasprosesprite^2 is claiming a place at the table as Creator. That sneaky cat.

Well, she IS half Rose, so she has some claim to the name. And it appears that in this timeline, it is going to be the carapacian that will stir up trouble.

Which is ironic - Jane was so focused on the trolls becoming trouble, and everyone assumed the carapacians would just be slaves to propaganda. But we forgot they are also very democracy-obsessed, thanks to the influence of WV. :D

Pffff, but she actually articulated her cat smiley during the broadcast.

So yeah, Ataxia is definitely a type of figurehead, but one of some clout in the Troll Kingdom.

Pfff, Roxy erected a palace in honour of Fefeta. That is just perfect.

And hey, Eggmop's being involved in the proceedings here too! Seems like she just rolls into rebellions naturely.

It's really fitting that carapaces would back Jasprosesprite^2 so easily - they naturally prefer Kings and Queens. Though WV would have something to say about it. :P

I wonder how the meeting of the regional meeting with Crocker's administration will turn out.

But pffff, Rose just plain refused to acknowledge Jasprosesprite^2 in her writings. Not really mature.

Then again, what "historical journals" do they refer to? If it's just the GameFAQ walkthrough... :P

---

Page 10

Wohohohoh! Jasprosesprite^2 is sounding a bit more down-to-earth, actually! Guess seven years to get used to her state as catperson can do that.

That paintings of the Carapace Queens is a nice touch. Where did Jake get that coat. ... He's still cold, isn't he? Hahahah. Winter's not his season.

So it appears the entire legislature of Earth C is kind of a joke, and by extension its entire culture is a bit of a "spaceship culture" grown from bits and pieces of unearthed B2 Earth archeological evidence. I'm... not really surprised.

But it would seem it would have been Terezi that was most qualified to write better laws. Alas, it was not meant to be. What's great here is that the second troll, the one in shades, is apparently the same Cliper that Jane sent to the cakemines in the Meat timeline, hahah.

... Also, I wonder if that carapace "MD" brought that red flag due to being a bit literal-minded. :P Love the fact that his outfit is so assorti with the rest of the pallet of the palace.

Good to see someone new calling Jane out on her xenophobia. Let's see if Jasprosesprite^2 can be more successful than Karkat.

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Page 11

Hah, okay, Jasprosesprite^2 actually wants to endorse Jane once she gets at least a semblance of training. That's actually the best compromise to make here.

Her words also seem to refer to Candy Earth C, but I wonder if Jasprosesprite^2 can see into that timeline or not. She'd definitely realize Jane needs to be handled carefully if so.

MD is a female carapacian, whoops, my bad.

And Cliper is named so because of his clipboard, hahah. ... His horns are a form of paperclip, aren't they?

...

The three pillars of good rulership are "women, wine and song", oh my god. Midnight Crew reference secured! This makes me even curiouser for the "Diamonds, Dames and Dads" bonus story!

... I really hope Jasprosesprite^2 will actually be giving Jane some SOUND advice though.

---

Page 12

Ooooh, right, she was able to conjure those panes with her sprite powers!

My first thought on seeing a rainy sky is Rose's old home. Will she draw an allegory using Mom Lalonde's alcoholism as some sort of symbolism? Somehow I doubt it.

Batter-up!

---

Page 13

Hah! She teleported the lot of them elsewhere, for th bootcamp. :D

Cool, sprites for MD, Swifer & Cliper!

And it appears Cliper actually has his troll sign out and about. Is he a jadeblood? Is his sign part of the Extended Zodiac??

... Yup! http://hs.hiveswap.com/ezodiac/truesign.php?TS=Virza So he is, or he would have been, a Jadeblooded Derse dreamer and Hero of Mind! Cool. Well it explains why he's bureaucratically inclined.

---

... THE NEXT PAGE IS CALLED "PROBLEM SLEUTH^2" I... CAN'T.

OH BOY. Is bootcamp taking place in the world of Problem Sleuth? Or, well, Problem Sleuth 2? We know the sequel story was a thing on B2 Earth. It seems like a wild idea, but we know these panes can connect between some weird places.

