#hes either in the community or an ally and hes not sure which

[moeblob]

Ringleader (Fake) : I'm just so cute and tiny! Who can say! Ringleader (Real) : ...wait, he's not bisexual? Fake: what? Real: what?

[gatheringbones]

[“Feeling empowered is a group effort, because in order to be able to assert yourself, you must feel safe enough to do so. A date once told me that when he teaches yoga, he declares that backbend rules are orgy rules: a maybe is a no. I like that because in both an orgy and yoga, you’re in a heightened and strange state. You’re already pushing past a lot of standards for what your body and consciousness can ordinarily do.

Yoga teaches you to be aware of and listen to subtle body messages. Pushing too hard can result in injury, which will limit you from sustainably being able to enjoy the activity long term. So if your body tells you, “I’m not sure how this backbend is feeling right now,” just don’t do the backbend. And if someone at the orgy says, “I’m not sure if I want to play with you right now,” move on with grace. There are so many other poses you can try.

Buffet was a queer play party I went to a couple of times in 2018 at a legendary Brooklyn performance art space known at different times as the Spectrum and then the Dreamhouse. Their rules were printed out and posted in the foyer where you waited in line before taking off your street clothes. They explained they had dungeon monitors (DMs) wearing pink glowing bracelets. DMs are present less as rule enforcers and more as community accountability figures. The hosts were clear about what kind of play was prohibited (race, scat, guns), the kind of play that required a DM’s permission so they could keep a close eye on psychological intensity and mess (blood, piss, food, CNC, self-suspension, gags).

Buffet had a great breakdown of what consent meant in their space: “Do not stalk, lurk, stare, follow, badger, pressure, or touch anyone without permission.” They also had a very specific anti-oppression stance: “If you perpetuate oppression based on gender identity or expression, race or ethnicity, ability, HIV or STI status, body type, sexual or BDSM orientation, religion or spiritual path, you’ll be thrown out without a refund. (However, if you come to us crying about reverse racism or misandry, we *will* laugh in your face.)”

I loved Buffet’s gender policy. Many women- and trans-focused play parties simply exclude cis men in the interest of creating a “safe space.” While a private party can have whatever policies they want, I personally think excluding one type of person is a mistake. You cannot have any clue how many abusers are around you, how many dysfunctional relationships, how many people being petty or shallow or anything you would disagree with or disapprove of. And when we exclude men from spaces where revolutionary communication is being practiced, they’re not learning how to do it right.

Buffet had an ingenious approach to this issue. Their policy was all-gender, but cis men had to pay $100 entry as opposed to much smaller fees paid by others, and were given a mandatory dress code of underwear, fetish gear, or femme drag. The hosts also provided the chance to be vetted on a “Good Judy list” to waive the $100 fee. The result was discouragement of interloping creeps while embracing the kinds of men who would contribute to the party’s unique atmosphere and people who appreciate having those men around either to play with or as friendly allies. Anyone prepared to go through these humbling paces is more likely to be the kind of guy the other attendees would be happy to have there.”]

tina horn, from why are people into that? a cultural investigation of kink, 2024

[16woodsequ]

Things People Seem to Forget About Steve Rogers (aka the past is complex)

Things in the future didn't happen in a vacuum, and while Steve missed a lot of stuff while he was in the ice, he would have seen the roots of things like the Civil Rights, Women's Rights and even LGBTQ+ Rights movements in his time.

While I'm sure Steve encountered a lot of people expecting certain right-wing behaviours from him, due to his birth year and the things he missed in the ice, this doesn't mean he would act that way—even right out of the ice.

But first lets take a look at the things Steve missed and see what he did in fact know:

The atom bomb. Steve never saw the atomic fallout, but what did he see? Hydra bombs literally being flown to his home city. There is also a possibility that as a specialty team, he learned about the German Nuclear Program during the war. His unit was tied to the Strategic Science Reserve, so I wouldn't be surprised if between that, and Hydra's bomb initiatives, Steve was well aware of the potential of a bomb threat. I doubt Steve has clearance to know about the Manhattan project, and I think he would be horrified to learn about the impact of the atom bomb on Japan (especially since he essentially thwarted the same thing from happening to New York) but majorly powerful bombs would not surprise him.

• The Cold War. Steve may not have experience the Cold War, but he grew up surrounded by the outcome of the First World War after the Communist take over of Russia. The debates surrounding Communism, Socialism, and Capitalism aren't new. Steve would have grown up with them and would probably be familiar with American pro-capitalist, anti-communist rhetoric. But would he agree?

Here's some things we know about Steve: He's an artist, he grew up during the Depression which was heavily mitigated by socialist measures, he grew up poor, he grew up disabled. As an artist Steve would be well aware of the debates between the political movements, and with his background, and the success of Roosevelt's New Deal reforms, it would not surprise me if Steve leaned more towards the Socialist side of the scale.

All this to say: Steve would not be unfamiliar with the tension between Russia and the USA. Especially since even though they were allies during the war, there were already concerns that the USSR wasn't so much 'liberating' the countries they drove Germany out of, as putting them under new management.

Steve would be familiar with the tensions underlying the Cold War, and his background might lead him to have a critical view of some of the pro-Capitalist propaganda that came out during the Cold War. While I don't think Steve would approve of Russia's methods and the ultimate outcome of Communism there, I don't think he would approve of the Red Scare Witch Hunt that happened in the States either.

• Civil Rights Movement. While Steve missed the major changes that occurred during the 50s and 60s, he would not be unfamiliar with movements for equality. Steve would also not be unaware of the inequality that minorities faced in his country.

For example:

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was established in 1909 and is still run today. The NAACP fought and fights against discrimination and advocates for equality.

In the 30s President Roosevelt responded to "to charges that many blacks were the "last hired and first fired," [his administration] instituted changes that enabled people of all races to obtain needed job training and employment. These programs brought public works employment opportunities to African Americans, especially in the North" (Link)

"The first precedent-setting local and state level court cases to desegregate Mexican and African American schooling were decided during [the late 1930s]" (Link)

In 1941 thousands of Black Americans threatened to march on Washington for equal employments rights which pushed Roosevelt to issue an executive order that "opened national defense jobs and other government jobs to all Americans regardless of race, creed, color or national origin." (Link)

The Double Victory or Double V Campaign during the war was an explicit campaign to win the war against fascism in Europe and the war against racism as home.

All this to say, Steve would not be unfamiliar with many of the issues tackled during the Civil Rights Movement of the 50s and 60s.

Not only that, but Steve led a multi-racial special unit during the war during a time of active army segregation. Not only does he have a Black man on his team, but also a Japanese man. This would have most definitely led to backlash from higher command as well as discrimination from other units against Jones and Morita. Steve and the entire Howling Commandos would be explicitly aware of prejudice against two of their members and likely had to fight for them many times.

• Anything space travel. It's true Steve wouldn't know anything about attempts to reach the moon. But there were still several space discoveries he could know about, especially since he and Bucky are clearly interested in scientific discoveries, considering how they went to the Stark Exbo before Bucky shipped out.

Some discoveries:

Hubble's Law: In 1929 Hubble published evidence for an ever expanding universe, and thus provided evidence of the Big Bang theory.

1930: Discovery of Pluto (makes me chuckle to think this is a relatively new discovery for Steve and he wakes up to find it is a dwarf-planet now. You think Millennials are protective of Pluto? I think Steve would be too 😆.)

1937: "the first intimation that most matter in the universe is `dark matter'"

Personally I think Steve would be absolutely amazed by the advances in space travel.

• Women's Rights. Like with Civil Rights, while Steve may have missed the large movements during the 50s and 60s, he was around for the early movements. The 60s movement is called Second Wave Feminism for a reason. This is because there was already many pushes for women equality in Steve's time.

For example:

1920: White women win the right to vote. This means Steve's mother first voted in his lifetime. I feel this alone would make Steve heavily aware of inequality faced by women. (As a side note I feel that Sarah always emphasized voting to Steve since it was such a major development in her lifetime.)

Also in the 20s the Flapper trend rose, along with hemlines. Women's skirts were shorter and they smoked and drank with men. Middle-class and working-class women also worked outside of the home. The 1920s-1930s 'modern' woman is very different from the Victorian vision of a woman in petticoats and skirts.

Early Birth Control movement: Was "initiated by a public health nurse, Margaret Sanger, just as the suffrage drive was nearing its victory. The idea of woman’s right to control her own body, and especially to control her own reproduction and sexuality, added a visionary new dimension to the ideas of women’s emancipation. This movement not only endorsed educating women about existing birth control methods. It also spread the conviction that meaningful freedom for modern women meant they must be able to decide for themselves whether they would become mothers, and when."

1936: A Supreme Court decision declassified birth control information as obscene. Legalised doctor-prescribed contraceptives.

WW2 Watershed: Women serve in the army and work factory jobs. The government establishes universal childcare while women work.

Women also wore pants and form fitting clothes to work in factories. We also see Peggy wearing pants during the last assault on Hydra. While Steve may need to get used to modern fashion, he would already be familiar with the 'morale outrage' over women's clothes in his time, and probably try to manage his surprise in private as well as possible.

• LGBTQ+ Rights. Like with the rest of the equality movements, LGBTQ+ rights movements also started before the late 1900s.

1924: "Society for Human Rights is founded by Henry Gerber in Chicago. The society is the first gay rights organization as well as the oldest documented in America." This organisation was broken up soon after founding due to arrests, but it published "the first American publication for homosexuals, Friendship and Freedom."

In the 1920s and 30s "the gay and lesbian movement started taking shape. Social analysts began rejecting prior medical definitions of "inversion" or "homosexuality" as deviant.

Communities of men and women with same-sex affiliations began to grow in urban areas. Their right to gather in public places such as bars was tenuous, and police raids and harassment were common." (Link)

WW2 Watershed: While many LGBTQ people lived in rural areas or outside 'queer neighbourhoods' the war brought people from all backgrounds together. "As with most young soldiers, many had never left their homes before, and the war provided them an opportunity to find community, camaraderie, and, in some cases, first loves. These new friendships gave gay and lesbian GIs refuge from the hostility that surrounded them and allowed for a distinct subculture to develop within the military."

They still had to hide their identities for fear of persecution and a 'blue discharge', however "Gay and lesbian veterans of World War II became some of the first to fight military discrimination and blue discharges in the years following the war."

It's unclear how much Steve would have known about the gay and lesbian rights movement. But in the comics he has a gay friend Arnie Roth, and there are many meta posts (X X X) about how Steve may have lived in a queer neighbourhood.

And, according to my history professor, gay and lesbian soldiers were often protected by their friends in the army instead of outed. This is not to downplay the discrimination and pain outed veterans faced, but there was a comaraderie and understanding that developed between soldiers that protected many gay soldiers.

• Computer and the internet. The seeds of modern computers began during World War Two. Arguably it began earlier with Ada Lovelace. While technology has changed a lot for Steve, there is a long history of it's development.

Colossus Computer: Kept secret until the 70s, it's unclear if Steve's association with the SSR, Peggy (who was a code breaker before SSR) and Howard, would have led him to know anything about the "the world's first programmable, electronic, digital computer", but we see electric screens and machines being used in Captain America: The First Avenger. So he would know something of those mechanisms.

Also the first American TV was broadcasted in the 1939 World Fair, And since Steve and Bucky are already shown going to a science fair, I believe it is reasonable for Steve to know about the concept of television, though it looks much different in modern day.

• Rise of Neo-Nazis. Steve already saw the rise of fascism in his own country before the war, so while I think he would be horrified and saddened to learn of the Neo-Nazi movement, I don't think he would be surprised.

Because:

Eugenics: A large part of the Nazi campaign, this part of the movement originated and was inspired by the United States Eugenics movement. "It is important to appreciate that within the U.S. and European scientific communities these ideas were not fringe but widely held and taught in universities."

Lobotomies and institutionalisations were part of the treatments for disabled and 'weak-minded' individuals during Steve's time. With Sarah being a nurse it is likely Steve knew of these treatments and more. And as a disabled child of immigrants, I have no doubts Steve brushed up with eugenics beliefs many times.

1939: More than 20,000 people attended a Nazi rally in Madison Square while "[a]bout 100,000 anti-Nazi protesters gathered around the arena in protest".

In the comics Steve canonically has a Jewish friend, Arnie Roth. If he wasn't part of the protests against the Nazi rally, he would have heard about it and known about the rise of antisemitic sentiment in the US before the outbreak of the war.

So Where Does That Leave Us?

Steve has a history of anti-racist behaviour. While he would still have a lot to learn from the Civil Rights Movement and no doubt has unconscious biases he grew up with, he also explicitly builds a multi-racial team that would have led to clashes with systemic racism in the army. This would have inevitably led to him and the Howling Commandos taking an anti-racist stance in protection of their members.

Would Steve say the N-word? Likely not. The N-Word already held negative connotations by the 19th and early-20th century. I doubt Jones would be willing to follow a man who would knowing use the insult. 'Coloured' or 'Negro' were seen as the more acceptable terms. So Steve may use those words at first, instead of 'Black' or 'African-American'. 'Negro' is a controversial term for some Black Americans, so this would be something for him to learn, but he would not purposely by insulting or hurtful. And I believe he would adapt as quickly as possible upon learning.

Steve saw the early steps of many social movements. Given what we know about Steve—artist, disabled, immigrant, poor, raised by a single mom, gay and Jewish friend, potentially lived around queer people, worked with Peggy and smiled when she punched a sexiest, and built a multi-racial team—Steve would not only be aware of the social movements of his time, but he would be happy to learn of the developments after he went into the ice.

While it would take some time for him to learn all the changes that happened, Steve's background would led him to be pleased with the changes in society. This is the opposite of being racist, sexist, and homophobic. Some things might take some adjusting for Steve to get used to, but he is already open-minded and has a frame of reference for many of the social changes that happened.

