#ajax & cyrus

[thewhizzyhead]

how genderbending the warriors (2024) is done not for the sole sake of "bad-assery"

okay here we go feminist ramble time for our newest chick on the block: warriors. now i'll be honest, prior to listening to the album, when i first heard that the warriors main girls were originally dudes in the movie and the novel, i thought that the decision for the genderbending, in lmm's perspective, were from the following: 1.) girl power move in like a very basic meaning of the word "bad-ass" 2.) simply a twist on a cult movie about big gang bros loved by the film bros, and 3.) a way to have the schuyler sisters back together gjfkdfldf

but when i read more about warriors and its development and how lmm took inspiration from the gamergate controversies of 2014-2015 aka among the peak of gamerbro misogyny campaigns, that's when i realized that Oh Shit Is Serious - because adapting a story about a group being framed and targeted and harassed for something they are accused of doing without any substantial proof other than a man screaming "THE WARRIORS SHOT CYYYYRUUS" with 21st century misogyny campaigns in mind makes the theme of fighting back a lot more complicated and a lot more resonant, going beyond just marketing a cast you can call "badass"

take the hurricanes' quiet girls, for example. the hurricanes (concept album version) is the only gang that lets the warriors off the hook and with a stern warning: quiet girls don't make it home. here, the hurricanes berate the warriors for not saying shit or attempting to defend themselves from accusations they know well aren't true. THIS MESSAGE IN PARTICULAR is what stays and influences ajax, fox, and swan til the very end of their stories.

literally one song after this does ajax show how easily she resonated with the hurricanes' lesson by finally sticking with her gut and actually choosing to fight back against both the baseball furies AND against the sleazy undercover cop. the latter encounter is one of the instances that really solidifies the recontextualization of the story because in the OG movie, ajax (a dude) WAS the sleazy fuck up harassing a woman in a park - and now with the literal character switch, ajax goes from being just a rebellious gangbro dude bro into someone whose want to fight is warranted. such a want to fight is seen in fox seeing as fox is the first to comment on the quiet girls scene and that, in the concept album, she is the one that instigates the rumble against the police in union square - saying that she is sick of being afraid of them and their 'fuckin powder blue' colors (also notice how she is the only warrior that really does say fuck the cops i think that's cool BUT I'LL TALK ABOUT FOX MORE NEXT TIME)

to a less obvious extent, swan also gets the receiving end of this recurring theme - by the album's finale, the usually violence-averse caution-first interim leader becomes a lot fiercer in protecting her crew. but perhaps among what i consider to be the biggest recontextualized change in the feminist sense is MERCY and her motivations to join the warriors in the first place. according to the wiki, her attraction to swan and the warriors and um seeing the orphans as wimps is what led her to switch sides BUT IN THE CONCEPT ALBUM, mercy's motivation to become a warrior is deepened, rooted in admiration rather than attraction - wanting to be like those women who hold their head up high. and again, we see this in Sick of Runnin' when she takes part in the rumble, finding her bravery within their ranks as they fight back. here, mercy becomes less of a swan tagalong and more of someone that wants what the warriors have: pride.

of course now that i type this out i realize that warriors is not based solely on the feminist rhetoric as with their theme of hope amidst adversity, the story is more intersectional and rooted in community struggle and wanting for more than that. but nonetheless, i genuinely believe that the twt filmbros arguments on why the genders should not have been changed in the first place just for "woke" points is kinda like,,,very shortsighted because not only does the narrative of women narrowly escaping unwarranted accusations actually fucking fit, but the act of learning to fight back amidst all odds - be it that of disbelieving, predatory men or the power of oppressive pigs - stays resonant for women yesterday, today, and the days to come.

ultimately, warriors (2024) is not solely a tale of female badassery - rather, it is a tale of the need for such "female badassery" in the face of past and present realities, which is why it somehow fucking worked.

[ataraxixx]

some various guys

[techmomma]

momo:

momo: what flavor? tb: smoothie.

[iwant-fuitgummi]

"i am totally normal about genshin impact" i say. my google doc falls out of my pocket. you see that i have given every single playable character a full name and have done research into the naming conventions of other countries to do so. i hit you with a hammer and run

[rembrandts-spraypaint]

R.I.P Cyrus, you would've loved post-Beatles John Lennon

[roadkillgodfather]

Lioden!Ajax is now in the game!

And he's pregnant with 4 cubs after using a GOP and lion meat!!! If he gives me a lethal or a hybrid I'll cry. I'm gonna ibf him tomorrow so I can have Jasper/Ajax Valentine's Day babies :)

[simonisferal]

not you again “ scaramouche x male reader “

episode ten: this is NOT the USA miley cyrus was partying in 📖

warnings: vulgar language, mentions and consumption of weed and alcohol, mentions of suicide and self loathing, one sex joke, y/n is kind of a bitch

notes: i listened to the demons 😐 sorry skibidi rizzlers. i didnt have a sigma day

500 words

You groan. ‘That asshole.’ You turn off your phone and put it back in your pocket.

You shouldn’t have even considered picking it up. All he does is brag nowadays. You can't seem to maintain a proper conversation with him without the guy spewing out some bullshit. You'd say it was just like him if you didn't know him before.

You shouldn't think of him anymore, especially since you won't see him again but you still had a lingering feeling of guilt.

Your trance was put to a stop as a familiar voice called out to you.

“Y/N!” It was Tartaglia. He wore a weird combination of a Hawaian shirt and jean shorts that barely covered his knees. “Hey, I haven’t seen you in a while.” You would’ve burst out laughing if you weren’t so confused.

