#but you can't DO that with a character who is in a POSITION OF POWER

[timkontheunsure]

Ozzie's not perfect but that so good 😊

Intersectionality of classism, racism and ableism

Ozzie's a pretty lovable carebear of a sin, it's honestly great seeing the nuisance this guy gets in the writing. I love seeing a nice bloke who is a little bit classist, racist and ableist; because these are traits anyone can have.

Like how Stolas' and Millie's are there for character development, so is Ozzie's. 🙂

And none of these things feel like they'll be unsormaounable for Fizz and Ozzie.

Classism

Alot of foke have asked if Fizz gets to be mad that Ozzie didn't try very hard to save his best friend. And well yer he probably will be mad in s3.

He begged his partner to keep his best friend safe, he gets to be mad. Doesn't matter if Ozzie thought he had a good reason to not do so, like keep his head down to try to keep Fizz safe; Fizz can be mad for not being listened to.

But that's not the only thing Ozzie got coming due, and means we'll get some really interesting stuff.

Ok you know how Stolas is only just started to understand how his being born in a position of privilege has affected his a Blitz's relationship? And that alot of the things he did wrong weren't out malice, but from unthinking ignorant?

Well Fizz & Ozzie's power dinamic is worse, because he's 1 of the 7 actually responsible for settling up a lot of that cast system...

And while Stolas got a bit of a mixed bag with his privilege. Never having to think about money, and given housing for himself and his kid. But also getting almost no choice in his life, and being forced into an abusive marriage.

Ozzie by contrast has it all good. His big day to day headaches being his own safety record on vibes. And his own reputation making him want to try to keep a loving relationship on the down low. (His own fault).

His basis maybe unthinking, but he's not actually ignorant of the way hell works for imps.

They've been dealing the extremely class divided by pretending it doesn't exist; leaving any fallout for Fizz to deal with alone.

Like how till recently him and Fizz were in the closet. Something Ozzie felt so uncomfortable about, he outed another royal/imp couple to shove under the bus to help them hide better. His wanting them safe isn't from a bad place, but his actions aren't clean.

Fizz was happy attacking Blitz, someone he believes hurt him out of spite. But Ozzie's the one who physically drags Stolas in, mocks him for slumming with an imp, then take the piss for lossing his wife and kid.

It really isn't a compliment when someone says "You sold your life for a thrust" and to "Pretend you don't see that crust", and equates their downfall to dating an imp. That's mockery.

I'm glad Blitz got to push back a little with when it's proven Fizzmodeus have a romantic relationship. Cus yep they are massive fucking hypocrites.

Even with harassing Moxxie for singing a love song to Millie, it's not Ozzie that takes the heat. It's Fizz.

Ozzie's need to hid them, is directly the reason to tell Moxxie off for the love song, because he's pretending love and lust can't coexist. And Millie wouldn't bonk Fizz over the head he'd if they didn't interrupt her husbands song.

The need to hid, to keep Ozzie's reputation, stops Oz from being aloud to be visibly too pissed at M&M.

Ok that the lightest fallout that Fizz takes from them not dealing with the power imbalance. But cus of staying closeted Fizz gets kidnapped, and nearly killed to keep 'their' secret.

Then attacked by stalkers cus Ozzie can't be seen caring about him;

(Making every other year of the clown pageant something Fizz must face solo).

All for Ozzie to out them both without checking Fizz ok with it first. Stopping Mammon blackmailing him, like Crim did.

So a good action, but it's acting unilaterally for both sides of the couple without any planning ahead. (Ozzie's is the biggest himmo).

Telling everyone he loves Fizz comes from a good place, but it's stepping on a boundary without checking it. When any possible backlash will likely to fall again on Fizz, not Ozzie.

But it's not the only boundary of Fizz's Ozzie's over stepping for a while.

Racism

Ozzie a pretty risk adverse guy, but also doesn't have a cool head in crisis.

This makes him less likely to stand up for what's right, untill he's back into a corner. (Making some of the stuff he do to get out of a bad situation abit of a shit show).

Ozzie's of a both chicken, and also a little bit of a cock lol. (Viv did well with making him a cockerel).

He doesn't yet want to stick his neck out for people he really should be. But is happy to tag in when Bee says Blitz is a good guy. Even though he owns Blitz for saving Fizz twice, and Stolas stopping him himmoing into getting Fizz killed.

In comparison Bee and Tex's relationship isn't a secret. All the Sins know, and basically every hellhound knows. Both their communities know they are in a stable loving relationship.

She stands up for her man to Mammon. And even non verbally tells Ozzie to back off, that it's her fight.

She doesn't need it to be a life or death situation to tell people to feck off if they don't like it.

Bee is willing to give Blitz a chance, and speaks up for him first. Ozzie's more of a tagalog. He does speak up for Blitz, a guy he has much more reason to want to help; but only after Bee.

And then doesn't do more even though IMP are legally under his jurisdiction. And his partner begs him to. (There's a good chance Ozzie could have told Satan to back off, and it'd have worked. But Ozzie isn't a planner in a fast situation).

Even though he knows that Blitz will die at the hands of a corrupt racist political system without someone stepping in.

Ozzie even has the neve to look a bit put out when Blitz calls him and the other Sins on their shit. "All I was trying to do was raise above this stupid fucking place YOU ALL FORCED US INTO!"

Doesn't Blitz know he's one of the 'good ones'?

But Oz is just not a strong person yet, and honestly think this might be something he eventually gels with Stolas over. Learning to be less passive.

But with them out Ozzie is able to tell Ma to do one for being rude about Fizz. Yay! 😁 He's becoming more free in what he can do. Love that characters development.

Ableism

And while taking about Stolas we can highlight the last character flaw Ozzie has, that's not immediate obviously.

Ok I actually think making the loving, and supportive partner to the physical disabled guy just a bit ableist too is A+ writing. 🙂

Ozzie has a pretty big problem with Stolas. (I'm going to need a thesaurus for all the ways Ozzie is a mardy over Stolas being autistic).

He gets arsy when Stolas doesn't take the chair he draw out.

Gets pissed when he's get a real answer to if he's "Still gettin' yo' kink on with that feisty imp?" Not treated as the verbal wallpaper it was. And treating Blitz like all he can be is a race kink.

Assumes the worse intentions of Stolas by suggested he's after date rape drugs. (Going chalk this up as ableist thing too, as assuming the worst in autistic people cus they're weird is really common).

Is creped out by Stolas stimming, and angry at Stolas being excited to help with his special interest.

Is annoyed that Stolas stops him signing a contract to have Fizz decapitated. (Ozzie's just really isn't a planner. No wonder Fizz does all that for him day to day. 🙂 They work well together).

Then sets Stolas on fire for making him a speedy viable contract, because the lawyer is slow.

And after Fizz is safe and sound at home, Ozzie complains that he got stuck all day with Stolas, and bragged how refused to help Blitz... (He's being unthinkingly ungrateful here, because he's used to getting things as he's top of the heap).

Some neurotypicallys really do just hate you on sight for missing social cues, and Ozzie is being that guy.

He can't even hide how much he dislikes Stolas while Stolas busy doing the thing Fizz asked him to do.

(Ozzie, you contempt is showing again bud).

This is all ableism, because the underlying message 'Why don't you just get it, and read my mind for me?! Why do I have to make allowances for your disability, and communicate what I want clearly. It's your fault I'm mildly inconvenients'.

Ok getting back to Fizz, because how he treats Stolas, leads into his attitude around Fizz's care.

Ozzie does a common mistake that all carers will do at somepoint. He reduces the ability of the disabled person to be autonomous. And he does this primarily for safety; but it's also out of a paternalistic view that he knows best.

(He's older, has more experience, more powerful; surely he can't get this wrong right?)

When Fizz has a knock to his confidence about being out and about by himself, Fizz is being hyperbolic about hating going outside. And Ozzie over corrects tells him he never had to do that again.

And Fizz's face drops.

It's infantilizing him, by removing some of his choices. He does this again when he goes behind Fizz's back to ask Blitz to bodyguard him.

Things can be done for a place of love, and still be removing someone's autonomy. Yes without Blitz there Fizz wouldn't have had the strength to tell Mammon to fuck off, but thinks can be both good and bad.

(Honestly I could probably have written 'things can be both good and bad' with pics of Ozzie doing shit, and call it a day 4 drafts ago)....

This has happened with me and every disabled person I know. Fizz needs to talk with Ozzie and redraw boundaries. They'll have to do this after each situation comes up.

Like Ozzie really wasn't happy with Fizz going out alone at the start of Opps. But they compromised on having his phone on him, and a driver giving him a lift.

With Fizz is no longer working for Mammon, and that their relationship is public arguably there's less immediate danger now.

But it's the intersectionality that's making it hard for Fizz to start that conversation. He's not just a imp dating a royal, he's a disabled imp who's prosthetics are gifted and maintained by Oz, dating a Sin who was instrumental in putting his whole race near the bottom of the ladder....

Fizz is likely going to need Blitz and Stolas' input to feel comfortable redrawing those tightening boundaries.

It's the reason he feels like he does have to apologise for getting hurt and kidnapped.

