#the most pressing issue at hand? not her being undermined or working with someone bad but lives being lost? idk.

[homielander]

every once in a while i remember that nobody in season 3, not even annie or MM, ever bothered to bring up the very valid point that maybe the boys shouldn't be hunting and killing supes who haven't actually done anything wrong (at least to their knowledge), and i am filled with rage all over again

[fandomwriterstuff]

“We’re a well-oiled team of military-grade kindergarteners,” his best friend, and the only other human on the ship who would understand what kindergarten was, continued chastising him and his companions. “The level of education and training among the three of you eclipses that of the entire rest of the members of this operation,” Annabeth continued, pointing her finger individually at himself, his pilot Jason, and his Chief Science Officer Nico. “You know, I’m not that surprised with you, Percy, but you are our XO so you should really be more responsible,” he winced at that, still feeling a bit of imposter syndrome at being the Commander of the USS Olympus. “Jason, shouldn’t you be piloting a ship or something?” At that, he saluted her and did an about face before scampering off to get into more trouble. “And you, you’re definitely way too responsible to have gotten mixed up with this Seaweed Brain and Sparky, so what’s in this tomfoolery for you?”

Nico, the only Neptunian on the ship, shifted his large black wings self consciously under the scrutiny of their Chief of Operations. Percy, as the Commander of the vessel, felt obligated to protect his usually stoic and well-behaved… acquaintance? Di Angelo was reserved, almost standoffish, and resented anyone who tried to stick up for him for some reason, but that didn’t stop Percy’s stupid seaweed brain from doing so. Hence the acquaintance. Percy was 99% sure Di Angelo didn’t consider him a friend. But he was nice to Percy and a great officer, so Percy considered him his friend.

“It was my fault, Annie,” he used her childhood nickname carefully, not knowing whether it would soften her up or piss her off more. He was hoping for softening. “It was just another one of Jason and my dumb ideas that we thought we would need a scientist to help with, and we didn’t want to piss off Leo by involving him in it. You know how he is about his engineer and warp cores and whatnot,” Percy held his hands up placatingly. “Leave Di Angelo out of this, he has sciencey things to do, isn’t that right?” Percy side-eyed his companion who (not surprisingly) rolled his eyes.

“I try not to get involved with human pranks or even Jovian mischief, but Officer Grace and First Officer Jackson were about to be meddling with my linguistics team. It isn’t my duty to tell my superiors what to do, so I sought out the next best option, supervising and ensuring no lasting damage was done to the physical or emotional state of the linguistics team. Now,” Here Percy held in a smirk as Di Angelo shrugged. “If they caused interference with the machinery of the ship, that wouldn’t be my expertise, so I allowed it to happen and-” Percy held back a laugh as the other male started speaking even faster to get everything out as Annabeth turned redder and redder. “I’m very sorry about that, truly, but I had no control over the situation.”

“No control over the situation? You three broke our LIT machine and now we have to go back to Earth as soon as we pass close enough to fix it. Soon enough nobody on this ship will understand each other,” the woman across from them crossed her arms and Percy shrunk back a bit.

“I want to make a joke about a machine being called “LIT,” but I feel like it isn’t the right time,” he muttered. “I know the Linguistic Inhibition Technology is important, but most of us have a working understanding of at least one other language, so it shouldn’t be a huge issue, right?”

“You know it works by connecting to the implant technology in our brains, so as it shuts down one by one, members of this ship from spaces stations and planets far and wide will have no clue why they suddenly can’t understand their XO, or their Chief Officer, or their best friend. So you better explain this. And you have to tell them that we’re going straight back to Earth to fix it because no nearby planets have the same brain implant tech as us. Damn Terrans and their brand name technology copyrights,” Annabeth grumbled and finally turned around to walk off.

“Hey, you’re Terran, too!” Percy shouted after her, but she just flipped him the bird.

“She can do that?” Di Angelo asked, side-eyeing Percy.

“Yeah, she’s been my best friend since we were twelve. As long as she doesn’t undermine my authority in front of everyone else, I don’t really care. I’ve done way worse to her,” Percy laughed at the other man’s frown. “Nothing bad, just pranks and things of that sort. Maybe when we get back to Earth we can show you where we’re from. You never set foot off of the training grounds while you were in school.”

“I would… like that,” Di Angelo paused and gave Percy a soft smile.

“Great,” Percy patted the younger male on the shoulder and made his way to the Command Center.

Percy sat himself down in the rotating chair and pressed on the comms device.

“Gooooood evening crew of the USS Olympus, this is your Commanding Officer, Percy Jackson, speaking,” he smiled at the engineering crew that was scuttling by, only for one of them to pause and look at him like he was speaking a different language… Whoops.

“There was a malfunction with the Linguistic Inhibition Technology and we will be returning to Earth henceforth to repair it before the damage becomes problematic. You may experience glitches with your implant technology and may revert to only understanding your first language and those you have studied extensively. If somebody looks like they’re not understanding what I’m saying right now, please escort them to the linguistics team in Science Bay 3. Carry on. Jackson, out.” He clicked again and the mic turned off.

He sighed, this would be one of his bigger mistakes. They were supposed to be exploring, but they couldn’t do that if nobody could speak to one another. One trip home couldn’t hurt him, and he was sure Annabeth would be happy to see her father.

It wasn’t until later after the Chief Officer meeting when someone finally asked Percy about Earth. For many of the non-humans on the ship, Earth was a place to get education and training to go out in the star fleet, and they never set foot outside the campus grounds, just like Di Angelo. But people had stopped asking him questions because Earth was basically “Space Australia,” as Annabeth had explained to him. The adaptability of humans and their need to pack bond astounded many and horrified many others. So, he stopped talking about home.

It was a new member of their ship, Novax (a Vulcan who was a part of Leo’s engineering team), who asked him about it first.

“I hear Earth is 75% made of pure salt water, and is filled with animals of all kinds. Do you have a favorite water animal?” he asked Percy excitedly.

“Definitely dolphins, though they aren’t underwater creatures. Like humans they need oxygen to breathe, and come up for air very often. My favorite actual underwater species would have to be a hippocampus from Neptune. I’ve always wanted to go and see one, but my human anatomy prevents me from going on-planet,” Percy explained and sipped on his hot tea.

“There are a million creatures in the ocean and you pick one that doesn’t breathe underwater?” Clarisse grunted. His Chief Tactical Officer was a brutish Martian, but very specialized in weapons. “And your second favorite isn’t even Terran.”

“What else do you know about the ‘ocean’?” Novax breathed, leaning forward.

“Eh, not much,” Percy shrugged.

“I’m not sure I heard that correctly, maybe my LIT unit isn’t functioning well,” another member of engineering asked, Nyssa. “Your planet is 75% water and you don’t even know what is inside it?”

“I could tell you about the people who spend their life learning about what survives in the deep depths,” Percy looked up, knowing he had all of the non-Terrans hooked on every word. Even Di Angelo had paused in his note taking and was staring wide-eyed at Percy. “But I don’t know if you’d want to know.”

“No we do!” Nyssa exclaimed. “There are people who dedicate their lives to a place that’s literally not navigable by humans, the main inhabitants of the planet?”

“Well as you said, most of the planet is water. Which means that coastal communities are filled with fisherman, whalers, swimmers, and more. I could tell you about some of those. I could also tell you about the scientists that spend years of their lives building bots that can’t even come close to withstanding the pressure at the deepest depths without imploding, or I could tell you about those that do come close,” he shrugged.

“What happened to those?”

“The video feed cut out after only seeing multiple rows of sharp, jagged teeth,” Annabeth answered, her sharp grin frightening those who hadn’t noticed her. Some forgot that she was Terran, because she was also half Minervan.

“I could tell you about whales. Beautiful, they come in black and white or grey or blue. But they can be as big as almost 100 feet long. That’s as long as most pirate ships. And they could fit about 400 average sized humans in their mouths. You don’t want to cross one of them. And they only live on the surface. The things that live in the deep,” Percy shuddered for effect. There were no Neptunians on the ship, so there were no natural water dwellers there, so all of his rapt listeners were shocked by this information. “There’s the anglerfish. They light up the dark with an antenna on top of their heads, and the light lures in prey. But it’s so dim elsewhere that you don’t see their big sharp teeth until you’re right up against them,” he murmured. “Giant squids are almost as big as whales but not nearly as peaceful and beautiful. They have eight arms and two tentacles that could wrap around any boat and crush it.”

“Ten limbs?” Nyssa whispered, clearly disturbed.

“Plus, the Portuguese Man o’ War,” Percy shrugged nonchalantly. “Also known as the floating terror. It’s like a big blue jellyfish that sits innocently on top of the water with huge blue tentacles that sit just underneath with a sting strong enough to kill a full grown human.”

“Don’t worry,” Annabeth grinned that shark grin again. “Percy won’t tell you about the stories of the old days. He doesn’t want to scare you.”

“That was the not scary part?” Novax gulped.

“Anyway, I just got notified that we’ll be back on Earth in a few days, so brace yourselves,” and with that, she stood and left them all staring after her. When the door clicked shut, Percy had all eyes back on him. He shrugged.

“Don’t look at me. I wasn’t going to tell you about the kr- nevermind,” he stood. “Di Angelo, with me,” the younger officer stood, back to business and was at Percy’s side again in a moment. “Clear your schedule, you’re spending shore leave with me, pal.”

“Great,” came the deadpan reply.

“Don’t sound so somber,” Percy rolled his eyes. “I’m just going to show you the beach and maybe a good gay bar. You need to let off some steam my dude.”

The other male reddened.

“That is so… That is…” he huffed. “Highly inappropriate.” he glared down at the ground and Percy felt a little bad, maybe the guy wasn’t out? But it was clear he had a preference for males. Oh well, that foot was already in Percy’s mouth.

“Fine. But I will be attending and I am a great dancer so you’re missing out,” he winked at the flustered officer and made his way back to his cabin. It would be an interesting few days.

He made a plan with Annabeth. Day one before shore leave, Percy would spread a rumor to Novax about the kraken. Bigger than a giant squid and meaner. Known to crush entire pirate ships in the olden days.

Day two, Annabeth would mention sirens to Nyssa. Hideous creatures that could lure you in with their voices and lead you to believe you were bringing your ship in to everything you ever wanted, when in reality you would crash your ships and then drown.

Day three, Percy would tell Leo about the Megalodon. A definitely very real shark so big you couldn’t even imagine it. Percy shuddered at that one.

“But, there are some good things,” Percy was speaking to Nico Di Angelo from his Commander chair, in ear shot of some of the participants of the conversation a few nights prior. “Mermaids, the siren’s nicer cousin species. And the lost city of Atlantis. Known to be a great and bountiful city, lost to the sea and cursed by the gods to be stuck down there forever. Some believe it still exists, but it’s within the Bermuda Triangle.”

