#but really he just doesn't do well with authority and military life in general

[frutavel]

Night elves to test a new brush I got on CSP <3

Adagio, Andryza and Rex. They're siblings and they have a Complicated Relationship tm 💖

[thoughtfulfangirling]

@katrani replied:

oh gosh, i tend to glaze over looking at big lists so i might throw questions at you over time, but. what's a top 5 for each of nf and fic?

Katrani, that is so valid! But also, thank you for asking!!! :D

In no particular order and without counting any re-reads:

Nonfiction:

Christmas Truce: The Western Front December 1914 by Malcolm Brown & Shirley Seaton

I just finished this days ago, and the amount of warm feelings it gave me was wonderful. Human beings, MOST OF THE TIME, really don't want to hurt each other. It's shit like this that made militaries change how they do things just to get humans to kill each other. I also thought the authors had a really good balance of showing these miraculous moments in 1914 while not pretending like it was all truce and good will. Humans are complex and there are so many factors involved in how things go down, and sometimes that meant people spent that Christmas huddled in the trenches under fire. But it clearly it didn't have to be that way.

The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love by Bell Hooks

As a woman super fortunate to have some lovely men in her life, this was such a healing read. Hurt people hurt people. Hurt people who have the power to hurt people hurt even more people. None of that hurt is good, but crazily enough, the healthier we are, the less we might feel driven to hurt others. Wouldn't it be great if we all could feel whole?

This Nonviolent Stuff'll Get You Killed: How Guns Made the Civil Rights Movement Possible by Charles E Cobb

TALK ABOUT NUANCE. This author generally prefers pacifism, but he makes such a great distinction of pacifism can be a political choice defined not by inaction, but very clear and concise action. And certainly it does not have to be a lifestyle. So don't be off put by this title nor let it make one believe he's arguing for taking up guns against the state. He talks about very specific kind of violence and gun use here.

The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes - and Why by Amanda Ripley

I will never stop thinking about one of the main findings of this book: People who believe what they do matters fare better in disaster. Those of us who practice throwing up our arms and saying what we do doesn't change anything are practicing and reinforcing a mindset that will leave us vulnerable and paralyzed to act in a disaster. The disasters were interesting to learn about, much of the advice and findings valuable, but that strain in particular will never fade from my brain.

Fiction:

The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey

A short little sci fi that I think is really masterfully crafted. The story that's told between the lines is so loud and powerful and yet our POV character is so willfully blind to it. Love it!

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

Poetry. Just pure poetry. A beautiful narrative with such stunning prose. It was also a pretty quick read. Highly recommend.

Network Effect by Martha Wells

I almost didn't include a Murderbot book because I can never remember what happens when, but I distinctly remembered that I was very fond of the first novel-length book. I adored what the extra time allowed in terms of time spent with characters and their interpersonal dramas. And the Muderbot books generally are just so good!

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

I really enjoyed the characters in this book! I also loved that Chuck is not interested in hiding his twists in ways that can only shock the reader. He gives us clues and space that allow us to see the beats before they come, but those beats are no less poignant for being predictable. It's nice when the story actually follows its own logic instead of twisting it just so it can surprise you. It also really appealed to the way I process stories. Very literal and following a series of events that make logical sense. This is not what can make a book good all the time, and I've got better at reading books that are totally not like this and are vague and I have to let lose some of my control on how I understand the work. Sometimes it is nice to not have to stretch those muscles though and still not lose quality in writing and storytelling for the sake of that XD

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson

This may be the only historical fiction I read this year, which is a damn shame because I've really been starting to be very fond of that genre. There's a certain feel to a story where we sit with the day-to-day life of someone else and though we recognize the toil, it is also still so foreign to our own. Also the way the characters made their own life in the tragedies that befall them? Immaculate.

[fractalcloning]

As I scream into the void seeking a Narek RPer to play against, I have finally caved and must explain why I want this Romulan loungelizard to be more popular. (It won't happen, but I can dream.)

Reasons I like Narek as a character that nobody but me gives a shit about:

Let me preface this with a fact about me: I know Romulans.

I've RPed as Nero for almost two straight years in a large game. I've basically learned Rihannsu back to front for the endeavor. The person who played my Ayel and I both dumped countless hours into developing grammar and extrapolating cultural rules. We were dedicated to making them as believeable and accurate to canon as possible.

I have the whole timeline of the destruction of Hobus/Romulus down to memory. I know about all the neat little tidbits and trivia from comics and adjacent materials etc, etc.

This is to say: I have read and written quite a lot about Romulans in my time. I am very familiar with how they work and what data is available to draw from when writing them.

We do meet a few rank and file military Romulans from time to time, however. So we know how the general military operates in direct contrast to the Tal'Shiar. Caution and secrecy is sort of baked into their culture, which makes a lot of sense given that they're constantly at war with basically everyone, but they aren't (generally) unreasonable people.

In canon Trek, Romulans are often a little over the top with the sneaky-backstabbing-untrustworthy-nonsense. They're almost comical with how much scheming they do, but most of the Romulans we meet in canon are Tal'Shiar. The Tal'Shiar are known, pretty explicitly for the depth and breadth of their sneaky-backstabbing-untrustworthy-nonsense. It's kind of their whole deal, apart from mnhei'sahe (literally the ruling passion honor).

Narek, however, was a child when Hobus went supernova. He is from the very last generation that had any living memory of Romulus. (Elnor is also from this generation and they are great foils for each other, but that's another essay.) Narek is from a (presumably) respected family of--if not Tal'Shiar then Military--operatives. His aunt held high rank, his sister did as well, and both were inducted into the Zhat Vash, an organization that worked so quietly and efficiently that even the famously paranoid Tal'Shiar thought they were a myth. They orchestrated catastrophes and manipulated Galactic law to their ends, one of their members was the head of Starfleet Security and Narissa was on a personal basis with her.

Their underlying culture is present, but it isn't explored very deeply in any one canon source. Taken collectively, however, it is just as substantial as Klingon Battle-lust or Ferengi Capitalism.

Nero was a break from the norm, not because he was vengeful, but because he was the first non-military Romulan we'd ever really seen. His designs, the tattoos, the crew of his ship with their very un-Romulan loyalty, the way he talked and sought equivalent exchange of lives (mnhei'sahe), was a wealth of Romulan culture that we hadn't ever seen. He was a regular Joe, had a regular non-Military job, trusted and worked with aliens to try and save lives. His failure (not his fault) was something he absorbed and sought to rectify in the Romulan way.

Nero was super interesting both for how much detail he cast on Romulan culture, and in how he slotted into the Prime Timeline. Nero was a guy desperately clinging to hope, to the last vestiges of his civilian life, but he was cut free by the destruction of Romulus and set adrift. The only anchor he had in the AOS timeline was his honor and the driving need to balance the scales and restore it.

Narek, however privledge his family was, was a washout. He was a failure. We know he wasn't Zhat Vash, and whether he was even Tal'Shiar is up for some serious speculation. He doesn't act like military officers, and only seems to be play-acting as a Tal'Shiar, miming his sister when it suits him.

Narek may have had authority on the Artifact, but it was probably by dint of Oh granting it. We never get any clarification whatsoever about his rank or dayjob, just that he is fully devoted to helping the Zhat Vash. He is analytical, prepared, but he is not good at thinking on his feet and clearly does his planning off screen. He's meticulous but not especially skilled at hiding or regulating his emotional state. He is far less aggressive and stalwart than just about every other Romulan we've seen...except for Nero.

He was literally a placeholder sent to keep tabs on Soji. He didn't even arrive until Narissa had failed to capture Dahj. That Narek managed to get close to Soji, that he discovered her dreams and correctly surmised what they are, was more luck than skill. Before his assessments the Zhat Vash knew that Dahj (and Soji) could be activated out of their cover, but they assumed that they could capture them. They probably assumed they could torture the data out of them, if not dissect them and rip out a harddrive.

