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ladycrimsonandblack · 7 months

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Domestic Strawhat headcanons

Because I've been craving more and more domestic Strawhats ever since the plot heated up and never stopped post-timeskip. So here, have some of my personal headcanons to help:

Technically, everyone on the ship has their own bunk. In reality, there's 50-50 chance on any given night that two or more of the boys are sleeping in a pile. Mostly, it's Luffy and Usopp, or Chopper and Zoro, but literally every combination has happened at least once.

Jimbei himself is actually a favorite napping spot for several of his crewmates. He's big and soft, and doesn't mind spending several hours lying in the shade with someone else cuddling up to him.

Zoro has been relegated to the second best napping spot after Jimbei joined the crew. He's honestly a bit offended at that.

Sanji is always the first one up to prepare breakfast, but Robin and Usopp are not far behind. They love spending their mornings together and tending to their respective plants.

Brook resumed his habit of waking everyone up with a song.

Nami and Robin enjoy drinking tea (or cocktails, depending on the mood) and eating desserts together in the afternoons. The boys know not to bother them, but sometimes Luffy or Chopper join them, unable to resist the food.

Usopp and Franky frequently tinker over new ideas together. There is a corner of the workshop specially reserved for their shared projects. Usopp is also the one who fixes the paint on Franky's body if it gets scraped off during battle.

The crew tried to hold one of those fake pirate trials when they were bored once. It didn't last long, since Luffy flat out admitted to being a pirate in front of the fake jury, and was sentenced to walk the plank. Zoro had to fish him out of water when he actually followed the sentence.

Usopp always wins all the bets. Back in East Blue, they actually made it a rule that he has to place his bets last, because nobody except Zoro wanted to bet against him. Zoro still maintains that he would've won eventually.

You remember that one movie where they held a fashion show? Yeah, that's normal. Sometimes, they even judge each other's clothing choices and give out points for great combinations. Sanji never wins.

Everyone cheats outrageously at cards. Some are better than others — Luffy and Chopper are generally regarded as lost causes, since they have no subtlety at all. Franky is only marginally better, having learned a few tricks while living with criminals. Robin is an undisputed champion, her poker face and Devil Fruit giving her an unfair advantage.

Between islands and adventures, their evenings are spent together, eating, telling stories, singing. Usopp is generally regarded as the best storyteller, but Robin, Brook and Franky can pitch in occasionally. They all sing together. It makes them feel like family, and it makes Sunny a home.

#one piece #i honestly really do miss the domestic strawhats #it was so nice to see the small moments of the crew being together and just vibing pre-timeskip #it's not that i don't love the plot focus of present one piece #but from time to time i just want to watch some found family domestic shenanigans

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citrusses · 1 year

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burn it all down (it doesn't have to be like this) drarry reclist 💣

aka the wizarding world is canonically so fucked up, what if we destroyed every system it upholds? (and then kissed?)

This list was inspired by Lots of Feelings about the midterm elections/government/systems of oppression etc. These five fics explore (in very different ways) how power corrupts, how unchecked stagnancy in social norms enables injustice, and the many forms resistance can take (mind the tags on them, most are quite heavy). I love them all. Related: VOTE IF YOU CAN, WHEN YOU CAN, EVERY YEAR.

By the Grace by @letteredlettered (T, 140k)

Once a war was won, it should stay won. Once one made progress, one should stay ahead. Instead, twenty years later, the losers were all coming back, the losses were being lost again.

A perfect fic about the refusal of systems of power to change, and the courage of individuals to change in spite of them. Both Draco and Harry force themselves to grow radically and painfully in this story. While Draco’s evolution is loud and public, Harry’s is quiet and internal, and the story sets these narratives of their personal journeys against the broader shifts of magical society to posit that if individuals can evolve, maybe the rest of the world can, too.

The Beauty of Thestrals and Other Unseen Things by @writcraft (E, 63k)

Harry stares at Hermione. “You can’t send people to Azkaban for kissing.” “I’m not sending people to Azkaban for kissing,” Hermione replies, tartly. “You are.”

One of my favorite things about fiction, and fanfiction in particular, is that authors can eradicate the prejudices of our world in fantasy. If magic can be real, why shouldn't it eliminate hate?

But fiction can also hold up a mirror to the ugliness that exists in the world in which we live. Hate and homophobia are distressingly present this fic — and because of that, it feels so grounded in the world that was Harry Potter, where any explicit references to queerness happened off page, long after the books were written. This fic is set in a world where queer people are forced to exist on the margins and invisible. But it can be cathartic to take that repressive world and insist within it on the existence and the humanity of those it tries to ignore and erase. The Beauty of Thestrals does that masterfully. I wept reading this, it's painful but it's beautiful. A Young Radical's Guide to Love by @blamebrampton (T, 66k)

“I told you she was guilty,” Weasley said. “Innocent people don’t run.” “Yes they do,” said Potter, before Draco could get his voice to move past his outrage. “They run all the time if they’re frightened, and we are frightening. She’s not a threat, Percy, she’s not even a source of information about actual threats. You know I disagree with this policy and I don’t see the benefit in it.”

Such a well-paced, thrilling and moving story about the performance of justice versus actual justice, and the easy slide into authoritarianism to which democratic institutions (and "the good guys") are susceptible. Plus, I am absolutely WEAK for Harry and Draco (and friends!) against the world. any day now by @oknowkiss (E, 17k)

“Look,” Potter begins, voice low. “I know you think I’m an idiot, but I do notice things actually, and I don’t think this whole–” he flutters his hands in the air, searching for a word, “-- experiment is benefiting anyone. At least not anyone except the Minister. Did you know his approval rating jumped fifteen points after this place opened?”

It's got Drarry AND a condemnation of the criminal justice system AND a Feelings Puppet, need I say more? Draco has been interred in a "reform" program for Death Eaters, and, like in every panopticon before it, those surveyed are used and abused in service of those in power. Draco is forced to learn, once again, that there are no good choices, only those you can live with. Harry, once again, tries to fix everything himself. It's sexy, it's angsty, and it has the gall to be so fucking funny while it rips your chest open and stomps on your heart.

Modern Love by @tackytigerfic (E, 61k)

“There are over two thousand magical citizens of this country who have pledged to relinquish their magic in protest at the draconian and unjust policies of the magical government. But of course if Harry Potter doesn’t get it—” and here she does a cruelly accurate impression of Harry, which he thinks is a bit unnecessary “—then of course it can’t be worth doing.”

Hey it's pretty messed up that wizards can live for hundreds of years and have seemingly infinite resources but ignore non-magical people and let them, like, die en masse, huh? Draco thinks so! This fic is so soft and lovely, but it also will make you think about the power of protest, self-forgiveness, and sacrifice.

#like i said #a LOT of feelings today #drarry #citrus recs #drarry reclist #tackytiger #oknowkiss #blamebrampton #writcraft #lettered #PS GO VOTE #VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE #drarry fic recs

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spookyboywhump · 3 months

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I can relate to the frustration, but assuming this is about politics, I don't think "lesser of two evils" is a deep moral statement people believe in on a philosophical level, but just a way to cope with begrudgingly voting for a party that's the obvious choice given the only realistic alternative. It's a roundabout way of signaling how bad the implied "greater evil" is, and it pops up every election season, only to die down, since it's rooted in pragmatism rather than some serious moral shit. When (progressive) people in the US vote, don't they do it with an understanding that at the end of the day they'll either have to live under a government led by the "war crimes and some welfare here and there" party or the "50x the war crimes and also we need to start killing as many trans people as possible" party? Even in terms of foreign policy alone, there is not a single thing on the republican agenda that wouldn't be like, at least ten times worse (unless someone's idea of "good" is just maximizing the amount of brown people that die). And domestically? Holy shit. I don't want to spiral down into a rant on how fucked the mind of an average conservative lawmaker is, but we both know that for some marginalized people democratic rule vs. republican rule is literally life vs. death.

Just to be clear I ain’t trying to start an argument or nothing this is just my opinion on shit going on in the world.

After seeing so many people say “I know he’s committing genocide and I don’t like it either but you HAVE to vote for Biden, you HAVE to vote for the lesser of two evils” I cannot take it anymore. After seeing people yell “four more years” over people protesting an actual genocide I cannot take it anymore. I am tired of Biden being treated like he can do no wrong, and any wrong he does do should be ignored simply because “Trump Worse™️”.

I have reached the point where I don’t give a shit who wins the presidency, I care about pretty much everything under that down to small local elections. It ain’t really that I’m one of those people who thinks voting Doesn’t Work, I think it can, I think people need to worry about more than just who becomes president though. I think both candidates are evil, and I want the people who represent me and my state to be there when they’re committing evil to speak out against it. I want smaller politicians who actually have to listen to the people voting for them to run in the best interests of those like me and I want them in power in whatever office they’re running for. I think people put all their effort into the presidential candidates and ignore other elections that can still make change, even just in their home town.

I personally however cannot put my support behind this bastard after watching all this. I am tired of watching people defend him, when he wants to bypass all this shit to send weapons to Israel it’s whatever, but when it comes to Roe v Wade being overturned, when it comes to states trying to criminalize transgender people existing at all, when it comes to kids in cages, suddenly he’s “doing his best” and he “doesn’t actually have that much power”. I find this to be a somewhat selfish take given the severity of things in Gaza and other places but all that money he’s sending to Israel could work fucking miracles for those vulnerable minority populations here. Everything I was told to fear would happen in 2016 has happened since 2020. Everything we were told would be fixed in 2020 was swept under the rug and any criticisms of it were met with “Oh, so you’d rather have Trump as president???”.

