fanfic-obsessed · 10 months ago
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Not the Mama...or the Father
This takes place in a universe where Jango Fett survived Geonosis AND where Palpatine is defeated without Order 66 coming into being (the chips still existed, yes that is important).  
After the war ends there is an absolute legal quagmire regarding the clones. Their origins (Possibly commissioned by the Jedi, a Republic Entity, outside of Republic Space, on Kamino, using the DNA of a Non Republic Citizen for a Republic Army, paid for by means that no one has been able to identify-presumably illegal and/or embezzled) mean that acknowledging their sentience also means that everyone involved broke so many laws that prosecution would take a decades. This compounded by the fact that it is an all or nothing kind of situation, on paper the Jedi who did their best were tied to those crimes just as thoroughly as senators who abused the Guard.  While the Jedi, as a whole, would be willing to face that prosecution if it meant the clones would be considered sentient, they had rather less power than the Senators who did not want to face their crimes.  In the end the only way to get the support for the Clone Rights bill was to add a clause that the bill would not be considered retroactive. The clones would be considered sentient after the bill was turned into law but could not seek any kind of reparations, back pay, or even acknowledgement that their rights had been violated prior to the law. 
NOTE: It horrified everyone (though it should be acknowledged that the Jedi and the Clones were horrified for very different reasons than many of the Senate) when the Coruscant Guard successfully sued a number of Republic Senators, their aides, and several citizens for ‘sexual abuse of a non sentient’(It was a very odd lawsuit where Thire, who had taken to law with a frightening passion, was able to argue that the Clones could bring the suit as their own owners, since being sentient with a start start date essentially meant that they now owned themselves and the laws around abuse of non sentients are written so that new owners can sue past owners for abuse-written so that animal abuse could be fully prosecuted even years after the fact).  Criminal charges were even filed, though it was harder to get those charges through the system.
Jango Fett, due both to the Clones legal tangle and how it had to be resolved, could not be brought up on charges for his part in the creation of the clones, their training, and the chips. None of it was technically illegal.  The fact that all of the clones looked like him meant anyone who did not know better tended to consider the clones his children. At first Jango was just as quick to correct people, somewhat violently.  
However as more and more clones began to distinguish themselves he started to play into it. Saying how proud he was of his children and that his genetics must have been superior (incidentally giving Boba more than one complex in the process). Most of the clones have no idea what to do with this behavior, since acknowledgement by Prime was something that almost all of them wanted as children. Also he wasn’t really acknowledging any clone in particular.  He was simply soaking up the accolades of being associated with so many driven, accomplished people.
Though the Commander batches tended to be the most well known, every batch of clones had at least one or two members that distinguished themselves in a positive manner. 
Then comes the very public wedding of Commander Bly and Aayla Secura. While the two are very much in love it is also a political/PR move. The scandal of the Amidala/Skywalker marriage left the galaxy with a very skewed view of the Jedi and marriage.  The fact that Skywalker would go on to tell anyone who would listen that he was kicked out for falling in love made the issue worse.  (Commander Cody and Obi Wan were also considered for this PR move, however they were not quite at the point where they wanted to get married, also Anakin’s…reactions to the scandal of his marriage left some scars for Obi Wan. It would be quite some time before being perceived by a large crowd of beings-with the exclusion of the Jedi or the clones- would be something Obi Wan could tolerate) 
Though the Jedi wedding traditions are typically a private affair, with permission of the happy couple every tradition would be made into a public spectacle with explanations for the traditions. One such tradition is that a parental figure (generally the Master if it is a Jedi) for each member of those getting married would escort their children down the aisle, as it were. This was a way for the parental figure to signal their support, or at least acceptance, of the marriage. Within this tradition it was very noticeable when a particular parental figure did not show up…or was not invited. 
The public nature of the ceremony meant that Jango knew when and where to show up. He did not think much that he was not specifically invited, having bought into his own propaganda of being the father of the Clones. He arrives at the staging area, Boba in tow, to loudly announce that he was there to walk Bly down the aisle.  Very publicly. 
All preparation stopped for a moment, a silence descending that almost echoed. Then Bly scoffed loud enough to be captured by the recording equipment (Every moment of each tradition was being recorded by no less than three recording crews at all times, currently there are six recording the lead up to the ceremony). 
Derision dripped from every syllable coming from Bly’s mouth, “Why should I care about your approval of my life partner” (harkening back to the meaning behind the tradition).
Jango spluttered about being Bly’s parent.
Bly tilted his head, eyes distant as if looking into the past, “What was it you said, when you heard Ponds ask Alpha-17 for a name?” 
Jango looked perplexed, clearly not remembering the interaction. 
Wolffe stepped from crowd, “you said, ‘livestock doesn’t need a name’”
 Cody took his place at Bly’s side ‘You are no parent to us, you lost that title when you sold us.’
Bly nodded along, “Cody is walking me down the aisle (In the background Alpha grumbles that it is only because Cody is tricky little shit. All the clones in the room smother a grin as Cody shoots Alpha a smug smile-NOTE: There was a duel/tournament between fifteen Alpha and CC clones that were considered ‘older’ than Bly on who got the honor of escorting him down the aisle, since the explanation of what constituted a parent left them with the firm belief that any clone that is older than you could be considered such) and you, Prime, are not welcome. Go back to the son you claimed.”
The galaxy at large absolutely ate up the ‘You are not my father’ drama, which frankly served to humanize the clones, and their assorted Jedi, better than anything else.
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infjtarot · 2 years ago
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Fool ~ Bachus Tarot
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LWB.
King Lycurgus, who had taken arms against Dionysus. Was driven to madness by the Bacchantes and and struck blind by Zeus.
The Fool is a male figure personifying both the Masculine and the Feminine Principles in both men and women. His face could be that of a mature man, or perhaps the semblance of a ‘designer-style’ beard suggests a more youthful character. Maybe the protruding jaw represents his manner of ‘sticking his chin out’ – one of the traits of a naïve person. The elaborate headgear with its red bauble expresses an eccentricity, or it may conceal an abundance of hair to suggest that – like other pilgrims – his hair is left uncut until he returns home. He is on a journey, travelling to his left. The Fool is unnumbered: it can be zero, which ineffably encompasses everything; it can be the 22nd card (22 is the ancient number for a circle – the circle of life) or it can be neither or both. He is in no one place but is present in each of the 21 numbered cards like anti-matter in quantum physics. We are like The Fool: pathetic in our struggle to reach a higher level of consciousness. He personifies every phase of our life from being naïve and arrogant, carrying the heavy baggage of our worldly goods and psychological conditioning, to becoming an evolved, transformed person of wisdom who lives by grace and one who has learned to be a ‘man/woman of knowledge’. The Fool may be a precocious, foolish, immature character who, like Peter Pan – the Puer Aeternus – is full of youthful vigour and only wants to play games. In this mode he is mischievous, capricious, idealistic, lacking discipline and is often an unreliable lover. These negative aspects may be summed up by Robert Bly’s definition of a naïve person: • Believes everyone is honest, sincere, straightforward and speaks from the heart • Will lose what is most precious because he or she knows no boundaries • Will confide last night’s special dream to a stranger • Has special relationships but never examines or recognizes their shadow • Picks up the pain of others and is attracted to other people who share their pain (Listening to people’s pain is compassionate, but sharing pain is a negative indulgence because there is no need or benefit to carry other people’s pain.) • Lacks a natural compassionate ruthlessness (won’t kick children out of the nest) • Will not agree to follow instructions but also won’t admit that he or she is ignoring the instructions – whatever they may be • The timing is always off • Acts out self-enforced periods of isolation • Sinks into moods of deep depression • Wants to remain sick • Feels pride in being attacked and ‘bares his chest’ (or sticks out his chin) for more • As we saw in the three-act play (see page 21), naivety invites betrayal – this is the psyche at work, setting up attractive people and situations until the relevant lessons are learned. However, The Fool can represent perception, developed intuition, versatility and wisdom – one who can act the fool light-heartedly without being foolish or foolhardy. The Fool can have all the attributes of Castaneda’s ‘Man of Knowledge’ as well as being able to turn the conventional world upside down as we do on April Fool’s Day. In medieval courts the fool, jester or clown was the king’s alter ego and the only person the king or queen could turn to for an honest opinion without taking offence. His youthful, child-like ‘clowning about’ could hide from others a deeper understanding of whatever issues were at hand. The Fool represents aspects of each one of us as the Hero or Heroine on our journey through life. The card is the ‘joker’ in the pack and, as we shall see later, its significance is dependent upon where it appears in a spread and the other cards around it, which will indicate either naivety or maturity. This card flags up a warning that something is not exactly as it may appear to be – i.e. we need to pause before taking action – or it may herald a quirk of fate with unexpected twists and turns that may inspire us to change our way of thinking or even enjoy the unexpected outcome! When we dwell in darkness and confusion, it is through The Fool that we can emerge from the shadow and progress from illusion to self-realization. The Authentic Tarot. Discovering Your Inner Self. Thomas Saunders
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teletraan-meets-jarvis · 3 years ago
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Monster - Part 2
AO3 Link
Characters: Commander Fox (Main), Commander Wolffe, Commander Cody, Captain Rex, Commander Stone, Corrie Medic Triage (OC).
Summary: Fox deals with the aftermath of his actions, unsure as to whether his brothers can forgive him.
Warnings: 16+, swearing, mentions of death.
Word Count: 3.5k
Part 1 here
Author’s Notes: I've been agonising over this chapter for far longer than necessary so please take it from me. Hopefully it's not complete gibberish. Feedback is appreciated as always, it's my first time writing such prominent clones all as proper characters in a fic so would be great to know what went well and where I can improve! This fic ends with this chapter but the ending leaves it open for imagination, if anyone has any cool thoughts for what may happen my inbox is always open to discuss further! Fic is below the cut, enjoy 😊.
When Fox next came around he was on the cheap sofa in his office. The rigid object making his back stiff, he must’ve been out for a while. He groaned as he attempted to sit up. He felt weak, his entire body sore and sensitive as he shuffled about.
“Welcome back, sunshine.” Stone greeted him while Triage appeared and started poking at him. Stone must’ve relieved Thorn from Fox babysitting duty. The thought made the Commander groan.
“How you feeling, boss?” The medic questioned as he started shining a small light into his eyes.
“Shit” he replied truthfully. “What happened?”
“You had a breakdown, a bad one.” The matter-of-fact bedside manner of the Guard’s chief medical officer was something Fox usually favoured, except when he was on the receiving end of it of course.
“Oh”
“It’s lucky Thorn found you when he did.” Triage chided while tapping away at his Datapad. His clean-shaven face focused as he went about the task. “You’ve got a visitor by the way”
“Hey vod” the gruff voice was followed by an even gruffer Commander strolling into view. What was Wolffe doing here?
“Thorn called.” Hm apparently he’d asked his question aloud.
Fox hadn’t seen Wolffe in months, he was always away on missions and rarely got down time when his Jedi had to return to Coruscant. His scar still stood out prominently against his tanned skin, but it looked better each time he saw him again, like it was slowly settling in to being a part of him. His armour was tattered, the grey paint scratched and chipped while the white plastoid was covered in the dirt of battle.
“Well I’m fi-“
“Don’t try it mir’sheb. I know what happened.” Fox flinched. Wolffe’s tone was flat when he spoke, his face unreadable and despite being one of the eldest of their batch, Fox felt very vulnerable under his little brother’s gaze.
As cadets and during command training, their batch had always been close, but Fox could confidently call Wolffe his best friend out of the lot. Their competitive nature pushed them to always be the best, their dry humour so cutting that only the other could truly understand it for what it was. Both of them were blunt, but over the years, the war had moulded them slightly differently. Where Fox was hardened and distant from his time on Coruscant, surprisingly, some of Wolffe’s ragged edges to his personality had softened. Not really noticeable if you didn’t know him from before, but Fox chalked it up to the friendship and mentoring of his wise Jedi and also his position as a Commander. Wolffe had lost his entire battalion early on in the war and Fox had held his heartbroken vodas he swore he would never let anything come between him and his men ever again. From that point on, Wolffe had gotten to know each member of his squad personally, always ensuring that they knew that despite his hard exterior, he’d always be there for them if they needed it.
Despite all this and how well Fox knew his brother, all that knowledge was doing nothing for him in his current situation. Wolffe knew that he’d killed another clone, yet he hadn’t lashed out yet. Was he just waiting until they were alone? The tension in the air threatening to smother them with each second that passed. Fox wasn’t ready for this conversation.
“We’ll give you two some privacy.” Triage announced before dragging a worried looking Stone out behind him.
Fox didn’t say anything, he just waited for the onslaught from his younger brother. He was sporting his signature frown which could mean a hundred different things.
“Before we even get into this, I just need you to know that we don’t hate you, Fox. We’ll always love you, you di’kut.” Wolffe’s voice finally carried some emotion now that they were alone. It held a mixture of things, brotherly frustration at Fox’s self-loathing, a fear for finding out things he might not want the answer to and the smallest twinge of betrayal for what Fox had done. But among the rest of it, among the words said, there was love. Fox huffed out a humourless laugh.
“Beats me as to why”
“We’re family. We don’t need a reason. We’re stuck with each other, whether you like it or not.”
Silence lingered between them as Fox finally found the courage to speak about the elephant in the room.
“I don’t know why I did it. I didn’t mean to.” His voice was faint, almost like if he said it any louder it’d all be real.
“I know ori’vod”
Fox finally launched into an explanation of what happened. His chest constricting further and further, threatening to rob his body of air as he pushed himself to get the story out. His hands shook in fear of what his closest brother would think of him, of what he’d done. Wolffe hadn’t spoken during the entire story, resigned to just watching him from his perch on his desk. Fox was panicking.
After what felt like the longest silence of Fox’s life, the younger Commander exhaled roughly, his bare hands rubbing at his scar out of habit as he processed the information. “You told Rex this?” Fox was shocked that out of everything to ask, that that was his question. The Guard Commander shook his head.
“Well, we better get him over here” Fox jumped out of his seat and placed a hand over his brother’s comm link.
“Kriff Wolffe, the poor guy has suffered enough. Last thing he needs is me begging for forgiveness for something he can’t forgive. I killed one of our own, one of his last few best friends. He hates me. And I really don’t blame him.”
“Maybe so, but he deserves to hear the truth from you. Whether or not he believes it is up to him.” Reluctantly, he let his arm go and stalked back over to the sofa. “I’ll comm Cody, he’s over there with him now.”
“Didn’t realise you were both planet side.” Fox grunted out, he could really do with some caff, his body was exhausted.