People sometimes bring up Steve's Catholic upbringing to argue about some beliefs he might have. But while I do think this upbringing would lead to some biases, I think Steve's life experience helped counter, or helped him unlearn some of those biases, even before he hit the ice.

Also, as an Irish-Catholic, Steve would have faced some discrimination of his own. It is most certainly not on the same level as other minorities, and things were better in the 20th century. Being very clear, any discrimination Steve faced for being Irish-Catholic would not be systemic or commonplace like racism. But adding his heritage to the rest of Steve's background helps give us a better idea of why he was already open to social movements like the Civil Rights movement before the ice. And it may have made him already more understanding of LGBTQ+ people, who he may have lived around, even if he grew up being taught certain biases.

Other Things We Forget About Steve

He is quite tech-savvy. While Steve would have a lot to learn, we know he is capable. There are a lot of jokes about his technical know-how in Avengers, but I think he's actually managing very well considering it's probably only been a few weeks or months since he came out of the ice.

Examples:

Deleted scene where we see Steve using a laptop in his apartment. He presses the spacebar to pause a video, which is a keyboard shortcut. So not only can he set up a laptop to watch a video, but he already knows key shortcuts.

Deleted scene where waitress mentions 'wireless'. Steve is confused and thinks she means radio. But I think he actually knows about wi-fi at this point, but probably had never heard it referred to as 'wireless' before. By this point he knows radio is not as common, so his real confusion is why the waitress is offering him 'free radio'. If she had said free wi-fi (the more typical phrase in my opinion) I think he would have understood.

Canon scene of Steve helping Tony fix the Helicarrier engines. This is my favourite evidence because Tony asks Steve to look at the relays and Steve makes a quip that they 'seem to run on some sort of electricity' indicating he is out of his depth. But we never see Tony tell Steve what to do. Steve figures out how to fix the relays himself. Tony is busy with the debris in the rotors and the next thing we see is Steve telling Tony the relays are all good.

Steve is much better at adapting and figuring out technology than we give him credit for. This doesn't mean he won't be anxious or uncomfortable with the sheer amount of stuff he has to learn (especially if everyone keeps making jokes about it to him). But by 2014, it's clear he's already mastered all of it, which is amazing when you think about it, because that's only two years of learning.

Steve is very book smart. In the comics Steve goes to art college, implying he finished high school. Even if he did drop out of high school to work, we know Steve is very smart.

We see him unloading a whole suitcase of books in the barracks before he got the serum.

The mental math is must take to throw the shield at the right angles for it to bounce back is insane.

Steve is also known as a master tactician. So it is clear he has the brains and smarts to run his team during the war. Not only that, but he is not just Captain in name. He actually has that rank, which means he passed the Captain's exam. I also have a feeling he would have needed to pass some kind of evaluation to get the serum in the first place.

We see in Steve's 2014 apartment that his bookshelves are full of history books. Steve is a veracious reader and spends a lot of his time catching up on what he missed. Things he didn't learn or were taught differently growing up would definitely exist, but Steve is actively working to counter that.

Steve would swear. Swearing has been a constant throughout all of history. So too, the backlash against profanity. Even if Steve grew up being told not to swear he would have heard it. And, Steve became a soldier. If he didn't swear before the war, he most definitely picked up some of it then.

I think Captain America isn't supposed to swear, and I think Steve would be aware of this perception of the symbol of him. But I think when Steve is comfortable with people, he would swear. We see in Avengers he doesn't swear, but in Avengers: Age of Ultron, he does.

We joke about Steve and the "Language" line, but I think that line has something to do with Steve's history of being perceived as a symbol and as Captain America since he said it 'just slipped out'. So, while Steve may have been encouraged not to swear growing up, and expected not to swear as Captain America, I fully believe that soldier, veteran, and Irish man Steve Rogers does swear.

Wrap up

I hope you liked this deep dive into Steve's history and character.

I think it can be easy to take the past as a lump sum and view everyone in the past through one lens. We know the past was racist, sexist, and homophobic, so we view everyone from the past that way.

And while it's true things were different back then, people were most definitely fighting for change and aware of the issues. There is also a lot of nuance to the past, and a lot that can be gleaned from what we know about Steve.

It's true that Steve would have a lot to learn when it comes to terminology and specific technology, but I believe Steve's background would prepare him for a lot of the social changes that happened after he went into the ice.

[stompedchild]

after the past few days i have a lot of thoughts about tr!ros and her lack of kingdom-to-kingdom communication so i'm putting them all together.

all of the below is /rp

so, Ros Roscumber. should be in the running for the Realm SMP's "how many things can one person have wrong with them?" competition, and desperately needs to start seeing a therapist not named Pangi or BadBoyHalo. She is plagued by approximately 10001 issues and i love her. She deals with loneliness, i'd argue social anxiety to some extent, being a people pleaser to a detriment to herself, at least 2 different guilt complexes, nonexistant self-worth that borders on being suicidal, and communication.

Communication is SO important in a place like The Realm where things change on a dime and significant events can happen daily. It's especially important if you're the Royal Architect who is ALSO dealing with about 10000 problems at any given moment. Roscumber has stated that she is not particularly good with phrasing, words, or memory. This does her no favors in being a good communicator, so surely to make up for that she'd frequently express if something's wrong to her faction right? Right??????

Nope! Roscumber has a horrific guilt complex around receiving help from her faction members. She cannot handle the thought of burdening or bothering other people, so she would rather try to be independent and work on things herself to not feel that guilt. Sometimes she'll cave and ask for resources, such as recently when she asked Sneeg to make her new boots (but only after she gathered netherite with Aimsey and Pangi, her friends, not faction members). But other times, such as her training with Clown as an example, she had to be asked to not eat sweet berries and Clown had to insist that it was okay for her to take some of his food.

If the guilt complex was the only issue than maybe Ros would be doing better, but there's another major communication barrier imo. I hesitate to refer to this as anything along the lines of "lacking a backbone" because i don't think that's it. Ros can stand up for herself, though that's typically through killing people who are kinda asking for it (harry, owen, badlinu) and feeling guilty over it afterwards. I want to say that she's passive to a fault but I'm not sure if that fully capture my thoughts. Regularly passive but passive to a fault with the King in particular? I'll figure out how I want to describe this character trait of Ros' eventually :3

When Roscumber left the Kingdom and was confronted by Sneeg, she confessed that she wasn't going to say anything if she wasn't asked. Maybe this says something about how readily her trust/faith and therefore ability to communicate gets shaken, but I think this is an example of her being passive to a fault. More recently she had a chat with Aimsey where she expressed feeling tired over having to constantly defend herself, which I think is a super important line from Ros. Because Ros has been messed with in some shape or form, somewhat consistently, since around the Hostile Faction joining and Mocha deciding to be her number 1 hater. Mocha dying didn't really save her either considering the recent actions of The Jester. At the end of the day, having to be on the defending end from so much shit from so many people for about 3 months now is undeniably exhausting and draining. So what does Roscumber to in response for this? She takes an even more passive approach than normal and simply takes the blows, especially the verbal ones, as they come.

But how does this tie into Kingdom communication? Roscumber's biggest and most active ally, Sneegsnag, is typically off doing his own thing 90% of the time. He is generally speaking out of the loop with a good chunk of things that happen on the server, but it's been noticable with Ros recently. The Jester is after her once again, and she feels as though Foolish is not taking her concerns seriously, and perhaps never thought of it as a big issue in the first place. Not to mention being terrified that Owen is winning him over to kick her out of the Kingdom. Her newfound friend Pangi is having troubles with Ilip, she's dealing with having to process what Owen's said to her, and she's organizing a ball on top of all that! Now, more than ever, she wants to be listened to by someone who can hear about Kingdom secrets without getting in trouble. And yet, she does not reach out for that help.

It's a mix of her tremendous guilt around receiving help from her faction members and not wanting to bother them, see "I fear Sneegsnag has done too much for me," - paraphrased line from Roscumber, but also lacking the will to call out for help, that concerning passivity. Instead of reaching out to her faction member, her teammate, her friend(!!!), she cannot bring herself to take the initial leap of writing /msg Sneegsnag, and will instead wait for one of her friends who is around spawn more frequently to notice that something is wrong and ask her about it. She wants help, she wants comfort, she wants to be listened to by someone she wants to trust, but in order for all of that to occur she first needs to ASK for that. She is instead passive, and waits for her woes to be noticed by those who see her often. She wants her mind to be read yet there's not a single person capable of that on the server. It does not help that she tends to constantly question her loyalties, she is worried about her words misconstruing the situation, and is worried that Sneegsnag's reaction to information will be negative. So with no other active Kingdom members to turn to in confidence, she confides to Aimsey and the Honey Badgers.

It is so cool that this is a solvable issue though! All that needs to happen is for Roscumber to ask Sneeg to talk, and she then needs to open up about her recent problems. Except she has expressed struggling to do that in the first place because of all of her many issues. Sneeg has expressed wanting to support Roscumber and wanting to hang out more, but because of this lack of communication it doesn't happen, and both parties are sad because there's no talking going on. It feels as though Ros is only able to open up when pushed to a breaking point, which is not healthy in the slightest. (not that she is doing that great anyways) Otherwise she will just Not Talk about her problems in fear of being a bother or receiving an unwanted (negative) response. Despite all of this I would like to believe that when the time comes for either Ros to reach out to Sneeg, or for him to inquire about something being wrong, Ros will be given what she has been looking for this past week.

[blueishspace]

Scott says Pearl's memory is selective so I rewatched her DL pov.

And he's kinda right? But also is doing much of the same thing.

Part 1/3

Episode 1 p.1 Communication and Strategy.

Let's start from the basic thing everyone even non fans with friends that are into the series know. Scott abandoning Pearl.

...

Which is something he doesn't do, not really at least, that would imply that they were allied in some way and he left. He might be her soulmate but that does not mean he has to team with her. By all counts It's simply a game mechanic and nothing more, she isn't entitled to an alliance with him. Sure there's an expectation for it to happen but it is not a rule, you can't abandon something you never had.

What about Last Life? It doesn't matter, not when it comes to Pearl, alliances almost never stick trough different seasons. It matters to Cleo and Scott: One of the reasons Scott and Cleo teamed up was because in Last Life they didn't have the chance to be in the alliance for as much as they wanted since Cleo had died and gone to red and then Scott went to red soon after Cleo went back to yellow. It was an alliance decided and agreed upon based on the fact they both felt robbed by the previous season. But the same doesn't apply to Pearl, it could have had she met them and talked to them about it but she didn't and so they likely interpreted it as her not caring about it.

Pearl interprets it as abandonment because ahe came in late, she doesn't understand the way the life series works yet. She expected the alliance and friendship to last from the previous season, it is not her fault either. It is entitlement born not out of selfishness but by a lack of communication.

Pearl THINKS Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss has value because she sees Scott and Cleo together but she lacks the context for that and ends up using it as a reason fro Scott to not reject her, at the same time Scott feels that Pearl doesn't care and is expecting his loyalty because of a game mechanic neither has control over and even worse, at least by his standards, an old alliance. He has a very weird definition of what loyalty is but it's something he cares about strongly and it something vital to his character.

And Scott is definitely is hurt by Pearl's actions and It's really really obvious: Scott is a man of logic, he is rational, he sees he only has a life left and decides not to do a boogie kill because he might just die and go to red anyway, he sacrifices himself again and again to give his teammates better chances, ge does not care... But there he does something strategically stupid, not teaming with the person who's health he shares. He is emotionally hurt by what he percieves to be Pearl's lack of care, this is the first time since third life he acts out of emotion over logic. From Cleo's pov we see how much he panic when he realizes he's bonded to Pearl and that she is in the nether.

And even when Scott comes back to say something extra he doesn't target Pearl, he uses the horn to annoy Martyn. From his pov it is Pearl that betrayed him but he decides to be mean to Martyn instead of her. I think this says a lot more then words van about how he viewed this thing.

Episode 1 p.2 Cleo and Martyn are assholes.

Oh boy, those two on the other hand made everything much worse for Pearl.

Martyn ACTUALLY betrayed and abandoned Pearl, unlike Scott he wa working together with her. She had reason to expect him to stick with her especially after they were both refused by their soulmate partners. But he doesn't, despite everything, despite knowing she didn't take Scott's rejection well he still leaves her alone. Pearl does not actually begin to spiral when Cleo and Scott choose eachother over their soulmates, she begins to spiral only once Martyn decides that's it better to leave, when he decides being alone is better then being with her.

And Cleo... she eggs them both Scott and Pearl on so much. Like at least Scott tries to be civil and explain himself at the start but Cleo... well she is ruder during the entire conversation.

Even worse, most of the escalation is done by Cleo and Martyn getting louder at eachother and drowning out Scott's and Pearl's arguments. If the previous part was about how Scott's and Pearl's situation happened because of miscommunication then this is to say that it happened because Cleo and Martyn made it virtually impossible for communication to actually happen.

Episode 2 p.1: Snow and Scar(s)

I think everyone knows how it wasn't Pearl that came up with the powdered snow bit, it was started by Scar as a way to mess with Grian...

And not only that. Everyone usually thinks about the homewreckers during Double Life but Scar during the season does a lot of things towards making other soulmates pair distrust eachother, he's the one that makes the chicken games and I think he knows full well what he's doing. He knows what happened to Pearl and gives her a way to make it worse knowing that she is going to use it. And she does.

It does take a bit for Scott to notice, after at first he assumes she's just walking into powdered snow by accident... it takes a bit for him to suspect but what sticks with is so much she damages him. Also Scar actively searches for him to give him the snow too which makes things way worse.

And she does a lot of damage. First 4 hearts, then another 6 hearts. She does not eat to spite Scott but this only justifies him in his mind. She justifies herself saying that he has been taking damage so It's fair. Yet when she takes a bunch of damage getting goat horns and he steps in powdered snow using THE SAME EXACT LOGIC as her she takes it personally... And that It's because It's not actually logic, It's both them justifying their actions to themselves over admitting their mistakes and doing so in the same way...

