#if you come in here and bad faith me I'm gonna take a bullet train to your house and toss your salad

[dragongirltail]

I recently realised why I feel bothered by people analysing Minecraft trying to figure out what it's lore is and stuff, aswell as the posts especially on here claiming the game to glorify colonialism. (That's a real take, I can't believe that's the state of terminally online we're at.)

And that is, that Minecraft was never meant to be a "real" thing.

There's that really old post by notch back when he wasn't brain scorched by right wing bullshit and whatever else happened to him:

(source)

And I still think about it a lot because it shows such a wonderful view of the game that Mojang has very much started to lose over the years, though this isn't directly about that.

What I'm trying to get at however, is that in regards to this post it doesn't seem like Minecraft's intent was ever to represent real things or try and build itself on the basis of anything "real".

What I mean by that is, the cows have udders and horns because cows do have those things, Steve is just a human just like alex, even if people immediately decided they fit the binary.

This logic also fits surprisingly well onto the rest of the game if you think about it; jungles have temples because in real life there's plenty of those and in fiction it's a trope, same with desert temples.

Deserts rarely have wells everyone makes fun of for being useless (I know there's suspicious sand there now not the point) but if you think about it, a well in the desert makes sense that's where I'd say it fits in!

And the entire game works that way, stuff exists because that's what you get when you average out a lot of things and just do what comes out of that process.

Is the jungle temple based on any culture? Is the desert temple? I don't know, I'm not knowledgeable in that kinda thing but from what I've seen people say it doesn't fit anything in particular so again, platonic default of the structure.

The ancient city goes away from that more, same with everything else from other dimensions but hey that's just Minecraft doing unique things, for all we know those are all the platonic default to a parallel world where there's a dimension with endermen and tall purple and yellow cities!

And this is where the thing about colonization comes in, and where I feel like I'm opening myself up for a lot of scrutiny and malicious misinterpretation by saying this:

Minecraft isn't about colonization. Yes you can raid villages and "enslave" them in trading halls or whatever that dumb post said, you can show up at "uncharted lands" and raid shit, but that's a ridiculous fucking take and you know it.

Is Link problematic for walking in people's homes and smashing their pots, no of course not that's outlandish.

You CAN make villager trade halls if you want but as far as the game is concerned it's just something you can do because the world is your oyster, if you choose to be fucked up with that freedom is your call.

And if you let that worm in your brain you'll find issues everywhere, and realistically you just sound like those theorists making up shit like the rugrats being a hallucination or something.

Anyway. Lost track a little. A village in the most platonic default game sense is a place with people you can talk to or trade with, that you can help or exploit, and that tends to have goodies to find regardless of being inhabited or not.

There's other genuine critiques to be had about this game but a lot of the essence I've described here is stuff that's been in the core of the game since the beginning, before notch lost it.

You can analyse the world and try to figure out what happened to it, I'm not saying you shouldn't because who's being harmed! However, I am saying that maybe it doesn't need to have this depth and lore and whatever to it because it was never about that, and the game (at least used to) try it's best to avoid solid confirmations and consistencies.

[taylor-swift-bracket]

My fav lyrics:

- you're tied together with a smile, but you're coming undone

- if you come around saying sorry to me, my daddy's gonna show you how sorry you'll be

- my name is whatever you decide and I'm just gonna call you mine

- sometimes I wonder when you sleep, are you ever dreaming of me? // sometimes when I look into your eyes, I pretend you're mine all the damn time

- and here's to you, cause forgiveness is a nice thing to do.... HAHAHA I can't even say it with a straight face

- gave you too much, but it wasn't enough

- you can find me in the pubwe are watching rugby with his school friends

- desperate people find faith, so now I pray to jesus too

- I hate to make this all about me, but who am I supposed to talk to? What am I supposed to do, if there's no you?

- I rewind the tape but all it does is pause on the very moment all was lost // sending signals to be double-crossed

- I should've asked you questions, I should've asked you how to be, asked you to write it down for me

- long story short it was a bad time // long story short, I survived

- I don't like that falling feels like flying 'till the bone crush

- you'll find the real thing instead, she'll patch up your tapestry that I shred

- what should be over burrowed under my skin in heart-stopping waves of hurt

- time, wondrous time, gave me the blues and then purple-pink skies

- isn't it just so pretty to think that all along there was some invisible string tying you to me?

- I've been having a hard time adjusting // I had the shiniest wheels, now they're rusting

- it's hard to be at a party when I feel like an open wound // it's hard to be anywhere these days when all I want is you

- I've never been a natural, all I do is try, try, try

- you're not my homeland anymore, so what am I defending now?

- I can see you staring, honey, like he's just your understudy

- in my defence, I have none, for never leaving well enough alone

- if it feels like a trap, you're already in one

- no one sees when you lose when you're playing solitaire

- if clarity's in death then why won't this die?