“The 104th were on their way back since Plo had some Jedi stuff to do, we touched down this afternoon. As for the 212th, they finished their last mission and once they heard about everything that’d been going on, General Kenobi requested they come back to help out. Though I have a feeling that was Cody wanting to check in on Rex.”
Fox wanted to ask how Rex was, but the searing guilt that burned in his chest couldn’t bear to ask the question. So he decided to check on some people who potentially hated him a smidge less, only a smidge though.
“Have you heard from the others?”
Wolffe nodded and went on to tell him about what the rest of their batch had been up to. Gree had recently been assigned to General Yoda, who he was absolutely terrified of. Fox didn’t blame him, the Jedi was extremely powerful for someone so pint sized, he’d also heard that he had a wicked sense of humour which would definitely stress Gree out, much to the amusement to the rest of his batch. Ponds was getting on nicely with Mace, they’d recently had a successful campaign near the outer rim and were due back on Coruscant soon. The eldest of their batch, Bly, was doing well too. Apparently Wolffe thought he had the hots for his General as Bly apparently refused to shut up about how amazing and strong and caring she was. Fox wasn’t sure if he was messing with him or not, but the thought brought a small smile to his face nonetheless. Trust Bly to fall in love with his Jedi General.
“What about you? How’s life in the Corrie Guard?” Wolffe asked.
Where could he even begin. Fox never offloaded about his problems onto anyone, except maybe his fellow Commanders in the Guard who he shared the burden with. Wolffe wouldn’t understand. A part of him also wanted to be the dutiful big brother and not place any worries or fears onto his vod’ika.
“Not much to report, same as always” he wasn’t lying at least. It was easier this way, for them not to know. They could keep thinking he was safe away from the battlefield. Their hopes in this war were already pretty low, they didn’t need to know about the horrors that lurked away, hidden among the senate corridors and the low levels of Coruscant.
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Anxiety gripped at Fox’s chest as he paced a hole into his metal office floor. Waiting for Cody and Rex made him feel as if he was waiting for a death sentence. He thought of all the ways he could potentially escape but he knew Wolffe would be all over him. The 104th Commander always was a fan of tough love and things didn’t get tougher than this.
There was a slight commotion outside which pulled the both of them to attention.
Rex came storming in, his face set like stone, an angry frown marring his features and deepening the creases in his forehead. Once he set his sights on Fox nothing could deter him. “Rex, wait!” Wolffe shouted but he couldn’t stop him in time. Rex’s fist slammed into Fox’s nose with a sickening crack, sending the Commander sprawling backwards, catching himself on his desk as his nose started gushing blood.
Cody ran in from nowhere and locked Rex’s arms behind his back, trying to calm their little brother. “Rex, will you just listen to him.” He shouted down his ear while Fox recovered from the blow, cradling his now broken nose as Wolffe came to his side to help him back up.
“Why? Why should I listen? He didn’t listen to Fives!” Rex screamed back as he writhed in Cody’s arms. His words cut into Fox, making him grimace.
“I know. I’m so sorry, Rex.” Fox apologised with a burning sincerity, but it only deepened the frown on Rex’s face.
“I don’t want your apologies.” The Captain shouted back, gone was his usual professional composure. Right now he was a broken man who’d lost one of the last few people he’d let get close to him. There was no rank in this room right now, they were just a group of hurting vod, trying to pick up the pieces.
Rex spat his words out at Fox with a look that could kill, he probably wanted it to. He looked like he wanted Fox to hurt as much as he was right now. “Maker, I know Palpatine had you wrapped around his finger, I just didn’t realise how much.” Ouch.
“Rex” Cody reprimanded, his Marshall Commander voice coming out as he tried to defuse the situation. The Captain’s face was still masked in hurt and anger, but he did back down slightly after his verbal blow. “The past couple days has been hard for you vod, we know that and we’re here for you. But we wouldn’t be asking you to listen to Fox right now if we didn’t think it was worth it. Please, just give him a chance.” Once he finished, he nodded at Fox to signal him to get started. He took a deep breath and readied himself to try and explain the unexplainable.
“I know it sounds ridiculous but what happened back there, It wasn’t me” he started, and Rex just scoffed, still struggling against Cody’s hold. “Look, I can’t explain it. But I set that gun to stun, I swear to you, Rex. I know you all think I’m some cold, order-following droid but I would’ve brought him… I would’ve brought Fives, in for questioning. You- you have to believe me.” Fox pleaded, blood still trickling down his face from his broken nose. He wasn’t their usual, sarcastic, caffeine deprived big brother. No, Fox was a complete mess as he tried to reason with Rex. He couldn’t bare his brothers thinking that he did this willingly, that he’d turn on his own kind with just a simple order.
“What do you mean it wasn’t you?” Rex’s gaze was still unsure, but he’d never seen Fox like this before. He looked desperate, much like Fives had.
“I- I blacked out. One minute we were moving in and as soon as I saw Fives, and I know this sounds crazy, it’s like something else took over. I was just watching from the sidelines.” Fox gave an exasperated sigh as he tried to explain himself.
“Like something was controlling you?” Rex asked, the cogs in his brain turning as he waited for a reply. Fox just gave an ashamed nod and dreaded realisation dawned on Rex’s face.
“Maybe Fives wasn’t crazy” he said it as barely a whisper but with the silence in the room they all managed to hear it.
“What do you mean?” Cody questioned as he finally let his vod’ika go, content that he wasn’t going to assault the Guard Commander further. Rex used the freedom to go and lock the door to Fox’s office.
“What I’m about to say doesn’t leave this room, understand? No one can know, not our vode, not your Jedi, nobody.” The three of them nodded.
“Before he died, Fives was trying to explain what was going on to General Skywalker and me, he said that there’s something in our heads that could make us do whatever someone wanted… Even kill the Jedi.” Wolffe and Cody’s eyes widened at the thought, finding it impossible to even comprehend hurting their Generals who they cared for deeply.
“And if, if, he’s right about that, well, he said the Chancellor is in on the whole thing. That he set him up. And as insane as it sounds, that could explain why he sent Fox, of all people, to hunt him down.” Rex finally spared him a glance that wasn’t filled with complete hate, there was a slight bit of pity in for good measure instead.
“You’re saying that the Chancellor has some sort of control over me?” Fox replied. The colour draining from his face as he considered the option.
“I’m saying… it’s a possibility. After seeing what happened with Tup, what you’re saying happened to you doesn’t seem far off. He had no idea why he killed General Tiplar. Said he didn’t mean to hurt her.”
“Okay hold on, so you’re trying to tell us that Fives uncovered a plot by the Chancellor which involves all of the clones having something in their heads which allows them to be controlled, with the likely purpose of it being to kill the Jedi?” Wolffe asked with the hopes that he might wake up from this weird dream he found himself in.
“Pretty much” Rex replied.
“Ozik” Cody cursed. “And you believe him? Fives? You sure he didn’t just lose it?” The Marshal Commander needed this final confirmation from his brother.
“I-” Rex exhaled and dragged a gloved hand down his face “I think I do. I wasn’t sure before but with what Fox is saying, it’s all a bit too much of a coincidence. I believe him enough to at least look into what he was talking about. He wouldn’t have risked everything he did for nothing.”
Fox tried to keep breathing as the conversation went on. Controlled. A plot to kill the Jedi. Maker this was too much. Surely they had to be wrong. But then he remembered his shit show of a life, the things that the chancellor made him do, things he’d never do willingly if he had the choice like a true sentient being. Maybe it wasn’t such a faraway reality. He repressed the shiver that threatened his body.
“You do realise we’ll get executed on the spot if we’re found looking into this. This is treason. If what you’re saying is true, then it sounds like they went to some pretty serious lengths to keep Fives from outing them.” Wolffe added, ever the pessimist. Not that Fox blamed him, they were moving into dangerous territory with this talk.
“You three can walk away, but I owe this to Fives and Tup.” Rex said, conviction written all over his face.
“I’m in” Fox announced as he wiped most of the blood away from his nose and mouth. The ache from his broken nose setting in as the adrenaline from his and Rex’s confrontation started wearing off.
Wolffe and Cody shared a glance, a silent conversation taking place between the two of them. They both shared strong bonds with their Jedi in different ways, they wanted to do everything in their power to protect them, but could they keep this a secret for long enough? Obi-Wan and Plo were very in touch with their Commander’s emotions. There was a chance they’ll figure out something was up sooner than they’d like. They would just have to work fast. Cody nodded at Wolffe, and the decision was made.
“We’re in too” Wolffe confirmed. “I don’t want any more of our brothers to die if we can help it.”
“What about Skywalker? He was with you and Fives, do we at least have him on side?” Cody asked and Rex pulled a disappointed face.
“As soon as Fives mentioned the Chancellor being involved, Anakin wrote the whole thing off… It’s just us.”
“We can work with that” Cody comforted with a hand on his little brother’s shoulder and a small smile. The Commander’s comm link started chirping and he gave them all a sorry look. “It’s the General, I better take this and head back. But we’ll catch up later.”
“79’s?” Wolffe offered. Despite none of them fancying a night out, there was no better place to get privacy than a noisy bar filled with identical faces. Cody nodded and quickly departed.
Eventually they had to call Triage back to deal with Fox’s nose. He’d done well to hide the pain during the chat between the four of them, but it had quickly started to take over his thoughts. Thankfully his CMO came armed with pain stims and for once, Fox didn’t get absolutely ripped into by the medic as this injury wasn’t a result of his own stupidity. Well, to be fair, he was sure that assessment was up for debate, especially from Rex who was talking quietly with Wolffe around Fox’s desk.
Fox poked at the metal brace and bandages on his nose, the Bacta patch under it was a squishy texture. Triage knocked his hand away like a parent would a child who was reaching for the last cookie. “Don’t touch it” he warned, and Fox moved his hands back down to his side. “Given our accelerated cell regen and the Bacta patch, you should be good to wear your helmet again by tomorrow” Fox gave his thanks to the medic by clasping his wrist in a handshake before he was left alone with his vode again.
Wolffe conveniently dipped out to use the fresher, leaving Rex and Fox alone for the first time since the incident. Fox’s heart rate sped up as he thought about it, the scenes of Fives’ death playing over and over again in his head like a horror film on repeat. That look on Rex’s face when their eyes met over Fives’ body, seared into his brain as a constant reminder of what he did.
They stared at each other from across the room, Fox was still sat on his cheap, rock solid couch while Rex was stood by his desk.
Fox couldn’t hold the eye contact; he broke it off and shifted his gaze to his hands.
“I don’t expect you to forgive me. It’s not what I’m asking for, you're well within your rights to hate me. But I just want you to know that I wouldn’t hurt you like this willingly. It’s the last thing I’d ever want.” Fox broke the silence. Still not brave enough to meet Rex’s eyes, to see the disappointment and betrayal which would likely be waiting for him.
He heard some shuffling and the couch sink down slightly beside him. He dared a look over and saw Rex’s scratched leg armour.
“I don’t hate you, Fox. I know you were put in a tough situation. I know I like to think I would’ve handled it differently, but truth be told, I don’t know what could’ve happened if Fives didn't put us in that ray shield. And while I don’t want to think about it, I have a feeling someone would’ve got to him eventually. It was inevitable.” He paused and took a shuddering breath. “I just… I just need a bit of time.”
“I appreciate that, take all the time you need.” They both shared a small smile, content that they’d get past this together. There was light on the other side of this dark tunnel.
Rex really did care about Fox; he’d always looked up to him over the years. He remembers the small stuff, the words of encouragement when a training simulator went wrong, the proud look on his face when he got promoted to Captain, the many nights of drinking Thire’s rocket-fuel moonshine in Fox’s office when Rex needed to escape from the war for a few hours.
They’d be fine, time was always the best healer. Fox just hoped that they had enough time left.
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bookish-thinking · 4 years ago
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Two Mini-Reviews: Brain and Lies and Subjectivity, oh my
“The Notable Brain of Maximilian Ponder” by J. W. Ironmonger
Can a person write down everything they know, making a perfect record of the content of their brain? What starts as a question between friends at a party ("How many movies do you know?") quickly spirals out of control. Complications begin with that first question (what is "know"? does one have to have seen the movie or does it count to have heard of it only? what if you saw it, but don't remember it? what of classics that you have never actually seen yourself, but you still know the plot in broad strokes?), but quickly takes on absurd qualities when the protagonist actually secludes himself determined to write down any and all memories, portraits of all the people he met, recounting all school and university knowledge, repeating the content of all culture consumed, etc.
The novel seems to want to send two messages: the obvious being "live your life rather than wasting it trying to record it in detail". The other one comes out towards the end of the story: "it is the small details of everyday life that are important next to the big moments of history. so record those in diaries and letters and also read up on them later." Both the basic premise as well as those messages were interesting. What I did not fully understand were the flashbacks to seemingly random moments of the protagonist's life before his experiment. I did not see their connection to the main plot clearly at all times, therefore they bored me a bit.
“The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly” by Stephanie Oakes
This novel explores both faith as well as inner strength and growth in a duality of hard situations. In alternating chapters, it tells the story of Minnow, growing up in a strict cult that she rebels against and eventually escapes - only to have to go prison for attacking someone on the run. And the question of who burned down the cult's compound, and thus accidentally (or purposefully and actively?) killed the leader is still open, as well, with authorities wanting to get the truth out of Minnow. Through its bottleneck character of confined spaces and limited cast of characters, the novel can really focus inward - first on a teenage rebellion, then a calming down and unlearning, returning to a stable normal. It deals with this, from anger to grief to love to confusion, very well and in an interesting manner.
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nicollekidman · 5 years ago
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After having watched hill house and doctor sleep, mm maybe mike can have a little bly manor, as a treat
mike flanagan: oh you kin with unnamed gothic heroines? you vibe with ghosts and repressed victorian sexuality? you get down with hauntings as metaphors for all manner of social situations? you horny for some imaginative adaptations of fiction? 
and i’m just like..... 
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evabellasworld · 4 years ago
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Road Trip AU
For Star Wars POC Week 2020
Day 6: AU Day
AO3 Link
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Summary:  Rex, Cody, Wolffe, Fox, Bly, Ponds, Tori, Odd Eye, Gowon, Mayyah, and Ares were heading on a road trip to a campsite. Along the way, they found themselves with a stowaway and a different route than what they intended.
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Packing her suitcase, Tori grabbed her clothes and her toiletries that she organized inside a clear pouch, which has proven to be useful for the clone commander. She sealed her bag and headed out of her cabin that she shared with her brothers and sisters, hopping inside the van that Cody rented out.
"Are we ready to leave, Codes?" she asked, jittering. "I'm already done with my stuff and shit."
"We're still waiting for Odd Eye," Rex grumbled. "Apparently, she's still packing up her horror novels and shit."
"That long? How many books does she need to bring?"
