#I will diminish and become a rebel

[miriamforster]

The thing is it’s not solely about “good” vs “bad” endings.

It’s ascension vs connection.

It’s power vs personhood.

It’s “you will have a Queen great and terrible as the Dawn” vs “I will diminish and go into the west and remain Galadriel.”

That’s the choice you and the origin characters are making.

[orlesianhennin]

I really feel like so many people who hate Vivienne for being power hungry do not fully grasp and appreciate the desperation that Vivienne feels because she conceals it so well… as little content as she got, she honestly is expertly written and presented and it’s why it disappoints me so much when people hate her for surface level reasons… her writer deserves so much more appreciation.

I think it is subtle because she hides it and you really have to care about the character to seek out these threads and understand her motivations… she is in danger of total irrelevance, being cast aside by society (and history), and she is forced to ride the coattails of some upstart organization because all of the institutions she is invested in have either totally failed her or cast her aside.

She is clearly a prideful person who does not readily admit this… but her true talent is how clearly she can evaluate this and understand her own position. She suffers no delusions. She knows the Circle’s standing in society is diminished to nothing if it doesn’t house and account for the majority of mages, and she is left with just meek Chantry loyalists and sycophants who are lost without her guiding hand, as even otherwise pro-Circle mages with any sense have abandoned ship and left both rebels and loyalists at this point to see where the chips fall (Ellandra) - and the Chantry itself has been all but decimated in terms of military and political power. The one lifeline she has is the Imperial Court, and the fickle nobility have moved on from her - the mages are now a threat that she cannot control or offer any meaningful opposition to, and Celene’s favor has turned to Morrigan, and Vivienne does not know if she will ever have it again. She knows Bastien is dying, and that all that she has left at court will be those who hold kind feelings towards her such as his family, and that is a position she can never accept - being at the mercy of others.

We meet Vivienne, this impressive, powerful mage, who has made a life for herself by maneuvering brilliantly, all to improve her own standing, at a point where she is in danger of losing everything she has. And she doesn’t let on, at least not explicitly, but she joins the Inquisition out of desperation - it’s obvious she sees it as an opportunity, but the gravity of the situation for her isn’t clear from the start. She refuses to lay down and fade away. Vivienne would never had joined this fledgling upstart organization if she was in a better position at Court or there wasn’t a vacuum of power. She is very close to having nothing left, and starting over - and so she does. Before the rug can be pulled from under her, she gets out and sets off for herself again.

Vivienne, often accused of pride, privilege, and self importance, comes to the Inquisitor out of pure humility. She knows she is reduced. And her gamble ultimately pays off, and the Inquisition becomes the political juggernaut that it does, and she becomes more powerful and important than ever just by association. And I like to think, especially with an Inquisitor who respects and befriends her, that she plays no small part in shaping the organization.

I think this is also why, potentially, she plays it so cool at the Winter Palace. She doesn’t get involved… she doesn’t need to. Simply being present is a statement to the court, and she truly doesn’t care about who wins; it’s not just the Game, it’s personal, despite what she claims. That they cast her aside, and now they are interested again… not necessarily in her, but still, she sees the paradigm shifting again. She is now a part of the organization who gets to change Orlais, and favor with the Inquisition is quickly becoming just as important as favor with Celene.

The whole arc is a subtle one as she really doesn’t get much attention, but if you pay close attention, it shows how expertly Vivienne plays politics. We already know she came from nothing and maneuvered into a powerful position. But I think not everyone realizes she is nearly back to nothing when we first meet her… and through the course of the game’s events, by allying with the right people, she plays the game well enough to become an advisor to the most influential person in southern Thedas… and potentially even Divine. But her initial plea to the Inquisitor, for all the great lengths she goes to keep up the appearance of strength and invulnerability, comes from a place of utter desperation.

[marta-bee]

Original source here; I saw it via @liberalsarecol here. I went a bit off and didn't want to piggyback on their post. (What is the etiquette in these situations? I'm never quite sure.)

They said "Walking away from Trump is healthy." To which I can only respond it's not only healthy, it's damned heroic. Star Trek and US politics thoughts below the cut.

I've been thinking about Damar (from DS9)'s character arc in the final season, and how it to relates to the people swept up in Trumpism. Liz Cheney, Gov. Mike Milley, but also just run of the mill conservatives. They all went along with this cult that is MAGA because it worked for them at some level, because it claimed to give power and voice to something they actually believed in (conservative principles of independence and freedom, an economy that let them support their families, being told who they were was something to be proud of). Not the values that resonate most with me, but I can see someone believing them and acting based on it.

Then came something that should be the bridge too far. The thing they couldn't support. Maybe it affected them personally, maybe it was just extremism beyond what they could swallow. Most people caught up in this movement have a point like that, but not all are brave enough to turn aside. Even if it means admitting they were wrong. Even if that leaves them without a party that represents their view. Even if they have to set aside their own policy preferences and vote for a Democrat because there's more important things at stake.

Which, as I said reminds me of Damar. If you don't know the show, it's built around a war between the various species of the Alpha Quadrant and the Dominion, a fascist regime from the other side of the galaxy. The Cardassians are a militaristic, duty-to-the-state heavy species that makes an alliance with them as a way to get military strength and influence. It doesn't work out so well for them. As Damar, a Cardassian military leader turned rebel terrorist, says:

Seven million of our brave soldiers have given their lives to fulfill our part of the agreement, and what has the Dominion done in return? Nothing. We've gained no new territories. In fact, our influence throughout the quadrant has diminished. And to make matters worse, we are no longer masters in our own home. Travel anywhere on Cardassia and what do you find? Jem'Hadar, Vorta, and now Breen. Instead of the invaders, we have become the invaded. Our 'allies' have conquered us without firing a single shot. Well, no longer.

The thing about Damar is he's no flower child or unblemished angel of a character. I can't remember offhand if he was involved in the occupation of Bajor, but given his background it's hard to imagine he wasn't involved in the occupation of somewhere. He shot Ziyal. it's his personal humiliation more than some grand moral awakening that ultimately drives him to rebel. And probably billions died because of how he tried to pursue power and gave the Dominion an Alpha Quadrant foothold. But when it came down to it he said no more, he gave up his pride and the way he'd woven his pride and position and future in with the Dominion, and he changed course.

I mean, I never thought I'd be cheering on a Cheney either. What a world.

My point is, it's hard to take that leap -- much more challenging than being on the right side of things from the beginning. And while it doesn't wipe away getting it wrong to begin with and all you did because of that, the changing course is still pretty heroic in my book.

[beware-of-pity]

Just before tonight's episode airs, I wanted to get out of the way some of the little thoughts that still wander my head from last Sunday's one. I know this post will hold little to no meaning or significance after the episode airs, because it could probably completely change the trajectory of where the relationship between Rhaenyra and Jacaerys stands seeing as we already got teased a conversation with these two, but there was something that did bother me about how they choose to portray these two th last episode that I feel the need to talk about it.

I really, really, cannot get down to what they want to do with the dynamic with these two. I really do not understand where Jacaerys and Rhaenyra's relationship is heading as of last Sunday's episode. While it seems like they can have moments where they communicate and understand what they're both feeling and going through, most of the time these two are on screen they do nothing but misunderstand and be angry at each other.

Rhaenyra treats Jacaerys just like how Viserys treated her under Otto's influence, as seen in episode two of the first season. She ignores him, doesn't listen to his suggestions except for when she's on board with them, and shuts him down at every turn- and yet she deliberately tells Mysaria that Jacaerys is rebelling against her, a feeling that showrunners like Sara Hess back up as the truth of the matter.

And all I can do while watching all of this unfold is ask myself if I've either lost the plot of what's in front of me or if I'm just not seeing what the showrunners want me to see. All I've been seeing for the past six episodes is an inactive Rhaenyra being angry at her council for.... something I'm still not exactly sure about. I understand, her, feeling diminished and put down and perhaps still not being taken seriously as a woman in a room full of men but every time there's a council scene and Rhaenyra is in it, I can kind of also understand why she's still not being taken seriously. Every time she recoils with uncertainty because she does not know what to do, how to retaliate, or how to get her faction back on her feet, her mind leads her to what she knows best, participate with Syrax. When she's told that her getting on her dragon and becoming an active participant in the war is a bad idea, she scoffs and becomes annoyed because she doesn't know any better. Rhaenyra doesn't know what to do because with the little education she was given by her father battling a civil war with her half-brother was certainly not on the curriculum. And while I wouldn't blame young Rhaenyra for not knowing better, adult Rhaenyra should have certainly foreseen that her ascension to the throne would have been challenged, challenged enough that a dragon war breaking out would have been on the cards that she would have to, one day, play.

