#some of this au is extremely logic and some it just me doing whatever i want

[marypsue]

So if you follow me (and aren't just stopping by because you saw one of my funney viralposts), you probably know that I've been writing a bunch of fanfiction for Stranger Things, which is set in rural Indiana in the early- to mid-eighties. I've been working on an AU where (among other things) Robin, a character confirmed queer in canon, gets integrated into a friend group made up of a number of main characters. And I got a comment that has been following me around in the back of my mind for a while. Amidst fairly usual talk about the show and the AU and what happens next, the commenter asked, apparently in genuine confusion, "why wouldn't Robin just come out to the rest of the group yet? They would be okay with it."

I did kind of assume, for a second or two, that this was a classic case of somebody confusing what the character knows with what the author/audience knows. But the more I think about it, the more I feel like it embodies a real generational shift in thinking that I hadn't even managed to fully comprehend until this comment threw it into sharp perspective.

Because, my knee-jerk reaction was to reply to the comment, "She hasn't come out to these people she's only sort-of known for less than a year because it's rural Indiana. In the nineteen-eighties." and let that speak for itself. Because for me and my peers, that would speak for itself. That would be an easy and obvious leap of logic. Because I grew up in a world where you assumed, until proven otherwise, that the general society and everyone around you was homophobic. That it was unsafe to be known to be queer, and to deliberately out yourself required intention and forethought and courage, because you would get negative reactions and you had to be prepared for the fallout. Not from everybody! There were always exceptions! But they were exceptions. And this wasn't something you consciously decided, it wasn't an individual choice, it wasn't an individual response to trauma, it wasn't individual. It was everybody. It was baked in, and you didn't question it because it was so inherently, demonstrably obvious. It was Just The Way The World Is. Everybody can safely be assumed to be homophobic until proven otherwise.

And what this comment really clarified for me, but I've seen in a million tiny clashing assumptions and disconnects and confusions I've run into with The Kids These Days, is that a lot of them have grown up into a world that is...the opposite. There are a lot of queer kids out there who are assuming, by default, that everybody is not homophobic, until proven otherwise. And by and large, the world is not punishing them harshly for making that assumption, the way it once would have.

The whole entire world I knew changed, somehow, very slowly and then all at once. And yes, it does make me feel like a complete space alien just arrived to Earth some days. But also, it makes me feel very hopeful. This is what we wanted for ourselves when we were young and raw and angrily shoving ourselves in everyone's faces to dare them to prove themselves the exception, and this is what I want for The Kids These Days.

(But also please, please, Kids These Days, do try to remember that it has only been this way since extremely recently, and no it is not crazy or pathetic or irrational or whatever to still want to protect yourself and be choosy about who you share important parts of yourself with.)

[clone-wars-retteyo-au]

Me: *Writes out this reblog*

Me: *Comes back to it an hour or so later*

Me: .....

Me: Wtf is that middle part.

I've decided that Rex is the one who paints Kanan's eye mask with his bird of prey design.

Kanan's feeling pretty low still just after Malachor, he's still distancing himself from everybody, and Rex decides to go try to talk to him at one point and the first thing he comes up with to say is to point out that his new mask is pretty plain. It's awkward, he regrets it immediately, but then Kanan says that it gets the job done and Rex is abruptly reminded of himself so so long ago back at the beginning of the war.

He sits Kanan down and tells him a story about how, at the beginning of the war, only a few of the clones had paint on their armor, to designate things like rank and battalion in order to make it easier for officers to find them in the middle of a busy battlefield. The paint was practical and it was limited to a very select few. But the Jedi almost immediately started trying to encourage the clones to utilize the paint less sparingly, suggesting that maybe everybody could wear at least a LITTLE paint and use more individualized designs so that it was still easy to tell the commanders and captains apart from the others when needed.

Some of the clones had taken to it with gusto, but others had been more hesitant, and Rex remembers having been one of them. He remembers telling Obi-Wan that there was no real REASON to paint everyone's armor and especially not to come up with personal designs. The armor was practical and it served its purpose with or without the paint and special designs. But the Jedi had insisted on at least TRYING to come up with his own design and if he didn't like it, he could always take it off, so Rex had given in and chosen something to paint on the armor. And, somehow, it felt a little lighter the next time he put it on. It didn't erase the horrors of war or the pain of loss or anything like that, but it helped.

He tells Kanan that the mask right now is just a reminder of the pain of the injury and whatever other feelings he's still got all caught up in the Malachor mission (guilt over what happened with Ezra, grief over Ahsoka's loss). But if he puts his own design on it, it might turn the mask into something other than a constant reminder of something bad. Instead, it's a reminder of who he is, the combination of the person he once was and who he's become. He is more than just his injury or this mission and he can use the mask to declare that if he wants to.

Kanan says he never realized Rex and the other clones had cared so deeply about their armor and Rex says that the armor itself was meaningless. It's better than what's being handed out to stormtroopers, but not but a LOT. It was the design on it that had meant something and, more than that, it was what the design REPRESENTED: having a choice about how you were perceived by others.

Kanan asks why Rex had chosen his particular designs, the bird of prey eyes on his helmet in particular. Rex explains that he chose it because he liked birds and thought it looked cool, but he's kept the helmet for as long as he has because it's come to mean something ELSE now. It's not just a cool-looking design, it's a reminder of a better time in his life. It's a reminder of when he'd been a part of something greater than himself, with the other clones and the Jedi. It's a reminder of a time when he'd had hope that he and his people could one day come out the other side of this war towards a brighter future.

Kanan looks at the mask he'd grabbed from storage somewhere or something just to keep light from hurting his eyes as they recovered and to cover up the injury from other people's stares (even if he couldn't see them staring), then hands it to Rex and asks if Rex minds sharing that symbol because he'd like a reminder of that, too. Rex remembers the 332nd and their helmets that they'd painted to look like their chosen Jedi, almost blindly giving away their individuality in favor of that loyalty that had been stripped from them anyway. And then he looks at Kanan, choosing to make himself look LIKE REX, someone who had shared his face with millions once, because he wants to honor both the connections he'd lost as well as this new connection the two of them have built together now. And Rex says he'd be happy to share.

[meowierz]

DADDY ECLIPSE AU!?!?!?

i need a better name oml

Overall Explanation 

So basically, Eclipse and his three kids (Bloodmoon, Lunar, and Solarflare) (don't ask who got him pregnant) move to the suburbs for a better life. Though, they have to fit in with the rich suburbs standards so they don’t get casted out and burned like a witch.

Kids

Bloodmoon is the oldest. I had to change some things about him so he wasn’t suffering here. He wears contacts because of how messed up his eyes are. He can still see, it’s just harder and they have to fit in. He’s still violent, he just doesn’t crave blood. He takes out most of his aggression on the football team and his siblings (he beats them up) (not breaking their arms like that one ep BUT like how normal siblings fight). He’s not school smart but he is street smart (he can’t do division).

Lunar is the middle child but sadly he’s the shortest (4’11). Lunar’s a big nerd, not with numbers but with video games. He’s in the video game club (it has like 3 members) (ddlc type club lmao). He’s the one that’s the most picked on because of how nerdy and big backed he is. Speaking of being a hungry hippo, he’s favorite snacks are chips ahoy and scooby snacks. He’s a witch about how he pulls them out of thin air. 

Solarflare is the youngest but taller than Lunar. He takes more after his father with his looks and also his actions. He rarely gets bullied by his siblings because he always comes up with the wildest comebacks. He’s extremely smart yet certain things he’s extremely stupid at (he can’t pronounce intelligent but he says it all the time) (he says “in-telli-bent”) But since he’s still an 11 year old, he loves childlike things. He has a little board in his room where he can draw with markers and he carries a big coloring book when he goes out.

FC (Fliex Cruz) (Yes I gave him a real name, he’s NOT gonna be named “Foxy’s Child" on MY WATCH) is Lunar’s age. They’re in most of the same classes and in the same club, they’re kind of frenemies. They have each other’s back but they still rival against each other in everything else. His biological parent isn’t Puppet (unless yall want that because idk rather to do that or not) (don’t ask who got Foxy pregnant) though he still treats her like his biological parent. Yes, he’s also taller than Lunar. 

Jack is in Bloodmoon’s classes and doesn’t rival anyone but his uncle. He’s a chill dude for the most part. He still has his speech impediment and he’s still silly. Matter of fact, he’s still the same except for the fact that he’s also friends with Solarflare. Bro might be perfect.

Dazzle is in Solarflare’s classes. She’s not that good friends with him but it’s more like how cousins treat each other. You probably won’t see each other often but you still got each other's back. Yes they’re actually cousins here but they don’t know it lmao. Anyways, just like Jack, Dazzle still acts the same. She’s literally perfect. I love her.

Other TSBS Kids are blank for now. I have no ideas for them since I don’t watch the other shows often enough but they're going to be in here! Give me ideas for them PLEASE or I will explode. Don’t worry, I’ll also watch and read up about them!

Parents

Eclipse starts out as version 1 Eclipse but through this crazy thing called character development, he acts more like version 4 or whatever version we have now (i cant keep track of his deaths). He is very blunt and he speaks his mind, often thinking he’s the smartest in the room. He goes based on logic rather than heart. For example, let’s say Bloodmoon puts someone in the hospital. The person hit first but their hospital stay is most likely 6 months. The school wants to suspend him and the mother wants to sue but Eclipse takes Bloodmoon side because “If you don’t want the smoke, don’t start the fire.”. He does care for his kids but he just doesn’t know how to be a father.

Puppet is still the same for the most part. Bro is perfect. She’s the main person helping Eclipse be better but not to replace Solar since she hasn’t met him yet or any other theories. Simply for the kid’s sake. Here, she acts like a motherly figure to all kids. (she loves babying bloodmoon lmao). Though she can come up with wild insults.

Foxy still acts remotely the same except for the fact that he’s actually present (lemme stop roasting the canon lmao). Though, he is now married to the Puppet and has been like that for 5 years (que fireworks for treasurebox fans). Similar to Puppet, Foxy also ends up accidentally being fatherly towards most kids he meets too. He’s just the suburban way I guess.

Sun doesn’t really show up much since he has a history with Eclipse. Not the exact same as the canon but Eclipse was still tryna box him and Moon. He still acts the same though he did adopt Dazzle here (fireworks for ppl who love the sun and dazzle father-daughter dynamic). He doesn’t know that Dazzle and Jack are hanging out with Eclipse’s kids so he’ll probably pull up when he finds that out.

