#orchestrated a revolution to get revenge and kill their enemies

[cowlovely]

sometimes i think about the absolutely batshit insane things that happened in warrior cats that have somehow managed to remain largely unknown by people outside the fanbase and i start to lose it

[stilljumpingback]

(via Black Sails Episode 406 - XXXIV)

Slaves being freed from their shackles is a needed bright spot in a very dark season.

Another show would make the relationship between Eleanor and Madi a simplisticly happy reunion.  Black Sails forces us to consider how privilege and inequality impacted their relationship in profoundly deep ways.

“My father didn’t mistrust Flint.  My father mistrusted all of you.”

Jack threatens to kill Eleanor and/or Flint, but Eleanor cannot be bothered to take him seriously and just walks away.  I feel like this perfectly summarizes the entirety of their relationship.

Silver giving Billy to the slaves to be tortured is…super dark.  Like, darker than anything Flint has done, right?

Silver:  I did not want this.  Flint is my friend, but I know what he is.  I have no illusions about it.  But for all the dangers he presents, for all his offenses, the one thing he’s never done is force me to choose between him and you.  That, you did.

Billy responding to Silver’s patronizing speech of ‘forgiveness’ with “You chose.  Live with it” makes me like him more than I have in a long time.

I would love to see this episode from Julius’s POV.

I continue to be fascinated by Max and Jack’s relationship.  They are business partners, sometime lovers, partners to the same woman.  Their reunion is gut-wrenching because Jack is all emotion, and Max is all logic.  Still, he rescues her (for the first of two times this episode).

Flint and Eleanor talking about their former partnership is my everything!!!

“You know, there was a time not so long ago when you shared their concern, when you saw what I saw.  The benefits of being free of British rule.  To make the new world something more than just an extension of the old.  Is it so unthinkable that that might happen again?  You were a pirate once.  Stranger things have happened.”

Although Flint has been betrayed by Eleanor just as much as Jack has been betrayed by Max, their reunion has had SUCH a different tone.  They are still civil, and they seem to still respect each other.  Why is this?  Because they always knew who the other was – someone ambitious and cunning and not above changing sides for a better outcome.  Flint and Eleanor knew each other so well that their relationship could survive betrayal.

Speaking of changing sides, in an instant pirates and British soldiers must work together to defeat the new Spanish enemy.

Silver needs to learn to read a room:  sitting in a throne in ominous lighting is not a great way to propose partnership with newly freed slaves.

Woodes Rogers gets on land, sees destruction, murder, and rape all around him…but it’s not until he learns that Eleanor is at risk that he actually begins to care.  What an asshole.

I will forever love Jack for deciding to wait for his former partners despite recently learning that they were willing to give up his cache without his knowledge or assent.

Max reunites with Anne.  Max is so defensive, but when she sees Anne’s brutalized face, she sees the full ramifications of her decision.

Max:  I loved you, and I betrayed you.  But I cannot apologize for it.  I did what anyone would have done when confronted with the same impossible choices.  If I apologize, you will know it is a lie, and I do not wish to lie to you ever again. Anne:  Leave. Max:  No.  I am going to stay with you.  I want to take care of you. Anne:  Get the fuck out.

No, Max, you didn’t do what anyone else would have done.  PLENTY of people did the exact opposite, in fact.

Eleanor:  One can be happy that way, can’t they?  A life of isolation and uncertainty, as long as it is lived with someone you love and who loves you back.  It is possible, isn’t it? Madi:  It is.

Who is Madi talking about here?  Her mother, and the life they had on Maroon Island?  Or Silver, and the life they might have in the future?  If it’s Silver, that seems to contradict her earlier silence when he asked if he was enough for her.

Silver hears the Spanish coming around the back over the din of battle?  Um, okay.

Madi and Eleanor share a smile, which is so great but FUCK FUCK FUCK you can see the Spanish soldier standing in the background flexing his hands and it’s so creepy!!!

