#Feminine but god forbid she goes by she

[dattebabunn]

Do you ever think about how transfemme hcs are treated with so much less credibility and kindness than transmasc ones. It's an extremely frustrating trend I see

I am transmasc btw

[amywritesthings]

press four for more options. | part one.

( Read on AO3 )

Pairing: levi ackerman x f!reader (attack on titan / shingeki no kyojin) Word Count: 4.6k Summary: After seeing your ex with his new girl at a work party, you take the not-so-smart advice from a friend to call a sex hotline to get over him. Your match? A baritone bossy dom named Levi.

Warnings: 18+ MINORS DNI - alternate universe (modern), slow burn, eventual smut, sex work, phone sex, dirty talk, dom!levi, light dom/sub Credits: dividers by @saradika-graphics

part two. | masterlist

“Thank you for calling the Scout Services Hotline. You’re only a dial away from your wildest fantasies with the sexiest singles near your area.”

God, even the automated voice sounds porn-y.

A breathy feminine voice straight out of a 1975 VHS tape croons into the dead air of your small apartment bedroom, setting your nerves on edge.

God forbid the noise travels through the walls into your next-door neighbor's bedroom. Harriet and Miro do not need to hear what you’re up to this Friday evening.

Maybe, up to this Friday evening.

You haven’t decided yet, though one could argue that calling was half the battle.

Dressed head-to-toe in an emerald cocktail dress with a face full of tear-stricken makeup, you feel utterly ridiculous sitting at the foot of your bed — not even the edge of the mattress, but the goddamn floor.

Even your black heels, now scuffed from someone stepping on them on your way out to fetch a cab, remain dangling at your toes.

(As non-committal as your last relationship, ironically enough.)

The experts say don’t shit where you eat. Dating someone you work with typically goes up in flames as fast as a rogue wildfire — and you should have listened to all of the warning signs, but Porco Galliard had been so damn charming that you’d forgotten just about everything.

Including your dignity, apparently, since you seemed to conveniently forget the part where he has had an on-again, off-again relationship with Pieck Finger well before you got hired at this place.

Not exactly side chick behavior, since he technically didn’t cheat, but the sting of being second place before the race even started lingered deep.

(Didn’t you know? He always chooses Pieck. It’s just one of those things.)

Well, no missing that now.

Especially since the two of them were so cozy at the annual shareholder event — right in front of your fucking salad.

The event’s slated to end at eleven so you’ve been nursing a wild array of drinks since seven, with little breaks.

In retrospect, the napkin with scribbled chicken scratch that Annie Leonhart, your closest colleague, shoved into your hand in the midst of your brooding at the bar may have been a joke:

You need to loosen up. Call this stupid sex line and get that stick out of your ass.

She wasn’t kidding. 

Every muscle in your body is too taut, including your brain.

So you took a cab, stumbled into your apartment, and landed — here.

Your phone sits right in front of you next to one of your half-worn heels, on speaker at the lowest setting.

Maybe it’s best to let the pre-recording list the entire numerical menu.

Maybe it’ll deter you from pressing anything at all.

“If you already know your match’s extension, press one.”

Yeah, that wasn’t happening.

You tap the napkin carelessly against the stem of your glass of wine, contemplating exactly how Annie Leonhart managed to find the information for this service to begin with.

Did she already have a match?

Did she regularly call them to blow off some steam?

She's always so chill. It would make sense.

There’s a chance this is a nasty prank at your lowest moment, but you don’t think Annie cares enough about other people to plan such a masterful takedown. 

At the work event, she seemed pretty serious about the legitimacy of Scout Services Hotline, and honestly?

Even if you had been drinking all night at the event, you were going to need way more liquid courage to even consider trying your hand at calling a sex line to quell weekend loneliness.

So naturally, you opened a new bottle of wine.

At the first glass of wine, you still weren’t ready.

The second? The napkin sat adjacent to your laptop as you played compilations of sad break-up songs further aggravating your spiraling depression.

The third was the charm to get you to pick up the fucking phone to see what the fuss was all about.

“If you’re looking for someone specific — whether it’s the man, woman, or person of your dreams — press two.”

Tempting.

Your finger reaches out for the ‘2’ on your screen, but you wait it out.

“If you don’t have a preference for your delicious match, press three.”

“You could’ve done without the delicious part,” you mumble to yourself, picking up the glass of wine to take a generous sip. An involuntary grimace tugs at your cheeks.

“If you’re looking to speak with one of our representatives or need more assistance, press four for more options.”

For a solid five minutes you wait.

Contemplating.

Deciding.

You could press the red circle to hang up and go to bed.

It wouldn’t be the first time you rubbed one out and called it a night.

After all, what’s one more lonely weekend?

The spiel starts up again on a loop with the same seductive, breathy feminine voice.

“Thank you for calling the Scout Services Hotline. You’re only a dial away from your wildest fantasies with the sexiest—”

You smash a button, but you’re not sure which one you’ve clicked.

Before you can lean over to see on your screen, a different feminine voice comes over the speaker.

It’s a little higher pitched than the menu screen voice, but it’s still inviting. Warm.

“Thank you for choosing the Scout Services Hotline. You’re speaking to Petra. May I have the pleasure of knowing the name of the person I’m speaking to this evening?”

A name.

You should give a name that isn’t your real name.

But technically wouldn’t your name be on the credit card if you go through with this anyway?

“You can give a nickname, too, if that makes you feel better,” the woman named Petra adds as if she's a mind reader, breaking the running silence on your end of the line. “A lot of our clients like giving a fake name for security and anonymity.”

“Doesn’t that break once you put in your credit card information?” you blurt, not realizing the thought has spilled on your lips.

Petra laughs musically.

“Technically yes, but if you prefer to be called something, then we’ll be sure to add that to your profile. I take it it's your first time calling.”

Why are you doing this again?

“Painfully obvious, right?” you lament, staring down at the scribble on the napkin. 

Did Annie have a fake name with this service?

“Not painfully at all,” Petra promises. “It’s a learning curve. So what may I call you?”

Real or fake?

Committed or just testing the waters?

“Scarlet?” you suggest, wincing immediately at the on-the-nose literary reference.

Letters, passion, blah blah love — it’s about the only creative thing your wine-addled brain can muster.

“I like Scarlet,” she hums, and immediately your brain is set on fire.

Are you going to be seriously this easy?

“Are you female, male, non-binary, genderfluid, prefer not to say…?”

“Female.”

"Pronouns?"

"Um, she and her."

“And you’re over eighteen?”

“Definitely over eighteen.”

“Perfect. So, Scarlet — did you have a preference on who you wish to speak to today? If you have a fantasy you wish to fulfill, then I can select someone for you.”

You want to scream.

Neurons fire as you try to come up with a cool and collected answer, only to allow the elixir of truth on your tongue to spill the beans.

“Just someone who’s got their shit together, honestly.” You exhale an awkward laugh. “I don’t know. I’m just calling because — I mean, I know you don’t care, but I like… um, deep voices? Stronger voices. Honestly I have no idea what to—”

“I have just the person.”

You pause.

Blink.

But you didn’t even describe anyone, not really.

A voice, maybe, if they cater to kinks of that nature.

You can only imagine they do — it’s a sex hotline, for crying out loud.

“Wait, you do?”

“Mhm!” she perkily states. “Is a man alright for this evening?”

A man with a deep voice who allegedly has his pretend shit together.

Granted it isn’t the opposite of Porco, he’s fairly capable at his job and out living his life just fine, but maybe you were just looking for a copy.

(Or a clue.)

“A man is… fine,” you hesitate. “Wait, so when do I give you my credit card information? My friend hooked me up with this, um — I don’t know if you have her name or if I should even say it, I know there’s probably some confidentiality—”

“Hold that thought,” Petra interrupts cheerfully. “You get the first fifteen-minute session for free, actually — you called just in time before our first-timer coupon expires.”

You can’t hide your surprise.

“Really?”

“Really!”

Ha, your fucking luck.

“If you're enjoying the call, just tell your match and we can set up your card and keep it going. All we ask is that you take a survey after your session. Then you’ll be in our system with this phone number! We’ll never solicit you for calls, but it’ll make the process faster the next time should you call our hotline again.”

You drop your head back on your mattress, sighing heavily.

“...okay, yeah. That sounds great.”

“Yeah?”

“Sure.”

“Give me one moment, Scarlet,” Petra giggles.

You hear something shift on her side. 

Maybe she’s swiveling her chair. Are they located in an actual office building?

God, an office where people just do this for a living sounds larger than life.

“I’ll connect you with your match in a moment.”

Then the line cuts out to the opening notes to Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On, and you’re pretty sure you’re this close to chugging the rest of this bottle in one gulp.

“Is this seriously what you do on weekends, Annie?” you mumble to yourself, enduring the brutality of the waiting music while Petra connects you to your alleged match.

A man with a deep voice who has his shit together.

Is that even a real kink?

Has the bar really gotten that low?

Should you have described someone’s appearance? It wasn’t like it mattered over the phone.

As soon as it gets to the high note of the song, the line cuts again — silence.

Immediately you scramble to sit up taller, your hands fumbling to grab the phone from the floor.

You bring it up to your face, cupping the device in both palms to muffle the noise if it becomes downright pornographic in seconds.

Moment of truth.

With bated breath you wait — the person on the other line sighs, heavy and deep, before answering with the most nonchalant tone.

“Thank you for calling the Scout Services Hotline. You’re speaking with Levi. May I ask whom I have the pleasure of speaking to?”

Holy fuck.

Immediately you forget your own voice listening to the hum of the receiver.

While you’ve only joked in passing that you have a voice kink, it’s screaming in neon lights here and now: this man’s voice may be monotone, but there is a growl to it. 

A rumbling.

At this very moment, you completely forget that this man is on speaker phone and you’ve just returned home from the worst work event in the world.

You don’t have an ex-boyfriend.

You don’t even know your home address.

You’re simply… existing, lips parted, taking in the sheer tingle rolling through your torso.

“You there?”

Right, you’re meant to talk back.

“Huh? Oh — yes! Yeah,” you recover poorly. “Hi. It’s, um, it’s Scarlet.”

“Mm, Scarlet… Scarlet, Scarlet, Scarlet…”

The way the name drags along his tongue nearly makes your mouth water. 

His voice — Levi — is smooth, like the velvet on your dress you’ve yet to take off.

“A pretty name for a pretty thing like you.” Something ruffles and Levi makes a small noise on the other end, likened to a cut-off hum. “Tell me what you look like, Scarlet.”

All you can do is stare at a chip in your wooden dresser directly across from you, listening to him speak.

“I’m…” 

What do you even say? 

How come you have to say anything at all? 

Can’t he just read a takeout menu to you and call it a night?

Before you can answer, there’s an amused huff. “Someone’s nervous.”

Your face turns — well, a certain shade of scarlet.

“Ha. Sorry, I’ve—”

“Never done this before?” he finishes for you.

How mortifying. 

“Is it that obvious?”

“It’s cute,” he relents, and you feel your face turn a degree hotter. “Don’t worry — I’ve been told I’m a great teacher, so you’re in good hands.”

“You’ll have your work cut out of you, trust me,” you breathe, feeling like you’ve been injected with an overdose of a truth serum. “Because I just got home from this stupid work event. My ex-boyfriend brought his new girlfriend — who also works with us — as his date — yay, me — except I feel like I was the side-piece-in-waiting for them. So he’s off getting laid and I’m calling a complete stranger on a random Friday because my work colleague recommended this phone sex hotline for a quick solution.”

Silence.

You blink twice as dread settles in your cut. You tap the phone off of speaker and push the device close to your ear, balancing it with your shoulder.

Did you scare him away? 

Was that too much of a depressive dump? 

You suddenly want to crawl under your bed frame and hide there forever.

But then — a gentle chuckle sounds from the other end of the line, and arousal shoots straight to your lower belly.