Solar still acts the same, basically the same as Sun. Him and the rest of the canon main cast will show up eventually though!

Other TSBS Parents are blank for now. I have no ideas for them since I don’t watch the other shows often enough but they're going to be in here! Give me ideas for them PLEASE or I will explode. Don’t worry, I’ll also watch and read up about them!

Other Adults

Moon still acts the same though I’m making him a middle school science teacher for middle school. He’s gonna be that cool science teacher that makes stuff explode and asks you not to tell your parents.

Earth still acts the same though she’s the elementary school guidance counselor and a bit of a helper. She’s not the annoying ones that tell you your “I feel statements”, she’ll actually help Solarflare express his feelings in a nicer way (he literally insults people on accident).Other Characters will be added such as ocs (as teachers, principles, bosses, etc) and other TSBS characters once I figure out what to do with them! I have an idea for Miku, to be a love interest for Eclipse at work but it’s more like Amy and Sonic.

[inbarfink]

Concept: Revolutionary Girl Utena ‘Shock Treatment’ AU

…………..Okay, I know how Silly it sounds but just… hear me out, okay?

Takes place entirely inside an institution closed off from the outside world, a kinda surreal place representing the way society is constructed by artificial ideas from stories and media (Fairy Tales in RGU, Television in ST) 

Ruled over by a smarmy over-controlling ridiculous asshole, who seemingly spends most of his days just sitting in his Thematically Appropriate Office atop this false world and smirking evilly. On some level he represents the Ideal Masculinity of [Shoujo Anime/America in the 1980’s] taken to a horrible logical extreme

Who spends most of his time victimizing his sibling, trapping them, putting them in a situation where they are robbed of their agency and in the ‘care’ of people eager to abuse them. Most people around them don’t care because they see that kind of abuse as normal in this societal context, and because the sibling is already considered kinda socially unacceptable within this world

(With bonus Birdcage symbolism.)

And is also trying to seduce the sibling’s love interest, convincing her that she is the hero who is saving the sibling but actually using her as a pawn in the scheme to victimize them 

While also manipulating and molding her into whatever his concept of an ‘ideal woman’ is.

And also…

Cars (and more specifically convertibles) flip-flopping between just status symbol for the empty [toxic masculinity/consumerist] culture our characters are trapped in

And a symbol for freedom (and probably also sex).

Fan-favorite characters who only exist to put on a show that’s thematically connected to what the main characters are going through. 

"Is this symbolism or just a way to save on budget?" you ask, as if these are mutually exclusive options

And of course, Evil Therapists!

So yeah, I think there’s something there. There’s something to work with in there…

(And yeah, just in case someone brings it up, both ‘Shock Treatment’ and ‘Revolutionary Girl Utena’ have incest. But like… what RGU does with its exploration of incestious relationships and what ‘Shock Treatment’ is…. Trying to do is so vastly, thematically Different that it feels kinda disrespectful and missing the point to draw such a frivolous comparison between them)

At first I thought it would be Weird to have Nation McKinley as Mamiya Chida considering…. The most notable thing about Mamiya Chida is that he was actually Anthy in disguise.

But actually, the more I thought about it, the more I decided it’s actually perfect. Like…. What is more Anthy Himemiya than being both the poor little sapient McGuffin victimized and robbed of narrative agency despite being the center of, like, 85% of all character motivations in the story while also at the same time secretly being one of the Big Bad’s right hands, acting as a key player in this scheme that will do nothing but cause Utena and especially herself pain and drive them both apart?

[staygoldwriting]

💌 To the Steve I Loved Before: Part 1

A Steve Harrington TATBILB!AU fic

Summary: Y/N has written love letters to get over her deepest crushes. What happens when Steve Harrington gets his hands on her letter to him?

Disclaimer: This is inspired by the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series by Jenny Han! I have used none of her characters, but have only used the premise of a love letter in the wrong hands. 

Word count: ~850

Warnings: None, just fluff as usual 🙈

A/N: I feel like I keep saying I’ll be back on the writing train officially, but I think that the introduction of a series will finally make me follow through! I’m so so excited about this series, and I hope you guys enjoy it! The whole plot isn’t determined yet, so please make sure to send in your comments about what you’d like to see next--it might inspire me 😉 As always, please show love and support ❤️✨

“I still can’t believe you’re leaving me. I mean, who am I going to hang out with? Who will I eat lunch with? What will I do with my life?”

“Robin, you’re being extremely dramatic.”

“I am not,” she said, rolling over from laying on her back to laying on her stomach. She was on your bed, pensively holding a stuffed dog and stroking its ear. 

“Let’s look at the facts here,” you began logically.

“Fact one: you’re leaving me,” Robin grumbled.

“For a college twenty minutes away,” you pointed out.

“But you won’t be here everyday,” Robin whined. “Seriously, Y/N, I’m going to be a senior this year, and you won’t be here for it.”

“Robin,” you said, sitting on your bed next to her, “I really promise you that I’ll be around, honest. I’ll be there for all your big senior events, and I’ll be home every weekend. Maybe I’ll even come to have lunch with you some days,” you said, bumping her shoulder.

“Sure, likely story,” Robin said bitterly. “Just wait, you’ll get a ton of friends at college and you’ll forget all about me.”

“Impossible!” you said. “You’re my best friend, Robin.”

“I’m your only friend, Y/N.”

“Ouch,” you said sassily. 

“Maybe you need a boyfriend to come back to,” Robin said thoughtfully, smirking. “If you get one here, you can’t have one at college, and then you’ll definitely come back.”

“Okay, A, I already have a reason to come back,” you said, poking her, “and B, there aren’t any good guys in Hawkins.”

“I think your letters might say differently,” Robin said, raising her eyebrows.

“I told you to never bring those letters up, Robin,” you said sternly.

“Where are they anyway?” Robin wondered, getting up and going into your closet.

“Robin, no!” you said as she reached to the top shelf. She grabbed a small box covered in stickers. 

“So predictable,” she smirked, shaking her head and opening the box. “Let’s see, Andrew Jacobs, Kevin S., blah, blah, blah… woah.”

“What?” you asked.

“Why do you have a letter for Steve Harrington?” she said, holding the letter tightly in her hands.

“Robin, give it back,” you said firmly, but she moved away too quickly for you. “Robin, I’m not joking, I need it back!”

“Oh, whatever,” she said, shoving the box back to you. “Can I read it?” she asked simply.

“What? Why? No!” you replied, confused.

“Well, I know him, and I mean, I don’t know, I just sort of wanted to know what you think of him.”

“I can’t imagine why my opinion of Steve Harrington matters to you,” you said.

“Okay, okay,” she said, throwing her hands up in defense. “But with the love of your life in mind, I have to go,” she said, grabbing her bag.

“What?” you asked, chuckling.

“That’s right, Y/N, this is what I’ve come to in preparation for your departure,” Robin said dramatically, slinging her bag over her shoulder. “I have to go to work at my terrible job scooping ice cream with Steve Harrington.”

“Ah, that’s right, little Miss Scoops Ahoy,” you said, holding back a laugh.

“You just love to see me suffer, don’t you?” Robin asked, eyes narrowed.

“I can’t wait to see you in your uniform, Bucky Buck,” you teased.

“Call me Bucky Buck one more time, and I’ll tell Steve about the letter,” she threatened.

“Robin!” you yelled in panic. 

-💌-

Robin tapped her fingers on the counter and looked at her watch. She sighed loudly and groaned.

“Steve Harrington, late again,” she scoffed, then reached into her pocket and took out your love letter to Steve. She looked around her, then opened the letter quietly, hunching herself over to read it. She could feel bad for taking it, but hey, you were leaving her for college. You owed her this.

As she read, she held a hand to her mouth, stifling a giggle, but then her hand drew back down, looking at it seriously. She felt a lump in her throat and a new feeling of sympathy rush into her beating heart. 

“What are you doing?”

Robin jumped up, gasping as she turned to see Steve, who looked at her suspiciously.

“Nothing,” she said quickly, trying to hide the letter, but Steve’s eyes followed her hand as she shoved it in her pocket.

“What is that?” he asked.

“Oh, nothing, just the orders we need to make this week,” Robin said quickly, trying to sound casual.

“Oh, great, I was waiting on that! I can call it in,” he said, holding his hand out to Robin.

“NO! I mean, I can handle it,” Robin said, looking frightened.

“It’s my job, Robin, just hand it to me,” Steve said, stepping closer to her. 

“I-have to go to the bathroom,” Robin said, rushing to the back. Steve looked bewildered, shaking his head. He looked down at the ground and picked up an envelope.

“To Steve Harrington, the first love of my life,” Steve read to himself, then looked up, feeling even more confused than before.

“Is Robin in love with me?”

-💌-

Taglist: @tillkummer @mlle-ayka @sonicthehedgedoggo @klaine-92 @aurumbelis @onlyangel-444 @beep-beep-sherlock @morishitoshi @onceuponathreetwoone @toomanybandstocare @underthebatcape @zeldaknight @fieldofsecretss @prettyinpunk85 @igotbasicdrag @gothicfaires @thatonecurlygirl @luvthatlovestolove @loliakeoghan23 @dearelliewrites @mslunawinchester @aphex2winn @simonsbluee @inkedaztec @dumplinshee @pastel-abyss-x @frozenhuntress67 @hawkins-hs @witheringawayagain @theshinyrock @hollandcomics @pinkgothiccprincess @persephone13 @katsukis1wife @murnsondock @fictionlandslanddreams @srapalestina @babyghouly @madformunsonsstuff @harrys-tittie @middle—fingering @urmomgov @maybankstarkey @jbetches @stardustmunson @maltinonka

[eksentrismi]

Wait whose Mr. Tophat and Bill? I haven't seen em before?

What do they look like? :O

Mr. Tophat and Bill are some of the characters in my OC/crossover-universe thing which I've pretty much just nicknamed "Rénee's universe" (even though it takes place in a big city, but oh well, lol). I could ramble about that world and its characters for ages because there are TONS of stuff in that world and it's very dear to me, but I'll try keeping this kind of short, lol

Mr. Tophat: An intimidating massive dude, who works as sort of a henchman for a mobster boss (my own AU-version of Sykes actually, lmao, the Disney villain I mean). He's 7'1'' (217 cm), like... he's seriously tall and massive, also extremely strong. Strong to the point that he could literally break somebody's hand when giving a handshake, so he has to be careful in that. People are usually intimidated or terrified of him, due to his appearance and also his intimidation/extortion skills. However, he's a gentle guy to those whom he cares about and to whoever his boss trusts. Mr. Tophat gets his nickname from the fact that he's always wearing an old top hat. No matter what, he always has the hat on (except when all alone, of course); it's also a mood indicator pretty much, because if he takes it off in the middle of a fight/argument or such... yeah, you should definitely run, because that means that he really is gonna like break bones and such. Mr. Tophat isn't his real name, of course, but it's become a silly joke for me at this point that he never ever reveals his real name..... I know what it is, but I won't tell >:) He usually is just seen either trying to extort debt money from guys like Nerome, Bill etc; either that or he's just standing menacingly in his boss's office during any interviews, meetings etc.

