#it's only fair that we see the downfall of an alliance leader

[gongju-juice]

HANA

Part One

Word Count: 2628

Warning: Language and Some Angst

Synopsis: President Namjoon can no longer sit and watch his people suffer in the long drawn out war with Daeian Kingdom. But he finds the only to do so is to proceed in a marriage alliance with the daughter of his country’s worst enemy.

Not everyone likes that. 

The thing that defines a nation is not the prosperity of its people, its economical accomplishments, or the culture that affects the everyday lives of millions. 

It is the integrity of its leader, the very face and image of the people who allowed him to rise to power. Perhaps, this is where other great nations fail. From Julius Caesar to Hitler—the ambitions of one man can steadily build a nation to power over the course of many years, but just the same, burn it to ashes in one single day.

Kim Namjoon, honorable President of Hana knew this too, and knew it well. Ever since his inauguration, he’d made it a priority to brave the best smile for the citizens of his country. As one of the only true Democratic nations left in such a corrupt world, Hana was constantly being looked to both as a beacon of light and as a target overdue for destruction. There were shadows lurking about that seeked not only the downfall of Hana, but the permanent eradication of Hanaeian way of life and government.

So why, you might ask, was he standing behind his presidential podium on the top balcony of the Pearl Palace, announcing to his people and the Blue District his intentions to marry the daughter of Hana’s most formidable enemy nation?

“Brothers and Sisters,” he called, leaning into the podium. His nails dug deep into the ancient rose wood, carving indents into the glossy covering. “I come to you again in the name of reason. We have been in a stalemate war with the Kingdom of Yeir for three decades now, wasting generations of our sons’ blood for a fight that has long lost its purpose. It is time we make peace, for Hana was founded on this precious ideology that the rest of the world refuses to partake in.”

A sea of gasps sounded below the balcony, and as far as he could see, people were crowded onto the broad green lawn of the Pearl Palace. This war they’d been fighting, this war they’d been dying for—it was a ceaseless cycle of bloodshed and violence. How could Hana proclaim to be the most sensible nation when in reality it had been constantly fighting its demons and draining its people of morale and hope?

“I have sent a proposition to King Dae and his royal court,” he continued, “in an effort to arrange a peace agreement and end this unceasing war once and for all.”

The people surged in approval, and although he was a high above them in the Pearl Palace, the sound was nearly deafening. He cleared his throat loudly, and the sound reverberated throughout the courtyard, bringing the people to contented silence.

“With compromise comes sacrifice. As your leader, I pray that you are willing to lend me your trust. Dealing with this. . .kingdom and its ancient form of government, there are bound to be terms and limits that may not exactly align with Hana’s policies. Please understand that these are all necessary stipulations.”

The crowd remained quiet, and it both pleased him and terrified him. The next words he were to say would define the remainder of his term. Four years. . .in Hana; one could be President for life. However, it was very easy to go down in history books as either a saint or sinner, and Namjoon hoped to go down as the former. But for the sake of the country, he’d be willing to go down as the latter if it only meant it would guarantee the safety of his fellow countrymen.

“King Dae has offered Crown Princess Y/N’s hand in marriage in exchange for a complete cease of fire.”

Suddenly, the crowd erupted. There were people shouting his name—some in support and others in, well, quite the opposite. The guards monitoring the situation moved in closer, but there was not much they could do. Namjoon pre-instructed the Head of Security, Matthew Kim, not to let his guards touch the people. He couldn’t risk the situation escalating any further and further paint the situation in a negative light.

“I know it sounds absurd. As a Democratic nation, Hana never envisioned having to put itself in such a precarious position. But sadly, the world does not revolve around Hana, and if we are going to peaceably exist in this world, there will be things we will have to do in order to ensure that privilege.”

Namjoon felt his Secretary of State, Jung Jaehyun, tense at his side. As the Secretary of State, he was responsible for foreign affairs and the diplomatic handling of other nations. Namjoon internally beat himself over it; he was the one who’d ask Jaehyun to arrange the engagement with the Yeir Kingdom, which would in turn not only damage his own reputation, but Jaehyun’s reputation as well. He was a good man, and good men did not deserve the blame he was sure to receive.

“Because I know this is such a tremendous task, I shall be the one to carry the responsibility of being wed to the Princess,” he explained, gripping the podium even tighter. “And I know you’re probably wondering why you did not hear of these plans through Congress. I’m using the authority of my limited executive orders to get this task done.”

Cameras snapped and children screamed in the crowd. He straightened the papers on the podium and quickly skipped to the end of his speech.

“Once again, I acknowledge the fact that my decision is not a popular one. But as President, it is not my duty to be popular. It is my duty to see to it the people of Hana continue to exist in peace and self-autonomy for generations to come.”

He watched as the telepromopter changed to Vice President, Lee Taeyong’s, dialogue, and he turned and left the podium with screaming people behind him. Fiddling with the sleeves of his suit, he fell into step beside his Secretary of State and felt the heated stares of his cabinet burn a whole in the back of his head.

“How are the plans going?” he said after he couldn’t bear the fiery silence any longer.

Jaehyun tucked his files under his arm and seemed to speed up. The ambitious young man was the perfect choice for the position, which is why he immediately hired him in his cabinet. When they weren’t working, which wasn’t often, they sat around the Pearl Palace and drank Soju as just friends. It was during these times that they could be normal civilians, just associates hanging around without the mandated roles of being public officials.

“The Princess and her arrangements are underway, but King Dae requests the traditional wedding present in the form of a dowry.”

“Dowry?” the President repeated. “Like money?”

“Land. He wants her to inherit one of the islands of the coast of the country, and he wants her future son to have a guaranteed position in the Pearl Palace.”

Namjoon gulped. “Son? Like, he expects us to—”

“Conceive a child? What did you think this was? There’s no way a tyrant like him would jeopardize his lineage all for the sake of a peace treaty.” Jaehyun gave him a worried glance, putting a hand on his shoulder. “You’re a president, Namjoon. And he’s a king. Honest men shouldn’t work with men like King Dae, and honestly, if I didn’t trust you as much as I do, I wouldn’t have done half the things you’ve asked me to do recently.”

They rounded about one of the corners and came into the Rose Office, which was Namjoon’s personal study. Inside, the Governors of all eight districts were present. 

Hana was divided into seven districts with seven separate Governors that reported to the President occasionally. Usually, these meetings were done digitally, but with the special situation at hand, Namjoon wanted the seven leaders to visit him in person.

Lisa Manoban, his Secretary of Domestic Affairs; and Park Jimin, his Secretary of Treasury, were also present for the occasion. They were his right hand people, and he trusted them with his life.

“What the hell is wrong is with you?” Kim Jognin demanded, as he whirled on his heels. “Do you think we’re some kind of pushovers who’ll let you do whatever you want? We are the ones in charge of the nation, not you. You’re just a name. A figurehead. We did not give you authority to do such a rash—”

“If you keep speaking to our president like this, I will make it my priority to make things difficult for you in the future,” Lisa warned, folding her arms across her chest. “Namjoon doesn’t have to inform you of anything if you won’t give him a fair chance to begin with.”

Namjoon sat down in his swivel chair, hands finding purchase in the thick of his hair. “That’s enough. We have business to discuss. Everyone take a seat, please.”

They did as they were told, and now it was silent as they waited for the president to make ready on his promise.

“I should’ve told you about the deal,” he admitted. “I wanted to tell you, but I couldn’t. I knew that if I would’ve, you would’ve never gone along with it. Congress would’ve never gone along with it. I found an opportunity, and I had no choice. King Dae wasn’t going to wait much longer.”

“So how are we supposed to quell the people’s worries?” Chungha asked. “They absolutely loathe the Daeian people. How could they stomach a Daeian Princess in the Pearl Palace?”

Namjoon’s fingers fell to his jaw and he reclined back in his chair. “Once they see their sons, nephews, and fathers coming back from the front, they will accept it. It’ll take time, and it won’t be easy, but they’ll come around. With your help.”

“Our help?” Im Jaebum chuckled. “And why the fuck would we ever give you that?”

“Because Namjoon already told the public that you’re on board. You have no choice but to do it now, because if you don’t, then you’ll be going back on your word.” Jaehyun answered, turning on the holographic display of his watch to show the signed letter sent out to every household in Hana.

“And that’s supposed to scare us? That you lied and have no proof behind it?”

“It should. It should terrify you. Because even if you didn’t agree and this flops and they crucify Namjoon, who do you think they’ll come after next?”

Jaehyun had a point. Arguably, the Governors were the most powerful individuals in the country after the president. But in the heat of anger, the public would hunt them down and overthrow them just as sure. They had no choice but to cooperate.

“Another thing,” Jimin began, “Her dowry. Jinyoung, I hate to ask this favor of you—”

The Governor raised his hand. “Say no more. As Governor of the Lilac District, it would be an honor to aid our president in protecting our country. Which island does she want?”

“Preferably the Southern Isle. We’ll have to find accomodations for the refugees living on that land elsewhere. The Federal Treasury will completely cover the cost, so do not worry.”

“I can’t believe this,” Jennie, Governor of the Blue District, growled. The Blue District happened to be the home of the Capitol and Pearl Palace, so she and Namjoon constantly got into power struggles. “This is bullshit. Now you’re taking away Jinyoung’s land?”

Namjoon shook his head. “I didn’t say this would be easy, folks. You think I want this marriage to happen? Do you think I wanted to be married to the daughter of my sworn enemy?! I’m doing this for you, so your children won’t have to continue to fight in this bloody, eternal war. Hopefully in the future we can make arrangements so Jinyoung won’t actually have to lose power, but for now, we have to at least pretend if we’re going to get this deal to go through.”

It was quiet as the Governors took everything in. This would mean big changes, not just for their lives but the country as a whole. And refusing to cooperate could potentially mean the end of Hana—hopefully it wouldn’t come to that.

