#not including native Americans everyone who’s in America now came from another country

[kemetic-dreams]

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Africa witnessed an explosion of missionary activity. The success of missionaries during this period was due in large part to the onset of colonial rule, which made clear to Africans the benefit of European education. 

Robin Horton writes: “With the advent of the twentieth century … Europeans came to be seen as symbols of power, and Christianity itself came to be seen as part of a larger order, comprising Western education, colonial administration, commerce and industry, with which everyone had henceforth to reckon. These changes created a much more favorable climate for conversion.” (Horton 1971, 86). The provision of education soon became the main reward used by missionaries to lure Africans into the Christian sphere, and so much so that even by the late colonial period, nearly all education was still provided by missionaries.

The decision of where to locate foreign mission stations is of central importance for the empirical analysis. A number of factors played a role in determining a mission’s location. Among the most important were access to a clean water supply, the ability to import supplies from Europe, and an abundance of fertile soil that could be used to grow crops (Hildegard Binder Johnson 1967). The locations of missions also exhibited a form of path dependence. The routes of initial missionary explorers determined which parts of Africa were the most well-known

 From these first stations, larger networks of stations, that together formed a series of trans-shipment points from the coast to the interior were developed. By creating these networks, missionaries could penetrate deep into the interior while maintaining access to supplies from Europe. The colonial railway network also provided an additional means of remaining connected with Europe, and therefore was another factor that affected mission locations. 

The final factor of importance was the slave trade. Missionaries sought to bring an end to the slave trade within Africa, and thus a concerted effort was made to locate mission stations in areas where slavery was prevalent (Johnson 1967). In the analysis, I am careful to control for these potential determinants of the locations of mission stations. If these factors have an independent impact on long-term conversion, then not properly accounting

The early planters of Christianity did not intend to enter into the thoughts world and patterns of the Africans, into their religious psychology, their ethos, and ethical conceptions and values. Struck and shocked by those gross and transient aspects of our culture, the missionaries shuddered and glossed over the positive merits of our cultural institutions.

 Christian missionaries in their invisible if inculpable anthropological ignorance of the Africans conceived or seemed to have conceived their mission as that of imparting not only the Christian religion, but also culture and civilization-and the Western civilization precisely. The battle of the cross and the crescent and other local studies revealed certain major characteristics which formed a pattern in missionary expansion. 

When the humanitarians and evangelicals turned their attention to overseas mission and away from alleviating the dismal by-products of early industrialization in England, they had to depend on the aid of the colonial governments.

Toyin Falola asserts that there were some missionaries who believed that "the agenda of colonialism in Africa was similar to that of Christianity". 

Falola cites Jan H. Boer of the Sudan United Mission as saying, "Colonialism is a form of imperialism based on a divine mandate and designed to bring liberation – spiritual, cultural, economic and political – by sharing the blessings of the Christ-inspired civilization of the West with a people suffering under satanic oppression, ignorance and disease, effected by a combination of political, economic and religious forces that cooperate under a regime seeking the benefit of both ruler and ruled.

Edward Andrews writes: Historians have traditionally looked at Christian missionaries in one of two ways. The first church historians to catalogue missionary history provided hagiographic descriptions of their trials, successes, and sometimes even martyrdom. Missionaries were thus visible saints, exemplars of ideal piety in a sea of persistent savagery. However, by the middle of the twentieth century, an era marked by civil rights movements, anti-colonialism, and growing secularization, missionaries were viewed quite differently. Instead of godly martyrs, historians now described missionaries as arrogant and rapacious imperialists.

 Christianity became not a saving grace but a monolithic and aggressive force that missionaries imposed upon defiant natives. Indeed, missionaries were now understood as important agents in the ever-expanding nation-state, or "ideological shock troops for colonial invasion whose zealotry blinded them

Adriaan van Oss wrote: If we had to choose a single, irreducible idea underlying Spanish colonialism in the New World, it would undoubtedly be the propagation of the Catholic faith.

 Unlike such other European colonizing powers as England or the Netherlands, Spain insisted on converting the natives of the lands it conquered to its state religion. Miraculously, it succeeded. 

Introduced in the context of Iberian expansionism, Catholicism outlived the empire itself and continues to thrive, not as an anachronistic vestige among the elite, but as a vital current even in remote mountain villages. Catholic Christianity remains the principal colonial heritage of Spain in America. More than any set of economic relationships with the outside world, more even than the language first brought to America's shores in 1492, the Catholic religion continues to permeate Spanish-American culture today, creating an overriding cultural unity which transcends the political and national boundaries dividing the continent.

The Native Americans only gave way to the force of the European after they were overcome with the diseases the Europeans had spread. The Evangelization of the natives in the Americas began with private colonization. The Crown tried to establish rules to protect the natives against any unjust war of conquest. The Spanish could start a war against those who rejected the kings authority and who were aware and also rejected Christianity. There was a doctrine developed that allowed the conquest of natives if they were uncivilized.

Friars and Jesuits learned native languages instead of teaching the natives Spanish because they were trying to protect them from the colonists’ negative influences. In addition, the missionaries felt it was important to show the positive aspects of the new religion to the natives after the epidemics and harsh conquest that had just occurred

The Spanish were the first of the future European countries to colonize North and South America. They came into the region predominantly through Cuba and Puerto Rico and into Florida. The Spaniards were committed, by Vatican decree, to convert their New World indigenous subjects to Catholicism. However, often initial efforts (both docile and coerced) were questionably successful, as the indigenous people added Catholicism into their longstanding traditional ceremonies and beliefs. 

The many native expressions, forms, practices, and items of art could be considered idolatry and prohibited or destroyed by Spanish missionaries, military, and civilians. This included religious items, sculptures, and jewelry made of gold or silver, which were melted down before shipment to Spain.

Though the Spanish did not impose their language to the extent they did their religion, some indigenous languages of the Americas evolved into replacement with Spanish, and lost to present day tribal members. When more efficient they did evangelize in native languages. The introduction of writing systems to the Quechua, Nahuatl and Guarani peoples may have contributed to their expansion.

In the early years most mission work was undertaken by the religious orders. Over time it was intended that a normal church structure would be established in the mission areas. The process began with the formation of special jurisdictions, known as apostolic prefectures and apostolic vicariates. These developing churches eventually graduated to regular diocesan status with the appointment of a local bishop. After decolonization, this process increased in pace as church structures altered to reflect new political-administrative realities. 

Ralph Bauer describes the Franciscan missionaries as having been "unequivocally committed to Spanish imperialism, condoning the violence and coercion of the Conquest as the only viable method of bringing American natives under the saving rule of Christianity." Jordan writes "The catastrophe of Spanish America's rape at the hands of the Conquistadors remains one of the most potent and pungent examples in the entire history of human conquest of the wanton destruction of one culture by another in the name of religion

#traphouse #trap house #kemetic dreams #church #christianity #africa #africans #colonization #conquitadors #conquistadors #spanish america #spanish #ralph #european #european colonialism #white supremacy #white supermacists #white superiority #monster #monsters #rape

[96thdayofrage]

In the first five minutes of Raoul Peck’s docuseries, Exterminate All the Brutes, a subtitle appears on screen. “The Disturbing Confidence of Ignorance: 1836 Seminoles and Maroons.” A determined Seminole female chief (Casia Ankarsparre) appears on screen. Unblinking, she says, “This is the day we fight.” The next scene is a meeting between the chief and a male Maroon leader. In this scene we see a true story that the majority white gatekeepers who control Hollywood rarely include in their whitewashed stories about the history of what we now call “America” — Black and Brown living in integrated community, sharing resources, and resisting white supremacy. As they sit in a circle under a modest covering, the Maroon leader humbly offers to run in order to protect the community. The chief replies, “We’re family now. You stay.”  The Maroon leader emphasizes that he doesn’t want to bring harm, to which the chief knowingly says, “They bring harm to our nation, not you.” The white man wants their land by any means necessary. They decide to fight together to protect one another and their land.

Exterminate All the Brutes is a documentary series that jumps time, brilliantly ripping off the facade of “the American Dream,” allowing the audience to face the reality that America was born as a colonial power and to this day operates as one. Peck wrote and narrates the docuseries, so he literally tells the thinly hidden truths of how America came to be. Exterminate All the Brutes holds no punches, defining white supremacy as a poisonous superiority complex that kills nations in order to thrive.

Peck is one of the most renowned storytellers of our time. After completing I Am Not Your Negro, he says that he felt called to make Exterminate All the Brutes, which deconstructs the origins of white supremacy. Now is the right time for this momentous series. Normally, the documentary filmmaker is “outside” of the film. Peck skillfully inserts himself into the story using home movie footage of his Haitian American immigrant family, grounding viewers in relatable reality as he guides us through over 400 years of imperialism and the impact of white dominance and fascism. We need that in order to bear witness to hard truths. Peck is familiar with dealing with dictators. His middle-class family was exiled during the reign of Haitian president/dictator Francois Duvalier and ended up living in Brooklyn when he was a child in the 1960s. Peck narrates, “We traveled a lot because of another dictator, but it doesn’t feel like an exile. I am with family. I am an immigrant from a ‘sh*thole country,’ like he said.”

ALSO READ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,’ Season 1 Episode 3: “Power Broker” — RECAP

Three books are the foundation of this docuseries. Exterminate All the Brutes, by Sven Lindqvist, exposes the cruel impact of European imperialism on the African continent. An Indigenous People’s History of the United States, by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, details the Native American genocide. Silencing the Past, by Michel-Rolph Trouillot, is about how Haiti’s independence in 1804 changed the trajectory of the Western world. Peck unites this circle of intellectual healers to create the extraordinary HBO docuseries and credits these authors, who are also his dear friends, as co-creators of the film.  

History is remembered by the victors. American history has been reinforced by Hollywood. The Civil War ended in 1865. Moving pictures were invented in 1893, and in 1915, The Birth of a Nation (a white supremacist propoganda film) was the first blockbuster film made in Hollywood. We have generations of Americans who believe in the big lie of Western expansion by Westerns that center one white man killing everyone with a gun.

Peck uses his superpowers as a filmmaker to tell the truths of history from the perspective of the colonized. The docuseries not only uses historical footage and newsreels but also Peck has created full narrative short stories within the documentary to add nuance, humanizing the history.  

The white male lead of Exterminate All the Brutes is Josh Hartnett. The character Hartnett plays has no name, but I recognized him immediately. Josh Hartnett is deftly playing white superiority, a character every Black person in America has to endure a daily basis. I have to say, experiencing the way Peck wrote that character and how Hartnett deftly embodies that toxic energy was more frightening than any race-based horror film or series I’ve seen this year. Witnessing the impact of that white man dominating through time was a frightening truth we rarely see told openly. I’m just grateful that I’ve lived long enough to be able to see the truth of this country on screen.  

The parts of the documentary that hit me hardest used animation to powerfully reflect the North Atlantic Slave Trade and the Trail of Tears. I will hold those images in my heart forever. Stories give us the opportunity to empathize. We can look past the superficial differences and see we are one people. White supremacy thrives on simplicity. Exterminate All the Brutes is a rich documentary that uses wise storytelling to clearly share the complexity of the system grounded in white dominance that we are all living under.

The documentary is broken up into four episodes, which are really short films.

Part 1: The Disturbing Confidence of Ignorance

Part 2: Who the F*** Is Columbus

Part 3: Killing at a Distance, or How I Thoroughly Enjoyed the Outing

Part 4: The Bright Colors of Fascism

When deciding to make this film, Peck was encouraged by his friend Sven Lindqvist, who said to him, “You already know enough. It’s not knowledge we lack. What is missing is the courage to understand what we know and to draw conclusions.” As I’ve been watching the Derek Chauvin trial for the murder of George Floyd, Exterminate All the Brutes was a form of catharsis for me. After viewing the entire series, I feel charged up and inspired to continue to do the daily work of dismantling white dominance as our ancestors need us all to do.

Don’t miss Exterminate All The Brutes, written, directed, produced, and narrated by Raoul Peck, now streaming on HBO/Max.    

Episodes: https://www.hbo.com/exterminate-all-the-brutes/episodes

Additional films, books and resources:

https://www.hbo.com/exterminate-all-the-brutes/raoul-peck-essential-reading-films

[kinetic-elaboration]

June 17: 1x23 The Omega Glory

Watched the very uneven episode “The Omega Glory” today. Upon some reflection.. I think I have seen it? But I think my last rewatch ended abruptly after “By Any Other Name” so it might have been some time ago.

Anyway, it was... something. Decent, I might even say good, until the last 10-15 minutes and then it just went off a cliff? That’s how I’d summarize it.

Sulu, my beloved. I’ve missed you.

Kirk knows where all the ships are. I mean, obviously, but I love to hear it.

Phasers on heavy stun huh?

It’s so weird to be on a different ship. That looks like the same ship. It’s so empty and haunted looking.

With creepy crystal remains of bodies everywhere.

“These white crystals... are the crew.”

Something was thirsty!! Perhaps... a water vampire? Perhaps... a former McCoy girlfriend?

(Honestly having watched the whole ep...they could have expanded this intro longer. It was creepy and mysterious. Then cut the last act.)

Oh no, they’ve been infected and now must quarantine. Sort of. I guess.

...Oh no, is this Vietnam? Again?

“Our old enemy, Vietnam.”

My mother suggested the disease might be communism and I don’t think that metaphor tracks through the whole episode but you know what.. anything’s possible.

I don’t like this whole “you can’t leave the planet or you’ll get sick and die” thing. Too familiar.

"I may never be able to leave this planet but I have a worse problem: a colleague may be breaking a rule."

Says the man who has frequently violated a directive that has never been referred to as Prime before.

Kirk is getting very mumbly. That’s his serious voice.... bu it’s also his Denny Crane voice lol.

Like bio warfare in the 90s? TOS really thought the 90s was going to be the dark ages, didn’t it?

Only 90s kids remember...

Spock bursting in with a wounded man, just bringing the drama, as he does.

He’s not even listening to McCoy. Rude.

Spock absolutely 100% would have killed Captain Tracey on instinct as soon as Kirk is threatened.

Sulu’s in command? I love Captain Sulu but where is Scotty?

Kirk is so good. Clever, strong, smart. Knows all the regulations.

Tracey’s so dumb. “They’ve eradicated disease and live for hundreds of years!” Man, have you considered that they are...aliens? And their life spans are simply.... naturally longer than human life spans? And even if you could isolate the serum, it might not work on humans?

And his master plan is to isolate their immunity and bottle it for profit. It’s our old enemy... capitalism and the exploitation of intellectual property.

A fight scene!

“The pointy-eared one stays.”

Another fight scene!

Spock is watching all of this, and you know what, I feel like he’s not upset about it. It’s just like Pre-Reform Vulcan. Perhaps some... Amok Time flashbacks? “Damn, I wish that was me.”

Peanut gallery Spock.

“I wish you could teach me that.” / “I have tried.” Omg where is my scene of Spock trying to teach Kirk the nerve pinch?

And then that look Kirk gives him.

I don’t get the point of this scene but it amuses me that as soon as McCoy sees the pretty girl, he feels better.

A post-apocalyptic alien world... a very interesting concept. Like you could do a lot with that idea imo.

“That’s our worship word [freedom too.” Umm.... questionable.

Damn bitch, that was cold. Just knocking him out like that.

Damn yankee.

...Yankee and Communist dammit.

McCoy’s not even surprised to see Kirk and Spock out of jail.

Nature created a natural counterbalance to the biological disease. Where is OUR natural counterbalance, I ask?

McCoy sounds extra Southern rn. It’s all the stress.

I really don’t think Shatner gets enough credit for his subtlety. His face when McCoy explains the whole situation...

Oh he's mad now. "You've hurt Spock for nothing! Oh yeah and also killed thousands but MOSTLY THE SPOCK THING!”

Whereas Tracey really doesn’t seem to care about anything but war for its own sake. He knows now that his master plan for immortality was nothing the whole time...but he still needs to call those Yangs.

In other words, another once-reputable figure of authority now gone mad.

Kirk’s voice is so casual when he’s talking to Uhura and Sulu, you feel like he’s gotta have something up his sleeve. He can never hide when he’s really upset about something.

...Apparently what he had up his sleeve was his crew knowing regulations and then another full body tackle. Fight scene 3!

"My need for attention is vital.” Same, Spock.

This is a very attenuated and unbelievable connection Kirk is making but he’s Kirk so I’ll assume it makes sense that he’s putting it all together so fast.

Alternate Universe: Vietnam canon-divergence lol.

For anyone keeping track, this is right about the point where the episode goes off the rails.

YOU’RE A ROMANTIC, JIM. Well he’s right about that at least and he should say it.

Oh no, an American flag.

Cloud William, chief and the son of chiefs. That’s continuity of government for you.

(Also pretty hilarious that this society is supposedly So American with our exact flag and Constitution and everything... but they’re not a democracy.)

I really don’t want to believe that “under God” is still in the pledge 200 years from now.

"You're confusing the stars with heaven." Kirk thinks he's being called an angel.

The absolute mishmash of meaningless, referent-free words here. America. Native Americans. Communists. The flag, the Constitution. God. Angels. Devils. What???

Like how can they both be flag worshippers AND...believers in God? Who is their God? Alien George Washington?

So rude to call Spock Kirk’s “servant.” That’s his space husband!

Is that a literal picture of Spock as a demon in their.. Bible?

I can’t even follow this anymore.

“You command him.” I mean...yes, that’s how the military works.

“He has no heart.” Wow, rude.

“His heart is different!” I stan one (1) Southern Doctor.

I feel like Spock is just... not having this at all. His face loos like he’s thinking what I’m thinking.

Oh no is that the CONSTITUTION??!

“Kill his servant” wow Tracey is obsessed with Spock, isn’t he? I guess everyone in the Fleet knows about them and their special relationship.

Spock is even amused by the knife at his throat. His eyes say "I am distressed--but fascinated!"

A FOURTH fight scene? And here I thought Kirk was going to recite the Constitution.

“I’m open to suggestions.” He’s just as worried about Kirk as McCoy is, bu the doesn’t show it.

...Yep, he’s being telepathic again. Not really in line with his usual telepathy but okay. Alien magic is flexible.

Okay I have a JD and I can confidently say there is nothing about good defeating evil in the Constitution.

And now this alien guy is immediately ready to make himself a “slave.” That seems problematic. What happened to the holy word “Freedom”?

Wow, Kirk's in a bad mood. "You can't pronounce your own holy words worth shit."

“This is only for the eyes of a Chief,” he says and Kirk just pushes him away.

Spock literally turns Tracey around for Kirk’s big final speech like “Listen up, bitch, my boyfriend’s talking.”

Is this the 4th of July episode?? Feels like there should be canons and fireworks going off behind him rn.

Idk, the words of the Constitution can't be so unique and unprecedented if a WHOLE OTHER ALIEN CIVILIZATION just came up with them, too, on their own, like monkeys typing Hamlet. (Given the timelines here... they probably did it first too lol.)

"Liberty and freedom need to be more than just words." Like what does that even mean in this context? Sounds nice but it’s very hard to put into the context of all the rest of this.

“And uh be nice to the Kohms,” after most of them (?) were probably just killed.

I really was into this until the last 10-15 minutes and I think there were under-explored concepts that could have taken the fever dream of whatever that bizarre-o fever dream at the end was. The abandoned ship. The leftovers of bio warfare. The whole weird and under-explained concept of immunity. The tragedy that so much was destroyed,, including but not limited to the whole Exeter crew, for no reason. What happened to Tracey to so destroy him--was it just greed? What about the “Prime” Directive? Is it important or not. They just leave at the end after (as Spock pointed out) doing quite a bit of their own meddling, even though meddling is allegedly the worst. Also, we know almost nothing about the Kohms at all. The “American” society clearly wasn’t democratic. Were the Kohms literally Communist?

I’m willing to accept a certain degree of alternate Earth scenarios--like Miri (though imo that was not a necessary component of that story) or Bread and Circuses, but this was too much. TOO unbelievable. And frankly unnecessary. You could do an allegory for alternate-Vietnam, and it would be just as clear but even more effective. There wouldn’t be any distraction in the form of “what the fuck is that flag doing here?”

