#and if etho is still alive I see him with the family

[tokenducks]

Honestly at this point I’m excited for whoever wins:

I’m thrilled to place my bet on gem or Joel (I think they’d desert duo cactus ring style duel as the final two and my heart-)

I dream of Lizzie managing to win one of these things

Nothing would be funnier than Jimmy or Skizz winning. Can you imagine?

Cleo winning the April fools one and this would be peak

Tango redemption from how bad he’s been most of the whole thing this season would be great

Impulse has been so close so many times. My man is working for it

Bdubs is so silly every time I see him he’s on a horse or building his tower. I want him to win so badly.

Big B is such a weirdo in every season I think it’d be great if he won.

Etho could prove he’s not washed

[fate-motif]

here's the character traits i think predisposes characters in the jigsaw franchise to get brainwashed by jigsaw and become a jigsaw killer themselves:

they have to believe that they did something wrong, and that they atoned for it when jigsaw tested them

they have to be already somewhat comfortable making life or death decisions for other people

we all know pee-paw's self-help seminar from hell isn't just an alleged self-help seminar, but doubles as retributive justice in case the person fails (in his eyes). so whoever is offered to join up with jigsaw has to be comfortable with both sides of the ideological operation in play. it's not enough that they were severely traumatized and have a hole in their lives that they could fill by being part of this cult, though those things really predisposes them for the brainwashing. multiple characters were targeted to join the jigsaw movement and did not feel the vibe, so i think i have it isolated to these two traits.

further thoughts under the cut

how we see this in the apprentices

this puts all three main character mainline franchise jigsaw apprentices in a very clear light, really. amanda thinks john helped her overcome her addiction and redeemed her for the things she did as an addict. lawrence acknowledges how he neglected his family and took them for granted so hard that he cut off his foot for them even though there was no guarantee they would be alive when he got out. hoffman is perhaps the one that feels he owes john the least (since he at least partially came in on the scheme purely through blackmail) but considering his intense passion for brutally punishing the guilty i think it's safe to say john testing him jolted him out of the apathetic, drunken stupor he had been living in since his sister was killed, and that he thinks that's a good thing.

(your mileage may vary as to whether logan nelson blamed himself for john's cancer going undetected, but as a coroner he seems to take his job extremely seriously. if john sparing his life caused him to take action in appreciating his life in any way, i think it's fair to say that it got him to give his everything when at work.)

and as for the life or death decision making for others, it's crystal clear at least to me why the people that joined up did. two are doctors and one is a cop. these are professions where making life or death decisions for others is required, even if you're doing everything you can to save someone's life. amanda isn't either a cop or a doctor but having been an ex-con i think it's safe to say the high risk environment may have predisposed her to feel more comfortable taking decisions that may lead to someone's death.

and it's not really a coincidence that it's cops and doctors, either. both policing and healthcare are embedded in the themes of the saw franchise. john kramer thinks jigsaw is a doctor that doubles as a cop; healing a sickness if the patient is worthy, killing them if they aren't. that's why i think a lot of traps that people like to claim 'don't work' because the players aren't being tested for a flaw or misdeed still suit the jigsaw ethos perfectly. because pee-paw may act high and mighty but what matters most to him is the retributive justice aspect of the traps. and this is the same for all his apprentices as well.

except for brad and ryan, really, but they're more than anything victims of saw 3d's rushed writing. they're only there to help lawrence stop hoffman, since a disabled oncologist might struggle to take down the armed and dangerous cop turned serial killer. even then i can sort of squint and see those two as thanking jigsaw for intervening on letting this one woman ruin their friendship and make them commit crimes when she didn't value them. the atoning aspect, weak as it is, may be complimented by the fact that jigsaw just netted himself a couple of honest-to-god psychopaths because they didn't look even a little remorseful to have to kill their girlfriend when they reached their truce. oh, well.

but what i like about my conclusions is that they really explain why the victims who were set up to be brainwashed failed

not every jigsaw game victim would make a good apprentice

yes, up front: john kramer has lost his mind when he thinks anyone would ever want to join his sick little crusade. most people do not want to kill and can't find killing in most capacities to be vile. also most people's reactions after being tortured would be to immediately try and attack their torturer. and yet the madman actually netted three people to help him out. it's such an insanely lucky number, really, proven by the fact that hoffman tries to recruit two cops and fails.

two cops. one of them had engaged in police brutality, let a colleague cover for him, and respected and defended colleagues that engaged in it. the other one may have been a little too classy to punch suspects in the face, but the way he treats jill tuck speaks to the opposite of any respect for people's dignity. both of them are fine murdering jigsaw game victims who were only attacking under the extreme circumstanced they were in! and yet they didn't even hesitate when hoffman tried to sell them on the life of being jigsaw, the ultimate policeman!

because neither of them thought they had anything to atone for.

while rigg has an entire library of things to atone for, what hoffman wants him to regret and feel bad for is letting his desire to save people affect the people around him. maybe if hoffman had any kind of emotional intelligence he could have pitched his traps to make him consider his actions on others, but instead all his arguments came down to 'look at these weak, pathetic people. they're sick, deep down, so it doesn't matter if they die when we torture them'. which rigg was never going to believe. he saw his desire to save people as innately good and unchangeable, which is correct, of course. it's just that the actions he takes are absolutely hopeless to actually save anyone in hoffman's eyes, because that desire makes him careless but in mine because policing saves no one. so of course he could never have become a jigsaw killer, because his traps did not make him think he had something to atone for.

as for strahm, hoffman didn't even bother brainwashing him, and that's why obviously he was never going to get in that coffin. the water cube trap was a straightforward execution. strahm had already seen a jigsaw trap mutilate perez for no reason other than to get them off his trail. by the time he reaches the coffin there was nothing in the world that could have convinced strahm to join hoffman.

it really speaks to how far gone and twisted hoffman is that in either of these cases, especially strahm's, hoffman thought there would be a chance either of them would even think about joining forces with him.

could any other jigsaw victims have made good apprentices?

i have a couple of ideas.

before we get to the candidates i'm going to address the apprentice adam angle, because it's a common au and everyone loves adam and wants him to be alive. also because it's a fun angle for chainshipping. this is your opening to send me chainshipping fanworks where larry tries to brainwash adam into joining him! but as it stands in canon i don't think adam would have found it in him to join the serial killers because he's not the kind of guy with a developed killer instinct. yes, he's depressed and suicidal in the original script. yes, the bathroom game makes him say out loud he wants to stop taking his family for granted. but he killed zepp in the very urgent scenario of trying to stop zepp from shooting lawrence, and i don't think he has it in him to deliberately put people in torture games where it's very likely they'll die. especially since, before jigsaw, adam had never met anyone he would actually find it in him to kill on purpose. though neither had lawrence, so i will give the adam apprentice girlies a point there.

the writers of the first movie say that zepp was having a blast when he kidnapped gordon’s family so he’s clearly he’s got the killer instinct needed for the job. the problem is that even john would be able to tell by a glance that zepp wouldn’t be able to stop himself from indiscriminately harming people as opposed to using violence for their ideological leanings. there’s a reason he was poisoned instead of merely asked to join. so while a rare find in that he might have already been primed to be a serial killer already, we all know john loves his delusion of doing violence for a higher purpose and zepp would ruin that illusion very quickly.

the only candidates i think would have been perfect otherwise would be brit and mallick from the fatal five. i've mentioned this before but they feel like they've atoned for their crimes through their game and were delusionally euphoric by the end of it. and so long as the victims chosen were on the scummier end of things, i could see both of them prompted into villainy.

you know who else got prompted into villainy? brett abbott. which is kind of insane to say considering he's a kid and i feel for him even though he did literally murder a man. it's just very hard for me to hate a kid suffering under institutional injustices even though he let that suffering out through murder. but all i'm saying is that under the right trap brett and the fatal five survivors were the more ideal candidates for apprenticeship... if only john was there.

yeah. hoffman doesn't have it in him to coax anyone into anything. he's a homemade nail bomb, not a leader. he would probably even dismiss brit and mallick right off the bat over their now missing hands, and you can't tell me he would have the patience to groom a teenager like brett. amanda and lawrence are also not exactly winning in the charm department. so really once the cult's charismatic leader kicked the bucket their way of life was doomed to eat itself from the inside out.

which is exactly what happened.

... don't ask me to think very hard about anyone in jigsaw because i've forgotten 95% of that movie

[kaesaaurelia]

3rd Life Space Colonist AU Concepts

So I'm very new to MCYT fandom, in the process of watching everything in the Life Series, but while I was watching 3rd Life I could not get the idea of this group having been sent to colonize an alien planet and it going very wrong.

But before things go wrong, they would have had specific roles and reasons they were picked, so I thought a bit about that, and once I had roles figured out I went and played around in Hero Forge to design the characters.

(Also, obviously there would be more than 14 people on an expedition like this and there's certain types of personnel they'd want more than one of, or who are conspicuously missing from this cast list.

You can make of that what you will.)

So, without further ado: some of the personnel aboard a ship heading to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, sent by totally not evil Mars-based corporation Farlands Planetary Systems:

SPACESHIP FLIGHT & MAINTENANCE

At this point in the future, there are machines that can do incredible things, but none of them can quite replicate whatever's going on in Scar's head human decision-making, and on longer journeys where the ship is required to make multiple FTL jumps in quick succession, human intuition and ingenuity are necessary for survival. To that end, pilots are directly plugged into their ships and to some extent, on longer journeys, become the ship. They need to be willing and able to do terrifying things without hesitation or consultation with others. Scar is great at this. He's also an absolute menace everywhere else, but in all fairness it's very hard for him to remember how gravity works on planets when he's used to using it to slingshot himself around in space.

Etho and BDubs aren't JUST there to maintain the ship mechanically -- they'll be rebuilding humanity's technological achievements from the ground up once they get to the planet -- but they're also vital to maintaining the ship across its long journey. BDubs is especially skilled at working in and navigating through zero gravity environments, and he's very used to doing floating repairs. This should have no lasting consequences for him once they get to a planet.