“You didn’t have to do this,” San considered, a sigh leaving his lips. He was the youngest Governor among the bunch, but he never seemed to have any problems. He represented the Green District, the district responsible for agriculture and food reserves. “But I’m glad you did it anyway. For years, my people have been required to send at least one adult male from their family to fight for the country. The labor is mostly left up to the women and children, and it’s affecting their education and morale. It’s less noticeable in other districts because of the type of work that is assigned to them, but in my district, we work in the fields and barns all day long, and it isn’t easy to provide for the entire nation.”

“Perhaps the refugees who have passed most of their background checks can be relocated to my district,” Irene suggested thoughtfully. She governed the Indigo District which was composed mainly of barren snow desert with a few scattered villages that harvested oil.

Namjoon nodded at them appreciatively. It was ironic that the least powerful Governors were the ones who had his back. But still, it was better than nothing. The last thing he wanted was his other people to be split apart. He wanted them to at least try to fulfill his plan.

“The Princess will arrive next week to the Red District,” Jaehyun informed them. “Jognin, you will be responsible for her safe delivery and accommodations. We expect nothing but the best for our guest.”

He rolled his eyes and sank lower into his chair. “Fine.”

“And, Jennie, while she has her tour of the District, you must prepare the Blue District for her arrival. The wedding, reception, and royal accommodations will all be in your hand. The Treasury will cover you for that, but you must consult Jimin before any permanent transactions are made.”

Namjoon rose to his feet. “I really do appreciate you for all of your hard work. It isn’t accomplishing something as controversial and risky as this. I do believe if we all work together, we can get this done and spare the people of this war. If you won’t do it for me, then please, do it for them.”

The Governors bowed and began leaving. As they left, Namjoon studied their facial expressions. They were angry for sure—offended by the thought of having to work with the Daeian government—but he sensed hope. Perhaps they weren’t so totally against it as they first let on.

Just before the last person left his office, Jennie stopped in place and waited until they could no longer hear the voices receding.

“Just remember, Namjoon,” she spat, heels clicking as she resumed walking, “We’ve been here longer than you have. Our families have shaped these districts and made it the great societies they are today. If this goes sour, we will not hesitate to take things in our own hands.”

He sighed and looked up at her, noticing the glistening eyes behind her thick designer glasses. She was still hurt. He could see it in her eyes, the way she looked at him with hatred and malice burning in her heart.

“I won’t let anything happen to this country,” he promised, “and most importantly, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

She stared at him in disbelief, her hands curled in fists. “Tell that to the princess,” she advised, “because with the staggering amount of people who’ll inevitably come for her life—she’ll need it.”

I don’t know if it’ll be this long every time, but I’m usually long-winded, so maybe so lmao.

[teyrnacousland]

So remember how I said in this post that I wanted to be able to choose a Constable of the Grey, and then see an epilogue slide for that person’s rule? I did it myself. The game denied me this content and so I made my own. Here’s how I think things would go under each companion’s leadership (/second-in-command…ership)

Anyways. Enjoy!

Nathaniel

“Thank you, Commander. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

Nathaniel’s appointment as Constable of the Grey is a divisive choice. The nobles who supported his father are put off by the differences between the two. Those who suffered for Arl Howe’s actions see it as a continuation of his father’s betrayal, especially those who were loyal friends of the Couslands. (If the Warden is Human Noble, their support of Nathaniel assuages many, though not all, of these fears.)

Though it sometimes takes newcomers, especially those who have been affected by Arl Howe’s treachery, time to warm up to him, they eventually come around. (If the Warden is a Human Noble, their public forgiveness of Nathaniel helps, along with his public denouncement of his father’s actions.)

Though some of the nobles try to bully him into making excessive reparations, or try to get special treatment based on past alliances they believe Nathaniel should continue, he holds his own valiantly. He welcomes the advice of his companions and subordinates in all matters, and his rule over both the Keep and the Arling is a good balance of strict and fair.

He chooses Velanna as his Senior Warden. This causes a whole new round of outrage, but Nathaniel is openly adamant about his support of her. He does his best to give her bold ideas and declarations a bit more tact without detracting from what she says and does. They’re a good team.

Velanna

“I accept. Ma serannas, lethallin. I (/we if the WC is Dalish) will show them what the (/we) Dalish can do.”

The fact that the new Constable of the Grey was an elf, and an elven mage at that, causes outrage in some circles. (If the Warden-Commander was also Dalish it inspires a panic that this was some form of takeover by the Dalish. Despite this, Velanna refused to separate herself from her Dalish heritage. The conspiracies died down eventually, but they flare up again whenever a decision or action of hers is questioned.)

Velanna, having been the First in her clan, is an excellent leader. Though many nobles are initially outraged at her brash tone and lack of tact, others still respect her for her directness. Nathaniel, her Senior Warden, often helps to smooth over any potential problems. This leads some of the more… traditional (racist) people to refer to Nathaniel as the true leader, or to try and give him credit for Velanna’s accomplishments. Fortunately, Nathaniel is quick to denounce this line of thinking, and has no issue making the chain of command clear whenever he can. 

Though Velanna at times has to fight harder than others, and is often faced with undue blame and suspicion, she excels at the position. She is organized and ambitious. She has proven herself in both battle and several political standoffs, and those who follow her hold her in the highest esteem to this day.

Anders

“Whoa, wait, me? Constable of the Grey? You can’t be serious. I’m not exactly the leader type, in case you haven’t noticed.”     (Persuade) You have too little faith in yourself. You’ll do great. “Well… if you’re sure. I’ll do my best, I guess?”

Despite, or perhaps encouraged by, the Chantry’s protests, Anders accepts the role of Constable of the Grey. (The Chantry fights against this even harder if the WC is also a mage, but ultimately the Grey Wardens operate outside of Chantry rules, so their opinions don’t matter. Some resort to spreading rumours that Vigil’s Keep has fallen to some form of maleficar uprising, perhaps even blood magic.)

His inexperience with the world and its politics is a bit of a downfall, but his companions and advisors are there to help him. Seneschal Garavel is an experienced soldier and is happy to advise him with military decisions, and his Senior Warden, Nathaniel, advises him on political matters. Justice and Sigrun are happy to advise on anything when asked, though neither has much more world experience than Anders himself, and Velanna forcefully inserts herself into most decisions anyways. Anders rule becomes somewhat of a democracy, with everyone discussing each issue and trying to come to a compromise. He’s often more of a mediator than a ruler.

Though at the start of his career he often just defers to others’ judgements, he begins to speak up for his own beliefs as time goes on. Whispers start to circulate that apostates can find a safe place at Vigil’s Keep. All are welcome to be either conscripted as Wardens or informally recruited as “advisors” and “specialists”. (Making up titles is a favoured pastime of Warden-Constable Anders. “Oh, no, no, Neria’s not an apostate. She’s the Grey Warden’s Official Expert in the Arcane Arts of Ignition” “…you mean she’s a mage who can light things on fire.” “Yep!”)

He is fair and compassionate, though sometimes overly harsh or lenient depending on the circumstances. Whenever it falls to him to pass judgement on someone for a wrongdoing or crime it always ends in a very loud debate between him, Justice, Nathaniel, and Garavel. (He tends to go easy on things like theft or desertion, and anything that had a good reason behind it. And he tends to be extra harsh on anyone who selfishly wrongs those with less power than them, and especially anyone who wrongs mages. Or elves, since it tends to get Velanna fired up and he tends to take her side in such cases.)

Though there are some who would look down on his inexperience, or his heretical beliefs, there are twice as many who would laud his good character. Those who doubt him find their doubts drifting away when they hear his heartfelt vows to help where he can, and those who would call him a heretical apostate/maleficar have trouble reconciling that belief with the friendly, if on occasion immature, man who leads them with compassion and humility. (Also pretty much all of them have had someone they know, or have been themselves personally, saved by his healing magic, so no one can really protest all that much.)

But eventually Chantry pressure (mostly pushed for by those personally offended by the continued existence and freedom) reaches Weisshaupt. The First Warden sends an “overseer” to the Keep. This overseer also agrees to the Chantry’s demands that they recruit a templar named Rolan. Unable to reach the Warden-Commander, Vigil’s Keep has no choice but to allow the takeover, and Anders is unofficially demoted to more of a figurehead than a leader. Justice urges him to fight back, but the confidence Anders has gained in his months as a leader gives way to bitter resignation. He knows if he pushes back at the Chantry they’ll only push even harder. There’s nothing he can do. 

When Anders and Justice disappear Nathaniel officially takes up the position of Warden-Constable.

Justice

“I am honoured, Commander. I shall lead the wardens justly in your absence, this I swear.”

Outside of the Warden-Commander’s inner circle, no one knows what to make of their new Warden-Constable being a Fade spirit. Aside from the Chantry, who definitely knows what they think of it. They try to object, but the Warden-Commander shuts down their complaints by reminding them that they hold no authority over the Grey Wardens.

The wardens and soldiers themselves are cautious around him, at first. Even most mages have little experience with Fade spirits. But all who have fought with Justice know him to be a valiant warrior, and anyone who spends enough time around him learns that he is an inspiring leader. Soon, his supporters begin to outweigh his detractors.

Though he does his best to make his decisions fairly, those who end up with the shorter end of the stick often resort to attacking his nature, saying that a creature such as him cannot have the complexity required to lead, let alone make judgements and decisions. Justice himself is more than happy to engage with those who think him unfit, and he surprises many with his proficiency in debating their concerns. No one has yet to present a genuine reason for him to be removed that he cannot counter, aside from baseless Chantry superstition.

Despite the hardships, Justice seems to enjoy the opportunity to inspire and empower the people, as well as the extra reach leadership gives him that allows even more opportunities to fight injustices. Though he never loses his humility, and never sees himself as above those he commands. He is one of them, and they learn to respect him for it.