There is a potentially incendiary concept here, which is the same one I thought of reading about actual COG plans--certain aspects of the Yanks’ culture survives, but with absolutely no meaning attached. They have a Constitution but they mispronounce all the words. They have this tattered flag but it has no other meaning. They’ve turned the symbols of the government into a religion, but they don’t practice any of the civil aspects of it--they have chiefs, not democratically appointed leaders, for example. Like, COG asks “what IS the country, and how do you make sure the country endures no matter what?” This was an opportunity to show the worst of that: the country continues to exist as symbology only--incredibly strong symbology, but only that--and all of the actual values that were supposed to be stored with that symbology have disappeared. Similarly, their hatred of their enemies endures. It’s lauded in the ep as their attempt to get “their land” back but what if it’s just war for its own sake, as Tracey seems to be engaging in? To tell that story, especially in the 60s, against the backdrop of Vietnam, and with the references to bio warfare and nuclear warfare, could be powerful. And I know TOS can work in metaphor and comparison. It doesn’t need to bring out a literal fucking flag.

Honestly, it was like they had one good, classic, sci fi story but it didn't fill 52 minutes so they tacked on the American Pride 4th of July Propaganda Extravaganza at the end.

It really felt like the lesson was “America good” lol.

I liked the concept of the post apocalyptic society in the aftermath of bio warfare as a cautionary tale for 1960s America, and I'd be up for crazed snake oil salesman Starfleet Captain (or...whatever his rank was) if it were a bit better explained. But the rest of it....

It also... could have been kinda incendiary with the idea that the Constitution and flag are religious symbols... I mean some people do treat them that way and I've always found that, first, blasphemous, and second, bizarre in such a hyper-Christian country. But I feel like instead of digging ito that, they just tempered it with "But also they're Christian, as you can tell by their drawing of devil!Spock, for some reason."

Idk, this story could have been complete with out the whole weird “Vietnam AU” back story or alternately it could have been a biting commentary about what defines America, and about whether or not our symbols might be more enduring--or even more important to people today??--than the laudable but more complex and difficult ideals that underpin the country’s founding. Are the words of the Constitution just gobbledy gook? They are if you don’t live by them, and America has always struggled to do that. It definitely would struggle even more in the aftermath of an apocalypse.

...I’m more annoyed now, thinking about the possible sci fi story that could have been...

Anyway next is an ep I’m fairly sure I haven’t  seen, so that should be fun.

#the year 2021 #2021: star trek #star trek tos

[sparky-sparky-boom-man]

So obviously jk Rowling’s interpretation of magical society in America is absolutely shit. It’s fucking awful, no way around it, she did the least amount of research she could, she absolutely didn’t care about the casual racism of how she treated Native Americans and it shows. But, ignoring all that for a second, I really fucking hate Ilvermorny. I do. I really do.

So first off, instead of devising some sort of cool, ancient magic school or system of learning that belonged to indigenous tribes, she just fucking slapped another pasty Irish lady with the task of making another hogwarts in America and bringing wands and introducing “proper” magic to America(which has an uncomfortably colonizing vibe to it).

Second, it’s in a castle. A castle. An ancient castle. In America. So I get that they have magic but not only is that stupid as fuck considering it was early America and ye old lady Isolde or whatever the fuck definitely had better things to do than building a fucking castle, where in the goddamn world would she have gotten time to build it? In the midst of fighting off dysentery because this uncivilized land has no magic cures and she never went to school? Did she get hell from her good Puritan neighbor Jeremiah with the 12 kids and pneumonia who’s constantly on the hunt for witches to burn?

Third, jk originally meant for it to be another boarding school, and only changed in on Pottermore after everyone pointed out how fucking stupid it was when America has no boarding school culture.

And lastly why the fuck is it the only magic school in America???? That doesn’t even make the slightest sense. Not only is America fucking ginormous compared to the UK and it’s very doubtful that parents would just let their kids travel across the fucking country twice a day, if you calculate the population of all the magical, school-age children in America(I’m including the territories because fuck you) you wil almost always get a number upwards of 25,000. 25,000 is the size of a small city, not the ideal population of a single school. Continuing on that, ilvermorny apparently accepts students from all over North America. So that number gets infinitely bigger once you include students from Canada, Greenland, and Iceland. Which means you end up with a single school housing tens of thousands of teenagers everyday.

No matter how you try to reason it, maybe it’s like a college, maybe they have giant classrooms, maybe they have thousands of teachers, this is just the most horribly designed school ever. And it was really fucking dumb of jkr to assume that A) the only school that would work in America is a second hogwarts. B) that we wanted a second hogwarts instead of something unique to us. C) that any part of hogwarts could be ported over to America and just work. And D) that she thought she could get away with this.

So, in defiance of the endless problems and mindless stupidity that Ilvermorny presents, I have a headcanon that helps me survive its presence in canon. It doesn’t exist.

No, I’m not pretending that it literally doesn’t exist like we all do to the disgrace that I the Cursed Child. I mean it’s like a continent-wide inside joke. So maybe a young witch had a conversation like this one day.

British wizard: Yeah mate, everyone goes the Hogwarts, where else would we go? What’s your school called?

American witch: my... school? Are you asking for my school name or all the names? Because I don’t know all of them

BW: Doesn’t everyone in North America go to the same school?

AW: *narrows eyes, thinks about the fundamental differences between Britain and the Americas and wonders how someone could come up with that conclusion* no, we all go to local schools

BW: *flabbergasted* you mean you don’t go and live at your school with everyone else?

AW: buddy, we don’t have the same culture, a single school for all America is the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard

BW: this is ridiculous! That’s what we do at Hogwarts and Hogwarts is the best wizarding school in the world!

AW: *annoyed sigh*

Maybe this conversation happens a few times with varying people, AW meets others who’ve also had conversations like this with British people, eventually this happens

Different British Wizard: Yeah so I went to Hogwarts like everyone else back home, does everyone in America go to the same school?

AW: ...... yes

BW: What’s it called?

AW: uh... uh... illllvermoorny. Yeah, that’s it, Ilvermorny. Best real school ever. Love it.

BW: Cool! Does it have houses?

AW: ahhhh.... yes? *searches head for American creatures that this asshole can’t call her bullshit on* there’s four... the uh... thunderbird... the... pudwudgie..... uh, the horned serpent, and the uh, uh.. wampus. Yep, those four.

It just snowballed from there with this poor American witch lying out of her ass and she made up a whole creation story that, if you look close enough, was definitely not well thought through. But it seemed to get the guy off her back and so she spread the word, told all her friends that ‘hey if anybody not from North America asks us about our school system tell them this’ and her friends told their friends and so on and so forth until every magical person in North America knew it.

They keep up the pretense to this day, everybody just bullshits about Ilvermorny to every European person they meet. Europe is the only place that still believes Ilvermorny is real, everywhere else has at least something similar, their own version of multiple schools, there’s just too many people to only have. Except in Europe.

Every now and then some honest fellow tries to tell the truth, about the hundreds of schools, the focus on ancient Magics that the native tribes used, their history program that tells the stories of witches and wizards in slavery and internment camps, and how the wars the English had with the goblins were so very inconsequential when it came to the underground factions and resistance against slavery and native ethnic genocide. They laugh, they say that doesn’t make sense, it couldn’t possibly be true. They say that there was no way wizard and muggle society could be that intertwined, don’t try to get one over on me you silly yank. So the Americans tell the Europeans what they want to hear, after all they won’t listen to anything else, everyone’s tried.

Tldr: Ilvermorny is a fake school that Americans pretend is real so they don’t have to try and explain the differences in schooling to Europeans

#harry potter #wizard #witches #wizarding world #wizarding schools #ilvermorny #ilvermony houses #ilvermony school of witchcraft and wizardry #hogwarts #jkrolwing #haha jk #youre dead to me #death of the author #she really didnt think it through #headcanon #fandom

[lokiondisneyplus]

After more than 40 years as an actor, Sheri Mann Stewart had finally taken the plunge to launch her own production company. A week after she wrapped shooting her first film for Mann Woman Productions, Atlanta went on pandemic lockdown.

Mann Stewart was suddenly left with a film on hold, an audition on hold, and the careers of her husband and two sons — all performers — on hold. Instead of ushering her first film — prophetically inspired by John Paul Sartre’s “No Exit” — through editing and post-production, she spends several hours each day on the phone trying to iron out issues with unemployment benefits that she has yet to receive.

“Nothing like this has ever happened,” said Mann Stewart an Atlanta native who most recently appeared in Tyler Perry’s Netflix feature film “A Fall from Grace.” “I think, one way or another, our industry will be changed.”

COVID-19 left actress Sheri Mann Stewart with the first film from her production company on hold, an audition on hold, and the careers of her husband and two sons – all performers – also in flux. She has spent time working on other projects including a new YouTube series to support LGBTQIA youth who may not be in supportive environments.

Like many other industries, the film and TV business has been shut down since mid-March, with only a few exceptions such as late-night talk shows and virtual versions of “American Idol” and “The Voice.” With plenty of content currently in the pipeline, streaming services and television networks have managed so far, but if production doesn’t restart soon, viewers will face a major drought of new shows to watch this fall.

Pressure is building to get production started as soon as possible, but the natural intimacy of a typical set with makeup artists, camera operators, producers, actors and production assistants constantly crossing paths, makes creating proper protocols a serious challenge.

“People are anxious to get back to work,” said Mark Wofford, general manager at Atlanta-based Production Consultants & Equipment, which provides motion-picture rental equipment. “But this has to be weighed against the need to make sure everyone is safe. It’s going to be a real balancing act.”

Georgia has become a major player in Hollywood production, courtesy of generous tax credits to film and TV production companies passed in 2008. It’s now the third-largest state for such content after California and New York. As the only state with no cap on its credits, Georgia has drawn big-budget films such as “Black Panther” and “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”

Despite Hollywood’s liberal leanings — some in the industry called for boycotts after Georgia’s 2016 religious liberty bill and 2019 heartbeat abortion bill — the Republican-led state legislature and three Republican governors have consistently embraced the tax credit system. At the recent Georgia Film Day on March 11, Gov. Brian Kemp spoke before 200 industry supporters in the state Capitol atrium, extolling the $2.9 billion in direct investment and 50,000-plus jobs the business brought into the state last fiscal year. Weeks later, Kemp would issue a statewide shelter-in-place order.

In May, the Georgia Film Office released a set of nonbinding best practices for film and television productions to consider during the pandemic. The guidelines included holding remote auditions and virtual location scouting as well as reducing the number of extras used on set and placing clear barriers between actors to be removed just before the director yells “Action!”

Local studios are preparing to reopen this summer as they await multiple unions to accept unified protocols. Earlier this month, a task force composed of the various unions and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, sent approved health and safety guidelines to governors in California and New York with plans for final protocols to follow soon. “This document is an initial set of principles and guidelines that we all agree form a relevant and realistic first step to protecting cast and crew in the reopening of the entertainment and media industry in its two largest markets,” said a joint statement from unions, including the Teamsters, the Directors Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA. Face masks for live audiences, staggered mealtimes with no buffet-style setups, and daily screenings for COVID-19 along with a designated COVID-19 compliance officer, were among the recommended guidelines.

Studios have already begun to make big investments in COVID-19 friendly infrastructure. Since March, two of the largest studios in the metro area — Pinewood Studios in Fayetteville and Blackhall Studios in Atlanta — have each invested more than $1 million to retrofit their studios. One of the biggest costs: improving the HVAC systems on their sound stages and offices so they are comparable to that of hospitals in order to reduce the chances of airborne transmission of viruses. Major film and television productions can easily have hundreds of staff members working in tight indoor quarters, creating the kind of environment that public health officials have noted can increase the spread of COVID-19.

“I’ve had to become an expert in viral containment,” said Ryan Millsap, owner of Blackhall Studios. “Until March, I hadn’t given it a second thought. This is a big moment in our generation where disease has come to the forefront.”

Atlanta-based makeup artist Tracy Ewell has seen a virus or cold spread like fire on almost every production on which she has worked. She started toting a personal air filter to set up in the trailers and tents where she and her team spend hours getting actors camera ready. ”I am paid to be hygienic,” Ewell said. “I take full responsibility for my actor’s condition, but masks don’t work in my world.”

Ewell, who has worked as a department head on productions for Marvel and the Netflix drama “Ozark,” is not afraid of returning to set, but she knows that is a decision everyone will have to make for themselves. The initial industry guidelines for makeup artists included providing more time to allow for safety measures to be followed, but additional protocols need to be established before that kind of work can continue. “I would be comfortable having fewer people on set in my department if I knew they were going to have the time,” Ewell said. But more time means more money, and studios now have to make big investments at a time when they’ve posted big losses.

Just before the pandemic shut down productions nationwide, HBO finished its upcoming J.J. Abrams drama, “Lovecraft Country,” and Paramount wrapped Chris Pratt military science fiction movie “The Tomorrow War” at Blackhall. Millsap was about to sign with two other major studios for new productions when COVID-19 put the kibosh on that.

Since then, Millsap has generated zero revenue, shedding more than $1 million a month while keeping his 12 full-time employees on payroll. He said he has had enough money in the bank to keep his studio afloat but would be challenged if shows didn’t begin shooting by the fourth quarter. If all goes well, two major studios will begin pre-production at Blackhall in July with potential full-blown production by August or September, he said.

Frank Patterson, the head of Pinewood Atlanta Studios, said they have had to study every aspect of their business, from more limited security access to more sequestered work pods, dividing the studio into zones. They also hired a medical testing company, BioIQ, to handle the anticipated flood of COVID-19 tests they plan to use on a daily basis. “Some days, we’ll have 6,000 people on the lot,” he said.

The past couple of months have been “overwhelmingly stressful because I’m working with people I’ve known for decades,” Patterson added. “These are people I grew up within the industry. We have to make certain nobody gets sick. At the same time, these are friends who haven’t worked for months and have families to feed. We need to get this done now.”

Atlanta-based Tyler Perry Studios was the first in the country to announce detailed plans to shoot two of his BET television series in July. Perry has some advantages most other studios do not. He owns 330 acres of a former Army base and has at least 80 residences on the property which will enable him to more easily isolate crew and actors. He writes and directs his own TV series in a way that will enable him to finish shooting an entire season in less than three weeks. He has developed protocols to test everybody multiple times with contingencies in case anybody gets COVID-19. He has scaled back on-site crew and extras and is using his largest sound stage as a cafeteria with proper social distancing.

“It’s an enormous undertaking and an enormous cost to the budget,” Perry told Variety last month.

Mann Stewart had just been called for an audition for a Perry television production before the studio closed. She is unsure if that opportunity still stands but has continued with other auditions, including a recent commercial audition that came through in late May. Still, it is never far from her mind how so many aspects of the industry must change.

While writing a script for a play, she found herself debating if she really needed the characters to have a physical interaction.

“I try not to let it impact me and say I can fix it later but…,” said Mann Stewart, her thought left trailing.

Some studios are already pondering creative solutions to those kinds of concerns. As soon as the pandemic hit, executives at Atlanta-based Crazy Legs Productions created an advisory council of five medical experts to help them draw up 25 pages of safety guidelines. Last month, they began compiling a database of local actors who are in relationships with other actors. “We can cast a husband and wife as a husband and wife,” said Scott Thigpen, chief operating officer. “It’s a way to mitigate risk.” They are also considering using family members as extras.

The company, which launched in 2006 and now has 34 salaried employees, produces docuseries for TLC such as “Family by the Ton” and crime shows for ID, like “Dead Silent. ” They also began shooting films for the first time this year.

Industry insiders are confident productions in Georgia will bounce back quickly and fill sound stages as a backlog of content gets filled.

After months spent keeping their skills sharp and in some cases, auditioning via Zoom, actors across metro Atlanta are ready to get back to work, said Clayton Landey, president of SAG-AFTRA Atlanta local. He hopes summer marks that return but said the proper precautions are needed. Landey, a 48-year industry veteran, recalled a scene years ago when his character was being hit with a bullet. Everyone else on the set was standing behind safety glass. “I feel a little like that now,” Landey said. “I am interested to see what is going to be the new normal in terms of safety on set.”

The pandemic ended a theater run for Landey and stalled a film, which no longer has a date to begin production, but he has spent the past three months staying connected to other actors through virtual chats and meetups. Landey worries about the actors who may be suffering mentally while isolated from the career that allows them to channel their emotions into their work. Though acting is a field that prepares you for career ups and downs, this is unlike anything they have seen before, he said.

“Nothing in our industry touches what we are going through now. Typically when there are times of stress or hard times in the general population, we are working like crazy because entertainment is what gets you through the day,” Landey said. “This time, it is slapping us all.”

[mymarvelbunch]

Be Your Own Hero - Steve Rogers x Reader (part 9)

Masterlist

Summary:  You’ve lost all your family and most friends in The Decimation. Refusing to believe their deaths are permanent, you dedicate years to find a way to reverse it. Upon finding something that might help, you search for the Avengers’ help. It’s Steve Rogers x Reader, but in reality it’s mostly Badass!Reader. Also, Non-American!Reader

Warnings: mild language.

Note: Y/Co = your country. Y/Ci = your city; Y/N/L = your native language.

Previously: All exhaustion from the day (God, it all been only a day) overwhelmed you as Steve took you to... a room. Your eyes couldn’t keep themselves open enough for you to see if it was yours or not. You felt yourself being laid down on a bed, but couldn’t bring yourself to let go of Steve just yet. He was so warm... “Y/N?”, he prompted. “You’re warm”, you said simply. “Warm...”, and darkness came again, but this time you welcomed it.

Part Nine

You woke up in the middle of the night with an urgent need to pee.

Your mentally cursed your bladder. There you were, in the dreamless sleep you had so desperately longed for, and now you knew you wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep unless you went to bathroom. Sighing, you tried to stand up, only to find yourself stuck by a pair of arms. Only then you realized your heard wasn’t rested on a pillow, but on someone.

That someone being Steve Rogers.

Your breath quickened. How did that happen? You barely remembered what happened after arriving back on your own timeline, only that Steve had been the one to take you. You couldn’t remember falling asleep at all, exhausted as you were.

Well, you were still too tired to think. Careful not to wake him up, you disentangled yourself from him and crawled out of bed. Fortunately, the room you were in was attached to its own bathroom. You didn’t want to wander around the place.

Relief washed over you as you finally managed to pee. Silently as you came, you left, crawled back to bed and rested your head on an actual pillow. As much as Steve made a great fake one, you wouldn’t dare to use him again, no matter how much you wanted to.

.

When you woke up again, the sun had already risen, and Steve was no longer there. You instantly felt yourself colder, but before you could mentally scold yourself, Steve showed up from the bathroom, toothbrush in hand. “Good morning, Sleeping Beauty”, he greeted, and you were positive you were blushing.

“Is that movie even from your time?”, you teased instead of actually replying. It was crazy; you had gotten used to tease Captain America of all people.

Then again, you two spent a month training together for almost 24/7, and shared a bed now. Teasing shouldn’t be surprising.

“The Disney movie? No, it isn’t. But you do know Sleeping Beauty is an old fairy tale, right?”, he replied with a grin.

“Oh, I forgot”, you said sincerely. “My brain hasn’t completely woken up yet.”

“Mine either, to be honest”, he said, yawning. “Woke up twenty minutes before you, and almost couldn’t get out of bed. God, yesterday was exhausting.”

“Yeah.” You yawned back. “Pretty sure that day lasted more than 24 hours for us. Haven’t been this tired since I got out of my mom.”

He snorted and laughed at that. You giggled, unable to restrain yourself. His laugh sounded like music to your ears, as cliche as that sentence sounded.

“I don’t think even pre-serum me has ever felt this tired”, he replied. “But my super solder stomach woke me up begging for food. Want me to get something for you?”

You shook your head. “I just want a couple more hours of sleep. Can I stay here?” Now that your eyes were fully open, you could attest this wasn’t your room. (Or rather, Scarlet Witch’s.)

“Of course you can. See you later”, that said, he left the room, closing the door. A part of you wanted to melt at his kindness, but the rest of you just wanted to close your eyes and fall back asleep, and so you did.

.

Intermission: Steve’s POV

When he got in the kitchen, only Bucky was there. He had faintly heard the others arriving back the Headquarters, but he didn’t muster the energy to leave his room to greet them. You had fallen asleep still in his arms, and he laid down to try to disentangle you from him so he could sleep on the floor. However, he had underestimated his exhaustion; he fell asleep as soon as he felt the mattress on his back.

