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theanoninyourinbox · 1 month

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RETURN OF THE NEW LONGSTAR AU - THREE TO TANGO

Longstar Au – Three Stars Rising, One Star Falling

Inbetween Books

Spiderleg is bullied into the Healer’s den by Darkmoon, and is revealed to be In The Family Way. He refuses to name the Sire to the clan at large - citing Queen’s Rights - and entrusts the name to Sootfur, who joined the Elders as a Historian after his severe injuries fighting the badgers. Toadkit and Rosekit are adorable, but Spiderleg often leaves them in the Nursery with the Queens. Sootfur visits often enough that the kits see him as their father.

Charkit of Sorreltail’s litter is discovered to have only three feet – Brackenfur suggests naming her Cinder but Sorreltail refuses, wanting her kitten to have her own future, not weighed down by her aunt’s sacrifice. Her striking resemblance to the Healer, and her similar leg scenario, still weighs upon the kit, who works with Darkmoon and a supportive Cloudtail to exercise and navigate life.

On a border patrol, Whitewing finds an injured tom named Birch, and carries him back to camp. He recovers from his (somewhat embarrassing) fall from a tree, and joins Thunderclan. He brings tales of his birth family – The Sisters – and Longstar is curious but cautious about the group.

Frostfoot semi-retires to become a historian and tactician, and Whitestorm informs Longstar of his intention to retire as well. Longstar despairs at choosing a new Deputy, and falls into a restless sleep after Flamewish drags him into their nest. He dreams of the old Thunderclan camp, watches it shift into the new camp, watches it float and crumble in a dark sky. Suddenly, a bright star flares, and the constellations of Silverpelt spring to life. The star warps into a great cat, one half of their face spilling nebulas and colors, that cradles the clan back into a whole. He wakes, knowing exactly who to name. The next day, Longstar calls a meeting, and announces Whitestorm’s retirement. Longstar calms the clan, calling forth a cat who has cared for Thunderclan and for the connections that Thunderclan has created within their allied clans. He calls forth Brightheart to become Deputy. Brightheart is shocked but delighted, Cloudtail and Daisy dance around their mate, and their kits crow gleefully.

Soon after, Crowfeather comes over to visit Swiftpool. He shares the news that his foster sister Nightcloud and her mate Gorseflicker are now parents to three kits – Breezekit, a little black tom; Locustkit, a black and orange tortie molly; and Eveningkit, a grey and golden molly. Swiftpool notes that Hopfoot will have plenty of time to spoil his grandkits now that he’s retired. Crowfeather jokes that Gorseflicker cried over his kits so hard he was kicked out of the Nursery by Nightcloud, and Swiftpool laughs so hard she goes into labor.

By nightfall, three more kits have been born. Crowfeather names Jaykit after the brilliant blue of his eyes, Swiftpool names Hollykit after her spiky fur, and Lionkit is named for his loud cries. As the kits grow, Lionkit is noted to have the shorter legs like his Granduncle Fireheart. Jaykit is blind, but already uses his senses to navigate fairly well. And Hollykit is anxious and easily moved to emotion by others. They are supported wholeheartedly by their family and clan.

In Windclan, Breezekit plays with Whitetail’s kits Heatherkit and Galekit. Locustkit and Eveningkit escape camp one night and discover a series of tunnels. Mudstar is delighted to refound the Tunneler Role, with Locustkit loudly declaring that she wants to be one.

Leopardstar watches her clan grow, watches Hawkfrost befriend the local otters, watches Mistyfoot teach the next generation how to fish in these new waters. She is determined to do better – to be better – and a starry-coated cat silently agrees. Stonefur remains her unseen shadow for the rest of her days.

Blackstar and Russetfur, Leader and Deputy, chosen siblings, peer into the Nursery. Tawnypelt and Rowanclaw are curled around three new Shadowclanners. A golden tom – Goldenkit – a fiery orange tom – Emberkit – and a creamy molly – Dawnkit. All the promise of a new morning, not weighed down by the cloying shadows of their grandfather.

Outside of the clans, Sol seethes. He still has some of the power the Rotten Storm bestowed upon him, but knows instinctively that the day he uses the last of it, is the day he loses his voice forever. In his wanderings, he comes across a mysterious old badger, who warns him that unless he changes his ways, unless he gives up on vengeance against the clans, that he will suffer in ways he could never imagine. Sol glares at the beast, but his eyes catch on a berry juice mural of the moon overtaking the sun, and leaves with a new plan in mind. Midnight scoffs at the foolish tom, knowing that no matter what he does, his waning power will strip him of everything he holds dear…

Sandstorm and her kittypet friend Millie make it to the Hope’s Rest Clowder, and Sandstorm does not take the news of the clans moving very well. Thankfully, Darkstripe gives them basic directions to the mountains, and the pair of friends head off. The Clowder’s friendly twoleg healer watches the exchange in interest. She’s convinced that these cats are intelligent, and vows to protect them as best she can.

Apprentice Adventures

On the day of their apprenticeships, Hollypaw chooses to become a Warrior, and is apprenticed to Ashfur He promises to help her grow into her own pelt, and Hollypaw nervously but proudly accepts. Jaypaw wants to be a Hunter/Tracker, and is assigned to Brightheart and Snowthorn. He’s giddy with relief, having doubts that he would be allowed to be anything but a Support Role. Lionpaw has already been nearly living in the Healer’s Den, so it’s no surprise that she wants to join their ranks. His uncle and granduncle welcome him cheerily.

At the next Gathering, Jaypaw’s keen ears hear Mousepaw flirting with Riverclan apprentice Minnowpaw, and muses to Hollypaw that there may be a new cross-clan couple. The Leaders are interrupted by a commotion – Coldlight screeches SANDSTORM?!?!?!? Longstar leaps down and the whole of Thunderclan greets the long-missing molly. She introduces Millie as a potential clanmate, and Graystripe immediately starts flushing and stammering. Millie is charmed by the fluffy fool, and asks him to escort her to camp. Coldlight pulls Sandstorm to the side as soon as they get in eyesight of camp, and has a private conversation with his long-time crush. She asks for time to process his love confession, but assures him that no matter what, he will always be her friend.

The next morning, Sandstorm gathers up Longstar, Flamewish, and their many kits, and tells them of a dream she had. A starry cat who identified himself as Micah had given her a Prophecy – Three of thine leaders kin shalt be gifted by the Stars, and They shall spark a great Light that shall Burn Back the Clawing Dark. He had vanished before Sandstorm could pin him down and get an explanation, and freaked out Millie quite a bit.

The group tries to figure out who it is, ruling out Cloudtail early to his annoyance and everyone else’s amusement. Swiftpool points out her recent litter, and Fireheart notes that Lionpaw always seems to know where another cat is hurting. The apprentices are gathered, and after some questioning, Jaypaw admits to sometimes being in his sibling’s dreams. Hollypaw realizes that the last time she got into a fight (against a rather pissed off chicken that escaped the Horseplace) she hadn’t gotten heavily injured when it definitely pecked her hard enough to draw blood. But when she stepped on a thorn she was bleeding? Lionpaw easily talks about feeling other’s pain, but had thought he was just very empathetic? Flamewish calls for Yellowfang, who pops in and confirms that Something Is Up. The siblings are Star-Blessed, but not to let it get to their heads. The old molly scoffs, and says that Micah is an old Skyclan spirit, and had a noted soft spot for kits, so meant no harm.

The siblings are shaken, but do their best to keep on going. Lionpaw finds his connection to Starclan when Jaypaw and Breezepaw fall into a hole during the Peacetime Competition and he has a Vision of their distress. Jaypaw works hard with Brightheart and Snowthorn, testing his dreamwalking limits on his siblings – with permission of course. Hollypaw finds herself more confident, knowing that the stars have a place just for her, and Ashfur praises her for starting to stretch herself. She still finds herself easily shaken, but discovers a love of plants, leading to some Herbalist training.