Episode 2 p.2 How it could have been resolved and yet wasn't.

Still when Scott approaches Pearl soon after he's...civil. They aren't mean to eachother, sure Pearl says she's broken hearted but she's the only one that is antagonistic about it Scott actually feels bad about Tilly dying and he tries to explain himself and tries to make small talk... And he manages it, they talk and both of them still think they are in the right but things are fixable at this point in time. Scott explains the damage he's taken and while Pearl doesn't fully believe him It's a start.

And especially Scott says that he and Cleo had bonded the last session and when Pearl says that he can bond more he says that's It's going to take time. This means Pearl still wants a chance to be on a team with Scott and Scott still doesn't hate such an idea. They are still stuck blinded in their own head but in another timeline they are on a team already from the next session.

Except Scott accidentally says "Mine and Pearl's" instead of "Mine and Cleo's" when talking about his base. And Pearl starts manically claiming their base as her own... And CLEO is the one to first say that she's insane. (Cleo: I think she's lost it. Scott: I don't think she ever had it.) And this insane thing is going to stick with Pearl for the rest of the series.

Cleo is a big part because of how she deals with both Scott's and Pearl. She is probably the person Scott trusts the most other then himself and she completely supports him, she completely agrees with him on everything he says. Scott is functionally in an echo chamber in this season. A very sassy one considering their personalities.

Cleo also worsens Pearl this session...surprisingly while trying to help. She genuinely seems to be trying, she's careful and deliberate, subtly implies she should less alone and then states that just because they aren't on the same team doesn't mean Pearl can't be with someone else. She lacks the sarcasm that's usually in her voice and she seems to be genuinely trying to get Pearl to find allies for herself and not be alone...Since her and Scott chose eachother outside the bonds she too could choose to be with who she wanted. But Pearl doesn't listen and all she gets from it is convincing herself to be even more isolated.

The last nail in the coffin has to be Ren and BigB though, they die and immediately accuse her of being a villain a demoness and sorrounded by misfortune. Scott was defensive and Martyn was evasive and Cleo was sarcastic and Scar was manipulative but out of my entire rewatch of Pearl's pov this far it was the worst moment from Pearl's perspective. The most damage done to Pearl in Double Life was given by Ren.

Episode 3 Why is it Scar again, doesn't he have better things to do?

So we have found that Pearl's spiral was started by Martyn and worsened by Scar and then cleo and then Ren and bow It's Scar's turn again. Because session 2 ends with Pearl saying she was just wanting to help and session 3 starts with Scar convincing her to be actively a threat. He manipulated her into ruining the relationship with Scott once and now he's making her become what Ren said she was. So he can sell her stuff.

Now she meets again with Cleo and Scott and well... Nothing of particular importance happens in this one. Except one thing that Scott's says. (Scott's very infamous line "It's hard but once you widdle him down to nothing it works" about Jimmy is given It's actual context and it seems to not refer to Jimmy's self esteem at all so I don't know where that came from. ) Which gives Pearl the idea to annoy Scott even more.

Also important thing that happens soon is Scott saying sorry to Pearl without any sarcasm for taking damage as an olive branch and then suddenly shutting up as he processes that Pearl just created a dirt hut on his bridge. Even he doesn't tell her to take it down but suggests talking to Cleo about it since they build it. Pearl then suggests killing Cleo and even then Scott tries to calm her down by saying she can't because she is green. Pearl actually in canon comments that Scott is really nice to her and then Ren and Martyn fake burning down her base to get her attention.

[bobbinalong]

If you do requests, I was wondering if you could draw Steph and Allie during her Batgirl era, where Tim and her are in their (not necessarily permanent) angsty, broken-up "we have history" era and about how that affects Allie.

Okay, it's been seven hundred years since you sent this ask and this isn't all I wanted to draw for this, BUT. In the spirit of not letting you wait any longer: Tim saying goodbye before setting out to search for Bruce. He's a little more stable in this AU, ... possibly because his dad's still alive (that changes depending on my whims), possibly because he's forcing himself to be more communicative for Allie's sake.

Either way, things do get sorta weird between Steph and him the longer he's gone because he's pretty consumed by his mission and when they meet again, it's like "You haven't called in almost a month" and he goes "I've been thinking maybe it's better that way ..." and they get into a very heated argument about it that doesn't get properly resolved for a while but he does call to talk to Allie a few days later, so at least there's that.

I'm not sure they ever fully properly break up in this. It's more Tim pulling away and Steph having to much on her plate to pull him back in and so they have a rough patch and don't talk as much as either of them want to but they're never officially not together. Sort of like when Bruce revealed Tim's identity to Steph ... which also happens differently in this AU but that's another story.

Allie, in this era, of course greatly misses Tim and asks for him constantly but she gets occasionally distracted by Damian, who Steph decides to drag along to just about every outing they have so he gets to be a kid ... I think her and Dick might be closer in this AU, too, just by virtue of Tim being so close to Dick and much more intertwined with Steph. Either way, the kid is very, VERY happy when Tim gets back home permanently and does not let go off his hand for, idk, at least a day. Longer if she didn't need sleep.

Also, Allie is a BIG fan of Cass!Batgirl and absolutely not interested in the blonde impostor running around Gotham now, which is a major blow to Steph's ego and very amusing for everybody else.

Uuh, more later! Gotta draw some Steph-Allie one-on-one time again soon ...

[liketwoswansinbalance]

In the modern publishing landscape, these days, I think like we do not have many (if any) point-of-view characters with low social motivation for whatever reason.

Sure, there are lots of characters with social anxiety or other perceived or legitimate foibles to overcome, there are many YA villain origin stories, and there are many unpalatable, traditionally "unlikable" men in classics, but disregarding those, who else do we have?

Can the state of openly being alone (and content) rarely be presented as morally-neutral or as the end result of a narrative? Must it always be that either being alone is the starting point, so there's room for "personal growth," or that being alone is seen as "undesirable" and/or an indication that the person alone has a "problem" or something otherwise wrong with them, like a deficit or moral failing that in some kind of karmic way gives them "what they deserve," which is being alone and discontent with it?

Characters with society anxiety, any differences in communication, or other reasons that interfere with forging connections "don't count" because they may still be motivated. Traits such as these only stand in the way of gaining relationships, as plot obstacles. They aren't intrinsically tied to indifference or to low motivation. So, these characters clearly are not experiencing a lack of interest. And they are not the ones rejecting others. Thus, they "don't count" as far as the archetype that I'm looking for goes.

Characters who undergo villain arcs or otherwise negative arcs may want to maintain their relationships or gain them, so some examples are immediately disqualified (hence not having low social motivation), even if they are the type of character most likely to alienate themselves by a story's end, conflicting with what they wanted.

(Unfortunately, Coriolanus Snow, who is quite close to the type of protagonist I'm searching for "doesn't count" because he has some drive to keep people in his life.

Rafal Mistral partially "counts," and is satisfying as a character, but also doesn't count because he temporarily makes "friends" or allies, depending on how you look at his exploits. Yet, despite all this, not having friends isn't exactly framed as a morally-neutral state either, so he is also disqualified by the end. Basically, he does have low social motivation, but his narrative lacks the conditions that would make the natural consequences of that low motivation play out for themselves. He is always surrounded by people, even if he hates every last one of them.

And, generally speaking, the usual, moody-broody, "misunderstood" YA love-interests very easily "don't count" because they have a desire to get closer to their object of affection.

Even Katniss Everdeen, an overall good person, who usually views herself as "unlikable," befriends others, originally for pragmatic, survival purposes. However, she does start with low social motivation, so that's something in her favor.

And yes, I'm aware that we need other people in this world—I would just like to see someone prove that supposed truth wrong once. And perhaps succeed in their world, if that's not too much to ask for.)

Also, are there any instances of characters who progressively alienate themselves from others, in which that progression is not inherently seen as negative? Like, what about non-corrupt misanthropes? Are there few of those in literature? (Maybe—Eleanor Oliphant from literary fiction counts, but something about that book did not appeal me and I didn't finish it.)

Classics guys sort of "count," but I haven't really seen examples of any comparable protagonists today since many authors and readers write and look for "relatability" in blank slate everyman figures oftentimes.

(I'm not done with Crime and Punishment yet, but Raskolnikov is very tentatively looking like a safe bet for a character who may end up alone and who may not be completely malcontent over such a fate, even if I'm expecting tragedy. I'm that not far along, but I also wouldn't mind it too greatly if he died, I suppose.

And even Sherlock Holmes has Watson as his constant, even if he's notoriously asocial! So he "doesn't count" either.

Carol from Main Street also comes close, but still ultimately desires approval from others.

Maybe no one is truly immune to humanity and I should give up on this notion?)

How many pov characters out there are 1) apathetic toward the masses and 2a) either alienate themselves as the plot progresses or 2b) do not make any friends? (I will allow them making friends and consequently losing them though because that still ends in net zero!)

Indeed, this "gap" in protagonists I've been running into lately, especially with coming-of-age arcs and protagonists whose arc is some form of "getting out of their shell," is: why do we (almost?) never see protagonists who just flat-out don't progress in terms of connecting with fellow humans?

Wouldn't having even a handful of those types be reflective of reality? (We as a society are more disconnected than ever, to be fair, despite constantly having access to one another via technology.)

Or I would completely understand it, if it were narratively impractical to have a plot in which a protagonist makes zero friends. Maybe, it's a near-unwritable form for a story?

So, my question is: does anyone have book recommendations, which present a character whose end goal is not to make friends or forge connections (any other ambitions or motivations are fine) and whose state of being friendless both lasts and is regarded as morally-neutral or as not outright evil? Any genre is fine. High fantasy is preferable. I am stumped.

(I also wouldn't mind recommendations of books in which the protagonist is vilified due to being alone, even if that is not my primary query here.)

[martialartslover7]

Weird Wednesday Headcanon: Outside of Team 7, Neji, Shikamaru and Kiba sympathize the most with Sasuke's fall from grace after the Five Kage Summit.

Alright, this is another headcanon of mine that can be written off as "mental", but hear me out, this has so much potential.

I'd like to think that, outside of Team 7, Sasuke wasn't just closely acquainted with Naruto, Sakura or Kakashi, but also:

Neji (whom we even got a small teaser hint of a rivalry between him and Sasuke for, which sadly, never came to be, because Byakugan VS Sharingan is a question in the community, that truly needs answering)

Shikamaru (shogi rivals, nuff' said, the only guy, that managed to corner Shikamaru at his own game, I mean, Sasuke is meant to be a genius too, so, why not?)

Kiba (just being around him, Sasuke's IQ just automatically decreases, but in a fun way, like Renji and Uryu from Bleach, considering, Kiba had lived most of his life, surrounded by moody, dominating women, and he might be Sasuke's "stay-in wingman", when it comes to Sakura, or they would just talk about how tiring women can be, but they do manage to get best results out of you with their motivation, and he would be way easier to handle for Sasuke, because unlike Naruto, Kiba ain't braindead)

These are the three main players, but if you want, you can also put Choji and Rock Lee into the mix, considering that, later down the road, Sasuke's and Choji's daughter would end up becoming besties, and if Might Guy wouldn't survive the war, he and Lee can become the new Kakashi and Might Guy, the next generation, if you will. And this is ironic, because...

...just by coincidence, who else was sent to get Sasuke back, to prevent him from defecting to Orochimaru? Ah yes.

But now, I get to the meat and bones of this thread. And that being, the reason why I believe personally, it was a wasted opportunity to not give Sasuke more personal allies that sympathize with his actions, after he joined the Akatsuki.

Like, NO ONE can tell me, that the Uchiha weren't the only ones, who were under close observation within Konoha borders, by the elders. Sure, they were the biggest target, but it leaves you asking, especially in regards to those clans, who are either the strategist faction, or possess sensory type abilities: What about them? Wouldn't they suspect that something was going horribly wrong over there, at the Uchiha compound? Did absolutely NO ONE hear the screams, or blood splatters? I am just not sold on the idea that EVERYONE in Konoha blindly agreed to Tobirama's discriminatory policies, some had to know better than most. The select few, who weren't exactly fans of just distancing themselves from another clan, all because some frankly racist piece of garbage for a Hokage said so, along with the useless shitstains, that are the Konoha elders, especially Danzo.

And now, three people come to mind, where I truly felt like, they could have been there that night, when the Uchiha clan was being slaughtered, and they were either too late to stop it, or Itachi had knocked them out with his Genjutsu (which purposely contradicts Madara's propaganda about "no one in the village cared about the Uchiha, and only saw them as tools"). And ironically, they are probably the very select few of the adult shinobi, who weren't complete sub-human trash.

Hizashi Hyuga.

Shikaku Nara.

Tsume Inuzuka.

Just picture these three adults being the only ones, who caught on to what was happening, through not just the screams of terror, the smell of blood, or seeing through the walls with the Byakugan from Hizashi. But sadly, by the time they arrive, most of the Uchiha were already slaughtered. And right before they could even act to evacuate those, who may have survived, Itachi arrives, and knocks them clean out with his Tsukuyomi, not killing them, as their passing would just cause an uproar throughout the village, the following day.

And once Danzo learns, that three non-Uchiha, Leaf shinobi, were actually present that night, and they may or may not have caught a glimpse of who else was there that night, Hizashi, Shikaku and Tsume were forced to stay silent on the matter, as Danzo threatened them, through the lense of the ROOT Anbu:

"Dare to let a single word about last night's events slip, then your clans will be receiving severe repurcussions."

I mean, sure, it's kind of silly to try and silence three unrelated Leaf ninja into keeping silent, but considering how paranoid the elderly can be, especially Danzo, I wouldn't put it past him to actually go there.

And how convenient, because as the story progressed, two of these adults would wind up deceased. Shikaku died in the 4th Great Ninja war. One piece of the puzzle, gone.