- I've got a lot to pine about, I've got a lot to live without

- I never don't cry at the bar, yeah, my sadness is contagious // I slur your name 'till someone puts me in a car, I've stopped receiving invitations

- it only hurts this much right now was what I was thinking the whole time

- there were pages turned with the bridges burned // everything you lose is a step you take

- my flight was awful, thanks for asking

- sometimes I feel like everybody is a sexy baby and I'm a monster on the hill

- maybe we got lost in translation, maybe I asked for too much, but maybe this thing was a masterpiece until you tore it all up

- you call me up again just to break me like a promise

- they say all's well that ends well, but I'm in a new hell every time you double-cross my mind

- my cheeks are growing tired from turning red and faking smiles

- distance, timing, breakdown, fighting, silence, the train runs off its tracks

- no apologies, he'll never see you cry // pretends he doesn't know that he's the reason why you're drowning

- I'm no one special, just another wide-eyed girl who's desperately in love with you

- these walls that they put up to hold us back will fall down

- I love you for giving me your eyes, for staying back and watching me shine

- was I out of line? Did I say something way too honest, made you run and hide like a scared little boy?

- you forgive, you forget, but you never let it go

- got lovestruck, went straight to my head // got lovesick all over my bed

- you can hear it in the silence, you can feel it on the way home, you can see it with the lights out, you are in love, true love

- the water filled my lungs, I screamed so loud but no one heard a thing

- hold on to this lullaby, even when the music's gone

- wake up and smell the breakup, fix my heart, put on my makeup

- wondering if I dodged a bullet or just lost the love of my life

- a lesser woman wouldve lost hope, a greater woman wouldn't beg, but I looked to the sky and said please...

- pick your poison babe, I'm poison either way

- once your queen had come, you treat her like an also-ran // you didn't measure up, in any measure of a man

- I would've died for your sins, instead I just died inside

- you kicked out the stage lights but you're still performing

- the scandal was contained, the bullet had just grazed // at all costs, keep your good name // you don't get to tell me you feel bad

(I think I went overboard 😅 sorry!)

I love it! It took me awhile to add everything, but I got it! 😆

[classyrbf]

ENEMIES & FUCK BUDDIES! — TOJI FUSHIGURO

SYNOPSIS...you and toji are both rival assassins who absolutely despise each other, but for some reason can't keep your hands off of one another when you're alone

INFO...toji x assassin fem!reader, hate sex, angry sex, name calling (bitch, asshole, slut), pet names (sweetheart, baby), guns mentioned, fight scenes, knife mentioned, blood mentioned, hair pulling, choking, slapping, spanking, doggy, riding, sweet ending, not proofread

OTHER...likes and reblogs are appreciated

"Fuck...you," you manage to grunt out as Toji is plowing your pussy, the sheer force of his hips sending you forward. You hold onto your bedsheets as support, toes curling when the tip of his cock kisses your cervix.

"You're doing that right now, sweetheart," he replies with a snarky tone, landing a harsh smack across your plump ass, watching the way it ripples from the impact. "You're such a fucking bitch." His hand grabs a fistful of your hair, pushing your face down into the mattress as he somehow thrusts into your faster, his pace unrelenting.

You and Toji were rival assassins, always seeming to run into each other when you were both assigned to take out the same target. Of course the money was on the line, and to get a one up on the other, he'd kill your target and sometimes you'd kill his. It was an ongoing feud between the two of you that never seemed to end. Some of the time it ended in you fighting each other, punches thrown, bullets fired, blood spills on the floor. All that was no use, though considering your target escaped. He'd blame you and you'd blame him.

He's costs you some good paying jobs, ruining your rank. You hated his guts just like he hated yours. But one thing you couldn't deny was how attracted you both were to each other. His eyes scanning over your body while yours stared at his plump limps. The tension was there, both of you were completely aware of that. So thick you could cut it with a knife. It was no surprise when after your very first fight with each other, you guys ended up ripping each others clothes off. As for the target? They escaped. And it went that way every single time no matter if the mission was completed or failed. His lips were on yours every time, fucking you with pure hate.

Though, this mission was different. Toji was assigned to kill you. You already had a hunch, you were one of the best trained assassins. As soon as he came knocking on your door, you knew he wasn't here to have conversation over cup of coffee because he fired shots right through your door before breaking it down. "You still alive, baby?" He laughed, wood creaking under his heavy boots.

"Unfortunately for you, yes." You fired shots right back at him, before running towards him to throw a punch. Your house was left a mess after the fight, a small cut on your cheek as you tried to catch your breath.

"Wanna call it a truce, sweetheart? I'm outta ammo," he chuckled, tossing his gun into the middle of the floor.

"You're a really bad liar, Toji!" You called out from behind the wall, looking at how much ammo you had left. One bullet. You rolled your eyes in annoyance, looking at the bullet holes that littered your wall and the array of useless guns on the floor. Shattered glass from your expensive vases at your feet.

"Awe, come on! You don't trust me?" You could hear the smirk in his voice.

"You literally came here to kill me." You slowly stood up against the wall, peeking out from behind it to see if you could spot where Toji was hiding. You raised your gun, carefully stepping over the glass.

"And? Isn't that our job?" You followed his voice towards the kitchen, playing defensive as you stayed alert of your surroundings.

"It is, baby," you smiled. "Which is why I'm gonna kill you first." You quickly turned the corner to the kitchen, finger on the trigger ready to shoot. Toji wasn't there.

"You put a lot of faith in yourself. I like that," he whispered from behind you. You quickly turned around and pulled the trigger, but he grabbed your wrist to divert your arm, the bullet scraping his arm. "You really just tried to shoot me!" He said in disbelief. He knocked the gun out of your hand, swiftly pinning your arms behind your back and holding a knife to your throat.