However, the shadows of Miretrees are reaching out…

After a particularly bad day, Hollypaw wakes in a strange place. It’s a piece of the border by the Lake, but the sun is low, and there’s the faint smell of blood and fur in the air. A large brown tabby appears, his chest covered in leaves and flowers. He asks her of her woes, and Hollypaw mutters about feeling unappreciated sometimes. He proclaims that he will teach her to be a Great Warrior, but Hollypaw laughs – Ashfur is a great mentor, how could you, a random primping prettyboy, do any better than him? She laughs herself awake, and Brambleclaw throws a massive tantrum in the Dark Forest.

While out hunting, Charpaw falls out of a tree, injuring her footless hind leg. Jaypaw helps her back to camp, and verbally tears the ears off of Sootfur for suggesting she retire to be an Elder or Support role, stop projecting!! Just because you couldn’t handle your business doesn’t mean that Charpaw can’t handle hers!!! Brightheart has to hold him back but does NOT make him apologize. Lionpaw states that even if Charpaw was, I don’t know, Cinderpelt’s reincarnation, it wouldn’t matter! Darkmoon is touched by the brothers being so protective, but has to reassure Charpaw that no, Lionpaw was using a hypothetical.

Soon after, Millie gives birth to three more kits – Blossom, Briar, and Bumble. Graystripe is startled but delighted – he had no idea she was pregnant – but takes to fatherhood again with joy and zeal.

At the next Gathering, Riverclan calls for aid – a bunch of twolegs have half-invaded their territory. Jaypaw and Hollypaw sneak off to take a look, but are caught by Uncle Hawkfrost and his otter friends. Hawkfrost scolds them officially, but lets them take a look at the tottering twoleg kits, and introduces Weed and Log, his otter pals. The pair of apprentices get in trouble for sneaking out, but think that meeting the strange river dwellers was worth it. Back at camp, Lionpaw dreams of an orange-and white cat failing to outrun the rising waters in a tunnel, and a hairless cat throws him out of sleep. Somewhere else in camp, Sandstorm and Coldlight become mates.

Some time later, Locustpaw goes missing. Jaypaw and Lionpaw join in the search, and along with Breezepaw, find her stuck in the tunnels. As the rain makes the waters rise, Lionpaw remembers his dreams, and leads the groups to safety. Locustpaw’s tail must be partially amputated, but she lives to dig another day.

Stormfur and Brook show up at Thunderclan camp, asking for aid. Longstar agrees, and Foxflight gets the whole Journey gang back together, and drags her niece and nephews along. Crowfeather brings Breezepaw and Galepaw to help – an accomplished hunter and a promising healer. The group reunites with Feathertail, and she is delighted to meet some of her friend’s new families and hear about the rest. She is gleeful at the thought of her half-siblings, but sad she won’t meet them in person. Jaypaw wonders if he could pull them into one dream, but decides to just poke at Graystripe to bring his family for a visit sometime. Lionpaw and Galepaw pester Feathertail for what helps with her back, and she happily gives them all the details.

After running off the intruders, the three siblings and Crowfeather have a bonding moment. It is somewhat interrupted by Yellowfang and Tallstar’s spirits showing up, but they only confirm that yes, the siblings ARE Star-blessed, and to watch out for the Miretrees residents showing up, as Snowfur caught her ex-mate lurking around the borders of Starclan.

After a tearful goodbye, the group settle back into their clans. Hollypaw once more dreams of the strange lake scene, but this time there are two brown tabbies. The larger one begins to speak, but Hollypaw has heard enough stories about the death of Tiger”star” to recognize the injury – even half hidden by reeds and leaves – and screams for her Gran-Gran Yellowfang. She flings awake, tumbling into Charpaw and Jaypaw, and Lionpaw bustles in to see what’s wrong. She sputters out what happened, and Lionpaw runs for Darkmoon and Fireheart. A confused Charpaw comforts her friend, as Jaypaw stomps around angrily. Fireheart clears them out of the den, and makes them all sleep in the Hearer’s Den, for added protection. Even with Fireheart assuring that the dark goes for everyone, Hollypaw wonders…did they come after me because I’m the weakest one?

And a seed of doubt is planted.

The Plot Thickens and The Sun Vanishes

Some time later, SOMEONE is trying to get Windclan and Thunderclan fighting. It doesn’t work, but Mudstar asks that they spend a week out of contact, to see if both sides scent the same intruder. Crowfeather bids his family a teary farewell, and Swiftpool clings sadly to her sister and Shrewleg for a while. One night, Berrynose spots what he SWEARS is a Literal Lion, no, really, I am Not JOKING!!! At the end of the week, Fireheart, Darkmoon, and Lionpaw go to gather herbs, and see a strange cat with a mane. The tom loudly declares that he will be blocking out the sun tomorrow, and bolts before Darkmoon and Fireheart can catch him. Fireheart moans about aching joints, and Darkmoon carries him back to camp, with Lionpaw telling Berrynose No That Was Not A Lion Just A Weirdo.

And then some of Windclan’s young bucks start a fight with a Thunderclan patrol. Both clans send out everyone to calm the fight, and a Shadowclan patrol shows up, and Riverclan comes to yell at people.

And the ginger and black tom watches.

And the sun goes out.

Chaos ensues, everyone scrambling to figure out what’s happening. The stranger cuts in front of Blackstar, who was leading the patrol, and Speaks. The Shadowclan leader calls for his clan to follow him home, and they depart. And a few nights later, Tawnypelt comes to camp with terrible news. Blackstar, under the influence of the stranger Sol, has turned his back on Starclan. There is something missing in his eyes, a blankness that reminds her of a dying cat. He tried to put her apprentice-age kits into their adult roles, and thus she seeks shelter with them. An appalled Longstar agrees, and Goldenpaw, Emberpaw, and Dawnpaw are welcomed into the apprentice den. Jaypaw declares that it’s too crowded, which gives Longstar an idea.

The next morning, he promotes Hollypaw, Jaypaw, and Charpaw to their adult names. Hollypaw becomes Hollywish, for her bright ideas for the future, and in honor of her beloved grandmother. Flamewish is delighted at the surprise, and a jubilant Hollywish practically bounces in place. Jaypaw is named Jaywhisker, for his sharp senses and even sharper barbs to the deserving. Brightheart cries a little as her first apprentice is promoted, and Jaywhisker is a little overwhelmed with all the cheering. And Charpaw is named Charheart, for her loving spirit and determination to never give up. Charheart is embraced by her family, and beams delightedly. Shortly after, Flyshadow comes running from the Healer’s den ASHFUR I’M PREGNANT!!! Whitewing also announces that she’s pregnant the next day! The clan is full of life and joy!

The Skies Grow Cloudy

But it doesn’t last. Millie and Briarkit become ill, and it soon begins to spread. Lionpaw and Emberpaw think it’s related to Sol – Riverclan has noticed dying fish, and Windclan has seen birds falling from the sky. So the Thunderclan siblings and the Shadowclan siblings formulate a plan.

Emberpaw and Jaypaw decide to fake a sign, having a tree fall in front of Sol and Blackstar. Lionpaw thinks that faking a sign might be sacrilege, but hopes that the Stars are forgiving of a lie to free a clan. Hollywish and Dawnpaw leverage the tree down, and Goldenpaw makes ghostly noises…that are soon joined by Runningnose and Raggedstar. The blankness goes out of Blackstar’s eyes, and he turns on Sol with all the fury of the blazing sun. Sol flees, cursing the clans again, and Shadowclan is restored. The newfound friends bid farewell, promising to stay in touch.

In Thunderclan camp, Longstar loses a life to the illness, prompting Jaywhisker to dreamwalk Kestrelpaw the Windclan Healer’s apprentice. Lionpaw goes to gather the precious catmint, and nearly walks in on Breezepaw, Heatherpaw, and Antpaw having relationship drama. He sneaks by, and returns triumphant. At the next Half Moon ceremony, he is promoted to Lionblossom, for his ability to make hope blossom wherever he goes.

And then a fire breaks out.

The trio are trapped on one side of the fire, and as Swiftpool and Foxflight maneuver a branch to help them, the ginger and black shape of Sol tries to stop them. The mollies beat the stuffing out of him easily, and he flees. Lionblossom notes that Sol’s tail might be burnt, judging by the pain that Lionblossom feels. Everyone reunites, with Ashfur having a nasty burn on his flanks, but all alive.

