#(I have a thing for themes of the soldier's post-war identity...)

[chatdae]

[id/ screenshot of an interview transcription. It reads as follows_ "Hamilton: What's Nick like? I haven't brushed up on Gatsby in years. Ross: Nick is a character that's been interpreted in a few different ways over the years. Something that really excited me about our production, is that from the beginning the creative team wanted to portray Nick as a gay man who is at a turning point in his life-- leaving the war, leaving his twenties, searching for purpose, safety, love, and excitement. I'm just at the tip of my exploration now, and it's already been really thrilling." /end id]

I’m so excited for the new Gatsby musical but seeing this makes me so happy. After seeing how the papermill Gatsby straightwashed Nick this is so refreshing to see. ❤️

[imgeekgirlfan]

The Curse of Cassandra [EP : IX]

Read in Ao3 : here

Pairings :  Qimir x f!reader(SEA Reader)  [The Acolyte]

Content waring : 18+ smut/nsfw, dubcon, drugged, fingering, p in v, unprotected sex, creampie

tags/themes : Alternate Universe - Dune & Star wars, Partners in Crime, Strangers to Lovers

Summary : 'The Jessica Crime'  named after Paul Atreides' mother, instructs the Bene Gesserit to 'never fall in love and always prioritize humanity over personal feelings.' Your love for Qimir is no different from Lady Jessica's love for Duke Leto—a love that will lead to great losses. You come to realize this truth as you uncover his hidden secrets and true identity.

Status: just finished writing this fic! (It will end in Episode 14)

A/N : Great news! I just wrapped up this fic, and it’ll be finished in Episode 14. I’ll need a bit of time to proofread it, but I’ll do my best to post updates frequently so you won't have to wait too long!

Also, I want you to listen to this song while reading this episode. It fits perfectly with the moment: Ciara - Paint It, Black.

Ps.If you enjoy my work, please reblog it. Just liking the post won’t help others discover it.

➡  Intro // EP : 1 // EP : 2 // EP : 3 // EP : 4 // EP : 5 // EP : 6 // EP : 7 // EP : 8 // EP : 10 // EP : 11 // EP : 12 // EP : 13 // EP : 14 (Completed)

[Episodes 9] The Jessica Crime

"You’ve been acting strangely since you woke up. What happened to you?" 

Qimir's voice echoes faintly from outside your consciousness. You can’t even tell from which point in time it’s coming—past, present, or maybe it’s all just a future that hasn't happened yet.

Loss of temporal footing.  Another voice fills your head, but this time it is the voice within your mind. The brief explanation brings you instant clarity. This is one of the symptoms experienced by those gifted with the ability to perceive across the dimensions of time. The flood of vast information overwhelms your mind, making it impossible to process in an orderly manner, intertwining the past, present, and future into a chaotic blend that is nearly impossible to separate.

You must find your anchor point, a point that makes you aware you are standing in the present.

The familiar voice urges you, guiding you on your next steps.

You recall the taste of spice in your tea cup—that peculiar blend of sweetness and fiery heat lingering on your tongue. You commit these sensations to memory, anchoring yourself in the present moment, while everything else beyond this remains as visions of what has been or what is yet to come.

"I think you’re taking too much spice." 

This is the present, you remind yourself, as Qimir pulls the tea cup from your grasp. At the mention of spice, your thoughts momentarily drift to Arrakis, the planet you once saw in your dreams. Arrakis used to be the primary source of spice, which was once the most valuable substance in the universe. But now, it’s merely a rare, costly drug, dismissed as useless by most.[1]

Few know that spice isn’t just a hallucinogen; it also enhances the ability to see into the future. That is why you need to consume it, despite the many side effects it has on your body.

You need to stay alert tonight to anticipate and prepare for what is coming next.

There’s a sedative in the food. 

You quietly review your plan in your mind. You have learned extensively about medicines from Qimir—how to identify herbs and concoct various potions with precision. Crafting a sedative isn't difficult; the challenge lies in administering it seamlessly so that even someone as sharp as Qimir won’t suspect a thing.

I used a method from the Suk School[2], you think, letting your mind drift back to the memories of your ancestors, back to a time before Paul Atreides became the Lisan al-Gaib.

You travel back to a pivotal moment in the galaxy's brutal history when House Harkonnen ruthlessly annihilated House Atreides. They initiated their plan by sedating everyone present before storming in to slaughter soldiers and servants, saving the key figures for last.

Your consciousness remains anchored in that moment, hearing the deep, mocking voice of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen as he taunts Lady Jessica, the Bene Gesserit and mother of Paul Atreides: “The sedative's effects were precisely calculated. We even know the exact second you will awaken.”

The method was simple: by knowing only height and weight, the Suk doctors could concoct the sedative in the precise dosage needed to control both the onset of drowsiness and the moment of awakening. Using this technique makes everything appear seamless and natural, as if the drowsiness were merely a result of natural fatigue rather than the effect of a drug. Qimir wouldn’t suspect he had been drugged—not until he woke up the next morning.

And by then, you’re certain you’ll be long gone from him.

He might harbor a slight suspicion now. you think, watching Qimir across the dinner table as he takes a bite of the Bocha[3] you prepared. But because he loves me, he chooses to trust me rather than doubt. And that will be his mistake.

“You’re awfully quiet,” Qimir remarks. You notice he’s finished eating and is now pouring you a glass of plain water—no spice. “What’s on your mind?”

You sense the growing suspicion in his eyes, sparked by your own lethargic and distant demeanor—a side effect of the spice and the temporal disorientation swirling in your mind. You know that Qimir's questioning isn't a good sign. If his doubts continue to deepen, the whole plan could easily unravel.

Clenching your fists, you deliberately press your nails into the soft skin of your palms, using the pain to anchor your mind in the present before responding in a calm voice: “I was just thinking of Arrakis. I dreamed of it a few nights ago.”

Arrakis. Qimir's brows furrow as he recalls how he’s heard you mutter the name of the ancient planet many times in your sleep.

He knows only that Arrakis was once the home planet of the Fremen, but beyond that, he knows little else. After the Holy Jihad ended, the stories of the Fremen became forbidden tales, lost to the sands of time. No records remain to testify to their existence. If Qimir hadn’t met you, he would have never believed that any Fremen still existed in this galaxy.

“Tell me,” he says softly. “About what you saw—about your home planet.”

You freeze for a moment, your mind pulled back into the past once more. Someone asked me this same question long ago.

How long? A thousand years, perhaps.

Deep in your consciousness, you find yourself sitting at the mouth of a sealed stone cave on Arrakis. Your gaze drifts over the distant rock formations and stretches of sand, a sense of peace settling over you. Cradled in your arms is a young Fremen woman of your age. As the night remains still, your lips meet in a silent kiss. She looks at you with eyes full of love, gently placing her hand on your cheek and whispering softly, “Usul, my beloved, tell me about your home planet.”

You blink, and the image shifts back to the present. The Fremen woman is replaced by Qimir. They share nothing in common except for those same eyes filled with love looking back at you.

Your heart wavers with confusion, a momentary urge to abandon your plan and confess the truth surging within you. But you can’t—there's no turning back now, only the choice to move forward.

“Arrakis was a desolate and arid planet, harsher than any other in the universe,” you say, setting your glass down on the table. “Water was so precious that we had to wear stillsuits at all times. These suits were designed to reclaim the body’s sweat and moisture, turning it into drinkable water.”

Qimir stares at you in amazement, a hint of apprehension creeping into his expression. “Are you saying that the Fremen used to drink their own sweat and... pee?”

You nod, almost smiling at his reaction. “We reclaimed even the water from corpses.”

“How did it taste?”

"Much worse than regular water," you reply, even though you've never actually tasted water from a stillsuit yourself. The memories of others make you feel as if you had. That warm, bland liquid was disgusting and bitter. "It was stale and unpleasant, but it was drinkable. We didn’t have much choice."

“That kind of life must’ve been incredibly hard.”

“Harder than anyone could imagine.” You hear a haunting wail deep within your mind as memories of brutal, unforgiving times resurface: stories of the Fremen fighting against ruthless rulers who came to exploit and plunder this planet, just to survive each day.

You take a deep breath before continuing, “But those hardships made us strong. We did whatever was necessary to survive.”

Qimir senses the bitterness in your words—the coldness laced with an undercurrent of isolation and pain hidden beneath those brief sentences.

He studies you for a moment, taking in your face and the deep blue eyes unique to the Fremen. The longer he looks, the more he senses a change within you. It’s as if you are no longer the person he once knew but someone from a distant, ancient world—a world he could never truly reach or understand, no matter how hard he tried.

Qimir moves closer, his hand reaching for yours. That's when he notices the small crescent-shaped marks from your nails on your palm. He stares at them for a moment before lifting your hand to his lips and pressing a soft kiss on the wound. “You’re not alone anymore, Hara.”

You know that whenever Qimir calls you by your Fremen name, it’s his way of expressing love and comfort. It always makes your heart soften, even though you know, deep down, that these feelings should never have existed in the first place.

The Bene Gesserit learned a harsh lesson from this long ago. They called it ‘The Jessica Crime,’[4] named after the mother of Paul Atreides. 

It is said that her love for Duke Leto led her to follow her heart rather than obey the Sisterhood's orders, giving birth to a son when she was supposed to bear a daughter. This act altered the fate of the universe by bringing forth the Kwisatz Haderach prematurely, sparking a galactic war that ultimately led to unimaginable losses.

Since then, the Bene Gesserit established an inviolable rule—a warning passed down to every sister of every generation: never fall in love and always place the greater good of humanity above personal feelings.

You alone truly understand Jessica's thoughts, even though you exist in different times. 

For to forbid someone from loving is like forbidding them from dying. As long as humanity has a heart, that rule will always remain impossible to follow.

Under the intoxicating influence of the spice that still clouds your senses, the world around you feels like a mirage. Even as Qimir's lips trail up to your mouth and neck, lingering in a slow, tender kiss, and his large hands caress your body, sending shivers of electricity through your skin, 

This is real. All of this is real. You remind yourself as you surrender your body and being to his embrace.

You are fully aware that you're making the same mistake Jessica did. You grasp this truth with perfect clarity, knowing the consequences that will follow. Yet you allow it to happen because denying it would only arouse suspicion. Besides, deep down, you don’t want to deny your own feelings. This might be the last moment you and he share together before your fragile bond shatters beyond repair.

Your fading consciousness returns briefly as Qimir guides you to the bed. His hands deftly undo the knots of your clothes, just as he does with his own, leaving both your bodies and souls exposed.

Qimir pulls you onto his lap, your bare skin pressing against his, every soft curve and firm muscle meeting in intimate contact. You feel his growing arousal beneath your thighs.

For the first time, he lets you touch the cross-shaped scar on his back. You trace it gently, unable to stop yourself from asking, “Did it hurt much when you got this scar?”

“More than words can express,” he replies with a faint smile, though his eyes shine with anger at the memory. “I’ve never forgotten what happened that day.”

You don’t press him further; you know when to ask and when to remain silent. Besides, curiosity is unnecessary for you, as you've already glimpsed some of what he's faced and the terrible things he's done. Qimir may be gentle with you, but he's not a good man. His hands are stained with the blood of countless lives, and yet you still allow those hands to roughly explore every part of your body, fully aware of who he is and what he's done.

Your breath hitches as Qimir's fingers pinch and knead your nipple, sending a jolt of heat that spreads across your face. His other hand slowly glides down your stomach, lower and lower, until it reaches your most sensitive area. His fingertips explore your folds, circling your clit before sliding inside. He moves with a steady rhythm—neither too slow nor too fast—just enough to awaken your arousal. It wasn’t long before your desire soared, and the slickness between your legs made you ready for what comes next.

You lean over Qimir, carefully lowering yourself onto him, taking your time. A wave of desire washes over you as the tip of his cock gradually enters you. You exhale shakily, resting your forehead upon his shoulder, savoring the feeling as every vein of his length drags against your gummy walls. filling and stretching you in all the right ways. The sensation is overwhelming, a mix of intimacy and longing as your bodies merge completely.