”Childe? What are you doing here? I thought you were back in Liyue.”

The ginger shrugs before Diluc and Kaeya both come out of a very expensive looking house. The walls were painted a cream color and it looked like the place had three stories. The root was carefully bricked and the bushes surrounding the land were beautifully trimmed and watered.

The sudden realization that you were possibly the only penniless person there (besides Venti) came you to. ‘What the fuck.’

Kaeya spoke up, “He got kicked out of summer school for fighting a guy named Xiao. My sweet brother, Diluc, was so charitable and is letting him stay here until summer is over.” He had a small grin on his face as Diluc let out a groan and crossed his arms, displaying fake annoyance.

”Seeing how Kaeya is so adamant on Ajax, I figured I could do him a favor… Though I’d rather not hear anything suspicious in the manor’s bedroo—”

”Woah!” Tartaglia interrupted him, waving his hands around and becoming a little louder as if to drown him out. “Diluc! Some things are better left not said, ‘kay?” He had a sheepish smile on his face.

Diluc scoffed. “It’s my house.”

Kaeya interrupted, “It’s also mine.”

”You don’t pay rent.”

”And you don’t do your bed.”

”You—“

 “We should go inside! Y/N hasn’t seen the Dawn Winery yet, right?” Childe, as if begging you to go along, wrapped his arm around your shoulder. You stiffen a bit, he’s gotten slightly taller from what you recall, but agree.

”Yeah. I’d like to see it.” You weren’t too sure if you should be talking formally or not, seeing how fancy the house—or ‘manor’ was.

Kaeya and Diluc shared a look but, nonetheless, invited you in. They began to walk with you following them but Ajax stopped you.

He looked both ways before handing you a small bag. “Here. Take this.” It wasn’t anything big, just a chocolate brownie. “Uhh, thanks?” You took it a little too fast for his liking.

He looked at you with a raised eyebrow. You could see the gears turn in his head. “Oh! Y/N, dude, it's an edible.” Tartaglia explained.

Oh. You ignore the fact you forgot what such a thing was. You open the bag cautiously, scared it might alert the FEDs or something. “Why would I need one?”

”Did you look in the mirror when you left? You’re a mess.” He looked concerned and your heart sank a bit.

”Don’t worry about the weed though, it’s only like six milligrams, I think.”

You took a bit out of it. It didn’t taste bad. ”You think?”

”Yeah… I’m not a knower.”

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taglist: closed!

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@cherimu, @thystarsshine, @zoropookie, @justyoureader, @kazumiku,

@heusalettle, @khisuko, @neversore, @liuaneee, @popcorn-milk,

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@allaboutiknowthatyoubeingdead, @somnium-kiss, @crxwned-mxnarch, @jad3-n, @emptydinner-plate

[desmon1995]

Female Warriors, Broadway, and the American Dream.

The Warriors have been out for about 2 weeks now and it's slowly but steadily building up a pretty passionate following.

I think one of the biggest changes that have been rough for some long time over years 79 fans is that the Warriors are now female, which some argue ruins the point of the original and or softens the story too much.

While I do respect everybody's opinion when it comes to artistic criticism, I do think that dismissing the concept album just because it features women is a little short-sighted IMHO.

Regurgitating the original male cast just in musical album form would not only be repetitive but would make it no different than other Broadway show that focus on gang violence like West Side story or now The Outsiders.

We have so many shows that focus on brotherhood, kinship, and just masculinity not even within film but also on Broadway, but we hardly ever see the same for female characters.

The Female Warriors are very rough around the edges, foul-mouthed, violent at times, and in the case of cowgirl, lustful.

They're also different body types, present themselves differently, and are all played by BIPOC.

I've seen a lot of Broadway shows in my 30 years of living, and we just don't get diverse female characters like this a lot if at all.

If any female character had the above traits they would likely be presented as being the less than ideal woman or flat out villainous.

The girls have flaws, but these are just things they picked up because of how rough the world has been to them, and at the end of the day they're not only friends but a family.

That's a big difference between the female warriors and their male counterparts from the movie and novel.

The Male Warriors are supposed to be seen as what ends up happening when youths get tangled up in gang culture and how it turns them into monsters.

When the police arrest Ajax in the film it's because of how unruly and savage he was acting and likewise Fox getting killed along with Cleon is supposed to be seen as a consequence of them even being a part of this culture to begin with.

I've said it before, but I think while the intentions may be good it's viewing these marginalized groups through a very White and conservative lens.

Nobody wants to be a part of a gang or run away from home but sometimes living in poverty, an abusive household, or just being crushed by the system forces people to do desperate things and more often than not that's banding together with like-minded people.

Another thing is that most of the Warriors in the original film are White and that's largely just due to the fact that an audience back in the 1970s would be less willing to watch something that didn't at least feature several white main leads otherwise they'd be uncomfortable and uninterested.

From a modern-day perspective, a person like male Ajax would likely get away with his sexually aggressive behavior because of the color of the skin ( you can look at a certain orange politician to see that in present day) and we now know thanks to things like BLM that the police do not always operate in good faith nor to protect the people.

I think that's why the concept album is so good and culturally relevant despite having being created nearly a few years ago.

The Warriors consisting of a group of marginalized women that banded together to support one another to conduct a world that really doesn't care for them is a story you really get to hear not just on Broadway but in Hollywood in general.

Luther being a white gang leader and killing a black cultural figure like Cyrus in cold blood to stop any semblance of progress is the tale as all this time and how he mocks the AAVE the non-white groups he surrounds himself with after making life hell for them is especially painful.

