#it's all like ''oh they were so much better than the OTHER christian colonizers'' YEAH BUT THEY WERE STILL COLONIZERS

[sl-newsie]

My Review of 92sies

Gotta remember this was made in the 90s by the classic Disney intro! 😄

Thank you Max for the great intro monologue! ‘Thank you Max, for that marvelous introduction!’ Hocus Pocus, anyone?

Gotta appreciate how much they were able to make a crammed set look like New York

Oh. My. God! Shirtless Mush is sooo cute! 😍 

No wonder Skittery’s always angry- I’d be too if I was woken up early. 😤

Not even 5 minutes in and Jack’s called Cowboy  🤠

Where was Kloppman in Livesies? Really, where? 

I wanna know how all the newsies characters were created. Was someone reading A Christmas Carol and was like ‘yes, we need teenage Tiny Tim!’

I noticed they have the same audio of the kid yelling ‘c’mon move it! move it!’ later at the end.

Why did they cut out the ‘takes a smile as sweet as butter?’ bit?

Aw Race does the sign of the cross! Is he Catholic?

At first I was confused about the woman singing in the background but over time I feel that she brings the idea that not all the newsies are orphans 

Sorry but Race backing up from being threatened by a stick is hilarious 

Jack is so much calmer in this version! No more angry Jack

Awww! Les is so cuuute! The way he just stares at Jack while he’s running is priceless 😊

Race and Jack show more friendship chemistry in the first 10 minutes than Jack and Race in Livies during the whole show

Already 92sies Les is so much better 

It’s really hard to not picture Jack as Batman

Half the movie is watching all-a the newsies reactions in the background! 

Headlines don’t sell papes, newsies sell papes- the entire plot summed up in one sentence. 🗞️

Properly shows how the newsies respect a lady by them removing their hats

‘What’s that deafening noise?’ Uh, that’s your employees doing their job? 

I feel sorry for the guy shaving that Snider just shoves to the side when he runs up the stairs.

LUV Medda’s getup! All of it! Anne-Margret is so good! The way she talks to Les is so cute!

I have spotted the teleporting ventriloquist dummy guy!

I personally don’t ship Javid, but 92sies shows much better chemistry between Jack and David than Livesies.

‘Then you’ll be a real cowboy!’ ‘Yeah.’ What about a painter? Now where would you ever get that idea? 🤠🧑‍🎨

So it’s raining while they’re having dinner, then it stopped when they're on the fire escape, and the ground is dusty enough so when Jack does his Santa Fe ‘dance’ he doesn’t get all muddy? Huh.

Only thing about Sarah is that I feel her New York accent could’ve been better.

I wanna know who made the birthday cake. One of the cast or crew maybe?

I prefer Christian’s daydreamy version of Santa Fe. 🏜️

I’d like know what the people in the street are thinking, like ‘what the heck is this guy randomly singing?’

The streetlights make 92sies at night seem like a very cozy atmosphere

Why did they cut out the scene of Christian using a lasso? Learning how to use a lasso was a big deal for him!

What ever happened to the horse Jack technically stole?

Race and Jack’s friendship never gets old!

Pulitzer’s calculation behavior is… weird. Also why is he imitating Tevye’s If I Were A Rich Man dance?

Ok, we need a class where every newsie is pointed out and named so everyone knows who they are

What are the pedestrians thinking when the newsies start singing?

You’re a leader! Here Jack, have a stick! Now break it!

‘Em-bastards!’

Hey it’s Lone Star in a bowler hat! 

Now I want to use ‘hoity toity’ every day.

Yeessss! BROOKLYN! But where can I find the music if it’s not in the soundtrack?! 🌉

‘I spent a month there one night.’ Uh what does that mean, Boots?

Why is Spot Colon’s slingshot never brought up in Livesies?

Ok when I first watched this I didn’t know what to expect from Spot Colon but I remember that as soon as I saw him I had a crush on him instantly. 🥰

People always make fun of Spot’s height, whether it be 92sies or Livesies. But being a short person myself and knowing other short people I can honestly say that short people definitely can be scary! Seriously I’ve scared more people than I can count even if I don’t mean to, so imagine Spot Colon intentionally trying to be scary! To quote Yoda: ‘size matters not!’ Spot Colon could kick everyone’s ass if he wanted!

I luv how all the other Brooklyn newsies are just waiting intimidatingly in the background for Spot to either give the all clear or the o-k to soak Davey.

How did numerous fan theories about Spot’s key get started? 🗝️

Seize the Day is on fire! I luv the quick footwork and acro work in the confined space even though the dance number could’ve been held in a bigger area.

Where did the newsies get tomatoes to throw at Wiesel? 🍅

How long did it take to clean up the torn newspapers after they got done filming that scene?

Huh, Jack actually cares enough to try to break Crutchy out? Also how does nobody notice Jack casually standing around with a rope?

It’s cute how Les and the younger newsies made homemade drums!

‘Never fear, Brooklyn is here!’ Oh my God yeessss! 😆

It’s over, Weasel! Brooklyn has the high ground! Star Wars, anybody?

The newsies picture looks like what every attempt at a family picture looks like, with everybody scattered and looking at different places.

King of New York, still my favorite! The way they had all these guys in this tiny room with all these tables, and yet still pull off a decent dance number! Just wow.

Crutchy your positivity is contagious, even though sometimes you gotta learn when to be sad.

Jack how on Earth can you fall asleep on a fire escape?

Nice rooftop backdrop! Wonder if Jack painted it… 🎨🤔😆

Jack still wants to leave, but at least on the rooftop he explains how he’s not used to growing roots anywhere and actually asks Sarah if she cares.

‘...others who would dare to leeee!’ What, Pulitzer?

I luv how the newsies dress up for the rally!  Even though they’re poor they still know when to act ‘proper.’ Also Spot, you look great! 👍

Seeing Medda dance with all the is always fun to watch, especially with Blink and Race completely fawning over her.

Why is it that Davey and Spot immediately see that Denton’s pointing out Snyder but it takes Davey yelling in Jack’s face for him to see it? 

Typical Race to gamble with a judge 🃏

They really make us hate Snyder. Even if you don’t like Jack (don’t know how someone could but whatever), you really feel bad for him when Snyder takes him back to the Refuge. 😣

How in the world does nobody notice the newsies hiding out around the refuge or when Davey rides on the back of the carriage? There’s cops literally 10 feet from them and they still don’t see a group of kids?

Even when Jack’s yelling he’s still less angry then Jeremy’s angry Jack.

All the Refuge gives you to sleep on is a rusty bed frame? Ouch!

‘We was beat when we was born.’ Yikes Jack got some dark thoughts. 😳

It doesn’t take going through a whole day sulking and getting yelled at by Katherine for 92sies Jack to change his mind, it only takes the Delancys beating up the Jacobs for him to finally say no. 

