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captainsparklefingers · 11 months

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So, how many people has Ludinus convinced to, if not straight up drink the Kool-aid, then to be open to trying it? Now granted, I'm not quite done with the episode yet (I think I have like a third left), but I've got some thoughts. They're not very well organized or written out, but I've got them nonetheless. And they're probably not like. Super accurate or anything, this was all just sort of an emotional reaction I had while listening/watching and my attempts to figure it out. Apologies for what is basically me word vomiting on Tumblr trying to figure out my feelings.

It seems to me that this whole 'what have the gods done for us/let's get rid of them' thing sort of feels like a political science or philosophy discussion gone wildly off the rails. People discussing not being happy with the system, what do the gods really do and why do we need them, if the people who serve them abuse their power in these ways is it better to bring down those institutions or start at the source and work out from there...that all feels like stuff people discuss all the time. We debate topics, we argue for or against different moral and political and religious philosophies...debates get messy, historical events happen, the cycle of history continues...you get the idea. Maybe it's not the gods we're debating about but systems of government and power structures or economic structures.

But in a world where the gods are real and known to be real, where they're deliberately behind a gate so as to NOT have huge amounts of influence and power, where average people don't seem to totally understand the Divine Gate and its purpose and where the average person isn't having the sort of interactions with divinity that adventuring groups and religious leaders are, it feels like it isn't a huge step to take people from just talking about this to acting on it. And I know people have acted on things historically in our world too. Maybe that's why I'm listening to this conversation in this maybe hag definitely cult leaders hut and not totally disagreeing with points being raised. It's one thing, I guess, when the argument is being made by Imogen in regards to constantly hearing voices in her head. It's another when the village elder of a town currently suffering abuse under a strict religious system is making it.

I don't believe for one second that Ludinus gives a shit about taking down the gods in the name of freedom. I don't think for a moment that if Predathos is released and does what the name god eater implies that they'll be satisfied when the gods are gone. Ludinus is an ancient, powerful man with a big ole chip on his shoulder who's been nursing a grudge for centuries (who fucking ate fairies to live that long what the fuck ). He's also used to being in a position of power and influence through his role in the Cerberus Assembly and the government of the Empire. Based on the notes Team Wildemount found, we know he started all this by asking questions and fucking around until Molaesmyr found out, and that he either doesn't understand/know or care about possible side effects or consequences of his actions, or possibly both. He just, as far as I can tell, wants a power vacuum. When he says 'we take down the gods and we become the gods', I absolutely believe that the 'we' is 'him'. He becomes a god like figure. The cycle continues. And he's taking advantage of people, their very valid problems with organized religion and the power of the institutions, the problem of corruption and bad apples, the general lack of public knowledge of what the Gate actually does, and he's using it to convince people this is the right way. And it feels so much like things we've seen happen historically that it just...I dunno. I said this was basically emotional word vomit with no point, didn't I? But yeah, it made me feel weird and uncomfortable because I could see how people fell under his sway, how the arguments he makes can have merit to people.

And THAT is why...

Well that and he turned my favorite character into a fuckin orb battery.

#critical role #Cr spoilers #I got so uncomfortable and felt so weird listening to chunks of this episode #because like...the arguments being made about sometimes needing to tear something down so it can grow better...#the corruption inherent in organizations of power and in governments...#that hit a little close to some real world discussions and history and stuff #I'm not saying that these are bad discussions to have #or that real world circumstances and discussions along similar themes are bad either #it all just felt sort of weird #anyway apologies for this I just needed to get my thoughts out of my brain so I could move on with my day #damn you ludinus for making me think about things that are heavy and that I dont wanna think about at the moment #still hope Predathos eats you

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league-of-sam · 9 months

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As Grim as the Reaper | Simon 'GHOST' Riley PREQUEL

Ghost x Reader, Graves x Reader

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Phillip Graves x AFAB!Reader!OC 18+ MINORS DNI! t.w // angst, mental health, language, violence, death, sexual themes/SMUT, military inaccuracies, language inaccuracies (google translate).

As Grim as the Reaper: Masterlist

The Echo 6 squadron became a force to be reckoned with almost overnight.

Your fearless leading, the sheer volume of skill your comrades held, you were unstoppable, and bloody good.

Some may even say better than Echo 3.

Mission after mission, covert op after covert op, you proved yourselves over and over again. Laswell had been right to bring you all together, because now, when enemies knew Echo 6 were coming, they ran.

They ran with the power of fear.

And fuck, did you have so much fun with them.

Orlando and Bradshaw's daily flirting kept the team morale sky high, as the rest of you revelled in his constantly being shot down.

Trace was possibly one of the sweetest men you'd met; he looked up to you, like a little brother looking up to his sister. You'd never had that, so the kind of love you developed for him was foreign to you, but you embraced it wholeheartedly.

And Stevens, well, you and he bonded almost immediately. You reminded him of his own younger sister, and so every mission, he had you back as if you were her.

You met his family, became great friends with his wife, he even made you aunt and god-mother to his son, Charlie, who was only three at the time.

Echo 6 team had become your family, and you loved them dearly.

Even Graves had become close with them, him wanting to know he could fully trust the people who's hands held your life every time you were deployed.

It was hard at first, any time he had to go on a mission without you, or you without him. But you were able to figure it out, because the two of you wanted nothing more than your relationship to work.

And it was.

You'd never been happier, and your relationship with the commander had been growing incredibly. You'd never experienced being in love before, but you were starting to think that maybe this was what it was like.

Because being with him was so fucking easy.

But even with that, even with your team, none of it was quite enough to fill the hole that Alex had left behind.

It was approaching almost a year since he was declared MIA, and missing him never got any easier.

Once again, any intel pertaining to him was being kept from you, General Shepherd wanting your attention on your new team, and your new team only.

You were all gathered in the break room, Orlando playing foosball with Trace, Stevens video calling his wife, and you and Emily gossiping in the corner.

"So, are you ever gonna actually give Orlando a chance?" You asked.

She looked over to him, sighing dreamily as she watched him celebrate another point, "I really don't know."

"It's so obvious you fancy him, I hope you know that."

"You're one to talk? We all had bets on how long it'd take you to give in to the Commander." She argued back.

Your jaw dropped open, a laugh coming out as you swiped at her playfully, the two of you giggling.

"Okay, fine, I can't say anything. But I did take the leap, you should too. That boy is head over heels in love with you, Em."

"Yeah, maybe he is."

Before you could say anything else, your phone rang, Laswell's picture flashing on the screen.

Picking it up, you greeted her, and she returned it kindly before telling you that you and the rest of the team needed to come to the conference room as soon as possible.

So, wrangling up your soldiers, you made your way there.

You followed your team into the room, the five of you taking seats around the table, as Laswell stood at the head of it.

There was a horrible aching in your chest, your fingers shaking as you fiddled with the dog tags hanging around your neck. Because the last time you were here, your heart was broken.

The last time you were in this room, Alex was declared dead.

Five minutes of silence passed by, all of you looking confused between one another, none of you knowing what the hell was going on.

"Jesus Christ, Kate, please, you're killing me." You spoke, head rolling on your shoulders.

She shot you a sympathetic look, "Sorry, honey, we need to wait for General Shepherd to be here for this."

You groaned, but nodded, and the rest of the team engaged in small talk with Laswell while you waited.

Eventually, Shepherd burst into the room, Graves following him in. He spotted you straight away, opting to come over, placing a quick kiss to your lips and taking the empty seat next to you.

Instead of telling you of the purpose of this meeting, Shepherd began addressing your team one by one, almost as if he was giving out appraisals.

But you weren't stupid, you knew that's not why you were here.

You sat there for almost another hour, listening to Shepherd drone on and on about the success of the team, the success of missions, and frankly, with everything going on in your head, you'd had enough.

Standing up, your chair screeched, and you started collecting your things.

"Lieutenant, where do you think you're going? We're in a meeting." Shepherd addressed you.

"I am aware, sir, but this meeting is going nowhere. You didn't bring us here to sing our praises, and I don't have time to listen to it, not today."

Laswell stood up, then, coming over to you, "(Y/N), if you'd just wait a second-"

"No, Kate! I'm not being funny, but the last time I was dragged into this room by the two of you, you told me my best friend was dead."

Involuntary tears sprung to your eyes as you relived the memory.

They knew how much it had hurt you.

"I know, but this is important. You need to be here."

"Why? Why do I? What could possibly be more important than me taking the time to mourn my best friend?"

The door opened behind you, but you were too in your feelings to take any notice. Not even when your team let out numerous gasps, not even when Kate whispered your name.

No, the only thing you could hear was the squeaking of metal, and a voice.

"Sorry, angel. I gotta be dead for you to mourn me."

The breath was knocked from you.

You could barely see from the tears swimming on your waterline, but you didn't miss Laswell's smile, and her nod for you to turn arouns.

Slowly, you turned in your spot, looking to the floor at the feet - well, foot - of the person behind you.

Your gaze followed his body, seeing a prosthetic leg from his left knee to the floor. Then your eyes landed on those tattoos.

You knew those tattoos.

And finally, when your eyes landed on his face, you let out a sob, and your tears began to fall.

"A-Alex?" You spoke, barely above a whisper.

"Hey, angel." He smiled back softly.

"N-no...you died- you..." You turned back to Laswell, refusing to believe he was really in front of you, but she nodded once again, and you felt your heartstrings snap in your chest, "You're alive?"

"I'm alive."

You couldn't say any more.

Relieved sobs broke out from your chest, and Alex opened his arms, inviting you in.

No second was wasted, and you leapt forward, jumping into his arms and holding onto him as if your life depended on it.

"You're alive." You repeated, hands locked around his neck.

His arms wrapped around your back, holding you flush against him, his grip tightening with every cry you released. His own tears sprung to his eyes, the overwhelming feeling of guilty, knowing how much you must have missed him, as he'd missed you.

"I'm alive, angel. I'm here."

You pinched yourself, one more try to see if you were dreaming.

But you weren't, he was here.

Alex was alive; you had your best friend back, and that void within you was filled once again.

You felt complete.

#simon ghost riley #simon riley #task force 141 #ghost mw2 #ghost cod #ghost fanart #call of duty #cod mw oc #cod mw2 #cod mwf2 #callofduty #gaming #cod mw19 #captain price #john mactavish #phillip graves #graves x reader #ghost x reader

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seeingteacupsindragons · 3 years

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YuuMori has a lot of villains (it’s, y’know, about the villains). YuuMori has a lot of characters with mental illnesses and neurodivergences.

Most of the time when you see this combo, well. Mental health issues have a pretty strong stigma. Usually the reason they’re evil. Something’s just wrong with them, and their mental health and inability to fit into society is another sign and symptom of it.

And yet, in YuuMori, we have these characters who call themselves demons, who are actively, intentionally, the villains of their story—and their mental health issues are not one of their sins. They do not add to their villainy.

So Albert is obsessive-compulsive. Whether it’s OCD or OCPD can be argued, maybe (although I lean toward OCPD, myself), but he is in fact seriously mentally ill, desperate enough because of it to commit murder. Personality disorders especially are hard to treat, in part because they’re so ingrained into a person. Someone with generalized anxiety might see their anxiety as separate from themselves, but personality disorders are harder to distinguish that way—and it’s part of what makes them so easy to demonize, even more than most others.

But Albert’s? Instead of making his mind looked warped and twisted, his very soul seeming wrong, his reasoning makes more sense now than it ever did before. This was a boy desperate for relief from constant discomfort, from the dissonance between how he knew this should be, how he’d been taught things were meant to be, and how they so obviously were. And it’s very obvious that he is suffering from something outside himself. He is not suffering because he is evil and his soul is wrong. He was suffering before he’d done anything wrong at all.

His discomfort was one of the most rawly emotional moments he’s ever had: Albert is usually quite cool and collected, sometimes angry, sometimes smug, but he has typically felt quite distant, even on the rare moments his internal thoughts are shown. His mental health issues, his suicidal ideation, his OCD? Those were not villainous, not cool, not collected, not careful. Those were human and desperate and fragile.

And while autism is not a mental illness, in this case it performs a similar function for William. He and Albert both have brains screaming at them constantly because that’s not right. That’s not Just. That’s not the way things should be. That doesn’t follow the rules. This can bring people with obsessive-compulsion disorder to their knees and claw their own skin open. It can bring autistic people to wordless shutdowns. It brought Albert the brink of suicide and William to murder.

They are in agony. Unless they fix the wrongness. And they have tried, so many ways, to fix it, and so many of those ways have fail.

William’s guilt may also be agony, but he’s choosing between two different forms of torment. And he thinks one helps others. Not much of a decision, that, not for someone with a soul and a heart, someone who burns so hot with love and hate that he has to turn it into something.

William’s depression, his mental illness, the way his brain doesn’t conform to society, his guilt, his understanding of his own misdeeds is so deep and his self-image so wholly negative, compared how virtually every other character in this series, even John, who barely knows him sees him, and especially compared to how the audience who adores him so much they overwhelmingly voted him their favorite character sees him.

We know he knows what he did was horrible. We are confronted with it constantly. And we are inclined to forgive him even when he might not, because we know despite it all, he has a solid moral center, a good core, the moral understanding of right from wrong. His depression is so all-consuming how could he not? Those things cause his depression.

Albert and William are the focal point of the villainy of the story in many ways: the two who started everything. The two who birthed James Moriarty, Lord of Crime. But while Albert and William may have started everything, they are not the only two with mental health issues.

Louis has always been quite stable. Anxious, to be sure, type A, very high strung. But not really mentally ill—everything he was ever anxious about was entirely reasonable (of course, I have an anxiety disorder myself, so my evaluation of that might be off—but still, worried Sherlock might ruin William’s plan, might lead to his death, might ruin something, worrying about William’s death, worrying about Milverton? All entirely reasonable, thank you). Informed by trauma, surely, but not necessarily mentally ill.