(Ozzie did great reminding Fizz he doesn't have to apologise here).

Alright cards on the table when I've had to tell my SO/carer to back off, it's always started by talking to a friend outside our dinamic. And that healthy. You get a different view, your able to sanity check what you want Vs what practical. And it gives you backup.

Making a conversation more likely to be constructive not destructive.

Because this is only insurmountable if they don't try and climb it together.

[gothicloverdream]

"I will say when you play power, or when you play someone that's in a position of enormous power, even if both of these emperors I would say are shaking in their boots at the same time, you see the way that Ridley built that power around you, and I guess when you're having this conversation, I was thinking about how much can be done in the name of anything and how much people can step aside and kowtow to power. So you have characters who as everyone is, and we're talking about acting out of themselves and impossible to calculate human heart, and then the effects of that are, I don't know. I guess the simplest way to say it is I would walk in there, scared in that toga, and you would see the performance of power onto you from everybody else, and that's something that was built through the set, and I do think, I don't know, maybe that says something about."

"A monkey is always going to be impulsive. I did do training with her beforehand, so you'd get comfortable with each other. I'd feed her and do certain things so that you create some kind of bond, but at the end of the day, a monkey is impulsive, and this character is impulsive, so in some ways, there's a cheat code on your right shoulder. In that sense, I think there's a reason that my guy feels so close and connected to that creature, but every day was still different. Well, the character's he, but the monkey actress, she."

"He's sick. He's suffering from a cocktail of issues. One of the things is emperors at that time would drink. They were the only people that had－some of the only people that had access to the water that came through the pipes, but they didn't know that they were being poisoned by that water. It was lead-poisoning, and their level of privilege and fanciness and their kind of separated world was also one that had its own sickness. So I think Ridley latched onto that idea and metaphor, and all of the stuff underneath, the make-up and the intense blush and all of those things was also kinds of sickness. I think though at the end of the day, as we're talking about, it's hard to put into words exactly what you're coming with. I mean, you do all your research. You work so hard beforehand, but at the end of the day, that is only the entry. That's the precedent admission, and then what's exciting is what actually surprises you and happens, and playing someone that's that sick and mad, I think I wanted to surprise myself. You can't get ahead of yourself."

Fred Hechinger on Emperor Caracalla & Emperor Geta: IAMMIKEMUSE

[vidavalor]

Hey there! After your latest question on how Az might be taking over Hell and leading an army of demons, I wanted to ask who you think is more powerful overall, Crowley or Aziraphale? Of course they are the best when combining their powers 😉 but I always thought Crowley was the more “powerful” one, because he seemed to be of very high rank (he could open the file Muriel couldn’t). Would love to hear your take on it and here are some gluten free chocolate chip cookies if you like! 🍪 🍪

Hi there. 💕 Thanks for the cookies. Hope you're doing well.

I don't think that either of them are any more or less powerful than one another, or that either of them are any more or less powerful than any other person in the universe. Rank and power are not the same thing. Rank is, well... rank-- as in, it smells something fierce.

Rank is a perceived level of social power distributed to people by those at the top of an uneven power structure. It has nothing to do with an individual's own personal power. Political systems like this benefit only those at the very top, as they are using everyone else to maintain their own level of absolute power. They do not respect the autonomy of those beneath them and dole out rank-- perceived political power-- based on nothing more than the person showing fealty to them or being perceived by the villains at the top as being controllable.

Rank is not indicative of skill or, even, actual power. It's a bullshit system put into place by the one who has consolidated all power for himself to control the masses that enable him to do just that.

That is why the biggest threat to that villain's power is anything that would cause the masses to suddenly, collectively, start to doubt his story as to why it's him who has all this power and not all of them.

The biggest threat to those who have taken all the power for themselves and dole out rank to everyone else is everyone else suddenly having a reason to not focus on the distractions that villain has given them-- like rank itself, like the enemy he has told them to hate and the war he wants them to fight-- for long enough to realize that the so-called enemy isn't the actual enemy... that the whole system is broken. That there's an institutional problem and that institutional problem is the guy who took all the power for himself.

Rank in Heaven and Hell is meaningless. It doesn't really reflect power because it's just titles doled out by the villains in charge. Satan and The Metatron can't take anyone's individual power-- they can only just try to convince them and everyone else that they have. In reality, what really matters is individual power and no one can ever fundamentally really take that from a person.

The only way to use social power in a positive way is for the benefit of the group as a whole. It's to use your own individual power do what you can for others around you on a micro-scale. If everyone did that, we'd have more macro change, and systems like the one in Heaven would be undermined by the fact that, by recognizing one another as fellow people, the rank system of those seeking to oppress would collapse.

You've heard this put another way in Good Omens:

You can't have a war without war.

While Sandalphon is a fascist dirtbag, he accidentally hit on the whole theme of all of it without really understanding it. He meant you couldn't have a war (Armageddon) without War-- The Concept That Is A Character Played By Mirielle Enos. What is evident, though, is that all toxic systems are upheld by the rank-and-file. The power of the very few and very corrupt people at the top of a fascist regime is dependent on their ability to intimidate the rank-and-file into giving them all of that power.

It's all reliant upon making sure that those beneath them giving them all that power are kept as much as possible from working together by being taught to distrust one another, to view those in other parts of the system as 'other' and less human, and to always see the 'other' as the problem-- never the one who is using the sense of the 'other' to divide to maintain his own power.

It would be a big problem for our villains if people were to figure that institutional problem out, would it not?

It would cause them to push back on the top-- and collapse the idea of loyalty to pretend 'sides' as they began to recognize that they were all on the same one against those who were oppressing them.

When people assert their own individual power and begin to dismantle the idea of rank by joining forces with others in different tiers of it-- when they say that all people are just people and whether you're a human, an angel, a demon, whatever, it doesn't matter-- then what's happening is people using their individual power to form a collective social power to push back against their oppressors and break free of the negative system.

They are taking back their own power from those who have taken it from them by dismissing the idea of rank to join forces with those in different tiers of it, or outside of the structure of it.

Like Crowley and Aziraphale letting in the exhausted Supreme Archangel of Heaven. Like that Supreme Archangel of Heaven being excited to be Jim, an assistant bookseller, who counts humans among his new friends. Like Crowley, a former Prince of Hell, showing Muriel, the lowest-ranked angel there is, that imagination is power and if you think it, you can do it, because none of the demons actually have lost their angelic powers-- it's only as true as any of the angels and demons believe it is.

If you can visualize it, you can get through whatever the burning M-25 ring of fire of the moment is.

Just like with Adam in S1-- Make it happen. Make it real.

Crowley and the other demons can still do angelic miracles because miracles are reflective of individual, personal power, and no one-- no one-- can ever take that away from a person. They can take perceived social power-- like rank and status. They can try to kick you out of society and make rules against you and do you harm but they can never fundamentally take who you are. Your personal power always belongs to you.

Muriel cannot open Gabriel's file because they believed they had been told that they were not ranked high enough to do so. If they were to try again after Crowley showing them that he can? Odds are solid Muriel could open that file or anything else they wanted Up there. All Muriel really needs is what the others did, too-- the model of other people choosing to eschew the gross, rank system of Heaven/Hell to do their own thing.

Our Ineffable Quartet is giving them all that in spades.

Ironically, what they and Crowley learned from the contents of Gabriel's file is an example of exactly how bullshit rank is.

All it took for even The Supreme Archangel to be sent down the rank pile was an assertion of his own individual power. He refused to fight the war. The war is vital to the continued, personal power of The Metatron, even if it's detrimental to basically everyone else but for him and Satan. Gabriel narrowly escaped being murdered for doing the one thing you are not 'supposed' to do in a system that rank-- assert your own individual power to fuck over the system itself.

Even funnier, he baited and shut down Michael when doing so by pulling rank on her. 😂 I told you could ask. But since I am the only First Order Archangel in the room or, you know, in the universe, I'm not gonna answer as much...

Those who use advantages given to them or that they have been able to obtain for themselves to make the world better for others are using both their personal power and their social power for good. See: Crowley and Aziraphale, for examples. The two who broke all concept of rank within their world to be with one another and to live with and support humans on Earth are the models for all sorts of characters looking to break free of all sorts of oppression. Gabriel and Beez have been protecting them and find they want to join them. Muriel wants to learn about living on Earth from them. Maggie and Nina look to them for help in having a love like theirs of their own.

Crowley and Aziraphale are the guardian angels of both the legitimate front and the black market of Whickber Street, using what resources and social power they each have to help, protect, and uplift not just one another but the humans that make up their community. Saving kids and goats and Dickensian orphans since 2500 B.C., those two have been. Making sure Maggie stays afloat and offering some extra security for their next-door neighbor, Mrs. Sandwich.

In S2, there is nothing more flying in the face of rank than a pair of angels from opposite ends of the power structure (Gabriel and Muriel) both showing up at the bookshop door and being given the same thing-- the choice of accepting shelter and resources and comfort and a chat. The choice to break rank and join forces against the system that, in this world, oppresses the entire universe.