While out playing, Briarkit is attacked by a snake. Honeyfern bravely leaps in the way and is bitten on the face. Lionblossom, in just as much agony as she is, makes the swift but painful decision to remove the bitten eye. Fireheart and Darkmoon arrive on the scene to a passed out Honeyfern and Lionblossom, and a screaming Briarkit. After some emergency treatment, Honeyfern is stabilized, and Lionblossom wakes up mortified. Berrynose and Poppyfrost are frantic, and when Honeyfern wakes, they take turns at her side. Darkmoon notes that Honeyfern will most likely never hear out of her right ear, and will certainly never bear kits. She and Berrynose begin to mourn, but Poppyfrost offers to be their surrogate.

A few days later, the newly named Breezepelt and Heathertail come to camp – they saw Sol leaving Windclan prey of Thunderclan land, and would you like to go Get Him? A patrol is sent, and Foxflight is kept from finishing the beating she started earlier by the return of PURDY!?! She escorts the old tom to camp, and begs her father to let Gramps Purdy stay, plllleeeeaaassseee??? Longstar snorts at the obvious manipulation, but allows it. Sol is locked in the Healer’s Den, and seems to be cooperative.

At the next Gathering, Longstar defends his choice to not kill the cat, he must be judged by Starclan. The other leaders agree, Blackstar very brusque and standoffishly, but all seems to be going well.

Then Hollywish has to go into the Healer’s Den.

And Sol says his Last Word.

R U N

The light goes out of Hollywish’s eyes, and she bolts for the tunnels. Jaywhisker hears his sister’s harsh breathing, and tears after her, Charheart and Lionblossom in hot pursuit.

Hollywish enters the tunnels and

The

Rocks

Fall

(Atop the stones, Brambleclaw gives a baleful grin)

Lionblossom screams in pain, Jaywhisker paws at the rocks, and Charheart yowls for aid.

In the Healer’s Den, Sol coughs out pieces of his tongue, ashy and rotten.

And he laughs and laughs and laughs.

And in the Nursery, Whitewing and Flyshadow huddle around the kits, who sleep peacefully.

TO BE CONTINUED

#my art #warrior cats #warriors #warrior cats au #hello from the void #longstar au #new longstar au #finally done #p03 rewrite #death of my writer's block #thanks all y'all who motivated me #and let me steal some ideas #Hope's Rest Clowder #they have a human friend #who will love and protect them #not plot relevant yet but still important #being evil with the ending

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kirbybecomesastarwarrior · 1 month

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🍅 (Tomato) - If Kirby absorbed them or their attacks, what Copy Ability [or Abilities] would he get? Alternatively, if they themselves are capable of using the Copy Ability, do they have a favourite?

For Celestine, Uther, Icarus, and Morgan

I'm gonna try to hit two birds with one stone with this one.

I tried to have their abilities refection their personalities. (they may change... but for now, this is it.)

Uther prefers to have the higher-ground advantage when fighting... as an intimidation tactic, attacks(slashes) are fused with fire. Aiming at their weak points when he finds them.

When fighting, he prefers to have the first attack. The moment there's an opening, he'll bombard them with multiple attacks... overwhelming; he goes for the killing blow. He's merciless.

Icarus long-range attack, preferring not to get his hands dirty... and is absolutely no hand-to-hand fighter. Often relying on his mechs & tech when fighting... He may be powerful, but when it comes to battle prowess, he's the worst one out of the four.

Morgan is a fighter who relies on stealth and speed, a standard ninja fighting style... with a little twist. She can lace her weaponry with poison, often sneaking it in with her slashes... infecting her opponent without them noticing before it's too like.

And has crystal manipulation in her arsenal. (Which turns out to be very useful in her later...) She plays to win and will use whatever advantage to do so.

Celestine is a brilliant tactician: her fighting style can be summed up with the quote: "Work smarter, not harder." Carefully watching and learning about her opponent. The longer you fight with her the more dangerous she becomes.

This is why most of her moves are a series of misdirections at the beginning to keep the battle going long. Until she's seen your complete entire move-set. Incredible healing & recovery ability with a lot of HP... so good luck outlasting her.

Merlyn was Celestine's alter ego...(The Magic side of her)

She keeps her often saving her strongest move for last. (Always full of surprises)

Lore dump: Celestine was the original holder of Triple Star

#kirby #kbasw #kirby oc #Sir Uther #sir icarus #dame morgan #lady celestine #kbasw answers #sorry it took so long #anon ask #fanlore #kirby anime #kirby right back at ya #hoshi no kaabii

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dragonkeeper19600 · 1 year

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How I Would Fix Houseki no Kuni

By now, you guys are probably more familiar than you’d like to be with the numerous posts I’ve made about what I see as the many narrative failings of Houseki no Kuni.

I’ve already written extensively about my gripes with this train wreck of a manga, and as much as I’ve said already, I could keep going. However, over the past few days, I’ve found myself wondering what I would change to make the story stronger. After all, it’s easy enough to identify a problem with a story, but it’s a great deal more challenging to come up with a solution. I’ve already suggested some potential changes in other posts, but I thought I’d assemble all of my brilliant ideas in one convenient location.

So, without further ado, here’s how I would fix the garbage fire that is Houseki no Kuni:

First, I’d have Phos keep the encyclopedia job longer. It always seemed weird to me that this story mechanic was dropped so soon after being introduced, and I don’t think that was to the story’s benefit. Phos becoming more devoted to and more competent at the encyclopedia job would showcase his growing maturity, plus it would lead to a growing curiosity. A big part of what sets Phos apart in the original story is how willing he is to question things that the other gems don’t, such as Sensei’s possible connection to the Lunarians or whether there’s another job for Cinnabar. You could have his desire to learn more come from his desire to get the encyclopedia job right because he’s already fucked up everything else he’s ever attempted, so this is his last chance to be good at something.

Similarly, I would not make Phos a fighter, or, at least, I would wait until later in the series to make him a fighter. Manga and anime is already oversaturated with stories about people who learn how to fight. Having a protagonist who’s strong suit is not fighting would make Houseki no Kuni stand out from other seinen series. Instead, Phos’s usefulness to the war against the Lunarians would be as a tactician, using the information he’s collected from other gems (such as Alexandrite’s obsessive knowledge of the Lunarians) and his own observations to help the other gems fight more efficiently. Phos accepting that he isn't cut out to be a fighter would be yet another sign of his maturity. In my version, after he gets his new agate legs, he decides he can ditch the encyclopedia job and become a fighter like he’s always wanted, just like in the original story. However, after he sees the Amethyst twins shattered by the Lunarian weapon made from Sapphire, he realizes battle isn’t cool and badass like he thought but scary and really tough, and he decides the encyclopedia thing is where he’s needed.

Of course, Phos would be forced to take up arms and finally fight later in the series as the war with the Lunarians is ramping up. Phos would have a moment to muse on the irony of finally getting to be a fighter just like he always wanted after already deciding he didn’t want it anymore.

One more thing about combat is that the gems would wear actual armor into battle. Red Beryl’s job wouldn’t be just to make cute moe moe outfits for the gems to strut their stuff in but to forge armor to protect the gems from the Lunarians’ weapons. The Lunarians would find ways to get through the armor, of course, but it would be better and more believable than sending these rocks into a war zone wearing but ties and shorts too tiny to pass a public school dress code. The gems can still wear their uniforms when they’re just hanging out at the school, that’s fine, but when they go on patrol, they suit up in fucking armor. The fact that they don’t wear their armor around the school could actually lead to some tense scenes where the Lunarians attack the school directly and the gems there are caught unprepared and underdressed.

Phos’s motive for not hibernating during the Winter Arc would be, again, to observe Antarcticite and the winter season for the encyclopedia. However, and this is big, by the time winter ends, Phos would come to blame Sensei for Antarcticite’s shattering. This is a change I suggested in a previous post. The exact scene I described back then is that Phos sees Sensei shatter Antarcticite himself, but I don’t think you need to go that far. Phos’s blaming of Sensei doesn’t even need to be justified; he could just be lashing out at Sensei out of misplaced grief. But something needs to happen during the Winter Arc, while everyone else is asleep, to make Phos suspicious of Sensei. Perhaps Phos actually sees the Lunarians surround Sensei and tug pleadingly at his clothes, like they did in the actual manga, and comes to realize that the Lunarians and Sensei are connected. Perhaps Sensei hesitates to strike back against the Lunarians, because he’s guilty about not being able to help them or whatever, and that hesitation leads to Antarcticite being shattered.