“Good thing all of the dirty talk is my job, then,” he muses. “You’re supposed to lay back and listen.”

“Listen?”

“Yeah, unless you weren’t looking to get bossed around.”

It isn’t the worst idea you’ve ever heard, that’s for sure.

“If I’m honest with you, Levi, I don’t know what I’m looking for,” you confess, running a hand down your face.

“Then let me figure it out for you. We have time.”

The man calling himself Levi pauses on the other end.

“Did you want to get fucked, Scarlet?”

Well, shit, he didn’t have to say it like that.

“Yes,” you blurt without thinking, then fumbling to recover. “I mean— Sorry, clearly I called thinking about sex, and your voice is extremely lovely and actually very hot—”

“Oh, you think so?” Levi interrupts, honey-smooth voice humming with amusement with that same hum that’s going to make you scream.

“Absolutely. Completely. Are you serious?” you sputter. “You’re like an ASMR wet dream.”

“A what?”

“A wet dream?”

“No, the other thing — ASMR?”

“Um, like when people make really niche quiet noises to a microphone with their mouths, and it gives you the tingly sensation in the back of your head.”

“Interesting,” Levi says. “So are you saying that’s what I do to you?”

For the umpteenth time, your brain blanks.

God, you could scream into your pillow.

If you weren’t so afraid you’d forget to mute your microphone first, then you already would be.

“Yes! — I mean, yes, but — wait, can we just pause this for a second?”

For a moment he doesn’t answer, but the tone of his voice shifts: still just as sultry, but with a hint of confusion and a dash of concern. 

“Of course. Is everything alright?”

No, this entire night is weird.

If you don’t say something, then this is going to just keep looping and wasting his time.

“Okay,” you start, mustering the courage to get through your speech, “I know I’m spoiling the first-caller coupon for a free call and I’m sorry, I’ll totally pay for the session since you’re great and sound insanely hot and I’m sure you’re amazing at your job, but I just…” 

You trail off, collecting your swimming thoughts.

“...I’m something like six or seven drinks in, I am craving potato chips, and I’d really like to just talk to someone for a few minutes.”

There.

It’s out in the open, your confession to the liminal altar.

You half-expect him to hang up rather than wasting his time with someone like you, but to your surprise, there is no click. No call ended. No new automated message.

“Six or seven is a lot,” he comments, and you can picture a brow furrow even if he doesn’t have a face. “Does this mean you handle your liquor, or is this a one-off rager?”

“I think I’m only still functioning because I ate my weight in dinner rolls at the party.”

“Do you have a glass or bottle of water near you?”

The switch up lessens the tension in your shoulder blades in an instant.

His voice is just as crooning, deep and inviting, but it’s nice to simply be asked.

“Nope.”

His voice sharply changes, authoritative and firm. “Then go get one.”

The demand does something to you. 

Without thinking twice you begin to rock up on your heels, standing at full height.

“Okay, Mr. Bossy.”

“Isn’t that what you wanted?” he asks with a sprinkle of sarcasm. “Someone who has their shit together, if I read the notes right.”

“They write that stuff down?” you ask genuinely, minding your step as you pad barefoot across your apartment to your fridge.

“It’s your session,” he reminds softly. “We do whatever it is you want to do.”

“Even if it’s just to talk?”

“You’d be amazed at how many people call just to talk. Though I can’t say it’s my specialty.”

“No?”

“No. I’m not much of a small talker.”

The refrigerator door swings wide. “What’s your specialty, then?”

“Kink play, mostly. Dom and Sub. Guided masturbation. Edging. Making decisions for people who want to forget about making them for a while.”

One second the bottle of water is in your hand.

Next it’s on the floor.

“That’s, uh… a wide array of specialties,” you say. “And your rate, it’s…?”

“Not cheap.”

“Got it. So I’m really flubbing this free call.”

It’s small, but you hear a chuckle on the other end. “You said you wanted to talk, Scarlet, so we’re talking.”

Bending to grab your water bottle, you untwist the cap.

“Does this bother you, wasting your time talking?”

“You’re not wasting my time, Scarlet,” he says with such a promise that you almost believe it’s genuine. “You have a pretty voice, and you’re funny.”

“Shut up.”

“You do, and you are.”

“Uh-huh. And do you talk to a lot of people during your shifts?”

“That’s confidential.”

“So a lot.”

“Confidential.”

“And the length of calls,” you test, “are they hypothetically confidential, too?”

“It’s per minute, so.”

“Per minute?” you gawk. “Jesus, I’d go bankrupt talking to you.”

“Well, premium members receive bills per half hour,” he explains. “More bang for your buck.”

“Quite literally," you mumble. "And what’s a premium subscription get you?”

“Didn’t you check out the website before calling?”

“I told you I stumbled out of my cab and called the number on my napkin, Levi,” you chide. “I didn’t exactly do my research in my sexually frustrated state.”

“Fair, can’t blame you there.”

There’s something of a grunt on the other end, like he’s stretching his arms over his head.

Maybe he’s sitting in an office chair, too, going through the motions of his profession the same way the Petra lady had been.

You keep wanting to imagine what he’s doing on the other line, but you realize you haven’t asked the titular question yet.

“Hey, Levi?”

“Yeah, baby?”

It’s breathy, a roll of thunder in his tongue.

Instead of an office chair, you imagine a man lying on his bed.

Maybe his tie is half-done, hanging loosely around his neck.

Button-down open, exposing the planes of his chest; dress trousers unbuttoned and loose around his hips, so he can easily slide a hand—

Whoa.

You stop walking back to your bedroom and blink twice. “Oh, so you like pet names.”

Your face, in miraculous humiliation, grows another degree hotter at how amused he sounds with himself. “I never said that.”

“Sure,” Levi replies with a smirk to the concession. “What is it, Scarlet?”

(Maybe you’ll permanently change your name to Scarlet after tonight if it sounds this good on a man’s lips.)

You finally unzip the side of your dress and wiggle out, before finding a cozy spot in the middle of your mattress.

“How much time do I have left on this freebie?”

“Approximately three minutes.”

Time flies when you’re too busy gawking over someone’s voice, apparently.

“Can I ask what you look like?” you finally decide, playing along.

“I’m surprised it took you this long to ask,” Levi responds, returning to that same seductive tone he’d used when he first picked up the line. “Black hair, guess it’s a little shaggier than usual. Undercut.”

You squint to your ceiling. “I’m thinking of Dimitri from Anastasia right now but with black hair.”

“I have no idea what that is.”

“You’ve seriously never seen Anastasia?”

“It’s a movie?”

“Oh my god, Levi, I’m so sorry for your childhood.”

“It’s an animated movie?” he scoffs. “Even worse.”

“You wound me,” you joke, pressing a hand over the cup of your beige bra. “What color are your eyes?”

“A gray-ish blue,” he tells you. “Sharp nose. High cheekbones. I’m a daily gym go-er, so I’m mostly lean muscle. I can probably pick you up, easily.”

So a fit man with an undercut hairstyle with gray-blue eyes and a relatively sharp face. 

Now you have a face to the image of a man lying on his bed, still in that button-down shirt and dress trousers.

His happy trail is probably dark, too, disappearing just under the waistband of his boxer briefs.

Or boxers?

Maybe nothing.

Your hand moves on its own accord to the waistband of your panties, toying with the fabric.

Contemplating.

Wondering if it’s wrong — when it really shouldn’t be wrong at all.

“You sound handsome,” you murmur. “I wouldn’t mind being picked up.”

“Wouldn’t be the only thing I’d do to you,” he flippantly states, and your brain blanks to pure putty. “You sound a little more winded than before. Doing alright over there, party animal?”

“It’s late,” you lie even when you damn well know you don’t have to lie. “Lots of drinking, first water of the night, lying down…”

“Better make it two waters before you fall asleep,” Levi states. “That’s an order, Scarlet.”

“Uh-huh.”

Your hand dips under your underwear, testing the waters.

But—

“Final sixty seconds,” he adds. “Any last words you want to get in before the line disconnects?”

“Only one minute left?” you protest, ripping your hand out of your underwear to pull the phone away from your ear.

14:02

So it really had been a fifteen-minute call.

God damnit.

Tapping the speaker icon once more, you stare at your phone and press your tongue against the inside of your cheek.

“What’s your extension?”

Because you have to know.

Even if you don’t call again, it’s a comfort to have it on hand.

Levi waits a moment before responding.

“Two-five-one-two.”

2512.

You swipe away from the call to quickly pull up your notes app, tapping the number down with a noted reminder: the guy with the hot voice!

“Are you going to call me again, Scarlet?”

You open your mouth, but you struggle with an answer.

(You only have a few seconds! Think, idiot, think!)

“I’m not sure if—”

Click.

“Hello? Levi?”

“Thank you for calling the Scout Services Hotline. Please stay on the line for a quick two-minute survey so we can better serve your fantasies in the future.”

Out of time.

You drop your phone to your stomach and groan.

Instead of calling back, you close your eyes — and, not before long, fall asleep to a dream of only one voice.

.

.

— —

.

.

    Saturday is a wash.

You wake late, missing an invitation to brunch.

For the better half of the day, you wonder about him.

Levi.

Your arbitrary match that doesn't feel so arbitrary anymore.

(It's placebo effect, you tell yourself. They're supposed to make you feel wanted.)

Punishing yourself for your excessive liquor and stupid plans, you trudge to your local gym and do your best to stay focused on your workout.

Every nameless person with dark hair that walks past you on the sidewalk from your apartment; anyone could be him.

The man waiting in line at the coffee shop.

The man who accidentally walked into you while you were switching the song on your playlist at the crosswalk.

The man weight training in the corner of the room, fringe cascading down his face as he drips sweat.

You keep the napkin in your gym bag, then transfer it to your purse as you run errands.

You could call.

It isn’t like you’re strapped for cash at the moment.

Granted it’s very wish fulfillment and it isn’t like he’s actually into you, but the attention is nice.

Besides — you haven’t thought of your ex once since you woke up.

Annie texts you twice within ten minutes of each message, which is unheard for her.

 [A. LEONHART]: So? Did you call?

[A. LEONHART]: Hello, earth to moron. At least like my message to tell me you’re alive. I’m not being interviewed by Dateline for you.

(Ah, there she is. Classic Annie.)

 [YOU]: Yeah, I called. Not sure if it’s my thing.

[A. LEONHART]: Sometimes they match you with a dud. 2nd time’s the charm ;)

[YOU]: Do you ever use someone’s extension?

[A. LEONHART]: Duh. I’m a regular of one guy.

Okay, so she talks to a guy. Something grips your stomach as you type your reply.

 [YOU]: Can I ask his name?

[A. LEONHART]: Why, so we don’t eiffel tower this?

[YOU]: jfc annie

[A. LEONHART]: lmao his name is Bert

    So not Levi.

For some odd reason, you breathe a sigh of relief as you close out of your messages.

Maybe you're one of a million, but at least you're not sharing with Annie.

Once you return home from your errands, it's close to dinnertime.

You cook something simple for yourself, occasionally glancing over at your purse like you can x-ray vision through the fabric to see the napkin.

Then again, it isn’t like you actually need the napkin.

The number is already in your phone.

Pulling out your device, you set it on the kitchen counter and draw a slow, calculative inhale.

One more call can’t hurt.

Levi may not even be working.

Hell, he could be talking to someone else. 

A regular.

Several regulars.

For over five minutes you stare down at your most recent calls list, willing yourself to just get brave for one second to press the button.

(It isn’t like Porco’s going to call you.)

The soured thought propels your hand without thinking, fingertip pressing the green phone icon faster than you can think. 

You brace for the ringtone, fists balled tight on the cool kitchen surface.

“Thank you for calling the Scout Services Hotline. You’re only a dial away from your wildest fantasies with the sexiest singles near your area. If you already know your match’s extension, press one.”

You continue staring.

Are you really doing this?

It isn’t like it means anything, which is exactly what you need with the upcoming work week.