Not that he was complaining. It had been the best sleep he had gotten in years, and he was pretty sure your presence had something to do with it - even though you were no longer in his arms when he woke up, he smiled like an idiot upon seeing your sleeping self, wondering what it would be like if he woke up every morning like this.

Calm the fuck down, Rogers, he thought to himself. He was being almost as worse than he was with Peggy after two years knowing each other. He had met you a month ago, for fuck’s sake.

“Is everyone still sleeping?”, he asked his best friend, who was eating a pair of toasts.

“If you mean everyone who stayed here, yes”, he replied. “All aliens went back home, including the Asgardians, which seem to have moved to... Norway, I think?” Steve nodded to indicate he guessed right. “Anyway, T’Challa, Okoye and Shuri went back to Wakanda through the wizard’s sling rings. Asked if I was going too, but I decided to at least wait for you.”

“I appreciate. I’ve missed you, buddy.” He side hugged his friend, who returned the gesture.

“Wish I could say the same”, he said. “But I didn’t even know three years had passed when I woke up. It felt like I had tripped and got knocked out for a couple minutes.”

Steve frowned, trying to remember how exactly did Bucky vanish. Then he snorted. “You fell face on the floor when you got dusted”, he said.

“Woke up facing the mud”, Bucky groaned. “Yeah, laugh all you want, you punk.”

“Jerk”, he replied immediately. “Anyway, what happened in Asgard after I left? You guys took a whole minute to come back. I heard.”

Bucky took another bite of toast before answering. “We managed to get rid of the rest of Thanos’ allies, either by killing them or just kicking them out of the planet for good. When everyone was about to leave, Loki and the green woman - Gamora, I think - asked to come to 2021 with us. Someone - not Tony - had the idea of bringing extra suits in case of failure, so we wouldn’t have a repeat of what happened to Y/N, and gave them to the two. But Thor told Loki that he had to stay and help his past self to defeat their sister Hela, who would come after Odin’s death to seek revenge and destruction. Loki then summoned Odin somehow, and they asked who wanted to help destroy Hela while Odin was still alive. I didn’t, so I came back, along with Sam, Rhodey, Tony and others.

“Some of the magically powerful ones stayed, and came back a few seconds later than us. Long story short, Hela was killed for good, in a cruel manner if you ask me - I’d rather spare you of the details the Asgardians so proudly told us -, Odin took the throne back, someone brought past Valkyrie to be trained for King, and Loki and Gamora came here. Thor is really happy, and Loki is worried by his brother’s looks, I think.”

“He had gone through some hard times, Buck”, Steve defended his teammate and friend. “It’s hard to describe when you weren’t here to see.”

Bucky nodded, and silence fell between the two. It was short-lived, though. “So, you got a girlfriend while I was away?”

He sighed. “Y/N is not my girlfriend, for starters, and I met her a month ago. You heard about it in the debrief before we went to rescue her.”

“Oh, that was a bad summary”, he complained. “I want the good quality content.”

Steve sighed, and told him all about the month spent with you, all while trying to keep his heart rate down and prepare his breakfast.

“You’ve got it bad, my man”, Bucky said in the end. “You should try to make a move, though. If you managed to fall for her in the span of a month, she might have at least a... what do they call now? Ah, a crush.”

“I might”, he replied after taking his first bite of food. “When we are all rested. I’m still not entirely sure if it’s a good idea, though. She is most likely going back to Y/Co to reunite with her family. That was the reason she came here, after all.”

A short silence. “You could follow her”, Bucky suggested quietly. “Personally, I think it’s about goddamn time Captain American retires, regardless of where you end up.”

There was no possible reply to that, so Steve kept his mouth shut and ate his breakfast.

.

Back to reader’s POV

According to an old digital clock in Steve’s room, it was nearly noon when you woke up for good. Your stomach seemed to agree it was lunch time.

After trying to make yourself minimally presentable, you headed to the kitchen, hoping to find something there. A lot of people were gathered inside, seemingly trying to cook lunch with varying degrees of success.

“Hey, Y/N!”, Natasha greeted you, holding a frying pan. “Lunch will be ready soon, make yourself at home!”

Steve smiled and waved at you. Stark, Potts, Barton, Danvers, Scott and Rhodes greeted you normally, while others introduced themselves: Sam Wilson (aka the Falcon), Hope Van Dyne (aka the Wasp, though you didn’t know that), Maria Hill, Nick Fury (who was just sitting around, actually), Peter Parker (aka Spider-Man), Wanda Maximov (aka Scarlet Witch) and... Bucky Barnes?

“Uh, with all due respect, weren’t you dead?”, you said bluntly.

He frowned. “I thought my identity was public knowledge”, he replied innocently.

“It might be the case in Wakanda”, Steve said, “but the files Natasha leaked don’t have any mention on the Winter Soldier’s civilian name.”

“There were theories on the internet”, you added, “but no one gave them credit, to be honest. Even after finding out HYDRA had developed the serum, nobody believed they had run tests as early as in World War II.”

“It makes sense”, Barnes said after a while. “They did try to strip me of my identity. There was no reason for my name to be written down. Anyway, it’s nice to meet you, Y/N Y/L/N. My buddy here has told me all about you.”

There was a glint in his eyes you couldn’t read into. “I hope all good things”, you replied. “Where is the rest?”

“Bruce is at med bay”, Natasha answered. “Taking care of his burnt arm. We still don’t know if it’ll heal.”

“Thor and the Asgardians went back to Norway”, Danvers added. “And the Guardians of the Galaxy took their spaceship and went... somewhere. I might leave soon too, after I visit some friends.”

“Strange went back to work”, Stark said. “Guy never rests. And Morgan is with a nanny Pepper hired at last minute. Did Happy already go to get her?”

“He left fifteen minutes ago, sir”, the disembodied voice you knew as FRIDAY answered.

“Great. We have a lot to celebrate after lunch.”

“And a job”, Steve replied. “Someone has to get the Infinity Stones back to their timelines.”

“True”, Scott agreed. “Who’s going to do it, by the way?”

.

That job fell into yours and Steve’s hands in the end. Or rather, it fell into Steve’s hands and you offered yourself to go along, not only because you wanted to travel across time and space once more, you wanted as much time as possible with him.

Working with the Avengers had been wonderful. Not only you successfully brought everyone back, you got to meet a lot of heroes from Earth and from space. There was a minor setback (okay, maybe the threat to your life wasn’t ‘minor’) but everything worked out in the end.

But you supposed it was time for goodbyes. You weren’t really suited for a hero’s life; you just wanted to go back to normal, with your family and friends by your side. However, you couldn’t say you wouldn’t miss the friends you had made.

Especially Steve. Your feelings for him only grew in the past weeks, and you were half sure you were in love. You were certain you weren’t meant to be, though. Steve was a man out of his time, and many of your talks showed that he still missed the past deeply. He carried a compass with Peggy Carter’s picture inside! If that wasn’t proof that he longed for the life he lost when he crashed the plane, you didn’t know what it was.

By nighttime, you two were suited up, carrying three Stones in each hand. The Mind Stone was back to the Scepter, the Time Stone was held inside a pendant, and the Power Stone was inside an orb, but no one managed to rebuild the Tesseract that held the Space Stone. Soul and Reality didn’t need anything else with them.

“Okay, let’s review one last time”, Stark said as he turned the time heist on. “Mind and Space Stones go back to New York in 2012. Time goes back to 2017 Strange, also in New York. Power is sent back to Morag, 2014. Soul and Reality to 2018. We all agree it’s too dangerous to send them back to Titan, right? So we take Soul back to Vormir and Reality to Knowhere.”

You and Steve nodded. Once again, you carried extra suits, timers and Pym Particles. Better to be safe than sorry.

“Okay, then. On 3... 2... 1...”

Stark Tower, 2012

The main hall was nearly empty. “Where is everybody?”, you asked Steve.

“Anywhere but here”, he replied. “Everyone got busy after the battle. HYDRA’s trying to retrieve the Scepter and the Tesseract, SHIELD agents are doing the same while evaluating Loki, and we are wrapping everything up.”

You nodded. The Scepter was in your hands. “Are we sure we should hand both of these back? From what you guys told me, these Stones will only bring more problems in the future.”

He turned to you with a thoughtful expression. “What do you suggest?”

You took the Mind Stone out of the Scepter. “Let’s switch Stones and throw Mind in the elevator shaft. It barely glows, so it will take quite a while for them to find it.”

You turned to him to get the Space Stone. He had a mischievous smile on his face. “I like the way you think, Y/N”, he said, handing you the Stone. You placed it on the Scepter. Then, as the elevator doors opened, you threw the other down. You and Steve were quietly laughing as you got in and waited to arrive at the floor the Avengers would be at.

When the doors opened, things were way more chaotic than you expected. Grinning, you simply threw the Scepter on the floor. “Let’s just suit up and go”, you suggested. He nodded, and you both left.

New York, 2017

This looks like a mansion”, Steve commented while standing in front of the Sanctum.

“The Sanctum in Y/Ci is much more modest”, you replied. “It was disguised as a tarot reading shop. Anyway, let’s get in. Strange must be waiting for us.” You knocked. Steve was the one holding the pendant with the Time Stone, ready to show it when needed.

It was Wong who opened the door. It was odd to see him and not be able to greet him like you would had you saw him in 2021. This Wong had never met you. “Oh, you came with the Eye of Agamotto”, he said. “Come in.”

Strange showed up soon after, coming from a random room. “Captain Rogers, Miss Y/L/N”, he greeted. “Thank you for returning the Stone to me.”

Steve handed him the pendant. “Before we go”, you said, “may I use the bathroom?”

“Of course”, Strange replied politely. “Captain, I have something for you in the meantime.”

After coming back from the bathroom, you tried to ask Steve what did Strange give you, but he simply waved it off. “I’ll tell you when we’re done.” You bid your farewells to Strange and Wong, and activated your suits.

Vormir, 2018

You could smell death all around the planet. “What kind of planet is this?”, you whispered quietly to yourself.

“Let’s just deliver the Soul Stone and get out of here”, Steve said, probably just as tense as you were.

“I was thinking”, you replied. “We could let the Reality Stone here too. Buried under the sand, like we plan to do with the Power Stone.”

He frowned. “Why?”

“It’ll make it harder for Thanos—or anyone else—to find it. People come here to find the Soul Stone. Nobody will think of looking for another.”

He nodded and opened his mouth to speak, but a voice stopped him. “Y/N, daughter of [your father’s first name]. Steve, son of Sarah.”

You both turned to see a floating red creature wearing a black robe. “Red Skull?!”, Steve exclaimed. “What the hell are you doing here? I thought the Tesseract had absorbed you.”

‘The Tesseract had what?’, you thought incredulously.

The red-faced man answered, “The Space Stone cast me out, banished me here, guiding others to a treasure I cannot possess. But it seems that you came to return it, instead.”

“Yes”, you replied, ignoring the fact that Steve apparently knew this guy. “We have no more use for it.”

“Alright, then”, ‘Red Skull’ said. “Follow me.”

And so they did. He led them to a cliff. “Normally, this is where you sacrifice one which you love to acquire the Stone. However, in your case, it is where you will return it.”

“I knew it!”, you mumbled. A sacrifice was needed to get the Soul Stone, and this was how Thanos had killed Gamora.

Without hesitating, you threw both Stones down the cliff. “What have you done?”, Red Skull asked, his voice tone unreadable. “The Reality Stone cannot be acquired through the sacrifice.”

“That’s the point, Sunburn”, you replied with a grin.

“Well, it was nice seeing you again, Schimdt”, Steve said with a tone that pointed it hadn’t been nice at all, “but we have more work t—“

He was interrupted by an orange glow. Something floated up to them and fell on the cliff’s edge. When the glow faded, you immediately recognized Gamora.

“A soul for a soul”, you heard Red Skull say as Gamora stood up. “It seems that the deal goes both ways.”

“Where am I?”, Gamora asked. “Who are you?”

“You’re on Vormir, and we are allies”, Steve replied. “We’ve met your friends. Guardians of the Galaxy, right?” She nodded. “We can take you to Earth. Rocket and Groot  are there.”

She frowned. “What about the others?”

“On Titan”, he said. “They were fighting Thanos last we saw them, and it’s too dangerous for us two to be near him. They are supposed to go to Earth afterwards, though.”

It took a couple minutes, but Gamora eventually agreed.

Morag, 2014

You dropped Gamora on 2018 Earth and quickly proceeded to your last destination. Past Peter Quill was no longer there, but none of you were really bothered. You two knelt and buried the orb near the temple it originally was. “At least this is a timeline with no Thanos”, Steve commented quietly. “Let’s go”, he said as you finished burying the Stone.

“Wait, Steve”, you said as you stood up. “You don’t have to come with me.”

He frowned. “What?”

You sighed. This was hard, but you knew it was the right thing to do. “You have extra Pym Particles. We both do. Steve… I know you never really moved on from the past. You still long for the life that was taken from you when you fell on the Artic. You don’t feel like you belong in our present, do you? This is your chance to rewrite your story, Steve. Go to 1945 and dance with Peggy. Find Bucky while he still hasn’t turned to the Winter Soldier. Get rid of Zola and HYDRA before they take over. Make everything right. You’ve fought for so long, you deserve to rest.”

His eyes widened, but he said nothing. You took that as an agreement on his part. “Go be happy, Steve. You deserve it more than anyone I know.” You suited up and proceeded to turn your timer on. Before you could go back to your time, you had an idea. It was entirely impulsive, but it was your only chance. “May I do something? You can push me out at any time.”

He nodded slowly, seemingly still processing what you had told him previously. Gently, you placed your hands on both sides of his face, stood on your toes, closed your eyes and kissed him on the lips. It was brief, nothing more than a peck—you didn’t want to stay enough to find out if he’d kiss you back or not—but it was everything you ever wanted. You backed out fast, and activated your timer. “Thank you for everything”, you said.

Your last thought as you entered the Time Heist was that you never got to know what Strange had given him.

Avengers Headquarters, 2021

You opened your eyes to see Steve looking at you with a small smile. You frowned. “What?”

He let out a quiet laugh. “I think we need to talk a bit, huh?” You nodded, still shocked to see him there, looking exactly like he did when you saw him. “Let’s go to my room.”

You waved to Stark and followed Steve to his room. There, he sat on the bed and gestured for you to sit beside him. “I thought you were going to follow my suggestion”, you said quietly.

He smiled. “I kind of did. I did go to 1945, but not to Peggy’s home. I went to the Arctic, shortly after the plane crashed, and rescued my past self.

“After he came to his senses, I told him I was from the far future. I gave him a notebook Strange gave me when we were in 2017. He said the notebook had showed up at the Sanctum with my name in it. When I opened, waiting for you to come back from the bathroom, there were notes regarding Peggy, HYDRA, Bucky, the Starks, the Avengers and many other things. When you suggested I should go back, I understood what I truly had to do.

“I told past me to go fix my timeline, and live the life I hadn’t been able to. When he seemed to understand, I helped him find a way to go back to US.”

You bit your lip. His story was clear, but there was still something you didn’t understand. “But why didn’t you do it yourself? Why did you gave it to the other Steve?”

He reached your face and tucked a lock of hair behind your ear. “For someone so smart, you can be really oblivious sometimes.”

You blinked, heart rate increasing. It couldn’t be, could it? “What do you mean?”

He grinned wide, hand rested on the crook of your neck. “She wasn’t my Peggy, he wasn’t my Bucky. That timeline didn’t belong to me. You were right in a way. That Steve I saved will surely be happy now… but I wouldn’t.”

He turned in your direction. “Once upon a time, Peggy was the love of my life. But I’ve moved on from her. Yes, I missed her. Yes, I wish Bucky and I had gone back from the war and had peaceful lives. But I made a life for myself here, a good one. I have friends, a nice home… and I found someone new. Someone to love.”

You gulped. He kept on, “I was afraid she wouldn’t like me back. After all, I was the idiot who fell in love after only a month of knowing her. But then… she kissed me, can you believe it? Right after telling me to go chase another woman. She wanted me to let her go after kissing me, but I couldn’t. Not when I had a chance to be with her.”

You were sure you had stopped breathing. Steve had just said he fallen in love with you. You. It couldn’t be real.

“Me?”, you whispered, afraid to speak any louder and wake yourself up from that dream—because that had to be one. “You… love me?”

“Don’t look so surprised, Y/N”, he said softly. “A beautiful woman shows up at my home one day, offers me a chance to get my friends and half of the universe back to life after spending three years devoting herself to find said chance—years that could have been spent on chasing her own dreams—, gives emotional support not only to me but to other members of the team, treats me as a person instead of a hero, nearly sacrifices herself so Thanos wouldn’t go after us, is worthy of wielding Mjölnir and shows to put everyone above herself. Not to mention she’s funny as hell, has good taste in film and music and gives the best hugs of the century. How could I not fall in love?”

Your breath returned, but quicker than it should be. He was looking at you as if you were his whole world, and there was nothing else to look at.

You still couldn’t understand how and why someone as wonderful as Steve fell for an ordinary woman like you, but you’d be damned if you let him go. “You know, I’m really relieved to hear that, because I fell in love with the most amazing man I’ve ever met. I think you might know him. Steve Rogers. He’s pretty handsome for a centenary man, and his smile makes me want to melt on spot. Not to mention he’s always been kind to me and laughs at my bad jokes. Oh, and he’s a hero, did you hear? Captain America, paragon of virtue and a moral compass for an entire nation. You’d think the guy would have an ego twice his size, but he’s actually really humble, and lives up to his reputation. He makes me want to be a better person, every day, and look, he’s Catholic like me, meaning my dream of getting married at church is still within reach...”

Yes, you were rambling in an attempt to hide your nervousness. He didn’t seem bothered by it, though. When you stopped talking to take a breath, he asked, “May I kiss you? You didn’t gave me the opportunity to kiss you back in Morag, and I really, really want to show you how mad you were to think I’d leave you for Peggy.”

Unable to answer that with words, you nodded. His lips reached yours, and everything else faded away.

Epilogue

-------------------------------

Happy holidays, everyone! Now there is only an epilogue missing. It’s going to be cute, I promise!

Taglist: @autobotgirl15-blog​ @starstrucknature @cheeseburgersstuff​ @aamzter2013 

#steve rogers x y/n #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers imagine #steve rogers x you #marvel fanfiction #marvel imagine #marvel #Steve Rogers #avengers: endgame

[qqueenofhades]

Hi there. I've been scrolling through your "school stuff" tag but thought I'd ask directly - how did you find the transition to actually moving outside of the U.S. for your PhD? I'm looking at something similar and I'm wondering about your experience with the logistics (finding somewhere to live, visa, etc!). Thanks in advance, and congrats on being a doctor!

Oh lord. Why would you do that to yourself? I feel like that tag is mostly just intense kvetching, bogglingly obscure nitpicking complaints, and existential despair, and/or yelling at various institutions and/or people who could not do their god damn jobs. If you have read that and still actually want my advice, I salute you. I’m presuming you’re asking in regard to the UK, since it’s the only experience I can speak on, so hopefully that’s applicable?

In my case, I studied in the UK for a year as an undergraduate, at Oxford, so I was already familiar with the process (at least somewhat) when it came time to do it again for the PhD. Upfront, we must acknowledge the ugly deformed rabid elephant in the room that is Brexit, and the idiotic reform of UK immigration policy currently ongoing. Long story short, they seem to think they can function without low-skilled migration, that the domestic UK workforce will just happily lark off to do the jobs that working-class EU migrants have been doing, that this won’t totally bomb-crater the NHS, that they can run a country by basically only allowing in PhDs in STEM making over £30,000 a year, etc… so yes, this is a complete joke of an immigration policy and it’s what happens when you elect floppy haired xenophobic douchewads and their nightmare party as prime minister! ANYWAY, they’re introducing a points-based system from 2021, which may not affect you for an application under Tier 4, but UK immigration policy is going to have a lot of very stupid reforms and you’ll want to keep on top of those. If you have an offer in hand from a UK university, it is made somewhat easier, but you’ll still need to budget for processing costs, an NHS subsidy paid in for every year you will be there (something like $300/year), and a trip to a UK visa office to have your fingerprints and biometric information taken. If you don’t live near one, that will be travel expenses and so forth. You then have a temporary visa issued for first entry into the country, and a Biometric Residence Permit which you pick up at your university.

