#*I want to emphasize that he's not a leader to them- he's using his skills as a leader to try and help | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

notafunkiller · 10 months

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Bucky Barnes is the best super soldier

How it was subtly emphasized in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier:

He always holds back

With the Flag Smashers and even with John Walker. We could see the difference in the last 3 episodes. Sebastian Stan did an incredible job making it clear in a subtle way.

I want to mention that famous "Stay there" scene, and how it was visible Bucky was not punching as hard as he can in the fight with John.)

This is the thing about Bucky, he isn't after the kill, he just does his part. He doesn't try to show off his skills or that he is a good guy. He doesn't try to play the victim role, either. In the scene where Zemo fake-activates the Winter Soldier in Madripoor, he just makes a point. He's obviously not even trying hard.

If he wanted those in the club dead, they would be. But his self control was wow. Sebastian acted so well, his exes said everything.

*And to be honest, even when he was TWS, he could have killed everyone, but he didn't. He could have killed all of the Avengers in Civil War is they were his mission, but they weren't. This is how Natasha survived when she met him, too. It depended on what kind of mission he had (if he wasn't allowed to be seen, then the witnesses would die too, but otherwise? He didn't bother).

2. His skills

People tend to forget how smart and good at making strategies Bucky is. He's been fighting (even though he hates fighting and never wanted to be in the army) for years before he was even captured by Hydra. And this is the reason why government still want him, after all. They can use his strategies as a leader (*cough* Thunderbolts *cough*).

In the last episodes of TFATWS, we could see how he outsmarted everyone. Karli was so terrified of him.

3. Karli Morgenthau

And talking about Karli, the phone call was interesting:

She asked him if he's not tired of fighting for the wrong side, and then told him she's fighting for something bigger than herself.

"And with all the bodies you've collected, have you ever been able to say the same?"

The first thing I wanna point out is how everyone talks about the deaths Bucky caused when he was controlled by Hydra, but everyone ignores the fact that all the Avengers killed far more, but since we consider them the good side, we just don't care.

Clint, Tony, Steve, Wanda etc. They all cause(d) far more deaths than "two dozen" (known assassinations - to quote Natasha), and neither was controlled. The double standards are something else, especially for Clint. (One of the reasons why Tony was on the other side in CW was because of his guilt, after all.)

The second point is how Bucky's answer says a lot more than we might realize at first:

"You don't think I ever fought for something bigger than myself? That's all I ever tried to do, and I failed twice."

Even as TWS, Bucky had to be convinced he is on the right side, that what they do is to save the world, to give "the world the freedom it deserves".

Even brainwashed and put to sleep all the time, he had to be lied to. Bucky as TWS was a victim too. He is not a victim only because he didn't have memories or control, but also because they lied to him and used him as a toy. That milk scene is so loud. (And I am gonna talk about it in a different post). He had no rights, no choices. He was used to being tortured.

[And I wish they explored it more. We deserved and deserve a WS film - maybe with him in Romania getting back his memories, writing in his journal etc.]

"You think your cause justifies all this death, but in the end, the nightmares won't go away. You're gonna remember all the ones you killed. Trust me. Don't do this. Don't go down this path."

Despite being on opposite sides, Bucky still said this to Karli, trying to help her, to make her see the big picture, sharing how he felt and feels.

He is on "the right side". He is a hero, and Bucky being thanked by that man for saving everyone's life was touching.

4. Baron Zemo

You can see how smart, strong, and rational Bucky is when he decides to break Zemo out of jail (his plan was amazing too), risking so much (his relationship with Wakanda people and his own freedom) to get his help for the mess. He puts the cause above his own (huge) trauma. And this makes that moment in Madripoor even more disgusting (he is treated as an object, as a toy):

Zemo: Tell us what you know about the super-soldier serum. And I give you him, along with the code words to control him, of course. He will do anything you want.

The way he keeps his composure, reacts and manages the situation... absolutely incredible!

This conversation also says a lot:

Zemo: The desire to become a superhuman cannot be separated from supremacist ideals. Anyone with that serum is inherently on that path.

Bucky: Maybe you're wrong, Zemo. The serum never corrupted Steve.

Zemo: Touché. But there has never been another Steve Rogers, has there?

Bucky positions himself below Steve, who's considered a good hero, a good person... like no other. But Steve never had to go through what Bucky did: from being kidnapped like that, to being tested on, to falling off the train, to being tortured, and used, and brainwashed for decades, and put to sleep when he was not needed and having n "keepers".

Also, interesting how all Steve wanted was to fight (for a good cause, but still)... and fighting still means violence, meanwhile Bucky never wanted to fight, not even before becoming TWS, in the army (and yet he is still great at fighting. And he is deadly, even when he holds back.). All he wanted was peace.

Despite not getting the "perfect serum", despite being brainwashed, put to sleep, and forced to fight for decades, he is still himself. He never gave in to the dark side for real. He fought in his own way. The first thing he did when he woke up was to choke the Hydra guy with a whole new arm!

Bucky is so underrated: from his intelligence and fighting skills, to how human he is. Being flawed, keeping his sassiness and charm from the 40s, but getting more mature and carrying his past on his shoulders... he's so relatable and real. And every day, he shows Zemo he is wrong.

The show he makes in his final scene with Zemo is absolutely fantastic. He doesn't just prove the point he isn't defined by the serum and Hydra (AND not even by Steve, thanks to Sam. His speech made him realize the important thing about himself: that he decides who he is, not others - even those who know him before becoming TWS- "And this might be a surprise, but it doesn't matter what Steve thought. You gotta stop looking to other people to tell you who you are." parallel to "Steve believed in you. He trusted you. He gave you that shield for a reason. That shield, that is… that is everything he stood for. That is his legacy. He gave you that shield, and you threw it away like it was nothing. [...] So maybe he was wrong about you. And if he was wrong about you, then he was wrong about me."), but also that he is superior.

When Zemo tells him that he decided to let him alive (probably so he can kill Karli) and basically calls him a killing machine: "programmed to kill", Bucky plays the role, lets Zemo talk him into killing Karli, and then Bucky watches him waiting for his own death.

[Also, Bucky's line: Imagine my relief is hilarious.]

The acting was incredible: the shock on Zemo's face and the amusement and somehow relief on Bucky's after he pulls the trigger and lets the bullets fall... He proved him he's THE standard of the super soldier. Because despite everything he went through, he is the best.

Zemo telling him to cross his name off felt like a fresh start (+ telling Nakajima the truth).

5. John Walker

John, on the other hand, is lucky Bucky is an understanding person. He gets what is like... the pressure, the environment, the loss, and even tries to help.

Bucky: Don't go down that road. Believe me, it doesn't end well.

John: I'm not like you!

Of course he is not like Bucky, because Bucky has control. He is not killing to get revenge in a cynical way.

"That serum doesn't exactly have a great track record."

John kept judging Bucky every time they spoke, somehow placing himself above this "broken" man.

"This is all really easy for you, isn't it? All that serum runnin' through your veins. Barnes, your partner needs backup in there. Do you really want his blood on your hands?"

This is so wrong on every single level, especially because Bucky didn't choose to take the serum, and he always had his friends' back. He's loyal and ready to sacrifice himself.

The "funny" part about this is John ending up taking the last super soldier serum vial. All the judgement, the disgust, the patronizing tone, just to do that. Plus, of course, to kill someone with the shield.

(John proves Zemo's point about super soldiers, and Bucky does the opposite.)

And what is it easy for Bucky anyway?

He's under government conditions (so CACW coded), he has a vibranium arm that I bet the government would try to take after he dies (HOPEFULLY WHEN HE'S 200 YEARS OLD IN HIS BED, as Sebastian wants too) if he isn't in Wakanda, he is haunted by nightmares (which also can mean he is still Hydra's TWS in another universe as we found out from Strange), and he has to learn how to live for real. He's smart, charismatic, has values and principles, and he's incredible.

We need to see his version of TWS going after everyone Hydra helped. TWS is him, a part of him, and doing that on his terms, having control over it would help him heal.

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spirantization · 7 months

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I'm surprised at the hate that Sokka's character arc from NATLA is receiving. To me, Sokka's development and characterization was one of the strongest adaptations the series made.

In the original ATLA, Sokka's character arc revolves around him unlearning his own misogyny. He makes pointedly sexist comments throughout the early episodes like "Leave it to a girl to screw things up!", "There's no way a bunch of girls took us down!", etc.

Sokka's comments have a strong narrative purpose: they give a platform for women in the show (Katara & Suki mostly) to refute his attitude. Katara emphasizes traditional "women's work" (cleaning, cooking, sewing, etc), which forces Sokka to confront its inherent value. Suki is able to prove to him that women can fight too and he learns to respect female warriors. It's a great character arc and it's well-executed.

It's also characterization that is in direct response to the culture and feminism of the 90s and early 00s. The representation of women in the media at that time was...oof. It was not great. One-dimensional love interests whose only purpose is being saved by the male protagonist, mostly. Female protagonists were not as common, and certainly not ones who were depicted as being able to fight, and certainly not in cartoons. Female protagonists in animation were almost exclusively princesses.

ATLA was progressive in this regard. Katara was a complex female character in a time when there were not a lot of them, in media in general but especially in animation and kid's shows. (I grew up in the 90s; there were no characters like Katara in animation on screen for me.) ATLA incorporated the zeitgeist directly into the story, which is why we have Sokka learning to overcome his sexism in his interactions with Strong Female Characters.

If you go back and watch the original cartoon now, Sokka's sexism feels a bit dated. It's a very 90s, Girl Power, "girls can fight too" style of social commentary. It doesn't match with the media landscape of today. We've got 20 years of media with female superheroes behind us. If your message is "girls can fight too!" the response for the most part is going to be "yes, we know that. And?"

So imagine you're adapting the original ATLA for a live-action remake. You want to keep Sokka's character arc intact, but you want to update it for the 2020s. So what do you do? You look at the conversations that are happening today.

The 90s were about "girls can do everything boys can do", but the 20s are over that. The conversation is more about gender: gender expression, gender roles, gender dynamics. What does is mean to be a woman? What does it mean to be a man?

Sokka's character arc in NATLA is focused on this question: What does it mean to be a man? At the beginning of the series, it's his identity as a warrior that defines him. He needs to be the warrior, the protector, the leader. He's constantly trying to reaffirm this part of his identity, and it's completely tied up in his perception of his value as a man. Instead of his interactions with Suki being about "how could girls possibly be warriors", it shifts to Sokka saying "I'm ALSO a warrior" and trying to justify that to Suki (and mostly himself).

His arc over the series is about him accepting other aspects of himself and relearning how to define his masculinity. He can still have value as man without being the greatest warrior. He can still have value as a man by using his skills as an engineer. He can still have value as a man by offering compassion and kindness to others, like the little girl with the doll & Yue in her final moments. Instead of rigidly defining himself by a specific set of gender roles & expectations, he learns how to define himself through his own strengths and qualities.

I know there are a lot of people who are upset at this change to Sokka's characterization, and the most common thing I see is that it results in changes to Katara's character and her anger in response to Sokka's comments. I think there are valid criticisms to be made about how the show handled the adaptation of Katara's character, but I won't go there with this. In terms of Sokka and his characterization, it was well-done and thematically consistent with the original. It's not an exact port, and it never needed to be. It's still a feminist arc that centres on unlearning harmful misogynistic worldviews, but the focus has shifted from external (roles of women) to internal (his role as a man). And his journey is one that people would benefit from seeing represented.

#atla #avatar the last airbender #natla #netflix avatar #atla meta #there are many criticisms to make about the adaptation but this just isn't one of them

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kermitthesog · 12 days

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ok quick rant post.

*HUGE TOA SPOILERS BELOW*

i just saw somebody say jason’s death was poorly written.

i mean this in the most respect way to those people saying that jason’s death was meaningless and careless…did we read the same book?

first of all, it was not anticlimactic. It would’ve been unexpected for me if i wasn’t spoiled. he quite literally went out with a bang. he made a gigantic tornado/storm to pretty much single-handedly fight an emperor. i mean, no one around him was equipped or ready to fight. he was doing so good, but he knew he had to die anyway. he might’ve tried harder if he hadn’t heard the prophecy about him or piper dying. my point is, he did not seem “nerfed” or “not powerful”, apollo was really impressed by his skills in his narration.

i saw somebody say they didn’t it like it because he had so much potential. that’s the whole point though!!! many tragic deaths are brought to life by an unkept promise or something they couldn’t carry out before they died. all of jason’s storylines were going to lead him somewhere great, but of course it couldn’t go like that. rick riordan pretty much put in that whole part with apollo and jason talking about his promise to the minor gods to dangle that in front of us. to emphasize how tragic his death was.

people say his death was only for apollo/lester’s character development? i don’t agree. i mean, yeah, that was a huge thing that came from it. throughout the rest of the books, he tributes his growth and actions to jason. but i don’t think that was the only reason for it. i saw a great post by @a-cup-of-coffee-and-the-moon about this. go check it out here, but basically they say that was it inevitable (they go to say it was because he went against zeus, and the greek leaders had a history of their sons overthrowing them). even other than that, it developed the storyline and the whole trials of apollo series in general.

ok so maybe that wasn’t quick. but still. i hope i proved my point. i am a huge jason defender and i just hate when people comment on his death like this. he’s dead, guys!!! that’s just like pooping on his grave! ok, but seriously, we need to end the jason death slander. i feel like some people see something they don’t like and come up with reasons as to why it shouldn’t have happened and why it was weird that it did. i mean, yeah, i didn't want him to die, but i’m willing to accept it and respect him.

