#there is a lot of dishonor that radiates from that building

[noobsomeexagerjunk]

Always Shine and Redefine Our Humanity

How Eret Contributes to the Dream SMP's Narrative Themes of Change and Self-Discovery

I can’t believe listening to a song from a fairly obscure but growing musical (where I took this post’s title from) would prompt me to inspect Eret’s character more but here we are. I will heavily use @theeretblr's (whom you should subscribe to, btw) Character Explanation thread as a basis, as well as statements about their character from their most recent streams and things that I have gathered from other essays by people who clearly have been watching from the start.

This will include sentiments and theories I want for the character because I kinda got attached to them as of late. Please keep in mind that I have been watching since around Late November-Early December, so my biases would be appropriate to such a viewer.

This essay is a discussion of the roleplay character.

1. Eret is Self-Preserving & Versatile in Skill (and this is why they're powerful)

"Those who are given Power hold on to it."

Something I’ve observed concerning Eret’s Betrayal of L’Manburg was their motivations for doing so. For a time they have believed that power and security mattered. For a time their interests went first. CC!Eret referred to the choice as "an offer no one would refuse" as well. This wasn't just luxury and (they didn't know it at the time, but false) power, it was the protection they would be allowed to have by the admin of the server. It was being allowed to do whatever they wanted, despite the means to it being dishonorable and interestingly enough, demanding of permission.

Eret was willing to do anything to remain secure and equipped, and I argue that they still do until now. The difference is that now, they are more concerned about how they maintain their security in that they wouldn't hurt other people or be extremely unethical in the pursuit of this security.

Also, they're privy to grinding when it's necessary, they know how to build structure and contraption, and they can hold their own fairly well. They're very well-spoken and can deliver on appearances and ambiance, excellent at both comforting and intimidating whomever they choose. They had to have been this skilled for a while.

2. Eret has a Forgotten History (of bringing down powerful groups of people, apparently)

"Those who don't know History are doomed to repeat it."

So remember that interaction with Foolish? I want to bring this up because I feel that having particularly close ties with a God of Undying/Death has implications.

Foolish also brings up "taking care of [a] Wither cult"—an organized group! Wasn't Eret known for taking down an organized group on the server? L'Manburg, at its founding. He was part of the rebellion against Manburg. He was against the Eggpire. Yep, that's a pattern.

What does this mean? Well:

Eret's hands were never clean from the start, clearly before the Final Control room, and it can be inferred that they're redder than they seem

Eret's tendencies towards self-preservation may have been influenced/learned from Foolish

Eret may have had (if they still don't do) an inclination to pursue power through the dismantling of organized groups that also seek/already have established power

Eret's current skills are the way they are due to his past

And we cannot forget the CC confirmation that c!Eret has relations with Herobrine, the infamous Minecraft urban legend known for the horror he brings and how many lovers of Minecraft frame him as this terrifying powerhouse entity beyond human comprehension. This relation is still a mystery, but from what we know, it can tell us a lot about what Eret has forgotten about himself and what Eret is capable of!

3. Eret is Concerned by What People (though only those that matter to him) Think of Her

"I think Respect is a big thing."

In light of her power, we have to remember that Eret regretted pursuing power upon recognizing the loss of respect and friendship that came with the throne. This becomes a much stronger detriment when she realizes that the power she thought she had never actually existed in the first place—one can say she would dread pursuing power for herself again. To subject oneself to the standards of others after all is to subject yourself under constant scrutiny.

In her regrets, she learns and realizes what she wants—to be loved and cared for, to be truly alive with her loved ones. It's why she decides to improve herself, and she works and makes the effort to try! She struggled (and still does) in the process of pursuing forgiveness, illustrating that her determination towards an end is very strong, gradual as it may be.

It's how she looks up to Wilbur! Still! I reckon the two believe they're responsible for the other. Change! What an incredible thing the two are able to do.

4. Eret Knows What He Wants (but is struggling to figure out how to get it)

"That was a long time ago. I've changed things and I know not to break people's trust anymore."

One of Eret’s biggest concerns right now in Season 3 is his relationship with the Crown, mixed and fickle it seems based on his streams during this time. His kingship carries more and more weight each passing day, debating whether forgoing the effort and spilled blood Eret had to get the Crown is worth it. (I mean, he accepted the restoration of his Kingship when George got dethroned.)

The Kingship is still power, and it's become true power after Dream had been put in prison. We know he's admitted being deathly afraid of Dream, so this period of genuine Kingship would be incredibly special to him. Ever since he's been finding ways to make his kingship genuinely meaningful, redefining the evils the Crown used to have by doing good to whomever sincerely, freely, and willingly. He's attempted allyhood with like-minded individuals based on his judgment of their character. Remember his Knights? These consisted of HBomb, Puffy, and Punz, each of which exhibited behaviors (predilection for community, dedication to duty, moral neutrality) he has as well!

