#Cowboys vs. Commanders

[daminouspurity]

Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders | 2024 NFL Season Week 12 | Predictions Madden NFL 25

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[newstodayusa4005]

NFL Week 12 grades: Cowboys earn high mark for shocking win over Commanders, Giants get an 'F' after ugly loss

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[nationedge]

NFL Week 12 grades: Cowboys earn high mark for shocking win over Commanders, Giants get an 'F' after ugly loss

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[updateexplore]

Did Austin Seibert just suffer the most agonizing few minutes in NFL history?

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[chocolatetastemakerpoetry]

Cowboys vs. Commanders Highlights | Week 12

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[punishereditz]

Dixieland Delight

Pairing: Tyler Owens x f!reader

Warnings: 18 plus only! Minors DNI! DO NOT COPY! Smut. Poor knowledge of football. Strip tease. Restraints. Begging. Edging. Spanking. Praise kink. Marking. Dirty talk. Unprotected sex. P in V.

AN: Roll tide.

Word count: 1.8k.

Summary: Alabama vs Kansas state. Yours and Tyler's favorite teams going up against each other. So, when your team wins, you celebrate.

~

You and Tyler had a lot in common. The main thing you both had in common was that you both are southern. Tyler was from Kansas but has been in Oklahoma since college. You were born and raised in Alabama. You loved Oklahoma, you loved Tyler, but most of all, you loved where you came from. There was nothing like home. The hot summers. The food. The beautiful sunset settling over the ranch you grew up on. Or the joy that was felt during football season.

You weren't as big of a fan of football as Tyler and your dad was, but you liked to keep up to date on it. Watch the highlights and see who won. So, when this year's football season rolled around, and it came down to Alabama and Kansas State... it was like World War || in the apartment you and Tyler shared. Both yours and his family were getting together for the holidays and your dad got tickets to the game. Your mom didn't want to go, and you wanted to, but you had an idea that was even better than going to the game. So, you insisted that Tyler go with him, and he did.

But before he went to the game, you gave him a simple command. Don't get drunk, let you know when he left the stadium, and let you know when he was almost home. Tyler was suspicious of course, but you didn't say anything. It would ruin the surprise. The surprise you were a little too excited for. Your plan was simple. If Kansas wins, you will wear their jersey and let Tyler be in complete control. But if Alabama won, you would wear their jersey and take control over Tyler. You loved it and had the game playing in the background as you got ready.

You took your time. Curling your hair until it was perfect and doing your makeup until it looked flawless. Depending on what team won, would depend on what lipstick you would wear. It was getting to the end of the game, and you looked down at the two jerseys laid on your bed. The crimson red lingerie set to match Alabama and the purple lingerie to match Kansas. Your eyes went back to the tv, and a smile grew on your face as Alabama won the game. 45 to 20. You picked up the crimson lingerie and slide it on. Then you put on Daisy Duke shorts. The denim hugging your ass beautiful. Your ass filling the little fabric so well, Daisy Duke herself could be jealous. You grabbed the cropped jersey and put it on. Then to top off your outfit, you put on your cowboy hat and cowboy boots. You spread the red lipstick across your lips, and you looked in the mirror to make sure you looked good.

As you made sure everything was perfect, your phone buzzed. Tyler letting you know he was almost home. You quickly got the song ready and ran until you were at the end of the hall. You squalled with excitement, and you had to take a deep breath to calm yourself. The headlights of Tyler's truck lit up the living room, then they clicked off and you heard his door close. As he opened the front door, you hit play. Dixieland Delight by Alabama playing through the speaker. Tyler rolled his eyes and scoffed as he tossed his keys on the table by the door. But his scoff quickly got caught in his throat as he saw you come around the corner.

He felt his cock react at the sight of you and he felt heat filling his cheeks. His face turning the shade of the jersey. Sure, it was the rival team of the night, but even with that, Tyler felt his hate for the team dissipate some. "Wha- what are doing?" He finally formed words.