Qimir's arms wrapped around your waist, holding you firmly as you begin to move your hips, riding his cock with a slow rhythm. He presses wet kisses along your jaw, trailing down to your neck, where he bites and sucks, leaving marks as if to claim you. Meanwhile, your nails dig into his back, uncaring that it might hurt him—you're certain he enjoys it.

A moan escapes your lips as Qimir thrusts up into you, his hips smacking sloppily against wet lips between your legs. bullying his cock deeper inside you. He begins to rut into you with increasing force, making your entire body tremble with pleasure, the intensity building as he swiftly took control. guiding your hips to move in sync with his, alternating between slow and quick thrusts. 

The rhythm of desire is as tangled and complex as the threads of time. He knows exactly what you need, and you know what he desires, as if you've known each other for an eternity.

As your bodies move in perfect synchrony, chasing the orgasm that coils tight in your stomach, your thoughts and emotions begin to merge into one. While making love with Qimir, you catch glimpses of fragmented memories hidden within him, each flashing before your eyes like a rapidly playing video. You see the deaths of Jedi, the twisted desires, and the ominous shadow of a man wearing a cracked metal helmet, its surface etched with a twisted smile—the Sith who tried to kill you in your dreams.

They’re all the same person—each one is him.

“Qimir!”

You cry out, your voice breaking as your eyes widen in shock. Your entire body quakes with an indescribable sensation, torn between the bliss of your orgasm and the terror buried deep within your mind. You hear Qimir's low growl in your ear as he drives into you harder, relentless thrusts, until his movements begin to slow. His cock throbs inside you as he finally releases, painting your insides white with his cum, filling you to the brim and overflowing.

Qimir leans back on the bed, his breathing noticeably slowing, his eyelids heavy with exhaustion. He looks more drained than usual but still has the strength to pull you into his arms. You barely dare to breathe, lying stiffly under his hold, watching him as he drifts off to sleep in mere moments.

You remain still for a while, waiting until you’re sure Qimir is in a deep sleep before carefully untangling yourself from his hold. Slipping out of bed, you dress quietly, your mind already knowing what you must do next. But when you glance back at Qimir one last time, hesitation grips you.

You bite your lip, knowing that the wisest thing to do right now is to gather your belongings, escape this place, and contact Sol immediately. Yet your mind refuses to settle until you confirm the truth with your own eyes, even though you already know deep down that the vision couldn’t possibly be wrong.

Moving with quiet precision, you find yourself in front of Qimir’s office—a place you were never allowed to enter. The door, locked with a digital passcode, is something you don’t know; however, the images from your vision guide your fingers as you type the code accurately. The door slides open.

Inside, the room is large and spacious, a blend of an office and a workshop. One corner holds a cluttered desk, while another is filled with tools and equipment, and shelves and crates are haphazardly cluttered around. 

But what draws your attention most is a metal chest on the lowest shelf. Something within seems to beckon to you, like a faint whisper, urging you toward the secret waiting to be uncovered.

Kneeling on the floor, your hand trembles as you reach out to touch the chest. The cold metal startles you slightly, and a sudden fear wells up within you, making you hesitate to open it. I must not fear. Fear is the mindkiller. You recite the Bene Gesserit litany in your mind to calm your nerves before finally deciding to open the chest with a swift motion.

What you find inside makes you cover your mouth in shock. The truth Qimir had been hiding all along now unfolds before you. 

Inside the chest lies a helmet made of cortosis, its dark, tarnished metal streaked with dull gold. The helmet is cracked in several places, though it has been mended. Its most distinct feature remains intact—the grotesque smile carved into the lower half of the helmet—the same smile you’ve seen countless times in your dreams

You think back to the events on the Trade Federation ship, where Qimir had appeared instead of the Sith. His face superimposes over the helmet in the chest, and in that instant, everything becomes crystal clear.

The man you've lived with all these years, the only one you've let into your life, is the very source of the darkness that haunts your dreams. Beneath the facade of a freelance trader and gentle lover lurks a terrifying truth—He is the Sith Lord, the threat to the galaxy, the ruthless Jedi killer, and possibly the one who may take your life.

Footnotes:

[1] This fic tweaks canon a bit—In canon, stopping spice use means losing prescient vision forever, but in this fic, you can quit without issue.

[2] Suk Doctors, trained at the Suk School, are elite physicians in the Dune universe, usually serving only wealthy families.

[3] Bocha is a crispy, delicious dish from The High Republic era, often served hot.

[4] According to the Dune novels, Lady Jessica’s defiance of the Bene Gesserit by having Paul Atreides is called 'The Jessica Crime,' a lesson for future generations to always control their emotions for humanity's sake."

[historia-vitae-magistras]

When you said Jack never came back from World War One, what did you mean? Do different countries have different ability to revive?

I mean it in a poetic way. A running theme in my writing is the facets of humanity lost and found across a life span. I think most people can put flowers on the grave of someone they used to be. Jack's is just somewhat literal.

The usual story is of Gallipoli as a birth of a country the beginning of a national identity. The baptism of blood and fire. There's this construction of a mythos around it for both Australians and New Zealanders. I... Kind of accidentally put that arse over the kettle because it's the place I killed him. There's a quote from Game of Thrones of all places "kill the boy and let the man be born." Anzac Cove, Lone Pine, Quin's Post. These are the places I took him and to a lesser extent Zee, apart.

There's something very sad in the enthusiasm with which the Australians in particular went to war. The western world went to war in 1914 in a storm of hysterical nationalist joy but it always read a bit— more earnest from the Australians. Maybe they were just less subdued than Canadians or Brits or New Zealanders, I don't know. It's a good part imperial delusion but it's not like all of these men were entranced with the imperial project. Men like William Sing and Caleb Shang were a part of the Australian expeditionary forces too.

Jack, as an individual, isn't raised on heroism. He knows what his father is, he knows what soldiers did in his own territory. But there was this glamour to it. This sense of bravery and decency have to exist somewhere and maybe it is on the battlefield. Certainly there are countless stories. They give out medals. In the American part of the anglosphere, courage and bravery are the terms most used but for the Commonwealth, it is gallantry we think of as deserving medals. In effect it means Bravery but also has this connotation of chivalry and decency. He has women in his life who have shaped him as much as the men and rough hewn but honest decency is something he thinks the world needs more of. He thinks war will make more of it. He thinks a kind and spirited boy will become a gallant but fair man.

Instead, his sister buries that boy on a spare bit of the cliff face.

The man who comes back isn't depraved, he's still funny and friendly. But his anger is darker and his optimism is tainted by fatalism. He stops trying on a lot of things. He protests constantly, refuses to play as a team or fight at all sometimes and becomes a bit hedonistic. And misanthropic. So misanthropic. He's always liked animals a bit more than people but oh it got so much worse after WW1.

[azurestar]

With the Eras Tour movie coming out this weekend, I thought I'd post some of my Batman/Taylor Swift thoughts.

My Tears Ricochet reminds me so strongly of Bruce and Dick's relationship I'm not 100% convinced it wasn't actually written about them. I could probably do a full lyrical analysis to this song, but for now I'll point to a few selected quotes.

Even on my worst day, did I deserve, babe All the hell you gave me? 'Cause I loved you, I swear I loved you 'Til my dying day

You know I didn’t want to have to haunt you But what a ghostly scene You wear the same jewels that I gave you As you bury me

In Swift's discography, the "jewels" represent the albums she lost the rights to, which her former label continues to profit off of. In this context, the jewel is Robin's identity— which Bruce gives Jason weeks after firing Dick.

I didn't have it in myself to go with grace 'Cause when I'd fight, you used to tell me I was brave. And if I'm dead to you, why are you at the wake? Cursing my name, wishing I stayed ... And you're tossing out blame, drunk on this pain Crossing out the good years

When Bruce fires Dick, he tells him he wants Robin to stay dead. When Dick confronts him about taking on a new Robin, he at first refuses to acknowledge “the years we spent together as Batman and Robin”— before breaking down and angrily admitting that he missed him.

Mastermind reminds me of Barbara —specifically, her conversation with Helena in Birds of Prey #84, when she apologizes for psychologically manipulating her. Read the bridge of Mastermind…

No one wanted to play with me as a little kid So I've been scheming like a criminal ever since To make them love me and make it seem effortless This is the first time I've felt the need to confess And I swear I'm only cryptic and Machiavellian 'cause I care.

…and then the following panels.

Right Where You Left Me is more meta than the others on this list, but it reminds me of Tim— still Robin, still seventeen after all these years.

Everybody moved on I stayed there Dust collected on my pinned-up hair They expected me to find somewhere Some perspective, but I sat and stared Right where you left me … Did you ever hear about the girl who got frozen? Time went on for everybody else, she won't know it She's still 23 inside her fantasy How it was supposed to be…

In a hypothetical edit, I’d change the self-deprecating next line to “Did you hear about the girl who lives in delusion? / Heroes die every day / You don’t have to lose it." You know:

You’re Losing Me reminds me of Stephanie’s time as Robin + War Games.

I gave you all my best me's, my endless empathy And all I did was bleed as I tried to be the bravest soldier Fighting in only your army Frontlines, don't you ignore me I'm the best thing at this party (You're losin' me)

Despite Batman's discouragement, Stephanie gave being Robin everything she had, throwing herself in the line of fire to protect him. Instead of rewarding her efforts, Batman pushes her away, limits her information access, and eventually fires her.

And I wouldn't marry me either A pathological people pleaser Who only wanted you to see her

As War Games progresses, Stephanie's overwhelmed with guilt. All she ever wanted was Batman's support.

Finally, the heart failure theme. Swift incorporates a heartbeat into the track, and “you’re losing me” references a coding hospital patient. The final lyrics:

Stop, you're losin' me Stop, you're losin' me Stop, you're losin' me I can't find a pulse My heart won't start anymore

[lucky-draws]

bosselot ranting and raving which genuinely makes no sense and isn't worth reading ↓

something something big boss becoming a lone, paranoid figure who trusts no one because of his series of betrayals i.e. the boss' "defection", les enfants terribles, the boss' (perceived) abandonment of him in her desire for peace, kaz's involvement with cipher etc. something something when you trust no one but yourself maybe you Would have quite a fascination with someone who is your phantom/copy/double/clone/you. unlike les enfants terribles venom is the kind of "clone" that bb can forge a twisted affection for, due to his absolute loyalty and due to his being, well, him. am i about to start "shipping bbvenom" well not really i'm just pondering big boss and also, as usual, pondering my favourite phenomenon of People Who Are Identical But Not Quite. im big boss and so are you. im maria s/ilent hill and so are you. im solid and im liquid we're the stupid brothers. etc

also. sigh. basically im attempting to write a fic (who knows if it will ever see the light of day) where ocelot gives himself big boss' scar. just for fun/because he's insane. 1964: i wanted to eat the same food as him -> 1973ish: i wanted to permanently mark myself with the same scar he gave himself which also happens to be my mother's scar from birthing me etc. #justocelotthings. and big boss goes through 10000 shrimp colour stages of anger/grief/fascination/horny/acceptance in reaction to it.

and i was thinking about post pw incident where bb is beginning his shift into a much darker, closed off figure and he's full of bitterness in the wake of all his chucking-her-bandana-into-the-ocean The Boss Feelings and also his divorce with kaz. and how maybe his feelings towards ocelot (which are as insane as they've ever been due to the recent development of The Scar) are also shifting a little. up until now he's accepted ocelots promises of devotion and loyalty and he's reciprocated ocelot's affection because he does genuinely Like Him Despite Everything and they have had their weird little Thing going on for many years. but now it's like. concepts such as loyalty to the end and unconditional devotion are beginning to lose their credibility; bb questions whether even ocelot might not be his ally forever. and does BB even Want ocelot's loyalty? he's a useful person but BB never ASKED for ocelots loyalty. loyalty, devotion, subservience - these are hollow promises. he likes ocelot when he's a real human and not a soldier. he likes ocelot as his equal. one might even go as far as to say - he likes ocelot best as an extension of himself. he likes ocelot as his mirror. "you're not a snake and im not an ocelot?" wrong. we're both snakes. as you said yourself, ocelot, in a nice little scene in approximately chapter 2 (doesn't exist), now that you've given yourself that scar, "we match". we're nothing but a pair of snakes. we're red string of fate tied to each other more than ever. we're the sons of the boss; we're twin snakes. we're metal gear solid: the twin snakes 2004 developed by konami and silicon knights for the nintendo gamecube. but we're not just two snakes, we're an ourobouros. i don't just want you to pledge your loyalty to "big boss", i want you to be big boss. i want to you to live my dream, not just be an ally to it.

in actual fact maybe he is just in love with ocelot (squee!) but this is big boss we're talking about so. he is literally a weapon he is war itself he's the war machine he's a soulless dead fish of a man. and either destroying or assimilating everything in his path forever is kind of his whole theme. and ocelot as a literal child of the battlefield will never escape it either. so they both just blow up and go to hell forever.