Hizashi would actually be the first one to die, before all two of them, because the Hyuga clan was trying to mend their security blunder that one fateful night, when someone from Kumogakure tried to kidnap Hinata. But keeping in mind everything I just said, it just adds another layer to how corrupt this shinobi system truly is. Who is to say, Danzo basically bribed the Hyuga elders to sacrifice Hizashi, in place of Hiashi, because he couldn't possibly risk that one defiant Hyuga showing lip to the Hokage? Something to think about. Even if Hiruzen remains a useless piece of shit. You can never be TOO careful, right?

Tsume would probably be the only adult to keep on living, to tell the tale, and through her, does Kiba learn, how deep the rabbit hole with Danzo actually goes, and how Sasuke's hatred for the village MIGHT be """mildly""" justified. Especially if Neji and Shikamaru were to approach him about their own clan blunders, involving Danzo, right after his passing at the hands of Sasuke.

But especially Neji, man... If everything I said gets applied in practice, it would mean, outside of Naruto, he might also be considered worthy of facing Sasuke in battle, after the Five Kage Summit. Because, not only does he more than understand how it truly feels to lose family and loved ones, but also, how this entire shinobi system is essentially screwing over those, who were unfortunate enough to be born into families, that get treated like dirt by the government, that is supposed to protect them. Just imagine their exchange, while Kiba faces off against Jugo, and Shikamaru holds Suigetsu at bay.

"A slave to your own family... I really don't need another moral lecture from a man, who willingly decided to stick to his own kin, despite them viewing you as nothing short of cannonfodder. And yet, despite it all, you still side with them... Run, Neji. Run and hide with your insignificant existence weighing you down, before I tear you to pieces." --Sasuke

"No, Sasuke. You're wrong. If it's any consolation, I am more than able to sympathize with your current state of mind. As of recently, I had to learn the hard way, that you and I, at the end of the day, are not so different. Believe me, you're not the only one, who was royally screwed over by the same village that you once swore to protect. The only reason, why I am not defecting, is because I still have family left to protect... Which is something I cannot say on your behalf, as much as it saddens me to say this. You have every right to hate us. Especially considering, we believed the rumors first, leaving no room for you to speak up and defend yourself. I didn't come to lecture you. And I won't run... because I am going to make you listen." --Neji

Pretty epic, isn't it? I am sorry, Neji is just the GOAT to me, and anything to make him and Sasuke spiritual broskies, I am here for that. Just visualize how adrenaline-driven their encounter would end up being, if you add the Bankakyo Byakugan into the mix. This is how Neji's Bankakyo would look like (source by Aleister Brown):

And for context on what this eye gives Neji for busted abilities, which make him a more or less equal match to Sasuke, after he got Itachi's eyes implanted:

Left eye: Foresight (he can look 10 seconds into the future, to predict Sasuke's moves, before he could even pull them off)

Right eye: Timeskip (improves his Taijutsu, by basically freezing time all around himself, and teleporting, at anything his eyes can see for time)

And, to make it even, with the Bankakyo, you can even summon a chakra avatar, similar to the Susano'o called, Sarutakahiko, take a look:

And because it's me, this is the music that plays in my mind, every time I am trying to visualize their fight, with these conditions being met:

...and to end this thread on a more comical note, when I said, Sasuke's IQ lowers around Kiba, and I compared the two to Renji and Uryu, here is why. It's even more ironic when you consider, Uryu and Sasuke have the same seiyuu! Noriaki Sugiyama! Check it:

OK, OK, enough with that. Have a nice day.

Peace.

[gardens-light]

Stowaway

Under the guidance of a former Decepticon, Sam Witwicky and his friends traveled across the plains of Egypt with Bumblebee and the Autobot twins. In search for a mysterious Cybertronian artifact- The Matrix of Leadership. Their plan? To reach the artifact before the Decepticons do, and bring back Optimus. Yet back at N.E.S.T, your heartbeat pulsed within your eardrums and thoughts swirled around in your mind. Struggling to make sense of everything, as your world begun to cave in from all corners. All the while, Director Galloway's grip tightened as the events slowly begun to unfold. Could your stubbornness and determine attitude, work alongside with N.E.S.T and their allies in achieving the impossible odds? Or... have the Decepticons cunning finally outsmarted the Autobots?

Context: Events takes place in 'Transformers- Revenge of the Fallen'. Major film spoilers. Reader Insert. Mild Coarse Language. Autobot Ratchet x F/Human Reader.

Inspired Song: Stay- Ari Abdul

Series- The Intern: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 5 (Coming soon)

Word Count: 4,900

Diego Garcia. 5:30pm.

With your military duffle bag slung over your shoulder, your heart sunk deeper as your saddened gaze watched Director Galloway's men escort the Autobot's to the nearby C-17 plane. A frown forming upon your lips, as the Autobot's were confined to their altmodes.

"You... can't let Galloway do this." Concern filled your tone, as you approached Lennox and Lieutenant Smith. "This is a mistake and you know it."

"You think I don't know that?" Lennox sighed, lowly shaking his head. "Believe me, I've tried talking him out of this. But the Director is stuck so far up his own ass, that he just won't listen. And I... don't know what else to do-"

"Something! We have to do something! Surely, you have a plan? An idea? You always do in times like this!-"

"I-I've got nothing, Valkyrie..." a nervous knot twisted the major's stomach, running a hand through his short brunette locks. "I've talked to every contact, every politician, and every military official that I know... and every one of them don't have enough clearance to override Galloway's orders." Lennox's hand ran down his tired features. "Honestly, I don't know what to do... and that's never happened before..."

"I'm not leaving till you tell me you have something!-"

Lieutenant Smith's brows knitted together, a frown forming upon his lips. His gaze stern but filled with concern and understanding. "Listen, we know you want to help the Autobots, hell, I do too... but don't go thinking you can just defy a Director's orders and stay. We can't lose you on top of everything else-"

"Major Lennox!" a nearby soldier interrupted. Standing outside of the main hangar. "Phone call, sir."

The major raised an eyebrow, looking over his shoulder. Now what?

A heavy sigh escaped him. "I... should probably take this..." taking a step away from you, his unamused expression briefly fell upon you. "And please... don't go and do anything stupid."

I know you wouldn't just step aside and allow this to happen, Lennox.

Your gaze softened slightly, while you discreetly eyed the nearby C-17 plane in your peripheral vision. And you should know that I won't either...

Lieutenant Smith cocked his head to the side, giving you a puzzled expression. As tender smile replaced your frown, your words coming out in an almost sickly, sweet tone. "Of course not..."

A fellow soldier silently gestured to an unhooked landline phone, which sat upon the desk within the communications area of the main hangar.

The major took a deep breath, before speaking into the receiver. "This is Lennox. Who am I speaking to?"

"Lennox. I'm with the kid. The kid. Y'know, the one with the attitude, right?"

Agent Simmons? Briefly pulling the phone away from his ear, staring down at the receiver in confusion. "What?-"

"Listen. We need the truck. The truck." Despite his casual tone, Lennox could hear the nervous waver within his old friend's hinted yet decrypted words. "We've got a possible resurrection going on over here- you're not gonna believe where we are. Code Tut, as in King Tutankhamun. Coordinates for airdrop, 29.5 North, 34.88 East. Write it down! Write it!- Shit! Shit! The heat's on! Gotta go! Gotta-"

Lennox puzzled gaze looked back down at the receiver, as Agent Simmons' sentence was abruptly ended with a harsh 'click.' Slowly placing the phone back onto its holder, taking a moment of pause as Lieutenant Smith approached.

"More shit to add on our plate?"

The major's eyes flickered towards his comrade, "um... actually I've received a tip from an old friend... Sam might be able to bring Prime back-"

"Coordinates, 29.5 North, 34.88 East." A fellow N.E.S.T soldier interrupted, sliding a map across the table towards Lennox that had the location circled in red marker. "Tip of the Red Sea. Gulf of Aqaba."

"Egypt?" Smith scoffed, his tone dripping in sarcasm. "Are you serious?"

"The Autobots has done alot for us during these past few years, Lieutenant." Lennox muttered. "What kind of allies would we be, if we didn't do this one thing for them?"

"Look... even if we could figure out a way to get Big Man over there. How's this little kid supposed to bring him back to life?"

"I don't know... But we gotta trust him." Hang on... something's... missing... "Where's Valkyrie?"

"She left while you were on the phone." Smith sighed, kicking the ground and shoving his hands into his pockets.

Well... it was nice having her around while it lasted. "Did she... say anything?"

"Only that... 'it was great seeing you again.' And that, 'the Autobots would be an experience she'll never forget.' Oh... and that she's sorry."

She'd... apologized? A small frown came to Lennox's lips. That doesn't sound like her. Not when she's been firm and opinionated with her actions, like she has been recently.

Raising an eyebrow, his voice became tenser. "What do you mean, she apologized?"

But his comrade simply shrugged, "she... didn't specify..."

A heavy sigh escaped Lennox, while rubbing his temples. Your vague apology just didn't sit right with him. Something was definitely off.

"I... don't worry about it. Just... prepare to follow my lead, when I give the signal." Lennox's gaze met Smith's amused expression. "I have a plan." And... I'd really want to know what Valkyrie is up to.

---

The C-17's engines roared through the turbulent skies, the aircraft pushing hard against the heavy winds. Optimus' still form laid in the centre of the dimly lit cargo hold, as the tension within the air was palpable. Only punctured by the occasional rattle of equipment strapped down nearby.

Tucked in an impossibly cramped space beneath a row of seats, which hugged right side of the plane. Attempting to keep your breathes even, while hugging your knees tightly. Feeling every bone rattling jolt and turn of the plane's ascent, as the metal flooring pressed uncomfortably into your back. Occasionally shifting your weight slightly, keeping yourself as inconspicuous as possible.

"We've had an engine malfunction." Your eyes snapped open, staring at Lennox's seat above you in fear, as the pilots calm tone spoke over the P.A. "We're gonna have to divert to SOCCENT-"

"What?" Lennox groaned. Looking around the cargo hold, pretending to awaken from a nap.

"Flight Master, let's lighten the load and prepare to bailout-"

"All right, team. Grab your chutes!" the major directed. "Remember the standard safety procedure! Check your gear, before assisting others. Let's get ready to bailout!-"

"Oh fuck!" you breathed. Eyes nervously darting around your hiding space, witnessing Lennox and the rest of his N.E.S.T team grabbing their parachutes and preparing to skydive. You're alright. You're alright-

"Bailout? Like bailout?!" Galloway panicked, his head snapping from one direction to another.

"You familiar with the standard MC-4?-"

"Of course not!" Galloway snapped at Lennox. His nervous expression betraying his usual high-standard, professional bravado. As his gaze studied the major, as he fitted a parachute upon his back, "I've never jumped out of a perfectly good airplane before!- Wait a minute! Is this really happening?-"

Lieutenant Smith hid his mischievous smile, as he purposely bumped into Director Galloway, while adjusting the straps to his own parachute.

"Wait a minute. Wait a minute." Galloway looked over his shoulder, trying to study the lieutenant behind him. Attempting to regain balance, once his narrow gaze returned to Lennox. "You're behind this, aren't you?"

Of course. You continued to try and keep your breathing even and steady. You knew Lennox would come up with a plan, and he did. He's got everything under control-

"What are you talking about?" Lennox confused yet concerned expression met Galloways glare. "You heard the pilot. These guys don't mess around. This is just standard procedure. I'm just following orders to the latter. Isn't that what you said?"

"You just signed a death warrant on your career, Major!-"

A thunderous groan echoed throughout the aircraft, sending a violent vibration throughout the C-17's shuddering frame.

Your pounding heart begun to pick up it's peace. W-What... was that...?

"That's... not good." Lennox low tone muttered, nervously looking around the cargo hold. "Quickly! Come on!"

As the plane suddenly dipped to the left, your stomach lurched as the metal hull let out a groaning creak, reverberating through the cargo hold. The wind howled past your ears, as the large cargo doors fully opened. Allowing Lennox to drag Director Galloway close to the edge, as the government director continuously protested.

Lieutenant Smith quickly grabbed onto the nearest support, steadying himself, when he saw a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye. His surprised gaze widening as you slipped out from under the row of seats in front of him.

Instincts kicking in, the world slowed to a razor-focused clarity. Smith lunged forward, one hand reaching out for you as you rolled across the metal floor. Your fingers desperately scrambling for something to hold on to. Just as you were almost out of reach, the lieutenant's hand grasped your arm in a tight, unyielding grip.

Eyes locked. Yours wide with panic. His jaw clenched as he held onto you with everything he had, anchoring you in place. The plane shuddered around the pair of you. Smith tucked you close against his chest, shielding you from the gusts of wind that rattled the plane.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He demanded, though a hint of relief softened his tone as he met your gaze.

But you simply gave him a weak smile. "Didn't expect to have a bumpy flight-"

Lieutenant Smith shook his head, while allowing you to take a small step away from him. Gently placing a hand upon your shoulder to steady you for a moment, "do you know how reckless and insane of an idea this is? Lennox is gonna lose his shit!-"

"Thought you said I was among family now." You held out a relaxed fist, meeting Smith's eyes with a soft gaze. "Nobody goes through things alone when you're among family. Right?"

A small, lighthearted scoff escaped the lieutenant, his fist softly bumping against yours. "You're lucky I was here to catch you, kid. Grab a spare chute and stay close. We're not losing anyone today." Now I know why you vaguely apologized before...

The wind roared through Lennox's ears, as he pulled Galloway closer to the opening. Ignoring the director's continuous protesting, as Galloway clung onto the major. His nervous gaze flickering towards the ground miles below, seeing the hazy outline of the earth through the clouds. A vast expanse stretching out beneath them.

"Why aren't you wearing your chute?-"

"Because I have to secure the VIPs first." Lennox shouted over the roaring wind. Knowing fair well that the director could barely hear, "okay, I want you to listen very carefully and memorize everything that I say. Each chute has a GPS tracker so you can be found by Search and Rescue. Right next to that's a fabric webbing called a bridle, which holds the pin that keeps the main container closed."

