#last bit of propaganda for a while

[alchemiclee]

i know this has been said 473773474833 times by the kavetham/haikaveh shippers and probably even nonshippers, but i'll say it again. I finally finished the genshin summer event and did the little after quest in sumeru and.....every time kaveh is sneaking around trying not to be noticed coming out of alhaithams house it's just such a gay vibe. he's basically screaming "I can't be caught being gay in a homophobic society!" even if that's not what the game writers are *actually* saying. that's just how it comes off and they can't make it come off any other way. with hoyo's gay history, it makes me wonder if it's on purpose and all a cover-up to have a technically different reason for it so they can get away with it lmao but we will never know.

[un-fwuit-un-fwog]

Your Warmth

Part six of The Rain series

Synopsis: Jack, Epel, and Sebek visit The Prefect in the infirmary. (Ramshackle Collapsed and The Prefect was inside)

TW: Sebek cries, The aftermath of Ramshackle collapsing on The Prefect

Note: Idk how to write Jack (or Epel apparently, even though I love him). I'm not exactly the biggest Sebek fan, but I think his part turned out best despite it (I used to hate him cause I have trouble w/ such loud people, but the Sebek propaganda got to me).

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6 (here), Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11 (coming soon), . . .

After Ace and Deuce's visits, you took a few days to rest. Your voice had been totally shot and you had reopened a few wounds from the shifting around you did.

You didn't even notice you had reopened them until Professor Crewel walked in, his face turning horrified when he saw you. Your blood had seeped through the bandages and was staining the comforter and sheets.

After you had gotten the chance to rest, guests were once again allowed to visit.

Jack stood awkwardly at the door to the infirmary, his tail drooping. It took him a while to actually knock, but when he did, it was uncharacteristically quiet.

He lurked into your room, trying not to stare too obviously at your unfamiliar form. "I. . .I brought you a cactus." he held up a small pot with a flowering cactus.

He places the pot on the windowsill and stands awkwardly next to your bed.

"Thank you." As you spoke, you patted the space next to you (after what happened last time, Crewel had decided it best to help you move over before visits (even though he didn't particularly like the idea of those mutts sitting in the bed with you)) and he hesitantly sat down.

His tail draped softly across your lap as he sat (he knew how much you loved petting the soft fur). A soft warmth radiated from it and warded off the persistent chill plaguing your body. He watched as a smile crept onto your lips and your hands drifted to his furry appendage.

Silence fell between the two of you.

Tick Tick Tick Tick

Just as you were opening your mouth to break the silence, there was a puff and Jack was gone. In his place, a large, white wolf laid. Instead of his tail being in your lap, his head rested softly on your thighs.

He wasn't looking at you, but you could tell how he was feeling from the way his ears twitched and drooped.

The chill that had remained stubbornly in your body was now completely gone thanks to the living space heater lying next to you. Silence fell once again, but this time it was more comfortable. Jack never spoke much, a fact you were more grateful for now than you usually were as the lack of conversation gave your throat a rest.

You stayed like that for a while. You took in the sound of his soft breath. It was an even sound, but not in the same way the clock was. Jack's breath was comforting like a lullaby.

You ended up drifting off for a while. When you woke up, Jack was still there, but now his head was on your stomach, his ear placed just above your lungs. His head bobbed slightly up and down with each breath you took: a reminder that you were, in fact, still alive.

He shifted back before he had to go, and complied when you opened your arms slightly for a hug. As he let go, he gently shifted the blanket that was falling off your shoulder back in place.

If may have just been your imagination, but his tail seemed a bit less droopy as he left.

Epel came the day after Jack (Crewel had set the limit to one visit per day). In his arms he carried a large basket containing a blanket his grandma made for you, some apple juice from back home, and a few apples. He sat the basket next to your bed with a huff before plopping next to you dramatically, yet still, somehow, carefully.

"Meemaw heard the news and sent ya a care basket. I told her ya probably wouldn't be able to eat apples in yer state, but she wouldn't hear it."

As Epel was shifting to get comfortable, his hand brushed against one of your (now freed) fingers. He jolted back "Yer as cold as ice!" He reached into the basket and pulled out the blanket, throwing it over you. He adjusted the blanket, patted it down, and smoothed out wrinkles; he was being oddly attentive, but you weren't going to complain.

The blanket was a beautiful quilt with apple designs all around the edges and a big one in the middle.

"Meemaw started makin it the moment she heard the news."

Your eyes widened and you stared at him in shock. "That fast?" Your voice was soft and scratchy. It reminded Epel of the days he'd lay in bed sick as a child.

Of course, he knew you were in a state much worse than any cold had put him in. The reality of it all hit him hard and he pulled an apple from the basket to distract himself.

When he wasn't feeling good as a child, his grandma would always cut him an apple into slices and make them look like little bunnies. He knew you couldn't open your jaw much at the moment, so he figures this would be the best way for you to be able to eat them before they went bad.

You watched in awe as he cut the apple so easily and precisely with a pocketknife he had pulled out of his jacket. However, when he finally handed it to you, your face fell a bit. After you had reopened your wounds a while back, you were no longer able to bend you arms enough to be able to eat or drink on your own (you weren't physically unable, but Crewel threw a fit when you tried).

You looked at the apple slice he was handing you and then back at him. You opened your mouth to speak, only to have an apple bunny pressed to your lips. Epel was no longer looking at you, instead he seemed to have found an intense interest in the fabric of the bedsheets.

He continued cutting the apple into the cute little bunny shapes and feeding them to you, and you happily ate what he gave you. The cool, soft apple caused little hurt to swallow, and the juiciness of it helped rehydrate your dry mouth and throat.

When he was finally done cutting the apple, he laid back next to you, grabbing your hand closest to him and holding it. He cupped his fingers around yours in an attempt to warm them.

When he finally left, he did so with the promise to ask his Meemaw to make you some mittens too.

Yet another day later, Sebek showed up to your door.

At least, you think it's Sebek.

You had been told he was who would be visiting you today, and you heard his familiar footsteps outside the door, but something was off.

It was quiet.

You rang the little bell next to your bed to tell him he could come in.

Still nothing.

You rang it again.

Just as you were about the ding it a third time, the door creaked open. A few moments later, he walked in.

His usual rigid posture was now slumped, and his mouth was surprisingly closed for once. He simply loomed next to your bed for so long that you eventually had to gently tug at his arm to get him to sit next to you.

The moment he was next to you, his head rested softly on your shoulder, and his hand cradled your wrist. Through the thick layers of bandages, you could feel his thumb putting the slightest pressure on your pulse point.

It took you a moment to adjust to what was happening. Your last two visitors were clearly visibly distraught, but they had hidden the majority of their worry rather well (no doubt as not to make you feel bad). Sebek, on the other hand, was putting his emotions fully on the table.

You softly sighed before leaning your head against his.

Even when he started crying, it was unnervingly quiet.

You stayed like that for however long it took him to stop crying, and when he did, he lifted his head reluctantly.

"I. . ." he tries to speak, his voice barely a whisper, but he can't manage to get his words out.

"Thank you for coming, Sebek." When he's unable to speak himself, you decide you'll take the burden off his shoulders and speak instead. "I appreciate your care. I've only ever seen you so emotional for Malleus. Seeing you like this breaks my heart, but it also makes me happy to know that you care so much." You struggle to get all the words out, this was the most you had spoken since the incident, but you figured it would be worth the uncomfortable scratching in your throat later.

He started crying again and you opened your arms for him.

His body delicately rested against yours and stayed like that for the rest of his visit.

When he left, his eyes were red and puffy, and his cheeks still damp from the tears.

He spoke his first and only sentence of the visit as he left: "I care more than you know. . .Prefect."

Blog Navigation Page

TWST Masterlist

Request Information

The Rain Tag List:

@fancyhawk45 , @chloemari-e , @jester-party , @dykyun , @chidorichild , @kaidragonclaw , @arie2faced , @darling-5yndrome , @pebble-bb , @entidy13, @owl778 , @phoenixiaxia , @blvdmrcnry , @twistedcece , @lunatheroyal , @heartz4aqours , @yukixies , @sugarxrt , @noncreativepage-blog , @sheepchansstuff , @lucky-whispers , @mc-cos-charm , @bluedmonsst , @kyxmlii , @nilladrawsstuff , @abeltownshipslittlebitch , @pro-cat-stination , @creativecupcake , @wishicouldart , @gloomikaze , @marsinrain , @thesarcasticpersonwhoneedss-blog , @pinkytoxichearts , @avalordream , @shatiyuh , @coffee-or-hot-cocoa , @boredselkie , @savanaclaw1996 , @furioussharkcat , @nightshade-clown , @tsxukikami , @itspeanutlove , @mysterypotatoink , @hieratic9 , @91062854-ka , @paintbrushofanimeuniverse , @m1lly69 , @error-raccoon-404 , @the-annie-clark , @madilynnylidam , @losingmybrain

[rumisgf]

❝ YOUR BEST EATER ! ❞ ╰┈➤ AOT EDITION

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ summary: rating how well aot men would eat you out ! (this is canon because i said so)

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ includes: eren yeager, onyankopon, connie springer, jean kirstein, armin arlert

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ warnings: smut of course, crack, cursing, oral f!receiving, mentions of squirting, cum play if you squint, black!reader

EREN YEAGER - 7/10

✮ now i know y’all remember that one ao3 fic with the tongue piercing that went viral…

✮ yeah that was propaganda

✮ now listen listen— i’ll give him his flowers and he is good in bed

✮ but giving head isn’t his specialty

✮ BUTTTTT when he does eat you out, he makes you cum every time

✮ he spits on it :)

✮ in general his speciality? good dick

✮ he’ll eat you before he fucks you, but he can’t last too long cause the sight of you dripping has him rock hard

✮ one time you squirted while he gave you head and he swears he almost came in his pants

“so fuckin’ wet…”

“m-mm~!”

“jus’ a lil longer baby… need you nice and ready for my dick..”

ARMIN ARLERT - 8/10

✮ now him? head is definitely his forte

✮ there’s times he won’t even fuck you he just wants to taste you

✮ he whines.

✮ the vibrations of him moaning on your clit definitely sends chills down your spine

✮ and please, sit on his face

✮ he genuinely gets so pussy drunk and he stopped caring

✮ he just needs to taste you

✮ the feeling of you dripping on his face is addictive to him

✮ he just loves when you’re on top— whether it’s on his dick or his face

“please baby…need to taste you..”

“mhm? lay down for me then.”

JEAN KIRSTEIN - 6/10

✮ don’t shoot me i’m just the messenger

✮ i just feel like he would be too… rough… at first

✮ he generally likes rough sex so it’s just natural instinct to him

✮ butttt, when he does get the hang of it, it does feel good

✮ he just needed some practice

✮ he is good listener, i’ll give props for that

✮ the head is never terrible but he just can’t help but to wanna torment you a little it’s his favorite hobby

✮ he bit your clit once though. you had to smack him for that.

✮ he makes up for it though because the D is FIREEEE🔥🔥🔥!

“o-ow…jean wait..”

“sorry baby, got a little carried away…tell me how you want it, yeah?”

CONNIE SPRINGER - ♾️/10

✮ HE’S AN EATER!!!!

✮ he might as well tattoo ‘proud munch’ on his lip atp

✮ this man has skills that you have never seen before and he will have you whipped from how much you cream and squirt every time he goes down on you

✮ he’s so mean too… but in the best way possible

✮ you have an attitude? he’s eating it. you stressed? he’s eating it. you look good? he’s eating it.

✮ he doesn’t even have to spit on it with how wet you get

✮ he’ll eat it with your legs bent to your ears, from the side, from the back, on his knees, have you sit on his face, all that.

✮ he eats it before he puts it in by the way.

✮ and after. he’s nasty.

“ohmy- fuckkk~”

“i know baby, stay still… i’m not done witchu..”