Moran, though? Louis’s behavior is informed by trauma, but Moran’s is poisoned by it. That double-dose PTSD not only from the war, but from his actions in The Final Problem tore him apart, and we saw it tear him apart. His PTSD pushed him into crime the same way William and Albert’s mental health did.

When Moran first gets his character focus, when his personality and character is delved into properly, it’s to show his trauma and mental health issues. His character is deepened, given structure and reasoning and understand, by showing us his mental illness, the way Albert just was in chapter 62. The way William’s has been for several arcs now with his depression.

I find Moran particularly interesting, because he’s not the only character with Shell Shock: John is also a veteran, and has a psychogenic illness from his time at war. When you take those two, loyal bosom friends of William and Sherlock, who are also set to contrast and parallel each other, down to their mental health issues and neurodivergencies, it becomes very apparent how differently the two teams have portrayals of their illness. Of course, John’s not a villain. Sherlock, for all that he can commit horrible acts, is not a villain.

But Sherlock suffers from bouts of listlessness and gloom just as William does—and he hides it even less. He doesn’t quite manifest as traditional depression the way William does—it really reads more like manic depression—but Moran and John’s PTSD doesn’t manifest the same way either. And Moran’s physical disability rooted in something more concretely physical than John’s and his struggle much more debilitating. The way he suffered pushed him to do worse things than John ever felt pushed into.

But suffering, like it did with Albert and William, makes us feel closer to him. It makes them these powerful men who call themselves devils vulnerable.

Human.

#Yuukoku no Moriarty #Moriarty the Patriot #this could use more editing probably but I'm sick of looking at it right now #maybe I'll poke at it later #I also still have l like 300 words of notes that didn't make it in here to deal with later

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kalinara · 2 years

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You know, I’ve been thinking. There’s this pervasive idea in Ted Lasso fandom that Ted is wrong about his “winning isn’t everything” mentality. And I admit, I’ve shared in that idea too.

This is going to be pretty incoherent, because my thoughts are kind of all over the place.

I’ve talked a lot about All Apologies on my blog, and one thing I’ve noticed that I’ve said a lot is that Beard is right when he talks to Ted about the importance of winning, even though he’s very harsh about it.

But now I’m thinking about it: IS he right?

I mean, obviously, winning is important to these men. This is their livelihood and their career after all. But I’d argue that the hyperfocus on “winning” or “performance” was more of a cause for Richmond’s downfall in season one than anything Rebecca Welton managed.

Jamie Tartt was, until Dani Rojas anyway, the single most talented player on the field. And his talent was such that he could run roughshod over his team, without any kind of consequences. He approved of the mistreatment of Nate, and his own bullying of Sam was pretty obviously a factor in the latter’s extreme homesickness and performance issues. Tan Lines showed exactly how Jamie’s behavior negatively effected the entire team.

It wasn’t until Ted was willing to pull him off the field, and keep him off, that Jamie’s behavior started changing. And honestly, it says something that while Jamie going back to Man City was sad for the show (and fed into their loss at the end), the team’s performance DID improve when one of the aces was gone.

I think Roy is an interesting case, because for most of the season, we really didn’t see any sign of his performance declining. What we DID see was someone who had initially been checked out entirely. When Roy was engaged, he’d win. And while he may not have been physically capable of starting by the end of the season, he still managed to take down Jamie pretty awesomely.

The problem with Roy, ultimately, is that he was so wrapped up in his identity as a footballer, that he had no idea who he was without the game. And this was a problem that persisted regardless of whether or not Richmond won or loss. The real MVP of course, is Keeley and Phoebe, but Ted’s own efforts to support Roy mattered too.

And of course there’s Sam. Sam’s initial bad performance led to folk thinking that he just wasn’t cut out for the league. Even later in season 1, when things improved, there were folk like Rupert and the wanker gang who wanted him put back into defense. But Ted knew better. He knew what the real problem was and he gave Sam the opportunity to prove himself, and he was right, so much so that Sam became one of the stars of season 2 both on the team and as a character.

Richmond lost. They got relegated. But they stayed together. That’s probably unrealistic, but it’s also an indicator of how much Ted’s philosophy reached these people.

And in season 2, Richmond rocked it. Of course, we didn’t SEE most of that. We saw the nervewracking ties. We saw the loss in Do the Rightest Thing - but that wasn’t the key takeaway of the episode. Sure, they lost. But Sam got to step up and speak out for his country. The team got to act in support of Sam. Jamie got to prove that he’d turned over a new leaf. The morale boost that they received from this one lost, undoubtedly helped their later success.

The Roy Kent effect helped too. Bringing Roy back, as a coach, was a brilliant move. And their success, if you keep an eye on the white board throughout the season, it becomes really obvious, just skyrockets from there.

I think about the game in Man City a lot. They lost. They lost hard. And it was brutal. The weaknesses in Ted’s coaching style were very obvious, and no one really knew what to do. But I think it’s also fair to say that the characters who WERE more focused on winning (like Nate and Beard) weren’t any MORE useful.

One interesting thing when you watch Beard After Hours is that Beard is constantly criticizing himself for not speaking up against Ted, and for not pushing a more defensive strategy. Thing is, if you rewatch Man City, Beard WASN’T the one pushing for a more defensive strategy. It was Nate. Nate, who managed to get himself banished to the bleachers. (Beard on the other hand didn’t actually get banished to the bleachers. He just left in frustration and anger. Which...also didn’t help their victory chances either. He’s always known Ted’s weaknesses as a coach. And he left him there alone.)

Beard spends an episode punishing himself for their loss and for what? What did that accomplish? We criticize Ted for not taking this stuff seriously, but his Benny Hill routine did break the tension. And we can go by white board again and note that, this defeat aside, their upward momentum doesn’t stop.

It’s probably also worth noting that a Champion Team even making it to a semi-final match like Man City is actually a pretty big deal and something to be proud of in their own right.

And Ted DOES care about winning. He wouldn’t have offered to quit at the end of season if he didn’t. He knows this is important to everyone. We’ve seen how the pressure weighs on him in season 2, in particular. It’s just not the sole thing that matters to him.

Ted’s weaknesses as a coach are in his technical ability and understanding, but that’s why he’s got Nate, Roy and Beard. (And we forget that choosing Nate was a gamble in and of itself. Remember Trent’s reaction to learning that Ted was trusting the team’s tactics to the KIT MAN? That’s not something a “winning is everything” coach would have dared. But Nate helped win them a lot of matches.) His holistic approach to coaching, however, is his strength. Ted prioritizes his players over the scoreboard, and that works, because healthy players are strong players and strong players win more games.

Basically, Ted’s right. And we should all learn from him. (Though maybe not when it comes to dealing with personal trauma.)

#ted lasso #theodore lasso #incoherent babbling

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autisticshadowthehedgehog · 3 years

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The Eggfam Sitcom Pitch

The Parent:

Dr Ivo Robotnik | Eggman - evil villain supreme and creator of about one-shit billion robot children. The robots that have more sentience consider him their dad and are very protective of him despite his varying levels of niceness to them. He does have a soft spot for them, whether or not he shows it, though he mainly focuses on capturing Sonic the Hedgehog, local mobian hero.

The Children:

Metal Sonic - insists he is the oldest because he was built first, even though he’s mentally a teenager and we’re pretty sure Coconuts was created first anyway, but we don’t like to argue with him. He’s partially nonverbal, very stubborn, and competitive as hell. The only one Bokkun listens to, somehow, as well as the only one not unnerved in the slightest by Tails Doll. I think his inner narration should be heard throughout the show like Scrubs.

Scratch and Grounder - twin robots, designed respectively after a chicken and a god-only-knows. Scratch is the more take-charge of the two while Grounder is the more dim-witted. They argue all the time with each other and with everyone else. Because they never get any reactions from Metal Sonic, they believe that they don’t bother him. They do. Very much.

Coconuts - small little angry monkey, perpetual disappointment of the family. You know Garry/Jerry from Parks and Rec? That’s his role in the show. He’s mentally the oldest/most responsible and also the most frustrated due to the aforementioned JerryMandering. The focus of the most of Bokkun’s pranks.

Metal Knuckles - more of a quiet loner than the others, and unlike the rest, has the ability to think before they act. They’re not as concerned with getting Eggman’s approval, instead just trying to do their job as best they can. Due to these traits, they’re the least likely to get pulled in wacky shenanigans. They still will, just not as often as everyone else. They use they/them pronouns now because I said so.

Decoe and Bocoe - two humanoid bodyguard robots. Of the pair, Decoe is smarter, though they both have a lot of ignorance in regards to social smarts. Both of them are clumsy but friendly, and a constant annoyance to Metal Sonic.

Bokkun - the ultimate “spoiled youngest child” archetype. Bokkun has the mentality of a 6-8yo in the most annoying way possible. She is a messenger robot mainly but tends to end her messages by blowing something up. She also is obsessed with sweets and pranks and constantly teases the other bots to the point where they keep trying to fight her (with the exception of Metal Sonic, as the two of them seem to tolerate each other). However, they can also be a HUGE crybaby and have quite the temper. She uses she/they pronouns now because I said so.

Orbot and Cubot - another pair of robots with a very clear smart/dumb dichotomy. Orbot is much more calm and collected, while Cubot is quite random and often malfunctions. The two of them, unlike the other bots, don’t have a sibling dynamic and instead have more of an “obliviously blissful married couple” vibe. So they’re less siblings of Metal Sonic and his squad and more the weird uncles who somehow get into just as much chaos.

Tails Doll - nobody is sure what Tails Doll is or where it came from or what it can do. At this point we’re not even sure if Robotnik created it. Tails Doll never speaks, only stares into the middle-distance. If you look directly at it, you will either hear pure white noise or very ominous music. We do not know how it can fly or operate, especially since we don’t think it has any mechanics inside. It does what it wants and nobody can stop it. Its pronouns are unknown to us mere mortals so you can just call them by anything.

Belle - the youngest of the Robotnik fam. She was built during Eggman’s “Mr Tinkerer” phase, and thus is very sweet, polite and gentle, with a disposition towards goodness, making her a huge outcast among the Robotnik Lab. Most of the time she’s trying to live with the Sonic Squad™ but due to shenanigans she often ends up kidnapped and thus stuck in a room with her siblings who try to teach her how to behave evilly before these stupid hedgehogs can irreversibly correct her moral code. She’s got the awkward, confused new kid vibe.

The Disowned Children:

Breezie - one of Eggman’s oldest bots, and the first one who permanently rebelled. She was an assassin-bot, but now she runs a talkshow and has a pretty stable life with Junior. The two of them stay out of everyone’s crap most of the time, minding their own business, but sometimes they’ll stop over for holidays because they love drama and wanna see what happens.

Junior - another one of Eggman’s “lost” bots, he was designed to be Eggman’s son, only to decide that Sonic was cooler. He’s now a construction worker helping to repair damage that is mostly caused by his creator. He lives with Breezie and while they stay out of everyone’s way most of the time, the two of them are suckers for drama so they’ll show up every now and again just to throw Eggman off his rhythm.

E123 OMEGA - the most dangerous of Eggman’s lost bots, Omega will stop at nothing short of destroying every Robotnik creation to prove that he is superior. He lives with Team Dark, the weird cousins who are tentatively on Sonic’s side, though he will not hesitate to murder anything in front of his eyes. Everyone loves him.

and finally...... the new boyfriend:

Dr Starline - shows up to help Eggman create a Zombot virus and immediately attracts the ire of all of the lab children despite not really doing anything to them. They don’t like that Eggman is paying attention to someone else and will stop at nothing to bring him down. And probably kill him.

tell me you wouldnt watch this show. it’d be the funniest thing

#sonic the hedgehog #ivo robotnik #dr eggman #metal sonic #belle the tinkerer #eggfam #mine

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firebird-legacy · 2 years

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You know I have to: Hunter

*steepling my fingers as i spin around in my chair like a cartoon villain* i’ve been expecting you. (hiiiiii <3)

Ask Game

Favorite thing about them:

Among the many, many things I find awesome about Hunter, one thing that’s always stuck out to me is the passionate streak constantly present in his character. Ironically, I’d argue he’s one of the most human-like characters in the agent story—unlike your colleagues in Intelligence, who hold emotion at arms length and behave as machines, or even some of your companions, a few of which choose to live life without a care or concern for others (stares at Kaliyo), Hunter is extremely invested in his cause, the state of the galaxy, and in the agent. And in the end, his genuine interest in the agent (regardless of nature) is the catalyst for the downfall of the Cabal.

Least favorite thing about them:

As for a least favorite… tbh there’s no singular thing I could think of. Even his reprehensible actions and (at times) downright cruelty play very important parts in developing his character. I suppose I very much dislike some of the interpretations of him I’ve seen, though this just boils down to differing opinions. OH—the stupid “identity reveal” at the end of the story. It sucks. It was done so badly. (He’s… he’s trans, guys. That’s all there is to it.)

Favorite line: (I have several. I am indecisive)

“I tried to behave for the SIS—but for you and me? Let’s be bad.”

(Agent: “You’re not just playing. You’re really worried about me.”) “Who else can I whisper sweet things to? Do you know what it’s like to have no identity? No one in the galaxy who can control you? It’s terrifying and wonderful. If you live to see Imperial Intelligence die… that’s me giving you a taste of freedom.”

“No way out anymore. I dreamed about this. You and me—tearing each other apart!”

“Goodbye, love. Don’t ever let them stop you.”

BrOTP:

Not exactly a brOTP, but I did find his interactions with the SIS team to be interesting, particularly with Ardun Kothe. Kothe said he thought Hunter was a good man. I wonder if Hunter thought well of him.

OTP:

Merrow. Or Merrow and Theron. I will not explain myself (actually if given the slightest reason I WILL because I never shut up).