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awkward-tension-art · 4 months

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Darkess on Umbara Chp.13 (Rex x Reader)

Chapter 12. Epilogue

Carnage Of Krell

cw: Rex x Reader, Reader is a medic, incorrect military procedure, graphic descriptions of injuries, blood, swearing, death and battle, Canon character death, Spoilers for the Umbara Arc, Pong Krell is an asshole, reader insert, names of non-canon dead clones, Grief, betrayal, reader is gender neutral, no use of (Y/N), if i miss a tag LMK

Minors DNI

You abandoned the title of healer in order to pursue vengeance. It went against your oath. You were supposed to save lives, not end them.

But monsters shouldn’t be saved.

Which is why you joined the squad. Standing shoulder to shoulder with Kix, Tup, and other troopers of both the 501st and the 212th. Everyone around you wanted justice.

“What I'm proposing is highly treasonous,” Captain Rex stood in front of you, speaking with authority, “If any man chooses to opt out do it now,”

Everyone remained silent but stepped forward, heads held high.

“From this point forward we are entering uncharted territory,” The captain emphasized, “my orders are to arrest General Krell for treason against the Republic!”

You followed his lead. Pistol in hand, senses sharp, and focus hardened. Your gaze met the man you love, and you hoped he understood.

I’d follow you into Hell, Rex.

Every step to the airbase had a purpose. Every soldier was geared-up and ready to take down the ruthless Jedi. Jesse and Fives were freed and given their own rifles.

The ARC trooper looked especially determined to arrest Krell. It would only be fair that he was the one to toss the former General into a cell. You were just happy to be helping him achieve such a thing.

With your pistol loaded and ready, you kept your eyes forward as the doors opened to the top floor of the tower. Soldiers filled in, surrounding the Jedi. He didn;t seem bothered, simply staring out the window over the dark landscape.

You followed Fives, deciding to keep out of Rex’s way as he walked forward, “General Krell, you're being relieved of duty.”

The besalisk turned slowly, keeping his hands behind his back, “It's treason then,” He growled.

Rex aimed his pistols, keeping his voice steady but commanding, “Surrender General.” The other soldiers shifted with their leaders' movements. Everyone was primed, ready to strike.

Krell’s steps were slow and deliberate as he walked forward before stopping, “You're committing mutiny, captain.” He sounded so…uninterested in the situation at hand.

Tup and Kix moved from their spots to keep their rifles pointed at the devious generals back. They remained firm and determined, fingers on the triggers of their guns.

“Explain your actions,” the captain of the 501st snarled. They deserved an explanation for everything.

“My actions?”

“For ordering your troops against one another!” Rex snapped.

Krell seemed smug, “Oh…That,” His tone was clearly that of someone who was bored with the topic, “I’m surprised you were able to figure it out. For a clone.” He spat the last word.

Fives motioned to the squad and they moved, taking two steps closer to the former general. Yet, he still seemed unbothered.

“Surrender, General.” Captain Rex commanded, You’re out number-”

Krell stomped forward with one foot and shot all four arms out. He used the Force to shove everyone back.

You slammed into the wall, knocking the wind right out of your lungs. The other soldiers were in a similar state, but everyone recovered quickly. You began firing your pistol, aiming towards the corrupt Jedi. The other soldiers did the same, hoping to overwhelm him with the sheer number of blaster bolts.

“You dare to attack a jedi!” the besalisk shouted, twirling his now activated lightsabers. He moved with practiced skill, deflecting every shot.

Damnit! Not good!

He leapt forward, slashing down two soldiers. They collapsed, dying almost instantly from the power of the strike.

A 212th trooper rushed forward attempting to charge the bastard, but was swiftly cut down as well. His body was kicked forward, slamming into the wall, narrowly missing Rex.

“I will not be undermined,” Krell twirled his sabers, pausing his movements to glare at the 501st captain, “By creatures bred in some laboratory!” He turned swiftly, breaking the window of the tower and leaping down to the airbase below.

“Follow him!” Rex commanded.

He, and the other soldiers began to rush down to the ground floor, but you stopped. Most lightsaber strikes were instantly fatal, but you checked for a pulse from the troopers Krell cut down anyway.

Even if you craved vengeance, you were still a doctor.

No pulse. Nothing. For all of them.

Confirmed to be dead, you left them and followed the soldiers down. Your steps caught up, and you kept next to Fives as the clones gave chase. However, the small group had been stalled by Dogma stepping out from behind a starship.

“Hold it right there!” He demanded.

Rex pulled his pistols and aimed on the younger trooper, “Lower your weapon, Dogma.” His voice was steady and calm, hoping to talk down the clearly conflicted clone.

He shook his head, “I can’t do that, sir!”

“That's an order!”

“It's my duty!” Dogma aimed his rifle at Jesse, then you, then Fives, “You’re all traitors!”

Your lover lowered one of his pistols and removed his helmet to speak, “I used to believe that being a good soldier meant doing everything they told you, that's how they engineered us,” He looked over at you before staring right at Dogma, “But we're not droids. we're not programmed, you have to learn to make your own decisions, Dogma.”

Tup approached his batchmate before raising his own rifle on the panicked trooper. He kept calm, even when Dogma shifted and pointed his weapon directly at him, “Dogma, don’t do it.”

Thankfully, that's as far as Dogma went. He dropped his rifle and looked down. His turmoil was clear, even as he was tackled by other soldiers.

“Take him to the brig.” Rex commanded, putting his helmet back on, “Troopers, don’t let General Krell escape!”

The chase was on.

You remained out of the captain's way, pretty much attaching yourself to Fives. You’d defer to him if you weren’t able to stay close to your lover. Afterall, under your thirst for justice, you were still a doctor. A healer intended to protect and save, not fight and kill.

Krell broke something inside of you. You’ve abandoned your purpose, becoming a vengeful, angry shell of your former self. At least for now.

“I got you,” the ARC trooper spoke next to you as you both navigated the dense, black and red Umbaran jungle, “That's what you say when you take care of one of us,” His stepped over a glowing root, and you followed, “Since you’ve had all of us, let me have you this time. Follow my lead.”

“Thanks, Fives.” You responded, keeping your eyes forward. The land was covered in a gray fog, making it difficult to watch exactly where you were going.

“Anyone got anything?” Rex spoke lowly into his communicator.

“Negative, Captain. We lost him.” The soldier on the other end responded. However, after a second, the familiar sound of whirling lightsabers pierced through the communicator, “Wait! He’s too powerful!” Blaster shots echoed in the distance and the trooper cried in his com. You could also make out the distinct cruel laugh of the Jedi.

Fives knelt, focusing his scope, “He’s coming!” The ARC trooper warned.

There was a thick silence that fell over every soldier around you. It was only broken by more gleeful laughter from Krell, “You should have listened to the ARC trooper from the beginning, Captain.”

You got back-to-back with Fives, pistol raised and ready. That damn Jedi’s voice seemed to come from every direction.

“He was right, I was using you.” More laughter from that bastard. Krell leapt from the branches above you and landed on top of a group of clones. His large foot crushed one of them, and his green lightsaber stabbed through another. He activated his blue saber and twirled the lethal weapons, “You’ve all been my pawns!”

“Get him!”

The corrupt General began laughing again as he was shot at. Unbothered by the blaster bolts, he dashed forward, cutting down the closest clone. He turned, slashing two others, sending them to their graves.

You and the other soldiers continued to fire, hoping to find a way to get past the defense of his double-ended blades. He stepped forward, spinning his weapons, blocking every shot aimed towards him. Without even looking he managed to kill three more clones.

This was a game to him. You realized with horror. He was having fun.

Something, the Force, wrapped around your body, restraining you. Krell had an open hand raised, laughing cruelly. You tried to aim your pistol only to fail, “You’ve fascinated me, Doctor.” He taunted before throwing you. Your back slammed into a tree, ripping a groan from your throat, “What do you see in these…inferior creatures?”

One of his large feet slammed next to you, the tip of his green lightsaber was level with your throat. Your pistol had fallen out of your reach when he threw you, leaving you unable to defend yourself.

“Bastard!” You spat. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see Fives trembling in rage and Rex damn near frozen in terror.

No pistol, but you had an idea. Your hand reached into one of your packs and wrapped around one of your surgical tools.

Krell didn’t seem very interested. He continued to use his blue lightsaber to deflect the blaster bolts as he stood over you, “That didn’t answer my question, Doctor.”

Your eyes glared up at him, “These soldiers are better men than you ever were!” In a surprisingly quick movement, you brandished your laser scalpel and stabbed his foot with it. You took a sick sense of satisfaction hearing him yelp in pain.

“Ingrate!” He shouted, leaping back to defend himself from the barrage of blaster shots. The Force restrained you again, and the Jedi threw you. Your body hit the hard plastoid of a soldier's chest plate as someone caught you. However, they remained standing, wrapping one arm around you and keeping you up as well. Once you got your bearings, you looked up to Rex holding you with one arm as he fired his pistol with the other.

“Hi.” You greeted him sweetly, “Thank you, for catching me.”

Now wasn’t the time, but…Damn, you really loved this man.

You felt his grip on you become tighter. He was shaking, ever so slightly, but remained focused.

Krell Jumped forward, grabbing another soldier. The 501st trooper cried out in panic before being raised in the air and brought down on the general’s knee. The snap was audible and loud. To add insult to injury, he threw the trooper to the side like trash.

Dead? Most likely. I need to check.

You broke away from your lover and ran to the trooper. Feeling for a pulse, you found nothing.

His name was Faux.

Fyre. Vim. Oz. Ringo. North. Gabe. Tro. Tess. Zeb. Sante. Reign. Pheon. Dawn. Nim. Jamie. Hek. Recon. Mav. Zeo. Fisher. Hinge. Trident. Iron. Mesh. Steele. Bruno. Zeke. Jumper. Aura. Dia. Silk. Forty. Thrall. Hardcase. Uno. Barr. Filter. Faux.

You looked up just in time to watch Krell throw Tup deeper into the dense, dark jungle. Without thinking, you sprinted in that direction, hoping and praying your friend would be alright. Your steps slowed when you saw him get up and raise a hand to stop you.

Behind him, the tendrils of a fanged beast underground waved around. The bioluminescence of its mouth was rather distinct. Tup saved Dogma from one of these earlier.

“Are you ok?” You asked him, taking slow and deliberate steps towards him. That beast scared you.

“I have an idea.” was his response to you. Tup got to his feet and activated his comm, “Captain Rex, this is Tup. if you can, force the General towards me.”

Rex’s confusion was apparent over the comm, “What? Why?”

“Trust me, Sir!”

With Tup’s certainty, you stepped a wide circle around the Umbaran creature, getting to his side. You had no idea what he was thinking, but you hoped it worked.

You really couldn’t handle losing another friend.

After a moment, Rex commanded through the communicator, “Troopers, listen up. Circle around, lure him towards Tup!”

“Tup…” You followed him, making sure to watch where you placed your feet. Your laser scalpel was warm in your hand, prepared to use it to fight that damn beast under the ground if need be, “Can I at least get a heads up before you get yourself killed?”

His rifle was tight in his hands as he watched the battle in the distance. Through the fog and darkness, you could make out the bodies of soldiers running past Krell, towards your location. Tup fired his blaster once he spotted the corrupt jedi.

The former General skidded to a stop and whirled to face him. The trooper shouted, ticking him off even more, “Hey ugly! Come and get us!”

“Tup!” You stepped back, raising your small weapon. Mentally, you calculated how fast you’d have to get the fuck away from the deraged besalisk.

Krell sprinted at the both of you. His sick smile became more and more clear as he approached. His lightsabers were activated at his side, prepared to kill the both of you.

Tup didn’t move. He lowered his blaster and tensed, lowering his head.

Was he trying to get himself killed!?

You took a step forward, hoping maybe you could tackle him out of the way before Krell got to him. However, it turned out that you didn’t need to worry.

The Umbaran beast lashed its tendrils out, grabbing the Jedi and swinging him in the air. He cried out and grunted, waving his lightsabers around, trying to get the creature to drop him. His blades managed to sever the creature's tongue, sending the damn thing into a frenzy.

Tup you absolute genius!

Krell was thrown to the ground before getting picked up again. His green lightsaber slipped from his large hands and you dove down to grab it. Sadly, he still had his blue saber, which he used to kill two other troopers.