But yet, the blood spilled for that Crown still stains him, and it cannot be denied that it will continue to do so for as long as Eret wears the crown. I wonder if he believes this, whether a part of him does deep down. Dream being in jail doesn't just mean freedom to be a king but freedom to quite literally be yourself, whatever it may be.

5. For these reasons, Eret Represents Constant Self-Actualization and Rediscovery

"I'm a strong, independent...whatever the fuck I am."

Given the points established above, Eret is unfamiliar with her full self and wants to shape herself into someone desirable and genuinely contributing kindness to a clearly broken world, a world whose brokenness she also happened to contribute to.

Her enthusiasm for History and the pursuit of enlightenment speaks volumes to this motivation. It's her repeated, dedicated efforts to try and try and try and try, to be better! Not just to be a better person herself but for everyone else to be able to be better too! She's aware that perfection is impossible, but clearly recognizes that constant reevaluation of the self is nonetheless necessary.

It's how she's open to engaging with as many people as possible despite differing opinions and carried baggage. She researches and explores and examines! She does no harm but takes no shit.

Every facet of her, to the terror her eyes have been known to give, to the air of affirmation radiating in her domain of a Pride castle, to the blood that decorates her fingers, to the people she has given support to, to the people she has disadvantaged, to the History she keeps, to the part of herself she no longer remembers, to the power she carries—Eret knows how to be truly alive.

[imperialsea-a]

ELIZABETH’S IN-DEPTH RP PLOTTING CHEAT-SHEET.

          Want new-and-exciting plots for your character? Long to reach out to more of your followers, but don’t know where to start? Fear not! Fill out this form and give your RP partners both present and future all the of juicy jumping off points they need to help you get your characters acquainted.

          Be sure to tag the players whose characters YOU want more cues to interact with, and repost, don’t reblog! Feel free to add or remove sections as you see fit. Template here.

Mun name: Rem (not that blue-haired anime girl or DN, it’s from my old blog!) OOC Contact: Contact me through the Tumblr IM system or my Discord! My Discord is: imperialsea#1818. Please tell me your URL if you message me there so I know who you are!

Now, onto the heart of the post!

   ♛   Who the heck is my muse, anyway? Elizabeth Eva Alexandria Cross, the only biological daughter of Kaien Cross, her father (a canon vk char), and Eva Liliya Cherie Cross, her mother (an oc muse)! Elizabeth is a vampire hunter by blood like all in her family before her! But, shh! Your character isn't supposed to know that .  .  .  unless they're also a hunter .  .  .  or a perhaps a vampire (since her family from both sides are famous hunters, but even then they don't have to know she's a vamp killer if you don't want them to) .  .  .  or they're some sort of ally to her / the hunters association since she can't just tell anyone her actual work on a whim. Where she's from, the existence of vampires are a secret from most of humanity and it's her job to kill the dangerous people-hurty ones and keep that nice and secret so as to avoid a world war! 'Nothing about her is complicated at all', I say, lying through my teeth like Bethy does to society every day by keeping her job and true lifestyle hidden :'D

Further information below the cut, please take time to read if you’re stuck on what to plot and how Bethy operates!

   ♛   Points of Interest:           - She was born and raised to fight against unruly beasts and composed foes alike. Despite her youth, she's a one-woman powerhouse and is not afraid to take herself down with an opponent if she deems it necessary. She's like the Smash player who hits the fake smash ball to take out an enemy on their last legs, even at the expense of her own life. She'll do it! Except in Smash she'd probably just win the match because she had an extra life and not, you know, not die forever for real in a last grand battle.

          - She's got vamp genes all over the place and is rare among hunters. She's biologically immortal like a Pureblood despite not being a vampire herself and is living testimony of what her predecessors took from Purebloods both by honorable bestowal of blood from the mysterious Hooded Woman, and straight up [insert painting of Jupiter Devouring His Son here]. Her great grandparent is 3k+ years old, her father is 200+ for devouring his own twin-- it's messy as mythology, but anime :'D  She herself is only 18 on default though (19 in K Crossover--), the youngest of her entire bloodline, and she can still be slain in battle even if she is much hardier than a typical human being. She's also sensitive to auras, and capable of sensing vampires.

          - Things characters might notice? She's ghostly pale and kind of looks like she stepped out of The Last Unicorn. She looks cold, sophisticated, and vaguely otherworldly-- she really doesn't radiate the friendliest of vibes unless she's doing something she loves, and the calculated yet seemingly effortless grace of her movements are prominent in and outside of combat. She is descended from an ancient royal line, and those posh, stuffy mannerisms and formal speech pattern live on through her even if the Adrasteian monarchy no longer exists.

          - She truly isn't a trigger-happy person, whatever the title of 'hunter' implies, and keeps a level head in most situations. Sure, Bethy looks as if she could bite someone's head off and can display some seriously threatening flashes of anger, but she's not going to do something rash and will only resort to drawing her weapons in a serious matter. She's here to save lives, maintain peace, and keep order, not disrupt it and set off a war! No pressure on her, right?