I’m a mixed Mexican transgender man. I live in Texas. I’m capable of bearing children. I am becoming more disabled by the day since October of 2023. And I don’t trust neither presidential candidate to protect me and those like me, I don’t trust neither one as far as I could throw them. I know people are gonna vote for Biden anyway, I can’t realistically tell people what to do and who to vote for, but I do think we have a responsibility to hold him accountable, we should speak up against war crimes, as long as he’s saying the US stands with Israel, we need to be shouting that we sure as fuck do not. We cannot continue to let this fear of trump hypothetically becoming president make us feel like we have to look the other way when this president is currently, actively helping to commit genocide.

#there’s my political rant #that’s just how I feel about shit I guess #I think the two party system sucks and I think the two candidates should [for legal reasons this part was redacted]#I really ain’t trying to start an argument I’m just giving my position on matters at hand #not whump

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rpgchoices · 1 month

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Sometimes I really want to read a short summary of what to expect from a game with a very particular description that CATER to my OWN SPECIFIC interests, so here we go.

(click here for other videogames)

what to expect from SUNDAY GOLD

Adventure, point-and-click, exploration and turn based combat game

You mainly play as Frank, a sort of ex-criminal who gets contacted by his old partner in crime Sally

Through the game you control Frank (whose main abilities are lockpicking, leadership-morale boosting and analysis), Sally (whose main abilities are mainly physical, plus healing) and Gavin (hacker, chemical, explosives)

Set in a futuristic dystopian London, you will need to explore a company and finds their dangerous secrets (I won't add any spoilers)

The game is linear, choices are mainly just ways to solve puzzles but the final result is the same

The game involves exploration, picking items, solving puzzles and problems with items combinations and investigation

There are three mini games for lockpicking, hacking and using strength to move stuff

The accessibility function is really strange, it makes lockpicking marginally easier and it makes the strength mini game far too easy, but at least there is an accessibility function for these three mini games

The game works with AP and turn based, even during exploration. Each character will have about 7 action points, doing actions spend a point, finishing the points ends the turn which might result in a fight (given you are a criminal and infiltrating, guards might catch you)

Fighting is also turn based and I found it pretty hard (there is no change of difficulty for fighting). You will also gain special attacks with levelling up

Dialogue is mainly visual-novel like, and there are no choices, you mainly follow the dialogue to find out about plot information

The whole game is voiced

Each of the three characters has a health bar and a morale bar, anxious-inducing situations will make you lose morale

The characters are pretty interesting, and interact a lot, I'd say their relationship is my favorite thing even if it is more explored in the first part of the game

The whole game is 3 chapters

I did find a lot of the fights quite frustrating, not because particularly hard but because long and frequent, especially in chapter 3

plot? Gavin has been recently fired from his job at a powerful company and he hires Sally and Frank to investigate what is going on in the company behind experimentally modified dogs for dogs fighting. gameplay? point-and-click adventure with exploration and puzzle, fighting but also exploration are turn-based with limited AP and fights can arise at every turn ending characters? Frank, Sally and Gavin are basically the only characters in the game, the rest are two villains who are pretty flat sadness level? low

#sunday gold #what to expect

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awellboiledicicle · 8 months

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Larian confirmed Astarion is 5'9", and i hc Anders as 6'4" [as he is tol] and i need you all to know that 7" difference is giving me brain static.

Largely because Anders tends to lean forward when he talks, kinda bending down a little to be closer to other people's height. Not on purpose or anything, he just does it as a habit after all the elves and dwarves that came through his clinic.

Now, why does this give me brain static?

Because Astarion is very much posturing most of the time post-ship, pre-trusting you fully. A lot of this posturing is him standing with back straight as possible, slightly leaned back so he looks down at you. He does this to any player character outside the large body types, which naturally make the angle not work as well. In universe it makes for less effective posturing, out of universe the model would look weird doing it the same way for both and so he doesn't lean the same way or at least so i've noticed. Enter, Anders. Anders is a very intense man when he's just existing and he's not already fond of you. He's not intimidating per se, he's a healer-- it's very much a to business sort of air about him when he's not in a social setting. He moves a whole lot quieter than his size would imply. He stares intensely when he's waiting for a reaction to something he's said, and the follow up expression could very well be 'am deeply displeased', which tends to be intimidating. He has a spirit in his body that can and will come out and leave a swath of bloody destruction in his wake. He's a powerful magic user. He frowns a lot. His reaction to someone acting like they're better than him is to stare a hole in their skull and deadpan until the interaction is over, if he has to be polite.

What i'm saying is posturing at Anders does not work. Seduction does not get into his good graces, because it's met with a look of pity and Astarion does not do pity. Chatting about magic is marginally better, and wins him some favor-- but he picked up the magic as a way to improve his skills, not from love of study. So there's a gap.

Meanwhile Anders sees in Astarion every noble born mage ever to be escorted into the tower under their own power vs being dragged in screaming, very convinced that that made them better than everyone else. Until reality set in and they realized their lives meant as little to the Templars as any others. Until they were broken. Anders sees Astarion as a man that was broken by... something, at first he doesn't know what it is. The passes being made give him some hint of how he responded to it, though, and thus the pity. He's seen more than a fair share of mages turn to using their flesh as currency to escape the worst of the knights' misdeeds, and he's treated the aftermath of those transactions as well. It won't be for a while that he really understands why Astarion reads to him like that-- outside his passes at himself and Hawke--but whenever that convo happens with Hawke it's going to be... unsettlingly clear why he is the way he is. The total control of a vampire over its spawn would call to mind both Tranquility and blood magic, in turns. The physical inability to disobey, the person underneath it all forced to watch as they have no choice but to do as they are told. Again, pity. Again, something Astarion would hate.

The height thing is just a gateway to the interactions because it STARTS as 'ugh i cant look down at him' and is going to end out with Anders trying very hard to remember that sympathy and empathy don't need to carry pity in the message, even if you feel it.

Hawke meanwhile is over here at 5'7" just living his life. Not great with working out feelings talks because he just.. was not raised to be that open with his feelings unless it was a joke or indirect. But he always helps his friends, even if it's morally dubious. Which, given most of his friends are criminals it works out to be more dubious than strictly necessary but that's life. But loves a good banter, which is partially why Astarion likes him so much. Another part is the casual ruthless efficiency inherent in how Hawke operates. Like, sure, he'll go out of his way to help some kids, but if the objective set to him is "kill goblin leaders" the only reason every goblin between him and the leaders didn't die was because Gale suggested they might all die if he didn't take a step back and go stealthy. And, sure, they then killed all the goblins they could find. Like, hunted them down killed them all. But Astarion didn't get why until Wyll asked, and Hawke just blinked and said they were a problem. He solved the problem. Ruthless in the most clear sense of the word: point a was the problem of there being goblins in the forest. Point b, no goblins to threaten tieflings and druids. The clear, burning bright line between them? Solution: kill all goblins.

He just sort of started assuming Hawke did goody-goody stuff for some big plan, until the realization hit that no. no hawke is just very good at killing things and the good news is that helping people tends to involve killing things. By that point, though, he's warmed up to the good guy act. Somewhat. It's a process.

#handers gate au

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girlactionfigure · 1 year

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Hungarian Sister Sara

A chain-smoking journalist

Sara Salkahazi was a Hungarian Catholic religious sister who saved one hundred Jews during World War II and paid a high price for her bravery.

Born to a German family in Kassa, Hungary (now Slovakia) in 1899, Sara was described by her brother as a “tomboy with a strong will and a mind of her own.” A high-energy woman who spoke several languages, Sara worked as an elementary school teacher, a bookbinder and a hatmaker before becoming a journalist and editor of the National Christian Socialist Party of Czechoslovakia. She wasn’t particularly religious and considered herself agnostic or even atheist.

In 1929, Sara’s life changed when she discovered the Sisters of Social Service, a Catholic religious order founded in Hungary in 1923. After World War I, social upheaval and economic disaster created widespread poverty and suffering, and the SSS’s mission was to alleviate human suffering, especially among women and children. Sara attended a meeting of the group, and was deeply inspired. These women of faith were truly making a difference, and Sara knew she had to be part of it. Sara didn’t do anything in life halfway, and within a year of that first meeting, Sara took her first vows on Pentecost 1930. Her personal motto became, “Here I am; send me!”

Sara began working at the Catholic Charities office in her hometown, where she managed the bookstore, organized charitable drives, and published a magazine called “Catholic Women.” Never afraid of undertaking ambitious projects, she organized all the Catholic women’s groups into a Catholic Women’s Association. As part of this effort, Sara also started the National Girls Movement. As a working women, Sara had a particular affinity for other girls and women who worked, either out of necessity or choice. She started a women’s vocational college, a home for working girls, and a series of training courses. Meanwhile Sara continued writing, including a popular play on the life of St. Margaret of Hungary.

Unfortunately, as a chain-smoking ex-atheist journalist, Sara didn’t fit in with the other Sisters and this became a problem. The more she achieved, the more others unfairly suspected she was just trying to draw attention to herself. They doubted she truly had a vocation to lead the religious life, and they actually refused to allow her to renew her vows or to wear the habit for a year. Stung by the rejection, Sara considered leaving the order, but ultimately decided to continue her work as a Sister of Social Service, even without an official vow or a habit. She made plans to relocate to Brazil, where a Hungarian Benedictine convent was looking for Sisters to assist their mission, but before she could move, World War II broke out and Sara found a new mission, which would define the rest of her life.

As Hitler rose to power in the 1930’s, so did his close ally the Hungarian Nazi party, also known as the Arrow Cross. Around this time, as a form of protest, Sara changed her German-sounding name to the Hungarian version. The Arrow Cross’ path to power in Hungary began with recruiting the poorest and most marginalized members of society, including alcoholics, ex-cons, career criminals, sex offenders, and those with mental health issues that made it impossible to hold down a job. The Arrow Cross whipped up their followers to commit violence against Jews, intellectuals, and others who spoke out about their fascist reign of terror.

