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blairaptor · 10 hours

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Red-handed

#the bad batch #the bad batch spoilers #arc trooper echo #aaaa so cool!#cw blood #just in case :)

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blairaptor · 11 hours

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I think he traded his enhanced senses for vehicle proficiency.

How did we go from Hunter sniffing dirt to measure distances in The Clone Wars to him not knowing that a living breathing creature was right in front of them in The Bad Batch season 3

#the bad batch #the bad batch spoilers #sergeant hunter

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blairaptor · 11 hours

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Since I’m back on tumblr I thought I’d repost my old comic from 2018. A lot of things have changed since then and sometimes a dried out ‘never give up’ doesn’t quite hit anymore. But even when burnout sometimes feels less heavy, this brings back some hope.

#reminders

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blairaptor · 15 hours

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#lord of the rings #the fellowship of the ring #gifs #ughh my heart ; ;

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blairaptor · 19 hours

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Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play yet, for good or ill before this is over. The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (2001)

#lord of the rings #the fellowship of the ring #gifs

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blairaptor · 20 hours

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It took 2 people to fully convince Crosshair to do a 180 on the Empire - but neither of those people were Bad Batch members.

They couldn't be. What would a squad of defective clones who had been disobeying orders since day 1 know about loyalty to an institution determined to establish order for the good of the galaxy? What would they know about finding purpose in being "good soldiers"?

Now, I DO think the seeds of Crosshair's eventual defection were planted by his brothers. Hunter pointing out that "Blind allegiance makes you a pawn" and then telling Crosshair "All you'll ever be to them is a number" are statements that are proven later to be true. But it takes Cody and Mayday to drive the lessons home.

Cody and Mayday share several characteristics that place them in unique positions to influence Crosshair:

Both are regs who accepted and befriended Crosshair - Cody says he specifically asked for Crosshair for the mission, and Mayday is upfront and friendly to Crosshair right from the start. (Contrast this to the other regs getting up to move tables when Crosshair sits to eat, or the other clone troopers who walk past Crosshair to get onto the shuttle without even sparing him a glance.)

Both are commanders. (I believe Crosshair ultimately respects authority for the most part: even when he was arguing with and challenging Hunter in "Aftermath," he still deferred to Hunter's orders until his inhibitor chip was intensified and he was then promoted to commander.)

Both are loyal soldiers who have served the Empire well - again, these regs are still commanders even under the new government. And we all know how important loyalty to the Empire is to Crosshair at this point.

Both save Crosshair's life during their missions.

In short, both are regs, but they are still soldiers Crosshair can quickly identify with and trust.

I think it's key that Crosshair encountered Cody before Mayday, though. And despite their similarities, both soldiers drive home different points.

CODY

Cody is one of the few regs we know Crosshair already respected - and still respects, given that Crosshair almost smiles when he recognizes him.

(Some proof in case it isn't apparent: Crosshair goes from frowny face...

...to relaxed almost-happy-if-you-squint-just-right face)

Anyway, while Cody does drop some hints early on that he has doubts about the Empire, he is willing to carry out the mission to rescue "Governor" Grotton, showing he will follow orders to a certain extent. However, he shows more restraint than Crosshair might have: he doesn't attack the civilians despite their obvious mistrust of the soldiers, he comes to an understanding with Tawni Ames, he's NOT willing to follow an order to execute her, and he is clearly dismayed and disappointed by her death.

And so, at the end of a "successful" mission, Cody more plainly reveals the depth of his dissatisfaction with following orders against one's own moral scruples:

Hunter had said "Blind allegiance makes you a pawn." And Cody, unwilling to blindly and unquestioningly be a pawn - or act like a battle droid - any longer, goes AWOL.

But that lesson alone isn't enough to make Crosshair turn on the Empire. Instead, he needs Mayday to give him the final push.