Despite the disorientation, the Jedi proved to be a great warrior, managing to keep an eye on his surroundings. The soldiers had regrouped, firing their blasters at him, only to have their shots continuously deflected. The beast waved the besalisk around, giving him the chance to slice off the calf of a 212th trooper.

Instantly cauterized. Pain management will be key. Calm him before he goes into shock.

Your instincts kicked in. You were a doctor, damnit! Abandoning your drive for vengeance, you skidded to the troopers side, immediately tending to him. The painkillers were in his system before he could fully process what happened.

The sound of a lightsaber slicing followed by a thump and a groan filled your ears. You looked up fast enough to watch Tup fire a stun bolt on the besalisk. Krell let out a choked growl before collapsing on the ground.

“I stunned him, sir.” Tup sounded triumphant.

Rex kicked the Jedi rolling him on his back, “Nice work, Tup.” He nodded to the younger trooper.

Fives and Jesse got cuffs on the bastard, ending the fight then and there.

“Get the fucker in the brig.” Your lover spat, “Drag him if you have to.”

It didn’t take long to return to the air base. Krell hadn’t managed to run far, so even with his unconscious body and the injured, you all managed to return before he even woke up.

You wanted to be there when he did, though. So you asked Jesse to inform you when the Jedi opened his eyes. It gave you enough time to help any injured that survived the lightsaber wounds.

Not many. You noticed bitterly. Krell killed too many good soldiers.

You were putting one more trooper to his permanent rest when you got the com. You left the injured with Kix and left the medical bay. Rex, Fives and Jesse were at the tower by the time you and Tup both arrived. Wordlessly, all of you went down to the air base prisons.

Dogma scrambled to his feet, seeing the captain again. Regret and shame was clear on the trooper, as he kept his gaze downward.

The Jedi was seated on the floor as if meditating. As soon as he heard you come down the lift, he raised his head and snarled.

“Why, General?” Rex spoke first, approaching the cell, “Why kill your own men?”

Krell chuckled darkly as he stood, “Because I can.” His voice was smug, and full of ego, “Because you fell for it. Because you're inferior.”

“But you’re a Jedi! How could you?”

“A Jedi?” The former general laughed again, “I am no longer naive enough to be a Jedi,” His words dripped with hate and venom as he spoke, “A new power is rising, I’ve foreseen it. The Jedi are going to lose this war and the Republic will be ripped apart from the inside,” Even from a distance, the darkness inside of him was clear in every word, “In its place is going to rise a new order and I will rule as part of it!”

You turned, sharing a look with Jesse before staring back at the former Jedi.

Rex growled, “You’re a Separatist.”

Krell shook his head and stood tall, looking down at everyone in the room, “I serve no one's side. Only my own, and soon, my new master.”

Master?

“You’re an agent of Dooku.” Your lover stepped forward, keeping his hate filled gaze on the disgraced general.

“Not yet, but when I get out of here, I will be.” The fallen Jedi sounded certain in his words, “after I've succeeded in driving the Republic from Umbara the Count will reward my actions and make me his new apprentice.”

Dogma cried out from his cell, “How could you do this? You had my trust! My loyalty!” Even through the barrier keeping him in, you could see his eyes, glossy with tears, “I followed all of your orders, and you made me kill my brothers!”

You honestly felt bad for the poor trooper. He really thought he was doing the right thing.

“That’s because you were the biggest fool of them all, Dogma!” Krell cruelly laughed at the distressed soldier, “I counted on blind loyalty like yours to make my plan succeed!”

“Fucking bastard!” You spat, “That will never happen!”

“You’re a traitor, General, and you will be dealt with as one.” Rex seethed, keeping eye contact with Krell.

“You never learn, Captain.” He sounded smug as he turned and sat back down, “The Umbarans are going to retake this base, and when they do, I will be free.” The besalisk lowered his head and closed his eyes, as if meditating again.

The conversation was over.

“Sick, twisted fucking…” Fives crossed his arms and grumbled as you all got on the lift and raised out of the brig, “General Skywalker will want to punish Krell himself.”

“Agreed.” Jesse mumbled.

You stepped forward, taking a hold of Rex’s hand, “Cyare.” Your voice was soft, “It’ll be alright.”

He looked back at you, giving you a ghost of a smile.

Out of the corner of your eye, you could see Jesse nudge Tup before whispering, “Don’t say a word to anyone about the captain and doctor.”

“Understood.”

“Good man.”

Once the doors to the outside opened, you were immediately greeted by Hana, “Captain,” She saluted Rex, “We’ve repaired the transmitter. It looks like it was sabotaged,” The trooper explained, “Despite that, we’ve received a message from General Kenobi. His forces have captured the capital, but the remaining Umbarans are heading here.”

Another battle…

“Get everyone on the perimeter! We need to prepare for a full scale attack!” The clone captain barked his orders.

“Yes sir!” Hana saluted before putting her helmet on and turning to rush off to do as he commanded.

Rex turned back, facing you and the others, “Krell sabotaged the transmitter. He's been against us from the beginning!” Everyone has been played for fools, and the clone captain was taking it especially hard.

Without pause, Fives spoke up first, clearly angry, “If the Umbarans get to him, he’ll turn over all our intel! The defense codes, everything!” The ARC trooper took a step back, motioning to the door you all had just walked through, “He’ll strike a crippling blow to the Republic!”

Jesse stepped up, “something has to be done! We can't risk the possibility that he might escape!”

“As long as Krell is alive, he is a threat to every one of us.” Tup reasoned, looking towards the Captain.

It was clear your lover was conflicted. Clones were made to serve the Jedi and the Republic. Killing their General, even as an act of justice, goes against their very creation. It wouldn’t be easy…

“Rex,” You abandoned protocol. Right now, you chose not to be the 501st field surgeon. You chose to be his cyare. You took his gloved hand and squeezed it, “He’s a traitor. One who has done irreparable harm to you and your brothers. If the Umbarans let him out, he’ll hurt even more people.”

You could see the conflict in his beautiful eyes. With a sigh he nodded, “I…agree.”

The five of you went back into the tower, lowering into the brig. Once there, Fives approached Dogma’s cell and opened it, getting him to his feet.

Rex stepped forward, keeping a steady glare on Krell, “Turn around, and step toward the wall.” He commanded, readied one of his pistols.

The former General rolled his small eyes and turned.

“On your knees.” Your lover growled.

Damn…not the time. But damn…

Jesse pressed a button on the console, opening the cell. Tup remained next to him, stock still.

The former Jedi chuckled darkly, turning his head slightly, “You’re in a position of power now. How does it feel?” He sneered.

“I said,” Rex steadied his pistol, aimed right at Krell’s back, “On. Your. Knees.”

“It feels good, doesn’t it?” The disgraced General taunted, voice smug and full of hate, “But I can sense your fear.”

There was a shift in Rex. Suddenly, he seemed uncertain, and even scared to a degree.

He’s trying to go against his very purpose.

Your eyes roamed over to Fives and the rifle on his hip. If Rex couldn’t pull the trigger, who would?

Could you?

“You’re shaking, aren’t you?” Krell continued to poke at the clones' anxiety, “What are you waiting for? The Umbarans are getting closer.”

The captain tried to steady his trembling aim, “I have to do this.”

What would happen to Rex if he did? Court martial? Arrested? Decommissioned? Would Kamino call for his mind to be wiped?

You took a subtle step towards Fives, hand slowly reaching for the rifle on his hip.

The fallen Jedi laughed, “You can’t do it, can you?” His fucking voice was smug and overconfident, “Eventually you’ll have to do the right thing and-”

In one swift movement, you slipped Fives’ rifle into your hands and pulled the trigger, ripping Pong Krell's life away.

He collapsed, choking on his last words and hitting the ground.

Save them. Protect them.

All of those Krell hurt and killed ran through your mind.

The 501st.

The 212th.

Your eyes met your lovers. Rex looked at you, surprised, fearful and devastated. You went against your purpose as a doctor. All so he didn’t have to.

You’d do it again. To protect him. Save him. For him.

Rex.

#reader insert #tcw x reader #captain rex #captain rex x you #captain rex x reader #clone trooper tup #clone trooper dogma #clone trooper jesse #arc trooper fives #pong krell #darkness on umbara #umbara arc #tcw x you #tcw rex #star wars x reader #star wars tcw

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classicanalyzer · 8 days

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LEGO Star Wars Rebuild The Galaxy Thoughts

"Nothing makes sense, and everything's mixed up, and that's okay. Things fall apart, but maybe they can come back together better than before." Sig Greebling

Rebuild The Galaxy is my favorite out of all the D+ LEGO SW specials. I really love the connections to LEGO and SW, including the previous LEGO SW shows, especially Freemaker Adventures. Michael Kramer did an amazing job with the soundtrack, Sig's and Yesi's themes were well-composed.

Part I

"For someone who spends all his time telling stories about heroes, you have no idea how to be one. Maybe that's why you like history so much. It's over and done, but your life isn't. There's so much ahead of you if you'd just try, but you're afraid." Dev Greebling

Sig Greebling is such a cool name. I really love how he's a literal in-universe SW fan, yet someone who actually wants to be normal despite his Force sensitivity. I find it funny he's a literal Nerf herder. I do emphasize of how he wanted to avoid all the expectations if people know he's Force-sensitive.

I love the reference to Wookiees originally being a part of RotJ before being replaced with Ewoks.

Fennesa is a cool-looking world. Yesi Scala is another cool name (I get reminded of Scala Ad Caleum from KH haha). It's too bad Sig's indecisiveness and inability to step out of his comfort zone translates to his social life, even his crush. The background painting showing the sunset is so beautiful.

I really like how the Ackbar Troopers are the Clones in this universe. They must have chosen Ackbar as the main host due to his skills since he was a skilled warrior and leader, but definitely also for the memes out of universe. I also love how Phase I was used because the Kaminionans designed the Phase I suit based on aquatic species like themselves and would fit the Mon Calamari Clones.

The fighting animation and choreography for Yesi's fight against the Ackbar Troopers are so well animated. I laughed seeing that one Ackbar Trooper shooting with two blasters. I can see why Sig likes Yesi. Also ooff, Yesi lost her father in this timeline to the Empire. You can feel the bleak state of this galaxy under this Empire. At least, Yesi's desire to fly among the stars and not live in a backwater world is still there. I like how Sig also mentioned how Rancors are actually misunderstood intelligent creatures.

Double ooff, Sig's brother is now Darth Devastator "Dev". At least we finally get our first on-screen appearance of Jedi Bob!

Part II

"Being a hero is easier when you don't know the cost...Sig, the Force doesn't work that way. The dark side is loud and obvious like a big, mean Gamorrean kicking you in the head over and over. But the light side, the light side of the Force is just a whisper in the back of your mind." Bobolian Afol "Jedi Bob"

Darth Rey as Dev's apprentice feels so wrong about the intentional nature of aspects of this new universe. Jedi Bob!...or rather Bobolian Afol lmao (I also love how the markings seem a bit faded which signals his age). I love this cynical Jedi who sucks at fighting but is amazing at the Force...which is what a true Jedi should specialize in.

FREEMAKER LORE! THE FORCE BUILDERS ARE BACK! I love seeing them once again and hearing Bob recap them feels cathartic.

Ewok Bounty Hunters is one thing but bounty hunter C-3PO channeling his Triple 0 and HK-47 vibes in a Naboo Royal Cruiser with gold plating feels so right yet so wrong in the best ways possible. Yesi really has a lot of baggage with her wanting to prove herself and redeem herself for accidentally getting a rebel base captured.

Mos Eisley Marina made me die on the inside lmao. Tatooine isn't boring anymore lmao. I do love how this is a nod to how the BoBF and Legends mention Tatooine being once covered with oceans before becoming a desert world.

Like father like son indeed, however, even Anakin wouldn't go that far to cheat. I do love how Luke and Anakin use the same Podracer. Poor Max Rebo.

I love how Maul in this galaxy is much more relaxed and happy. At least, in this galaxy, Maul gets to live his life without the tragedies in his main galaxy life.

I love the implication that Nubs is well-known in the main galaxy that Sig knows about him. I'm incredibly confident that Darth Hammerhead is Rusty. Even in another universe, nobody remembers his name lmao.

That brief Duel of the Fates theme playing when Darth Jar Jar appeared was so hype and chilling. His line goes unironically hard.

Part III

"I know you can't restore a galaxy once it's gone because I tried to restore my own, and I failed. In the galaxy I'm from, things were simpler. I was a Padawan on Alistan Nor, learning the secrets of Force Building. I'd heard rumors about the Cornerstone. The more I read, the more obsessed I became. Was it possible to remake an entire galaxy? I needed to know the truth. My Masters forbid me from searching for the Cornerstone, but I wasn't exactly good at following orders. There were so many rules. I just wanted to do things my own way. I thought I could control the Cornerstone. I never thought -- When I left that temple, everything was different. My galaxy was gone, Sig. And yours had just been born." Bobolian Afol "Jedi Bob"

We truly reached the pinnacle of miniaturized Death Star tech with the Dark Falcon lmao.