At any rate, by the time winter ends, Phos is the only witness to this suspicious side of Sensei, and he finds that nobody will believe him about what he saw because the others are all refusing to accept that Sensei is less than perfect. The only one who’s willing to listen to Phos at all is Cinnabar because Cinnabar is grateful to Phos for listening to him. Plus, since Cinnabar is already isolated from everyone else, he’s less willing to keep so strictly to the party line. While he still loves Sensei, he’s less complacent than the others. I suggest these changes to the Winter Arc and its fallout because I always thought the chain of events that led to Phos being suspicious of Sensei in the latter half of the anime was pretty week, plus Phos being able to turn to Cinnabar for support would make Cinnabar a more prominent part of the story instead of getting shunted aside like he is in the manga.

Speaking of the Lunarians, I would change basically everything about the Moon. The Moon is not a high tech, utopian society full of karaoke bars, ramen joints, labor unions, advanced laboratories, and all that other stuff, but a surreal, Lovecraftian landscape that looks as beautiful as an ink painting of the Pure Land but is actually nightmarish and hostile. The Lunarians are supposed to be the tormented souls of human sinners unable to pass on to the afterlife, and their world should reflect that. In my version, the Lunarians have been driven insane by their long perdition, and while they look like divine figures from a Buddhist scroll, their behavior is so weird and alien to the gems that they find it hard to believe that these creatures were ever human. They can’t even communicate with the gems because their minds have deteriorated to the point that they can’t even understand language. The only Lunarian who’s coherent and rational is Aechmea, and even he’s starting to lose his sanity after running the asylum by himself for so long.

Aechmea himself would also need to be radically changed. Somewhere along the way, the manga kind of forgot that Aechmea was supposed to be the villain. They try for this reveal that Aechmea was actually benevolent all along, and it 100% doesn’t work because A. a lot of his wicked acts are just gratuitously cruel and don’t further his supposedly well-meaning goals at all and B. the Lunarians aren’t really suffering anyway. To fix Aechmea, his sympathetic qualities and his villainous qualities both need to be enhanced.

So, my version of Aechmea is a well-intentioned extremist who chose the path of the bodhisattva but doesn’t have the supernatural patience and wisdom necessary to handle it. His backstory would be the same, but because my version of the Moon is a hellscape where he’s the only sane person around, his desperation to get Sensei to pray to free both the other Lunarians and himself is way more understandable. At the same time, the story would condemn the cruel things he’s doing by pointing out that he’s got no right to make the other races suffer just to save his own people. Aechmea would be portrayed as a lost soul, pitiful, yet misguided. And, above all, the Lunarians’ salvation cannot come about because of Aechmea’s manipulations. The story needs to show that the path Aechmea is choosing to try and save them is the wrong one.

On a similar note, Aechmea can’t make Phos into a human. I’ve already made a separate post about this note, and the reception to it was pretty positive. If Phos becomes a human/enlightened/bodhisattva/whatever, it needs to be in spite of Aechmea, not because of him. Phos needs to become human through his growing experience and his own choices, not Aechmea’s.

Instead, in my version of the story, Aechmea chooses Cairngorm as Sensei’s replacement. Aechmea chooses Cairngorm because Cairngorm has been sealed inside of Ghost Quartz for most of his life, and thus, has never had any real agency. Hell, maybe Ghost Quartz is shattered specifically so Aechmea can then swoop in and claim Cairngorm, all so he can groom him into becoming a new prayer machine. It’s a sad fact that abuse victims are often abused multiple times in their lives by different people, and oftentimes, their current abuser is someone who “rescued” them from a previous abuser. When Aechmea “frees” Cairngorm from Ghost Quartz’s influence, he portrays himself as a savior who will show Cairngorm what he’s “really meant to be.” Aechmea and Cairngorm’s relationship in the manga already comes across as super predatory and sus, so I think the story would be better if it actually acknowledged that Aechmea grooming Cairngorm is bad instead of portraying their wildly unequal marriage as the “happily ever after” that it does.

Phos, on the other hand, would become a foil to Cairngorm because their growth and change happens because of their own choices and not because of Aechmea’s (you know, like the opposite of how it is in the manga). Phos would also choose to replace his body parts, instead of his body parts being lost through circumstance or being swapped out for him by other people. Him losing his legs can still be an accident, but it has the effect of showing Phos that his inclusions are special because they can assimilate basically any other material while still leaving Phos’s consciousness in control. However, after he gets his agate legs, every other new body part has to be a deliberate acquisition. For example, when he finally decides that he has to fight, he intentionally seeks out the gold alloy to replace his arms, whereas in the manga and anime, his arms were taken away by the ice floes, and replacing them with gold alloy was Antarticite’s idea.

Finally, the ending. In the manga, Phos is essentially tricked into enduring 10,000 years of mind rape to become the new prayer machine. In my version, Phos chooses to undergo the 10,000 year transformation, knowing that it’ll be tortuous and awful, because he’s willing to make that sacrifice to bring the Lunarians peace and finally end the conflict. The gems don’t become Lunarians in this version. My version of Lunarian society isn’t idyllic the way it is in the manga, so the gems wouldn’t want to join them, plus my Lunarians don’t have that kind of technology anyway. The sacrifice in this case is that Phos praying will also cause the gems that have been shattered to pass on as well, meaning Phos will never see Antarcticite again, and all the other shattered gems will be dead for good. But Phos is okay with that because 1. They realize from their interactions with the Lunarians and Yellow Diamond’s declining mental state that immortality is a curse and 2. They’ll still be around, and they’ll still remember Antarcticite, which is specially poignant because Phos has lost so many of their memories by now.

There’s also some tension because when Phos makes this choice, no one is sure that he’ll be able to handle the nightmarish transformation without going insane the way the Lunarians did, and there’s a chance he’ll emerge after the 10,000 years as some kind of monstrous eldritch abomination. And because he looks so weird and alien after the transformation is complete, the surviving gems aren’t sure if he’ll actually be able to pray the Lunarians away or if he’ll become a new threat.

But, ultimately, he shows that the transformation was a success, and he prays all of the Lunarians away. Yes, even Aechmea, because for all the evil he’s done, he also lived every day in pure agony, so there’s no point in punishing him any further.

The surviving gems would still be alive, as would the Admirabilis. (Yeah, the plot point about the living races descended from humanity also being wiped out in the prayer is really contrived and makes no sense, so I’m chucking it entirely.) Phos, however, would no longer live among the other gems because he’s become so enlightened that the other gems can’t relate to them anymore. So, Phos remains aloof. But the other gems know where he is. When a gem is finally ready to die, they seek out Phos, who will ensure that they pass on. Phos vows not to pass on himself until the last gem has been shattered. Phos, the little gem everyone called worthless, has become the benevolent bodhisattva that both Aechmea and Sensei failed to be. End.

#houseki no kuni #hnk #fix fic #alternate ending #phos #phosphophyllite #antarcticite #aechmea #kongo sensei #adamant sensei #cairngorm #lunarians #cinnabar #the thing about the armor is particular is a real pet peeve of mine #red beryl is so terrible at their job i'm surprised the other gems haven't tarred and feathered him already #i don't plan to make any more posts about houseki no kuni #because i'm so sick of this series taking up valuable brain space without paying any damn rent

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rendomski · 7 months

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Echo as a tactician/strategist

I really miss Echo's skills as a brilliant tactician/strategist in the show - and I have a theory of why we didn't get to see them!