Narek found an easy way to get right to the information they needed. His attachment to Romulan culture is his puzzlebox--Before Nero we had never met a Romulan civilian and before Narek we have never met a cultural Romulan who plays with a toy, we had never seen a child's toy like that. Of course, the puzzlebox (Tan Zhekran) was a mechanism to illustrate his thought process, to make the differences between Narissa and him very apparent, but it was also something from his childhood (presumably). It's a weirdly personal affect for a Romulan and he fidgets with it almost constantly. It's a tell, something he shouldn't have, and it makes him accessible on an emotional level.

Narek is a civilian.

He's a civilian in a family of spies and operatives, raised alongside his sister on the same stories, with the same care. There's no way a Zhat Vash didn't have a family home on Romulus. While Elnor is a nice example of the new generation of Romulans, Narek is one of the last examples of what is used to mean to be a Romulan. He saw Romulus and escaped with all his surviving family when it as it was destroyed. Narek was raised on Romulan tradition (private names for family), Romulan stories about the end of the world, and he is haunted by them because he knows they're true, they're real. His sister and aunt have seen it, seen the message that drives people mad, about Ganmadan. His living relatives have dedicated their lives to preventing it and, even if he isn't actually Zhat Vash, he does the same.

Narek is a failure, by his culture's standards, by his family's standards, but he is also the only one of them who lives in the end.

He's a civilian who is trying, desperately, to avert another Romulan apocalypse. He has already lived through one and somehow this next one is even worse. Like Nero he sees the writing on the wall--but instead of doubling down on the traditional sneaky spy shit, he tries something new--unlike Nero, it works! He makes headway where nobody else could.

Unfortunately, it's kinda fucked up, but he then gives up everything in the pursuit of this goal. (Which to him, seems like a noble one.) Narek gives up who he is (by playing at being Tal Shiar), his safety (he has no idea what Soji is capable of or what might set her off, they only have records of Dahj killing a dozen agents before being blown up), and eventually resigns himself to killing the woman he's fallen in love with (the baseline requirement for giving out his real name). He does it all for the greater good, to save people and he doesn't seem to make much of a distinction between Romulan and other organic lives. He has his little plans, tracking La Sirena in a single cloaked ship, hiding his presence to tail them, firing on them despite being wholly outmatched, allying with Sutra however temporarily, trying to sway Soji again, turning to Rios, Raffi, and Elnor for help--he's willing to do anything because he's terrified that everything is about to end and it will be him who failed to prevent it.

The very last shot we see of him, after his plan to detonate the transmitter fails completely, is him on the ground being dragged away by the Coppelius androids. He doesn't posture or threaten, doesn't say ominous shit like the other Romulans we're used to--He begs. He claws at the ground, trying to stay, and he begs. He pleads with Soji, calls her his love, tries that last ditch hail mary because it's all he can do. He fails his task and she's the last person he can reach out to and, in the end, despite the very real threat to her life, Planet, and Picard, Soji smashes the transmitter. The apocalypse is averted.

Narek failed but he also succeeded. His aunt is dead, Oh has been outed as a traitor, and his sister is killed by Seven of Nine. In a cut scene, apparently, Narek was supposed to be arrested by Starfleet. So he's facing (at the very least) retribution from the androids and the ExBorg. Starfleet is very likely to arrest and interrogate him, if not imprison him indefinitely since he has ties to the Zhat Vash and, subsequently, will be on the hook to explain the Utopia Planetia disaster. Soji hates him, for good reason, and his homeworld is long gone. Narek has nothing...but the world was saved.

Narek is singular because he's all about needing and interacting with other people, he has no real authority, nobody he commands. He's a civilian (insofar as any Romulan can be) and is a soft, emotional boy who hangs on to his childhood toys. He's driven in equal parts by fear and a deep sense of failure, like everyone else in the show, and he takes the steps that seem right and necessary to him (also like everyone else on the show).

Narek was a great contrast against Elnor in every possible way--from his evasiveness to his fear of death--and he was a great foil for Soji. On Coppelius, Soji's terror clouds her judgment and she very nearly does terrible things to protect herself. Her actions, her opinions, her hesitation were all driven by fear. The ends seemed to justify the means. She reflects Narek's state for the whole show. Season 1 is about finding safety and meaning.

Narek is afraid for the whole duration of the show and his choices all reflect that same desperate need to find permanent safety, to live. Soji exists on the peripheral of that with the Ex-Borg, and as a synthetic, and then she falls headlong into it after his betrayal. Narek regrets trying to kill her and the symbolism of his losing that box, of him trying to kill her in a room that is so very culturally Romulan, right after telling her his name, makes it very clear that killing her is killing some piece of himself. But the ends justify the means. He can and will give up everything to save the world.

And his last line in the show is desperately pleading with the woman he loves as he's dragged away.

Then we never see him again or get anything resembling closure for Soji or Narek.

Which I will be big mad about forever, because they didn't even get the bare minimum acknowledgement and closure of "moving on and living life is paramount because it is finite and beautiful ". Nope. Nothing. I'm furious forever.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk. I hope if Star Trek Legacy happens we get Narek as a sort of...side character creeper informant ala Garak. I also hope we get Soji on Seven's Enterprise because I love her.

[your-queen-shuri]

Its like my first post here and im already have something controversial to say

I need to summon Bartseq and Howl's moving castle fandoms

How about Bartimaeus trilogy and Castle in the air (moving castle) crossover

Soldier and Abdullah's mission but it's kinda loser magician/rude jinni dynamic

Me and chat literally jump from one trilogy to another ten times a day so crossover was only a matter of time

(don't expect me to have structure or something, it's just an draft of idea, and i don't even know english that much)

Abdullah, an apprentice of magician, first time summoned someone more powerful than foliot. He needs help with search of Flower-of-night, and he think sm stole her, like many other girls in town

But this jinnie don't seem to be helpful.

Demon named Justin do everything but help

First he was summoned he wasn't scary, creep, or any word that you imagined when hear ab demons, nah

Jinn looks like a soldier in an old-fashioned gray uniform, his eyes glowing an inhuman blue. Not only did he light up the room with a green ghostly glow, he still looked as if he had just been pulled out of the field.

Abdullah was rather confused than scared, and then, spirit, in a form of man, begin to talk in this throbbing, polyphonic voice.

He's bragging about how many wars he won, how many battlefield he go through and how much well-known generals he spoke to.

And i think he don't want to anyone call him by his name bc "on the war we don't have names until we dead. Only titles, I'm just a Soldier."

(if you even care, author of idea described it like

WHAT DOES A KID NEED FROM THE SPIRIT OF WAR...U NEED ME TO FIND YOUR LOVER? AM I LIKE CUPID TO YOU, OR WHAT? LOOK CAREFULLY: BEFORE YOU, THE HERO OF COUNTLESS WARS!!!! INVINCIBLE MILITARY POWER!!!!! I HAVE WENT THROUGH SO MANY FIELDS OF BATTLE THAT YOU HAVE NEVER DREAMED SO MANY DREAMS IN YOUR LIFE AND WILL NEVER DREAM, SAY YOUR TRUE ORDER, I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE SOMETHING BETTER FOR ME )

He talks too much, Abdullah thinks. And little bit even thankfull for that bc last day were wild, he needs a minute to breathe and calm down. So he listens demons comments on everything

On his stupid order, bc he clearly doesn't expect some child summon him to find a girl. He expect another war. Even asked who we fight against this time. All his life he was called only for such tasks. he emphasized that battles were his specialty, and he would not accept any other assignment (actually i think poor man needs to learn how to live outside of war but it's just me)

An place. He looks out of window and goes "dammit don't tell me it's Ingary. Ugh, I've hated this place since the war against Strangia" or something

"yes, oh most rustless out off jinns, it's actually Kingsbury" Abdullah answer. Soldier only made a annoying noise with tongue and decided don't try to scare a boy with illusions of screams or image of running against him monsters

***

Now im gonna throw up takes without explanation

- Justin Soldier being like the worst servant in the world. Abdullah pissed, bc he often can't force him to do simple tasks. Physical punishment didn't help because 1) Abdullah almost never really do ant, but often threatens 2) Jinn don't care

So. Boy should find damn food for Jamal's angry dog himself, ashamed of how his demon unable do such a order. (Soldier bring a wrong meat for pet on purpose. He'd like to watch how boy run from him.)

