#history either way bb

[boltsinmycereal]

The Las Vegas app has a driver descriptions section and they’re honestly a hoot to read.

[munson-blurbs]

Hi darling sister wife! I have a request for a bookworm!reader who always has her nose in a book and has a huge crush on Eddie, but thinks he doesn’t even know she’s alive. And maybe they run into each other somewhere in town and he’s like “oh hey y/n!” and she’s dumbfounded lol

Love youuuuu - @corroded-hellfire

Anything for you, bb 💚

Warnings: none, all fluff <3

WC: 3.8 k

--

There’s a lump in your throat as you approach the wooden door marked “DETENTION” in scolding letters. You’ve never been in trouble before, always keeping your head down and doing the right thing. 

But that was before you’d started reading The Handmaid’s Tale. You’d picked up the novel in the school library that morning, curious to see what all of the fuss was about. It was so gripping, so eerie, so chilling, that you didn’t want to put it down. And so you didn’t—you read it in the halls when walking between classes, during lunch as your friends talked about their prom dresses, even faking cramps during PE so you could sit on the bleachers and continue devouring Margaret Atwood’s words. None of that posed any issues. 

You were nearly finished with the entire book by the time last period rolled around. Mrs. Click was droning on and on about the Enlightenment and its influence on European culture. It wasn’t anything the textbook didn’t already explain. How bad would it be to quickly read the final chapter in an incredible book while she yammered about a continent you didn’t even live on?

As you soon discovered, it would be pretty bad. Mrs. Click marched over to you as you tried to hunch down inconspicuously. She plucked the book from your hands and frowned. “Tell me, Ms. Y/L/N,” she’d snapped, never breaking eye contact with you, “what makes you so special that you can select your own reading material during my class?”

You could only shake your head, heat rising in your cheeks. “‘M sorry, Mrs. Click,” you mumble. Other students snicker around you, and you hear someone whisper, “what a nerd.”

“Well,” your teacher starts, placing The Handmaid’s Tale on her already-cluttered desk, “maybe you can come up with a better answer after detention this afternoon.” You nodded dumbly, too humiliated to protest the punishment. 

The worst part? She never even gave you back the book. 

Fingers trembling, you push the door open and take a seat all the way in the back. You’re the only one there; maybe you can avoid any further embarrassment if it stays that way. You take out your math textbook and start on the first problem, barely able to concentrate. Detention. It shouldn’t be such a big deal, but you hate getting in trouble. Hate having people mad at you, even if that person is your uppity history teacher. It’s why you’re such a goody two-shoes, a people pleaser; you just want everything to be peaceful. 

“Honey, I’m home!” a familiar voice calls out. Your head snaps up to see Eddie Munson burst through the doorway. There’s a loose cigarette tucked behind his ear, almost completely covered by his mess of curly hair. His grin widens as he spots you. “Hey, Y/N! What brings you to my home away from home?”

Your mouth goes dry. Eddie Munson knows who you are? The handsome, charismatic, sometimes scary-seeming metalhead knows your name? You clear your throat when you realize he’s staring at you expectantly, waiting for a response. “Oh, um, nothing. Jus’ something stupid,” you manage, picking at your fingernails anxiously. 

“Yeah, well, I’m the king of doing stupid things, so, lay it on me.” He sits on top of the desk in front of you, leaning his forearms on his thighs. 

The blush creeps back up through your body. “I got busted in Click’s class for reading.”

Eddie furrows his brows in confusion. “Reading what?” he questions. “Like, a nudie magazine or somethin’? That happened to me once, and Click was pissed. Never did get that magazine back either. What a shame.” He tuts gently at the memory. 

“God, no!” You shake your head. “It was a book I was reading for fun. And not that kind of fun,” you add pointedly. “It was, um, The Handmaid’s Tale? The novel by Margaret Atwood?” It comes out as a question, and you could smack yourself for your timid disposition. “It’s about a group of women—the handmaids—who are essentially forced to be these birthing machines for their owners. Their entire worth is based on making healthy babies. And if they try to escape, the men of Gilead will hurt them.” Shut up, you scold yourself silently. He didn’t ask you for a damn book report. 

But Eddie looks intrigued. “Well, that’s no Playboy, but it sounds really good. I’ll have to read it when you’re done.”

“That might not be for awhile,” you reply somberly. “Much like your Playboy, my book has been confiscated, unlikely to ever be returned.”

Eddie smacks his palms on his knees, startling you, but he pays this no mind. “I’ll be right back,” he says. “If Higgins comes in, tell him I had to take a leak.” And with that, he’s out the door. 

What is going on? You thrum your fingers against the desk, considering your circumstances. You’re in detention with Eddie Munson, having a conversation about The Handmaid’s Tale. Never in your wildest dreams did you think this would happen. 

Eddie returns triumphantly. “Ta-da!” he exclaims, holding up the novel in his left hand. He places it on your desk and smiles. “Now you can finish it.”

“My hero,” you put your hand over your heart and grin back at him. Butterflies flutter in your stomach. “Like the Robin Hood of books.”

“Robin Hood, huh?” he smirks, sliding into the chair next to yours, “I’ll take it. Better nickname than ‘The Freak,’ anyway.”

You frown, averting your gaze as you say softly, “I never called you that. And I never thought you were a freak, either.”

“‘Course not,” Eddie chuckles, nudging you with his shoulder. “‘Cause you’re a freak, too.” He laughs harder when you scoff. “C’mon, Y/N. Who else gets detention for reading?”

“Fair enough,” you concede. “Why are you here?”

“Besides this basically being my permanent residency? Um, I got caught cutting class? Or smoking in the bathroom? Or maybe it was because I flipped off Jason Carver in the cafeteria? I can’t remember what this one was, honestly. They all just kinda…blur together.” He waves his hand nonchalantly. 

“One more question,” you start. “How do you, um, how do you know my name?” You took all honors and Advanced Placement classes, and Eddie…well, he certainly did not. 

He gives you an astonished look. “You really don’t remember?” He continues when you shake your head bashfully. “You interviewed Corroded Coffin for the school newspaper last year! I invited you to come to the Hideout and see us in action, but you never showed.”

“Oh, yeah.” It comes back to you now. You’d been all dressed and ready to go, but your mom went ballistic at the thought of you in a dive bar. “I tried, but my parents are really strict.”

“So then don’t tell them!” Eddie says simply. “Just say you’re going to the library or something.”

“At 10 pm?” you raise your eyebrows. “If this is your idea of being clever, it’s no wonder you keep failing senior year!”

His jaw drops at your teasing. “And here I thought you were nice. Y’know what?” He scrunches up his face and eyes your desk. “I’m takin’ my book back!” And with that, he swipes it and clutches it to his chest. 

“Eddie!” you shriek, giggling as you grab at the paperback, only to have him jerk away in response. “Stop!”

“Hmm…nope!” Eddie shakes his head, unruly curls brushing his cheeks. “This is a lot more fun for me.” He stands up and holds the book above his head. 

You jump up a few times to try and snatch it back, to no avail. As a last resort, you jut out your lower lip in a pout. “Please?”

He uses his free hand to tap his finger on his chin. “What’s the magic phrase?” 

“What?”

“Fine, I’ll help you out,” he sighs, feigning exasperation. “It’s ‘Eddie Munson is the smartest, most handsome man in the world.’”

You begrudgingly repeat the sentence, grumbling it under your breath. But Eddie still doesn’t hand over the book. “I said it!” you groan. “You gotta give it back!”

“Oh, did I forget to mention part two?” There’s a mischievous glint in his deep brown eyes. “Now you have to say, ‘And because I heartlessly ditched his concert last year, I will make it up to him by letting him take me out tonight.”

