#instead of delving headfirst into these big gestures

[fiovske]

plus, in my opinion, I feel like ever since the hiatus, every beauyasha interaction has been... idk, moments like carrying beau; and yasha taking her on a maiden flight... feels like rushing to the climax to something that is absent space, something that wasn't set up quite as well as it should have been, it doesn't feel earned in the sense that "transferrable" isn't really what feels "the non-comparable, nothing like beau's ever felt before" loving your best friend to loving a completely different woman in almost every aspect should feel like. it feels like an insult to both jes and yasha as characters, as if they are just... interchangeable? which is Not A Good Look To Have.

as a lesbian beau is often seen as this predatory by fandom which just Wants Her Out Of The Way so they can pair off Jes with either of the other two men who are romantically interested in her and use beauyasha even as a background/underdeveloped relationship to Pair Off The Lesbians so neither of them are a threat to their m/f pairing. I would even argue that Yasha and Jester are emotionally closer than Beau and Yasha are, and Yasha catching a falling Jes and taking her on a maiden flight or Yasha carrying an exhausted Jes would've felt more satisfying, a better payoff because there is depth to the relationship already built there through character interactions.. which isn't just fanon-interpretation of their relationship but closeness that exists in acts of love both jes and yasha perform for each other, see it as platonic or romantic, however you will.

whereas, with the comments of "she is sparkly and shiny" and "easy to lust", I imagine some thought was put into how beau would move on, since I speculate the cast would have had a conversation w which romance to advance w and ashley and marisha decided to go forward w beauyasha which is completely fine and all good, but the closere to beaujes could have been, "I had never experienced a strong platonic relationship w women before... so it was hard for me to distinguish where that line was. I still love jes, I do. but... maybe not in the way I thought I did. love can come in all forms and the idea that my feelings have a chance to be reciprocated actually make me want to pursue yasha, but this doesn't mean I love jes any less. I just love her differently. and will always want what's best for her, she's my best friend. I still care tons for her, even if I initially let myself into thinking the love I have for her is... not the same kind of love... as what I feel for yasha." that way I feel it wouldn't have felt as invalidating as it did with the "easy to lust" comment? as a brown wlw south-east asian woc, I have to admit, I have quite an attachment to beau, since beau is also a brown wlw with south-east asian features, the comment plays into harmful stereotypes of not only how lesbians are portrayed as predatory in media, but also how not only brown women but woc in general are caricaturized as more sexual and predatory too... so. it's like taking double damage on a personal level.

and I admit while the dialogue I suggested, still pulls away from beaujester, I also feel like its less... disrespectful? to both yasha and jes? and I won't send any of the cast any kind of commentary on it (and no beaujes shipper has to my knowledge, we're just sad on our own blogs and no self-respecting celebrity is gonna have a Tumblr account dude) bc parasocialness can exist as a two-way street and I refuse to submit to that kind of relationship w the content creators of a show that I watch + the show exists to be criticized/analysed in fandom spaces.

don't we as wlw deserve better? don't we deserve a growing budding relationship between beau and yasha where calling each other "girlfriends" feels... earned more than just playing it off as a joke that I am not even sure was in character? shouldn't beau talk to yasha about trying to get to know her? comment on her harp-playing skills or even talk about how the Hag scene impacted her, or even how Yasha was the first one who walked unflinchingly into the hut at the merest suggestion that Beau might leave. How Yasha has been having these dreams and I feel like there is a lot they can talk about, connect on in a emotional level explicitly instead of constantly passing off the awkwardness they have as "🤷y'know... disaster lesbians🤷". like... sit down. have a conversation in a while. connect.

show, not tell. I argue that the show has felt predominantly different since the hiatus bc suddenly overnight beau's feelings for jes transferred onto yasha the moment they landed on rumblecusp and I just feel like as wlw in media we shouldn't settle for so little as "transferable feelings". wlw rep is not interchangeable. we shouldn't be "grateful" for the scraps we get but ask content creators, who pride themselves on being lgbtq allies, to do better. I think we deserve more, I believe we deserve a better fleshed out romance arc (hey, there's still time) but like I said, all those big events of yasha carrying beau, taking her on a maiden flight... feels it it should be a climax to something.... to absent space, something that isn't sown yet, that isn't really quite there yet. which is part of the reason its... underwhelming. there's a narrative gap there, and using the excuse of "d&d is improv!!! can't expect it all to make sense!!!" undermines how intricately d&d/ttrpgs is a strong method of storytelling.

and beauyashas, this isn't something petty as ship-wars. you also deserves better.