ONYANKOPON - 9/10

✮ he just likes making you feel good

✮ he takes foreplay very seriously, so he likes taking his time with you

✮ he’ll definitely overstimulate you though, he thinks it’s fun

✮ he likes when you squirm it only turns him on more

✮ in contrary, he’s very sweet with it and does it to make you feel his love

✮ definitely big on body worship

✮ he’ll start off slow and massage your thighs while he tastes you

✮ his favorite thing is licking you clean after he already made you cum on his dick or with his fingers

“mmm~.. baby..”

“so pretty like this..just keep moaning f’ me..”

© rumisgf

[centaurianthropology]

Therapy for Thee but Not for Me: Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms in ‘Murderbot’ (Thoughts on Episodes 1-3)

Having now watched the third episode of ‘Murderbot’, I came away with two impressions: the first is that this is a better show as a binge.  Maybe I’m too used to shows that are an hour long, but I feel like I’ve only just got sunk into an episode when it ends.  But with a binge, I can just move onto the next, and the emotional through-line feels more well-drawn.

Spoilers below the cut.

The second thing is that I think this was really the final wrap episode for the introduction.  We finally get an explanation for why PresAux is not only doing this survey, but aren’t willing to ditch it at the first sign of danger (honestly needed, if we’re going to flesh them and Preservation out further).  And I really like the explanation provided! The notion that there is a bit more dissent in Preservation than we’ve seen in the books is welcome.  Because of course there are some people there who are short-sighted, greedy, or simply ignorant enough to decide that the glamor and faux-prosperity of the Corporation Rim is more attractive than a planetary commune with constant resource struggles. Of course some people buy the propaganda and believe that the Corporation Rim is truly existing in a golden age that Preservation should be lucky to join. That happens in every society, no matter how well it’s doing. It is human nature to want what you don’t have, and to always want more. 

And it’s a great motivation to explain why Mensah and her friends go to this planet, and then stay there even in the face of danger. It both establishes stakes and establishes this group as true believers in Preservation ideals.   They are the most dedicated to the Preservation way of life, whether they were raised in that environment or are a recent convert. 

We also get a little more time with a few underserved characters, particularly Ratthi and Bharadwaj, while elaborating on characters with more onscreen time like Mensah and Gurathin.  I’d still like to spend more time with Pin-Lee and Arada, but I feel like that’s coming soon enough.  I had thought the plot would really kick off in this episode, and in some ways it did (a whole lot of ‘All Systems Red’ was covered in this one episode, plot-wise), but it also felt like the last moment of early-static-state for these characters. 

And a huge part of that early static state is really hammering home how every character does (and doesn’t) deal with mounting stress.  This, like the books, is a show centering emotion.  In the books, it was almost exclusively Murderbot’s emotions, but here we see Murderbot as a part of a tapestry of emotion, one person amongst an ensemble it has not yet accepted that it’s a part of.  And as it has poor coping mechanisms, that just puts it in excellent company with this group of humans with fuck-awful coping mechanisms. 

So before we get into the meat of the action and, I suspect, meet our mystery additional character next episode (who I now suspect might be a ‘Company rep’ or something), I wanted to talk about the coping mechanisms (bad and good) everyone is rocking, and the arcs I suspect they’re setting up.

MURDERBOT: ESCAPISM

Let’s start with everyone’s favorite SecUnit.  Episode 3 really drove home how escapist and purposefully detached Murderbot is at this point in the story.  It is actively resisting caring or connection, wanting to escape every interaction or responsibility to sink into the comfort of its shows. 

Not surprisingly, and paralleling the book, this is setting up the arc of caring.  Next episode will probably feature Mensah saving it from the other SecUnit, and the shocking (for it) realization that she is willing to risk herself to save it.  This is the major turning point in their relationship, and in its understanding of people.  At this moment in episode 3, we are really seeing the last active resistance to this: it doesn’t think of itself as a person.  It doesn’t want to hear what Mensah has to say about her worries or her fears.   I know some people have seen this scene as trauma-dumping, but I didn’t read that at all into that scene.  Rather, I saw Mensah trying to make a connection.  She has decided that Gurathin is wrong: this SecUnit is a person, and it has emotions and thoughts and feelings.  And as she stares down the barrel of a very bad situation, she is trying to make it care.  She is reaching out, explaining her fears because she wants it to see her and her friends as people.  She wants it to understand why they can’t just back out, can’t turn tail at the first sign of danger.  She is trying to forge a connection.

And Murderbot isn’t there yet.  It’s avoidant, angrier in this episode than it was before, it’s on edge after both Ratthi and Gurathin seem convinced that it’s more than just an ordinary SecUnit.  It knows it’s not faking being an ordinary SecUnit well, and it wants out. 

And more than that, it is self-soothing the anger and the resentment and the fear that defines its existence at this point with its shows.  I think it’s interesting that, instead of ‘Sanctuary Moon’, this episode introduces us to a much grimmer show, ‘Strife in the Galaxy’, which explicitly shows constructs like SecUnit being tortured (although it points out that this doesn’t seem particularly realistic) and stressing their own struggles and individuality.  And it considers this an inferior show.  Why?  Because it cannot imagine doing that.  At this point it can’t imagine being as defiant as the (ComfortUnits??) constructs in the show.  It’ll enjoy the unrealistic aspects of ‘Sanctuary Moon’, but I get the feeling that the unrealism of ‘Strife’ strikes a little too close to home to be good quality escape.

But it keeps watching.  Because if it keeps just burying itself in media, it never needs to care.  It never needs to feel deeper, more complicated, more dangerous emotions about real people who could be in real danger.  It can just … exist, comfortably numb, and bide its time.  For what?  Unclear, probably even to Murderbot. Carin will be thie thing that motivates it out of this static state, but that is terrifying, and it is resisting that with every single minute of entertainment it’s downloaded. 

DR. MENSAH and PROF. BHARADWAJ: AVOIDANCE

These two feel like parallel characters right now. They’re both older women, both feel a weight of responsibility, and both feel like they’re doing the same thing: pretend everything is fine, act strong when everyone else can see you (and rely on you), offer help wherever you can, fall apart only when you’re safely alone.

They tackle it differently.  Mensah is, to her team, the consummate professional.  We see her fears and doubts only through SecUnit’s spyware or because she’s chosen to talk to it late at night when everyone else is asleep.  And why did she choose that?

I’ve seen some people, as I mentioned, say that she was trauma dumping.  But I read this as an attempt to reach out to the only other person, in her mind, who was sort of in her same position.  Because they were both being relied on by everyone else.  Because if they faltered, everything could fall apart.  I read her talk with Murderbot as a way of expressing how much this mission actually means to all of them, why it matters, why it might even matter to their SecUnit, and I genuinely think she was hoping for it to share its own fears and struggles in return.  She wasn’t dumping; she was opening up in an incredibly vulnerable way to a person that at least one of her friends thinks is a potential spree killer.  But she looks at this person, and she sees someone in a similar position of responsibility, equally unable to share its frustrations and fears. Reaching out was a risk. She knows it’s spying on them. But she also believes that it is more that was it was built to be, so it was worth the risk to try to connect on a deeper level.

And it still can’t reach back.  She’s left wanting.  Like everyone elose in the episode, she fails at dealing with the stress well. She does the best of all of them, in my estimation, but she still fails, because at this point in the story they all need to fail. They all need a hole they can climb out of.

Bharadwaj certainly isn’t doing any better.  She, like Mensah, is holding it together by her fingernails.  But while Mensah has the leader persona she wraps around herself, Bharadwaj has jokes and energy and exuberance.  She has an indomitable spirit, right up until there’s no one to perform for.

And then she breaks down crying, and who wouldn’t?  She almost died.  She, of everyone, was the closest to just suddenly losing everything, and how do you process that?  How do you deal with the sudden and undeniable reality of your own mortality shoved so brutally in your face?  Of course she’s not dealing well.  And of course she, like Mensah—like everyone else who wants to be there for their friends and never let them know how much they themselves might need help in turn, like everyone else who is used to being the strong, steady, reliable, fun one—ends up hiding it.  And Gurathin stumbles into it, but he can barely process his own trauma, let alone anyone else’s.  He tries to reach out as best he can, and it’s not what she needs, and it fails them both.  There is a surprising level of tragedy underling this episode that creeps out slowly on viewing it again.  I really appreciate that, as on-the-nose as the writing can seem, this show is actually working at several different levels, and Bharadwaj trying and failing to deal with the sudden and immense trauma she’s experienced is one of them.

I think both Mensah and Bharadwaj are being set up for arcs of being able to accept help as well as give it. Mensah’s biggest struggle in the books is even admitting to those she loves that she’s not doing well mentally, and I think we’ll see echoes of that here. Bharadwaj ends up as more or less Murderbot’s therapist (while couching it in ‘making a documentary’), and while I’m not sure it’ll play out precisely in that format, I want to see them all connecting on that level. The human characters act as mirrors for Murderbot, and both Mensah and Bharadwaj are just as avoidant of their trauma as Murderbot is in its way, and just like it, they are going to fail to keep it all together. They are going to have to reach out, but that won’t be weakness. Acknowledging their needs, their fears, their broken parts to those they love will eventually help them mend those broken bits in ways they never could have managed alone.

DR. ARADA, PIN-LEE, AND DR. RATTHI: PHYSICAL COMFORT WHILE IGNORING THE EMOTIONS UNDERLYING EVERYTHING

It doesn’t surprise me that the ill-advised throuple is all about trying for physical comfort while ignoring the fact that this comfort is built on quicksand.  One thing this episode really nails is that this arrangement was built on shaky ground, and they can all feel it but none of them are directly discussing it. I feel like this relationship is serving as a metaphor for all their myriad issues of dependence, distrust, poor communication, and an inability to simply discuss contradictory needs.

Pin-Lee has been hiding innocuous things like their video game habits from their wife (likely because they think Arada wouldn’t approve of them playing violent video games).  Arada is trying to fill relationship troubles with a third person, hoping things work out better than the last time, all while clearly not addressing the root issues she and Pin-Lee are facing.  And Ratthi, forever happy to be here, is ignoring the fact that his presence in this arrangement is both more complicated and less helpful than he might hope. 

I also like that we can contrast this disaster trio with Mensah’s clearly stable, clearly long-term, clearly loving arrangement with her marital partners.  Because they might not have wanted her to go, but they still love and support her.  They still have seven children together, whose picture acts as the centerpiece to her room.  If the show goes on for more seasons, we’ll certainly see more of Mensah’s family, but it’s nice to establish the norm of multiple marriages in Preservation society this early, and how healthy and stable they are, especially in light of the disaster throuple that is Arada, Ratthi, and Pin-Lee.

I love Ratthi’s self-doubts in this episode, because I think it highlights how much he’s trying to use his friendliness, his supportiveness, his Golden-Retriever-of-a-Man-ness to cover his self-doubt and even flavors of self-loathing.  There is clearly a lot about himself he doesn’t quite like, that he struggles with.  He is naturally sociable, naturally flirty.  He loves a good time, loves to trust people, and (if he’s true to his book counterpart), loves to love all different sorts of people.  But he struggles with commitment.  He struggles to live up to the standards he’s setting for himself.  So he’s too hungover to do weapons training.  He’s too eager to get the survey equipment and almost runs into danger.  He so earnestly wants to be there for everyone, so of course having sex with his friends seems like a great idea.  After all, for him, sex and friendship go together great.  I don’t really think he’s yet dug into the fact that Pin-Lee and Arada are sort of using him to paper over the cracks in their own foundation, and I’m interested to see how he reacts to realizing that’s the case.

His arc is a little difficult to see right now, but I imagine it’s going to be someting about finding himself. He’s a great guy; he’s eventually going to be SecUnit’s best friend. But who is he when he’s not being what everyone else needs? Who is Ratthi just on his own? I hope we (and maybe he) get to know that.