“Me?” You can’t hide the shock in your voice. “Are you joking?” Why would Eddie Munson want to take a shy little bookworm out? He probably had outgoing, boisterous girls fawning all over him at his shows. Girls who didn’t care whether or not they got mommy and daddy’s permission to go to a bar. 

“‘M dead serious, sweetheart.” Eddie gives you a soft smile. “Don’t say anything, because it’ll totally ruin my reputation as Hawkins’ evil cult leader, but I also love to read.” He reaches into his backpack and pulls out a tattered copy of The Hobbit. “This one is my absolute favorite. I re-read it, like, once a month.”

“I should’ve known you were a nerd,” you muse, looking up at him through your lashes innocently. “Honestly, the whole Dungeons & Dragons thing should’ve given it away.”

Eddie gently bops you on the head with his book. “So, whaddya say to that date?” He’s trying to sound confident, but you catch him nervously playing with the rings that adorn his fingers. 

“I’d love to,” you answer honestly, heart fluttering as he takes your hand in his. 

“Great! Let’s go!” He tugs you out of your seat, but you shift your weight so you sink back down. He looks at you, puzzled. 

“We can’t just leave!” you gesture to the detention room. “I don’t wanna get in more trouble.” The last thing you need is another round of Click-induced humiliation. 

“Why not?” Eddie asks. “No one comes in here. I usually just use this time to work on my lyrics, even though I’m supposed to think about what I’ve done.” He lowers his voice an octave and wiggles his fingers at the last part, making you giggle. 

“You’re a bad influence, Eddie Munson,” you say, but you oblige. You tip-toe behind him, keeping a watchful eye out for straggling teachers or—God forbid—Principal Higgins. Eddie doesn’t let go of your hand until you reach his van, opening the passenger side door with a quick bow. 

“Ladies first,” he grins, shuffling to the driver’s side and starting the car. It backfires at first, startling you, but he gets the engine to turn over on the second try. “Sorry, my Jaguar is in the shop.”

“Of course,” you reply in a posh accent. “They just don’t make cars the way they used to.” You lean over to turn the radio dial, spinning past Eddie’s favorite station and straight for your own. Stevie Nicks’s voice wafts from the speakers as a Fleetwood Mac song plays. 

“You’re really lucky you’re cute,” he tells you, flashing his signature smirk, “or I’d be totally pissed that you changed Ozzy for this.” If he’s being honest with himself, he doesn’t think that you could do anything to anger him. You watch as his strong hand grips the gearshift, throwing the van in reverse. He reaches behind your seat as he backs up, tongue poking out in concentration. 

You can’t stop the smile that blossoms on your face at the compliment. Eddie Munson thinks I’m cute. The thought buzzes through your body like a hyperactive bumblebee. You try to push it away, mumbling, “Where are we going?”

“D’you trust me?” He threads his fingers through yours, and you feel yourself heat up despite the coolness of his metal rings. 

“Not in the slightest,” you tease him again, offering your sweetest smile. “After all, the last time you did something nice for me, it ended with you holding my book hostage. Which you still have, by the way.” 

Eddie squeezes your hand affectionately. “Fair enough.” But he doesn’t give you any further information, just sings along with the radio despite his initial protests. It’s melodic and relaxing, and you find yourself staring at the way his soft lips move as he recites the lyrics and uses his forefinger to keep the tempo against the steering wheel. “Okay, y’caught me.” He breathes out a small laugh. “I kinda like their stuff. I mean, I wouldn’t spend money for their concerts, but I don’t mind it if there’s nothing else on. Or if a pretty girl wants to listen to them.” This time, he notices the way you hide behind your hair at his words. “C’mon now; don’t get all shy just because someone called you ‘pretty.’”

But he’s not someone; he’s Eddie. He’s the guy you’ve had a crush on for far too long, and he stole your book back from Mrs. Click, asked you on a date, snuck you out of detention, held your hand, and complimented you repeatedly—all within the span of thirty minutes. 

“I was really upset earlier about getting detention,” you confess, steering the conversation away from your timidness and relentless crush on Eddie. “But you cheered me up and, um, that meant a lot to me.”

“Glad I could be of service,” he says, tipping an invisible hat. “But take it from me—detention isn’t the end of the world. Especially since you rarely ever get it.”

“Never,” you correct him. 

“Huh?”

“I’ve never gotten detention. Until today.” You feel childish admitting it. Senior year of high school and this is the only time you broke the rules—and in such a geeky way, too. 

“Well, it was an honor to witness you pop your detention cherry.” The phrasing makes you burst out with laughter, and you clap your free hand over your mouth. “Don’t do that,” he says softly, letting go of the hand he’s holding to nudge the one that’s pressed to your lips. “You have a nice laugh.” He pulls into a parking lot, finding the nearest spot before killing the engine. 

“No way,” you whisper, gazing at the building. You’d figured he would take you out for pizza or s movie, but this is even better. “Eddie, did you bring me to a bookstore?” 

He nods proudly. “This one has a little café inside, if you want a coffee or something.” He takes your hand again as you both stride towards the shop. “Pick out a book—it’s on me. Paperback, hardcover—whatever you want.”

“Hardcover? You really know how to spoil a girl, Munson.” Your tone is joking, but there’s truth to it. You normally only splurge for hardcover books when you have a gift card. You peruse the aisles, trying to quickly scan the spines for something that catches your eye. It wouldn’t be out of character for you to spend hours searching for the perfect book, but you didn’t want to drag Eddie along on a boring date. 

“Let me grab us something to drink,” Eddie says as you start towards the ‘thrillers’ section. “How do you take your coffee?” You give him your order and promise to meet him by the café in a few minutes. “No rush,” he assures you, and he kisses your cheek quickly before ducking away and heading for the barista. 

There’s a whole display dedicated to Stephen King, and you check out the offerings before settling on Firestarter. You’ve been meaning to read it, and now is the perfect chance to snatch it up. Before you go to the café, you wander over to the fantasy section. If Eddie likes Lord of the Rings, you’re sure to find another book he’ll enjoy here. Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire stands out; it’s dark and gothic and seems perfect for him. Pulling off the shelf, you make a stop at the cash register before joining him at the café. At a quick glance, you can see he’s chatting with the barista, so you sneakily pay for your gift to him, promising the cashier that you’ll be back to pay for Firestarter. He doesn’t seem too worried, and you flounce over to your date with a wide smile. 

Eddie’s sitting at a table for two. There’s a steaming cup of coffee in front of each place setting, with a slice of chocolate cake and two plastic forks in the center. “Figured we could use something sweet,” he says nonchalantly, as though he didn’t just have a small panic attack trying to decide between flavors. His brows furrow when he notices the bag in your hand. “Hey, I said I was treating you to a book!” he whines. 

“Don’t worry, I have my choice right here,” you tell him, flashing the paperback. “This is from me to you.” 

He takes the bag curiously, sticking his hand in without looking. The tip of his tongue brushes against his upper lip, much like it did in the van, as he dramatically rifles through, conveniently ignoring the fact that there’s only one item in there. After a solid ten seconds of that, he fishes out the book. 

“Have you read it? Like, do you already own it? Because I can return it right there,” you blabber, motioning to where the bored cashier is twiddling his thumbs, “if you don’t want it. And you can pick out something else.”

“Hey, hey,” Eddie says softly, cupping your chin with his left hand. “I love it, okay? I haven’t read it yet, but I want to.” He plops down on the chair as you slide into yours, relieved. “In fact, maybe I’ll read it right now.” He opens to the first page, and you giggle as his eyes scan the words. “Oh, I’m being rude, aren’t I?” He fakes innocence, making you laugh harder. “My apologies. I’ll read aloud so you can listen.” He starts speaking in his deep, dramatic Dungeon Master voice. Although he’s trying to be silly, there’s something comforting about having him read to you. You almost don’t want him to stop, sipping from your mug and drinking in the sound of him. 