This hesitation is what costed her rook's rest. Had she already started cooping up the men-at-arms of the houses whose support she had on her side, she could have had the means to face Cole with an army. But the writers were literally obsessed with turning Rhaenyra into another version of Viserys, that instead of us getting the Rhaenyra that's grieving and wanting to avenge the death of both Luke and Visenya, we got the Rhaenyra who doesn't even mention the death of her only daughter, the one she was desperately dreaming of, not even once and treats the death of her son as something of a matter of fact, something that happened that we have to get over with, something that the show almost wants us to believe Lucerys either deserved or had it coming for him. Something that will not have anyone mention the faults of Aemond's intention and doing, with him not even once being called or denominated as a Kinslayer, while he actually goes down in history as being the prime epitome of said act.

Jacaerys feels virtually and emotionally alone, there is no other way to put this. His half-sister and cousin, as well as his three little brothers, were sent off for their own good and the only person that he feels comfortable enough to open himself up to is Baela, but even he understands that he cannot put and vent all of his feeling and frustration on her. He knows he cannot burden other people with the things he shouldn't even have to go through. The person he has ever felt closest to, both in age and in as a human being is now gone, and he cannot even let himself properly grieve him because of the war he now has to put himself to the bone for. The person he openly seeks out to consolidate and ground himself is his mother, the only other person who can feel his pain to the fullest and because of everything going on Rhaenyra cannot see what Jacaery wants in her in those times he tries to seek her out. And it's both tragic and makes you want to bash your skull on the nearest wall available at the same time.

[fanfic-obsessed]

Mediation...?

This one I came up with as I walked to work, and so we will all explore it. It is a Post Empire AU. I know, I do not usually go for post-empire, but the horror and humor of this idea spoke to me.  

Let’s take a look, yeah?

The AU part is that both Obi Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker survived through the end of the Empire. So we don’t have to deal with too many changes too early, Obi Wan was severely injured and in Bacta for the entire time of the OT (or he got injured again just before the events of each movie, whichever works better). 

After Vader comes back to the light, he is fitted with prosthetics that actually fit (including being the correct height). He is still required to wear a mask ,but it is more like Plo Koons than Vader (covering his mouth and nose but not his entire face). The burns he got from Mufastar meant that he had no hair, and the suit he wore for those years meant that he was unnaturally pale. As a consequence he no longer looks like Vader (not just because he lost 5 inches in height with the correct legs).  

Most of the galaxy does not know that Vader and Anakin Skywalker are the same person. Anakin was also largely forgotten, and the few who did remember him (without knowing the Vader connection) would quietly muse about how much Vader seemed to hate Anakin Skywalker, the Hero without Fear (there is no doubt in my head that the person Vader hated the most was Anakin). 

The Rebels do know that Anakin and Vader are the same person. Even as they are working to build the New Republic, no one is quite sure what, if anything, Anakin Skywalker should be charged with (War crimes. So many war crimes, they would need to invent new war crimes specifically for Vader-Though to be fair he is not the only living member of the Empire’s ruling body for this to be true). If he does need to be charged, and they could figure out what with, does his fall to the dark side constitute a mitigating factor (some kind of diminished capacity) or an enhancement (like a hate crime)? Where does killing the Emperor fit into any sentence he would have to serve? Is there even a way to enforce any sentence that a court could impose?

All of these questions and more would have to be answered before any trials could commence (including: how far does “following orders” mitigate actions, and how far up the chain of command can that excuse be used?). In the meanwhile Anakin hangs awkwardly around with his son when he is able. 

Luke wants, deeply, to help his father become comfortable around people again. He also does not quite…understand is probably the best term…understand the depth of the horrors that Vader/Anakin created in his 20 years in the suit.  In his mind he knows, and has been told, most of what Vader has done, but to a certain extent he separated Anakin and Vader in his mind so there is a bit of disconnect (Some understandable cognitive dissonance). 

He is at least aware enough that he is not looking to find Anakin friends among the rebels, who would naturally think of Vader first (and thus it would be uncomfortable for all involved). He understands that asking someone like Leia to try and befriend the being that tortured her then blew up her planet is not a good idea. 

But there is one person he knows thinks of Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader as two different people. Obi Wan Kenobi.  Who is decidedly avoiding Anakin (in this Anakin can not blame him, the return to the light means that he does actually need to face everything he has done), but is also low key avoiding most people. Mostly Obi Wan is staying around the clones that still live (both to help those clones with their own guilt over their actions while chipped, the fact that their aging has finally been brought to human normal,  and frankly because he likes them more than most people these days-I imagine at least Cody-CodyWan for the win-, Rex, Gregor, Appo, and Wolffe but there are a good crowd), and the few Force users that survived the Purge. Also spending time with Leia.

Now a few things need to be made abundantly clear at this point. Luke does not know of the horrors Anakin perpetrated, as opposed to Vader (For all that Palpatine labeled him Vader before the march on the temple, I always headcanon that his last act as purely Anakin was the slaughter of the children in the council chamber but even then he did not truly become Vader until after he finds out that Padme died), not really. Few enough who live remember the march on the temple, what it meant that the temple (the home of the Jedi) was pillaged and burned. Fewer still ever knew that it was Anakin that led the march and slaughtered the children.  

Oddly enough, Anakin Skywalker is the only person in the galaxy who knows the true horrific extent of his own crimes. 

So Luke, with all the best of intentions, notices that Obi Wan is avoiding Anakin, and decides he will help his father and his teacher/mentor/uncle/that weird dude that lived in the desert makeup. Luke is attributing the awkwardness to Anakin’s 20 years as Vader (which, if we are being completely honest, is the least of the issues between Anakin and Obi Wan).

Luke decides he is going to hold something like a mediation to bridge those 20 years. Anakin is, at this point, incapable of denying Luke anything and agrees (in spite of the fact that even he can tell this will go poorly). Obi Wan does not actually agree as Luke does not tell him what they are meeting for, but once he arrives is semi blackmailed by Luke (leveraging the whole ‘you told me my father was dead thing/you lied to me my whole life’) which really only works because Obi Wan is also fairly vulnerable to young Skywalker children who remind him of the people who Obi Wan has lost (Satine would have done something similar, Obi Wan think nostalgically). Thinking that an audience would help create a more neutral location, Luke makes sure that Obi Wan is accompanied by a few of the clones (Appo in particular), and that Leia, Han, and Mon Mothma (as one of the few people who remember Padme and Anakin) are in the room. There are others. 

Now Luke has all the best intentions with this, but he is, at best, missing some very critical information. At worst he is taking after one of his father’s worst traits (so sure he can fix a relationship that is not his, and is probably better left broken). 

Both Anakin and Obi Wan silently agree to humor the sunshine boy.  At first they try to keep it to lighter disagreements and misunderstandings  (who saved who and who made the situation worse kind of thing). Anakin brings up at one point being unhappy that Obi Wan hid his children from him for almost 20 years, Obi Wan corrects that he hid them for almost 10 years from Vader, since he believed Anakin actually dead for the first 10, during which Vader maintained that Anakin was dead. Anakin withdraws his objection.

Then Anakin brings up the limb removal on Mustafar (which causes most of the room to go still, no one but the clones-whom Obi Wan had told- knew about the Mustafar fight). Obi Wan shoots back with an slightly irate rejoinder that it was a really measured response considering that Anakin had just: led a group of brainwashed soldiers into their home and slaughtered as many men, women, and children that he could; choked his very pregnant wife; ignored repeated attempts Obi Wan made to end the fight without further violence. 

It was at this point that Appo started to have a panic attack (being one of the few surviving Clones who was actually there in the temple).  Obi Wan looked over at Luke, apologized and said this was not a good idea.  Then left with the clones, all trying to calm Appo back down. 

The entire room is just…dead silence. Like Luke everyone, barring Anakin who did know this was going to go so badly, had sort of forgotten that Obi Wan was more than the weird desert guy who hung around with the clones, and sometimes Leia.  Luke is sitting there, really pale (He did have good intentions).

Like the people who realized the Jedi suffered a genocide when the Empire came into power had mostly died, the few that had survived all these years had buried that knowledge under the subsequent horrors of the Empire (They also largely forgot, or didn’t understand the horror of the chips both in the context of Order 66 and following orders in the Empire). It was not done out of maliciousness, or even ignorance, because the Jedi and the Clones (in that they lost everything of themselves and their culture in a moment) may have been the first genocide of the Empire but it was not the last. 

I’m not sure where it would go from there, other than Anakin is charged with so many war crimes and accepts whatever punishment is determined.

[leportraitducadavre]

Do you think people in the fandom would be more forgiving towards Sasuke character as a whole if we got the show from his perspective or if not that then if his thoughts are more shown?