In response to the growing persecution of Jews, Sara sprang into action. She turned her Working Girls Homes into safe havens for Jews desperate to escape the Arrow Cross. She housed at least a hundred Jews in buildings belonging to the Sisters of Social Service, often right under the nose of the Gestapo. Absolutely devoted to the cause of saving Jews, Sara made a formal pledge to God to sacrifice herself if the other Sisters weren’t harmed. This text survived the war.

Tragically, Sara was betrayed by a woman working in one of the safe houses. While Sara was out, the Arrow Cross stormed the building. Sara heard about what was happening, and could have run away and stayed safe. Instead she made the fateful decision to return. Sara was arrested by the Gestapo that day, along with four Jewish women and a Christian co-worker. The six women were marched to the bank of the Danube River on December 27, 1944, where they were shot and dumped into the water. Sara’s body was never recovered. She was 45 years old.

This horrific event was kept secret until 1967, when the belated trial of some Arrow Cross members revealed the details of their crimes against humanity. Two years later, the daughter of one of the Jews killed alongside Sara nominated her to Israeli Holocaust Memorial Yad Vashem as a Righteous Gentile, and she received this posthumous honor in 1969.

In 2006, Sara was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI, who said “She was willing to assume risks for the persecuted in days of great fear. Her martyrdom is still relevant, and represents the foundations of our humanity.” Abraham Foxman, a Holocaust survivor saved by his Catholic nanny, said “The honor bestowed by Pope Benedict XVI on Sister Sara Salkahazi for risking and eventually giving her life to save Jews in peril is an important statement by the church. It is unfortunate that there were not more individuals like Sister Sara, but her example must be held up to demonstrate how lives can be saved when good people take action to confront evil.”

For sacrificing her life to save a hundred Jewish strangers, we honor Sara Salkahazi as this week’s Thursday Hero.

#Thursday Hero

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hoorelhussiny · 1 year

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Hoor Elhussiny

900212869

Khalik Allah’s Controversial Work

Khalik Allah, an infamous New York-based photographer who specializes in portrait photography, or more prominently Street Opera (Khalik Allah: Light work 2019). Khalik’s passion for photography as a child escalated into his pursuit of becoming one of the most influential and popular photographers in the world which earned him many achievements. His work is deemed to have shed light on the black community in the United States of America that have drug and substance addictions, psychological issues, health and financial issues and live under terrible housing conditions or are even homeless. He believes showcasing the marginalized community in their element would spread real awareness of the abandoned community’s presence in American society.

“Purpose in life is to extend the light into peoples’ lives” is a statement said by Khalik Allah, one with weight to its meaning. An explanation on how he found his purpose in life and that is to extend light into peoples’ lives with the assist of his camera. He believes that by using his camera he can let out and depict the positive aspects of which people tend to shrug off. A form of art that captures an individual’s pure element and enhances one’s beautiful aspects. In my opinion, I believe photography can extend the light into peoples’ lives. To further elaborate, It is with great emphasis that photography creates memories into real life moments that can depict a whole story. The greater the photograph, the greater the story and the more powerful the message is. Hence, photography is a powerful tool that can be utilized to shed light into individuals’ lives and showcase a real message.

Khalik states that a duty of a savior is “To make knowledge born”. In regards to his work, Khalik believes that photographing the people cornering the street would spread awareness of the marginalized community that has been shunned by its society and media. He believes it would positively show representation of the community that many have overlooked and given up as stated by Khalik. Although his work has gained a huge amount of attention and popularity, many were also quick to criticize his intentions and choice of photographing them. In my opinion, I believe that Khalik’s means to send the message were questionable at first to say the least. For instance, when he was shooting a woman whom he mentioned as a ‘crackhead’ with ‘a pacifier around her neck’, telling her to pull out her middle finger with the pacifier around her mouth whilst a man kept shouting that they do not want to be seen like that (Stimulating life 2015). Khalik still progresses to convince the man who is under the influence of a drug to allow him to take photographs of them, which may be seen as an unethical issue when it comes to consent that strips the true meaning of art from its core.

In regards to Khalik’s perspective on the role of photography, it is rather deemed as more compassionate than one may think. Khalik believes that his purpose in regards to photography is to aid people. He believes that he has a responsibility to spread awareness by portraying the truth, the positive, negative and the neutral as a form of realistic self-expression. In addition, Khalik believes that photography should be approached in a way that has compassion and sympathy for people, a humanitarian quality that takes peoples’ interests as well as the individual..

However, I believe his photographs on a spectrum, wouldn't be comprehended as he may deliberately think. For instance, in my opinion, portraying a marginalized community that is always depicted in a negative light with portraits that further feeds on this stereotype is rather questionable with its intent. The photographs contain portraits of black people abusing drugs, under a dim light that makes them look and feeds the stereotype that street people are solely criminal drug addict lunatics. Hence, It is rather unclear how his choice of angle, lighting and situation of the photographs show the positive. Furthermore, shooting a person who is under the influence of substance, drugs, etc., is questionable in the name of consent. The woman is not in her right state of mind, which further serves as an ethical issue. When Khalik Allah was asked by Tommie Shelby whether it was ethical to film the people under the influence of substances or alcohol Khalik stated that he himself is also under the same influence and approaches his work in a sense that respects them (Allah & Shelby, 2016). This itself is an unprofessional act that further proves how his photographs may be deemed as inappropriate, non-consensual and unethical. Hence, I believe his shots may not be perceived as liberating and representational as he claims it to be, it may be viewed as rather stereotypical and further racist, especially to the community that will be impacted by it the most.

https://www.lightwork.org/archive/khalik-allah/

https://creative.magnumphotos.com/photographers/khalik-allah-2/

References

Allah, & Shelby. (2016). Camera ministry. Transition, (120), 46. https://doi.org/10.2979/transition.120.1.07

Khalik Allah: Light work. Light Work | A non-profit photography organization supporting artists since 1973. (2019, June 3). Retrieved February 12, 2023, from https://www.lightwork.org/archive/khalik-allah/

Stimulating life: A conversation with khalik allah of 'field niggas'. True/False Film Fest. (2015, July 16). Retrieved February 12, 2023, from https://truefalse.org/stimulating-life-a-conversation-with-khalik-allah-of-field-niggas/

https://creative.magnumphotos.com/photographers/khalik-allah-2/

https://www.lightwork.org/archive/khalik-allah/

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mariacallous · 1 year

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As Chicagoans went to the polls on Tuesday, early signs pointed to a narrow victory for Paul Vallas, the former head of the city’s public school system and noted educational reformer, over Brandon Johnson, a former social studies teacher turned organizer for the Chicago Teachers Union. Vallas led in the pre-election polls by an average of 3 percentage points, a margin that widened to 6 points when undecided voters were asked whether they leaned toward a candidate. A higher share of Vallas’s supporters said that they were certain to cast their ballots, and more of Johnson’s said that they might change their minds about their choice. Vallas enjoyed a strong lead among voters 60 and older, who are the most likely to vote of all age cohorts, while Johnson was doing best among those 30 and younger, who are typically the least likely to participate.

The ideological battle lines were clearly drawn. Vallas ran as a moderate, Johnson as an unabashed progressive. Johnson wanted to raise taxes on businesses, visitors of Chicago, and wealthy individuals to fund new social programs, while Vallas advocated fiscal restraint. The centerpiece of Vallas’s campaign was a pledge to crack down on violent crime. By contrast, Johnson expressed early sympathy (some would say support) for the “defund the police” movement that erupted after the murder of George Floyd before moderating his position. Not surprisingly, Vallas enjoyed the fervent backing of Chicago’s police union.

When incumbent mayor Rahm Emanuel ran for reelection in 2015, he also faced a progressive candidate, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, leading some observers to draw parallels between then and now. But these elections differ in two key respects. First: because there was no Black candidate in the 2015 race, the Black vote was up for grabs, and Emanuel won it by a margin of 58 to 42. He also won the white vote by 2 to 1 while Garcia prevailed among Hispanics by a similar margin. This year, Brandon Johnson, a Black candidate with strong community roots, is receiving more than 70 percent support in this key constituency, while Vallas is outpolling Johnson among Hispanics. (Although Vallas is of Greek extraction, his last name — which means “fences” in Spanish — has led some Hispanics to believe that he is one of them.)

The second difference between 2015 and today: eight years ago, no single issue dominated the race, and the electorate was almost equally split among the economy, city finances, education, and crime as its chief concern. This year, violent crime dwarfed all other considerations, and the outcome of the race would be seen as a referendum on the candidates’ competing plans for addressing it.

It is the centrality of voters’ concerns about crime that gave this local contest national implications. A Vallas victory would have reinforced the tough on crime message that the election of Eric Adams in New York City had sent. If Johnson prevailed, his supporters would be able to argue that only a strong progressive message could bring young people and disaffected minority voters to the polls in large enough numbers to overcome those who wanted to intensify the use of tough, racially tinged methods against street-level criminals — and more broadly, to give progressives a chance to prevail over what they regard as the defenders of the status quo.

To the surprise of many veteran observers, this is exactly what happened. With 90,000 absentee ballots still to be counted, Johnson led by a margin of 15,000 votes out of more than 550,000 cast. And because Johnson was receiving nearly 70% of the absentee vote, Vallas already has conceded the race.

Although exit polls are not yet available, preliminary results from Chicago’s 50 wards paint a clear picture. Johnson racked up nearly 80% of the Black vote on Chicago’s South Side and ran strongly among white liberals on the Lakefront. Vallas prevailed in the mostly white working-class wards in the Northwest and Southwest sections of the city, but his margins were not large enough to overcome Johnson’s margins elsewhere. With no Hispanic candidate on the ballot, turnout in the Hispanic-majority wards was reportedly anemic. Overall turnout, though, was higher than usual, which the Johnson campaign attributes in part to a surge among younger voters. We do not yet have enough information to confirm this assessment.

