#the answer is yes i agree that it's bs to assume they have no place in the queer aspect of this conversation
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Thoughts on "The Convert"
Spoilers below the cut
Well, that was...different. I'll admit, it was probably the first time I was actually a bit disappointed by an episode of The Mandalorian. It wasn't that Dr. Pershing's story was badly written (though it could have been pared down), but I just didn't care to spend so much time setting up the next plot element when we were right in the middle of resolving the first one. I would have been okay with him getting his own bottle episode, rather than sandwiching it in between Din and Bo's moments. It was very jarring as a viewer, but I suppose that was the intent of the writers in the first place. Din and Cara had both commented that they didn't have much faith in the New Republic and now we see why. There is still a massive disconnect between the citizens of the core worlds and the Outer Rim, and it doesn't really matter who's in power, there always will be.
Concerning Pershing's plotline - I would be interested to know what he was working on specifically with Grogu and how it ties into Palatine's comeback. Between this episode and The Bad Batch, there is a LOT of focus on the Empire's cloning experiments, but I feel like we just keep scratching the surface without ever getting any real answers. But I'll be patient. This chapter seemed to be focusing on the fact that the Rebels defeated the Empire and established the New Republic, and it took all of 5-10 years for it become nearly as corrupt as the Empire. Okay, that's an exaggeration. The people on Coruscant looked happy and free (which is different from the mood in the capital planet in Andor). But there's a lot to be desired with this new government. No wonder Leia didn't last long as a Senator again, she'd have no patience for the BS. I liked how they casually mentioned in this episode how they had so many resources tied up in mothballing their fleet. And now you know how The First Order rose up less than 30 years later (if you didn't read the books).
I believe the "convert" is actually Pershing, not Bo-Katan. He genuinely wanted to help the people of the New Republic. It could also be referring to Elia Kane, but she wasn't really a convert, she was just making it look like she was so she could feed information back to Gideon or the Emperor, or whoever she is actually working for, because it clearly isn't the New Republic. I wonder if we'll ever see Pershing again after he got mind flayed (Count Rugen: NOT TO 50!). And yes, sweetie, it *was* a trap, baited with Star Wars Biscoff cookies. I can't believe that worked. Honestly, after he hijacked 40 minutes of this episode, they better be setting up a continuation of this story.
Which leads me to...the 20 minutes of this episode featuring people I actually care about.
First question: *who* sent those TIE interceptors? Is Moff Gideon pulling strings from prison? Or is this someone else? Bo said that was a lot of ships for an Imperial warlord and I'm inclined to agree. Gideon didn't seem to have anywhere near that kind of firepower. My guess is this is Thrawn. Why would Thrawn bomb Bo's castle on Kalevala, you ask? I assume that Sabine and Ashoka are putting pressure on him, and he's trying to draw them out by targeting someone with strong ties to both of them. Ahsoka has been all over the galaxy hunting for Thrawn, but Bo knew exactly where to send Din to go find her. Which means they are still in contact. Sabine gave her the Darksaber and endorsed her as Mand'alor, pledging allegiance to her. Assuming she's still with Ahsoka looking for Ezra, she also has maintained ties. Thrawn won't like being hunted, he'll want to meet them on his terms when he's ready. If those were his ships, I'd say he's ready.
I recently re-watched the Rebels episodes with Bo-Katan just to refresh myself on the tone and dialogue of those scenes. In summary, After Sabine found the Darksaber in Maul's lair and trainied herself to use it, she entrusted it to her mother to help mend their broken family, who in turn gave it to Gar Saxon as a bribe to keep her family safe. Gar claimed the Darksaber as his own, and interestingly enough, had no issues wielding it immediately. But Ezra gave Sabine his lightsaber and she defeated Saxon, earning the Darksaber by creed, which her mother and others from Clan Wren witnessed. In 4.1 and 4.2, we see Sabine wielding the saber to save her father from the Empire, and Bo-Katan gives aide at Ursa Wren's request. Sabine immediately offers the Darksaber to Bo-Katan, but she refuses, saying she had her chance to lead and failed, referring to immediately after the Siege of Mandalore when the Republic made her regent. When the Empire. took over, she refused to bend the knee and was betrayed by the Saxon clan. "I am not my sister," she told Sabine, the pain of that loss brought the surface by the weapon that murdered her. Obviously, Bo's feelings for her sister had changed drastically. Later, when Sabine is torturing Tiber Saxon, Bo stops her and says "this is not our way". After that battle, Sabine once more asks Bo-Katan to take the Darksaber, and though she is reluctant, she accepts it with the support of clans Kryze, Rook, Eldar, Vizsla, and Wren and the Protectors. Contrary to the Armorer's very skewed narrative, Bo did not take the Darksaber because she believed it was her family's right to rule. She took it, because the most powerful clans on Mandalore were begging her to lead them against the Empire. They had already gathered to follow her before she even accepted the Darksaber. It was a symbol, nothing more. It was her actions and her steadfast devotion to her people that earned their loyalty, not the heirloom of House Vizsla.
History recap concluded, my next question is this: Did the Children of the Watch refuse to join Bo-Katan and the other clans in their fight against Empire because she didn't win the Darksaber in ritual combat with Sabine...or simply because they had another reason not to like her? The Darksaber was passed down through the Vizsla family line for years. Pre Vizsla didn't kill Tor Vizsla for it. It doesn't have to be won to change owners. That particular tradition only applied if the current Mand'alor was wielding it. When we see Bo and Din approaching the covert, Paz comes out to meet them. He's immediately surly toward Din (big surprise) and he doesn't believe him when he says he bathed in the waters. When Bo-Katan says she witnessed it, he replies with "Who are you, Nite Owl?" Are we really to believe he knows who the Nite Owls are but he can't recognize their leader? He knew damn well who she was. If Paz is closely related to Pre (and I believe he is, given the writer's choice to have Favreau voice him), might he be harboring lingering feelings of jealousy or resentment of Pre's former right hand woman? The Armorer certainly knew her on sight. We know she had no love for Bo when last she spoke to Din. And yet, she welcomed her with open arms.
Hence, question three: What does The Way actually mean to the Covert? Heretofore, I had assumed that the Mandalorians from Din's tribe were deeply religious and held a deep-seated faith in their doctrines. But even when Bo flat out tells them she does not follow The Way (not to be confused with the Mandalorian creed, which Bo-Katan has sworn herself to), The Armorer only cares about two things: which are actually one thing...the helmet.
Did you baptize yourself in the Living Waters to redeem yourself for not wearing the helmet? Yes? Okay. Have you removed your helmet since? No? Okay, you're in.
That's it. It doesn't matter if Bo-Katan actually follows The Way or has any faith in whatever else it teaches...the one (1) factor that determines if you are in or out is whether you cover your face at all times. Does anyone else find that incredibly odd? The Armorer never even asked Din why or for whom he removed his helmet when he admitted that he had done so. The circumstances and the who are apparently irrelevant. If you follow The Way, you can't even remove your helmet before your own clanmate, your own family. Ever.
I really hope that in the next episode, Bo-Katan starts asking these important questions. When it was known that Din removed his helmet, he was ostracized and shunned. No one touched him. No one acknowledged him. The Armorer didn't even thank him for saving them all from that giant croc - she just told him he wasn't welcome. But as soon as he was ritually cleansed of that most dire of infractions, everyone reaffirming him and welcoming him with physical touch and kind gestures. The contrasting behavior gave me whiplash. But seeing them touch Din and Bo's shoulders and being so welcoming is so psychologically powerful, it almost had me second guessing my reservations about the Covert. But then I had to remind myself, wait...real family doesn't shun their own loved ones for giving into the very basic human need to see and be seen by someone you love. The mandate to always keep their face covered is pure psychological abuse. It reminded me of that recent episode of The Bad Batch, "The Retrieval", when the corrupt mine owner had all those kids convinced he was being good to them, when really he was manipulating them with food and praise.
Question four: Did Bo-Katan just join a cult? This one we can answer, and it's most definitely not. It may not matter to the Armorer what Bo believes, but it matters to us. She is not a follower of the way, but so long as keeping her helmet on provides her with food, shelter, and some much needed companionship, she will cooperate...at least until it gets to be too much for her. I suspect she'll find ways around the rules before too long. But what of the Mythosaur? Does she now believe the legend? Right now, Bo-Katan isn't even sure she actually saw the Mythosaur. Katee's interview confirmed as much, addressing the concerns of fans that she was hiding it for nefarious purposes. Honestly, I thought it was obvious that she was uncertain - that's why she asked Din twice. She is second-guessing what she saw, and who wouldn't? I mentioned this in another post, but imagine if you were snorkeling at night and dove down in murky waters and thought you saw a plesiosaur...a creature thought to be extinct for millennia. Would you be telling everyone right away or would you second guess yourself? She was in a very dark place mentally, she had just visited her ruined home planet for the first time in years, she was remembering her dead father, and she had just read the plaque talking about how legend told that the mines were once the lair of the Mythosaur...she probably figured that all these things together might have triggered a hallucination. She doesn't know what to believe. And this sets her up for some amazing character development over the rest of the season.
There was a lot to unpack in this episode, and I am so very excited for whatever comes next.
#the mandalorian#the mandalorian episode 3#the convert#bo-katan kryze#din djarin#dr pershing#the armorer#paz vizsla
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I've read at least five articles now critical about the vogue story and in all of them the writer label Z and G straight and their assumed straightness seem to be their biggest issue with the story. They're so horribly heteronormative, labeling people who haven't stated their sexuality, Zayn hasn't and I don't think Gigi has either, (nor have they talked about their gender identity), and the heteronormativity is so hypocritical considering the issues they're having with the vogue story.
my biggest thing is that the article is about fashion. it’s about this sudden surge of interest in gender neutrality and subversion and fluidity wherein creators and designers are able to completely ignore what is traditionally “male” and what is traditionally “female” and are able to focus on the clothes– the fabrics, the shapes, the dynamics, and the statement pieces they can make by mixing up cuts and patterns.
it’s about the fact that people want gender neutral clothing, because despite how much we chant CLOTHES DON’T HAVE GENDER! department stores still sell us very different clothing and very different styles, and “women’s” clothes especially are a goddamn horror when it comes to sizing and cuts and fabric.
and we don’t want the gender expectations given to us when we put on clothes either. that’s the goddamn point of the goddamn article. it’s about the clothes. it’s about the way the industry and people, especially this generation, are very interested in clothes that can fit anyone, that everyone would wear, that aren’t gendered.
gender subversion isn’t a new conversation in the world of fashion. quite the opposite. high fashion especially has always nudged those lines and rubbed up against them, but the point is that we’ve gotten past the shock value of it and now it’s just genuinely what people are interested in. now it’s marketable.
and it’s marketable because young people like Zayn and Gigi and Anwar and Jaden Smith and Ruby Rose have no gendered expectations for clothing. clothes are just clothes. they’re meant to be worn, they’re meant to be an exploration of self.
which is a beautiful segue into a point Singer (the person who wrote the article) makes. that “gender is a more or less arbitrary distinction, a boundary that can be traversed at will.”Singer talks about how removing the gender aspect from fashion allows people to explore their identity and that may lead them into realizing they’re trans or nonbinary – or simply a different brand of binary than they originally anticipated – because a whole barrier of expectation is completely removed. one less hurl to jump through.
and like, these conversations have been had before, but it’s always been about the cis aspect, about the radicalism in subverting gender roles and gender expectations.
and that is definitely important. gender roles play a huge part in masculinity, in patriarchy. they inform bias, cultivate prejudice, so it’s as important to talk about dismantling gender roles as a cis person as it is as a trans or nonbinary person.
but the fact that Singer does talk about trans and nonbinary people, literally names and quotes them, is the best part of this. these are ongoing conversations, but it’s rarely about the trans and nonbinary aspects. it’s rarely about how trans and nonbinary people finding comfort in fashion. it’s rarely about the realizations one might have once that arbitrary line is crossed.
I’m not the type of person to call out buzz words, but so many people are taking the ‘gender fluidity’ bit of this and running their asses off with it, missing the point completely. Singer literally uses ‘gender fluidity’ in this article the same way another might use ‘gender bending’ or ‘androgyny’; both of which are outdated terms – using gender fluidity or gender neutrality is far more current when talking about this type of thing.
it’s actually beautiful the way Singer used Zayn and Gigi to lure readers in and instead of asking them what they do when they’re not working and how many hours a day they spend looking into each other’s eyes, she used it as a platform for gender talk, as a platform to talk about how fashion and clothes enable exploration of identity in unexpected ways.
Zayn and Gigi’s statements were just her empirical evidence. they corroborated her point. it’s not a big deal that they raid each other’s closets because clothes don’t have a gender and they shouldn’t. it should be about the statement of it, the clothes themselves and not what expectations other people have when you wear those clothes.
and like, Zayn actually said his Versus line was created with gender neutrality in mind. how is he not the person to have this discussion with. especially when paired with the world’s most sought after model.
we’re always going on about letting brown boys be soft and letting them explore masculinity in a way that’s unexpected, but we’re going to ignore it when a brown boy deliberately does it and talks about the fact that it is deliberate to focus on the fact that Singer used ‘gender fluidity’ in a way that we didn’t like.
ok.
#i realize that none of this actually responds to your question#the answer is yes i agree that it's bs to assume they have no place in the queer aspect of this conversation#but it's also bs that they're expected to be queer to have this conversation#everyone should want to fuck off with gender expectations#hopefully this is the last of it#but damn i did have thoughts#zayn#zigi#vogue#august 2017#1dposting#drama#mic check#anonymoose#donate to my ko-fi#support your local gender educator#long post#1h5h
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RED SCHOOL UNIVERSE ALTERATION HEADCANONS/STORY!!!!!! Mainly based on that series titles and plots post I did a little while back.
This story happensthe same as before, but there are three arcs, not two parts; Arc 1 is the two worlds dicscovering each other and each wondering who the other is. Arc 2 is the worlds meeting each other and making introductions and first impressions. Arc 3 is the "Peace and Cooperation" between the two, which includes the Unity Ball.
The Endless Woods were still discovered by Silvers, but it was completely on accident. They were trying to go to Piedmont or any other Nortan ally because the Scarlet Guard situation is getting a little crazy and Tiberias needs needs reinforcements who are not having the same problem as him.
In their defense, it was really dark and they couldn't see a damn thing. And they thought the trees and grass being blue were because of Greenies.
One of them, a Swift, ran away when his travel partner, an Eye, got shot by a stray arrow and when a wolf jumped out of the trees. Like, a BIG ASS WOLF.
Little did the Swift know, a ferret snuck onto the boat while getting chased by an evil mist possessed hawk.
So the Eye gets patched up by Professor Espada, who scolded Chaddick, he is interviewed by Espada and Dovey, though they all talk in the School Master's office.
THE REVEAL OF RHIAN WILL COME, JUST WAIT BECAUSE IT WILL BE AWESOME!!!
The Eye explains as much of Norta as he can, mistakenly talking about the King and his two sons to a certain blonde girl who keeps thinking she's in the wrong school and her more realist, down to Earth friend that is intrigued, but just wants to go home.
SPEAKING OF NORTA!!!!
With the Swift, he arrives back at Norta and claimed he'd been chased away by soldiers.
The ferret slips away from the boat and finds its way into the garage, where Cal happens to be working, because he overworked himself in training.
It gets his attention and he very stupidly asks it how it got in.
It starts chattering and then claws at the door. Ever the compassionate, Cal lets it on his shoulder and he meets an Animos who takes notice of the rather articulate rodent on the prince's shoulder.
She does her own interviewing of the creature and is curious when it talks about a school meant for teaching children how to be heroes and villains for fairytales.
She infirms Cal, but tells him to not tell his father because it'd sound stupid and like bullshit.
He tells him anyway because Cal cannot keep a secret.
Tibe tells him that maybe he's been training too hard or in the garage to much; oil or gasoline on the brain.
Good thing the Eye comes back and tells Tibe EVERYTHING about what is called the School for Good and Evil. It is across the sea and has no Reds or Silvers to speak of, though they do have magic.
Tibe tries brushing it off, even when Elara asks him about it, but starts getting frustrated when letters start coming in, all sent by ravens.
These address Maven, Cal, Tibe, Elara, Evangeline, Ptolemus, and Volo Samos, and just about anyone and everyone else the Eye talked about, Even Mare, who is Mareena Titanos at this moment.
This was not only an assignment from the School Master directly, but a test to see if the Eye was BS-ing.
Maven rolls his eyes when he reads his.
Mare, at first, got really excited because she thought it was her family or Shade, but was really sad to learn it was just a bunch of kids in school.
Cal just laughs because he gets a lot of questions about what Norta is like and how he lives life, especially how HE goes to school.
He writes back, after realizing that the letters are being sent by literal 16 year olds.
Here is a letter sent by Tedros:
"Dear Tiberias Calore VII, We found one of your people in our school when my friend accidentally shot him.(sorry about that, by the way!) He talked a lot about you and a thing called "Queenstrial" and said that every King had to choose his Queen like that, even though your father didn't. His blood was silver, too. LIKE A MIRROR! Is that how all of you are? As in, does everyone have silver blood? And does everyone still have powers? Write back when you get a chance. I hope to here from you soon, Tedros Pendragon of Camelot."
Here is Cal's reply:
"Dear Tedros, Call me Cal, just about everyone else does. And don't worry about our comrade, he's doing okay. And I hope he didn't say anything confidential. To answer your questions: Yes, Queenstrial is somewhat a competition to marry the next King. My father didn't really partake in one until after I was born, then he married the current Queen and had my brother Maven. Kings rarely marry without one, though my father was the third to do so. Assuming what he said to us was true, that being you and your classmates all have red blood, then no. Not all us have silver blood. I and my family are all Silvers, meaning we have silver blood. We have powers because of it, but it's not as vast as yours, what you call magic. I'm a Burner, meaning I can control fire and not get burned by it, just like my father and brother. My mother, the queen, is a Whisper, meaning she can read minds. And no, not everyone has powers or silver blood. Reds, people with red blood, don't have powers at all, so they work. Granted, Silvers work, too, but Reds have more labor intensive jobs like lumbering and even fighting in an army. It's to make them feel more useful next to us. I hope this answered ypu questions. Tiberias Calore VII"
Here are letters Sophie sent to Maven:
"Dear Maven Calore, It's very nice to meet you! My name is Sophie. I'm from a village called Gavaldon, though you might not have heard of it because it's really deep in the woods and, let's be honest, if you live in a place like Gavaldon, you can probably live and die without anyone knowing who or where you are. Anyway, I tried writing to your brother, but I guess he gets THAT many letters. That guy they found didn't talk about you as much as your brother. And he said he'll be best king yet. I know how frustrating that is, I got put in the wrong school when I helped so many people and even became best friends with a witch. AND SOMEHOW I'M IN EVIL!? I'M THE PICTURE PERFECT DEFINITION OF A PRINCESS!!! Did that ever happen to you on school? Were ypu ever in the wrong place and your brother was where you were supposed to be? Anyway, write back when you get a chance! Love, Sophie P.S. Is it true you and your brother are ALREADY engaged to someone?"