I’m honestly a little baffled as to why WLW Beauyasha shippers aren’t also upset over the handling of Beau’s crush on Jester. I get that they’re probably excited that their ship is looking much more likely to happen, but...

Don’t you love Beau and care about her feelings? Do you really want Beau to just “turn off” her previously established deep feelings without actually resolving them so that she can be with someone else? Doesn’t the “transferable feelings” comment make Beauyasha feel a bit cheap and forced? Aren’t you, as WLW, uncomfortable with a straight woman having her lesbian character brush off her “incomparable” love for Jester as lust?

I love Beaujester, but I will happily enjoy watching Beau and Yasha form the first PC gay relationship in CR—IF it gets the same care and buildup as Beaujester. I want to see Beau drunkenly ramble off a list of things she loves about Yasha with a cheesy line like being her beacon, not struggle to come up with anything more than “there’s something there.”

I want to see Beau and Yasha together because they develop a deep relationship, not just to pair the lesbians. I would think people who actually prefer their relationship to Beaujester would want that too, but instead there’s this pointless ship war going on.

We should really be standing in solidarity of wanting to see well-handled lesbian romance, regardless of which characters end up together. Let’s focus our criticisms on how the cast treat these WLW relationships in comparison to their straight ones, instead of on each other being more invested in different romance tropes.

(Which, by the way, is not the same thing as attacking the cast. No one to my knowledge has actually harassed Marisha over this, and people are allowed to analyze and criticize within fandom spaces—that’s what they’re for.)

We’re used to fighting over table scraps for gay rep. Having another ship block yours usually means that a straight ship is blocking a gay one, so we’re used to being on the defensive. But that’s not what’s happening here. Beau is a lesbian, and no one can take that away. We all love our buff blue girls, so let’s support each other in that love, yeah?

((PS. bashter ftw))

[strrne]

Give Me a Signal, Ch.5

Chapters: 5/?

Word count (so far): 13043

AO3  Ch.1 Ch.2  Ch.3 Ch.4 Ch.6  Ch.7

Summary: When Padmé Amidala is unable to contact Coruscant while negotiating a loan on Scipio, the Senate suspects trouble, and sends Anakin Skywalker to go check on her. Of course, the resourceful senator isn’t really in any trouble – don’t flatter yourself, Rush Clovis – but there’s definitely some brewing.

(or; rewrite of the tcw S6 Clovis arc; anidala + a gen very plotty plot)

Chapter 5

”Have you seen my 87’s?!” Anakin demanded from Obi-Wan before the Jedi Master had barely taken a step into his former Padawan’s temple quarters.

Obi-Wan tilted his head, not entirely thrilled with what he was looking at. Tousled hair sounded too deliberate, too carefully arranged into some roguishly appealing look – no, this was disheveled hair, framing a pair of red-black under-eyes and a matching scowl.

“Your eighty-sevens?” Obi-Wan echoed, as Anakin didn’t bother waiting for an answer, and instead dove headfirst into an already half-scoured drawer, and started tossing things out, “Well that depends. Would that be the 87 times you've crashed your ship within the last week?”

“Ha, ha,” Anakin interjected, now doing some sort of handstand on top of the only barely heavy enough piece of furniture, and still somehow managing to rummage the contents.

“Or the 87 times you’ve already rolled your eyes at me during this conversation? In both of which cases, yes, I was there to witness it.”

“Ha. Ha.”

“Or could you possibly be referring to the 87 conversations we haven’t had about you and Senator Amidala?”

Anakin turned his head, but Obi-Wan was having trouble taking him seriously in his present position; hands gripping on the drawer edges, toes almost hitting the ceiling, Jedi tunics and undershirts falling all over his reddening face. The Jedi Master shook his head, with fondness. Was it beneath the Chosen One to do something like a regular person? At least he once used to find new and exciting ways to assert his maverick status. Now the attempts were just getting more mundane and desperate.  

