#how differently those deaths changed them

[iamluzgar]

I completely disagree...

Veilguard has the following themes explored: leadership (through Rook's journey, factions, gods, Solas), corruption (of people, of gods), myths (how the myths from Thedas were changed from the original story that we now know), traumas (of losing someone, of being raised violently in a family, of losing your family, of being invaded, of being molded into a specific person, of being betrayed, of being forced to do actions you don't want to do, of duty, of accepting the past of your people), invasion and resistance (of the blight, of the Antaam, of the gods), family (through Lucanis and Taash, but also through the way Neve considers the Shadow Dragons, through Bellara), identity (through Taash, Lucanis, Harding, to an extent to Emmrich), culture (through Taash again, Bellara, but also through the way older games gave us so much propaganda about Tevinter, because they only hear about the upper classes, and we actually get to experience a bit of its culture ingame), the fake division between spirit/demon (through Solas and Spite), blood magic (through the old elven gods and Solas), old elven magic, fade, death (through Emmrich in something that specifically targets the player: "how would you like your remains to be dealt with?"), mourning (Not gonna go into that one but you know several people who die during the game), chronic illness and/or terminal illnesses, the dwarves' past and culture. I probably forgot a lot more.

Like... Does the game asks you whether slavery is wrong or not? No, but the answer to that is obvious, it event shows you slaves and it is sickening. Does the game asks you to take a stand pro/against magister? No, but the answer to that is obvious. Does the game asks you whether we should believe in Andrastian religion? No, but the whole DAI situation showed that the Andrastian church was bullshit already, we know it is, and we know how much now from Veilguard. Does the game asks you to take a stand pro/against magic? I think we're past that point now. We know magic is a nuanced topic and that mages shouldn't be oppressed for who they are. We know there are cultures and society allowing them to thrives without being imprisoned. Those aren't complex sociopolitical issues, those are things that were explored and resolved in other games with a clear yes/no question. Dorian sided against slavery, because he learnt it was bad. At this point everyone and their mother know it's bad. We don't actually need artifically made points like in DA2 where, if you help the mages, they still fuck you up to make you consider maybe they don't deserve the right to exist (I love DA2, it's my fav, but that is not a deep serious political idea).

One point very positive Point of Veilguard is its nuance to the question it was visiting during the game. Should Harding try to commit to her kindness in the face of intense general trauma, or should she accept her anger? Should Taash go towards the Qun or should she go towards Rivain culture? Should Emmrich go Lich or should he keep Manfred? Should Bellara keep her culture's past or should she keep it? Those are all question that have no good answer, because they all come with nuances, with no clear yes/no question, with happiness and possible fulfillment in all cases. Just like in real life, and it's up to you, the player, to make an arbitration of whether you would live preferably in such a way or in another way for your characters. It's a personal discovery journey of what it means to be a person, a leader, a hero, of different pasts, colors, genders, family status, traumas, duties etc. Of making a choice and owning it, for the bad and the good. Veilguard is probably one of the most emotionally mature AAA game in the history of gaming, and we're AGAIN (hello DA2) gonna have to wait 10 years before people realize it.

Like sure, it's not perfect, it's rushed, it doesn't feel like 10 years has been put into it, some stuff in gameplay, level design and UI inventory aren't right, some narration choices aren't great, their choice of focus is debatable, you can't even be a healer mage. But on the themes, thesis, sociopolitical and larger issues? I completely disagree. They also matured in their game design quite a lot in regards to open worlds, quests and its number, and little QoL things I don't remember that made me go "aaah... That's great design". It's just not how we imagined it would be. And yes, me too, I would have loved to have a DA2 in Minrathous, making havroc freeing slaves and beating the shit out of magisters with Fenris, this would have been my favorite thing. This isn't what happened, the game is still very good, it still has incredible qualities if you take it for what it is and engage with the story, the characters and the environment.

I'm realizing there are 3 types of Dragon Age fans.

1) Gamers who play latest big flashy action game

2) UwU kissy dating and besties simulator

3) Interested in the sociopolitical and theological themes and thesis statements the series is historically known for

Veilguard is not made for fan #3. It is a very pretty game that has absolutely nothing it wants to say--to the point that what it says by saying nothing is often times pretty offensive.

[goodolreliablejake]

I think part of the reason that Evrart Claire is able to outmanuever everyone else is that he sees the world in strict, materialist terms. I previously argued that beneath his sleezy and corrupt exterior, Evrart is a true believer in Communism, so now I'd like to add on to that a bit about his methods. Basically, Evrart has very clearly defined, material goals and a plan to achieve them that prioritizes results over process, and this is in stark contrast to Harry's highly conceptual and abstract understanding of politics.

Let me make my point by first making a detour; why does Evrart employ Rene as his night watchman? It's charity, right? Rene isn't really that useful, but he wants to feel useful, and he needs a source of income to survive, and he needs it in a way that protects his pride. But isn't Rene Evrart's ideological enemy? He is, according to Harry's political schema, the avatar of fascism, and a vocal hater of communism.

Well, no, because to Evrart, class isn't a matter of what you believe in your heart, it's a matter of your material conditions. Rene is a poor and vulnerable man, a working class fellow abandoned by the people who once exploited him, even as he romanticizes that past exploitation. And in that way, he is (in Evrart's eyes at least) no different whatsoever from Dros the Deserter.

I think this materialism is also what allows Evrart to lie so easily. He'll gladly call Harry a comrade, because words are wind. Words don't change the fact that Harry is a cop and the violent agent of the state.

Under this framework, I think there are really only two political positions that people can meaningfully take; they are what Harry would call Communism or Moralism. As a citizen of Martinaise, you can either accept the status quo of those in power, or you can work towards independence from your corporate overlords. Fascism is a delusion: drinking yourself to death while griping about women and immigrants, never changing your political reality. Ultraliberalism is ALSO a delusion: fantasizing about net worth and becoming the boot, meanwhile your overlords will never allow you to escape the economic status you were assigned at birth.

Now, it might sound like I'm being overly complimentary to Claire, but this framework is also what enables his worst crimes. Evrart defrauds the union, skirting its democratic process to install himself (and his brother) as permanent dictator/mafioso. His focus on results turns him into something of a perverse reversal of his own ideals. He exploits the people of the fishing village, conning and stealing their land because he believes it will be worth it in the end. He profits off a drug trade that leeches off of the hopelessness of the very working class people he claims to be working to better the lives of.

Yet at the end of the day... Harry's "political vision quests" are stories he tells himself in his head. They change the UI that the player sees but nothing about how it works. His conception of Communism is most defined by its impossibility and failure. Meanwhile, Evrart ACTUALLY seizes the means of production.

