Btw if we're mutuals and you feel like you always have to start the conversation I'm really sorry, my ADHD means I'm really bad at keeping track of people that aren't literally in front of me so it's very hard for me to keep up with Internet friends, even the ones I love the most cuz I'm either like "oh I wonder how they're doing?" and then do nothing about it or I'm like "oh so and so is messaging me yay! I wonder what's happened in the couple days since we last spoke!!" and they're like "so how was your summer" and I'm like "what?" and the last time we spoke was April.
Tl:dr; please don't read my lack of initiation as lack of caring, I'm just very bad at friendship maintenance skills like time management and task initiation
The lucid moments of Queen Charlotte & King George:
they sometimes hide from the heavens under the bed and George asks how their kingdom is doing. Charlotte quietly confesses how sometimes, the world seems to close in on her too & she feels like she might just hide from the heavens forever. George cradles her hand whispers lovingly:"You've always been the stronger one of us." Charlotte:"Only because you gave me half of your strength."
George sometimes escapes his confinement and bursts into meetings, but he's lucid. Charlotte is momentarily stunned, but relaxes when George speaks normally with the higher members of the ton. She smiles and watches her husband, the king, attend to his duties. In these little moments, she feels like the paintings didn't have to add George in later, she feels like he was there all along for the still sitting.
George still goes to the fields, he's old now, but he can pick at the weeds and plant some vegetables at least. Brimsely swore he would always attend to Her Majesty the Queen, but whenever her husband is outside, he temporarily serves the King, on orders of Her Majesty. Brimsely knows the Queen trusts him above all to protect her king in Reynold's place
George sometimes draws her, draws her face, his artistic skill curiously weakens when he's of sound mind, but Charlotte doesn't seem too offended when she spies her likeness on their wall. She smiles brighter than the sun
They reminiscent of their youth together, George remarks on the make of Charlotte's dresses, they look just like they had when they were younger. Charlotte is too prideful to admit she still orders these dresses to be made because it's the only thing of George she can have with her everyday to keep her grounde
Amelia's passing wounded everyone deeply, George had still been lucid enough to have learned of it, which ultimately crumbled the pieces of his sanity over time. His lucid moments grew fewer and farther in between and Charlotte felt like she had not only lost a daughter, but her husband as well
George has his observatory in his residence at Kew, and sometimes when he gazes at the stars and searches for a glimpse of Venus, his clarity returns with full force. In those moments, he quickly writes down whatever thoughts flood his clear mind, to not forget them, forget that deep down in his madness, there is still a man. Charlotte occasionally visits his observatory and she always checks his journals for new notes. Little things he intended to remember. The names of all their children and their birthdays. Thoughts of Charlotte and how much he misses her. Most of them speak of Venus, how much he loves and adores her. The Queen learned early on that Venus has quite a few names. The Great Star. Goddess of Love. Charlotte. Lottie. And sometimes, his Queen.
"Tell me, Lottie, how are the gardens?". She smiles, "In full bloom, my dear.". There was an uncharacteristically but not unfamiliar grin on the king's face. "And tell me... how is your garden?" Charlotte laughed, spying the mischievous twinkle in her husband's eye. "It definitely could use some tending. Some watering. Some fierce plowing." Brimsely knew better than anyone to immediately send the guards and attendants away once the Queen hitched up her skirts and moved over to sit on the King's lap.
"I'm sorry, my dear Lottie." George spoke softly into their quiet bedroom. Charlotte tried to discern his expression through the darkness. "Whatever for, George?". George sighed deeply, "For not giving you as much comfort and support as you do for me, once my mind wanders again.". Charlotte can only hold her husband close to her and kiss his forehead, whispering softly into his thinning hair. "You do give me comfort, my dear. So much."
George often has nightmares during the night, whenever he calls for his attendants, more often than not, it's his wife that hurries to his bedside. She always manages to quench his demons. He's heard the whispers in the halls, about how cruel and cold his queen was. But not to him. To him, she was soft and warm. Oh, so warm.