“What, pray tell, is the Bermuda Triangle,” Clarisse sighed.

“Hard to explain. Ships just… go in… and they never come out,” Annabeth shrugged. “Planes go down. Ships wreck. People who go in don’t come back out, so we don’t know if Atlantis is really there or not.”

“That’s… terrifying,” Novax whispered as he walked by.

Percy was sure he had created a healthy fear of Earth’s oceans in his crew. And he meant to, because while he loved the beach and swimming, he did want to make them shy away from the depths. They wouldn’t do well to explore it.

[foodbytesback]

The Rise and Fall of Bon Appetit

Sometimes life comes at you fast.  Sometimes, that means stories in the food industry break in such rapid succession that you have no time to blink in between.  Sometimes, it means someone found out about something racist you did a few years ago.  What happens when it’s both?  Ask the fine folks at Bon Appetit.

In recent years, Bon Appetit made a name for itself, rising from the ashes of dying print media, through its Youtube channel featuring a diverse cast of personalities.  But over the course of this past week, many of the publication’s executives have been found to foster a toxic workplace culture, rife with racism, sexism and homophobia.  

Before I get too deep (because this is going to be a long one), I feel the need to point out that while this story’s breaking happened to coincide with Black Lives Matter protests across the country and gained traction from people’s outrage towards inequality, the events that have unfolded should not be blamed on “cancel culture,” “political correctness run amok” or any other reactionary dismissal of critical thinking.  Adam Rapoport didn’t lose his job because Black Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter came to be because of the damage that many in positions of power like Rapoport have done in both mainstream media and society as a whole.

[Also, yes, there are going to be a lot of links to Instagram posts that have been screenshotted and uploaded to Twitter.  Clearly the real takeaway from this debacle is that I need to get an Instagram account.  Also also, thanks to Tumblr’s new rules about offsite links, you’ll have to go to my main site for the full receipts.]

Preamble

Shortly after the killing of George Floyd, Adam Rapoport, Editor-in-Chief at Bon Appetit, wrote an editorial highlighting some of the coverage they’ve given to black chefs.  Many criticized this as being superficial and performative, with others saying that BA has, on numerous occasions, shut down articles relating to black culture for not being “trendy” enough or otherwise was discriminatory towards black employees. (Also, the repeated use of “uprisings” instead of “protests” seems a little suspicious.)

An article from Eater criticized the role BA played in the appropriating and whitewashing of many cultures’ ingredients and cuisines (gochujang, Aleppo pepper, and sumac seem to be some of BA’s favorite ingredients) that had become prevalent in food media in recent years.

While it’s a fairly minor offense in comparison, it may also be worth bringing up the time Rapoport accidentally called Priya Krishna “Sohla,” the name of his other Indian employee.

Monday, June 8th

Food writer Tammie Teclemariam posted a screencap of an Instagram post made by Rapoport’s wife, which depicted the two of them donning Puerto Rican stereotypes as Halloween costumes, brownface and all.    

Many were quick to declare their outrage and demand that Rapoport either resign or be fired.  Meanwhile, Sohla El-Waylly, one of the leading stars of the Youtube channel, was one of the first BA employees to speak up, and disclosed that this kind of behavior was just the tip of the iceberg.  She said that BIPOC workers have been paid disproportionately for their work, including not being paid a per-video commission that the white stars of the Youtube channel receive. 

Molly Baz, one of the aforementioned white stars, announced that she would no longer make videos for BA until all of El-Waylly’s demands were met.  One by one, their white coworkers chimed in in agreement.  

Former staff photographer Alex Lau also wrote an extensive tweet thread about his experiences at BA, including how he had futilely tried to fix the system from within.

By the end of Monday, Adam Rapoport had resigned from his position as Editor-in-Chief.

Tuesday, June 9th  

Since Rapoport’s official resignation did little to fix many of the systemic problems in place at BA, many began to turn their attention to other senior members of the staff.

Some came for Andrew Knowlton, the Restaurant Editor, for behaviors such as gaslighting an employee for trying to bring up racist practices in the offices.

Others called out Matthew Duckor, a VP at Conde Nast and BA’s former “Head of Video” (Did a 3 year old come up with that job title?), for a series of old racist and homophobic tweets.  He tried to apologize by saying that he was young and didn’t know any better at the time, but many were quick to point out that he was, at the youngest, 20, aka for all intents and purposes An Adult when he wrote those tweets. 

Tammie Teclemariam returned to ask current and former BA employees to DM her information about Duckor that they didn’t want to go public with themselves, ranging from his hand in the aforementioned pay disparity to making inappropriate comments towards women.

Teclemariam also did even more social media muckraking and found that Drinks Editor Alex Delany had once decorated a cake to look like a Confederate flag, while others found things like a Vine where he says the f-slur and some questionable comments about women on this Tumblr.  He later deleted his Tumblr and Twitter, and issued a cookie-cutter apology on his Instagram.

She also vague-tweeted that Brad Leone, one of the most beloved stars of the Youtube channel, is “possibly not a great guy,” but later added, “don’t fret.” At that point, some began to accuse her of just trying to stir the pot.

Ultimately, Matt Hunziker, director and camera operator for Leone’s show, reported that the higher ups were ignoring the situation regarding the pay disparity, and that they were not “learning and growing.”

Wednesday, June 10th

By this point, journalists were able to do more thorough investigations and put together exposés that were more than a blurb about an accusation followed by a nut graph.

Business Insider published an article where they interviewed 14 current and former BIPOC employees of Bon Appetit.  In addition to information already discussed above, it also described events such as an incident where several BIPOC staffers were told they weren’t allowed the test kitchen. (Carla Lalli Music, the Food Director at the time, would later defend her stance in the affair on Twitter.)  Ryan Walker-Hartshorn, a black woman who served as Rapoport’s personal assistant, recalled that she would often spend her day doing menial tasks like polishing her boss’s golf clubs or trying to teach his wife how to use Google Calendar.  In another incident, Knolton called Rick Martinez a “one trick pony” for only developing Mexican recipes, which is what he was being forced to do so BA could tout “diversity” bonus points.  Martinez would also say that the magazine under Rapoport’s tenure “went from old and irrelevant and white-washed content to young and trendy white-washed content." (Martinez would also upload a more graphic description of the treatment he received  to his Instagram that same day.) Later that day, Business Insider would also report that Duckor had left the company.

Vice would liken Rapoport to Michael Scott from The Office, but noted that that kind of bumbling, endearingly insensitive bad boss archetype isn’t as charming in the real world where real employees are being affected.  Parallels were also drawn between the Youtube channel and The Office itself, stating that the “quirky workplace” facade put on in the videos helped hide the more sinister practices that lurked beneath the surface, and that the notion that they were “one big family” often pressured BIPOC into doing more than their fair share for the greater good.

Jezebel showed email transcripts where Rapoport argued the semantics of having his costume be called “brownface” when he wasn’t wearing makeup, and had to be explained to, like a child, that the term refers to the racist caricature and not the literal act of putting brown makeup on one’s face.  What a douche.

Bon Appetit published an official apology on their site, a whole two days after the controversy began.  Many believed that their empty promises of “learning from their mistakes” were a day late and a dollar short.

Meanwhile, on Twitter, former BA writer Alyse Whitney said that senior editor Andy Baraghani had, on several occasions, used his influence to undermine her efforts. Whether this had to do with racism, sexism, or just Andy being petty is up for debate, but still constitutes as unprofessional behavior to say the least.

Thursday, June 11th

As interest in the story seemed to wane for many in the industry, Claire Saffitz, arguably the face of the Youtube channel, released another statement on her Instagram.  She said that her relative silence was due to taking time to find the right words, and that the same-old promises to “learn and grow” that most had been giving felt empty and performative. Unlike many of her white coworkers, she directly apologized for being complicit in the toxic environment  and for not using her status to try to leverage even pay for her BIPOC coworkers.  

Another BA Youtube personality, Amiel Stanek, also released a statement in response to BA’s official press release, where he demanded Conde Nast to stop avoiding action by setting vague timelines for changes or making excuses for not giving BIPOC workers raises like “the money just isn’t there.”

Associate editor Christina Chaey also opened up about her experiences with being pushed into more and more videos to “diversify” them- all without compensation.  

Friday, June 12th

The biggest scandal of the day was that, as Teclemariam predicted, Brad Leone is possibly not a great guy.  A leaked screenshot of an Instagram DM showed him making callous, almost Trump-y comments regarding El-Waylly’s demand for better pay.  He also allegedly said that if Delany were to be fired (as of that day he had been sent on leave), he would quit.

Saturday, June 13th

The New York Times published an article suggesting that the issues prevalent in BA’s management may go all the way to the top of Conde Nast.  Highlights include Chief Executive Roger Lynch chastising the whistleblowers within the company for raising their concerns in such a public manner and an account of an incident where he gave his black assistant a guidebook on how to speak “proper” English.

The Sporkful released a special episode of their podcast containing interviews with several current and former BA BIPOC workers.  Nikita Richardson divulged that after she was laid off, a story she had already done all the leg work for was picked up and credited to Amanda Shapiro, a white staff writer who is now acting Editor-in-Chief in lieu of Rapoport.  Sohla El-Waylly confirmed that the self-congratulatory editorial Rapoport wrote in the wake of George Floyd’s death was the real beginning of the end, and that the racist photo was just the final straw.  She also described a company-wide Zoom meeting held after the photo began to be spread around where Rapoport issued a half-hearted apology, and began talking about how he would “fix the brand” before El-Waylly demanded he resigned.  Furthermore, she revealed that after her Instagram posts began circulating rapidly, Duckor had offered her a new contract with increased pay, but she is refusing to sign it until all BIPOC have received similar compensation.  She also said that she had a hand in the wishy-washy statement that BA had published on Wednesday, and said that it originally had taken much firmer stances on the issues but their PR office made them tone it down.  Also, she commented that Leone, for the most part, just seemed like she “genuinely think[s] [that he] just found out racism is real.”  Ultimately, she was glad that the story was getting as much coverage as it was, since it made her feel that her voice was finally being heard.

Sunday, June 14th

Baraghani released a statement on Instagram apologizing for his behavior, saying that trying to achieve his personal goals in BA’s toxic, competitive environment made him lose sight of solidarity with his fellow BIPOC.  

While that may seem like the end of the story for now, it’s important to note that, even with the resignation of two executives, nothing has truly been done to fix the systemic problems at hand.

[missanabanana]

If anyone ever sees this it'll probably get alot of hate, and tbh im not really looking for a discussion just trying to get this off my chest, but I don't hate the John Walker character from FATWS.

