#rhea stuff

[randomnameless]

Putting 1+1=2 only now but,

There's a fascinating character exploration/analysis to have about Catherine being so similar, at least in surface, to her lady's past self, aka Seiros the Warrior.

They're both "blonde" and wear a white sort of outfit with their cape being red inside.

Cat's hairtie is even dark pink/red, reminiscent of Seiros's pink one.

Both are associated to swords and both define themselves as warriors who serve someone or act as that someone's sword, Seiros the Warrior was the Goddess' sword and Will (apparently !), while Cat calls herself Rhea's sword.

Hell they're both known for using sword and brawling techniques !

Both also have to use aliases because they cannot use their real names after being made targets (Rhea and Cassandra), and both sought refuge in some place that welcomed, supported and ultimately saved them (Garreg Mach and Willy's Enbarr).

Still their situations are pretty different and there's the hilarity between them being similar when Cat is a descendant of the Elites who proudly wields her Relic (albeit under Rhea's orders !) which would ruffle Macuil's feathers, or the fact Cat's not religious at all...

And yet there's something interesting at play, did Rhea saw Seiros the Warrior in Catherine, or what Seiros the Warrior could have been if she didn't have all of her bagage being the last nabatean and having to take revenge for her people ? Or what she would have wanted to be ?

Lbr, we all know Rhea's jealous of Cat being able to eat in bars and taverns with everyone while she can't even tell people she doesn't like hot drinks

Sure Cat is her own character and not Seiros lite, and ultimately I came up with this post bcs I noticed their pallet is sort of similar, but I think there's something that could be cooked from there, how Rhea has similarities with the three lords, but also to the people she's closest to even if player pandering means alone b4 u shenanigans

[hyenafu]

I just wanted to draw something cute u3u

[samijey]

Rhea Ripley BtS @ SummerSlam

[galactic-rhea]

I was thinking back of some of the concept art for Encanto I always loved and... Long rambling ahead.

YUP! I remain obssesed wiwth it, especially the first one, the black butterflies!! In many latinoamerican countries (including mine) black butterflies in a home are a bad omen, to the point there's people absolutely scared of them (I have met a few, personaly); so the incorporation to it not only gives such a creepy image, but is an awesome call back to the culture.

The one where is raining on Mirabel's side of the house is also a perfect example of Magical Realism; the author whose work was first referred to as magical realism (in literature) had a short story called The Rain, in the story, the rain represents love, it doesn't really have much to do with the story in Encanto or the concept art on itself, just something that I remembered.

In Hundred years of Solitude, it rains for four years and the rain starts eating away the Buendías's house and destroying their fortune, and the decline of the house is what start of the town's decline as they're linked to the family.

I always said that Encanto was like a super sanitized and family friendly version of Hundred years of Solitude, and honestly I can see that a lot in the concept art, much more easily than in the movie

And to me, the biggest expression of Magical Realism in the concept art, is this one:

the mundane mixing with the nonsensical and magic, but the being accepted as part of the natural world without further questioning. And here's more of this on other of the concept art:

Magical realism as a term started being referred to art styles that depict something that objetively normal, has an uncanny element and often somewhat satirical. However, as a genre in literature, it started in Latin America, inspired by surrealism.

Is not just magic, is magic within a mundane world and being accepted as part of their lives. Latinoamerican literature tends to be fatallistic and crude; and magical realism follows similar steps, because the fantasy element isn't taken as something grandiose and something capable of solving every problem; the contrary, it just becomes something that just happens, and life goes on, and this usually means tragedy and death as well.

The magic isn't the cause, nor the solution, not even helpful because these stories kept on being harsh and sometimes cruel, in a sense Magical Realism reminds me more of Gothic Horror than Fantasy. Thousands years of solitude has these magic, fantastic elements, but it keeps on being a tale of the cyclical misery of the Buendías, that doesn't end until their entire destruction along with Macondo.

The Buendías aren't even meant to be liked (as in, good people), because they're supposed to be a selfish self-obssesed, land owners and the elite group that ruins the lives of others and keep digging their own graves.

For another example, the story that i mentioned, The Rain not only has a social commentary, but it ends in a very bitter sweet note, with a couple finally seeing the rain after a drought, but losing the kid that magically rekindled their love for each other. A lot of latinoamerican literature ends with painfully bittersweet, if not outright hopeless endings (Chronicle of a Death Foretold literally tells you, just with the title, what you will get into. Is a very cruel story and it has zero closure, the original "Dead dove do not eat/I don't know what i was expecting". Another example, Dead Houses is...well, is a bit more hopeful, but the cruelty is there and right on the face.)

Neither of these things fit very well for a disney family friendly movie, but just the fact they dared to show us Pedro's death and it being the origin of Encanto is a good enough attempt.

And a lot of these concept art does give a very dark tone, visually. I can see the attempt at trying to mix the whimsical of usual disney movies and the crudeness of the genre it takes its inspiration.

Another little bits that make me think of Encanto and Hundred Years of Solicitude, is that something important in the novel's narrative, is that Macondo is kinda trapped in time, both because of how remote the town is, but also because of the magic element; the huge impact of the town when outsiders and new technology arrives sometimes is taken as another magic element (they see ice, and believe it must be magic). Encanto has a similar setting, the exact time is taking place is hard to determine and there's some anacronisms. And also, the soap opera that Bruno's rats are "playing" is literally a nod to two characters in TYS; Amaranta Úrsula and Aureliano.

In the final version of the movie, some of these vibes the concept art shows was lost, but at its core it retains the key elements of magical realism! However, sometimes I wonder what would have someone like Guillermo del Toro done with the basic plot of Encanto, I have the strong suspicion that we would have ended with something much, much closer to actual magical realism

Ending this with, idk, watch Encanto. Or even better, read some latinoamerican literature (besides Gabriel García Márquez, whom I have a beef with. Can I suggest Julio Córtazar, Pilar Romero, Isabel Allende, Liliana Bodoc, Angelica Gorodischer, Juan Rulfo, Miguel Otero Silva, and Horacio Quiroga?)