"Do it," you demanded. You felt the sharpness of the blade press into your skin, anticipating for the moment he sliced your neck open, but he pulled the blade away, pushing you away from him. Immediately, you turned around and looked at him with furrowed brows. "What are you doing?"

He just stared at you, blood staining his busted lip as he held the knife in his hand. "I can't fucking stand you." He threw the knife down, taking your face in his hands and pulling you in for a rough kiss, tongues moving so messily against each other.

"You're a pussy," you laughed at him for not being able to kill you while simultaneously pulling his shirt off.

"Shut the fuck up already," he growled.

Now, here you were, face mushed into the mattress, his dick reaching deep inside of you. Your eyes clenched shut, teeth clenched as he sweet spot over and over again. Though, you wouldn't let him get the satisfaction of knowing that. "Fuck me right or don't do it at all!" You taunted.

You heard a chuckle leave his lips, his grip on your hair tightening before trailing down to the back of your neck, gripping onto it as he lifted your body, your back now pressed against his sweaty chest. "Repeat that for me?" He snaked his hand around your throat, squeezing it.

"I said fuck me right or don't do it all," you spoke with full confidence. In a split second, he threw you back down on the bed, flipping you over onto your back like a rag doll as he pushed your legs apart, his thick cock slamming into your dripping hole. "Fuck!" You cried out.

"Is that good enough for you, slut?" He trapped your legs against your chest, his shaft dragging against your velvety walls. His heavy balls slapped against your ass, his hand wrapped tightly around your delicate throat. "I fucking hate you," he pummeled your pussy.

"I fucking hate you too," you snarled, the palm of your hand making contact with his cheek. Toji was shocked for a second before a grin began forming at the corner of his lips, his eyes darkening as he stared down at you. He returned the slap, a small whimper leaving your lips. "S-shit...mmmm." You bite down on your bottom lip.

"You hate me but this pussy says otherwise. I think she loves me." His snarky comment makes your eyes narrow, but you can't say that he isn't right. Your cunt squeezes around him, sucking him back in as he threatens to pull out each time. "Ohhh fuck, goddamn you feel so good," he grunted.

You place your hands on Toji's chest, using your strength to push him off of you and put him on his back, straddling him before you sink down onto his cock, aggressively and eagerly slamming your hips onto his. "You don't get to have all the fun, asshole." This time, your hand wraps around his throat, choking him. He can't help but stare up at you with mixture of lust and hate, watching the way your hips fluidly move as you ride him. Your eyes flutter shut as the bliss takes over you, pleasure coursing through your veins as you grow closer nd closer to your orgasm. "Ah, fuck!" You moan.

"Ride me like you mean it. I know you could do better than that." His large hand swats your ass as your pussy glides up and down his cock, a creamy ring forming at the base as it drips down his balls and makes a sticky mess between your thighs.

"Shut...shut the hell up!" Your brows furrow in pleasure, your body heating up as bring yourself closer and closer, teetering on the edge. "Yes! Yes!" Your entire body shudders, broken moans leaving your lips as you ride out your orgasm.

"Fuck, sweetheart," Toji's heavily breaths, his abs tensing up as he feels your cunt pulsating around him. Without warning he cums inside of you, rutting his hips against yours, ropes cum shooting deep inside of you. "Shit! Oh, shit!" He holds onto your waist tightly, eyes rolling back as he buries himself in your pussy.

"You came inside of me?!" You slap his chest.

"Not a big deal, get you a plan b tomorrow." He tries to catch his breath, a small smirk on his face.

"Whatever." You roll your eyes. You let out a small gasp when he pulls you down to his chest, hugging you. "What are you doing?" You asked, slightly confused.

"Just shut up and let me do what I need to do." He sighs. There's a moment of silence between you two as your two sweaty bodies press against each other.

"I had a clear shot on you in the hallway when you first came in," you blurt out, slowly moving your head up to look at him.

His eyes meet yours. "I had a clear shot on you in the living room."

"Why didn't you kill me?" It was a genuine question. The Toji Fushiguro was known to complete his missions—obviously that was before he met you.

"I could ask you the same." His thumb gently graces over the small cut on your cheek.

"Maybe...I like having you around." You admit, tracing circles on his skin.

"Yeah? Well, I've got a soft spot for you too." He has a small smile on his face as he stares at you with half lidded eyes.

"What about your mission?" Your voice is riddled with concern. Knowing how things work with an agency, they'll be after him just like they'll be after you. Both of you being hunted down for money, a large red target on your heads.

"Fuck the mission," he scoffed.

A small laugh erupts from your chest, "you kinda already did."

"Okay, smart ass," he rolls his eyes with a laugh.

tag list (comment to be added):

@kodzukein @inayasahin @mxchi-mxxn @vlsquuu @love-4-keum @thirtykiwis @viisgrave @bellefaerie @manifestis @oliviaissocool1 @prettyfacedream @bsi25 @zayn-210 @charbunxxi @nahoye @mistyheart @supernatrualqueen @lem-hhn @mimibesticon @fateisnotafactor @iwanttoberich420 @angelofthorr @honestlywtfisgoingon @araities @vampzity @spicynoodles23 @pinkbunnysblog @nn-hh192 @chrishak @keiva1000 @darkstarlight82 @brownbtch @70cosmo07 @sadmonke @notfancyrebelpaper

[that-one-weeb-but-starwars]

Must be this tall to Hunt| Boba Fett (tcw age so like 13/14)

Couldnt find a good teen boba gif, so heres bosk instead

Warnings: fake blame,

Reader: female

"You are expelled from the order-"

"What!?" Y/n shouted looking up at the council, "I did nothing! Master Plo! Reason with them!"