[satoru-is-the-way]

A/N: Hello everyone it has been a while since I have done any sort of fanfiction. I want to try and get back in the groove for this new year. There are so many fandoms I want to write for. I want to try and get all my drafts and inbox requests cleared out by June but who knows if that will happen. Right now I will focus on them one at a time. But for now I want to focus a bit on Squid Game since the new episode just released. This will be a two part fanfiction.

Triggers: Mention of death, Gore (part 2), smoking, alcohol use, age gap (reader is 25 , Seong is 50,) and SMUT (PART 2)

Seong Gi- Hun x Reader

Game of Hearts pt.1

Seong Gi- Hun had his heart, mind, and soul set on finding the person who currently ran the Squid Game. He needed to find not only their leader but the island he was sent to in hopes of stopping the horrid games once and for all. His first step was to find the salesman who recruited him. Gi- Hun needed a team searching everyday for signs of this recruiter, and with his money he could afford anyone he desires. That is how (Y/n) (L/n) landed an invitation from Gi- Hun to discuss a partnership. Doing his research on possible hires, her name somehow kept finding its way to the top of his list. (Y/n) (L/n) came from an international family who of course aren't exactly on the right side of the law. Gi- Hun normally would not converse with people such as this but he needed someone discreet. It is possible this foreigner may be just the thing he needed to give a different perspective, and if they were caught it wouldn't connect back to him.

Gi- Hun sat patiently waiting for (Y/n) to arrive. His leg bounced nervously as the anticipation continued to grow. He was eager to get his mission started and this was only the first step in his plan. So many doubts ran through his mind. Everything that happened, all the friends lost, and worst of all the betrayals. A gentle knock at the door instantly grabbed his attention. “You may enter.” He spoke in a monotone voice. A cricking sound echoed in the room as (Y/n) entered. Now Gi- Hun had seen many beautiful foreigners in his life but this woman took his breath away. A feeling was rekindling he never thought possible again especially with how things ended with his ex wife whom Gi- Hun used to harbor feelings for. (Y/n) was a decent height, not taller than he was. Her sharp (e/c) eyes had been the first thing that captivated him. A look someone in power gave and it made him almost fall to his knees in front of her. (Y/n) held her head high taking a seat in front of him. She crossed her legs elegantly ready for business. Suddenly his lips were dry he quickly wets them taking a breath in.

“Are you just going to sit there and sweat all over the place or talk business?” Her tone that made him hang off every word spoken.

Gi- Hun nods,” Forgive me. I am looking for someone and I believe your team has the skill set needed to help.”

“Sure, do you have a picture of this suspect? Do you want them dead or alive?” (Y/n) got straight to the point.

“No I don’t have a picture but I can describe him, maybe even draw a reference up, but I do need him alive. This man is very dangerous. I didn't plan to go into detail about him. I do think you need to know what I have been through…” Gi- Hun then goes into details about how the salesman looked and tells her the synopsis of his time in the Squid Games. In honesty he simply needed to vent to some who might listen. Like any normal person of course her facial expressions changed throughout the entire hour he spent rambling on. Just as she was about to call him a lunatic and storm out for wasting her time Gi- Hun pulled out a case of money. The sum only one could achieve if his story was true. He looked like a desperate man needing someone, anyone to believe him.

“I’m in.” Those are the words that sealed their fate.

_1 Year Later_

The first year was rough for Gi- Hun who struggled with no progress. The pressure built on his shoulders as (Y/n)’s team searched. No leads, signs, or any traces of this guy or any others recruiting for their sadistic game. He is currently lighting a cigarette leaning back in his chair. It was time for (Y/n)'s weekly update. She walked into the room. The once stone cold eyes now turn soft seeing Gi- Huns distress. It was easy to notice he was worked up, especially today because it happened to be the ‘anniversary’ of him winning the games.

(Y/n) had also opened up with Gi- Hun the older man constantly turned to her for conversation. Normally she would dismiss clients' interests in becoming more than just professional partners… However this man , using those sad puppy looks made her professional code crumble after the first 3 months. Today Gi- Hun started their normal conversation about who went where and searched what stations including all the evidence of their searches that had been submitted via picture. (Y/n) in the middle of their debriefing took a bold step behind Gi- Hun’s desk gently placing both of her soft hands on his shoulders. At first he tensed up, unsure of her movements. Little by little her hands began to move , rubbing his shoulders.

“What…why are you doing this?” His voice shakes from the amount of relaxation he was drifting into. She chuckled at his response and applied more pressure at the base of his neck earning a moan. “You are trying to kill me aren't you?”

“Gi- Hun if I wanted to kill you and take all of your money I would have done so already. But I wouldn’t ever think of doing that. After meeting you nothing feels the same… I want to meet more than once a week. I can see this is tearing you apart. You have been at this for a year… we may not have much progress… but I know destiny brought us together and it's just begun. I won’t leave your side.” She could not stop as her heart took over.

Gi- Hun is speechless gazing up into her large (e/c) eyes that sparkle in the dim light of this run down hotel. “It's dangerous, I am dangerous. All the people that were killed… I hated that I even got you involved… you are the closest friend I have made in a very long time.”

Friend… just like that her world crumbles this whole time she had only been a friend to Gi- Hun and nothing more? All the late nights thinking of him. How (Y/n) casually would scroll through their texts… Each sweet compliment or kind gesture from Gi- Hun meant nothing but… friendship… (Y/n) refused to let her emotions show now.

“Yeah, what are friends for! I know you would do the same for me if the roles were reversed… or at least I would hope so.” She felt her cheeks warm up as he stood gazing down at her. Gi- Hun pulled her into a hug needing more physical contact. (Y/n) quickly embraces him as well, feeling the need to act as if this was no more than a friendship.

“I don't know what I would do without you.” He whispered. It was breaking Gi- Hun to tell her this was nothing more than a friendship because he craved more. But he didn't need to put a target on her back. If she got caught up in these horrid games… if they killed her… Gi- Hun wouldn't be able to move on.

“I should get going. I have some more paths to lay out with my men. They need to know where to head for next week.” (Y/n) pulled back, turning to leave.

Gi- Hun grabbed the small of her forearm, “Wait! How about we get some drinks tomorrow. It's an off day… I would really like to treat you… Come here and I’ll take you somewhere nice… as professional friends of course!” It took a moment for her to respond properly, she had to make sure her voice did not waver, not in front of him anymore.

“Yeah I would love that. How does around noon sound?” She asked after receiving a confirmation from Gi- Hun (Y/n) left returning to her apartment tossing herself in the bed with a sigh. Why is she putting herself through this? The desire to cancel this meetup was close but she had to see him… She craves Seong Gi- Hun.

