#they start wars and WE are the casualties we are the ones suffering rape and torture and mutilation

[littlegildedswallow]

I'm 5 feet tall with a delicate build, and I work out regularly. No amount of body-building changes the fact that the average man could easily wrap his entire fucking hand around my neck and EASILY choke me to death, or break my wrists or my fucking spine. That terrifies me. It terrifies me than in a real one on one fight to the death, I'd probably be the one dying. I'm thinking of that video where a woman stabbed a guy with a big knife like 15 times, and he still kept fighting, whaling on her. What the fuck are those tiny "self defense" blades supposed to accomplish ? My best bet would probably be to slice his jugular or push my thumbs into his eye sockets, but how the fuck am I supposed to do that if he's restraining my arms. It TERRIFIES me that I can't fight, and even if I could, I'd probably not stand a chance against the average man, and definitely not if there were more than one.

Do any of you know self defense tips that ACTUALLY work? No convoluted moves. If a brute has got me in a fucking chokehold, I won't be thinking about the steps of popular self defense moves. I'll be panicking, losing strength and consciousness. The way i see it, my best bet would be carrying a fucking dagger, but even that requires intense training to learn how to use efficiently.

[ceescedasticity]

Silmarillion war crimes

(Finally motivated to make this because someone said the Silmarillion elves committed 'all the war crimes', and while I know, I know they were just exaggerating for comic effect it still drives me up the wall.)

First piece of housekeeping: Technically speaking war crimes are war crimes because they were defined as such in various treaties. You aren't technically violating the Geneva Conventions if you aren't signatory to them. But, they do often get talked about more like universally applicable rules.

Second piece of housekeeping: I think no one is actually accusing the Fëanorians of, like, cutting undersea communications cables or impersonating the Red Cross. There are some war crimes which are obviously not applicable and I'm not going to discuss them.

Third piece of housekeeping: There are a lot of provisions in the Geneva Conventions. Someone else can go through all of them if they like. So, I'm going to go with this list gleaned from the section of the Wikipedia page on war crimes about the international criminal court:

Willful killing, or causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health

Torture or inhumane treatment

Unlawful wanton destruction or appropriation of property

Forcing a prisoner of war to serve in the forces of a hostile power

Depriving a prisoner of war of a fair trial

Unlawful deportation, confinement or transfer

Taking hostages

Directing attacks against civilians

Killing a surrendered combatant

Misusing a flag of truce, a flag or uniform of the enemy

Settlement of occupied territory

Deportation of inhabitants of occupied territory

Using poison weapons

Using civilians as shields

Using child soldiers

Firing upon a Combat Medic with clear insignia.

Summary execution

Rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution or forced pregnancy

Fourth piece of housekeeping: I'm not just going to look at the Fëanorians. That's not fair. There's elves vs. other elves, elves vs. dwarves, dwarves vs. elves, Angband vs. everyone, everyone vs. Angband, etc. I should probably define some of these groups starting out but I'm not going to.

So. This will be long.

1. Willful killing, or causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health

I'm a little puzzled about this one, actually. I thought that was just… assumed to be part of war???

Killing as more than a means to some non-killing-related end???

At any rate I'm inclined to say everyone conducting war in the Silmarillion did this. I don't think anyone was trying to minimize military casualties.

Edit: Have been informed it's meant to be killing of people protected under the conventions. In which case it's a lot more questionable. For some people.

2. Torture or inhumane treatment

Angband did this, obviously.

A lot.

Really a lot.

We don't have any record of any elves doing it, or dwarves, or Edain.

…Except Túrin's outlaws but they're kind of a weird circumstance.

3. Unlawful wanton destruction or appropriation of property

(Seems like there might be a lot of wiggle room in 'unlawful'…)

Well, anyway, Angband also did this, obviously, a lot.

The dwarven sack of Menegroth counts as this.

Seizure of the swan-ships arguably counts as this one, though I'd actually hesitate on that one. I think that wasn't a war crime, that was a crime crime, because they weren't at war.

If the Fëanorians scavenged from Menegroth before leaving that probably counts, but that's speculation.

The Host of the West did destroy Angband, if you want to count that.

Edit: And the Fëanorians destroyed the Havens of Sirion.

4. Forcing a prisoner of war to serve in the forces of a hostile power

Angband, yet again. It's a little less obvious here since it's not like they put prisoners in the regular army unless you count orcs, but brainwashing prisoners and sending them out as agents probably counts.

Also their treatment of prisoners of war generally violates a lot of stuff in the Third Geneva Convention.

I do not think we have grounds to say anyone else did this, partially because I'm not sure we have grounds to say anyone else ever took any prisoners.

Elrond and Elros are a gray area, but if they ended up fighting with the Fëanorians there's no reason to believe it was against anyone but Angband.

Oh, and I suppose the Host of the West took prisoners, but I'm sure they didn't do this.

5. Depriving a prisoner of war of a fair trial

I mean, you could say that prisoners of war in Angband got the same kind of trial that anyone else in Angband got?

But otherwise Angband again, yeah.

The Host of the West… I'm not sure. Do you count the judgments of Ëonwë as a fair trial?

Everyone else: No prisoners, not an issue.

…Look I don't know what to say about Túrin and Mîm. I'm inclined to say a lot of the outlaws' bad behavior was crime crime not war crime. I don't know.

6. Unlawful deportation, confinement or transfer

Angband back in the definitely column here.

I don't think anyone else is. Sure, Menegroth and Sirion were abandoned, but it wasn't because the Fëanorians stuck around chasing people away.

7. Taking hostages

Angband, explicitly with Maedhros and I think implicitly elsewhere.

The Easterlings serving Angband also explicitly took hostages.

The Fëanorians took Elrond and Elros. It doesn't seem to have been terribly effective, but it was hostage-taking.

Celegorm and Curufin holding Lúthien could be this if you consider the Fëanorians to have been at war with Doriath at that point, but that's sort of dubious? Maybe a war crime, maybe a crime crime.

8. Directing attacks against civilians

Angband.

The Fëanorians attacked the entire communities of Menegroth and the Havens of Sirion. They may or may not have made any attempt to avoid deliberately killing noncombatants in one or both cases, but they were unavoidably attacks on civilians.

The dwarven attack on Menegroth is similarly an attack on civilians.

If you consider any orcs, trolls, balrogs, vampires, werewolves, etc. to be civilians, then the Host of the West almost certainly did this. You can argue that none of them counted as civilians; you can also argue that the Host of the West managed not to attack e.g. orc children, but I don't think that's very likely.

The Easterlings serving Angband did have civilians, but I think it's more likely the Host of the West avoided attacking those.

9. Killing a surrendered combatant

I don't think anyone is directly attested as doing this?

The overall impression one gets of the First Age is a general deficit of surrender.

But: if anyone surrendered to Angband's forces rather than trying to fight or escape until they physically couldn't, I'm sure some of them were killed (and some weren't, because Angband wanted slaves).

If any orcs/werewolves/vampires/trolls/dragons/balrogs dared to surrender rather than fight to the death or escape, I'm sure some to most of them were killed.

If any dwarves of Nogrod tried to surrender to Beren and the Ents, they were killed.

We don't know about the dwarven sack of Menegroth or any of the Kinslayings (on either side).

The Host of the West accepted at least some surrenders, but we don't know if it was all of them.

10. Misusing a flag of truce, a flag or uniform of the enemy

Angband doesn't get much of an opportunity for this because no one trusts their truces and it's not like switching flags or uniforms would help, insofar as there are uniforms.

But they did propose a negotiation under false pretenses.

Of course the Fëanorians also agreed to it under false pretenses.

The Silmaril Quest is absolutely full of people disguising themselves as Angband's forces. If you want to get pedantic about it uniforms and flags were not the key part of those disguises, but I think it's the same idea?

Edit: Unless you want to count them as spies, not soldiers. There are different rules for spies, which is to say I don't think there are any rules about spies, either what they can do or what can be done to them. I think that may be a better frame for this.

I feel like the Easterlings who announced their allegiance change mid-battle may also count as this?

11. Settlement of occupied territory

Angband generally prefers the scorched-earth approach, but they do settle their Easterlings in occupied territory.

No one else does this.

Like the Fëanorians had enough people left to 'occupy' anything.

(Or I guess arguably the Host of the West occupies Angband but not for very long and they definitely don't settle there.)

12. Deportation of inhabitants of occupied territory

Angband does some of this in the form of enslaving them back in, uh, Angband, but it's true that mostly it depopulates by slaughter and most of the survives flee with no deportation as such. It doesn't deport the Edain.

Again, most others have no occupied territory.

Though everyone does have to leave Beleriand. :( Should that be attributed to the Host of the West?

13. Using poison weapons

Angband: yes.

Everyone else: No evidence of this. I wouldn't necessarily rule out them trying it against Angband if they thought it would work.

Although I suppose you could argue that weapons inimical to Angband by nature could count as poison…? Naahhh.

(Edit: Eöl used poisoned weapons, but that was murder not combat.)

14. Using civilians as shields

I don't think Angband did this one, actually?

Edain civilians as hostages, yeah, but Angband didn't have much in the way of its own civilians and didn't expect anyone to try to avoid hitting them.

Angband's Easterlings most likely tried to keep their civilians out of the way like sensible people.

15. Using child soldiers

Whether it was possible for Angband to do this with orcs depends on your interpretation.

Everyone else…

Not child soldiers in the 'take them from their families, indoctrinate them, send them out for shock value' sense.

But child soldiers in the sense of 'people we would consider children are considered adults and treated as such', yeah.

And I expect also in the sense of 'people who are not considered adults and who no one really wants fighting, but there is no true place of safety and no one wants them helpless, either, so'.

16. Firing upon a Combat Medic with clear insignia

Existence of combat medics with clear insignia is uncertain.

If they existed I'm sure Angband fired on them and tbh I wouldn't bet against anyone else doing so.

17. Summary execution

Okay, this can mean killing combatants who surrendered again, but to avoid double-counting let's say we mean non-combatants.

Well, Angband, regardless.

It would not surprise me if the Fëanorians did this in Menegroth, considering that Celegorm's servants expected to get away with murdering children, but that's not definite.

18. Rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution or forced pregnancy

Angband's Easterlings did this in Dor-lómin.

The rest of Angband…

It seems likely? In one context or another. But I don't think there are direct statements on it.

—Or actually I guess they made promises to Maeglin about Idril! Not sure if that should count when they didn't actually do anything and I'm not sure they ever meant to.

Eöl and Aredhel in the worst interpretation was not part of a war. It was a crime crime and a diplomatic disaster.

Celegorm and Curufin's behavior towards Lúthien was only questionably part of a war and I'm not sure whether it qualifies here, so I'm going to say no.

Eighteen in the somewhat arbitrary list…

Fëanorians: Definitely five four (1, 3, 7, 8, 10), possibly/arguably as many as nine (1, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17).

Non-Fëanorian Exiles: Definitely two (1, 10), possibly/arguably as many as five (1, 9, 10, 15, 16).

Iathrim+Lúthien&Beren: Definitely two (1, 10), possibly/arguably as many as five (1, 9, 10, 15, 16).

Dwarves of Nogrod: Definitely three two (1, 3, 8), possibly/arguably as many as five (1, 3, 8, 9, 16).

Host of the West: Definitely one (1), possibly/arguably as many as seven (1, 3, 5, 8, 9, 12, 16) (that's what you get for winning).

Angband and associates: Definitely thirteen (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18), possibly/arguably seventeen (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18).

Admittedly it's silly to look at Angband at all when it was in a constant state of total war against basically everybody…

[aspiringwarriorlibrarian]

Hello,

Ive been following you for years and I love your blog. In all my years on this website I have never posted, sent an ask or a message, commented or interacted with anyone on this website in any way. However seeing your recent posts about Palestine made me feel like I had to say something.

Just because you support the “weaker” side, it doesn’t make you immune to lies and propaganda.

Please educate yourself before you spread misinformation and/or misleading info.

I am a citizen of Israel. This conflict started when Hamas brutally murdered hundreds of innocent civilians, including elderly and children. They kidnapped over a hundred more. They are known for being a terrorist organisation whose stated goal is to murder jews.

I am terrified. My people are forever scarred. I and everyone I know have lost loved ones in this war. And the fact that people like you in these terrible times choose to focus solely on the suffering of the Palestinians, ignoring and justifying our suffering, speaks volumes.

The bombings you speak of, are a retaliation for the slaughter of October 7th. Israel warns citizens in advance, in order to prevent as many casualties as possible. But we cant just ignore the murder, kidnapping, rape and harm to our people like you do. We have no choice but to defend ourselves.

We have no interest nor desire to commit genocide against the Palestinian people. If we did, we would have already done so. Instead we financially support Palestine, despite the fact they use this money not to better their lives, but to instead attack our civilians.

Beware of misinformation like the accusations against Israel for bombing the hospital in Gaza. That is a straight up lie that was proven false, and the Hamas spread it along with lies about how many people got hurt, in order to convince people like you that they are justified. And its working.

Before you accuse others, maybe check your own biases and think to yourself why a Palestinian life is worth something to you and an Israeli one isn’t.

Can you even imagine what it feels like to go online after such a tragedy for a little relief, only to see people like you calling for my death?

And yes, that is what you’re doing by supporting and encouraging the actions of Hamas. An organisation that cares more about killing innocent civilians like me than protecting its own people.

I hope that if you can’t take the time to properly understand this complicated situation, you will at least stop talking about something that you clearly don’t understand.

You know, I put all of this in a private post initially. I've been largely focused on spreading charity posts, actual concrete things that can be done to save the innocent people caught in the crossfire. But clearly, my message has been mixed, so I'll define it right here.

This is just something that seeps into my bones and I had to say it somewhere: the sheer refusal by both sides to admit what they're doing. Oh, we thought that music festival was soldiers....wait no we didn't, it was random Gazan civilians who did it instead, not us, hurt them instead. Oh we are going to wage all out war....no those innocent civilian casaulties weren't us, it was them! (No, the cause of the explosion has not been independently proven. It has, however, been proven that Israel shelled the place three days earlier as a "warning" then called ordering an evacuation shortly before.) Put down an evacuation order so short and so sudden the UN protests that civilians can't possibly get out in time, then bomb one of the convoys. Tell your countrymen the evacuation order was fake so you get more human shields. More rockets! More airstrikes! More "accidents" to the tune of hundreds of civilians dead, and you never have to carry the burden or the blame for any of it. Shoot from far enough away, target enough civilians, makes it easy, makes it fun. The glory of war with none of the guilt and none of the risk! Ain't that a wonderful thing. Ain't that a fucking joke.

I grieve for the innocent Israeli citizens slaughtered because Hamas cowards wanted to kill the defenseless. I grieve for the people in Gaza getting slaughtered because neither side cares if they live or die. The difference between the two is not that one life is worth more than the others. That is morally repugnant and fundamentally absurd. The difference is that Israel is getting aid from many nations, while other nations only give aid to Hamas, not the people of Gaza. They need humanitarian aid, they need someone to speak for them and beg for restraint, which is why I'm primarily reblogging posts that call for humanitarian aid to them and for a ceasefire so they can, at the very least, have the evacuation time they should have been allowed. It is not because their lives are worth more, but because to far too many, their lives are worth less.

I understand your pain and fear, and I am deeply sorry for your loss. I too find those rooting for Hamas or declaring that the victims deserved it for being settlers repugnant. But the people of Gaza did not do this, and if it's a choice between them living and Hamas dying, I will choose their lives every time. I will always choose life. And I refuse to apologize for that. Violence like this is a cycle, revenge and revenge and revenge again because you cannot kill an idea with bombs, only keep destroying until nothing is left to fight over. You cannot stop a cycle by continuing to spin.

[juana-the-iguana]

I'd just like to thank you for showing how hamas is also horrible and not to be combined with the palastinian people. Yes, what Israel is doing is horrible, genocide is horrible. But we shouldn't let hamas continue raping the palastinian women and killing them as well. #freepalastine #israel's government doesn't represent the jewish people

If any of this is off base please let me know

I've been debating whether or not to respond to this comment. I think you mean well, and I hope you can see that I have good intentions too. I appreciate your comment and want you to know that most Jews and Israelis know the difference between Hamas and the Palestinian people as a whole. There is more support for Palestinians in Israel (specifically among Jewish Israelis) than I think most people realize.

Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people. The Israeli government does not represent the Jewish people, or the Israeli people at this point in time (one-fifth of which are Palestinians).

But we should be honest: while we should not hold the actions of Hamas against the collective Palestinian people, there is mainstream support for Hamas in Gaza and the West Bank. Similarly, while the majority of Israelis want Netanyahu to retire, he was elected at one point in time (even though strong criticism predates Oct. 7).

You can't have peace without acknowledging these facts.