As with Anders, the Chantry convinces Weisshaupt to send someone to oversee the Keep. Justice does what he can to argue, especially when the overseer agrees to recruit several Templars at the Chantry’s demand, but he is ignored. He’s ready to draw swords and fight whoever he has to, but Anders and Nathaniel convince him (and Velanna, who’s also ready to throw hands) that will only make things worse. Especially for Anders, and for the Warden-Commander since they’re the one who appointed him. 

Before disappearing, Justice passes on his title to Nathaniel Howe. 

Sigrun

“Me? Really? Thank you, Commander. I promise I won’t let you down.”

The title and position give Sigrun a renewed sense of purpose. She has something to live for, and this determination is reflected in her actions and her choices. And though some doubt her due to her inexperience and that she’s a dwarf, she takes to leadership surprisingly well.

Those who fought with her are quick to jump to her defence in the face of criticisms. Her soldiers are fiercely loyal to her and she makes sure to deserve that loyalty. Her optimism is inspiring, and her determination is contagious. (That goes both ways. She’s inspired by the peoples’ faith in her, and in return she inspires them. It’s like a huge swirling cycle of optimism and loyalty.)

Though some criticisms are right, she really doesn’t have experience in leading or in politics. Nathaniel is more than happy to help and give his advice, as is Seneschal Garavel. She lets them make many decisions, but she is always a part of the discussion leading up to those decisions. She surprises many with how good she is at managing resources and battle strategies.

She appoints Velanna as Senior Warden. Velanna’s bitterness and skepticism balance out with Sigrun’s perky optimism perfectly. Vigil’s Keep becomes known as somewhere that accepts all sorts and gives them a place. Especially dwarves inspired by tales about the casteless who became a hero (/heroes, if the HoF is a Dwarf Commoner).

[calleo-bricriu]

What I want to see is what over 100 years old Calleo and his cards have to say about Voldemort.

The hell do I need cards for that for? I could just tell you outright but, then, I’m sure you’d be back at me going on about how that’s no fun at all.

In the distant past, they’d described him as a bullheaded, reactionary wank cloth who’s prone to having violent tantrums when he doesn’t get his way–I’m condensing that down rather a lot but that was the gist of it; perfectly charming sort until he gets the idea that you think he’s roughly as interesting as watching paint dry.

But, hey, people change and maybe when he’s ready to try again he’ll have improved somewhat.

Which, in his case, would more than likely manifest as just becoming more wildly unpredictable with his meltdowns and moods but, you’ve asked my cards, not me, so here we go.

I wonder if he still does that thing where he tries to go as long as humanly possible without blinking because he could do it indefinitely with a little transfiguration and charms work.

Where was I?

Ah! The cards.

(( Larger resolution image is here. ))

Hermit’s pretty self explanatory; he’s been isolated, and should you find him and ask him he’d likely tell you that it was on purpose and/or for the purposes of enlightenment, introspection and contemplation–hopefully around why he didn’t account for basic defensive Blood Magic but, most likely not that. I know I don’t like to dwell on it when I miss something basic, I like to forget I did that and move on while also keeping it tucked away in the back of my head so I don’t do it again.

I’m going to go ahead and ignore that, all around, when the Empress shows up it she often signifies a pregnancy and considering Voldemort, unless he gets incredibly creative with trying to get himself back into a body (or just possesses the first thing he can manage that’s human) is not likely the sort to be able to get pregnant, which leaves the third option of someone else…letting him…do that to them.

It can also mean that he’ll just make an effort to be a little more creative and inspirational to anyone stupid enough to show up for a second round and with his recruitment efforts but if I had to have the mental image of somebody not only fucking Voldemort but letting him knock the up so the rest of you–and I say the rest of you because I don’t know specifically which one of you asked for this reading so you all get to suffer.

And I don’t think it’s that second one as the Ace of Cups revolves around beginning again which, fair, if you’re half-resurrecting yourself–but it primarily focuses around fertility and pregnancy. Someone is going to let that man knock them up.

Ew.

Getting away from that horrifying set of mental images, the Eight of Wands indicates he’s going to be about as good at being patient and planning things out (complete with contingencies or alternate plans in case the main one fails) as he was the first time around which is to say, not at all. However, since the Ministry is staffed largely by what I can only assume are tranquilised bonobos in suits, nobody here is going to care. Or notice. I’ll notice, I’ve already noticed, but I have enough benzos from Muggle doctors that I legitimately do not care.Or, if they do notice, they’re going to pretend they haven’t so all the progress speed, action, momentum, all that nonsense, is only going to seem speedy to the people who haven’t been paying attention.

The rest of us will have seen it slowly coming since roughly 1982.

He’s got abandonment issues head to toe based on the Eight and Five of cups, which is a large part of what makes him dangerous as, instead of focusing on the cups that haven’t been knocked all over the place and using those to rebuild, all he’s likely to focus on will seem, on the surface, to be a political revolution but that’ll just be a thin and fragile veneer covering the fact that he’s a desperately lonely, fundamentally unhappy, nearly always frightened basket case and that manifests (as it often does) in violent outbursts and an undercurrent of wanting to make everyone else suffer the way he feels he was made to suffer.

That’s not even all that uncommon, you can see it to a much lesser degree anywhere in Knockturn if you stay there long enough or visit often enough.

Queen of Swords is likely to turn out to be his most dedicated defender, coming from a point of power obsession and pity, though if she’s got any brains she won’t ever mention she pities him as it might get her killed, and wants nothing more than to shield and protect him, keeping him from harm; also indicates that she’s married–well, it mentions it in the inverse as a divorce, which would make sense if she’s one of those sorts that were pushed into a family alliance sort of marriage that she never particularly cared to be a part of to begin with.

And, at some point, he may be able to shake off all that flailing about to somehow manage to convince the general public that he’s not that bad, and he’ll do so through gratuitous shows of generosity, charity, investing in community (the community he envisions, at any rate; some of you will have to be his diversionary scapegoats, after all), and while everyone is distracted by someone who’s likely to be able to walk into the Ministry and buy them off with false gratitude, making them feel valued, paying them well, displaying what comes off as fairness unless you scratch the surface, he’ll get to work doing what he wanted to do in the first place.

And what does he want to do in the first place? Get himself into a position where he’s well liked, respected, viewed in a positive light, as a good leader, as someone who is successful, committed, has clear goals, and will lead the Ministry to greater things. This is someone who wants to be loved without having to leave himself vulnerable in the process.

For awhile, he’ll get it, and it’ll seem solid.

It won’t last, however, not for long, because that Eight of Swords is going to leave him feeling trapped, restricted, and lashing out at anyone or anything who he even suspects of holding dissenting views through harsh punishments, executions, imprisonments, persecution, “trials” in front of the Wizengamot that were rigged from the start, and at that point he’ll be at two distinct paths he can take.

I do love the Two of Wands for letting things go in different directions.

First potential path: If he goes that route, he’ll be able to leverage what little political and social capital he’ll have left after that mess I just described and, with a little creativity, should be able to pull it all back together in a way that cements his socio-political views as the new, accepted norm and any rebellion against it won’t be able to gain the following it’d need to challenge him for decades to come.

Second potential path: Nine of Swords circles back to the Eight of Swords, only more intense. Terror, not just fear, seeing enemies everywhere, being the subject of gossip, the narrative of which he will not be able to control as it will be a moving and largely invisible target that is perfectly willing to martyr itself if it means his downfall. As a result, he’ll fall further and further into paranoia, nightmares, despair, and stress, leaving him with an inability to cope with the reality of the situation which will only circle back to him lashing out at anything that comes within range, regardless of who or what it is, and when he hits his breaking point he isn’t likely to survive it.

The card between those two paths, as I was curious as to which route the deck thought he’d take, is a reversed Star.

Hopelessness, despair, the inability to take responsibility for one’s actions being what led them to where they are, lack or loss of trust in those around him and in himself, feeling as though everyone, even his closest followers, are plotting against him.

Considering that, I suspect he’ll go the second route to hang out with the sword filled guy in an egg costume.

Let’s see if one overarching card will give some closure here, shall we?

Regret, refusing help from those who legitimately want to give it (back up a bit and re-read the bits that mention paranoia) because, as surprising as it may seem, there are people who genuinely do care for him–in their own, strange way–disillusionment, becoming even more self-absorbed and depressed, focusing on the fantasy in which he’s–apologies, but I’m going to jump back to how two of my former Archivists often described him–seen as something greater in terms of charisma, success, skill, and political success than Grindelwald.

I watched that mess rise to power and fall from it spectacularly, and my memory has more than enough clarity to state with certainty that the only things I’ve seen that Voldemort is better than Grindelwald at are:

1) Keeping himself out of prison.

2) Being ballsy enough to apply for that Defence Against the Dark Arts position looking the way he did when he got that interview. He had to have known what he looked like, unless he doesn’t cast a reflection anymore and nobody told him how off he looked. Just to note, it’s not that I think he’d have been unqualified for the position so much as he may have come off as only wanting it to use as a recruiting platform which is–one of those things you really need to hide until you’ve got tenure, or at least a signed contract.

3) Being repeatedly thwarted by children yet still having followers willing to both overlook it, stand there with a straight face while he probably blames his wand for it (because they all do, you find any Wizard over 60 that has a spell fail and the first thing you get is some variation of, “I swear this has never happened before! It must be the wand acting up!”), and continue to follow him despite the fact that all they’d really have to do is walk away and start telling people what he’s really like and it’d kill any chances of recruiting anything with any skill or ability to follow through.

4) Talking to snakes, allegedly. Not entirely sure how useful that skill would be but I suppose snakes probably have some interesting things to say now and again.

At any rate, Four of Cups almost guarantees he’s going the Nine of Swords route so it’ll get a bit hairy for awhile but whatever grip he gets on anything is going to be tenuous at best and even holding onto it with both hands his reach is likely going to exceed his grasp.

I never like to see raw talent wasted like that, and he does possess a great deal of raw talent as well as the intelligence to have made it, with right people around him, into something spectacular; it’s just been–misapplied and left in the hands of people who never did have his interests at heart, and it’s easy to take advantage of a kid like that. See it all the time in Knockturn.