That, at least, was the process the last time I applied for a student visa, and it may all have changed by the time you do it. As noted, there are a lot of upfront visa costs, so you’ll want to be aware of those. You need a number of supporting documents, including offer of study, proof of income or ability to financially support yourself (since most Tier 4 visas either don’t let you work or only work a limited number of hours), proof of English proficiency (as a native English speaker/person from an English-speaking country, you won’t need this), and so on. You can’t start the process before you have the offer, but you’ll want to start it as soon as possible afterward, because it can take several months, and obviously needs to be done before you can travel. You will also want to open a UK bank account as soon as you arrive, which can be done once you have your residential address and a certificate from the student services office at your university verifying that you are in fact a student there. It’s pretty difficult to pay out of non-UK accounts, at least for monthly/recurring transactions, and there are international fees. You will also want a UK phone. I still have my UK phone/phone number despite my current hiatus in America, since most carriers offer free or low-cost roaming in Europe (though subject to change with EU trade negotiations), which is nice. I pay only a little extra to have Global Roaming in North America, so I can still use my phone as if I’m in the UK. If you’re planning to be traveling, this is a nice perk to have.

As far as finding programs goes, I’m sure I don’t need to give you advice on what you’re interested in and where you’re looking. Obviously, universities in the UK are grouped as “Oxford and Cambridge” and “everyone else,” though there are also rankings within those. I have been at both of these; Oxford as an undergrad, and then I did my PhD at a large public university in the North that ranks within the top 10 in the UK. The North will be much lower, living-cost wise (actually, if you can swing it, just… don’t do it in London, the cost of living in London is out of control. Of course, if the program you really have your heart set on is in London, then go for it, but just be aware of what you’re getting into). It’s also a rule of thumb that you don’t go anywhere for a PhD unless they’re paying you. Don’t self-fund a PhD, it’s just too expensive, and any decent university will give you some kind of financial stipend. I had a scholarship that covered three years of full tuition at international rate, which was good, though I had to take out some living-cost loans. So if you’re trying to decide between two programs that have both accepted you, a situation I was also lucky enough to be in, it sounds crass, but: take the money. One university had already offered me the tuition/scholarship, while the other had accepted me but wasn’t sure about funding. So I took the one that paid the scholarship. You need every penny you can get. You will be comically, absurdly, unbelievably broke as a graduate student. I was looking back on it like “wow I really lived for four years on BUTTFUCK NOTHING.” It is not for the faint of heart; you will have financial stress along with academic pressure, and while I was lucky enough to have generous friends and family contributing to my living costs, I still barely scraped through. It is something you should be aware of.

I don’t know if you’ve studied in the UK system before (I’m assuming not), but the structure for a PhD is much less determined than in the American system. It will also vary from university to university, so it’s worth establishing contact with a potential faculty supervisor to ask questions and refine your project proposal. I made contact with my eventual supervisor at my PhD university before I actually applied there; I gave him my (much too broad and pretty unrefined) project proposal and what I was interested in, and he helped me tailor it into something that could be done in a feasible time frame and which would make use of his expertise and contribute to the field. Whatever you’re thinking about pitching as a thesis topic, you probably need to make it more specific. I don’t know what field you’re in; I’m a humanities/history person, obviously, so the rule always seems to be WRITE MORE, INFIDEL. But the point is, the UK system has much less structured time, and basically relies on you to have the self-motivation to go out and conduct the research and write it up, and if you’re someone more used to rigid requirements and classes and so forth, you might find it a little hands-off. If you’re like me and can just be set loose in your field of interest and do your own thing, you’ll like it. I feel like anyone who is serious enough about their subject to want to do a PhD has to be primarily self-motivating, but some people function better with clear guidelines, and those are not always forthcoming. I can’t count the number of times I wished my supervisors would just TELL ME WHAT THE FUCK TO DO, but they usually highlighted something and had me work to figure out how exactly to fix it. They weren’t negligent or uncaring or unsupportive, and the project became much better as a result, but yes, it’s on you to do, and it can again be frustrating.

As far as living, I didn’t try to rent a flat from afar, sight unseen, in my first year. I just registered for postgraduate campus housing, and lived with four predictably horribly messy roommates (why???!) before I managed to escape and rent a private flat for the next three years. You will need a guarantor with a UK address (i.e. not your parents in America) to sign on the lease agreement, especially if you fall below a certain income threshold, and go through the usual background checking and approval. If you want to have the place to yourself, it will be, as noted, much cheaper to find something you can afford in the North and not-London in general, though southern England and the London commuter belt will all be expensive. If you’re okay living with roommates, or you make friends during your program, it might work to room together and share costs, but I am a pathological introvert and don’t like people, so I lived by myself. 

Anyway. Right now, I am in the second round of applications for a Big Deal UK postdoctoral award, which would be for three years starting this fall if I got it, at another high-ranking large public university in the south of England. (So yes, everything that I just said about how much it costs to live in London/London suburbs is me playing myself). I would be applying for a Tier 2 visa (i.e. the permanent/settlement track/full-time work visa) if I got this, which would be another barrel of laughs and different requirements from a Tier 4. That is definitely unhatched chickens which we can’t count yet, as this is a highly competitive/prestigious award and there is absolutely no guarantee that I would get it, but it would mean that I would go through the international moving/visa application process for a third time, so I would once again become too unfortunately familiar with whatever bullshittery is happening now. Le sigh.

I don’t know if any of that is helpful; hopefully so. Let me know if you have more questions, and good luck.

#school stuff #anonymous #ask

[kshitij1997]

Welcome back!

In the last chapter, I just included a bunch of original characters without commenting anything whatsoever. Talk about being modest :P

Oh well, great ready, because the sisters will arrive in this chapter and the next! And one of them is an OC!

As for the historic events, most are true, but some of them have been invented or moved around in in the European historic timeline to keep the dramatic states high, and to show how vast, small and dangerous this universe is all at the same time. I swear all the ‘world-building’ will make sense as we move forward :D.

All frozen characters belong to Disney, all I own is this head-cannon and the original characters.

On with the story :D

Chapter 4: The birth of someone magical, and the disappearance of another

In the first few months of their marriages, the lives of the royal couple of Arendelle and Corona were good and full of hope, despite whatever happened in the rest of Europe and the world. The British had had enough of their mentally ill monarch, who was on his way out. The loss of the thirteen colonies still cut deep to the British, and when the Confederacy had decided to further challenge the them in Canada, the British proceeded to burn Washington to the ground, even going so far as to provoke the Native Americans to fight on the side of the British. The Confederacy turned to Arendelle for help, which resulted in Arendelle with its considerable naval forces confronting the formidable navy of the British. The duke of Weselton had a vested interest in the transatlantic trade, and so joined on the side of Arendelle. The three naval superpowers fought and ground the war to a stalemate by taking the war to the sea away from the shores of North America. With peace ensured by the Confederacy agreeing to leave Canada be, the British bought influence in Africa filling up the duke’s coffers. And with peace made on good terms with the confederacy thanks to Arendellian diplomacy, Arendelle now found a powerful new ally in Great Britain, moving away from the French. Furthermore, the confederacy was grateful, and called for further imports from Arendelle.

All this happened while the Corsican madlad was subdued in Elba, which was a good thing as when he showed up again to be finally defeated in Waterloo, the Arendelle crown was well backed by Great Britain into a powerful negotiating position regarding the fate of the fallen dictator. As a result, king Agnarr and queen Iduna found ample time to bring long-lost prosperity back to Arendelle. The days of Agnarr being a ditherer desperate to please everyone were long gone; here he was, with the love of his life beside him, ready to take on the world.

However, there was a bout of tragedy in his friend’s life, as King Reginald and Queen Sophia’s first child due in the spring of 1815 turned out to be a stillborn, despite the painstaking efforts of some of the best doctors in Europe. The whole ordeal of a painful birth and the dead infant took a heavy toll on the Queen, who was emotionally broken from the experience. The palace servants found it increasingly common to hear the queen screaming into the night in self-pity and self-loathing, turning to alcohol to ease the pain, and having shouting matches with the king. It was one of those times, when things came to a head.

“It was unfortunate what happened, but we are young and healthy, we can try again.” The king reasoned, holding on to his own stoicism lest he crumble too.

“You don’t get it do you?! It came out of me, lifeless and stiff! HOW COULD I EVER EXPECT TO TRY AGAIN! Who’s to say it won’t happen again?!” Shrieked the queen, weeping tears full of rage.

“So, he’s already an ‘it’, isn’t he?” the king asked with a woebegone face.

“Listen to yourself Reggie, it’s been buried in the ground for almost a month, and you are the one who wants to move on from ‘him’?” the queen sobbed.

“I have been seeing you for that entire time, you think I haven’t tried to move on? I have tried to weave myself through all false sympathies, hoping that maybe I could have my wife for comfort by my side. But now, I can’t even talk to her anymore. All I can sense are the alcohol talking, and a woman who’s admitting defeat. I can’t recognize my wife at all in you right now, Sophie” The king said quietly, with the tears starting to flow from his eyes as well.

The queen fell silent at this. She observed her husband for a good long moment; the loss was acute for him as well. Reginald was always sensitive about those he loved and cared for, and overtly emotional. She may have lost an infant, but both their futures were in jeopardy in the moment, and ultimately, for now she had to think like a queen first, motherhood could come later.

“You’re right. We must think about our futures too, we can’t stay in this quagmire forever. I have been selfish in my sorrow and have left you alone out in the cold to fend for yourself, for that I’m truly sorry. You know what Reggie, let’s regain our strength, and try again after some time. I’m sure we’ll make it. And if I must give up drinking, so be it.” Sophia declared as things became clear to her.

“Yes, we will make it. Hang in there Sophie.” “You too Reggie.” The royal pair told each other as they held on to each other, their hearts placated.

Throughout this time, king Agnarr had provided all the help that he could to his dear friend, and the morbid incident was the talk of the Arendellian royal household.

“I hope they recover from this soon, they deserve a lot better.” Iduna mused during one such conversation.

“I hope so as well, I can’t bear watching Reginald like this, and poor Sophia too” Agnarr said.

“I think there’s a lesson here” “What?” “I think they were not ready for a child yet, they were not serious enough about it. I knew back then that was a mistake. I tried warning the both of them, but they were too excited to listen.” Iduna observed as her husband agreed.

“Who’s to say we are ready ourselves?” Agnarr inquired expectantly.

“Only time will tell; I think we should wait to be better prepared.” Iduna answered.

And so, the royal couple decided to wait. Just as well, as the British and the Russians were twisting Agnarr’s arm to intervene in the Balkans. That was the thing with the British, while the rest of Europe was looking at Africa and Asia, they had their eyes set on the whole world. Anyway, at Sophia’s request, Iduna convinced Agnarr to send a team of diplomats to the region, getting the local leaders to pledge fealty to central Europe, while the British proceeded to wrest control of Egypt from the Ottomans, rendering it a vassal state to the Ottomans to keep them from corpsing and leaving the region unpredictable. The Russians on their part, help instigate a popular uprising against the Sultan and his Janissaries in the fall of 1817. Nasty business, the Arendelle Monarch thought, but at least it would keep his staunchest allies secure. The king of Corona was saddled with enough worries as it was at the time, being nervous about his wife’s second pregnancy, and tried his hardest to keep all stress away from her. But even he couldn’t have guessed what could happen.

The Habsburgs of Austria-Hungary, the Russians and the Ottomans had always seen the Balkans as the buffer that kept everything in check. The day that powder keg blew up, all three would go down. While the Habsburgs had family in the Balkans, particularly in Serbia, which was unsurprising at this point, both the Ottomans and the Russians claimed to be the protector of all Christians in the region. In a surprising and morbid turn of events, the Ottoman Sultan, seething at such an open blow to his power, moved first, and sent in his special troops/assassins to storm the imperial palace of the king and queen of Serbia, shot them multiple times at point blank range, and destroyed their bodies by chopping them to pieces and throwing them into the palace moat. The sheer audacity of the event, not to mention the horrific assassination and the barefaced flexing of the Sultan’s powers, sent Europe by storm, but none more than the queen of Corona, who was the second cousin of the king of Serbia.

The shock made Sophia faint when she heard the news, which unfortunately led to a miscarriage.

The king was beside himself with grief, and the queen was inconsolable. The event affected them so much that they cancelled the thanksgiving service that year, and the queen sunk into depression as rumours started circulating about queen Sophia being victim to the Habsburg curse of madness and melancholy. But the queen asserted herself to the public by putting those rumours to rest. In an unprecedented move for the time, she made a speech to the public, addressing that while the loss of a potential heir and family was tragic, it was not doomsday for the country or Europe yet as they were still led by a courageous and wise monarchy and a common belief of maintaining peace after the fall of Napoleon, and they would weather these storms, as they had done before.

While the public’s beliefs may have been restored, only Iduna learnt the true sorrow that hounded Sophia about the whole affair when she visited:

“I swear I’m fucking cursed” cried Sophia. “That’s silly, Sophia” Said Iduna, as she tried to calm her down.

“Is it really? I lost a second cousin and a child in the span of 48 hours. I honestly believe the forces of nature are out to make me miserable. Various forces at play to ruin my life.” Sophia continued sadly.

“Look, those animals who caused this anguish to you will pay; that does not mean you stop living and give up-” Iduna began but was cut off by Sophia.

“First of all, I know I can handle it, nevertheless by accepting that bleak truth, I would stop being caught fucking unawares whenever such a thing happens.” Sophia claimed.

“That’s a bizarre argument, woman. By that rationale, I’m also cursed, as I lost my entire family in a battle my late father-in law waged. Agnarr should also be cursed, as he also lost his father in said battle. It’s a bone-headed way of thinking, and it leads us nowhere.” Iduna proceeded to coach the aggrieved queen, “What happened was life itself, and it is seldom under our control. Everyone’s surroundings affect them. No one could imagine those killers could stoop to this action, and no one could have known what would happen afterwards. All we can do is to do the next right thing when facing such darkness.” Iduna finished.

“The next right thing? What do you think that should be?” Sophia asked.

“For you, it should be to stand beside your husband in this time, he shouldn’t suffer separately and alone.” Iduna advised. “As married people, we find our strength in our better halves, you know.”

“You’re right. To take a step and step again indeed.” Sophia rose up to embrace the queen of Arendelle.

“Stay strong, Sophie.” “You too, Iduna.”

The British saw this event as an excuse to be the moral voice of the situation, in comparison to king Reginald and the aging monarch of Austria-Hungary, who also happened to be the maternal grandfather of Queen Sophia, who threatened invasion and war. The British struck first by trapping the Ottomans in an embargo that blocked them from the west Mediterranean Sea. The Russians, on the other hand forced them into a crippling treaty that made Greece independent; further reducing the European holdings of the Sultan.

Agnarr on his part, wanted nothing to do with the Balkans or the Ottomans, focusing instead on efforts to pacify king Reginald and observing The Southern Isles. King Christian’s latest wife, his fifth, a princess of Greek origin, had been blessed with triplets, so if there was anyone truly fertile in the continent, it was the king of The Southern Isles. Now a proud father of twelve, the king was well and truly ensured his succession and the crisis that would precede it. Not that it bothered the aging king; he was raised to get what he wanted, by god if he wanted a private army of his own kids, he would get it.

Agnarr mused, that man has clearly nothing else left in his life except an illusion of health and merry. Any romantic dreams that he had died with his second wife, every other lady he courted after became a brood mare. When it came out that his latest wife was involved in an affair, he proceeded to divorce her summarily within the next twenty-four hours, seized all her possessions, and left her destitute and ruined. Agnarr was generally put off by his careless hounding attitude towards everything but was truly disgusted to find out that he had married a sixth time, this time to a rumoured Polish noblewoman in the beginning of 1819.

A fine set of examples the royal couple of Arendelle had around them; the Tsar who was childless, and his younger brothers weren’t too keen to succeed him. Then there was Corona, where queen Sophia had gotten pregnant for a third time, against all odds. Finally, there was king Christian who had already consummated the marriage with his Polish wife, and a rumoured thirteenth kid was on the way. However, the king of The Southern Isles narrowly survived a heart attack during said consummation and decided that even by his standards, he was done.

Well, speaking of pregnancies, Iduna had broken the happy news to Agnarr in the April of 1819, and the kingdom was in celebration. 1819 was an important year in this respect; a lot of future monarchs were born in this year, not that anyone could say for sure at that time. As the summer solstice drew near, queen Sophia started experiencing complications in her pregnancy and panicked, sending king Reginald into a frenzy, calling up all the physicians, doctors and midwives available. As Sophia’s situation grew worse, king Agnarr sent his personal doctor, Dr. Klaus. If anyone had consummate knowledge in medicine and lifesaving, it was this guy.

Dr Klaus took one look at the queen and gave his verdict; if they were to save the queen and the baby, they needed an exotic herb made from a plant called the sun-mirror, a variety of lettuce whose luminous flowers had the rumoured quality of giving eternal life and healing all predicaments. However, it was extremely rare and was critically endangered as a plant, only growing naturally on the island of Cyprus, unfortunately controlled by the Ottomans. The Ottomans found the opportunity to weasel out a deal with Russia in exchange for safe passage to Cyprus for Reginald’s troops, and since king Reginald threatened to blockade the Baltic with Arendelle’s backing if Russia didn’t abide, the Tsar was forced to give up the southern ports of the Black Sea, exposing Crimea to the Ottomans.

However, no harm was done, as the plant was found, brought back to Corona, crushed into herbs and medicine and fed to the queen. The result could not have been better, as the queen had a surprisingly easy birth, becoming the mother to a lovely, adorable, healthy and lively baby girl on the eve of the Summer Solstice. King Reginald was overcome with joy and emotion as he hugged his baby girl and spread the happy news throughout Europe. The baby princess had a full head of blonde hair long enough to cover her whole body, like the golden stocks of the sun-mirror lettuce. She was officially christened as princess Eva Rapunzel, but the king and queen endearingly called her Rapunzel or Punzie. At that point Dr. Klaus took his leave, to care for queen Iduna’s pregnancy.

Arendelle waited with bated breath as Iduna faced a complication of her own by contracting hypothermia; her situation grew serious as her body fell colder and colder, and all the nutrition, medicine, hot coalbeds and blankets couldn’t keep her warm. Moreover, the queen’s eyes had begun to glow with a pale ice-blue glow, and the queen had begun to enter trances, where she would sing in kulning for hours on end. King Agnarr grew desperate; asking Dr. Klaus for any cure or treatment, maybe another sun-mirror herb. Dr Klaus declined; the flower bloomed once in 75 years, and the latest bloom had saved princess Eva Rapunzel. As the king dreaded the worst, Dr Klaus gave some hope:

“Send for Grand Pabbie.”

Said creature was a curious one; a being made of half rock, half human flesh, with leaves and wines for hair. This self-sustaining being used to meditate for six months of the year, and had a massive following of similar beings, living on the borders of the impenetrable mist separating Arendelle from the North, surviving various disasters throughout history by blending into mountainous rocks. It was a testament to Dr. Klaus’ knowhow and network that he knew of this mystical being and his tribe.

The king in his desperation personally went with Dr. Klaus and his royal guard to fetch the rock hermit from the wilderness. At first, Grand Pabbie refused; he had greater responsibilities to the nutrition and survival of the land than some as temporary as human beings, hence the meditation during winter. But when Dr. Klaus explained the whole situation, Grand Pabbie agreed to accompany them at once. Upon reaching the queen’s chambers, the hermit proceeded to put a rocky hand on the queen’s belly and declared “Your majesty, your child has been blessed by the fifth spirit.”

King Agnarr was stunned to hear that “It can’t be, the pass has been covered in mist for years, there’s no way the Northurldra, let alone the fifth spirit could have come to the south, much less affect my wife and child’s health.”

“Calm down, your majesty, for I am yet to finish. Your child and wife are in perfect health; despite the cold and other supernatural symptoms, the queen has no breathing problems or health issues. Her pulse is stable as well. This constellation of symptoms must have puzzled Dr. Klaus; thus, he may have recommended my services.” Grand Pabbie assured the tense king.