"I am sorry little one, I-"

Y/n was heart broken, looking up at the surrounding Jedi, this couldn't be true.

"Master Obi-Wan!" Y/n pleaded.

"Your attachments grow," Windu spoke, "and with them your anger."

"My anger?! My anger?!" Y/n shouted at him.

"Little one please." Plo pleaded, "I have brought a witness."

"You!?" Y/n argued, "Master I demand an answer! Why! Why would you- You out of all People!-"

She watched Anakin walk in guilt ridden on his face, "You!? Anakin! You!?"

He kept quiet as Fives walked in, her world stopping.

"Y-Your lieing!" She shouted, "Fives?! Not you! I trust you and you do this!?"

"Arc Trooper Fives." Windu spoke, " what have you seen Padawan Y/n do?"

Fives looked at her, "I. Saw Genral Y/n with a clone trooper,"

"Im with troopers everyday!" Y/n defended.

"What was Padawan Y/n doing with this clone trooper."

"...intercourse sir." Fives responded.

"Thats Obsurded Fives! And you know it!" Y/n argued, "You're my brothers- Why in gods name would I fuck any of you!"

"Y/n! That is enough!" Plo argued.

"You believe this crap!? You're suppose to have MY back!" Y/n demanded, "I'd have your back no matter what! And you turn on me!"

"Are there any other witnesses?" Fisto spoke.

"Yes." Windu spoke, "bring them in."

Y/n watched, her brothers, the wolf pack, Commandos and even some from the Corosaunt Gaurd walk in, and they strung there string of lies and they strung them high and low, entagled the lies beyond untanglement.

"Padawan L/n is to be expelled from the Order and that is our final verdict."

The platform she was on went downward, the clone troopers who had made there testimonies were gathered at the bottom, a path for her to go through.

"Y/n-" Wolfee spoke reaching out a hand.

"Don't you dare touch me!" She shouted in anger pushing past the clones.

"It had to be done." Commander Thron spoke quietly.

The others nodded.

"Damn it!" Fives shouted running out the room and rushing down the halls, after the light echoing of Y/n's angered footsteps.

She pushed the doors open and just walking out them she stopped, hearing Five's steps behind her.

"General. It had to be done-"

"What!? The lies! The string of lies you built! Why!? Why would you do this to me?!" Y/n argued looking back at the clone.

"We wanted to protect you-"

"Bullshit Fives! Bullshit! I love all of you! All of you!" Y/n shouted, screaming so loud it was sure to be heard all the way down to the lower level.

"Y/n listen!-' he grabbed her shoulders trying to plead with her but she pushed him away ingiting one side of her double sided saber as Fives quickly backed up.

"Touch me again and I'll kill you." She spoke.

"I don't even deserve death. I know- I-" Fives tried to explained, "We wanted to protect you-"

"Then you should of had my back!"

The bright blade turned off and she turned around leaving without a second thought.

"Hey! Wake up!" Boba argued.

Y/n turned her self around as she opened her eyes, "what do you want Fett."

"Rations idiot." He spoke as Y/n sat up, the girl only a year older than Bobba.

She was thrown a rations bar by the boy as they were in a hotel room, she had been sleeping on the couch.

"How much longer we waitin?" She asked taking a crunch out of the bar.

"An hour, I told you that the how much longer last time you woke up." He argued looking through the window.

Y/n kept quiet as she ate her food, it bland and bleak in both tast and color.

Bobba took an arm chair by the window as he ate his own rations. It was silent for a long mintue.

"Did. You have that nightmare again?" He asked.

Y/n looked over at him, "when do I not?"

Boba ate a peice of his own ration bar, he never knew what the nightmare was about, but knew it was the same one, on repeat.

He had the same.

"You, uh. Wanna talk about it?"

She looked his way, then looked away quickly, only able to see the faces of her brothers.

"No." She replied coldy tossing the barely eaten ration bar on the table, her appetite gone, "I'm gonna go scope the roof, don't wait up for me."

She walked towards the door, grabbing the sniper on the way out.

"I'll come with you. Incase someone tries to get you from behind."

"I don't need someone to have my back." Y/n argued.

"Well then Im coming because I want to!"

He pushed past Y/n as she scoffed, following him close behind as they walked towards the steps, somewhere along the way Y/n hacked into a vending Machine, Boba going up the stairs himself, stealing whatever she pleased putting it in her sling bag, enough for her only.

"Sharing is what?" Y/n questioned Woflee

"An opportunity for someoen to get there arm chopped off, it's my food." Wolfee told her.

Y/n sighed, how she hated her own little life lessons to her brothers, and stole more food, enough for both Boba and her, and a little extra.

Walking up the rest of the steps she made it to the door she kicked open with the bottom of her foot.

"Could you try and be quiet?" He seethed.

"I mean. I could. But no." Y/n responded walking towards the edge where Boba sat on a near by utiliy unit.

She sat down setting her back infront of her as she laid herself on her side her back to Boba the lights of the bright city below barely reaching the top of the tall hotel they sat on.

"You want one?"