         - She is also notably, NOT a high school student, though she may be mistaken for a high school senior or young college student since her age fits the bill. Elizabeth actually graduated from her high school at age sixteen and took to hunting full-time immediately after. She was convinced to slow it down by her grandparents and began preparing for college when her assignment at Cross Academy arrived and, uh, pretty tragically, hasn’t been able to attend any classes due to her work demands. Come to choose between the world and personal fulfillment? Her conscience only let her have one choice; a hunter must hunt.

    ♛   What they’ve been up to recently:           - Work. There's hardly a time when this girl isn't working or planning what to do next, and the workload only grows after the previous president is outed as a dishonorable, self-serving traitor to the hunters. She's seriously injured after trading blows with him and is promptly benched to deal with the fallout and mental agony, but she's back within a year (and in K's crossover? Only six months later!).

          - Having said that, Elizabeth does have days off and will spend them quietly with her friends, or alone with music and a rejuvenating swim.

          - Depending on the time in her life? Her life circumstances vary drastically-- she can go from a young huntress travelling on her own as duty demands, or she can be a mother of five children and trusted right hand of the new hunter president, Zero Kiryuu. She lives for a long time, so she's always up to something! And of course, she's always motivated to fight for a better future. 

   ♛   Where to find them:            - Aside from work, check the beach! Or find her on methods of cross-continental transportation since she travels around the world for her job (she walks whenever possible, so it's rare to see her on a bus, but she’ll begrudgingly take one or a train)! Otherwise, a place like an aquarium, clothing store, or coffee shop, or any place in a city is your best chance.... write w me pls... q-q she is Around Somewhere.

          - If not found in any of those places and your character is someone inside Cross Academy, she can be found there, helping the prefects in some way and is familiar enough with the building to help out new students if they ask.

    ♛   Current Plans:           - Elizabeth is chained to her work as a hunter for as long as she draws breath, or until there is no need for her to end hostile vampires. Her ultimate goal is to keep the world from falling into a repeat, all-out war between vampires and humanity. Her living and family situation might change through the years, but that will always be her primary drive-- she's got an indomitable will.

    ♛   Desired Interactions:           - please ovq

          - In all seriousness, I’m up for pretty much anything. She needs more friends, more enemies, people to protect, people to be protected by, people she looks up to, people who legitimately unnerve her, everything! I just don’t feel comfortable killing her. Elizabeth fought really hard to get her future and deserves to find comfort after her entire childhood-young adult life was spent thinking the only thing of worth she had was her role as a huntress. I do really, really love angst though, so anything else goes, really c:

     ♛   Offered Interactions ( please sit tight for this! it will be divided into multiple sections! ) :           - IF YOUR CHARACTER IS HUMAN:                - She’ll assume your muse is an average civilian until shown otherwise (be it with unusual powers, whacky aura, combat prowess, or prior knowledge from a report or something-- a plot specific thing). Unless they truly know about vampires / work with the Hunters Association, Elizabeth will not be sharing any information about who or what she is without a legitimate reason (such as the human character being bitten by a Pureblood and thus is being turned into a vampire themselves). However, the other party being kept in the dark about vampires can open the door to a more relaxed Elizabeth without her professional, perfectionist mindset. She’s more likely to have a pleasant conversation with humans since they have no part in the hunt-- but in that same vein, she does aim to keep them at a certain distance and not develop a deep emotional bond (but she’s also a lot softer than she looks and acts and tends to care for others quickly, should they get along). It’s a tricky slope .  .  . She’s thawed out and the nicer aspects of her personality are far more prominent, but at the same time, she’s not being entirely genuine. Give her time and she’ll become more open about personal things, just, not her work.

               - Applies to her K Proj. Crossover.  Working with S4, Elizabeth takes some time to adjust, but ultimately loves the organization and the people within it. They’re an exception to her ‘no ties with average humans’ rule because....errr.... they’re not the average human she’s used to protecting and in that verse they’re aware of her occupation and peculiar heritage. She’s not as cold first impressions might suggest and loves Reisi’s weird af team building nights, it’s hard for her to not have a soft spot for them, even as an outsider and unofficial member (as in, she has none of the abilities the Blues have, but she has her natural abilities).

         - IF YOUR CHARACTER IS A HUNTER:                 - Elizabeth is a known figure in hunter society; her great grandfather, grandfather, and aunt were previous heads of the organization and each are still alive at present. So, it probably makes more sense if your hunter character at the very least knows about her-- unless they’re an off-series muse in which case go wild and do what you think is best! I always did like the idea of two vampire hunters chilling together with neither one knowing the other is a fellow hunter until they’re attacked by a vamp and they’re both like ‘Oh!’

               - A simple but always reliable plot idea is two hunters on a joint mission! It’s really important to know that Bethy does not take kindly to poor performance and expects her partner to take whatever assignment they have seriously. If not? Things get tundra-cold really fast-- o-o;; People’s lives are at stake and in her opinion, if a hunter wants to mope or complain about their blood-given obligation, they’re not fit to be hunters in the first place. ‘Can’t do the job? Then finish what you started with me if you have any shred of integrity, and get thee gone’ sort of thing. Otherwise, uh :’D;; she’s highly cooperative and always aims to reach the outcome with the least amount of damage.