Pin-Lee has a little more definition to them after this episode, and I hope we keep getting more.  They’ve been built up quietly in the background, doing a lot of necessary plot work because it fits their personality rather than their job. They’re the one analyzing the satellite data for patterns in the outages, and this tells the audience a lot about their need for everything to make sense and fit neatly. They are a lover of patterns and order.  They are almost certainly the one who pushed for the throuple contract (because of course Pin-Lee needs a contract).  They see offering up another throuple as a means to fix things that frankly need honest discussions, but a contract is easier than a discussion, and one discussion may lead to another.

It’s clear Pin-Lee loves their wife, but seems to fear their wife doesn’t love them nearly as much. So they hide parts of themself they think Arada might find objectionable. They blunt their edges. I think a lot of Pin-Lee’s arc is going to be shifting further into the Pin-Lee from the books as they gain confidence. But that requires them to work through their issues with their wife. It requires trust rather than contract, accepting that they won’t always see the patterns and have control, and being okay with that. I wasn’t sure about combining Pin-Lee and Overse at first, but the more I look at it, the more interesting of an arc has been set up for this character, going from an amalgamation with more Overse into more of a book-true Pin-Lee, specifically by embracing many things Pin-Lee struggles with. 

Arada is the mystery to me right now.  She’s very caring, very focused on being kind and fair.  She’s the one who first has clearly decided that SecUnit is a person.  She’s the one who insists that the worm that tried to eat her was simply an animal doing what animals do.  She’s the one who makes certain people are validated, supported, given gifts of embroidery and windchimes.  She’s the heart of the group in many ways.

But who is she beneath the care?  I feel like we haven’t gotten to know her as well as the others quite yet, and I really want to learn more about her perspective.  She brings a great, solid base of caring to the equation, but she can also clearly blind herself to her own more selfish impulses. There isn’t a deliberately selfish or cruel bone in her body, but there is a part of her that happily believes that if she wants something, her spouse wants it too. If Pin-Lee doesn’t openly object, then Pin-Lee is trilled to be a part of whatever Arada wants. It’s a very ordinary, human flaw, to overlook someone else’s discomfort in your own excitement.

I want to see that dug into, more explored.  I want all the awkward, painful bits of Arada to come out the same as we’re getting for the others.  Of everyone, I feel like her shitty coping mechanisms are perhaps the least defined, and I am eager to see them laid bare. I think her arc has yet to take shape, and I am eager to know where she’s going.

DR. GURATHIN: HYPERVIGILANCE AND HYPERCOMPETENCE

Oh boy, the king of shitty coping mechanisms came into fairly sharp focus in this episode, didn’t he?  He only really got three scenes, being kept on base with Bharadwaj, but each of them hits hard for different reasons.  His argument with Mensah about going to DeltFall drives home his hypervigilance, and how it turns him inward to the point of paranoia and bringing out his own worst impulses. 

He is fiercely protective of this group of friends, these very few people who he cares about, and is willing to do some fairly shitty things to keep them safe. And even so, everything feels like it’s slipping out of his control (and he needs to be useful, and he needs to have control).  His better nature can still be reached, particuarly by Mensah who is still able to talk him down. This episode makes it clear how much he puts Mensah on a pedestal as The Best Person (it’s funnily enough similar to what Murderbot does after ‘All Systems Red’ in the books).  So he caves, and she and the team leave, and he’s left alone with Bharadwaj. Does he think it’s a good idea? No. Does it matter? Not really, but also on a personal level it matters very much, because it leaves him in a position to stew in his own insecurities and fears. And he’s got more than his fair share of both.

In the scene with Bharadwaj we see his second major coping mechanism: the need to be useful.  He can’t talk to her about her experiences.  He doesn’t understand them and is painfully fucking awkward at the best of times, and he knows it.  But he offers up the trauma modules he has that clearly helped him at least a little.  It’s what he’s got, and it’s what he’s comfortable offering a friend in need.

She turns him down.  And this triggers his final scene in the show, and one that plays on multiple layers.  The first layer is SecUnit’s layer, the one we’re presented when we listen to and believe its voiceover, and that is that he’s being creepy.  He’s going into Mensah’s room without her permission; he looks at the photo of her kids and he smells her pillow.  That’s creepy, right?  Right?

But if you watch the scene on mute, without the color commentary, it feels a lot more like a poor attempt at self-soothing in the face of a breakdown.  Gurathin’s backstory is not very clear at this point, but I think it’s safe to assume his relationship with his parents is a far cry from Mensah’s loving family.  So there is comfort in seeing the photo of her children (and if he and Mensah have been friends for six years, he probably knows the kids at least a little).  He’s clinging to this ideal of Mensah as what he wants to be, as much as he has a crush on her: to him she’s competent, caring, effortlessly balancing the needs of everyone.  She’s a good mother, a good friend, a good leader.

And in the face of the fear of losing her, of losing all his friends to unknown and uncontrollable dangers, he falls apart.  In this place where he maybe feels just a little safe, he completely collapses. It’s not pretty and it’s not great and it’s absolutely bordering on inappropriate.  Yes, it sure does look like he smell her pillow (not great, even if she never finds out), but after that he mostly just shatters.  He’s sobbing by the end of the scene, and the narration just doesn’t quite notice it, and because the audience can’t hear it, it’s easy to miss.  There is an enormous disconnect between what SecUnit thinks is happening in that moment (tawdry, one-dimensional creeping) and what is actually happening (understandable, still inappropriate, badly maladaptive, but deeply human breakdown). 

He, like Bharadwaj, is having his coping mechanisms fail him.  He’s not useful.  He’s hypervigilant to the point of paranoia, and it’s NOT HELPING.  It could easily drive a wedge between him and his friends and he can’t help it because it’s what he knows how to do.  He protects what little he cares about.  There is an obvious ruthless, selfish streak to him that remains from the Corporation Rim and whatever was done to him there (and the more hints we get, the more sense we get that it was BAD). 

Interestingly, I’m not sure where Gurathin’s arc is headed. He’s one of the best developed characters at this point, but it’s all not great. He’s got a lot of room to grow, but in what direction? I’m not sure, and I’m honestly excited that I’m not sure. It makes more of a mystery, trying to figure out what the writers are planning on doing with him aside from making him a narrative foil for Muderbot.

CONCLUSIONS

I really like that the show is being bold in its choices to show the uglier, more maladaptive sides of these people. I like that it’s trying, with only about twenty minutes an episode, to actually make them believable people having believable responsives to an incredibly difficult situation.

That’s what I ended up really taking away from this continuation of the series, after watching it back to back to back with the previous two: we now have an idea of most of these characters’ stress responses, how good or often bad they are.  They are all so eager (except SecUnit) to help one another, but they are all trying desperately to hide how much they need help.  They are kind and caring, but still painfully human. 

With Mensah reaching out to SecUnit, with the first tentative attempt to make it care, I think we as the audience have also been positioned to see these people as their own raw selves, and to learn to embrace them, to care, just as much as Murderbot will begin to care about them.

I am still really liking this show.  I still want to see where it’s going.  If anything, I wish that each episode was just a few minutes longer, because a lot of moments are surprisingly subtle, undermining the narration, and acting as contrast to the way SecUnit currently perceives the world.  Would it be better if those moments had a bit longer to breathe, or is their subtelty and the need to watch the show a few times to catch everything part of the charm?

[pipermcleanswife]

i need domestic fluff with mac 😭 like bedtime routine, watching movies together, having game nights on the pc together im so down bad for this computer i will take anything <3 ty

HI HII!!! OH MY DOUBLE GOSH. I LOVED THIS REQUEST! I HAD LIKE A GAZILLION IDEAS SO I JUST DECIDED TO CRAM THEM INTO HEADCANNONS (plus i was looking for a reason to spread more of my mac propaganda) I HOPE THATS ALRIGHTY!!💗💗Now, MOST of these headcannons are for once they are realized!! I've also included some other just random blurbs i thought of while writing these out! I hope you enjoy!!!

Warnings? Mac being a cutie pie

‼️Gender neutral reader‼️

• Once mac is realized they surprisingly dont change much. Its very hard for them to adapt to having human needs but you help them. Things get easier for the both of you.

• Im gonna be so fr, they are lowkey SO jealous if you decide you want to buy a new computer once they are realized. They are just so scared you wont need or want their help anymore.

• Mac is still a MAJOR nerd. Im serious. They get so geeked out to play new games with you, or read about some new tech advancements. I hope you've upgraded your vocabulary because you ARE getting an earful that you may or may not understand.

• Mac would help you find a job that keeps you at home so that they can be around you and you can teach them about life and stuff. If you cant find one though, they literally wait ALL day for you, calls you multiple times a day. Your breaks are usually spent texting and sharing stupid pictures with them.

• Mac LOVES to help with literally anything. It helps them reassure themselves that you want them around, that they ARE enough for you

• Mac is one of the most supportive people ever. They look at you like you hung the moon and stars. They ADORE when you show off a new outfit you bought and maybe some other purchases…

• Another favorite pastime is taking baths together, they just like the idea of sitting in your lap and having their hair washed.

• They love to play games with you, it's just so wonderful to have something like that with you. They weren't sure they would like it at first, BUT they love playing little world building games like Minecraft or animal crossing with you. I also feel it in my soul that they like the Hades games and probably deltarune

• Obviously they are still a tech nerd and since they can't just not sleep anymore you have to remind them, I'm so serious, they will not even recognize the exhaustion unless you come and get them and take them to bed

• Speaking of beds and cuddling. They ADORE to cuddle. I don't think they have a favorite way to cuddle because they just love being with you. They do like to spoon a lot and lay on top of you though!

• nighttime routines are really nice and calm. (Let's pretend you are strong enough to carry Mac up the stairs, let's be real though that twink can't possibly weigh more than 5 apples) Mac LOVES to help you comb through your hair or read something with you to get nice and tired, they can also think of... alternative....methods, they do tend to be quite creative in their options... Mac loves to help you wipe off your makeup (if you wear any) and they really like to rub your shoulders and whisper you some sweet words. They feel like you don't get the praise you deserve and make sure that you fall asleep knowing that they love you so much.

• Like I said in my last post about mac, They are so affectionate. LOVES HAND HOLDING. It's a requirement. No options

• Mac is actually really good about reminding you to do things, but forgets their own stuff. Like if you need to charge your phone but you forgot they'll be like “you need to charge your phone babes” and their phones dead. Deader than any straight white man who says, “school dosent matter” entrepreneur dreams.

• Honestly genuinely a wonderful partner. Plans fun dates for you two to go on every other week because they understand that it might could overwhelm you a little bit and you work hard, you would probably rather have a nice relaxation week. and on the weeks you dont have a date you guys have a movie or game night. Also, you two make dinner together frequently, they really like to help in the kitchen, big fan of baking.

• They totally have planned dates based on the fanfiction that you've read.

• Sometimes they feel incomplete not knowing everything you're searching up or browsing, not in a creepy way, it's just that was their purpose before you realized them, that was what they spent years doing, so sometimes they like to lean over and peer at whatever you're doing. And maybe they just so happen stalk your socials a little bit.

• They really like matcha and coffee, I am so sure of this. They were not sure they would like it. They get this strawberry matcha drink with sweet foam on top, and they share it with you everytime because they love sharing with you.

• That's another thing, Mac loves to share. Cold? “Well, I'm warm enough, take my jacket, win for both of us because you'll be warm and I get to see you look cute in my stuff.” (they are FREEZING, but their CPU- I mean, their heart just feels so warm around you that they hardly notice) Thirsty? “Here, you can have some of mine, lovely.” Hungry? “Aww babes, it's a good thing I'm coincidentally eating a food you really like!” (they got it because they KNEW they were going to give you some)

• Mac just loves you and is so happy that you're in their life.

Random headcannons because I can.

🖥️- yk those goofy stickers you have on the back of your MacBook? Those funny stickers are definitely on mac too. All over their back. Much like fantina except theirs are like tattoos until you remove them. But they disappear in their realized form. Which honestly makes them sad.