"Reminding you who the winning team is, and always will be." Tyler felt his cock twitch when you walked up to him.

"Trust me, I already got that lecture from your dad." He smirked, but it flattered when you rested your hand on his shoulder.

"Oh, no. You haven't gotten a lesson like this." Tyler felt his body react to you when your eyes lingered on his lips, positioned yourself closer to him and used that voice you knew got to him. You leaned closer. Your breast pressed against him. You kissed his neck. "Roll tide." You whispered in his ear in time with the song. Whispering the chant in his ear with cockiness. You moved your hands over his body until you untucked his shirt. Slowly unbuttoning it. Undoing his belt and the zip of his jeans.

"When are you gonna learn?" He bit back a groan as you pushed his shirt off of him. Your hands moving over his abs. "Since you experienced one type of Dixieland Delight... how about I give you a different kind of Dixieland Delight?" You looped your fingers through his jeans, and you pulled him back until you were in your bedroom.

You pulled his jeans and boxers down. Bending over as you did. Giving him a good view of your ass. You pushed him down on the bed. Grabbing his belt. You tied his hands down to the bed frame and then you moved back. You gave him a little twirl. Moving your hands over your body. You bent over, slowly taking your boots off. Running your hands up your legs as you stood up. Your hands stopping at your shorts, you unbuttoned them and pulled them down at a torturous speed. Your hands moving up your sides and gripping the jersey. You pulled it over your head. Fixing your cowboy hat. Tyler groaned and his cock twitched at the sight of you in the crimson red lace bra and thong and cowboy hat.

He so desperately wanted to run his hands over your body. Take your big breast in his mouth and slap that perfect round ass. But his belt kept his hands in place. He groaned in frustration, but his frustration quickly went away as you crawled towards him, and you now straddled his lap. You placed a finger under his chin and tilted his head up so he would look you in the eyes. "P-please." He whimpered.

"What's that?"

"Please, give me that sweet pussy. I need it. I need to be inside of you darlin'." His voice was a low growl as he begged. It wasn't often he was the one in submission, but whenever he was, you fucking loved it.

Not being able to deny him, you pushed your underwear to the side. You slowly lowered yourself down on him and he let out a low growl. He grabbed the belt and when he pushed his hips up, you moved up so he couldn't.

You chuckled at his desperation and as you started to buck your hips back and forth, you held onto your cowboy hat and rode him like it was rodeo. You slowly increased your speed. Bouncing up and down on his cock. Your moans filling the room. Your eyes rolled to the back of your head, and you could feel your climax building. But Tyler's was building to. "Oh, I'm c-close." Tyler moaned and a mischievous smile formed on your lips. You slowed down until you were just sitting there. He groaned in frustration, and he pulled against the belt.

"Fuck, darlin' come on." He panted and you leaned down. Your breast in his face. You took the cowboy hat off and placed it on him. Now him wearing it. You slowly brought your hips up, then slammed them down. He moaned your name, and you did it again a few more times. Slowly coming up and slamming back down on him. His climax was right there, but because of the pace you had, he couldn't quite get that release he craved. And you knew this. You knew you had him on edge, and you just kept him there. You wondered if you wanted to keep him on his toes or give him that sweet escape he yearned for.

With your mind made up, you quickened your pace. Your tits jiggling as you bounced fast and hard on him. The sight sent Tyler into his climax and his muscles tensed as he filled your pussy up with his seed. His climax sending you into yours. Both of you were a breathless mess. You slowed down. Staying settled down on his cock. You both came down from your highs. But Tyler wasn't done. His cock was still rock hard, and he could easily go again. So, when you undid the belt and his hands were finally free, he pulled out, gripped your waist and pushed you down on the bed. He grabbed your hips and pulled you up so your ass was in the air for him.