Pity, really.

[furyofthetrinity]

Prompt 3 Charity

(SPOILERS)

“Does the Warrior ever stop? I do believe I have never seen her just sit for more than an hour at a time.” A whisper echoed down the long stoney corridor. Outside the weather was, what a surprise, still snowing. Though one really couldn’t be surprised, it was Corethas, it was either snowing, foggy or cloudy. Only on rare days would you ever be lucky enough to have a beautiful and clear day where the chill was alleviated just the bit, and the snow would turn into slosh. “I don’t think she ever does. There are rumors she doesn’t even sleep, I once heard that she took down seven primals in a day.” Another voice said being carried out as a whisper on the wind as Wisteria was down the hall, leaning against the wall, snorting at almost every word these housemaids were chatting on about. Of course she slept! Just… not as much as she should be. Wisteria kicked off the wall, grasping her helmet as she strode down towards the two ladies and flashed them a smile. “I do rest, I just prefer to do it when the world isn’t in peril.” She grinned at them, as their faces bloomed a deep red and they scuttled off to work. Leaving Wisteria to her own laugh as she reached up and dropped her helmet down onto her head, buckling the thing into place.

“Going out again?” A deep and familiar voice caught Wisteria as she was about to pull open the door. She glanced back to see her fiance. “You know, for someone supposedly on vacation, you aren’t doing much… vacationing.” He motioned with his hand as he flipped a page in the tome he’d been holding. “I’m not doing too much!” Wisteria protested. “I just promised Zhloe that I would help with the orphans, then I’m going to the Forelands to help the Gnath with an infestation problem, then heading to Limsa to help the Maelstrom with training, moving onto Mor Dhona to help Tataru with something. Then I’ll be home before we have to go to dinner with your High House friends.” She batted her eyes at him. “To be fair it's quite an easy time- compared to what I normally do.” “Yes, because that sounds like an incredibly easy day… pray do not push yourself Wisteria.” Aymeric said with that usual seriousness in his voice. Wisteria waved him off, and slid the visor to her helmet up and stepped over to him. Stepping up on her tiptoes, damn her for being so short, she just managed to kiss him, of course with his assistance as he leaned down to meet her halfway. “I’ll be careful, I promise.” She spoke earnestly, as she stepped back from in front of him and went back towards the door, slipping her visor back down. “I’ll see you tonight.” She spoke before she vanished through the door, letting it swing shut behind her. The thing was about Wisteria, is that she may have had a small addiction to being charitable, or some may call it just her good inane nature, saving people, donating her time, gathering items, bringing them money, finding them work. Acting as an ambassador between the decent Beastmen and the Alliance. Everyone wanted her help, and everyone wanted her attention. She could hardly go anywhere anymore without someone getting all giddy and running up to her, or thanking her for something… that she didn’t quite remember. She felt guilty sometimes, but countless times people would remind her that she couldn’t remember every little thing she did, because if she did, she would be even more sought after than she already was. Sometimes though, her kind nature could be her downfall, Wisteria would do the smallest task if it would help, or make someone's day. She’d gotten better at it, but sometimes their were bad eggs that would abuse her offering to help and contribute and before she knew it, she’d done all their chores. She used to find herself in those situations quite a few times, even more so when she was helping those strangers from Ivalice. She had a fear of pink chocobo’s now and that wine gave her PTSD from her early years in this line of work. All the pointless running around, proving herself. If she was being honest, she’d proved herself, time and time again. And she made darn well that Company of Light knew it. Whenever she ran past them, there was nothing but nods of acknowledgement. Wisteria shook her head though, as if to clear the thoughts away from her. She hated thinking so negatively, but it was so easy to do. She headed down the steps and down from the De Borel manor home and towards the airships. She would be saving her efforts of teleporting to get between the Forelands to Limsa, it took a lot out of her to travel so far. She smiled and waved to the people that stopped and gave her a nod of the head, or just were watching her out of pure curiosity to the woman that had saved them and then managed to catch the heart of the Leader of Ishgard. Wisteria reached the airships, tossed a few coins at the airship Keep who knew her rather well at this point, and she was free to come and go as she pleases, but she enjoyed seeing his face light up everytime she did so. Her charity, was the one thing that no one could explain, not even Wisteria herself could explain it. She enjoyed seeing people light up like a Starlight tree when she offered help, or how the end result could satisfy even the most angry of people. Wisteria hummed out softly as she boarded the airship and waved off to the pilot, shouting Idyllshire at him as the wind picked up from his undocking. After sometime, Idyllshire finally came into view and Wisteria couldn’t help but smile. She spotted Zhloe, Khloe and the other several children who started cheering happily when they saw her. This is why she helped, Wisteria thought for a moment, to make the lives a little happier and cheerier to the people who crossed her path. It wasn’t charity, but just the pure joy of her own heart.

[azems-familiar]

of all the truths i could not tell ch 3

Search #myfic on my blog to find the other 2 chapters of this.

sooo this feels really awful and choppy and idk but i'd really appreciate some like opinions that it's maybe not??? and that it's long enough??? because it feels really short and err yeah so this is me apologizing in advance in case it really does suck also have i mentioned i'm making this up as i go along because yeah i am and this wasn't exactly supposed to happen but *shrugs*

also a friend from over on nanowrimo.org made a cover for this fic and it's beautiful and if someone could help me figure out how the fuck to get it to show up on here that'd be great

Chapter 3

Jyn steps off the ship, carefully, hesitantly, staying just behind Lyra, blinking in the sudden light. Yavin 4 is, apparently, a jungle planet; the U-wing has landed on an open space between two massive ziggurats, ancient stone accented with trailing greenery and faded carvings. Predictably, Lyra is entranced by the crumbling monstrosities; however, all Jyn can see when she looks at the ziggurats is the tactical (dis)advantage of building a base beneath the giant equivalent of an ‘X marks the spot’.

Of course, who knows how long the base has been here--she certainly doesn’t, at least--and the Empire hasn’t found the Alliance yet, so maybe it’s a decent location after all.

Cassian leads the two of them across the landing pad and into the hangar, and it seems as though he took her words about trust to heart, since he not only lets them walk behind him but also left his droid on the U-wing. Or maybe she’s overthinking things. But the apparent lack of concern about her and her mother is more than a bit unnerving. Everything is so… open, almost--Cassian didn’t even bother with an alias or ask them many questions. Nothing like the Partisans.

Saw would never have given out real names so casually, nor would he have let them see so much of the base. There would be bags over both Jyn and Lyra’s heads, their wrists in binders behind their backs, searched and disarmed and kept completely harmless until they were in the very center of the base. Jyn has escorted more than her fair share of men and women to the center of Saw’s stronghold. Some of whom ended up facing Bor Gullet.

(she doesn’t want to think about bor gullet right now)

Well, if the Alliance is going to be lax about security, she might as well take advantage of it. Quickening her steps, Jyn comes up alongside Cassian. “Where are we going?”

Cassian’s stride never falters, his face still and blank. “I’m taking you to Senator Mon Mothma. She and General Draven want to talk to you and your mother, to get a feel for the two of you. I'll then be asking you a few questions to determine what kind of training you'll need.”

Training. Jyn takes a breath, keeps her steps even and smooth, trying not to show any emotions on her face. Right. Liana Hallick would need training.

Liana Hallick had not spent five years among the Partisans.

Jyn wonders, idly, what the Rebellion would do with the wife and daughter of an Imperial scientist. After all, there's not really much that the two of them could do for the Rebellion, on principle; Lyra is a diplomat and a historian, with some knowledge of guerrilla warfare tactics from their time with Saw Gerrera, and the fierceness of a fighter when she has little other choice, and Jyn is a warrior, hardened and powerful and strong, with fire in her veins and steel in her bones and blood in her shattered glass smile. There's no doubt the Rebel Alliance could use them.

The only question is, would they?

Could the Rebels trust that Jyn and Lyra Erso wouldn't even ever dream of selling out the Rebellion to the Empire that stole their third member?

Jyn rather thinks not.

It's not necesarrily against the Rebels, the generals and senators and politicians who make up the core of the leadership of this ill-fated Rebellion against the all-powerful Empire; it's more like the idea that no matter how much Jyn and Lyra could bring to the table, there's always a chance that somehow, the Empire could use Galen Erso against them, to the downfall of the Alliance.

(hence why the aliases. lyra believes that the less they tell the rebellion, the better. even the senators like mon mothma, who would more than likely lean towards trusting the erso women, even they must not know. must not be allowed to know.)

Jyn lets a soft breath huff out between her lips and watched Cassian for a moment, then sighs and, shrugging internally, breaks the silence. "What kind of training?"

Cassian hesitates before answering. "Basic weapons training, hand-to-hand combat, simple tactics. The kind of things one needs to know to be a member of the Alliance. Depending on what you show aptitude in, you could be rerouted to a pilot--for flight training--or placed underneath an Intelligence officer to be assigned to that department. I would hazard a guess that neither of you are particularly political..."

Lyra snorts. "I consider myself to be a fairly decent diplomat, actually," she explains with a sarcastic laugh. "You'd be surprised at the things I can do. I really rather prefer talking over just blowing everyone up or shooting everyone. Violence is not always the best way to solve a problem."

"When the problem is as large as the Empire, Aurae, I don't feel like we have much of a choice," the Intelligence agent answers.

Lyra presses her lips together in a thin line, but doesn’t speak.

Cassian waits for a moment, then increases his pace ever-so-slightly, the blank mask back on his face; even his eyes are shadowed, hidden, and although Jyn prides herself on her ability to read people, she cannot find any emotion in his eyes. The face of a spy.

