#{i chose true alien forms for the rest}

[themadvigilantist]

Mun v. Muse

piccrew: here and here

tagged by: @jimbo-spacehawk

tagging: whoever wants to

in order left to right: evangeline, v, mariana, the scientist, the mun, the vigilante ( @thebadtimewolf ), hae ( @drbabygirl ), penny ( @pennybraddock ), and izzy ( @egyptroyal )

[mindmelter]

New Soldier Skin

Nick found it weird that the doctor was calling him again for a check up, he had done one early that month and they normally don't do twice a month. But he had no choice in the matter, he was just a soldier.

"I'm feeling perfectly fine doctor, there's no need for another check up, also I'm out of duty tomorrow"

"Nonsense, It's very important that we keep track of the health of our soldiers, now stand on the scale over there please. We just want to make sure that you are ready to return to your family, I bet you must be really excited right?"

"Yes I am, Doctor, It's been a long time, can't wait to see my wife and kids back at home" He said getting on the scale.

The doctor's friendly expression changed drastically once Nick was standing on the scale with his back to him, now the doctor had a blank and emotionless expression. The doctor walked to his laptop on his table and pressed a key.

"My wife can't wait to see me back at home, and the kids are really...huh?" The soldier looked down at his feet confused, he could feel the scale vibrating beneath his feet, he tried to take his feet off the scale but he couldn't, his feet were stuck to the scale like a magnetic force was pulling them down "That's weird, I can't pull my feet off the scale, doctor?"

"Thank you for your service, Nick" It was all the Doctor said before pressing another key on the laptop.

"What? What is..." Before Nick could finish, he felt a strong electric shock run up from his feet and spread to the rest of his body, he could feel every cell in his body being hit by the eletrical charge. His body became rigid and he grunted for a few seconds, but then the humming of the scale stopped and he fell to the floor completely hollowed out. His hollow head on the floor with smoke coming out of his orifices.

The Doctor looked unfrazed at the lifeless bodysuit on the floor, actually, he looked even bored with the whole event.

"You can come out now, your new skin is ready" The doctor said and then the door opened and a humanoid alien entered the room. The white humanoid alien was wearing a visibly worn out and torn open human skin, it was very damaged with holes and scratches, and was also missing half the face, under the skin it displayed the alien true form, a white gelatinous goo.

"It was a shame that your last human skin was damaged in battle, you're always so careless with your skins. The General was furious." Said the Doctor.

"I know, I will be more carefull this time" The Alien said looking at the skinsuit lying on the floor, suddenly his true white form started to melt, hollowing out his current damaged skin, his gelatinous form crawled on the floor in the direction of Nick's skin and started to enter through the holes in his head, mouth, eyes, nose, ears, soon the hollow body of Nick started to inflate and gain life, Nick's flat muscles started to get bigger to their full power. The alien was filling every part of Nick with It's slimy form, filling it like a balloon.

After a few seconds he stood up in his new human body, Nick's eyes were completely white with the gelatin alien body underneath, but they quickly started to turn into normal human eyes, now identical to Nick's eyes.

"Do you have any new assignments for me Doctor?"

"No, actually this was his last week of service before his break, you're going back to his family tomorrow"

"Are you serious? It's so boring to pretend to be a husband and a dad, You know I like the action, I want to go into combat!"

"Sorry, but I'm just following orders from the General." The Doctor said grabbing the deteriorated human skin from the floor and looking at it with a disgusted expression. "This was your fourth skin only this year" The doctor then threw the human suit inside a garbage chut on the wall, then he closed it "That's why we chose Nick to be your next skin. The General thinks it's better for you to spend some time out of combat. I know It's not fun to have to pretend to be our skins, but I guess it will be good for you to relax a little, besides you don't have to act exactly like Nick, you just have to not act too much out of character"

"Is being fucked by men too out of character for this hunky skin?" The soldier asked with a devious smile, looking at the doctor with hungry eyes.

"As long as his wife doesn't find out..." The doctor said dropping his pants to the floor, exposing the jockstrap he was wearing.

They both started to make out as Nick groped and squeezed the doctor's big package. Nick dropped to his knees and lowered the Doctor's jockstrap and was in awe to what he saw.

"Wow, your skin is so freaking hung!"

"He used this thing on a lot of women, but I didin't used it in a long time"

"Fill it up, I want to see how big it when completely filled"

The doctor member started to inflate like a modelling balloon in a fraction of seconds.

Nick then started to suck it while he jerked his own hard member. A few minutes later Nick was lying on the doctor's table with his burly legs up being roughly fucked by the doctor's thick cock.

"How is my health, doctor?" Asked Nick with a grin while having his hole stretched by the doctor's big member.

"You're fine... really fine. You are free to go to your new family. Just don't forget to smile and say sentimental words when you see them, like how much you missed them"

______________________

Monthly Report:

Doctor, I'm having a blast in Nick's skin, you were right, I needed a break from all the action, I can have as much action in here with a body like this, I lost count of how many guys fucked me already. Apart acting like a gay slut in the shadows, his wife and kids don't even suspect their beloved husband and daddy is just a skin now. I guess I'm doing a good job as Nick.

End of report.

[zuzuelectricbugaloo]

I've been thinking about Epic (shocker I know xD) and I thought about the missed opportunity for his and Packs' relationships with Epictale Mettaton and Napstablook.

Like, both are ghosts, and including Mad Mew Mew and Red/Lara, are two of four of all the ghosts Underground (and in existence currently). Monsters come in all kinds of variety, but as ghosts, I wonder if it's more isolating for them. That they'd be considered "not true" monsters because of their lack of corporeal forms, something all monsters have.

And Mettaton, Lara, and Mew Mew chose to possess bodies to fit in more and be more like "real" monsters. And there's still that slight "Oh you're not really one of us" from other monsters still, that they had to get physical forms just to "imitate" being a real monster. And how much worse it is for extremely socially anxious Napstablook and why they choose to stay with their cousin Mettaton in the lab so they wouldn't feel alone.

How Epic being treated as a "fake" monster, someone artificially made and is treated by all of Gester's followers and Gester himself as something inferior and less than because of his existence being an outlier from the rest of monsterkind, how much Mettaton and Blooky would empathize with him.

How Mettaton would one day make the connection between Epic's treatment and his and his cousins' own when Blooky quietly points it out one day after the latest experiment, where all the Followers and Gester thought it was within their rights to manhandle Epic's Soul and he had no say in the matter. All because he "wasn't a real monster." Didn't that sound familiar...

Napstablook had always been kind, and been softer to Epic than the others. And after they pointed out why they went out of their way to befriend Epic when they were normally extremely socially anxious to the point of isolation, Mettaton can't continue on with a blind eye anymore, discomfort churning in his wiring whenever he sees how his coworkers and boss, Epic's own father, look at and treat him.

Epictale Mettaton and Blooky could've found Epic hiding away somewhere, eating quietly and alone, and sat with him. Sharing their own experiences about what it was like to be considered alien from their own kind. How whatever occupation they decided to take on, with Mettaton and Blooky in the lab or Lara in the Guard and Mew Mew with their business, they always feel like they have to be the best (sharing that harmful mindset with Epic that their worth is only defined by their productivity), give it their all just to be considered as meaningful contributors to monster society. They could've had a tentative friendship and later close work partnership formed, with Metta, Blooky, and later when introduced, Mew Mew and Lara taking in Epic and later on Packs as honorary cousins.

Heck, there's even a funny moment where Epic accidentally calls Mettaton "Dad" and the ghost fam tease him relentlessly about it xD

We could've had Mettaton joking for Epic to "respect his elders" whenever he pulls a prank or joke. Or Epic and Mew Mew having a blast dressing each other up. Or Packs posing and finally being someone for Mew Mew to match and absolutely destroy everyone else in dancing with. Not to mention a sparring partner for Lara that they can match and both just hit it off really well. (RIP Toriel's ballroom. It has to be rebuilt everytime they party in there).

((And maybe instead of Mettaton and Lara having crushes on Packs, they joke that he's their favorite nephew and Epic pouts everytime. "I know my baby bro's the best but I'm pretty cute too! Right Metta?"

Metta, slightly smirking: No~

Epic: THAT'S IT, BLOOKY'S MY FAVORITE UNCLE!))

The ghosts could've been the family the skeleton brothers deserved.

@talonsirgo @sirsquidsalot @toffeebrews Some Epic and by extension Epictale thoughts I've been having.

[vibratingskull]

Hi, how are you?

Can I ask for a NSFW Thrawn x f!reader where the reader is a cadet at the imperial academy and its following a class on art where she meets grand admiral Thrawn, that it’s there to find new recruits.

Thrawn sees the reader al fall for her in an obsessive way, at the point of watching her every move.

I leave it up to you for the ending.

Sorry I love how you write and I feel like this plot could have a lot of potential.

Sorry for my grammar English it’s not my first language.

Love you so much, hope you choose to write this inspo 🫶🏼🫶🏼

Obsessive? You mean... Like a Yandere? 😁😁😁😁 I tweaked it a bit cause the age gap was a bit much for me, I hope it is okay with you. It will be a 2 parter

⋆.ೃ���*:･ Thrawn x F!reader ⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

Tags : Yandere behaviors, Reader has a heart defect, meet up, training, art class, this chapter sets the scene

You bite your tongue, looking your canvas up and down, tracing your lines, focusing on your light and shadow values, adding rays of the sun, and taking a step back to admire your piece from afar. 

Mmmmmh. Pretty good! 

You dip your brush in the paint when the Professor’s comlink rings, resonating in the room. She picks up and slightly grumbles. 