He slams the book shut and gently places it back in the bag. “So, besides read and piss off Click, what do you like to do for fun?” he asks, digging his fork into the cake slice and taking a bite. “Holy shit, this is delicious.”

You take another swallow of coffee. There’s still a hint of bitterness to it, just the way you like it. “I write for the school newspaper. Mostly just reporting on school events, student council budget reports…” 

“And entertainment?” Eddie finishes. 

“Huh?”

“Writing the entertainment section? Isn’t that why you interviewed us last year?” he adds, pushing the cake towards you as an invitation. You oblige, answering his question before eating. 

“Oh,” you mumble, keeping your gaze trained on the confection. “I don’t normally do that, but I asked Nancy if I could cover it that week.”

“Oh?” He’s intrigued, and you’re grateful for the mouthful of cake when he follows up with, “And why is that?”

You chew carefully, probably more times than necessary while you consider your response. Fuck it; we’re already on a date. “Kinda had a crush on their lead guitarist-slash-vocalist,” you say shyly, “and I always wanted to talk to him but couldn’t work up the courage to do it, like, normally.”

Eddie crosses his arms and leans back, smiling proudly. “So you hid behind the guise of your work to flirt with me?” He lets out a soft whistle. “And here I thought you had journalistic integrity.” He puts his hand over yours once again, rubbing his thumb over it rhythmically. “S’okay, because I totally have a crush on this reporter.”

“Fred Benson?” you joke. 

Pouting, Eddie pulls the slice of cake directly in front of him. “Y’know what? You’ve lost your dessert privileges for being such a mean date.” To emphasize his point, he takes a giant bite while glaring at you. Chocolate frosting smears on his lips. “Do I have something on my face?” he asks when he catches you staring at his mouth. 

“Actually, yes.” You start to lean over with a paper napkin in hand, but decide against it, bringing your lips to his. He tastes like sugar from the cake, burnt caramel from the coffee, and clove from his cigarettes, and your stomach flip-flops when he brings his hand to your cheek and deepens the kiss. “Mmm, my favorite,” you manage when you break away. 

“What? Me or the chocolate?” Eddie asks, eyes blown wide just from a simple kiss. 

You smile, biting your lower lip. “Right now? The cake, because you still haven’t given me back the book you stole in detention.”

He throws his head back and sighs. “But if I don’t hold your book hostage, how can I secure that second date?”

You brush a lock of hair out of his face. “What if I told you that you already have?” He looks genuinely astonished, so you elaborate. “Eddie, this is the best date I’ve ever had. I can’t think of the last time I was this happy.”

The handsome metalhead reaches into his worn backpack and takes out the book. “You probably already figured this out, but flattery works with me, so…” 

You grab it victoriously. “Thank you,” you chirp, stowing it away before he can take it back. Eddie grins at you, just enjoying being in your company. 

“I kinda have a little confession of my own,” he says quietly. You pinch your eyebrows together in confusion. “I, um, I didn’t have detention today.” 

“Then why—” 

“Saw you sitting there alone, and I wanted to talk to you. I keep lookin’ for you in the cafeteria so I can ask you to eat with us, but I never see you.” 

You clear your throat. “Yeah, I-I like to eat in the library. It’s quieter there.” And you don’t have to deal with Jason Carver and his posse picking on you, but you withhold that information. 

Eddie looks at you inquisitively. “I thought you couldn’t eat in the library.” He raises his brows. “You little rebel. Sneaking food in the library, reading for fun during class…” He trails off and chuckles. “You’re always welcome at our table. I’d really like it if you sat with us, actually.” 

“Okay,” you agree easily. “I’d really like that, too.” You kiss him again and again, stopping only to indulge in coffee or cake. 

Maybe getting detention isn’t so bad, after all. 

--

[shima-draws]

Well since the Mochi Mayhem DLC out. How did that go when it came to the Kieran Orgepon AU. Heck what about Indigo Disk since things are bound to go differently there?

HONESTLY probably not that different from canon except Kieran teams up with Juliana to absolutely whoop Pecharunt's ass LMAO

Originally I thought that the Lousy Three had been manipulated into working under Pecharunt (I mean they still kinda were? Technically?) but then I read up on their lore and realized that Pecharunt basically took their desires and made them a reality, so it was more of an even trade than anything. The trio got to power up and achieved what was previously impossible for them, and Pecharunt got their loyalty and could command them as it wished. Part of me wanted an arc where after defeating them they are released from Pecharunt's control and could then apologize and reconcile with Ogerpon, but I really think they did a lot of what they did out of free will. So they're still assholes lol

Anyway as for Mochi Mayhem, Kieran would most likely recognize Pecharunt right from the start and would be squaring the HELL up. Pecharunt manages to get a shot at Carmine and flees (like a COWARD!!) so Kieran calls up Juliana and asks her for help. Which starts the impromptu visit to Kitakami with Arven, Penny and Nemona tagging along ;)

Juliana's never seen her friend so angry before so she realizes this is probably smth important. Cue the trauma arc and Kieran revealing Pecharunt had been behind everything regarding his masks and the Lousy Three terrorizing him all those years ago. (He didn't recognize Pecharunt in its dormant form, but once it awakens he sees it and goes !!! >:0)

At first Juliana's a bit hesitant but once she hears what Pecharunt did she's just as angry as Kieran, if not angrier. The Paldea trio are like WHAT is going on rn why are you two so fired up. And then what commences is the most epic beatdown in history. (And is also pretty cathartic for Kieran, too, finally able to vent out all his anger at the mastermind of the whole situation.)

Juliana probably catches it to keep it under control, but as for what they decide to do with it after...who knows. I feel like Pecharunt has always been intentionally malicious, so training it to not be that way would be difficult, not to mention how uncomfortable Kieran would be with the whole situation. Idk it could go either way!

As for the Indigo Disk--hmm. I'll have to think on that one a bit more. It'd definitely be different since Kieran was never a trainer to begin with, so he's not the BB Academy champion. And for conflict, I'll probably ramp up Briar's obsession with Terapagos to make it a bit more spicy, bc I felt that her arc was too underwhelming. Make her the real villain, and make her even more unhinged when she finds out about Kieran >:)

[im-not-buying-it-ether]

Just thought of stupid timeline fuckery and both Bill-Bat of the 30th century and CeCe Beck of the 90th century getting blasted back with the Legion trying to forestall some horrible event

Like, BB is there calling himself Shaz and having the spine of a slug to anything and everything like he lost the courage of Achilles with that A loss and looking like a carbon copy of Marvel, but that’s also his great-something grandson. He’s got some courage issues and doesn’t talk much but he’s a swell guy!

Then there’s CeCe, who goes by Thunder, has confidence up the wazzo, and has no familial relation to Marvel or Shaz. She also says the world forgot it was earth and got taken over by a bunch of history-rewriting jerks called the Science Council that denounces the very idea that humanity came from Earth and it all started on her home world of Binderaan. Which…. is worrying in it of itself to learn happens at any point in history.

But they seem to be pals with the Legion and get along well as they try and stop whatever bad thing is on its way, meanwhile Cap is confused and asking every question he can as it becomes apparent he was unaware of either successor to his powers.