Those who do not break rank are the ones who try to gain and consolidate power for themselves within the system by helping those at the top manipulate others around them into accepting a rank-based social hierarchy. They are convinced into thinking that their silly rank title means that they actually have some power and that they can get or lose more of it through playing the game of the rank system the existence of which they just accept. They seek power within the rank system, instead of questioning the existence of the whole thing.

Even if they do start to question its existence privately, they're still willing to publicly play the game of rank, instead of taking the more beneficial route of breaking rank to work together to burn the whole system down.

Michael is not beyond all hope but Uriel breaking rank in 2.06 to support Gabriel and Beez shows that she'll get there first. Others, like that Metatron bootlicker and memory thief, Saraqael, might never realize that there's no war without war because they are so far gone that they actually want the war. They've so internalized the bill of goods they've been sold that they believe they're the righteous ones. How very Nazi Zombie Flesheaters of them.

The entire system of Heaven and Hell is structured so that only two beings within it actually benefit from it-- The Metatron and Satan. The angels and demons accept this structure because of the narrative these villains have presented to them about it, which is centered around the fact that The Metatron claims he can talk to God.

That all seems pretty rank, if you ask me. We've seen absolutely no proof that this is true. None.

I don't know about you but the only God we've heard in the series is The Voice of Frances McDormand and She's definitely not speaking to The Metatron. [If She's even really God and not just a God that lives in Aziraphale's head, but that's a whole other topic.] The God who has been speaking to us is an intelligent, dry-witted, curious, empathetic, and warm person who loves humans and Earth and Crowley. She's definitely not the one behind all the evil batshittery that the angels and demons think is The Word of God.

It's really all just The Word of The Metatron.

So, it's really that The Metatron consolidated power for himself in Heaven by claiming that he was the angel-- the one God chose to speak through. He's every megalomaniacal dictator and crazed cult leader rolled into one. He took control of Heaven by manipulating the angels into believing that they weren't following him-- they were following God. *gestures basically at every religious movement, every cult in history* It's no different from human behavior.

The Metatron's right-hand being was Lucifer, to whom he gave a position of Supreme Archangel, something they probably just made up. The two of them convinced the angels that they were more holy than everybody else-- God's chosen favorites. Lucifer, though, wanted absolute power and thought what do I need The Metatron for? I could just take this place.

He starts going around and building an army by exploiting the needs in the angels that are going unfulfilled. He makes them feel seen and special. He tells them that their voices will be heard and that they can make the change happen-- that they can make a difference.

Many of these angels know deep down that it's all a little too good to be true but, like humans who fall into things like this on Earth, they don't see another way through in that moment. They're angry about the injustices around them. They're lonely, depressed, unfulfilled. There's no one else talking about change and they've grown desperate enough to toss their intelligence and common sense out the window for a charismatic savior-- only to realize, once they are on the inside, that the charismatic savior is actually evil and the whole promised social change group was actually a disguise for a cult.

Lucifer uses them-- especially ones near the top, like Crowley and Beez, whom he manipulated into being his lieutenants-- entrapping them before they realized that Lucifer wasn't really a social revolutionary but an evil cult leader. He wasn't going to improve any conditions because he did not give a fuck about anybody but himself. He wanted to be worshipped like a God himself, just like The Metatron. Two sides of the same evil egomaniacal coin.

Next thing anybody knows, Lucifer is leading a rebellion in Heaven, having gotten enough angels to follow him and fight a Great War against their fellow angels. At no point during any of it does anybody of the rank-and-file on either side say the problem here is really the two in charge. Instead, they were taught to hate one another because that proved beneficial, in the long run, for both Satan and The Metatron, who struck a deal of sorts that benefitted both of them with the creation of Hell.

Satan got his own kingdom of angels to exploit and The Metatron got a great story to keep his angels in line. They made up the concept of a demon to keep the angels distracted and uphold what is really a collective and very rank rank system.

In reality, all the angels fundamentally have the same amount of fluctuating-dependent-upon-their-energy-levels-on-any-given-day personal power, which we've seen is the source of magical power. After all, miracles can only be successfully performed if the person performing them is in the right headspace to do so, right?

Aziraphale couldn't influence Maggie when he fundamentally didn't want to and was too anxious to make it happen. Crowley is shown in two different scenes in S2 having trouble controlling his emotions enough to make a miracle happen the way he wants it to-- he over-miracles the rain for The Awning Vavoom and drenches Maggie and Nina. More consequentially? He was so angry over Wee Morag being shot that he over-miracled and sent the grave guards all the way to Hell, instead of putting them in a deep hole, like he said he had been trying to do. It's what wound up getting him dragged back to Hell.

That's personal power being exerted to make those magical miracles happen and personal power and miracles are a matter of energy. It's no different, really, from human energy.

When we protect our peace and take care of ourselves and let others in and share our frozen peas, we ensure that we have enough energy to participate in the world around us and we use what social power we have for good. Maintaining our energy so we don't waste our personal power is the struggle of people everywhere and one of the most primary, positive resources for doing so is having trustworthy and safe other people to talk to.

We all need resources-- food, shelter, books, etc.-- and, more than anything else, we need each other. A form of breaking rank is also seeking to have, as Crowley and Aziraphale do, emotionally open, consent-focused, and equitable relationships of all kinds. When we protect one another and allow them to do the same for us, we're making a safer world for all of us-- one that is stronger in the face of those who prefer the rankness of rank because it doesn't give any one person an excess of power. It's everyone looking out for one another being what keeps all forms of darkness at bay. [More on that over here, if you're interested.]

Power isn't the rank system of Heaven and Hell-- it's The Whickber Street Shopkeepers & Traders Association. We can push back on concepts of rank in any society by forming groups where people are treated as equals and come together for the benefits of mutual aid. That's when we can use our resources and social power to help the people in our orbit. If everybody does what they can on a micro-level, then more macro change begins to become possible. Help one person and open up a new world for many more as a result...

Power doesn't come from a rank system controlled by less than a handful of individuals who are seeking to oppress those they claim are beneath them. Real, collective power comes from blowing up a rank system by making sure that everyone is dancing at the monthly meeting of The Whickber Street Shopkeepers & Traders Association. It's super fucking annoying sometimes because, good Frances, a resolution condemning the misuse of apostrophes in sign windows?! 😂 no wonder why Mr. Arnold peaced out of those meetings for a decade... but dealing with people being people is part of what being a community is.

There are plenty of amazing things about humanity that outweigh the negatives. Being mindfully curious and open to learning new things, like Gabriel is in the scene below, can lead to greater appreciation for the world that can be as amazing as it can be depressing.

This is all why Aziraphale and Crowley are the opposites of The Metatron and Satan. They use their personal and social power to protect, assist, and support one another and those around them. They have been fucking over systems-- human and supernatural ones alike-- for millennia. They are the guardian angels of both the legitimate and black markets of Whicker Street-- helping humans start and keep their businesses afloat and providing resources and protection to the people around them, with particular emphasis on those who have been overlooked by society.

Crowley and Aziraphale's ranks in Heaven and Hell don't actually matter when it comes to their power. We saw in Before the Beginning that Crowley was a scientist and an engineer but that he was out there, alone in the universe, low-ranked enough that he didn't even have someone with him to help him start it until he asked for help. He didn't have a high ranking in Heaven when he met Aziraphale but Lucifer later made him a throne/dominion. It was rank-- perceived political power-- given to him by his abuser. The same is true of Beelzebub.

In Hell, Beez and Crowley are high-ranked. Beez is the Grand Duke of Hell-- the 'Supreme Archangel' of Hell, basically-- and Crowley is a Prince of Hell but it's based on how they had high rank in Heaven before The Fall. There was a time before The Fall when Crowley probably outranked Aziraphale in Heaven or, at least, was pretty on-par with him, but none of that really matters in terms of their magical powers. It's rank, not actual power.

You don't need rank to have actual power; you just need to wield what personal and social power you have effectively.

When I say things like Jim can take out Satan or Aziraphale could take control of Hell in short order, what I mean isn't really that they have more magical power than other characters. I mean that Gabriel has other people who are loyal to him because they love him and Satan does not. I mean that The Devil can't get to Gabriel in S2 because he cannot recognize him because Jimbriel is his polar opposite.

I mean that Gabriel has used the rank given to him by his oppressors to actually subtly come at those oppressors. He has wielded what perceived power his rank gave him well enough that there are other angels, like Uriel, who find they trust him more than they trust The Metatron. By using his power to do his best to support everyone around him-- angels and demons alike-- Gabriel has emerged someone who has a whole pack of people who are loyal to him and it's really the pack that Satan would have to take on.

What makes Gabriel intimidating to Satan and a whole damn problem to The Metatron is that, despite their best efforts to stop him, Gabriel has managed to be a real leader. He never set out to start a rebellion but he has by being someone that everyone else perceived as powerful showing people a new path. That makes him dangerous because if enough people look at what he's doing and say hey, that looks like a lot better than the current system, our villains are kind of fucked.

