#it is literally only the constraints of death that keep me from becoming

[oldtvandcomics]

Happy Queer Media Monday!

Today: Tir Tanagiri duology by Jo Walton

Well technically there is a third book, but that one isn’t about Sulien, so I’m ignoring it.

(My Pride bat plushie with the two books. The First one, The King’s Peace as Kindle edition, because I couldn’t get a paperback yet, and the second, The King’s Name, as paperback, because I could.)

The two books in the Tir Tanagiri series are a retelling of the King Arthur mythos, set in the “historically correct” time just after the fall of the Roman Empire, when Britain is divided into many warring clans, and Saxon invaders threaten them from the outside. It is, however, set in an alternate universe, that mostly consists of the names being different (Rome becomes Vinca, the Saxons Jarns, Arthur Urdo, etc), and magic being real. The main character is the King’s right-hand person, Sulien Ap Gwien, who most resembles our Sir Lancelot, and the two books are a first-person narration of her memoirs. They start when she was seventeen and first joined the new King Urdo and last over the unification of the land, the peaceful years, and finally, the civil war that caused Urdo’s death.

Sulien is an amazing character. She is amazing as a woman, who is a very complex person and naturally and unquestioned the best in what is in our world a very male dominated field She is amazing as a queer character, as she is very visibly asexual (though the term isn’t used). And she is amazing as a Lancelot figure. By setting the story in a different universe, Walton managed to free it up from at least some of the constraints of the traditional King Arthur retellings, allowing us a certain level of surprise and her to have a much gentler ending than Lancelot normally gets. All of this while also keeping all the major beats of the mythos.

Which leads me to The Warning: Keeping the beats of Lancelot’s storyline means that Sulien is raped and has an unwanted child. It is, quite literally, the first thing that happens in the book, and influences the way the story goes until its very end. Personally, I feel that it has been handled well. Sulien’s relationship with her son is messy, as she just leaves him in a convent and goes back to the army the moment she can. The man who raped her also gets to be a fully fleshed out character, and their relationship too is very complicated. Sulien gets to move past the initial trauma, and even has him as an ally. All of this having been said, it is a complicated subject, and others will feel differently about it.

Actually the books deal with a lot of complicated subjects. I feel like they do it well. You might actually argue that Jo Walton did a too good job, in that the first book is a very good structural replication of the medieval romances - meaning you get a lot of people riding around in different directions and doing things, then riding in a different direction, and you don’t see a clear progression of the story. As a consequence, it is a bit difficult to read. The second part is better in this regard.

There is also a third book, which focusses on the relationship of two major side characters. The books are out of print, but you can still get them as an ebook, or second hand. Here is the link to the series on Amazon.

Queer Media Monday is an action I started to talk about some important and/or interesting parts of our queer heritage, that people, especially young people who are only just beginning to discover the wealth of stories out there, should be aware of. Please feel free to join in on the fun and make your own posts about things you personally find important!

#'complicated' is probably the best word to describe this story #which makes it difficult to recommend #I always want to cover it in warnings and lengthy explanaitions #which does the best rec not make #books #book rec #Tir Tanagiri #Sulien Ap Gwien #canon queer characters #canon asexual character #Arthurian Legend #arthurian retelling #Queer Media Monday

[subcorax]

end, corruption, web? ovo

owo!

The End: What would you do with your time if you never died?

...go on a lot of walks

The Corruption: Do you kill bugs?

yeah, sorry, if they’re in my space they’re fair game

The Web: Are you any good at lying?

yeah actually. apparently i’ve got a bit of a vibe where people are like “you seem like you know what you’re doing” and that kind of extends to when i tell them stuff they just Believe It

#it is literally only the constraints of death that keep me from becoming #a gay vampire who walks around the city alone every night #ask meme #Anonymous

[wangxiandecoded]

Episode 7 (& Wangxian Meta)

Previous Episode | Next Episode

(Spoilers for the whole show ahead!)

The Chosen Ones

Lan Zhan, if this scene foreshadows anything, it’s that he’s certainly going to become a part of your domestic affair.

There is something powerful about the first and only female Lan clan leader giving them her blessing and saying it was destiny that they found their way to her just as she’s about to fade into oblivion. Wangxian are the archetypal Chosen Ones who have been entrusted with keeping the Yin Iron safe. And if this was yet another straight adventure story that delivers poetic justice, we would expect it to conclude with these two people ending up together - and that’s what The Untamed does in a roundabout way with our heroes.

Nothing to see here. Just two guys tripping over each other because the sacred string of fate pulled them towards each other.

Lan Zhan, I’ll Be Your Secret Keeper!

This episode is full of instances where Wei Ying refuses to tell other characters what really happened in the cave, then turns around to look at Lan Zhan with a proud look that screams, “I’m so good at keeping secrets, aren’t I? We are soulmates! Come on, validate me, Lan Zhan!”

The expression on Lan Qiren’s face when Wei Ying calls Lan Zhan his confidant/soulmate. No words are needed. 

The Yin Iron Secret™ is obviously bringing them closer and they begin to share loaded glances that convey everything they wish to say without actually having to. Thus begins the process of everyone third wheeling Wangxian.

Jiang Cheng thinks Wei Ying should move into the Cloud Recesses since he’s hanging out with Lan Zhan all the time. Lan Zhan hears that and appears to be a tad bit disappointed Wei Ying might never actually do that since their lifestyles are leagues apart. It’s tough being Wei Wuxian sometimes.

The Lantern That Started Everything

We are here, folks! The moment that started it all, the scene that defined Wangxian’s story. Once again, Wangxian are framed in contrast with the two straight couples. 

Lan Zhan and Wei Ying are standing together and look at each other while making their wish, just like Yanli x Jin Zixuan, and Jiang Cheng x Wen Qing.

Lan Zhan says he is used to doing it alone and Wei Ying comments old habits can be changed, which just points to the latter’s impact on the former’s life.

Wei Ying has another accomplishment to cross off his list : Finally made Lan Zhan smile today!

Mian Mian asks Yanli why she didn’t make the lantern together with Jin Zixuan, as praying together is a custom followed by couples that are to be married. And that tells you everything you need to know about Lan Zhan and Wei Ying’s relationship.   

The first of many times that Lan Zhan rushes in to hold Wei Ying back.

Lan Zhan for a second believed Wei Ying finally learnt his lessons and crossed over to the lawful good side.. but come on, you love him precisely because he would never do that. And those ants are cute.

Jiang Fengmian proposes to cancel the troth between the clans to marry Yanli and Jin Zixuan. It is worth mentioning that Jiang clan’s approach to marriage is to never force their kids into a lifelong relationship they are not sure they want as they believe in “following one’s nature”. When even straight relationships are progressive and value happiness above all else, what is to stop the show from selling us a central gay romance that ends happily? Absolutely nothing.

We’ve now seen both the protagonists reject the romantic idea of spending their life with a woman. 

Missing Lan Zhan Hours Now Open

Wei Ying pouting like.. What do you mean we have to leave already? Lan Zhan literally just started acknowledging me as his soulmate. 

Oh no, Lan Zhan.. Why aren’t you including your soulmate on the super secret plan™?!

Wei Ying’s reason for wanting to say goodbye to only Lan Zhan out of all the disciples is, “Why can’t I admire his talents? You’re all losers who can’t fight me and he is my Match (Made In Heaven), I desire for an equivalence (and a meaningful union between souls.)”

The camera moves from the Yunmeng siblings squabbling to Lan Zhan observing them from a distance. Zewu Jun joins him and comments that after Wei Ying’s departure, Yun Shen will be silent once more. Lan Zhan’s face falls a little, understandably because he was getting more than used to Wei Ying’s chaotic presence in his life.

Zewu Jun is worried if Lan Zhan will be alright on his journey alone and raises the idea if he should tell Wei Ying about his quest. But Lan Zhan, our beloved idiot, still needs that extra push to come to terms with his feelings and realize Wei Ying will instantly drop everything for a lifetime by his side if he were to only say the word.

Rabbits Symbolise The Chinese Gay God

Even before the fandom taught me that the Chinese god of homosexuality is literally The Rabbit God, so the inclusion of rabbits is gloriously queer subtext, I could gather that they symbolised Wangxian’s feelings for each other. They both talk to the rabbits when the other is not there, Wei Ying paints a rabbit lantern for them to wish together, Lan Zhan raised Ah Yuan among these rabbits because they reminded him of Wei Ying and after 16 years, Lan Zhan drunkenly admits he likes rabbits (the equivalent of saying he’s always liked Wei Ying), they buy the rabbit lantern together and finally come back to find these rabbits in Cloud Recesses. The rabbits are a part of the Wangxian family.

The reappearance of the rabbits when Lan Zhan and Wei Ying’s dynamics have changed 16 years later is very telling. Their relationship by then has survived death and the miraculous return from death; it’s gone through the whole cycle of the promise of love, the pain of loss, the joy of redemption. The rabbits bring their life full circle to denote the certainty and comfort in the fact that they have each other after the trials and tribulations their romance has withstood. Wei Ying even says he isn’t scared of what happens anymore in that scene. There is nothing that can separate our heroes after this, they just have to brave whatever comes together.

And then there’s this promo picture and scene from a later episode where two rabbits are kissing.

This is how The Untamed screamed gay rights : “We’re not saying the heroes are gay, but the Yunshen rabbits are definitely gay and no one can do anything about it!” Only, the rabbits are such a huge part of this love story. 

Wangxian’s Promise of Love and Honor

When they make the wish together, Lan Zhan looks at Wei Ying with a kind of awe and reverence like, how did I not recognize him from the moment we met? He eyes the pouch containing the Yin metal and realizes they are both more alike than he thought, that this guy is possibly and most definitely his soulmate. This is an important stage in their relationship.

When he hears Wei Ying wish that he wants to eliminate evil and protect the weak in exchange for a life without anything weighing down their hearts - I think it is at this point he begins to see him as more of a life partner with whom he can share everything, than just a friend. Because Wei Ying’s impact on Lan Zhan’s life is so profound it alters his being, tilts his axis and expands his perspective. Wei Ying brought with him a free-spirited, flexible measurement of morality and an ardent quest for truth that no 3000 rules of the Lan clan had ever laid down. He realizes the rules he grew up on are right but Wei Ying, with all his moral complexity, can also be right. Wei Ying’s companionship introduced Lan Zhan to a fluid perception of right and wrong that he found perfectly acceptable. This shows Lan Zhan and Wei Ying belong to the new generation that is here to reform the broken system built by their ancestors. In this moment, by choosing to view him as his unequivocal soulmate, by acknowledging their paths are to be forever intertwined, Lan Zhan liberates his mind from the monochromatic perception of life he was brought up on. By making this wish together, Lan Zhan trusts Wei Ying to always do the right thing from now on and trusts the both of them to lead a life that they are proud of.

He doesn’t know right now that staying committed to this wish is going to demand everything from them in the future, but he does know that Wei Ying is the greatest person he has ever met and the first one who is so compatible with him. And that is a revelation to Lan Zhan because there are easily a million things that set them apart. All the same, he sees his own core values reflected in his soulmate. He decides it couldn’t be the worst thing in this world to stand by Wei Ying’s side especially when he’s doing the most honorable thing they both know to be true. This common ground means something to Lan Zhan, even if we don’t hear him admit that. Because here is Wei Ying telling him he doesn’t need to be alone anymore even though he’s used to it. That he doesn’t have to go through any of it alone as long as he is there: fight for justice, vanquish evil, or even simply go through everyday life. Lan Zhan’s face in this scene is understandably the face of a man who is falling in love.

The promise they make to each other on this cliff was in a way, a promise to follow their own path that ended up operating above the constraints of and reinvented the cultivation world’s jurisdiction. There are going to be many forces trying to convince them it's not the right way, but the path they share, which is both the literal path of justice and their love for each other (they are synonymous, after all) is the one they courageously forge and painfully commit to when their world is unable to go on existing with the faulty principles it was founded on. That is why their romance survives every obstacle in the end. It is founded on a love that runs so deep it recognizes and respects the other in the many lifetimes spent serving their just cause. Their love, and the extents it goes to in order to thrive, is the answer to all the troubles that ail their world. And it all began with this lantern. 

This is why The Untamed is the gay drama and Wangxian are the gay warriors the universe has been waiting for. It staged gay romance in a realm ruled by gentry and the supernatural, giving us equal parts of gore as there is swashbuckling, gut-wrenching drama. Literally never been done before.

In conclusion, Episode 7 deepens the bond between our heroes and sets up the main struggle in their romance as we wait to see what will become of the wish they made together. But one thing is clear : They are bound together forever, not just by their love for each other but also by their common cause. That is why the road they walk on can never be different. It will forever be the single plank road they will always find their way back to.

#the untamed #chen qing ling #mo dao zu shi #cql #mdzs #the untamed meta #cql meta #mdzs meta #wangxian meta #wangxian #wangxian analysis #the untamed analysis #cql analysis #lan zhan #wei ying #wei wuxian #lan wangji #the untamed rewatch #the untamed episodes #cql rewatch #cql episodes #ep7

[hamliet]

hello, in svsss what do you think of zhuzi-lang? his story is so sad but he gets so little attention :(((

Zhuzhi-Lang is actually one of my favorite characters in Scum Villain! Perhaps my second favorite after Luo Binghe, actually. His death devastated me. 

