#me as i explain the war dynamic and the politics of it all. and how everyone is given so much depth that even a guy i hate (veycer) can hav

[phoenixyfriend]

Was chatting about good alternate Cody&Obi-Wan dynamics with @threebea, and one of them we just had a lot of fun with.

Bea:

Cody: We are doing a good job at war. Are you proud general. Obi-Wan: [grump in CW '03] Cody being in a lacky position is very funny to me, if that makes sense. Cody: The boss will surely promote me. Obi-Wan: You're diligent and thorough but we cannot save supplies by powering this with my lightsaber that is not happening. I have always considered that of the two of them, Cody is the reckless hot-blooded one and Rex is the level-headed one. (Obi-Wan's view skewed however having raised one Anakin Skywalker making Cody kicking droids seem very reasonable and thought out.)

Here were my options for Cody and Obi dynamics:

Obi-Wan treating Cody the way he treats Anakin, early on in their working relationship, tentative but working on that angle because those two are the same age and rank so like. Cody might really be as much of a Dumb Young Man as most young men are, yes?

Obi-Wan treating Cody with a hands-off approach because the guy can manage the army while Obi-Wan runs off to stab the Count, right?

Obi-Wan treating Cody kinda coldly because his instinct is to be very delicate and nice to these traumatized young men, but they don't like it when he does that, so he has to be standoffish because otherwise he'll start babying them because they're barely any older than Anakin was when he got his boy.

Obi-Wan treating Cody as a Research Assistant because he's a nerd and sometimes padawans would be assigned to him in the archives, and Cody hovers behind his shoulder the way those students did so he just got distracted and started giving Research Guy orders instead of High General orders.

Aaaaaanyway we got in on that last one.

Obi-Wan definitely had to call him Padawan at least once Cody: ... [Looks around nope just him]

Cody: I expected to be mistaken for my brothers due to our faces. I did not expect to be mistaken for... Anakin Skywalker? Did I get that right?

Rex: My general called me mom once. I think he was joking? but I'm not sure.

One day, Cody has to come into the Temple for some professional reason, is told that Obi-Wan is in the archives, and walks into the sight of Obi-Wan wandering the stacks with several teenagers following him like ducklings, giving instructions with just "Padawan, could you grab that one?"

When Cody asks how they know which one he means, they tell him they don't. They just go with whoever's nearest the given task.

Cody: But he doesn't do this to any other clone [he does] Rex: You stand just behind his shoulder handing him files all day.

You Are Doing The Padawan Thing

Cody initially worried because implied Obi-Wan thinks of him as a student/not fully ready for the responsibility of being a commander or whatever. Obi-Wan: ? No I just… You're Padawan shaped. I can't explain it any better than that Cody gets it the most because he happens to stand exactly where Anakin used to stand the most often. Ironically, Obi-Wan tries hard to call Anakin by his name as a respect to his no longer being a student thing. Cody is firm about military discipline calling Obi-Wan sir and General because if he called him Master Kenobi or Obi-Wan the 'mistaken for Padawan' thing would happen three times as often. Cody: [grumbles] Alpha-17 didn't have this problem. Rex: Alpha-17 drew a line between himself and the Padawan day one to avoid it I think.

Alpha also has been acting like a middle-aged man since he was five. The disdain. Dripping.

Which actually didn't save him he was just more openly insulted when it happened once so Obi-Wan made sure never to do it again. Alpha: I was trained by Jango Fett himself and have proven myself a full fledged captain. I am not a Padawan :/ Obi-Wan: [listening to the speech] noted Cody: [far too polite to ever correct Obi-Wan] What did you need, General? Probably reinforced Alpha acting like an old man. I think he even calls Anakin kid? Anakin: I'm older than you you're the kid 😦 Obi-Wan: Padawan don't argue with the captain. I need a five times Obi-Wan called Cody Padawan (and one time when it was Alpha-17) fic now lol

Anakin: Why does he get away with-- Obi-Wan: Because I feel that if I call him Padawan by accident again, he may break something. And we don't have the funds for that.

Anakin: [in the room once but realizes Obi-Wan was taking to Cody] Anakin: Am I jealous by rival son/Padawan or am I amused that Obi-Wan is going senile?

"my baby boy" vs "generic younger person whom I feel some fondness for"

It's like. Old southern men who refer to anyone younger than them as "son" or "miss."

Obi-Wan: It's even gender neutral I don't have to remember names at all. Obi-Wan also probably called Ahsoka 'Anakin' a number of times, but that's due more to the A name combined with her jumping off something a Padawan should not be jumping off of. He mostly defaults to Padawan but a scolding 'Anakin! No!' Comes out every now and then for her. Obi-Wan: Anakin! No! Anakin, beside him: What? Obi-Wan: ...Sorry, force of habit. Ahsoka! No!

[elwenyere]

This season of Andor - and the conversations about it - have had me reflecting on the show's approach to race and racialization. One level on which to examine a text's approach to race is representation: what stories does the show tell about characters of color, and what kinds of storylines does it offer to actors of color? Figuring out how to ask that first question about Andor is complicated, I think - for reasons I'll get into below. In terms of how much interesting, meaty work Andor offers its actors of color: I think this is probably the level on which Andor is most ordinary/least compelling, especially when it comes to the show's Black actors. Characters like Birnok, Jezzi, Gorn, Taramyn, Nurchi, and even Blevin disappear from the action sooner and with less ceremony than other supporting roles. And while Forest Whitaker knocks every Saw scene out of the park, the narrative places his position on revolution at the literal margins of the plot structure. In terms of direct representation I would say that, at best, Andor is par for the dubious Star Wars course, and, at worst, it reinforces some troubling dynamics of functionalization and abjection.

I mentioned, though, that I think it's complicated to determine how and when race shapes life possibilities for the characters in the show. That's because I think the area where Andor has much, much more interesting and useful things to say is in its interrogation of racialization as an ongoing process intrinsic to imperialism; and part of what makes this work complex is that it doesn't always align with the way audiences might understand the race of the actors. To explain what I mean by that, I'm going to unpack some things I've noticed about two principal areas in which Andor explores how imperialism constructs race as a system for producing and exploiting group-differentiated vulnerability (to follow Ruth Wilson Gilmore).

First, the engines of resource extraction and the way settler seizure requires the removal, extermination, or forced assimilation of indigenous populations. We see this first through Kenari, where the pits left behind by extensive mining are connected to the disappearance of the adult members of Kassa's community, and where Kassa himself will end up being abducted and eventually assimilated into the social structures of a foreign place. The Imperial plan to extract a likely-catastrophic amount of kalkite from Ghorman is in some ways very different, as Ghorman is presented as a planet with a history of wealth, status, and elite cultural production. But we see from the Imperial propaganda plot that the process for rendering the people of the planet expendable involves racializing mechanics. In order to make Ghorman kalkite seizable, the Empire sets about a campaign to Other the Ghormans. Through both rhetoric and material practice (the curfews, the blockades, the reorganization of their public space), the Ghorman campaign transforms the Ghor from Imperial subjects into insurgent terrorists, rendering them exterior to the freedom and protection the Empire promises (all agitators can/will become outside agitators, as Syril learns), and thus making them disposable and ungrievable (unlike the "martyrs"). In this way I think the show helpfully insists that the operations of race are social and political, not biological. The Empire differentiates the Ghormans as a group and renders them more vulnerable to violence so that it can exploit their resources, and the parallel between the opening pit on Kenari and the mining equipment being landed all over Ghorman invites us to think about how race works as a social force, rather than as a quality that belongs immutably to some people and not others.

Second, the carceral system that disciplines Imperial subjects by creating a criminal class that has been stripped of legal personhood. We see this very explicitly in the PORD and the Narkina 5 arc of season one, where the incarcerated men have been effectively disappeared beyond the reach of appeal or accountability ("nobody's listening"). Cassian's longer history of statelessness and fugitivity highlights the way arrest and imprisonment are operations that continue to produce heightened vulnerability even outside of the formal prison. Saw highlights this truth for Wilmon when he links his own forced labor on Onderon with the Imperial forces that continue to make those hunted by the state liable to be used as cannon fodder. And Wilmon has reasons to identify with that speech, because when the Ferrix crew fled probable arrest, they ended up undocumented and thus newly racialized on Mina-Rau. "Toolie" labor (and it's hard for me to believe the rhyme with "coolie" labor is accidental) is racialized not because a particular group of ethnic subjects do it but because it's a labor form more vulnerable to exploitation, detention, deportation, and legal/extra-legal violence. As I wrote in an earlier post, it's clear from Krole's treatment of Bix, for example, that he doesn't see her as someone who can be married in any meaningful way: she lacks the legal personhood that would make marriage a binding social contract. This points to the way race has operated through the forced separation of families/the weakening of family rights for some (under chattel slavery and through contemporary incarceration and deportation). And one thing I found striking (and a little squishy/muddy) about the Mina-Rau plot was the decision to cast very fair actors for Beela, her mother, and Talia, thus highlighting the darker features of Cassian, Bix, Brasso, and Wil in a way that hadn't been as apparent on Ferrix. One way to read this, I think, is as another visualization of the show's insistence that race is not a set of inherent, inborn qualities but a set of political categories mobilized through social and material geographies - a way of ordering space and distributing subjects within that space.

All in all, then, I think Andor does very interesting, occasionally incoherent work on racialization, and also that representation for actors of color is where it has the least thoughtful or original things to say. (And to be clear, I think it's totally fair to demand better in that area from a show that has such explicitly political ambitions.)

[balioc]

Yes, They Despise You, and That's Fine

...the title says it all, really. No matter who you are, there's a tribe out there whose members hate you. Your rites are not their rites, and your gods are not their gods; you are alien and frightening. They think that your ideals are meaningless and perverse, and that you are deficient in the virtues that matter. It seems hideously unjust that People Like You should prosper while decent good-hearted People Like Them are suffering (which is of course exactly what's happening, weighted for psychic salience).

Which is all to say that, very probably - they hate you for the exact same reasons that you hate them.

Or maybe you actually don't hate them! Maybe you're one of the rare people whose heart overflows with compassion and understanding even for those who are truly unlike you. Doesn't matter. They hate you anyway, and your friends and allies hate them just as much in return.

This is one of those rare issues where I can point to all the coalitions and demographics and say: yes, all of you equally, none of you is free from sin.

There are people who'll tell you to put that kind of hatred away from you, for the sake of cleansing your soul and making the world a better place. And, y'know, you probably should. It would in fact be better, for you and for the world. You don't actually need me to tell you why hatred is corrosive and toxic, personally and socially, no matter what kind of argument you can construct that the object of the hatred "deserves" it. You have at least a century's worth of liberal literature, including all the stuff on which you grew up, to explain that idea.

But in fact I'm not telling you to put your hatred away from you. Hate if you want to hate. Whatever else may be true, some people really do deserve to be hated, and - even if you're wrong about which ones (as you probably are), I'm sure not going to convince you of that, not here. And you can build some beautiful things upon spite and antagonism.

What I am telling you is this:

Accept that they will hate you. They will never, ever, ever stop. Resentment is the cheapest, easiest-to-access pleasure that the world has to offer; you will never convince them to give it up. There is no conceivable victory so complete that they'll have to admit that you're Good, Actually. (You can of course win some people over, maybe lots of people, if you're actually trying to do that and not other things - but there will always be haters, and to a monkey brain used to living in monkey-sized tribes, there will always be a lot of them.)