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Page 14

WHAT THE FRICK. THINGS I DID NOT EXPECT BUT FULLY ENDORSE.

HELL. FREAKING YES.

Look at that theme! Now the door is open for PS meeting the Midnight Crew. Just. Man, if you're not backing this shit yet. YOU. ARE. MISSING. OUT.

So... Do we, like, assume this takes place in the far, far future of Meat Earth C? Or in another galaxy entirely, in the same universe?

I mean, is PS then an exile, but for what session???

But. Yes. This must take place after PS proper. Cause his compensation has become spectacular. And he's redecorated. Love the key/gun difference. And it was summer in PS proper, now, it's winter.

... Wait. It was winter on Earth C just now too. Hmmmmmmm...

I do not know where this is going, but in this exact moment I don't care.

It's been more than eleven years since I read PS for the first time, shit.

---

Page 15

Pffff. Yep, his telephone got an upgrade. He's not in the mobile era yet, though. His computer will probably only appear when acknowledged.

---

Page 16

Hah! They're in Midnight City. So... Is this Alternia, or the fictional counterpart of the MSPA site on B1/B2 Earth? :D

I don't care. PS in the Midnight Crew universe. I am. Fulfilled.

---

Page 17

Hell. Freaking. Yes. Just this. Page 10 of PS. I'm grinning like mad.

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Page 18

Pfffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff.

"retired protagonist"

"Ace Dick is the one with the yacht"

I LOVE THIS INTERMISSION.

---

Page 19

Aww, that was it.

Pffff, they're in a bar. And Jasprosesprite^2 is looking kind of like she's drawn in Andrew's PS style here.

Ace Dick is here and envious of all these tall people. This is great.

Jane is not amused with Jasprosesprite^2, and well, she's kind of right in that Jasprosesprite^2 seems to have brought them all just so she could drink. ... Wait that's a glass of milk, pffff.

But maybe she has a plan that involves a crash course on good leadership involving a criminal gang busting the place, making Jane having to think on her feet.

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Page 20

Well, isn't this just an eyesore for sights.

... Pffff, yup, Jasprosesprite^2 can see into the Candy path. And she's just as smug and cryptic about it as we've come to expect from sprites.

She's also definitely trying to flirt with Jane, dear god.

---

Page 21

Oh my god, yes. Swifer/Cliper dialogue. Moirails!

Historical discussion on the state of Earth C pre-Creator incursion! Insight into how important Kanaya was to trolls! Insight in how important Swifer now is!

...

Oooooh! Jasprosesprite^2 is hangling for how Jane is feeling now Dirk has stopped influencing her! That's what I wanted to know, too!

God, I think think Jasprosesprite^2 could actually be this useful!

---

Page 22

OH SNAP! Dad Crocker looking for Jane? ... He's going to end up with the Midnight Crew.

He's going to lift that portal with his mangrit and end up teleported with the Midnight Crew. DD's going to take a shining to him. Again. This will spin off into the Diamonds, Dames and Dads bonus chapter.

... Okay, but I think we can all agree Dad should meet PS. He had his sleuthing interests, AND they can compliment each other's fedora.

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Page 23

HOPY SHIT. HOPY SHIT.

Mr. Crocker: Engage Hardboiled Mode.

---

We'll stop reading now, but I have to wonder if this will even get resolved in the next part?

And do the other bonus stories all relate to this one??

The treatise could be something Jane has to learn about, or it could be related to PS' cheat I referred to, or even WV's own Quad-Kingdom thingy!! The Dads bonus chapter speaks for itself. A Threat, Sensed could follow PS.

I mean, if Homestuck^2 leads to more PS shenanigans, I'm here for this ride. (The fact that MSPA.com used to have all those PS bonus pages as well is funny.)

Crack Theory: the PS2 story on B2 Earth, which focused on the female characters, will turn out to have been inspired by Jane, Jasprose & Swifer's shenanigans here. ... I know MK was featured on the front page of PS2, but I think the Midnight Crew will be the mobsters they encounter.

