#and he was literally the second in command of the entire army

[ghostingcrows]

I used to talk about this a lot but 

IDW Prowl is probably one of the most complex characters in the comics and I absolutely hate it when hes reduced down to “the asshole character”

Cause like

Yeah sure hes got a bit of a stick up his ass

But I feel like people just end there analysis of him there

Has he committed a lot of war crimes and done unethical stuff

Yes

But so has literally EVERYONE else in this universe

Starscream is literally the pinnacle of war crimes

The comics make a point calling out even Optimus for his questionable actions and orders during the war with the Dinobots saying he makes them do the dirty work for him

Megatron literally commits genocide and yet his story ends with an alternate version of him going free and exploring the universe with the LL

The literal war lord was treated better and is looked upon more positively than Prowl and I think it just came down to how fucked Prowl got by the writers

Because while Megatrons redemption was all in your face and you got a shit ton of flashbacks that try to justify the eventual atrocities he would commit you don’t get that with Prowl

Even when Prowl is absolutely in the right you constantly have it disregarded by characters making jokes about him overreacting (being mad OP is sending the space tyrant away with free reign of his own ship isn’t overreacting btw-) and as such you start to think of him as a genuinely irrational character when hes not

Prowl is bad at keeping the relationships he forms yes 

But he is not always at fault for that

While his relationship with CD ended poorly Chromedome is also shown to be kinda of a dick sometimes and commits his fair share of fucked up things such as when he literally ATTACKS PROWL AND FORCES HIS WAY INTO HIS MIND TO PROTECT HIMSELF FROM THE CONSEQUENCE OF HIS ACTIONS WHEN PROWL THREATENS TO TELL REWIND ABOUT THE SHITTY STUFF HE DID IN HIS PAST

This leads to Prowls inevitable snowball out of control when this attack leads to an opening for Bombshell (I think its been a while since I read the comics) to use his tech to mind control him forcing him into combining with the contructicons

Something we learn is an immensely intimate thing with their minds being kinda melded 

This was something Prowl did not want 

And when all was said and done and he was calmed down he still had to live with that gesalt he was forced into with them following him around like fanboys

Nobody ever even really stopped to check in on him 

And as such he understandable went a little bit insane

He had just faced an immensely traumatic invasion of his body and mind and on top of stress form feeling like everything was out of his control and like he couldn’t stop the bad things from happening alongside bitter emotions being brought back up with a return visit to Earth and reunion with spike AND the fact that he feels like Optimus doesn’t trust him and like hes just letting Starscream do whatever he want (something that understandably freaks him out seeing as how he spent 4 million years fighting Starscream) he just kinda snaps

He trys to destroy the space bridge so that no one else can leave or get through and so he can regain some semblance of control

Is it wrong

Yes

But he was not in a good state of mind and no one was helping him at all 

And immediately following his arrest afterward Prowl is confronted by OP who is supposed to be his friend and when Prowl doesn’t say the right things to him to placate him Optimus’ response is to punch him out a window and beat the shit out of him

And not being given any room to breath this is immediately follow up my him getting kidnapped by Tarantulas who is very obviously an impactful and negative part of his past

Prowl just has bad event, one after the other, happen to him over and over again and not only does no one check up on him afterwards to see if hes okay but everyone actively makes fun of him for being understandable unstable

Prowl is a fucking tragedy and not many people seem to be able to see beyond what characters in the comics think of him

#IDW #Prowl #IDW prowl #Asher writing entire essays about the complex nature of a character most people hate- #I will defend IDW Prowl to my death #and I know a lot of people like to point fingers at him for war crimes and questionable actions #but like again almost everyone in IDW has commited a few war crimes #and he was literally the second in command of the entire army #of course he would have had to take on the brunt of the shitty questionable orders #I also think its weird that so many characters point out hes always the one ordering the shitty stuff but never wants to get his hands dirty #but then OP does the same thing and literally ONLY the dinobots point it out #optimus prime #megatron #lost light #taurantulas #starscream

[spacedace]

Had a dc x dp brain worm, feel free to use as a prompt <3

Sidenote, I decided to get fancy with the Ancients titles because of course I did lol

Shifting Where = Space (Danny)

Eternal When = Time (Clockwork)

Ever Onward = Speedforce (Ellie)

---

Bruce watched the footage again.

And again.

Again.

It didn’t make sense.

A week ago every television, radio, computer, phone - even the LED billboards - had been taken over to deliver a message. Across the United States. In every territory it held. Every military base. Down in the depths of the oceans where American submarines tried to creep past Atlantian patrols. In the endless cold white of Antarctica. Even far above in the International Space Station. Any place the United States Government had control over, any place one of its citizens found themselves. There was the message.

The face of an entity, human in shape but not in form. Hair as gleaming white as starlight, eyes bright as the twisting dance of the Aurora Borealis, skin as cold and blue as the tail of a comet. The entity wore armor as black as the depths of space with a crown to match, the later glinting and shifting with the twisting birth and death of galaxies. A cloak of nebulae danced down his shoulders, eclipsing the world beyond the entity entirely.

He named himself, jaw tight, expression serious.

High King Phantom of the Infinite Realms.

The Shifting Where. Son of the Eternal When. Father of the Ever Onward. His Epitaphs many and ever growing. The True Balance. The Bridge Between. The Devourer of Dark. The Last Child of Between. The Great One.

King of the Dead. King of the Infinite Worlds. King of so much more than Bruce had ever even known was possible.

King who had declared war. Who marshaled his endless armies. Who spoke of warnings, of efforts to reach a peace, of trying again and again and again to find a way to not plunge into violence and bloodshed. All things living come to call him King in time, he had no want or need to go out and hurry that along. But there were no options left to him now. He had tried for peace. He had been denied.

He would not see his people suffer any longer. Would not see those he’d sworn to lead and protect imprisoned by fools who had sworn themselves enemies to all the afterlives. Would no longer permit the vicious cruelty to continue.

The message was a final warning.

A final offer.

Three days, Phantom said. The United States government would have three days to release their prisoners, to begin the process of dismantling the laws that made death itself an illegal act.

If they refused, he would lead his endless armies personally in the war to come.

It had not been an idle threat.

Three days after the message, after Bruce and the rest of the Justice League scrambled to try and figure out just what it was it was all about, after Justice League Dark’s members shakily took turns explaining just how powerful the being that had gave that message was and how much danger the world was in should he and his armies march upon their world, war came.

Of all places, it began in a town in Illinois.

The sky shattered like broken glass above, Lazarus Green beyond, and the Dead poured out.

It started in Illinois.

It did not end there.

Bruce watched the footage of it all, eyes burning as he watched every second of CCTV footage, every shaky phone camera video, every news broadcast.

Most of them looked human enough. Changed in death, but recognizably human once. A pair of glowing teenagers on a motorcycle, a writhing shadow twisting about at their command sweeping chaos upon the battlefield. A young woman dressed to perform with hair a literal flame, burning bright blue and snapping furiously as she played devastation upon her enemies with her guitar. A child with corpse gray skin and luminescent green hair, flickering in and out of Bruce’s ability to see as if fighting against a law of existence to be visible, screaming orders to a skeleton crew from his place on deck of a 1700s ship that sailed through the sky, disappearing into clouds before raining down attacks from above.

There was more. Glowing skeletons dressed in the fashions of war spanning every culture going back millennia. Robots with weapons far beyond the technology they had even in the League. Creatures of myth and legend. Things of nightmares.

Leading them all, as he had promised, was Phantom.

He looked younger, smaller. Just a boy, really, a gangly teenager that hadn’t quite finished growing into himself. One holding power beyond anything Bruce could ever imagine, but still just a child as far as he could see, no older than Tim who’d just graduated high school. Frantic research found Phantom appearing as far back as human history, but those sightings had to have been after his death. Bruce can’t help but wonder how young the boy had been when he died, how much of that youth still clung to him through all these eons.

It wasn’t something he’d let him self consider normally, not with something like this.

A dangerous unknown appearing without warning and attacking with unimaginable power and seemingly endless forces. It was something that would normally eclipse everything else. Something that would make Bruce put aside the ache at seeing a face so young twisted in rage.

But.

He watched all the footage.

Civilians were put in the crossfire. Were shot at and endangered. Were left terrified and scrambling for safety in buildings that were rapidly being torn away by stray artillery.

But never by Phantom or his armies.

The dead, in fact, went very far out of their way to ensure civilians weren’t harmed. Sweeping people up out of the way of falling debris. Shielding them from attacks that would have most certainly killed a normal human. Some dead even helped evacuate, ushering a frightened and panicked populous to safety as gently as they were capable of. Some of the less human creatures - giant bear-like beings with horns and fangs and ice edging their burly frames - even rushed forward to offer medical aid.

When the sky shattered open and the armies of the dead swept in, they ignored the town below. They focused instead on what was discovered later to be the base of a secretive government agency. The dead’s fight focused on those individuals in sharp white suits, bearing weapons capable of actually injuring King Phantom’s people.

It was these agents that brought the fight to the streets to Amity Park. That fired recklessly and without thought or care to the casualties they could inflict. That didn’t seem to care if they killed a hundred civilians if it meant hurting just one of Phantom’s soldiers.

Bruce watched all the footage.

And again.

Again.

Phantom had declared war.

Phantom spoke in his message of being out of options, of attempting peace. Phantom gave three days time for the release of captives. Phantom lead armies who fought viciously but never once willingly harmed civilians.

Phantom declared war, but he didn’t want it.

“Amanda Waller has reached out.”

Bruce didn’t turn his attention from the screens before him, eyes burning as he followed Phantom as the King dove away from the middle of locked combat to shield a child from a pulse of green energy from something like a grenade another agent in white had carelessly thrown. The child was crying but unharmed. The left pauldron of Phantom’s armor cracked and shattered from a direct shot from the enemy he’d just been fighting that he’d turned his back on, a glowing green liquid uncomfortably like Lazarus Water dripped down from a smoldering wound.

Clark stepped up to stand beside him as he watched, face worn and tired. The League had missed the first battle, but they’d been quick to appear at the rest. Phantom and his army ignored them unless they put themselves purposefully in the way of the fight. They were, as Justice League Dark had warned, vastly out powered by the entities fighting. A hulking giant knight made of shadow riding a nightmarish steed had driven Clark six feet down into the dirt when he’d attempted to make his way to Phantom directly to try and talk to the king.

The depth Clark had ended up felt like a warning of what would happen if he tried to get close to the king again.

It probably was.

“She said they have intel for us.” A faint twitch of fingers, jaw clenching, voice flat in that way that told Bruce his old friend was fighting back anger with everything he had. “That she has options for how to deal with the insurgence.”

Bruce shut off the monitors.

He’d seen enough.

Now was time to get answers to just what, exactly, Amanda Waller and the US government had done to cause the Dead to rise and rage.