[five-oh-first]

rots crack/fix-it au where somebody in the senate spread a rumour that palpatine was senile but anakin takes it very seriously. they’re at the opera and palpatine is all like “my boy, have i ever told you the tale of darth plagueis the wise?” preparing to be all evil but anakin is like “i don’t believe you have, your excellency” y’know in that tone that people speak ~encouragingly~ to kids and old people? palpatine is like ‘,:| not thinking too hard on it and continues his tale, but by the end anakin is like “wow, that sounds mighty interesting, your excellency. it’s getting late, why don’t we start heading home?” and palpatine’s evil plan is foiled because anakin believed he was an old man not fully in charge of all of his faculties, ending with a vote of no confidence

[randomnameless]

I missed this post :(

This is why I really really really love when FEH gives her silly alts (swimsuit, Halloween) because without the "weight of the plot", Rhea can finally relax, spend time doing "non archbishop" things and telle stupid lies to get Seteth off her back (in the 4 koma with her "reasoning" as to why she has to wear a swimsuit!), or straight up bake a bunch of cookies.

Nopes added a bit more "plot interactions", even if it's only in a paralogue - sure Rhea will not reveal her various plans to resurrect the Progenitor God to Seteth - but at least she relaxes enough to pick on him, joke at his expense with Flayn and sort of organise a "family outing" with her relatives (Cyril included!). And apparently, Nopes wise, she often plays with the monastery children, or children from orphanages!

I just wished we could have had more lines and dialogues (in game?) between her and other people who aren't Byleth - iirc in FE16 she has no lines with Flayn, when we know they talk to each other off-screen! - and even if Nopes very slightly delivered on that point (Rhea still has the screentime Fodlan games allow her, aka 5 minutes on 20 hours) it's still painfully obvious that, hm, Rhea doesn't have the screentime she should have lol.

Honorable mention to Alois during CS, to whom she can nerd and tell stories about the Monastery and the Apostles, and Alois is interested and turns this in conversation : even if Rhea herself apologises for having derailed too much with this "chat", given how this line has her happy portrait, I wonder if she was actually happy to be able to talk about this to someone who was also interested in those stories!

softly thinking about that one FEH Forging Bond in which Rhea is worried she will bother the students during their meal time if she joins them, despite wishing to join them

very softly thinking about her stupid pun-y dialogue in which she admits she can feel like she can stretch her wings with Byleth, implying that she never allows herself to feel comfortable around people, even the people she knows (but Sothis is here, Sothis is here and the only time we see Rhea rest is on the lap of her mother on the OST cover)

... but also very sadly thinking about the fact that Rhea probably also feels a gap between herself and her kin ; because none of them carry what she does on her shoulders ; because they have retired from mingling with humans centuries ago, and because she feels like she has to carry the responsibilities of the progenitor god until she comes back to Fodlan and that means she can't abandon Fodlan. And that means she doesn't feel like she can relax, even amongst the people closest to her.

[randomnameless]

Typing the previous post got me thinking about Rhea's mindset during the sack of Garreg Mach :

Given how she leaves "everyone" in Billy's hands, I'm pretty sure in SS, VW and AM, Rhea intended to, uh, not survive here (or maybe be relic'd).

The "I will not allow another Red Canyon tragedy to happen there" could refer to two things : Rhea doesn't want humans (in this situation, the imperial army) to slaughter the people she came to see as her family (or at least grew close to) in her new home

and

Rhea survived the Red Canyon, can the "I will not allow another red canyon" mean that, this time, she won't survive this?

Aka, she'll throw away her life away, this time, to make sure everyone escapes?

:(

We don't know what exactly happened in Zanado, if Rhea's sibs sacrificed themselves to buy her enough time to run away, or acted as decoys, or anything else, but from her various words and actions, Rhea seems to have some survivor guilt thing going on.

But when Billy isn't here, Rhea doesn't accept to "die" just yet, in Nopes, she accepts to do so in Trashfire because she feels like it's her duty to protect Fodlan and its inhabitants, and whatever happens will happen as Sothis wills it (lel).

In Tru Piss though?

Rhea can be put, again, in the shoes of being the last surviving Nabatean from her newest home and, uh, she doesn't take it well.

Ditto in SB and I guess in all of Nopes' routes, but at least she still has her family and loved ones with her - even if losing Seteth is a big no to her (to the point of being a game over condition in AG's chapter 4 iirc!) and if he passes away, a NPC comments on her grief (we don't see her, but I guess she still has Flayn so it's different from Tru Piss?).

In a way, I see Rhea's completed character arc - with Billy - as someone who doesn't think her life is only meant to bring Sothis back to Fodlan or to be her proxy anymore, but finally moves on, aka, tries to live without this burden and the anguish it brings.

Fodlan being the verse it is, we can never know if Rhea would ever move away from her mother on her own (aka without Billy but only with her fam and friends), and in the non SS routes, if she survives, it's either to lose people close to her again or, in a way, live through the Tragedy of the Red Canyon, again.

(She figs away to the place she still has nightmares about in AM or she dies off-screen in VW bcs her existence and history might make people think twice about Claude's goals).

Assuming "bringing Sothis back/be her proxy meanwhile" is an extreme coping mechanism she adopted after Zanado, Rhea in this cutscene (+ the ones where she eats missiles) displays her grief in the rawest way possible : "Sothis returned, so this time I can finally die to protect people".

She puts, more or less, the same shit before the final battle of Trashfire, accepting to die to fulfil her duty as Sothis' proxy, aka, protecting Fodlan and its inhabitants.

It's only in a roundabout way and discovered through the worst S-Support that Rhea somehow admits she feels remorseful because, despite everything, she wants to live.