- yea. In most of cases it's Soldier decide what they need to do. Not his master.

- he always tries to lead a guy astray from saving the love of his life, distractin him like maybe sometimes point on some girl

"look, such a beautiful mistress out there, see? Much closer than that your stolen princess huh, maybe try a shot?"

- ALSO. almost forgot. Justin favourite form it's that form of this random old fashioned strangian soldier (that Abdullah asked him to change bc it's capital city you know noone wants to see someone like that here. He don't care.) and black blue-eyed cat. Always one of this two looks. Yes, in this version Abdullah still have annoying cat that always sits on his shoulder. It's now just his jinn.

- Abdullah has much less professionalism and he don't have a library in his head like Nat did. Actually, by magician standards he like kinda below average. Although, surprisingly, he has one of the most powerful magicians as mentor.

- we decided. Princeses are opposition. Flower-in - night just run away from her violent and crazy mentor to girls to plan throwing a government. They all kinds of girls from magician and commoners family's, some of them are listed as missing (or as stolen. Stolen girls from all the town you know, like princesses), some are here in secret from their families, god they even have policeman on their side

- you have three take to guess who's Abdullah's mentor.

Yes. It's a damn Ben Suliman. He's one of ministers. We just don't decide minister of what he is.

(all the credits to @jutenium for this precious idea)

So. What do you think, folk.

We have more drama, i can make part 2

Bc we NEED to talk about Hatter sisters here

[wxnheart]

Hello hope you're doing well.. uhmm can you write yandere and normal version Roach x female reader headcanons? Please? Have a nice day :)

𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐲 "𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡" 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐱 𝐅!𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬 (𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟏)

Roach's unassuming nature is actually his greatest strength. He's like a box of chocolates. You actually never know what you're gonna get with him. It's really like discovering something new just about every day.

Is actually much more facially expressive than he is verbal. You absolutely have to rely on his facial expressions to gauge the veracity of his words.

Has a pretty noticeable scar on the side of his mouth. As a result, Roach's smile is more of a lopsided grin that makes him look uniquely boyish. He was self-conscious about it until you told him that his smile was cute and fit him.

On the flip side, Roach can also be Christopher Walken-esque in his mannerisms at times which makes him unintentionally funny. He doesn't exactly get why you're laughing but... okay. He doesn't think he's an incredibly funny guy in general but whatever floats your boat he supposes. 🙃

His love language is a mixture of physical touch and quality time. It seems few and far in-between that he gets the opportunity to see you. He makes it a point to cherish those moments because he never knows if it'll be his last.

His hugs are always tight, especially before he leaves you to go on an assignment. Loves to kiss your forehead, too, before departing.

Also has no problem alternating between being the big and little spoon. Roach's only condition is that he sleeps on the side of the bed nearest the door because if something were to happen, at least he'll be there to protect you and give you a fighting chance to escape.

Will text you like he journals. Roach is actually a pretty good writer; if he wasn't in the military, you could see him being an author or something else with the literary arts in another life.

Is a homebody at heart; he's seen the world twice over it seems but it's nothing compared to the comfort of the four walls of your home.

Thanks to you, Roach is much more comfortable with being still. Used to get antsy until you helped him through it. It took some time but he absolutely appreciates the moments when he can be still and in the present.

[dehautdesert]

If there's something I absolutely adore it's when a long-ass book or book series does its work with the worldbuilding and messages so well that by the halfway mark the author doesn't need to add any, like, interpretation or commentary to their scenes, just present them as they are, and you get the metacontext anyway and feel exactly what the author wants you to.

I'm currently on the third book of the Inda tetralogy, which is a series whose protagonists come from a pretty gung-ho, militaristic, honor-based culture, and the series explores how this type of culture kinda hobbles their society through following a group of military academy buddies from childhood until they all take up important positions in their society (and the main protagonist is a strategic genius with a natural flair for leadership who leaves his backwards backwater country at a young age and spends large swaths of time running a pirate fleet that robs other pirates Robin Hood-style, if I may try to get some of my Vorkosigan-loving mutuals to consider reading this).

So, anyway, I'm at the point where they're all in their early to mid twenties and they're going off to war against a far superior invading force. And because their culture glorifies war and military accomplishment so much, and because the king and all his generals are childhood best buds who haven't actually gotten to spend time all together in a while, they basically make the march a sort of a frat boy party, but in a cute way.

They're so happy and enthusiastic to see each other, they're literally like puppies, hugging each other and jumping at each other and talking and laughing over each other and begging their fathers to let them ride ahead to meet the army so they can all ride together to the castle. And they do the most ridiculous playful shit, they march into towns at a gallop with banners and trumpets and shit and throw feasts and competitions and sing songs and do cool war dances and are all charming and hot as they retell their dumb schoolboy stories and the locals are all FUCK YEAH THESE GUYS ARE SO COOL I NEED LANDRED TO DICK ME DOWN TONIGHT and literally every one of the POV characters is so filled with enthusiasm and exuberance and zest for life and childish, giddy happiness at the prospect of finally getting to spend so much time with the people he loves (and their love for each other really permeates every interaction they have), and reading all this... kinda makes you wanna cry.

Because they're riding off to war and the series has been so poignant so far about the follies of war that at this point it doesn't have to move a finger to imply how harrowing it all is, nor does it need to portray the dissonance between what they're walking into and their fundamentally good-natured, loving, youthful enthusiasm for each other, beyond just showing it to you.

It's one of the warmest and funniest and happiest parts of the series so far, and it's also a big payoff because they spent the last 1000 pages apart and they have excellent character dynamics, but it also makes you want to cry the entire way through it as you're reading it because the implications of the larger world around them loom so large, and I think that's a brilliant accomplishment as far as writing goes.

[senka-mesecine]

What platoon characters do you think would enjoy being a parent the most? I think Barnes might enjoy the control aspect, while Wolfe would probably enjoy the praise and bonding

-

― I mean, listen, Chris' probably expected to have some children. Wasn't that what he ran away from in the first place? Being conventional? Normal and ordinary? Just like his mother and father? Settling down? Adhering to tradition? Inheriting his status and doing nothing of note that's truly his own? Living a life where the path has be well trodden for him by those who came before? Depending how wealthy we tend to read Taylor as, heirs are undoubtedly something that was either wanted out of him before the war, during, after or generally all throughout his life one way or another, and while I don't think he minds kids as a concept (heck, he might even like them) I think he loathes the overall notion of being boxed in and having them because it's one of the to-do landmarks he's supposed to achieve for its own sake. Kids are fine. Just not under the circumstances his family and the environment he himself was born into expects him to have them which means I almost see Taylor having a long, rebellious and enduring phase where he doesn't have children on purpose precisely to combat this whole idea. Whether that makes him happy or not in the long run is a wholly different conversation, but point is he will make a difference and he will be himself no matter what.

― Which is the case for Wolfe too because I actually visualize him coming from a (military) family similar to Taylor's, in status, money and position but him actually walking the walk and having kids by choice and being...pretty good at it. Fairly well adjusted post war and what he lacked as Lieutenant in authority, skillset and success he might actually make up quite well as a dad, meaning...he'd be good at it. Meaning he enjoys it too, yes, you guessed it. What I'm trying to say is that while some people might be pretty bad at one lifestyle (this being the army and maintaining the upper hand of authority and respect) they could actually excel at an entirely different one (this being fatherhood) and Wolfe strikes me as the type. Strikes me as the type to be liked by his children too as opposed to his platoon who just...didn't really. Not tremendously, anyway. He wasn't cut for one time and place and he turns out be just perfectly well suited for the other and that's...not at all a bad conclusion to have. Quite the contrary. Might suffer from some stolen valor syndrome, admittedly, especially in front of his children who, judging off of daddy's stories, might think he was slightly cooler in the war than he really was, which I think would be the case for, say, O'Neill too. That man would paint such tall tales for his children they'd think he's won the war personally and singlehandedly.