Darth Jar Jar definitely isn't dead and I love what little time we had with him.

I love the lights looking like the Binary Sun and the music playing as Luke looks towards them.

I love how Palpatine in this universe is a cynic who gave up on fighting. I like that fascinating take on this alternate Palpatine. The new Jedi Council (I like the faded and scratched markings similar to Jedi Bob signals their age and tiredness of a seemingly hopeless war) is insane with Jedi Vader (I love that this is a SW Infinities comic reference, it felt cathartic to see it realized in visual media), Dooku, Cad Bane, Jannah, Lobot, IG-88(?), and even Jabba. I really love that Jannah has more to do here including her actress returning to voice her.

Greedo being the Han of this universe was so funny. He even has the Rodian ears for his Slave I Firespray ship lmao.

I love how Yesi recreates the energy in TFA when she does smth incredibly insane with Greedo's ship. Sig saying I do feels like his and Yesi's "I know" moment. And a Star Trous mention. I also feel like Yesi's point of how you fix the mistake got to Jedi Bob and got to him into revealing the truth. I love how Grevious is one of the rebels in this universe.

Alistan Nor!!! THAT'S THE FORCE BUILDER WORLD AND IT WAS MENTIONED IN FREEMAKER ADVENTURES.

Damn, this Han really became just like his mentor in the old universe. A true scoundrel.

God that twist of the old universe never coming back is gut-wrenching...especially since Jedi Bob is the only survivor of his old universe. The story of Jedi Bob is beyond tragic. One simple curiosity into the cornerstone left him the only survivor. Spending all that time alone in the Temple to make sure it doesn't happen again...only for it to happen again. I also really love how the simple galaxy is represented by 4:3 aspect ratio and all LEGO figures are the classic yellow designs.

WHEN SERVO WAS DESTROYED, I FELT MY HEART BREAKING APART. God that was heartbreaking to see, just like many heroes before him in his stories, to save his friends Sig gave himself up.

Part IV

"The tales of my galaxy. The tales of people like Dev. My Dev. I don't wanna forget them. They matter." Sig Greebling

God the intro with the sad music and Servo shutting down just hurts me in ways I cannot comprehend. The collapsing logo really showcases we're in the endgame.

I love how Yoda is voiced by his Young Jedi Adventure VA in this show. It is heartbreaking to see Ian Han hate Yoda given the very first major LEGO SW special (The Padawan Menace was one of my first non-SW movie experiences in my childhood).

Even if Dev is mentally messed up, I really like how he came around to having a brother and want to be brothers. I like how Sig realizes this is all a fantasy of a galaxy he can never restore. He fights to save this galaxy now.

I'm happy Tico got to a substantial role in this show alongside Rey. Reusing the Nobody line toward Darth Rey was pretty cruel.

The space battle was shot very well and I love the designs of the Calamari Destroyers.

Dev's breakdown was pretty disturbing to see and how he took the rage and lack of happiness in his life to put his idea of "order" and to take control of his life. Especially how he sees himself as beyond redemption and the point of no return.

The quote I used for the introduction quote is beautifully anti-nihilist.

The fight is so well choreographed and so peak, especially when the brief moment the windows were destroyed and the energy shield was activated. The fact the Nerf herder stick came back to be a major turning point in the fight against Dev is great. It was heartbreaking and I got a bit misty-eyed to see Dev ultimately decide to remain evil.

My heart repaired itself as Servo was reconstructed. The old galaxy is gone but the stories will live on. And leave it for Servo to interrupt Sig and Yesi's tender moment haha.

The ending shot with the new crew really felt like the passing of the torch between the Freemaker Adventures to Rebuild the Galaxy. I hope we get to see the Freemaker cast, especially the Freemaker family on Alistan Nor.

Also, The Landolorian and Evil Grogu has been so hyped as the sequel hook alongside Darth Rey and Tico being in charge of the Empire.

This is such a great show and I can't wait to see more LEGO SW stories set in this universe.

I love the score by Kramer who is also responsible for Ninjago’s score (alongside Jay Vincent):

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lurking-latinist · 2 years

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I just saw this awesome post about including mobility aids in fantasy writing, and I do not want to create a tangent but I *do* want to share some things I learned about disability in ancient Greece when I was researching that paper I wrote on the Philoctetes, so I am making my own post.

Philoctetes is a mythical figure who was one of the Greek heroes going to the Trojan war. Before they got there, he suffered a wound in the foot which would not heal. The other Greek leaders were unwilling to have the noise of his screams and the stench of the infected wound in their camp, so they abandoned him on a deserted island with only his famous weapon, the Bow of Heracles. He survived there for ten years. Now the war is almost over, Troy has almost fallen, but the Greeks have heard a prophecy: they cannot win until they have the Bow of Heracles. So wily Odysseus and young Neoptolemus (the son of the recently dead Achilles) go to the island where Philoctetes is still living, still dealing with his injury. Philoctetes is eager to escape the island, but can he trust the community that abandoned him ten years ago? Can they ever make right what they did to him?

Now that’s the type of story that someone might very well point to who was arguing that disabled people have to be neglected and excluded in a “historically accurate” story. And it’s definitely not an example of casual inclusion. But what that person would be missing is that Philoctetes’ abandonment and isolation in this play was intended to be shocking to its Athenian audience. The audience is invited to identify with Philoctetes and to be horrified at how he does not receive the support from his community that real-world people with similar disabilities did receive, as we can tell from both textual and archaeological evidence.

Martha L. Rose’s book The Staff of Oedipus: Transforming Disability in Ancient Greece emphasizes this. Look, here’s what I wrote in my paper, why should I rewrite it:

Rose approaches her material “though the lens of disability studies, which approaches the phenomenon of disability by assuming that there is nothing inherently wrong with the disabled body and that the reaction of a society to the disabled body is neither predictable nor immutable” (1). In other words, it is necessary to see what attitudes and assumptions about disabilities are actually recorded, rather than projecting any of our own assumptions. ...

Also unlike today, Greek concepts of disability were not medicalized. “Permanent physical disability,” writes Rose, “was not the concern of doctors in antiquity beyond recognition of incurability” (11). This does not mean that disabled people had no resources or were simply left to perish, of course. Rather, they were often cared for within their households and their communities (28), which means that both Philoctetes’ abandonment and isolation form a shocking exception to the norm. The importance of community support suggests that Philoctetes’ joy at being reunited with humanity comes from practical as well as emotional needs. At the same time, the wide range of tasks and trades in the Greek economy meant that many disabled people were far from economically dependent (think of [the god] Hephaestus the lame smith), so that “[a] physically handicapped person earning a living would not have been a remarkable sight” (39). People unable to walk at all rode donkeys or were carried in litters, while those who walked with difficulty used a staff or a crutch (24-26).

So for writers: the ancient Greeks didn’t invent the wheelchair--but they had the wheel technology (I suspect the issue may have been with roads and pavements instead), so your Greek-inspired fantasy world totally can (which was the point of that earlier post). Or maybe your protagonist goes on their adventures with a faithful donkey sidekick that helps them get around. Maybe they are respected for their skill in a craft, making their home and workshop a lively meeting-place for customers. If you’re writing fantasy, you could be inspired by one of the myths of Hephaestus, in which he creates metal automatons--basically, magic robots--that not only support him as he walks, they also act as assistants in his workshop!

Anyway, the point of this post is basically just that I agree with the other post about including mobility aids in fantasy and I had some relevant knowledge in the back of my head. And also that you should read the Philoctetes. Look, here’s a recent free modern English verse translation: https://johnstoniatexts.x10host.com/sophocles/philocteteshtml.html

Oh, and if you would like to see my term paper or the relevant section from The Staff of Oedipus, message me, I will share them.

#philoctetes #writing #I should add that Rose also has information about things like blindness and deafness in her book #I just happened to be writing a paper about mobility

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mugunghwc · 4 months

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@badheart

More than 24 had passed since they had seen the sunlight. Clamour had turned into silence as the hours went by, losing their fury. The imminent war kept them at bay, saving every ounce of energy for the fight—if they even arrived in time for it. Despite the many men within the Tojo, this was a war between the Fukuhara-gumi and Endo. With enough determination, today could be the day the clan's leader lost his power. The arrival of the Jingweon mafia overshadowed that of the rest of the Fukuhara-gumi, their surprise was evident upon seeing no other than Han Joon-gi and a few of his men already guarding the home. Among them was Ji Woo, who instructed Yury to keep a close eye on their boss, emphasizing that his safety took priority over that of the yakuza leader. Ideally, he wouldn't be present in the first place. Kim remained blissfully unaware of such a risk.

The cold, steel bars of a cell felt oddly nice underneath his fingers, which were clasped around them as Ryo glared outwards. Out of sight, but not out of mind. "And we’re stuck in here while our boss faces them alone.” Well, not entirely alone. However, the support of their men, did little to put at ease his mind. Their high rank wasn't without reason—they were Fukuhara's top dogs due to their skill in combat and reliability. A scoff escapes him. "This won't go without consequence."

The security alarm began to beep, triggered by its motion-detecting feature, as men started trespassing into the Fukuhara home. Their images were captured on the CCTV footage, heightening the anticipation of the attack. Then, there was dead silence—not even their steps were heard as they entered the residence, like ghosts. All of their faces were concealed with masks, obscuring their identities. Endo's men blocked the exits, led by Jack. His cry for action was like the rumble of thunder announcing a storm. Their bullets, like raindrops as they began to pour. Han kept close to the clan's leader, aiming his gun at whoever dared to get near. However, shooting was reserved in case it was necessary ; using of his strength to fight back. The less blood they shed, the easier would it be to avoid further issue.

Simultaneously, as if aware of Fukuhara's predicament, Yuma appeared. This was his chance, as there was no considerable amount of men guarding the secondary home in which Eiko and her child were kept. It would've been the perfect timing, had it not been predicted by Shintaro, who was even quicker to act than Kim was—emerging from the shadows. The man was detained.

Despite their perfect timing, Endo's attempt to annihilate the leader of their rival group had failed. Just as the king was going to be overthrown, a dark horse arose. Some lives were lost, but not all of them, as it was clear that they were at a disadvantage with the amount of men on Fukuhara's side. Jack was shot on his right thigh ; groaning in pain before calling off the attack. He was escorted by the rest as they retrieved from the home. Everything went quiet again, minus their ragged breathing. Han slumped against the wall with his head thrown back and a mild ache when his ribcage expanded with each inhale. Without notice, he, too, had been shot. The adrenaline rushing through his body prevented him from taking notice. It was only until Ji Woo pointed out his bloodied clothes that it dawned on him. He had been careless.

Kim would eventually find out upon being informed by Yury, but as desperate as he was to ensure that his boss wasn't in danger, he had to keep Yuma under the radar for now. It was Shintaro who insisted that it was Han who communicated to Kenzo about it, as he'd be more comprehensive with him rather than with an actual ex-convict, regardless of whether it was warranted or not. He visited the leader and was one of the first ones to see him upon awaking from surgery, handing over his phone.

"If you want any chance of keeping your brother alive, I suggest you free Fukuhara's men." Han suggested, while hinting of having knowledge of his whereabouts. Even if it was frowned upon by his colleagues, the entire force knew that they had no motive to hold them in captivity any longer. The more time it passed, the more vicious would be their fury.

As soon as the cell was opened, Ryo was among the first to step out and grab his items. Among them, his jacket, which he had removed by then. He took Jiro with him and headed up to check on their leader. A phone call that was made within the car, asking for the man's location.

#badheart #.ic / locked & loaded finding your target #verse 01. theory of beauty / main #i tried not to make it too long and skip through a lot but there was so much to set and I wanted to mention various characters #I leave it up to you if Fukuhara also got hurt or not #Either way #I think they can meet at the hospital while Han rest

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eltube · 1 year

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mini essay…thoughts about the curse in op CARAMEL

ok buckle up i wrote this at 3 am and after quarantining it for a while I am hitting Post

so…I think about the “de-caramelized” versions of Sector V often, and I think even more often about Henrietta’s appearance before and after the curse and what this says about her and the curse itself. I wanna write a little bit about how I interpret the caramel magic

Obviously, I hate a lot of the implications made in op CARAMEL—I hate that we’re expected to view Henrietta’s previous fat body as the “ugly” “boy” version of her, I hate the writers going out of their way to be transmisogynistic, and I hate the overall message that pre-curse Henrietta or any other character has some kind of “innate” positive quality that they can gain or lose.

To be honest I reject a lot of the canon points of this episode for these reasons (and when Abby misgenders Henrietta in every previous episode I’m like She Would Not Fucking Do That). But I do like the idea of the curse and I think that, although Henrietta explains it as “taking what a person values most” in canon, there’s a little bit more nuance to it that Henrietta just didn’t know!