And if they hate you, as they will - what of it? Why should you care? Why should you let it ruin your life? Should it ruin their lives that you hate them, or that your allies do?

Don't let the fact of their hatred make your decisions for you. Those decisions will be bad ones. Don't abandon your actual worthwhile goals in favor of punishing the people who dislike you. That quickly leads to a society built mostly for internecine tribal culture war, which is what we have, and it's a nightmare. They're people, they're your neighbors, they're moral patients, they're potential allies if their interests converge with yours, and - they hate you. And maybe you hate them too. That's just how it goes, when you're trying to live in a big dynamic complicated world.

No one said that you had to invite them to your birthday party.

----------

One final note, apropos to the moment:

If you're reading this, you should assume that absolutely anyone in a position of political power - on either of the big teams - despises you personally, or would if he knew you.

(In this crowd, it's possible that some especially-brainy politico might consider you to be one of his favorite amusing Internet philosophers. But leaving aside that special case...)

You haven't sold your soul for money or power. I know this because you're on Tumblr, which bespeaks a strong willingness to invest in things that will not win you any concrete benefit. Which means that those who have sold their souls, and gotten a good return, consider you to be a contemptible loser. They may make mouth noises about valuing People Like You, as an attempt to court your support. They are lying. They may actually do things to provide tangible support to People Like You, which is great, but it doesn't speak to their hearts.

And if your reaction to that is "I don't care what's in their hearts, that's not the point" - then you need only take that very wise insight and broaden it a little bit.

[theforlorne]

SFW hcs coming up! I love this dynamic, and there's a touch of plot sprinkled throughout. I haven't included NSFW due to the fact that I ask for ID first to prevent minors from accessing sexually explicit material. If you're happy to provide proof of age, then I'll write a part two for you with the NSFW hcs. But for now, I threw you in an extra five SFW hcs to make up for the loss!

Thank you so much for your kind words too! I'm super happy to know people are enjoying these ♡♡♡

SFW Gabriel x Girly!AFAB!Reader Headcanons (Gabriel x Reader) [Requested]

🐑 ♡ Gabriel headcanons are a staple in my diet by this point, give me more ♡ 🐑

A general selection of headcanons for Gabriel x a Girly!AFAB!Reader.

Teen and Up Audiences, No Warnings, F/M, Other/M, Tag(s): Headcanons, AFAB!Reader, Reader Uses She/Her Pronouns, Insecurity, Blood, Gift Giving, Fluff, Flowers, Pet Names, POV Second Person

Find it on ao3 ♡ WC: 1,589

Apologies for tagging you in this again, @gloriousnachoblaze, I'm reposting all my works to my main blog!

♡ Imagines and Headcanons Masterlist ♡

♡ Buried somewhere beneath the oversized pink cardigan was an angel fumbling her words. All gestures and nervous laughter, you were simultaneously trying to apologise for bumping into him, compliment his armour, and explain that you were lost. That was his first interaction with you, but not the last. With your penchant for looking every which way but forwards as you walk, you would bump into him time and time again. Growing familiarity would lead you to greet him with vibrant enthusiasm each time. Likewise, he finds himself helpless to the whims of fate. When you were lost, he would help you find your way. When you wanted to catch up, he would delight in your company. When you ask him if he wants to accompany you on your walk, he agrees. Who was he to say no? The simple truth is that he appreciates your often fleeting interactions. Conversation flows, and he keeps it no secret that he admires the breadth of outfits you decorate yourself with. Like the pink you wear, you seem to be the embodiment of its symbolism: love itself. Heaven sorely missed that innocence in his eyes.

♡ Who was he to say no? That becomes the sentiment of your budding relationship. Politics, war, and obligation fill most of Gabriel’s time. It is his purpose to engage with those things, and he does so with no complaint. Yet you, with such vigour, would light up Heaven itself with the zeal you express for that around you. No matter how many times you read the same romance novel, you remain engrossed in it from the second you pick it up. He asks to borrow it so he can talk to you about it, and the next thing he knows, he’s your model to style how you please. He is relaxing on pink pillows with you as you paint both of your nails. No matter what you ask him to do, the answer is a resounding yes. Not because he can’t say no, he just relishes being a part of the world as you see it. And he would worry when he realises that the world he is a part of is far detached from yours. Those things he does out of love are contradictory to the experiences you share together. Violence and bloodshed holds no place by your side.

♡ Gabriel is as scatterbrained as you once he begins to worry. Every table is at risk of being knocked over with a hip bump. Corners and doorways become his biggest enemy. The Council aren’t too happy when he shows up late to his summons. The otherwise cheerful angel would become quiet and reserved. Picking up on the sudden change in behaviour was easy, yet you forget to ask him about it the first time. When you see him again, you’ll pull him to the side to ask if he’s okay - apologising for not doing so earlier. There’s so much he would want to say, but he’s at a loss for words until he figures out what he’s experiencing himself. Still, he would reassure you that he enjoys your company. It’s not the answer you deserve, and he knows that like a sword knows death.

♡ There’s nothing to hide anymore when you catch him returning from Hell one day, and everything comes out in a big, bloody mess. You’re holding his hands in the most delicate way as you wash the viscera from them. He’s insisting that he can clean himself up. He says that you can talk when he is presentable. ‘Presentable, presentable, presentable’ - you ask him why he thinks he isn’t presentable the way he is, and he would tell you that you wouldn’t enjoy his company if you saw the things he did. As you begin to wipe down the side of his helmet, you allow it to sink in that you’re there with him. You haven’t left. After that, you let him handle things himself, and he has time to process things alone. For all his pride in his strength, he acknowledges that his ‘worth’ is where he finds himself struggling. He shelters you from the violence, but if he is not a skilled fighter in your eyes, then what is he? Is it enough?

♡ Two things happen. You become the reason why he voices his stress out loud. You also become the person he offers himself to entirely - even the parts that aren’t so pretty. Divided between duty and desire, Gabriel continues to share in your world. The moment he feels the warmth of your arms, he recognises it as the same bliss he’s felt by your side all along. To love love itself with the same ferocity is his driving force. Likewise, the adoration you afford the space around you continues to linger in your eyes when he holds your attention. It’s everything to him. Although, he tells you in confidence that he has no idea what he’s doing. 

♡ Remember the romance novel? That’s Gabriel’s guide on how he is supposed to act until he finds his footing. Sure, some of it is super cliche, but it makes you smile. Books are often your gateway into discussions about your relationship that teach you about one another. The learning curve is nothing more than time spent together enjoying each other’s presence. Every love language is spoken between you in an exploration of comforts and boundaries. His bad pick up lines are just as effective when you use them against him, and there’s no denying that his replication of your favourite written date was sweet. Yet no love stories could compare to the one you were blessed with in your own reality.

♡ Bouquets and various floral arrangements take over your room, rendering it into something akin to a florists in time. Gabriel is the culprit. You buy him flowers once, and he sets about finding you some in return only to realise none suit your particular aesthetic. A few long nights, and he’s hand crafted the perfect collection. It would include laurel leaves, delicate, pink roses, baby’s breath, and a Brindisi lily to accent the display. This isn’t mentioning the fact that he decorates the bouquet with a beaded twine wrap. He’s gone out of his way to learn all their names so he can run you through each one. Symbolism? Gabriel has memorised all that they stand for. The unsuspecting hobby sneaks up on him, and you become the recipient of almost every arrangement he makes, sometimes with your help. It’s relaxing to sit and tend to each flower to the backdrop of chatter or music. Even when picked, flowers don’t die in Heaven, so you’re soon looking for new spaces to put them.

♡ When things are calm, your nights aren’t often alone. Many a time you’ll fall asleep as he reads out loud. The soft down of his wings would envelop you like a blanket, making it hard to stay awake. Even the hushed tone of his voice lulls you to sleep. You never stand a chance. He is careful not to wake you as he takes in your sleeping form. Touch is physical like fighting, something he is accustomed with. Nevertheless, your gentle touch is novel to him, and despite the occasional insecurity, he savours how your hand fits in his. The brush of your side feels like a satin robe. When you kiss his cheek, he is reduced to a stammering mess. Gabriel is holding you as tight to his body as he can when he gets the chance. A feeling of needing more encompasses him regardless of whether you’re in his embrace or not. He is going to wear your jumpers to feel close to you if you let him because there is never ‘enough’.

♡ You’re his light. Gabriel thought about this for some time - what he’d call you, that is. Hope is something he has regardless, and to call you his love doesn’t feel sufficient. As divine as you are, light seems fitting. But that is not the sole reason why he deems it appropriate. He finds you when he looks up past Heaven. Everywhere in the universe there are the same, twinkling lights of the stars above. They are a constant reminder of how much care was placed into the creation of literally everything that anyone will ever interact with. And somehow you are a devoted vessel for the same light be it through nature or nurture. Galaxies can only envy the life that you carry within you. Perhaps that is why you’re always so energetic. No one soul can contain such magnitudes of endless spirit within them and manage to restrain the outpouring of expression that comes with it.

♡ While he hasn’t told you yet, there is something you do that brightens up every interlude in your shared time. Subtlety isn’t your strong suit, so he pretends not to notice you tying pink ribbons to his armour. On occasion, you’ll surprise him and slip one past his attention. Those times are far and few between though. It warms his heart when he feels the slight tug against his body signalling a bow being tied in secret. Then, in the privacy of his own room, he’ll remove it and sew it down the arm of one of his shirts. He’s five ribbons in on either sleeve, and they provide a burst of colour on the white canvas. One day he’ll show it to you. Until then, he’ll continue to collect each and every ribbon you hide on him.

[bluespiritshonour]

Dude I don’t even ship Maiko like that and even I disagree with all of your takes on the writing lol, are you sure that you actually enjoy it?

Since you said you don't ship maiko like that I'm sure you aren't wasting away your precious hours thinking about them, so I wouldn't be surprised if you don't agree with my takes (hint: they didn't form overnight. I wasted my precious hours thinking about them)

Besides, I do have a sort of superiority complex when it comes to this so we're both alright I guess. I mean, this is a fandom that doesn't understand why Aang not killing Ozai was important (I'm a batfandom cast off in ATLA and after the Bat-doltry that DC engages in, which is such a myopic and privileged view) ATLA was refreshing! ATLA did the "hero refuses to kill villain" right. I can't even think of a single other media off the top of my head that dealt with it as satisfactorily.

People saw Zuko getting his face burned off because he didn't like the idea of using soldiers as canon fodder (which is basic military strategy, anyone else would've said. There'd be collateral in war, anyone else would've said) and yet—I see blog posts and fics of Firelord Zuko being a stoic and reserved leader... Not an earnest bone in his body. Even though Zuko's overly emotional nature is NOT something the show posited as a flaw for him to get over. (If anything, Ozai tried to beat it out of him) idc people call it character development. I can see him being less angry, more peaceful, more patient with age, but are you certain you want him to go the "that's just how things are"/"difficult decisions have to be made" direction? He's supposed to rehabilitate that country, a non-proactive, non-revolutionary attitude is NOT gonna help. Yet, that's the kind of Firelord this fandom fantasizes about because "royalty."

Boriiiiiiing.