I find myself drawn to his character because, in many ways, I see reflections of my own inclinations, albeit magnified. The tumultuous events that unfolded within his clan and the devastating actions of his brother, wiping out everyone, add a layer of complexity to his character. It's kind of intrigued me to consider that, under similar circumstances, I might make similar choices, perhaps even worse. The Narutoverse, with its deeply rooted issues like child soldiers, clan annihilation, and internal slavery within the Hyuga branch, presents a grim reality. While some characters, and even elements of the fandom, criticize and reject his actions, arguing that trauma should not be an excuse, it's hard to ignore the systemic problems within the Narutoverse itself. The pervasive cycle of suffering, with clans being wiped out and individuals enslaved, points to a broken system that breeds villains and antagonists seeking change.

In contrast to the complacency and cooperation displayed by many characters, those who rebel against the established order and strive for something different, flawed as their execution may be, at least attempt to address the root issues. The fact that they are trying to break free from the oppressive system suggests a level of agency and resistance, even if I may not fully agree with their methods. That's why I'm more forgiving towards the antagantis like Pain, Madara and especially in Sasuke case.

Reflecting on Naruto's journey and his current achievements the fundamental issues persist unchanged.

Also, sorry if this got long I ramble a lot when discussing lol. I hope you have a good day.

Hello, this took long to reply, and for that, I apologize.

I don’t think the issue is “not having Sasuke’s thoughts on display” for him to get sympathy, as we get to see firsthand the reasoning behind his actions, his background, and connections; we also get to see the atrocities committed by the system on multiple characters including those that the fandom takes as “less controversial” and which are considered victims of a bigger scale than Sasuke. I put more blame on the naturalization of state-sanctioned violence and the oppression of minority groups who are then blamed for their village’s actions as they are “savage-coded,” which turns the government’s oppression into a response to their behavior rather than an action born from their own bias. Their ultimate argument always boils down to “fighting violence with violence is not the way,” yet they fail to understand that a government built with brutality as its primary basis and as its primary tool leaves no room for negotiations, as it also implies that those oppressed continue to be oppressed until a “solution” is reached through time. They blame those discriminated against and later on massacred for their demise and not those in power who decided that committing genocide was a plausible solution to their dispute. 

The main issue with the idea that “their hearts are in the right place, but I don’t agree with the antagonist methods” also derives from this same perspective, where the discriminated must take all the consequences of the persecution they suffered and choose the “moral high ground” still to keep being “victims” and not become “victimizers.” Their categorization as innocents/savages is always based upon their response to the mass killing of their kin, minimizing the actions of those in power and diminishing the value of their critics to the system in place. 

Yet, while the naturalization of state-sanctioned violence plays a part in Sasuke’s status as a “villain” by many of his detractors, it’s not the only one, as many feel Naruto has a similar (perhaps harder) experience with the system in place as he was ostracized, yet he chose to follow Konoha’s WoF –many fans are closer to experience something similar to Naruto (an unpopular kid that was often shunned by comrades), so they feel more inclined to stand behind a character that reflects a personal experience of them, and not behind the boy who suffered genocide, a thing not many can see themselves in nor can build sympathy for as they (again) naturalized such occurrence. 

The popularization of the action genre featuring first-world soldiers invading the global south, whose focus is more on the trauma that lingers in the invader for trying to bring peace than on the indiscriminate killing of minorities, also contributes to seeing those in power as more humane or deserving of redemption than those responding violently against the intruders, because those invaded should put their trust in the “good intentions” of those abiding by the system that destroyed them in the first place.

[scalproie]

whatever. tekken hadesgame AU

or as I like to call it: "what if Kaz raised Jin: God Edition lmao"

so. to lay the groundwork:

They're all gods/powerful immortal beings of an unspecified pantheon (but still loosely inspired by a pretty famous one I'm sure you'll recognize)

Big Bad Thundergod King Heihachi (whom I am now realizing shares quite a lot of similarities with good ol' Zeus), after getting bored and worried he's raising a weakling unfit to be his heir, still threw his little son down a cliff, except this one was from the highest heavens to the deepest hells, to make sure that if the little godling died, well, the death would actually stick. Which it did.

UNTIL another deity who's the personification of the devil gene (and who kinda look like Kazumi-but-it's-unsure-wether-or-not-it's-actually-Kazumi) took pity on him and revived him by giving him part of itself/hell aka the devil gene. So now Kazuya is "alive" and immortal again, but he's now bound to hell, aka he can't live away from it for very long. And yknow what they say, if you're stuck somewhere, might as well become it's ruler. Especially if you've gained the favors of the entity that embodies the place and that you've found a new life goal in making daddy dearest's life unbearable.

Anyway eons passed and Kaz's brothers (his adopted one Lee whom ascended to godhood on one of Heihachi's whims as a way to counter his annoying firstborn's meddling, and his heroic half-brother Lars) reached out to him one day to propose an alliance to take their tyrannical father down. Kaz only agreed on the condition that he get to expand his domain once Heihachi is out: if he cant leave hell, no worries, he'll just make hell bigger. Anyway Heihachi's children rebelled against him and with their might combined they managed to take him down, with Kaz even having the honor and pleasure to deliver the killing blow.

For the aftermath tho, when it was time for Kaz to begin his conquest, his brothers came back on their word to let him, bc Lars Actually Gives A Damn About Mortals and he knew full well that Kazuya wouldve had exactly the same rule as Heihachi if they let him, so they didnt (and Lee is more neutral on his views toward mortals but he gets along with Lars FAR better than he ever got along with Kaz so the choice on who to back up was easy). And even though Kaz 100% wouldve been as bad as Heihachi is he was allowed to rule over mortals as Lars thought he would be, and Kaz KNOWS it, that doesnt mean hes not gonna be mad that his brothers didnt keep their words to let him be evil in peace.

Well if he cant have what he wants the fair way, might as well try to take it by force. And thus Kaz resumes his battles against his brothers with his attempts at invasion of the mortal realm.

This goes on for awhile with things going great for Kaz as he is the stronger sibling out of all of them, until his aggression puts him on the path of one Jun, who counters him in a most efficient, masterful and complete manner. Basically he was doing too well at bringing evil onto the world and she had come to balance him out.

In a most unforeseen turn of events, as they get acquainted over the course of their different confrontations, they discover that they respect and admire each other's strength and actually get along pretty well, even enjoy each other's company.

Anyway being around Jun makes Kaz chill out MASSIVELY and soon enough you'll notice the amount of invasions from hell have greatly diminished.

Eventually they get in an actual relationship, with Kazuya even wanting her to become the queen of his domain. And Jun is not opposed to this proposal, quite the opposite in fact. But complications start to arise when Jun began moving in hell: she is everything it's not and vice-versa, and the environment itself even seems harmful for her the longer she stays. Even the devil-Kazumi-entity, for all that it's/she's fond of Jun as a person, cannot meet her physically for she would eradicate it/her should they come into contact.

Jun bears it as long as she can bc Kazuya Literally Cannot Leave Hell and she wants to be with him as much as he wants to be with her, and Kaz promises her that he's working on finding a solution (and by "working on it" I mean Kaz is threatening the dead soul of a demi-god known as Gepetto Bosconovitch, reknown for giving life to things that didnt have any, into fixing this).

Eventually Jun reaches her breaking point when their son dies a stillborn because he bears her blood and he is much weaker than she is, bc he's a baby. This is the last rejection of this place that Jun can take before it potentially kills her, esp since that last event took such a toll on her, and even tho she loves Kaz as much as he loves her, she has to leave and WANTS to leave. Kaz, in a rare moment of compassion, let her go and spares telling her the news that, ironically, Bosconovitch JUST finished his work and managed to make a garden, indentical to the ones she would have on the surface, grow in the deepest level of hell where she could thrive.

So Jun is gone and Kaz is miserable, so much so that he doesnt even have the mind nor heart for conquest anymore. The only thing left of her being the corpse of his child that he decides to bury in the unused garden.

But just as the tiny body touches the soil, he begin to scream as he takes his first breath and the initial shock then WAVE OF RELIEF Kazuya feels as his son is alive surprises even himself bc he didnt even want the damn baby in the first place. This is probably the most outwardly loving Kaz will be with his son as he's holding his tiny body while being hit with a fucking storm of emotions but hey we take those.

"This is great! Their son is alive and the garden works! Now Kazuya only need to reach Jun and they can-" Except Kaz Will Not bc he does NOT want to reach Jun. Not bc he doesnt love her anymore but 1) bc he now knows the pain of losing her and bringing her back into his life means getting the risk of getting hurt again and he neither wants to feel that pain ever again nor even knowing he has that "weakness" in the first place so he'd rather cut her off from his life, he'd rather deal with loneliness than heartache, and 2) even he realized that what his domain is, what he is, brought Jun pain, and some part of him does NOT like to see Jun in pain.

"Well if he doesnt want Jun back into his life, why doesnt he send her their son?" This is objectively the best course of action. But Kaz is Not A Good Person. He's selfish. And again. Their son is the last thing he has left of her, and goddammit if he doesnt have her eyes, her nose, her face.