Luther and Crosby literally don't have to worry about ever being hounded by the police because of how they look which allows them to get away with literal murder, but it is very telling that he ends up crumbling the moment he's confronted and called out for his misdeeds.

The cops themselves are also completely reworked for the concept album as opposed to them just being the boys in blue doing their job to get rid of the trash that is the Warriors like the original film, they're essentially the biggest antagonist even more so than the Rogues.

Both police officers that appear in the album have a cat calling motif which doubles as sounding like police sirens just to illustrate how dangerous and cancerous they are not just to the Warriors but to the community as a whole.

Captain Victor and Barnes abuse their power and end up nearly subduing the Warriors by killing Fox and sexually a harassing and later arresting Ajax.

In Derailed Victor even tries to kill the warriors with his squadron before they run away to the cemetery and all of this is done because they can.

The fact that these two are portrayed by people from the 1979 Warriors film sort of acts as a double entender because in the original, the Warriors themselves are supposed to be seen as monsters and what happens when kids fall too deep into the sins of the world, so the cops view the women as nothing more than street rats who need to be exterminated .

The Warriors are guilty because they're marginalized women and that's enough for them to be blown away as far as society and the system is concerned.

I think in some ways, the Warriors is basically the reverse of LMM's other work Hamilton because it shows that the American dream isn't really for everybody and that sometimes you have to find another means to live by.

The system very much failed the Warriors so they had to rely on themselves to make it through the world because nobody else would bother with them.

It's for this reason why I'm sort of against the idea that this album needs to be radically changed in order for it to move the Broadway.

Doing things like giving Luther more complex feelings, adding in things to help the predominantly white audience and critics understand how Urban culture works, and rewriting the characters themselves just to be more stage appropriate seems like it undoes what the musical was trying to say.

I think this story as it is is one worth telling and beyond maybe a bit of polish I don't really think it should be tempered with too much.

If Lin and Eisa were to doll the Warriors up too much it would basically be a completely different story altogether and what we would have is just another Broadway musical that allows the audience to digest certain things that they may not understand nor possibly want to hear.

I think we as a society have moved beyond watering down things so that people who aren't even from the community that these stories come from can sleep better at night.

I think that's why this album and the original movie have dedicated fan bases to them because it does speak to a generation of people.

[whatcannotbesaid-shallbewept]

"This is The Sound Of Something Being Born" (But What?)

Like anyone else who's listened to it, I just can't stop thinking about Warriors.

It's a dense work, and while the genderswap is probably my favourite thing about it, there's two other things about the story that I'm obsessed with. "This is the sound of something being born", and the song Same Train Home.

I've done my post on the genderswap so consider this Part 2 of my "favourite things about The Warriors" meta series.

But while the Genderswap is important to Warriors it's not the main thesis of the story.

While "This is the sound of something born" definitely is the thesis. It's in the first song, and the finale line of the last song. It's the mic-drop moment that ends the album. So what's being born exactly? And what do I have to add to this thesis?

It's important to pay attention to who says that line. Firstly, it's the guest rappers on Survive The Night. Then it's Cleon in Finale.

Cleon is definitely the heart (or soul?) of the story - she's the one who believes in Cyrus, the Warrior who has the highest emotional stakes in that dream being destroyed.

But Cyrus' dream isn't what Cleon is talking about in the finale. So... what?

Eisa Davis has already said what's actually being born in the final song... it's Hip-hop.

She calls the album "a love letter to the origins of the Hip-Hop". You can look at the plot through a lense of the Cyrus truce "enabling the the cultural conditions that created hip-hop". Like the real gang truces did in the 70s.

That's why the guest rappers are the first ones to say "this is the sound of something being born".

I basically agree with @thewhizzyhead that Luther killing Cyrus made peace between the gangs impossible. That dream is firmly dead.

The Gramercy Riffs even admit this themselves. In the end, they break the peace. In their words "Fuck the truce, and do what's right."

By the finale, the album admits that peace isn't a sustainable goal anymore. Hell, it's not even worth it. Guys like Luther need to be stopped, and peace isn't working.

And this is where I go a little bit feral because... thats what RENT says!! And like Lin Manuel Miranda, I fucking love RENT.

One of the final lines of act one of RENT is - "The opposite of war isn't peace, its creation".

Which is almost exactly the same as Warriors' final thesis. Destruction, peace, creation.

Luther wants blind destruction, Cyrus and The Riffs want peace but fail, and in the end Cleon declares - "This is the sound of something being born"

Now that's always been a great line from RENT, but not really one that the story focuses on.

Jonathan Larson was a very political writer, only really writing charged satire before RENT. But I wouldn't really call RENT politically charged . (Partly due to his editors asking him to change things)

A lot of people have praised the ending of Warriors for being hopeful - and it very much is hopeful.

But it shouldn't be? Right?

If you look objectively at the situation - Cyrus is dead, Fox and Ajax are gone, Luther destroyed any chance of peace, and you know. They're still a gang dealing with things like poverty and police violence.

Over the course of Warriors nothing actually changes for the better. In fact, things are probably worse.

The situation is hopeless - but for some reason, the characters aren't. And the narrative rewards them for this.

You see, RENT ends in the exact same way. Things get worse - some of them die, relationships get ruined, most of them don't achieve their dreams. They still all have death sentences over their head, they're still poor. Everything's the same.

But one single thing changes.

Mimi, after a indirect suicide attempt, survives. And afterwards, she wants to live.

That's the triumphant moment the show ends on. RENT is a very optimistic show, and this is how it justifies all that optimism. With just one small, insignificant thing, like hope.