Tango is... an odd one. He's primarily a computer guy, and he's no slouch there, but he's never been on one of these expeditions himself -- see, his family's owned Farlands Planetary Systems for centuries, since before the Martian atmosphere had been been tamed and the planet's population was only a couple thousand. From his comfortable climate controlled office on Mars, he's looked over proposals, decided which ones were most likely to be successful, and signed off on countless exploration missions. He's watched them leave and mostly come back, and he's never encountered a high-risk high-reward situation he couldn't at least break even on. He's about to.

MEDICAL CARE

There's an extensive medical staff onboard, of course -- or there should be, anyway. I'm sure the others are fine!

Martyn is a generalist, good at figuring out what the hell is going wrong and how to stabilize someone's condition in the field with minimal resources. He's good at making difficult decisions quickly and making the sacrifices necessary for long-term survival.

Grian, meanwhile, is a specialist in neurology, and while he's meant to be looking after the whole crew, he's very important on this expedition because he is specifically a specialist in the connection between pilot and ship, and his task is primarily to keep the pilot alive at all costs.

Grian's also very excited about the pioneering medical procedure he's convinced Farlands to give all the personnel on this expedition, which will allow them to completely regenerate after dying -- at least twice! This has technically been possible for a while, but it's never been this fast, and they haven't been able to allow the subjects to retain their memories and personalities until now. It's still experimental but given the high risk nature and high cost of this particular expedition, he feels it's worth the risk, and most people jumped at having not only a second chance at life, but a third!

EXPLORATION & TERRAFORMING

Once they get to the planet, of course, they're going to need to figure out what's already there, and to transform it into a liveable place! So there are various experts who will explore the planet, conduct a full survey of its resources, and work to make it easier for humans to live there. Here we have experts in population biology, minerology, environmental chemistry, xenobotany, and agronomy.

Joel works for Farlands, usually traveling with his wife Lizzie, (an ethnopharmacologist). BigB tends to work on a contract -- there's a lot of call for minerologists in the outer solar system -- but if this expedition is successful, he'll never have to work again, and he won't have to go through the cycle of spending six lonely months in the Kuiper Belt, returning to Earth, then going back out again. Both of them think they know what they're getting into.

Cleo and Scott haven't worked for Farlands before, and are very surprised to be asked, as they have a shared checkered past. Cleo, in her younger days, was convicted of burning down the Martian Prime Minister's house. In fairness, a. he deserved it, and b. it was extremely flammable, because he destroyed a bunch of oxygen farms to build it, out of wood, and was not much of a believer in fire safety regulations. He was not home at the time, so he was fine, but about a year later he was assassinated. No one has ever been formally charged with the crime, but Scott, being one of Cleo's close friends, was the primary suspect. Both of their careers have suffered because of this -- Cleo can't get tenure anywhere, and Scott actually went into hiding for a time -- and while they don't trust Farlands even a little bit, they do like the idea of going somewhere that has no extradition treaties with Mars.

Like BigB, Jimmy's ready to cash out and settle down on a strange planet. He's going to be making sure people have enough edible food on this new planet, since there's no guarantee it will have edible plants or animals.

EXPERTS IN ALIEN LIFE

There's definitely not intelligent life on this new planet. It would be illegal for Farlands to settle a planet that was already occupied! They would never do anything illegal.

But maybe there used to be intelligent life there. Maybe the preliminary probes were inconclusive? Hmm. Anyway. Skizz is a xenoarchaeologist. He's also the only survivor of an expedition that went out in the early 22nd century; they encountered a strange and apparently hostile aliens. His memories are fuzzy and he doesn't remember much except for a strange floating city in a dark void. He made it back to Earth in a stolen alien ship, but while he was gone several hundred years had passed and now everyone he knows is dead. He's anxious to get back into the field, to a planet that is definitely a different one from the one he was sent to where all his friends died, and there's definitely no living intelligent life.

Impulse has been studying that ship Skizz brought back and he's pretty sure these aliens have figured out a method of stable, instant travel between any two distant points, which needless to say the company wants badly. This world seems to have traces of these

Impulse is a xenotechnologist who's pretty sure he's close to wrapping his brain around a method of stable two-way faster-than-light travel that seems to be in use by a distant alien civilization who may have left traces of themselves on this new planet. The company line is that he's also there just to study any remnants of high-tech alien civilizations, but he doesn't have a very good poker face and everyone suspects he knows something he's not letting on.

ALSO... REN

Ren is not a scientist. Ren is Martyn's husband. He is a relatively successful fantasy author whose first two books have sold well, but now he has to finish the trilogy and it's just. not. happening. Martyn had been planning not to go on this expedition -- has in fact been planning to stop going on lengthy expeditions in general, because he'd like to spend more time at home -- but Ren's so tired of his manuscript at this point that he is willing to pack up and move to another planet to avoid writing. He is anxious that people like him and think well of him and also anxious that they never ask him about the book. Please don't ask him what happens in the book. He thought he knew, but he doesn't.

The great thing about this expedition is that that's going to be the least of his problems very, very soon. (Also, he'll be blessedly relieved of the memory of the book, because, like the rest of the surviving crew, all of them will have very few solid memories of anything by the time they get to the planet. But, gotta look on the bright side, right?)

[seekers-who-are-lovers]

Imagine that the ethos you stood for when you were young vanished into thin air because your hometown had become too small for you. It is not your world anymore.

Yamauchi has become your universe and it should be protected at all costs.

You used to discard your blood that flows in your veins, even cursing it to the point of no return. You took care of your village from the corrupt court ravens. And you made sure that the commoners in your hometown were treated fairly.

And yet…and yet…

Now decades later… you have become what you loathed before.

Where is the mirror when you need it?

Why deprave yourself of your own happiness?

You are still in love with your lord after all these years. Still dreaming of his return because in the guise of protecting Yamauchi he symbolises the true essence of a golden raven, your one and only master. And you want it. You want him to return. Imagining him. So much so that you stifle your own joy. Betrayal. Anger. So much anger.

"I don't care about my own happiness, Your Majesty," despite his expression, his voice had a sticky, ominous tone.

Then your lord’s child has returned. You see her, a replica of your lord. But the gender is not the same. But the blood that flows in her body is good enough to keep the hope alive in your heart.

“I could never mistake that child for someone else.”

You desire it. But once again, denying that hope. Better to rescind it before it is too late. You are intoxicated with power. Because nothing will ever change your mind after your lord’s death, it seemed everyone turned their backs on you and you decided to strike back. Let them swallow their own poison. All of them are fools anyway.

“Isn't everything just perfect? If the blood of the Royal Family is strong, a true Golden Raven might be born."

There was something unexpectedly intriguing in the way he said it, which seemed inappropriate for the situation.

"Do you perhaps wish to meet your elder brother once more?" It is said that the true Golden Raven inherits the memories of its predecessors.

I suspected that you might want him to return to being Nazukihiko, whom you once served…

I pray you see the light, Yukiya. I pity you.

[swampgallows]

dragonflight is a masterpiece so far btw. it is so charming and beautiful, and im having so much fun. the world itself and the characters in it have always been my favorite part of wow, and dragonflight definitely delivers on the exploration theme of the xpac. so many wonderful little side quests make the world feel vibrant and alive and every npc, no matter how minor, feels like a unique character with a history and a family. i absolutely love the amount of props and doodads spread throughout that make habitats feel lived in, cities and towns populated, and add to the overall landscape. paintbrushes, teapots, baskets, rugs, cooking tools, books and letters, potted plants—these are some of the reasons suramar felt like a real lived-in city in legion, and why boralus and dazar’alor had so much color and life. the differences in architecture and all of these cultural assets further flesh out the races we meet in the dragon isles, and feel natural to their environments and lifestyles. further environmental details like all the flower clusters on the plains, the kelp and chunks of ice in the floes, the bright lichen and fungi in the zones with decay give the land itself even more identity and character. it’s all gorgeous, imbued with love, and most of all, alive.

it feels like wotlk in many ways, and not just because the tuskarr are here: the threat is formidable and present, but manageable, perceptible, domestic. the lich king was a threat, and his touch was felt everywhere, but there was still a visible and familiar world all around us worth saving. the land felt old and new at the same time. the dragon isles seem to borrow from this ethos and have rolled everything players loved about wotlk into the new zones. the azure span is by far the most “mini northrend” of all these: a pine forest that slopes from autumnal down to wintery lowlands and arctic shores, topped off with a nyckelharpa soundtrack. considering that the main antagonists of dragonflight are the primalists who want to throw the elements into chaos, it makes sense that there is so much focus on the beauty of the natural world and the order needed to maintain it. 

the story is cohesive and woven so well into preexisting lore. so many names and places are being dropped that haven’t been talked about since the original rts games and their books, and it’s nice to see the return of so many old faces. even the most minor npcs are someone’s favorite, and it’s been a blast seeing all the cameos of characters from previous expansions, some even as far back as tbc and vanilla. i’m not big on dragons or their lore, but as a longtime fan i can palpably feel the influence of other longtime fans on the development and structure of the story. terran gregory’s hype alone on twitter feels like the metzen days where he is genuinely excited for others to enjoy the expansion and “geek out” alongside him. 

mechanics-wise im really loving the expanded professions; professions are one of my original loves in wow, and it’s been a thrill to return to the days where being a tailor meant i could craft gear that was actually useful. i like the specializations too and their mini talent trees; it’s been fun coordinating with other people in the guild to see who will prioritize what so we can cover all the bases. this might be an unpopular opinion, but i love the explosion of reagents, especially things like meat and plant and animal parts; it feels better to craft something where you can trace it back to where it came from, versus the esoteric gold-sink reagents of shadowlands that called for things like “orboreal shards” and “progenitor essence”. it was more thematic for the xpac, yes, but as a matter of preference it feels more productive to skin an animal and be able to loot meat, skin, and fur or feathers from it. not to mention the profession equipment is a cute, immersive touch that adds more personality and identity to crafting, and it’s given major boosts to “secondary” professions of fishing and cooking (my favorites in any video game). my top priority, of course, is that the cooking recipes in dragon isles are cute and silly and sound delicious, which sold me on dragonflight from minute one.

anyway, i’m having fun. i hope the rest of you guys are too. i have both laughed out loud and cried during several different quests and i’m still not even finished with the main campaign storyline (i’m trying to get there though... i want world quests!!). this is wow that feels like wow without relying on the faction war to do so, which is new territory for me. the truce is tenuous, but not on the shores of the dragon isles. it feels amazing. i want to avoid saccharine words like “wholesome”, so all i can say is that the love is definitely there. there is love and hope in dragonflight, which is all i have ever wanted, and gotten, from wow.