               - As a teenager, she attended a hunter-run private academy in Adrasteia for four years. If it’s possible for your muse to attend (as in, they are from a vampire hunter family and can pass the rigorous entrance exams), throw em in for a slightly younger, less stringent Bethy? A national fencing champion at the top of her classes, and great granddaughter to the legendary hellfire headmaster, Elizabeth’s not easily missed! It could be the start to an amicable relationship to carry into future interactions?

        - IF YOUR CHARACTER IS A VAMPIRE:                 - Bluntly put, for vampires, it’s probably better to interact with Elizabeth after Cross Academy has fallen in the large battle that took place there. Her mother is revealed to have been alive and held captive as a vampire, she’s already friends with a hunter/vamp, her two friends turned out to be Purebloods, and ‘oh....my mother and father got together again and now I’ve got a younger vampire brother’ .....and her boyfriend’s half sister is also a vampire who marries the former vamp senate heir..... so...vamps everywhere; she simply accepts them as part of the family. Prior to that, while she isn’t hostile to vampires and certainly has no intention to attack a vamp unjustly, it’s not a place she’s eager to put herself in. Depending on how threatened she feels, she’ll even swallow her pride and keep her head down-- mostly.

               - If your muse is a hunter-turned-vampire, she doesn’t treat them as a vampire, rather, she still sees them as a compatriot, like in the case of Zero Kiryuu. Whether or not your muse received the blood of their keeper is up to you, but in the case that they haven’t-- she’s always there to assist in granting mercy whenever the time comes :’)

       - IF YOUR CHARACTER DOES NOT FIT INTO ANY OF THE ABOVE CATEGORIES / REGARDING OTHER VERSES:                - Please help me find something that works, I’m willing to try! Memes are incredibly helpful! Send one in, the tag is here, and we can go from there!

                  - My currently finished and ready-to-use Crossover Verse is K Proj., which can be read about right here.

      ♛   Current Open Post/s: Linked right here. There's no expiration date to these, and it doesn't matter if another person has replied to one, you are more than welcome to reply to one if it catches your eye at all.

      ♛   Anything else?:  YEAH, wow I am so sorry that got so long. Please note that this post may be updated periodically!

[gxmmarxy-blog]

1, 2, 14, 16, 20, 21, 31

Transformers Character Development Questions| Accepting

1 ) What’s the meaning of your character’s designation? Ifthey named themselves, why did they select that name?

“I was constructed as part of a set that all had electromagnetic radiation-themed names--my siblings were Ultraviolet and Infrared. I was the shortest, so, Gamma Ray. We were originally meant to work on a radiation project, but the funding for it had been scrapped by the time we were taking on our own alt-modes, so we went our separate ways. I’ll admit it stands out in the construction field, but it’s my name, so I kept it.”

2 ) Explore a personal artifact, what does it look like? What’sits history and importance to your character. If they don’t have any personalpossessions, why is that?

“I don’t have many personal possessions. Impractical, really, what with moving around as much as I did during the war, and even before the war, my mate and I lived in a three-room in the lower levels of the Tagon Heights. Didn’t have a whole lot of room for stuff.

“This is an elbow brace my mate retrofitted for me, before the war. The arm that fits under my shovel tends to take a lot of strain, and this keeps it from hyperextending or wrenching. I’ve hung onto it all these years because--well, it’s got his initial and mine, so it’s a piece of him in a way. Even if he didn’t build the whole thing.”

14 ) Are they comfortable with significant alterations beingmade to their body?

“What does significant mean? I’ve had limbs replaced, changed alt-modes, all of that, but it’s always been along the same basic lines. I’d be fine with a repaint, or even a reclass into a different type of heavy equipment. Would I want to be a speedster or a flier? No, and I’d politely refuse offers to turn me into one.

“And of course, all of the above goes out the window if someone’s doing it to me. I’m not okay being altered without my explicit consent, even if it’s something I’d otherwise like.”

16 ) Do they look down on members of the disposable classand beastmodes? Would they admit to it?

“Mech, I was disposable class back in the day, before they reworked the caste signifiers because some noble had a frame that was a little too heavy to be strictly high-level. Disposable-class mecha and beastformers were ninety percent of my social circle. Can’t look down on them without looking down on myself.”

20 ) As an Autobot/Decepticon, did they ever believe theywould be in a war? Participating in battles, taking the lives of their fellowCybertronians- how did they deal with war or not deal with war? How shockingwas their first battle, their first kill?

“I knew what I was getting myself into. I signed on pretty late. I would’ve been happier staying neutral, and I sympathized more with the ‘Cons’ reasoning, I just...couldn’t get on board with their methods. People were already dying by the time I realized I had to pick a side.