And it just doesn't make sense, up until he straight up murdered that guy I had nothing against him.

He got put in a strange new role that no one could guide him and no one knew the rules to it, and Sam being mad at him was petty, like you gave it up man, and yeah you thought no one was going to use it, so it sucks the military lied to him, but then he should have been mad at the military and brought it up with them not doing everything to undermine John walker

Which is another thing that is against him, not only is he in a role that he didn't choose, didn't sign up for, was picked for and as a good military person said yes and did his duty, but the only two who properly worked the first Captain America, and most likely have a lot of respect in the military treat him like garbage.

They are facing a threat that is international so technically avengers level, and John now has that clearance with the shield, and they are giving him nothing, and he is doing everything by the books and trying to be respectful but they keep treating him like crap.

So yeah he starts to crack, you see home become ruder and more curt to them, like damn I would too

Then he gets his *** handed to him, and the not even soldiers line makes me feel bad, like given this impossible role, and he doesn't feel like he lives up to it already, but then when facing threats he should be able to take down, like regular people, he still fails and that, that just sucked

And up till then i really had no issue with him, even the wanting the serum part, like duh, he's facing insane threats and insane expectations, like it makes sense, likes Sam you fly, and have an ai robot, ofc you don't want nor need the serum( love Sam tho don't get me wrong) and he has a Frisbee

So right up till then no issues, but he's murdered someone, and honestly haven't even finished 6 cuz im really mad at how they treat him, but yeah what he did was awful, but the way Carly murdered his friend( and also burned that whole building of people, that sicko) and looked like a scared baby (which they did for a reason) and then he gets upset by his friends murder and they decided to villianise him sucks

Im losing my train of thought, anyways, John suck but only and only because of the murder, and its not because he murdered a man but the how, it wasn't in the heat of battle, but he chased him down just to get revenge (and yeah his best friend died) and it was also a really cruel way to die

But other than that he was wasn't awful, and then on top of that how Sam and James took back the shield was disgusting and just brings back the feeling bad for him, like he knew what he did was wrong , they should've gone back to the us and let them deal with it, he probably would have, but they only thought of the shield and broke his arm

And yes he was dangerous at that point, and should disarm him, but still they did it awfully

Also if it was Steve, like still alive and someone had just killed bucky like that and he went off to finish the job aint nobody was gonna be this pressed, which I totally get, we know Steve so people like Steve, but i find people refused to give walker a chance from the get go and looking for every chance to villianize him and that sucks

It also sucks that this is how they are trying to make Sam captain, like firstly i think its useless because he is falcon and i think he is great at that and shield doesn't go with the look, but like they are obviously tearing this character down just to build his and that's jut lame writing, Sam coming into on his own would have made for a much better story, or even the guy being great at his job but realising he didn't really earn this shield and having Sam take it back would have been great

Anyways i don't love John walker, i think hes kinda a goody two shoes character, and those have never been my fave, but i think he was well written and could make for a great bad guy later in if this is how they want it, and i know that sounds contradictory, but i don't need to love a character not to hate him, he was kinda boring, so it was neutral at the beginning, and while i think he leans more in the good guy lane, a lot of great villians come from good guys, so while villianising from the get go is stupid imo because he really wasn't, but since the show so obviously wanted him to be a bad guy to make Sam look better (which is so lame- also again i like Sam) then they did it poorly, that part where he's talking to Lamar about their badges and he knows while he did it for his country it was still awful actions, was a great insight and could have definitely be used later on, especially after Lamar's death, like he's done all these 'good things' and at what cost, his conscience, his friend's life? And then he goes bad, that would have been so much more interesting to see

Anyways he's obviously now the villain and from now out i don't think there any redeeming, but from the get go? Yall was wrong to hate, or at least i don't think he deserved all of that hate.

Also side note to that Carly remark its sucks they villainies John instead of the real villain, and are trying to make us sympathetic to her, but again they want to make John the ultimate baddie in this, so they can't have any other really bad villains, which is in an interesting way to go, but again it sucks because this is how they are building up Sam to be captain America and again I find that weak.

Like i said I haven't even finished 6 so who knows how worse he gets, also this is my opinion regarding the show, not anything to do with how he is in the comics, idc if he blows up the moon in the comics and is the ultimate villain, in this show, he had real potential to be a boring good guy character

If anyone sees this please don't give me hate this is my opinion on a poorly written character arc, for a character that i think doesn't deserve half the hate he gets, i really don't want to discuss this but if anyone does, give me some constructive criticism not blataint you're wrong, also don't come for my spelling or grammar, i didn't care that much

[mydisasteracademia]

SFW Alphabet: Shouta Aizawa

Ah, the grumpy caterpillar. I love this man so much.

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

He’s a lot like a cat. Generally doesn’t care for public displays of affection, but when he goes to you he likes to do little things like hold your hand or wrap his arm around your waist. He’s quiet with his affection.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Honestly? Not that much different from the usual, aside from him being a little bit more friendly. He’s incredibly private with most matters of his life, but if he’s a good friend at least he’ll go out drinking with you sometimes. Your friendship likely started away from his work, given that he doesn’t like to mix his working and personal lives together.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

If the two of you are alone, he loves cuddling. Sitting on the couch? In bed? He’s curled up to your side, head in your lap as he dozes off. If he’s sitting and reading or going through papers, he might pull you in to sit in his lap and rest his chin on your shoulder as he works.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

This man. This poor man. He utterly sucks at cooking. Can’t make dinner to save his life. Once burnt a grilled cheese sandwich so bad both sides of the bread were black. Still ate it because, well, food. He’s a little better at cleaning, if he could get enough energy to commit to the task. I don’t picture him as the type to settle down. He’s got too much trauma and far too many trust issues to fully commit. That, and he’s a Pro Hero. There is no way in hell he would ever expose his crush/significant other to the stresses that come with being married to a hero.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

He’d probably sit you down and say it flat-out. “I want to break up.” His face is blank, but he’s sad on the inside -- he really liked you and he doesn’t want to end it, but he has to for your own safety. He doesn’t blame you if you hate him after this; it’ll just make it easier to protect you.

F = Fiancé(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Fucking terrified of getting married, and not because he’s a forever bachelor. He was already nervous about getting into a relationship due to his job; he would never be able to live with himself if you got targeted because someone figured out who he was and wanted to get back at him. He would definitely drag it out until you finally demand answers as to why he’s hesitant to take your relationship to the next level.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Shouta is a relatively blunt individual, but he can have his tender moments. These usually happen when you’re alone together and he doesn’t have to keep up appearances. He can get fairly clingy when cuddling up to you and you can see the affection in his eyes and when he speaks to you. But when you’re in public again? The only way you see it is in his eyes and the way his hand lingers near yours.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Doesn’t like hugs when in public. He prefers people keep their distance, but if his students are having a rough day he’s not gonna shove them off if they need a hug. With you, however, he prefers to save any and all outward displays of affection for when you’re alone and he can really unwind. When you’re alone, he loves hugging you.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

You’d probably end up saying it first. He’s really nervous about dropping the L-word in the beginning because he’s paranoid. He’s very protective of his friends, and as long as he considers you a friend, he’s gonna be scared of finally admitting his feelings to you. Might end up saying it to you when he’s totally smashed, and is regretful and avoidant the next morning until you finally corner him about it.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Doesn’t really get jealous easily unless your relationship has progressed quite a bit. He doesn’t mind if Hizashi or Nemuri get really close and affectionate with you because he knows they wouldn’t purposefully try to get a rise out of him like that, and Tensei is respectful and friendly from a distance. He definitely doesn’t get jealous of his students hogging your attention whenever you meet them, because they’re still just kids and he knows you wouldn’t do something stupid. When it comes to other people, however, he can get irritated easily the more friendly they are with you.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

His kisses can be deep and purposeful when you’re alone. He kisses you to make a statement - “I love you”. Sometimes they can be quick but no less meaningful. Just something to get him through the day until he can relax in the evening.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Doesn’t really care. He can handle children well enough, but he doesn’t prefer them. He cares about Eri, but he’s been her guardian for a while and she has her ways of winning over even the most hardened of adults. Generally can handle kids easier than teenagers because he considers them troublesome and unpredictable.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Despite how it might seem, he’s really regimented in the morning and can even get up before you do. He takes his job very seriously and is always awake and sipping some coffee at the same time each morning. Of course he’s going to nap during the day, but that’s during off-time when he doesn’t need to be teaching. (Or when the kids have study time.)

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

He spends the daytime finishing work so that he can come home and relax with you. During the early evening he likes to eat dinner with you and relax on the couch afterwards, head in your lap as you talk about your day. As the night winds down, if he’s not already napping with you on the couch he’s heading to bed with you, curled up with you in a deep sleep.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

He’s really private about himself, and it takes a lot to get him to open up. Usually it’s a couple of things at a time while you’re friends; a story from his time at Yuuei, some silly stories about his friends, maybe something ridiculous that his students did the other day. When he gets really depressed (and you’re far enough into the relationship that he trusts you enough), he might talk of his dead loved ones - Oboro, maybe a previous student that he couldn’t save from a traumatic event, his fears for his current batch.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

To his credit, he has a lot more patience than most would think. He brushes off insults about himself, easy peasy. But even he has his tipping points, and it’s usually when someone insults his friends or students too many times. Especially when they start insinuating that one of his students would be better suited as a villain.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

He can be forgetful about little details sometimes, but he remembers the most important things about you. He makes it a point to remember every anniversary and birthday and will sometimes give you little presents he knows you like.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

His favorite memory of you is when you stood up and protected his students during a villain attack. You were out on a shopping trip (really, why can’t they go anywhere without something happening?) and some random villain cornered a group of students and threatened them. You wasted no time in getting between them and the villain and keeping him away from them until he could be subdued.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

He can be incredibly protective of you. Due to his job, both as a Pro and as a teacher, not a day goes by that he doesn’t worry about you being caught up in an attack, especially by the League. He would drop everything to aid you if you were attacked (especially considering you aren’t a hero). Although he doesn’t go looking for it, he greatly appreciates it when you’ve got his back too.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

He does do his best to split things with you, but sometimes he’s too overworked and he has to shift some responsibility onto you. He hates doing this and tries to do his fair share so that you don’t get frustrated. He does his best to do things for anniversaries and dates, but his schedule is packed and unstable, and he sometimes has to apologize and reschedule. If he knows he can’t make something, he does leave you a present and a written apology.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

He can be standoffish and curt, especially in public. He has an image he wants to uphold, and he doesn’t appreciate attempts to undermine that. He can be fairly lazy when he wants to be and naps quite a bit.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

He’s not that concerned. As long as he doesn’t look like he just rolled out of bed five seconds ago, he’s good. He does make attempts to clean up nicely when it comes to press conferences, as rare as they are.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

To be blunt, not really. He appreciates your company, but if you broke it off, he would be able to move on.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

I have this serious headcanon that Hizashi bought Eri a matching sleeping bag because she wanted to be like Shouta, and his heart promptly melted. The two take naps together during some afternoons and it’s the cutest thing in the world.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Anything villainous or dangerous. He wants to make sure his friends, colleagues, and students are save above all else, and if he suspects that you’re either a turncoat or a dangerous person? He’s going to call you on it. He doesn’t appreciate judgmental people, either. Say one comment about his kids and he’s already looking at you a little more cautiously.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

Horrible sleep schedule. Considering his full-time job being a teacher now (as well as the occasional mission undercover), he doesn’t get nearly as much sleep as he should. He staves it off somewhat with coffee, but it’s an extremely common sight to see him get into his sleeping bag and just doze.