Especially considering that Heaven and Hell are both terrible so pretty much anything else would look better than the current system to most angels and demons... and Gabriel's not alone in saying so. It's really him and Beez and Crowley and Aziraphale. It took seeing that there was a group forming for Uriel to start to throw her hat in with them in 2.06 by sticking up for Gabriel and refusing to kill Maggie and Nina but Furfur and Muriel are right there, too.

Before long, there's going to be a reconfiguration of things. It's already really started, as the sides as they existed before have already fallen away. What can break the system is the demons and angels working together and that will take most of the main group of them breaking rank to form a more equal, united group.

In S1, several of them worked together to do the bidding of The Metatron and Satan but, in The Finale, they're going to wind up working together against them, or there isn't going to be a happy ending... and we all know there's a happy ending. 😇

Crowley and Aziraphale's statuses in Heaven and Hell-- technically, outlaws by 2.06, no rank at all-- didn't matter a lick when they asserted their individual and social power in the group scenes to take control of the situation. Everyone had to listen while Crowley put together the Gabriel situation because he had the information and he wasn't willing to defer to anybody's rank. They all had to stand there while he called basically everyone in the room shy of his partner and Gabriel idiots and then explained what was going on to all of them at the same time, not recognizing any of them as any more special than the other.

Hilariously, he also just plows straight through Michael's attempt to cosplay Supreme Archangelness, in my favorite bit of Crowley not giving a flying fuck about rank in the series:

Later, everyone had to shut up and follow Aziraphale's rules when he rang the bell and took charge of the situation. What rank gives Aziraphale the authority to, essentially, simultaneously take over Heaven and Hell at once in this moment? Absolutely none. He's considered a traitor. But it's his house they're all yelling in and, in a sudden power vacuum that upsets the established order of rank-- which Gabriel and Beez have created by also declaring themselves independent-- the leader that emerges is often the one who finds a way to just be heard.

In this case, it was the guy with the bell who got them all to shut up for five seconds and then demanded that they all treat each other as equals and collectively solve the problem by speaking one at a time. He showed grace and skill in extending the first invitation to speak to Shax-- a demon, the lowest-ranked of those arguing in the room, and the person who had literally invaded his house the night before.

The ironic thing is that Aziraphale himself hasn't yet realized his own power here. He still thinks that the only way out of this mess is to try to find a way to win within the rules of the rank system that he knows is absolutely rank. He doesn't want to be The Supreme Archangel-- he's more than aware of the fact that it's a totally bullshit position that nearly killed Gabriel and cannot really fundamentally change the system. He said no when that was the only thing offered.

He only agreed to be drawn back into the web of rank when what was offered was the possibility of changing Crowley's status within it. Not because he needs Crowley to be an angel again-- far from it. He loves Crowley as he is. Neither of them, though, are really fully free from the system while the system still exists and all this rank is dangerous for Crowley.

Aziraphale cannot ever refuse an offer that might have even the slightest chance of giving him the power to ensure Crowley's safety. It's the only offer that he can't refuse, which is why it's the perfect temptation. Aziraphale doesn't even fully trust that it's true but he'd do anything to keep Crowley safe so it's not even much of a true choice to him.

Aziraphale doesn't reject this offer because we are still in a spot in the story where we're more sitting on the edge of a revolution that is fomenting but not yet fully underway. It's started but they don't all yet quite realize how much it's started. Aziraphale felt alone. He felt like he and Crowley couldn't fight this system on their own and there's nowhere to run from it and he's absolutely correct about all of that.

It's why Aziraphale falling is the best way to galvanize all the characters to then come together to push back on the system for and with him. They've all got to do it together or it won't work. None of them are free from it unless all of them are free.

Political power is largely a matter of perception. It's why no one listens to Michael's claim that they have Supreme Archangel authority-- they just don't really believe it because Michael isn't selling power, they're selling desperation. Every time they open their mouth and say "I'm The Big One In Charge!", the fact that it's all kind of pathetic just makes them look weaker.

Power isn't saying you're in charge-- it's actually taking charge. The strongest leaders are ones who wield that power wisely. They inspire loyalty by treating people with respect. Sometimes, though, to even get to a place of doing that, you've got to make it clear that doing anything less will not be tolerated and that, if they want to continue doing so, they'll have to do it elsewhere.

Aziraphale used his personal and social power to take control of the situation in the bookshop in 2.06. He didn't need rank to do that-- he actually had none at all when he did. He rang the bell and just took charge, defining the rules of his house as being that they were all equals and then telling them they would be speaking one at a time, assuming de facto leadership of the group as he did. Aziraphale's ability to do that is what makes him dangerous to our villains and it's why they were trying to take him out before he could start a revolution. It's a bit too late for that, though.

It's never mattered what rank anyone has because they all have individual power and all can contribute to bettering their society in different ways. The first step, though, is everyone recognizing that rank is rank and everyone is equal and their own people. Recognizing and supporting one another's autonomy is what takes power from those at the top. Stopping obeying and upholding The Metatron and Satan's social rules is what can take power from them.

If enough do? No Armageddon. No war...

On this topic, you might also be interested in this meta about the story skewering reductive ideas of rank and power through a series of scenes mocking proskynesis. 💕 Hope you have a good week!

[ropebunnykant]

Your post about Babe makes me think this is a safe space to vent briefly! I love this show dearly, it's hands down my fave show of last year, I foresee much rewatching in the future, and though it's clearly imperfect, up until now those imperfections haven't interfered with my enjoyment. But - and maybe it's because there's only one ep left so the prospect of certain things/conversations happening is looking increasingly unlikely, or maybe it's because for the first time I felt the screentime/writing apportioned to each couple this ep felt noticeably unbalanced - post ep-11, I'm feeling a little wistful/frustrated at opportunities missed. Babe is a super obvious one - it feels like Style's dad has had more screentime than him, and even though Style's dad is awesome, in terms of importance to plot/character motivation, Babe clearly comes out on top, and yet as you mentioned, the writing hasn't really reflected that. But I think Kant and Kant/Bison in general have sporadically been curiously underwritten - in their post-truth scenes, imo, they've never really been given the space to explore their feelings to the same depth that Fadel has. And I think I just sort of ignored it before cos all the other stuff (not just the kissing!) was so delicious, but then in this ep, the contrast tween the burger joint scene and the tattoo scene (which seemed almost truncated) just felt so stark that it thwacked me over the head. The obvious exception is the beach scene (and maybe the swing scene?), the meat of which we now know was improvised. Which makes me wonder if it's partly because they think they can get away with it or don't feel they need to write as much detail cos FK are there to do the heavy lifting for them? And yes, FK can speak volumes with eye contact alone cos they really are That Good, but some stuff DOES actually have to be verbalised!!! And I'm not necessarily saying their scenes needed a lot more dialogue, but maybe just to be given a little more time to breathe? I remember thinking that about the opening of ep 9 with the memory box - yes, the deflection and flirting is probably in-character to a degree and most definitely the latter is a lot of fun to watch, but even just giving them a moment longer to reflect on their pain/loss before they diverted to daddy kink would've made a big difference imo.

Again, I can't necessarily point at anything in particular and say that's what should've been cut out to make room for xyz, so maybe it really is just a matter of not quite having enough eps to fully cover all the material they were working with (think that's definitely the case with Keen and Lilly, but they are fundamentally side characters, and it's side characters who always get shafted! Whereas Kant/Bison...). And yes, again, that's what fic's for, I know that. But still...the what ifs are always the worst! What if we got actual onscreen acknowledgement from another character that Kant, too, has been a victim of grooming/coercion/exploitation/whatever you want to call it, and also deserves to engineer a reckoning for the person responsible (and I'm not counting the blackmail scene cos he's still not in a position of power there given the stakes)? What if we got Bison bringing up their first encounter (since there's absolutely no reason for him to think it wasn't part of the scam) and Kant getting the chance to reassure him that night was 100% real? What if we got recognition from Fadel that Kant is basically just another tired older brother doing what it takes to protect his nong? What if we got actual follow-through on the Captain's threats after Kant returned from their torture island getaway? Imagine the parallel we could have had tween him coming home in ep 7 to find Babe with Bison vs. him coming home in ep 10 to find Babe with the Captain! What if we got just one scene where Kant finally gets to be the one who breaks down and is comforted? What if we got anything explicitly BDSM-related (okay maybe still holding out hope for this one!)? Now I'm more than happy to eat my hat if any of that comes to pass in the finale, and don't get me wrong, I'm still very much enamoured with the show and with these characters and am delighted at the prospect of prison hijinks cos I thought we'd be getting a time skip! And tbh the main reason I want to vent is just to get it out of my system so I can return to my previous state of blissful indifference to the niggles and the quibbles! ...Which is really unfair on you, I am realising at this late stage in the game! So apologies for the (tempered, not full-blown!) negativity and if you'd rather steer clear feel free to delete and ignore! I do think part of it is just the risk you run watching a show week to week when there's SO MUCH TIME to speculate and analyse and headcanon - you're virtually always going to be disappointed in one aspect or another, whereas when you binge-watch there's just no time for expectations to even be formed let alone undershot! But then of course you lose out on the sheer bananas entertainment and mass hysteria that is the collective experience of watching something real-time, and, after all (at least for those of us on tumblr I suspect!) the obsessive speculation/analysis/headcanoning is a large part of the fun!