[thevindicativevordan]

Comics this week? (Specially The Ultimates #4)

Anonymous asked: Comics this week ?

My Adventures With Superman #4 - I know the DCAU JLU Christmas episode is popular, but I've always been put off by it. I can't help seeing an air of condescension in how it treats Superman being a grown man who still believes in Santa, I get a "yes he's dumb and gullible, but isn't that wholesome?" takeaway from it all. Meanwhile I loved how Josie Campbell explored celebrating Christmas here as an expression of love and family. Ma and Pa adopted Clark as their son even though he wasn't blood, then the comic expands that to touch on how Lois and Jimmy have become "family" too. Even extends it right up to Amazo getting treated by Clark as a brother in a touching moment where Superman willingly shares his powers with Amazo so they both can kick Bloodsport and Deathstroke's asses, and Amazo tells Clark he thinks of Clark as family also. It's all very sweet right up until Deathstroke blows a hole in Amazo at the end. Bloodsport is the coolest he has ever been here, when he brings out the big guns I was hooting and hollering. I think this might be my favorite take on Amazo now too. I dug his DCAU incarnation but this is the first time I'm really invested in him as a character, and there's tension because he might not make it out alive.

Absolute Power #3 - Waid is trying to weave together the disparate threads of the past year into a cohesive whole, while simultaneously trying to shuffle the detritus of the past year off the board. End result is a mess of stitched together moments that don't work imo. Example of that is Nightwing "stepping up" as a leader, yet his push feeling hollow when his team failed to take the League's place. A number of other characters like Barda and Mid-Nite get written out of character so that Dick as the avatar of the Silver Age ethos can prove them wrong. Oh and if I have to read another issue of Waid going HEART is our REAL superpower, I think my eyes might be permanently stuck in a cycle of rolling.

Ultimates #4 - Ultimates #4 reminded me of reading Ruins. Exceptionally bleak from beginning to end, poor 6160 Reed. It avoids being nihilistic at least because there is a malicious bad actor in Maker who is making sure that everything turns out as bad as it possibly can, rather than it simply being the nature of the world. Sets up an Ultimate F4 book for sure, but given how Doom is outright skirting the edge of villainy with how he ominously says he’s adhering to Tony’s moral rules for now, I’m wondering if he won’t actually be a part of the team. Maybe he’s the one who gets captured and Tony creates an Ultimate F4 of entirely new people to go save him? Otherwise I see their failure to beat Hulk being the point at which Doom bails on the Ultimates team. I’d prefer Doom be part of the Ultimate F4 though, he’s simply too interesting as a Reed who is massively messed up but is trying to be a hero. If they do end up making him a villain that would be an utter waste of potential. Maker is already the broken Reed, Doom needs to be the Reed who is bent but not broken. Seeing him walk the tightrope is more interesting than seeing him fall off.

[artdecosupernova-writing]

#FridayKiss Tag Game I

Rules: post a smooch between your OCs for Friday. It can be as light as a peck or as intense as a makeout. It can be romantic or platonic or familial. As long as a smooch takes place it’s free reign!

tagged by @druidx, thanks! it is not Friday anymore but I've had a hell of a 24 hrs so I'm posting this now as opposed to waiting until next Friday lol. I'm also tagging @drippingmoon, @oh-no-another-idea, @outpost51, and anyone who wants to, under no obligation of course

here have some fucked shit from Aurora lol:

The remaining Ganymede team leaned out of their shuttle to encourage him forward. Guetry took one look at him and vaulted out of the aircraft, pressing through his weakness to get to Warren. Mercury screamed after him, his desperation drowning in lava and air pressure. In a millisecond Warren saw his entire life in front of him. Going to the park with his parents. Celebrating early birthdays with his siblings. Graduating high school. Graduating college. The day Thrive crashed to Earth, weaving through the trees to reach the lodegan before ETHOS. Zipping through space in the L2. Stepping on an alien world for the first time. He'd lived one hell of an adventure, alright. The crust of Torris burst open beside him, almost searing him with hellfire. He screwed his eyes shut, awaiting the end. Sudden silence. An instant temperature change. He opened his eyes. Guetry stared right back from the floor of the Ganymede bridge. A pause settled before Guetry dragged himself to Warren, and Warren crawled to him, grasping him tightly, the relief sticking to the back of Warren's throat. Guetry breathlessly clutched his armor, his face, kissed the corner of his mouth, his cheek, shivered uncontrollably with the weight of his emotions. He looked into Warren's eyes and Warren realized there had been real fear there, real pain, and for Guetry's sake he pretended not to understand what that meant. Dazia burst onto the bridge and immediately swore upon seeing the two of them alive. "Thank fucking god. Okay, let's get the hell out of here." Warren scrambled to the viewscreen as everyone else began to pour into the room, relieved at him and Guetry being in one piece. "What happened?!" "We don't know!" Emnophene exclaimed. "You were there one minute, then a huge sinkhole opened up and we thought you and Guetry had died!" Mercury surged forward and gathered Guetry in a desperate, tight embrace, planting a solid, lengthy kiss to his mouth that surprised even Warren, who'd accidentally turned at that exact moment. Guetry's wide eyes spoke volumes. "I was leavin' you behind," Mercury breathed through clenched teeth, voice quaking as he gripped Guetry's stunned face in his hands and pressed several more kisses to him. "I had to leave you behind, you stupid man…" Sig's voice came in through the comm. "Are we still detonating or not?" Warren snapped out of his thoughts. "Yeah. Yeah! ——— can handle it—we need to get out of here, 'cause we sure as shit can't!" Varussa slammed the Ganymede into gear. "Getting as far away from Torris as possible."

[thedo0zyslider]

Lessons In Regret - 3k Words

Etho is haunted by some pretty annoyed ghosts, and isn't excited to join them. It goes better than expcted when he does, all things considered.

A03 Link

If you asked anyone else, they would’ve said Etho was a crazy man, that the game had finally gotten to him. That he’d lost his mind after half of TIES fell or something and now he was hallucinating their ghosts to cope. But no, he wasn’t crazy, and it was the one time he felt normal about talking to something that couldn’t talk back, even if Impulse did shoot him the occasional weird look. He did indeed have ghosts, just not Skizz and Tango. And they weren't something made up by his mind. It was his weird little surrogate family haunting him instead. Well he thought Tango was there sometimes, but he was trailing around Impulse mostly it seemed. 

“Hey,” Etho spoke to the empty air for the millionth time. “Stop stealing my steak Scar, you can’t even eat anymore.” He sighed, snatching the floating meat from midair and shoving it back in the furnace. Etho didn’t know why the universe had chosen him to suddenly be the ghost whisperer, but he did know that Scar was the one pulling pranks now. He’d assumed it was Bdubs at first, and that the little rascal was doing it to mess with him, but in reality it was Scar; who was doing it for no other reason than for the fact that he was a menace, dead or alive. 

And sometimes Etho thought he really had gone crazy, that maybe Grian dying pushed him to the breaking point. But then he’ll be shoved away from a creeper by something too strong to be anything like the wind; there will be a phantom tap on his shoulder alerting him to people nearby, or his stuff will float in midair, and then Etho knows for certain that he still has a little bit of sanity left. He just has some occasionally helpful, but mostly annoying ghosts. 

They won’t do anything that would help him win. No, no, that would be unfair, unfun, and would probably anger whatever being runs these games. But they do warn him of stray skeleton arrows and mess with his stuff, so he guesses his family are alright ghosts. At least they’re not trying to get him killed, especially because they have every right too. 

He has an idea of Scar’s response more than he actually sees it, but he’s pretty sure the former is blowing a raspberry at him right now. Communicating with ghosts is easy when you know them so well, like how he can always feel Cleo’s disapproving scowl on the back of his neck. Yeah, he is not looking forward to having that talk when he does eventually join them. 

But for now he just pulls his mask down, presuming his ghostly companions turn away from his uncovered face just as they would have in life, and quickly eats the now cooked steak. Etho will need all the energy he can get. He and Impulse had just tried to kill Scott, and he could practically feel Martyn's vengeance from here. 

"Hey," Etho repeated his earlier statement, not because of Scar though. He has a question on his mind, one that had been persistent since they showed up. He wasn’t really expecting anyone to answer, as he could just ask when he died. He supposed it would just feel more…meaningful if it happened when Etho was alive. 

His unexpected answer is the sound of a chest opening, then a single piece of coal being chucked into the furnace. Bdubs. He decides. Scar probably would've stolen his food again, because he found that really funny for some reason, and Cleo would've damaged him somehow. He didn't know how she manages to hit a living person, and wasn’t too interested in finding out. 

"How angry with me are you?" 

Etho was promptly smacked upside the head with something stronger than a hand, a shovel maybe, and hard enough to take off about four hearts. Cleo

(He wasn’t sure the exact amount of damage he took, his hunger was full, he regenerated instantly. Them being able to do that was still scary, though)

There was the answer to that question. 