OR DO THEY. maybe bb is actually like wow everyone is betraying me the boss has abandoned me and ive abandoned her except never entirely even if i did throw her bandana into the sea in a moment of rage ive still got this scar on my chest. and so does ocelot because he's insane about me hm to be honest maybe i should just Give Up War and we can both retire and live on a ranch together forever the end.maybe that's actually what happens. life could be dream.

also please god let me find a job soon ive been unemployed for 7 months this is what happens when i don't have a job it gives me the time to think about bosselot until my brain melts and oozes and i start writing very long incomprehensible posts on my art blog at 3pm which does nobody any good. sigh

[twicetolivetwicetodie]

Rand al'Thor and Anakin Skywalker Parallels

Okay, I said I was gonna do this so let's go. Warning: this is full series spoilers for Wheel of Time so if you do watch the show and don't want Rand's arc spoiled, look away!

First thing's first, they're both the Chosen Ones of their perspective stories. Anakin being called the Chosen One, Rand with the titles the Dragon Reborn, He Who Comes With the Dawn, Car'a'carn, and Coramoor (all Chosen One in all those cultures)

Prophecies foretell that Anakin will bring balance to the Force (though afaik they're pretty vague on how he's supposed to accomplish this). The prophecies regarding Rand are complicated and unending and too much for this one post but the gist of it is that he will both save and destroy the world.

Anakin was born of Shmi Skywalker but has no father (the Force made him possible). Rand was born to Tigraine Mantear former Daughter-Heir to Andor and Janduin, clan chief of the Taardad Aiel. Tigraine was a Maiden of the Spear sworn to take no husband so that's where the Maiden birth fits in here.

Trauma is an ongoing theme here as neither of them can seem to catch a break. Anakin was enslaved as a child, loses his mother, is tortured a numerous amount of times (I've lost count the amount of times he's electrocuted in Clone Wars), and loses many soldiers under his command as well as the enormous pressure of being the Chosen One. He is constantly being told to suppress his emotions as anger will only lead to the Dark Side however he is never given the space or even any idea how to process his trauma. He loses Ahsoka due to her being kicked out of the Jedi Order due to the Jedi's own mistakes. Even after she is exonerated and very rightly leaves the Order, he's expected to keep his emotions under control and pretend everything is fine with this entire situation. Sidious groomed him for the Dark Side from a young age and ultimately ended up weaponizing his trauma.

Rand had a relatively normal childhood until Winternight when everything went to hell. Trollocs attack his village and he finds out he's adopted leading to the first of many identity crises. He's forced to leave the only home he's ever known and leave his adopted father behind who means everything to him. He and his friends are pursued across the world by Shadowspawn and Darkfriends who mean to turn him over to the Dark One, he's repeatedly tortured in his dreams every night by Ba'alzamon, and by the end of EoTW he discovers he can channel, which in this world means he's doomed to go insane the more he uses this magic.

He finds out he's the Dragon Reborn and the pressure of that adds onto his ongoing trauma of being pursued by Forsaken, being used and abused over and over and over again by people who are supposed to help and protect him, having the voice of his previous life in his head, losing people under his command and he blames himself for every last one. Everyone around him gaslights him into believing his trauma isn't real and that his very real PTSD symptoms are a result of him using the corrupted side of the magic system.

Rand suppresses his emotions as a coping mechanism and outwardly presents a mask that he feels nothing. These emotions he is not allowing himself to feel otherwise he would not be able to function he is funneling over to the voice of his previous life as Lews Therin. We as the reader experience his true emotions via Lews Therin. And I can't end this without mentioning when a group of Aes Sedai kidnap him and force him in a box to take him to the Tower, only to take him out to beat him with the Power, an extended torture that takes place for two weeks.

Both have lost a hand. Anakin lost a hand when Count Dooku cut if off with his lightsaber in Attack of the Clones. Rand lost a hand when Semirhage burned it off by channeling a fireball at him in Knife of Dreams.

Both of their falls I think are incredibly similar. Anakin kneels to Sidious begging him that he'll do anything just help him save Padme. In the Gathering Storm, Rand kneels to Semirhage and begs her that he'll do anything, just stop hurting Min. These end differently as Anakin ends up swearing to Sidious and becoming Darth Vader. Semirhage refuses to stop hurting Min, so Rand breaks the one line he won't cross and kills her with Balefire, but not without briefly channeling the True Power to escape his bonds; a Power only those sworn to the Shadow can wield.

After his fall, Anakin kills the younglings. For Rand an equivalent would be Natrin's Barrow, where he balefires an entire city out of existence just to get at the Forsaken Graendal.

As far as their return to the light goes, both is accomplished by a family member. Anakin is brought back by his son Luke. In Rand's case, it's his father Tam.

The Jedi and the Aes Sedai both have significant roles in both their arcs which includes losing trust in them after a certain point. They're both orders of magic users that did good in the world at one point in time but at some point lost their way or became corrupted.

The Jedi become majorly involved in the Clone Wars despite their vow of being peace keepers. They're aware of the origin of their clone army by the end of season 6, yet they decide to do nothing. Ahsoka being kicked out of the Jedi Order is Anakin's last straw. She's invited back in, and yet the Jedi refuse to change despite recognizing that they did Ahsoka wrong.

The Aes Sedai get involved in things that further their own ends or "Control the world with puppet strings" as some put it rather than their purpose of being "Servants of All". They deny the existence of the Black Ajah and pretend they haven't infiltrated their ranks. A faction of Aes Sedai kidnapped and tortured Rand for two weeks and the rest of the Aes Sedai refused to hold them accountable.

Both Anakin and Rand are Chosen Ones who cracked under the pressure and experienced persistent trauma.

I'm gonna end with a quote by Rand that seems pertinent to both of them.

"My life isn't my own. I'm a puppet for the Pattern and the prophecies, made to dance for the world before having my strings cut." -Rand al'Thor, The Gathering Storm

[invested-in-your-future]

Ironwood should have never been the villain

Hot take but I disagree.

I think Ironwood is perfect antagonist to showcase how fallible and flawed humanity can be. He is well meaning and he genuinely believes in his mission and goals and the idea of Greater Good. But he's also someone who grew up in post-world-war times in a country that's 100% was the bad guy before and is in quite a fickle state. Its no wonder he would strive to be better and desperately try to prove himself, even at the cost of his own wellbeing (oh look the theme of self sacrifice again and the toxic notion of "heroism" based upon society's expectations). Writing him as rigid by-the-book General that is willing to do whatever is necessary to keep the fragile peace going makes 100% sense. But inability to change and improvise should also be his flaw - while Ironwood sees threats that Ozpin is blind to, Ironwood genuinely does not realize the consequences and issues Ozpin sees in him.

I am of opinion that he was always intended to eventually "cross the line" and do something genuinely bad out of desperation and circumstance. The type of person that, when situation goes completely out of his control, would end up with him making decisions that are hard or impossible to come back from. A tragic case of a good intentions leading to worst decisions. A case study of human nature and the effect division, desperation and self destructive impulses can have upon it. And a thematic allusion of the real world's tendency to abandon war veterans and soldiers to their personal hell with no regard for their mental or physical wellbeing, after their country exploited them to the ultimate limit.

The issue however, just like with pretty much EVERYTHING in the show, is absolutely ZERO ACTUAL PROGRESSION. Its true for character relationships - Yang and Blake never actually getting to solve the issues that have been brewing since V3. Its true for characterization - Yang, Blake, Ruby, Weiss - all of them basically were given less than breadcrumbs so far rather than proper character writing - it took YEARS to acknowledge that Ruby might be traumatized and even that ended up with writing off trauma and character progression as NOT NEEDED "YOU ARE FLAWLESS" nonsense and Yang still has pretty much ZERO development in terms of her trauma (And Blake literally exists only as character design). It extends to the world itself too - time in Remnant only seems to move when there's a screentime given to a location - Come Volume 20, Glynda will still be vaguely standing around Vale and Mistral will still be exactly identical place as the team left it.

So its no surprise that that's true for character alignment too - Summer is either Best Mother Ever or Filthy Dishonest Liar, Raven is either uwusadregrets or Worst Mother Ever How Dare She. Even Salem is not immune to this as she literally has TWO phases of her backstory - "omg caring wife" and "I literally want to murder the entire world out of spite", with the awful flashback episode flipping the switch INSTANTLY between the two states. And that's true for Ironwood - there's no character arc. There's no actual genuine exploration of "road to hell is paved with good intentions", there's no moral conundrum. There's just a flip of the switch as plot demands. Its a Game of Thrones-esque situation where the writers wanted to do specific thing with the character but kind of forgot to do the reasonable build-up, so it just happens. THE BELLLLLLLLLS.

What I think should have happened is that Salem's stupid fortress of DOOM or relics or Cinder or Salem's Evil Troupe of Evil should have never played a role in Fall of Atlas. It should have been ALL Internal. Just Kingdom of Atlas imploding in on itself as consequence of Fall of Beacon and the worsening situation in the world. Make Atlas story arc ALL ABOUT power plays within Atlas, with different people having wildly different ideas on where to actually aim the army at and different characters having different ideas on how to bring back order to destabilized country. Just have the team be stuck in a situation that is few steps away from world war with different ways provided to solve it. In the end, lines are crossed and Atlas falls apart from it's own sense of self-importance, grandeur, paranoia, classism and nationalism and Ironwood, misguided and tragic, falls with the country he sacrificed everything for. The lead cast are left to wonder whether there was any other way to resolve this, but they'll never know. In this situation, willingly or unwillingly, they played the role of being the ones at the center of a Kingdom falling apart. What do they do now? Where do they go from here? Does each of them question actions that led them to this point in time? Do all of them arrive at the same conclusion?

I think to sell this its important to have Salem side to NEVER lift even a finger. The Story of Fall of Atlas is the story of division of humanity and Salem's side already did all they need to do with Beacon for that. Humanity are the ones that, as lyrics go, train their heroes and build their armies, and then with single moment, single event, they turn on each other and burn.