So, before I discuss him, I will recommend this excellent meta by @thisworldgodonlyknows. Basically, Zhuzhi-Lang has remarkable similarities with other characters in MXTX’s works (notably, as the meta discusses, Wen Ning, but also with Wei Wuxian, Luo Binghe, Su She, and even Hua Cheng). The trope is called “because you were nice to me” on TVTropes, and essentially it’s if someone is kind to a character who is usually treated unkindly by society, they become obscenely loyal and spend their life trying to earn that one act of kindness. If someone tells these characters they have worth, they become wildly loyal, trying to earn that person’s affirmation again and again. It comes from a highly insecure sense of self and from the fundamental question each of MXTX’s three novels ask: how can humans earn the right to be alive? 

The answer is that we are alive and deserve to be, and the right to live can’t be earned because it’s inherent. If you look at it, almost all of these characters end up dying at some point in a misguided attempt earn their right to live. Even if they have a happy ending, they die in the meantime; these deaths are not always directly attributed to these tendencies in the character, but are certainly somewhat connected.  

Zhuzhi-Lang dies trying to save both Tianlang-Jun and Shen Qingqiu. 

Luo Binghe is the only one who does not die but Luo Binghe is still considered dead for several years after being pushed into the abyss (which is at least a metaphorical death) by the same person who he was dedicated to serving. 

Wen Ning winds up a weapon; it’s noted his repressed resentment has been used post-death. His arc is about overcoming the idea that he has to earn the right to live even a second life, as Wei Wuxian wants him to live on his own and Wen Ning eventually decides to do so. 

Wei Wuxian kept trying to make it up to the Yunmeng Jiang Sect for taking him in (he says as much), which leads to misunderstandings that eventually result in his own death. 

Su She dies trying to save Jin Guangyao, and it’s all for naught in the end. 

Hua Cheng dies three times, each time for Xie Lian (mimicking Xie Lian’s three ascensions), and each time his death hurts Xie Lian. 

However, for each of these characters, it is absolutely not their fault that they feel they have to earn their lives. The biggest bad in all of MXTX’s works is society and its lack of empathy for those who are somehow deficient by its standards--and if you look closely, most if not all characters might be considered deficient, even the ones who pretend not to be. 

For Zhuzhi-Lang specifically, he was born to a snake demon clan. He isn’t regarded as a fully human/demon; instead, he’s literally trodden upon and looked at as a lesser being. This cruelty has embedded itself deeply in Zhuzhi-Lang: he is violent when someone is violent to him as a result thereof, but he is also kind to an extreme when people are kind to him. As the above meta I liked to says, he doesn’t understand the nuances of humanity (and when I saw humanity it isn’t limited to just humans--demons/ghosts/gods all fit this within the story), the nuances that enable characters to overcome their flaws and choose their own way to live. 

Zhuzhi-Lang is also a foil to Shen Qingqiu and to his cousin, Luo Binghe. Shen Qingqiu, after being transmitigated into the story as the villain, lives as if he has to earn his survival (oh and he also dies temporarily as a result), and lives without nuance. He believes he knows how the story will go, how it is written, even as he knows he’s rewriting parts of it. However, by the end of Shen Qingqiu’s arc, he’s realized he can make his own choices, he can even choose the genre of the story he’s living, he can change the fate of the world and his own fate. It was this fear and this primal belief that he knew how things would go, these constraints he put on his own actions as a result (like pushing Luo Binghe into the abyss), that led to much of the pain and tragedy. 

For Luo Binghe, he keeps trying to earn the kindness of Shen Qingqiu, falling deeply in love with him. Yet Shen Qingqiu, much like society itself, is afraid of Luo Binghe, so Luo Binghe tries all manner of rules to earn his appreciation and love but doesn’t succeed. When that fails, Luo Binghe decides to rewrite the entire world, combining the demon and human realm, not caring at all. He goes into a qi deviation, having completely let go of nuance, wanting to destroy the entire world to control the narrative he has never been allowed to control (and much like Zhuzhi-Lang, to return the world the cruelty it always treated him with). Shen Qingqiu saves him, of course, and it isn’t a coincidence that their ending is Shen Qingqiu telling Luo Binghe that if he will not be welcomed in their society, they will find a place where Luo Binghe will be welcomed. In other words, Shen Qingqiu learns nuance himself, learned that the nuance and loyalty of Zhuzhi-Lang is not inherently bad or harmful; in fact, loyalty is a good trait when it is nuanced. 

Although Zhuzhi-Lang’s life ended tragically and I’m still not over it, his life wasn’t pointless, and his legacy is not of a monster trodden into the dirt. Yes, some may remember him that way. But the calamity is not solved when Zhuzhi-Lang is nailed to a wall; it’s solved through an act of love and loyalty, through Shen Qingqiu committing to Luo Binghe in his extremely awkward and hilarious way. Even if many characters thing that Zhuzhi-Lang was a villain put down, the narrative counters this. Additionally, not all characters think as much: Tianlang-Jun is still alive and has another chance, and Shen Qingqiu learns the value of loyalty and assurance thereof, which enables him to prevent Luo Binghe following a similarly tragic path to Zhuzhi-Lang. 

#ask hamliet #svsss meta #scum villain #the scum villain's self-saving system #zhuzhi-lang #luo binghe #shen qingqiu #mxtx #mxtx meta #Anonymous

[yourmemoriesandminesu]

My thoughts on suf

So the 4 part series finale happened and damn what a ride. Personally I liked the direction they went with the final episode and of corse I have my own personal nitpicks, so let’s start off there!

Nitpicks:

Not enough corrupted Steven and him rampaging through the streets. (That might just be my love of monster carnage talking) but having all the gems work together to get Steven into the water and make him cry to uncorupt him would have been amazing! Imagine the possibilities, every gem who was helped all coming together to ensure the safety of the townspeople and Steven!

Pink pearl hiding her eye SUGAR!!!!

His healing process was slightly hinted at, like mentioning his therapist. Throughout the series we kind of get implications that he’s gotten over his mother and who she was, but I always wished we could have gotten that inner peace shown better. The only close instance we see is volleyball and even then it’s both pearls coming to realize that pink was trying to change and become a better person, but we never get Stevens input on that. Along with the struggle between being a gem and a human, the main issue that seems to be somewhat dropped. Time constraints are understandable, but leaving the audience out of months worth of therapy was a tad disappointing for me as that was large part of his outbursts.

No after corruption scars, many people (me included) theorized that there would be some sort of ‘scar’ left behind as a sort of reminder of the emotional and physical toll the whole situation had. Very sadly he came out physically unscathed, which for a show about symbolism surprised me. You could argue that he does have scars, they’re just on his skeleton. (Or inside) perhaps I was just too invested in the idea of maybe a pink patch or eye (like a lot of imagery throughout the series) again this one is the most nit of the picky.

Things I adored!:

The diamonds (and everyone else) realizing just how bad they fucked up. Steven went through some shit with them when they still thought he was pink diamond. White reflecting on what a bitch she had been to literally everyone and everything. Greg finally standing up and saying no more running from gem stuff.

That fucking group hug killed me, it destroyed me. The moment of realization of just how many people were there for him and willing to show it ( the fucking cluster showed up and when it held his hand I just fudhetekhf) and of corse the Connie kiss. The good ol healing kiss not in the same way, but fuck it melted my stone cold void of a heart. Right after Steven corrupts he’s still crying, but this time everyone is there, his support system never truly left. They are all still there for him and it took turning into a giant Godzilla for him to truly see it. And the meltdown on lion, just... man I can’t bro. That cry, it hurt, but in a good way.

Steven leaves, but not on bad terms. Yes Steven leaves beach city to travel the states and eventually settle down but unlike his parents he’s keeping in touch with everyone, he’s not running away from his family or faking his own death. He’s going out and seeing the country (and I’ll bet you 50 bucks he’ll build a portal at his new home for the gems to visit his kids) he also didn’t leave immediately as its been months since the wormy boi incident. (I’m assuming he’s 18 at this point as Connie was talking about college) he gives everyone a goodbye gift, he tells everyone he’s leaving, and it’s bittersweet. Now I’m a sucker for bittersweet! I love it (and the ending to ymam actually has a planed bittersweet ending) so seeing him go out into the world and leaving the only home he’s ever known is really nice. But it’s also nice to know that he will most likely visit beach city, video chat with friends and most likely live stream tv shows with peri.

Stevens breaking point, oh that entire sequence just obliterated me. Everything he’s held in and been afraid of just BURST into the open. He pours his guts to everyone all in the midsts of a manic episode. We get to see Steven at his lowest point (before wormy boi) everything he thought to be wrong and he would never do. I never thought the series would go there, but they did. They went above and beyond with showcasing the effects of PTSD from a young age and damn it was done well. And Stevens diamond form, holy cow he was HUGE! And the diamond eyes! For so long fans have wanted to see Steven with the good ol diamond pupils and we finally get them. Just, yes!

All in all there are some things I would have liked to get more attention, but it’s ending was bittersweet with a good helping of an uncertain but hope filled future.

8.5/10

#im atill trying to gather my thoughts im sorry #steven universe #steven universe future #steven #garnet #pearl #amathyst #peridot #white diamond #yellow diamond #blue diamond #connie #su #suf #corrupted steven #wormy boi #ruby #lars #nephrite su #su connie #sapphire su #su jasper #i just really wanted him to destroy the town im aorry #i love rampages #why is connie always the sensible one? like #greg universe

[mayorofthepalace]

Black Women In Star Wars: Episode I

I am a literal lifelong Star Wars fan--being born in 1977, the same year the first film was released.

Return Of The Jedi, which came out when I was six, is the first movie I can consciously recall seeing at a theater...the Original Trilogy shaped my taste in entertainment, my world-view, and my personality more than any other childhood influence.

This isn't a fan site, so I will keep my geeking out under control and stick to the subject--but for the sake of context, it might help to mention I'm very much in the pro-Disney takeover camp: I loved the Sequel Trilogy and the standalone films (have not had the chance to watch The Mandalorian yet).

I mention this because it is this new era of diversity that inspired me to put this salute together:

I noticed not only the increase in characters and actors of color in the new films, or the prominence of female characters, but specifically the significant number of black women...

Remember what we're dealing with: Not only was this a franchise that began in the 1970s, but it's the Great Grand-Daddy of modern cinematic science-fiction...

...a genre infamous for being a monochromatic sausage fest.

In the Original Trilogy, the films that built the SW universe, you had one black male supporting character, one white female main character, and one white female side character (not counting extras).

This was a galaxy far, far away from anything resembling equal representation.

This began to change with the release of the Prequels in 1999, but didn't really become significant until the Sequels.

After watching and thoroughly enjoying Naomi Ackie as Jannah in The Rise Of Skywalker, I decided to put this salute together...and in my research, I found there were more black women (and/or black actresses) in the new Star Wars universe than I realized.

Believe it or not, this Star Wars saga will be TWENTY episodes long😲

Our first entry actually goes back to the Original Trilogy. And if you didn't notice a second black person in Return Of The Jedi, that's understandable since she was green.

British/Nigerian dancer and actress Femi Taylor played Oola, Jabba's Twi'lek slave dancer/rancor appetizer.

She also returned to film new scenes as Oola in 1997 for the Special Edition of ROTJ...the only original cast member to do so.

Sadly, in earlier drafts of the script Oola not only survived, but managed to escape Jabba's clutches before his untimely death, this was unfortunately cut out due to time constraints.

Oola would receive some vindication years later when her backstory was written and published in the non-canon anthology Tales From Jabba's Palace.

Ms. Taylor herself enjoyed the experience immensely--she and Oola have a significant fan following, and she is a regular fixture at conventions and other events.

So yeah, she was painted green, practically naked, and had just a few minutes of screen time before being eaten alive after objecting to her employer's sexual harassment (the Hutt Cartel doesn't have an HR department)...

...but she was STILL the first black actress in Star Wars🥰

#star wars #black women #black actresses #black women in film #diversity in fantasy

[doopcafe]

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Seasons 1--6), Final Analysis

Well, I made it through. 

Let’s be absolutely clear: The Clone Wars (TCW) is not good television. For the most part, it’s not even watchable television. The show suffers from serious fundamental issues in nearly every aspect of storytelling. Characters are underdeveloped and inconsistent; the dialogue is expository and contradictory; the tone is disjoint and jarring; and most episodes serve no greater purpose than to be a twenty-minute vessel to house lightsaber fights. 

So I want to put this part of the show to rest before I move on to Star Wars: Rebels (and before returning to watch season 7). 