(I'm pretty sure the above paragraph is not going to be understood right because I really didn't do a good job of explaining it. I don't have the right words. Hence the large word count and rambling. I wish I was eloquent)

This is the fandom where freaking zutara is popular (I'm sorry I'm laughing)

This fandom (outside of kataangs) doesn't understand how romantic "why would I choose cosmic energy over Katara" is. How amazing it is that an indigenous girl is loved and valued like that!

This is the fandom that thinks Zuko is a dark romance bad boy. My reading of Zuko already doesn't match with 90% of the fandom, I know it.

And I'm supposed to take it seriously if some anon disagrees with my takes. It's okay! It's fiction! It is one of the few things where we can agree to disagree! (The other thing being food)

And if I read ATLA with an overly critical political lens and/or I want it to be subversive and non-tropey, then trust me, I'm more aligned with its themes than those who think "that's just how things are done" are (I say this assuming my long ass post about what I want from maiko is what led to this ask)

As for if I truly enjoy maiko, I'll point out the things I do enjoy about it:

Guys like Zuko don't end up with girls like Mai. If it had been, say, Mai/Aang, that'd have been flipping the good girl/bad boy dynamic over a 180 degrees but it's Zuko we're talking about. If ATLA had been normie media and not subversive Zuko would've ended up with, idk, Jin. Someone who can fix all his problems with kisses. As much as he enjoyed kissing Mai, his problems didn't disappear. Heck, if they had to pick one of Azula's friends to be Zuko's love interest, they could've picked Ty Lee! I wouldn't have shipped them though. That's not to say I hate ships like jinko or ty luko. It's just not something I fancy. Girls like Mai simply do not get the guy.

Mai is the active one. She pursues him. She kisses him first. She decides she wants him and she gets him. She knows what she wants and the narrative doesn't shame her for it. I can count on the finger of one (1) hand the number of ships where the woman leads and all of it are unpopular (I'm not surprised. I'm beginning to wonder why female-led hetero ships always get the "he didn't want her" accusations. I won't elaborate on that) I just like women taking the lead and maiko does it for me, okay?

Mai is ride-or-die without being a doormat. Another balance that the show, at least, strikes right: everytime I hear ride-or-die, I know the term is being misused and the woman is a doormat. We live in a man's world after all. Mai was ready to die for Zuko but she wouldn't put up with his bullshit and "fix him".

Mai got the guy, got a happy ending all the while without changing her identity. This is a fandom that can't appreciate nuance. Either Mai is robot who feels nothing or swerve right in the opposite direction! She's bleeding heart who feels everything too much. It's... More complicate than that? (Actually it isn't. I'm incapable of saying anything in under 500 words. I'm pretty sure my description of fandom perception of Mai isn't doing its job.) But I made a behemoth post about it here!

And if my saying "I didn't think they were toxic in the show, the comics are another story" is what prompted this ask. Then lemme present to you: The Beach was one episode! One. It would have been too unrealistic if they'd never fought at all. But since they had so little screen time The Beach just sticks out. It does get its point across though: Mai wouldn't stand being disrespected. Zuko gets confronted with the concept of accountability when Mai shuts down his attempt to justify his ill behaviour with his backstory. Even though it was pretty dramatic and heavy handed about the whole thing. I don't like that episode for that reason. Yeah, I'd have liked it if he'd grovelled and made it up to her. But Avatar Studios never cared about Mai(ko) like that. But other than that, their break up—the actual break up that lasted more than an evening—was due to "opposite sides of war. Angst. Hurt/comfort. 18000 words—" okay. Not 18000 words. Avatar Studios never cared about Mai(ko) like that.

I was enjoying maiko alright until certain part of the fandom started grating on my nerves with their "hE fOrGoT hER iN PriSon" takes. If Mai is not a good girlfriend (which is bullshit, she's a great girlfriend) it's Mai's fault. And if Zuko's a lousy boyfriend... it's also somehow Mai getting laughed at? So I thought, why not hold Zuko to an even higher standard? I mean, yeah. You might think "Blot, if you like loverboys so much why do you ship maiko?" Because I think Zuko is capable of being one, y'know? It wouldn't be OOC for him. If you disagree see above☝🏽I already don't see eye-to-eye with the Zuko fandom. It is true that romance was never a vital part of Zuko. For comparison's sake, it was of Aang! Even though kataang is the kind of ship where if you take the romance away, they're still soulmates. Which is why people who hate their bond (you don't have to ship it! Just don't downplay their relationship) simply do not get the show. Another take I disagree with the fandom about: zUkO iS FeMale gAzey. He isn't. Goodness, I wish he was! I fucking wish he was!!! This, even without bringing maiko into the picture. Aang refuses to learn from Pakku because he wouldn't teach Katara. Sokka had a whole unlearning sexism arc. Zuko? Zuko had none of that. I have no idea where the fandom gets its Zuko and/or FN were feminist idea. Pink washing at play here? This time for fiction? Because you relate to the colonising power more?

Now. If only those things were fleshed out and maiko was allowed to grow as couple instead of the comics truly making them toxic. I say toxic because Boiling Rock was a turning point for maiko. They shouldn't be having old hangups after it!

I'm not a shipper as a rule because the kind of ships I prefer are rare. On top of that, I do not enjoy romantic melodrama. I've heard shipping in comic book community gets insane. I was in DC fandom for 4 years and I have no idea what the shipping side of things looks like. I couldn't be bothered.

All of the points above, but especially bullet points 1 and 2. Maiko at least gives me that. You know how rare that is? I just can't with ships where women aren't assertive. There's nothing wrong in that, just not my cup of tea.

They could've not paired Zuko up with anyone. But they did and proceeded not to develop his side of it. I think I can complain about that. I still ship maiko because I think their characters are interesting together. The idea of what-could've-been. If it bothers you so much, then think of it as fanon ship 😁

[mortuarywriting]

Falling into Place

Ao3 Link - [First] - [Next Chapter ->]

All things considered this isn't what you were expecting to wake up to when you went to bed. One minute you're on your phone, trying to pass out, and the next? You're here. You've had some interesting greetings in your life, but dropping about six feet and having twelve guns leveled at your face? That takes the cake

Warnings:

Reader Insert, Plus-Size Reader, The Author Regrets Everything, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Isekai, canon divergence Look we're gonna dig into the implications of omegasverse changing bits and pieces of history as well as addressing whatever the FUCK is happening as CoD's history. Idk man Godzilla is canon and nobody bats an eye at that fact and you think I'm gonna be normal about that? No

You could be having a worse day, you think, as you stare at the interrogation table you're cuffed to. They could've shot you the second you fell the six feet from the sky into a random army base. That's a very real thing that could've happened.

But no, you just had a dozen guns pointed at you in one moment and a slew of questions you didn't have satisfying answers for.

No, you had no idea how you got there. You'd been in bed tooling around on your phone and then you were falling.

They asked who you worked for, and were not impressed by your mundane answer. You didn't work for some pmc or intelligence organization. You asked them to their faces if they thought you could pass a PT test if you tried. Not that they answered or appreciated your point, mind.

It was only after you gave them whatever identifying information you had that things got… spicy.

"I would love to tell you what this designation of yours is if you tell me what you mean. Is it like a classification of civilian versus enlisted? Is it physical? Is it your horoscope? I don't know what I don't know," you explain again for the Nth time. You didn't wanna play twenty questions but here you fuckin were, captive audience and all.

The man asking you questions had lost his charming good cop look. He was getting more and more annoyed on this one, "your designation," a demand, not a question and sure as shit not an answer.

"Again, would love to tell you! I don't know what you mean! Feels like some kinda Star Wars thing," you grumble the last bit to yourself but the man cocks his head.

His eyes narrow, "what are… Star Wars, you said?"

You blink owlishly, "beg pardon?"

"Star War. Clarify."

It's your turn for your brow to furrow, and furrow it does, "Star Wars? As in the multi-billion dollar franchise created by George Lucas and eventually sold to Disney," your tone is questioning, just shy of asking if the guy lived under a rock but his expression didn't let up and the last thing you needed was bad cop, so you continued, "the story of what happened a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away? The political space series of movies versus Star Trek's more scientific and discovery based longstanding TV show? Nine major movies and the Clone Wars before Disney sunk their talons in. Like yeah we got more shows and movies that expanded the universe but they also cut out decades of book contributions in their acquisition and that kinda sucked. But yeah, that Star Wars?"

"Nine movies," his tone is disbelieving, and now it's your turn for your eyebrows to raise, "can you name them?"

You nod, "well yeah. Do you want them in episode order or release?"

His brows furrow, "did they not release in order?"

"In a sense? Three trilogies, 4-5-6 back in the late 70s early 80s, then 1-2-3 in the late 90s early 00s, and 7-8-9 through the teens. So order, yes, just… not a cohesive one."

"Release, then," he leaned back and crossed his arms, a position you'd love to mimic if you weren't cuffed to the table for… an indeterminate period of time now, actually.

"A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi-"

"Woah now, empire? What's a jeddy?"

You give him a blank look, trying very hard to mask your disbelief as you look between him and the mirror behind him. You look at your reflection, take a deep breath, and- "sir would it be easier for you to maybe check the internet?"

He seemed to bristle, nose flaring and looking at you expectantly.

You just… kinda sat there. You tapped your fingers together on the desk and kept the eye contact he was intent on. It took a good minute and him getting progressively pissier before you simply ask, "would you like the other movies now?"

You didn't expect an explosion of movement from the man. He downright snarled and slammed his hands on the table as he burst to his feet, the sudden change sending his chair screeching back before falling with a clatter. You leaned as far back as your cuffed hands would allow, eyes wide and a panic rising.

Both of you turned to look at the door when it slammed open with a barked, "Williams!" 

The man who opened it reared back a bit, "Christ, layin' it on a bit thick," he groused, his tone sounding more like someone chastising a teenager for using too much Axe body spray. He smoothed his posture back into something casual as he fanned the air dismissively with a hand, "cap wants you to take a walk."

Your interrogator- Williams, apparently- stares at the man in the door, the two locking eyes before the one in the door straightens from his purposely relaxed posture. You watch the both of them, noting the shoulders tensing as the two just. Staring at each other? Eventually the guy who'd been grilling you looked away and stormed out, the man in the doorway letting him slip out easily enough before turning a charming look back to you.

He took a minute to fan the door a few times to get newer, blissfully cool air in before he entered the room, "sorry 'bout him. He really did a number in here," the new guy tsked before closing the door quietly behind himself.

Your brow furrowed even as you slowly relaxed a bit, had this Williams guy like… farted or something? A nice quirk of ventilation keeping you from smelling something abhorrent? Either way you simply shrug as he walks in and tips the chair back up, sitting and giving another reassuring smile, "how you doing, love?"

You opened and closed your mouth a few times before simply settling on, "I'm a bit… whelmed? This has been," you give as vague a rolling gesture as you can without your cuffs rattling too badly, "a lot? And I have no idea what just set him off either?"

It's the man before you's turn to quirk a brow, "no idea?"

"If I knew the answers to his questions I'd've given 'em by now. I don't, though, and then he just started staring? And hell I just thought it was some kinda macho 'I can stare the truth out of you,'" you pitched your voice lower and pushed your shoulders out for a second to mimic the douchebag behavior before settling, "so I kept eye contact because I'm so out of my depth I have no reason to lie at all and now…" you trail off, gesturing around the room, "all that."