Echo is supposed to be brilliant. Together with Rex, they devised tactics that couldn't be efficiently counteracted by the Separatists without slicing into Echo's mind directly. However, after the Anaxes, in the TBB series, we don't see any of this skill. Of course, Echo is smart and sassy but whenever he takes the lead it doesn't end well. When he almost rebels against Hunter and insists on infiltrating the base and saving Gregor, Hunter is captured. When they go after Hunter, they fall into a trap and all ends relatively well only because Crosshair has his own plans. The attempted war chest retrieval and that accursed mission on Eriadu weren't exactly led by Echo, but he took part in outvoting Hunter’s cautious attitude towards them. It wouldn’t be the first case of inconsistency in the SW show, but it is still a bit disappointing.

It is not that Echo’s expertise in tactics would overlap with the skills of the other characters. The tactics of the Batch are not exactly sophisticated or precisely planned - more like go through the front door, smash-and-grab or kill-them-all, that’s their style. Their numbered plans are rather a list of useful tricks than tactics. And I’ve got the impression that Hunter is very good at improvisation, a quick thinker, and he knows deeply the skills of his team and how to rely on them, but complex and calculating tactics are not his strong side. Echo’s tactical mind would complement his leadership perfectly.

(It almost seems that Crosshair was the best tactician in the Batch, capable of predicting and counteracting their actions when he was forced/chose to act against his brothers, outsmarting even Tech.)

So, here's the promised theory, for nothing fuels fandom theories better than the inconsistencies in the show 😉. I have even two partly overlapping theories. One, Echo consciously didn’t want to have anything to do with the strategy/tactics development anymore after his skills were brutally used against his brothers. Despite it being logical for Echo to continue his service as a staff officer, I can see him saying “Sorry, Rex, but I have devised enough tactics for the rest of my life.” Another option, less cheeky, is the trauma, psychological or even neurological (less likely because the outmanoeuvring Trench and the destruction of the droid army on Anaxes was brilliant). He just can't work on the complex tactics anymore because of what has happened.

Anyway, I'm glad Echo had the option to elope with our beloved gang of audacious commandos; to go through the front door, smash, grab and don't think more than necessary about what he had lost. You live only twice, after all ✌️

#the bad batch #tbb echo #clone force 99 #the clone wars #tbb theories #star wars

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look-how-they-massacred-them · 10 months

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Preliminary Poll

Allura

Submission reason:

(gestures to the ending of the series. gestures to her relationship with Lotor and then with Lance.) it was bad

killed her off at the end of season 8

She was demoted from leader to team member for no good reason, as well as she was killed off in the series finale for no good reason. Writers just kept taking the piss on her and the other POC characters in the show, and put her in a love triangle between the then villain Lotor and teammate Lance who's advances she's repeatedly rebuffed.

Propaganda:

She was a very bright and witty but traumatized individual who was wittled down to a love interest in a love triangle, she is so much more than that. Allura is a brilliant tactician and a kind-hearted individual who deserves more than she was written for and should've been more appreciated

She deserved a happy ending like everyone else

#look how they massacred them poll #look how they massacred my girl #voltron #voltron legendary defender #voltron allura #princess allura #vld allura

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iamadequate1 · 4 months

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Black Pete vs Izzy (Pt 3)

This is a continuing meta where I am listing out similarities (and differences) that I see between Black Pete and Izzy. Again, mind the "Izzy Critical" tag as I do not engage with canyon fanon. If this bothers you.... to block tags: Blog Options > Account > Content you see > Filtered tags.

Part 1, Part 2, Buttons tangent

#4: Pete and Izzy both romanticize the Legend of Blackbeard and overstate their importance to it

Pete is our beginning hype machine in the series for Blackbeard as he introduces the second episode.

Pete: But it was too late. Blackbeard was upon 'em. History's greatest pirate, and my former boss.

Did Pete actually meet Ed before he came aboard The Revenge? Who's to say? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Pete's actual involvement with Blackbeard, we don't know. It was a joke (from Jenkins?) that he was on the crew for just one morning, but we all know how Pete represented it from his story in this beginning hype monologue:

Pete: And then Blackbeard was like... Blackbeard: You saved my hide, Pete. I am forever in your debt. Pete: Just happy to be on the team, Blackbeard. Blackbeard: From this day onward, you'll be known as the Dread Black Pete, my right-hand man.

In his story, he's a one man killing machine! He's so spectacular that Ed instantly promotes him. (Aside: Calico Jack saved Ed's life. Did he get to be right-hand man for a day??)

When Ed first comes aboard The Revenge and any of Pete's lies can easily be uncovered, Pete still keeps talking Blackbeard up. He's committed to the bit.

Pete: I bet he's saying something genius. He's history's most brilliant tactician. I wonder if he'll recognize me. Lucius: You know, I thought he'd be taller.

For Izzy, I'm going to start with his frustrated outburst in 1x4 (after Ed and Stede come on to deck with their Clothes Swap) since it has the most interesting things I can point back to.

The first line I am going to look at:

Izzy: When you tasked me with trackin' that absolute idiot, I did that, no questions asked. And when we traced him to a Spanish warship, I attacked that ship, losin' several of our men by the way.

Seriously, bro? We saw your response to tracking Stede in the previous episode.

Izzy: Captain, we're a few hundred yards out from The Revenge. Ed: Nice. Very good. Love that. Izzy: Honestly, I really don't think this Bonnet is worth your time. Ed: Hm. So, he's a fancy man with a fancy ship, and he travels with a brigade of imbeciles. Do I have that right? Izzy: Yes, I suppose you could put it -- Ed: And he bested you at swordplay. Izzy: They tricked us. It was an ambush. Completely unprofessional. So what's the plan, sir? Do we open fire, or would you rather we just attack them, kill them, thrown them out to the sharks, sir? Ed: Wait 'til they make landfall, then invite them aboard the ship, and Izzy, I want you to handle this personally. Izzy: Oh, Edward, can't I just send the boys? Ed: Mm, no, I want this done right. After all, he is a gentleman. We want to make a good impression. Izzy: Stupid fuckin' Stede Bonnet.

See, "no questions asked" implies just carrying out the order with no questions or offering up some thoughtful and respectful counsel first and then carrying out the order. What Izzy did instead: said the plan wasn't worth doing, asked leading questions to get what he wanted which he knew was the opposite of what Ed wanted, and complained that the task was beneath him. We don't know what happened just before the Spanish ship attack, but I doubt Izzy went quietly.

Moving on to a second point of Izzy's 1x4 speech:

Izzy: For years, I've followed your every whim, I've managed your increasingly erratic moods, and I've massaged this crew when they were worried about your judgment.

We don't know what "every whim" or "erratic moods" mean. With this episode, we know that Ed is bored and wants more out of life (as he says directly to Izzy) and has death ideation (as he says to Izzy that it's something new to try, and as he tells Stede that he's going to pack it all in before knowing that retirement was an option), but we don't know what incidents Izzy is referring to. Since Izzy rarely tells the truth, this can't be taken at face value.

The "massaged this crew" part is very strange, though, since this is what we got in Izzy's first episode (1x2):

Izzy: Captain says follow that ship. Fang: Oh, really, why? Izzy: How should I know? The man's half insane.

"Massaged this crew" certainly is a choice spin on "The man's half insane." Izzy is on some middle management (or rock star manager, if you prefer that spin) Dunning-Kruger curve: low ability, but high confidence. He's not very good at this "massaging this crew" thing, but he doesn't have enough experience to know he sucks at it. This "stressful" job for Blackbeard he's taken on seems to not be needed or is not handled well. Blackbeard's crew was likely on maintenance mode by the time Izzy came along, and Izzy is like modern day middle management, making up tasks to justify his job.

The third piece of this 1x4 speech I want to comment on:

Izzy: I was honored to work for the legendary Blackbeard, the most brilliant sailor I had ever met.

From what I remember, this is the only backstory in onscreen canon we get on Izzy. It is more than we get from the other side characters, and it is interesting. It situates the lens of how to look at his later comments. In particular, Ed was already Blackbeard, already legendary, and already an obviously proven brilliant sailor before Izzy entered the picture. Izzy wasn't there to build the spectacle and reputation of Blackbeard, and he's just a middle manager put in place to maintain it. As Ed says to Stede, there is no challenge, and they're cruising the Caribbean on easy mode.

The fourth and final piece I want to comment on his 1x4 outburst:

Izzy: I'm gonna devise a plan.