With two exceptions, the show poorly handles twists and reveals. In the earlier seasons, reveals were spoiled mostly due to telegraphing: Captain Sleaze in Cloak of Darkness, Senator Clovis in Senate Spy, and Yolo (?) in Senate Murders come to mind, but there were others. In later seasons, telegraphing was supplanted by “small universe syndrome” as the primary cause of spoiled reveals. In The Academy, a cloaked figure was seen doing shady, back-alley deals, but his identity could only have been the Prime Minister. During the “Ahsoka framed” series, Barriss was obviously the traitor, simply because her character suddenly reappeared after four seasons and there were no other candidates. 

Probably the most successfully executed reveal was that of Krell, as his assholeness was at least initially masked as military rigidity. But even so, it was so over-the-top that when the reveal finally came to light, it felt more like an overdue disclosure than a dramatic twist. It didn’t help that, by that point in the show, the format of “asshole = upcoming reveal” had been firmly entrenched into the show’s DNA. 

I would argue that the most effective plot twist of the entire show was when the dancer/singer girl shot and killed Ziro the Hutt in Hunt for Ziro. Although irrelevant to the greater story, it was an actual twist because it was strongly implied the opposite would happen (i.e., Ziro would betray the girl). If there is to be a second place, that award would go to Ahsoka’s decision to leave the Jedi Order at the conclusion of The Wrong Jedi. But this leads me into my next point...

Who was the main character of The Clone Wars? If we go by the logic that whoever had the most screen time was the main character, then Anakin probably wins over Ahsoka. But if we go by the logic that the most developed character was the “main character,” then this is a show about Ahsoka. Ahsoka---more than any other character---grows in a noticeable way (from impatient, violent child to impatient, slightly less violent teenager). In contrast, Anakin in Rising Malevolence is the same character as Anakin in Voices (only a little more violent and angry for some reason). 

It’s unfortunate that her major character moments were never capitalized on. Intentionally sacrificing herself for the greater good in Weapons Factory apparently led to no lasting repercussions on her character. Her impatience and disobedience led to the deaths of thousands in Storm over Ryloth, but was similarly forgotten immediately afterwards. Even Ahsoka’s major character moment at the end of The Wrong Jedi resulted in her walking away from the show, never to address the implications of that decisions (although I suppose that’s the subject of Season 7). 

On a different note, the show was riddled by a shameful amount of “references” and fan service, for reasons exclusively external to the story. These “nods” ranged from the obvious “Obi-wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope” (or whatever Senator Jimmy Smits says in Cat and Mouse) to the innocuous design of a droid or background device. 

These “references” are objectively problematic for at least a few reasons. (1) They contribute to the sense that the universe is a really, really small place. Is the Mos Eisley cantina really the only place in the Outer Rim where shady deals go down? Is carbon freezing really the only way to store a person in stasis for transport? How long do Rodians live for anyways? Greedo’s gotta be what, like 80 when Han shoots him in A New Hope? It’s ironic that ultimately, this incomprehensibly large, diverse galaxy actually feels much smaller after watching this series because we keep going to the same twelve places...

(2) “Fan service” is tricky to get right because different people have different memories and impressions of the source material. In result, copying material will oftentimes comes across as a blatant misunderstanding of the original content. For example, to me, Vader put Solo into carbon freeze because it’s what Lando had lying around. It’s not a galactically established method of transporting people. Obi-Wan trained Luke with those laser balls aboard the Falcon because Han had them lying around and Obi-Wan needed to improvise a training exercise to kill time. 

(3) "References” and “nods” usually are just a band-aid for a lack of creativity. Some of the better episodes in the initial seasons were just direct rehashes of famous movies. Seven Samurai, Godzilla, Stray Dog, The Most Dangerous Game, King Kong... I mean, it’d be pretty impressive to mess-up stories like these, but it’s concerning that there were just so many episodes made from other people’s stories. 

These “references” even seep into the most innocuous of scenes. When Prequel!Wan lands on Mandalore to attempt a rescue of Satine from Darth Maul, one of the Mandalorians takes aim at him, only to have their blaster pushed down by their companion who’s shaking their head. This is a direct reference o the Tusken Raiders on Tatooine when Luke went after R2 in the desert. Even if this scene served an important plot purpose (it didn’t), there’s undoubtedly a multitude of ways to communicate the same thing. Instead, a small reference to the OT is interjected into the show, deimmersing the audience from the events shown. Unfortunately, this is just one (very small) example of hundreds over the whole show. 

Let me say something positive. The episodes that worked best (especially early in the show's run) were ones that focused on mortal people, usually the clones. Innocents of Ryloth was one of the first watchable episodes, simply because we didn't have to sit through twenty minutes of unlikable, unrelatable “Jedi” and instead followed around a pair of troopers helping a little girl using their limited abilities. Likewise, Pursuit of Peace was way more enjoyable than it probably should have been, simply because the story was understandable, the consequences clear, and the drama real. Plan of Dissent (when the clones actively rebel against Krell) was also noteworthy for similar reasons: clones we liked must subdue a “Jedi” we’ve learned to hate. 

This isn’t to say that episodes focused on the major characters were inherently unenjoyable, it’s just that none of these characters had any room to grow (with the exception of Ahsoka). Dooku, Grievous, Anakin, Prequel!Wan... They were the same characters as portrayed in Episode II and III. As presented, there was nowhere for these characters to go. Dooku was literally identical at the beginning of the series as he was at the end, and the same can be said about the others. 

But these are false constraints the writers imposed upon themselves. Grievous was not in Episode II and was introduced in Episode III. TCW could have started him however they wanted and then illustrated his change into the character he later becomes. Who was he? What was his motivation? Why did he hate Jedi so much? The show was handed a completely clean slate to deliver a character from scratch, but instead we were immediately shown “Episode III General Grievous” with zero introduction because fans were expected to already know who he was. 

This is partly why the backstory episode to Grievous was so compelling, at least in premise: viewing his home was personal to his story and it represented a chance to learn a bit more about the character and where he came from. Of course, it was mostly mishandled by a reliance on meaningless action, but the high ratings of that particular episode suggest there was room for quality television here, it just was never capitalized on.

Instead, we have completely static caricatures, especially for minor characters from the movies. Admiral Tarkin, Admiral Ackbar, Greedo (among others) were written out of cardboard and their roles in the plot could have just as easily been played by anyone else (there was nothing unique about their roles that required them to be these characters). 

This is a shame because a lot could have been done with the established premise to really focus on Anakin, his motivations, and his relationship to his Padawan. I would have been okay with a lot of backtracking if it meant I could begin to grasp his “fall” to the Dark Side. Instead, I’m honestly more confused than ever about his motivation.

One argument is that Anakin joins the Dark Side because he like, “loves” Padme (or whatever). However, what we’re shown in this show---consistently, clearly---is that Padme and Anakin have a toxic, dysfunctional relationship. He is uncomfortably jealous and rarely trusts her. They argue nearly every time they’re together. Their “love” (or whatever) must remain secret, equating their relationship to something “wrong” or even “illegal” that must be kept secret, even on the verge of death. In a later episode, Anakin orders Padme to listen to him because he’s the “man” and, as his wife, she doesn’t have a say in the matter. This is clearly a broken relationship and the best result is the one that actually happens: They stop seeing each other. Anakin wants to save this woman from a vision? Why? 

This brings up a second point, which is that Anakin can’t stand the pain of losing someone. His desire to protect those close to him may be Anakin’s only redeeming trait. He has a single selfless scene (in the entire show) during the opening of Jedi Crash where he sacrifices himself to delay an explosion and save his companions. I want to stress that any other scene where Anakin saves or helps someone isn’t done because he’s a good person, it’s done because he’s a broken person. It’s done because he, personally, would struggle with the emotional toll of knowing he allowed someone close to him to be hurt or die. In other words, he’s doing nice things for selfish reasons. 

As far as I’m concerned, Anakin has always been Darth Vader. He is given choices between being a Jedi and allowing a lot of people to die, and he enjoys choosing the second. In Ghosts of Mortis, we’re shown that the threshold between “Anakin” and “Darth Vader” is disconcertingly low, requiring only a few choice words and less than a minute to convert him. In short, what I’ve learned from TCW regarding Anakin Skywalker is that he was an unlikable dick, and his “turn” to the Dark Side was just a long-overdue reveal. 

While the later seasons worked towards the events in Episode III in a way that at least made a bit of sense, earlier seasons were focused on adult-themed wacky hijinks. In a way, the show almost would have worked better as a kid’s show, but this was clearly meant for adults: politics, war, slavery, and lots and lots of horrific violence. In comparison, the silly adventures of Star Wars: Resistance worked well because the show didn’t take itself too seriously. It was very clearly, from the start, a lighthearted show about kids going on fun adventures. In contrast, TCW suffered because its themes were adult in nature, but was portrayed as a Saturday morning cartoon show. The humor was misplaced, the tone disjointed from actual events, and the violence excessive. 

Let me say a few words on the “Jedi.” Initially I labeled them as overpowered (OP), because in earlier episodes they seemed invincible and dissolved tension in every scene. Later, we see a slew of them get cut down as plot fodder, even against widely different situations. We see Luminara and others push through hoards of droids only to see “Jedi” Master Yoda-like dude get taken down by a dog. We watch as Fisto *heh* powers through entire battalions and the cone-head guy counting coup against an army, only to watch as pink girl gets shot in the face by a single clone who stands in front of her for several seconds before pulling the trigger. 

It’s nearly impossible to feel tension in these scenes because the metrics for judging the true strength of a “Jedi” keep shifting as a function of the plot requirements. Anakin suddenly forgets how to use the Force when the plot needs his help to fake some drama. Prequel!Wan pointlessly fist fights with a slaver cat for an hour until the plot needs him to get back up again and OP everyone in the room. Even their ships are only as strong or weak as the plot needs them to be. Plo Koon’s fleet is devastated in seconds in order to portray the Malevolence as being a threat; Anakin’s fleet powers through a larger force three times its size because Anakin’s like, really mad about something. 

Secondly, the “Jedi,” in general, were unlikable assholes. They were consistently portrayed as violent and ignorant and I struggled to understand them as real people. Frequently, we witnessed them torture victims, default to a lightsaber to solve problems, and enjoy death to the point of counting coup against sentient life forms defending their homes. Anakin threatened civilians with his lightsaber. Ahsoka was annoyed when she’s asked not to murder a defenseless creature in Jedi Crash. Prequel!Wan and Anakin team up to hurtle enormous rocks into a beaten monster in Dooku Captured. A trio of Jedi Masters mentally gang bang a shackled Cad Bane. They supported state terrorism when it suited their needs, but agreed to abandon their friends for political reasons. 

I mean, these are not good people...

This is a shame, because my impression of true Jedi comes from Luke, Yoda, and Obi-Wan in the OT, as well as the expanded universe novels that take place afterwards. It always seemed to me that being a Jedi was about conquering oneself, one’s fears, and learning to use the Force to selflessly help others and let go of all worldly attachments. You know, like the Buddhists they were originally inspired by. I always had the impression that the Force was extremely powerful and that Yoda was only showing Luke a portion of what was possible. That the Emperor was only using Force lighting to toy with Luke. That Vader only Force choked his officers because it was visually intimidating and kept them in line. 

Instead, we’re treated to some garbage about how a “Jedi” is nothing greater than an actuator to swing around a lightsaber. When Luke enters Jabba’s palace in Jedi to rescue his friends, it’s not with lightsaber swinging, cutting shit up, flipping around like an acrobatic monkey. Imagine Anakin and Ahsoka in the same scene. They’d blaze through the palace corridors before Force choking Jabba as the Darth Vader theme plays. Forget the rancor, these are demigods. They have lightsabers. Have you seen them? They go “woosh woosh.” 

In short, there was little to look up to in terms of a “hero” character. I can see how children can look up to Luke as a role model, someone they want to emulate or play with as a toy, but looking up to Anakin? Ahsoka? Hey kids, wanna learn to become a psychopath? First, you use your power to abuse those who are weaker than you. Then you need to get really really angry and uncontrollably choke someone, preferably your sister or one of your cousins. 

And so, for a Saturday morning cartoon show, it is very unclear who we’re supposed to care about. I liked when Ahsoka went against Anakin because I hated his character so much. I liked everything with Hondo, a pirate. I liked Ventress a little, because she was actively seeking to kill the main characters. I liked some of the clones, but I don’t know which ones because they all looked the same. I cared about Darth Maul because I’m honestly a little worried about him, especially after the loss of his brother. I kinda liked General Grievous just because he hates the “Jedi” and was therefore relatable (even though the reasoning was never explained). And... that’s it. 

At no point did I ever “look forward” to the next episode. I painfully died a little on the inside hitting the “watch next” button every single time.

This “review” is already way too long, so let me summarize by applying my five-star rating system (developed for movies) to each episode. In review:

5. Amazing, classic, culturally important. Something everyone should watch.  4. Great; very well done, no significant flaws. 3: Entertaining with only minor gripes/criticisms.  2: “Watchable,” but suffers from flaws and has some poor parts.  1. Uncomfortably bad; suffers from serious flaws. 0. Painfully bad, would actively fight against being forced to watch a second time. 