It also becomes confusing when Shaz or Thunder say “Shazam/Captain Marvel” and transform back into young teens which alarms a number of people when they see the carbon copy of a famous boy reporter trembling knowing he probably just messed something up with how people are looking at him and CeCe who looks ready to punch anyone who says something rude in the face

[bonefall]

I’m curious how you’d feel about a roleplay server or something like it for the BB universe as it is rn. Something like an alternate version of the clans with ocs. BB is so full of potential it feels like it’d be so sick to rp in, but it’s also so closely tied to the current clans and where they’re going (it feels like a living history in the best possible way tbh???). So I guess whats your gut feeling abt that kind of thing? Im also perhaps biased bc my immediate instinct when I encounter smth my brain loves is “roleplay setting” and I’ve become absolutely insane about everything you post on this blog

RP is just collaborative writing, man. If you took BB guidelines and made an RP server out of it, replacing it with your own OCs, then that's making your own living history right then and there.

Here, RP concept for you that you can all feel free to run with, just as an excuse to deviate;

The researchers dart a couple of the Clan cats, and release them to some other area to study their impacts on that environment. You can choose how long ago it happened, or if it's brand new, where they got released, how many there were.

Doesn't have to be too far if you want it to be close to my modeled regions, either. A couple miles away, even.

[crimsonxe]

Me: Seeing Evermorrow and Dust Queen that look interesting -excited hopping in my seat-

Also me: Seeing that in the first the shitlord Syto is listed as a "casting aid" and that the obnoxious know-thing CRWBY bashing piece of shit that is Celtic is voicing Roman in both -nearly breaking my neck from shaking my damn head so hard-

In what fucking world do either of these shitlords that have shown everything except being fans of the show have any ground to be involved in any fan projects? Like these aren't even "questionable", they are straight up shitbags that have gone after CRWBY themselves.

Lets go over it:

They bash the show

They bash CRWBY

They fail at having a grasp on the damn show, characters, and relationship within as they fail repeatedly at understanding things in it and stating blatantly wrong or biased bullshit about it.

They have shown themselves as sexist & homophobic

They have shown themselves as disgusting assholes with bloated ego's that aren't deserved at all

Celtic doesn't even fit as a voice for Roman

Celtic who has obnoxiously and ridiculously stated how he's a better writer than the actual RWBY writers. I can't remember if he actually name dropped them, but honestly it wouldn't be shocking if he did. The guy that thought up "faunus heat cycles"; Velvet x Cardin; Cardin having an "actually a good guy deep down" angle; asspulled Roman back to life & linked him to fucking Oz as if that works in any damn way; did a sauna scene to have fanservice; had Blake essentially become a cop; Ilia getting harsher judgement; decided Shay D. Mann deserved an entire character arc (biggest insult is that creepass having a romantic relationship with Raven who is sooooooooooo damn beyond his level its unreal); repeatedly shoves the femme MC's behind males; etc thinks his ass is a better writer.

As aside: -pulls camera to full face cam- Celtic if you run across this, you aren't at all. You're not even close, you're just another incel chud peddling in right-wing-isms that lead to disgusting ass elements in your bullshit.

Celtic has a history of problematic elements within his "Ruining RWBY" bullshit

Syto tried to poison the well going into v9 via realizing what everyone else did in that Bees were coming and him trying to paint the pander angle that ignores the 10 years, 9 volumes of work put into BB leading up to said vibes people had about their becoming official.

Syto who tried to do Cherish his AU spinoff and failed; tried to do his own project w/o anything to do with RWBY and failed; and scurried back to another RWBY AU project

Syto who basically dived into the idea of Yang being an airhead party girl throwing out her entire true self. Not to mention his redesign sexualizing her in the exact aspects one would expect from an incel shitbag. Barely anything there waist, barely anything there top, massive cleavage.

Like these shitbags should be nowhere near fan projects. Don't give them normalization as if they aren't what they are.

[warsamongthestars]

Since i Don't Like the TBB set up, how bout some health alternatives?

THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN REX Corny title, I know.

The idea here is that Rex hasn't ever been a main character. He's been support only, reactive to other stronger personalities. A show that centers around Rex Could be beneficial to his character, and be a clone centric show.

( I woudln't trust the TBB writers with it--but there's someone out there that can pull it off. )

In this story, instead of following the BBs, we replace them with Captain Rex. The story goes is that, after the crash of the ship, he reinfiltrates Kamino to see the situation from the homeworld, and runs into Omega.

Instead of BBs having Omega, Rex does. ( Justified by the fact that Rex, has in fact said on screen with the full implications, that he wanted kids. Perfect match I think. )

Rex is building a rebellion and was high ranking--of course he would know about informants like Cid. He would work with her to build contacts, which justifies meeting Guest Characters and slowly building the rebellion, whilst on the side trying to raise Omega.

It comes to a head in Season 2 when the Empire takes interest in Rex.

And season 3, the final season, ends with Rex facing the Tantis project, just one of many horrors that occurred to Clones.

Your Crosshair arc could be replaced with Cody. Positions of the side teammates being Wolffe and Gregor as the show progressed, to match up with Rebels.

And suddenly, everything clicks.

The shallow impact of the BBs would be immediately covered by the fact that Rex has had 7 years to be developed and solidified as a character, and wouldn't require either introduction or set up, just to get him to where the story needs him. Same with everyone else.

Even Omega taking the spotlight wouldn't take so much issue, beacuse as a new character she needs development to solidify her position in the Galaxy Far Far Away as a character, and it wouldn't be any skin off Rex's teeth.

CLONE FORCE 99 (As opposed to the "Bad Batch")

Instead of occurring in a post Order 66 era, its a series of complication arcs that occur at various times over the course of the Clone Wars involving The Bad Batch. It explores character histories and dynamics, missions and backstories, of course exploring the Galaxy Far Far Away.

And the last season introduces Echo, and then we End at Order 66. The purpose is that Order 66 leaves the BB's fate ambiguous.

No ending has to be happy, or known. Tragedy has its place, and is even needed to make a piece relevant.

THE OMEGA PROJECT

A show that actually centers around Omega, and a few select cadet characters. In the narrative style of Rebels, young cadet and odd clone Omega now has to navigate a new galaxy, post Order 66, and what her purpose in the Kaminonian "Omega Project" is...

No Bad Batch this time, no overly despairing themes. This is explicitly a kid's show.

If you want to Focus on Omega, then focus on Omega. She doesn't bring anything to the Bad Batch that doesn't diminish them in some way--so just give her, her own show. Boom, problems solved.

So yeah, there's three shows that could've been made from the TBB rough draft mess.

[kaibutsushidousha]

Is malignant information in Fate like a Douman-exclusive thing? How does it work separated from him, if it does at all?

Malignant information is not a properly defined term yet despite how old it is and how much presence it had in the original Melty Blood. Nasu tends to mention it with the attached explanation "information entirely harmful to intelligent life", and more recently "what's inconvenient for humans to have while trying to perform good deeds". Really vague stuff, so we gotta look for patterns in our case examples.

The first place to look at is the character the concept was created for. Night of Wallachia. Dead Apostle Zepia, and consequently his successor Dead Apostle Sion. Night of Wallachia's gimmick is that Zepia is no longer corporeal but still exists as a curse that manifests in communities plagued by rumors and ingests the community's blood by giving physical form to their malignant information. The thing about his Tatari forms is that they never overlap with real people. They're either characters who are already dead (Nrvnqsr, Satsuki, the original Zepia Eltnam Oberon) or alternate possibilities of the living characters (Nanaya, Red Arcueid). Falsehood is the keyword with Tatari/Night of Wallachia and malignant information is his keyword for falsehood.