So Kaz is now stuck with this lame baby and only partially vibe with it. Problem is, that baby cannot live in this tiny garden for the entirety of his immortal life. Thankfully the devil-Kazumi-entity offers Kaz a solution: the baby not only carries Jun's blood but also Kazuya's, and that makes him able to be a receptacle for the devil gene, binding him to hell as well, yes, but keeping him alive in there.

So now Kazuya is raising his son whom he named Jin based on one (1) short conversation he once had with Jun but didnt forget. He is also personally training him in the art of combat, bc sadly Kaz does take a bit after his father, and he would not have the prince of hell be a weakling.

OKAY BACKSTORY ESTABLISHED FINALLY now onto the main course:

So Jin grew up and similarly as in the game, he eventually learn that his family is not just him and his dad but he also have a mom somewhere, and he wants to find her. Bc one day he steps into the famous garden that Kaz had closed off after That Day and Jin figured that his asshole dad would NOT have such a pretty garden made without reasons so after a few researchs behind Kaz's back he eventually found out the truth.

Long story short, Jin wants to leave hell, Kaz doesnt want him to, and they antagonize each other constantly.

Jin eventually comes into contact with both his extanded family and multiple allies who wants to help him leave (without anyone knowing yet that just like Kaz, Jin cannot live outside of hell for long. tho Jin can survive longer than Kaz thanks for his mom's blood)

The people from outside helping him are:

Lars: his heroic half-uncle, OF COURSE Lars was going to help him.

Lee: his adopted uncle, he does like Jin but mostly he helps him out so Jin can run a few crash tests for him on Kaz's minions, AND he gets to piss off Kaz in the same move? Excellent.

Alisa: an ascended goddess who relate to Jin due to their origin, she as well was "dead at birth" until her father found a way to bring her back (in a way) tho he was cast to hell for it.

Leroy: the grandfather-figure Jin wishes he always had.

Asuka: she insists to him they're related and that once he makes it outta hell, she'll teach him about their side of the family.

there'll be more down the line but I need to workshop this...

Anyway Jin has two goal: 1) escape dad's hell, and 2) find mom. whom he will discover has straight up disappeared from everyone ever since she left hell herself.

So Jin starts from the bottom of hell and has to climb to the top where the entrance lies, in the mouth of a volcano. Wink wink fucking nudge nudge

When he falls he ends up back in his father's home where he can meet a bunch of friendly dead souls:

Lucky Chloe: usually the first person he sees after falling down, she's kind of the court jester, she was spared damnation bc Kaz thinks her annoying people is really funny as long as its not him, thats where the "Lucky" come from.

Azucena: she provides delicacies from the surface to hell (for a price), Jin can find her as he's running up to the surface and she'll happily sell him things to help.

Jane: she provides Jin with some sort of "bestiary" and she actually does not mind that he keeps beating Kaz's minions (the JACKs among others, tho they are her favorites) bc she get to improve them thanks to the data gathered afterward.

Bruce: Kaz's chief of security. When Jin didnt trained with Kaz, he often sparred with Bruce. Bruce will let Jin try his different styles against him before climbing back up hell again. He's fond of the kid :)

"Kazumi": Jin can never get quite a good read on her/it, but she's/it's always kind to him.

and others that I will also figure out...

But that's not all the people Jin meets, as he's ascending, he also encounters a bunch of people, tho not all are friendly.

Nina and Anna: contracted by Kazuya to stop Jin. Tho they spend more time fighting each other...

A reptilian monstrocity by the name of Alex.

Some strange crystals take him to a bizarre location where he can meet Azazel, who present himself as the progenitor of the devil-Kazumi-entity, making him technically Jin's great-grandpa. Via him, Jin can fight Devil Jin and gain more access to his style (more on that later)

Xiaoyu: a phoenix Jin befriended, the only reason she's in hell is only bc she can cheat death. She is not bound to hell, so she technically can come back to life if she manages to escape, until she dies again on the surface. They often run into each other and have a friendly competition to see who can defeat the most of Kaz's minions, if she loses, Xiaoyu will leave Jin with one of her feathers, that increases his health. Jin can also meet her sometimes back at the house. It's rumored that she spend more time in hell recently to hang out with the hellish prince🧡

Hwoarang: another dead soul of a great warrior contracted to stop Jin, but he couldnt care less about what Kaz wants. He wants to defeat Jin, so he will hunt him down everytime he hears that Jin is trying to escape again. Over time he and Jin have come to enjoy their rivalry. Jin can also meet him sometimes at the house🧡

And more yknow the drill...

And of course, once Jin finally manages to come to hell's entrance, who waits for him there but Kazuya. The two have a nice little father and son fight to the death between immortals where they can work out their problems in an healthy manner: with extreme violence, and the winner get to throw the other down the volcano cliff aaall the way to the bottom (bc sometimes the best way to work out trauma is thru exposure therapy. wink)

Jin starts by only knowing his father's style, but after finally finding his mother, and after the initial story-related reunion (and the tragic realization that just like his dad, Jin cannot stay out of hell for long), they bond with Jun teaching him her style. And Jin can work his way to the top again using her style to learn more about it. When dueling Kaz with it, he's preeetty conflicted like: My traitorous son is using another style than ours👿 -> omg that's Jun's moves... 🥺 -> HE'S NOT EVEN USING THEM RIGHT👿👿👿

And basically, Jin has multiple styles: his dad's, his own, eventually his mom's, and devil style. He gets to pick the one he's going to stick with at the start of every ascend.

Anyway this is the story of a child of divorce trying to reunite his parents who are both extremely stubborn and extremely still in love with each other, bc if Jin has to live another day with just his father he's going to LOSE IT.

[dragonsfromthemoon]

Broke: Jon was selfish, did not listen to his subordinates/deputies or communicate with them and got himself killed.

Woke:

He listens to Maester Aemon and Sam about sending a letter to King’s Landing.

“The Blackwater was one battle. Robb won all his battles and still lost his head. If Stannis can raise the north …” Sam hesitated, then said, “The Lannisters have northmen of their own. Lord Bolton and his bastard.” “Stannis has the Karstarks. If he can win White Harbor …” “If,” Sam stressed. “If not ��� my lord, even a paper shield is better than none.” “I suppose so.” Him and Aemon both. Somehow he had hoped that Sam Tarly might see it differently. It is only ink and parchment. Resigned, he grabbed the quill and signed. “Get the sealing wax.” Before I change my mind. Sam hastened to obey. Jon fixed the lord commander’s seal and handed him the letter. “Take this to Maester Aemon when you leave, and tell him to dispatch a bird to King’s Landing.”

He explains to Bowen Marsh his decision to allow the Free Folk to cross the Wall. He promises to think about his counsels.

“As my lord commands.” Marsh barked out orders, and a swarm of his stewards broke from ranks to attack the wooden walls. The Lord Steward watched them, frowning. “These wildlings … do you think they will keep faith, my lord?” “Some will. Not all. We have our cowards and our knaves, our weak-lings and our fools, as do they.” “Our vows … we are sworn to protect the realm …” “Once the free folk are settled in the Gift, they will become part of the realm,” Jon pointed out. “These are desperate days, and like to grow more desperate. We have seen the face of our real foe, a dead white face with bright blue eyes. The free folk have seen that face as well. Stannis is not wrong in this. We must make common cause with the wildlings.” “Common cause against a common foe, I could agree with that,” said Bowen Marsh, “but that does not mean we should allow tens of thousands of half-starved savages through the Wall. Let them return to their villages and fight the Others there, whilst we seal the gates. It will not be difficult, Othell tells me. We need only fill the tunnels with chunks of stone and pour water through the murder holes. The Wall does the rest. The cold, the weight … in a moon’s turn, it will be as if no gate had ever been. Any foe would need to hack his way through.” [...] He’s not wrong. Mance Rayder’s host had broken against the Wall like a wave upon a stony shore, though the defenders were no more than a handful of old men, green boys, and cripples. Yet what Bowen was suggesting went against all of Jon’s instincts. “If we seal the gates, we cannot send out rangers,” he pointed out. “We will be as good as blind.” “Lord Mormont’s last ranging cost the Watch a quarter of its men, my lord. We need to conserve what strength remains us. Every death diminishes us, and we are stretched so thin … Take the high ground and win the battle, my uncle used to say. No ground is higher than the Wall, Lord Commander.” “Stannis promises land, food, and justice to any wildlings who bend the knee. He will never permit us to seal the gates.” [...] “Lord Stannis helped us when we needed help,” Marsh said doggedly, “but he is still a rebel, and his cause is doomed. As doomed as we’ll be if the Iron Throne marks us down as traitors. We must be certain that we do not choose the losing side.” “It is not my intent to choose any side,” said Jon, “but I am not as certain of the outcome of this war as you seem to be, my lord. Not with Lord Tywin dead.” If the tales coming up the kingsroad could be believed, the King’s Hand had been murdered by his dwarf son whilst sitting on a privy. Jon had known Tyrion Lannister, briefly. He took my hand and named me friend. It was hard to believe the little man had it in him to murder his own sire, but the fact of Lord Tywin’s demise seemed to be beyond doubt. “The lion in King’s Landing is a cub, and the Iron Throne has been known to cut grown men to ribbons.” “A boy he may be, my lord, but … King Robert was well loved, and most men still accept that Tommen is his son. The more they see of Lord Stannis the less they love him, and fewer still are fond of Lady Melisandre with her fires and this grim red god of hers. They complain.” “They complained about Lord Commander Mormont too. Men love to complain about their wives and lords, he told me once. Those without wives complain twice as much about their lords.” Jon Snow glanced toward the stockade. Two walls were down, a third falling fast. “I will leave you to finish here, Bowen. Make certain every corpse is burned. Thank you for your counsel. I promise you, I will think on all you’ve said.”

