#cody has never done anything wrong ever

[deserthusbands]

judge: and does the defendant have any special requests?

cody: death penalty.

obi-wan, from the gallery: cody, it’s just a parking ticket.

cody, whispering into the mic: please kill me.

[varpusvaras]

So Palpatine is found out to be the Sith and to having been playing the war on both sides.

The Senate is furious. They want to know how no one caught this earlier. They cannot admit that they didn't see anything, either, and were fully on board with almost everything Palpatine had said and done before. They cannot admit that they had been in the wrong.

They try to blame the Jedi. Some of it sticks, but not permanently, because the Jedi are like yo bro wtf we were on the battlefields for 99 percent of the time, we didn't have the time to stand there and stare at him, so they need to find even more scapegoats.

They turn to look at the Guard.

It's their job to protect the Republic! How did they not notice! They must've been in on it!

The Guard is like ????? okay sir first of all, we were too busy to be crawling around in the prisons and on the lower levels to ever even talk to the Chancellor during our entire lives, we weren't that important

But one of you has been reporting to the Chancellor. Doing his datawork for him. He must've noticed! How could he have not! Who was this one Guard!

It's Commander Fox.

The Senate wants to take Fox to the courts. But he is not there. The Guard goes Commander Fox who? Never heard of him. Are you sure that it's not just some ploy made by the Sith? Maybe he's someone who is just impersonating a Guard or something, we don't know. We have never had a Commander by that name in the Coruscant Guard

They interrogate the entire Guard for days, weeks. They all just say that there has never been a Commander Fox in the Guard. No one can find him. Commander Fox has never been seen without a helmet by anyone who is not a clone. They cannot verify who he is, if he is trying to hide among the other Guards

The Senate finds out that Commander Fox has brothers outside of the Guard. They bring them in. Cody and the others are just as confused by all of this as the rest of them. They know Fox exists. The Jedi keep reassuring them that everything will be okay if Fox comes forward, so they try to see if Fox is there. He is not. Cody goes to ask Thorn what is going on. Thorn looks him dead in the eyes and says he has never even heard of a Commander Fox before all of this. He just keeps staring at Cody with absolutely no expression when Cody tries to insist. No, never heard of Commander Fox before this. Are you sure you're okay Marshal Commander Sir? You've been in many close calls during the war. That scar looks rather nasty. Must've been quite a hit. Have you ever gone and checked it out? Could be a concussion.

Cody knows that Thorn knows that he got the scar on Kamino. Cody points this out. Thorn continues to look him in the eyes and flat out says no you didn't.

Cody looks at Thorn. Thorn looks at Cody.

Cody gives up.

All the other Guard Commanders say the same. To all of them. So do all the troopers, down to the newest shiny.

The Jedi try to go in and ask. It doesn't work. Their working theory is that being so close to the Sith has made them develope stronger mental shields. Maybe. Anyway no one is saying anything to them either. Yoda thinks this is hilarious. He keeps cackling behind his stick. Mace looks at him like bffr.

The Guard is firm in their stance. Commander Fox does not exist.

The Senate is still in an uproar about all of this. Bail looks at Padmé and Mon and goes you know what? I'm getting a headache from all of this. This is stupid. I'm going home. I suggest that all of you do the same. My wife said that we are renewing our vows and then taking another honeymoon. I'm going now goodbye.

Yeah, sure, Padmé and Mon say. They all pack up their things and go home the next day.

(The Organa family has a beautiful vacation home on the mountains. The sun is shining warmly but there is still snow at this time of the year. Some rare flowers are in the bloom amidst the ice on the rocky sides of the mountain. There's a view for a glacial lake from the front windows. The fire place is lit and the beds are warmed up and have thick blankets on them.

Fox sits in front of the fireplace, being sandwhiched between his wife and husband, and he looks out at the lake and takes a sip from the sugariest cup of hot chocolate that exists in the entire Galaxy.

Commander Fox does not exist.

Fox Organa does.

And he's on a vacation.

Please do not disturb)

[tangents-within-tangents]

Hot take:

Crosshair does not have the Imperial disillusionment and redemption arc of The Bad Batch

Emerie does.

Crosshair has an arc for sure yes but it's not that.

I was thinking about this scene:

and how it got right what this scene kinda didn't:

(It was so close but then bad writing decided to undercut the moment with a joke rip)

And I think it's really interesting that these characters who were more or less raised into the Empire/First Order and chose to leave it are all directly asked why.

But take a look at Crosshair's answers in comparison:

Different context for the asking, yes, but still, compare that to clones like Howzer, Cody, Slip and Cade who left or turned against the Empire because they knew what the Empire is doing is wrong and they weren't just going to blindly follow orders:

Crosshair - Loyalty, Purpose, and Survival

Crosshair didn't choose to join the Empire (though the show isn't very clear or consistent about how much control the inhibitor chips have) but he did, for whatever reason, choose to stay. By the end of S1 we know his chip has been removed and as he definitively says "This is who I am." There were likely still other influences on his decision, but listen to how he talks about the Empire in the S1 finale:

Hunter: Crosshair, I've seen what the Empire is doing. Occupying planets and silencing anyone who stands against them. You know it's not right. Crosshair: You still don’t see the bigger picture, but you will. Hunter: Can't you see they're using you?

Crosshair: We’re not like the regs, we never have been. We’re superior. The Empire can’t protect the galaxy without strength, this is what we were made for. Think of all we could do, together!

Crosshair: You all are meant for more than drifting through the galaxy. It’s time to stop running. Join the Empire, and you will have purpose again.

Hunter: They destroyed an entire city! Crosshair: They did what needed to be done. Kamino, regs, the Republic, that time is over. The Empire will control the entire galaxy, and I am going to be a part of it. Hunter: Don't fool yourself. All you'll ever be to them is a number.

He undeniably knows what the Empire is doing, but he does not care. In fact it sure sounds like he actually supports it and finds self-meaning in it. Hunter spends those episodes trying to convince him it's wrong, he doesn't change his mind. In the end they offer him an out and he doesn't take it.

Wrecker: You coming with us? Crosshair: None of this changes anything. Hunter: You offered us a chance, Crosshair. This is yours. Crosshair: I made my decision.

The next we see Crosshair in "The Solitary Clone" (S2:E3) he follows orders and shoots the Desix governor, right after Cody heartbreakingly tries to do what's right and find a peaceful solution.

Cody: Tell me something, Crosshair. This new Empire, are we making the galaxy better? Crosshair: We’re soldiers, we do what needs to be done. Cody: You know what makes us different from battle droids? We make our own decisions, our own choices. And we have to live with them too.

After this (glorious!) conversation, Crosshair stays. Maybe this began to seed some doubts, but he actually smiles a few scenes later when Rampart assigns him another mission. It seems like for him it truly is as he said in S1:E1 (chip not enhanced yet but still influencing him enough for his brothers to notice he's acting strange):

Crosshair: Republic, Empire... what's the difference.

Crosshair: Orders are orders.

This unethical mission that finally pushed Cody over the edge does not change Crosshair's mind about the Empire, at least not enough for him to take action.

But what does?

Mayday: And here we are, the survivors. Combat troopers stuck babysitting cargo shipments. Crosshair: Mission’s a mission. Mayday: Yeah, I used to say the same thing.

Mayday: After all the clones have done, all we’ve sacrificed. We’re good soldiers, we followed orders. And for what?

This mission has nothing to do with how the fascist Empire treats the galaxy, it's about how they treat their soldiers. It's about how Mayday loyally fought and served his whole life and Lieutenant Nolan let him die

Lt Nolan: He served his purpose as a soldier of the Empire. Crosshair: You could have saved him! Lt Nolan: Perhaps you didn’t hear me, he is expendable, as are you.

Crosshair thought he could find purpose within the Empire, and Nolan shows him exactly what that will be.

His turning point is accompanied with this powerful visual of the ice vulture, a symbol (and threat) of death, and also set up within the episode a symbol of survival:

Mayday: Vicious creatures, but you have to admire ‘em. They find a way to survive.

This critical moment (that gives me chills, oof this episode is a masterpiece!) comes right after Nolan calls him expendable and directly threatens him:

Lt Nolan: And if you speak to me again with such disrespect I'll see to it you meet a similar fate, clone.

then Crosshair sees the vulture's shadow and turns to Mayday's dead body (ahh visual storytelling my beloved) then makes his decision:

Crosshair turns against the Empire not because he believes Hunter was right about this:

Hunter: I've seen what the Empire is doing ... You know it's not right.

but because he was right about this:

Hunter: All you'll ever be to them is a number.