Basically, I don’t think the caramels actually take away any essential “quality” a person has—rather, I think it has more to do with someone’s self-perception. This isn’t to say that the qualities in the caramels don’t really exist, but I want to emphasize an understanding of character/personality traits as something a person develops, instead of something a person just “has.” Basically, I think what the caramel curse actually does is reveal a person’s insecurities by distilling and removing the qualities they’ve developed to conceal them.

Like, let’s look at the de-caramalized versions of sector V. Do we really think Hoagie would look Like That if the only thing the curse did was remove their intelligence? With Nigel, is there some kind of correlation between tooth size and leadership ability? No, sector V hasn’t just lost one quality here—they’ve been entirely warped into caricatures, specifically caricatures that correspond with traits they would find shameful in themselves.

Hoagie doesn’t just look “unintelligent” here—they look like a Neanderthal. There’s an implication of being not just unintelligent but also unsophisticated, old-fashioned, simple, obsolete—all things that Hoagie works to avoid as a scientist, an inventor, someone who wants to be seen as forward-thinking. We know, from operation AMISH for example, that Hoagie is self-conscious about this. They don’t want people to think they’re behind, they want their ideas to be respected. And as a result, they constantly use their intelligence to avoid getting that reputation. The curse has essentially removed the mechanism Hoagie uses to conceal what they’re insecure about, and that’s what it does to everyone.

Likewise, Nigel doesn’t just look like less of a leader, he also looks excessively nervous, he looks dorky, and he’s wearing a school uniform that’s pretty eerily similar to the delightful childrens’!! The fact that Nigel’s caramel is his “leadership skills,” explicitly a skill and not a personality trait, speaks to the way his position as Sector V’s leader is in many ways a compensation strategy. By becoming a leader that everyone relies on, Nigel hides his anxiety and his deep fear of losing his sense of self. He is a good leader because he does not want to look like this version of himself. These are all, in themselves, really great character studies of Sector V—it shows us what they’re sensitive about! What they want to hide! (I could write a much longer post about how this applies to Abby and everyone in sector V in detail and maybe I will be not right now)

So what does this say about Henrietta and her relationship with the curse? First, Henrietta is especially vulnerable to this curse because she is especially insecure. While everyone has parts of themselves they find shameful, we see with Henrietta that her shame distorts the person she is completely—there are almost no similarities between the pre- and post- curse versions of her, apart from them having the same accent. Additionally, the curse requires that a person share their caramels to break it—in other words, it requires that the cursed person be vulnerable enough to share their insecurities. It isn’t just that Henrietta struggles to share any candy, but also that sharing her caramel with Abby is symbolic of admitting to Abby that she is ashamed. Abby knows that Henrietta is in fact willing to suffer from the curse forever if it means she doesn’t have to be honest with herself.

Second, I think that both the way Henrietta looks during and after the curse is distorted by her self-image. It isn’t necessarily that the way Heinrich looks is unattractive, but that Henrietta does not want to look like that—mostly, because I think Henrietta is trans, it’s just that she does not want to be seen as a boy. I also think that the way Henrietta looks at the end of CARAMEL isn’t how she looked before the curse…mostly because I hate the design lol but ALSO because I think that unlike Sector V, Henrietta was cursed for so long that she lost a healthy sense of herself. So her end-of-CARAMEL appearance is actually closer to how she ideally wants to look. I think that if she continued to develop a healthier self-image, this would wear off with time. And lastly, I think the fact that Henrietta’s curse changes revolve around appearance is in itself a huge statement about her as a character—she does not feel any particular shame or insecurity about her personal qualities, which….as we know are not all super admirable. (I know it’s implied that she Magically Stops Being Evil at the end of CARAMEL but I also reject this because I think it’s boring LOL)

TL;DR caramel curse does not really Take anything from you, it just removes your ability to hide what you’re Sensitive about. And also Im insane

#Knd #Woe meta post be upon ye #im sorry if this doesn’t minimize and u have to scroll through it for a long time

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universe-in-the-void-in-the-cube · 1 month

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Hetalia D&D 5e/Pathfinder 1e - Part 8 Nordics

I did a thing yesterday. Got on ChatGPT (I know bad mun) and made rough NPCs for my Pathfinder 1e game. And I used every core character from Hetalia. So, I shared with 3 Hetalia fans I follow and was told to share all of them if I did all of them. Which I did. So here we go.

Denmark NPC

Race: Human (Varisian variant)

Reasoning: Varisians have a rich culture and history, which reflects Denmark's Viking legacy. They also get a +2 bonus to Dexterity and Charisma, alongside a versatile skill set.

Classes:

Barbarian (Berserker Archetype) 7

Description: The Berserker archetype emphasizes the rage and ferocity typical of Viking warriors. Denmark fits well into this class due to his strong, boisterous personality and warrior spirit.

Rage Ability: Can enter a rage, gaining bonuses to Strength, Constitution, and Will saves.

Fighter (Two-Weapon Warrior Archetype) 2

Description: Denmark is known for his involvement in fights and his confidence in battle. The Fighter class allows him to excel in combat while using dual-wielded weapons (axes or swords are thematic).

Combat Style: Focused on dual-wielding, gaining benefits when using two weapons.

Bard (Vagabond Archetype) 1

Description: This reflects Denmark’s charming and social nature. Bards can provide support through inspirational performances, enhancing Denmark’s charismatic personality.

Spells and Performances: Can inspire allies and cast spells that can enhance or bolster his teammates.

Levels:

Total Level: 10

Ability Scores (After Racial Modifiers):

Strength: 18 (Boasting a powerful physical presence)

Dexterity: 14

Constitution: 14

Intelligence: 10

Wisdom: 12

Charisma: 14 (Charismatic leader)

Roleplay Notes:

Denmark should be portrayed with a laid-back, confident attitude, often wanting to engage in competitions and showcasing comradery with allies.

He is fiercely protective of his friends and may challenge others to duels, boasting about his skills.

Communication style should be energetic, punctuated with friendly taunts and an inclination toward humor.

Equipment:

Weapons: Two handaxes or swords

Armor: Medium armor (for mobility in battle while retaining some protection)

Other Gear: Viking-themed items like a trusty shield and perhaps some trophies or symbols from past battles.

Additional Fluff:

Denmark could have a companion animal that resembles a dog or wolf, symbolizing loyalty (in line with the Viking theme).

His backstory could include tales of raids and battles—always emphasizing fun alongside the dangers he faced.

Finland NPC Concept:

Character Traits:

Calm and kind, but possesses a stern focus when needed.

Represents both warmth and a strategic mindset.

Enjoys nature, which can be tied into his sniper abilities.

Race:

Race: Human (with the Alternate Racial Trait "Versatile Heritage" to represent adaptability and calmness under pressure)

Classes:

Class Combination: Sniper (a Ranger archetype) / Soulknife (for mental combat prowess and tactful thinking) / Mysterious Stranger (a rogue archetype offering versatility in skills and stealth).

Level:

Level: 8th Level

Breakdown:

Race: Human

Ability Score Increase: +2 to any one ability score (Dexterity for shooting accuracy)

Versatile Heritage: Choose one extra skill.

Class Levels:

Ranger (Sniper Archetype) - Level 4

Key Features:

Favored Enemy: Choose Elves (or any other race that fits contextually).

Combat Style: Archery (focus on ranged combat).

Sneak Attack: Gain bonus damage on a successful attack if conditions allow (in line with the sniper flavor).

Terrain Mastery: Choose a terrain that represents Finland's lush environment (such as forests or mountains).

Soulknife - Level 3

Key Features:

Mind Blade: A psionic weapon formed from pure mental energy, representing Finland's mental clarity.

Psychic Armor: Improve defenses, reflecting the armor of calm amidst chaos.

Maneuvers: Enhance mobility and stealth in combat scenarios.

Rogue (Mysterious Stranger) - Level 1

Key Features:

Skills: Focus on Stealth, Perception, and Diplomacy.

Sneak Attack: Gain a small damage bonus (synergizing with ranger abilities).

Cunning Action: Flexibility to move and act quietly while evaluating surroundings.

Equipment:

Weapons: A Longbow (or composite longbow) styled to represent Finland’s sniper theme and a dagger for close encounters.

Armor: Light armor (like leather armor) for agility and stealth (i.e., a cloak for blending in with nature).

Magic Items (if available): Anything enhancing Stealth or Dexterity, like a Cloak of Elvenkind or Ring of Protection.

Personality:

Role-playing Tips: Finland can be portrayed as tranquil and supportive, focusing on the well-being of nearby allies. However, when targeted, he can shift into a calm yet lethal hunter, emphasizing his sniper background.

Iceland

Race: Human (Standard) Iceland is exceptionally versatile, reflecting the adaptability and resilience often associated with humans, especially in a Viking context.

Classes:

Barbarian (Invulnerable Rager) - Level 5 Reflecting Iceland's resilient and hardy nature, including a nod to Viking warriors. The Invulnerable Rager archetype emphasizes toughness and an ability to take a beating, fitting for a Viking warrior.

Key Features: Rage, Damage Reduction, Improved Uncanny Dodge, and Rage Powers that augment defensive capabilities.

Sorcerer (Bloodline: Elemental - Water) - Level 5 Iceland has a strong connection to nature and elements, particularly water (which ties to his icy persona). The Elemental Bloodline reflects his ties to elemental magic and environmental control.

Key Features: Spells like Ice Storm, Wall of Ice, and other water-themed elemental spells.

Witch (Herbalist) - Level 5 This class gives Iceland a connection to the natural world and aligns with his knowledge of local herbs and potions, reflecting his resourcefulness.

Key Features: Hexes that enhance his combat effectiveness or provide utility, and the ability to brew potions that tie into his theme.

Total Level: 15

Example Traits:

Iron Will: Bonus on Will saves. Reflects Iceland's stubbornness.

Fast Learner: Choose an extra skill to improve, represents his intelligence and adaptability.

Skills:

Knowledge (Nature) - Reflecting his understanding of the harsh environments.

Survival - Essential for a Viking-themed character.

Diplomacy - While he’s often shy or reserved, he’s also shown to engage with others, representing social skills.

Equipment:

Frost Brand Longsword: A magical weapon that deals additional cold damage and is thematic to his icy nature.

Explorer's Outfit: Suitable for his rugged lifestyle as a Viking.

Potion of Water Breathing: Practical for a character connected to water and ice.

Background:

Iceland is a quieter soul compared to the rest of his Viking kin, often reflecting on the past while grappling with his strong identity. He might have a balance of fierce independence combined with the need for companionship and understanding.

Norway

Race: Human (Varisian) Reasoning: Humans are versatile and well-rounded, which fits Norway's theme as a steadfast character. The Varisian culture aligns with a nomadic lifestyle reminiscent of Viking exploration, as they are known for their strong traditions, story-telling, and connection to both the wilderness and the sea.

Classes (Level 6):

Barbarian (1 Level) Reasoning: A level in Barbarian reflects his fierce spirit and connection to nature. The rage feature captures the Viking warrior ethos.

Archetype: Invulnerable Rager - Enhancing toughness connects with Norway's personality.

Fighter (3 Levels) Reasoning: The Fighter class represents Norway's combat ability and training with various weapons. This adds to the Viking warrior role.

Archetype: Weapon Master - Showcases mastery in weapons and tactical combat, suitable for a character with deep martial traditions.

Bard (2 Levels) Reasoning: While he embodies martial skills, the Bard class can capture his artistic side and mysticism. Bards are known for their stories and songs, which fit Norway's cultural depth.

Archetype: Skald - This archetype emphasizes heroic tales and battle songs, perfect for a Viking-themed character.

Stat Suggestions (Assuming Level 6 NPC):

Strength: High

Constitution: High

Dexterity: Medium to High

Intelligence: Medium

Wisdom: High (to reflect his connection with nature)

Charisma: Medium (as a bard, he has some presence)

Skills:

Survival (reflecting wilderness skills, essential for a Viking)

Intimidate (to show confidence and prowess in battle)

Perform (Sing) (kicking off the bardic element)

Knowledge (Nature) (to represent his understanding of the natural world)

Equipment:

Weapon: Greataxe or a Nordic-themed weapon (like a bearded axe)

Armor: Chainmail or hide armor, reflecting Viking practicality

Miscellaneous Gear: Items suited for cold climates or seafaring tasks, tying into his Viking background

Traits:

Skilled: Gain a bonus skill rank that reflects his diverse talents as a combatant and a bard.

Bred Tough (Human trait): Represents resilience and adaptability, perfect for a Viking character.

Background:

Norway is a passionate warrior, known for his undying bond with nature and the elements. He draws inspiration from tales of old, weaving them into battle cries as he defends his homeland. His stoicism masks a deep connection with the natural world, and he often serves as a timeless guardian of the fjords.

Sweden NPC Build

Race:

Human (Viking Heritage): Humans are versatile and adaptable, fitting well with the Viking theme. You can flavor this with a Nordic background, granting the character access to various skills and abilities.