The 3-star episodes were: 

Hostage Crisis

Lightsaber Lost 

Pursuit of Peace

Carnage of Krell

The Wrong Jedi 

Hostage Crisis was the introduction of Cad Bane, Lightsaber Lost was the remake of Stray Dog (and the only episode to include a real Jedi), Pursuit of Peace was the random Padme/politics episode that was strangely well-executed, Carnage of Krell was the reveal of Krell as a bad guy and his clones working to apprehend him, and The Wrong Jedi was Ahsoka leaving the Jedi Order (and the only episode to include a true character moment). 

Also, I scaled the IMDB ratings of each episode to my ratings and then detected outliers in their overlap. In other words, I wanted to answer the question, “which episodes did I rate the most differently from others?” 

Turns out, I rated every single episode lower except for seven. Those seven were: 

Mercy Mission (+1.853) - R2 and 3PO discover an underground world with ents. This one is universally panned by “fans,” but was a competently handled episode apart from the disappointing resolution. 

Pursuit of Peace (+1.382) - Padme struggles to win support for a Senate bill. Another competently handled episode that focuses on Padme and politics and is ranked low by “fans.”

Lightsaber Lost (+0.6471) 

Weapons Factory (+0.4118) - An average episode with a dramatic scene of sacrifice by Ahsoka and her “friend” Barriss. 

Shadow Warrior (+0.3824) - Grievous is captured during some dramatic moments on Naboo. 

Hostage Crisis (+0.3529)

Front Runners (+0.0882) - One of the rebels episodes, I don’t remember which. 

In conclusion, Star Wars: Rebels is next and I am somehow still alive.

#pie211-tcw #tcw #clone wars #the clone wars #star wars

[littlepurinsesu]

V Watches MagiReco - Episode 12 Review

*Spoilers for Magia Record Anime Episode 12*

I have been waiting for so long to see this chapter animated, and at long last!!! This week’s episode finally touches upon the secret truth of magical girls and reveals Yachiyo’s mysterious past!

There are, of course, some parts I wish were handled a little better, but overall, I wouldn’t say it was too shabby ^^ I have a lot to say about this episode, both the good and the meh, so let’s go~ (Tumblr, please don’t eat my post again I IMPORE YOU.)

(Oh, for clarification, I’m still using the name “Meru” instead of “Mel”, since that’s what her name was before the game was localised in English. Both are acceptable, but I guess I’m more used to this spelling xD)

I personally really liked how they began the episode with Kanae and Meru at Mikazuki Villa. The rain and dark lighting and overall silence of the scene was really well-done. It’s a nice way to “tease” their characters before properly introducing them and their roles in Yachiyo’s story. I really don’t have much else to say, but I just really, really liked that opening scene hehe

Speaking of openings, the anime continues to come up with creative ways to bring in the OP, and this week’s was another really interesting idea that I enjoyed a lot! I was just beginning to wonder if they were going to skip the OP this week because there was so much to cover, but I really liked what they came up with, so hats-off for the creativity and originality! ^^

Touka’s lecture really did seem even more lecture-like in the anime, with the lecture hall and screen and her pointer. She’s like a tiny, overly-enthusiastic professor trying to force a reluctant group of students to listen to her haha x) That being said, all the special effects were done very creatively in a way that is true to the PMMM style. It’s not only some impressive artwork, but it also prevents the lecture from becoming boring, since it’s literally just “info dumping” and a whole lot of exposition (most of it essentially being stuff that most of the audience already knows, too).

As for Touka herself, I’m really liking the anime’s portrayal of her. She’s extremely cute, but in a strange way that almost seems suspicious, and with just the right amount of “annoying-ness” that keeps her antagonistic role without making her so obnoxious that you can’t even bear to watch her. Each of her moves seems calculated in some way, and the way she leaps around and twirls her umbrella really does make her seem like a tiny fairy or pixie, and I love that contrast between her supposedly innocent image and the immoral deeds the Magius (and the Feathers) have been committing. A+ portrayal so far, and I hope they keep that up!

I was a bit confused at first when Touka addressed Kanae as “A” (since we know that in the game, “A” is Yachiyo, and Kanae is actually “C”), but I guess they weren’t planning on going ahead with the A-F naming of all 6 characters and this was just a one-off, so fair enough. However, I was a little annoyed that they showed the first secret in “lecture form” and then repeated it once more in “flashback form” once they got on the car thingy. I really felt that they could have skipped that first part and just focused on the flashbacks, because they’re essentially wasting time by telling one of the secrets twice in an episode that already has a lot to cover.

And this brings me to possibly my main issue with this episode: too fast. There was a lot of emotion in these flashbacks, and while the anime did bring them out decently, I just feel that they could have been even better if they had just managed the pacing a little more ideally. The tragedy and feels were definitely there, but it could have been even better. Another problem with this fast pacing is that we barely got to know Kanae and Meru before they met their respective downfalls, with the only clues to their individuality being Kanae’s guitar and Meru’s Tarot Cards. It tells us something, but it’s not enough. The result is that it becomes a lot harder for the audience to feel anything for these characters’ deaths, and Kanae and Meru ultimately become plot devices that serve to move Yachiyo and the others along on their journey. Granted, they were always kind of plot devices even in the game, but at least we got to know them a little better before their deaths, and this isn’t even counting their personal Magical Girl Stories.

But aside from these issues, the rest of the flashbacks were very well, in my opinion :) We as an audience may not have felt much for Kanae’s death because we barely knew her, but Yachiyo’s trembling hand as she tries in vain to purify her friend’s broken Soul Gem, the terrific voice acting, that tragic yet beautifully drawn shot of Kanae lying soulless (literally) on the ground... That was some impressive stuff that actually made me tear up.

The battle scenes also saw a huge improvement this week! Still could be better, but they’re a lot more action-packed and exciting than the quick and easy battles we’ve been seeing so far. I also really appreciate the show of teamwork between the old Team Mikazuki, not to mention that Meru’s use of magic looked absolutely amazing!!! But I would have liked it if she spoke a bit more before Witching out, and I was especially disappointed that she didn’t get to say that line about how today was her lucky day because she got to protect Yachiyo. That line says a lot about her as a character to me, and it was a shame that they only gave her an extremely shortened/simplified (and almost unfinished) version of it here. But I guess this is only because I’ve played the game and have expectations of what I want to see and what I think should be done. Maybe someone who hasn’t played the game at all wouldn’t have an issue with this minor detail haha :)

(By the way, I totally called it and guessed that they were going to release Meru’s Doppel Uncap with the debut of her Witch form in the anime mwahaha >:D Pretty good timing, though, and I like that attention to detail!)

Kyubey is a little sh*t in any and every timeline, and I did enjoy seeing Momoko yelling at him, even though obviously he gives no effs. Another nice nod to the original anime by having Kyubey using the same line about young girls and Witches, too (or maybe he’s had to defend himself so many times that he has the perfect justification memorised to use when needed? xD).

The scene with Mifuyu and Momoko was also a really nice way to show the difference in their personalities, through just the way they respond to and take in all the tragedy and shocking information. I loved the way they animated Mifuyu’s Witch/Doppel moment, and it’s always nice to see a Doppel shown in the anime! Another thing I liked was the way Touka seems to “control” the scene as she pleases, rewinding it like an actual video and pausing on particular frames. It was too easy to forget that these are scenes shown in the Memory Museum, and little details like this remind you that these aren’t just ordinary flashbacks shown in anime and movies.

Yachiyo was as cool ever in the very few (present) scenes she got. I especially loved her confrontation with Touka and how she literally just thrusts her weapon in her face haha. And the way she just ignores Touka talking and smashes open a path and just goes in there herself on foot? BADASS. I LOVE YACHIYO.

And finally, about Team Momoko... A bit funny how Momoko was the one gearing up for the Big Talk but mostly just ended up standing there for the whole thing xD But anyway, I really, really loved Rena in this scene. It’s probably the first time we’ve seen her being so honest with her feelings by hugging Kaede and straight-up telling her how worried she was. It’s these small moments that really make me love Rena so much, no matter how harsh and prickly she can be most of the time. I really liked the scene in the game where she goes to Kaede’s place to comfort her (even if they ended up slapping each other lmao), because it really did show how much Rena cares for her friends. But this anime version was quite nice too and also does some good for Rena’s characterisation, so I’ll take it :)

As for Kaede... what happened to my sweet sunshine child? I’m not liking the dead look in her eyes and how she sounds like a zombie... almost like she’s in a trance? And also... what was with that line at the end? Did Kaede join the Wings of Magius? Is she brainwashed? Would that explain her strange behaviour and way of speech? If any of this is true, then this will probably be the biggest deviation the anime has done, and I’d be both scared and interested to see how they handle it lol.

So yeah, an interesting episode that could have been super impressive if it weren’t for some of the issues I discussed, but overall, still enjoyable and decently good :) I really think the majority of the MagiReco anime’s issues comes from the pacing. Which is understandable, because they’re pressed for time and there’s a lot to squeeze in. It’s just a bit of a shame that so many important scenes and moments don’t translate as amazingly as they could have due to time constraints :(

Next week’s episode will be the final one, right? I know nothing’s been confirmed, but I’m almost certain that there’s going to be another season/cour after this. (They wouldn’t just leave it hanging like that... right? O___O) My guess is that we’ll see Tsuruno, Felicia, and Sana join the Wings of Magius, Yachiyo split up the team, and possibly Iroha going up against the Rumour herself and declaring herself the leader. These are all really important plot points, and adding to the fact that next week will be the (season) finale, hopefully we can end it with a huge BANG! Will we see Holy Mami? Will we see Sayaka? Or will we perhaps see Kuroe, rounding up the season by going full circle and bringing us back to the hanging threads left from all the way back in Episode 1?

It’s almost surreal to think that we only have one more episode left of this season!!! Let’s hope that it’ll end in the best way possible (even if that means leaving us on a cliffhanger lololol) ٩(^ᴗ^)۶

#magia record #magireco #puella magi madoka magica #puella magi madoka magica side story #pmmm #fandom #mine #anime #review #magia record review #v watches magireco

[bakugouscentedcaramel]

Just a Bet

Literally just bakugou reader-insert smut.

Warnings: NSFW, swearing, submissive bakugo, begging? Don’t roast me to hard.

He should have known not to test your will.

Bakugou should have known his stubbornness was matched only by your determination.

It was a bet. A simple bet. Something harmless and fun. At first he was more upset over losing to you than the actual punishment. It didn’t sound bad. Something he can handle.

But god damnit now it bordered on torture.

“Ground Zero?”

A voice snapped Bakugou back into reality. He zoned out again, the dull vibrations of a toy driving his mind elsewhere.

“Ground zero....are you feeling alright?” Who were these people again? They were important enough to in his agency hold a meeting in his office.

“I’m fine.” He snapped, shifting in his seat to try and elevate the thrum of the vibrator off of his damn G-spot. God he can just picture your sly smile, the remote in hand, twisting the knob to a different setting.

As if on fucking cue, the vibrations picked up.

Bakugou has to bite his tongue in order to swallow his moans. As quickly as it sped up, the vibe slowed down, keeping his orgasm away.

Fuck. He was so close.

“Ground Zero, we can schedule this meeting again if you are unwell.” Someone to the right of his desk spoke up. The temptation was too great. Get these idiots out so he can at least breathe.

“I said I’m fine.” Bakugou barked, damn his pride sometimes.

They continued. The words they spoke melted together. Numbers and villains in the Kana district. Something about more rescues? He needed to sign something. Was this the blessed end to this invasion of his office?

Trying to hide the trembling in his hands, he scribbled his name. He damn near smeared the ink when you spiked the vibe again. This time, you didn’t bring it back down.

What kind of range did that remote have?!

The (business?) people were packing up, the sound of shuffling paper was all he could comprehend. They shared more words, picking up their suitcases, something about a superior. Bakugou didn’t care.

He managed a, “thank you for coming.” Voice sounding too high strung, almost in pain.

could they hear the toy currently setting his nerves alight? Could they feel the trembling in his handshake? The tenseness of his entire body barely riding the edge to his ultimate?

Once his office door closed Bakugou slammed his head on his desk. He was close. So god damn close. He just needed a final push.

With shaking hands he fumbled for his zipper. A curse slipped passed gritted teeth when it was stuck for a second.

He breathed a sigh of relief when his aching cock was free from its constraints. Just when he was about to touch himself, you slowed the vibrations again.

“I thought we agreed on no touching,” Bakugou let out a string of curses and a frustrated groan at your presence at his office door. There you were, still in your hero costume, pink remote in your right hand.

“Or are you not strong enough to handle it?” The lock to the door clicked and you walked towards him.

“P-please. I can handle anything you throw at me.” The explosive hero smirked devilishly, signing his own death warrant.

“So you won’t mind,” you pressed the remote twice, “this.”

The vibe was stronger than ever. The shock of the sudden change caused his back to arch and a moan ripped from his throat. Fuck. This was too much. The vibrator was hitting him in a place where he saw stars.

Your fingers grasped his chin lightly. Tilting his face up your lips met his, silencing his gasps and moans of euphoria.

Just like that, you slowed the toy down.