-To Be Continued.

[bleedingichorhearts]

“𝐈’𝐦 𝐆𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐨𝐨 𝐎𝐥𝐝 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬…” {1/2}

𝕬𝖚𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖗: How I would think the Primarchs would react to you saying “I’m getting too old for this.” Yandere Primarchs would be a different story…

𝕾𝖚𝖒𝖒𝖆𝖗𝖞: The “Primarchs” reacting to you saying “I’m too old for this.” Simple as that.

𝕿𝖆𝖌𝖌𝖊𝖉: @kit-williams, @egrets-not-regrets, @bispecsual, @gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan, @sleepyfan-blog.

+@c-u-c-koo-4-40k.

TW // Slight Angst.

|°ᴛᴀɢ ʟɪꜱᴛ ᴀᴘᴘʟɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ°| |°ɪᴄʜᴏʀ’ꜱ ᴀᴏ3°| |°𝕄𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕃𝕚𝕤𝕥°| • {Part 2}

The Emperor; “Revelation:”

He hears your words through your soul. He doesn’t need to be in front of you to hear you say you’re “too old” comment to yourself, and he feels… indifferent about it, in a way. Sure, you’re his counterpart, but he has always expected you to eventually fall to the hands of death before him. It was inevitable. He was a proclaimed god, and you? A simple human. A human that reminds him of too much true humanity itself despite his title…

Lion El’Johnson; “The First:”

Is also indifferent about it and expects it. He knows the consequences and prepares himself for it, or at least tries to. His face is voided of emotion, but his eyes stare and that means a lot than what many lead on. He won’t show it, act or even acknowledge it, and perhaps… he doesn’t want to.

Fulgrim; “The Phoenician:”

Gasps at you from like a 5-mile radius (maybe more) before coming to where you are leaning down to sweep you up in his arms. Kissing you on the cheek and forehead, and it’s very much to your confusion. Your hubby is being very affectionate with you randomly. Well, until he praises you on your age and how remarkable you look do you piece together what happened to get such lovin’.

Perturabo; “Lord of Iron:”

Pretends not to care, but he does give a very low hum of acknowledgement. Is somehow better than his first brother as he at least acknowledged your words. (From a far radius as well.) He’s a bit… hurt? At your words, but he knows it’s inevitable as well. Though, that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t change something within his workplace to make you more comfortable and less eligible to say those words again.

Jaghatai Khan; “The Warhawk:”

Would pick you up, kiss you on the neck before giving you to the other wives of his sons. Requesting them to pamper you for the day, and if they can’t? He will, and he’s surprisingly good at it. It’s nothing much compared to the thought of your aging death, but he can at least make it more comfortable, right?

Leman Russ; “The Wolf King:”

Plays excited and happy, but is… gloomy on the inside. He doesn’t like your words, you should prosper, hunting with him and his sons forever. Yet he is not oblivious to the acts of death: slow and fast. Though, maybe hunting with his sons in the… afterlife would be more enjoyable? Lasting? He doesn’t like to think too much on it, but he’ll try and spend his time with you more often. (Not like he already does.)

Rogal Dorn; “Praetorian of Terra:”

Gives you a voided stare like his first brother too. Though, he also doesn’t really acknowledge it either, with words anyway. He may act though, doing the same thing his 4th brother does. Trying to provide you with a much more comfortable environment. Stop complaining about his quarters being enough. He must ensure structure.

Konrad Cruze; “Dark King:”

Stares at you too, but is like… worse than Lord Dorns stare. You think he’ll do anything for your uttered words? Thats right, he won’t. If he let himself die to the hands of an assassin? He’ll let you suffer your age. He feels indifferent about not killing you himself however… He may or may not offer extra human bones to you.

Sanguinius; “The Angel:”

Looks at you for a second: up and down before giving a low hum, and gracefully walking to your side. Inside, he doesn’t like your words and he knows his sons around him don’t like it either. It’s one of the many things they think they can’t live without: you. He’ll cover you with his wings as everything seems to get painfully quiet, but he’ll praise you as if nothing happened.

Ferrus Manus; “The Gorgon:”

His legion would simply not care, but him? He’s affected by it. Yes, he likes your humanity, but please. Don’t say those words. He doesn’t wish to think upon them. He doesn’t wish for you to… possibly be like his sons. He’ll keep you more close to him than usual after that, keeping a good eye on you. He won’t say anything, but he’s… there.

[arson-is-chill-actually]

Sup fuckers, I still have thoughts about AvA 11

Just because I'm in the middle if an EPIC: The Musical hyperfixation doesn't mean that I can't turn it into Vicsi angst.

The main object of my attention in relation to these two fandoms is the song "No Longer You" and how it specifically relates to Vic, and how much they change between first escaping the PC and meeting Mitsi to where they are now.

If the theory about Second reviving Mitsi is correct, and she retains her memories of her life before Chosen killed her (which could be a whole fanfic in and of itself), she is coming back to a very different version of Victim.

When she died, Vic was kind and caring, if not a bit anxious and overly cautious due to their past experiences. They used their ingenuity and creative skills to help those around them.

But now Vic uses those skills to harm, to exact revenge on those who had the gall to hurt them and the people they cared about. And I don't think Mitsi is going to take that news too well.

She might be angry at Vic for doing all of this partially in her name, she might be scared of who Vic became after so long, but I think that she's going to feel guilty.

Guilty about the fact that it was her death that drove them to these extremes, and she is going to be vocal about that guilt.

Now, normally, this would be the part of the story where Vic realizes that all of their actions were hurting people, innocent or not, they apologize, yadda yadda, big finale musical number or whatever.

There is no way in hell that Alan would make a finale THAT anticlimactic.

No, I think that Vic is going to double down, say that Sec or Chosen or maybe even Alan somehow messed with Mitsi and changed who she was, not realizing that THEY were the one who changed.

One final fight, one final confrontation, will be all it takes to shatter that worldview. Near the end of the final fight, when Vic manages to get the upper hand, Mitsi will get caught in the crossfire and get hurt. Maybe it was just a stray shot, maybe she tried to step in to stop the fighting, but she will be hurt.

And it will be Victim's fault.

That forces Vic to realize the truth that had been staring them in the face from the moment they started hunting for Chosen and Alan.

Right now, at this very moment, they are no better than those who hurt the both of them in the first place. And that truth might just break them.

Wouldn't it break you to realize that you are no longer yourself, but instead the monsters you swore to fight against?

[invested-in-your-future]

Having just started to rewatch Arcane S1, one of the things that I like about it is how it lays out its premise and follows through on it.