At the birth of their last child, George worries for Charlotte's health and urges her to not have anymore babies. She tries to argue with him, but George snaps:"We have enough heirs! I know what it is that you try to do, I know my...my madness may pass down to any one of our children, but if I were to lose you while you give birth to another child madness shall consume us all! What shall I do mad with fourteen children to care for instead of enjoying the moments I have left with you by my side?"
George sometimes reads manuscripts of the love stories between older kings and their queens, he sometimes forgets them and discovers them anew, but he always remembers what each of these stories lacked to him. None of these love stories could come close to describe the endless well of love he harbors for his wife, in madness and in sanity.
Charlotte finds reading poems to be a waste of her time, but she keeps the small, crumpled pieces of papers very close to her heart. The handwriting is not always neat, not always eligible, but she knew them all by heart anyway. Even though he may not be physically near her, Charlotte knew she was never alone in ruling their kingdom with George's heartfelt poems tucked safely into the sleeves of her dress.
They sometimes run into each-other in the kitchen at night, it's always a fright at first, Charlotte doesn't know if George is in his right mind, but he always quells her fears with a boyish smile. "Fancy meeting you here, my queen. Care for some of the best pudding in all of Britain?" Charlotte smiles, her eyes misty. "Oh, you old fool. You'll upset your stomach if you continue eating pudding every night.". George caressed her cheek. "That never stopped you before, has it?" Charlotte sighed. "Oh, just give me that spoon."
Sometimes, in his calm state of mind, George wonders if his body subconsciously enters into madness on purpose. Not to drive him mad, no, a much simpler reason. Sometimes, George wonders if he falls back into madness because he knows if he does, Charlotte would always come to visit and spend time with him. Somewhere in the deepest corners of his mind, George doesn't mind being called the Mad King if it meant spending time with his dear wife.
Charlotte is Queen during the day, but when she visits George at night, she turns young again, the ache in her bones recedes and she's just a simple maiden with her farmer. Just Charlotte. Just George. Just them.
Ikemen Prince boys as fathers - Jin, Luke, and Clavis
I've done the twins already, and that post surprisingly took off. I know the other boys would be different, AKA less heartbreaking, but I still got inspired to do them.
And this is only Jin, Luke, and Clavis as I've played them recently. I'll get to the last three boys once I play Yves' and Leon's routes.
Jin
When he learns Emma is pregnant, he's surprised but earnestly happy.
Of all the boys, he's the most prepared to be a father. He's already Second Dad to all his brothers, anyway. (The first being Sariel; I will not hear otherwise.)
That eagle eye is 100% on Emma throughout her pregnancy. He'll have anything from tea and sweets brought up for her to a doctor called before she even asks for them.
And he'll always make sure there's a bucket for her morning sickness as well as a chair designated for her in every room she frequents.
Jin about had a heart attack when Emma was surprised by the first kicks of their baby.
The way she clutched at her stomach, her eyes wide with surprise had his heart racing in fear for a good moment before she insisted the baby was just moving.
"You're gonna make me go gray early, aren't you little one?" he teased, resting his hands on her stomach even though the baby wasn't moving by then.
"I'm shocked your brothers haven't made you go gray now," she teased back.
Of course, he's got the normal worries about becoming a father lingering around in the back of his mind.
However, there is one fear that overshadows them all. Sadly, he's too good at hiding it behind either a smile or long winded rambles of how excited he is to be a father.
But his pupil is too good at catching things like his true inner feelings.
"Hey, you're gonna be a great dad. Just like you're a great king. And no matter how fat I get, I'll still be able to shoulder your burdens. It's the least I can do as your wife."
He chuckles, because the love and concern she constantly pours out for him reminds him just how indulgent a luxury true love is and how sad he is for his parents to have been torn apart.
"You're not fat," he'll always point out. "You've just got a little extra sand in your hourglass."
"A lot of extra sand," she'll correct with a smile, resting her hands on her bloated stomach.
Jin sometimes wonders if his mother looked like that: excited for him, a child made and born out of love, to come into the world.
The thought always makes him want to reach for Emma, as his father likely would have wanted to do with his mother before they'd been torn apart.