NOTP:

… Women. Your honor that is a gay man

Random headcanon:

I’ve always had this headcanon that he’s good at cooking.

Unpopular opinion:

Strictly speaking, he’s not exactly a terrible person, or at least might not have been on his own. The Star Cabal made him what he is. Where does more blame lie—the morally corrupt cult, or the child who was raised to know nothing else?

Song I associate with them:

I was able to narrow down a much larger playlist to… still a whole five songs. HELP

Curses - The Crane Wives

Ashes, ashes, dust to dust | The devil's after both of us | Lay my curses out to rest | Make a mercy out of me

Danger To Myself - The Unlikely Candidates

Feed The Machine - Poor Man’s Poison

I said, "Hey (hey), you (you), feed the machine | Bring them all back down to their knees | There's no time to waste | Remind the slaves | They ain't gonna make it out alive today"

Liar - The Arcadian Wild

This Is Love - Air Traffic Controller

Favorite picture of them:

I… have a love hate relationship with swtor models. I actually don’t love how Hunter looks in game. I like how he looks in my brain. HOWEVER this here is one of my FAVORITE pieces of fanart, the colors and lighting and shapes are soo so fun and I am obsessed with the dynamic posing of the third photo!!

#swtor #swtor hunter #ask game #grandninjamasterren #look i could talk about this guy for hours #i am so abnormal about him

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kittyprincessofcats · 3 years

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I finished RWBY Volume 5!!

Loved it!! After volume 4 was (understandably) a bit slower-paced, I didn’t expect things to get intense and serious this quickly, but I’m glad they did! I have so many thoughts I wanted to write down, so here we go:

[There will be spoilers for RWBY up to Volume 5 in this post (duh). Please don’t leave spoilers for anything after Volume 5 on this post, otherwise I will block you.]

- I have to say, I definitely liked Cinder more when she wasn’t talking. During Volume 4, I kind of started feeling bad for her on some level, but then she got better and started being her old condescending, power-hungry self and I was like… nevermind, I hate you again.

- Qrow being super drunk when he first brings Oscar home was absolutely hilarious.

- Yang is SO COOL. Have I mentioned that she’s so cool? Like wow, I wish I was that cool! The bike, the new (amazing) outfit, the way she just punched that creepy guy and walked right up to her mom’s bandit camp making demands of her – she’s so cool and I’m here for it.

- Yang and Weiss’ reunion was so sweet! 😭 I was waiting for literally any of Team RWBY’s members to reunite and that got me right in the feels! (Also, I loved the whole “Wait, your mom kidnapped me?” “Wait, you kidnapped her?” exchange - brilliant 😂.)

- Ruby’s reunion with Yang and Weiss was so sweet, too! 😭 Tears were definitely shed over reunions in this volume! And it was so nice to finally have most of Team RWBY and what’s left of Team JNPR back together and see them bond and catch up with each other 😭. Found family back together! It’s what they deserve!

- Yang being so angry at Blake for leaving makes perfect sense, imo, especially considering her own abandonment issues. And even more so considering that she lost that arm while protecting Blake. Also, I don’t think it’s reading too much into it to say that Yang and Blake’s interactions and their storyline together have had romantic undertones since volume 2. (And no, I’m not just saying that because I ship Bumbleby; it’s the other way around – I ship Bumbleby because those romantic undertones were there in the first place.) So yeah, Yang always tried to help and support Blake, lost an arm protecting her from her abusive ex, and then Blake just left – I get why Yang’s hurt and angry. And that moment where she goes from complaining about how she just wants to be there for Blake, before finally admitting “What if I needed her there for me?” - that’s a really good moment for Yang, even beyond the romantic subtext. It’s nice to see Yang admit that she also wants someone else to be there for her, that she wants to receive that same love and care in return.

- I also want to point out that it’s nice to see how far Weiss has come since volume one. She really took a level in kindness and became a lot more mature, to the point where she’s now giving Yang relationship advice. It’s really nice to see.

- Ruby’s talk with Oscar about Penny and Pyrrha really got me teary eyed.

- I wasn’t that fond of Sun at first, but he had some really great moments in this volume, so he’s starting to grow on me now. I still don’t ship him with Blake, but their friendship is sweet.

- And now, let’s talk about THE standout character of the whole volume for me: ILIA!! Holy hell, I love everything about her! You know how some characters grow on you over time, and then there are those characters that you see one episode with and they just become instant favourites? That second one was Ilia for me. I watched Blake’s character short before Volume 5 and the moment I heard her backstory she jumped right to the top of my favourite character list without question AND I started shipping her and Blake right away. (Yes, I love Bumbleby and all, but I’m a multishipper. I’m perfectly capable of equally loving two ships that contradict each other.)

- It’s just – Ilia and Blake’s dynamic got me hooked! Not to compare everything to my OTP (Catra and Adora from She-Ra and the Princesses of Power), but let me quickly make this comparison: Two girls who grew up together, were both members of a certain evil organization until one of them left it and the other didn’t, now they’re on opposing sides and have to fight each other, but they still clearly care about each other. Plus, there are confirmed romantic feelings from at least one side there. I know many people (including myself) have compared Bumbleby to Catradora before – because you’ve got one blonde jock and one catgirl – but when it comes to the dynamic and the backstory, Blake and Ilia (what’s that ship called? Catmeleon, I think?) resemble Catradora even more. And it’s just the kind of dynamic I’m weak for.

(Honestly, it’s kind of funny how predictable I am both when it comes to favourite characters and favourite ships. My sister, who got me into both She-Ra and RWBY, took one look at Catra years ago and immediately predicted that I would love her. And when she first saw Ilia, she also immediately knew she’d be one of my favourites. Basically, my sister once described my “type” of favourite characters as “troubled, cute and gay” and that pretty much sums it up.)

- Speaking of troubled, cute, and gay: I’m glad RWBY finally has some CANON LGBT representation! Hell yes for that! Honestly, I interpreted Ilia’s feelings for Blake as romantic right away, but I wondered if it was just bait or my usual tendency to see romantic undertones in any interaction between two girls. But then that “I wanted you to look at me that way” line happened and… WOW. Yes. Amazing, talented, brilliant, never been done before, showstopping, incredible. I’m 100% sold on both the ship and Ilia as a character.

(One more thing before I change topics: I try to keep these posts positive and not get into discourse too much (since I’ve heard there was (is?) a lot of discourse in the RWBY fandom – but I took just one look into the tag for Volume 5 and immediately saw people arguing that Ilia’s not good representation because she’s a villain. And I just want to quickly address why that’s nonsense, in my opinion (and before you ask, yes I am a lesbian myself): First of all, she’s not even a full-blown villain. She’s clearly shown as confused and misguided from the beginning. And her feelings for Blake are never portrayed as a negative thing. She also has a redemption literally two episodes after being revealed to be queer. And in general, I don’t think queer villains are necessarily a bad thing and I’m tired of queer characters not being allowed to be flawed. How come straight characters get to just exist, but any queer character better be a shining beacon of morality or else they’re bad representation? I agree that RWBY should introduce more queer characters to balance things out a bit, but I wouldn’t say Ilia was bad representation by herself, since she’s a character I think we’re meant to have sympathy for.

- Now I just hope that future volumes of RWBY don’t pull a Bury Your Gays and kill Ilia off... I’d really hate that. (No spoilers on this post, please!)

- The entire fight at the Belladonnas’ house had me so on edge the whole time. I thought someone (most likely one or both of Blake’s parents) was going to die any second. Basically, the ending of volume 3 burned me and now I constantly expect characters to die. I’m glad it all (mostly) turned out well!

- Blake’s speech to the Faunus might have made me a bit emotional. That was a really great moment for her.

- And then there were those final episodes… WOW. Like I said, I really didn’t expect everything to go down so quickly (or for the ending to be that happy – like I said, volume 3 burned me.)

- Jaune unlocking his semblance was nice! And I’m proud of myself for having correctly predicted that he’d have some sort of healing powers. (I was waiting for him to unlock some healing semblance back when Qrow got injured in Volume 4 – I’m glad it finally happened!)

- I was worried about Weiss for a second, then I realized there’s no way she can die since I’ve already seen pictures of her outfit in later volumes. (Plus, I’m pretty sure if a main character had died, I’d have been unable to completely avoid spoilers about it. So those 4 are pretty much the only ones I’m not that worried about.)

- Raven is a really cool and interesting character, but an awful person. (I got so angry at her when she blasted Ruby after Ruby was just so nice to her*. How dare you, lady?) I love her design, though!

[*EDIT: I just rewatched it and realized that it was Cinder who blasted Ruby, Raven just created the portal. Point still stands, tough.]

- The plot twist of who the Spring Maiden really is was EPIC. Really loved that reveal! (And I honestly didn’t see it coming.) Though I have to say, I feel really bad for Vernal, and for the previous Spring Maiden.

- The Cinder VS Raven fight was absolutely epic and just stunning to watch visually. I was wondering if we’d ever get a maiden vs maiden battle, and that scene more than delivered! And while I don’t particularly like either of them, I was definitely rooting for Raven in that fight.

- I’m not sure if Cinder really died there. If so, I’m honestly not too sad about it, but I would be disappointed because I kind of expected her to become a more interesting character later on. After Volume 4, I expected at least a bit of growth there or something that would make her more interesting. And I’m not talking about a redemption, just to be clear! I just think the potential to make her more interesting as a villain was there, and if they just killed her off it’s kind of wasted now and she stayed a very flat character until the end. But I guess we’ll see.

- Raven and Yang’s confrontation was pretty intense. I liked that Raven finally had to admit that she’s afraid and doing all of this just to protect herself, and the contrast to Yang, who is also scared but still does what she thinks is right. And the fact that Raven was willing to let Yang have the relic despite the danger that would put her in – mom of the year indeed 🙄.

- Blake and the other Faunus are the real MVPs of the battle, tbh. The fact that they just completely stopped Adam and the White Fang by sheer numbers and didn’t even give them the chance to attack anyone? God tier stuff. And when Blake’s mom came in with the police? 10/10, we stan.

- Also, Blake telling Adam she’s not there for him? Hell yes, girl! I love how she’s taking power away from her abuser by showing she isn’t doing any of this for him. Really nice.

- Yang and Blake’s reunion in the last episode was super nice. I like how there was so much attention on that reunion in particular. And while I’m glad Yang wasn’t too angry at Blake and it makes for a nice happy ending, I still hope there’s a scene next volume where Blake properly apologizes to Yang for leaving and explains her side of things. And then, they should get together and live happily ever after and have lots of kittens. I mean, what?

- And finally, all of Team RWBY is back together! And they’ll have a lot to catch each other up on. Blake doesn’t even know about the maidens, the relics and Salem yet, while the rest didn’t even know about the White Fang attack. Also, I want Blake to introduce the others to Ilia and to her parents.

I really loved this volume. Lots of action, lots of really sweet moments, lots of epic fights and cool plot twists. I find it hard to rank them, but this might have been my favourite volume yet (volume 3 was also really good, though).

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secretgamergirl · 3 years

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A Little Horrifying Primer on Transphobes

Some time ago, I put together a Little Fact Checking Primer on Trans People, as a basic resource for disabusing people of some of the many completely ridiculous yet absurdly widespread beliefs about trans people that simply have no basis whatsoever in reality. And wouldn’t you know it, every single lie exposed in that primer is not only still widely believed, but is presently being used as a basis to sign some absolutely horrific human rights abuses into law. So it’s high time I follow that up, in this case focused more on who keeps actively spreading these lies and why. I’m going to try and keep things as light as I can here, but we’re going to be looking at the most monstrous side of human nature, so apologies in advance if this is a dark read.

First, let me just note that there are two things I don’t plan to do in this piece. I’m not going to waste time debunking the arguments of the people I’m highlighting (much of this is already covered in my earlier primer, others have done the work in cases where I haven’t, and frankly these people’s claims should be self-evidently utter nonsense to begin with). I am also going to be very selective in what I link to, or even share related images of, as I would frankly not like to fill a post on a blog I generally try to keep safe for all audiences with media directly dealing with, for instance, child sexual assault, and much of the relevant information also involves stochastic terrorism against innocent people, and I would prefer not to throw more fuel onto such fires.

Transphobes lie constantly, about everything.

To some degree this is obvious. We’re talking about people who scaremonger about the possibilities of trans women dominating competitive sports and assaulting people in restrooms, despite the status quo already reflecting the conditions they insist would make these inevitibilities for decades and centuries respectively, and their grim visions never once having come to pass, and also constantly insisting that the woman in the photo below is actually a man, going further to say this is evident to anyone giving her the merest glance.

It goes beyond that though. There’s at least a little plausible deniablity in claims like this, or that “science is on their side” if they were simply uninformed about the world they live in, never actually looking into what laws exist, what science actually says, and never actually meeting a trans person or even seeing a picture of one of us. I’m talking really bold lies here. Like wholecloth fabricating a story that a convicted murder was trans, including anecdotes about wigs dresses and a planned name change, in a major newspaper. Or to cite an old favorite of mine, the time a pack of bigots walked up to a crowd of people peacefully picketing a transphobic legal proposal, started roughing them up and taking closeup photos of members of the crowd to stalk online when they got home, got sufficiently riled up for one to straight up assault an innocent person half her size, filmed the whole thing, uploaded it to youtube, and used stills of that assault as acomanying photos when they went home to write articles about the assailant being a “grandmother” attacked by rowdy trans women. And yes, they did monkey’s paw my wish to see that specific image on newspapers. Interesting side note, when it came to real public light that J.K. Rowling endorsed this sort of hatred, it was because she accidentally pasted some profanity laden rambling about how the imagined moral character of the other party in that incident, years after the fact, into a post praising a child’s fan art of her work.

To be a little less niche, transphobes can’t get enough of spreading the lie that the young fellow in this photo is a girl. Specifically a trans girl, providing proof that all their scaremongering about the dastardly threat of trans girls in competitive sports has finally come to pass.

