#command authority

[bet-on-me-13]

City Spirits awaken.

So! City Spirts are basically God's sustained by the people in their Cities. Some are Gods born from the belief and people of a City, others are God's who Bind themselves to Cities to sustain themselves in periods of low worship.

Almost all Major Population Centers have some kind of City Spirit bound to them.

The Personification of Los Angeles who slept with Constantine was born from her City, but she was young and weak compared to other City Spirits.

Lady Gotham is an Ancient Spirit who holds immense Power, but purposefully bound herself to the new and growing city of Gotham so she could sleep for a few millenia without worrying about sustaining Worship. She has been asleep for Centuries.

Actually, most City Spirits are Asleep.

Millenia Ago, the most powerful Gods and Spirits of the Infinite Realms fled the Rule of Pariah Dark. They didn't agree with his ambitions to conquer the Living Realm, and didn't want to let him use their Power against the Living Realm either.

So they Bound themselves to newly forming Cities and put themselves into Deep Sleep to avoid his Control. They have been asleep for Millenia now, waiting for the day Pariah would be overthrown so they could return to the Infinite Realms safely.

Then they day came. A New King was Crowned.

And the Cities began to wake up.

[hiddenincommand]

“Command is not worn; it is embodied. Every button, every stitch, every fold of leather is a testament to the power that radiates from within. To wear such a uniform is to assert dominance, authority, and control—effortlessly. The leather binds not just the body but the will of those who kneel before me.”

[quatredraws]

Commander Rex and Captain Cody x @trudemaethien!

My art/gift [A03] part of the Codex Flash Exchange - please have a look at all the other awesome works! <3

I love Role Swap!AUs, (amongst all the AUs lol), so it was FUN to try my hand at all that armour paint, fondness, and hand holding (!!!)

Big shoutout to @omaano and @elthadriel for the advice, great company, and massive support!!!

[bonefall]

Big question cause I’m so mad about how they were used: any ideas on changing Berryheart and Curlfeather from this book?

I have ONE controversial opinion and you must allow me this;

Curlfeather not apologizing to Frostdawn kinda rocks as an idea.

Obviously it reads as insulting because of how they gave Berryheart a Tom the Wifebeater ass Redemption Death in this book, and the general way that they've not approached her with the nuance she deserves is frustrating. I agree.

But hold my hand and walk with me. Imagine Curlfeather, mauled and bloody before the daughter she died saving. Frostpaw's gone through so much fixing the damage she caused, furious at the state her mother's in, the mess she made of RiverClan, all the suffering everyone's gone through... and Curlfeather says,

"I don't regret anything."

"Really? REALLY? I go through all of that, I come ALL this way, and you won't even give me a rotten little sorry?"

She doesn't give her mother a chance to respond, lashing her tail towards the grimmace that hangs off the side of her shredded cheek, "You're not sorry for how you lead to yourself looking like THAT?"

Frostpaw shoves her scarred throat foward, "You're not sorry for THIS?"

She claws dig into the sodden black earth of the Dark Forest, "You're not sorry you're HERE?"

Curlfeather is quiet, her remaining eye stoic like a stone. Frostpaw begs furiously, "NOTHING?"

"I will vow on our blood that I will not lie to you anymore," the demon's tone is soft and honest, "and I hope that means more than the insincere apology I could offer you otherwise."

Just when it feels like Frostpaw has so much anger that her body can't handle it, pain stuffs itself inside her in equal measure. Her stomach is sick with love, throat choked with affection. It takes her a minute to form the word,

"Why?"

"When my father, Reedwhisker, was taken by the Kin, I saw how they broke him. His uncle, Stonefur, did not buckle under Tigerstar. My grandmother Mistyfoot quietly rescued the Clan from his accomplice, Leopardstar, while Mistystar willingly worked alongside a vicious impostor."

Now that Frostpaw is the one who's waiting quietly, Curlfeather's voice flutters hopefully, "I was willing to do anything to restore my Clan to greatness," the specter pads foward, touching her nose to her daughter's trembling forehead, "except sacrifice you."

She didn't expect to feel the harsh sting of her daughter's paw smacking her across the nose. She reels back.

"You don't get it! It's not about YOU! It's about everyone you hurt! Dont try to pretend it was all worth it, you didn't make anything great, you just broke it!"

"I had to break it so it could be set back stronger. I gave you the chance for the power, and now you are making it better than it was."