(but only if Billy wants to marry her bcs player privilege is like that!)

[hyenafu]

Buwaro boldly recruits a new member onto Team Mushy!

[samijey]

#THANK YOU AUSTRALIA

[maradevi]

The Unusual: A Character Analysis on Bomb (And OJ, sort of)

Introduction

Wanted to make this post seeing as Bomb's been getting discussion again after the recent remaster episode. It goes without saying that Bomb is a complicated character. He, as with many problematic aspects of II1's story - was undeniably crafted as a mean-spirited ableist stereotype, that was consequently "scrubbed clean" off the face of the series up until the recent season two finale and remaster. And it's true. He is evidently a “writer's regret,” severely lacking in modern relevance, and compared to the intentionally-done stories of Suitcase and Knife - critically underdeveloped as a character. 

And yet - I'm drawn to him anyway.

It's hard to argue Bomb is as deliberately written as most of the fuller, modern characters are. Frankly, a large portion of his depth likely wasn't thought about at all, even now - but there is something horribly, and ironically complex about the character he is given. Something that I haven't yet seen discussed in this fandom, or concretely acknowledged by even the canon source. The "overly anxious, bumbling idiot" trope II intended to portray him as, ironically became a self-referential character that has experienced nothing but ableism from other characters, became shaped by his discrimination, and is consequently now a reversal of everything his stereotype limited him to be: affable, easygoing, interpersonally skilled - even teasing and sassy at times. 

I want this essay to humanize a character that is so critically overlooked by both his writers and this fandom. I want this essay to show him in a completely different light than what we're used to seeing - Bomb has grown since season one as something more than just "The Unusual". And while no one needs to like him or enjoy him - understanding Bomb, at the bare minimum, is critical to understanding the arcs of plenty of other well-loved characters (namely OJ, who will get his own analysis section in this essay). 

There will be obvious mentions and descriptions of ableism throughout. Please take care of yourself while reading. I also want to emphasize that although I try to analyze only what has been consistently established, I also acknowledge that a LOT of Bomb’s scenes generally lack intentionality and there is always the likelihood II could eventually release some episode that completely subverts everything about his character. But what he has now, as of the time of writing this, means a lot to me - and that’s what I want to focus on. 

"FALSE ALARM": What it Means, and Why It Fits

There is one other tagline that II gives Bomb beyond "The Unusual"-- and it's "FALSE ALARM,” crudely written on his corpse in the midway point of the season two movie.

And I think, at his very core - this is fundamentally what Bomb is meant to be. It is inherent to his object, even - he is a weapon that harms others, in mass quantities. The whole (initial) purpose of BFDI’s Bomby is to mass kill characters when necessary and freak out when his fuse is lit. And technically, on a surface level, Bomb appears the same way. He blows up when it's funny, his arrival in Idiotic Island causes mass panic, and he screams at the top of his lungs when he sees MePhone's plane fly by at the beginning of season two. But these scenes actually make up only a fraction of his dialogue - and the interesting irony of Bomb is an almost meta-level of self-awareness of what he is, and his attempt to break out of that when he has the autonomy and power to do so.

"Double Digit Desert" in particular points to Bomb's general preference for non-violence and passiveness (or at least, violence that does not involve him blowing up and hurting a bunch of people). Despite clearly having the physical strength and prowess to destroy the desert/his obstacles, his first instinct is to… verbally threaten the fence to move. He is willing to use physical skills to help his ally (OJ), yet interestingly, he abstains from doing so if it would possibly hurt himself or others. The post-ending scene of "The Crappy Cliff (Remastered)" is ESPECIALLY on-the-nose with this - he is aware that yes, he can blow up and kill everyone with ease, but will only do so under the circumstance it helps everyone's problems (that is, getting them out of falling for non-existence). He knows he is made to be a weapon of mass destruction, but actively refuses to live up to that unless given the “yes” from everyone else. His explosions, at least when done of his own will, pretty consistently happens in a controlled environment where it generally won’t harm others/it’s actually needed, in this case. 

Yes, Bomb does have plenty of scenes where he DOES blow up and it’s a big freakout scene - but it's incredibly interesting how none of these examples are done out of his own will or to intentionally harm others, despite being an object that could easily get away with it in the same way Knife is justified for being violent... because, well, you'd expect a knife to do that. And you'd expect Bomb to do that too... but he doesn't - because it’s part of him being a “false alarm.” Funnily enough, as pointed out by a dear friend - there’s also a layer of irony that possibly the only scene where Bomb is actually feared is the one that consequently frees everyone from Idiotic Insanity.

Similarly, a great deal of his lines point to Bomb perhaps being way more introspective and socially aware than what we'd expect (or what the ableist stereotype WANTS us to expect) for the "goofy idiot.” His very first line in "A Lemonly Lesson" is him speaking up about Balloon treating Taco aggressively and calling him out for it (and interestingly enough, in the remaster - OJ, the "nice guy character" actually encourages Balloon to treat Taco awfully right after that - acting as a very interesting foil to Bomb). He becomes saddened and seemingly ashamed when Pickle wordlessly admonishes him (for his literal disability) in “War de Guacamole.” In later episodes, he picks up on OJ not caring about him as a person - he just wants to satiate his own savior complex, hence why the whole ""betrayal"" arc happens (more on that later). In spite of it all, he’s even able to separate strategic plays in the competition from his personal relationships (throwing OJ aside to win the challenge - which I want to quickly clarify that characters like Silver Spoon do things like this all the time without it being seen as a reflection on their personal relationships, so I see no reason why this logic can’t also be applied to Bomb) - something OJ actually HADN'T developed yet, hence why Bomb gets confused when OJ takes the betrayal so harshly. And when OJ continuously treats him awfully throughout the rest of season one, he eventually has enough and sassily votes for him in "The Penultimate Poll" (even mocking OJ's self-victimization). 