[dutifullybitchypeach]

My two cents worth for the first six chapters and some reasoning around IC and Nesta. All my own personal opinion. Read if you want but it's just my general thoughts. Please, please don't flip if you disagree. I love Nesta and the darkness she is in right now and her behaviour is taking over this sassy no nonsense Queen and it needs to change.

THIS INCLUDES SPOILERS.

....................

Is the House of Wind a prison...technically no. Nesta just does not have the ability to fly or winnow. And no one is on standby to be her taxi. She can leave by walking. Amren threw her that challenge on purpose. She's not alone, Az and Cassian live there. And the Priestesses. Yes it has dark memories. Yes. I know that and I take it on board.

On a side note, it's irritating to hear 'I'm not your prisoner" from Nesta (who I like!!!!) I think of Azriel, Feyre, all the Fae Under the Mountain, even Elide 💗. Then again everyone's idea of prison is different. But the fact remains. She CAN leave. It's just bollocks hard. For a reason

But we know it's what she needs. We know that. We don't have to like it. Not one likes the reality. The ultimatum is uncomfortable and harsh. Our way or fuck off. They are not suggesting manual labour or degrading her. They suggest training, food, working in a library, purpose, being part of something. This doesn't sound bad to me. It just sucks it comeing across as an order. But this is Nesta's POV and she doesn't do requests or pretty please. The fact I got riled up reading it is a compliment to Mass. I had to take a major step back and reassess. Nesta sees everything as an attack. And no that is not her fault. Stay with me! I agree people enjoy provoking Nesta ( Rhys, Morrigan, Cassian) and then get affronted when she bites back. At some point I'd enjoy her retaliation akin to her ripping their head off :) And their vow to never go there again.

The IC 'review' is what annoys me. The "we" will decide where you go from here if you play ball. My hope 🤞 is that Nesta will TELL THEM where she will go/what she will do with sass. But right now sitting on a rock instead of trying to train is fucking juvenile (Again I stress I like Nesta). She hates her power as far as I can tell. But she is so low she can't see the wood from the trees. Or the hand that is been given to her.

Does Feyre have a right to be embarrassed. Yes. I'd die of shame if my sister (I have 3 btw) kept at that again and again and again all on my families dime. Without even being polite or respectful to anyone. She's only ever provided for Nesta. Period. Not to mention being a high lady with all the responsibilities that entails. Living her own life (well earned) and well life in general! I mean Jesus, Nesta is not her only priority. She maybe ours lol! But Feyre has 101 things going on. Give her credit. She tried with Nesta several times. Gave her space and time which Nesta wanted while still making the effort to reach out. Nesta needs to acknowledge that. Feyre was bankrolling her self destructive lifestyle and it had to stop.

The whole "your behaviour reflects badly on us". Well yes it does. Nesta doesn't get a free pass. The whole of Pyrithian is rebuilding and our girl is pissing away money. That's not even hers! Her behaviour does undermine the Court, folks must eye roll when IC lay down the law when your sister/ sister in law is prancing around being a with a big fuck you. Everyone is broken and rebuilding. And it's a slap in the face. Is the saving face irrelevant to Nestas issues, yes! But is Feyre allowed to feel fucked over, yes! Sisters say shit when they fight. Arguments are not flawless debates. Their emotive and bring out the worst in people. Feyre darling is feeling the pressure of being high lady and it came out all wrong. Especially when it's your sister acting up.

And Nesta never tried (as far as Feyre can tell) WE know Nesta IS trying, and surviving every day is a battle. But Feyre doesn't. Why would she. Nesta doesn't speak to her. But their relationship is so toxic that it's beyond Feyre to get it. And that is not her fault. NO ONE is perfect. There is only so much responsibility Feyre can CONTINUALLY take.

Rhys being there. I have a feeling that a male will not let his pregnant mate anywhere near someone he is afraid of. It's instinctive. Someone who hasn't trained to control their powers especially. He is on High Lord mode cause guess what he is a High Lord. This is his court and the people in it his responsibility. Not to mention the oncoming drama with the queens on the horizon and general court bullshit. Does he abuse his position of power.... well in this world the HL have the power. Everyone is answerable to one. Even Amren obeys the rules. Nesta doesn't/won't recognize that. Which is rare. They tricked and lied to get her "consent" surprise surprise a dick move from Rhysand/Feyre. We know they will do that for the "greater good". Lie, steal etc all in the name of saving the day. He screwed Morrigan over in front of her ass Father for flip sake! My point is the NC stability is his priority now more than ever if impending fatherhood is on the way. It's no surprise he wants Cassian to take on more responsibility. Nesta is a liability cause she is AWOL. It's worth noting he had this plan for months but Feyre refused preferring to give Nesta space and the opportunity to decide for herself what she wanted. So we could assume if Rhys had his way Amren and Nesta would have still been friends and it would have been far different. Amren would have been by her side. Do I condone his domineering behaviour, no not in a million years. And neither did Feyre. Will he apologise? Probably not he's an arrogant ass. And wanted to control the room. Fact. He wants/needs Nesta on board the team to bolster his ranks. She is that powerful. We KNOW he will do anything to protect his family (baby on the way).

Morrigan and her nasty comment on sending Nesta to The Court of Nightmares. Cassian acknowledges it's an insult but also the truth. That's a harsh fact on how Nesta is percieved right now. But I believe she wouldn't just thrive there, she would CONQUER ;) I don't know if Morrigan is referring to the people that abused her or the "type" of people that live in Hewn City...? Will we give HER the benefit of the doubt... hmmm.

Morrigan and that comment on good people giving Nesta the benefit of the doubt...that's Morrigans issue. She never gave Eris the benefit of the doubt and yet he proved her wrong with Keir. She's all over the place as a result . And she's been lying for 5 centuries. To her family. Cassian said he values the raw honesty that he has with Morrigan. Wow is he going to get a shock some day. Nesta may be a bitch but at least she's an honest one. And Morrigan knows it which must rattle her to no end. Point is Mor isn't supposed to be in this story very much and Nesta never really cared for her opinion anyway. So neither should we. I've checked out of Mor. Knowing she won't give Azriel closure or honesty just makes me not consider her opinion. It suits her to keep Nesta down in the gutter so her lie can continue.

Amren - her behaviour. I have to remind myself Amren is OLD, a stint in the Dungeon is probably a standard response! Her idea after the Summer Court fiasco and the jewels was to go there and crush them. Amren is by nature harsh. Which is why she gets on with Nesta the most. Cassian tells us she cares. Nesta can't see this. Her comment on Nestas sex life in ACOFAS. People ran with that. Fae lifestyles always kind of disgusted her. She wasn't Fae so bodily functions were an alien concept. Now she's Fae she's slightly horrified. Also no one else has much to say on Nesta's bedroom antics. Cause it's a non issue Mass doesn't do slut shaming. So neither should we. Speaking as a woman also here.

Elaine - we know Elaine craves peace and quiet. Confrontation is not her thing. Being there would mean Nesta would use her as a crutch, and I'm not sure Elaine wouldn't cave. Nesta pushed her away on purpose and Elaine choose to try and find some sort of contentment. That's her right and choice. Agree or disagree. She walked away or decided she can't deal with Nestas difficult behaviour. I don't know. Or is she oblivious to the situation ?! Who knows. Elaine is an enigma! It's the first 6 chapters! Right now they are two different people and have been drifting apart since ACOWR. Nesta is a dichotomy of pushing people away and hurt when they stop trying. It's exhausting for the people that have to deal with it. Who are not perfect and have their own issues and lives. Elaine has stepped back from this situation. Because either she recognizes it needs to happen or cannot sway the majority. Though I think Elaine did say something to Feyre, cause when Nesta pressed her she refused to say what Elaine thought. Just that she wasn't there and not part of the issue. Feyre is high handed when it comes to her sisters. Because that's the role they allowed her. Nesta is fighting back. And Feyre takes it personally. Which is only natural. They're sisters.

Cassian! Ah Cassian. He was spectacularly rejected and being around Nesta is a constant reminder. That's enough to make me cringe in a corner. He acknowledges he stayed away cause it hurt too much. He's a soldier and has serious self discipline. He has no idea how his behaviour/comments hurt her until she confronts him. Deliver him a few home truths. Another well deserved kick in the balls. Flirting with Mor, not sure his behaviour there has ever changed. He keeps it normal cause being around Nesta gives him the shakes!! Lol. He is slack jawed after Nesta and wants her badly, passion we know is big thing for them. It ignites them. Raw and real. Recognising Morrigan is aesthetically beautiful is just a fact. We know she's a looker. So what. Meh to this issue some people have.

We know from spoilers they start training and communicating and Mass is a Nessain ship so I'm excited to see this grow and flourish! I've read spoilers here on these two so I've no qualms.

Cassian for me is right. He and others have been through similar situations before so can empathise. But until she answers him back without snapping he won't be able to be that shoulder to lean on or turn too. He's not going to be her Prince though. Nesta is her own Queen!

I've read some spoilers on her friendships and I'm so happy. I've no idea how it will go but it says to me that the IC have a block when it comes to Nesta and don't see her the way others do and Nesta opens up to people who don't have a predisposed prejudice.

Also the IC have no idea how Nesta is going to react at any stage. It's like walking around on eggshells. Why would anyone actively choose to be around someone like that. That and very obvious fact they are BUSY AF. They don't have time to have a daily bollicking from Nesta. Yet all fall in when the plan is announced. Make what you will of that.

Some further musings:

Nesta being reminded she has to be respectful to Clotho and the priestesses is sobering. Like wow, people can't trust you will have basic manners. Again I know this is Feyre saying it but Christ to worry about that. Will be interesting with Gwyn and that friendship and a nice reality check for the IC.