In episode 1, Benzo tells Vander that the young people want to write their own stories, and won't be held back by the caution of elders, even well-meant. At the end of the same episode, Vi promises Powder that one day the city will know their names.

And the rest of the season follows through on that, both through Vi and Jinx driving the story in spite of Silco's efforts to stop or control them, but also Cait's refusal to take dismissal lying down, and Jayce continually pushing against Heimerdinger. They drive the story and won't let themselves be held back. (It felt, in many ways, like a better-executed version of what RWBY volume 6 was trying to do).

Which is why the most disappointing aspect of S2, personally, is the way that aspect got lost, as the story became dictated by the hexcore, by Ambessa, by outside forces compelling the protagonists to react instead of driving events the way they had before.

Yeah, one of my biggest issues with S2 is that it offloads every major resolution to an outside plot device.

Vander resolves the sisters' feud. The Magic Robogod subplot resolves the Viktor and Jayce subplot for them AND the class divide (LOL). The child plot device resolves Jinx's role (without even starting it). The random traitor girl resolves Caitlyn's position.

Now, don't get me wrong—reacting is an important aspect of character writing (and character building)—outside stimuli are usually how characters change and develop.

The issue is that Arcane S2 is not interested in having characters react.

Viktor's struggle with his humanity could have been fascinating, but he just shifts between his S1 self, a messiah, robot god, and plot device man in an instant, sometimes within the same episode. Vi and Jinx's feud gets resolved via the Vander subplot, but do we get Vi's characterization and screen time dedicated to her processing what happened? No. Likewise, Vi's "I don't care" would have hit harder had she been allowed to react to Caitlyn going full dictator and struggle against it throughout the season—Caitlyn being even a bit remorseful would hit differently for her if we had seen that struggle where Vi is happy to have her back now.

The show posits those plot devices as "resolutions" but doesn't actually use them at all beyond that—it's as if writers are content with having "closed off a plotline" rather than portraying its effects on the characters or HOW they change.

They created all those new out-of-nowhere subplots and plot devices, and then characters aren't really allowed to react or change due to them—because the plot devices are there to close plot threads rather than characterization.

The annoying part is that Arcane S1 gave all the tools needed to tell the same story but through the lens of the key characters' journey.

Season 1 ended with the inciting incident that every character in the cast could be reacting to throughout Season Two.

Jayce's push against Heimerdinger could shift into Jayce's push against Viktor as the city pushes for more aggressive use of Arcane in "handling the unrest."

Vi and Jinx confronting each other was already set up perfectly—it didn't need a death retcon MacGuffin to solve. By just playing out the character conflict here to its conclusion, Vi and Jinx WOULD have ended up in similar positions they did.

The show didn't need Vander, Black Rose, Noxous, or Magic Robo Gods to convey the cycle of violence, resolve the ongoing civil war between the two cities, or address the destructive nature of unrestricted use of arcane/technology.

They could have done that already and not wasted precious final season screentime introducing all the additional subplots.

And that would have led to a proper, worthy follow-up to Season One's greatness.

[lusty-kopfkino]

Batman Prompt 16 - Death Day

All of Batman's rogues know not to fuck with Batman on this day.

I don't come up with many "angst prompts," but here is one!

-

After Jason's death, Bruce was never the same. Just like with his parents, something changed in him when he died; a part of him died, too.

Even though he got better with help, mostly Tim being there. He didn't just lose Jason with the death, but also Dick. He made the mistake of not telling him and waiting til he got home months later after the funeral. It's just that he felt this was too sensitive to tell over the phone. It probably would have been fine if he got home when was supposed to, a few days after Jason's death, before the funeral, but the mission got stretched. Dick wasn't the one to tell him that, so he felt that he couldn't just tell him then.

These sound like excuses, but they are not. He was going to tell him when he got back, but the mission got stretched, and by the time the funeral came along, it was too late to call; he would get the same reaction no matter what, so he waited and waited till he got home. He just didn't expect it to take months.

He was right in how Dick reacted; he rightfully blew up and cut off contact, though the cut-off contact for so long felt a bit petty. Thankfully he came back once Tim knocked on his door. Dick and Bruce's relationship was already strained, but they were getting better with their bonding with Jason, but all that went into the furnace after his death. Now their relationship is worse than ever. It got better with Tim, but not back to where it was going with Jason. His death caused a rift. (That gets slowly mended once Jason comes back.)

After his death, Bruce lost himself. He was mad, he barely held his punches. Those weeks held the highest statistics for how many people he put in the hospital, and this is in Gotham, where it is normal for people not to go to the hospital if they get stabbed or even shot.

Of course, people noticed this change in Batman and got scared. People have always been intimidated by him, but this was on a different level. Usually, the person he saves isn't that scared, but they are now as if they were the bag guy, even though the anger isn't focused on them.

When Bruce first met the Joker after Jason's death, he did nothing. The Joker was doing his usual thing, he was planning for something. He didn't even mean to come across him. When he saw him, every muscle in his body froze. This had never happened to him before; his body was so full of rage that he feared that if he moved even a muscle, he would rip the Joker's head from his body with his bare hands. Once the Joker was long out of his sight, he could move again, and he went straight home because he feared the next person he saw was going to hospital and staying there.

He didn't, couldn't see the Joker again till after Dick. He never told him, but Bruce is thankful for what Dick did to the Joker; he beat him to an inch of his life.

Now five years after Jason's death, Bruce still feels the pain when the anniversary of his death comes around.

The people of Gotham have recognized that around this time they shouldn't test Batman. He gets much more violent and harsh around this time; lots of people don't know why he does.

On these days, the crime rates drop all because they know the seriousness of Batman on these days if you do a big crime, you will be punished.

Actually, a lot of the rumors of how terrifying Batman is come from these few days.

He only goes out for an hour on the day, but that one hour is feared. On this day, the crime rate drops so significantly that Gotham is considered the safest place to be on this day; because of this, many people take the day off and spend time indoors with their families.

The people of Gotham who know the significance of this day have taken to call it the "Death Day."

-

(I didn't mean to write a little story. Oops.)

This is set around the time before they found out Jason was alive, so the "missing gap."

*I put to Bruce an annoying quirk of mine. Once my brain's inset time to do something passes I have to live with it. Like when I got the wrong class, but I have already met the teacher, my brain says it is too late, and now this is my class. OR, like when I want to ask something, if I don't ask it at the "right time," I won't. (I hope I explained that well. It's for the part when Bruce has to tell Dick about Jason's death.)

[coffin-ramblings]

Honestly, I personally have issues for headcanoning the siblings as trans for these exact reasons.