He slapped your ass until the skin matched the color of your thong. "Hmm, darlin' I love this ass." He groaned in pleasure as he shamelessly stared. Rubbing his hands over the skin. "I love when you surprise me. Such a good girl." He ran his cock through your folds. Stopping at your entrance, he got his cock good and wet with yours and his cum. Then he pushed his cock in until he bottomed out. His hands gripping your hips. He groaned and slowly pulled out. Then, he thrusted back in. Yearning a loud moan from you. He started to pound. Thrusting in and out of you at an ungodly speed. He grabbed you by your hair and he pulled you up until your back was flush against his chest.

"Such a good little slut for me." He growled and he kissed your shoulder. Kissing up your neck. Leaving marks. You could feel your climax start to form. His ruthless pounding making your legs shake. You moaned his name out and he suddenly pulled out. He turned you and pushed you down so you were laying on the bed. He thrusted back into you. Your legs draped over his shoulders. You moaned his name again. Your eyes rolling to the back of your head as you clenched around him. Then, you were coming undone. Soaking his cock with your release. Your second climax hitting you harder than the first one.

Tyler's second climax hitting him even harder than the first one too. His hands gripped your skin. His cock throbbing inside of you as he once again filled you with his seed. He slowed down. The both of you taking deep breaths. You smiled up at him. Moving your legs off of his shoulders, you leaned up and kissed him. Grabbing the cowboy hat and tossing it over your head. He laid back on the bed and he pulled you into his arms. His hands gently rubbing up and down your side. He kissed the top of your head.

"Guess Alabama winning wasn't so bad."

[physalian]

On Writing a Compelling Fetch Quest, as told by TFP

Save for a single recap episode, season two of Transformers Prime is one long high-octane fetch quest, gunning for weapons and tools and eventually the keys to restoring Cybertron.

See this post where I’ve already gushed about this show but I just rewatched season 2 and it does absolutely everything right when so much of the tension could just come from the macguffin of the week.

Full Spoilers Ahead.

—

Season 2 begins with an amnesiac Optimus convinced he’s still best buds with “Megatronus” and that he’s still Orion Pax, factory reset to before he became a Prime with no knowledge of the war or Autobots or Decepticons. In this version of the lore, he was an archivist, the skills of which come into great use as he can decode ancient encryptions that Megatron’s had sitting locked in a vault and unable to crack for, seemingly, eons—unknowingly helping the enemy murder all his friends.

The information contained in this “Iacon Database” prompts the fetch quest that takes up the entire season. After the three part season debut (6 part if you count the 3 part season 1 finale as one long movie) where Team Prime ventures on their own fetch quest to restore Optimus’s memories, the board is nearly set. But first, a couple other episodes catching up with C-tier villains and bringing in some shiny new characters.

In these episodes, Megatron’s second-in-command, Starscream, who’s been rogue for quite some time, loses his ability to transform after trying to screw over Bumblebee. A “loose cannon” for Team Prime returns not quite as a main character, but more present than his lone episode in season 1, and Starscream’s replacement, Dreadwing, makes his debut. And, the other rogue character, Airachnid, is temporarily disposed of.

The board is now set: Autobots, Decepticons, and Starscream.

We begin at episode 11, where Megatron decides it’s a grand idea to infect his ship with zombie fuel to speed up some repairs, and the ship gains a life of its own, decoding the rest of the Iacon Database that Optimus left sitting behind, a job left to a different ‘Con, Soundwave, who’s no Optimus but doing his best. In that episode, the humans of Team Prime sneak aboard the wayward ship, steal the only four coordinates of the Fetch Quest that are available, and get the heck out of dodge.

Episodes 12-15: Four whole episodes occurring simultaneously, everyone available on both teams, every major player, Starscream included, all racing to these four locations to pick up either mystery weapons or tools of varying mass destruction. Each episode is intercut with dialogue and details from the other units, all coming to a head with the near-death of the Team Prime “Tank,” Bulkhead.