🖥️- macs glasses are blue light and they are not afraid to offer them to you when they can tell you're gonna be working overtime on Ao3

🖥️- they LOVE to smell nice. I'm so fr. Bath and body works for-lifer. ESPECIALLY a fan of that aromatherapy line they have. Will ask you what your fav scent is and then buy it so you snuggle up with them more.

“Hey baby, which one of these do you like” they say holding out two bottles of some type of soap. After taking a quick sniff of both you ultimately decided on the one in their right hand. “Hmmm, the one on the right is my fav” you say with a small hum. They made their purchase so fast you'd barley even finished picking out the rest of your things! (Speaking of which, if you've never tried the eucalyptus bath and body works shower steamer, YOU SHOULD, oh my double goodness, it is DIVINE)

🖥️- in the most loving way, Mac is a smartass. They are aware of this. They don't mean it in a malicious way. They just love to teach and inform you of things! It's the way your eyes light up and process the information, and don't even get them started on the fact that you sit there and let them explain for as long as they want, even if they drag on the most elementary of topics

🖥️- terrible immune system, horrible. Seasonal allergies kick their ass.

🖥️- we all know this FREAK makes whatever they can sensual and flirty, you can be chilling on your phone while cuddling on the couch with them and they'll whisper something so devious in your ear you actually throw the damn phone

♪

♪

♪

PHEW... That was a lot. Kinda proofread, kinda didn't, I KNOW, YOU CAN BOO ME IN THE COMMENTS. I'm SOOO sorry this didn't get out sooner. life is crazy, right?? I hope you guys enjoyed this tasty meal I cooked up for y'all. Love ya, songbirds!

[polysucks]

why you think starks are brown. No hate, I just want to know reason 💓

No hate taken!!! I'm more than happy to give a little context.

I also talked a little and at length and then some about why I think the Starks are ndn or indigenous coded, therefore anecdotally "brown" if you want some more!

---

The Starks Are Indigenous and You Can’t Change My Mind

Look, I’m just gonna say it: the Starks are giving "we’ve been here for 10,000 years and you just got off the Mayflower.” Fandom loves to frame them as cold (literally), brooding white dudes who talk to trees and wolvves and die tragically—but if you zoom out just a bit, what you’ll see is a whole culture that’s basically been staring the apocalyptic Chekov’s gun in the face while mumbling “this is fine” for millennia.

Let’s start at the beginning: the First Men walked to Westeros on foot twelve thousand years ago (according to legend. it's giving oral storytelling), chopped some trees, made some mistakes, and then struck a sacred pact with the Children of the Forest. Instead of wiping the Children out like the colonizers down south (cough Andals cough), they basically said, “Yeah u right let’s chill,” and started building their whole culture around respecting nature, living weirwoods, and the gods that inhabit them. Now fast forward six thousand years and the Andals show up like, “Hey, we’ve got gods who look like us and wear robes, and also we’re here to murder your trees bc they're just trees they mean nothing.” (SOUND FAMILIAR?) And the North said: “uhhhhh doubt but alright try me bitch.” The Andals conquered everywhere else in Westeros, but the North? Untouched. Still praying to SpOokY tReEs, burying people under roots, giving a fuck about their ancestors, still naming their kids things like Brandon and Benjen and not, like, Luthor Tyrell III.

So when I say the Starks are Indigenous-coded, I mean it. They are the last major ruling house descended purely from the First Men, with customs, spirituality, and governance structures that date back over ten millennia. They didn’t import Andal feudalism or Southern chivalry—they rule by duty, community ties, and vibes. There’s no divine right here, just “I said I’d guard the North, so I’m gonna guard the North, even if I die horribly doing it.” Which... they usually do.

Physically, too, the Northerners are not your typical pale-and-pink Southron types. Descriptions from the books associate the First Men—and thus the Northmen—with brown hair, darker complexions, and gray eyes. They’re closer to earth tones than the golden-and-ivory palettes of the Reach and Crownlands.

Now, it’s all fun and games until Robb Stark starts stacking Lannister corpses like firewood and suddenly—boom—“savage skinchanger” propaganda. The second the North stops being cold and quiet and starts sending wolves downriver, the Southern rumor mill goes feral. The same lords who wear wolf pelts to look edgy start whispering, “Is he... using magic? Unnatural beasts? Isn’t that his direwolf out there eating men’s faces?”

We’re not even being subtle anymore. This is textbook colonizer panic: “Oh no, the brown people with strong spiritual ties to nature and weird customs have found a way to beat our superior steel and horses! They must be cheating!” And this is coming from a place where Melisandre literally births a shadow demon out of her woman's place and half the people involved just shrug and go, “Well, kings do be kinging and doin whatever it takes to be kinged.” But Robb winning battles with tactics and a big-ass dog? Witchcraft.

And let’s talk tone. The way Northerners are described when they show up in King’s Landing is... gross. Dirty. Sullen. Uncouth. They bring the smell of snow and smoke and old gods into the nice, civilized complacency of the South, and the court acts like they're watching a pack of feral dogs crash a garden party. Even the Dornish, who are also not white-coded in many ways and face plenty of racism, are still seen as exotic—dangerous, sure, but sexy-dangerous. The Northmen? They’re not fetishized. They're feared. Loathed. Dismissed as brutes and barbarians with ways that are so different that they should be feared.

And this is a classic move in imperialist narratives: you marginalize a people, rob them of power and culture, and the second they resist? You demonize them. Turn them into monsters. Say they commune with beasts and demons. (Sound familiar? Because it should.) Whether it’s North American Indigenous peoples being accused of “savagery” the moment they defend their land, or these colonized peoples being portrayed as superstitious and irrational for refusing assimilation and persisting with their culture—Westeros is playing that greatest hit on repeat.

So yes, when I say the Starks are Indigenous-coded, I also mean that the way Westeros treats the North is textbook colonial anxiety. They’re tolerated when they stay quiet and frozen. But when they rise? When they win? Suddenly, they’re not just a threat—they’re unnatural. Inhuman. Monstrous.

And if that ain’t some real-world racial politics wrapped in an easy to swallow fictional narrative, idk what is.

Now let’s talk Boltons vs. Manderlys, the perfect case study in Indigenous vs. Settler-coded houses when it comes to the cultural conversation. The Boltons? Chaotic evil First Men energy. They used to flay people alive, possibly made cloaks out of skin (ok im sorry that’s so baller), and ruled from the Dreadfort for thousands of years as a rival to House Stark. They’re the North turned inward and twisted—a cautionary tale about what happens when colonization doesn’t get you, but intergenerational trauma does. Still, they’re part of the land, part of the same heritage. The Manderlys, on the other hand? Total transplants. They got kicked out of the Reach, showed up in the North all teary-eyed and humble, and the Starks were like, “Fine, you can live in this swamp by the sea.” And they did! Respectfully! But they never converted to the Old Gods. They still pray to the Seven, build stone cities, and have the audacity to name their castle White Harbor. That's like moving into someone’s house and renaming it “Good Christian Suburb.” (like. Like americ--*gets dragged off stage*) But they're chill. Because they never pretended to be something they're not. And they never tried to change the ways of the lands and the peoples who welcomed them when no one else would.

Even within the North, there's a whole spectrum of resistance vs. assimilation. You’ve got the Free Folk beyond the Wall—who are basically the “burn it all down, no kings, no lords” crowd—then the Starks, who are like, “Fine, I’ll wear a crown if it helps keep the peace,” and then the Manderlys, who are “we love it here please don’t send us back south.” It’s not unlike real-world Indigenous communities: some stayed in the woods, some ran into the mountains, some took settler names and built schools—but the throughline is survival. Resistance is survival.

And that, my fellow losers, is what the Starks are all about. They are the final boss of stubborn cultural preservation. They’re the people who would rather freeze than bend the knee to "gods" they don’t believe in. When Ned Stark says “Winter is Coming,” he’s not just talking about weather—he’s quoting a generational mantra. This, too, shall pass. And we will still be here. He's got seasonal depression and ancestral memory and PTSD, and he's still out here doing what is best for his people (well. not anymore, i guess.)

The North Remembers—and So Should You

When we say the Starks and the North are Indigenous-coded, we’re not just slapping a label on because it sounds cool and we’re desperate for representation. We’re talking about a culture that predates colonizers, resists assimilation, honors its dead, and survives against impossible violence. Whether it’s through sacred trees, communal leadership, or refusing to compromise on your ancestral values, the Starks represent the heartbeat of a people who never left their land—because the land never left them.

So yes. The Starks are “brown,” in the way that means something. Not necessarily in skin tone (though there’s canon support for that too), but in soul. In story. In surviving. And if you disagree, I’ll meet you in the godswood under the bleeding tree, and we can discuss it like Northerners—with our fuckin fists.

(this is a joke ur allowed other opinions)

[ill-kidnap-all-the-stars]

Azula

[ image description: a digital drawing of Azula from Avatar: the Last Airbender in my style. She is a light-skinned woman with gold eyes and black hair, the top part tied in a top knot. She is wearing a red cheongsam dress with a wide skirt, a dark red/brown sash and a matching shawl around her arms. Her upper cheongsam has gold hibiscus embroidery, while her sash has gold phoenix embroidery. Whisps of blue fire are coming from her fingers. She is standing in front of a brown Fire Nation sign ]

prints ✨ commissions

I honestly feel like this Azula might be close to my magnum opus 🔥 influences and inspiration under the cut, but the usual warning that it's nigh impossible to condense thousands of years and miles worth of culture into one post so there is 100% nuance and detail missing. Also, I tried my best with the Chinese, but I honestly don't speak a lick of it so I put my faith in strangers on the internet :/ anyway, enjoy:

A Bit of Background:

The Fire Nation is visually and geographically inspired by volcanic islands such as Iceland, Hawaii and Polynesian islands, while the culture of the Fire Nation is primarily inspired by East, South and Southeast Asia, as well as sun-worshipping cultures (such as the Ancient Egyptians and Mesoamericans). For example:

the Confucian concept of ‘filial piety’ (孝顺 or ‘xiao shun’) is central to the Fire Nation too;

the agni kai is a form of honour duel commonly seen in warrior societies of South Asia, and literally translates as ‘Duel of Fire’ or ‘Fire Quarrel’;

the Fire Nation propaganda justifying the war is reminiscent of the Japanese Empire during the Second World War;

the architecture draws on that of Ancient Egypt, different Chinese dynasties, and historic Southeast Asian kingdoms;

the food typically resembles the Sichuan food, particularly in the spiciness and quantities of meat.

Fire Nation Clothing:

The clothing of the Fire Nation draws from many East and Southeast Asian clothing. For example, the armour the military wears has influences from traditional Thai armour, the shoulder pieces the Royal Family wears come from Burmese court wear, the school uniforms are inspired by traditional Thai clothing, and the Royal Family's top knot appear to come from Qin Dynasty China.

The Royal Court are often seen wearing changshan, a traditional clothing of the Han Chinese, although that is not the only influence. For example, Azula's skirt comes from the wraparound trousers worn in Laos, Cambodia and Thailand, while Ty Lee and Toph's jewellery comes from the Thai mongkut.

My Design:

While Azula (and, in fact, many other Fire Nation characters) originally had a distinctly Japanese-influenced design, I decided to roll with the overarching Chinese aesthetic that she and the Royal Court ended up with. I think it's well-established that Azula's obsession with perfection extends to her appearance, not just her bending, so I decided to draw her as the perfect Fire Nation princess.

My starting point was the Chinese phoenix (鳳凰 or ‘fenghuang’), which symbolises, among other things, feminine beauty and good fortune, and is traditionally associated with the Empress in Imperial China. In addition, the phoenix and the dragon are often seen as representative of the yin and yang, the two complimentary and opposing forces in Chinese philosophy, and I think the two nicely symbolise Azula and Zuko's contentious relationship. I also embellished her dress with hibiscus flowers, as they symbolise glory, grandeur and fame, which I believe Azula desires greatly.