With a strong boost from the Chicago Teachers Union, which has become a dynamo of progressive policies and organizing in the Windy City, Johnson has an opportunity to advance his progressive agenda and become a trendsetter for other cities. Of course, governance always is more complicated than winning elections. The former will require policy approvals from the City Council and tax increases staunchly opposed by the business community to fund his proposed boost in social spending. How he deals with crime increases, underperforming schools, shaky city finances, and a divided Democrat party will determine how successful he is. Against the backdrop of the presidential campaign and national battles for control of Congress, next year won’t be dull.

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iamthekaijuking · 2 years

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A review of Kaijumax and its themes

(trigger warning for mention of dark topics. Also Kaijumax spoilers)

Something that continues to amaze me about the kaiju genre is just how versatile it is. Its ability to mesh with just about any genre is no doubt a reason why it has persisted for what is gradually creeping closer to a century. And of course the best kaiju media always has something important to say sociopolitically, and indeed that commentary is part of its dna. From warnings of nuclear weapons, to failings of a current government, to nationalism and even the state of the economy. But these are usually topics that affect pretty much everyone. Very rarely do you see a piece of kaiju media that says something about topics more personal or about the people in society who have the least power.

Kaijumax is one of those few.

Created by @zandercannon (who I’m pretty sure has abandoned his tumblr) and published by oni press, Kaijumax tells a story of kaiju in a prison system, and the drama that entails. The kaiju are stand ins for marginalized groups and criminals this time, and while using city flattening monsters usually isn’t a good choice for representing these people, I think it works here because Zander has gone out of his way to make sure that humans are the ones with the power in this setting. The kaiju really do feel like minorities that society loathes often for hypocritical or even little reason.

Most review companies say Kaijumax is a cult classic (somehow it’s a classic even though it finished this year?) and this is a rare occasion where I agree with critics. Kaijumax is a must read if you can get your tentacles, claws, or whatever monstrous grabby grabbies you have on it.

So long as you can stomach it. It’s not gory or gross, but Kaijumax is one of the darkest pieces of media I’ve ever consumed in spite of its fun art style.

What I specifically want to talk about though is the messages it tells us and moments that define them. Of course this also includes spoilers.

Volume 1 sort of sets us up, and introduces us to everything. Usually we follow Electrogor and indeed he’s the main character in volume 1. Right off the bat we’re shown the brutality of prison life with gang violence and with nobody Electrogor can trust even though all he wants to do is get back to his kids and take care of them. Corruption and racism is rampant in Kaijumax prison. I should warn though that Electrogor does get r*ped off screen so that’s a potential trigger.

Volume 2 follows Electrogor breaking out to get back to his kids and one major theme for a few issues is…

Racism. There’s also quite a bit about the Thin Blue Line. We also see how Electrogor’s kids have been holding up in his absence and… it’s not the best. Electrogor and his daughter Torgrax produce uranium on their backs and in this setting uranium is a hardcore drug for kaiju. In order to make ends meet Torgrax has essentially been selling her body to support herself and her brother. She’s technically selling drugs but it plays out like prostitution. Despite the wild setting, this does unfortunately have parallels with real life. Many families in poverty have to resort to typically unsavory professions and crime just to get by.

Volume 3 has Electrogor and his family return to Kaijumax and this time it’s all about a gang war and abusive parents (Electrogor isn’t one of the aforementioned parents, don’t worry he’s a good dad). We also witness Whoofy (a Minilla expy) and his downward spiral due to his guilt complex over not being able to do anything while his father Apewhale and his gang destroyed cities. There’s also a bit of domestic abuse too.

Volume 4 shakes things up by showing us the women’s half of Kaijumax prison and we get to see some stuff about ptsd and more domestic abuse.

In volume 5 Pikachu’s ass gets the chair! Okay technically it’s a pikachu expy who’s the leader of a Pokémon and other mon games inspired gang. Most of the volume takes place in the court room and Pikadon’s case is morally grey, although he never tells anyone what actually happened and appears as a remorseless killer to everyone. He technically did kill someone cold blood and his reason for doing it was actually justified. We also get a bit of stuff about a character having been groomed (in fact that word is the title for one issue) and a Kaijumax inmate becoming horrified to learn that his boyfriend is the closest a kaiju can be to a pedophile; a literal child predator. Sprinkles the unidragon totally deserved to be choked to death for that.

Volume 6 is about an alien invasion touches on how the system in which we live in is absolutely fucked and that the true monsters in power do everything they can to stay in power and flatten anybody opposing them underfoot. This is the final volume and Kaijumax ends on a pretty bittersweet note. Telling us that the world we live in is ruled by complete sociopaths who will replace you at the drop of a hat, and that you have to play the long game and count your blessings.

Pretty dark stuff huh?

Of course Kaijumax isn’t all doom and gloom. There are plenty of fun and lighthearted moments, and my favorites have got to be when War of the Gargantuans expies perform the entire original godzilla film as a rap stage play, and when two team rocket expy lawyers in volume 5 show up fashionably late to court and perform the team rocket intro but lawyer edition. What I’m saying is Kaijumax can be fucking hilarious when it wants to, and is saturated in references and love for not just tokusatsu media but 90s animated shows and old anime. Some of these references are really obscure too. For instance I had no idea what Science Ninja Team Gatchaman was before reading volume 2.

Some of the references though are sprinkled into the dialogue through the various slang the kaiju use, which is very fun and clever. A lot of the dialogue references are godzilla related as that pretty much comes with the territory of being a piece of kaiju media, even if the setting of Kaijumax takes more after Ultraman. It should be noted though that in early Kaijumax these treaded close to actual slurs, but Zander and his writing consultant took note of this and laid off on the parallels, so if it seems a little much at the beginning, don’t worry, it doesn’t stay that way long.

At the end of every issue is also a few pages of extra stuff too, and this is where Zander does some Q&As and movie reviews, and tells you what little character you should keep in eye out for in the issue you just read. Sort of like a kaiju case of Where’s Waldo?. Usually it’s Grubbzo.

The art of Kaijumax evolves with each volume as well. With volume 1 being pretty good but by the final volume it has stylized and improved to such an extent that Kaijumax could be considered a sort of artist’s journey.

And speaking of art; I made fanart of my favorite characters!

Whoofy is actually pretty easy to draw but he was a lot of fun. Basically just a tube with limbs.

Here’s Kaijumax’s resident kind hearted hustler Giant Monster Terongo Terror of Pago Pago. He’s basically just a vaguely pterosaur shaped kaiju a la Rodan but I decided to see what he’d look like with more actual pteranodon anatomy. His color changes a lot over the story from blues to greens, so I took a middle ground and made him mint. I also tried making him throw peace signs but it just looks like he’s missing his thumbs.

And finally the main character of the show Electrogor. His design is really fun and has an early 2000s/90s monster feel to it. He’s obviously meant to be a nondescript bug kaiju but always thought that he could be a crustacean before realizing you could easily apply insect anatomy to him (so I guess still technically a crustacean). I also used Matt Frank’s art of him as reference too. He’s a little off proportions wise but I’m pretty proud of him.

That’s my Kaijumax review. Hopefully it was comprehensible.

#sketches #sketch #kaijumax #zander cannon #review #please share Kaijumax with your friends and support Zander #I’d love for there to be fanfics or an animated adaptation of it one day #if zander payed me a lot of money I’d totally write an official novelization

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kinogane · 2 years

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Fu, Xenoverse, and Canon Divergence as Fandom Exercise, Part 1: Xenoverse 1 and 2

Or, “I Played Through Legend Patrol and My Only Takeaway Was About a Xenoverse Sequel I Have Until Now Devoted Zero Thought To, Part 1: Why is Xenoverse 2 Like This™”.

A bit under two years after the first Xenoverse game, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 was released in fall of 2016. The most recent piece of DLC as of this post, starring characters and content voted in by fans, released July 7, 2022, nearly six years after launch.

Somehow, a Dragon Ball sequel game that by all accounts was poised to be the spiritual successor to the Budokai Tenkaichi games, and the release schedule that implies, has post-launch support more akin to a live service game. Considerably more sporadic support, granted, but support nonetheless. Which from the outside (and even from the inside) can seem utterly baffling. Why this game? Why not the first? Why not a 3?

The only thing I feel reasonably safe asserting is that it's because the people in charge saw intermittent DLC as more profitable than a whole new game, which in turn implies a large enough playerbase to purchase said DLC. As for why there is a large enough playerbase, there's a part of me that would like to think it's in no small part to a surprisingly robust and healthy modding scene on the PC, but a more likely reason is the simple fact that it fulfills a shockingly underserved niche of Dragon Ball character creation. The launch of the fastest-selling video game system in the Nintendo Switch just a few months later, paired with a Switch port within a year of launch, may have also played a part as well.

The Switch port in particular is interesting, not just in terms of implications it may have had on playerbase numbers, but also as the single platform where Xenoverse 1 is not available. While the story is by far one of the least important aspects of Xenoverse 2, it is still ostensibly a direct sequel to a game that Switch-only players do not have access to.

The developers' solution was to release a bespoke Legend Patrol DLC that included Xenoverse 1 base and DLC story content, two years after launch, which itself was just released to other platforms three years after that, which is roughly around the time of this post.

As someone who jumped straight into Xenoverse 2, I'd caught a fair amount of Xenoverse 1's story beforehand from watching playthroughs and... didn't think much of it. So when I saw people talk it up, in no uncertain terms, as better than Xenoverse 2's story, I was a bit intrigued. Xenoverse 2's story was very much nothing to write home about, and I remembered close to none of it, but what I remembered seeing of 1's didn't seem that much better, either? I don't know. I did watch an edited playthrough, maybe I'd have a different opinion after playing it myself.

And now, having gone through the Legend Patrol and rewatched Xenoverse 2′s story content, I'm... still not of the opinion that Xenoverse 1's story is better in a noteworthy way. I guess it might be marginally better in terms of escalation? I recognize that my view of it is probably compromised by playing through 2's story myself first, but really the only lingering thought I had after it concluded was that they were really transparent about setting up Towa and Mira as the next major antagonists.