[wordsaswespons]

Colin Creevey

Ahem, a moment of your time...?

I got to thinking about Colin Creevey the other day and the pictures he took… We know from COS that he basically documented everything that year, and we never hear anything past that (which I'm chalking up to Harry being an pretty much oblivious to anything happening in his school)… but I don’t think young Colin would have stopped at the end of the year (I mean, if you had got them developed, you’d be able to stop??). And I just picture a conversation  between him and his dad. And he's having a low point (he was most likely some form of an outcast - still kinda going on what we as readers barely know about him) and his dad telling him to never stop “cause maybe these pictures will be worth something one day" , perhaps a “you got real talent son, never give up” I mean I know it’s your typical dad pep talk, but he takes it to heart

And all these pictures helped him uncover his dream of becoming a professional photographer for the daily prophet, and he never stopped taking those photos.. He just got better at hiding it (maybe he got a slight upgrade to the camera he had.. I mean the last one was destroyed by that whole basilisk petrifaction incident)

And we know that he was in Dumbledore’s Army (which I’m pretty sure he documented in pictures) and he was there at the Battle of Hogwarts.. So, he learnt to fight, and most likely came back to fight and defend his home.. but maybe he planned to fight by documenting the battle in case they lost one day they’d be used to inspire the ones left behind. Anyway... you know what happened next - let’s just skip that part.... 

So (anyway), during the cleanup, somebody finds the dusty camera under some rubble (not destroyed, naturally, after missing the chance to capture a basilisk on film because it had no protection, Colin would never let that happen to him again). And it’s given to Harry, no words spoken because it’s known that only Colin Creevey would bring a camera to a wand fight.. 

And, after a few months, Harry gets around to meet Mr Creevey, a slightly overweight Milkman. Harry begins to introduce himself, but Mr Creevey stops him and tells him ‘I know exactly who you are Mr Potter, the boys always said you we a man of great honour’. ‘Your sons were men of great courage’ is all Harry can really get out. But Mr Creevy understands, the pain raw in both their faces - a knowledge that his boys had a bravery that not many people know - never mind live out. True Gryffindors until the very end. 

And Harry starts to pull out the camera out his bag and Mr Creevey seeing the camera, a suddenly gasping as he remembers something - a legacy that he won’t let die..

So, he beckons Harry inside, the pain cast aside for a moment. With a genuine smile on the milkman’s face, he asks the Boy Who Lived why he - a muggle milkman - knew who Harry Potter was. Without waiting for an answer, Mr Creevey launches into it. He starts by saying: “It was your face you know” and Harry instinctively reaching for the now silent scar, but Mr Creevey just shakes his head grinning. “Not by your scar”, he says. “It’s your face. I’ve seen it so many times these past few years. Quite a lot more when the boys were younger but you still featured quite heavily their later years. I mean that whole ‘Chamber of Secrets’ thing with the students gave us all quite a bit of a scare when it happened, but Colin just grew more determined - he was so upset that he missed capturing the beast on camera. His passion just grew.” 

Mr Creevey stops talking to Harry as they reach a door. Harry has a look on his face, like he is beginning to understand exactly what he is being told. “Excuse me, Mr Creevy”, he begins, “but are you telling me that Colin...”, but Mr Creevey holds his hand, stopping Harry in his tracks. “I think I’d rather let the pictures speak for themselves, for the boys”, is all he says as he opens the door.

And all over the room, there are pictures - moving. From every corner of the room there is Hogwarts, through the years. Some places Harry remembers, like the quidditch pitch - some are from matches or training sessions, and some are of the pitch empty on an early morning, with the mist creeping through. There is the great hall, in all it former glory, and Griffindor common room. But it looks like he had pictures of both the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff rooms, Slytherin being the obvious exclusion, though there was a spot clearly indicating that he had intended to get in eventually. 