"Students, we are receiving someone." She doesn't appreciate her class being disturbed despite being considered a simple 'distraction' in the eyes of other professors. 

But for you, this class is your haven, your safe place, where you come to steam off and relax after a hard month at the academy. 

All that to say you do not really care who is supposed to come, you are focused on your art! 

Your gaze turns back to your canvas as you keep drawing delicate curves of a golden sea, the sun burning as it sets. You wet your brush and add more paint when the door opens to let appear a small group of several officers. 

As the rest of the students you rise from your seat and stand to attention. 

One man in the group immediately catches your eyes: tall and muscular, with blue skin, black-blue hair, and flaming red eyes he scans the entire class with cold detachment. 

Commodore Thrawn.  

It can only be him 

He is quite famous in the navy now... The alien genius that makes the hierarchy tremble in their boots. 

"Sit back please, we are here to observe." Vice Admiral Thrawn explains with a deep voice. 

But you have the feeling this voice could be as sharp as a blade if he ever wanted to... 

You sit back and seize your brush to focus on your painting again. You are somewhat aware of the group's movement in the room from the corner of your eyes but you do not pay too much attention to them. You add stripes of pink in the water, wondering if you should also add a bird to give it more life. You hear the sounds of the discussion between your professor and one of the members of the Commodore's group, speaking lowly. 

Curiously, they chose a painting session to observe students. Usually, they prefer observing the simulations. But this man has a reputation for being a bit eccentric: according to rumors he builds his strategies off the art of the culture he is facing. 

An eccentric indeed if it is true. 

You contemplate your work, adding little touches here and there, adding more reflection in the water, and finally, you trace your bird. 

You are focusing on the general form of its open wings when you hear footsteps stop right behind you. You pay them no mind until you realize the person is here to stay and do not budge from behind your station. 

You can feel the weight of their gaze on the back of your neck like a piercing flame burning your skin. You gulp, uncomfortable, but prefer to remain focused on your canvas. 

Is that... A breath you feel on your neck? And you feel a warmth emanating behind your back, a warmth too high for a human organism... 

You look around as the steps go away and discover the alien heading to another student, observing their work before walking away again to another rapidly.  

Why did he stand so close? And so long? 

By retribution or simply by boredom, you give your bird red glowing eyes. 

Maybe he should not see that... 

You do not have time to correct the painting, the bell rings signaling the end of the class. You all hurry to clean your art furniture and store the canvas before heading toward your new class. You need to cross the entire building to reach the dojo for some close combat lessons so you sprint to grab your bag and head towards your class in the corridors. 

You just pass the door and are about to start running when a regal voice stops. 

“Miss. Would you please indicate to us where the dojos are?”  

You look at the group of officers standing here, fixing you from all their height, Commodore Thrawn in particular is towering over everyone here. You gulp. 

“I am going there right now... You can follow me.” You propose. 

“Most certainly. Lead the way, please.” He elegantly gestures toward the corridor. 

You lead the groups, wondering if it was okay for a cadet to walk in front of a Commodore, maybe you should just give him the indications from behind?  

But... Was he not a student of the Imperial Academy himself? Should he not be able to direct himself here? 

You are asking yourself all of that when a set of confident steps reaches you, adapting to your own pace. 

“You are quite older than your comrades miss.” Vice Admiral Thrawn notes casually, “Is there a reason?” 

Your hand grips the strap of your bag tighter. You are 5 years older than the other cadets and that did not escape him. 

“I did not repeat years, Sir.” You correct before he starts thinking you are a poor student. 

“The Acadamy does not allow year repetitions. Of course, you did not repeat any years here, but maybe before?” 

You gulp. 

The tone is casual but any infos reaching a high officer can make or break a cadet’s entire career... 

“No Sir.” 

“Maybe a late redirection of your career then? Maybe you aimed for another job and landed in the Navy after further reflection?” 

Why does he pry so much? You are nobody to him, why does he care? 

“Neither, Sir.” 

“My, what a mystery you are. Health complications perhaps?” 

“Is that an official interview, Sir?” 

“No, Miss. I simply wished to have a casual conversation on our way. I did not want to pry or make you uncomfortable, my apologies.” He slightly bows his head with a solemn expression. 

“It’s all right Sir...” You diplomatically respond. 

You were indeed older because of health complications, your heart has been deformed since birth and each palpitation is painful to you. Thanks to the Maker, everything is all right with your medications, but you do not flaunt your illness for all to see.  

Medical conditions are not really accepted in the Navy and if too many people hear about it you will be conducted to the backdoor and thanked. 

“Your painting... It is a remarkable piece. Your talent shines through every stroke of the brush, have you been painting for a long time?” 

“Since I could hold a brush, Sir.” 

“Interesting. I regret the Academy does not let the artistic talents of its cadets flourish like they could, a mind allowed to create and investigate artistic endeavor is capable of so much more than a constricted mind.” 

“You think an artistic activity could permit a better strategic mind?” You wonder. 

“Indeed I do. If only by the virtue of allowing the mind to relax and evacuate the stress.” 

“Do you have an artistic activity, Sir?” 

“Is that an interview, cadet?” 

“I... Sorry, Sir.” 

His gaze slides on you and he observes you for several mute seconds before chuckling shortly. 

“Do not worry, Cadet. No offense was taken.” 

You gulp as you nod, trying to chuckle too, but you are too uneasy for that. 

Something... In this man alarms you. 

Is it the way he walks? Like a carnivore who knows its prey cornered? His burning red eyes that seem to look through your very soul? Or is it his voice so deep and suave it seems to drip of poison? 

Something alerts your survival instincts and you cannot quite say what, but it is here. 

“Here we are!” You announce, finally reaching the dojo’s doors. 

The group enters in silence prompting all the already present students to turn their heads toward you all. You hurry to a cabin in the locker room and change before reentering the dojo. Commodore Thrawn discusses with the instructor while the rest of his groups evaluate the student’s behavior in silence, mentally taking notes of everyone's acts and personalities. 

It is an interview. 

“Does anyone wish to give Commodore Thrawn a demonstration?” 

Nobody utters a word, either too shy or wondering why they should put on a show for a meager alien, all Commodore he might be... 

“Cadet (F/n)? You came in late, step on the arena.” The instructor orders. 

You bite the inside of your cheek. You were only one minute late, that's petty. 

But orders are orders, so you step in with your sticks. 

“Anyone else?” The instructor demands, turning to the rest of the student. 

“Instructor, Cadet (F/n) has an unfair advantage with her age. I will take on the challenge.” The Commodore suddenly speaks out of nowhere, readjusting his black gloves. 

He grabs two sticks of his own and enters the arena to face you, respectfully bows to you and positions himself in a stance you never saw in any manuals before. 

Surely one of his species’ forms of attack stance. 

You readjust your grip on your sticks and position yourself too, ready to face the man. 

If you have an unfair advantage over your comrades with your age, what should you say of his advantage over you? This combat is anything but fair! 

“Ready? Steady? Start!” 

You launch forward and try to hit his side but he slides to the side and hits your wrist with his stick, making you drop yours. You wince and plunge to retake it, rolling over your shoulder you evade his own attack. You stagger but manage to stand back up and spin toward your adversaries just in time to jump backward to not be hit, pushing you out of the arena 

You lost 

“Stop!” The instructor, “Victory to Commodore Thrawn.” 

“Another one.” The Commodore says, wiping off a speck of dust off his uniform. 

You look at him before looking at your instructor for permission. He gestures to you to reenter the arena.  

You take back your place, a bit weary, feeling your heart pumping painfully in your ribcage... You are not meant for physical exhaustion. You change your attack position, your opponent contemplates you and changes his too. 

“Ready? Steady? Start!” 

Without warning you throw one of your sticks to Thrawn’s face and he slaps it away with a large movement of his arm. You launch forward again and aim at his ankle while he finishes his large movement, he just has the time to jump to evade. You propel yourself against his stomach to push him away hard. You wanted to push him mid-air out of the arena and win on a technicality but he grounds himself before reaching the edge of the mat and pushes back against your momentum. 

You come to a struggle where you both try to push the other away, he puts it to an end by swiping your feet off with his, making you fall on your back. He follows your movement and ends up on top of you, you keep struggling and try to kick him off, but he manages to pin your wrist beside your head and apply pressure on your stomach with his knee, making you wince. 

Your heart hurt so bad! 

“3... 2... 1... Stop! Victory to Commodore Thrawn.” 

The rest of the students slowly start to clap at the performance they were given, your complete humiliation in front of a flag officer... 

You reopen your eyes as the Commodore takes his knee off you but keeps his hands around your wrists, keeping them pinned to the ground. 

Fixing you intensely with his burning eyes... 

You gulp, feeling your heart sprinting in your chest, that earlier uneasy sensation creeping back on you. 

It lasted less than a second but he releases your wrist and even offers a hand to help you on your feet. You hesitate but take it, feeling his large hand against your smaller one, his long fingers wrapping around your flesh, and he easily pulls you up. 

His skin is warm and surprisingly soft... 

You breathe through your nose, trying to calm down your heart already in a frenzy... 

He wipes dust off your shoulders with a thinking expression. 

“Good job, Cadet.” He finally says. 

“I lost our two rounds, I hardly see how my job was good.” You chuckle bitterly through the pain. 

“This fight was not fair, I had access to your art prior. You might have been able to surprise me with that last stunt if I did not. 

“...Thank you, Sir.” You nod, accepting the compliment, hoping it does not come from pity. 

But it is hard to say coming from him... 

He opens his green jacket to slide his hand inside, reaching for an inside pocket and takes out a white card that he hands you. 

“If you ever feel stuck in your career.” 

You take it. It has a comlink number on it. 