“F-fuck!” He pulled away from you and slouched in his seat. “Do you like torturing me Like some sort of fucking villain?!” His grip on the armrests was knuckle white.

“Yes.” Was your simple response. You sat on his desk, legs crossed, looking almost bored. “How was your meeting?” Unbelievable! What game were you playing?!

“G-good.” He answered, his will was becoming thin. How much longer could he go on before he broke? His cock was leaking precum steadily, begging to be touched.

Bakugou realized you were talking when you pressed the remote again. The vibe sped up again, bringing him to the edge quickly, but never letting him over.

“You really should pay attention when someone is talking to you.”

Without thinking, bakugou launched himself from his chair. He made a lunge for the remote, only for you to lean back and keep it out of his reach, not breaking eye contact.

“Bad boy.” Was all you said before you put the vibrator on full power.

He collapsed on the ground. A howl slipping past his lips. It was too much! His nerves were on fire! He was so tantalizingly close. The vibrations were so powerful his entire body shook as the toy left him weak but unable to cum without other stimulation.

Bakugou looked up at you, face flushed, tears in his eyes, “please! Let me cum! I’m begging you!” He needed you so god damn badly, “t-touch me! Please!”

You looked so fucking smug. Victory was given to you on a silver platter. He didn’t care. You won. You properly broke him into a desperate, begging mess.

He barely registered your hands on his body. At his shoulders, trailing down his clothed chest. Your lips were at his neck, kissing and sucking the skin. He did nothing was whisper “please,” over and over again, like rain on a windowpane.

Finally, finally your hands grasped his aching cock. Bakugou threw his head back and cried out. A sob of relief slipped out as you worked him so skillfully with your grip. Everything was overwhelming. So much pleasure. So much euphoria.

Bakugou howled as his orgasm ripped through his entire being. He cam so strongly his eyes rolled back. There was nothing but pure burning ecstasy. His world melted into blinding whiteness.

Muscles spasming, he blacked out.

He woke up to your hand in his hair. A stark contrast to your treatment from earlier. Cracking one crimson eye open, he took in his surroundings.

You and him were still in his office. His head was on your lap, and the both of you were on one of the couches. How you managed to get him cleaned up and on the couch is beyond him. He’d ask you later. Maybe.

“Fucking hell.” Was the first thing he breathed out, “how long had it been?”

“A while.” You answered, looking down at him with a sweet smile, “you did so good Katsuki.”

Somewhere in his mind, he enjoyed it.

Sitting up, Bakugou turned to kiss you. Though, his grip on your thigh was a clear sign he was going to return the favor.

------

NXNSNNDNDSDN just take my blog already the throat gulag is coming I hear the konky chains of sin approaching fbdndnd

#ask val #valvent #submit to val #submission #bakugou x reader #mha bakugou #bnha x reader #bnha imagines #bnha headcannons #mha imagines #mha headcannons #mha x reader

[swampgallows]

i keep forgetting ctrl+enter auto-posts ummm anyway

i was joking with friends yesterday like “im not sure if i actually have adhd!” (looks at tabs)

but i truthfully am not sure adhd describes me that well. but it’s been so long since i actually had deadlines or had to really focus on anything in a specific time constraint that it’s really hard for me to say. ive had zero structure for years. while i did tend to be late sometimes for work etc i ‘made up for it’ by sacrificing other stuff. so like i’d get to work on time but i wouldnt eat, couldnt sleep at night, ended up “moody” (per my boss) and nonverbal sometimes... but i duno if that was just the ‘rigors’ of capitalism or what. i really cannot remember how i ever was productive or what i was like. i know i was a very bitter child/teen/young adult but i think that was also because i was being like raped every day for months in high school and groomed throughout my adolescence and then had two back-to-back abusive relationships in college (three?)

so like i dunno how much is trauma, i dont know how to NOT be traumatized or depressed or w/e not because it’s ~my identity~ but because it’s been the fucking foundation and building blocks of my life since time immemorial. not to mention the fact that the people i live with/my family are entirely fucked up on the emotional/psychological spectrum as well. so im not really sure how to NOT be...this, nor do i have the ability to envision myself as someone who is NOT “all of this” but is also “me”. a lot of this feels inherent to who i am.

i gave the example the other day of like. wearing glasses. like yeah technically i could go out and get lasik (or even contacts!) and never wear glasses again but ive worn glasses since i was like 8 years old. it’s part of my identity. it’s literally how i see myself. i cant imagine myself without glasses. when i look at myself in the mirror without glasses, i dont recognize who that person is (especially because i cant see my reflection very well). so like yeah having poor vision is technically a “flaw” but my accessibility device is also part of my identity at this point, it’s woven into the fabric of who i am and how i developed and is a cornerstone of how ive navigated my life. it’s been quietly involved in everything: the way people treat me, the way i dress myself, the hobbies and activities im involved in (a huge reason i dont do sports or work out much or did swimming more is because i wear glasses), etc. 

and the mental illness and trauma is like that too. it’s played a role in everything that has shaped me. why i didnt learn to drive earlier, why i dont drive more/am afraid to, why i have anxiety, the opportunities i did/didnt take or paths i did/didnt pursue, the books ive read, the art i’ve made, the projects ive done, the media i do/dont consume, all that shit. so it’s like. i dont really know what the alternative is. i cannot imagine it. i dont know who that person is, and it’s not just that theyre not familiar, it’s that i dont think i can be that person. that person is not me. to me it’s as feasible as suddenly waking up and being a man, or being a dog. it’s something completely alien from myself. “what would you be doing if you didnt have trauma? if you werent mentally ill? what art would you create? what job would you have?” im not even doing that shit WHILE having trauma/mental illness. how the fuck am i supposed to imagine a life without it? i cant even imagine a future where i’m at. 

i’m not being ‘held back’ so much as i’m stranded on a completely different planet. i tried to tell my therapist this week about how i feel like an alien, and the closest resolution she could give me was “I think you have more vision than you think you do.” and to, uh, “be more encouraging” in my “inner dialogue”.

i envision myself becoming so deeply entrenched in playing through shadowlands just to be on a planet that isnt my own and severed from my body that i hope i dissolve into my keyboard. my only goal or dream or hope that i have any more is getting to garrosh. just getting to him. i dont even know whats going to happen when i get there. i want to be next to him, and i want to close my eyes and fall asleep next to him and never have to wake up.

i cannot envision a life for myself in this world and my only dream is to sleep til death in a fictional one

#blathering

[captaincoffeegirl515]

6 Underground Thoughts!

I'm literally gonna talk about pretty much the entire movie so lots and lots of spoilers under the read more. 

If you've already seen the movie, I would love to talk and debate and scream excitedly about the movie with you! 

P.S. This got way longer than I expected.

I gotta say I really enjoyed the movie. Of course, there's some problems and continuity errors, etc. but I'll get to them after. 

First of all, I love all the interactions between them. Found-family trope is my jam.

One and Four

Four looks up to One and seems like he tries to impress him. 

He also calls One a likeable asshole.

"See that? That's called skill." Show off. 

One was the one Four called to for help even though they all knew his way of leaving you behind if you can't keep up. And he stepped up and saved Four! That whole scene was so good! 

I will admit though that how they first met is messed up. One basically kidnapped him, tied him down, and made Four think he was gonna shoot and kill him. Seven got it down when he called them a "family more screwed up than mine" 

Two and Three

Badass lady and himbo (does Three count as a himbo?). Enough said.

I love every interaction they had together. I enjoyed their bickering and how they showed how they cared in their own way.

Tiny touches! The part near the end when Three lightly touches Two’s arm and she takes her hand out of her pocket so they could hold hands?! Nice.

When Two said "I would love to meet your mother." awwww! The way Three just brightens up!

Four and Seven

OTP! I never expected to come out with one, but here we are.

Look, I just love the concept of the free-spirited parkour expert being with the disciplined military operator. 

Seven just immediately seemed to take Four under his wing and genuinely care about his well-being. 

The others also expressed how they didn't want to leave Four behind but only Seven fought for them to stop. 

Saved Four's life not once, but twice! It was almost instinctual and he didn't hesitate to do it. 

"You're calling me Mister Seven from now on" Seven's inner dom coming out lol. 

The names scene! "I'm Blaine. I just saved your life. What's your name?" and instead of listening to One’s order, he answers. 

"Yeah, you look like a Billy." 

Seven and One

One always kept his distance from everyone, used numbers instead of names so he wouldn't get attached, and had that horrid "can't keep up, get left behind" rule. So glad that Seven pushed back, from making the shot to save Four from both drowning and from falling to his death, questioning his rules about leaving people behind, and getting them all (except One, sadly) to say their real names. 

Seven brought out One's heart and finally made him start to actually care for his team aka family. Like I'm certain that if it wasn't for him, One would have definitely left Four to die in Hong Kong and on the boat during the coup.

"You've got a soul, man. You should let it out." 

Movie highlights and thoughts:

I called it! Like based on the screen time and focus on them from the trailers, I already knew Six was the most likely one to die and Four would probably be injured at worst. 

The fucking dialogue in the opening! I can't even. Like “I’m gonna put this inside you, really deep.” and "ahhh! She's squirting!" 

"So many fucking Vias in Italy." I love how it's canon that Four isn't that good with maps and would definitely get lost in Italy. Actually he's bad with directions period. "Where are you?" "Here." "Specifics!" "Right here." Four pls

Three trying to learn the language of each new place they go to. The best! 

Did I already say Two is badass? Because she is. She really is. And they're all right when they said she'd be the most likely to survive. 

Four and Six worked so well together in the car chase scenes and Four looked so sad when he saw Six's body in that car. Honestly if Six hadn't died so early in the movie and they got more interactions together, him and Four probably would've been my OTP. 

I did enjoy how One had like momentary vulnerability like when Six died or when Four told them to leave him followed by the gunshots, etc. Those little moments where you can see that he did have feelings before he shoves them deep down and focuses back on the mission. 

Best outfit is Four in that big white sweater with the red stripes. He looked so good. 

I found the scene where Four asks One if he was a pig then spits at him weirdly hilarious. The spitting just felt so random and came out of nowhere. 

Four sleeping is! So! Cute! And when Three starts loudly complaining, he just slowly opens one eye like he's going "are you fucking kidding me right now?!"

Another funny scene was when Four easy runs across the top of the crane and then it pans to the guards chasing him and they have both arms and legs on the crane and just slowly inching their way across. 

Guy jokes about Noor. "Noor is dead. Say he's dead." "No, he's dead. He died." "Wait no. Wrong guy. He's alive!" jfc that was funny! 

The coup song is so fire! I love it! Nice choice, Four. 

Four's scream when that guy broke his arm just kills me. I kinda wish One made that guy's death a bit more painful and drawn out but I get that they were under some serious time constraints.

Actually any part where Four gets hurt... noooo bb

Now that I think about it, the fact that they have comms throughout the mission, like they can hear everything the others say, they can hear each other when they're fighting, when they get hit, everything. They heard when Three got shot in the face and Seven panicked, thinking that he just killed him. They heard Four screaming in pain when his arm broke and they couldn't do anything since they weren't there. 

Seriously though, Ben's acting is so good! He's easily the best part of the movie. And his eyes! So green and so expressive! 

“Fuck you!” “Fuck you!” “No you, fuck you!” jfc One and Three are hilarious together.

It was such a great scene when One told them he wouldn't go after Rovach bc he's going to save Four. Just. My heart. And "You’re breaking your own rules. I thought you didn't have a family". And Five's soft smile.

Four and Five are rock climbing buddies! Both their smiles can outshine the sun. They're so cute! (even though in the close-ups you can tell the rock is very obviously fake)

Ben and Adria are both so hot my little bi heart is ready to burst! 

Also, how is Micheal Bay saying this movie isn't political? They had the US gov’t staging coups in third world countries and putting dictators into power, Russia arming Rovach and his military, chemical warfare, Rovach's whole speech to his generals about hitting where he is weakest like hospitals and schools, the "our president doesn't know how to spell Turgistan" line, revolution, overthrowing dictators, throwing Rovach down to the people for them to deal their own brand of justice, etc. There were so many things that just screamed politics!

Issues:

Holy hell the kill count of this movie is just insane. It becomes over the top so fast. Same with all the gratuitous gore.

Shaky af camera work. 

Literally every explosion looked like those sparky fireworks. What. 

Lots of continuity errors. Six having a disappearing and reappearing hat throughout the chase scene. Basically any scene involving water. Like Four and Two get completely soaked at one point, but in the next scene, they're completely dry. Or the part where Four is hanging upside down on the net and big dude is trying to untangle him so he’d fall but when it cuts back to them when Seven makes the shot, it's back to the part where the guy was choking Four. 

Did anyone else notice all the skid marks on the roads even though they haven't officially driven on it yet? Didn't have enough budget left to remove or edit out the marks from all the rehearsals they did? 

And why is One hanging the eyeball right over the phone screen? That's not where the camera is dude!

Did Two and Three seriously have sex with all those dead people around?! Shouldn't they be running since they killed the 4 generals and guards would likely be on their way?? 