---

Part Two Part Three Part Four

#dc x dp #dp x dc #dpxdc #bruce wayne #clark kent #danny fenton #amanda waller #ghost king danny #ghost zone goes to war #space core danny #ancient of space danny #i'm gonna make ancient of the speedforce Elle a thing if it kills me lol #it just fits so well #Bruce's dad senses are tingling #Fright Knight might have been able to bat Clark away but if Bruce gets within a 100ft of Danny it's game over #Bat-Adoption Papers deployed #BatFam up a new member (or three or six) #Amanda Waller is not going to be as persuasive as she thinks she's going to be when it comes to getting the JL onboard with her plans

[sh1-n0bu]

hhhhhhhhh

no no no you guys just don’t get it. irl i’m fucking small, okay? like i’m 163cm. 5’3 or however that would turn out to be. and you guys need to understand that being that small and having an s/o who’s an absolute giant compared tk you (bonus points if they’re in a position of power and commanding) and yet to have your powerful s/o become nothing more than a pathetic whining, whimpering mess who’s just begging for your touch while on their knees with tears welling in their eyes *bangs head against wall bangs head against wall bagns head against wall*

imagine being the lover of jing yuan. he’s a powerful man, a literal general of an entire army and yet the moment he sees you, he’s tugging on your sleeve, pouting as he asks for you to touch him. he’s been such a good boy and holding himself back for you, please help him out? he can get you your favorite snacks! or do you need shoulder massages? jing yuan is running around like an errand boy, trying to please you jusg so he can feel your hand tightly wrapped around his cock.

imagine being the lover of blade. he’s a scary guy. quiet, reserved, cruel and most definitely won’t hesitate to resort to murder if he wants something. or simply if he felt like it. imagine him crawling on your lap with loud whines and soft whimpers, grinding his hard on on your thigh. you always tell him to learn how to use his words but bladie just never seems to get it. maybe you should edge him again until he learns his lesson?

imagine being the lover of gepard landau. he’s the captain of the silvermane guards. the most trusted man and silvermane guard in the entirety of belebog. the people adore him and his subordinates look up to him, wanting to be strong and reliable just like their captain. if only they knew their captain was wearing a hidden collar underneath his high collared undershirt. one that said just who he would kneel to.

imagine being the lover of sampo. he’s a cheeky guy. lies and manipulation tactics ready up his sleeve. he knows how to weasel his way out of every dirty situation. but he would never lie to you. never you. not when you made it clear on just how rough you can be in the bedroom after finding out he lied about not tricking one of the astral express crew. but sometimes, sampo wants to lie again and have you know of it just so he can be put in impossible positions while he sobs and drools deliriously.

imagine being the lover of imbibitor lunae. he is the high elder of vidyadhara, the most respected individual amongst his own race. he’s elegant, divine, ethereal, calm and collected. a person of authority and power. if only the people knew just good you wreck him with only just your fingers. how his tail would curl around you asking for more while he sobs for you to be gentle. he’s always so sensitive in his vidyadhara form. just tug on his tail or guide his head to between your legs by his horns, he would become a mindless, pliant baby in no time.

imagine being the lover of welt. he’s a calm and serious man of the astral express crew. often being their guidance and pillar to lean on when things get a bit too much. heck, sometimes he even acts like a tired dad (that “maaarrrcchhhh” scene in xianzhou quest). hell, he was even formerly the second herrscher of reason, a being that’s literally able to bend the physics of reality itself. and yet he would do anything just so he can feel you around him. he wouldn’t hesitate to try and please you so he can be inside your warm walls, moaning and trembling as you ride him.

imagine being the lover of kafka. she’s a scary woman, no doubt. just a single whisper and you would be nothing more than her cute little puppet. and yet she uses her powers for more… different reasons when with you. ordering you to fuck her cunt, finger her open in the dark alleyway, to let her sit on your face so she can ride herself into overstimulation. kafka loves when you’re in control. especially when wringing orgasm after orgasm from her shaking body.

imagine being the lover of himeko. she’s the one who rebuilt the astral express, a respected and well known genius of a beautiful lady. anyone would be lucky to meet her. but the only luck himeko wants is to feel your fingers inside her. how she would give everything just so she can hear you whisper all sorts of vile things in her ear as you pinch her clit, telling her to keep quiet so she won’t wake up the others.

in conclusion, reverse size kink my beloved🥰🥰

#nobu.writes #nobu.brainrots #sub hsr #sub honkai star rail #sub!hsr #sub! honkai star rail #sub jing yuan #sub!jing yuan #sub blade #sub!blade #sub gepard #sub!gepard #sub sampo #sub!sampo #sub dan heng #sub welt #sub kafka #sub himeko #gender neutral reader #honkai star rail x reader #jing yuan smut #blade smut #gepard smut #sampo smut #dan heng smut #welt smut #kafka smut #himeko smut

[saisaixchan]

Re: the One Piece poll

Guys OP has a s literal army of trans characters, it's actually a plot point, there's literally so fucking many trans and NB and genderfluid people in OP its kind of fucking insane

There's Bon Clay/Bentham from as early as Alabasta in March of 2000, 3 years after the initial publication of OP

Bon's powers let him transform into other people, and he's the only member of a bad guy group with male/female partners who doesn't have a female partner bc he's both the male AND female partner in his rank

He doesn't need one bc he's both

Bon is also consistently one of the best characters who helps Luffy, and who deeply respects the bonds of friendship, and he deeply admires Ivankov (next in the list)

Plus, Bon Clay is only one of two in the villain group to become good guys and befriends the main characters

There's fucking Ivankov, Queen of Kammabakka Kingdom an island full of drag queens and trans people, with his hormone powers that lets him trans all the genders for himself and everyone around him (aka the Newkama in Impel Down- a literal army of trans people who help Luffy break out of prison so he can save his brother)

AND he's the second in command of the Revolutionary Army, a group actively against the World Government that controls the entire globe, and is fighting against it's corrupt politics and ideals, such as allowing slavery for the higher classes, fighting the racism against Fishman it's held up for centuries, and all that stuff

Ivankov is one of the most important characters in the series in regards to the world politics and the fight for freedom against the oppression of the WG, and he works with what are unambiguously the Good Guys in the world, who are headed by Luffy's father

There's Okiku in Wano, who its 100% trans and even gets the horny Sanji treatment

(which is kinda important bc there was some Bad Trans/Queer rep earlier in the series involving Sanji running from drag queens who were harassing him and for a while Sanji was pretty transphobic and it was a whole thing, but Oda seems to have learned or educated himself by this point, so yay)

Plus Okiku is a super strong samurai, fucking powerful girl go off, and everyone treats her as one of the girls and she's the best tbh she deserves the world

She's so sweet and kind and strong af and is just as much a warrior as the rest of her group

Plus there's Yamato

Who, to be very clear, is not CONFIRMED as trans, but has a lot of gender fuckery going on that he belongs on this list imo, come to your own conclusions ig

Yamato is 100% confirmed as the biological daughter of Kaido, which is backed up in several other sources and even a colorspread with only biological women, but everyone in the story itself refers to him as he/him, Including Luffy who calls him by Yama-guy/Yamao

(something Luffy only does for men- he calls Ivankov and other more genderfluid or femme leaning queer folks by -chan)

and Yamato calls himself the Son of Kaido multiple times

Yamato saw someone be so awesome that he wanted to emulate that person and become them-

but as an apparently separate decision, he decided he also wanted to be a man, too! Not just because of Kozuki Oden, but because holy fuck look at that gender, I want that for myself!!!

His identity as Kozuki Oden and his identity as Son of Kaido seem to be separate things, bc Kaido, Kaido's forces, Luffy (our main character who helps us understand how to treat situations), and everyone else around him at least acknowledges that Yamato, is, in fact, the SON of Kaido, and everyone, regardless of which side they're on in the war, respects that and treats it as fact

Meanwhile, absolutely no one treats Yamato like he's actually Kozuki Oden

And there's no sign of Yamato being forced to become a man because Kaido wanted a son- 1), he was called Oni Princess fairly consistently as a child by Kaido's forces, and 2) he only became known as Son of Kaido after Yamato himself decided he wanted to become a man

Yamato has refused everything forced on him by his father, and has run away, hid, and fought back at every moment he could, and his gender and pronouns were the only real decision of his own that have been respected as all his other freedoms were taken from him

(Which doesn't say much about his horrible father- Kaido was guided by an incredibly strong female pirate at a young age, and he has plenty of strong women among his crew. Kaido doesn't care about what gender his kid is, or gender at all)

So yeah while Yamato is not confirmed in the text as trans like many other characters are in much more obvious ways, and several sources confirm that he's biologically female, he still goes by Son and he/him by the other characters and by his own choice, so make of that what you will

Please enjoy this spread of Yamato in the Men's bath (he refused to join the women's bc no mixed bathing), and Okiku in the women's

Anyway yeah op has tons of trans, genderqueer, and genderfluid representation in it, it might not look it but it's been there since basically March of 2000 when Bon Clay was first introduced and it hasn't stopped since

#one piece #op #long post #bon clay #ivankov #imporio ivankov #okiku #o kiku #o-kiku #yamato #yamato one piece #trans rep #queer rep

[faux-ecrivain]

Headcannons about Yan Emperor

(Seventeenth Official Post)

(Name is Adonis Margold)

(Links to help you; 140 Shades of Purple Color With Names, Hex, RGB, CMYK Codes - Color Meanings , 134 Shades of Green Color With Names, Hex, RGB, CMYK Codes - Color Meanings , 140 Shades of Purple Color With Names, Hex, RGB, CMYK Codes - Color Meanings , eighteenth century | British Food: A History )

He hates it when he starts sweating, it makes his body feel all sticky and uncomfortable 

He hates the color Harelquin green and despises the color Fuchsia purple, but loves the colors Chinese violet and tea green

He’s actually the son of a concubine/mistress and was quite close to his father (the late Emperor)

Despite this he has no intention of taking a concubine or mistress

His favorite food is filet mignon 

His favorite dessert is smoking bishop (a British dessert from the 18th or 19th century)

He dreams about a domestic life with you (he’s even considered adopting/having a few kids)

He hated you when he first met you

He hates the Duke so much that he has a target dummy that has the duke’s painting on it and the emperor literally rips that thing apart with his sword/arrows

He’s been through 21 failed assassination attempts on his life, 33 failed assassination attempts on his mom’s life, 14 failed assassination attempts on his dad’s life, five failed assassination attempts on his siblings and 6 successful ones (he had a lot of siblings).

