#and i think being a victim of it he'd want to prevent the cycle of violence

[sk1fanfiction]

Idc what the epilogue says. Harry would definitely not become a cop. He would retake his seventh year and either set up an advocacy group for magical children in abusive households and/or become the Defence professor.

[saltiestpie]

Viren's Death and Transformative Justice

Trigger warning: there will be mentions of csa and rape but nothing graphic

It's time to talk politics! When it comes to Viren's finale, I'm honestly disappointed (but not surprised) that the writers chose a cop-out in a form of "heroic death" rather than to show a person who's hurt others put effort into becoming better and atoning for his crimes. From a political perspective, this is related to my stance against carceral (and capital) punishment and in favor of prison abolition.

Viren would either rot in a cell or die, instead of getting a chance to heal, which is a regressive and reactionary way of thinking, completely in line with the right wing ideology but which has been so normalized in our culture that liberals and many leftists don't question it. The general norm is thus - if someone does a crime, they should go to prison, regardless of how the prison will break them and make them worse. And that's not counting all the people who want criminals to be killed.

To talk about my anti punitive justice stance, I would like to take a darker turn and talk about a very serious type of crime. There's this amazing video by a youtuber Kathrin where she talks about prison abolition and how the carceral system hurts people (including victims of crime!) more than it helps them. And she uses her own experience as s CSA survivor as a lens through which she looks at this sensitive topic.

The video is 37 minutes long and features a heavy topic so I understand if you don't want to watch it but I really really recommend you do, because it will challenge your preconceptions about justice and the carceral system.

However, if you really don't have the time/desire/spoons for it, here are the main points:

the carceral system should be abolished

it should be replaced by transformative justice which focuses on taking care of victims above punishing the perpetrators, as well as crime prevention by understanding the root causes of crime.

Okay, you might ask - so what does this have to do with Viren, who chose to die? Well, in addition to the philosophy that he had to die or didn't deserve mercy being directly linked to the current system, there's also this section towards the end of the video (24:50) where Kathrin discusses what transformative justice would look like for her. Emphasis on the last part, as different victims would want different things:

"For me, transformative justice would look like sitting sitting with my abuser in a circle of care with people all around us, flanking us, attending to our healing, becoming our surrogate family as they facilitate our conversation."

How powerful is that? And she's talking about someone who raped her as a child. Viren is not even close to the monster Kathrin is talking about.

So let's talk Soren and Viren. I've seen plenty of people say they hate Viren for what he did to Soren (which is absolutely valid!) and I assume they care about Soren's well being. So tell me, which sounds better for Soren - having his abusive father die on him, leaving him with a gaping wound and a ton of unanswered questions or getting to sit with him, surrounded by people he trusts and who can support him and having an extension of the conversation they almost had in the dungeon, where he gets to heal together with his father? He doesn't have to forgive Viren, but having that might provide him closure and help him contextualize certain things.

And don't get me wrong - there are parts in the show that I think are excellent in terms of mutual healing - Viren acknowledging what he'd done to Soren and taking full responsibility for it was very powerful. But it lost its momentum with Viren's death.

One of the central themes in TDP is ending the cycles of violence and yeah, the show does focus on it, I'm not saying it doesn't. But it keeps the entire political aspect of it firmly within the status quo, choosing what I would call a morally cowardly approach to this. And I'm sorry for using such strong language, I really am, but I think political centrism truly is a cowardly approach to politics. And politics in the show matter because the writers chose to make it matter.

Ultimately, whether you enjoyed the end of Viren's arc or not is up to you. It will mostly depend on how you read Viren's character throughout the show. I just genuinely find that ending emotionally unsatisfying and the perpetuation of the punitive justice mindset is one of the reasons, whether the writers intended it or not.

[snitchfeather]

Titans Tower AU (Tim calls Jason a misogynist and confuses him into stopping)

"I didn't realize you were a misogynistic pig.  Punishing an innocent person just to get back at someone else, ugh, I thought you'd be better than that."

The words made Jason freeze, arm paused midair.  He'd been about to bring down the kids own bo staff down against his back but all thoughts fled Jason's mind as he tried to process the words that had spilled out of the kids mouth.  He'd been so taken aback by the kid's statement that the green bled from his vision and loosened his stance, unsure what his next move should be.

"What the fuck about this is misogynistic Bird Brain"

The kid responded with a sigh as if exasperated by having to explain himself.  He gingerly pulled himself up from the protective fetal pose he'd taken, dragging himself into a sitting position and leaning against the wall behind him.  It unnerved Jason, seeing the person he'd just been viciously fighting suddenly switch from fear to boredom.  There was something seriously wrong with this kid.