Even his little scenes in the finale further this characterization: he leads Cheesy directly into a pun and beats him at his own wordplay, showing that although the characters around him take him as incompetent or socially inept - he is actually, perhaps, way more socially mature than a great deal of characters. 

But at the same time, it’s also INCREDIBLY important to me that Bomb is also, at heart, incredibly sweet and gentle. Obviously he has his moments in season one, but literally every single II1 character was bigoted and/or really mean for no reason (consequence of being written by 13-year-olds, I guess). He did genuinely care about OJ and did plenty to help him, up to a certain point (when OJ admittedly generally did not reciprocate this level of asssistance). He didn't want to be violent against a fence for crying out loud. He openly mourns the death of his best friend by trying to play his favorite game in his honor, his first question about the whole situation being to ask about Pickle - even after he was left in the dark about what exactly happened to him. And even though he was one of the few people who would have legitimate reason to not like Balloon - he (alongside Pickle) was the first person of the II1 cast to invite him to hang out again.

This even applies to OJ (although it's very unlikely Bomb and OJ are really "friends" as much as they are just on passive terms nowadays) - this guy was so, so terrible to him in season one, and yet Bomb shows no sign of what would be very justified bitterness or hurt past that little bit of sassiness in "The Penultimate Poll.” He's a VERY big forgiver in a way while still being pretty firm about not letting himself just get run over (which becomes a very interesting parallel to Paper later on!). So much of his interactions revolve around wanting to assist or help others, too - trying to uplift Cheesy during the redline game or putting everyone out of their misery at the end of II1 remaster, namely. Bomb is one of the characters (like Cabby) that would have every single right to be angry and hurt at the way he's been treated by virtually everyone, even to this day - and yet, he isn't. He is happy. He is gentle. And he likes plants - that just shows how easygoing he is, right? (/silly)

And he can be blunt, just as he can be sassy: he can choose when to be silly and when to be serious. He is NOT as emotionally volatile as his stereotype wants him to be - even his background scenes in season two supplement this, as he quickly puts a pause on his silly dances/reactions to watch Balloon as he enters the hotel in "Rain on Your Charade." Yeah, Bomb definitely has some strange reactions at (admittedly most) times in season two - but so much of his more serious scenes point to this being a choice he makes deliberately, rather than something he just... does because "goofy guy!” I'll get more into why I personally think he does this, but the point ultimately is that Bomb is surprisingly very evenly-tempered as a character, and is perhaps way more socially intelligent than AE even intended him to be taken as. 

It all leads back to his coding: being a false alarm. We expect a bomb to be one step away from lighting its fuse and blowing up. We expect Bomb (as a character) to be volatile, reckless, violent. But none of that ever happens. He is composed, soft(er)-spoken, passive, well-meaning - and certainly thinks and speaks much more carefully than what the people around him expect.

Bombjay: It sucks, and that's why we love it (+ a smaller analysis on OJ/Paper)

Of all things Bomb is probably most utilized or known for in this fandom - it's specifically his dynamic with OJ. And for very, very good reason. Bomb and OJ are, undoubtedly - a toxic and power-imbalanced relationship (in the context of canon). It gets to the point that even the writing pretty explicitly blames OJ for everything that happened. That's even the biggest point of criticism Pickle has against OJ during "The Penultimate Poll" - and while OJ acts like the catalyst was Bomb's "betrayal," in my eyes at least - their relationship was actually doomed from its very conception. So long as Bomb's disability began to "inconvenience him" (in other words, just exist at all) - it was never going to mesh well with OJ's self-centered savior complex. It's, although depressing, a golden example of how people very often prop up and parade around with disabled people to feel "good" about themselves for allegedly "saving them" from their lives. 

At his core, OJ is a caretaker/provider who is VERY obsessed with being the perfect example. He does not care if you don't want his help - he knows best, and is the most "rational" guy on the team, so it's his “saving” you'll be dealing with for the rest of your life. It's part of what makes his character as the "hero of II" so complicated and nuanced: there are times his heart is truly in the right place, just misguided by true ignorance/not knowing any better. And there are plenty of times he convinces himself his heart is in the right place, when he is in reality being nothing but condescending and snarky. And there are other times where he is just outright rude and cruel to people knowingly, but gives himself a pass because "I'm good everywhere else. It’s fine if I’m mean just this one time.” But the worst part is - OJ is technically validated in his way of thinking. He isn't immediately wrong about being one of the more rational characters. There really isn't any other character in II that would so willingly want to create communal housing for the others or have the willpower to actually maintain it. He knows he is good at what he is doing, and he exploits the hell out of that.

Except Bomb did not validate that way of thinking, and that's exactly where the fallout happened.

OJ showed signs very early on his care for Bomb was incredibly conditional - all the way back in "4Seeing the Future,” he notably gets irritated when Bomb accidentally throws his cookie into the air (rejecting HIS gift!). He happily lets Bomb talk to him when it’s validating his opinions about Balloon in "Sugar Rush," but when Bomb tries to explain how he returned in "Double Digit Desert" - OJ immediately cuts him off and tells him to "forget it." Anything Bomb tries to say that takes longer than two seconds to listen to is immediately brushed off by OJ, who, evidently - is only interested in how he can "save this pitiful guy" to make himself *feel* good. He's not interested at all in what Bomb himself has to say, and that's something Bomb evidently starts to figure out himself toward the end of "Double Digit Desert."

And this is ultimately what leads up to their big fallout at the end of the competition. Of course, Bomb himself isn't a golden standard of niceness (as most II1 characters are) - but I think it's often overlooked that Bomb had only loosely suggested that he should win when OJ immediately retorts that it should be him, because "he's smarter." OJ doesn't think for a second - his ally, who had previously helped him all throughout the challenge - might possibly be deserving of the win, and, while obviously cruel, absolutely shows very explicitly how OJ's tolerance of Bomb was just that: conditional tolerance. Bomb giving even the slightest suggestion that he might not fit perfectly into OJ's savior fantasy instantly shattered any hope of their friendship succeeding past this point.