“It wasn’t shocking the first time I fought and killed. I’d seen death before. It was just...sad.”

21 ) Have they ever deserted a battlefield for dishonorablereasons?

“Depends how you define dishonorable. I’ve recommended or ordered a retreat when it was tactically necessary, when we were hopelessly outnumbered, and when we technically could have pressed our advantage but it would have cost more lives than I thought we could spare, and I’ve followed those through. None of that is dishonorable, unless you define honor as “hurling yourself headlong into the foe until they’re dead or you are”--and I’ve met mechs who see it that way.”

31 ) Do they have friends who joined the opposing faction?

“Of course. About half of my old construction crew, plenty of friends in overlapping fields, and my sister Vi--Ultraviolet. I think my mate would have, too, if it hadn’t been for me.

“I’ve...thought about looking them up. Just to see how many of them made it out, find out if we’ve got anything in common still after so long. Haven’t done it yet.”

[painted-cherries]

hard truths

pairing: lee taeyong x reader

warnings: angst; mentions of alcohol, drugs, sex

a/n: when will I stop writing sad au’s? the world may never know! There isn’t a lot of plot, but it’s surely something

disclaimer: the people and events in this story are explicitly fictional

There wasn’t one specific word that could be used to describe Taeyong. Mysterious, enchanting, intoxicating. If he had any close friends they would probably warn others how little of his influence can affect an entire chapter of someone’s life.  But then again they would probably be just as dirty and cold as the enigma himself. Taeyong was the cold chill that drifted through the air during a cold fall night as you stand outside to light a cigarette, knowing it could be your last. He was the guilt you tried to wash off in a cold shower, after spending the evening screwing someone that meant nothing to you, while the person who meant everything was waiting at home with a heavy heart. Lee Taeyong was everything that you didn’t want, but needed to be there because the world can’t survive on happy endings without first the cold, hard truths.

It was a particularly dreary night. It hadn’t ceased raining all day until sunset,  and even then, a fog draped itself over the town like a heavy blanket. That night Taeyong could be found at one of the sleaziest clubs in Seoul. The neon lights were too flashy, and the drinks tasted cheap like something you sell to teenagers trying to have a good time while their parents are out of town. He found himself here every Friday night, and for what? He liked it because there was no risk. During the weekday he went to his classy job as one of the highest paid lawyers within the city, before he was even twenty-five. Day in and day out he fought other people’s battles whether they were really guilty or not. Being a regular at a club like this allowed him to make the millions he thought he deserved without his employers or worthy adversaries from seeing just how much more dishonorable he was; if that was even possible. Untrustworthy, deceitful, cunning.

Every weekend was the same, but a different girl each time. His type was simple: girls he could corrupt. Girls that would walk into the building wide-eyed-innocent; that would rather try their first line of cocaine rather than fall so easily for someone like him. He relished the thrill of breaking their hearts, it was a better high than any drug could ever give him. It was always the same. He would scan the crowd like a beast looking for its prey. After picking another girl, Taeyong would polish off the rest of his drink and emerge from the shadows at the side of the club, where the bright lights would keep from his face. It was no surprise that women would fall for him so easily. He was beautiful; Taeyong walked around the club in personally tailored outfits that cost more than the whole building itself; he had deep brown eyes, high cheekbones and a jawline that could cut even the most delicate of things with precision. He was enchanting to look at; venom in a Swarovski crystal bottle. 

Every girl was the same, and maybe that’s why it was so easy for him to discard them every Friday night. He always approached them in a confident stride in the middle of the dance floor. He always danced with them a little for amusement purposes and whispered vulgar things in their ear. And they always left with him for the night; her friends long forgotten as he pressed her body into the mattress while she calls his name like a prayer, only to be thrown out of his home before the sun even reaches the horizon.

---

Eventually he found a woman that he deemed a worthy partner. Her beauty was indescribable and her wit could compare to his own. Taeyong spotted her the moment she stepped into the sordid establishment. She didn’t look anything like the doe-eyed women that were usually begging to be in his bed. He could tell just by her gaze and composed stride that she was the only one there that could give a real run for his money. When he approached her, she didn’t attempted to play hard to get with him, she didn’t need to. She had an assertive aura that radiated off of her, and that was even before a drop of alcohol had touched her raspberry colored lips. She was the manic fantasy you see after the drugs hit your bloodstream. Her words are the last you hear in your head before the pills lull you to sleep. Unnerving, abrasive, thrilling.

He took her that night as his lover. The two of them loved recklessly, and without regrets. Their nights consisted of everything considered immoral to the church. If the two of them had not been so fucked up, then they might not had fallen in love in the first place. She was intoxicated by his sadistic tendencies. Sometimes the two of them lingered at the same unsavory club that they had met at just to play a game on girls who didn’t know better. She would let him get as close to their prey as he could before breaking their hearts, and then taking her home to make love for the rest of the night. They were just two people addicted to the feeling of impulsion and brash decisions. They didn’t even need the drugs they were taking, all they needed was each other.