“Anakin, get down from there.”

At his Master’s orders, Anakin performed his 88th crash landing within the last week, making Obi-Wan grin and shake his head. The younger Jedi just gave a 'go on, if you dare' sort of gesture with as much dignity as he could muster.

Obi-Wan straightened his shoulders - he needed to do some mustering of his own - and while he did, Anakin took shelter behind his tinkering table. He grabbed a seemingly random tool and challenged it to a staring contest.  

“Anakin, you’ve met Satine,” Obi-Wan finally began. “You know I once harbored… feelings for her.” The Jedi Master sighed, already exhausted, wondering how deeply he would have to delve into this topic until he got something out of Anakin. The boy's shields were up - which in itself was an indication of something.

“It’s not that we’re not allowed to have these feelings. It’s… natural.”

Anakin made a barely audible, frustrated sound. Obi-Wan felt that this conversation was dangerously close to turning into another generic lecture about attachments - which Anakin seemed to all but tune out these days - not to mention an excavation of some painful memories of his own. He'd have to try something new. The 'fate of the Republic' could be at stake, according to his bad feeling anyway - and if that turned out not to be the case in the end, well, then he would formally renounce feelings for all eternity.

On a whim, Obi-Wan spluttered out a string of words that neither Anakin nor himself could make out.

“What?”

Obi-Wan drew a deep breath.

“What exactly is the nature of the relationship between you and… Padmé?”

Anakin stared at him, with caution in his eyes, although it seemed the outermost layer of surprise had been scraped off by Obi-Wan’s initial forewarning. He now sat down behind the table, holding in his hand some kind of model spaceship. He peered inside the minuscule cockpit, pulled out some sort of funny-looking wrench, then put it down in obvious disappointment.

“A 44 won’t cut it,” he muttered under his breath.

“Anakin, answer the question.”

“You didn't answer mine. For your information," he brandished the tiny tool like a weapon, "a 87 looks like this, but bigger, and with a sort of a mount between the jaws. Oh, and the Senator and I are just friends.”

Obi-Wan scratched his head, wishing he had written down the lines he had thought up in the shower this morning. He had tried to approach the topic softly; tried to – as they called it – relate to him. What could he have possibly done with Padmé that he had not with Satine?

“Anakin, I have eyes.”

“Yes, Master, and let me just say, that dreary tunic really brings out the color.”

Dreary? Obi-Wan clasped the hem instinctively. So uncalled-for...

“I can sense that you’re upset about her working with Rush Clovis.”

This at least brought about a reaction - an immediate one - as Anakin slammed another bewildering piece of durasteel against the table.

“Last time they worked together,” Anakin snarled, “he almost got Senator Amidala killed, and I would’ve been responsible.”

“How so? She is her own person, and responsible for her own life.”

Anakin glared at him, recognizing the insinuation.

“What do you expect me to say?” he scoffed, before a very curious expression spread on his features. He paused for a moment, and his voice faltered ever so slightly as he added, without blinking, “That we have been secretly married for the past two years? Hoping to start a little family once this blasted war finally ends? To hell with the Order and their rules?”

The words startled Obi-Wan before he fully registered their meaning. But as soon as he did, he began examining them more closely. There were two options really: this was pure, unadulterated sarcasm, a form of communication he himself was dearly fond of. Or this was the so-called ‘lying by telling the truth’ ploy, a maneuver he had also used in the past. Usually very effective… usually.

“...Alright then,” Obi-Wan said simply, trying to process the notion. “Big wedding?"

Anakin seemed to think they were still trading jokes.

“Bit noisy."

"Noisy?"

"Threepio wouldn't stop making speeches."

And perhaps they were? A tinge of doubt seeped into Obi-Wan’s mind. It was just too ridiculous, too bold, even of him. Not to mention the very level-headed Senator… no. The insolent kid was just trying to avoid another scolding by playing off the whole thing as a joke altogether.