The same happens with Cleon. Things get worse, but Cleon still has hope.

This is what the line "The opposite of war isn't peace, its creation" actually means. It's another example of RENT's optimism.

It's blind optimism that doesn't really make logical sense - but it ends up being proven right anyway. In a very metatextual way.

Some of the characters in RENT probably don't even survive much longer after the final song - but Mark managed to record a lot of their lives in his documentary.

The film that plays in the final moments of the play, is also subtextually - the musical RENT. Something was lost, but something was created too. RENT didn't just create itself, but half a hundred other culturally relevant musicals. Some of which you may already know - In The Heights, Hamilton, Warriors.

Watching the musical RENT over and over, you get a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. A story loops back in on itself. It's the same with Warriors.

Eventually the birth Hip-hop happened, and then Warriors. It's own self-fulfilling prophecy. This is the sound of something being born.

[untitledesquire]

I think that the different tone in the ending of the Warriors film and album are reflective of a significant change in the way that we as a society conceptualize gangs and the reasons for their formation.

The film presents a very pulpy, almost comic-book like depiction of gang culture. They dress up in ridiculous outfits and don’t seem to have any ambition or desires outside of menacing people and causing pain. They have a radio station set up to spread their news and have giant convocations in prominent parks.

This has never actually been how gangs operate, but it is reflective of the way that gangs were viewed in the 60s and 70s, especially in NYC. They were a threat to society made up of antisocial criminals who simply cause pain for its own sake and love doing crime.

The album however seems to take a deeper dive into the ways in which the warriors have been failed by society and the reasons that gangs form. The film makes a couple passing references to the warriors’ case worker and to them not having much, but it doesn’t really provide depth to it.

The album makes a more deliberate effort to cotextualize the warriors, like with Swan having been homeless before Cleon found her, or Ajax facing sexist harassment and looking to protect her gang more than to cause random violence.

While I’m not an expert, gangs generally form as a response to a lack of security, economic opportunities, and stability in communities, often caused or exacerbated by discriminatory city planning and ghettoization. They form as an attempt by member of a community to stabilize and protect their community, even if it involves criminal activity. While I don’t think anyone will say that violence committed by gangs against other gangs or civilians is good, we have a much more nuanced understanding of why it happens now that makes it difficult to paint gang members in the same way that the film does.

The end of the film is bleak and dismal, a statement on the futility of this kind of violence and the pointlessness of the entire ordeal. The album however ends on a more optimistic note of the Warriors and Riffs fighting to realize Cyrus’s dream, which in the album is specifically tied to safety for the gang members and a reduction of violence instead of purely the acquisition of power.

[hellonnoj]

GUYS I AM FREAKING OUT !!! WARRIORS SPOILERS AHEAD !!!

WTFFFFFF WHY DID FOX DIE 😭😭😭😭😭 I HAD ALL MY MONEY ON HER TO KILL THAT FUCKING COP HOWWW WHATTT I DID NOT EXPECT HER GETTING THROWN INTO THE RAILS AT THE END 😭😭😭😭😭 I FUCKING HATE YOU COP 2 AND YOU COP 1 GOT FUCKING AJAX TOO AUGHHHHHH WHYYYYY MY GIRLLLL AUGHHHHHHHHHHHH FOXXX WHYYYYYY AND CLEON GOT HOMEEEEEE AHHHH WARRIORS AHH MERCY AND SWAN I LOVE Y'ALL SO MUCH MY NEW FAVE LESBIANS AUGGGH SHE GRABS HER AND SHE KISSES HER 😭😭😭😭 ON THE SUBWAY 😭😭😭 HGGGGGAGGAGRARRDRXT LUTHER I FUCKING HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU WHY WOULD YOU KILL CYRUS IM GLAD YOU GOT FUCKING SAND IN YOUR EYES UGHHHHHH MARC ANTHONY DEVOURED 🙌🙌🙌 AND WHAT ORPHEUS AND PERSEPHONE FROM HADESTOWN JUST THERE?!???!!!?!? I KNEW THOSE VOICES WERE FAMILIAR AAAAHAGHHHH I'M LISTENING TO THE ALBUM IN REPEAT WATCH OUT

[thewhizzyhead]

warriors 2024 and the art of giving meaning to struggle

alrighty ramble time: let's talk about luther and how he managed to fuck up NYC for good. if luther were like i dunno lex luthor, i'd say his move to destabilize gang relations in nyc is a very fucking calculated move because i really do have to give credit to him in actually achieving the goal he set out for himself because his decision to kill cyrus,,,,aka the one that organized the "Please No Gang Fighting" summit that aimed to unite everyone against the bigger baddies of NYC,,,essentially fucking killed any and all chance of such a peace summit and unity initiative from ever happening again. because, like, after seeing a beloved and seemingly untouchable leader be murdered in front of all of you despite explicit instructions to Not Bring Weapons, would you even risk witnessing that chaos again in another summit? would you trust that forming a united force work after such a tragedy? is there even a possibility of finding trust among other NYC gangs if someone among their number killed your very hope? so yea knowing how the movie ends with just the gramercy riffs saying that the warriors (with two dead people and one arrestee in tow) are off the hook because someone else witnessed luther killing cyrus,,,the original ending is actually quite hopeless when you think about it in their shoes. in the words of movie swan himself in the movie, is what they end up with all their night of sleepless fighting and struggle is worth? hence, i now really see why warriors (2024) decided to make what I consider to be the 2nd biggest diversion outside of the genderswap: making cleon live - because otherwise, the warriors' struggles surviving the night can be said to be struggle for solely struggle's sake.