“What shall you do now?” asked the king.

“I will perform a simple gesture on the queen’s belly, that should bring her comfort and ease of birth. Now, why exactly did the fifth spirit bless your wife is a mystery, we can assume that either of you have committed a great deed that has placated the lost souls.” With that, the hermit made an eight-cornered crystal shape on the queen’s abdomen. This placated the queen and she drifted into a restful sleep. With that, the hermit turned to the king ”Worry not your majesty, the queen is perfectly safe. However, your child would have a resistance to, or maybe even mastery over a force of nature. Since your kingdom is on the coast, it would most likely be water. As the queen is due near the Winter Solstice, it may be a power over snow, and ice.”

The king was gobsmacked to hear this but was gestured by Dr. Klaus to remain calm. The king realized the prudence of not offending the hermit and thanked Grand Pabbie for his services.

On the eve of the Winter Solstice of 1819, king Agnarr couldn’t sleep; queen Iduna had gone into labour and the process went much smoother than expected. He had just become the proud father of a baby princess with hair a very light shade of blonde, taking after her grandmother, or so the people said. She was most certainly a bundle of joy, bursting into giggles as soon as seeing her parents for the first time and burying her face into her mother’s bosom, which was deemed adorable by the Monarch. The king bent in to pinch her nose and cheek, which prompted a sneeze from the baby princess, showering a whole layer of snow onto her father.

The queen was shocked “What the fuck?! Where did that come from?!”

The king wiped the snow off his face and said ”Iduna, there’s something you need to know.”

At the end of his story, the queen calmed down and kissed the baby princess on the forehead “She truly is a gift from the almighty. Let’s call her Elsa.”

“Very well, Elsa shall be her name.” Smiled the king.

“She seems to like the name” grinned the queen as the giggling baby princess had already started making snowflakes on her fingertips.

Just then, a guard rushed into their bedroom ”Your Majesty!”

“What is it? Are we under attack?” bellowed the king and queen in unison as the sudden noise made the princess cry.

“I don’t know for certain…. I’m sorry for frightening you at this hour of night. But a messenger from Corona brings worrying news.” The guard spoke after catching his breath.

The king and queen met the messenger at once, who gave them the news that made their blood run cold;

“Princess Eva Rapunzel has been abducted in the dead of night.”

Woohoo! That was an action-packed chapter, I think.

Some cute moments, some gruesome moments, some sad moments and some moments of joy.

Or as Murray, the Joker or Iduna would say, that’s life!

The OC family would definitely become bigger next chapter, and we may say goodbye to some characters already, just like life.

As always, constructive feedback is always welcome.

#frozen #frozen elsa #elsa #frozen fanfiction #frozen fandom #frozen fanfic #fanfiction #fanfic #frozen agnarr #frozen iduna

[politicaltheatre]

Consent

September 2nd.

In any other year we'd be remembering the official - well, "official" - end of World War II, 75 years ago today. Or we'd be learning about it, because 75 is a nice, round number and we like nice, round numbers because they give us the opportunity to remember and learn things.

Obviously, this year is different. Milestones of history have flown by this year, unremembered and unlearnt, and certainly undervalued.

Not that we're so good at learning history, let alone remembering it. No, we're far better at forgetting, at pushing lessons away. We prefer challenging and, especially, uncomfortable things at a distance. That's why we have to work so hard learn and remember, especially in times like these.

September 2nd was the date in 1945 when the Japanese signed the "Instrument of Surrender" on the deck of the U.S.S. Missouri. They did so because we had dropped two nuclear bombs on them, the first infamously on Hiroshima and the second, too often overlooked, on Nagasaki.

Two more milestones of history barely given a glance this year. They were the first and so far only nuclear weapons yet used by humanity on humans, and in two horrifying flashes they killed up to 200,000 civilian men, women, and children.

Consent.

A strong case could be made for not having dropped either bomb, certainly not on an inhabited area. The United States already had film of a successful test to share. Think of it, sharing that film with an enemy and inviting its representatives to watch another, live test before demanding that they submit and accept defeat. How genteel. How civilized.

No, this was war. We abandon exactly that best part of ourselves in war. That's why the right wing always tries to push us into war. War pushes us towards short term thinking, short term gains, and short term defenses, all held together by a string of victories as long as you can just hold on.

It doesn't last. It can't. Short term solutions can't solve long term problems. They make them worse. That's why the right wing always loses, and always will. In the long term.

Still, it takes its toll even on the best of us. We become exhausted, physically and emotionally. We just want it to end. Fight long enough and suffer enough, we also want to punish. We want those who have caused us pain to feel it themselves.

So, we dropped "the bomb". We did, the Americans, the "good guys". Two of them. And with the consent of all Americans, 200,000 lives were taken. Like that.

It ended the war. There's no arguing that. And it's not like we were alone in what we did. It was one more atrocity in a war filled with them, each one committed by armies with the consent of civilians.

For the Japanese, there was "The Rape of Nanking", that left a scar so deep you can still see the bones of its victims in Nanjing today. For the citizens of the Soviet Union, there was the Katyn Massacre, which compounded their earlier collusion with the Nazis to divide and consume Poland. Have you heard of the fire-bombing of Dresden, an abomination shared between the British and the United States? All together, these killed 200,000 more. At least.

And then there were the Nazis and their "Final Solution". When Hannah Arendt wrote of the banality of evil, it was this, men and women not merely consenting to genocide and committing it but justifying it by organizing it with corporate precision.

The marriage of fascism and corporate organization was no mere accident of history. They were, in point of fact, born of the same lineage. They are children of colonialism.

The economics of colonialism gave us corporatism. Multinational entities with close ties to governments required organization and legal justification to build and maintain industries rooted in the imbalance of power.

Think of the labor policies of corporate America, of how and why they fight not only to undermine unions but to undermine labor laws. This isn't capitalism, it predates it. Humans have been profiting off of cheap or free labor as long as there have been humans.

All capitalism did was provide an economic means to move commodities from one place to another and to build industries based on far flung resources. Which brings us back to colonies, and slaves.

When we think about slavery - the word, the culture, the cost in human lives - we tend to think of American slavery. It's only natural. In very real ways, we're still fighting the Civil War to this day. To Africans, though, and Asians and South Americans and Australians and Pacific islanders, there is little to distinguish slavery from colonialism.

Labor was forced. The laws, such as they were, favored those in power at the expense of those under their rule. The colonial industries and there friends in government saw to that. In very real ways, those people are still fighting for their freedom to this day, too.

It didn't start with brutality. No. it never does. Colonialism started the way most relationships do. When the colonizers came, they had something to offer, something of value. They had technology. They had the ability to travel great distances. They were something new. They had whatever it was that seemed good in the short term.

It was only as short term grew to long term that the cost of the imbalance of power and what the colonizers would do to maintain it became clear.

Which brings us to what became known as fascism. The colonial era - the late 19th century into the early 20th, in particular - was a period of great technological advancement. That "technology" included methods of controlling "unruly" natives. The colonizers talked to each other, shared ideas, experimented, and found what they hoped would be better, more efficient ways of forcing those natives to accept things as they were.

Of course, they failed. The more effort it takes to force anyone to accept your control over them, the more they want you gone. Eventually, like a star exhausting its fuel, your expansion collapses and things explode.

This is what happened to the colonizers. At least, this is what happened to their colonial occupation. The first World War was fought over colonial possessions. Don't let the stories of trench warfare fool you, it was resources they were fighting over, and the right to control the natives in the countries where those resources could be found.

The countries that held colonies after that war made a killing. The ones that didn't, well, you see where this is going.

Italy had a chance to rule what is now Turkey; the Turks kicked them out. The Germans lost all of their colonial possessions to a group of countries that demanded they pay for the privilege. The Japanese had ambition, but the Europeans and Americans held all the colonies in their own backyard and liked to draw racist caricatures of them.

The appeal of fascism was that it was market tested. Decades of methodology and technology had been tested on local populations and reported on to governments and titans of industry alike.

Soldiers, humiliated by failure in war and having no colonies in which to serve, were easy recruits. Give them certainty and the weapons to force it on others and they'll happily serve.

Throw in a bad economy and national humiliation in the eyes of the world, and you have a sizable portion of your own population ready and willing to see those same methodologies and technologies imported back home for domestic use.

That's what the Italians did. It seemed to work. The trains ran on time. That the leader seemed like a big buffoon didn't matter.

So, the Germans gave it a try. The Nazis weren't going after Germans, anyway. It was all of those "others" they hated: the non-Germans, the intellectuals, the radicals, the deviants, the Jews. If you weren't any of those things, they left you alone. You might even profit from their loss.

And so, the Japanese took it on. It would restore national pride. It would give them purpose. Before long, fascist Japan had expanded their colonial reach from Korea to inland China, and were eager for more.

By the time Spain's generals, lamenting the loss of their own colonial empire and prestige, launched a Nazi-supported civil war, fascism had gone from being a bunch of fringe extremists with guns and pseudo-military costumes to mainstream political movements. The ideas hadn't changed, just the consent of the people they sought to rule.

We all know what happened next, or should. We fought a war, one colonizer against another, just like the last one. The big, big difference was that this time one side was fighting to justify using the brutal methods of colonization on everyone and the other side, our side, was fighting to stop them.

Fascism. That was our justification for "the bomb". We had to fight it. We had to build a bomb so they couldn't, because we knew that if they did they would use it. And because we knew that, we told ourselves that we had to use it. We knew that because we knew them, because we knew what they believed, because we had seen it and bore witness to it, atrocity after atrocity after atrocity committed in its name.

Fascists believed, and still do, that might makes right, that force trumps consent, that apologies are for the weak, and that all must be accountable to them while they must never be held accountable to others.

And here we are, September 2nd, 2020, two months from what may be the most important election in our nation's history, and we are fighting that same fight again.

This time, the methodology and technology have been imported from war zones back to our home for domestic use. In the space of a few decades our police have become militarized and our military are, for purely political purposes, being used as police.

The cheating culture that infested Wall Street and professional sorts has wormed its way so completely into American culture that the corruption we see on a daily basis in Washington is considered normal. Attempt to point it out all you want, if you still have the energy, but Trump's supporters already know.

It isn't that they don't care. Quite the opposite. They love seeing someone getting away with it. That's their fantasy. That's the power they crave: all must be accountable to them while they must never be held accountable to others.

Laws, to them, are for the governed. For the weak. They are not weak. They will not be governed. Does that sound childish to you? It should. It is. That doesn't change the fact that it is the reality we face.

That reality exists because of our consent. We have allowed the bullies in our midst to hold an imbalance of power over us and to abuse others around us in order to do so.

Their victims were always someone else, someone "other", living far away literally and figuratively, far enough away that we could accept whatever it was. It did not affect us.

Only, now it does. It always did, of course, we just had that fantasy to hold onto, the one that it was all so very far away. We had the luxury of putting that distance between it and us, of forgetting. We're good at that. Historically so.

The pushback of the past five years - Black Lives Matter, #metoo, Occupy Wall Street, etc. - only came about because the bullies in our culture had become so emboldened by our collective inaction that they pushed the imbalance of power too far and, like the colonizers before them, triggered their own decline.

What have we seen the past four years in reaction to that? A racist, misogynist, man-child elected president. A Republican Congress passing massive tax cuts for themselves and their friends before giving their president a pass on naked corruption. Deregulation so complete that it will take at least two Democratic administrations with Democratic congresses to undo most of the damage, and that's only if the Republican-appointed judges let them do it. 

And, oh, yes, the callous disregard for human life that has led us both to the politicization of using brutal, military occupation tactics on non-violent, domestic protesters and the avoidable deaths of almost 200,000 Americans from Covid-19. For all the world to see.

If I was a Trump supporter, I'd get a rush just thinking about it. I'd feel like I had permission to do as I please, to harm others if I pleased, to kill as I pleased, because they are "others", other thinking, other looking, other feeling.

That's the thing about fascism. It isn't concentration camps and genocide. It isn't the atrocities of war. It's the profit-driven enabling of man's inhumanity to man. It's the encouraging of it. It's the foundation of it.

That only happens with consent.

- Daniel Ward

#consent #politics #fascism #brutality #colonialism #corporatism #labor #racism #slavery #police brutality #black lives matter #blm #metoo #occupy wall street #corruption #cheating #cheating culture #deregulation #de facto deregulation #aggressive selfishness #bullying #nazis #donald trump #nazism #trumpism #long reads #memory #immune response #the bully on the playground #2020 election

[dreamworksconvict]

She-Ra: Racism Problem Pt. 3

Alright, time for part 3! This time we’ll be talking about Hordak.

Again, I’’ll be referring a lot to the same article from Pt. 2.I also will be referring to this 2-hour video by Lily Orchard. Trigger warnings for that video (and this article) as it has some white supremacist/neo-nazi imagery. The part I’ll mainly be referring to starts at 1:38:52. I’ll also refer to this article about “space racists.”

So last time we talked about Adora and the white savior trope. I want to jump right into discussing Hordak and the Not-So-Bad Colonizers trend in animation.

2. Hordak

Season 3 of She-Ra revealed that Hordak, literal commander of the Horde whose goal is to take over Etheria and wipe out the Princesses (aka, committing genocide), actually isn’t so bad of a guy! Sure he wants to murder people, but he really just has an inferiority complex to his older brother/original clone Horde Prime and has a deteriorating body akin to a disability (oof, like really... Noelle that’s so yikes, but that’s for a separate part), so that’s why he’s so mean! :( But it’s ok! Entrapta can change him through the Power of Friendship! uwu

...hey thanks, I hate it!

There is a strange yet somewhat predictable trend in popular kid’s animation right now where Space Colonizers are set up as the villains, committing unforgivable crimes, and then are somehow redeemed anyways. Well, let’s consider the article from Teen Vogue about white saviors again: “To this day, some people still latently believe what imperialists such as Rudyard Kipling said, that colonialism was important for everyone: the conqueror and, most importantly, the conquered. That without the colonizers, the colonized had no hope of survival.”

Now does every white person wake up and think this each morning before having cereal? No, not necessarily. Is every white person still responsible for perpetuating this norm? Yeah, pretty much! 

As I noted before, white people have been raised in a society where they have white privilege. Without even being cognizant of it, white people benefit from the labor and persecution of others. America, where the three shows I’ll discuss were primarily produced (VLD, Steven Universe, and of course She-Ra), came into being by taking land and resources and lives from Native Americans, and enslaving black people. White people in America have, since the beginning of this country’s inception, been taught that they are owed privileges. Rarely do American history classes take the gravitas of the country’s colonial legacy into consideration. When confronted with that reality, many white people will claim that they are different from the rest, or that they’re really not as bad as others who openly state their fervent desire to continue spreading an “American agenda” to the rest of the world. Yet oftentimes, these people do not challenge the very ideology that colonialism rests upon. 

Ok, so what does America’s colonial history have to do with cartoons?

Well, consider this: She-Ra, Voltron, and Steven Universe all have plots that center an Evil Colonial Entity from Space. They also feature victimized characters apologizing to those associated with the Evil Colonial Entity. Take Season 2 of Voltron, where Keith is revealed to be part-Galra and Allura, a black woman, apologizes to HIM for feeling unsettled by the revelation. Remember the situation with Glimmer apologizing to Adora in Season 1 Ep. 2? It’s the same thing. This article summarizes the situation with Allura, but I want to focus on this quote: 

“When I see characters like Bill and Allura being branded as “racist” for actions their white counterparts are never chastised for, it feels like these creators are laughing at us—like they’re sneering at me and every other black person out there who so desperately want to see ourselves reflected in our favourite shows and characters, saying “See, you’d be racist, too, if given the chance.””

VLD takes it even further by making the main villain secretly Honerva, an Altean, and then making her “motive” that she just wants to go back to the good ol’ days, and THEN talking her out of her evil ways at the end and THEN sacrificing her and Allura to fix everything....... The “victims of genocide were secretly the bad guys” plot twist is EXTREMELY antisemitic. (I hate it. I hate it sooooo much.)

Steven Universe does a similar thing, where the Diamonds, who had been established as the Evil Colonizers from Space (literally, they wanted to colonize and destroy life on Earth), get talked out of being Evil by Steven; it turns out they all just had a complicated family relationship, and that’s why they were colonizers...? Yeah don’t worry about the whole Cluster situation--you know the superweapon made up of the bodies of shattered gems? Or the whole shooting a superweapon at Earth to kill all the rebels. Or the fact that they’ve colonized other planets. Or the fact that Steven’s mom had a LITERAL HUMAN ZOO. (REBECCA!!!! WHAT!) 

There is a very good video essay critiquing Steven Universe on a variety of points, (the person who made it also has the same name as me so HECK YEAH) but I want to pull out a specific quote from it: 

“The deliberate scrubbing of the elements of fascism that make it so vile and horrible in the first place is done so people don’t have to think about things that make them uncomfortable.... There are very rare instances where these issues are openly presented... Steven Universe [and Voltron, and She-Ra are] one of those rare instances.... [yet] Sugar [and Lauren Montgomery, and Noelle Stevenson] spends the latter half of the series woobifying space fascists to a disturbing degree... To so thoroughly depict a fascist regime with a disturbing amount of accuracy, only to then turn and insist that they’re just misunderstood babs that need a hug...  war, abuse, genocide, these things cannot and should not be forgiven.”

On top of this being just deplorable on a basic human decency level, the fact of the matter is that these white creators simply do not understand, or perhaps are unwilling to understand, that colonialism, fascism, and genocide are all tied to white supremacy and antisemitism. To suddenly forgive regimes where this has been the norm is to say that systemic violence against people of color is ok, and that people who support or create this systemic violence are also ok. To claim that everyone can be just as bad as a fascist is disturbing and also ignores the fact that fascism targets people of color. To say that Allura’s distrust of Keith is somehow just as bad as the Galra’s imperialism is to ignore thousands of years of history. 

Hordak is the same: his character has been established as a ruthless leader (ie punishing Catra with death and/or banishment for not doing well enough), who wants to destroy life on Etheria (including the Princesses, their allies, and the land they live in, which is a common colonialist tactic--think about the NODAPL movement, where white people continue to destroy Native Americans’ land and resources). He demands respect, and keeps his plans to himself. He does not care how many soldiers he has to sacrifice, or the amount of people he needs to destroy, to get what he wants, which is to get MORE soldiers to Etheria to more effectively take over. He is, by all accounts, a fascist leader. To claim that Hordak just needs a friend and can be forgiven for his rampant colonialism and abuse IS RACIST. 

Fantasy stories may be fictitious, but they are still shaped by real-world ideologies. No one writes in a vacuum. White showrunners’ white guilt is incredibly palpable in these narratives. They are unwilling to acknowledge their place in the legacy of white supremacy.

On another note, it’s also harmful to assume that forgiveness is the right strategy for LGBTQIA+ audiences, too. The Steven Universe narrative claims that Steven considers the Diamonds family--well, sometimes family can be awful and abusive, or, in the case of Steven Universe, they can be evil dictators who want to destroy you and the rest of your family. Does that mean that you should put yourself at risk and “forgive” them? No! The same goes for VLD and She-Ra. 

I could write about this for days, but I’ll leave it at that. I want to end with a cartoon quote that actually makes fun of woobified villains: Avatar the Last Airbender (see the video on SU at 1:50:34). 

Aang: Maybe we can make some big pots of glue and then I can use gluebending to stick his [Firelord Ozai’s] arms and legs together so he can’t bend anymore!

Zuko: Yeah, then you can show him his baby pictures and all those happy memories will make him good again.

Aang: You really think that would work?

Zuko: NO!

#she-ra #racism #fascism #colonialism #criticism #antisemitism #vld #su #also want to add that the video is a little less harsh on rebecca than i am #i think she's pretty racist while the video claims its mostly ignorance #again this is a discussion so these are my thoughts

[drunklander]

Drunj!Der Yells About Outlander

Thoughts on Ep. 401

Oh hey, y’all. We’re back for another season of that show we keep watching in hopes it’ll get back to its season one glory Outlander! Since I’m incapable of keeping my Opinions to myself and have no filter after a few drinks, I’m gonna do drunk recaps that no one asked for or wants again this year. Because why not. So buckle up, randos, because under the cut you will find nothing of substance, zero insights and absolutely no analysis!