Galloway looked down at himself, as Lennox pointed to various sections of the parachute and its straps. The director's confused expression growing more puzzled by the minute. Only catching small sections of the major's explanation.

"When the pilot chute inflates into the air, it pulls the pin and opens the main. Red's your backup. Blue's your primary. I want you to pull the blue! I need you to pull it really hard!" Lennox rolled his eyes, as Galloway prematurely followed his instructions. "Not now, we're still on the plane, you dumb-ass!"

The parachute opened and immedictly filled up with air, causing Galloway to harshly be blown off the plane and gradually float towards the ground below.

"He didn't even say goodbye." Lennox chuckled, approaching Lieutenant Smith. As the plane leveled out, the groaning and creaking of it's frame easing slightly. "That's one problem taken care of."

"Only for us to gain another." Smith gave his major a disbelieving smile. "We pick picked up a stowaway."

Lennox's eyes widened as you came into view, adjusting the straps of your parachute. "Valkyrie?!"

You flashed him a weak smile, shoulders shrugging slightly. "We both know you wouldn't let me come. Even if I did ask nicely-"

"For fucks sake! You had direct orders!" his stern and disapproving glare narrowed onto you. "This is by far! The most stupid and insane thing you've ever done!"

"Actually... this is the second most stupid and insane thing I've ever done. The first was dragging your injured ass through a landmine back in Iraq."

Placing his hands on his hips, a heavy sigh escaped him. Lennox ran his fingers through his short locks. A disbelief expression flashing across his features, as you handed him his chute. Rolling his eyes, while you smiled at him, giving him a mocking salute and quickly following the lead of his team.

Lennox gave Smith a side glance, while the lieutenant chuckled. "Great medic and a loyal soldier... but by God, is she a pain in the fucking ass..."

---

Ratchet let out a muffled 'oof' as you accidentally land right on top of him, the parachute following shortly after covering the pair of you. A low groan escapes the Autobot, blinking multiple times attempting to clear his vision.

Valkyrie?!

Optics widening in surprise. His servo instinctively resting upon your hips, as you knelt against his chassis, detangling yourself from the chute's strings while removing the parachute from your back.

"Y-You're... You're not supposed to be here..." Ratchet's words came out quieter than he intended. Nerves and annoyance pulsed throughout his inner circuits, yet his gaze remained soft but filled with worry. The pad of his thumb slowly rubbing in slow, circular motion against your hip. "You can't-"

"I told you." His spark thumped against its chamber, sending subtle vibrations against you. As your feathered touch caressed his plating just above his spark chamber. "I'm not going anywhere. And you should know... that your intern is always careful."

A heavy sigh escapes him. The pad of his index digit upon his free servo, lightly brushing against your hand which rested upon his chassis. "You and I have very different definitions of 'careful.'"

For a moment, beneath the parachute which tented over the pair of you. Everything seemed to... slow to a more intimate pace. The soft sunlight creating a comfortable, warming glow. Your heartbeat fluttering as your eyes met Ratchet's studious gaze, the Autobot's soft optics roamed over your frame. Worry flickering within them, while confirming to himself that you wasn't injured.

His breath hitched slightly, as your free hand rest against his cheek. Feeling the subtle warmth that rose to the surface of his faceplates. Finally allowing himself to smile, Ratchet gently nuzzled into your palm, letting out a low hum before speaking, his voice low and almost tender. "You're... infuriating sometimes, you know that?"

A small tug teased the corner of your lips. "Y'know, you wouldn't want me any other way."

The yellow Autobot swallowed thickly, noticing the silent question which flickered within your eyes. He knew what you were thinking about, and he'd be lying if that moment between you two wasn't playing on repeat within his processor. How even now, his spark yearned to reach out and pulse against your heart, like before.

"Don't... look at me like that."

You softly bit your lip in thought. "Ratchet... I-I... I need to know-"

"Let's move it!" Lennox's voice interrupted, watching his N.E.S.T team and the remaining Autobots get into position. His gaze studying the nearby Egyptian temple, which the desert sands has claimed parts of the ruins long ago. "Remember to look out for Sam Witwicky! He's friendly!"

Ratchet lets out a slightly annoyed huff. Disappointment flickered within his optics, as you carefully climbed off him. Shoving the parachute aside, exposing the pair of you to the summer sun. Damnit, of all the times too...

You gave the Autobot one final look. If... only he'd just tell me...

Optimus' body slowly floated towards the centre of the temple. His still body stretching across the sands of the open courtyard.

"Cover Optimus!" a nearby soldier ordered, as his team mates used their parachutes to cover Prime. Obscuring anyone and anythings view from above.

"Secure the temple." Lennox shouted, pointing in various directions as his team fanned out. "Get those cases down here. I need snipers and Stingers up high!"

Taking position behind a stone wall, resting his assault-rifle upon the top. Lieutenant Smith's voice remained calm, but firm as he looked through his scope, scanning the surround area. "So, we just dropped off ten tons of dead robot in the middle of nowhere? I hope this kid knows what he's doing."

A heavy sigh left Lennox, his concerned gaze briefly falling on you as you took position next to Smith. Keeping your tactical medgear within arms reach, while mimicking the lieutenant's silhouette with your weapon of choice. "Yeah... me too..."

Snipers and Stingers casually roamed the high walls of the temple, while some scouts checked in through the radio every so often. Beads of sweat formed upon your brow, as the harsh sun beamed down.

"Got a visual!" one of the snipers declared. Finally killing the still, uncomfortable silence which stretched on for eternity. "Yellow team! Four clicks!"

"Pop flare!-"

The sound of a jets engine roared through the skies, cutting of Lennox and drawing the attention of him and his N.E.S.T team.

"That thing's got alien tattoos all over it." You warned, studying the mysterious jet through your binoculars. "Ain't Air Force, Lennox."

Static suddenly echoed throughout your coms and radios. Causing Lennox and his team to erupt in guesses and questions.

Your eyes widened behind the binocular lense, catching a glimpse of a familiar marking upon the aircraft. "It's Starscream-"

"Bastard used an EMP burst." Ironhide growled, keeping an watchful eye upon the Decepticon Seeker.

"I see how this day is going in this God-forsaken desert!" Frustration begun to build in Lieutenant Smith's words, as the desert heat slowly chipped away at his patience.

Half An Hour Later

"Nothing..."

"Right..." A heavy sigh escaped Lennox as he brushed the sweat off his brow. "Go burn a SOS. Let the eye in the sky know we need some help. Pop some more flares so the kid can find us."

Standing within the shade of the old ruins, yet the heat of the sun didn't ease as you gazed out at the desert horizon. A small knot twisted your stomach, strange tingles bounced in your fingers and toes. Like how one would experience pins and needles.

"We... should come up with a Plan B. What if your... 'old ally' is wrong? Or mistaken somehow?" You whispered to Lennox. "Plus, if we ignite anymore flares. There's a risk of exposing ourselves to the enemy-"

"We've got incoming!" one of the snipers warned. "We've got a whole lot of fight coming our way!"

The knot in your stomach took a sickening turn. All eyes widening as seven to eight meteors crashed into the sand-dunes roughly a mile away. Your breath catching in your throat, as multiple imposing Decepticons rolled out to their full height.

"How many?-"

"About thirteen of them-"

"And what did the girl just say?!" Lieutenant Smith's frustrated tone shouted. Following yours and Lennox's lead, as you took up positions closer the temple's entrance. "This ain't good... This ain't good. We're about to get our assess whooped!-"

"All right, those Decepticons are searching for Sam! Whatever he has, he thinks it'll bring Optimus back to life." Lennox's authoritative tone held more encouragement than his lieutenant's. "So our mission is to find him, and get him to Optimus! We're gonna draw fire from the left flank. I need a scout team-"

"I'm leading." Ironhide spoke with a cocky smile. Withdrawing and clocking his cannons as they whirled to life. "Locked and loaded."

"Ironhide's team! Go up through the middle of the temple's entrance! When you see the precious cargo, I want you to pop green smoke and and come back through those pillars!" Lennox pointed to a row of decorative pillars upon the right, perfectly lining up with an arched entrance of the court yard. "Valkyrie. Ratchet. I need you here to hold the fort, while Sideswipe and I set up the ambush. All right! Let's go! Move out!"

---

Gunfire filled the air, engulfing the temple and nearby Egyptian ruins in a thick blanket of chaos. The stone pillars, weathered by centuries yet proud in their standing, lined the ruined path, began to crack and crumble, sending clouds of dust spiraling into the air.

"Fall back! Fall back!" Sideswipe called out to the soldiers of his small quadrant. Using his body to shield them, as the rattle of gunfire intensified as bullets peppered the ruins and desert sands.

With every strike, pieces of sandstone and intricate carvings dislodged, tumbling down the sand-dunes below.

"Ironhide! Up the middle!" the major called out, running down the worn down sandstone path, which the decorative pillars lined upon each side. "Ironhide! Move it!-"

"Go! Go!" Lieutenant Smith lightly smacked the side of Ironhide's altmode. Climbing into the trailer with his comrades, just before the Autobot sped back up the sandstone path towards the main courtyard.

Several snipers and Stingers clung to the edges of the high walls, struggling to find cover as pieces of the carved arches and statues crumbled around them. Their shouts filled the air, blending with the roar of machine-guns and the desperate clanging of debris.

"Move to cover!" Lennox shouted. Providing his comrades cover-fire, as they huddled together behind walls and archways within the courtyard. Unfortunately offering no clear escape from the onslaught, or the harsh desert sun.

Dust and smoke billowed around you, thickening with each burst of gunfire, eyes wide as realization begun to sink in. You and N.E.S.T were trapped.

Pinned between the temple walls and the advancing Decepticon force that seemed relentless, unstoppable.

---

"Spotted Sam!" Lieutenant Smith called out. Alerting his team whom scouted the outskirts of the ruins. "Sam!"

Peering behind a carved statue, Sam scanned the area while Mikayla huddled behind him. A smile of relief lit up the young adult's features, as he caught glimpse of a faminular gun-metal pickup truck. "Ironhide!"

"Sam!" Smith held out his hand, as the couple ran towards him. While his comrades provided cover-fire. "Get in! We'll take you to Optimus!"

---

"Get these men into cover!" you firmly spoke. Assisting Ratchet's squadron pull their injured comrades out of enemy fire, while the Autobot medic provided cover fire. "Move them into the temple! It's our best shelter!"

Quickly kneeling beside a soldier whose leg was twisted at a harsh angle. Your hands moved with practiced precision, applying a tourniquet, flashing the injured soldier a comforting smile. "Stay with me, Corporal. We're going to get you out of here-"

"Sweet Spark! Move!" Ratchet quickly crouched over you, as a portion of the temple wall groaned in protest due to another explosion.

Meeting the Autobot's gaze, your heart fluttered in time with his spark as you both realized the words that escaped him. Ratchet...?

Another section of wall gave way, a torrent of sand and debris raining down upon Ratchet's back, forcing you and nearby N.E.S.T comrades to shield their faces.

Then, the ground trembled.

The heavy thud of tank treads pounded against the ground, a rhythmic, unstoppable force that reverberated through the ancient stones of the ruins.

Please tell me that's what I think it is-

"We have help!" one soldier called out. Silently ordering his comrades to take the corporal to shelter, as he turned his attention back onto you. "Alpha Team, flank left!"

Not far beyond the horizon behind you, a line of Egyptian Army tanks appeared, their heavy barrels gleaming under the midday sun. Rolling forward, the monstrous machines parted the desert sands with brutal precision.

"Go... Go help them-"

"Not without you, Ratchet."

The medic flashed you a weak smile, as he raised onto his pedes. A low groan escaping him, while shrugging the sand and debris off his frame. His cannon whirling to life as he clocked it, "I'll be alright. We need to help Sam get to Prime."

"Come back to me." Your words came out more as an order, rather than a promise.

Briefly giving each other a loving smile, you both went in opposite directions. Ratchet approached Lennox, Sideswipe and their squad just outside of the temple walls. Providing much needed assist with the onslaught attack.

"This way! Over here!" you shouted, waving at the tanks and the Egyptian soldiers following on foot. "Move it!-"

Wiping the sweat off his brow, a middle-aged commander approached you. Giving a quick yet polite salute, "where do you need us, ma'am?-"

"Protect those in the line of fire-"

"You heard the lady! Let's go! Let's go!"

The tanks unleashed their heavy cannon fire, every round slamming into each one of the Deceptions fortified positions with enough force to send clouds of dust, bits of alien metal and debris into the air.

Egyptian soldiers immediately positioned themselves alongside with Lennox and his team. The commander quickly pulled you behind a small wall as a stay missile reduced the nearby statue into a pile of rubble.

As the commander positioned himself behind the wall, opening fire upon the enemy. You quickly pulled out your radio, yelling into the receiver. "Right now, we need air support. ASAP!-"

"Sam! Spotted Sam!"

Your heart immediately dropped to the pit of your stomach, fear shining in your eyes, as your wide eyed gaze spotted a waving individual in the distance. Bruises and cuts littered Sam's features, his throat sore and dry, as he yelled at the top of his lungs. His tiered and battered body attempting to shield his frightened girlfriend, Mikayla, and a heavily wounded Lieutenant Smith. As they ducked for cover behind a small, crumbling wall.

"Cover me! I need to get out there!" your words came out harsher than intended, raising your voice over the chaos. Gaining the commander's attention, "two civilians and a wounded officer is out in the open!-"

"Copy that! Two-Two covering fire! Two civilians. Twelve o'clock!"

The tanks advanced relentlessly, their turrets rotating with mechanical precision as they fired on the remaining Decepticons positions, each shot punching through the air like a battering ram. Each attack kicked up enough sand and dust to cover your moving position, quickly rolling and ducking your way to Sam.

"Look who showed up." Smith smiled through his pain, as blood trickled down the corner of his mouth. His breaths rapid and uneven as Mikayla's shaky hands applied pressure to his wounded thigh.