in the musical, cleon is an astute believer in cyrus and the future cyrus envisions for all of NYC - thus, she becomes the harbinger of cyrus' hope in the form of still breathin' and somewhere in the city. her being alive doesn't detract from the widespread tragedy faced by the NYC gangs - i still really believe that no matter what, luther effectively killed their one shot at true unity and trust - but in cleon's own words: "What do you do when they kill everything you believe in? Give it meanin." the decision to keep cleon alive is warriors (2024) counteractive measure at the absolute shithole luther placed NYC in because in her message of keeping the dream alive despite situations that are, realistically speaking, impossible to wholly recover from, gives their struggle meaning, purpose, and direction - the end goal being hope. that theme of hope despite and in spite of adversity now becomes evident on as to why we are made to be invested in the warriors' journey home and their subsequent growth. in mercy's decision to leave the orphans for a place of belonging and pride that can make her finally hold her head up high. in ajax's and fox's decisions to retaliate against their pursuants among sleazy old men in blue. in swan's persistence in getting the rest of her crew home alive despite still reeling from the loss of her leader and her fellow warriors. all attribute their own reasons to why they resist and rebel because they ultimately hope for something fucking better. ultimately, warriors (2024) exists because of the want to give more meaning to struggle in the form of hope amidst hopelessness. in the movie, the warriors find their meaning in the sweet simple bliss of survival - in making to coney island's sunrise. but in the album, another meaning is emphasized among not just the warriors, but the marginalized communities of NYC in general: their meaning of struggle goes beyond surviving the night - because they carry on and carry forth the dream of one day having a city where they all come home alive. because after all, isn't the formation of grassroots rooted in resistance - and isn't resistance born out of the want and hope for something better?

[lgalacticjayl]

Some warrior thoughts cuz thats this weeks focus I guess. Just some fun things I noticed rewatching the movie and listening to the new musical. In general adaptations are so fun to see someone else's take on a story within the same universe. Ive reached a point where I dont think adaptations have to follow the original 1 for 1, because if they did there would be no need for an adaptation. And there are choices that have to be made when turning something into a new medium which leads for some cool explorations the main thing is keeping the story, and meaning true, if that makes sense. All this so say I'm not mad at any changes made as I believe they are all fun.

The main thing that has changed is that throighout the movie the warriors dont realize they've been framed but they know exactly from derailed. I think this just helps the audience more than anything

Cyrus being a girl too really doesnt change much which is the point but I would assume it sets a different tone for the grammercy riffs at the end

I am upset /lh that the punks and baseball furies arent in it but I just like their outfits. Cool to see other gangs like the hurricanes who are originally on screen for like 1 shot

That one also changes fox's death a little bit but mainly just placement. I like that its more clear what happened there though as a main problem in the movie is you cant tell who is who because you dont even learn fox's death until 20 minutes later when they finally talk about it. Not helpful when its the first time seeing the movie but it is cool to watch multiple times and pick up on things and you can see why certain things happened the way they did.

I saw one dude write an article and say that he doesnt think that the police in the park scene makes sense but hes wrong. Of course ajax wants to pick a fight with a cat caller and the girl in the movie is a cop too so like whats the difference really.

Also having an actual ending for ajax and cleon helps the story so much, the movies ending feels so empty but also their acting is a little stonefaced the whole time

But theres also direct lines that Lin transfered over and those make me so happy

[techmomma]

Tiberius always was good at finding weak spots.

[iwant-fuitgummi]

my headcanons for genshin characters' full names (plus some canon ones lol) ^-^

Travelers:

Aether Sirius Viator

Lumine Spica Viator

Paimon Alycone Merope

Mondstadt:

Albedo Erich Kreideprinz

Amber Ida Hasenkamp-Xia

Astrologist Mona Magdalena Megistus

Barbara “Barbie” Liselotte Pegg

Bennett Anselm Mallory

Dahlia Bram Batz

Diluc Bastian Ragnvindr

Diona Dafni Kätzlein

Eula Babette Lawrence

Fischl von Luftschloss Narfidort

Jeanette “Jean” Elke Gunnhildr

Kaeya Rivaan Alberich / Ragnvindr

Klee Käthe Kessler

Lisa Fiorella Minci

Michael “Mika” Clemens Schmidt

Noelle Petra Desroche

Razor Rolf Minci

Rosaria Karoline Nacht

Vanda “Sucrose” Anneliese Hertz

Varka Johann Bahl

Venti Detlef Daiber / Barbatos

Liyue:

Bai Chongyun

Cai Yanfei

Dai Yaoyao

Ding Xiao

Fei Xingqiu

Hu Tao

Huang Zhongli / Morax / Rex Lapis / Deus Auri

Lei Beidou

Lu Xinyan

Luo Ganyu

Luo Shenhe

Luo Xianyun

Mao Xiangling

Xue Baizhu

Xue Qiqi

Yan Yelan

Yao Ningguang

Yip Gaming

Yun Jin

Zhuang Keqing

Inazuma:

Arataki Itto

Kaedehara Kazuha

Kamisato Ayaka

Kamisato Ayato

Koizumi Chiori

Kujou Sara

Kuki Shinobu

Naganohara Yoimiya

Nekoba Kirara

Raiden Ei / Beelzebul

Raiden Shogun

Sangonomiya Kokomi

Shikanoin Heizou

Shikanoin Sayu

Takeishi Gorou

Thomas Oskar Rothschild / Akatsuki Thoma

Yae Miko

Sumeru:

Al-Haitham ibn Jamir ibn Zaid Sader

Candace bint Hamza ibn Ahmar Asim

Collei bint Tighnari ibn Zayd Habib

Cyno Cyrus Bamoun El-Hafez

Dehya bint Kusayla ibn Malek Hashim

Dori Yildiz / “Dori Sangemah Bay”

Faruzan Azimi

Imai Kunimitsu (Wanderer)

Kaveh Roshan

Layla Yildiz

Nahida Ijaz / Lesser Lord Kusanali / Buer

Nilou Golshan

Sethos Cyrus Bamoun El-Abdelfatteh

Tighnari ibn Zayd ibn Kyree Jubran

Fontaine:

Charlotte Benoîte LaFramboise

Chevreuse Cosette Caideux

Clorinde Maëlle Archambault

Emilie Rose Lavande

Freminet Corentin Snezhevich

Furina Regine Babineaux / “Furina de Fontaine”

Lynette Veronique Alarie-Snezhevna

Lyney Valentin Alarie-Snezhevich

Marion Devereaux Neuvillette

Navia Reine Caspar

Sigewinne Elyna Arquette

Warren Gaultier Wriothesley

Natlan:

Chasca Rivas

Citlali Xahuentitla

Iansan Kẹyinde

Kachina Nanatzcayan

Kinich Canek

Mavuika Whakatāne / Haborym

Mualani Ka’aukai

Oluwatoke Kọlade

Xilonen Nocelotl

Fatui (pretty much all of these will change as the game progresses):

Ajax Klimentovich Melnik / Tartaglia

Ceylse Aurelia Valerian / Columbina

Cosette Margot Bourreau / Sandrone

Crepus Arnfried Ragnvindr / Brighella

Jin Chaoxing / Pantalone

Peruere Genevieve Snezhevna / Arlecchino

Raiden Kunikuzushi / Scaramouche

Rosalyne-Kruzchka Lohefalter / La Signora

Rurik Vadimovich Vorobyev / Pulcinella

Ulrik Agnar Ingolf / Pierro

Tatiana Snezhevna Agapov / the Tsaritsa

Tlacelel Itzcuintlan / Il Captiano

Zandik Nazeri / Il Dottore

Hexenzirkel (again, will change):

Alice Thekla Kessler / "A"

Anya M. Andersdotter / "M"

Astromancer Barbeloth Oda Trismegistus / "B"

Inessa Ivanova Nikulina / "J"

Nicole Reeyn-Ragnvindr / "N"

Octavia Campana / "O"

Idun “Gold” Rhinedottir / "R"

NPCS!!!

(I HAVE A CLEAR FAVORITE NATION)

Mondstadt NPCs:

Adelinde Nett

Adelram Kreideprinz / Durin

Anna and Anthony Heilbrunn

Charles Schenck

Callirhoe Dupuis

Chloris and Flora Diefenbach

Cyrus Laukkanen

Donna Fenimore

Draff Kätzlein

Edith Rayne / Dr. Edith

Ella Musk

Ellin Sheridan

Elzer Boivin

Eury and Nimrod Poirot

Glory Taggart

Godwin Cross

Grace Kappel

Herrik Huffman

Hertha Bonamy

Maeve Livingstone / Dr. Livingstone

Margaret Winfrey

Marjorie Brightwen

Mellan König / Decarabian

Neven Gale / Dvalin

Patchi Driscoll

Patton Schüttmann

Sara Küchler

Siegfria Knochenmus

Timaeus Kloet

Vennessa Aguilar

Victoria Strohkirch

Vile Gagnon

Wagner McGowan

Liyue NPCs:

Gao Haixia / Beisht

Gao Shui / Osial

Huichen Guizhong / Haagentus

Mao Chaoxiang / Chef Mao

Mao Guoba / Marchosius / God of the Stove

Qui Tianlong / Azhdaha

Yi Nuo / Havria

Inazuma NPCs:

Arataki Takuya

Hinoyama Enjou

Raiden Makoto / Baal

Sumeru NPCs:

Amun Al-Ahmar / Deshret

Lilavati Trygve Alberich (post-marriage)'/ Lilavati Kartik Mishra (pre-marriage) / Kaeya's Mom

Nabu Malikata

Parisa Rukkhadevata

Fontaine NPCs:

Alouette Désirée Dupont / Egeria

Elynas Arsène Auclair

Fanchone Océane de Fontaine / Focalors

Remus Berceuse Adagio

all melusines (aside from sigewinne) have the surname "Auclair"

Snezhnaya NPCs:

Aleksander Klimentovich Melnik

Andronika Klimentevna Melnik

Anton Klimentovich Melnik

Teucer Klimentovich Melnik

Theodor Klimentovich Melnik

Tonia Klimentevna Melnik

Khaenri'ah NPCs:

Anfortas Asgeir Alberich

Caribert Alvar Alberich

Chlothar Flosi Alberich

Dainsleif Olan Asketill

Halfdan Munin Lien

Trygve Einar Alberich / Kaeya's Dad

Vedrfolnir Asketill / "the Sinner"

[alexihollis]

Paying Your Dues

A short thing I wrote, trying to get a better hold on the dynamics and everything. More stuff to come probably! The brain worms really got a hold on this one lol.

“Swan? That you?” Swan heard Cleon call from the kitchen as she shut the door to the apartment behind her, locking the three dead-bolts and hooking the chain. It had been a few months since the Van Cortland Park meeting, but Cleon still insisted on the higher level of security. 