first of all, i'm glad you consider this a safe place to vent and i totally get having frustrations about certain choices and what not, i obviously have vented my own about the whole situation with babe and the way it could have been very easily handled differently. which, my main gripe with that is that it was a very easy change to make, and a lot of my other complaints about this show i feel in general just come from them not having enough time. the babe situation would have been very easily solvable had they thrown in even ONE line referencing that kant had called babe and he was fine. no need for a whole scene or anything that would take up too much time! just a brief mention, maybe in the scene when kant checks in on style in ep9, and style asks if he's gotten to call babe. that is literally all i would have needed to feel better about that situation.

however, truthfully i don't feel like there's actually that much of a disparity in terms of how kantbison are written versus how fadelstyle are, especially not in ep11, but i have seen this take a couple of times now! i can understand why it may come across that way because fadel and style were having a lot of vulnerable conversations, whereas kant and bison weren't as much, however, i also think it comes down to what each of the brothers needed on that last day. fadel does not trust as easily as bison does, he has a LOT of self doubt and fears that style will leave. what fadel needed on his last day was the reassurance that style was gonna be there and that he wasn't gonna leave while he was in prison.

whereas bison, i feel like he needed the hope of them having that future outside of that one night. it's why he and kant talked about getting married and traveling and talked about their dreams when they were younger. we also have to remember that bison and kant reconciled a whole episode before fadel and style did, so of course they had more time to have those conversations - which we do get to see between ep8, 9, and 10. they have plenty of conversations about their past, about their future, plenty of moments reassuring and affirming their relationship. fadel and style i think are kind of playing catch up before they have to be separated in that regard, which is why it seems more unbalanced. i'm sure if you asked someone that was more into fadelstyle, they'd probably say that ep8 and 9 felt unbalanced but for fadelstyle in that regard. we have to remember these couples and these characters are not only different from one another, but in different places.

and look, that's not me saying that there aren't things i DO wish we'd gotten to see kant and bison talk about more, and i do certainly have my complaints about the fact that firstkhao had to improvise most of the reconciliation scene. i just also think because kant and bison had a lot more lies and deception between them, it's going to feel more like we're missing things when they DON'T talk about things on screen, and i again think a lot of the things we haven't seen have been an unfortunate fact of them not having enough time for everything. cause like i would have loved to see everything you mentioned here, especially kant getting the chance to have a proper breakdown cause he deserves it. i do think it's possible we'll get some of those things next week, though, as i am for sure holding out for another proper bdsm scene until the final moments

i think in general final judgements do kind of need to wait until the show is over because if we don't have a full picture, how can we really judge? that being said, i do adore this show even with the complaints i have and what i would want to see, and while watching live can be stressful and lead to some disappointment and fandom wars, it is VERY fun to get to watch and analyze and theorize live so i really wouldn't change it for the world sjdskjf

[copperhawks]

I'm sorry, but I just don't buy that Aly being made to leave the Copper Isles a few years into Dove's reign is somehow a good ending for her character. You spend TWO BOOKS, her entire series, watching her come into her own and figure out who she is and what she wants as an adult with her own career and find a family and a home that believe in her and want her because of what she can do, and I'm supposed to somehow be satisfied with an ending where she loses ALL OF IT and gets stuck in a limbo AGAIN, listlessly floating through life because she can't do what she wants to do as a result of someone else's rules and doesn't have the desire or skillset to do something else (and might not be allowed to even if she did), leaving her with zero other options than to spend the rest of her life as nothing more than someone's wife or mother. How empowering.

I don't even buy that it was NECESSARY or realistic given the world we were introduced to. We KNOW how influential Kyprioth is in the Copper Isles, we KNOW how important that prophecy and the people in it are to the raka, and we KNOW how delicate Dove's position is when she takes power. I don't for a MOMENT believe that anyone would really truly consider it the smart sane choice to send away a resource like Aly, someone whose skills are IMMENSELY needed to keep a very new government in power, when it could easily piss off the god who chose her to represent him to his people. Aly is his messenger, he chooses her to see the things he wants her to see, he uses her to move things into place in a way he does nobody else, and I'm supposed to believe that he's stupid enough to think that Dove's government is SO SECURE a measly few years post-revolution that he can just throw away someone like Aly? I'm supposed to believe he'd ALLOW THAT and not step in to ensure it didn't happen even if other people started to come to that conclusion?

I'm supposed to believe that Aly would be considered equivalent to Taybur even though she's never served the Rittevons, is involved in the raka prophecy, and was instrumental to putting Dove on the throne? How is all of this somehow less important than just making sure every single position in the government is only filled by raka? How is it not important for Dove to ensure she has at least a few luarin in there to appease the luarin nobles, especially after the narrative makes such a big deal out of her being both raka and luarin and how it's important not to dismiss one side of her in favor of the other?

I call bullshit. It's a terrible ending just from a normal narrative standpoint because it removes all satisfaction from the ending and the implied future within those novels, but it's also just unbelievable and unrealistic given what we've been told about this world and these people. I love Pierce's works, I do, and I appreciate that sometimes she comes back to stories and feels like she perhaps made a misstep and I see where this may have come from, but I think this is a terrible way to have Aly's story end and I refuse to acknowledge it.

[anothermeforcompany]

Another Blurb : LADS Zayne

Due to the upcoming event where the LADS men collectively in feral state, thus born this blurb. Also I want to have LADS men x male character. They are rare and those fine men are too good to pass up. This blurb take place in Catch-22.

Warning : Dubcon, manipulation, torture, my character is not MC!, 18+, description of violence, mention of rape, hurt and comfort, minor do not interract.

Enjoy ~

Many people doubt how a normal man can control a prison for praedators. But it is easier than you think, because when people get poor, they get creative in order to live well.

Tenzin can't afford kindness when the world is unkind to himself. In this dangerous world where praedators get infected by some kind of virus and goes feral, it's too dangeorus to be normal or kind. The only way he can control those enhanced peoples are using a planted chip on their spinal cord. It take away their autonomy and make them obeying his every words. Many says it is inhuman to take away someone's free will, even criminals, and he only done it to willing participant. That's why the Board abolished this protocol in order to keep up morale within free praedators, but they also employ him, the creator of the chip, to be the director of praedator prison to keep the criminals in line.

.

There's a distinct difference between a praedator and a normal person, you can see it from the way they are dressed. Praedator with their enhanced physique can wear whatever clothes they want, while normal person bundled up against any weather. So Tenzin more often than not seen wearing long leather coat over his warden uniform. Running a prison is no different than running a school, those praedators are like brats who likes to test his patience once they got used to their powers. Sometimes he indulges them out of boredom, but he wasn't in the mood today since one of his warden is infected.

The prisioners knows from his look alone that the Director doesn't come to the Block to play, so they keep their mouths shut as he pass. Tenzin walks towards the higher security prison meant for dangerous praedators that either insane or know too much. Zayne Li belong to the second category since he is one of the prison wardens who contracted the strange virus.

Tenzin put in the code before the security sensor deactivated so he can get in the room. It activated again once he's inside and standing over the chained Zayne. The good doctor slumped on the bolted chair, the jagged marks on his face shows he is infected.

"Director..." Zayne lift his head, apprehension in his eyes as he face his own boss.

Tenzin walking towards him, stopping just out of reach if Zayne lunge at him. "Don't bother to lie" he cut off before the doctor can speak more. "I know you got infected because of her"

Zayne snarled as he sensed the hostility, his instincts screaming for him to tear and maul him. Tenzin coldly watching Zayne fighting with his lowering sanity, serve him right for playing around while working. "Do not... touch... her !" Zayne gritted out

SMACK

Zayne's head turned from the slap of leather covered hand. "You're in no position of demand here" Tenzin step closer and seize his chin in his hand, leaning down to look eyes to eyes. His voice is hard as he speak, his grip surprisingly strong. "And since you are one of my prisioners now, it's about time you know how I can keep my position as director"

The restrainst opened with his thumb-print and Zayne spring out to attack. Tenzin is ready as he used his momentum to turn their position and kicked Zayne against the bars. The security sensor light up and sending volts of electricity that makes the doctor scream. Xavier, Rafayel, and Sylus watching from their own prisons as the director 'welcome' their newest cellmate.

Tenzin is not a praedator, but he is a cunning man who knows how to use what he have. This prison is his territory and no one can top him in this place. The doctor used ice to fight but Tenzin hardly bothered beyond a slight shiver at the change of temperature. Tenzin fights without honor as there's none if he fails.

The doctor caught, head pushing back so he won't trigger the security sensor. Tenzin won't get caught in the current since he's covered in head to toe with non-conductive material, so it's safe to handle electricity for him. "Aaaarrrgghh !" Zayne convulsing as Tenzin pushing him flat against the bars, electricity running through his nerves like hot needles, quick yet plenty. The fight leaving his frame as he slumped on the director, tears running down his face as he trembles in those cruel embrace. "No more... no..."