---

Two years passed and the inevitable happened. She grew tired of living life like she wanted to die, surprised that she hadn’t done so yet. The toll of two years with Taeyong was weighing down on her soul, and she was ready to repent. Her problem wasn’t giving up the risk or the constant buzz of coke in her system. It was giving up him. Everything that was her, had become him, and she loved him recklessly. Taeyong knew she wanted to settle down, to be domestic and have share a real life with him. She wanted the entire fairy tale of the happy home and loving husband to come home to her every night without the risk of addiction or titillation. Domestic bliss wasn’t something wired into Taeyong’s way of life; he could never feel complete living day to day with a life insurance plan and a house by Han River. 

She confronted him, begged him to change for her. She promised him everything that she could and tried to sway him from his self-destructive ways. He realized that they were not the same after all; she was not his muse but rather a test sent from the devil himself to trick him into a life he didn’t desire. He left her that same night, alone. Lee Taeyong was a lot of things, except loving. And that was the cold, hard truth.

[itsiotrecords-blog]

http://ift.tt/2sywKUt

World War II would affect millions from 1939 to 1945 and millions more ever since. The United States actually got off rather easy, no attacks on the home country and the lowest amount of casualties. But the rest of the major powers couldn’t say the same. The Soviet Union lost twenty million people with huge damage, especially a ruined Stalingrad. France had to put up with four years of German occupation. Poland and other nations nearly had their Jewish populations wiped out. Japan had to endure the horror of the first atomic bomb. The biggest damage may well have been Germany itself as their cities lay in ruins and they would become a divided nation. 70 years later and it’s still stunning to look back on the horrors of this conflict and the cost it inflicted on so many. It was also a photographer’s dream as even as major cities celebrated the war’s end, far too many had to put up with the effects of its damage. That includes a ruined Berlin and various unique ways the Allies “celebrated” their victory. Some pictures are famous but others are less known yet have a power to strike you majorly. It’s a reminder of the worst conflict in human history and a shame to one nation in particular. Here are 15 powerful images from the end of World War II and why it should always be remembered.

#1 The Doctor’s Last View Until the day he died, Harry Truman defended the use of the atomic bomb. As he argued, not using the bomb would have meant an invasion of Japan and Truman said there was no way he could live with all the casualties that would cost. He knew the damage caused by the bomb but felt it was worth it in the end. It did force Japan’s surrender yet it also kick-started a dangerous new era. The Soviets would work fast to get their own bomb and that would begin the arms race that created the Cold War. To this day, the fears of a nuke going off are terrifying to so many. The damage at the time was very harsh. The Allies were prepared for the destructive part of the bomb but working with radiation was still an unknown field. Thus, they didn’t fully understand the real damage of the bomb would be its fallout affecting thousands of survivors. This picture showcases a doctor from a local Nagasaki hospital as he looks over what was his home. Leaning on a staff to take in the horror, it’s a powerful shot. The man would pass on from radiation sickness to show the too human cost of this event.

#2 Ike And The Camps There had been reports of course but the Allies weren’t sure to believe it. It wasn’t just the idea it could be propaganda or some unknown factor. It was the simple fact that many could not accept the idea that a 20th century civilization could do something as horrific as the Holocaust. That Germany would actually attempt to wipe an entire people off the face of the Earth was just terrifying and astounding it could have happened without anyone knowing of it. When the camps were discovered, hardened soldiers wept at the sight of inmates little more than skeletons and the gas chambers on display. Dwight D. Eisenhower was a veteran general but even he was driven to sickness when he toured a camp. He wasn’t alone as George Patton, one of the toughest men alive, vomited at the sight of the mass graves. This photo has Ike taking in the conditions and obviously affected. He issued the order that the German citizens of nearby camps would work on clean-up duty, declaring they had to know what was really going on. Indeed, this would affect Eisenhower when he later ran for President to try and ensure such an atrocity didn’t happen again.

#3 A Nation’s Dishonor To many in the U.S. military, an invasion of Japan was the nightmare scenario. They knew the Japanese troops would be dug in and the mentality would be “death before dishonor.” That’s not to mention the civilians who would either be used as canon fodder or fighting themselves. The conservative estimates were deaths on both sides in the hundreds of thousands and thus dropping the bomb saved countless lives. While his generals objected, Emperor Hirohito knew the only option was to offer surrender. This photo shows a village square after the news is announced. Dozens are on their knees, either praying or weeping while others mill about in disbelief. It was just a shocking turn for the nation, to be brought down so low and know it was over. They could have taken fighting until there was nothing left but in so many ways, surrendering to save lives was a dishonor for Japan that took a longer time to recover from than the bombs.