Boba looked over seeing Y/n holding up a soda.

"Where did you get that?"

"Stole it."

Rolling his eyes he walked over to her snatching the bottle and sitting himself by her head.

"Hey hey. Fives calm your tits." Y/n laughed.

Boba stayed silent as he looked at her, she too busy looking out and onward, but feeling the stare she looked besides her.

"Oh." Y/n realized, "My bad Fett."

Boba stayed silent, as Y/n took a drink of her own soda, he had realized she had become more sympathetic with her apology.

"You wanna talk about it now?" Boba questioned.

Y/n sighed, answering in silence for a mintue, "My only family betrayed me. Strung a String of lies to supposedly keep me safe. I think about it all the time. We use to find these abaonded places and sit up on the roofs like this, we'd sing, start a bonfire, get drunk."

"Your as old as me." Fett argued.

Y/n shrugged, "war does that, you only live once Fett."

"Then why are you still worrying about it?" Boba defended.

"Why do you still worry about the things you worry about?" Y/n questioned, "but I was kicked out of my group, my name stripped of me, and instead of having my back, they had me cast out. Happy Now?"

It was silent again, the hearing of honking and swearving down below could be heard.

"I lost my dad to the Jedi."

Y/n stopped mid way lifting her drink to her lips but then contuined to drink then pull away.

"They tend to do that..." Y/n responded, "they expect you to follow every rule every word, there no better than the sith."

"You know alot of jedi and sith."

Y/n looked at him once, "It was when you father died did I stop really believing in the Jedi-"

"You knew my father?! You're a jedi-"

"Shut your trap and listen before you get rowdy you damn idiot!' Y/n argued Boba gritting his teeth, "I met Jango Fett when I went on a small assignment, my first one, with Master Shakk Ti- it was basically playing paper boy. I remember delivering work to your father...alot of people were mean to me, he. He never was, always said thank you, always asked me if I had eaten. He even watched me leave on the ship back to Master Plo Koon. So when I went througy reports and found him dead I was in shock, later to find out a Jedi did it. I started to loose faith. Why kill a man lookin out for him and his child, sure capture him- but taking family...I know how that feels and no one should go through it."

Y/n took a drink finishing her bottle and tossing it over edge, "so. I fought. And I fought and I fought. If i couldnt save Jango, I'd save what was left of him- the clones- my brothers. They share the same face but are diffrent than any could imagine. I spoke, I wrote, I pleaded, I trainned. It never was enough, and it was my 'emotion' that got the better of me. Pssh. Yeah right the Jedi can piss off because if they want to see emotion? I'll give it to them."

Boba listened, he had nevee seen Y/n before hand, maybe he had and just didnt remember, he never knew someone could share his pain. Neverless with the same person.

"Windu will pay." Boba seethed, "and your a jedi! You can help me."

"I will go head to head to him, I don't plant bombs." Y/n defended.

"We can take him! Two on one!" Boba tried to persuade, "you know his fighting style! I know guns! You know sabers! We take his head and anyone else that stands in our way!"

Y/n looked at him dully.

"Come on! How many bounty hunters have you single handedly taken on! And killed! How many sith have you injured! Jedi that chase after us! Without your laser swords! We can kill him! Together!" Boba explained standing up, Y/n move to sit up, "We're the left behind! We are the strongest! Because we were left behind! We round up a few others! Bane! Sing! Bosk! And there's always someone paying for a Jedi's head!"

Y/n stood up grabbing hee sniper rifle as she did and looked at her watch.

"It can be a sniper shot! A saber battle! Whatever you want! As long as he die and Im involed I don't care how!" Bobba argued.

Y/n looked down below aiming her sniper adjusting the scope.

"My father would do the same for you-"

He was cut off by a bullet shot and soon the sounds of crying folks who see a man just drop dead on the street, the target they had been waiting for dead. She pulled away from her weapon slowly, turning her head towards him.

"I'll do it.-" Y/n agreed

"No." Boba spoke, "We'll do it. Together. For everything the jedi took from us!"

Y/n looked at the outreached hand as she took it.

"Together."

"As One Unit."

"As One Unit." Y/n responded, "well one and a half"

"Im not that short." Boba argued.

"Shorter than me." Y/n chuckled.

[mndvx]

please enlighten me as to how much this episode sucked 🤭 bc from what i'm reading, it was even worse than last week

Turns out we finally found which episode of Titans is the worst!! (So far, at least.)

I have a feeling that the finale will be the most absolute insane pile of dog shit this show has ever had. And it's had a lot lately!! They really baited us into thinking there was a slight chance of it being good with the first four episode. I'm so mad.

Last week was a filler episode. And it was bad. But they really outdid themselves with this one, it's... yeah it's the worst episode of Titans, so far.

The GCPD is incompetent, that we already knew. So it's not really surprising when Random Nameless Cop #4 ends up being easily bought by Jason/Crane after we saw him have a little feely chat with Barbs about someone he knew dying from the fear induced riots or whatever

but before that, Crane sends all of gotham a little fanvid he made in his garage using footage from episode 1, not in any way shot differently, it's just episode 1 intro fight against Gizmo Guys copy pasted with a few flashing random buzz words, like "thief" "con-man" or whatever and him narrating about how the titans are bad guys and the reason why gotham's water is poisoned and says he put a bounty of 500K on the titans dead or alive. We get a little montage of every main character seeing the vid. With Conner and Komand'r spooning together in the living room d'aww and Gar reading up on Lazarus Pits then having a little DCney Prince moment with the bats in the cave before Kory comes in to tell him about the video.