What is happening in Gaza and the West Bank is tragic and devastating, but it is not genocide. Palestinians have been, and continue to be oppressed in Israel, in the Palestinian Territories (including areas occupied by Israel, and Gaza and parts of the West Bank ruled by the Palestinian Authority), and outside of Israel and Palestine, but it is not genocide. Genocide is a specific crime with a specific definition and not all war is genocide.

Countries that commit genocide don't warn civilians where they will drop bombs in the future. They don't take any steps to preserving life or alleviating the impact of their actions in war, because their goal is to kill as many people as possible. And, I say this with the knowledge that this is of no comfort to the people in Gaza and their families, this has one of the "best" civilian to combatant fatality ratios in modern warfare ("best" in quotation marks because any civilian death is tragic).

I know the point of your message was to highlight that Hamas is mistreating the Palestinian people. I don't want to detract from that statement. Hamas has terrorized Israelis for decades, but no one has suffered more under them than Palestinians. A prime example is the Oct. 7 attack. Not only is it obvious that offensive would start a war that would devastate Palestinians, Hamas wants to have its own people to be killed, because martyrs further their cause (that's also why they have been torturing and murdering civilians in Gaza, preventing evacuations and positioned their weapons to cause as many casualties as possible).

The fact that Hamas still has a lot of support amongst the Palestinian people is itself an indication of both ideology, but also how bad conditions were for Palestinians lived under prior to this war (although support in Gaza is dropping).

The reason I feel the need to correct the "genocide" remark is that, presently, Israel is the only country on Earth fighting Hamas. Hamas took control over Gaza through force and will only be removed through force. And Israel is not disappearing, so if Hamas is to be defeated and eradicated, Israel is going to, inevitably, be involved.

The claims of genocide are not only factually inaccurate, but it is used as a justification to stop this war, which would only help Hamas and prolong this horrible conflict.

[graphicabyss]

Some notes about the Russian invasion from a Ukrainian:

Russia thought it would conquer us in a day, two tops. They came here with parade dress uniform packed. They were in for a disappointment. It feels like a miracle. They have the 2nd strongest army in the world and we're a poor developing nation. Russia is 8 times our size. They attacked simultaneously from the North, South and East. They had some 150-190k troops at our borders. They didn't realize they were fighting millions. Ordinary villagers, farmers, grandmas, everyone is defending their land.

Today is Day 60. Only one major city taken. They are exhausted. The Russian losses are massive. There are already over 22k [s] confirmed human casualties on Russian side, which they try to hide. [s] In context, Russia lost 15k in bloody Afghan war that lasted a decade. They don't recover the bodies. The Ukrainian railway provided 20 refrigerator cars to gather the bodies scattered all over our land. [s] I remember right before the war the terrifying headline about Russians preparing 50k bodybags. They might need them.

We killed at least 11 Russian generals out of the approx. 20 they had here. In context, US lost 1 general in the last 40 years.

We destroyed thousands of their military equipment and captured a lot. Our forces even claim we now have more tanks than when we started out.

The other day we managed to sink the massive Russian ship Moskva, "the crown jewel of Russian fleet" with our new land missiles, along with most of its crew and commanders. This is Russia's biggest wartime loss of a naval ship in 40 years.

They also run out of fuel and ammunition. Some start to loot the locals. Some troops just abandon their heavy equipment and flee on foot. They also ran out of food since they had supplies for just 3 days, some of it, with expiration date in 2015 [s].

One of the scariest things in this is that Russia not only attacked us unprovoked. Once their troops realized they couldn't win against our armies, they started bombing the cities, causing senseless destruction. Some small towns are completely obliterated and cities like Mariupol are in ruins. They slaughter civilians, bomb schools and hospitals. Thousands of civilians dead. Dozens of children. This is not war. This is terrorism.

Russia agreed to open safe corridors to evacuate the civilians, only to shower them with bullets. Multiple times. They then urged the civilians to evacuate to Russia. When many disagreed, they did so by force, also taking many children.

In a move of extreme stupidity, the Russian forces captured several nuclear power plants, including Chernobyl. Yes, the one that went boom boom in 1986. Surprise! They took out the outer soil layer that made the zone extremely radioactive and got radiation poisoning. They even dug trenches in the nearby zone. Trenches. After weeks on being there with the captive staff, they finally left and were taken to radiation centers in Belarus. So far, one soldier reportedly died but they all will suffer severe consequences. [s]

It's hard to believe but there are actual accounts of anti-retreat forces that won't let the demoralized soldiers flee from battle and even threaten to shoot them if they do. Also, there are accounts of special forces who kill their own wounded soldiers. [s]

Of course, there is the world infamous massacre of Bucha where hundreds of civilians, including elderly, women and children, were tortured, raped, and killed. It was all discovered after the Russian forces retreated. Sadly, the same atrocities are happening in other towns and villages that are still occupied.

The large industrial city of Mariupol has been cut out and essentially leveled, there's nothing but ruins there. And yet, some fighters and civilians still hold out after all these weeks, with no supplies, water or power. The remaining people are holed up in the Azovstal plant - a sprawling industrial complex. Today Putin announced he was scrapping plans for troops to storm the compound. Despite no significant gains he declared it his victory. That's just how dictators do, they just say they won and nobody can deny it.

They also throw in thousands of 18-19 years olds into the fight, mostly from poor remote towns. Even some military cadets. These are kids who are scared and confused, many not knowing they would be fighting in a real war. They were just dropped here like cannon fodder. Many are poorly equipped and lack resources. Those who are lucky or smart enough, end up captured and tell their stories. There are many videos online of these young captives, devastated by the realization they were betrayed. There are more cases of soldiers refusing to fight, some even shoot their legs so they can't go into battle.

One of the major reasons why the Russian forces did so poorly, apart form the heroic resistance of our people, is the enormous scale of corruption in the Russian military. Most of the equipment was not properly maintained, got looted and sold. The huge sums of money allocated were mostly embezzled and went to the generals' yachts. Now they have vehicles that fall apart, missiles that fail to detonate and even lack of food packs. In one video, out forces examine the packs of explosives the Russian soldiers had on them, only to discover they're actually pieces of wood.

I've never felt patriotic but I'm amazed and grateful for the amazing resilience and bravery of my people. There are hundreds of stories to tell of people stepping up but here's one from a direct source. My cousin in an officer in a big city. He said they needed 50 volunteers for Territorial Defense Forces. 400 people showed up.

[updated 04.24] trying to add some sources but there's a tsunami of information

[lol-jackles]

could you please share your thoughts on russia/ukraine if you’re comfortable with it?

I'll try to keep this short.  

First, my emotional gut reaction.  A dear family friend's mother is the sole survivor during the Stalin-led invasion of Ukraine.  Her family were farmers caught between Russian Reds and Whites, their livestock and grain stolen, her sister tied to a tree and repeatedly raped.  Her family only had enough money to send one person out of Ukraine to escape the Holodomor that would eventually kill 4 million Ukrainian peasants.  My friend's mother was chosen to survive, she was 16 at the time.  She was able to make her way to America and was taken in by a Catholic family so that she wouldn't be turned away at Ellis island.  She eventually married a fellow Ukrainian refugee who worked in the West Virginian coal mines, moved to Pittsburgh for a better job in the steel mills, and there my friend was born.  After 10 years of hard work, her parents were able to move up into a modest middle-class lifestyle.  My friend married a rising lawyer who would partake in prosecuting corrupt DC officials, including DC's own mayor Barry.  Last Saturday we listened to her talk about her mother's harrowing stories of survival and struggles, something she couldn't talk about for nearly 5 decades.  

There's a saying I've heard coming out of the Polish and Ukranian enclaves in the U.S;  “don’t mess with Polacks or Ukranians . . . we’re either your best friends or your worst enemies . . . history made us this way”.

Second, some say Putin felt cornered by the expanding NATO nations and unhappy that Russia’s sole purpose in relation to Europe is a gas station.  But I think that's just an excuse.  Personally, I think this is about Putin wanting to see his country return to the “glory days” of the USSR, when it controlled territory all the way up to East Germany. Ukraine is a significant consideration in that regard - and the gradual usurpation of territory started in 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea.  I hope I'm wrong in that this is about Kaliningrad and Ukraine is just Russia testing the NATO/EU waters.  Putin will position Russia as the victim of historic grievances (something that hits China's nerve) and ask for a piece of Latvia or Poland.  Since no way anybody would agree to that then the Baltic republics will be attacked in order to be re-claimed.  If NATO (read: the United States) doesn’t defend Lithuania despite Article 5, then the alliance is destabilized.  If NATO doesn’t help, the Baltic Sea falls squarely under Russian control.  The Baltic republics are as good as gone at that point and both Finland and Sweden need that sea to function.  So the EU is destabilized and Russia climbs back on top of that hill.

According to Wikipedia, two thirds of Ukraine soil is extremely fertile black earth (chernozems). That got Ukraine the nickname of “breadbasket”.  I think Putin expects to enter more wars, knows an economic blockade will come and is taking care of Russia's future food needs. Remember when the Boston Marathon bombers were revealed to be Chechen Tsarnaev brothers?  I thought of them when I read that Chechan fighters may have been among the first group to invade Ukraine.  

"Kufti of the Chechen Republic Says Ukraine Invaders Are 'On the Path of Allah' as thousands of men from Chechnya are willing to offer assistance to Russia’s armed forces."  (X) (X).  

The bizarre alliance between Putin and the Chechnyans had me thinking Putin has conscripted these Islamists to go in first as cannon fodders, suffering the heaviest casualties and saving his own troops for later.  As far as the motivation for these Islamists? Maybe Putin gave the Chech's an offer they could not refuse....as in kidnapping the Ukranina women and children and taking them back on the Chechen homefront?  Maybe?

If Russia has sent in Chechen fighters to fight urban battles, it would get ugly very soon.

Third, my cold pragmatic prediction is that in the long run (say 5 to 20 years) the geopolitical winners will be America, China, and France.  While the losers will be Russia, Germany, and India.

For Europeans, their honeymoon of living off American security + Russian oil + Chinese market is over.  Especially Germany, the European countries will have to pony up their own money for their defenses.  The Chinese market is why the EU ignored or avoided America's attempt to get them on the same page regarding China.  For years the EU attitude towards American-Chinese geopolitical competition was, "We can just continue to increase our trade with China, we don’t need to pick a side since we’re not anywhere near the region of conflict.”  Now that is out the window because with Russia becoming a client state at the mercy of China’s patronage, the Europeans are starting to realize that the more money you put into China's pockets, the more missiles get loaded into Russian guns.  Now this does not mean the EU will cut Chinese trade off, nooooooo that would be crazy.  It merely means that from now on they can't pretend that they're strengthening Chinese economic growth at their own peril.

France relied on its own nuclear energy instead of the Great Gas Station of the North and therefore did not set itself up at the mercy of Moscow with respect to energy needs.  France also does not depend very much for trade on China so by not being overly dependent on global trade is a major strength in times of conflict because then Russia and China have little to zero leverage over France.  France has been much like America by being largely self-sufficient in all of the key strategic aspects - food, energy, armaments, and technology.  In contrast Germany had 20 years of bad leaders, especially Gerhard Schroeder who was best friends with Putin and allowed it's economy and energy dependence to be held hostage to Russia and making its GDP the white elephant in geopolitical terms.  India may or may not be following Germany in energy and armaments insecurity.  

Brexit likely saved Britain by leaving the EU and not dependent on Russian gas.  So Brexiteers, go ahead and take credit for sparing the U.K from the fallout that the EU economy is about to experience.

Lastly, I admit I thought Putin would start the invasion at Donbas and pushing in from Crimea. I was taken by complete surprise when I heard that Kyiv was under assault.  I was expecting them to go for the knees but they went straight for the jugular.  If they take Kyiv eastern Ukraine will fall, and we'll see yet another east-west nation in Europe.  

The only thing that doesn’t surprise me is the timing.  People like Putin, Kim Jong Un, and Xi Jinping were at least scared of Trump.  One thing no world leader was ever going to do was antagonize Trump. He was going to (pretend) to out-crazy any crazy dictator.  But Biden?  Pphhhhfffft.

[amysteryspot]

Don’t know how to stop - Thomas Shelby x Fem!Reader

Prompts: 40. “I wasn’t lying when I said that I loved you.”; 69. “What do you want me to say?” + "Don't Know How to Stop" by Halestorm

Requested by: @sighonahurricane

Fandom: Peaky Blinders

Pairing: Thomas Shelby x Changretta!Reader

Summary: “Or what, Thomas?” she interrupted him, defiance in her eyes as she glared back at him. “We both know you won’t kill me. You want revenge, want to see me suffer or you would have already killed me that night at the warehouse, in front of my father.”

Warnings: Smut/NSFW/+18, mentions of violence, swearing, there's a very brief implied reference to rape

Word Count: 2510

A/N: Not even going to try and find an excuse as to why this is longer than it should be, all you need to know is that I was in the mood. I absolutely loved to write this, but I'm feeling anxious about what you all are going to think of it. Really hope that you like it. For reference, reader is a Changretta and this is set between season three/four. Feedback is very much appreciated as always.

(Y/N) = Your Name | (Y/N/N) = Your Nickname

English is not my first language and this wasn’t proofread by a beta.

If you want to be tagged in my stories, just send me a message.

She had been the one that faced the Devil. Down on her knees in front of him, begging for her father’s life as he held the knife to her throat.

“One life for another,” she had offered, fingers curling into the fabric of his waistcoat. “You can have me. Do anything you want with me, just spare his life.”

The deal had been made that night, for reasons that Tommy still couldn’t understand, even after all these years. He wasn’t even sure if he had really considered the possibility of killing her, despite the rage clouding his mind at the time.

Vicente walked free, dragged out of the room in tears, at the expense of leaving his daughter behind, a prisoner of war.

Tommy confined her to the guest wing of Arrow House. He didn’t want to see her and be reminded of the reason why he slept in an empty bed now. It was easier to ignore her existence if he didn’t have to see her every day.

His son had other plans though. Somehow, Charlie found a way to escape his nanny and ended up finding (Y/N). Tommy knew something was wrong the moment he stepped into his son’s room to find it empty. It was safe to say that he was seeing red as he climbed down the stairs, calling for Mary and asking about the whereabouts of the nanny and the baby.

The door to her room hit the wall with a loud bang that startled both the women in there and Charlie, who was all curled up in (Y/N)’s arms.

Tommy looked at the nanny, ordering, “Take Charlie back to his room.”

She did as commanded, quickly, even though the boy didn’t seem very pleased with the idea of leaving (Y/N)’s arms. Tommy walked straight up to her, grabbing her tightly by the jaw, and almost lifting her from the ground.

“You don’t get to talk to him. You don’t even look his way or else…”

“Or what, Thomas?” she interrupted him, defiance in her eyes as she glared back at him. “We both know you won’t kill me. You want revenge, want to see me suffer or you would have already killed me that night at the warehouse, in front of my father.”

His hold on her had gone lax but he still kept his hands on her.

(Y/N) continued, “The boy came to me, I’m not going to blame a child for sins that aren’t his.”

Tommy observed her in silence for a minute. The rise and fall from her chest, the way both her hands were circling his wrist, how she didn’t show any sign of fear even though the imbalance in power was evident. He let her go, leaving the room without another world, only to be haunted by the image of her in his dreams.

“Are you going to kill her or fuck her?” Polly’s voice got him out of his trance.

He looked up at her but did not answer, because he didn’t know what to say.

Polly continued, “Because these are the two available options with you. You are either going to kill her or you’re going to fuck her. Considering that you are mourning, I would bet on the second, or you would have killed her already.”

She took a drag from her cigarette, taking her time in exhaling the smoke, before saying, “You men start wars because of your uncontrollable ego, and in the end, is always the women who pay the price of it.”

In the end, both Polly and (Y/N) were right. He didn’t kill her. His aunt’s words have made him realize something better to put a definitive end to this war between them and the Italians: a wedding. What could be worse for Vicente than having to marry his only daughter to a Shelby?

After a year of mourning, Thomas married (Y/N) Changretta, sealing the pact she had made with him for good.

They slept in separate rooms at opposite ends of the corridor. Since she was his wife now, Tommy had to get used to the idea that Charlie would have to be around her, or people would get suspicious. He had never been one to care about what people thought of him, but sometimes it was easier to maintain the appearances than to go against the norm.

If Tommy was worried about having to see her more often now that they shared the same corridor, he was wrong. (Y/N) was like a ghost. He rarely saw her outside of brief encounters whenever he was at home at the time the meals were served, the occasions when he found her in Charles’s nursery, or when she had to accompany at events.

On those occasions, (Y/N) was the image of a perfect, dutiful wife. She was well mannered and educated, making it easy for her to hold conversations with the most different people. Her charm and beauty helped her, and Tommy was surprised at how good she was at making people believe that their marriage wasn’t a sham.

His family and the staff of the house knew better though—all (Y/N) was was spoils of war.