Also, Ben's stunt double was obvious in almost every parkour stunt. Wow. 

Why no Five backstory! I wanna know how she ended up joining the team!

They did Five dirty! She barely has lines or scenes, they took out her backstory, and gave her little to no character growth. 

I know they're hinting at Four and Five getting together, but I just don't see it. They have barely any romantic chemistry together. Eye contact and smiling is not chemistry. It just isn’t. 

#6 underground #6 underground spoilers #ryan reynolds #melanie laurent #manuel garcia rulfo #ben hardy #adria arjona #dave franco #corey hawkins

[kyluxtrashpit]

K so I said I might write a post about what I wanted from ep 9 and then I ended up doing it. So this is essentially a summary of the movie I would’ve made if someone gave me that ability. It’s not fully fleshed out, but I literally could not stop myself from typing it out once I starting piecing it together lmao

Even though this is my own creation, I still consider this a spoilery post SO WARNING FOR RISE OF SKYWALKER SPOILERS RIGHT HERE

I still think the best thing to do with ep 9 would be to centre it on the FO falling apart instead of ‘oh no daddy palps is back :o’. Truth be told, I’d rewrite TLJ too if I could, but I’m going to try to work within its constraints on this as well as keep some tros stuff intact for the sake of trying to work with it. So here’s the basic plot of what I would’ve liked to see:

Kylo undermining and removing authority from Hux while he focuses on Force stuff. He’s still looking for secrets and holocrons, but there’s no palpatine

Meanwhile the Resistance is working on building up their forces and helping the little people, plus trying to get info to take down the FO

The focus of the Resistance side is them trying to get the strength to face the FO and working together and all that good stuff. Focus more on the small acts of goodness in the galaxy that bring people together and end up with those they help joining the Resistance. That’s where they get their strength

Rey’s story would also be mostly about mastering the Force (and Leia still helps to train her) and the love and family she’s found among the Resistance. She’s still stupidly powerful though. I’d love to make her a Skywalker, but hell, it’d even work if she remained a nobody. TLJ was her crucible; she knows who she is now. She doesn’t need anyone else to tell or write her story for her

Also I really want her to go grey jedi. So maybe she realizes what Luke really meant: it was time for the jedi not truly to end, but to change. To embrace emotion without losing themselves to it. To realize that the only true way to achieve balance is not by staying light in order to defeat the dark, but instead learning to master both and keeping the balance within herself. That way, when the darkness is defeated, it won’t need to rise again: true balance. This would be her growth in the story, to learn how to embrace true balance in the Force

Also Finn’s story is still going to focus on the Stormtroopers (and Jannah can 100% still be there). So he finds Jannah and her team in Act 1, and then in Act 2 they unearth some secrets as to how Stormtroopers are brainwashed. Conditioning can’t be broken out of by will alone; Finn was Force sensitive. But something else happened with Jannah and her company. An idea is born: could they recreate that on a large scale and free them all? That’d be a huge blow to the FO and it would save all those troopers who never had a choice in what to be

Poe’s focus would still be on becoming the leader they need him to be, with lots of fun trio moments. So his wouldn’t actually change that much, but nothing about him being a drug dealer. I’m sure Zori could still be worked in but tbh I didn’t feel she added much to the plot

Rose is there a lot more too and comes along on all their adventures, happy to liberate anyone they can. She’s always been in it for the little people and that’s where she shines

Also Kylo is even more erratic, even more lost. He feels torn apart all over again. He’s not doing well as SL; he thought it would make things clearer, but it didn’t. He’s unstable and feral, focusing on all the wrong things and making bad choices because of it

Near the end of Act 1 of the movie, Hux betrays Kylo in a near deadly fashion, but Kylo manages to escape by the skin of his teeth

The Resistance gets word of a civil war within the FO. It;s Hux’s fleet (the red troopers + newer FO officers) vs Kylo’s fleet (mostly the older imperials who remember Vader + the KOR – you can keep Pryde here too if you want). This is their chance. They can take advantage of the chaos

While Kylo recovers from Hux’s attack, he starts having doubts again. Nothing has felt right since he became SL but what other choice does he have? He can’t go back, can he? He’s not supposed to want to. And even if he did, he’s too far gone to ever be welcomed, even by his own mother. So he continues fighting against Hux, more harried and haunted than ever

This situation degrades quickly. Both sides are getting hits in, but Hux is winning. Worse yet: it’s spilling over and doing collateral damage. Places controlled by the FO are being exploited, even worse atrocities being committed against them in this rapid arms race to superiority

Hell, maybe Hux’s fleet still has those planet-destroying canons like Palps’ fleet cause why not, everyone seems to think SW needs a superweapon in it. Anyway

There’d be more development on the heroes’ side as I detailed above here. Rey helping people and learning to be grey. Finn discovering the secrets of the Stormtrooper program. Poe becoming a leader. Rose comes with them on their journeys. Leia is heard rather than seen for the most part; she’s surviving this time around, but her presence is felt through her messages and dialogue snippets rather than physically being in the scenes. Some of the footage could be used, especially her hug with Rey, but I’d use much less of it

The Resistance knows they have to hurry. Do they have enough people? They have no idea, but they’re gonna try anyway. They have to. And you can still have Lando do basically the same thing; show up, be cool, then go get some more people

I’d like to do more with the KOR too, but tbh I’m not sure how other than just some scenes of them and Kylo doing Ren Stuff (whatever that may be). But there’d definitely be something

Near the end of Act 2, there’s a particularly brutal fight. I’d want Kylo and the KOR on the ground here, doing their shit. It feels kinda cheap to have him almost die again but tros also had 2 death fake outs for Kylo before the actual death so fuck it lmao. He thinks he’s going to win (maybe Hux is even there? Or maybe Phasma is revived? Or even just some fancy trooper akin to FN-2199 or something. Maybe it’s even Force-nullifying tech), but then the last minute he gets his shit wrecked

He’s dying. He reaches out with the Force, violently, affecting everyone. Rey hears it through the shattered bond. Finn even hears it, though faintly. It hits Leia hardest of all

Meanwhile, Kylo sees the ghost of Anakin instead of a vision of Han. Anakin, who knows better than anyone what it is to turn to the dark, but also what it is to turn away from it. The scene would still play out similarly, but not mirror the past scene with Han so much

(Look, I know a lot of people don’t like bendemption, but I think that redemption is always possible as long as it’s written well. And that applies to pretty much any character. TROS just needed more time to develop it, which I am attempting to do here by showing Kylo’s instability at the beginning)

Anakin manages to heal Kylo enough to bring him back from the brink of death, but not fully. I don’t think I want Kylo to toss away his lightsaber, but he still could. Regardless, there’s some sort of symbolic gesture to prove he’s changed his mind

A ship arrives: it’s the Resistance. Finn and Poe are cautious, but Rey doesn’t fear him. She confronts him about this sudden change of heart, but she can feel his sincerity. So she reassures Finn and Poe and they bring him along, though no one is really happy about it. They fix him up

With Kylo’s fleet all but destroyed, Hux is ready to take out the Resistance and everyone who sympathizes. Now perhaps we have a planet the trio had previously visited get destroyed. There’s still an ultimatum from the FO to obey or die. It’s a crackdown. A final act to ensure domination of the galaxy. Hell, you can even still call it the Final Order if you want to

The Resistance now strikes. Lando’s getting more back up, if he can, but they take who they’ve got. Kylo is there and there’s a lot of mistrust (could be played for humour too) but not enough time to get into it. They need to do this or too many will die. If he tries anything, Rey will strike him down and she tells him so. She’s done listening to his attempts to get under her skin

This Kylo is also definitely more Ben (I’m mixed on whether he should just go back to his old name or not so I’m keeping him Kylo for the sake of this summary). There’s guilt, though. A lot of it. You can see it on his face and in what he says. But helping to fix this will be a start. His crimes aren’t forgotten; he wants to make up for them however he can

Also Finnrey happens. They kiss before the fight this time and it’s very cute and romantic

So basically the end fight is Resistance fleet vs FO fleet. Poe is leading the charge. Meanwhile, Finn, Jannah, Rose and company sneak on to try to end FO conditioning. Rey and Kylo also sneak on; they’re going for Hux and the elite troops he uses as guards

Hux is going to have to have Force-nullifying tech of some sort (which I think is extremely underused in the SW universe as a whole btw). But he underestimates what Rey (powerful as fuck) and Kylo (Skywalker) are capable of

I’m not 100% sure how this fight plays out but I think I want Rey and Kylo to take out Hux’s elite troops without being able to use the Force. It’d be a fun struggle to watch and also make the fight much more visceral and difficult for them. But they both know how to fight, so they win

On the other side, Finn, Jannah, and Rose manage to do whatever to free the Stormtroopers from mind control (I’m not sure exactly how this would happen, but it’s star wars, it doesn’t need to make much sense). We get the first stage of a full trooper rebellion. They go after the officers immediately

Outside, Poe is struggling, just like in tros. They might lose this. Even if the landing party wins, there’s just too many of them. Cue Lando bringing a big fleet to help and giving us an epic space battle

Back inside: something exciting happens and it turns into a struggle between Hux’s tech and their combined Force powers. This is how I think it should go:

Kylo gives Rey his Force powers, which knocks him unconscious. Rey now has the power to break through on her own. It shouldn’t be possible. She sends out a concussive blast that knocks Hux back. The ideal here would be Hux being captured and taken in alive to be tried for war crimes, but I know that’s asking too much lmao so

If I can’t have definitively alive Hux: Rey approaches him but the ship makes a buckling noise; her Force powers compromised the structural integrity. Debris falls, obscuring Hux (and probably implying it killed him), and she knows it’s time to run. Kylo also comes to around this moment and follows

(And for real, I’m also okay with Hux dying for sure here, because at least he got to have his day first, but this is fantasy land lmao so I’m just not gonna have it happen as far as that goes)

Finn, Jannah, and Rose lead the stormtroopers onto transports as the ship starts falling apart. Rey and Kylo (and Hux, if I got my way) show up and make it in too. They take off and make it out just as the Finalizer crumples. Everyone lives! (Plus Hux is plausibly still alive even if I can’t have him definitely alive sdkfsdkl)

They call for the fleet to stop; the Stormtroopers on every destroyer are rising up, freed from their shackles. Shot of FO officers tied up and captured as the Stormtroopers, without their helmets, celebrate

A sidenote: I can’t decide whether I want Kylo to have lost his Force powers permanently by giving them to Rey or for him to get them back. I think losing them would be a good act of sacrificial penance, but at the same time, I’m not sure if that’s a thing so lmao. I’m open to possibilities here

End bit would still be a celebration. Rey and Finn and Poe still hug. The Stormtroopers are happy. We can still have that moment with Lando and Jannah; the implication of trying to find where every one of the troopers came from. The FO officers have been imprisoned. Everything is right in the galaxy again

Now there’s one more scene with Kylo: he stands in front of a door, looking pensive, squeezing and unsqueezing his hands into fists. The shot moves to his back and the door opens. You can’t see what’s inside but you hear: “Ben?” followed by a pause, and then a small, broken “Mom.”. He steps inside and starts to fall to his knees. End scene

Now, as a last scene, we could still do Rey having a funeral for Luke on Tatooine and keep the ending shot basically the same except Leia and her saber aren’t there because Leia is alive. Rey could still decide to be a Skywalker if she’s a nobody. The shot of two suns. The End.

#oh boy I need to stop saying things about this movie and just move on lmao #but god could you imagine? #I think this would've been really cool #might be a little anime lmao but fuck it star wars has never been super deep anyway #I really did try to give every character something so I hope I succeeded! #shut up nerd #meta #text #long post #tros spoilers #rise of skywalker spoilers #spoilers

[aesthetic-survivor-of-twd]

You've mentioned you like Nick a lot. What are your thoughts on his character? Also, how would you change the shitty treatment he got after ep 2?

Nick to me, was a very important character because he represented what a character like Ben could have been if he was provided the time to own up to his faults and then worked towards improving and growing as a person (Ben admitted to his faults and accepted his determinant death, but didn’t get a chance to properly make up for them).

I grew to like Nick really early on because he was a very flawed but real character with raw emotion. I often feel like a lot of the characters in Twdg, though realistic - kind of have a bit of exaggeration to them that makes them stand out as very much “comic book characters”. Nick however, felt very much human.

-

In episode 1 when we first meet him, he nearly kills us and gets told off by his uncle. Now this is the part where you are supposed to think he is a total jackass and in most games this would be the “asshole character” constantly trying to undermine and screw with the main character.

But he isn’t. Later on he apologises to us then explains his (pretty valid) reasoning of why he is trigger happy. Does that mean he is justified in all that he does? No. But it does provide context and gives us insight into him as a person - being that he is actually a pretty kind and loyal person that doesn’t think before he acts and lets his emotions get the better of him.

We also see more of this when we go with him and Pete to the lake, where we also learn that Nick’s only male parental figure in his life is Pete - someone he respects but we also learn tends to feel pressure from and underestimated constantly which leads to him having a bit of an inferiority complex and need to prove himself to people (which in turn, leads to his screw ups because he doesn’t think and acts on those impulses).