"But Jin," she'll always finish as he took her into his arms to hold, "I want you to know I'm not going anywhere. No one is going to make me. And I'll be right by your side as we watch this little one grow up, together."
She always got to the heart of it. Because, yes, he was worried about how people would perceive their king knowing he'd fallen for Belle like his father. The nasty rumors were already circulating, no matter how he tried to quench them.
But he was more worried that, like his father before him, there would be a group of people ready with a plan to chase his commoner bride away from him at the drop of a hat.
Sariel, faithful minister he was, was always there to assure Jin that he'd do everything in his power to make sure a tragedy like what happened to Jin's parents never happened again.
Jin was already prepared to go to battle, metaphorically, to protect what was his. But Sariel's support and moments like this only served to strengthen his resolve.
When Emma goes into labor, Jin is in silent worry the whole time.
Everyone knows it, too. Because Jin stays close by the room, getting mounds of paperwork done at a rate unheard of.
Yves bakes his favorite chocolate spice cake, Leon is there for moral support, Sariel continues bringing him paperwork while assuring Jin that the more he gets done now, the more free time he'll be able to spend with his newborn.
The moment Jin is informed he's allowed into the room, he promptly abandons everything to Leon.
(Leon doesn't mind. He just watches his older brother with a soft grin as he cleans up the paperwork to take back to the office.)
With quick but sure steps, Jin hurries inside the room, where he's greeted by his tired wife and newborn daughter.
The first thing that comes out of Jin's mouth was praise for Emma, how amazing is and how thankful he is to have her in his life.
Which turns into spoiling his little girl with words of how happy he is to have her in his world now.
"You'll grow up here with me and your mama," he whispers to her. "I promise."
Growing up
Jin ultimately has his one eldest daughter... and the rest are boys. (I'm thinking 3).
His poor daughter, she is the watchful eye over all of them and the cleaner of all messes. She has the patience of a Saint.
She's a lot like her father, actually. Minus the rebel streak of sleeping around or not believing in true love. She has her mom to thank for those things.
She's the reason Jin teaches all his boys to not be like him and have a bit (read: a LOT) more respect for women than he had.
Sariel is her favorite honorary uncle, actually. It used to be a tie between Yves and Leon, but as she grows up and matures, she connects with Sariel.
She studies under him as a teacher, but she also likes learning about his work.
"She's much more productive than you were, Jin," Sariel will occasionally tease over a drink.
Jin just smiles proudly. That's his little girl.
And she'll always stay his little girl, even when she's of marriageable age.
No man is going to be good enough for her.
"You can do better than that." "Trust me, dad, I know."
While still strong and kicking in his old age, he and his daughter come to an agreement about the next Belle process.
Due to the rules, it's unclear if she as a woman has right to the throne.
So he appoints her into Sariel's position, and she will have the task of choosing the next Belle.
Secondly, it is her job to ensure that Belle does not fall love with a prince a third time around. Though people may be more receptive to it than they once were, it will still be met with hardships and questions about fairness in the system.
But if it does happen despite all her best efforts, she is to fight tooth and nail to make sure that transition happens smoothly.
And he fully believes she will make that happen.
As for his sons, he loves all them even though sometimes... they take after him a little more than he'd like them too.
Yes, they make him go gray early...
But he's still a stud. ;)
Luke
Luke's world revolves around Emma and Emma alone.
So when that world changes and Emma announces she's pregnant, he's got some mental reconfiguration to do.
Because there's not just him and his wife anymore. There's another little life that Emma is bringing into the world. He's going to be a dad, and he's going to have another person to protect.
Once that clicks, protective bear mode activated. He stays within a certain radius of Emma at all times.
Not even honey works to lure him away. Those green eyes of his just turn dark as he stares them down with a ferocity that makes said unsuspecting person duck away with their tail between their legs.
It takes a combination effort of Emma and Jin to get him to do other duties out of the castle away from Emma.
And that's only because Jin and Luke have a gentleman's agreement that Jin personally watches over Emma while Luke is away.