(It also has a scene where all the characters laugh and the camera pans up. Two of them, in fact. Which is... a choice.)

To (briefly) recap Xenoverse 1: the initial changes in time your character is sent to fix are the result of interference and energy harvesting by Demon Realm duo Towa and Mira. When one of their plans proves too much to fix, Demon God Demigra interferes and helps you out of the jam; not long afterward, you defeat Mira and send Towa packing, at which point Demigra quickly takes over as the primary antagonist and time criminal. After defeating Demigra, in a brief ending scene, Towa is seen retrieving a surviving portion of Mira, promising that they will have their revenge.

As I said, really transparent.

So, come Xenoverse 2, sure enough, it's Towa and Mira who are the major antagonists. You initially get into scuffles with some movie villains new to 2, but it doesn't take long before the duo assert themselves as the big bads. I won't recap Xenoverse 2, but what I will say is that unlike 1, which very deliberately left the loose end of Towa and Mira hanging, 2... doesn't really have a comparable cliffhanger. Towa and Mira are gone, everyone has a big ol' feast courtesy of Shenron, caterer supreme, to celebrate the birth of a new... timeline? Universe?... and that's it. Credits roll.

(They all laugh twice in 2, as well, but hey! The first time it zooms out, and the second time it pans to the left! Groundbreaking!)

Now, I know vanishingly little about video game development and release schedules, let alone the schedules for the Xenoverse games in particular, so this is largely speculation. But given the turnaround between Xenoverse 1 and 2, it seems likely to me that at least partially through Xenoverse 1's development, if not right from the get-go, they knew a 2 was going to happen, and wrote in an obvious lead-in to 2 as appropriate. And you would think that if a Xenoverse 3 was in the books, then they'd probably do something similar to set it up in 2, but they... didn't? What's up with that?

There is one fairly obvious answer, but before I address that, there actually are some loose ends in base Xenoverse 2, both in the form of post-credits content. In the first Xenoverse game, there is post-credits storyline that ostensibly involves cleaning up after Demigra's demise, but is rather transparently a post-hoc justification to work in fan favorites Bardock and Broly into a game that otherwise does not acknowledge any movie not called Battle of Gods.

Xenoverse 2, meanwhile, uses its two post-credits story missions to pose some questions. The first mission fills in the gap of what happened with Mira and Bardock before Towa retrieves Mira and reveals that Bardock just... vanished.

Interestingly enough, you get the option to speculate that Bardock either disappeared or is fighting elsewhere, which I suppose sets up some intrigue as to what might happen if he resurfaces, I guess?

The second mission shows a deviation in Future Trunks's (that is, your Trunks's) timeline. Whereas in the main story, you stop Trunks from tagging along with Future Gohan and Trunks accepts letting Gohan die, in this timeline Trunks knowingly violates the rules he, you know, upholds as part of his job, and joins Gohan to fight the androids, eventually defeating them, saving his mentor's life, and discussing the prospect of preparing for the future threats.

Notably, you do not step in to correct things; you (the player) control Gohan and play out the distortion, and while your superiors, the Supreme Kai of Time and Elder Kai, remark that this really shouldn't stand, the Supreme Kai of Time merely asks you whether or not you think the timeline should be fixed or not, then... says she'll make an unspecified final decision? And that's it?

This has proven to be controversial (or at least, as controversial as anything involving the story of Xenoverse 2 can be). The implications are a bit staggering. While it's never confirmed if the Supreme Kai of Time ended up correcting that distortion or not, just the mere fact that she was canvassing your opinion on it and seemed to entertain the possibility of letting it slide sure makes it seem like the person in charge of keeping the the flow of time consistent is willing to overlook a major deviation or two in the interest of... throwing her employee a bone? Throwing a version of her employee a bone?

All in all, a weird choice and execution for what is the last bit of story content in Xenoverse 2. But it does confirm the extent to which Trunks and, to a lesser degree, the Supreme Kai of Time herself is amenable to changing history for the better. (Which now that I type that out is entirely nothing new with the former but, you know, ehhhh.) Which combined with the observation that this mission is the one notable instance in all of Xenoverse 1 and 2 that a distortion works toward the heroes' benefit, raises a big question: if correcting a timeline necessitates disadvantaging the good guys, would that be enforced? Should it, even?

Something to keep in mind, maybe.

(to be continued)

#dragon ball xenoverse 2 #xenoverse 2 #xenoverse #dragon ball xenoverse #dbxv #dbxv2 #xv2

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benjisbytes · 4 months

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If nothing changes, Donald Trump will be president again by January 2025.

That is only one year away.

Joe Biden is dropping in the polls, he is personally disapproved of by a majority of Americans, and importantly he isn't the primary choice of at least 39% of his own Democrats.

He continues to say he will stay in the race.

Interestingly he also says if Trump wasn't running, he might have already dropped out.

That could prove to be his undoing.

Multiple consistent polls are placing him on the losing side come November 2024.

However, there is precedent for a president to drop out on an election year, only months from the general itself.

Lyndon Johnson dropped out of the 1968 race in March of that year.

Biden can and could do the same.

Of course the Democrats went on to lose in '68 to Richard Nixon.

So the precedent is there, but it bodes badly for the incumbent party.

•••

What might end up saving him if he doesn't drop out is the surprising strength of Democrats in actual elections since 2016.

2018, 2020, 2022 (and the most recent state and local elections of 2023) have all arguably tilted in the favour of the Democrats.

The most surprising of these was 2022 when Biden performed better than almost any recent president in a midterm election.

He maintained control of the Senate, and held Republicans to a very slim majority in the House, in a year that was predicted as a 'Red Wave'.

That slim majority has played havoc with the image of the House GOP, as they wage an internal war of control, even ousting their own Speaker in a bitter, divided process.

Similarly, 2023 didn't buck this trend of Republicans underperforming.

Democrat performance can be put down generally to two things.

First was the Supreme Court decision to get rid of Roe v. Wade and the abortion protections that have been in place since the 1970s.

Republican ownership of that policy has motivated a large number of pro-abortion citizens across the US to become active politically, out of fear of losing their reproductive rights and bodily autonomy.

Second is the repeated nomination by Republicans of pro-MAGA election deniers in key battleground races.

Trump's influence is the cause of this. The sway he holds over the Republican base ensures almost exclusively that those who swear fealty to him in a primary contest will become the party's nominee.

The GOP consistently places themselves on a bad footing from the start of important races, giving Democrats the advantage.

Of course both of these factors stem from Republican actions and mistakes, not from Democratic strategy or political action.

Though they are effectively taking advantage of these situations, they are not in control of them.

The GOP could move towards more electable nominees, and tamp down the anti-abortion rhetoric and campaigning.

This will limit Democrats ability to attack Republicans on their weakest points.

•••

There is also the issue of Trump's possible criminal conviction, where he ends up in prison by the time of the election.

The effects of this are hard to quantify.

His base will not abandon him, no matter what happens to him. In fact, a prison sentence may even increase the intensity of his support amongst this group, leading to another January 6 style event, possibly at the jail he is held in.

Polls that have studied this scenario only point to marginal Biden leads, by a single or two points.

This is of course a swing from a Trump lead without a conviction.

The swing to Biden is even less noticeable when candidates like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are on the prospective ballot.

Biden cannot (and should not) rely on a Trump conviction to sway voters. The effects will likely be minimal, and whilst this is important in a close race it absolutely cannot be the core of a winning strategy.

Biden and Democrats must discredit RFK Jr. and attack Trump and the GOP on the things that work: abortion rights, and the dangers of a second Trump term.

They must also utilise the down-ballot races and candidates that are most popular, which are generally people like moderate Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.

They should show Biden off as much as possible in controlled environments, and send out the most popular surrogates across the country to stump for the president.

What is certain is that without a change to the strategy, Biden does not have as clear a run as he did in 2020.

#politics #election #democrats #president #2024 election #donald trump #election analysis #political analysis #joe biden #rfk jr #kennedy #news #writing #political strategy #moderates #progressive #candidate

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blankabokros · 5 months

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Final Journal, Blog 2: Decriminalizing Sex Work - A Call for Empowerment and Rights

Introduction:

The talk about sex work usually centers around whether it should be considered a crime, but more and more people are saying it shouldn't be. This blog looks into why some folks want to decriminalize sex work and how it can make things better for those doing it. The main idea is to stop treating sex work as automatically illegal and, instead, see it as a job that deserves legal protection. Supporters of decriminalization believe it would mean sex workers wouldn't face legal consequences just for choosing this line of work, giving them more control over their bodies and lives. By digging into why people are pushing for decriminalization, we can understand the bigger changes needed in society to respect the rights, dignity, and well-being of sex workers.

Empowerment and Autonomy:

Decriminalize Sex Work (DSW) is all about changing the rules around sex work in the United States. They want to stop treating adult prostitution as something illegal and believe that doing this can help with issues like human trafficking, public health, and community safety. Many people think that if sex work isn't considered a crime, those involved can have more control over their bodies and choices. Removing the legal issues helps sex workers feel more in charge of their lives, boosting their confidence and self-esteem.

“I don't like people telling other people what to do. Sex work for a lot of women is really important, especially in countries where women don't have a lot of power. Here we can have at least some form ... of making money.”- Margaret Cho

Easing Stigma and Discrimination:

The ongoing criminalization of sex work only serves to fuel societal stigma and marginalization, fostering an environment where discrimination is rampant. Advocates for decriminalization argue that by changing this approach, we can diminish the negative perceptions tied to sex work, creating a more inclusive and compassionate society that respects the rights of sex workers. Beyond that, this shift has the potential to break down harmful stereotypes linked to the profession, allowing for a more nuanced and empathetic understanding of the individuals involved. As we contemplate the move toward decriminalization, it becomes clear that it is not just a legal matter but a pivotal step in reshaping societal attitudes and fostering an environment where sex workers are acknowledged, respected, and granted the dignity they deserve.