He hears japes about the followers of R’hllor and explains why the men of the Night’s Watch should not mock them (because it could cause bad blood).

The younger men were gathered at another table, where Pyp had stabbed a turnip with his knife. “The night is dark and full of turnips,” he announced in a solemn voice. “Let us all pray for venison, my children, with some onions and a bit of tasty gravy.” His friends laughed—Grenn, Toad, Satin, the whole lot of them. Jon Snow did not join the laughter. “Making mock of another man’s prayer is fool’s work, Pyp. And dangerous.” “If the red god’s offended, let him strike me down.” All the smiles had died. “It was the priestess we were laughing at,” said Satin, a lithe and pretty youth who had once been a whore in Oldtown. “We were only having a jape, my lord.” “You have your gods and she has hers. Leave her be.” “She won’t let our gods be,” argued Toad. “She calls the Seven false gods, m’lord. The old gods too. She made the wildlings burn weirwood branches. You saw.” “Lady Melisandre is not part of my command. You are. I won’t have bad blood between the king’s men and my own.”

Jon follows Bowen Marsh’s suggestion of rationing food so the Night’s Watch stock would not be put in even more jeopardy in face of  winter and war.

“It is worse than I feared, my lord,” Marsh announced when he was done. He sounded gloomier than Dolorous Edd. Jon had just been thinking that all the meat in the world surrounded them. You know nothing, Jon Snow. “How so? This seems a deal of food to me.” “It was a long summer. The harvests were bountiful, the lords generous. We had enough laid by to see us through three years of winter. Four, with a bit of scrimping. Now, though, if we must go on feeding all these king’s men and queen’s men and wildlings … Mole’s Town alone has a thousand useless mouths, and still they come. Three more turned up yesterday at the gates, a dozen the day before. It cannot go on. Settling them on the Gift, that’s well and good, but it is too late to plant crops. We’ll be down to turnips and pease porridge before the year is out. After that we’ll be drinking the blood of our own horses.” [...] The Lord Steward paid him no mind. “There will be sickness too,” he went on, “bleeding gums and loose teeth. Maester Aemon used to say that lime juice and fresh meat would remedy that, but our limes were gone a year ago and we do not have enough fodder to keep herds afoot for fresh meat. We should butcher all but a few breeding pairs. It’s past time. In winters past, food could be brought up the kingsroad from the south, but with the war … it is still autumn, I know, but I would advise we go on winter rations nonetheless, if it please my lord.” The men will love that. “If we must. We’ll cut each man’s portion by a quarter.” If my brothers are complaining of me now, what will they say when they’re eating snow and acorn paste? “That will help, my lord.” The Lord Steward’s tone made it plain that he did not think that it would help enough.

These are only a few examples featuring on his ADWD arc. Unfortunately I couldn't finish my ADWD rereading in time, but I certainly could find more on the next chapters.

[onebadpunspoilsabunch]

Why I like Spike's friendship with Ember and Thorax more than his friendship with Smolder.

Spike and Ember

When Ember is first introduced (Gauntlet of Fire) she and Spike have a similar dilemma.

Ember is determined to prove to her father Torch that she's just as capable as the other dragons, since he's protective of her because she's much smaller than other dragons her age. It's more noticeable in the comics:

Spike had a problem with older dragons, especially Garble, diminishing him because of his small size, lack of wings, softer personality, and friendship with ponies. 

Both Spike and Ember needed to prove themselves capable of doing things other dragons could do. And in the end, by working together, they were able to do that.

Ember knew next to nothing about friendship, or pony society. Spike knew next to nothing about dragon culture and society. But after Ember became the Dragon Lord and Spike became the Friendship Ambassador to the Dragon Lands, they both continued to learn through each other (most of it happens offscreen, but it's implied to be happening in the background.)

Spike and Ember learn and relate to each other, and are in similar boats. Mutually beneficial relationship.

Spike and Thorax

When Thorax is first introduced (The Times They Are A Changeling), he is a rebel Changeling who decided to leave the Hive because he wanted to pursue friendship. He was an outsider, both within his own species and around ponies. Spike found Thorax and decided to trust him and help him out.

Spike is also an outsider, both within his own species and with ponies. Although the ponies treat Spike like a friend and family, he's still the odd one out, and sometimes he might feel that way. Because of Spike accepting him and giving him a chance, Thorax wouldn't have become the leader of the Changelings.

Spike helped Thorax discover friendship and become a leader, and Spike became a better person due to standing up for Thorax, at the risk of the Crystal Ponies rejecting him. Mutually beneficial relationship.

Spike and Smolder

Spike and Smolder don't have a mutually beneficial relationship. Smolder doesn't learn anything from Spike. Everything that Smolder learned about friendship and becoming a better person isn't through Spike, it's through her relationship with the other Young Six members and the School of Friendship. Smolder always ends up taking the dominant position whenever she and Spike are interacting together, which is a regression of his character development from the last two seasons. Spike always needed her help, but she never needed his. Realistically, their roles should be reversed.

Spike's friendship with Ember and Thorax is more genuine, and not forced. Spike has more in common with Ember and Thorax than with Smolder. They could've done more episodes of Spike interacting with those two instead of Smolder.

Also, in each episode Spike and Smolder have together, Smolder always acts as a plot device. 

The Molt Down: Smolder makes up (supposed) lies about dragon parents kicking their children out just to mess with Spike, causing his internal conflict in the episode.

Father Knows Beast: Smolder gives more contradictory information about dragons, and is the one who convinces him that something is wrong with Sludge.

Sweet and Smokey: Smolder is Garble's sister… and her existence as his sister retcons his entire character. And her being his sister is the incentive that causes his reformation. 

Also as a side note, I'm a bit irked that Smolder and the Young Six, who were introduced near the very end of the show, were made to be official Elements of Harmony, but Spike, who has been one of the main characters of the show since the very beginning, wasn't. Doesn't that strike anyone else as stupid?

These new children characters who were introduced in the second to last season of the show (those season 10 comics aren't Canon, I don't think) were made to be connected to the Tree of Harmony and the Elements... but Spike wasn't :/

[today-tastes-like-honey]

I don't like thinking of Star Wars as one canon, I think. On their own, most of the comics, shows, and films work fine, and some (OT, PT, etc) work in context with one another, as well, but as a whole, it's kind of not very good bc the characters were developed, and so was the world, to the point where the original essence was lost.

Yoda doing a little astral journey and having a talk with Ezra takes away from the character's isolation on Dagobah. If he was able and willing to mentally travel the galaxy and train jedi without getting caught and killed, those 20 years in the swamps become almost a sort of vacation or a retreat rather than him hiding from his pursuers in a place no one would think to look for him. The gravity of his story is diminished by this, in my opinion. BUT it works in Rebels, if you take it on its own. It's a cool moment.

Vader in the comics is an invincible monster who would easily take down the whole of the rebellion as it is presented in A New Hope within like, two years on his own. He is feared by all across the galaxy, and well-known for his supernatural abilities, cruelty, and rage. Vader in ANH is some (high-ranking, capable, obviously very dangerous to our heroes) guy whose magic powers are considered superstition by imperial officers who haven't been working with him that long, who gets shot at by Han and immediately leaves the battle. These are both very cool characters in their own right; they're just not the same character to me.

Kenobi is a very cool show! It's one of my favourite Star Wars shows. I don't think it works at all in connection to the Original Trilogy. "We meet again, at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you I was but the learner. Now I am the master" implies very heavily to me that they did not meet at all between the initial betrayal and the reunion on the death star.

Like rather than a story with a canon, I see it all as "legends" about the same mythology, so to speak. Makes the whole thing more enjoyable for me.

[secretmellowblog]

The wild thing about the Fantine/Tholomyes chapters is that —they’re sort of an allegory for the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy?