Anakin, a married man? For two years… before even being knighted? Marriage – with a ceremony! Official documents! Probably some kind of symbolic jewelry… and a devotion far more passionate, far more selfish than that of serving the Galaxy. If it was the truth, there was no sermon spectacular enough that he could give. Why had he ever bothered? This whelp was already laughing soundlessly in his face, and so was that wily politician… his supposed wife. His wife!

Obi-Wan mentally shook his head for even having entertained the idea. Something was going on between them, that much was for certain, but this… this was too much.

“Very good, Anakin, you can quit making fun of me now.”

-

Clovis closed his eyes and tried again. A lot was riding on the success of this investigation. A good majority of the Senators didn’t trust him, his colleagues would sooner or later find out he was attempting to bring them down, a Jedi Knight was most likely plotting his murder, and Padmé...  

No – most importantly, for once in his life, for the love of everything the war had not yet tainted… he wanted to do the right thing.

The analysis sounded a bleep on its arrival.

It had come up blank again.

“Clovis, I’m exhausted,” Padmé confessed, getting up from the couch and walking up to the window. “Please, answer me honestly – is the evidence adequate? Is it enough to convict the Core Five?”

Clovis thought about the question long and hard, leaning his head on his fist, until his knuckles almost penetrated the skin on his lower jaw.

“It’s… it's enough to bring them to trial.”

Padmé spun around, running her fingers through her fairly simple, curled hairstyle.

“And when they do stand trial…” she twirled a ringlet around her finger.

“Padmé, I’m sorry, but I don’t know,” Clovis confessed, no longer bothering to hide his concern. He made a frustrated wave at the screen, “I think… I think this might be the wrong file. It shows that the accounts exists, and that they’re not grouped with the regular accounts, and have some special features… but it won't display any details, and it -well, you can't see the money flowing from the Republic account to these ones. They can simply insist that these are just some empty accounts they created as a spare, or something. We can keep digging further, but…”

“Nothing will likely turn up. I understand,” Padmé said, turning her head away. Clovis put down the processor and went up to join her at the window. She was very evidently keeping a professional distance, but, like Clovis, seemed to have dropped some of her politician's pretenses of self-possession and stoicism.

“What are we going to do, Clovis? Even if they fail to notice the stolen files, they'll never let us into the vault again.”

Clovis gave a deep sigh, motioning restlessly without saying anything, until Padmé was compelled to ask him what he was thinking about.

“The thing is, Padmé… I don't think the Senate even needs proof. I don't think they'll wait for proof.”

“Why would you think that?” Padmé questioned, sounding almost shocked – or affronted.

“You saw how they welcomed me. Everything from 'This is a most interesting development'” to… 'we will keep a watchful eye on you, Clovis'. They still see me as a traitor and a Separatist. They probably think I'm trying to hide the evidence, with- with some kind of reverse psychology trick. What I'm trying to say is, they don't want the evidence from me. Should we manage to acquire it, they'll only accept it because of you, because you're here to legitimize it.”

Padmé lowered her eyes, nodding gravely as she stroked her embroidered blue sleeve.

“But trust me,” Clovis went on, “they will get the evidence. They'll find a way into that vault alright. You see, it's not just me they despise. It's not just the Core Five that they don't trust. You've already heard the whispers, haven't you? They hate my home and my people, and seem to think we want to pick a fight with the Republic.”

“Clovis, that's–“ Padmé began, now definitely shocked and affronted. Clovis just shook his head.

“There are already rumors going around about what's really going on with our holo signal. It's all over the holonet. They're saying the Clan as well as the police department employ private networks to communicate in secret, and that all the mechanics are all bribed into not doing anything. And why is our law enforcement suddenly under suspicion? Any guesses? Why, it is because a pair of Jedi Generals recently got themselves arrested. Your Senate now believes all our laws archaic and worthless - and no doubt, cannot wait for an excuse to invade Scipio and instate the Republic constitution at the earliest opportunity. Some sources have already speculated that Skywalker's imprisonment was some kind of open declaration of war – which we haven't been able to correct, and you know why? Because of the connectivity issues. It's a vicious circle."