All in all, episode 1 sets us up with a really solid concept for a character and one that promises a lot of growth. And it’s this build up that makes his ultimate fate in episode 4 leave a bitter taste in my mouth. 

-

Episode 2 is very much Nick’s episode. Yes, even when Kenny showed up and took the spotlight at the beginning that episode was very much an entire development arc for Nick, so much so that in 2 episodes he became the most developed character in that entire season.

That scene in season 2 with him in the shack with Clem is one of my favourite moments in the entire series. So much emotion and deep dialogue came from that one scene and it was that exact moment that established to me just how amazing this season could have been, because that entire conversation is the embodiment of makes “The Walking Dead” special. Not the walkers or constant drama, but just two people sitting together and forming a bond despite the shitty situation they are in.

And Nick’s character only got better from there. He willingly puts himself at risk so Clem can run away (amusingly the opposite of Ben) and even thanks her for not giving up on him. It’s kind of interesting in a way, because a lot of people view Luke as the close companion or older brother figure of Clem, but you could honestly make the argument that Nick also fits that role given how much the two of them can bond in the season.

He has a lot of moments that make him flawed (killing the dude on the bridge, nearly shooting us, his anger, letting an 11 year old drink, ect) but is also written in away that stops him from being dislikable (owns up to his mistakes, is honest, caring, quite brave actually).

The thing that really made him stand out from Ben as character though is when he kills Matthew (I hope I got the name right) and actually WANTS to tell the truth and it’s Luke who doesn’t want him to. Nick takes responsibility over his actions and tries to make it right.

And I ADORE how that entire outcome played out with Walter and the fact that we can decide whether or not we actually view him as a good guy or not and our answer determines whether Walter sees him worth living.

Which is also the sad point because this is when his entire character takes a nose dive because Nick Breckon only wrote the first 2 episodes and the writers began changing each episode (and so did the character development). Which isn’t a bad thing per say since it happened with TFS. But I do think there was way less communication for this season than there is for TFS among the team.

-

In episode 3 Nick gets shoved to the side along with the rest of the cabin group in favour of Kenny, quite literally getting benched as he sleeps most of the episode. The only noteworthy thing being his sweet moment with Clem where he clearly sees her as part of their group and his moment of faith in Luke and the last we see of him is helping Luke chase down Sarah.

And then in Episode 4 he dies off screen...

And there lies one of the biggest problems with Season 2.

They build up so much character development with these characters and the start of arcs but never truly follow through with them to the end.

And I understand that not everyone gets a chance to improve as a person or get their “big moment” I get that, I do. It’s just not realistic. Some people die having never improved as a being or doing what they want to do, that’s the tragedy of life.

But from the context of the narrative that Season 2 set up - it makes NO sense.

Now, I didn’t expect Nick to become some insane walker killing machine and the MVP of survivors in the apocalypse - hell, he didn’t even HAVE to survive the season.

But he definitely should NOT have died the way he did in episode 4, and that’s the hill on which i’ll forever die on.

I don’t know how I would have handled Nick’s fate personally, but I do think he shouldn’t have died until episode 5 and that his death should have meant something. 

Looking back on the season as someone who hasn’t played it in years, I think what I would have done was keep the Luke vs Kenny rivalry that was the original narrative and then maybe had Nick die similar to Luke (maybe protecting him - or Clem if you were loyal to him). Give him a death that’s fitting of someone trying to prove himself to people, who genuinely wants to protect his friends and let him do something for once that actually benefits the group instead of fucking up and putting them in danger, even if that still ends in his death.

Because it’s a hell of a lot more poetic and fitting than sticking his character model on a fence and being like “yeah he ran to get help, but I guess he got bit lol” especially when the other characters barely acknowledge it and it just ends up rubbing salt in the wound.

Because when you do lazy shit like that, you are then just conforming to the idea of which this Season proposes (in episode 4) that characters who aren’t “strong” or hardened survivors can’t survive or will die being the pathetic idiots that others view them as.

It happened to Nick and it also happened to Sarah (though Nick suffered the worst I think).

My biggest gripe with this season is honestly the lack of empathy and interest it has in it’s own characters. The season started off so hopeful and like it had passion behind it, only to then decline into...whatever that was.

And I know that there are issues that go on with the company, and I’m sure there were things beyond the writer’s control (such a time constraints, ect) which made it hard for them to give it 100%. I know.

But knowing how much potential Season 2 had if it were handled a little better will forever continue to annoy me a little bit.

#basically a Nick study sort of with some slight S2 criticism #twdg #twdg nick #nick twdg #twdg2 #twdgs2 #twdg s2 #character study

[ofaugusts]

* TITUS  › 𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐲𝐧.

sleepless nights and hollow hues. impish, lopsided grins that settle upon split lips. the fall of honeyed locks over hazel hues. nicotine stained fingertips. anger worn like an accessory. a full body dunk into ice cold water. the hour right before dusk turns to dawn. the deafening silence after fireworks. the flash of lightning before the thunder.

𝐚𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬

wowowow okay first off sooo excited to be here ( totally not writing this at five in the morning just so i can have it ready to go ) ??  my name’s moosh, i’m 21+, and have no preference for pronouns. this got pretty long i’m super sorry i always try to keep it short n it never works sdfnskdjf ANYWAYS HERE’S MY BB i’m planning on plotting w every one of u but still like this post n i’ll come plot ♡

𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐬

name: august reyn age: 22 / senior gender: cismale ( he/him ) major: business + econ minor orientation: heterosexual / heteroromantic mbti: estp house: gryffindor ( 60% ) / slytherin ( 40% ) alignment: chaotic neutral

𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨

i haven’t uhh gotten around to a bio but i’ll also try to keep this as simple n concise as possible ??

death due to birth tw. baby boy is born as august tenold in los angeles, no dad in sight and mother passed. spent three/four days in the hospital until his grandmother finally made it across the country from new york to take him home to brooklyn where he would spend the next SEVENTEEN years.

they weren’t very well off and by that i mean that they had to sometimes worry about heat, leaks when it rained too much, warm water, so forth, but they were lucky enough to be able to afford a two bedroom. 

BUT august never attended a public school once. before her death she had been promised the best education for their son, in place of a role in his life. grandma would take the train with august everyday, an hour and a half to school, and she luckily found a job near his school because the commute alone was a journey. three hour commute, five times a week, and by the time he was in fourth grade he could find his way to school himself.

it was at school that he saw such a stark difference in lifestyle. it only got worse as he got older and whatever they bought would only become more and more expensive. it was there he learned that there was power and influence in wealth when he would get detention for defending himself in a fight he didn’t start while the others got away with things because of family names.

after elementary school is when boarding school starts, where he only sees his grandmother during summer vacations because flights back home only to stay for winter break are too expensive. where he gets special permission to leave school grounds because he needs a job to earn some spending money.

grandma falls ill in the beginning of his sophomore year, but he’s so busy with school and they rarely see each other as it is ( only during the summers ), that he only finds out when he’s a junior becoming a senior. his entire summer is spent working to help pay rent for the apartment no one was living in, and then his nights at the hospital. the staff allow him a makeshift bed after he’s spent a week sleeping there, and as reluctant as he is, his grandmother tells him to go to school to continue his last year, and he obliges. she tells him she’ll be there for his graduation, and it becomes the last time he sees her.

she passes in the middle of his senior year and it’s quickly followed by news that he has a new guardian. his father, who can’t be older than thirty five years old, is geoffrey reyn, ceo of reyn enterprises ( think of wayne enterprises in that they literally have their hands in everything ). he’s come under some heavy fire recently and is not favored by the public, but what’s a better than a long lost son sob story to cover it up ??  

violence tw. literally shows up to school the next day and the energy is different because he’s for once at the top of the pyramid. the same people who had tormented him for years step on his toes and he fights back knowing he has a bite to match his bark now. the first time he feels that smug feeling of power is when he leaves the principal’s office for the first time with just a tissue.

he’s dragged around places by his dad during that summer, asked about his new life, how much better it is than living in the shabby two bedroom apartment in brooklyn and not once asked about his grandmother or if he got to attend her funeral ( which he did not ). hurriedly having applied to ashcroft, he got in, and soon he was shipped off elsewhere.

child abuse and violence tw. relationship with his dad was always very violent, but august never took hits sitting down. august wasn’t the grateful puppet geoffrey had needed, and his dad was not a savior. there’s still a lot of constraint and control he tries to place on his son, however, even though years of failure have only confirmed he can’t be controlled. the last few years, however, had been running smoothly. business and econ were finally taken up as majors and minors, their interactions less turbulent, and this was all due to one thing: octavia.

so let’s backtrack a lillll so august first meets octavia when he's 17 where he’s working off the books the job his granny has ( cleaning up after classes at a prestigious ballet studio ) due to her back acting up. he becomes infatuated with her, her lifestyle, and they quickly grow closer. she builds some sort of greed within him to want to be good enough for someone like her, or maybe just her. he swears it, and then his granny passes. the next time he meets her is two years down the line at some gala his dad would insist he attend, and they spend the night stowed away in an empty ballroom, a bottle of champagne in hand and a secret kiss shared behind closed doors. she tells him she’s thinking of applying to ashcroft and he insists that she must, that he’d wait for her. the following year, he’s there to greet her on campus, and immediately they’re an item. 

around all this time, his relationship with his dad is supperr rocky. every time they spoke they fought and when august hung up on him too much, he’d appear on campus ( an effective way of getting august not to hang up ). he’s met with octavia and her parents and he realizes the kind of status he has to uphold in order to date someone like her. he finally declares the major his father had chosen for him and understands it’s a choice he has to make to stay with her. he becomes much too obedient with his dad, knowing that the way to stay in favor with her parents would be to finally yield to what his dad wanted. so he becomes a proper heir, majoring in the correct field, taking his studies more seriously, acting and talking the right way. he falls in line to keep her, he gets along with everyone and it’s all because she dulls his sharp edges and he can lean on her. a lot of his life begins to warp around her, and that’s when his dad threatens to touch the thing that had been keeping the waters still.

geoffrey had been having complications in a business deal that octavia’s dad was refusing to agree to. with the knowledge of his crimes, getting rid of the other would be easy, and closing the deal even easier. not wanting to be tainted with such an image, he tells august to end things and even goes as far as to threaten her safety. there isn’t a doubt in august’s mind he’d follow through, knowing all the dirt on his new surname, and things with octavia come to an end, though they continue to keep seeing each other as she begins her new relationship.

has fallen into a bit of a depressive slump, even after the rest of the semester was given off to them. for the first few days afterwards, no one really sees him around. he spends his days locked up in his room, not touching his assignments and not answering to the house maids that knock on his door. he’s completely heartbroken because truly, he believed the rest of his life would be spent with octavia. then comes the anger almost immediately, because while alcohol and drugs allows him to ease the pain it doesn’t allow him to forget, and after coming to bail him out of jail three times, his father stops picking up the phone and cuts august off, taking his cards, cars, everything, unless there’s a promise to behave better. obviously his father is not someone he can come to lean on emotionally for this, and so he picks up other ways of easing the pain: alcohol, drugs, adrenaline, women.

her death is very heavily placed on him for an obvious reason ( she was the love of his life ) but it also comes with the struggle of finishing his degree. he’s so close to it, yet he feels like there’s really no reason for him to continue on with it. octavia had been the sole reason his relationship with his father had been steady. now that she’s out of the picture, there’s no need for a business degree, no need for a shining reputation, no need for whatever upper class bullshit. that’s the mindset that he’s in going into the last semester of college with, and whether he royally fucks up his future because of his grief or if he decides to push through because that’s what octavia would have wanted is up in the air. 

so as usual i’m better at describing bg rather than personality so bear with me.

getting to know august is easy, because he makes it easy. he’s amiable, playful, witty, sarcastic to a fault, but he’s also pessimistic. without octavia’s light to balance it out he’s kind of let himself sink into that cynical mindset that has always been overbearing. unlike his father, however, his anger is always quiet, still, and strikes when least expected. there’s never a scene because there’s never yelling ( unless it’s to his dad ), always low voices that drip with threats and cold eyes that warn of something worse to come if the line keeps being tread. how his knuckles become bloody is always a mystery, because you never heard about august reyn getting into a fight until another kid showed up the next day with a black eye. now, there isn’t much that can be done to bring that out in him, but that’s the dangerous part that people always tell you to look out for. it’s because he always seem so easy going that people don’t ever see the darkness until it’s too late.

i did not do a good job at explaining his personality bc i never do sdfkjsndkf BASICALLY he’s?? p chill. always seems to have that easy look on his face. always looking for trouble and getting into it with the principal, or any authority figure tbh bc fuck them. looking for a good time and is always the one to hype up the party if it feels like it’s dying. lives off of adrenaline and nicotine. will call you out on your ignorant bullshit. hates rich people even though he’s one of them and will drag anyone at ashcroft that he sees abusing their power, even though he uses his name to get away with so many things. is the first person called in his friend group if there’s a fight going down. is soooo overly sarcastic that at times it sounds like he’s being serious. has serious eye rolling problems. doesn’t yell during fights but will yell during debates and get really heated. 