There were also pictures of the big events, a whole corner devoted to the Triwizard Tournament, and all the challenges. Of each champion's triumph against the dragons and the other major events. He had documented the last trial, and the moments just before and just after his return with Cedric’s body - where everything changed. Harry’s eyes just skimmed other those images, the pain still fresh from all the others that had been lost so recently. He’d included the DA and some of the meetings they had had. He even manged to capture Sirius during Harry’s second year, in his animagus form, but looking very much like his god father.

But there are parts of Hogwarts and the surrounding lands that Harry had never seen, or parts with a beauty that he had never known. And, as Harry stands in awe of Hogwarts, his home for years, a memory now as many of those buildings were ruined during the battle, Mr Creevey starts talking again. “The boys taught me how to develop the pictures. Colin was brilliant at taking them, but Dennis perfected that recipe. He really brought new magic to them.” The milkman cleared his throat, the emotion getting the better of him. “Anyway”, he begins again, “I’ll develop the last batch and mail them to you. I’m afraid I don’t have an owl, so it’ll the the usual muggle mail.” Harry and Mr Creevey agree on a mode of communication and plans to be made.

And a few more months down the line, there’s an exhibition Harry’s opening to the public. It’s right in the centre of Diagon Alley, in an abandoned store. Ginny, Ron and Hermione helped him clear things up, but he refused to their help to setup. They all come to the opening, nothing major - just one day the door are open to the public. His friends come, and - although he knew about it the moment Harry wanted to do it - Mr Creevy couldn’t bring himself back to a space so filled with memories of his children so soon. “I’ve seen them so many times, I can only think of the boys when I see them anyway. Let the world know how brave my boys were. Help them dream again and remember. It’s what they would have wanted.”.

And what anyone was expecting is nothing compared to what they got. Visitors walk in and they’re home. It’s all the best parts of Hogwarts, filled with the people and places they knew. Hermione and Ron stopping at a section where Colin had documented S.P.E.W,including Dobby wearing a rather large selection of knitted items. Various professors visiting and seeing their colleges, both in person and in print. Hagrid pops in for a visit, and sees the section Colin had documented on the creatures he’s encountered during his years at Hogwarts; and he’s rather taken aback at the care Colin has took capture the creatures. There’s George who made an appearance And he stops and stars in wonder as Colin seemed to take a liking to the pranks and endeavours of the Weasley twins, Harry ended covering an entire wall with their shenanigans. George doesn’t smile or anything, but he begins to recover the parts of him that maybe he thought he had lost....

Ginny is also there, and after looking around, comes to stand by Harry. He’s standing to the side, trying to avoid the public too much, but trying to be here for the Creevy family. Wiping her eyes, she asks him, “So, which is your favourite?”. Harry grins, “That’s far too easy,” he says. “I knew it the moment I saw it.” He walks her over to a section where he’d grouped general Hogwarts student activities - some classrooms, some students walking to class, meal times. 

But - among these images of the mundane and ordinary - is a young Ginny Weasley - 1st year - standing looking very determined, holding the Diary, with Harry and Ron walking to class. It was before Colin has really begun to work on composition, as Harry must have been the intended subject, but all you could see was Ginny. “I should have known back then, you’re the strongest person I’ve ever known”. Ginny just smiles as says, “Naturally, just remember that next time you even think you need to leave me out of something to protect me.” A kiss is exchanged, “Never again”.

Okay.. that’s all I had to say.. which was rather a lot now that I think about it.. 

[aarcee321]

Indian Armed Forces or Orphan

Indian Armed Forces are a very useful, convenient and user friendly device. Use them whenever, for whatever .... and whichever way the nation wants and kick them, dump them....and humiliate them at will.

Nation is use to seeing the Armed Forces at Raj Path on 26 Jan and when all systems of governance fail or the situation is far beyond the IAS types. But when it comes to paying the Armed Forces, these are the same IAS types, the bureaucrats, who decide as to how much (less) to pay to the Armed Forces and more often what they dole out is the lowest among all those who don uniform of some kind. The latest fashion in the CAPF is to wear combat dress even in National Capital, New Delhi.