Before I dive into the stream of consciousness, quasi-incoherent beat-by-beat nonsense, I just want to say that I overall liked this episode. I definitely enjoyed it more from the comfort of my own couch than in the theater with thousands of screaming sycophants at NYCC. It definitely had me singing along to the Federalist Papers part of Non Stop all day though. A series of scenes, tangentially related, introducing the Colonies to the public. Some are obviously just there to just set up the plot of the season or like check a residual box from last season. But some are solid world-building and character moments. And, because it’s Outlander, some are like *side eye*.

But I’m for real excited for the first half of this season! The second half of Drums is a dumpster fire (fucking Rogergate...) and it seems like the show is going to stick pretty close to the book, so I’m going to try my hardest to not let preemptive feelings about that nonsense cloud potential enjoyment of the first bit. Because dammit, I love me some domestic!Frasers. So yeah, happy end of hiatus, y’all!

Ok I don’t want to start off on a downer note, but jfc. I get what they were going for with the 2000 B.C. stone circle stuff, but omg no. I don’t care if certain indigenous peoples really did make stone circles and dance around them as the sun rose. I know they’re trying to show the universality of circles and these time portal thingies or whatever, but by making the parallel with the druids at Craigh na Dun, it’s basically being like “Oh hey! These Native American folks from *checks notes* North America are just like the white folks we’ve been hanging with for the last three seasons!” It came off to me like erasing the unique cultures of the diverse peoples of North America in favor of framing them as a generic group of “natives” who do the white people stone dance. And in a season that’s going to deal heavily with multiple tribes, this really isn’t giving me much confidence in how they’re going to handle the rest of the Native American characters.

I’m really hoping someone else will articulate that better than I did. Because I feel like I’m not communicating well what my actual issue with the sequence was.

Petition to make Jamie wear a hat at all times to hide his horrible bangs.

Gavin Hayes has to be being hanged for literally the dumbest crime ever. But he seems pretty chill about it so...

Ok I never liked book!Bonnet as a character (like obvi he’s a terrible person so I was never going to like him as a person, but I was always annoyed that he was still around rather than appreciating him as a villain), but even from that presumptuous “yeah can I snag some rum too, bruh” in the jail, I’m like solidly on board with show!Bonnet.

Jamie tried to save Hayes, but you see Hayes straight up killed a guy. Sure it was in self-defense, but, y’know, ye olde times and he did kill the dude. Sooo...

I want to feel for Lesley, I really do, but I’ve never actually given a shit or been given a good reason to give a shit about Rupert and Angus 3.0 so, sorry for your loss?

Unpopular opinion alert (should be the standard disclaimer on all of my #hottakes) but I really don’t care for the new theme music. Every time they change it, I find myself wanting the OG season one music back with just the images updated.

The bald eagle for the title card just gives me such mixed feelings that have nothing to do with the show. Like here’s a symbol of my country and it *should* invoke good feelings, but *gestures at the current political climate* every national symbol at the moment feels tainted by the growing white nationalist movement that’s being spurred on by the current administration.

Time for some post hanging brewskis. We are here to mourn Gavin Hayes. Who died only so the new villain could be introduced. Let us bow our heads.

Marsali and Fergus win the prize for least subtle “can we be excused to go bang” ever. Rock on, Fersali.

I fucking LOVE that they changed the tavern scene so everyone sings with them like they know what’s going on rather than how in the book it was like them making fun of the red coats as part of Gavin’s song and then Fergus passed around a hat for coins. But by having everyone in the tavern in on what’s going down and earnestly participating, it establishes that 20+ years after the failed Rising, after the Clearances, after everything the Scots went through at the hands of the English, they were not truly defeated. They may have moved across an ocean, but they are still Scottish and they still practice their traditions and dammit I’m having feelings about those resilient motherfuckers.

The scene with Jamie and Ian is very well done and I’m SO glad they included it because they did in fact include his rape last year, but fuck the show for including that rape in the first place. A very similar version of this scene could have been done without the rape, there’s enough trauma involved in being kidnapped, taken across the ocean, held hostage by a batshit lady and knowing that everyone else she kidnapped ended up dead for one 16 year old kid. With Jamie’s rape we got two episodes of trauma and four of recovery. With Mary, Fergus and Ian, we get three child rapes that could have all been avoided (especially Ian’s, but the plot points that come from Mary’s and Fergus’ could have definitely come about without them actually being raped), and they all just got one brief scene to express their trauma and then everything’s hunky dory again. (We know they’re going to include Bree’s rape, also fuck them very much for that, it’s completely unnecessary, and I’m guessing we’ll spend some time with her on her recovery. But that’s a rant for when we get there...)

For real though, Jamie parroting Claire as he comforts Ian is super sweet, but it makes me skeptically nervous for how he’ll react to Bree’s. Since in the book, it’s...not great.

Stephen Bonnet is so delightfully smarmy. Also, how fucking naive is our main squad now all of a sudden that they don’t realize from the jump what a sociopath he is? C’mon, y’all. Like I know Jamie came close to being hanged or whatever, but literally everything about this dude screams that he’s bad news. He is not subtle in his I’m a straight up unapologetic and charismatic good guy criminal. And like, he’s a friend of Gavin? Come the fuck on, squad. HOW DO YOU NOT SEE THAT HE IS FULL OF SHIT. *gets Det. JJ Bittenbinder on the horn*

For real though, dodgy accent aside, I fucking love Ed Speleers in this role. Why the fuck do they have to include the rape. Can’t he just be a bastard without being a rapist? Why must you make me rage, show. I just want to enjoy a decent villain.

Jamie and Claire are doing their best Jean Ralphio and Mona Lisa Saperstein trying to talk their way through this checkpoint.

“You’ve never parted with the ring from the first?” Yeah, I don’t get it either, Bonnet my dude. I don’t get it either. #FuckFrank

Bonnet talking about circles fascinating him makes me think he’d do well in a group of stoners having what they think are philosophical conversations at 3:00 a.m. “But like guys, have you ever like thought about...the rhombus?”

For real though, him being real with Claire about this drowning stuff makes him an infinitely more interesting villain than Black Jack ever was. Black Jack was kind of a crap villain tbh. He was horrible and did horrible things, yes, but like that was it. He was just horrible. Bonnet’s like oh I’ll charm you, be real with you and then fuck you up in the course of one episode and not give any of it a second thought because I have not a single fuck to give about anyone but me. I’m just out here living my best life, sorry not sorry. *puts on shades, drops mic, walks away*

For real though, his “be wary of thieves and outlaws” line might as well have been “it’s me, I’m talking about me.” And these dorks don’t even pick up on it. GUYS YOU ARE KILLING ME, YOU DIDN’T USED TO BE THIS SHITTY AT JUDGING SOMEONE’S CHARACTER.

I’m guessing this is the official christening-their-new-continent-bang because it’s too cold to do River Sex™ in Scotland. But I’m looking forward to getting the rest of Ch. 16 once they get to the Ridge. (We all saw those strawberries in the promo...)

The book lines still feel shoehorned in rather than organic to the show, but not as much as 95% of A. Malcolm felt. So I guess I need to just accept that the writers are going to keep doing this and I just need to stop expecting them to actually do their jobs and adapt for the adaptation...

For real though, I know Spotify doesn’t exist yet but jfc Jamie and Claire’s secksi time playlist literally just has this one song and guys, there’s a whole world of songs for smushing out there. My man Doug Judy would be glad to broaden your horizons.

Claire’s I just had sex smile as she looks out over the valley made me literalol.

Cool that we get woke!Jamie saying that the American Dream is a nightmare for the Native Americans after Claire’s Americana 101 speech, but this is a woman who lived in wicked racist 1960s Boston. She knows that things aren’t nice and rosy in America in the 18th *or* 20th centuries. Her speech makes me hate S3 a little more for focusing on Frank’s manpain instead of Claire and her and Joe’s time in the hospital, where the show could have explored gender and race in the 20th century to set up a contrast for how things will be this season in the 18th. Claire went through enough shit last time she was in the past, and so far this time, to know that the past isn’t idyllic. She knows enough about US history and 20th century America to know this mythical origin story she’s spouting is nothing but a fairy tale. I get why she might cling to that ideal, this is the first time in her life she might get to settle down and build a home with the person she actually wants to build a home with, but her whitewashing history like this strikes me as a way too naive for her.

The green screen as they stare out at that very much not actually there valley is killinggg me.

Ok for real though, this cut from them in the Uncanny Valley to the room getting ready for dinner is the most jarring of the episode. Like, I’ve come to terms with the fact that this is just a series of independent scenes rather than an actual, cohesive whole, but jfc. Who actually is Lillington, how do you know him? Nope? No info? Not important? Just need to get it out there that you have jewels so the last scene in the episode can happen so the ring can be taken so the rape can occur? Cool. Cool cool cool.

Ok so show!Claire makes me sad with being insecure/self-depreciating about her appearance. Like with saying brown is a dull color when Jamie calls her mo nighean donn the first time and when she asks Joe if she’s sexually attractive and when she dyes her hair before going back through the stones and now with the mutton dressed as lamb thing. (Claire, girl, how are you that up on Colonial fashion that you know what’s “age appropriate” already? Wouldn’t think there was much fashion gossip along the road from Georgia to North Carolina, but whatevs.) I know three of these four things are straight from the book, but in the show it hits me differently. Book!Claire is kind of a bitch when it comes to looks. Her parting words in her letter to Bree were “try not to get fat.” She like judged the crap out of that rando lady in Edinburgh before she went to the print shop just to make sure she didn’t look too old. So when she has these aforementioned moments, they land differently. Now I’m not saying I want show!Claire to be like book!Claire, quite the opposite. I’m glad they cut that other stuff. But now whenever show!Claire has a moment of self-consciousness, all I want to do is be like woman, you are a fucking smokeshow. Fuck the patriarchy for making you feel like you aren’t stunning exactly as you are. #LadyBonerForBeauchamp

Oh Governor Exposition. How nice of you to join our merry band of randos for dinner!

Man, I’d love to be so rich that I can pull a Baron and casually just happen to have 100 pounds on hand to buy a giant ruby at a random dinner party.

John Grey, who was shunted from shit post to shit post, totes is special enough to get Scotland’s Valjean to England’s Javert cleared. I mean, obvi.

Oh hey, Jamie remembers he has a daughter! Showed more emotion in that scene about how America would become her country than in the scene with the photos. Fuck Sam et al. for the disaster of a performance choice in ep. 306, don’t @ me.

OH HAI ROLLO I LOVE YOU YOU ARE SUCH A GOOD DOGGO I WANT TO SNUGGLE YOU WHO’S A GOOD BOY YOU ARE

“I dinna ken. But she’ll be saying it in Scotland, won’t she?” I do love Young Ian a lot. I know that’s in the book. But dammit I love John Bell in this part a crapton.

Casually lol’ing that they crossed the ocean because Ian was taken and now that they have him, they’re just going to send him alone off to sea again.

The first time I saw the episode, when Lesley gave his “my place is at your side” speech I was like crap, we’re going to be stuck with this guy aren’t we. BUT WE’RE NOT! (I am a terrible person.)

Fergus and Marsali are totes going to be the new Jenny and Ian, aren’t they? The characters who just show up once or twice a season when the core squad needs something and that’s it? Because they get tossed aside in the books like that. That makes me super sad (and I hope I’m wrong) because of how they changed show!Fergus and show!Claire’s relationship from the book that we won’t get to see more of them together. Le sigh. I hope they at least let Bree have a scene where she meets Fergus and learns she has a brother. Especially if she’s not going to go to Lallybroch to meet the Murray squad because Jenny isn’t in this season. Part of what I loved about the Lallybroch part in the book was Bree realizing that she wasn’t just gaining a father but a whole extended family. I hope they kind of transfer that over to her meeting Fergus and Young Ian in the place of [insert Murray kids who let’s be honest we really don’t care about here].

Hey remember that time Jamie was wicked opposed to Fergus and Marsali getting married for literally no reason? That was fun. But yay for Germain!

Holy motherfucking green screen, Batman. Please can we get to the woods soon? Or some other location where it’s not this fucking jarring?

Claire America-is-the-land-of-milk-and-honey Fraser suddenly is overly-on-the-nose indignant about slavery. Cool. Cool cool cool. Again, you know what would have been cool? Seeing her with her best and only friend in the 1960s more last season because he was a Black man. If they had let Joe be a fully formed character, navigating racist af Boston as a doctor, rather than just being Claire’s sounding board and martini maker, we could have seen how Claire being exposed to his reality shaped her views on race in America. But nope, that would have taken air time away from Frank’s manpain. (Seriously, my recent re-watch only highlighted just how much they screwed over Claire’s character last season.)

I’ve always loved that Jamie gives Claire the medical box. It’s just such a simple way to demonstrate that he *gets* Claire. (*side-eyes a certain other husband who patently did not*)

Jamie’s bangs are an affront to anyone with hair. Someone please give that man his hat back!

“This ring is all I need.” Aaand that’s when we all knew that Jamie’s ring would be the one stolen.

“Not for a single day.” Uh, *casually points at the episode in season three when she retcons her entire life in Boston to be not as bad as it was because Jamie’s been such an asshat to her*.

Ok. Holy shit this final scene. I love everything about this final scene. Except the song. This show is not subtle. It’s never been subtle. But holy shit, playing the iconic Ray Charles version of America the Beautiful at the end of an episode called America the Beautiful to be like welcome to ‘Murrica, fuckos, is like even less subtle than they usually go. I 1000% LOVE the choice to cut the audio from the end of the fight scene and just have the visuals, it just would have worked much better if they’d scored with with a regular instrumental piece.

Gah, Bonnet is such a smarmy motherfucker! The nose wipe before he coldcocks Jamie is just perf.

Claire’s face in this entire scene, holy fucking shit. *throws all the awards at Balfe*

And then Lesley dies and I’m a terrible person because I’m happy we don’t need to be stuck with him all season. But holy shit Bonnet when he pauses right before he cuts his throat and then kills him, I love show!Bonnet so much more than I ever gave a shit about book!Bonnet.

And honestly, Claire’s face when he’s killed right in front of her. *throws more awards at Balfe*

GUYS I FEEL MORE EMOTION ABOUT CLAIRE TAKING OFF JAMIE’S RING THAN I DID ABOUT CLAIRE LEAVING BREE BEHIND TO GO BACK THROUGH THE STONES HOW IS BALFE SO GOOD AT MAKING ME FEEL FEELINGS

I’m so fucking glad they changed which ring gets taken. There was an interview where they were like “oh we did it because it has to be visually distinct so Bree can get raped!” and I’m like a) fuck you for including that and b) right decision, wrong reason. This is the right reason for the change.

But even as I say that they made the right call in which ring to have stolen, it’s still a fact that they fucking chose to have one stolen at all. The writers and production team decided that Brianna needed to be raped so a ring must be stolen. Because Diana never wrote a character she didn’t want raped and the Outlander producers never read a rape scene they didn’t want to include. Fuck them all very much for that.

Fuck Them Very Much for That, the title of my memoir.

Oh god her face right at the end when she sees that it’s fucking Fred’s ring she’s left with and not Jamie’s fucking murders me.

*THROWS AN ENTIRE TROPHY STORE AT BALFE*

#* #drunj!der yells about outlander #outlander starz #outlander 4x01

[dmosher24-blog]

Underrepresentation of Native Americans attending university in the state of New Mexico

        Going to university is a privilege not every individual receives; however, what if an entire group isn’t going? Native Americans have been underrepresented at universities for many decades now and while they may begin to attend university, there is often no end product. “Of all the underrepresented groups studied, Native American students graduate from college with the lowest graduation rate of any other group of students.”(https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ987305.pdf) There are many reasons as to why Native Americans are not able or chose not to go to university. In New Mexico there is a very large population of Native Americans; however, we still see a major underrepresentation of them, particularly at the University of New Mexico given the sates Native American population. Being new to New Mexico, and America, after observing I soon began to question why Native Americans in New Mexico are not going to university.

  A map indicating where Native American reservations and tribes are situated in New Mexico.

        The State of New Mexico is one of the states with the highest percentage of Native American residents. In the 2007-2008 school year “5.22% of all degrees awarded by UNM were earned by Native American students.”(https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/43608666.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3A512d762784475f4039293c05e3f24a33) This landed UNM with a parity index of “3.20, or 7 times the national average” yet when the parity index “is computed based on New Mexico’s statewide 10.46 percent population of Native people, the parity number drops to a dismal 0.52.” (https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/43608666.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3A512d762784475f4039293c05e3f24a33) The parity index “compares the number of American Indians who receive a particular degree to the percentage of American Indians in the population overall.” (https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/43608666.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3A512d762784475f4039293c05e3f24a33) Taking this in to consideration, there is controversy as to whether or not the university should be acknowledged positively for their high rates of Indigenous enrollment or reviewed because of their low parity index considering the actual population of Indigenous in the state. Regardless, there are many factors and questions to be answered with regard to why the Native Americans in the state of New Mexico are not attending university.  

        In order for any student to attend university it is necessary for them to get an education prior to that; these lower level educational experiences are crucial in building positive associations with education, and the foundation to succeed at the post-secondary level. Native Americans in New Mexico, in both the past and present have had negative experiences in academic environment; inevitably affecting those students desires to further continue their education. It is very well known today that there were boarding schools for Native Americans that physically and mentally abused Native American children while taking them away from their families and culture. The purpose of having Native Americans attend boarding schools was part of the effort of assimilation and conformity to Christianity. The unfortunate truth is that the negative experiences had by several generations of Native American youth attending those boarding schools were shared with the next generations. This process created a distrust and negative stigma towards school in general and continues to impact Native American students views on school and decisions around school.

An image of an Native American students doing an activity at one of the boarding schools that abused them.

         Not only are Native American boarding schools of the past responsible for influencing the Native Americans decisions and abilities around pursuing higher education, so are the elementary, middle and high schools in New Mexico today. It is commonly argued that “students are more likely to thrive when they see themselves, their families and their histories at the center of the classroom and in their lessons, and when they are taught by those who speak their language and share their cultural backgrounds.” (http://nmindepth.com/2019/02/05/new-mexico-faces-moral-test-on-educating-diverse-students/) While education ministries today are doing more to address this than in the past, it can be argued that it is still not enough. Part of the problem is that“fewer than 2 percent of teachers in the state’s public schools are Native American.” (http://nmindepth.com/2019/02/05/new-mexico-faces-moral-test-on-educating-diverse-students/) This creates cultural and linguistic barriers between Native American students and their teachers that can make the young children feel uncomfortable in their school environment. In order to encourage the Native American students in New Mexico to continue their education past high school there has to be more consideration towards them. This includes teaching of Indigenous history and culture and acquiring teachers and resources to help the at-risk youth and English language learners. At the University of New Mexico for example it is possible to get a minor in the Department of Linguistics and this has attracted many Navajo from the state of New Mexico; however, there are several different tribes so offering one won’t suffice. The common thread among all the influencing factors mentioned above is financial; they all require money to make them happen.

        A university or college education in America today is very expensive. Unfortunately attending university is not an option for all individuals as they must have the financial means to pay for it. Native Americans are one group where many “are in such a precarious position today that economic survival will be difficult without major support of the federal government” (https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ987305.pdf) “Poverty is among the challenges many Native Americans face” considering they “have the highest poverty rate of any group nationally.” (Murphy) While scholarships are available many Native Americans are unaware of the different ones out there; and with this being said, “mostly everyone agrees that more money is needed.” (http://nmindepth.com/2019/02/05/new-mexico-faces-moral-test-on-educating-diverse-students/) If an individual is not going to learn about their history, perspective or language, feel culturally disconnected or inferior, and restrained in their beliefs, why spend a huge amount of money to go to university anyways? Another piece to this is that Native Americans have nearly twice the dropout rate of white people. Would you risk everything to pay for a university when the odds suggest you won’t even graduate? Even if a Native American finds a way to get their education paid for or has the financial means, “family income and higher education often go hand-in-hand, many Native Americans who make it to college are the first in their families to attend” which creates a whole other issue in itself. (http://nmindepth.com/2019/02/05/new-mexico-faces-moral-test-on-educating-diverse-students/)

        Young children learning at a school in Gallup, New Mexico.