Once And For All is catchier than the Livesies version

I like how they show all the different kids at odds and ends jobs, as well as how some kids back then didn’t know how to read.

Only thing is I wish they would’ve talked about the details with the deal with Pulitzer

Sarah doesn’t need to beg Jack to stay, Jack figures it out that he needs to stay.

Jack, how can you leave? You’re making Les cry! 😖😭

Now Mush is looking cute next to a lamppost 😍

I’m hearing the audio from the beginning!

Yes, Jarah is a relationship I can tolerate! It’s not toxic or annoying, and they don’t look like they wanna kill each other every scene.

Spot riding away in the carriage is perfect! ‘By, Spot!’ 🥰

Overall I’d want to know what the original newsies would think of this. I mean just imagine the ones from 1899 watching this and thinking ‘I don’t think we ever did this much singing and dancing.’

And now to take a moment for the 92sies who did not make it into Livesies: Snipeshooter, Boots, Bumlets, PieEater, Snoddy, Itey, Snitch, Swifty, Jake, Dutchy, Skittery, Snaps, Tumbler, and Flipper. They will be missed. Instead they will be replaced by new newsies that are far more stupid and annoying, but on the bright side are very good dancers. 😔

I feel like 92sies isn’t talked about as much because it’s more dated and not as recent. When people mention that current stars like Ben Cook are in Livesies then everyone talks about it like it’s the best thing since sliced bread. But when people say Christian Bale is in 92sies then they just say ‘oh yeah, he’s Batman’ and just leave it at that. Just because 92sies doesn’t have the A+ Broadway dancing doesn’t mean it’s not a good musical,

[yardsards]

the posts about belos being a puritan witch hunter reminded me of the FUNNIEST fact i once read about that era:

okay so like, background: puritans and quakers had MAJOR beef back then. nowadays people tend to lump them together bc they were both branches of christianity popular in colonial era america but they were actually extremely ideologically opposed. the quakers were basically the anarchist hippies of the 1600s and the puritans were... the puritans.

and y'know, mostly the groups stuck to their own colonies, but there was some intermingling and some proselytizing from both groups. and the puritans did NOT take kindly to the quakers barging in on their communities. this was before the witch trials were in full force, so they didn't always jump straight to execution, but quakers were often accused of witchcraft and heresy and punished appropriately. and the quakers, a notoriously rowdy bunch at the time, obviously protested *loudly* at this. screaming in the streets, banging pots and pans, interrupting church services and court hearings, etc.

now here's the funny part: another way they protested was STRIPPING NAKED IN PUBLIC. imagine you're a little puritan lad sent to the market to buy some molasses. and you hear shouting and clanging coming from the town square so you veer from your path to see what all the hubbub is about. and you just. get an eyeful of dicks n tits n asscheeks. how are you supposed to react.

[rewatching-supernatural]

s05e19

oooh, a beginning that looks like a case? are we having ourself a regular hunt? wow, what a fancy place they definite--STARRING RICHARD SPEIGHT JR HELL YEAH BABES we about to HAVE FUN--ly don’t belong there :P ***** Best pie, uh? Clearly catering to Dean Taking time to eat dinner is not “giving up” Sam, there’s only so much you can do until you know how to kill the son of a bitch ***** cannibals, eh? that’s ...cool...?? I love how this is the normal motel set, but glammed up ***** yes, apparently one night off is too much to ask Dean sorry it IS the apocalypse after all ***** Mercury steals blood, cool  smh ***** Motel Hell, not tomato soup ***** There’s somebody behind me, isn’t there? ***** Gods, hungry ***** I like the many Gods talking together about this ONE religion’s end of the world, because every faith has a different one ***** Gabriel, Loki Take your pick ;)  ***** Gabriel is such a cool character! Come on, how is he not your favourite!? ***** GHOSTFACERS!!! If you’re dead, you better stay dead. Cause if not, we’ll kill you! ***** You are wrong. There are billions of us, and we were here first.  This is such a nice speech about colonization and all that but that BITCH that fucking BITCH how dare she try and kill my Gabe?? ***** ;) ***** Lucifer’s hatred for Pagans haha that’s cool ***** Lucifer being so much stronger than every other God is kinda meh, christianism-centric but it’s fine with the story, I like it ***** did she really, really, try to attack Lucifer with FIRE? the angel who LIVES IN HELL?? Kali, what the fuck ***** You’re my brother, and I love you. But you are a great big bag of dicks. ***** Gabriel is loyal to people, to humans to his dad’s better creations because they’re flawed, but they try to do better “And I’m not on your side, or Michael’s. I’m on theirs.” ***** Lucifer you mean mean motherfucker :’( Gabriel sacrificed himself for Sam and Dean another name added to the very long list ***** Ah, yes, Casa Erotica 13 hehehehehehehehehe Hungarian! Sam, Dean, you’re probably wondering what the hell’s going on.  Oh, please, stop sobbing, it’s embarassing for all of us.  You can trap him. The cage you sprung Lucifer from, it’s still down there.  And here’s the big secret. Lucifer himself doesn’t know.  the four rings from the horsemen  And we are on a new quest, for the last two rings ***** it is starting ***** ew

[purplesurveys]

986

Are you currently learning from anyone how to play any instruments? Nope. I’ve never been musically-inclined and it’s always been impossible for me to pick up skills in any instrument, even if we had music classes in my old school from first grade all the way up to senior year. 

Are you one of those people who always tend to think critically in issues? Yes. Sometimes my emotions would want to take over, but at the end I always prefer to be skeptical, ask a lot of questions, and see all sides in an issue. I feel like critical thinking is such a big part of the degree I took up anyway, especially with all the hullabaloo about fake news and which news sources to trust, so...

Do you know anyone who is overly flirty with people? Girl or a boy? I can remember a few girls from my high school but they could have changed within the last four years. I remember several girls and boys from college, too. 

When was the last time you had any kind of pork? What kind was it? Last night. Pork belly.

Are you someone who normally eats a full breakfast every single morning? No, not normally. If I wake up feeling a little better than usual I’ll go downstairs and get some bread and eggs, but most of the time I skip all meals except dinner.

Do you believe vampires are real? No.

Are you someone who has to hide the things you like around friends? Sometimes, just because I genuinely want to keep some things that I enjoy to myself. I also have some interests that are a little uncommon and simply won’t make for a productive or fun conversation, like wrestling, so I don’t raise topics like those around my friends. ‘Hide’ is a little harsh, though...my friends certainly don’t make me feel like I have to hide my true self. At the end of the day I just like keeping quiet about my interests and letting others have the spotlight.