He doesn’t know how to ride a horse and wants you to teach him

He sleeps with a stuffed bear at night

He has a very comfy bed and often invites (commands) you to lay with him

He doesn’t hate the peasants, but he wants nothing to do with them and do he devised a plan to just take care of their needs, so they’ll stop bothering him

He absolutely despises any and all, except you, nobles, like he cannot stand being in a room with them for long than 20 minutes

His favorite flower is the Dawnrising flower, it only blooms at Dawn and he loves the way it looks. 

It comes in two shades, one has a yellow center which fades into orange at the beginning of the petals which then fades into a light red and has splashes of light blue in it, and the tips of the petal are a dark shade of pink

The second version has a dark shade of purple center that fades into a light purple near the edges, then it fades into a pink as the petals bloom and the tips are a shade of blue

Although, Dawnrising flowers are quite rare and he’s only found a handful, all of which he’s kept alive and taken wonderful care of them

He doesn’t actually want to be the Emperor, but he’s the only one left in his blood line and he’s not one to forsake responsibility 

He adores cute fuzzy animals and has a pet cat (it’s a tiger), it’s quite big though and has to be kept outside

Many women have tried to win the Emperor’s heart, but he has turned them away and will continue to do so. 

This has caused speculation about the Emperor’s sexuality, some assume he’s into guys, but the truth is he doesn’t care about the gender as long as they have a respectable personality (also he just really wants to marry you)

He’s a very good dancer and favors the tango

When it comes to cuddles, he prefers to wrap his arms around whomever he’s cuddling and then lay on top of them (no idea why, of course this doesn’t mean he’s against being the little spoon when cuddled)

He gets bored rather easily and gets irritated just as quick

Despite his friendly personality, he’s actually quite cruel and temperamental. If someone bugs him too much or resists him too often, he’ll lash out and severely punish them

If the person he loves doesn’t reciprocate then he’ll wait a little for them to come to their sense, but if it takes too long then he’s not above kidnapping and murder

He has a reputation for being a monster on the battlefield, it’s said that he’s killed entire armies of opposing forces before (of course, his reputation could never live up to yours, you’ve got far more experience in battle then him)

He has a thing for really strong people and if the person he’s perusing has some muscles, well, let’s just say they should expect an onslaught of perversion and flirtatious remarks/touches 

Although, if the one he loves Isn’t particularly strong, he doesn’t mind and will still love him

His favorite color is Liserian Pink

He likes watching the middle class performers do plays, actually he likes to watch plays in general and operas

He’s visited many places on Ilasatra and his favorite place to visit is Rais (the equivalent of china in this world)

He’s enjoys learning about other cultures and heritages, his own is a bit messy and he doesn’t like thinking about it

He hates his grandfather and doesn’t care for his grandmother 

He never really cared for his siblings, except for a little boy named Frederick those two were quite close and up until little Fred died (at the age of twelve) Adonis spent a lot of time with him

He likes to read books on myths, particularly Terres myths (equivalent of Greek myths in this world)

He has a journal that he uses to write down every dream, every thought and everything about you, actually he has many, many journals. :)

(Hope you enjoy this and don’t forget to reblog/comment!)

(Also, please send in some asks/requests about my characters, I’m happy to answer them and it’ll give me the motivation necessary to continue posting!)

#yandere x reader #yandere oc #headcannons #my writing #yandere emperor x reader #Adonis my oc #Seventeenth Official Post #gender neautral reader #gn reader #Yander x gn reader

[vgilantee]

how would cody / rex react if they saw you hurt?

for both of these, i'm going to say that you're a field medic, working with the 212th or 501st respectively. which means you, my dear, were injured in battle

cody

look, both cody and rex are in positions of authority within their battalions, but cody is the marshal commander. he has the highest rank a clone could possibly have. so for cody, everyone is his responsibility. does this mean he's constantly a little stressed? yes.

he wasn't all that happy about having a nat-born as a field medic when you first joined the 212th, but you proved yourself many times over, so cody trusted you with his men's lives, and with your ability to hold your own on the field

until one day you couldn't. until one day you were injured. and boy cody has never moved so fast

it was a poorly timed grenade throw mixed with superbattle droid blaster fire which resulted in an explosion that threw you against the wall of the cliff the republic army were using for cover

the commander shot his blaster with one hand while he used the other to vault himself over rocks to get to you

he'd never have admitted that he cared more for you than he should, more than a commander to a medic, more than friends. but in that moment, where your body is slumped against the wall unconscious, cody wanted nothing more than for you to know just how much he cared for you

could cody have gotten another clone to scoop you up in his arms and carried you away, behind the general who was cutting down droids? yes. but all he wanted was to get you safe, this man was tunnel visioned on you

he doesn't leave your side when you're back on the negotiator, even when Bench (hi yes i have a 212th clone medic OC and his name is bench and yes i know how he got the name. i love him) tells cody to rest, because you'll be sedated for a few more hours

when you wake up, cody is slouched in a chair clearly dragged from another section of the cruiser. your head is pounding and there is a slight ache in your side, but you were more worried about the terrible sleeping position of your commander

cody wakes up to you calling his name, and he's immediately out of the seat and sitting on the side of your cot, hand going to reach for yours but he decides against it (you take his hand)

rex

alright so rex and anakin and basically all of the 501st are definitely the type for dramatics, so you probably get shot, let's be honest

you keep working despite the blaster-wound in your arm and rex just heart-eyes at you for a moment before realising "oh my maker y/n was shot"

you're already in a relationship with rex (this is the best friend and right hand man of a jedi who is married to a senator. he does not care lmao) so he's so stressed. not only is he the captain, in charge of his men and all those who are apart of the 501st and are generally on board the resolute, but also you're his partner. he cares about you so damn much

as soon as he reaches you, he orders kix to tend to your wound, but you brush him off, saying that you will be deal with yourself once you are back on board the cruiser. the man currently dealing with broken armour in his side was your priority

rex holds you to that. the second you are back on board the resolute, rex is walking you to the medical wing - honestly he would carry you if he had to

the entire time kix is patching you up (literally just a bacta patch), rex is asking if you're okay, telling you off for being reckless and not being in complete cover, apologising for not protecting you better. all the while you're telling rex that it's your job and that he was doing his, and that he wouldn't be if he was hovering by you

he definitely has you share his bunk with him that night because he was so worried about you

#˚:✧｡• paper bin #captain rex x reader #commander cody x reader #˚:✧｡• captain rex #˚:✧｡• commander cody #˚:✧｡• anon

[ms-scarletwings]

We gotta start accurately calling Sly Cooper a low fantasy universe at some point. It’s retrospectively wild how much supernatural shit is going on in front of your face that you don’t think about because it’s like… nothing to the characters that it’s happening to. People who have never played Sly Cooper have no clue how nonchalantly it grinds this rail between just “real world noire but furries” and straight up DC superpowers stuff.

• The surprising amount of undead, in hindsight

Black magic is just, you know, a thing…. and outside of when it’s the weapon of choice of the villain of the week, it’s not even really brought up. Tsao was building an army of honest to god vampires and Mz.Ruby has been fraternizing with homemade ghouls since she was a child. A second-game side quest involves descetrating a tomb, kidnapping a bunch of restless ghosts, and then unleashing them on the cops for a good prank. For Pete’s sake, Clockwerk, biggest bad of the franchise, is basically an eldritch machine possessed by the vengeful spirit of someone who became too petty and angry to die.

• There are people born with innate superpowers

So, there is no debate going on with the deal about Cooper abilities and this point, right? Sure, the Theivious Raccoonus has a lot of good pointers any thief worth their salt could gain from, but I don’t think it’s a stretch to say somethings along the lines of gliding down lasers or turning invisible on command are a bit out of most readers’ capabilities. The 1st game’s humor in explaining off gameplay mechanics as in-universe phenomena had the unintended consequence of establishing that the Cooper clan members literally have a criminally inclined sort of spidey sense- literally hallucinating glowing auras and blue sparkles around anything both valuable and not nailed down. I think I also awkward appreciated the parallel to be spotted between the Cooper honer code and the self imposed limitations other media supers live by. That idea of “you have the gift of amazing power and you will choose to use it responsibly”, all the better here for the ways in which the clan’s premise subverts classic hero/villain dynamics.

• Ancient techniques of sorcery

run right alongside conventional weaponry

Some supers are born in this world, a lot of them are made. As if anyone with the time to practice and learn can just pick it up like karate. Religion has to be crazy in Sly Cooper considering there’s entire spiritualisms given demonstrable and epic power in what their followers are capable of. Murray literally can do some degree of magic from the third game and onward and there’s no telling what else he learned over the course of his Dreamtime training. Anyone with the wits and resources of the Contessa can figure out how to toy around with freaking mind controlling dark arts. Don’t get me started again on the whole “army of undead” thing which gets even weirder by the implication that the world does nothing to regulate these kind of abilities UP AND UNTIL the user starts to roleplay a cocky little warlord with their zombie friends. And Flame Fu is right there. A lot of what the panda king can do is closer to Bentley’s realm- very complicated and meticulous works of pyrotechnics, but Flame Fu is a whole something else that belongs in this discussion.

• Magical items and mythical beasts

The Mask of Dark Earth, the guru’s special stone, an entire kraken, a whole laundry list of things in The Contessa’s possession, an enormous swamp serpent, haunted trees, whatever the hell kind of ring Dimitri was wearing in the second game, a giant stone dragon statue that turns out to be AN ACTUAL FREAKING DRAGON in dormancy, a supercharged ancient bamboo forest, potentially the Cooper cane itself, and the not-to-be-overlooked every single piece of Clockwerk’s cursed body. I know I’m probably forgetting something because that was just off the cuff. It’s kind of wild that most of what we watch the Coopers focus on stealing can be stuff like museum paintings in a world where magic flying carpets are confirmed to exist. The hell. Why was I ever mocking the pirates in Bloodbath Bay for their paranoia and superstition?? Best part was always that basically none of it phased the resident smarty pants nerd character like it usually would anyone who fills that trope. Because of magic is just an accepted and normalized thing in the world, why WOULD Bentley talk about it any different than he would the history of lumberjacks or combustion physics? Instead of conflicting against his understanding of science, it just tacks onto it as more additional info, you know… the way it would if magic was just another set of rules to study and understand.

#sly cooper #sly cooper analysis #sly cooper and the thievius raccoonus #sly 2 band of thieves #sly 3 honor among thieves #scarlet talks about things

[nellasbookplanet]

Book recs: possession, bodysnatching and bodysharing

Demons, ghosts, aliens, sentient bacteria, artificial intelligences - isn't there something fascinating about the idea of sharing a body with another being like a giant get-along t-shirt? No? Too bad, because I'm going to tell you about books featuring this trope anyway.

A note: multiple of these books are sequels where the bodysnatching/possession aspect plays little to no part in the first book. In all these cases, I still recommend starting with book one. I also in one case chose not to include a certain sequel that I loved as even mentioning it in this context would be a huge spoiler, so, uh, sorry about that.