Coupled with OJ's vaguely ableist-sentiment doubting Bomb's intelligence - I do believe that's exactly why Bomb ends up shoving (and killing) him. It clicks in his head this guy does not care much about him - but interestingly, at the same time, Bomb initially doesn't seem to perceive this act as a betrayal as much as it was maybe a minor disagreement, if not just a strategic way of winning a competition. It's exactly why Bomb gets so confused in the following episode, where he happily goes up to OJ and calls out for him - only to be immediately shut down by OJ, berated, and then ditched for Paper. 

So funnily enough - it's not really Bomb's actions that hurt OJ. It's OJ constructing a false image of Bomb in his mind, and when that helpless image of Bomb got broken - OJ betrayed himself, and consequently hurt his own ego. 

OJ effectively door slamming on Bomb as soon as that perfect little image got shattered is another HUGE indicator their alliance was, at best: conditional. The moment OJ no longer needs to play into the role of being Bomb's "savior,” he goes completely mask-off in his ableism. He outright states this himself: "I accepted you for who you are!" When Bomb tries to explain himself, he refuses to hear him out and jumps to Paper instead (actually making it a point to state he's only allowing Paper to be with him to "get back at Bomb", in a way). Then, funnily enough, he exhibits the same immediate withdrawal tendencies to Paper themself later on in the episode when he tells them "Between you and Bomb, I feel like I'm in a mental hospital." It conspires all the way to Bomb's elimination, where OJ just HAS to get the last word in about how Bomb "deserves" it for ""betraying"" him. 

The slightest bit of resistance, from someone that isn't expected to "resist" - instantly seems to absolutely destroy OJ's world. Every interaction he has with Bomb throughout the rest of the season is literally just OJ trying to make it a point "you did something bad and you should feel bad for me." 

All this to say this isn't meant to be an attempt to demonize OJ - it's actually a very critical point of his character development, and understanding exactly where his savior complex later on comes from. Bomb possibly suggesting that his "saving" isn't exactly helping questions his very existence - and it thus results in OJ having an extreme meltdown that leads to him self-victimizing himself, because if Bomb isn't the one in the wrong - then HE is, and that can't be possible, because he has to be a good person. He needs to be the hero. OJ is VERY horribly ableist to Bomb, but in a way, it may even be internalized ableism to himself - not addressing his fixation on being a hero is, in fact, unhealthy and incredibly damaging for his esteem.

But this is where Paper comes in - and is exactly why Bomb and Paper, surprisingly, have two incredibly interesting parallels. Paper is set up as the “same formula, different answer” side of Bomb - their relationship begins in eerily similar contexts. The Paper/OJ alliance starts out with Paper literally below him. It's not Paper giving OJ a chance - it's OJ giving Paper the opportunity of "okay, prove you're better than Bomb." Then when EP/Looseleaf comes into the picture, it evolves into "now how can I save YOU?". I do believe OJ's intentions with EP are more genuine than it was with Bomb - but at heart, it is still the same thing of OJ wanting to save someone. Only, because Paper is much more vulnerable and ""newer"" to socializing, in a way (than Bomb is at least) - they let him. They actively need someone to rely on, and OJ seems to fit perfectly into that mold. Getting rid of EP seems like a good answer to both of them - and when Paper does "overcome their evil alter!!!", OJ gets the self-validation that look, he DID help someone! And now Paper should be indebted to him.

"The Tile Divide" is an all but explicit parallel to "Double Digit Desert": only Paper is a doormat. Their imbalanced relationship with OJ has made them subtly become the “inferior,” and so their solution is to fawn/play into that, rather than Bomb's solution of "I should stand up for myself." Tile Divide is a test to determine whether or not Paper/OJ is going to last beyond the competition, and by Paper allowing OJ to win - and, most importantly, accepting and framing it as "punishment" for them not helping him earlier with his orange juice problem - is exactly what made Payjay last and Bombjay fail. OJ tries to project his fear/insecurity of a similar ""betrayal"" happening again (by calling Paper a traitor/backstabber for trying to go help Taco with her lemon problem), but rather than pointing out that's a silly idea - Paper buckles to the idea instead. They unintentionally cement OJ's perspective as them being "inferior," but they also cause OJ to become very attached to them because they eased his fears about not being needed. It makes their relationship, in the same stroke it destroys it - at least until this power imbalance gets formally acknowledged in "The Reality of the Situation." 

Bombjay is complicated. It's messy. But it's a huge part of why both characters are the way they are (and is even fundamental in setting up Payjay, I'd argue). And all of this is largely why I believe Bomb and OJ can never truly become close again - it's likely very similar to how OJ (apparently) sort of just accepts Taco is around again post-finale, even after her “evil reveal.” He gets too busy to care or think too much, although the "betrayal" probably still stings. And in Bomb's case - all that ableism and belittling radically shapes how he starts to act in season two and onwards - but he still isn't nearly petty enough (beyond sassing OJ in "The Penultimate Poll") to carry on their rivalry. And so they both set season one aside, even though the wounds are still there, and they still hurt - but maybe, those wounds sting slightly less if they just keep their space away from each other - and that means not acknowledging the problem anymore as well.

Bomb and... everyone else (and how it shapes him)

Unsurprisingly, it's not just OJ that treats Bomb poorly, though.

It's hard to talk about Bomb without separating him from his stereotype - the writing, both currently and back in II1 - does not treat him well. Everyone sees him in a condescending way. Even the writing sometimes tunnel visions him as just some "goofy guy" that can't do much else but make silly expressions. I don't want to blame the characters as much as I do the writing - but it's hard, when Bomb is pretty much universally seen in an "inferior light" and is very notably treated differently in the plot from everyone else. But at the same time, it's undoubtedly a huge part of why Bomb progressively becomes more passive, quiet, and less outspoken in the later series.