[moesthoughts]

thinking about bottom nat

blurb about bottom nat because i’m starting to really like the idea, (lit after my dom nat propaganda post i got so many sub nat on my time line) So here are some thoughts

pairing ➥ natalie scatorccio x fem reader

warnings ➥ sub nat, fingering r! giving, head r! giving, strap, mostly just sesbian lex, pure smut

𑄽𑄺 Thinking about how Nat is all bark no bite, sure she can get you weak in the knees with some whispered words, but once you have her alone and under you she’s suddenly the shyest person on earth.

𑄽𑄺 One knee parting her legs during makeout sessions and she’s completely yours, already rocking her hips on your thigh, whimpering into your mouth.

𑄽𑄺 Sex while you’re both high, and she’s feeling the most vulnerable and sensitive. You’re eating her out like she’s your last meal and she’s on cloud nine in two different ways.

𑄽𑄺 Nat just loves the attention, she’s been deprived of it her whole life and now that she has you making her feel so good when she needs it, she feels so safe in your grasp.

𑄽𑄺 Please praise her, don’t be mean. Any bit of degradation makes her sad, not turned on. But if you praise her she melts under your touch, begging you for more.

𑄽𑄺 Fucking her with your strap, drinking in her moans as she grinds on your fake dick. Riding her strap or sucking on it, she’s groaning like she can feel what you’re doing to her.

𑄽𑄺 She falls apart around your fingers, be rough, be gentle, she doesn’t care. She loves how you know where to curl your fingers to make her pleasure levels skyrocket.

𑄽𑄺 I feel like she’d be quiet, but if you want to hear her she will be loud. Mostly, you’ll get soft moans, quiet whimpers and groans on occasion.

𑄽𑄺 Drunk sex too, in a semi public space at a party. You both pressed against each other, and your hand traveling down her pants that has her heavily breathing into your mouth. The thought of being caught excites her.

𑄽𑄺 Rub your thumb around her clit and she melts against you, losing all strength in her knees. She can’t resist your touch.

𑄽𑄺 I feel like her relationship with Travis made her feel like she had to be dominant, so if you guys got together after they broke up she’d be so relieved to finally be receiving again.

𑄽𑄺 Leave hickeys on her, kiss marks from lipstick, anything. She loves having something from you on her. She also loves seeing her marks on you.

𑄽𑄺 DIRTY TALK. Nat cannot keep her mouth shut during sex, she’ll praise you, tell you how good you’re making her feel.. she just loves affirming what you do.

𑄽𑄺 Sex in her hut when you’re in the wilderness, it’s perfect because you both are quiet enough that nobody will notice. Even then she’s arching into your tongue, you tasting every bit of her.

𑄽𑄺 Aftercare, clean her up, light her a cigarette, or get her water. She’ll help you clean up as well, try to get anything you need.

𑄽𑄺 if she can’t touch you she will actually whine, small protests, tie her up and she can’t stand it. Her hands need to be somewhere on your body, ESPECIALLY if you’re riding her strap.

𑄽𑄺 Pull her hair and she’s all yours, groaning into your pussy while she eats you out.

𑄽𑄺 Nat just loves receiving from you and enjoys the break she has from being the dominant one all the time.

since i’ve been hypnotized here u go… i might be even more in love with her idk.. FALLIMG FOR SUB NAT PROPAGANDA

req me!

masterlist

[bestanimal]

Round 3 - Actinopterygii - Clupeiformes

(Sources - 1, 2, 3, 4)

Order: Clupeiformes

Common Name: no common name for the whole order, variously called “herrings”, “sprats”, and “shads”

Families: 10 - Denticipitidae (“Denticle Herring”), Spratelloididae (“round herrings”), Engraulidae (“anchovies”), Clupeidae (“herrings”, “Pacific Menhaden”, and “sprats”), Chirocentridae (“wolf-herrings”), Dussumieriidae (“rainbow sardines” and “round herrings”), Pristigasteridae (“longfin herrings”), Ehiravidae (“river sprats”), Alosidae (“shads”), and Dorosomatidae (“sardinellas”, “gizzard shads”, “Smooth-belly Pellonuline”, “white sardines”, and kin)

Anatomy: generally silvery, streamlined, spindle-shaped bodies; most filter plankton from the water with gill rakers; gas bladder has a pneumatic duct connecting it to the gut; typically lack a lateral line

Diet: mainly plankton, some eat smaller fish

Habitat/Range: in oceans worldwide; some anchovies will enter brackish water and some are restricted to fresh water

Evolved in: Early Cretaceous

Propaganda under the cut:

The Clupeiformes are some of the most important food fish, both for larger fish, birds, mammals, and for humans, who will also use them as bait. As small schooling fish, many are known for making “bait balls” (see gif above) when threatened, where the fish will swarm in a tightly packed sphere to seem larger and protect themselves, as lone individuals are more likely to be eaten than an individual in a large group. Bait balls are short-lived and seldom last longer than 10 minutes. Some predators have developed sophisticated countermeasures to bait balls, which can seriously undermine the defensive value of a bait ball. Some predators will work together to herd the fish into a ball before striking them all together, and humans will use nets to catch the entire school.

The Denticle Herring (Denticeps clupeoides), the only member of its family, in known for its array of denticle-like scales under the head, which give it almost a furry appearance

The Peruvian Anchoveta (Engraulis ringens) is one of the most commercially important fish species in the world, with annual harvests varying between 3.14 and 8.32 million tonnes. The top yield was 13.1 million tonnes in 1971, but has undergone great fluctuations over time. Canned Anchovetas are sometimes marketed with the culinary name "Peruvian Sardines" to promote domestic and international consumption, as sardines are usually in higher demand. Only 1% of Anchoveta catches are used for direct human consumption, while 99% are rendered into fishmeal and oil. The Anchoveta has been characterised as "the most heavily exploited fish in world history". After the population has been greatly reduced by overfishing and El Niño events, smaller quotas have been placed on Anchoveta fisheries.

The strong taste people associate with anchovies is due to the curing process, as they are salted in brine and packed in oil and salt.

As with all filter feeders, Clupeidae (“herrings” and “sprats”) cannot take in food if nutrient rich water does not pass over their gills. To moderate this, members of this family have been found to increase their swimming speed when they sense that there is a high concentration of food items in order to take advantage of the feeding period.

Both species of wolf-herring (genus Chirocentrus) have elongated jaws with long sharp teeth that aid their ravenous appetites, primarily for other fish. The Whitefin Wolf-herring (Chirocentrus nudus) is also known to crunch on crabs, in addition to its usual diet of smaller fish.

The Rainbow Sardine (Dussumieria acuta) is iridescent blue with a bit of shiny gold or brass line below, but these brilliant colors quickly fade after death.

The American Shad (Alosa sapidissima) has been described as "the fish that fed the (American) nation's founders".

The Pokémon Wishiwashi is based on the Pacific Sardine (Sardinops sagax ocellatus), and can turn into a “school form” made up of hundreds of other Wishiwashi when it enters battle. The School Form resembles a larger fish and is based off of a bait ball.

[tubbytarchia]

Doc and Jimmy brainrot part 1 lmao oh no

Basically "What if Doc was in the Life games and Jimmy triggered his parental instincts again". You guys will see my vision. I don't care what it takes. You will see this very specific vision I have god damn it if it's the last thing I do

This is all I have to use as propaganda right now but some ideas and justification below cut!!

Been imagining a lot of Doc/Jimmy interactions both in a traffic and HC context, both of which I'd love to draw for but obvs this for now is 3rd life and I want to draw a little something for each Life series. You'll see!!

The general idea is inspired by a moment from one of the Decked Out streams in which Jimmy calls for Etho and Doc's all "you're triggering my parental instinct... I wanna take you into my hand and take you to a safe place" yep that's it that's the whole inspiration!!

Jimmy deserves love and he does get it to various degrees ofc (Tango, Bad Boys etc) but man... It's so fun to me to imagine Doc in traffic, I think he claimed that he didn't want to be part of the life games because he was afraid of being too competitive (or so I heard), but god it's so fun to imagine big scary mad scientist goat man in that scenario and him probably going at it on his own a lot of the time, but this god forsaken mf Jimmy knows exactly how to unintentionally trigger his parental instincts. I want Doc to subtly take Jimmy under his wing especially as Jimmy keeps dying first. So maybe Jimmy is a bit incompetent and loud as far as he knows, but he sees that he's trying his best and the dad in him can't help but intervene just a tiny bit (and I do mean just a tiny bit) as the games go on. Yes I'm just gonna shove Doc into the Life Games just because I wish this dynamic could have happened and I beg you to put up with it!!

For the above drawing specifically since, sigh, I'm slow and that's all I have to offer rn... it's of course 3rd life, starting off. I imagine Jimmy's wings sprouting during that, because the whole "canary curse" began with the Life Games etc. And this post isn't about FH but just for context as I imagine it, Scott who doesn't like unpredictability convinces him to clip his wings (thanks Bree) because Jimmy's not a proper avian (unlike Grian who has a more "airborne" body, bird feet etc rather than just... wings) and he'd never be able to take flight anyway, those wings would only encumber him. (And then Jimmy keeps clipping them himself until DL Ranchers but cough this post isn't about that). I imagine the avians (for my specific roster, just Grian) have their wings magically clipped anyway just enough to prevent flight and make the games fair. Doc ofc isn't avian himself but he knows that Grian greatly frowns upon the act of willingly clipping wings so when he sees that Jimmy's quickly growing wings have been clipped as well, he can't help but ask, because why would that be necessary while his wings are so small anyway? And Jimmy's response triggers a wee bit of fatherly concern in him but thats it for 3rd life woo

For the rest I just wanna draw more tiny moments of interaction until I get to Secret Life, I guess!! The brainrot is really fucking strong guys

[unsolicited-opinions]

Hi! Curious anon here

Do you believe it possible for someone to have "Pro Palestine." On their blog and yet be against netanyahu only, not Israel or Jews?

And if so, how would you feel about them interacting off anon?

Absolutely. I'm happy to interact with anybody who strives to be civil and intellectually honest. C'mon in.

I'm mutuals with a number of people who describe themselves as Pro-Palestinian and Zionist - and that's not a contradiction.

Since both of those terms have been muddied by propaganda, let me clarify:

A Zionist is someone who believes that the Jewish people have a right to national self-determination in a portion of their indigenous homeland. I'm a Zionist.

If being Pro-Palestinian means wanting safety, security, prosperity, and dignity for the people of Gaza and the West Bank, I'm Pro-Palestinian.

If being Pro-Palestine means being open to the idea of a new Arab state living in peace next to Israel, I'm conditionally Pro-Palestine, depending mostly on how to arrange for security and how to build trust for a lasting peace with a partner who has never previously had leadership to actually seek it.

If being Pro-Palestine means wiping Israel off the map, the murder or ethnic cleansing of Israelis, or depriving the Jewish people of national self-determination, I'm not Pro-Palestine.

Most of the Jews I know are somewhere in between loathing Netanyahu and actively praying for his demise. I've hated him 19 years longer than most of the Western "Pro-Palestinian" mob has known his name, and my loathing has only increased over time. I look forward to reading about his demise because lasting peace won't be possible to pursue while he's in power. He has to go. If he makes moves to start settling Gaza, that'll be a disaster for everyone.

Hamas has to go, and I'd like to see the PA either radically reform into a genuinely peace-seeking and effective governing entity (which seems pretty damned unlikely in historical context), or go.

I think there hasn't been an honest partner seeking peace on either side for nearly 20 years.

I hope that Arab Israelis, Emiratis, and Saudis will be very deeply involved in rebuilding Gaza after the war because none of them have much patience for radical Islamism or Jihadis these days, all have enormous resources to bring to the effort, and all have much to gain from that kind of success.