Bill: Much like Mr. Tophat, he used to work for Sykes as well... but he got fired for literally being way too angry and argumentative, even towards his colleagues, lmao. Bill is basically defined simply by just one word: anger. This man is angry, oh boy, this man IS anger itself. The most grumpy foul-tempered man you’ll ever meet! Eternally pessimistic and just an annoying person to be around most of the times. Bill’s a rude loudmouth, who always wants to make his opinions heard loud and clear. In fact, he always wants to be loud and clear. Not afraid of anyone or anything, or whatever anyone’s gotta say. He is really argumentative and angry, he gets into fights super easily and usually for no good logical reasons either. It doesn’t even matter if he loses, he just won’t give up and he’s way too angry to even give up. He's quite a nuisance, though not to the same levels of destruction that Nerome then has. And despite being fired, he's a petty guy and keeps still showing up to his old workplace often, only to annoy everybody there or steal food from the workplace's canteen. He's also a massive strong dude, though definitely shorter than Mr. Tophat at around like 6 ft tall (182-183 cm) or so. That and he's also more scruffy and he stinks <3 He does have a softer side towards his very few rare friends though, of course; he just shows it rarely and in his own chaotic ways, lol

Old art here, but yeah lmao, them <333 The nasty dudes <3

[koraesrambles]

Thoughts on the conclusion of Gotham War

Alright, so I've made it absolutely no secret that I've been enjoying the crap out of Gotham War. Is it structurally sound with good pacing and clear stakes? HELL no. It's not an air tight story, there are so many holes in all of the characters logic, but it is also an extremely good time.

I don't mind loose storylines in comics like this. Mostly because the premise "full grown man dresses up as a bat and cannot stop himself from mass adopting every orphan that looks like him" is already so ridiculous that anything they posit as a solution in their "war on crime" I think, "Yeah, I can see that." None of the rules of this world make sense.

But I don't really read most things for their air tight plot. Slight detour (There's a point, I swear!), but some perfect examples of this are Puss in Boots and the Last Wish and The Super Mario Bro movie. The last wish is PHENOMENAL. A literal work of art. I've seen it so many times and just basked in it's beauty. Love everything about it, absolutely stellar. But do you know what movie made me look up fan content, read fics, and forced me to buy the digital copy of the movie before the DVD came out? Yep. Mario Bros.

Why? Because I like stories about brothers who love each other and the mario movie gave me exactly that. It's not an air tight, phenomonal story with gorgeous real world applications, but it gave me a fun time where two characters worried about each other incessantly and honestly? that is what I'm here for.

So back to Gotham War. If I'm not actually looking for a ground breaking story (which honestly, I know those happen in these big super hero comic books but I feel like they're usually the *exception* rather than the rule) and just want good character interactions, then Gotham War delivered phenomenally. Especially since my favorite character was the one constantly being wrung through the wringer.

It was a great time. I enjoyed reading it, the art is better than anything I could ever produce even when the characters made weird faces. It was great. But did they stick the ending?

Eh, endings are hard. I would love to see more consequences for Bruce. Him just going off at the end and getting away with the horrible things he did to Jason is annoying. I almost wanted Jason to actually die at the end there, just so that Bruce would feel stupid and sad. If Bruce never acknowledges what he did to Jason (which . . . he probably won't, given the track record) then I'll be pretty disappointed. That's some juicy angst right there that should absolutely be addressed.

And I appreciated that literally every character that interacted with Bruce that knew about what he'd done yelled at him for it. Even Dick's seeming about-face at the end with "I'm sure you had your reasons" came after two weeks of getting used to the idea AND him trying to actually get Bruce to make good choices for once. I mean, Bruce doesn't, but A for effort, Dick. Thanks for punching him in the face last time, that was cathartic.

I surprisingly really like the fact that it wasn't Zur who did this to Jason. It was Bruce. Horrible, wacked-out, messed up Bruce Wayne who is so desperate to control everything around him and so terrified of losing the people he loves that he constantly overrides them like they're his freaking pets. Bruce is in a BAD place, and I sure hope that there will be tons of fics exploring that even if canon never acknowledges it.

But that's how I deal with comic universes like this. Everyone jokes that "Canon? what canon!" and we all laugh but honestly . . .yeah. Like, seriously. Canon is whatever works for the writer's plot in the moment. They make stuff up and contradict themselves all the time. They're constantly retconning stuff. It doesn't take away from any of the stories I like, I can still read them. And at this point, legitimately, I approach every single comic I come up on as though it's an AU. There is no canon timeline for me, because it's too messy. DC is literally just an AO3 platform that's allowed to make money.

Because the people who originally created these characters are long gone. These guys (gender neutral) writing and drawing the comics now are just fans like we all are. It's all fake. None of it is real. So let's all just have a good time.

I was talking to some friends about this and they pointed out, "It's difficult because people feel like when they're constantly screwing around with things like that why should they even care about the characters?" And they were absolutely right, that's extremely frustrating to deal with. I put a lot of emotional investment into characters, but every writer is going to approach the characters differently and with a universe like DC has, you just have to roll with it. There are no stakes. We all complain about it, but nothing is done to change it because we love these characters and we'll keep coming back for more, and so they keep having to make more content and that means messing with stuff they already have. It's a never ending cycle. These are living legends, mythology that's being written out in real time. Nothing about them are ever going to be cohesive.

Wow this is getting long, sorry about that. Things I loved about the Gotham War conclusion: Jason almost sacrificing himself and being a hero even though he was terrified. A+ content. Gorgeous, you go my boy! Tim telling everyone how to beat up all the rouges (Good job sweetheart, way to be a morally ambiguous little shit like you always are). Even if he claimed to be the second best robin at the end, those are fighting words my man. I also liked Jason's "Go 'save' another one of your sons." jab. That was great. I liked that everyone told Bruce he was wrong, even if it could have been stronger. The rest of the issue was plot stuff that I didn't really care too much about. I really like Bat/Cat, so I didn't mind those scenes too much even though Bruce is still the worst (affectionate AND derogatory).

I didn't really expect anything spectacular from the conclusion, and it really did end kind of like what I expected (nothing's changed except now Jason gets to deal with the Joker when he's sick with Super Anxiety -- which I actually am really excited for). But it wasn't as much fun as some of the previous issues.

That said, I would not mind owning an omnibus of all the gotham war issues, if just to re-read all of my favorite scenes. There were some truly unhinged crap in there, and that's just my cup of tea.

Story telling quality? eh, 6/10

enjoyment had? 9/10

[blackstarchanx3new]

Creations AU, But I obnoxiously over explain it PT 1

Pages 1-30

We are introduced to the man who ruined my life:

Currently nameless night guard with pale as fuck skin and pretty dead inside eyes. Weirdly grey hair for how youthful he is and blonde eyebrows.

Bro dyes his hair grey for some unexplainable reason.

forgive the art looking goofy it is over 2 years old lmfao.

I was too lazy to draw shit on a lot of the walls. I hate drawing backgrounds. Still do they are annoying. So BGs barely exist in Creations. It allows a lot more character focused shots but it is also very annoying looking back. X'DDDD

Though it means if I bothered with a background thing it's IMPORTANT.

Mike suspiciously eyes the things I bothered to draw on the wall because: Oop Springtrap.

Which you think would be a plot hole but this comic fucks with your sense of what reality is in the comic's own logic.

Mr. Nightguard still refuses to talk, but is intrigued by the robots on his cameras.

You'll notice: I tend to draw a LOT of panels for smaller details.

My comics have now been compared to "Storyboards" and I feel like that is more accurate. Like a lot of comics STUFF dialogue and actions into tight panels but as an indie comic creator: I don't have page limits lmao.

So I can make them do smaller actions and have the pace be a little slower.

I think this is why a lot of people get impeccant with my comics but I kinda like showing off more small simple actions.

Freddy appears!

And Mr. Nightguard is flabbergasted and checks his cams. Sure enough Chica and Freddy are both gone.

There's an error in this page lmfao but we're not gonna talk about that.

Freddy seems friendly enough...Maybe TOO friendly...

Freddy wants to fuck the nightguard lmfao and makes it very obvious.

So this is a running gag in Creations: you think a character will be one way and they just...Aren't. (Because of pre-established AU concepts like..."Freddy's a good leader")

This Freddy, is distinctly "a hoe". And I love him.

If it isn't extremally obvious...but just for those who are REALLY dumb: Most of the robots aren't possessed by kids.

This AU takes ideas from the FNAF series and ignores a lot.

Because it's an AU.

And I can do whatever I want lmfao.

People accepted Freddy was a slut but then got REALLY ANGRY about random semantics like what a certain character's name was.

And I'll never understand how you could accept Freddy being HIMSELF here, but would get mad about like...NAMES.

Someone explain that to me???? X'D

Either way Mr. Nightguard isn't ready for Freddy and locks him out of the office.

Freddy responds rather childishly by getting angry and proclaiming he is the most important person here.

Mr. Nightguard just points to the camera wordlessly as if to say "I am watching the place/you"

Freddy gets pissy and decides to go to SOMEONE to sort the nightguard's rude behavior out.

Freddy is seemingly more bothered about the Nightguard being rude than the rejection itself.

Bonnie the Bunny is a smoking tough guy in this comic.

Why?

Because the most accepted Fannon Bonnie was a weak little shithead that didn't do much so I made mine a tough guy. X'D

He's a stoner because comedy.

Distinctly one of his eyes are busted and he is not a fan of Freddy plowing into him.

We learn immediately Freddy whining to Bonnie is normal and while Bonnie acts annoyed he goes to sort things out immediately showing his loyalties do lie with the bear.

Also bonnie is huge if Freddy's height is anything to go off of.

He yanks off Mr. Nightguard's hat and is generally a rude fellow himself.

Asking bluntly if Mike has a second to hear what he has to say.

Mr. Nightguard stares blankly at this action.

Bonnie has no clue what personal space is, getting more and more into Mr. Nightguard's face and doesn't even let him respond.