"You better have a good reason for us to be here!" you snapped at Sam. Immedictly approaching the lieutenant's side, studying the depth of his wound.

"The fuck?! You're supposed to stay with Ratchet!" Lennox called out to you. Quickly ducking behind the wall, avoiding gunfire from the nearby enemy. "And where's Ironhide?-"

"Holding off Megatron and his goons- ah!" Although Smith spoke through his teeth, you could see a small hint of a appreciative smile tugging his lips.

"Where's Optimus?" you could hear the panic within Sam's words.

"He's right over there, across the courtyard." Lennox briefly pointed. His studious gaze flickering over Sam and Mikayla for any injuries.

"I need to get to him-"

"Not with an air strike coming." You corrected. Ripping a section off the lieutenant's jacket and dowsting it in disinfectant, before wrapping it around Smith's wound. A subtle sigh of relief escaped you, as the bleeding upon his thigh slowed down. Thankfully all he needs is a few stitches-

"I have to get to him right now!-"

"Shut up, you two! Shut up!" Lennox hissed. Quickly placing a hand over your mouth.

A low animalistic growl, with the hint of an mechanical edge rumbled through the air. Making every hair on your body stand upon end, as every bone and muscle in your body screamed one word.

Run.

The sand barely muffled the heavy footsteps that approached your hiding spot. As Lennox, Sam and Mikayla pulled you and Smith closer to the wall, you saw fear flash across their eyes. Holding their breaths as a familiar warlord edged closer-

"Incoming!"

That's... not what I expected him to sound like.

Excitement and eagerness lined the unusually calm yet deep tone. Centuries of hidden wisdom softened the voice's words.

Who the hell? Lennox's curious gaze peered over the crumbling wall. His hand slipping from your mouth, as scoff escaped his lips. I don't believe it-

"Stick the landing- oof!"

Clumsily rolling out of their, Cold War 'Blackbird' fighter jet. Clashing into a nearby Decepticon and knocking them away from your hiding spot. Raising to his full height, the elderly Transformer smirked, as his optics flickered towards his bewildered comrade beneath his ped.

"Behold the glory of Jetfire!"

You and the others quickly covered your ears, as a deep resonant sound like a low, metallic moan of protest joined the chaotic air. The metal surface of the Decepticon's arm buckled under pressure, forming ridges and ripples where the smooth finish once gleamed.

A victorious smile framed Jetfire's face plate, his pressure upon his foe's limb deliberate and relentless, forcing the Decepticon's frame and inner circuits to yield in unnatural ways.

"Now let me show you how we brought the pain in my day!"

As he twisted further, the metal let out a sharp, piercing creaks, each sound echoing like a cry of defiance, while his former comrade screamed in pain.

"Jet! Look out!" Lennox called out.

Heeding the major's warning, Jetfire quickly grabbed his opponent's free arm. Almost stopping their drill from running him completely through, while he stomped upon their helm. The satisfying sound of crunching metal and sparked wires coming to his audio receptors.

"I'm too old for this crap!"

Tag List

@junebugessentials @genarf @overlyexcitedoutlaw @glamrock-kitten

[my-pjo-stuff]

So, has anyone ever noticed that Luke only really seems to have done really BIG things personally when Percy was around (as in, at Camp)? Which was like, a pretty small amount of time all things considered? Now I know that logically that's only because Luke is the antagonist and Percy is the protagonist, and as such Luke has to make his moves when the protag is around for the story to function.

That's boring though so here's my personal headcanon of why that is:

Luke was just- chronically overworked to the point of just not having the TIME to deal with shit personally most of the time.

Like genuinly do you all know what sort of WORK goes into forming and sustaining armies like that? Resources, supply lines, allies, logistics, strategy- that all needs to be handled and organized! And we all know for sure Kronos wasn't the one dealing with that, and certainly no monster either. So who does this leave? RIGHT, our favorite little depressed big brother figure Luke. You think that Percy and co. are Luke's main problem? HA, he wished. Luke during every one of his appearances post TLT is just high of his ass on caffeine with a mountain of paperwork on his desk waiting for him. Sorry Lord Kronos I can't do anything against camp right now, I need to do the paperwork for the supply line proposals and then I have a meeting with our strategists to plan for our assaults.

The reason he's so downright evil in SOM? He just came out of a HORRID four-hour meeting trying to figure out how to make functioning communications work while also attempting to smooth over the bureaucracy of a functioning chain of command.

Alabaster has seen him eating raw coffee beans on multiple occasions, no one questions it anymore at this point.

We all thank Silena for managing to hide those grand canyon eyebags the guy has with make up.

Chris SWEARS that he saw Luke chugging three packs of monster energy before suddenly passing out and flatlining for a good minute and getting up and about like nothing happened seconds later. Luke's health is a minefield, the guy doesn't even know where he is half the time on the Princess Andromeda. How hasn't he died of exhaustion yet? No one knows.

Leading theory is that he lives off of spite.

[bihanslefttitty]

Bi-Han discourse.

When I had the old blog, I used to be very passionate about Bi-Han as a character, how he behaved, his role as a political leader and military rank eminence. With the handling the creators have given Bi-Han, I just can't find myself in the place to say anything else than they have just fumbled something with the potential to be incredibly interesting. Wether you hate him or love him, he is a character that evokes thought and arguments. But even being baptized in Khaos, being given a different destiny, the mantle of Sub Zero vacant... It was done in such a sloppy way my brain can't seem to find the time to care about what's next, except now. Months from the last time I posted something on the MK community, enough to probably no one knowing what I mean by other posts.

I think, him being nuanced and ambitious is a key part to understand him as a man, as an ally and as an enemy. Sometimes, I put him on the same spectrum as Havik and Shang Tsung when I think about resentment and opression over different things. Bi-Han resents being unable to not choose a destiny and the rules the game is going to be played, Havik resents being bound and forced into an order which makes him want to destroy as he sees fit for freedom, for Shang Tsung, it's the fact that something was taken off him and he was sent to live an specific life.

Bi-Han has been performing his duties for years, dissatisfied of it. Thinking over and over again of how an external force like Lord Liu Kang has so much power over them, yet no ambition. He's forced into idleness and he probably grew studying about men that would get honor and glory with their expansion and military conquests. I'm not sure how Outworld works in terms of conquest, but I imagine him envious of that. The thrill of earning something by himself, for himself and for his people. He's not afraid to share it, and likes when people he loves understand him. On the other side, he detests people that hold him back, and knowing sometimes they are, he prefers to protect his relationships, people´s loyalty and allies by lying or omitting information. He's not good, he's not bad either. He is a prideful man that will refuse to put his family in jeopardy unless it's necessary or after he has fulfilled his objective.

Someone so carefully planning. Someone who would hide and lie about the death of his father, a man that prioritizes earning his medals by merit and prideful kombat. Someone who praises his enemies and adores, no, lives for a challenge... I find it so disrespectful to Bi-Han to make him attack a wedding undercover. Because, yes, he lies. Yes he manipulates his people. But there is a consistent detail on him as a man. He likes respect. He will fight as a Lin Kuei warrior, make prideful remarks of the clan he leads, adore when adressed as Grandmaster (It only took Shang Tsung to adress him with respect). I think, even filled with bile against Kuai Liang, he would find him and engage in kombat with him. He is Bi-Han.

... Literally a man that jumped through a portal leading to his death to fight against a god. So if it is because of uneven odds... Bi-Han confronts people.

And he knows when damage has been done to him. Which leads me to the point in which he attacks Liu Kang and basically they nerf him... uh,,,,,,,,, Yeah super fucking disrespectful shit from the writers. Not only disrespectful with Bi-Han, but with Liu Kang as well. And the shift towards his controlling attitude is not even addressed by anyone other than the villain and maybe some Tomas's dialogue.

Either way, Bi-Han has been trashed enough. I love him as a character. I don't have anything else to say

[callsign-rogueone]

fireproof - b.s.

cadet!Brennan Sorrengail x cadet!reader (young Brennan and Duchess!) words: 1.4k 🏷: no book spoilers because this happens before the events of fourth wing hehe. more of bb bren and bb duchess. set soon after the events of allies, so read that first! near-death situation / mortal peril, but no actual injury happens. I promise these two will communicate their feelings soon lol

You come to a stop in front of Brennan’s door, heart pounding. You hadn’t thought about this part, and you’re not sure what to do; you don’t want to knock, don’t want to wake up any of the other cadets -- it’s still very much four in the morning, and you’re not supposed to be out of your room.

You’re not supposed to be talking to a second dragon, either, but here you are.

Brennan pulls the door open, sparing you the decision -- Marbh must have woken him up. He’s quick to usher you inside, scanning you for injury. 

“This is going to sound absolutely insane,” you breathe, “but Marbh is in my head right now.”

He blinks the sleep from his eyes, still not fully awake. “What?”

“Marbh is talking to me. I have no idea why or how, and for some reason, I can’t reach Ban to ask.”

You both hear the orange daggertail’s response at once. “She is otherwise occupied, so she sent me.”

“That’s not vague at all,” Brennan says aloud, exasperated.

“If you must know, she is defending herself to the Empyrean right now.”

Your eyes widen. “The dragon council? Why?”

“That is for her to explain to you.”

Brennan notices you’re fully dressed, your longsword sheathed across your back and a thick cloak covering your shoulders. “If you’re going to find her, I’m coming too.”

He turns to open the closet, digging through it for a clean pair of flight leathers.

Your eyes catch the dark orange of the relic spanning his back, your cheeks warming as you realize he isn’t wearing a shirt. You whirl around, averting your eyes, but the sight is already burned into your brain.

You’d never realized how toned he is.

Focus, you tell yourself, shaking the thought from your head. Ban could be in mortal danger right now. 

“Ready,” Brennan says, shouldering his sword.

It’s absolutely freezing out, still the thick of winter, though there’s been a break in the snow this week, so you don’t need to worry about leaving footprints as you cross the courtyard.

Brennan leads the way, taking a shortcut through a door you’ve never even noticed before. 

Making it out of the fortress is the easy part. You step into the wet grass, and you realize you have no idea where to go.

“Marbh?” 

Silence. Literal crickets. Great.

You gather the slack of the black string connecting you to Ban and pull gently, seeing where it leads. Northeast, to the flight field and the vale. You make the climb silently, worried that if you speak, you’ll somehow alert whoever is threatening Ban to your presence, or that you won’t hear them coming.

You’ve never been out here, never been allowed to -- you still aren’t, and you probably never will be, but you push the thought aside as you continue. It’s surprisingly deserted out here, which is as equally concerning as it is relieving.

It’s so dark out that you almost mistake the orange daggertail ahead of you for Marbh. Almost. 

Marbh isn’t missing an eye; this is Melgren’s dragon, Solas.

His jaws open, and you know there’s no time to run, to fight, to beg for your life.

You yank Brennan behind you, praying to whatever gods will answer that your body will be enough to shield him from the fire.

It is.

You hear the roar, feel the heat, see the grass on either side of you catch, but you’re protected by an invisible wall that extends from your outstretched hands, keeping back the flame.

You plant your feet, fighting to stay upright and to keep doing whatever this is. It feels like you’re pushing a thousand pounds uphill, but if you stop, if you falter for even a second, or it will cost both you and Brennan your lives.

The blast stops, leaving a wall of flickering orange fire in front of you that fades after a split second.

You nearly collapse as you step backward. You’re exhausted, soaked in sweat and overheated despite the chill of the night air, your heart pounding and lungs burning like you’ve been running for miles.

Brennan holds you up, undoing the clasp of your cloak to help cool you off.

The ground shakes with the landing of multiple dragons. If they’re as mad as Solas is, you’re absolutely cooked. You have no idea how to do that again, or if you even can.

You want to tell him how sorry you are that you’d dragged him into this, that you shouldn’t have knocked on his door to tell him, you should have just gone alone, that when you die together, you'll spend the rest of your afterlife making it up to him, that your biggest regret in life will be not telling him how you felt about him, that you--

“Sorry I’m late, noble one.”

You whip your head up to see a black leg next to you. Ban. She’s brought company — Marbh, and a giant brown swordtail that you’ve never seen before. Brennan’s eyes widen in shock, but he stays silent, his arms still wrapped around you.

Marbh does not greet you, instead stalking past you toward the other orange dragon and baring his teeth in warning.

Oh, gods, are they going to fight? If Solas kills Marbh, it’ll kill Brennan too.

The brown steps forward, cutting Marbh off and stepping dangerously close to Solas. They lock eyes for a moment, and Solas backs up, but the other takes a step forward, forcing him to retreat. Solas quits while he’s behind, taking flight and disappearing over the ridge.

The brown dragon looks back at you, satisfied with his work.

“Thank you,” you whisper to him, still terrified. If he could scare off Solas, he must be even nastier — or he must have said something to him that made a difference.

He nods his head at you in acknowledgment before he takes off.

The sun is starting to rise over the mountains, casting the scorched ground in gold. 

Brennan’s hands are on you instantly, checking you over for injury, but you’re more focused on the perfect half-circle of green grass beneath you that hadn’t been burned.

“You’re a fire wielder,” Ban answers, sensing your confusion. 

You breathe a sigh of relief. Finally.

It had taken Brennan just over two weeks to discover that he was a mender, the rest of your class following suit quickly. You're the only first-year who is yet to attend Professor Carr’s lectures. 

You were beginning to think you might not have been going to get a signet at all.

“We never doubted you for a second,” another voice purrs -- not Ban or Marbh.

You startle. “What?”

A different one replies, a gruff male who sounds absolutely terrifying. “We’ve been watching you with great interest. I now understand what she saw in you on conscription day.”

This has to be a dream. There’s no way that four dragons are in your head right now.

“You’ll get used to it,” yet another adds. Five? 

“How many of you are there?” you ask aloud, eyes widening.

Another answers. “A dozen, for now. I am sure that many others will come to accept you in time.”