To be fully clear, that’s a man (or a boy if you want to split hairs about him being 17 in that photo). Mack Beggs. A rather insidious choice for this sort of story, considering the actual context for that photo. See, Beggs attended high school in Texas, during a (still ongoing as I write this) period wherein that particular state had caved to this exact sort of propaganda, and in order to head off a wholly imagined wave of trans girls competing on girls’ sports teams, and enacted a law mandating that in all such competitions must compete under whatever gender is stated on their birth certificates. And as it happens, the first, and to my knowledge ONLY time this has come up was with Beggs here, who again, is a man, as no one with a grip on reality could argue against, has “female” on his birth certificate. Which is another way of saying he is a trans man. The guys in the same boat as trans women who we talk about a whole hell of a lot less because their existence is extremely inconvenient to the majority of transphobic propaganda. Case in point. And this is all information it is really impossible to come across if you’re coming across this photo in any sort of respectable source. Take this story, which is as unambiguous about this as you can get. And yet, in the very comments section of that story, there they are. Carrying on like this story about a trans guy, forced by a transphobic law to compete as a girl, which he absolutely did not want, and received horrific threats over, using phrases like “female to male” and bringing up that he was assigned female at birth and is on testosterone-based HRT, is about a trans woman cheating the system. Or to quote word for word, “Now also transgender female want to be male also compete in female sport. biological born“ That’s not “being confused,” that’s standing next to you in a white desert and complaining about being adrift in a black ocean, bald-faced, not even trying to be convincing just make a power play, lying through one’s teeth.

I could spend this whole article on just this point. Lying about who they are, various people’s falsified credentials, whole websites full of “anonymous parents of children who think they’re trans” turning out to be one single woman documenting the abuse of her very much trans son, or of course the people behind the whole “bathroom bill” panic candidly admitting it was all based on utter fiction. I do have other points to cover though.

Transphobes are firmly entrenched in the media.

It is extremely difficult to find oneself in a position of having to explain to people that a particular group of people is effectively in control of press outlets, as that is rather classically a claim conspiracy theorists absolutely love to toss around at various marginalized groups (including trans people hilariously enough, but of course the most common and lingering version of this is the antisemitic variant). I really can’t get around it here though. Specifically in the U.K., you honestly can say that transphobes control the media. I already touched on this with the assault case I mentioned above and the fabricated story about the murderer, but this is a pretty well-documented situation. I mean, even The Guardian calls out The Guardian on this, and that’s the outlet that gets the most attention because it’s the one with the most otherwise respected name, but every paper in the country has been running transphobic propaganda pieces on a weekly if not daily basis for years now, and while they do get reprimanded by watchdog groups and have mass walk-outs over the worst of it, it’s not like there’s some governing body with the authority to step in about it. Meanwhile the BBC is constantly inviting diehard zealots like Graham Linehan to news programs where he compares being trans to being a nazi, and hosting debates where someone just sits down and repeatedly chants the word “penis” at a trans woman.

Things are better in the rest of the world, but we still have right-wing creeps like Jesse Singal both writing horrific propaganda pieces (we’ll get back to that one) and blackballing trans writers out of covering trans issues ourselves (and personally stalking the hell out of those of us who try). We’ve got our Joe Rogans and Tucker Carlsons out there (no way in hell I’m linking videos here, have a real information link and a still).

The line between diehard transphobes and straight-up nazis basically does not exist.

What even is there to say here? You can easily poke around havens for nazi activity for yourself and compare the particular unique vocabulary used there to the primary bastion of anti-trans hate speech on the internet (the “feminism” section of what was originally a site for parenting tips before violent fascists took the forums over) or just peruse the follows of the thousands of people I’ve blocked on social media and see if you can sort out a clear division in the networks of channers with frog avatars and the accounts with names like GoodieXXrealwoman, or you can read up on Gab and Spinster, the two twitter alternatives that are just different portals to the same server, set up by the same guy. Maybe do some research into “the LGB Alliance,” or WoLF but any way you slice it the only real difference to be found is the general purpose nazis take a little time off now and then to watch borderline pedophilic anime and the really dedicated transphobes think to use language that sounds vaguely well-educated and left-leaning. I mean, this came from the “feminist” side of the fence:

And not to belabor the point here, but the ones claiming to be a bunch of “feminist mums” sure do let the mask slip any time they’re confronted with the fact that “women” includes black women, and oh just have a whole thread about all the weird conspiratory theories these people have about how trans people’s whole existence is some sort of Jewish plot for world domination. I swear a few months ago they were all passing around a story about some bank having an above average number of trans employees and they were all just “and we all know who controls the banks, right?” about it.

Transphobes endorse an awful lot of people who are openly pro-pedophila.

This is the part where I am really loath to link the many many specific examples I have on hand. Or to talk about this at all for reasons of good taste. Or, for that matter, to talk about this in a tumblr post when there’s an ongoing problem of people with backgrounds strongly tied to this site making baseless accusations of pedophilia against every queer person they can find, so let me be very clear just what I’m talking about while avoiding anything too graphic.

That’s James Cantor. Transphobes love him for being one of the closest things they have to a scientist on their side. And I am featuring him in a screenshot here showing that he is followed by current queen of the transphobes J.K. Rowling, while speaking to both another big name in transphobic circles, Debra Soh, and based on their names, what I’m guessing is at least one straight-up nazi. And in case you think “the P” he’s talking about adding to LGBT (or “GLBT” as weird anti-queer bigots who also have issues with women often write it) might stand for “poly” or “pan” he’s all too happy to clarify that.

This is the entire thrust of Cantor’s work and life. He is the world’s biggest pedophile rights advocate. He wants it declassified as a mental disorder, all stigma on it removed, and tirelessly pushes forward the idea that the majority of.. people who feel compelled to sexually assault children are good people who present no potential harm to anyone and should in fact be lauded.

I am not generally one to claim that someone with a PhD is spewing out questionable garbage with regard to their field, but the reason I am aware of Cantor at all is that other transphobes keep trying to hold up a particular post on his blog as "a study” (which it is not) that offers “proof” (in the form of a blurry jpeg of basically some random numbers) of some ridiculous quackery about how trans kids will “grow out of it” if exposed to conversion therapy (another way of saying torture), which Cantor himself seems to be pushing, so I am somewhat skeptical of his academic chops. And I am, of course, REALLY suspicious that all these other bigots gravitate to him purely because they’re that desperate to find anyone with a PhD in anything that backs them up against literally every scientist in a relative field, to the point that they merely forgive his particular advocacy they are plainly all aware of, particularly when such a common fig leaf used by transphobes is “keeping children safe from sexual deviants.”

And of course, Cantor is most often invoked when coming to the defense of Kenneth Zucker. This Kenneth Zucker.

Those are separate papers. Zucker isn’t controversial though for organizing panels to discuss how attractive people agree small children are (at least not exclusively). Mostly, he’s known for running a conversion therapy center which subjected gay and trans children to various sorts of torture in an effort to “fix” them, which at least for those trans "patients” I have spoken with involved a fair amount of having them strip completely naked and talking a lot about their genitals.

Zucker is something of a controversial figure with the transphobic scene, as they are extremely on board with his sexual torture of queer children, but he does actual work (for some value of the term) involving trans people and thus is not able to commit as fully as they would prefer to making life horrible for trans people, due to a professional obligation to acknowledge reality now and then. As an aside, the similarly positioned Ray Blanchard, while not to my knowledge particularly interested in the attractiveness of children, lives in a similar purgatory of trying to reconcile his career, bigotry, and sexual hangups, yielding compromises like this:

Of course, that’s just looking at the straws transphobes grasp at when looking for scientific credibility. Real leaders of the movement include Germaine Greer, author of The Beautiful Boy, which is about what you are afraid it might be, and features a very young child in a cover feature he did not consent to posing for. Or Julie Bindel, who among other things is rather infamous for writing whole articles on subjects like whether a teenage girl she came across maybe has a huge penis you can totally see if you really squint at her skirt. Again, I will not share a link to go along with that one.

Transphobes terrorize and attempt to defund charities and other unambiguously good organizations.

Graham Linehan, previously best known for cowriting some sitcoms and possibly spending a year angling to get into my pants so awkwardly I didn’t pick up on it is now best known for trying to pull the plug on a children’s charity, in a story that somehow also involves Donkey Kong. Well, and the interview about nazis. And possibly the other interview about “defending me from nazis” until it got into his head that I might not be as young and hot as he imagined. Rather not link to a far right extremist youtube channel though.

There’s also a current effort to replace Stonewall (an organization named after the location where a pair of trans women kicked off a riot which is generally agreed to be the start of the LGBT+ rights movement) as the UK’s primary LGBT+ rights organization with the “LGB Alliance.” The hate group mentioned above, with the skull face and the rifle. Closest I can find to an article on that effort on short notice that isn’t propaganda.

Transphobes paper areas in truly disgusting propaganda.

I don’t want to directly link to grown adults skulking around children’s playgrounds and bathrooms plastering surfaces with mass printed stickers of crudely drawn penises, but would encourage you to read this very long post, being sure to load all the images, to really understand how deeply strange this behavior gets.

Finally, I cannot stress this enough, this really extreme behavior I’m citing, and the specific people involved in the examples I’m giving, these aren’t random cranks on the fringe of things. The people going on televised panel discussions, writing up news stories, and testifying before lawmakers in efforts to pass horrifically discriminatory if not literally life-endangering laws (there is a major ongoing effort to legally end all medical care for trans people, and I don’t just mean care directly relating to being trans) are literally the same people involved in the sexualization of children, nazi collaborations, and roving gangs assaulting people in the street. At a bare minimum I urge people, when booking guests and handing out writing contracts, to do background checks and see if they’re platforming actual terrorists. If we could actually bring legal consequences to bear against the worst of this, that would be great too. As things stand though, the whole world is just consistently citing a bunch of racist, woman-hating, serial liars with no real credentials, and questionable attitudes towards the sexual abuse of children, as “trusted experts” and refusing to seat actual trans people or people who have legitimately committed lifetimes to academic and practical work with trans people any seats at the table.

#trans #transphobia #educational resources

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anxiouspotatorants · 3 years

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Alright for those who have seen my Mal character analysis post here is part 2. For more context see the intro (and if you, want the whole thing) of said last post. But once again some disclaimers first: I haven’t read the original trilogy and use this to my advantage when analysing Alina based on her show-character alone. I do ship Malina (at least at the writing of this post), so that might influence my interpretation. This is just my opinion, so feel free to disagree. And spoilers for all of season 1 of Shadow and Bone.

Part 2: Alina

Now what I have seen so far when it comes to critiquing Alina, is that her character relies too much on Mal. She mentions him constantly while at the Little Palace, and once reunited with him practically attaches her own hip to his. Some argue that her growth was stunted by their reunion, and that we don’t get to see enough of who she is apart from Mal. And uh, yeah I disagree. It’s not that I find this argument inconceivable, just that after seeing the season twice I don’t really think that opinion holds water. Who is Alina? That is quite literally the mission statement of the season. Alina goes from an outcast cartographer with a small but somewhat reliable group of friends to finding out she’s not only grisha but a special kind of grisha. And from then on she basically has multiple identity crises only to end the season mentally preparing for a new roller coaster of identities. So let me try to map it out.

The power-reveal might happen in episode 1, but we actually find out a lot about who Alina is and was pre-reveal. She’s an orphan and social outcast due to her mixed race status (being half Shu in Ravka is not exactly easy). She’s had one friend throughout her childhood, Mal, and managed to find comradery in her cartographer team. From a young age she has had a talent for drawing, and Ana Kuya encouraged young Alina to direct this skill towards cartography, as this would provide her one of the safer roles in the army, which Alina was doomed to join from the start. As a child she was not popular, but her friendship with Mal shows a girl who was brave, loyal and determined. She was willing to up the stakes to protect her loved one (see: bully scene). As a young woman she still seems to keep that fighting spirit, but has also grown a larger sense of humour. She jokes around with Mal and their friends, but she’s also clearly insecure — repeating her question about Mal’s stories and her decision to hide her jealousy over Zoya suggest as much.

Post-reveal, Alina has to deal with a lot of different people saying a lot of different things about who she is. The grisha soldiers view her as a form of redemption for their people. Her former superiors and First Army soldiers view her as grisha-business. Mal, although Alina never finds out, tries to double down on his pre-established view of Alina until he sees the test. The king makes it clear to Alina that he sees her as a tool to reunite the two Ravkas. And the Darkling tries to create an entirely new narrative for Alina: she’s his other half, his one equal in the world, the one he has been waiting for that will right his his ancestor’s wrongs. Then there’s the Apparat who introduces her to the religious aspect of her powers, and Baghra who first treats her as unworthy of her powers and then as an unready foil to the Darkling. Alina has to navigate a lot of roles at the same time: saint, freak, saviour, tool, rival, enemy, heroine, lover, royal subject, the list goes on. It is through the combined impressions of Baghra and Mal that Alina starts to find herself again. Baghra consistently tries to get Alina to become her own person in harmony with her powers («who are you holding back for?»), but Alina initially twists this pep-talk into shifting her focus from Mal to the Darkling. Once Baghra reveals the Darkling’s true identity and motivations, Alina finally has to make the choice to go out on her own without allies. She outmanouvers the crows and gets in altercations with soldiers before running into the woods and into Mal. Mal’s presence reminds her of who Alina is at her core: an underdog with a lionheart. And the thing is, once reunited with Mal, Alina genuinely starts to change. She isn’t just returning to banter or insecurities or relying on support. She confronts Mal on his assumed silence and pre-established view of grisha. And she doesn’t give up on her new goal and run away with him — she insists on finding the stag, defeating the Darkling and destroying the Fold. She has found her goal and is following it free from the expected roles that have been thrust on her. At the end of the season, Alina might be back to her and Mal against the world, but she is a different woman. She is more confident and more goal-oriented. She has directed her stubborness towards a specific mission, and is preparing to have to battle all the roles that will be thrust upon her in future seasons (see: Zoya’s speech about Alina becoming a martyr before she becomes a saint). Who is Alina? She’s a fighter facing her new bully head on.