Bonnie's the one who seemingly keeps the peace around here via thinly vailed threats of violence.

Freddy's whining fest is again linked to the rude behavior of slamming the door and Bonnie isn't a fan of hearing it.

Bonnie continues not to let Mr. Nightguard get a word in and is ready to leave getting ready to smoke another cigarette.

Mr. Nightguard recognizes Bonnie prompting my favorite lines from any character in this comic:

"What a freak"

because Mike being considered a freak is a running gag in this comic for reasons that become VERY apparent.

Bonnie's eyes shift a different color too. How odd. :)

I was lazy with this one lmao.

Someone with the initials "F.S" is a big fan of Freddy.

And other doodles have a lot of references to broken hearts.

Mr. Nightguard can hear Mike coming, he DID something that pissed Bonnie off. This presumably had to do with Freddy Mr. Nightguard seems unphazed and rather silly in his mannerisms and dialogue despite his blank expression.

Saying "Boop" as he presses the button and obviously lying when he claims he doesn't know how to use a knife in a fight.

Why is Mr. Nightguard carrying a suspiciously large kitchen knife around on him exactly?

Bonnie is ready and WANTS a fight, but Mr Nightguard is very hesitant to do so.

Bonnie is rude and blows cigarette smoke into Mr. Nightguard's face, repeating he is pissed off.

asking if Mr. Nightguard knows how people die there.

Golly gee. I can finally stop calling him "Mr Night guard"

This is Mike Schmidt. We are introduced to the idea there is ANOTHER Mike in the building... If you are familiar with FNAF lore you know exactly who that is.

Bonnie proclaims Mike Schmidt's new name is "Baby boy"

a very rude and condescending nickname for a grown man.

Bonnie has an odd device in the back of his throat when he opens his mouth wider. If you've noticed up until this point: Bonnie doesn't open his mouth to speak, that thing in the back of his throat is an air filter and he keeps his mouth shut until the air he smokes is clear.

This is never stated directly in the comic, rather smth you gotta infer yourself at some point. Which lead to MANY people asking "Wtf is that thing in Bonnie's mouth"

It's an air filter.

Mike gets tossed into the backroom area.

There's a cheeky reference to my OC comic Falling Cards with some art on the wall. There's a LOT of Falling Cards references in at least a few of my FNAF animations I know that for sure. X'D

Mike is disturbed by the blood on the spare empty Freddy suit.

Bonnie not so subtly threatens "That's where he's going"

Implying someone has most certainly DIED in there.

I have joked with just about everyone that scene is kinky.

And that joke only gets funnier when smth about Bonnie is revealed later buuuut I digress.

Mike is prepped for death.

Mike actually shows some emotion here being disturbed as the suit is tossed besides him and Bonnie lifts up the Freddy head.

Mike shows off a package of SOMETHING that captures Bonnie's attention.

People assumed that was chocolate.

But considering we've seen Bonnie obsessed with ONE THING and ONE THING ONLY...you can kinda infer what that packet is...

Mike's attitude intimidates even Bonnie.

This kinda gives the vibe nobody's been this aggressive, at least in this particular manor towards the animatronics before.

Mike comes off as an incredibly unstable individual given what we know about him so far:

He carries around a kitchen knife and will quickly snap if you act in a way he deems inappropriate.

It's revealed in case you didn't realize: This was a package of cigarettes.

Which leads to the fun question: Does Mike smoke?

This would seem silly on first glance. He HAS a pack of cigarettes of COURSE he smokes...Right?

Notice: He doesn't use the previously mentioned knife through this scene but would rather use bribery...

This shows Mike would rather manipulate/intimidate than actually fight physically. Which makes sense considering Bonnie's size and strength.

Or perhaps he is avoiding a fight with Bonnie for emotional reasons. As it's implied Mike has some connection.

Either way he cuts a deal with Bonnie that he will give Bonnie a few cigarettes for work. And Bonnie agrees.

We start off in the office, it is unclear if this is a new day or the same night.

Bonnie happily has his cigarette and Mike remarks he didn't think Bonnie NEEDED to smoke.

Bonnie just responds Freddy's bots are weird.

There's a help wanted easter egg here with the faz token in the lockers.

Mike is searching for "anything of interest" and establishes he's interested in the bloody suit.

Bonnie seems amused by this outright stating he just wanted to scare Mike. Delighted in getting a reaction out of our so far very stoic night guard.

Bonnie seems clueless about the actual death surrounding that suit, just that he knows SOMEONE died in it at SOME POINT. But can we really trust his word at this point?

Bonnie also says ANOTHER favorite line of mine, because it's so stupid

"Hah...Blunt"

get it. because weed-

Anyway Mike mentions a person named "Jeremy" to Bonnie and Bonnie confuses this person with another Jeremy in a different department.

This evidently isn't who Mike is talking about.

Bonnie's SHOCKED Mike would DARE leave the office but Mike's full of sass and says as long as he has the tablet to watch the cameras he IS doing his job.

Bonnie shows an odd level of concern, voicing Mike is putting himself in danger.

Mike not so slyly brings up he can bring Bonnie more cigarettes as a way to keep himself safe.

Bonnie's vision gltiches as Mike smiles and Bonnie is very freaked out by this, weirdly apologizing for nothing.

Bonnie has a moment of clarity realizing he has seen Mike before somewhere too.

Something about this man is FIMILAR.

Bonnie catches on Mike's method of self preservation: His blank expression.

It's a lie.

One Bonnie can see through easily as Mike's actions don't reflect a state of someone who is calm.

Asking Bonnie to stay close and holding his hand, coming to the realization Mike feels safer with Bonnie for whatever reason.

He purposely does a creepy at the cameras freaking out Jeremy Fitzgerald, who isn't interested in "Being a witness".

A hand pokes out from behind Mike. One that isn't Bonnie's.

OH HI GOLDEN FREDDY'S MASSIVE BLEEDING FLOATING HEAD. HOW THE HELL ARE YOU!?

Mike and Jeremy seem to not notice their presence.

Jeremy is terrified of Bonnie however. Mike reassures Bonnie is a non issue as Bonnie pats Mike's head firmly mockingly saying "Hi Jeremy"

Bonnie continues to mess with Mike's hair rather childishly while Mike seems unphased. Bonnie's antics aren't something he really seems to mind.

He bribes Bonnie with more cigarettes to watch the cams while he discusses things with Jeremy. Jeremy himself lamenting Mike is WEIRD.

Jeremy quickly realizes Mike isn't completely insane and starts rambling about his terrible experiences at Freddy's.

Noting the Nightguards are really redundant considering the robot security.

His comment about the robots being "Evil" pisses Bonnie off.

The person who shares Mike's name is brought up again we now know him as "Michael". Jeremy is eager to get onto dayshift with this individual and Mike also wants to get in touch with him.

This "Michael" figure apparently works in the rental place below the main building and not much is known what goes on down there...how odd. Jeremy seems a bit upset by this fact.

[tennessoui]

i would for one would be interested in the extreme angst of Alaska AU

cw: sort of visceral grieving (of parent over lost child); very angsty

. . .

. . .

ok so i can't find the actual snippets in my (unorganized and frightening) google docs or notes app (lol) but it was mostly like this (sort of from memory and written directly into this ask so idk how good this will read but i very much remember some parts of this snippet tbh i think this is like. the closest ive ever come to not writing fanfiction ):

Obi-Wan doesn't think he was insane before his daughter died.

He remembers having a sound mind and a stable countenance. He was a writer, a blogger, a poor chef--though a chef nonetheless.

(A chef of boxed macaroni and cheese and cinnamon sugar toast. A chef of dinosaur nuggets and microscopic sized vegetables snuck into casseroles. A chef with a singular purpose, a singular audience.)

He would never have called himself a man of science, but he was a man of rationality at the very least. He found reason in everything around him. He did not always understand science nor math, but respected them as fundamental laws of the universe.

When Rey died, it was the rational part of himself that first followed her into the grave.

Three months after they bought her coffin and two and three-fourths after they buried her, the weather turned unseasonably cold. Obi-Wan woke up in the middle of the night halfway to a panic attack. They had buried her in a summer dress.

Years later, when the pain of the loss was incrementally easier to bear, he would write:

You do not spend nine years of your life fretting over whether or not your child will be cold just to turn that instinct off the moment they are no longer susceptible to the elements. After my daughter died, I spent countless nights awake wondering if she was cold there beneath the ground. We had not thought to bury her in her red winter coat, and it haunted my dreams. She would be cold without it. Children have horrible control of their body temperature. You must bundle them up, and the idea that we hadn't when we buried her drove me to insanity.

The first time it rained after her funeral, I saw her yellow rain boots lined up by our front door as I was leaving. I sat on our front porch stoop and sobbed for what must have been hours, thinking only of the water that would eventually, inevitably seep through the wood cracks of the coffin and wet her toes. Before, when a sudden rainstorm blew in, as they were wont to do in our town, I would pick her up and put her on my shoulders should we be caught out of the house sans rain boots. She hated the feeling of wet socks and cold toes, so I spared her the sensation.

That I had forgotten about the rain when we gave a set of her clothes to the mortician was unforgivable. Sitting on the porch that day, I felt a weight on my shoulders, like she was still perched atop me, trusting me to carry her over all the more dangerous and distasteful parts of the sidewalk.

I hadn't, and so she was cold. Her toes were wet. She was shivering. A child needs to be bundled up. It is one of the first things a parent learns should they take a class on the parenting, and I took many. A child must be bundled up, or they become cold.

I could not shake the idea that she was cold in her casket. Logically, I knew that whatever constituted my daughter was long gone. Her soul, her spirit, her conscience--whichever. She was not what we buried. Rationally, I knew that. But logic and reason have no starring role to play in grief. Guilt and blame and hysteria take the stage.

I could not shake this last failure. I could not forgive myself for it; I could not forgive my wife. When the weather began to turn cold once more, I packed my things and moved to the coldest place I could find. As a parent, one knows this: if you cannot cure your child of their ailment, you will weather it with them however you can.

[ryanthel0ser]

Peepaw Nightmare Blunt Rotation AU Braindump 2

Finals season is beating me up so more about these sad old men since I have too many thoughts and not enough time to make a proper thing so I'm just throwing a bunch here. The First Braindump

When they're first sent to this other universe, Donbot is the only one conscious afterwards and just sees three giant turtles all with stab wounds (they all came from a fight). He's quick to figure out who they are and is just not surprised that they're all injured.