Redemption (both in fiction and irl in my humble opinion) comes with making amends and reparations (which is why death 'redemptions' bother me so much but that's a rant for another time). Unlike Emerie, Crosshair never explicitly denounces the Empire or his own actions within it. He never says anything to specifically show if and how his views have changed from what he said on Kamino. He makes amends with his family (sending the warning message, helping Omega escape, making up with Hunter) but that's about it. The most we get in terms of acknowledgement is this:

Crosshair: I thought I knew what I was getting into with the Empire. I thought I was being a good soldier. Hunter: Nobody really understood what was happening back then. Crosshair: I’ve... done things. I’ve made mistakes. Hunter: I have regrets too, Crosshair. All we can do is keep trying to be better, and who knows there just might be hope for us yet.

Which is nice and all but it's more about them making up as brothers so it's way too excusing tbh ("no one knew what was happening back then" ummm? "The Empire will control the entire galaxy, and I am going to be a part of it" remember? And even if at first Crosshair was being controlled by the chip, the fact that he chose to stay after it was removed* means he condones and is therefore still accountable for those actions).

There's also a bit of self-destructive guilt:

Crosshair: Omega, don't risk anything for me. I belong in here.

Crosshair: Omega needs you both. So I’m doing this alone, it’s what I deserve. Hunter: Don’t even think about plan 99, Crosshair. Omega needs all of us.

(which thank you Hunter for pushing back on the death redemption bs and oh look is that a wrap up for the purpose thing?)

But there's no action taken on his part to make up for what he's done or to stand against the Empire (aside from the bare minimum of help with Tantiss, only after it became personally relevant, which like yeah he had trauma to deal with but still).

While I do think the implications/follow-up of Crosshair's turn should have been handled better in S3 (like rip Howzer! he deserved an apology, but that's a rant for another time), I don't necessarily** think this arc is a bad writing choice. It's just saying different things than we expect:

Maybe Crosshair's story is not about standing up against an unjust system, like we see with many other characters (who deserved more screen time but that's a rant for another timeeee). Maybe his story is about how even those who are loyal to the Empire, who actually believe in it, still suffer under and within it's rule. Not to garner sympathy, but to show that there is no winning.

Crosshair has another 'so what changed' convo in S3:E14 with Rampart, in which they draw parallels to each other:

Rampart: You used to believe good soldiers followed orders. Crosshair: Depends on who's giving them. The Empire betrayed us both. Rampart: And you think you can fight them? That's not you. You're like me, loyal to no one but yourself. Crosshair: I've changed.

(note how he says who's giving the orders, not what the orders are)

"Loyal to no one but yourself" describes Rampart much more than Crosshair, since we often saw Crosshair pride himself as a loyal soldier of the Empire whereas we saw Rampart abuse power to be self-serving within the Empire (like when he killed Wilco to save face). But they were both betrayed either way. Vice Admiral Rampart, snively Imperial opportunist through-and-through, shouts "I was following orders!" as he is arrested for the Empire's purposes. (Edit: and where Crosshair rejected the Empire and found new purpose fighting for his family, Rampart was still self-serving in the finale. He still tries to gain power for himself and he gets his comeuppance).

Even Hemlock, the final boss immoral Imperial scientist, who has to be benefiting the most from this system, echoes the expendability idea:

Hemlock: What I am working on is beyond your understanding. Something so vital to the Empire it makes me indispensable.

Then there's CX-2, also set up as a parallel/foil to Crosshair (fight me), who in the end is discarded as no more than a weapon, a tool that served it's purpose, showing us what would have become of Crosshair if he had stayed.

There is no winning in the Empire. Loyalty is not rewarded, it "doesn't go both ways." Everyone has to fight for their value. Even high ranking individuals** who for a time benefit from the injustice, in the end are just pawns to be used up and cast aside at a whim for the Emperor's gain. Even people who are motivated by self-interest alone cannot survive within this system, the only viable option in this galaxy is to fight the Empire and dismantle that system. (unless you conveniently find a magically safe island to hide away on but that's a rAnT fOr AnOtHeR tImE)

Which brings us back to...

Emerie - Cooperation, Compassion, and Choice

(Okay this post has already gotten away from me but I still want to talk about her to show the contrasts.)

Emerie may not have been given a lot of screen time to really flesh out her development, but there is a lot that is pretty clearly implied with her:

Crosshair: They’ll never turn her [Omega] over. Hemlock: They don’t have a choice. She is a clone, and therefore Imperial property. *Camera cuts to an angle more centered on Emerie’s face*

Crosshair: Give me your access card! Emerie: It won’t get you outside!

Emerie: I tried to warn him what would happen if he did not cooperate with the Doctor.

Emerie: Prisoner? Omega, you are no such thing. It will take time to adjust, but you will acclimate. It is far safer in here than out there.

Emerie: You should go back to your room. Crosshair: You mean her cell?

Emerie: Why children? Hemlock: Children are easier to attain and more agreeable to the subjugations. They are unaware of why they are here and what they possess.

Emerie: They're children. Like I was... Was your plan to discard them too? Nala Se: The Empire will keep them in order to control them.

We don't know a lot about Emerie's background, but it's clear that she had a lot less choice than Crosshair and less opportunity or ability to leave. Unlike Crosshair, we never directly hear Emerie's views of the Empire (and she was most likely 'taken under Hemlock's wing' before the Empire even came to power), but lets look at how she talks about the Tantiss:

"Remain calm. Cooperate and you might survive."

"Don't make this worse, Crosshair! There is no escape!"

"All of us serve a purpose here."

"The Doctor will inform me, if it's necessary."

"It's best not to ask questions."

"Escape is not possible, Omega. This is for your own good."

She honestly does the best she can within the system she is also trapped in. She tries to help Crosshair, Omega, and the vault kids in the only way she knows how (warns Crosshair about the hounds and security, tries to protect Omega from Hemlock, tells Scorch his "actions were extreme" with Jax, insists on overseeing Bayrn's retrieval, double checks his m-count (to give him an out), and tries to find out where he came from). When she gives Omega, and later Eva, the doll, I think it shows just how little she really is able to do here (and it's kinda heartbreaking imo).

The framing of this shot especially (after Jax's escape attempt) visually shows how Emerie herself is trapped/imprisoned:

Despite the fact that very little of this is Emerie's fault, she has very little power and she is doing all she can, the narrative does not excuse her role in the Empire:

Nala Se: What will you do, Emerie? Emerie: There is nothing I can do. I don't have that kind of power. Nala Se: Don't you?

Emerie: I- I was doing my job. Echo: Yeah, I’ve heard that before. You’re a clone. How can you be part of this?

These fighting-the-Bystander-Effect conversations parallel these exchanges:

Hunter: We made a choice, and so did you. Crosshair: Soldiers follow orders. Hunter: Blind allegiance makes you a pawn.

Crosshair: We’re soldiers, we do what needs to be done. Cody: You know what makes us different from battle droids? We make our own decisions, our own choices. And we have to live with them too.

which did not change Crosshair's mind. And honestly, all respect to Echo's disappointed mom glare™ but I think it's clear Emerie had already made her decision, she just needed help to actually be able to do anything about it. When she stopped Echo, with her voice wavering on the verge of tears (ahhh v good voice acting), she clearly had no intention of turning him in. She's on her own in the Empire's most secure facility with very little resources, if she had tried anything on her own she most likely would have failed and been killed

Omega: Emerie, you don't have to do this. Emerie: (sigh) I’m sorry, but I do.

but as soon as she is enabled by an ally, she immediately turns around to help: giving information and getting Echo through security, helping the kids escape, and giving Omega the tablet that allows them to free the other clone prisoners.

Where Crosshair's turn is accompanied by the symbolic imagery of the ice vulture, Emerie's is the removal of her (literally rose-tinted!) glasses:

Symbolizing how she has shed her previous views/indoctrination that altered her perception of the Empire and blinded her to it's wrongs. It's disillusionment.

Emerie's story shows us that even those who are raised and indoctrinated into this system can, should, and will escape (with needed help). Even those who did not choose to be apart of the Empire and are not making the decisions still have the responsibility and ability to act on what they know is right.

Emerie, whose name means 'Home strength' 'Brave' and 'Powerful', and "reflects the importance of leadership and authority in the workplace".***

While Emerie is only in one more scene after her turn, so the wrap up is a bit rushed, she still very simply does what Crosshair does not:

Emerie: Because I was wrong about this place. And I'm trying to do the right thing.

Echo: I’m sure Senator Chuchi would find what you have to say very helpful for our cause. Emerie: I have a lot to make up for. I’d like to help out however I can.

She admits wrong, takes accountability, commits to making amends, and leaves with Echo to go take on the Empire (which hopefully we will get to actually see more of some day).

So, in short, she's showing us how redemption is done right!

---

Notes:

*Whether this writing choice was good/logical/in-character or not is another discussion entirely, but I'm going off of what we were given, what the show is presenting in the canon text and (reasonably inferred/intentional) subtext. Crosshair is pretty multifaceted and I could only touch on so much here. There's a lot of ways to interpret his character/choices, but I tried to avoid the realm of speculation or fanon explanations (even if they sometimes make more sense lol).