"That was in spite of you! You told me to trust no cat and I had to unlearn that!"

"I saved you when I could have escaped with my life."

"From a situation you caused in the first place!"

"It was a warrior's death!"

There is a silence that settles over them. Curlfeather is snarling in offense. Frostpaw looks, again, at her mother's fatal wounds, the defensive stance. She's reminded of how the cats of other cultures don't always see scars as rewards for a fight survived-- just reminders of pain you've gone through.

"...it was a warrior's death," she agrees, gently, watching tattered hackles smoothen out, "...and now you're dead, while I'm still alive."

The emotion in Curlfeather's face is solemn, but otherwise incomprehensible to her daughter. The expression on Frostpaw's is equally unreadable to her mother. This is the only thing they will ever understand about each other-- that there is an irreconcilable difference between them, steeper than the divide between sky and earth.

The last words the demon speaks to her daughter are, "I love you."

It's only years later that Frostdawn can say, "I love you too."

[pratchettquotes]

Colon didn't reply. I wish Captain Vimes were here, he thought. He wouldn't have known what to do either, but he's got a much better vocabulary to be baffled in.

Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!

[thevelaryons]

Rhaenyra and Addam by Nozomi Matsuoka // A Feast for Crows, George R. R. Martin

[a-wisebear]

it's so funny (incredibly charming) how every author writing codywan has them holding up a sign of "i just got diagnosed with yearning and it's terminal" like i love that fr

[captorations]

okay i'm actually going to talk about the phrase "her necromancer" again in the context of TLT being a master class in proper and powerful epithet usage. because while the first time gideon's narration used it for harrow was after picking her unconscious body up and inspecting her after finding her passed out, and the second time after successfully removing her from the situation and having heard her recover enough to wake up and be bitchy for a moment, it was actually used for what i believe is the first time overall shortly before. still by gideon's narration, but for palamedes, referring to him as camilla's.

gideon has just met these people. camilla actually tried to kill her on sight, briefly presuming her a threat. but in that time, gideon has recognized that they *belong* to each other. palamedes is camilla's necromancer, camilla is palamedes's cavalier. with all the possessiveness and codependence and affection that entails.

so a part of her, the part that's been raised on the revered ideal of the necro-cav pair, recognizes them as embodying it. in a way that's actually far more intense than the standard, and in a way that serves only to highlight just how badly gideon and harrow are fucking it up.

but even as she sees their differences, she also sees their similarities. as camilla attacks her, gideon directly acknowledges: "here was a warrior, not just a cavalier." of course gideon would know and appreciate the difference; she was trained by a warrior to be a warrior. the cavalier thing is new, and a facade, and the latter is also true for camilla. both in terms of combat style and in terms of the expected subservience, as gideon is certainly not subservient to harrow in the traditional sense, and camilla and palamedes, as much as they embody the necro-cav ideal, also defy it in that they are *equal* partners. hell, in NtN, camilla teases palamedes for implying that she's mindlessly following his agenda and ignoring her own. "you thought it was your agenda? huh."

then, to drive the nail home, palamedes directly scolds gideon- and harrow- after they retrieve harrow safely. he tells them: "stop splitting your forces."

because pal has seen the similiarities too. not only is he also the young leader of an entire house burdened with an impossible task (saving dulcinea, vs. saving the whole ninth), he has the same issue harrow does, working himself to exhaustion unless someone stops him. so he's telling gideon: you have to be there for her, because she's like me, and if camilla wasn't there to step in, i'd work myself to death too.

it's worth noting that harrow recognizes the parallels between the two pairs as well. it's why she's so wary of pal, even as pal is all but making them friendship bracelets. i've said it before: harrow thinks of herself as a threat, and thus, anyone similar to her must be a threat also.

all this to say that gideon first calling harrow "her necromancer" in the immediate wake of being given an implict lesson by the sixth, doing so for the second time after an explicit lesson by the same, and going on to do so throughout the story, is an exactingly calculated move and devastatingly effective for it. this is what epithets can do in the right hands. and it fucks

[the-pixel-lover-extravagant]

Just imagine Captain Fordo, after the battle of Coriscant is assigned to the guard as stated in 2003 canon and the chancellor even bragged to him what an honor it is to have this position only; to figure out the guard and it’s commanders are basically mall cops with authority, encountering his first genuine tweaker. At first he’s taken aback by the belligerent nonsense, then he gets swung at so he tazed the fucker. This just irritates them because their on space bath salts and that only tickled them so he and Grizzor are running for their lives from this phyco smashing windows with their head and the only way they got away was by jumping on a dumpster droid until Fox showed up and coaxed them into the back of an laat by answering their riddle. Mentally Fordo is filling out transfer papers back to the front lines.