Fantine is the child of the French Revolution, born during the reign of the Directory. She doesn’t even have a legal name— she’s an “anonymous” Jane Doe stand-in for all the common people who were born during the Revolution and relying on it to improve their future.

Though she had emerged from the most unfathomable depths of social shadow, she bore on her brow the sign of the anonymous and the unknown. She was born at M. sur M. Of what parents? Who can say? She had never known father or mother. She was called Fantine. Why Fantine? She had never borne any other name. At the epoch of her birth the Directory still existed. She had no family name; she had no family; no baptismal name; the Church no longer existed.

Tholomyes, meanwhile, is compared to the restored monarchy. He’s described as the group’s leader,

one felt the force of government in him; there was dictation in his joviality; his principal ornament was a pair of trousers of elephant-leg pattern of nankeen, with straps of braided copper wire; he carried a stout rattan worth two hundred francs in his hand, and, as he treated himself to everything

and is once described as speaking with

with the accent of a man who had recovered his empire….

I feel like Tholomyès’s descriptions might also echo contemporary parodies of Louis XVIII? He looks old/ugly but is dressed in clothes so lavish they make him appear ridiculous. In his incoherent speeches to the group, he encourages “moderation.” Being too moderate/not extreme enough was a common criticism of King Louis XVIII, who was too conservative to be supported by liberals/republicans but also wasn’t conservative enough to appease ultra-royalists.

Tholomyès is also a law student, and will later become a court Justice known for being “rigid”/severe— making him an active enforcer of the King’s laws.

Throughout the chapters the effects of the Bourbon restoration are even talked about explicitly in ways that parallel the description of the couples.

We get all these rosy descriptions of how the couples are In Love and everything is Wonderful and Nothing is Wrong and everyone is Happy and Everything is Fine… but there’s something wrong about it. Something feels off. The “love” feels hollow and fake, like a shallow facade. It feels like something bad is about to happen. Things are clearly not fine. And that feeling of wrongness only builds and becomes more obvious as the story continues.

Then, juxtaposed with the descriptions of the lovers, the story is interrupted by similarly rosy descriptions of the Restoration. The opening chapter (“the Year 1817”) lists all the things happening during the Restoration in the way Hugo later lists all the amusements the lovers entertain themselves with. Then we get a chapter interrupting the flow of the story to address the monarchy specifically. The chapter begins by saying Everything is fine. Everyone is happy. Everyone loves the monarchy. Nothing is wrong. Everything is perfect under the Bourbons. Parisians don’t want to rebel anymore, they just want to laze around amusing themselves like bored cats.

Everything was radiant. It was a time of undisputed peace and profound royalist security; it was the epoch when a special and private report of Chief of Police Anglès to the King, on the subject of the suburbs of Paris, terminated with these lines:—

“Taking all things into consideration, Sire, there is nothing to be feared from these people. They are as heedless and as indolent as cats. The populace is restless in the provinces; it is not in Paris. These are very pretty men, Sire. It would take all of two of them to make one of your grenadiers. There is nothing to be feared on the part of the populace of Paris the capital. It is remarkable that the stature of this population should have diminished in the last fifty years; and the populace of the suburbs is still more puny than at the time of the Revolution. It is not dangerous. In short, it is an amiable rabble.”

But Hugo can’t keep that pretense up for long and it becomes a tirade about how Things Are Not Fine, lots of people hate the Bourbons, and people will be rioting in the streets soon.

Prefects of the police do not deem it possible that a cat can transform itself into a lion; that does happen, however, and in that lies the miracle wrought by the populace of Paris. Moreover, the cat so despised by Count Anglès possessed the esteem of the republics of old. In their eyes it was liberty incarnate; and as though to serve as pendant to the Minerva Aptera of the Piræus, there stood on the public square in Corinth the colossal bronze figure of a cat. The ingenuous police of the Restoration beheld the populace of Paris in too “rose-colored” a light; it is not so much of “an amiable rabble” as it is thought. The Parisian is to the Frenchman what the Athenian was to the Greek: no one sleeps more soundly than he, no one is more frankly frivolous and lazy than he, no one can better assume the air of forgetfulness; let him not be trusted nevertheless; he is ready for any sort of cool deed; but when there is glory at the end of it, he is worthy of admiration in every sort of fury. Give him a pike, he will produce the 10th of August; give him a gun, you will have Austerlitz. He is Napoleon’s stay and Danton’s resource. Is it a question of country, he enlists; is it a question of liberty, he tears up the pavements. Beware! his hair filled with wrath, is epic; his blouse drapes itself like the folds of a chlamys. Take care! he will make of the first Rue Grenétat which comes to hand Caudine Forks. When the hour strikes, this man of the faubourgs will grow in stature; this little man will arise, and his gaze will be terrible, and his breath will become a tempest, and there will issue forth from that slender chest enough wind to disarrange the folds of the Alps. It is, thanks to the suburban man of Paris, that the Revolution, mixed with arms, conquers Europe. He sings; it is his delight. Proportion his song to his nature, and you will see! As long as he has for refrain nothing but la Carmagnole, he only overthrows Louis XVI.; make him sing the Marseillaise, and he will free the world.

It’s clear from the beginning that Tholomyes will betray and abandon Fantine, in the same way the return of the monarchy betrayed and abandoned the poor and vulnerable people who were born into the world of the Revolution.

[blackbat05]

Golden Trio of Tennis ⭐️🎾 - Order of the Phoenix

Note: I think I might have gone crazy with these headcanons . Excuse me😂 If you have any ideas on what I should do next, drop me a DM!

Dark times. Fear is running high. Everyone has different ways to deal and manage with their emotions. Including our trio.

Carlos

Carlos is passionate 3000% in fighting back. He makes it known to everyone that he’s a rebel. That has gotten him into a lot of trouble.

The back of his hand is badly scarred as he exits Umbridge’s office for the sixth time this week. But he’s already planning the next revolt.

It’s brutal on the Qudditch Pitch. The Slytherins are out for Alcaraz’s blood. He almost had a bludger taking out his head.

So he sends a well aimed bludger to their Keeper and that’s how he got disqualified from the match.

Carlos rarely gets mad. He’s usually the happy go lucky one that shines brighter than the sun. But there are always exceptions.

Like now as he chucks his broom aside and glares at Umbridge for that decision.

That’s how he ended up in her office for the seventh time.

His scars are starting to become worse and Carlos cannot simply ignore it.

Jannik. But security is much higher now since Umbridge took over.

Wait a minute…

The golden retriever limps towards the Ravenclaw tower and waits outside until someone from the house sees him.

A second year boy ends up scooping the injured dog into his arms and informs Jannik about it. (Yes, they know that this Golden belongs to Jannik. Or at least comes to look for Jannik every single time)

Jannik

Jannik was deep into his potions assignment when the boy comes. He can’t believe his eyes.

Sweet, mild tempered Jannik could feel his rage bubbling in his stomach. That foul b-

He forces himself to cool down quickly to prepare the potion for the injuries from his diminishing potions kit.

He puts it in a dish and coaxes dog Carlos to drink it. But the dog only whines and crawls into his lap.

“Carlos… you have to drink it.” Jannik is weak at the sight of his friend who usually is so full of energy. But Carlos just wants to sleep.

So Jannik puts him on a pillow, wrapped in his Ravenclaw scarf.

He’s not as vocal as Carlos about disagreeing with Umbridge’s methods. But he does it in his own way by studying so much harder since Defense classes are literally a joke.

Somehow with Umbridge’s presence, students whose parents have been associated with Death Eaters get 1000% cockier. Jannik doesn’t give a shit though.

Some 7th year Slytherin tried to hex Jannik while he wasn’t paying attention but Jannik was too quick for him, hexing him right back with a jelly leg jinx.

WITHOUT being caught by Umbridge.

Because he also hexed the Slytherin’s big mouth.

Never, ever cross Jannik. He’s quiet but he’s a deadly fighter. When you hurt his friends, he’ll give it back to you tenfold.

And this time, someone has his back.

Holger

Although he’s from Slytherin, he’s almost if not even more reckless than Carlos and Jannik combined.

He openly talks back to Umbridge about her teaching methods and she can’t do anything about it.

Now this is where it gets funny.

Every evening, Holger would turn into his Animagus form, and find a way to sneak into Umbridge’s office when she’s away and take a piss on her desk, seat and on every surface that’s possible.

Ooooh the way Umbridge was seething during morning breakfast, Holger couldn’t help but to snicker.

During one DADA lesson, Holger’s retort had rendered her speechless.

“Cat got your tongue, Professor?”

Umbridge knows that Holger has something to do with this. She doesn’t understand why the child from an esteemed pure blood family would join those filthy half breeds and m*dbloods

Carlos is sitting beside Holger, having recovered from his injuries. He gives a happy Holger a fist pump under the table.

Yeah… Holger’s probably planning what to do next to terrorize that good for nothing woman. If it means that Carlos is back to his old self again.