**History and political theory are not my area of expertise at all, so I have NO idea how well this aligns with real-world fascism stuff and therefore what implications this storytelling choice could have. I think the message of like 'if you think you could survive or gain power by doing what the Empire/fascist system wants you are wrong' could be good (like how everyone is actually harmed by the patriarchy type of a thing), but I hesitate bc maybe there are those who would benefit, since it's a hierarchal system, right? If anyone more knowledgeable than me has incite to share, by all means

Either way, I do think it works in-story and in-universe though. It's just in the execution. The main problem (even from a strictly theme/character arc stand point) is the lacking follow-up/consequences for Crosshair in S3. Like you gave your character accountability by removing the chip and I think that's great setup for an arc but you gotta follow through with that and actually hold him accountable!

***I'm always curious when clones have 'normal' names, like why did they chose the name Emerie of all things? So I looked it up. Idk how reliable sources are for name meanings so take it with a grain of salt but it's still fun. Fits pretty well, and clones names have definitely had significant meanings in the past (like how Rex and Jesse both mean 'king') so I'm pretty sure it was intentional.

Anyway, thanks for coming to my tedtalk

[mock-arts]

part 2/2 of my 2023 cover collection! This one only 75% star wars and 25% sandman. Check out my cover collection tag for big chunks of covers like this, or check out my big bang tag for a bunch of collab'd stuff! idk or do whatever you want!

oh, and happy thanksgiving for my american buds I'm thankful for getting to work with so many cool people

Links and summaries beneath the cut!

2023 cover collection

We'll Meet Again by @littledumplingwrites (art) (with more art by @punkascas)

When Initiate Obi-Wan Kenobi is assigned to AgriCorps, he goes to his Creche Master to ask why he hasn’t been assigned to a Service Corps better suited. As a result he’s sent to MediCorps to become a healer. Cue Obi-Wan becoming Ben Kenobi: a master healer and specialized surgeon who does philanthropic MediCorps work on the Outer Rim. It’s hard work, but good work and he enjoys what he does. But when the Clone Wars start, Ben is called away from his humanitarian work to patch up Clone Troopers and Jedi on the battlefield. And once he’s there, he meets a rising star in the Clone Army: one Captain Cody.

Or, Healer-Surgeon Ben Kenobi was called to the war front. And he wasn't too keen on going. What were the Jedi even thinking when they started a war?

That M*A*S*H Star Wars AU that I just couldn't get out of my head, so I wrote it. (However, you do not have to know or have seen MASH to understand this.)

Healer Ben Kenobi, Reporting for Duty by @littledumplingwrites (art) (with podfic by mengde)

Healer Ben Kenobi finishes his surgical work on one battlefield and finds out he has a new assignment: rendezvous with the 212th and work with the clone healers there. This makes Ben a little nervous, because his new boyfriend Major Cody is a part of the 212th and Ben hasn’t heard from him in weeks.

Can the two of them work through their relationship issues, even as the Separatist Droid Army closes in on their position? Can Cody learn to trust someone who isn’t a brother? And can Ben learn to put his partner’s care above his past hurts?

Can be read as a standalone. Also, you do NOT need to know anything about M.A.S.H. to read or enjoy this story.

Bonds of Beskar by @popjeckdoom (art) (with more art by Aliennotperson)

In a universe where the Mandalorian Empire never fell, but changed, Ad’be’alor Kote Vhett faces threats from all sides. His father, Mand’alor Jango Vhett has been cursed into a Majick sleep, and as Tor Vizsla and his supporters tear the Council of Clans apart, Kote is desperate to wake his father and reunite the Empire. In an effort to save his father, and his people, Kote Vhett offers “anything” to the person who can cure his Father’s curse.

Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi may be the person for the job; only one issue--the Jedi have been in hiding for a thousand years, still hunted by Sith and Mandalorians alike. Can he keep his true identity secret long enough to help the Mand'alor... or will events conspire to reveal him before his mission is complete?

Forever; Without Stagnation by @noir-renard (art)

Din and Luke meet on Tatooine. Din and Luke fall in love. Din and Luke get married—

And then the plot catches up.

The Galaxy needs you, says The Force, and Luke believes it.

Din will understand, Luke thinks. It won’t take that long. What is a few years compared to the vow of 'forever'?

Only Blindly Could I Read You by @lillytalons (art) (with more art by @vanisketches

Rex's goal was to get into the organization, get the information, and take it down. Of course, no one had ever successfully infiltrated this empire, and most people had died attempting it, so it was easier said than done. But, the fact that a government agency had also sent in an agent, their best agent, was either a very good or very bad thing. Rex just happened to recognize them, and for some reason, Ben had decided that working together was the best option. What could go wrong?

It's a Sad Song (But We Sing it Anyway) by @ouzoa11-writes (art) (with more art by @impalafortrenchcoats)

Obi-Wan and Cody Kenobi have raised Luke for years and are at the center of the Rebellion when a new threat looms the horizon in the form of a new weapon. The tides seem to turn in their favor, even as they face new challenges along the way.

Or: Obi-Wan and Cody are soulmates who just want to see everyone survive. Their lives from Luke and Leia's nineteenth birthday to a confrontation with Vader alone.

Standalone though it is part of the "We Raise Our Cups To Them" universe

An Epiphany of Poppies Upon the Battlefield by @questing-wulfstan (art)

April 1940, On a French battlefield, Hob Gadling doubts his will to persevere in being alive for the second time of his existence. He swallows morphine in the hope to soothe his horror-scarified mind, and summons a mirage of the stranger who occupied his thoughts as the patron of his immortality. In a Japanese psychiatric ward, Delirium of the Endless is alerted by Dream's irruption in her realm, who she found missing when she sought his company on her quest for the Prodigal. Disappointment overcomes her as she finds it was but an image of her brother conjured by a mortal, and so it does Hob when her eruption dismisses the vision. Delirium will not resign herself to her exponential loss of brothers however, neither will Hob Gadling withhold his aid from any entity in distress, whether the stranger or his younger sister ; they just might hold the might to liberate Morpheus between their four hands ...

The Other Kingdom by @banhus (art)

In 1916, Roderick Burgess successfully summons Death, and Hob Gadling wakes up in the trenches alongside three dead soldiers.

[masterjedilenawrites]

Howdy!!! I was wondering if you could write about S/O asking their clone lover if they would get a vasectomy? I've never felt comfortable with birth control, with it having side effects and the chance of not working. But vasectomys seem very effective and are reversible! If you dont feel like doing all of the clones, you can just do the bad batch! Or just Crosshair, he's my favorite 😍. If you're not comfortable writing this, I totally get it! Thanks for reading my ask anyway! I love your writing!

Crosshair's my favorite too 😊

But let's throw all the bois and batch into this one... Except for Echo, who I headcanon to not have a fertile/working *ehem* member, so no worries on that front if he's your partner. Let's sub him out for... Gregor? Howzer? Ooh, wait, how about Bacara!

[18+ only below the cut, please and thank you]

Cody, Rex, and Kix are totally fine with this plan. Whether you don't want kids yet, ever, or any more, they will always defer to you in these matters. They don't have strong preferences and simply want you to be happy. If you're more comfortable with them getting sterilized over the alternatives, then your wish is their command.

Tup, Dogma, and Tech will want to do some research first, and discuss what your goals are with birth control as a couple. Permanent solution or temporary? Short and long term side effects? Cost? Etc. Once you're on the same page and decide a vasectomy is the right thing for your relationship, then they'll gladly do their part.

Jesse, Hunter, and Wrecker will blanch at the idea of getting snipped. They're very, um, sensitive over anything regarding their genital area. Don't get them wrong, they'll still do it for you, of course. But the thought kinda sorta really freaks them out, despite it being a routine, safe procedure. They'll need a pep talk and lots of aftercare to get them through it.

Wolffe, Fox, and Crosshair are actually thrilled at the idea. Maybe not about the process itself, but at the idea of having an effective way of preventing an unplanned pregnancy. The thought always secretly stressed them out. But if all it takes is a simple procedure and then you two can get intimate in whatever way you want with few to no consequences? Deal. Sold. Done.

Fives, Hardcase, and Bacara are also okay with getting the ol' snip-snip, though they will put it off for as long as you'll let them. They don't like the idea of having to take it easy for a while afterward - in their daily life as well as in the bedroom. When they do get it done, you'll have to keep a close eye on them so they follow the recovery plan properly.