Have you ever been to a porn website? Were you addicted to it afterwards? Yeah since middle school lol. I still remember how big of a sin it had felt when I typed in a URL for the very first time. Anyway, I wouldn’t say I was ever a porn addict but I did have phases where I’d watch nearly everyday, and then stop for months, and then repeat the habit again.

What is the most disgusting thing you think the opposite sex can do? Cat-calling is one of them < Jesus, I remember how catcalling was such a pre-Covid norm...one of the very few reasons why I’m glad to be staying at home.

Would you rather be able to teleport or freeze time? Which one seems best? Teleport. I don’t think freezing time will help me especially if it’s to be stuck in a happier moment; I’ll have to unfreeze in the end anyway, and it’s just a sucky truth that I have no control over. I feel that teleporting has a lot more uses, like skipping traffic lol.

Have you seen the movie Twister? Did the tornadoes look real to you? I don’t think I’ve ever even heard of it. The only Twister that comes to mind is the party game.

Have you actually been through a devastating natural disaster before? We always get devastating hurricanes a few times a year but my family and our home has always been on the fortunate side since my parents made sure we relocated somewhere that wasn’t prone to floods. The old house we used to live in, though, is super vulnerable to typhoons and it has definitely flooded all the way up to the ceiling there before. It’s a big reason why we moved.

Did your mom ever fix your eggs and bacon into a smiley face as a kid? I wasn’t fed bacon as a kid, so I guess not.

What fast food place, in your opinion, has the best french fries? Jollibee, and this is a hill I would happily die on.

Do you believe one day aliens might take over the planet Earth? No. I like to hold out belief for aliens, but I wouldn’t want to immediately assume that they would be the colonizer type.

Are you someone who always looks for sales when you go shopping somewhere? I don’t actively seek them out, but if I spot an item I like that’s on sale then I’m more likely to buy them and just consider it my lucky day, heh.

Are you constantly re-arranging your bedroom? Or do you not like change? I only do once every few years. The last time I did was a couple of weeks ago; the last time before that was 4-5 years ago.

Who would you consider the best teen actor or actress out there now? The only one I could think of is Jacob Tremblay, but I’ve only ever seen him in Room and that movie’s five years old now. Oh but Iain Armitage is amazing too.

When did you last cuddle up next to someone and watch a movie? Start of the year would be my best guess.

Where would people most likely find you out on the weekends? Just home, unless my family or friends made plans to go out. For the most part though, I like catching up on rest after a week of school/work.

Do you like the school you attend or is it just pretty bland to you? I loved my university. The atmosphere there felt extremely freeing and nobody gave a shit about what anyone wore, what pronouns people prefer for themselves, etc. It was such a beautiful place to explore and figure myself out in the last four years.

Do you remember when they used to actually throw candy out at parades? I don’t think I’ve been to a parade.

What is your favorite childhood memory? Who did you share this with? Playing outside nearly every afternoon, then going home for dinner and alternating between Nickelodeon, Disney, and Cartoon Network because our favorite programs were all over those three channels. I shared these with my neighbors (for playing outside), and then with my siblings and cousins (for watching TV).

Are there any windows open in your house right now? Which ones, if so? A couple of my windows are open to let some of the cold air in.

Is it currently your favorite season? If not what is your favorite? Yes, I love the rainy season. I haven’t had to worry about sweating these days which makes life a lot less annoying.

Do you like soda pop? If so, which is your favorite and least favorite? Don’t those two words refer to the same thing? Lol but I don’t drink soda. I’ve tried so many times to get into it but it’s always felt like putting my tongue and throat on fire.

Does it bother you when people burp around you or do you do it too? I do it around family and close friends. They can burp around me too. Personally, I only find burping gross if it’s strangers that I catch doing it.

Do you have any siblings you’re embarrassed of being related to? A little bit but it’s whatever.

Which noises do you currently hear right now? Can you control those? There’s a Good Mythical Morning video from my phone, the fan whirring behind me, and a dog barking somewhere outside. The only noise I can’t control is the dog, because they aren’t mine and I don’t know which house they’re from.

What is one thing you’ve never understood throughout your life? Catcalling. Like, why?

When you see an old person do you think ‘sweet’ or ‘creepy?’ For the most part, neither. I’ve thought ‘sweet’ or ‘creepy’ about old people in the past, but they have to be doing something to cause me to feel that way.

What is it that makes old women want so many cats in their life? Company, I’m guessing. But I don’t think it’s fair to generalize old women lol.

How many times a day do you wash your face? Do you wash it really good? Once, when I take my daily shower. I’ve always had clear skin so I don’t like washing it too hard, or too much, or using products on my face. Just a few splashes of water have worked fine for my face in the last 22 years.

Would you consider yourself to have a boring life or a really exciting one? I’d say it’s generally exciting right now because a lot of changes are happening and I’m finally out of school and pursuing real jobs and everything, but Covid has definitely given it a boring turn.

Do you ever talk to people you met online through webcam? Or is that weird? I’ve only done so with Carley. It’s not weird if you’re already close.

Who was the last person you kissed and why did you kiss this person? Gab. She was leaving.

How many fish have you owned in your lifetime, so far? Did they all die? We were allowed to own a lot of goldfish when we were kids but yeah, they’re all dead now.

If you were to get drunk right now, how would you most likely act? Cry, drunk text the wrong person, try to take the rest of this survey drunk.

How many people have you kissed in your lifetime so far? Who were they? One.

Are you going to post this on a social networking site after you take it? Yeah, that has always been the point of this Tumblr.

Is there something people in general do that bothers you a lot? This only applies to Christians, but being jerks and going back to their old ways immediately after attending church. I have never understood that, and never will. Like, why even attend???? What is your point of being there??

Has anything supernatural ever happened to you? What were these events? Nothing like seeing ghosts or whatever but I’ve had some odd premonitions before, especially on the day my grandfather died.

How many concerts have you seen so far in life? Were they good ones? I’ve gone to a lot of local gigs that feature popular local acts; the best ones I saw were Ysanygo, The Ransom Collective, and BP Valenzuela (who I’ve seen thrice, aaaahhhh). Foreign acts I’ve watched are Coldplay, One Direction (kind of twice, but it’s a long story), and Paramore (twice). I don’t remember disliking a singer or band that I’ve seen perform.

Do you like doing anything your friends wouldn’t expect you to do? Doing surveys is probs on top of that list, ha.

Can you sing very well or are you considerably tone deaf? I’m not tone-deaf, but I don’t have a talent in singing.

Do you ever look back on the past years and wish you could go back? Yes.

When will the next time be you’ll talk to the cousin you’re closest to? I have no clue. Christmas is my best guess.

Are you really into vintage things? Have you ever been into that stuff? Not so much, but investing on a turntable is consistently on my mind as I’ve always had a dream of collecting vinyl records.