Here is Maven's reply:
"Dear Sophie, Yes. My brother and I are already betrothed, him to Evangeline of House Samos and I to Mareena of the lost House Titanos. I'm not surprised that he didn't; the nobles usually pay more attention to my brother anyway, kind of like you. I remember once I'd wanted to join my father on a meeting concerning one of our legions. He chose Cal to join him instead and left me to train, even though I'm better at talking in council meetings. I was fairly upset, as I'm sure you are, but all I can say is to grin and bear it. As far as I know, most schools last four years. It may seem like a long time, but it will go by very quickly. Aside from that, I wouldn't know because I wasn't taught in a school like you. I was taught in the palace with my brother. I hope things get better for you, at least. Cordially, Maven Calore"
If this was a legit book or movie, we'd get back and forth POVs between the Red Queen cast and the SGE cast.
With the RQ cast, we'd see Mare and Maven talk the letters they'd each gotten and talk about the existence of magic, and the last letter sent to all three of them. FROM AGATHA. Cal joins them and they get to speculating what it could mean for their future.
"Dear Tiberias Calore VII, Maven Calore, and Mareena Titanos, This is the last letter we're allowed to send. The students, at least. Mareena, or Mare, or whatever your name is, I wish I had a chance to meet you at least once. I don't know, I just have a feeling you're lying and I want to know why. Tiberia Cal, I hope you someday become a good king, and that you're happy with Evangeline. If not, just get along and be freinds. Maven, I'm glad you and Mare met. She sounds like she's a good part of your life, and it sounds like your doing everything you can to help her adapt. I hope you two become your own little weird, married family. If I never meet you, best of wishes to you all. Agatha of Woods Beyond"
All three are bummed out by this and Mare cries into Maven's shoulder as he hugs her out of genuineness, not his mother's plan.
Maven later admits to Cal that it would be interesting to meet the students, but is glad he isn't, because they already have enough problems.
Cal agrees, but solely on the front that they wouldn't really know how to get there and back to Norta, and who qould have to stay behind to hold down the fort, as Tibe doesn't trust Elara or any other high house leader and doesn't talk to Julian.
The two simply imagine what such a meeting would be like as they part ways.
With Tibe, a letter from the School Master himself has just arrived and details a safe route from Norta to the School and back.
SWITCH AND BACK TRACK TO THE SGE CAST!!!!!
Sophie hugs the return letters from Cal and Maven, squealing about how gentlemanly they are and that she can't wait to meet them. Agatha gently breaks it to her that that might not happen because of how they don't know where this Norta place is and the last letter was sent last night, HER LETTER. Sophie waves her off and calls her gloomy for not having any hope. Agatha tries talking Sophie into trying to find a way back to Gavaldon instead, but Sophie shuts her down by gasping that she'd never meet her princes, then.
Norta is a hot topic for the students as they all compare letters, Evers and Nevers.
Tedros wonders to Agatha how long it would take for them to arrive, and Agatha admits she doesn't know because she doesn't know how they get from place to place without horses or carriages.
Dovey and Lesso are about to pull their hair out from the nonstop chitchat of Norta, Reds, and Silvers, and the School Master has just the solution:
After enough ravens left and returned safely, he determined a route on water that would help the Silvers arrive safely and get back home. Considering the advances in technology Norta has, it should take them about a day or two to arrive and another day or two to sail home, regardless of the weather conditions.
With that all thought out, he puts it in the form of him own letter, sends it by eagle, and waits.
After A MONTH of waiting, he gets a letter back that Tiberias will be happy to meet the School Master at the rendezvous point.
AND THUS CONCLUDES ARC 1
BE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR ARC 2!!!!
#red queen#school for good and evil#red school#universe alteration#cal calore#sge tedros#mare barrow#sge agatha#maven calore#sge sophie#tiberias calore vii#tiberias calore vi
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Marinette did Not sign up for this part 5
so, this happened. i would feel bad, but the characters hijacked this story after chapter 1 and i’m just along for the ride and checking that words makes sense.
First part here Previous Here ao3 Here
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“Hey Alya, you haven’t been getting more hits on your blog from Gotham lately, have you?” Marinette asked.
Alya rolled her eyes as honestly, could her bestie be any less obvious? She could see the “new” necklace. The one that only shows up when Multimouse is on call. Honestly—why is it everyone keeps thinking she doesn’t know who’s who? She’s the Fox—Illusions and Truth are her bread and butter.
“Now that you mention it,” Alya pulled up her latest stats. “Yes. The whole site—jeez these guys must have just found out and want the scoop from the best source in Paris,” Alya preened.
Marinette acted… different after she got that answer. Moved in on herself. Alya could feel the attempt at a cover-up before she even asked.
“Hey, is something up?”
“Nothing! Nothing is up, why would something be up! Ha, that’s a good one Alya!”
Ah, the miraculous-related tic was in full swing then. Marinette isn’t exactly the most in-the-know miraculous user, and the Mouse is always taken back after its been used. She could be forgiven for assuming Alya, the expert in all things Miraculous second only to the Original duo and their boss, would not know that something was going on in a certain spotted heroine’s life, and it was all hands on deck.
“Okay,” Alya switched to her theory notes, “Any new names to add to the ‘would not be surprised if they were Hawkmoth’ list?” Marinette is a goldmine on this topic, and while miraculous adjacent, definitely able to ease the whole ‘not in control’ and helpless feelings this situation was probably stirring in her girl. She knew it was for herself atleast.
Marinette perked up with a familiar ‘I know what you will say, but lets do this anyway’ type of sly smile. “Okay, so we do agree that it has to be someone that knows Gabriel’s schedule and doesn’t want to interfere with it for the most part, right?”
“Well,” Alya wasn’t letting this hunch go anytime soon, no matter what LB and Chat said about evidence against. She knew she was onto something with it, and for all she knew, some miraculous magic could be interfering. “I still say it could be him and Natalie taking turns, but that doesn’t rule them both out.”
Marinette shot Alya a look, of the ‘I strongly disagree, but feel it is futile to remind you why’ variety.
“I’m kidding, your boss isn’t Hawkmoth, I know… He’d totally have better designs for akumas if he was.”
Marinette leaned forward conspiratorially. “You should have seen him tear into the Bubbler one when I brought it up as an example of horrible design. His face was perfect!”
Alya would love to imagine the many, many ways to torment Gabriel after what she and Nino have come to understand about the man from their friends. Ranging from negligent and uninvolved control freak at best to manipulative, victim-blaming, and abusive POS. If Adrien and Marinette were a little less attached (re: not pedestalling the man so much), then she could get them to see the truth and they could go over the pair’s options to get them both away from his BS and make the man pay for the all the crap he put Adrien through, and was starting to put Marinette through. Why else would the girl be running herself ragged—especially the past week—if the man wasn’t a demanding asshole boss?
“That’s great, next time, get a pic or vid and share the love.”
“I will, so I met another one of his suppliers and…” Alya began to take vicious notes, glad for Marinette’s attention to detail on these things. It made looking for possible Hawkmoths much easier on her and Max—yes she knows who Pegasus and Cowboy are, Markov in a hat is still Markov in a hat. It was a wonder that no one else noticed.
Alya grinned when she saw Trixx peek out of her hiding place, a wide smile that reminded her exactly why Alya could catch everyone’s identity while her friends still hadn’t put together she’s Rena; a Fox casts illusions. To do that well, you have to learn to seek and see the truth, and get your evidence. And Alya? Is a damn good fox.
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Tim hates his stupid insane list of designers. He managed to knock of half by using his own damn filters, thank you very much for dominant genes from the Wayne side that could be seen visually. It knocked out a good chunk (about two thousand out of five thousand) on hair alone. He decided he would let it keep running for those that linked their socials to their psueds and aliases.
The problem was the handful (about ten) that didn’t. He’d have to meet them in person, used his glasses to get pictures, and run those against social media posts in Paris to find out who these more private designers were—all to find out if they really are in the right age range, and if their natural features do put them in the ‘likely a Wayne’ category for Wayne dominant traits (and those possible given Bruce’s own DNA makeup, which he doesn’t know Tim has. Hey, he’s the Robin that Gets Shit Done, never said he was the polite one. That’s Dick’s job, not his.)
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Adrien hates not having Plagg with him. Not that Tikki isn’t great and all! Really! Just… he misses him and his stinky cheese, okay?
“Adrien,” Natalie knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
Natalie entered the doorway, but no further. “When is Marinette free for consultations next? we have a high end client who would like to commission her as soon as possible.”
“Give me a minute…” Adrien checked his ‘overseeing Marinette’ schedule on his phone. “Uh, she has walk-ins around four until five tomorrow.”
“Excellent. Will she be at her home or the studio Gabriel has provided for consultations?” By her tone, he could tell which Natalie and Father would prefer.
“Let me check with her.”
“See that you do.”
Adrien sent a lipstick, X arm lady, and house emoji to Marinette.
In a minute she sent back a thumbs up and apartment building emoji.
“Studio it is.”
Natalie nodded. “Excellent choice. I will let them know to be there at four ten, given Marinette’s… difficulty arriving on time.”
Adrien grimaced a bit on that as yeah… no longer having a Danger sense meant her punctuality was… not very good. “Are they speaking to Marinette or MDC?”
He’d need to know if he should just pick her up or not. MDC didn’t have to get picked up—designers to celebrities are allowed to be late and can blame it on getting caught up in a few details on a commission design for a walk-in consultation. Marinette was tied to the Gabriel Brand and needed to reflect that, therefore, be there on time and ready.
“Marinette for now, though they expressed an interest in MDC as a budding designer, and they are well within the MDC price range,” Natalie hinted.
Adrien kept the hiss growing in the back of throat quiet. Marinette chooses who MDC works with, not his Father.
--------
Stephanie is both delighted and upset when she sees Cass. As its Cass—she probably figured it out already damn it!—but its Cass and she missed her since she left a few months back for a mission and got caught up in the Chinese crime scene again.
“Hey Cass!”
Cass grinned when she saw Steph and made her way over.
“Found her!”
Stephanie was gutted. She really wanted to win, just this once, at a detective thing. You know, be the normal one that managed to out-do the prodigies and geniuses. Not to be again. “Oh, that’s great. Where is the baby bat?”
Cass shook her head. “Not her, Soup Girl.”
Stephanie opened and shut her mouth. Then lit up as she still has a chance! “Oh, right—right! You said you wanted to meet her a while back.”
Cass nodded. “Her family is nice.”
“Did you talk to her or…”
Cass shook her head. “Busy.”
“Ah.” That made sense. “Well, uh, still competing?”
Cass raised an eyebrow. That was a yes.
“Maybe we should work on helping her on the hero side of things together, you know, so we don’t freak her out when we all swarm her place. Make the whole thing a bit less…”
“Dramatic.”
Stephanie nodded. It would help ease the girl into the family, and keep Cass on that case instead of finding Baby Bat for a bit. Win-Win for Stephanie and Baby Bat.
-------------
Chatte Noire really, really hates dealing with akumas. She's built for strategy, to see tricky parts and work out how to make them safer for the team and minimize risk. She is not made to be Chatte Noire. Yet here she is, in an akuma attack, trying to play the role of a Black Cat—identify and destroy threats to the team. Problem is, she lacks Chat Noir's heightened ability to sense danger. In fact, she lacks it completely--and she knows the team isn't happy.
The attack is taking longer than it would if she was Ladybug. This would be over if she had just managed to keep her big mouth shut and not talked to Aquaman. Then the Justice League wouldn’t be involved. Then the whole promise to Murder Robin would not be broken and Paris would already be saved for the day instead of dealing with another Sandboy attack going on well into the night, with a cure that won’t be able to handle fatigue, energy renewal or relax the body for sleep post ‘I’m scared out of my mind’ fear.
She made sure to avoid this Sandboy’s attacks and she would save whoever got caught. Her Cataclysms may not be as strong as Chat’s (his do make the whole thing go away) but she is just as quick on her feet and just as good at getting civilians out of danger.
“Chatte!”
“On it Buggaboy! And not yet!”
It was too off for the Lucky Charm. They’d need Viperion, and he was stuck underwater with Aquaman trying to get him out at the moment. Until then, she just had to minimize damage, keep civilians away from their nightmares hunting them down, and keep moving and planning and work everything out while playing bodyguard for the team at Cha—At Mr. Bug’s call.
She hopes things turn out okay.
Then she sees a bat symbol and the world vanishes.
----------
Red Hood blinked when he saw some girl running around on rooftops in… Isn’t Chat Noir supposed to be the cat one? Where the hell is Ladybug—and why is some guy in her place? Shit, did the baby bat lose her miraculous or was it stolen? Damnit, now he has to steal it back for her!
“Okay, how did LB get hit when she isn’t even here?” The fox girl groaned as she dodged another attack. “Aren’t these guys supposed to go after who’s scared of them?”
The bee girl rolled her eyes. “More than just Ladybug can be terrified of the bats. They’re the Ghosts, remember?”
“Hey, can we argue about fears and who has rights to them some other time?” fake ladybug asked, flinching and moving closer to the Turtle guy. “Uh, Chatte, that way!”
Cat girl—Chatte— said something he didn’t catch and grabbed a kid stuck in a mob and bounce out.
“I—” the boy threw his hands up. “We’re screwed. She really, really isn’t getting the whole Cat thing.”
Red Hood pulled out his guns, checking that the darts were loaded and aiming for Spots.
“Chatte---guy with a gun!”
This time cat girl managed to look over and froze. She started… hyperventilating? Shit—kid’s having an attack.
Red Hood lowered his gun and made sure to get closer to her---seeing as the other heroes—Dragon girl, Monkey boy and Snake Guy were busy with the bee and fox girls trying to circle some kid on a pillow. No clue where the other kid in black was, but the cat girl losing it? that was his current focus.
“Kid, come on, breathe.”
“Oh my—” the kid looked at him like he was the threat. “Fuck, no—I shouldn’t have talked back to---shit. Shit, now I’m gonna—”
“VOYAGE!”
Just like that, Red Hood was dropped into Gotham harbor. Jason didn’t even get to look around to see what happened. He did manage to tread water and work out which was to go to get to shore.
“Oracle!”
“Jesus Hood—sending Robin to your location. What happened?”
“Some kids stole baby bats’ jewels, some akuma attack, the actual cat thief was hyperventilating and then I end up here.”
“Oh, B is not going to like this.”
“I already don’t like it.” Batman growled out over comms. “Did someone say voyage?”
Red Hood wracked his somewhat waterlogged brain. “In French, yes.”
“One of the local heroes.” Jason could feel Bruce’s annoyance. “Why were you in Paris.”
“Well,” Red Hood kept swimming to shore. “When you find out a long lost bat is in life threatening danger, one must locate and meet this possible winner of the ‘avoided having crappy parents raise me’ lottery to give a well-earned ‘congrats, you’re a well-adjusted person in a family of crimefighter! Mazel tav.”
“Hood.” Robin began on a private channel. “We need to talk.”
“Gotta go B, life to live, baby bat to find.”
“Red Hood!”
“Bye!” Red Hood climbed out of the harbor, finding his baby brother on his motorcycle that was definitely not Bruce-Approved.
“What’s up buttercup, didja miss me?”
Robin scowled at him. “Of course not, the world is more peaceful without the drivel that falls out of your mouth.”
Red Hood snorted. “Yeah, and that’s why you hide in my room all the time.”
Robin refused to make eye contact, shoving Red Hood onto his bike. “Is it true, did my sister lose her miraculous?”
“Unless she’s B and Catwoman’s lovechild and she decided to embrace it.”
Robin was quiet on the way to the cave. “…how long would it take to get the pilot to return and take me to Paris?”
“…you’d make it there around their in time for dessert.”
Robin frowned. “that’s not soon enough.”
“Closest you’ll get. And don’t’ think you’re going alone.”
Robin frowned. “I am not exposing my sister to you.”
“She’s our sister first of all,” Red Hood corrected. “and second of all, I have a bet to win, and I’m behind thanks to this portal guy. So I’m coming.”
Robin rolled his eyes. “Only if you get past Father and Alfred.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
Robin smirked as they pulled into the Batcave.
“Father, I believe Red Hood needs your full attention given he was in the harbor for so long, and we all know how cold they are this time of year.”
Jason decided Damian was by and far his least favorite sibling in that moment. “Wait, B, no, look—no signs of hypothermia, no shaking, just need to change and—”
“I will check and ensure you don’t develop it with Alfred on standby.”
Jason glared at Damian, already stripping from his Robin gear with that self-satisfied smirk. “Traitor!”
“I simply want what is best for my siblings, how is that wrong?”
----------
I hope this gave you all a good idea of what’s going to happen next… I do love the Batfam and all, but some of their approaches here… no good and need to have that hit over their head.
And if I’m screwing up ladybats characterization, feel free to let me know so I can fix it---going off what I could find from DC fans and lore but I also do not know these characters inside and out, and want to do them justice.
OH and for anytime i refrence princess Justice, got a refrence for you now! picture the one made by @tinymelonbug right here with the only (maybe?) change being that below the cut it is cut off as a romper: Here
TAGS:
@heldtogetherbysafetypins @laurcad123 @raisuke06 @chaosace @jeminiikrystal @toodaloo-kangaroo @kris-pines04
#maribat#bio!dad bruce#marinette did not sign up for this#part 5#long post#ml au#my writing#how do i tag?