For his adorable little brother, Jin agrees. He also is sure to add that he will protect Emma with his life as well as swear to give his life to Luke if anything were to happen to Emma.
Their relationship is still a little strained, but for the most part, they've gotten to the point they're on good terms.
And if Luke was being honest, Jin is the one person in the castle he trusts Emma with the most. He's not sure how to reconcile that in his mind, so he kinda just ignores it best he can.
On the other hand, Clavis is not allowed near Emma. There was a very... interesting meeting between a bear and leopard in the darkest hours of the night towards the beginning of Emma's pregnancy.
And Clavis has since decided to... well, not poke the bear.
He's much more adept to dealing with a brutal yet predictable tiger than a bear on the edge of it's sanity. And he'd like not to die today.
As Emma gets further along in her pregnancy, Luke uses her as an excuse to get out of work. Because she needs a break but she won't take one, so he's gotta make her do it. And it's valid because he's got to protect her and the baby, right?
Emma quickly becomes aware of this tactic and hence has had to either make a show of taking breaks frequently so Luke does not have an excuse to stop working or get creative and do work behind his back. She's enlisted many princes and Sariel to assist her in this.
It's a task and a half to get Luke to keep working, nowadays. But the one time she does let him take a break is when the baby is kicking. He gets a couple minutes to feel it move around before she forces him to go back to work when the baby settles.
At night, he always has an arm draped over her belly. He will protect this little life and his wonderful wife.
There is no getting work done when Emma's in labor. Luke is right there outside the door, waiting for the news.
And when he is allowed in the room, everyone knows to step out of the way of the towering bear making his way over to his newborn cub.
Emma hands him his baby girl, one with the beginnings of red hair like him.
He can't help but stare at her with reverence, a new love surging through his heart as he cradles her close as if he could protect her from the world.
"So, I was thinking," Emma starts, saying this only after she gave much consideration to this throughout the course of her pregnancy. "Is Leyla going to be her first or middle name?"
Luke is shocked to say the least, as Emma had never let on what she'd been thinking.
But as Luke looks down at his daughter, the name rolling quietly off his lips, tears start to from in his eyes.
"Either way," Emma continues, soft smile on her lips. "You're required to live the best you can for her, you hear me?"
It takes a moment for Luke's mouth to catch up to his mind, but when it does, he's crying when he responds. "Understood."
Growing Up
Leyla is spoiled with more teddy bears than one could fathom.
And she's always carrying one around with her. Furthermore, she gets bigger ones the more she grows so they're always very huggable.
Her dad is wrapped impossibly tight around her finger.
But it's not just Leyla; it's all Luke's kids.
Leyla was followed by a boy and then another girl.
Can you spell spoiled, because these kids are doted on by their dad.
It's up to Emma to make sure they don't become brats about it and actually do their work.
When he's not spoiling them, Luke is extremely protective. Heaven have mercy on anyone who messes with them because Luke won't.
Their honey sweet tooth runs deep. They start a bee farm in the back gardens. The special castle honey is basically a delicacy when foreign princes come to visit.
Yves and Emma both are constantly thinking of new honey recipes.
As the kids get older, Luke tells them about their aunt and how he wished he could have introduced them to her, how much she would have loved them, and why he's so sad during Bloodstained Rose Day.
But the exact circumstances around Jin's part in that are never told. All that's known is she passed in the action that day.
It's not until Leyla is much older does she question why Jin comes with them to Auntie's grave every year.
And while Jin's hard to crack, Leyla is persistent and doesn't give up. She's a red-headed Belle, through and through.
Eventually, she wears him down, and they go together to the grave for Jin to confess the whole story.
He tells her he's not seeking forgiveness for what he's done. He knows the gravity of what he did.
Leyla doesn't look at him for a while as she processes everything. She lays roses on the grave, roses she grew herself from the gardens she loved so much.
"Why."
"Huh?"
"You said that you did. But you've never said why."
"I took a life. Is the reason going to make that better?"
"I just want to know, because I just can't believe that my uncle is simply heartless."
The only reason Jin gives an answer is because this is his precious niece whom he can't say no to. "I thought there was no way to save her, and I didn't want her to suffer."