I spent 4 God damn books understanding Rhys motives. He's a prick yes. Which I enjoy. But the bastard people are making him out to be I don't agree. Half of Pyrethian hates/hated him, Nesta hating him won't stress him. Or her for that matter. They have a 2 people they both care about in common and will just have to deal.

Training in Illyria, well Nesta is powerful, training in the mountains is probably damage control if she explodes. And a change of scenery from her prison!

Rhys was controlled for 50 years, Amren escaped worlds to be free. I don't believe they want to control Nesta.

Families are messy and fucked up. The intervention is a perfect example of how arseways it can get.

Azriel being Azriel I'm not sure about anything with him right now. I've read the snippets and spoilers and I'm all over the place. He is one of my favourites. FYI when I say IC I never mean Azriel I don't know why but I always imagine he finds it just plain drama and avoids it at all costs. Nesta is drinking and gambling away her life. Okay! Nesta is now training and we are all on board to help. Okay! Nesta is a powerful Queen and we are all afraid. Okay! Nesta has turned Cassian into a drooling mess and hes ass is hers. Excellent ;)

Sisters! They need to deal and respect each others independence. They are all in the wrong. It's just annoying at this stage. Personally I'll rip into my sisters when I need to but usually get a red mist when anyone else does. Even if they are in the wrong. I have a habit of always defending them.

So overall the angst killed me in the first 6 chapters. Did Rhys dominant shite irritate me? Yes. Do I want Nesta to make it clear she's not a pawn in his/their world? Yes. In spectacular fashion please.

Did Feyre handle it well? No. Does she ever deal with Nesta well? No. Perhaps only when Nesta is more inclined to talk. Which is rare. The ultimatum we know from Cassian sickened Feyre she recognizes it for what it is it but really cannot see any other option. Her fault or a combination of factors you decide. It was hyper tense situation we all just wanted to get through.

Would we be so angry if this was a soft approach headed by Elaine/Feyre/Amren? Would Nesta even react?

Cassian compared Nesta to a sleeping dragon who has just been woken up. Nesta needed a kick in teeth. A major reality check. Life in Pyrethian is hard. This a fae world. She is angry and incensed they have dared to 'interfere' and 'assume' she will be controlled. I want her to tackle her demons, confront her fears her issues with herself and others and live! Live! I've no idea what she wants and can't wait to find out.

***I've read some spoilers on the end. The rumours and the actual basic plot ending. I'm like Mass I love a HEA. And am hopeful I'll be satisfied. I had a similar theory when I heard the pregnancy rumour. A move by Nesta that would never have anyone doubt her.

[holeinotomemind]

Victor: Punishment

WARNING: Smut, spanking, MC sassing Victor

Also posted on AO3: Here

Blurb:  I made a doodle of Victor bowing and apologizing to me and it is now circulating in the LFG company emails. He was beyond upset. I tried to get myself out of trouble by acting cute, but Victor was determined to punish me for it.

Victor's version and part 2 of 4 of a planned punishment themed story.

Words: 3,930

“The revenue increase forecasted for the next quarter is 5%, compared to Q3 last year. This is largely due to the increase of show production contracts and the renewal of another season of Dine Together with Loveland TV.” I sat across Victor’s desk as I went over the company forecast and budget report.

He had his elbow on his desk, cheek resting on his knuckles as he flipped through my reports, filled with graphs and numbers.

“The show had a very high rating last season, so we are expecting to get on a more popular time slot and have a much larger budget.” I went on as I elaborated on the budget projections and expected return on investments.

I looked towards Victor to see his reaction when I finally finished my presentation a good fifteen minutes later, but he remained silent.

It was amazing how anxious I still get every time I come to LFG to make these monthly reports even though I had done it countless times in the past couple of years. Even the fact that Victor and I had been together for some time now didn’t alleviate my anxiety. If anything, it exacerbated it.

Silence ensued as he continued going through my report, and all I could hear was the sound of pages flipping.

Nervousness got me restless. I tried to cross my legs but found the pencil skirt I was wearing today too restrictive. As I uncrossed them, I heard my high heels clicked inelegantly on the hardwood floor. I bit my lip and sighed.

I simply could not do anything with grace. Even when I donned this professional suit as a deliberate armor, I probably still did not look like the owner of a successful production company. But I so desperately needed to look the part.

I couldn’t afford for others to think I slept my way to the LFG fundings when everyone in our company worked so hard for it. It wouldn’t be fair for their hard work to be undermined like that just because I had decided to go out with Victor.

“If you are not confident in your report, you should not have presented it at all.” Victor’s deep voice was stern, and his words critical as always.

“It’s not that I’m not confident in the report…”

“So why are you squirming in your seat like an idiot?” He was harsh and straight to the point.

“It’s nerve-wracking, sitting there waiting for someone to judge your presentation,” I whined. “I’m not you. I’m a producer, not a businessman. This is not my forte.”

“Then fake it till you make it.” His tone was softer now, more encouraging. “You’ve done a good job on your report, and you should be proud of that. If you let people know you are nervous, it will undermine their confidence in it.”

I sighed, knowing he was right. Ever since we started going out, Victor became even more of my mentor in business. He would always be harsh on avoidable mistakes but equally encouraging towards improvements.

The meeting concluded without further issues after Victor asking several questions regarding upcoming productions. So I scrolled through some of my friends’ moments on my phone while I waited for him to check on some emails before we head out for lunch.

Then, all of a sudden, the room went quiet, and the hair on my arms stood up. There were no more mouse clicking, keyboard typing sounds, and I could literally feel the air around me drop several degrees.

I chanced a peek at Victor and immediately regretted it. He was giving me the death glare.

“What is this?” Victor demanded in a slow deep voice that had me broke out in a cold sweat. At my confused look, he waved at his monitor.

Gingerly, I got out of my chair and circled around to his side of the desk. When I saw what was on his monitor, my face paled.

There on the screen was a video of a flipbook animation drawn on the bottom corner of a notebook. It was a small doodle of a man, kneeling in front of an annoyed girl, bowing furiously and apologizing about something. Nothing was really wrong with the video.

Except the man bore a striking resemblance to Victor and the girl me.

No wonder the office was so quiet and everyone’s desks were empty when I was walking down the hall earlier. Usually, everyone was on their best behavior working at their desk when Victor was in the office, but today everyone, including the head secretary, who sits in front of Victor’s office, and Goldman were nowhere to be found.

I should have known there would be trouble when I lost my notebook two days ago. I just didn’t know it would be this bad. The video was sent to everyone with an LFG company email more than half an hour ago. By this time, every LFG employee would have seen it already.

I am so dead. My brain screamed as I let out an anxious awkward laugh.

“Who would have drawn something like that?” I feigned innocence as I slowly backed away from him.

Victor reached out quickly towards me. I felt his fingers circled my wrist just before he jerked me forcefully towards him. Losing my footing at the sudden tug, I stumbled and landed right on his lap.

“Who, indeed.” His spat, voice even lower and deeper than before. “Perhaps I should launch an investigation? This person must have a death wish to draw something like this.”

“Or maybe she was just mad that you threw away her secret stash of chips two weeks ago!”

“Or maybe she just finds it thrilling to infuriate her superior?”

“Superior?” The word touched a nerve, and I couldn’t help but retort. “Well, let me remind you that you are my company’s investor, not my superior, Mr. CEO.”

He raised an eyebrow and gave me a look that says “idiot,” and I knew I blew it. I had inadvertently admitted that I was the perpetrator.

My eyes darted around, trying to figure a way out of this, but my brain refused to cooperate, so I did the only thing that seemed appropriate at a time like this. Sweet talk him and act cute.

Putting on my sweetest smile, I smoothed his tie out my hand. “I was just upset that day because I was stressed out and really wanted to eat those chips. You know they are like my comfort food.”

Victor’s expression was unchanged, but he also did not stop me from talking, so I continued.

“Nobody else was supposed to see that doodle. It was on the notebook I carry around with me. Who knew I was going to lose it.” I pouted.

“When you are always so absent-minded and on average misplaces one thing every two weeks, can you really say you didn’t expect to lose it?” His expression was still hard, but I knew he softened up a teeny tiny bit.

“Don’t be mad. I’m sorry, but I swear I didn’t lose it on purpose. And it certainly wasn’t me who made it into a video.” I wheedled as I petted him on the shoulders in an attempt to further calm him down.

“You really think this is going to work on me?”

I didn’t know if he said that to goad me on or he was just being his annoying self, but whatever it was I took it as a challenge. Hands flat on his chest, I leaned into him, brushing my lips against his. I pulled back a little to gauge his reaction, but he simply looked back at me with his poker-face.

I leaned in again, this time kissing him more slowly and tenderly. The familiar scent of his aftershave calmed my nerves as I licked sensually at the bottom of his lips. His eyes watched me carefully as if he was assessing my performance.

When he opened his mouth slightly, I took it as an invitation. Deepening our kiss, I grazed my tongue over the tip of his and slowly rolled it against mine. He held my waist with one hand and traced the other up my back, and when I sucked lightly on his lips, I could feel his gentle squeeze on my nape. By the time I pull back again, he had his eyes closed, and we were both panting. My lips curled into a smile.

“So, who was it just now that said it wasn’t going to work on him?” I teased as my eyes focused on the red lipstick mark I left on his lips. It was oddly satisfying, seeing my mark on him.

“Who said it’s working?” He said, right before he pulled me back towards him.

He lips crashed against mine; his tongue demanded that mine to follow his lead. His kisses were like him as a person, forceful, and all-consuming. I couldn’t help but moan against his mouth.

When he finally released me, I could feel a small sting on my lips. I could only image how swollen they must have been from his kiss.

“I thought you said it’s not working,” I whispered breathlessly.

“It’s got nothing to do with it.” He kissed me again before I could comment on how his actions are contradicting his words.

His kiss was slower this time, more gentle. As I melted into him, the hand he had on my waist moved up to cup my breast. I circled my fingers around his wrist, wanting to protest, but he pressed my mouth harder against his, swallowing my words.

I could feel my body slowly began to respond to him as his large warm hand kneaded my breast as his other stroked my nape. My hands clutched his suit.

“We shouldn’t do this here,” I said half-heartedly when we finally broke apart again, cheeks flushed.

“Why?” Victor lowered his head towards my neck, nuzzling it.

“Because this is your office and someone might come in.” I tried to think rationally, although I held my grip on his black suit.

He smirked and unbuttoned my shirt in response. “You didn’t complain last time.”

“Well, I’m complaining this time then.” Whenever I was with Victor, I always feel the need to talk back for some reason even if I don’t mean it, even if it gets me into trouble.

He ran his tongue down my neck and sucked on the most sensitive spot that he got to know so well since we had been together. I moaned and shivered in response, and he sucked even harder, enough to put a mark on me.