When was the last time you bought new sheets for your bed? It’s been a while. Can’t remember.

[d20owlbear-deactivated]

Discorporation III

From the Ineffable Bingo prompt A4, "shoulder kiss"

1749

The strains of a lively waltz played in the rotunda in Ranelagh Gardens and there were few people left along the edges of the extravagant building, more were at the ‘house’ on the water with pointed and arched roofing reminiscent of certain Chinese stylings. Crowley laughed charmingly at whatever her companion had said, her eyes hidden by the mask that gave her an elegant air of mystery about her and something dangerous, which seemed to be a draw rather than something to be wary of for the men surrounding her.

Aziraphale took a moment to take in the scene. Her dress was ostentatious, of course, dripping with gold and rubies that looked like blood droplets and trimmed with beautiful black lace over a red velvet dress with gathering that denoted the sort of handiwork Aziraphale usually looked for in his tailors. Her mask was just as over the top, rubies bleeding from the eye holes that were veiled over by black fabric giving her the look of a dazzling skeleton, and only her nose showed through on the upper half of her face, through the hole in the mask there.

She was surrounded by a group of men, all who seemed to be growing more and more agitated with each other as she spoke, vying for her attentions. With a sigh, Aziraphale repositioned his own mask, something white and feathered and with a few hidden pearls with gold chains draped from it, before striding over.

“My dear!” Aziraphale greeted happily, breaking through the group to take Crowley’s arm, and she smiled up at him with a touch of aggression that made his heart skip a beat.

“Wicked thing,” he tutted at her, and smoothly nodded at the gentlemen around her, pleased she let herself be carted off. For the sake of the other men, of course. Only an angel could save humans from a demon’s direct wiles. It was his duty, to be sure.

“I haven’t seen you in a while, angel,” Crowley said lightly as they made their way into the gardens themselves, where a few people could be seen. There was something in her voice that made Aziraphale pause before replying.

“Yes, nearly four decades now isn’t it, my dear?” He hummed and pat her hand, “Not quite so long as it might have been, I hadn’t known you were here. Though I should have suspected a masquerade like this would be your doing.”

“Not my doing, not in the sslightesst.” Crowley hissed, though she sounded tired more than upset, or perhaps the sort of upset people got when they hadn’t slept in some time.

“Are you alright, dear?” Aziraphale stopped them and turned to face her, removing her hand from his elbow and instead took both of hers between his. “I apologize about last time, are you still cross about–”

“Yesss I’m ssstill crosss about the Honourable Eassst India Company!” Crowley hissed loudly, baring fangs she surely manifested for this purpose alone, “And in any case, it’s more that Head Office is upset about it. Crowley forcibly calmed herself so she no longer hissed, though Aziraphale could feel her glare through the veiled eyes of the mask. If he looked closely enough, he could nearly see her golden eyes glowing underneath.

“My dear,” Aziraphale said mournfully, “I am so sorry. I had no choice, you know, it was direct orders. Something about colonizing to spread Christianity, or resulting in it.” He sighed heavily and grimaced. Those sorts of orders always sat poorly with him, time and time again it was simply people bullied into believing something new they didn’t much care for in the first place and it left a bad taste in his mouth.

“Yeah, well, it’s your turn, angel.” Crowley murmured and then whisked two glasses of wine into her hands from the private table in the rotunda with a snap. The expensive stuff. She handed one over solemnly to Aziraphale, who took it with an inquisitive hum and raised eyebrow.

She looked him in the eyes and tipped open the contents of a poisoner’s ring into his glass before shutting it once more with a soft click that echoed impossibly in the empty gardens.

“Oh. Right then. I suppose you’re right, it is my turn, isn’t it?” Aziraphale sighed heavily and grasped for her hand. “You’ll stay?”

“Always.” Crowley murmured, looking away for a moment and then threaded her fingers through his, squeezing his hand with a regretful frown on her face. Delicate and as red as the wine in his glass, even darkened by poison as it was.

“Don’t worry,” she murmured, voice low as if she was worried about being caught, “It’s my venom. It’s fast and tasteless, you’ll barely feel it this time. ‘S the least I could do.”

“Ta, then.” Aziraphale smiled and toasted her with his glass in the air, and drained his drink at the same time Crowley did. Ah, yes, it was fast-acting, wasn’t it? He could already feel the turn of his corporeal stomach, a demon’s poison quickly invading the rest of him and he stumbled into her arms in response to the overwhelming numbness it caused.

“Oh, that’s not so bad.” He muttered, blinking in disorientation. When had she set him down on the ground, propped up against a tree? And when had Crowley knelt beside him? Bugger, he’d lose most of this wouldn’t he?

“No, I suppose it wouldn’t be, angel.” Crowley didn’t have to say it, but he knew. She’d concocted the poison just for him, and if that wasn’t the closest he’d get to an admission of the love he felt from her every time they were near, then he’d eat his hat. Not really, of course, the phrase hadn’t come into use yet, but the idea was the same. If this was all they had, the moments between life and death and discorporation to be kind and sweet to each other, then so be it.

This was the safest they could be together, Aziraphale knew, and his breathing grew heavier and rough as he felt Crowley lean against him, wrap his arm around her waist as if they could be lovers like anyone else at this masquerade instead of hereditary enemies. Greatest Adversaries. (And if Greatest Adversaries had started to sound like My Most Beloved more and more as the years went by, then so be it.)

Crowley said something Aziraphale didn’t quite catch, too involved in feeling her body against his failing one to hear her. But she only shook his head and kissed his shoulder.

It felt like love, and an apology, and something of a necessary evil.

But most of all, it left a perfect red stain on his white coat, hidden between frills, that if Aziraphale were more romantic and less aware of every part of his corporeal body, might call over his heart. (He’d call it that anyway, it made him feel better, to know she cared just as much as he did, no matter that they very carefully never spoke of it.)

[dcnativegal]

“Mutual respect, even in passionate disagreement”

The Ides of March, 2018

I am reminded of the fact that Lake County Oregon went for Trump by a bigger percentage than any other county in Oregon, whenever I go to the Paisley Mercantile Store. (See photos, above.)

The other day, one of the members of this little town came over and visited with Valerie and me. He’s a gun-packing retired fellow who has a new implant in his head that helps him hear better. He wanted to know if I’d knit him a cap to cover his mostly bald head, and hide the implant, which does have a slightly bionic/Frankenstein look about it. I said, of course. And then in the course of chatting, he called me a ‘Libtard.’ That’s liberal + retard.  I looked at him with my most skeptical high eyebrows expression. He backpedaled a bit, said he meant ‘libertarian’ which, ahem, I am most certainly not.  Right-o, let me get working on that hat.

I resisted the temptation to call him a Repugnican (a repugnant Republican, the most extreme kind.)  It’s just so much harder to say.