Ashley's character and actions are heavily influenced by her being deemed "problem kid" according to the standards of being a cis female, and having serious internalized misogyny to the point she devalues her own worth as just a sex object. To have her be a trans man not only prevents an arc of self-acceptance, finding herself more, and perhaps unlearning some of that misogyny, but also has unfortunate implications with her sexism as someone else said in this post. Having her as a trans woman would mean that as a child, she wasn't seen as problematic when that was a major part of her upbringing. And honestly, a lot of people would still insist she's a "gay boy", which is a completely different experience.

Andrew also can't be a trans man without breaking the plot, because otherwise, he'd be immediately outcasted as "not normal". Andrew being a trans woman also carries similar problems as headcanoning Ashley as a trans man, but in his case, it is much less straightforward.

It is debatable until Decay's release on how far Andrew's toxic masculinity issues goes (or if it even exists as toxic masculinity and not as solely a product of his parentification and Nina's death) and how much misogyny he has that goes beyond living the 90s and early 2000s.

However, it's clear that his major issues are adjacent with toxic masculinity's, and likely worsened by societal expectations for men. One of Andrew's core flaws is that bottles up a lot of emotions growing up because of his age-inappropriate responsibilities and his forbidden feelings for Ashley. The expectation men don't talk about their emotions certainly exacerbated them. He has to learn to be more honest about his love and affection for Ashley to assure her trust in him. Otherwise, Decay happens where Ashley feels she can't trust him because he doesn't give her anything in return.

While Andrew got violent with Ashley in the end of episode 1, this is heavily implied to be a sudden change in behavior for Ashley, as she has no problems hitting him before according to Olive Branches, and she was grabbing him by the hair and yanking him down before he choked her. She was also taken aback by him threatening her after the first warden died, then declared she's not scared of him at all. He is convinced he needs to start overtly using violence to control Ashley's behavior, which is a toxic masculinity issue. However, this was in response to Ashley threatening to betray him to the cops despite their blood oath and his genuine desire to never be separated from her. This can also be connected to him not knowing how to manage his anger since he has to bottle that up, which he definitely needs to learn how to do.

And finally, a recurring motivation for Andrew to listen to Ashley and make the final decisions is he feels that he must be the one Ashley relies on as the parentified older brother, which part of the expectation men must be the rock of the family. However, because he perceives Ashley as too unreliable in their current situation and disliking her distrust of him, he can end up being tempted to regret he did not have a normal life when Renee offers him the olive branch and continue to blame Ashley. He has to learn to trust Ashley to have an equal say in making the decisions and that she will cooperate with him, to not be the one taking all the burdens of them surviving.

So much like Ashley where her being a trans man means that she can't have her arc of self-acceptance and unlearning internalized misogyny, Andrew becoming a trans woman goes in the way of learning how to be a man without those toxic issues and high expectations of himself. Ultimately, both Andrew and Ashley need to learn to be kinder to themselves and the other by unlearning society's and their family's expectations of what it means to be a man and a woman. From there, they carve their own meaning.

I swear y'all will look at the most stereotypically cishet adult man that's actually been fleshed out in an indie game ever and say "omg there's no way she's not an egg"

[rabbitprose]

kyojuro's view on death being "you die when you need to die" and akaza's view on death is "you die when i allow you to die"

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

MDZS Disco Elysium AU part 2 - Psyche Skills

Part 1 - Part 3

[anxiously-sidequesting]

Not to keep beating dead horses like I so much love to do but I am still completely Flabbergasted and Astonished at how you (Merle Ambrose) could discover the most terrifying fact that a child that is essentially under your care has been indoctrinated into a cult (which, by the way, a process that has taken over the course of years) ((by an agent that has been stationed in a direct position to make it easier to access and manipulate children, that has easily escaped your notice for such a long time)) that worships a nihilistic entity whose ultimate goal is the absolute and total destruction of Everything and Everyone around you, and your one, single, simple-sentenced response to that is to say "Oh, that's a shame. He (Duncan) always was pretty terrible. Hope he gets better someday." And then to move on from those extremely worrying and dangerous bundle of issues permanently without taking any sort of action to protect the vulnerable and make sure nothing like this ever happens again

[flastar13]

I don't mind villains having a redemption arc AND/OR development, I felt that the Akayashi sisters' arc serves to show how compassionate Sailor Moon and the other Sailor Senshi are. Maybe also to show the audience that if the Black Moon clan, instead of launching the magical equivalent of a nuclear bomb killing thousands of civilians, had simply politely asked Neo Queen Serenity if they could return to planet Earth because they were innocent of their ancestors' crimes after all, she would welcome them with open arms. What I would change about their arc is developing the circumstances in which they joined the Black Moon clan, I don't think a person joins a terrorist group because their life is going great. Showing that despite their arguments and rivalries, the four of them love each other, and would do anything for each other, hell Calaveras longed to avenge her death in the anime. Then seeing the goodness of the past versions of their enemies, they begin to question if their methods have been the right ones and if there is another way to improve their lives without harming others, showing guilt and regret. Once they are purified, they would help the team with their knowledge of the inner workings of Nemesis. In the end, the sisters would return to the future to help with the transfer to Earth or the improvement of Nemesis, instead of disappearing from the plot as if they never existed.

As for the Shitennou, I was always bothered by their lack of development in the manga and crystal, but I was even more upset by their villainous adaptation in the 90s anime. Not only were they no longer victims of Beryl's brainwashing who were brutally murdered by the reincarnations of their girlfriends who didn't remember them, but they became a group of evil idiots willing to stab each other in the back. Demons in the manga all of them wanted to avenge the death of their fallen comrade, and then took care of Mamoru even when all four of them were dead. It's a real shame that the only group of villains whose evil actions weren't at all voluntary, didn't receive a redemption arc in the 90s anime when they were the ones who undoubtedly deserved it the most. Not only for being victims, but for their importance in the silver millennium as protectors of Endymion and lovers of the Sailor Senshi. Also if they were also reincarnated, don't they have family or friends who miss them? Jadeite and Zoisite are minors if Naoko's notes about their apparent age are actually their approximate age. If Beryl kidnapped them, taking them from their homes, isn't their family desperately searching for them? Aren't there missing posters for those two at least in Tibet and Switzerland? (Thanks to Another History I have the headcanon that they were born there in their second lives) And the other two? Nephrite and Kunzite, they can be adults so their disappearances would not be as much of a priority for the police compared to two minors, they can easily be dismissed as an adult who decides to cut ties with their loved ones without giving explanations. But even so, didn't they have at least one acquaintance who is looking for them? Are they all orphans that no one would miss just like their master? The 2004 live action Sailor Moon is the only medium that develops them as characters, even if I didn't like certain characterizations, they managed to turn them into complex individuals with their own motivations. They didn't magically become 100% loyal to Endymion just by remembering the past, but each one processed the knowledge of what they were and the effect of Beryl's spell differently. Zoisite was determined to protect his prince and prevent history from repeating itself, but Kunzite reacted in the opposite way to the trauma by lashing out at Endymion for getting them into this mess thanks to his love entanglements. Nephrite and especially Jadeite, struggled to understand their memories of their past lives, but unfortunately Beryl's spell plus their own needs for affection and validation, produced Stockholm syndrome that prevented them from reconnecting with their master and their old lives. It would be so perfect if they also showed what life was like in the present for each one before Beryl kidnapped them. Let Mamoru instead of Motoki take care of the human Nephrite because he was his friend in the past and both manage to establish a brotherly relationship. They should show more moments of vulnerability from Kunzite, the guy suffers from post-traumatic stress after seeing the corpses of his friends and the destruction of his home, he doesn't really hate Endymion, he just takes it out on him for his insistence on getting close to the princess of the moon despite all the pain that brought, instead of hinting at the end when he's going to die. Show Mamoru worried about his protectors, trying to save them, fondly remembering his days before the destruction of the silver millennium