A distraction.

A very expensive distraction, but hey — you’ll avoid takeout for a few weeks.

How bad can it get?

“If you’re looking for someone specific —”

You press one.

.

Author's Note:

Thank you for reading part one of my zany little 'Sleepless in Seattle' modern au! This has been a bluesky idea for a while now, and I needed a little reprieve from my other angsty Levi longfic silver underground, so I hope you enjoyed the ride.

There will be actual smut in part two, but as a Reader!Writer I had the thought of 'would I be suave enough to do the first phone call flawlessly or totally waste my free coupon'? and this chapter was born, lol. I promise this is not Porco slander.

Thank you for likes, and even more love to those who choose to reblog this to help spread the word of this new series or reply in the comments. ilu xo

[frostbiteisthenewjackieshauna]

hii

can you do general dating lottie hcs??

yes she's the best gf ever, also i made this pre!crash and high school, so if you want something else don’t hesitate to tell me!!

Lottie is so soft

she's always thinking about you and your safety

"Have you eaten?" "Did you get enough sleep? You look a little tired" "How'd you do on the spanish quiz?" "I'm just at the store, need anything?"

are the things you hear almost daily

she's pretty girly herself, so if you are too, you'll definitely be doing each other's hair and make up, as well as fixing it up

"Babe, your lipstick smudged!" "Ohh fix it, fix it."

also borrowing the other's clothes all the time!!

if you're not feminine however, she teaches you how to do all that stuff for her, and overtime it becomes so fun for you both

gossip sessions where you talk about the most evil people ever

(because she never talks shit unless someone really deserves it!)

on another note, it's no secret she's filthy rich

she spends so much money on you and loves to spoil you rotten

God forbid you glance at something for more then a second, you're already getting rung up

and not to mention how hard she always tries to impress you, especially in the beginning but even after months of dating

contrary to popular belief I'm almost positive she didn't have much experience before you, so she's pulling every cheesy trick in the book, she's a total romantic anyway!

leaves little notes and even sometimes flowers in your locker

they could range between being something random, a compliment, a rant or a complaint, depends on the day for her

says the corniest stuff, sometimes you can't tell if she's being ironic or not

and don't even get me STARTED on going to her games (assuming you aren't a yellowjacket)

you're the loudest person in the crowd, cheering and holding up a sign, specifically for number 5

if she wins, she takes you out for dinner to celebrate, and if not, you take her out to make her feel better

overtime, you become an honorary team member because the two of you are just always together

however, not everything is rainbows and butterflies

it all gets a little harder when she goes through an episode and starts avoiding you

she's so convinced you'll leave as soon as you find out what's going on with her

but after a week of dry conversations and overall evading you, you decided to bring it up

once you learned about her illness and heard everything that she went through, she didn't expect you to pull her into a bear hug

you reassured her in every way possible, comforting her struggles

you could also tell she was a bit embarassed about it all, but you took the time and consideration to talk her through it

she was so surprised by your patience and kindness, which are things she'd rarely been shown before, if ever

somehow, the whole encounter brought you even closer, now you felt like you understood her way better

safe to say that things only changed for the better, the girls on her team would relentlessly tell her to 'put a ring on it already'

and god, did she want to

[pumpumdemsugah]

I watched the behind the scenes about the animation of Blue Eye Samurai and spoilers If you care but the fact some of you are pissed off the creators state Mizu is a woman over and over again is dumb. At this point, some ppl are so strangely sexist you do not think women are complex characters you can relate to or would never put revenge or being in disguise for safety (and ease of travel ) above conformity or femininity.

Mizu's mother told her two things: don't leave the house or they will kill us and don't let them know you're a girl because they're looking for a girl and will kill you. Mizu disobeys one of these and her hut gets set on fire with her mother in there. It's not hard to imagine why she'd continue dressing up as a boy for safety. If you really think a girl or woman would never dress up as a man to avoid being hunted down and killed, something is wrong with your brain. Women and girls famously don't like being brutally murdered.

That woman and child weren't allowed in the city to sell their goods and avoid starving because no male chaperone. How is Mizu supposed to get revenge if she needs a male chaperone to travel?

Some are denying central themes (because Mizu is relatable) like: the narrow paths women have- being a wife or an ' improper woman' ( working in a brothel ) to the point not even a princess was in control. Akemi is working within the confines of being a wife and we'll see how that goes. Disappointment doesn't mean bad writing because you don't think women would ever do that ( they do ) or God forbid you relate to someone different from you. She would have never ended up with Akemi because they're on very divergent paths. They were never going to scissor 😔 shame because it might fix her lol

Ideas get popular online and you're meant to treat pet theories like holy scripture. If you think the experiences of Mizu is too cool to be explored in a woman, first of all wooow!!, 2nd you're ignoring the story and it's a you problem.

[sturnmeovr]

Brat!Reader Headcanons

Best paired with Neighbor!Matt

✮ Brat!Reader who ... doesn't know how to love herself correctly, so she projects her negativity onto everyone within a 5-mile radius of her. She knows she isn't ready for a relationship because she can't even treat a stranger with kindness half the time, how would she be able to love someone else if she couldn't show simple compassion to anything other than nature, animals, and her favorite Starbucks barista?

✮ Brat!Reader who ... works from home, selling house insurance, but still depends on her father financially. Living in the big city is hard and her dad doesn't want to see her struggle. She has a credit with his name on it and she isn't afraid to swipe it for whatever she wants or needs.

✮ Brat!Reader who ... has a pretty decent sized friend group; whether it be high school classmates or people she's met at bars along the way, people are drawn to Brats natural feminine energy, she's a people leaser, making it nearly impossible for her to turn down a conversation with anyone. Even though she draws a lot of attention, she only truly connects with a few.

✮ Brat!Reader who ... absolutely adores her cat, Wendy. She adopted Wendy from her hometowns local shelter when she was eighteen, they've been attached at the hip since. Wendy knows all of her secrets and Brat would 100% kill anyone who ever tried to harm her Wendy Louise, God forbid.

✮ Brat!Reader who ... is emotionally guarded. She feels like the moment she opens up to someone it gives them the opportunity to hurt her, so she doesn't allow it to happen. This causes a lot of issues between her and Matt as time goes on; all he wants is to break her walls down, showing her she can be loved correctly, which she wants, and needs, more than anything.

✮ Brat!Reader who ... really struggles with her mental health. She's a self-harm survivor and has been clean for three years. She still thinks about it from time to time, but therapist, Heather, says she's come too far to wash her accomplishments down the drain. Brat considers Heather as one of her closest friends, her number in on speed dial, actually.

✮ Brat!Reader who ... secretly loves bugging her upstairs neighbor, Matt. She'll text him out of the blue, telling him to keep it down even though he's barely making noise. Sometimes she'll purposefully leave her dinner on the stove for too long, setting her smoke detector off because she knows he'll come running to her rescue. Nine times out of ten, he'll give in after she bats her lashes a few times, usually buying dinner and staying for a movie. And most times, he doesn't leave her apartment until the next morning.

✮ Brat!Reader who ... thrives off of her father's approval. It's always been them two and he hasn't been the most supportive father throughout the years. Her dad just wants what's best for her but often times is too harsh. Brat is still sensitive, believe it or not.

✮ Brat!Reader who ... goes out drinking with her girls almost every other weekend - unless Matt is in her bed, distracting her. If she does end up going out, she'll more than likely come home completely shitfaced which will lead to Matt carrying her bridal style up to her apartment. Her sweet seductive eyes always making him crack under pressure when she asks him to stay the night; it never fails.

✮ Brat!Reader who ... wishes she could be the perfect girl for Matt, for her father, for the world, for herself.

♡‧₊˚ Cheys Note - I did Neighbor!Matt hc's the other day so ofc I had to follow it up with Brats hc's 🥰 I hope everyone likes it! Send me asks about Brat & Matt! <3

No Sex in the Elevators - Coming out in the next couple days 🤭

My Pinterest with board for Neighbor!Matt x Brat!Reader

Masterlist

Taglist (comment to be added)

© sturnmeovr - Please do not copy my work.

[cinnamonic-thoughts]

no ok dont get me wrong i do love feminine short sirius black but. did we forget that sirius is canonically the tallest marauder. like obviously fuck jkr so canon is less important but also where are the fics where he towers over everyone. mr. flair for the dramatics would Love it. here are my contributions:

sirius will walk up to remus and just plant his face in his hair. when remus asks what hes doing he goes "mind your business" and walks away after a few minutes. the smell calms him and his hair is so soft that sirius cant help it

constantly makes fun of james for being oh so short despite the fact that the difference is like. an inch

despite being the tallest marauder, he can Always find and squeeze into the smallest hiding spaces when theyre pulling pranks, and the rest of them just cant figure out how he does it

until he makes an offhand comment about how he had to teach reggie how to hide so he could go and distract walburga, so reggie wouldnt get hurt when she was in one of her Moods

while im at it, sirius is taller than walburga by a lot, so looking at them next to each other, people find it harder to believe she could ever Really hurt him because after all, "youre so much bigger than she is, cant you just fight back or run away?"

big, loud, Bold sirius with legs a mile long + remus Dying when he wears any kind of shorts or, god forbid, Skirts

tall!sirius is so unexplored guys

[nkn0va]

Blazeblue request: If your ok with it, can you write relationship headcannons for F!Ragna and a M!S/O?

Thankfully Ragna's got protag privileges when it comes to fanart. Whitehorse made the banner completely impromptu, the absolute madlad.

Also fun fact, did you know that Ragna is an actual name that's originally feminine? It's a Scandinavian name so you probably won't actually meet anyone with it. In Blazblue's case though, it's likely a reference to Ragnarok in Norse Mythology.

-Poor Ragna has absolutely no romantic experience. Growing up in a church and then being raised by an anthropomorphic cat whose wife was yeeted into the great beyond will do that to you.

-She's extremely hesitant to let you join her when she goes out to destroy the cauldrons, she can't afford to risk losing anyone else she cares about.

-She does eventually relent and let you join. At least that way she can keep you close to her, which may be for the better considering the target likely to be on your back by proxy of hers.

-On the bright side though, you can think of it as a way of travelling, getting to see the world outside of wherever you were born and Jubei's "abode", if you can even call it that. Try bringing this up to Ragna though, and you'll only get a scoff in return. Half amused, half annoyed.

-She's definitely got a bit of tsundere-ness in her like her brother. She'll chew you out when you do something dangerous, it's how she expresses her worry. She doesn't really know how to worry like a normal girlfriend.

-Speaking of Jin though, you're gonna have to deal with his never-ending jealousy/rage when you happen to meet him. There's no avoiding it. He can target Ragna all he likes but if he dares point his blade in your general direction she is going to pound his ass straight back to the Azure.

-She's extremely protective in general, she'll often patrol around the area where you set up camp for the night to make sure nothing is there, aggressive wildlife, scouting NOL soldiers, or otherwise.

-There aren't a lot of chances for intimacy, the kind that's normal for two people dating. When the opportunity does come around though, Ragna can actually be surprisingly soft. It's around you that she can finally relax and not have to worry about putting on the tough attitude.

-It's in moments like those where you realize she really isn't all that aggressive by nature. She has to be if she wants to protect the people important to her, and you're no exception. In fact, you're really the only person that gets to see her be vulnerable like this.

-Of course you're both going to face endless teasing about your relationship. Rachel, Jubei, Kokonoe, and Kagura in particular are all going to give you varying degrees of shit.

-Rachel's going to ask you what made you fall for such a "lowly, unladylike creature" with a shit-eating grin on her face, much to Ragna's chagrin, while on the other end of the spectrum Jubei's just going to playfully tease you two like a dad watching his kid in a relationship. He won't give you the ol' warning about breaking her heart spiel, it's not needed with Ragna of all women. If you cross her she'll fuck you up herself.

