#just thinking lmao

[whatudottu]

I don't have too much context on the Aligned books, but a part of me thinks that the reason why the Decepticons in TFP are a bit more hesitant to actually accept Starscream as a leader (an official one when Megatron was found comatose rather than a temporary one while Megatron was soul searching) is because of his status of being forged and alloted as a military bot, whether it's seeker high command or what.

The Decepticons in Aligned started because Megatron was a charismatic gladiator from the pits of Kaon, speeches like poetry and ideology loud and proud. A lot of mecha see him as the face of the 'Cons (despite their symbol being clearly Soundwave's face) even if Megatron's grasp on tactics had to be learned in a fight never flight scenario that the pits put him through. When it comes to being a functional leader, Megatron barely knows anything and is leading by being essentially a figurehead though if you brought that up he'd slay you the instant you spoke, which would probably be the reason WHY Megatron insists of having Starscream be his Second in Command despite all his treachery.

The Decepticons feel that they NEED Megatron, for having anyone else be in charge would feel like hypocrisy, the closest anyone would ever get to being a leader based purely on being a model Decepticon would probably be a Vehicon which well... 1) they'd have to outclass Megatron's very impressive charisma, and 2) Vehicons don't have the best eh track record of being treated well. And seeing that Megatron NEEDS a competent Second in Command, competent enough to plan out strategies he wasn't forged (or constructed) to train in, the second element in play perhaps is the satisfaction of being of higher rank than a military bot. And I'm not pulling that shitty 'exotic bird' seeker shit in here, seekers aren't an entirely different species or worse a fucking animal species (it's a job, it's a rank, it's a role, etc), but who wouldn't feel even a remote sense of accomplishment, glee, whatever at having to fight tooth and nail to get to the very top of something and having someone that didn't have to work hard to be good under your command?

And that shit pisses of Starscream so fucking bad.

As the SiC, Starscream can preen all he likes about suggested strategies and pathways and general other management duties of an entire army (or at least to the sphere of influence the Nemesis holds), but it is Megatron with the final word. Like a rich idiot CEO flaunting their power and kicking dirt into their adviser's eyes, Megatron still has the mindset of a gladiator, has only the experience of a gladiator that Starscream gawks in horror at. To be fair, in combat (even in minor activities like fencing and mind combat like chess) you fear the amateur that knows no opening strategies for if the beginner has no strategy how can you outplay them, but that would only work up until a certain extent. Sometimes games of combat last near forever, a complicated battle between winning and losing of micromanaging fleets and squads to correctly combat the enemy, other times you make a fatal error, exposing your weak spot and cringing as the knife sinks deep.

If Starscream ever were to permanently take over the Decepticons as their leader, he would have far more foresight in planning - as evident by his competence at the beginning of TFP whereby he, the entire Nemesis, and their mining operations went undiscovered for years - and probably needle the Autobots with far less casualties between engaging and victory. However, he from his background is not representative of the Decepticons, for he came from something. Starscream did not battle his way to the top, not in the same way Megatron had to in the pits, nor did he battle his way into the Decepticons, he from memory was purposefully sought after. Hell, given his tendancies as SiC already giving Starscream a bad rep with many a 'Con, Starscream isn't as... not liked (Megatron would hardly be considered 'likeable') but... compelling, as grandiose of a leader as Megatron had built himself to perfectly appeal to an audience.

They need each other to rule, and the saddest part of TFP and it's characterisation is that statement is inherently contradictory. Neither can stand being in the same room as the other, there is a significant power imbalance between the two and frankly? Their mutual dysfunction working with one another is detrimental to the effectiveness of the Decepticon High Command.

As it is in canon, it's eh not the easiest to watch. Megatron makes the dumbest decisions and Starscream has to pull a plan out of his ass to make it better, or Starscream gets over ambitious and Megatron feels threatened and sets everything back to the status quo in the way a gladiator does.