Tenzin lift the doctors in his arms, grunting slightly since Zayne isn't a small man. This isn't enough to leave a permanent harm on a praedator but it's enough to teach him a lesson that Tenzin isn't to be messed with. Especially in the Frenzy state where praedators lose their common sense and return to basic instinct. Tenzin make sure every prisioner, sane or insane, knows he is the top.

The director walk deeper into the cell where there's a small cot with thin blanket. He laid Zayne on it and throw the blanket over him. "Behave" Tenzin stated, "And I won't treat you badly"

Zayne nodded, as he knows now not to challenge the director. There's a rustle and something sweet pressed to his lips. Zayne parted his lips at the first taste, his tongue swirled around the orb in his mouth, wearing away the milky chocolate coating. Tenzin smiled in amusement as the doctor closed his eyes as he enjoy the sweet treat.

Tenzin rise from the bed and leave his newest prisioner. He'll have to contact his executor, Nalo, to return soon. That girl have thrown a wrench in his peace by infecting his warden. Councilman Caleb can protect her, but it won't be forever.

.

Zayne have been suffering from frenzy episodes where he fights other prisioners and wardens. They take away his privilege to go outside and put him in isolated ward after he bite off the cheek of another prisioner in the communal bath. The straight jacket and muzzle keep other wardens safe while they wait for Nalo. Tenzin's executioner. He's the only officer aside Tenzin who can deal with SSS class prisioner alone since his power is Void that can cancel praedator's power.

"Director, why are you here ?" the warden that monitoring Zayne ask

"Nalo is occupied with a task, I'll take his place" Tenzin replied before he send away other officers. He step into the isolation cell and activate the security sensors before turning off the surveilance. The room is meant for punishment for unruly prisioners. Nalo and Tenzin rarely use this since the sane SSS prisioners knows not to do unnecessary violence while the insane ones won't even get a chance.

Zayne's sanity level have returned to normal, but he still remember the crunch of bones of the praedator that he bite off. It horrify him, how easy he turned into a senseless monster because of this virus. He keep quiet, trying to warp his head around his new beastly state and because he knows it's useless to reason using his virus. The fact remains he tried to kill another praedator and he knows he deserve this punishment.

Click

Tenzin take off his gloves, standing before the doctor chained to the concrete wall by his prison collar. He crouch down to Zayne's level and reach behind his head to take off his muzzle. The doctor flinch back, looking up at him with puzzled eyes tinged with ridicule. Why would Tenzin wants to take off his muzzle ?

Tenzin poked his forehead, "There's no benefit in being a saint in this hellhole, doctor" he said and insistently take off the muzzle despite Zayne shaking his head. The muzzle is a torture device inspired by Scold's bridle, keeping the prisioner's mouth shut with the threat of pain from the sharp metal shoved in their mouth. However Tenzin knows Zayne well enough to know he is safe from the doctor. Tenzin hold his chin securely as he remove the muzzle. "I'm not blind, doctor"

Zayne curled his body as those words means Tenzin knows. He sees that Zayne was about to be raped in the bathroom by multiple men. Ice creeping under his soles, up the concrete walls as Zayne losing his composure. Tenzin's breath come out as visible smoke as he take off his coat and drape it over Zayne. He close it over the straight jacket and activate the heating mode.

"Cry out, no one is going to hear you"

It's funny how those words would usually makes other quakes powerlessly but Zayne take comfort in it as he cut off sobs bubbling in his throat. Tenzin rubbing his thumb over his lips to release it from his bite and let the doctor cry. The director take liberty to sit by Zayne and draw him to a side hug. He won't push the doctor's boundary more than this.

.

Zayne knows it's late but he can see it now. The director isn't without compassion even though he's a manipulative bastard. He keep prisioners in order and indulge them like an uncle with too much kids. He can be kind, he just chose not to in order to preserve himself. It's selfish but aren't all man like that ? You can't help anyone if you can't help yourself.

Zayne have been feeling weird lately. He would blush whenever he caught sight of the director, usually in passing since Tenzin likes to patrol the entire area in the middle of the day. In his cell, he would dreams of warm coat reek with bergamot and full clothed body instead of dainty hands and doe eyes. Maybe it's the virus, maybe it's himself, but Zayne is going insane with longing for the director he contemplate causing a ruckus just to see him.

One day, Nalo drag back another dangerous prisioner, the elusive councilman, Caleb. Tenzin welcome him like he did to all prisioner with Nalo watching from outside. After that, he throw the councilman to his cot and walking out together with Nalo.

"You're away for too long, I thought you died in a ditch somewhere"

Tenzin pause a moment to stare at Nalo when Sylus calling out for the executioner with sultry smile.

"Not a word" Nalo said as he stride towards Sylus who smiles like a cat with canary. "Strip" he ordered without missing a beat as he open Sylus's cage.

"What happens to 'wine and dine' ?" Sylus said teasingly as the executioner who activated the security sensor behind him. Those men are too cautionous, not even sex can make them let down their guard.

Nalo take out an insulated lunch box from his hip back and held it out to Sylus. "Dinner, then strip" he said bluntly.

Tenzin huffed, shaking his head and left the SSS class cell area. Sylus and Nalo's relationship are none of his business as long as it doesn't affect his peace. He missed the longing look directed at him from the doctor's cell.

What will he do ?

[bonefall]

Oooh, can you talk about the meta reason you rewrote the blizzard holly relationship and blackstar's backstory?

HOKAY

But I'm gonna preface this one; I hate Blackfoot's Reckoning. I think it's one of the most "solid" written books in the series and I still fucking hate it. I talk about authoritarianism on this blog a lot, and I think BFR was the one time that the series actually tried to textually address what they'd put on the page.

So TW for fascism, including discussion of an incredibly unfortunate quote from the book that is either an accidental or purposeful invocation of the Nuremberg Defense.

Blackfoot's Reckoning is a book that's supposed to delve into Blackfoot's backstory, what made him the cat he was during TPB. Throughout the book they're questioning, "what made him act the way he did?" And trying to drive home that Blackfoot needs to learn from his mistakes so that he doesn't repeat them

But, at the same time, they cling to their slimy Good and Evil dichotomy. So the book decides that Blackstar wasn't an Evil cat, no, he was just a Good Mislead Boy Who Loved His Clan. He's constantly lied to, mislead, people are murdered and he's duped into believing whoever gets framed, suppressing critical thought about his actions. They're trying to both write a "reckoning," but also make his motivations more sympathetic.

So in between questions of, "Is Blackstar really a Bad Boy?" and happy rewards for Blackstar when he goes through a memory, they've decided to shove in replays of Blackstar's most gruesome moments but this time he frowns :( and feels Guilty when he does them. In the eyes of the writers, if you feel sad doing hate crimes, that means there's a goodness inside of you actually.

And just like Clear Sky, all Blackstar "needed" was divine intervention. You can simply retcon in a "reckoning," even if it was never in the main series for the 10+ years the character was alive and active.

But it's not enough that Blackstar himself was getting a stupid retcondemption. No, see, they have to remind you that he was following evil people. The dichotomy inherently crunches away the nuance-- Good and Evil are inherent qualities. Tigerstar and Brokenstar are Evil People. Blackstar asks, "If I was following Evil People, what does that make me?"

The narrative concludes, "A Good Person, but mislead."

And because they can't have nuance with their Good and Evil dichotomy (or couldn't at the time), they failed to address the authoritarianism spectacularly. Think I'm reaching?

They literally wrote the Nuremberg Defense into their book. I'm not doing hyperbole, Blackstar word-for-word thinks the Nuremberg Defense, "I Was Just Following Orders," but then they bury it in a barrage of scenes showing he's Actually A Nice Guy who is Sad to do Bad Things. Either they attempted and failed to do something more meaningful with this book, OR they are so fucking stupid they accidentally included the famous Nazi officer legal defense for a character who DOES A HATE CRIME for a racist dictator.

What was IN TPB was a Blackstar who supported a massacre and expulsion against another group, was complicit in the use of child soldiers, and rehearsed a public execution for a mixed-race character. Like it or not, this is a really heavy subject... and what they decided to do was downplay every one of his actions, because he was good deep down.

And I just find that disgusting. This was ABSOLUTELY the wrong conclusion. They can't show Blackstar ACTUALLY being bigoted. They can't delve into REAL hate, or the idea that maybe he LIKED the power he had over people. Those are Evil People Things. He has to "know," deep down, that what he's doing is wrong.

He cannot have a real change, in spite of the title of the shitty book being Blackfoot's "RECKONING," because he is not bad to begin with.

So, Hollyflower and Blizzardwing.

To recap for everyone who didn't read BFR; Hollyflower is raising her three kits alone because Blizzardwing cheated on Featherstorm with her. Black only learns that he is an accident because he stayed up late one night and overheard an argument. By day, he gets bullied by Clawpaw specifically that he might be mixed-Clan and has to seethe over the truth he knows.

it's dumb. I'm sorry. This is dumb and boring, which is even worse

The war criminal was bullied as a child and that's why he did bad things :( He was good all along he was just sad :( shut up shut up shut up

The "bad environment" he was raised into was... having a single mom and being suspected of maybe being half-clan, but then learning that he isn't half-clan, and being indignant that he can't just share the information he knows about because it would make things complicated or something idk

None of this particularly contributes to his mindset as an adult because he does not HAVE a unique mindset as an adult.