-Your relationship with Ragna is really the only semblance of normalcy she has left in her life. You're her tether to reality, a comforting presence that keeps her sanity from truly slipping. Though of course she probably won't be saying this out loud.

-She'll be damned before she lets the NOL, Sector Seven, or God forbid Terumi get their filthy hands on you. You're the only person who can truly see her for who she really is deep down, past the sardonic, hotheaded exterior.

-When she takes control of the Master Unit, you're the one at the forefront of her mind above everyone else that she creates the new world for. Deep down her heart is breaking at the fact that you can never see each other again, and that you'll never even remember her and all the shit you had to go through together. Even at the fact that in the new world you'll probably find someone else.

-But...that's fine. Ragna knew what she was signing up for, and she knows it needs to be done. For the people she loves. No matter how much it hurts.

[anarcoqueer1994]

Steve, who likes that he is a jock, likes sports, likes cool cars, like cheesy action flicks, likes traditional hyper masculine things.

But also has always liked some things that have always been considered more feminine, specifically Barbie and makeup. But was told he couldn't also like these things. Had that message literally and metaphorically beaten into him as a child.

Even as an adult, as he was more accepted by his friends, as he found love and happiness with Eddie, as he was willing to wear little hints of make up like lip gloss, or help do Corred Coffin's makeup for a show, he is still embarrassed about Barbie. Now he is much too old for it.

Except then the 90s come around, in 1994 they have their first little Munson-Harrington, a girl, Lily, and in 1996 they have thier second a boy, Wayne. And Steve goes all out, buys so many Barbies for Lily, a styling head, beach house, everything. He is so excited to have e someone to play with. Only, she doesn't like them, not interested in Babrie. but Wayne does like them. And Steve shows him that's okay. He never makes Wayne feel like boys can't play with dolls. In fact, he is always willing to play with him whenever, so his son will never feel bad liking something that is literally harmless. And God forbid anyone say something that ever makes his child feel bad for liking dolls.

And now in 2023, Steve, and his NFL player son, Wayne, are dragging Lily(a tattoo artist) and Eddie with them to see the Barbie movie. (Lily and Eddie don't really mind,enjoying the family time that gets harder and harder as everyone gets older)

[bcrgondy]

closed starter for @slccpover​ bc i’m her bitch .

     it’s 6 o'clock on the dot   when the first signs of an intruder begin filling the valmont residence with life :    tinkling metals like cymbals echoing down the hall ,    the gentle pitter-patter of combined footsteps climbing the long staircase in cahoots ,   following a trail of muffled girlish giggles (  different voices mingled into a dissonant cacophony of feminine whispers ) .    ‘  sshhh  ’      hushes a distinct ,    male voice ,   standing out from its peers ,   breathy and suppressing tangible amusement .     heavier footsteps .     the front door only makes a sound as it’s shut ---   alas ,   not as discreet as he’d hoped ,   sebastian is caught crossing the threshold of the wide arch in the dining room and promptly summoned by a stern ,   familiar :   ‘sebastian’ .     foolishly ,   he was hoping to avoid this encounter .   with a disappointed sigh ,   he considers pretending he was dead for a minute before walking backwards  ,    heel on heel  ,   like a child caught red-handed ,   lips pucked and ivory skin covered in different shades of lipstick .     “      [     ...     ]        yes ?     ”      beckons the younger valmont  ,   blinking innocently in his failed attempt to charm his father . 

“     did you think i wouldn’t notice an alfa romeo in the driveway this morning ?    ”       wouldn’t is a strong word ---  hoped ,    maybe .  “    ---- or that you can just storm in in the middle of the night now every time your mother casts you out ,   like this is a hotel ?    ”    sebastian sucks in a breath as rupert goes on and on like a child being scolded ,   hands tied behind his back .   “     --- i didn’t wanna wake you .    or god forbid ,  walk into something i can’t unsee ,    ”       at that implication ,   those sharp bluebell eyes swivel to the  chaos agent   woman at the table ,    for the very first ,    but don’t linger .    it’s a half-truth ---  he also had no desire to grovel ,   ask for permission to stay in the place he grew up in ,     or make nice with lady medusa ,      who had done nothing but wreck havoc on his already barely tolerable home .     “     besides ,    it was past your bed time .     ”      can’t stop his forked-tongue from taking that shot --- and earns a   twitch    of a contemptuous smile from his father .   what else is new ?    he still hasn’t addressed her .     “    ----  well ,    if you’re gonna stay ,    ”     rupert snatches the glass of orange juice sebastian was pouring for himself and takes it ---  his mouth opens to protest but nothing comes out .      “      you might as well help out .    danica needs someone to go with her to the ---    ”      oh fuck no .     his face probably says as much .    “    ---- please say d'hondt .   ”      he doesn’t .    “    my fiance ,   sebastian .    ”     sebastian crinkles his nose  ,      sinking into a seat like he’s just been handed punishment .    “      that’s my least favorite danica .     ”         he makes   eye-contact again ,  almost pouting    --- the base of his wrist squishing his cheek .     “      why don’t you go with her ?  ----  she’s your fiance ,   i’m sure she’d rather be there with you .     ”      for some reason .     “     some of us have to work for a living ,   sebastian .   ”

[foliejpg]

Ok I know people get kind of up in arms about clothes for FOB genderbends but thinking about how they would all dress is one of my favorite parts of it? Like I think pete and patrick especially would have very interesting relationships with femininity, especially coming up in a misogynistic scene like 90s/00s hardcore. Bc when I look at pictures from early FOB shows, the girls you see there are dressed pretty much the same as the guys, like girls were THERE but I very much get the feeling that the safest way to exist in that scene as a girl was to be as guy-ish as you could, but taking it TOO far would get you shit for [being gay or trans or generally gnc, I dont want to use period-accurate language right now], and it REALLY gets interesting if you're overweight, not white, not straight, not cis, anything that sets you as a woman apart from the dominant cultural image of "a woman" in the USA. Patrick personally is may favorite to think about because Ive been the fat girl in nerdy guy spaces and Im also a fat woman in a pretty dude-heavy professional field, so I can project my experience onto girltrick all damn day? (1/?, Continued in another ask bc Im going to hit char limit soon I think)

this got long as hell and i also never got a part 2 so i hope this is relevant<3

i definitely get that, for patrick especially to have to really conform to being “one of the guys” and acting like such so she doesn’t get called things like difficult or bitchy, and that definitely makes an impact on how she dresses. especially as a fat girl and i’m also a fat woman, so a lot of what i wanted to wear was either too tight and rolled up my stomach or my pants didn’t fit, OR was so lowcut because my cup size was too big and nothing fit correctly, so it was wear the big boxy tee shirt or have my tatas on display for people to look at. patrick, as a fat woman who is maybe not the most conventionally attractive, would really have to straddle a line of fitting in with all of these gross boys for the sake of the band and not being disregarded as a sexless fat chick. of course then it goes into slut shame-y territory if she ever god forbid wore something cute that made her feel good. maybe girltrick doesn’t wear a lot of dresses or skirts early on, but maybe during soul punk she explored a little more and maybe that carries over post hiatus. girltrick would rock a maxi skirt. comfy as fuck

i think about pete too as a woman in the scene at the time having to kind of play into what guys around her expect of her as a more sexual being bc like you said the misogyny was rampant and the easiest way, like you said is to go along with it. pete irl got boiled down to this sex symbol so early in fob’s career and had his body plastered all over magazines for people to drool over. to a point, we know that pete also played the “bad boy” schtick up because it was new and sexy and aimed at teen girls, so then girlpete did that too. irl pete dressed sexy and wore eyeliner so fall out boy would catch eyes, and it worked. so does girlpete, to the same extent. of course because she’s a woman she’ll always be sexualized worse than irl pete ever could experience.

look at pete now, he’s all comfort wear. those fucking meat shoes that haunt my dreams. girlpete is shy too. she’s also very business savvy and, like irl pete, knows she’s hot. she wears sweatpants and sneakers when she’s out and about, and baby tees and low rise jeans on stage, and maybe her bra is visible and rocks a whale tail sometimes as was popular early on. she was probably harassed endlessly but she’s not ashamed of herself or her body and dresses to fit her needs - like pete did irl.

and maybe this is controversial but i don’t think girlpete would have leaned into a more butch or androgynous style because realistically, pete didn’t. the eyeliner was an act of rebellion which is totally cool and 100% but let’s not pretend he was really challenging any gender norms here. girlpete as a business woman knows how to market herself to the people that will matter, the people who buy fall out boy’s music.

i think people forget that like, at the end of the day they are still pete wentz and patrick stump. the intentions, timeline, lore, personality - it’s for the most part all the same, but i think when people don’t acknowledge that their experiences in the scene would be drastically different from irl pete and patrick, it’s disregarding the misogyny in the scene entirely.

and also i want to put them in a skirt and it’s fanfiction so i can do what i want<3 if anyone has anything to add, pls send me a msg i love talking about my girls<3

[themoonking]

given how sexually experienced / sexually confident women are potrayed in lore olympus, it would not suprise me if daphne was written in and characterized the way she is specifically as a response to criticism rachel as recieved.

minthe, thetis, and later leuce are all mature women with sexual experience. they're attractive and they're fully aware of it. they specifically try to appear sexy and desireable, and also have casual sex. coincidentally, they are all presented as shallow, jealous, homewrecking, rude at best and outright cruel at worst, delusional, deserving of scorn and ridicule, et cetera.

this is all in contrast to persephone. she is very young, sexually inexperienced, and her "purity" (both in a sexual sense and a general sense) is emphasized. for the vast majority of the comic's run, she expresses little to no sexual desire. she's incredibly attractive but she doesn't know it and definitely doesn't try to look sexy god forbid. instead, she is unwillingly and unknowingly sexualized by the people around her. she's incredibly naive. she's the poster child for the "born sexy yesterday" trope... and she's constantly faced with attempts to tear her down by the eeeevil promiscuous women who are simply jealous of her effortless pure beauty and how much more desirable she is. when persephone begins to show sexual desire or deliberately dress more provacatively, it's for one (1) man in the context of a monogamous relationship.

so im not saying this 100% is how it went but i could definitely see it happening that rachel smythe saw the (very justified) critique of the (very present) misogyny in her work, but instead of actually taking it to heart and perhaps reflecting on beliefs she may have internalized and how they make their way into her art, then improving herself, she writes daphne.

daphne is a woman who also is sexually experienced and confident, also is fully aware of how attractive she is, also makes a conscious effort to appear sexy and desireable, but she is not depicted as an evil homewrecking bitch. in fact, she coincidentally agrees with everything persephone says and sees nothing wrong with anything she does ever even when it is definitely cause for criticism (such as not seeing the clear favoritism at work as a big deal).

however, the inclusion of one (1) singular positive depiction of a sexually experienced and empowered woman doesn't change the ever present misogyny that permeates lore olympus. persephone's "purity", naivete, and inexperience are still romanticized to some extent. she's supposedly the most attractive goddess around, moreso than aphrodite, having been blessed with beauty twice et cetera... and also her body is eternally 19, sending the message that the height of beauty is a body that is just-barely-legal. minthe's "redemption arc", if one could call it that, is somewhat linked to her engaging in more "acceptable" feminine tasks, such as teaching (and, potentially, if it goes this way, becoming a mother). leuce was written after daphne, and while she's not expressly demonized as other characters, she is written as being stupid, delusional, et cetera.

[sunny-reis]

Can I request headcannons with poly vbs reader who's like wonyoung from ive?

(Job and appearance wise)

hcs - vvbs w/a wonyoung-like reader

an: you bet your ass you can !! i saw wonyoung and did a little jump for joy (mentally)

tags: somewhat-feminine!reader, idol!reader, reader's a member of more more jump! or some adjacent j-pop group, ppl give idol!reader shit (much like wonyoung) but they handle it like the slayboss they are

🎀 okay first of all

🎧 bc you're wonyoung-like i have to clarify that yes, ppl on the internet criticize you for no fucking reason ! not cool but it izz what it izz

🍓 you don't let it bother you because you're just Better Than That (plus you're rich, loved, and confident, why should you?)