[the-random-hamlet]

Not Mine. Thought to Share.

[hiddenincommand]

The Apex of Authority: The Unrelenting Power of Fall-Fronted Leather Breeches

In the unassailable hierarchy of dominance, power is not merely an attribute—it is an absolute state of being, a force that consumes and commands. Fall-fronted leather breeches are not garments; they are emblems of an Alpha’s supremacy, molded exclusively for the one who leads with an iron will. Only a true Alpha, unyielding and devoid of weakness, is worthy to wear them. For these breeches do not accept mediocrity; they repel it, scorning any lesser being who dares to even dream of such privilege. To suggest that a coward, a faggot, or a lesser creature might adorn these symbols of absolute power is not just laughable—it is a crime that warrants immediate and merciless correction.

The Infallible Fall Front: A Weapon of Readiness

The most defining feature of these breeches, the fall front, is a testament to the Alpha’s unparalleled control. It is a barrier that both conceals and grants access, an instrument that exists solely for the master’s command. The Alpha, who always goes commando, requires no hindrance when the moment arises to exert his will over those who submit to him. The fall front opens with ease, a seamless, calculated act that signifies readiness—an Alpha is never caught off guard, never waiting, always poised to claim what is his, whenever and wherever he chooses. To witness this act is to understand one’s position: under his power, bound by his dominance.

The breeches are not designed for comfort or frivolous indulgence; they are built for supremacy, engineered to remind both the Alpha and his submissives that the power to take and command is ever-present. When the fall front yields, it does so to reveal authority in its rawest form. It signals that the Alpha is prepared to demonstrate his dominance with brutal efficiency, a display that leaves no room for defiance or doubt.

Leather: The Second Skin of Supremacy

The leather is chosen with purpose—thick enough to command respect, supple enough to move with the precision of its master. It encases the Alpha’s body like a second skin, polished to a gleaming surface that reflects the eyes of those daring enough to gaze upon it. Each step taken, each shift of the leather, serves as an audible warning: the one who commands these breeches is a being whose authority is absolute, whose dominance cannot be challenged.

The cut is unforgiving, accentuating the strength of the Alpha’s form with meticulous detail. The flared hips and tailored seams are not mere aesthetic choices; they are statements, declarations that scream power and masculinity. The breeches adhere to the Alpha’s thighs and flanks, reinforcing every sinew of strength, every movement a reminder that the man within them is poised to take what he desires without delay or compromise.

The Symbolism of Command and Consequence

Statistically, only an infinitesimal fraction of men would dare even to touch fall-fronted leather breeches, and among them, the number who could wear them as they were intended—as the weapon of an Alpha—falls to near null. These breeches do not tolerate pretenders. They are a tool of subjugation, a declaration that the man wearing them holds the power to break and dominate without hesitation. They are built to reject weakness and to punish the insolence of any lesser creature who might dream themselves worthy.

The fall front is not merely an accessory; it is a strategic element of control. It opens only by the Alpha’s hand, a gesture of dominance that renders the submissive powerless. This act is not just symbolic; it is an assertion of superiority—an Alpha can take what he commands, whether in private chambers or in an open display of supremacy. The world conforms to his will, not the other way around.

A Relentless Display of Readiness

These breeches, molded to the Alpha’s form, serve a singular purpose: to broadcast unchallenged readiness and superiority. When the fall front opens, it reveals more than flesh; it reveals an indomitable spirit, a readiness to act and claim in a manner that is unmistakable and absolute. The Alpha does not hesitate; he dominates. The breeches enable this seamless execution of power, ensuring that when he decides to take his subs, there is nothing in his path—no barrier, no delay. The sub understands their place beneath him, knowing that the command can be delivered with unflinching immediacy.

Personal Command from Sir Cedric:

These breeches are not mere clothing; they are a forged testament of my command, an emblem that signifies who dominates and who is subjugated. The fall front is mine to open, revealing my authority whenever I choose, asserting a power that knows no restraint. Let no lesser man, no coward or unworthy creature, dare to approach this garment as anything but an object of their own submission and inferiority. The Alpha wears these breeches as a warning and a promise: he is always ready, always capable, and those in his presence are there to serve or be forgotten. To question this, to entertain even a whisper of imitation, is to invite an unyielding reminder of one’s place—at the mercy of the true master.