Clovis paused, but not nearly long enough for Padmé to interject. In fervor, he suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders, causing her to recoil and look away, “You have heard the whispers, right? Or have you just willfully turned your head away, as you Republic Senators always do? For pity's sake…I overheard the Supreme Chancellor himself badmouthing the Muuns and making a fuss over his golden boy Skywalker. He is the most powerful person in the Galaxy, Padmé, and if that is what he thinks of my Muun brothers...”

Padmé was still silent, but her expression seemed to betray more knowledge than she let on. Before Clovis could question her about it, she spoke instead, “Clovis, I don't pretend to have all the answers or even the consolations. So forgive me if I ask you a question instead. Something I still don't understand.”

“Do tell.”

“General Kenobi told me that the law is still technically valid, but mostly overlooked, and, I imagine, rarely ever applicable. Why, in this rare case when it did apply, was it then enforced? Who brought it up? And how did it all turn into such a complete and utter farce? I'm afraid I was too busy with the contract on Scipio to truly appreciate who was responsible.”

Clovis sighed, trying to buy himself some time to calculate what parts of the truth he wanted to tell – as well as ponder if he even knew the entirety of it.

It had all begun when he had – rudely – eavesdropped on Padmé after she had initially refused to cooperate with him, only to learn that her holo call to Coruscant hadn't gotten through. She had surmised that the Senate would suspect trouble and send 'help' – which in the Republic's case, always seemed to mean a pair of 'peacekeepers' with rock-levitating abilities. He had surmised that because Padmé was involved, said help would most certainly turn out to be General Skywalker, with whom he'd already had one mutually unpleasant encounter – whom he had since looked into – just enough to confirm his suspicion that the man was neither a mere pilot nor in any way indifferent to Padmé Amidala.

For a moment, he had accepted the man's arrival as a necessary evil – like a tropical storm on a planet one had studied and still chosen to live on – until he’d realized it wasn’t just his face the gale would whisk against.

He had studied Scipian law long and meticulously. He had worked hard to acquire this position. He’d always been driven and diligent, he had memorized every letter, even the most nugatory footnotes – because he was going to be a hero; because he was personally going to make sure that the negotiations with the Republic would proceed smoothly, whether or not there would be a corruption to expose. He would regain Republic's trust as their representative. He would do everything right, and nothing, nothing – no trifling detail nor full-blown scandal – was going to jeopardize that.

That's when he had remembered one of those trifling details – Article 356; the correct negotiation protocol. What if someone else had done their homework? What if the trifling detail was a full-blown scandal just waiting to happen?  What if there was just one high-ranking Muun official who shared that overzealous servant boy’s sensibilities? No – not on his watch – preventing any and all of such scenarios was his personal responsibility.

The fact that it would probably be Skywalker he'd get to send packing was just an added bonus.

Of course, he wouldn’t be there personally. The Jedi he expected to welcome (not) didn't seem like the rule-abiding type, and he definitely wouldn't take any orders from him. He was better off keeping this from Padmé as well – namely, the fact that he had personally made sure a Republic scout wouldn't be allowed to ascertain her safety – law-based reason or not, he had yet to regain her trust.

Clovis had sent an anonymous memo with the Clan’s signet to one of the lower-level assistants, with an order to contact the law enforcement and have them deport the Jedi on their arrival. Padmé would only find out much later, and none of this could be traced back to him.

What had happened at the spaceport, he still didn’t know. He did suspect the Jedi to be violent, if not downright psychotic. If he had refused to leave, his arrest had probably been unavoidable  – much like bad weather. But even then, Clovis had never expected the police to cling onto an archaic law with such stubbornness, to the point of tainting and almost spoiling the contract negotiation.

He knew that the Clan held power even the police department – hence their ability to finally incorporate Skywalker's release into the contract – so why even have a symbolic investigation? Why even hold him at all, if he was just going to be released anyway without charges?

He had to admit, it did almost seem like someone was purposely trying to cause a public outcry.

As well as a personal one. For Clovis was still convinced he’d eventually have to brave a full-blown hurricane; one with a personal vendetta against a mountain cabin that had already crumbled once and only newly been rebuilt.