They were surprisingly civil to each other, posing for the public eye as the perfect couple and avoiding each other like the plague at home. When they met at home, occasionally, a polite conversation could end up in a fight. Except for that night when Tommy found Charlie in (Y/N)’s arms for the first time, their arguments never turned physical.

Until one night when Tommy was especially pissed off by something business-related and ended up pressing her up between his body and the wall of her the drawing-room.

(Y/N) had never backed away from a fight, never showed any signs that she was afraid of him. But that night, that night the way she flinched when he touched her and the look of pure horror on her face as she looked at him, made Tommy let go of her immediately.

As he watched her ran away from the room, Tommy realized what must have crossed her mind, and the mere thought of it made his blood boil. The glass of whiskey that was on his desk exploded in a hundred pieces on the wall, before he retired to his room, plagued by the sight of her running away from him.

He tried to be more careful around her after that, always seeking some kind of consent from her before getting too close or touching her. Tommy would never force her to have sex with him, not for revenge, not because she was his wife.

They crossed the line from civil to friendly at some point, maybe after she sassed him because of Lizzie in front of the whole family, making everyone laugh, but he was not sure. What he did know for sure was that he started to see her as more than someone who was there because of a casualty of war somewhere along the way.

It was hard to ignore her after that. It was hard to ignore the beautiful woman navigating the corridors of his house, playing with his son in the garden, handling the staff, helping with the business. It was hard to ignore the woman he tried to avoid for so long, the woman he didn’t want to acknowledge.

He wasn’t sure at what point he had started to consider the idea to fuck her, it just happened. One night, after they arrived from a gala, fighting about something that Tommy didn’t even remember anymore, they fucked against the vanity in her room.

After that first time, it all went downhill. It was like getting high for the first time and then not being able to control the need to take another hit. (Y/N) was warm, soft, willing, and available, and Tommy decided that he wasn’t going to deny himself or his needs searching for other options when he had her right there.

Things escalated quickly and they developed some kind of silent agreement, another deal. During the day, they acted like old acquaintances, respectful, and civil to each other. But after dawn, they would seek each other out, drowning together in a desire that seemed to have no end.

That had been a long time ago, so long that he didn’t remember how it was not to have her around. Long enough for some unrequited feelings to show up.

He did his best to ignore the guy talking to (Y/N). They were hosting a dinner at Arrow House, the man talking to her was some rich bachelor from London that was being a little too friendly to Tommy’s liking. He downed the whiskey in one gulp and noticed Polly watching him, but his attention is quickly drawn back to his wife.

At the end of the night, after all the guests either left for home or to the guest wing and all that is left are the Shelby’s at the parlour, Tommy revels in the feeling of (Y/N) sitting beside him, reclining against the arm he rested behind her shoulders. From the other side of the room, Polly looks at him and smiles, like she knows something that he doesn’t.

It happens the week after the gala. They’re both getting ready for a family meeting. His room became their room, unofficially, because her things were scattered all over the place—her perfume and jewelry on the bedside table, dresses on the wardrobe, lingerie on the drawers, even the sheets smelled like her.

“Tommy,” she exclaimed in a reprehensive tone, as he pressed himself against her back, arms sneaking around her waist and preventing her from running away as his lips trailed down her neck. “What are you doing?”

“Giving some very due attention to my wife,” he answered, casually, walking them both closer to the bed.

“In broad daylight?” (Y/N) gasped, something between surprise and a protest, although she was doing very little to resist his advances.

“Want to see you,” he stated, before turning her around to kiss her.

“Your family is downstairs waiting for you,” she warned against his lips, breath uneven and fingers clutching onto his shirt.

“My family is downstairs waiting for us,” he corrected, nibbling her earlobe and smiling because of the sound she made. “Let them wait. They’re probably too occupied drinking, anyway.”

Any pretense of resistance from her part vanished when Tommy started to unbutton her dress. He was desperate to feel her skin against his, to taste her, and be inside of her. When they were both finally naked and pressed against each other on the bed, it felt like some kind of miracle.

Tommy drank her in, from the blush on her cheeks to the way her toes curled when he touched a sensitive spot on her body. All the scars, the birthmarks, the dips and curves, the softness of her skin, the heady taste of her on his tongue, and how wet she could get for him. He wanted it all, needed all of her.

He was tired to fight against it, tired of pretending that this feeling gnawing on his chest was something else.

“(Y/N/N),” he breaths against her skin, the feeling of her short nails scratching his back driving him crazy. “I love you.”

Her eyes open to stare right into his, something between surprise and uncertainty on her features. Tommy kisses her, gripping her tights a little harder to dive deeper into her.

The whimper of need that comes out of her lips makes him wild. All he can think about is how she feels, how good she feels, how right she feels. Here, underneath him, crying out his name, welcoming him into her body, scratching his back as the both of them get lost in pure pleasure.

All it takes to make her unravel is for him to press the engorged nub at the apex of her thighs. (Y/N) comes undone and brings him down with her, just a few trusts later, her walls milking him from his orgasm, his seed taking place deep inside of her for the first time in a long time because they were too lost in each other to care.

One more time they pretended, dressing in silence and walking down the stairs as nothing more than acquaintances. If his family suspected of something, they didn’t show it.

The meeting went uneventful, as planned. (Y/N) found a way to sneak out of the parlour before him and when Tommy went upstairs to his room—their room—he found it empty.

Sighing, he made his way to the other end of the corridor. He knocked one time, before letting himself in. (Y/N) was sitting in front of the vanity, taking the pins out of her hair. She was already dressed to sleep, the silk nightgown revealing her legs and a bit of the lace underneath. Their gazes met through the mirror as Tommy closes the door behind him.

“I wasn’t lying when I said that I love you.”

(Y/N) takes a deep breath, still not turning around to face him.

“Tom…”

“We’ve been dancing around this for too long, it’s time to face it.”

She sighs, a hand running through her face as she says, “What do you want me to say?”

He is in her in a heartbeat, pulling her up and pressing her against the vanity, just like the first time they had sex. Tommy takes her face in between both of his hands, nose brushing against her as he mumbles against her lips,

“I want to hear you say it.”

“Tom, I can’t. We can’t,” she protests, weekly, eyes closed and hands holding his wrists.

“A little too late for that because I don’t know how to stop this.”

“Your brother blinder my brother, Tommy. Your wife was killed because of that. I’m only here because you wanted my father that and I made a bargain with you. How this is supposed to work. What people will think?”

“Fuck what people think. We are already married, (Y/N). What happened, happened. We can’t change it. But this thing between us, this thing is real. I’ve denied myself that long enough, not going to keep pretending anymore. I love you. I’ve loved you for a long time now and I know, I know that you feel the same, so stop fighting against it and say it.”

Tommy’s lips brush against hers as he repeats himself, half plea, half command, “Say it.”

“I love you,” she whispers, eyes closed tightly as if the words will be less real if she can’t see him.

“Say it again,” he commands, nose bumping into hers while his thumbs caress her cheeks.

“I love you.”

“Again,” the sound is music to his ears and Tommy just can’t get enough of it.

(Y/N) opens her eyes, looks him in the eye, and professes, “I love you, Thomas Shelby.”

He smiles, for what feels like the first time in years, and confesses, “I love you too, Mrs. Shelby.”

.

Taglist: @stressedandbandobessed7771 @internalmess3 @theshelbyclan @giowritess @captivatedbycillianmurphy

[hageny]

                               Succession Thoughts: Romulus 

AN: I should preface this post by saying I am by no means a scholar or expert on Roman mythology. The forthcoming is merely gleaned from internet research, which is by no means comprehensive nor always reliable. 

                                                       ~~~~

Though he goes by the name Roman Roy--or ‘Rome’, as he is called by Gerri exclusively--Roman’s birth name is actually Romulus. This name stands out amongst that of his siblings because it is the only name that is Latin in origin. Romulus was a mythical figure who is credited as being the first king of Rome. How much of the myth that surrounds him is based on a real, historical figure is up for debate, but regardless Romulus was born to a woman named Rhea, who was impregnated--or raped, depending on the version--by the god Mars. Mars is of course the God of War, an interesting fact considering Logan’s reputation and demeanor. 

Mars’ union with Rhea produces two children, their sons Romulus and Remus. Rhea was killed shortly after the twins’ birth, and they were ordered by King Amulius--to whom they were grandnephews--to be slaughtered, as he saw them as a threat to his reign over Alba Longa. They were saved by the god Tiberinus, and nursed by a she-wolf. Whether the being who nursed them was a she-wolf or a prostitute is up for debate, as the word lupa in Latin means both prostitute and she-wolf. 

Romulus eventually grows up to return to Alba Longa, assist his grandfather in maintaining his throne, and goes on to set up a city with his brother. They get into a dispute and Romulus kills Remus, although in what fashion depends on what version of the story you read. It is worth mentioning that Romulus is married, to a beautiful, blonde woman by the name of Hersilia. 

At what point Romulus dies is murky, but according to Ovid’s Metamorphosis Hersilia outlives Romulus, as is mentioned in the poem, a stanza of which appears below:

All this is possibly a clue as to Roman’s fate on the show itself. Now, it is worth mentioning that in the myth Rhea is his mother, whereas on the show Rhea is the CEO of PGM, so this is all speculation on my part. However, the greatest points of interest in the story are 

1) that Romulus kills his brother 

Roman’s main competition for the seat of the throne at Waystar is Kendall. Shiv bats for the position some as well starting in Season 2, mostly, but whether or not her aspirations are to run Waystar or to forge her own path are debatable. 

2) that Romulus is nursed by a she-wolf along with his brother.

This is interesting because while Gerri is very much a girlfriend, of sorts, to Roman, she is also depicted as a mother-figure to him. She is older, wiser, and the only one who expends any energy on the show nurturing both him and his talent. She is also fiercely protective of him and cunning in her own right, although we don’t see that as often in her as in the others.

3) Romulus was married to a blonde woman who is deeply loyal to him

This is interesting solely for the fact that Gerri is blonde as well, and because Hersilia herself was deeply loyal to her husband. Upon his death, according to Ovid’s epic, she was deeply devastated and taken to Heaven and reincarnated as the goddess Hora. Her husband was Quirinus, which was Romulus’ incarnation upon his death. 

4) that Romulus was the first King of Rome

The fact that Gerri’s nickname for Roman is ‘Rome’--which is exclusively hers and never used by the other characters--is interesting considering that Rome was the area over which Romulus ruled for the whole of his life. Roman is only called ‘Romulus’ by his father, perhaps a nod to Mars’ role as father to Romulus as Logan is father to Roman. 

The question ultimately is how much of the Roman mythology may bleed into the show, and what portions of Romulus’ life can allow us to predict what may become of Roman. It could all be a matter of vague importance--a link to Roman mythology could simply serve to highlight the epic scale and nature of the storyline in the show, and the mighty power the Roy family has over all things. It could suggest that the ultimate showdown for Waystar will be between Roman and Kendall, and that one brother will lose at the very least his power in the company, if not actually his life. Or the whole thing could be of importance, and Roman may eventually take as his wife the long-suffering, equally neglected, equally tenacious Gerri and become king in tandem with her. The ultimate question is what will become of Roman and Gerri. Will they ultimately become casualties of the ferocity of those around them--or of each other--or will they reign at the helm together as Romulus did with Hersilia, and be deified in death?

                                                           ~~~~

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romulus_and_Remus

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/She-wolf_(Roman_mythology)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hersilia

thoughtco.com/romulus-roman-mythology-119619

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amulius#:~:text=In%20Roman%20mythology%2C%20Amulius%20was,Numitor%20and%20son%20of%20Procas.

[smokeybrandreviews]

Tomorrow Should Have Died

So i was planning on reviewing The Tomorrow War because it’s a new film and i like new films i can watch without having to brave the plague. I saw a preview for this thing a while back and had real low expectations for it, figured it’d be dumb fun like Independence Day. Imagine my abject horror when it turned out to be so much worse. Okay, first things first, the good stuff. Chris Pratt is good and so is J.K. Simmons. Betty Gilpin and Yvonne Strahovski work miracles with what little they have. The sound design is exceptional, probably the best thing about this sh*t flick, and the actual effects are on point. The problem with the movie is the script. It’s f*cking terrible. Oh my god, so much dumb! Here’s a list of sh*t that made me irrationally angry, in order of plot progression.

Eleven minutes in and i hate it. How are you losing a war to anything if you have mastered the ability to traverse space-time? How the f*ck is your technology so advanced, that you have found a way to exceed the light speed limit and literally break physics, but lose to a bunch of rabid, interstellar, komodo dragons? This is the dumbest f*cking contradiction I have seen all year and i am offended that whoever decided to make this film, is asking this of their audience. Sh*t is patently absurd. These f*cking things don't even have written language, man, and you really expect me to believe they have pushed a human race that has harnessed the power of time, to the brink of extinction?

Eleven minutes, bro. Eleven f*cking minutes.

Seriously, you can create a time machine, you should conceivably have the ability to harness gravity or one of the other fundamental interactions. Why the f*ck haven't you designed a miniaturized rail gun that uses modern tech or materials to build? You have worked out the science in the future, go back to the past and build miniature or handheld doomsday devices for use in the field. Why isn’t everyone running around with f*cking Megatron fusion cannons on their arms? Why the f*ck am i fighting aliens with ARs and Glocks?? The fact that there is an active time machine built from tech on hand from thirty years into the future, means cats could have spent their time building actual weapons to kill these f*cking things instead of betting the literal human race on a time displaced draft. This movie is dumb as rocks.

The way they describe how their time travel works is dumb. I mean, it isn’t, but i can guarantee this sh*t is going to be a problem later. I can feel it in my bones. They are definitely going to contradict this sh*t because multiverse theory is the only way to make movie time travel work and they are trying their damnedest to not do that.

This f*cking thing is over two hours long and the first drags. I hate when cats attempt to develop characters and they just fail at it. I'm sitting here trying to figure out why I should care about any of these people and i still don't have an answer after half the goddamn movie is over. Like, why should i care about Chris Pratt? He’s the main character and the writing has done nothing to endear him to the audience in a whole ass hour.

Also, the reason he’s so mad at his dad is stupid. Dude did right by his kid by bailing because he would have been a terrible father. Pratt’s character would have known that as a father himself. He didn’t have to like it and, of course there’s animosity there, but you’re an adult. Your dad knew he was lousy. He did you a favor by walking out. It wasn’t like he didn’t help support you or make sure you went without. As far as i can tell, dude was there in every way by physically. Because he couldn’t. Because he was f*cking shell-shocked from fighting in Vietnam. Where they raped innocent women and set babies on fire. Holy sh*t, this cat is an unlikable protagonist after this one scene. Which brings me to my next thing...

Pratt f*cking abandons his family?? Word? After that entire scene with his dad and the very obvious trauma he has suffered, he turns around and abandons his own kid because he lost his job?? Word? Like, for real? You expect me to believe that the Chris Pratt who cussed out his pops, was willing to go on the run from his future conscription, abandoned his own family because he lost a teaching job?? What the f*ck, movie? Do you want me to like this asshole or not? More than that, how the f*ck you mess up your character so bad in what i imagine is just five pages of actual script? Nothing we know about this character would ever even hint at him doing this to his family, to his daughter, so why the f*ck would he? Why the f*ck would you, as a write, believe we, as the audience, would just accept that sh*t as a forgone conclusion?

You got ropes on a Queen and you don't kill it? How the f*ck you make it that deep into the hive to even do-si-do the b*tch to the surface? We just watched these things tear through Miami to the point that they needed a whole ass bombardment just to survive and you not only go into their hive, their home, with no heavy ammo, but you somehow lasso a queen and drag her to the surface. Alive. If you can do all of that why not just drop a nuke down there and blow them the f*ck up? Why do you need a live Queen for your science? Shoot the b*tch, take the juice of her corpse, and end this sh*t! Why is all of this stupid recklessness necessary??

Okay. Okay... F*ck everything i just said, right? Why the f*k did you bring this Queen b*tch back to your base? You don’t have a different offsite lab to do this sh*t? You gotta bring her to your stronghold? Isn’t this a military operation? Why aren't their security protocols and sh*t in place to stop this stupidity? You don’t bring the enemy home. You take them to black sites for sh*t like this, not to the goddamn Pentagon!

All of a sudden, the aliens understand science? We spent this entire movie establishing that they are mindless beasts with teeth, eating the human race into extinction but now, because the plot demands it, the Queen one understands what the people are doing? That the green sh*t they made is plague that can murder them all? How the f*ck she even know what science is? They don’t even have language, dude! How the hell she know they made a death plague for her people?! F*ck it, whatever, bro. Next you're going to tell me she let them capture her just to get inside the lab or some sh*t because these rabid f*cking animals, who have demonstrated no military command abilities or even the barest of higher cognitive functions, are tactical geniuses.