The man nods slowly, "alright love, could you tell me about the last five years?"

Your brows furrow, "oh fuck, 2019 was five years ago wasn't it. God, time is an illusion. Anyway, you want what I was doing leading up to and through the pandemic?"

You think he might've startled for a second but he simply moved to scratch his chin, "mhmm. Just your thoughts on the last five years is all."

So… you ramble. Because he was nice and not prodding or asking weird questions. You talk to him about your job before the pandemic, how people thought covid was just a flu until the death tolls kept climbing, how tons of governments dropped the ball on a local or country-wide level and how that kicked back onto your life, and then the absolute crapshoot of the last election cycle, the shitty 'oh no this is the new normal everything is fine' behavior that has lead to surges and cycles of a fucking plague and so on. He simply nodded, gave some sympathetic hums and winces appropriately at your experiences.

"And did you go back and watch Star Wars through that? Or other things Disney owned?"

And, well, that was a weird way to phrase it but you shrugged, "the mouse is just shy of a monopoly and not one that anybody can take that down so… yeah, I guess? They kept putting shows out and expanding their Star Wars universe so that's been kinda neat to watch but not just them, no. Couple other games and stuff like that to keep me busy, too," you kinda handwave and shut up because panic rambling to MILITARY PERSONNEL is probably not your smartest move in hindsight. Especially when you don't know his name. A+, self.

You tap your fingers against the metal table as he looks at you, "and you said covid has a long term effect of ruining people's senses of smell and taste?"

You nod slowly, "yeah, dude? It's one of the biggest warning signs for most people? Like if everything starts tasting like it was made by a middle class white mom who keeps shoving random letters in her kids names you should swab? That kinda shit?"

What rock has this guy been living under? You were pretty sure the military were supposed to be way more familiar with this shit all things considered, but you've been wrong before.

It was his turn to give you a bit of a wide eyed look before he poorly covers a laugh, "alright, that's fair. I need to go talk with my captain," he hooks a thumb over his shoulder to the window, which didn't surprise you that there had been people back there. He offers a reassuring smile as he stands, humming idly as he pushes the chair back in. He pauses mid-step, "you mentioned that there were cards…?"

You find yourself nodding slowly, "yeah it was important and you couldn't fly or go to certain places if you didn't have one for a while. Should still have a picture of mine buried on my phone," you really didn't wanna get another first-round of covid shots, you REALLY didn't wanna repeat the 24 hours of suck for no reason.

"Cool, thanks," he flashes another charming grin before he slides out of the room.

You lean back in your chair, what an odd guy. Nice though.

-------

"Right," Gaz says as he opens the door to Price and Ghost, "either our mystery guest is off her nut or she's legitimately from somewhere and somewhen else."

Ghost and Price look at each other before turning back to Gaz, this… complicated matters.

Well, it's not like you hadn't given them information to identify yourself. They'd dig up who you were one way or another.

-------

You stare blankly as the nice man from before gives you a sympathetic look, "what do you mean I'm dead?"

Behind him is a guy you're not sure if he's just fuckoff huge or if he's just moderately huge and it's forced perspective.

You don't think it's forced perspective.

You are absolutely trying not to panic spiral.

You are absolutely doing a horrible job at that.

"Well," he opens the file before him and there's a news article, proudly proclaiming "Locals Die in Horrible Freak Accident" like that's not some form of you that was looking like some smear on the pavement, "there's this. Fingerprints match up. Can check for dental if you're really curious."

"Were there even any teeth left after that," you mumble as you take and read the offered article. Seven people were involved, the pictures used are mostly flattering. Hell, you almost don't mind what pic they used for an alternate you but… "that's certainly not the pic I would've wanted. Maybe this me had different tastes?"

You take the time to actually read through the article. It's not helping because for as much as you stare at the page you're not absorbing any information. Some form of detachment, if this was really you? You'd died. A different you but a you nonetheless. You died and you're reading how it happened. There was a lot to unpack in all this and you just needed to put the suitcase away for now. You'd much rather throw it away at this rate.

You were rapidly coming to the understanding that you and Toto were not in Kansas anymore, and there wasn't a convenient yellow brick road to get yourself back home. No easy way to get the hell out of Dodge either. Was it Dodge or the O.K. Corral that was in Kansas? No the O.K. Corral wasn't in Kansas- Dodge was though, that's right. 

This analogy was getting away from you and some part of you figured this was just your brain trying to protect yourself but… wait, wasn't this a metaphor? There wasn't 'like' or 'as' or goddammit not again.

You recognize some names here and there but largely everyone involved were perfect strangers. The article doesn't cover if it would've been slow or quick. You hope for the smear that it was quick. Smears like that don't happen slowly, right? Well, not unless it's like a dramatic slide down a window, but not usually across pavement like that.

Still not sure how you feel about all of it. Bit morbid being confronted with your mortality like that.

Certainly answered a lot of questions about your theoretical passing you never thought about. Like if the obituary for you in what you know to be your own home and world is just as… really kinda just mediocre as this. Have you really done nothing of note for an obituary? Damn.

You kept pouring over the article, each pass bringing new words into focus that help connect the picture a little bit, but… Something repeated in the article made you pause, "two alphas, four betas, and an omega?" 

There was no decent way to ask about that. Any questions invoked from here would border into dangerous territory better kept between yourself and a private browser history. You knew what you were about but there was no fucking way.

"Their designations," the nice man whose name you still hadn't caught explains, "mostly explaining their secondary gender."

You look at him owlishly. You pray to whatever God might be listening that you wake up shortly. Or that the earth below your feet opens up and swallows you. Whichever comes first, the mortification will snipe you otherwise.

"Please tell me this is an elaborate joke at my expense," you are very quiet as you are trying to get really cool with a lot of things really quickly.

"Negative," the big fucker in the back practically growled and you knew that voice would do things to you if you weren't half stepped out of your own body. 

You missed whatever his followup was but your brow furrowed when you checked the date on the article, "I've been dead for months? That…" you let the paper fall from your hands. Everything about this is wild at best and very overwhelming at worst. 

A lot of this qualified as worst.

You look up at the two, missing the odd look they shot at each other as you try to pull yourself back together, "so now what? You've got a not-a-smear of me that fell from the sky onto a secure military base, and where I'm from we didn't have," you paused to gesture between the paper and the two soldiers, "dynamics was it? That was just a fanfiction special."

"Fanfiction."

The way he said it was so carefully neutral you paused, "oh my god without Star Trek to popularize fanfiction and the fan community, how has fandom evolved? Is fanfiction a thing- well, yes, it does fanfics have been a thing since Dante Alighieri wrote the Divine Comedy and even before- well, the question is more if it's still popularized? Are there still the wattpad fics of- I am getting so off track. What exactly is the next step?"

You look from the nice man to the big fucker and back, neither saying anything but looking at you with careful blankness.

You felt like you were being weighed and measured in their eyes.

You hoped to anyone listening that you weren't found wanting at least. Not when you're in the shit situation it looks like you ever so increasingly fell into.

"Considering I'm. Not smear. And very much not from here? Are blanks a thing? Or is that what a beta is I'm," you trail off, brow furrowing, "fuzzy. On the whole thing. The flavor of understanding, dynamics, and population skew tended to be dependant on the author's level of horny."

The did get a bit of a snort from the pretty one before you, the one in the back tilting his head just so as the pretty one spurred you on, "okay please don't take this the wrong way, you have given me nothing to go on but A/B/O and-" a finger was raised in question to that, you quickly explaining, "the fanfic shorthand for the universe without being a mouthful. Anyway- I've seen population numbers being roughly the same across the board, I've seen alphas and omegas at roughly 1% of the population of society on either end, I've seen alphas at about 5% and omegas at 1%- those ones are usually the most horny I swear.

"And it's all over the board, no consistency- sometimes it's betas are infertile, sometimes they're the straightman to the comedy that's an alpha and omega trying to woo each other without being too horny to function. Sometimes it's a sliding scale where being beta just means you're more the more middle-ground regulated hormonally with alphas and omegas being the opposing ends of a spectrum. Can you please say something and give me a fucking break because my panic rambles are probably like. Some kinda prejudiced. I'm still not over the 'I'm supposed to be a smear on the ground we don't even have dental images of to confirm who it is anymore' nugget you dropped on me. I think I'm doing well for this"

You would rather not tell them that as soon as you're out of this box of a room you were gonna be curled up in a ball and unabashedly weeping. That was none of their business.

The pretty one gave you what you're sure was supposed to be a reassuring smile but the quiet stretched just a bit too long. You looked from one to the other before leaning forward, "is this supposed to be soothing in some way? Because it's just a bit of an extended awkward silence and that's uh-"

It was the big one in the back's turn to give an amused snort, the pretty one looking bashful, "right, sorry, we uh-"

You jerk a bit, "wait, was that supposed to be some scent thing," you really didn't wanna say pheromones and potentially dig yourself into a deeper, more awkward hole based on Horny Pseudoscience.

Pretty rubbed the back of his neck, "something like that. You really couldn't smell anything?"

You know the exact Face you're making. It's very much your 'I have told you this and I'm getting tired of having to repeat it' face. You can tell he clocks it but for the record, because to your mortification this has to be recorded, you simply give a succinct, "no, I haven't smelled anything. Not from you, not from him," you jerk your head towards the big fucker, "and not from douchebag from be- Williams! His name was Williams. Nothing. Really had no clue why you were fanning the door when you came in."

You sigh, rubbing the heels of your palms into your eyes, "okay. Assuming I'm not about to be put into past tense a second time. Do we have any idea what popped me out here?"

The sentences are stilted, you know you're getting more rattled the longer you're here but sue you alright it's been the worst six hours of your life here.

They just continue to look at you, pretty keeping a polite almost customer service look as big one just stares unceasingly.

"Right. Okay. Am I going to be reintegrated to society or is this," you gesture around the little room as much as you can, "looking like my home for the foreseeable future."

No change in what you can see of either's expression, and you just sag. Deep breath in, deep breath out, "cool. Alright. Well. I know nothing of how biology is altered here, I'm not sure how that has impacted changes throughout history, and frankly I don't know what your pop culture has done. I'm assuming math and written languages are largely the same but in all fairness I don't know what I don't know."

You just stare quietly at the table for a bit longer before looking back at the two of them, "is there anything else you need because I can feel the freakout creeping up and while I know there's no real privacy, uh…"

The pretty one looked back to the big one, at some point you're sure you'll get some sort of names but for now? Now you watch the big one nod, the pretty one give you a polite smile and some vaguely polite bullshit your brain is swiftly going too far out to hear.

You only hope that whoever is behind the mirror is polite enough to look away as you put your head down on the table and give yourself the opportunity to, just this once, cry. As a treat.

[Next Chapter -> ]

[isabelawritesthings]

Sindel and Mileena and the favoritism

Topics

Introduction

Family dynamics

Mileena and the Tarkat

Sindel's ignorance and a mother's despair

Real-life examples of a deadly disease in royalty

Some parallels between Alexandra and Sindel

Mileena VS Kitana: Same faces, different behaviors

Finalization

Introduction

I was really happy that you liked my post about Li Mei and the injustice she suffered (judging by the number of notes and reblogs), that I decided to make another post analyzing characters from Mortal Kombat 1.