🎀 assume you're a very popular, well-liked member of mmj! and you've had a pretty large following from a past career as a soloist

🎧 i hc an and akito as big idol fans (akito would rather die than have you find out he used to be a die-hard fan of yours, posters and merch and all stashed in his closet), so they'd definitely support you at gigs and performances!! front row seats and banners babeyyyy

🍓 kohane doesn't really listen to idol music and toya... is toya. but they'd prefer to watch you dance/dance with you!! especially during the rare moments when your normally-PACKED schedule is empty for once !!

🎀 watch you three be stuck in the company practice rooms for hours on end (assuming akito and an join later/for less time since they're Busy doing Stuff . yeah)

🎧 now for specifics !!

🍓 akito defends you from antis online . user ynlover123? that's him [he has multiple side accounts on every social media you can think of]

🎀 every time a clip of you doing something random but Cutely (like wony's little happy dance and the video of her eating a strawberry) you get So Much shit for it. god forbid a girl (g/n) do anything

🎧 Haters be hating 😂

🍓 an is a full on fansite dude (idk why but she seems like a photographer to me. i haven't played through the vvbs story don't @ me)

🎀 fansign? concert in tokyo? popup event? coffee shop event? private performance? she's there with her big ahh camera and filters and light boxes

🎧 you think you look ridiculous in the pictures she takes but to Literally Everyone Else you look ethereal !! like that one relatively recent pic of wony at the airport - everyone (but you) goes wild bc. yeah

🍓 kohane and toya are there to comfort you and make sure you take care of yourself when things get rough

🎀 ik that sounds generic and bland as hell but HEAR ME OUT !!!

🎧 i hc kohane is like a walking heater!! she gives the best hugs that make you never wanna get up from bed (best lazy day partner fr)

🍓 toya isn't a good cook but he'd try to make snacks and your favorite food for you !! good thing you had to take acting classes bc ... he could've tried harder 🗿

🎀 thankfully he can at least cut fruit without losing a limb, so in classic asian mom fashion, he brings you plates of fruit when you're feeling down - he and kohane make sure you finish it all (and kohane sneaks some pieces while toya's not looking 😁)

🎧 (tbf she looks like a squirrel bc of how chubby her cheeks are - im not immune to the kohane rodent agenda)

🍓 all in all i feel like it'd be a really understanding relationship with poly!vvbs - they're dancers so they get how tiring it is, and especially with industry-induced worries, they'd be there to support you and make you feel loved no matter what!

[apricotbuncakes]

Ranma 1/2 is an interesting show.

Clearly a product of it's time through very obvious homophobia and transphobia, but again is an interesting watch nonetheless. I need to make it known now though that I DO in fact love this show very much. Loving a show and being critical of it are not mutually exclusive. Some of y'all have piss poor reading comprehension so I'm stating it now. I LOVE Ranma 1/2, and I have criticisms of it.

The premise of Ranma 1/2 is that Ranma, his dad, and a handful of other people fell into cursed spring water in China where one is cursed to inhabit a body correlated with who or what died in the water previously. Ranma gets one of a young girl so whenever he is doused in cold water, his body transforms into that of the female sex, and only reverts back to its original male sex when he is doused in cold water.

(I'm going to note now that I'm using he/she/they pronouns for Ranma, based on how he identifies in a given moment, not necessarily what sex he has, as gender and sex are not the same, yada yada yada, you get the drill).

One episode is about Akane accidentally eating testosterone infused noodles and beating a girl named Shampoo who is out for (boy) Ranma's affection. Akane is now super strong because the noodles increased Akane's testosterone levels. And then as Akane is challenging (girl) Ranma in the same challenge to prove she is truly stronger than Ranma, she runs off because she's spontaneously grown small bits of facial hair and is embarrassed by it.

Like holy shit?? I WISH testosterone worked that fast!!! This is what you-know-whos think happens when trans people are in sports, which is so funny because this is a fantasy martial arts anime. So this is the mind of material we're working with here. ANYWAY!

A few episodes later Ranma hits his head and then wakes up truly feeling like a woman, and describes the VERY FEELINGS I FEEL ABOUT MY PAST SELF, how she feels that memories of her past self are someone else's memories and don't truly belong to her (she's just like me for real). There's a point in the episode where Ranma's father dumps water on her head to turn her body back to male, and the scene ends with her distraught and sliding down a door after hiding herself away, very clearly going through intense dysphoria and distress.

Akane later offers to take her shopping and Ranma goes to get changed into cute clothes only to realize that she still has dysphoria over her body, how she doesn't feel pretty wearing the cute clothes in her male body because she thinks they don't fit her right. I really hate how the music they played in the background is the same when a character is upset but the audience isn't supposed to take it seriously, the music played when a characters' emotions are meant for laughs, because Ranma is so clearly in distress and almost no one else is taking it seriously (except for Akane's older sister). And despite the small tidbits of encouragement and affirmation Akane gives Ranma, Akane still is at least a bit annoyed at how it's all playing out.

During the shopping trip, Akane even admits to being embarrassed by Ranma being excited about girls clothes because other people thought Ranma was being perverted (God forbid someone think a bra is pretty, and again I know it's a product of it's time but I'm still allowed to be annoyed by it). Instead of standing up for Ranma, Akane drags her away for them both to hide.

Ranma even struggles to use the men's restroom because she's uncomfortable with having to use a urinal, and Akane ends up dumping Ranma with cold water so she can use the women's. Then Akane buys Ranma a dress so she isn't in wet clothes. A rather expensive dress too. (Apparently it's okay for Ranma to like feminine things as long as she looks like a girl to everyone else...). Ranma loves it and wears it the rest of the outing.

The entire episode portrays Ranma in a very stereotypical "women do as men say, only like feminine things, doesn't like violence, cliché" sort of way, but that isn't inherently bad. Ranma even says that she wants to do a lot of these things because she genuinely enjoys them, and not just for bridal training. (Except in one scene where one of the side characters who is a perverted freak is trying to see Ranma in a bra and Ranma almost lets him because she doesn't want fighting, which is a weird thing even for Ranma to almost allow, but I digress). It is odd because Ranma is being portrayed during this time with different standards than Akane, the other main lead. Akane is frequently bullied by Ranma for being 'tomboyish' while the rest of the characters don't seem to have a problem with it. Even Ranma is presumably only picking on Akane in an effort to hide his romantic attraction to Akane, determined to not fall in love because their marriage was arranged.

By the end of the episode, Ranma has hit their head again and is again very firm in his identity as a guy (which is standard for the majority of the show).

Honestly, not on par with more modern representation, but it's still a fun watch and I'm slowly going to drag my friends into binging it with me. I started crying after seeing that episode because jesus fucking christ they hit the nail on the head and still seemed to miss the point.

Like, I'm not sure if the original author of Ranma 1/2 intended for this episode to be portrayed this way, if it was an effort to comply with social expectations at the time, or if they genuinely thought it was funny for Ranma to identify as a girl despite everyone 'knowing' she's 'really a boy' but it kinda hurt. This show is a really nice exploration of gender and sexuality, but it still feels restricted, playing a trans coded character for laughs or for being seen as annoying and perverted because the character is acting different than they did before. I love this show so much, and damn it I'm going to write so much fanfiction about this episode but gaaaaahhhh. I think I'm frustrated at what this episode could have been.

This isn't the only episode that irks me like this, but it is the biggest one so far. I wish we could have a more modern adaptation of this anime. I'm not sure every Ranma 1/2 fan would enjoy it, but I would love to see this anime portrayed with a more modern lense, where Ranma isn't made fun of by Akane and others for expressing part of their identity, something that affects his everyday. Where a lesbian isn't attempted to be pulled back to the 'straight and narrow', or said lesbian who is actually a cis straight man crossdressing isn't seen as perverted for enjoying different clothing (yes that is an episode).

Again, I love this show and greatly appreciated how many eggs have cracked thanks to it. Watching it with a modern lens makes it questionable and I really wish people in the past had been better in general about these things, but I love it for what it is.

[polutrope]

genderswapped daeron au

Daeron in a Genderswap AU

Actually, @meadowlarkx already wrote an ideal f!Daeron fic, wild-wandering by wood and glen and there's not much I can say that she didn't say there!

But let us pretend everyone is genderswapped. Luthien is a man, Thingol is a woman, Melian is man, Beren is a woman. Luthien, in this verse, is indisputably heir to the Kingdom of Doriath. Daeron, though a brilliant bard and inventor, does not receive the appointment of chief loremaster because this is not a role for a woman. But she is close with the Prince and creates music with him. Only, it is Daeron who accompanies Luthien's music with song and dance, while Luthien watches and Daeron burns under his gaze... but never dares to make her love known to him.

Then Beren -- not a woman of foolish heroics, but one who escaped Dorthonion with her wits -- stumbles into Doriath. She hears Luthien's music and sees Daeron's dance and she wishes she were in Daeron's place: beautiful and carefree. Luthien catches her gaze through the trees and they are entranced, even as Melian her father was once entranced by her mother Thingol.

Daeron grows jealous. She curses her softness and her meekness and her feminine grace. If only she could have been the bold, outspoken woman Luthien has fallen for in Beren! A woman wholly unlike her mother Thingol, who defers ever to her powerful Ainu husband.

Nonetheless Daeron goes to the Queen, hoping Thingol will take pity on her, will do something. But Thingol goes straight to her lord (and god) and tells Melian of the unworthy recipient of their son's affection. Melian is outraged. How could this have happened right under his watch! He knows all that passes in his Kingdom!

Melian sends Beren on an impossible quest to claim a Silmaril to prove herself worthy of his son. (Melian, foresighted, knows in the moment he requests it that Beren will succeed -- and he is glad, for with a Silmaril he will at last stand a chance of defeating Melkor.)

Then Melian forbids her son from leaving. He closes the Girdle against Luthien. Luthien is distraught for Beren, and Daeron, who loves him yet, is grieved seeing Luthien's pain. She offers to help him escape.

Melian has underestimated both Luthien and Daeron, and with their combined power of Song they are able to break through the Girdle. But when Luthien bursts through into the open air, he turns around to find Daeron is not with him. The effort has defeated her, and she has put forth everything to make sure Luthien escapes, thus trapping herself in the mazes of Doriath. wandering aimlessly, half-mad, for many years.

It is only when the Girdle falls and Melian departs Middle-earth that Daeron is free. But she is not herself. She does not know what has passed since she has been gone. Far too late, she goes looking for Luthien...

Here she is:

Picrew

[pumpumdemsugah]

That post that goes around now again where someone complains that they wish there was more shonen anime but with women and then someone recommends magical girls anime...everyone that consigns that deserves to be pushed in a locker like a nerd being bullied by an American highschool bully because that's not the same and you know it. The level of sensitivity online women have when other women express disinterest in overly feminine shit as if that woman is now interchangeable with a sexist man is funny because that's bioessentialism and sexist

God forbid you express longing for seeing women in roles where she's strong, powerful and violent. Which is why I love Mizu ❤️ Even those female rage TM edits are just women crying and being mad. Booo!!! Let her stab somebody to death.

In conclusion: let fictional women miam and kill without needing to make sure she meets an " acceptable" level of Femininity because someone of you act like you're a religious fundamentalist that thinks women should only wear long skirts otherwise she's going against god

[archetypesanalysis]

The 3 Seasons: The Myth of Persephone

For the overall series analysis, I will be referring to “Goddesses in Everywoman” and “Gods in Everyman” by Jean Shinoda Bolen. I will be talking about the Bad Batch Season 3 Celebration Europe trailer and the official Season 3 trailer. I will also refer to the titles of Season 3 episodes for this analysis. I will make some predictions for Season 3, so if you do not want to read into it, you can just scroll away.