(and a good one, at that; surprising with how young he must be, only a couple years older than she is)

If Cassian notices her attempt, he shows no sign. (There’s no if about it; he’s too good not to notice. He just chooses not to react, for some reason she cannot fathom.) And then there’s no more time for conversation, because he holds up a hand to stop them in front of a door. There’s not much about the door to set it aside from all the other doors they’ve passed, but he steps forward with the same calm confidence he’s carried with him since Alderaan and knocks. There’s a second of silence, and then a voice calls out, “Enter,” just as calm and composed as Cassian himself, and then he opens the door and Jyn lays eyes on Mon Mothma for the first time.

(Later, the only thing she will remember from this first meeting is Mothma’s appearance; regal and calm and composed, everything her voice sounded like, a bastion of peaceful diplomacy in the storm-tossed sea of the Rebellion’s cold war. One of the things Jyn remembers is the look on Cassian’s face--deference and yet something more , something intangible, born of respect but mixed with something like disdain. Later, she’ll wonder if it’s related to the fact that Cassian is a spy; he’s seen the worst the Empire has to offer and more, has been through and done unimaginable horrors in the name of the cause, and yet while Mon Mothma is a strong leader she also still refuses to give up on a peaceful solution.

But that comes later. And right then, the only thing that matters is that they stay safe, uncompromised, they’ve survived the first investigation, the first test, but now comes the second, more thorough one, and if they fail this…)

(Later, she will also wonder if her own certainty about the coming war influenced her opinion of Mon Mothma in some way.)

“Welcome, Aurae and Liana Hallick, to the Rebel Alliance,” Mon Mothma says courteously. (Jyn has a feeling Mon Mothma always speaks courteously.) “My name is Senator Mon Mothma. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person. I’ve heard many good things from General Draven about you; he’s assured me that the two of you will fit in quite well here, and I want to pass along those assurances. Unfortunately, he couldn’t be here today to meet you.”

There’s a small pause, wherein Jyn shifts uncomfortably under the intense scrutiny of both Mon Mothma and Cassian, and Lyra struggles to come up with an appropriate answer. “Thank you, Senator,” she finally decides on. “Liana and I are in your debt for making this transition possible. I know it’s not usually your custom to expose yourself like this…”

Mothma smiles, warm and welcoming. “Only because we don’t usually have people reaching out to us. In the cold war--for lack of a better term--that we’re in right now, it’s considered more prudent by most people to remain neutral.”

The datapad lying on the table in front of the senator chirps an alert, and a flicker of irritation crosses her perfectly schooled expression. She glances down at the datapad’s screen and purses her lips. “I was hoping to have a little more time to speak with you, but it appears I have other matters to attend to. Forgive me. Sergeant Andor, would you find them temporary quarters and then begin their evaluations?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Cassian-- Sergeant Cassian--responds with a crisp salute. Mothma acknowledges him with a quick nod, her eyes already drifting back to the datapad, and Cassian turns to Lyra and Jyn. “Ms. Hallick, Liana, if you would come with me, please…”

“Call me Aurae,” Lyra says back, then turns to follow him out the door. “Liana, are you coming?”

Jyn hesitates just inside the room, glancing back over her shoulder at the Senator, who is looking decidedly more upset with each passing second. As though she feels Jyn’s gaze, Mothma lifts her gaze from the datapad--

Their eyes meet.

There’s some strange, unspoken thing that flows between the two of them, in that moment; an acknowledgement, perhaps. (Of different views, of the futility of seeking peace, of the painful inevitability and hopelessness of war, and its cost)

And for a moment, Jyn almost begins to understand Mon Mothma.

Then Lyra calls out, “Liana?” and the moment shatters like spun glass, Mothma returning to her datapad as though nothing happened at all.

“Right behind you,” Jyn calls out, and leaves the room without looking back.

[=|=]

After what feels like days of questions (but is only three hours, according to the chrono on the wall), Cassian finally decides he’s gotten enough information from the two of them.

Jyn’s under no false pretenses--this was an interrogation, to see if they are worth the risk, to see if they’re who they pretend to be; she can only hope that his dismissal of them means they’ve passed. Not that his manner or tone could give her any clues. The entire time, he’s been cold and impersonal, asking questions with little regard for sentimentality or extraneous information, cutting to the quick, efficient and sharp.

She supposes that’s why he’s already an officer, at the tender young age of eighteen. (Or so she guesses; he looks around eighteen to her, and acts like it in rare moments--flashes of humor in his brown eyes when she cracks a joke raunchy enough to earn a reprimand from Lyra. There’s a hint of a smile flickering on his lips when she talks about her fierce desire to take down the Empire, and for some reason or another he doesn’t suppress the emotion in his eyes. Not that she can identify it, anyway. Everything about Cassian Andor is a mystery--not least, the reason why he runs around with that kriffing droid .)

“There you are, Cassian,” K-2 says, choosing that precise moment to shove his way inside the small room they’re in. “You have been gone for three hours and twenty-six minutes. This is an unreasonable amount of time. The ship needs repairs and I got wet and require an oil bath.”

“Hello to you too,” Jyn mutters under her breath, without thinking. She rolls her eyes at the droid’s antics, rising from the chair and stretching stiff muscles. “If we’re done here, are Mama and I free to leave?”

“Yes, of course,” Cassian answers quickly, following her example and standing. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a ship to take care of, and a droid who can most certainly take care of himself,” he adds when K-2 levels a vicious glare at him. (How a droid without a ‘face’ can glare is beyond Jyn, but she’ll be damned if he doesn’t somehow manage to make it happen.)

Lyra nods as though this is completely reasonable. “Of course, Sergeant Andor.”

“Which way is the mess hall?” Jyn interjects, deciding to ask the important questions now. And, besides, she’s hungry.

Cassian raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t comment. “I’ll show you there myself,” he says after a moment of consideration. “My ship can wait a few more minutes.”

She hesitates, then nods. This will work, even if it’s not quite what she had in mind; she’s not entirely sure she’s ready to socialize with the man who was quite prepared to kill her the instant she acted suspicious. “Lead the way,” she says, then, unable to resist: “Does the droid have to come?”

K-2 straightens, stares at her with an air of affronted dignity (she still doesn’t quite know how he manages it). “I’ll have you know that I am used to going with Cassian wherever he goes,” he begins.

“K, leave it,” Cassian says with a sigh. “Go get your oil bath, alright? Then you can help me with the ship.”

K-2 makes a noise that somehow approximates a grumbling sigh before turning and clanking away. Jyn nearly makes a comment about stealth, but falls silent at the look Lyra gives her--a look that clearly says to stop antagonizing the man .

Reluctantly, she stops.

“Anyway, the mess hall?” Lyra asks, stepping around Jyn to walk towards the door. “I think both Jyn and I are ready for dinner. It’s been a long day.”

(a long day of sitting around doing nothing on a ship, she wants to retort. she doesn’t.)

(she thinks about it for a long time, though)

(possibly too long, by the look cassian gives her, as though he knows exactly what she’s thinking)

(and maybe he does. she still can’t read him)

Cassian nods. “Right, yes. This way.”

Jyn follows him down the hallway, almost painfully conscious of the stares of the soldiers they pass, and forces herself to walk with her head up and shoulders back. She will not let them intimidate her.

As though she hears the thought, Lyra turns and glances back over her shoulder, and when their eyes meet, she smiles.

[=|=]

The next few weeks are spent in endless rounds of training. Jyn only sees her mother at mealtimes and at night, and she sees Cassian even less often; maybe once or twice a week. Occasionally, he’s close enough to exchange a few words with; even though she doesn’t really like him, he’s one of the few people she knows at the base, and there’s something about him that almost dares her to find out everything she can about him. He seems to share that, at least, and she can only hope that she figures him out before he unearths her true identity.

(she’s beginning to like the rebellion. she really doesn’t want to leave it behind)

He disappears for a couple weeks, returns looking haggard and weary with K-2 quiet (for once) and almost dispirited at his side. A mission, she guesses, and one that didn’t go so well; or, maybe, success wasn’t as sweet or fulfilling as she’d thought it’d be. She could ask him, could go search the base during one of her breaks and corner him, but the thought has little appeal. She’s not even that curious. It’s just--

(what does it take to make that hard of a spy come home like that?)

Nothing.

It’s nothing.

(she doesn’t tell lyra about it, doesn’t want to see her mother’s eyes)

And then, nearly three months after arriving at Yavin 4, Cassian walks up to her one afternoon and says, “Come with me,” and the carefully constructed routine of the past weeks shatters.

[=|=]

“Where are we going?” Jyn asks, struggling to keep up with Cassian’s long strides. He glances over at her, alters his steps ever-so-slightly, matching them more to hers. “Cassian?”

(he never said she had to use his rank, and she does know his name, after all…)

“I have a mission,” he answers shortly, “and I’m allowed to take a few soldiers with me. I’ll need help. I’ve been keeping an eye on your training.”

And that, she thinks, might be the closest thing to a compliment she ever gets out of him.

“But where are we going ?” she persists in asking, giving him a meaningful look. “And what’s the point? What are we doing? I’m not ready to just leave--”

“I understand,” he responds. “Which is why I’m taking you to your room, first.” His voice drops. “I’ll give you more details when we’re someplace private. This is a confidential mission.”

Confidential. Right. “You’ll at least tell me what I need to pack, right?”

“You don’t need anything other than what you can carry on you.”

Jyn sighs, then nods. It’s not very specific, not at all, but at least she has a better idea of what to bring now. (Well, sort of. Not really.)

Lyra’s in their room when she steps inside, surprisingly. “Mama? What are you doing here?” she asks, frowning. “Shouldn’t you be out doing… whatever it is you do?”

(they don’t really talk about the daily routine too much. she’s not quite sure why )

“I heard you’ve been chosen for a mission,” Lyra answers, voice soft. “I wanted to come say goodbye. And to give you something.” She reaches up to her neck and unknots a plain cord, draws it out from beneath her shirt--a glimmering, roughly cut kyber crystal. “Trust the Force, Jyn, and everything will go as it should,” Lyra finishes, whispering Jyn’s real name almost inaudibly.