So with that, what does Dick do? First he tells Barbara he's gonna fix this(tm) then he goes back to the batcave (off screen) and i guess tells the rest of the team (off screen) to get into a parking lot or something?? where they get surrounded by dozens of people and like... Fight four of them before Dick tells them to come back??? Also, at some point during this Dick is like "Me staying here, it's a mistake I should be with you guys" and Kory tells him "No! You got a bounty on your head, it's safer" so why is Gar not staying in the cave with him, he's not invincible either!!

Meanwhile, Donna is taking a taxi to get back to Gotham, because I guess she can't teleport anymore, that must've been some of that Purgatory juice that sent her from Themyscira to that other Wayne Manor to save Bruce (who we hear NOTHING about. I mean good, we're not here for him, but she literally just stopped him from kiling himself in another country and now she's on the way to Gotham all alone... That's weird

Same thing about Tim, we saw him come back from the dead last week, but he's nonexistent in this episode. No one, not a single person all titans included, even speaks about him or even vaguely mentions him being shot or asks if he's okay or anything.

and then that random Lydia amazon shows up saying she's been following Donna "for 10 minutes" which is really weird, because Donna definitely was moving for longer than ten minutes, i mean she was IN ANOTHER COUNTRY, so how the fuck did you show up specifically on that road to Gotham just ten minutes ago, CAN YOU TELEPORT LYDIA??? I guess she can because then she slams Donna down and she wakes up in some random woods she calls "The Training Grounds" like it means something. blablabla this is the B Plot i guess? It's dumb, it's pointless. It's Lydia fighting Donna for way too long, some random shit about Lydia's daughter Angela dying and how she's sad or whatever who cares, then telling Donna she has to rise, she was born to lead people etc etc (can you tell how hard they're trying to make a spin off happen?) before Donna can finally go back to going to Gotham (no she doesn't get reunited with the team.)

Dick and Babs meet in a bar for some reason, random pointless and annoying reminiscing about their past before Dick tells her he's gonna turn himself in as Nightwing, pay bail then vanish from Gotham so the people can supposedly keep faith in the GCPD and not turn against them?? idk, if Nightwing vanished like that right after being caught by them, I wouldn't trust them to protect me but that's just me!

Jason and Crane have a weird and cringey chat (again. they had one before as he prepared his fanvid, talking about... Breakfast?? Jason was annoyed and didn't get the point of it, same) and he goes on this rant about how Jason needs to believe in himself and all that, makes him go "Red Hood!! Say it with me! Red Hood!" for like... what felt like at least a whole minute before he suits back up and goes back to being the murderous little shit he CHOSE to be, Molly calls him and asks him to stop he says no i have to </3 (you don't dumbass)

Dick tells everyone his plan, they all eventually agree because that's totally not gonna go wrong 🙄🙄 so they suit up and go to the GCPD to make a little show of their surrender. The cop that was bought out apparently has a lot of friends bc most of the cops present during the thing start acting up and one of them pushes Komand'r first (geoff johns, i'm in your walls with a knife) which is only so Conner can go "HEY BACK OFF 😠😠" before they then start attacking everyone. You already saw Kom gets shot, so yeah... That happens. Con stopped one bullet and stood there just 🖐🏻😠 while another was shot and hit Komand'r in the stomach or something, the most boring fight scene ensues (gar gets shirtless yay! sorry.) Barbara kills the cop who had his gun drawn on Dick and she's later on arrested by Vee for it, which... what the fuck??

so everyone left after the whole boring fight, separating and hiding. Kory and Kom go to a church where Kory decides to use her powers to try and heal the bullet wound that is KILLING her sister, and Komand'r somehow (unconsciously) absorbs all of Kory's powers, which makes Kory mad and go on a whole thing wondering if this was her plan all along, making Kory care for her so she could betray her or something. Komand'r says it's not the case and asks what will it cost for Kory to trust her etc. (honestly this whole episode is badly written, but 🥺🥺 Kory admitted she cared about Kom). then they have another argument, because Kory wants to return to the Titans and help them, but Komand'r tells her they should leave and go somewhere alone the two of them, and that Kory is a queen and was never meant to be fighting a war that's not hers and they then separate because Kory is not going anywhere. Komand'r then leaves, Kory asks where she's going and Kom tells her she's not "the only one with unfinished business" which... what? So yeah, now Komand'r has Kory's full set of powers and Kory is COMPLETELY depowered. 

And then we have a little montage of the city going to shit and full chaos, with Barbara being arrested for killing that other cop. Donna beats up a soldier who wouldn't let her come in Gotham. Because of course she comes back when everything's gone to shit, how convenient.

Gar is all alone in an empty warehouse type of place, after having been shot with a tranquilizer dart while the whole fight in the GCPD happened, (which was like half a day ago, idk how animal tranquilizer work but that must be strong stuff because he's still a little knocked out from it) he sees a raven that then turns into our beloved little Rachel!!! She tells him she found him because she felt his energy, and they have a quick recap chat where he tells her Jason and Crane turned the city into chaos she doesn't react in any particular way, so i guess she knows Jason is evil? whatever. the good thing about this scene is Rachel using her powers!! (and Ryan Potter's abs)

Then we see Dick and Conner on their own, with Conner insisting they need to go out there and help people but Dick being the dumbfuck he is tells Conner they can't, that they need to stay hidden and not be caught, so going back to Wayne Manor is also out of the question. But CONNER IS INVINCIBLE!!!!! FOR FUCK'S SAKE GRAYSON!!!!