I think "War de Guacamole" is probably the most mean-spirited about this: they very overexaggerate his stammer, and all of the characters stop to stare at him in disdain. Pickle even makes it a point to stare down at Bomb and glare like he's a misbehaving child - over a disability he can't control. II2 becomes more subtle with it, but undoubtedly other characters continue to treat Bomb like a chore/hassle more than a person. Soap proclaims she "shouldn't have to worry about Bomb making a mess" in the first edition of the II comics. When Microphone notices the TV wasn't unplugged in "Through No Choice of Your Own," she jumps to accusing Bomb of plugging the video game back in - and although her assumption isn't illogical, her groaning and tone of voice when scolding him in a manner similar to a child - evidently hints at a condescending attitude that is VERY different from how characters normally address each other. When most other characters get a moment to mourn their loved ones, Bomb is virtually left in the dark about what happened to Pickle as Baseball doesn't reply to his question about his death - while none of these are likely deliberate on any of these character's parts, it becomes a depressingly recurring pattern of Bomb being brushed aside, seen as a problem, or just... not important. It's incredibly similar to the Thinkers infantilizing or treating Yin-Yang like a child/animal - only Bomb gets much less closure in that regard, as he's evidently still seen as a problem.

Personally, I have a lot of beef with how Bomb is written from a meta-perspective still. Too much of his relevance in the finale is just lightly (or sometimes seriously) scolding him for doing "something out of line." He apparently acts out about the video games, he freaks Cheesy out during the red line game, so forth. He has less... normal interactions, and more so needs to be scolded or kept in line by others. And while it's very likely his emotional maturity previously established was just unintentional implications - it goes pretty depressingly against what we've seen prior. 

But meta criticisms aside, this ultimately leads me to my main point: Bomb, as established by him sassing OJ, knows what ableism is. He recognizes when he is being treated poorly, and he reacts accordingly. And in this case, it's largely why I interpret his involvement in season two as becoming deliberately quieter and reserved to avoid being belittled. I don't really have as much concrete evidence for this as much as it is just how I personally interpret it. Thus:

The Unintentional Implications/Interpretations of Bomb

I view post-II1 Bomb as a self-fulfilling prophecy in a way. He has become so used to being relegated as the goofy guy people find tiring - that he plays into that to an absurd degree. We've seen in little background scenes that Bomb is very capable of controlling how he reacts to things, meaning his sillier/absurd moments are likely much more conscious than we think. And because it's conscious, it leads to me interpreting this as Bomb avoiding the ableism that's plagued him all his life, by almost trying to play into it. Obviously, he won't stand for someone being as blatant about it as OJ - but it's much easier to not be made fun of if you just... be silly about it, and be quiet.

And in some ways, perhaps it isn't really a conscious decision on Bomb's part to play into this role - maybe it's the ableist treatment of him that has actually locked him into being seen as just a silly guy. Cheesy being shocked that Bomb could actually out-pun him shows that people really don't expect much wittiness from him, Mic/Soap have both established Bomb is seen as a liability at times, etc etc. So even though Bomb acting "ordinary" and "aware" is actually what his personality consistently is (as demonstrated numerous times!), it comes off as a shocker to everyone else because they just assume he's the weird guy. Maybe that is also part of his coding as a false alarm - his coding might not necessarily affect him, as much as it does affect everyone else - warping their perceptions to perceive Bomb as an absurdity or a threat, when in reality he’s just some guy.

But this discussion is largely speculative. The II1 remaster will have a lot of things to add to Bomb, and I don't want to make conclusive statements about anything until it finishes Bomb's story. I will say from what we have so far, however - their rehandling of Bomb definitely plays a lot into Bomb truly being more of an ordinary, sweet, and level-headed guy - just surrounded by a bunch of people who aren't very kind to him.

Concluding Thoughts (Why I Love Bomb - And You Should, Too)

Bomb isn't well-written. I will say that very point blank: he is not. 

But he is complexly written (...at least with OJ). No matter how unintentional, talking about his nuance is interesting. His arc is perhaps one of the most important in II1, if not the greater II as a whole for how it builds up OJ in particular. His character is treated cruelly, and yet in that cruelty - I resonate with him, and that's exactly why I think generating discussion about him, well-written or not - is so critically important and fun to me.

And although his current base is not great, I have faith in the II1 remaster for a perhaps kinder depiction of Bomb. I greatly enjoy the additional supplementation they have given thus far - generally leaving his lines alone, but giving his character more weight and intentionality in what he does. He becomes recognized and written for being Bomb - not for his disability (as a mean-spirited joke, that is). 

But even without the remaster, I still truly believe Bomb deserves much more than being perhaps the least talked-about character of II1 (second to maybe Salt or Pepper?). OJ is a great part of his character, and Bomb is a great part of OJ's in turn - but both are so deeply complex by themselves that discussion like this can be generated for either in great length, separately. I know a large majority will likely not agree with my more favorable opinion of Bomb, but so long as he might become something more for some person: that is the goal of this essay, at the end of the day. 

He is a flawed character, but he, ironically enough - becomes an even stronger character within these flaws. And in my eyes: any character that can generate this amount of discourse in length, has done something right enough to be compelling, even if it’s to just one person.

[galactic-rhea]

Never forget when my little nephew showed up, looking for me all loudly and happy "THIS IS YOURS!!!!!!!!!!!"