Leyla simply nods. Just as Jin thinks she's going to run from him, she hugs him instead.
"I forgive you," she whispers. "I can't force my dad to do anything, but I hope he'll forgive you, too."
Jin's heart breaks in ways he didn't know was possible. It takes him a second to regain his composure, but he'll eventually wrap this girl in a bear hug. Not that he can give bear hugs like her dad, but he tries best he can.
"Right, dad?" she calls out, very loudly.
Jin chuckles. So he's not the only one who knew Luke was around.
As Luke comes out of hiding from behind a tree, Leyla lets go of her uncle to give her father a hug.
"Don't kill uncle, okay, dad? He's trying."
Luke props his chin right on top his daughter's head as he stares Jin down. A weak "okay" is all he can muster.
When they get back to the castle, Leyla disappears off towards Sariel's office for her lessons, leaving the two men alone in the foyer.
"Her love is wasted on both of us," Jin says, deciding not to beat around the bush and just cut straight to the heart this time.
As much as Luke wants to deny it, he can't. "Yeah. I know."
His world may only include his wife and children, but there is a part of him that thinks it's for the best his children aren't like that.
And that's because of the small, heartbroken part of him that believes his sister would truly be proud of the people her nieces and nephew had become.
Clavis
When Emma learns she's pregnant, she does not tell her lovely gentleman of a husband, the King of Lelouch (provincial) immediately,
No. Instead, she ropes a poor, unsuspecting Cyran into her chaos.
He is nervous, not because he does not like the idea of pulling the wool over Clavis' eyes for once, but because he was the first to learn the Queen of Lelouch (provincial) was pregnant.
This would not bode well for Cyran later, he knew full well.
Emma swears to cover for him.
Anyway, they somehow pull this prank off without Clavis learning about it, and neither Emma nor Cyran knew how they did it.
After all, they took all the furniture out of the master bedroom and turned it temporarily into a nursery.
So, when Clavis comes in at the end of the day, a little before Emma so he can set up a bit of a prank for her, he stops and takes in everything.
At first, he's amused. The furniture was completely gone, and he had not a clue.
Good gracious, he was definitely overworking himself if he missed this.
He's clued in immediately that Emma had help doing this, and it was likely Cyran, considering all the heavy lifting and the small list of people who would dare to pull a prank on Clavis himself.
But then he kinda got offended because... were they calling him a baby? Yes, he was whining about work lately, and Cyran was joking that he was exhausted from hearing a baby's wailing, but...
Emma appeared right as her husband was about to have a mental breakdown. And she only knew something was off because that smile said "I'm hiding behind a mask".
"Sweetheart?"
"I've been betrayed!" Clavis cried dramatically, that mask of a smile still not leaving his face. "You went to Cyran, didn't you? My wife is sneaking around with another man. I'm hurt."
He made a show of pantomiming being stabbed through the heart.
"Clavis," Emma deadpanned, cutting past his dramatics and simply resting her hands over her abdomen as she glared at him.
"If you're so lonely that you're seeking out the arms of another man—of my closest companion, even!—then I..."
He trails off, realizing by Emma's glare that she's done with his theatrics, but his mind slowly starts working.
Hand over her lower abdomen, the bedroom turned nursery, the image of "Welcome, Baby Lelouch," on the wall.
His smile disappears, and now he's looking at Emma in wonder. "Are you..."
As much as she wants to, she can's stay mad at him when he looks at her like that. "Well," she says with a smile. "There's only one man I spend that kind of time with."
The smile he's wearing as he scoops her up into the air is a genuinely happy one. No mask in sight as he holds the love of his life tightly while spinning her in circles.
Clavis is in such a good mood that he even forgives Cyran for being the first to learn. "But it better never happen again." And despite his smile, that was a valid threat.
It's not announced to the province, yet. First, he'd like to announce it to his brothers.
That, and rub in King Chevalier's face that his dashing gentleman of a younger brother got married AND produced an heir before he did.
Emma knew that she had to follow closely along... as damage control.