And for our last scenes, Jason and Crane are in Wayne Manor. He makes Jason destroy a painting of Bruce and his parents because of course you have redecorate the place now that it's yours, Jason has quick flashbacks of his conversation with Bruce in Crime Alley in the shitty episode all about Jay and angrily stabs the painting like 20 times?? And Crane actually says "Welcome to Crane Manor", it wasn't just the synopsis being cringe!

ANYWAY. TERRIBLE FUCKING BAD EPISODE.

[scuttleboat]

If you're still up for it, i'm curious if you have any thoughts on what Bellamy's overall journey will be this season? Aside from, y'know, his whole (imo, unnecessary) redemption arc.

note: written after 406 

I think we’re in the middle of it, and one of the things that has been somewhat frustrating is that it’s kind of muddy what either Clarke or Bellamy’s character arcs are going to be. We’re halfway through, but neither of them have developed much or changed much since 403.  Octavia’s loss seemed like it would be significant but we still don’t know what the fallout will be for Bellamy.

Redemption in The 100

The concept of redemption is something that I think we as viewers have been hashing over since the first truly terrible things began to happen in season 2. We ask: 

Do these characters need to be redeemed? 

Is a redemption happening on screen?  

Even if we (the fans) may not think a “redemption arc” is required to like a character’s storyline, does that character themselves feel that they need to be redeemed in order to sleep at night?

What are the benchmarks of a “redemption arc” anyway, since it’s a thing that everyone talks about, yet seems to mean radically different things to different viewers.

Do we measure it by the religious ideas of penitence, atonement, etc? Or is there a pop fiction criteria for redemption that is unique to media, such as ‘feeling bad and doing something good so that the viewers are okay rooting for you again’?

Is a “redemption” possible in the accelerated timeline of the show, since on other series such a thing spans seasons or even the run of a series?

Why is everyone so sure that redemption arcs are happening or necessary?

And the one that gets to me:

Does the show even care about redemption as a storytelling trope, or is it enough in this world just to change one’s behavior?

That’s the one i think about a lot, wrt to characters like Bellamy, Lexa, Clarke, Kane, Jaha… who I’ll draw on since they’re some of the people with the highest body counts who are POV characters. With Clarke, she was devastated after 216, and she disappeared into the woods for 3 months. I think it was a conversation I had with @reblogginhood (so informative! she knows things.) last year about whether this period of forced isolation (similar to her year in the skybox) was her atonement for the deaths she allowed or caused in season 2.  In that case, her guilt was such that she seemed to need to punish herself, and the timeline of the series allowed for it.  

Lexa is a different case altogether: she tried to slaughter the kids at the dropship, she betrayed her allies and left them to be cannibalized, including the person she was falling in love with.  And yet, Lexa never displayed any indicators that she was undergoing a redemption arc, or even that she felt obligated to undergo one. I don’t think betraying Skaikru was a light decision for her by any means, and I think when she decided to protect them in s3 that it was a genuine move. Yet she never wept for the loss of life she caused, she never broke down and screamed and cried over her guilt…it wasn’t even clear that she felt any guilt at all. Responsibility yes, guilt no. She was a divine king doing what she need to protect her realm.  

Kane is another character who seems to feel, like Clarke, that atonement is required for ill deeds. He tries to sacrifice himself at the end of season 1, but Jaha “beats him to it”.  So Kane submits himself to the enemy in a dangerous self-sacrificing gesture in season 2, as his way to atone. That can be read as his redemption… maybe. Or is his redemption not the sacrifices, but actually the acts of good works that followed later? Was Kane’s redemption (for being part of a tyrranical Ark government) actually the choice to become a leader who acts in good faith, wisdom, and honor? Maybe he’s living that redemption every day, doing his best.

So maybe a character either thinks they need to atone or they don’t, what does “the narrative” think?  HA. TRICK QUESTION.  No one knows but JR and it’s up to us to read it and think it over. Fuck JR, go with “death of the author” if you want. In fact, I want to throw 2 definitions out here before I continue. These are, of course, overly simplistic explanations for complex theological and philosophical concepts, but it might help:

atonment - noun

satisfaction or reparation for a wrong or injury; amends.

(sometimes initial capital letter) Theology. the doctrine concerning the reconciliation of God and humankind, especially as accomplished through the life, suffering, and death of Christ.

Archaic. reconciliation; agreement.

redemption - noun

an act of redeeming or atoning for a fault or mistake, or the state of being redeemed.

deliverance; rescue.

Theology. deliverance from sin; salvation.

atonement for guilt.

recovery by payment, as of something pledged.

For a lot of fans on a show this violent and this philosophical, there’s been discussion that a redemption comes “too soon” or isn’t “earned” if there isnt an act of atonement. Or sometimes people say the word “redemption” but they seem to be discussing atonement instead. paying for it, making amends, etc.  And often people talk as if the only way to “be redeemed” is by suffering.  There’s also, however, the concept that redemption comes through good works.  That we make amends for our misdeeds by choosing to do better. There are some acts that are too big to atone for, or there’s no one left to make amends to, and in that case one has to look instead to changing one’s behavior.  Making the choice to change.