In one fluid motion, Victor pushed one side of my clothes off my left shoulder, taking the bra strap with them so that they were all bunched up at my elbow and my breast spilled out for him to see. He pulled me closer to him. I could feel small stings as he trailed his lips across my exposed collarbone and towards my already hardened nipple, no doubt leaving his marks along the way.

Thrusting my hand in his hair, I held him close to me as he sucked on my nipple, rolling it around with the tip of his tongue as his large hand kneaded my other breast through my clothes. I mewled softly as pleasure coursed through my body.

When he finally released his mouth, Victor looked up at me and smirked. “Looks like someone is not complaining about the office setting anymore.”

Why does he have to be a jerk even at times like this? I frowned, wanting to come up with an appropriate comeback but came up empty. Frustrated, I pushed his face back towards my chest and heard him chuckle.

He pushed the rest of my blouse and bra strap off my other shoulder; the blazer already slid off on its own. Victor moved to kiss and suck on my other breast. My head rolled back as he continued to cause a small current to run through my body, and my core clenched in anticipation.

Then, a sudden pain made me yelp as I felt his teeth biting not so gently on my nipple.

“Why’d you bite me?” I grabbed his hair and yanked his head away from my chest, glaring at him accusingly. The bite didn’t hurt that badly, but I was surprised that he did it at all.

“I told you, it wasn’t working.” Placing both his hands on my waist, he lifted me up effortlessly and flipped me over. Pressing on my upper back with his palm, he pushed my upper body onto his desk while my legs dangled off of it. I shuddered at the sensation of the cold desk against my sensitive nipples.

About to protest at the sudden change in position, I turned my head back towards Victor to find that he had stood up from his executive chair, his large body looming over mine. I lost all my words of objections when I saw him hooking a finger to the knot of his grey tie as he slowly pulled to loosen it.

I didn’t understand why some people think men taking off their tie was one of the sexiest things until I met Victor, but now I simply think it should be illegal. Every time I watch him do it, I get butterflies in my stomach, and I stare as if mesmerized by his action.

This time was no exception.

Throwing his tie onto his chair, he went onto undo his cufflinks and rolled up the sleeves of his black dress shirt. He bent his body over mine and pressed his mouth on my ear. I shuddered as his hot breath tickled my ear, and then I heard him saying, “Did you really think I have forgotten about that offensive doodle you made?”

It took me a moment to register what he meant, and when I did, it was too late. I tried to get up, to escape from this vulnerable position, but he already had me pinned with one hand pressing down on my upper back, and I could feel his other hand hiking up my skirt to bunch around my waist.

“Garter belt?” I heard him say with a hint of appreciation in his voice. He ran his hand up and down my thighs, stroking them gently, his finger tracing the elastic strip clipped to my stockings.

Snap.

I yelped out in surprise when I felt a sharp sting on my butt. He had hooked a finger under the strap and pulled, just to release it and have it snap back onto my sensitive skin.

“Victor!” I felt my core dampening when he did it again with the other side of the elastic strap, the small pain mixed with pleasure.

Placing his rough, warm hand on my buttocks, as if to soothe me of the slight pain, he kneaded it as he did with my breasts just moments ago. As his fingers squeezed my sensitive flesh, I could feel the movement slightly parting my slick folds, causing the evidence of my arousal flowed onto my thong.

Then, through my peripheral vision, I saw Victor with his hand raised.

Smack.

I heard the loud sound of his hand connecting with my flesh before I was able to process what was going on. Then, I felt the sting on the area just between my buttocks and my upper thighs. I gasped at the sensation, but before I could take another breath, Victor’s large hand connected at the same spot again.

I cried out loud as the impact vibrated through my slick core. Overwhelmed by the pleasure-pain sensation radiating through my flesh, my hands clawed at the desk as his continued to rain down on that sensitive spot of both sides of my bottom.

The sound of him punishing my poor little ass echoed through his office along with my cries. When I belatedly realized that I might have been too loud, I stuffed my fist into my mouth, trying to muffle my voice.

“Idiot, you forgot my office is soundproof?” He chuckled, paused for a moment to let his words and the tingling sensations of my mistreated bottom to sink in, before he began the spanking anew.

When he finally stopped, I could feel my upper thighs and buttocks burned and my core drenched. I turned my head to look towards Victor, unsure if he was done with my punishment or if he was simply taking a break.

His eyes on my butt, he had a smug grin on his face as if admiring his handy work. I could only imagine how red they must be right now, and my face flushed in embarrassment. 

Running his thumb over my panties, he pressed against my clit, and I felt myself shudder. “You are enjoying this punishment a bit too much I see,” I heard him say before I heard a rip.

I opened my mouth, ready to protest that Victor had just torn my brand new pair of panties, but before I could say anything, I could feel him thrusting a long digit inside me. Closing my eyes, I moaned at the sensation as his finger moved in and out of my dripping core, and all my complaints were forgotten.

Pushing my thighs apart, he went to kneel behind me. I mewled loudly when I felt his tongue flicked over my sensitive clit, sending currents down my spine. He slipped a second finger in me and then another as he slid his tongue on that small bundle of nerve endings, sucking occasionally.

My muscles clenched, pulsing around his fingers as the world splintered around me. I yelled out his name as electricity coursed through my body, his mouth sucking on my clit throughout.

When my breathing finally slowed, and I calmed down, I heard him unclipping my stockings from the garter belt, rolling them down my legs as he kissed my inner thighs. I stepped out of them, along with my high heels, and saw Victor throw them onto his chair, landing beside his tie.

Slowly, he stood to his full height. The sun shone through the windows behind him, and for a second he looked like a giant shadow looming over me. The feeling of being overpowered by a man of his size was intimidating, yet exhilarating at the same time.

I watched the movement of his broad shoulders as he slowly took off his belt and opened his zipper. He took his already hardened length in his hand, stroking several times before he took his wallet out from the desk drawer and fished out a condom.

Ripping open the package with the help of his teeth, he slowly rolled it onto his erection before pressing himself against my slick core. With one powerful thrust, he buried himself entirely inside me. I was wet and ready to accept him, but the feeling of his hot length filling and stretching me in one thrust had me gasping out loud.

Just like with anything else, he didn’t give me any time to adjust. He immediately began to pump in and out of me with stroke after powerful stroke. There was no rhythm to his thrusts as if he wanted to take me by surprise. I moaned out loud every time his pelvis connected with my still-sore buttocks, and the cool metal of my garter belt clasps hit my upper thigh.

I closed my eyes as the pleasure built up in me once again, and I could hear the sounds of Victor’s heavy breaths and small groans. And then I heard a noise that didn’t belong:

A knock on the door.

“Victor! Someone’s coming.” My eyes flew open as I gasped in surprise. Planting my palms on the desk, I tried to push myself up, only to be pushed back down on to the desk with a thud by Victor. He pressed his large hand against my upper back, holding me down with a strength I wasn’t able to fight off.

Every muscle in my entire body clenched at the thought of the horror of being caught having sex in the office, but Victor didn’t seem to care as he continued thrusting inside me. Shoving my fist inside my mouth, I tried to stifle my voice.

I watched in horror, as if in slow motion, the office door opened and Goldman’s brown colored dress shoes appeared behind the door as he stepped in. I squeezed my eyes shut, imagining the embarrassment of being seen like this by Victor’s assistant, and silently praying that this was just a nightmare.

But the expected scandalous gasp never came. Hesitantly, I cracked my eyes open several moments later and found everything unchanged. The door was still cracked open, and Goldman’s shoes were still peeking out behind it.

It took me a moment before I realized what must have happened and heard Victor’s chuckle.

“Did you really think I was going to let him see you like this?” His voice filled with amusement.

“Then why didn’t you say so?” I yelled at him, half frustrated and half relieved. I should have known that he would stop time to prevent us from getting caught, but in the heat of the moment, I panicked and completely forgot about his evol ability.

“Consider it as part of your punishment.” He said as he playfully slapped my butt. “Besides, you were so afraid that you got so tight. Did you really expect me to stop when your sweet little cunt is squeezing my cock like that?”

I blushed at his words. Unable to come up with anything as a comeback, I silently cursed him for being a jerk and myself for falling in love with said jerk, but the cursing didn’t last long.

Victor circled his hands around my waist as he resumed his long deep thrusts, this time pulling me against him to increase the impact and grinding against me when he was fully inside. Pleasure began to build inside me once again, as my pelvis hit the edge of his desk every time he slammed into me and the impact vibrated straight to my clit.

My mind went blank as the world shattered once again around me, and my muscles clamped down on him. Energy rippled through my body over and over, I arched my back, pushing myself against him, willing for the pleasure to continue.

Victor quickened his rhythm, pounding in me faster and faster. Then with a loud grunt, his length began to throb. He buried himself deep inside me; his body shuddered as he came, hands gripping my waist, fingers digging into my skin almost painfully.

He leaned towards me and buried his face in my neck as he tried to calm his ragged breath. Equally breathless, I reached my hand back to caress his nape slowly. We stayed in that position until we both recovered, and he kissed my temple before slipping out of me.

We took our time cleaning up and getting dressed. By the time Victor resumed time and Goldman walked into the office, I was again sitting in the chair across from Victor as if nothing had happened, the only evidence being the used condom in the trash can.

As I listened to Goldman’s report and Victor ordering that video of my doodle to be removed from the face of the planet, I secretly wondered what he would do to me if he found the other doodles I drew of him.

[fae-fucker]

Zenith: Chapter 60-63

Chapter 60

We’re in Andi’s POV, pointlessly, because she doesn’t do shit in this “chapter.”

Lira is freaking out because Lon is bleeding out. Breck tells her to keep her shit together, because remember how Lira overheats if she gets too upset and passes out? They don’t want her to do that now because that would be very inconvenient indeed. But sure Breck, her brother’s about to die, I bet a “snap out of it, man!” will help.

Lira pressed her scales to [Lon’s] wound, trying to cauterize it, but each time she tried, the light winked out. As if she couldn’t control herself when she needed to the most.

1) “As if?” Isn’t this one of her subplots, that she can’t control herself? That’s the reason y’all crash landed on this planet. You don’t need to fucking beat me over the head with it, Shinsay, we already know she has issues controlling her cool superpower.

2) Excuse me? It’s been established multiple times that Lira overheats when she’s upset. And yet, despite her being in extreme distress right now, something that previously made her overheat to the point of passing out, she’s apparently not affected enough now to cauterize the wound? Or did her superpower trigger just flip to the opposite side, and now she only overheats when totally calm?

You can’t just fucking switch the logic of your own worldbuilding for the drama, Shinsay. Way to undermine your own work and characterization, dipshits. 