I view the overall theme of the series from the Persephone archetype. Persephone is the innate archetype of Omega, and we mostly view this series from her perceptive. In my character analysis of Omega, I have stated that the Persephone archetype is an “anima woman”. The anima is described by Carl Jung as “the unconscious feminine side of a man”. With that, I interpret that Omega is the “anima” to all clones. Since all clones (except the unaltered clones Boba Fett and Omega) are genetically modified to be more docile and compliant to ensure that they follow orders without questioning, this means that their Persephone archetype resembles the Kore (“nameless maiden”). Though, after going through traumatic experiences, their Persephone can transition to Queen of the Underworld, becoming more mature and assertive. This is what happens to Echo as stated in my character analysis of him. What Omega goes through can be a shared experience for the clones.

After looking from a wider perspective, I interpret each season as a transition period taken by the Persephone archetype. Season 1 is about life-changing choices. According to Jean Shinoda Bolen, the Persephone woman is “a good girl” that wants to please her Demeter mother. She is obedient, compliant, cautious and often sheltered. She is too attached to her mother that she lacks assertiveness and independence. She often waits for someone or something to transform her life. When the Persephone woman falls in love with a man, she may go through the stage of being Persephone “the pawn”, in which she becomes the object to be possessed in a power struggle between a man and her mother. This man usually has a typical “bad boy” personality, or he may come from a different social class or culture. He may be the first person who has not treated the Persephone woman as a pampered princess, and will not put up with her “princess” act.

The Demeter mother will view this man as Hades, the god of the Underworld that kidnaps Persephone in the Greek myth. He is different from “the nice young man” she has envisioned. Since the Persephone woman is a usually compliant daughter, her mother may feel confident of attacking her choice of men. Her mother may strongly disapprove the man’s personality, character or background. She may occasionally question her daughter’s judgment, competence and morals. However, the man’s ability to resist her mother is one reason why the Persephone daughter is attracted to him.

The Persephone woman may be, for the first time, at odds with her mother and her standards of good girl behaviour. Her mother or family may forbid her to see the man she loves. She may agree to their decision, but later sneaks off to meet him. Alternatively, she may try to convince her mother of his good qualities. Soon, the man usually demands that she confronts her mother or give up trying to get her mother’s approval. He may propose her to live with him, marry him, leave the area with him, or cut off contact with her mother. In this struggle, the Persephone woman has two choices: she goes back to her mother and becomes the restored compliant daughter, or she takes her chance and runs away with him.

If the Persephone woman chooses to rebel and run away, she may begin her journey towards becoming a separate, self-determining human being. She may be exposed to new experiences that shapes her identity. However, she does so at the risk of trading a dominating mother for a dominating man. If she chooses to return to her mother, she will continue to be “the good girl” but she risks losing her sense of identity. Regardless of her choices, there are no easy outcomes, and her decision will lead to life-changing consequences. By defying her mother, the Persephone woman has changed and is no longer the compliant person she once was. She cannot ever go back to the old ways. Fortunately, reconciliation with her mother can come later, after she has gained emotional independence.

Order 66 and the rise of the Empire put the clones in this struggle faced by the Persephone archetype. They can choose to be loyal to the Empire, or run away from the Empire. Omega chooses to leave Nala Se and run away with the Bad Batch. Hunter, Tech, Wrecker and Echo choose to run away from the Empire. Rex, Gregor, Howzer and some of his men also choose to rebel. However, their rebellion comes with a downside: they are branded as traitors to the Empire. Rex has to be careful in building up his resistance network. Gregor tries to escape but he gets recaptured, and the Bad Batch has to come to save him. Howzer and some of his men are thrown into prison. The Bad Batch becomes mercenaries that work for Cid, who is unreliable and has questionable morals. On the other hand, Crosshair and the majority of the clones choose to stay with the Empire and be “good soldiers”. Though, Crosshair is secretly rebelling the Empire as he never plans to kill the Bad Batch. Instead, he tries to convince the Bad Batch to join the Empire so they can have a purpose. When the Bad Batch still refuses to join the Empire, Crosshair lies to the Empire that they have perished during the bombardment of Tipoca City as he tries to protect them.

Regardless of their decisions, there are life-changing consequences with no good outcomes. Project War-Mantle is actively carried out to replace the Clone Troopers with Stormtroopers. Nala Se is taken to Mount Tantiss as the Empire needs her skills and expertise for nefarious purposes. Tipoca City, which serves as the home for the clones, is destroyed by the Empire. The Clone Wars have truly ended. The clones cannot go back to their old ways. Moreover, the Bad Batch is not the same anymore as Crosshair refuses to rejoin the squad. Although they cannot go back to what they were once before, reconciliation is possible in the future, just like Omega believing that Crosshair will return because he is still their brother and her brother.

Season 2 is about the slow descent to the Underworld. Throughout Season 2, the Kiners have made cryptic tweets by inserting tiny texts underneath the sentence “made by mematic”. These texts form this poem:

“Can you hear me?

I’m down here at the bottom.

My words cannot reach you.

And you can’t reach me.

But you are with me.

Here at the bottom.

At the end.”

I interpret this poem as “the descent to the Underworld”. In Greek mythology, Persephone is gathering flowers in a meadow with her companions. She leaves them as she is drawn to a beautiful narcissus. When she picks the flower, the ground splits open before her, and Hades comes in with his gold chariot pulled by black horses. He seizes the terrified maiden, who screams for her father Zeus. However, Zeus ignores her cries because he has given Hades the approval to abduct her and make her his unwilling bride. Hades plunges down to the abyss, carrying Persephone deep into the Underworld. Then the earth closes over, as if nothing has happened.

The Underworld is separated from all the realms. Hence, nobody can hear Persephone crying for help. She is “down here at the bottom” – in the Underworld. Her words cannot reach anyone above the Underworld, and nobody from other realms can reach her. I interpret the words “But you are with me. Here at the bottom” as Hades telling Persephone that he is with her in the Underworld – he is telling her to accept her fate of becoming his wife, and that she would never see her mother Demeter and the sunlight again. The words “At the end” may be a depiction of the Underworld as the realm of the dead and as the archetypal image of depression.

In the myths, most enter the Underworld or meet Hades involuntarily. The most common method is through death, or more specifically physical death. Facing probable or certain death can lead a person to experience the descent to the Underworld. In “Ruins of War”, Rampart shoots Captain Wilco, causing him to fall off a cliff as if he has descended to the Underworld. We have also seen the clones being sent to die in heroic deaths or unnecessary deaths. In “The Outpost”, Mayday breathes his last when he gives up living due to the realization that the clones are nothing more than expendables to the Empire despite their loyalty and sacrifice, and that Lieutenant Nolan refuses to give him medical treatment.

The other involuntarily descent is caused by victimization – being abused, feeling helpless or experiencing terror. This causes the person to be “abducted” to the Underworld, just like Persephone’s fate. In “Tipping Point”, Howzer and two of his men are being shuttled off-world by the Imperials. Thankfully, Echo, Gregor, Nemec and Fireball manage to intercept the shuttle and rescue them. Howzer does not know where they are being sent to, but he does recall that several clone troopers were transferred off-world in rotations, and they never came back. It is later revealed that these clones are sent to Mount Tantiss for Dr. Hemlock.

Mount Tantiss is created by Timothy Zahn for the novel “Heir to the Empire”. The name “Tantiss” is intended by Zahn as a reference to Tantalus, a figure in Greek mythology who cooks up his son Pelops in a stew and serves it to the gods to test their omniscience. The gods immediately know something is amiss, but Demeter, who is grief-stricken by the loss of her daughter Persephone, absentmindedly eats part of the boy’s shoulder. The gods then put Pelops back together and resurrect him. He gets an ivory prosthetic shoulder made by Hephaestus to replace the missing part of his shoulder. As for Tantalus, he is thrown into Tartarus, and made to stand in a pool of water beneath a fruit tree with low branches. Whenever he reaches for the fruit, the branches raise from his grasp. Whenever he bends down to drink, the water recedes below his level.

Tartarus is the darkest, deepest part of the Underworld where the Titans are imprisoned after the Olympians successfully overthrow them. In the later myths, mortals who go against the gods are sent to Tartarus for punishment. Using this analogy, the clones who disobey and question Imperial orders are sent to Mount Tantiss (their version of Tartarus) for Dr. Hemlock to carry out inhumane experiments on them. Furthermore, Crosshair also ends up on Mount Tantiss for killing Lieutenant Nolan. On the other hand, Omega is kidnapped by Dr. Hemlock and is trapped on Mount Tantiss, mirroring the abduction of Persephone. Emerie Karr, who is Hemlock’s medical assistant, believes that it is futile to escape from Mount Tantiss.

Hades and Dionysus, the God of Wine and Ecstasy, are connected to the Underworld. The Underworld is “the Shadow world” where anything that is unacceptable or too painful are dismembered and thrown here. Dionysus, being the dismembered archetype, knows this feeling of descending into the Underworld all too well. In “The Clone Conspiracy”, Rex manages to save Senator Riyo Chuchi from an assassin, who is revealed to be a clone trooper. The identity of Clone X is unknown as his identifying markings have been removed. It is widely believed that Dr. Hemlock has been brainwashing clone prisoners and turning them into Clone X. It is as if these clones have their identities “dismembered” and “thrown into the Underworld” – they have become mere shadows of their true identities. This is similar to the dead inhabitants of the Underworld that exist as ghostly shades forever. They are required to drink from the river of forgetfulness (Lethe) to forget their earthly life. Once they forget their earthly life, they may be reincarnated with no memory of their previous existence.

In psychological terms, the descent to the Underworld is a sign of depression. Incidents such as losing a loved one, being abused, losing the way of being, surviving a traumatic accident, losing a job, or going through a breakup or divorce can cause a person to lose meaning, purpose or hope in life. They feel cut off from everything that used to give them meaning and joy. They become Hades the recluse as they shut themselves off and may withdraw from reality. After losing Tech, Hunter, Echo and Wrecker involuntarily descend into the Underworld. Wrecker loses his joyful personality and weeps. Hunter gives up the possibility that Tech may be alive. He gives up continuing the mission to find Crosshair and decides to settle down on Pabu with Omega. Echo grieves by himself on the Marauder. Coincidentally, if you take the first letter of the last four tracks of Season 2, which are “Plan 99”, “The Sacrifice”, “Standoff” and “Don’t Stop Searching”, you get “PTSD”, which is the short form for post-traumatic stress disorder. The Bad Batch (and the audience) suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder after losing Tech – an involuntary descent into the Underworld.

Hunter, who has the Demeter anima, is taking on the negative aspect of this archetype after losing Crosshair to the Empire. He is determined to keep his remaining teammates together. He wants all of them to keep a low profile and find a place far away from the Empire. He refuses to get involved with Rex’s resistance network because he feels that it is futile to fight back the Empire. From his perspective, the Empire is a powerful monster who has snatched Crosshair away from him, and he blames himself for the loss. After they lose Tech in a failed mission to locate Crosshair, Hunter becomes more depressed and he blames himself for the loss. He gives up the mission to find Crosshair and decides that they should settle down on Pabu since he believes that Tech has made the sacrifice so they can live. I believe that Hunter would become overprotective and overcontrolling if they managed to settle down on Pabu. He probably would not let Omega out of his sight, and he probably would not allow Wrecker to try anything new. He would probably try to convince Echo to abandon his fight against the Empire. Of course, his plan is ruined when Omega is kidnapped by Hemlock.

In various myths, some people enter the Underworld or meet Hades voluntarily. Examples of notable figures like Orpheus, Psyche, Odysseus, Aeneas, Heracles and Dionysus descend into the Underworld as their heroic tasks. However, voluntary descents are done at great risks as there is no guarantee of a safe return. By enacting Plan 99, Tech is the only one who descends into the Underworld voluntarily, and his fate is uncertain for now.