Okay, so the Queen b*tch is a tactical genius. So, in the initial future drop, the team was murdered by a bunch of these things because they were sent to a lab where they were trying to make the death plague. Now, hat i am about to say is all assumption on my part because none of this, and i men NONE of it, is ever confirmed by the movie. So, they get to the lab and everyone is dead but the green per-plague is still there. That mean they had a Queen there. It’s established after this that Queens can call for backup and the Males will lemming their way to her. I deduce that’s how this lab got overrun; Queen got loose, called for her boys, and they ate everyone. That happened. That was the first thing we see in the future. This b*tch does the same f*cking thing on the home base lab so now the males are overrunning The Pentagon. You motherf*ckers knew this was a thing because it literally already happens. Why the f*ck would you do it again? AND it gets worse... Home base, The Pentagon, is the f*cking rig where they house the goddamn time machine! You brought a hostile enemy leader, still alive and coherent, to the heart of your resistance operation, to the core of your time travel operation, knowing that at any time this b*tch can scream and have your whole ass base overrun with teeth and poison darts? Look, if the future is this stupid, they deserve to die, okay?

At least they commit to multiverse theory, even if it contradicts the entirety of their already established time travel rules.

Okay. Okay... So they create this toxin to kill all the monster things and send it back in time to be mass produced  Put that sh*t in bullets and send it back to the future or whatever. But, because of the aforementioned stupid, that plan is bunk. Time machine go kablooey. And now we are at the "all is lost" moment at the end of the second act." Solution to the problem in hand, no way to save the future because the only way back to the future was a casualty of idiocy. Right. So... just wait. F*cking just wait. You know when these assholes show up, you know how to kill them all, you even have a plague ready to be mass produced right now. You have thirty f*cking years to refine that formula, to make it cheaper to mass produced and develop variants just in case immunities start to crop up or something. There are people from the future, stuck in the past, because of the egregious future error. They have all of that intel and they are just alive. The second this dude got back to the past with that antidote, the future was saved. The war is over. Like, even if you don’t know where the ship is, you have a sure thing that will murder these white f*cks and three decades to produce, weaponize, and store that sh*t. The war is won. The Prime timeline is absolutely safe at this point. Because that's how time travel works. You have the nuclear option, right now, to averting the end of the human race, ready to be mass produced. Yo have the knowledge from the future on where these things will first appear. You still have all the future tech brought over from the beta timeline ripe for reverse engineering in order to improve the weapons of the present. There is no scenarios where we lose this war, the second Chris Pratt plops back into the present with that plague. None.

Why is everyone so dejected?? Why are there f*cking riots all over the world?? None of this makes sense. How can you assume the world ends and the war is lost just because the communication with that version of the past is cut? Wouldn’t you expect that sh*t? You just altered the entire timeline by sending Pratt back with the antidote. That future is effectively gone. How can you communicate with a place in space-time that doesn’t exist anymore? Hell, even if it’s because the time machine broke and everyone over there is dead, you have the f*cking antidote now! Multiverse theory, bud. The fact that those time displaced assholes didn’t disappear, means multiverse theory is real and you have the opportunity to Future Trunks this sh*t so why panic? Why are there no leaders n television assuring their people that this is a thing? Why are there no scientists publishing papers about how sh*t is going to be fine? Bro, I'm just so tired...

How these cats just fly into Russia on a big ass cargo plane and not get shot down? This is 2022. Putin still hates us. This sh*t would cause a World War.

So you find this ship and you don’t tell anyone where it is? You decide to just kill them all yourself? Motherf*cker, what happens if you die? Did you back up the enzyme formula somewhere or did you bring all of it with you on this stupid f*cking mission? Did you leave notes or even text your location to anyone in authority, just in case haphazard attempt goes sideways so someone else can make a more organized attempt? Or just drop a nuke on the site from orbit? If one asshole denied you funding for your mission, why didn’t you ask someone else? Why didn’t you ask f*cking Putin? Because governments are bloated down with bureaucracy? My dude, people from the future came back and interrupted the world cup to tell you that aliens are going to exterminate the human race in three decades. If you tell anyone in a position of power that you know where these little sh*ts are, they’re going to listen. Especially since everyone decided to riot because the future changed/we lost the time war/ the timeline imploded.

Why would a terrestrial saw work on an intergalactic star ship? That doesn't make any sense. This f*cking thing survived a crash landing into earth intact and a goddamn circular saw cuts it open? Fine, whatever. On to the next stupid thing.

Bro. Bro, they just blow the f*cking thing up. Motherf*cker spent the entire movie, time jumping form the past to to the future and back to the past, just to get this plague to kill them all, and a bunch of C4 just blows them all up while they sleep. Why the f*ck was everything even f*cking necessary? At this point, when the dude comes back with that claw the first time, the future is saved. Analysis on that one claw gave up the location of the hidden spaceship where these things had been in stasis for millennia. Which was blown up with C4. No plague needed. No goddamn time draft needed. No casualties needed after that first wave. The second that dude brought back that claw, it should have been  under a forensic microscope so actual f*cking scientists could figure out what a high school kid id in a matter of minutes. I hate this movie so goddamn much.

I hated this goddamn movie so much. It’s f*cking boring and the dumbest thing I've seen all year and i watched Army of the Dead. It’s pretty and the performances are decent, but there is absolutely no substance to any of this sh*t. It wants to be Independence Day and Edge of Tomorrow and The Great Wall. all in one, while infusing time travel family drama but it’s so f*cking confused trying to juggle all of that, it drops the ball on the most important part; The script. This thing must read like a fever dream induced by peyote because, in execution, it’s a wet fart. This f*cking thing is all over the place with no regard for any insular universe logic. It contradicts itself from one scene to the next and it’s goddamn offensive. I’m sure there is someone saying that i am overthinking this sh*t and that it’s just supposed to be dumb popcorn fun. I get that. However, i can’t just turn my f*cking brain off and mindlessly drool over sh*t that insults my intelligence the way this movie does. It’s dumb as f*cking rocks, man, and i want those two hours of my life back!

[dopescotlandwarrior]

Unforgettable-Final Chapter

Also on AO3          �� A very special thanks to @statell​ for all your help

Chapter Nine

A young man knocks hard on a wood pole of a tukul, a round shelter made of grasses, mud, and wood poles, very common in South Sudan and the only type of structure on this UN base. It is officially known as the United Nations Protection of Civilians Site Bentiu. It was constructed outside the scorched city of Bentiu in the poorest nation of central Africa. The civil war had been raging for three years and when a peace treaty was signed in 2015 it failed to stop the fighting, so the war raged on.

The young man knocked harder on the tukul making the structure wobble in its feebleness. “Claire! Wake up! Treatment three and hurry! The door opened in a rush and Claire stood on the other side pushing her t-shirt into her pants.

“Jesus, I hate waking up to a flood of adrenalin! Nabbi when the tukul shakes like that the creatures in the grass roof fall to the ground, or on me.”

Nabbi smiled mischievously at his favorite nurse, “and now you are up and need very high, doctor says run!”

Claire felt her thighs burning as she sprinted to the treatment ward. Rounding the corner she saw both doctors bent over bodies that were unrecognizable. Casualties of government soldiers shooting, raping, and burning a village in the night.

Sterile gloves slapped back on her hands that were held aloft. There were no sterile gowns and no clean water on most days.

“I’m ready!

A long stream of Gaelic profanity was growled as Jamie threw his instruments on the wooden tray. He hung his head wondering what the intensive nine-month training he endured was for as he lost more than he saved. The patient was removed by workers and another mangled mess was placed on his table. Claire held his gloves open and his huge hands jammed into them.

“Pea! On the double, bring a clamp pack, this boy is bleeding out!

Claire felt like she never stopped running when the wounded arrived from a village raid.

“Clamp the arteries as fast as you can. I have the chest, you take the abdomen. We can save this one if we hurry.”

Claire’s steady hand held the row of clamps as she jammed the forceps into one and pinched a bleeder off by squeezing it around the vessel. She worked fast from three months of practice at this level of trauma. Her eyes flicked at Jamie every few minutes because she was worried about him. He was losing weight and had dark circles under his eyes. She couldn’t remember the last time she saw him smile.

“Eyes on the bleeders sweet pea, your betrothed is fine, just frustrated.”

“I’m worried, Cutter, he doesn’t look well, as a matter of fact, either do you. Thank Christ we’re getting out of here in four days.”

(NSFW under the cut.)

Hours later they each had a bucket of semi-clean water to pour over their heads. One bucket per day. Claire spent many hours daydreaming about long showers with her favorite scented body wash and it was finally just four days away. She took a seat next to Jamie at the grub table and ran her hand down his leg. Looking up at his tired face made her long to lay in his arms and kiss him to sleep. She missed him. Nine months of working his practice while completing his field training had kept him away from her and then they were off to South Sudan to do their part with Doctors Without Borders. He had done that for her and now she just wanted to get him home.

She thought about the visiting doctor they met the week before. He, Jamie, and Cutter had much to talk about allowing Claire to watch his face, the slump of his shoulders, and his haunted eyes. He headed a research team of five other doctors that were sent to Africa to treat the outbreak of Ebola. Once their treatment protocol was established, he flew back to the states to compile the mountain of data that would be coming. All five of those doctors, his colleagues, and friends, died a horrifying death and their corpses were left rotting in the jungle until procedures were developed to bring them safely home.

Claire recognized the symptoms of survivor's syndrome, his guilt that he survived when his team did not was taking a toll on his promising life. Snuffing out the flame that once burned bright. Their contribution to the treatment of Ebola would save thousands of lives, possibly millions in the future. Once the paper was published the doctor resigned his position at Harvard Medical, locked his lab, and left civilization. Now he headed a program for monitoring the doctors on the front lines of emerging pathogens. He had come to examine the medical staff and clear them to return to America.

Cutter left to write a letter to his wife and Claire asked Jamie to take a walk with her. The compound walls stretched for a mile in each direction and U.N. peacekeepers manned the turrets along the wall with machine guns. It was crowded with people seeking refuge from the war making a relaxing walk impossible. Claire’s mantra played over and over in her head, I want to go home, I want to go home, I want to go home.

New doctors arrived two days later and spent twelve hours with Jamie and Cutter, learning the base, the wards, and the one-hundred seventy patients being treated. They walked through the rape ward where the girls and women were kept away from the other patients. Little was said about the brutality of the attacks. They would find out soon enough.

The pediatric ward was last. It was Jamie’s poison to watch the babies, sick with Cholera, malaria, or malnutrition succumb to their illness, week after week. Cutter had taken over the tour and Jamie sought out the quiet of their tukul. When Claire found him later, he was respondent.

“I’m sorry we came here Jamie, I’m sorry you are suffering because of me. Please talk to me before I die from sadness. I am left to guess what has struck you down, pulled you away from me. When it didn’t happen after three months, I thought I wasn’t cursed anymore. Wh…when you didn’t turn against me I mean, I thought we were safe. It just took a little longer this time, right Jamie? Now you hate everything I do and every breath I take.”

She put her arms around him and cried the words out until he turned to her and held her closely, shushing her and saying no.

“My sweet Sassenach, stop, ye dinna speak my truth lass, I’ve never loved ye more. Ye break my heart when ye cry like that.”

“Then tell me what it is and if we’re over Jamie.”

“We are powerless to save these people that have come here to die. We have no supplies, no sterile theater, and no freshwater. We are but undertakers for the almost dead. The babies, so innocent, so sick, have no chance. Born to a short life of misery. Where is God Sassenach? I can kill a man, face to face because I battle the devil. I would feel better to be let out of here where I can do some good.”

Jamie stood up abruptly and started walking to the door like he would walk out of the base and join the war.

“No!” Claire jumped on him crying no. Begging him to stop, not to leave her, not to die. “Tomorrow Jamie, we leave this dreadful place tomorrow. Please, don’t break my heart today!” She jumped off of him and ran to the door to stand in front of it.

“Let me out, Claire”

“You will have to hurt me for that to happen because I’m not moving! I understand how you feel now, and I agree, this was a terrible choice of location. In sixteen hours we board a plane to get out of this hell, why can’t you hold on until then?”

Jamie knew he wasn’t making sense and he knew this was the last night here. He took a deep breath and held his arms out to Claire.

“Please, Sassenach. Let’s go to bed, and I promise to just hold ye all night. Please, Claire, stop cryin, we will get out tomorrow and go back to our life. Come here.”

Claire flew into his arms and he carried her to bed, to hold her, until morning when this nightmare was over. She couldn’t relax until she pulled a piece of twine from her belongings and tied it around Jamie’s wrist. With much effort and Jamie’s help, the other end was tied around her wrist. She found a comfortable spot but woke up through the night to make sure he was still there.

Before they left, Claire found Cutter coming out of the surgical ward covered in blood.

“Shirt off Cutter.”

He smiled wickedly and pulled his shirt over his head. Claire held him around his middle and cried. She would miss him until they met again next year to find a new location for the summer. Jamie came up behind them and told Cutter to get his disgusting hands off his future wife. The two men shook hands and hugged, both feeling the relief this trip was over.

“Until next time friend,” Jamie said through a smile.

Claire stowed their bags and busied herself with grabbing a blanket for Jamie. She was able to get stiff drinks for both of them when they were finally in the air. She passed a mixed drink and a shot of whisky to Jamie, looking back a minute later to see two empty glasses. She got on her knees and released Jamie’s seat kissing him sweetly. That and the alcohol sent him into the quiet of his dreams for the next five hours. Claire felt relief this exhausted man could sleep, and she guarded him from the steward and other passengers that might wake him. They were accustomed to the brutal heat of South Sudan and she noticed Jamie shaking in his sleep. She turned the airflow away from him and then covered him with the blanket.

When they were notified of landing for their connection, she stroked his arm to avoid jolting him awake. Jamie pulled the armrest up and pulled her to him, covering both of them with the blanket.

Claire leaned into his neck and felt powerful arms around her. She had not felt this close to him in a very long time and wished they could cuddle for another hour. There was another huge feeling in her stomach at the same time. Her phone! She could make calls while they waited for their connection and she was bursting with excitement. She was digging in her purse while they disembarked the plane making Jamie laugh.

“Who will be first Sassenach?”

“Jenny of course,” said as she punched her speed dial.

Jamie looked down at her marveling at her ability to accept changes in her life and then put the effort into creating the life she wanted. He remembered his sister’s stone face when they met for lunch so long ago. Jenny was convinced he had become a total tool and womanizer and nothing he said would change her mind. He was so disappointed she was making him choose between her and Claire. When Claire asked him to invite Jenny and Ian for dinner one weekend, he decided it was time for Claire to know the family dynamic at play. Claire sat across from him at the kitchen table and listened to the timeline he shared with Geneva and how she poisoned Jenny’s mind against her. She felt sad for Jamie because there was now an ultimatum standing between him and Lallybroch. I can fix this, she thought, just need a little luck.

Over the next week, she checked in with Geillis and Laoghaire to get caught up on the details of Geneva’s life. She broached the subject at the club when her friends were three sheets to the wind.

“So I understand Jamie dated this girl Geneva while I was gone. I totally understand because I told him I was not coming back to Scotland, ever. Now she has lied to his sister about their relationship, so I need all her details girls.”

“Her family is rich and she flaunts that over everyone since she was in elementary.” Laoghaire was clearly harboring a dislike for the lady and Claire seized the opportunity.

“I heard she was really nice,” Claire lied.

“She is not nice! She’s a cold, calculating bitch actually. She was all sweet to me until Jamie dumped her and now she doesn’t seem to recognize me. That’s okay, she is gettin what’s due her now.”

“Do tell sweetheart,” Claire inched her chair closer to her friend.

Geillis started to laugh wickedly, “the lass got herself knocked up by some hotshot, handsome, rich, and new to the area. He’s developing the new mall and already well known around town. They were datin for a month and she told him at her birthday party she was pregnant. He instantly left the party and she cried for the rest of the night. We were there and saw the whole thing.”

Claire’s mind was churning the facts and she smiled broadly at her two best friends. ”Is that a fact?”

It took two days for Jamie to fall asleep before she did and she took his phone outside and sent a text message to Geneva to meet him at the house tomorrow, twelve noon. Then she deleted the message and blocked text messages from her.

When she answered the door the next day, she leaned against the door jam and stuck out her hand with a smile. Geneva was not happy about the intrusion of this girl and demanded to see Jamie.

“Of course, come in, let’s get acquainted. I’m Claire by the way, Jamie’s girlfriend.”

It took some persuading to get Geneva to the kitchen table where she could deliver the coup de grace.

“I am so happy to spend time with you before Jamie gets here. You see, his sister Jenny has a misconception of your relationship, and it's causing a rift in the family. I want you to fix that, today.”