"She can never have enough horror novels," Gowon gave her comments. "You know how much Odd Eye is a sucker for scary stuff."
"But that many though?" Tori raised her eyebrows. "We're only going on a road trip, that's all."
"Yeah, a fun road trip," Cody deadpanned, glaring at Wollfe, who was admiring himself in the mirror, much to Tori and Mayyah's dismay. 
"Can we not fight?" Mayyah slapped his shoulder lightly. "This is a family vacation, and we need to have fun, okay?"
"Whatever," Fox rolled his eyes, his eyes glued to his datapad, settling some of his things from work. 
As they all stood there in front of their van, Odd Eye rushed out of the door, dragging two suitcases with her hands, leaving their eyes widened. 
"That's a lot of stuff you're bringing," Gowon pointed out. "You know we're only going on a road trip, right?"
"I am aware of that," Odd Eye replied. "Which is why I'm bringing the entire collection of Lovecraft's novels."
"Are you even able to finish his entire collection?" Ares gestured. "It'll take weeks, you know."
"I'm a fast reader, Ares, so yeah, that's why I bring all of them."
As Cody hopped into the driver's seat, Tori was about to call shotgun when Pond occupied the seat. "Sorry, Tor. I'm holding the map so you need to sit at the back."
"Fuck you!" she cussed as she sat in the middle of the van with Gowon, Odd Eye, Mayyah, Rex and Ares, who got to sit beside the sliding door. Meanwhile, Bly was stuck between Fox and Wolffe, who were the grumpiest among the command batches. He wishes to sit beside Ares instead.
"Are we all ready to go?" Wolffe asked. "Or did anyone forget something?"
"Uh, I think we're good," Bly answered. "Now come on, let's get moving."
The van drove off from the cabin, heading towards the tarred road. Odd Eye grabbed her notebook from her sling bag and jotted down her own story that she made up while Gowon read her book about butterflies. Tori, on the other hand, had to tolerate Rex, who's constantly poking her puffy cheeks.
"Rex, can you please stop?" she scolded him. "I am trying to play 'Among Us' with the girls."
"But your cheeks are so squishy," he defended himself, pinching her cheeks. "I just want to squeeze them until it pops."
"I will break your fingers if you don't stop," she threatened, giving him a death glare.
"Well go for it, Tori. I dare you to break my fingers."
"Can you not?" Mayyah stopped them. "I'm trying to have a good time here."
"But it's so boring. We've been on this road for hours already."
"Don't be a drama king, Rexy. It's only been twenty minutes."
"Hey guys," Odd Eye stops writing. "I'm trying to write here."
"No one cares about your writing," Rex stuck his tongue. "You're annoying."
"Well go fuck yourself, oh wait, you have a rash."
"Well, fuck you, Odd Eye."
"Fuck you too, you-"
"Oh my god," Cody sighed in resignation. "Why can't we have a dainty, relaxing family vacation just for once?"
Ares could only snicker as she was fixated on her phone, watching her favourite girl group performing on stage. She could say something, but at the same time, she finds their bickering music to her ears.
Wolffe, on the other hand, had his headphones on the entire time while Fox was still settling his paperwork on his datapad, much to Bly's chagrin. He wanted to initiate a conversation between his brothers, but they seem to be in a terrible mood all the time.
"So, anyone wants to play I, Spy?"
Ares gave a thumbs up and smiled.
"I'm not playing," Fox told them, rubbing his temples. 
"Okay then, I spy something that is green, and it's not a tree."
"Okay," Tori scratched the back of her head, searching for a green object when she came across an Eden green hair clip on Gowon's platinum blonde hair. "It's the hair clip, right?"
He nodded. “Yes, it’s the hair clip.”
“Okay, my turn,” Mayyah joined in. “I spy, with my little eye, something that is made out of paper?”
“A map,” Ponds answered. “It’s the map.”
“No, it’s not the map, Ponds.”
“Is it Odd Eye’s notebook, cause that’s the only thing here that is made out of paper?”
“I’m terrible at playing games.”
“This game is so boring,” Rex complained. “Are we even there yet?”
“No, Rex,” Cody assured him. “We have like 100 kilometres more to go before we arrived at our camping site.”
He folded his hands as he leaned closer to Tori, who pushed him aside. He looked at the time on his watch and groaned again. He didn’t bring anything except his phone to entertain himself during the road trip and now regrets everything that he packed in his bag. “Are we there yet?”
“No, Rex,” Ponds replied. “We’re not there yet.”
“Are we there yet?”
“No.”
“Are we there yet?”
“No, we’re not there yet.”
“But are we there yet or not?”
“If you ask that question one more time, I swear to God that I will end you,” Tori threatened, making him burst into laughter. “I’m dead serious, Rex.”
Shit, she just called me by my actual name. Well, I’m screwed. “I’m just joking around, Tori. Can’t you take a joke or something?”
“You’re such a pest, you know that.”
“That’s very sweet of you, Tor,” he grinned, squeezing her cheeks, prompting her to slap his hands away. “Ow, that hurts.”
“It’s not even painful, dickhead.”
“Can you two please quit it?” Cody scolded his vod’ika. “I’m trying to drive here.”
“He started it,” she sneered, pinching his arms.
“I was just playing around.”
Gowon rolled her eyes at those two and gazed outside the window, noticing her surroundings filled with thick, humid jungle and didn't see any signboards which indicate that they’ve already reached the beginning of the highway. She felt something wrong in her guts. According to the map, it was supposed to be a wide road with lots of cars but instead, it was only a narrow street with no cars except for them. Something is up.
“Hey guys,” she spoke, in a nervous tone. “Not to incite panic but are we lost?”
Cody’s eyes widened as he turned to Ponds, who had the map in his hands. “Ponds,” he whispered to him. “Where are we?”
“We’re on the highway right now, Codes,” he replied, looking at the map again, just to make sure that he’s reading it properly. “Yup, we’re at the highway alright.”
“Are you sure? I don’t see any signs that we’re on the highway.”
He checked again and again until he realized that he had printed out the wrong map. Crap, this is the map to Taco Bell, not to our camping site. How do I tell Cody that I left the actual map on my desk?
“Ponds, are you there?” Cody snapped his fingers in front of his face. “Answer me, vod.”
“I don’t know how to tell you but apparently, I accidentally brought the wrong map,” Ponds stuttered. “Please don’t kill me. It was an accident.”
“So all this time, I’ve been driving in a different direction?” He placed his hand on his shoulder, making Ponds choke on his own saliva.”
“Vod-”
"Are you fucking kidding me, Ponds? Now we're actually lost in God where."
"Wait, we're lost?" Bly gasped.
"Yeah, we're lost but calm your-"
"Oh my gosh, we are lost?" Gowon screamed, leaving Cody to hit his own face. 
"I just told you not to panic, Gowon."
"Are we going to die?" Odd Eye hugged her notebook.
"No one is going to die, Odd Eye."
"Oh well, time to buy me a coffin and a shovel for myself," Tori resigned in a calm manner, sipping her bottled water.
"Look, we'll find a way to our camping site, okay?" The marshall commander tries to compose his siblings. "We'll always find a way through these kinds of situations."
"We could use a GPS," Mayyah recommended. "They're much more efficient than a map anyways."
"Excellent idea, Mayyah. Thank you so much."
"I have to disagree with you," Fox finally spoke up. "But a GPS would make it worse."
"Oh really?" Ares signalled, raising one of her eyebrows. "Can you prove it, Foxy?"
"First of all, Ares, it's Fox and secondly, Thorn and I had used a GPS to the warehouse, and we ended in the middle of a funeral instead."
"That's because you keyed in the wrong location, Foxy," Wolffe took off his headphones, leaving Tori to laugh at his embarrassing story. 
"I pity Riyo for having a clueless husband like you," she snorted.
"Well, Tori," he wanted to fight back. "I pity whoever fucks with you."
"I'm an ace, dumbass."
"Then, I pity whoever has to marry you," his voice shook, trying to say something back to Tori, much to his failure. Wolffe gave a few pats on his brother’s back, assuring him that it is no use to snark back at his younger sister, which doesn’t seem to help much.
In desperation, Cody decided to go with Mayyah’s ideas, since her case is stronger than Fox. He may be smart and experienced, but at least Mayyah practices self-care, such as sleeping for eight hours and drinking herbal tea that Vanya had suggested. 
He took out his phone and pressed the GPS app, Waze and hung it on the phone holder by his window. “In 400 metres,” the feminine voice of the GPS spoke. “Turn right.”
“Looks like we’re back on track,” he chuckled, much to Fox’s agony. He has a bad feeling that their trip will not end well, judging by how inefficient the app is.
As they reached the intersection, he turned right. “Keep straight and then turn left.”
Rex checked on his Snapchat and pressed on Fives’ story, where he discovered that his younger brother was lying at the back of the van the whole time, making him blinked twice. Maybe I should just pretend that I did not see that.
And Rex did that by putting his phone down and resting his elbow on Ares, who was watching a romantic movie on her datapad. She shooed him away with her left hand and focused on the movie, but the captain of the 501st wouldn’t budge at all. I wish I could kill him while he’s sleeping, the red-haired clone said to herself as she leaned her head against the glass window, wishing that she could wiggle her feet.
Bly felt his stomach grumbling in hunger and proceeded to reach his hands for a bag of potato chips when he was tugged. Like his partner Aayla would say, he screeched like a vulture. “There’s someone in the van.”
“Fuck!” Cody exclaimed, pressing the brake of the van harder, leaving some troopers almost flying from their seats. “What was that?”
“Is it a serial killer?” Odd Eye guessed.
“Hang on, Odd Eye,” Wolffe shot down her answer. “It could be some stowaway or something.”
“Then it’s a serial killer stowaway.”
Wolffe could only shake his head as they got out of the van and unlocked the boot, only to find ARC Trooper Fives squeezed in between their suitcases, letting out a nervous laugh. “Took you long enough to figure it out.”
“Fives, what the hell are you doing here?” Tori asked, her hands on her hips. “And also, how did you get in here?”
“I heard you guys were on a road trip, so I decided to come along as well.”
“You di’kut,” Fox growled. “You almost made us crash.”
“I didn’t mean to, Commander. It was an accident.”
“Look, guys,” Mayyah tries to stop Fox from attacking him. “We don’t have time for this. If we want to get there faster, then we need to keep moving, alright?”
“You have a good point, Mayyah,” Cody scratched underneath his chin, before turning to Fives, who was shivering. “Alright, Fives, you’ll be sitting next to Bly, if that’s fine with you.”
Bly shook his hands. “Actually, I would rather sit with Ares."
The mute clone gave a wide grin and nodded. Since she and Bly are close, the thought of sitting next to her best friend is good enough for her. Besides, she finds Bly struggling to strike a conversation with Fox and Wollfe anyways.
They continued to hit the road, with Cody putting on Smells like Teen Spirit on the radio, which was sung by Nivarna. Ponds, who was not a fan of funk music, decided to switch to his favourite music, Autumn by Vivaldi. The Marshall Commander finds classical music to be rather boring, and changed it back to his favourite song, much to Pond’s chagrin. 
He looked away for a moment and purposely slipped his hands on the radio, flipping back to Vivaldi. Cody was so frustrated with his brother that he changed back to loud music. 
"I hate this song," Ponds complained, switching back to Vivaldi. "It makes my eardrums explode."
"Vivaldi is a boring musician and his symphony makes me feel sleepy," Cody fought back as he changed the radio.
"Nirvana sucks anyways!"
"Don't be a snob, Ponds. They're legendary, unlike this Vivaldi guy."
"Oh yeah? This song is too depressing and angry for me anyways."
"You-"
"Enough bickering," Fox shouted from the back seat. "I'm trying to sleep, for fuck’s sake."
"Sorry, Foxy," Tori teased. "Honestly, you're such an old man sometimes."
"It's Fox, not Foxy!"
"Whatever, Foxy," Cody went along with the joke. Fox could only hold his tongue as he laid his head on his seat, dreaming about his lover Riyo Chuchi. 
"Turn left, and then, turn right," the GPS guided them, leaving Cody confused. Despite that, he just followed the directions that were given to him, since he had no other choice anyway.
"You have arrived at your destination."
That was a lie. Instead of a campsite, they ended up in a dark, gloomy graveyard, with bare trees growing in front of the gate. “Uh, vod, are we in the wrong place?” Tori asked, clutching her hand against Rex, who had to deal with a frightened, younger brother, which is Fives.
“Yeah, we are in the wrong place,” Cody grabbed his phone. “I don’t even know why this thing led us here in the first place.”
“See, I told you GPS is shit,” Fox snarked. “But no, you decided to ignore my advice and used the GPS to get us to our camping site.”
“Okay, now it’s not a good time to point fingers,” Mayah suggested. “We need to think fast if we’re going to find our way out of the situation.”
“You know,” Ponds raised his hands. “I could download a map from my phone and use that one instead.”
“Is it a map to Taco Bell?” Wolffe questioned, to which Ponds shook his head.
“No, it’s a map to our campsite. I found it on the Internet while I was on my phone.”
“Bruh, why didn’t you do that sooner?” Bly crossed his arms. 
“I just found out, okay?”
“Whatever it is, we should just keep moving,” Mayyah grumbled. “As I said earlier, we can’t afford to linger around here anyways.”
“Yeah, same,” Odd Eye murmured. “As much I like the view of a cemetery, it gets dreary the longer your stay here.”
“You tell me,” Fox said, blankly. “I just want this journey to get over with.”
“Hey guys, could we stop by at McDonald’s later on?” Fives wondered.
“We have food in the car,” Rex told him off.
“Fine.”
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Commander Odd Eye:
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Commander Gowon:
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Commander Mayyah:
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Commander Ares:
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weemsbotts · 4 years ago
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The Disappearing Pitter Patter of Feet: The Colonial Girls Lost in Time
By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director
Participating in any of our outside walking tours, day or night, includes a trip to Dumfries Elementary Public School and Dumfries Cemetery. One ghost story specifically refers to the appearance of ��colonial girls” and in a town filled with Civil War folklore, it is intriguing this particular association attached itself to the school. But if Dumfries Graded School and later Dumfries Elementary Public School operated in the early 1900s, why colonial ghost children?
In 06/19/1795, Mrs. Simson advertised the opening of her Boarding School in the Republican Journal and Dumfries Advertiser. “Where she intends teaching all kinds of needle-work, in silk and worsted; she also teaches the tambour and embroidery, with the art and elegance of shading, and taste in the arrangement of patterns.” She wished to “cultivate their young minds, as well as form their manners” flattering herself “that she has given satisfaction to the parents of those whom she has already had the honour to instruct – and gained the love of her pupils.” Besides for needlework, she advertised “reading, spelling, and writing taught with propriety”.