"Can I make it up to you, somehow?" That was followed by silence, and they were never silent when they talked to Etho. It must've been a thinker then, his question. There is a sudden, ghostly feeling of a tail brushing against his ankle, which means Tango has joined their little family conversation. He must’ve gotten bored of Impulse stalking Skynet for the millionth time, which happened often. So maybe Tango was with the masked man more than he had assumed. 

When no one responded, Etho piped up again. "I could try and kill Pearl?"

It's his only option to redeem himself, really. He'd allied with Grian; Scar and Cleo’s killer, and then the fool had gone and fallen to his death. That's why they were mad in the first place, he'd allied with Grian and now there was no Grian left to kill. The Clockers had been on good terms with Scott and Martyn, who wanted him dead anyways. Another third option was avenging Bdubs by taking out Impulse, but that was strictly off limits. Him and Impulse are what's left of TIES, and the latter has a far better shot of getting to the top three than Etho does with his measly amount of time left.

TIES gets to the final three. 

His teammates' words ring in Etho's ears for the millionth time. Skizz’s sacrifice won't be wasted, he is not wasting a second chance to team with Skizz, not again, this isn't Last Life. 

Impulse's kill had been fair anyways, and everyone knew it. Bdubs’s history of betraying and slaying the former was a little bit of an open secret. There was nothing to avenge, Impulse was just getting even. So killing Pearl will have to work, and it makes sense. She pushed Cleo off the ladder and killed her, which started that fight that permanently killed his ex-wife and oldest son. It’s not the best reason, it's a stretched one that he wouldn’t use under normal circumstances. But there aren’t any more normal circumstances, haven't been for a while. Plus, he’s running low on time and it's late enough in the game that people don’t need justification for cold blooded murder. That unneeded reason makes it seem like he wasn’t a deadbeat, but it's the best reason he's got, especially because he's not coming close to the final three. 

He can't honor a teammate's dying wish, so the least he can do is make amends with his family and apologize later when he's gone. 

The only response Etho gets is Tango leaving after a few minutes of silence, his tail flicking against Etho’s leg in goodbye, and a warning tap from Bdubs. (Bdubs, of course it was Bdubs.) Scott and Martyn are coming. The furnace is put away before the coal can burn out. 

So Etho sighs, adjusting his mask a little; maybe he runs his fingers over the fabric a little, well aware it might be the last chance he has to feel it with still living hands. He grabs his axe, loads his crossbow with fireworks, looks down the side of Bad Boy Manor, and prepares to fight or flee. 

He doesn't get to kill Pearl, he doesn’t even see a last glimpse of her. Not even five minutes later he's being shot off a water stream and listening to his bones crack against the ground as the world goes dark. Heh, Martyn fights good and he fights dirty . 

He gets fifth place, right where he expected to end, and Impulse is left to carry on Skizz’s dying wish alone. 

Etho ran out of time!

______________________________________________

Tango appears beside the family, and it is a very, very unfortunate time to rejoin them. Cleo’s fists are starting to ball up, in something more than irritation but less than fury. Scar stood there, icy and silent. The only one who casted him a glance was Bdubs, and he could understand why once he looked down. 

Poor Etho had damned himself even further. The three already had problems with him when they had died, and now the man had gone and made it worse. The blazeborn loved his friend, he really did, but teaming up the guy involved with your ‘family members’ deaths? Bad move. Very bad move. Horrible move. Especially after Scar’s reaction to dying, though not that Etho could’ve known that at all. 

“That little..” Cleo hissed between gritted teeth, and Tango made sure to steer a little clear of her. Instead he moved closer to Scar, with the other two preoccupied in watching the living for now. 

“You good, bud?” He whispered, standing close enough that their arms brushed. The blazeborn aloud his tail to flick and weave between Scar’s legs, hoping that would bring some sort of comfort. The other just nodded, and mumbled. “Yeah, yeah it’ll be fine.”

They didn’t stay for long after that, all four of them phasing back once Grian had died. They returned to their normal shedulce afterwards, avian now having joined them, and haunted Etho till he died as well.  

______________________________________________

Etho’s arrival wasn’t as silent as he expected it to be. The man himself was quiet as usual, but the rest of the players weren't. He’s swarmed as he spawns in standing, not even getting a chance to process what had just happened, or greet any of his friends before five people were crowding around him. Thankfully for him, the four remaining ghosts keep their distance for now.

The first thing he truly processed seeing was the wide smile of Bdubs, before Tango and Skizzle managed to shove the Clockers to the side for a minute; doing so a little rudely. Cleo gave them a meaningless glare as they did, which became suddenly meaningful when her gaze finally flicked to Etho. He shuddered under his coat, and silently thanked his teammates for delaying his inevitable doom. 

"ETHO!" Skizz yelled, swiftly wrapping him into a hug and off the ground slightly. "You did so good buddy!" He giggled, unable to return the rib breaking embrace. Instead Etho just let himself melt into it, until Skizz was satisfied enough to put him down again. 

As soon as the brunette let go of him he was being tackled by Tango, who's tail flicked wildly and happily in the air behind him. Etho let out a huff of surprise, his back hitting the grass softly. Tango didn't seem to notice how strong his tackle had been, despite literally tumbling to the ground, and wrapped his teammate in a hug of his own. Etho did the same this time, giggling a bit as the blazeborn's purrs reverberated through his own chest. 

"You did amazing! As always!" Tango said, laughing loudly into the fluffy part of Etho’s jacket. "I don't even know how you lived that long! I swear you had an hour left dude!" 

In response, Etho just rolled his eyes a little fondly. "You wanna get off me now?" He asked, letting amusement lace his tone. Tango seemed to realize the position they were in, and scrambled away all cat-like. Skizz’s warm laugh filled the air around them. 

"Sorry, didn't realize how hard I tackled ya!" The blazeborn muttered a bit sheepishly, moving to sit on his legs. Etho huffed in response as he sat up, flicking at the other’s tail, which was now near his own legs. He raised a curious eyebrow when his fingers didn't catch alight. He knew touching fire was a bad idea, Etho just wanted to see if it still didn't spread in the afterlife is all. 

"Figured you didn't." He teased, and Tango was whacking him with said tail playfully. 

Before the play fighting could go any further, which it certainly was going to by the look on Tango’s face, Etho felt the hood of his jacket being tugged on. He made a startled yelp of surprise, finding himself being lifted off the ground and into the air, limbs now dangling limply. He could once again feel Cleo’s scowl on the back of his neck, well…the top of his head now. 

You think Scar would be the one to this, He thought, listening to the stifled and slightly awkward laugher around them. With how ripped he always is. He always forgot how strong Cleo was somehow. 

"He looks like a little kitten!" Bdubs’s voice came from beside him, and Etho glanced over to see the other’s beat up face close to his. The smaller was fixing him with a wide smile, making his missing tooth very apparent. He'd have stuck out his tongue in response, if anyone would've been able to see it through the mask that is.  

"A very bad little kitten." Cleo huffed, and Etho shrunk in on himself. That was it, his doom could not be delayed any further. If he could be killed again, he was sure Cleo would be doing that soon. Hell maybe she would find a way to do it, break the laws of the universe and make him truly double dead. He believed they could, the zombie was scary after all.

Bdubs’s smile flattered at that, and his gaze flicked between Cleo and Scar. “Yeah, yeah he is!” He huffed, and shuffled off to stand beside his so-called brother. Scar said nothing, and gave Etho an awkward little wave. He returned it, reflecting how much this actually felt like an actual family disagreement. How the parents were at odds the kids would shuffle awkwardly off to the side and wait. The four of them played into these roles a bit too well, in his opinion. 

“Can you put me down now?” Etho asked, glancing up at Cleo. The rest of their friends had already receded, giving the four of them a wide breadth. The zombie just looked at him, and let go of him unceremoniously. He stumbled, his balance thrown off, but thankfully did not faceplant. Etho just shoved in his hands in his coat pockets, and followed the other three to another spot; one just a bit further away, but close enough that the rest of their friends were still within eyesight. 

“So, Etho!” Cleo started, her voice sounding far too cheerful. “Do you have any idea what you did wrong?” 

“Ummm, Everything?”

“Close enough!” Scar chimed in with a giggle, one not filled with very much humor. “I think the dead beat dad bit was the first thing though.”

“After a while it wasn’t a bit anymore. That's when things started to actually hurt a little” Cleo said

“Yeah…” Etho mumbled in agreement, eyes flicking down to the ground. “Sorry…about all of that…”

“Well we weren’t perfect either.” Bdubs snorted, glancing between all three of them. Scar hummed in agreement. “So, yeah, we’re sorry too.” It took a moment, but even Cleo let out her own mutter of apology; for being such a wench of a wife, as she put it. He muttered his own apology for being such a dead beat, and that was that.

“We’re a little peeved about the Grian thing, though.” Bdubs muttered, and Etho raised an eyebrow curiously. The smaller, well used to interpreting all his cues and whatnot, saw that Etho had no idea what he was getting at. He knew Grian killed Scar, but he could tell it was something else that was bothering them. 

“Okay, so like-” Bdubs began his rushed explanation, well aware of Cleo’s intense gaze burning into him. Scar said nothing, just looked at the grass, like he was ashamed of something. And Etho had no idea what he would ever have to be ashamed of, especially if it was something this serious. “So Grian killed Scar yeah? And Scar’s reaction to it was kinda bad? Kinda panic attack-y? And Grian’s kinda aware of all that sooo, um, yeah.”

Ah, that made sense, now. Etho opened his mouth to reply, but was quickly cut off by Scar. “I talked to Grian a bit ago.” He said, glaring at Cleo, who was clearly still sour about the whole thing. “He didn’t--he didn’t mean to. It was the red life, we’ve all had moments where it gets too strong and we did something we regretted.” 