NSFW Every Character Tag: @dangerousstrawberrypie, @justanothersadperson93, @arctrooper69, @sleepycreativewriter, @techie-bear, @theroguesully, @cw80831

NSFW Bois & Batch Tags: @kaijusplotch, @rebel-finn, @lucyysthings, @marvel-starwars-nerd, @nekotaetae, @lackofhonor, @flowered-bicycles, @foodmoneyandcats, @nahoney22, @dangraccoon, @mishakoon, @aconstructofamind, @skellymom

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Friendly reminder: This blog and its posts will remain spoiler-free for The Bad Batch Season 3 until the entirety of the season has aired. Please do not comment or reblog with spoilers until after 5/1/24. Thank you!

[poindexters-labratory]

Ben-

This Ben

Ben is the driver out of the group of Cody, Toby, Anthony, and Jeff, so he has to carpool them wherever they may want to go. He really doesn't want to, so to make the trip with a grump, a chatterbox, and... Jeff easier (Anthony has never done anything wrong ever), Ben has this playlist.

A lot of my friends already know of this playlist, and it's called 'ben's ugly 2000s car mix', named after Ben's ugly 2000s car. It exists purely for the purpose of annoying whoever is in the car. Just put it on shuffle, and it will do the work.

There are songs you would expect, like music from Slipknot, Fall Out Boy, The Offspring, etc. Then it will start playing My Little Pony and Cascada songs without warning, and everything in between.

Anyway:

[fayestardust]

Miscellaneous Tag game

Tagged by bestie @almost-a-class-act

Favorite place in the world you’ve visited?

Probably California, because accessibility is so great there. I actually loved LA, but I would guess I wouldn't like it so much if I had to live there. It's the visiting that is cool.

Something you’re proud of yourself for?

Honestly, for still being here? I know that seems like a dark thing to say, and it kind of is, but I've been through a lot of shit, and life continues to be hard. So I'm proud that I'm trudging through it.

On a more recent scale, I am really proud of myself for walking through the Bois Jacques and Trou de Loup forest the other day with my BoB family. It was the most I've walked in probably the last ten years and while I was completely out of breath, it felt great to have done it.

Favorite books?

I don't know anymore. Maybe the Housekeeper and the Professor. But recently, Wool by Hugh Howey.

Something that makes your heart happy when thinking about it?

The last time @almost-a-class-act came to visit, and also any of my BoB trips. Something about found family. Squeee.

Favorite thing about your culture?

Probably that we pull no punches. And I'm not sure if it's part of our culture but growing up, everyone was always welcome in our house. To stay for dinner, to sleep over, just about anything. I love that I was taught that.

When did you join the HBO War fandom? What was the first show you watched?

Band of Brothers way back when it came out when I was in high school. Our history teacher was cool like that. Then I watched it with my dad (now 84) and I got into the Pacific slightly after it came out. Fun fact is that I initially did not like it. Too violent and a bit scattered, I thought, but now I like it about just as much as Band. Covid launched me back into the series harder than ever before, and I watched both plenty of times with @almost-a-class-act. Then the whole art thing started and the rest is history.

Have you read any of Easy Company’s books? If so, which ones were your favorite?

I've read Band of Brothers, Easy Company Soldier and Parachute Infantry. Easy Company Soldier is my favourite out of those. I've also read Bob Leckie's book Helmet for My Pillow, which might be better.

Favorite HBO War character and your favorite moment with them?

I can't pick a favourite, it changes all the time. My favourite scene is Doc and Babe in their foxhole, though.

Do you make content for any fandoms, if so; what sort of content?

I make art and, on rare occasions, write fic and sometimes poetry. Not enough, though.

Favorite actor/actress and your favorite film of theirs?

Andrew Garfield can do no wrong. Give me him in just about anything. Under the Banner of Heaven was impactful. Reminds me that I have to finish watching Silence. I started watching it over Christmas with my family, but we decided it was too heavy for Christmas. Paul Mescal has been one of my recent faves.

Favorite quote/s that you wish to share with others?

I have one but my brain is broken and I can't think of it right now.

Random fact your mutuals/followers don’t know about you?

Hm, maybe I used to sing a lot and once recorded an album. Or that I wasn't always in a wheelchair.

If you’re a writer, do you need a beta reader (say yes so I can be your beta reader 🤭)?

Yes, but I have @almost-a-class-act. She never lets me down.

Three things that make you smile?

My cats. My signed art. My camera (nerd!)

Any nicknames you like?

Faye, K-Maart (begrudgingly)

List some people you love to see around on tumblr!

@mutantmanifesto @almost-a-class-act @derry-rain @cody-helix02 And loads of you who I just don't remember because my brain is overloaded.

What would you do during a zombie apocalypse?

Die.

Favorite movie?

I don't know, don't make me pick.

Do you like horror movies?

I do not. Though I guess it kind of depends on how suspenseful they are and if they have jumpscares.

Tagging: @derry-rain @mutantmanifesto @cody-helix02 @wordsluts

[teen-safe-space]

Hi. I wanted a little help, like, mentally, I was wondering if you have any advice on how to feel good about yourself, I'm naturally a chubbier person, my mom's side and dad's side of girls are all thicker, and I hav3 naturally thick thighs, and I hate it, I hate it all about myself, and I was wondering if you had any tips about how to feel better about yourself, I've gotten to the point of starving myself for days, besides dinner cuz I don't want my family knowing. I'm really sorry if this is a hassle for any of you mods, I just was wondering if you could help, it's perfectly fine if not, and I'm really sorry if this is a bother, have a good day!!

Hi there dear (/platonic)! It’s cerulean here, I’m sorry it’s taken almost a week for any response, but I’m responding now!

First off, it’s never a bother or a hassle for any of us mods, it’s why we’re here: to help!

I’m honestly not really sure about tips on how to feel better about yourself, other than consume positive media with things that make you feel better about yourself, and tell yourself things that you do like about yourself. I know you specifically mentioned not liking your thighs, but do you like your eyes? Your hair? Your nose? Your hands? Your arms? Any freckles if you have them? The way you talk? The way you smile? Your handwriting? Anything! What do you like about you? (Because let me tell you, all of the things I just mentioned —and more— I love about you)

I’m not really the best person to talk about starving oneself, seeing as I’ve never done it, but i want to tell you it will not help you. You may see some physical alterations with starving yourself, but in the end you’ll just end up being so exhausted and end up feeling more shitty. I’m not sure if this helps at all, but I want you to know that I don’t want you to starve yourself.

I understand what it feels like to hate the way you look. I am very muscular, fit, and short, but all of my best friends for almost ten years have been extremely skinny/lean, with little to no muscle, and very tall. This idea of being so physically different from my friends, who’ve I’ve always thought were the most beautiful people, has definitely weighed on my subconscious whether I think about it or not.

I unfortunately started thinking about this concept of beauty standards wayyy too early. I remember being five years old and meeting another five year old at a festival in a bouncy house. She was much more lean than I was (despite us being only five, but I still remember her being very skinny). She told me about how her brother had annoyed her, and if I wanted to help her get back at him (I don’t rember what it was we were doing), and I of course said yes. I still remember her older brother who was probably around twelve or thirteen years old at the time calling me fat. I rember the girl and I looking at each other in confusion, before attempting to beat the shit out of him (we couldn’t, we were only five). I remember keeping this to myself for a while, the notion that I was fat (as a kindergartener), before one day asking my crush at the time if he thought I was fat (don’t remember how it came up, also this kid is still the sweetest person I’ve ever known, Cody I miss you lmao), for him to give a very heartfelt response about how could I ever think that, of course that I wasn’t, and that the kid who called me fat was wrong. But I still think about the boy who called me fat when I was five. Did it have a massive physiological impact on me? I’m not sure, but probably.

In conclusion, I want you to know you are not alone. I am comfortable sharing how insecure I am, because I want people to know that they are not alone in being insecure. I dream of the day we can all look in the mirror and think “I look pretty today” without looking in the mirror a little while later and saying “wow what was I thinking earlier? I look awful.” I want you know that I think you’re beautiful, despite the fact that I’ve never seen you before. I can just tell, that the person that sent this ask in, is beautiful.

-Cerulean

[littlesoka7567]

My Own Decisions

Summary: Cody’s pov of after talking to Crosshair and he’s thinking about how he makes his own choices, and he doesn’t know about the chips. He doesn’t know he didn’t choose to kill Obi Wan.

Warnings: order 66

Notes: I’m in my feelings so here’s some Cody angst. Very tiny ficlet; 708 words

Cody twists in his bed, pulling his right arm under his neck for extra support. It isn’t the first time he’s been unable to sleep, and it certainly won’t be the last.

You know what makes us different from battle droids? His words from earlier repeat in his mind. We make our own decisions.

And we have to live with them, too.

Cody turns onto his back, keeping his arm behind his neck.

He still doesn’t know why he did it. Cody loved his general, trusted him with everything inside of himself.

He had had the thought, on multiple occasions, that he would gladly die for his general. That’s how much he respected and loved-him.