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Mrs. Simson’s indicated that the Boarding School was “at the House of Thomas Lee, Esquire, on the Hill”. The famed Lee family owned property throughout Virginia including the Town of Dumfries and while both Colonel and former Governor of Virginia Thomas Lee and Thomas Ludwell Lee, Sr. died before the 1780s, Thomas Ludwell Lee, Jr. presumably placed a newspaper ad in the Alexandria Gazette on 09/17/1787 for persons wishing to rent “a large Commodious Store house in Dumfries, as well situated being nearly in the centre of the main streets…” Charles Lee also advertised in the same paper and date “…to be leased forever at public auction…about 15 lots situated in the town of Dumfries on the main street opposite to McDaniels Tavern being part of the square now occupied by Henderson, Ferguson & Gibson”. While the Lees rented and sold property in Dumfries, some to the Merchant family, the house “on the hill” likely referred to the area around the current Dumfries Elementary Public School.
In 18th century America, middle- and upper-class white families usually hired tutors to instruct their young daughters the basics of writing and arithmetic, with more advanced and skilled instruction in needlework, music, manners, and other forms of arts and crafts. If the parents could and were willing to send their daughters to a boarding school, they would hone their skills in needlework and come back with a “level up” – a finished needlework to display prominently in the home, discreetly (?) informing guests of the family’s wealth, sophistication, and refinement. These “female accomplishments” were important signals to a society focused on appearance and marriage. Virginia prohibited the gathering of enslaved children for the purpose of education extending from the constant white paranoia that educated enslaved persons were more likely to rebel. However, the Bray Schools in Virginia instructed enslaved persons in Christian education through biblical literacy. Both Williamsburg and Fredericksburg operated official Bray schools ranging from 1760-1774, although Fielding Lewis encountered low enrollment and white hostility forcing him to close the Fredericksburg location sooner.
Although siltation was an issue by 1795, the town of Dumfries still attracted people as the Henderson family resided in Dumfries and Mason Locke Weems had yet to purchase the lot for his book depository. However, we have so little information beyond the newspaper advertisement for the boarding school. Did anyone pay the fee to board their children? If so, which families took advantage of this offer and what were their experiences in Dumfries?
Interestingly, the Republican Journal and Dumfries Advertiser also included the following song in the same paper with Mrs. Simson’s advertisement, titled “Domestic Felicity”. Although not attributed to any person in the newspaper, this song appears in Isaiah Thomas, Jr.’s ed, “The Sky Lark: or Gentlemen and ladies’ complete songster. Being a collection of the most modern and celebrated American, English, and Scotch songs”.
“Though grandeur flies my humble roof,
Tho’ wealth is not my share,
Tho’ lowly is my little cot,
Yet happiness is there.
 *
A tender wife, with mild control,
By sympathy refin’d,
When rage the tumults of the breast,
Becalms my troubled mind.
 *
Three pledges of our mutual love,
Kind Providence has given,
And competence, to nurse their hopes,
Is all we ask of Heaven.
 *
Still, from the little we enjoy,
A little we dispense;
And watch the buddings of their mind
Just blossoming to sense.
 *
With arm entwin’d in arm we fit;
And join their hands to pray;
And teach the accents of their tongue,
To hail the rising day.
 *
At eve again they kneel and bless
The hours which are now past;
And hope their cherish’d virtues may
Prove happiness at last.
*
Accept, Great Father of us all;
Accept their little prayers,
And grant the nurslings of our youth
May crown our silver hairs.
*
Let those whose weak and infant limbs
With tenderness we guide,
Be props unto our age when down
The steep of life we glide.”
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(Image: Instruction with Delight. Thomas, Isaiah. Little Robin Red Breast. A Little Pretty Pocket-book Intended for the Instruction and Amusement of Little Master Tommy and Pretty Miss Polly. Massachusetts: Worcester, 1787. The Colonial Society of Massachusetts: 18th century Massachusetts Songsters, Volume 54, Music in Colonial Massachusetts, 1630-1820: Music in Homes and Churches)
While the “colonial girls” will not respond to repeated queries (naturally), they and all the ghosts, such as the enslaved persons, represent our quest to understand everyone living in Dumfries. While essays and books are continually written about the white male society, they are not the ghostly figures people claim to see in this town – instead, it is the ones whom society did not equate as equal.
Note: While our closed season begins on 11/01/2020, we will continue to offer online virtual tours! The online tour includes a meeting with the staff and a video of the house. Stay tuned for special virtual November Member programs along with news of possible holiday outside walking tours! Click here to access info regarding our latest & upcoming programs and tours!
(Sources: The Republican Journal and Dumfries Advertiser, No. VI, Vol 1, 06/19/1795; HDVI Archival Files: Dumfries – Town Lots, Newspaper Notices; University of Michigan Digital Text Collections: Evans Early American Imprint Collection Text Creation Partnership; MET: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Peck, Amelia. American Needlework in the 18th Century, 10/2003; Library of Virginia & Virginia Humanities: Encyclopedia Virginia. Bly, Antonio. Slave Literacy and Education in Virginia)
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biting-you · 6 years ago
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How about sans finding out the reader has angel wing tattoos 💜💙💜
This is sooooooo cuuuutttteeee!!!! Okay I honestly have a weird tattoo worship thing so this was really fun to write >.
It wasn’t very unusual to get covered in pasta sauce at the skelebrothers house, with Papyrus’s ‘enthusiastic’ cooking it was to be expected that you get a few splotches of meat sauce here and there but this…this was a bit much. The entire front of your white (and unfortunately new) shirt was saturated in tomato sauce after Papyrus thought it wise to try and make it homemade by shoving as many tomatoes as he possibly could into the blender. It obviously didn’t go over well. Not that you could ever get made at the boisterous skeleton of course and you waved off his apologies with a smile, it was just a shirt after all. You could easily borrow one from Sans for the time being.
Speaking of the short skeleton, you were currently eyeing his dozing form as you entered his room, debating whether or not to wake him and ask him for a shirt or just take one and tell him later. The both of you had been friends for the longest time and you were sure he wouldn’t mind, but still, manners.
Your decision was made for you as he groggily opened an eye at the sound of you shutting the door, his ever permanent grin widening slightly as he eyed the red mess on your shirt.
“That sucks, that shirt must have cost a pretty penne,” He winked the best that he could with only one eye open and you couldn’t help the snort that escaped you.
“That’s pasta-bly, the worst pasta pun ever,” you replied as you headed over to his dresser, opening the one that you know had a million of identical white shirts in it. It was Sans’s turn to chuckle and he opened both eyes to stare at you lazily, already looking like he was going to doze off again any minute.
Snagging a shirt out of the drawer, you went to sit on the foot of his bed, facing away from him as you started to peel off your ruined shirt. You had no qualms in changing in front of Sans, or any of your friends for that matter, though you couldn’t help the flush rise to your cheeks as you felt his grey eyelights staring pointedly at your back.
“See something you like?” you teased, casting a glance at him over your shoulder, slightly surprised to see him sitting up a little straighter, his brow bone knitted together in what looked like confusion.
“What’s that?” Now it was your turn to be confused. What was he talking about? Did you have something weird growing out of you? Maybe you had spent too much time with Alphys near the core….
When you didn’t answer he just pointed to your back, “those uh, markings? Looks like wings or somethin’… do all humans have those?” You could almost hear the little ‘ding’ go off in your mind when you finally figured out what he was talking about.
“Oh! You mean my tattoo?” You gave a light laugh as he only seemed more confused, “they’re angels wings. Lot’s of humans have them! Tattoos, I mean.” He nodded slowly, sitting up fully now and leaning forward, eye narrowed as he inspected the black lines running over your back.
“So…were ya like, born with ‘em?” You shook your head ‘no’ with a small smile.
“Oh no, I paid someone to give them to me. It took a while and the needle was a bit irritating, but the artist did a really good job!” You saw Sans’s eyes momentarily widen in alarm.
“They used a needle on ya, didn’t that hurt a bunch?”
“Only a little!” You definitely didn’t cry a little at the beginning. Nope. Not at all.
He bobbed his head to show that he understood before a blue flush spread across his ivory cheek bones. “Can I uh…can I touch ‘em?”
You blushed a bit too now. Sure, you were shirtless but Sans was harmless and wouldn’t try anything weird, besides it was just your back. You gave him a nod and a smile and watched from over your shoulder as he scooted forward on his butt until he was directly behind you.
He looked uneasy as he stretched out a tentative hand to your back, placing just the tips of his fingers on your skin. He looked oddly thoughtful as he started to trace the black lines, his grin now replaced with the slightest hint of a smirk.
“Huh…thought’d feel different or somethin’….” His eye lights moved to your face, studying closely. “It doesn’t hurt when I touch it, right?” You gave a small smile and just shook your head, somehow not able to speak. This was a rather…intimate situation, not that you minded of course! You just didn’t think when you woke up that morning that your skeleton best friend would be stroking your back. It was a rather pleasant surprise.  
“They suit you, ya know?” You blinked out of your daze at the sound of his voice, not realizing you both had been quite for a good amount of time.
“Wha…?”
“The wings…the angel wings, yea? They just suit ya…cuz like ya know…” You swear to god he was sweating, “you’re all…nice,” he visibly winced at the end of his sentence, cursing himself internally at how dumb that sounded. But you only let out a short breathy laugh, the blush on your cheeks now reaching your ears.
“Haha, wow um…thanks Sans,” You flashed him a shy smile which he quickly returned. Silence fell over the both of you again, but it was a comfortable one. Sans continued to run his boney fingers along your tattoo while you found yourself beginning to lean into his touch. This was nice…just the two of you…you really hoped that it would last for the rest of the night-
“HUMAN! WHERE HAVE YOU GONE? THERE IS STILL COOKING TO BE DONE!!!”
And there it goes.
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marjaystuff · 3 years ago
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Elise Cooper interviews Rosemary Simpson
The Dead Cry Justice by Rosemary Simpson always involves a mystery, returning characters, and a social issue during the Gilded Age.  This historical novel delves into a very tough and disturbing topic.  But Simpson is such a gifted author and writes in a manner that does not go over the top. She realizes a line should not be crossed, leaving the subject matter up to the reader’s imagination. 
The story opens with the main character, Prudence MacKenzie, heiress turned sleuth with her partner, Geoffrey Hunter, contemplating if she should accept the offer to attend NYU’s law school.  It is now 1890 and women are making strides, but she is not sure how she will be accepted among the students and professors. 
While weighing her decision a street urchin steals her sandwich.  A chase ensues leading her to a badly beaten girl. The girl’s eyelashes and eyebrows have been replaced with tattoos, her skin is bleached artificially white, and she has been repeatedly raped. A Quaker refuge for the poor agrees to care for the boy and girl, both too traumatized to speak. Somehow, they slip out.  Prudence, with the help of Geoffrey and some other contacts, are determined to find the children.  They visit orphanages, brothels, a photographer, newspaper journalist, and a house of dolls.  Their only clue is a mysterious porcelain doll that oddly resembles the missing girl.  To their shock, they discover other young girls in the same situation. They now have a race against time to find the children and the perpetrators before it is too late. 
This is an important issue to bring front and center since sex trafficking is still present today with very little coverage or outcry as it was in the 1890s. Readers will understand how Simpson brings to life the Gilded Age in New York City through detailed descriptions, real-life people such as Jay Gould, Jacob Riis, and Nellie Bly, and a riveting mystery. 
Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story?
Rosemary Simpson:  Each one of my Gilded Age Mystery books has a social setting, murder, and the two main characters.  In this book it was the social exploitation of girls and women. It was a topic that needed to be addressed.  The deeper I got into my research I realized there are a lot of parallels of what is happening now.  At the time of my research Jeffrey Epstein was in all the papers. 
EC:  What about the abuse?
RS:  It was horrific back then. The girls felt homeless.  It was emotional and physical.  The girls were bleached, tattooed, made to take arsenic and lead, starved, drugged, and beaten. Parts of this are true today. There was a great deal of abuse.  Usually, it was the women themselves who were blamed for the sexual exploitation.  The clients were rarely blamed.  I kept looking and looking for major outcries against this. No one wanted to admit that this horrible issue could exist. I wanted it to be believable and to be realistic in the historical context. 
EC:  Lead and arsenic taken?
RS:  Yes.  It was done for hundreds of years to whiten the skin. It was a lead paste.  It also did damage to the brain and other parts of the body.  The arsenic was a very small amount used in cremes. 
EC:  Another relevant issue today is your quote about criminals?
RS:  You are referring to this one, “Criminals arrested should be detained, but walked free.” This book takes place before Theodore Roosevelt became the police commissioner.  Before him, the NYC police department was tremendously corrupt.  Until Roosevelt came along there were not many who wanted to clean up the corruptness.  People could pay to walk away after they committed a crime.  What is happening today, with criminals getting out, is a replay of what has already happened, many and many times.
EC:  Some of this story reminded me of the movie, “Oliver?”
RS:  There were a lot of orphanages in NYC.  They meant well and many were reformers. There was something associated with being an orphan as if it were the child’s fault.  In the absence of stern parental control there was organized institutional control.  Children were not assumed to be innocent, but the thought pattern was they tried to get away with everything unless there was a tight hold on them. A lot of the orphanages existed because of the donations.  They were very grim. As soon as the orphans got to be a certain age, they were shown the door.
EC:  Role of the dolls?
RS:  Young women were being traumatized and deprived of their basic humanity. They were turned into objects. The porcelain hand-painted bisque dolls are now antiques and even back then were very valuable. The best ones did come from France. They were so beautiful they were collector’s items and usually were not played with. When I was a child, about five, I got a gorgeous doll from my French aunt.  It was in a huge red and gold box, wrapped in huge red ribbon.  I was afraid to take it out of the box for fear I might drop it. After my aunt left, I took it out of the box.  It was gorgeous. 
EC:  Did the All-American Doll Shop influence you?
RS:  I bought some of these dolls.  But the idea was to make the dolls lifelike.  But I was reversing it. I was making the real girls look doll-like.  I only remembered these dolls during the rewrites.  In my story it was a way of depriving the exploited girls to be human. Just as today, with sex trafficking, these girls are treated as objects.
EC:  Were women really admitted to law schools during the 1890s?
RS:  Most of the women were working in a husband’s law firm or writing wills/trusts.  They were not arguing in full court before a jury.  My character Prudence wants to defend someone in a court. Society is beginning to open up to achieve some sort of equality.
EC: How would you describe the young brother Zander who tried to save his sister from exploitation?
RS:  An Oliver Twist kind of character:  Resilient, crafty, quick on his feet, smart, does not give up, and very loveable.  He bonded with his dog Blossom.  An unquestioning love and loyalty.  He is also protective, caring, and kind.  He realizes to save his sister he has to manipulate society.