MAYDAY

First, Mayday indicates how appalled he is by the idea of anyone leaving their own behind - which we know is a sore spot for Crosshair. But most importantly, Mayday has demonstrated since he was first introduced that he strongly believes in soldiers being loyal to and looking out for each other (which is far different than just being loyal to the Empire).

Second, Mayday unknowingly challenges Crosshair's belief that serving the Empire provides meaningful purpose. (Remember that one of Crosshair's main arguments to his brothers about joining the Empire was so they could "find purpose again.")

Then, he unwittingly goes for the jugular and rips apart the motto Crosshair had adopted.

And then, in case Crosshair has any lingering doubts about the answer to Mayday's rhetorical question, Nolan decidedly answers the question for him.

Hunter had said "All you'll ever be to them is a number," and he is proven right in the most heartbreaking way.

Crosshair had accused his brothers of not being loyal to him; unfortunately, now he sees what true disloyalty looks like. And for Crosshair - severe and unyielding - realizing that he has misplaced his loyalty by giving it to an entity that mocks him and casts him AND those he cares about aside for doing so... this is the final straw.

Thankfully, Crosshair has now rediscovered the people who are worthy of his loyalty.

#the bad batch #crosshair #commander cody #commander mayday #excellent analysis of my favorite thread in the whole show #the bad batch meta

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blairaptor · 20 hours

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Hey I reached a lil follower milestone on here recently and I just want to say thank you to everyone who has followed me or even interacted with my work. I wish I was posting more so I'm honored by the response I get from things I share here. Y'all are so sweet. <3

#blair speaks

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blairaptor · 1 day

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Omega is literally living in Hemlock’s walls we are living in the best timeline truly.

#omg amazing #the bad batch #the bad batch spoilers

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blairaptor · 1 day

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tried the blind color palette challenge a few times with some suggested characters :))

#aaa lovely!#the clone wars #commander wolffe #ahsoka tano #arc trooper echo #arc trooper fives #heck i love them all #the ahsoka one is really speaking to me and I love how you used the green/teal #also the pose and expressions for fives and echo is sooo cute and fun

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blairaptor · 1 day

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NEW VERSION. :)

#lord of the rings

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blairaptor · 2 days

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#the clone wars #arc trooper echo #aaa lovely #the expression work in this scene is so gooood

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blairaptor · 2 days

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“You Fought Well”

Finally finished the trio!! Lets hope I don’t completely lose it when the show ends next week :’D

#fruits basket #😍

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blairaptor · 2 days

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There’s this fic on AO3 that, according to my history page, I have visited 176 times. Which means I alone am responsible for 176 hits on that fic. I commented on some of the chapters, but only a few, because I feel like a stalker when I comment every week. I gave it kudos, but I can only give it one, even though it’s one of my favorites.

So just remember, when you’re looking at that hit count and wondering why you don’t have that same number of kudos (divided by the number of chapters, because each one of those also counts as a hit), it might be because some people out there love your fic. They read it when they’re feeling down. They open it in the waiting room at the doctors office, or in the lonesome dark of night. They turn to it in celebration when they did something right. They open it over and over so they can send the link to their friends, or just to revisit the characters that they love. They checked it ten times in one day, hoping that you had updated.

A disparity between hits and kudos does not mean that your readers didn’t like your fic, or that they were too lazy to hit the kudos button. It means that some of them came back, and there’s nothing that makes me happier about my writing than that.

#my 'stalking' is kinda obvious from my comments but yeah #i'm out here putting multiple hits on the same fic #i have a few that i read as bedtime stories ; ;#i love fic writers so much

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blairaptor · 2 days

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CT-9904’s genetic mutations have altered much of his cranial activity, including his inhibitor chip. Yet he exhibited loyalty to the Empire during their mission. While the chip is not as active as a standard clone’s, the order does appear to be working.

#i've always adored the slow head turn when she touches him #the angle of his face for the side eye #the bad batch #gifs #crosshair #omega

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blairaptor · 3 days

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