Economic Empowerment and Social Inclusion:

Human Rights Watch did research in various countries, talking to sex workers. They support making all adult sex work legal because making it illegal violates people's rights and puts sex workers at risk of abuse and violence by the police. When sex work is illegal, it also affects the health of sex workers. Human Rights Watch says governments should make sex work legal, treat sex workers fairly, and ensure they have the same rights as everyone else. They don't agree with only making buyers of sex illegal because it makes things harder for sex workers. The key is to treat sex workers with respect and protect their rights. (Human Rights Watch, 2019)

Human Rights Emphasis:

Those supporting the idea of making sex work, not a crime are saying it's really about personal choice and treating it as a basic human right. They argue that when you make sex work illegal, it often means people can't enjoy some basic human rights like the right to have a job, the right to stay healthy, and the right to live without facing violence or discrimination. By looking at sex work through the lens of human rights, those calling for changes want to get rid of legal obstacles that stop people from making their own choices about their bodies and work. This perspective highlights the need to treat sex work as a valid job and stresses the importance of making sure people in this line of work get the same human rights as everyone else.

“An expansion in women's sexual freedom were evident in the concerns about, and strategies for, the containment of wartime sexual behaviour. Although these strategies were developed in relation to fears about an increasing incidence of venereal disease, there were, as Lucy Bland has argued, differences as well as similarities with the Contagious Disease Acts of the previous century.”- Hawkes, pg. 91

Reducing Violence and Exploitation:

Making sex work not a crime is thought to make things safer for sex workers by lowering the violence they face. When the whole industry is hidden and illegal, people doing this job are more likely to be mistreated and taken advantage of. Those who support changing the rules say that if we make sex work legal, it can be better controlled and protected, providing more support for those involved. Bringing sex work into the open, away from being secretive and illegal, could create a safer environment where the well-being of sex workers is a priority, leading to fewer instances of violence and exploitation.

Conclusion: Why We Need to Change the Rules for Sex Work

So, to sum it up, many people are saying we should stop making sex work a crime. It's not just about the law; it's about treating sex workers better and giving them the same rights as everyone else. People like Decriminalize Sex Work (DSW) and Human Rights Watch think that making sex work illegal is not fair. It can cause problems, like abuse and health issues for sex workers. Changing the rules, or decriminalizing sex work, is not just a legal thing; it's a big step towards making life better for sex workers. It means they can have more control over their lives and be treated with respect. It's about creating a safer, kinder society where sex workers have the same rights as everyone else. That's why a lot of people believe we need to rethink how we treat sex work and the people who do it.

Bibliography:

Hawkes, Gail (1996) A Sociology of Sex and Sexuality, Philadelphia: Open University Press.

Decriminalize Sex Work (DSW). "Reducing Stigma and Discrimination." https://decriminalizesex.work/

Human Rights Watch. (2019, August 7). Why Sex Work Should Be Decriminalized. Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/08/07/why-sex-work-should-be-decriminalized

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melbournenewsvine · 2 years

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Andrew Cuomo former New York governor launches podcast

“I think the world would be a better place if he stayed home and worked on his motorcycle,” Katz said, referring to Cuomo’s well-known love of bikes and classic cars. Charlotte Bennett, a former health policy aide to former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, isn’t keen on the idea of a new podcast for him.attributed to him:AP Cuomo, once a national star in the Democratic Party, resigned in August of 2021 after several women accused him of sexual harassment, saying he subjected them to unwanted kisses or touches, made insinuating remarks about their appearance and sexuality or created a hostile act. . environment. An aide said Cuomo touched her chest. This allegation prompted the county mayor to file a criminal case against Cuomo, which was later dropped by an Albany County attorney on the grounds that it would be too difficult to obtain a conviction. An investigation led by New York Attorney General Leticia James concluded that Cuomo sexually harassed at least 11 women. Cuomo accused James of prejudging the results because she intended to run for governor. James ran briefly for governor after Cuomo’s resignation but soon abandoned the campaign. There was a political role. There was noise at play. “It was an exaggeration,” Cuomo said. “They made everyday interactions as a weapon.” Today, he says he’s more conscientious and cautious in dealing with women — primarily to protect himself from further allegations of misconduct. loading But even after a year of thinking — traveling, boating, hiking with his captain dog, working on an old Harley-Davidson motorcycle and finding a place to live — Cuomo doesn’t really think he’s done anything wrong. “Yes, I take pictures with people when I put my arms around people. Yes, I am sure I said to someone, ‘ciao bella.’ Yes, I kissed people on the cheek,” Cuomo said. And by the way, these are everyday interactions of millions of Americans. So yeah, I think there was politics, and I think it was abolitionist culture. And I think the facts prove it.” Through his Political Action Committee, Cuomo said he plans to support like-minded Democrats running for state and federal office. He said he was troubled by the marginalization of moderate Democrats in a left-leaning party. Cuomo, 64, would not rule out running for a new position. “Life has choices and it depends on choices,” Cuomo said. “I’m not forbidding anything, but you have to see what the options are.” When asked if he might consider running for the US Senate in 2024, Cuomo said it was “too early to say,” but noted that his experience and personality are better suited to an executive role, such as being a governor. This is the first election cycle in 20 years that Cuomo has not been a candidate for office. He was the state’s attorney general before he became governor. He said he hoped his successor, Governor Cathy Hochhol, would win re-election over Republican challenger Lee Zelden. “I will watch the returns. I will not suffer from the same amount of anxiety and tension and heartburn,” Cuomo said. “I’ve been doing governor job anxiously seven days a week and have done my job as a prosecutor anxiously. That’s 15 years. That’s a huge part of life I didn’t spend with my friends, didn’t take vacation, didn’t spend with my daughters,” Cuomo said. “So the real bright side is spending time with family and friends, a guilt-free time — without looking at the phone, without saying I really should be at work. That’s the silver lining.” AP Get a direct note from our alien correspondents About what’s making headlines around the world. Subscribe to the weekly What in the World newsletter here. Source link Originally published at Melbourne News Vine

#Melbourne News Vine

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mercy-burning · 3 years

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Affection

Pairing: Spencer Reid x fem!Reader Summary: Spencer and Y/N decidedly hate each other. But when a near-death experience puts one of them in a coma, their mutual hatred might have to take a backseat— Or will it? Category: Angst / Happy Ending! + Humor and a lil bit of Fluff Content: Strong language, Reader is in a coma, mentions of injury, kissing Word Count: 2.6k

MASTERLIST

NOTE: This one’s for Pom’s ( @imagining-in-the-margins ) September Writing Challenge, Enemies To Lovers! I have another one coming up as well, but this idea wouldn’t get out of my head ever since I watched The Abyss with my dad and I had to get it out 😅 I hope you like it!!

———

I swear to fucking God, if this motherfucker really thinks he—

That was the last thing Y/N thought before she was knocked out cold.

With her line of work, it was natural to assume that she was thinking about the unsub, but unfortunately the criminal she and her team were tracking down was the farthest thing on her mind. Spencer would have chastised her for it— letting something else cloud her thoughts while she was in a dark alley, alone, and with a serial killer on the loose.

"You should be smarter than that!" she could hear him say in that high pitch he always carried when he was upset— especially with her. "If you don't get yourself killed one of these days, then it'll be the rest of us!"

Thinking about it made her blood boil.

"It's your fault," she wanted to tell him. "I had to blow off some steam because you were pissing me off!"

The only thing was... She couldn't tell him.

Well... She could.

He just couldn't hear her, because no one could.

It was like some stupid, cliché movie, where you found yourself standing over your dying body and having to choose whether to live or not. It seemed like the obvious choice, to fucking live, but... Y/N found herself wandering around her hospital room, yelling into the void and attempting to jump back into her own body.

Nothing was working.

And when Spencer showed up, his face red and his hair and clothes all messed up, she wanted to scream at him.

"Hey!"

Nothing. He was practically lifeless as he drifted to the chair next to her bed and sat down. It was nearly impossible to read from his expression and body language how he was feeling, and that alone was enough to make her angry again. (Not that the anger had really gone away since waking up next to her comatose body, of course.)

"Hey! Dumbass!"

Still nothing.

As Spencer just blankly stared down at Y/N's bed, she decided she'd had enough.

"SPENCER FUCKING REID, IF YOU DON'T HELP ME RIGHT NOW I SWEAR TO GOD I'LL HAUNT YOUR ASS UNTIL THE END OF ETERNITY, AND I'M GONNA LAY FAT, STINKIN' GHOST SHITS IN YOUR SHOES, DO YOU HEAR ME? AND—"

"I hate you."

It was a bold enough statement to stop Y/N in her tracks, no matter how quietly he'd mumbled it. She knew for sure that he didn't like her, after years of constant bickering and dirty glares and whatever else, but... The word 'hate' was like a knife that sliced through her joking rage and stopped the whole world around her.

If she wasn't already out of her own body, she just knew she would have felt her soul leave.

Spencer didn't hate anyone. Not that she was aware of, anyway. He found nearly everyone delightful, and vice versa... But for some reason, he hated Y/N.

She scoffed, crossing her arms. "Yeah, well... Feeling's mutual, I guess..."

"You're stupid, and reckless, and you don't think. And you're a goddamn nightmare to work with... You know what— You're a stone-cold bitch."

His words made her physically step backwards, and it felt like if she were a cartoon, there might have been steam coming out of her ears.

"Yeah, well jokes on you, you make it easy," she seethed. "Fuck you!"

"How... How dare you..." he continued, anger reddening his face.