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Hello! Could I get headcanons for the main 10 with a Scholar who likes to leave love letters around for them to find?
Yes! 💗 and thank you for the request ✊ I'm not sure if they're already dating or not? I'm gonna assume they are. (This turned out to be so long! I'm gonna flood the tags again...)
Alistair
- first time you gave him one, it was on his desk
- he tried to read as swiftly as he could, but as he was reading through it, he started getting weird looks from the other students
- not surprising, he was grinning the whole time
- Raquel tried to look over his shoulder
- "Oooohhh~ what's that? A love letter? You're so popular with the ladies haha."
- he immediately hides it and stuffs it in his bag
- "Psh. N-no? It was just uhhh... homework!"
- poor boy sucks at lying
- "Of course, I'm sure everyone smiles like that at homework."
- Alistair keeps on giving you glances during class
- he didn't have the time to read all of it but he did see that you signed it and your handwriting is really recognizable
- afterwards, he quietly reads it in his room
- his heart races at each word
- comes to your room as soon as he finishes reading it
- "Y/N I came here to th- than- uhhh? Yeah! To thank you! Haha..."
- for a hot second he forgot how words work
- is laughing out of nervousness
- after that, you keep giving him more and more letters
- he starts consciously expecting to find one on his desk when he walks in
- is really sad when there's nothing on the desk...
Axel
- he already receives a lot of love letters ("fanmail") so how can you give it to him while making sure that he knows it's yours right away?
- you thought of a silly trick to throw him off guard
- When he's walking through the hallways you call out his name and give him the letter, you tell him that "he dropped this"
- he's surprised so he automatically grabs the letter
- "Oh! Thank you for picking it up for- Wait. I don't think this is mine. Uh...?"
- too late! You ran away immediately
- it takes him a few seconds to understand what you just did
- he's excited! But of course he's not going to read it in the middle of the hallway
- skips the beginning of next class to read it carefully in the cafeteria
- he blushes furiously at how passionate the letter is
- he's persuaded that you could write a beautiful love song
- comes in class 20 minutes late and gets detention from Tadashi but to be honest, he doesn't even care anymore
- When he walks in, he gives you a subtle look but you know what that look means
- you're so embarrassed that you try to ignore him the whole period... until he stealthly throws a paperball on your desk
- you open it, it says "look my way"
- even though you're mortified, you do so anyway
- he waves at you and smirks all knowingly
- ohhhh boy, you look away again
- you hear a stifled laugh, he probably thinks your reaction was really cute
Claire
- she often lends you pretty little boxes with cookies in them
- but when you have to give the box back to her, you get an idea
- you put a love letter in the empty box and give it back to Claire
- she discovers it in the evening when she opens the box, expecting to only find crumbs you left behind
- blinks a few times and closes the box
- opens it again and the letter is still inside
- she thinks "it wasn't a hallucination!"
- reads it really slowly because she has to stop at each sentence to calm herself down
- the next day she gives you the box again with the new cookies she baked yesterday
- runs away as soon as you take the box
- you open it and there's a letter on top of the cookies, it's a response to your letter!
- seems like she was too shy to tell you in person
- to fit the theme of the letter: the cookies are heart-shaped
- you guys keep on exchanging letters through the box and it becomes a habit between the two of you
Ellie
- since she doesn't have a roommate, you slide the letter through the small space under her door
- finds it on the floor when she gets back to her room
- OwO whats dis?
- opens it and reads it super quickly
- she's so giddy that she reads over it multiple times
- sends you text messages with lots of emojis in them
- "Thank youuu 💖💕💗 you sweetheart!!! 💘💝😍😊😘"
- builds a robot to deliver letters between the two of you
- it knocks on the door and if you don't open it to take the letter, it goes back to Ellie
- she teaches you how to use the robot!
- "Don't worry! If someone else snatches the letter away from the robot it'll activate an alarm on my phone! And it's not like we need to sign the letters, we can use codenames!"
- You remind her that she's the only one in the pure and applied sciences department to create cute robots like those
- "Ah whoops... well uh, to be fair everyone already knows that we're dating so... no need to hide it!"
Karolina
- she probably doesn't care much about love letters
- she always thought that it's childish and extremely ridiculous
- that is until you gave her one
- the really first time you gave the letter to her directly or else she wouldn't read it, not knowing that it was from you
- she's all proud of herself while reading it
- she agrees with each statement but still blushes
- "Of course I'm gorgeous! You didn't have to write that part..."
- she's actually a sucker for books, especially from the romance genre
- you make her feel like a heroine from one of those books and she's secretly really happy about it
- but she'll never admit that of course
- after a while she gets inspired and tries to write one herself
- she thinks "I'll show you how it's done!"
- ends up getting really embarrassed at the thought of you reading the letter and doesn't give it to you until the end of the year
Neha
- after multiple attempts you somehow managed to sneak the letter in one of her sketchbooks
- too bad you couldn't see the surprise on her face when she found your letter
- she wanted to work for a few hours and brainstorm ideas for some new outfits
- but her plans went out of the window
- she read it. Put it on the side and started thinking about you during a solid 20 minutes
- wants to thank you but doesn't know how to do it without sounding like a little kid
- decides to send you a text for now, but she'll also write you a letter later
- "Thank you a lot for the letter. I really appreciate it."
- thinks that maybe it's a little bit too cold so she adds a heart emoji at the end
- cringes to herself while sending it
- gets back to work but sometimes she draws your face on the side
- scribbles all over it when she realizes what she's doing
- "This is not professional! If I have to show my sketchbook to someone and they see this, they won't take me seriously..."
- decides to write you a letter first or else she won't be able to focus
Raquel
- This is a hard one
- Raquel always moves from place to place without stop so it's hard to be sneaky with her
- eventually you slip the letter in her bag but you don't know how much time it'll take for her to find it
- like you thought it took her a few days
- when she did, she was very vocal about it
- she ran to you and almost jumped on you
- hugs you and thanks you hundreds of times
- "I love you too!!! You're so sweet Y/N..."
- becomes much more flirty, she was already confident but now it's even worse (or better? 😌)
- puts the letter on the wall of her room and shows it off to Claire
- "Look at that Claire! It seems like my godly charm cannot be stopped."
- Raquel starts carefully checking her bag everyday in hopes of finding another letter from you
- and even when she doesn't find anything, it gets her into a working mood
- "Might as well do my homework I guess..."
- becomes much more responsible with homework now that she checks her bag everyday
- your love literally helped her to get better grades
Tadashi
- This was a risky mission
- you had to sneak into the student council room and leave it on his desk
- they had a meeting this afternoon and Tadashi has been in a bad mood lately
- Well, to be fair he's always done with everybody's BS but this time it was worse than usual
- he finds the letter and gets confused right away
- wants to read it but he's having a meeting
- he's really fidgety the whole time, for some reason he has a feeling that it's from you though he can't explain why
- once everyone leaves the room he opens the letter
- all of his stress dies down, he falls back on his chair and sighs
- goes to find you and brings you to the council room, he makes you sit on his chair
- you tell him that you can't be here but he smiles and answers "Oh? You say that now even though you snuck in earlier to give me a secret love letter of all things?"
- he teases you with endearment and massages your back to thank you
- asks you if you'll write more (because he loved it) and you promise to do so if he promises to take more breaks
Tegan
- Tegan often invites you to play videos games with him (or to marathon some shows/anime/movies/whatever)
- you left the letter behind for him but he didn't catch the drift
- goes to your room to give it back
- "Um... you forgot this, I think..."
- you tell him that it's for him
- "Wait, really? You can just text me, you know? It's quicker and way easier than writing letters."
- oooohhhh boy. He really doesn't get it, you have to spell it out
- "A l-love letter? For me!?"
- "Tegan. We're dating."
- "Oh right! Sorry... I always forget that, it seems like I'm in a dream..."
- reads it in front of you while you're paying close attention to his reactions
- and to no surprise: he's a blushing mess
- you're fully satisfied, all that time was worth it
- he says that he'll repay you with a "love text message" which sounds like he's being lazy, but really knowing how... "unique" his handwriting is, you're glad...
- but it was not just a text message.
- "Sorry, I went a bit overboard 🙏🙏"
- his text has a 23 pages long file attached to it
- he wrote a really really long essay explaining in details why you're "so awesome" and "the best person in the world"
Tyler
- after classes are over, when he's working on a new painting he spends almost all of his time in the art room
- that's when you strike!
- you know he has a habit of sitting in the corner of the room so that's where you leave the letter
- honestly, he was in a slump lately because he felt like he was doing a really half-assed job with his new art piece
- but your letter gave him so much motivation that he finished the painting in a day
- "This is crazy Y/N! Reading your letter gave me the same rush as drinking 5 monster drinks in the span of 2 hours!"
- "Uhhh... Please don't do that?"
- laughs at how worried you look and asks you to write more to give him strength
- you say no at first but he pulls out your letter out of his pocket and starts reading it out loud in the middle of the hallway
- "Ssshhh! People might hear!"
- "Yeah, so? That's kinda the point but if you promise to write me more I'll stop~"
- you know he's just teasing you but it's still so embarrassing...
- in the end you give in out of shame however you have no idea just how much this letter helped him
- whenever he feels down or like he's not good enough he pulls out one of your letters and reads it
- he keeps all of them safe in a box, they're his treasures
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The Jedi and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Plan
Making new post because that reblog chain was getting a lil long and I can talk about Ventress til the banthas come home:
What does the Jedi Order do with this?
They decide “we can use her as a tool. We will send one of our own to her, under false pretenses, and we will have him pretend to be a Fallen Jedi. We will have him inveigle her to train him in the secrets of the dark side. And we will have him use her to launch an assassination attempt on Dooku, killing him using his own student.”
This is a HOWLINGLY bad decision. It is morally dubious. It is grotesquely dismissive of Ventress as a person, it is NOT in accordance with the Jedi Code. This is a desperate, fear-based attempt at murdering their enemy using any weapon available to them.
Fear, of course, being the path to the dark side.
Asajj Ventress dies because the Order fucked up and gives her life to protect the vehicle of that fuckup.
It’s those kinds of decisions that should be laid at their door.
- @opinions-about-tiaras
Oh, yes. Now setting aside my more Doylist opinions on That Book (Golden is a hack, Asajj dying to further Quin’s story is tired sexist BS, anyways she’s a lesbian duh) something I do like about this terrible, terrible series of events is how thoroughly Obi-Wan roasts the Council at the end for their choices.
"We lost our way," Kenobi had said. "We lost it when we decided to use assassination, a practice so clearly of the dark side, for our own ends, well intentioned though they might have been. All that has happened since-Vos succumbing to the dark side, the deaths he has directly and indirectly caused, the secrets leaked, the worlds placed in jeopardy-all of this can be traced back to that single decision. Masters, I submit to you that Vos's fall was of our making. And Asajj Ventress's death is on all our hands. That Vos is here with us today, devastated but on the light path once more, is no credit to us, but to her. She died a true friend of the Jedi, and I believe that she deserves to be laid to rest with respect and care, with all gratitude for the life she gave and the life she has restored to us, and this bitter lesson that came at so dear a price. We are Jedi, and we must, all of us, always, remember what that means."
This scene is also very interesting when you contrast it to Ventress kinning Ahsoka when Ahsoka was framed for the temple bombings.
My master abandoned me, and that's exactly what you did to her, you and your precious Jedi Order.
Obi-Wan defends Quin where Ahsoka was failed. Ventress wanted the full pardon Ahsoka promised to argue for her, but Ahsoka losing faith in herself and the Council meant she never did try to speak in Ventress’s defense. Ventress still living on the edges of society meant she was in prime state to be used for this terrible, terrible plan.
"If we can take him, we can turn him back," Kenobi said.
"You cannot save everyone, Master Kenobi," Plo Koon said, not without sympathy.
Yoda nodded. "Save themselves, they must."
(...)
"You know as well as I do that there is still hope for him."
"I don't know that," she said bluntly. Kenobi was surprised. Mace Windu frowned, leaning forward. "You weren't there. You didn't see his face. You don't know how hard it is to come back from-"
"You did it," Kenobi interrupted quietly. Ventress paused in midsentence, her eyes looking piercingly into his. He could sense how stunned she was by his recognition of what she had done.
“He could sense how stunned she was by his recognition of what she had done.” Ventress saved herself, without being given any favours. I do understand in a general way why the Jedi wouldn’t offer her any. She has done horrific things. I wish they had decided to reward her from the start of this plan, however, even if they chose to keep her in the dark (hah) because of her lack of trustworthiness. Instead they just sit on an offer of a pardon until they need to reassure her she won’t be arrested for helping them get Vos back.
The Jedi assume that because she’ll be DTA (Down to Assassinate) she won’t have changed enough to earn forgiveness, despite the fact that Vos would get to stay a Jedi after hopefully beheading Dooku. Moral equivalence, and all that.
We owe Vos the chance to choose again, and, with our help, wisely.
We owe him that chance to choose again. “Anakin, this path has been placed for you; the choice is yours alone.” People make informed choices when all their options are clear to them. Thanks to Dooku and Ky Narec, Ventress knows the life of a Sith and of a Jedi. She can choose how she wants to live as a result -- but some material limitations exist outside her (i.e. her status as a war criminal.)
The Jedi come up with this terrible plan because they’re clouded by emotion -- the novel opens up with Dooku committing a mass murder and laying the blame at the Jedi’s feet. They react by doing what they’re always seen as both guilty and not guilty of: Taking action.
"Answer me this. How often has this Council sat, shaking our heads, saying, Everything leads back to Dooku? A few dozen times? A few hundred?"
You accept the ‘gift’ of a million soldier slaves to end a terrible war. You could also end that war by laying down your arms, accepting the consequences on your own small organization -- and the deaths of billions as they’re mowed down by droids. You choose to fight, and if you take that step, what’s so different about sending someone to kill the instigator of this war? Where do you draw your line in the sand?
To Quin’s credit, he does tell Ventress who he is and about the whole plan before any training or assassination plans take place. She agrees without needing any reward.
I think what really gets me is the point they bring up time and again, and Dooku himself sums up so perfectly:
"Our escape plans hinged on her?" Dooku exclaimed almost at the same moment, his lip curling. "The most abysmal assassin of all time?"
They can make all the noise they want about Ventress having gotten closer than anyone to killing Dooku -- at the end of the day, she’s still failed, TWICE, and that was with magic witches on her side. Why would they use her for this plan, for any reason other than she’s convenient. It’s lazy. It’s that ultimate allure of the ethically dubious: “It’ll just be easier if we do it this way.” If they really wanted to assure this working, why didn’t they just offer Ventress a pardon in exchange for Dooku’s itinerary, then send Mace and Yoda to dice the devil up? Seriously.
Also, this whole stupid book becomes Even More Pointless when you consider how fucking funny it is that after Learning Their Lesson here the Jedi decide that the perfect plan of action a whole 2 months later in RotS is to .................................. send Obi-Wan to kill Grievous. I mean, what, they weren’t worried just a little bit that Obi-Wan would end up sleeping with him instead and switching sides? 🤔🤔🤔
#asajj ventress#quinlan vos#obi wan kenobi#jedi#dark disciple#*#i hate this book sm#poor ventress deserves so much better#but lowkey they dump her body in the magic swamp that once resurrected someone#so like...........................ventress lives!!
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RWBY7 Soundtrack
Should I be reviewing/giving my thoughts on the OST when I have plenty of asks in my inbox to answer and have no musical authority at all? No, probably not. Am I doing it anyway? Yes.
This is just going to be in what (I assume) is the track order. Let me know if I miss any; I’m going off a YouTube playlist.
1. Trust Love
Initial thoughts: Eh.
It’s okay. It’s not my favorite opening, that honor goes to When It Falls, but it’s competent. Very optimistic, which is a trend for this volume’s soundtrack despite how dire the tone of the latter half is, so I don’t think it fully fits the volume it opens for, but it’s by no means a bad song. It’s easy to sing along and bop to, just doesn’t seem as impressive as the other opening songs. It feels like a different sort of sound than what RWBY songs have been in the past, which is also a running theme for the OST this volume - new artists singing, a lot of experimentation in the style. That’s not a bad thing; the tracks I like the most on this album are the different sounding ones, but it’s very.... noticeable, and didn’t go in the direction you would think for Atlas.
2. Touch the Sky
Initial Thoughts: Why is the best part of this song the ending?
No, but seriously, that outro is a very different sound to the proceeding song and it’s so good. Other than that, I’ve got questions. Like, whose song is this? I’m leaning towards Team RWBY as a whole, but I’ve seen people suggest it’s Weiss’s, it’s Blake’s, I could see an argument for Yang - it’s very unclear. Also, why is the POV character(s) so happy? Their situation isn’t all that much better in terms of Salem and the Relic and all that; they should still be weighed down with that knowledge, shouldn’t they? They don’t trust Ironwood to help make things all better, they still have to carry the Relic (for plot reasons), the only thing that’s changed is that they’re going out on missions. Well, fresh clothes and a distraction are always nice, and it is a chance to put all that stuff on the back burner. I’ll give them that, then.
3. Brand New Day
Initial Thoughts: From the writers that make every Blake song a duet, here’s her volume 7 song; a duet with.... Qrow?
Have Blake and Qrow ever even spoken to each other? And, is there actually no solo Blake song, or am I beating on a dead meme? Actually, to be completely serious, these two actually work well in a song together. Their character directions compliment each other in this volume - both trying to reinvent themselves some and become better (Blake with her new hair and outfits, Qrow with a new outfit and a resolve to recover from alcoholism), it’s just a shame that, you know, this kind of talk or relationship never happens in the show. At all.
Someone in the YouTube comment section said this song sounds like a 90′s sitcom opening, and I have to agree. It really does, mixed with a bit of 50′s doo-wap. It’s not bad, I actually like the doo-wap, but it also has bits of the usual RWBY style rock, and they don’t mix as coherently as I would like in some places. The guitar bridge after Qrow’s verse is pretty nice, though.
Overall, it’s another good song to bop along to, but like the songs before it, I’m not sure it’s one I’ll be listening to over and over.
4. Let’s Get Real
Initial Thoughts: So, even the song thinks they should talk - why didn’t they?