Eleanor’s final fight is so desperate and beautiful.  She survives so much, and if that isn’t a symbol of her entire life, I don’t know what is.  I also really admire the show for how sexual assault is depicted:  we keep the female POV and never disempower her.

When she kills the Spanish soldier, she immediately goes to Madi, MY HEART.

Flint sees Miranda’s house on fire and Eleanor’s body.  The two most important women in his life.  😦

Eleanor:  Was he with them?  My husband? Flint:  No, he isn’t.

MY HEART.  Flint cradles Eleanor’s face as she dies, and his own face is just utter devastation and hopelessness.

Eleanor’s last words are: “Madi.  I tried to save her.”  But it doesn’t look like Madi made it out of the burning house.

In the wake of Madi’s death, Silver says of the rebellion, “It’s over.”  But Flint orchestrates a tactical retreat, insisting upon saving everyone.  They’re acting as good partners here, even if they are not in emotional agreement.

“It wasn’t supposed to end like this.  How can we all have sacrificed so much and none of us has anything to show for it?”

Finally, some emotion from Max.  I think her fierce adherence to calm logic is why I have felt so disconnected from her.  Now that she’s drowning, I like her a little bit.

Continuing with the theme of “emotional investment changes everything,” Max finally sees civilization’s true face and wants revenge.  But…by going to a different version of civilization.  What makes her think this time will be any different?

Honestly, I understand and almost agree with Max’s “fight civilization from the inside” philosophy.  But…it didn’t work.  Not that fighting from the outside worked either.  The moral of the story?  Changing society for the better is messy and complicated, and it takes all kinds of people fighting all kinds of battles.

Woodes Rogers finds Eleanor’s corpse.  By bringing Spain to Nassau, he murdered his wife, and none of his enemies were killed.  YOU IDIOT.

Silver is absolutely gutted and is grieving for Madi.  Flint puts his hand on Silver’s shoulder.  I can’t read whether or not Silver’s “It wasn’t your fault” is truthful or just a means to get Flint out of the room.  My poor babies!

BUT THEN.  The pirate revolution has grown enormously on Maroon Island!!  The first time I watched the series I was SUUUUPER depressed by this point, and seeing all these pirates determined to join the cause gave me hope so intense it felt physical.

“They came from other islands, the colonies, maroons from camps like this one, pirates from as far away as Massachusetts.  They heard that Nassau had fallen, and they came to join us.  The revolution you promised has begun!”

[morsmordrehasbeensaved]

♔ HIS TEETH DRIP WITH CRIMSON; COME A LITTLE CLOSER ♔

✤  Joseph Mulciber. ✤  Slytherin / Seventh Year. ✤  Pureblood. ✤  Death Eaters. ✤  Open character.

Spite is your biggest motivator, it drives you and it guides you. It has since that filthy mudblood got your father thrown in Azkaban for showing them their rightful place, and it will until your last breath leaves your lungs. Your family was considered a disgrace in pureblood society when your father was put away, not because of what he did, but because he got caught, and you had to start off as an outsider. With tooth and nail, you clawed your way up, a dark mark now proudly gracing your forearm. You feel unbeatable. 

BIOGRAPHY.

Power. Pleasure. Prominence. So was saying of House Mulciber. The french lineage was one that had blood stained hands, taking the lives of anyone that stood in their way. Friends, family, enemies, it was all the same to a Mulciber. The family came into being during the 18th century, teetering on the edge as observers for the longest time until opportunity came. Jacques Mulciber was a young wizard, no more than 25, when he saw a vision for his family. His father had died years earlier, leaving behind the family’s decisions to a child… and it was no surprise to see the Mulciber’s suffering. Jacques Mulciber was inexperienced as a leader, often walked over by the other pureblood families. Anger had been boiling underneath his calm exterior, his grand plan coming into fruition with every spiteful comment, every demeaning look. He would claw his way to the topic of the French society, he would prove everyone wrong.