Geneva snorted a weak laugh and looked at Claire with utter disdain. “Not likely, I told her the truth. I feel sorry for you because you were duped by Jamie. He was with me, actively with me, until a week before he broke it off. We talked about getting married and then suddenly he was done with me. Poor baby, you’re next.”

“I know the truth of it Geneva and you will come clean to Jenny, today. If you don’t, it’s high time your father knows about your pregnancy to a guy that has run from any association with you. An abortion, trapping him with a paternity test or just hoping he comes back will do nothing but tarnish your family’s good name. You’re a social parasite Geneva and I can see your father cut off your support and throw you to the streets to cohabitate with others as misguided as you. You must be working on solutions to your situation so tell Jenny the truth and I leave you alone. Otherwise, everyone in town will know, including your parents.”

Claire smiled sweetly at Geneva and waited until she bolted out of the house cursing under her breath. She could only hope she was right about the family dynamic and how this news would poison Geneva’s position in it.

Jamie came home the next night with company. His contrite sister was there to apologize to Claire and ask to start over with her. Claire was over the moon and made plans with Jenny for a night out on the town the following weekend so the four of them could have some fun. It was like magic to a grateful Jamie. The four of them got on so well and Claire and Jenny started a friendship that would bond them to each other like sisters.

Jamie grabbed the phone from Claire and asked Jenny to hold on a minute. He pulled Claire to his lips and kissed her deeply sparking a look in her eyes that made him weak. He handed the phone back and dropped his head to the back of his chair, asleep in minutes.

The wait for their connection was long enough for Claire to check in with Laoghaire and Geillis also. She drifted to the gift shop and purchased a beautiful bracelet made in Africa. She felt done with the excursions into remote parts of the world to render aid to the less fortunate. She just felt empty inside for such an effort again. Deep inside she knew the reason. She had her suspicions for a month but couldn’t confirm it. She felt lonely suddenly and walked quickly back to Jamie who was awake.

“Hey, sunshine, how do you feel?”

“Sleepy Sassenach. I want ye to keep me awake so tell me a story, aye?.”

Claire held her breath, wanting so badly to tell him her truth.

“Jamie, I think I’m pregnant.”

He stared at her for a good minute, expressionless, “stay here Sassenach, I’ll be right back.”

Jamie ran to the boarding counter and asked where he could find a drugstore in the airport. He sprinted away while Claire watched in total confusion. He must absolutely hate the idea, she thought as she slipped into depression.

Ten minutes later Jamie ran back with a small bag and lifted Claire to her feet guiding her to the ladies' room.

He put the bag in her hand and pushed her into the room, looking wide-eyed, almost wild.

Claire took the pregnancy test out of the bag and read the instructions. She still could not read Jamie’s emotions and felt her folly at surprising him with something life-changing and yet unverified. Holding the stick in the air to dry it she looked at the results window and felt her world tilt. It took so long to get to the sink when she looked at herself in the mirror Jamie was standing behind her.

“May I see it, Sassenach,” he whispered, looking at Claire’s pale face.

When she lifted the stick for him, he grabbed her and spun her around until she was dizzy. She smiled weakly at him trying to take in his reaction. He was absolutely beaming and kissed her face a dozen times telling her this was the best news. He gushed over her ability to make him deliriously happy, neither of them noticing a toilet flushing and a woman join them at the sink. She smiled knowingly at the two young people in love.

Spoken with a Swedish accent she told them, “now you must get off the street and get a job for your baby. You will be very happy.” She walked out of the restroom leaving Jamie and Claire clearly shocked at what she said.

Claire bent over laughing at the comment. “No shower for three months makes us look like bums on the street!”

Jamie looked like he had seen an angel and wrapped her up in his powerful arms.

“Sassenach, when we land in Scotland, I will have an agenda that will keep my mind occupied for at least two days. I willna have the brain space to utter a single sentence I’m afraid. Come, lass, let’s talk about this miracle and makin an honest woman of ye while I can.”

Jamie pulled her back to their seats and looked at a confused Claire.

“I don’t understand Jamie, what is so important for you when we get home?”

Jamie held her cheek and sighed, letting her see his need for her, making her squirm in her seat. “Oh, I see, well that trumps everything, doesn’t it? I love you Jamie and as long as you still look at me that way, I fear nothing.”

The second leg of their trip home, Claire curled up against Jamie and dove into the calming sea of her dreams. Jamie pulled her head to his lap and made sure nothing and no one disturbed her. It was a magic seven hours for him as he contemplated the family of his future with the fierce loving, free spirit who slept in his lap.

When the front door opened, two battle-weary lovers dropped their duffle bags and struggled to the shower. Jamie covered Claire with her favorite body wash followed by scented shampoo that made her moan with pleasure. He pulled the shower curtain aside and wrapped her in luxurious towels before heading back for his own time with the soap. When he emerged, the beard and mustache were quickly eliminated, and he felt like a new man anxious to devour his love in the slowest, most thorough way possible. He walked into the bedroom with his curls dripping water onto his shoulders and found Claire sitting on the side of the bed, head jerking up from falling asleep. His heart nearly melted in his chest as he pulled her to him and held her down until sleep came and took her away.

Claire woke up feeling groggy from her deep sleep. She knew they had two days to re-acclimate before work pulled them apart. Jamie looked like an angel to her as he slept. She could take a bit of time to recreate the body she preferred. She snuck quietly to the second bathroom and filled the bath with hot water and scented bubble bath. She placed two new razors on the tub and scraped off the unwanted hair that invaded her most intimate body parts over the last three months. It was liberating and unleashed her arousal, dormant for so long. By the time she was done, it was a struggle not to jump on Jamie and win her release that was throbbing between her legs.

Standing at the foot of the bed, she watched him sleep, noticing the room had become grey with the coming sunrise. She knelt to kiss his feet, followed by his calves, licking the back of his knees and causing him to gasp. She ran her tongue slowly up the back of his legs and buried her face under his buttocks to lick his balls until he flipped over and looked at her.

Jamie struggled to contain his need to pound her and his mind was full of this wonderful woman. I must slow my heart, he thought. She is kneeling over me naked and I canna get enough of her, clean shaved, smelling like sex. Her hair is falling around her face as she runs her eyes up and down my body. Jesus, she is beautiful and has no idea how I want to take her. Brutally, lovingly, dominating her body and mind until she gives in to me. I must fight the urge to consume her. She is the mother of my child and I will use all my strength not to overpower her. God, when she pulls my nipple into her mouth it strips my resolve. I want to take her, my way, without consent, without mercy, until she’s mine.

“Sassenach, my love, come here.”

She is resistant. Careful lass, dinna tempt me, I’m no that strong. What is this? No, not a good idea, keep yer beautiful mouth away from me. It’s not fair but oh…my…God it feels so good. Jesus lass, stop or I’ll come down yer throat before I can worship yer body. Come here, love.

Claire felt Jamie pull her to his lips and crush her. He flipped her over and pulled her legs apart feasting his eyes on her gorgeous pussy. She dropped her fingers to her fold and held it apart for him to gorge himself on her throbbing core. She arched her back into her first orgasm and tried to pull him to her. He entered her softly and slowly making her pant for more. She grabbed his face to her and looked him in the eye.

“I don’t want Sunday school. If I say, uncle, I do the wash for both of us. Show me how much you love me Jamie, right now, and don’t hold back or I’ll go back to sleep, I swear I will.”

For the next thirty minutes, Claire felt the power of Jamie and it thrilled her as he pulled her into the most intimate and edgy positions that most women would push away from. She opened her body to him, and he feasted, growling into his orgasm that stung his balls as he ejaculated. Claire was vaguely aware of the quilt pulling up to cover them and Jamie’s soft kisses on her face. They were clinging to each other as they fell into another five hours of sleep only to repeat the intensity once again.

Many hours later, Claire heard the quiet ringtone alerting her to a call coming in. She patted the bed until she found the offending phone and opened her eyes just before clicking the dismiss button. She answered hoping she could stay awake long enough to let him talk.

“Joe, why are you calling in the middle of the night?”

“It is one in the afternoon gorgeous and it’s time to get up.”

“No, it’s time to sleep some more dear one. What do you want?”

“I want to say welcome back to civilization, hear about your tour in Sudan, and one more thing Claire.”

She looked at the phone and shook her head, trying to wake up. “What other thing Joe?”

“I found Luna.”

“What?!”

“She’s in an orphanage Claire, has been since the raid on the hospital. The rebels leveled the settlements nearby and Luna’s family was wiped out. Thank God those monsters have respect for the innocent. I thought you would want to know.”

Claire was on her feet and pounding Joe with questions as she paced the bedroom. Running for her laptop she brought up the URL Joe dictated and raced through the pictures of babies and children that were up for adoption. Her fingers abruptly stopped when she found the face of her angel and she gasped at the sight of her.

“Jesus Christ Joe, she’s been in that place for over a year! How can I get her out?”

“It’s not easy Claire, but someone has to help her.”

Joe gave Claire the number to call the adoption agency in Honduras and what little he had discovered about Luna. He warned her the adoption protocols were temporarily closed for unknown reasons and forwarded the email listing the steps to adopt a child from a country outside of Honduras. It included two stays in-country to live among the culture of the child as the agency went over her dossier.

Claire was crying with the love and fear she felt for Luna and promised Joe she would keep him posted. When she felt Jamie’s hand on her bare shoulder she looked up into compassionate eyes and she felt him say, I’m here to help you, trust me with your truth, I will help you bring her home.

Claire clicked off from Joe and dissolved into her tears and fears while Jamie held her with his strength.

Jamie looked at the pictures of Luna on the website and felt his heart open up and pull her in. Her face was the picture of innocence, her huge eyes revealed her loveless life and fear. He waited for Claire to be distracted and returned to her picture again and again. Claire loves this beautiful little girl like she was her own. Something had to be done.

Luna became their project during their off-hours. Returning to work was hard enough, but Luna was a constant presence in both their minds. The requirement for being considered as an adoption family were rigid including two prolonged stays in-country. When Jamie brought that up Claire would start shaking and he could see the war going on in her head.

“Stay in Honduras for two weeks? I could see Luna during that time, but we must be invited and they have had our dossier for three weeks, Jamie. When are we going to hear from them?”

Claire was clearly scared shitless about entering that country again, even when Jamie assured her the city was safe. He talked it over with John during an afternoon hike when Claire was working. When John bid him farewell he followed up with, “I’m going with her Jamie because you can’t. Tell her to schedule the visit right away before I’m assigned to a case.”

When Jamie told Claire John would go with her to Honduras she cried and hung on his neck. Within a week, Claire was invited by the agency to come and see Luna. Jamie had mixed feelings letting go of her at the airport.

“Sassenach, I’m so sorry I canna go with ye. Are ye alright with John lass?”

She looked into his eyes feeling such gratitude he would let her go without him. She smiled and kissed him before breaking out of his embrace to jog to her boarding gate. John settled into the seat next to her and complained that her pregnancy put a stop to partying enroute to Honduras.

“You’re a very selfish person, curbing my happiness on this trip. I just wanted you to know that Claire.”

She smiled at him and got comfortable for the long plane ride to a country she hated.

They strolled through the nursery the next day, a requirement of the agency to look at all the children up for adoption. Claire could hardly breathe waiting to see Luna. She heard a familiar cry and looked through a window at numerous cribs with children inside. The minute her eyes saw Luna she struggled to stay on her feet. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she smiled at the infant who was having a tantrum, shaking a stuffed toy in Claire’s direction. They were forced to view the rest of the infants before returning to the nursery where Luna was.

Claire walked directly to Luna and smiled at her obvious recollection. She held her arms out for her and Luna moved into them gripping Claire’s hair with both fists and burying her face in Claire’s neck. They both clung to each other with tears that flowed freely. Even John was choked up and turned around to cough harshly. The rest of the afternoon, Claire held Luna in a huge rocking chair and seemed far away in a world she shared with Luna alone. John paced the hallway watching with growing concern.

“Jamie, I’m worried. These two are obviously bonded and Luna remembers her. Claire is in another world and just wants to hold her. I’m not sure this will end well for Claire. What should I do?”

“Protect her John. Dinna let anyone close to Claire. Other than that, let it play out. Ye willna be able to drag Claire away until they tell her to go, aye?” Claire cried so hard on her last day with Luna. She heard the baby wailing for her until they were out the door of the orphanage. John held a weeping Claire all the way back to Scotland and was anxious to hand her to Jamie to console. He really didn’t get the emotional part of this mission.

Claire returned to work and pushed Luna out of her mind so she could function. The next in-country requirement was a four-week stay in Honduras and Claire made contact with the agency every week asking for an invitation to come. She was being stone-walled without any explanation and it was taking its toll on her.

Jamie watched her brave attempts to act normal but as her pregnancy progressed her expanding waistline reminded him constantly of her delicate condition. He was prepared to accompany her to Honduras as soon as they were allowed. The weeks turned into months and Claire could not take it anymore. Jamie held her close and promised to find an answer to why they had not been processed already. He looked into her eyes and asked her with a sincere and loving heart to marry him, right now.

The following weekend, they were married at the Justice of the Peace with Jenny and Ian standing as witnesses. Claire was six months pregnant and Jamie knew the window of opportunity to travel to Honduras was closing.

Cutter answered Jamie’s call with a heartfelt hello to his friend. Jamie asked about other means to push the adoption through since the agency had closed the proceedings at the order of the government. It was a match to kindling as Cutter felt Claire’s despair to save Luna. He remembered her asleep on the Lazy Boy with a hand in the incubator, waking every hour to feed this doomed child. He was mobilized to cut through this ridiculous bureaucracy and get some answers from the agency.

On a whim, Cutter wrote a letter to the president of the United States, detailing the surgical procedure that saved Luna and how one nurse fought for her against all odds. He told of her bravery when the hospital was raided, how she was shot and barely escaped her own death. These terrible events befell her because she pledged two years of her life to help the Hondurans. He included her husband’s bravery when he got all of them out of the country, risking his own life. He completed the letter with his wish to reunite this forgotten child with the only mother she ever knew. “Go with God.” The envelope was sealed and sent.

A month later, Cutter received a letter from the White House. A duplicate letter was received by Jamie and Claire. Both letters were signed by the President with the amazing news that Luna was coming to America the following weekend and they were invited to the Dallas airport to greet her.

Claire sat down hard in the rocking chair and stared at the floor as Jamie read the letter. She looked up expecting the next shoe to fall and watched Jamie typing into his phone. Claire was frozen watching Jamie pace as he arranged a flight for the following weekend. She felt the tears fall down her cheeks as she waited to hear bad news or wake up from a dream.

Jamie knelt on the floor to look into her eyes. “She is coming home Sassenach, in four days! The president arranged this for you, and for Luna. Be happy Sassenach, it is happening and we will have her home with us by next week!”

Jamie pulled Claire into bed and held her close telling her it was going to be perfect and to have faith. Claire gripped his sides and shook, feeling so small in this miraculous undertaking.

Claire gripped Jamie’s hand at the Dallas airport and heard her mantra repeated over and over again, please let her be on that plane, please let her be on that plane. She looked up at an entourage coming out of the plane. They were obviously secret service and surrounded a woman in the middle of all those bodies. Claire and Jamie stood waiting, barely breathing.

A petite, young, blonde woman with striking features was revealed and she held Luna in her arms looking around for a familiar face. When her eyes found Jamie she smiled and walked to him, seeing Claire’s face she knew who she was. Luna was handed to Claire as she dissolved in grateful tears and sat down to avoid falling over as Luna’s face pressed to hers.

Jamie looked down at the office manager and his eyes were shouting his thanks to her. “Mission accomplished soldier, I would salute ye if I could. I am so grateful.”

She looked at him with compassion, her face showing her delight in helping this mission come to pass. She placed her hand on Jamie’s arm.

“The U.S. President salutes you, Jamie, from behind the scenes as you and I have come to know it. It was a three-country effort to arrange the adoption, the U.S., Scotland, and Honduras. How the U.S. President got involved I’ll never know but it was his clout that got the attention needed. Luna belongs to the two of you now. I pulled strings to get assigned to this mission so I could carry her to you. It’s my going away present and no one is more deserving than you.”

Jamie was reeling from the disclosure. He looked up and saw Dougal hanging back looking like he was a stranger, waiting to board his flight. He turned slightly and locked eyes with Jamie and the two men nodded slightly to each other. Jamie looked at Claire and Luna feeling like his heart would burst in his chest. There was much to do to ready the house for this precious child and another soon to be born. He took a deep breath and looked for the office manager but she was gone, as was Dougal. They melted into the airport population on their way back to Scotland.

Jamie felt the tears on his cheeks and sat down next to Claire and Luna, holding them close and thanking God for this miracle. His head was bowed as he prayed his thanks until a tiny hand reached out for him and pushed her body toward him. He pulled Luna to him and locked eyes with his new daughter.

“I’m Da, Luna.”

She touched his face and then his tears with her finger, looking at him like he was the most important person she had ever met.