He knows the Jedi were traitors. That they betrayed the Republic, betrayed everything Cody had ever stood for and faught for.

But he doesn’t know why he followed the order.

Maybe the Jedi as a whole were traitors, but not-not Cody’s general. He couldn’t have been. He had just killed Grievous, for Kriff’s sake. Cody had just handed his lightsaber back.

His general wasn’t a traitor, Cody believes this with his whole being. So why did Cody follow the order? Why did he decide to believe the accusations? Why did he kill General -him?

Cody sits up, elbows on his knees and head in his hands. He doesn’t even remember making the choice. He only remember hearing the order, and then following through.

Why?

Cody grunts in frustration, pulling at his hair roughly. He decided to follow orders. He chose to kill his general. He chose-

Why did he decide to do it, when everything inside of Cody now is screaming that he made a mistake?

He doesn’t believe his general was a traitor, Cody knows that much. He doesn’t care what the Emperor said. Ke…his general wasn’t a traitor. He can’t have been. He wasn’t.

Did he believe that on Utapau? He doesn’t remember very well, his medic informed him it was likely due to the adrenaline and shock of the day.

Did he ever believe his general was a traitor? He must have, at least for a second. At least long enough to order him shot down.

Why else would Cody decide to kill him?

Why did he choose to kill him?

Cody has never been one to blindly follow orders. He’s a commander class, he wasn’t raised to do whatever he was told. He was raised to lead, to make decisions, to be in control of any and all situations.

Cody stands and starts to pace, occasionally looking out his tiny window afforded to him thanks to his rank.

But maybe Cody is one to blindly follow orders. He’s done nothing but follow orders lately. Earlier today, when he was ordered to kill the governor after he promised her peace, was the first time since the war he had dared to question an order from a higher up.

He pauses his pacing, looking out the window fully. What choice does he have? He follows orders, or he dies. That’s always been the rules for clones.

Except for people like his general. Rex’s general. They didn’t want blind obedience; they wanted their clones’ advice and judgment on the field.

If his general were here, Cody wouldn’t feel so conflicted. He was sure of that much. His general is…he had been so good. Deep in his bones, at his very core, Cody’s general had been a good person. He had always wanted to do what was right. He would know if Cody’s orders were good or bad, if Cody was doing the right thing.

But Cody decided to shoot his general off a cliff. So he can’t ask him if this new Empire is the good side. If Cody is doing the right thing.

But maybe that’s his answer, anyway.

He killed his…he killed Kenobi. Cody killed General Kenobi, on the Empire’s orders. And anything that wants someone as good and as honest as Kenobi dead has to be bad, has to be wrong.

Cody goes to his bunk, getting dressed in his armor and packing what little he has in a pack.

Cody has made his choices, and now he has to live with them.

Only now, he decides to leave.

[nightmare-freakin-viper]

You give me Jey or Cody vibes. Hype as hell, but the sweetest ever and has never done anything wrong ever. 💜💜

Ahhh! Thank you! 😭💕

That's so sweet 💕💕

[cha0tician]

can't stress enough i love solo sikoa. he is my everything. he is my favorite. i may post about other wrestlers but im not with them. i'm with solo. he's never done anything wrong ever in his life. i am on his side forever and always. idc what he did to your fav. they deserved it. he's completely justified. he's the guy to me even if cody technically """won.""" he is the only reason we continue to have cinema after jey going to raw. i will never forgive the masses for booing him. hes literally everything to me. he is my angel. my baby. i'd say he's like a brother to me but thats a really dangerous thing to be to him but like you get it. he'd never do me like that bc i would never disrespect him and his mission. literally he is just fulfilling his duties he went to the main roster was SENT to assist roman however possible. and he did. and roman was still too weak even with solo carrying him for a year straight. you can't blame him for this. you must be understanding of his breakdowns. if i had done all that just for roman to come back and screw me over even though he owes me so much. i'd be going nuclear. solo is actually behaving very well and handling it very normally. there is no excessive violence in the new bloodline. this is all necessary to show that he is every bit as ruthless as roman is. but you'll notice how good he is. even when he took out jimmy it was with more love and respect than roman ever showed him or jey. he's so polite. solo is probably the most polite man to ever exist. look at his big brown eyes. you think he is evil? with his sweet little face? very quietly and gently giving orders? look how nervous he looks all the time when he's not actively fighting with is all he has ever been taught to do. he's learning on the fly here. roman was a horrible example of a leader. solo is doing so good despite that. he was made to be a weapon for a fallen king and these people have the audacity to boo him for trying to fix things the only way he's ever been shown. for shame.

[ruminate88]

What marriage after toxic relationships looks like:

I talk about this a lot because it’s something I’m still trying to grasp a hold of…… so after my last relationship with my ex Andrew, he was so confusing and hurting me over and over! I cried so much over that man and kept trying to get answers from him and I felt like he would say things in the moment that he thought I wanted to hear, but I really felt like he just wanted to be done with me. Didn’t wanna spend time with me unless it was beneficial to him such as he needs nudes or something. 😝😭

I made the choice to stop contacting Andrew. Just don’t text him at all. Just leave him alone. He has a new girlfriend it’s obvious and he doesn’t love me. Yeah it sucked for me. I was in so much pain and confusion, but I moved forward with my life and 2 months later, is when I matched with my husband on the dating app “OK Cupid”. In the very first conversation I had with my husband, the atmosphere felt safe and healthy. It was the first time I did not feel anything toxic, I didn’t even know my husband yet. I didn’t understand Andrew was a manipulator that he had emotionally abused me. I had no idea!!! (I never heard of emotional abuse before)

three months I talked to my husband and I did tell him all about Andrew and Cody, but I didn’t understand that it was emotional abuse. Couldn’t explain that to my husband and at some point, my husband asked me to stop talking about my exes. I could tell that it was bothering him that it upset him and that he liked me and he wanted me to be over Andrew. I felt like my husband had my best interest at heart, so I listened to him and I started a relationship with him and I was moving on from Andrew…

OK, but a month after I start this relationship with my new man a.k.a. my husband, Andrew suddenly starts trying to FaceTime me!! I didn’t answer his FaceTime. I didn’t have a clue what he wanted. I was so nervous and shaking, curious, excited and just wondering who Andrew is and what are his intentions! 😓😳 I had to tell my new man about it and of course he wasn’t happy at all and he could tell that I was nervous so he offered to FaceTime Andrew for me!! wow!! my new man FaceTimes Andrew and tells me that he threatened Andrew to leave me alone and Andrew looked like he could cry…… That’s so weird… why would Andrew cry? I mean, Andrew broke my heart!!! cheated on me!!! Had a new girlfriend!! posted pictures of her on Instagram, when, he NEVER posted anything about me anywhere ever on any of his social media accounts! I was a complete secret the whole time we talked. He wouldn’t introduce me to his mom or dad and that sucked for me 😣 Why was I good enough for him to call babe and he literally talked with me for over a year… But yet I wasn’t good enough to know his parents or for him to tell his friends about me or to actually be with me. 😭😭😭 His actions never matched his words!! so how in this world could Andrew cry? Was he scared of my husband?

The fact that Andrew tried to come back, it shook me up and it hurt me so much. It made no sense at all!! In my attempts though to get away from Andrew, I blocked his number and I met my husband in person. 🙏🏻 we began to date, got engaged right away and then got married right away too. So now, I’m a wife to somebody and I STILL don’t know that Andrew was emotionally abusive. On my wedding day, all I could think about is I’m getting away from Andrew and he can’t stop me and he hurt me so much and I just want a new life 😣😓 but at the same time, I’m sad and confused and I know my husband is the nicest guy I ever met and we had a beautiful wedding and a beautiful honeymoon and I trusted my husband!!