Classes:

Barbarian (Viking Archetype):

Level: 5

Description: The Barbarian class embodies the fierce warrior spirit of the Viking. The Viking archetype accentuates this theme with features that enhance the character’s combat prowess and endurance. Sweden would embody the relentless raider who charges into battle with a great axe, representing both his warrior nature and Viking heritage.

Fighter (Berserker Archetype):

Level: 5

Description: The Fighter class reflects expertise in various combat techniques and weapons. The Berserker archetype ties in well with the brutal and ferocious image associated with Vikings, allowing the character to tap into primal rage to become a fearsome opponent in battle.

Ranger (Skirmisher Archetype):

Level: 5

Description: The Ranger’s connection to nature and wilderness fits well with Sweden’s affinity for forests and hunting. The Skirmisher archetype enhances mobility and hit-and-run tactics, emphasizing a tactical approach in combat—skills handy for both a warrior and a survivalist.

Total Level: 15 - This level reflects a character who has experienced considerable time in combat, combining raw power with tactical finesse.

Background and Description:

Appearance: Sweden is tall and strong, with long blonde hair and a serious demeanor. His outfit reflects traditional Nordic attire, combining elements of a Viking warrior's ruggedness with a dash of contemporary style.

Personality: He is reserved but deeply protective of his allies, often displaying an understated but unwavering loyalty. His demeanor sometimes comes off as stoic or gruff, resonating with his Viking warrior spirit.

Combat Style:

As a Barbarian, Sweden utilizes powerful strikes with his great axe, showcasing fierce melee attacks during combat.

As a Fighter, he can wield any weapon with proficiency, adapting to the situation, while his Berserker abilities allow him to harness rage to fight beyond his limits.

As a Ranger, his ability to track or navigate natural terrains aids the party in adventure and survival scenarios.

Skills and Feats to Consider:

Skills: Focus on Athletics, Survival, Intimidate, and Knowledge (nature) to reflect his Viking heritage and wilderness adeptness.

Feats: Look at Power Attack, Cleave, and Improved Initiative for the Barbarian; Weapon Focus and Combat Reflexes for the Fighter; and Track and Endurance for the Ranger.

Equipment:

Weapons: Great axe, longsword, and a bow for ranged attacks.

Armor: Light or medium armor that reflects Viking aesthetics, like studded leather or chainmail.

Special Items: Consider giving Sweden a magical item that reflects his personality—a protective amulet symbolizing loyalty or an enchanted weapon enhancing his combat abilities.

#hetalia #hetalia axis powers #hetalia world series #hetalia world stars #hetalia denmark #hetalia finland #hetalia iceland #hetalia norway #hetalia sweden #pathfinder #pathfinder 1e #dungeons and dragons 5e #d&d 5e

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autisticandroids · 1 year

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love club commentary part 2

got link limited by tumblr so here is the second half of this.

okay we're nearing the home stretch, folks. anyway. one of the reasons it took me so long to make this video is that i was worried about... the possibility of misinterpretation. because this video has a lot, and i mean a LOT, of themes and things to say. and not a lot of space to say them in. so one of the things i was concerned about is like... this video is partly about the tragedy of the angels, you know? and that's something where cas' complicity/fault is... complicated. while cas certainly bears some of the blame, it's also true that... this was historically inevitable. the angels were always going to eventually wipe themselves out because of the nature of their inherently unstable authoritarian cultgovernment means that when that collapsed, of course they all killed each other before they could figure out any other way to live. and it was always going to collapse.

and like, there were chances! there were chances. maybe eventually after half a decade of continuous civil war the remaining angels could have gotten their shit together. that's what's so compelling about stairway to heaven: that was their best chance. but it gets wrecked. and it gets wrecked because cas can't say no to his cult leader. like that's the great tragedy.

but also, it gets wrecked because of hannah's angel conflict resolution skills. the only way she knows how to solve the problem in stairway to heaven is by demanding that cas kill dean. hannah is certainly the rachel of season nine in terms of being a kind of synecdoche for his relationship with other angels, but also for her inability to resolve things without violence. (there is a reason why rachel's death plays such a prominent role in this video, and also why her "but what does god want us to do with it?" is so emphasized. she is synecdoche for the tragedy of cas and the angels in every respect. she expects to follow a leader. she has no framework for choices. she tries to kill cas. he kills her instead. he doesn't want to).

this is why i specifically included the fight with daniel and adina in black in the little flashes of angel violence during the rachel fight. that whole thing is a direct result of stairway to heaven, it's happening because that little attempt at like, angel non-authoritarianism has failed, and now hannah has the reins she is immediately falling back on authoritarianism because that's all she knows. it's really just like godstiel. you need a father, and i am your father now. which is of course projection, she is the one who feels like she needs an authority and is floundering. but i digress. and as soon as other angels reject her authority, the result is deadly violence. which is because of the authoritarian cult mindset instilled in her and cas and others by their upbringing in heaven.

so while cas is complicit in the angels wiping themselves out, i don't want it to come off like i'm putting all of the blame on him, you know? and while it matters that dean hates angels and will never accept cas' relationship with them it's also... it isn't the whole story. like, it matters that cas participates in wiping out the angels, it matters that sometimes the reasons why are related to how being in the winchester family cult has harmed him, it matters that being in the winchester family cult has also prevented him from effectively assisting the other angels. there's a reason i put the "i hate those flying ass-monkeys just as much as you do" -> "if i see what heaven's become... what i... what i made of it… i'm afraid i might kill myself" scene in this video. but they're not the core. the core of the tragedy is that the angels killed each other because they were always going to. and that's what the video's about.

my other concern about misinterpretation is essentially that i'm tackling a lot of themes and topics in this video and i didn't want to blur them together. like, cas inducting jack into the cult of the winchester family doesn't really have anything to do with the extinction of the angels, except insofar as they are both distant results of cas' indoctrination into the angelic cult, you know?

anyway, one of the reasons i couldn't make this amv way back in september 2021 is that i did not truly get jack yet, because i hadn't had @restlesshush explaining to me the horrible reality of his life for a year and some change.

anyway one thing i've always liked about this song is the double entendre of go get punched for the love club. like, punched as in tapped, as in initiated, but also punched as in hit. and so i put cas sacrificing himself in lucifer rising in the first chorus because you know, it fits. he's sacrificing himself to be initiated into dean's good graces. there's a reason why the thing that finally pushes him, in both lucifer rising and the monster at the end of this book, is dean saying "we're done." which is, you know. it's definitely bad for cas. but the true tragedy is in the last chorus, when cas unintentionally teaches jack that he too must destroy himself (this is why when cas is saying "take me in his stead" from byzantium he is mouthing go get punched for the love club). like, the end is a kind of. jack suicide compilation. it's all the times that jack has tried to destroy himself in the name of the winchester family. the most notable ones are obviously unity and ouroboros, ouroboros because it's like. it's an attempt by jack to earn his place in the winchester family through self-destruction. unity (the rib scene) because dean openly demands that jack sacrifice himself.

and then of course there's the level on which like... the beginning of jack's relationship is cas trying to get into another cult. like, he's had a pretty miserable year in season twelve so he just. finds himself a new authority figure. he craves being brainwashed, and he kind of gets his wish. of course, once jack is a flesh and blood person in front of him and not a vague concept, that's no longer how he relates to jack.

but there's still a level of one-sidedness in their relationship in a new way, where cas thinks of himself as not really having the right to be jack's family, of his task being to love jack one-sidedly. and this results in lots of things but one of them is him intentionally indoctrinating jack into the family cult. like he is not bringing jack into his own family. there is no family unit that is headed by castiel. instead, he's bringing jack into the winchester family.

which is why that whole conversation at the end happens. like, cas sacrificing himself for jack in front of jack may have been destructive to jack, bringing him to be around the winchesters, ditto, but this conversation in destiny's child is like. the worst thing cas has done to jack. and like. i have my qualms about the writing in this episode, because of buckleming's garbage jack thesis. but it's crucial to understanding the whole point, because what's happening there is cas teaching jack to process dean's abuse the way cas does. he is teaching jack to accept emotional abuse as an inevitability, and love dean anyway. and that's the end point of cas' trauma, trauma that starts all the way back in heaven.

cas becoming dean's priest.

[back to video]

#spn #vid #i feel insane why does tunglr dot hell have LINK LIMITS #suicide cw #abuse cw

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thecagedsong · 2 years

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You said you stopped watching MLB because of how Chat was treated; I'm curious what you meant?

Chat is supposed to be Ladybug's equal. Hawkmoth needs both to handle his wish. They are supposed to be Yin and Yang. Creation and destruction. Tikii and Plagg. The only one truly able to stop the cat is the ladybug, the only one that can mess up the ladybug is the cat. They halt each other in opposition.

Working together they are unstoppable as the union of opposites, internal and external balance, and maybe an acknowledgement of the power of friendship superseding our differences in power types and personalities and being the force that lets them accomplish everything, since this is a kids show.

Visually, based on their outfit and color scheme, in costume and out of costume, this is their theme. Personality, this fits too, when you compare their social skills in different situations.

That's the theme that is supposed to guide the story every time they are on screen, we're being told that that is the theme.

That's not what the story does. Ladybug is clearly stronger than Chat. Even in the future, Chat's the joke that accidentally cataclysms other miraculuses, causes problems, and is a nuisance no one wants to see. Marinette is the competent leader who's going to achieve her goals no matter what! She's the leader that holds all the secrets, gives all the instructions, breaks down under the pressure, but she gets stronger so it's okay! She can know everyone's identity but Chat's, because she's the best and the greatest, and we all know Chat's going to fall under mind control next week because he's a screwup, so it's totally justified right?

NO. You had such cool and important themes that could have helped turn the work into something truly great.

No one in universe, except for Plagg, cares about Chat. If it's between Adrien and Marinette, everyone but Chloe is going to pick Marinette. If it's ladybug verse chat? Everyone is going to pick ladybug. And Ladybug, the so called hero that's supposed to be his partner, talks down to him too while worshipping Adrein, who is also clearly not alright.

If they tried to use this to play into the themes of the differences between the miraculous, maybe I could get past it. Develop Chat into a lone wolf type that ladybug trusts to strike on his own while she's handling the team attacks. But Chat loves Ladybug and desperately wants friends, so they should have been developing him into a co-leadership position to emphasize the equality between them.

Instead he's still a goof that's needlessly suffering because no one trusts him/loves him, and thus delaying the plot exponentially because Hawkmoth is literally living in his house. You may argue that that changes later, but it was too much for me.

I've also come to realize that what's fun about 'monster of the week' type shows is the new cast and situations you get each week. (Note the times they do do this in the show, those make the best episodes) Scooby-doo, you have a new haunted cellar/house/lab/underground tunnel system each with, with a new cast for the who-dun-it with a mix of personal motivations that the characters jump right into and have to figure out. Sailormoon? Usagi discovered new parts of her hometown, learned about gyms and festivals and sports, and putting on plays and artist galleries, each time exploring a new character that has a life of their own and separate passions, which mirrored the themes of growing up and realizing just how different and amazing the world is now that you're old enough to start exploring it. The 3D modeling medium severely limits the new cast you can introduce, which would be fine if they were willing to develop the characters more, specifically within the themes and show marked progression in the dynamics with each other, but they aren't.

So I feel betrayed by the discarded themes as shown by the unequal treatment of Chat which unnecessarily causes him suffering and I'm bored by the uninteresting cast that can neither truly change composition or develop as characters/people.

#Miraculous Ladybug #Chat Noir #Ladybug #Anti Miraculous Ladybug #themes #ask thecagedsong

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anthonybialy · 5 months

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The Upside of Nostalgia with Lindy Ruff

I knew that name sounded familiar. Lindy Ruff is a throwback in multiple senses. The era conforms with the mentality. The Buffalo Sabres have regressed as the years have advanced. There’s never been a better time to indulge in the comfort of recognition. My favorite part of any Star Wars movies since the original trilogy was the AT-ATs.

If there’s going to be a nostalgia hire, make it this one. Living in the past is fine if it means bringing back memories of the last time the Sabres made the playoffs. Ruff didn’t just engineer better records than this team’s grown accustomed to over the time since he stopped working for them: he may still possess the skills to make it happen.

I’m thrilled Devils fans made their best hope the scapegoat. Then again, I’m a Sabres fan. Newark’s franchise should’ve found a different goat to scape in their sacrifice to their mascot. The lack of defensive options would’ve doomed Toe Blake. New Jersey can’t take it back.

Blaming the coach for the Devils having NHL goalies in name only is a special way to confirm that life is unfair. Fans may as well get on Josh Allen’s case for not drafting a speedy receiver.

A good leader takes responsibility for what happens on his watch. A bad one does, too, although by imposition. New Jersey fans question whether he did enough structurally. And they dislike the Ramones because Johnny didn’t solo. Let’s emphasize what we’re good at in the sequel coach’s honor. Ruff’s focus is on getting the most out of his roster by tailoring strategy to who’s available. His system is to change his. Impugning emphasizes the point.