“You’re giving it to me?” Jyn feels her eyes widen with astonishment--the kyber crystal necklace had been a gift from Galen, and it was one of the only things Lyra still had to remember her husband by.

Lyra just smiles and nods, tying the cord around Jyn’s neck then stepping back. “You should get ready,” she says instead. “Wouldn’t want to keep your commanding officer waiting,” and there’s a tightness in her smile, a strain in her eyes, but she refuses to show it in her voice. “I’ll see you when you get back.”

Before Lyra can leave, Jyn takes a step forward and hugs her tightly, pressing her face into her mother’s shoulder, drawing courage and comfort from the familiar pair of arms around her. Then, slowly, reluctantly, she steps back, gives Lyra a smile and a nod and then goes over to her bed to get what she came for--a pair of clothes less distinctive than the Alliance uniform she currently wears, her collapsible batons, and her blaster. She changes while her mother leaves and then quickly wraps a scarf around her neck before returning to the hallway where Cassian awaits.

He doesn’t waste time asking her if she’s ready to leave or not, instead simply walking back down the corridor towards the hangar.

(a part of her notices that he keeps his strides short for her)

It’s not until they step inside his U-wing, however, that he speaks.

“Recently, Draven received some new intel from one of our informants. He asked me to verify the information. You and I will be travelling to an Imperial-controlled planet and spending a few days undercover in an attempt to, for lack of a better term, slice our way into the Imperial network in search of proof.”

At the mention of slicing, Jyn straightened. “I can help you out with that,” she says, only to be met by the smallest of smiles.

“I know you can,” Cassian answers, the smile flickering around the corners of his eyes and teasing his lips. “That’s why I asked you to come.”

“So,” she asks, slowly, hesitant, “where exactly are we going?”

“It’s your basic intelligence mission,” he says, evading the question. “I’ll evaluate your performance and see if maybe you’d fit in intelligence.”

“Cassian,” she says, staring into his eyes. “Where are we going?”

He swallows, takes a breath.

“Coruscant.”

[anonymouscrocodilefan]

Leadership Styles and Law (”Law is an INTP” revisited)

Haha what this is a Croco blog, why am I talking about Law after months of silence.

To be honest? Because this past year of developments in the manga has left me feeling REALLY vindicated about my reads on characters again. I am terrible at predicting Oda, but my track record at interpreting and analyzing his subtext ain’t too shabby. My read on Sanji, frex. Also, I actually REALLY regret not talking about Viola in depth before now – I mentioned her in passing in at least one post I published, but really regret relegating my thoughts on her relationship with Doffy to “ah this is crack I’m reading too much into this and no one cares anyway right?” Because one recent SBS more or less confirmed what I’d been thinking about there – and why I found her character very very fascinating in context, despite her being fairly low on my list of “characters I like”. Maybe I should still put together a writeup on that at some point.

But I digress.

Just as this past Year of Sanji has more or less borne out my thoughts on Sanji (despite his intelligence, spy hijinks, and capacity for trickery, he is not a calculating rational type of person as some people kept insisting, but a Myers-Briggs Feeling type who deeply values interpersonal relationships above all else, for better or for worse)... towards the end of Zou there was one particular chapter that made me feel SUPER pleased about my read on Law.

Specifically, my opinion that he is an INTP, despite the fact that he doesn’t fit into any of the cliched, stereotypical images of INTPs. (And the fact that I saw a fair amount of people complaining about the apparent inconsistency between his pre-timeskip personality vs. his post-timeskip personality.)

I wrote about that in this post: http://anonymouscrocodilefan.tumblr.com/post/135651487781/one-piece-mbti-allies-introverted

Mainly in that post I talked in generalities about his relationships and his plotting style and how they related to the cognitive functions (read up on them if you’re not sure what I’m talking about, but the four abbreviated letters aren’t just binary labels).

Chapter 819 though, made me giggle so much, because Law’s behavior through that entire sequence (throughout all of Zou, really) is basically THE ultimate giveaway of his INTP-ness.

Disclaimer: As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’m an INTP myself (if it wasn’t already obvious from all my tl;dr analysis). Whether this fact biases me towards or against this interpretation of Law is up to you – but I will add that I originally only grew confident in my assessment after we saw our first glimpse in text of child!Law.

Preliminary note: throughout the Zou arc, Law very noticeably retreated into the background. He was off-screened for many chapters (for good reason). But hilariously, even when he was ON screen... he was often deliberately blocked out by word bubbles or just a silhouette in the distance. This despite the fact that he is technically the other major leader of the alliance...

Guess what? INTPs hate to lead. We’ll do it if we have to and depending on the individual we might even do a decent job of it. (Yes, introverts can hold leadership positions.) But we’d rather not, all in all. So was I surprised at Law backing off? Nope, not at all. In fact, I’d expected it. (And it’s not like hiding/fading isn’t “normal” behavior for him – he owns a submarine, ya know.)

1. What Law is most definitely NOT:

- an ISTJ. He’s contrasted directly with Drake in his own flashbacks, even. If he were a dutiful ISTJ sort who believed in the system despite everything he’d gone through, Law would’ve been in the perfect position to join the Marines the way Drake did. I mean, kid wasn’t stupid. He knew who Cora really was. He let Cora lie to him because he wanted to believe in the lie, but he clearly wasn’t fooled.

More importantly, an ISTJ leader (they’re one of the more common introvert leader types due to their dutiful nature) tends to be more anchored by a strong sense of responsibility. No ISTJ leader would have EVER run off to pursue their own personal agenda the way Law did (it’s even made explicit that Law never expected to see his crew again). And it’s not like Law doesn’t care, doesn’t love his crew – he very clearly does. But he simply doesn’t feel that sort of obligation toward them. Hell, he can’t even be bothered to introduce them properly. XD

In fact, we need look no further than Jinbe for a classic ISTJ leader, torn between his various conflicting duties and obligations and his own personal desires. Completely different from Law.

- an INTJ. An INTJ is characterized by meticulous long-term planning – which I have already pointed out in the previous post, doesn’t actually characterize Law and his ability to be spontaneous, as well as the specific ways his plans fall short.

Again, it’s also interesting to consider leadership styles. I do believe INTJs & INTPs are closer in that regard (most of us aren’t interested in being “leaders”, but INTJs are more likely to have ambitions that involve being thrust into such positions), but perhaps the best point of comparison is INTJ Croco.

Because you know what more “developed” and/or ambitious INTJs are good at that INTPs definitely aren’t? PR. XD

Croco played up that heroic public persona of his for more than twenty fucking years. And is obviously a man very much concerned with keeping up appearances, even during a fucking prison escape of all things XD. Law? Law has a TERRIBLE public rep, what with his coldblooded heart-swapping and whatnot. He doesn’t care what the public thinks, he doesn’t think it matters (from his experience, it’s all a lie anyway). He doesn’t consider that public perception can be used as a weapon – or rather, he definitely does, but I don’t think he understood the full extent of it. See also: everything he tried to pull off wrt Doflamingo (his goal had not been so much undermining Doffy’s “public” reputation, but Doffy’s position in the underworld – had he taken the former into account, I think he would have perhaps not been so blindsided by what ended up happening).

And then there’s Marineford to consider: time and time again Croco decides to step up to the plate – towards the end, he even briefly takes on the mantle of leadership when all the WB pirates are despairing. INTJs definitely have more of an assertive tendency (compared to INTPs). Law? Even then he was a “wait and see” sort of person. He’s explicitly the one Supernova who delays entry into the New World – a pretty INTP thing to do, btw. We’re perfectly capable of being risktakers and making spur of the moment decisions, but ultimately, passivity (out of a desire to keep gathering more info) is more likely to be our downfall.

- an ISTP: If an INTJ is characterized by too much plotting, I guess it’s arguable that an ISTP is characterized by too little. XD (Zoro is the classic example: ACT FIRST THINK LATER.)

ISTP leaders though... ISTPs are again actually fairly close to INTPs – lone wolf tendencies mean that you rarely actually see them in true leadership positions, although they’re capable of it (Zoro). IMO the main difference though is that an ISTP will tend to lead by example and decisive action. An INTP has ideas about what should be done but isn’t going to go out of their way to make sure those ideas are enforced. See again the same scene I referenced when discussing ISTJs. XD

(Note that he doesn’t actually explicitly forbid them from introducing themselves. XD)

2. Seriously though, having achieved his major life goal, post-Dressrosa Law doesn’t really care that much about leading. He’s perfectly content to cede control to Luffy... and even to Zoro. He speaks up only to clarify what he’ll personally do/contribute to the task at hand or to ask about things he’s interested in (even then he doesn’t always ask, we sometimes see panels where he’s just reacting silently), never to suggest a course of action (it even takes outside prompting for him to remember that he has Bepo’s Vivre Card... yep, that’s an INTP derp moment all right – it’s not that we don’t care, it’s just that our brains don’t prioritize like that).

This is to the extent that he’s even blatantly shocked when Kin’emon includes him in his request for alliance in Chapter 819:

(Who, me?!)

Hahaha, I hadn’t even noticed that on my first readthrough, but when I later went back to read the chapter I found it hilarious (yeah, I know, it’s not THAT funny, fairly normal/subdued reaction, even Luffy had a bit of a surprised look, but still – this IS Law’s freakout face, he has pretty much the exact same expression in the previous chapter when the big reveal about the Kouzuki relationship to poneglyphs* is made and everyone else’s jaw is dropping, and a similar expression when he hears about Kaidou’s direct involvement with Momo & co, and an earlier omgwtf face when Raizou shows off his ninja techs...). I mean, it’s kind of a given that Law should be addressed for a major decision like this as well, but it’s like Law expects everything to just go through Luffy from now on... XD

* For the record, I wonder what else Law knows that he’s not telling anyone. He reacted suspiciously to two things that I recall during this arc: Momo’s ability to hear the voice (chapter 817) and to the poneglyph info... after Dressrosa it had seemed that his knowledge of “D” came solely from Corazon (disappointing everyone still waiting on his pre-timeskip quote to bear fruit), but we’ve been getting hints again that he actually has picked up some more info on his own since then.