I think the situation in the West Bank is obviously unethical and not sustainable. Security is the biggest issue there and I really don't have any idea at all what the answer to that problem is...but finding an answer will require a completely different set of leaders with a different set of priorities on both sides.

I think Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib is on the right track with Realign for Palestine, and trying to actually seek peace.

I don't agree with Ahmed on everything, but he's smart, intellectually honest, capable of holding two narratives in mind as valid at the same time, and sincerely wants peace. That's exactly the kind of person I most want to disagree constructively with.

Here's an interview with Ahmed you can check out if you're not familiar with him:

I don't think my positions here are anything but centrism which many Israelis would find laughably optimistic, but you'd think from the behavior of Western "activists" on Tumblr that I favor Gaza-a-Lago or nuking Rafah...because they know nothing, but that doesn't daunt them a bit.

I'm very tired of profoundly ignorant Western idiots centering themselves and their feelings in any discussion of this conflict by condemning things they don't understand through the use of words they can't define to condescend to people they've never met operating in cultures they've never encountered, never studied, and know fuck-all about.

If they actually knew anything about Palestinians, if they actually cared at all about Palestinians, they'd be asking Ahmed how to help - not chanting Hamas's genocidal slogans and endorsing global violence against Jews.

I hate Hamas, I distrust the PA, I think the Western "pro-Palestinian" movement is doing enormous harm for mostly the same reasons Ahmed details.

But lasting peace won't be possible to explore until Hamas is gone and these tankie twats in the West are firmly told by parties actually involved to sit the fuck down.

[munsster]

being the gross couple headcanons

A/N: i wholeheartedly believe lieutenant jake seresin is a gross silly little freak who loves karaoke and labubus waiting to be set free

Pairing: Jake “Hangman” Seresin x Fem!Reader

the daggers are almost constantly yelling at one or both of you to STOP DOING THAT (“that” referring to most of your pda because you guys do that weird shit)

started as a joke but bro….. i don’t think it’s a joke anymore

(un)ironic baby talk

(“is that my smoochie woochie poo?” “i missed you, giggle wiggle bear!” “look at that smile, my little cupcake angel!” “come here, cutie patootie, baby saved a spot for you in his lap!” “how thoughtful, my sweet puppy wuppy!” “anything for you, darling snookums!”)

(choose your character, probably bob: “OH GOD PLEASE MAKE IT FUCKING STOP!!!!”)

sharing chewing gum

wiping things off each others faces (smears of sauce on your chin, mascara under your eyes, a bit of chocolate at the corner of your mouth)

going to the bathroom together

cleaning off the chip dust from each others fingers via mouth

watching you perfect your lipgloss application just to press his slobbery mouth to yours and make you squeal

swapping sunglasses

finishing each others sentences

also the weirdest little compliments that you two have gotten way too comfortable saying out loud

“baby, that ass is propaganda”

“lemme take a ride on that big green tractor”

“you look like you could treat me like a mechanical bull”

“i like that shade of lipstick. might look better on my—”

truly inside thoughts

but also just sweet stuff like lingering kisses and clutched hands and staring into each others eyes (makes everyone else gag. you don't care.)

maverick threatens to send one of you away but you all know he won’t (even he thinks it's nice on occasion)

the daggers spotting your hickeys in the most absurd places

how did you even get one behind his knee? who gives hickeys on the shoulder? too many questions, not enough patience

you are the most frequent word in jake’s mouth

you could be standing not a foot away from him, and he’s already yapping about that funny thing you said earlier (they were all there when you said it)

he will sneak out whenever he gets the chance just to steal you away and drag you to the nearest movie theater

the next day you walk into the mess hall hand-in-hand and looking utterly exhausted

coyote teasingly asks, “so what did the happy couple do last night?”

and you both grumble, “sonic 3”

making him dress up as some insane shit like the party rock album cover (he is obviously the girl with sorry for party rocking written on his abs)

you are nothing if not his worst objectifier and biggest fan

having chivalry contests to see who can beat who to opening any and every door first or who can do the other more favors like clearing your plates or holding your purse or untying his boots at the end of the day

^^^most of this becomes habitual anyway so the contests die out after a couple tries, but it was fun while it lasted!

knowing each others coffee orders like clockwork but still swapping drinks every time (he doesn’t even like that sugary shit!!!…… but since you’re offering)

you convince him to meditate with you

payback and fanboy walk in on you sitting criss-cross in jake’s also criss-crossed lap, both of you dead silent with your eyes closed

sharing EVERYTHING!!! food, jewelry, chapstick, clothes (and yes, he has stretched out almost every single one of your shirts)

he even tries on your bras sometimes to make you laugh

he starts to think he might actually need one of those super supportive ones…

having a playlist that consists of classic rock like “slow ride” and also nickelodeon hits like “freak the freak out” and “goofy goober rock”

using your time off to hire a professional photographer to take a maternity photo shoot where jake wears various babydoll dresses while you stand behind him, gripping his pecs

becoming a disney couple 😭😭😭

he collects pins around the park until he has about four lanyards full and you demand to take pictures with all the characters wandering around until he caves and buys you an autograph book

going to a karaoke bar with the daggers and being the worst singers with the best vibes

absolutely dominating “islands in the stream” (neither of you were on pitch once)

but of course everyone cheers because he’s weirdly excellent at crowd work

nobody expected jake to come out of his shell so swiftly and so easily, but they think it’s mostly cause of you

he’ll be gross and weird and loud as hell so long as you’re always right there with him, being gross and weird and holding his hand

top gun masterlist

[revelboo]

To our lord and messiah revelboo, may I make a simple human sacrifice for some more of “mass displacement mayhem” or “it had to be you” also, just a side note, I really hope you're doing well, take breaks, drink some water, do some stretches, and if you're feeling a little bit more gracious, I would like to know a little bit more of your lore in your fanfics.

I hope to update It Had To Be You, L.G.Fuad, and Everything Is Alright (again) tonight. But lore? Y’all made me have to actually think and BS some lore for my nonsense as I went, so here’s some of it

Transformers Lore bits for my G1/IDW stories

• In the fics, I’m going with very few new Transformers being created even well before the war began as the Senate tightened their grip on the population, especially the working class. Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Bluestreak, and First Aid among the last generation of sparklings created.

Little doomed uprisings were already beginning to crop up across Cybertron. A young idealistic senator named Shockwave beginning to hear rumblings and voicing his concerns to his mentor. And this would have been about the same time that they started implementing Empurata and started using Shadowplay on dissenters who might actually be able to get some traction and cause problems for them.

Archival records on spark bonds would have been destroyed around this time as well, leading to the taboo against such bonds and propaganda being disbursed that such bonds were blasphemous. It would have been a way to control the population growth since the aristocracy was already vastly outnumbered. It also ensured that if one spark mate perished in an accident, they wouldn’t lose two workers with fully bonded mates tied to each other’s life force.

It’s also around this time that Kaon is at its worst and the senate’s spies have begun actively hunting potential dissidents among the population. In cities like Iacon, there’d be rumors of someone speaking out or questioning the senate only to go missing. In Kaon, the gladiatorial matches would be in full swing, participants fighting to the death, some of them against their will. It’s in the pits that a gladiator calling himself Megatron after the fallen Prime starts gaining a following. While the Senate is aware of the gladiator fights, they’re largely ignored since they give the populace a distraction from how unhappy they are.

But it’s not only the lower classes dissatisfied with the Senate. More and more of the Cybertronian military are beginning to complain as energon rations are enforced for all but the wealthiest as another means of control. At this point, Soundwave and the Seekers gravitate toward Megatron and his ideals, his whispers that they’re all being deceived. Wanting someone to rise up and change things for the better. Through force if necessary.

[fertabranche]

Reverse 1999 3.0 spoilers warning.

Sentinel’s design and the clothing crisis of the French Infantry during WW1.

This is not going to be a real analysis of her design because I don’t know enough about WW1, the army, or her, but I fell into a bunch of rabbit holes in a row so I need to give this knowledge a purpose now lol.

I didn’t source this because most of it is in French but hopefully it won’t be too inaccurate. I tried.

Ignoring her Batman boots because hell yeah, what really struck me about her design was the white pants. I don’t know how well known this is outside of France but the pants the infantrymen wore during World War One sort of reached urban legend status. The uniforms did change quite a bit during the war but the pants were never white, so I’m not quite sure why they chose to dress her like that.

Maybe this will end up being meaningful, like maybe she’s part of a special arcanist regiment I don’t know, or perhaps it’s just meant to make her stand out a little more. But this might be relevant context for the story in any case, so here’s the story of how a pair of pants allegedly killed a bunch of people during the war.

Historically French infantrymen went into WW1 looking a lot bolder.

the garance uniform (1829-1915)

For a very long time, flashy colors were preferred for military uniforms so soldiers would have an easier time spotting each other in the midst of battle, especially because gunpowder smoke was causing such big vision issues.

There was also a social aspect, so much so that when smokeless powder was created at the end of the 19th century and most European armies subsequently got into camouflage, the French very much! Did not!

Or more like, they debated about it, like a lot. They had first become aware of the anachronism of the uniform at the very beginning of the 20th century during the Second Boer War (1899-1902), where the British troops debuted khaki uniforms, which advantaged them greatly. (And though that’s what I’m focusing on because of R1999, I need to clarify that there were more issues than just the fucking pants lmao.)

The debates lasted for over 10 years, with several unsuccessful design attempts and much much social backlash. They notably almost managed to change it to green in 1911 thanks to a particularly motivated Minister of War, but unfortunately a plane crash-landed on his head and he died.

Part of the difficulty here was that it had become a public debate. A former minister even declared "Get rid of the red pants? Never, the red pants *are* France." And as WW1 was drawing closer and closer, people became very into the idea of getting revenge against the Germans for the War of 1870 while wearing the national colors. Nevermind that the red dye in question was apparently produced in Germany of all places.

This is an example of the "attaque à outrance" (attack at excess) military mindset that was very much still prevalent in Europe at the time. Also called "cult of the offensive", it was based on this idea that willpower was the strongest component of a military victory and henceforth, rushing onto the enemy was preferable to defensive strategies. I’m not going to get into the obvious propaganda of it all, but let’s just say that wearing your literal flag is certainly related. Back then, the uniform seems to have been used as a fashion statement meant to glorify the soldier’s patriotism and masculinity.

Eventually, a decree was finally signed in July 1914 to give up on "l’uniforme garance" (the name of the red dye). At the end of the month, on July, 28th 1914, the First World War would break out.

It would take over a year for the new uniforms to be both produced and fully distributed among the French troops. The garance uniform is quoted to have caused the deaths of thousands of French soldiers in the early phase of the Great War, both because its impracticality and sheer visibility.

I must clarify here that the pants are but one example of how WW1 forcibly transformed international warfare, and how industrialized weaponry defeated the cult of the offensive. Unfortunately I do not know jackshit about war so I will not elaborate, but there were many more mistakes made at the time, this is just one of the more striking one.

the horizon blue uniform (1915-1921)

At first, they had decided to mix blue, white and red (national colors) threads to continue the patriotic trend but ended up picking this grey-blue color instead, because it was a lot more efficient to make, and all of the other neutral tones had apparently already been picked by other countries.

I should mention here that though this was a stark improvement from the previous uniform, its camouflage properties were heavily criticized both during and after the war, especially when compared to the muddier tones of other armies. So much so that by the end of the war the Germans had apparently developed special technology to be able to spot the blue horizon even easier.

ANYWAY, that’s the uniform the NPCs seem to be wearing in Sentinel’s trailer. It’s the color most associated with the figure of the "poilus" (hairy ones), a term of endearment for the WW1 French infantrymen. Not that they were particularly hairy, especially since they had to shave to wear gas masks, but it appears to have originated as an expression of rustic everyday masculinity.