Within a few days, I came to a community meeting I knew he’d be at and tossed the hat to him. Before I left I told him, no charge for the hat but in exchange, you have to tell anyone who asks you where you got that hat, that a ‘local libtard’ made it for you. And everyone laughed, except him. He grinned nervously.

So a crocheted cap can be a bridge between a conservative and a libtard. Good to know.

***

It’s hard for me to feel contempt for a person who is no longer ‘theoretical’ but is instead standing or sitting right across from me.

I am, in my socialist progressivism, now spending hours each week in the presence of cisgendered heterosexual white men who have recent histories of domestic violence, felonies for assault, and sex offenses for which they are registered. Oh, and they all love Trump. I have always thought that God had a well-honed sense of humor. Ha. Let’s send Jane to Trumpistan, Whitelandia and test all that talk of compassion and empathy. I’m not the Biblical Job by any means, but some days it feels like the devil and God hatched up the most exquisite challenges to my previously-confident world view.

I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts, “Closer than they appear.” The host had on Van Jones, who I know as a broadcast commentator (and a very fine-looking Black man). I was riveted by what he said, and had to listen to him several times to transcribe this wisdom:

“We have 10,000 years of human history in which it was perfectly okay to chop people into small bits just because they were part of a tribe on the other side of the hill. … The idea that your tribe of people is now EVERYBODY?? EVERY Human? That idea is NEW ON THIS EARTH. THAT is the challenge.” [emphasis mine]

I think the idea that my “tribe of people is EVERYBODY” is a very old one. Jesus extended beyond his own tribe (the Jews), to everybody including the colonized collaborators and the unclean (the Samaritan woman who’d been married many times, Jewish tax collectors who worked for the Roman colonizers.) We are even to LOVE our enemies.

The Gospel of Mathew wrote some version of this: “You have heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you… God makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

I love this hymn:

    In Christ there is no East or West, in him no South or North, but one great fellowship of love throughout the whole wide earth.

    Join hands, disciples of the faith, whate'er your race may be! Who serves my Father as his child is surely kin to me.    https://hymnary.org/hymn/EH1982/529  

The idea of being one species on the planet, interconnected to each other and all other species, has to be reintroduced over and over again. I think we are hardwired to distrust that tribe over the next hill: surely, they are doing something nefarious…

**

When I was growing up, the most dramatic example of loving my enemies came when my mother told me to pray for whichever kid it was who stole my bicycle. It was an interesting challenge. Did I need to feel sorry for him, that he would need to steal my bike? Was he poor? Or was he just mean?  Perhaps his family had as much money or more than mine did, since we were, apartment dwellers, renters, and didn’t even have a car. Maybe the theft was just a spiteful thing. “That bike is MINE, even though I don’t really need it.”  I didn’t know. But I was to think of him as a child of God, a brother in Christ, and hope for his wellbeing, and hoped that, whatever reason lead to my bike being gone, would be resolved. My mother was nuts, but she a pretty good Christian.

**

I learned from a Christmas letter about a non-profit called “Better Angels” that got its name from Abraham Lincoln’s First Inaugural speech on the eve of the Civil War: “We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory…will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.” Better Angels was started by a guy who was against gay marriage until a gay man came out to him and explained why it was important to him personally. David Blankenhorn changed his position on marriage equality and eventually founded Better Angels. Using principles from family therapy, his team trains people to facilitate conversations between equal numbers of conservatives and liberals. They give advice on how to start conversations with people who have different beliefs on their web site:  

“Talking Across the Political Divide

  Goals for these Conversations:

·       Learn about the perspectives, feelings, and experiences of someone you care about who differs from you politically.

·       Discover some common ground if it’s there.

  Expectations to Abandon

·       That you can persuade the other person to change core attitudes and beliefs.  

·       That your conversation partner will match your openness.

  Core Principles

·       Everyone needs to save face—no one is portrayed as stupid, blind, narrowly self-serving, or bigoted. “ [emphasis mine.]

And “Listen for underlying values and aspirations and acknowledge them.”

 I am presuming here that name-calling is out.

**

I checked out Van Jones’ book, published in October 2017, called Beyond the Messy Truth: How we came apart, How we come together:

“More of us need to prioritize individual healing to get past our old hurts, wounds, and violations…We need to develop the emotional strength and resilience to reengage intelligently and constructively with the half of America that sees things very differently than we do. It takes a lot of inner work, community support, and maybe a few Jedi mind tricks to deliberately and skillfully place ourselves in conversation with people whose ideas, assumptions, and attitudes often wound us…”

I confess I was a little bit wounded by the ‘libtard’ moniker. I was also wounded months ago by my fellow Christian’s statement, patronizing though sincerely delivered, that he could love me as a sister in Christ while disapproving of my ‘lifestyle.’ (We were sitting in the “community church” in Paisley.)

Mr. Jones points out:

“…the truth is always messy. Some right-wingers are especially extreme in their opposition to social-welfare programs because they think ‘lazy, undeserving’ nonwhites are mooching off the system. At the same time, some liberals are willing to pay higher taxes to help poor people in the abstract, but they would fight to keep lower income people from moving in next door (as some wealthy liberals in California’s Marin County are working to block affordable housing in their enclave) … We need to continually remind ourselves that honest, intelligent people can disagree with us for reasons that are honorable.”

That is for sure. Obama deported thousands of people and killed non-Americans with drones. Bill Clinton eviscerated welfare and passed Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. I am reminded of a saying: Southern whites don’t like Black People, but they like the individual Black folks they know. Northern whites love Black People, but not the individual Black folks they know.

“If we seriously want to solve any of the mountain of problems we face – or even just be better partisans—we need some spaces where we listen to one another and show up humble enough to accept the fact that we might have something to learn. We need to have conversations that proceed according to a different set of operating instructions. The unspoken imperative should be this: I want to understand you. And I want you to understand me—whether or not we ever agree.”  [Emphasis is Jones’]

I once went through a weeklong training in mind-body techniques with the founder of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, a fellow named James Gordon, a rather refreshingly wacky psychiatrist. In a comment piece in The Guardian, he said this shortly after Trump’s election:

“Trump’s grand and vulgar self-absorption is inviting all of us to examine our own selfishness. His ignorance calls us to attend to our own blind spots. The fears that he stokes and the isolation he promotes goad us to be braver, more generous.”  

In a Huffington Post piece, there’s this from a Buddhist monk named Phap Dung:  “We have the wrong perception that we are separate from the other,” he said. “In a way Trump is a product of a certain way of being in this world so it is very easy to have him as a scapegoat. But if we look closely, we have elements of Trump in us and it is helpful to have time to reflect on that.”