You frown and raise your head back to look at him but he is already leaving the dojo with his group. You fix the door through which he went like a persistent image of him was here. 

You quickly run to your your bag to grab your medication discreetly. 

You swallow the pill while no one is looking and hide the card in a pocket, whether a blessing or a curse you should not be seen as the only one earning a card from a flag officer! 

Should you call it? 

---------------------------------------------------------- 

“Captain (F/n) I presume?” The woman with auburn hair asks, approaching your station. 

“I am her.” You confirm. 

“Welcome to the Chimaera, Captain. I am Commodore Faro.” She extends her hand that you shake, “Do you have any invitation? Any order? Any document justifying your presence here?” Her tone suddenly changes to a cold one. 

You purse your lips. 

You only called that number on the card the Vice Admiral Thrawn gave you years ago, not hoping anything, just to get out of your predicament. You take it out and hand it to her. 

“Would that suffice?” You ask. 

She observes it in her hands for a second. 

“Perfectly. Follow me, The Grand Admiral wishes to see you for your new post.” 

You let out a silent sigh of relief, even though everything should have been okay considering that the Grand Admiral himself took the call when you called the number.  

Is that his personal line? Hard to see why he would distribute his personal comlink number to random cadets at the Academy... This is hardly regulatory! 

“I am very glad to be here!” You declare following the Commodore, “I heard the women had equal chances to the men under the Grand Admiral leadership.” 

“He indeed prefers to look at one’s accomplishment rather than gender to promote someone. If you work hard here, everything should be all right for you.” She agrees without even looking at you. 

“Got it! That’s all I needed to know.” 

Outside of glorious exceptions like the Grand Admiral Sloane, you can’t say the Empire is very pressed to enforce gender equality in its Navy. You finally called after a nth promotion was given to a male coworker and refused to you despite your involvement in successful missions. 

You heard of the likes of Faro and Hammerly and all the female officers of the Chimaera and tried your chance. The Grand admiral only asked of you to wait for three days, the times for him to make some calls and arrange some rendez vous with bureaucrats and here you are! On a ship starting to become a living legend in the Navy. 

All thanks to one man! 

“Here we are. Mind your behavior when talking to a Grand Admiral.” Faro advises one last time. 

“Of course.” 

The large doors open on a corridor with two sets of doors, one in front of you and one on the left. The front one must be the office.  

You hear something coming from the left room and you realize it might be a private dojo. 

The doors of the front open for you and you enter a cold room with two lizard statues sitting behind a desk, holding a planet between their claws. Some artworks are exposed but the vast majority are projections of pieces. 

You do not recognize a single one, but they are pretty enough. You probably should not sit down without the Grand Admiral’s permission so you chose to approach the projections, observing the pieces of art of faraway and exotic cultures, trying to guess which one was humans and which one was aliens. 

You are observing a peculiar statue when a deep voice rises behind your back. 

“I am glad you enjoy my art collection, Captain.” 

You jump out of your skin, refraining from a yelp of surprise. You spin toward the Grand Admiral, standing to attention immediately. 

“Grand Admiral! I am sorry, I should not have pried around the room.” 

“Nonsense. Those projections are here to be admired and appreciated. So few people coming here actually take the time to observe the art I display.” He explains, sounding almost... disappointed. 

“Well, it is... Those are very interesting pieces.” You nod. 

He smiles shortly, grabbing a towel to pat his skin, his prominent muscles shining with the thinnest veil of sweat on his blue flesh. 

He... Does not smell bad, weirdly enough. He does not smell like a human smells when they sweat for sure. If anything, his natural musk seems more pronounced. 

“I am sorry for my current presentation, Captain. I expected you a little later.” 

“Oh no, Sir, this is not a problem. I can wait outside for you to be ready if you prefer?” You ask, pointing at the door and taking a wondering step toward it. 

“It will not be necessary. I am ready.” He opens a drawer to grab a bottle of cologne and sprays himself before passing on his white jacket. 

His natural musk disappears under the alcoholic smell of the perfume, and you realize you are a bit disapointed. 

You mentally shake your head, what are you even thinking girl? 

“This will be short, I only need you to review some papers and sign them.” He explains. 

Oh... So all of this could have been an email. 

“I like meeting my officers face to face.” He says like he heard your thought, “Please sit down.” 

You wearily sit down in the chair, that old, old sensation of a predator coming back to your memory. 

He takes his datapad and sends you the files. You open yours and start reading the paperwork until something catches your eye. 

“You got my new address already?”  You stop on the line. 

“I got it via your insurance plan. A very nice neighborhood, I lived there for some months back in my Lieutenant days. I still live close by.” 

“I mean... I did not really had a choice.” You grumble to yourself. 

He raises an eyebrow at you. 

“Oh, it’s just...! I had other apartments in mind, but they were all mysteriously bought the day I came to visit them.” You explain with a defeated chuckle, “It was the only one left close to the spaceport but the rent isn't exactly cheap, you know.” 

“Really? I am sorry to hear.” He simply responds like he is not really interested. 

And why would he really? 

So that means you will leave close by to your superior? You hope you won’t cross paths with him in the supermarket or the pharmacy! 

You keep reading the files. 

You feel vertigo seize you when you realize the amount of data the Navy has on you, even your last weight, the weight you don’t even remember communicating to medical personnel. 

But you surely did since he has it. 

You review the extensive list of data on your personhood, everything is correct. You electronically sign the files and send them back to the Grand Admiral. 

He review it too before nodding. 

"Commodore Faro will show you your quarters." 

"...Sir?" You ask after rising from your seat, "Can you promise me fair treatment and that I will be treated equally with my peers?" 

"You mean in regard to your heart deficiency?" He asks out of the blue. 

That simple response makes your heart jump painfully and you grip it in a self-soothing motion. 

How did he knew? 

"I..." 

"I know about it. I know a lot of things about you, I keep a close tab on my possible future collaborators, such an information would not escape my watch." 

You gulp, looking down at him from all your height. 

He just look at you, serene, unbothered, awaiting your response. 

"Did you tell anyone?" You finally manage to ask between very painful beats 

"No." He assures you, "I do not divulge such critical information about my subordinates. You look unwell, you should sit." 

You nods, hurriedly opening your pocket to take out your medicine. You gulp down one capsule as you sit down, awaiting for the painful pulsations to slow down until they stop. 

"Stress... Is not good for me." You admit, "You must be wondering why I chose the Navy, then?" 

He shakes his head. 

"I gather you had your reasons. If you trust yourself to be up to the task despite your illness, I will make the gamble to trust you in return." 

You deeply breath, the palpitations slowing down to a normal heartbeat. 

"Thank you, Grand Admiral." You manage to say. 

"I saw greatness in you, Captain. It would be a waste to not at least try to make it work." 

You nod again, silently thanking him. 

He smiles tightly 

"Welcome aboard Captain." 

As you leave the office, an odd thought crosses your mind: You don’t remember sending your new address to your insurance yet... How did he learn about it? 

@bluechiss @justanothersadperson93 @thrawnspetgoose @thrawnalani @twilekchiss @dance-like-russia-isnt-watching @obbicrystaleo@empresskrennic @davesrightshoe @elise2174 @holylonelyponyeatingmacaroni @janjtje @helrose8 @debonaire_princess @courier-jackalope 

[mangle-my-mind]

hey could you explain who jack fairy is im stupid and cant figure out why hes such a big character in the fandom

Omg yes absolutely! Thanks for the ask Anon!

Jack Fairy is the fictional originator of glam rock in the VG universe. He's the one who discovers Oscar Wilde's pin (aka the gay alien sex brooch) as a child. The pin is meant to represent an "instinctive need to camp it up", or owning queerness authentically. As an adult, Jack is considered a "true original", the one who inspires the rest of the glam scene.

Jack Fairy is technically a minor character in the film in terms of screentime, but he's very important to the narrative itself. He's at the Sombrero club when Brian and Mandy meet, and where Brian steals the emerald pin from him. While Brian has a meteoric rise, partially on the strength of stealing from/being inspired by Jack, it's implied that Jack never sees that same level of fame. Later, he's living in Berlin and finds Curt there after Curt and Brian break up. The two of them make an album together a la Bowie and Iggy. At the end of the film, Jack performs at the Death of Glitter concert, closing the chapter on the scene which he originated. That's also the pivotal show where Mandy and Curt have a moment, Brian shows up and leaves, and Arthur and Curt get it on on the roof.

I can't speak on behalf of all of fandom, but some of the reasons Jack Fairy is so beloved to me are:

He's one of the most authentic characters in the film. MUCH more authentic than Brian ever is. We see Jack making art out of his pain from childhood. We recognize his constant struggle and need to express himself truly.

He doesn't get the flowers he deserves, which is typical to first movers in pretty much any art form. He's the one who paved the way for glam to flourish, and others stand on his shoulders and claim the accolades.

He falls victim to Brian's ruthless theft multiple times over. (Sorry not sorry, I'm a Brian hater). The pin, the Sombrero club, Mandy, the glitter entourage, his music (I have a headcanon that "2HB" is a Jack Fairy song that Brian covers), etc. I wrote a fic about this concept specifically if you're interested!

He basically helps Curt get over Brian. This is more of a personal headcanon, but at this point I am in too deep to think otherwise. The fact that Curt meets Jack and then they make an album and put on a concert together is an incredible story in and of itself (and as a matter of fact I wrote that too!)

I think in general, smaller characters with a lot of space for exploration are the most fun ones to latch onto in fandom. Jack's storyline has so much potential for further analysis/art/etc. But more specifically to Jack, he is someone deeply rooted in their authenticity who doesn't get to reap the rewards of being himself, compared to those who reap the rewards of putting on an elaborate image (cough cough Brian). It's a tragic arc, which is always fun to fawn over.