For more details on the books, continue under the readmore. Titles marked with * are my personal favorites. And as always, feel free to share your own recs in the notes!

If you want more book recs, check out my masterpost of rec lists!

Brain Plague by Joan Slonczewsji*

Chrys, a struggling artist, agrees to become a carrier for a sentient strain of microbes. With their help, Chrys breathes new life into her career and becomes a success. But every microbe society is different - some function as friends and brain enhancers to their carrier, while others become a literal brain plague, a living addiction taking over the life of their carrier. And like every society, the microbe community is in constant flux - including the one inside Chrys's head.

Children of Ruin (Children of Time series) by Adrian Tchaikovsky*

Sequel to Children of Time. Millenia and generation spanning scifi. After the collapse of the Earthen empire, a project to terraform various planets and use them to uplift other species to sentience in left unfinished. However, both species and planets continue evolving on their own, and when what remains of humanity flees the dying Earth millenia later, these planets might be their only hope of survival. But the uplifted species aren't the only intelligent life out there, and are far from the most dangerous as the survivors encounter something capable of terraforming the human body itself.

Leech by Hiron Ennes*

Unbeknownst to humanity, a sentient hive mind has taken over the entire medical profession to ensure the health of their host species. One of their doctors is sent off to an isolated location where they’re cut off from the rest of the hive mind, only to realize they’re faced with a rivaling parasitic entity. Leech hands you only just enough information to get by, and whether its historical fantasy, an alternate timeline, or futuristic post apocalypse is hard to determine. It’s spooky and a bit weird and wildly creative.

A Memory Called Empire (Texicalaan duology) by Arkady Martine

Mahit Dzmare is an ambassador sent to the center of the multi-system Teixcalaanli Empire, where she discovers that her predecessor has died. Trying to protect her home, a small independent mining station, from being taken over by the empire, Mahit struggles to find out the truth of her predecessor's death while carrying the voice of his ghost in her head, guiding her as best he can. Features a sapphic relationship but focuses more on world-building than romance.

Ninefox Gambit (Machineries of Empire trilogy) by Yoon Ha Lee*

Military space opera where belief and culture shape the laws of reality, causing all kinds of atrocities as empires do everything in their power to force as many people as possible to conform to their way of life to strengthen their technology and weapons. It’s also very queer, with gay, lesbian and trans major characters, albeit little to no romance. Disgraced Captain Kel Cheris is given a second chance by allying with the undead Commander Shous Jedao, who in life never lost a battle, but also went mad and massacred his own army. Now, Cheris must decide just how far she can trust him, with her forces as well as with her sense of self.

My Heart is Human by Reese Hogan

Nine years ago, all complex technology was made illegal. This complicates life for Joel, young transgender single father, as a bionic just uploaded itself into his brain without consent. Scared of losing his daughter, Joel tries to keep the bionic secret while using it to fix his life, but things quickly get more complicated as the bionic gains more and more control of his body. A bit simplistic in writing style but makes a lot of cool parallels of bodily autonomy to Joel’s experiences as a transman.

Bonus rec: if you like the general concept of struggling for physical control over one’s body with an AI, may I also suggest the (much grittier and gory) movie Upgrade.

The Host by Stehpenie Meyer*

The Host follows Wanderer, an alien part of an invading force on Earth. Humans have been defeated and are being used as host bodies, but Wanderer's host Melanie is being difficult and refuses to fade away. Instead she fills Wanderer's mind with images of Jared, the man she loves and who's still in hiding. With Melanie's feelings bleeding into Wanderer's the two reluctantly ally to find and keep safe the man they both love. While The Host does feature Meyer's trademark romance - of which I'm not the biggest fan - the more interesting and arguably more central relationship is that between Wanderer and her human host.

Needle by Hal Clement

1950s classic. A small island in the pacific ocean and a fourteen-year-old boy have just become the center of an interstellar chase between an alien Hunter and the criminal he’s pursuing. Robert is a regular boy, but he has a very special passenger: an alien symbiont hiding inside his body. The alien became stranded on Earth as he pursued a criminal of his own species, and now they are both trapped on the same island, playing a game of cat and mouse as Robert and the Hunter struggle to find their prey before it finds them.

Malevolent by Harlan Guthrie*

Lovecraftian horror mystery. Private detective Arthur Lester wakes up in his office, his partner dead, memories fuzzy, vision gone, and the voice of a malevolent entity in his mind. Unable to see, Arthur is forced to rely on guidance from the entity as he attempts to solve the mystery of what it is and where it came from. Is this a book? No. But as someone who reads mostly audiobooks, the difference between a book and a fiction podcast is negligible, and also I love this story and its characters and want all of you to do so too.

Goddess of Filth by V. Castro

Novella. What starts as a drunken seance between friends ends with one of them chanting in Nahuatl, the language of their Aztec ancestors. Following that night, the formerly shy Fernanda has changed. While her family calls for priests, claiming her possessed by a demon, Fernanda's friends believe what has taken up residence in her is something decidedly older. A quick read featuring female rage, desire and empowerment, this is a different twist on the typical possession story.

This Alien Shore by C.S. Friedman

Space opera in which humanity found a way to faster than light travel and began establishing colonies all over the galaxy, only to belatedly realize the method of FTL caused irreversible mutations and disabilities and leaving their nascent colonies to die. Much later, many of the colonies have survived and thrived, and one has found a new method of FTL travel, allowing an interconnected space society to grow. However, Earth is on the hunt for their method and is prepared to do anything to steal it. Trapped in the middle of all this and forced on the run is young Jamisia, who is little by little coming to realize that not only might she be the very solution Earth is after, she's also not alone in her own mind and body.

Touch by Claire North*

Kepler should have died long ago, beaten to death in an alley. Instead, a switch happened as Kepler leapt into and took control of the body of the killer. Since then, Kepler has lived in body after body, having gained the ability to inhabit anyone with a touch and stay for anything from a few minutes to an entire lifetime. Kepler cares much for the host bodies, and when one of them is brutally assassinated, Kepler must find the killer, avenge the host's death, and stop it from happening again. You want a fucked up main character with fucked up morals who still genuinely cares for people? Then boy do I have the book for you!

The Midnight Bargain by C.L. Polk

Fantasy romance. Beatrice Clayborn is a sorceress, but if her family gets its way she won't remain so for long. Married women are forbidden from practicing magic, and Beatrice's father is intent on marrying her off to save them from destitution. Beatrice has a different plan: become so powerful a sorceress that she can herself save her father's business and becomes too valuable to marry off. To achieve this, she strikes a bargain with a minor spirit of fortune. In return, the spirit demands to be present in Beatrice's body as she experiences her first kiss... a kiss with a man who might jeopardize all her plans.

Pandemonium by Daryl Gregory

Del Perce's world is almost indistinguishable from ours, the only difference being the presence of possessing entities that can strike with little to no warning. When he was young, Del was possessed by one of these demons, which was eventually exorcised. But now he’s experiencing a resurgence of symptoms, a voice in his head demanding to be freed. To save himself, Del races to find out the truth behind the possessions.

The Thousand Eyes (The Serpent Gates duology) by A.K. Larkwood*

Sequel to The Unspoken Name (please read that first, I promise this duology is very worth it). These books have a lot going on: portals, flying ships, orcs, elves, creepy snake gods, possessions, cults, immortal evil mages who traumatize teens as their hobby, gay and lesbian frenemies, the works. Csorwe, born and raised in a cult and meant as a sacrifice, escapes her intended death with a mage who becomes her mentor. But he has dangerous motives of his own, and Csorwe must decide where her loyalties lie.

A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge

Young adult, historical. All her life, Makepeace's mother has been teaching her how to defend herself from the possession of ghosts, until one day her guard drops and a wild and fierce spirit slips in. When Makepeace's mother dies and she is sent to live with her father's family, this spirit might be her only defence. Because her family is harboring dark secrets, and they have plans for Makepeace... plans which do not care for her well-being. Unlike most other YA I've read in terms of vibes and plot, A Skinful of Shadows is a unique and intriguing read.

Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson*

Young adult fantasy. Artemisia prefers the dead to the living, and is training to become a Gray Sister, a nun who helps the souls of the deceased pass on to the afterlife rather than remain as dangerous spirits. To defend her convent, Artemisia accepts the help of a dangerous revenant, a powerful spirit which grants her great power but also could possess her the moment her guard is lowered. As evil threatens her homeland, Artemisia and the revenant must find a way to work together.

A Psalm of Storms and Silence by Roseanne A. Brown

Young adult fantasy. Sequel to A Song of Wraiths and Ruin. To save his family, Malik has made a deal with a dangerous spirit with equally dangerous demands - the death of the princess. Meanwhile, princess Karina is seeking her own power, meaning to resurrect her assassinated sister no matter what the prize. As their paths intertwine, the consequences of their pursuits keep getting higher, both for them, their nation, and the entire world.

Grey Sister (Book of the Ancestor trilogy) by Mark Lawrence

Sequel to Red Sister. Fantasy with sci-fi flavor. Nona is being raised to become a killer at the Convent of Sweet Mercy. But dangerous classes aren’t Nona's only problem: her planet is slowly dying, and her own inner demons whisper in her mind. As the sun grows weaker and ice creeps ever closer, Nona and her allies race to save themselves from extinction.

Fifth Quarter (Quarters series) by Tanya Huff*

Sequel to Sing the Four Quarters. Fifth Quarter is only loosely connected to the first book in the series so you could read it as a standalone, however I still recommend starting with Sing the Four Quarters as it is very good. Bannon and Vree are siblings and highly skilled assassins, but they are put to the test when a failed assassination finds them sharing a body, their intended victim having stolen Bannon's. Now, they must choose between remaining loyal to their Empire, or helping their supposed victim find a new body to steal - and he doesn't want just any body, he wants the royal prince.

The Nein Eyes of Lucien by Madeline Roux*

Recommended with the caveat that you're unlikely to get the full experience unless you have also watched Critical Role Campaign 2 (which is quite the time investment, but very worth it). It follows the antagonist Lucien, first owner of the body we know as Mollymauk Tealeaf, both before Lucien lost his body and after he regains it in the ultimate struggle against Mollymauk's old friends, the Mighty Nein.

Bonus AKA I haven't read these yet but they seem really cool

The Scratch Daughters (The Scapegracers trilogy) by H.A. Clarke

Sequel to The Scrapegracers. Sideways Pike used to be able to perform only party tricks, but in finding new friends and starting a coven, the four become powerful witches. But not everyone wants witches around. After having gotten her spectre stolen and losing her ability to perform magic, Sideways is forced to rely on Mr. Scratch, a book demon taking the place of her spectre to keep her alive. Now she must struggle to get her magic back before it’s too late.