“No more fear lassie, ye’ll have a life of love, I promise.”

Jamie struggled to push the tears back. Not for his pride or appearing weak. He wanted his eyes clear so he could see his two lassies and Claire’s round abdomen that held his next son or daughter, closely protected and fiercely loved.

The End.

The spirit in me bows to the spirit in you...Namaste and thank you.

[hello-robin-goodfellow]

THE DIFERENT CYCLES OF NOSTALGIA FILTER

Most of the nostalgia towards the past is based on Nostalgia Filter. The good stuff is remembered and the bad stuff ignored, forgotten or not even taken in account. When it's about a time period Two Decades Behind people will be nostalgic for it because they experienced it themselves, but from the viewpoint of a child or a teenager, when they didn't have to worry about all the adult stuff that depresses them nowadays, because the grownups took care of all that: taxes, work, bills, tragic news events,... If the nostalgia is about a time period people didn't directly experience themselves the romanticism is even more rampant. People will base their rosy posy image of that time period on stuff they have seen and read in books, comic strips, cartoons, TV series, films, old photos and/or fond memories of older family members. Usually they aren't aware that many things they now take for granted didn't always exist back then or were still considered highly controversial.

The glories of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome where the cradle of philosophy and science started, everyone is able to enlist in the army (well, if you weren't a woman or a slave, of course) and see the world while doing so. You can go and enjoy watching Olympic Games, a play in the theater or watch exciting gladiator battles in the arena, philosophers like Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and Virgil are respected as pillars of their societies, and people were opened to sex and LGBT as opposed to the close-minded Christians in later centuries. Not taken in account: class systems, people dying early of diseases we nowadays have proper treatment for, slavery, democracy only for rich upperclass males citizens, bloody battles, Roman military service had to be fulfilled several years! before you could retire and start a civilian life, women having no rights, not even allowed to watch sporting games, xenophobia was so prevalent that would make modern prejudices and bigotry look tame, scientific contributions were more based on superstitions and empirical and weren't always based on logic (see Plato's and Aristotle's works), pederasty was the only accepted form of homosexuality and it was punishable if a relationship did not fit in those criteria (also it was only tolerated in some city and states), Roman sexuality was still arguably patriarchal and not all sexual taboo was acceptable (ie. a wealthy man get away with his slaves while married women were expected to be faithful, oral sex was considered shameful).

The thousand years of Chinese dynasties up until Republic was the time where people dressed in beautiful colorful haifu with good etiquette and manners, scholars were appreciated, education was valued as opposed during the Cultural Revolution, the Tang Dynasty was the golden age of prosperity and where women has more rights than any other periods. Not taken in account: the Confucians were oppressive against the lower social classes, the caste system, education systems were corrupted with many scholars and students were promoted based on bribes rather than actual skills, women were still considered inferior in the Tang Dynasty, the royal court were so deadly and decadent that would make the place in wuxia media look tame, slavery, the rebellions and civil wars (ie. The Three Kingdoms, An Lushan Rebellion, Taiping Rebellion) that were very common that cost million of lives that went unheard of and resulted in many famine and diseases that led to cannibalism, footbinding was practiced since the Song Dynasty, xenophobia was prevalent including against their sister countries like Japan and Korea.

The Middle Ages are usually romanticized as a glorious past with chivalrous knights fighting for the honor of beautiful princesses, proving their worth in tournaments, stuffing themselves at royal buffets with the kind old king, and defending castles against malevolent invaders. Not taken in account: The Plague, wars, mercenaries and soldiers plundering farms and villages, filthy streets, people dying at a young age because of insufficient knowledge of diseases, the injustice of the feudal system, monarchs and the Catholic Church being oppressive towards people with other viewpoints, high illiteracy, people executed and tortured for audience's pleasure and often without anything resembling a fair trial, women considered being lesser in status than men, famine whenever harvests failed... Ironically, the part that was arguably good, the Byzantine Empire (with its extremely high literacy and such luxuries as running water) is usually overlooked or completely ignored.

The Renaissance and The Enlightenment are the time when society finally got out of the bleak, primitive and God fearing Dark Middle Ages and gained wisdom by discovering a lot of stuff. Kings and queens never looked more magnificent. Artists and sculptors painted the finest works and humanists, philosophers and Protestants learned humanity to think for themselves. You could enjoy a Shakespeare play, listen to baroque classical music or have a swashbuckling duel. Not taken in account: A lot of new thought and discoveries in the field of science were very slowly adapted into society. Mostly because a lot of royals, religious authorities and other government officials suppressed these "dangerous" new ideas. Compared to those "primitive" Middle Ages more people have been hanged or burned on the stake for their beliefs and/or on the assumption that they were witches during the 1500s, 1600s and 1700s than in the centuries before! The Reformation and Counter-Reformation divided Europe and caused many casualties. All the great books and art works created during this era were only enjoyed or experienced by the very rich. Wars still ravaged Europe, colonization exploited other continents, slavery became a real industry and absolutism made the monarchy and nobility so powerful and decadent that they didn't care about the lower classes. Duels weren't glorious at all, just a matter of killing off your opponent.

The Golden Age of Piracy is one big adventure where you could go on a boat trip with pirates and have fun attacking other ships, taking gold and bury or search for treasure on some Deserted Island. Men were real men with a Badass Beard and cool looking eye patches, hooks for hands and wooden legs. Not taken in account: scurvy, people forced to do what their captain told them, your ship being attacked by other ships and losing, keelhauling, loot just being spent instead of buried, anti-piracy laws could get you arrested and hanged, storms could destroy your ship, all the cool looking eye patches, hooks for hands and wooden legs were just practical solutions for grievous injuries suffered during fights, and the fact that most of the Caribbean economy was reliant on the slave trade. There were also plenty of brutal attacks on helpless villages, indigenous communities, plantations, civilian ships, and even colonial settlements. In addition to helping themselves to everything that wasn't tied down, pirates would also torture, murder, enslave, and/or rape men, women, and children indiscriminately just for their own sick pleasure.

America's Wild West is a fun era where you could roam the prairie on a horse, visit saloons and shoot outlaws and Indians. Not taken in account: slavery was not abolished until deep in the 19th century and still going on in many colonies or remote place in the American South, cowboys took care of cattle and didn't engage in gun fights, gun violence was just as illegal as it is nowadays and could get you arrested by local sheriffs, outlaws could actually remain on the loose for several years, Native Americans being massacred by white settlers and armies, black people having no basic human rights, The Ku Klux Klan was a respected organization...)

The mid-to-late 19th century and early 20th century were a classy time period where everybody was impeccably dressed and had good manners. You could take a coach ride or (later on) test the "horseless carriage", read some of the greatest novels in history, listen to the first records or even the great Caruso in person, admire the wonders of electricity and enjoy a world still untouched by modern industry. Life in the colonies was even more fun because you so many countries were still unexplored territory and the ideal place for adventure. Not taken in account: Victorian values were dominant, women couldn't vote, poor people couldn't vote, industrialization didn't have any health, safety or ethical rules to obey, child labor was rampant, workers had no rights, factories were very harmful to people's health and the environment, city rivers were open sewers, upper class had all the advantages upon the lower class, people could be sent to the poor house when they couldn't pay their debts, many novels were just pulp (think of it as the 19th century version of Internet) and music was strictly symphonic, the first automobiles were as dangerous as electricity, colonization was great for white Europeans but not as much for the oppressed native populations of Africa and Asia, animals were still hunted down as trophies, people who looked different were exploited in freak shows and circuses for spectators to Come to Gawk.

The Interbellum (1920s and 1930s): Between the two world wars, life was great. Everybody went to night clubs and/or revue theaters where they could enjoy great jazz music, girls and comedians. Movie theaters were a great place to be, because fantastic cinematic masterpieces were made. On the radio you could great music and serials, and newspapers published the best and most engaging comic strips ever printed. Not taken in account: From 1920 until 1933 alcohol was prohibited in the USA, so having an alcoholic drink was impossible without getting arrested or dying because of bad homemade brew. Crime was able to organize itself in a way that will probably never get untangled again. Many people got murdered in gangster violence. Jazz music was initially seen as "barbaric" just because it was made by blacks, and it had to be adapted to symphonic music to make it well-known. Hollywood in its early years was subject to more scandals than ever since, leading to a industry-wide censorship that lasted until the 1960s. The Great Depression between 1929 and 1940 caused major unemployment and poverty in many civilized countries, also forcing quite some people to start a life in crime. The "Dust Bowl" generated a desertification of the Midwest. Germany was particularly struck hard, because the country was still paying huge war debts to other countries, causing mass poverty and the ideal atmosphere for Nazism to gain voters. Many countries during this time period suffered under either Nazism, Fascism or Communism. From 1933 on Jewish, homosexual, Romani and left wing people were already persecuted in Nazi Germany, at the same time disagreeing in anything with Stalin meant a one-way ticket to Siberia. War was already brewing in Europe and the Far East, when Japan invaded China and South East Asia. Many countries were still colonies, which wasn't a great deal for the natives there. Afro-Americans were still second class citizens and the Ku Klux Klan was still quite powerful in many political circles.

The '40s and World War II, the time where the entire world was united against a common evil foe and soldiers could still fight a just cause. Everybody worked together to defeat the Nazis or Japanese, while enjoying great Hollywood films and jazz and big band records on the radio. Not taken in account: Not everyone was united against the Axis. Numerous people (even Lindbergh and Ford) didn't consider Nazism or Fascism anything bad or felt their country should stay neutral in the war. During the occupations many people on both sides were arrested, deported, and/or murdered. People couldn't trust anyone, because your neighbor might be a Nazi collaborator or a spy who would turn you in to the authorities. The Nazis banned American and English music and films in Europe, so you could get in big trouble if you tried. Also, you know, there was a big war on. Millions of young soldiers were drafted and died on the battlefield, cities were bombed and occupied by enemy armies, you could die any day, shortages were rife.

The '50s: The last truly great time period in history. Music, films, politicians were nice, clean and decent. There was a general optimistic feeling about the future, exemplified in sunny fashions, interiors and technology. The youth enjoyed some great rock 'n' roll on their transistor radios and the early TV shows show how happy and pleased everybody was. Not taken in account: the Cold War, the Red Scare, anti-communist witch hunts, the Korean War, the French Indochina War, many European countries tried violently oppressing the inevitable independence of their colonies, Afro-Americans were still second-rate citizens in the USA and had to fight for human rights, homosexuals were forced to keep their sexual identity silent in many countries, the traditional role of women as housewives was still encouraged in many Western countries, a lot of music in the hit parade was still the bland, square, formulaic and sappy crooner music popular since the 20s, adults were scared of early rock 'n' roll and actually did everything to suppress the youth from listening to it and becoming teenage delinquents, the TV shows and films of that decade were so escapist that they ignored every controversial element.

The '60s and The '70s, a great time when everybody was a beatnik or a hippie and enjoyed fantastic rock music, marijuana, LSD and free love. People chased bad guys with their own hands with cool funk and disco music playing in the background. The young demonstrated for more democratic rights and everything changed for the better. Not taken in account: the older generation looked down upon hippies, the Vietnam War cost many lives, The Cuba Missile Crisis nearly caused a nuclear war between the USA and USSR, Afro-Americans still had to fight for civil rights, just like today there were just as much idealistic but naïve demonstrators who merely wasted time smoking pot instead of actually doing something, drug casualties were just as rampant back then as they are today, people took the law on their hands because of the alarming crime rates, not helped by the extreme corruption of police forces, psychedelic rock, funk and disco are now confined to sit in the shadow of both rock-and-roll and modern pop music, to the point that for decades, these were considered as the most cheesy genres created by man, [[not all demonstrators were pacifistic in their approach and it's an open question whether everything actually changed for the better.

The '80s: Oh yes. A great decade for pop culture after the sordid '70s and before everything went to the gutter in the '90s: Everybody felt a bright future coming along, as demonstrated by good TV shows, groundbreaking technology, computers and videogames, colorful clothing, simple yet catchy pop music and finally a TV channel that showed your favorite bands 24/7. The Cold War came to an end, the Berlin Wall and Apartheid fell. Not taken in account: The early 1980s had many people fear the Cold War wasn't going to end well. The Latin American debt crisis. President Reagan wanted more nuclear missiles in Europe, envisioned the Star Wars defense system and the "Evil Empire" speech reflected the "Red Scare" at a time "the Bomb" was still making everybody nervous. The Cold War, Berlin Wall and Apartheid did fall, but only near the end of the decade. Unemployment and economic crisis were a huge problem in many Western countries in the early years of the decade and the high speculation led to a bubble which fatigued in 1987 and burst in 1989. AIDS caused many victims because governments were slow to inform the general public on this disease as most people at first dismissed as just a problem for blacks, gays and drug users. TV shows and movies were extremely escapist and PCs and video games were prohibitively expensive. MTV did bring music videos on TV, but the downside was that how a pop star looked and danced became more important than the music, which was now created by computers, becoming increasingly sappy and repetitive as samples became the norm, becoming a disadvantage for those who still wanted to use actual instruments, chords and tunes. Metal and rap were seen as crime-mongering and even "satanic" as a whole. Also drugs went artificial during this time, turning Florida into a Crapsaccharine World. The nuclear power plant explosion in Chernobyl caused another major fear among people about the dangers of nuclear power.

The '90s and The Aughts: Dude. The Cold War has ended, and though some pesky Arabs (and some nutcases in the West) will try to blow people up and some Central European countries will be at each other's throats, there is peace at last! Outsourcing has lifted the West from the heavy load of manual work for good and turn to technology, and anyways, isn't the Internet wonderful? Society and culture are now free to break all imposed boundaries: Music has become more authentic with the arrival of rap, hip-hop, grunge and pop-punk. TV and movies now address modern issues instead of being stuck in those stodgy 50s and 60s. Politicians at last agree on stuff and generally get along. Whatever. Not taken in account: While a couple of years in the late 1990s were quite peaceful, the years before were marked by the extremely chaotic rearrangement of the former Warsaw Pact nations and the decade after was dominated by the Iraq War and memories of 9/11. The "technological revolution" ultimately never became the boon it was supposed to be: Economically, the exodus of manufacturing jobs forced the middle class to live on debt, which would give way to an economic meltdown by the end of the 2000s while privacy would gradually become a major source of concern as personal data became readily accessible. During the 1990s, the Internet was very expensive and was the province of businessmen and geeks while during the following decade, online downloads and chatrooms became incendiary topics. Grunge and "gangsta rap" were better known at their peak for the demise of several of their stars than for the music while hip-hop and pop-punk would be regarded in retrospective as trashy as the bubblegum pop that dominated the late 90s. By increasingly appealing to the trendy set, TV and film became increasingly shallow. While ideological differences became a thing of the past, politics became more self-serving and conflicts became pettier. As a result, people began to feel a sense of disconnection, which eventually led to the rise of strongly ideological populist movements.

SOURCE:

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NostalgiaAintLikeItUsedToBe

EXTRA: IN THE DISTANT YEAR OF 2045.

The New '10s and New '20s : Remember that meme? Do you have a Harriet doll? I need her to complet my My Little Poney: Friendship is Magic and Equestria Girls collection. Do you want to exchange her for my Fluttershy doll? Oh, do you like Lady Gaga? Her music was so deep. “Oppan Gangnam style. Gangnam style. Op, op, op, op oppan Gangnam style. Gangnam style. Op, op, op, op oppan Gangnam style. Eh sexy lady. Op, op, op, op oppan Gangnam style. Ehh sexy lady, oh, oh. Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh”. Oh, i love your funko pop of Baby Groot!  “ Gotta get that. Gotta get that. Gotta get that. Gotta get that that that. Boom boom boom (Gotta get that). Boom boom boom (Gotta get that). Boom boom boom (Gotta get that). Boom boom boom. (Gotta get that) Boom boom boom. That boom boom boom. That boom boom boom. Boom boom boom”. Avengers Assemble! 

Not taken in account: The Syrian refugee crisis. The burning of the Amazon jungle. Donald Trump as the american president. Jair Bolsonaro as the brazilian president. The Covid-19 Pandemic. Navy oil in the beachs of the brazilian north east. The Brazilian Cinematheque getting closed. Height of murders of LGBTQ in Brazil. Disney monopolizing the american TV an Movie Industry.

@theroguefeminist @ardenrosegarden @witches-ofcolor @mademoiselle-princesse @butterflyslinky @anghraine @notangryenough @musicalhell @rollingthunder06 @graf-edel-weiss @princesssarisa @culturalrebel @irreplaceable-ecstasyy @im-captain-basch @iphisquandary @jonpertwee

[eugenesmorphine]

Savior // Buck Compton Imagine

Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault, swearing, Rape

We had just arrived in Belgium. Here we were in Bastogne. Snow covered the ground and our foxholes. I don't think I have ever felt this cold in my entire life. And I had just gotten to this forest along with the rest of Easy Company. Sitting in foxholes, watching the line, running from German artillery in the freezing cold down, day in and day out, was going to the companies and I's life for what seems a while. 