Todd Haynes obviously has some great things to say about Jack Fairy, and I made a post last year pulling that together:

I'd also love to tag in Number One Jack Fairy Fan @silverfactory - maybe you have anything you'd like to add?

Sorry that this is so long-winded! I got overly excited :p

[call-me-liquid]

Helpful guide to who the fuck the federal Canadian parties are (since Lily hasn't explained them right):

1. The Conservative Party of Canada (Cons): Canada's only true right-wing party-- though, at least before Pierre Poilievre, Americans would have seen them as closer to Democrats than Republicans. They were conservative in the truer form of the phrase-- no spending money ever or doing anything ever sort of Conservative. Because, small government. Neoliberal. Concerned mostly with starving piblically funding resources and tax cuts. This has taken a dramatic change in a very short period. Poilievre is taking the party in a very MAGA direction-- though, he's kind of still in 2016 MAGA because the Overton window in Canada is still more comparatively liberal. With Anerica being on fire right now, that's still very scary. They historically can't hold the PM spot with a minority because they are almost always the contrarians in The House of Commons fighting the rest.

2. The Liberal Party of Canada (Libs): THIS is the moderate vote in Canada (fight me.) Frankly it's hard to define the Lib's real position because they're the "well, I guess I'll vote for them" party. Their constituents are typically a broad range of people who want the government to be *doing something* other than sitting on their hands all day bitching about spending. Their very limpwristed policy and law changes are what make right-wing Americans clutch their pearls and claim Canada's some kind of sicialist hellscape-- which is hilarious, but. Still, most of Canada's best policies DID come from Lib PMs-- though it's kind of a coin toss depending on the party leader. No, Trudeau is not so widely mocked and scorned because he was a bad PM. More so, he campaigned on some pretty radical changes he never ended up enacting, alienating a massive portion of his voter base, and then pissed off even more people with how he handled the trucker convoy. Leftists because he did deal with it quickly enough, right-wingers because he was forced to take drastic action when he did.

3. The National Democratic Party (NDP): The third largest political party in Canada, and the actual party a good portion of liberal voters actually want to vote for (including me.) Contrary to American perception THEY are Canada's one true properly socialist party. Even then, as it stands now anyway, they're still pretty soft-core socialist. Very inoffensive socialism. Giving a shit about worker's rights, remembering First Nations exist, giving a passing thought to how Healthcare and social services can be improved, being half-way decent to immigrants, being nice to the girls and the gays, etc. Lot of fear mongering that letting them have too many seats in government will bankrupt the country-- which is the stupidest sentiment known to the great white north since they've consistently been on the side of labor, but. Jagmeet Singh is the party leader. He's the other politician everyone calls hot. He posts cringe on social media sometimes to try to meme with the gen zs but otherwise he's pretty alright.

4. The Green Party (No nickname for them, just Green Party.): Honestly, people mostly talk about voting for them as a joke-- but someone must be because they have seats in the house so. Really they are the Green Party, they speak for the trees. Nobody ever expects them to win the PM position so they're broader policies haven't ever really been hashed out, but. It is nice to have someone consistently seated in the house arguing for the environment. They may or may not have been the first party I chose to vote for as a 19 year old, drunk at the poles, not happy with any of my options at the time, but you can't prove anything. Elizabeth May is their party leader. I don't even know what she looks like.

5. Bloc Québécois (Bloc): Okay, the existence, purpose and politics of this party is the hardest to explain to non-Canadians because it's tied to a long and complicated Canadian history and the tension between the Anglophones and the Francohones. Lily, the Anglophone she is, called them a "left-wing" party. They are not. They are French Nationalists. They do want an ethno-state in Quebec. But because the Cons are typically aggressively anglophone in their priorities, even with a French party leader, they beef with them more than the Libs. But the Bloc has had big dramatic beef with every party at one point. The TL;DR of how Bloc came to be is; the English oppressed the French way back when, but Quebec joined Canada to be protected by America taking them over, the promise was that anglophone Canada wouldn't try to culturally assimilate then, they sorta kinda didn't keep that promise, francophones kidnapped and killed politicians, big scuffle, martial law was happening for a hot minute-- Bloc has consistently angled for Quebec to succeed from Canada, but they couldn't economically do so so it's a big drama. Being the grandchild of a French Nationalist on one side and a anglophone white supremacist on the other, I am an unholy combination of two diametrically opposed foes and at birth I took a screenshot. Yves-François Blanchet is the current party leader and he's frankly more willing to play ball with other parties than former leaders were in the past.

[thepenultimateword]

Halloween is over but you can write monster shipping prompts anyday. Just saying

Good point. I wasn't sure if you meant monster x monster or monster x human ships, so I did both.

Monster Ship Prompt List

Satyr is the owner of a popular cozy tea shop. However, when they begin receiving mysterious threats, their world is turned upside down. More unfortunate, the detective assigned to their case is a lycanthrope something neither their human or goat instincts trust.

Human gets a nice job at an expensive shop. It's such a nice shop that the owner managed to get a golem to guard it. As Human makes small talk with the golem every day, they' become more and more drawn to them. They wish they could ask them out on a date, but they know the golem physically cannot leave their post.

The gorgon has gotten used to isolation. Even when they can hide what they are, they have to be careful not to cause any accidents. But then they meet the golem who is already stone.

A human is cursed with a monster shape and outcast from the city to the creature infested wilderness outside. They’re pretty sure they’re going to die until another monster takes them in.

A vampire aristocrat arranges their own marriage to a lower class vampire in order to escape the stifling walls of the court. The lower vampire accepts for sake of the financial benefits, but they’re stressed about how to handle their new spouse and are confused why they even chose them in the first place.

An orphaned werewolf is adopted into a vampire family as a child and spends their life set apart from the rest of the community. If they aren’t being tortured by their peers, they’re being over protected by their family, so when they meet a vampire who is as outcast as them, they can’t help but be drawn to them.

A merperson and a selkie meet on land in human form. They find a lot in common with the mutual love for the sea, but scared they’ll freak the other out they each hide their true form.

One day, a fancy goblin strolls into eleven land and shocks everyone by proposing to eleven royalty. They’re even more shocked when the elf accepts.

The giant found the human in their neighbor’s garden trap and decided to take them in as a pet rather than see them squashed. But the human is unlike any animal they’ve ever encountered, actually capable of learning giantic language! Part of them thinks they should let the human go, but they also don’t want to lose their new companion.

Alien came to earth to study humans, but they met Vampire first. Vampire is surprised to find someone so accepting of them, and Alien now think all humans drink blood and can’t stand being out in the sunlight.

[positivelybeastly]

Would you consider Xavier partially responsible for what Hank's become?

"The man is the foremost telepathic talent on the planet. If there's anything I've done that he takes umbrage with, he knows where to find me, and he knows exactly why I did it."

Partially responsible is absolutely what I'd call it, yeah. For starters, Charles snatched Hank up at the age of 17-19, wiped his parents and girlfriend's minds of his existence, and cut them all out of his life for his safety. If he wants to claim he isn't responsible for what Hank ended up doing, he can explain why he decided he was going to supplant Edna and Norton as his sole parental figure.

Now, Hank decides to go with Xavier here, because he does want to contribute, he does want to make a change in the world, because ultimately he believes in the Professor's dream.

But.

It's a fractious relationship.

Like, this is going to have a psychological effect on a teenager. This is going to give him trust issues, this is going to make him feel uncertain and alienated and under pressure. It's also worth noting that Hank, unlike almost all of the rest of the O5 (you could argue the point with Bobby and Warren, but it's certainly true of Scott and Jean, especially in the Krakoan era) never really broke away from the Professor's politics.

He never had a moment where he was able to really walk away from the Professor, denounce him or give him what for, and you could reasonably make the case that it's because the Professor kinda traumatised him here, or at the very least, made Hank dependent on him. He's constantly seeking his validation, his approval, and it colours his teacher's pet tendencies in a very different light.

And while Hank continues to have a fruitful relationship with his actual parents over the years - honestly, he has maybe the healthiest and most loving mom and dad in the Marvel Universe - there's still a degree to which he never, quite, walks away from Xavier. Where he never quite became his own man.

Oddly enough, one of the best examples of this comes during Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men run, during the Danger arc. There's a kind of rule that you should be aware of, whenever Hank is in a comic, and it's this: if Hank McCoy is not speaking, then there is a reason that he is not speaking.

Go back and read the issues where they're first talking about the mutant cure. Scott, Emma, Kitty, Logan, they're all talking up a storm, and Hank is just dead fucking silent. No-one notices, no-one brings it up, you just get these panels of him staring out the window. Logan maybe seems to notice? But he leaves it, until Emma tells him what Hank's thinking the next day. He doesn't engage.

Emma just brought up murder, and Hank isn't even paying attention. Because he's emotionally compromised, and he doesn't care about the conversation, he is in his own head, and he does not have anything to contribute. And no-one notices. Even though Hank normally can't shut the fuck up, they just. Don't notice. But this isn't an isolated incident.

The Professor just admitted to oppressing and weaponising a new form of artificial life, a mutant, and everyone has something to say, except Hank. He just looks forlorn. He looks lost. He looks emotionally compromised, because he is dependent on the Professor, and he cannot bring himself to throw scorn upon him.

He's not wired that way. Maybe on some level he's afraid, maybe on another level he's just hurt and unable to articulate it, maybe he just wants to sort it all out in his head, but this is legitimately one of those moments where who doesn't talk is as important as who does. And you see it again during the Utopia era.

Hank is the only one who stands by Xavier's side.