#spectreintro #*/ 𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐞 — character study. #// sry i just?? had to use that gif #very fucking august #blood cw #bruise cw #forgive me for any typos i am the queen of not proof reading

[knifeonmars]

Capsule Reviews - June/July 2020

I didn't read as many comics that I felt the need to write about these past couple of months, but the ones that I did I generally had a lot of thoughts on.

Hawkworld 

Back in 1989, DC attempted to revamp Hawkman, notoriously the most confusing character in a stable comprised of confusing characters, with Timothy Truman's Hawkworld, a dark, modern take on the sci-fi version of the character. The result is flawed in the most frustrating ways, just good enough that parts of it feel like they could be coming from a hidden classic of DC's back catalog, but never living up to its potential. The story entirely is set on Thanagar, casting Katar Hol (Hawkman) as a privileged heir who has thrown his lot in with the police force and pines for Thanagar's lost golden age, when men were men and heroes walked the Earth. The first couple of issues do some genuinely excellent work depicting Thanagar as a corrupt and crumbling empire which bears more than a little resemblance to the USA and casting Hol as a well-meaning but ultimately deluded dupe whose role as a cop makes him at best complicit in his culture's worst excesses. 

Unfortunately, the second half of the series never manages to live up to the first half, skipping forward in time by about ten years and ditching the systemic critique of its first half. Instead, the corrupt police commander who had previously appeared as a symptom of Thanagar's ills is turned into a literal monster, a strawman for the newly christened Hawkman to soundly thump over the head in place of addressing larger issues. The systemic concerns of the series' first half are never meaningfully addressed in the later issues and Hawkworld ends up falling back into being a simple tale of good cops versus bad cops, despite the first half of the series having been largely unambiguous about cops' nature as agents of state violence and imperialism. It's a shocking and deeply confusing disconnected that I can't tell if it's because I'm bringing modern politics and assumptions to the book or that someone at DC completely lost their nerve halfway through. This is what makes Hawkworld so frustrating to read, on the one hand its insightful and anti-colonial and surprisingly relevant to 2020, but on the other it never commits to those ideas because doing so would be too radical, the end result is a book which is very good right up until the point that it completely wimps out and shuffles back into mediocrity.

She-Hulk

After a long interval of living, unread, in my Comixology files, I finally read She-Hulk by Charles Soule and Javier Pulido. The quality of the series almost goes unsaid; it's one of the best of its era and niche, a part of the a whole constellation of early to mid 2010's "street level" Marvel superhero books which started, more or less with Daredevil and Hawkeye, ran through She-Hulk and Spider-Woman, extended into Hellcat and debatably Squirrel Girl, and then fizzled out several years ago. I try to fight nostalgia back most of the time, but it can't be overstated how good that whole wave of titles was, almost universally fun and approachable, grounded and empathetic, and with top-notch art across the board. Anyway, She-Hulk by Soule and Pulido is fantastic. It keeps to a relatively straightforward procedural style, makes the courtroom antics feel real thanks to Soule's actual background as a lawyer, and connects with the Marvel Universe in ways which set it among the others without ever feeling too overwhelming. The whole deal with The Blue File, the series' overarching mystery is well handled and does something really interesting with Nightwatch, an absolutely nothing character, who I'm a little disappointed we haven't seen turn up again since this reinvention. Reading She-Hulk made me nostalgic for this whole era, of which this series was one of the best.

The Adventure Zone: Petals to the Metal

Petals to the Metal is the arc where the McElroy family's The Adventure Zone podcast found its footing and really began to blossom into the series that it would become, so there were a lot of expectations riding on this entry in the graphic novel adaptations of the series. Generally speaking, it continues to nail most of what made the series work and polish the story into something a little more refined and coherent. The narrative trimming and changes done are smooth, the jokes still work, and its able to foreshadow events in a way that the podcast, given its nature as an emergent narrative, could never really do. Carey Pietsch's cartooning remains fabulous, and what makes this story work as a graphic novel must certainly be credited to her. This series remains the defining work of her young career and while I greatly enjoy what she's doing, I do wonder if she's really going to stick around do all seven potential books, especially if they keep ballooning in size. The only criticisms of Petals to the Metal as a comic are much the same as could be made about Petals to the Metal as a podcast and the big one is the main characters are kind of incidental to the story and don't feel like they have an important role in the emotional climax. Such is the nature of trying to tell a story in a DnD campaign, and its something that TAZ would get better at subsequently, but in graphic novel form hard not to think about. Without as clear of a distinction between "player characters" and "non-player characters" it's not quite as strange to see the main trio take a back seat, but without the charisma and speed of the podcast form it's much easier to sit back and say "wait, the main character's aren't even doing anything here". This volume is also noticeably thicker than the first two volumes of The Adventure Zone, and I hope that this series isn't going to swell, Harry Potter-like, with each entry, if only for the sake of Pietsch not keeling over from the effort.

Batman: Last Knight on Earth

Supposedly the capper to the Batman stories Snyder and Capullo's started telling all the way back in 2011 with the New 52 reboot of the character, though that's a little hard to swallow when they are still very much doing a bunch of Batman stuff in their current Death Metal event series. It's Batman playing in a post-apocalyptic DC universe, bombastic and unhinged, upending the toy box and smashing things like there's no tomorrow. It's fun, beautifully drawn, and incredibly over the top, but it's not going to be for everyone. For one thing, it's a tour of a ruined DC universe, so it's not exactly kind of most characters; there's a lot of death and mutilation and grotesqueness abounds. It's also deeply, deeply, misanthropic. I've got an essay talking about the politics of this book at greater length ready to go up at some point, but the short version is that this is a comic which starts off with an incredibly unsubtle allegory for the 2016 election and then ends with a big, cheesy hope shot that means absolutely nothing.

Even beyond my political reading of it, not everything about the story works. Snyder and Capullo's Batman work has had a ton of Joker in it and his role here is obnoxious and contains a bafflingly unearned redemption arc. More importantly, the book is built on misanthropy and the evil that ordinary people do but is completely unable to actually confront this thematically or narratively. It's a major thematic shortcoming.

I'm reminded of the ending of Grant Morrison's Batman Inc, a similar endpoint to an era of Batman which was fundamentally informed by the rejection of Morrison's vision by the rest of DC Comics. It's a bitter, angry book, but still beautiful and engaging, and fun to talk about.

Batman Universe

The complete other end of the spectrum from Last Knight on Earth, Batman Universe is a glorious romp through the DC universe, exploring the setting and characters and having fun in this day-glo fantasia. Nick Derrington knocks the art out of the park, and the constraints of shorter chapters mean that Brian Bendis' writing is more succinct and energetic than I've ever seen it before. I've idly wondered for years now why there's no current Batman animated series, and Batman Universe seems very much designed as the equivalent of one: the ties to current continuity are nearly nonexistent, the art is distinct and skews away from pseudo-realism in favor of pop aesthetics, and the approach in general is lighthearted.

It's not the deepest book, at least on an initial read, it's pointedly light fare, but it's still incredibly good. It is an unabashed, all-caps SUPERHERO STORY that doesn't feel retro or dated.

#words #capsule reviews #last knight on earth

[kanerboo]

a love letter to the marvel ladies

i just watched endgame for the second time and, just like the first time, i came away from the cinema utterly in love with all the marvel ladies, so much so that i just had to write this post and get the thoughts off my chest.

lots of endgame spoilers in here - if you do not want to be spoiled, do not click into the cut!

hope: she may not have had a big role, but what matters is that she was there in the end, battling for the fate of earth, fighting alongside scott. when scott needed to get to his van, she was by his side in a flash, and when they shrunk to get through the battlefield, she took his hand, SHE led the way through the battle to their van. i remember in iron man 1 pepper said to tony “you couldn’t tie your shoelaces without me” and you know what, that’s kinda how i feel about scott and hope too. (i love them dflkjfdlf)

mantis: she didn’t have a big role either, but reminder that she and she alone held thanos still with her powers in infinity war, buying the others almost enough time to get the gauntlet off him. she doesn’t SEEM like she does much, maybe, but she’s proven she can put a celestial and a titan wielding the power of the infinity stones to sleep. i wish she had had a bigger part in endgame, but it’s okay - i get the constraints of combining so many characters into one battle, and like i said, she’s already proven herself.

okoye: fhdjlkdf i love her so much, such an amazing brave fighter, the best lieutenant anyone could ever ask for, loyal to her country and her king, willing to throw down and kill the man she was in love with to protect her country. she was right there by t’challa in the final battle, hacking down thanos’ armies like they were paper, and you wouldn’t expect her to be anywhere else. 

shuri: shuri is a thinker, not a fighter. but she fought for her country against killmonger, she did her best to help and save vision in the battle of wakanda, she returned from dust to fight in the final battle against thanos alongside her brother, with her vibranium weapons of her own design. pure genius and pure bravery in one sassy package.

natasha: thinking about nat fucking hurts my heart, oh my god. for five years she was working her ass off, on high alert constantly for any threats to earth, real or imagined. she was so tired and she just kept going, because this was all that was even keeping her going. she didn’t have to sacrifice herself because clint was going to, he was so determined he should be the one to do it, but she did it anyway, because she recognised clint had a family to go back to. she did too -  she had her found family - except she wanted to do this for them, to bring those of her family who weren’t there anymore back, to ensure that clint’s family wouldn’t have to come back and live without him. the avengers would never have gotten the soul stone, never have carried out their plan without her sacrifice. and while on one hand i recognise that fact, i’m also fucking torn up about it. nat deserved so much better than that death on an alien planet. she should have come home.

gamora: i love gamora - she’s so kickass and so badass, all of the time. thanos trained her to become the deadliest woman in the galaxy, and she not only lived up to her name but had a hand in bringing him down. her death scene in infinity war was just as hard for me to watch as nat’s was. now i just want her to be found and reunited with the guardians in gotg3, back with her family and her sister.

nebula: i am honestly so, so glad they gave nebula the redemptive arc that they did, because damn, she more than redeemed herself in this. she’s been tortured and broken and taken apart so many times, she’s been through so much pain and fear, and she found it in herself to break free from thanos’ control and her need to please him all the time, to do something good and to save the universe. she helped tony and kept him alive as long as she could when they were adrift in space, she led the avengers to the garden to confront thanos, and she killed her own past self, both literally and figuratively, to save the world.

valkyrie: i fucking love valkyrie so much oh my god she’s so sassy and so badass and so strong. when she appeared on her winged horse aragorn at the head of the battle charge i literally squealed. i also looooved the moment when she flew right up to a chitauri leviathan and tore through its entire flank with dragonfang. my girl brought down a leviathan all on her own and i am PROUD. the true queen of asgard.

pepper: like shuri, pepper is not a fighter. and like she says herself, “trying to get tony to stop has been one of the greatest failures of her life”. but when it came down to it, she encouraged tony to do what he had to - help the avengers with the time heist. she knew what was at stake - she knew tony could die, she knew he might lose her and/or morgan if things went wrong, but she let him do the right thing over the selfish thing. and she was right there at the final battle in the rescue suit, knowing full well that if anything happened to both tony and her, morgan would be orphaned - but she was fighting to save the universe for her daughter. pepper always knew what the important things were. and at the end, she made sure to tell tony that it was okay, that he could rest, that she and morgan would be fine. and then she was left to raise morgan on her own, but by god, i bet she did a fine ass job.

carol: I ADORE HER she makes me drool with how incredibly strong she is. her first scene in endgame literally has her carrying tony’s ship, on her back, through deep space and back to earth. when she reappears for the final battle she rips through thanos’ entire ship and destroys it like nothing. she held thanos back and prevents him from using the gauntlet when thor himself couldn’t do it with both mjolnir and stormbreaker, and she did that with a smirk on her face. I LOVE HER.

wanda: MY GIRL WANDA IS STRONG AF, holy shit. i’ve always thought her power was linked to the reality stone in some way, given the whole ~colour of it and the fact that she can warp reality and also how damn strong she is - but legit she’s as powerful as an infinity stone. when she looks up at thanos with her eyes glowing red and then proceeds to almost tear him apart - that was one of the best scenes for me. i have no doubt she could and would have killed him singlehandedly, if he hadn’t ordered his armies to rain fire. that in itself is a testament to the strength of her powers - thanos literally had to sacrifice his own troops and shoot upon them just to free himself from her. 

also that unforgettable scene where peter is clutching the gauntlet, watching the armies of thanos charging towards him, and all the ladies line up in front of him to protect him - i may have squealed out loud in the cinema. i’m not even ashamed. THIS IS WHAT I LIVE FOR. WE STAN STRONG WOMEN. 

#avengers #avengers endgame #endgame spoilers #marvel ladies #wanda maximoff #scarlet witch #natasha romanoff #black widow #carol danvers #captain marvel #pepper potts #valkyrie #nebula #gamora #okoye #shuri #hope van dyne #mantis #I LOVE THEM ALL