"It's the entire concept, the history.  This is such a patriarchal move, punishing a man that you have a problem with by hurting their family.  Who do you think is the person that gets caught in the crossfire the most historically?  The wife.  And you're just perpetuating it."

Jason rapidly blinked, trying to keep up with the sudden rant, stance relaxing even further as he became increasingly more confused.

"Sure, I'm not a woman but you're just sending the message that you agree with it.  Look at all of those people who look to you for approval in Crime Alley.  They're going to see that you agree with this type of 'punishment' and do you really think they wouldn't stoop low enough to not hurt innocent wifes and children.  You're just acting like a cog in the machine, keeping the cycle of violence against innocent victims going.  You claim to have morals but I sure don't fucking see them now.  You didn't even have the decency to fight me on neutral territory, instead ambushing me in one of the few places I could feel safe when I was nowhere near prepared."

The words were swirling around his mind, making him more conscious of his every action.  He tried to reply, not sure what he was going to say but just wanting the kid to shut up for a moment to let him think, but the kid cut him off before he could even make a sound.

"Ah ah ah, don't even think about saying shit about me being in armor.  I just came back from fighting a giant freaking robot for hours, muscles strained and finally relaxing, guard down because I'm somewhere I consider home.  It's fucking bullshit to say this was an even fight.  So is that it, not just a misogynist but a child abuser?"

Robin had slowly (agonizingly) gotten back on his feet and was slowly walking towards Jason, pushing him backwards as he tried to keep a distance between them.  As much as he loathed to admit it, the kid was freaking him out.  Maybe it was the unsettling switch in emotions or maybe a reaction to being lectured and judged.  Either way, he just wanted to get away from the young hero and was running through the escape routes he'd left himself, trying to think of the nearest one.

"Cause guess what buckoo, me being Robin doesn't change the fact that I'm 15 and fighting me unprepared just further proves you just wanted to beat me up.  What, does me not being a kid suddenly matter to you because it sure did when you were yelling about Batman having child soldiers.  Fucking pick a side dude.  Do you have morals or not?"

He barely caught the last sentence, already running away but the words stuck in his mind, echoing even hours later.  It haunted him.  Before their encounter, he'd thought he had some.  Sure, he was a murderer and a crime lord but he protected innocent people.  He prevented kids being used as mules or being sold drugs, he protected the prostitutes from abuse and paid them a more than fair wage.  But he wasn't sure anymore.

Fucking teenagers.

[astudyintheburningofhearts]

Alright, I know people say Castles Crumbling is very Arthur- but the first time I heard it I immedieately went, "Oh this screams Uther".

And NO, I DO NOT WANT A REDEMPTION ARC FOR HIM. HE STILL SUCKS, HE ALWAYS WILL.

I just thought it would be very interesting to think of him as a character who is so utterly flawed and projects it in the worst way possible-

Like, think about it. Maybe he just wanted an heir... maybe he had a similar father who pressurised him into having a male heir no matter the cost... but even though his father died ages ago, he wants to please him, so he resorts to using any means to get a male heir.

And he was a good enough prince- beloved by the people (much like Arthur would be later); but after the death of his father, he became more serious- trying to uphold past expectations (though he was still beloved).

And then he tried to fulfill his final promise. The promise of a male heir (via any means necessary, mind you). And so, when Ygraine was unable to concieve, he turned to Nimueh. To magic.

It was only when his lost Ygraine, when he lost his happiness (read: the only person who'd kept him sane while he bore the brunt of his father's wishes and expectations) that he realised what a huge mistake he'd made still letting his father have this hold over him.

And the guilt eats him from the inside out- and unwittingly, he goes from being a beloved prince to a paranoid tyrant (he is blinded by guilt and so he believes he's doing his best to prevent his citizens from falling victim to their own actions as he did due to magic; he believes he's keeping them safe); and an absent father with too many expectations.

And then when everything is said and done (read: he's dead, but like ya know afterlife or whatever), I really think he'll look back and more than anything, besides eventually coming to regret everything, I believe his biggest regrets would be:

Letting his father have such a huge impact on his life even after his death (since that was the inciting point for everything)

And eventually turning into a version of his father, imposing the same upon his son

(And I also personally headcanon that since Arthur will be in between life and death while he waits to reunite with Merlin, he'd meet Uther and everyone again, and so after some time of mulling it all over, the moment Arthur would arrive, he'd apologise to both him and Morgana and they'd finally get to be the family they could've been all along- plus, he'd be glad that Arthur had broken the cycle and disregarded what his father thought of him for the good of the kingdom, as Uther should've done as well).