Here’s something you may not know about me. I don’t romantically ship Renora. I’ve always preferred them as a brother/sister pair - probably in part because I’m a sucker for found family. I’ve never really had anything against romantic Renora, though... but this volume definitely made me go from neutral to dislike. Ren’s confused, he’s worried, he’s having doubts about their relationship that he’s not sure how to vocalize. He admits as much. And instead of, I don’t know, respecting that and letting it be for the moment, or pulling him aside to try and help him talk it through, she... kisses him. Instead of stopping to let them work through where their relationship is at the present (which would be nice, to clue the audience in on what exactly their status is), she pushes their relationship to the next level, presumably. It leaves a very bad taste in my mouth, that Ren’s emotions about his relationship with Nora are just shoved aside and aren’t brought up again. Hopefully it does in the next volume (Nora and Ren are notably split for, like, the first time ever in the Volume 8 preview), but still - I thought Tumblr had decided that “guy shuts a girl up by kissing her” trope was sexist or something - shouldn’t this be similarly scrutinized?
Putting that aside, I actually really really like this. It’s very reminiscent of Shine, but a Renora version; it’s got a great beat, the lyrics do a great job in character insight (something I love from RWBY songs, which are probably why Touch the Sky doesn’t do a lot for me), and it’s just a very fun, peppy song. It also feels very at home in Atlas with it’s more techno-leanings. The ending chorus chant of “Is it love?” is also a nice touch.
5. Celebrate
Initial Thoughts: The better Brand New Day (musically speaking).
And by that I mean, it leans all the way into this different style than the half/half approach Brand New Day did, and it’s all the better for it. Once again, another good dancing song, easy to listen and bop to, but it feels... oddly generic. For one thing, there’s no character tied to it, no character insight - I guess you could make an argument for Robin or the Happy Huntresses, but... not really? For another, while as a song I really enjoy the genre of music, it also makes it feel very much not like a RWBY song (something not helped by name-dropping Vegas). It’s fun, but it doesn’t feel like it adds much to the show.
6. War
Initial Thoughts: Wow, I didn’t think you could make me hate the AceOps fight more, but look at that.
Probably the first RWBY song I just flat out hate, and that’s a crying shame considering the excellent music and vocal performances. Those lyrics, though. Just - I hate them. I hate them so damn much. I refuse to give this song more than that.
7. Hero
Initial thoughts: Hell yeah hell yeah hell yeah HELL YEAH -
Best song on the album probably. It has all the usual RWBY flare, gives us a great insight into Ironwood’s thoughts and motivations, and is a fantastic performance by Caleb Hyles. The operatic section at the beginning is wonderfully chilling, and the rock section is very epic. 10/10 song even though I’m not rating these.
8. Until the End
Initial thoughts: Time to play “Who does this gorgeous song belong to?”
Actually, I really, really enjoy this song. It’s creepy in its melancholy, but I love it for that. The piano and subtle strings are beautiful, and the way Casey’s voice echoes gives the illusion of solitude in an empty place, perfect for the tone this song conveys.
Now, the matter of whose song it is. The consensus seems to be Ruby and/or Summer, and that’s pretty likely (and letting Ruby actually have a song would be nice). However, I heard a rumor before the album dropped that this was an Ozpin song, and going through it with that lens makes a whole lot of sense - the repeated “I’ll be here until the end”, the constant use of “we”, “our” and other plurals, the lines “ In waves of shame, we’re desperate to make amends / But through a simple soul, we lie complacent” could refer to him lying dormant in Oscar or other souls in the past instead of actively working to defeat Salem, and in the lines “ As light fills my eyes / I’ll picture me beside her / And pray that I’ll inspire”, it could be him thinking of Salem when he dies, and then praying that he’ll be able to inspire others to fight for humanity, for the light.
I could see it either way, honestly, but no matter which it is, I love this song.
9. Fear
Initial thoughts: Fire whoever was in charge of sound mixing, otherwise, not as preachy as I was fearing.
This is actually the first time I’ve listened to this. I was pretty pissed at the ending of the finale so I didn’t stick around for the credits, and hearing that it was called “Fear”, I was not in the mood for more Ironwood bashing or “You’re just as bad as she is if you act in fear” or whatever BS Oscar said. So, yeah, wasn’t looking forward to this track.
Thankfully, though, it was not another War. I actually enjoyed the lyrics, and the music was top-notch. Don’t really have much more to say about it other than it was difficult to hear the lyrics over the music in some places, but that could be a factor of the video I was listening to. All in all, pleasantly surprised.
10. I May Fall (Acoustic)
Initial Thoughts: Can someone tell the Williams that “acoustic” doesn’t always mean “depressing?”
Like, acoustic doesn’t have to be a super slow, piano/strings, somber rendition, right? It’s just the instruments and the singer without any added computer editing/layering/whatever, if I’m not mistaken. That style of acoustic works alright with songs like Time to Say Goodbye, but not so well with more upbeat songs. This version isn’t bad, per se, but I’d like to see an acoustic version more in line with the original.
That aside - the original I May Fall is my favorite RWBY song, bar none. This rendition was always going to be something I liked, and I do appreciate a lot about it. The strings are absolutely beautiful, particularly the cello(? I think, again, I’m not much of a music person, just have a sister that plays violin), and I love the way the violin/viola picks up for the second verse and gives the song a second wind, implying more strength and resolve. I love the music cutting out completely to let Casey sing, with the instruments slowly coming in to join as she gets louder and stronger, as if standing with her - beautiful, it’s all insanely beautiful, and this is one I will probably buy.
Closing Thoughts
This album was... average, to me. Only a couple songs really jumped out at me, while most were good, but not something I was dying to listen to again, or were dragged down by the context.
What’re your thoughts on this volume’s songs? I’d love to hear them! Until then, have a good evening, and stay safe!
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Same Heart
Chapter 3 - Fray
Sum: You are a colonel from the Battlecruiser Absolution now aboard Finalizer in an attempt to close a banking deal for the Order abroad. Not much has ever given you cause to seek a significant other before, however, when several people on the ship start taking a personal interest in you things may change. (Kylo/MattxReaderxHux)
Word Count: 2.5k+
Warnings: Language, Violence
Disclaimer: I am ignorant when it comes to the military. So if you notice any errors please inform me. If the BS doesn't bother you, all the better
@tachibubu @lowlyapprentice @moonlightreetops
Hux’s office felt colder than the rest of the ship. It’s even black doonium walls closing in on either side of your consciousness. The vastness of space out the viewing port behind the ginger’s head was beckoning you, threatening to swallow you whole.
“(F/N)”
Biliousness hit you hard in your discomposure; you couldn’t remember the last time Hux had used your first name standing alone. Or if he had ever. Dread. The next words from him were ones not to be coveted: of this you were sure.
The general's lips were drawn into a tight, unforgiving line. He was the epitome of the Order’s refined system in every aspect. From the way he could make the most casual of clothes look like a uniform to the habit he had of bringing a sensation of foreboding into every private meeting. “Do you know why you are here?”
It was meant to be rhetorical. Like when a cop is stopping you in traffic. You both knew full well why you were sitting across from one another having THIS conversation.
“Shields are charged Ma’am! Bringing them online now.” From the control deck below a voice projected.
“No! Keep them down.” Your reply was swift and firm.
Mitaka stuck close to your side, doubting everyone of your calls. His nerves, considering Hux wasn’t around, were hanging on a thin wire. “I don’t know what you think those pilots are capable of, but they can't perform miracles. We are being fired upon. Whatever it is you are trying to do (L/N) it isn’t going to work.”
“Have a little faith, Lieutenant. I’m your superior for a reason.” The words were spoken with venom, you were getting quite tired of his admonishment of you.
Hux’s hands were folded over his desk, and he leaned in toward you over them. “You took a huge risk, (F/N). You completely ignored protocol. The justifications of which do not outweigh the cause.” His voice was too even. As if instead of being angry with you he was holding onto regret.
You gazed down at your lap, it was easier than looking him in the eye. “I know.”
This fleet was more than a mobile weapons platform, one just needed to know how to use it to its full potential. If you were successful, the lives of both sides would be spared. You waited, trusting your pilots to stick to the orders you issued. Zeta and Epsilon Tie squads were keeping a tight formation around Finalizer, fending off any approaching X-Wing fire. Your Bombers and Tie Defender were in pursuit of the rebel captain's ship. Not to destroy, but to capture. It wasn’t a large spacecraft by any means and you had to wonder why such a small envoy would drop from hyper space to attack now. The planet of Jakku beneath your orbit was a wasteland, and as such held no value.
They were nearing; F-005 had lured the rebels into a mindset of retreat. Z-938 blocking their route of escape just moments before. They couldn’t jump to safety now, not with your battlecruiser in their way and only one working engine. They were being herded into you like Nerf.
Once surrounded you ordered the end of the battle. The rebels would submit now with no other choice. It was time to show why you had left your shields down, and hopefully Mitaka’s insufferable whining would cease.“Engage Tractor beme.” You directed to one of the officers below, then engaged the Comm for flight control. “Good work men, bring them in.”
“Honestly (F/N), It’s calls like this that got you removed from the Navy in the first place. Taking charge when Ren and I were detained can be overlooked considering, however, recklessly leaving us open for attack will not be.”
“With all do respect General, damage sustained was minimal and there were no casualties. Now that we have them in custody -
Hux cut you off. “You apprehended one ship, on a hunch no less. A hypothesis that there is something they want on Jakku. To which now we have reports of two resistance X-Wing pilots landing planetside. If you had followed protocol: all would be eliminated, and there would no longer be a need to send out a ground squad to clean up after you.”
You hadn’t anticipated the absconder’s actions and understood the detriment that put on not only your name but Hux’s aswell. “Yes Sir, but now we can find out why they were here.”
“If a good reason at all. Perhaps they were passing through. This is difficult space to navigate.”
“Sir, If that was the case Protocol dictates that we need to imprison and interrogate any unidentified craft in our territory regardless. They gave no clearance codes. Moreover, they fired onto us first. That is a classic distraction tactic Sir! Does that not seem suspicious to you? If there is something on Jakku they want we need to obtain it first.” You nearly ran out of breath desperately trying to explain yourself. Taking a breath you sat back down in your seat, just now realizing you rose out of it for your vocal bombardment. “I stand by my decision, Armitage. I understand that you have to suspend me during the investigation, but you’ll soon see- I. Am. Right.”
Hux stiffened: jaw muscles tightening, eyes shifting from you to the door. You followed his gaze. Kylo was a silhouette in the gaping arch way. “For your sake Colonel, you best hope you are. Dismissed.”
You gave Hux a curt nod before leaving the two men in peace.
For days you waited. Not once seeing anything outside the bunk you were assigned to. An officer brought you your meals and a Stormtrooper stood outside your door at all times. Stars! If you didn’t know better you would have assumed you were the one under arrest. You soon discovered it was also pointless to ask questions to the little people you had contact with. They would either know nothing or keep their rumors to themselves. There were two possibilities for you now. One) You'd be dragged off ship to Court Martial without a word. Or Two) You’d be dragged back into Hux’s office without a word. The latter of which would be better. At least then you could return as a Colonel to Absolution.
You pondered vaguely what Hux’s excuse was to the banking clan. Would he pull in someone closer of equal rank to sit through the meeting? Would he have Zack sign in your place? Or was he just apologizing and asking them to wait for your “arrival”? Whatever the case, it didn’t really matter. What did matter was when they did come for you, several standard day cycles into your isolation, they did not ship you off of Finalizer.
Hux was far more tense during this meeting. Something you would have thought impossible before you witnessed it. After several minutes of formalities in explaining your release from suspension, what happened with the bank, and what would happen now that you were cleared from court martial he said something else that surprised you. You were right. Not that you doubted your assumptions at any time. An admission of Hux being in the wrong BY Hux was just so unlike him.
“Ren proved useful for once and managed to not only get where the x-wing pilots were headed, but took them down as well. According to Ren they are after a map of some sorts. The supreme leader is sure there will be another attempt to retrieve it, and wants us ready for that day.” Hux elaborated on his point instead of apologizing. Apologies were not his style.
You didn’t gloat. Pride overfilled your ego, but your face you kept neutral.
“And if it suits you Colonel, I’d like you to stay aboard Finalizer.” Hux cleared his throat, unfolding his hands and placing them on his lap in a more casual way. “Permanently. Someone will need to run this ship when I transfer to Starkiller. I can think of no one better but you.”
A knot of uncertainty rooted itself in your stomach. “Sir, as much as I’d love command over a dreadnought such as this one day. I don’t think I’m comfortable with that.” Only a week aboard and you had already experienced as many tumultuous situations as you would in a whole quarter aboard Absolution.
“I will grant you rank of Admiral.” It was a flat statement.
Eyebrows now knitted you considered his offer again. He would be putting you back into the Navy. This is what you wanted most. Admirals held less political pull than you did now, however, in all technicalities it was a parallel movement of power.
“Take the night to think about it (F/N).” Hux’s odd behavior had yet to cease but you nodded at his last statement before seeing yourself out.
As you exited the general's office you were greeted by a tall chrome clad warrior. “Evening Captain.” You nodded at her rigged form.
“And to you. Congratulations.” Phasma’s voice was filtered through the helmet she was never seen without.
You stopped short of continuing down the main corridor. “Congratulations?” You turned your body to face her more. Hux had told her before you of his plans? You hadn’t guessed they were that close.
“Did you not agree to the transfer then?” There was no genuine curiosity in her voice. From what you remembered of the Parnassoian she never gave much attention to anything she wasn’t directly involved in. She trained older stormtroopers, led ground commands, and spent her down time training or fiddling with electronics.
You brushed off the inconvenience of her knowing. She was not the type to gossip about it. “I haven’t decided.”
“You will accept.” Always so sure of herself. That bugged you. Could your decisions be that easily assumed?
***
That morning you were awoken by a com call. Hux was wasting no time in hunting down your answer. When he said he would give you the night to think about it he truly meant just that. One night. One sleepless, tumultuous night. Your checked the time before replying; your body had only given into the soundness of peace a little over two hours ago. With a grone you picked up the com. “This is (L/N).”
“(F/N) be in my office at 0500 hrs.” Per usual his voice was like thick ice. Straight and unfeeling despite the use of your first name.
“Good morning to you too.” You scoffed away from the mic.
“(F/N).”
“Copy boss,” You interrupted yourself with a yawn. “I’m getting up now.”
Even though you had spent the whole night thinking of nothing else you had yet to come to a decision. Did you really want to stay on this ship with Hux and Ren for gods know how long just to propel yourself into a position you probably weren’t prepared for, or at the very least didn’t deserve? And why after all these years of animosity was Hux so eager to have you stick around? The whole situation didn’t sit right with you. However, there was this nagging pull in your gut pleading with you to stay. These instincts are the only thing that kept you alive for so long and you hesitated to ignore it.
A thought struck you while you were in the refresher. Why were you worrying so hard about being around those two? Neither of there were pleasant, sure, but they also had never harmed you directly. Moreover, they were LEAVING! It would only be a few months at most until Hux took charge of Star Killer, and Kylo was gone on missions around the galaxy so often you doubted you would see much of him. What could go wrong in that inturm? The sense of doom you were getting on the ship couldn’t be from them in particular. After all this would be YOUR ship. A Resurgent-class Star Destroyer! You couldn’t dream of having a better station. Well you could. There were a few ships better equipt or at least bigger than Finalizer, however, you doubted you would ever have the political pull to grasp one of those.
You threw on your last teal uniform and flew out the door. You would arrive early, confident in your new found prerogative. You. An Admiral. You had been daydreaming about this day for a decade. Not Captain. Not Vice Admiral. Admiral (L/N), command in prompt to Finalizer.
***
The meeting with Hux went just as expected. As did the following week. Zach was promoted in your absence and after a short deal close was sent back to Absolution with instructions to have your things sent to you. You hadn’t seen hide nor hair of Matt or Kylo in the wake of it all and that seemed odd to you. It felt as if in your first few days that you couldn't escape them. And now they were both MIA. Avoiding me probably, you figured. You haven’t exactly left good impressions since your arrival nearly two weeks ago. In fact you noted that most of the bridge crew refused to make eye contact with you and whispered about you in the corners. You felt ostracized. But better to be tiptoed around then to face a mutiny. Or be walked over! That’s what your old Admiral use to tell you anyways.
He had called you the night of your promotion. A bittersweet moment. He obviously did not want you to leave his charge; nor did you truly want to say goodbye to him. Admiral Broste then demanded that when their paths cross again you would take his position on Absolution. Come his retirement he wanted to be sure his ship was left in good hands. You chuckled at this and agreed, brushing off the fact that for years Broste claimed he would never retire. “I’ll die in this chair, (F/N). Mark my bloody words.” He’d say to you every so often: grin and drink painting his face red with glee. You knew then that he meant it. He had no other life to go to outside of the military. That’s why you felt he joined the Order after the Empire’s fall.
Your firm opinion of this was soon to change. As Stirling and your other things were brought back to you, you found a note for the Admiral himself. Calligraphy with a stylus on flimsiplast no less. An extremely rare commodity, often considered a lost art by the wealthy and a waste of resources by the masses. You read it aloud to yourself and sterling in the private of your new chambers.
Tears welled in the corners of your eyes. You had no idea he was in such poor health and it made your heartbreak. Guilt clung to your stomach. Broste wasn’t your father, grandfather, or in anyway related to you. However, in you most private and meaningful moments the two of you shared names of endearment. He did practically raise you after all; in and out of the academy. Moreover, he had protected you for years. How could you have left him in such a time of need?
#Same Heart#SH#Part 3#chapter 3#kylo ren x reader#kylo ren#kylo x reader#kylo imagine#kyloxreader#kylo ren imagines#kylo ren one shot#kylo ren imagine#Hux#hux one shot#general hux#hux drabble#hux imagines#huxxreader#hux x reader#hux imagine#general hux imagine#matt imagine#matt the technician#Matt the radar technician#imagine#star wars imagine#star wars#starwars#tfa#tlj
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Blurred Lines: Cursed Past Chapter 72 - A Common Enemy
hey all had a little block but it’s over now :D
Kyradia and Ashara head to Kowak to follow Zash’s trail
Kyradia saw the planet of Kowak come into view; well this was bound to be interesting, she could only begin to imagine the reasons why Zash had broken into a botanical plant. She was up to something with the nightsisters but the planet selection didn’t add up what the heck was there on Kowak except those weird monkey lizards certainly no magick.