People have complained about the pacing and shifting tone of Season 2. One side we are in a colourful world of Riot Racing or going on a treasure hunt, while on the other side we are looking into the evils of the Empire and their cruelty towards the clones. I think the drastically opposing tones have something to do with fantasy and nightmares. The Underworld is the realm of the unconscious, in which we enter through imagination, dreams and nightmares.

When Persephone becomes depressed (possibly being dominated and limited by people who keep her bound to them), she bottles up her negative feelings and withdraws into the shadowy world of an imagined life. She may spend too much time by herself or retreat to her imaginary world to get away from people who are abusive or intrusive towards her.  She cuts herself off from people with her imaginary world, turning it into a safe haven when the real world seems too difficult or too demanding. However, this sanctuary may become a prison. By constantly withdrawing from reality, Persephone people may slip into psychosis. Some choose to avoid the harsh reality by staying psychotic. Some may use their mental illness as a metamorphosis, as they become more aware of themselves and break free from constrictions.

Many clones are confining themselves with their fantasies. After spending 6 months of laying low since “Kamino Lost”, Hunter thinks he and the rest of the Bad Batch are free. Cid warns him that the Empire is expanding their control and they will soon turn their attention to her operations on Ord Mantell and the Bad Batch will be in trouble. Cid sends them on a mission to retrieve one of Dooku's war chest so they can pay off their debt and be truly free. Hunter wants to give Omega a safe place to live, so he agrees to the mission, with the intention of using the fortune to buy their freedom and move somewhere far from the Empire. However, Echo wants to use the fortune to help Rex's resistance network because the Empire is growing in power, and they should be doing more. Hunter keeps trying to run away from reality and holds onto the belief that they all can be safe from the Empire. He does not want to get involved with the clone rebellion because he does not want that kind of life for Omega. His fantasy almost comes true when Phee introduces him to Pabu, and he wants to settle down there with Omega. However, his fantasy turns into a nightmare when Omega gets kidnapped, and he now faces the harsh reality.

The clones who are loyal to the Empire keep holding onto their purpose as soldiers. They are willing to follow orders and make sacrifices for the Empire. However, their fantasy is shattered when the Empire passes the Bill to force the clones into retirement and replace them with Stormtroopers. Crosshair keeps trying to ignore all the warning signs, believing that his loyalty and superiority will keep him around for the Empire. His mindset is completely shattered in “The Outpost”. On the other hand, Riyo Chuchi thinks that she can prevent the Bill from being passed, and actively does everything to expose Rampart's involvement in the bombardment of Tipoca City. She is successful with the help of Rex and the Bad Batch, but Palpatine manages to twist their efforts for his benefit, and the Bill is passed, which shatters her fantasy.

The events of “Plan 99” have sent the Bad Batch into the Underworld. I believe that season 3 would show the Bad Batch in the Underworld and how they would get out of there. This would mirror the myth of Demeter and Persephone, which is used to describe seasonal changes, specifically from winter to spring. Coincidentally, the Bad Batch Season 3 will start at February 21 (winter) and will end at May 1 (spring), and this was once a possibility that I have thought about after the announcement of Season 3 last year (and it came true!). I have only seen the low-quality Bad Batch Season 3 Celebration Europe trailer, but based on the scenes, I can see that the Bad Batch is suffering in their own versions of the Underworld. Even their clothing only consists of black, white, grey or fading colours. The official Season 3 trailer seems to confirm my findings further.

Omega now wears the uniform of the medical assistant, like her sister Emerie Karr. She is shown in two hairstyles: one is her Season 2 hairstyle, and the other is a longer hair that resembles Emerie’s hairstyle. The change in hairstyle indicates the passing of time. Initially, she has a hopeful and innocent glint in her eyes. However, as time passes, Omega becomes tired and depressed – she is losing hope. She is also shown to be experimented on. Hemlock has warned Nala Se that her failure and defiance will lead Omega to be tortured since Nala Se cares about her. Moreover, troopers are seen to escort her wherever she goes and she is locked in a tight cell – she is bound and limited by Hemlock’s orders. Omega’s Underworld resembles what Persephone has experienced when she is abducted by Hades – she does nothing but sit, and thinks that she will never see the light of day, pick a flower, or see her mother Demeter again. She does not eat, drink or smile at all.

Crosshair looks absolutely defeated. He knows Omega is with him now, and he probably has heard about what happened to Tech. In “Tipping Point”, Crosshair sends Plan 88 to warn the Bad Batch to hide because the Empire is after Omega. He expects them to do what he says. Instead, they try to find him, which leads to them losing Tech and Omega being kidnapped by Hemlock. Crosshair is devastated and disappointed at his brothers. He becomes hopeless that they would come to rescue him and Omega. After all, they have disappointed him for disobeying his orders, and he can no longer see what is ahead of him accurately. After his prediction has been proven wrong, Crosshair probably starts questioning whether he knows himself and his brothers well enough. His identity and ego have been damaged by the harsh realization of the Empire’s cruelty towards the clones in “The Outpost”, and now, his identity and ego are further damaged by this incident. It is worth noting that the Underworld being the realm of the unconscious is where the ego dissolves and a person may be overcome by irrational fears. With his ego damaged, Crosshair may be overwhelmed by anxiety and depression. This would explain why Crosshair angrily yells “I am not them!” to Omega when she tells him that she is not giving up on him because he is her brother. Crosshair no longer identifies himself as part of the Bad Batch. He is no longer confident with his abilities and his teammates’ abilities. He is also consumed by rage and grief, and he lashes out at Omega. His Underworld resembles a broken Apollo and Artemis, an enraged Poseidon, and a depressed Hera.

Hunter and Echo are seen on a snowy planet. The wintery environment represents Hunter’s grief and rage at his loss. He is determined to find Omega and he is not going to let her wait for another day. His Underworld resembles a grieving Demeter, who sits in her temple and refuses to function as the Goddess of Grain. The earth is plunged into an eternal winter, and famine threatens to wipe out the human race. No gifts and honours can appease her as she refuses to allow anything to grow until her daughter Persephone is returned to her. In the official Season 3 trailer, Hunter’s bandana no longer has the skull symbol that represents Clone Force 99. He probably covers up the symbol because the family is fractured, and he feels that he has failed as their leader. Right now, he resembles a broken Zeus. Moreover, Hunter’s pessimism has consumed him and has affected others. Although they do not go back to find Tech, Hunter just assumes that Tech did not make it, and weeps for him. Echo and Wrecker are convinced by Hunter that Tech is gone, though Omega takes a while to be convinced. His pessimism gets stronger when Hemlock throws Tech’s broken goggles at him, and psychologically attacks him about the crushing weight of the leader upon losing a teammate. He now resembles Dionysus being trapped in the Underworld, consumed by grief and rage, and he does not know a way out. The Season 3 poster shows Hunter’s battle-worn helmet in a position that resembles the helmet-marked graves of clone troopers from “Victory and Death”. I interpret it as Hunter has been “buried in his grave” and he is currently in the Underworld, which matches his Dionysus archetype because Dionysus has a grave in Apollo’s sanctuary at Delphi.

Echo is barely present in both trailers. I interpret it as Echo withdrawing from his teammates and investing all his energy into his work for the rebellion. In “Truth and Consequences”, Echo does not like the loneliness due to his traumatic experiences back on Skako Minor. However, we see him grieving by himself on the Marauder, looking sadly at the empty seat where Tech once sat on. Losing Tech has caused Echo to experience loneliness once more, which is his Underworld. Echo is like a depressed Persephone, who fades away and withdraws from everyone because she feels (often inappropriately) guilty, blameworthy and powerless. This makes sense because Echo is the one who introduces the Bad Batch to Cid, who ends up betraying them to the Empire and causing Omega to be kidnapped by Hemlock. Moreover, Echo is also the one who gives Tech the data to be decrypted, leading them to discover that Crosshair has turned on the Empire and is now being held captive by Dr. Hemlock. He proposes the team to travel to Eriadu so they can plant a homing beacon on Hemlock’s ship, which will help them to find Hemlock’s base and Crosshair’s location. However, their plan goes awry and they lose Tech. Echo probably feels guilty about everything that has happened. He probably blames himself for introducing Cid to the team and for proposing the plan to Eriadu despite none of these are his fault. He feels powerless to prevent these tragedies from happening. His loneliness, self-criticism and feelings of inadequacy cause him to withdraw from Hunter and Wrecker. Since Echo struggles to express his feelings with words, he ends up channelling his grief and rage through work, like what Hephaestus does. However, this will cause Echo to withdraw further and risk suffering from a burnout – like his inner “fire” may be put out as he becomes unbalanced and risks losing connection with his Hestia anima.

As for Wrecker, without Crosshair, Tech and Omega as his Apollo, Hermes and Athena (“the voices of reason”), he may become more reckless and impulsive. This may explain why he complains about encountering and taking down monsters repeatedly in the Celebration Europe trailer – perhaps he accidentally wakes them up. It is possible that his recklessness and his tendency to act before he thinks have gotten him into many troubles that almost cost his life. His Underworld resembles a disgraced and broken Ares, like a hero, whose ego and worth are identified with success, experiences death through a major defeat on a competitive battlefield. Wrecker is once a hero who always has everyone’s backs, but after losing Tech, he probably blames himself for failing to hold onto the falling cart long enough for Tech to get back up (even though he is not his fault at all). This major loss probably damages Wrecker’s heroic attitude and sense of immortality, dragging him to the Underworld. Monsters are usually the manifestations of our fears in our unconscious, and using this analogy, Wrecker is facing his fears as he fights the monsters.

What about Tech? Tech is currently in the Underworld with an uncertain fate. According to Hemlock, his broken goggles are the only thing he manages to salvage from the wreckage. The goggles (and his eyes) are part of Tech’s identity, which is evident with Cid calling him “Goggles” and Phee calling him “Brown Eyes”. Now that Tech has lost his goggles, he has lost part of his identity. He is also now all alone, separated from his squad. This is called psychological dismemberment, where anything being “cut off” is thrown deep into the unconscious (or the Underworld).

Each member of the Bad Batch is in their Underworlds. I view the Bad Batch as the complete psyche (or mind) as they complement each other perfectly. The loss of a member means they lose something important – as if the mind is going through a breakdown. Losing Crosshair means they lose the ability to see the bigger picture that the Empire is going to expand their control to the point that they have nowhere to run (Apollo), the willingness to fight for what is right (Artemis), and the importance of loyalty and brotherhood (Hera and Poseidon). Losing Echo means they lose their sense of Self (Hestia), the ability to channel their emotions through creative means (Hephaestus), and the ability to make sense of their loss and guide others through difficult times (Persephone Queen of the Underworld). Losing Tech means they lose hope (Hermes) and wisdom (Athena), and they end up in the Underworld without the ability to make sense of their suffering (Hades). Losing Omega means they lose compassion, optimism and receptiveness (Persephone). If they lose Wrecker, they would lose the ability to express their emotions (Ares), and the fun and vitality (Aphrodite). If they lose Hunter, they would lose valuable leadership (Zeus), unconditional love (Demeter), and the ability to embrace their uniqueness (Dionysus).

Based on the scenes shown in the Celebration Europe trailer, I believe that they are from episodes 1 to 4 because their productions were done or almost done before April 2023, where the Star Wars Celebration Europe took place. I believe episode 5 did not make it to the trailer due to incomplete production before April 2023 (and possibly being a spoiler-filled episode) or they only included very few scenes of episode 5 for the trailer. Joel Aaron (or joelaron on twitter), who is the Director of Cinematography Lighting & FX for Star Wars animation, including the Bad Batch, made a tweet on April 2023 saying that he is “sitting here after reviewing dailies just now, for a mid-season 3 episode”. Dailies are the prints of film scenes before editing. It is now confirmed that episodes 6 and 7 are the mid-season 3 episodes. He also said that the fans “will be very, very fulfilled” and “if you only knew who is on my screen as I type this”. This made me believe that mid-season 3 is when Crosshair and Omega get rescued because this would be very fulfilling for the fans. Since the official Season 3 trailer shows scenes of Omega riding a ship to escape with Crosshair, and scenes of Crosshair wearing his old armour (the Clone Wars era), this means that their return to the Bad Batch is not considered a spoiler. Many fans, including me, suspected that Joel Aaron was referring to Tech being on his screen because the Bad Batch reuniting as six members would indeed be very fulfilling for the fans.