But there are two other elements I find important to rant about when it comes to Alina’s season 1 journey. The first is her connection to Mal. The two have been tight since they found each other as children in the orphanage. Alina suppressed her powers unknowingly for years and sabotaged her grisha test out of fear that a positive result would separate her and Mal. She makes it clear in later episodes that this fear of separation is what motivated her actions. But I don’t think it was about just Mal. I think Alina is terrified of being alone. And once Alina is brought to the Little Palace, she has no one. Not Mal, who was denied even a quick goodbye and whos letters are kept away from Alina. Not her cartographer friends, who all died either in the Fold or, in Alexei’s case, alone in a cellar at the hands of Kerch mobsters. She once again faces alienation, not just about her race but her commoner-soldier status, and quickly attaches herself to Genya, who is one of the few to show her kindness. Once she has been made to believe that Mal doesn’t care about her she also gets closer to the Darkling and recenters her world from around one man to the other. She feels pressure to perform as is expected of her to gain acceptance from what she now has to assume is her new home. Alina attaches herself to whoever seems decent enough because it is safer than being alone, especially in a world like the one she lives in. When it is then revealed that the Darkling has manipulated her the whole time, Alina starts to question everything again and journeys out on her own for possibly the first time. It is Mal who tracks her down and helps her out of a predicament, thus providing safe harbour for Alina again. Alina doesn’t just run back to him and regress as a character. As written above, her journey to episode 6 has impacted her to the point where her and Mal’s relationship changes too. The casually joking tone they used to have is much more subdued, and the two have to confront and open up to each other about revelations and feelings. They apologize to each other and show compassion. This isn’t a giant leap from their relationship pre-power reveal, but it still stands in contrast to their tense silences and evasions in episode 1. To put it this way: they bullshit each other a lot less now. And what is important to note is that Alina reunites with Mal for a reason. As implied by the last paragraph, a lot of people have a lot of expectations for Alina. Mal is (as many have pointed out before me) the one person who always sees her as a person instead of a concept. Where others see a saint or a weapon, he sees his friend. Where others see a threat or an unworthy vessel, he sees a girl who stands up to bullies and protects her loved ones. Alina and Mal bring out each others’ humanity, and that is a crucial thing to have in a world that sees them as inhuman: whether as prophetic legends on pedestals or anonymous cannon fodder.

The other point I want to bring up is that I think Alina has a second mission in season 1: navigating who to trust. We know that in the beginning the ones she trusts are Mal and the cartographers. Once in the Little Palace, she starts out by putting knives under pillows and only revealing emotional vulnerability in private. But she quickly starts to place her trust in others. She considers Genya a friend, the Darkling an ally who could be something more, and Marie, Nadia, Ivan and Fedyor as companions. She even becomes receptive to the Apparat from his lesson about Morozova. On the flip side she has an understandable feud with Zoya, and an equally understandable hot-and-cold relationship to Baghra. By the end of the season, Marie is dead and Nadia and Fedyor are nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile the Darkling is revealed as the true villain with Ivan as his underling and Genya his spy. Even The Apparat is implied to become a future enemy. Baghra and Zoya, on the other hand, have proven themselves to be more helpful to Alina — Baghra by exposing the Darkling, and Zoya by turning against him and helping Alina in the final Fold battle. And those Kerch crows who attempted to kidnap her ended up playing just as important a role in her rescue and in letting her go to continue her journey freely. Alina has spent the season learning that people really are not what they seem. Those who call themselves friends of you could be locking you in a cage, and those who wished you harm could turn out to have morals and redeem themselves. And Mal has an entire trust-arc for Alina of his own: he goes from her one friend to someone she thinks has left her behind, only to return and prove his loyalty and how worthy he is of her trust. I think this theme is something that will follow Alina in the next season, especially since she and Mal will be more vulnerable than before. She’ll need to learn when to keep her guard up and who is worthy of her softness.

So yeah, if I haven’t made myself clear enough I think Alina has a massive arc this season and that Mal doesn’t hinder this arc but rather is a reflection of it. Mal doesn’t regress her character, but rather reminds her who she is in opposition to who she is expected and told to be. And being a protagonist who interacts with a lot of characters, she is set up to have just as much of a journey (if not a bigger one) in future seasons. Is Mal going to be part of that? Probably. But he will continue to function as someone holding a mirror up to Alina reminding her of who she is. And Alina will continue to grow and deal with conflict as any protagonist should.

#I had a lot more to say about her than I expected #but I don't mind #but yeah just because this is a fantasy romance story and relationships are a big part of the story #it doesn't mean that Alina is less developed as a character #big shock: relationships can actually say something about a character and help build growth #can’t believe I called Jesper Kaz and Inej ’those Kerch crows’#alina starkov #shadow and bone #shadow and bone spoilers #sab spoilers #malina #alina x mal

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noneatnonedotcom · 4 years

Note

RWBY Earlier; Ruby is training at Beacon Academy and encounters a group of Huntsmen who learn about her relationship with Jaune and mock her for it. Ruby takes exception to that and gives them a lesson in manners.

here’s what I came up with for this. if you wanna try writing for it as well feel free. I’m always curious to see what other people do with the same premise. everyone always has their own ideas it’s fascinating.

either way, I hope you like it RWBY Earlier

Chapter 2

The Lady Arc

Ruby was not so delicate a maiden that she didn’t know the truth of war. She might have specialized in fighting Grimm but she was by no means naive about what jaune did as a knight of the realm. She knew that when given the opportunity even normal men would become monsters and she knew that fighting those monsters ran the risk of becoming one of them.

Grimm were far easier to deal with.

So when jaune had come home with that bone-tired look on his face she had cared for her husband (and boy was calling him that still something that made her feel giddy). All in all, they had grown closer for it. And ruby had assured him that she would take no other than him. She loved him and had yang been around still she was sure her older sister would agree with her.

She did hope yang got back soon, her job as spring maiden had Oswald keeping her in minstrel. Which if you asked her was kinda stupid, why not have the spring maiden in vale so if something happened they had to go all the way to anima. It would only give them more time.

A paranoid part of her thought that perhaps it was Oswald trying to isolate her so she was more likely to leave her husband. The other part knew that was giving the old man far too much credit. In reality, she and her sister represented his best set of new agents. And that meant they were constantly busy

Jaune would probably help too but she and Oswald both knew that jaune wouldn’t follow orders from a man who had destroyed jaune’s way of life and had nearly left his family destitute after the great war. His ideals of democracy were great and all but ruby wasn’t really sold on the concept. Still, she and her sister were heroes just like their mother before them. She would fight Salem and her minions to the end.

Well as soon as both she and yang graduated that was. In truth, yang was being used as a diplomat to minstral purely because of her connection to lady Branwen. Even if the nobility was gone, the people remembered. Though just where the former lady had gone to after her family was betrayed by the last king of Vale was a mystery. Same with her uncle qrow.

She missed them both dearly. But at least her mother was able to raise both her and yang together. She felt confidant that they would both be home soon from their mission.

Now if only she could get Oswald and his other agents to stop hating jaune.

Her husband hated himself enough for all of them.

It was actually a surprise though not much of one that the butcher of Anima wasn’t the only title jaune had gained from his expedition. The savior of humanity was a far more popular one. Second only to his true moniker

Sir. Jaune The Just

His actions in defeating the monsters of the faunas rights rebellions and then his actions to protect Menagerie when Atlas threatened to invade had earned him quite a bit of respect. Though Vale remained firmly against him and she had the good headmaster to thank for that.

She found it funny, everyone but the country he fought for respected jaune. But jaune was so much a patriot that he hated himself. He truly was a son of Vale.

Ruby shook the morbid thought away with a rueful smile. Jaune would recover, he was already bouncing back with only a few days of them having been back together. And his knights still loved him. In time the people of vale would love him as well and be able to see that his actions while not right morally were necessary.

Her optimism was shattered with a call of “hey it’s the butcher’s whore! Done sucking the cock of that monster you call your man? Or maybe you came to see what a real man can do and not some coward who preys on the weak” shouted the former lordling Winchester.

She found it somewhat ironic that the man was disparaging jaune for his actions when he himself had owned slaves not ten years ago before the practice was well and truly outlawed. Oh certainly the family might argue that they were former criminals indentured to serve but that was hollow reasoning when they only took pretty looking faunas women.

She did as she had always done and simply ignored the idiots that made up his team. Yang would have probably beaten them up. And her mom probably would have destroyed them politically but she had better things to do than waste her time. Weiss was waiting for her and they both had classes to get to.

“Walking away huh? Hey, ruby? How’s old jauney boy holding up anyways? It’s a lot harder to do anything without an army backing you up huh? I bet the coward is probably hiding back in his room crying for his little wifey to come and hold him” she truly tried to ignore the cackling of the idiots. And if Weiss asked she’d explain that she didn’t intend on being late.

But jaune would do far worse to them if he heard. It was best to settle up debts as soon as possible. She loved her husband but the man was overzealous about protecting her and her honor at times.

So that’s why when she deployed her war scythe all she did was smile.

Even as she launched Sky away with a single swing she smiled.

Even as she took a single step back before cleaving clean through Cardin’s armor with her counter strike she smiled.

And even as she chased the other two idiots down and made them bleed she smiled

Jaune really was such a sweetheart.

Weiss looked at the slightly bloody ruby with a sigh and a smile “they’re not dead, are they? It’s bad enough we might be late for class but murder will be even harder to explain”

Ruby shook her head “no they’re fine. terrified, but fine.”

Weiss smiled politely “you would think they’d learn by now that angering a prodigy at combat is nearly as bad as angering jaune”

Ruby leaned over and mock whispered “truth be told i just think Cardin’s jealous”

Weiss raised an eyebrow “I had heard that his father had put forth a bride price for you but…”

Ruby shook her head “not of Jaune silly! Of Me!”

Weiss broke out laughing “ah I see, so he’s upset you got jaune for yourself”

Ruby nodded “jaune’s a pretty great husband, but honestly the fact that Cardin spends every waking moment thinking about him is the reason why it just wouldn’t work out.”

They walked in silence for a while before Weiss spoke up “so what’s the real reason you went so far?”

Ruby thought for a moment “you know why Cardin spends so much time thinking about jaune? Because he’s terrified of him. From a young age, jaune’s always been more powerful than Cardin. In politics, in economics, in prestige, and in charisma. The Arc family and jaune, in particular, have always been the one thing that his family didn’t dare act against.” she stopped in front of the statue to jaune’s father, the best friend of the last king of vale who had died protecting his king. “Up until now, Cardin had been able to say that he was at least physically stronger and better at combat then Cardin. Jaune’s victory proved that wrong. And the fact that he’s a hero in other continents, basically everywhere but Vale and Vacuo, it got to him.”

Weiss nodded “that doesn’t answer my question though, why did you go so far against them?” she reached out and hugged ruby “tell me the truth please”

Ruby tried to hold back tears but eventually, the dam broke “everything being said by those idiots is the things jaune says about himself” she hugged Weiss to her as hard as she could “AND IT’S NOT FAIR, JAUNE DID WHAT HE HAD TO! HE’S NOT A MONSTER WEISS AND I HATE THAT I CAN’T CONVINCE HIM OF THAT.” she fell to her knees and sobbed into her friend’s shoulder “Why should he suffer! He only did what they asked him to! The council sent him Oswald sent him! But they throw him away the second he does something that might look bad to their voters and those idiots who’ve never fought a day in their lives! So why Weiss Why my jaune!”

Weiss held her, ruby knew she didn’t have the answers but this wasn’t about answers this was about getting it out. And ruby had needed this. She hated that jaune was suffering and she couldn’t do anything to help. Some hero she was if she couldn’t even save her husband. And she cried for a while at the injustice of it clinging to Weiss like a lifeline.

Eventually, she calmed down, and still, Weiss held her in the quiet of the courtyard. Ruby sniffed bringing her head up “we’re definitely late for class”

“Those old fossils can stuff it, you’re more important”

Something about the Lady of White saying it made it funny to ruby and she laughed as her friend held her.

Not too far from where the two girls had their moment Ozma was left to ponder something. He found he couldn’t look at the statue of his old friend. Julius Arc was the previous wielder of Croceia Mors. and was the man who had died protecting him in his previous life as the last king of Vale. showing more loyalty and kindness to him than he’d experienced in all his lives.

And now he had cast away his son without even asking his side of the story.

“Have I truly fallen so far, old friend? Am I truly such a monster?” there was no response but Ozma couldn’t help but feel he’d lost the respect of the brave knight.

#lancaster #bssaz97 #lacaster rwby #ruby rose #Weiss #weiss schnee #rwby #rwby au

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itsclydebitches · 4 years

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This isn’t really much of a defense as it is just a acknowledgement of the difference: Oz NEVER planned on telling anyone anything, if a way to stop Salem cropped he’d have probably still never told anyone. Ruby, DID plan on telling people, just after they earned her trust. The reason this is still a criticism is because SHE SHOULD FUCKING TRUST IRONWOOD.

Asking this to the fandom as an honest question: when do we learn that Ozpin never planned to tell anyone? To my recollection he doesn’t say that (and I admit completely it’s just my recollection, I could be forgetting something), but rather he says instead:

“Do you really think Leo was the first? That he didn’t say those exact same words to me? I’m sorry, but you have to understand that my behaviors are backed by experience. I’m not saying that I have reason to think you will betray me. I’m saying that I have reasons for the things that I do. The secrets I keep. I--”

(This is a speech that the group - and via them the audience - never has to grapple with because Ozpin realizes in this moment that the relic is gone, moving the conversation away from his defense and towards Ruby’s refusal to give it back/Oscar forcibly taking Jinn’s name.)

