ok.  this is me having my usual mandalorian issues lol.

shae vizla saying the mandalorian wars were driven by “greed not righteousness” is such a grotesque misreading of history and like COMPLETELY showing that she doesn’t see the inherent flaws in her own culture.

like.  one.  the mandalorians were absolutely driven by both.  greed was just a side benefit to their main focus.  they got to plunder and get tons of resources.  but that was just fueled by the violence that was their actual purpose.

before the mandalorian wars, mandalorian culture had stagnated.  they had nothing to do that felt significant.  they were at least two generations in since having the last major war to fight in (maybe a bit less--i am too lazy atm to see if mandos got involved in Exar Kun).  the mandalorians had a young generation trained and ready but who had nothing truly ‘worthy’ to fight.

soooo, they started conquering the outer rim.  still seeking challenge, they moved in until they started going toe-to-toe with the Republic.  that was a worthy challenge.  no mandalorian felt they were wrong in this.  none of the mandalorians in kotor1 or kotor2 view themselves as morally wrong for the war they caused, the people they killed--they only regret that they got their asses handed to them.  some of them were humbled by that and others just want even more war.  they either stuck to mandalorian culture as it was or swapped to the new, easier, culture of self-focused merc work, shedding the ‘honor’ component, more honestly pursuing the violence that is ultimately what mandalorians seek.

obligatory ‘yes the mandalorians were pushed by the true sith into fighting the republic as a test etc etc but that still doesnt really remove how easily their entire culture took up arms as instigators just to do what their culture had bred them to--wage war.

so yeah shae will do nothing to end the violence that fuels everything mandalorians are.  which, isn’t surprising considering the era swtor takes place in, but it’s such a glaring flaw to her (and a GOOD one tbh!! this is a good trait!) and it just really illustrates how she really is just a typical mandalorian when the chips fall.  her overall dogma is predictable, and hasn’t changed from the mandos at large.  she’s a carbon copy of the 'honor’ they had before their fall, and their desire to push for war and violence as a form of testing themselves in combat.

she really is just a return to form.

Continuation from this!

@alphatimeline-orchid

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"No offense taken," Sirius reassured her unbothered and merely shrugged his shoulders. He's the one who worded it like that; from experience nonetheless.

A sound left him when Orchid mentioned her encounter with camping illagers. It could've been anything from an amused exhale to a scoff.

"No wonder. Most groups are based on- mh, let’s say respect. You gotta butt your heads with them, show 'em what you got, grow some horns. Otherwise none is going to accept you being around," he chimed in to lecture her. It was such a small natural rule he was familiar with from a young age, but Orchid simply didn't experience such.

"Being all…" He pauses again, looking Orchid over. "Soft and passive and all talk doesn't really speak to most." He wouldn't consider her particularly dangerous or physically strong by the looks; and the rowdy and the rough love to pick on those who feign innocence.

[...]

The Allay disrupting Orchid mid speech, the Vex jumping into position, but mostly the sudden wave of dread emitting from them had Sirius alarmed in an instant. Instinctively reaching for the crossbow at his side, stopping only pixels away from it, he registered this wasn't an attempt for a strike but a slip up in Orchid' muttered words.

He froze in place, peering at her. There was a heavy pause as he questioned himself if he even heard right. This couldn't be true, he must've misheard. Such apples can't be crafted if that's what she meant to say out loud.

Still, there is no doubt. Keeping his eyes on her, Orchids expression alongside her little guardians whizzing about like bees protecting their nest spoke for itself. A secret he wasn't meant to overhear.

He slowly dropped his guard again, straightening up ever so slowly. This wasn't the time to interrogate her. Not out here. They've lingered too long in one place for his liking anyway.

"... Speaking of healers. You might wanna see one," he changed the subject almost nonchalantly. Even if he assumed a neutral pose, leaving his hands in the open, away from the weapons at his side, the air felt heavy; too heavy to take a breath or relax just yet.

Without another word he turned and walked up to his ravager, leaving Orchid to herself for a moment. He'd nudge Silas in the sides with his knee to prompt her to pay attention, who in turn decided to ignore him. Chewing on the rest of the hay bale now enclosed in the beast's jaws, she only answered with varied growls and drawn out rumbles, complaining furiously.

Catching his foot in the stirrup, Sirius mounted the ravager in one smooth movement. An easy move while Silas was laying.

Even if he wasn't looking at her, his attention was on Orchid at all times, he listened for movement, her shuffling, the chimes of her companions, any step she'd take, until he turned to adress her.

“Come on. I know someone who can fix you up. I think you'll like them,” he spoke almost too calmly for comfort. Giving her an encouraging nod towards the free space behind him, he outstretched his hand just in case she'd need it. 

Sirius has been considerably nicer than others and had made an effort to help out a stranger, but there's no chance to read his intentions now. Orchid's slip up in words might have tipped the scales to warrant his suspicion, or he truly didn't hear or believe her.