Still there must be something on these planets that the nightsisters wanted, she never understood the culture even though she despised it the Wrath had never really explained her methods. She was feeling weirdly calm, Dzûsa’s weird class had chilled her out somewhat, it was kinda odd, she was just glad no one had seen it. How long would it last though she already felt her brain freaking out a little in the back of her mind, it never ever stopped not since she could remember she doubted it ever would. It was difficult to explain her mind to be honest if she understood it she’d probably not have such a problem dealing with it.
Andronikos grumbled “is this that place where those weird monkey lizards are from” Kyradia chuckled Andronikos had always been uncomfortable around them
Ashara nodded “yeah Nik why do you not like them?” Andronikos didn’t respond just looked away
Kyradia chuckled “he thinks they’re creepy he’s super scared of them” Ashara chuckled as Andronikos glowered at Kyradia
Ashara stifled her laughs “oh wow are you serious Andronikos” Kyradia gave a teasing smile Andronikos was all too familiar with at this point.
Andronikos sulked “I’m not scared of them they’re just creepy have you heard their laughs why would anyone have them as a pet” Kyradia recalled the time she’d chased Andronikos around the ship in a monkey lizard mask last Harvest day, needless to say he was less than pleased with the costume
Kyradia smirked “He won’t let me have one as a pet Ashara I can’t see any reason why” Ashara chuckled clearly enjoying the quarrel
Ashara smiled “I can’t see any reason why not maybe we’ll find one while we’re there” Andronikos narrowed his eyes as he landed the ship
He turned around “I swear you better not Ashara” Kyradia chuckled getting up and giving him a peck on the cheek
Kyradia smiled “you’ll have to wait and see” she gestured for Ashara to follow as they headed to the landing ramp
Ashara turned to her as they exited the ship “so I assume we’re not actually gonna do that?” Kyradia smirked and shook her head
She chuckled “oh no trust me he’d kill me if we did I just enjoy messing with him, he’ll get me back soon enough” Ashara nodded with a smile as they began to walk towards the plant
Ashara responded “he seems to be starting to accept I’m back, I think me saving your life helped with that” Kyradia laughed yeah that would help
“Yeah he may have been harsh at first but Andy can’t hold a grudge for too long” she laughed “otherwise he’d be furious at me for a million pranks” Ashara chuckled looking away for a second
Ashara’s tone shifted “and what about you are you feeling better?” Kyradia didn’t know if better was the word for it
Kyradia nodded “sorta I guess” she looked away “I dunno I feel calmer but it’s kinda tough keeping it all at bay” Ashara nodded she looked a little dejected, Kyradia knew she wanted to know what was up but Kyradia couldn't explain it’s just too much.
Ashara smiled “well I’m here regardless and I got us a lead that didn’t damage your psyche so that’s a win if you ask me” Kyradia guessed that was a plus but they would’ve gotten here sooner if she’d been involved
Kyradia folded her arms “what is this place anyway?” They were now at the front gates of a moderately sized compound that looked a little damaged, the break in was clear but Zash had never been subtle.
Ashara held her chin “it’s some kind of botanical plant, they were testing the effects of certain plant pheromones and substances on the monkey lizards” Kyradia frowned she understood very little of that sentence
Kyradia sighed “uh Ashara can you dumb that down to someone who wasn’t educated in the republic or empire” Ashara’s eyes widened realising her confusion
Ashara nodded “they were testing the plant stuff against the animals to see if their behaviour changed” Kyradia nodded since when did plants affect animals, science was a mystery.
Kyradia stroked her chin “and what was the result?” she had a hunch but it wasn’t confirmed yet
Ashara shrugged “dunno didn’t read that much into it” Ashara knocked on the door then realised there was an intercom and shuffled over to it awkwardly “Hi this is Ashara Zavros I called earlier about helping with the break in” she seemed a little stunted talking to normal people Kyradia doubted she’d done a lot of it in a while.
A crackle came back “what’s your clearance” oh great clearence everyones favourite bureaucratic bs.
Kyradia walked up to the comm “Commander Kyradia of the Alliance I’m pretty sure there is no higher clearance” hopefully she sounded agitated enough
There was a long pause before “oh yes of course come right in commander” Kyradia smiled gesturing for Ashara to follow, they made their way across the compound to the large glass building.
As they reached the door a Duros waiting for them, he stammered “y-you’re the commad-” Kyradia didn’t have time for this guy
Kyradia interrupted “-der of the alliance yes I know I’m amazing such a honour to meet me take me to you boss before I decide to use your head as a kickball” the duros’ eyes widened as he quickly led them into the lab.
Kyradia had never been in a botanical lab and was surprised to see it looked just like a regular jungle, they must have tonnes of rare species in here, Ashara shuffled up to Kyradia and whispered “maybe don’t threaten every person who’s helping us” Kyraida scoffed she wasn’t allowed to threaten people now
Kyradia folded her arms “but he’s helping us out faster now” Ashara frowned at her “fine I’ll use ‘tact’” Ashara smiled and followed along behind her.
Soon the Duros led them into a more open lab room with no plants in it, there was a woman with red and black hair seemingly working at a desk, Kyradia frowned that wasn’t very common. The Duros mumbled “here we are may I go now” Kyradia nodded barely registering the Duros as she focussed on the woman.
Ashara spoke up “I thought they were supposed to be testing on plants in here” Kyradia has to agree but had a feeling the answer would be Zash
A very familiar modulated echoed voice filled the chamber “that’s exactly the reason you are here” she turned around “it was vandi…” she stopped in shock as her eyes met with Kyradia’s, Kyradia smiled she knew she recognised that hair it was Darth Malora “c-commander it’s such a surprise to see you here this seems a little above your pay grade” Kyradia smiled she wished she had that effect on everyone
Kyradia strode over “yes well I have a personal interest in your burglars” Malora nodded stroking her chin “I have been on their tail for a while now and I need to know what happened here, but first…” Kyradia pulled up a chair “I have to know how a dark council member ended up as a low level scientist on Kowak” Malora narrowed her eyes containing her anger as Kyradia taunted her
Ashara shuffled up “um did I miss something, you two know each other?” Kyradia turned to Ashara she guessed Ashara had always just missed their interactions
Malora spoke “we were apprentices at the same time and had helped each other out a few times, Darth Malora a ‘pleasure’ to meet you” Ashara was clearly a bit put off by Malora’s looks the corruption had certainly done a number on her or maybe the science could be either
Kyradia smiled “Former Darth actually, we met last year on Ossus she was the new dark council member until Malgus kinda threw her off the landing platform” Kyradia could see an audible shudder from Malora clearly that was a sore point “so I see it didn’t get better after that?” Malora gritted her teeth clearly furious with Kyradia
Kyradia wasn’t scared she’d beat her in a second, Malora folded her arms “After your offer to join the alliance I decided taking some time to regain some of my lost potential was important, at heart I am a scientist so I began a new batch of experiments” Kyradia frowned she guessed that made sense but with alliance funding she could’ve done much more.
Ashara frowned “so you came to Kowak?” Malora nodded seeming to not see any problem with that
She had a rather weird smile “there is a plant here called springwort its bile has a remarkable effect on animals; turns them savage and carnivorous” Kyradia’s eyes widened. That was not good if Zash had it regardless of the ways she used it but what if… Malora continued “I was thinking if manipulated the right way I could create a new type of foot soldier kind of like my Geonosians” Kyradia shook her head out of a daze she’d fallen into
She frowned “you mean the Geonosians that you lost control of and they attacked everyone?” Malora gritted her teeth clearly not a fan of Kyradia pointing out the problems in her ideas
Ashara gasped “she did what?!” Kyradia nodded looking between them
“Yeah I had to clear the mess up she still hasn’t said thanks” Kyradia did want that thanks from her, she frowned realising they were very off track.
Malora let out a loud sigh “this wouldn’t be like that believe me I’ve learned my lesson from using mutations they’re unstable and can easily change this would be something I could turn on and off like a sort of berserker rage” Kyradia knew all too well what going into a rage felt like but she could see it’s application definitely more so than the geonosian idea.
They needed to get back on track, the gloating time was over, they were here for leads on Zash “and I’m guessing the bile is what the burglars stole?” Malora nodded gesturing to a pile of blackened roots
She gripped the arm of her chair tightly as she spoke “not only that they turned the plant to that, it was as big as this room before hand” typical Zash if she has it no one else can “I tried to fight off the acolytes but I underestimated the blonde she was very powerful” Kyradia somehow wasn’t surprised
Kyradia shook her head “well that’ll be because that blonde was not just a young acolyte that was my old master Darth Zash” Malora frowned at that her face turning to a smile
She chuckled “very funny Nox but I’d prefer you be serious” Kyradia narrowed her eyes and quickly Malora’s expression changed filling with dread “oh you’re serious” Kyradia nodded
She explained “years ago she tried to steal my body but I trapped her in my Dashade, as soon as I could I then trapped her in a mind prison, it took her years but she got out and took a very powerful young acolyte with her taking her form, that’s why she’s such a threat” Malora nodded her expression becoming far more serious and maybe a little fearful
Ashara spoke up “you knew Zash too?” Malora held her chin shaking her head
She responded “not personally but I knew her through Kyradia and by reputation I knew her power” Ashara looked at Kyradia and frowned
She folded her arms “Since when were you and Malora friends?” Kyradia rolled her eyes Ashara had just met her and already questioning
Kyradia shook her head “I told you, we weren’t friends we just had done a few favours for each other” Malora nodded clearly agreeing
Malora sighed “yes and after Zash became a darth you and her disappeared from Korriban, but if she’s back why hasn’t she revealed herself to the dark council?” Kyradia wasn’t exactly sure beyond the fact that the current dark council was a bunch of melon headed idiots.
Kyradia shrugged “I assume it’s because she wants to accumulate more power before revealing herself, the bile was a step towards that” Malora nodded she had become a lot less angry and more pensive since she brought up Zash
Malora frowned “Do you know how, is there some property I missed? And if so are you sure it was even her” Kyradia sighed someone was in heavy denial
Kyradia folded her arms “well honestly I don’t know what she wants with it but I do know how to know it was her, was she with a Mirilian with white hair” Malora nodded reluctantly “and the giant dent in the floor and the dead plant suggests an immense amount of power she wields so those are clues too, not the first time you’ve been thrown off something by a powerful sith” she couldn’t help herself
Malora scoffed “yes alright I was bested again you can stop gloating because I know where they’re going” Kyraida’s eyes went wide “but I have a condition on telling you” Kyradia’s hand brushed over her saber “I want to come with you, this research is important to me and I’m not going to let someone as self serving as Zash take it from me” Kyradia’s grip relaxed off her saber
She looked to Ashara “I don’t see any reason why not, I mean I offered you a job before I think she has plenty of potential” Malora laughed at that dismissing the comment
She shook her head “let me be clear this is just about my research working with you is unfortunately a necessity” Kyradia didn’t believe that but whatever
Ashara nodded “of course it is Malora, still welcome aboard but if you’re going to join us there are a few rules” Kyradia nodded as Malora let out and echoed groaned
Kyradia cut in “no sitting on the ship, when using the force you cannot use lightning when I’m around, if you ever ask me about my tattoos ‘meaning’ I will gut you, no talking after 1pm, no forks and knives only spoons, when you... ” Ashara was glaring at Kyradia
Ashara spoke up “those are all false… except maybe the tattoos one” Kyradia nodded “the actual rules are simple, no secrets unless they’re traumatic, listen to me if you’re stressed out or angry and uh try to act with a hint of morality” Malora nodded cocking her head at Kyradia
Malora smiled “has this one made you go soft Kyradia” Kyradia raised her eyebrow soft how dare she
She stood up “why don’t you come over here and find out” Malora nodded seemingly satisfied with the threat “now where are they going?” Malora got out a datapad and started to find the planet
Malora explained “A desert planet called Savareen I managed to track the hyperlane they took due to… previous engagements I had it ready to track” Kyradia chuckled paranoid much “I don’t know what they’re doing there but we can catch up if we go now” Ashara nodded seemingly ready to go
Kyradia raised her eyebrow “alright Malora wanna go kick a sith’s teeth in?” Malora smiled seemingly excited to get back to the action, she tossed her lab coat aside and followed after them...
#darth malora#kyradia zandar#kyradia#ashara zavros#Andronikos Revel#darth zash#lord zash#zash#terristera#Sith Inquisitor#blurred lines: cursed past#blurred lines#my fiction#fanfiction#fiction#Fic#fanfic#swtor fanfiction#SWTOR Fic#swtor fanfic#swtor fiction#OC Fiction#OC fic#oc fanfiction#oc fanfic
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The Codependency Competition Ch.6
Hey! I'm back! And it's 2 AM, again. I'm starting to really believe that all my best ideas come at this time. It's unhealthy because I can't seem to fall asleep without doing something first, usually publishing a chapter. Anyway, this story is far from over, so stop freaking out. Thank you.
I also just wanted to mention that I am so grateful for all the love I've been receiving for this story. It means more than you guys could ever know. So, thank you.
Also, special thanks to JJ, or nightskywithrainbows, my amazing beta reader who I would be lost without.
Comment, like, and follow! Stay safe and Happy reading!
– your author
ΩΩΩ
"Ok. Let me get this straight: You and Annabeth are dating, and have been for almost two years?!" Jack exclaimed, "I don't believe it. I call BS!"
Percy just sighed and leaned his head farther back, to where he was just looking up at the ceiling. Even after he had explained how Annabeth and him were dating, they still couldn't believe that they actually were. Plus, they had kissed earlier, so why was it so unbelievable?
"Oh my gods, what's so hard to understand about it?" Percy asked, throwing his hands up in the air.
"Well, I mean, why would you even keep it a secret?" Chloe asked in return.
Before he could answer, Annabeth rushed into the room, settling next to her boyfriend, "Because our friend said we were too dependent on each other! We took it as a challenge, ok?! Gods!"
Annabeth huffed and snuggled into Percy's side. It had gotten too hard for her to hear him struggle through convincing his friends, so she had decided to step-in. Well, in actuality, she couldn't physically contain herself. But 'decided' sounds more sane.
While Chloe and Jack were fighting the truth, Mike had kept silent. He was stuck inside his head, thinking over everything he had pushed to the back of his mind since Annabeth had come to school for the first time.
Percy and her exchanging "secretive" glances.
Percy's excitement in the days before her arrival.
Annabeth and Percy's conversation in Greek.
It all made sense. The way that they seemed to be able to communicate without even opening their mouths. They were in love with each other the entire time! How had he not realized it sooner?!
Finally bringing himself back to reality, Mike said in a soft voice, "They're telling the truth."
"What? Mike, you can't be buying into this!" Jack exclaimed.
"Think about it! Look at them! Really look at them!" Mike yelled at his friend, pointing at the young couple, "They love each other!"
Jack and Chloe, exasperated, gazed over at Percy and Annabeth, who had been sitting deathly still during Mike's entire outburst. And true enough, when they REALLY looked at the duo, their eyes widened in realization. Everything they had said was true. Percy had been lying to them for so long...
Weren't they best friends?
"Shit!" Chloe exclaimed, throwing her hand over her mouth.
"Oh, so NOW you believe us!" Percy said.
"Face it, Perce, you have no people skills," Annabeth smirked at her boyfriend.
He just rolled his eyes, "So what are we gonna do now?"
Annabeth started to think about it, but before she could come up with something, Jack spoke up, "We'll keep your secret!"
Annabeth raised her eyebrows in surprise at that. I mean, it could work, but why would they help them? It was obvious that Leo was right–not that she would ever admit that–and she and Percy should just give up, right? Unless...
"Yes! You all keep our secret, and Percy and I don't have to tell Leo that he was ri–right," she said.
Percy was going to protest, but one look at Annabeth silenced him. She looked so desperate. He couldn't make her admit defeat. It just wasn't in her nature. Plus, it wasn't in HIS nature to hurt Annabeth.
"Ok, whatever. But if we get discovered a second time, I'm not trying to salvage it again," Percy told her.
Annabeth smiled and gave him a quick peck on the lips in thanks. Her eyes seemed to almost literally light up at the prospect of a challenge.
Percy and Annabeth spent the next hour explaining their entire relationship to Chloe, Jack, and Mike (minus the godly aspects). It seemed like the trio had a never-ending supply of questions to ask. By the time that Percy had finally found a way to kick them out nicely, Annabeth looked about ready to murder someone.
However, just as they were exiting the apartment, she jumped up, "Don't forget to ignore me at school! Remember, you haven't ever met me!"
Mike mock-saluted her, "Yes, ma'am!"
Then they left. And Percy and Annabeth were alone. Finally.
"I thought they would never leave!" Percy exclaimed, walking back to his girlfriend and putting his arms around her.
"Me, too. And now I'm ready to spend some time with my boyfriend," she agreed.
"Oh? I thought we had some homework to finish?" Percy teased.
Annabeth smiled and leaned in to kiss him, "That can wait."
And they spent the next half-hour making out...
Later, when they were in bed, Percy was stuck awake. He was just staring at the ceiling, unable to escape his thoughts.
Why were they trying so hard to prove that they didn't need each other...when they did?
It was all so confusing. He wanted to make Annabeth happy, but was this really doing that? I mean, he didn't want to assume, but he was pretty sure HE made her happy. Adding fatal flaws into a relationship just makes everything more difficult, that's for sure.
Percy looked over at Annabeth, watching her sleep and playing with her golden locks. She's so beautiful, Percy thought, smiling.
But, of course, something had to ruin the moment.
Annabeth started thrashing around, screaming out at nothing. She was throwing her arms and legs around in a desperate attempt to stop whatever she was seeing. As Percy tried to calm her, he let his guard down and was too distracted to realize that her fist was coming at his face. It was a sloppy punch, but it still stung. It hit him right in the eye, and would surely cause a bruise to form later.
Nonetheless, Percy kept on trying to help her. He was able to straddle her and was trying to hold down her arms. He was forced to use more force than he wanted to, though, because she kept on struggling.