After the honeymoon though, I’m super defensive all the time towards my husband and every little thing he does either triggers me or makes me upset and I overreact to my husband but I don’t know why 🥺🥺what in the world is wrong with me? For example, my husband was playing video games and there was girls online as well as guys that he was playing with and one girl in particular, kept getting online to play games with him... He talked with her over his headset right in front of me!!! I told him that made me uncomfortable that I didn’t like it and he said that it was just a video game, that he really didn’t even know her that she was way older than him and had 4 kids and they were just playing video games... He claimed he was not talking to her outside of the video game, but he knew I had been lied to and cheated on before. Why would he do that to me? My mom told me that there’s no way my husband was cheating that he works all day and comes home to me at night.(said he doesn’t have time to cheat) I should trust him but even my mom didn’t quite know what Andrew or Cody had put me through. 💔💔

another thing is, when I was dating my husband, a guy at his work was teasing him and painted our initials with a heart on the wall at work with spray paint and my husband took a picture of it, and for some reason, decided to take credit for it and sent it to me! Making me believe he made that for me… 😤 I believed him, but after we were married, one Valentine’s Day, we were out to dinner and my husband confesses that he never made that but that his group leader at work made it and he just took the credit for it… 😔 of course I was very very upset why my husband would take credit for that and why couldn’t he just tell me his group leader at work made it? There again, I feel like I’m being “lied to again” and it triggers me!!!!! SO, I overreact and I’m really really having a hard time trusting my husband… 😣 I couldn’t explain to him why it made me so upset that he lied about it when it’s such a small thing… or is it?

my husband continues to remain the same person. All the time he continues to come home at night after work and will even watch TV with me before getting on his video games. He says that he is trying to spend time with me before getting on his video games but he feels like it’s not enough for me.. 🥴 he just doesn’t understand that I’ve been neglected in all my past relationships. I’ve been used and I’m sorry that he feels he has to work so hard to prove himself BUT I’m just super hyper-vigilant!!!! I notice every little detail and every little shift in my husband’s actions or words. 😰

I consistently ask my husband if he’s OK all the time, is he happy in our marriage, does he love me and I consistently overthink everything he does or says towards me. the smallest thing, I question his intentions, and I always fear he has other girls (or even guys) on his phone he’s romantic with and on his computer too because I’ve never had a relationship where that wasn’t the case… ❤️‍🩹

What does it take for me to get over the past and embrace my husband as he is? He supports me financially, but he doesn’t support me in every area of my life as I would hope 😕 He refuses to go to church with me and he doesn’t help much around the house except pay the bills… I do everything, including taking out the trash. He has no responsibilities at home except for the bills which I know the bills are super important and his job is super important too. I’m not trying to complain , I just want to feel supported in all areas of my life, or am I overreacting?

this is all new for me and I’m uncomfortable to talk about it with my husband because last time I tried to mention anything about my past, he accused me of cheating on him and talking to other guys…… Well, if you’re accusing me, are you guilty??? I already questioned him from the beginning when he’s playing video games with a woman online after I tell him it bothers me… But I mean, it wasn’t like he was hiding it. 🤪 He was doing it right in front of me and explaining to me that he doesn’t talk to her outside of the game. There’s been a couple times i’ve went through his phone and couldn’t find anything. I have felt like I was going SO crazy! I consistently compare him to Andrew and Cody and I HATE it so much. 😣 When can I remove this wall that’s between my husband and I??

[softambrollins]

Obviously, you missed the point of what I was trying to say. I was making a point about the double standards and hypocrisy in the fandom. I never said that what Roman said is okay. I just pointed how people been saying horrid things about him, both as a person in real life and in character, for so many years and no one bats an eye. But the minute Roman says one thing that's out of line and slips up and makes a mistake, it's the end of the world for you people. Because I bet if had been Seth or Cody or Punk or Drew or any other white wrestler that made that crossdresser comment, no one would be as upset about it or calling them out. But because it was Roman who said it, here comes the selective outrage. White wrestlers can say and do whatever they want, no matter how horrible it is, whether it's in character or real life. And it gets overlooked, they get passes. But god forbid if a person of color even sneezes or blinks the wrong way. And you're gonna tell me that this isn't a race issue? Please. And no, Roman's comment doesn't mean anything that Seth has done in the past (in real life and in character) is suddenly okay and acceptable. Seth isn't all innocent or a perfect saint, he's not absolved from criticism and doesn't get a pass just because of how he dresses. And the shit he's done far outweighs anything Roman has ever done.

i don't see what this has to do with race. people being horrible to roman was obviously unacceptable but he's not exempt from criticism just because he's a POC. if a white wrestler had said the same thing, i assure you the reaction would be the same. but they didn't. he did. he's the biggest star in the company, has been holding the top title for ~1300 days and is involved in the main storyline going into wrestlemania. you really don't understand why he's under this kind of scrutiny? come on. no one's this obtuse. roman's gotten a lot of praise for his character in the past so if you're fine with that, you should also be fine with criticism when it's not good.

acting like punk, seth, cody etc have not gotten tons of criticism when they deserved it is genuinely wild and so far removed from reality. and what shit did seth do anyway? i genuinely don't know what you're talking about. in storyline, you mean? because you can't mean anything else. if you mean his comments in 2019, trust me, no one criticised him more than i did. unlike you, i have no qualms about criticising and calling out my faves when they mess up and say or do disappointing things. no one's trying to cancel roman. it's not the end of the world. it was just a dumb, unnecessary thing to say. he's better than that.

[starrcadehq]

MAKING HIS WAY TO THE RING , THE TENACIOUS !

the dirtsheets haven't quite found out everything there is to know about him yet , but we have heard a rumor that . . .

cody  ‘  s  secret  i  quite  the  doozy  and  has  honestly  has  him  in  a  conflicting  vice  grip  that  he  just  cannot  escape  from.  brandi  had  always  felt  like  the  girl  for  him  ,  ever  since  laid  eyes  upon  his  wife  he  knew  that  ...  she  was  it.  he  cared  for  her  ,  in  words  that  even  he  found  hard  to  find  ;  however  even  with  the  greatest  of  things  ,  bad  things  always  found  their  holes  to  creep  into  and  as  of  late  ...  they  affected  his  marriage.  he  didn’t  know  what  caused  a  snag  but  things  weren’t  right  in  their  home  and  you  could  tell  that  if  affected  everything.  from  lack  of  communication  ,  to  the  silent  “i’m  not  in  the  mood"  excuse  for  anything  romantic  ...  it  was  debilitating  and  festering  away  at  him  to  the  point  that  every  day  he  just  didn’t  want  to  go  home  and  deal  with  another  fight  that  ended  with  him  just  leaving  anyway.  that’s  where  he  met  tiffany.  she  was  beauty  ,  a  not-so-healthy  distraction  away  from  the  pain  in  his  heart.  the  american  nightmare  prides  himself  on  his  strong  he  resilience  ...  but  the  blonde  was  far  intoxicating  for  even  him  to  resist  and  not  of  appearance  alone  ,  no  ...  but  she  was  giving  him  something  that  he  craved  alot  more  than  he  thought  and  wasn’t  getting  at  home  :  attention  and  just  generally  feeling  wanting.  after  stumbling  upon  each  other  wrestlemania  week  ,  their  affair  quickly  grew  heated  and  boy  did  she  have  him  wrapped  around  her  finger.  while  he  always  found  himself  the  one  in  charge  of  their  whole  situation  ,  he  always  was  quick  to  give  her  whatever  she  wanted  to  not  only  make  her  happy  but  to  make  sure  she  wasn’t  going  to  talk  about  their  private  matter.  clothes,  jewelry,  cars  ...  funny  that’s  the  whole  reason  why  he  found  himself  in  such  a  conflicting  situation.  cody  ,  being  the  hooked  gentlemen  he  is  and  after  much  convincing  on  the  blonde  behalf  ,  cody  had  lent  her  one  of  his  expensive  cars  for  the  day.  he  hadn’t  though  much  about  it  until  that  very  car  had  been  used  by  the  blonde  in  a  way  that  had  caught  the  eye  of  law  enforcement.  course  it  put  him  in  a  panic  and  even  that  small  slip  had  made  him  regret  everything  and  casted  a  light  for  him  to  really  see  what  he  was  doing  was  wrong.  at  the  same  time  that  every  fiber  of  his  being  was  telling  him  to  end  this  with  tiff  and  try  to  work  on  things  with  brandi  ...  there  was  one  isolated  fiber  that  was  reminding  him  of  how  good  it  felt  to  feel  wanted  by  tiff  and  to  continue  on  with  it  because  at  the  end  of  the  day  he  knew  deep  down  that  things  with  brandi  were  never  going  to  change.  that  even  with  liberty  ,  their  marriage  was  done.  the  two  of  them  were  just  too  stubborn  to  admit  it  and  at  least  tiff  could  provide  him  with  some  sort  of  comfort.

[cyclonesyndicate]

Truths and Roses Have Thorns About Them

[ ♫♫♫ ]

What is it that lead to this? When did it all begin? Dominick supposes that it started eighteen years ago. Two years before he was adopted by the Great Hero Grendel. Dominick was a gentle child that looked up to heroes. He wanted to be just like them one day. A superhero that beats the bad guys and saves everyone...someone that can put on smile on the faces of everyone. That fateful day broke him...he remembers that day like almost none other. Dominick was just a child them, whisked off to work with his parents that morning. It was just a normal day...it was supposed to be a normal day till there was an explosion caused by a superhero he looked up to, and the entire ceiling caved in on the restaurant that his parents owned. He laid there under the rubble for days, his arms and legs becoming a small meal for the rats that came to scavenge. He knew his parents were dead...in the end the only thing he was able to get from their corpses was his father's ring...