Saying, “My experience means that I have good reason not to spill these secrets carelessly” is not the same thing as “I never plan on telling them to anyone.” This is, in fact, the exact same reasoning that Ruby adopts: I plan to tell you things after you’ve earned my trust. Ozpin admits here that Team RWBY doesn’t have his trust yet. Not because they as individuals have done something to lessen that (though I’d argue that the group’s overall attitude makes trusting them justifiably difficult), but rather that platitudes - “You can trust us!” - have proven to be meaningless throughout Ozpin’s lifetime: “Do you really think Leo was the first? That he didn’t say those exact same words to me?” Here, Ozpin is in the same place with Team RWBY as Ruby was with Ironwood for weeks on end. I simply don’t trust you yet and you’ll just have to wait until I do. (Even though, as you say, Color2wheel, Ironwood had actions to prove his trust whereas Team RWBY just has those platitudes...)

The only “proof” I’ve heard in the fandom that Ozpin never intended to tell them about Salem is the fact that Qrow doesn’t know about her yet. The logic goes, “Well if Qrow doesn’t know after years and years of working with Ozpin then obviously he doesn’t plan to ever tell him at all.” It sounds damning on the surface but what this argument fails to take into account is what Ozpin himself points out, that his behaviors are “backed by experience.” Or, to put it more bluntly, this argument fails to take trauma into account.

Ozpin is grappling with trauma that, thus far, no other character has had to try and overcome.

Ruby actually gives us a good baseline. We can think of her trust as akin to an equation:

Being betrayed by one person (Ozpin) + encountering an ally who is doing everything possible to demonstrate trust (Ironwood) = needed a couple weeks in order to trust them.

Ozpin’s equation is more like:

Being betrayed by an unknowable number of people across a thousand years (Raven, Lionheart, and Team RWBY most recently) + encountering allies who do things that demonstrate that trusting them may be quite a risk (Qrow is called out for not being a reliable spy and is emotionally very fragile, Ironwood disagrees with Ozpin’s methods, Team RWBY is constantly pissed at him, etc.) = needing....?

How long does it take to trust again after all that? After a thousand years of people not just hurting you when they learn this secret (abandoning you for Salem, trying to kidnap you, kill you) but also hurting themselves as well (Qrow falls into an alcoholic stupor and only comes out of it when his niece threatens to leave him behind)? If Ruby’s experiences as a 17yo with (at most) two years experience outside the safety of Patch/Beacon means it took her weeks to trust again, how many years does it take someone who has been through as much as Ozpin? Probably the number of years that Qrow has been trustworthy “enough” to learn this secret but hasn’t. Needing more time to trust again because you’ve been traumatized by trusting others isn’t comparable to not trusting because you’re a bad person and you just didn’t want to. “Not now” doesn’t mean “never” and “I currently can’t” is not the same thing as “I won’t.” In addition, none of this takes into account that Ozpin kept silent during a time of peace when telling people (arguably) wasn’t necessary, whereas Ruby kept silent during a time of war when she knew Ironwood was putting time and resources towards a doomed plan. Those are radically different situations, even removing Ozpin’s trauma.

In the interest of boiling complex stuff down into more easily understood examples, let’s talk about another kind of trauma for just a moment. Something simpler, straight forward, and generally more accepted: a fear of dogs.

Ruby: I was bitten by a dog once. I wasn’t the worst bite in the world but it still effected me. Now I’ve met this other dog and he’s... kind of scary. Big. Looks mean. Barks a lot. I get intellectually that the dog isn’t attacking me and is showing that he will sit quietly if I were to approach... but I can’t bring myself to pet the dog yet. I need time.

The Story: Entirely understandable.

Ozpin: I’ve yet to have a good experience with a dog. I’ve been bitten by them throughout my whole life - which is over fifty times the length of Ruby’s. These bites have left scars. I’ve been mauled by dogs before. I’ve had people set their dogs on me. I get intellectually that all dogs aren’t bad, but it’s incredibly hard for me to pet any at this point, even those whose owners insist that they’d never, ever hurt me. I’ve heard those same words right before I was bit again...

The Story: Hmm. Seems suspicious.

Ruby: Okay! I’ve spent weeks with this specific dog now and you know what? I’m ready to pet him. I’m emotionally in that place now. There. I did it! Aren’t you proud of me?

The Story: We are! Wow that was so well done. You are such a good person for petting that dog and I’m sure your ability to do so is based entirely on your morality and has nothing to do with your individual experiences.

Ozpin: No, I still haven’t pet any dogs yet. I’m not ready.

The Story: Well Ruby pet one.

Ozpin: Forgive me, but Ruby had one bad experience with a dog. She’s been surrounded by other supportive, happy, loyal, gentle dogs her whole life! Has any dog ever tried to kill Ruby? I feel like that would have a bearing on how quickly she starts interacting with them again...

The Story: Nope. She’s just better than you.

Now replace all “petting dogs again” with “trusting someone with this secret again.” Before I condemn Ozpin and uphold Ruby, I’d like to see a version of Ruby Rose who went through even a fraction of what Ozpin has been through regarding trust, secrets, and absolutely horrific betrayal. Give me a Ruby who has told people the Salem secret and they leave her, attack her, try to kidnap her, kill her, deny her support, grow to hate her... and then lets see if it still “only” takes a few weeks to spill it again. Give me a Ruby who has to suffer through Blake abandoning her, or Weiss joining up with Salem, or Jaune trying to kidnap her to ensure his own safety and then we can start praising her if she trusts quickly after all that.

For me, it has never been established that Ozpin would have never told his allies this secret, only that his experiences mean he needs more than the average person to take that risk. I actually think having a Salem plan would have made all the difference. Reassuring someone that there won’t be repercussions for the awful thing they just heard is a great way to ensure they aren’t nearly as angry as they might have been:

Person A: I... accidentally left the gate open and the dog got out.

Person B: You what?

Person A: But don’t worry! I’ve already got a plan to get him back. Everything is fine!

Person B: It’s a damn good thing.

vs.

Person A: I... accidentally left the gate open and the dog got out.

Person B: You what? Well how are you getting him back?

Person A: I haven’t figured that out yet...

Person B: What the hell is wrong with you?

People like easy solutions to hard problems. It’s the first thing Ruby asks: We just learned that Salem is immortal and we know you’ve failed to get rid of her for a thousand years...but you have a plan to fix this in our lifetime, right? We don’t have to deal with this awful immortality business because you’ve figured out how to fix everything for us, right? And when Ozpin admits that he doesn’t have that solution fury gets the better of them. He’s punched into that tree. They drive him away. If Ozpin had been able to say, “Don’t worry! It doesn’t matter if Salem is immortal because I’ve found a way to circumvent that immortality! This reveal will have no negative impact on you moving forward,” we would have gotten a very different conversation. And very different actions on Ozpin’s part throughout his life. The whole reason he keeps Salem’s immortality to himself is because he has no way to circumvent it. He doesn’t want to tell people that this fight is (currently) impossible because that is what leads to them giving up/joining Salem/taking their fear out on him. There’s no longer a reason to keep her immortality a secret if the immortality is circumventable. A plan would have removed at least some of Ozpin’s (justified) fears. People aren’t going to attack him if he can easily fix this problem for them. If he can’t fix it? Well, then you’re disposable. We’re going to leave you for someone more powerful (Salem) or just cut you out of our life completely (Team RWBY).

What it comes down to is that Ruby’s experiences and Ozpin’s experiences simply aren’t comparable. It’s something he says outright in the story - “you have to understand that my behaviors are backed by experience” - but moving forward RWBY has chosen to ignore that. The man who has spent a thousand years being traumatized by trust going sideways can’t compare to the teen with just a spattering of experience under her belt trusting for the second time. Ozpin was Ruby at one point. There was a time when he trusted a second time and he didn’t get an Ironwood who sat calmly and accepted the news with such grace. So what proof do we have that without being so lucky (without a narrative that ensures Ruby comes out on top) Ruby wouldn’t have become Ozpin in time? There’s nothing intrinsic in Ruby that makes her a better person who is more able to trust others. It’s entirely that her experiences haven’t (yet) led to trust being a trigger for abandonment and assault. Ruby is just an Ozpin in the making because anyone can struggle due to trauma - even a “simple soul.” It’s a crucial difference and, frankly, I think RWBY has failed not to acknowledge it.

#rwby #rwde #mymetas #color2wheel

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thenewyorkghost · 3 years

Text

Batfam Sorting

(Ok this includes other gotham characters)

Batfam:

Dick Grayson: Pukwudgie Pukwudgie is for healers. And I think that perfectly fits Dick. He knows what makes each one of his loved ones tick and that level of understanding can be healing. He is a wonderful leader, not because he has a plan for everything like Batman, but because every one of his team members can trust him. He has a way of bringing people together. He is a person who is very in touch with the emotions of those around him, maybe not with his own at certain points, but he has built himself a good community that can heal him as well whenever he is down. He is someone who gives so much to those around him and loves very deeply that those around him become better people by being near him.

Jason Todd: Wampus Jason Todd is most definitely a warrior, a survivor. He is someone who sees things how they are. Batman refuses to kill people and he thinks: if getting rid of this person will end up saving lives I’ll do what I have to do. And it doesn’t tarnish character, because he is logical and set in his ways. I think it shows how caring he is to those around him. He values their life so much so that he doesn’t care about the guilt or the mental strain he might put himself by killing a person. Although, in a recent comic, it showed a young Jason killing his friend’s dad, because he was being abusive or something, and he didn’t feel bad till he saw how it hurt his friend. He is just doing what he thinks has to be done. He is a very pragmatic, yet impulsive person. I think he has difficulty addressing his own emotions. He often rejects love directed at him or is just shocked by it, but over time he slowly accepts it more. And he’s always caring towards his loved ones in his own distinct way.

Tim Drake: Horned Serpent The Horned Serpent represents the mind. When Cassandra Cain was pointing out what Dick, Jason, and Tim all fight with when she came to Tim she pointed to his mind. Tim doesn’t have the agility like Dick or the brute strength like Jason, but what he does have is a brilliant mind. He is quick thinking and very analytical. He is always one step ahead of others, not because he is physically fast but because he analyzes people and prepares for whatever they have in store for him. He knows his own limits and strengths and of those around him and that is how he is able to win the upper hand. He is not impulsive, but strategic and tactful. That is why when Damian, who is a trained assassin, went up against him the second time he lost. But his mind can at times also cause him to overthink things making him fail.

Cassandra Cain: Wampus Cassandra Cain is extremely analytical and unbiased. She just sees everything as it is. So much so that she is capable of predicting what move people are going to make. All of her movements are second nature to her. Most of her life she wasn’t allowed to speak, but she had her eyes and used them to see the unsaid. When you’re able to see everything about someone you also see a lot of pain, so I think she has shown to be a very caring and understanding person. She’s not someone who pushes you to talk about your feelings, she just understands. And sometimes people just need someone who will just sit there with you and listen. Cassandra Cain is a warrior, but a very different kind of warrior. And even after everything she has been through, she continues to choose using her abilities for good.

Duke Thomas: Wampus People sometimes just portray Duke Thomas as the straight man of the group, but he is someone who has this determination to him where nothing can ever get in his way. He is a straightforward person, but he isn’t the one person in the Batfam who Batman thinks is reasonable. If Batman lets Duke do whatever it is because he knows there is nothing he can ever do to stop him, so he constantly has to compromise. Dude literally jumped out of a moving car and a bridge, there’s no stopping him. He refuses to back down and, yes, it’s admirable, but I wouldn’t say it’s always reasonable. He radiates “I can do this all day” energy. Other than being a very driven character, he is also very passionate and confident. He is someone who has heart. He is a relaxed person that doesn’t plan for things, yet he is great in a crisis with his level of intellect, flexibility and spontaneity. He can be a tame person that knows how to prioritize- saving his spontaneity for a rainy day, then releasing that built up energy. Wampus is the house for people that just: do; therefore, I think he’d be best in this one.

Damian Wayne: Pukwudgie While I think it’d be easy to just sort Damian into Wampus, because he’s literally an assassin, I think he definitely fits into Pukwudgie a billion times better. He was trained to be a weapon from birth, that doesn’t take love and encouragement. Before he met his dad he was sent on a mission to kill many people, once he was finished he was on his knees when a little animal came up to his face, kinda smiled at him, and then licked his nose. When that happened he began sobbing. This is where his love for animals began and I think it is because an animal was the first one to show love to him. Once he moved in with his dad and siblings and finally started seeing other people as his equals, we begin to see how he craves acceptance from those he cares about. We see how when he finds out that Tim has a plan in his computer for stopping Damian if he turns on them, really hurts his feelings. Anywho, when he first moved into the manor the only emotions he felt deeply was anger, but as time went on we see the range of his emotions. When he became friends with Jon both Batman and Nightwing pointed out how much happier and talkative he was. After Dick Grayson faked his death then came back, he ran into his arms and told him that he missed him. He is a more reserved person, but he forms strong emotional attachments to those he values. I think the older he gets the more he will be able to show how he feels about those around him. Pukwudgie is represented by the heart and all of Damian’s actions stem right from there.