REMEMBER! This is just my opinion about the characters, I personally like both of them, I'm just here to analyze the characters' behavior and their story, not to judge them, I'm open to opposing opinions as long as they're respectful.

Family dynamics

Sometimes I wish Netherealm Studios would pay more attention to Mortal Kombat's lore, because I think it's quite rich and diverse for a fighting game (considering that I'm also a fan of Street Fighter and Tekken and the stories of both are quite simple). Maybe if they had time to publish short stories and even books related to the story, it would be great, so that people don't just remember the game when a new one comes out. I would love to know about the Great Kung Lao's victories. And I'm saying this because the dynamics of the royal family are pretty much information that the characters' biographies and intros give away, which doesn't help much since it's limited content, but based on what we have, I'll try to guess what their lives were like before Jerrod died.

We know that Sindel married Jerrod to prevent a rebellion from happening, let's assume that Sindel ascended to the throne very young shortly after the death of her father or mother, who was probably the emperor or empress of Outworld, an intro with Kenshi mentions that she has a twin sister and that this twin sister probably had children (the cousins banished from court that Kitana mentions), so everything suggests that like Mileena, she was the eldest twin and heir to the throne.

The marriage was initially only to avoid civil war, but they eventually found love and had twin daughters. The game suggests that Jerrod was more than a consort; he helped Sindel rule and perhaps handled affairs of state, while also being a loving father and husband, but everything fell apart after his death, leaving Sindel to rule alone, leaving her vulnerable to attacks from political enemies.

Kitana and Mileena, by all accounts, had a peaceful childhood, being trained by Li Mei and loved by their parents. They undoubtedly suffered with Jerrod's death, just like Sindel. In short: They were a happy family, but it all ended with Jerrod's murder.

Mileena and the Tarkat

We don't know how Mileena caught Tarkat, but according to the YouTube comments (which I don't consider a reliable source but is the most likely), she probably left the palace at night in secret to meet Tanya and was attacked by a Tarkatan or a person infected with the disease (which could mean her scar on her eyebrow). I remember seeing on Baraka's Wiki a while back that one of the causes of Tarkat could be stress, which could be the explanation for Mileena's contamination, we know that she is temperamental, and that dealing with her father's death must have been quite stressful for her, but again, the game's lore explains little, so the way is to create our own theories.

The contempt for people with the disease reminds me of how people treated people with AIDS in the 1980s. It was a little-known disease and treatment was limited. People always fear what they don't know, and they even thought that simply shaking hands with a person with AIDS could pass it on to them, and the fact that the majority of those infected were gay men, didn't help much in the fight against prejudice and ignorance against the disease.

If you have been infected by tarkat, you will likely be kicked out of your home and sent to a colony of infected people until you go mad and die in pain and agony (according to Baraka's intros). But we know that suffering this terrible fate is for commoners, if you are an aristocrat like Mileena, you will probably have the privilege of receiving treatment that will assess the symptoms.

One thing the game makes very clear is that this could destroy Mileena's image as a future empress and even the entire monarchy, being a secret as well kept as her love affair with an Umgadi (to be honest, I don't know which would cause more scandal).

Sindel's ignorance and a mother's despair

Sindel blames Mileena for her illness, which is weird, because she's practically telling her daughter that it's her fault if she eventually dies from Tarkat, it's like telling someone with cancer that if they have cancer it's their fault. I try to put myself in Sindel's shoes (or in this case, her high heels), she's angry and sad because she lost her husband and now has to deal with yet another problem because her daughter was careless, but the approach to this could be more caring, after all, it's normal to expect understanding from a mother.

Perhaps because she blamed Mileena so much, she began to have more affection and pride for another daughter who is completely healthy, Kitana. We don't know if Sindel's favoritism arose after Mileena's infection or if it already existed since Jerrod was alive, I like to think that it already existed but increased with Mileena's situation.

But don't think that Sindel is sitting on her golden throne waiting for Mileena to die to finally name Kitana her heir, she is still a mother who loves her daughters, and for that, she had to resort to secretly handing her daughter over to be cared for by a sorcerer who until a few years ago was nothing more than a liar who stole money from naive people with promises of cures with his medicines, in addition to listening to advice from another sorcerer who makes demons his personal slaves, all to cure his beloved daughter.

Before being an empress, she is a mother.

Real-life example of a deadly disease in royalty

I don't work in the Netherealm writers' room, so I don't know if they had any inspiration for their portrayal of Tarkat in the game... But I'd like to draw a comparison with a disease that affected many royal families between the 1870s and 1930s.

Hemophilia is a rare disorder in which the blood doesn't clot in the typical way because it doesn't have enough blood-clotting proteins (clotting factors). If you have hemophilia, you might bleed for a longer time after an injury than you would if your blood clotted properly.

I imagine most of you know who Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom was, as she literally has a period in history named after her. She suffered from hemophilia and passed it on to her youngest son, Prince Leopold. She had five daughters as well, two of whom did not have the disease but carried the hemophilia genes which unfortunately passed on to their children and grandchildren.

Treatment at the time was precarious and could sometimes make the disease worse rather than do any good. One of the greatest examples of hemophilia in a royal family was the case of Prince Alexei of Russia, son of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia.

(Alexei and his mother, Empress Alexandra of Russia)

If you don't know the history of the Romanovs, I'll give you a brief summary: Empress Alexandra of Russia was one of Queen Victoria's granddaughters, the daughter of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, one of her two daughters who carried the genes for the disease. She did not have the disease but also carried the genes, eventually passing it on to her son, Prince Alexei.

Alexei suffered from hemophilia type B, a more serious and lethal type of the disease. Most doctors were sure that he would not live to adulthood, since most of his cousins, who also had the disease, died from it at a relatively young age, including an uncle who died at the age of three. The empress was desperate to cure her son, turning to the mystic Grigori Rasputin, a Siberian monk who claimed to have healing powers.

Rasputin exerted a great influence on the Empress and the Emperor, as he was supposedly the only one who could cure their son, he also involved himself in the politics of the state through his influence with the Empress (which was so big that both the Russian nobility and the people believed they were lovers).

Rasputin was actually a fraud, as he never cured the prince, he only prevented the use of aspirin on the boy, which was the treatment for hemophilia at the time and only made the bleeding worse. He was eventually assassinated by the husband of the emperor's niece, as it was almost a consensus in Russia that he was ruining the image of the imperial family. The imperial family itself would be assassinated in 1918, including Alexei and his mother.

Some parallels between Alexandra and Sindel

EMPRESSES: both were empresses, although Alexandra was only a consort.

DESPERATE MOTHERS: Both were desperate to cure their children of the disease that was affecting them.

TRUSTING A FRAUD: Shang Tsung claims that he could only control the symptoms with his serums, but he did not find a cure for the disease, Rasputin only prohibited the use of a medicine that could only make things worse for Alexei.

MANIPULATED: Shang Tsung and Quan Chi had influence over the Empress, as one could control her daughter's symptoms and the other could predict the future. Rasputin also claimed to be able to see the future and tell which government ministers would eventually betray the imperial family, causing the Empress to dismiss them all when she became regent during World War I.

HIGH PRICE TO PAY: Sindel's over-trust of sorcerers led to her eventual death, just like Alexandra trust in Rasputin was one of the factors that condemned the Russian imperial family to death.

Mileena VS Kitana: Same faces, different behaviors

Some in Outworld think that Mileena is too rebellious and that her beautiful and graceful sister Kitana would make a better empress, even Sindel thinks so! Although Kitana has no interest in usurping her sister, Mileena does not feel safe even as her mother's heir.

I can draw a parallel with two real-life princesses, Queen Elizabeth II and her younger sister, Princess Margaret (yes, I'm referencing the British royal family again). Elizabeth was known for being obedient and peaceful, in contrast to her younger sister who was rebellious and bold. People liked Elizabeth, but found Margaret spoiled and arrogant.

Mileena in the future may become paranoid that Kitana is trying to steal her throne (perhaps one of the symptoms of tarkat includes mental confusion), and may even have her own sister arrested on suspicion of high treason. But only the future will tell.

Finalization

I literally spent two hours writing all of this 😭 Again, thank you to everyone who reblogged my post about Li Mei, you have no idea how much this motivates me to write more analyzes.

[intermundia]

hey will, hope you've been doing okay these days! so i really enjoy the way you portray both obi-wan and anakin and how you write their interactions and relationship, and it got me thinking, do you have other ships you enjoy just as much as obikin or that scratch your brain in a similar way as those two do?

oh man that's a good question!! there's really nothing quite like obikin for me, nothing that combines age-gap, teacher-student, fraternal-paternal, brother-in-arms, reckless-responsible, heart-head, psychic connection, with such robust canon tragedy and mutual obsession, everything else about obikin that makes it contextually perfect.

it's really like the two halves of my brain talking to each other as well, anakin is a cluster of a lot of my personality and issues, and obi-wan is another cluster of personality and issues (yikes). all ships that really capture and appeal to me are like that, they have to contain the two halves of me and allow resolution to feel like catharsis.

i think the only ship that's really caught me in the past few years (other than my rpf one which is so niche i can't really in good faith recommend it) is merthur from merlin bbc. it's very different from obikin in many ways. the cluster of personality that both arthur and merlin have is different, the resolution of their tension is different.

but they're also tragic, and their relationship is tense because of lies and mutual distrust, at the same time as being shockingly intimate and honest. they're codependent and obsessed with each other, but they also don't fully know each other. there's status inequality, a power dynamic complicated by political power vs magical power.

there's a tremendous amount of good fanfic and art for merthur, to the degree that i never felt any pull to create my own, as everything i might want to say has been said over the years since the show ended. the show itself is like star wars in which there's lots of room inside of canon for fandom to fill and deepen and explain. it's just satisfying!

[cherrytastiq]

Time Squad Character Analysis #2: Lawrence "Larry" 3000

Hi again! I'm finally continuing this series of analyzing the TS main trio. This time it's the Larry 3000, Cartoon Network's sassiest robot and the only character that's made me believe the network execs didn't bother watching Time Squad after the first episode. More on that later.

Backstory

Much like Tuddrussel, Larry's full backstory isn't really discussed in the show and is only referred to in throwaway lines, though we can get a rough sense of his life before the show.

The only mention of Larry's early life and childhood is in Monty Zuma, where he explains the first 9 years of his life were spent in a pitch black warehouse. No other information is known about Larry, like his model manufacturers or if he was even built on Earth.

Larry mentions his past diplomatic affairs multiple times in the show, like escorting Queen Jezebel III to a costume Halloween gala or being an assistant to presidents, a part of his past that he's very proud of. From the way he recalls the memories it's almost like part of him wants to go back to the "good old days" back when he was surrounded by etiquette and class, instead of being stuck as a janitor slash cook, basically working for a manchild. Look no further than in Tea Time, where he calls the fancy tea party "a refreshing change of pace".

One specific figure resurfaces multiple times in Larry's memories, that person being a Senator Fiskmeyer, whom we never get to actually see in the show.

He and Larry were presumably very close, to the point Larry felt comfortable enough to play pranks on him, and Fiskmeyer gifting the robot a golden set of golf clubs for helping out with negotiations.

It's basically impossible to pinpoint Larry's exact age, but there's a few hints that suggest he is a very old model, since his job as a diplomatic assistant / ambassador could only exist prior to Earth's political unification which made his services obsolete (see Larry Antique Theory).