― Kill me, but I almost see Barnes as a father of daughters. Multiple of them. Maybe even several. On purpose. That's what he wants and what he expresses to want. Sick of boys. Sons get brought up as a concept and he waves his hand dismissively with a disinterested, gruff 'Eh.' and doesn't go further on with any clarifications. Had a whole platoon of boys and by extension, countless surrogate sons and lets say by some happenstance he survives the war and returns home, he's had a whole platoon of boys and god knows how many of them he's lost, how many got shot, blown to pieces, smithereens --- so having biological sons of his own? Hell knows he'd only be recreating a dynamic he's left behind in the war and I think he's aware of that. Introspective enough to know the basic reality of things. He'd be the Sergeant all over again and the sons would be the grunts, but if they're all girls, that ain't as likely to be happening, is it? He can actually be Barnes instead of someone's superior. But then again, maybe that's exactly what he'd want in the most meta of senses. He's a lifer, after all. The war never ends. Just takes on different shapes in different places with different people. He becomes a father of sons and it's like he's sired another Taylor, another Rhah, another Junior, another Gardner, another Elias all over again.

― Envisioning Elias (or / and Rhah) as a cool uncle, frankly. Not to say he wouldn't have children of his own under any circumstance, but he almost strikes me as that sagely, non-judgmental, laid back family member or relative one could tell things they couldn't tell their own immediate parents. The family member offering poignant advice, counsel, help, support and almost selflessly serving as a third space away from one's own family. And yes, this is a role he'd very much relish. A role he'd be immensely good at too, indirectly being a better father figure than the actual biological father to these figurative kids or kid. Humble and excessively down to earth about it too. Isn't here to steal anyone's spotlight or eclipse anyone he's just...you know...kindly here when needed. A buffer zone of sorts. Think that would suit Elias perfectly fine because he'd retain the mystique (and freedom) of being a wise, empathic mentor all while not being a non-stop, possibly oppressive presence to where he'd lose his gravitas in the process bogged down in daily minutiae. He's not seen that often but when he is those are usually some of the most formative and lifechanging moments of that kid's life. What he teaches, as say, an uncle is possibly better remembered and more profound for that child than what the actual parents thought them.

[ass-deep-in-demons]

Rook Questionaire - Osla Mercar

Thank you for the tag @nerdanel01 💚💚💚

Where in Thedas is your Rook from?

Originally from Seheron, but she was around 3 years old when she was found and taken to Minrathous, so she has no memory of her family nor her life on the island.

What is your character’s alignment?

Lawful good.

Race and subclass?

Osla is an elf warrior.

If your Rook was a companion, where would they be found?

Tarquin would ask Rook to investigate something Blight-and-Venatori related in a Tevinter military encampment near Minrathous. He would mention Osla as the contact that the Veilguard can trust. Osla would help the team infiltrate the camp and get to the bottom of things, likely having to go against her commanding officer in the process. She would be recruitable at the end of the quest.

What emotion did they usually pick?

Mostly the 🙅🏾‍♀️ stoic/firm, occasionaly the 🌿kind/good. She would very rarely pick the ‼️anxious option, and almost never the 🎭comedic. She does have a sense of humour but wit and mockery just isn't her brand.

What companion are they platonically close with?

Davrin, hands down! Both warriors, both military-adjacent, both elven but not living among the people. They spend a lot of time training together. Sometimes Taash, Lucanis or Harding join them. Emmrich likes to watch. The only thing where Osla and Davrin differ is their approach to authority and hierarchy - Osla treats the chain of command seriously while Davrin is more of a lone wolf type of person (at least that's my take on him idk). She would sometimes get frustrated when he's acting too independent.

Runner up is Neve - they both view Dock Town as their home and they both support the Shadow Dragons' cause. Though their approach differs on occasion, they get along well.

Other generally positive relationships include Harding (they both love the outdoors), Bellara (who mentors Osla in the lore and language of the Dalish), and Taash (workout buddies along with Davrin). They might be a little too high-energy for her at times, though.

I'd say Osla has the least in common with Lucanis. They respect each other but aren't close.

Romantically close with?

Emmrich. It takes her a while to learn to accept affection from him and allow herself to grow attached, though. They also differ in a lot of things like hobbies, paths in life etc. Two completely different worlds. But there's fun in that, I think.

Who are they suspicious of?

Osla is generally not a suspicious person, which is perhaps one of her biggest flaws and comes around to bite her in the ass 😅 Being adopted, growing up in Dock Town relying on people's good will, and her life in the military have taught her to be generally open minded and accepting of different quirks that people have. Until you openly cross her, she will not suspect you and keep minding her business.

Does your Rook get along with their chosen faction?

Yes. She even has a dragon tattoo on her back that she got after she got kicked from the army.

Are they proficient in playing any instruments?

She owns a marching drum and can beat some basic rhythms on it.

Weapon of choice?

Sword and shield, and occasionally an auxiliary dagger, which is really taken straight from the Tevinter military playbook.

What is their orientation?

She's bi.

What are their thoughts on killing? Is it a necessary evil or do they enjoy it?

Killing is a means to an end to her. So long as it is done to protect Tevinter or stop bad people her stance towards it is neutral.

She doesn't enjoy the act itself... or so she thinks. She might yet discover some aspects of her psyche 🫣.

What hobbies does your Rook have?

She is skilled in handcraft, especially stuff like metal and leatherwork. She used to help mend Mercar's armor as a kid (which is not really a child-appropriate hobby but they don't have CPS in Dock Town 🫣​). She is also highly skilled in stuff like outdoors survival, DIY and preparedness, which are life skills that Mercar would try to teach her from a very young age.

In a modern AU she'd be either a team sports player or a hardcore team sports fan.

What NPCs do they like? Which ones do they dislike?

She is good friends with Tarquin. From the other factions she likes Evka a lot. Despite the First Warden's thick skull she has a soft spot for him because he reminds her somewhat of her adoptive father.

Do they have a favorite creature in Thedas?

Someone pls get this girl a Mabari 😭😭😭 It's like her ideal pet. Too bad she lives so far up North!

Do they enjoy life as an adventurer?

50/50. She is used to being out in the field and being in the middle of the action, it's her element and she doesn't really question it. Thanks to Emmrich she learns that she enjoys the quiet, comfortable life as well.

What would your Rook be doing if they weren’t recruited by Varric?

She'd be still in the military, still secretly helping the Shadow Dragons. I can see her one day becoming a commanding officer in the army - one of the good ones. Later in life she would be schooling recruits. I don't see her married or settled down in a scenario when she doesn't meet Emmrich.

How do you think they’ll meet their end?

Honestly no idea. We're not there yet.

Would they side with Solas or fight him?

The only angle Solas could work to get to her would be promising her to regain her lost connection with the elvhen people, which she's been kind of sad and insecure about for most of her life. But even then I think she would resist.

What is your Rook’s favorite ability?

Counterblow. Uno Reverse, bitch!

What languages is your character fluent in?

Tevene and Common. She has been trying to learn elvhen on her own, to catastrophic results. Solas and Bellara teach her a lot of elvhen during her time in the Lighthouse, though.

What do they do after an absolute crisis?

She would try to exorcise her demons by training hard, but when all else fails... booze 🫣. The Bad Ending Osla is definitely an alcoholic.

Does your character believe in the afterlife?

Nope. She is superstitious though.

What specialization best represents your Rook?

The Champion spec for sure. Also the "sword and shield" and the "battlemaster" skill trees from the Inquisition.

What animal best represents your Rook?

A horse, I think. Can't really explain it, just the general vibe.

What was their life like before the events of Veilguard?

While still in the military she would get periods of deployment, mostly in continental Tevinter outposts, and then periods of rest when she would live in the Mercar house in Dock Town and work in one of the Garrisons inside Minrathous. She would work out a lot and hang out with her colleagues from the military. In her free time she would help in the smithy or mend stuff in her home. She would try to learn elvhen on her own.