There wasn’t much to converse after that, other than a few more muttered apologies. When Cleo said it was time to head back, the air was considerably lighter than it had been at the start of the conversation. 

When they walked back, Etho was swept away again. It was by Grian this time, the little avian now being the one to keep him away from the others. He kinda wanted to say hello to Joel, but he guessed that could wait. They were all dead, and had what felt like an eternity left up here. 

“Hey.” The avian said, cracking a nervous smile. 

“Hey.” He responded, hands resting comfortably in his pockets. The little bird seemed much more on edge than him, that was for certain. He’d let the other set the pace then, not wanting to rush this interaction. 

“That--the sword thing--that was stupid , huh?” Grian laughed, running a hand through his hair. 

Etho let out his own, slightly broken laugh after him. “Yeah, yeah. It was really dumb.”

The next question made Grian’s voice become quieter, made it crack a bit more with pain. “You hear about what happened with Scar? I know you two were family or whatever..” “Yeah. You didn’t mean it, so it's fine.”

Grian visibly relaxed at that, his shoulders sagging and posture becoming a little less rigid. “I…yeah. Yeah .” Once the blonde had finished his stuttering, Etho glanced off towards where the others had gone. His little found family, along with Tango, looked like they were about to jump off the edge of the mountain. Which was weird, unless it was what Etho thought it was.

“What’re they doin’” He asked, nodding his head towards the four of them. Grian’s mood shifted completely. His eyes gained a mischievous glint to them, and a wide smile cut across his features. “They’re gonna go down to haunt the living players, like they did to you,” Yep, exactly what he thought it was. “Wanna join ‘em?” The avian asked, holding out a hand that still had his Bad Boy gloves on, despite insisting the whole get up was stupid at every chance he got. He nodded silently as a response, that once detail making him feel a little fond. Grian was just a big ole’ sap underneath everything, wasn’t he?

Etho allowed the blonde to pull him forward enthusiastically, almost stumbling at the speed of it and trying to avoid a wing hitting his face. Scar spotted them, and flashed them a wave through a fit of giggles. Etho was holding back his own laughs as well, as he could only imagine what this looked like. He waved back to Scar once they got closer, Grian letting of his his hand to practically launch himself at the brunette. 

“We could just stay up here!” Etho suggested when he reached the group, not too seriously. “Doesn’t coming back up and down get a little like…repetitive? Or tiring? “But it’s fun to watch them all die!” Cleo protested, and he had to agree with that. Seeing the grand finale with his own two eyes would be quite fun. With that in mind, Etho followed without much complaint, comfortably walking next to Tango, Cleo on his other side, and Grain behind him. He regretted a lot of things from before, but he was glad all the differences could be cleared, and he could walk beside these people as friends once more. 

The group called goodbye to the remaining ghosts, the ones who chose to sit and watch from afar instead, and disappeared down into the world below

[horizon-verizon]

I know this might be a meme "for now" but do you think they will make rhaenyra's death some sort of an accident lmao

Let's be real, None of us thought that every an each crucial event will happen by accident, even Aegon's crowning, and luke's death are accidents...

So would they make Aegon lose his control over sunfyre or what other possible ways they could change rhaenyra's death? nothing will be book!accurate .

Yes it's very possible they will make Aegon regret it. That Aegon III just happens to stumble out and see his mom get eaten alive after he escaped his captors-because they may kidnap him from Rhaenyra before she tries to go to Dragonstone-and this makes Aegon regret his "impulsive" decision to have Rhaenyra eaten alive.

HBO Max also seems to love to portray male-on-female domestic violence (even outside of episode 10/the show itself), and portray it as not a big deal.

(Aegon’s crowning, actually, goes as Septon Eustace describes and yes he had to be looked for. Wouldn't say that was an accident, since both Otto and Alicent both intended, in the show, to crown Aegon. Luke’s death.....never in a million years did I think they would actually go for Lucerys' death being an accident. Hated it on sight.)

Context: Thoughts and Criticisms for Why They do This

I think the show writers:

misunderstood that the account of the Dance in Fire and Blood is written against Rhaenyra and the blacks because all maesters studied from the Citadel, which is partially (very) funded by the Hightowers, so we must recognize where Gyldayn frames or uses language that is both misogynist and doesn't coincide with what the Westerosi/Targ culture/lore would allow

didn't understand the Septon Eustace was a green, so we must recognize his misogyny and ways he makes narratives for the greens that actually is self contradictory

misunderstood that Mushroom's words should be scrutinized and his aim was to be seen as a bigger player in the Dance and in Rhaenyra's life more than he would have actually been

prioritized appealing to performative activism for marketability (that brideoffires describes as an overall issue and applied to ASoIaF HERE)

didn't understand that a woman abusing a stepchild and "selling out" another woman all of her own will to benefit from the patriarchy for her own selfish ends is still an important story to tell

On the Evil Stepmother trope, this is written by ainomica:

But an evil stepmother who is evil when she is justifying abusing and even sexually harassing little children using her power in the name of the good of her family or her children ?? THAT IS FASCINATING....The REAL DRAW of the scene was to see the byplay of self-righteousness fighting against the obvious hypocrisy of her actions that has existed for Ninnicent since day one. This is why Condal and Hess’s comments are so irritating! They want to play Ninnicent as straightforward victim of situation when they have ended up writing an amazing hypocritical young woman.

And minetteskvareninova:

“Oh, we didn’t want to make Alicent just a stereotypical evil stepmother.” - OK, then? So how does that track with “make them the same age and also have this weird pseudoromantic connection going on” (because an actual queer relationship, or, failing that, a well-developed portrayal of a simple friendship wouldn’t fit the superedgy ethos of this stupid franchise I guess)? Is a bad stepmother-stepdaughter relationship so inherently uncompelling that you just had to change it into something else?! Like, what even is this?! This show thrives on toxic and complicated family dynamics! Daemon and Viserys’ whole dealio alone is worth dozens of metas and hours of opinionated video essays! How come you cannot think of anything interesting to do with a young woman marrying an older man (how much older is up to you, he was much younger in the book but whatever) with a child and trying to integrate into his family, and a girl dealing with her father remarrying soon-ish after her mother’s death?! One of my tumblr friends (I hope she’ll forgive me for calling her this, lol) faintingheroine has written whole books (in tumblr post form, but nvm) about a single turkish novel with this kind of relationship at its center! And like… It has no dragons, or battles or whatever. It’s just a girl and her stepmother failing to get along (and said stepmother having an illicit affair, but that’s beside the point). And people love it! It’s genuinely compelling!

[timefortwig]

Twig - Arc 3 - Chapter 3

Finally! After 10,000 years, I'm free! Time to... read Twig. Sorry guys, exams and family stuff have kept me from updating in ages, but I'm back! Now, on to the reading.

Last time, our heroes were sealed in the bowels of the Radham Academy with Sub Rosa and the other murderous experiments. We last left them backed into a corner by a locked door, hounded by convicts turned monsters. How will the Lambs get out of this one?

The Lambs consider splitting up to run from the experiments, and we see their bond by how they decide that either they all run or none do. Despite being hunted by experiments, there sure is a lot of dialogue. I guess talking is a free action. Speaking of which, does anyone know a good ttrpg system to run a game set in the world of Twig? I've considered using a tweaked version of Call of Cthulhu, but I'm open to other options.

The Lambs, my friends, my gang, my family.

I didn’t want to see them get hurt.

Sy, your soft side is showing. Really, he's been very protective of Mary this chapter

The convicts surrounded her.  I could only barely make out their eyes in the gloom, as they stared down the hallway at us.

I heard a snicker.

Oh God, the convicts are still sapient

“Academy brat.”

Oh God, they can talk, and they sound like kids. Just when you think you know what to expect from Wildbow, the guy throws something completely out of left field

Sy, in either an uncharacteristic moment of bravery or very characteristic moment of recklessness, puts himself in Sub Rosa's path, knowing full well how likely this is to get him converted into chunky salsa. The convicts apparently blame the Lambs for what happened to their bodies, or maybe the Academy as a whole, and one is having a whale of a time describing how he's going to brutally kill Sy.

Sub Rosa walks right past Sy, smoothing down his hair. Maybe she was a mother in her previous life and still holds some basic "don't kill your children" instincts? The soft-spoken convict, who I'll call "Baby" for the sake of convenience, tries to stab Sy with his hand spikes. Sy, for some reason, opens his mouth to Baby's attack and gets electrocuted I think. Wonder what bullshit Sy is pulling this time.

apparently he's trying to exploit Sub Rosa's motherly instincts to get her to kick the shit out of Baby, but concludes that it was a dumb idea afterwards. He spits out a bit of broken tooth and stares Baby down like a badass. While he's analyzing Baby, Sy runs through several methods of trying to convince him that I remember from a class I took on rhetoric a while ago, Ethos with the appeal to authority/building connection with Baby by staring him down, discounting Logos, and settling on using Pathos if the need arose.

Baby menaces Sy with spikes of electrified metal, and then electrocutes him again. But Sub Rosa appears to be coming to Sy's rescue, and Baby backs off. Meanwhile, the rest of the Lambs are stoically cowering in the corner. Sub Rosa reaches into the door and pulls out an... intestine. Ok. That also appears to be causing major structural damage to the building. This whole building is alive, isn't it. Sub Rosa then proceeds to methodically tear down the door with her bulging muscles.

Am I weird for thinking that Sub Rosa is kind of hot? I can't be the only one who thinks that right?

anyway, a tenuous peace forms between the Lambs and the mutilated convicts. Sy, even if Sub Rosa is protecting you, you might not want to piss off the convicts with electro-spikes. The new party walks into an area populated by scientists, and the Lambs just sort of awkwardly stand around while Sub Rosa and the cons kill them all.

Sy then... uh... reaches under Mary's skirt. However, he only does this to steal one of Mary's concealed knives. You know, Sy, there are times where I absolutely adore you, and others where I really don't like you. Mary is understandably pissed, but can't say anything because of the con standing right next to them. Fuck you Sy.