As we see later in the episode, the only contribution to the plan he makes is staring dumfounded, contemplating mortality, as Lucius talks about never having seen the world, and more importantly, he's not even in the ending lighthouse scene. The only "plan" we ever see Izzy make in series is sending Calico Jack and the British after Stede, and it seems most likely Spanish Jackie and Chauncey did most of that planning.

He says it confidently, though, and confident misinformation like this is why Minor Prince Ricky could say in 2x8:

Ricky: Can't believe I have an audience with the great Israel Hands. That's absolutely astounding. I've always thought you were underrated. I mean, it's absurd, isn't it? Isn't it? That Blackbeard gets all this praise when you are quite clearly the brains of his operation?

In modern AUs, Ricky is someone's weird uncle at the holiday dinner table who is sharing the totally true "facts" they picked up from Facebook memes. Pete doesn't even believe this stuff.

I mean, 1x5, we see Fang laughing about Izzy the Spewer, and 1x9, we see Izzy is almost immediately mutinied against when left in charge (Remember: the same crew tolerated fumbling newbie Stede for weeks before Pete brought up mutiny and not everyone was interested.) Izzy is terrible at management, and no one on the crews respects him. His only pirate skill seems to be flouncing around the Republic of Pirates and acting like he's menacing (RIP, Geraldo and Steaky, you didn't know better), but he thinks he's indispensable to the most brilliant sailor he'd ever met. I honestly think 1x6 is projection because I think it's Izzy that Ed's keeping around as a pet.

But on Izzy and Blackbeard (from 1x9)...

Izzy: This, this is Blackbeard. Not some namby-pamby in a silk gown pining for his boyfriend. Ed: Choose your next words wisely, dog. Izzy: There he is... Blackbeard is my captain. I serve Blackbeard. Not Edward.

Look! Izzy's captain is Blackbeard! Blackbeard is who was already a thing when Izzy came along! Remember:

Izzy: I was honored to work for the legendary Blackbeard, the most brilliant sailor I had ever met.

Meanwhile, in 2x8...

Izzy: I fed your darkness... Blackbeard. For years, I egged him on, even though I knew you'd outgrown him, but the truth is... Ed: Hey... Izzy: I needed him. Blackbeard... it was us. You, me.

Then he peaces out before he can be corrected. What is this "us" nonsense? Izzy, you brought nothing to the table, and Blackbeard was already a thing before you came along because...

Izzy: I was honored to work for the legendary Blackbeard, the most brilliant sailor I had ever met.

Izzy coming in late is reinforced by Calico Jack in 1x8. At the beginning breakfast with Ed, Stede, and Jack:

Stede: Hornigold, yes, yes. Who's Hornigold? Ed: That's where me and Jack first met, on Hornigold's ship, where we first became outlaws.

At Stede and Jack's pee off:

Jack: Yeah, we got a lot in common, me and him. In lots of ways, we're the same man. So, what's goin' on between you two? You buggerin' each other or what? Stede: Don't know what you're talking about. Jack: Nothin' to be ashamed of. Anything goes at sea. God knows, Blackie and I have had our dalliances. Oh, I'm sorry. Did I hit a nerve? Stede: No. Ed's past is Ed's business, and I respect that. Jack: "Ed." Blackie I knew woulda snapped your neck for callin' him that. Stede: Well, perhaps he's not the Blackie you knew. Jack: And maybe you don't know him at all.

Where does Ed pick up these tailcoat riding losers? Jack "we're the same man" Rackham and Izzy "Blackbeard, it was us" Hands. Yeah, OK. Point of this snippet is certainly-a-choice nickname of "Blackie" that Jack is using, which makes the "Blackbeard" name seem to be from very early days.

At the end of the episode:

Jack: The old Blackbeard woulda seen me comin' a mile away. No, Izzy Hands sent me.

Again, Jack talks about "Blackbeard" as someone from the early days, "Blackie I knew", "the old Blackbeard", and all, the days from when they first became outlaws. The standout here is that Jack says Izzy's full name: Izzy Hands. This is way too formal, and points to Izzy not being around in the old days with "the old Blackbeard." If there were more familiarity there, Jack would have just said "Izzy." Jack knew the beginning days of Blackbeard, and again, back to Izzy's comment, Izzy came in after the development of Blackbeard, and there is no "Blackbeard, it was us."

So, looking more at bland S2 Izzy is strange. During Ed's attempt to get Izzy to kill him in 2x2:

Izzy: Ohh, ohh, you scared, Eddie? Too s- too scared to do it yourself, eh? Go on, clean up your own fuckin' mess. I'm not doin' it. I've been doin' it all my fuckin' life.

"All my ... life"? What? Izzy, you're older than Ed, and you came to him after Ed was a captain with a well established Blackbeard persona. Did his life begin when he joined the QAR? We also see the bulk of Izzy's use to Ed: doing the crap Ed didn't want to do, as a middle manager should. Also, I still think Izzy is Ed's pet. (See, I'm not entertaining any type of S2 retcon excuses because Izzy being a liar who overinflates his importance is just a continuing character trait.)

But it gets stranger. In 2x1:

Izzy: Who am I to you? Ed: What? Izzy: We've worked together for years. You know me better than anyone has ever known me, and I dare say the same is true for me about you.

Why does he think he knows Ed at all? The world may never know. In 2x3, he hobbles in on Stede, bringing the ghost of Calico "and maybe you don't know him at all" Jack with him:

Stede: What'd you do with him? I know he wouldn't have left by choice Izzy: I know you think you understand him -- Stede: He was either going to watch the world burn or die trying, so which was it?

Perhaps he's not the Blackbeard you know, Izzy?

I've been avoiding dipping into the 90s scifi nerd in me, but I can take it no more since this speech is perfect in this context ("the ship" being the Blackbeard legend -- Izzy is still responsible for all the dumb crap he does on his own).

Kryten: The mind-probe was created to detect guilt. Yet, in the case of Arnold Judas Rimmer, the guilt it detected attaches to no crime. He held a position of little or no importance on Red Dwarf. (...) Yet he could never come to terms with a lifetime of underachievement. His absurdly inflated ego would never permit it. He's like the security guard on the front gate who considers himself head of the corporation. (...) An incompetent vending machine repairman with a Napoleon complex who commanded as much respect and affection from his fellow crew members as Long John Silver's parrot. (...) He is only guilty of being Arnold J. Rimmer. That is his crime. That is also his punishment. - Red Dwarf, Series 4, Episode 3, "Justice", end of scene here

Pete just posed himself as Blackbeard's right-hand man, but Izzy posed himself as the legend of Blackbeard himself. What?? See, again, Pete does A Thing, and Izzy takes the A Thing to an extreme.

Also, lord, Izzy is dull in S2. I'm so happy that S2 Pete is still funny and got to be happy. 🥰

To be continued in Part 4!

Preview of coming up: They both are terrible pirates! But they want to be captains anyway! They're both also compulsive liars! Stede pets them on the head like children and says "yes, dear" anyway!

Series: Part 1, Part 2, Buttons tangent, Part 3, S2 Izzy reaction GIF

#our flag means death #ofmd #ofmd meta #black pete #izzy hands #izzy critical #it's just canon #black pete and izzy comparison #cw: calico jack

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isagrimorie · 21 days

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Star Trek Voyager, 3x26 - Basics, part 1

Captain Kathryn Janeway as a Brilliant Tactician, part 1, 2, 3 (version 1) (version 2)

This battle is often overlooked but I think this is also an amazing showcase for Janeway and the Voyager crew.

Voyager was up against 4 large Kazon (formerly Trabé ships). Significantly larger than Voyager many times over. Janeway's other talent is bringing together all the suggestions her crew threw together and executing it.

In this instance, using deflector and holo-technology to create ships to draw fire from Voyager.

Plus Janeway's job is to time their attacks precisely. One of the first example of Janeway having nerves of steel. She had to be patient and not let the distance or number of her enemies spooke her.

Voyager was winning the battle against the big Kazon-Nistrim ships-- until the moment their Kazon prisoner blew himself up, sabotaging Voyager.