        One of “the issue(s) at hand is enabling schools, communities, and students the ability to define and create culturally responsive schools.”; giving the Native American students the opportunity to maintain their culture within the academic environments in New Mexico has not been ideal to say the least. (http://nmindepth.com/2019/02/05/new-mexico-faces-moral-test-on-educating-diverse-students/) “For many Native Americans, the experience can be like traveling to a foreign country.”(http://nmindepth.com/2019/02/05/new-mexico-faces-moral-test-on-educating-diverse-students/) Creighton labels this idea cultural discontinuity and suggests that “the cultural discontinuity experienced by Native American students within most educational environments often lies in the dominant culture’s school settings”, meaning the dominant race; in this case white people, have the ability and responsibility in being the ones to create a culturally accepting environment. (https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ987305.pdf)At the University of New Mexico there was a case where the seal, openly seen by the public was found to be disrespectful to the Native Americans and is an example of how the encouragement of the Indigenous culture is not being supported or portrayed positively. The seal at the university “depicts a frontiersman and conquistador and, thus, celebrates the Spanish, Mexican, and U.S. genocide, conquest, dispossession, rape, torture, and enslavement of the original Indigenous Peoples of this land.” (https://therednation.org/2016/05/05/abolish-the-racist-seal-unm-kiva-club-the-red-nation-statement-to-board-of-regents/) The fact that there are still public displays that are praising the horrible mistreatment of Indigenous in the past does not encourage any Indigenous to feel liberties in embodying their culture. University is a place where adolescents and young adults are meant to find themselves yet for the indigenous it seems impossible to do so if they feel the need to restrain themselves with regard to their culture.  

The University of New Mexico seal that caused discontent to the Native American population.

        In terms of methodologies, the question addressing why Native Americans are not attending university can be reviewed under and expand the ideas of dispossession and immigration. It is rather ironic that the land of the Native Americans is now consumed by universities such as the University of New Mexico that the majority of Native Americans don’t even want to attend. This is due to the influx of immigration that came centuries ago that made Native Americans the minority. Had the immigrants/colonizers from Europe not come Native Americans would never have been dispossessed of their land and would therefore have a very different life. In addition, as mentioned above as well the memories of dispossession and brutal treatment of Native Americans have been shared with the young Native Americans today which is highly likely to be a factor making them hesitant to go to University today.

        Many Native Americans in New Mexico are not attending university and for this there are several reasons, some of which non-Native Americans do not and will never know. Some New Mexican Native Americans may not have the opportunity, whether it be because of finances or their grades that don’t allow them to get in. On the other hand, there are some that even if they have the choice would not like to go to university. If this is this case, we now know it is more likely, because of their prior education and academic experiences, the culture divide, and many more as a white person I may be unaware of.  Native Americans are people of great value to not only New Mexico or the United States but the world as a whole.  Modern day America must find a way to mend the relationships and support Native Americans so that together at academic institutions, we can make the world a better place.

Reflection

        While writing this research paper we were required to include a multimodal component. The result of including a new component to a project is that there are more things to think about and more decisions to be made. In this case, I had to add photos for my multimodal component and also had to make it user friendly online as a blog. With regard to the learning outcomes I think this influenced my choices in Rhetorical Situation and Genres.This learning outcome is to “analyze, compose, and reflect on arguments in a variety of genres, considering claims, evidence, and various mediums and technologies that are appropriate to the rhetorical situation.” I think that the use of photos fits within this learning outcome and influenced my decisions as I had to find pictures that fit within my topic and helped provide more visual evidence or analyses for readers to comprehend.

In addition to the learning outcome mentioned above I believe that the process of writing this research paper contributed to the Research learning outcome and the Writing as a Process learning outcome. In terms of Research it may seem self-explanatory as this is a research paper; however, there is more to it than just the research. Within this learning outcome is discovery of your personal self-beliefs and acquiring knowledge about a particular topic. I learned about why Native Americans in New Mexico aren’t attending university and while some things I assumed already, the research moulded my ideas and opinions on the topic as I learned more about the topic. With regard to Writing as a Process there were many steps and exercise myself and the class went through before we actually wrote the research paper. For example, we wrote a literature review on some of the broader topics in order to develop our research question. After our lit review we did research and presented our topics in front of the class to then get peer reviews and feedback or suggestions. All of these elements contributed to the creation of the research paper.

The research genre is more than just spitting out information you got from your research. In a research paper there is typically a question that you are answering and researching the answers to this question through various different sources. Once you have this information and have found different pieces to your answer a writer must analyze this information and try to articulate what it means. I believe the paper I have just written is a research paper however it could also fit as an argumentative essay or even a blog. If I had decided to take more of a side in my paper this could easily become argumentative and could try and influence readers to believe a certain thing or take a side. I decided to try and stay more neutral but most likely could have favored a side if I had wanted. Another route I could have taken could be something like a blog or interview type thing if I did more hands-on research by going to Native American in New Mexico youth and Native Americans attending the University of New Mexico.

References

Home, www.unm.edu/~navajo/.

“The University of New Mexico Fall 2018 Official Enrollment Report Albuquerque Campus.” Albuquerque, NM, 7 Sept. 2018.

April 8, 2019 / CNS, et al. “New Mexico School a Beacon of Hope, Faith for Native American Youth.” New Mexico School a Beacon of Hope, Faith for Native American Youth |, 20 Feb. 2017, theleaven.org/new-mexico-school-a-beacon-of-hope-faith-for-native-american-youth/.

Bitsóí, LeManuel Lee, et al. “An Analysis of Graduation Rates of American Indians at the University of New Mexico: Implications for Higher Education.” Journal of American Indian Education, vol. 52, no. 2, 2013, pp. 21–44. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/43608666.

Creighton, Linda M. “Factors Affecting the Graduation Rates of University Students from Underrepresented Populations.” International Electronic Journal for Leadership in Learning, vol. 11, 2007.

Editor. “Abolish the Racist Seal: UNM KIVA CLUB, The Red Nation Statement to Board of Regents.” Therednation.org, 6 May 2016, therednation.org/2016/05/05/abolish-the-racist-seal-unm-kiva-club-the-red-nation-statement-to-board-of-regents/.

“For Churches.” The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, boardingschoolhealing.org/healing/for-churches/.

Murphy, Andi. “Finding Community Is Key to College Graduation for Native Americans.” New Mexico In Depth, 3 July 2014, nmindepth.com/2014/06/07/finding-community-is-key-to-college-graduation-for-native-americans/.

Christine Hollis. Native American Children and Families in New Mexico: Strengths and Challenges. New Mexico KIDS COUNT Director, 2012.

Ulloa, Sylvia, and Trip Jennings. “New Mexico Faces Moral Test on Educating Diverse Students.” New Mexico In Depth, 19 Feb. 2019, nmindepth.com/2019/02/05/new-mexico-faces-moral-test-on-educating-diverse-students/.

[jewish-privilege]

Brenda Brown-Grooms: We are still working together to keep the American Dream alive

I was at the sunrise service at First Baptist Church on Main at 6 a.m. on August 12, with Cornell West, Tracy Blackmon, Osagyefo Sekou and various groups soon to be deployed to our respective stations (mine to First United Methodist Church, a designated safe space, prayer fortress, first aid station, food and water replenishing). We prayed, sang, read Scripture, counseled with those coming in for respite. We were tear gassed (it wafted up from the park across the sidewalk), were locked down more times than I can now remember, and watched Heather Heyer being killled and others injured in real time, via livestream, while hearing a helicopter hovering over our heads.

A little more than a month before the July 2017 gathering of the KKK in Emancipation Park (in protest of the city's approved plan to remove the statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee) we all got word of this coming August gathering. Concerned citizens, rightly discerning this to be, above all, an issue of morality and not just policy, called on their faith leaders to lead Charlottesville's response. Indeed, they were crystal clear: if you don't lead, we won't follow.

We mounted prayer vigils, monitored KKK/alt-right social media, tried to work with various police departments in this area, and quickly discovered that they were not listening to us, which later bespoke their unpreparedness for the situation.

After the July protest, those of us in the faith community realized the enormity of the coming situation and sought to prepare ourselves and our congregations as best we could. Our biggest hindrance was the intransigence of the city government, university administrators, and Charlottesville's elite in convincing themselves that something like what did happen would never happen in beautiful, iconic, happy Charlottesville! THIS ISN'T WHO WE ARE!

However, beautiful Charlottesville has an ugly underbelly. If you have enough money, enough power, the right zip code, preferably no Jewish ancestry, and are not a person of color, you may well be able to position yourself, isolate yourself, so that none of what poor, powerless, native Charlottesvillians of color experience. I am an African American native of Charlottesville and a graduate of the University of Virginia. I remember and have always experienced the ugliness of this beautiful place.

To those who stubbornly thought it "couldn't happen here," I say: Are you insane? Of course this is Charlottesville. What planet do you live on? Yes, some Nazis and KKK and alt-righters came from out of town, but a lot more of them than you think live right here.

On August 11, I participated in a glorious worship service at St. Paul's, across the street from the Rotunda at UVA, where the tiki torch gathering happened and Nazis cried, "Jews will not replace us." I, along with about 500 people, was locked down in the church. I had a premonition that something would happen on Friday. They had to announce their presence some way.

Last summer crystallized for me, yet again, that America has yet to live out her creed (that all people are created equal, endowed by our Creator, with certain inalienable rights. That among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness). Everyone ever labeled a "minority" in this country knows America's failure, its original sin. And yet, each generation, we hope and work for the American Dream. The original sin that infects our republic, our religious practices and citizenship in the world is white supremacy. We must admit it. Rout it out. Begin again. We must talk about who benefits and who does not. We must admit that our institutions are shot through with unfairness, injustice and death. We must hear and include the stories that have been and are still being suppressed in order to perpetuate a false, an incomplete narrative--leaving out Native Americans, Asian Americans, South Americans, African Americans, Immigrants, Refugees and those left without homelands and others in any of the myriad ways we humans know to "other."

Since last year's open summer of hate, I have found brothers and sisters of all races, creeds, faith or no faith traditions, who have been willing to sit together, talk together, argue together, cry together, think together, plan together, walk together, to keep the American Dream alive, one more generation. We are working together to raise up another generation to follow us, who will do the same. Shalom.

Brenda Brown-Grooms is a pastor with the New Beginnings Christian Community and part of the Charlottesville Clergy Collective (CCC), a group of clergy and laypeople dedicated to dialogue about the challenge of race relations in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. She is also part of and Congregate Cville, an activist organization which grew out of CCC.

...

Rachel Schmelkin: I learned a lot that day about what it means to truly support and protect each other

On August 12, 2017, I took a few cautious steps out of First United Methodist Church, a designated "safe space" for anti-Nazi demonstrators, to survey the park where Nazis were screaming ugly white supremacist chants. "Jews will not replace us!," still rings in my ear as I recall that dreadful weekend. I'd never seen such hate up close, and for the first time I felt afraid to be a Jew in America.

A few days before the rally, I told my close friends, Reverends Phil and Robert that I was worried that I would be a target, but that it was important to be to be visible and present despite the risks. They promised me that they would watch out for me. They said "We will not let anybody get near you. In fact, we'll stay with you as long as you're out there. We will not leave you alone." I trusted them, and they held to their word.

That day, I continued further out of the door and did my best to project songs of love and peace that might drown out the hate. With my guitar in hand and my brother standing next to me, we sang out "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine!"

I learned a lot that day about what it means to truly support and protect each other, and to have others support and protect me. A black friend confided in me that she's felt unsafe in her body her entire life. As a Jew, I felt that same visceral fear that August day in Charlottesville when neo-Nazis threatened to torch the Jews.

Anti-Semitism animates white supremacist ideology and is tightly integrated with its other racist and xenophobic views. Charlottesville's "summer of hate" taught me that alliances across faiths, across race, across all kinds of differences are the best way to combat racism, anti-Semitism, and all types of bigotry and hate.

Since August 12, courageous citizens of Charlottesville have consistently come together to make Charlottesville a miserable place to be a white supremacist; they're not welcome here.

Rabbi Rachel Schmelkin is with Congregation Beth Israel in Charlottesville.

See the full piece at CNN. 

TW: The top of page has a video that autoplays starting on a graphic image of car attack that killed Heather Heyer, Z’’L may her memory be a blessing, and also includes images and video from the white supremacists marching and chanting anti Black and antisemitic slogans.

#charlottesville #white supremacy #anti black racism #antisemitism #heather heyer #z''l #death

[pjstafford]

My thoughts on the National Divide

Whose ideal was it to put our national elections so close to the Holiday season and family gatherings? As head into this “season” I am fearful  for our country.  

I am one of those who believes in the “liberal agenda.”  I think there are multiple differences in this time we are in today from divisive times past.  One big one is that we are not working towards progress.  We are trying to hold the line and say let’s not go backwards.  I think this election and the country today would have a different feel if those currently in power were trying to keep this country from going down the road of more liberalism- drawing a line in the sand and saying this is as far as you can go for now.  Instead, I feel like we are being told that the rights we have fought for can easily slip away.  That is scary.  That makes it different. I, as a woman, will not go back.  I will stand my ground.

As an American Studies Major in the 80s, I learned that we are and have always been two American characters.  We are the individualistic, rugged, frontier man who believes in doing it on our own, striving forward no matter who or what is in our way, Bible in one hand and gun in the other.  We are also the intellectual existentialist who know that we only survived on the frontier because of collective effort and question whether or not our manifest destiny was worth the cost to the people who were already here. Both of these characters believe in individual freedoms, both of those characters are brave and resilient, but perceive the land of the free and the home of the brave in a very different way.   In my personal character I tend to be the former (without the gun).  In my political, social cultural mind set I tend to be the latter.  

In the Civil War family members fought family members.  Sometimes they did so not because they believed in the righteousness of one side or the other but because of individual, family loyalties.  Sometimes brothers fought against brothers in the war.  What a dreadful time it must have been.  If it came to that – to take up arms-would my personal loyalties to the people I love win or some bigger issue and value?  Which would be the most moral path to take? Thank God we don’t have to ask that question today.  We are still not recovered from that war.  Perhaps we never will be.  

I was literally a child of the 60’s – born in 1961- and so missed most of the 60’s politics.  My parents were New Deal Democrats who supported Robert Kennedy for President in 1968.  My brother tried to enlist because he wanted to go to Vietnam but was deaf in one ear and so couldn’t.  My sister’s husband was in the military.  I have no concept if he was drafted or enlisted, but I once received a doll from Thailand from him and that was cool.  My parents had friends of all nationalities and races but my dad had mixed feelings about the segregated South.  Often his views were very practical, non-intellectual viewpoints based on his own experiences.  It was stupid that, as a child, he would have to walk to one school and pass Native American or Black children walking in the other directions to schools that were closer to him.  Why couldn’t everyone just go to the school that was the closest?  However, even if you stopped segregating the movie theaters the different races were going to self-segregate and so what did it matter?

As a college student my master’s thesis was of the history of the 60’s and the rhetoric of Students for a Democratic Society as they moved to the Weatherman and the rhetoric of the Students Non-Violent Coordinating Committee as they moved to the Black Panthers.  My premise was that SDS and SNCC were very different in the beginning in terms of their rhetoric and history but that as they experienced similar situations and struggles in the sixties, the two “terrorists” groups (Weatherman and Black Panthers) were more like each other than either were to their originals.  I believed when I wrote this thesis in the 80’s, as I do now, that the history of how some of our country’s most idealist youth groups changed into groups which advocated government over-throw is a lesson our country should learn from.  I, also, believe that the fact that the FBI approached the Black Panthers separately than the Weatherman is a sign of how deep the racism in this country went in that time.  

In the sixties and early seventies, the divide was mainly generational and could easily be analyzed by differences in experiences.  An older generation fought in World War II and didn’t understand that the Vietnam War was not the moral imperative of the new generation.  An older generation knew that women and people descended from slaves had made some progress and feared that if we moved too fast for more that our country would not be able to absorb and transcend the changes.  It is not that they didn’t want change, but not too fast and the younger generation said Today- not tomorrow.  The older generation remembered poverty and saw technological changes as creating prosperity.  The younger generation which knew mostly prosperity saw technology as a danger to our environment. An older generation said don’t question the government – having never been betrayed until Richard Nixon – and a younger generation said, question everything. Yes, there was morality involved, but it was easier to rationalize the generational divide and to heal; to still love one another through the years.   The impact lasted years – remember Clinton being questioned about why he hadn’t served and if he inhaled?  We didn’t ask those questions of Trump.  Still, I think we mostly healed because it was a generational divide.

I know there will be a post Trump era.  The beginning of that era could start on Tuesday.  I don’t in any way know if we will continue as two America’s (three steps forward, two steps back) or if we will be an America I won’t want to be a part of or if this is the white male privilege last Harrah and then we will move on as a country of diversity and equality for all. What I do know is that today the divide is not generational.  What I do know is that today the divide is all about morality.  What I do know is that it feels very personal in families and among all that I talk with (which admittedly is mostly white) friends, the discussion includes the willingness to say goodbye to family members.   I will not have Thanksgiving dinner with someone who believes that women should be grabbed by their pussy without asking.  If you voted for that man, you believe my son who is transgendered should deny his identity.  How can we be brothers and sisters, cousins, friends if you think children should be separated from their parents at the border or if you think black lives don’t matter or you consider yourself a nationalist instead of a patriot and your view of a nation does not include persons with disabilities or Native Americans.   How can we be part of the same family when you don’t think that I, or my spouse, or my children or my best friend have the same rights in this country?    This is what I am hearing people ask about their family members.  Perhaps we have to ask that now as the only way to stop being two Americas.  Perhaps enough is enough and we need the divide to be this big in order to really think through how we want to move forward.  Maybe it is the only way for the wounds of the Civil War to heal. Maybe it is time to say that it is not about politics, it is about basic moral tenets of right and wrong. Yes.   It is. There are some things that go above politics.  Today feels like that day.  Tomorrow we can worry about how to heal.  Still, it is worth the recognition that, for many of us we have anxiety about the results of the election and anxiety that, because of the last election, our relationship with family members will never be the same. I mourn we have come to this.  I know what I want the results of this election to be and, yet, I mourn for how divided we are and that we have come to this.  God Bless America!

[lissabryan]

It's St. Patrick's Day, and it has me thinking about a topic that's been much discussed recently - immigration - because some of my ancestors were Irish refugees, fleeing the devastation of the Irish Potato Famine.

This was the era before immigration laws, so they didn't come "legally." They just came. Anyone who could buy a boat ticket could come to America in those days. Likely, they traveled on one of those miserable, over-stuffed ships of the era, where passengers bedded down on the deck itself or in the cargo hold between crates and barrels, wherever they could find a spot.

Some cities had their own immigration laws that prevented certain "undesirable" ethnic groups from disembarking, but for the most part, they just got off at whatever port of call the ship was destined for, looked for extended family or friends to help them get set up, and sought work.

It wasn't easy. The Irish were despised by many, considered dirty and immoral, stealing jobs from native-born Americans. Worse, they were bringing their religion with them from the Old World, and there was a real concern that they were going to try to "take over" America for the Pope.

It needs to be stressed that the Irish were never slaves. 

Life was hard for the Irish in America, but they still had personhood. Even Irish who entered into indentured servitude were never actually slaves. They were still considered people, and as soon as their contract ended, they were fully integrated into society as free persons with no stigma attached to their prior servitude. They were never able to be raped, beaten, or slain with impunity the way slaves were. They had the full protection of the law and right to redress in courts. They had property rights and their children did not inherit any condition of servitude.

Again, that doesn’t mean their lives were easy or that there wasn’t a systemic bias against them.

They were going to out-breed Protestants, people warned, and put the country under Catholic law. (My grandmother has told me about things her neighbor said about their fears that President Kennedy would "turn the country over" to the Pope as soon as he won election, so don't think this is a belief confined to the dark ages of the Victorian era.)

The fear was so pervasive, it gave rise to its own political party, the Know-Nothings, who despised immigrants, but Irish Catholics in particular. It occasionally spilled over into violence, a church burned, a priest attacked, riots breaking out here and there, including one in Kentucky that killed over 20 people.

