Line #78 Literature/ReconstructionSeries


1	[[quoteright:1000:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/image_2837.png]]
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4	->"Isaac looked around, his breathing ragged in his ears. He was in Kansas, on his way to Lawrence to be the new sheriff. The dull yellow prairie stretched around him in all directions like a blank sheet of newspaper."
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6	[[http://jukepop.com/home/read/2211 Reconstruction]] is a CattlePunk and AlternateHistory WebSerialNovel series by K.R. Kampion, currently being published on [[http://jukepop.com JukePop]].
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8	The series follows Isaac Benjamin, a former military officer from the Civil War who now works for the Union government. He [[TheDrifter moves]] from [[TheWestern town to town]] and eventually is sent to Lawrence, Kansas. There, he finds out that the New Union has appointed him TheSheriff--his first long-term gig in years.
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10	While {{outlaw}}s, making friends, and rebuilding the city aren't things that Isaac is used to, he quickly becomes attached to Lawrence and everyone in it. But [[DarkAndTroubledPast his past]] has a way of coming back to bite him and the New Union is still in disarray after the war.
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12	'''NOTE:''' This serial is into its second arc. Most spoilers are marked, but you are advised to ArchiveBinge before reading further, or run the risk of being SpoileredRotten.
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14	----
15	!!This serial provides examples of:
16	* ArcVillain: Spencer and Harrison have so far been the {{Big Bad}}s of Arcs 1 and 2 respectively.
17	* ArtificialLimbs: Although none of the main cast have any, Matthew Leeland's entire business seems built on the numerous {{Life Or Limb Decision}}s made during the Civil War. He mentions basing his research on {{ArmCannon}}s, although he isn't building them himself.
18	* TheAtoner: Isaac's reason for staying with the New Union government.
19	* BadassCrew: Team Benjamin.
20	* BashBrothers: Isaac and Solomon, who fight together and will box with ''each other'' when they're bored.
21	* BattleAmongstTheFlames: The first real engagement with Spencer is this, when he has one of his henchman set a large chunk of Lawrence on fire. Happens again in the first engagement with Harrison, when Isaac and the militia try to stop him from burning down a town.
22	* BattleCouple: Isaac and Caroline have proven that they're this, though never officially, since they're JustFriends because of Isaac's [[ItsNotYouItsMyEnemies it's not you, it's my job]] stance.
23	* BecomingTheMask:
24	** Isaac's mission in Georgia shows shades of this.
25	** Solomon has some of this, since his cheerful personality is a mask:
26	--->“You know,” Caroline said as she worked on unjamming a pistol hammer. “I always thought that Solomon was okay. That he never let things get to him.” [...] “It’s a soldier thing, Miss Caroline,” Isaac said. “We all have things we don’t wanna talk about. Some people are better at bein’ fine than others.”
27	* BewareTheNiceOnes: Caroline, full stop. Isaac as well, although his reputation precedes him and often keeps people from assuming he's nice at all.
28	* TheBigGuy: Elijah. Also Solomon.
29	* BornIntoSlavery: Solomon and Miriam.
30	* CasualDangerDialog: Team Benjamin ''excels'' at this. Often flirting with Isaac and Caroline, but he and Solomon do it just as often. Cassandra, when caught up in action sequences, hates it.
31	* TheCharmer: Isaac and Solomon, in different ways. Isaac learned this from his aunt to help him become a spy; Solomon is just charming.
32	* CluelessDeputy: Subverted by Solomon.
33	* ConstantlyCurious: Alice.
34	* CrushBlush: Fairly regular appearances between Isaac and Caroline, especially when caught staring at each other.
35	* DarkAndTroubledPast: Isaac, Solomon, Caroline and Dai all qualify. Cassandra arguably fits as well. Altogether they have strong vibes of DysfunctionJunction or BreakfastClub, although the group dynamic tends more towards TrueCompanions.
36	* DeadGuyOnDisplay: The first chapter is titled "The Town Without a Graveyard," since the entire front of Lawrence is Black Hat's version of this trope.
37	* DeadpanSnarker: Isaac tends to be. Harvey is even more so, making it clear [[StrongFamilyResemblance where Isaac gets it from]].