It was no surprise to anyone that France was going through turbulent times. As the aristocracy grew in wealth, the poor barely scrounged enough for bread. The Wizarding World mirrored that of muggle. A storm was brewing and Jacques felt it. There was no better way to rise as family then to remove others… but Jacques struggled with how to do that successfully.  On a trip to Paris, it was as if fate was smiling down on Jacques Mulciber. His carriage had struck another, and out tumbled a man. Someone whose picture had graced the French papers. Maximilien Robespierre, the face of the Revolution. 

Jacques Mulciber knew that he wasn’t a good man. He was selfish, he did what he could to advance his own position. No matter who it would hurt. Jacques had little conscience telling him to leave the muggle man alone, but that simply wasn’t his way. Out came a charming facade, a friendly hand while he positioned a knife in the back of other pureblood families. Robespierre was a surprisingly easy man to control, especially with the help of the imperius curse. The Reign of Terror was an orchestrated event by a young Jacques Mulciber, Robespierre his marionette. It wasn’t a curiosity that the ends justify the means, and how the aristocracy were the main targets of france’s revenge. “Softness to traitors will destroy us all.” And such traitors were the other pureblood families that had laughed at the Mulcibers. As the guillotine fell, so did the people standing in his way. By the final chop in 1794, Jacques Mulciber commanded the french society. And he would be damned if his family ever fell from grace again.

Greatness continued down the Mulciber lineage until it fell into the lap of Henri and Camille Mulciber. The August sun shone through the Mulciber mansion, tucked away in seaside town of Le Havre. A pitiful scream filled the halls and Joseph Cesaire Mulciber entered the world, red-faced and angry. It was almost as if his birth had been an omen for the boy to come. Joseph’s childhood was one of free reign. He was a Mulciber, and to the french society, that meant something. Jacques Mulciber had promised him a future, one of leisure and lavish. That type of pampering easily jaded him, after all, children took after examples, didn’t they? And what examples Joseph had. A guillotine sat in the Mulciber foyer, the same one that had taken the lives of so many allies they had. Gruesome paintings littered their walls. For Joseph, there was always something romantic about them. He could often imagine himself in the same situation, watching as the life left the eyes of someone he’d lied to and called a friend.

Childhood could’ve been lonely for Joseph, he had no siblings, just a mother and father tucked away in the french seaside. But it wasn’t. Joseph’s imagination was far reaching, developing a knack for all things cruel. He’d thought of himself as strange, unlike the other boys that fluttered about playing stupid games. No, Joseph was attracted to things a bit darker. He’d once found a baby bird that fell out of his nest, but such a scene didn’t initiate a caring bone in his body. He stared curiously at the pitiful thing, before snapping its wing. The noise the animal made was glorious, filling Joseph’s mind with the pictures that hung up in the Mulciber mansion. He would be Jacques Mulciber second coming. 

The pureblood way was galas, be it France’s society or England’s across the channel. Music would fill the halls, the atmosphere bubbling with champagne and girls in pretty dresses. Even as a boy, Joseph thought of it all to be an act. He saw how the patriarchs would disappear, congregating together to discuss future plans. Those powerful men left an impression on him, he could only imagine what kind of things they’d done to get to the top. It was during one of those faithful events that he met someone like him: Amycus Carrow. Adrastos Carrow’s little monster. It didn’t take long for a friendship to blossom between the boys, after all, there had been no one Joseph could relate to until he saw Amycus. His explosive temper was refreshing, admirable even. For the longest time, Joseph had keep his cruelties to himself, venturing off to kill whatever little creature he’d caught in private. Amycus exuded violence, and Joseph couldn’t help but be drawn to the other boy. 