3. But wait, you say. Doesn’t Law complain about this exact issue immediately after that???

[… After pretty much everyone else has already agreed to the deal.]

(Some other translations made it more explicit; this one is closer to the more subtle needling of the original text, but the implication given the context is that he’s grouchy over Luffy not bothering to consult him regarding major decisions, like, ever [i.e. “He cares more about an eight-year-old’s opinion than about mine!111”].)

Well, yeah. But see, it’s a semantics thing. XD A matter of principle. And trust me, for INTPs, semantics is Serious Business. Even Kin’emon took the time to acknowledge Law’s ostensible position. Luffy though... Law is WELL aware by now what Luffy’s idea of an “alliance” means, and he still does not approve. XD

That’s what he’s all pissy about. The fact that Luffy just assumes everyone is buddy-buddy and will therefore just go along with everything without question. (“That’s not the way this works!”)

(Luffy’s not wrong though. If Law really had a problem with it, he could have and no doubt would have spoken up much earlier. XD Luffy just instinctively has a good read on Law’s personality, LOL.)

As further proof, just a few pages later we have this:

Yep. Semantics. XD

Does it really bother him that he’s getting no say in any of this? Nah. As long as there’s some sort of plan going on and it’s not completely absurd (… not always a guarantee with Luffy involved), he doesn’t really care. He’ll do his part (while holding his cards close to his chest), and trust that the others will do theirs. Very hands-off, very self-contained. Very much an INTP approach to leadership.

Even so: there’s a difference between alliance and friendship, and IT MATTERS. XD

[getseriouser]

20 THOUGHTS: Tape it or leave it

ROUND One in the books, already nine teams are flag contenders and the pitchforks emerge for the rest.

Wasted pre-seasons, scarves thrown away and discarded in disgust, the Grim Reaper seemingly looms for half a dozen coaches already.

Could be worse, could be Steve Smith...

 1.        Let’s touch on the cricket up front. Warner is a pit bull, a junkyard dog, and has blown his top. A high-energy Ashes summer, further fuelled by the De Kock sledge against his wife and then Rabada’s antics, made worse by his suspension being overturned, has finally lost self-control when the ball wouldn’t go reverse in the third test – straw, camel’s back basically. Irrationally he has pressured Bancroft into an idea, Smith, the quiet, younger man child who before this all happened had a reputation for coming across as sweet, well-educated and the next Bradman basically, can’t contain his vice-captain when in this mood. Warner is the instigator, the sole proprietor of all the untoward descriptions of the ‘culture’ within the team. Smith is far from the kind of character needed to curtail him (Border, Waugh, they would have no issues you’d imagine), gets caught up and tries to protect his deputy. Bancroft, at the crossroads, out of form and feeling the pinch, gets leaned on and sees a way out, reverse swing might win us the game, a win might save my spot, an alliance to the leaders might be favourable come selection – its wrong but you can see why it might have been compelling. So now what? Smith probably gets 12 months, misses the summer but comes back in time to get a run up to the Ashes, Warner gets the same ban but is never picked again, Bancroft gets a ban but is certainly not lost to the national team down the track and the Test team has a resurgence against two Asian teams this summer who are notoriously bad travellers.

 2.        Onto the footy, and I’m going to start with the media, which is a bit rich coming from this column but alas. We are ok with ex-players jumping the fence and getting behind the glass passing comment on their former craft, be it in print, in front of a camera or behind a mic. But the old school journo, who never played the game, has come through the caper as someone with a nose for news and able to get the mail, the good oil, why are they now being celebrated for their on-field commentary. My main beef is with the media vehicles of Damian Barrett, Triple M most notably, airing segments and splashing headlines for his critique of club’s round one results. Now Damo, break news, write wonderfully prosed columns on the game, but when it comes the Bulldogs’ performance in Canberra, you are not at all qualified, we have better options! Mind you, watch me now do exactly that for the remainder of this column…

 3.        The Cats on Sunday, wow, get out of jail much? Didn’t look overly impressive, or that cohesive. Yes, Ablett and Selwood will likely share five Charlie votes between them, and they have another Brownlow medallist midfielder to come back in perhaps this week, but whilst they are very good trick ponies, the Cats in 2018 will be just that, a three-trick pony.

 4.        Ah the Pies. Glimpses of something good and then whooshka, a horrible disposal, a brain fade mistake, zero defensive coverage, and the Hawks walked it in. Their best footy looks to be ok, showed that last year, showed it in patches on the weekend, but the ultimate downfall is that it’s never there enough, there’s no reason to suggest it will change anytime soon and given they’ll go 2-4 at best after six rounds it’s all superfluous really. A ‘proper’ circuit breaker at the Holden Centre is their only remedy.

 5.        Tom Mitchell gets 54, he got the ten votes from the coaches, he’ll likely be best on from the umpires too. He is still probably underrated, a tremendous get by the Hawks. But, sure, Bucks should have sent someone to him no doubt, but he is far from the new Diesel. Take Clayton Oliver the next day, he only got 28 touches to Mitchell’s 54, yet the Dee laid ten tackles whereas Mitchell laid just the two. Between the two, take age out of it, I know who this column would rather.

 6.        Buddy, Buddy, Buddy. Wasn’t so much the local team christening the new stadium on Sunday but the local boy. Here’s a tip, and its paying $50 which for a two-legged multi is delightful, Franklin for the Coleman into the Brownlow. He plays 22 games he is a massive show.

 7.        Canberra showed us that the GWS are in this year up to their necks, yes, only one game but we saw what we needed to see in the first ten minutes. But for the Dogs, oh gosh, the sky has fallen in at Footscray it seems. Please. It was first up, with a key man going down early, on the road, against this column’s premiership tip, you know what, on the Dogs, yes I will hold thanks caller. They’ll win this week.

 8.        Lot to like for the fans of the losing team last Thursday. Yes, ended up 36 shots to 20 in the reigning premiers but its about 2019 for the Blues. Tangible results are secondary to ‘good signs’, and to that there are plenty, Cripps, Curnow, the other kids, the way they play, etc.

 9.        And on young Charlie Curnow, he is a tall forward that works in the 2018 version of this game. Mason Cox is not. So whilst it’s a project, its an experiment and the American clearly has potential strengths that could ‘help’ the Pies, there will always be weaknesses in his game that are not just exploitable but a liability. The best team minimises liability, the Tigers forward line last year for example, may have been awesome with say a Josh Kennedy in the goal square, but one thing you can’t say about the forward group is that it contained liability. The Cox liabilities are going to cost moments, which can cost games, and a long bow perhaps but those lost games could lose Buckley his position, a butterfly effect if you will.

 10.     The Bombers got themselves a nice, big, early scalp. And here’s the good news for those who enjoy seeing their team who play this grand old game – they only one have one game outside of Melbourne before Round Nine. Between now and then they are a more than a fair chance to win the majority of those which, by the bye periods, will have them set up with a very healthy win-loss record. This column puts a lot of emphasis on how good starts are integral to deep September action, this all bodes very well for the Dons.

 11.     And as for Port, yep, same thing, as we said last week they’ll get off to a great start, tick the box for last week. And good form is good form, whether its something impressive or just games you are expected to win, so no matter really the opponents or performances if the Power can get off to a good start, the momentum is such a strength in itself. Good starts breed success at the pointy end, Port are definitely a ‘buy’.

 12.     Poor Libba, such crap news; he is very important to the Dogs setup but overall it’s such a shame for him. Here’s to a big 2019, he is a genuine star.

 13.     So North Melbourne are throwing money at Andrew Gaff - good luck to both parties I say.

 14.     The Saints still have plenty of room that they actually have to use. Convoluted way it works, there is a salary cap and salary floor, so you cannot obviously exceed the cap, but you must have a minimum salary too. Further complicating things is that you must stay within these markers over a rolling four-year period. Therefore, you can be over the cap providing the rolling four-year result is that you were under on average. That’s the same with being under the cap, its ok for one year, but you need to ensure you compensate when the four-year average is calculated. Long story short, the Saints have been saving cap space, being deliberately under the cap floor on average in the knowledge securing a big fish would get them into the sweet spot – yet without luring such a star they would need to re-do existing deals to make the finances work, which is hardly ideal (overpaying for the sake of it). Jeremy McGovern, Olli Wines, two names that are seemingly open to the enquiry. Rory Sloane is ideal but I think he stays.

 15.     Paddy McCartin. Where’s he going? Bruce is the number one gorilla in the forward line and reasonably so, has earned the credits somewhat. McCartin clearly has the tools, but not convinced he can flourish. No-one had less touches than him on the weekend with his team getting the four points still, yes it’s a long road for him after last year’s badly interrupted year, but he turns 22 in a few weeks, drafted four years ago, this year needs to be somewhat progressive otherwise it’s time for some decisions down at Moorabbin. Not drastic, but things to ponder.

 16.     If Luke Parker played for a Victorian club he would be seen as a superstar. Credit on this rare occasion to Mark Robinson who put the Swan at no. 26 in his pre-season Top 50 but damn he is a gun. Has averaged 25 touches and six tackles a game pretty much the last four years, has only recently turned 25, a Brownlow runner-up two years ago, makes tremendous decisions, and is a rare mix of extremely gritty but very skilful. Had 32 touches on the weekend with nine tackles, that sort of game in Melbourne gets huge Monday night media coverage, but a Sydney performance Sunday twilight in Perth, in Buddy’s shadow, not so much.

 17.     Only 44 tackles laid by Dockers on Saturday, not the effort you want to start the year. Still bullish on their chances, potential, but their home opener against Essendon this weekend is crucial. Couple selection changes, better effort, get the season back to 1-1 and go from there, otherwise, as per our ‘starts’ rule, they will be doing themselves no favours.