38	* {{Deconstruction}}: [[WordOfGod The author has stated]] that Isaac is a direct deconstruction of AntiHero and {{Gunslinger}} tropes.
39	* DirtyBusiness: Isaac and Elijah. This seems to be the reason why Harvey left the army.
40	* DontYouDarePityMe: the first chapter with any real characterization of Cassandra, [[http://www.jukepop.com/home/read/2211?chapter=15&sl=379 15]], is full of this from her, quoted almost to the letter.
41	* TheDragon: Harrison, has Sawyer and Timothy as these, and he used to have Isaac.
42	* EmotionSuppression: Isaac lives in this trope, although he's often unsuccessful at keeping everything... [[StressVomit down]].
43	* EnsignNewbie: Captain Augustus Doyle seems to be this, although after the initial reaction to his youth, Isaac admits that Doyle is very competent.
44	* EveryoneCanSeeIt: Isaac and Caroline's relationship for several chapters. Even ''they'' both know it, but it seems as though neither of them [[CannotSpitItOut can spit it out]].
45	* EvilCounterpart: Harrison to Harvey and Isaac; Timothy also to Isaac.
46	* EvilMentor: Harrison to Isaac and, according to Isaac, everyone else under his command.
47	* FirstGirlWins: Subverted by Caroline. She is neither the first girl Isaac meets in the story, nor the first girl to develop a crush on him in Lawrence (Tabby is both).
48	* FlashbackNightmare: Isaac has them nearly every time we see him sleeping. Often leads to him [[DrowningMySorrows drinking it off]].
49	* FollowInMyFootsteps: Seems to have been part of Isaac's childhood with [[SelfMadeMan Harvey]]. Rather than Isaac rebelling against being like Harvey, the war seems to have sent them on different paths but not stopped them from being a lot alike.
50	* FrontierDoctor: Dr Jaeger. Cassandra is on her way to this, with more of a DrJerk flavor, though that's wearing off.
51	* GetOutOfJailFreeCard: Isaac got one, despite having gone beyond JustFollowingOrders when he was with Harrison. He does get an official ThouShaltNotKill sanction as the condition for this, but he's more than happy to follow it. [[spoiler: And understandably upset when it's repealed.]]
52	* GoodScarsEvilScars: Played with. Harrison's scarring is intense, but so is Isaac's and Solomon's. Solomon's may be ultimately the worst, as a result of an entire childhood in slavery, and Isaac's are the only scars that absolutely can't be hidden by his clothing. [[MarkOfShame Which was the point.]]
53	* GuiltComplex: Isaac. So much so that he borders on MartyrWithoutACause and pretty frequently returns to the MyGodWhatHaveIDone stage of flashbacks. He believes [[ItsAllMyFault it's all his fault]].
54	* GunsAkimbo: Caroline does this during the fight with Black Hat, as does Solomon. Elijah does this at the Lawrence train station. The only one who doesn't do this, really, is [[TheMusketeer Isaac]]. An interesting flip, as Isaac is technically TheGunslinger.
55	* TheHeart: Solomon and Caroline both fill this role.
56	* HeroesPreferSwords: Isaac uses a cavalry saber along with other weapons, most of his TrueCompanions use guns or weapons gloves, and when they do have another weapon, it's not a sword. Even Caroline remarks that Isaac's history with being taught sword fighting is pretty heroic, especially as he flirts with NamedWeapons for some extra flair.
57	* HeroicSelfDeprecation: Isaac does this. He seems to have once been [[BreakTheHaughty more full of himself]], but now struggles to see himself as better than a monster. Some HeroicBSOD and lots of YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre from his friends.
58	* HiddenHeartOfGold: Cassandra. Isaac as well: while the serial never portrays him as anything but a good man, in-universe most people assume he's a monster.
59	* HistoricalBadassUpgrade: Oliver Winchester, who was really a businessman and politician, but in ''Reconstruction'' is a businessman (in both weapons ''and'' owning and operating an inn) and [[TheSpymaster spymaster]]. He lives in South Carolina instead of New England and does not seem to serve in any (official) political roles. His granddaughters, Caroline and Alice, are fictional, so it seems that the whole family has gotten this.