Yeah, okay, I need to be braver and more generous, and attend to my blind spots. What were those Jedi mind-tricks Mr. Jones mentioned?  Harrumph.

**

Valerie and I are currently reading the Hillbilly Elegy to each other. I know that the author is conservative and I’m trying to listen and read J.D. Vance’s memoir without letting that knowledge discredit the experiences he shares in the book. I see that in Lake County, and all over the US, ­­­there are class tensions as well as political ones, and this memoir makes them visible for me. I have one more quote from Van Jones that pushes me to think of my own biases:

“Mutual respect, even in passionate disagreement, must be the goal. Too many liberals look at the red states the same way that colonizers once viewed developing countries. All they see is a bunch of backward, unwashed, uneducated heathens who need to be converted to the NPR religion and force-fed kale until they see the light. This kind of disdain reveals itself in thousands of different ways. But you can’t lead people you don’t love. You can’t rally people you don’t respect. Throughout history, people have resisted being conquered or converted by contemptuous outsiders. If we continue to show up with that attitude, our every word and gesture just fertilizes the soil for white nationalists and others who traffic in the politics of resentment. Without knowing it, we give ammo to the very forces decent-minded people want to defeat.”

Many of my clients are seriously unwashed, and uneducated with barely a GED between them, but all of them have accepted me as an out lesbian from a big city on the east coast. I think my clients know that I am not in the least contemptuous. Puzzled as to why they don’t believe in evolution or global warming, yes. But, contemptuous? No.  

One of my clients is a Veteran, and I case managed his way into finally getting cleared for an operation he’s needed for some time. He’s older than 70, but other than the one issue, he is healthy as a horse. Except for along history of multi-substance abuse, he’s also a law-abiding citizen who supports himself by his own physical labor. He refuses to apply for Social Security. In order to get to Bend where he’ll have his procedure, he needs a ride, because he can’t drive himself home. And he utterly, flat out refuses to use the transportation that is subsidized by taxpayers to get him there for free. Will. Not. Consider. It. I gently asked him why? He stated without hesitation, that accepting a free ride is a form of stealing from taxpayers, and he just isn’t going to do it on principle. He is socially isolated but eventually he bartered with an acquaintance and has a ride both ways.  I think that eventually he’s going to become disabled, because despite his physical strength, his body is going to give out. Perhaps his mind, too. I wonder what he’ll do then.  Even libertarians can’t be an island forever. I am happy to serve as a ferry to the mainland if he’ll let me, when the time comes.

I didn’t ask him what he thinks of ‘corporate welfare’:

[graphic from Robert Reich’s documentary, Saving Capitalism, funded by Netflix]

**

Remember Senator Obama’s speech to the Democratic Party Convention in 2004? His oration put him on the political map. It certainly appealed to the great big-heartedness of the liberal tradition:

“... Alongside our famous individualism, there's another ingredient in the American saga, a belief that we are all connected as one people.  … "E pluribus unum," out of many, one. ...

There's not a liberal America and a conservative America; there's the United States of America.

There's not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there's the United States of America.

… We worship an awesome God in the blue states, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the red states.

We coach little league in the blue states and, yes, we've got some gay friends in the red states. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq, and there are patriots who supported the war in Iraq. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.

The audacity of hope: In the end, that is God's greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation, a belief in things not seen, a belief that there are better days ahead.”

 **

The least we can do in Trumpistan, Whitelandia is defy the Russians, who have apparently fanned the flames of American tribalism for years.

Van Jones writes: “The easy thing to do is to divide people based on a problem. A hard thing is to unite people based on a solution.”

My prayer can be, "May I be a boat, a bridge, a passage."

 (From A Bodhisattva's Prayer by Shantideva)

One day at a time, one person at a time, one crocheted hat for a cranky old man at a time.

[feckyeslife]

we now return to a dramatic critique of “Four” picking up where we left off. Having just finished The Initiate, I needed to take a long break before coming back to this... writing.

(side note, I somehow skipped the Son and had to go back to read that about 10 pages into the Traitor)

THE SON

- Four waxes a bit poetic about how he’s not Abnegation anymore and it kind of amuses me because he’s not really Dauntless, either. 

- Max comes in to ask/encourage Four into picking Leader. The smoothness of the process makes me feel a lot better about my own Leadership training fic scenes, though the fact that it takes over a year gives me pause because it’s implied in the next section that Eric had given Four orders on how to lead training in that interrum year. So... either trainee-Eric was given some power or he finished it quicker than a year. Or continuity doesn’t matter in this collection of short stories -.- Also he TAKES the role? Whaaaat.

Putting the rest under a cut to save all y’all’s dashboards. But there’s more. So much more.

- Zeke volunteers Four to be on a double date with him and it was the perfect moment to question if Four might have possibly been not-straight, but alas. 

- Alright I know I was a bit tipsy by the end of the last read-through but how have these people already forgotten / not realized that Four came from Abnegation? It feels awkward and forced in this moment bc this is literally like... not even a week after Initiation. Not enough time to have legitimately forgotten to consider that maybe he was an Abnie. 

- The banter about hand-holding is lame and awkward. No 16 year old boys banter about hand-holding, I’m SORRY. 

- Also Shauna’s interest in Zeke is just *yawn* like I don’t care that she’s jealous of this double date.

- Someone was in Four’s apartment and broke a drinking glass. I facepalm and wonder why a single apartment would have its own kitted out kitchen when they have a MESS HALL

- Four’s internal thoughts about Dauntless wisdom of living life without fear are actually very nice. This is the side of him as a protag that would have been interesting because it’s less self-righteous as the rest of his actions and comments in the other books.

(for those just joining us, VRoth stated that originally the series was about Four as a protag and honestly it makes way more sense. And would have allowed Tris to be a very solid side character and *gasp* even a failed love interest to show that the world isn’t always perfect and you don’t always actually work with the girl you ~have love at first sight~ with)

- The training program includes tests to see how quickly they learn and Four - and the narrative - once again one-dimensionally claims that this is an Erudite quality and therefore odd. How freaking hard is it to acknowledge that intelligence is something that the military Leadership would need? Very hard, apparently.

- Max passes out info sheets for them to fill out and it’s like My First Fascism spelled out. Very dystopian and, again, a better cue for the reader than how very straightforward the tension was with Tris’ initiation. A little heavy handed but not terribly so. 

- OKAY HERE AGAIN with the inconsistencies. Earlier I made the comment about him hiding his heritage and it was flavored with OH NO THEY CAN”T KNOW I’M ABNEGATION. Here during the double date, there’s a moment where Four is asked how he met Zeke and if he was a transfer. Four thinks that he doesn’t want people to think he’s uptight and also doesn’t want to cue in about his parentage. But the feeling is so different from earlier. Naturally this means that he just straight up lies and claims to be DB. /sigh

- Nicole is conventionally attractive and as flat as a pancake, character wise. She gets pissed that Four is being a shitty date - he is - but has to walk about because he doesn’t call her pretty. 