After she got kicked out of the military she became lonely, as her previous colleagues wouldn't want to be associated with her any longer. She also grew slightly paranoid because of the Venatori poking around the Mercar house and sometimes harassing her. She would do occasional covert missions for the Shadow Dragons. Tarquin would check on her frequently - the two became good friends after Osla rescued the slaves.

Is your character the de facto leader of the party? Or do they consider someone else to be the leader?

Yes, she is the (reluctant) leader. Someone has to do it, she can do it, she's gonna do it.

If you could choose a different faction for your Rook, which one would they have joined and why?

I think in a different world, one where Mercar hasn't adopted her, she'd be quite happy as a Lord of Fortune.

What’s your favorite thing about your Rook?

That she's so damaged but it made her kind, not cruel.

Bonus: some of the characters that inspired her.

Erza Scarlet from Fairy Tail.

Bonus photo of Osla with her best friends:

Tagging: @lavenderprose, @emmg, @hmserebusadjacent

[tiredassmage]

17, 28 and 39 from fifty (more) rook questions?

Tysm!!! I'll use a cut for these since they're from the more spoilery-edition!

[50 (more) questions for rook (spoilers!)]

17. Any companions they don't get along with? How does Rook navigate this?

While they still work efficiently together and Tyr's not the type to turn his back on any of his team without a damned good reason, I think he and Emmrich simply... have such differing views on much of necromancy, and different associations with magic, that they... coexist, but Tyr's understanding of the Nevarran customs Emmrich finds commonplace are something Tyr simply has to respectfully agree to disagree with. Arguably, magic in general is something he has a tepid grasp and relationship with altogether, having grown up in a military family in Tevinter with no magical talents to speak of himself or in his immediate family, and with the nuisance and threat of the Venatori always lurking in the shadows, to boot. It's not his area of expertise and never will be, so he generally tries to keep his nose out of it... as well as he can, at least.

So there's a lot he doesn't quite... get about their resident necromancer, but Emmrich's passion for his work is clear and that is something Tyr carries some amount of respect for, even if he's... not quite certain of his feelings about the work itself, lol. And that's how he tries to approach the professor; Tyr's honest that he doesn't understand a lot of it, sometimes to Emmrich's disappointment, perhaps, but he'll let the man speak on his own views and sometimes he still learns a little something. For Tyr, being dishonest or brushing over the oddity of it all to him would be a disrespect when Emmrich does ask for his thoughts, and that kind of thing doesn't build good trust in a team that's supposed to be able to count on one another in such impossible odds.

28. What does Rook think of Dorian?

Somewhat amusingly given his relationship with Emmrich, I guess, is Tyr doesn't know the glass-canon necromancer Dorian was for my Inquisitor, lol! What he does know, however, is Dorian Pavus speaks his mind, and very little's going to change that unless Pavus wishes it so. And, especially as a fellow Shadow Dragon, that kind of trait is worth its weight in gold. Not all Magisters want better change for Tevinter, nor do all or even many of that number agree what "better" should be defined as, and while Tyr won't claim to place his entire faith in the systems of authority, neither would Dorian. And at the end of the day, the Shadows are deeply important to Tyr, so any true friend of the Shadows may well be a friend to him - certainly at least a respected ally.

39. What's it been like, living in the Lighthouse?

In a word? Odd. Certainly more so in the beginning, and also... rather lonely at first, too. The emptiness of the place when it was just Harding, Neve, Varric, he thought and himself I think only added to how disorienting it all was - how large the scales of conflict were, what had really happened... I'm not sure he paused to think too long on it - thinking too far on how they were essentially living in the Fade is such... It's a lot to wrap his head around, and there's already plenty else to try and do that with, too.

It's one of the pieces of Solas's motivations I'm not sure he puzzled together, despite how important understanding that was because I think it was too much for him to think on. But it doesn't really start to feel like their own until the team is actually complete. Once the whole team is there and everyone starts to settle in, it... starts to feel more alive in a way he does understand - a way that's far more like the steady noise of life that steadily flows through Minrathous. And the Lighthouse reacts and changes with them - which would probably be equally as odd if it wasn't so reassuring. The more lived in the place feels, the more at ease Tyr is around it. It's... probably never a place he'd truly like feeling quiet. Quiet in the Lighthouse is a sound given to the unpredictability of it all, to the impossibility of the task before them.

I'm quite fond of the idea of the decoration styles being present to some in-game extent as much as simply a game option, so it truly is more reassuring for Tyr once the green flickers of Veilfire are a bit more reminiscent of the red glow of Tevinter lights.

Minrathous may be a busted city, corrupt and petty, and Tevinter's bloody history little to be proud of, true... but it was always home. And it's just... more grounding that the place looks more like the team's, with their own clutter and lives reflected around its halls, than an empty temple to a past that's led them to the greatest fight of their lives.

It becomes familiar, as all things may with time, but it definitely wouldn't be the home it does manage to become without the influence of his team and their support. I don't think he likes to spend much time in his room alone - reminds him too much of Solas in his head, even once he has a few more personal touches in the room to sort of offset that. Though, perhaps ironically, I think he does prefer the music room. Its perhaps the one nice thing Solas left behind that Tyr makes use of - he was always fond of playing piano, a skill picked up in his youth, and his preferred spot to be alone with his thoughts, if he must. Its better with the music to keep him company - and perhaps the odd wisp or two that tails him from time to time from Neve's study.

[yuri-ray]

No-Spoilers Review #1: Otherside Picnic (Urasekai Picnic)

Content Warnings: guns, general horror genre themes and visuals

Starting with a series I own in print, it's Otherside Picnic by Iori Miyazawa, a novel series with manga and anime adaptations. This series is half horror and half yuri romance, about two university students exploring and being harrowed by a world full of urban legend horrors.

Is it good? Yes! I recommend it very highly to anybody who can take a little horror.

After all... as the author said himself... "This too is yuri."

Before I start, yes, it's THAT Iori Miyazawa who popularized the concept of "yuri of absence" in a batshit crazy pair of interviews. I think a lot of people would read that and assume that his actual work, Otherside Picnic, is full of bait and subtext. It's not. It's a slow-burn, sure, but it's legitimately canon and it's really good, OK? This guy knows what he's doing.

Anyway...

Our two leads are two university students, Sorawo Kamikoshi (the brown-haired girl in the art) and Toriko Nishina (the blonde girl). All of Otherside Picnic is told from Sorawo's perspective. While urban exploring, Sorawo stumbles upon a portal to the Otherside, a dangerous realm of urban legends and internet horrors (imagine famous Japanese creepypastas). She meets Toriko and they explore the Otherside and how its horrors leak into the real world and their perceptions, pulling them in and becoming more dangerous over time.

What I love most about Otherside Picnic is how complicated Sorawo and Toriko are as people. Sorawo is both extremely relatable at times and also extremely unrelatable at others. She is not a self-insert protagonist in the slightest, and she's not even a good person. She doesn't care about others very much. Meanwhile, Toriko has some difficulties with social situations and is overall a pretty normal (in comparison) likeable person with realistic worries. The two of them become closer organically and, yes, they do kiss eventually. No one is an idiot and all of their conflicts make sense.

The horror is also good and well-executed. It's decently scary and the world of the Otherside is intriguing and unpredictable, but not in any bullshit way. The horror drives the plot just as much as the romance does, and the manga does an amazing job bringing the novel's descriptions to life with creative paneling and art.

A supporting character, Kozakura, is that classic maligned trope of an adult that looks very young because she's short. However, Kozakura genuinely acts like a normal independent adult, and is a very likeable character who is the voice of reason.

As a side note, Iori Miyazawa also happens to like guns. The leads carry them as defense against malicious Otherside entities and there's a scene where Sorawo expresses pretty abject disgust at a tank designed to kill civilians, so it's not pro-military or whatever. It doesn't go in-depth because neither Sorawo nor Toriko care for them.