[pigeon-ponders]

I saw your post about creating a clone and padawan oc and I would like to know more 👀

omg hiiii tysm for asking!!!! <3

my padawan oc is named azure, and the clone is named haunt! i don't know a lot about star wars (literally only watched the bad batch) so things like azure's age, haunt's rank in his squad, i haven't decided yet. there are some things i have imagined (mostly for azure) that are probably not possible within canon/lore and will possibly change, but what i am CERTAIN about are the themes i want present in their story.

azure knows failure personally. imagine her as the student teachers have no hope for and give up on. she cannot use telekinesis -- putting her behind other younglings and padawans in terms of progress -- but she is VERY strong w/ force sense. she's basically an empath and a radio: constantly aware of people's emotions, intentions, and location (attuned to each person's frequency). as a youngling, she's painfully aware of her peer's aversion towards her. as a padawan, she rarely senses anything from her master other than disappointment.

she hates that she can weild the force and doesn't want to be a jedi, but it's what she's been told she had to be since she was a child. her master tells her that's her purpose, that's what the force wills, but she hates that. if it were up to her, she would leave and never come back, but her attachment to haunt is what makes her stay.

haunt earned his name from other clones because he's so quiet that he scares others when he eventually speaks. they don't even realize he's there. he's a private person and barely has any friends -- even in his own squad -- because of it. he's fine with that, though. he's a clone, born to play the role of a soldier, so that's what he'll do. nothing else.

underneath, he's having his own struggle with identity/purpose, similar to azure. if he had a choice he wouldn't be a soldier, but a scholar. he's a huge history nerd and looks to the subject as a source of guidance, but it also makes him question the war and his part in it. i came up with his name because i imagined the past haunting him :>

together they make an epic team of not wanting to play the roles they've been given, and that's why they're so close. haunt is more of a mentor than azure's master is because he has more empathy towards her and sees her for what she is -- a child. not some divine jedi -- just a kid who's struggling as much as him.

[steege-jpt3391]

Blog Post #11: "Cruel Story of Youth" by Oshima Nagisa

I was excited to watch Oshima Nagisa’s “Cruel Story of Youth” because after engaging in several different post-war films, this one I feel had the most unique execution. While Ichikawa Kon’s “The Burmese Harp” tells the story of an ex-Japanese soldier reflecting on the atrocities of his country and burying the graves of his dead comrades, this movie highlights more about the effects of post-war on common, everyday people who are just living their day-to-day lives, not getting caught up in the complexities of the war. The story follows Kiyoshi and Makoto, who are two lovers with quite a complicated story. The two get caught in a wave of post-war thought relating to the transformation to a Western identity, leaving the lovers to feel lost and unable to navigate an ever-changing world. In a film rooted deep in how the youth responds to changes in the world, Oshima depicts a story of angst where as the world constantly changes, younger individuals almost get swept behind.

One thing that sticks at the most to me about this movie is Oshima’s creative approach on how to target younger audiences and share a story that might be a little bit more under-represented. A lot of the popular post-war films of this era really only focus on what’s actually happening in the war, but not what’s going on outside of the battlefield. The characters almost carry about a figurative youth rebellion because it’s like they’re rebelling against Western thought. Oshima has even taken inspiration from several different American films dealing with the same idea of youth rebellion to highlight the difference between older and newer generations. While I believe the whole idea of showing how the transition from a premodern society to a modern one is a little bit overdone in the field of Japanese cinema, I still thought this film was quite interesting and did a good job of incorporating elements that would pertain to a different audience. The theme is not only adult-dominated, but male-dominated, so I appreciate Oshima’s creative outlook on trying to address an issue that might be more overlooked.

There are also many underlying themes when it comes to the actual romance between Makoto and Kiyoshi, as Oshima tries to depict a power dynamic revolving around sexuality and money. Personally, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the way Oshima tried to depict this idea because I thought the whole story to be a little bit vulgar and not make that much sense. For example, I thought the fact that when Kiyoshi raped Makoto, Makoto did not find it to be an act of hate so for her standards it was OK (Like what is this photo below)? Then, they begin to use each to make money? I did not enjoy this plot point of the film as I found it to just not make sense at all, and while Oshima may have done it for a specific reason to depict the sexist power dynamic, I didn’t really have me hooked. All in all, an interesting film that I look forward to discussing in class.

[goetzjpvis]

2/2/24 "Mobile Suit Gundam" JPT3702

Before I analyze this session's episodes on Gundam, I would like to take a look at the article "Contesting Traumatic War Narratives" by Ashbaugh.

Around the end of WW2, Japan has been dealt a devastating blow to not only its cities, but economy, morale, and family life too. This lead to the uprising of an internal pacifism movement, which is likely the reason that most Japanese media nowadays take a, sort of, anti-war approach (whereas at one point, stories that highlighted fighting for a cause during internal conflict were more popular). Nowadays, with anime spreading across the world for its unique entertainment and technologically-advanced qualities that awe audiences around the world, Japan has a reputation for being a pacifist country, despite their numerous war crimes and onslaught against the victors during WW2. But to what extent can we see these themes in Japanese media? How prevalent are they?

While watching Gundam, I saw many interesting narrative parallels to WW2 that paint war in a bad light. When Amuro stormed his house only to find it empty (sans for a group of rowdy, drunk soldiers) he was disappointed and shocked. The soldiers were breaking things, drinking, acting uncivilized, and being inconsiderate about the humans around them. This is clearly a nod to American soldiers who occupied Japan with their naval bases post WW2, relaxing in the country they defeated and harassing civilians. Even though this is a criticism on America's behalf, it is still an anti-war message that parallels Japanese history. The soldiers also harassed Amuro's friend's mother as well.

Many more anti-war sentiments were expressed throughout the episode. When conversing with the old lady whom Amuro had saved, she remarks that "Being left alive and alone is a cruel fate". Post-WW2 had so many disillusioned Japanese, women especially, who lived alone because their husbands and sons died at war. It gives a glimpse into the lives of common folk, who although didn't suffer directly from combat, lived lives full of tragedy as well. This shows that war affects everybody, not just the people who are fighting in it.

You can continue to take a more conservative approach to the show and question the heavy involvement of Fraw Bow and other females in the series. One may think "women shouldn't be fighting, they shouldn't be involved with soldiers." The show however, shows this as a necessity for everybody involved, increasing the seriousness of the situation, especially with Fraw volunteering her help as a result of seeing her family be killed in front of her.

Ashbaugh's article mentions a few shows, Gundam being one of them, and states that the shows generally do a good job of "refighting the war". The storytellers are conveying to the audience how things "should have been done", and promoting a more pacifist route to their own history. From a psychosocial perspective - perhaps as a sort of group healing?

Lastly, why is this a kids show!? While the anime was made, for the most part, to sell toys to children, the inclusion of this anti-war story does serve a generally important purpose. It can be considered propaganda, in a sense, in that children will grow up with these pacifist ideals, instilled by the narratives they consume and buy merchandise for, so when they are exposed to the real events of war, they will see it in a new light. It's also a soft way to introduce children to their own history. Children can learn about their country's past without being exposed to it directly, protecting them from mental disturbance early on. Within Ashbaugh's article, he quotes Napier's suggestion in that SF anime "provides important insights into historical memory and contemporary identity through its “distinctive narrative and visual aesthetic”.

[thoughtsbehindleslie]

Manifesto

The overarching theme I've seen after going through all of my blog posts is motivation to perform better work and inspiration. The common thread that runs through the majority of my blogs, in my opinion, is the situation I'm in right now and how I'm developing as an adult. I've been making an effort to maintain my motivation and work toward my life goals. As an example, for blog number 11, I had to pick two movies, and I decided to see Moonlight, a film about a young guy named Chiron who grows up in Miami and faces issues with his identity and sexuality as he navigates the daily obstacles of growing up. In that film, the difficulties of growing up are shown, along with how challenging it may be to make sense of things. Because things get better, it inspires others to keep trying and never give up. In the following blog post, I saw the concept of motivation as a whole in blog post number 8. I had to select songs for this blog and put together a playlist where the motivational concept permeated every song. The same concept, motivation, is present in every song I picked. Eye of the Tiger, Don't Stop Believin', Started from the Bottom, Not Afraid, Ain't No Mountain High enough, and Never say never were the six songs I picked. Never Say Never, which encourages people to pursue the goals they have because they might come true at some point in the future, and I believe it fits the concept of my theme. The song may be heard playing in the background of the movie The Karate Kid, as a young boy makes an effort to improve his karate skills in spite of everyone else's criticism. After persevering, he rose to the top and attained success. Don't Stop Believin is the next song I've chosen because it serves as a reminder of why individuals started their journeys in the first place. People are motivated by this music and are reminded of their objectives. It's a positive song that exhorts listeners to carry on through difficult times. The next blog article I'll be mentioning has a similar theme to motivation because of the sculpture's history. Since the statue honors the Iwo Jima War, which took place from February 19 to March 26, 1945, blog post number 4, "Public Art" has the theme of motivation. The United States sought to use that island as a base, but the Japanese were unwilling to cooperate, which led to the start of the war. Iwo Jima is commemorated by a 20-foot-tall statue that features five Marines and a Navy corpsman. Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima's tallest mountain, is also included in the statue. An image of troops hoisting the American flag is displayed. Given that the soldiers fought for our country for more than two months and persisted in their efforts in spite of everything going on around them, in my opinion it shows the topic of motivation and expresses that every day someone may experience something traumatic but they continue to strive harder. The last blog post I am going to be speaking on is Photographer's Eye. We had to pick a series of photographs that we took and provide descriptions for each one for blog post number five. The first image, which I titled "The Joy After the Storm." The day after a terrible storm called Hurricane Ian, a beautiful sunset came up, and the impression I got from it was a sense that all will be alright. With all the wreckage all around me, I was able to unwind and stop worrying about what had happened the day before. It might not have much to do with the motivational theme, but I think it was important to bring up because it demonstrates a positive outlook and enables one to realize that even on bad days, there will be better ones. I would generally classify my blog as "Motivational." That, in my opinion, sums up all of my blogs the best and also captures what I believe each individual is slightly lacking.

[ultrajaphunter]

Who is the top secret US document leaker Jack Teixeira?Story by Joshua Askew • 6h ago

FBI officers have arrested Jack Teixeira in connection with an embarrassing leak of top-secret US intelligence documents, which has kicked up quite the storm. But who is he? 

And what do we know about him? Jack Douglas Teixeira, 21, served in the Massachusetts Air National Guard. He was an first class airman detailed to an Air Force intelligence unit, having only graduated from high school in 2020. 

That such a junior member of staff had access to highly classified information has raised eyebrows, with some suggesting it points to wider security flaws within the US government's security structures. Originally from North Dighton, Massachusetts, Teixeira was a member of a private online group which posted about video games, religious themes, guns and memes. Some of which were racist, according to AP. Under the pseudonym "OG", Teixeira is believed to have shared many documents in the "Thug Shaker Central" group, which had a few dozen members. From here it spread across the internet, reaching Russian Telegram channels, and then Western media. Members of the international group were reportedly asked to disclose his identity.

Classified document leak will 'lead to death', warns Pentagon

Teixeira — whose family has a history of serving in the armed forces — opposed many of the US government's goals and denounced the military “since it was run by the elite politicians,” AP quoted a person close to the matter as saying.

“He expressed regret (about) joining a lot,” they said. “He even said he'd kick my ass if I thought about joining,” the anonymous acquaintance said.

Related video: 

FBI arrests man for US intelligence leaks (Reuters)

Air National Guard over the leaks online of classified US

Reuters FBI arrests man for US intelligence leaks

cbc.caU.S. reservist arrested over Pentagon leak2:39

France 24Pentagon leaks: US arrests 21-year-old National Guardsman Jack Teixeira1:34

Global NewsWho was the U.S. military member arrested over Pentagon leaks?3:21

The person did not believe Teixeira leaked the documents to undermine the US government or for an ideological reason. Still, the fallout has been significant, with Washington saying earlier in the week that national security was at risk. He faces charges under the Espionage Act, which carries up to 20 years imprisonment. Aerial footage of Jack Teixeira's arrest. -/AFP or licensors© Provided by Euronews Another member of the chatroom described Teixeira as a young, charismatic gun enthusiast. 

Others said he was older than most of the group of mostly teenagers and was eager to impress them. At work, he was a "cyber transport systems specialist" or essentially an IT specialist responsible for military communications networks, including their cabling and hubs. He had a higher level of security clearance than most because he was tasked with ensuring protection for the network, a defence official told AP. Using various online monikers, such as Tex Killed You and The Excalibur Effect, the 21-year-old previously shared written versions of the classified documents in the chatroom. 

However, no-one reportedly noticed, causing him to become frustrated.