EC:  Next book?
RS:  It will be out this time next year and is titled, Death at The Falls.  It takes place at Niagara Falls. Prudence has passed the bar, but no one will hire her.  She and her partner Geoffrey go to Niagara Falls to help her aunt’s friend who is accused of murder. The social aspect is the push pull between private exploitation of the Falls and the public effort to preserve the natural beauty of the falls.
THANK YOU!!
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lilmajorshawty · 7 years ago
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WHAT TURNS YOU ON?🥀🕊
* Mars in the 1st/Mars in Aries: (men) you like submissive women and or men and someone whom you can dominate and conquer. The quickest way to arouse these males is by power plays. They like the idea of being challenged and sassed and “fought” so to speak they want to duke it out before they win the fight and an easy won fight can turn them off. So they tend to be drawn to the idea of earned submission from their partners. (Women) can be drawn to dominate and passionate men and like the idea of being conquered and tamed(seeing as how these women tend to be a force of nature) and usually they like the idea of “forced submission"The hair is a hotspot and hair pulling can be a common occurrence sexually here. Rough sex is a commonality and most people link mars in Scorpio to animalistic sex and I would say that’s more Aries mars natives.
* Mars in the 2nd/mars in Taurus(men) ideally these men love flesh they love the sensation of skin on skin and love and even romanticize the tender aspect of love making. They are usually aroused by their senses and tend to be easily aroused by “massages” and “rubbing” so to speak. You feel up on them in the right way(sensually) and you’ll have them going. Both guys and gals here tend to love a lot of touch in sex and need it to stay aroused. Women here are no different from the male counter parts and usually enjoy sensual stimulation and slow lovemaking. Both tend to hate being rushed no matter what house mars is resting in.
* Mars in the 3rd/mars in Gemini: “talk to me dirty” these males and females tend to be aroused by “communication” and anything they can visually and audio-bly witness. The enjoy sexting/nudes and sexual talk over the phone and in person. They have to be mentally aroused before they’re physically aroused and usually those two come in a pair so when trying to arouse these folks wordplay is keen sexual conduct! They tend to love communication during sex and like to hear all of the sounds you make as it make the act that much more intimate for them as mars here will tend to see communication as a form of intimacy.
* Mars in the 4th/mars in cancer: guys and gals here are all about vibes and tend to be aroused by emotional displays and emotional release and expression/connection. If any of these things are missing it can be super hard to turn these guys on especially since sex is super emotional for them and not something they can easily disengage from. So the best way to get them going is really to cater to their feelings. Not to say they can’t have casual flings but in all honesty it’s super rare that they do unless mars is afflicted as sex is a big matter for them. That being said breast and femininity turn them on(gay or otherwise) and touching as well as surrender arouse these individuals as it shows trust and intimacy.
* Mars in the 5th/mars in Leo: Mirrors-mirrors-Mirrors. They love to be worshiped and tend to be turned on by video recording their sexual endeavors! They like the idea of an audience mostly imaginary though. They are also towards the more dominate and "on top” role of things and males and women with this position are turned on when they have their back or the person their sleeping with has their back to them. Any position where they can be on their back and vice versa is appealing to them.The way to arouse men and women here is via worship and praise.(you know those bodybuilders that get off on muscle worship?) that’s I’d describe these guys. They lose their minds at praise and tend to be very lustful to the idea of being idealized and adored by their partner. Although the underdeveloped ones may be sexually selfish most tend to give out just as much praise to their partners when love making! But yeah attention is a turn on for them.
* Mars in the 6th/mars in Virgo: now I always hear about how cleanliness is a turn on for these folks and “oh my god the way you clean that counter makes me hard!” But I’ll be honest most I’ve known are very keenly attracted to “dominance” males tend to be sexually interested in being controlled or dominated or being the one enforcing the domination. Women can be drawn to more submissive and power surrendering roles as well. Masochist. Men can be easily aroused by “the first time” and innocence and the in experienced men/women. Women tend to like more domineering or forward male/female partners. CLEAN SEX is important to them and don’t even think they’ll take their clothes of if your hygiene is wild.
* Mars in the 7th: okay I’m doing this separately mainly because in my opinion people who have their mars in the 7th are way way different from mars in libra guys and gals. But for starters these guys and girls tend to be aroused by “passion” and “disputes” they actually act like Aries mars sexually and tend to find aggressive energy very sexually inviting. They usually are aroused by the idea of mutual arousal and mutual satisfaction similarly to mars in libra but in a more passionate way. Sex for them is a competition with their partner and or love interest and usually argumentative and willful sex is the name of the game. A battle of the wills so to speak. Women here can be turned on by a good debate and or argument. While men here can be turned on by disagreements and or confrontation. Sex here like libra is about mutual satisfaction.
* Mars in libra: these men and women are more on the passive side and may have a passive arousal pattern. Men here tend to be ambiguous in terms of what turns them on and can have varying triggers mainly based on the sign their venus is in which plays the role of their unconscious desire. For example a guys with his mars in libra and Venus in Scorpio may be turned on by genitalia and seduction via mystery and intensity. While a guys with mars in libra and Venus in Aquarius might be turned on by spontaneous sex or something on the border of kinky. Women here tend to be aroused by charm. They aren’t really aggressive or particularly into overly forward moves but once again as with the males Venus plays a big role here. But for the most part women like a bit of a more assertive taste sexually but not anything to cut and dry. Sex here is about mutual satisfaction in a peaceful and pleasure filled manner.
* Mars in the 8th/mars in Scorpio:(women) I’ve noticed women here aren’t aroused the same way men are. They tend to be more private and quiet about their pleasure and can be more into atmospheric means of arousal. These women are all about the scenery and the vibe. They are mainly aroused by the “situation” then the actual person. So as much as they like mr tall dark and mysterious they love the idea of the dimly lit room..the jewelry rubbing against their skin..the velvet sheets and so on. It’s all about textures for them. (Men) from what I’ve noticed are very much so turned on my the “moment” they LIVE for that one “moment” and the lead up to it. They can be very easily aroused by touch and perceived stimulation and or anticipation of a moment turning into something more. So if you intrigue them enough and give them the idea that something otherworldly(and or sexual) could occur via glances and movements and a small shake and jive here and there you’ve got them. Sex here is about control and how many ways you and them can lose said control.
* Mars in the 9th/mars in Sagittarius:👀"how many different ways can we experiment?“ These guys are super into the idea of trying new things and how many ways they can turn a mundane sexual escapade into an expansive sexual train so to speak 😭. (Guys) here are super turned on by excitement and a good time. Anything lighthearted and passionate is a turn o for them. Both guys and gals here are turned on by laughter and simplicity. There’s an edgy quality here that they are drawn to and that usually is intensity. Despite how lighthearted they may be they have a streak for being turned on by a lack of inhibition. (Women) here are turned on by passion and lust they like the idea of a uncontrollable sexual encounter that leads to a new awakening of sorts. The fast way to arouse these natives is “intrigue” like their opposite gemini they like the concept of being surprised and or having their curiosity peaked. So if you peak their interest in some way and overwhelm them with a passionate encounter and throw in some laughs here and there. Boom.
* Mars in the 10th/mars in Capricorn: “control me before I control you” these guys and gals are so military when it comes to sex like no lie. (Women/men) here can be into BDSM and anything where control is focal in the act. They tend to be aroused by moments and or situations where they can’t control themselves. Or situations where they might be restricted in some way from allowing themselves full sexual outlet. Men can be very aggressive and intense sexually and run on the colder side. Men here can be aroused by physical touch and physical intimacy while women can be turned on by dominance and touch as well. These guys are more vanilla sexually and into more traditional roles be it gay or heterosexual. (Mind you all earth placements have stamina but I’d say these guys take the cake)
* Mars in the 11th/mars in Aquarius:“mr and Mrs I’m not really here” these guys are kinda icy sexually and tend to have very fluctuating sexual moods. That border on hay lets go to hey let’s not. These guys are mentally sexual and can be turned on by the idea or concept of a sexual ideal. That being said they are very easily aroused and can be aroused by litturly anything. But that being said mentally they are turned on by communication and “mental visualization”(men) here can be cold and aloof in bed and seem hard to reach during the act but they are there trust me in fact sex is usually very deep for mars in Aquarius females and males they just process the act differently. (Females) can be emotionally gone or “blank” durning sex and can easily be somewhere else while it’s going on and seemingly in another moment of time. Both are usually turned on by the idea of sex itself but can vary on their emotional state and wherever Uranus is placed on how and when they would be aroused. These guys and gals run hot and cold and can sometimes be an entirely different person after the act is over as what they wanted in that moment sexually might be completely different and or non existent the next.
* Mars in the 12th/mars in Pisces: these guys and gals are mr and Mrs versatile. They are super fluid and a basic combination of all the variously mentioned mars positions since they are the last house and sign. That being said males and females here don’t have a specific gender archetype and I won’t be differencing between males and females for this one. They can be aroused by anything I’ve mentioned above and tend to actually need a strong emotional component and connection to their arousal as well. Sexually they can be very elusive and vague and may be so ethereal and fluid you won’t even come back from the sexual experience the same. They are extremely seductive and cloudy. So at times I call this the sexual fluid hot spot since many of the people I know with this sleep with guys and gals and guys and gals who seem to lose their own boundaries of sexuality when in contact with these people. That being said they can be either motionless and quiet in bed or very entrancing and moldable in bed like water there is litturly no in between. They get off on servicing the same way mars in Virgo does but via sacrifice. They actually fantasize about “losing themselves”
- Alright that being said this post isn’t meant to be taken to seriously and most of it is based on experience and stories from friends! None of what I said is set in stone nor is it something like a dis or shot at anyone’s mars sign or house placement. I really love all of you and I hope this post of anything gives you a laugh or maybe a little relatable aha :) but yeah bless 🎲🎲🎲
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hudsonespie · 3 years ago
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Tug Completes First 1,000 NM Autonomous Voyage in Europe
The tug Nellie Bly has completed the world’s first 1,000 nautical mile autonomous voyage marking a milestone in the use of computer vision and autonomous tech to circumnavigate Denmark and gather essential data on waterways. Using a system developed by Sea Machines Robotics of Boston, the voyage was completed in just 129 operational hours over 13 days. The program was commanded by U.S. Coast Guard-licensed mariners remotely stationed 3,000 miles away in Boston, many of whom are also members of the American Maritime Officers union.
“The completion of this voyage marks the catalyst for a new era of at-sea operations,” said Michael Johnson, CEO of Sea Machines. “Remotely commanded autonomous vessels provide the marine industries with the platform necessary to be competitive in the modern world, delivering significant increases in productivity and operational safety, digitized ultra-efficiency and response speed, and will provide a new world of actionable operational data for improved planning and business practices. The Machine Odyssey signals the start of a new human-technology relationship propelling on-sea operations in the 21st century.”
The Nellie Bly employed first-of-it’s-kind AI-enabled, long-range computer vision and a sensor-to-propeller autonomy system. Its technical features allowed for path-planning, active domain perception, dynamic obstacle, and traffic avoidance and replanning, depth sensing, and fusion of vectored nautical chart data. Sea Machines reports that 96.9 percent of the 1,027-mile journey was accomplished under fully autonomous control. During the voyage, they executed 31 collision avoidance and traffic separation maneuvers. 
  Nellie Bly navigated the waterways of Germany and Denmark commanded from Boston (Sea Machines)
  The voyage began in Cuxhaven, Germany, and transited the Kiel Canal before traveling to the northernmost points of Denmark. The tug safely returned to Hamburg, Germany last week.
Using multi-sensor fusion, the system digitally perceived over 12,000 square miles of ocean space more accurately and comprehensively than comparable human operators. According to Sea Machines, this successful autonomous operation demonstrates that with this technology the world’s fleets can ply the oceans in a more predictable and safer manner, while optimizing the global supply chain by delivering a greatly more efficient and productive means of transportation than what exists today.
Throughout the voyage, the tug averaged a speed of 7.9 knots. Sea Machines garnered 3.8TB of essential operational data showcasing how the ships can readily connect as IOT systems into the cloud economy. The system also provided the remote commanders in Boston with an active chart of the environment and live augmented overlays showing the progress of the mission, state of the vessel, situational awareness of the domain, real-time vessel-borne audio, and video from many streaming cameras.
“Autonomy is taking hold faster on the waterways than it is on roadways,” said Johnson. “Our autonomous systems are already supporting vessel operations around the world in manned and unmanned capacities. We are rapidly retooling the marine industries with an advanced perception, self-piloting system, and connected vessel intelligence. The Machine Odyssey was a success and we believe we will soon see autonomy become commonplace.”
  Pilot house of the Nellie Bly (Sea Machines)
    Team in Boston commanding the tug (Sea Machines)
from Storage Containers https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/tug-completes-first-1-000-nm-autonomous-voyage-in-europe via http://www.rssmix.com/
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penniesforthestorm · 6 years ago
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On Jane, Part 3
This One Will Be Slightly Different From the Others
Listen, my children, for now we have come to the heart of Jane Eyre (book and young woman, both, obviously). The first chapter of Volume 2 is one of my favorite pieces of literature. On my most recent journey through this book (after almost a decade since the last time I read it), I actually paused when I reached this part, because I wanted to be in the right frame of mind to give it the attention it deserves. I was also nervous. Would it be as great as I remembered? I’ve changed a lot since I was seventeen, and I know quite a bit more about love than I did then.
Let’s set the scene. Jane, returning to Thornfield in high summer, after burying her aunt and seeing off her cousins. She’s glad to come back, but dreading the fact that her friend, the person she most admires in the world, is about to marry someone for whom he has no depth of feeling. She knows that soon, she will have to leave the first real home she’s ever had.
The thing is, I love the text of this section so much that I don’t want to try and summarize it any further. Instead, I’m including a link to the next crucial scene in my personal favorite adaptation of this book, the 2006 Masterpiece Theatre miniseries with Toby Stephens and Ruth Wilson. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRPszu5loaA
This is a tricky, complex moment. It hearkens, though, to the loose theme I’ve been developing in these articles: Jane’s quest for self-determination. As she says, she can’t bear the thought of having to fade into the background under the reign of Blanche Ingram. Far better to tear away entirely than to spend the rest of her life with the thing she can’t have dangling in front of her. And I really like the shifts in Toby Stephens’ expressions in this version-- we see him realize how hurt and how desperate she is, and how, suddenly, he will stop at nothing to ease her sorrow. And she, in counterpoint, will not give in until she is certain he means what he says. (Also, I’ve always fancied I look a little bit like Ruth Wilson. Make of that what you will.)