Y/N watched as he balled his fists and leaned in a little closer to her body, his voice tight and strained. "How dare you walk into my life and boss me around and make it impossible to breathe... From the moment I met you, you've brought out this... this fire in me that I can't put out no matter how hard I try, and it's insufferable—You're insufferable, and I hate you, how dare—"

Whatever he was going to say next was cut off by a shortness of breath. Spencer breathed in, loud and choked, and the next breath he let out was nothing short of a sob. His eyes squeezed shut, tears rolling down them and his hands clutched the bedsheets with a vigor and rage that Y/N had never seen from him, even in all the years she'd spent visibly getting on his last nerves.

"N—No," she choked out, feeling her throat tighten. "Don't... Don't turn into a sappy mess on me now, do you hear me, Reid? You hate me, don't... Don't..."

"I don't hate you," he whispered, wiping his eyes and reaching out to grab her lifeless hand. "I hate that you make me feel this way, but... I could never hate you..."

She wanted nothing more than to be able to squeeze his hand back, to tell him, not even necessarily with words but with a simple gesture, that she was right there and wasn't going to go anywhere.

She just... had to figure out how to make that true.

Still, Spencer kept going, a small laugh bubbling up through tears and phlegm. "But I will hate you if you die, because I just know you're gonna come back and haunt me for eternity... Probably... shit in my shoes or something."

Y/N barked a laugh that was true and pure... Happy, even.

The genius may have acted like he hated her, but it turns out he knew her pretty well, perhaps even fondly in one way or another.

To think— All those years she spent seeing him sneer at her, feeling his glare burn into her soul, the amount of times she caught him making faces or inappropriate gestures behind her back, all of it... And the whole time, he was probably doing it with a little flicker of fondness deep within the confines of his heart, which he swore to fill with nothing but hatred for her.

The thought made the little flicker in her own heart burn brighter.

As she wandered closer to her bed, beside Spencer and in front of her own body, she reached her hand out to see if she could touch his face, to give him something...

Even though she had no luck, something shifted when he spoke.

"Just... Come back to me, please? I know I'm not good at apologizing, but if it means I get you back... I swear that I will make up every horrible thing I've ever done or said to you. Just... Please don't leave me."

He laid his head down in his hands and tried not to cry again, every said horrible thing replaying on a loop in his brain like some kind of taunt. He wished more than anything for a chance to make it up to Y/N, and now he might not ever be able to.

"You think I'd leave this mortal earth without getting the chance to kick your ass?"

Everything was so fuzzy and light and brimming with these high emotions that Y/N almost didn't realize she was saying these words and Spencer was hearing them. She almost didn't feel the warmth of her bloodstream beneath layers of skin, the beat of her heart slowly coming back to life at the sounds and smells of the hospital room.

She almost didn't realize that Spencer was grabbing her now, his warm hands covering her cold ones and bringing them back to life as well.

"Screw you," he breathed with absolutely no malice to be detected in his voice.

They shared a smile so bright, no one would have been able to guess that they never got along.

TWO WEEKS LATER

Not only was she stuck at home doing nothing while on suspension (Yes, it turns out that storming off into an alley and not paying attention while on the job, just because a co-worker pissed you off, can get you suspended by Chief Strauss), but Y/N was also being visited by a daily rotation of her co-workers and friends and family, and her house was nearly covered in flower bouquets and baked goods.

It was a nightmare.

The sentiment was nice, sure, but if she had to move one more vase, she was going to start throwing them.

God, maybe Spencer was right, I am a stone-cold bitch...

Thinking of him also put a little damper on her mood.

He hadn't been to visit her once... And she figured that after their nice little moment at the hospital, he'd at least stop by with flowers or an "I'm glad you're not dead!" call, but there was nothing on his end. Not even a text message or a letter.

But for all she knew, their small moment of kindness could have been a figment of her concussed imagination.

Please, she thought, if I brought it up to him he'd probably just laugh in my face.

Rather than a laugh, Y/N heard the bright sound of her doorbell, which normally would have meant a fun unexpected visit or a date she was getting ready for, but by now it only meant another vase of flowers or a pie from a neighbor she still didn't remember the last name to.

Either way, she answered the door with as polite a smile as she could muster, and instead of finding a vaguely familiar neighbor or acquaintance, she found Spencer.

Though, to be fair, he was holding a bouquet of flowers.

"Well, this is a surprise," Y/N drawled, crossing her arms. "I don't even think you've ever been to my house."

She was surprised to see him nervous around her, rather than irritated. And she would have found it endearing had they not been practically mortal enemies from the moment they met... She was suspicious.

"O—Oh, yeah... I know, I just thought... I wanted to come see how you were doing... These are for you."

He held out the flowers, which were truthfully the pretties set she'd received, and it irked her. Because of course he of all people would be the one to tell which kinds of flowers she'd prefer.

"Thanks," she said, taking them from him and allowing him the space to come inside. "Watch out, it's a maze in here..."

While she looked for somewhere to put the flowers on display, she could feel Spencer looking around her space, probably profiling what he could behind a sea of flowers.

"Hm."

Y/N sighed. "What?"

"Nothing. I'm just... I'm surprised this many people actually like you."

Despite the nature of his observation, she found it comforting. That level of playful contempt was what she was used to, and it brought a sparkle to her eye as she turned to face him. "Ha... I'm not a complete bitch, you know."

"Sure."

Between the growing grin on his face and the smirk forming on her own, Spencer and Y/N found themselves falling back into a familiar rhythm. And yet, something about it was still... different.

So much so that Y/N felt honest-to-God butterflies in her stomach when he approached, hands retreating from his pockets and head tilting off to the side. His expression held that look he got when he was trying to figure someone out, usually an unsub. She hated to admit it to herself, but a little part of her always found that side of him extremely attractive.

And now that it was right in front of her?

She didn't know what to make of it.

"What?" she snapped, looking for an excuse to hide any and all attraction she was feeling.

Spencer stepped back a little, breaking away from whatever trance he'd just been in. "God, why do you always have to do that?"

"Do what?"

"You push away every single show of affection! Any time I'm trying to be nice, you just act like it's some big inconvenience to you!"

Y/N laughed. "Ha! That's what that was? Just now? When you insulted me, and then started stalking towards me with that look you get when you're interrogating an unsub? That's what you call affection?"

"That's not... That's not what that was!"

"Oh really? Then what was it?"

"It was part of the routine! Banter! Y—You know, that's our thing! We insult each other, and we act like we hate each other but we... We don't, really..."

The longer he went on, the faster her heart raced. This was the moment in the movie where he inevitably blurted out that he loved her, and in turn she would either kiss him or slap him, or slap him and then kiss him...

But Y/N was still feeling rather playful despite the swarm of butterflies in her stomach begging for some relief.

"Oh?" she prompted, taking a slow step closer to him. "We don't?"

Spencer seemed to get red immediately, and he avoided her eyes. "U—Uh... Well I... I thought... Maybe I read it all wrong, a—and I'm sorry if I did..."

She'd been getting closer meanwhile, and now they were practically toe-to-toe. He did his best to ignore her, taking a few steps back until she cornered him against the front door. And with the way he wasn't doing anything to get out of his predicament, she took that as his acceptance and took another leap.

"What..." she cooed, crawling her fingers up the front of his chest like a spider. "You like me? Hmm?"

When he finally looked down at her, she allowed herself to smile, albeit slowly and with calculation.

In a flash Spencer went from nervous to fed-up, weight seeming to visibly lift from his chest as he sank against the door. "You're messing with me..."

"It's so fun."

"You know what, screw you."

"Is that a promise?"

"Maybe it is. What are you gonna do ab—"

She didn't let him finish.

In an instant, Y/N lunged forward and pulled him down for a kiss.

Even though she thought he might have tried to take control of the situation, he ended up surprising her with a wanton moan as his hands clutched at her sides, holding on for dear life. Their bodies and tongues collided in a mess of years worth of pent-up tension, chaotic and wild and fiercely beautiful in a way that put even the greatest first kisses to shame.

And of course, Spencer had to go and ruin it.

He pushed her away and looked almost panicked. "W—Wait, are you even cleared to do this?"

Y/N rolled her eyes, reaching out for him again. "I'm fine."

"Y/N, you were in the hospital! I thought... I thought you were..."

She appreciated the sentiment, but with her entire body on fire from his touch, she decided she needed more of it. "Yeah, but I'm not... I'm very much alive, and you know what?"

He blinked back at her, watching carefully as she leaned in close to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"It's because of you. You make me feel... more alive than I've ever been."

"And... You're not messing with me this time?"

With a laugh, Y/N shook her head and leaned up to brush her nose with his. "Nuh-uh... But if you'd like to, I'd love to mess with you in a more fun way. And maybe I'll even let you do it back..."

Spencer hummed, feeling himself gravitate towards her more with every passing second. "Deal."

He barely got the word out all the way before she was dragging him through the maze of flora and contained food and into her bedroom, where piece by piece, their hatred and fondness for one another combined to create the most exquisite of nights.

———

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miserabull · 3 years

Text

A very long meta-analysis on P2 Bad Grief

So, I've gone over every dialogue with this guy a few times, and there is some stuff I've never seen addressed before. This is a mix of analyzing and theory that have been in my head for a while, and I’d love to know if it all also makes sense to other people

The thing about Classic and P2 Grief, is that they are very different characters playing the same role. Who is Bad Grief? A thief, a kingpin of the town's criminal underbelly, and a smuggler working for Big Vlad. In P1, he's also a dangerous murderer who kills people for fun, but denies it, even claims that he kicks people out of his gang for daring to take up knives. Dude lies a lot. In fact, he maintains the lie up until the last route, the Changeling's, and then tries that on her too but ends up confessing. This is my very wordy way of saying that while I kinda agree with people who are like "he's not a violent murderer like P1 Grief", P1 Grief also claimed to not be one up to the last minute. I don't think they are making him a sadistic killer this time, yeah, but I'm pretty sure he's a liar, and that there's a darker secret. The game implies Grief keeps his cards close to his chest and there is more to him several times, like here, when you talk with Lara's reflection

Lara's Reflection: You see, she puts her stock in deeds and not in words. So Stakh was always close to her; for he would hear his heart, and act. A trait you share, Burakh.