Ok, Jamie silently conveys to Sy that that one dead scientist's relative is in the part of the lab Sub Rosa is headed for. Sy takes his knife and strides up to take the duty of "killing" the next target. And the chapter ends there with Sy musing on how fucked they all are.

And that will be all for today, I hope to update again sometime this decade, but no promises lol. Until next time, vile experiments of the Academy.

By the way, Special thanks to Wildbow for writing Twig and to Kim Dauber for voicing the audiobook I use to do these posts.

One question, will the nutshot counter even be needed in future chapters? or am I just wasting time?

[nicholash2001]

*Narratives and Rhetoric*

Narratives and Rhetoric Tumblr CQ Essay 1

In this entry, I will evaluate the critical questions: What is the major point of this artifact's message, and how does it emphasize the meaning of being an American in a soldier's viewpoint? Is it moral to utilize certain rhetorical devices in this way? I examined a speech given by General Hal Moore from the movie “We were Soldiers” (2002).  He builds the narrative of a noble battle by establishing himself as a moral and credible military character, creating and calling the soldiers to be noble and heroic, and creating a sense of urgency through a widely spoken unjust war.  Overall, this narrative is productive because the speech itself during the time of a very political war still allowed for a sense of unity and patriotism to America.  

This speech is from the middle of the  movie “We were Soldiers” (2002).  In this scene, the speaker is General Hal Moore who is leading a group of American soldiers into the Vietnam War.  Moore and his army are going into Ia Drang Valley in the year 1965 to take back an American base that was brutally taken from the Viet Cong.  As he stands at the podium and delivers this speech, he is addressing the soldiers and reminding them that no color, ethnicity, race, religion, or differences should come between them as they are to defend and protect each other. 

The narrative in Colonel Moore's speech is one of duty, honor, camaraderie, facing adversity, and maintaining a strong moral compass in the midst of combat. It serves as a motivational and inspirational narrative that resonates with the soldiers and the audience, emphasizing the values and principles that guide them in the face of tremendous challenges.  What Foss says about characters is “ Their behavior is less predictable than that of flat characters because they are likely to change and to continue to reveal previously unknown traits' “(Foss).  Foss's focus is on rhetorical theory and persuasive communication which in terms expresses some of what General Hal Moore is speaking about in his speech with using things such as ethos to build credibility.  Setting a scene in a narrative format is what allows those characteristics, in this case from soldiers, to be understood and thought about their travels and what they will see as we can only imagine the true horrors and depiction.    

Moore establishes himself as a credible leading character by constructing himself as moral, professional, and confident.  Moore says “I can't promise you that I will bring you all home alive. But this I swear before you and before Almighty God: That when we go into battle, I will be the first to set foot on the field, and I will be the last to stop off. And I will leave no one behind.  Dead or alive, we will all come home together.  So help me God”(Moore).  The language that he creates and uses creates the character and soldier that he is and that of who he stands out to be to his fellow soldiers.  First foot on the field and last to step off has the meaning of not letting his troops out there alone.  No man left behind is the true meaning behind what he composes during this part.  It gains the respect of the soldiers knowing that whatever happens they will all be going home to their families.  It’s important to have a strong leader to lead the way, not just the easy ones but the tough ones too.  One must understand the people under them and their needs and desires.  All of which Moore proves within his speech to the young men in front of him.

Moore establishes the soldiers himself as being more than just your skin color, race, religion, or any one individual.  He claims that all men fighting for the United States to be an American.  The exact words he uses is “Look around you. In the 7th Cavalry, we got a Captain from the Ukraine. Another from Puerto Rico. We've got Japanese, Chinese, Blacks, Hispanics, Cherokee Indians, Jews and Gentiles -- all Americans. Now here in the States, some men in this Unit may experience discrimination because of race or creed. But for you and me now, all that is gone” (Moore).  The characteristics given to the soldiers is one of unity and pride.  For all being the same and that there is no difference between these men and that they are all now at this very moment identified as an American.  He highlights their equality in the face of peril as well as their solidarity, shared sacrifice, mutual dependence, responsibility, and dignity. This portrayal of the troops as a cohesive unit united by their dedication to one another and to their objective transcends ethnicity, religion, and other personal qualities in order to convey a message of brotherhood and common purpose.    

Moore establishes and paints a grim and foreboding picture of the battlefield. He emphasizes that in this place of extreme danger, that they will fight for the cause and to know they are not alone.  In his message he relay to his men “We're moving into the 'valley of the shadow of death' -- where you will watch the back of the man next to you, as he will watch yours. And you won't care what color he is or by what name he calls God” (Moore).  This statement from Colonel Moore's speech creates a vivid picture of the battlefield as a place of imminent danger, mutual reliance, and unity. It highlights the soldiers' shared purpose and the sacrifices they make for one another, painting a powerful image of the challenges they will face in the Ia Drang Valley.  To lay the danger that lies ahead for the soldiers and to them still be willing to join and fight is something extraordinary.  What Moore can provide is the truth and that in all is what these men needed to hear.  

Colonel Hal Moore's speech in "We Were Soldiers" is undoubtedly portrayed as a productive and effective piece of communication within the context of the film.  First he instills a sense of purpose, unity, and unwavering commitment among his troops. He fosters a deep camaraderie that transcends individual differences, promoting a powerful sense of brotherhood and shared mission. By pledging to lead from the front and leave no one behind, Moore establishes a clear chain of command and an ethos of self-sacrifice that motivates his soldiers to face the challenges ahead with courage and determination.  While then and still now the Vietnam War was frowned upon because it had nothing to do with us originally, dividing the nation in two the speech itself is productive in what the objective is.  The troops are better mentally and emotionally prepared for the traumatic experience they are about to undergo thanks to Colonel Moore's speech, which ultimately strengthens their fortitude and effectiveness on the battlefield.

Speeches are a crucial component of rhetoric since they are the primary medium through which political leaders interact with the public. They often share common themes and strategies with speeches delivered by military commanders like Colonel Moore. These themes include leadership, unity, patriotism, and the power of words to inspire and motivate individuals or groups in challenging situations.  Campbell and Jamieson do a great job explaining pieces of war rhetoric and how the speeches connect from other presidents claiming to go to war and how they all relate to the same stuff.  A narrative that is discussed is “The justification is embodied in a dramatic narrative from which, in turn, an argument is extracted.  That argument claims that a threat imperils the nation, and indeed, civilization itself; that the threat emanates from the acts of an identifiable enemy; and that, despite a patient search for alternatives, the threat necessitates a forceful, immediate response” (Campbell & Jamieson).  To relate to Moore’s speech it mentions that immediate action and going in to take back something of theirs.  Along with what Campbell and Jamieson mentioned they also had speeches of presidents during war time efforts which all were similar.  They made sure to mention a nation together and fight for your brothers next to you. So bringing it back to Moore’s speech it’s quite similar in getting the message across.  All war speeches must have that unity, leadership, and patriotism to lead and inspire the young men and women in front of you.      

In conclusion, the speech given by General Hal Moore from the movie “We were Soldiers” (2002), builds the narrative of a noble battle by establishing himself as a moral and credible military character, creating and calling the soldiers to be noble and heroic, and creating a sense of urgency through a widely spoken unjust war.  Moore captures the spirit of military duty and the sacrifices required on the battlefield via his words. A picture of bravery and selflessness is painted by his promise to lead from the front, to leave no one behind, and to overlook differences in the pursuit of a common goal. Moore's remark serves as a reminder that, even in the face of danger, soldiers can shed their individual identities and unite as a unit bounded by duty and honor. 

Work Cited

Campbell, K., & Jamieson, K. (2008). Presidents creating the presidency: Deeds done in words. The

University of Chicago Press. 

Foss, S. (1970). Rhetorical criticism : Exploration and practice : Foss, Sonja K. Internet Archive.

Moore, Hal. “We Were Soldiers.” Youtube, uploaded by Movieclips, 25 February 2012,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu77LGPAIPA&t=1s&ab_channel=Movieclips

[uatjonc]

Note to Self - v.7SB(?)

I never really liked that movie. No—I think I hate that movie. Because of that scene. Because I know it’s building up to that scene and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Kevin Spacey’s menacingly detached smile as he says “He just told you”… and his blissful resignation as Brad Pitt ends his life. They are an outcome that cannot be avoided. And it animates a vivid portrait of the pure evil one must face if they ever hope to confront a remorseless evil-doer; specifically, one who believes they truly have not done any evil.

That’s not what i want to avoid.

It’s the terror in Brad Pitt’s voice, pleading against all logic as he hopes for a different answer than the one he knows to expect. As long as he is asking, and the box remains closed, there is a chance his wife, his love, his life, his innocence might still be safe.

Schrödinger’s box made flesh, in theatric drama of Biblical proportions. Se7en deadly sins, brought to life by a self proclaimed agent of God so deep in his own delusional bullshit there was never any way to reach or reason with him. Gwyneth Paltrow was dead the moment Brad took the case. He just wouldn’t know until he opened the box.

——

I’ve been saying I want to write my stepfather for at least 5 years. The draft letter is sitting in my notes app. I just added a line at the end telling him I would like to talk to him “about anything he wanted”.

Why do I keep grasping at the validation of the man who destroyed my innocence?

I keep saying that I need to do this to understand him. That it is the necessary exercise of my ideological ethos as a prison abolitionist and humanist. That I don’t expect him to say/do anything that will make me feel better about what happened or how it affected me or who I’ve become since or who I’m trying to be now. That even a silent denial/refusal to engage would be all the answers I really need.

Part of me wonders if I keeping saying these things, they might be true. I certainly believe them when I say them. But the second or two after is when the doubt creeps in.

Aren’t you still just the dorky, frail, weak little bobble-headed nerd who wanted more than anything to have a “real family?”