What’s in these four episodes is just a taste of the tension that the rest of the season will take on, kind of like a tournament arc pitting unlikely foes against each other over the MacGuffin of the day. My favorite is Wheeljack (robot cowboy samurai) and Ratchet (grumpy medic) vs Soundwave (aforementioned decrypter replacement who does not speak). The episode is visually gorgeous with a showdown on a cliff at sunset with the most beautiful golden hour for the fight (pictured above).

Every MacGuffin brings a new twist to the fight of their episode, of the four, 1 goes to the Bots, 1 goes to the Cons, 1 goes to Starscream, and 1 gets destroyed.

In the Wheeljack episode, Ratchet comes up with an idea to sneak a virus into Soundwave so they can steal the rest of the Iacon Database from the Cons, which proves a success.

Enter episodes 16-19, where we take a break from the pacing of the fetch quest to bring in another new character, Smokescreen, let Bulkhead heal up, let Wheeljack almost get murdered horrifically by giant bot beetles, and teach a little girl about how revenge does not bring peace. Oh and do away with the C-tier villains, they (almost) all die.

Episodes 20-23 are the last five coordinates for the quest: A fancy new sword to sell toys for Optimus in an absolutely badass episode where he cuts a whole mountain in half, and the 4 literal keys to restoring Cybertron.

The new tension comes from both making sure that Team Prime gets all four keys, and making sure that Megatron does not find out how important they are.

Team Prime gets 1, Megatron gets 1, Team Prime gets another, and then Starscream comes in out of nowhere to steal the 4th, and then sneaks into the base of Team Prime to steal the other 3.

I cannot remember the exact quote but after a yell of absolute anguish and frustration, Optimus collects himself enough to say: “The fate of our world now lies with Starscream, whatever his intention.”

Because, Starscream can’t do shit alone. He just has a very powerful bargaining tool to either buy back the Bots favor, or buy back his place with the Decepticons. Underscoring the importance of who has the keys is this: Whichever side restores Cybertron will have effectively won the war, able to then brand the other side officially as traitors, for a whole new reign of absolute authority. The stakes could not be higher.

Episode 24: The second and far superior flashback episode taking a look exclusively at Starscream’s role throughout the series and all his fabulous shenanigans, as Megatron puts him on trial to decide whether he should just kill his traitorous little SIC.

While these flashbacks are being displayed literally on a screen like they��re connected via HDMI cable, Dreadwing (Starscream’s interim replacement) finds out that not only did Starscream get his twin killed way back in season 1, but then raised his corpse and left the zombie wandering around the fifth dimension, and Megatron knew about it, and lied. (Dreadwing is a fantastic lawful evil character, this post is just ridiculously long already without giving everybody bios)

The episode ends with Dreadwing betraying his whole side to give Team Prime intel, and a magical MacGuffin hammer (that they initially lost in the earlier stages of the Fetch Quest) to level out the playing field, he then goes back to his team and monologues a bit too long before trying to kill Starscream himself (as Megatron still won’t) and gets murdered for his efforts, when he was absolutely right.

At this point, Starscream is back with the Decepticons, they have all they keys (but not yet the knowledge of how they work or where they go to), and they believe that they have a free shot to fly back to Cybertron as the Autobots don’t have any way to get there themselves.

Enter the finale: Episodes 25 and 26. We’re almost there.

The magic MacGuffin hammer Dreadwing gave the Bots can fix or craft almost anything (with limited uses) and they use it to make their wormhole portal into a much beefier version—a space bridge—to portal themselves to Cybertron with every single weapon they’ve collected over the course of the Fetch Quest in their arsenal.

This is a mission they’ll either win, or die trying, they have to steal back the keys and reach the lock before Megatron does, and Megatron just figured out where the lock is.

The Bots manage to do it all, get the keys, take out hoards of faceless minions in their way, they’re a the lock, all they have to do is turn it on.