, saddened by Kunzite's spite and Jadiete and Nephrite's disinterest. And please stop killing them, they deserve happiness too. Unfortunately, Crystal was a missed opportunity to develop their character arcs more similar to Naoko's proposal, especially with her decision to make the senshi Xshitennou canon. We could have had Zoisite also bothering Ami with piano concerts to recover her memory, Rei questioning her idea that all men are abusers when she sees Jadeite being used by Beryl who exploits his devotion to her, seeing Makoto taking care of an amnesiac Nephrite and Minako arguing like a married couple with Kunzite about how to prevent the past from repeating itself.

So because Koan is a terrorist means she can't have any development whatsoever? We've just gotta be like "Oh she's a bad guy!" and move on? If Diamond can have development (if Crystal even gives him any) the sisters should too, they don't have to give a redemption arc or anything :/

I’m going to say it like this.

The A sisters are like the Monsters of the Week in the manga.

Monsters of the week are not important in the grand scheme of things.

They appear once and then they are killed. 

They are also like the Doom Gloom girls which only appear for two episodes. 

They were truly the underlings to the main four. 

I hate that for the sisters but that how it was in the manga. 

Since Crystal is going 1:1 with the manga they would be no time for them to get good development. Not something shitty. 

Diamond really don’t have any development per se in the manga. 

He’s an asshole in the beginning, middle and end. 

[thefirstknife]

Hi Bel,

I keep seeing comments about people complaining about the quality of destiny’s writing and story in the last few weeks. I haven’t really engaged with destiny since season of defiance, what’s currently gotten everyone so riled up? I thought that people were enjoying Season of the Deep/Witch in terms of narrative, why is Season of the Wish causing people to deride the destiny writing staff again?

I don't know!

Deep and Witch have been absolute bangers in every aspect to me. I've been enjoying all interactions and lore tabs we've received. A lot of them are stuff that we've never had before, a lot of reunions and closures, a lot of development and interactions between characters who you wouldn't really think would have much in common.

Sloane's return and healing from what she's been through has been fantastic, Drifter opening up with her to help her because he also got help from others was fantastic, Sloane reuniting with Aisha and Shayura brought me to tears (Shayura's descent into madness was triggered by immense trauma of Sloane staying on Titan and Titan disappearing), everything with Sloane and Zavala...

Witch was just incredible in every single way; the focus on Eris, the amount of Eris and Ikora content!!!!! Everything about Xivu and Savathun and their interactions together!! Eris finally fulfilling her goal she promised Savathun YEARS ago, getting that closure.

Wish so far has been equally great to me. All the new stuff about Ahamkara is amazing, finally giving us proof for long-standing speculation about Ahamkara and how they aren't universally evil creatures and expanding on them as a species. I love all interactions we've had so far; finally we have Petra back, Mara's singleminded focus on figuring out how to defeat the Witness and her continuous work to improve as a person, ALL SJUR MENTIONS!!!!! I won't talk about the "leak" because we have no context for it so I will wait for the full story to be revealed before I can pass judgment; something that I think should be a lesson to learn from this entire year. Maybe wait for the story to finish before judging the story.

Literally everything this past year that involves Osiris, but especially this season now that he's back in his element with the Vex. And of course every little detail we get of him and Saint. Osiris honestly shaped this year for me with everything that he's done to uncover the biggest mysteries. I think a big reason is that a lot of people just don't like Osiris, which I consider a massive skill issue.

Other than that, I don't know what are the issues people have besides just not being interested in any of these storylines and attributing it to a nebulous "bad writing" claim. I also genuinely believe that way too many people get wrapped up too much in fandom, imagine storylines they want to see and then get disappointed when the actual story doesn't go there. Almost like people forget that this isn't their story and these aren't their characters. A lot of it is also fandom completely warping characters into not what they actually are and then feeling like the canon story is the one that's wrong.

Whatever is the reason, I guess everyone is entitled to their perspective of the story and everyone is free to explore the story in different ways through fanfics and AUs and whatever. I do that too!

But I would definitely ask people to be normal with how they engage in criticism, especially in the current state of affairs. Writers are developers; they experience a ton of harassment and negativity from the community and also from inside the company. And they are online: they can see what we're saying. It's been documented that community commentary has been used to harass writers:

Imprint this into your brain and never forget what these people had to go through. Let's not forget also the way people treated Seth Dickinson on social media when he was active with Destiny fans. "Fans" were actively arguing with him about his own work (telling him that HE is wrong) and were utterly disgusting towards him when he tried explaining what he wrote. His works are now hailed as the best writing in Destiny and people want him back. If I were him, I wouldn't want to come back ngl, not with how he was treated and not with how fans are still treating writers (and hey, Seth wrote LF Collector's Edition! So he was back, technically, this year!). Let's not forget that a lot of writers are members of various marginalised groups. And I'd definitely not want to go back with zero support from leadership.

Which is also an important aspect for all developers, including writers: sometimes they have orders they may not like, but can't argue against. They do the best they can with what they're given, the time they have and directions they receive. And with that in mind, I am enjoying everything we've gotten this year, obviously with some specific complaints about things I didn't particularly enjoy (like the universally mid reception of Defiance; I've spoken about my gripes with it before, a big one being the shafting of Suraya who should've at least been mentioned in a lore tab).

I can tell that there is passion in their work, even if maybe they would prefer to do more with it, but can't. Maybe even if they want to take different routes, but can't. But from what we got, I can feel that they care about this world and these characters. I can tell that someone lovingly wrote about Sloane and her friendships with two grieving women. I can tell that they deeply cared about Sloane's friendship with Zavala and that they loved showing us Saint and Drifter caring about a fellow trauma survivor.