And now we get to the really difficult part. (Sorry!) In any discussion of Jane Eyre, there’s always a shadow hanging overhead-- the shadow of the woman in the room on the third floor. Another bit of scene-setting: at the chapel on Jane and Rochester’s wedding day, everything seems to be going fine, until the parson pronounces that fateful sentence, ‘Speak now...’ And somebody does. It’s Richard Mason, that tropical albatross who had the bad manners to almost get himself killed while staying at the house (that was a Downton Abbey joke). He and his lawyer claim that 15 years ago, Rochester married Richard’s sister Bertha, and shortly thereafter, brought her to England, and to Thornfield. Rochester, seeing no point in trying to outrun the smell of well-cooked goose, drags all of them back to the house, and we finally figure out that, while there was a woman behind all the arson, assault, and unreasonable noise after dark, it isn’t Grace Poole.
Here’s what I have to say about Bertha. It’s made pretty clear that she was already unstable when Rochester married her, and her condition rapidly worsened. Now, taking somebody back to your house and confining them is generally considered Not A Nice Thing To Do. But consider this: at that time, “insane asylums” in England and America were hideous places. Not only could women be put in them for ironing a man’s shirt the wrong way (e.g.), once inside, they would be subjected to malnourishment, poor hygiene, and a high likelihood of abuse. Not to mention the fact that members of the public frequently went there to gawk at the inmates. (For a full, first-person account of this, go read up on Nellie Bly.) At Thornfield, Bertha has a warm bed, clean clothes, proper food, and someone to look after her, 24/7. Rochester is an aspiring bigamist, which is admittedly not great either, but he’s not a monster. (I have always wondered, though, what he intended to do about the situation if Blanche had been the new bride...)
To Jane, though, this is unconscionable. Her morals will not allow her to take part in Rochester’s charade. Over the next chunk of pages, he pleads with her, becoming almost pathetic-- he wants her to run away with him, he tells her they wouldn’t even have to get married, just go and live in peace together on an island in the Mediterranean (which, I mean, who hasn’t thought of doing that?). Again, though, Jane will not bend. She says “I must respect myself”. And so, in the small hours of the morning, she runs away from Thornfield, not Jane Rochester, but Jane Eyre-- “poor, obscure, plain, and little”, but free and independent.
That brings us to the end of this installment-- tomorrow will be the final segment. For those of you just tuning in, Part 1 is here: http://penniesforthestorm.tumblr.com/post/176721452934 And Part 2 is here: http://penniesforthestorm.tumblr.com/post/176757746084
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septembersung · 7 years ago
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A good friend of mine has a graduate degree in art; she’s also a writer. As an MFA (creative writing), I have an appreciation for that complementary formation and we find lots to talk about artistically across mediums. But despite our complementary talents and education, as well as certain ethical similarities, we do not share a common religious conviction. That’s made it difficult to get at what I really want to say when certain subjects come up, notably, the amorality of contemporary art. I almost always write to work out not just what I think, but how and why I think it; ideally after committing this to blog form I’ll be able to explain myself better in conversation...
Under the cut because this became a rambling monster of a post. I’m not great at synthesizing and presenting what, for me, is a cohesive world-view, in clear syllogisms. Practice makes perfect, right? Anyway: the “amorality” of much contemporary art:
The phenomenon of amoral (and therefore, immoral) art I would also call “the ugliness of contemporary art” and “the unartisticness of contemporary art.” These phrases are related but not synonyms; they describe different facets of the same problem.
The most recent example of this unartistic-art subject that came up in our conversation was the widely debated Game of Thrones, as books and a show. I eventually recommended to her, and do the same to anyone reading this, an article called “A song of gore and slaughter.”  It is a fantastic breakdown of the underlying problem of which ASOIAF/GoT is just one example, and situates it within the genre as a whole. The author’s essential thesis is that violence, gore, and all manner of immorality - what he sums up as “splatterporn” - have become the center of the genre, and moved way, way beyond shock tactics to prove a point (a debatable tactic on its own, whatever Chuck Palahnuick says,) but are rather lauded as goods in themselves. In short: GoT and similar works are pornography, in the broad sense that encompasses far more than sex. The article examines praise for one such “splatterporn” series and responds, 
“Stomach-churning, it happens, is a good physiological description of what I referred to above as ‘objective disgust’. Being revolted until you puke, you see, is good for you now: it is something that you ought to want from a book, and if you don’t, you need to be ‘dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century’ yourself. The horrors of the 20th were not enough; Hiroshima and the Holocaust are, like, so five minutes ago. We shall outdo them all, and you shall like it. That is the gospel according to the up-to-date critic.” 
I agree wholeheartedly with the author’s general thesis, and will not reproduce the argument here - really, you should read the whole thing - instead, taking it as a given, what I want to explore on my own terms comes in a paragraph of the author’s towards his conclusion:
The touchstone of Elfland — the most characteristic characteristic of fantasy — is the eversion of symbolism. The One Ring is not merely a symbol of power; it is power. Excalibur is not merely a symbol of kingship; it confers kingship. In these terms, we can say that the recent novels of Martin and Abercrombie (among lamentably numerous others) not only symbolize but are the walls around a concentration camp in Faërie. This is the camp of ‘edginess’, where the gaolers are grimly determined that no memory of sun or moon, tree or flower, stone or sea, goodness, truth, or beauty, shall remain to the inmates, but only the unending, ever-increasing, bloodshot craving for the pleasures of torture and the pornography of pain, suitably euphemized as ‘moral ambiguity’.
The striking thing about the “eversion of symbolism” is that, in less explicit forms, it turns up in all kinds of genres; perhaps because  it has - and I am speaking here as a Catholic - a true, real world, counterpart: sacramentality. (For a fascinating, and non-religious, examination of this concept, see Robert Bly’s The Sibling Society.) And that article even names explicitly the trifecta which contemporary art has anathematized: truth, beauty, and goodness. You can’t have one of those three without the others, and they in turn depend, in art as in the life it imitates, on sacramentality.
To understand my point we need to be on the same page regarding what sacramentality actually is, so we begin with Catholic sacramental theology:
A sacrament is an efficacious sign of grace: it actually is and actually gives what it symbolizes. Bread and wine do not “just” symbolize the body and blood of Christ; at His word (”This is my body; this is my blood”), the bread and wine become, truly and substantially, objectively in reality and not subjectively in the mind or body of the communicant, His body and blood. Baptism does not just “represent” spiritual cleansing or “joining the church”; by the power of God given to His priests (e.g. Mt 28:18-20) baptism removes the stain of original sin (and the personal sins of someone above the age of reason) and truly brings that person into the Church, the New Covenant, into a state of grace. Holy orders is not some kind of graduation ceremony, it does not symbolically “set apart” a man as a leader because he’s studied theology. Holy orders truly makes an indelible (unerasable, permanent) mark in the man’s soul, conferring - kind of like Excalibur confers kingship on Arthur - the threefold reality of Christ on him: priest, prophet, king. He is truly “another Christ” (alter Christus), not merely “like” Christ. All of the seven sacraments can be summed up this way: their materials symbolize what their essence is and confers: grace, that is, the life of God.
Sacraments have both matter and form. What the form and matter are vary from sacrament to sacrament. The Eucharist is a clear example of this principle: the matter is unleavened wheat bread and grape wine, and the form is the words that confect the sacrament, in this case “This is my body,” etc.
Sacramentality forms the weft of the nature of reality in four ways: 
1) Sacramentality is the consequence of Creation in general and the Incarnation specifically. 
We have to unpack this a bit in order for its full significance to become clear in the following paragraphs. Creation means more than just “all this stuff we see around us,” and even more than the flat statement, so apparently unremarkable in our day, “God created the universe.” To put it extremely briefly, Creation is the order of reality, of all that has been made. The Triune God, who exists outside of all things and is complete unto Himself, created all things out of nothing as act of love, and those things are ordered with particular natures and to particular ends. (For an incredible and readable short introduction to the theology of creation, you can’t do better than Pope Benedict XVI’s little book In the Beginning.) Creation in a broad sense is incarnation: literally en-fleshing the thoughts, will, and love of God. The Incarnation is the highest manifestation of this en-fleshing, the “first sacrament” in a sense: God Himself became an enfleshed being, a physical, material person. That which is bigger than all of creation, outside it and above it, became joined to creation, went down into it, and assumed the nature of the created being, a human person. The Incarnation, which began with Mary’s “fiat” at the Annunciation at Nazareth when Jesus was conceived, enervated creation: that which was big and outside, without losing its bigness and outsideness, became inside and little. 
In short, physical, material, created things convey God to us.
2) Reality expresses its sacramental nature the seven sacraments proper, as discussed above, administered through the Church, as the active and physical workings of Christ - that is, grace - in the world. The sacraments are the direct consequence of the Incarnation: they are the continued presence of Christ on earth, the fountainhead of all truth, goodness, and beauty in the world. When speak of the sacraments, we are speaking of the Divine Person of Christ.
3) Reality is “sacramental,” in the technical or theological sense, which means a holy object, blessed by a priest, which has no objective power on its own but has a subjective beneficial power. Sacramentals proper include things like holy water, rosaries, crucifixes, and holy/miraculous medals. Sacramentals do not objectively confer grace in the way that the sacraments do because their efficacy is related to the personal devotion and belief of the person using them. For example: an infant, who is incapable of understanding baptism, nonetheless receives the indelible mark of Christ in his soul, is sanctified and made a member of the Church, because baptism is an act of God, whereas the spiritual benefits of using blessed objects, like a rosary, depends on the disposition (in a state of grace or not) and intentions of the person using them. 
4) Reality is sacramental because is it is full of sacramentals in the analogous sense: material, physical things and actions both describe an effect and help to cause that effect in those who participate in the thing or the action. This aspect of sacramentality exists because of and depends upon the sacramental reality, Christ.
Sacramentality in this fourth sense - as a created thing which describes an effect ands helps to cause that effect in those who participate in it- is, as you may have seen coming, a beautiful broad definition of art. Art itself is (a) sacramental, in this fourth sense of the word. Art only “works,” only has the effect on us that it does, because reality is sacramental: created objects have meaning, in a meaningful universe, and the form that they take is, and is the means of, their communication of that meaning to us; and at root what they communicate is the trifecta at the heart of all that humans aspire to: truth, beauty, and goodness.
Thus could J.R.R. Tolkien, a devout Catholic, described the work of artists (including writers) as a “sub-creation.” We participate in the creative, incarnational work of God when we make art. Truth, beauty, and goodness are both our subject and our goal, our content and the form of our content. 
Thus the creative, incarnational work has the three primary characteristics that describe God himself: it is True, Good, and Beautiful. Art is most successful, most fully itself, when it understands and works with its nature. 
(If your immediate objection here is, “but ugliness and darkness are important/valid/necessary/have a place!” I don’t necessarily disagree with you - but hold off, because that is not the point of, and not in contradiction of, what I’m getting at here.)
But human beings what we are, we often fail to understand the nature of things, and to actively act against our nature.
If art is not simply “whatever we make,” or “whatever I want it to be”; if it has shape; purpose; character of its own; then we must see what passes for much of contemporary art in a whole new light. Where contemporary art is amoral, immoral, ugly, and unartistic, it is so because it is unsacramental, indeed, it is anti-sacramental. Another word for this anti-sacramentality is iconoclastic.
And yet it cannot escape its own nature.
With that said, let’s back up to the importance of the Incarnation within the expressed theology of Creation:
As the Father showed his people throughout the Old Testament his presence through physical signs, e.g. leading them through the wildnerness as a pillar of smoke and a column of fire, or settling His presence as a cloud on the tent of the tabernacle, and later, the Temple (which, it should be noted, is fulfilled in the New Covenant with the perpetual physical presence of Christ in the tabernacle in the Blessed Sacrament), just so God makes His presence known and effects his will through matter. Most importantly, this began with Jesus, God-made-flesh. The Incarnation is the fulfillment of God’s promises in the Old Testament; it utterly changed the world. 
Then, Jesus Christ, God incarnate, revealed his divinity, his presence, and bestowed his grace, through physical works: The touch of his hand brings the dead back to life; a brush of his garment heals the sick; he gives sight to the blind through the medium of mud and spit; he gives us his divine person as the final, actually efficacious, sacrifice, under the appearances of bread and wine.
As the grace of new Covenant and the breaking down of the old walls between Jew and Gentile made all foods lawful and “clean,” so Jesus appearing as the image of the Father, a face to know and love and caress, turned the old prohibition against “graven images” - idols - inside out. Now the danger of idolatry from made things had passed because the Father had given the true, living image of himself, the Son, Jesus, to us to see and to imitate.
The history of Western art (and to some extent Eastern) from the Resurrection up until the eve of the Reformation is the history of Christendom exploring what that means. It is often said that the Gothic architecture of the middle ages fulfilled the word that the “very stones would cry out” in praise of God. 
Christians began creating art, particularly sacred images, even while they were still persecuted; the catacombs are filled with such art. In time, as the Church became, first just legal, and eventually the foundation of society, building Christendom - Catholic culture in nations avowedly Catholic - the developing skill of artists gave us what we see now as the history of art: not just methods and skills, but subjects, purposes. All was for the glory of God. What is true? What is good? What is beautiful? How can we express it? The history of the development of art in Western civilization is the long playing out of the logical consequences of the faith of the Incarnation. 
As the spirit of God was given form in the divine person, the man Jesus Christ, so his truth, goodness, and beauty, and that of all the faith which flows from him, Revelation and its logical inferences, overflows into the creations of his followers, for teaching, praising, worshipping, and evangelizing. This art achieved its glory at the height of Christendom: in no small part, it built the great civilization from which our own culture springs.
And then it all started to go wrong. 
Henri Daniel-Rops gives a great overview of how the secularization of art began, as one of the roots of and/or entwined with the roots of the Protestant Reformation, in his book The Protestant Reformation. What fascinates me, personally, is that the subjectivization of religion led directly to one of the most violent periods of iconoclasm in history, the Protestant image-breaking, which was practiced across denominations. The reasons behind it went far beyond the oft-cited “idolatry” to cut at the very foundation of the Catholic faith: they rejected sacramentality as such. (Yes, some Reformers and their descendants kept some of the language of the sacraments or quibbled over the number, but even they - and of course this is a generalization as they all disagreed with each other - put forth their interpretations as a direct counter to the Catholic understanding of reality and what “sacraments” and “sacramentality” mean.) Denying the sacramentality of reality ends up with denying the Incarnation, and without the Incarnation, there is no Christianity. Without Christianity, there is no art. We are still living with the descendants of those ideas and their consequences. This post is already a novel so I won’t trace that out in detail; another post for another day. But to paraphrase Hilaire Belloc, the revolt against the Catholic faith begins with “just” the Church, but ends in a revolt against reason, human nature, and reality. We are left without form or matter.