Extended Batfam:

Stephanie Brown: Thunderbird Stephanie Brown refuses to let herself be brought down by her misery. She’s an energetic and sassy person who makes quick connections with many people. Though it doesn’t mean that they are deep connections. She is not someone that opens up really opens up about her private life, because she doesn’t know who to trust. Plus, the beginning of her life was really lonely. She seems to crave deep connections, while also loving action and risk. Her enthusiasm gets people to open up more. And she most definitely loves messing with literally everyone. It may seem like she can’t have close relations at first, but those develop gradually for her. One day you look back and realize ‘huh this girl is literally here every. single. day.’ Later in life this queen knows her worth and refuses to let anyone bring her down. Once she gets past all the anger built up from the pain caused by her father she becomes sure of herself. She is someone constantly trying to figure herself out or truly get to know herself. While at first I thought she fit perfectly into Thunderbird, because of her energy and love of thrill, but I think below the surface she cares more to be loved and to have that family. So, I don’t know, maybe she can go either Thunderbird or Pukwudgie.

Barbara Gordon: Thunderbird I know that Barbara Gordon is a brilliant, tech-savvy individual who has a photographic memory. Yes, but I think her more defining characteristics are those that line up with the Thunderbird house. She is someone who cannot be tied down. From the very start she is this driven force to be reckoned with. Her whole life her defined by defying the expectations. She enjoys questioning everyone about their beliefs and is outspoken of her own. Before she became Batgirl she’d constantly argue with her father about becoming a detective. She’s very set on creating positive change in the world. She believes change is necessary and important. While she has a set moral compass it isn’t black and white. She is able to listen and work with people she does not agree. And her defining trait is that she is constantly pushing herself and never gives up. She’s a very grounded person and though she a force of change, she herself doesn’t change much. She grows a lot, but she is set with her core values from the very start. I think that makes her a reliable leader.

Anyways, this is so difficult. I like hogwarts houses way better, bc it’s literally about what is most important to you.

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blissfulalchemist · 3 years

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full clear for catraf xx

Thank you for asking Stella! Here they are for you all!

1. Who do the kids enjoy playing with the most?

Raf more so. Not that mom isn’t fun, but A. she’s shorter and so can’t lift them as high as dad can B. Dad isn’t always around (gotta love that military career) and so he’s seen as more of a novelty than anything. Outside of those two its Chance and Wes.

2. Who gets carried away with the baby proofing?

For Liz? They both do. It’s the first kid and so everything has to be perfect and ready and just SAFE! Danny? Well they kind of kept the house as is for baby proofing since it just made sense if they were gonna have another kid....and Liz showed some signs that she was gonna be a little out there. Raf though went a little more extensive in the touching up though.

3. Who does the baby follow around more?

Liz followed dad around more when he was home, was it to annoy him a little? Yeah, but she just loved hanging around him too, especially when he played cello for her. She also loved to imitate his smiles and body language, she wanted to be a leader like him, so she just had to follow him like royalty did in order to best learn. Danny always kind of was Cat’s shadow. He was always the quieter one and just preferred mom’s quiet to Liz’s loud, he also liked to watch her cook and work around the house really, yes even corrected her when she wasn’t cleaning just right, though who is she to argue with him. Mom also just was fine with him drawing in her lap as she she did computer work or just any time she was sitting.

4. Who is the one the kids call out to when they’re looking for something?

You would think Raf but no it’s Cat. Cause here’s the thing, Raf makes sure everything has a place and everything stays there, but who decides to move stuff around or leave a bit of a mess? Cat. So if something is missing it’s because she probably moved it and she can tell you a very specific area on where she placed it. She’s better at retracing her steps too so if she can’t remember she can find it fairly quickly. Yeah can’t tell you how many times she’s almost made Raf late cause she decided to put his keys somewhere else the night before and thought he’d be able to see it.

5. Who’s constantly up checking on the baby in the middle of the night (even when the baby is sound asleep)?

Cat likes to sleep with Liz and Danny as much as possible when they are babies so she can at least wake up to their cries easier, but her anxiety makes it harder to sleep and if she can wake up just a bit to see that they are still breathing then she can get some sleep still. When Liz was first born, Cat kept trying to run on 2 hours of sleep which was doing more harm than good so Raf bought the bigger bed to allow them to have Liz between them and then Danny. Raf would also check on them too but he also sleeps a lot more lightly than Cat does, as they get older he checks on them a little more, especially when he comes home late in the middle of the night.

6. Who has their kids’ favorite movie nearly memorized on account on how frequently they request to watch it?

Cat would have the songs memorized and special lines memorized, while Raf would have the full movie script down. Its something he can do to try and feel closer to them and keep himself from missing them. He can know their exact reactions and be able to see in his minds eye the movie with them.

7. Who trails behind the baby to make sure they don’t fall? (And then has to console them once they inevitably do.)

Cat more so. It starts to feel like second nature to her to keep an eye on them. Being at the big family parties she always tried to keep an eye on the smaller kids to help in case their parent was farther away. Part of that community parenting aspect, so she does this to other’s people kids. She has eyes on as many of the kids in jeopardy verse as possible. Raf will watch but he’s also more the one that can stop them without even looking it seems. Especially Liz, he has a second instinct with her a lot of times.

8. Who knows to cut off the crust from the sandwiches?

They are both chefs they both remember to do this. If one does forget it’s Cat cause she rushed, but neither child is that picky.

9. Who started taking photos of the baby as soon as they were born?

Raf. Cat would have but she was a disaster and didn’t want pictures, he did not listen. Three pictures are sent to everyone as soon as humanly possible of both Danny and Liz. Cat soon takes the most pictures of them both, you could make a three hour length movie with just the first ten years of their lives for each child.

10. Who doesn’t let the kids go out in the cold until they’re bundled in layers?

This might fall more onto Raf. Look its not because Cat doesn’t care but she’s someone that doesn’t get as cold and feels that if you have one good coat you don’t need all these extra layers. She just makes sure they have coat, scarf, gloves, hat, boots, and appropriate pants. Raf will want them doubling up on layers at a certain temperature that’s a bit higher than Cat’s threshold for extra layers.

11. Who has a harder time getting the baby to eat their food?

Raf does. They make their own baby food and snacks a lot of time and well....someone tries to make it healthier and therefore it doesn’t taste as good as the other. Cat is just slightly better at hiding the vitamins and minerals than he is.

12. Who ends up having to hold whatever half-eaten snack the baby didn’t want anymore?

Neither really. Cat does a lot of time but both she and Raf quickly figure out the right portion to give the kids and those two kids split their snacks so its easier. This makes Cat laugh because sometimes they only like certain things of a meal and so it makes it easier to share, just like she and her sisters. You could give them a corn dog and one could not and would not eat the hot dog part while the other could not and would not eat the breading so mom and dad would just buy one big one and boom there was snack/meal taken care of.

13. Who checks under the bed for monsters?

Cat brings the monster spray while Raf is the muscle to fight them away if the spray isn’t working.

14. Who’s the “tooth fairy” that leaves money under the kids’ pillows?

Both are, but you can always tell who got there first by how much money was left under the pillow.

15. Who is better at comforting the kids when they’re scared?

This goes to Cat more. It’s not that Raf is bad, he’s got his methods to make them feel comforted for more specific situations, Cat just is better with in the moment emotional comfort. Cat is primary first response team while Raf is more like the doctors once you get to the hospital. It works out really well for them and most of the time it doesn’t take much for the kids to be comforted by mom, so the second response isn’t needed until the morning when they can go to dad for a solution on how to fix what’s scaring them.

— BONUS

A. Who do they think their child takes after? In what ways do they remind them of each other?

There’s a running joke that Liz takes after Wes too much to actually be Raf’s but at the end of the day she’s more like Cat. Her personality and extrovertedness comes from Raf 100% but the qualities in which she believes in and are her core come from Cat above all else. Her wanting to stand up for those around her, willingness to give the shirt off her back to those in need, leaving the world a better place than one found it, determination, stubborn in their morals, and impulsiveness to do the right thing, all things that came from Cat, you just only really see it as loud as Liz when Cat loses that barrier of polite society. The music though came from Raf, Cat has a love for music and has to have it around, but the talent for it and ability to be a performer comes from Raf. Danny though, his core comes from Raf. That independence, leader like quality, thinking ahead/preparedness, analytical, sense of duty, and loyalty to his family that’s all his father. The way it presents is more from Cat, he’s shyer and more willing to let others take the lead but still be the voice of reason, he also is a bit more attuned to other’s emotions that has become a learned behavior, and just is softer like her.

B. What was their first night as new parents like?

A bit overwhelming really. They thought they were prepared but no one is really prepared. Neither slept much that night as it soon became little tiffs on who was getting up to do what and the next few days had them questioning if it was the right thing to do. Many of these thoughts came from Cat’s own anxiety and that neither didn’t have any kind of sleep and so their minds weren’t exactly the clearest. Once Raf’s parents butted in and made those two get some good sleep things were smoother sailing and so Danny was a lot easier as they felt like they knew more and had better systems in place.

C. Did their relationship change once they became parents? How?

It did as things they agreed on and methods established proved to be unrealistic and so there was an adjustment in how their parenting styles would mesh again. This was also around the time Raf’s career started to take off again and so there was some slight resentment and worry on Cat’s end that they would be permeantly tossed to the side, things that went away as they found systems that worked and Raf continued to show her that he wasn’t just going to forget about them, that he was going to be there as much as he could be.

D. What new traditions do they start as a family?

There was already some shared cultural traditions that involved family but one thing was as they got more friends and settled back in with the community(especially in jeopardy verse) were big dinners and music/talent nights. It was at least once a month and everyone was invited, it was food galore, laughs, music, and just a way to have everyone around to catch up. On a smaller scale the four of them have a wall that was mostly photos that were of Raf when he was somewhere new and family vacations that were firsts, soon when someone in the family visits some place new for the first time you take a picture and it goes on the wall. Going as a family for the first time also counts and they get spots on the wall. This makes Cat the most happy once Liz and Danny start moving out as she can see where they’ve been and see where they’re going.

E. Are they honest with their children? Are there certain things they try to shield from them?

Neither Cat or Raf like lying and so they are honest in age appropriate manners. Cat really doesn’t hide her mental illness and explains it to Liz and Danny many times when they ask in ways that get more details as they get older, this is most important to Cat as she doesn’t want her kids to suffer in silence like she did so if it’s normalized to be talked about they can feel more comfortable coming to her or Raf if they start to have issues. Depending on the verse there are things that they try to shield the kids from but are discussed when asked in a way that feels appropriate for their ages.

#x: top chefs

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irarelypostanything · 4 years

Text

El Camino - The Elusive Happy Ending

If you’re not familiar with Breaking Bad, it’s a simple and heartwarming story about a young high school graduate who does poorly in chemistry, but then suddenly partners with a high school teacher who once berated him. He learns that science can be fun and exciting, given practical application, and the former chemistry teacher benefits from his understanding of modern-day business. The two start a very successful business, go on lots of whacky adventures, repeatedly fend off rivals who repeatedly attempt to carry out hostile takeovers, and eventually they encounter Gale, who changes everything when he allows them to realize how much potential there is in coffee. Everything comes to a head when a new business ultimately steals their product, but they find justice; the chemistry teacher tragically succumbs to cancer, but his student proudly carries on his legacy.

Ugh...if only.

*Spoilers*

As with other films like Parasite, I’m a little late to the party on this one. And my initial impression is that El Camino is...good. It’s satisfying. I find it a bit odd that I can’t think of more ways to describe it than that.

Being the vastly original and thorough researcher that I am, my first thought was to immediately listen to the Wisecrack take on the episode to see if there was deep meaning I had missed out on. I’m not really sure there is. Jesse has to face the consequences of his actions, and he has to break from Walt’s shadow and become his own man. That, as the Wisecrack team points out, was already kind of his arc without this movie. Walt wants Jesse to murder him. Jesse refuses, then rides off to a very uncertain end.

Jesse is best characterized as a pawn in everyone else’s game, manipulated by both Walt and Gus as two different sides of a battle, then ultimately exploited and stripped of his humanity by Todd. He breaks free, almost. Hank is the closest thing to a hero in the whole series, I would argue, someone who respects the law (more or less) even when his own family drives him to insane ends. And even he ruthlessly manipulates Jesse, shows apathy regarding Jesse’s death...hell, ultimately kills Jesse in a figurative sense. Jesse has a way out. Jesse drags himself back in not out of greed or malice, but out of the desire to get justice on a man who knowingly poisoned a child. As if to punish Jesse for this desire to find justice, he’s completely beaten down, tortured, and enslaved in ways that are difficult for your average viewer to even imagine.

I guess what I’d say, overall, is that individual scenes in this movie are very well-done, but the overall arc leads to more questions than answers. Is disappearing to Alaska really such a happy ending for Jesse? If it really is, as a follow-up, does he deserve that ending after all the things he’s done? If your answer is yes, and he’s your favorite, and he ultimately redeems himself, fine. What, then, does that final duel say about his character?

It just seems a bit strange to me for the climax of Jesse’s arc to be a gunfight like that. I mean...I don’t know...maybe he has a lot of off-screen experience with gun fighting, or experience I’m suddenly forgetting about. Maybe it’s a more symbolic subversion of the western trope. Or maybe some police officer or military expert or gun enthusiast, none of which I am, would point out that the gun fight was actually brilliant and meticulous, and that Jesse perfectly pulled off the capabilities of those two guns and that his victory was highly realistic. I don’t know.

And I do like how Gilligan does suspense. I mean, there’s so many ways that story could have gone down differently. It’s like that classic “protagonist wants this, BUT THEN THIS HAPPENED” sort of story-telling, with the motivation to flee constantly challenged by the cops, but then they’re NOT the cops, but then he DOESN’T have enough money, but then his house DOESN’T HAVE THE MONEY BUT A GUN, and so on and so on. And there are so many less interesting ways it could have realistically gone down...Jesse had enough money...the box Jesse accessed had money...Jesse doesn’t access a rock with a key, but a rock with a bundle of money Jesse had hidden after the Blood Money episode...Jesse decides to simply rob a 7/11, let whoever is working there flee, blows it up, and then leaves...