Riding the Odds by Lynda K. Scott

Sci-fi romance. Tara Rowan is a spaceship captain with secrets - a past she wants to leave behind, and Zie, an organic symbiote which grants her greater strengths and reflexes. But when sexy Holy Knight Trace Munroe blackmails her in an attempt to rescue a missing princess, Tara's secrets are in danger of being revealed.

What Doesn't Break by Cassandra Khaw

Like The Nine Eyes of Lucien, you're unlikely to get the full experience of What Doesn't Break unless you're also a viewer of Critical Role. It follows the backstory of Laudna, undead sorceress and warlock with the ghostly presence of the necromancer who once murdered her keeping residence in her mind and tugging at her strings.

Every Day (Every Day trilogy) by David Levithan

Every day, A wakes up with a new body and a new life. A has rules on how to deal with this existence - don't get attached, don't get noticed, and don't interfere. But when A finds themself falling in love, all their established rules no longer apply. This one has also been adapted as a movie!

This Body's Not Big Enough for Both of Us by Edgar Cantero

A. and Z. Kimrean are twin siblings and private eyes - they also share the same body, calling themselves A.Z. When someone starts murdering the sons and heirs of a ruthless crime boss, it falls on A.Z. Kimrean to solve the case and find the killer before all out gang war breaks out.

A Madness of Angels (Matthew Swift series) by Kate Griffin

Two years ago, sorcerer Matthew Swift was killed. Today, he woke back up. And he isn't alone in his body... Now, he seeks vengeance not only against the one who killed him, but also against the one who brought him back.

Honorary mentions AKA these didn't really work for me but maybe you guys will like them: Bone Rider by J. Fally, The Lives of Tao by Wesley Chu, What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang, Hunter of Demons by Jordan L. Hawk, Odder Still by D.N. Bryn

#nella talks books #children of time #leech #a memory called empire #machineries of empire #my heart is human #the host #needle #malevolent podcast #goddess of filth #this alien shore #touch #the midnight bargain #brain plague #pandemonium #the unspoken name #a skinful of shadows #vespertine #a song of wraiths and ruin #red sister #fifth quarter #the nein eyes of lucien

[countbozula]

Of all the people involved in the Shattering, I think Radahn might have the objectively funniest POV on the whole thing, because he’s just like, a guy who doesn’t think about politics suddenly finding out the entire rest of his family have really extreme political views. Like okay:

You are Radahn. You like doing war and conquering stuff. You have literally not even one time thought about whether the Golden Order and the Greater Will are good or not. You’re not worried about the political landscape much - Marika is going to be around forever, and even if she ever dies, next in line is the only other jock in the family, your gym-bro stepbrother Godwyn.

And then you get The News: Marika is fucking gone and Godwyn is fucking dead. After you’re done grieving, you consider for the first time that you might actually have to go be king - but you probably won’t. Miquella might be younger than you, but he’s actually one of Marika’s kids, and an Empyrean to boot - you should still probably go have a chat with him about it though.

News the second: Miquella actually said “Fuck the Greater Will” and straight up disappeared. You literally have no idea why he would do that. Malenia went with him, obviously, and now they’re invading the Lands Between and it kind of seems like you’re the only person still around with even a semi-legitimate claim on the throne, so you should really go do something about that.

You are expecting this move to be entirely uncontroversial. What happens instead is that some guy you have never seen before in your life crawls out of the sewer, brands you a traitor and throws you out of the Capital.

You can’t just take Leyndell, so you guess it’s time to go gather support. This should be easy enough, given that you have the clearest claim to the throne of anyone who supports the Golden Order and that the most powerful remaining demigods are your siblings.

News the third: Your little brother apparently fed himself to a giant snake and declared war on the Greater Will. You literally have no idea why he would do that.

News the fourth: Your little sister straight up disappeared and people are saying she probably arranged Godwyn’s assassination in the first place. You have literally no idea why she would do that.

You trek back through Limgrave to gather support - after all, you’ve got the most legitimate claim of anyone who supports the Golden Order, and you’re a famed, conquering hero, the Lord of the Battlefield’s Lion - a title that is somehow yours in spite of the Lord of the Battlefield having an actual literal lion on his shoulder at all times, by the way - people should be flocking to your cause.

You instead find that the lord of Stormveil is some upstart descendant of Godwyn’s, barely even related to Marika, but who still claims the throne is his, and won’t support you. You start tossing meteors at his castle, but before you can take it, you hear Malenia is on the way, having been repelled at Leyndell. You wish you could talk to her about why everyone is suddenly against the Golden Order, or what the hell is up with that sewer guy, but unfortunately she is leading an enemy army and you should really peace out back to Caelid.

Eventually, Malenia marches to Caelid and you fight. You know you both have superweapons at your disposal - her Scarlet Rot and your command of the stars - but neither of you would use them, right? After all, it’d cause untold damage to the Lands Between, and the long term consequences would be catastrophic for whoever claims the throne. And then Malenia drops the Scarlet Aeonia on you. You have literally no idea what is so important about this fight that she would do that.

#elden ring #starscourge radahn #I love that Radahn is the only demigod who doesn't seem to have really strong opinions about the Golden Order #he's just literally never even thought about it #also man Jerren is really kind to Radahn with the whole 'Mightiest Demigod of the Shattering bit' #bro loses every fight he's in

[mikeellee]

Let's talk more about Kudou - the fucking idiot commander - who's bright idea to save Japan in THE LAST OFA USER is to Kamikaze himself and sacrifice OFA to Shig?

...Ummm what? Am I meant to buy this guy commanded anyone?! 🤣😂🤣

He must have killed his whole squadron then if his plans are normally this level of idiocy.

All this realistically would do is power up Shig even more to make him UNSTOPPABLE and in the process doom both Izuku with Japan as a whole.

Hi @doodlegirl1998

Ok, first let´s all agree here Hori just wants to end this damn manga. So before I go into detail about this shit show, let´s talk about one good thing he did: He was nice to Yoichi. No, there was no gain for Kudou to be nice to Yoichi he did bc yes...granted maybe Kudou was bad to Yoichi in some form and we didn´t see, however, he can´t match AFO. He didn´t even know about ofa so him saving Yoichi was selfless.

That is his only good trait. He was nice to Izu 2.0

Now, let´s shit on this moron: He held a grudge against Izu for no reason, and some people TRY to justify "Ah ha DFO" which first off, Kudou was killed 200 years ago...how HE would know IZU IS AFO´S SON? Which btw, Izu is not AFO´s son and makes the whole justification lame ...this fandom will go beyond to protect any Bakugou, hm?

This MF wanted to buff with a kid who is fighting something WAY beyond his pay raise. Never mind how this MF refuses to work with the only hope to end AFO...for reasons (even if DFO became real, I don´t think his defenders realize how this makes him pathetic "He is fighting with a kid who has no idea of who is his father" like, my guy, Kudou and BRUCE is being incredibly stupid by beffing with Izu, regardless if afo is his dad or not. Again, fandom stop trying to defend this bozo)

It´s so unfair Izu to be saddled with the second coming of BK. Look, while BK may not be related to Kudou bc "AFO MURDER HIS ENTIRE FAMILY AND ALL WOMEN KUDOU EVEN SAID HI" I do think they are related spiritually, which honestly? This makes it worse.

Now, why Kudou start a revolution against AFO? The fandom preaches "EVIL EMPIRE" But no one ever talked about it, which if his empire was SO EVIL...I think we could see echoes of it. NOPE. All we see is AFO killing people (BAD, let me make clear it´s bad)but most of his killings seem to be out of the moment. Like, I know people want to see AFO like this smart and manipulative asshole "I killed this random Joe to further my ultimate goal" when in the canon is more like "LOL I´M EVIL"

Like we see AFO in a penthouse, for sure he killed people to get the penthouse, but while IS BAD, could this action result in LE REVOLUTION? Like, imagine if Kudou is rich and AFO random killed makes Kudou lose his money it´s a fair reason to hate him...but KUDOU HAS AN ARMY. Why do people follow him? Did AFO kill their loved ones and or steal money?

Hori: BK is the best in all forms.

Kudou didn´t get a single win! He was murdered by AFO, couldn´t protect Yoichi...and FOR SURE PEOPLE WERE MURDER UNDER HIS COMMANDER.

Now, his plan is to give his quirk to SHIG...Bc OFA has all suicidals morons (Nana included, sorry) and Izu is saddled with this(a choice Hori made, remember Chapter 1?) that wants to Kamizake, don´t forget En wanted to be the sacrifice bc Smokescreen is a useless quirk (I agree, hence why in my fic I want to change his quirk, I feel a smokescreen is smth Mei could create with her gadget)

The idea is to fight Shig inside Shig...So Izu, rip your shirt sexily and look like a demon...you will have sex now!

Bc apparently Shig has a hate feeding him, literally. He has a lump on his head...(Star is touched by Baby Tenko´s sadness...I mean, she doesn´t know Shig is Tenko so this makes sense) This makes me think of cancer or tumor....and Izu needs to fight Shig inside Shig...All this is based on a moron´s plan who has no INFO TO BASE THIS DECISION.

Remember when Izu analyzed quirks, he stopped bc IT WAS CREEPY (insert bemused emoji) and now we have Bk3 doing this, and Izu going ok with this. HE IS GIVING UP HIS QUIRK BC BK3 SAID SO (this is equally bad if Izu had given ofa to Bk)

I made jokes on the server about Izu and Shig having sex...but I still hate the chapter.

Also demon!Izu looks like Tanjirou from Demon Slayer.

#hori is a bad writer #a really bad one #izuku deserves better #I love asks #mha critical #bhna critical #anti bakugou #anti kudou #sgdk sex jokes are funny to me but heay Hori wont give Izu a lover #Hori created sgdk accidentaly imagine if it was a decision: “Those losers will never be Bk they bond on this” and he creates Sasunaru lol

[mount-and-do-blahaj-blast]

NOBLE Team headcanons and other things I rotate in my mind

from the top:

The Team as a whole

holy shit did a lot of them die

like, until the final roster got locked in, NOBLEs three, four, and five would constantly drop like flies.

the final roster in question is also entirely made up of human cockroaches

it's basically already spelled out that NOBLE is a joint-ops team on loan from the Navy to the Army, but I like to think that their distance from ONI and the rest of the SPARTANs gives them a bit of street cred amongst the Shock Infantry battalions

NOBLE One, Commander Carter-A259

Carter was definitely the first person chosen to "be on" NOBLE Team, but he's not exactly the first member, if that makes any sense. does that make sense?

speaks with a Dutch accent because his homeworld was colonized by South Africans

He's a father figure to some of the others. In another life, he'd be wearing a 'Kiss the Cook' apron and would simply stay at home to take care of the kids while his high-powered girlboss wife goes to work

If he wasn't a SPARTAN, He'd probably still join the armed forces. I can see him as a high ranking non-com officer. maybe an ODST.