VROTH THIS IS NOT HOW TEENAGERS TALK. I’M SORRY BUT WHAT THE FUCK. 

“Personality is much more important that-”

“Than my unsatisfactory looks?”

- Shauna once again is upset that Zeke’s mackin’ on a girl that isn’t her. I’m yawning and bored that this is as dramatic as VRoth thinks the background relationships can get.

- I might actually vomit the next time we’re introduced to a side character whose entire description is just LOOK HOW COLORFUL THEIR HAIR IS AND ALSO SO MANY PIERCINGS!!!!! Sidenote, this was actually Lauren being re-introduced. 

- please please please dont make me read through VRoth trying to describe code. i’ll do anything. no? I have to? fine.

A) Lauren explains shit too fast, for too long, and doesn’t give people paper to even make notes. that’s not teaching that’s torture

B) Eric’s a smug jackwad about already knowing it all and I love him for it even though it’s a dick move. Remember, the last time he and Four interacted was when Four beat the shit out of him after he conceded.

C) Why the fuck would Dauntless be writing their own code to do stuff? I get that you might need to tinker with settings or whatnot, but are we honestly jumping to a world where the program to call up a security feed is something that you have to hand write or piece together to get working?

D) the punctuation that VRoth has Four paying attention to are periods (fine) quotation marks (alright) and backslashes (nope). Not a semicolon? REALLY? What language is she assuming they’re using? 65% of all my code errors ever were misplaced semi-colons or improperly nested loops.

E) apparently the only errors they’re looking for are like Baby’s First Code issues because there’s not a mention of BASIC shit like loops, defining variables, or even having to decipher the logic of any of the programs which is, you know, how you do code review. 

- Ah the intruder has to do with his mother. Alright then. But why the fuck did they knock a drinking glass down? Unless they’re two unrelated break ins. 

- Cameras are everywhere in the world yeah yeah but what about when Edward gets stabbed? Ah yes, getting Peter caught then would have broken the plot so clearly they weren’t in the initiate dorms.

- So here’s where there’s basically confirmation that Eric’s been an Erudite pawn all along. I don’t have to like it, so I won’t. 

- Four waxes on about acknowledging that he’s his father’s son and once again it’s slightly grounding as a character and further drives the knife into my metaphorical back that he’s such an ass in Insurgent.

- Evelyn is totally Jewish in heritage. Curly haired, hooked nose. Mmm. Part of me wants to extrapolate about the outright Christian nature of Abnegation versus the other persecuted people - the Factionless - but I’ll hold off because I’m too tired to do it well.

- Evelyn pulls the same crap about the city changing and people needing to pick a side. It’s classic dystopian YA lit and makes sense if only because we’ve all already read Insurgent and seen the city make those choices. But two years before that all boiled over, its a bit... meh. The dialogue once again is very heavy on crap like “Jeanine Matthews frequents Dauntless headquarters” and other crap that people don’t actually say unless they’re writing something down or making a speech. 

- SINCE WHEN ARE TATTOOS ABOUT DAUNTLESS SUPREMACY? Where is this jump in LOGIC? Ugh ugh ugh the whole Divergents-are-better-than-everyone-bc-we-know-how-to-be-multifacited narrative is horrible and lame. Suddenly there’s active call-outs that people are faction traitors and concerns that even situated Dauntless feel like they need to prove themselves. Where is any of this? It’s all tell and no show beyond the special people like Amar and Four and Tris who have already been made special by the narrative paying attention to them. If we saw someone like Lauren concerning about being “dauntless enough” I would take it with less complaint, but instead it comes off as just WE GOTTA RAMP UP THE TENSION.

- There’s talk again about “if we believe that Dauntless truly is the superior faction” then blah blah blah, Eric’s ideas for training (which on their own make sense to me). Four gets on about the actual idea of choosing values over supremacy like a normal human being. There’s also this assumption that people getting kicked out wouldn’t kind of deserve it - again, it’s a military so freaking AL should not be in it, I’m not sorry. Four makes the assumption that the “small, smart, brave” wouldn’t be able to succeed which really shows that either people aren’t being trained to use their skills - christina did fine as a small, smart, brave girl in fights - or we just needed the casual reminder that Tris and people like Tris are the special ones who manage to survive and shouldn’t have. If I were Four, I would counter Eric’s arguments against the bs supremacy ideas and also support giving proper training and evaluation so that “qualified” doesn’t only mean big and beefy. But, hey, that argument’s tough to make. His arguments hinge on the whole idealism crap and doesn’t touch real goals beyond “take out the knife throwing” which of course isn’t going to impress. 

- Max has Eric leave and actually is a bit... mature in the conversation with Four? He doesn’t talk down to him and it’s rather jarring compared to the earlier conversation. Four still thinks Max just wants someone to control which doesn’t mesh with this conversation or even really with the earliest one of the section. He seemed to genuinely think that Four had solid qualities but dealing with others in power clearly isn’t one of them. Or really, dealing with Eric. 

- Eric gloats, fully in the evil villain role. I’m unimpressed. He works best as Four’s antagonist, though, rather than Tris & Co’s. Another reminder that the direction of the story has always been on Four and his struggles, not Tris’.

- We get acknowledgement that of COURSE Four’s going to be a good teacher because he taught Shauna that one time (because he’s a boy and she’s a girl nevermind the fact that she’s grown up here)

- The section ends with him leaving a message for Evelyn that one day he’ll support her but not yet. After he just had this section rambling about how he chooses the middle path to be himself and find moments of rebellion against the people trying to control him INCLUDING Evelyn. Doesn’t seem very rebellious to yield to the woman who doesn’t care about you as a person, just as a weapon or a tool.

THE TRAITOR

- .”Beatrice. That name is so wrong for her.” I’m like 80% sure that this is the only time i’m gonna agree with him. But also, I feel like i remember him calling her Beatrice in Insurgent sooooo

- Tris was fragile-looking when she first entered Dauntless. Not a great descriptor but not the worst.

- Two years later and he’s still broody mc brooderson. His supervisor in the Control Room reminds him it’s alright to have fun and he literally grumbles under his breath. 

- He get’s Max’s password from the security feed because Max is bad at typing. I almost want to sin that just because even if you suck at typing, you can usually do your password (esp one that’s just numbers) entirely by instinct. But maybe - just maybe - Dauntless rotates passwords and Max just sucks. Either way, meh. 