“Just until the Riffs give the all-clear,” she would say, but…Well, Swan did not have high-hopes that that would ever happen. Luther’s damage ran deep and Rogues kept popping up as new recruits of other gangs in ways that made everyone uneasy. The Orphans alone seemed to take half that the Riffs did not pick up the morning after Cyrus’ death, though Mercy insisted Sully was too dumb to be much of a threat. At least Masai seemed…weirdly fascinated with Cleon in a way that Swan did not want to interrogate too deeply. Or at all. 

“Yeah,” Swan called back as she shrugged out of her winter jacket, hanging it up with the beanie she stole from Cowgirl – who bitched, but had an extra hat anyway and Swan was freezing, winter weather really settling in the week after Thanksgiving. If Cowgirl cared that much, she would cross the street from her, Cochise, and Rembrandt’s apartment and steal it back later. 

Cleon appeared in the hallway, slouching against the wall, arms crossed. “Cool. We need to talk about something.”

That took Swan’s attention away from her boots as she straightened back up to look at Cleon, one boot off and one on. “What’s wrong? Is it Ajax?”

After three months, Ajax finally came home. Not even two weeks out, she was still jumpy. Quiet in an unnerving way. Cleon had yet to send her out on an errand and Swan didn’t know how long Ajax would let that slide. 

“No, no, she’s fine. Or- you know what I mean. Rembrandt came by and stole her earlier. No clue what they’re gonna be up to, but at least she’s out of her bedroom.” Cleon shook her head, “Anyway, no. It’s about Mercy- Nothing’s wrong.”

Swan’s heart started beating again. “For fuck’s sake, Cleon!” She threw a glove at Cleon’s head, that she easily ducked, laughing like an asshole. 

“For the love of God, I got her a bartending job two blocks away, will you chill out about her not being in your sight for two seconds?” Yeah. This had been Swan’s life for the past three months. Because her Warrior sisters were assholes. Cleon pushed off the wall, “Come on. I made coffee, we can talk in the kitchen.”

The mug was warm in Swan’s hands and the coffee even warmer as she took a too large drink, barely missing blistering. It suited the cooler weather.

“So, what do we need to talk about?” Swan asked when it became obvious that Cleon wasn’t going to start. Which was strange, because Cleon was not exactly known for her indecisiveness. 

Cleon sighed heavily before saying, “Have you noticed Mercy doesn’t have any clothes?”

Immediately, Swan’s eyebrows tried to merge with her hairline. “Uh…?”

“Her own clothes,” Cleon said.

And Swan went to disagree. Mercy had her own clothes – her color vest, for one, that she had been beyond excited about when Cleon gave it to her. There was a red flannel that she wore all the time. That she definitely stole from Cowgirl, now that Swan was thinking about it. The t-shirt Mercy was wearing the night of the meeting that somehow survived with minimal staining. Her jeans. Her sneakers and the zip-up hoodie. She wore those clothes a lot, when she wasn’t stealing Swan’s stuff. 

She mostly stole Swan’s stuff. Not that Swan was complaining. It started early on, with Mercy rolling out of bed and snagging one of Swan’s t-shirts while Swan half-heartedly complained about thievery to make Mercy laugh. 

When Mercy started working at the bar, Cochise had leant her some appropriate clothes. A small black dress. The tiniest skirt that Swan had ever seen. A pair of similarly sized shorts. A few black t-shirts. It had mostly surprised Swan how many clothes Cochise had to lend in the first place and it had been weeks now. 

Huh.

That was about the time a thick white envelope was placed on the table in front of Swan. At her confusion, Cleon motioned for Swan to open it. It was filled with cash.

“What is this?” Swan asked.

“Mercy’s dues,” Cleon said. 

Swan flipped through the cash. Did the mental math. “This is at least four times what she should be paying. When did she even start paying dues?”

“I didn’t ask for it,” Cleon said. “She gave it to me last night. I stopped by Jenkins earlier. He said that’s practically all the money she’s made at the bar, tips and paychecks.”

“And what did Mercy say? When she gave you this?”

“That she wanted to pay her dues. Contribute to the Warriors. Said thank you for getting her the job and letting her stay here and food and everything,” Cleon said. “She asked if this covered it and when I said, yes, it more than covered it, she asked me to put whatever was left towards your dues.”

“I don’t pay dues,” Swan said. 

The only ones who really did were members who did above-the-counter work, members who made the bulk of their money outside of the gang, which, technically, would put Mercy in that category, but Cleon usually waited a good six months before even broaching the topic. And even then, there were a lot of other circumstances that surrounded whether someone paid into what was less “dues” and more a communal money pot for rent for the various Warrior apartments, food, and, in certain circumstances, a slightly better lawyer. Which, considering Ajax’s recent run-in, did mean that pot could use a bit of boosting, but they still had a comfortable cushion. While Swan expected Cleon to ask Mercy for dues at some point, it was still early and this amount?

“I know.” Amazing. Swan loved it when Cleon talked in circles. Taking pity on her, Cleon continued. “She said that she wanted to pay back whatever you had paid for her over these few months. Said that she didn’t want to just be A Girlfriend anymore, but a fully-fledged member. Which seemed like a lot of emotion that you are in a better position to help her with while you try to convince her to spend her damn money on herself.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’ll do that,” Swan sighed, rubbing a hand down her face as she tried to think of where to even begin with that conversation. 