Leo can still make portals, but only in extreme emergencies. His ninpo is barley present anymore after losing his brothers and fighting the Kraang for so long. If he were to make a portal it would take months for him to regain enough of his ninpo to make another one.

Leo is hesitant to refer to himself as Casey's dad even though it's apparent to the others. He doesn't feel like he deserves the title because it used to belong to his Raph who spent the first few years of Casey's life as his dad before he died.

Heights, Tallest to Shortest: 1. Leonardo (7ft) 2. Donbot (6'3") 3. Mikey (6ft) 4. Raph (5'6")

Here's a scuffed reference, yes I know logically Donnie would be shorter cause he's not standing up straight but this is for reference so whatever it was hard enough to find a transparent image of him as is:

Raph: Gosh look at cha, your Raph must be jealous Leo: Actually, he's the tallest, or should I say biggest Raph: no way Leo: Well, he was an alligator snapping turtle Donbot from a distance: ohhhh my Raph would cry tears of joy to know that Raph: wait, how big was he, don't say it out loud though Leo: *whispers into Raph's ear* Raph: WHAT

And yes, I do already have how Leo's Raph died and what caused the Mutagen bomb to go off for Donbot :]

This might be the last of the braindumps since I've started writing it (YIPEEEE) so I'm keeping a lot of it under lock and key now. I might make some small silly comics though and doodles cause I love these sad old men a lot. Also apologies for most of this being Leo, I wrote this out before I had binged 03 and 12 so I didn't have as many solid things for the others yet. Now I do but I'm not gonna share em, you'll just have to wait ;]

[believerindaydreams]

Thursday again: recovery edition

honestly I spent most of the week being extremely passive in bed, unsurprisingly.

Listening

Me: how long can it take to listen to some Kirby music?

YouTube: just the boss themes laid end to end will take three hours

Me: ...sounds like a Project!

Me much, much later: the penguin boss theme has claimed my soul

Eating

I can buy marble halvah by the pound at the international supermarket! Whoot whoot.

Drinking

Off the menu this week.

Reading

Every TV Tropes entry on my fave pink puffball Kirby. It took...awhile.

We are not in the universe where Meta Knight is played by Clint Eastwood and that's sad because he's absolutely a spaghetti western protagonist in the shape of an adorable ball.

Watching

As you may have inferred I have a pink puffball on the brain this week, so I went off to see if the fan translation of the Kirby anime had ever restarted from where they stalled out around episode 75.

(listen, I don't want my battle penguin to sound like George Bush. Japanese vocals all the way.)

answer: they finished! It's on Dailymotion! All hundred episodes! So I rewatched the pilot and was once again delighted with the story engine of "what if everything wrong with the universe up to and including Lovecraft monster squid was actually the fault of Amazon". Like. Solid premise.

I don't think I can binge watch these, but I will absolutely be coming back to them.

Writing

A mere month after finishing off Catching the Butterfly, I appear to once again be writing bits of the crossover from hell. might as well give in and name the series that, since it's gonna be one.

They will probably go on A03 eventually. But I need a title first. Which is partly a philosophical problem- as loosely as the story was following the plot of Genesis of the Daleks (not at all really) I did struggle my way to the end of that storyline, and it's over. Whatever storyline might shape up in the aftermath would be an entirely different tale and I don't know what name it bears yet. Also I'm moderately certain my ex is creeping my A03 account but not my Tumblr, and I'd kinda like to have an idea what I'm doing before it goes up over there.

wait. fuck. 50s aesthetic + Brits means skiffle.

*long sigh* I don't even like skiffle but the logic is inarguable.

On a related note, the Bad Ending Genesis AU I was having the sads about last week is now done. Sometimes you just end up writing the Cold Equations and it's like. oops.

you can really tell I spend my leisure time pounding the keyboard, huh.

(I have not figured out how to fic Kirby. Which is weird.

Puffball puffball puffball.

I'll stop now.)

[fearforthestorm]

About zeropoint au; one ship is obviously named based on the scientific principle but why name a ship flaming laser sword????

(very curious just saw the post and would love more info about the au)

the name is from the philosophical razor Newton's Flaming Laser Sword! it's essentially occam's razor taken to a logical extreme - anything that can't be proven isn't worth debating. this is thematically appropriate for Reasons! also Team FLS is a little skeptical, a little untrusting, and a whole lot stubborn, so like, yeah that tracks.

also because "flaming laser sword" sounds like something a ten-year-old would name their imaginary spaceship and that felt hilariously fitting to me.

in my mind (i have written a prologue minific, which I'll post at some point, but this specific scene isn't part of it), the last night before mission launch, the whole Zeropoint team go out one last time for like, a team dinner and some drinks or whatever, and that's when they finally give their ships names. Jamie chooses Uncertainty Principle for the very force they're going to help study, and because this is a mission about pushing the upper limit on their knowledge a little bit further. Legundo chooses Flaming Laser Sword because this is a mission to do the illogical, to prove the unprovable, and they're not here to debate they're here to do. or something like that!

[adultish-momma]

Yuu vs. Overblots

This ended up being so much longer than I thought or intended for it to be, so I stuck it under the read more so you casually scrollers can peacefully go about your business without this absurdly long ramble being in the way.

But man I just need to vent and get some ideas down on metaphorical paper.

So I've been trying to map out and solidify scenes I want to rewrite from cannon and how they would go realistically and how they would affect and shape relationships between my Yuu and the other cast characters.

And my biggest snag so far was trying to figure out how I wanted Yuu to participate in the Overblot showdowns.

I like there to be as much realism as can be applied to a fictional magic-based fantasy world, and realistically Yuu can't really do much during Overblots. Unless they have essentially a professional background in fighting (which my Yuu definitely does not), they really can't even hope to make a dent in the physical aspect of the fight. And they just don't have the emotional background with these villains to try and make a difference by talking them out of it. If the Overblotted student's friends and fellow dorm members can't just talk them out of an Overblot, there's no realistic way Yuu can. They're basically a stranger.

The way Twisted Wonderland portrays Yuu in every battle, but especially in Overblot battles, is that Yuu is standing on the sidelines, essentially coaching the others and shouting words of encouragement, all while desperately trying to survive the chaos surrounding them. And IDK, maybe it's just me, but I feel like such a high stake, high-pressure, personal situation like the Overblot fights, that approach to "participation" would be fully ignored if not (justifiably) dismissed.

So my hiccup comes from the fact that I want Yuu to matter in these fights, I want Yuu's participation to help turn the tides. So how do I do this realistically, when the base characteristic I've been given is that Yuu is essentially removed from the fight? Not even the cut scenes acknowledge Yuu's existence once a fight has begun.

And then I remembered the Mage Stones.

I might be misremembering the lore behind them, but this is essentially a rewrite AU, so the lore I'm going with is this: Mages have essentially a well for a magic core, something that if used too much at once leads to extreme risks to their health and potentially their life. Mage stones act as a pump of sorts to their magic core, providing quick and easy access to a great amount of their magic core, but still in a controlled and measurable way. Mages can access their magic core without a Mage Stone of course, but it's much harder, like using an old-fashioned bucket on a rope method. Using magic without a mage stone is doable, but the effort exerted makes the mage much weaker.

And the first part of every Overblot transformation cut scene we are provided, is watching their Mage Stone fill with ink, and then the boys change form.

So add this all together, and you come to the same conclusion Yuu does. That when the boys Overblot, the quickest and most efficient way to cure them is to break their Mage Stone. The Mage Stone fueling the chandelier broke on impact, and it became useless as a magic conduit. Breaking an Overblot's Mage Stone would force the Overblot into a more vulnerable state, having to exert more effort to cast spells.

That is my solution. That is how my Yuu becomes an integral part of the team trying to defeat each Overblot. Because like I said, everybody, Overblot included, kinda forgets that Yuu is there. This means Yuu is the one with the best shot of sneaking up on the boy-turned-monster and stealing the Mage Stone.

And such a dangerous move has to lead to some very delicious, angst-based ideas, but I think I'll save those for the actual fics. If/and when I get around to writing them. But sorry for the long ramble, I just needed to actually write all this... logic, lore, whatever you wanna call it somewhere down where other people could hold me accountable to my own cannon.

If you made it this far, thanks! I have notes and scenes and dialogues written out for all the Book 1-4 dorm members (plus Malleus because we have actual chapter interactions with him) of at least one cannon scene I wanted to rewrite. I want to get those, and possibly the Pomefiore ones now that Book 5 is fully released, out before I do any Overblot-related things.

[lunanoc]

Reblogging to add @tiesanjiaoshenanigans's tags because they get it actually! More things I forgot to mention! Several important points were made that deserve to be read I also agree Zhang Haixing was made into a compelling character that at least fit whatever was going on in this

#the scars thing is what really bothered me tbh#like i love aus and canon divergences more than the next person and i forgive many things but nothing makes me close the tab faster than#taking away a characters fundamental and defining moments/arcs/actions from them#like sometimes its extremely cool to explore 'oh what would happen if x had been done differently'#but we have to acknowledge that for some things 'doing it differently' requires someone to flat-out be a completely different person#one of my fave book zzh moments is wu xie getting so pissed off at himself for being betrayed by zhang haixing#that he goes 'fuck this /no one/ is going to trick/lie to me again' which is what allows him to become who he is in sha hai#and taking that away and giving his scars a completely different reasoning straight up erases everything that makes sha hai wu xie#so compelling and interesting#and like comparatively zhang haixings drama character is something im not actually bothered by#i actually liked her i feel she made sense for the story they had her have (and shes so pretty) and the actress supported that very well#but i think i spent a good 1/3 of this drama going 'oh this would be a good moment/way for the zhang haixing is a wang/traitor reveal'#but the way they all but completely erased sha hai and made it only a footnote at the very end when the entire zzh book is meant to be#the wangs exist reveal... smh some choices i cant forgive#and THE WIVES istg. zhang nian especially just. no ❤️#onions headline: exes of a man has who has been missing for over a decade feel so betrayed they start several plots to kill his husband#i can forgive assassinating zhang haikes character but at least do that interestingly#zzh drama fails to reach the 'it makes no sense. compells me tho' bar for me#also zhang luyi... ive never seen him in anything else aside m9 but if watching this drama did anything for me actor-wise was to make sure#that i never want to see anything he plays in ever again#like im sorry if there are people out there who genuinely like him tell me what im not seeing but this guy is just. a bad actor to me#every time he had to look sad about xiaoge or smth the only thing he did was make a blank face and widen his eyes#literally every single time a scene required an Emotion he would just widen his eyes like im sorry im not convinced youre Going Through It#Emotionally when every time you are 'sad' you look like youre thinking up your grocery list#he Did Not compel me At All#everything is bugs drama logic was at least consistent tho#i still think xiao yuliang did the 3 days of silence scene better tho even if this xiaoge was very decent actually#actually i think he and chen minghao (and dare i say janice man?) carried this entire thing on their shoulders#i cant even explain its just. the vibes were off in so many scenes#at no point in this drama was i emotional when i expected to be and i cant actually pinpoint why