Because that is the way he's wired. There's almost an argument to be made that Scott and Hank are Xavier's favourite sons - the man he chose to lead and steer his dream, and the man who he moulded most in his own image, whether he realised it or not.

The revolutionary and the assimilationist.

Two brothers who used to be so incredibly close, and then it all fell apart - and to be clear, Hank has so many reasons to start hating Scott during this era (no matter what you think of how right Scott's actions may have been, guess what, you can be making all the right tactical calls and still be a fucking monster), but I would absolutely say that the way Scott treated their 'father' is up there and in the mix.

In a more competent version of All-New X-Men, this dynamic, and the fact that 'Scott' killed the Professor, would have been more key to Hank and Scott's destroyed friendship, but instead, it's - all sort of vague, because Bendis' version of Hank is ill sketched out and emotionally inconsistent. But we do get shades of it in Hickman's New Avengers.

This is one of those things that really annoys me about especially the X-Men Reddit - is that they love to point out Hank taking part in this version of the Illuminati, running around being 'amoral super scientists' (they aren't, actually, they spend SO much time agonising over every little decision), even though it isn't even his choice, really. He got drafted, just like he did into the X-Men, and yes, he technically had a choice to leave, but he's in a place where he doesn't feel as though he truly can.

Because of the Professor.

Again.

And eventually, he does start realising just how much the Professor has hurt him, has broken him, has ruined his life, in ways.

There is so much that Hank could have been. He had so much potential, to be anything he wanted. But the Professor chose him. Plucked him from the crowd, and told him, you're going to be this.

In some ways, Hank welcomed it. In other ways, it frightened him, and I don't think it's a coincidence that he's the first X-Man to leave, both temporarily (after he gets nearly beaten to death by a mob in Uncanny X-Men #8), and permanently, when he leaves to work for the Brand Corporation. He's almost always leaving, because he doesn't want to be there. It doesn't suit him. It hurts him.

It poisons him.

And when we come to Krakoa, well . . .

There's a more interesting version of X-Force that more thoroughly investigates why Beast goes the way he does, and it would require talking about Scott and about the Professor, and of course Logan, and the fact that, through their actions, they've taught Beast several things.

That violence works.

That if people disagree with you, by all means try other methods, but change their minds if you must.

That no-one will ever give you what you want, no-one will ever free you or leave you alone, unless you make them.

But instead, it's all off-panel. Xavier just keeps covering for Beast. We don't even see them talk. Beast kills an entire country. Beast's space prison. Every awful little crime against humanity, and Charles has to know. How could he not? People keep telling him, and even if they don't, he's the premiere mutant telepathic talent on the planet.

How could he not know?

The answer is, he does.

And so.

What's the final word, Charles?

Mhm-hmm.

Maybe he's aware just how much he's responsible for this.

Maybe he's just protecting one of his favourite sons. His best pupil.

But no matter how you cut it, he IS responsible.

Just as a lot of the Quiet Council are, frankly, but let's be real here, Xavier is the leader. He is the head of state. Ultimately, it's on him.

And I do want to clarify that this isn't an attempt by me to shift blame away from Beast, because his whackadoodle bullshit garbage characterisation is still canon, as much as I despise it, and while I personally read it as a completely insane break from reality, that's not what's been put on page. He ultimately is responsible for his crimes.

But.

He did not act alone.

[simplylove101]

2024 Horror Challenge: [86/?]

↳“The solution for a claustrophobic astronaut is to give him more space.” Alien: Romulus (2024) dir. Fede Álvarez

Plot: While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonists come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.

Starring: Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn & Aileen Wu

Okay, I fell asleep as usual before I could type up my reviews for the movies I chose for my Halloween marathon. I settled on three (and then it turned out I had to trade one out because the first option was quickly turning into a dud watch & I just couldn't deal with that on Halloween of all nights They gotta be at least solid. lol) and this was one of them. My co-worker had warned me beforehand that it was just okay in his opinion, which doesn't necessarily mean anything cuz sometimes his taste is basic, but I will admit I don't think he was too far-off by saying that. I think it definitely got stronger in the second half with all the action-packed sequences but it took me a little while to really get invested at all. This isn't even because of bias of the superior Alien/Aliens movies (I appreciate Prometheus for what it is as well) but it doesn't really do enough to make the characters feel real and have their own personalities beyond serving the plot, besides the sister-foster brother/android relationship between Rain & Andy. The acting with them felt like a major highlight (Priscilla/Civil War fans will recognize the talented Cailee Spaeny & David Jonsson was in the very underrated Rye Lane last year) along with Isabela Merced showing her skills as a promising scream queen (I mean that quite literally btw by giving one of the best screams in horror imo) I knew she wouldn't be but spoiler alert, she should have been a final girl. welp lol Anyway, the rest of the cast is good with what they had to work with but as I said the script only gave them so much. The effects were really good tho and I appreciate Fede was trying to make sure he stayed as true as he could to the original movie since this takes place after it. I'm one of the people split on the usage of Ian Holm's likeness since Fede has been very open about the fact that he did it for the sake of the story but then Idk if that transparency makes it any better tbh since it's still a form of AI, is it not? And the man is dead. :/ Either way, there was too much of his character anyway so that doesn't help. It did feel like it relied a little too much on typical Alien tropes but then that's the trouble with some sequels/prequels sometimes. Not every trick is gonna hit every time since it'll feel repetitive. That said, I say this as someone who hasn't seen every Alien movie so I won't pretend to speak on true mega fans' behalf. Anyway, as I said, it took a minute to get me on board, but at least the finale was strong enough to be entertaining. Still, gotta say out of the three major Fede Álvarez movies, this was probably my least fave (but then I really like both Evil Dead & Don't Breathe which I own so lol) I am curious if I would have preferred this in the theater tho, because I feel like I might have with how epic they were trying to go with it. Crazy they were gonna just dump this on Hulu as if it wouldn't make a ton of money (spoiler alert: It made a lot) So, yeah, wanted to like it more but it wasn't all bad. Which is all I went in expecting so it was fine.

[surevera]

feeling unknown and you're all alone flesh and bone by the telephone

-------

basic information:

character name: "vera berenson"

nickname (s): ...vera berenson.

face claim: natasha lyonne

mutation status: registered as gen i. but, like. is actually an alien.

birthday: unknown. arbitrarily assigned herself august 10th

sexuality: bisexual

moral alignment: true neutral

occupation: chemist

work sector: sector five

affiliation: the damned

3 positive traits: objective, intelligent, quick-witted

3 negative traits: tactless, impulsive, aloof

biography (optional): full thing to be written out in the near future, but we will do an overview for now: fully did not exist until the meteor. was fully born from the meteor... as she remembers it, at least. there may or may not have been some clark kent stuff going on. patient 0 of the virus! the cure was different for her since, again, fully born from the meteor -- literally an alien. it did not work, so they were like, 'hey, remember when area 51 existed? let's do that again.' eventually they 'found a cure' for her, too! but implanted trackers in her because... bitch? an alien? eventually wound up digging those damn trackers out which <3 could have killed her from all the acid blood loss <3 but someone from the-continent-formerly-known-as-north-america chapter of the damned saved her <3 omg <3 but sometimes... u gotta get away from the USA after that <3 and there's a chapter in the-continent-formerly-known-as-australia so <3 she just went there <3 and the rest is history <3

questionnaire:

how do they feel about living in sol city? have they always lived there or did they travel from another settlement? vera first lived on a planet far, far away. then vera lived in what was once known as new york city ( you know, so she can have natasha lyonne's hot raspy new yorker thing ). then area 51 what was once known as nevada. but sometimes <3 you need a change of pace <3 and to get away from the united states government <3 so, like... why not go all the way to the continent formerly known as australia? <3

do they trust the council’s leadership? why or why not? not really? i mean... humans... position of power... etc etc etc. but it could also be worse!

if they chose their sector and profession, why did they make that choice? if they didn’t, why not? were they happy with their assignment or not? she chose her sector and profession. she's just really good at science :\ and u always need chemists for making like drugs and stuff :\ unfortunately im not good at science and got a C in high-school chemistry with a tutor :\

what’s one object that they always keep on their person? it's not a boulder... it's a rock. (from the meteor)

(mutant only section)

what is your character’s ability (or abilities)? alien physiology

are they gen i or gen ii? "gen 1"

what can your character do? what are their strengths? uh. alien stuff. that's probably not a good enough answer <3 so we got some acid blood, we got some camouflage, we got some innate knowledge of science things that also lend to inventing, we got some levitation, we got some healing, we got some immortality, we got some invulnerability, we got some natural weaponry, we got some psionics, we got some shapeshifting, and we got a true form. so on and so forth.

what can’t they do? what are their weaknesses? she can't hold any form other than her natural form for more than a day without it becoming strenuous. a little annoyed that there's nothing listed on the superpower wikia because i'm blanking on original ones! but i will come back to this <3

is there anything else you’d like to specify about them? she's literally an alien <3 like. fully born from the first meteor that hit <3 it's not alien physiology, it's just alien! oh! so her true form is basically a xenomorph (luv u gabe for sharing the fc!) but. even when she is not in her true form. she has glowy silverish skin and glowing eyes <3 human? psh, could never be her!

[the-starry-seas]

I made a bunch of Mandos

This is a Mandalorian clan living on a forested Outer Rim planet. They were one of many clans that went underground during yet another anti-Mando purge, and decided to largely settle into the life they had, instead of rejoining the galaxy at large. They work as bounty hunters, bodyguards, mercenaries, and transport to support themselves, their ottaburas, and their increasing number of foundlings.