Because this was going to be about a lot more than money. They had been skirting around this conversation since the moment Mercy handed Swan her Orphans bandana to make the Molotov cocktail. Like when Swan dragged an overly drunk Mercy home from a house party at one of the lower-level Warriors apartment because someone (Vermin, definitely Vermin) told her it was part of the more traditional initiation. When it came to talking about herself, Mercy got cagy. Not many Warriors liked talking about family, Swan steered as far from the subject as she could, but Mercy wouldn’t even give a damn neighborhood.

Girls like Mercy joined the Warriors before, usually young enough that it made Cleon nervous and so jumpy they refused to give a name until they earned their name. They wanted to burn their old lives to ashes and throw them in the ocean off Coney Island. Swan respected that, she all but did it herself, but they always made Cleon nervous. Until recently, Swan didn’t really understand why – they made some of the best soldiers, fighting with everything in them and then some. Swan loved helping them learn to fight.

Swan loved helping Fox learned to fight. 

Then Swan learned what all that desire to prove yourself, to throw yourself into your new life and protect anyone you got close to could lead to. 

Losing Fox nearly killed her. Losing Mercy would finish the job.

“I’ll talk to her,” Swan repeated. 

Cleon smiled. Leaned over and ruffled her hair, which Swan half-heartedly protested. “It’ll be fine. And tell Rembrandt to take her shopping. The poor girl’s too pretty to be stuck in your clothes. Or your taste in clothes.”

“Fuck off, Cleon,” Swan grumbled. 

The next few hours found Swan in her and Mercy’s bedroom. She tried to distract herself by reading. That failed. Turned on the radio. Got sick of the radio. Tried to watch TV in the living room. Got bored of the news that Cleon insisted on watching for whatever reason. In general, she was being ridiculous. 

The hours leading up to a rumble? Swan was calm. Collected. Helping their newer members chill the fuck out and not lose their heads before the fight began. 

Hours leading up to a potentially emotionally charged conversation with her girlfriend, though? That was the time to panic. Perfect sense. One hundred percent logical. 

Swan didn’t hear the door open. 

She barely heard when Mercy said, “Babe, what are you doing?”

Swan turned on her heel, mid-pace to see Mercy looking at her quizzically as she closed the bedroom door behind her. And said the first thing that popped into her head: “You need new clothes.”

Mercy blinked and looked down at herself, then back to Swan. “I thought you liked this skirt.”

It was Cochise’s skirt. Swan loved that skirt. That was not the point. “Sit down.”

Mercy sat down on the very edge of the bed. “Are you just gonna stand there?”

Swan sat next to her, also perched on the edge, and just far enough that they didn’t touch. They rarely sat like that, especially in their room. It felt alien. 

“Is this about me giving my dues to Cleon?” Mercy asked. 

“She didn’t ask you for them. You don’t owe her any,” Swan said.

Mercy sighed. “Look, it isn’t that I’m not grateful, but…I want to contribute. I’m a Warrior. I’m a member just like anyone else.”

“You are a Warrior, this isn’t about that.”

“Then, why is Cleon being so weird about it?” Mercy asked.

“Because you don’t owe dues. Yes, you do have an actual job and you don’t join us on jobs or anything, but Cleon usually gives a six-month grace period to new members before talking about it,” Swan tried to explain.

“Are those other new members usually living in a Warriors funded apartment and eating Warriors funded food?” She cocked an eyebrow in a way that made it seem like she thought she had won the argument.

Unfortunately for Mercy: “Yes. Usually.” 

“What?”

“Cleon has a thing about picking up strays. Remember?” Swan said. Referencing herself, but then immediately: “Not that you’re a stray.”

Mercy laughed. “Well, I did follow you home.”

Swan chuckled with her. “You did in fact do that.”

A short period of silence followed after their laughter subsided. Mercy sighed, deeply. “I just don’t want people thinking I’m sleeping my way through here. Or that I have it easier than anyone else.” She aimed a slight glare at Swan, “You already refuse to put me through initiation properly.”

Oh, for the love of- “You went through more than enough. You have fucking Ajax vouching for you. You don’t have anything more to prove to anyone.” Then, a thought: “Is someone giving you shit?”

Swan could fix that. Easily. 

“No one here, I just-” Mercy let out a frustrated huff. “I’ve done that before. I’ve been that girl. I hated it. It was horrible. I don’t want to feel like that again.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I get that,” Swan said. “But…you know, treating you like any other Warrior includes not making you pay an absolutely ridiculous amount of dues.”

“All right, all right. Is Cleon giving it back to me or something?” Mercy asked.

Swan gestured over to their dresser. “It’s with the socks.”

“Thank you.”

“I promise people don’t think that about you,” Swan said. “You deserve to have your own things with the money you earned at Jenkins’ bar.” Swan narrowed her eyes slightly at the very familiar red sweater Mercy was wearing. “And I deserve for you to stop stealing my shit.”

“Mm, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Mercy scooted back a little further onto the bed, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. 

“Oh, really?”

“Not at all.”

And, really, Swan should have probably thought through the having-an-important-conversation-on-their-bed a bit more, because how else did she think this was going to end? A good while later found them both on their backs, catching their breaths, in considerably less clothing than before. After a moment, Swan pulled their blanket up past their shoulders as Mercy moved onto her side, then tucked herself against Mercy’s back, face nestled in the small of her shoulder. 

“You know, considering the conversation topic, this didn’t really help your argument,” Mercy said. 

Swan rolled her eyes. “Oh, really?”

“Yeah. Why should I get my own clothes when these seem to be working just fine?”

Swan choked back a laugh. “You’re ridiculous.”

“I try.”

…

“Maybe keep the skirt, though.”

“Cochise said she doesn’t want it back anyway.”