Western special forces on the ground in Ukraine, shows leaked documents

Things were racketed up a gear when he began publishing photos. "He got upset, and he said on multiple occasions, if you guys aren't going to interact with them [the files], I'm going to stop sending them," another unidentified group member told the Washington Post. Another group member offered a theory to the Washington Post on why Teixeira shared the material. "This guy was a Christian, anti-war, just wanted to inform some of his friends about what's going on," he told The New York Times. Soldiers fresh out of high school who went to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan have in the past used top-secret intelligence and programmes to target adversaries. Teixeira's record does not suggest any overseas deployment.

[itsmaferart]

Twiyor parallelism #4 ··· Mutual trust

Warning: This post contains manga content

It's been a while since I continued with the Twiyor parallelism, and I feel it's a good time to pick it up again. Everything I say here is based on my point of view based on the manga content, so you are free to have a different opinion. That said, let's begin

I think a recurring theme in the fandom is the constant teasing we do from the beginning of why a spy and an assassin, the most lethal and dangerous people in their respective countries don't realize their identities? Yes, we've all laughed in Twilight's face for simply being one of the smartest men and not realizing that a normal wife shouldn't be able to knock over a cow -

oh come on, just look at the dumb face he makes.

But moving on from the jokes, I've seen so many people make their posts explaining why this happens, I feel it's a good time to give my own version:

Multiple answers:

I think for a lot of people the most obvious answer is that Spy x Family is a comedy, so a lot of the plot conflicts and resolutions don't really have to make sense. Basically any contradiction is valid, Twilight goes from being a genius to an idiot in a second to the next. In one aspect, such as espionage, deduction and plans, Twilight is intelligence, but in the face of incoherence such as his wife's monstrous strength or his daughter's manipulations, it simply seems that his brain stops working. As Sylvia herself would say: Is he a genius or an incompetent?

Another theory I've seen is that Twilight doesn't recognize a normal woman: Twilight is so used to strong women, be they spies like Sylvia or Nightfall that he doesn't distinguish the level of strength as something "strange". Twilight has not had a normal life, he lost his mother at a very young age. So he has had no interaction with everyday situations, which explains his occasional awkwardness in being a stay-at-home father and husband. So for him, Yor having colossal strength is the most normal thing.

The women he has been with during his missions surely had skills as well. Which, it is possible, given that Twilight has been everything from an agent of the armed forces, a mobster, a political figure, and so on. So it's not strange to assume he's been with women who come from dangerous backgrounds. And Yor would be the first couple with a "more everyday" life (being a city hall employee)

Personally, I think all of these answers and plots are correct, because they all work in and out of the story. Considering that the comedy of Spy x Family is so unpredictable, each plot fills in different implausible moments that occur. The characters are silly, smart, blind, deductive and have very abnormal views of what is everyday and what is not.

I support the idea that Twilight has a distorted view of the world, this is mainly due to the war, having been a soldier and then becoming a spy. He has not had a normal life, he is adapted to see the world as a spy: through intrigue, suspicion, and denial of his emotions. However, espionage has allowed him to develop exceptional social skills so that he can be liked by many people and know how to get the best out of them. Basically, Twilight's reflex is to "take advantage" of his relationships, this mental bias is so embedded in he does not hesitate for a second to take advantage of the slightest opportunity to seduce Yor —even though the strategy he applies is totally fallible. Twilight is used to the idea that relationships are "links to extract information and make his work more efficient". However, if it were so normal for Twilight for a woman to have such strength, I think she wouldn't be surprised by Yor's prowess or go to the trouble of saving ordinary people.

I think Twilight is aware that an ordinary civilian is vulnerable, and that Sylvia and Nightfall are trained combat agents. But he simply doesn't try to reason Yor's strength, since it doesn't have a solid connection to being an assassin (But I'll emphasize this in the next point). We add that Twilight is attracted to strong women: But this refers more to the emotional strength of a woman to overcome life's adversities and keep smiling. (Although I also think Yor's strength drives him crazy).

Even so

However, I think there is one reason, which seems to me to be the most important (and I think many people overlook). I am referring to the reason why Twilight personally does not suspect Yor, and her "peculiarities".

And that is…

Twilight trusts in Yor

Possibly many people feel that this is contradictory because of the times Twilight has distrusted Yor. But even knowing that, I think those moments of relapse only emphasize that Twilight trusts her, but his instincts as a spy prevent his from feeling safe with his family, so I'm going to review those moments:

Mission 2: From their first encounter, Yor showed signs that alerted Twilight to her peculiarity. For starters she could be among the first people to penetrate his guard completely, when he didn't even perceive that she entered the tent, and quickly caught Twilight's gaze. This made the spy reconsider his plans to "ask her to be his mate", worried in the face of a woman with such sharp instincts.

Paradoxically, however, Yor demonstrated a degree of naivety bordering on being "foolish" by being able to believe the most ridiculous lies Twilight could come up with. While, Twilight saw it profitable that their interest coincided as one needed a favor from the other, he seems unable to comprehend how such a naive woman could become insightful, causing a contradiction in the spy's logical mind.

Curiously, when Yor protects him with a kick, pushing the criminal away from Loid, far from reaffirming his suspicions, Twilight seemed delighted with this spontaneous act of hers. Her strength, far from being a threat to him, functioned as a defense mechanism.

.

Mission 14 - Being an SSS agent: Once they move forward with the marriage, and meet Yuri Briar, who turns out to be an obvious SSS agent to him, it makes perfect sense that Twilight is suspicious and feels that Yor may actually be an agent sent to set him up. It could be that the SSS was aware of his mission, (since they are spy hunters) and sent a woman to investigate him and play the role of wife. Which would coincide with Yor's very open attitude to accepting a fake marriage, despite the strangeness around Loid Forger.. It would not be unusual if Yuri at some point revealed his identity to his sister (although he has no desire to do so) and she just pretended not to know. All this detonated in Twilight setting up his wife, with Franky's help. Although all that theatrics ended in failure when Yor proved with actions and words his innocence.

The most important thing to note in this scene is that Yor was risking her identity as an assassin, exposing herself to the SSS for her brother and her husband. The reason for her being Loid's wife was to protect herself from the SSS, but she was willing to fight two officers or the entire organization if they laid a finger on her family. If they had been real police officers, the sight of a woman assaulting a police officer or covering up for suspected spies, Yoru would surely be questioned.

Even before disguising himself as a secret policeman, Twilight hesitates about wearing a wire or not, even though he is a spy. Still, Yor didn't mind if she was confronted by SSS members. She preferred to defend her fake husband, which makes Twilight dismiss his suspicions and feel enormous remorse. It's seeing someone, risking it to protect him.

.

Mission 67 Meeting Melinda Desmond: When Yor tells Loid the news that he has just met Damiand's mother, Melinda. Twilight has a few brief moments of distrust, raising the possibility that Yor is in cahoots with his target's wife. He dismisses this when he considers how illogical it would be for Yor to be telling him about their encounter, plus Anya quickly made a clarification.

Clearly, this suspicion has little basis in fact, as Yor has no idea who the Desmonds are, and has never shown any political interest. Her entire involvement with the Eden Academy has been at Loid's request, from the very beginning.

.

We also have briefer mentions like the nights Yor would come home very late with her hands full of cut and grim looks, and was reluctant to have dinner with them. Or that time after their date at the bar when Twilight thought Yor was setting him up in reverse to force him to do the skin trap. These times, though, were quickly dismissed

We can see, in each of these times, that there are patterns in Twilight's distrust: He has never had a conclusive clue that Yor is an enemy, much less a murderer. Twilight only clings to mere assumptions when Yor interacts with people dangerous to him: the Desmonds and the SSS. And leads him to believe that they are colluding with his wife to betray him (Something that surely could have happened to him in the past with his fake relationships).

Twilight's distrust of Yor stems from himself, and his greatest fear since starting the Forger family:

..."Getting attached and learning to trust other people"

Clearly, Twilight has been getting to know Yor and she has only shown him her most honest side: a sweet, maternal, tender, patient woman, with a positive, discreet vision, who puts love and family first. But she also shows him her most vulnerable side: she is shy, clumsy, unsociable, a lousy cook and very insecure.

That has caused Twilight to confide and show himself vulnerable to her on more than one occasion. For they, in part, share many insecurities, the same sense of responsibility and sacrifice. The truth is that feeling so much comfort with Yor has made him more sensitive, but it also makes him develop an unconscious fear that all that beauty is a lie, and he himself is falling. Feeling exposed to Yor, for the many times he has let his guard down with her.

Yor has been gaining Twilight's trust:

Yor and Twilight have had a strong emotional connection (whether romantic or not). It is the connection of two people who manage to fully understand each other even though their lives have been different. Twilight believes that Yor was a sex worker, in order to provide for her brother, and far from wanting to judge her, he understood that Yor has been a person who has sacrificed so many times to protect something she cares about. That Yor has the strength to overcome adversity and be able to keep smiling while thinking of another person's well-being. This sense of sacrifice makes Twilight empathize and be moved by his life, as he perfectly understands having to sacrifice yourself even if you don't get a direct thank you or reward. While Yor, she discovered someone who supports her, understands and far from playing her, praises all her actions.

This trust has grown more when they support each other in their roles as parents, or when they try to be a good partner for each other, appreciating every kind and sincere gesture they have for each other; and when they do their best not to make each other uncomfortable at any time.

Yor has really used the force to protect her family, never to abuse it (except for everything that has to do with her role as an assassin). Despite having the ability to kill those who mess with her, Yor represses her instinct and remembers not to abuse her power; and only allows herself to do so when she feels that her daughter (and most likely her husband) are in danger.

In conclusion:

I think Twilight's perception of Yor could be divided into two parts, one is influenced by his rational facet as a spy, as Agent Twilight; and the other, by the real man, (Redacted) Representing the conflict he has in learning to trust other people, and with that, learning to expose his emotions. Each of these facets coexist within the same individual and one often overshadows the other at certain times.

On the one hand, his spy side is always in conflict with Yor, looking for any crumb of suspicion. Despite having no reason to distrust Yor he always clings to excuses to prove to himself that he "should trust no one". Yor has so far proven to be the person Twilight can trust, but surely his doubts as a spy make him believe that letting his guard down in front of her puts him in danger. As that old saying goes.

"… Nothing so good, can be so true…"

And Twilight, in his facet strives to believe that that personality: sweet, kind and unconditional could turn out to be a trap. The spy seems to be afraid that Yoru might one day betray him, because he knows that deep down he is exposing himself to her. When Twilight thinks like a spy with Yor he usually fails, sabotaging himself and backing away from advancing their relationship.

However:

The real man, the boy who once existed, is learning to "trust Yor blindly" to the extent of talking about himself and his past with her. He knows that Yor and his strength are not a threat, and more than once they have managed to overshadow the spy in his head. Demonstrating his most genuine and sincere side to her. Twilight has shown that most of the time he is genuine with Yor, except for the lies about his work, but more than once he has shown that what he thinks about her is something that comes from his heart.

Twilight will be able to understand his real feelings for Yor when he can learn to trust her and perhaps some plot event will make him understand how important it is for him to have her by his side.

I think the most interesting thing is to know what Twilight's reaction will be when he gets to know Yor, in her assassin role, Thorn Princess and the importance that his feelings will have at that moment. And the reaction he may have when he gets to know the darker side of Yor's personality, who is much more confident, determined and really is a threat to her enemies.

.

.

What is your opinion?

Here is the previous part

[smhalltheurlsaretaken]

Sorry but what exactly is up with the bad batch arc? I've heard people talk about the issues with echo's white skin but I haven't heard that many bad things about the arc itself? (ik you said you don't want to be negative on your blog so I would absolutely understand if you didn't answer this ask)

Oooooooooooh boy. Well I just had a long, long, LONG rant about it with someone, but I guess I’ve got an excuse to put all of my points onto a post and talk about it publicly now that I got an ask x) I’ll keep it under the cut so I don’t throw my salt in people’s face. I really don’t want to upset people who love that arc - it has redeeming qualities, but overall it pisses me off so much for so many reasons. So here:

The first issue is obviously two members of the Bad Batch (minus Echo) being being just about the furthest thing from maori no matter how much you're willing to stretch it. 