Next, CCC is what gives the most elaborate description of what is malignant information because Nasu loves overexplaining BB's powerset instead of properly showing it. The Mooncell is a recording computer, so its positive operation is about recording the truths of the physical world. The products of curses, lies repeated for personal profit, and rumors without substance are categorized as malignant information and dumped on the unobservable wastehole that is the Far Side of the Moon. There's one particular line that didn't really mean anything back when CCC came out but means a lot now that we know how pruning and Lostbelts work. "The Near Side of the Moon records the correct history of human society, while the Far Side records the horridly offending histories that were discarded." Basically, the BB channels are made with pruned timeline data, apparently.

FGO has a couple scattered mentions of malignant information in Kiara's and BB's NP descriptions, but they're mostly concentrated in Id and its buildup. See this post for the relationship between wasteholes and malignant information. This vengefulness angle is the one usage I struggle to associate with the previous usage of malignant information. Id also finally uses malignant information to refer to Salieri's rumor amalgamation monster status, so that's neat with the Melty original.

But do you know what FGO usage case does tie in with the concepts of falsehood and pruning? That's right, Douman. The mechanism of Douman's immortality is converting himself entirely into malignant information and then copying and multiplying his data body as shikigamis. Heian shows off the differences between the flesh-and-blood Douman and his malignant information copy. Limbo is remarkably dramatic (just like Zepia fr fr) and openly affected by his rivalry with Seimei in a way that reflects the rumors about him better than the reality we're shown in the Singularity. It's a neat mirror of the relationship between Toono Shiki and the OG Melty's Nanaya Shiki, the most iconic malignant information construct. And Douman being CHALDEAS's choice of Servant to explore lost histories like Shimousa in preparation for the Lostbelt makes more sense with the idea that they tie to malignant information information as one of his main magecraft expertises.

[ghostboneswrites2]

Doe Eyes || CH3 - Wait

See CH1 for warnings! || Chapter list || Masterlist

Photo reference for how I imagine Brandy (your bestie):

        The Governor had decided to start training every able bodied person over the age of thirteen for combat. Andrea had fought for a ceasefire, for some kind of 'live and let live' agreement, but the Governor was hellbent on retaliation and revenge. You didn't get it. A few of the Woodbury dwellers had fallen, but there was a sort of rage behind his good eye that told you that this was much deeper than that. Otherwise, the dude was just a psycho. Either way he had gone from leading everyone in a safe community to leading his community to war. A needless war, it seemed.

        Then Andrea left. The Governor seemed oddly content with it, given their previous 'arrangement'. It led you to believe he probably sent someone after her, too. The same way he sent you and Merle after Michonne. Merle, who, had also left with his brother, who you'd later learned was actually his brother. At least he got what he was searching for with all that violence, you guessed. 

        Then Sasha, Tyreese, and a guy named Alan and his son showed up. They negotiated for safety and shelter, offering their hand in the battle in exchange for such. You had managed to keep quiet, following along with whatever whacky plans the Governor spelled out. You were tasked with assisting in training people on basic gun management. You hated it, it made you sick to show teenagers and regular people how to kill. They were told it was to defend themselves but you knew better than that. Brandy was there too. She learned how to shoot before, but only BB guns. She had decent aim, but she was no killer. None of these people were. 

        When you were on guard one night, Andrea rolled up in a car. You guys let her in, but you didn't see her again after that. You wondered if she was turned out on her own, but you knew better. By then the Governor had strayed further and further from the man who had welcomed you there and showed his true self. There was no telling what he was capable of.

        "I still think we should go." You told Brandy, sitting at her table that night for dinner. It wasn't much, supplies had been scarce since all the efforts were focused on war instead of supply runs. 

        "I can't leave these people, (y/n)." She sighed. "They need me. We're a community."

        "I won't leave you. But I don't think it's safe to stay. I think he's leading us all to our deaths." You shook your head.

        "Whatever it is, we can get through it. As a community. You heard Andrea. One day the history books will talk about Woodbury. Even if part of our story includes mutiny."

        "Mutiny." You scoffed. "What, we overthrow him?"

        "If we need to." She nodded.

        "Please." You waved her off. "These people are too loyal. He's like their prophet or something."

        "No, these people are afraid, and they look tot he man who provides for him." She corrected. "They don't have anyone else to look to. We give them someone better, someone stronger, someone more convincing, they'll follow that person instead." 

        "Oh, you mean like you? Like me? Like Mr. Farris?" You rolled your eyes. "That's a bigger job than we're up for, Brandy. Our best bet is to go. Maybe others will follow. They were ready to leave when the barrier was breached, before Andrea gave her inaugural speech."

        "Yeah, maybe. But how would we keep them all safe out there?" She asked, rubbing her temples.

        "Not like we're doing much of that in here." You mumbled.

        "Look, the Governor's system works. How was he supposed to know there's be a group of rogue prisoners out there?" She argued.

        "You still don't get it, Brandy. They weren't just rogue prisoners. They were here to get their people that Merle kidnapped and beat! And the Governor let him! He stripped that girl's shirt off and did whatever with her!" You snapped. She just stared back at you, stunned. You let go of a breath and ran your hands over your face. "Look," you began, more calmly. "I'm telling you. I've seen some shit. All on his orders. He's not a good man. It's an act."

----

       "What would your daughter think? About what you are?"

        "She'd be afraid of me. If I'd been like this from the start, she'd be alive today."

        The conversation played in your mind. Milton and the Governor. You watched him beat his little scientist, then watched as he tried to force him to kill Andrea. You were sick to your stomach. This wasn't right, not any of it. How could you have let your loyalty to Brandy keep you here, working as one of his henchmen? Milton refused. In retaliation, the Governor stabbed him and left him to turn, and then he'd tear Andrea apart.         

        "In this world, you kill or you die."

        That was hours ago, and like the obedient little soldier you were, you left them there too. Andrea was on her own. You were just glad it wasn't Brandy. Now, you were preparing for war, a real war. You were loading trucks, counting ammo, fueling gas tanks, whatever needed to be done. Anything to numb your mind and keep the images of what was happening to Andrea at bay. You should have helped her, but you didn't. It wasn't like you to put someone's life before your own. You were a fighter, not a martyr. Although, the way things were headed, being martyred was probably in your near future. 

        "Let's roll!" He shouted as everyone piled into vehicles and readied themselves for a fight. 

        "Governor." You spoke up. "I'd like to stay and look after the children we're leaving here. With every able bodied adult out there fighting, they're a defenseless buffet." 

        He looked at you, an unsettling sort of calmness in his eye. 

        "Us too." Tyreese spoke up for himself and Sasha.

        "And the elderly, I've always cared for them." Brandy added. He looked around between the four of you, before he nodded. He handed a weapon to Tyreese. You already had one. 

        "Thank you." He finally said, before they all fired the engines and left.

        You exchanged glances with the other three, before you all spread out. Sasha and Tyreese took watch over the gates. You patrolled the street. Brandy cared for the children and the elderly inside the strongest building with the most supplies. All that was left to o was wait.

        By nightfall the troops still hadn't made it back, but some others did. Karen and the ones who the Governor had gone to attack. Karen said they saved her, after the Governor gunned down everyone that went with him. 

        "We were coming to finish this. Until we saw what the Governor did." A man told Tyreese.

        "He killed them?" Tyreese gasped.

        "No." Brandy shook her head. "That's insane." 

        "He did." The man confirmed. Karen nodded. Brandy wept. Those were her friends, her people. The very reason she didn't run with you when she had the chance.

        You all went to find Andrea. She was alive, but not for long. Milton had turned. She was a badass, so she too him down, but not without her own loss. She was bitten. Your stomach turned over and over as you watched them say their goodbyes. 

        "I can do it myself." She said. 

        "No." Michonne cried.

        "Oh, I have to. While I still can. Please. I know how the safety works." She argued. That last part was some kind of inside joke, you could tell. 

        "I'm not going anywhere." Michonne protested.