Dominick stares them all down...his expression of a smirk remains...so confident that he isn't the one that they were after...but there was no denying it anymore was there?

Ever since he was adopted by Great Hero Grendel and was given the name of Alarie, he had been taught to lie. He thought that being adopted by the great hero would be the perfect introduction to being a hero himself. Even if he had lost his parents he still had Grendel now to get him on the right path. But still he was wrong. Instead what he learned was that superheroes were monsters. Grendel had done nothing but abuse and destroy his hope, to turn Dominick into the unstoppable superhero, Beowulf, anything had to be done.

The heroes he worked alongside, the heroes that he always adored as a little boy never actually existed. There was only one, his soul brother...his soul brother that he watched his father beat to a bloody pulp for daring to defy the Coalition of Superheroes.

Dominick was trapped...a shake rises in his arm. He grips that photo in his pocket again.

Be strong, Dominick...Be the kind of man that you want to see in the world.

How funny...some of the last words that Whirlpool ever said to him and how has he lived up to them? Finally...finally...his expression breaks. There was no point to this charade anymore was there? It was coming to an end...everything he has done...he was finally at the end of the road...and all that laid out before him was a cliff for him to tumble down. To pave the way for their futures.

He loosens his grip on his pocket and brings his hands together in front of him. He was going to let it go yet Haruka of all people jumps to his defense. Yet he is so wrong, Dominick can't face him directly. He lets his face fall then return to the others. Haruka was wrong...he was in a relationship and he wouldn't dare face Cody right now. He doesn't want to see his face, he doesn't want to be overwhelmed by the emotions that will stop him from saying what needs to be said.

Dominick speaks to the room as a whole. Lifting his head he looks confident, strong, the face and composure of a hero has overtaken him. Though he always showed this way of being, there was something different. That light in his eye has gone out and the smirk across his face was something sinister.

"Splendid job, everyone."

He speaks proudly and directly. Cutting off those that continued to speak and ask questions. If he didn't do it now he didn't know when he would have the heart to come clean. He moves his attention to the masked man first.

"That is correct, Alphard. My name...Alarie was just the surname given to me by that odious man when he adopted me. I'd never happily take that name on nor did I have any desire to keep it after I killed him. My real name is..."

Dominick grips the front of his outfit and pulls it away with one fell swoop...

What follows, is a blinding cascade of rose petals that envelops him and your vision...

[ ♫♫♫ ]

"Dominick Desrosiers or Vanagandr Ragnarok if you'd prefer."

The flurry of petals begins to settle all around him. Standing there now was a man clad in the roses befitting his name. Around his neck and pouring out of the mouth of the pelt he now has donned over himself. His same menacing smirk remained, who was this man? He surely wasn't the Dominick that you all spent your time with, the happy go lucky dog that always wanted to put a smile on everyone's faces. That had so much trouble with his genuine emotions...that struggled to cry outside of the arms of his lover.

That man was dead...

That rose has wilted and in its place has grown this one or perhaps...this was just who he always was. Dominick had said that a key component of the one behind this all was one with the skills of an actor. An actor who spent his entire life learning how to be cordial and sweet when underneath the surface was the true beast.

A rose is more than just a beautiful flower, you must always be careful of the thorns that coat its vine.

"I expected you all to come to this conclusion and I couldn't be more proud right now. You all get a passing grade in both my game and in this mystery. Tsubame, about that first killing game. I was responsible for that as well, I am the one that lead the inner circle and Tempest to their deaths, the one that wanted to use the meteor for his own gain, and the one that trapped you all here in this game of life or death."

Once his moment was over, he drops his arms and just keeps his eyes set on all of them, though he avoids any eye contact or attention to one person in particular.

"I suppose now that we're here, you all probably have a few questions for me before we move onto fulfilling my greatest wish. This will be your last chance, so speak now or forever hold your peace."

Dominick gives that declaration before stopping himself from speaking. He is sure emotions will fly and tensions will rise...and what could be better than that?

What could be better than the life of everyone going against him together? As a true team.

DOMINICK DESROSIERS aka THE LORD OF ROSES, VANAGANDR RAGNAROK, THE TRUE HERO OF A NEW AGE has appeared! The time has come to face him head on.

[mitchtheficus]

A Golden Lovers Timeline

PART 21: THIS IS WHAT LOVE LOOKS LIKE

It’s Wrestlemania weekend in New Orleans! (April 2018)

So let’s take a quick second to talk about our buddy hangman and his feelings. he’s not a huge part of this story, but he still managed to spear me in the heart anyway

(the hangman feelings part of this is essentially going to be taken from a post i made back in 2018, that became a twitter thread that Hangman retweeted and responded to, and generally seemed to like)

[ID: picture of Hangman quote tweeting my thread. His tweet says “The contents of this thread are misguided and definitely not a real view into my inner psyche. Not at all.” End ID]

Hangman gives a post-match promo after his Sakura Genesis match and I love it so much because it’s just so wonderfully, demonstrably false, right?

[ID: gif of Hangman yelling: “WHAT HAVE I DONE TO KENNY? NOT A DAMN THING!” End ID]

I mean, Hangman was pretty instrumental in helping Cody turn on Kenny. He held Kenny’s hands behind his back so Cody could hit him with a chair. He held Kenny’s face so he couldn’t even look away.

[ID: gif of Hangman holding Kenny while Cody stands before them with a steel chair from the GLs reunion night. End ID]

but his claim that he’s never done anything to Kenny is different from Cody’s delusional certainty that he’s The Hero Of This Story, because I think Hangman knows he’s lying

I think he’s been telling himself this lie over and over, hoping it’ll be true if he just says it enough times

Because here’s the thing about Hangman. The Bullet Club is his family.

[ID: gif of an ROH promo. Hangman is looking very earnest and saying “I have searched my whole life for a home and I found one in Bullet Club.” End ID. LINK]

Remember that time he got kidnapped by WWE and tortured? What was the first thing he did when he escaped? He went to his friends. His family.

[ID: picture of hangman’s tweet from Sept 24, 2017. It’s a picture of Hangman, Cody, Brandi, the bucks and their family. The caption says “What a beautiful family dinner tonight. Just what I needed after the WWE kidnapped and brutally tortured me for three weeks.” End ID]

When Kenny stopped him from having his moment at New Beginning in Sapporo it probably felt like a betrayal

[ID: gif of Kenny pulling the belt out of Hangman’s hands and then pushing him out of the way. End ID]

because Kenny, as his family, was supposed to have his back. And it seemed like Kenny was putting his own ego ahead of Page’s career.

That night everything happened so fast. Cody was yelling at him and Kenny was reaching for him, and it’s not like Hangman knows Kenny that well to begin with, they’re usually in different countries.

[ID: gif from the GL reunion night. Cody is yelling and Kenny and Hangman, Kenny is on the ground reaching for Hangman. Hangman looks between them, shirtless and unsure. End ID]

And Kenny had just kind of betrayed him. So he makes a choice.

There’s been a lot of focus in this story on how much the inter-faction tension is upsetting to Kenny and the bucks, and even Cody goes out of his way to lie about it bothering him

but Hangman has never really said much about it. He’s been pretty firmly on Cody’s side and that’s seemingly been all there is to it.

Except that we know from the BTE ep after Sapporo that it’s not, right?

Look at him, he’s so sad

and you can see him take that feeling and shove it down.

[ID: three gifs of Hangman in the shower facing the camera. He’s crying in the first, then in the second he breathes out and gets his crying under control. in the third he looks grim and sad and goes “yep” to himself. End ID. LINK]

That little “Yep” always kills me. He made his choice and he doesn’t believe he can turn back now.

Because if he ever admits to himself that Cody is in the wrong, he has to lose Cody too, and he’s already burnt the bridge with Kenny.

And maybe worst of all, he would have to admit that he helped break this family apart. So instead he leans in.

And he takes all that guilt and anger, and he focuses it on Kota Ibushi

[ID: gif of Hangman from an ROH promo. He looks angry and says: “Kota Ibushi you have become a home wrecker!” End ID. LINK]

but before Supercard of Honor, Kenny and Kota have another Wrestlemania Weekend appointment

[ID: promotional picture of the lovers and Trent and Chuck with the words “LOVERS VS FRIENDS” written on it. End ID]

they’re set to face Trent and Chuckie T of the Best Friends at WrestleCon! (April 5th, 2018)

(this match was originally available on the Highspots network, but I don’t see the 2018 show there now. i’m not sure if there’s any way to watch it legally anymore but thank god some kind soul has put the whole show on bilibili [LINK - 2:27:00])

unfortunately things don’t go quite as planned...

[ID: picture of Chuck speaking to the crowd before the match. He says “My partner tonight was supposed to be my best friend in the world, Mr. Trent Baretta. But unfortunately, some asshole hurt him real bad.” End ID.]