Anyway, everyone’s freaking out and Andi, the brave and fearless and cool and levelheaded and experienced space pirate, doesn’t know what to do. Dex is the one who tells them that hey, you’re space pirates, steal a ship and let’s get out of here.

Andi ends the chapter by coming up with a generic “disguise ourselves as the enemy and sneak by” plot. I guess, statistically, Andi will eventually do something proactive just by existing, and this might just be it.

Chapter 61

We’re in Dex’s POV. They’ve disguised themselves and are sneaking past the soldiers toward a ship. Dex is worried they’ll get caught. They’re don’t. This whole “scene” is exactly 197 words long.

POV shift. We’re back with Andi and probably wondering why the fuck that bit with Dex was there. Andi feels sad about all the people about to get super-murdered by the Xen Pterrans, but Breck reminds her that they’re still supposed to be saving Valen. They get to a ship and it’s all fine until there’s another explosion because every chapter must end on a cliffhanger.

I want to point out that Breck was carrying Lon over her shoulder, which ... I dunno if you should do that to someone who has a gushing chest wound and has already lost so much blood his breath started to fade, but it’s whatever, he won’t die anyway.

I should also mention, if I haven’t before, that every chapter starts with the name of the POV character in a huge font, except it sometimes switches POV to someone else entirely for the majority of the chapter, like in this case, but the new character’s name isn’t announced anywhere, so you just get this mess where it says DEX in the beginning but he only gets 197 words while Andi continues the rest of the chapter.

It’s ... I can’t even call it bad.  I can’t call it a beginner mistake. It just makes no narrative or stylistic sense. It’s so messy and confusing and weird. You have to deliberately do it this way for it to turn out this bad, but I can’t for the life of me figure out what the point of it was. Where were the editors?

Chapter 62

We’re back with Dex! This chapter is an entire 341 words long! Wow. Amazing.

Anyway, who is the pilot waiting for them if not ... some dude! Who is the same species as Breck, so he’s bulletproof. Dex gets his ass handed to him and tries talking the guy down, and y’all, can I be honest with you? I kinda like this detail. Not because of Dex getting the shit kicked outta him, even though that’s fun, but in lieu of good characters and the fact that I usually tend to enjoy Han Solo charisma-over-brawns types, I actually enjoyed seeing Dex trying to talk his way out of this once he realizes he’s outmatched. It’s a small detail I would’ve liked to have seen more of.

I can’t believe I’m becoming a Dex stan.

Anyway, Gilly and Breck arrive to help, but Gilly’s weapons don’t do shit and Breck also gets her ass handed to her and then Dex passes out.

Riveting action. I just love how it jumps around and confuses me and doesn’t have any tension at all.

Chapter 63

*deep sigh*

Well, now that everyone else is out of commission, it’s time for Andi to show them how it’s done, I guess.

She has a generic swordfight with the pilot on a catwalk, complete with the guy ripping off a piece of the railing to use as a makeshift sword and sparks flying off where the weapons make contact. Andi’s about to get her ass beat (with Valen screaming for her to run away, which I want y’all to keep in mind for the le epic twist at the end), when guess what happens?

Alfie saves the day by literally evaporating the giant with a big “launcher.”

Y’all ... your protagonist, your main character ... didn’t even get this little win, huh? Shinsay? You didn’t even let her take this one? She didn’t even get this tiny triumph to show how she’s the best assassin in Adarlan space pirate in Mirabel? You didn’t let her win this match because ... you needed tension? You wanted a quirky way to bring Alfie back into the plot? Was he so important to you that you had to make your protagonist less competent as a way to bring him back?

Like, you literally had a line about Andi noticing how the pilot was strong but slow, and that Andi just had to outsmart him. But she doesn’t even get to do that? She’s just saved by a deus ex machina? Were you too lazy to figure out a solution so you just had your comic relief guy blast the obstacle away?

Christ.

Anyway, they, uh, set sail for Arcardius. So that’s that on that. Oh and Alfie brought back the Marketable Annoying Space Pet, too. In case anyone cared.

[namjuicyy]

A Father’s Love - Chapter Nine

Masterlist | Requests are open.

Genre: Angst, fluff, smut.

Genre of this part: Fluff, angst.

Word Count: 1.3k.

Summary: Single father, Namjoon, struggles to keep his idol life and his private life separate. When he meets you, everything changes.

Warnings: None.

Things slowly got back to normal, you returned to work after the time you took off to get your relationship back on track. You were busier than normal, making photography deals with magazines and lining up idol after idol and making a name for yourself in the industry. Soon enough, people stopped calling you "Namjoon's girlfriend", and started referring to you by your name. The 'fans' you had begun to appreciate you for your work, not for the man you were fucking.

You were at work when it happened.

The bell rang signifying someone entering the studio. You called to them, asking them to wait in the waiting area while you finished up with a client. And, of course, they didn't listen. They walked straight into the studio while you were taking the promotional photos of GOT7, and needless to say you were mortified. Especially when you turned around and saw who it was.

Minji.

"I don't appreciate being undermined, ___." The tone in which she spoke was far from desirable, and she was doing her best to lure you into an argument. No doubt to damage your reputation by getting you involved in a cat fight in front of your clients so they wouldn't want to recommend you, or come back to you.

"Please leave, Minji." You replied simply, trying to remain as calm as you possibly could despite wanting to bash her face into the wall.

"I don't know why you had to get involved with our relationship."

"I don't know why you had to abandon your son." From behind you, you could hear some of the band members scoff in the way that people usually do when they're watching an argument and someone renders the other person speechless. You didn't know why you said what you said. You intended on not engaging with her, and getting security to remove her, but you couldn't keep your tongue in your mouth.

"I didn't abandon him." Minji countered, but her delivery was half-hearted.

"You keep telling yourself that. Now get out of my studio willingly or be removed by security. You will not be told a third time."

Part of you didn't want her to leave, because you wanted to see her being dragged out of your place of work kicking and screaming by burly security guards who could easily snap her in half. However, she simply looked you up and down, scoffed, and made sure she had the final say before exiting. She left you with a, "this isn't over. You will pay for this."

There was an awkward silence in the room as you waited for the door to close, waiting for her to turn back around and cause more trouble. But thankfully, she didn't. You immediately let out a sigh, turned to your clients and tried to apologise, but was interrupted by a loud round of applause from the band. It was good to have their support but you still felt awful for showing them such unprofessionalism. Though, on the way out, Jackson thought he'd thank you for the entertainment and wished you luck dealing with her. But, of course, you still felt terrible about the whole situation.

You and Namjoon got his bed ready for sleep that night, removing the pillows and getting your pyjamas on and that's when you decided to tell him what had happened. "I can't say I'm surprised." He answered, fluffing his pillow. "She loves the drama too much to not do something like that. She once yelled at my dad in the supermarket hoping that it would cause some kind of press commotion, but the media have never seen my dad, so she just looked like some twat yelling at a middle aged man."

You got into bed and watched him pad, quietly, around the room, so as not to disturb a sleeping Haneul. "What are we going to do about her?"

Namjoon shrugged. "I don't know. I don't think there is anything we can do about her." He got into bed next to you and lay down, resting his hand over your thighs as you were still sat up, watching him snuggle down. "She hasn't done anything yet to warrant a restraining order. And she hasn't tried to get in touch with Haneul."

"Yet." You lay down next to him and looked into his sleepy eyes, stroking his puffy cheek. "She seemed high key unstable when she was in my studio. I don't know what she's capable of."

"If it's going to get her famous, anything. I'm surprised that she'd been quiet for so long, if I'm honest."

Your worries would soon come to fruition however, when Namjoon received a call from the playgroup telling him that Minji was there trying to pick up Haneul. She told the teachers that she was there because he gave her permission, which, of course, wasn't the case. You and Namjoon rushed down there as quickly as you could, only to find her shouting and screaming at the receptionist while Haneul was sat in the classroom listening to every word. Including "I'm his mother" and "he's coming home with me."

Haneul was quiet on the ride home, his eyes just watching the world pass by the window. The tiny, four-year-old boy was lost in thought, clearly thinking about what he'd heard and wondering if it was true. How was you going to explain this whole situation to him? He was a smart boy, but there were things he wouldn't understand. You barely understood, you couldn't expect him to.

He barely touched his food that night. You could almost see the little cogs working as he pushed his rice around the bowl. You both needed to address this tonight, otherwise things would fester and boil and end up worse for the three of them. When everyone had finished their food, they all went into their bedrooms and gave you the living space so you could all sit down, freely, and talk about what happened today. Haneul kind of had questions, but he mostly just listened to you two telling him that you loved him. You told him the truth, that Minji was his mother. He didn't remember her, not really. But he still felt weird having a mother that wasn't you. You made sure he slept in between you and Namjoon that night, and it was to you he clung to. He didn't say anything, but you thought that maybe it was because he thought he might lose you again. His tiny brain might have thought he was only allowed one mother at a time, and was worried that he'd lose you. But that night also followed a conversation between yourself and Namjoon about what you should do now that she, effectively, attempted to kidnap your son. Things were spiralling way out of control.

The next day, you both took the day off work and had a meeting with Bang PD to see how this best work. After a long discussion, Haneul wasn't to be left alone, which meant playgroup was completely out of the question. Haneul, most of the time, would join you in the studio because he was too noisy to be allowed time in Namjoon's. You both even refused to let his grandparents babysit him, just in case Minji knew that and started on them. It wasn't fair to put them in the middle of it.

Contact with Minji became more and more frequent to the point where you had to keep logging things so you could take it all to the police and pray that they could keep her at bay. A restraining order was issued, not just for the safety of Haneul but for the safety of everyone, including BTS. No one knew how far Minji would go for her fifteen minutes of fame. Fifteen minutes that, the crazier she got, the less people wanted to give her. She was failing, and getting a bad reputation, and that was making her lose her mind even more. But, the legal action you took against her seemed to have worked and Haneul was able to go back to school again. Life could resume to how it was when you'd started. But Minji was always there in the back of your mind, and you wondered if she'd stay gone.

[sol1056]

the problem with super-robots

In the Voltron reboot, I’ve been giving serious thought to the possibility that the writers may like their anime -- and remember the butchered American version of Voltron with some fondness -- but they don’t actually know the mecha tradition all that well. It shows up the most in their failure of imagination about the S1 finale and the truncated S3, where the Voltron writers compensate by adding tension via new plot points (alternate realities! clones!), rather than addressing the tension inherent in the genre.

This is the failure of imagination. A robeast? Form Voltron. A ship trapped on a dying planet? Form Voltron. Rescue Allura? Form Voltron. Destroy several battle cruisers lurking overhead? Form Voltron. The narrative continues to insist on this (and never refute it) when the rebels say they need Voltron, too.