His rank!! So, in the UNSC command structure, a Commander usually has authority over a small line warship (usually a frigate). Not only that, but SPARTAN authority usually trumps that of most officers of the same rank. in summary, Carter's definitely pulled rank in order to commandeer a frigate at some point in his career. probably at Kat's request.

Runs the hottest body temp somehow

NOBLE Two, Lieutenant Commander Catherine-B320 "Kat"

She's the real first member of the team.

She absolutely got put there by Ackerson so Carter could keep her out of trouble and stop her from breaching his computer.

It did not work

Speaking of, she and Carter HATED each other for the first few months. I know this, it was revealed to me

They ended up getting fucking shitfaced together after a mission and talked all about their feelings and emotions so now she and Carter pretty much move in synch. they are drift compatible

She can hold her alcohol a lot better than he can though lmao

best at opening locked doors (hacking)

Kat is, most ironically, ambidextrous

She'd FOR SURE be an ODST if she wasn't a SPARTAN. She's too much of a high-powered girlboss to do anything remotely normal

NOBLE Three, Warrant Officer Jun-A266

somehow more catlike than the team member literally named that

likes to lay down on sunny rocks :)

also can't handle liquor for shit

best at opening locked doors (lockpicking)

would not be in the armed forces. he'd be some rich heiress' boytoy in the inner colonies.

...dare I say babygirl?

NOBLE Four (1), Warrant Officer Emile-A239

the only member not technically reassigned to the unit

they found him by pure coincidence half-dead, surrounded by corpses

Jun immediately pack-bonded with him

he's surprisingly kind of normal, actually. he just thinks skulls look cool

second physically strongest member of the team behind Jorge

best at opening locked doors (kicking them off their hinges)

sure, he could be a phenomenal ODST, but to be honest I think this guy would be a crewman on some support vessel in the Navy, maybe.

NOBLE Five, Chief Warrant Officer Jorge-052

second to last member of the final roster.

everyone else on the team initially thought that he'd been transferred in to replace Carter

not quite a father figure. More of an uncle, but not biologically - like it's mom's college friend but he still gets the title

went clean shaven randomly one time and gave Kat a heart attack

god could this man make a fucking stew

he'd probably work in a refugee assistance organization if he wasn't a SPARTAN.

NOBLE Six (1), Warrant Officer Thom-A293

not part of the original team, but got transferred like six months in

very cheerful guy

A bit of a yapper

friends with all sorts of animals but Carter doesn't let him keep any :(

if not a SPARTAN, he'd be a cartoonist

NOBLE Six (2), Lieutenant [REDACTED]-B312

if NOBLE Team is a found family, Six is the dog

Has a UNICOM rank instead of a NAVCOM rank specifically because Ackerson didn't want any oversight in Six's operations (also because bungie forgor)

Probably knows Halsey is Miranda Keyes' mom, or at least would if not for forgetting it.

kind of a dumbass because who needs to know shit if your job is killing people and blowing shit up???

#halo reach #NOBLE Team #kat b320 #carter a259 #jun a266 #emile a239 #jorge 052 #thom a293 #noble six #spartan b312 #I didn't read the book that has Rosenda in it but I'm sure she's poggers #halo

[lord-squiggletits]

Actually I have something to get off my chest, I really hate Prowl meta posts that argue that his one merit compared to the other Autobots of high command is that he's "not a hypocrite" and he at least admits that he's willing to get his hands dirty and knows he has blood on his hands or whatever, unlike the other Autobots who supposedly pretend to be righteous while still being willing to commit violence or whatever.

The problem with this line of thinking is that it's literally not true lmao???

Like, for one, there's a difference between ordering soldiers to fight and kill because it's your job as the commander and not doing so would lead to the enemy army conquering you and the rest of the galaxy (Optimus). There's also a difference between engaging with an enemy army in sanctioned combat versus committing war crimes and other illegal undercover operations. Such as, for example, bombing a neutral city using a bomb disguised as a Decepticon bomb to get neutrals to join the Autobots.

Prowl saying "at least he's honest about who he is" is a fucking lie considering how often Prowl literally LIES and COVERS UP HIS OWN FUCKING WAR CRIMES because if Prowl was actually "honest" about his culpability, and if the rest of the Autobots really WERE as bad as he was, then Prowl wouldn't HAVE to hide his shitty war crimes in the first place! Except he did, because he's a schemer and a liar and he knows that no one else in high command (least of all Optimus) would sanction or approve of what he's done.

And it's really rich for Prowl to accuse other Autobots of being hypocrites unable to admit to their own flaws/violence/etc considering that one of Prowl's TRADEMARK traits is how arrogant he is and how he's convinced that unless the war ends according to HIS plans and HIS ideas of who should win, the war isn't actually over and he should be able to continue scheming and doing underhanded things to manipulate events going into his way. Like, this guy was literally willing to destroy the spacebridge to Caminus and doom that entire colony to a death by energy crisis/famine just because he thought Starscream MIGHT start an empire out of it. Literally he was going to doom millions of people to death just because of his own paranoia and he has the balls to say that EVERY OTHER AUTOBOT are hypocrites unable to fess up to their own shitty actions?

I swear, it seems like there's way too much Prowl meta out there that takes Prowl entirely at face value and assumes that just because he says something means it's actual truth. Like I don't know how many people read through stuff like the Wreckers trilogy and exRID and came to the conclusion that Prowl was ever meant to be seen as "right" or "morally gray" he's literally just an evil asshole whose crimes are comparable to Megatron's and the only thing holding him back from committing AS MANY crimes was that he was second-in-command, didn't have unfettered power and a bunch of yes-men supporting him, and he was kept somewhat on a leash by wanting Optimus' approval and having to at least publicly follow the Autobot Code. He's a fucked up pathetic guy, not some sort of Machiavellian genius who's a mistreated/misunderstood morally gray hero lmao

#squiggposting

[nooneeverlookedforagirl]

I feel like some people wandered into Zion and found a tribe of people who needed help and Joshua Graham there seeking shelter and helping them and took that at face value, without ever actually talking to people and learning the full story.

Let’s recap:

Joshua and Edward decide to start a slave army. By “Joshua and Edward” I mean that there was literally no way to communicate with the first tribe without Joshua’s help. Edward, Caesar, would have been left pointing at things without him. And by “start a slave army” I mean that they taught the people holding them hostage how to use weapons and explosions and about military tactics of their own free will, at which point they get promoted from hostage to commander and start forcing other tribes to join their army or die. A recurring trend.

Some 30-ish years into this, Joshua personally meets the Dead Horses and starts preparing them to join the Legion. Which, according to Ulysses, means the strong males become members of the slave army by force, the weak males and the women become slaves, and their entire culture is wiped out. Before they can actually be assimilated, Joshua is called away to join the fight for the Dam.

He fights, he fails, he gets thrown into a canyon while covered in pitch and on fire. With nowhere left to go, he turns home, to New Canaan. Despite knowing Caesar wants him dead, this manages to become common knowledge even to slaves in the Legion war camp and Joshua doesn’t have the decency to pack up and leave once he’s more or less healed to protect his old community and the people who helped him in his time of need.

So Caesar sends an emissary to the White Legs - who is to them what Joshua was to the Dead Horses not long ago - and tricks them into attacking New Canaan by promising they’ll be inducted into the Legion. Again, they will be no more than slaves and their culture will be intentionally erased. This is not something they or anyone else is told, as Ulysses states and as we see in the game itself with the Great Khans.

The White Legs were aided in finding weapons and learning about New Canaan, and attacked when most of the able bodied were away. They killed everyone they could find. Men, women, elderly, babies, doesn’t matter. They killed their priest. Then they followed them and killed any too slow to flee. A few dozen were left, at most.

Meanwhile, the Dead Horses, a previously peaceful people, took Joshua’s teachings to heart and started raiding the people around them. This led to them being driven from their home by said people, despite living in peace for generations before Joshua showed up. They flee south, to Zion, home of the Sorrows since immediately after the bombs, where they encounter Joshua again.

Things Joshua has done so far:

1. Helped start a decades long campaign of murder and rape across the wasteland, taking an active roll as second in command of a slave army.

2. Personally taught the Dead Horses to idolize him and Caesar and to be violent, getting them kicked out of the home they’d had since after the War.

3. As the person who helped create said slave army, been responsible for arming the White Legs, just as he did the Dead Horses, albeit not in person.

4. Sheltered in New Canaan while knowing Caesar wanted him dead (he was thrown off a cliff while on fire and had assassins showing up) and led to the destruction of the place and death of her people.

5. Sheltered in Zion while knowing Caesar wanted him dead (he was thrown off a cliff while on fire) and leading to the destruction of the place and death of her people.

So here he is, standing in front of a tribe who he radicalized, in the home of a second tribe that his friend - who just lost his home and family because of Joshua - tells him are a peaceful people, being chased by a obviously violent and murderous third tribe his army supplied and told they’d only help if they killed Joshua, knowing he’s a target.

And instead of heading out to draw the White Legs and the many assassins sent by Caesar away from these people, he decides to become their war chief.

Because the last time he did that it turned out so well.

And Daniel - his friend who lost his home and family due to Joshua’s slave army and Joshua’s presence - is saying “we have to get these people out of here” because he’s known them for over six years and cares about them. Joshua, instead, decides they should stand and fight because he’s decided it’s fine and good to turn peaceful people into warlike people as long as he does it for his own personal vengeance barely disguised as protecting Zion instead of for Caesar.

Again: the Sorrows are not Joshua’s friends, he stays with the Dead Horses. Zion is not the Dead Horse’s home. They do not remain there once the White Legs are dealt with. Zion is nothing more to Joshua than a battleground.

Let me clarify:

I do not like the White Legs. I do not think Salt-Upon-Wounds deserves to live. My courier has killed many raiders, which the White Legs were before the Legion got its hands on them - albeit weaker raiders - and I see no reason to make an exception.

But Joshua - who brought them here (as a target, as a guide), who would have done the same to the Dead Horses, who DID do the same to so many other tribes, who only left the Legion because he was thrown out, who is doing nothing more than continuing a campaign of violence that started over three decades ago, who would be doing the same thing as a commander of the Legion if he had a choice - Joshua does not get to make that decision.

It is Daniel who should decide if vengeance is due for New Canaan. It was his home, for 30 years when it was not Joshua’s. He goes back to his people, after all this, unlike Joshua, who can invent lies about them to wage further war. Daniel has chosen peace.

It is the Sorrows who should choose to fight for Zion or to escape. To learn to fight people - as if they don’t already fight bears! - or to remain peaceful. (Note: they are not pursued by the Legion. It is Joshua that they want, not the Sorrows.)

If the Dead Horses want to go home and reclaim what was theirs and apologize for their actions, then Joshua is clearly welcome to help with that. He would not stay, if he had the honor he claims, as he would make them a target, but they would let him.