Tibetan Sea Flower (藏海花) Drama Review or Why I Think It’s a Laundry List of Crimes Actually

Because somebody had to do it

So the Tibetan Sea Flower (or 藏海花, or Adventure Behind The Bronze Door) drama, meant to be adapting the Tibetan Sea Flower novel, first sequel following the main eight volumes of Daomu Biji, has been out for a while now, and I finally got around to actually finishing it. And I have Many Things to say about it

That I can tell, a lot of people in the English-speaking part of the fandom have praised it for various reasons, and while I’m glad there are people who enjoyed it, I’m not one of those people, so for the sake of variety of opinion I thought I’d share my thoughts about it. I could honestly write an essay because that’s how many crimes this drama committed in my opinion, but no one wants to read All That so this is going to be an attempt at a highlight reel

TLDR; Tibetan Sea Flower is firmly at the bottom of my list of DMBJ adaptations with Lost Tomb 2.5. It’s only slightly above that because unlike Lost Tomb 2.5, Tibetan Sea Flower has a few redeeming qualities at least

First off, some things I did enjoy, or if not enjoy, that I can appreciate in a “there was a vision” sense

My favorite part of this drama was the first 4 or 5 episodes, and the choice to start with the tail end of volume 8 of the main story was a smart decision in that it gave a lot more emotional impact leading into ZHH proper. The start of the drama is fast-paced without feeling rushed, and while my opinion on the ZHH drama isn’t entirely based off of doing a one-to-one comparison with the book (mostly because adaptations inevitably change things to adapt to a new medium so they can’t and shouldn’t be one-to-one copies), the fact it followed the book to a T was a touch I appreciated. The cinematography, directing, and music for the most part are also a strong point this drama has going for it. I can also appreciate that the PingXie married vibes were off the charts to the point where every single time someone said “you’re the patriarch’s chosen one/friend” they might as well have been calling Wu Xie ‘Zhang furen’ it would have been the same thing. The addition of Ten Years Later (and the Fishing King extra which isn’t really an extra anymore since it’s been published as part of Ten Years Later) is also a decision I can appreciate in theory, and from a storytelling perspective makes for a fulfilling and thematically relevant ending. Chen Minghao as Pangzi also almost single-handedly carried the entire drama, iconic, thank you for your service king

Now that that’s out of the way, I can get into the meat and entire point of this post, that is some of the multiple crimes the ZHH drama committed because trust there are Many

I think the fact it started out so strong to me is what makes the rest of it worse. I’m not even sure if I can actually coherently explain the extent of the psychic damage this drama gave me by the time I finished it. There are sometimes significant differences between the drama and the book, which is something I expected because it’s an adaptation, and departures from the source material aren’t necessarily a bad thing. So it’s not that it’s different from the book that’s fundamentally a problem for me. What is a problem, however, is when an adaptation decides to make choices that fundamentally compromise the integrity of both the characters and the overarching plot. I don’t tend to expect anything from DMBJ adaptations, mostly because in general their quality varies, and they’re the main source of the misconception that DMBJ canon is a mess of inconsistencies and lack of cohesion when the original source material is by opposition generally both consistent and cohesive. The ZHH drama is one of those drama adaptations that decided to take the equivalent of a sledgehammer to everything from characterization and lore to any hope of cohesion between it and either the other drama adaptations or the books

The Zhang family lore takes the biggest hit. The casual obliteration of it is probably my biggest beef with this drama, and I can already hear people saying “but it’s not obliterated if it’s thematically adjacent, it doesn’t have to copy the book!. Now listen. It can be thematically relevant and not need to copy the book without creating completely unnecessary plot contradictions with the rest of the story, and as far as the Zhang family lore reworks are concerned, some of them aren’t even thematically appropriate, and sometimes are done in a way that’s?? Honestly baffling to me. Zhang Nian’s entire arc and existence is one of those, because he manages to make himself and the entire subplot that stems from him completely irrelevant by episode 20 where the drama just goes “...so anyway!”

There’s also the choice of having the tianshou (or the heavenly gift) be some sort of bug poison/disease that’s implied to be the only thing holding the Zhang family back from being “free” and living a normal life, and so from the moment Xiaoge decides to take on the mantle of Zhang Qiling for his own personal reasons (which is another issue I have), he alone bears the weight of the heavenly gift, and the rest of the family either disperses into living perfectly normal lives, or is at a bit of a loss as to what to do, which while this last bit is true to some extent for the overseas branch in the books, it stems from circumstances forcing them rather than a goal they wanted to achieve. I’m going to be very generous in blaming this change on censorship, but this alone, surface level as it is, is already contradicting the Zhang family’s most important thematic relevance in the story beyond the lore itself: the fact that they’re meant to be a family led astray by their own hubris and isolationist elitism, eventually switching gears from re: Queen’s Banquet an ancient people likely cursed by primordial entities beyond human understanding into becoming Other and seeking a cure for that, to a widespread and powerful clan pulling the strings of an entire empire for centuries upon centuries seeking a way to achieve true immortality

In the books, the Zhang family’s downfall is their own hubris that blinds them to their own failings to the point that eventually they lead themselves to being wiped out entirely by the Wang family, at least as far as the main branch is concerned. In the ZHH drama, their downfall isn’t even a downfall so much as it’s like they decided to retire and are having post-retirement depression. Zhang Nian is a pawn for the Wang clan, and in that sense he’s “relevant”, but his story is long-winded at best and undermines the impact and importance of the Wang family itself that ends up becoming a barely relevant footnote much like Sand Sea itself

The only thing I’m willing to believe is that Xiaoge either suffers from a more powerful version of the tianshou or is the only Zhang family member at present that suffers from it, mostly because we have no other living members of the main family alive to know if the tianshou ever became a burden Zhang Qiling alone carried for the rest of the clan. I’d be here forever if I started getting into how the ZHH drama somehow managed to lowkey retcon the Zhang family lore that was hinted at at the end of Queen’s Banquet, but it’s impressive how it managed to do even that. By the time it reached this point in episode 31 I was honestly just head in hands

Characterization issues in this drama also exist, and the three characters who suffer from it the most are probably Zhang Haike, and to a certain extent both Xiaoge and Wu Xie. Zhang Haike’s character is changed to the extent he might as well be a different character altogether so I won’t bother going into detail or I’ll be here for a while (TLDR; more or less erasing the fact he wears Wu Xie’s face permanently erases the somewhat antagonistic and overall complicated relationship he has with Wu Xie), but Xiaoge and Wu Xie have smaller changes that create contradictions down the line

Despite the drama mostly (but not entirely) disproving that Xiaoge specifically chose Wu Xie to carry on the task of tending to the tibetan sea flowers, it doesn’t discard the possibility entirely, which creates a number of problems, namely the fact that Xiaoge’s entire reasoning for going behind the bronze door in Wu Xie’s place and pushing him away the whole way up Changbai Mountain was to try and push Wu Xie out of tomb robbing and conspiracies altogether. Xiaoge sets up contingencies to help Wu Xie if he reaches specific points of no return, but going behind the bronze door is essentially Xiaoge doing the exact opposite of choosing Wu Xie to do a task, he’s aggressively unchoosing him. He also doesn’t ever relegate his duties as Zhang Qiling to other people

The same goes for the reasoning behind Xiaoge becoming Zhang Qiling being a deliberate move to help him find out who his parents are. This I can’t entirely discredit simply because the Three Days of Silence extra (the story of Xiaoge meeting Baima) gives no specific timeline or indication of his reason for going to the Jila temple besides that he was looking for a woman but he didn’t know who she was, and ZHH the book itself never talks about the circumstances behind Xiaoge becoming Zhang Qiling. The early main books place emphasis on Xiaoge’s driving force being discovering his identity and by extension his place in the world, so it’s not impossible to consider that might have been the case when he was a child as well. This is mostly vibes and not so objective, but the vibes are different, and to me Xiaoge becoming Zhang Qiling carries something more akin to a lamb offered as a sacrifice that accepts the role it’s been given, coupled with stepping up to a duty the Zhang family had essentially abandoned by that point, as opposed to doing it for strictly personal reasons. The same goes for the entire reasoning behind the tianshou wanting to kill Zhang Haike’s wife and taking control of Xiaoge to do so, because there’s irony in making Xiaoge, historically the least traditionalist Zhang alive outside of his actual duties as Zhang Qiling, Zhang family traditionalist number one via tianshou as if tianshou ever cared about the Zhang family’s isolationist politics or other earthly forms of power or symbols

Wu Xie is more complicated in that part of the problem for me is that I don’t particularly like Zhang Luyi as Wu Xie. Or in general as an actor. I’m aware this is a personal preference, but a lot of the more emotional moments were lost on me because to me he simply wasn’t conveying whatever emotion was meant to be conveyed convincingly. The biggest issue I have with Wu Xie’s portrayal outside of that is the subtle erasure of his character development. Reducing the Wang family’s relevance and impact cheapens their importance in the overarching story, which in turn cheapens the Sand Sea plan and its extreme difficulty, and the heavy personal cost of it for Wu Xie, which takes shape in the changes to the origin of his self-harm scars. Again, changing things from the book is fine, but when it alters what I consider to be a fundamental element in a character, it becomes a problem

The ZHH drama makes a point of showing that the first two scars that Wu Xie gives himself stem from what’s basically survivor’s guilt. He failed to protect the Zhang family, like he failed to prevent a situation that forced the Yinshaluo (I’m not sure that’s the name of the tribe considering all the place names in this drama are fake) warrior to sacrifice himself to stop the storm. Wu Xie punishes himself because he feels he failed, because he felt like he could have and should have done better. There are elements of that in the reasoning behind his scars in the Sand Sea book where their origin is explained, but the fundamental difference is that ZHH drama Wu Xie’s actions and reasoning come from a place where survivor’s guilt aside, he’s not objectively to blame for situations beyond his control, and in that sense, he’s “morally good”. Sand Sea book Wu Xie’s actions and reasoning come from the perspective of a man who deliberately orchestrated events in which he manipulated various people into becoming his pawns on a very high risk chessboard. Each scar represents a bad choice of move of the pawn that resulted in the death of his chosen sacrifice, so the element of failure is there, but the difference lies in the fact that contrary to the ZHH drama where he fails to save people, in the book, the people behind the scars are his victims that he willingly led to their deaths. He punishes himself because it’s his way of tolerating the intolerable from himself. Wu Xie’s amorality for the greater good in Sand Sea is such an important facet of his character, and by shifting the origin of those scars, it takes away from that element that the ZHH drama doesn’t hint at at all, or barely