They had also released the other Jedi, Kenobi, early. Why only him? What were the odds that someone else, besides himself, had a personal aversion to General Skywalker, and wanted to go about expressing it in the completely opposite way? Pretty high, now that he thought about it. But really, what was the point of angering an already angry man – who would benefit from that anger? What was the use?

“Padmé, I… I don't know.”

-

At midnight, in his quarters, Clovis was roused by a surprise visitor – or wherever life-sized holograms landed on the sliding scale of trespassing.

“Hello, Clovis. Have you had your fill of desperation? Would you quite prefer acquiring the correct data, exposing the full extent of the Banking Clan's corruption in a single, easily accessible file?"

[coffee-and-vroomvroom]

You’ve just arrived in Buenos Aires, fresh faced and eager to tackle the city. You’ve got four years of high school Spanish under your belt, maybe two college seminars, and if you’re lucky you’ve read a Gabriel Garcia Marquez book or two, in Spanish. You’ve got this. All you’ve gotta do, boludo, is take the bondi to your new place, avoid the quilombo that’s blocking 9 de Julio, and all will be buena onda, obvio. Got it?

Oh ya, and those “sh” sounds aren’t people trying to drown out your yanqui accent but an essential part of the Argentine, specifically porteño, way of speaking. I bet your 11th grade Spanish teacher forgot to mention that part.

Either way, you’re here and ready to delve headfirst into the world of asados and gauchos. Cultural differences aside, language barriers and localized slang can be one of the most insurmountable elements when moving to a new place. The porteño accent and way of speaking is an essential part of living in Buenos Aires and the faster you can get your “yo me llamo” to a “sho me shamo” the better off you’ll be.

Be wary, North American, Argentines speak castellano rioplatense*, a dialect so special it deserves a distinction. This form of Spanish, is unique to the Rio de la Plata region. And while there is no blanket Argentine accent, the one held by porteños is thought to be the most representative (because big cities will never not try to claim everything). But where does this particular brand of Spanish originate?

If the ubiquity of pizza or Spanish colonial architecture didn’t tip you off, Argentina, and specifically Buenos Aires, are places heavy with immigrant influence. The Spanish colonization in the 16th century brought the Spanish language to the region where it maintained its “purity” until the end of the 1800s.

Purity essentially means a Spanish most similar to that spoken in the Iberian peninsula (Spain in this case) with a primarily Andalusian affect. Andalusia is the region where most Spanish colonists originated. From Andalusian Spanish, Argentines take their aversion of the use of vosotros, opting for ustedes instead.

It wasn’t until the around 1870 when the Paris of South America, one of the biggest ports at the time, received its second heavy bout of immigrants, most notably Italians. The Italian influence can still be felt, and heard, across the city.  

The presence of Italian in Argentine castellano is no joke. Research shows that the intonation of the Spanish spoken in Buenos Aires is closer to Neapolitan Italian than any other language. After searching through around audio archives and comparing them with other vocals from across the world, linguists identified the neapolitan lilt as the closest relative to our porteño Spanish. Research was also able to trace this exact shift to the arrival of the tanos. It’s safe to say that the hand gestures that most Argentines use are also a transatlantic gift from their fernet loving country people.

Aside from the intonation, the Italian language found a way to literally embed itself into the lexicon of the city. Say hello to my little friend lunfardo, a slanguage that emerged from the cross cultural mish mash that occurred when La Boca’s streets filled with Italians. The city provided the perfect petri dish for the linguistic fusion that continues to dominate porteño vocabulary today. Lunfardo has a heavy association with a seedier side of Buenos Aires and is said to have its origins in jails where — mostly Italian— inmates developed their own code to avoid being understood by guards.

Nowadays, lunfardo is pretty integrated into daily slang; to learn more about why you should drink feca before going to laburo, read our lunfardo breakdown here.

And if you’re still missing some audible proof, then I point you in the direction of Dustin Luke, a yanqui whose viral video of him speaking like any old Facu is a mainstay in the Argentine Youtube cache. His linguistic feat garnered him significant fame (our dance tutorial videos could only dream).

*May 9, 2016: The terminology was edited to reflect the current working definition of Rioplatense Spanish.