"Percy! No!" Annabeth screamed in agony, tears flowing down her cheeks.
The amount of pain in her voice made tears form in Percy’s eyes, but he still pushed on, "Annabeth, calm down. We got out. We're safe. I'm ok. You're ok. I love you. We got out..."
And he kept muttering in her ear until she eventually opened her eyes, tears still streaming relentlessly.
"Seaweed Brain?" she asked in a tiny voice.
"Yeah, Wise Girl?" he asked, finally releasing her.
He moved to where he was holding her, allowing her to let it all out. She told him everything that had happened in the dream. She was in Tartarus, and she was watching Percy turn Akhlys’ own poison against her, but he didn't listen to her this time. It looked so real...and it felt real, too.
Nothing she could say would make him stop. It was horrible.
"It's ok, Wise Girl. It wasn't real. I love you," Percy whispered in her ear.
"I love you so much, Percy. Thank you for stopping," Annabeth said.
And that's the moment that Percy realized how bad this episode was. Usually, they could pull themselves out of it by grasping that it wasn't real, but this time, she couldn't. It was like when they had first gotten out of 'that place.' This one nightmare had probably set them BOTH back a couple steps.
"I will always stop for you," Percy assured her, "Now try to get some more sleep. I'll be here. Always."
"Always," Annabeth agreed, driving off to a finally peaceful sleep.
ΩΩΩ
Ok, so who had tears in their eyes right now? I know I do! And I'm sorry for doing this, but you know I couldn't make a Percabeth fanfic without having a PTSD episode, right? I just decided that I needed to get it over with. Plus, it helps move the plot along.
Also, I'm sorry if this starts to seem like Literallyobsessed's story a little bit here in the next couple chapters. I just liked that part of the plot a lot, and it was super interesting to read, so I added my own twist to it and put it here.
Anyway, I worked really hard to make this chapter longer than the last couple. It was hard. For some reason, this story's chapters seem to be a lot longer than the actually are...until I check the word count.
Thanks, JJ!
That's it! Comment, like and follow! Stay safe and happy reading!
– your author
chapter 7 :)
#percy jackson#annabeth chase#percy jackon and the olympians#heroes of olympus#high school#teen#percabeth
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Trans Activism
Okay. So it’s about time I talk about this. First and foremost, I need to get this out of the way. I HATE, trans-activism. Do not take this to mean I hate trans people, as it does not mean that. Do not take this to mean that I don’t want trans people to live peacefully. This is also not the case. With all of this said let me get into what I need to say.
Trans-activism is doing much to hurt Trans and non-trans people alike. This video which links to an article goes in depth about it. Fact of the matter is, we have issues with having conversations about Transgender as a concept. Even the slightest notion of, “maybe this person who says they are trans, is not actually trans” gets you labeled as a transphobe. But if this article proves anything, It’s that trans-activists have done more to hurt people than to help. I know this to be the case because everyone and their mothers at this point lean towards, “OMG i’m so proud that you are coming out as trans! I totally support this. What’s that? You don’t really know if you’re trans? That’s what bigots sound like. If you think you are trans at all, then you just are.”
I can not tell you how often I’ve seen this before. I’ve seen it in real life. I’ve seen it on this hellsite, I’ve even seen it on Twitter and Facebook. Friendship and support is not blind. Nor does it ignore dangers, and science. I have had several arguments with people on Twitter and on here, that have told me hormone blockers have no “side effects”. Are you kidding me? No side effects? Ok lets go over them for those in the back of the room shall we.
-They prevent proper growth.
-They hinder immune system growth.
-Your sexual organs don’t grow in properly.
-After taking them, depending on how long you took them, can make you unable to have kids.
-Your body never fully evens out after taking them for longer than a few months.
-This lack of immune growth and physical growth can lead to other issues down the road.
-Lower bone density
ETC.
And this is the short list. The list for what happens when you start on a hormone treatment to transition can be much more devastating to your body. This is not to mention the fact that it is an invasive surgery, be it male to female or female to male. ALSO, assuming you end up not actually being trans, you might have a laundry list of physical traits you don’t want after the fact. Like for instance, you end up much shorter than you would have. You end up with a lot of body hair you can NEVER GET RID OF, among other things. Though, we never talk about this stuff. Because the only thing trans-activists care about is trying to convince as many people as possible that they are trans. Hell, there is even a movement of them that infiltrate gay and lesbian message boards or chat rooms and literally just keep nudging them to believe they are trans rather than gay or lesbian. Do you understand how sick that is? To tell someone that even if they know they are homosexual, that actually they really, “aren’t” and are actually just the opposite gender? Do you GRASP how fucked up that is? These people are also responsible for “Rapid onset gender dysphoria”. A thing that has not only not been backed by any studies at all but is made up BS, to try and convince people who are not trans that they actually are.
These people are demented. Demented to a degree that makes me worry. Fact of the matter is that these young people in this article are basically fucked for the rest of their lives. And a LARGE number of them are young girls. A decent number of whom have autistic tendencies or are actually autistic. And some of them will have to grow up shaving their faces daily, because trans-activists don’t actually care about them. And they will have to stay in hiding as well. Because progressives and activists will attack them. Call them traitors. Probably even bully and berate them. Fun fact is thought that if you watch this video it talk about something I've been talking about for a long time. Actually trying to treat the root of the body dysphoria. If after several months of working with a person in therapy, they are not showing signs of improvement, then you can suggest to them that they ARE in fact trans.
Trans is not just saying you are trans. And just parading it around to the trans-trenders saying you don’t actually need body dysphoria to be trans is insane. Not only does it de-legitimize what it is to be trans, but it de-legitimatizes all that trans people have had to go through up until this point. It tells them that their struggle is now just some trend for people who want to feel special get to pretend to be. Meanwhile there are trans people out there right now, who are thinking about killing themselves. Because it’s not everything they were told it would be. It’s not all sunshine and roses. It’s not just some simple walk in the park. And what’s more, you can’t pretend it’s because people discriminate against them. Especially if they are passing after all is said and done. And many are. And they don’t walk around saying “I’m a trans man” or “I’m a trans woman”. They normally identify as the sex they have transitioned too. And short of knowing them prior to it all, how would you KNOW, to discriminate against them? Short answer? You wouldn’t.
I’m really tired of us not being able to have a REAL conversation with these people. I’m really tired of these insane activists saying that 3-14 year olds have the MENTAL CAPACITY, to decide they are the opposite sex. Most people don’t even know what identity is until they are into their late teens. And even then, they don’t really know who they are until they are in their 20’s. YES. There are people who have transitioned that are very happy and might stay happy for their whole lives. Props to them and I wish them the best. But this notion that everyone is automatically trans because they are not manly enough, or girly enough is stupid. Tomboys do not have to be trans the same way femboys don’t have to be trans. Hell is it not the progressive thing to do to oppose gender norms? So why the hell do trans-activists push for those same norms so damn hard? If you’re allowed to be a man and wear a dress, then why the hell do men who want to do that HAVE to actually be women? Sounds more like you are the ones enforcing stereotypical gender roles to me.
I want to end on this note though. We need to have a conversation about this. We need to be able to talk about gender dysphoria, and what is being trans. We also need to stop letting parents convince their kids that they are trans. Children say a lot, and many go through phases. And what you all don’t understand, is that if you believe that kids have to capacity to make LIFE ALTERING DECISIONS like being trans and taking hormone blockers or start transitioning before 20, not only do I think you are messed up in the head, but you are also saying in that moment, that a CHILD has the capacity to consent to sex. Both have very life changing consequences, and both require a lot of experience and wisdom to fully understand.
I have a LOT of respect for trans people in general. I DO NOT have any respect for trans-activists. They’ve done so much more to hurt people than they have to help them. Honestly? I feel sorry for these young adults. They were probably “supported” in the same way most trans people are. “Everything will be great! I’m so happy for you! Oh i always knew it! I’ll support you no matter what! Oh it’s perfectly safe when can i take you to look into it?” And what’s more, Doctors are having to go along with it. Out of fear that progressives and activists will get them fired, or get their license removed some how. This is not just physical doctors but psychologists as well. Parents will sit in, and if the doctor does not agree that they ARE TRANS, just like the 5y/o said, the parents will then mobilize a progressive mob against them. This only serves to hurt people more than it does to help. Not only that but it serves to hurt trans acceptance in the broader world. Places that have watched this happen and feel like it’s too much trouble to deal with. This video. The article. Both need to be conversation starters. We need to realize that trans-trenders, and trans activists are screwing things up. Trans people already have enough to deal with. The last thing they need is to become villains. And believe me, if people continue to get hurt like this. Continue to be brainwashed and taken advantage like this. They won’t blame the activists and progressives. They will blame the entire trans community. And if that happens, we might actually fall back years on the progress we have made for trans people.
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Ranting: Arrow 7x14
Ok, First and foremost:
DIAZ IS DEAD!!!
Second, I like the episode. I enjoy the whole Ninth Circle, Dante thing. I found it interesting, and even Diaz wasn't as boring as always. FF were also interesting! I think they improve a lot when it's only Will and Mia. I wouldn't mind either Connor, but the rest (yes, including Roy), I can totally do without them.
Anyway, let's jump in:
Flashforwards:
As I say, they were interesting. We finally have some info worth all the episodes we have to suffered through them. Mia putting in their place to Dinah and Zoe was awesome, and Will siding with her in less than a minute was great too. He was actually mad at DD for assuming Felicity was dead, without checking her info, and I think the fact that DD nor Roy didn't have a clue about Oliver and Felicity having a child, will maybe making him wary of trusting them. Because if them, his parents team didn't have a clue about something as huge as a baby, then his parents maybe didn't trust them as much, did they?.
I have read some theories about the little cassette containing proof that Oliver and Felicity never stop loving, and trying to contact William, and that it possibly has some more info about what is happening in Star City...and yes, I completely agree. Felicity wouldn't have contacted William without offering him some sort of answers: she probably knew William wasn't her and Oliver's biggest fan. I don't believe for one second that Felicity didn't keep tabs on Will after whatever happened that got Oliver killed, and the city going to shit. But I think she stay away from him, to protect him. Mia heavily hinted that Felicity was paranoid, always seeing danger at every dark corner, and the way she raised her; all these tells me she was trying to protect Mia from all the threats and people
that probably was after her. I think she didn't feel it was fair to have Will in her life, with all the shit she was dealing with. So she let him believed they (Oliver and her) had abandoned him. For his own good.
I'm not saying this was the best decision. Or a good one. But as William said "Parents aren't perfect. They love us the best way they can". And I think Felicity
not involving William on all the shit that She and Mia went through, it was the best way she could show William she loved him.
It's sad, what Felicity became without Oliver. It shows us how much they depend on each other, and that without the other, they aren't complete.
I'm leaving Oliver out because until this moment, it seems like he hasn't been a part of Mia and Felicity's lives for a long time.
Emiko:
Eh. I don't know. Her attitude just annoys me. Now more since we know she is working with Dante. Talk about another person betraying Oliver *rolleyes* I supposed her whole "I blame you for what your father did to my mom and I" is just a way to make Oliver feel guilty and making him trust her. I'm holding judgement, because her scene with Dante...she didn't seem too pleased to see him, or the fact that he wanted her back "home".
Felicity and BS:
Good scenes. Still don't know what to do about their "friendship", but ok. It was weird that BS knew Felicity was pregnant, just because she was eating too much chocolate, and there wasn't any wine or coffe in the counter...I could buy it, if it BS has children, because I know women with children can sometimes tell when someone is pregnant (My mom knew my older sister was pregnant months before my sister finally told her), but...ok, it seemed to me they made BS telling Felicity she knew just so she had something to do this episode. Her
only scenes where with Felicity and revolved around Felicity's pregnancy...so yeah, there's that.
Also, BS was suspiciously good in this episode, giving a pep talk about how Diaz was under A.R.G.U.S. custody, so they didn't need to kill him. It was @1-crazy-dreamer who pointed out in our talk, that she could have been fooling Felicity, acting like a good girl; so no one would suspect it was her when she kill Diaz.
Dante and the ninth circle:
This is the villain we deserve a season and a half ago. I do believe that guy can be a match for Oliver. The whole thing is a mystery, and I'm fine with it.
A.R.G.U.S.:
So...there's people from the Ninth Circle working inside A.R.G.U.S. That would explain why the agency is evil in the future, and why Dante has so much first hand info. Infiltrating the lines of an off the grid government agency is the best way to expand their net and protect their organization.
DIGGLE:
FINALLY. FINALLY JOHN DIGGLE ACKNOWLEDGE HE WAS AN IDIOT, AND THAT HE ABANDONED FELICITY TO PROTECT HIS JOB.
I liked their OTA conversation at the beginning. Felicity being cute, before getting angry af at Diggle was the best. I liked too that Oliver was the one trying to cool things down between Felicity and Digg, so no one would say something and later regret it.
Oliver was is jail when Digg and Felicity were at odds, and Diggle wasn't supporting Felicity. What he knows is that Digg doesn't do things just because (although to be fair his reasons never were clear), so he tries to make Felicity see this. The problem is...he wasn't there. So he didn't see his wife alone, abandoned by the one friend she thought she could always count on. I think he should have been more supportive to Felicity here. He later acknowledged he hasn't been the most understanding, so I forgive him.
Back at Diggle. I think Curtis leaving, and the conversation with Felicity finally made him realised he had abandoned the people he considers his family. He deciding to catch Diaz instead of going after Dante, and later apologizing
to Felicity about what he did before, it's a good, a great start to have mend their friendship.
Him taking the fallout instead of Lyla, is another sign that he is going back to the Digg we all missed and love.
Oliver and Felicity:
I said it before, I didn't like much that Oliver didn't fully support Felicity in their first conversation with Diggle. But I did like that later he told her he didn't fully realize or understand the pain she was dealing with. It shows FINALLY, that he isn't totally clueless as to what is happening with his wife. And he supporting her, whatever her decision was in regards to Diaz, was great. He may not agree with her wanting to kill Diaz, but he was ready to support her (and I suppose help her if she needed it), if she decided to kill Diaz. Also, I loved when he told her "I think there's a better way". It shows how much Felicity has inspired him to be better, to the point where he reminds her of something she told him a long time ago. It not only shows growth, but also that he will be there for when she needs him to remind her she doesn't have to go the dark path to protect their family.
The reveal was cute. There should have been a kiss and some kitchen counter sex but ok...Oliver's face when she told him...ALL THE FEEEEELS!
And how great is seeing Feliciy on pajamas?
Also: HE LOOKED AT HER, ALL THE EPISODE. WOW. YES THANK YOU.
All in all, Olicity was super fantastic, and I want more Olicity of this kind.
DIAZ:
THE LIZARD WAS ROASTED, HOW AWESOME IS THAT???
I said it when I was talking about Laurel and Felicity, and I think that BS setting him on fire is posible. I WANT HER TO BE THE ONE WHO DID IT.
Just two scenes of DD.
Overall, I love the episode. I wasn't expecting much, and it deliver so beautifully!!
That's all.
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Prophecies and free will - the (seductiveness of) disenchanting the Galaxy FFA
Or a really long introduction to the smut hut vision meta
Prophecies are a slippery matter in fiction - or at least they became so as the process of disenchanting or rationalisation of the world progressed. There's always some sort of tension between the notion of destiny and free will, not always a very comfortable ome, and the simplest disenchantment is to reject the former idea completely. Nevertheless, prophecies are a more than useful plot device in the way they affect the interpretation of the text and build suspense. Besides, it would be a bit dull if all authors always chose the same, most rational answer.
Macbeth is a fascinating text for many reasons, but one of them is the way Shakespeare used practically every way in which a prophecy may get resolved - that is, except for the option that they don't come to fruition at all - and even that interpretably. So:
prophecy as a trigger setting in motion deeds leading to its fulfillment - that's of course the case of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth killing Duncan. It's impossible to say what would have happened if Macbeth never encountered the witches or never acted basing on their prophecy. Interestingly, Macbeth is usually juxtaposed with Oedipus, but I'd argue it's an oversimplified reading of the text, as it's hardly the only prophecy in Macbeth
prophecies fulfilled on their own - that's all of those applying to Banquo and Fleance. Banquo doesn't do anything to bring them to fruition, yet they all come true and, arguably, independently of Macbeth's actions - though only arguably.
an interesting point to be made is that prophecies applying to Banquo and his offspring do not get fulfilled in the text taken alone - it's more of tacit knowledge those interested in Shakespeare or british history and, arguably, target audience of 17th century London have (had) that Macbeth is in fact grounded in history and James I was Banquo's offspring. Otherwise, audience is left to assume the fact that Fleance escaped means that at some point he became the king of Scotland - or that the whole prophecy thing was, in fact, bs
a self-fulfilling prophecy - that's the case with Macduff. There was of course a general uprising against Macbeth's rule but it was only through his attempt at avoiding the prophecised threat and killing Macduff's family that he got himself a mortal enemy - and one that, incidentally, wasn't of a woman born
prophecies not going to go the way you think - that's Birnam forest and Macduff's birth. They both made Macbeth feel invincible yet they both somehow came to be. A point to be made is that for such a prophesy it be, it has to be expressed ambiguously (a frequent case in ancient times when oracles would basically get high to have visions) and thus it's actually its believer's arrogance that leads to their fall. Enter Eowyn the badass
That last take on prophecies - that they come to fruition in some, far from obvious, way - has become almost a cultural standard by now. It allows for suspense to be built, introduces some irony, especially if combined with self-fulfillment, and all that without really challenging the tension between destiny and free will. Such is currently the case with Cersei Lannister and the valonqar prophecy. Few think she's right to believe it's Tyrion who'll kill her and if so, then only as a result of the way she treated him out of fear caused by what Maggie the Frog said - hence the most satisfying option apparent is if she's killed by Jaime (not going to go the way she thought) because of the way she treated Tyrion (self-fulfillment).