In the end, what really sticks with me is Todd. I mean, he looks different. But they do him so well. He’s the “good cop” in that whole brainwashing scenario, the one you really hate but also don’t. He talks about weather. He makes soup. He has a really nice room that he’s proud of and that reveals his hobbies. Some critics call him the most evil character of all, a character who can’t even comprehend basic morality. Others say he’s supposed to be...kind of good. Maybe a sociopath who simply can’t bring himself to understand basic feelings like guilt and remorse, but even that seems like too much of a filter. It’s like he’s this normal guy, only he also kills, but then he doesn’t seem to have a twisted, sadistic side, either. As cliche as he may seem to others, I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a villain quite like him. He’s not hiding this psychopath beneath the supposed mask...he just doesn’t see anything wrong with killing people. He doesn’t torture them emotionally or physically either, though, unless he feels he has to. He still experiences happiness and anger and his own awkward form of love, but he...

He has to die. Like, someone that sociopathic or psychopathic or something can’t be allowed to live in this Breaking Bad universe without angering the fans. But he just seems so normal.

#25-minute freewrite #el camino #breaking bad #jesse pinkman #todd alquist

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littlemisssquiggles · 4 years

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Is it me, or has Ren been purposely distant/annoyed with Nora lately. I've caught on multiple occasions (Mostly CH 1,3,4 and now 5) where Nora will do something and Ren will ignore it, shake his head at her, or just bluntly call her out. It seems to me that RT might be setting up a possible conflict with Renora where Ren might actually snap at Nora for not taking something seriously and be all "Why cant you take anything serious?!" I'm very curious about this--What do you think?

Hmm…well to be fair anon-chan; while seeing Ren flat out turn down Nora’s compliment about his new outfit, much to her disappointment, was annoying to see as a Renora-shipper, outside of that, Ren’s behaviour with Nora doesn’t seem that much different. At least to me.

We’ve seen Ren make dry remarks in response to Nora’s animated outbursts in the past. But for the most part Ren has always been quite patient with Nora; allowing her to be as loud and outspoken as she wants to be and a part of me would like to think that Ren’s unyielding patience with Nora stems from their time surviving on their own together particularly the night Ren protected Nora from the Nevermore.

Nora used to be so scared and soft spoken when we first saw her as a little girl back during the Kunoyuri episode. It’s almost hard to believe she evolved into the exuberant young woman we know her to be. And I think part of that is due inpart to Ren always encouraging her to be that way with him.

The only times Ren’s sudden change in behaviour toward Nora stood out to me the most was in V7CH1 where Ren took off in combat without Nora, much to her clear annoyance and of course their moment in CH3.

Since Ren was seen being trained personally by Elm (and getting his ass clobbered) in V7CH5, I’m curious to know if this will become a routine thing for him.

Constantly training, particularly with Elm as part of his regiment when he isn’t on mission or doing team training with Nora, Jaune and perhaps Oscar too from time to time.

Though that montage with Ren and Elm was short, it was enough for me to take note of it. Why? Because it ties into my theory for Ren’s strange behaviour for this season. As I once told another anon-ninja, I chucked up Ren’s sudden distance of Nora as his way of giving himself some space so that he can grow stronger as a fighter and huntsmen.

Despite starting off as a seemingly weak-minded, scared little girl, Nora has evolved into a powerhouse. She’s definitely become a stronger person than she was before when she met Ren.

So much so that my idea was that Ren must’ve compared himself to Nora and Jaune and realized that he may be the weakest link within his team. Nora has always been a raging force of nature not to be messed with while Jaune himself has shown immense improvement over the seasons.He’s been especially impressive for this season so far.

Of the JNR trio, Ren is the one to have grown the least in terms of battle prowess. I remember how quickly he would get winded out in a fight after using his aura. Not to mention that another habit I’ve noticed of Ren in the line of combat is getting himself knocked out too easily during a fight and needing Nora to come save him.

It happened back in V1 when Ren jumped on the Death stalker’s back and got himself flung into a pillar leading to Nora coming in to avenge him alongside Pyrhha and Jaune in their first team fight when JNPR was forged.

It happened back in V2 when Yang knocked him down during the RWBY vs JNPR food fight leading to Nora tagging herself in for him.

It happened in V3 during the JNPR vs BRNZ fight at the Vytal Festival where Ren got taken out by Nolan leading to Nora coming to his defence once again.

It happened back in V4 when he nearly got himself killed by the Nuckelavee if Nora hadn’t intervened.

It happened in V5 when Hazel took him out, leading to Nora to come to his rescue and send the Juggernaut flying straight through the front door.

It even happened again in V6 with Ren getting himself taken away by Cordovin leading Nora to fire after the mechazord to get him back. Not to mention that Ren’s stunt left him unable to help defend and/or protect the rest of his team on the ground.

So yeah, as you can tell by my recap, Ren doesn’t do so hot defending himself on the battlefield despite being a competent fight. Nora coming to his aid all the time really has become a glaring habit.

Though the PLOT hasn’t given me much proof to this, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Ren has probably done some self-assessment within recent times and has now made up his mind while the group is in Atlas to strive to improve himself and get stronger, not just for himself but for his teammates, especially Nora.

Now that I think about it, Neon’s quick jab at Ren during the JN(P)R vs FNKI battle from V7CH5 could be used as further justification for my theory:

“…Wow, your boyfriend’s actually holding his own.”

Neon saying that reaffirms my earlier point about how much Ren fumbles in a fight on his own. And I think that’s the reason for his current mood.

While I do think you might ultimately be correct too in the PLOT setting up a potential fight or tension between our favourite Flower Power pair, for me I feel it has less to do with Nora not being able to take things seriously and more on Ren needing to get stronger. Or hey, maybe both of our theories are correct?

What would make this even more interesting is if Ren’s sudden desire to become stronger ties into what he and everyone recently learnt regarding Salem.

It would be cool if the whole truth about Salem has secretly been weighing on Ren since Argus and it just occurred to him that if any of them were to attempt to go up against the Wicked Witch—even without her immortality, Ren wouldn’t stand a chance against Salem. He wouldn’t even be able to hold her back in his current shape.

Perhaps…this might even force Ren to think back to the RNJR encounter with Tyrian Callows back in V4 and remember how useless he made himself appear up against a formidable opponent like that who proclaimed himself as a servant of Salem.

If Ren couldn’t even hold his own against one of Salem’s forces then how can he even call himself a warrior? Shoot, he didn’t even stand a chance against Hazel---another confirmed member of Salem’s forces.

How was he supposed to defend himself against them, let alone his friends? Let alone his girlfriend and closest companion.

And Ren taking the upcoming fight against Salem moreseriously while Nora isn’t could tie into your hunch regarding his frustration over Nora’s nonchalance? Who knows? It’s another idea for the table of possibilities.

All this being said, a part of me is really hoping for a prospective JNPR 2.0-centric episode for V7.

I want to know what their thoughts on Ruby’s actions in V7CH2 were like. Thus far we have only covered what RWBY thinks with Weiss, Blake and Yang basically playing follow the leader and siding with Ruby. However we don’t know how Jaune, Ren and Nora took the news. We haven’t seen them antagonize Ruby or any of the RWBY girls at all.

One the contrary, JNR behave just as normally as they ever did with RWBY which says they’re fine with the way things are for now.

I find that to be a little odd given how strongly JNR reacted to the truth about Salem back in V6CH8. Perhaps their all hiding their true thoughts for the sake of friendship with Ruby and Team RWBY.

But I wonder how JNR will think about the matter once they hear it from the perspective of someone who doesn’t share in Ruby’s approach—another smaller, more honest soul who the trio have gradually been growing closer to.

It’d be interesting if we got Oscar approaching JNR for support with him possibly going forward and unveiling the truth to Ironwood. Or at least back him up when confronting Ruby again on the subject.

For me, I mostly want an episode that focuses on Ren and Nora confronting the growing strain in their relationship while potentially leading into a discussion of their past together but from Nora’s point of view this time.

I also wish for an episode like this to show Oscar conflicted on the right approach while confiding in Jaune.

@megashadowdragon shared with me their theory on Jaune telling Oscar about the time he forged his admission papers to get into Beacon Academy. I can see Jaune talking to Oscar in regards to his feelings while using himself as an example in morality.

I have a strong feeling that this WILL surely happen down the line. While we got a teaser of Oscar training with Ironwood in CH5, it is to be noted that Oscar’s training was assigned to help him jog Oz out of his mind.

Though things are reasonably friendly between Oscar and Ironwood at the moment, it wouldn’t surprise if down the line James starts to grow wary when he acknowledges that the training regimen hasn’t been successful in bringing Oz back.

While it’s definitely assisted in Oscar’s improvement as a huntsman, as I said, the purpose of the training was to bring back Oz. So if nothing happens in that regard, James will start to get suspicious. He might even start to probe Oscar for more information on his current predicament which could potentially poke holes in Ruby’s swish cheese of an alibi from V7CH2.

Perhaps…even the talk of aura experiments will finally be brought up from this. Imagine if…Ironwood eventually makes the proposition for Oscar to allow Atlas to run tests on his aura as another alternative to forcing Oz to return…unless Oscar gives him a valid reason while he shouldn’t let him undergo experimentation—meaning the truth.

Perhaps…it’ll be a case where Oscar becomes frightened regarding the thought of undergoing experimentation. It’s basically a prospect where Ironwood has unknowingly backed Oscar into a corner based on Ruby’s lie; so to speak. So either the truth comes out or…Oscar gets experimented on for no reason?

And we all know how nice those Atlesian Aura Experiments go for their subjects, right? I know Jaune certainly remembers how great it was for Pyrhha back in V3.

I dunno. I’m only bringing this concept up since I’m curious to know when the PLOT will reintroduce Atlas’ experimental aura technology and research that was revealed back in V3. I still have a feeling that’s going to come back somehow. Either it’ll be part of Oscar’s story for V7 or be savoured for the subplot with our revealed Winter Maiden: Fria.

As an alternative, Oscar could just eventually start to feel pressured by keeping the truth from the General, seeing how kind he and his lieutenants have been to him and the others.

Oscar becomes conflicted on what the right thing to do should be. He knows that the Relic of Knowledge is in his possession since Ruby trusted it with him. But at the same time, the little barn prince is also fully aware that one question still remains with the lamp—a question that could be used to unveil the whole truth to Ironwood. The problem is will Ruby want to do that?

Oh! What if…we got a JNPR parallel to RWBY in V7CH2 where Oscar confides in JNR that he wishes to reveal the truth to Ironwood using the Relic of Knowledge but is conflicted about it? One of the JNR members then prompts Oscar with the question on whether he spoke to Ruby regarding his decision.

This now brings me to my Pinehead headcanon where Ruby and Oscar meet alone and get into one big argument over their differing sentiments on trusting Ironwood with the whole truth.

In the end, Oscar begrudgingly returns the Relic to Ruby before parting ways with her implying that he was going to leave the team because of her; or something to that liking.

My rationale for wanting a plot point like this is due to its connection to the Little Prince story where the Prince left his home planet after growing frustrated with his rose.

Since the Prince left because of his rose, I considered something like that happening with Oscar where he decides to either leave the team again or just Ruby in general out of his disappointment and frustration with her recent choice of actions and attitude towards such actions.

So the little barn prince takes himself out of the equation and abandons his little red rose, returning the Relic to her because he wasn’t prepared to be the one to do to Ruby what she did to Ozpin back in V6.

Nor did he have the heart to watch her become someone else he didn’t recognize. Or something alone those lines.

As I’ve said before, I don’t wish for Oscar to go behind Ruby’s back and tattle on her to the General. I would actually hate it if the PLOT made Oscar do that to Ruby since, I don’t think Oscar would ever do that to her. We all saw how shattered Oz was following the ordeal and I’m certain Oscar felt his pain and sadness in that moment too despite not being in control.

So forgive me if this squiggle meister just can’t fathom Oscar putting Ruby through that. In my mind, he would NEVER. Not to her.

Instead what I’m banking on is a chain reaction of events that result in Oscar convincing Ruby that coming clean about the whole truth to their Atlesian Allies about Salem is the right call so that she could reveal the truth herself.

Ruby is the one responsible for planting the group in potential hot water with James after she lied the first time; possibly on Oscar’s behalf which was admittedly bold of her since Oscar didn’t exactly ask her to do that for him.

If the truth is to be revealed, it has to come from Ruby. Heck, perhaps …she and Oscar can both tell the General the truth together since, as I said, the Rosebuds are the drivers of this subplot.

It still really bothers me how the heroes (most of them anyways) really believe that lying to James—the man confirmed to be paranoid about being betrayed by those closest to him—- is a good call especially after the events of V6.

I’m even more stunned at Qrow. Qrow knows James probably a lot better than Ruby does and after what happened with Oz back in Argus, it honestly baffles me how complacent Qrow is being about keeping the truth from James especially after he went through an ordeal where he was devastated by truth after being unaware of it for years. It just doesn’t make sense to me at all.

But going back to Ren and Nora now, as I’ll reiterate I think Ren’s behaviour is about growing stronger.

Back in V5, Ren was the one to question how the heroes were going to win the fight against Salem if she can’t be killed. That was mainly his reaction to the truth while Jaune and Nora most responded in anger.

“…If Salem can’t be killed, then how are we supposed to win this?”

Seriously, we haven’t seen such a fire in Ren’s eyes since V4 against the Nuckelavee and his whole history with the beast that killed his family and destroyed his home village. So I’m assuming his key story for V7 will be bettering himself as a warrior for the people around him and for the upcoming war with Salem and the chaos that will happen once the truth comes out to the General and the rest of Remnant.

Those are my thoughts on that for now.

~LittleMissSquiggles (2019)

#Anon-ninja #squiggles answers: rwby #lie ren #nora valkyrie #oscar pine #jaune arc #ruby rose #rwby theories #rwby volume 7 theories #rwby volume 7 spoilers

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