When out of seemingly nowhere, Megatron executes his backup plan: The whole season, he’s had Soundwave quietly scoping out the Bots’ secret base, and the homes of their human allies. Due to a grave mistake on Ratchet’s part, those humans are not protected at the worst time possible, and they get kidnapped.

Megatron delivers an ultimatum: Cybertron, or three human children?

Rather controversially, Optimus chooses the children, but destroys the lock so Cybertron can’t be revived by either side.

Episode 26 then ends with the reveal that Megatron discovered the location of their base, and as they all scramble to different corners of the earth, Megatron nukes it, and Optimus with it.

—

What I think TFP does really well with the MacGuffins is that, by and large, they themselves are never the point of their episodes. The writers knew audiences wouldn’t be sated with just the objects themselves carrying the story, which is what every fetch quest story should be:

The MacGuffin itself does not mean shit to the audience, 9 times out of 10. It could be swapped out for something else and largely not impact its purpose in the story. What matters is what it means to everyone who wants it, and what they’re willing to do to get it.

In TFP's case, these MacGuffins cannot be replaced. Several show up more than once to give unique advantages to different fights or become incredibly useful 11th hour tools—the setup and payoff with them is fantastic.

Yes, some of these “relics” are dangerous weapons, but in the background of the whole season there is so much subtext. Optimus’s guilt and Megatron’s manipulations over what he did while he had no memory. Various rivalries between sides coming to a head. The Starscream wild card that continued to take everyone by surprise again and again. Optimus’s increasing impatience to finally end this war and set aside the rivalry to try and kill Megatron for real this time, several times.

Regardless of who had what item, the balance of power between both sides was shifting constantly. The Bots would get a slight advantage, and the Cons would match it immediately. The Cons would win a battle, but then infighting would cost them the next one. Optimus’s fancy sword was shattered the very next episode when Megatron made his own using a stolen hand of a dead Prime to power the magic creation hammer—a nice bit of commentary on mutually assured destruction. Megatron never would have gone that far if Optimus didn’t get his own uber powerful weapon first.

Nor was every battle over the MacGuffin-of-the-day the same. Different players, different environments, different rules at play depending on the power of the MacGuffin itself, or the ulterior motives of either side.

And there were consequences, too, as this series is pretty mature. Dreadwing dies pretty graphically, a different dead Bot gets turned into a ghoul and his (totally canon) husband loses his shit over seeing a filthy human wearing his metal skin around.

If you won’t watch this show because you think the franchise is lame, I can’t change your mind, but if ever there was an entry into the franchise that proved how good it could be—and there is a time and a place for the camp of G1—TFP would be it.

[hangmanbradshaw]

I want to brainwash you into loving me forever (NOW COMPLETED)

Aka the NFL Fake Dating AU. Posted on AO3. Moodboard creds to @missathlete31 (thank you. I adore you.)

“So…this is fucking weird and I have no clue what to say here.”

Bradley smiled warmly and leaned his forearms against the table. “Don’t worry, Mav already filled me in, and I’ll do it.”

Jake blinked. “You’ll do it?”

“Yeah.” Bradley sat back with a nod. “You want to come out, right? If us appearing to be in a stable relationship will help, then I’m in.”

Or,

Jake Seresin has it all- fame, money, a NFL MVP trophy, a Super Bowl appearance, a lonely house, and a problem. He wants to come out on his own terms. Enter Bradley Bradshaw, the solution to said problem, or maybe, the beginning of a new problem. After all, you don't fall in love with your fake boyfriend.