He was just nebulously Sad and followed whatever strongman leader came along, constantly being tricked and bamboozled by outright lies.

"Omg WindClan killed Raggedstar >:0 ??? Oughhhhh that butters my biscuits... was it wrong that Brokenstar sent my baby nephew to battle? No, nevermind that thought that makes me uncomfortable :("

He never has any particular bigotries that were exploited, he was just tricked and mislead the entire time, while also being sad, because God Forbid Blackstar ever have been an 'evil cat'

He gets THANKED by his dead parents for keeping the secret??????????????????? girl ok.....

as usual the bully itself never really gets addressed

It was cheap and easy to just make Blackfoot's backstory the same shitty 'bullying' they write for most villains. This bullying is how he ends up bonding with Brokenkit, a villainous 5-year-old who says, "other cats don't matter" because he's eeeeeevil.

They're supposed to have a commonality connection, Blackstar who is Good Deep Down and Brokenstar who is Evil Deep Down, and that is supposed to serve as the reason why Blackstar willingly blinds himself to the incredibly obviously evil things that his superiors do.

His flaw isn't that he had bad intentions, it's that he didn't think.

FUCK that. FUCK this book. FUCK the Erins for trying to say that there are fundamentally good and bad people. That with the death of Tigerstar, of Brokenstar, of whoever, the society gets to return to 'peace' because now there's no Evil Tyrant to lead everyone astray.

The Erin's depictions of hard childhoods are sauceless. Dry, unbuttered, burnt bread. You want to see a BAD home environment? I'll SHOW you a bad home environment, not just a single teenager being rude. You wanna see the sorts of conditions that prime young people to joining radical causes for a sense of belonging? I'll GIVE you those conditions. Let's TALK about what bounces around in the head of people who aid and abet tyrants.

It's not this dumb ass sadboy shit I'll tell you that much

[jzargo]

Never has "you praise a male character for the same traits you hate a female character for" been more true than with how fans react to Astarion vs Minthara

[birdmenmanga]

huh... okay... economically magi actually has a pretty coherent story... I was just unable to comprehend it when I was in middle school...

[unproduciblesmackdown]

post pitching everyone lives au / coconana treated seriously already getting too long lol like hmm then. imagine the So Niche You're The Only Fic possibilities

[travalerray]

it's the WORST when you can't interact with a particular fandom at ALL because they are simply incapable of talking about the plot but WILL talk about your NOTP for hours on end so you just mope about it in silence

[inkskinned]

no, actually, where is the whimsy?

my ex had a best friend named larry who asked me once: what do you think comes after irony?

we were at the bar where larry worked. it was a quiet night, and he'd hopped over to sit with us on the patron side. i swirled the lemon around my limoncello martini.

earnest positivity, i said, while my ex said, art self-destructs.

i stared at my ex. he stared at me.

his argument was the cinemasins argument: look how bad media is becoming! look at the loopholes and the dumb shit!

it was roughly 2011. galaxy print was still in. at the time, i had a favorite shirt that was a wolf howling at the moon. it got ripped in half in the wash and i honestly still mourn it. i dressed like effie stonem, because everyone did. and irony was the name of the thing. men liked MLP "ironically." the internet liked the kind of crass, "anti-mainstream" vibes of things like fuck romance, touch my butt and buy me pizza. we put cats in sunglasses everywhere, which was because we only liked things in irony.

and media had the same vibe in it: anti-hero white men would be "hard to love" and then storm off the scene. nobody was just earnestly trying to save the world: they were jaded, angry, unoriginal. mad you even asked them to try to help.

my ex ends up not being wrong. cinemasins becomes super popular. a lot of people start viewing media with this lens that is the cruelest, most jaded depiction. it's wrong for your character to have unexplained powers, even if the entire movie is about how strange it is she has unexplained powers - that is still considered a "loophole." characters make thoughtless, panicked choices? loophole. characters are actually kind people, despite hardship? loophole. features a woman doing literally anything without assistance? loophole. movies become hyper-aware of scrutiny, and now irony rules the media.

which means you go to a movie, and the character has to turn to the screen and say "beats me!!" or one of the side characters has to have some kind of quip like "are you seriously telling me that you think this is normal?" because nothing can happen in earnest. like a sitcom laugh track, we now anticipate the fourth-wall break: the moment that the media acknowledges it is telling a story. the media has to apologize for itself, or else someone like my ex rolls their eyes.

but here's the thing: i wasn't wrong either.

the difference might be that i am (and always have been) so soft-hearted that any crack in the light of this world will spear me into the ground. and i was the poet in the relationship. (he thought that was the same thing as being naïve and stupid). i was making things daily. i knew how all of us artists are driven by some strange desire to evolve. he notably liked to critique art, not to create it.

so yes, i've made things that are bitter and angry and even ironic. i've made long, sharp poems with all capital letters, and i've made poems about how the silence stretches out like a song. someone wrote once that we will spend our whole lives just circling the place we grew up. i think it's more that we spend our whole lives trying to remake a home. i think it's that as we age, it becomes less exciting to build the castle on the beach - we become aware of erosion, of windforce. we realize what we really want is to come home to our dog, castle or not.

and while art in the foreground is mired in white male violence and irony, and aggression, and not taking anything seriously - i don't think that's true of all art. i think more and more artists are leaning in to the things we love. the world has changed so much. they have taken so many things from us. the only thing we have left is love. at the bottom of the moving box - all we get is the faint sense that we have to appreciate what little we've got. i can't enjoy this stuff ironically anymore: what room do i have for irony? if it makes me happy, that is an amazing thing. there are so few happy places left for me. i want to be happy because of how leaves shiver beside each other like nestling birds. i want to be happy because of the color pink, and how magenta doesn't exist. i have spent so much of this life suffering, i have earned my right to a gentle ending. if nothing matters, i get to assign meaning to the nothing. i get to create meaning. i am an artist first and foremost, which means creation is my thing.

where is the whimsy? wherever i fucking put it. because if this is my last fucking chance to do any good in this world - i want to do it earnestly. i want to write things that make you happy. that make people feel heard and seen. what comes after irony has to be positivity.

it was close to my 21st birthday. in 7 years, i would end up writing a book about this relationship, which is hopefully coming out somewhere around May 2024. i come back to this bar scene in my memories a lot. i keep thinking of how pale my ex was. the look that crossed his face. how i looked back at him. how for a moment, both of us couldn't recognize the other person. like the gulf between us was a suddenly wide and cavernous thing. like we were alien to each other. he never took my opinion seriously, and he always seemed surprised whenever his manic-pixie-dream-girl ever broke free of the plot. like in the whole time we were together, i wasn't human enough.

this knowledge: where he said nothing comes after, my only instinct was what comes after is love.

[krakensdottir]

The idea of Crowley previously being a very powerful angel and still carrying around shards of that power is just so delicious to me. I'm a sucker for characters who aren't at all what they used to be. Underdogs who were obviously once a Big Deal, and you can't see it most of the time, until some improbable bit of classified knowledge or mention of higher connections leaks out. Especially if they really don't like to talk about it or dwell on who they were, if for one reason or another, they want to leave it all in the past.

I have had a feeling about Crowley since season 1. His position on Hell's hierarchy is relatively low, so it's not immediately apparent at first. But things stood out. How he bends reality to his will without seeming to even think about it, sometimes even without realizing. He decides it would be funnier if the paint guns were real guns, but also makes sure no one actually gets shot. This seems to take no effort or concentration on his part; it's done almost offhandedly. Or how he drives the Bentley through a wall of fire, keeping it from falling apart by sheer determination, while the much higher-ranking demon in the seat next to him is discorporated in seconds. Almost as impressive is how he negotiates London traffic, which from what I've heard is a borderline miraculous feat normally, let alone at 90 miles per hour.

And of course, the time stopping. Something even Aziraphale apparently isn't capable of. Something that, with a particularly fierce effort, literally stops Satan in his tracks. The sort of power wielded by a cosmic engineer who once needed it to do his job - 'I helped build that one,' he says, eyes a little distant as stares at a picture of a nebula - and he still carries it with him, skulking around on Earth, far from the cosmos he helped to create. Having let go of most of the rest, even the memories of it, burying them with the person he used to be. He's changed who he is but he can't change what he is, and if you cracked open that lowly serpent, you'd be blinded by the starlight within.

[noahsresources]

DETAILS ABOUT OCS !

send an emoji/description of emoji to learn more about a writer's oc! many of these are taken from my munday asks meme, because i thought it would be fun to make a version for characters too! the prompts are categorized by emoji type and given descriptions in case anyone can't see the symbols. can be used for roleplayers and any general writers alike! for roleplayers, these can also be used for your interpretations of canon characters if you so desire as well!