I sighed as I trudged around Bostogne, walking past destroyed foxholes and perfectly fine ones that my closest friends sat in. I smiled and talked with a few, not really paying attention to where I was going. I slammed head on into someone, which this person was big and sturdy enough that I fell completely backwards and right onto my ass. My helmet fell in front of my face. I was a stupid female replacement that just bumped into a big guy that I had no idea who he was. I lifted the front of my hard helmet out of my line of vision and looked up. I was met with the piercing blue eyes of what I believe to Lieutenant. Oh god. Oh shit. I stood up faster than I ever have in my life, my twenty year old mind running faster than it had ever ran before. I gulped, picking up my rifle and standing in front of the officer. 

"Sir, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to run into you like that, I just wasn't paying attention. Oh god I'm going to be written up for insubordination," I rambled, my anxiety levels rising. I scanned over his body quickly for any injuries out of spite, even though I was the one who fell back and he still stood there built like a stone wall. I looked back into his face, a small smile was there and a soft chuckle left his lips. My anxiety decreased slightly as I stopped rambling and swallowed.

"No need to panic Corporal L/N," he said, raising his hand slightly in a way to tell me to relax. How did he even know who I was, I was just another replacement. "Say, aren't you the new Female replacement that was the top of her class?" He asked, he seemed pretty nice. I smiled softly. I stood at attention to answer the officer, but before I could speak a word he stopped me. "Relax L/N, no need to be like that with me," he said kindly. I relaxed my body, slinging my rifle's strap back over my shoulder.

"Yes sir, I am the first female to be in the airbourne sir, and I graduated top of my basic training and airborne school sir," I had a proud look on my face. I was really proud of myself. I defied the minds of hundreds of thousands of people. Being a woman in this world, it was thought that I belonged in the kitchen, cooking, cleaning, having kids and being a stay at home wife. I wanted nothing to do with that future. I had my own future. I was meant to be different and change the futures for people. Not just women in America, but the poor people suffering in this war. I made it through Basic Training and Airbourne, getting away from the mistreatment and denial for my gender. Hell, my family disowned me for making my decision to join. But, being true to myself and many others around the world and going into the future, I was proud of myself. 

"I'm Buck Compton, it is nice to meet you Miss L/N. But I gotta get going, I'll see you around," he said nicely and respectfully. He gave my hand a shake and slight nod and carried on walking past me. My hand tingles for a few moments after his hand left mine. It was a strange feeling that I didn't quite understand at that moment. And without the understanding of the feeling, I just pushed the thought away, not thinking anything of it.

A week has passed since we have been in Bastogne. German Artillery has been the worst thing on our Company as of right now. So many casualties. But with the rate of how many times they kept blowing up the fucking trees around all of us, it became almost normal. Sad to say right? Either way, I had gotten close with a good amount of men now. I've gotten close with Buck, Leibgott, Malarkey, Muck, Penkala, Babe Hefferon, and a few others. They were all very kind to me. Of course they flirted, but it was all in good fun. I hope.

I was currently in a foxhole with Babe. Him and I got close together, no in any weird way, but only to keep warm. We had been awake and talking for most of the night. Babe and I often did this, it cured out large feelings of boredom. Most of the time. In the middle of this conversation, I had the sudden urge to pee. I groaned slightly, not wanting to get up and get out of the foxhole to walk to wherever. I sighed as I moved away from Babe, I heard him whine and look up at me. The harsh cold air hit me as the heat from Babe's body left mine. I stretched slightly, soon grabbing my rifle and placing my helmet on my head. 

"Where are you going Y/N?" Asked Babe, he began to get up to. "I have to pee Babe, you can stay here. Plus I want my privacy," I responded, getting ready to step out of my foxhole. I looked over to Babe who stood up, looking at me. "You sure you don't want a battle buddy?" He asked nicely. He wasn't trying to be creepy, but his voice had a hint of protectiveness in his voice. I chuckled slightly. "I'm sure Babe. And if you don't leave me alone so I can go pee, I'm going to throw my shovel at you," I said jokingly. He laughed slightly and put his hands up in surrender. I shook my head slightly, chuckling once more before stepping out of the foxhole.

I began walking into the woods, keeping a mental note of where I was walking and where I walked from. I kept trudging through the slow, rubbing my hands on my upper arms in attempts to keep myself warm. It seemed to be much colder deeper into the forest, which I thought was strange or just a stupid thought. I realized that I was pretty much far enough that no one could see me. I did one more scan of the area, making sure. And once I was confident that no one would be able to see me doing my business, I began undoing ny belt. My focus was on my belt, so much so I didn't realize the lone German soldier creeping up in front of me. And when I realized him, it was too late.

The Kraut charged at me, but not with his weapon. He tackled me to the ground, but didn't aim to shoot me or stab me. What the hell was he doing? I struggled underneath him, my helmet falling off and rolling to the side in the struggle. I felt his knuckles connect with my temple. It put me into one hard daze. Everything was fuzzy and I couldn't even fight off or comprehend the fact that he was fumbling and pulling off my belt. Oh my god. Oh my god. He-he is, oh my god, I'm so fucked. 

I cried out, wanting, needing help. The Kraut looped on hand in the hem of my trousers and one slapped harshly on my mouth, blocking out my screams. And with that action of his, i bit his hand. I bit so hard I could feel the blood leave his hand and stick to my lips. When he yanked his hand away and swore in German, I screamed. I've never screamed louder in my life. Crying out for help. The German's already knew our positions. If they didn't, they wouldn't be bombing us as often or as bad. My screams and cries were cut short by another hard punch to the temple. This time, it was much harder. I could feel my world spinning. My struggling became weaker. And with this, the Kraut's grasp became stronger and vicious. His lips connected with my neck, oh how disgusting it felt. I couldn't get myself out of that dazed state. I could feel the Kraut begin to slide off my pants, but a loud shot rang off, leaving a loud ringing in my ears. It was all I could hear. And all I could see was a bullet enter the side of the German Soldier's head and exit out on the other side. As if it was in slow motion. I could feel the splatter of blood spray across my face, making me flinch as the warm, thick liquid of a young German soldier dripped down my face. The Kraut's now lifeless body fell limply on my body. On hand still gripped tightly on the hem of my bands, and his head still in the crook of his neck. I laid stiff in still. I laid in shock. Tears welled in my eyes, but I wanted to keep them contained. This all started and ended so quickly. My head was still pounding and my world was still spinning. What had happened. What was going on. I couldn't get my strength or the will power to push the dead Kraut off of me. I could hear the shouts of a few men, the voices all sounded familiar. They screamed to get the godforsaken Kraut of my small frame and get me to Doc Roe. 

I felt the weight of the dead man be lifted off of me. I just stared straight into the sky, my mouth moving as if words were leaving my lips, but no words came out. I was still frozen. That was until a loud, booming voice that was calling my name. "Y/N! Y/N look at me, you're okay! Come on, let's get you up," it was Leibgott. I could tell by his unique voice and when he went to help me up, I could see his sincere face. My legs were weak, I could barely stand. Perhaps the Kraut had done much more than I thought he was doing. Shock does some crazy things. I felt him hike up my trousers and pick me up, carrying me gently. "Buck and some others could hear you screaming there Y/N, you shouldn't have gone off by yourself. You're fine Y/N, everything is where it should be," he said softly. You could hear the concern in his voice as he whipped off the now nearly dried blood off my face using his thumb. I heard him let out a soft chuckle. I placed my now very sore temple on his chest softly. "Buck was so worried about you. You have no idea how mad and angry he was, he was the one that shot that Kraut. He told me to get you while he sprinted to go get Doc," Leibgott said. My mind finally began to process what had happened. What was done to me? A few quiet and sniffled sobs left my lips as my tears couldn't be contained any longer. Maybe this is why they didn't want women in the army. Or any branch of that matter. Maybe this is why they didn't want me in the field. Oh god. I got to stop thinking.

I was carried to the medical tent and I stayed there alone for a while after I had been questioned by Winters and such and Doc Roe came and did all of the things needed for this type of “problem”. I sat alone and just sat quietly, still trying to process what had just happened to me. I was pulled right out of my thoughts by a softer, but loud voice that said my name. I turned my head to meet the man who had exclaimed my name, meeting the gaze of Buck. I smiled slightly, trying to act as if I was completely fine and I wasn’t just as confused and drained as I was. He gave me a nod as his lips pressed together into a line. He took off his helmet and walked towards the cot I had been sitting on. My legs swung to one side as I had been swinging my legs back and forth as I sat and continued thinking.

“Hey Y/N, how are you holding up?” Buck asked, his voice slightly awkward. But it had a tinge of sincerity laced in his words. I nodded slightly, not really knowing about how I was holding up. Hell, I was still trying to figure out what happened to me. I can’t remember half of the things. The shock of it all kind of just made me blank out. 

"I'm fine,"I stated, looking over at him. He looked over at me and gave me a look that said; 'Seriously?' I chewed on my lip and looked away. I didn't know if I wanted to talk about how I truly felt or not. At this moment, I just didn't know how to express anything. With the time of me silently staring off at a wall, I thought I would hear Buck's boots leave the Medic tent. But to my surprise, I felt his arms wrap around my small frame. I was shocked by the action at first, but I slowly placed my arms around his neck. And I think in that moment, I think everything that had happened, really hit me. Tears welled in the brims of my eyes. I wanted to cry out, but instead I just placed my face into his neck and tears quietly slipped down my cheeks. He just made his grasp tighter. In these moments, Buck and I grew closer in different ways. Ways I couldn't yet understand or explain.

//////

A couple weeks had passed. It may have been a month. I don't really know in all honesty. It was difficult to keep track of the days that passed within Bastogne. But oh well. Buck and I have gotten much closer throughout the weeks. I have grown a little crush on him. But, I know he has a girl back in his hometown, so I didn't try anything. Even though I was a little sad. Buck and I didn't flirt, unless I didn't notice certain things, but after the German Soldier Incident, he has an eye on me at all times. He isn't too far to which he can't see me I've noticed. Either that or he has trusted men like Joe Leibgott or Toye, or one of those guys tk be with me at all times. Which I appreciated, but I was also embarrassed in the slightest. 

So it was currently a Tuesday night, the already frigid temperatures of Bastogne have dropped even lower. I was going to replace Malarkey who was in his foxhole. Winters needed to see him for whatever reason. I walked to the foxhole and saw Crompton lying curled up next to Malarkey, I could feel my heartbeat raise. I swallowed hard as I told Malarkey where he was needed and watched as the paratrooper jumped out of the foxhole and walked in the directions where most of the officers were. I hopped into the foxhole and sat down, shivering slightly at the brisk air that hit my face. I glanced over at Buck, his eyes and face seemed slightly sad. He looked straight in front of him, not really looking over at me. He usually is nice and talkative when it was just me and him. There was something wrong and or something happened. I gave him a slight concerning look. He looked over at me and I watched as a small chuckle left his lips and how he closed his eyes softly.

“I guess you are a little worried about me?” he said, his voice sounded sad. My face softened. The day after he found me and killed that German soldier, he was always in sight of me. Now, these past couple days, he was just distant. Not even just from me, but from his other close friends as well. It was making us all a little sad. I just stared at him, not answering his question. The look I was giving him seemed to answer his question well enough. “My girl, she sent me a letter. She says she is done with me,” He chuckled sadly. I saw tears in his eyes, he looked so broken. I could feel my heart slowly breaking. He kept his gaze away from mine, staring off into the dark and cold forest. I scooted closer to him. Understanding the heartbreak he was going through. I had a boyfriend of four years before I joined the Airbourne. And right before I left for Bootcamp, he broke things off with me. I know the feeling he was getting. I didn’t know what words to use, so I just wrapped my arms around the shivering man. I rubbed his shoulder slightly, showing that I was feeling bad for him. 

A week has passed since Buck and I had that moment in the foxhole. And recently, to my knowledge and others as well, Buck began flirting with me. Which my dumbass couldn’t comprehend until someone had mentioned and pointed it out to me. I was actually quite happy with finding out this information, I had been interested in Buck for a while now. Now here we were, flirting and such. I was scared he was just using me as a rebound, but maybe we will have to wait and see. 

Buck and I walked together through Bastogne, laughing softly at each other’s jokes. I noticed some of the looks the two of us were receiving. I ignored them and continued walking and talking. We had reached a foxhole. It was quiet for once, we were slightly away from everyone else, it was quite relaxing. Buck and I continued talking for a while, just happily enjoying our own company. It was all going well until an all too familiar sound began. German artillery. The ground shook, the trees fell, screams and shouts rang off, my heart raced and my head pounded, when was this going to end? When could we leave? I wanted out. I clung onto Buck, my nails digging into his jacket. My face was buried in his chest. My eyes kept flashing between the days of the Artillery fire and the day that Kraut attacked me. My eyes brimmed with tears as I gripped tighter to Buck. I felt his arms wrap tightly around me, his warm body radiating onto mine. My tears began to drip down my face, my cries not being able to be heard from the loud Artillery fire. Buck’s grip on my torso had tightened.

Once the bombs had stopped, my low cries could be heard. Buck was trying to hush my soft cries. It was working slightly. I pulled away from his hug, wiping my eyes, sniffling as I looked around. Some bodies were littered on the ground. I want to go home. I want my mom. I want my dad. I miss my dogs. Buck held me as I shivered. Not just from the cold air, but from the anxiety. 

“Relax Doll, You’re safe,” he spoke softly. My breathing slowed as I began to relax. I started to realize where I was. I was in Bastogne, in a foxhole with Buck Compton. I looked up at him, my eyes softened. His eyes looked just as scared as mine. I watched as he slowly leaned down. What was he doing. Oh my god. I watched his eyes close. It was happening. I closed my eyes and felt his lips press against mine. And oh my god was it worth it coming to fight this stupid, awful war for the feeling it gave me to kiss this man. My heart was full, my face was burning, my hands cupped his face. He pulled me closer and I wrapped my arms tight around his neck. I felt safe here with Buck. He pulled away and gave me a soft smile. I returned the smile.

“I’m okay.”

[englishchinesetranslations]

Tulsi Gabbard: Wake Up And Smell Our $6.4 Trillion Wars

REALISM & RESTRAINT

Tulsi Gabbard: Wake Up And Smell Our $6.4 Trillion Wars

Meanwhile, her fellow Democrats appear abysmally unconcerned about the human and financial toll.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard in August 2019. (Flickr/Creative Commons/Gage Skidmore)

NOVEMBER 29, 2019

DOUG BANDOW

The Democratic establishment is increasingly irritated. Representative Tulsi Gabbard, long-shot candidate for president, is attacking her own party for promoting the “deeply destructive” policy of “regime change wars.” Gabbard has even called Hillary Clinton “the queen of warmongers, embodiment of corruption, and personification of the rot that has sickened the Democratic Party.”

Senator Chris Murphy complained: “It’s a little hard to figure out what itch she’s trying to scratch in the Democratic Party right now.” Some conservatives seem equally confused. The Washington Examiner’s Eddie Scarry asked: “where is Tulsi distinguishing herself when it really matters?”

The answer is that foreign policy “really matters.” Gabbard recognizes that George W. Bush is not the only simpleton warmonger who’s plunged the nation into conflict, causing enormous harm. In the last Democratic presidential debate, she explained that the issue was “personal to me” since she’d “served in a medical unit where every single day, I saw the terribly high, human costs of war.” Compare her perspective to that of the ivory tower warriors of Right and Left, ever ready to send others off to fight not so grand crusades.

The best estimate of the costs of the post-9/11 wars comes from the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University. The Institute says that $6.4 trillion will be spent through 2020. They estimate that our wars have killed 801,000 directly and resulted in a multiple of that number dead indirectly. More than 335,000 civilians have died—and that’s an extremely conservative guess. Some 21 million people have been forced from their homes. Yet the terrorism risk has only grown, with the U.S. military involved in counter-terrorism in 80 nations.

Obviously, without American involvement there would still be conflicts. Some counter-terrorism activities would be necessary even if the U.S. was not constantly swatting geopolitical wasps’ nests. Nevertheless, it was Washington that started or joined these unnecessary wars (e.g., Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Yemen) and expanded necessary wars well beyond their legitimate purposes (Afghanistan). As a result, American policymakers bear responsibility for much of the carnage.

The Department of Defense is responsible for close to half of the estimated expenditures. About $1.4 trillion goes to care for veterans. Homeland security and interest on security expenditures take roughly $1 trillion each. And $131 million goes to the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, which have overspent on projects that have delivered little.