        Andrea shook her head. "I tried." She said.

        "Yeah," The leader agreed. "You did.... You did."

        With that, all of you except for Michonne filed out of the room where she was held. You waited, until that dreadful sound rang out. Andrea ended it. Just like she said she would. Like she said she had to, while she still could.

        By dawn you had loaded the surviving members of Woodbury unto a bus and their leader, who you'd come to know as Rick, led you all to safety at the prison and welcomed you with pen arms. You protested at first, but it was what Brandy wanted, and you'd go, because she was your only friend.

[nopeferatu]

I only read BB Mountain three days ago, and I haven't had a chance to see the movie or do any historical research yet, but I'm curious to know what you think Mexico signifies. I assume that Jack wants to go there because it's more tolerant of homosexuality, but I'm not actually sure if Mexico was like that in the '80s.

PS: I've only read the 1997 version published in the New Yorker. Haven't yet read the 1999 version published in Close Range.

See, I haven't done much in-depth research about it, but my conclusion (based solely on living in a city that borders Mexico) is that Mexico, esp border cities, represents this kind of place where vice is allowed to thrive within the narrative? If you ask a lot of Mexican citizens or people who spend a lot of time going between the U.S. and Mexico, they'll be the first to tell you that the Mexican government is very corrupt, and the justice system is, too. So I have a feeling that it's less that Mexico was more tolerant of homosexuality (just because Mexico largely isn't even really that socially tolerant of homosexuality today), but more that like... Jack felt comfortable enough being there knowing that cops would look away from the queer sex trade that it began to represent something akin to a haven for him.

Now whether or not that would have actually been true is a different story entirely, but I think it's a very Jack-thing to think, right? Like. He has all these romanticized notions of running away and starting a life together with Ennis, plans he doesn't think the logistics through all the way, because he is just eager to be with Ennis in the way he wants. So of course he'd suggest to Ennis that they meet up for their trips in Mexico—he's been going there all this time to get his own needs filled, and no one has said or done anything to him! But like. Shady back-alley deals that the cops look way from are very different from existing as a queer couple, which I feel is something Jack doesn't understand.

Either way, the larger thing that Mexico represents in the story is Ennis' inability to leave the environment he was born and raised in. Jack moves to Texas, Jack suggests they go to Denver (which actually does have a long queer history), Jack goes to Mexico to get the sex he needs. Ennis can't. He can't broaden his horizons bc everything about him is rooted in the hard and lonely Wyoming landscape. It's a common theme in Annie Proulx's other works, the idea of people being so bound to the land, so it makes sense that it appears here, too.

Also WOW. You're like... the exception to the rule now a days?? I actually really want to know your thoughts about some stuff if and when you ever get around to watching the film, because I always wonder how differently I'd feel about some things if my introductory point to this story had been the novella first and not the film. But I have a pdf copy of the short story in full, if you'd like for me to share it with you through email or something like that? It's not all that longer than the one that appeared in the New Yorker, but it does soooooo much to establish character and environment in such a short amount of time. Lmk and I'd be happy to send it your way!

[dbh-bb]

More questions

Why is the minimum length 10,000 words?

For some of you, this might be your first Reverse Big Bang. (Or your first Bang in general. Welcome!) We’d like to offer some context as to why this year’s word count minimum is, and will remain, 10K.

First: the event has already started, and artists have signed up in good faith knowing they will receive at least 10,000 words about their idea. We don’t think it’s fair to change that with so many people already signed up.

Second, as we say in our FAQ, Big Bangs traditionally focus on a longer time frame to produce longer fics and more arts of higher quality all around. The first ever Big Bang event had a fic minimum of 50,000 words! (Check out the history of the event) Most Bangs actually have higher targets; in many bigger and older fandoms, a Bang with a 10,000 limit would be called a “Mini-Bang”. We think that 10K is a reasonable target to produce a story (rather than just a scene) without asking too much of writers, whether it’s a traditional Bang or a Reverse one.

Third - and most importantly - what artists are providing in their concept is more than just a sketch. Artists will be coming in with ideas about the story that they want to tell with this art. An RBB works just like a BB - there is a story to be told with art that goes with it - it’s just this time, the artists get to come up with the ideas. Then writers and artists work together to make it happen.

Artist concepts are meant to be flexible, because this is a team event (rather than “order up fic on demand”), and artists may have more than one idea for their sketch that their author can choose from. Writers have over three months to come up with their story — that’s around 100 words per day, for those of you that like math. And, from the mod point of view, last year not a single person worried about hitting the word count once the ideas were out and the event started. There’s a lot to be said about excitement and momentum!

The mod team is considering a reduced wordcount for writers who pick up more than one art concept. However, because we expect fics to tell a story about the artist’s idea, we are unlikely to go lower than 7,000 words if we do decide to do so. We apologize if this makes you decide not to participate, and encourage you to find other events that aren’t Bangs to have fun with!

We realize writers are nervous about this event because Reverse Bangs aren’t as well-known. We encourage you to hang in there and give your artists a chance — there are so many good ideas coming your way!

What happens if we don’t have enough writers?

An RBB depends on the numbers more than a traditional Bang. We can’t make the numbers match (although we’re trying). So while artists are still allowed to submit two ideas, if we remain short on writers, we will only be able to guarantee one will be claimed, although we will match as many as possible. Sometimes, ideas surprise us and writers suddenly decide they want to grab more than one.

So what happens to any unclaimed concepts? Well, surprise! A month or so after we match up our teams, we’ll take all of the unclaimed ideas and release them to be claimed again, either by writers who have made more progress than expected and want to grab another prompt, or backup writers that feel like stepping in. In this case, since these ideas will have a shorter completion time, the maximum word count for fics will be lowered to 4,000 words. The standards for the arts will be comparably lower as well, due to the shorter time frame.

This part will be much more lax than the formal event, so expectations can be adjusted accordingly. We can’t guarantee your second art can be claimed, but we’re hoping with a wider pool and lower requirements, we can make everybody happy.

This accomplishes a number of things for us: artists that submitted two ideas get two fics, writers that can’t commit to the 10K requirement still have a chance to grab something, and all of us get more works at the end of the Bang. The mods think the additional work is worth the effort.

(This is not a chance to submit more than two arts — we will only be using art that wasn’t able to be claimed in the initial submission. Sorry!)

For more updates, to ask questions of your own, or even if you just want to hang out (and maybe consider picking up an art to do a 4k word fic without having to formally join the Bang), join the discord.

[nowritingonthewall]

What do you think about the way Poe literally jolts up as soon as Finn holds him after the explosion in TLJ?

Could it be some sort of trauma related to what he endured while being captured?

Baby boy has pure and utter panic in his eyes before he sees it's just Finn, I honestly think that the aftermath of everything that's happened to him in TFA is not discussed enough.

Oh my goodness, a Poe ask, thank you so much, Nonnie 🥰

And omg there are so many thoughts that come up while watching this little scene!

To some extent his reaction can probably be explained by the fact that he is still right in the middle of an extremely dangerous situation. His adrenaline levels must be going through the roof at this point. So after what just happened, it may even appear to seem normal for his body to be in fight or flight modus at this very moment when he jolts at Finn.

However. By the time we get to the events occurring in TLJ, Poe has been in constant flight or fight modus for years. This poor and sweet and wonderful man experienced his first major traumatizing event when he was only eight years old and had to witness the death of his Mom. And his teenage years weren’t exactly smooth sailing, either, the few months that span the events in “Free Fall” alone were just one life-threatening situation after another and he was never really presented with any opportunity to recover from any of those. So when he is brought onto the Finalizer in TFA, he is most likely already suffering from severe C-PTSD.