𝐎𝐁𝐉𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐒. 💭 THOUGHT BALLOON — what is your oc's MBTI, enneagram, and/or other personality aspects (if known/interested in)? 🚗 CAR — does your oc have a driver's license? can they drive/operate any automobiles/machinery besides cars? ✈️ AIRPLANE — does your oc like traveling, or do they consider themselves a more homey person? 🎮 VIDEO GAME CONTROLLER — what are three of your oc's favorite hobbies? 💍 RING — does your oc have any piercings? do they want any (more) piercings? 🖊️ BALLPOINT PEN — does your oc have any tattoos? do they want any (more) tattoos? 📚 BOOKS — what level of education has your oc most recently completed/is currently in (GED, undergraduate, grad school, phd, etc)? 🎻 VIOLIN — does your oc play any instruments? what is their skill level (beginner/intermediate/advanced/virtuoso/etc)? 🩹 ADHESIVE BANDAGE — does your oc have any physical and/or mental disabilities? 🩸 DROP OF BLOOD — what is your oc's blood type?

𝐒𝐘𝐌𝐁𝐎𝐋𝐒. 🎶 MUSICAL NOTES — what type of music does your oc like? do they listen to music very often? 💯 HUNDRED POINTS SYMBOL — share three random facts about your oc that others may not know. 💤 SLEEPING SIGN — is your oc a light sleeper or a heavy sleeper? how are their sleeping habits? 🔱 TRIDENT EMBLEM — can your oc swim? do they enjoy swimming? 🔺 RED TRIANGLE POINTED UP — does your oc know how to use any weapons? 🔶 LARGE ORANGE DIAMOND — does your oc know cpr? do they have any other medical expertise? 🚫 PROHIBITED — does your oc drink/smoke? do they do it regularly, or is it more on occasion or for special events?

𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄. 🌈 RAINBOW — what is your oc's sexual orientation/gender identity? what pronouns do they use? 🎄 CHRISTMAS TREE — what is your oc's favorite holiday? 🐶 DOG FACE — does your oc have any pets? 🐈 CAT — does your oc prefer a wide circle of friends or a few close friends? 🐷 PIG FACE — what is your oc's favorite animal? 🐉 DRAGON — what is your oc's favorite mythical creature? 🍃 LEAVES FLUTTERING IN WIND — what is/was your oc's favorite subject in school? 🌴 PALM TREE — does your oc have a green thumb? do they enjoy gardening? 🍎 RED APPLE — where was your oc born? do they still live in/around their place of birth or do they live somewhere else? how do they feel about their birthplace?

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒. ❤️ RED HEART — what are three of your oc's positive traits? 🤍 WHITE HEART — what are three of your oc's neutral/questionable traits? 💔 BROKEN HEART — what are three of your oc's negative traits? 💘 HEART WITH ARROW — what and/or who do(es) your oc consider the most important to them? 🧡 ORANGE HEART — does your oc tend to prioritize family or friends? 💛 YELLOW HEART — how many languages does your oc speak? what language(s) are they learning, if any? 💚 GREEN HEART — does your oc prefer being inside or outside? 💙 BLUE HEART — does your oc have any cool/special powers and/or abilities? how are they with magic, if it exists in their world? 💜 PURPLE HEART — what is your oc's ancestry/genetic background? 🖤 BLACK HEART — has your oc killed or seriously wounded anyone before? have they broken someone's heart and/or broken someone's trust?

𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐒. 🎂 BIRTHDAY CAKE — when is your oc's birthday? how old are they? what are their sun, moon, & rising signs (if known)? what about their tarot card, ruling planet, & ruling number (if known)? do they fit the typical traits of these sun, moon, & rising signs? 🍝 SPAGHETTI — what is/are your oc's favorite food(s)? 🍰 SHORTCAKE — what is/are your oc's favorite sweet(s)/dessert(s)? 🍦 SOFT ICE CREAM — what is/are your oc's favorite ice cream flavor(s)? 🍔 HAMBURGER — is your oc good at cooking? are they good at baking? which one do they prefer? 🥯 BAGEL — what does your oc's typical breakfast look like? do they usually eat breakfast? 🥪 SANDWICH — what does your oc's typical lunch look like? do they usually eat lunch? 🍛 CURRY AND RICE — what does your oc's typical dinner look like? do they usually eat dinner? 🍸 COCKTAIL GLASS — what is your oc's favorite alcoholic drink, if they can drink? ☕️ HOT BEVERAGE — does your oc prefer coffee, tea, hot chocolate, milk, water, or some other drink? how do they like to take this drink (ex. coffee with milk, hot chocolate with whipped cream, a specific kind of tea, etc)?

𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄. 😊 SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES — what are your oc's career/general life desires? what do they want to get the most out of life? 😖 CONFOUNDED FACE — is your oc an introvert, an extrovert, or an ambivert? do they let people in easily, or are they more reserved? 🤔 THINKING FACE — what are some of your oc's quirks/mannerisms? 🧐 FACE WITH MONOCLE — is your oc more logical or emotional? 🤓 SMILING FACE WITH GLASSES — is your oc chatty or quiet? are they at ease in social situations, or are they more shy? 🤩 FACE WITH STARRY EYES — is your oc a planner, or are they more spontaneous in their actions? 😥 SAD BUT RELIEVED FACE — is your oc prone to getting stressed out, or is it easy for them to keep their cool? 😓 DOWNCAST FACE WITH SWEAT — is your oc open-minded or stubborn? are they inquisitive or do they prefer to keep to their bubble of knowledge? 😞 DISAPPOINTED FACE — does your oc attract others, or do they tend to be left alone? 🤒 FACE WITH THERMOMETER — does your oc get sick easily? 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 FAMILY WITH MOTHER, FATHER, SON AND DAUGHTER — how many people are in your oc's immediate family? how many people are in your oc's extended family? do they have aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc? who in their family are they closest with? are they close with their birth family, or do they have a found family?

[demilypyro]

Ok so as someone who knows very little about sonic characters that aren't the main cast. Can you explain to me who Surge is? (I am asking you to infodump. I understand I could just check the wiki but then you wouldn't get to talk about a character you like)

Alright you asked for it. Long post attack.

So Eggman had this protege named Doctor Starline, who had a falling out with his mentor and hatched a plan to kill Sonic and replace him with a new hero, one who would take Sonic's place in the eyes of the people but be under his control.

So he kidnapped a random girl off the street (no name or history known at this point), filled her with a bunch of cybernetics to give her superpowers, and slowly brainwashed and trained her into becoming essentially Sonic's equivalent of Wario.

This was Surge the Tenrec.

As Sonic's so-called "imposter," Surge is like an exaggerated version of Sonic. She has his heroic heart, but also his temper, his pride, his irresponsibility, his rudeness, all turned up to 11. She's got the standard super speed, as well as electrokinesis - lightning powers. She's accompanied by Kitsunami, or just Kit, a blue fennec with water powers and a similar background, but who was based on Tails instead.

As part of their brainwashing, Surge was conditioned to hate Sonic. As Surge's backup, Kit was conditioned to want to support Surge in any way he can.

Surge and Kit eventually found out what had happened to them, how Starline had kidnapped and brainwashed them, and were planning to betray him. Before they could, however, Starline was killed, after being thoroughly trounced by Eggman, leaving Surge and Kit free to do whatever they want.

When Surge finally encountered Sonic, she blamed him for what had happened to her. She holds him responsible for always letting Eggman survive to come back another day, leading to ever-escalating conflict. While before she had no real reason to hate him beyond her brainwashing, all that baseless animosity now had a foundation, and she's wanted to take him down since. Surge and Kit have had several fights with Sonic and Tails already, and while they were defeated each time, it's clear they pose a real threat.

Left with only each other, and having no real goals beyond taking down Sonic and Tails, and no hints to their past, Surge and Kit became a neutral force of chaos, not affiliated with either Sonic or Eggman. While Surge has the desire to be a hero, she can't let go of her grudge toward Sonic, and Kit's obsession with helping Surge regularly shows itself to be unhealthy, which may lead to a falling out between them in the future.

Since their first appearance in the Impostor Syndrome mini-series, they've made regular appearances in the main comic starting with issue #50. They've been making waves, establishing new rivalries and inciting new conflicts. Sonic wants to believe there's good in Surge, but she's a tough nut for him to crack.

Surge is one of the series' best original characters. Surge is cool, has an interesting origin, and she contrasts Sonic in a way that gives ample opportunities for new stories. She's got a good heart, but she's carrying around a ton of trauma and animosity she doesn't know what to do with. She's scrappy, resourceful, and more introspective than you might expect. And by often being positioned as the underdog, she's very easy to root for.

I was always a bit uninterested in the Sonic series at large, but Surge really got me on board. She really made me a fan.

She's my favorite Sonic character.

If you're interested, look into the Imposter Syndrome mini-series, which leads right into Sonic IDW issue #50, or you can just read Sonic IDW from the start.

Okay bye

[mythicalthings]

Yeah, the tags under this cut have it right.

TA is still sexist for making Adrien the "feminine" one and Marinette the "masculine" one and having nothing else changed.

Adrien is still a stereotypical damsel in distress type, literally in narrative seen as a princess in a tower, and they treat him like shit for it. It's still sexist. You still see femininity as weak and in need of saving.

You know, I am 100% sure that if Marinette and Adrien were gender swapped the season 5 finale would be almost unanimously hated like it should be.