Haruspex: And the most taciturn of us all, Bad Grief.

Lara's Reflection: He speaks so much yet does so much more.

or when Artemy confronts him at Aspity's Hospice:

Bad Grief: You heard about Rubin? Know why the Kin wants him dead? He's walkin' around all downcast, doesn't sleep. Says not to ask. Says it's safer like that. What's he done, I wonder? I wanted to ask Sahba, but maybe you know?

Haruspex: You're lying. That's not what you wanted to ask. I can tell.

Bad Grief: If I did lie, I wouldn't tell you the truth now anyway, would I? So back off.

I'm not gonna go over the blowing-the-train tracks quest now, though I have some thoughts on it/what I think might be his plan there. For now it suffices to say that that whole thing is very odd, that his plan doesn't make sense(yeah, blowing up the tracks is a bad idea for his business. kinda meaningless though if the alternative is being hanged). That is to say, I'm pretty sure there's a hidden agenda there that we're probably only finding out in Changeling route.

So, what I mean is, if you think P2 Grief is harmless, or just a clown, or became a gang leader by accident, then, well. I think honey, you got a big storm comin'

A few more notes on Grief's character, and what I think of what we got so far:

-I believe the reflection(I have some thoughts about the nature of those too, actually lmao) is telling the truth, mostly. He is terrified, he doesn't want Artemy to think badly of him, he never wanted violence. P2 Grief is younger, more sympathetic, and very obviously more scared than his P1 counterpart. I don't think he's out there killing for fun. Still, I think he has a lot of blood on his hands anyway.

-I think his loyalty to his friends is sincere. He's kind of really big on companionship and loyalty, which fits, as a gang member. I really think that he wants to belong, to a gang, to a friend group, somewhere. Artemy mentions he's "always been weird" a couple of times, or stuff like "I knew you'd end up like this." and that thing with Lara's reflection... I think Grief was always a little bit on the margins, even in his own friend group, and that's why he made a place for himself as the leader of the misfits, of the people who don't fit what the town considers to be good society. I gotta get on with this because this is gonna be long enough without me rambling about every single thought and feeling I have about this bastard though

-He doesn't give away Stakh's hideout accidentally because he's goofy and dumb. He mentions more or less where it is like, three times. I think it's obvious that he's practically asking Artemy to go check on him, but he doesn't want to be a snitch, so he plays the fool like "Oooh no I gave you a hint, I sure hope you don't go looking for him now, don't ask me because I’d never tell!!". He's playing the clown, he's not that stupid

Okay, now we're getting to the heart of things. In P1, along with the reveal that he's actually a violent murderer who played another violent murderer(Barley) into taking the fall for his crimes, we get something else: he's working under the patronage and protection of Vlad Olgimsky. In P2, they put a lot more emphasis on that, Grief will tell you about it in the first AND second conversation you have. There is even a certain imagery associated with it... actually, allow me a quick digression here, I wanna go over some motifs around Grief.

Grief is pretty into clockwork and gears, going by his choice of decoration for his Lair. The town itself is compared to a machine several times, by himself, by Big Vlad, and regarding how the Kains view it. I risk to say that the way Grief sees it is rather different from the Kains, at least at first. For him it seems to be more of a blunt factory machine, while to the Kains...it means something else, more complex. Grief seems to have glimpsed what that is inside the Cathedral, near the end. That reminds me of something else, in the Diurnal End when Grief talks about how he used to be a clocksmith before, and now he's going to be "another kind of clocksmith", I don't think he's necessarily being literal in either case. Curiously, there's also a Clocksmith inside the Cathedral in Marble Nest...but I'm going off topic again

Bad Grief: Not a keeper of stores, but stories. This town, this great machine, the gears don't turn on their own, no, not till they're slick with secrets.

But so, webs and puppets. We return to Vlad Olgimsky(old), who uses the metaphor of his “web”. There's also an important character in Grief's journey that is strongly associated with (spider)webs and strings, and that's Aglaya. The most notable time Grief himself refers to it though, I think, it's in the Theatre of Death, if you let him die:

“My path was not called 'The Spider'. No, think wider. It was 'The Silkworm'! The end of a railroad, I pulled strings firm; unaware someone more cunning pulled mine upstairs.”

So about that. He’s referring to the PTB right? Probably, but not only. A theme in Patho is like...these layers of manipulation. I’m gonna pass the mic to P1 Clara and Saburov for a second:

Alexander Saburov: Begin with the Olgimskys. That is the most important sin for me, and the least for him, for it is not his fault. So did Olgimsky protect his illicit trade? Did he benefit from it?

Changeling: He didn't just benefit; he presided over it. Grief was his stooge.

Alexander Saburov: Now then, we shall skip the issue of the barber gang, since it's clear now who their true mastermind was... thanks to your courage, my brave girl.

Changeling: Don't skip it just yet. Barley was as much of a puppet in Grief's hands as Grief himself was for Olgimsky. Everyone has their toys.”

Grief is a puppet in Vlad’s hands both in P1 and P2, as there he says he’s Vlads “eyes and ears” in the warehouses. In the Cathedral, he seems to more or less realize the extent of it, and how it goes against what he always wanted in the first place: to not be trapped by anything.

Bad Grief: I used to be a thief, yet they made me a storekeeper. And what a perfect fit I made! I got my Warehouse kingdom, and with it, the insides of the Town's great machine. I kept Vlad's riches while havin' all I could dream of. Can't imagine a sweeter life.

Funnily enough, by that time he’s trapped in someone else’s web: Aglaya’s. That seems to be his thing, he thought he was in control and playing everyone, knowing all the secrets and pulling strings. In the end, he’s a Silkworm in the web of bigger fish. I mean, spiders.

Bad Grief: ...Yet they, too, are controlled by someone. Insane to think what kind of teeth you need for that.

But okay. Back to the start, I believe Grief has a lot of blood in his hands even before shit breaks loose. The things he seems to be most afraid of are also… interesting. This ties to his connection to Big Vlad, and the Kin.

Grief’s role in the payroll seems to be as a stool pigeon. He knows where everyone goes, what people are talking about, what they don’t want to become public. And he responds to Big Vlad. What I think is, hm, you know, even after Victoria passed it seems like the Kin and the Bull Enterprise never really defied Olgimsky, or had a leader in any way. Grief, too, seems to enjoy a pretty comfortable life for a gang leader. As an important piece to Vlad, he really doesn’t have that much to fear, since the guy “owns everything” and is very explicit to Artemy about how he can destroy anyone who doesn’t obey him. And probably has done that before. My guess is, Grief kept the machine working right by tattling, so no leadership or enemy to Vlad’s Enterprise could rise. I’d speculate that Vlad possibly paid the favor not only financially, but by maintaining Grief in that position. Basically, I think with Grief’s info, Vlad could eliminate any potential problem. That would mean that maybe without even having to shed blood himself there might be a lot of deaths Grief is responsible for, not to speak of the maintenance of that horrible system in the town. I think the route they are going for here is that Grief is a class traitor.

Why do I say that? Well, first let’s look at Grief’s relationship with the Kin: he’s remarkably close to them for a townie. Geographically, obviously, and also in the sense of living on the margins of society, but he also shares many of their superstitions, and seems to hold Aspity’s opinion in high regard(even calls her Sahba). I find it easy to believe that many of his men are part of the community as well, due to not being welcome in the town. At that time we see him in the Hospice though, and talking with the Kin people there, it’s pretty clear that they are planning some sort of uprising. That it’s imminent. Grief seems to know it. Seems to be absolutely terrified of that too, and to feel betrayed by Vlad.

Bad Grief: It's too late for me, Cub. I've only got one road ahead of me now. Perhaps the outbreak is for the best... Plagues are like fires, people forget old scores. And all hell will break loose here soon.

Haruspex: Any dark prophecies to share? You're the criminal mastermind here, after all.

Bad Grief: No need to prophesize. People fear hunger. Even honest workers will turn their hatchets and hammers to crime. Burglin' houses, lootin' corpses, guttin' each other. They will. Oh, they will.

Haruspex: Not all of them, Grief. Not all.

Bad Grief: The turf's so dry, you don't even need a match-a glare would start a fire. And when the Kin bares its teeth, that's when we'll all dance! They're slow on the start, but oh so fast on the draw! The Master likes them mute and obedient, but apathy makes them that way, not stupidity. They're only obedient till the time comes. And here it comes.

And the people who lose their jobs? They won't be too fond of staying home. They'll find new hobbies, like looking for food, or venting their anger. ...And Fat Vlad shut his facilities down the day before yesterday, didn't he? Crafty... Didn't whisper so much as a single word to me. Do you think he knew?

At the same time he seems to think that he deserves this, and it’s inevitable. “We reap what we sow”, paraphrasing him. He talks a few times about how there’s a vile beast inside each person in the town, about how they are all wretched and everything, including him, which I think might just be a way of coping like “yeah, I sold out, but anyone would do the same if they were in my place”.

So, yeah. What I think is that Grief was a guy that had no power and money, with absolutely no perspective, who due to his very particular skills had an opportunity to climb up and took it(all while still getting to pretend he’s an outlaw, free from the chains of society!). And it’s...very bad. And he knows it’s very bad, and he’s not evil or sadistic, but he’s immature, cowardly, and desperately wants to be in control of his own destiny, and to not be alone, and all that. He’s still Artemy’s childhood buddy, a loyal friend, and someone who never really wanted to cause that much damage. He also knows that what he did is unjustifiable, and that no matter what he truly feels, the damage is done and he’s guilty of horrible shit.

#pathologic #pathologic 2 #bad grief #pathologic meta #I forgot to talk about the shotgun. but oh well #full of spoilers both P1 and P2

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