#4 The Leftovers Even before the war began, the Nazi war machine was building up. Hitler had been planning this for years and prepared for a massive strike within a certain time frame. He was smart to keep much of it hidden so when Germany launched its attacks, the European nations were astounded at how much machinery and technology they had. Indeed, the Nazis made a lot of advances in sciences to the point that both the U.S. and USSR were recruiting members after the war to aid in the space programs. While checking out a mine near Tarthun in 1945, an American team was stunned to stumble onto the tunnel to a massive underground factory. There, they discovered a jet of partly completed He-162 fighter jets (better known as Junkers) among various other vehicles in a huge factory. It was a jarring sight, the revelation the German still had a lot of firepower on their side but just lacked the manpower and resources to get them out and going against the Allies. It also showed how it would take years after the war to find and wipe out every bastion of the German war machine.

#5 Elbe Day War makes for strange bedfellows, as the old saying goes. The U.S. and Great Britain knew full well Joseph Stalin was a madman just as bad (if not worse) than Hitler. But they also knew they needed the Russian war machine to combat Germany and that Stalin hated Hitler more than anyone else. So while they didn’t get along too well, they put on a show of being close allies in order to defeat the Axis. The Soviets were determined to reach Berlin first, wanting revenge for the millions killed by the Germans while the U.S. wanted to get the job done. It built up to April 25th, 1945 as Soviet and American troops met by the Elbe River. It signified they had basically cut Germany in half, the two sides having a good time meeting and posing for photos. Any hope Germany had was gone as their Allies continued their advance. While the U.S. and Soviets would become enemies soon, this showcased the alliance that brought the Axis down.

#6 Overflowing Camps What goes around comes around. It should be no surprise that the treatment of allied prisoners of war by the Nazis wasn’t that great. Most camps were horrible affairs with abuse, bad food, harsh conditions and more. Let’s just say there’s a good reason Hogan’s Heroes is cited as total fiction and utterly laughable in a way. Many German commanders seemed to enjoy using their camps as their private kingdoms to mistreat prisoners a lot. As the tide turned, some commanders were ordered to execute their prisoners rather than set them free. However, most were wise enough to know doing so would just be a death sentence and others refusing to cross that line. Thus, as more and more German units surrendered, Allied camps were soon pushed to the breaking point. This pic showcases that, a camp yard packed shoulder to shoulder with captured troops who are clearly not having a good time. It was still up in the air what would happen to them afterward with arguments how culpable they were in the Nazi atrocities. As this pic shows, the German should have been a little more careful how they treated prisoners before they got the same.

#7 The Battle Of Nations The Battle of Nations was created in 1913 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Leipzig. That massive conflict was the alliance of nations that defeated Napoleon, forcing him to return to France. The imposing tower is nearly three hundred feet tall, mostly concrete with terrific views of the city. Whenever Hitler visited Leipzig, he used the tower for meetings and enjoyed comparing himself to those German heroes. When the Allies advanced on Berlin, Leipzig was a major stop and it was a hard-fought conflict. At one point, 150 SS fanatics dug in inside the tower and intended to hold out as long as they could. In the end, the Allies forced their surrender with heavy artillery. This amazing photo shows a U.S. soldier taking in the damage with the statues around him seeing to look down in disdain as if hating this intruder here. It was one of the last holdouts of the German army and linking it to a major historical moment for the nation just makes this pic more haunting.

#8 The Captured As the war wound down, it was obvious Germany was going to lose. Some held out hope but the Allied strength was far too much. It took a few days for the world of V-E Day to get around, especially to units in remote areas so there were still pockets of resistance here and there. But that wasn’t enough to stop the Allied advance and the Nazis realized it was done. This pic showcases a band of German soldiers in the forest forced to surrender. What’s notable is the U.S. soldier taking them in is part of the ground-breaking African-American units who were making headway in the war (the armed services wouldn’t be desegregated until 1948). The idea of the soldiers of “the Master Race” being led to captivity by a black man is just a delicious irony. If anything, it sums up the fall of Germany, their elite soldiers taken in by one of the ‘inferiors” they despised and how the world was changing.

#9 Soviet Domination To the Germans, the knowledge of the Soviets coming at them was terrifying. The USSR had never gotten over Germany’s sneak attack on them in 1941 and the brutal combat that followed. Indeed, Russia lost nearly twenty million people, soldiers and civilians, to the German war machine. That included the bloody battle of Stalingrad that lasted two years and rendered the town a near ruin. So when the tide turned on Germany, the Soviets led the way with a brutal ferocity that could outdo anything the Nazis could throw at them. That was proven when they stormed into an already bombed out Berlin, the Soviet troops lashing out at any German civilian unfortunate enough to be in their way. The atrocities under Stalin are well known as the man was possible worse than Hitler and the rest of the Allies were content to just let Russia take the brunt of the assault. This led to this photo of a Soviet soldier raising the hammer and sickle flag over the captured Reichstag. It marked the domination of the USSR but also a precursor to how Berlin would become divided for decades and a warning of the power of the Soviet Union at its height.