Like... yeah, nah. I wouldn’t even accept Crosshair and Tech (grey haired guy and goggles guy) as Jango’s natural biological sons, nevermind as his clones. 

The problem is that their different appearances are justified by them being described simply as clones with desirable mutations (i.e superpowers). But why the hell did the creators have to change their appearances for that to be a thing? How does that correlate? Sure, the concept of clones with different faces is interesting, except... no, no it’s not, and I’m gonna rant about it in a few secs. But basically it's like they thought giving them different faces would be a good substitute for having different personalities (another thing I’ll come back to). If they really wanted to have buff clones with super eyesight or whatnot they could have just done that, without making them lose what little melanin the lighting of the show had allowed the other Clones to keep. 

But the gigantic problem is... showing that the "regular" clones have VERY distinct identities despite their identical faces has been one of the themes of the show from episode 1. Literally, the first episode of TCW has Yoda taking time out of a mission with galactic stakes to tell the three clones he’s with (who tell him they’re all the same because they have the same faces) that they’re wrong, and that they’re very different in the Force, that their appearance doesn’t matter, that they’re all equally unique and important, and he lists all of their individual skills, strengths and weaknesses. 

And it’s not just me being bothered by that, here’s a post by @cacodaemonia​ saying the same thing. 

Introducing the Bad Batch as "unique" clones who are "different" and "not like their brothers" because they have different faces and skills completely breaks that theme of the show!! Because the entire point of the Clones in TCW is that their faces don't matter, they ARE unique! 

(Plus the Bad Batch’s character designs are so cliche and uninspired it’s just laughable to try and justify bleaching their freaking skin for the sake of visual diversity. 

This took like 10 seconds. I found the first guy by literally googling “soldier movies,” and the other two are Team Fortress characters that look a LOT like Wrecker and Crosshair. One is “Heavy” and one is “Sniper” lmao.

And behold:

The above picture is a Team Fortress reference that I found just by looking up “bad batch clone wars,” so I’m not the only person who sees it.) 

And the batchers don't even have personalities to justify calling them unique! They have no character traits beyond the most cliché american soldier tropes ever. We have a token loner sniper, a token "smart tech guy" who knows everything from xenoanthropology to biology to Separatist computers to sound waves to encryption, a token Badass Brooding Leader and a token “dumb muscle guy.”

I dare anyone to find more about their personalities than this: - Crosshair is the perpetually grumpy sniper who looks down on "regs,” - Wrecker likes to blow up stuff and doesn't like heights, - Hunter is the leader and is friends with Cody, - Tech is smart doesn't trust Echo. 

That’s it, that’s literally it. Four episodes about them and that's all we get. These character tropes are literally the least inventive ever. FFS, Hunter even has a freaking KNIFE! Not a vibroblade, mind you, like in kriffing Star Wars. A knife. Against metal droids. Why. They couldn’t make this more of an american-war-movies cliché fest if they tried. (And sure, he can feel electromagnetic waves so maybe it does make sense for him not to carry a vibroblade and maybe this is nitpicking, but he looks like a ripoff of a Predator character and it pisses me off).

Another thing is that when you introduce characters you have to make them likable - and them despising the normal Clones is a terrible way to do that! And they don't even grow from that because at the end of the 4 episodes arc they just see Rex as not bad "for a reg" and they see Echo as no longer a reg, and both of these things are infuriating! 

The worst thing imo is that Echo then becomes part of them (and irreparably loses his melanin in the process, uuuuuuuuugh) when there is nothing to justify this. 

The dialogue goes like this: 

ECHO: You coming? TECH: Not really our thing. CROSSHAIR: Accolades. WRECKER: Yeah, we're just in it for the thrill. Yo! HUNTER: You sure it's your thing? ECHO: What do you mean? HUNTER: Your path is different. Like ours. If you ever feel like you don't fit in with them, well, find us. (they leave) REX: Those are some of the finest troopers I've ever fought alongside. Echo. You and I go way back. If that's where you feel your place is, then that's where you belong.

Echo doesn't feel like he belongs anymore, okay, but why would he feel like he belongs with the assholes who up to the last five minutes of the mission thought he was probably a traitor, and also verbally expressed that he was not worth saving?? In all of the arc, Echo himself never voices that he feels he’s not ‘like the other Clones’ anymore and that he feels it’s a problem. His relationship with Rex immediately picks up where they left things off - the first thing he does upon being lucid again for the first in over a year is cracking a joke for Rex’s benefit. 

Why would Echo feel like he doesn’t belong in the 501st anymore, when we don't even see him interacting with anyone from his past life except for Rex and Anakin (who are both extremely very supportive of him)?? If there had been one scene of a “regular” Clone (ugh) looking at him with horror and disgust or something, or just Kix and Jesse cracking jokes with Echo awkwardly standing by the side not getting it, I could forgive the show trying to make it feel like he has an identity crisis, but this was so shallow!

The only thing that makes Echo and the Bad Batch’s experiences similar is that they *look* different. It’s so against the themes of the Clones I’m seething just from thinking about it. And what the hell? Echo ALREADY didn’t fit in. That was the WHOLE POINT of Domino Squad. They didn’t fit in because they thought they were better than anyone else because they had trouble getting along with their brothers, so obviously it had to be their brothers’ fault (ahem, Bad Batch?). And you know what happened? Domino Squad OVERCAME that. And Echo and Fives still didn’t “fit in” because their personalities were unique and creative, and they became ARC Troopers because Cody, Rex and the Jedi VALUED THEM FOR PRECISELY THAT. Echo having new and unique skills and a modified appearance is the most bs justification for him feeling like he doesn’t belong!! 

And that brings me to my biggest issue: Rex telling Echo the bad batch are some of the best troopers he's ever met. I'm sorry, based on WHAT? What Rex values above everything is loyalty and brotherhood, and the Bad Batch DOESN'T DISPLAY ANY OF THAT. We never see them even expressing concern for each other! Wrecker treats saving Cody’s life like a trivial issue, because it’s just ‘sO eAsY’ for him, and beyond that we never see them supporting each other or genuinely expressing affection for each other beyond boasting about each other’s skills... 

Sure they can destroy a lot of droids, but they're dismissive of Rex's brothers, and the entire Umbara arc and this arc showed what he thought of that. They keep saying things like "not bad for a reg,” don't show any trust in Rex's skills or experience (even though they can't have been fighting in the war for more than a year and a half when he’s been there from the beginning, and he outranks all of them), they are essentially guerilla fighters which has only minimal value in a galactic war, and they never grow beyond their views of what regs are, and can and can’t do. 

None of that should make them good troopers in Rex's book. Going back to Echo not fitting in, remember who taught the Domino Squad the importance of seeing all of your brothers as important and equally valuable? Shaak Ti, true, but more importantly? 99! The guy the Bad Batch are named after. He did have value and was important and was no less of a trooper than his brothers, even though his mutations made him LESS powerful, not more. (And btw, just from a writing standpoint, the batchers don’t have any weaknesses, which is shit.) Cody and Rex mourned 99 as a true soldier even though it wasn’t his sacrifice that brought them victory (which would have implied that he had value as a soldier and a brother because he saved them, as opposed to him having that value intrinsically), because that’s what a fine trooper is to them. A BROTHER first a foremost, someone altruistic, brave and loyal. The Bad Batch distort the meaning of 99's character with their behavior. They’re not altruistic, their bravery is mitigated by the fact that they’re freaking invincible, so of course they take risks (again, see Wrecker saving Cody without a care because it’s easy to him, as opposed to Rex being ready to run into a burning ship about to explode because his brother is in there, and having to be physically dragged away). The Bad Batch denigrate their brothers for being less skilled, thinking their own abilities make them unique somehow, when 99 could barely fight and was still the one who taught Hevy about being a good soldier. 

And again the batchers don't grow from that. Which is all the more frustrating because the original ending didn’t have Echo joining them, from what I remember of the unfinished episodes, and the arc actually ended with them receiving their medals in front of regular troopers who cheer for them, as opposed to them smugly ostracizing themselves and dismissing the ceremony as trivial and meaningless. (original ending vs s7 ending: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab1eCfzKamw) 

It’s so annoying. Do you know what characters never had an entire arc dedicated to them and still have far more personality and more interesting designs and more symbolic weight?? 

Jesse, for starters. Kix. Dogma. Cut. Slick. Keeli. Ponds. Rys, Jek and Thire. Commander Doom. Commander Fox. Wolffe. Hevy. Hardcase. 

Cody was a more interesting character just in his RotS appearances. 

Waxer and Boil had one episode about them and then only two cameos plus Waxer’s death, and they’re still some of the most memorable, beloved Clones of the whole show. And Boil was grouchy and prejudiced like Crosshair, but he has so much growth that we could make a whole thread about it. 

I'd say the last problem with the Bad Batch is that it has cash grabbing money hungry vibes. Different faces are more marketable, cliché personalities are more toy-friendly, and it's basically a big ad for the Bad Batch series. And they throw Echo in the Batch at the end for bs reasons (again, it wasn’t in the original ep from what I remember) and they tease Cody in the show to make sure fans will still watch even if they notice the lack of soul. And less melanin sells more at Disney apparently. 

So that’s my whole pissed rant. 

[theggning]

I Hate the Alternate Ending of Blind Betrayal, and Here's Why!

DISCLAIMER THE FIRST: Massive spoilers for Fallout 4 abound. This post discusses Blind Betrayal, a quest with suicide as a heavy theme. Content warning applies.

DISCLAIMER THE SECOND: This post discusses cut OFFICIAL content from Fallout 4 that has since been repurposed into multiple mods. I am not criticizing any modders or their implementations of this content. Mods are fun and people can enjoy whatever the hell kind of game experience they want with whatever mods they want.

I am ONLY interested in discussing the original cut content as Bethesda had written it, and how it would have impacted the story and lore of Fallout 4.

So, yeah, it seems there was originally going to be another way to conclude Blind Betrayal (BB).

As described in this Kotaku article (citing this post by Tumblr user tentacle-explosion,) there are unused audio files of Danse’s dialogue that show an alternate ending to his pivotal quest. These lines are the only evidence we have of this ending (suggesting that it was cut fairly early on, as no other actors/characters seem to have recorded for it.)

From what we can tell, in this alternate ending of BB, Danse comes up with a possible way out of the sticky situation re: his identity as a synth. According to the Brotherhood Litany, he is able to challenge Maxson’s authority as Elder via combat. If you agree to this idea, you go with Danse to challenge Maxson. The Paladin and the Elder duel one another, Danse wins, and Maxson dies. Then Danse names the Sole Survivor the new Elder-- or with a hard charisma check, you’re able to convince Danse to take the job himself. It is unknown how the main plot would have progressed beyond this point, as there is no other evidence of what being (or influencing) the Elder would have been like or what choices it would have given you.

There is understandable disappointment in learning that this ending was cut. Choices in games are great, and it could have been fun to have multiple different options for how to resolve the quest. In many gaming circles, people complain that this theoretical ending is superior to the one we got and shouldn’t have been axed. The Kotaku article calls it a “way better” ending, and you’ll see many players lamenting that it wasn’t implemented, saying Bethesda was bad at writing for cutting it, etc.

So why did Bethesda get rid of the Elder ending of BB?

In December 2020, after the Fallout 4 Cast Reunion, Danse’s voice actor Peter Jessop answered questions in a private signing session on his Instagram. Peter Jessop is an extremely kind and gracious man, an avid gamer, and a huge fan of Fallout. During the stream, he reflected on the alternate ending and remembered recording the lines, but stated the content was ultimately cut because Bethesda decided it was lore-breaking.

Peter Jessop is right. Bethesda was right. The Elder ending of BB is a bunch of dumb nonsense. It sucks, I hate it, and I’m glad they got rid of it. And now I’m going to tell you why!