I can tell that the writers are immensely careful and loving towards Eris; everything she went through was crafted with love and passion from both writers and her VA. Eris' story is such a fundamental aspect of Destiny and I can tell that this was important to the writing team and that they gave her everything they could to do justice to her character and her arc and her healing and her release from the cycle she was trapped in for so long.

I can tell that there are writers who care a lot about Osiris and Saint and their relationship. I can tell that someone cared a lot about expanding on Ahamkara and giving them more personalities. I can tell that someone cared DEEPLY about Sjur and Mara and that her repeated mentions are the passionate work of writers who want us to remember her.

I could go on. And I know that not everyone sees it this way, which is fine; we all have different ways of perceiving stories. I enjoy discussing things we in the fandom disagree on and I enjoy hearing different perspectives! Unfortunately, this has recently become rarer and rarer. And for the love of god, please try and treat writers with some respect, especially now, especially those who are still working and doing their best with the shitty situation they're in. None of the cries of "poor devs" ring true to me unless the same is given to writers, instead of treating them like punching bags.

[entering--hyperspace]

Cannot imagine whatever is going on through Mr Leonard Echowatcher's head. You spend your life yearning for a world where you lived differently, where the day wasnt soaked in war, blood, and battle. Where you could envision a future where you have a partner and a family with friends to live gracefully with. But then you are given such opportunities only to find you were never taught to be gentle, you have a gentle, empathetic nature and yet the physicality of it is a stranger to you. You are expected to raise a child with gentle hands so that she saves the world, What does that even mean? How can you accept your growing love for your friend when you were never taught how to love, that intimate love is a luxury best left forgotten, there are no need for such things in war. He has to learn to become the things he wanted bc he grew too old to develop it naturally. He becomes a father to taimi fumbling his way into learning how to care and parent, he is defensive of Aurene bc he is from a culture where they arent expected to raise their own young and yet has to do so with a dragon. It feels like a test, He has to prove both to others and to himself he is capable of being a father, of nuturing, that calloused, stained hands can still be gentle. He has to accept that love is a terrifying leap of faith in vulnerability in order to gain a partnership that is considered a rarity. I love the idea that he spent 30 years yearning for things he thought he would never have and when he is actually given those opportunities (albeit admittedly through unusual circumstances) he has to learn how to actually live in them, becuase they were always just Concepts until now. Ohhhh my god Mr. Leo you are my everything

[isaacathom]

i have genuinely so many thoughts about how the book Lieutenant Hornblower was adapted and how most of the changes work, when accounting for the fact it must necessarily leave Bush's POV in order to work as television, and how those changes end up fucking over Bush's character in the movies, and how he was further pilfered by the series' decision to maintain characters like Styles and Kennedy. There is so much going on in there. Unfortunately, I don't yet own a copy of Lieutenant Hornblower, and having to constantly borrow it from my library is a faff and prevents me using post its to mark important passages. :(

[irradiate-space]

Miti's got the gist of it, but I'll note that the two earliest cases of Zeonists attacking Earth occurred before there was significant anti-Spacenoid oppression.

I'mma drop this link here for the full details (WIP):

TL;DR: The man who founded the philosophy later called "Zeonism", one Zeon Zum Deikun, advocated for peaceful self-determination for Spacenoids. He became the leader of a colony bunch, Side 3, and declared independence of the Republic of Munzo. The Federation cut off direct resource supply to the new Republic, but that was not the origin of the oppression of Spacenoids.

One could say that the Federation hadn't really oppressed Spacenoids or the colonies before the foundation of the Republic, other than through taxation, but this would be incorrect. The origins of the colonies' goals of self-governance comes from the origins of the colonies themselves. Due to "overcrowding" on Earth in the early years of the Universal Century, the Federation government enacted a policy of colony construction and forced emigration. (tbh this was probably a QoL improvement for all of them, given Earth's pollution and crowding) By UC 0079, 9 out of 11 billion humans living in the Earth Sphere lived in space, but the colonies had no control or input in the Federation government. This could have led to a situation like the American War of Independence, but the Federation was content to let the Republic be an independent backwater on the far side of the Moon. The Federation did not strike first in the One Year War.

Deikun's philosophy had several other parts, besides independence: the idea that Earth is the sacred home of Humanity which must be preserved; that Spacenoid civilization will be different from Earthnoid civilization due to material factors and the distance in space; that those changing circumstances will result in human evolution to adapt in ways that might include telepathy. These factors became important later.

Deikun died suddenly while giving a speech to the Side 3 assembly. In the immediate aftermath of his untimely death, the politically-connected Zabi family claimed that Deikun had named their patriarch, Degwin Sodo Zabi, as his successor. The Zabi family turned the Republic into the Principality. And it was the son of Degwin, Gihren Zabi, whose ambition to rule the entire Earth Sphere led the Principality to declare war on several other Sides, and on the Earth Federation, thus beginning the One Year War in UC 0079. Miti divides Gihren Thought into "independence for space colonies" and "dominion of Earth", but those are the rationalizations of Principality supporters. Gihren's goal was "Zabi dominion of everything."

Degwin famously compared his son Gihren to Hitler. Gihren famously killed his father while his father was negotiating for peace. Gihren was famously killed by his sister, Kycilia. Kycilia was killed by the son of Deikun. (there were three other Zabi sons; two are unimportant and one is important only in that he fathered Mineva Zabi, who was an infant at the end of the OYW) The Principality lost the One Year War, the leaderless Principality soldiers dissolved into the wilds of Earth and the voids of space, and until UC 0083 there was, for the most part, peace.

Those hidden soldiers fell into many groups, with different leaders, and different ideologies. In the asteroid belt, the Zabi loyalists wanted to put the infant Mineva Zabi on a throne; the Princess needed something to rule and what should she rule if not the Earth Sphere? This revanchist faction contrasted with the more-pragmatic Spacenoid independence groups who observed that Earth had little presence outside of the Earth Sphere, and realistically, they had already achieved independence by fleeing to the Asteroid Belt.

In 0083, several groups of Remnants collaborated to pull off a series of significant terrorist attacks: destroying a large portion of the Federation space forces at a naval review with a purloined nuke, and dropping another colony on Earth. In response to these attacks, the Federation formed the Titans: a task force whose sole job was to hunt down Zeon Remnants. In practice, the Titans just harassed Spacenoids and "normal" Federation soldiers. But the Titan's harassment of Spacenoids came second, as a reply to terrorism.