- Lauren’s part of the technical staff. An interesting (re)discovery [I had read this before realizing I skipped the other part]. She helps him to get a program to mirror Max’s computer under the pretext of a prank on Zeke. I’m a bit befuddled simply because... How would Four ever prank Zeke with a mirroring program? Like, they just watch security feeds and maybe write reports? I also feel like it reflects even more poorly on Dauntless that they’re cool with pranks like that. But, then again, Dauntless is a bunch of morons according to VRoth’s POV so, I guess I can’t be too surprised. 

- The conversation /chewing out by Gus is SO stilted and awkward. We already got the info dump about taking feeds out of rotation but here we get literally the same explanation as Four’s defense. A good edit would have eliminated the awkwardness. Also, Four getting called out for being shitty at his job amuses me because from Tris’s POV in the other books, he can do no wrong. 

- Four gets Edward and Will mixed up in his head. These are his kids for the past x weeks and he doesn’t know who the “blonde erudite” is? Sideyeing so hard.

- Max and Four duke it out verbally over the stabbing as Four insists that it’s Eric’s fault bc the kids are so wound up. And Max gets some niiice jabs in about how Four could have a better leg to stand on if a) he stopped insulting every superior officer in his path and b) didn’t back down on the leadership role. Also a jab that, hey, you know who’s 100% at fault? The person who STABBED EDWARD!

- Ugghhh Tris is Dauntless but the faction “isn’t really Dauntless anymore.” Dude you’ve been here 2 years. You refuse to work with the current system to help it to teach the real values. Like here, where you refuse to call Tris out for insubordination - or at least WARN her that she’s getting away with it - and earlier complained about how you got bitched out for stopping last year’s fights. Figure out how to teach real lessons Mr. “Great Teacher” while following the letter of the writing. 

- He also pulls the “i’m hard on Tris because she can take it” line and I’m unamused. He had the time here to actually say what he wanted to say or at least a version of it that isn’t tempered by being a dick like he claimed ten seconds ago he wasn’t with her because he “respects her.” The amount of flip-flopping could fill a beach.

- he touches her back and it addles his mind. Either his balls are that blue or VRoth is laying on the one-sided attraction a bit thick. 

- I don’t remember this scene being this long in Divergent, but at least Tris is getting credit for being perceptive about things. Even if that perception is just to put Four on a pedestal of “so much better than Eric/Dauntless.” There’s also more detail about how training had ACTUALLY changed to previously include padding and not bare-knuckle boxing. Six years ago. I’m 200 pages into this short story and this is the FIRST empirical evidence that Dauntless had changed before Four got there beyond early Fear Landscaping.

- Tris calls Eric jealous and Four spends a hot second considering that Eric might actually have motives and emotions beyond cocky. It’s the best I’ll get and I’ll take it.

- Two years into Dauntless as Four “tries a Dauntless expression” to tell Tris that she doesn’t look like she’s been crying. Two years. What a friggen outsider. Again, makes sense with the previous storyline but not really in the actual story because, gee, if he’s such a good Dauntless why is he an outsider? (well because Dauntless - even the non-Erics or Maxes - is horrible, don’t’cha know UGH)

- He discovers the plans for the attack on Abnegation and claims how this makes sense because of how much Max and Jeanine hate the Abnegation. Far as we’ve seen, Max doesn’t give a single shit about Abnegation, but hey, it wouldn’t do to have a villain who didn’t hate where the protag came from. 

- Please lets note how even in these scenes, Tris has displayed no actual return affection towards Four’s tiny attempts at connecting with her. It’s all about Four.

- He goes to mommy dearest about the danger of Max and Jeanine’s plans. It’s regrettably the only logical thing to do. And mommy doesn’t care. The only interesting thing about this is that this is the only scene that doesn’t present the attack on Abnegation as an attack on the poor innocent Christians. They’re shown as liars and backstabbers, supporting Marcus rather than good hearted folks helping the Divergent. It explains Four’s desire to back his mother in Insurgent rather than the rest of the city. 

- We hit one moment of Tris actually responding to Four’s kindness which I feel like I need to emphasize is the only time that he’s actually said nice shit without being a tool before or after it. Weird how girls don’t like that.

- Earlier Four couldn’t remember who the Blone Erudite transfer was but he can tell from the shape of a hooded figure that Al’s the third attacker. Mmmkay.

- UGH he hates the fights but he doesn’t resent how Tris beat Molly into a pulp and beyond because she’s got tits and Eric doesn’t. It’s as simple as that. Sorry, not sorry.

- Four’s internal dialogue: I need to find someone I can trust. This girl is cute and she also beats people into a pulp when she’s upset but this will never happen again and any further rage from her will result in me telling her to stop and be a better person but this is what connects us right now so it’s okay. 

- Four makes a pathetic attempt to consider reporting the assault to Eric who uses it to rightly call out Four’s inability to control his kids. Then Eric goes over the villain line again and says it’s a way to tell who the strong and the weak are. Yawn.

- Holy balls, Shauna and Zeke get brought in to be Four’s muscle and scare Peter. I get why we never saw this through Tris’ POV but you THINK it could have maybe been mentioned? Also we get a tiny glimpse into Dauntless culture as they threaten to ruin Peter’s reputation forever, etc etc. Not that any of this really matters because all Dauntless are dumb, remember? Only the special main characters matter. 

- Zeke also makes a vague insinuation about Al falling into the chasm and I’m suddenly a bit astounded as the next scene is, well, Al’s body being dragged up. Four realizes he’s been a shitty instructor and a choir of angels sing “of course, you idiot”

- There’s the scene of Tris and Four after Al’s death where he attempts again to give her half answers and sideways comments that only serve to frustrate her and me. And the stupid line about pushing her until she breaks because he thinks how it doesn’t mean he wants to hurt her but it’s so CLEARLY not his actual goal in literally any of their interactions, even from his POV! Where does this line come from? His imagination?

- We flip-flop again, this time about how most of Abnegation IS actually good don’tchaknow

- There’s the re-do of the fear landscape where we go back to other-book canon where jumping off the side is all well and good because you don’t need to have a perfectly logical reaction to the landscape. Mmm. Tris is also like 80 times better than him, still. Just sayin’

- I’m again reminded of how quickly they go from one sided to barely flirting in the fear sim to touching casually and him kissing her forehead. All those subtle intimacies are just way too sudden. Ugh.

- His decision to go to Marcus is driven by the desire to protect her and I’m once again a bit nauseated by the idea that Tris has to be protected by someone. It makes sense for his character and as much as I’m nitpicking this story, it’s a better, clearer story arc than Tris’. I love Tris to death, but the story of the trilogy is not hers. It’s her dealing with the fall of Abnegation and then tumbling into Four’s family drama. Everything works WAY better from his POV (with tweaking and with her breaking up with him because I say yet again HE IS SUCH A DICK IN INSURGENT)

anywho i’m skipping the last three “bonus scenes” because I need to take a break and also not kill myself.