Chap 1: Baby, Let the Games Begin + Chap 2: Week 1: Home Game vs. the Dallas Cowboys + Chap 3: Week 2: Away Game vs. the Arizona Cardinals + Chap 4: Week 3: Away Game vs. the San Francisco 49ers + Chap 5: Week 4: Home Game vs. the Seattle Seahawks + Chap 6: Week 5: Away Game vs. the Miami Dolphins + Chap 7: Week 6: Away Game vs. the Buffalo Bills + Chap 8: Week 7: Home Game vs. the Washington Commanders + Chap 9: Week 8: Home Game vs. the New York Jets + Chap 10: Week 9: Away Game vs. the Las Vegas Raiders + Chap 11: Week 10: Away Game vs. the Dallas Cowboys + Chap 12: Week 11: Away Game vs. Washington Commanders + Chap 13: Week 12: Home Game vs. the New England Patriots + Chap 14: Week 13: Bye Week + Chap 15: Week 14: Home Game vs. Green Bay Packers + Chap 16: Week 15: Away Game vs. the New Orleans Saints + Chap 17: Week 16: Away Game vs. the Philadelphia Eagles + Chap 18: Week 17: Home Game vs. the LA Rams + Chap 19: Week 18 & 19: Home Game vs. Philly Eagles & Wildcard Round + Chap 20: Playoffs: Divisional Round + Chap 21: Playoffs: NFC Championship + Chap 22: Super Bowl + Chap 23: Post Super Bowl + Chap 24: We Broke the Status Quo, Then we Fell In Love

[atragicallycrispydude]

It's really funny to me the way Johnny gets treated by May and Dizzy in Xrd. They treat him like he's a petulant teenager instead of the 40-something leader of a huge criminal syndicate which is hilarious honestly, and to be fair he kind of acts like one.

Johnny says in his vs May intro that "If I win, you better give me my allowance!" and upon winning will ask for the allowance just for may to say "no, I'm saving it for our retirement" and Johnny just goes "what? Th-thats not cool!" In one of his strive victory quotes, may won't let him spend his allowance even though he won and she doubled it.

Dizzy, upon beating him, asks him if he's eating his fucking vegetables and if she needs to come back up there and cook a meal for him.

In his story mode, he travels to the colony with May, and meets Leo, who says he needs to fake arrest Johnny. Johnny is going to go along with the plan until Leo calls him "pesky," at which point he gets so fucking mad that he starts beating the absolute shit out of Leo.

I didn't know much about Johnny and thought he was some serious cowboy samurai but the more I learn about him the more I realize he's kinda just a silly little laid back dude who doesn't wanna eat his vegetables because he would presumably rather drink from his wall of liquor and who gets in arguments with his second in command about his allowance and whether he's allowed to spend it.

10/10 character daisuke's vision is supreme

[sonic-oc-showdown]

ROUND 1

Impact belongs to @yeets-ix

Ebony belongs to @mynders-universe

Find out more about them below!

Impact the Shrimp:

He's a cowboy mantis shrimp who lives on an island where he's the self-proclaimed sheriff. He's a power-type character with all the expected quirks of a Mobian mantis shrimp - swimming and water breathing, superhuman eyesight, and being able to punch REALLY fast and REALLY hard, enough to make shockwaves. He's really good at interrogating people, and he can also cook - yes, he DID fry that rice! He also tries way too hard to be gruff and intimidating, when he actually sleeps with a nightlight. Also he has a weird homoerotic rival who's a Mobian mosasaur, so there's that.

Ebony the Hare:

(art by @/Jorrated)

Atop her mountain airbase, Commander Ebony maintains control over the Keystone Desert Valley on the behalf of Doctor Eggman. Ruthless and dogmatic, this hare has cunning to back up her powerful kicks. The one thing she seeks above all else is a valiant and earnest hero, to prove (to herself…?) that their selfless endeavors are fruitless and only bring suffering to those around them.

[katelyn102]

So who’s everyone watching?