I think that it might've been cool, interesting maybe, if the Megatron and Starscream had a more balanced dynamic. Megatron cannot have a Second in Command that doesn't know what they're doing, cannot have one that doesn't take initiative and seize the moment; Soundwave isn't a military bot, Airachnid's impulse is to run away to try again. Starscream cannot hold an audience, he cannot inspire troops with a rags to riches story he himself does not have; Vehicons have less power in their voice fresh off the assembly line, they are the people Megatron inspires.

Maybe in some universe where the Decepticons are more akin to a fucked up family, this could be... something better. idk... I just think it's interesting.

[cheeseceli]

It's so cool to recognise old followers. Like oh my gosh you've been here since I had two followers and I love you for that

[asmodeauxx]

the OTA cast are full of FREAKS who need to EXPLODE

[ethereousdelirious]

Very weird and interesting to me how "whump" has never had a formal, widely accepted definition outside of "character gets hurt"

Because back in my day, there was this sort of unspoken understanding that whump involved a life-threatening or at least significantly life-altering injury or illness, usually with an associated survival scenario or at least a compelling reason why the character couldn't get immediate medical attention

And on Tumblr it appears to be evolving to a much softer definition to the point where there's a MUCH higher comfort:hurt ratio

And neither one is incorrect because there is no accepted "true" definition

[koobiie]

shoutout to everyone who wants to infodump but cant string together coherent thoughts to form sentences and instead just look at you like this

[pouletpourri]

the real reason kaufmo abstracted

[pissed-whizard]

my blog is a gateway drug to cooler and better blogs (my mutuals)

[keymintt]

a comic/zine about coyotes

[h0rsegirlpercy]

Hermes and Poseidon both struggling to stay away from their sons and being haunted by what the Fates have in store for them meanwhile Hades click clacking around the underworld palace with his little heels thinking of sea puns to tell Percy

[nessieartss]

Another sibling au featuring megumi (they finally met and sukuna already made yuuji cringed)

Also happy new year!

Part 1 | Part 3

[newtsnaturethings]

Hear me out:

I think Zelda should have kept a couple of dragon traits. Just a few.

[specshroom]

⋆˚🐾˖°

Wolf hybrid who is sooooo excited to experience his bunny hybrid partners first heat. So excited that he vastly underestimates just how horny bunnies are in heat.

He's expecting his cute little bunny partner (you) to cry and beg for his knot. Which you do and he knots and cums inside you twice but then right after his knot deflates you look up at him and go "Again?"

He's a little tired but he can't say no to you...

Until it's the sixth fucking round and you're still bouncing on his very overstimulated cock. He knows it's very bad to interrupt a bunny while they're so deep in heat but he might just pass out and you're so lost in the sauce you might just keep going if he does.

He needs to think of a way to satisfy you that won't literally kill him. He gets an idea and reaches for his phone. It's really embarrassing but the best thing he can think of at that moment is to open the group chat, aptly named "The Boys", and hastily text:

[Hey guys can u come over]

[I need sum help with something]

⋆˚🐾˖°

[a-beautiful-fool]

this is just for silliness and funsies

i collect squishmallows (currently at 23 of ‘em)

if this post gets 5,000 notes by new year’s day i will start writing fanfiction of all of my squishmallows 😭

[starfilledsea]

trying to describe black sails to people is my personal sisyphean task. “it’s a pirate show” bad. “it’s functionally a prequel to treasure island but also it’s not at all” bad again, and also confusing. “it’s about pirates trying to destroy western civilization” mostly only true of the second half of the show and also doesn’t fully capture what i love about it. “it’s a pirate show about the power of stories, how civilization uses shame to keep people in line and turns them into monsters, and the power of queer rage. it’s got some of the best acting, writing, everything of any show i’ve ever seen.” the most accurate, but way too long and makes me sound pretentious and insane. send help i just want to talk about my favorite show.

[wackarat]

I have been seeing posts about how a certain frame in the TF2 comics should make heavy and medic hug so-