Sentinel is dressed quite differently here however. Her i1 uniform is pretty unmistakably blue horizon, but this one is a lot darker. I believe this is her i2 outfit since it’s also on her splash art. It’s too early to say what it’s supposed to be exactly, but darker blue was most common amongst higher ranking officers. This could make sense but her trailer names her as a second class soldier so I really don’t think this is why. It could be one I just haven’t found in my research, but my money is on the arcanist regiment because that sounds just like something they would write.

All in all, none of this explains why her pants are fucking white in both outfits. I really did look but I didn’t found anything that would make sense in this context. It probably does not matter at all, it’s certainly just a stylistic choice, but I am invested now I hope this is lore lmfao.

[ego-osbourne]

I wanted to expand on my last post. Eventually I’ll do one about Glarthir, but I feel like he’s an easier case to understand. For now, I want to talk about why

Mankar Camoran was right.

To preface: I think an extremely important part about understanding this position is reading Oblivion’s writing from a Doylist perspective, not a Watsonian one. Oblivion as a game provides a very biased narrative for the player, feeling almost as if the Empire itself made a game about the events of the Oblivion Crisis, erasing most things that make the Empire look wholly evil while offering just enough grey area to keep it from looking squeaky clean, and thus keeping most suspicions of true intent away. So much of TES’s lore and story is supplemented through propaganda that fans have to sift through and interpret. Here’s my interpretation.

On surface level, Mankar Camoran is a very forgettable villain. Beyond surface level, though… he’s still rather forgettable. In-game, we only see him two times throughout the whole main quest, once to establish that he even exists, and twice to kill him. He’s very mortal, and most players will see him as nothing more than a blabbering old man with very little credibility or motivation beyond “mwahaha I’m evil.” In Paradise, his speech to the player strays a bit far from the Dagonite sermon we hear in the Lake Arrius Caverns, dropping proper nouns that were never pre-established before then. Reading his Commentaries won’t help with understanding, either, as it’s filled will inane jargon that can hardly stay on topic between paragraphs, let alone between books, speaking of “heaven” and “angels” and spelling Nirn like NRN as if it was ripped straight from ancient Hebrew Christian scriptures. It’s all very esoteric, but in the way that it feels like you’re talking to someone with only a baseline understanding of occultism, and it completely rips you from your immersion in the game. Even without the Commentaries or the out-of-place mentions of Lorkhan and the motivations that come with that, Mankar stupid enough to even get the names of the Daedric Prince’s realms wrong! What is happening?

MK. MK is what is happening.

To be fair, this is not all Michael Kirkbride’s fault—in fact, I’d argue that MK had little-to-nothing to do with the finalizing of Mankar’s character and motivations; however, he was clearly involved. The Commentaries are rife with his writing style, and we have posts by MK confirming his involvement with writing Mankar. I’d more accurately (but less punchily) say that what is actually happening is developer meddling and a lack of proofreading.

DEVELOPER MEDDLING

Developer meddling can be intentional (in-world propaganda) or unintentional (narrative-pushing biases). These oftentimes overlap, and the case is especially apparent in Mankar.

Fantasy has always had an oddly charged stance against elves, and TES is no exception. Aside from Daggerfall, no mainline TES game has had a mq villain be something other than a Daedra or an elf. Daedra are self-explanatory candidates for villains, being TES’s stand-in for demons, and (whether lore accurate or not) are seen as inherently evil. However, elves are a whole different story. They are simply another people group within the realm of Nirn, and yet if a villain needs to be presented, that villain is more often than not going to be an elf. It wasn’t until Skyrim that we saw non-elven and non-Daedric villains; though, none are quite human either. Alduin is a dragon, obviously; Harkon is a Nord, but he’s also a vampire, and his vampiric nature supersedes his human nature; Miraak is an… Atmoran? a Nord? but, again, only hardly such, posing more like a Daedric-dragon-manthing than something solely human. In Oblivion, there is only one primary human enemy—Mathieu Bellamont of the DBH quest line, but even he is only just human. He’s a Breton, a human-elf mix, a “manmer” (yes, Bretons do count as mannish races, but I still find it to be a slightly damning detail). Every other villain is an elf (Mankar, Mannimarco, Umaril*) or a Daedra (Dagon, Jyggalag).

*Umarill is described to be a “half-elf;” his mother is an Ayleid, but his father is “divine” (see, 1).

Already we see a strange lean towards non-humans—especially elves—being villains. This is contrasted with humans largely being seen as the good guys. Uriel, Martin, Baurus, they’re all humans against the elven villain, Mankar. Pelinal Whitestrake isn’t classified as a specific human race, but is certainly human enough to be named Shezarrine, the “God of Man,” and notably genocides an entire race of elves… and this is celebrated in game. The player is meant to emulate Pelinal during the Knights of the Nine DLC, and his genocide is supported by the Divines and generally seen as a good thing.

Meanwhile, any anti-human sentiments are treated much more seriously in lore, framed either as a severe threat or pure evil. For example, Tiber Septim’s complete takeover of Tamriel is a good thing, despite his multiple war crimes against elves and his general hatred for them, but the Thalmor’s shadow over Tamriel is a world-ending threat that paints all elves (or at least all Altmer) as villains conspiring against humans. As another example, looking back at Oblivion, the Ayleid’s enslavement of humans is purely evil, but Pelinal’s complete and successful genocide of the entire Ayleid race is something to be celebrated. There is an obvious double-standard regarding elves and men in TES, and even when there are exceptions to this rule, the majority of the series is woven with this prejudice.

We can see this very clearly with the Camorans, particularly with Haymon (the Camoran Usurper) and Mankar. I read most “historical” documentation of Haymon and Mankar to be Imperial propaganda, though I am surprised by the fandom tendency to read these documents as the full-faced truth, especially when considering these documents’ biases. I’ll break down a few examples.

Haymon Camoran rose to the Valenwood throne during a time of great strife within the country, particularly in regard to Imperial control (see, History: Third Era, ¶1). He sought to free Valenwood of Imperial rule, and did so through means of war. In any other scenario, this would read as a story of heroism, where one person is able to assemble enough hope to stand against the shadow of an oppressive empire and free their country. However, TES offers us no such narrative, only giving us retellings of this history through Imperial lenses (Pocket Guide to the Empire, 3rd Edition; The Refugees; The Fall of the Usurper; etc.). In these retellings, Haymon is demonized as a cruel warmonger, with the only one to stand up against him being Kaltos Camoran, who held the throne before Haymon (see, Invasion of Tamriel, ¶1). Kaltos’s positive image in these accounts hints that he was an Empire sympathizer, and this is magnified by the fact that Valenwood was in a state of unrest due to Imperial rule while Kaltos was on the throne. Kaltos was likely allowing Imperial forces to remain within Valenwood, and we can speculate as to why (greed, status, etc.). No wonder these Imperial retellings categorize him in a good light, he was on their side and effectively a traitor to his own country. If we had Valenwood retellings of this history, I would wager that they’d regard Kaltos in a negative light and Haymon in a positive light, for the most part.

Additionally, Haymon is further demonized, reported to have led an army of undead and Daedra (see, Invasion of Tamriel, ¶1). This is a blatantly odd and impractical choice for an army, especially when other evidence points to Haymon having great enough of an influence in Valenwood to not be assassinated or stopped when he took the throne from Kaltos; thus, he would surely have enough influence to lead an army of Bosmer. To me, this reads like Imperial reports meddling with history, choosing to paint Haymon as a lich-like villain who can only convince the undead and Daedra to follow his reign rather than allow their readers to believe that actual flesh-and-blood intelligent people would follow Haymon. This is a common tactic of propaganda: dehumanizing the opposition’s support so that it seems foolish for anyone in the present time to support the opposition as well. Furthermore, rumors of Haymon being the son of Molag Bal are apparently rampant throughout the Empire, which is so amusingly outlandish that it reads like the real-world counterpart of someone calling a political leader the Antichrist in protest (see, Notes, *1).

As for Mankar, propaganda exists for him, too, most notably in the book The Refugees. This book is rather deceiving, however. My first read of it had me fully believing it at face-value because it presents itself as a mere documentation of true events. The Refugees details Haymon’s last attack in Dwynnen, High Rock, and focuses on a small group of survivors: some civilians, some detractors from Haymon’s cause. The book leads the reader to believe that the main characters are these various refugees, with the plot being a simple sharing of conversations about the goings-on of the attack. But, it sneaks in little things that we would see in pro-Imperial accounts of the event, like Kaltos being framed as the Good Guy while Haymon is a cruel warmonger, again (see, ¶34). Additionally, it “so happens” to serve as an origin story for Mankar, who in the book is reported to have been born among the refugees. This birth is far from ordinary, though.

Mankar’s mother, Kaalys, is reported to be the runaway mistress of Haymon, hiding with the refugees in Dwynnen after abandoning Haymon’s cause. The refugees believe she is sick and going mad from stress, as she keeps yelling, “Mankar is coming!” repeatedly. By the end of the book, though, we learn that she was not simply sick, but was going through labor, and this “Mankar” is the very child she birthed. She reports that Mankar “will bring death. He will destroy all,” (see, ¶62). She then runs off immediately after labor with Mankar in tow.

There’s a lot to criticize here. What seems like a strange, crazed mother prophesying the incoming Crisis that Mankar will bring actually reads very much like propaganda against Mankar, written in his later years of life, possibly in response to his growing popularity to “prove” that he was born of malicious origins that even his own mother could sense. This is all hidden under the veil of The Refugees being a simple retelling of events, shifting the focus away from Kaalys and Mankar just enough to make readers unsuspicious of its propagandist intentions. Attempting to read into the details brings up a lot of issues.

First: If Kaalys was in labor during the sacking of Dwynnen, that means she had to have been very pregnant for a couple months up until that point. How in the world was she traveling with Haymon across the continent (from Valenwood to High Rock) while being that pregnant? It seems like an oversight by an author who simply wanted to tell a specific narrative of Haymon’s allies turning against him. Second: How did the refugees mistake her for being sick instead of recognizing that she was pregnant and in labor? Those seem like two very different things, with the latter being very obvious and recognizable. It seems like another oversight by an author who was not too worried about the details of their story, and who only wished to tell a specific narrative about Mankar’s origins. Third: How was she able to up and run away with Mankar immediately after giving birth? And while injured (see, ¶55)? Even if technically possible, that is highly improbable, if not next to impossible. It seems like a cheap tactic to work her out of the picture rather than follow her journey after the fact, as if the author only meant to tell one specific narrative. Are we seeing a pattern?

Oh, and fourth: Who talks about their child like that? It’s almost like the author wanted to paint a specific narrative about Mankar being born evil. The Refugees stands as one big anti-Haymon, pro-Empire propaganda piece written under the guise of sympathetic characters and calling any remaining supporters of Haymon foolish, because look! All of Haymon’s closest followers abandoned him (note that this is the only report we have of any of Haymon’s followers abandoning him)! And also, look! His son is evil! Even his mother knew it! And before he was born, no less! (/speech in-character)

My theory is that this book was written in response to Mankar’s growing influence within the Empire. He was charismatic enough to win the minds and hearts of many of the Empire’s citizens, and The Refugees sought to prevent further damage as much as it could by pretending to be a simple report from the Dwynnen sacking that just so happened to have Mankar’s evil origins scribed within it. Tsk tsk tsk.

A LACK OF PROOFREADING

So, that was all Mankar’s background, but what about the man himself? He’s obviously a raving idiot who can’t keep his thoughts straight to save his life. He seems to not be well-grounded in Daedric affairs at all, showing a mix of Dagonite worship, Lorkhan sympathy, and Ayleid appreciation all while attributing the wrong Prince to the wrong realm. This is where MK comes in.