Before Otto joined Time Squad, Larry describes his experience working solely with Tuddrussel as a "nightmare", since he's not programmed in the subject of history and Buck is the less than ideal time cop. It's always struck me as odd that Larry wasn't taught anything about history considering he's meant to be a diplomatic assistant. I figured knowing about world history could help a lot in negotiations between countries so you can at least know the context behind wars and sociopolitical states, but I guess whoever designed Larry thought it wasn't a big deal. Speaking of his coding, he's known to be programmed in a couple things, including etiquette, culture, all known languages, and apparel composition and design. Why they made him knowledgeable in fashion but not history is beyond me.

Freud's psychoanalysis

Freud describes Larry as suffering from "acute self doubt, which makes him passive aggressive, manipulative in nature[.]", all traits that Larry actually displays in the show. Another analysis has already touched on this, but Otto and Larry are both verbal manipulators, with the robot (kind of ironically) relying on emotions to get his way. As for him being passive aggressive, just watch any episode where he complains about something.

Larry and Otto

I've talked about this before but Otto and Larry is my favorite character dynamic in the entire series due to how much it grows throughout the show. In the first couple episodes, Larry sees Otto as little more of a nuisance, some kid from the 21st century they shouldn't have picked up, just another mouth to feed and another mess to clean up after. He finds his general presence and curiosity annoying and dismisses him, especially while he's working.

Although, even in these early episodes Larry isn't completely irritable. He shows Otto the Milky Way galaxy in Blackbeard and they go shopping together in ancient China in Confucius, both activities sans Tuddrussel. I wonder if Larry's more affable when he's not around the big oaf?

It's only a few episodes later when something really shifts. Maybe Larry realized how polite Otto is, or maybe he saw how many missions they've succesfully completed ever since the kid's been part of the team, but by Tea Time he's happily making scrambled eggs for Otto (this cements him as the cook of the trio, something that we'll go further in depth later).

From here on out the two only get closer and closer, to the point of replicating a parent-son relationship. It's damn cute. Larry takes care of Otto when he's sick in Floundering Fathers, they go shopping in Ancient China again in Kubla Khan't, and he joins forces with Tuddrussel to get some gifts for the little guy's birthday.

Also, this exchange from Kubla Khan't. I love this show.

Somewhere along the road both Larry and Buck recognize Otto as a kid they have to take care of rather than a coworker. Larry is no patron saint, though. He ignores Otto in Father Figure, abandons him in Hate and Let Hate, and his retelling of the mission in Thrilla' reveals he finds his infodumping annoying.

Other things to note: In Ivan the Untrainable, Larry mentions he had to 'fail Otto in nuclear physics', implying he home-schools him, and even goes as far as to teach him subjects fit for his intelligence rather than the standard 3rd grade academic curriculum. Otto also loves mirroring Larry's movements and general mannerisms from time to time, and is eager to learn about Larry's interests, like learning how to sew or curtseying.

THE MACARONI ARTTTTT

I could go on about Larry and Otto forever, so let's move on to the next relationship dynamic.

Larry and Food

Yet again, another wonderful analysis already discussed this at full length, but I feel that it's important I mention it here. I heavily recommend you check it out! Seriously, read Larry and Food: A Love Story.

One of Larry's main interests that becomes an integral part of his personality is his love of food and cooking. Despite this, he has no functioning mouth and no real way to enjoy food. He's programmed to be deeply involved with human culture yet he can't fully experience it due to his physical limitations. Therefore, the dissection argues, Larry's cooking is his way of communicating his own needs and emotions onto others and to manipulate how others feel.

Larry and Buck

Where do I even begin with these two. Okay.

Larry and Tuddrussel's relationship flip flops between work buddies and married couple, that is, one that's about to file for divorce. Larry detests Buck. He hates how filthy and unkempt he is, his immaturity, his bad manners, how brutish he is and how he never appreciates Larry's efforts to keep the Satellite running. He loves insulting him through passive aggressive remarks and, unlike Tuddrussel, Larry rarely shows fear towards him, aside from the times he gets physically hurt (or threatened to be hurt) by the big oaf.

Yet, despite this, despite all the hatred he holds for him... Larry finds himself desperately in need of him. Though he'll never properly admit it, Buck's presence in the Satellite gives Larry something to do, a change in routine from the computers and mission logs.

Larry is stuck in a constant battle with himself, sometimes wanting to apply for a transfer so he never sees Buck again, and other times getting so jealous he concocts an evil plan to sabotage a meal between the man and his ex-wife just because they were getting along again.

Speaking of Ex, it's a fan favorite for a reason. It's so late into the show that Mark Hamill's influence on the character had transfomed him from an annoyed ex-diplomat to an effeminate housewife suffering from one-sided love/hatred. How these lines got past the network censors still baffles me along with everyone else in the fandom.

God that turkey is still disgusting no matter how many times I watch this scene why did he do that

His jealousy gets cranked up to 100 in Ex, proclaiming Tuddrussel as "his" and accuses Sheila of trying to "take him away". Even at the end of the episode when the misunderstanding is clear, he is still mad at Tuddrussel despite him doing nothing particularly wrong, and tells him he's "sleeping on the sofa" that night.

More things to note... Remember how Tuddrussel has Texan heritage and likes to act and sometimes dress like a cowboy? Larry has a semi-confirmed cowboy fetish. He's presumably the one who dressed Cleopatra like a cowgirl in Shop like an Egyptian, one of his clones flirts with Tuddrussel in what is basically a gay robot nightclub in Day of the Larrys and he finds being a cowboy fun in Billy the Baby. Either Tuddrussel awakened something within him, or the big guy simply reinforced what was already there.

Sidenote, in Billy the Baby Larry takes the role of the comic relief, becoming uncharacteristically stupid. Something about that cowboy outfit turns him into a bimbo.

The show loves treating the two like a married couple, from Buck referring to Larry as "the old ball and chain" in Larry Upgrade to Freud becoming their couples counselor in Horse of Horrors. While Buck has hearts around him when seeing Cleopatra, Larry has hearts around him when seeing Buck in Thrilla', albeit this only being Buck's vision.

Other relationships

The only notable relationships Larry has with secondary characters are XJ5 and Lance 9 Trillion, the two other robots shown in Time Squad. Lance is Larry's celebrity crush; he asks for his autograph and generally looks up to him. That's about all there is to say about the two.

As for XJ5 and Larry, I've always struggled to define what their relationship is like. They act like petty rivals, and XJ5 loves critiquing Larry's lack of technological gadgets and antiquity. Even still, they find middle ground in Ex since neither of them want to see Sheila and Tuddrussel back together (possibly for different reasons).

Yes Larry is gay and camp

The more you rewatch Time Squad, the more you realize just how much the writers (and Hamill) flanderized Larry as it went on.

Series co-writer Carlos Ramos describes Larry as "nothing but fetishes", and he's absolutely right! Larry might be a robot programmed in etiquette, but deep within him lie some more... risqué interests.

He loves dressing up in feminine clothes and doing effeminate activities like foo-foo cooking, putting on makeup (something Buck recalls in Monty Zuma), manicures, books meant for young adult women featuring glamorous women and provocative romances (Danielle Steel and Jackie Collins are his favorite authors) and sewing. He's apparently been called a sissy "his whole life" so take that as you will.

Larry's buttons

Okay this is a bit of a jokey section but hear me out. Larry's chest panel and buttons are sort of like his... cleavage? Nipples? He's embarrassed when Otto opens up his chest in Daddio DaVinci (how did he know he could do that?) and exclaims "Excuse me!" when the kid tries picking up a radio signal.

Genuinely what is his problem

Final Thoughts

Did you know Larry calls Buck quequi in the Mexican dub, a nickname so convoluted I made a chart for it?

Larry sends me into a blind rage. I can't write any more about this robot it's killing me. Bad Girls by Donna Summers is ruined. Because of woke.

[who1ssheesh]

After reading your soft Xan thing (super cute I'd love to request more if possible 😭 ) you don't think he would ever hit his s/o do you? I've seen a lot of xan and s/o and they're always like "he loves you BUT you gotta have excellent dodging skills lolol". I don't think he would, like the thought wouldnt even cross his mind if he truly loved someone and vice versa

I am totally preparing some more soft and poetic Xanxus (spoilers: him and brutalist architecture) xoxo

I kinda remember this type of headcanons and I can’t help but hate them. a lot. Maybe it’s my ick and im too radical, but even as a joke/silly imaginary headcanons/fanfictions I don’t like this at all, I hate abuse or disrespect in any form 💔💔💔

Disclaimer: I totally don’t judge people who imagine Xanxus like this, he absolutely could be such a prick in real life, but life is already horrible, so I myself prefer to imagine my 2d anime hasubando as a better person, plus Xanxus gives off a huge vibe of a very loyal beast person.

Now let’s get to the TEDtalk, im going to explain why I think so <:^)

It is very important who his lover is: a part of mafia or a civilian. I actually love to write his S/O as someone outside of mafia, because that’s how Xanxus’s true softness shines through.

Lover outside of Mafia

This dynamic is very different, but don’t get me wrong, it is even more serious. Because here’s something Xanxus doesn’t show otherwise:

Vulnerability.

It’s such a contrast to his world, and while Xanxus brushes it off as a “civilians are too weak to handle mafia”, there are more layers to this that even he doesn’t admit or even doesn’t realize. His lover is innocent, most of all, softer and peaceful - something that he doesn’t admit he craves.

It is a woman, whose name is said like a prayer, whose fragile soul is a holy symbol, and he is a pilgrim of her sacred body. He is war, a shot before the scream. She is the quiet after gunfire.

Also fight me on this: Xanxus has a special place in his heart for his mother. And there is something….something about it that I cannot even explain properly. He is still a violent man, but still…while mafia is a rotten place and a rule “we don’t touch children, women, and innocent in general” is just a fairytale for an imaginary moral code to sell people and make them believe that mafia is something driven by honor and family, Xanxus would be the one to actually follow this rule. And that’s because of his mother - there is something very small but warm inside of his heart left by her. Xanxus does act softer for civilians, and especially women; sorry for my sexist language, but I mean………..you respect your lady, okay??? He didn’t want to taint them the same way mafia ruined his mother

Xanxus is brutal toward those who challenge or disappoint him in his world of war. A civilian or someone untouched by Mafia politics is outside that battlefield. To harm them would be like attacking something sacred or fragile.

He’d see them as his. Possessive as he is, he likely wouldn’t tolerate anyone else hurting his lover, and by extension, he wouldn’t do it himself. It would violate his internal logic of ownership and protection.

It would remind him of what he hates. If he ever hurt them like that, it might make him feel like his father or the other hypocrites he despises—something he subconsciously fears becoming.

He might still yell, withdraw, or show frustration through cold silence—but that’s different from throwing something at someone emotionally significant. That would be a line even he wouldn’t cross unless the relationship was broken beyond repair.

Lover in Mafia World

Okay, forget about “uwu sexist Xanxus feels soft for civilian women”, now we get the real gender equality: Xanxus hates everyone equally.

But being serious now, he is indeed harsher with mafioso s/o. Here you have a terribly hard goal - earn his respect. Respect is not something Xanxus gives lightly. If he acknowledges someone as an equal—or even close to it—it means they’ve proven themselves in blood, fire, and survival.