There’s so many more things I could get into about this drama, like how paralleling Wu Xie and Xiaoge as being similar feels like a fundamental misunderstanding of their characters because them being different is the entire point. It’s doubly ironic when NPSS said recently that the entire point is that they’re entirely different people who only after the ten years have passed meet in the middle where their trajectories truly parallel each other: one of a man who went from a god to a man, and one of a man who went from man to god. I could talk about how Mama Bear Pangzi is a carry-over from the Reboot drama that doesn’t accurately reflect either what Pangzi is like in the books or how his dynamic with Wu Xie functions in them. I could talk about how despite there being good intentions in adding those scenes, shoving in as many impactful moments from the main story and Ten Years Later + Fishing King as they possibly could ended up feeling like boxes were being ticked off a list and it took away from their impact to the point some of those moments felt off or bland. It didn’t help that whether it was a directing issue or a filming issue (not an acting issue because Zhang Kangle was overall a good interpretation of Xiaoge), Xiaoge had practically no actual chemistry with either Wu Xie or Pangzi. I could talk about this drama’s pacing issues where it yo-yoed between going fast then excruciatingly slow. I could talk about the irony of an adaptation managing to both take a sledgehammer to the source material in a way that’s honestly criminal, yet ironically also being one the least newcomer friendly DMBJ adaptations

It’s safe to say I won’t be watching the ZHH drama again. This post exists mostly for the purpose of expounding on why I didn’t like this drama despite its strong start instead of just saying “it was bad”

[utilitycaster]

I know this is going to sound pretentious but I do think that the concept of fandom as it exists today in part fuels a lot of the really rigid and, in my opinion, childish ways people engage with works. I'm thinking specifically of the question I got earlier this week about violence, but it's definitely not the only aspect.

Social media fandom often rewards a lack of context. This isn’t new nor exclusive to social media, to be fair; AUs, in which the entire point is to strip out context, have been popular for a long time. But social media certainly makes it easier. Twitter, by design, cannot provide much context. But even longer form places like Tumblr are usually dominated by art or gifs, which may or may not actually engage with what’s happening in the work and which can only provide a moment or so from it. It’s very easy to only relive the highlights, or even a version that never existed. (I’ve seen some wild gif edits.)

Social media can also lead to the phenomenon of people getting into a fandom, more so than getting into the work, and I do think this is a newer thing in that entering into fandom in the earlier days of the internet, or even pre-internet, required a much more significant effort. Today, though, in really extreme cases you get people who only engage with fandom and not with the original in some kind Plato’s allegory of the cave hellscape, and in doing so perpetuate fanon over canon, and because they are in the end fans of fandom, not the work, everything they touch sort of swirls into a bland universal fanon that they overlay onto whatever they see. And because that fanon is meant to cover everything it applies rules that were never meant to apply to the originals.

There’s also a sense of belonging that people like with fandom; but again, if you start with the intent to get into the fandom, you aren’t here for the work itself and that, I think, is where people start feeling betrayed by the work or angry at it for not fitting an idea in their head. There’s a great post outlining, theoretically, exactly how this would happen for The Cask of Amontillado.

That, I think, is why people get so angry at the concept of violence in a work. I mean yeah some of it is privilege/conservative upbringings that they haven’t properly interrogated/the whole other can of worms that is how social media engages with mental health and personal responsibility, but I do think a huge factor is people saw a piece of fluffy art or an incorrect quote, said “this is for me!” without looking into the context or the genre, and then are furious that this was a picture not indicative of the larger themes (or even a picture of something that never happened in the original) because this was supposed to be comfort media! It was supposed to represent them! But it’s not, and it never was.

None of this is to say that art or gifs or memes or even divergence from canon in your fan works are bad. I like those things a lot! It’s just that it’s astoundingly easy to only look at the fan works to the point of ignoring what’s actually happening, and then being blindsided by what is actually happening coming to its logical conclusion. It's deciding to watch a movie because of the blooper reel and then being mad that there's more to it than that.

This ties into something I’ve said before about people focusing on the wrong aspect of recognized problems (”I don’t like labels”, fridging, bury your gays, “Strong Female Characters”). All of those are problems when they’re a dominant trend, but, well, they require a lot of context to properly understand, both in terms of the specific work, and also in terms of the genre and the historical cultural context in which they were developed and you can't just throw those words out to mean "a thing I don't like is happening".

All of this is a long way to say that you can like what you like, but you look like an idiot when you get mad at something for being exactly what it said it would be. If you don’t want a story with violence, then you’re going to have to actually put in the work to find stories without violence instead of glomming on to whatever has some art or memes you like and then clutching your pearls when it’s more than just those memes.

[chaoticevilbean]

Another Star Wars AU, TBN*

*To-Be-Named

I love time travel. A lot. So here is a time-travel au, with the CW trio.

Somehow, perhaps by touching a Sith artifact, perhaps by the Force deciding they should, perhaps from some sort of weird ritual the locals were performing that the trio didn't know about, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, Anakin, Rex, and Cody travel aback in time.

[Please keep in mind that Canon Timeline has died tragically in a fire, and I am but the weeping widow with an inheritance.]

Due to whatever happened, they all also end up (technically) deaging. They still have their memories and their knowledge and skills, just stuck in smaller bodies. They can think and act like adults, but they also have to struggle a bit more to implement Older Skills in Younger Bodies.

Ahsoka is 2. She's nubby. She's emotional. She's tired and sore from her deaging.

She wakes up in someone's office. She's in a spinny chair, a big one with leather padding. It's kind-of chilly in the room.

She's not thinking, because all her brain is putting together is that she's still tired. She grabs the jacket off the back of the chair and pulls it over herself. She goes back to sleep.

Rex and Cody wake up together.

They are their actual age, which is to say they're both about eleven.

They find themselves on Mandalore. In the more wild areas.

(let me believe that there are parts of the planet that aren't covered in city)

(also, this is the Mandalore in the cartoons)

They find a teen trying to wake them both up. Rex has absolutely no clue what's going on. Cody has a vague idea, because this girl looks very similar to a picture he once saw...

Obi-Wan does not fare as well. He is 3.

He wakes up in someone's arms. He's just as tired and sore as the other three. However, he's also got more awareness because he's in someone's arms.

He looks up to see who's carrying him.

He looks around at the people walking with them.

He starts crying. He cannot help this, as he is suddenly flooded with Emotions, and he is Smol. Smol = harder to handle Emotions.

Because Qui-Gon is walking right next to him, tapping away on a holopad as they go. Dooku is on his other side, on a comm call where both parties sound very tired.

And Obi-Wan is being held... by Obi-Wan.

So, yeah, not that great for a suddenly Smol Obi.

Now, Anakin is 8, so he's better off in that perspective.

But he wakes up on some remote planet without anyone around. He just was in the middle of a group, so he ends up kinda panicking.

Then he hears something coming towards him, and he panics more.

He's Tiny! He's Smol! He's massively at a disadvantage against attacks! He can't fight off whatever is on a planet like this!

It's Mace (and Depa).

Anakin, however, doesn't realize this. He has gone Feral.

Back to the beginning

Jango Fett has been very busy w/Important Mand'alor Paperwork all day. He finally has time to go and relax a little, and he makes it all the way down to the exit before he realizes:

It is really cold outside. He is not in armor bc he was planning to only do paperwork today (though he still has many weapons). When one plans to stay in the same room for almost the entire day, one does not wear normal garb.

That said, he has no protection from the cold. He forgot his jacket upstairs. He rushes back up to his office.

He distinctly remembers that he left the jacket on the back of his chair, not on the seat.

He also is wondering what that lump is.

He arms himself, grabs some of his "emergency" armor plating, and walks over to the chair.

He lifts his jacket up, expecting a bomb or some paperwork that fell off the desk, or something logical.

He does not expect to find a tiny Togruta child clinging onto the fabric, whining as they're woken up by his yanking of the jacket.

Jango's brain stutters for a moment, then he kicks into action.

First things first, he wraps the jacket around the Togruta. They thankfully stay asleep. Then he turns up the heat, because he knows the office has gotten colder in the twenty minutes or so he's been gone, and Togruta are from warm temperate zones.

He decides to call, in this order, a guard who can help him watch the Togruta (they did break in, after all), a medic to check the Togruta’s health, and the first person he can find in his contacts that might know an adult Togruta.

Next group

Rex and Cody manage to get the teen to stop fussing over them for long enough to ask for her name.

Her, clearly lying, but that’s understandable: My name is Ine.

Cody, who knows exactly who this is now: Oh, kriff. You’re Duchess Satine, aren’t you? Kriff.

Rex: Wait, Satine? As in the General’s Satine?

Satine, now very suspicious and reaching for her stunner: I think you need proper medical attention.

Cody, looking down at their eleven-year-old selves: Yeah, I think so, too.

They agree on one thing, at least.

Next

Obi-Wan is crying. Loudly, uncontrollably, w/too many Emotions to even care that he’s supposed to be an adult rn.

Other Obi-Wan is very uncomfortable, bc he doesn’t know how to handle children too well.

They found this kid unconscious in the middle of a ruined, abandoned town.

Obi-Wan was meant to hold this kid while Qui-Gon did research and Master Dooku tried to convince the Council that it was entirely necessary to bring the kid back to Coruscant. Granted, they can still give the child to the locals at any time before they make it back to their ship, but apparently the Force is Being Loud.

The Force was Being Loud when it told Master Dooku to come along.

The Force was Being Loud when it led them to that town.

Qui-Gon and Dooku have argued fifteen and a half times on this mission, and an additional six times on the flight here. Obi-Wan is trying to mediate but also doesn’t want to overstep. The Force is Being Loud, sure, but the kid is also Force-sensitive so it might be something off that.

He didn’t argue with holding the kid bc he thought that it was better than being caught between the Masters.

Holding a crying child and trying to get two adults to stop arguing bc they can’t decide how to comfort the kid is not better.