[nesiacha]

Before beginning this critique, as I have not finished reading the books, I would like to thank aedesluminis for the references she recommended. Without them, I wouldn't even have been able to place Madame de Stael. This is a personal opinion about her, so I allow myself some deviations that should not be present in a historical analysis. At the moment, my initial impression of her has proven to be justified. First of all, the two million livres that Necker advanced as collateral on his personal fortune. Personally, I wouldn't blame the Treasury for not repaying it because we must remember two things:

Necker amused himself with others in obstructing Turgot, who was much more competent than him. If Turgot had not proposed his austerity plan and had not played the "villain", Necker wouldn't have been able to borrow at all (I acknowledge the limitations of Turgot's economy, but I prefer the austerity plans advocated by Lindet and others at the time of 1793; however, Turgot was much more competent than Necker). Necker wanted this position at any cost, and now he must bear the consequences.

By constantly borrowing, playing the image of the false friend of the people denounced by Marat, and especially hiding the realities of the deficit, Necker would have done better to donate 2 million livres to try to redeem himself (even without these 2 million livres, his situation is much better than that of the vast majority of French people at that time). But let's get back to the subject of Germaine de Stael. As the daughter, she is a privileged witness of 1789. She becomes friends with people like Talleyrand and especially Lameth. She is attached to a moderate revolution of 1791 and does not like that the power of the King (executive) is diminished when he still has significant powers such as the right of veto. She suffers insults from the ultra-royalists, but she doesn't like the republicans much either. Contrary to some legends, Manon Roland is quite different from Madame de Stael. Moreover, the grinding of teeth that I would have against Stael is the fact that she approves of the shooting on the Champ de Mars while citizens were signing a petition for the deposition of the king following the flight to Varennes (thus a justified opinion) in the face of the lie of the National Assembly. With this phrase in 1793, "The Terror, he writes, was nothing but arbitrary pushed to the extreme." In her moral double standard, she will later approve of the repression of April 1, 1795, led by the army, the Muscadins. Not to mention the execution of the last Montagnards. Without any consideration for the economic context, namely the abolition of the maximum and the poor harvests of 1794 which pushed the last sans-culottes to rebel (even if I totally disapprove of the macabre assassination of Féraud), Madame de Stael approves once again. In conclusion, if it is republicans from the extreme left wing of 1791 - who were Girondins and some Montagnards -, Jacobins, Cordeliers or sans-culottes demanding repressive measures, they are awful arbitrary actions, but if it is the opposite camp, it can allow killings according to Germaine de Stael. These double standards should never be tolerated. I am exaggerating, but this is how I feel. The guillotine cannot be used against Madame Stael's friends but can be used against people like Charles Gilbert Romme according to her (I am exaggerating again, but you see where I am going with this).

Moreover, she quickly forgot Barras' role, which was one of the bloodiest of the revolution, to curry favor with him (hypocrisy or political calculation, I will be kind and grant her the second option). Furthermore, she who disapproved of the demonstration of April 1, 1795, by the sans-culottes or the petition demanded by the Cordeliers among others following the King's flight, will approve of a coup d'état which is an even more serious and unconstitutional act (because it comes from the army) on the part of Napoleon. Is she aware of her history? In the absence of following the predictions of a Marat, other Cordeliers, Jacobins, and others who believed that the army should never meddle in the affairs of the country, did she follow the excesses of the Janissaries in the Ottoman Empire? Or simply of Roman history? Quality education doesn't guarantee everything... And yes, Madame de Stael was initially a fervent admirer of Napoleon but later became his opponent due to authoritarian abuses. However, I am against in her biographies the fact of exonerating her from her mistake by saying that many people at the time admired Napoleon and supported the coup d'état. It's untrue; Kleber made a report against Napoleon (although he died before the 18th Brumaire), Prieur de la Marne was against Napoleon, Prieur de la Côte d'Or never accepted anything from Napoleon... So no, this excuse doesn't hold. Let's not forget that Germaine Stael made a dubious comparison between Robespierre and Napoleon; Robespierre surely had flaws but not that of being a dictator, and wouldn't sending armed force against the Convention unlike Napoleon. I acknowledge Madame de Stael for being anti-slavery and for having a good opinion of the consequences of the Hundred Days regarding Napoleon, but I must note that she did not suffer (at least not much) unlike other opponents of Napoleon, namely the Belair couple (Charles and Sanité Belair) who were executed, Jean-Baptiste Antoine le Franc (we must not forget that deportation could be worse than death), and even Simone Evrard who was interrogated (I think Napoleon and his governement wouldn't have arrested her too much time and even less deported her because even he would have realized that it would have been hell to pay if he did that against someone considered the widow of Marat) or even Marie Anne Babeuf watched by Napoleon's police and denounced, etc... But I will continue to read the books; I hope that thanks to these books, my opinion of her will evolve.

Source thank you again aedesluminis

Jean Denis Bredin Une singulière famille

Michel Winock Madame de Stael

Gislaine de Diesbach Madame de Stael

[masterjedilenawrites]

How would you imagine the delta boys to react or what they would do when they get back after a rough mission??

Aww this image of battered, downcast Deltas made me so sad... 😢 I just want to protect and love them, your honor.

Boss: Holds himself together for a bit. There's plenty of debriefings and paperwork to get through once they're back, and it won't do for him to be emotional during any of it. He's also hyper-sensitive to the feelings of his squad and he doesn't want to feed into their misery with his own. He won't be overly positive, but he'll maybe try a small pep talk or some comforting shoulder pats as they separate to cope in their own ways. The first time Boss is alone is when he hits the showers, and that's when he'll finally acknowledge his own feelings. He'll let himself take a longer shower than normal, indulging in the hot water hitting his skin while he stands there, motionless and melancholy. There may even be a few frustrated tears that get swept away with the water.

Fixer: Is such a grumpy boy. He doesn't like missions that don't end well, that don't go according to plan. He will be analyzing every detail from the mission, mulling it over and over in his head to figure out what went wrong, and venting about it to anyone who will listen. He never puts names to his feelings, let alone give himself the time or space to properly deal with them. His anger comes out in his speech, clipped and annoyed. His fear becomes pools of sweat along his hairline. His guilt manifests into tinkering and planning, trying to find improvements in both technology and strategy so the difficulties they faced today don't persist into the future. His name is Fixer for a reason; he will not rest until he finds a way to fix whatever broke on this mission.

Scorch: Is simply tuckered out. He will be uncharacteristically quiet as he shuffles his feet out of the ship and toward home base. The playful glint usually found in his eyes has been dimmed as he fights off his exhaustion. He sits numbly through the debriefs and for once doesn't have any quippy retorts when told what to do. As soon as he is able, he collapses onto any decently comfy surface and sleeps for a good, long while. He really can't process such devastating emotions, not when they're so fresh, so intense. He can't fully sleep them off, but the nap diminishes their sting, and allows him to get some of his spunk back, too. When he wakes, he'll be back to his usual self, but will have random moments of melancholy as he slowly processes the events of the mission.

Sev: On the outside, he doesn't seem much different, simply dark and broody as always. But on the inside, he's hurting. Bad. Nothing gets him down quite like a failed mission. He takes full responsibility, even for the things outside of his control. He can't help it. If fighting is the one thing he was made for, how could he brush off failure? Whether or not these feelings come to the surface depends on who he's around. If Fixer is pacing about and venting, then Sev will likely blow up in anger. If Scorch crashes on the bunk next to him, Sev will sit in contemplative silence for as long as his brother sleeps. And a shoulder pat from Boss? However quick or innocent, that's what impacts Sev the most. He'll disappear and let himself cry over the comforting gesture.

Everything Tag: @damerondala, @dangerousstrawberrypie, @fallingforthem, @harleyevanstan, @imabeautifulbutterfly, @justanothersadperson93, @misogirl828, @itsagrimm, @error6gendernotfound, @theroguesully, @clonesimp, @techie-bear

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[matchagyudon]

Charisma, Charisma Battle Anthem - Fumiya Ito English Lyrics Translation

TL Notes:

I kind of butcher it in the English translation, but what Fumiya calls a “Yukichi Bromide” is just 10,000 yen. He likes to collect a bunch of them like bromides, like a hardcore stan with their ita bags and rooms of the same merch. I think I managed to get the point across. The American version I guess would be “Lincoln Photocards” or something like that lol.

I really had to keep myself from writing “my peppy lil pro idol” because maybe Fumiya would have come off a little Discord admin-y. But I think Fumiya would do anything for some yen at this rate. Anyways, JPY is just the currency (Japanese Yen). Like how he calls the Yukichi note a bromide, he essentially relates JPY to an idol he adores.

そそり勃つ/sosoritatsu: To become erect (like a nipple/penis/etc).