Joshua is not a victim. This is not a redemption arc. He’s doing the same thing he was before, but claiming it’s for God instead of for Caesar, despite having no right to speak against the beliefs of the New Canaanites on behalf of their God. He’s not making anything better. He’s not atoning for what he did. He’s doubling down because he is angry that his friend Edward tried to kill him and that his long since betrayed people are dead.

Joshua does not have the right to make Zion his battlefield.

#joshua graham #fallout new vegas #new Vegas #courier six #burned man #fallout

[watanabes-cum-dump]

Some interesting things abt Babylonia’s politics + some theories

*clown voice* Hola amigos! So I am fucking insane and took some notes (and screenshots) while reading the New Divide extra story chapter and I think it has some very interesting insights into Babylonia’s government! So I will be sharing those in no particular order

Parliament

As we can see in this screenshot here, there are some logos that aren’t just the standard WG logo. I have no idea what the one on the right is supposed to be for (possibly their version of their Supreme Court or smth) but I think the logo with the C is for the Control Court and the one in the middle is just for Gestalt. There are other logos in other shots of this meeting room thingy but half of them are cut off and these three are the only ones that are consistent.

I imagine these are the parties maybe? Idk what kinda government structure Babylonia has but that’s my guess. Wonder what party Hassen is from then.

Collins’ and Kurono’s intentions

Throughout this story, Collins is shown wanting more power in Parliament. Interesting when you consider that an ex Kurono member, Nikola is basically the second in Command of Babylonia’s army. Makes me wonder if there was ever a point Nikola had the same goal and thus joined parliament, since Liszt, a member of Kurono, is in parliament as a member of the Control Court.

Anyways that kinda segways into the next bullet point

Nikola and Hassen’s relationship

Their partnership never fails to intrigue me. Because Nikola left Kurono and is actively working with Hassen against them. (for the most part) I wonder how they became partners? Because iirc Nikola is still with Kurono during the events of Lucia and Luna’s interlude, which is roughly uh… ten ish years before the story starts? I could go into a whole speculative timeline on what I think was Hassen’s ascent to becoming president but I’m not going to rn.

I just really wanna know how they met and how long they’ve known each other because they seem to trust each other. And they know each other pretty well as evidenced by Nikola remarking that Hassen is far more ruthless than him in I believe it was Last Spark?? Idk I have a screenshot somewhere. Anyways they’re literally married it’s just very interesting to me.

(Also I think it’s kinda cute their suits are like inversions of the other’s colours? Hassen’s suit is grey with a black tie and Nikola’s suit is black with a grey tie idk if that was intentional and/or I’m reading too far into this but they’re a cute little duo TO ME)

Nikola’s opposition against Kurono

I am absolutely living for Nikola’s beef with his old faction oh my god. This shit is so fucking funny to me. Like I think he should have let Karenina beat the shit out of Collins. I know that there might be some trauma involved seeing as Kurono is responsible for like half of this game’s problems that aren’t the Punishing Virus, but still.

(I could go into heavy detail on why I think Nikola is highkey traumatized by Kurono but that is for another time”

He just hates them so fucking much and I think he’s actively praying on Kurono’s downfall I am so here for it.

Honestly? I hope Nikola gets what he wants I fucking hate Collins.

Vonnegut’s mole

Okay this was a little theory I came up with while I was reading through Roland’s little section of the story but how the fuck does Vonnegut know about the Lunar base and the Zero point reactor???? He has some explaining to do because I don’t think the general public knows about it.

This leads me to think that Vonnegut has some high ranking eyes up in Babylonia. Perhaps it’s a Kurono member. Idk. I just don’t fucking know how he knows abt the Lunar Base maybe I’ll re read that part but still I am confuzzled.

Kurono. Just, Kurono

Kurono is actually so sussy I am appalled that more people in Parliament aren’t trying to shut them down. Like they’re an entirely different organization with a private military, secret experiments, and general shady dealing and no one bats a fucking eye???

The way they sort of have their own government and operate outside of Babylonia’s rules too??? This is bonkers does nobody get the memo that Kurono is up to something??? I have a war crime counter tally and Kurono’s counts of illegal experimentation are slowly piling up oh my god.

I hope Nikola rats out all of Kurono’s and I hope he gets to kill Collins bc I think he deserves it.

Anyways this has been Kou’s delusions abt a fictional government I will see you again my dear reader once I get more lore crumbs

(Kuro plz translate the rest of Dominik’s orphans I see a link to the Manga on the PGR website you know you want to}

#Pgr #punishing gray raven #kouryuu's shit #pgr theories #Pgr lore

[canichangemyblogname]

So, I recently left these comments in the tags of a poll about my interpretation of Commander Fox:

I think I may interpret Fox very differently. Because, see, he's canonically one of the most decorated men in the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars. He clearly took his duty very seriously, and was good at his job. I'm sure he, much like Rex (and many other clones), believed it an honor to serve. And based on the actions of other Corrie Guard Commanders, there seemed to be a cult of death among the Corrie Guard (the honorable death being is one of the 14 characteristics of fascism Umberto Eco listed in his essay Ur-Fascism). They absolutely would die to protect Coruscant, and I absolutely believe that they believed in the system they fought for, as many clones did. I see Fox as a narrative representation of who Rex might have become and the path he might've taken had he not had influences from brothers like Slick, Cut, Fives, Dogma, and Echo, or influences from Jedi like Ahsoka and even Pong Krell. Fox would go on to have an absolute view of O66, and go on to believe the extermination of the Jedi was righteous. Would he have believed so had he had a mentee like Ahsoka? Or met brothers like Cut and Fives and Echo who challenged his worldview around honor and duty and purpose? Or met brothers like Slick and Dogma who revealed the injustices within the system & challenged his view of the Republic? Or if he had ever had to serve on a front that wasn't Coruscant? Serve alongside partisans? Serve behind enemy lines? Or lose entire divisions under the capricious orders of a bad Jedi?

And there's one arc that drives this interpretation home for me: The Wrong Jedi Arc. In this Arc, Captain Rex and Commander Fox come to a head as they disagree over Ahsoka's guilt and how to proceed with the investigation into the temple bombing. Rex knows that Ahsoka embodies the ideals he believes they (the GAR & Republic) should stand for because he has served alongside her and fought with her. He knows because he trained her. "I know Commander Tano. She would never do something like this." Rex had tried to instill in her a value of and loyalty to the men she served alongside.

Earlier in the Arc, Fox had been working with Ahsoka and had even complimented her efforts in apprehending suspects as "A lot of innocent people died in that blast." But as soon as Ahsoka is suspected of having masterminded the conspiracy, Fox moves to arrest her. In season 7 when Rex told Ahsoka that loyalty meant everything to the Clones, he didn't mean loyalty to the Senate or the Republic or the Power Base, but to those they have served beside and fought alongside.

This seems not to be an idea that Fox shares. Despite having worked alongside her every step of the investigation and despite her having an alibi (a.k.a. literally being recalled from the front to investigate because she was nowhere near the Temple during the incident), he never gave Ahsoka the benefit of the doubt. There seemed to have been no sense of duty or loyalty or responsibility to someone he was fighting alongside. He was given orders to arrest her and so pursued them.

Fox was deeply bound by a sense of duty and honor in the same way Rex had been early in the war. This sense of honor compelled Fox to loyally serve and protect Coruscant, and, more specifically, the Galactic Senate. I'd argue that Fox's duty was to the Senate first and the Republic second because he was specifically stationed on Courscant to serve and protect the Galactic Senate.

For comparison, Rex's priority was primarily toward his men rather than the Galactic Senate. That priority stemmed, at least partly, from how he was stationed compared to how Fox was stationed. Rex served behind enemy lines and alongside partisans and was unfortunately familiar with significant loss. He'd lost men under tragic and unjust circumstances. He'd lost entire companies of men. On-screen, the deaths of the men of the 501st were given little show and little pretense compared to the death of, say, Commander Thorn. Death is shown to be comparatively banal on the fields of Umbara in service to the Republic compared to any death among the Corrie Guard in service to the Senate.

These sort of circumstances create a very specific bond between Rex and his men, but they also shape a person's priorities. Rex started out as one of those "follow orders for the Republic" guys, something we see him and Anakin joke about at the start of the Umbara arc. But eventually, Rex's priority became getting his brothers through to the end of the war alive. In fact, I'd argue that the overarching plot of The Clone Wars was about Rex coming to believe that his duty was to his brothers first and the power base second.

By the time The Wrong Jedi Arc airs, Rex has learned that fealty to the Republic (& thus the governing body of the Republic: the Senate) does not ensure a solid moral framework. He was less concerned with loyalty to order and some inherent sense of duty, and more concerned with loyalty to the ideals he believed they should stand for and to the people who embodied those ideals. Rex had been headed down this path since early in the Clone Wars series. It's what he told Cut as early as season 2. However, it would be a couple more seasons (season 4 to be specific) before he realized that serving the power base can conflict with those ideals, and that the people who represented the power base did not embody those ideals.

And this is what brings him and Fox to a head.

Fox never had an Ahsoka who he trained and fought beside. Fox also never experienced the opposite end of the spectrum by serving under Pong Krell. Unlike Rex, Fox had never had to come to terms with his loyalty to the order he served. That loyalty always remained unchallenged until the moment he died. He was never confronted with the consequences of the Senate's (lack of) morality on other peoples, districts, or planets. He was never confronted with the hypocrisy of those in power. He didn't have brothers whose actions challenged him to build a morality outside fealty to the Republic. (Slick saw their service as enslavement. Cut believes service is a choice and that family is paramount. Fives believes Clones can think for themselves, disobey wrong orders, and challenge authority.) Serving the power base did not conflict with Fox's ideals because his ideals aligned with the values of the power base; the values the Republic had instilled in him during his training. They believed- and he believed- that good soldiers follow orders. Consequently, he became one of the best-decorated soldiers in the GAR.

Rex, however, had come to question the purpose of the war. Without the war, he wouldn't exist, but if he sees the war to its end, he may stop existing (die). The war gave him purpose, but it also took away the opportunity to define for himself a different purpose. He knew nothing else besides life in the military, but he also knew that he had lost so much because of a life of war. Much like the Jedi he served beside, he was unconventional, driven by a deep attachment to those he loved, and he would eventually also grow wary of the system he was serving.

We talk about how Ahsoka being framed and leaving the Order destroys Anakin's faith and trust in the Order and shifts his priorities. But we seldom discuss how this might have affected Rex. Like Anakin, Rex had a lot resting on his shoulders. Rex was effectively trapped. He had limited options and nowhere else to go. Like Anakin and most Clones, Rex could not leave it all behind. Unlike Anakin and many Clones, Rex learned to let go. Ahsoka and Echo played a crucial role in that lesson.