60	* HistoricalDomainCharacter: President Grant, John Singleton Mosby and Oliver Winchester are all historical figures who have appeared.
61	* HomeSweetHome: Lawrence is this for Isaac, who [[IChooseToStay chooses to stay]], or at least is planning on it. Boston for Harvey.
62	* HonorBeforeReason: The former Confederacy and Southerners not happy with Isaac/the New Union are shown as this. Mosby, Harvey and Isaac all [[http://jukepop.com/home/read/2211?chapter=42&sl=798 (hilariously)]] show signs of it as well.
63	* HopelessSuitor: Doyle might become this for Alice, who he certainly has a crush on, but who just as obviously has a crush on Elijah.
64	* HotMenAtWork: In spades. Isaac, Solomon and the rest of the workmen all seem to enjoy being this. Isaac is the most noted example but far from alone.
65	* HugeGuyTinyGirl: Elijah and Alice. Isaac is about OneHeadTaller than Caroline.
66	* IceQueen: Cassandra, although she appears to be [[DefrostingIceQueen defrosting]]. [[spoiler:She ''does'' volunteer to go to the South and help Isaac out of [[PowerOfFriendship loyalty to Solomon and Caroline]].]]
67	* InsecureLoveInterest: Isaac.
68	* {{Jerkass}}: Amos Spencer. Even noted in-universe by Solomon.
69	* TheLancer: Filled by both Solomon and Caroline, who serve as Isaac's foils and counters at different points. Solomon is his second-in-command, but Caroline is the more straightforward foil.
70	* MachineEmpathy: Isaac, Caroline, and Alice all do this.
71	* MadeOfIron: Most of the cast, good or bad. Some realistic attention is given to injuries, but RuleOfCool results in this as well.
72	* MarkOfShame: Isaac's facial scar is this.
73	* TheMedic: Cassandra and Matthew Leeland, although the latter asserts that he's really [[ImADoctorNotAPlaceholder an biotech engineer, not a doctor]].
74	* MotionCaptureMecha: The two-legged walkers are this.
75	* MrFanservice: Isaac has so many {{shirtless scene}}s that the author has [[https://twitter.com/KRKampion/status/551787027717689344 made jokes]] about it.
76	* TheMusketeer: Isaac and Timothy are both this.
77	* NotInThisForYourRevolution: [[NominalHero Harvey]] claims to be helping Isaac fight Harrison for the chance to kill Harrison, not to help the New Union or save the south.
78	* NotSoDifferentRemark: Isaac is terrified that he is still similar to Harrison, Timothy, or to the old Isaac.
79	* OfficerAndAGentleman: Isaac, Matthew Leland, and Augustus Doyle. Caroline and Tabby both like Isaac for these qualities, although they both know about his less... gentlemanly past.
80	* OneManArmy: Isaac is said to have done more damage during the Civil War than entire Union battalions, and he often thinks about how [[LivingWeapon he tore through Confederate troops]]. After the war, he is sent, [[OneRiotOneRanger usually alone]], to deal with problems through the South. Timothy is this as well, based on what he does to the militia's camp.
81	* ParentalSubstitute:
82	** Harvey is Isaac's.
83	** Caroline appears to be Dai's. They are much closer in age, making her more of an older sister figure, but still this.
84	** We've never heard about Misty's parents, so Tess and Jose might be her's.
85	* PinkertonDetective: Several, although they're mostly spies and not detectives. Isaac himself could qualify.
86	* PhysicalScarsPsychologicalScars: Isaac and Harrison both have these.
87	* PluckyGirl: Caroline. She hits ActionGirl territory as well, but Isaac notes her optimism and kindness several times, making her more this.
88	* PromiseMeYouWontX: allusions to this everywhere. Solomon and Caroline to Isaac, Alice to Elijah. Harvey and Isaac both feel this way about the other, and usually do X anyway.
89	* PuppyLove: Dai seems to be in this with Misty.
90	* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Harrison seems to be the [[EvilGloating master of these]]. It's not like Isaac's RousingSpeech to his militiamen is any better, though.