While I do not endorse this vlogger in general or his other videos, I offer this short video as an example of the general problems I’m talking about with contemporary art: Modern Art Insults Me. If you want a sense of what I’m talking about beyond “splatterporn,” that’s the video to watch.
Art that is produced by people and a culture that has utterly rejected not just the Catholic Church, but the rational foundations on which the Faith is built, including the sacramental nature of reality - in all senses of the word - is art that is trying to escape its own nature. Art is trying “to art” by being not-art. It’s still a creation, yes, in that it literally has been made, but it denies its nature and purpose; it has nothing to say about, or actively rejects, truth, beauty, and goodness. In many cases it rejects form (as a poet, and a defender of vers libre, I could go into detail - but in another post) and rather than glorifying matter, instead degrades it. I would go so far as to say what most accept as contemporary art is no such thing, but anti-art - a phenomenon more commonly known by another name: iconoclasm. 
Iconoclasm is the opposite of art. Definitions vary; it’s most commonly used to describe the destruction of art and/or the philosophy of people who believe destroying art to be a good thing. Art - that is, a given creative effort - that tries to become destruction in itself, that tries to operate outside of and/or actively rejects the trifecta of truth, goodness, and beauty, is iconoclastic.
In place of real art, we see two primary phenomena today: 1) Self-expression, and 2) Politics. 
Don’t misunderstand me: genuine art can be and incorporate self-expression, and genuine art can, and in some cases should, engage with politics. 
But what we’re seeing across the majority of mediums today practiced as art is not art, but acts of iconoclasm: acts of deliberate unbeauty, untruth, ungoodness - ugliness, falsehood, evil. The concept of revolution has been enshrined as the only “form” which art may genuinely take; and it proves to be no form at all. “Gritty realism” is the banner cry, because this vision of the world and humanity is one that is without an overarching purpose, a fundamental nature that cannot be violated, without the moral compass of a rational, created, universe. Rather than a cohesive, crafted, universe built out of and predicated on communicative love - gift and grace! -we see cruelty, purposelessness, isolation, and fragmentation as the standard; and not only described, but celebrated. In just a few brief years - speaking from the perspective of history - we’ve gone from the glory of “The Waste Land” to “If nothing we do matters, then all that matters is what we do” (Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Angel.) The “splatterporn” of ASOIAF/GoT is just one popular pernicious example. The sorts of things created in many art programs also qualify; as my friend described what she and her colleagues were creating at one point, “lumpy,” “ugly,” “blobs” of “stuff.” 
I have to wrap this up somehow before it becomes a book. (Give me a few more years; there’s easily a dozen books in this topic.) I’ve made a lot of claims and raised a lot of questions. To pick just two: The “but shock value is so important!” argument isn’t easily laid to rest, even though as noted above, and in that first linked article, it’s actually a separate discussion and far from a certain truth. “But does ugliness and darkness have a place in art?” is the next logical question. The answer is that it does, but again, that’s actually a separate issue from the actual question being considered here, which is: “what is art in its nature and what is its purpose?” My answer is, art is sacramental in nature (and therefore intimately tied to the Catholic faith) and its purpose is to portray and effect truth, beauty, and goodness. Not a novel thesis, certainly, but one that needs a great deal more hearing in a world where the monstrosities that is ASOIAF/GoT is proclaimed “great,” “good,” and - most bitter of ironies - “realistic,” where the actual nature of ourselves and the universe we inhabit is utterly denied - and not only denied, but reviled.
Further reading: 
For a fascinating look at “post-iconoclastic icons,” and the paradox - I would say contradiction - of the Incarnation, the natural and indeed essential art of the Christian faith in the Protestant world founded in large part on the breaking of images, Joseph Koerner’s The Reformation of the Image is a great look at the topic from within Lutheranism. 
Minimalism Gets It Wrong - don’t be fooled by the title; this article gets at the heart of what I’m trying to say.
And finally, go get yourself a copy of the incredible little book Only the Lover Sings by Josef Pieper. The relationship between feast - celebration - and art, and the perequisites of art - love and gratitude - feature prominently. He writes:
[I]f the disposition of acceptance and love is absent, not only can there be no feast, but no song either! C'est l'amour qui chante, love alone knows how to sing.
Also: I’ve written about these issues before in tags like art and catholicism and theological aesthetics.
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pawsimses · 8 years ago
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For @obi-kenobi-wan @anibun-skywalker @mylordshesacactus
Behold, more POTC AU
This time with actual reasons
Anakin Skywalker- Davy Jones, Captain of the Dutchman, Demi-God by Curse, Lord of the Dead Sea. Also Ahsoka’s older brother (yes she is now a functionally immortal demi-god, too, because yes). Just wants his wife back. Actually does his job. And has to bail Ahsoka out of situations continuously. Needs a vacation.
Aayla Secura - Barbossa, Captain of the Resolute (which she stole from Ahsoka via muttony and then abandoned her on an island). Has a pet Monkey named Bly. Pirate Lord. Quinlan’s daughter.
Barriss Offee - Elizabeth Swann, Daughter of Noble Woman (Pirate Queen) Luminara, has a wild streak to her that manners cannot extinguish. (Future) Wife of the Princess of the Dead Sea (Ahsoka). Cunning. Her mother’s anxiety and pride.
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tsiongemechu-blog · 6 years ago
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Tsion Gemechu
03/12/2019
Traits of toxic masculinity against men or anyone with its traits?
Definition of certain concept varies in different cultures, geographical placements, and timelines. One concept can be masculinity. The concept of masculinity is different from place to place and it also depends on the time line we are looking at this concept. For this specific topic, the focus will be on toxic masculinity from history perspective. Below I will claim that toxic masculinity is a trait that anyone can have in the 21st century. To help this point, underneath, there are ten different texts that are interrelated with toxic masculinity. These articles help understand the claim, currently there is not a specific group that can take the blame for toxic masculinity except those who practice it. For the sake of conciseness, the concept is specific to the United States and its culture.
1)    Charlie Rose Made Crude Sexual Advances, Multiple Women Say (popular)
           In this specific scenario, toxic masculinity is displayed via sexual violence conducted by the famous journalist Charlie Rose. According to the New York times report, Charlie Rose was accused of sexual harassment. The article starts off by informing its audiences about crude attempts of Mr. Rose on his young female employees. For the most part, the article conveys interviews made by these employees and the New York times. Mr. Rose is accused of groping, walking naked, flirting in professional settings. This article is substantial piece to portray toxic masculinity. Toxic masculinity is a narrow concept that defines hurtful traits of masculinity. If it is the case that these women who reported Mr. Rose harassed them with out their will, then his actions are indeed violent. This specific article is a good piece to convey toxic masculinity because women who are victim felt threated by the way Mr. Rose acted. When Mr. Rose apologized for his actions and stated that he thought the women were submissive for his actions, it implies that it is essential to understand what a person does not want due to interaction. Because one can perform traits of masculinity without being conscious. It is apparent that masculinity is a trait that males acquire. This leads to the conclusion that toxic masculinity is practiced by not all but some men. Nonetheless, is it the case that men are the only ones who practice toxic masculinity?
2)    Why toxic masculinity hurts men as well as women (academic)
           This article written by Susan J. Douglas contends that how men are victims of toxic masculinity. As an example, gay men are mentioned to be victims. Even though they do not practice toxic masculinity traits, presumably, it is assumed that they do, stereotypically, just because they are male. In addition to that Douglas explains, even those men who practice toxic masculinity are hurt because it is unlikely that they open up and seek out for help. At last she suggests that every person, regardless of their gender, needs to understand the disadvantaged community which in this case are men. It is an essential point of view that Douglas mentioned, men as victim of toxic masculinity. When talking about toxic masculinity majority of time people take it in the stereotypical way that all men practice toxic masculinity and women are the only victim of these toxic behaviors. However, this article clearly shows that there are some men, most men, out there who are victims of toxic masculinity and they are not recognized. It is not always the case that women are the only ones who actually care about this specific masculinity issue, but men do too. Douglas described men who can be victims form different perspectives. There are some gay men who are being accused of things they did not commit, there are straight men who are well mannered and are affected, and there are men who practice toxic masculinity and. Nevertheless, there are some men that Douglas hardly mentioned that can be primary victims of toxic masculinity. Those men are, men who are harassed by females who practice toxic masculinity towards men. Masculinity is a trait that males acquire, but it does not guarantee that females do not have those traits. This was one of the reasons why it is essential to mention toxic masculinity from the history perspective. Currently people identify as whomever they want to and the concept of gender that we conceived from the past hundred years is vanishing. Therefore, there is no one to take a blame for both toxic masculinity where there are so many groups of people who have the toxic masculinity (or even the masculinity) traits.  
3)    What is toxic masculinity? (popular)
In this article the author starts referring some cases reported where there are people accused of practicing toxic masculinity and the victims. The article then examines other texts written on toxic masculinity. Most articles are holding men accountable for the effects of toxic masculinity where only men are the ones who can change it. It then explains Merriam -Webster’s definition of toxic masculinity as being malevolent behaviors that are destroying. Following that the article states a text written by Bly, how men overtime became very thoughtful and gentle Also, the author, believe that it is hard to find positive traits regarding masculinity which leads to all these gender stereotypes. Author of this article described the concept of masculinity form timeline perspective which makes it easier to follow how people used to think and how they think now. Before it used to be binary gender division so, whatever is discussed about toxic masculinity is against men. The author support their point by referring to multiple texts and situation where toxic masculinity is discussed which makes their point creditable. They also discuss about current views of toxic masculinity which is way different form the past. The authors made crucial points to break the binary system of gender by supporting their point to other texts which also supports the claim that currently there is no one gender who can take the blame for toxic masculinity.
4)    Challenging Toxic Masculinity in schools and society (academic)
           This text’s set up is mainly focused on concepts of toxic masculinity in schools and its environment. It is mainly important in school settings because school is the main organization that gender equality is practiced vastly. It then goes on explaining different activities that women play that used to be constrained years ago. The author claims that as a society, it is highly believed that toxic masculinity is women’s problem and it is impossible to get rid of this issue with this mind set. There are strategies that the author provided to give a sense of things that can be done in educational settings. And these strategies’ core point is to challenge the idea of masculinity, gender, and sex in school and social settings. A good point is made on this article that support the overall claim that men are not the only ones who are responsible for the spread of toxic masculinity. The author highly believes that it is not one party’s (women) problem to deal with the issue of toxic masculinity. It simply means that it is everybody’s responsibility to work on breaking the habit of practicing toxic masculinity regardless of one’s gender. This is highly true in the 21st century that as human beings that we should hold everybody accountable. Another key point that the author described was that educational organizations are main places where toxic masculinity can be discussed in order to abolish discrimination and inequality among gender. It is a pretty good piece in explaining what can be done and what strategies are good for school setting professions to end toxic masculinity. The better way to do all these to challenge the set of minds and think outside the box.
5)    Five ways masculinity can harm you and people around you (popular)
           By looking at the title, that this article claims that there are specific traits of masculinity that can be lethal for people who practice them. The first is, what the text calls its unfair ideals. It simply means that the expectation that men used to encounter just because the are the male character in the family, such as being the head of the house. Second is sexism which refers to sexual aggressiveness of men towards women that tends to be assumed that every man has. Thirdly, there is a concept of self-reliance that denotes men are not supposed to share their feelings or ask for help. Then, there follows the concept of relationships. This idea is related to the previous one but in this case, it takes place in relationships between men and women and the hardships of men asking for help in a relationship. Lastly, insecurity and violence are the issues that the article talks about. Problems with this specific article is that it does not consider women’s participation, either on the formation of toxic masculinity or on the creation of toxic masculinity. All the responsibility is on the men to watch out for signs of masculinity, which makes the argument weak. In the claim above, it is stated that it is not only men who practice toxic masculinity but also women. It makes sense that the publisher and author have this point of view because the magazine that this article found in is mainly formed for men, therefore, there are some bias.
6)    Leadership: The Invisibility of African women and the masculinity of power (Academic)
           As it can be perceived from the title this article talks about the power of masculinity and the low rate on black women leadership positions. It first conveys statistical data of women who are educated and who are in the workforce and specifically how many of those females are in leadership positions. It then describes that in ratio black women, who are in leadership roles, are twice low compared to white female. The author then admits that even though there are major changes regarding women being on the leadership, it is essential to ask the question which women? This kind of transformation of gender equality does not address race problems and makes women compete with one another (not in a such good way), argues the author. The above article is a good piece in describing masculinity and race problems hand in hand. It is supportive information for the claim in the introduction section. It is stated that even tough it used to be men whom we often see the traits of toxic masculinity in the past hundred years, now it is practiced by different persons. Moreover, this article even shows that toxic masculinity is practiced by not letting the race women become equal in their gender. Toxic masculinity is not an issue that can be resolved by men, because men are not the only ones who are practicing it. Majority of men might be accountable for the expansion of toxic masculinity but there are other discourse community who can be held accountable as well.
7)    What is toxic masculinity? (popular)
           It is apparent that back in the days there were lots of adjectives used to describe traits of masculinity which have some impact on the formation of toxic masculinity. The author of this article specifically mentions that the old-fashioned terms that were used to admire maleness triggered toxic masculinity to go viral. Afterwards, the Gillette advertisement that states “The Best Men Can Be” is described by the author; the author uses Gillette advertisement as a supportive information for her claim on why toxic masculinity arouse. In the text it is mentioned are all men are not inherently toxic or have the traits of toxic masculinity. Following that she explains that why some men are engaged in violent actions more than women has some thing more than just having toxic masculinity traits. This article is a good piece to show that there is a person who grant the traits of toxic masculinity for those who practice it. The terms we use to admire men are essential because it determines how certain men respond to such terminology. It was normal for men to be tough and not emotional years ago. The article does not help with the time line that is argued in the introducry section, that toxic masculinity is every one’s responsibility to take care of. However, it is useful chunk to describe how things used to be and how it affects current perspectives.  
8)    UPDATING THE OUT COME: Gay Athletes, Straight teams, and Coming Out in Educationally Based Sport Teams (Academic)
           This article talks how there is a prejudice against homosexual men in the sport setting. It used to be thought that being a sports man is showing the traits of masculinity or being men. The set of sports constrained homosexual men to reveal themselves as homosexual. All this created a homophobic reaction towards gay men. The author argues that homohysteria, which refers to a fear of revealing gayness, has declined over time. The author also did a qualitative research on gay men; however, he states the difficulties that he encountered to reach out to gay men with different demographics and race. This article is a good piece to convey how toxic masculinity hurts homosexual men in general. It also goes in depth at school locations and how men in the athletics have hard time relating to the hegemonism of masculinity. Nonetheless this article fails to describe what women contribution is for this hegemonism. The author even states it by himself that the research made by the author lacks contribution by women. However, this can be a good depiction that toxic masculinity hurts everyone, even men, who does not portray toxic masculinity.