 18.     Five goals between Jack Watts and Steven Motlop in the same game with old Toddley Marshall bagging four. Port won’t have much of an issue scoring this year, but ensuring the ball doesn’t just waltz out and result in opposition scores is going to be key. It’s hardly the Richmond mosquito fleet; turning the ball over close-ish to goal and scoring is what works these days.

 19.     How tough were the ladies at Princes Park on Saturday? Throwing themselves around, the hits were hard, it was damn impressive in less than helpful conditions. But notably, the defenders, intercept marking, showing composure, defending and rebounding under immense pressure, there’s a number of spuds in the men’s league who could take note.

 20.     We started with cricket, lets end with tennis – whilst he ended up losing to Fernando Verdasco in three, Thanasi Kokkinakis defeated world no.1 Roger Federer more or less within hours of Cam Bancroft stuffing tape down his Reg Grundys. It meant that essentially no media outlet noticed, or cared, but this column does. Annoyingly it seems we’re jumping off jungle-conqueror Bernie Tomic, but for Nick Kyrgios and Kokkinakis, this column sticks fat. A clean bill of health between the best Greek-Australian offering since The Wog Boy 2: Kings of Mykonos will end up in many satisfied Aussie tennis fans this year and beyond – get on board and stay on board with these two.

(originally published 28 March)

[movietvtechgeeks]

Latest story from https://movietvtechgeeks.com/fact-checking-donald-trumps-gun-control-trade-happy-white-house-claims/

Fact checking Donald Trump's gun control, trade and happy White House claims

Stormy Daniels has got Donald Trump working overtime creating every shiny object possible, but news outlets have adjusted to his constant barrage of news. They are now able to keep coming back to the two biggest subjects he wishes would stop hanging over his head. The porn star and Russia. Stormy is the one woman who Trump treats like Vladimir Putin and has kept his mouth shut about his usual smear campaigns against those speaking out against him. Sources in the White House are now speculating that Daniels could wind up being the downfall of the president before Russia. Despite grappling with unparalleled staff departures, President Donald Trump painted a rosy picture of a smoothly functioning administration getting things done, pushing along gun restrictions and bringing jobs to the United States. It made for another series of grandiose claims this past week. Speaking at Cabinet meeting, Trump falsely proclaimed background checks were moving through Congress in response to the Florida school shooting and wrongly insisted that NATO countries were “delinquent” by not paying their fair share in a military alliance with the U.S. All of that helped cap a week in which he misrepresented his effort to create jobs for American workers as part of an announcement on new trade penalties and deflected blame onto former President Barack Obama for Russian activities in the U.S. election. A look at the Donald Trump's own words and claims: TRUMP: “Background checks are moving along in Congress, and, I think, moving along pretty well.” — Cabinet meeting Thursday. THE FACTS: There’s been plenty of talk of gun restrictions, but legislation is far from moving along “pretty well.” Action on background checks is stalled due in part to Trump’s shifting positions. After the school shooting, Trump called for stricter gun laws and hinted at support for a more sweeping background check bill backed by Sens. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. But after Trump met with the National Rifle Association, the White House said Trump backs narrower background checks. Trump’s changing views have left Republicans divided in the Senate, where the party maintains a 51-49 majority. Without a clear path forward, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has shelved the gun debate for now. He had been preparing to push ahead with the narrower measure proposed by Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Chris Murphy, D-Conn., to strengthen the existing background check system. That bill has stalled amid objections from some Republicans who view it as an infringement on gun owners’ rights and Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, who say the bill does not go far enough. TRUMP, on NATO countries: “Some owe billions and billions of dollars of money. They owe billions and billions from past years. Never paid it, and that’s not fair. They want us to protect, and they want us to be a good partner. And then they’re delinquent on payment or they haven’t made payments. Or they haven’t made payments which are fair.” — Cabinet meeting Thursday. THE FACTS: Most of that is flat wrong. NATO countries do not owe anything to the alliance. They’re not delinquent on payments. There’s no dispute about “payments.” The issue is how much NATO countries spend on their own armed forces. Trump wants them to increase their military budgets to relieve some of the burden of collective defense borne by the U.S., which spends more on its armed forces than other NATO members combined. So a case can be made that those countries have not contributed a “fair” share. Although he takes credit for persuading NATO partners to spend more, the results are not yet clear. They agreed in 2014, well before he became president, to stop cutting military spending, and have honored that. They also agreed then to a goal of moving “toward” spending 2 percent of their gross domestic product on their own defense by 2024. Most are short of that and the target is not ironclad. TRUMP: “You know, I read where, ‘Oh, gee, maybe people don’t want to work for Trump.’ And believe me, everybody wants to work in the White House. They all want a piece of that Oval Office; they want a piece of the West Wing. And not only in terms of it looks great on their resume; it’s just a great place to work. ...I have a choice of anybody.” — remarks Tuesday in news conference with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven. THE FACTS: No, not compared with previous presidents. In Trump’s first year, the turnover rate among his administration’s upper-level officials was 34 percent. That’s higher than any other president in the past 40 years, according to an analysis by Kathryn Dunn-Tenpas of the Brookings Institution. The turnover rate in the first year for the top staff of Presidents Bill Clinton and Obama, for instance, were three times lower than Trump’s, at 11 percent and 9 percent, respectively. Trump’s turnover rate for top staff has since gone up from his one-year mark because of recent departures. It’s 43 percent as of Wednesday, according to Brookings. Among the latest departures: economic adviser Gary Cohn, deputy communications director Josh Raffel and communications director Hope Hicks, the third person to hold that post in the Trump administration. TRUMP: “You see it — the other day, Chrysler announced they’re leaving Mexico, they’re coming back into Michigan with a big plant. You haven’t seen that in a long time, folks.” — remarks Thursday announcing steep new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to the U.S.   THE FACTS: This oft-repeated claim by Trump to suggest he is bringing jobs back to the U.S. is not entirely true. Chrysler did announce it will move production of heavy-duty pickup trucks from Mexico to Michigan, but the plant is not closing in Mexico. That plant will start producing other commercial vehicles for global sales and no change in its workforce is anticipated. TRUMP: “From Bush 1 to present, our Country has lost more than 55,000 factories, 6,000,000 manufacturing jobs and accumulated Trade Deficits of more than 12 Trillion Dollars. Last year we had a Trade Deficit of almost 800 Billion Dollars. Bad Policies & Leadership. Must WIN again!” — tweet Wednesday. THE FACTS: Trump persistently misrepresents the trade balance. The U.S. trade deficit last year was $566 billion, not almost $800 billion. He cites only the deficit in goods, ignoring the surplus in services. The U.S. in 2017 bought $810 billion more in foreign goods than other countries bought from the U.S., says the Census Bureau. That deficit in goods was offset by a $244 billion trade surplus in services such as transportation, computer and financial services, royalties and military and government contracts. As for manufacturing, Trump leaves out what is widely regarded as the main reason for the decline in factory jobs — automation and other efficiencies. Trade is certainly a factor as well. He’s in the ballpark when referring to how many factory jobs have been lost since January 1989, when George H.W. Bush became president: 5.5 million, according to the Labor Department. What he doesn’t say is that despite the loss of those 5.5 million factory jobs, the U.S. economy overall has added a net total of about 40.6 million jobs in that time. TRUMP: “If the E.U. wants to further increase their already massive tariffs and barriers on U.S. companies doing business there, we will simply apply a Tax on their Cars which freely pour into the U.S. They make it impossible for our cars (and more) to sell there. Big trade imbalance!” — tweet March 3. THE FACTS: He’s wrong that automakers can’t sell U.S.-made cars in Europe while European cars come into the U.S. “freely.” He’s right about a big imbalance but exaggerating. The EU applies a 10 percent duty on cars made in the U.S. The U.S. applies a 2.5 percent duty on cars made in Europe. The U.S. Census Bureau shows $13.8 billion in U.S. auto and parts exports last year to four leading markets in Europe while the U.S. imported $51.3 billion in vehicles and from five countries in Europe. TRUMP: “Why did the Obama Administration start an investigation into the Trump Campaign (with zero proof of wrongdoing) long before the Election in November? Wanted to discredit so Crooked H would win. Unprecedented. Bigger than Watergate!” — tweet Monday. THE FACTS: Despite his conspiratorial tone, it’s not unusual for investigations to start without proof. They tend to start with suspicions. Criminal charges brought in the past six months suggest that by July 2016, when the FBI opened its counterintelligence investigation into Russia and the Trump campaign, there were indeed reasons for law enforcement to be concerned. By that point, for instance, a foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign, George Papadopoulos, had learned that the Russians believed they had “dirt” on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in the form of thousands of emails. Papadopoulos has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with people who claimed a relationship with Russian officials. No evidence has emerged that Obama used this matter to try to help Clinton in the election. Obama has actually been faulted — by some Democrats and by Trump himself in this same tweet — for not doing enough about the level of Russian interference he was being briefed about. For example, the FBI did not disclose the Russia-Trump campaign investigation before the election. If it had, that might have played to the advantage of Clinton, while exposing Obama to accusations of manipulation. Trump is accusing him of that anyway. TRUMP: “Plus, Obama did NOTHING about Russian meddling.” — same tweet, Monday. THE FACTS: Not so. Obama appears to have done more about Russian meddling than Trump has done. Before the election, Obama made public the discovery that emails of the Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta had been hacked by Russian-linked players and he warned about the risk of compromised balloting in the November election. After the election, Obama expelled 35 Russian diplomats suspected of being intelligence officers and seized two Russian country estates, in Maryland and New York, that the State Department said were used for intelligence activities. The Trump administration has not yet penalized any Russian officials for interfering in the 2016 election. Trump has only fitfully acknowledged Russian meddling. Mike Rogers, director of the National Security Agency and the U.S. Cyber Command, recently told lawmakers that he had yet to be given authority to strike at Moscow’s cyber operations as this year’s U.S. midterm elections approach.

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