SIDENOTE: King Shit of Fuck Mountain

There is no wrong way to play a single-player video game. If you are having fun, then you are accomplishing the task for which the game was made. Good for you! Play it on easy. Play it on hard. Mod it. Speedrun it. Make up an intricate roleplaying scenario. Perform “challenge” runs. Kill everybody you see. Ignore the story and run around collecting wheels of cheese. Games are meant to be fun and there is nothing wrong with enjoying a game however you damn well please. This is especially true for RPGs like Fallout, which are designed with player freedom in mind.

There is an RPG playstyle I like to call King Shit of Fuck Mountain: a naked power fantasy in which your protagonist is the most powerful person ever, even beyond normal RPG plot significance. Through brute strength, incredible charisma, or having completed tons of quests for world-breaking artifacts and weapons, your character wields godlike influence, able to control people, factions, and the fabric of the world itself. A game enables KSoFM gameplay when it allows the player limitless freedom to gain as much power as they like with zero consequences to plot or storytelling.

A great example of this is the Dragonborn in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. If the player chooses to pursue every questline in the game, one single person can become Harbinger of the Companions, Archmage of the College of Winterhold, Listener of the Dark Brotherhood, Nightingale and Guildmaster of the Thieves’ Guild, hero of the Imperial/Stormcloak army, the chosen one of like, 11 different Daedric princes, a bard, a Blade, and otherwise just, absurdly goddamn powerful in completely unrealistic ways. And that’s not counting DLCs. A fully-kitted-out Dragonborn is King Shit of Fuck Mountain.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with playing KSoFM if you like to. But I’m not a big fan of this style, personally. Sure, my first Skyrim character became KSoFM while I was figuring out the game, but after my first playthrough I preferred my characters become coherent figures in the story of the world. I pick one or two character traits and things that my Dragonborn is good at, focus on them, and make them part of some overall story. My honorable Imperial paladin werewolf is in the Companions, and hunts vampires on principle. My Argonian sneaky archer is a gleeful thief, but would never jive with the College or the Dark Brotherhood. I like creating protagonists who fit into these settings immersively. I don’t care about power fantasies or being in charge. I don’t WANT my character to be all-powerful, because that ruins my immersion and my little story.

Additionally, in a plot-driven story-focused game like Fallout, KSoFM tears the narrative apart. Skyrim is fairly light on story, so the Dragonborn can be the leader of the Companions and the Dark Brotherhood and whatever other factions without any of them noticing or caring. But FO4’s themes, faction drama, and the main thrust of the plot don’t work at all if the Sole Survivor is able to become too powerful or too influential. The Sole Survivor cannot become the leader of every faction, solve every problem, or eliminate every inconvenient bend of the conflict because it makes the lore of the entire setting implode. Thus, the game forces you to choose between factions. You cannot be with the Minutemen and the Nuka-World Raiders. You cannot be with the Railroad and the Institute. And you cannot become Elder of the Brotherhood of Steel.

So if you’re the kind of person who loves playing KSoFM, if you like plots that your character can “solve” with relative ease, or if you just think it would be super cool for your Sole to become Elder regardless of surrounding storytelling, then you might think the Elder ending sounds super cool. You are absolutely allowed to disagree with me here. Install all the mods and write all the fic and have all the headcanons you like. I respect that. There is no wrong way to enjoy a single-player video game. Have fun!

But if you’re a big nitpicky pedantic lore nerd like me, a fan of cohesive storytelling, or if you just want to hear how the Elder ending of BB absolutely fucking ruins Maxson, Danse, the Brotherhood of Steel, and the entire plot of FO4 from a narrative perspective, read on!

1. The Synth Thing

The Elder ending requires the stupid plot contrivance of the BoS forgetting about Danse’s synthhood.

One of the biggest problems with the BoS as an institution is their strict and dogmatic beliefs, which include a widespread dislike of non-human species. Perhaps more than any other non-humans, the BoS hates synths. Synths are, in their eyes, machines given free will, a violation of the sanctity of human life and the ultimate example of technology run amok. To them, synths are not sympathetic, they are not slaves, and they are not victims of circumstance. They are weapons that left unchecked will destroy all of humanity for a second time. Synths are anathema to everything the BoS stands for, and finding out that one of their most beloved and trusted Paladins is one is an earth-shattering blow to their integrity and sense of security.

It is completely absurd that the BoS would allow a synth within their ranks, particularly as they are waging war against the Institute, who created synths in the first place. It is even MORE absurd that they’d allow one to influence their Elder, or even worse, to become Elder. It completely undermines their mission in the Commonwealth, and the core tenets of their extremely rigid beliefs. No matter the Elder, no matter the Litany or obscure BoS law, no matter how valuable the Sole Survivor is as a soldier or how much influence they wield. Danse is a synth. He’s the enemy. He is physically the embodiment of everything they hate.

Not only wouldn’t they trust a synth in general, but the BoS specifically believes that Danse is an infiltrator for the Institute. Even Danse believes that he is a danger, that the Institute may be able to take control of him and use him as a weapon. Sure, we know none of this is actually true, or possible, but the BoS don’t know that. And given how quick they are to order Danse dead without even the possibility of surrender, I don’t think there’s any charisma in the world that’s going to convince them otherwise.

According to Peter Jessop, this, ultimately, is the reason why the Elder ending was cut. He talks about it around the 11:30 timestamp in his Instagram stream, linked above:

“We recorded an ending where you keep Danse alive and you take over the Brotherhood. But there was a question of content… there’s no way the Brotherhood, once they knew he was a synth, would let him be even the right hand of the person in charge.”

Bethesda correctly recognized the incredible narrative contrivance for the BoS to shrug off the reason they’re trying to execute Danse in the first place. Whatever other beefs I have with this ending conceptually, they all come in second to just what a big dumb leap it is to get beyond this first and most important problem.

2. The Complete Death of Conflict

The Elder ending of BB destroys the conflict of the quest, and potentially the conflict of the entire game.

Greed is a poison. There is no such thing as a perfect ideal or a perfect organization. Power corrupts. Humanity has the choice to build back better. War never changes. The Fallout games are full of themes, depicted by the characters and quests and factions we play out.

Blind Betrayal is rightfully praised as one of the most powerful quests in FO4. Not only is it well-acted, but it puts the player in a very difficult position. The BoS has given you clout and glory and free power armor and lots of firepower, but now you see the price: unquestioning obedience. You are ordered to execute your friend and mentor Danse for the mere fact he is a synth. Are you going to follow that unjust order? Are you willing to give up your principles on command? Or is this where you can no longer stay quiet and stay in line?

To be honest, I’ve always thought the fact you can talk Maxson out of killing Danse but still remain with the BoS in good standing was a cop-out. BB goes 90% of the way to forcing you to choose between a companion and a faction, and then chickens out at the last second to let you have both, if your charisma is high enough.

(I believe this has the fingerprints of Skyrim’s development on it-- Bethesda’s writers got nervous about doing another Paarthurnax choice involving the fan favorite Brotherhood of Steel. That’s right. Danse is the Paarthurnax of Fallout. Frankly, I understand why they chose not to go there, but damn, wouldn’t it have been wild? You want to run with the BoS? Then kill your friend and feel the burn. THIS is what it means to follow orders without question.

As for me, I’d pick Danse every time and sleep soundly without the company of shitty bootlicking dieselpunk LARPers- but I digress.)

Anyway, you know what would have REALLY been a copout? If the game asked you to make a difficult thematic storyline choice, and you solved the problem by just not choosing at all.

You are supposed to feel uncomfortable when Maxson orders you to kill Danse, because the game is telling a story about how it is maybe a bad thing to thoughtlessly follow orders without question. It is asking you to think about what the BoS is, what they are doing, and how they are going to run things, if you choose to let them “win” the Commonwealth. It is pointing out that there is no room for gray in the BoS’ black and white. That a good, loyal man may die because of the way he was made, through no action of his own. That soon, you’ll be killing other people on command. The Railroad. Fleeing Institute synths and scientists. Others, down the line. It all depends on who’s giving the orders. Are you going to follow those orders?

Eesh, that sounds thought-provoking and unpleasant and difficult! Let’s just skip it by killing Maxson and making ourselves the boss. Now we get to tell everybody else what to do!

It’s unknown what powers the Elder ending would have granted the player, or how it would have interacted with the other factions. There is speculation that you’d have been able to ease back on the BoS’ dogmatism, or change some of the later events of the game. For instance, perhaps you could talk the BoS down from attacking the Railroad, sparing popular characters like Glory and Deacon who must die in the normal BoS storyline. Perhaps you could have made the BoS a kinder, gentler faction and directed them to run the way you want them to.

If this was indeed the case, then the Elder ending would not only suck the gravitas out of BB, but torpedo the entire main plot.

If you can get rid of any and all downsides to siding with the BoS, why in the hell would players side with anybody else? With the player given total power, the BoS becomes a perfect faction with no drawbacks, no weaknesses, no tough decisions to be made. Screw slumming it with the Railroad or the Minutemen, let’s take over the BoS. Free power armor and a giant robot! Forget the whole intolerance thing, I hereby proclaim the BoS No Longer Problematic! Now to force all the factions to get along, completely removing all conflict and nuance from the plot!

That’s some real anticlimactic “tell Legate Lanius to go home and then he does it” bullshit right there. King Shit of Fuck Mountain!

Look, it might be nice if there was a perfect path like that to take through the game. It would be cool if our characters could be that powerful and the game was that tailored to our individual choices. On the other hand, “I change all the factions to suit my exact liking” might be a fun idea for a fanfic, but it’s an incredibly boring plot for a video game. “I get to make everything in the world exactly how I want it” is Minecraft, not a story-driven RPG with a complex and intricate plot.

It would be great if complex conflicts could really be solved that easily and effortlessly, but hey, you know what? War never changes.

3. The Assassination of Arthur Maxson (Literal)

Arthur Maxson’s death is too significant and fundamentally disastrous for the Elder ending to make any sense at all.

Hero, villain, leader, monster, tortured soul, brutal dictator, immature twerp, bearded sex hunk. However you personally interpret Arthur Maxson, there is no denying that he is a venerated, popular, beloved figure in the BoS. He is the blood heir of the organization’s founder, a powerful warrior, a brilliant tactician, and a charismatic negotiator. He is responsible for reuniting the East Coast BoS with the Outcasts, leading the new, stronger BoS with a sense of shared purpose. There is a damn good reason his name is Arthur and he named his ship The Prydwen, echoes of King Arthur and the legends of his glorious kingdom of Camelot. Arthur Maxson is so beloved that many view him as a demigod, a messiah sent to lead the BoS into a mighty and prosperous future.

So I’m sure nobody’s going to be upset when some wasteland jackass recruited a month ago stumbles in with a synth, kills him, and takes over his job. Right?

It doesn’t matter that it’s “honorable.” It doesn’t matter that it’s done “by the book” via obscure BoS rules. There is no codex or litany or rule so binding that it’s going to overcome the cult of personality around Maxson. There is no way that the BoS is going to accept the death of Arthur Maxson, a man whose reverence borders on worship, especially not when he is immediately replaced by a wastelander, or a synth.

The death of Arthur Maxson removes the unifying glue that’s been holding the BoS together since mending the rift with the Outcasts. Maxson’s death eliminates the one person that both sides of that conflict agreed could steer the organization in the right direction. Some level heads may try to keep the focus on the mission and the Brotherhood tenets, but Maxson loyalists will never forgive the new Elder for his death, and that amount of passionate righteous anger will not be quelled by appeals to the rules. The new Elder’s war on the Institute is basically over before it begins, when the forces splinter and start infighting over the change in leadership.

And this is if the new Elder lives long enough to actually give any orders. I give them around 24 hours after the duel before some angry Maxson loyalist “accidentally” pulls the trigger and “tragically” empties a clip into their back.

24 seconds, if it’s Elder Danse, the dirty synth abomination.

4. The Assassination of Arthur Maxson (Figurative)

The Elder ending of BB falsely pretends that Arthur Maxson is the biggest and only problem with the BoS.