And that’s brings me to Bellamy this season… [read more below the cut]

In 401 Kane told Bellamy to take it one day at a time (paraphrasing). Instead of obsessing about the past, make sure you do the right thing going forward, and this will ‘save’ you. While I know the Kane speech didn’t land well with everyone, in the abstract it’s a pretty well travelled philosophical idea. [[I don’t have the education to really get into it, but it’s a big part of some Christian dogma, for sure. I don’t have any education in Judaism but since JR is religious I’m sure that may factor in. And it’s part of American culture, which is where I (raging atheist) have absorbed it by osmosis.]]  When it comes to Bellamy’s character in season 4, especially with regards to a possible redemption… I think Bellamy wants very badly to atone. I think he has wanted that since 311-313 when he finally accepted that his actions were wrong according to his moral perspective. 

However, Bellamy is a very practical person. He doesn’t have time to run into the woods and atone in silent suffering. He doesn’t have time to go on a quest into the desert with 12 disciples looking for the promised land. Bellamy is cognizant of the immediate danger to his loved ones, so he’s going to act to protect them before he’s going to think about indulging in huge dramatic gestures of his sadness. Haters might want him to suffer but that’s just not realistic for this show. The most he can afford right now is to try to talk about his feelings (like to Riley and Echo in 405) or to put others before himself (like not wanting to be on the survivor list). There’s also the pressing matter that even if Bellamy were to do a big sacrificial gesture to atone and to earn redemption through suffering… that won’t help his sister live, and making sure Octavia survives matters a hell of a lot more to Bellamy than his self-image.

So is Bellamy going through a “redemption arc” right now?  Maybe. I don’t think he’s going through atonement, but I do think he’s trying to make wiser choices each day. I think he’s committing, as best he can, to save as many people he can each day (402), and he’s hoping that he’ll find some distant redemption by doing that. (if he’s even consciously thinking of it in those terms, which isn’t at all canon spoken, btw, so he might not be. He’s not trained in ethics or theology.)

What I think Bellamy is going through this season so far is a guilt arc.  He was in it for the back half of season 3, and he’s still in it. As things stand right now, I would like to think that his speech to Useless Riley in 405 was a wrap-up fo that. I felt guilt was pretty appropriate in 3B and starting season 4, since the writers have been trying to write their way back from their dumbfuck execution of his arc in 3a, but if he stays mired guilt for all season 4… that’s pretty one-note. I’m ready for that part of his character to move to the backburner. Not go away (lol this is The 100 after all), but no longer be the first bullet point on his character sheet every episode. I was with it up to a couple weeks ago, but this is mid season now!  I get it, Bellamy feels guilty.  Cool beans, BUT WHAT ELSE?  It’s definitely time for the writers to give him more to do emotionally.  As it is, though, I don’t think the show will let Bellamy move on until they let Octavia move on. That’s how it goes with the Blake siblings– when Octavia forgives Bellamy, he’ll be more able to forgive himself.  And that’s a totally fucked up thing to hinge one’s personal development on someone else…but these are the Blakes. They have a fucked up relationship. And before anyone asks, I’m not gonna get into whether it’s likely for Octavia to have or need a redemption arc because she’s is still in her emotional descent, and we don’t know what the other side is gonna be yet. Her collapse is in process.

To circle back around… I think one could make a really sound argument that  some characters see redemption as necessary (Clarke, Abby) and others don’t (Lexa, Murphy). So I don’t personally think that @the100writers feel it’s necessary every time. I think they’ve written a whole cast of people doing bad things, and some of those people are going to feel they have to make up for their mistakes, while others don’t. Whether or not that matches with what fans want to believe about their faves (Bellamy, Lexa, Murphy, Clarke) is always going to be up in the air.  IMO, it’s in-character for Bellamy to want to make amends, but it’s a fact of their world that he doesn’t have the opportunity. So he’s doing what he can one day at a time. Whether or not other fans think his actions require guilt or amends–and whether or not such things are being successfully shown on screen–is down to how we each interpret the show, and what unique circumstances we bring to our viewing experiences. In that vein, macro perspectives about whether giving a particular storyline to a particular character is an act of contributing to sex- or race-biased storytelling is also going to hugely depend on what what each viewer brings to the table, because not all of us see the same patterns at work.  And it runs into the storytelling reality that characters in spotlight roles means that they’re going to be faced with conflicts, negative circumstances, and ethical dilemmas. There’s supposedly no good guys on this show, so that means all of our faves are gonna do–and endure–terrible things.  Kill the idea that anyone here is a cupcake.*  People are going to die and people are going to kill, even people we think should be portrayed as noble or good. So it’s up to each viewer to look critically at a work of fiction, and talk about it, while at the same time understanding that at the end of the day no individual show or book or film is going to be everything we want, politically.  Whether or not we keep watching when a personal line is crossed is up to each of us to decide.

btw I think a lot of my opinions here about Bellamy’s s4 arc have been shaped by discussion I’ve had this season with other fans, so thanks for talking to me about Bellamy angst. Especially @mego42 and @storyskein and @velvet-tread, and more.  Talking to y’all is enlightening and makes me reconsider things all the time.