[perpetualexistence]

Yeah, having this be like a constant cycle of students while these three stay the same really builds into the idea that they're unstoppable because they're just always there no matter what you try to do. The way I see it, the ROTI cast were freshmen during their time at school as humans, while the Pahkitew island crew are the freshmen that come in after the ROTI graduate. There's a much bigger gap between Pahkitew and Reboot, which is why by the time the Reboot cast comes in the Eldrtich trio really in the groove of how these cycles work.

It also means that Open House for the Reboot cast is a great time for them to check in on their former classmates. And also a stressful time as they try to prevent some former classmates from recognizing them. And also a stark reminder that their friends are going to pass away long before they will. They'll be fine. (They're definitely not quickly wiping away watery eyes while they hug the people who were there for them when they needed it most.)

But onto lighter thoughts! I think it would be nice if Noah actually did just use Cameron's dnd module for his own campaign. His last interaction with them might have been evil gloating, but he does still miss that first Scooby gang. He makes them important NPCs.

And given that you're saying Millie's indifferent to the whole thing, I do find it hilarious that she hears all of these horrifying things and just says "Oh, okay! So can I make a book about this?" Poor girl seriously needs to learn people skills. Also, it's especially going to be heartbreaking when Priya finds out the only reason her parents have been better to her is because Alejandro's been making them. Because that's when it'll really click how horrible they were.

I also think it'd be hilarious if MKulia still happens in this AU. Julia's just being the absolute worst, and then being made to absolutely go through it. And MK just watches all of this and says "Yeah, that one. I want that one." Noah tries to lead her towards literally anyone else because he doesn't want MK to put herself into Heather's warpath by association. He should have known better than to try to tell her 'no' because he's pretty much just thrown MK directly into Julia's arms. The worst part is he can't even be too mad at her because he'd be a hypocrite since he's dating Alejandro and Heather.

As you can see, I too love to ramble about the Reboot cast. Now onto your question of Pahkitew Island cast. I haven't actually watched it outside of clips, but I do have a few ideas.

I can see Amy wanting the spot of head cheerleader, though more because it means she'll have more reason to boss Sammy around. While that normally would make her Heather's victim, I think Alejandro would actually take over for this one. He probably meets them while having a talk in public with Heather when he sees Amy bullying Sammy. He immediately gets flashbacks to his relationship with José. He makes it his personal mission to destroy Amy. She's going to learn what it's like to live in her sister's shadow. Quite literally.

Heather's victim of the cast ends up being Sugar. She thinks she's a Queen Bee despite having none of the intelligence to back it up, which pisses Heather off to no end. It's not even that hard to do, which frustrates Heather even more. She loves a challenge, and a challenge Sugar is not. She will be incredibly relieved when Julia happens because finally she can pull out the big guns again.

Noah probably ends up going after Topher. He can't stand a suck up. He also reminds him too much of Justin for his liking.

Then, for the Scooby gang! At this point I've noticed a pattern in Scooby gangs being protag trios, so why fix what ain't broke? This time around it's Amy, Shawn, and Jasmine. Amy because she notices weird things happen to her sister, possibly including her disappearance depending on where we end up settling the timeline with that. Jasmine because she's friends with Amy, and Shawn through Jasmine. He stays because he's convinced that Alenoaheather are zombies. Even when they do finally reveal what they truly are, he just hears 'undead' and knows their zombies. Heather is this close to just making him forget what a zombie is. The only reason she doesn't is because it's so integral to his personality it might actually screw him up too much if she does. Because they don't really have too close of connections with these three, Alenoaheather treats their rivalry more like a game since they know they'll win in the end.

Then, chronologically speaking, we have the first two who actually want to track down the Royal Court for evil purposes: Max and Scarlett. Max is very open about wanting to rule first the school, then the world, using the dark magics he knows exist and are hidden somewhere in the school. But he's so incompetent that the trio let their guard down. They'll keep an eye on him, but he clearly doesn't know what he's talking about, and they feel sorry for the poor girl he drags around with him.

I'm putting a read more for the next part because we start getting more into story here with a trigger warning for death and a sacrifice.

Scarlett's the real problem. She actually knows that eldritch beings exist and knows a few rituals. She wants to rule the world and will sacrifice anyone to do it. She's effectively using Max as a psychic deterrent because he's so unpleasant to be around Heather just turns her mind reading gaze away from him because god he's just so annoying. ...And that extends to Scarlett because of how physically close the two are most of the time.

And that's how Scarlett is able to steal the summoning book for the Royal Court from Noah's library. She and Max find it, and at first Max grabs ahold of it and laughs triumphantly because he's done it! He's won! ...He's not sure exactly what the next step is, but he's won!

Scarlett is so close and she's just had it with Max, so that's when she reveals her true colors. She snatches the book, snatches Max and lets him know he's the first person she'll sacrifice, and leaves.