And then, of course, there is his interrogation, which would have been enough to break any man, even one without a history of trauma. And Poe just keeps on going as if nothing happened after that. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that TLJ takes place only a few days after the events in TFA, but, uhm… to come back to your question, yes, I absolutely think that his reaction is a trauma response!

And I couldn’t agree more, it isn’t discussed enough, that’s why we need a whole Poe Dameron tv show (with 10 seasons minimum, please)!!!

But even though it isn’t discussed enough, imho the aftermath is plain to see in Oscar’s acting. Just in case you haven’t come across it yet, may I recommend this excellent post by @userpoe laying out several symptoms of PTSD that Poe shows in all the movies. I’d even go as far as saying that most of his actions that seemed to be out of character or earned him hate by the “fans” can be traced back to Poe being a deeply traumatized man. Like, e.g. his very short temper with Threepio. We know that’s not how Poe usually acts towards droids. Apart from his incredibly sweet way of interacting with BB-8 (and his love interest in “Resistance”) we literally see him behaving very different towards Threepio himself in the Poe comics. And, of course, there is that very character-revealing moment on Kijimi in TROS, and the pain you can see in Poe’s eyes when Threepio is taking “one last look at my friends”. This movie has so many moments that were most likely added for a cheap laugh by the writers but that fit so smoothly into Poe’s history with PTSD, whether it’s his annoyance with Threepio or his display of trust issues when he wonders whether Rey’s been using her jedi powers on Finn and him.

I am sorry, I have digressed way beyond your original question.

But, may I just add, apart from Poe showing clear signs of trauma, it’s also a little heartbreaking to watch how he doesn’t even take a moment to think of himself when Finn asks him whether he is all right? Apart from the wounds to his heart and soul, his body must hurt like hell after being subjected to that explosion (and I bet he didn’t even take as much as a little casual trip to the med bay) and he doesn’t even stop to give Finn a short “I am okay.” He immediately jumps to thinking about what needs to be done to save everybody else. (And of course, then there’s that wonderful moment when we see Leia mirroring his thought process which will never stop making me emotional.)

[postguiltypleasures]

My Peak TV Journey *Better Call Saul*

This is an entry that took a while to write. I watched the first two seasons of Better Call Saul as they aired, not too long after I binged Breaking Bad, from which it spun off. I don’t remember why I didn’t watch the third season as it aired. I was busy with something. But I finally got around to the final four seasons around the one year anniversary of the final episodes. I never re-watched the first two seasons, nor BB. This probably did come at the expense of some appreciation for the series. I know there were some characters and sub plots that I forgot in my hiatus. But I never felt I had the time, and frankly, I didn’t like either series enough to rewatch. 

Which isn’t to say that I don’t think it is good. I think it’s good, but it fills me with dread, and not all of it seems intentional. I think As someone who watched and presumably liked BB, the various references to things that would happen there should have excited me more than they did. I found myself resenting that I promised myself to finish it before starting some shows that I also want to see, (the list is endless).

I like the characters of Jimmy and Kim. I like them better than most of the characters from BB, which is why I think the feeling I of dread I got from BB character was unintentional. (I completely forgot about some of the characters from the earlier series between viewings. This includes the Salamanca twins who I think should have left more of an impression on me.)

As I went on I started thinking about how many things that make television television, as opposed to a series of movies. TV runs off the tension between something familiar that the viewer wants more of and the desire to know what is next, and sometimes it felt like BCS was actively going against these things. For example, I often find that I amorally attached to certain sets. BCS ran through various great office and apartment sets, only to make the familiar Saul’s office from BB seem extra unpleasant. Then there were subplots, especially with Gus, where knowing how it wraps up in BB, just made it feel slack. Knowing Gus and Hector die in a murder-suicide made the scenes where Gus was tormenting Hector after his stroke seem pointless. 

There were other times when I wondered about how much I could hate most of the main characters. In particular, I found myself hating Mike more and more as the series as it went on. Or maybe I always hated him, and just got over the sense that I was supposed to like him, or at least see him as somewhat sensible. After all the things between Mike and Werner I think the former deserved to be murdered by Walter White and have to listen to Walter yammer on while he died. Mike’s essential to the plots of both shows, but I hate everything he stands for. He’s smug, cynical know it all. I can’t tell if I was supposed to dislike him, but the fact that I did makes it seem like I should have given up on this earlier.

My fixation on “what does it mean that I hate Mike this much?” is because I am under the impression that he is a well liked character amongst fans. I am also under the impression that Jimmy’s brother Chuck is generally a hated character. I can understand it. Depending on your point of view he either doomed Jimmy to become Saul, or at least refused anything helpful. But I liked Chuck and was less engaged by the show after he died.  His dynamics with Jimmy, Kim and Howard were interesting to me in ways that none of cartel stuff was. I was also amused that Chuck apparently wanted to write a book about the Commerce Clause. The Commerce Clause has fascinating history with American Civil Rights Movements and seems pretty controversial with the current Supreme Court of the USA. But I doubt Chuck would write a book that is engaging for most readers, because he tend to be in his own, intellectual world and doesn’t engage with the masses. And that’s the kind of tragedy that fascinates me.

Jimmy’s potential to be something other that Saul is traced with the class action suit he starts after some discovers at The Sandpiper Senior Residence. I was kind of shocked by how long this plot lasted, especially as it seemed to be dropped for episodes at a time. I made a note for myself about how the beginning and the beginning-of-the-end of the Sandpiper storyline involves Jimmy in a toilet stall making unconventional use of toilet paper. The first is desperate but optimistic. The second is cynical and much more destructive. It ends tragically, which shouldn’t be a surprise as the set up reminded me of Anthony Trollope’s The Warden, and that was a rough read. But how it ended, with the two worlds of the show colliding and making the lead to BB inevitable was exciting and dreadful. It also involved lots of name dropping and heavy foreshadowing with the assumption that we remember it from however long ago we watched BB. It’s really well done. It’s connected aspects of today’s media, where every series in an intellectual property that can go on forever. And I really don’t like that. 

I want to talk about about the show’s other corporate plot in the series, the Mesa Verde plot, the one that Kim is involved in. It’s her big get, and something of a boring prison. It started half way through the second season and ends near the end of the fifth, so it was easy to dismiss as not that important to the general direction, but it does have some interesting things about how most lawyering is tiring paperwork not what we want from a TV show. It shows that Kim gets risky in her games with Jimmy because of how unengaged she is with work that is otherwise going well. Because of the amount of time between the debut BB and now, I found myself wondering if the housing market bubble will affect the Mesa Verde plot? Which I guess made me more engaged than Kim? 

The main idea in this is that after finishing the series, I don’t think I liked it enough to justify the amount of time I spent watching it. But I need say, I do think it’s well made. It was always great to look at, especially with some of their more metaphoric shots, like the ants on the abandoned ice cream cone signaling JImmy’s future as Saul. All the performances were well done. I can tell there was some hard work in this. It wasn’t for me. I need to be better at giving things up that aren’t for me. 

[reggiespoon]

Been pondering recently how to square the supposed personality of Robespierre with the fact of his personal influence. I'm aware Thermidorians have muddied the water here but consider:

Appearance: ordinary. He was physically unimpressive. Leaving aside the vexed issue of pieds-du-roi, he was either of average height or a bit (but not significantly) smaller than average. He was slim, pale, and fair, with light brown hair and green eyes. He wouldn't stand out in any crowd of northern Europeans, then or now.

Oratorical skills: lacking. He wasn't a great speaker, like Danton or Mirabeau. He had a quiet voice which he struggled to project in large spaces, and it was allegedly strongly accented in some way that marked him out as Not Parisian. I wrote a whole other post about Robespierre's accent and I stand by my personal headcanon of Scousepierre because it's hilarious, but regardless, this wasn't a beautiful or powerful or otherwise compelling voice.