Joseph met Andromeda Black during the Black’s Winter Ball, when he was no more than eleven years old. A strange thing had happened, something that he couldn’t quite explain, but he found her absolutely fascinating. She wasn’t like her older sister, who was too brash and bossy, a woman who didn’t know her place. Nor was she as ice cold as her younger sister, Narcissa Black. No, the other two didn’t interest him. Perhaps it was the heart that he saw in Andromeda, a rarity among pureblood women. He’d never been good at handling delicate things, desiring much more to break it and see it fall apart. And such a find drew out his destructive side. An obsession with the middle Black sister grew in his chest. He wanted nothing more than to see how far she could be pushed until she snapped into two…

Being french, there was only one school of choice for Joseph Mulciber, and that was Beauxbatons. The option disgusted him so, and it felt like a banishment from the rest of his world. Amycus had ended up at Hogwarts and so did Andromeda (he’d been having his eyes on the papers to hear any sort of news about the girl). He couldn’t stomach the powder blue uniforms, how Beauxbatons seemed to pride itself on all things pretty instead of power. Joseph may have only been eleven but he knew what he wanted, what he needed to bring the spirit of his ancestors to life. He felt a resentment growing in his heart towards the school, and how it stood in his way. Joseph had always been impulsive, and the summer of his second year proved that he hadn’t changed. Joseph had been out with his parents, on the beachside of Sainte-Adresse when he snapped. The beach was relatively empty, only the Mulcibers and a muggle family taking up space by the sea. As Henri and Camille took to sunbathing, Joseph had his eyes on someone else. The little girl from the muggle family. She was happily sitting in the water, splashing about with her toys. Joseph always thought that muggles were stupid, having no magic and no real worth in their world. And, her parents seemed to be paying little attention to her. Joseph had hurt things, animals but a person? He’d never thought that he would have the opportunity… and it was the perfect way to get from France to England. Joseph coaxed the girl away from her family, towards a secluded side of the beach. He learned her name: Odette Marceux. He acted like a friend. Henri and Camille came back to the screams of a child as Mulciber held her underwater. Not long enough to kill, but long enough to hurt. On her arm was a distinct scar, caused by Mulciber, it was shaped in an M. Both of his parents were shocked, doing their best to ignore whatever darkness had been growing inside him for so long. Now face to face with the realities, they were frozen. Joseph had finally figured out a way to get what he wanted and it was through the pain of others. He threatened the girls life, saying that he would kill her unless he was sent away from Beauxbatons to Hogwarts. Like sand, Henri and Camille caved to his requests, and he quickly let the muggle girl go. Henri obliviated her, but Joseph wouldn’t forget her face. She was his first victim. Joseph transferred to Hogwarts as a third year and was promptly placed in Slytherin, but it didn’t come as a shock. His recent choices proved that he would do about anything to get what. While Beauxbaton had been a fish tank, Hogwarts was full of sharks. Like his close friend Amycus Carrow, like the girl he’d spotted at a gala and hadn’t forgotten about. Joseph was delighted to finally be around people that he could relate to and close to Andromeda. Call it obsession, but he couldn’t get the pureblood girl out of his month. Especially after his experience at Sainte-Adresse. He was curious as to what kind of screams she would make.As a Mulciber, Joseph had a free pass to high society. And he surely wielded it well. He found himself in a pack of other purebloods, each more dangerous than the other. They bonded through their hatred of muggles and weakness. Together, they were climbing the chain of command, each destined to be a formidable heir to their house. That expectation didn’t phase Joseph, he knew what it wanted and who it would take to get him there. Amycus and Joseph played off each other’s strengths, forming a team that was difficult to beat. Their reputation was infamous about the school, two alpha males where they belonged. That inkling of admiration continued to grow in Joseph’s chest with every conversation, every victim. There were very few people that had a hold on him the way Amycus did.It was nearing Joseph’s sixth year when he finally set his sights on pursuing Andromeda fully. He’d been, over the years, stalking in the shadows, doing his best to charm with every conversation they had. He knew that a pureblood marriage was what his destiny held, women offered allies for every man’s cause. Their familial connections were extremely