About ten years after they settle in, it's a massive surprise to them when a clan of clones settle on the planet nearby. They're not entirely sure what to think about that but eventually they reach out to the clones to see what they're doing there. An alliance ends up forming, to the benefit of both groups. After establishing a good working relationship, the Mandalorians gift the clones some ottaburas and teach them how to care for them.

From there, there is, shall we say, intermingling. Marriages happen, kids happen, and half of them forget that they weren't always one big dramatic mostly-happy family.

Aelia, Nautolan, mid-twenties, 5'9", she/her. She's fourth-generation Mandalorian and rather proud of it. She doesn't wear a helmet as she finds it too difficult to make it work with her head shape, and instead uses a personal force field-type shield. She's the head of security for her clan. She also prefers melee weapons to blasters. She's a tattooist and artist who knows everything there is to know about the flora and fauna of the local forests.

Azur, OC aquatic alien species, sixteen, 18'4", it/its. It was found by its clan as a baby, who chose their planet to settle on because it had deep lakes with plenty of room for it to grow. It rarely leaves the lakes near the clan's home, but is the first line of defence when a stranger shows up. Nobody expects the lake creature. As the only known one of its kind, the many identical clones fascinate it endlessly.

Coberra, half Zabrak half human, late thirties, 5'6", she/her. She inherited her mother's Nightsister potential, and when she was a child, her parents returned to Dathomir so she could be taught to harness that power. She decided to leave Dathomir shortly after her twentieth birthday to test her knowledge and fighting prowess against the rest of the galaxy. The first Mandalorian she met adopted her on sight, and she's been with Droma since.

Droma, human, sixty-eight, 5'10", he/him. He was born and raised on Concord Dawn. In his mid-twenties he started a bount-hunting team with his brother Nīkora and lifelong best friend Trace. They regularly returned to Concord Dawn until his parents died and Trace's moved to Ryloth. After that, his visits became more infrequent, until his new home became his permanent one. When the loose group of Mandos started talking about becoming a clan, they made him their leader.

Flea, human, twenty-two, 5'34", she/her. A street thief at the young age of seven, she tried to pickpocket a Mandalorian just to prove she could, and promptly got adopted when they realised what she was up to. She's hyperactive, a bit socially unaware, and simply can't be made to stop biting. She loves her new family - they're the only ones she's ever had - and takes the Resol'nare and other Mando traditions very seriously. Being called mandokarla is her primary goal in life.

Fleck, OC alien species, early twenties, 6'8", she/her. Despite all her skill in mercenary work, her true passion is flowers. It's not unusual to find her wearing a flower crown or boutonniere, or even occasionally carrying around a pot with some rare bloom that she's coaxing to grow. Her helmet is specially fitted around her horns. Its visor also has a special overlay to chart the locations of all local electrical fields, which are uniquely damaging to her species' physiology.

Hiwa, human, mid thirties, 5'6", she/her. Another Concord Dawn native, she was passing through and immediately paused her plans when she heard a familiar accent. What was originally intended as a temporary stay turned into joining the clan. Lately most of her time has been dedicated to courting that pretty little seamstress that just started working at a local dress shop.

John, anthro wolf, late forties, 6'2", he/him. He's a simple guy who likes to bite things and eat spicy foods, and honestly that makes him little different from any other Mando. As long as he keeps cleaning his fur out of the showers, everything's good. (But dude, seriously, how do you shed so much?) He's the de facto youngling guardian, as they can't get enough of his sleight of hand skills, and he's a total pushover who's always willing to learn their newest games and tricks.

Ming, human, nineteen, 5'1", she/her. She's half Chinese, has vitiligo, and trains the clan's massiffs (used for guarding, search and rescue scent work, and occasionally as extra help on bounty hunts). Due to her health impairments, her mother likes her to stay close to home, and is doing her best to not be too worried when Ming wanders off into the woods for hours to listen to the birds. She's able to mostly mitigate her thyoid disease and psoriasis symptoms with medication, but the anxiety is harder to deal with.

Nīkora, human, sixty-three, 5'9", he/him. Even at this stage in his life, it's his sworn duty to annoy the shit out of Droma whenever possible. He's also a grandfather to every kid he sees, even if they're not even vaguely related to him. He experiments in the kitchen a lot and he is fortunately much better than he was at twenty. He fishes for his own food but has never really gotten the hang of foraging. All the plants that look just like edible ones but are actually poisonous, worry him.

Paloma, human, early thirties, 5'5", she/her. She's a cheerful prank queen and fashionista who's also a gifted painter. She paints on all her jackets and colour-coordinates her outfits and hijabs. She also spends a lot of time in the garden with Fleck, as she finds it to be the most peaceful place on the planet. The butterflies there are one of her favourite things.

Rahua, OC alien species, early thirties, 5'9", she/they. Considered an ice queen by most strangers who meet her, though her clan sees a very different side of her. She's socially awkward a lot of the time but she loves them dearly, albeit clumsily at times. Her hearing and night vision are second to none, and she takes the night watch when that's needed. She also spends a lot of time at the lake with Azur and has become a very good diver. She/her to clan, they/them to outsiders.

Splendid, human, twenty-eight, 5'9", she/her. She likes bright colours and soft music, and borrowing plants from Fleck for a couple days at a time to brighten up her quarters (without having to actually keep the plant alive longterm). She's the most headstrong person in the clan. All her opinions are fiercely held and will be fiercely debated if anyone questions them. It can make her abrasive sometimes but she's pretty good at reining herself in when someone says she's going too far.

Storm, human, fifty-four, 5'8", he/him. The stars on his face are tattoos, each one representing a lost friend. He feels things deeply and is a very quiet individual by nature. He doesn't say much, but when he does, everyone listens to him. Life has taught him a lot, much of it unkind. Cruelty is familiar to him, and undesirable. Much more gentle than outsiders expect from a Mandalorian, but he doesn't regret it even when it turns out to cause problems for him.

Thiziri, human, thirty-six, 5'6", she/her. Breaking her back as a teen changed her life drastically, and it took a while for her to figure out how to move forward. The support of her clan was invaluable to her in moving forward and switching paths to become a mechanic and metal sculptor. Most large-scale repairs are carried out by people she oversees, but she manages to do a lot in her workshop. Along the way she also learned to crochet, and spends some of her downtime expanding her collection of button-eyed plushies.

Trace, Twi'lek, sixty-two, 5'8", she/her. She likes both her jobs and her cocktails to be quick and dirty. She also reads extensively, has an AO3 account that absolutely nobody is allowed to know about, and is an exceptional astronomer. Her ability to cause trobule is unparalleled but she never starts shit with the clan younglings. They're all hers as far as she's concerned, and she will cut a bitch for looking at them wrong.

Trick, ???, ???, 8'0", they/them. Their powers are vast and varied, and the rules about using them are unclear - or they just don't care to help sometimes because they find it more fun to fuck around (and not find out). When they want to help, there's no better ally, but their inconsistent willingness to use that power has resulted in everyone wanting to throttle them at some point. They're a trickster first and foremost, and enjoy messing with the things that should most be left alone. Although they aren't Mandalorian, as they haven't sworn the Creed and don't wear armour, they refer to their clan as family, and vice versa; nobody would consider getting rid of them because they are a valued member of the clan... and because it's impossible to do so. They're a semiaquatic species and spend a lot of time in the lake or the local cave system's subterranean river system.

Twig, OC alien species, twenty-six, 4'8", ze/zir. A polite young person that nobody thought would make a good Mando, until ze showed a surprising disposition toward aggressiveness when angered, and the clan decided they better teach the kid how to control that. Ze still has anger issues but has also made a lot of progress in controling zirself when necessary. (Though ze doesn't always agree with their definition of 'necessary'.)

Vanni, Zeltron, thirty-five, 5'10", she/her. There's nobody better at bullshitting or seducing her way into (or out of) trouble. While her clan has a rule that she doesn't use her pheromones on them, outsiders are fair game. Everything in life is simply entertainment to her, and there's very little that she takes seriously, apart from work. She loves freely and often, and has no time for those who try to pin her down. She's adopted three kids but has no intention of having any biologically.

Zhihao, human, thirty-eight, 5'2", she/her. When she got pregnant at nineteen, her parents disowned her, and she tried to find some way to survive on her own. The Mandalorians took her in, even though she wasn't much of a warrior at the time, and supported her in the way a family should. She stayed with them, trained with them, and swore the Creed at twenty-four. She's partially deaf and wears hearing aids. She's also Ming's mother!

[bleuberries-and-video-games]

The fun part about that form of nihilism is that, well, it does in fact show what people's true colors are. But really it only shows what one person's true colors are, everyone else it doesn't.

If anyone you know, in any meaningful capacity, uses this as a means to justify any sort of position, what they are telling you is that they prefer to have power in a situation, whether that be the mundane power of the situation in that scenario, or total power over everybody. You do not conclude that people show their true colors in their situations so often that it becomes routine, and you have to rationalize it, or you put people in that kind of a situation for the purpose of asserting power. If you're in the former, your traumatized, get therapy, you need it.

It is not normal to believe that people show their true colors in dire circumstance, dire circumstance should not be so normal that you come up with a rationalized framework to understand it's dynamics. Dire and terrible circumstance should be rare, and such trauma shouldn't be so present that it informs a worldview. You shouldn't feel like you're constantly obligated to justify why you're so sad and so scared, and for that somebody should help you, and apologize to you in place of whom isn't apologizing to you or who is causing that to you. The world is not so cruel and should not be so cruel that you are constantly obligated to face dire circumstance. You should feel safe and secure and happy at least sometimes, to recoup, and enough to where you feel rested and secure. The fact that it is infrequent and the fact that more people have these perspectives indicates that there is a deep-seated problem that nihilism itself cannot solve and that this form of nihilism cannot solve, and is most likely the direct result of people with the latter mindset I described.