Final thoughts:

THE ANIME IS REALLY BAD. It totally misses the point and all of the things that really makes this series stand out--the episodes got shuffled for no reason which caused plotholes and character progression issues galore, and it cuts out all of the scenes where Sorawo and Toriko actually talk properly to each other. Plus the budget is like, one corn chip.

THE MANGA IS REALLY GOOD. It takes a lot of care to really adapt everything from the novel, which means that although updates are slow, you get to see everything Sorawo feels and thinks.

This series is one of my top favorite yuris, which I recommend to basically anyone who likes romance and doesn't mind some spooky visuals (or anyone who likes horror and doesn't mind some girls navigating complex feelings). It has close to no explicit gore. I'm currently up to date on everything... I can write a lot more on this, but these are my spoiler-free thoughts. The title references Roadside Picnic (the inspiration for the game S.T.A.L.K.E.R.) which is an inspiration for the series, but as I've never read it, I can't say more than that.

[firecoloredwater]

Fic authors self rec!

Oh boy I've been tagged twice now, by @planeoftheeclectic and @denialcity. Thank you both!

(And uh, since I somehow didn't actually get notifications for either of those and just noticed while scrolling, if anyone else has tagged me in... anything, really, and I didn't respond, sorry about that! Tumblr is being tumblr apparently.)

Rules: Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass this onto other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 💖

Going to tag uhhhh @domoz @asukaskerian and uhhh what's a people I've never met a people in my life. what's a tag. I'll go shake discord a bit and come back with more tags in a reblog probably.

Fics!

These are... not in any particular order of preference, I will just make question marks for a year if I try to sort them that way, so this is just the order I grabbed the links in. Which means newest to oldest.

1: Roots Grow Up - Naruto (Founders)

I still don't like the title, but I like basically everything else in this fic (including one detail I've decided on but not posted yet so... can't say). I am planning to add more, but the first chapter (which is all that's posted now) stands alone pretty well, since I wasn't sure whether I'd continue it at all when I first posted it.

The premise is that Kawarama didn't die, but instead lost his memory and has been living as a civilian farmer when Hashirama and Tobirama find him, a few years after founding Konoha. 0 people were prepared for this discovery.

Summary:

It's been fifteen years since Isamu was found, badly injured and unconscious in the forest. He woke up with amnesia, but his origin was pretty obvious, so he doesn't even miss the memories. It's been fifteen years. He's grown up, earned a place in the town that took him in, and even gotten married. His not-so-mysterious past doesn't matter. Not until shinobi wander into town, anyway.

2: Blessed Sacrifice AU - Naruto (Founders)

Cowritten with @codedredalert aka @denialcity, on hiatus while we both deal with Life, but there's a large and excellent chunk up already and so many cool things planned. So many!!!

Also, turns out I REALLY LIKE cowriting. Which is kind of old news because I've been doing forum RP for a decade+, but I wasn't sure if that would translate to fic. Turns out the answer is definitely yes.

BSAU is basically taking the "red eyes blessed" trope and digging into the like... worldbuilding repercussions of that, as shown through Izuna. And also crows.

Also comes with LOTS of fantastic art from Red!

Summary:

Mythology-religion freeform AU where Tobirama is considered blessed by the gods by the Uchiha, but they still need to deal with him as an enemy, so Izuna is ritually disowned from the Uchiha and given a special role responsible for protecting/fighting him.

3: Somebody Else's Dream - Girl Genius

Written as a gift for khilari! I can't remember what the exact prompt was, but I ended up writing an elaboration on the canon detail that Mechanicsburg was founded when a Heterodyne decided he wanted a town, so he just had his people build one.

The main character is an OC who was kidnapped to become a non-military member of the town, and the story is about how he ends up settling in. It's a very weird balance of a "finding your place in the world" story and "this is still kidnapping actually," and I don't think it would work in most fandoms, but since Girl Genius canon is a perpetual balance of heartwarming and "wow that is somehow worse than a war crime" already, I think it worked out really well, and I'm still very proud of it.

Also I suffered over the accents in this. But it worked!

Summary:

Faustus Heterodyne wants civilians for his newly built town. What the civilians want is generally different.

4: Jager Search - Girl Genius

Also written as a gift, this time for sparkagatha. It's the future, *vague handwave* everything is resolved, the OT3 are together and Klaus has accepted that he can leave Agatha alone and the revenants are being cured, happily ever after.

...except that some of the "wild" jagers are still missing. So Agatha sets out to find them.

Not much to say really; I can see spots where I'd write it differently if I wrote it now, but that's mostly things like "would have slightly changed the characterization," not big issues, and overall it still holds up very well for being... close to eight years old.

Summary:

Most of the detached jägers heard of the Heterodyne's return and came home, but a few are still missing. Agatha learns this, and decides to fix it.

5: Didn't Dream This - Death Note

Oh if I wrote this now tumblr would annihilate me. ~Problematic~ yay!

I'm not sure I'd say this is a good fic--if I was writing it now I'd write it so differently that it just would be a different fic--but I was clearly working out something about sexuality and relationships and the stuff (not) in my head that I've ended up labeling "being aro."

Basically: Mello and Matt are straight, and they decide to be together anyway. I'm glad I wrote it, partly because I know I wouldn't think or dare to write it now.

Summary:

Mello doesn't want to die alone. Solutions can exist without working out the way anyone wants. (Psychologically intimate interaction is really a better description than romance.)

[asphyxiatedredherring]

This is my gift for @fourdollarwords in the Leverage Gift Exchange! ( @leveragegiftexchange )

I decided to make a playlist of songs I felt fit the show in general, the thiefsome, and as well as each character!

It is quite a weird mix of music

I tried to keep it short, and some characters were easier to come up with more songs than others, but everyone got at least one.

Under the cut, I'll list each song and why I chose it. (It's sorted in categories as well as the order they appear on the spotify playlist, which I recommend listening to it in).

I hope you like it!

Nate:

Another Shot of Whiskey by The Gits - it's about drowning your problems in alcohol, I think we can all see the connection.

Behind Blue Eyes by The Who - the villain theme for the rock opera that never happened. The villain doesn't want to be the villain though, he was forced into that role and no one can see the grief that caused. It really lines up with Nate's story line.

Renegade by Styx - This is a song about a criminal who has been caught and is about to be executed. This song makes me think of The Maltese Falcon Job.

Well Respected Man by The Kinks - I think this represents the life Nate wanted for himself, Maggie, and their son where they are all happy and healthy but in reality Nate knows this is not how his life went and he is not this well respected man.

Breaking the Law by Judas Priest - the song seems to be about a man who was fired from his job so he started breaking the law. I'll let you draw those connections.

Alcohol by The Dropkick Murphys- he's an alcoholic from Boston what more can I say?

Sophie:

Who Do You Want to Be? by Oingo Boingo - its the art of the grift. Sophie makes herself into different people, deciding who she wants to be each day, everything is an act, a character maybe even losing herself along the way

What's Behind the Mask by The Cramps - as a grifter Sophie is always wearing a mask, Sophie isn't even her name. Her family wants to know what's behind her mask, let her know that she is safe to be herself.

Hardison:

Maneater by Hall & Oats - we know Hardison loves Hall & Oats. Best if listened to while Parker autism bites him.

Shout by Tears for Fears - I headcanon that Hardison loves synthpop and this song is a perfect example of that

Rebels With a Cause by The Dropkick Murphys - This song reminds me of the line where Nate calls Hardison "a 24 year old genius with a smartphone and problem with authority." He may have been ignored as a kid, but he's making a difference now. "Don't be angry with the kids Be angry with the greed."

Parker:

Runaway Train by Soul Asylum - I feel like this song really represents Parker's childhood

Never Go Hungry by Hole - I think Parker would have started with stealing food and this is like her internal monolog rationalizing it because stealing became a key part of her personality

Been Caught Stealing by Jane's Addition - Stealing, simple as that. She's a thief. If she wants something she simply takes it. I think it's just a fun catchy song she'd like.