I don’t even know how to explain where Amahiko gets asparagus from 野天門. 野天 (noten) is to be in the open air and 門 (mon) is gate. His ass is a gate…. Also thank you to my friend for pointing out that で (de) is in fact a location marker, and with the shape of asparagus…. You can see asparagus inside Amahiko’s Wild Gate ;)

札束 (satsutaba) is a bundle of cash/stack of money. So he’s collecting those bands!!!

“Do well on your mission and “you will be rewarded”. This most definitely has some religious connotation, given the verse as well as the whole thing of Fumiya and his “godly” message. A missionary going on a mission.

ビターな甘味処 “This place is bittersweet” 甘味処/kanmidokoro is a cafe featuring Japanese sweets. Bitter sweet[shop].

“Shit that makes something out of nothing call that Holy shit” Ohse our Holy Mary <3

Tera, peta, and exa are SI prefixes. Tera is 1012, peta is 1015, and exa is 1018. Lots of beauty to go around.

I can’t keep beating around the bush anymore with Amahiko. I try to fluff up anything he says but if he were to say “I LOVE ROUGH ANAL SEX” in full blown English what am I supposed to do at this point. I give up.

Fun fact! Look up χάρισμα. This is read as charisma…. Which in Greek, means gift of god! A divine boon.

Raps are not my strong suit. Maybe one day I’ll be able to make this make sense. In the meantime, I tried. Not my best work. I really appreciate the writers creativity though <3 even though it melts my mind a lot of the times.

“1, 2, 3” Chasin’, chasin’ after that paper like collectible photo cards “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7” Driven High, you’ll get your fair share “1, 2, 3” JPY, my peppy pro idol A handbook? Nah, how ‘bout a tour guide? “Charisma Style Rap Battle Break!”

Didn’t I already explain it to ya? Well to sum it up At the beginning of the week Let's call it Charisma Monday Interpol scatters Asia’s allies Marching alongside them, inciting right and wrong

Even birds who tweet their blessings have morals Attaining that QOL comes with responsibility Adulterated fraternizing, Not love for you Try to follow a different justice without diminishing it

Take advantage of that gap in my armor I’m a speedy, pro-slave Just a stray dog if you don’t call my name So tip my scale with endless burdens

Rebel then counter, counter, counter And counter again Lemme paint a picture of me for ya I’m like a coyote in the Sonoran desert Bloodthirsty and comin’ for ya throat

Beat down the greed that’s outta your league I’ve got a great view from down here like the shitty bug I am There’s 7 of us, but I’m the only dwarf The color of snow white Neurosis

No need for even a sliver of eccentricity Am I a necessity? “Seeking irregularities” Even from a long, long, long, long, long time ago, I’m a legacy Yes, I’m super beautiful ♪

The inevitable is calm So stiffen up This world’s fate is sexy! It’s sexy to read “Amahiko’s Wild Gate” With “ASSparagus!”

Magnificent 7th wonder I reach out and grab some bands Now it’s time to shine This Charisma Alchemy We’ve already got it in the bag

24/7 We set out, under the same roof With our everyday chaotic synergy 24/7 Eating out of the same pot Check out our flashy energy

Don’t give a shit about Pitiful jealousy Don’t give a shit about Living shamefully

Just shout out whenever And you can tell by the sound of footsteps

24/7 We set out, under the same roof With our everyday chaotic synergy 24/7 Eating out of the same pot Check out our flashy energy

We ain’t friends so stay out of our way ‘S no good? This is the path between Good and Evil

However! We’ve got rules here too If someone’s in trouble We’re all going down together

“1, 2, 3” Chasin’, chasin’ after that paper like collectible photo cards “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7” Driven High, you’ll get your fair share “1, 2, 3” JPY, my peppy pro idol A handbook? Nah, how ‘bout a tour guide? “Charisma Style Rap Battle Break!”

I wonder, are there spawns of demons and gods? And when you sift through them, how many people will be left? Do well on your mission and “you will be rewarded” This place is bittersweet

A pure white monologue No need for a secretary, just this diary You’re a caller of injustice So let’s get to the bottom of this, are you good or evil

Another successful case of tendonitis If you can’t get it, then we aren’t on the same page Those who are scrupulous Are squares My load tolerance is more than double-digits

Rage Against everything in this world Always angry, forgetting how to show mercy “Right?” Garbage that don’t burn That’s bullshit I’ll light it up anyways

Scum who is bewildered by those who are gentle A dark craft that drains the joys and sorrows of peace Shit that makes something out of nothing call that Holy shit A digital tattoo engraver

A neverending diffusion in every direction My beauty multiplies: tera, peta, and exa Mirror, oh mirror Even if you can’t understand the words The answer is revealed right in front of you

Extremely☆Horny A midsummer monster Quivering☆swaying A gift from God Locked in a grapple Inside of you Is a treasure Nearly bare!

If you back out now, it’ll vanish Your offerings of one hundred million Are not nearly enough But they can offset it “Rainy days” So from the back With no motion “Strike” While the iron’s still hot

24/7 We set out, under the same roof With our everyday chaotic synergy 24/7 Eating out of the same pot Check out our flashy energy

Don’t give a shit about Pitiful jealousy Don’t give a shit about Living shamefully

Just shout out whenever And you can tell by the sound of footsteps

24/7 We set out, under the same roof With our everyday chaotic synergy 24/7 Eating out of the same pot Check out our flashy energy

We ain’t friends so stay out of our way ‘S no good? This is the path between Good and Evil

However! We’ve got rules here too If someone’s in trouble We’re all going down together

“1, 2, 3” Chasin’, chasin’ after that paper like collectible photo cards “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7” Driven High, you’ll get your fair share “1, 2, 3” JPY, my peppy pro idol A handbook? Nah, how ‘bout a tour guide? “Charisma Style Rap Battle Break!”

Charisma Battle Anthem (google.com)

[ask-healthy-light]

Fight for Our Home

No matter how immense and sudden the change was for both of us, nor how much I rebelled against him for the first few years, I do not remember a single moment that Pa- I mean, Jarl Dark treated me as anything less than an equal, be it at home, in training, in our daily lives, or even during battle.

The day that I first truly understood how dearly Dark cared for me and Dusk was the latter of these moments, when I opened my eyes to look upon a blanket of white clouds. Countless snowflakes floated down to land on my face, but I did not yet know why I still felt warmth, despite the wind and snow.

My blurred vision diminished as I started to come to my senses, when I realised that the warmth had spread to my right hoof. I sat upright to look over my body, when I found that both my coat and the snow-covered ground around me had been stained dark red, and I found a gash across my entire chest.

Fortunately, it had solidified, and was no longer bleeding, and I breathed a sigh of relief, when I heard the unmistakable sound of clashing metal close by. I did not know the peril I was in, until I turned to face whence the sound came, only to see Dark standing mere hooves away, wielding his axe.

It felt like I was looking at him swinging his broadaxe with both hooves for an eternity, and I did not understand what was going on, until my stained hoof brushed against the hilt of my sword. In an instant, I remembered the bridge we were defending, the advancing army, and the blade that hurt me.

Biting through the pain as best I could, following in his hoofsteps, I grabbed my sword, and slowly rose from the ground to stand by his side once again. With my buckler on one arm and my sword in my hoof, I narrowly managed to parry another Stallion's greatsword that nearly struck him in his side.

A mere moment later, after I had defeated the Stallion, and pushed his lifeless body into the river far below us, did Dark see me by his side, and he froze where he stood. I was concerned that he had been hit, and I asked him if he was all right, to which he merely dropped his axe, and embraced me.

Yet again, I could feel my coat becoming wet, but when I heard Dark's breathing quickened, and felt his embrace tighten as his voice started to break, I knew it was not because of a wound. Only after he told me he thought I had been slain did I realise it was the tears he wept that stained my coat.

By the grace of the Heavens above, not a single Pony dared to cross the bridge for as long as I was in Dark's embrace. Only after Dark let go of me, and nodded with teary eyes and a euphoric smile on his face, did somepony approach us again, quivering in fear as they slowly stepped onto the bridge.

It was clear to us both that the Pony now in front of us, clad head to hoof in armour, and wielding a great weapon, had seen far too few winters to be here. When Dark picked up his axe, he caused the Young Stallion to quiver even more, until he quietly told him to lay down his arms, and to go home.

The rest of the force, who were all unfit for battle, surrendered, and Dark stepped towards them to ask what they needed, so he could see what they could spare. As he led the few surrendered soldiers back to town, I saw past the great warrior I admired, and saw the noble Pony Dark was trying to be.

After the last soldiers left, we were just glad to return home to find Dusk sound asleep.

I know Dark remembers when he was in their place, fighting for his own home, and those he loved…

(Thanks for reading this bonus! If you'd like a story of your own, feel free to send a request!)

Featuring: Morro, Dark and Dusk from @askdarkpony