With Sirius' legs crossed once again, sitting on a ravager who isn't too eager to get up just yet, this would be Orchid's chance if she decided to run. On the other hand, if the illager spoke true and did intend to bring her to safety, then this might be her only chance to heal up and rest properly; finally giving her a break from danger.

Small Stories Hour: WASTE

The Poster or The One Time You’re Not the Hero is Sometimes Just as Bad as Being the Villain

(inspired by this art)

↳ Guetry drags himself through the door at two in the morning, unbothered by the beep of the security systems registering a familiar body entering the house. His swirling world is accompanied by the swaying, undulating wails coming from the top floor, and he doesn't care to make sure the door is locked behind him before he catches his foot on the carpet on his way to the stairs.

He has to hold onto the railing to keep himself from tripping on the heavy coat hanging off his long frame, yanks his hair back to distract himself from vomiting all over the floor. The air outside is cold and it kept him alive for a moment but the heat of the house is beginning to simmer him into a soup and he isn't sure his bones are strong enough to carry him upstairs.

It's not long before he finds himself in his room, trying a few times to shrug off the coat as it's swallowing him whole, but he takes a cigarette out of his pocket and thrusts it into his mouth, forgetting to light it. The wailing next door stops.

The mansion isn't really a mansion, it's half a mansion—at least, that's what his father's said before. He wanted to keep the family humble while also taking pride in their ancestors' hard work. The champagne vineyard's business took an extreme nosedive in recent years and Kyron never seemed worried but it did make him a lot more prone to staying late at work, forcing Guetry to be the "man of the house" while he was gone.

And living in France after being in Texas for so long wasn't easy. Especially not after the Bureau made it consistently cloudy and maybe that was why the vineyard wasn't doing too well. Grapes need sunlight to grow.

Genni's desperate, muffled voice reaches the hallway, cutting over Kelly's crying.

A crack of thunder peals out across the grounds; the backyard is flooded by flash rain. Guetry manages to get his coat onto his elbows before giving up again, pacing the perimeter of his bedroom, waggling the unlit cigarette between his lips. He sings a nonexistent song in his head, torrents of vodka sloshing around his bloodstream unsupervised.

Kyllan screams and there's a thud and a crash against the shared wall. A shout, and Kelly's crying bumping up to a shriek of fear.

Guetry's unfocussed stare lands on a poster hanging over his bed. A black piece of card paper with magenta lines, minimal art, nearly aglow in the darkness caused by having a single working lightbulb in the room. It's a force of habit to look at that poster, the neon pink writing at the bottom that's kept him grounded nearly every day he's spent at home.

I am a victim again, it says. Leftover from his angsty preteen days when his parents were separating.

He hears an enraged voice following a shout from his oldest sister Genni, and his brows begin to knit together as it dawns on him what exactly it is that he'd been quite subconsciously ignoring. He didn't think his mother would be home that night. After the last time he threatened to call the cops on her, she fled, and he wasn't sure they'd ever see her again.

But there she is.

Guetry can't tear his eyes away from the poster. In his mind, he marches into Kelly's room and throws Gisella out by the collar but in reality, he keeps staring at the poster. Reading the words I am a victim again over and over.

He's not a victim, though. He's the furthest thing in the world from a victim. Their mother "loves" him. Their mother is scared of him. He's never had to cower in the corner of his bedroom when she was home. He's always been lucky.

I am a victim again, he reads as he doesn't even try to unstick his feet from his god damn floor this time. The crying next door stops again and he's left with the stinging prickle in his throat when he hears his strung-out mother slamming doors and clomping down the stairs to get out of the house.

He turns his head as Genni steps into the hall. She has a black eye and looks at Guetry with disappointment and some disgust when she discovers that he's home.

Guetry watches his sister turn stiffly away and slink back to her own room.

Sneak Peek | Let Our Circle Be Unbroken

Enjoy a glimpse into the future of the fic!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Pretty little thing for a gaijin. You boys take turns with her?” Bicolored eyes land on where Arashi stands just barely noticeable behind Yuta, almost hidden from the male before them due to her smaller stature. She's visible just enough to have somehow become the focus of the exchange and Jaehyun isn't entirely sure why. A quick glance when there's the slightest movement finds that Yuta has reached back, fingers brushing over the fabric of Arashi’s shirtsleeve; not dominant or controlling, it's an action that comes across as more a reassurance to the vampire that she is still there. The words clearly flare through the small group's energy and Jaehyun strangely finds that he isn’t unaffected by them, either. Despite Seungri's attempt to take control from the group that clearly out numbers him, there's a sudden static feeling that makes the warlock feel uneasy.

“You’re a misogynistic little bitch, aren’t you?” It’s Arashi’s voice, and Jaehyun realizes that she’s stepped around from where she was standing behind Yuta and is now in full view of where Seungri stands, standing at her mate's side. Hazel eyes have gone entirely gold except her pupils, arms lifting to cross over her chest as she stares him down. “I don’t let anyone touch me without  permission. Least of all the likes of you and your obvious inability to respect guests.”