By 2006, it seems MK was no longer directly involved with Bethesda Game Studios after his work on Morrowind. However, he still had a lot of contact with the employees and developers over at BGS, and would answer them in emails about any questions they had, especially regarding inspiration for writing Oblivion. It seems the devs, in attempting to get a feel for Mankar’s character, asked MK to write a speech by Mankar. MK writes something up, seemingly semi-flippantly according to his desire to want to “*really* [go] nuts with it” after learning “Terrance Freakin Stamp” would be voicing Mankar (see, 2006, ¶14).

Unbeknownst to MK, his emails would be used word-for-word as in-game dialogue (Mankar’s speech) and books (the Commentaries). Quoted from MK, “That whole speech came from a section of said email where I attempted to get inside [Mankar’s] head so I could understand how he might think, and how that thought would translate to his writing. Turns out, [Mankar] writes like me. Ah, well,” (see, 2006, ¶12–13).

These emails were not altered when translated to game according to MK (“Turns out, Mankar writes like me.”). Additionally, these emails were not fact-checked, either. The speeches and books seem to be a complete rip, a copy-and-paste from MK’s email, with flaws and all, including the mistake of attributing the wrong Prince to the wrong realm that everyone likes to clown on Mankar for. Mankar was never intended to be written as a raving idiot, his dialogue was simply never fact-checked against TES’s own lore, and his character suffered the consequences.

On the topic of MK’s involvement with writing Mankar, it explains why Mankar’s motivations seem to flip from pure Dagonism to Lorkhan sympathy. MK is writing to BGS with a Morrowind brain, where Lorkhan and his lore plays a major part in the plot of TESIII. But, in TESIV, Lorkhan is never mentioned outside of Mankar’s own speech/writings. If the devs of Oblivion had taken more careful consideration of Mankar’s character instead of ripping straight from MK’s emails, I believe they could have narrowed down Mankar’s motivations and made him a much better villain. I would argue that Lorkhan’s story does not need to be told in Oblivion’s plot, and the plot would have benefited a great deal from focusing on, oh, I don’t know, the Prince actually behind it all, Mehrunes Dagon! Dagon, too, is clowned on for being a thoughtless, stupid, barbaric tank who only knows destruction. It’s no wonder that the fandom often forgets he is also the Prince of Hope, because the devs forget that detail themselves!

MK and Todd Howard both even say that Mankar was right to some degree—or, at least, he was meant to be! MK says, “Canon or not, my two cents is that [Mankar] is completely right … but don’t quote me…I didn’t write this in-character,” (sorry MK, gotta quote!) (see, 2006, ¶15). Todd Howard even claims that he wanted Mankar to be a morally grey villain! Quote: “You know, he’s not a cackling maniac. We like to have our bad guys be a little grayer. We want that moment where the player goes like… Maybe he’s right,” (see, Notes, *5).

Crazy! Todd Howard wanted Mankar to be seen as grey, as competent, as right! And yet, because of a total lack of care for fact-checking, a disregard for the necessities of cutting away excess plot, and a general apathy for Mankar, the Mythic Dawn, and Dagon as driving forces in the story, Oblivion’s main plot suffers for it. Todd Howard’s intentions to make Mankar a grey villain flopped so severely that it requires many leaps and bounds to see Mankar the way Todd might have wanted him to be.

LEAPS AND BOUNDS

However, I would argue there is hope for Mankar’s character as it stands. The execution was horrible, but the pieces of a grey villain do still exist! Many of my ideas were first sparked by this video, so I would recommend giving it a watch if you’re able!

For this formula to work, we have to look at Mankar from a very objective perspective. We must consider that most/all of the information given on Mankar in-game is propaganda. Even in-game events that the player sees with their own eyes must be understood as manufactured to create a caricature of a villain rather than a true villain with understandable motivations. Essentially, we must have a very critical eye about everything.

Mankar Camoran was born to Haymon Camoran and Kaalys Camoran. In Valenwood, Haymon was regarded as a felled hero, his life ended too soon to completely free and secure Valenwood from Imperial rule, allowing it to be overtaken by Summerset and Elsywer after his death (see, History: Third Era, ¶2). Valenwood is then overrun by sympathizers of various political entities, leaving the to-be prince Mankar unsafe in his own country. Perhaps he and his mother flee to Cyrodiil and hide under different aliases for a while, or perhaps Kaalys swears loyalty to the Empire in exchange for protection from the overpowering forces back in Valenwood. However it happens, Mankar eventually ends up in Cyrodiil, and he has complaints about the religious-political system.

The Empire, reportedly inspired by the real-world Roman Empire, fittingly reflects the Roman Empire’s facade of order and peace while perpetuating unrest beneath the surface. Racial tensions against elves persist from age to age, with the Empire constantly undercutting their elven enemies and making them the face of the opposition, from Alessia to Tiber Septim. This anti-elf sentiment is perpetuated by the Divines themselves, who hypocritically promote peace and unity while celebrating figures such as Pelinal Whitestrake and allowing the likes of Tiber Septim into their ranks. Homelessness and poverty are also rampant in the Empire despite the Imperial Cult’s vast wealth. Again, the Divines are hypocritical, offering words of peace and prosperity through their priests, but they ultimately do nothing to help with the economic crisis.

Mankar sees this and is rightfully appalled. How can both the Empire and the Divines do nothing about all of this suffering coming from the hands of their own hypocrisy? Mankar, the son of Haymon Camoran, the almost-liberator of Valenwood, finds it fitting to speak out against the Empire, and does so on their own terms—as a minister. Seeing as the Divines do not care for his people (elves), and seeing that the Daedra are much more effective in responding, Mankar seeks the help of Mehrunes Dagon, the Prince of Revolution, Destruction, and Hope—Revolution against the stagnant and hypocritical ways of the Imperial Cult, the Destruction of the corrupt Empire, and Hope for a better future to come. Mankar becomes a priest of sorts, writing sermons on the state of the Empire and the Imperial Cult.

He reaches the hearts and minds of the poor, impoverished, and down-trodden of society. With Dagon’s help, he is able to create a pocket-realm of Oblivion, Paradise, as a refuge* for his new followers. As his influence grows, so does his ability to do something about the Empire’s hypocrisy, and so he begins to act.

*I genuinely do not know why Paradise turns out to be a surprise torture realm. This just feels like the devs wanting to point and Mankar and go “Look! Evil elf!” This is especially damning considering that Paradise looks like an Ayleid city, and that most (maybe all?) of the victims of this torture-realm are humans. So, Paradise is a representation of human Tamriel under Ayleid rule? Okay, Todd.

Mankar is working with Dagon to bring about the New Dawn: an age free of the Empire, perhaps a restart of the kalpa itself, so that Tamriel will be free from the choking grasp of the Divines and their mortal rulers. Mankar is willing to kill for this, perhaps because he knows everyone will reawaken in a better Era, or perhaps because he is aware that none of it will matter with the New Dawn, or perhaps because he has stopped having sympathy for anyone still supporting the Empire and the Imperial Cult. However you want to string it, he knows he has to get the Daedra on the field to make anything happen, and so he collects his followers and makes an attack against the throne. They kill every Septim (or so they think), and with Uriel’s death, they are now able to open Oblivion Gates across Tamriel. The Revolution part of the plan is complete, and now Dagon and his forces can bring about the Destruction of the Empire. Those who understand the Empire’s corruption will join Mankar in Paradise, and those who don’t will be killed—whether this is a mercy or a punishment is up to further interpretation.

And so exists Mankar Camoran, finding it unjust to simply sit aside and allow the Divines-backed Empire to kill the world slowly with its corruption. If it’s going down, it might as well go down with some hope of a brighter future. Mankar Camoran, the son of a failed liberator, a prince never-to-be, sees fit to eliminate a future of lies, corruption, and death by the Empire and create a new world—a better world.

This can then branch into more interpretations. The player can decide if Mankar is making a leap in logic, or if he’s doing the wrong thing for the right reason, or if he just straight up is doing the best thing possible for the situation. There could also be a lot more done about Dagon’s own motivations for this: does he feel sympathy for elves, and thus backs Mankar’s cause? Does he want to stick it to the Divines? Is there something else he wants to obtain from Nirn’s destruction? Explanations could go anywhere, and it’s sad that the game offers us nothing.

Either way, I feel like a lot of players would be able to sympathize more with Mankar if he was truly presented as a grey villain like this. As he’s presented in game, he’s simply a stupid cult leader with no sense of focus for the subject at hand. With a little more polish, though, he could be a revolutionary gone too far, or not far enough depending on how you play your character.

To me, Mankar is a representation of how the perfect blend of in-lore propaganda, real-world bias, and developer oversight created the most forgettable and laughable villain in TES, yet so full of untapped potential. Mankar is uncared for because of his apparent “stupidity,” but too much of the fandom fails to recognize that he was not intentionally written this way, and his presentation in game is a broken mirror of who the devs, creator, and supporters of Oblivion wanted him to be.

Mankar Camoran, objectively, is a revolutionary, the son of a revolutionary, and seeks freedom from the corruption of the Empire—an empire that advocates for genocide, winks at hypocrisy, and allows poverty to flourish. Who wouldn’t want to try and overturn a system like that?

Mankar Camoran was right.

[sexiestpodcastcharacter]

Sexiest Podcast Character 2024 — Scripted Undefeated Bracket — Round 4

Propaganda

Renée Minkowski (Wolf 359):

But. MINKOWSKI. Please read all that Minkowski propaganda I wrote and then consider voting for her. She's the love of my life and THE sexiest podcast woman, bar none.

MINKOWSKI

Mabel Martin (Mabel):

​Let’s go Mexican lesbian who worships her gf like a catholic saint, ate glass one time, & can never escape her childhood home or the inevitability of love no matter how hard she tries. 🗣️🗣️🗣️

MABEL NATION STAY STRONG WE WILL PREVAIL

Additional propaganda below the cut:

Renée Minkowski (Wolf 359):

the most badass commander there is. she spent a week hunting a plant monster living on the air ducts of her station with a goddamn harpoon. she managed to keep her people alive and get them home. she managed to keep Eiffel alive for like five years and for that alone she deserves a fucking medal

She did not just spend one week hunting the plant monster, she spent TWO WEEKS hunting the plant monster. Later on, she used the very same harpoon to murder an evil capitalist WHILE SHE HAD A BULLET IN HER CHEST.

She's haunted by the memory of the first time she took a life, and what's sexier than a character with regrets?

She works out. Muscle women. Enough said.

She's devoted to protecting her crew above all else, and despite her self-doubt, she's REALLY damn good at it.

She's a theater kid! She loves musicals! She writes showtunes! Sondheim is her favorite composer!

She Russian-Roulettes a guy into not blowing up her ship, and does such a good job of it that he never even realizes there aren't any bullets in her gun.

She's been trapped in a time loop, possibly multiple times.

She's the best character in all of audio drama, I love her, she's beautiful, she's sexy, and she deserves every vote.

#minkowski my beloved. love of my life. other half of my heart. sexiest woman in podcast ever. i love her

#MINKOWSKI!!!!!! #i love her sooo much fun fact

#my girl! my favorite girl! she won! #let's keep this energy going everyone!

I don't really remember anything about Wolf 359 since I only listened to a few episodes so I'm throwing my lot in with whoever has the most compelling/funniest propaganda. I think this would be funny and I commit to nothing if not the bit

This is propaganda for all the female characters. Voters please remember how pretty all women are and factor that into every single vote you make. Thank you.

Mabel Martin (Mabel):

I haven't listened to Mabel yet but I liked how far she got last year.

#MABEL <3

#VOTE MABEL MARTIN BEFORE I BLOW UP THIS ENTIRE BUILDING

#Mabel Martin Is Sexy 2025

#she’s sexy and intense and I love her to bits

#MABEL!!!

#Mabel Martin of course you would win#she's just an unsettling faelike lesbian

#mabel!!!!! #the girl ouroboros herself #feral fae child latina godling. what else do i need to say

This is propaganda for all the female characters. Voters please remember how pretty all women are and factor that into every single vote you make. Thank you.