valuable. Not only had Joseph been drawn to Andromeda’s beauty but her last name was formidable. Joseph would corner her at every chance he got, but he did see someone in his way. Ted Tonks, a hufflepuff who was about as impressive as a mouse, hung over Joseph like a rain cloud. He couldn’t help but notice stolen glances, meetings between the girl he yearned for and the mudblood. The whole concept of it scared Joseph, but he knew there was a card to play. A meeting with Cygnus Black and an engagement that sealed the deal between him and Andromeda. What Joseph wanted, he put his mind too… and a Mulciber was worthy of such a match. History preached it. His proposition was well received by Cygnus Black, and Andromeda’s hand was torn from Tonk’s and given to his. Finally in its rightful place, Joseph’s obsession was cementing itself as a reality. He couldn’t be more pleased, even if his betrothed seemingly loathed him. Given time, he’d break her apart like he did with all things, and she’d submit. Joseph was proving himself to be the proper Mulciber heir, terrible and chaotic to a fault. But that was the way his family operated… Amycus came to Joseph after the engagement speaking words of a Dark Lord. An army that was meant to rival Grindelwald’s. It peaked his interest, his desires growing with every day. And it gave him a chance to prove himself, to stand by Amycus’s side.  Jacques Mulciber had Maximilien Robespierre and Joseph? He would have the Dark Lord as his vehicle to domination. Twisted with belief in himself and his ability, he took the dark mark proudly.It seemed like the world was falling into place for Mulciber, he was going through the dark lord’s training, he had Andromeda, and fought alongside Amycus. With so many ends tied, he couldn’t help but remember one that had gotten away. That young girl from the beach-  Odette, that’s what she was called if his memory didn’t fail him. Drunk on his own accomplishments, Joseph suggested the family take their usual trip to Sainte-Adresse. Henri and Camille obliged. Under the surface, Joseph felt his glee growing. On the off chance this girl was there, he would finish what he started. Not for anyone else, but for himself. Joseph spent the next few days of the vacation searching for her, playing the part of a forgotten childhood friend…. Because he was, wasn’t he?On his fourth day in Sainte-Adresse, Joseph struck gold. He walked into a cafe, the summer day in full swing. Joseph wasn’t considering failure as an option as he took a break to get a coffee. A waitress served him his order and he recognized her scar: the M he had placed there. His eyes shot up to her name tag: Odette. So here she was, years later, a waitress. Blissfully unaware of how she almost died until his grip. Muggles truly were stupid animals. Joseph had put on a charming persona. He had the looks, a commanding presence that was impossible to not notice. Like a snake in the grass, he swept Odette off her feet, promptly offering to take her out of a date. She agreed, and his trap was set. He would have his first taste of death later that night.The restaurant was ablaze with panic as blood splattered the walls. It covered his clothes, that of his parents and the dead body of Odette Marceux, whose throat had been cut with one move of Joseph’s wand. He sat there laughing, taking a sick pleasure in the entire scene as his sweet mother and father watched in absolute horror. Perhaps they finally saw the monster he’d become. Such a realization, though, couldn’t stop Henri Mulciber from feeling responsible for his son. The aurors descended on the scene, removing muggles as quickly as they could before they disarmed the Mulcibers. Joseph stayed silent, revelling in chaos that he produced. He couldn’t quite wrap his mind around the consequences, he never thought that far ahead. To his amazement, Henri confessed to the crime and was whisked away to the french ministry. Left behind was Camille, a woman too shocked to recall a thing during the interrogation, and Joseph, who claimed it had truly been his father to save his own skin. Mulcibers were traitors, even to their own. What Joseph had not expected was the consequences of the killing. Much like before Jacques Mulcibers reign, his family was looked down upon. Their patriarch rot in Azkaban, for a horrendous crime that even the purebloods turned their nose to- so was the custom when someone went to jail. Joseph was still too far in his head to feel foolish about casting his family from grace. It was simply an obstacle that he would take head on. He would hold onto Andromeda, he would use the Dark Lord’s army and he would make the Mulciber name worth more than it ever was before. 

CONNECTIONS.

MARY MACDONALD  ━ Biggest victim so far, wants to silence her voice above all. ANDROMEDA BLACK  ━ Betrothed to, enjoys teasing her. AMYCUS CARROW  ━ Partner in crime.

THIS CHARACTER’S FACECLAIM IS CODY CHRISTIAN.