The problem is, George R.R. Martin could yet turn out to be a trope refuter. There are those who believe the show and the books will go in completely seperate directions, the former reviving the epic fiction genre, the latter deconstructing it completely. Thus all of the prophecies are bs, prince that was promised and valonqar alike. However, once a prophesy is introduced it will always affect the way readers interpret the text and I think Martin considered that. Cersei surviving past the last page of the last book won't mean she definitely won't get killed by someone's younger sibling - because the readers, trained by Macbeth, know better than to not consider every younger sibling of ASOIAF. The truth is, for the most creative readers to not come up with some way in which the valonqar prophecy will be fulfilled, Cersei would have to spontaneously combust and even then some would argue she got choked by the smoke, and smoke is fire's younger sibling or something. In a way, valonqar can be Birnam forest gone meta.
I introduced ASOIAF in its most disenchanted reading (which, in itself, doesn't have to be the correct one for what we do know by now) because a good deal of audience expects it to be the new cultural standard and apply the same attitude towards - among others - Star Wars. Disenchantment. No more lineages, no more prophecies, the Force gets stripped of all the mystical bs, it's just magic in a fairy tale. Now, I'm all in for premarital sex, but tbh, I would feel as a tad uncomfortable if after 19 years it turned out Shmi was lying about Anakin's birth.
And I would also say the potential disenchantment is what makes ASOIAF adult fiction at least in the same degree as sex and violence described, whereas Star Wars remains a saga for 12 year olds. Disenchanting the world feels good, feels smart, feels like telling your younger sibling Santa Claus doesn't exist. It basically has a strong Vernon Dursley vibe to it.
So, leaving Scotland and Westeros and returning to the Galaxy Far Far Away
So far there have been three, arguably four, arguably two, prophecies in Star Wars’ main story. The two undisputable ones are that of balance and the smut hut visions. The third one is that of Padmé’s death in labour and the fourth one, very similar, whatever Luke saw on the Dolorous Night. I think it’s a bit too simple to treat them all as indiscriminately going to go not the way we think combined with self-fulfillment. So, let’s analyze.
I’d argue that the prophecy of balance is a case of one itself being an agent influencing actions in the desired direction. Now, the Force may not be as morally unambiguous as jedi would like, but it’s not as amoral/downright malevolent as the three witches (sometimes interpreted as the Moirai, hence the amorality). But it’s also the main reason why Anakin became a jedi and later a sith in the first place, and the jedi in their old form, as most here agree, had to go for the balance to come. Would Qui-Gon train a “too old”, strongly attached to his mother force sensitive and help him get a better life than that of a Tatooine slave? Probably yes, because Qui-Gon was a good person. But would jedi let him join the order? Probably not, for their own good - but their good was a secondary matter here.
Anakin's vision of Padmé's death is a tricky one. In many ways it's a classic case of self-fulfilling prophecy, but there's a bit more to it. First of all, it's the only one that we actually see the way it plays out in Anakin's head, as opposed to his getting impression of Shmi dying. It also differs an extent from the way Padmé actually died, which, I think, is the best argument for the theory the vision was implanted in Anakin's mind courtesy of Palps (though it's far from being a decisive). Or just good old subconscious beeing mean.
Similar discussions apply to what exactly prompted Luke to consider killing Ben, up to the point of some people believing this was Snoke's direct influence, too. Or it could have been, again, Ben's subconsciius that he had no intention to follow. Funnily enough, it's also the only case when a good deal of audience isn't inclined to question the vision, but whatever.
And finally, the smut hut. Now, following a few months of uncertainty, the SW databank stated explicitly that Rey and Ben both had visions of the future. I don't think the visions were in any way manipulated by Snoke, or the raisin would have bragged about it. I also refute the idea that the visions are going to go completely the other way than they think, because Rey talking about solid and clear vision precludes an amibuguity of Birnam forest type - granted the latter was a case of being overly literal about what could be seen, but unless Rey's moral sense is highly questionable, I'd say if she says she saw Ben doing good, that means she saw him doing good. And leaks from Jedi the Last only enforce that belief.
There is however the question of what exactly have they seen. Now, I know most reylos think they have seen their grey future together - and I'm far from decisively refuting that - but it just doesn't add up, imo. It's too simple, too easily reconcilable for their reactions. If I were to interpret their expressions when they tell each other what they saw - to refresh, Rey tells Ben he's not going to bow to Snoke, he'll turn and she'll help him whereas he says when the time comes I don't think this part gets the attention it deserves, from any part of the fandom she'll be the one to turn and that she'll stand with him (I find it interesting, btw, that Ben is arguably the only character so far to not act in order to directly achieve or prevent a force vision, though only if we assume he hasn't seen his future with Rey) - Ben looks sceptical (yup, I think homeboy's done with all the visions he had and others had about him) but Rey is downright disquieted, even before he brings in her parents. How hard to reconcile is what they said they saw if they have indeed seen the same thing? But, as I already stated, that's just my take and having a choice between an answer that's interpretably simple and intuitive but bringing even more questions, I'll choose the latter any day.
Because the really interesting question imo is why have they seen whatever they saw because, regardless of whether their visions were gray or black and white, one clear result is that they brought them closer together, if only for a while. Another case of a prophecy being an agent in its own fulfillment? Force badly wants 'em great-grandbabies? Were the visions coercions? Or warnings, if black-and-white? Inevitable or but possible? Or will the galaxy far far away get disenchanted and the entire scene was but a plot device?
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i also think that m playing up her physical "affection", whether it's been agreed to or not, may also be her trying appear like the "hurt" party, in any sort of bs break-up scenario. i don't think she cares if it shows that he's guarded or if it's not mutual. cuz that just works to show that she tried so hard!! look how caring+loving she was!! and look how d rejected her!!!! it's trying to ensure sympathy & make him look like the "d-bag" (to use her sweet words) who didn't treat her right
Anon, I have so many thoughts and feelings right now on that IG story because i won’t lie when i saw it this morning, it made me cringe. Even it technically agreed upon (and as I tried to explain this morning, I assume it was in advance of the trip with him agreeing to certain staged photos/videos), I know it is unwanted and therefore it is never fully consensual.
But D is playing a part and he is valiantly trying to end things, so I understand why he has agreed to certain things including this “vacation” (which comically still includes his manager) which has been 100% sponsored by outside sources (I believe this little boat outing is still under the D&G work). (again stans willfully ignore that there is nothing romantic about this, but when do they ever see reason).
What still baffles me and perhaps you are answering my question to some extent, is why she would WANT to continue to engage in behavior, whether she is legally entitled to it or not, that is obviously unwelcome and unwanted by the other party. Yes he has consented, I think we agree, but how willful is that consent? I think we know the answer. It is willful in that he wants there to be no room at the end of the day for them to have a smidgen of room to extend this beyond whatever term has been agreed upon. And I honestly think D is allowing his limits to be pushed to extremes right now as there is a serious limit to how much longer he can endure the torture. I think we can all agree, this year has taken an severe toll on him.
And as we have repeatedly pointed it, 90%, at least, of the staged PDA and affection are her initiating it, and generally him trying to touch her minimally. And yesterday’s IG story is a prime example. She is hanging off of him like a rag doll while he has one hold holding his glass (a trick he often employs) and the other was free and then touches his own chest. To me almost in a defensive mode to ensure that she does not place her hands beyond his shoulder (with the other one placed on the rail). All the while, on this “romantic” vacation, with his manager looking on, of course.
To me, as a person with my eyes fully open, it is clear what is happening. He is, as he does, allowing it to happen as he is required to, but also rejecting her in the same moment. And In my opinion, it highlights just how fake this is, as does the majority of other glimpses of mi/arren that we are cursed with.
But there is actually logic in your point and could explain what is going on in that woman’s deluded brain. She KNOWS this is ending. She KNOWS she went to far and pushed this to the maximum and she KNOWS d is doing the needful to wrap this up and end this nightmare. And I think, when she is not plotting ways to extend this (and I think she is, so I hope D has his eyes wide open), she is petrified. Because D is the ONLY REASON she has any fame or fans. And I guess in her mind she is thinking of methods and manners in which to fully blame him for the “break up” that we know is inevitable.
After all she was physically affectionate and he rejected her
Add, he is working like a dog and not spending enough time with her and therefore she left her "piano baby” when it was was struggling to find it footing to go to Europe and re-connect
And I suppose she thinks in that foolish brain of hers that if she can play the sympathy card, after all he chose career over her, her stans will stand by her and reject him.
And I do think there will be a small, tiny hand-full of stans, such as the TSG tweeter who is clearly enamored with her, that will choose her. But that is going to be a limited group that won’t even make a small dent in D’s much deserved and earned fan base. Let her have the 5 of them, they aren’t going to accept D for his true self anyhow. And they can continue to be a shoulder to cry on when her bar crashes and burns and she tries to blame that on D as well.
She can plot and scheme all she wants,. At the end of this D wins, she loses, and is left with nothing as she has made no stride to be anything but his beard. Further, while unfortunately, I know this is leading to a staged break up, the truth will be revealed in time and then it will be clear that she is and was a beard and nothing more.
Now can this ‘vacation” be over? This is bordering on negligent with the tour re-starting next week. But then, when has his team ever cared about D or his paying fans? Much more money to be made in Europe and there is a fake ass relationship to sell while they still can.
Please may this be over soon.
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Chloe’s Vulnerability & Emotional Journey
(In Defense of Chloe Decker Part 2)
So it’s official, Chloe & Cain are dating, or have been for a wk or 2. For clarity’s sake I’m not counting the Axara concert as a “date”. Nor the alluded to “dinner date” at the end of 3x18. As far as what’s been shown on screen, they’ve only been on one date. And things seem to be moving along quite normally for these two. Or as normal as can be when Chloe is using the relationship to mask her unresolved feelings for Lucifer. While Cain sees & exploits her emotional vulnerability & uses it as a means to an end.
Same Amenadiel, same...
I know, it’s A LOT to take in. But don’t worry we can get through this. Just a forewarning, things may get salty. I’m just as protective of Chloe, as I am of Lucifer. And there have been things said about her that have really grinded my gears. The Mama Bear claws are out & sharpened. Our favorite detective has been through so much this past year & it’s about time we talk about it. Let’s dig in...
Since “Orange Is The New Maze” has been released, & even a bit before that, I’ve seen the term ‘OOC’ thrown around. Especially concerning Chloe Decker & a certain relationship she’s found herself in.
People shouting into the void:
“WHY IS SHE WITH HIM, DOESN’T SHE SEE HE’S TERRIBLE!?! FUCKING OOC!”
“THE WRITERS HAVE CHANGED HER JUST SO SHE COULD FIT INTO THIS LOVE TRIANGLE! UGHHH OOC BS!
(these aren’t actual quotes from fans, but you get the gist)
Let’s start with the term ‘OOC’. According to Urban Dictionary aka the most reliable source of information next to Wikipedia...
It’s an acronym that stands for "Out of Character"’; which is frequently used in one of two situations. Two situations that I’m fairly well versed in. As I’m sure most of you are too.
in role-playing, indicating that a person is making a comment, suggestion, etc., that isn't coming from the character but from the person him- or herself or their-self.
in fanfiction, signaling that the way the author chose to portray the characters (or perhaps unintentionally portrayed them) may not be consistent with how the characters act, think, or speak in the original work on which the fanfiction is based.
Now I’m not saying it’s IMPOSSIBLE for writers to loose sense of a character’s personality, morals etc. on a tv show. Believe me I’ve seen it happen, & have the emotional scars & frustrations to prove it. Thankfully this show has had the rare luck of having the same writers for the vast majority of it’s run. Something that’s largely unheard of. With that in mind, we can assume that most, if not all the writers have a good grasp on who Chloe (& the others) are at their core.
Also Chloe isn’t the main focus; Lucifer is. I mean his name is in the title ;). Not to mention all the other characters the writers have to cultivate & give as equal screen time as possible. Meaning her journey isn’t always going to be at the forefront; which can be frustrating at times. There have been hints at the inner struggle going on in Chloe. It’s subtle, but it’s there if you’re willing to look for it.
One of the similarities between Chloe & Lucifer is they keep their hearts heavily guarded. They’ve been hurt in the past, & those events have shaped them into the characters they are today. Another similarity between them is their tendency to keep their inner turmoil locked up. Putting on a smile & pretending like nothing is wrong.
“I love making you believe,
What you get is what you see.
But I’m so fake happy,
I feel so fake happy.
And I bet everybody here,
Is just as insincere.
Fake Happy, Paramore
“I can let my guard down with you. I don’t do that with anyone else. You make me vulnerable; & maybe that’s ok.” - (Chloe/1x11)
Thus one of the tethers that bonded these two characters was formed. Now how they both deal with this vulnerability is what’s really interesting. Lucifer, we can all agree, has a flair for the dramatic. Mostly stemmed from the fact that he’s never had to deal with these kinds of emotions while ruling Hell. Jealousy, fear, love... these are all brand new to him; & his reactions to them are powerful. Chloe, of course being human, is used to feeling these emotions. For her it’s just another part of life. Her reactions to things that hurt her are going to be subtle. There have only been a handful of times where Chloe let what she was feeling on the inside out; ‘My Little Monkey’ being a prime example.
Our detective was introduced in the pilot as a ‘by the book’ cop. She keeps her feelings close to her chest; & only when provoked do we see her roar. In fact the only time I’ve seen a break from this is during her interactions w/ Cain. From day one he placed Chloe at the bottom of the totem pole. All she did was politely introduce herself & in the next breath he was lessening her importance. As I’ve stated in previous posts this immediately causes there to be an imbalance in their relationship. Them being together hasn’t changed that; if anything it’s made it worse. Do you have a pin handy... well it’s time to break it out. We’ll get back to ‘Carcus’ in a bit; for right now it’s all about Chloe.
Remember that old saying I referenced in my post about 3x18; “Can’t see the forest for the trees” Boy do I love a good callback. In this situation “the trees” is Chloe’s relationship with Cain & “the forest” is her emotional struggle that has led her to this point. Now it’s time I say we shed some light on it.
Chloe Jane Decker is hardworking & put’s her all into every case that comes her way. The people she cares about always come first, & she’ll gladly suffer in silence to make sure none of them feel any pain. Chloe is a strong, multi dimensional character that has been an absolute joy to see on screen. She has been portrayed beautifully by Lauren German, who deserves all the praise in the world. All of this shouldn’t come as a surprise to any of you.
I feel it’s safe to assume that Chloe has never “made the first move”. She’s more of a slow & steady kind of woman. The only ex we know of is Dan; & I’d classify him as the ‘safe option’. It was easy for Chloe to warm up to him, date him, & the rest is history. Which is why it’s shocking to her when she realizes that she’s developed feelings for a person like Lucifer. He’s spontaneous, outspoken, loves to be the center of attention; everything she’s not. Made even more shocking when she starts to believe that Lucifer may have feelings for her as well. Feelings she tries to deny repeatedly, especially in 2x11. Claiming they didn’t have a moment, they’re too different, etc. I personally love these instances with Chloe; I refer to them as her ‘thinking out loud’ moments aka ‘me everyday of my life’. The things she’s voicing aren’t for anyone’s benefit, but her own. It’s like Chloe’s trying to rationalize her emotions. ‘Maybe if I say out loud that Lucifer & I wouldn’t work, then maybe it’ll be true.’
^^^Sorry not sorry
This tactic of course is futile, as shown by the surprise smooch she lays on our devil. Not ONCE but TWICE!! Chloe made the first move; she put herself out there. That’s a big deal.
From day one Lucifer has been very heavy handed w/ the sexual innuendos. Going so far as to try & sleep with her in 1x04. But in the end he thinks better of it as he becomes more aware of Chloe’s boundaries. The only other time Chloe’s made a move was when she arrived wasted at Lucifer’s penthouse at the end of 1x10. To which Lucifer refused her advances immediately. Because the devil is, if anything, a gentleman; also consent. When Chloe kisses Lucifer; she’s at her most vulnerable. She’s letting him in in a way she hasn’t before. Letting him know that she believes him to be more than worthy of her; no matter what he believes his flaws to be.
As I’ve stated, Chloe feels it’s her duty to shoulder the pain that everyone around her is feeling above her own. A trait I’m sure is the product of loosing her father at such a young age. She has to be strong; for her mom, her daughter, everyone. While at the same time pushing everything that’s effecting her to the back burner; 2x07 being a perfect example. I lost count of the amount of times Chloe looked like she was ready to collapse in a pool of tears. But she didn’t, she had to be an unbreakable force of nature. It’s only during the final scene with Lucifer that she finally lets herself go.
You can see the thoughts playing out on Chloe’s face the second before she rushes into his arms. She’s at war with her emotions. Until finally she exclaims “Oh just... Shut up!”; again we have another ‘thinking out loud’ moment. Luci doesn't need to shut up; it's her thoughts that need to. Chloe is making the choice to ignore the consequences, no overthinking it. All she wants right now is to be comforted, & Lucifer is the only person she feels the safest with.
^^^That single tear gets me every time. My precious baby.
Now, what could cause a character as strong & caring as our detective to fall into an abusive relationship? The answer lies in 2x14; & the episodes proceeding it. Just like how the events in 2x12 were the catalyst to Lucifer’s actions in 2x13. Lucifer’s response of ‘Friends, yes that’s exactly what we are.’ in 2x14 shatters Chloe’s world. Again she looks like she’s about to crumble; her voice is shaky, her breathing is uneven. Only this time, she can’t run into Lucifer’s arms to find comfort. He’s worlds away from her now. What she thought they had was & is an illusion. A hug, a touch, a kiss; moments that meant everything to her, clearly meant nothing to him. So she sucks it up; suppresses those feelings of rejection & a love unrequited.
”I can’t call you a stranger,
But I can’t call you.
I know you think that I erased you.
You may hate me,
But I can’t hate you.
And I won’t replace you.
Tell me how to feel about you now?
Oh let me know,
Do I suffocate or let go?
Tell Me How, Paramore
There’s a clear line connecting the catalyst of Chloe’s emotional spiral in ‘Candy Morningstar’ to the present time heading into ‘The Angel of San Bernardino’. Most of these moments were subtle, but powerful when looked at closely. In my mind it proves Chloe’s actions or in actions aren’t the product of bad/lazy writing. And they’re most definitely not sacrificing her character in order to make this ‘love triangle’ happen. Or as the kids like to call it ‘OOC’.
Let’s do a bit of reading between the lines shall we?!
“Our partnership ended when you ghosted me & the entire department.
“...What good is a partner if I can’t depend on you.”
“How could you... I thought we were... I thought we were friends.”