The other kind of people are the majority of the reason why the world sucks, they are the majority of the reason why things feel like you are powerless, and why such a conclusion seems rational, despite the fact that it is not rational. Capitalism, and systems like it that intersect with it, or are empowered/compounded by it, incentivizes people to think in terms of power and taking power. This is one of the manifestations of Terror that alienation causes.

If you do not feel connected to the people around you, you do not value them, if you do not value them, you rise quickly through the ranks, however possible, and ascertain power. This crystallizes into fascism as capitalism dies, and as these groups of people are obligated to stop existing or faced with the reality of relinquishing power, insert rapidly rise or assert power as quickly as possible.

Such power grabs should not be defied or glorified, we should not be fetishistic or glorifying of power, we should be horrified by it and scared to exist around it. There is no reason for it to exist, and there is no reason for it to continue existing. Power should not be utilized to conquer, it should be used to comfort.

People do not show their true colors when faced with dire circumstances, dire circumstances, and the people who orchestrate them, are the best illustrations of who values what and why.

The gun pointed at someone's head did not make them a monster simply because they chose to live when threatened with a gun, the monster is the person pointing the gun at somebody's head and obligating them to choose between two absurd and not morally Justified circumstances.

Dire circumstance do not display true colors in victims, it displays true colors in who orchestrates or benefits from them.

"people show their true colours in life threatening situations" no, they show you what they act like when they're mortally terrified, an emotion notorious for literally turning your entire brain off to the point where people who go into those situations as a profession need to be literally trained on how to not have that happen

[tortadecereji]

So, me and my friend @megamispe rewatched Monters vs Alians lately. My first thought? Why not make a komaeda centred au based on that lol. My computer broke, so I haven't drawn all the characters, but here's some doodles.

I'm having lots of fun with this au, so ill probably post more of it later. (Feel free to ask me about it if you'd like!)

Also, check Mega's twitter account, she gave me a lot of ideas for this au!!

The story would follow the same line as the movie, except that I added some stuff, so here's about the characters for now if you'd like to know:

Nagito Komaeda: Pretty much the same thing that happens to Susan in the movie, except... he's Komaeda...

Nagito was supposed to marry Byakuya the day a large meteor hit him. Said meteor contained a large amount of radiation that Komaeda ended up absorbing at the impact. Of course, he survived the incident due to his luck.

However, the radiation began affecting his body during the ceremony, which caused his previously light brown hair to turn white and his height to increase unbelievably huge. With that the wedding has been ruined, the guests were scared for their lives, Byakuya was grossed out by him now, and a monster containment organization has been called to capture him. The only ones who did worry about Nagito were Sonia and Gundham, but they could do nothing to stop him from being captured. Komaeda blames himself and his luck for ruining what should be the happiest day of his life and convinced himself that no matter what he tried, his chances of having the loving family he always longed for would always be taken away from him.

Byakuya Togami: He's the heir of the Togami corporation—just like in canon— and was about to marry Komaeda more for status and money than love. Nagito's family was loaded and had control over many interesting businesses for Togami, that's why he chose to marry Nagito, who was the only person left in his family. But once the radiation took over Komaeda, Byakuya gave up on the idea instantly. He did not want to deal with a giant-sized Komaeda, thinking that would ruin his image and career. It's not like Nagito has his family's assets now that he's a monster, so he's not interesting to Byakuya anymore. (Togami is a fucking asshole in this au, I'm sorry, Togami fans)

Sonia Nevermind + Gundham Tanaka: They're Nagito's best friends. Since Nagito's parents are dead, they're the ones who always help him out, including at his wedding. They were the only ones who were more for Komaeda himself after the meteor episode. Gundham even tried to stop some of the soldiers from the organization, but that was in vain, he and Sonia were pulled out of the area as well as the rest of the guests.

Eventually, when the monsters get Mukuro's permission to leave the containment base, Komeada goes directly to Gundham and Sonia's house so they know he's okay. Both Sonia and Gundham don't mind his new form, they're just happy to have their best friend back safe and sound.

Bonus: Gundham says that Nagito has reached his true form and that he knew from the start that Nagito wasn't entirely human. Komaeda shrugged it off as he knows it's just Gundham's dramatic way of speaking.

Mukuro Ikusaba: She takes the role of R. Monger.

Mukuro is a very talented soldier who got promoted to be in charge of area fifty-something(yes, the same as the movie. I'm not creative), where the monsters are being kept. She's cold looking and very straight to the point, but she also has a soft spot for the monsters she takes care of. That being said, she goes on her way to make sure they're comfortable in their new forever home, even if they can't escape to the outside world due to how humans would react.

After some months after Nagito's containment, Mukuro received the information that a huge alien robot bear had arrived on earth and proved to be a threat as it was killing innocent people and causing despair all over the place. Mukuro convinced the government to use the monsters to fight the robot since not even the armed force could, and in exchange, the monsters could finally be free.

Needless to say that Mukuro cared a lot for them, so she was very nervous about this decision as they could get hurt or even die.

Chiaki Nanami: Chiaki is a werebat. She has been in area fifty-something since she was 15. She's now 23.

Nanami has been found by the monster containment organization with one of her wings broken, so it was easier for them to capture her. It was a scary experience, she hated it there, but things improved when she met the Ultimate Hope, who she only calls Hajime(or Izuru if he's in control), they got attached very quickly as they noticed they were both very lonely and had problems socializing with the others monsters in the facility.

When she was 18, Mukuro got her promotion. Chiaki was cautious about her at first, but that soon changed as Ikusaba showed the monsters genuine care. Mukuro even gifted Chiaki a portable game console, which led to Nanami hyperfixation on games.

Nanami got interested in Nagito almost instantly, when he got into the facility, because of her curiosity. She surely hadn't planned that, but after some months, she and Hajime had developed a very strong bond with the white-haired man.

Hajime/Izuru(Ultimate Hope): The Ultimate Hope was born from a failed experiment a mad scientist performed on his son—Hajime Hinata— when the boy was 5 years old to try and stuff all talents known in the child's brain. That resulted in the creation of Izuru, however, the scientist hadn't expected Hajime's memories and soul to still be alive after the experiment. The Ultimate Hope was captured by the monster containment organization right after said experiment when they ended up killing their father in a post-trauma rage assessment.

Hajime and Izuru, despite showing different personalities, are the same person. They have the same feelings, same memories, same body... if, somehow, they were to be split apart, it'd be similar to cutting off a body member.

Hajime and Izuru intercalate who's in control of their body depending on the situation, Hajime being more in control during social and support situations, and Izuru during situations that require a bit more logic. Usually, Hajime's the one in control and izuru appears as his shadow. The same happens when Izuru takes control, but Hajime's the one being his shadow.

As previously mentioned, they take interest in Nagito and decide to approach him alongside Chiaki.

Akane Owari: She's a werewolf. Surprisingly the most difficult one to capture.

Akane has been found in a small village scaring some villagers away so she could steal their food and bring them to her younger siblings.

The monster containment organization tried to capture her more than once, but she always escaped using her inhuman speed. She also put up a fight leaving many soldiers harmed, but never killed them. She has only been captured one day when she came back to her cave and couldn't find her siblings anywhere. She lost the will to fight and let herself be captured.

She still don't know where they are, and that worries her very much, but she allowed herself to enjoy her new life since she not only got free food in the facility, but also got along pretty well with the other monsters.

King Monokuma: It is a gigantic alien robot that Junko sent to earth, in Japan to be precise, to torment the humans and bring them despair. However, King Monokuma is merely a distraction from her actual takeover plan.

She knew that the robot bear would get the world's attention, having most of the countries send resources that they believed would help take it down, as King Monokuma was believed to be a menace not only to Japan, but to the rest of the world too.

Still, even with how strong the robot was, it was defeated by the monsters strangely easily.

Junko Enoshima: Junko is an alien that destroyed her own planet. She's completely in love with despair and wants every living being to feel it.

It's always the same plan, she sends one of her Monokumas to scare the inhabitants of the planet she chose, and kills a bunch of people, only sparing a few that she thought that'd make wonderful remnants of despair and make them destroy their home planet themselves...

She'd watch the chaos and also plan more despairing things to do with the planet's inhabitants, like different types of killing games, until she gets bored and went to the next planet.

But earth is a little special for her, as it would not be the first time she'd be there. This time, she's eager to see a certain soldier again, but not only that, she wants the amount of power that had been contained within Komaeda(of course she doesn't knows that he's the one who has been hit by that meteor...yet).

Bonus thingy: Hajime/Izuru and Chiaki teach Nagito how to feel love. The trio + Mukuro and Akane become a founding family!!!

[march-harrigan]

DK Scarecrow crush got hit with fear toxin but instead of being scared it made her … oddly affectionate. Hugs him, rubs her head on his neck and has a goofy smile.

Hey! Sorry this one took so long! I wanted to make up a hopefully fun reason that the toxin would affect the reader differently. I ultimately settled on reader being an alien. Something akin to John Carpenter's "The Thing" but... You know, friendlier.

Hope you like it!

Extraterrestrial physiology was a strange thing. Some weren't all too different from humans, or even some of Earth's other creatures. Some rested in between. Similar in some ways, but unique from Earthly lifeforms in others(Superman would make for the perfect example of this). And then there were those that were just something else entirely.