Seungri arches a brow, a smirk curving his lips as he dares to put his full attention on where the curvy young woman stands defiantly. His gaze rakes over her in a very obvious leer, both sizing her up as a threat while also sexualizing what he sees in his mind. The rumors are very clearly true about how the man regards women and it sends a sickly feeling through Jaehyun to witness. Arashi seems unbothered, but there's more to her demeanor that Jaehyun can't quite read. “You know, your boys here should keep a better check on that mouth of yours.” Seungki sneered, turning his eyes to Yuta and cocking his head to one side. “I can offer you a good muzzle for her to help with that, you know.” he addressed, unbothered by the way Yuta’s head tilts minutely, in a very clear predatory fashion. “Or, if you'd prefer, I can offer a ball gag? I bet she’d look nice with a silver one between those plump little lips. It’d match that pretty little charm around her neck.” The sound of various growls and verbalizations erupts all at once and then dies in a flash. A crash echoes loudly and Jaehyun is completely overwhelmed by the force of everything before he can focus and start piecing the scene in front of him together. 

Taeyong, Johnny and Mark are all holding Yuta back, the vampire’s eyes blown wide and that crimson-gold swirling excessively - pupils gone entirely - his fangs at the ready. It’s a sudden realization of just how strong Yuta actually is for Jaehyun. It had never occurred to him before despite knowing the older male was a vampire because Yuta seemed so easy going and passive. Taeyong and Johnny are visibly straining as they hold Yuta's arms, though, and Mark has mounted himself in front of Yuta, facing his friend with hands at Yuta's chest, veins visible in the forearms of the fox's body. The changes in placement and the atmosphere takes a moment to fully register and it soon dawns in Jaehyun's mind that Arashi is missing from where she was. That fact settles the last piece of why Yuta is so aggressively straining against his friends into place and the warlock turns to look for the little witch. A sharp exhale escapes him in a hissing sound when he sees that Seungri has moved to snatch Arashi from Yuta's side and now has her pinned between his body and the wall, claw-like nails pressing at her side with one hand as the other holds her arms at the wrists above her head. She’s a few inches off the floor, but she’s not breaking eye contact with her assailant. Jaehyun moves to take a step when Taeyong's voice rings in his head. 

“Jaehyun, don’t.”

And while Jaehyun is the only one free to make a move to free the little witch from the man’s hold, something in the way Taeyong speaks telepathically gives him pause as much as it distracts him. His eyes flash between the brown and reptilian, looking between where his new friends are and where Arashi is being held. “But-”

“We don’t have the resources to contain Yuta and fight him. You’re still recovering and Seungri is at full power. You go after him now and there's no guarantee we'll be able to save you this time.” Taeyong's voice is concerned and gentle in the warlock's mind and though he’s talking to Jaehyun telepathically, his eyes are locked on where Arashi is pinned. Jaehyun knows it isn't words the dragon says with any ease, that it comes from Taeyong's role as clan leader. Concern for the mated pair is a priority, but the dragon knows where they are and the odds are stacked against them in unfamiliar territory. The others had been right to be against the trip here, especially Yuta, but they were also all aware that Arashi would have come on her own if they hadn't opted to accompany her. Though he hadn’t been among them long, even without the words being spoken between them, he knows that one wrong move or word and the trio will release Yuta to reign hell on the older male. The stillness that rang was filled with dangerous uncertainty and more than the concern for Arashi was a concern for Taeyong should any of them get hurt. The dragon was older than him, yes, but the thought of him being hurt caused a boiling protectiveness in Jaehyun that drew him closer to where Taeyong was. As he was within reach, the stillness shattered as words were spoken. 

“Are you done trying to show off? Because honestly, it's pathetic.”

I swear, it's almost like he did it on purpose to give this fandom a heart attack lol.>> This fandom needs to get their head out of their own ass if they think this man posted for the purpose of making his stans lose head. His stans already have their heads lost.

Anon 2: "I swear, it's almost like he did it on purpose to give this fandom a heart attack lol." I've seen that sentiment expressed elsewhere without an lol, and he was accused of "baiting." If he gets to a place where he has to think, "How will my most extreme fans interpret every single element of what I post?" then he'll leave IG forever. That's a huge burden to put on anyone.

Anon 3: Jessica posted too and she didn't specify either if it was her hand or not. I think they were just trying to help a friend by promoting her book. Not everything is about fans who over analyze even his nose hairs. I seriously doubt he does anything on purpose to cause his fandom anything. He doesn't give a fuck anymore. Besides, only the truly obsessed went to "guess" if it is his hand or not. Most people just saw a book. Until I read it on another blog, it didn't even cross my mind to think or care if it's his hand or not.

Anon 4: Engagement ring? lmao that is the left hand, so the married ring, if it is him, must be from the filming of Pam and Tommy. That hand doesn't look like a woman's, look at her hands on the ig, and she hasn't posted any stories about the book yet.

Ruby Woo - I know some fans think they are the center of his universe, but they aren't. He isn't posting to rile them up or anything, they don't even register. If they like it, good; if they don't, who cares? He doesn't give a fuck, as he so aptly reminded everyone.

He is unbothered.