The Titans' oppression of Spacenoids, and of Spacenoid-rights-supporting Earthnoids, and of basically everyone they met, caused the formation of the Anti Earth Union Group (AEUG, "ay-oog"), which fought for human rights, the end of the Titans, and the reform of the Federation. At one point, the son of Deikun proposes actually relocating the Federation's government into space. That's basically what Miti predicted: a faction forming in direct response to oppression, and "a new ideological machine, which transforms the emotional reaction to the oppression of Spacenoids into reform of the Federation government."

But the Titans-AEUG conflict in UC 0087-88 was not the only thing going on. The leader of the Titans was working to subvert the Federation and gain control of the whole Earth Sphere. The Zabi-loyalist Axis Zeon faction returned to the Earth Sphere at that same time, seeking the downfall of the Federation. And an itinerant charismatic genius showed up from Jupiter and convinced the Titans that he was trustworthy; he ended up taking control of the Titans and used them to push his own agenda for ... ¿a Spacenoid civilization ruled by women? Scirocco's weird and his goals are unclear. But here you see again the split that Miti mentioned: "military domination of Earth" versus "independence for space colonies". The political situation in UC 0087-88 became very hairy; at one point you had the Titans allied with Axis allied with Scirocco fighting against the Federation and AEUG. The Titans tried to drop a colony on the Moon; after the Titans are erased, Axis Zeon drops a colony on Dublin. It's a clusterfuck, but those are the only two pro-war factions in the conflict.

A little while later, in 0093, another Zeon group shows up, drops some asteroids on Earth, does some bargaining with the Federation for more Spacenoid independence, tries to drop another asteroid on Earth, and is defeated. Their goal was to make Earth so uninhabitable that everyone would be forced to emigrate to space, and become Spacenoid. It's one way to end the Federation, for sure, and it's also the only pro-war faction in that conflict. Londo Bell and the rest of the Federation military only deploy nuclear warheads in response to the attacks.

And the end result of all that is basically a nothingburger. The Federation itself is too large to really change. The terrorist-suppression role of the Titans was revived in the form of Manhunter, which checks people's papers to make sure they have a license to live on Earth, and the AEUG was reabsorbed into the Federation military as the anti-terrorism task force Londo Bell. Now the oppression is aimed at people living on Earth, which mostly gets the Zeon Remnants still on Earth mad. They've mostly joined with existing anti-Federation movements on Earth; their politics has become "death to the Federation" and not much else.

The most-interesting variation on Zeonism that I've yet seen is one from Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn, in 0096, which does away with the colony-drop faction by simply seeking to disengage from Earth. If the proposed Side Co-Prosperity Sphere had been formed, the space colonies would have boycotted Earth. It would have been peaceful. But the Side Co-Prosperity Sphere appears to have been a stalking horse for the revived Republic's attempt to gain more influence over other colonies, and at the same time, it was used to justify a lot of military expeditionism by the Sleeves in support of attacking the legitimacy of the Federation. The Laplace Conflict inverts Miti's example here:

[T]he people of Earth may not especially want to oppress Spacenoids, but there may be no structure which converts their desire into actual oversight of the occupation forces, or the structure which does exist may be underfunded, or not have the right personnel.

The people of Space may not especially want to destroy the Federation, but there is yet no structure which converts their desire into actual oversight of the military, or the structure which does exist may be unmanageable, or not have the right personnel.

We must remember that, in the end, Gundam shows are about the power of a pilot in a mobile suit, not the power of political maneuvering. These are stories where a single individual can possess a world-changing amount of power. A standard mobile suit is a weapon on par with a high-powered fighter/bomber plane equipped with nukes; at the upper end of the scale you get Newtype-powered psychoframe bullshit that can rewrite reality with a wave of the hand. A princess screaming "stop!" cannot outsmart bullet; why should we expect her to outsmart whateverthefuck this is?

But as Banagher Links says: "Even so!" There is hope for peace and independence in the Earth Sphere, from people who do care in the ways that Miti says. The Federation and the Republic look at the NZ-999 II Neo Zeong and say: "fffuhck we're not prepared for this" and put psychoframe back on the shelf where the kids can't reach it.

(slight hiccup occurs in 0097 when some scraps get weaponized during Operation Phoenix Hunt, but that's more about the process of disarmament and post-war cleanup than it is about Zeonism)

There's the Mafty incident in UC 0105, which is another post-Zeon terrorism event, in response to Manhunter's oppression of Earthnoids but also in response to ecological concerns.

It's actually kind of noteworthy that there isn't significant conflict in the Earth Sphere after that until the Cosmo Babylon conflict in 0123, and that conflict isn't appreciably driven by Zeonism. It's just sparkling cosmo aristocracy, and doesn't touch Earth.

(in about half of all conflicts after the OYW, opposing sides of a conflict are supported by a single arms manufacturer, often as a way to get more purchases from the Federation)

There's also the Zanscare Empire war around UC 0148-0153, in Mobile Suit Victory Gundam, when a colony cluster declares independence and then decides to take over the Earth Sphere. I'm not entirely sure that this isn't descended in some way from Zeonism, but the lack of surety is because one of the key political characters might've been involved in a different series set around Jupiter, and has ideas that sound kind of like Zeonism even as he props up a puppet queen and a matrilineal society. He might've had some connection to Zeonism, somewhere in the bowels of the Jupiter Sphere. Victory Gundam itself doesn't address Zeonism.

Much, much, much later, in the Correct Century timeline of Turn A Gundam, there's a sort of inverted Zeonism, where Spacenoid independence is replaced with a goal for Spacenoids to return to Earth, and leave their high-tech existence for something more natural. Here, the resistance effort is from the Earthnoids, fighting back against being Manifest-Destiny-ed by the Moonrace.

Through all of these stories, you usually see multiple factions within the Spacenoid faction(s): the peaceful side, and the side that's spoiling for a fight. Everybody shoots up a neighborhood or two, but it's only ever the warmonger side that does colony drops and poison gassings.

-----

So, yeah: Miti's got the gist of it. If you want peace, you have to work for it. It helps if you've got an ace pilot in an overpowered war machine to help you enforce peace.

Death to the woke! Exterminate the liberal-communist vermin! You do not count as human!

You know when you send these, I don't know who you are, right?

Anonymous asks aren't connected to a larger body of work which demonstrates a time commitment to a particular ideology.

It's impossible for me to tell if you are a sincere right-wing ideologue, an actual Communist trying to radicalize me against right-wingers, a troll who time-traveled from 2004 and has decided to return to the art of trolling, or just someone trying to see how I react.

You might even be someone hoping for a spectacular maneuver that defeats this ask in one move, because you think that's what people need to see.