I’m going back and forth between Texans vs Titans and the Commanders vs Cowboys

[daminouspurity]

Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders | 2023 NFL Season Week 18 | Predictions Madden NFL 24

[napoleonic-sexyman-tournament]

José Antonio Paez

a. The Centaur of the Plains. Cowboy guerilla. Among many other exploits, defeated over 1000 Spanish cavalry with 150 guys in the Battle of Las Queseras del Medio. They were set up with cavalry on both sides and infantry and heavy guns in the middle, aiming to envelop his forces and prevent his usual hit-and-run tactics. This was working, so he ordered his best commander to turn around and charge the infantry again, getting the Spanish cavalry to converge on that comtingent rather than the main force. That contingent then got out just before the Spanish right and left wings of the cavalry crashed into them, with the result that the Spanish cavalry on both sides ran into each other, just like in a movie. Seeing the chaos in the Spanish cavalry, Paez ordered all his men to turn around and charge this vastly-larger force. The cavalry, thinking they were under attack from an enture army (because Paez’s horsemen had ridden around kicking up dust before the battle, making their numbers look larger), broke and fled. Paez’s cavalry then charged the Spanish infantry, who broken and ran. The Spanush lost over 500 men; Paez lost 2, plus 6 injured. The Spanish general later insisted he had been attacked by at least 700 men. Paez also captured a small Spanish naval flotilla with a cavalry charge across a river, one of the few defeats of a naval force by cavalry in history.

Diego de la Vega (El Zorro)

a. „Zorro es un personaje creado en 1919 por Johnston McCulley. Es considerado uno de los primeros héroes de ficción de la cultura moderna. El personaje ha aparecido en numerosos libros, películas, teleseries y otros medios de comunicación.”

[likedaylighht]

If you thought the end of the chiefs game was bad, I’m watching the cowboys vs commanders rn and oh my god

[corellianhounds]

In my criticisms of S2 and S3 of Mando and TBoBF, one of my complaints is with the scripts and stories themselves, and characters who could have been utilized better

I loved Carson Teva in “The Passenger,” but the dialogue and role they give him in “The Siege” could have been done better (like my suggestion here), and his encounter with Mando in TBoBF and the episodes he has in season 3 don’t feel like professional, meaningful dialogue or character structuring. Part of that is the bad writing and storytelling of whatever they were setting up in season 3, but his character in those seasons also sounds more like an actor reciting lines, not a fleshed out character. I don’t feel any reason to listen to this guy because he’s not grounded or weighty. It doesn’t feel like I or the characters should have to listen to what he has to say because there’s no meat to him. I’m not a fan of him being the Nick fury-esque connecting thread between these shows either but that’s a separate complaint.

And the thing is, I don’t think it’s the actor’s fault. I haven’t seen him in anything else, but this script and the direction is bad enough on its own I can tell those are the main problems. Teva could have been a really good lawman to balance out the rest of these people operating outside of the law! He could have been the more straight-laced white hat sheriff archetype you see in westerns, but lawful good characters don’t have to be boring, especially if you make them this grizzled old sheriff who’s lived and experienced loss for decades fighting the good fight and still come out kind on the other side. I would have liked to see a more weathered cowboy/ranger/marshal who’s still just as sharp, analytical, and observant as he was as a younger man, quick on the draw and two steps ahead of the people around him, younger officers and criminals and people like Mando realizing that just because he’s quiet, it doesn’t mean the gears aren’t turning. Make him an echo of Mando, somebody Din might have been if he’d been given different circumstances in life. The old wizened sheriff vs the lone gunslinger bounty hunter. They’re not on opposite sides, they just have different means of achieving similar goals, and because they’re too similar in personality and because their paths are too different from one another, they end up clashing by virtue of circumstance, not necessarily because they dislike one another

Right now there isn’t really a lot we get of Teva and it makes him feel shallow and uninteresting. Even small characters should feel like a person with a history. Make him a war veteran, but make him a survivor of Alderaan too. Make him the sheriff and detective people underestimate because he’s quiet and unassuming and uses his place in the background to observe and gather all of the information before being able to step forward with accusations and answers that confirm the suspicions and hunches he’s been following up to that point. Have people floundering when they realize they’ve been caught with nowhere to run. He never draws first when he draws first blood— He’s the guy who ends fights, and often ends them before they even begin. All it takes is him clapping a hand on someone’s shoulder for them to realize they’ve stepped out of line, or they’re in a lot more trouble than they realized. He doesn’t raise his voice because he doesn’t have to— People listen when he talks, a commanding presence that tells you he wouldn’t be saying something if it weren’t worth the time it takes to say it. Show me this guy has a history, show me that he knows the meaning of loss, and show me how deeply he cares for people and wants to see them safe.