(2x14)
unsaid:
-I kissed you; I let you in & you left without a word. Why?
-I put my trust in you & you abused it. I need someone I can rely on. I thought that was you.
-Where do we stand. I have feelings for you; I thought you had feelings for me. That’s why I kissed you, why I let you in. But now you’re married & I don’t know what to think & how to feel.
”You know I keep caring... & you, you just... Lucifer.”
(3x01)
“These feelings are stupid. Lucifer & I are friends, partners. I’m past anything romantic with him. Full on rear view, in the past.”
(3x06)
“Are you really that self absorbed that you don’t realize your actions hurt people, hurt me.”
“Then why are you still here?”
(3x12)
unsaid:
-I open my heart & you keep taking advantage of it. Are you stringing me along; is this a game to you?
-I love working with him, & being around him; but it hurts. One min we’re hot, the next we’re cold. I want to be over him, but I don’t think I ever will be.
-If you don’t care about me, then why do you do these things. I’m still heartbroken; & I’m even more confused than before. I need to know where we stand cause I don’t know if I can do this anymore.
Lucifer broke Chloe’s heart in more ways than one in 2x14. And that pain is prolonged due to his attempts to “protect her/almost let her in/etc.”. To Chloe it feels as if he’s stringing her along, taking two steps forward than a giant leap back.
You keep me up with you silence
Take me down with your quiet
Of all the weapons you fight with,
Your silence is the most violent.”
Tell Me How, Paramore
All these emotions swirling inside has left Chloe vulnerable. If you’ve ever suffered from any kind of lapse in mental health you know how easy it is to let someone in that may have a negative influence on you. In this confusion & inner turmoil, is where Cain pounces. He seems nice enough, the perfect distraction to Chloe’s unresolved feelings. She just wants to find happiness outside of the yearning she still has for Lucifer.
Cain can see the bond Chloe & Lucifer have, as well as the ocean that now separates them. Realizing that maybe he went about it all wrong the first time. Maybe if he forms a similar bond w/ Chloe he’ll be on the road to what he’s always wanted. So he lays what little charm he has on her strong. Tells her everything she wants to hear in order to lull her into a false sense of security. Those walls he appeared to have before, are gone all because of her. Normally this is where a million red flags would be going off in Chloe’s mind; & they are. Unfortunately because she’s been so weighed down by everything that’s gone on w/ Lucifer she overlooks them. It’s easier to pretend everything is fine, than to feel the pain.
I know I said that I was doing good,
And that I’m happy now.
Shoulda known that when things were going good
That’s when I’d get knocked down.
Fake Happy, Paramore
Chloe has every right to feel how she’s feeling. She has every right to seek out a relationship w/ whomever she wants. It’s just annoying that she’s having to figure all this out while being saddled w/ a person who doesn’t respect her. Part of Chloe is trying to move on from Lucifer, but the other doesn’t want to; sound familiar? -cough; Lucifer -cough;. It’s frustrating, confusing, & completely in character.
This is a valid part of Chloe’s journey. It wasn’t plucked out of thin air for the sake of a ‘love triangle’. The writers laid the groundwork for it in S2 & have connected it through to S3. Parts may have gotten lost along the way but it’s there. If they’d had Chloe ignore these feelings, made her pretend like everything Lucifer has said/done wasn’t effecting her it would’ve been a disservice. Not only to Chloe, but to the story, & to us the viewers.
Truthfully I feel people have been a lil too heavy handed w/ the ‘OOC’ term. I’ve mostly seen it used as a means to say they disagree with what Chloe or -insert character here; has been doing. All I have to say to that is: Do you know how many times I’ve disagreed w/ a characters actions? A LOT! I’ve disagreed w/ Lucifer multiple times. I love my son, but sometimes he needs to be put in time out. It’s what makes a character unique, what keeps us watching. Do you know how boring it would be if we agreed w/ every thing a character did? Extremely.
Part of storytelling is putting characters into different situations & seeing how they deal with them. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad. In the end they’ll come out stronger, & more fleshed out than they were before.
Each one of the characters on ‘Lucifer’ is dealing w/ their own emotional/mental health struggles. Our devil isn’t the only one who needs to hire a therapist. When I see people praising Lucifer’s or Maze’s growth from S1 to now, while at the same time denouncing Chloe’s pisses me off. It’s as if because Chloe is human she’s already a fully realized character with no more room to grow.
So many of you have been complaining that she hasn’t “been doing anything” this season. News flash, yes she has. Chloe’s juggling being a single mom of a 10 yr old while managing a full time career as a homicide detective. On top of that she’s been struggling w/ her unresolved feelings for Lucifer. We should be praising her for staying strong & not completely breaking down under the pressure.
^^^Maze is on the prowl, you know I mean business. Consider yourselves warned. #ChloeDeckerDefenseSquad
I applaud the writers for taking this route with Chloe. Rarely do we ever see the beginnings of an abusive relationship portrayed so accurately. I’ve watched it be attempted, but more often than not the outcome is lackluster. Almost like the writers got spooked halfway through, or one of the higher ups told them to make it more palatable. People like Cain exist & should be talked about. Just because Chloe is overlooking these signs at the moment, doesn’t mean we should.
Take away Cain’s immortality & he’s your average dude bro preying on women, or anyone. Everything is a game to them, a means to an end. I’m certain that if Chloe didn’t have a good head on her shoulders & an army of people to defend her, things would only escalate further. I’ve had the misfortune of being witness to these types of relationships on more than one occasion. They’re terrifying & I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.
If we can find a positive from this plotline it’s to recognize Cain’s actions & words for what they are. Words of an abuser, a manipulator, a sociopath, etc. Don’t settle for someone who makes you feel less than. You deserve to be loved & treated respectfully. Take note of these signs & protect yourselves & others. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.
Now that the main discussion is out of the way, let’s do a bit of spring cleaning if you will...
Welcome to ‘Em’s Salty Corner’ aka ‘People Need To Find Their Chill’
This week we’ll be discussing the infamous ‘Bullet Necklace’ circa 3x19
Some of you were more than a little pissed at Chloe’s dismissal of it.
“How dare she think this gift was a joke?!!?!!?! LUCIFER GAVE IT TO YOU BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU YOU BITCH!!” (again I’m paraphrasing here...)
Now, look I’d be lying if I said Chloe’s line didn’t hurt my heart, cause it did. But instead of jumping to conclusions over it I paid attention to the whole scene. Her body language, her tone of voice, everything. And do you know what I see? I see a woman trying to lessen the significance of an item so as not to trigger her abuser. Followed later by an apology from the woman for hurting said abuser. When in reality there was nothing for Chloe to apologize for.
“It’s unfair of me to ask you to deal with this”
Deal with what? A gift you received months before y’all were dating? He has no right to tell you what to do, how to act, how to feel, what to wear, etc. You’ve been dating him for less than 2 wks; Chloe this is BS & you know it somewhere deep in your heart. These are the classic signs of a dysfunctional relationship & yet y’all are focusing on whether or not Chloe thinks Lucifer got her a ‘joke gift’
^^^Lucifer & I are not amused.
You saw the heart eyes Chloe was making while talking about that necklace right? She loves that necklace, & cherishes the memories she has when receiving it. Not to mention the look of longing she had aimed at Lucifer in the parking garage. There was more electricity in those missed glances than in all of Carcus’s scenes combined. Seriously what even was that peck; their lips barely touched. It looked like the kind of kiss you’d give an aging relative you haven’t seen since you were 3. If anything it was the perfect example of when 2 actors with no chemistry are made to pretend like they do.
Chloe referred to this gift as BEAUTIFUL upon first receiving it for crying out loud. If Chloe was really under Cain’s “spell” she wouldn’t be wearing it. Paraphrasing what I’d said in my previous post: Our detective openly wearing this is her way of telling Lucifer that he’s still important to her. Chloe’s heart belongs to him, he was her first choice. She’s trying to move on, but she’ll soon realize it’s with the wrong person.
“Do friends give you jewelry”
Yes Cain, they fucking do. Especially ones who are destined to be together. So she was wearing a necklace, big deal! You’ve been dating for a min, chillax. I don’t see a ring on her finger... too much? ;). And even if there was, Chloe’s her own person with her own free will. What’s next, are you going to tell Chloe she can’t put one of Trixie’s alien drawings on the fridge? God I can’t wait for your ass to be grass.
And thus concludes “Em’s Salty Corner”; we hope to see you again soon! :)
^^^Remember wuss’s don’t get any.
Speaking of everyone’s favorite pigtailed, alien loving little cutie. Before I sign off I’d like to direct you to a post I & a bunch of other awesome people contributed to. It’s mostly us speculating about 3x20 & the rest of the season (prior to the release of 3x20/21/22 synopsis’s). I especially want you to focus on my section theorizing/discussing Dan’s “Cat Analogy”. All I’ll say here is that I believe Dan’s assurances that Lucifer is the ‘cat’ in Chloe’s life is false. Think we can all agree that a certain little girl holds more weight when it comes to Chloe making “life changing decisions.” Cain isn’t gonna know what hit him when he meets that little girl.
As we head into the final 5 episodes remember to keep an open mind, have faith in the writers, & keep a steady grasp on your sanity. There have been a lot of crazy theories floating around; some intriguing, & some are out of this world. But that’s one of the best things about being in a fandom, we each see the thing we love differently. Even better when we’ve created a space in which we could converse w/o fear of reproach. Keep spreading the positivity & love! Whatever this show has in store for us will be amazing, as it always is.
Till next time!!
xoxox Em
Tribe: @psychicninja90 @mametupa @aeruthien @boundtobeafraid @deckoutinstars @ships-sailing-in-the-night @ohmymorningstar, @youcantmakeme, @frankcastle, @sanoiro @wpbianca99, @mischief-with-sandra, @mendokayalways, @lux-i-fer,
#it has been completed#finally!!!#take that technical difficulties#and with plenty of time to spare#pats self on back#lucifer spec#lucifer on fox#lucifer s3#lucifer spoilers#chloe decker#team chloe decker#chloe decker defense squad#lauren german#lucifer theories#rambles
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Neuralgia/ADA/GOP-On-The-Run
Cycle 7, Day 19
First of all, next week’s my “week off,” which is usually just a blood-draw, however, because it also marks Dad’s birthday, which he’s intimated is supposed to be A Party of Special Magnificence, so I’ll be in the greater SoCal area during my “off week,” and, with my brother at hand in a festive mood, there’s a chance I won’t come to my senses until November. So, unless something goes spectacularly wrong at next week’s blood-draw, there’s a chance I’ll only update/write about random goings-on, or Dad’s giant, dragon-shaped firework (that isn’t a euphemism, I’ve been explicit that I want to see wizards, halflings, the whole deal).
Today, however, I’d like to draw some attention to my own physical disabilities (such as they are), why large chunks of the country aren’t ADA-compliant (I don’t even mean in a paved sense), and your very corrupt, local congressman, if you’re from a rural area (almost guaranteed).
So, even though I am automatically, federally-qualified as disabled (look it up under “compassionate allowances”). However, 80% of applicants eventually get disability coverage because - here’s a shocker - when people can’t do their jobs or survive normally, that tends to be noticeable, unless you have an extremely advanced neurodegenerative disease (in which case, you get to be president). And when I applied for disability, no one was, shall I say, directly unpleasant, but I got the very distinct impression that everyone would rather be doing something else. It wasn’t until I actually wrote my own condition down and told the social security rep to call their boss and give them that diagnosis that I got a bit of an attitude change. So, most disabled folks tend to be somewhat sensitive about it, because it is a pain in the ass (sometimes literally) and society is very much stacked against us. I actually wouldn’t even have given it much thought unless I had to fill out and file paperwork on it. Again, be kind and patient (that’s the general message), and don’t assume. I prefer to be called “crippled,” because I feel that word accurately captures both what happened to me, and and how it’s effected me.
To that, I also get passing privilege, because I can walk (though steep stairs and long sprints are out), and you’d only tell my left side is off if you were familiar with me. So, a neurologically-mangling injury usually occurs in one of two ways, externally (or externally-derived), which is usually what you associate with disabled vets, or internally (either due to clot, stroke, or cancer/tumor).. In the former type, you’d see nerve damage below the injury point. In the latter type, it’s a little harder. Everything in the brain is integrated - physically - it’s a little harder to keep track of the higher-order, Wile E. Coyote (Super Genius) functions, especially since you develop new neural pathways throughout your life. But, just for the physical functions, damage to the brain occurs on the opposite side of the body, and it’s a half-body thing (most of my left-side is unreliable in the right circumstances, but for day-to-day use, it’s just the lower leg and lower arm). And these can be anything from noticeable motor impairments to, in my case, “diminished sensation.” Again, I’m just speaking for myself, but neuralgia - the reduced/lost sensations and/or pain of nerve damage - is a killer for folks like me. In my own case, if you’ve ever had minor oral surgery or a filling where the dentist got a little careless injecting the novocaine, you’ll be familiar with the numbness issue. Your muscles worked just fine, but without sensation, it’s hard to orient them enough to get them to work. That’s a rather extreme example, and it’s not terribly accurate for me, but it’ll give you an idea of what I’m talking about. Again, unless you know me, it’s kind of hard to spot me (I only hobble on inclines). Unless you knew I’d been trained as a pianist for a number of years when I was much younger, you’d have a tough time guessing my left hand has trouble with buttons. And, fortunately, the legal definition of disabilities isn’t limited to “patient is mostly-functional, but severely reduced by previous-standards.” (I also really do spend an hour or two in the gym every day, if only because I want a body capable of absorbing and metabolizing every last damned drop of marizomib they can pump into me)(which, come to it, is probably some sort of admission of addiction). I am, however, going to start referring to my left arm as “my Grendel arm,” because, if I’m attacked by Vikings, I intend to let that side take the damage (again, it won’t be as painful because of that “reduced sensation” problem I run into when I’m very tired)(and, hopefully, when I’m on fire and being attacked by Norsemen seeking retribution for
Speaking of legal issues, now’s a good time as any to point out that vast swathes of the country are near-impossible to live in if you’re, let’s say, medically-compromised. Now, I realize that I’m a very special, special-needs patient/citizen in that my existence is dependent on technology that’s beyond the ragged, bleeding edge of most hospitals - most states, as it turns out. But that’s going to be true of just being able to access decent care in most places, even for something relatively simple, like the heart disease currently building up in the Boomers. And I bring that up because, in most places, your elected federal officials are actually working against your best interest. Frequently with your consent. And these are, in my experience, always in rural districts. The party of your representative isn’t an issue, I’d bet; the issue is whether you live in a zip code with a population density closer to Los Angeles, or Maine. Americans (or, health-industry lobbyists) made a hullabaloo about Obamacare (or, as it’s formally known, the Affordable Care Act - the ACA). However, for people like me, it did help knock down things that will kill Grandma and Granpa, like lifetime limits (I’ve reached and exceeded those probably ten years ago), and - this is big - prior conditions. These are both weasel terms used by insurance companies to reduce patient numbers. Again that wasn’t a major issue for me until an orange-haired idiot came into office, promising to change all that. At the time - these were in the intertumor years - I was living in Utah. Here’s an important thing to understand when someone is actively working to undermine your life expectancy; they’re not going to be honest about it. And, in my experience, elected officials from rural areas tend to have more in common with Boss Hogg than they do Mr. Smith, but that could be because the first Congressman I met “representing” me was Jerry Lewis (that was his nom de guerre)(but not his real name)(also not his real hair), who was almost hilariously sleazy, and consistently plagued by corruption accusations. Which, uh, I think, describes almost all of the Congressmen who represented that district. So, you can imagine my complete lack of interest at being pushed and prodded and shoved in front of a congressional underling at the sitting Congressman’s office (this was Chris Stewart - or his local office, BTW).
We will ignore the odd decorating decision to include a large photo of a bomber with an explosion on it - I guess it’d been made by a constituent. We were met by - as expected - an office underling. The hiring and firing and promoting of office staff in small districts is usually pretty sordid. That’s not some sort of slanderous accusation; all professional politicians are legally prohibited from directly employing their companies or family members. Most, like Ron Paul, figure out a workaround until those pesky Congressional Ethics reports come out. The assistant in front of us assured us - in the wake of GOP populism that’d swung in just a few weeks earlier, that the Congressman didn’t like his job, only did it because no one else was stepping up, and was all in favor of term limits and revolving door policies - basically, the sort of pep-talk I always look for in the medical industry when looking for a well-qualified specialist (”Yeah, he’s great at his job, but he dislikes it and is only waiting for an opportunity to get out.”). The assistant was not the Congressman’s chief adviser on health care (I can only assume that was some wildly unqualified lobbyist from Pfizer, but that’s pure speculation). You know what really sends out a message of professionalism and receptiveness to constituent needs? When a constituent calls to schedule an appointment to voice concerns regarding health legislation, and the person qualified to answer such things isn’t in the office. Anyway, even though the assistant didn’t have any answers to most of my questions, he assured us that the congressman didn’t want to cut anyone’s insurance, but thought that a free market - the standard BS filler that comes from someone who has never been thrown out of a hospital (yes, this happens, folks, it made headlines in Baltimore a few years ago). Upon later checking, the assistant had actually actively lied about both issues, based on the Congressman’s actual voting record. Again, I don’t think he’s alone, I just think rural Congressman who coast on for a career based on name recognition aren’t used to an informed, angry public making proper inquiries. At least have the guts to tell me it’s more immediately profitable to kill me than to keep me alive; we’ll have to agree to disagree, but I get it. To make a long story short, because of Utah’s combination of hilariously inadequate insurance coverage for people like me, and my stubborn refusal to settle for less-than-best when seeing neurology specialists, I’m no longer a constituent. Thank you, sir, you ran me off your land, kudos. But I’m certainly not alone. Again, the Boomers are at an age where they’re going to be dropping dead of heart disease, cancer, etc. That’s not some dire, emo warning, either, it’s just that they’re all in their 60′s or above, and, until 2013, almost half of the US was either uninsured or disastrously uninsured. I think the HMO system will last two dozen cases of wheeling grandma and grandpa into the cold street before it comes to an end. But what the hell do I know? I’m just a sick person who’s had to learn insane amounts.about the health insurance industry and pharmaceutical companies to make it this far.
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