More than 7,000 American military personnel and nearly 8,000 American contractors have died. About 1,500 Western allied troops and 11,000 Syrians fighting ISIS have been killed. The Watson Institute figures that as many as 336,000 civilians have died, but that uses the very conservative numbers provided by the Iraq Body Count. The IBC counts 207,000 documented civilian deaths but admits that doubling the estimate would probably yield a more accurate figure. Two other respected surveys put the number of deaths in Iraq alone at nearly 700,000 and more than a million, though those figures have been contested.

More than a thousand aid workers and journalists have died, as well as up to 260,000 opposition fighters. Iraq is the costliest conflict overall, with as many as 308,000 dead (or 515,000 from doubling the IBC count). Syria cost 180,000 lives, Afghanistan 157,000, Yemen 90,000, and Pakistan 66,000.

Roughly 32,000 American military personnel have been wounded; some 300,000 suffer from PTSD or significant depression and even more have endured traumatic brain injuries. There are other human costs—4.5 million Iraqi refugees and millions more in other nations, as well as the destruction of Iraq’s indigenous Christian community and persecution of other religious minorities. There has been widespread rape and other sexual violence. Civilians, including children, suffer from PTSD.

Even stopping the wars won’t end the costs. Explained Nita Crawford of Boston University and co-director of Brown’s Cost of War Project: “the total budgetary burden of the post-9/11 wars will continue to rise as the U.S. pays the on-going costs of veterans’ care and for interest no borrowing to pay for the wars.”

People would continue to die. Unexploded shells and bombs still turn up in Europe from World Wars I and II. In Afghanistan, virtually the entire country is a battlefield, filled with landmines, shells, bombs, and improvised explosive devices. Between 2001 and 2018, 5,442 Afghans were killed and 14,693 were wounded from unexploded ordnance. Some of these explosives predate American involvement, but the U.S. has contributed plenty over the last 18 years.

Moreover, the number of indirect deaths often exceeds battle-related casualties. Journalist and activist David Swanson noted an “estimate that to 480,000 direct deaths in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan, one must add at least one million deaths in those countries indirectly caused by the recent and ongoing wars. This is because the wars have caused illnesses, injuries, malnutrition, homelessness, poverty, lack of social support, lack of healthcare, trauma, depression, suicide, refugee crises, disease epidemics, the poisoning of the environment, and the spread of small-scale violence.” Consider Yemen, ravaged by famine and cholera. Most civilian casualties have resulted not from Saudi and Emirati bombing, but from the consequences of the bombing.

Only a naif would imagine that these wars will disappear absent a dramatic change in national leadership. Wrote Crawford: “The mission of the post-9/11 wars, as originally defined, was to defend the United States against future terrorist threats from al-Qaeda and affiliated organizations. Since 2001, the wars have expanded from the fighting in Afghanistan, to wars and smaller operations elsewhere, in more than 80 countries—becoming a truly ‘global war on terror’.”

Yet every expansion of conflict makes the American homeland more, not less, vulnerable. Contrary to the nonsensical claim that if we don’t occupy Afghanistan forever and overthrow Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, al-Qaeda and ISIS will turn Chicago and Omaha into terrorist abattoirs, intervening in more conflicts and killing more foreigners creates additional terrorists at home and abroad. In this regard, drone campaigns are little better than invasions and occupations.

For instance, when questioned by the presiding judge in his trial, the failed 2010 Times Square bomber, Faisal Shahzad, a U.S. citizen, cited the drone campaign in Pakistan. His colloquy with the judge was striking: “I’m going to plead guilty 100 times forward because until the hour the U.S. pulls its forces from Iraq and Afghanistan and stops the drone strikes in Somalia and Yemen and in Pakistan and stops the occupation of Muslim lands and stops Somalia and Yemen and in Pakistan, and stops the occupation of Muslim lands, and stops killing the Muslims.”

Ajani Marwat, with the New York City Police Department’s intelligence division, outlined Shahzad’s perspective to The Guardian: “’It’s American policies in his country.’ …’We don’t have to do anything to attract them,’ a terrorist organizer in Lahore told me. ‘The Americans and the Pakistani government do our work for us. With the drone attacks targeting the innocents who live in Waziristan and the media broadcasting this news all the time, the sympathies of most of the nation are always with us. Then it’s simply a case of converting these sentiments into action’.”

Washington does make an effort to avoid civilian casualties, but war will never be pristine. Combatting insurgencies inevitably harms innocents. Air and drone strikes rely on often unreliable informants. The U.S. employs “signature” strikes based on supposedly suspicious behavior. And America’s allies, most notably the Saudis and Emiratis—supplied, armed, guided, and until recently refueled by Washington—make little if any effort to avoid killing noncombatants and destroying civilian infrastructure.

Thus will the cycle of terrorism and war continue. Yet which leading Democrats have expressed concern? Most complain that President Donald Trump is negotiating with North Korea, leaving Syria, and reducing force levels in Afghanistan. Congressional Democrats care about Yemen only because it has become Trump’s war; there were few complaints under President Barack Obama.

What has Washington achieved after years of combat? Even the capitals of its client states are unsafe. The State Department warns travelers to Iraq that kidnapping is a risk and urges businessmen to hire private security. In Kabul, embassy officials now travel to the airport via helicopter rather than car.

Tulsi Gabbard is talking about what really matters. The bipartisan War Party has done its best to wreck America and plenty of other nations too. Gabbard is courageously challenging the Democrats in this coalition, who have become complicit in Washington’s criminal wars.

Doug Bandow is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and a former special assistant to President Ronald Reagan. He is the author ofForeign Follies: America’s New Global Empire.

[savedpeople]

Villainous meme: 2, 3, and 4 👀

Questions about villainous muses | Accepting | @stardewaddict

2. Despite their villainy, does your muse subscribe to some sort of ethical/honor code that guides their behavior?

Yeah. He never kills unless it’s necessary, he hates pointless death and aims to lose as few lives as possible since his whole thing is saving people. Of course, as a Savior his idea of what’s “necessary” is incredibly skewed so plenty of deaths that felt pointless to us seemed necessary in some way to him. The same goes for hurting people in general— he’s against hurting people without a reason, and sees inflicting harm on others for one’s own satisfaction to be uncivilized. And of course, again, his idea of a “good reason” is/was very different from ours. But he doesn’t put up with people hurting others for the hell of it. He also tries to avoid hurting kids.

3. When was the last time your muse cried for someone else’s sake? 

Negan isn’t much of a crier… or rather, there’s very few things that make him cry. Lucille was probably the last specific person he’s cried for. However, I do think him getting emotional under the tree at the season 8 finale could possibly fall under this category. I don’t really think he was just getting teary-eyed over Carl there, but rather over the idea of them not having to fight anymore. We saw how much he was trying to avoid having to kill everyone until it seemed like the only option, that he wanted as few casualties as possible, and there’s a deleted scene where we see him conflicted about what he’s doing; angry, losing sleep over it. He didn’t want a war. And he doesn’t start noticeably tearing up until Rick says that Carl was right in that they don’t have to fight anymore. And I think him getting emotional there was in part due to him being told they didn’t have to do this anymore, that there was a way that didn’t involve getting so many people hurt and killed. Maybe he didn’t fully realize or admit it at the time but like I mentioned above, Negan’s only okay with hurting people when it’s for a reason, when it’s for the “greater good.” And I think the realization that all the pain and death he’s inflicted on others might’ve been for nothing, that there might’ve been a better way this whole time, could be enough to bring him to tears, as it would mean he hurt and took a bunch of people’s lives for no reason. That the suffering meant nothing.

4. Are there any ethical/moral lines your muse will not cross? 

Rape is the big one. There are ways to explain a lot of the things he does, and even things like murder can have a justifiable reason to them (such as self-defense), but there is absolutely no reason for rape. None. There is no situation where it could ever be excusable. It does nothing but hurt and he does not accept it and would never force himself onto someone that way.

Other things he won’t do is kill small children (and would preferably not hurt/kill kids at all), child abuse, animal abuse, physical abuse in general when it comes to relationships. He would never hit a significant other. Like, those are things he would make a scene about if he were to ever witness someone doing any of them. There’s probably other things but those are what immediately come to mind.

[yennefers-geralt]

I really do think that part of the negativity toward Arya’s chapters is rooted in classism. Yes, Arya starts out at a place of privilege as the daughter of one of the most powerful men on the continent. But hers is the POV that focuses the most on the impact the war is having on the common people. The struggle of commoners is a major theme addressed across the books, which is very rare for any series. With Arya’s chapters, we get a front-row view into the suffering caused by the choices of the royalty and the great lords along with sympathetic responses from actual commoners. 

A criticism I saw when I used to go to discussion sites was that her story didn’t cover anything important. There were threads wondering why she had so many chapters since they didn’t contribute to the “main story”. That obviously isn’t true. But due to the subject her story revolves around in the first three novels, it’s an opinion many are reluctant to let go of. The trouble is, despite the fact that the vast majority of us reading these books are common people, most don’t care about the struggle of commoners. The idea that only the rich and powerful matter is something that’s ingrained in many real-world perspectives, so it makes sense that it would translate to perspectives about fictional works as well. So, as far as ASOIAF goes, that means only characters who are directly connected to or are in positions of power are important. 

Since Arya is the viewpoint into the victims and casualties of the political players, there has always been resistance to her being deemed an important character, in addition to negativity about her choices. That’s why we still get crap about how Arya “wasted” her death wishes on unimportant characters. Killing Tywin and the Mountain would have impacted the politics, but killing Weese and Chiswyck impacted the lives of the common people they had a direct impact on. Weese brutally beat Arya and her fellow slaves repeatedly. Chiswyck assisted with torturing people and participated in the gang rape of a child. Removing Tywin and the Moutain wouldn’t have necessarily stopped either of them. Weese, in particular, seemed to have a permanent position at Harrenhal, which gave him the power to abuse those under him whether the Lannisters were involved or not. Chiswyck would have just continued casually terrorizing people like the other monsters introduced in Arya’s chapters do. Just look at Bitter, Rorge, Raff, Shagwell, etc who are not stopped by the deaths of their leaders. 

The purpose of putting one of the highest born girls in the struggles of a commoner is to 1) illustrate that there is no true difference between people outside of social constructs and 2) to give a future player in the game understanding and empathy for the people whose lives her choices will impact. But then, there’s major resistance to Arya becoming a leader despite textual evidence and the 100% chance that she wouldn’t uphold the status quo. So...

[atreefullofstars]

I'm four episodes into The Dragon Prince. Let me start by saying it is really good in a lot of ways. I love the diversity in the cast and in the crowd scenes; shoutout for what looks to this outsider like some quality Deaf rep; overall the writers/creators seem aware of social issues and are actively trying to incorporate that into the work.

Which is why their treatment of elves versus humans is so utterly confounding.

Let’s recap: First there's a magic using race and a non magic using race. You cannot tell me that society was healthy with no prejudice or oppression based on that dichotomy. Even the fact that humans as a whole later get lumped together based on the actions of one/a few mages is proof. Humans were almost certainly oppressed in this society on the basis of the natural traits of their race.

Then this non-magic race finds a way to access magic (besides getting hold of one of, what, probably six? Or some other limited number of rare magical items which, let’s face it, they probably didn’t have access to anyway). They find a way to access magic. It requires squishing bugs.

Let’s talk about the morality of squishing bugs. Let’s talk about how absolutely morally acceptable it is. It would be all right to squish bugs just because they’re being a nuisance, let alone as a way to address an age-old divide in power between two social classes. I mean, maybe if this society is strictly vegetarian and has pre-existing traditions against slapping mosquitoes, then they’d have an argument that "dark magic" requiring squishing bugs is evil. But if anyone in this society is allowed to eat meat without it being a moral issue? Then you’d have to be a real hypocrite to suggest squishing bugs is wrong. And "dark magic” may not even require bug sacrifice! When Claudia is chained up in the magical workshop, there are baskets of ingredients--which include loose feathers. This indicates that even non-necessary body parts from magical animals generate power for “dark magic.” So even if you’re against bug squishing, you can’t possibly argue that there’s any moral problem with shearing magic sheep or picking up feathers in the woods or trimming the hooves of a magic horse or any of the other ways one could non-fatally acquire magical materials. So I’m going to stop calling it dark magic. That’s obviously political propaganda within the world of the show--instead of magic/no magic as the dichotomy, now it’s ~pure natural magic~ versus ~icky bug squishing magic~. Propaganda. So take that away. What we actually have here I’ll dub proxy magic--using the power of a creature other than yourself to generate an effect. So humans discover proxy magic. Or rather, A human or a small GROUP of humans discovers proxy magic. You cannot look at me with a straight face and tell me every single person in this society immediately had access to and fully adopted this magical practice as soon as it appeared. Mages are treated as, maybe not rare, but at least different from the general population by the characters in both human and elf societies. It wasn’t “the humans” practicing proxy magic, it was some number of individuals. And the elf response--or, I suppose, the response of the elf and dragon leadership and armies, since it’s only fair to distinguish those individuals too--the response to some individuals discovering this power is immediate violence against all humans. The issue of how many battles, how many forced marches, how many massacres is glossed over, but the process of physically driving a whole race out of an entire country is NEVER a nonviolent one. Given that humans were successfully pushed out, this was not likely a two-sided battle where humanity gave as good as it got. This was a genocidal act against humans, comparable to real-world forced marches which are some of the most morally unacceptable acts in history. And let’s revisit the issue of why. Because remember, it’s not a moral issue with proxy magic, not given the utter lack of worldbuilding to support that conclusion. The whole concept of this being inherently evil death-based magic is clearly propaganda. So what’s the actual issue? Well, if my conclusions to this point are solid, proxy magic means that a historically oppressed class is now going to remove their oppressors’ rationalization for oppression, and by every objective measure be on even footing with them. Possibly even take the high ground in terms of power. We can’t have THAT, can we? So the elves drive humans out of their homes and across what looks like hundreds of miles to the western lands. You cannot tell me that didn't involve people dying, especially children and the elderly. That’s what happens on a forced march. People lost their homes, most or all of their material possessions, they suffered, some of them died, some of them developed health conditions that stayed with them their entire lives. And then the elves and dragons stay as an active military threat at the “border” they’ve just established between humans and the rightful home of those humans. Much of the military threat came from one individual, the Dragon King. Now, lets talk about the morality of what happens next. Let’s talk about humans killing the Dragon King. First of all, the elves were the first to attack humans, beginning an active state of war, and the Dragon King is a casualty of that war ultimately no different from any other. Humans fighting back against elves and dragons can hardly be seen as less morally acceptable than elves starting all this in the first place. Also, we see that Elves have an eye-for-an-eye view of justice and accept vengeance as acceptable rationale for killing someone. Remember that forced march? Remember the death toll? Each and every individual death caused by elf and dragon military action is, by elf logic, its own moral justification for the death of the Dragon King. And let’s talk about the egg. Again, elves seem to be accepting of the idea of killing innocents as morally acceptable vengeance. Leaving aside the fact that the egg wasn’t actually destroyed, how many pregnant human women do you think miscarried due to injuries, malnutrition, physical exertion, and the stress of grief and loss while on that forced march? How many children do you think were separated from their families in the scramble and died either at the hands of elf soldiers or for reasons of starvation and exposure? How many pregnant women do you suppose were brutally raped and killed by elf soldiers, as soldiers across the globe routinely do to enemy civilians? If it’s morally acceptable to kill a human child as retribution for a dragon egg, it’s morally acceptable to destroy a dragon egg as retribution for a human child. And we have our pick of dead human children. So this show has, in fact, a pretty reasonable setup to show humans as a class oppressed by elves and struggling against that oppression. The case here is extremely clear. But that’s not how the writers have played this. Instead, we have the death of the Dragon King and the theft of his egg being treated as unparalleled atrocities. We have Rayla reacting to “monster” and stories about blood drinking as the direct equivalent of slurs and racist stereotypes in the real world. She cannot tolerate them and asks “how would you feel if someone said that about you?" Well, perhaps they’d feel the way they felt in the magical workshop when Rayla looked around at jars of bugs and lizards and said that there was nothing in humanity worth saving. Except when that happened, Rayla was a dangerous intruder in their home--the home they’d been driven to when their ancestors had their original home stolen--who was there to use her magical power to kill them and the people they loved. So no, Rayla, they don’t know what you feel like, being that powerful magical intruder pursuing innocent children through the halls of their home to punish the audacity of an oppressed and persecuted group in resisting their oppression. And meanwhile, the script never allows a human to point out the many, many, MANY wrongs elves have committed against them. The closest we get is “both sides” rhetoric. The moral treatment of humans versus elves in the worldbuilding of The Dragon Prince is absolutely wrong and reversed. Elves are not oppressed in this scenario nor do they have any reason for resenting and attacking humanity. The whole setup smacks of real world “reverse racism” complaints. It is COMPLETE nonsense, particularly in a show which is so aware when it comes to other real world social issues. I like the show and I’ll keep watching. But the worldbuilding is broken.