“Accept me? What?”

“As a human ambassador,” Marbh replies, as if it’s obvious. “We haven’t had one in nearly a century. It was about time.”

You notice a new string now sits beside the one you share with Ban, multiple threads of different colors twisted together into a thick rope.

You laugh in shock, processing. “But why me?”

“Because of this,” Brennan says softly, touching your forehead, “and this,” he rests his fingertips against your chest, keeping them there.

Your eyes meet, and you feel that magnetism you’d felt the day he’d first spoken to you. Your heart races under his hand.

“The boy is correct. You are the first in two human generations with this deep of a respect for our kind.”

You’re still looking at Brennan. You bring a hand up to grasp his, completely forgetting about the soot coating your fingers. It smears against his skin, leaving streaks of black across his knuckles, but neither of you seem to mind.

“Now would be an excellent time,” Ban prods.

You part your lips, working up the courage, but someone else speaks first; a human, that Brennan hears too, and the both of you freeze, turning toward the voice.

“Of all the students that I’d think to find sneaking out, you two were certainly not on the list.”

Professor Kaori. He looks thoroughly unamused, eyeing the four of you and the burned patches on the ground with suspicion.

Brennan looks back to you, and you nod in permission — there’s no lying your way out of this, not when the whole riot will know of the night’s events in a matter of minutes.

“You’re gonna want to hear her out, Professor.”

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Jack Ohman, Tribune Content Agency

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

October 7, 2024 (Monday)

People in Florida are evacuating before Hurricane Milton is expected to hit the state’s Gulf Coast on Wednesday evening, bringing tornadoes, high winds, a dramatic storm surge, and upwards of 15 inches of rain. Milton grew from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in a little over a day, fed by water in the Gulf of Mexico that climate change has pushed in some places to 4 degrees Fahrenheit (2.2 degrees Celsius) higher than normal. Veteran Florida meteorologist and hurricane specialist John Morales choked up as he called it “horrific.”

President Joe Biden has approved an emergency declaration for Florida, enabling the federal government to move supplies in ahead of the storm’s arrival, but the state’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, has refused to take a call from Vice President Kamala Harris about planning for the storm. When asked about DeSantis’s refusal at today’s White House press briefing, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre noted that the president and vice president have reached out to give support to the people of Florida.

As for DeSantis, “It’s up to him if he wants to respond to us or not. But what we're doing is we’re working with state and local officials to make sure that we are pre-positioned to make sure that we are ready to be there for the communities that are going to be impacted. We are doing the job… to protect the communities and to make sure that they have everything that is needed." When asked about DeSantis’s snub, Harris answered: “It’s just utterly irresponsible, and it is selfish, and it is about political gamesmanship instead of doing the job that you took an oath to do, which is to put the people first.”

Before this year, Florida had goals of moving toward clean energy, but in May 2024, DeSantis signed a law to restructure the state’s energy policy so that addressing climate change would no longer be a priority. The law deleted any mention of climate change in state laws. Saying that “Florida rejects the designs of the left to weaken our energy grid, pursue a radical climate agenda, and promote foreign adversaries,” the governor posted a graphic on X that said the law would “INSULATE FLORIDA FROM GREEN ZEALOTS….”

Like DeSantis, Trump and Project 2025, a playbook for the next Republican administration, authored by allies of the right-wing Heritage Foundation and closely associated with Trump and Republican vice presidential candidate Ohio senator J.D. Vance, take the position that concerns about climate change are overblown. Project 2025 says the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, whose duties include issuing hurricane warnings, is “one of the main drivers of the climate change alarm industry and, as such, is harmful to future U.S. prosperity.” It calls for either eliminating its functions, sending them to other agencies, privatizing them, or putting them under the control of states and territories.

The U.S. Supreme Court came back in session today in Washington, D.C. It has decided not to hear arguments about whether the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTLA) overrules Texas’s state abortion ban. EMTLA requires that hospitals provide emergency abortion care to save a woman’s life or stop organ failure or loss of fertility. Texas’s ban remains in place.

As legal analyst Joyce White Vance commented: “At least no one can pretend we don’t understand the consequences for women, & others, of putting appointments to the Court back in [Republican] control.”

The Georgia Supreme Court today reinstated the state’s six-week abortion ban after Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, appointed in 2012 by Republican governor Nathan Deal, decided last week that the law violates Georgia’s Constitution. In his decision, McBurney wrote that “liberty in Georgia includes in its meaning, in its protections, and in its bundle of rights the power of a woman to control her own body, to decide what happens to it and in it, and to reject state interference with her healthcare choices.”

McBurney’s decision came shortly after a state investigation revealed that at least two women in Georgia died after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision struck down the abortion protections the court put in place in 1973 with Roe v. Wade. In anticipation of an end to Roe, Georgia governor Brian Kemp in 2019 signed a six-week abortion ban prohibiting the procedure before most women know they’re pregnant. The Dobbs decision allowed that law to go into effect.

The Georgia Supreme Court stayed McBurney’s decision during the state’s appeal of it. Chris Geidner of Law Dork noted that the court did leave in place McBurney’s block on the law’s provision that district attorneys can have access to “health records” where an abortion is performed or where someone who received an abortion lives.

In her attempt to reach new audiences, Vice President Harris sat down for an interview with Alex Cooper of the Call Her Daddy podcast to talk about women’s issues. Call Her Daddy is the second most popular podcast in the country, reaching as many as 2 million downloads per episode. According to NPR’s Elena Moore, Call Her Daddy’s audience is 70% women, 93% under 45.

Cooper began the interview by acknowledging that she does not usually talk about politics, but “at the end of the day, I couldn’t see a world in which one of the main conversations in this election is women and I’m not a part of it…. I am so aware I have a very mixed audience when it comes to politics, so please hear me when I say [that] my goal today is not to change your political affiliation. What I’m hoping is that you’re able to listen to a conversation that isn’t too different from the ones that we’re having here every week.” Cooper said she had also reached out to Trump, adding: “If he also wants to have a meaningful, in-depth conversation about women’s rights in this country, then he is welcome on Call Her Daddy any time.”

On the podcast, Cooper and Harris talked about the prevalence of sexual assault before addressing abortion. When Cooper quoted Trump’s promise to protect women, Harris noted that he was the one who appointed the three extremists to the Supreme Court that overturned Roe v. Wade and that 20 states now have abortion bans, some with no exceptions for rape or incest. Harris pointed out that the majority of women who receive abortion care are mothers and that every state in the South except for Virginia has an abortion ban. For a woman in those states—and one out of every three American women lives in one—the journey is expensive, hard, and traumatic.

“You don’t have to abandon your faith or deeply held beliefs to agree the government shouldn’t be telling her what to do,” Harris said. “And that’s what’s so outrageous about it, is a bunch of these guys up in these state capitals are writing these decisions because they somehow have decided that they’re in a better position to tell you what’s in your best interest than you are to know what’s in your own best interest. It’s outrageous.” Harris pointed out that she is the first vice president or president to go to a reproductive health care clinic, and she noted that those clinics perform Pap smears, breast cancer screening, and HIV testing and that they are having to close because of the abortion bans. She noted, though, that since Dobbs, people across the country have chosen to protect abortion rights.

The article in the right-wing National Review about the interview was titled: “Kamala Goes on Sex Podcast to Lie about Georgia Abortion Law.”

On Call Her Daddy, Harris also brought her economic plans for an “opportunity economy” to a younger audience. When Cooper asked her how she was going to help young people “not feel left behind,” Harris agreed it is “a very real issue and we need to take it seriously.” She promised to address housing costs by increasing the housing supply, working with home builders in the private sector to build three million new housing units by the end of her first term; help with $25,000 downpayment assistance for first-time homebuyers; and enact tax cuts for 100 million middle-class working people, including a $6,000 tax credit for new parents to help them afford the costs of a child’s first year.

The Committee for a Responsible Budget noted today that a moderate reading of Harris’s economic plans suggest they would increase the U.S. debt by about $3.5 trillion through 2035. A similar examination of Trump’s plans says they would increase the debt by $7.5 trillion.

Meanwhile, today, Trump openly embraced the race science favored by Nazis. In a scattered call to right-wing host Hugh Hewitt’s show, Trump called Harris a communist and lied—again—that she has let 13,000 murderers into the country. And then he claimed that murder is in a person’s genes, and “we got a lot of bad genes in our country right now.” He has also noted that “it would be very dangerous” for anyone to admit they were voting for Kamala Harris at one of his rallies because they would “get hurt.”

Hurricane Milton spurred meteorologist John Morales to step forward to take a stand, sharing his thoughts after Hurricane Helene hit. “Something’s shifted,” he wrote. “And it’s not just the climate.” He noted that with Helene on the way, “I did what I’ve done during my entire 40 year career—I tried to warn people. Except that the warning was not well received by everyone. A person accused me of being a ‘climate militant,’ a suggestion that I’m embellishing extreme weather threats to drive an agenda. Another simply said that my predictions were ‘an exaggeration.’

“But it wasn’t an exaggeration,” he wrote.

“For decades I had felt in control. Not in control of the weather, of course. But in control of the message that, if my audience was prepared and well informed, I could confidently guide them through any weather threat, and we’d all make it through safely…. But no one can hide from the truth. Extreme weather events, including hurricanes, are becoming more extreme. I must communicate the growing threats from the climate crisis come hell or high water—pun intended.”

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[pudding-parade]

Sorry, but I have to get political on all your asses, at least those of you who live in the US. It will be a one-time thing on this subject, the only thing that I will say here about the election before it happens. And yeah, I'm going to say this on a blog devoted to a stupid video game. Why? Because I know that I have younger American people who follow me here, and if y'all are like some of the younger people I've talked to in real life and online in other venues, I have concerns. So I'm going to say all this as an old-ass, progressive American. Because if I can wake up one apathetic mind out there, it will be worth it. And if you're pissed at me for making a single political post at this important juncture, then fuck off and unfollow me or send me nasty messages or whatever you want to do. I don't care. And I'm not cutting this, either.

My dear followers: Donald Trump cannot -- CANNOT -- become president again.

Late last night, Trump posted on his Truth Social account a video containing language and images reminiscent of the World War era. It was about his fantasies of what America would be like, should he win the general election in about five months. It contained suspicious imagery and phrases like "creating a unified Reich." Does that sort of language sound familiar? Especially when combined with his rhetoric about immigrants being "vermin" that "poison the blood of our country?" Ring any bells? I'm sure it does for any German folks who might read this.

Trump's post was only taken down about 12 hours later, after backlash over it, and then Trump claimed that a "low level staffer" posted it, not him. Which is either a lie OR he was lying when he said previously that only he and his campaign's communications director have or will ever have access to that account. If you want more info about this, here's a short video from Jesse Dollemore, an independent commentator:

This election isn't about liberal/progressive vs. conservative. It truly doesn't matter what your personal ideology is because this election is about saving democracy. This is about preserving your freedoms, because we won't be able to do anything about any other issue, whatever our individual ideologies and pet issues are, if our basic freedoms upon which this country was founded -- freedom of speech and to protest, freedom of (and from) religion, freedom of the press -- are chipped away until they are gone. Because that's what autocrats do. They want freedom only for themselves, and Donald Trump and his cronies and hangers-on are all autocrat wannabes.

And if you -- Yes, you, even if you're sitting in the middle of blood-red state -- don't vote for Joe Biden, you will be doing your part to hand the autocrats what they want, because a non-vote or a vote for anyone other than Biden is in fact a vote for Trump and autocracy. Similarly, you must also vote for Democrats for all other positions, local, state, and federal so that America's overt flirtation with autocracy that's been going on since at least the 1990s might finally end once and for all.

Yes, yes, I know: "But Genocide Joe!" Think about it: Do you seriously think that Trump, who licks Netanyahu's asshole because he sees him as the kind of "strong man" that Trump wants to be, is going to help Gaza? Or that he'll go against Putin and continue aid to Ukraine? Because if you think that he will do either of those things, I have several bridges I'd like to sell you. No, Trump is going to "put America first." He says it all the time, and what he means by that is that he will do nothing except whatever it takes to keep himself and his cronies in power while also isolating America by severing ties to our allies. Gaza will be given to Netanyahu just as Ukraine will be given to Putin, should Trump win, and he won't give a shit. In the end, Biden (and Harris, should she have to take over) will listen and help Gaza, maybe not as much as we'd like because the Middle East situation is complicated and there are no simple solutions, but a Biden-led government will certainly help more than another Trumpian government would. And Biden will definitely continue to aid Ukraine, because that situation isn't complicated at all.

And in the end, it's not really about Ukraine and Gaza, though they are of course important. It's about us. Should Trump get into the White House again, he will surround himself with people who want America to be a plutocratic and authoritarian autocracy, very similar to Putin's Russia. This is not hyperbole. This is fact. A vote for Trump -- either actual or de facto by fucking around with not voting or voting for a third party because you think it's a "protest" -- is a vote to end democracy, plain and simple, which might very well mean that you'll never be able to protest again another day.

How bad could Trump be, you ask? Who cares who is president? Well, have a look at Project 2025. It's a 900-page "playbook" for the next "conservative" administration. (In quotes because there is nothing "conservative" about these people, including Trump and his cronies; they are radicals.) It is nothing less than a plan to destroy the federal government, the Constitution, and the freedoms that it enshrines and protects, which means the end of democracy. They published a similar tome before Reagan was elected, and once he was in, Reagan followed through with a lot of it. I have no doubt that Trump would, too, given that his "Agenda 47" platform is basically the same. Here is an article that summarizes Project 2025 and details some of its directives. And here is an article from Time Magazine, of all things, where the writer of it interviewed Trump about his vision for America, should he win. The first line of the article is, "Donald Trump thinks he’s identified a crucial mistake of his first term: He was too nice." You can read the transcripts of the interviews, too, so you can rest assured that the interviewer isn't being hyperbolic.