Ruff is apparently supposed to feel guilt based on the crime of having good players. Detractors still vainly try to tape an asterisk to his name because he’s been successful when he’s had better goalies. Coaches have some nerve using Dominik Hasek and Ryan Miller if they’re available. Casey Stengel should’ve felt bad for managing all those other people with numbers retired by the Yankees.

I’m looking for a coach who’ll yell at everyone. It will be on fans’ behalf. The cathartic wish to scold anyone paid to wear a Sabres jersey could carry the added benefit of consistently dedicated play from players who don’t want to face wrath. If there’s a roster that deserves to get berated, it’s this one.

The new old guy employs the strategy of being sick of everything going on. Ruff could be cast as police captain. He’s had enough of this.

Timing is everything, like how the Sabres forget to be good until the playoffs are out of reach. They finally got it down during the offseason by waiting for the Devils to fire Ruff before they made a canning of their own. Don Granato was once an NHL head coach. It will always technically be true thanks to a club that’s using him as their rock bottom.

Terry Pegula hiring the only option he recognizes shows how limited knowledge can pay off. It’s rather rare, as seen by the rest of his godforsaken tenure ruining a team some of us used to enjoy. But hiring one of the few NHL coaches he knows by name might work out. Ruff is sure better than every other addition Pegula’s made, even if that’s a paltry accomplishment along the lines of best season missing the playoffs.

The owner vaguely remembers once firing this guy. It was either before or after he fled to Florida. It turns out he still owns the hockey team. The canning nothing personal, which is the lone thing he knows about business. Someone’s performance can diminish over time with the same company. Meanwhile, the aspects that made him successful remain intrinsic to his personality even factoring in his initial tenure ending as the roster declined.

This remains the right time to bring back Ruff even if only to show hard feelings shouldn’t infringe on the future. Sabres fans should acquaint themselves with the Billy Martin principle regardless of whether they view the Yankees as Buffalo’s semi-hometown team or the Bronx’s Death Star.

To confirm, he’ll be behind the bench. The biggest question was if this was the job he would take. It was natural to wonder if he would’ve been hired for some sort of executive role. He could get a promotion after a couple years if he were able to get this unfortunate franchise back on the right track.

Executive Ruff would have less work to do if he moved from behind the bench around 2028. A president of hockey operations-type job would mean another salary for an owner who already doesn’t want to pay a new coach. But someone who knows what he’s doing might bring in enough revenue to justify payment. It’s never too late for Pegula to learn business.

Sabres fans are experiencing a peculiar sensation. I vaguely remember it as hope. There’s genuine excitement around a semipermanent outcast for the first time in awhile. Experiencing offseason thrills comes not just from knowing the name.

The assuagement of streaming reboots shields from the trepidation brought by the unknown. But indulging in sentimentality can be beneficial. In this case, bringing back the last good coach could lead to more than reminiscing.

#Buffalo Sabres #hockey #NHL #coach #Lindy Ruff

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th-ramblr · 11 months

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[Baldur's Gate 3] - Squidhawk #8

[Cross-posted on AO3]

Halsin was treading on thin ice with how he refused to leave, but if there was one good thing Kytes could say about him, its that he honored his word when he said he'd keep up some distance.

Was it the amount of distance Kytes wanted? No. But it was better than everyone else so far, who had carelessly tried to manhandle him at every turn. It was far enough away that he was never at risk of being touched were Halsin to reach out a hand towards him.

Kytes coughed into his palm a few times, feeling short on breath as his heart hammered too hard in his chest from anxiety.

Give him goblins and ogres any day. At least nobody cared if he stabbed them in the throat. But 'civilized' folk? He could live a million years never seeing them and it still wouldn't be long enough, but township living was the only way he knew how to get by. He wasn't an outdoorsman and he didn't have enough skills in any trade to have access to all he needed that other people normally made.

He would never live long enough for learning those trades to matter, anyway, as his body was currently reminding him. Bile rose in the back of his throat, and he wiped it away on the back of his hand, breathing a touch labored.

"I think this is far enough," Halsin declared, surveying the small clearing they had ended up in, already setting to work on building a campfire. If Kytes had been thinking far enough ahead, he would have brought a sleeping bag with him, but he'd have to make do with the ground.

Halsin noticed him pressing a palm to his chest as the druid moved about and settled in, watching carefully. "Are you hurting? Perhaps I might have a healing spell that can alleviate your pain."

Kytes waved him off, having been down this road plenty enough times before to know that there was no magic anywhere that could fix what was wrong with him.

"Won' ma'er. 's born si'-ck."

"I see..." Halsin hummed sympathetically as Kytes took a seat, dropping down heavily with his hand still on his chest. "I had some suspicions... but I couldn't have been sure. Especially not with already dealing with that thing in your head," he gestured with a random stick, before using the end of it to poke around firewood as it burned. "You seem to have a hard time with language, too. Were you born with that as well?"

Kytes gave him a look, which Halsin read easily enough.

"Forgive my curiosities. I just assume it has to do with something other than these parasites, since its not a symptom I've seen in any of the so-called 'True Souls'."

Kytes sighed, gesturing at his head. "Fell." He emphasized by smacking the back of his hand into the opposite palm. "Long ago. Small. Heal' wrong." A pause, drawing his legs up to his chest and resting his head on his knees, staring half-lidded at the edges of the fire. He was exhausted, and only stubbornness and distrust kept him lucid.

"It must have caused you no small amount of grief, I'd wager," Halsin observed astutely. "And it can be difficult to get some people to listen even at the best of times. Hardly the best of times right now, and that speech impediment mustn't make things much easier for you."

Kytes made no point to entertain the notion. Its something people had noticed time and again before, and he didn't want to give the elf any more ideas. If the other got it in his head that that would make him easy to take advantage of, Halsin would soon enough find a dagger in his throat, bear or no.

When Kytes said nothing, remaining silent, Halsin continued.

"Well, you'll find no judgment from me. You aided me when to you, I was only a bear, even more voiceless than you are to most people, and far more feared and hated. That told me all I needed to know, but then you also showed yourself more than capable dealing with those goblins and their leaders. Anyone would be a fool to think lesser of you after that." Kytes gave him a skeptical look. "Myself included."

Gusting out through his nose, Kytes' gaze trailed away again in silence, finding it harder and harder to keep his eyes open.

"You must be tired though," Halsin noted. "Get some rest. I'll keep watch tonight and see that nothing troubles you."

Much as he wanted to do just the opposite, his body wasn't giving him much choice, almost falling over and barely catching himself. He settled halfway onto his side, halfway on his back, blinking up at the sky with quickly waning attention. The sky above was dark, not like that place where his... alleged protector appeared to him, in that strangely bright void sky.

In that strange place, he could talk as freely as anyone, not worry about how his voice would betray him and inspire everyone else to see him as stupid and incapable. It was the only place he could talk to someone on equal terms.

And yet...

There was still so much he didn't know, including who that man was. What he really wanted. He got the sense the man knew more than he was saying, the way he answered many of his questions while still evading them.

He had no idea where he was, either, and he recalled sharply how panicked the other had been when he asked where he could find him.

But he also remembered the other telling him that it wasn't safe, not that it wasn't possible.

So if that was the case... that meant he was somewhere that Kytes could reach, no matter how strange of a place it seemed like. It didn't look like anywhere Kytes could conceive of, but if the other was actually worried about the possibility of him reaching him... then...

He found himself drifting, head going limp to the side before he shifted half-awake again, with no semblance of how long his eyes had closed. The fire was still crackling nearby, and his sleep-heavy mind took note of Halsin still there, sitting awake but focused elsewhere. So he hadn't made any moves while he was asleep, at least.

He found himself drifting again, but even in sleep, his thoughts were searching.

Searching for the only person he really wanted to speak to right now, his thoughts buzzing with questions he wanted answered, but he found nothing but a quiet void that wouldn't answer back. At the very least, no nightmares wove their way out of that void the entire night that he slept, fitful of a rest that it was.

In some moments, he felt like he was close to finding the one he was looking for, like fingers brushing against fabric that slipped just out of reach as he closed his fingers, until even that sense of dreaming got away from him and he fell into a deeper, dreamless place.

When he awoke, it was already past noon, and at some unknown point he'd ended up in a sleeping bag he didn't remember crawling into, sitting himself up.

"Good morning," Halsin greeted huskily. "You were shivering with cold despite the fire last night, so I hope you don't mind that I brought you something warmer to rest in. I figured it'd be preferred to having me up close to you."

Kytes' eye wandered without much purpose before looking up, taking note that the druid was cooking up some sort of meat on a skewer. It smelled good, at least.

" 's fine," Kytes mumbled, pulling his legs free of it and swiveling to sit cross-legged, rolling his head to either side to stretch his neck with an exhale through his nose and roll his shoulders.

"I hope you were able to rest well. From here on out, things are bound to get more hazardous for the both of us. There is much to be done, and I promised to help you however I could. I'm certain a cure for you could be found at Moonrise Towers, but its... complicated."

He passed a skewer of hot meat across the fire for him, which Kytes leaned in and took, blowing on it to cool it down before daring to try and take a bite.

"The journey, specifically. Its extremely perilous, though it seems you're well-accustomed to navigating danger."

"Sa' all? Jus' go there?" He gestured flippantly with a flick of his wrist.

"What were you expecting?" Halsin huffed. "That I'd mumble a spell or whip out a potion? Don't get ahead of yourself," the druid cautioned, becoming more serious. "There's already plenty danger to be had for those that proceed cautiously. Don't be naive and underestimate the place we're going, thinking it will be anywhere near as easy as anything you've faced up to this point."

Kytes blinked twice in question, tipping his head for Halsin to continue.

"To get to the Towers, you'll need to pass through a terrible place - a cursed place. This curse enshrouds everything in shadow - you will not find life, light, or anything natural there. Any who linger are twisted by the curse; they become shadow beings - tormented, dangerous souls."

Kytes hummed, pondering that as he took a bite out of the meat, chewing on it thoughtfully for a few moments. "Bu' Ab'slu-tt-t--t-tt--tss-----go there fine?" His head tips the other way in question, looking at Halsin inquisitively. "Seems... how?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. I don't know any more than you how they could tolerate such a place, but they must know a way. Regardless, we will have to choose our approach carefully. We could go overland - along the Risen Road or through the mountains. Easier at first, but we'd run into the shadow curse eventually."

More optimistically, he added, "We could instead go under. There is a tunnel somewhere in the ruined temple of Selune, where the goblin camp was. It leads to Moonrise Towers through the Underdark. Long ago, a man called Ketheric Thorm built a secret stronghold deep down there, before rallying a whole army of Dark Justiciars - Shar worshippers. Aradin and his lot were looking for a way down there. They were promised riches if they retrieved a relic called the Nightsong. But I think there's more. From this stronghold, Ketheric's forces could access both the temple of Selune and Moonrise Towers - but he was defeated before he could launch an attack. If you can find this place, I'll wager it will reveal a more direct path to Moonrise Towers, and may even bypass the worst of the shadow curse."

Kytes gave that some more thought, chewing on his food through a few mouthfuls before finally posing, "Wha' 'd you do?"

"Given the two choices, I'd favor the Underdark. Even a place like that is the lesser evil when compared to the shadow-cursed lands."

"Where's i-tt---t-tt?"

"You'll need to pick up where Aradin left off - finding the hidden entrance. Its somewhere within the temple of Selune."

He pondered that through the rest of his food, trying to recall whatever he knew about the Underdark, but there wasn't much. Mostly talk and tales of mysterious caves that were a whole realm unto itself. One that was dark, hard to navigate, and full of subterranean dangers, or so some of the stories went. A lot of stories of missing people, too, unless they were gnomes or dwarves or dark elves - races that comfortably made their homes there.

He wasn't sure he liked that option. Going through the mountains couldn't be that hard, right? At least there would be a road, so he assumed.

"You-----go under------you wan'," he waved off. "I'll go moun'ins."

"You may reconsider once you see the effects of the curse for yourself." Halsin's brows furrowed together, a bit concerned. "But if you're going overland, I'd like to follow and join your camp, if you'll allow me. I can offer my skills... my counsel. I've long sought to return to Moonrise Towers. It seems our fates have aligned." The declaration was made confidently.

Kytes brows in return, squinting his eyes. "Why---you wanna go?"

"Unfinished business, and a lifetime of regret to repair. I helped overthrow Ketheric Thorm and his Dark Justiciars years ago. But I failed to prevent him from unleashing darkness across the region before he was defeated." Halsin spoke it with pain clear in his eyes. "I spent years researching the curse, trying to put an end to it. Nothing has worked - yet. If I can join you and get close to Moonrise, perhaps I can lift this curse, same as you may find a cure for your infection."