Three episodes will be released for the Season 3 premiere, and their titles are “Confined”, “Paths Unknown” and “Shadows of Tantiss”. I believe these episodes would show the Bad Batch in the Underworld, so they will be depressing. Their decision to release these episodes in one day is a good idea because it will spare us from three weeks of depressive episodes. I think “Confined” would take place shortly after Season 2 finale, and this would be when Nala Se begins working on the project Emperor Palpatine has given to her, while Omega becomes a medical assistant. “Paths Unknown” would likely have a time jump, and it would show Hunter and Wrecker have been spending a long time trying to find any information about Omega’s whereabouts. Echo may or may not be with them. Hunter and Wrecker may seek out Fennec and Cad Bane since they used to hunt down Omega in Season 1. However, their search would come out empty-handed and they would feel lost. “Shadows of Tantiss” would show Omega’s hair has grown long, and she is now tired and depressed. She is also being experimented on. She is unwilling to give up on Crosshair but he lashes out at her.

Episode 4 is “A Different Approach”, and I believe this is when Rex tells Hunter “That kid (Omega) may be the key to whatever is happening on Mount Tantiss” (as revealed in the Celebration Europe trailer). It seems that they have gotten information about Mount Tantiss, which is supposed to be confidential. The clones may set off to gather more information, or to sought out the person who has provided the information. Episode 5 is “The Return”, and I believe this is when Tech reveals to the Bad Batch that he is alive, and he has figured out the precise location of Crosshair and Omega. Tech would lead the Bad Batch on a rescue mission in episodes 6 and 7, which are “Infiltration” and “Extraction”. In Greek mythology, Hermes is the one who brings Persephone out of the Underworld to be reunited with her mother Demeter. In my character analysis of Tech, I find Tech to have a strong Hermes archetype, which means he is crucial to the rescue mission.

In episodes 6 and 7, I believe that Hunter, Tech, Wrecker and Echo would infiltrate Mount Tantiss, and then extract Crosshair and Omega. Based on the official Season 3 trailer, there is a scene of a shuttle leaving Mount Tantiss at night and it is being chased by TIE fighters. The atmosphere seems rather peaceful and lacks commotion. This makes me believe that the rescue mission is a covert mission, and not an all-out war as we have hoped for. The Bad Batch only goes to rescue Crosshair and Omega, but they leave the other clones behind. Since the trailer only shows one shuttle leaving Mount Tantiss and it seems to be flown by Omega with Crosshair (and a hound?) in the ship, I believe that Tech, believing in all of their abilities, has proposed all of them to take different escape routes in order to increase their chances of a successful escape. As the Empire’s forces chase down the shuttle where Omega and Crosshair are on (because they are the most important), Hunter, Tech, Wrecker and Echo probably go around to distract and take down the Empire’s forces. This would help them to buy more time for Omega and Crosshair to leave the planet and enter hyperspace. Once they manage to enter hyperspace, Hunter, Tech, Wrecker and Echo would take alternative routes to escape. They would probably be reunited by the next episode.

With the Bad Batch whole again, Hunter is happy once more and vitality returns. This resembles the myth where Demeter finally reunites with her daughter Persephone, and she restores fertility and growth to the earth. I believe that Hunter only joins Rex’s resistance network to find Omega, and now that she has returned to him, he would probably decide to leave the resistance. He would want the Bad Batch to go back to a life they once had and could have – working as mercenaries, teaming up with Phee, and settling down on Pabu. He would want that kind of life to be completely restored to the Bad Batch. However, there is a saying that nobody comes out of the Underworld unscathed. In the myth of Demeter and Persephone, since Persephone has eaten the pomegranate seeds offered by Hades, she will spend half a year or two-thirds of the year with Demeter, and the remainder of the year in the Underworld with Hades. In the myth of Dionysus, he successfully goes into the Underworld and resurrects his dead mother Semele, turning him, as what Jean Shinoda Bolen describes, “from an eternal adolescent into a hero”. The journey to the Underworld is an important part of a hero’s or a heroine’s journey. When one comes out of the Underworld, they will undergo change and transformation.

I suspect that episode 10 titled “Identity Crisis” may focus on the Bad Batch struggling with this change after coming out of the Underworld, most evidently Crosshair and Omega. Crosshair may try to enjoy the comfortable life that he deserves to experience at least once in his life, but he may be tormented by Mayday’s death, which gives him the need to fight the Empire so Mayday would not die in vain. Omega, after experiencing the horrors during her captivity on Mount Tantiss, may want to fight the Empire as well. As the team struggles with conflicting interests, Hunter may try to convince them to settle down and enjoy a comfortable life.

With Omega escaping from Mount Tantiss and now safe with the Bad Batch, Nala Se would stop working on Emperor Palpatine’s project, and she would not be moved by any threats made by Hemlock. With the project being halted with failed results, Emperor Palpatine would be disappointed. Moreover, the fact that the Bad Batch is able to find out Mount Tantiss, infiltrate the base and successfully escape with Omega and Crosshair (who are prisoners there) is highly concerning. In “Tipping Point”, Tarkin is concerned that the loss of the ship that is supposed to transport Howzer and two of his men to Mount Tantiss will compromise the Weyland facility. He is also worried that the data inside the ship may be accessed by the rogue clone troopers who have hijacked the ship. Hemlock tries to reassure Tarkin that the facility will not be compromised because the clone prisoners do not know where they are taken to, and that the data is heavily encrypted. Yet, Tech is able to decrypt the confidential data. I believe that Hemlock’s overconfidence would be his downfall, and Tech would take full advantage of it. With the security and the secrecy of Mount Tantiss and the experiments being compromised, Hemlock would be in trouble. He would lose his job, high status, funding (and clones) for his experiments, respect and reputation. There may be a possibility that Hemlock would no longer be in charge of Mount Tantiss, and this position may be granted to Grand Admiral Thrawn (if they want to link it to the adaptation of “Heir to the Empire”). If Emerie is secretly going against Hemlock, and she has helped Omega and Crosshair to escape, it would add insult to injury for Hemlock. With his entire life and work being ruined, Hemlock may go insane and become determined to get revenge on the Bad Batch and all the clones. He may send all of his forces, including multiple Clone X to destroy them. This may explain why the Empire invades Pabu, and why CX-1 says (probably to the Bad Batch) that the Empire is coming for all of them.

I suspect that episode 11 titled “Point of No Return” may be the Empire invading Pabu as seen in the official Season 3 trailer. Pabu may or may not be destroyed. With their only safe haven being taken away, Hunter would come to realize that they cannot return to their supposed comfortable life. The Empire is expanding control to the point that nobody is safe from its oppressing rule and that nowhere is safe to hide. Hunter would finally lead the team back to Rex’s resistance network for their only choice is to fight the Empire. It is possible that the series finale would involve the Bad Batch and the clone rebellion attacking Mount Tantiss and taking down Hemlock once and for all. The series finale is titled “The Cavalry Has Arrived”, which is the first quote said by Wrecker when the Bad Batch is first introduced in the Clone Wars. This makes me believe that the Bad Batch would come to help Rex and his army of clones to face Hemlock and possibly to blow up Mount Tantiss, which mirrors the Clone Wars episodes where the Bad Batch helps Rex and the Republic forces to defeat Admiral Trench and blow up his fleet.

In the Greek myth, Persephone eventually becomes the Queen of the Underworld. Whenever heroes or heroines descend to the Underworld, Persephone is there to receive them and be their guide. Notable figures such as Heracles, Psyche and Odysseus have been guided by Persephone during their journeys to the Underworld. Hecate, the Goddess of the Dark Moon, Crossroads, Witchcraft and Ghosts, becomes the constant companion of Persephone to and from the Underworld each year. According to Jean Shinoda Bolen, once a Persephone woman descends into her unconscious, explores the deep realm of archetypes (which is the collective unconscious), and does not fear returning to reexamine the experience, she can become a mediator between the conscious and the unconscious. People who have been to the Underworld and back can become a therapist-guide who can connect others with their own depths, guiding them to find symbolic meaning and understanding of what they find there.

When I am analysing the Bad Batch arc in the Clone Wars, I find that the Bad Batch act as the guides and therapists to Captain Rex. At the beginning of the arc, Rex is depressed and he has lost his creativity in helping the Republic to win the Battle of Anaxes. The Bad Batch is called in to help Rex. The Bad Batch guides Rex to three different places that represent the unconscious realm: the wilderness of Anaxes (the realm of emotions, instincts and memories), Skako Minor (the Underworld), and Admiral Trench’s fleet (another form of the Underworld). This journey helps Rex to return to who he is, while breaking free from his identity as “just a soldier to the Republic”, which later helps him to survive Order 66. The Bad Batch (and Omega) may guide Rex and his resistance network to Mount Tantiss and defeat Hemlock once and for all. Omega may become an important guide to Mount Tantiss (the Underworld) because she used to work as a medical assistant when she was confined there, and she may no longer be afraid to go back and confront Hemlock.

It is possible that the Bad Batch would survive in the series finale. Season 1 finale titled “Kamino Lost” is described to be similar to “A New Hope”, especially with the scene of Omega watching sadly at the destroyed Tipoca City, which mirrors Luke Skywalker witnessing his home being burned down, and his uncle and aunt killed (this video mentions it from 51:43 to 52:38). Season 2 finale titled “Plan 99” is similar to “The Empire Strikes Back” as the Empire gains victory over the heroes. The team losing Tech, Cid’s betrayal and Emerie being revealed to be Omega’s sister mirror the heroes losing Han Solo (surprisingly Han Solo and Tech share the Hermes archetype), Lando’s betrayal, and Darth Vader revealing to Luke that he is actually Luke’s father. Following this pattern, it is possible that season 3 finale would be similar to “Return of the Jedi” with the heroes reuniting and working together to take down the Empire. Though, it is possible that the clone rebellion would sustain heavy losses even if victory is gained (after all, they probably have to take down the many clones who have been brainwashed by Hemlock), which may cause Rex to give up fighting. There may be more clone survivors by the series finale (this is hinted in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series where a clone trooper is seen begging in the streets), but with Rex disbanding the resistance network, they would be scattered across the galaxy, just like the Mandalorians after the Great Purge. Although it would be a great idea to see the Bad Batch settle down on Pabu and live happily ever after, I think this is not possible with the rise of the Empire and that the official Season 3 trailer shows that the Empire invading Pabu. Since Star Wars is about hope, it is possible that the ending would show the Bad Batch and Omega joining the Rebel Alliance in its early stages. This would contrast Omega and Boba Fett well: Boba Fett is a lone bounty hunter who works for Darth Vader to capture Han Solo, and he ends up in the Sarlacc Pit (but he manages to escape), while Omega works alongside her brothers to fight the Empire, and they probably live long enough to see the Empire fall.

It is said that after a person comes out of the Underworld and heals, they will gain greater wisdom and spiritual understanding. They gain the capacity to grow through suffering and they learn to embrace the human seasonal changes. Just like nature, there will be periods of joy and grief throughout our lives. We must learn to accept changing human experiences and do not lose hope because even spring can emerge from the worst periods of winter. This aligns with the message given by Jennifer Corbett, the Head Writer and an Executive Producer of Star Wars: The Bad Batch, which are “even in the darkest times, there is hope” and “trust in family and fight for one another”. The Bad Batch teaching us to embrace human seasonal changes and to remain hopeful even in the darkest times are powerful and important lessons, making the series a modern-day myth added to the Star Wars catalogue.