My ancestors made their way to Ohio, where they settled. I cannot say for certain, but it seems likely some of them got jobs building the Ohio-Erie canal, which bisected the state from Cleveland down to the Ohio River.

The work paid well, but it was brutal, backbreaking labor. The canal was dug with shovels and pick-axes - all three hundred plus miles of it. It was also dangerous. There was a saying that there was a "dead Irishman for every mile of the Canal."

Their sons fought in the Civil War. At my family's cemetery, there is a short row of Union soldiers. Their fortunes must have improved by the 1860s, because to transport a body home, you had to pay for it to be embalmed and shipped in a special casket; not everyone could afford that.

The Know-Nothings were still active. Their candidate had lost the prior presidential election (which is pretty much what they deserved for nominating Millard Fillmore. Sheesh.) Most of them joined the newly-formed Republican Party. Lincoln may not have been too happy about having them with him. He wrote to his best friend, 

"As a nation, we began by declaring that 'all men are created equal.' We now practically read it 'all men are created equal, except [African-Americans].' When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read 'all men are created equals, except [African-Americans] and foreigners and Catholics.' When it comes to that I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty – to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy."

The Washington Monument still bears the scars of anti-immigrant hatred. Ever wondered why it's two colors? It's because of them.

Eliza Hamilton and Dolley Madison were two of the driving forces behind collecting funds for the memorial to our first president. But in 1855, a bunch of the Know Nothings caused the project to grind to a halt. The Pope had donated a stone to be used in the memorial, and they were very upset by that, being just about as anti-Catholic as they were anti-immigrant. They stole the stone and either smashed it to fragments, or threw it in the Potomac.

Congress appropriated $200K to finish the project, but the Know-Nothings arranged to seize control of the memorial association by rigging the election of its officers, and they weren't about to hand that money over to those shady jerks. The Know-Nothings whined in their newsletter that they were being slandered in the press and that's why public donations to the memorial fund were virtually nil. The the project went bust in 1855. The memorial was capped about a third of the distance to its present height.

In 1859, after the Know-Nothings lost all of their political power, Congress seized back control of the monument, but then the Civil War took priority. The building didn't resume until the 1870s, and by then, they had to use stone from another quarry.

Today, depending on the light, you can see the color change starkly on the memorial. It's a scar caused by ugly sentiments, and it should be a reminder to everyone who views it of the impact to our nation when those views are allowed to take root.

But even with the Know-Nothings gone, the nativist undercurrent remained. In the late 1800s, the nation banned Chinese immigrants, pretty much just because "there are too many Chinese people here." Those were the first national immigration laws. More would soon follow, and before long, we had Ellis Island. America would no longer be a nation where anyone with money for a boat ticket could flee for a better life.

Back in Ohio, my people had quietly become "Americans." Somewhere along the line, they became Protestants. They intermarried with other groups to the point where today I proudly refer to my ancestry as "American Mutt." The only hint of the family's Irish origins was their surname. I wonder what the original immigrants would have thought had they known there would one day be a holiday where "Everyone is a little Irish," and people pinch those not wearing green.

#immigration #st. patrick's day #irish immigration #irish immigrants #ohio #potato famine #slavery #irish slavery #eliza hamilton #dolley madison #washington monument #know-nothings

[mymarvelbunch]

Different Roads... Same Destination: Part Three

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader (established)

Summary: When the Avengers went back in time to get the Infinity Stones, new timelines were created. By not delivering them back to their exact same spots, you and Steve created major changes in those timelines. What happened? (Non-American!Reader)

This is a sequel to “Be Your Own Hero”. I highly recommend you read it first, since it features many major changes in canon that are addressed here.

Notes: Y/N = your (first) name; Y/Co = your home country; Y/Ci = your home city; Y/N/L = your native language (to be ignored in case you speak English).

Warning: this chapter features major characters deaths and violence. Proceed with caution.

Masterlist

Part Three

Titan, 2018

In an ideal world, the team would have taken advantage of Thanos being knocked unconscious to defeat him once and for all. However, they were all too stunned by what they just saw to do anything useful.

Why did Thor suddenly show up? When did he get fat with long hair and beard? Who were the women who showed up with him? Why did they only get two Stones and left? What happened in those few minutes?

It was confusing as hell and, by the time any of them figured out those questions were not important at the moment, Thanos had already woken up and realized two Stones were missing. Enraged, he attacked the team viciously with the Power Stone, giving them little time to react.

They tried to fight him, they really did, but soon it was clear it was suicide to keep going, especially after Drax was brutally killed. Strange opened a portal and gave the Time Stone to Tony as he, Parker, Quill, Mantis and Nebula ran. Thanos ran to the portal, and all there was left for Strange was to close it without getting in. No one saw it, but everyone knew the sorcerer didn’t make it.

They stepped in Wakanda, mid-battle. Thanos’ army was bigger than any of them (except Nebula) had anticipated. “The other Avengers must be here”, he said as he placed the Time Stone inside one of his pockets and suited back up. His tone was oddly calm. “Follow me. We need to get a clear perspective on what’s going on.”

Parker followed him with no further words; Quill, Mantis and Nebula exchanged glances and did the same, concluding they had no better options. Killing a few monsters on their way, they reached Captain America. Steve’s surprise was obvious. “Tony? You’re... you’re back.”

Something in his voice made Tony smile despite everything. “Yeah, I’m a tough thing, Rogers. You should know that by now. What’s our situation?”

Steve looked behind him, frowning as he saw Spider-kid, a young man and two female aliens (they looked no weirder than the aliens Thor brought a few moments before, however). When he turned back to Tony, though, he saw his former friend wouldn’t divulge further details any time soon, so he just debriefed the group on their current predicament.

"I’ll fetch Vision”, Tony said. Then he turned to the others. “Parker, Quill, Blue Meanie, Praying-Mantis, help our Cap over here with whatever he needs. Thanos may come at any minute now with the Space Stone still in his possession.”

“Fuck”, Parker cursed, but obeyed anyway, positioning himself on Steve’s back. The other three split around the field, doing what they could.

He found Wanda and a young girl leaning over Vision. Maximov hugged him briefly upon seeing him, and the girl introduced herself as Princess Shuri, not taking her eyes away from the screen she was using to work. “Wanda”, he said softly, “you should help them down there. I’ll protect Vision and Shuri.”

“I have to be here to destroy the Stone as soon as it’s taken out of him”, she replied, tense.

Steve had not told him that; then again, he was busy fighting and speaking at the same time. “Well then, maybe you could practice your Stone-destruction abilities in the meantime.” Then he dropped his suit to get the Time Stone out of his pocket.

Wanda’s eyes widened, silently asking how, when, where, why. He shook his head. Her expression softened. “Put that on the floor, near the glass window”, she instructed. “It’ll be safer that way.”

He suited up again and raised a shield to protect Shuri and his robot. It took time and energy, but she managed to do it. Shortly after that, a bunch of monsters jumped inside, breaking the glass window, but she and Tony quickly defeated them. Wanda sat down on the floor, seemingly unwell.

“Are you okay?”, he asked, expecting an elaborate answer.

“I feel something missing”, she replied quietly. “It reminds me of what I felt when Pietro died.” He gulped, but said nothing. They had to focus on their task: enable Shuri to do her job.

She did it, eventually. Vision did not shut down after she carefully removed the Mind Stone from his forehead, and Wanda destroyed it faster than her first time. She collapsed afterwards, drained from all the effort. Vision quickly stood up and fetched her from Tony’s arms. “Do you still feel something for her?”, he asked.

The AI was hesitant. “It’s... weaker, but yes. I suppose the Mind Stone played a big part on my ability to have emotions, though it clearly wasn’t the only factor.”

He nodded. It was a relief. “I’ll go to the field”, he said at last. “I trust you two to protect Wanda and one another.”

“We can defend ourselves”, Shuri said with a small smile. “Thank you, Mr. Stark.”

~~

The room was silent. Out of all Guardians, only Thor, Sif and Nebula were present, so no one looked for Drax, but they’d glance at Strange every now and then.

“I did what I had to do”, he said eventually. “In my line of work, one must be prepared for sacrifices.”

“I’m glad you didn’t have to die for real in our timeline, wizard”, Tony said, quieter than his usual tone.

A brief silence. “Wanda saved me in the field”, Natasha whispered. “Along with Okoye. If she stayed up all along...”

“We’ll found out soon enough, I guess”, you whispered back.

“I think it’s better for us if we skip to the battle’s aftermath”, Wong said, and they all agreed.

~~

Thor still didn’t aim for the head, which still allowed Thanos to escape. This time, however, he didn’t snap. How could he, with two lost Stones and other two destroyed?

He still possessed Space and Power Stones, which cause more than enough damage. After Thanos’ army retreated, shortly after noticing their leader’s own departure, they assessed their losses. Without Wanda, they struggled a lot more to stop the huge wheels, and many died in the process - including Natasha, Okoye, Rocket and M’Baku (who, they later found, was Okoye’s husband).

Steve and Sam had been heavily injured while battling Thanos. Sam couldn’t feel (or move) his left side, and Steve was comatose. Shuri assured them Wakanda had enough resources to treat all injured, but asked to care of their own dead.

“We have two bodies to retrieve in Titan”, Tony told Thor. “One from Earth and one of the Guardians. If you could teleport yourself and one of us to get them...”

“Of course”, he said, voice weak. He clearly was shaken by his ‘failure’ (not that anyone else saw his efforts as such).

The infamous Gamora was found. She had stayed on the borders, and only Nebula saw her before the end of the battle.

“Two humans rescued me in Vormir”, she explained. “I was revived after they returned the Soul Stone. They claimed to be allies from the future, but didn’t give me any further details, or names.”

“Can you describe them?”, Rhodes asked.

“One was a man with white skin, blonde hair, blue eyes. Tall and muscular, a little less than Thor, but enough to draw attention.” Quill snorted at that. “The other was a woman with [your physical description]. They were wearing identical uniforms. It was red and white. They looked like a couple.”

The remaining Avengers exchanged glances. Gamora’s description of the man fit Steve’s, but the woman’s didn’t remind them of anyone they knew. How far from the future those two were?

“Mr. Stark”, Parker spoke up. “Do you think that... the other Thor we saw was from the future too?”

Tony frowned. “It... makes sense, kid. That Thor and those two women took Soul and Reality Stones. Then, not much later, the Soul Stone is delivered back to Vormir by other two people, one of which resembles our Cap.”

“Wait”, Thor said, “what do you mean you saw another me?”

Tony, both Peters, Mantis and Nebula told them what happened in Titan. Tony concluded, “It was all extremely confusing, and by the time we went back to our senses, Thanos was back up, angrier than ever. That’s how we lost two of our team.”

Nebula managed to project what they saw for five seconds. The white woman was unknown to them, but Thor recognized the brown-skinned one as Valkyrie. “It matters little, I’m afraid”, he said somberly. “Whoever those people are, whenever they came from, they are unlikely to be helpful. We need to focus on here and now. What do we have, aside from losses?”

“Time and Mind Stones no longer exist”, Wanda said. “I destroyed them.”

“That’s a relief”, T’Challa spoke for the first time. “Even if small. Thanos cannot achieve his goal without all Stones, if I understand it right.”

“You did”, Thor agreed. “We know the Soul Stone is back in Vormir, and according to lady Gamora he has no means to obtain it right now.” He turned to said Gamora and asked, “Did they give you any clues on where the Reality Stone might be?”

She shook her head. “They had no Stones in their possession when I woke up. At least not that I noticed, but Infinity Stones are hard to miss.”

“Well, either they returned it to a ruined Knowhere, or hid it in an even harder place to find”, Quill interjected. “We the Guardians can search for it after we go to Titan. Our ship is still there.”

“I am Groot.”

“I agree with the Tree”, Thor said. “If the Reality Stone is well hidden, it should stay that way. Things might be worse if we go after it.”

“We need to find Thanos”, Tony said. “Kill him if possible, retrieve the other Stones if it isn’t. Remove the threat. And we need to tend to our injured and dead.”

That was something they all agreed on. Shuri excused herself to go to the hospital, to see on the injured, and T’Challa left to prepare a collective funeral for his fallen soldiers. The Avengers and the Guardians left to the open field. “I’ll bring half of you now”, Thor told the remaining Guardians. “I’ll return with the wizard’s body, and then I’ll take the rest. Does anyone else want to take part on our quest to find Thanos?”

“You should come”, Nebula told Tony and Parker. “You were useful for us in Titan.”

“Peter is not going”, Tony answered for the teenager, who didn’t object. “As for me... my suit was greatly damaged in battle. I don’t think I’ll be as useful.”

“I’ll go”, Wanda offered. “You’ll need me to destroy the Stones anyway.”

Vision offered himself as well, which earned a tiny smile from Wanda. Thor raised Stormbreaker, taking Groot, Nebula, Mantis and Vision with him.

Deep down, Tony had hoped Strange would still be alive. When Thor came back with a broken corpse, he closed his eyes, unable to look at it for longer than a second.

~~

“Fuck”, you heard Bucky whisper. You snuggled even closer to Steve.

“I didn’t even get to say goodbye to you”, Clint said, sniffing. You turned to see Natasha holding his shoulder. 

You looked up at your husband. His face was unreadable for most, but you knew how much it pained him to see so many fallen friends. “I hope this version of you will recover”, you whispered.

He kissed the top of your head. “I hope so too. Even if just to get a chance to meet you.”

Turning your head, you could see Parker trying to comfort a teary-eyed Shuri, while Wanda and Vision held hands. Rhodey’s hand was on Sam’s shoulder.

“I’ll go with another time skip”, you heard Strange say.

~~

Thanos was found and killed, and the Stones he carried destroyed. Reality Stone was never found, and Soul Stone remained in Vormir, under Red Skull’s watch.

Like in the other timeline, you traveled to Wakanda to study in 2020. What you found there was slightly different, however. “Tell me, Y/N”, Shuri began one day, “how much experience do you have with traumatic memory loss?”

“A little more than most”, you admitted. “I had quite a magnet for this kind of patient last year.”

“Then I suppose we could use your help with a particular case. But I ask your discretion. He’s a... special patient.”

You nodded. “I’ll keep any secrets that won’t go against my profession’s ethical code.”

“I expected nothing less. Follow me.”

Soon you found out why the patient was special: he was Steve Rogers, Captain American himself. You hadn’t heard about him since the Avengers split in 2016.

“There was a battle here in Wakanda, two years ago”, Shuri explained as you made your way to the tiny house he lived in. “Against aliens. We managed to keep it a secret, though it meant the Avengers had to make something up to justify Black Widow’s tragic death. The Falcon has also stayed here, but his injuries have long healed.

“Rogers was knocked hard on the head and only by miracle didn’t die. He woke up four months ago, with few memories of his life, and so far he hasn’t made much progress. I’ve dealt with brainwashing victims before, but this is quite different.”

Captain lived with Wilson and Barnes (you supposed he was the brainwashed person Shuri had dealt with in the past). He had a beard you had never seen on him before (but looked extremely good on him). The princess introduced you two, and she, Barnes and Wilson left you alone to talk.

~~

“That’s rough, buddy”, Parker said.

“Please, no ‘The Last Airbender’ references”, Scott groaned. “Cassie is obsessed enough already with it.”

Quiet laughter was heard. “I hope at least this part has a happy ending”, Sam said. “Though I have to say, it must have been weird for Bucky to be the one trying to help Steve get his memories back.”

Bucky chuckled. “I’m already used to take care of this punk anyway.”

“Jerk”, Steve replied, but you could hear his smile.

~~

A year went by. Your stay was prolonged first due to the national lockdown in response to covid-19, but then you got quite attached to the friends you have made.

You and Steve had gone past the point of just being doctor and patient, and befriended over the months. Your heart would skip beats every time you met (which was quite often, given you still had sessions with him), but you’d never admit that to anyone in Wakanda, even if Bucky and Sam often teased you two as a couple.

It didn’t help that, when the Guardians of the Galaxy (whose existence was unknown to you until a day before their arrival) paid a visit, Gamora claimed to recognize you immediately. It took an hour for the group to explain the story behind that, but the guys’ teasing only increased after she insisted future you and future Steve resembled a couple from the way they acted around one another. At night, alone, you allowed yourself to imagine that alternate future could repeat itself in your reality.

One day, Tony Stark came, with his wife and his daughter. You had heard about Morgan Stark long before you came to Wakanda. You were in the guys’ apartment when he arrived, and played with Morgan while the adults caught up with one another.

“You seem to be good with kids”, Steve mentioned in passing, voice soft.

You chuckled. “I wasn’t always. Had to learn for the job.”

~~

“You did get better with kids after your residency program”, Steve mused. “I remember when we met some mom friends of yours, and you almost killed the babies you tried to hold.”

“Don’t remind me”, you groaned. “I indeed had to learn for the job. I’ve dealt with kids with ADHD, psychosis and personality disorders, not to mention a five-year-old sociopath. Any other kid after that was a walk in the park.”

He laughed, along with Bucky and Natasha. “You know what’s also funny?”, he said after the laughter died down. “We weren’t dating yet when we met Gamora.”

“It’s not like either of you were good at hiding your feelings for each other”, Carol snorted from behind. The whole crowd laughed, even Strange and Wong.

~~

Tony had brought old pictures of Steve, Bucky, the Howling Commandos, Howard Stark and Peggy Carter. Your patient and friend (and crush) had regained most memories of the 21st century, but his war times were still lost to him. He vaguely remembered his pre-serum times, thanks to Bucky’s stories, but not much.

He wanted to remember, you knew that, even if his anxiety about it relieved after he got back memories regarding Bucky, Sam and Wakanda. It was heartbreaking to watch him grieve over Natasha two years after her death, but it was necessary step. He'd also been overcome with a desire to make amends with Tony, something the man was happy to provide.

A week after the Stark family left, you two took a walk in the forest. He still couldn’t remember the battle that led to his injury, and he likely never would. It was for the best, you supposed, considering what you’ve heard and read about it.

“I remembered Peggy Carter”, he said suddenly. You stopped on your tracks.

“Really? That’s great, Steve.” Carter had been the love of his life, according to Bucky. Sam attested that he had never loved anyone like he’d loved her, even if he had kissed other women in the 21st century.

“It’s not much. From what Bucky said, I still have a lot to remember. But I remember loving her.” He shook his head. “It’s strange. I can’t bring myself to love her today. Not like Sam claims I still did, even after she died.”

You did your best to give him a gentle look. “It’s okay, Steve, you are a different person now. Agent Carter lived a good life, and you two rekindled before her death. You are allowed to move on.”

He didn’t reply at first, busy looking at the horizon. Then his gaze turned to you. “I know. I remember not being good at moving on from things I’ve lost, but it doesn’t seem so hard now. Maybe this whole amnesia thing was good, after all.”

He bit his lip and looked down briefly. When he looked back at you, his gaze was inexplicably intense. “What I do know, is that those memories of Peggy made me realize that... I’m love with you, Y/N.”

Your eyes widened. “Me?”

He nodded, closing his eyes. “I know I shouldn’t. You’re my doctor, even if we are friends now. But I guess it can’t be helped. It’s okay if you don’t feel the same. I’m thankful for each moment I get to spend with you, and I don’t wish for anything you are not comfortable with. We can pretend I never said anything if you want.”

You melted inside. You knew Steve was the kindest soul you’ve ever met, but hearing those words... You closed the distance between them and kissed him. It took a couple seconds, but soon he circled his arms around your waist and kissed you back.

You only broke your kiss when your need for oxygen was greater than your need for his lips. His voice was hoarse when he said, “I’m... glad.”

You chuckled as your foreheads touched. “So am I”, you whispered. “But we do have to find you another psychiatrist now.”

He chuckled and kissed you again.

~~

A/N: I had to watch and re-watch the battle scenes from Infinity War to write this. I wrote and rewrote the battle in Wakanda, and killed and un-killed characters. At different points, Bruce, Sam, Bucky, Groot and Mantis would die. Even Steve was almost killed, until I remembered this story’s pairing haha

Next chapter will be the longest, because I want to write a bit about alternate Steve’s life after being rescued in 1945 instead of 2011. Will he and Reader cross paths?

#Steve Rogers #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers imagine #steve rogers x you #steve rogers x y/n #marvel imagine