As the news is announced, there is a round of congratulations, but mostly, there is a cloud of terror hanging over the castle.
A little Clavis... lord have mercy on them all.
"May you be blessed with a daughter," Sariel commented, watching as Clavis pranced off to find Chevalier.
"No, no, no," Emma warned. "Have you ever heard the wives tale that first-born daughters are a copy of their fathers?"
Sariel blinked a couple times, and Emma simply nodded.
"May you be blessed with a son just like you."
"Thank you."
Chevalier does not give Clavis the attention he desires. Most he gets is a split second of maybe surprise, but that is all.
When Emma finally makes an appearance, Chevalier does turn to her.
"My condolences for having to bear his child."
Which, with that smile, was as close of a congratulations as they were going to get.
When they return home, it is announced that a royal heir is on the way. Which the town is happy for... but also terrified. The King and Queen of Lelouch (provincial) are still swarmed with genuine well wishes whenever they go out, though.
It takes Emma some time to realize that Clavis' pranks, traps, and chaotic shenanigans have disappeared since she'd told him the news.
He'd actually cleaned up his act for her sake, and for that, she makes a point to reward him with attention and love.
To the point there are times he reconsiders this whole "pranks on Emma" thing.
In reality, he simply doesn't have time for pranks and traps when he's busy researching nutrition for pregnant woman as well as any baby information he can get his hands on. There's so much to learn in so little time.
He will not fail as a father, that is for certain.
He's constantly cooking Emma food with medicinal herbs to help her along through the various stages of pregnancy.
He's honestly in awe watching Emma grow and progress. He does make fun of her a little when she waddles or struggles to do things with her belly, but for the most part, he's a doting gentleman husband.
He does a lot for her, but she's the one who's always having to drag him to bed at a decent time. Otherwise, he's going to stay up late working on a self-rocking crib or delving into more research.
When Emma goes into labor, it's one of the rare times that Clavis' smile disappears. It is not a frequent occurrence, as he can smile through anything. But the longer time wears on, the less he's able to keep that fake smile in place.
However, upon hearing the news that a healthy son was delivered and Emma was fine, a real smile crossed Clavis' face that wasn't going to disappear any time soon.
He practically skips into the room, excited to see his son.
But once he's there, he softens because of the love that overwhelms him upon seeing the tiny baby in his wife's arms.
And when it's his turn to hold his son, he actually grows worried.
No longer does he have to beat his brother to prove his own worth, but now, he has to be better than Chevalier for his son's sake. He would not disappoint his child, that's for sure.
But that's... a lot of pressure to put on a broken man.
Luckily, he is married to an incredible woman who somehow knew how to make him feel like the best and only in the world when he felt inferior to everyone.
And that woman was telling him now, "you'll be the best father ever."
Growing Up
The First Prince of Lelouch (provincial) was very much like his father: incredibly hard-working, persistent, and, most proudly, a gentleman.
However, a reign of terror, he was not.
The provincial kingdom rejoiced.
The First Princess of Lelouch (provincial) however...
Oh, she would charm you, prank you, then make you feel guilty for hating her all in the span of half an hour.
Clavis is very proud. Of both his children, of course.
He spends a lot of time with them, so they pick up his habits. Like that of always smiling, of pulling pranks, and of the value of hard work.
Clavis' son wants to help people and be the best second king of Lelouch (provincial) he can be. Because they are a tiny province between Rhodolite, ruled by the scariest uncle around, and Obsidian, a kingdom with a... reputation.
But because of that, he's constantly pushing himself to be better and better for the people he's come to love that inhabit the kingdom. They will not suffer if he's got anything to say about it.
He will be the second gentleman-liest gentleman (second only to his father) there ever was.
It brings a tear to Clavis' eye whenever he sees such a marvelous spectacle.
Clavis' daughter, despite her chaotic streak, becomes the inventor of the century.
It actually becomes a security issue as Obsidian has their eye on her. Not that Clavis or Clavis's son would let anyone lay a finger on her.
She has accidentally blown up parts of the castle more than once. And Clavis is always so proud, though he can't understand the high staff turnover rate after every incident.