9)    Simply more than swiping left: A critical Analysis of toxic masculine performances on Tinder Nightmares (Academic).
This article talks about a dating app that is called Tender. Usually the number of men outweigh number of women who participate in this dating app. There is an Instagram page that serves the same function as the dating app, and in this page toxic masculinity is displayed evidently. The article states that this page frames how relationships should be perceived. The author argues that the definition of masculinity, being a real man, disguises the culture of masculinity in general. In the text “the hook-up culture” is mentioned where men’s sexual desire is displayed more than women. Men who are using this dating app are expected to express hegemonic masculinity which also frames the concept feminism, that feminism should be in certain way. This article is extremely useful when it comes in displaying the young age perception of toxic masculinity. In the Tender app, toxic masculinity was observed vastly. The description of toxic masculinity in this app only shows how relationships should be binary and how men should be hypersexual, but women shouldn’t. It also states that how it misrepresents the culture of masculinity, which, in this case, helps the point that masculinity is against men; Simply because some men do not identify with the hegemonic identity that is conveyed in this tender app.
10) 3 Things Women Want from Their Partner (Popular)
           As it can be penetrated from the title, this article is about what it is presumed that women might want from their partners. The first thing that was on the list was that women want a man who will be in love as they were when they first meet them. Following that it explains that women need a man who communicate thoroughly. Finally, it suggests for men to remember why they start dating their partner. This article is an example of an extreme binary relationship between women and men. It shows that men are expected to do certain things to satisfy their partners. This simply assumes that there will be always the same women desire that men should achieve to pleasure their partner. Specifically, it shows men as carless and forgetful however women are not. According to the article, these “3 Things” that are desired by women are expected from men and only men, not from women. This contradict with the idea that everybody can express toxic masculinity in the 21st century. However, this article fails to acknowledge those who are men but does not display the careless character portrayed in the article or those who are women who show the traits.  
                   Bibliography
[1] “Charlie Rose Made Crude Sexual Advances, Multiple Women Say.” The New York Times, November 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/20/us/charlie-rose-women.html?action=click&module=RelatedCoverage&pgtype=Article&region=Footer
 [2] Douglas Susan J. “Why Toxic Masculinity Hurts Men as well as Women.” Opposing viewpoints online collection, Gale, 2019. http://go.galegroup.com.aurarialibrary.idm.oclc.org/ps/i.do?p=OVIC&u=auraria_main&id=GALE%7CQFXBLF796592516&v=2.1&it=r&sid=summon#
 [3] “What is Toxic Masculinity?” Advocate, December 2018. https://www.advocate.com/women/2017/12/11/what-toxic-masculinity
 [4] Kathleen Elliot. “Challenging Masculinity in Schools and Society.” On the Horizon, 2018.  https://www-emeraldinsight-com.aurarialibrary.idm.oclc.org/doi/full/10.1108/OTH-11-2017-0088
 [5] Steven Lucas. “5 Ways Masculinity Can Harm You and The People Around You.” Wingman. https://get-a-wingman.com/5-ways-masculinity-can-harm-you-and-the-people-around-you/
 [6] “Leadership: The Invisibility of African women and the masculinity of power.” South African Journal of Science, Nov./Dec. 2015. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0038-23532015000600009&lng=en&tlng=en
 [7] Maya Salam. “What Is Toxic Masculinity?” The New York Times, January 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/22/us/toxic-masculinity.html
 [8] Eric Anderson. “UPDATING THE OUT COME: Gay Athletes, Straight teams, and Coming Out in Educationally Based Sport Teams.” University of Winchester, April 2011. https://www-jstor-org.aurarialibrary.idm.oclc.org/stable/23044138?pq-origsite=summon&seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents
 [9] Aaron Hess, Carlos Flores. “Simply more than swiping left: A critical Analysis of toxic masculine performances on Tinder Nightmares.” Arizona State University, December 2016. https://journals-sagepub-com.aurarialibrary.idm.oclc.org/doi/full/10.1177/1461444816681540?utm_source=summon&utm_medium=discovery-provider
 [10] Armando Quintana. “3 Things Women Want from Their Partner.” Wingman. https://get-a-wingman.com/3-things-women-want-from-their-partner/
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lettertotheinternet · 6 years ago
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Final Paper
Gothic novels almost invariably feature an element of the supernatural between their pages. This magic or otherwise eldritch force can be on the side of modernism, such as in The Castle of Ortranto or otherwise a force of malevolence such as we found in Dracula. But in some cases, the Gothic novel rips the rug out from under us. In Northanger Abbey, the supernatural is firmly debunked and Gothic notions are cast aside. The novel fills in the gaps for us and shows the real horrors of the modern day. However, two other works The Turn of The Screw and The Fall of The House of Usher invite us to be skeptical of the supernatural without explicitly ripping away the veil. In this essay, I will compare these three works and explain what happens to the magic in each by the end of the novel and what the author intends by allowing the magic to be ambiguous or by thoroughly debunking it. After examining the three works seperately, I will then examine the particular techniques that each author employed to allow the reader to either fill in the gaps or how the use of the reveal moves the story forward.
Northanger Abbey is a gothic novel that is determined to break the mold of gothic novels. Jane Austen goes through the novel deliberately breaking gothic conventions on purpose. The first inkling appears in the second chapter wherein Catherine’s mother is supposed to act very worried about her daughter’s departure and warn her about brigands, but she merely asks her to “Her cautions were confined to the following points. “I beg, Catherine, you will always wrap yourself up very warm about the throat, when you come from the rooms at night; and I wish you would try to keep some account of the money you spend; I will give you this little book on purpose.”’ (Austen, p.17).  Further examples of subversion can be found all throughout the novel. One in particular occurs when Henry Tilney shows up with a woman on his arm. There, Austen makes a point of noting that Catherine has “Thus unthinkingly throwing away a fair opportunity of considering him lost to her forever, by being married already. But guided only by what was simple and probable, it had never entered her head that Mr. Tilney could be married; he had not behaved, he had not talked, like the married men to whom she had been used; he had never mentioned a wife, and he had acknowledged a sister.” (Austen, p. 86). Austen goes on to use the subversions and the denial of the gothic to set up the real threats to Catherine Morland which come in the forms of James and Isabella Thorpe. Both of these individuals work to sabotage her in the marriage market, a greater and more real threat to her than her gothic fantasies.
But the most important subversion occurs with Henry Tilney when he directly confronts her about her fantasy world. His brief speech is found on page 353 wherein he says ““If I understand you rightly, you had formed a surmise of such horror as I have hardly words to—Dear Miss Morland, consider the dreadful nature of the suspicions you have entertained. What have you been judging from? Remember the country and the age in which we live…Could they be perpetrated without being known, in a country like this, where social and literary intercourse is on such a footing, where every man is surrounded by a neighbourhood of voluntary spies, and where roads and newspapers lay everything open? Dearest Miss Morland, what ideas have you been admitting?” (Austen, p.353) There most poignantly is the magic and the gothic horror ripped away from our eyes.
Unlike the other novels mentioned below, Austen is not inviting us to fill in the gaps. She is having her characters clearly explain the situation because she is trying to get across a particular story. When she fills in these gaps, she is letting us know that we are not supposed to pay attention to Catherine Morland’s gothic fantasies, we are supposed to be looking at the real threats to the young woman. Austen uses these subversions of gothic tropes to make a point that the real threat is not Catherine’s gothic fantasies, but her lack of common sense and not seeing the real world problems. She must worry about her credibility on the marriage market being sabotaged by people like the Thorpes, and she must worry about General Tilney’s designs on her. The removal of the gothic and the supernatural brings these social issues into glaring focus, as the author intended.
Henry James’ novel, The Turn of The Screw presents us with the governess who seems much the same as Catherine Morland. They both rather enjoy romances and their heads are full of Gothic ideas. In fact they both make a reference to the same romance author Udolpho, which the governess mentions here when she says “Was there a “secret” at Bly—a mystery of Udolpho or an insane, an unmentionable relative kept in unsuspected confinement?”( James, p. 53) But rather than having the notions of ghosts and gothic magic dispelled from her mind in the way that Catherine Morland does, the governess continues to see the ghosts. In fact, her visions worsen. She sees, or believes that she sees, Peter Quint peeking through the window, which she describes on pages 60 and 61. The governess grows increasingly paranoid as the novel progresses, which manifests in the way that she views her charges. While in the beginning she considers them to be quite angelic, her mind quite changes. Indeed, she sees a transformation of Flora that suggests something is amiss wherein she states “I’ve said it already—she was literally, she was hideously, hard; she had turned common and almost ugly.” (James, p. 211). The transformation and the continued sightings of phantoms suggest an altogether different story than that of Austen’s novel. Here, there may be magic, but it rests in a kind of ambiguous area where it is neither affirmed nor out right denied.
In the climax of the novel, it is considered from the governess’ point of view that Miles dies of fright, which she makes clear when she says “I caught him, yes, I held him—it may be imagined with what a passion; but at the end of a minute I began to feel what it truly was that I held. We were alone with the quiet day, and his little heart, dispossessed, had stopped.” (James, p. 257). But the novel intends for us to view the governess as an unreliable narrator. The children start to rebel against, as we see with Miles and Flora conspiring together to be ‘bad’ on page 138 and her tone takes on a more frantic and delusional manner as the novel progresses. We see the governess unravel throughout the course of the narrative as she switches from viewing the children as saints to viewing them as supernaturally threatening. Whether or not there is magic is left up to the audience, though we are invited to view it skeptically.
By providing the details of the supernatural, but not having them confirmed by any outside source, James is inviting us to question this heroine. We are expected to fill in the gaps of her erratic behavior and we can believe that either the governess really is experiencing something supernatural, or that the governess is slowly becoming delusional as the narrative goes on. He shows the governess propose a wild conspiracy that dead people are plotting to take the children away from her. Evidence of her coming undone is provided when she has a particularly violent reaction to Flora getting upset with her, which the governess describes on page 214: ““Of what first happened when I was left alone I had no subsequent memory. I only knew that at the end of, I suppose, a quarter of an hour, an odorous dampness and roughness, chilling and piercing my trouble, had made me understand that I must have thrown myself, on my face, on the ground and given way to a wildness of grief. I must have lain there long and cried and sobbed, for when I raised my head the day was almost done.” (James, pg. 214) She spends fifteen minutes weeping because a child did not like her. While there are certainly sensitive souls among us, the fact that she would react this way is undeniably strange and has us wonder if she is really someone who is rational. By writing the story in this way, Henry James allows for several interpretations. He allows us to fill in the parts of the story with our own suppositions based on how trustworthy we feel the narrator is. If we do find her worthy, then we find the existence of magic to be probable, and the final scene is one in which her fears are finally confirmed.
Our last piece is the short story penned by Edgar Allen Poe, The Fall of The House of Usher. This piece features the classic gothic elements, a dreary castle, a family curse, and the dead coming back to life. Elements of the supernatural are found littered throughout the short story. The first event of supernatural is the lady Madeline’s sudden entombment. On page 10, the narrator describes Madeline in a curious way: “The disease which had thus entombed the lady in the maturity of youth, had left, as usual in all maladies of a strictly cataleptical character, the mockery of a faint blush upon the bosom and the face, and that suspiciously lingering smile upon the lip which is so terrible in death.” (Poe, p. 10) This is the first indication we get of something supernatural or otherwise abnormal. Madeline is not looking like a dead person should look, she has a faint blush, she has that smile. All of these indicate that something is amiss. Supernatural elements are laid on more heavily with the inclusion of the whirlwind within the house that we find described on page “A whirlwind had apparently collected its force in our vicinity; for there were frequent and violent alterations in the direction of the wind; and the exceeding density of the clouds (which hung so low as to press upon the turrets of the house) did not prevent our— perceiving the life-like velocity with which they flew careering from all points against each other, without passing away into the distance.” (Poe, pgs. 11-12) This mix of details adds to the power of the climatic scene.  
The climactic scene brings with it a classic gothic trope, the dead rising. Madeline bursts from her tomb to confront her brother, with blood on her chest as she apparently fought to get out of her grave. But Roderick does something interesting. He gibbers that he buried her too soon, that she was buried alive. What are we to make of this? Is Roderick insane? This scene calls into question a lot with regards to the supernatural. If Roderick did bury her alive, is it then presumed that she died because of it? People die of dehydration very quickly so it is possible that if she was kept without access to water for a few days that this is indeed a dead woman. If he did not and she was truly a corpse, then rising from the dead is equally confusing and terrifying.  That climatic scene of Madeline rising from her grave is what calls into question the supernaturalness of the entire event. We are confronted afterward with the fact that the whole castle falls down as well, something that is more likely to be supernatural, but I would argue that even that is ambiguous.
Poe’s work invites us to consider the supernatural from the beginning. Everything is set for a proper Gothic novel in which the dead rise in a literal sense. He provides that the sister and the brother Roderick are both suffering from maladies. But Poe provides that one poignant detail that prevents us from believing Madeline has truly risen from the dead. Madeline has that blush about her, and that smile that the narrator describes from he and Roderick are just about to bury her for a week before her final internment. I am not an expert on the dead, but unless Roderick caught her just at the moment of her death or applied some very artistic makeup, that is the mark of Madeline still being alive. This one small detail is so very inviting to us. We can now choose to interpret this story as one of supernatural horror, in which a dead woman gets up and carries out the curse of her family. Or, we can choose to interpret this as a young woman escaping death and carrying out vengeance against her brother who attempted a monstrously cruel method of execution. This one small detail invites us to fill in the gaps ourselves with the idea that Madeline has risen from the grave as an undead woman without confirming for us that she really is one of them.
Authors choose to write their stories a certain way to get a particular effect or meaning across. When Poe and James choose to write their stories in a way that have multiple interpretations, they are asking us to ‘fill in the gaps’. We are allowed to question and decide the veracity of the magic. By keeping the insanity of the governess ambiguous in the turn of the screw, we are allowed to both believe and to doubt the evidence of the supernatural. By implying that Madeline might have been alive at the time of her burial, we are allowed to decide whether or not Madeline is a woman risen from the grave or not. But when an author chooses to fill in these gaps, to explain for us the reasoning behind the scenes, we are being asked to do something else. Jane Austen fills in these gaps and gets rid of the magic to tell us an entirely different story. She invites us to see the horrors of the modern day. Choosing where the gaps are creates very different stories, and sometimes, lets us know that what we should really be afraid is not our own gothic fantasies, but the horrors of our own modern world.
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