91	* RetiredBadass: Harvey is clearly this. Isaac describes him as being in "dangerous shape" and keeping his house well fortified from enemies.
92	* SaloonOwner: Tess.
93	* ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: Spencer has this view and is ''supported'' in it by the New Union's refusal to do anything about his seriously illegal activities.
94	* SelfMadeMan: Harvey and Jasper. Caroline's father (and grandfather) would be this as well, and Caroline seems to be earning the title for herself. Solomon is on his way to this [[spoiler: especially since he's been appointed Sheriff.]]
95	* ShootTheMedicFirst: [[spoiler: Harrison does this. Matthew Leeland, the militia's second doctor, may be a CombatMedic in response.]]
96	* TheSilentBob: Elijah.
97	* SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: Caroline, and also Tabby.
98	* SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil: Both the Confederacy and Spencer. Solomon's back story supports this. [[spoiler:Spencer's worst legacy may be the economic damage done to the South, but his crowning moment of awful is when he [[BreakThemByTalking breaks Isaac by talking]] about how the slave trade never ended.]] [[spoiler:Even Cassandra, who redeems herself (despite her family's status as former slaveholders), only does so ''after'' she's nearly been sold into slavery herself.]]
99	* SourSupporter: Cassandra for Isaac. She doesn't approve of him, but she's going to help him anyway. May be becoming a KnightInSourArmor.
100	* SouthernGentleman: Several. Isaac, Captain Doyle, Matthew Leeland, and Verne are the most prominent.
101	* StarterVillain: Black Hat.
102	* StillWearingTheOldColors: Played with. Isaac kept his uniform from the war. Elijah likely did too. Both have been in and out of official service, but identify each other as soldiers when they meet again.
103	* StrangerInAFamiliarLand: Isaac when he returns to Boston. Fear of being this keeps Cassie from returning to Georgia.
104	* SwordAndGun: Isaac does this a ''lot.'' He and Timothy both do this when they fight each other. Elijah does this, except with a hatchet instead of the sword.
105	* TallDarkAndHandsome: Solomon and Jose are both notably this, and Elijah has been described as all three. Isaac is the [[RedIsHeroic ginger version]].
106	* TeachHimAnger: Isaac is the result of this, from Harrison's abuse and his time in Georgia.
107	* TeamMom:
108	** Caroline does this quite well, especially for Dai. She becomes a MamaBear if he's ever directly threatened.
109	** Tabby also fills this role, especially ''for'' Caroline and also shows mama bear tendencies, although she's not physically violent. She may still be a qualifier for BewareTheQuietOnes.
110	* TheyreCalledPersonalIssuesForAReason: Most of Team Benjamin are respectful of boundaries. Solomon in particular rarely talks about his past.
111	* TitleDrop: For ''Spoils of War'':
112	-->He should've thought of a better plan. One that didn't involve Cassandra sacrificing herself as a spoil of war. She didn't deserve this.
113	* TookALevelInKindness: Cassandra, it seems.
114	* TraintopBattle: Isaac and Elijah have one.
115	* TranslatorBuddy: Alice for Elijah.
116	* VisionaryVillain: Harrison. More broadly, the entire Confederacy.
117	* WarIsHell: All of the veterans (and there are many) seem to agree on this:
118	-->"He wasn't a kidnapper, at least the Elijah that Isaac had known wasn't. But then again, the war could've done something to him. War had the habit of making monsters out of good men."
119	-->"The car felt like the pits of hell, complete with the now overpowering reek of gunpowder and sulfur. Matthew didn't care if it was a cliché now, was was most certainly hell."
120	* WellDoneSonGuy: Harvey is Isaac's.
121	* WellExcuseMePrincess: Solomon practically says this to Cassandra when they are [[VolleyingInsults stuck with each other]], although their relationship is [[DefrostingIceQueen defrosting]] as she does.
122	* WrenchWench: Alice. Caroline to an extent, although she fulfills more of {{The Blacksmith}}'s role, just with more wrenches.
123	* YouAreWorthHell: Caroline, and to a lesser extent Solomon, feel this for Isaac.

Context Literature / ReconstructionSeries