And handed me a JAR JAR NOTEBOOK

[mamirhodessxox]

Mamirhodessxox Masterlist

Hi & welcome to my masterlist! This is where I put all of my hard work in here all together in an organized manner as-well as listing things &who i will take requests for! You will find many fan-fictions, head-cannons, blurbs, and Oneshots within this Masterlist and this Masterlist only! Please do not translate my work and re post it onto your blog, if i find out you do I will block you, report you & publicly announce what you did,

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RULES

I do not write things such as Pee Kinks, puke fetish, Underaged sex, Foot Fetishes, CNC, R*pe, Sexual assault/harassment, Abortions, Drug addictions, Alcohol addiction, Miscarriages or Incest/step-cest, Period sex (just not my thing.)

I do write things such as Pregnancy, Marriage, Divorce, conflict, Violence, Knife Play, Ice play, Witchcraft, Daddy Kink, Mommy kink, Degrading, Praising, Little space (Do not send me smut about little space or anything sexualizing little space it is a coping mechanism for others & it does not need to be sexualized, it is an age regression which is why I will not be involving sex with it.)

Please feel free to send me multiple requests or suggestions of your liking, but do not send the same exact request multiple times or message me the same exact request just because you didn’t get a response, I’m either working on it or it’s waiting to be worked on.

Do not re post my work or translate it and repost it, Reblogging is fine but do NOT use my work to gain your own following I work hard to publish my writing & the last thing I need is my work being stolen

I also do not write about people that are personally known and not even famous in whoever I’m writing for in my FFS out of respect & privacy for that person, So if you send me a request involving Cody Rhodes please do not send things that include his child, his personal family as I feel like it would be disrespectful, If you do please send something else.

Do not send me any fucking request that involves sexualizing a coping mechanism. Little space is an age regression It means that there you or someone else regresses or goes into the mindset of a different age group. This could be from the age of 2+. The relationship aspect basically means that there is a caregiver (daddy/mommy or any other nickname) and a little.

Do not send me requests for AGE PLAY. I am not going to write a fanfic smut involving a grown ass adult having sex with another grown adult but roleplaying it as they are underaged. That is disgusting and fucked up & if you ask me again I’m blocking you.

All comments are appreciated :)

I will absolutely not take requests involving Liberty out of respect for Cody & his family, if you want a request for dad Cody please come up with a different name for the child. Do not involve his personal life whatsoever ever please. This goes for Seth Rollins requests as-well.

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Who I write For

Cody Rhodes

Rhea Ripley

Seth Rollins

Cm Punk

Request Inspo

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Cody Rhodes

Cowboy!Cody Rhodes

Mad Scientist!Cody Rhodes

Dashing!Cody Rhodes

Undashing!Cody Rhodes

Black Hair!Cody Rhodes

FBI Agent!Cody Rhodes

Officer!Cody Rhodes

Ex Boyfriend!Cody Rhodes

Ex Husband!Cody Rhodes

Single Father!Cody Rhodes

Fitness Trainer!Cody Rhodes

Security Guard!Cody Rhodes

Professor!Cody Rhodes

Pornstar!Cody Rhodes

Pirate!Cody Rhodes

Prince/King!Cody Rhodes

Seth Rollins

Cowboy!Seth Rollins

FBI Agent!Seth Rollins

Officer!Seth Rollins

Ex Boyfriend!Seth Rollins

Ex Husband!Seth Rollins

Single Dad!Seth Rollins

Fitness Trainer!Seth Rollins

Pornstar!Seth Rollins

Rhea Ripley

Dance Instructor!Rhea Ripley

Officer!Rhea Ripley

Ex Girlfriend!Rhea Ripley

Ex Wife!Rhea Ripley

Pornstar!Rhea Rhipley

Single Mom!Rhea Ripley

Pornstar!Rhea Ripley

Dexter Morgan

(nothing ab these are ooc for him btw he’s still a serial killer lowkey just different varients of him)

Professor!Dexter Morgan

Single Dad!Dexter Morgan

FBI Agent!Dexter Morgan

Husband!Dexter Morgan

Ex Husband!Dexter Morgan

Ex Boyfriend!Dexter Morgan

Fitness Trainer!Dexter Morgan

Roommate!Dexter Morgan

Y/N / OC (Fem)

Kindergarten Teacher!Reader/Oc

Babysitter!Teacher/Oc

University Cheerleader!Reader/Oc

Model!Reader/Oc

Actress!Reader/Oc

Singer!Reader/Oc

Single Mom!Reader/Oc

Plus Sized!Reader/Oc

POC!Reader/Oc

Criminal!Reader/Oc

Cowgirl!Reader/Oc

Camgirl!Reader/Oc

Sorority!Reader/Oc

Pornstar!Reader/Oc

Littlespace!Reader/Oc

Nurse!Reader/Oc

Influencer!Reader/Oc

Serial Killer!Reader/Oc

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Interaction

If you would like to be apart of the tag list please comment that you would like to be included & I’ll immediately add you on there.

{~I'm very serious with you guys interacting with my writing!!!! it would make me so happy & excited, the more comments & reposts the more inspiration i have to write :) likes and comments are strongly appreciated so please COMMENT COMMENT COMMENT COMMEENNTTT the more comments the more content <3!!!~}

DISCORD SERVER ANNOUNCEMENT 📣

Mamirhodessxox’s Official Discord Server

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Cody Rhodes

Series/Stories

His Strange Addiction (Series), Part 3 (I lost part 2), Part 4, Part 7 (I lost 5 & 6), Part 8, Part 9, Part 10 (Final Part), Bonus chapter

Hey There Delilah (Series) Part 1, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12 Final Part Bonus Chapter

Bellissima Intro (Series) Part 1

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Oneshots/Imagines

Millions

(Smut, Fluff, Angst, Cody x Fem!Reader)

Dummies In love

(Smut, Angst, Fluff, Cody x Fem!Reader)

Settle Down

(Fluff, Angst?? Cody x Fem!Reader)

On The Pole

(Fluff, Cody x Fem!Wrestler Reader)

Nervous

(Fluff, Cody x Fem!Reader)

Absolutely Not Having it

(Angst, Fluff, Cody x Pregnant Fem!Reader)

Welcome to the family

(Fluff, Cody x Fem!Reader)

Last Friday Night

(Fluff, Smut, Dashing!Cody Rhodes x Playboy Model Fem!Reader)

Chocolates & Blankets

(Fluff, Cody Rhodes x Fem!Reader)

Cherry On Top

(Cody Rhodes x Baker Fem!Reader, Fluff)

Before You Leave Me

(Cody Rhodes x Fem!Reader, Fluff, Angst)

I Adore You

(Single Dad!Cody Rhodes x Babysitter Fem!Reader, Fluff, Smut)

By the Beach

(Cody Rhodes x Physical Therapist!OC Reader, Fluff, Smut)

I Like You a Lot

(P⭐️ Cody Rhodes x Hairdresser!Reader, fluff, small angst.)