(the asshole in question was Chuck himself)

they do this whole bit where Chuckie tries to call out different people to be his replacement partner (it’s very funny and worth watching) including trying to harangue poor injured Trent into fighting anyway (blocked by Trent’s other tag partner Rocky Romero’s intervention)

Chuckie eventually tricks Flip Gordon into being his partner and they all have a great match

after the lovers win Kenny gets the mic and tells Flip (and us) this:

[ID: three gifs of Kenny says: “[referring to Chuck and Trent] This is what friendship looks like. And this is what love looks like.��� Kenny puts his arm around Kota when he says the bit about love and Kota just beams. End ID]

the cheer they get :((((((((((( kota’s big smile :(((((((

(you can also look at Mith’s HD gifs of the moment here, and a recording of just the speech on tumblr here)

the next day Kota has a 6-man match at a Rev-Pro show (April 6th, 2018) that Kenny isn’t apart of (and i’ve never watched!)

Supercard of Honor - April 7, 2018

(btw the ROH commentators got criticized for being very “friendship” focused during Supercard of Honor (and then saying that calling the lovers “friends who love each other” wasn’t “labeling” them), and Ian at least listened and had convos with queer fans online and ended up making changes to how he spoke about them going forward, calling the lovers a “romantic relationship” during Cody’s May matches)

The hangman vs kota match happens first and is very fun [Official Youtube LINK; Unofficial LINK - starts at 00:31:00]

they’re both incredible athletes, and kota is so popular that hangman actually manages to get booed at an ROH show

You can see hangman’s personal animosity towards kota throughout the match, the way that they’re very similar wrestlers in some ways (a fact that is more interesting in hindsight given Kenny and Hangman’s tag team run in AEW), but ultimately Kota outclasses Page. It meshes well with Page’s 2018 stories in general, this is a man who is on the cusp of becoming one of the best wrestlers in the world, a main-eventer, but he’s not quite there yet

(there is no balcony flipping, but only bc they were forbidden from doing so)

and then it’s the main event! Kenny Omega vs Cody Rhodes [Unofficial LINK; BTE also has the end of the match filmed from ringside, which I highly recommend LINK]

Cody and Brandi come to the ring wearing gold from head to toe and Cody calls them the “Golden Lovers” :/

he’s accompanied to the ring by Bernard the Business Bear and the fucking cops, just in case it wasn’t clear who’s the bad guy here

the main action happens at the end. The ref gets knocked out and the young bucks come down to the ring

[ID: picture of the bucks with their foreheads pressed together, standing between Cody and Kenny’s prone forms. End ID]

they’re going to make a choice. for themselves, for bullet club. this is it, the moment where they pick a side and stick to it.

but they hesitate.

[ID: gif of the bucks standing in the ring, they look between Kenny and Cody. Matt points at Cody and then looks at the audience anxiously in response to their cheer. End ID]

even tho they’ve talked about this. even tho they know who Cody really is now, Matt is still wearing Cody’s belt around his waist. it’s still hard for him to attack his friend, the friend that Kevin Owens asked them to look out for. he keeps looking to the audience to get confirmation that this time he’s making the right choice

and they make their choice.

and they miss.

[ID: gif of the bucks going to superkick Cody but at the last moment Cody falls out of the way and they kick Kenny instead. End ID]

and Cody wins with the young bucks screaming and begging for Kenny to kickout

[ID: gif of Cody pinning Kenny while the ref counts, the bucks are in the background screaming “KICKOUT KENNY!!! KICKOUT!!!” and when the 3 count gets called you can see the horror of it hit them. End ID]

[ID: gif of Cody pressing a kiss to Kenny’s hand following the pin. Kenny is covered in Cody’s victory streamers and the bucks are in the background looking horrified. End ID]

after Cody leaves the ring the bucks go to Kenny

[ID: picture of Kenny still pretty prone on the mat, with Matt touching his shoulder as both bucks huddle over him. End ID]

and Kenny sobs into the mat

for the third time we see the Sapporo Reunion beats played out before our eyes

[ID: four gifs. in the first one Kenny pulls himself towards the ropes while Matt extends his hand, in the second we see the same moment from the reunion with Kota extending his hand to Kenny. In the 3rd Kenny is holding the ropes prepared to leave and Matt grabs his shoulder and turns him around. in the last one we see the same moment but this time Kota is the one who turns Kenny around. End ID]

but Kenny rejects them.

[ID: gif of Matt holding his arms open to Kenny, and Kenny pushing him away. End ID]

afterwards the bucks are left alone in the ring as the crowd rains abuse (and some encouragement) down on them

[ID: three gifs of the bucks in the ring and then leaving it and walking away. In the first the audience is chanting “YOU FUCKED UP! YOU FUCKED UP!” in the next they’re booing. in the last two different audience members say “He was your friend!” “You did the right thing!” The bucks look completely crushed. End ID]

we know it was an accident, but right then, in that moment, the crowd feels all the same anger and betrayal that Kenny does. i was there that night and it felt like the bucks stole the victory from us as much as Kenny. All match Cody was treating the audience like another character in the plot, picking fights with individuals and the crowd as a whole, making us hate him, openly hating us. we wanted to see him lose so badly. instead we had to watch Kenny cry.

the bucks immediately go to Kenny’s dressing room and apologize

[ID: picture of Matt and Nick talking to a seated, defeated looking Kenny while Kota looks on from beside Kenny. Matt: “We went out there to fix the problem! We’re Team Kenny! I swear to God, it was an accident!” Nick: “We chose you!” End ID]

and it’s just heartbreaking. they’re so earnest, they finally understand that Cody is a manipulative snake, and Matt has finally forgiven Kenny. but now Kenny is the one who’s hurting and isn’t ready to forgive.

[ID: two gifs, in the first Kenny says “It was never about teams, Matt! It was never about teams with you and I! We’re supposed to be best friends since the beginning.” Matt: “I know I know-” and Kenny goes: “Why did it even become a thing where we’re standing in the ring. “Oh I don’t know if I’m going to kick Kenny in the face. I don’t know if I’m going to kick Cody.”” We see the room flash to matt and nick standing in the ring looking uncertain. End ID]

he doesn’t care that they kicked him in the face. he cares that they hesitated.

That’s the betrayal to him. Not the fact that the Bucks accidentally helped Cody win. it’s that it was even a choice at all.

[ID: gif of Kenny demanding: “Would you turn on your wife? Would you turn on your kids? Would *I* turn on you?!” and Matt is distressed and goes “No, no of course not! We’re best friends, man! We’re the elite.” End ID]

you can see it in his questions that despite the conflict within the elite lately, Kenny always thought that this was one line they would never cross. the bucks might leave him to the wolves, but they would never turn on him. he had thought that their bond went beyond the possibility of betrayal

and i don’t think there was ever a version of this night where the bucks could have turned on Kenny either, not really. the hesitation was never really about deciding who to kick, it was just a moment of confused mercy where they didn’t want to do that to Cody, but they knew that they had to.

but sitting here with his body and pride hurting, nursing an unearned loss, facing the shadow of a betrayal that he never thought possible... Kenny can’t let it go. not tonight.

[ID: gif of Kenny saying: “There are no sides, and guess what? There is no Elite.” End ID]

[ID: three gifs. Kenny says: “Just like the beginning, with all your Meet & Greets, your t-shirts,” and Matt goes “no, no-” Kenny continues: “your website. It’s just all about the Young Bucks. It always was.” Matt yells at him: “It was about changing the world, Kenny!” End ID]

it just breaks my heart!!!!! it’s so cruel the way Kenny throws the bucks’ money-mindedness in their faces, because they always, ALWAYS did everything to include Kenny in those things! they got him his pro wrestling tees store, they made him get a twitter account, they wore his shirts to shows he wasn’t even on, promoted his stuff when he forgot to, they named their youtube channel Being the ELITE because it was for the THREE of them

money has always been a way they take care of family, and that always meant Kenny too.

and even tho Kenny has been the one saying “change the world”, watching this moment you can feel that it was Matt’s dream too, that doing that with Kenny, being a part of that, it meant something to him

Kenny is taking all these precious things and just throwing them in Matt’s face like they aren’t proofs of Matt’s love for him

and in the face of Kenny denying their very friendship, Matt becomes desperate. he reaches for Kenny

and that’s when Kota decides it’s time to shut this thing down.

[ID: gif of Matt reaching for Kenny’s arm, Kenny physically rebuffs him and Kota immediately gets up and pulls Matt away. He gets between Matt and Kenny and he yells and points towards the door. End ID]

you can already see a change in how Matt is treating Kota, the lack of animosity, the way the accepts that Kota has a right to kick him out of this room.

He’s worked through a lot of his own issues, he’s ready to reconcile

now it’s on Kenny to meet him half way

[PART 22] [ALL PARTS]