But unlike Rex, Fox never let go. There was never an indication he had grown wary of the system. Not just because his values aligned with the system he served and continued to serve, but also because he was totally committed to it. Just as he had no one to model questioning authority and duty and purpose, he had no one to model choice and letting go. He was attached to his duty like Anakin was attached to Padmé. Fox held on to his convictions and his belief in the absolute morality of his cause and in total commitment to his cause until the bitter end when he was cut down without pretense. Fox was loyal to the end because it was his commitment that would bring his end.

And his death was as banal as the death of every clone before him.

Had Rex not learned the things he had when he had, I think he would have met a similar end as Fox did. A rigid attachment to his ideological beginnings, an absolute belief in the morality of following orders, and a black-and-white value system would have led to his death. His commitment would have brought his end, too.

“Yeah, I didn’t much like being a Commander anyway.” -Rex

______________________________________________________________

As a Commander, Rex's commitment would have had to change, too. There are many reasons why I think he did not want to be a Commander, as I discussed here, and I believe one of them includes a change in his commitment to the system he was serving. As commander, he would have had very different responsibilities and a different relationship with both the Republic he was serving and the Men he was commanding. "He enjoyed being a Captain because it allowed him to be right beside–like right beside–his men facing the line of fire. He gets to be in the thick of action as a Captain in a way that he may not always be as a Commander." But I think it would be interesting if didn't want to be a Commander because he also didn't want new & more commitments to the system he served. Maybe, he wanted to stay right where he was because he liked his position relative to his relationship with the men he was commanding AND relative to the commitments he held.

#Captain Rex #Commander Fox #Ahsoka Tano #Star Wars #The Clone Wars #this is kinda all over the place #there's no real flow or direction in this rant #just ideas shoved into a post #Rex quiet quitting?

[historicalasiandramas]

CLJ Recaps

Finally! Jieli is back and Orchid can talk to another woman! And she's heard things.

Citizens of Cangyan Sea and Haishi City are apparently writing erotic fanfic about Orchid and DFQC!

Jieli demands compensation for her ruined savings and says that Orchid must let her stay in Silent Moon Palace. She guilt trips Orchid by saying it wasn't easy to sneak into the palace when she literally used a spell to allow the guards to let her pass.

Before Orchid can agree, she hears DFQC approach and forces JL to hide. She then asks Moon Supreme why he's there and there is Panic! at the Palace when he says, "I came to see you."

He smooths it over by saying, "I came to make sure you weren't slacking off fixing the Destiny Book."

Orchid is smarter than before, and asks why he wants it fixed. She correctly guesses that the Destiny Book has to do with Shuiyuntian and declares that she won't do it. Orchid acknowledges that she helped DFQC in front of Changheng but refuses to do anything more.

The reason DFQC wants it fixed is to get his army back, so it'll DEFINITELY harm the fairy realm. Orchid then acknowledges that she was saved 3 times, but she also saved DFQC. Since he's the Moon Supreme and his life is infinitely more valuable, surely that one time is payment enough for his kindness?

NOPE. DFQC falls back into something familiar for him: threatening.

Shangque is tasked with bringing Jieli to prison, but she yammers the entire way there. It was actually pretty annoying! She suggests killing one immortal a day instead to get Orchid to fix the Destiny Book.

SQ says that would make Orchid sad, and thus, his Master. Jieli doesn't know about the Heart Curse and therefore doesn't understand. Why would the all powerful Moon Supreme care about a flower spirit's feelings? She accuses SQ of not knowing his master very well, which upsets him.

SQ then lists off all the things that DFQC has done for Orchid before realizing that these are not things he should just tell some random commoner. He swears Jieli to secrecy via swordpoint. Jieli says that she can't promise that because when she gets nervous, she has no control over her tongue.

CLEARLY.

She then asks to be taken back to Orchid since she wouldn't be able to run away anyway. Jieli calls Orchid "the woman Moon Supreme loves, the future Moon Queen," and SQ shortcircuits.

JL finds his logic to be ridiculous and then essentially calls Shangque a himbo for not understanding.

She asks how SQ can serve DFQC properly when he doesn't even understand romantic dynamics between men & women. Good news! The Moon Supreme is def ace spectrum so having a himbo who's only good at fighting as his second in command is perfect.

DFQC definitely would've killed Jieli by now simply for making the assumption that there was anything going on. And while building an exact replica of a woman's home to keep her from being homesick does read as very romantic, there's a big problem.

According to ancient laws, the Moon Tribe and the someone from the fairy realm are forbidden from marrying. JL is not convinced, because DFQC is powerful enough to make his own rules. Who would dare oppose him? Even though before Jieli said she didn't know Orchid that well, now she's saying that if Orchid is the Moon Queen-to-be, that makes her the sister of the queen.

SQ is not convinced and has her seized. Fortunately, Orchid comes to see her. At JL's urging, Orchid requests that Jieli be given to her. To Orchid's surprise, Shanque not only agrees but kneels before her.

JL is taken back to Orchid's room, where she admires how well Orchid lives. After getting comfortable, JL wants to know what, exactly, Orchid & DFQC are to each other. Orchid admits that even she doesn't know.

Jieli has 3 questions that will help answer that!

Have you held hands? (Yes)

Have you been in the same room? (Also yes)

Have you kissed? (JL doesn't know the nature of the Heart Curse which makes this Yes even funnier)

Jieli declares that DFQC is in love and commends her for landing such a powerful guy. Orchid retorts that not only has Moon Supreme never said that he likes her, he is also only obligated to treat her nicely because of the Heart Curse.

Jieli is partially right in her assumption that DFQC doesn't want to admit that he likes a useless fairy like Orchid. Moon Supreme is only now starting to do and say things that surprise himself. He hasn't reached the point of recognizing romantic affection yet!

Jieli convinces Orchid that she needs to make DFQC happy in order to escape and thus, teaches her to flirt. The results are HILARIOUS. But more importantly, when SQ goes to fetch his master, the Moon Supreme takes off his ring.

Ofc he knows exactly what Orchid is up to and is about to leave when Orchid offers him flower cakes.

You can see him smiling eeeever so slightly as he eats them! Orchid asks if they're good and he answers in the affirmative, but something tastes different. She says it's the honey from Forgetting Sadness Grass. She made them to help him feel less sad!

Moon Supreme's emotional roots aren't fixed yet, so the only way he'd feel sad is if Orchid herself was sad. But she insists that being imprisoned for 30,000 years to come home to a usurping brother must have been hard. Even though she knows who he is now, Orchid still humanizes DFQC.

He thinks this is manipulation and tries to leave again. But not before asking why Orchid calls him "Da Mo Tou". She sheepishly admits that his title is too grand and intimidating. Orchid says that if he doesn't like it, she will stop. She's treating him like an equal again - like a person. She's letting him choose how he wants to be referred to.

Orchid then asserts that even in the recreation of Siming Hall, there are the same amount of flowers. To remember such a small detail means that his kindness wasn't a lie. He declares, "I am the Moon Supreme, destined to overturn the three realms and revive Cangyan Sea. I told you before that there was no affection between us."

Orchid refuses to believe this, so DFQC shows her his hellfire. He asks if she knows what it is and she does: the most powerful magic and the Moon Supreme is the only one in the 3 realms who can use it.

He tells her that in order to be able to wield hellfire, he had to have all emotions removed. He will never fall in love. He flashes back to the torture he endured as a child while realization dawns on Orchid. Whenever she switches bodies with him, she's always in a snowy place with a dead tree, surrounded by water.

Apparently that's his Heart Sea and Love Tree! This discovery makes her happy, which confuses Moon Supreme. Orchid explains that this means he never meant that he hated her. Since he has no emotions, he can't feel anger or hatred. And most importantly: it's not his fault.

He was abused as a child. He never asked to have his emotions torn out. Even Xunfeng said that they were close once. Orchid then says that DFQC has done so much for her that it's her turn to return the favor.

DFQC says it's impossible and the roots of his Love Tree can't be resurrected. Orchid says, "How do you know if you don't try?" He replies that he's wasted half the day with her and storms off. But! Orchid has a plan. A very devious plan :3

She uses her puppy eyes to beg Jieli for a potion that will amplify emotional fluctuations. Since Orchid is a particularly emotional being, it will only take a little reminiscing to make her feel enough emotion to amplify.

There's one pill for each emotion. She takes the red pill first, which is joy. Orchid recalls the elation she felt earning first place in the Immortal Exam, landing her a spot in Fountain Palace.

Moon Supreme is filled with unfiltered, amplified joy and can't contain his laughter. He is barely able to hold himself together while he wonders what Orchid is doing. The next pill she takes invites sorrowful memories. Orchid recalls being accused by Lord Yunzhong and being punished. Her heartbreak floods DFQC and he sobs uncontrollably.

The funniest part is the Northern and Southern Kings trying to interpret his emotions. "Ah! He must feel relieved that he can finally get rid of Xunfeng. Oh! He's crying now. Well, they are family after all."

Enraged, Moon Supreme sends everyone out and orders Shangque to retrieve his ring. Betcha regret taking it off now, huh? ;) Orchid & Jieli are summoned to the throne room, where they prostrate themselves in front of him. He uses magic to strangle Jieli and tells Orchid that if she tries this kind of trick again, he'll kill her.

Back at Fountain Palace, Rong Hao uses magic to dispel Yunzhong's seal. He is not the smiling, joking man that he usually is in front of Changheng. He says he knows everything: that Changheng is deeply in love with Orchid and that returning to Cangyan Sea alone is suicide. CH hasn't even fully recovered yet. But he's done playing by his brother's rules.

Changheng angrily rants about how he thought his indifference would protect Orchid, but he's sick of watching her suffer while he does nothing. "How can I not save her?" He demands.

Changheng asks if Ronghao will stop him. "You're weakened, so it wouldn't be difficult. But I won't stop you." He then asks CH what he thinks Ronghao would do if he had the opportunity to save his master. Changheng says, "You would fight to the death. Even if you betray others or go against the laws of Heaven, it would be worth it."

Ronghao is pleased that Changheng knows what lengths he'd go to. Does Changheng know about his secret identity, then? Does he know that Ronghao has already directly harmed him? Regardless, the two have reached an understanding. Changheng leaves and Ronghao does not get up to stop him. He remains in the exact same position, and you can see him breathe out. He'd likely been holding that breath the entire conversation.

The ep ends with Changheng on the river between realms. There's a thunderstorm as he sails, but suddenly the clouds part and a light reveals itself.

It looks like an eye, and Changheng is startled to see it. In fact, I'd even go as far as to say that he's scared of whatever that is. Is it Yunzhong spying on his brother, or another more ancient deity?

#clj recap #苍兰诀 #clj #love between fairy and devil