It ain't good, folks. Part of this extreme-right agenda is ridiculously expanding the power of the executive branch so that it would no longer be checked and balanced by Congress and the Supreme Court, which effectively turns the presidency into a dictatorship. And if Biden does not win, at least some of this bullshit will come to pass, especially because Trump already has the Supreme Court in his pocket. And he'll be able to appoint more young, far-right lunatics to that, too, should he win.

I'll repeat that Trump CANNOT win. I'll be the first to say that, as a pretty extreme (but also pragmatic) progressive, I'm not Biden's biggest fan, for various reasons. He is way farther right than I am, though he has been far more progressive-friendly than I expected and he has gotten some very good things done. But even if he wasn't and hadn't, he will preserve democracy and because of that, I will be voting for him without hesitation. I won't even have to hold my nose. Trump and his cronies in Congress and the Supreme Court will destroy democracy if you -- Yes, YOU! -- let them. And if you let them by deciding not to vote or doing some sort of lame "protest" vote, especially if you live in that handful of states where every presidential vote matters, you will have no one to blame but yourself and others like you. People being apathetic or doing "protest" votes is what got us Trump the first time around.

For fuck's sake, do the right thing.

[lostdrarryfics]

Oh, hey! We're back! Happy new year ✨

Our inbox is back open and we are accepting new requests! Thank you so much for your patience.

We have also compiled the last handful of lost fic requests from 2024 that we could not locate. You can browse those below if you don't mind taking a look. Please let us know if you recognize any of these fics!

1. looking for a fic where after the war hermione and harry also receive punishment for the crimes they committed over the course of DH (unforgivables/gringotts) I don’t remember it being framed as unfair or anything and the punishment iirc wasn’t draconian or anything, to my recollection, something like probation or community service. I believe in this universe it was just the case that people on all sides were tried, not just death eaters and their ilk. I honestly can’t remember how central to the fic this detail is, it might not be super prominent/plot pertinent, just a detail that stuck out to me, but since it’s not exactly typical for how people imagine the immediate aftermath would go, I’m hoping it’s findable. It was definitely drarry, definitely on ao3, and may have been multi chapter. fic is not Make Yourself by AnyaElizabeth

2. I've got a scene stuck in my head, but I'm struggling to remember which fic it's from. Harry and Draco are having supper, and Harry is eating a lot/very quickly, I think. Draco then (very bluntly/abrubtly) tells him that he had an eating disorder in 6th year, and asks whether Harry has food issues bc of the way he's eating? From what I remember, Harry is quite taken aback and denies, says he's just not great at cooking, or something along those lines. I'm pretty sure it's just a small scene in a longer fic, so I hope that it won't be too difficult to find! I almost definitely read it on ao3.

3. It is a little fuzzy in my memory now, but I remember it was set after the war. Harry and Draco enter a maze or forest by going through a tree gateway, I think the two trees that made the gateway were the trees that their wands were made of. In the place through the gateway(i dont remember what was beyond gateway) they face hardship, get together, and their souls get bonded. At the end they escape back and a deity/goddess tells them she made them face this trial to push them together and that drarry would always be together in the end, but she wanted them together quicker because if Ginny and Harry get together first, their child becomes a dark lord. The goddess/deity wanted to prevent this from happening and now that Drarry got together and are soul bonded, Harry will not be able to have kids with someone else.

4. something happened to Bellatrix (in the DOM, I think) and she was either killed or imprisoned. As a punishment, Voldemort took Narcissa as his lover in order to humiliate Lucius. I remember a scene where Harry and Draco sneak into a Death Eater gathering and Voldemort is sitting on a throne with Narcissa in his lap, wearing a Death Eater mask.

5. Post-war drarry, definitely dark with sexual assault triggers. Harry is struggling and ends up sleeping with Draco. When Draco doesn’t follow up, it triggers some lingering trauma from Harry’s childhood (he was assaulted by the husband of one of his uncle’s friends/coworkers/cousins as a kid). I remember at one point Harry having a breakdown in his bathroom and maybe being sent to St. Mungo’s? Either Hermione or Ginny feature as well (there was a line about one of them seeing him & instantly knowing he had gotten himself into trouble). Eventually Draco finds out, but I don’t remember the ending.

6. I read this probably 10+ years ago, I believe on ff.net. Pretty sure it’s set at Hogwarts during school years, multi-chapter, and Draco is either a spy or a reluctant ally to the Order/Golden Trio. The only detail I remember clearly is that Draco has an owl (or possibly a raven or another kind of bird) named Mordred. Ron tries to argue that only an evil git would name their pet Mordred. Draco explains that he named him Mordred because Mordred also killed his father, which reveals/confirms that Draco killed Lucius, and that helps convince Harry, Ron and Hermione that Draco is on their side.

7. looking for a fic where Harry has to attend an event (I think it's an opera?? or something classy) because Hermione had already bought the ticket and she didn't want it to be wasted. So, reluctantly, Harry attended the event and accidentally met Draco there. One thing I remember, when Harry arrived at the location, he was hungry, but as far as I remember, he didn't know where to buy food (or the ticket that Hermione bought didn't give him special access to buy food). After that, Draco came and invited him to eat together at the table he had reserved?? And then, they watch the show together and then, of course, they sleep together. Another thing that I remember is that Harry was in a relationship with Ron's brother, I think Charlie?? However, at that time, during their relationship, Charlie never revealed it to the public, even to his own family. It was as if Charlie was hiding the fact that he knew Harry was alive. Then, for a while the relationship continued, Charlie suddenly had to return to Romania and from there he cut off contact with Harry. Ron didn't know anything about this, and he often teased Harry by calling him bad names (without realizing that Harry was really hurt when Ron called him that). After hearing Harry's story, Ron was furious with his brother and threatened to tell his mother the same thing.

8. I read this fic on ao3 it was a ministry set one with established!drarry . Harry was an auror (possibly head auror) and Draco worked in the ministry too and Draco always matched his tie to the minister of magic

9. I just remember Draco is released from Azkaban and rowed over a body of water back to the real world for his release. His time is Azkaban took its toll on him and later he talks about it and what he did mentally to try and keep his happy memories in tact (at least the ones he could, others he lost to the dementors) the fic was most probably a long fic on ao3!

10. fic on AO3 that I read like 1-3 years ago! Pretty sure it’s longer/possibly chaptered, and most likely rated explicit/mature/not rated. Either one or both Harry and Draco are Veela (pretty sure? Might be some other magical creature). Takes place mostly in France at some sort of opulent Malfoy chateau/manor. There are some d/s dynamics but I can’t remember if it was actually tagged. They end up going at it in the bathtub and Harry gets pushed underwater for a bit during it. Other than that I remember Narcissa was good and a pretty major character, and there may have been a scene/chapter where they celebrated Christmas together and Harry got emotional because like found family, but I may be confusing this scene with another work.

11. fic where veela draco chooses harry as a mate, but harry refuses and insists he will never be his mate. however, they stick/live together, and sometimes harry "uses" draco for protection. i think harry was fighting for a political campaign? there was a scene where harry gets attacked and draco comes swooping in since he could sense the danger

12. Tsundere(?) Draco incomplete fanfic So read this fanfic years ago and im hopeful I can find it at AO3 if only I can remember the name. Here's what I remember: *Harry and Draco have a established relationship at Hogwarts. I don't think they were students, they were living there and training. Draco is kind of a tsundere in this one. *The first chapter was Harry and Draco coming back to their rooms from a wedding. Harry asked if they would ever get married to which Draco replies that he would give Harry the ring he gave Pansy. Harry says he doesn't want anything that belonged to Pansy to which Draco replies that he was just kidding, he would get Harry a new ring. Harry says it was still not what he meant and Draco says something romantic and says the only one I want to break my heart is you so don't break my heart, I can be a vicious bastard when i am wounded. To this harry replies, you must remain wounded something chronic *There's a female teacher who's teaching them combat i think with a staff and she hurts harry and Draco goes nuts and attacks her. I think the boys end up in the hospital wing and the teacher tells Dumbledore or someone how protective Draco is of Harry, she's never seen anything like it or something. *Then there's also a part where Draco goes out into the Hogwarts ground and summon a fairy like creature asking them to destroy voldemort so that he can be with harry at peace. And the fairy tells him that making rhe wish means he won't be able to have any children. She then informs him that Harry's awake, Draco's troubles have awakened him. He goes inside the castle and Harry confronts him asking what was happening. Draco refuses at first and Harry gives him the ultimatum that if he doesn't tell him, he will leave Draco. So Draco tells him. Harry then tries to comfort him and Draco says that he dares harry to tell him to adopt *There's a part where harry and Ron are playing Quidditch and Sirius and Draco are watching them. Sirius remarks that everytime he sees Harry and Draco together it looks like they are coming from a funeral. And Draco says he does make harry happy, would Sirius like to hear just how happy he made Harry this morning. And Sirius tells Draco to laugh with Harry. *The last chapter I read was Draco marrying Harry. He goes down on his knees in Ron and Hermiones kitchen and then says the vows and Harry is completely surprised and overjoyed. And Hermione asks Ron how he feels about it and a grinning Ron says like barfing. The fic was far from complete and i think itwas discontinued.

[sansculottides]

Maximilien Robespierre was executed on July 28, 1794, or the 10th of Thermidor in the Republican Calendar. A conventional textbook may mark the end of the French Revolution with Napoleon’s coup in 1799. But Ralph Korngold, Marxist historian, wrote:

“No one man creates a revolution or carries it on, but the currents of revolution may sometimes range themselves in such a manner that the fate of one man becomes the fate of the revolution itself. ‘We did not realize,’ said Cambon, ‘that in killing Robespierre we would kill the Republic.” (From Robespierre and the Fourth Estate–the “fourth estate” here referring to the budding proletarian class of the time. Korngold gave particular attention to Robespierre’s role in the attempt to enact the Ventôse Decrees, the most revolutionary laws proposed during the Republic which would have expropriated the wealth of counter-revolutionaries to be redistributed to the propertyless.)

Napoleon’s ascent ten years after the start of the Revolution only marked the final stab in a Republic that was already good as dead. The death of Robespierre and his allies was the death of the Revolution’s radical aspirations, and allowed the propertied men to fully take charge. Though I also appreciate the sentiment that we can also mark the Revolution’s end a bit after Robespierre, with the death of Babeuf, the “proto-communist."

Anyway, what I really wanted to do was talk about a phenomenal short film that came out this year (on Robespierre’s birthday), “La mort de Robespierre” by smileyfaceorg/Janelle Feng (who has done so much amazing art about Robespierre and the French Revolution).

The film focuses on the night before 10 Thermidor, before Robespierre’s forceful arrest. This historical episode has been depicted before, in various ways. In the 1989 movie La Revolution Francaise, Robespierre had gone insane at this point, an interpretation that fed off of years of black propaganda. In Feng’s film, Robespierre is depressed, remorseful and self-loathing, an interpretation that does have its footing in historical record. In the months leading up to his arrest, Robespierre was frequently sick from the mental exhaustion of running and defending the Republic.

Mental health isn’t a new thing, though we have admittedly only recently begun to be articulate on the subject. Mental health amongst revolutionaries isn’t new either. Even Lenin died of sickness likely compounded by the stress of protecting the Revolution’s gains. In the 1871 Paris Commune, the commune council was “a working, not a parliamentary body [but] executive and legislative at the same time,” which allowed members to fully dedicate themselves to the cause of building a socialist future, but also burdened them with a punishing workload with little room for rest, and the mental exhaustion that naturally follows. I’m sure every person in any radical movement knows the weight of the struggle, but that’s one reason why it must be a collective effort.

At one point in the film Saint-Just looks at the 1793 Declaration of Rights on the wall and comments “To think we made that.” It’s another historically-rooted moment, as there was at least one eyewitness account claiming he did something like that on that night. I think the presence of the 1793 Declaration also ties the film in with the radical tradition of interpreting the Revolution. The ‘93 Declaration was more egalitarian than the initial 1789 Declaration, signed off by a pressured Louis XVI and also the one more textbooks would remember.

I love the use of comic elements too. Comic devices in film would make me think of stuff like Spiderverse or Scott Pilgrim where it’s fun and wacky, but in this film Feng uses comic devices to contract and expand space and time to an introspective yet claustrophobic effect. Especially the scenes where panels surrounded by negative space hint at Robespierre’s inner turmoil. It works really well; comic elements can work like poetry, after all.

I love stuff like this, art that is rooted in history (with quite scholarly rigor) while also aiming to go beyond academic scholarship. You can’t quite explore things like emotions and human experience the same way you can through art. Art like this film looks at historical facts and tries to fill in the gaps. How did they feel about this, what kind of effect did it have? And it explores how these historical people and episodes were human. More importantly, it does so with empathy and purpose, keeping in the “spirit” of the historical figures depicted. If you truly read Robespierre, you wouldn’t give in to lazy portrayals of a mad dictator. In contrast, Feng’s short film shows so much care and attention for this person in the past.

I’m so happy that someone like Feng is making art about the French Revolution. Most of the films, novels, games, etc that come out about the French Rev usually just follow the boring, very liberal and mainstream narratives, and calumnies about Robespierre being a dictator or various other kinds of monsters (not true). Korngold wrote about this too: “The Red Terror appears unpardonable to the Whites, and the White Terror to the Reds. Carlyle penetrates closely to the truth when he says that the reason the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution has received so much scathing comment, is mainly because it was directed against the privileged classes and their followers and not against ‘the voiceless millions.’”

Like the rest of history, our interpretation of the French Revolution exposes the undercurrents of ideology, conscious or not. Our ideas of who should be in power, who should be listened to. Ultimately, it did end as a revolution of the budding bourgeoisie, but before that defeat, there were revolutionaries who imagined and fought for a new future for all. Not just a political revolution, but a social and economic one. We should remember their revolutionary example. There is a reason, after all, why the Soviets held the likes of Robespierre, Saint-Just and Marat in high regard.