In the Elder ending, as written, the conflict of BB is considered completely and totally solved by the death of Arthur Maxson. The core problem, that Danse is a synth and considered an enemy by the BoS, has not gone away. But by getting rid of Maxson, this apparently no longer matters. Nobody else is going to take offense to Danse’s nature or protest his presence. Nobody else is going to attack him or try to follow through with Maxson’s prior orders. Nope, that meanybutt guy who gave the order is gone, and everybody else is going to welcome Danse back into the fold like nothing ever happened.

I touched on this a little bit on an ask about Maxson a few weeks back, but a lot of people seem to believe that the FO4 Brotherhood of Steel is the way they are purely because of him. That he is the one making them treat non-humans as second class citizens at best, and enemies to be slaughtered at worst. That it’s his fault the BoS is so vehemently against synths and the Institute. That he is the one influencing their imperialistic tendencies, and treating the Commonwealth like territory to be conquered and people to be ruled over by their betters.

He’s not. That’s the Brotherhood of Steel, guys.

The charitable, altruistic, virtuous BoS that many of us met for the first time in FO3 were outliers. Lyons’ group was literally disowned by the rest of the faction because their kindness to wastelanders had gone so far astray from the “core” tenets. The BoS as a whole has always been exclusive, isolated, and seen themselves as “superior” to the average wastelander. They have long disliked or outright hated non-humans (and even Lyons’ BoS in FO3 use ghouls, feral or not, for “target practice” if they get too close!) The rigid dogmatism of the BoS is not something that Arthur Maxson started, but has always been part of their fabric.

Now, it’s true that Maxson is absolutely going hard on the BoS tenets, and extremely dedicated to upholding them. His BoS are the way they are and act the way they act because he believes that this is the way it should be. Is it possible that a different leader may be a little more flexible? Absolutely. Could a skilled Elder eventually show them the benefits of a softer approach and a more generous worldview? Totally. Is getting rid of Maxson and replacing him going to make that happen overnight, or going to make the rest of the BoS who supported him shrug and follow suit?

Nope.

Blaming Arthur Maxson for everything unsavory about the Brotherhood is unfair to him and also foolishly ignoring the deep, massive problems that are far older than he is-- problems that plenty of its members wholeheartedly believe are not problems at all. Getting rid of Maxson does not make the BoS kinder or gentler. Even pretending Maxson isn’t as personally beloved as he is, any new Elder who steps in and starts trying to fundamentally alter the way the BoS operates and what they believe in is going to face some major, immediate pushback.

Like, a full clip of bullets in the back type of pushback.

In the face if it’s Elder Danse, the godless freak of nature.

5. The Un-Redemption of Paladin Danse

Last, and my personal least favorite!

At first glance, Paladin Danse is a steely jackboot, a die-hard Brotherhood loyalist who fully and firmly believes in their cause. Many immediately dismiss him as a humorless brute, or completely ignore him because they think that’s all there is. But if you spend any time with Danse at all, you’ll notice a sort of weariness in him. He is tired, overworked, and his years of service are starting to weigh on him. He has watched friends, comrades, and mentors die in horrible and gruesome ways, and he suffers from PTSD. Though he has always been told that his own sacrifices, the sacrifices of his brothers and sisters have been” worth it,” he’s starting to question if that’s true.

After telling of the incident where he personally executed his best friend Cutler, who’d been turned into a super mutant, the Sole Survivor is able to console him:

Player Default: You did the right thing. Danse: {Somber} It's what I was taught. I don't know if it was right.

This line is an excellent summary of Danse’s entire character arc. He learns to question whether to believe what the Brotherhood has taught him, or to believe in himself. His gut feelings. His sense of justice and his own ideas of what’s right and wrong.

(In the interest of not turning this into an essay about Danse’s character, I won’t even get into how this also applies to his beliefs about his worth as a person. But keep in mind, that dimension is there, Danse just covers it up by making everything about the Brotherhood.)

During Blind Betrayal, after getting the orders to execute him and hearing Haylen’s plea for mercy, we may expect Danse to be ready to fight back or flee. But when you confront him in the bunker at Listening Post Bravo, he’s compliant and suicidal. Danse is so deeply poisoned by the BoS’ rhetoric that his own feelings or will to live don’t factor into the conversation. He demands that you follow your orders and execute him, because he believes, as the BoS does, that all synths are dangerous and must be destroyed.

Danse: {Stern} Synths can't be trusted. Machines were never meant to make their own decisions, they need to be controlled. Technology that's run amok is what brought the entire world to its knees and humanity to the brink of extinction.

{Confident} I need to be the example, not the exception.

Through various dialogue options, if your charisma is high enough, you are able to talk Danse off the ledge. He is able to consider, at least, that the BoS’ merciless judgment of him is wrong and that what he was taught isn’t right. He is a thinking, feeling, self-aware synth, and that makes him as much a person as any human. Danse is no danger to humanity-- and maybe, most synths aren’t either.

Danse is an example, not an exception.

Later on, if you manage to get him out of BB alive, Danse shows further acceptance of his nature. His approvals about synths begin to soften slightly (or many of them do, at least… it’s not perfect.) He is still struggling with his identity and reconciling it with his former hatred, but his dialogue suggests that he’s on the road to being more open-minded and understanding. Along with this, Danse learns that he has value as a person beyond the Brotherhood. He no longer needs to define himself with BoS beliefs or judge himself by how useful he is to them. He learns that he is worth caring about, worth being friends with or being loved because of who he is-- not what he is, in any regard.

[SIDENOTE: Many players, myself included, are frustrated that Danse’s arc leaves off sort of midstream there. Due to the open-ended nature of the game, we don’t get a real conclusion to his arc-- even though much of his idle dialogue doesn’t change and he still espouses pro-BoS sentiments ( an unfortunate by-product of writing for a video game) there is every indication that he’s started down the right path, but understandably has a ways to go.

Also, Peter Jessop agrees with us.]

Meanwhile, in the Elder ending, Danse doesn’t get a redemption. His entire character arc, actually, hits the skids and does a total 180.

He never leaves the BoS. So scratch the need for Danse to ever think about himself as separate from them. He never needs to question what they’ve taught him or whether they’re right or wrong. He never needs to find any worth in himself beyond his use to the BoS. Why would he? He might be the Elder. The BoS is all he needs to care about anymore. The BoS is all he ever needs to be, ever again.

And I think, most horrifying of all, this Danse never needs to change his mind about synths. On the contrary, one of the surviving dialogue files includes Danse’s speech to reassure the rest of the BoS of his stance:

Danse: I want to make one thing clear to everyone. This body might be synth, but my heart and mind belong to the Brotherhood. The Institute is still a tremendous threat to the Commonwealth. They possess technologies that need to be confiscated or destroyed. And even if that means I have to pull the trigger on my own kind, I’m willing to make that sacrifice.

Elder ending Danse doesn’t grow more understanding on the nature of synths. He doesn’t accept that synths are people, or anything more than technology run amok. He won’t even accept that for himself. Elder Maxson wasn’t wrong about synths-- they’re the enemy and they need to be destroyed.

But, see, he was wrong about Danse. It’s okay for Danse to exist in spite of his nature. It’s okay for him to never fully accept his own personhood, and to outright deny it to his kind. Because his body is a machine, but he’s different from the rest because his heart and mind belong to the Brotherhood.

He’s the exception, not the example.

CONCLUSION:

The Elder ending of Blind Betrayal is dumb, contrived, stakeless, character-derailing powergaming crap at its finest and I’ll happily dance on its grave.

People give Bethesda a lot a shit for their writing-- whether it be stuff they left out, stuff they left in, or stuff that they never, ever could have made work due to the limitations of writing for a video game. Plenty of it is well-deserved, or at least worth a discussion. But from the minute I found out about its existence, I have always wanted to extend a congratulations to Bethesda for cutting the alternate Elder ending of Blind Betrayal. It was a good choice. A very good choice to cut a very dumb plot that would have fundamentally altered the story they were telling, and characters that I’ve grown to love. I think the writers deserve some credit and a hearty handshake for the wisdom of this decision.

Now as for why Nick Valentine isn’t romanceable--

[kitewithfish]

Wednesday reading meme

What I've Read

The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik - Oh, this is how you end a trilogy. This books took the relationships and themes and even the monsters that have followed the main character from the very first book, and hunted them all down to pull the last thematic dregs from their depths. I didn't quite cry when I found out what really happened to Orion, but man, it hurt. It hurt so good. El Higgins will always live in my heart. 

Mutually-Assured Destruction by Sineala -  Bucky/Tony 616 Marvel comics in the 1960s - Identity porn! 1960's Tony Stark is Iron Man and nobody knows. So when the Winter Soldier comes out of the Soviet Union to ask to join the Avengers on the condition that he doesn't ever tell anyone his name or reveal his face, even to Captain America.... Tony thinks, oh, maybe we could be friends? Maybe I can be a little bit myself with this one? And things snowball from there. This is a great fic by an author that loves the 1960s comics version of the Avengers, and honestly, the tone fits those comics so well. This fic was slipping into a warm bath - angsty just in measure to the comfort. I was following updates from Sineala's Patreon while she was writing it and I was so glad to see if come out!

a simple thing- Chapter 47-  by iridan - Star Wars, Mandalorian, Boba Fett/Din Djarin. - Chapter 47 just hit this week, which means we are ONE CHAPTER FROM THE ENDING OF THE FIC,this is not a drill. This fic is 765K words and Chapter 47 alone was 27K words, and I heartily recommend it if you want to watch someone really live into their tags that say " Din 'I Can't Talk Right Now I'm Doing Queer Person With Religious Trauma Shit' Djarin" and "rebuilding a culture is hard." Honestly, great work on the cultural stuff about how there's been tons of contradictory ways of portraying Mandalorians in Star wars, and this fic makes them all feel like people who have been out in the world, trying their best. 

Fic Rec based on Scholomance series: If you want a smaller, single person version of the themes in The Scholomance Trilogy, I heartily recommend two other works by Astolat (aka, Naomi Novik in her fic writing persona) -

-Heal Thyself a Draco post-canon character study about what damage using Dark Magic does to a person, and what it takes for Draco to really come out of it the other side. (Technically Harry/Draco, but only towards the end, well after Draco has done the work of fixing himself.)    

-Victory Condition: A Tranformers fic in which Megatron and Optimus Prime have to actually talk thru their world views, and Optimus Prime has to face that the Golden Age he remembered was built on the suffering of people he didn't see. (Honestly, I kind of recommended The Scholomance series to someone based on the idea that El Higgins is a Megatron with a bit more support and Orion the human is pretty clearly based on Orion Pax aka Optimus Prime, but with some complicated history.) 

Honorable mentions to fic that didn't quite make the novel-length cut: Don’t be afraid. by spqr -Star Wars, Anakin/Obi-Wan, ages reversed. I... I find this pairing normally not for me, and I am aware that this is working on me because I love fic where a traumatized character is confronted with love and care, and well, this did the job. 

What I'm Reading

Homeworld Elegy - Ashcroft Writes - Star Wars AU - Obi-Wan/ Cad Bane - 138K words -Once I got some momentum on this fic, I'm just flying thru it. I'm in a section that creates a whole history for Cad Bane and Duros and their world and his childhood romance with a friend, and I'm like, I thought this was just a mean blue man in a big hat, and now you are making my feel emotions??? It's just working for me really well. 

Two Old Women by Velma Wallis - I'm just not finishing this very quickly, dunno why. The voice just feels like listening to someone telling a story. 

What I'll Read Next:

Library books are on hold for this week because I'm going to be traveling, unless I get finished with them before I go. 

Darth Maul: Lockdown

Whale Rider

Thrawn -Heir to the Empire 

Maybe Spinning Silver 

Tiger's Daughter

Things I own:

Might re-read City of Lies in order to get back on the page for the sequel book. 

Hunting Towards Heartstill -blackkat

Think of England - KJ charles