Of course Halsin had his own other motives. Just like the man in his head. Wanting to use him to some end of theirs. His expression was less than impressed.

" 's you wen' 'fore? -====find the way-===Moonrise?"

"Precisely. Perhaps then I could have done something about the shadow curse and ceremorphosis aberrations. But in my eagerness, I put far too much faith in the abilities of Aradin and his band. We didn't even get close."

And he was hoping Kytes would get him closer where they failed, he guessed.

"The grove?" Kytes questioned, glancing back in its direction. After all, Halsin had seemed more concerned with it than anything before. Then again, that snake, Kagha, had mentioned something of him chasing after other things and leaving them undefended, so...

"I've chosen a successor as First Druid - Francesca of the High Forest. A bird's already been dispatched to summon her."

"Who?"

"Precisely. Who indeed? You do not know, and neither do any of the others. The grove needs to move beyond the mistakes of the past. What it needs is an unknown quantity; an outsider who can enforce the Oak Father's teachings without bias. This is why I chose Francesca. She will restore simplicity and purity to the grove in my absence."

Whatever all that meant. He just nodded like he understood, but in all honesty, he couldn't care less, beyond Halsin's own motivations and feeling him out better.

"In any case, should we get going?"

Kytes gave a sniff, pushing himself up and starting to dust off and roll his sleeping back to pack away. "Go-----'self."

Halsin's brows furrowed again like earlier. "You don't wish for me to come with you?"

"No."

Halsin hummed, pursing his lips. "It will be quite dangerous, as I said. The both of us would fare better together, and you could most certainly benefit from my experience."

Kytes gave him an unfriendly squint, finishing with the last of rolling up his sleeping bag. "Go 'lone. Do'need you." He shrugged, looking away, puckering his lips out in exasperation. "Fine----my own."

Halsin didn't seem terribly happy with this, an argument clearly twitching at his lips, but the older druid ultimately gave in and smiled amicable, if disappointingly. "As you wish... I suppose it doesn't matter whether we travel together or separately, when we're both heading to the same place. Our paths are sure to cross again some time."

Kytes gave another indifferent shrug, busying himself with packing his things, ignoring the small pinprick of doubt in the back of his thoughts that said maybe he should travel with Halsin.

What would it matter, though? Just because the other was nice to him for a night, it didn't mean anything. He was useful to Halsin, for now. That was all. When he stopped being useful, the elf would just as soon leave him high and dry without another thought about it.

He'd already left others behind that most would see as far more valuable than him, right? With the grove and the other druids? There was no reason then Halsin wouldn't toss him aside just the same as soon as he lost value. There was no point staking his life on that gamble when he already knew the end result.

#Squidhawk #drabble #BG3 verse

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nicholash2001 · 11 months

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*Ethos, Pathos and Logos*

youtube

Ethos, Pathos and Logos Tumblr CQ Essay 2

In this entry, I will evaluate the critical questions: What is the main purpose of this artifact's message and how are ethos, pathos, and logos used in this rhetorical artifact to achieve that purpose? Also if the speech is ethical or unethical? I analyzed a speech by Jordan Belfort from the movie Wolf of Wall Street. He builds his ethos through examples of his commitment and his focus on the team's well being, using a pathos appeal to inspire /fire up the team, and creating a logos appeal through excellence of sales strategy, Jordan Belfort attempts to build up the team, to see themselves better than what they are and that with his help that they can be great. Overall it’s an ethical message Jordan Belfort presents as it inspires the team with his wisdom and uses rhetorical appeals to show the value and greatness of unity.

This speech is from the middle of the movie “Wolf of Wall Street” (2013). In this scene, the speaker is Jordan Belfort who is the CEO of Stratton Oakmont. As the ambitious and charismatic stockbroker he is, gives an energetic and motivational speech to motivate his sales team to inspire them to achieve financial success.

The ideology in Jordan Belfort's speech is one of relentless ambition, financial success, and the pursuit of material wealth. It serves as a motivational and inspirational ideology of isocrates that strongly resonates with the sales team and the audience, which emphasizes the values that guides the sales team to achieve financial wealth and success. The notion of rhetorical ideology is crucial in the study of persuasion and communication because it clarifies how language and discourse are used to advance specific worldviews and shape public opinion. What Mirhady says about Isocrates' ideology is that “Now these people have become so bold that they try and persuade the young that if they study with them they will know what they need to do and through this knowledge they will become happy. And once they have established themselves as teachers and masters of such great gods, they are not ashamed to demand only three or four minas for them” (Mirhady). Isocrates approached persuasion with a more practical mindset. In order to accomplish certain objectives, he underlined the value of realistic, convincing strategies and good communication. Isocrates method was frequently more concerned with the speaker's popularity and impact which could be visualized through Jordan Belfort’s speech.

Jordan Belfort builds on his ethos by establishing himself as a credible character through his professionalism and experience. Belfort says “I'm not talking about giving the clients what they want. I'm talking about giving them something they didn't even know they wanted." (Belfort). The language he chooses to use is very impactful because it lays the foundation of what knowledge he knows from the job that he is allowed to teach others how to be great at it as well. Belfort is portrayed in this quotation as a creative and forward-thinking leader. It implies that he possesses the know-how to lead his group in exceeding clients' expectations in terms of value. He seeks out the customers and allows them to give them his trust with what he believes would be beneficial for them. The element of persuasion to give high pressure sales to clients is a key skill to being a stockbroker. His willingness to challenge a conventional sales practice to what he does ultimately provides the clients more than they expect.

Belfort builds on pathos by using tremendous passion, energy and enthusiasm. Belfort says “Let me tell you something. There is no nobility in poverty. I’ve been a rich man, and I’ve been a poor man. And I choose rich every fucking time. Cause, At least as a rich man, when I have to face my problems, I show up in the back of a limo wearing a $2000 suit and $40,000 gold fuckin watch!” (Belfort). Belfort evokes strong feelings in the team by drawing a contrast between the lives and lifestyles of the wealthy and the impoverished. It evokes feelings like desire, aspiration, and the fear of impoverishment by presenting an impression of the advantages and rewards of wealth. The emotional appeal takes the shape of a liking for wealth and the feelings it arouses in the team. Belfort puts the fear of being “broke” and that as a man who once was being rich is a better lifestyle that comes with luxury and financial stability.

Belfort is also to build some logos in his speech by showing them what is possible for the members of his team to obtain. Belfort says “I want you to deal with your problems, by becoming rich!” (Belfort). This statement doesn’t justify the reason or logic but what it does is apply a logical approach to problem solving. Belfort makes the argument that becoming wealthy may help with personal issues, which can be seen as a workable solution predicated on monetary success. He uses himself as an example of how once he became successful all his problems went away. Stopped worrying about money and lived the life he wanted to live. To solve the problems of his fellow sales team members, the logical approach of becoming rich and following him would be the key to all their problems. He gave his team living proof of what they can achieve in life.

Jordan Belfort’s speech in “The Wolf of Wallstreet” is undoubtedly portrayed as a productive and effective piece of communication within the context of the film. First he instills a sense of ambition, relentlessness, and unwavering commitment among his sales team. He fosters a deep connection not only to his work which he loves to do but also to his sales team which pushes them to achieve financial success. He pledges to stay with them and to follow his lead into the sales world as they he can help make you rich. While what happens later in the movie and tactics along with his work is shady and frowned upon, his motivation to make something better of the people around him stays true. The team is stronger with him and without him the people around him would be nothing, making close to nothing in a financial aspect if he wasn’t there. He proves to them that he is the right man for the job to take them on this journey of success.

In conclusion, the speech given by Jordan Belfort from the movie “Wolf of Wall Street” (2013), delivers the ideology through his rhetorical appeals, evident through rhetorical analysis of his speech. Belfort skillfully establishes his ethos throughout his speech by demonstrating his unshakable dedication to their achievement and his sincere care for his team's welfare. His use of pathos appeal seeks to arouse strong feelings in his team members, appealing to their aspirations for both monetary and personal achievement. Additionally, Belfort creates a persuasive appeal by highlighting the superiority of his sales approach, reiterating the idea that adhering to his advice may result in observable outcomes. Whether what he did was ethical or not the speech itself is ethical in helping his team strive for greatness.

Work Cited:

Belfort, Jordan. “The Wolf of Wallstreet.” Youtube, uploaded by HF Marketing, 22 March 2014,https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=16&v=PQleT6BtCbE&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fmymovieconsultant.wordpress.com%2F&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjY&feature=emb_logo&ab_channe=HFMarketing

Mirhady, D. (2000) Isocrates Against the Sophists : Mirhady, David. Internet Archive.

#Youtube

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mariposakitten · 1 year

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I NEED HELP!!

I've had a fic on the backburner for a while. The premise: what if it wasn't Nie Mingjue who snuck into Nightless City to assassinate WRH? What if it were Nie Huaisang instead?

The problem: I am very good at scenarios and feels, but less good when it comes to PLOT. I have a whole scene already, but I don't know what happens next! Please, I am open to any and all suggestions!

Every day, every hour, Meng Yao calculates the odds.

The soldiers in the field, and their abilities. The terrain. The weapons available. The tactics and strategies favored by each sect, and how they interact. The leaders on the field, their strengths and weaknesses. The moves he knows Wen Ruohan will make next. The moves available to counter him.

Every day, he calculates the odds. Every day, he determines whether his chances of survival are better if he remains a spy, or if he serves Wen Ruohan in truth.

He runs those numbers every day. And every day, he discards the results.

Because, of course, Zewu-Jun is out there. Zewu-Jun is still fighting, still on the front lines, and so… and so it doesn’t matter. Not really. It’s a weakness in himself, one he despises, one that could kill him, but it’s true. As long as Zewu-Jun fights, the odds don’t truly matter. He’ll stay where he is and stay in his role and he’ll mock himself as a fool but he’ll do it anyway.

If Zewu-Jun dies - and he’d know if he did, he’s sure of that, a victory of that magnitude would be shouted through the halls – then, perhaps, the numbers will matter.

(If Zewu-Jun dies, then nothing will matter at all.)

***

He’s just sitting down to dinner when the summons comes. He’s needed, immediately, in the Fire Palace.

That in itself is a cause for concern. After all, when are a torturer's skills urgent? Didn’t Wen Ruohan himself emphasize how the anticipation of pain can be just as effective, sometimes even more so, than pain itself? What emergency has him hurrying down the corridors of Nightless City, as if a second lost were a second wasted?

Even as he hurries, he can hear the whispers, the gossip. It’s enough. Enough to answer some questions, to raise entirely new ones, and to take his mind completely away from these concerns.

“-tried to assassinate-"

“-an idiot to think he could get past-"

“-revenge for his father, do you think?”

“-the Nie fool-"

“-thinking with his sabre, they all do-"

Fuck. Fuck. Nie Mingjue. How could someone that big ever hope to be an assassin, he thinks, and ruthlessly quashes any affection that might accompany the sentiment. Nie Mingjue’s foolishness is not his problem.

Except that it is, except that he’s going to have to deal with it, except that he’s going to have to torture the first person who was ever truly kind to him, the first person who looked at him and saw intelligence and capability and potential rather than corruption and filth. He’s going to have to look him in the eyes, and hurt him, and not apologize.

For all that it ended badly, for all the pain and acrimony between them, he doesn’t want to.

He doesn’t allow his step to falter, even as this sinks in. Nie-zongzhu is strong. He is Chifeng-Zun, the Red Blade Master, and he won’t break easily. And that’s a good thing, Meng Yao tells himself. Because, as a Sect Leader, Wen Ruohan will know he has valuable information. As long as he doesn’t give it up, Meng Yao won’t be ordered to kill him. Wen Ruohan will want him kept alive, as long as there’s a chance of getting something useful from him.

And as long as he holds out, as long as he refuses to give any information that might put Zewu-Jun in danger, there will be no need for Meng Yao to… slip up. Go too far. Injure the prisoner so badly that even Wen Qing can’t fix it.

It still means torturing Nie Mingjue, of course. He’ll never forgive Meng Yao, not for that and not for the fate that will befall any unfortunate soldiers who accompanied him, who weren’t deemed worthy of interrogating. But pain will pass and injuries will heal, and as for forgiveness… well, Nie Mingjue already considered him unforgivable, and for far less cause. Meng Yao can live with being unforgiven for something he actually deserves, especially when it means keeping Nie Mingjue (and Zewu-Jun) alive.

Thus mollified, Meng Yao enters the Fire Palace and looks around, seeking Chifeng-Zun. His eyes glance over a figure chained to the wall, pitifully small; he is looking for the great Nie-zongzhu, the formidable figure who can fill a space even as vast as this one with the sheer force of his presence.

Then the figure on the wall makes a small sound, and his eyes drag back, and the bottom falls out of his world.

It’s not Nie Mingjue.

Nie Mingjue is terrible at stealth. Nie Mingjue would make a terrible assassin.

Someone must have convinced him of that. Because it’s not Nie Mingjue.

It’s Nie Huaisang.

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