Writing: mediocre. This seems unfair, but whilst he has very eloquent passages in his speeches, even McPhee allows that Robespierre often committed the twin autisms of rambling and repeating himself (same, bb ❤️). He wasn't generally witty, pithy, or to-the-point.

Political stance: consistent but not extreme. Clearly something that exasperated his allies and delighted his enemies, for whilst he was a tireless advocate for The People, he refused to cater to either conservative or radical arguments about what The People wanted/deserved. He wasn't a hawk or a demagogue. Thus Thermidorians arguing that he was Too Far Left and Too Far Right simultaneously as justification for murdering him. We don't know which direction he's taking this country, but it's definitely the direction you (dear People) don't like, trust us.

So how did this ordinary-looking, unimpressive-sounding, rather boring man inspire such radical devotion across the entire nation, in large cities and tiny villages, north to south and east to west, when he himself never travelled outside the well-worn route between Paris and Arras, never married, didn't really socialise, and should by all rights have been an anonymous cog in the Revolutionary wheel, unknown in life and forgotten in death?

It can't be simply his honesty and integrity, because frankly if honesty and integrity inspired radical devotion in politics, we'd live in a very different world.

How did someone so fundamentally unassuming come to embody the Revolution for so many? And why did they feel so passionately about someone whom even sympathetic(ish) historians describe as having basically zero charisma?

I think the zero charisma thing is - must be - a legacy of Thermidor.

Nobody loved Robespierre anyway because he was a monster, but even before his monstrosity, he was dull. A boring monster! The worst kind! We have saved you from his tyranny.

I think he actually must have been one of those rare people who have real charisma - in the sense of something divinely-conferred; a quality mysterious and indefinable, divorced from mere personal charm. Nothing we know about the man suggests someone who could attract a large following, and yet his personal influence was disproportionately powerful. Robespierre should, according to all descriptions, have been a non-entity, a footnote in the biographies of others. Instead, he's one of the giants of history.

[bonefall]

Just curious, but why did you decide to change Onestar pardoning the Dark Forest trainees to punishing them? Was it just to service A Vision Of Shadow's conflict, or were there other factors involved?

It frustrates me that in canon, there's no lasting repercussions for what happened in Po3 and OotS, almost as if the series just wanted to wash its hands of it.

Breezepelt is established to be an upcoming problem, and that goes away. All of the leaders shrug and move on. Bramblestar and Squirrelflight are happily together with bio babies after he treated her like garbage for 6.5 books.

We only really got any conclusions to these problems in SEs, where they feel rushed exactly because they were capping them in hindsight.

So you could say this change is "to serve the conflict of AVoS" but that wording feels dismissive to me. I feel like I'm fixing a problem. Arcs SHOULD feed into each other, no? Isn't the strength of WC the way that we get to follow the cats through the generations? See current events become history, and watch how small things cascade into big things?

And Onestar...

We're trying to set up that Onestar is becoming a harder and harsher person as he's consumed by the pressure of leadership, and his trauma from his near-murder in the WindClan Civil War. We are about to watch him become a MAJOR antagonist of AVoS, slamming an embargo down on ShadowClan until they deal with The Kin.

So how does letting *another* set of attempted traitors get off scot free really serve that? It doesn't make sense to me in-canon either. He refused to punish Breezepelt's mother when she was part of a violent insurrection and look at how THAT turned out!!

I think the end of OotS is the perfect time for him to go scorched earth, and show that he's beginning to consider leniency as a weakness. He also punishes Crowfeather earlier at the end of Po3 when Hollyleaf reveals the secret, in response to BB!Crowfeather being more loud and dramatic than his canon counterpart, cold and detatched.

Canon Crowfeather: "Everyone is stupid except me. I can't stand all of this. I deserve more respect even though I refuse to give it to anyone else."

BB!Crowfeather: "MY HEART SMOULDERS LIKE A PEAT FIRE, FOR YOU! LEAFPOOL, I'VE BEEN AS HOLLOW AS A DALE SINCE YOU LEFT ME" (nightcloud is literally right there. Leafpool is trying really hard to calm him down because he's making a scene and she really doesn't want MORE attention drawn to the romantic fling she had years ago and massively regrets)

But anyway, that's off on a tangent lmao. Bottom line is; it is to serve AVoS, but that's my goal with BB. To strengthen the narrative.

[lonestarbattleship]

The incomplete HAWAII (CB-3) being moved to a berth, likely on her way to the scrapyard. Photographed on either May 20 or June 20, 1959. Likely the latter since the Navy Heritage and History Center has a better track record with dates.

Note: her 12 inch/50 caliber Mark 8 gun turrets have already been removed. They were removed in preparation for Hawaii would have become an Aircraft Carrier Task Force Command Ship, under SCB-83 and her hull designation changed to (CBC-1). Unlike the proposed ballistic and guided missile conversions, this conversion was budgeted in 1952.

Painting by Wayne Scarpaci

"This was as parallel to this program was a project to convert the unfinished Oregon City class heavy cruiser NORTHAMPTON (CLC-1) (later CC-1, ex-CA-125) to a National Emergency Command Post Afloat (NECPA). The NECPA program command ship (NORTHAMPTON) was where the US President and his Staff would direct US Military Forces during a nuclear conflict."

"Command and control of USN carrier forces during WWII was generally conducted from a standard vessel of the Task Force, with either a battleship or a carrier usually designated as flagship. But the presence of the force commander and his staff aboard was disruptive and resulted in overcrowded conditions, which impacted the combat effectiveness of the assigned ship. But with the superiority of the dedicated Amphibious Command Ship (AGC) concept for command and control of assault forces repeatedly demonstrated during WWII. Serious postwar consideration was given to the concept of a similar dedicated type of ship for Command and Control of Carrier Task Forces. In keeping with this concept in 1952 the USN developed the SCB-83 project to convert the HAWAII into a dedicated Carrier Task Force Command Cruiser (CBC-1). This design was strictly intended as a single mission ship featuring extensive flag facilities for command and control of carrier task forces, but no accommodations for amphibious or other types of operations.

The ship would have been armed with six 5 inch/54 caliber guns in single mounts, shipped three forward and three aft, with eight 3 inch/70 caliber guns in four enclosed twin mounts amidships. It would have fitted an AN/SPS2 radar atop a forward tower and an AN/SPS8A height finder on the aft superstructure. There was to be an SK-2 parabolic dish for tropospherical backscatter communications mounted atop short tower aft of the stack, forward of the AN/SPS8A. Two Mk37/directors with Mk25 fire control radars were provided on the superstructure fore and aft. The superstructure was built up amidships to accommodate the flag staff facilities and the single stack of the original CB design retained."

Work was halted after the turrets were removed and would continue after experience was gained from the conversion of NORTHAMPTON. However, it was discovered that it was easier and cheaper to convert USS WRIGHT (CVL-49) into the second Command ship without the loss of capability and HAWAII was sent back to the reserve fleet in Philadelphia Navy Yard.

The hull remained in the reserve fleet for 12 years before it was finally scrapped along with the incomplete hulls of KENTUCKY (BB-66) and ILLINOIS (BB-65).

U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command: NH 89293

Mariner's Museum and Park: P0001.014/01-#PN4850, P0001.014/01-#PN4858, P0001.014/01-#PN4853, P0001.014/01-#PN4847, P0001.014/01-#PN4848, P0001.014/01-#PN4849

Information, diagram and painting from "USN BATTESHIP CONVERSIONS PROJECTS" by Wayne Scarpaci: link

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