——

I knew I didn’t have a father… and I knew why. I don’t know when or how I was told but I don’t remember not knowing.

Knowing why made it easy to never feel bad about his absence. And easier still to sedate any itch of curiosity to know who he was. I genuinely didn’t care to know anything about him at all as I grew up. I never wondered what he was doing, if he was still alive, what my life would have looked like if he’d know about me or was in any way a part of my life.

But not wanting HIM as a father didn’t mean I didn’t want a father. In fact, second only to a little brother, a father was all I really wanted. Someone to play the part of protector, teacher, coach, cheerleader. Someone to make sure the monsters never hurt us. Someone who could protect my mother from men like my father.

Instead, we got the same man in different skin. A God-fearing man, so wrapped up in his own self-righteousness that he refuses to see the blood on his hands. Blue-collar, heavy calloused hands from years of street life and hard labor, skin just dark enough to guarantee his narcissism would always have a healthy stream of fresh validation for his victim mentality. But this time, he won’t discriminate by gender nor age when he decides to give himself over to his darkest impulses.

Now, at 33 years old, I find myself fixated on the cruel irony of being a fatherless bastard with TWO evil fathers, one by chance and one by choice. I yearn for the love of a man who, simultaneously, does not exist and is actually two people who have done nothing to deserve me.

——

I can’t tell if I’m delusional; or in denial.

I’m starting to think I haven’t finished or sent this letter because I’ll be unable to pretend I’m not (if I am) after sending it.

The box will be open. The cat will either be dead or alive.

And I’ll have to decide how to move forward.

[bougiebutchbitch]

Okay okay since I love hearing you rant: Who is your favourite Naruto character and WHY

sdkrhlsdfhgkjlshdfklghskldfhgkljsgfsd

I am going to give you all

THREE GUESSES

(it's obviously danzou, right?)

click under the cut for a WHOLE ESSAY

On a marginally more serious note: Kakashi has been one of my favourite characters since I was a wee bairn! I was also an edgy emo bairn, so the Akatsuki were my absolute favourites back in the day - I was deep into the 'they're all just chilling in a house together and acting like frat kids' part of the fandom. But I always thought Kakashi was a Cool Guy, y'know?

Then I started rewatching as an adult. As a very depressed adult who happened to be the same age Kakashi was at the start of Nart (the Nart-start, if you will).

And I realised... bruh... he really was just Some Guy dealing with one hell of a shit hand of cards, huh??

Like, the village gave him a jinchuuriki to look after! A jinchuuriki who JUST found out why the entire village HATES him, and who sees himself as a vessel for the monster that killed his hero and almost destroyed his home. A jinchuuriki who happens to be the son of the guy who kinda raised Kakashi! And who looks just like him! But Kakashi is forbidden from telling him anything about his own family!

And he's the most reckless and ridiculous shinobi ever!!!

Then one of the other boys they give him to train is the LAST SURVIVOR OF A LITERAL GENOCIDE. That was carried out by Kakashi's own teammate (on Konoha's orders, though of course, none of them know that at the time). And this boy is still obviously very fucking traumatised!

Sakura must've been a breath of fresh air skldfghskldhfg

Like... Kakashi is Not The Most Emotionally Stable Guy in canon. He does fuck up with Sasuke (and spends the rest of the series beating himself up about it) but let's be real - a HELL of a lot more support was needed, for that squad.

Konoha needs therapists. Konoha needs to stop using child soldiers. But those are massive issues that couldn't have been fixed for Doylian ReasonsTM! Unless Kakashi literally went rogue, grabbed the kids, ran off to start a chill farm somewhere and probably got hunted down for his troubles, they were always going to be stuck in a fucked-up environment, because they were raised in a martial state still recovering from a MASSIVE war.

...I'm rambling but the point is, SO MANY MESSED-UP FACTORS led to the rift in Team 7 and Sasuke's eventual defection. Kakashi definitely takes waaaaaay too much responsibility onto his own shoulders. But hey!!! Guilt complexes are my character kryptonite, so I shlorp that tasty soop right up.

Anyway, the main catalyst for my ongoing obsession with the lanky scarecrow man is because of those later flashback episodes where you saw just how fucking numb and depressed he was before he got the kids. 1) empathy. 2) my entire viewpoint of him shifted from 'cool funny wiseguy who gets all the best fight scenes' to '...oh god just let him chill with his dogs and his kids and be happy'

...Then you have the whole freaking INSANE plot with Obito! Where like... the guy Kakashi modelled half his personality and his entire ethos around, after suffering repeated trauma and PTSD as a kid... the guy he's looked up to since Obito died for him, the guy whose sacrifice motivated Kakashi to allow himself to care about other people again, the guy who IS his entire morality, practically...

TURNS OUT TO HAVE BEEN ALIVE ALL ALONG? AND CAUSED THE KYUUBI ATTACK THAT SET OFF THIS WHOLE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS??? AND HE'S ONE OF THE BIG BADS OF THE ENTIRE SERIES???????

Like!!!! That's so fucking juicy!!!!

The angst.... the pain............... the shipping opportunities.........

I love this food, thank u kishimoto :kisses:

and obviously, I saw Kakagai in a Very New Light too - the main reason I got back into the series was because I heard they got married in Boruto and had to see for myself sdljfglsdjfg

suffice to say, I was not disappointed

[christinesficrecs]

when the walls come down (you'll know i'm here to stay) by paradis | 9.1K | Explicit

It’s not the ideal life, not the life he dreamt about aloud to his parents – he’s no Dodgers pitcher, he’s no lawyer, he’s no doctor – but it pays the bills and it keeps Laura from directing her judging, angry gaze at him too much.

It’s what he deserves.

Say it Sweet by breakaway71 | 4.1K

"Wolfsbane." Derek grits his teeth. "Interrogation blend. Still in my system. It makes me talk."

A Blossoming Romance by Trelkez | 7.5K

Stiles will just have to try harder next time. No one can ignore him forever.

go home, or make a home by lady_ragnell | 7.4K

In a world where Derek lets Scott kill the Alpha and get the cure, he has to figure out how to rebuild his life, with help from Stiles.

If I Could Turn Back Time by Menacherie | 5.5K

Stiles wakes up in a world in which Kate Argent was never born.

Flexible, Friendly, and Adaptable by MsCee | 16.2K | Mature

As a tour guide, Stiles liked to think that he embodied his company’s motto of being flexible, friendly, and adaptable. As a teacher chaperone, Derek Hale’s ethos seemed more along the lines of ‘inflexible, unfriendly, and rigid as hell’. Clearly, they were going to get along swimmingly.

Shutterbug by Yiichi | 53.4K | Explicit

Derek Hale is the photographer for the family-run magazine 'NECKZ 'n THROATS', a periodical aimed solely at the werewolf demographic. When the model for their monthly bails out, the staff are hard-pressed to find someone else to photograph at the last minute.

Stiles Stilinski is a college student, scraping by on odd jobs to pay for his education fees. When his long-time friend Lydia finds him a one-off gig at a photo-shoot, he figures it couldn't hurt.

As contrary as their natures appear to be, Derek finds the most fascinating piece of art at the end of his lens.

Somebody That I Used to Know by PercyByssheShelley | 10.3K | Mature

Stiles and Derek have been together for months.

The trouble is, they weren't yesterday.

Hapnophobia by p1013 | 3.7K

“Jesus!” Stiles fumbles, tries to catch him, and as soon as his hands are on Derek again, the screaming stops. Derek’s eyes are wide, and he’s panting on the ground.

“Stiles. Stop touching me.”

“Fine. Whatever. Just trying to help.” He pulls away, and Derek doubles over, groaning.

“Come back, come back.” Derek moans, reaching towards Stiles. As soon as their skin touches, Derek relaxes, falling back onto the forest floor.

Won't Treat You Like You're Typical by Zee | 12K | Explicit

"You think this is funny?" Derek says, turning his glare on Stiles' stupid smirking face.

"I think it's hilarious," Stiles says, shrugging when Derek looks incredulous. "Dude, it's not like it's forever, we'll just have a few sleepovers until the hunters see that all the werewolves in town are properly tamed by their human mates and move on. And then I'll have an awesome who-I-did-over-Summer-vacation story when Fall Semester starts!"

A Cookie For Your Heart by allyarra | 10.4K

Stiles is in college and he's working at Laura Hale's bakery for the summer in an AU where the fire never happened and the Hales are all alive.

I can smell it on your skin (I bet I can taste it in your blood) by brokentoy | 10.7K | Explicit

Stiles’ cover is blown the day Derek gets hit by Allison’s arrow.

[thequiver]

Review of Green Arrow: Stranded (2022)

11/10, would recommend to any Green Arrow fan. I absolutely loved it.

A more detailed review that includes spoilers under the cut!

Alright, here we go! I'm going to be tackling the story first and the art second because both deserve praise.

First things first, I absolutely LOVED that Deneen opened right off the back on the dedication page by showing that he's a longtime DC fan, and paying homage to Mike Grell- it make me feel more secure in the kind of characterization we were going to see, and got me really excited to see where he was going with a young Oliver Queen. And I was NOT disappointed. His characterization of Ollie is probably the best we've gotten in the last 20 years without a doubt- you could really see the makings of our beloved curmudgeon in this thirteen year old- it felt like Ollie again.

Deneen manages a really masterful blend of Rebirth canon and Preboot Canon Queen family dynamics and I think that it's safe to say that with the exception of the island happening when Ollie's thirteen rather than as a young adult, this comic would fit right in with canon stories. It was beautifully structured, expertly split into chapters in a way that didn't segment the story unnaturally, and it felt like I was reading 6 comic issues bound together rather than a volume.