Where others flinch, she meets his gaze like a blade—not to cut, but to reflect the monster he refuses to name. She is the battlefield he does not scorch, the war he cannot win, and the only one he would bleed beside without shame.

It’s unnecessary. He doesn’t need to assert power over someone who already knows where they stand with him.

It’s wasteful. Xanxus is not an idiot (but we can argue about it) and is calculated beneath the rage. He doesn’t waste energy on gestures that don't serve a purpose. Throwing a glass at his lover might weaken their unity, which—by his logic—weakens him too.

Trust. For someone like Xanxus, whose past is built on betrayal (his hatred for the Vongola bloodline, his resentment of being passed over), trusting someone is an almost sacred act. To harm that person impulsively could feel too close to betrayal.

He might be rough, curt, or even cruel in tone—but he wouldn’t cross the line into meaningless violence against someone who stands beside him in the battlefield.

In both cases, what stops him isn’t kindness or restraint in a traditional sense—it’s Xanxus’s warped sense of loyalty, respect, and possession. He doesn’t show love the way normal people do, but for someone he truly cares about, he directs his violence outward—not inward.

And I wrap it up with a simple life rule, that Xanxus absolutely can be related to:

Your partner is your choice, and if you don’t respect it - you don’t respect yourself.

[phoenixyfriend]

I try not to make a lot of original posts on topics I don't actually have any expertise on, but I haven't seen a whole lot of posts going around that actually... explain what happened and why? Like, the actual order of events, the history, and so on. I want to reblog reference posts and explanations by people who actually know what they're talking about, but I haven't seen anything that hits the buttons I need to actually get a political situation... but I have seen some stuff on other platforms.

So here are some videos I've personally found useful in understanding Israel-Palestine, because that's the format I've found most useful in processing information of this nature:

Why Israel was Originally Attacked from RealLifeLore (explains the decades of political dynamics, internal demographic tensions, and power shifts leading up to the current conflict; notably the best I've seen at actually explaining what 'Israeli Occupation' actually means)

Israel-Hamas War: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) (commentary on the actual current situation in terms of who's getting attacked, why, and what the international ramifications so far are)

What's Happening in Israel and Why with Nathan Thrall from Adam Conover, series Factually (a discussion with an on-the-ground journalist about what life was like on the ground for Palestinian people in the areas under Israeli control during the last few years, just up to the attacks themselves)

I'm not going to claim these are comprehensive or completely unbiased (there are a few moments where I'm not entirely sure of the bias levels myself), but for people like myself who came into all this unsure of what the actual situation even is, I think these are a solid set to build up an basic understanding from which to put together opinions on future information.

I can't tell anyone what to think about how or why any of this is happening. I can only really tell you that what's going on right now is a crime on the level of attempted genocide, and that the years leading up to that have been an absolute mess on almost all fronts.

Again, I have no expertise on this subject. I just know what kind of video essay, political commentary, and interview style makes things understandable to me, personally, and might work for others. Please be courteous and kind in the comments and tags, as I am only sharing this because I haven't seen such a resource making the rounds yet, not actually trying to sway anyone in a particular direction beyond "the mass death needs to stop."

If you know of similar, relatively unbiased* resources, feel free to share.

* By 'relatively unbaised,' I don't mean taking or not taking a side; I just mean that it doesn't try to hide some information or other in favor of pushing a narrative, doesn't try to generalize a population, or doesn't seem to be trying to use emotional gut reactions to get readers or viewers to jump past reason or compassion.

[ruiniel]

Hallucinating about Kokushibo again (I)

Looking through some fic research notes and (instead of working on the actual fic) jotting some thoughts/headcanons on Kokushibo's background, the environment that shaped him and his internal struggles.

In the (present) KNY setting we're acquainted with Kokushibo as the strongest demon antagonist second only to the maker of all demons: he's taciturn, aloof, emotionless, strong and ruthless. An impressive, by no means generic, but distinctly villainous character. Afterwards in true KNY style more is revealed and I've read many opinions of KNY enjoyers on various platforms who find Kokushibo's story as one of the most relatable among the antagonists' (not that it's a contest, not at all, but I found it interesting and unsurprising). Let me try to explain, mostly because I'm blurting this to piece more of him together myself.

This was just some guy born in a warrior class family during bloody, turbulent times. No special powers, no godly gifts, a regular human with better material means than most people at the time. Being the older twin in a period where the status of the eldest sibling mattered reams politically and socially, it was undoubtedly instilled in him that he must lead and uphold the honor of his clan when time came. In this snippet I found interesting, Imagawa Sadayo (poet, military commander) writes in a letter to his brother during the early 1400s:

First of all, a samurai who dislikes battle and has not put his heart in the right place even though he has been born in the house of the warrior, should not be reckoned among one's retainers ... It is forbidden to forget the great debt of kindness one owes to his master and ancestors and thereby make light of the virtues of loyalty and filial piety ... It is forbidden that one should ... attach little importance to his duties to his master...

This circulated before the Tsugikuni twins' time but there's the idea of sacrifice, respect and loyalty. These are all principles found in bushido ('the way of the warrior') which encompassed morality, one's role in society, and how to live a life with honor and virtue. It's relevant here to note that the values comprising bushido evolved significantly over time and had many variants.

And the twins' lifetime wasn't a walk in the park of history. This was a fractured Japan of civil and economic unrest, uprisings, conflict over leadership on local and regional levels with feudal powers battling for influence and decade long wars. Point being, it was expected of Michikatsu to come up to speed as fast as possible. When you look at it this way, it becomes even more obvious why his drive to succeed (in blade mastery) and overall become the best took such an obsessive turn. Looking at this, we see a glimpse into their early family dynamics:

We see their father and arguably most influential figure in their lives at that point had a harsh, controlling character and was essentially a man of the times who focused on what was best for the clan (in detriment to his offspring). This resulted in the arguments with Akeno who viewed the children as human beings first before anything else. It does seem their father genuinely cared about Akeno and her wishes and possibly realized his mistakes, though too late, and thought he left behind a strong legacy at least: Michikatsu, taking up leadership as a warrior and political representative of his clan, married and settled with his own household (my assumption is he did so at around the age of 18, similar to Yoriichi & Uta).

Based on what we read the twins both hurt inside because of the differences imposed on them in their status. While my post focuses on Michikatsu as a character, his relationship with Yoriichi and feelings towards his younger twin were pivotal in his development and downfall, so it's relevant to consider how naturally caring he was towards Yoriichi when they were children: because as siblings they were, after all, more alike than anyone else around them. The small defiances Michikatsu showed towards an authority figure (their father) in his treatment of Yoriichi says much. I like to believe caring was in his nature, and though twisted, in a way their brotherly bond never did break even when Kokushibo was all that was left.

More going off the rails in part II...

[holographic-mars]

This is kind of a silly question but can you explain what you think Cosmos and Soundwave's dynamic is? For those of us who struggle with understanding characters,, cough cough me

Not a silly question at all! Not a silly question at all!!

I want to do a quick disclaimer I’m not the ceo of coswave (or am I 🤨) so everything I say is how I interpret coswave. I pull a lot from canon as well as my own hcs and stuff so it’s up to you whether you like how I interpret them!!

Soundwave and Cosmos’s dynamic from the beginning has always been about constantly learning and growing. These are two mechs who have very little experience with normal and healthy relationships (soundwave having significantly less experience than cosmos) so they end up building off of what they learn together.

They’re both very firm with their beliefs. Cosmos will never be a decepticon just like how Soundwave will never be an autobot. They compliment eachother very nicely with how they act and react to things, so where one mech struggles the other can be a pillar to lean on (for example soundwave struggles greatly with interpersonal relationships, so cosmos helps him with proper and polite interaction as well as trust building. Cosmos struggles with standing up for himself and putting his own comfort and safety first, so Soundwave helps him figure out how to say no when someone wants him to do something out of his comfort zone).

Soundwave’s idea of love stems from his understanding of loyalty which is incredibly unbalanced and unhealthy (ie complete devotion and submission). Cosmos’ idea of love is much more balanced but he tends to see love as something that is conditional (ie love that will only be given if you do something for them first). A massive part of their relationship is getting past these preestablished ideas of what love is meant to be and understanding how to treat their partner as an equal and treat love as unconditional.

Cosmos is not intimidated by soundwave one bit. He’s respectful of the fact that it’s Soundwave’s station that he’s on, but if he needs to challenge something soundwave says or does, he absolutely will. Cosmos may be nervous and has trouble standing up for himself, he is not shy about standing up for his morals or for other people. Soundwave is still a decepticon—he has selfish tendencies and nasty habits , but he won’t ever get too far in his malicious scheming if Cosmos has anything to say about that. Cosmos is always challenging Soundwave’s views and behaviors, and Soundwave honestly finds it exciting. Not many people can do that with the confidence and spunk that Cosmos can (and get away with it the way Cosmos can).

Soundwave has a whole decepticon space station to run and is notorious for Not Taking Care of Himself so fueling tends to be in the hands of Cosmos and TRUST Cosmos takes it very seriously. Due to energon shortages that effected the decepticons so bad during the war, Soundwave didn’t really fuel as much as he needed to (oftentimes giving his rations to his cassettes) so Cosmos was quick to rectify that and get him up to a healthy size. Cosmos keeps soundwave (and the cassettes) fueled and healthy.

Soundwave tends to express his love for his partner physically. He likes to have a hand on Cosmos’ plating whenever he is within reach, even if just for a second. He’s not good with his words (the irony of the communications officer who sucks at communicating) so he likes to show that he loves and trusts cosmos by touching him and letting him touch in return (this one is very important. Soundwave likes when Cosmos returns his physical affections the same way you say “I love you” back when a loved one says it to you). Cosmos, on the other hand, likes to express his love verbally. He doesn’t mind physical affection (he loves it) but he likes hearing it out loud. He praises soundwave and expresses how much he loves him on a regular basis, and though Soundwave struggles to return the affection verbally, he makes sure he holds cosmos extra tight or presses his mask against Cosmos’ own a little longer when Cosmos says I love you.

OUHH THATS ALL I GOT FOR NOW!!! GOD I HOPE THIS MAKES SENSE AND ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION BC I GOT A LITTLE LOST AFTER A WHILE. THANK YOU FOR THE ASK!!!!!!!! IM AO SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG TO ANSWER!!!!!❤️❤️❤️🛸🛸

[mazzystar24]

Here's the thing and I'm not saying it's ok, it's obviously not in any way, shape or form, but since I'm assuming you have all the tags of bucktommy filtered perhaps you haven't seen it. Most of the bucktommy blogs (including ones that also ship buddie) have gotten many many hate asks, insulting them, accusing them of something, and just being incredibly disgusting. You literally can't go to the bucktommy tag without finding many posts of buddie fans who tag bucktommy saying shit about the ship, the actors, and the people who ship them. Saying that bucktommy shippers must feel threatened by buddie going canon and that's why they are rude is absolutely crazy (though there might be some that do, who knows?). Now, I'm sure that going to the buddie tag is also hard to do and there must be people who post shit about buddie and I know there are many blogs that are anti the extreme buddie fans. So, what I'm trying to say is that both ships have people that are purposely posting things to make the others mad, that are actively trying to continue this -frankly- stupid ship war. And they are being racist (on both sides, not just bucktommy shippers, I saw a bucktommy blog from a POC person get an ask calling them the n* word) and just plain awful. So, assuming that buddie blogs are better and do nothing wrong is incorrect, and it goes the other way as well. I really don't understand how people can be so mean, and so self-centered over two ships that who even knows what's going to happen? Everyone, absolutely everyone should do better. No one is better than the other one.