#10 Hiroshima Horror When Harry Truman became Vice-President, he was mostly a political strawman with little real power and no inside knowledge of the Allied war plans. Truman was as shocked as everyone else when Franklin Roosevelt suddenly died in April of 1945, making Truman the 33rd President of the United State. Truman knew he had a big job ahead but was taken aback when he was let in on the existence of the atomic bomb and its power. With Germany defeated, the Japanese were holding out and making it clear they would not give up easily. Weighing the lives of possibly hundreds of thousands of American troops and twice as many Japanese civilians, Truman decided there was one course of action. On August 6th, 1945, the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. In one instant, the town was nearly vaporized off the face of the Earth. Two days later, a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki and the Japanese had no choice but to give up. The sight of the wiped out city is chilling and even though it saved many lives, one has to wonder if it was worth the price in terms of horrible aftermath.

#11 Lowered Standards Say what you will about Joseph Stalin (like how he was a murderous cold-blooded psychopath responsible for millions of the deaths of his own people) but the man had a flair for the dramatic. It wasn’t enough for Stalin to show off the Soviet might in combat, he had to do it constantly at home as well. It was he who instigated the “May Day” parades, the annual event where the Soviet troops marched through Moscow to proudly proclaim their might. With the annual event in 1945 coinciding with the end of the war, Stalin went all out. He had troops show off captured German vehicles in terrible shape to illustrate the Nazi defeat as well as rescued Soviet POWs. The big move was a long line of soldiers holding up Nazi standards. At a signal, they proceeded to lower them to the ground then marched forward, rubbing the flags in the dirt like brooms. The crowds loved it, signifying the end of the Nazi regime and one can’t blame Stalin for wanting to make a show of their defeat.

#12 The Colorful Ruin Color photography was just coming into being in the 1940s and still quite rare. Black and white was just cheaper and much easier as color cameras tended to be rather bulky and hard to handle. Yet it was a given that for an event as important as the war, getting some color pics was vital. Thus, we have this stunning wide show of a fully colored ruined Berlin. It’s even more gripping than in black and white, showcasing the bombed out buildings and collapsed floors of the buildings and homes. Below, one can see the gates set up by Allied soldiers as German civilians clearly try to get back to see what is remaining of their homes and belongings. The sky seems far too nice for such a scene, the mostly blue skies with some clouds showcasing a lovely day that just makes the scene sadder. It showcases how, of all the people he hurt, Hitler might have given the worst damage to his own nation.

#13 The Reichstag Opened in 1894, the Reichstag was the meeting place for the German parliament, basically the equivalent to Capitol Hill in the United States. An imposing structure, it was a popular spot for visitors to see and recognized as the central place of not just Berlin but the entire nation. In 1933, it was heavily damaged by a fire blamed on Communists. Newly installed Chancellor Adolf Hitler thus used this to suspend rights and begin rounding up “suspects.” It’s not accepted that the Nazis themselves set the fire as part of Hitler’s takeover plans. With Hitler in control, the Parliament moved to the Kroll Opera House the few times it actually met. When Berlin was the target of massive bombings in the war, the Reichstag sustained even heavier damage. The Red Army made it a major target for its symbolism and this showcases how the building was practically read to fall in on itself, its domed ceiling a skeletal structure. It was abandoned for years with even talk of tearing it down but it was decided to restore it for historical value. It became a site for Germany’s reunification in 1990 and today is one of the most visited spots in Germany, remarkable given how badly it suffered.

#14 The Gaping Gate Built in 1791, the Brandenburg Gate has been one of the icons of Berlin. Ironically created as a symbol of peace by King Frederick William II, the Gate is well known for its bold columns, large top and the statue of a chariot pulled by four horses with a goddess on top. For decades, only the royal family was allowed to pass under the central column but by the 20th century, that had faded as it was a prime tourist spot for the country. When the Nazis rose to power, they used the Gate as a symbol of Germany’s might with massive rallies by it. During the fall of Berlin, the Gate was a major target and sustained damage from tank shells yet amazingly was able to keep standing. This showcases Soviet troops with the smoking gate in the background, still mostly intact, including its statues. After the war, both East and West Berlin worked together to repair the Gate as a symbol of good will. It was totally restored in 2002 and today, Germany intends to remember this as the product of peace it was intended for.

#15 The Rhine And The Ruins While it begins in Switzerland, the Rhine is most closely associated with Germany (fun trivia: The German pavilion at Epcot Center in Disney World was to have a Rhine boat ride). It’s been a key icon of the nation ever since it was part of the Roman Empire and forms a border between Germany and France that’s long been a source of conflict. It was also a symbol of Germany’s pride and might and so was both a target and obstacle for an Allied invasion. Indeed, an attempt to capture key bridges in Operation Market Garden became a major Allied failure. But the Germans couldn’t hold out forever as the Allies were able to capture some key bridges before they could be destroyed. That set the stage for brutal battles, especially by Cologne, the largest city on the Rhine. This pic showcases the devastation, the city a bombed out ruin. Several of the bridges are destroyed, a cathedral still standing but marked by damage. It took years for Cologne to recover and a startling showcase for the beauty of nature marked by man’s horrors.

Source: TheRichest