Cue Alenoaheather panicking. Because if she does manage to successfully summon the Royal Court, she could convince them to make a deal that's much more dangerous for the rest of humanity. And she's outside of school grounds, meaning they can't get to her because at this point they've been confined to the school.

They immediately stop playing the good guys vs bad guys game with the Scooby gang. They've got all the knowledge, and the Scooby gang are the only ones who can go out to actually use it.

"Guys, we can't just work with the zombies!" Shawn argues. This gets him an insult that sends him collapsed to the ground, his heart ripped out, and temporarily forgetting how to breathe. These three don't have time for this, and if showing the Scooby gang exactly how much they've been holding back is the only way to get cooperation, so be it. Because yes, they are, in fact 'going to work with the zombies'. They are going to find Scarlett, Max, and the book, and bring them back to the school.

The Scooby gang do end up defeating Scarlett before she can summon the Royal Court. She got as far as managing to pull Alenoaheather out of the school and into her summoning circle before she was stopped. The lords weren't summoned...but they weren't able to save Max, whose sacrifice was needed in order to summon the vessels to Scarlett to be contained.

Neither Alejandro, Noah, nor Heather had seen death since they wiped out the cultists that sacrificed them. They do still have vivid nightmares of that night, courtesy of the Royal Court. And to see someone else like that? Just like them, with the potential for a redemption that can never come, slaughtered without a chance of being brought back? They completely forget about needing the book back as they turn into semi-eldritch creatures. They launch themselves at a captured Scarlett, drag her with them through the portal they were summoned through, and aren't seen again until school the next day.

Leaving Amy, Jasmine, and Shawn to process what's just happened. And realize no, they're absolutely not about to give the demon summoning book back to the demons. They try to destroy the book, but it's indestructible because otherwise how would the Royal Court be able to have their fun? So instead they settle for giving it to someone completely unrelated to the school to hide away for them, or otherwise send it off they have no idea where. That way Heather can't just read their minds and get someone else to grab the book for them because not even they know where it is.

Alenoaheather's pretty peeved that the Scooby gang actually managed to pull one over on them. Fortunately, they got rid of most of their bloodlust through Scarlet and do still have humanity left in them. Plus, it was a pretty clever scheme. So they just agree to leave each other be from now on. They won't try going after the book, and the Scooby gang won't try stopping them from entertaining their lords.

It's a deal that eventually leads to problems in the future as a young Lauren stumbles across this book. It's the day she becomes Scary Girl.

...Okay so most of that literally just came out as I was typing it so wow apparently I did have ideas for Pahkitew crew. I also wasn't expecting Pahkitew to then build up a bit into Reboot. Whoops!

you guys ever hear a new song and frantically conceptualise a whole AU around it, starring your current Main Blorbo? or is that just me?

[stellocchia]

*my wannabe author ass who respects my English teacher more than anyone on earth making hand grabbing motions at technoblade with my lil cockroach hands* I can fix him

To be fair, I don't think it would be too hard to fix c!Techno.

He would just need to stay more consistent with his season 1 character and keep more of his flaws (like how susceptible he was to peer pressure for example) and keep it going through the rest of the seasons.

To that add some definitive losses. So, maybe Dream doesn't save Techno, only his horse (this way you keep the whole favor thing going, but Techno still has a definitive loss). After losing a life Techno may want to resort to vengeance again (because the whole theme there was that violence only produces more violence, no matter how the perpetrators justify it) but if we want to keep him more morally ambiguous instead of a straight-up villain, we should give him some doubts about leaving the peaceful life he'd retired to exactly to avoid more bloodshed.

Perhaps he still uses the same crappy justifications for Doomsday of doing it to "free the people" and for "anarchy", but, instead of him going on a victim complex-fueled rant against Tommy which doesn't hold up for sh*t if you think about it for more than 2 seconds we can have him watch these kids and young adults fight not to lose their homes and have a moment of realization of "oh, I'm just continuing the cycle, aren't I?" but being now unable to go back on what he's done.

This would lead directly into the formation of the Syndicate, now really an organization created with the intention to prevent the cycle of violence from continuing just as much as it is to prevent tyranny (as the two are pretty connected).

With these little changes, we could even have the Syndicate be something interesting instead of being an extension of Techno that solely exists to suck up to him and inflate his already over-inflated ego. They're people bound together by the desire for peace and tranquility, but they do take wrong steps when going about it (like freeing Dream to repay the horse favor). If they really were connected by similar goals and ideologies instead of existing in function of Techno, conflict could actually develop within the group giving us an opportunity to explore every dynamic within it, instead of having, say, Niki just sort of. Being there. Just there. For no reason, just there.

And if you look at it, I haven't even changed much. Just a couple of things, and even with just these couple of changes c!Techno would feel more like a character and less like a badly executed plot device.