Eliot:

The Boxer by Simon & Garfunkel - Despite their wishes, Eliot left his family and became a fighter just like the protagonist of the song. No matter how hard he tries to escape, the fighter remains. I could write an entire essay about how the story of this song and Eliot's story line up.

Guilt Within Your Head by The Gits - Eliot has so much guilt built up in his head over his past, being unable to forgive himself he created his own hell but he can escape it through forgiveness and redemption.

Bullet With Butterfly Wings by Smashing Pumpkins - I feel like this song fits Eliot because like the song says Eliot still feels like he can not be saved and is trapped in a cage, despite how angry he is.

Rooster by Alice in Chains - Even though it's a song about the Vietnam War I feel like it can still represent Eliot's life, joining the military and his career as a hitter in which people are constantly coming to kill him, yet he won't die.

Harry:

Ironic by Alanis Morissette - I think Harry would love Alanis Morissette. Hands down. No further notes.

Breanna:

Just a Girl by No Doubt - People frequently underestimate Breanna and I think this feminist anthem conveys her anger with that.

Seasore by The Regrettes - "You're talkin to me like a child Hey I've got news, I'm not a little girl" So much of Breanna's character is wanting to prove herself, that she is capable and not just someone's kid sister and I think this song conveys the anger that comes with being underestimated and judged for your age or gender.

Youth Gone Wild by Skid Row - Breanna isn't interested in conforming to society's idea of what she should be. She has been called a problem child, but she doesn't care because she will stand tall and be herself.

The Thiefsome:

Love in an Elevator by Aerosmith - Hardison would think it's funny but Parker would latch on to it. I'll be citing the first episode for this one.

What I Like About You by The Romantics - I may be stretching this one but the parts of this song can be applied to aspects of the ot3 and them expressing their love for eachother. "Keep on whispering in my ear" fits Hardison talking to Eliot and Parker through the coms, "you really know how to dance" represents Parker's acrobatics and thief skills, and "you keep me warm at night" Eliot is a grounding presence for them at night and they love eachother.

Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls - they are all broken in their own way and it doesn't matter what the world thinks, just that they have eachother.

The Crew in General:

Head Like a Hole by Nine Inch Nails - the people with power have the money and they aren't using it properly. But Leverage won't bow down despite what the mark wants. I just think this song encapsulates the anger they have with each mark and their desire to give the mark what they deserve.

And Justice for All by Metallica - I debated putting this song under Hardison but I think it could fit the whole crew. It's about how money has corrupted the justice system. The truth is gone but the crew is working to bring it to light and reinstall justice (in their own way).

Ain't No Rest for the Wicked by Cage the Elephant - there is no rest for the wicked and no shortness of evil in the world which makes Leverage necessary. "The rich and powerful take what we want. We steal it back for you."

We're Not Gonna Take It by Twisted Sister - I think this song does well to represent how Leverage is fighting the system and the people that abuse it.

Take Back The Power by The Interrupters - I could also write an essay about this song and its correlation with Leverage but to boil it down, Leverage is working to fight the corruption of the world and fix what they can. They are taking back the power.

Hunger Strike by Temple of the Dog - this is practically the Leverage theme song. "I don't mind stealin bread from the mouths of decadence But I can't feel on the powerless when my cup's already overfilled" It's a song about stealing from the rich, class divides, and how the rich get richer but the narrator refused to join them and would rather starve than be like the rich and feed on the poor.

The Men Who Rule The World by Garbage - a song about corruption, money, and violators, the very thing Leverage aims to destroy.

[pegasusknightsonly]

this is spinning off a post i reblogged to my main but i want to talk about fire emblem so im jumping in here fully aware that it will be somewhat incoherent and lacking context: what is the purpose of categorisation is not gleefully arbitrary distinctions. ok.

one thing that i have not seen mentioned in the criticisms of engage I've found (which doesn't negate their criticism in any way, i just want to tack this on) is any kind of closer reading or analysis of how engage creates and presents authority: who has it, why they have it, why they get to keep it, etc. which feels strange to me because the vast majority of the engage cast are either monarchs-in-waiting or their personal guards. the closest things engage has to representation of the common people are Jean (bourgeois doctor's son in training to be a doctor), yunaka and Anna i GUESS but i think engage Anna is one of the least coherent entries into the anna canon (annon)

everyone else is either a monarch (alear, alfred, céline, alcryst, diamant, ivy, hortensia, timerra, fogado, arguably veyle) [side note: it is so hard to remember these names off the dome but I'm doing it!] or directly employed by the monarchy (all the retainers obviously [including mauvier, if he calls her "Lady Veyle" there's a power differential] and also Saphir is a royal knight, Lindon was a royal priest, if there is anyone not covered by these categories they're either DLC or i forgot they existed) so you may think engage takes the general stance of "your boss has authority over you as part of your contract of employment", etc. well .

what engage actually says, over and over and over again, is that you're either born into authority or you're not. and that's it. alear is allowed to make life and death decisions for every single person they meet on the basis of their authority as Lumera's child despite being asleep for like a thousand years and knowing absolutely nothing about the world. alear's social power is granted on the basis of them being born into the correct family to wield it and the later revelations about the circumstances of alear's birth don't change that (mostly, i think, because engage had completely given up on the idea of characters knowing or not knowing information actually meaning anything for the story) so being APPARENTLY the right kind of birth is sufficient for your claims to authority to go unchallenged

"but tama," you might say, "alear is challenged all the time". yes! whenever alear expresses an opinion on their own emotional state, they are challenged on it. if alear says they feel scared and don't want to proceed with the suggested course of action, their advisors will immediately tell them their feelings do not matter and every single time alear says "oh ok" and does it because if they were allowed to say "no i really don't want to to fight these guys" then engage would have to provide a narrative that does not merely exist to propell the player between maps

alear is imbued with authority because they embody the authority of the state; they are not allowed any authority over their own physical and mental state. alear's body is not their own, it is the body of the Divine Dragon, an object of literal worship and it is not allowed in the text and the paratext of the game to be divorced from the functions of religion and state

states appear in engage ONLY through the persons of their royal families and it is made clear that the monarch has absolute authority over every aspect of their state. an attack on queen éve threatens all of firene. this is also demonstrated with the Queen of solm; military encroachments from elusia (personified in hortensia, who leads them) only matter to the story when the queen of solm is potentially threatened. we see nothing of the battles before hortensia reaches the inner castle, because as far as engage is concerned, they don't exist. the people of solm are not real people in any meaningful way for the story. the only threat that matters to the state is the threat to the monarch

and isn't that .... you know, isn't all that "the health of the leader is the health of the state" nonsense fashy as all hell???? especially when there is no authority beyond the authority of the state as embodied in its leader: there are no opposition political parties, there are no grass roots political movements, there are no possibly avenues of challenge! you are born into power and thus justified to use it however you see fit or you don't ever matter at all!!!

it's bleak

[arkadiaasks]

There keep being duels where a woman has an important realization about herself only for Manabu to shit on her for no reason. Also you’re acting like being a cop and a misogynist are mutually exclusive when if anything it’s a common overlap

I think this fails to grapple with Manabu as a whole?

He might do things that are misogynistic, but he also does things that are racist (more arguably species-ist), I feel like this misinterprets his character as uniquely hostile to women.

Manabu's hostile to everyone because he's an overcompensating twit with a complex about his own personal value as a runaway from his family, and lords his authority derived from being a police officer, because he's impotent otherwise.

And he shits on everyone in every Duel he's in, that's kind of his recurring problem and character flaw. It's not unique to the girls in the cast. And I don't think it's precisely for 'no reason'.

Like I'll go down the list

Yudias

Yudias is basically an illegal immigrant and Manabu is essentially ICE. He's more or less flaunting his authority, which is to introduce he's basically Gakuto's traits of traditionalism, authority, and voice of reason.

Bochi, Ranran and Nyandestar

This is like. More. He gets positioned against them and is nominally aligned 'threats' of each arc, and is mostly being played more to the Japanese cop stereotype of the police being well intentioned if kind of incompetent due to the peculiarities of Japanese law.