[ranticore]

Tearing my hair out considering how to name my dragons but I wonder if I could do a less extreme iteration of the kattakati concept where the dragon & rider both go by the same name and are considered "one" for the sake of organisation (though in reality they are considered different individuals). They take on the new name when they partner up and it's basically just a callsign. Hmmm

[padfootastic]

i just want to put it out there that sirius black is scary as fuck from a purely physical point of view.

he’s tall as shit, has been since fifth year when he got his growth spurt, and he has tendency to loom over most people.

there’s also the matter of his poker face—it’s impeccable, untouchable. can make anyone feel like him stuck to the bottom of his shoe. he learnt it from the best in house black and it’s his default. there’s a reason people are afraid of approaching him, and are slightly awed by james’ ability to unconditionally do so at all times.

his magic is ridiculously sentient. it swirls around him at all times, often feeling suffocating to those near him. he doesn’t even notice how it swells with his emotions, rising in his defence without him having to call it. at times, it can feel like a brick wall, that’s how powerful it is. and it’s cold. people have been known to shiver and turn into metaphorical icicles around him.

and he’s also just intimidating in a—social capital way ykno? so much money, training, and status. it shows. he could be dressed in a potato sack and he’d still reek of royalty. which is essentially what the blacks are.

and this is it u don’t take padfoot into account. this fuckoff huge Grim who’s literally an omen of death, easily twice the size of any human around him, just bounding around with sharp canines on display and malice in his eyes. it’s the easiest thing to piss ur pants when u come into contact w him.

[trek-tracks]

it's kind of funny that, at some point in the timeline, each one of the TOS Triumvirate is basically like "bitch you'd better not promote me" to Starfleet

and fails miserably at staying unpromoted

[hephaestuscrew]

I'm sure Minkowski never forgot that Cutter was the first person ever to call her Commander. After recruiting her in Once in A Lifetime, he starts to call her Lieutenant, then breaks into laughter, before correcting himself: "What am I saying? Commander Minkowski." He draws attention to himself granting that title, stressing its significance. By initially calling her by a lower ranking, then conspicuously correcting himself, Cutter emphasises that he's the one granting her that title. Right at the beginning of Minkowski's employment with Goddard Futuristics, Cutter plants the seed for his line in the finale: "People cared about you because of what I made you: A soldier. A leader. A commander. I gave you that, and now? I taketh away."

And he does take it away. Cutter makes a point of calling her Commander in that first meeting, but he hardly ever calls Minkowski Commander after that. He almost always calls her Renée. He makes the point in that first interaction that he has the authority to grant her that title, and then in every subsequent interaction he tries to make the point that she doesn't have command over him. Having called her Commander once makes every time he doesn't call her by her title seem more deliberate. It's not that he never uses titles - it's that he uses them selectively. He gives her a taste of that sense of authority, but he doesn't want her to feel worthy of it.

In the liveshow, he cuts her off by shouting "I AM SPEAKING, LIEUTENANT!". Minkowski is the Commander of the Hephaestus in official terms at this point and Cutter even refers to her as "a mission commander" later in the same episode. So there is a deliberate malice to Cutter calling Minkowski Lieutenant here. Not only does it emphasise the use of authority structures as a means for control and the abandonment of first-name-basis false friendliness, calling her by another title makes his choice not to call her Commander even more explicit, denying her that authority.

Apart from when he recruits her, the only other time I can think of when Cutter directly calls Minkowski Commander is in Ep60, when he lays out his offer to let Minkowski leave on the Sol: "How does that sound to you, Commander?" Again, calling her Commander is a kind of power play, an attempt at manipulation, highlighting the sense of responsibility that motivates so many of Minkowski's actions. Cutter is prompting her to ask the question she would be asking herself anyway: what choice would a good Commander make? Just as he did when he recruited her, Cutter offers Minkowski something she desperately wants, and the use of her title here only draws attention to the idea that Cutter is the one with the power, choosing what to give her.

[nebula-blitzar]

just made this because this would happen (again, app is TwiNote, ib rainbowmothed)

this is what happens when Vaggie says maybe Charlie could command a little more authority