Because of those... unforeseen incidents, she is only allowed in Rhololite castle under specific conditions.
Emma is sure that between her kids and her husband, she will go gray early. Clavis assures her he is working on a potion to keep her hair that color forever.
Chevalier is the preferred uncle.
You see, Clavis' daughter is a bookworm at heart, thanks to her mother. So she stays on Chevalier's good side to gain access to his impressive library. And she's allowed to stay if she's quiet and un-destructive.
Clavis' son takes after his father in one other specific way: he's determined to be the best. So he's constantly challenging uncle Chevalier, partly because that's what he's seen his father do, too.
"Fool, you think you can beat me?"
"No, but I'll never get better if I don't test myself against the best!"
At that, Chevalier's stunned, but he'll entertain the boy for no other reason than amusement now.
"Of all the uncles they have, and they chose you as the favorite," Clavis has bitterly commented more than once.
Comic #318: Night whispers - Website links: Here!
I’ll leave it up to your interpretation if this is depressing, comedic or scary because I clearly could not pick a vibe sorry for the eye strain
The student loan debt thing got me thinking. Fuck the founding fathers of course, but "I am compelled to study war and politics so that my sons might have liberty to study philosophy and mathematics" is a great line and I think about it every time some fool starts complaining that life doesn't suck as much as it used to
"I must study politics and war, that our sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. Our sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history and naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry and porcelain."
—John Adams
Kids are SUPPOSED to be able to spend their hours making let's plays and sharing funny memes. They're supposed to be able to grow up into coders and artists and musicians, into costumers and carpenters who care fuck-all about the military.
That was the whole point: Getting to a society where people didn't need to spend their adult lives focused on war and politics.
“I know we’re all really into how Jane Foster looks as the Mighty Thor, especially her sculpted arms, but I just need to emphasize how great she looks. Whenever I do bicep curls these days, I mutter under my breath, ‘This one’s for you, Natalie Portman’.” - Petrana Radulovic (Polygon)
Everyone always wants to talk about Hook or Pan. Everyone always wants to debate which one is good and which is evil - who we’re supposed to follow and who we aren’t. The Peter Pan mythos has pretty much shrunk down to nothing but Hook and Pan (Hook, SyFy’s Neverland, Pan, OUAT, etc). Occasionally Tinkerbell factors in (Hook, Disney’s Tinkerbell, OUAT, etc). There’s one character, however, that always gets sidelined - which is puzzling since they are the main character of both the play and the book. That character is, of course, Wendy Darling.
Peter Pan is Wendy’s coming of age story. Wendy who decides to run away from home. Wendy who realizes that she must grow up - and that there’s no shame in that. Wendy who sees Peter as deficient and sees Hook as empty and decides that, no, she doesn’t want to be a part of that. Wendy gets the adventure she’s always wanted and she turns away because she realizes that it’s lacking. She’s the only one who truly sees the hollowness of being young forever. Barrie even says “You need not be sorry for her. She was one of the kind that likes to grow up. In the end she grew up of her own free will a day quicker than other girls.”
People always debate on who the hero is. When they learn that Peter could be horrid they assume it has to be Hook. Of course, the answer is that neither of them are the hero. Wendy is the hero of the story. You’re not supposed to be like Peter, who kept every good and bad aspects of being a child and can’t tell right from wrong. You’re not supposed to be Hook, either. He let go of everything childish and loving about him and became bitter and evil. They’re both the extreme ends of the scale. You’re supposed to fall in the middle, to hold onto the things about childhood that make it beautiful - the wonder, the imagination, the innocence - while still growing up and learning morality and responsibility. You’re not supposed to be Hook. You’re not supposed to be Peter Pan.
Japanese Breakfast, Slide Tackle // Mary Oliver, Wild Geese // Patti Smith, Woolgathering // Andrea Dworkin, Our Blood // Saul Bellow, Herzog // Mitski, I Will // Florence Welch, Useless Magic // Clarice Lispector, The Hour of the Star // Mary Oliver, Dogfish // John Steinbeck, East of Eden.