My only girl

(Cody Rhodes x Italian Wife!OC, Fluff, Angst, Smut)

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Head canons & Blurbs

Dating Cody Rhodes

(Fluff, Smut, Cody Rhodes x Fem!Reader)

Cody Rhodes Wedding & Honeymoon HCS

(Cody Rhodes x Wife!Reader, Fluff)

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Seth Rollins

Series/Stories

(Coming Soon)

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Oneshots/Imagines

(Coming Soon)

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Head Canons & Blurbs

First Date <3

(Seth Rollins x Fem!Reader, Fluff)

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Rhea Ripley

Series/Stories

(Coming soon)

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Oneshots/Imagines

(Coming soon)

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Head Canons & Blurbs

(Coming soon)

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Dexter Morgan

Series/Stories

Ultra Violence (Introduction):

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Oneshots/Imagines

(Coming Soon)

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Head canons & Blurbs

(Coming Soon)

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More Content will be uploaded to this Masterlist & only this Masterlist, Please do not steal my work & repost it or translate it and repost it, I work extremely hard to have this content written & uploaded for those who are interested in what I write.

Feel free to send requests everyday as much as you like :)

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Masterlist created by @mamirhodessxox

🏷️ list: @alyyaanna @ginswife @coolpastelartshoe @greatkoalawizard @cokolin044 @kotoriarlert @alicerosejensen @bunnybot55 @mini-rhodes @southerngirl41 @harmshake @femdisa @kabloswrld @claymoresofinfamy23 @bones-rhodes @cococodysleevlesshoodie @edtomh

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[put-a-keep-are-you-foo-dell]

Next monday

Jey go find Rhea backstage, she was alone Jey: Hey ~he calls softly but she flinches either way~ Rhea: Oh hey Jey Jey: I... saw your interview last week and I just wanted to let you know that you ain't alone ok? I you need anything just holla at yo boy Rhea *smiling bitterly* : Thank you Jey, you're very sweet which is why you should stay away Jey: Couldn't if I tried ~he was trying to lighten the mood Rhea: I'm serious Jey. It's like I'm cursed or something and you're having such a great moment, you should focus on wrestlemania Jey: Hey don't talk crazy ok? You're not cursed, and you do have real friends ~he finishes it with a kiss on her forehead~

[infernothechaosgod]

OC'S JUMPSCARE!

Yall seen pallea (who's going through some design changes atm) you saw Rhea back when she wasnt named and yall seen some of ramona but nows your time to say hello to lilian or as everyone calls her lottie!

While everyone exept ramona is from rubberverse they all have something real fun in common that might be partialy connected to michael but I wont tell you what it is, ya can take a swing at it if you want tho ;) (please do I miss interacting w ppl under my posts oh gods-)

[randomnameless]

didn't heroes say rhea turns fallen when she despairs because she will never see sothis again?

Heroes did!

Just like that weird "call me by name call me immaculate one plz" thing that makes Nopes' Sothis exchange with Flayn completely nonsensical, the "Rhea became berserk because she despaired and felt like Sothis would never return" felt like a quick fix-it made with adhesive tape and the contents of a gummy bear.

Like, this doesn't explain why Rhea doesn't become red in VW.

And you won't make me believe that she wasn't despairing the hell out of it after witnessing Zanado and being its lone survivor, nor after seeing whatever remained of Sothis after Nemesis deboned her.

We can make a point about her being more "angry" than desperate, same as in CF when Seteth'n'Flayn kick the bucket - even if her mental state's pretty low and precarious at this point - but then, VW still stands, as in, Rhea realises after eating missiles and "zumba'ing for 5 years in Enbarr's finest 5 stars resort" that her Mother never gave a flying fuck about the remaining Nabateans, or her role as the Goddess, and yet, she doesn't become red.

(Hell, you can even make a point that it's Billy who wants to save her, and went out of their way to "try to help" her during GM's assault, not Worst Mom!)

Seteth mentions in SS' finale that he already saw her red (but not in her second "red with vines" form!) and she managed to return to normal, so it's just...

As Seiros the Warrior, she despaired - but not too much - a bit and turned Red, but Cichol and the other Saints where here to make her snap out of it? But somehow, they cannot in SS and Seteth straight out says Billy has to kill her, even if, when he says this, she hasn't turned in her second form yet, aka, she's as red as she was during her Seiros the Warrior days?

Frankly IDK, and given how this route was the one that apparently was written first and served as a basis for the rest of the game, well, idk what to tell you anon.

It is frustrating, but as in "welp Tellius' writers wrote something and its contrary in the same game!" but more as in "they had to cook in the microwave a watsonian reason to explain why this final boss exists", and FEH just added 30 seconds.

Sure it's enough to make your gummy bear melt, but honestly, who's going to be satisfied with that?

[randomnameless]

Easy, she's now the Shiny One !

Her scales change color when she eats too much golden Zanado fruits, but since Seteth returned to Garreg Mach and watches her diet, the Shiny One is a rare apparition in Fodlan's skies.

What's the story behind shiny Rhea? Is she still called the Immaculate One? If not, whats her new title?