Rovian

This is him acting on logic to find the Earthdamar and acting on Rovian's behavior being seemingly out of character. And showing while good intentioned (capture the Earthdamar), his detective skills are. Not great.

Yuna

The bosses are in, Manabu isn't willing to abandon the police. This is probably one of his worst moments, but if I recall, he keeps trying to get Yuna to back off, as he doesn't want to see a friend and ally get run over, but he's unwilling to drop the police, the one source of dignity in his life, even if he's not entirely comfortable with the new orders coming down from management.

Zuwijo

This is essentially a nervous breakdown. Manabu's unwillingness to turn earlier has led him to losing all trust with his friends, and sees grabbing Zuwijo as the one way he might get in good graces with his boss, and this is just the inherent contradictions of him wanting to be an ally to Yudias and co. but unwilling to throw away the police leads to a collapse.

Maguto

This is Manabu at his lowest, having lost basically everything, and uh. Nothing more to say. This is him at his most desperate, emotionally damaged, and ultimately broken?

Yuamu

He's shitting on Yuamu because he thinks she's crazy, because he literally can't see reality as it really is.

Yuna

I'mma be real, this is one of the few cases Manabu is arguably in the right. He has orders from Phaser and Asaka essentially to capture a person of interest (Yuga) who is critical to a very important situation regarding the continued existence of the Velgears.

Yuna might be having epiphanies and asking to see her crush, but Yuga's been incredibly fickle and difficult to talk to this entire arc, that uh.

Risking him staying in one spot so she can talk to Yuga is kinda clownshoes.

Epoch

Until Epoch gets her proverbial shit together, he's technically right that he and Nyandestar are probably the most worthwhile people to run the expedition, because while Yudias may be a good military commander and generally great guy, he's not exactly a good authority figure.

Manabu despite his general fumbling, is a cop, disciplined, having gone up through the ranks twice, and is arguably the most emotionally cool headed character in the cast up to this point.

Epoch, while you may be seeing shit upon, has up to this point, been a bratty hikikomori, with a bad personality, notorious for cheating in her Duels. His skepticism and criticism of her is not unfounded here.

---

Like.

Yes, he's a dick and arguably a bit of a bigot, but the last like 2-3 Duels with him are more complex than he's a misogynist. One is he can't see reality and has no reason to believe Yuamu isn't on the crazy juice. Another is keeping a person of interest secured. The third is literally justified criticism of a girl who up until this point, has not has a great track record of being a good person, nor has any reason to have him trust she'll be remotely competent as serving as the captain of the expedition.

Like I will agree he's a more toxic take on Gakuto, a mirror darkly of his future descendant, but I think misogynist is seeing trees and missing the forest which is he's not so strictly a misogynist so much a bumbling self-assured authoritarian who keeps forgetting authority works best with a gentle glove on one fist.

Basically he's a parody of the general bumbling worst behaviors of the Japanese police, which includes ignoring the average person out of hand.

But you'll probably ignore my point.

[korrasera]

So, the problem with this kind of callout is that it completely misrepresents both what Hasan said as well as the history of the situation.

And if all you do is react to words like colonising and primitive, anyone will be able to convince you to hate anyone for pretty much any reason.

So! Let's talk about what Hasan actually said and why he's saying it.

Hasan is specifically saying that China intervening in Tibet to end slavery was a good thing. That's it. That's the controversial take. But you don't get that if you just listen to the people who cosplay as leftists.

You can still criticize this take! He's praising China for overthrowing another nation state and supplanting their government. That's not great, but it's also not defending colonization and here's why.

China didn't do it to civilize Tibet, they did it to strengthen their border against the west during the Cold War and end Tibet's feudal rule. So, that's a nation seeking power, while also claiming to have an ideological motive to free people. Nations don't really have ideological motives, but in this case it doesn't matter because replacing Lamaists rule with Communist rule was absolutely a better thing for Tibet.

What actually happened is that political pressure (which included military posturing) from China along with a popular uprising of Tibetans led to a dramatic shift in Tibetan culture in which the Dalai Lama (of the time) was pressured signed an agreement to let China annex Tibet into the PRC. This came on the heels of the Tibetan government refusing to move away from their caste-based feudal system, something that created a lot of tension in the country following WWII.

That's the hinge here. The culture that was wiped out wasn't a culture, it was a government and a caste system that was used to oppress Tibet's culture. The Lamaists had authority over all other casts and the lowest casts were slaves that weren't even considered fully human. The comparison to US slavery in the South is an apt one.

Like, I'm sure the Dalai Lama is a great guy who cares a lot about peace, but he's the inheritor of a completely inhumane system of authoritarian government that made life hell for countless generations of Tibetan people.

You should listen to what Hasan actually said and then listen to what it was like for people who lived in slavery in Tibet if you want to understand this issue.

My suggestion is to not simp for people who would have been at home running a slave plantation in the US circa 1800.

[morlock-holmes]

I saw James Cameron's Avatar The Last Airbender: The Shape of Water.

It's… Fine, I'd say. I can't tell if it's actually better than the original or if it just seems that way because action spectacle movies these days have gotten so much worse.

Despite being a "big" movie, both in terms of length and scale of spectacle, it distinguishes itself from most other such movies by the fact that I didn't feel like I had been beaten up by the movie after I left the theater.

I think my verdict would be that it's an okay movie with ideas that could have been part of a really good movie.

Also I legit wonder if James Cameron saw that post about how there's no Avatar fan fiction because there's a lot more hooks to hang fanfic on in this one. Spoilers and discussion beneath the cut.

On the other hand, even though I didn't feel beat up by the movie, it's a very macho world these people live in. The human world is run by a bunch of macho marine types, who "Don't die, [they] just regroup in hell" and our main character, uh… what's his name, raises his kids the way he was clearly raised and inducted into the Marines; at one point his wife tells him, "Those aren't your squad, they're your children."

But Na'avi culture is also characterized by a gender-neutral machismo, there's a lot of teeth baring and metaphorical chest bumping, an emphasis on proving your adult-hood through fighting and feats of bravery, of defying authoritarian fathers through macho displays of courage.

Interestingly, there is a whole society of characters who are completely pacifistic, to the point where they exile a member for attempting to lead a war party against the humans. The humans defeat him, kill most of the people he brought along, which, to his pacifistic kin, makes him as responsible for their deaths as the humans.

They're kind of pushed to the side and the moral implications aren't dwelt on.

As someone who is not really very macho himself I found this to be a bit exhausting. Scientists and pacifists exist in this world, but, they, like the young protagonists, find themselves caught in a world where authority figures don't really value those tendencies, and their peers pick up on this and police them to make sure that they're as macho as they should be.

In general the movie kind of reminds me of Star Wars; The Last Jedi in that there's a lot of interesting ideas that kind of can't be paid off quite as well as they ought to be because of the Hollywood spectacle that they're forced into.

There's a character named Spider, a human who is the son of the bad guy from the first movie. Said bad guy had his memories cloned and uploaded to an Avatar body, and is now being used as part of the human assault on Pandora. Apparently Earth is a huge crap hole now so the humans are planning to just colonize Pandora.

Anyway, this clone of Spider's dad captures him and holds him hostage for most of the movie, leading to some bonding between them. At one point, the clone is going to tranquilize a bird to see if he can link up and control it; Spider laughs at him and says that kids younger than him do it with their bare hands. So of course clone dad has to prove that he can do it that way too; the machismo of the human military is broadly compatible with the machismo of the Na'avi.

At the very end of the movie, clone dad has one of the main character's kids hostage and is threatening to kill them. So the main Na'avi woman, who has been Spider's surrogate mother figure, grabs spider and says, "You kill my son and I'll kill yours."

Which does work, although the movie's in such a hurry to end by this point that it kind of glosses over the psychological impact that this would probably have on the poor kid. At the end of the day it doesn't matter that he's grown up with the Na'avi his whole life, he's still an outsider.

Also neither I nor my two companions have any idea which brother died at the end which I feel is a failure on the part of the character design team.