Hi anon!

Okay in case you don’t know my blog here is my usual warning that I will be bullet pointing but I promise I’m not trying to be curt/rude (cos you genuinely don’t seem to be on the attack or anything) I just can like explain my thought process better when I can like break it down into chunks 🫡

• I’m assuming you saw either this post which I do end with saying “Like we get it some buddie fans were dicks to you or you disagree or they did something or whatever the fuck but dont start being dicks to an entire fandom???” (Which I feel like it kinda gets the point across of like in general what people shouldn’t do but also it was in the context of me saying that that day there was a surge in the anti buddie fans in the tag, but I also do acknowledge that there will have been buddie fans who have been dicks to them, so I never “assumed that buddie fans are better and never did anything wrong”) Or this one which is just a whole post about why people shouldn’t be misusing tags rather than making people block them and obviously I’m talking in both posts about what I’ve personally seen which is the anti buddie accounts but the principle applies for both and I agree 100% and I did actually make a post earlier than that here where I do talk about both ends and misusing tags as well as not using discourse tags and I talk about both the anti bucktommy/ toxic buddie fans and anti buddie/toxic bucktommy fans so while I understand that you may not have seen that post and out of context it may seem like I only view one side as being better than the other I actually have pointed out before that it’s both and I urge both to just be respectful in fandom spaces, that’s why I even mentioned in the post where I’m complaining about people spamming the buddie tag that I always just politely ask whichever one I see (which again based off what I engage with happens to be the people spamming the buddie tag) but I did make a whole three parter post about how people can improve fandom spaces and how everyone should be doing better

• I actually don’t have the bucktommy tags filtered because as I’ve mentioned before I genuinely don’t dislike them and enjoy seeing their scenes and dynamic they’re just not endgame for me

• okay the racism is a more complicated topic so I do wanna preface this with saying I’m a poc before I have any toxic fans jumping into my inbox calling me a “dumb white bitch” again 😭😭- I don’t know how the racism toward the bucktommy fandom has been -not that any amount of racism is fine obviously like genuinely to those blogs that got shit said I genuinely hope you’re fine- but the toxic bucktommy fans have become a wholeass section of the fandom being racist, which is why I point it out because it’s not one or two incidences but rather an entire subset pushing racist narratives or just posting shit that’s racist u(and again my heart fully goes out to the bucktommy fans who had to deal with people being racist to them I am just personally going based off what I’ve seen and it’s the fact that there are SO MANY racist anti buddie accounts if that makes sense so it’s more widespread in that case)

• as for the comment about toxic bucktommy fans feeling threatened and that’s why there was a rise, i actually didn’t say that but it was pointed out to me by people in my comments and I was like that makes sense and honestly it does because it absolutely tracks that when one side of the fandom is feeling optimistic about something that hints at their ship the other side’s toxic fans will want to put a damper on that, just like I can probably guess that toxic buddie fans probably hounded the bucktommy tag around the time the hospital kiss happened, like it just makes sense

Thanks anon for the ask because I genuinely do agree with most of what you said, and you were respectful with it which I appreciate, but I genuinely urge you in the politest way I can to just check out people’s accounts before sending an ask like this because context is genuinely key and people aren’t gonna be reiterating that it happens on either end when talking about something in the context of one end if that makes sense? And I personally do try to acknowledge it as much as possible even in the posts that I assume you were referring to🫶🫶🫶

[somehwere-between]

Ponyboy for the ask game?

Will do! Apologies about the delay.

How I feel about this character

Book >>>> any other form. Snarky 14 year old boy with a lot more hope than he realizes. A lot like me (especially with needless complaining/bitching) but cooler in some regards, too. PTSD moment. He’s great to me, but I get why people might not like him!

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Again, don’t ship, but here are some dynamics I like!

Mark because he’s horrible and leaves Pony worse off. (Shoutout to byyourladyhell ofc!)

Randy purely because their dynamic could be fun. (Shoutout to @veggiesforpresident with that one)

Curly would be a fling/on-and-off situation if anything, but it could be fun! Also if anyone can explain wtf the “papercut” thing means, I’d appreciate it.

EMDR therapy 🩵

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Pony might be a hater, but he’s got a lot of love, too. Two-Bit and Pony adventures are fun, Curly and Pony do stupid shit together, Johnny and Pony balance each other (even if not perfectly), and of course, his brothers. Pony’s got a good community!

My unpopular opinion about this character

Several, as per usual. But I personally think he wouldn’t be a hippie nor really like the movement much; it’s a lot of rich kids cosplaying poverty for the sake of political change at best or recognition from other nepo-babies at worst. To me he’s still pretty anti-war and somewhat New Left, but he grew up working class so I can’t see him being real thrilled about certain aspects. Also he’s not an evil brat, he’s 14. Jesus.

One thing I wish happened with this character in canon

I’m fairly happy with what we got! I guess maybe some insight on his parents, but idk. I’d prefer to write or read the various interpretations over more canon stuff.

[choppedcowboydinosaur]

Here are my thoughts on the Superman trailers.

The first trailer was pretty decent. It shows Krypto helping a bloody and beaten Superman. It's a nice scene. You get to see some of Metropolis and Clark's parents. The only negative points I have are the lighting is a bit off and too bright. Also, they're using the John Williams Superman theme but using an electric guitar this time. I feel like they could have created their own Superman theme. Shirley Walker created the theme for Superman the Animated Series, and I'd argue it's just as iconic as the John Williams theme. So why couldn't they do something like that? Overall, it's a good start.

2. The second trailer is a bit more flawed than the first one. It opens with a bloody and beaten Superman on the ground, and he calls Krypto for help. Instead of Krypto helping Superman like in the first trailer Krypto proceeds to jump and pounce on Superman mistakenly thinking he's playing. I don't find this scene funny since it's just beating up a guy when he's already down. Also, it just comes off as jarring since Krypto is doing this to Superman of all people. I know some people try to defend this scene by saying that it's realistic because dogs are playful. While dogs are playful, they can also tell you are hurt. I say this as a dog owner myself that there are times when my dogs have comforted me when I was hurt or sick. So, what this tells me is that Krypto is very dumb if he's that slow on the take. That is not a good sign. I prefer how the first trailer handled Krypto.

The next scene shows the robots helping Superman in the Fortress of Solitude and I thought it was okay. We get a better look at Lex Luthor and his goons. We also get to see more of the Daily Planet crew, especially Lois Lane. We also see a lot of other characters like Mr. Terrific's superhero team whcih includes him, Hawkgirl and Guy Gardner. Mr. Terrifc's team looks good except Hawkgirl, and the main reason is the jacket she's wearing. Once she gets rid of the jacket, I think she will look fine. There are also some other bad guys that Superman has to fight like these dudes in power armor and a giant kaiju. I have some concerns about this and will explain my concerns about this in the segment on the 3rd trailer. This trailer shows some concerning signs, but it doesn't ruin the movie overall.

3. The 3rd trailer intrigues me and concerns me at the same time. It opens with Lois Lane interviewing Clark as Superman while in his civilian clothing. This one intrigues me because Lois already knows Clark is Superman, so it seems like they have been together for some time. It changes up the dynamic of how Lois and Clark are usually presented in adaptations where Clark eventually has to confess his real identity to Lois and his love for her. So, the fact that she already knows he's Superman makes this more interesting. Also, when Lois begins to question him, he straightens his back and responds to her in a deeper voice. This does feel like Superman, and it does seem like Dave Corenswet could pull off playing Superman. I think he does have potential. Also, the actress playing Lois does channel her very well.

When Lois begins questioning Clark about intervening in some foreign country to stop a war going on Clark gets flustered because to him it was about saving lives, while the government is upset because of the political implications of an American superhero intervening in a foreign country without their consent. I get Clark's frustration, but I do hope that Lois pushes back a little bit on him by telling him that just because you intervene in a foreign country doesn't mean it won't have unforeseen consequences like with the American interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan. I hate to get political on this, but I do think it is an important point the movie should address since just because you intervene in a foreign country with the best of intentions doesn't mean it won't have negative consequences for that country.

Later on, we get to see more of Luthor and his crew. I am starting to warm up to Nicholas Hoult as Luthor. I initially was against him since he seemed so soft, and baby faced that I couldn't see him pulling it off. But now I can see him playing Luthor as this cunning yet arrogant man with a grand view of himself. In his crew there is this chick whose hands turn into buzzsaws. Is this meant to be Mercy Graves? The trailer doesn't make it clear who this person is. Then we cut to Superman being in prison with Metamorpho. This part began to concern me since this trailer just introduced Metamorpho into what is an already massive cast to begin with. It concerns me how James Gunn will handle all these characters since it could become too bloated, and Superman won't get enough focus as a result.

Then we cut to Superman fighting some guys in power armor. I have a concern about this that ties into my previous point and my thoughts on the second trailer. There are a lot of villains in this movie. We already have Luthor, and the buzz saw hand lady. Then we get the giant kaiju Superman has to fight. Now we get these dudes in power armor. Who are they? Are they Intergang? The Daxamites? Again, I find it concerning because you have so many characters in here both heroes and villains alike that I'm not sure how James Gunn will be able to handle all of them and give them appropriate focus. Mind you this isn't meant to be an ensemble movie like the Avengers, it's a Superman movie and an introduction into this new DC universe. My fear is that James Gunn has put the cart before the horse and shoved so many characters into here to focus on the worldbuilding of his DC universe rather than focusing on Superman. It's a common flaw I have seen with cinematic universes, and it worries me if James Gunn would do this since he of all people should know better.

Also, after the 3rd trailer came out DC has been spamming these clips on social media from what seems to be the final battle. A lot of them show Superman fighting but we have no context on who he's fighting or why, so it just feels so jarring and overwhelming. It probably would make more sense in context but as of now it just comes off as overwhelming and confusing.

Overall, I have mixed feelings on this upcoming Superman movie. While I do think it has potential especially with actors playing Clark, Lois and Luthor I do have some concerns. I think James Gunn is shoving too much stuff in the movie and it might wind up becoming bloated and losing focus on Superman. Maybe he can pull it off, but it is a risky move to do and not one I would feel comfortable with when creating a new Superman movie. Especially, one that is meant to also be an introduction into this new DC universe. If James Gunn really wants to do some world building for his new DC universe I think there are more subtler ways to include it in this movie without making it bloated. Like you could reference some characters with Daily Planet articles. For example you can have one head line from the Daily Planet saying, "Bat creature sighted in Gotham again." or have Clark interview a scientist from Star Labs. Maybe he will do something like this in the movie but, we shall see. I want this movie to be good, but I could see it going either way to be honest. Also, I have been burnt before on superhero movies as of late, so I'm kind of wary of them now. This also applies to the new Fantastic Four movie by the way.

What I will do when this movie comes out is watch reviews to see if it is any good. And if I do decide to watch the movie, I will use my gift card or Regal points I have saved up to buy a ticket to watch the movie. That way I won't feel ripped off. I will probably do the same process when Fantastic Four comes out as well.

PS: Jimmy Olsen is played by an actual ginger now so that is nice to see.