Jonathan Crane was aware of this fact, although he'd done no research into the subject himself. Despite the fact that he'd been dating one for the last year now. You, to be specific. Or maybe it was because the only alien he had access to was the one he loved. He was willing to bank on you being the 'something else' variety given your true form. An odd mass of a creature that could perfectly imitate the form of any other lifeform you chose(although for the sake of your life on Earth, you typically stuck to your human disguise). Jon wouldn't lie and say that he wasn't curious what effects his fear toxin might have on such a creature. But he never tested it. Not on you. Never on you.

But accidents were bound to happen from time to time. And whether he liked it or not, your proximity to him would eventually put you at risk.

He hadn't expected you that night when something went wrong with the bunsen burner. The flame turned up higher than it should have, and before he could put it out, the glass he had been working with overheated. Fortunately, Jon always took the proper safety measures when working in the lab. When creating a gas that attacked your psyche with your deepest fears, wearing a gas mask was just common sense. He was safe. But you weren't.

You'd been approaching from behind when the glass shattered, the overheated toxin having already evaporated into its gaseous form inside the beaker. As soon as it was unleashed, you got an unintentional whiff of the stuff, and with a loud squeak, you now stood stiff behind Jonathan. He turned, eyes wide as horror dawned at him at the realization of what had just occurred. You had inhaled his toxin, and now he was going to see its effects on your unique physiology whether he liked it or not. Not knowing what else to do, he took your hands in his and lead you a safe distance from the worktable. He couldn't undo what had been done, but he could prevent you from taking an even higher dose.

Removing his mask, he whispered your name. "Please… Say something. Tell me you're okay." Concern laced his tone as he gently took your face into both hands. For once, he was the one who was terrified. He had no idea what effect his toxin would have on you. And if it all went wrong, if it went downhill too quickly, he had no way of fixing it. No way of saving you.

And then you laughed.

Horror turned to surprise as your lips met his. A quick light kiss followed by a stunned blink from him. He repeated your name, this time like it was a question. And before he knew it, you were hugging him. Not just hugging, but embracing, tighter than you ever had before with a big, silly grin on your face. He breathed out before questioning you again. "You're… Are you okay, angel? You had me worried!"

"Oh Jonny, I've never felt better," you giggled, keeping your arms firmly laced around him. He couldn't help but feel that you were being excessively affectionate. Even for you. And when you peppered his face with several more kisses, it confirmed his suspicions. His toxin, designed to instill terror had instead left you utterly enamoured. This was a concern in and of itself, but he supposed that of all the possibilities, this was far from the worst case scenario. At the very least, you were alive and safely with him.

"Let's get you to the couch," he sighed, lifting you up. He may not have looked it, but he was at least strong enough to carry you that distance. As he walked you over, he couldn't help but chuckle as you nuzzled your head into the crook of his neck and hummed contentedly. Batting your eyelashes at him, you smiled and asked, "Will you stay and snuggle with me, Crow?"

"I suppose there's no harm in it." Setting you down on the couch, he sat next to you. If all you wanted was to cuddle, then that was fine. He'd hold your hand and let you hug and nuzzle to your heart's content, until you were relaxed enough to drift off. With luck, you'd sleep it off. If not, he was sure he could create an antidote. For your sake, he'd get you back to your still lovable, but not quite as love drunk self.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

first ever request so I'm not sure if I'm being specific enough but

could I request something with the main iswm crew and maybe Mack finding out that the planet the colonists are being transported to is actually alien!readers home planet? (with reader's kind welcoming the colonists and crew with open arms) ((if that's too many characters, you can just pick which ones you want to do))

Slerapy anon

Mark

At first he’s stunned that you were an alien this whole time. You did a very good job masquerading as a human.

But does it change his opinion of you as a captain and friend who never gave up on him? Absolutely not.

He’s so excited to meet the rest of your species! And eager for the colonists to rest on the shores of your home planet.

Prior to disembarking you sent a simple request to your people: Never, under any circumstances, are they allowed to call the human named “Mark Iplier” ugly. That word was banned.

You've heard that one too many times from other rude aliens, and your species isn't gonna make the same mistake. No sir.

When Mark finds out about the extra step you took to make him feel more welcomed, he smiles.

And he beams with such pride as one of your planet’s leaders gives him a medal..and then you a medal..and then him a medal..and then you a medal..and that one female crew member a medal.

There’s no one he adored more than you, his alien captain.

Mack (Head Engineer)

On the other hand..

"I KNEW it!! You were an alien all along!!”

Of course, why wouldn’t you know how to reroute power or other troubleshooting measures on your own ship? ‘Only an alien disguised as a human captain wouldn’t!’ He thinks. That’s why he insisted on taking over and treated you so harshly when you refused. He was paranoid.

Now that the truth’s fully out, he plots a revolt against you for “espionage”. 

Yet...nobody takes his side. They don’t really care and are just happy to reach their destination in one piece.

You lowkey get offended when Mack assumes you wanna enslave the colonists, so you explain that your people were hosting a festival to celebrate their arrival--and that the two species have been communicating long before this trip. It’s why you orchestrated this trip at all.

When he finally meets them, he remains hostile but soon sees how genuinely kind they are and realizes how wrong he was.

Then he stumbles into your cabin in tears, begging for forgiveness.

Celci

Ngl she was a bit surprised.

She thought the planet you chose was uninhabited and simply had all the suitable conditions for human life.

But the scouting crew discovered an alien civilization and that’s when you reveal your true form to her, smiling as you explain it’s your home and all of them are welcomed.

“We’re a kind species, CC. We’ve been in contact with humanity for a while about establishing a society together. I just..didn’t wanna scare you guys so I stayed quiet.”

Although a bit miffed you kept this hidden she forgives you, still proud to call you her Captain.

“You kept them all safe, and that’s what matters. I’m eager to meet your friends and family, Cap.”

Gunther

“Aliens??? Hm.....do they have high-tech explosive weaponry we can trade?”

Barely bats an eye at the big reveal that his captain’s an alien.

You find it suspicious, especially when you remember the timeline he betrayed you for that exact reason.

When you catch him alone you ask him what he genuinely thinks of you.

“I was shocked, yeah but..shit, you led us well, Captain. Probably better than any other human could’ve. As long as your kind doesn’t try to uh..probe us, it’s all good.”

Burt

You’re a bit nervous about what he’ll think, but he just smiles lightly and reiterates his little poem (from the end of part 2).

“Alien or human or..anywhere in between, you are still a child of the universe. So beautiful to behold. I look forward to the exchanging of our cultures with your species.”

And he just walks away and resumes his duties.

What a guy.

Wug (bc I love him he deserves a spot here)

"You??? Alien???? Alien like Wug????? :DD" 

He's so happy when you’re comfortable enough to reveal your true form to him.

But at the same time feels bad for assuming you were human when you first met him.

You let him come onto your transport as you arrive on the planet's surface, showing him around.

"WOAH!!!! Wug find planet pretty..but not as pretty/handsome as [y/n]!”

He’ll use his translator to talk with your species, and after seeing how benevolent they are he might coordinate a meeting with other Wugs.

[infinity2020corner]

Some personal feelings about Thomas Barrow in DA2

Warning for spoilers

Before the DA2 trailer dropped, I had been really looking forward to seeing Thomas Barrow again. It would have been a complete delight, had it not been for what I was presented with. Even prepared as I was, watching most of it was rather painful.

As we likely all know by now, Julian Fellowes chose to retcon canon yet again (e.g. Carson's health, retconning canon seems to be the rule now, more than the odd occurrence); he went ahead and erased the hopeful ending of DA1 by recycling an abandoned plotline that was spoiled 3 years ago, a plotline that in my humble opinion makes very little sense in the wake of how Richard Ellis was eventually portrayed in DA1.

(Nice. Very nice and not embarrassing and lazy at all. Moving on.)

Early in the film there is a scene between Thomas and Mrs Hughes where we learn that Richard is getting married, Thomas is visibly heartbroken, and this understandable emotional mindset is a constant shadow throughout the film. What got to me even more, though, was how Mrs Hughes acted towards Thomas. She felt nowhere near as warm an affectionate as any of the previous times she comforted him in the series; she looked, if not outright cold, rather aloof and almost disinterested, in spite of her claiming the opposite. This personality shift is so random, so obvious, that to me it seems very deliberate she was written as such.

For what reason would they do something like that? Perhaps it has to do with the sense of forced alienation which I perceived around Thomas; it is so jarring that it feels completely artificial, instead of a natural development. Among other things, personally I was in utter disbelief at witnessing Denker, of all characters, being more involved in downstairs antics than Thomas was. It felt like some sort of upside-down world, to be honest.

It is true that DA1, too, rather lacked in terms of more meaningful interactions between the downstairs characters, but it was clear the atmosphere was one of general harmony, Thomas included, and they all formed a united front in the face of the RV. Even the professional, yet relaxed attitude Thomas conveyed as a butler in DA1 was abruptly changed for no apparent reason; I recall a couple of times in DA2 where Thomas acts more like Carson would then himself, and it's so OOC it's just plain awful.

Overall, Thomas looks generally upset or sad, almost lifeless, for at least half the time he's on screen; for the rest of it, he either wears his polite servant mask or looks confused/uncomfortable, barely cracking a smile or two until the end. Most of the aforementioned issues could be attributed to the loss of his relationship with Richard, yet even that does not explain everything that feels so off in DA2.

At this point, I'm starting to believe the break-up, the deliberate isolation and all their consequences were nothing more than plot devices, aiming to ensure that few viewers would be inclined to question Thomas and the extremely rash life decisions he makes in the film; in the light of this theory, it is quite telling they felt the need to retcon multiple characters and storylines.

Then, once he gives his notice, he simply disappears, with no hint of goodbye from Phyllis and the others, and not even one tiny snippet of how he's doing after the time skip, nothing.

What a disappointment, on so many levels.