(Honestly, I wish they repeated this tactic in other battles because it worked really well).

This is just a taste of the war leader Janeway becomes.

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milfthrawnuorodo · 2 years

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Thrawn x Syndic!OC HCs

Brain is overflowing with thoughts, so of course I had to get them out. Personally I feel like this OC could easily be interchanged with x reader, but I am having a lot of fun flushing this character out. So here is a variety of head canons about how Theta and Thrawn met:

I have become enamored with this idea of a woman so similar, yet so wildly different from Thrawn. A brilliant tactician all the same, but her art excels in a different kind of warfare—politics.

There aren’t many women in the Syndicure, but Theta has made a name for herself, both toeing the line and attempting to lead the Ascendancy to a brighter, more progressive future (hence her being one of the few women in such a highly patriarchal dynamic), while simultaneously stirring up trouble via all the disgruntled feathers of the age-old Aristocra who resist such change.

I imagine Thrawn is immediately drawn to her—intelligence, wit, and a strong sense of ambition are all characteristics Thrawn prizes. But I think what attracts him most to Theta is her success in an area that fully baffles him. The small yet powerful subtleties of politics have always evaded him, but he watches her succeed time and time again.

They first cross paths during one of Thrawn’s many hearings after a particularly scandalous and questionable, albeit effective, military maneuver. Theta jumps to his defense, arguing that no matter how the lines were blurred in the moment, the overall greater good of the Ascendancy was all that mattered. Thrawn took note. After all, there weren’t many people rushing to his defense.

After the hearing, Thrawn was sure to thank Theta for the attempted exoneration. Theta couldn’t hide her smile, thankful for the opportunity to offer her thanks personally for his contributions to the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet, and the Ascendancy as a whole.

As you can imagine, this was not the type of response Thrawn was used to. It stuck with him.

Their second meet up was far less pleasant. On a diplomatic mission in an attempt to establish stronger foreign relations with alien governments in the Chaos, Theta is taken hostage by a small local political resistance. Thrawn’s command are the ones sent to rescue the Syndic. After a series of stressful events, and more than enough blaster fire to squash any type of a would-be rebellion, Thrawn successfully extricated Theta. Safely aboard the Springhawk, Thrawn attempted to comfort Theta, only to find the woman surprisingly sturdy and more fired up than ever about establishing Chiss allies across the galaxy—a spirit which only further intrigued him. And so, a friendship was born.

Over the next several months, Theta and Thrawn grew closer. She’d invite him to art galleries and exhibits, and the two would often end the far-too-late nights with a meal and a glass of fine wine. It was on one of these nights that Thrawn learned that Theta actually enjoyed painting, and created several of her own pieces in the minimal downtime she had. A way to “unwind after long days arguing with the stubborn fools in the syndicure” as Theta described the hobby. Their mutual appreciation of art bonded them together even more, the two realizing how much they enjoyed each other’s company.

Theta requests the spring hawk for every diplomatic mission she can, but even when Thrawn’s duties take him far off the ascendancy’s homeworld, Thrawn always makes sure to seek her out within a day or two of being back on the surface. Though of course Theta is usually aware of Thrawn’s return—that was always a hot topic of discussion in the syndicure.

Because Thrawn is, well, Thrawn, and Theta is Thrawn in political form, it took several not-so-subtle comments from both Thrass and Ar’alani to point out the very obvious connection between the two. Even still, the two seem reluctant to address their growing feelings, afraid to ruin the glowing friendship.

And because I am also a realist, I have to point out that Thrawn is initially extremely interested in Theta only as a strong and powerful ally. She is extremely beneficial to have on his side. But as he gets to know her, he finds himself struggling with emotions he’s never had to face before. He can no longer just view her as an asset—she becomes something more entirely.

It all comes to a head during one of the attacks on the Ascendancy (mentioned in chaos rising). Theta is ushered to the safe spaces underground along with the rest of the Syndicure, while the battle rages up ahead, the CEDF quickly and efficiently taking care of the attackers. Once the dust settles (both literal and the metaphorical dust in the form of the syndic outcry at the attack) and Theta is finally in the safety of her own home, Thrawn shows up at her doorstep.

Theta is still visibly shaken up from the attack, and clearly exhausted and emotional from the day. But Thrawn, level-headed as always, is clear and almost analytical in his confession. (Because of course Thrawn would turn his complex feelings towards her into a logic puzzle.) It took the fear of potentially losing her, not knowing for sure if she was safe or not, for him to realize how much he cared for her.

His smooth, tranquil voice soothed Theta to her very core, only to have his words speed her heart up once more.

That’s when the two shared their first kiss. And they never looked back.

Talk about a Chiss power couple—Thrawn leading the CEDF from without, and Theta taking the Syndicure by storm from within.

AKA, Thurffian’s worst nightmare.

You can bet I have a dozen more little ideas, but damn it felt good to at least get these out there.

#thrawn #thrawn x reader #Thrawn x oc #Thrawn hc #hesitant to tag #grand admiral Thrawn #on account of this being pre that era #this is purely self indulgent

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jiabeewrites · 1 year

Note

Who's your favorite star wars character, and why?

(mine's obi-wan)

-🐻

Hi 🐻! (same, i love obi-wan!) I hope you know what you're getting into...

Okay, I know that I've talked a LOT about Echo, but he's actually not my favorite!

GASP WHOA SHOCKER.

He's tied in second with Ahsoka. So my favorite Star Wars character is...

THIS GENIUS BASTARD RIGHT HERE ⬇️

MITTH'RAW'NURUODO AKA:

THRAWN

If you've come all this way, excellent! Here's the actual essay on why I love Thrawn and why he's such a compelling character.

This is gonna be pretty long, and if you haven't read any of the Timothy Zahn Thrawn books, you're gonna be spoilt.

To put it simply? Thrawn is good at what he does. He's not an incompetent dumbass like we see with many of the Imperial Officers (mainly in Star Wars Rebels and The Empire Strikes Back). He's not a magical space wizard. He's one of the only non-human people we see running the Empire at all.

But here's the really long version.

Thrawn starts out as this really weird guy. And this is Chiss standards. He doesn't use standard military tactics, he's both loved and hated (mostly hated), and people don't really understand him. All they understand is that he wins. He is very, very good at what he does, all because he studies people's art.

Yeah. That's a big one. He understands art like no one else.

We'll get back to that later.

But throughout his pre-Empire life, we keep seeing people who are conspiring to bring him down. All throughout the trilogy, Thrawn: Ascendancy, his own family doesn't want anything to do with him. They plot against him.

And he fucking knows.

Eventually, he gets "exiled."

Now, there's a huge timeskip between the Ascendancy trilogy and the Thrawn trilogy. But we see the Empire discovering this weird blue dude, he speaks a foreign language, but guy understands Sy Bisti.

And so does Eli Vanto.

Long story short, they throw both Thrawn and Eli into the Imperial Military Academy or some shit and then Thrawn slowly becomes Grand Admiral, blah blah blah, I won't spoil the rest of it because its really interesting and go read the fucking books.

But we see, throughout the all the books and even the Rebels series: Thrawn is very, very good at being smart. He outsmarts the Rebels more than once, he lies to the Emperor's fucking face, he sends more than one person to his people in order to protect them from the Empire's wrath.

He's not like the other Imperials, who immediately fire/kill people who fail them. He teaches his subordinates to learn from the mistake. (People probably died but most of the time they didn't)

He uses art to determine people's weaknesses. This...this both confuses and fascinates me, mostly because I can't see what's right in front of me until he points it out. This is the ONE thing that Canon Thrawn keeps from the books Thrawn. If he can't find art, he lets them attack first so that he knows what defense/offense to use against them.

Yes. He has weaknesses. Just like any other character, but his I find particularly funny. Politics. He sucks at dealing with anything political, something that his family used against him. Pretty sure that's what got him "exiled."

TLDR, Thrawn is an amazing character. He's got major flaws, yes, but...god, I can't even decide if he's a good guy or not! He's the hero and the villain. He's a GENIUS. He understands art like no one else, he's a brilliant tactician, ruthless to his enemies and confusing to his allies. (Unless, of course, those allies are Eli, Ar'alani, or Samakro)

And I swear, if I don't see Eli Vanto, the Chiss, or the Rebels being thoroughly confused/concerned about Thrawn in the Ahsoka series I will throw hands and Disney better catch them.