As someone who works with kids, Ollie was an extremely believable thirteen year old, he was just the right amount of independent and seeking validation- and his emotional push and pull with his father? Was EXCELLENT. It's the kind of dynamic we saw hinted at in GA: Rebirth but with Robert Queen being given an actual personality and chance to appear on page. Tyler and Sebastian felt like stand-ins for the Merlyns, which makes sense, given that the canon we've been given for the Merlyns relationship with Oliver Queen would be extremely difficult to portray in a novel for kids and also fitting that narrative into the island narrative would be packing it with too much trauma.

I'm always a fan of Ollie's compassion being highlighted, his acknowledgement that taking a life any life is a burden that shouldn't be handled lightly. Deneen gave us what felt like an homage to the "Safari" death of Ollie's parents from preboot canon mixed with the well known and often discussed grief Ollie feels over the rabbit he accidentally killed while learning to shoot in the way he approaches Ollie's archery skills and his development as a hunter in this comic. On that note too, the shifting between the hunting safari and the island are fantastic- the parallels and anxieties are displayed in a realistic and easy to digest way that's perfect for young readers.

Ollie, talking about the pizza place in Seattle that treats him like anyone else was just so Ollie. It so clearly and easily exemplifies his consistent desire to just be Ollie, and is just one of those instances of the Green Arrow ethos of the importance of being "just a guy."

I am also obsessed with Ollie spelling out "alive" rather than "help" in the driftwood that he sets ablaze at the end to call for help. Something about that was just so Oliver Queen. The focus on living, the determination to look at the unknown and uncertainty found in needed help and to say "I'm here, I'm alive, I am going to show strength regardless of the uncertainty of my situation," was just... so Ollie. I loved it. Seared into my memory forever now.

Onto the art- I need the island to be illustrated like this always now. Hosalla's art style is able to show the island as something beautiful and untamed and dangerous, while still plainly showing the trauma of the situation. It toes the line between serene and horrifying which is exactly what the island should be, it is both an escape, a place where Oliver Queen can just be Ollie, where he's unburdened by the pressures of his life back home- but it's also a crucible that fashions him into the man he'll become. And her art is just a brilliant display of both beauty and pain.

I also really really love the way she portrays Ollie. He looks like a thirteen year old boy, he's not just a smaller version of a grown man without a beard. He looks like a young boy who's still growing into his features, who's maturing still, has baby fat still. And it's this depiction that helps drive home the kind of innocence and unfairness that Dendeen is trying to make apparent in his writing- the art reflects the text of the story beautifully. Ollie's facial features are distinctive, and his expressions are fantastic, I love the way that the pupils of the eyes she draws are just as expressive as the line of the mouth. And I could talk forever about the way that Ollie's face switches between fear and determination, the subtle shift in the panel between just drives the scene, and brings the text to life in a way that makes it feel dynamic.

The art is what truly brings this comic to the level it's at- the writing is incredible, but the art is what elevates it to the being such an incredible Green Arrow comic. The use of color and contrast, the facial expressions convey tone in a way that text alone can't. It's an incredible comic, and an absolutely beautiful example of what the medium can be when artists and writers of equal skill are paired together.

I truly cannot recommend this comic enough. I will be thinking about this for months at absolute minimum.

[noobsomeexagerjunk]

"MAKE THE SERVER BETTER. This is what I need to do."

An Analysis on Ranboo's Philosophy and Vision for the Dream SMP

One of the most consistent traits about Ranboo is his inconsistency, especially in his beliefs and choices, all influenced within the moment.

Now I was thinking back to when Ranboo had that explicit desire for a "happy family" when it became clear to us that he and Dream seem to share similar goals and desires for the server. It's been a few months since that stream, and Ranboo's gone through some changes as a character. Through experimentation, he relearns and rediscovers himself, most of it away from us particles. He now has the experience to choose people more discriminatingly, having a gauge on who still believes and/or benefits from his optimism and those who don't.

With a better grasp on his more persuasive and ambitious self, as well as a slightly stronger spine, I am going to attempt to make sense of what Ranboo's opinions most likely must be by now, having been in the server for half a year now.

1. "You have to think for yourself sometimes."

(from Ranboo’s first conversation with Slimecicle, 06/18/2021)

So you know how Ranboo is an anarchist, or at least identifies as such, at least within the context of the Anarchist Syndicate, right?

One of the most significant things we must pay attention to is Ranboo's anarchist tendencies. Based on his general experiences but particularly his conversation with Slime and his initiation to the Syndicate, Ranboo cares heavily about personal autonomy and the right to self-expression and self-preservation. His aversion to factional sides was initially derived from the existing factions he was exposed to being unfair and demanding of its members, as reflected in his experiences in New L'Manburg.

It's upon further inspection that these sympathies constitute his concerns over People. It's why he fights for and sides with People in general, as a concept and principle.

2. "Why can’t I have friends on opposite sides?!"

(from Ranboo’s Pre-Doomsday speech after the Community House confrontation, 01/05/2021)

Something Ranboo also believes in is the idea that everyone is valuable and capable of many things unique to themselves. Therefore, he recognizes and gives (as much as he could muster) care to Peoples' needs, concerns, and beliefs, most especially when he is demanded of it by whoever asks of him. He values loyalty toward friendships and relationships in their base form, as opposed to causes. (Especially relationships made from and because of causes.)

Another reason why Ranboo despises factional sides, especially the ones he was a part of, is that these sides' own beliefs and principles believe themselves to be above the other and vice versa. Ranboo's ability to recognize two (if not more) sides of an argument leads him to value both sides to such an extent that he believes one is not above the other. To him, People—individuals with inherent value and free will—are more than the causes—whose necessity changes over time and can only be a solution to specific, changing problems—they believe in.

3. "When the leader gets corrupted, then...we'll see what happens."

(from Ranboo's monologue after speaking with Ghostbur on the topic of killing Dream, 03/15/2021)

Something of particular fascination is Ranboo's dislike for leaders as a concept, a belief shared only by Technoblade and the rest of the Anarchist Syndicate. For them, and Ranboo, leaders are at the end of the day People. They are infallible and capable of making wrong choices. The very concept of a leader, too, suggests superiority in the ability and the dependence on only the causes of that leader, chosen or not. To them, no one should be above or below anybody. A leader creates that distinction.

An ideal SMP for Ranboo is one without leaders, where one's choices and manner of living, as dictated by their beliefs, is not above one or the other. In comparison, many characters who have expressed their visions of an ideal Dream SMP all have a leader in them!

We have Dream, who wants a server that fits his specific vision and needs and desires, a server that serves him, with his and only his vision of an ideal SMP—one where he has total control over all of the server. A less extreme version of this is held by the de-facto head of the neutral Badlands, BadBoyHalo.

Characters like Quackity, Schlatt, and Jack Manifold all believe in the concept of adherence and obedience to order and law as means to get something done. It also makes sense why these three also have a history of being quite literally Presidents of countries, whether corrupt like Manburg, discarded like Manifoldland, or ambitious like Las Nevadas.

There are also other leaders like Wilbur, Eret, and Tubbo, who have a partiality to order and leadership. The difference with them is that they believe in relative leeway in priority towards the ruled-over people. They believe in an SMP wherein a leader and their people share a mutual obligation towards each other's benefit and progress. Whether a cause that can help should be involved may be of consideration too, because as far as I know, these three mastered each of the 3 facets of the Greek art of persuasion:

Wilbur, in particular, is a heavy advocator of the use of cause in leadership, hence his use of speech to give rise to emotions, aka pathos.

Tubbo leans towards common sense and reason, having a tendency to use logos.

Eret is partial to a more general sense of righteousness, therefore basing many of his actions on the character of the people around him and having a strong focus on their and their subjects' own ethos.

4. "Who am I?" "I am somebody who stops conflict."

(from page 12 of Ranboo's current memory book)

Despite these differing ideas on what is good for the SMP, the one thing everyone has in common is that they all want a server where peace, to their standard and contentment, is achieved.

For Ranboo, this means no Conflict.

Bear in mind that he admits in his pre-Doomsday speech that Conflict can never be truly eradicated, acknowledging that personal conflicts between individual persons are still bound to happen.

Though, as stated in his various monologues in regards to killing Dream (particularly when he was grieving Tommy and after talking with Ghostbur) the Conflict he desires to get rid of is the big, overarching kind.

These are Conflicts that disrupt the happiness of, if not all, significant numbers of People. Conflicts that perpetuate a cycle of unnecessary violence, conflicts that escalate from the pettiest of disputes, conflicts rooted in a refusal of a person/faction/cause to simply coexist with everyone else.

This is Ranboo's major goal in reference to the whole of the server. This is a major motivation for all of his decisions and actions too.

5. “It should be all of us working together.”

(from page 14 of Ranboo’s first memory book)

When Ranboo explicitly repeated wanting "one big happy family," words that came out of Dream's own mouth, he's describing his vision of an ideal Dream SMP. It can be argued that he and Dream have the same goals, right?

Well, obviously, not quite.

Dream and Ranboo have very different visions for the server, the common thing being their determination to get everyone to cooperate with their vision no matter what. We see the vague and ominous actions of Ranboo while Enderwalking, how much bolder and aggressive he can get. He's seemingly more dedicated to this goal that way.

Based on the previous points, Ranboo's vision of a better Dream SMP is one where everyone exists as they are, freely and without division, where no one is above or below the other, and that they can put their dedications to causes aside for care and love for each other. People regardless of skill or situation just living together peacefully! where the Conflict is not big enough to harm but big enough to constitute what it means to be alive! No one's telling the other how to live because they understand and respect each other's choices and differences!

With how he approaches the fulfillment of this ideal, I dare say he does indeed fight for something, and it's the cause of all causes.

But what about those other people who aren't so compromising? Well, I wager those are the people Ranboo ought to snap against. Ranboo's ideal SMP is rooted in coexistence, therefore it demands compromise and tolerance. Funny just how many people on the server fight for causes that refuse to give that.

Ranboo definitely knows he can't achieve the server he wants alone, and knowing everyone else, he knows getting everyone to get along will be much harder in execution.