Obi-Wan keeps walking past them to the ship with this baby. He does what he’s seen some crechemasters do to the younglings. The kid eventually calms a little, and he belatedly realizes that both Masters are still behind him, not with him.

NEXT

Anakin is panakin.

He is currently in a state of Feralness. His instincts have kicked into overdrive, full-on Survival Mode.

Depa and Mace do not know this. All they know is that there was suddenly an extremely powerful Force presence that started fading quickly (bc Anakin started shielding).

They burst into sight of Anakin and are suddenly attacked by all four feet and some of Feral Force Child.

It’s all they can do for a good minute or so to avoid losing their fingers, eyes, or untorn clothes.

Mace puts a few things together very quickly.

This planet is uninhabited by any sapient life. Therefore, this child is utterly alone. This child also is clearly strong in the Force, and knows how to hide their presence, for whatever reasons. Mace is a Jedi, and therefore is bound by certain duties.

He decides it is his Duty to get this kid back to Coruscant safely.

Back to the beginning

Ahsoka wakes up to find a familiar face looking down at her. She’s still tired, but not as much. She’s very aware of her size, and does a few quick observations.

She does not fully know who Jango Fett is. She does know that some clones run off bc they hate war and weren’t given a choice an- no. Not going down that path yet.

Ahsoka assumes, semi-incorrectly, that she was shrunk or deaged and somehow found by a rogue clone.

She knows it’s a rogue clone bc they’ve got weird armor.

So she does the logical thing and tries to comfort this clone bc he looks really worried and kinda panicked. She stands up on the spinny chair and tries to balance and he practically lunges to help her and she can’t help but giggle, but it comes out in a bunch of chirps instead.

The clone picks her up and looks really awkward so she pats his face bc that’s the best she can do bc she doesn’t want to disprove the fact she’s two yet.

For all she knows, this rogue clone has no idea she’s actually a Commander in the GAR.

He doesn’t, but for different reasons than she thinks.

NEXT

Rex and Cody go with Satine to the city. They have introduced themselves and said that they were separated from their aliit. They don't know where said aliit is.

Satine is highly suspicious by this point, bc these two kids recognized her with only part of her name, and they were alone, and they speak Basic with Mando'a thrown in.

Basically, she thinks that they're children of people like Death Watch, but she's too young to know that Death Watch isn't really into children.

Rex and Cody get checked over by a medic, but also start trying to get access to some working comms. They are refused on account of being suspicious children (which makes them a little upset bc they're not children)(Well, they are, but not those types of children)

They have not yet figured out that they are in the past, bc Cody and Rex only know that General Kenobi talks about Duchess Satine, and they know about Padme Amidala from General Skywalker, so clearly this Duchess is really young and the General simply viewed her as someone he wants to protect.

They are very very very wrong.

NEXT

Obi-Wan manages to calm himself somewhat now that it's just him and... him.

He is three, and he knows roughly what's happening, so he knows he should probably act like a 3yo.

Unfortunately, he has very little understanding of how child ages work. 3 is smart enough to go up the stairs and communicate with adults, but def. not old enough to speak sentences that are 15 words long with at least 2 5-syllable words.

Fortunately, his older (younger?) self doesn't know children either.

So when this 3yo starts telling him that he needs to leave the two Masters on the planet and head to Tatooine really fast, Obi-Wan is more concerned about the idea than the strangeness of "this is a 3yo suggesting this".

Obi-Wan is really good at convincing people. Including himself. He manages to get Padawan Kenobi to leave supplies where the ship is supposed to be and head towards Tatooine.

He says that the Masters will be fine, they know how to survive, and they need to be alone together in order to work through all the tension. Plus, it gives them plenty of time to talk to the Council.

Toddler Kenobi also tells himself that he'll take the blow and say he used a mind-trick.

Padawan Kenobi doesn't believe him yet, but Toddler Kenobi smiles like a very smug adult and says "you'll get there eventually". What he truly means is up in the air.

NEXT

Anakin, since waking up, knows much less than everyone else. Which is saying something.

He knows he's Smol. He knows he's Alone. He knows Someone has come and they are Strangers.

One thing about Anakin's instincts is that they are very much Survival Based. He was Feral when he joined the Jedi, only he had to hold those instincts back for most of his life bc of being a slave.

A slave cannot bite someone who approaches and Vibes Wrong.

By the time he felt okay with being Feral Out Loud, he also felt safe enough that he didn't need to activate his Survival Mode.

What I'm trying to say is that Anakin does not realize how strong his Feral Instincts are. He has absolutely no control over them rn.

When Mace decides to Help this child, this child is trying to Maul them.

Mace makes a small ruckus to draw Anakin's attention to him so Depa can move back. Depa pulls out her saber now that she won't hit the kid. The kid notices Purple and Bright and Lightsaber.

Lorge Jedi Mind says this is Good. Safe. Jedi.

Smol Feral Brain says this is Dangerous. Mean.

Anakin freezes on sight and just starts tracking Depa's saber. She does one of those things where a snake or something is focused and the person waves the fire or the food slowly to make sure the wolf is watching it and usually they toss the thing away so the snake follows it.

Mace instead takes this opportunity to wrap Anakin in his cloak. And Depa's cloak. And the spare ones in their bags.

Feral Child is not happy with this. Feral Child is also unable to scratch or Maul or do things other than bite and snarl.

Depa carries Feral Child while Mace comms the Temple and they walk back to their ship.

The Temple is having a field day.

First, one of their Shadows reports that a well-known bounty hunter got an emergency message from a pal of theirs that said Jango Fett needs help learning Togruta childcare.

Then they get a call from Dooku, which is not the mission report they wanted.

Yoda: Mission report, you have?

Dooku: Of a sort. We successfully spoke with the locals, then went to investigate a rather large disturbance.

Mundi: A disturbance?

Dooku: We found the source to be a Force-sensitive child.

Mundi: So you are here to ask for more time on the planet?

Dooku:...

Yoda: Bring the child back, you wish to?

Dooku, unapologetic: He is of an acceptable age to be admitted into the Temple, and no other beings were around at the time to entertain the idea of there being guardians.

The Council is sighing and muttering bc this is a Disaster Lineage (and they haven't even met the other two yet). Their call is interrupted by the sound of crying and Dooku saying the child's woken up.

Then there's another Shadow who sends a message saying a set of twins that seem like Death Watch were found by the heir of Clan Kryze.

Finally, to top everything off, they get a call from Mace Windu and Depa Billaba. Two very dignified, not-at-all chaotic Jedi from a perfectly respectable lineage.

Yeah, most of the Council and the Order itself forgets that Yoda had a hand in raising Windu. Yoda "Feral Grandpa" who throws children at every problem. Grandson isn't doing too well? Throw a child his way. Other grandchild is struggling to cope with grief? Throw another child their way. Oh, there's a war going on and newest grandchild is angry a lot? Here's a child!

The entire lineage has a soft spot for children.

Anyways...

Mace: Our mission was a success. We found the artifact and both specimens.

Koth: How long until your return?

Mace:...

Yoda: Found a child, you did?

Gallia: Master Yoda, that's a rather illogical guess. Once is unusual, twice is-

Mace: Oh, did Qui-Gon find a child as well?

Yoda, smugly: Bringing the child back, are you?

Depa, from the background, after a rather loud snarl is heard: We do not bite things, young one.

*more snarling*

Mace: We have no reason to believe he was not alone.

Tiin: *deep sighing*

Mundi: *mild confusion noises*

Koon, eagerly: Please send photos of this youngling. For the archives, of course.

Mace, nodding sagely: Of course.

*extremely loud yowl* *sounds of Mace turning*

Mace: DEPA!

Depa: He nearly bit off my finger!

Mace: That doesn’t mean you pinch him!

Depa: What else am I supposed to do?!

*sudden exclamation filled solely of Mando’a, Huttese and Twi’leki curses*

Mace: So, I don’t know if he speaks Basic, but Master Che should be able to talk him through a check-up.

Yeah, several Council members are experiencing headaches now. Normally, they would have some empathy for Mace and his own stress-induced migraines. They currently do not.

Right after that call, Dooku calls back to say that Obi-Wan has left without them.

Mundi: He left the child with you, right?

Dooku:

Mundi: He left the child with you, right?

Obi-Wan did not leave himself with the Masters. Obi-Wan has listened to Mini-Obi and is off on some wild space adventure to a criminal-run planet.

The toddler won’t stop staring at him. He asks for a name. The kid says to call him Ben.

OW: Is that your name?

“Ben”: It is a name I am called :)

OW: That isn’t what I meant.

“Ben”: I know :)

Ben also keeps staring at OW’s lightsaber. OW decides to make sure the kid doesn’t start playing with it when he isn’t looking.

MEANWHILE

Ahsoka has figured out that she was really very oh-so wrong. She’s on Mandalore. As in, the Mandalore that is under Jango Fett. Bc she’s with Jango Fett. He’s holding her hand bc she was nervous about the strange looking medic (who was just wearing armor, but not clone armor and civies don’t wear armor.)

Ahsoka knows very little about Jango Fett. Clone Buir, Mandalorian leader, tried to kill Master Kenobi. Also dead.

He asks how she got in. She shrugs. She is too small to fight back so she can’t let him know anything. Whatever everything is right now. But also, he doesn’t seem mean or evil or anything.

Oh yeah. Skyguy said that Mandos love children. That's why the clones were so protective of her, even with Skyguy on her side of the argument.

She decides to use this to her advantage. She can probably get herself a comm, and enough time to call the Temple. If she can convince them she at least knows a Jedi, then they can come get her and she'll work from there.

ELSEWHERE

Rex and Cody are getting really upset. This Duchess is really nice, but she's acting really weird and keeps insisting she's not actually called Duchess. No one will give them a comm, they keep getting weird looks for speaking Mando'a even though they're on Mandalore, and Satine's father keeps mentioning a Fett. Maybe Boba's set a bad example again.

Rex starts to fall asleep, to his chagrin. He's too bored, sitting and getting some abnormally extensive check-up. Cody is fine, but he's used to the calm that is General Kenobi. Rex usually has a Togruta teen in the vents and a Human that is never where he's supposed to be.

Rex does, in fact, fall asleep. His "twin" starts glaring when a doctor goes to wake him up. Cody makes it clear that his brother is like Cat: once asleep, you do not wake.

Satine is giggling, but trying not to let the others hear. Cody does. Cody looks at her. They have a stare-off.

Cody goes back to glaring at the doctors. He will not admit to any emotions besides Protect™.

BACK TO

Obi-Wan and Ben have made it to Tatooine.