#thrawn #grand admiral thrawn #eli vanto #ensign vanto #thranto #oh my god i love them so much #thank you anon #i got to rant about my fav

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capfalcon · 1 year

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You know, it's funny, your 'who can believe Uhura is Spocks ex and he picked KIRK' is kinda making me hate AOS Kirk like honestly nothing ever has since AOS dropped. Because I never really thought of how much they dragged Kirk down and made him less special. Because TOS Kirk WAS hyper-competent, this crazy complex dude- an ambitious, controlling, brilliant, hardcore nerd with a vicious streak and a frightening talent for tactics, someone famous and famously intimidating enough Klingons were constantly falling over each other just for the chance to be able to say they'd fought him once. Who would be someone no one would think twice about Spock dropping ANYONE to date. Roddenberry said in interviews he modeled Kirk on Horatio Hornblower and Alexander- like the ultimate Marcus Aurelius philosopher-type commanders. And they turned him into a dude you could honestly make a joke about like 'lol why would Spock pick THIS disaster' and damn. I honestly never thought of it that way but shit u right. AOS Kirk is kind of trash in comparison

ummmm, yeah, no. i LOVE aos kirk, that post was in no way shape or form me making a joke out of him.

and yeah, you're not wrong tos kirk is great and special and everyone knows it, all those things. but the whole point of aos kirk is what happens to people when they're not given support, when they have unhappy and unhealthy childhoods, when they're not born into a universe where the odds are in their favor. and the whole point of aos kirk is him being special DEPSITE all the obstacles in his way. he's not less special, not to me.

uhura underestimates him in that bar. spock underestimates him. and yes, kirk cheats on the exam, but that's the whole point. he wins. the odds are stacked against him and he wins, because that's what aos kirk does. he says, fuck this, and it WORKS because he is special. he finds a way around, because people have cast him off his entire life. he doesn't believe in faluire, he doesn't believe in giving up, he doesn't believe in leaving people behind. he provokes SPOCK, of all people, on purpose, and it works. he's a tactician.

so, if you hate aos kirk, that's perfectly fine, i know for a matter of fact you're not alone in that. but i don't. and i think people underestimating him over and over again is his whole story. but he isn't dumb, he isn't hopeless. he was top of his class, in the aos series.

and yes, like i said, he's a disaster. that's the point. highly intelligent people who don't grow up in healthy homes tend to be disasters. they aren't given tools or support to be "honorable" or worthy, or special. they're overlooked, they're cast aside. so, no, i don't hate aos kirk. i think, if anything, i find him extraordinary, remarkable.

the point of my post wasn't that kirk is lame, or pathetic. it's that spock and uhura, on the outside, seem compatable. but it's kirk, who doesn't think in the lines, who is a rebel, who is an outcast, who understands perfectly how spock could be ostracized, who spock is drawn to. kirk and uhura aren't better or worse than each other. but challenge and growth are necessary in any relationship, and i think kirk can provide spock with that far more than uhura can.

like i said, if you hate aos kirk, i know you're not alone in that. but my post was never an indictment on his character, literally and morally.

aos kirk, to me, is special because he was born into a universe where he was never supposed to amount to anything, and he fights, tooth and nail, to be someone. i can't hate that.

#this isnt me arguing with you or attacking you #its me clarifying my own position bc i did not do it well enough the first time #youre well within your rights to hate him and you dont need me saying so to #it was never my intention to say i hated him or that hes a joke #i love his character and i love him and spock together #thats it #ask #jordan replies #star trek

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fancoloredglasses · 1 year

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The final fates of Dini-verse villains part 2: The Winning Edge (If ever there was a PSA about steroids...)

[All images are owned by DC Comics and WarnerMedia. I hope I’m too small-fry to sue...]

(All videos in this review are courtesy of The Night Beyond)

In my last review, I mentioned that 7 “modern” era villains has their final fates revealed in the era of Batman Beyond. I have thus far revealed 5. The sixth reveals the fate of the newest Batman villain on this list (debuting in the comics a year after Harley Quinn debuted in Batman: the Animated Series)...

Bane, a villain created specifically...

(Thanks to Screen Rant)

...to remove Batman (much like Doomsday was created to remove Superman) In the comics, he’s a brilliant tactician (which didn’t seem to carry over as much to the Dini-verse) who uses a super steroid known as Venom to temporarily enhance his already impressive strength.

If you would like to watch the episode, you can either do so on HBO Max, or watch it on Amazon Prime behind the paywall.

We open in a dark alley in Gotham, where the Jokerz line up by an ice cream truck...

...with a cool secret. However...

...there always has to be a party pooper. The Jokerz grab the hardware from the gun and start firing (they do know they’ll have to pay for those, right?) Batman makes short work of them as Gotham’s Finest show to do the mop-up.

I should note this is early in Terry’s career as Batman...

...so he’s not used to the late nights yet. His teacher notices and gives Terry a disk with a note for his mother (Really? Even when this episode first aired email was fairly common!)

After school, Dana takes Terry to watch the Big Game. No clue what the game is. Near as I can tell it’s Zero-Gee Lacrosse.

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Batman recognizes “Mason” as one of the athletes from the game earlier in the evening (who is also dating his friend Chelsea)

Speaking of the happy couple, Chelsea is worried Mason (who looks like Death Warmed Over) is using something called “slappers” (you don’t suppose she means those squares he was placing on himself that made his veins pop out, do you?) Mason brushes her off, so she storms away. Guess the honeymoon is over.

Then Mason’s teammates arrive with the cash they got for selling the stuff they stole last night...

...which he trades for slappers for him and his fellow players. His hands are trembling so much he has to slap one on just to get home.

Unfortunately for Mason, someone followed him and saw the whole thing.

That evening at Hamilton Hill High School (where Terry goes to school)...

...Batman pays a visit to the boys’ locker room, picking Mason’s locker open and finding his stash of Slappers. Next stop, the Batcave so Bruce can analyze them.

But before he can leave, he gets hit from behind!

You’d think the Coach would want to know why Gotham’s resident superhero is snooping around his locker room, but instead he wants to take on the Bat.

The fight is carried to the...Zero-Gee Lacrosse(?) arena where Batman makes short work of the Coach.

Afterward, Terry heads home later than normal, and his mother is worried, especially since the school told her about Terry sleeping in class. His brother Matt “helpfully” goes in Terry’s bag to get the disk (OK, I get that little brothers are jerks who want to see their sibling get in trouble. Hell, a few months after I moved from my mother’s custody to my father’s, my brother was STILL trying to get me in trouble with my mom! But Matt embraces “sibling rivalry” with almost sadistic glee!). When Terry grabs the bag back, it spills open, revealing...

...the slappers Batman took from Mason’s locker. Terry’s mom, of course, freaks. She grounds Terry except for school and working with Bruce Wayne. Matt is giddy that Terry’s in trouble!

Later at the Batcave...

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This episode is turning more and more into an Afterschool Special.

Meanwhile at Zero-Gee Lacrosse(?) practice...

...Mason looks worse than ever, and the Coach notices, sending him to the showers. His cohorts bitch at him about his stash of slappers going missing, but one of them “found” his parents’ cash cards so Mason can get more.

That night, Mason approaches his dealer’s car when...

The dealer high-tails it out of there, but not before Batman tosses a tracer on the car. Bruce tracks the vehicle.

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I know Bane was defeated at least once by damaging the device that feeds him Venom until it overloaded his body, so this is certainly plausible. Plus it shows the dangers of drugs by showing a guy ODing.

Anyway, Terry is out past curfew, so likely his career as Batman may be over (and Matt is likely doing a Victory Dance in his room)

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Hope you enjoyed the episode (even it it was a bit heavy-handed) I know Matt didn’t like the ending.

Six down. The final villain’s fate to be revealed next week...and it’s a chiller!

#DC comics #dini-verse #Batman Beyond #bane #say no to drugs #Fan Colored Glasses

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