All of that would make for a more compelling character in the midst of these antiheroes and gunslingers. These shows didn’t have to set up the sequel movies or the circumstances of the New Republic or how the Empire was able to linger for as long as it did after the war. They could have just focused on the regular people on the ground, living and surviving in trying times.

[etoilesombre]

Never have I ever game-- you're known for playing with the source material in ways that don't change canon's outcome, but would you ever do a non-canon Black Sails take? An AU that is entirely different setting from pirates, mod au, fairytale au, space au, cowboy au, etc?

Oh that is a great question. I don't generally do AU, and especially not modern AU, because for me personally it is hard to put them into a high enough stakes environment to explore the elements of the show I'm interested in. HOWEVER. There is one that I started to consider a while ago and have pretty thoroughly fleshed out, and have a serious plan to start once other projects are finished, and that is: Russian Revolution AU! Ok. Stick with me here. [Or don't. I'm going to put this under a cut, it is a lot, and may not make very much sense if you don't already know something about the historical period.]

So, I love the idea of using the Russian revolution as a way to explore some of the same dynamics as the show because it is a period in which there was a lot of righteous idealism, and then it all went very wrong, which naturally brings up questions of ideological commitment vs survival, what are you willing to sacrifice, how do your ideals hold up in the real world, etc. It is also a time when how queerness was treated was very in flux, fitting well with 'we care if its politically convenient to care.'

Basically, we start in the early 1920s right after Lenin dies. Flint is a general, old guard party member, was a commander in the civil war. He is known for doing Really Heinous Flinty Shit during that period. He is sort of revered but also feared, and very ideologically motivated, and so of course he is about to get his ass purged when Stalin starts to consolidate and bring everybody into line.

Silver (10ish years younger) grew up during the upheaval of the 1905, WWI, 1917. He's his survivalist trauma bundle self, and ends up working as a low level NKVD (early Soviet intelligence) guy. He gets sent to keep tabs on/gather evidence against Flint - there is immediately a Frenemies attraction spark there. For Plot Reasons they have to do something together and become Reluctant Allies. I have some of the actual plot worked out but I'm not going to get much into it here, but there is absolutely a parallel conflict in values to the show, and choice that has to be made at the end.

IN THE MEAN TIME interspersed through all of this, in flashbacks: back sometime in the years right after the 1905 revolution, Flint is a promising young military guy who came up from nothing, and has a Hennessey parallel benefactor who sends him to school to be educated. He falls in with Thomas, who is the son of a minor prince, very queer and getting away with it, and is a radical in the Christian anarchist Tolstoy model. Flint gets radicalized through him and his friends, they spend happy years abroad in exile with Thomas writing and Flint being a tactician and doing direct action stuff. They come back in 1917, the civil war starts, Thomas is basically murdered by his family because he sided against them, and he is still set to inherit. SO, that is why Flint goes all Darkness and gets especially nasty during the civil war.

There is a Miranda proxy as well. I believe she disappears and her disappearance is what sets off Plot Events.

It's also set in St. Petersburg, if anybody is wondering. Moscow, with the level I have Flint at, would involve too much interaction with Actual Historical Figures, and while I know a fair amount about this era and am totally committed to research, but still, that gets to be Much.

So, there you have it, Russia AU! My delusional long-term goal is for this to be different enough from canon that it could be published. Thanks for the ask, it's helping me get excited about that project again!