Does the nation take pride in paying lowest to their best. And if that is what the nation likes to then sooner than later, better ones will commence gravitating towards Khaki, will not be surprised, if they are not already. Because if you give peanuts, you will get monkeys.

Pakistan is a realty and threat it possess is as much real. No amount of strategic and diplomatic manoeuvering and victories can assure safe borders and peace and safety within borders.

When commercial boom swept the country off it's feet, able and competent youth in larger numbers queued up at corporate doors for high paying jobs. It this flight of competent job seekers which caused huge shortages in the officer rank then and this shortage is only increasing.

And who will pay the price for this worrisome scenario?

The British legacy of bureaucratic system, to which Patel had called "steel frame", has got horribly corroded over the years and for it's survival, it doesn't mind weakening the Armed Forces. In fact, it does so as part of their duty. And it is ensuring it in a cunning and systematic manner by keeping the Armed Forces poorly paid so that better portion of youth doesn't join the Armed Forces.

It suits the bureaucrats to keep the army understrength and accumulate wickedly programmed saving.

But what will happen against China as China is no Pakistan. And it will not be Doklam every time, it can indeed be 62 once again. Then in 62, China was not what it is today militarily or economically. It's military might has made even US to sit-up. But it is sad that our bureaucrats are trying their best, aided by corrupt politicians to keep the Armed Forces in 62 mode.

If Indian democracy is allowed to quibble and stall acquisition of state of art weapons or pocket huge kick backs from defense deals then unthinkable becoming a possibility is very real. Nehru's lack of foresight allowed Tibet to be swallowed by China and the whole world including the Big Brother kept watching mutely. I something remotely similar happens with India, it will be India who has to take a call.

Acquisition of weapons, the best available in the world, should not be and can not be made hostatege to dirty dance of democracy. If need be acquisition processes be overhauled and systems be evolved de novo. Why can a Honourable Supreme Court Judge not be made part of acquisition processes. When there can be Honourable Supreme Court monitored investigations, there can and should be Honourable Supreme Court monitored acquisition as well.

The other part of the complex problem of matters militay is the man behind the machine; convincingly proved during the IAF air raid at Blakot; Abhinandan and so many other air warriors along with Army and Navy we're fully ready to go in. Surgical strike by Indian Army was a clockwork precision job. Just imagine the horrendous situation of a few serious injuries and deaths during surgical strike. Yes, there would have been no requirement of proof as some Pappus and political have been demanding.

The government therefore needs to take good care of lakhs of other Abhinandans. If Indian Armed Forces are left at the mercy of bureaucrats for deciding their pay, perks and pensions; who perpetually suffer from inferiority complex; neat surgical strike or Balakot may become a fictional happenings.

Just for information of readers, a DIG of ITBP or a DRDO guy in Leh is better paid than an Army Brigadier. No issue. If that is what their cousins in civvies, the IAS want then from now on in case of a face off with China and Pakistan, let ITBP & BSF bear the brunt. Why screw the Army in no-go situations.

Recently discovered that in case of death of a constable of a CPO while in combat, the widow is entitled retention of accommodation till the age of superannuation of the constable or the rank the CPO guy was holding while he got killed fighting. On the contrary, an army Jawan's widow is allowed retention just for enough time to pack her bags.

Today all CPO ranks are addressed as Jawans, though this terminology was and is meant for Army soldiers only. Media does greater harm to the prestige of the Armed Forces by loosely making a mocktail of terminologies, wonder due to lack of knowledge, deliberate ignorance or due to some well thought shenanigans.

Revision of OROP pensions abhorringly diluted to every five years (ORFP) from proposed every year revision seems to not only having been out on back burner or in a deep freeze, but appears to have been a quite burial. Din of general elections has given added elibai to the government for adding delays and inaction.

Those who win medals for the country are taken care of in most extraordinary manner.

Shouldn't the Armed Forces who win battles and wars for the country be also?

Think.