This isn’t the first series to have to tackle this issue. It’s pretty common in the mecha tradition. If you don’t address it, as a writer you end up with a repetitive storyline where every week just happens to have a brand-new universe-ending threat that just happens to require the universe’s greatest weapon. Win that fight, and the following episode you get the same thing all over again.

So how do you fix this? You break the premise.

First, I’ll give you context of what I mean by ‘super-robot’ vs ‘robot’, and then I’ll walk you through what I’ve seen writers do to get around this ‘I’ve got a voltron-hammer so everything is a nail’ trap.

First, some context

Most mecha stories fall into one of two general categories: robots and super-robots. The first type gets its tension from being an arms race, because each side has to keep leveling up; I’d put Eureka Seven, Gurren Lagann, Code Geass, and the Gundam UC timeline in this category. A technological leap may let one side get ahead for a bit, but their opponents will find a way to catch up. Also, the kill rate tends to be quite low, because the playing field is relatively even.

(You could also class series like Macross or Sidonia no Kishi into the non-super category, since their mecha aren’t impervious and the death rate can be high, except only one side has mecha. Normally that’d mean ‘super-robot’, except the antagonists are so bloody overpowered that any win comes at a high cost. RahXephon might also fall into this, too.)

The super-robot tradition -- which Gundam stepped into with the Gundam Wing storyline -- is a little different. In the GW storyline, ‘gundam’ designated a super-robot that utterly outclassed its opponents. You can see this in the pilots’ kill-rates compared to the original Gundam series. 0079 was a soccer game (2-3 points, 10 points being superlative) to GW’s basketball game (78 points, 120 points, sky’s the limit). The bad guys’ mecha just lined up and got cut down like paper dolls.

Except then, everything becomes too easy. The sole battle-tension lies in whether the bad guys can just keep throwing cannon fodder at the super-robot until it (or its pilot) breaks down or is simply overwhelmed by sheer numbers. It also reduces the emphasis on human/pilot skill. You’ve got to be damn good to win with a factory-stock Kia against a Maserati in the straightaway, even if the Maserati’s got a mediocre driver. And if you’re the one in the Maserati, well, there’s no contest.

This is where Voltron sits; for most of S1/S2, the tension lay not in robeast strength so much as the pilots’ inexperience. Once the pilots leveled up -- and then the robeasts stopped coming -- most of the tension was gone. It was the Maserati laying waste to a Kia. No competition at all.

Keeping the tension

One: have the opponent level up; we’re finally seeing this with Lotor’s comet-ship (and I’ll leave a fuller explanation of my complaint for another day).

Two: remove the super-robot from the picture. Force a pilot into self-destructing (aka the Heero Yuy School of Conflict Resolution), overwhelm and capture, isolate and capture, or in Voltron’s case, just enforce the narrative’s rules to make combination impossible so you can’t achieve super-robot in the first place. And yes, I’m saying it was a real failure of tension to let the team re-achieve Voltron in S3, especially when the narrative glossed over the struggle.

And then there’s the third option, which is my favorite and where some of the best storylines imo lie: destroy the team from within. A group of pilots, met by chance or design, who together fly mecha that by simple stats should be unbeatable. Unified, they’re unstoppable; to create tension, the writers must destroy that unity.  

You do that by giving each pilot a competing agenda. It’s the reason they fight, and when this doesn’t align, the friction can create schisms. We get glimmers of this, as when Hunk prioritized the Balmera while Allura prioritized helping anyone in earshot with a distress beacon, or when Pidge focused on finding her brother over focusing on the team.

Shiro’s emphasis on ‘we decide together’ (as opposed to Keith’s or Allura’s ‘this is bigger than any of us’) falls apart once each person develops their own agenda. Allura and Coran seek allies but are easily distracted by hints of surviving Alteans; Pidge chases her family; Keith is too busy combing deep space for any sign of Shiro between suicide missions against any passerby Galra ships; Lance is focused on freeing planets; Hunk, well, not sure what he’d want. Freeing planets, too, I suppose; I can see him continuing to work as a team with Lance.

Then you break them apart. Dig into that friction, have each character stake their priorities, and one by one, each one falls away. Even alone, each lion is damn near a super-robot, anyway. Nothing the Galra have come up with can defeat even a single lion (other than overwhelming numbers, but even there ‘form voltron’ has always saved the day, so the narrative has carefully prevented the Galra from ever pressing an advantage for long).

Let the freed planets be thrilled with a single lion, and there’s no longer a pressing need for Voltron itself. There’s no real reason the team needs to swallow their conflicts in favor of a contrived working relationship.

[aside: I still roll my eyes that no one ever pointed out to the freed planets’ leaders that there’s only one Voltron, and it can’t be everywhere at once. Especially when one or two lions can do the job; using all of Voltron would be a hugely inefficient use of resources. It’s a remarkably selfish complaint on the part of a leader who was already entirely passive in his people’s freeing, and the failure of any of the protagonists to point this out means the narrative effectively validates that selfish complaint.]

After the break-up

So they scatter, and therein lies the fracturing that makes the story jump to a truly epic scale. You’ve got to follow these separate storylines, while compacting each because of time constraints (Coran&Allura, Pidge, Keith, Lance&Hunk, Lotor, Zarkon&Haggar, Sendak/Galra, Kollivan&BoM, various rebels). You can timeskip easily, and do catchups by showing alliances forming -- Pidge contacting Allura to say hello, reporting she’s working with this rebel group, and Allura says she last heard sign of Lance&Hunk in the something-or-other quadrant, and no word of Keith. That updates us and tells us it’s been three months. Then jump forward again, this time following the rebels with BoM, and drop hints that it’s been another month.

Have them come together in twos or threes, then break apart again because there’s no outside force pushing on them to reconcile. (Remember, the opponent’s only real threat is sheer numbers, and enough allies can undermine that, even if there’s only one lion leading the charge.)

We’d get the passage of time (even without clues like change in clothes or hair) with enough information to know where each is at. If we want a shock (”been trying to get ahold of you, they’ve captured Blue and are executing Lance in two days!”) then the noise of all those differing story lines can help mask the signal of what’s happening off-screen. Use that epic scale of so many different threads at once so the viewers feel just as overwhelmed as the pilots, and drive home the sense of being up against insurmountable odds.

Don’t forget the antagonists

And alongside all that, you continue to ramp up the tension by letting viewers see Lotor’s plans. Stop hiding the cool shit; the distraction trick of ‘wow Lotor came from nowhere’ is only going to work so far. Show what he’s up to; give him a role in the narrative beyond just opposition -- let the viewers understand his goals, possibly even realize he’s got some good points, even if his execution sucks. Let him smash through the individual lions; let him wound one, and capture another. Let him stand on the brink of complete victory, all the more bittersweet because we viewers would know that the team damn well handed most of that victory to him.

Bringing them back together

You position every arc so each character gets only enough victory to keep going, never enough to actually win. You ramp up the enemy’s previously overwhelming numbers into something truly vast, and you push each character into realizations that drive them back to unity. You make them realize they genuinely miss someone they’d once thought annoying. You tire them out with the fight, until they accept they can’t do this alone. You don’t simply let them reflect on that hubris -- you make them pay the price for the mistake. You force them to seek each other out, argue their differences, and resolve or get over them.

You don’t make it a single episode’s platitude, easily won. You make it a half-season (or more) of earning the truth, first-hand and at high cost. You’ve got to let the story test them, and hard, before they can accept the truth that they’re ‘stronger together’.

When the team finally reunites, that alone is a hard-won victory. They’ve defeated the greater opponent of their own flaws, and the stage will be set for their re-unification on a higher level.

In conclusion

So far, everything has (relatively speaking) come far too easy for Voltron. If the writers want to keep the story moving, the characters are way overdue for suffering some major, long-term consequences. They need to start earning those victories, instead of just yelling ‘form voltron’ and calling it a day.

[h-eckers]

riverdale already is edgelord garbage can it get worse than the "i'm weird, i'm a weirdo" monologue and the phrase "dark betty" being used inside the show itself

OK weird thing, but I'm actually super glad you sent this because it gives me the chance to yell about some things that need yelling about re: Riverdale. Buckle the fuck in children, I have some Things To Say.  

Riverdale is literally, at it's core, edgy bullshit. The show genuine took a happy, light hearted, comic series and went "let's add murder, and gangs, and heavily imply twincest." My best friend loves the Archie comics and refuses to watch Riverdale because she doesn't want to ruin the happy-go-lucky of it all. So from the get go, we've got to expect some kind of edgelording based off the way it was adapted in the first place.  

However, Season 1 managed to mostly maintain it's cool. Most of the story lines were interesting enough, certainly added intrigue in a lot of places, the characters were well acted pretty much all of the time. I did definitely enjoy every episode at least to some degree and I loved certain things about the show over all, for example, FP and his story and relationship with Jughead is incredibly complex to me, I'd love to see it explored further and I live for Skeet Ulrich. When it comes to Riverdale, I'd say that I like more about it than I don't but that definitely doesn't mean it's all smooth sailing. 

That being said, it definitely had it's low moments, and imma talk about  my top five; 

Number 1: “I’m A Weirdo”

This right here is some 2003, myspace, edgelord, rawr XD type bullshit that was bound to become a meme almost instantly. I have nothing against Cole Sprouse or his acting abilities but this is just plain bad writing and I’m a bad writer so I know what the fuck I’m talking about. If you didn't cringe at least a little bit watching this scene, then you're lying or you didn't watch this scene. I get that they want to establish him as the broody, outcast, wallflower dude but you dont need to explicitly say “oh, btw, Im a tad bit strange” and even if you do, you should not be saying it sounding like you plagiarised an 11 year old scene kids tumblr poetry from the dark ages. If i had to give the writers any advice on how to improve this scene, I would say; “If you found it in your sixth grade diary you should probably leave it out of the script.”

Number 2: ‘Dark Betty’ 

First off, this annoys me because ‘Dark Betty’ isn't actually ‘Dark Betty’, a more apt name for it would be ‘Severely Affected By Mental Illness and Needs Genuine Treatment Betty’ but I guess that was a bit too wordy for the final cut. Second of all, nobody in the history of real life, outside tumblr, to a genuine real person’s face has called anyone ‘Dark’ anything, if Betty was my friend and I saw her try to drown a guy, I wouldn’t call her ‘Dark Betty’, I’d call the fucking cops. Also, in case you missed it, she did literally try to drown a guy, and she would have if Veronica wasn't there to stop her, and no one addressed it ever again in a real way. Sure they mentioned it, but no one actually broached the subject with the seriousness you probably should when someone was almost murdered, you know? Even Chuck, the guy who was almost drowned, basically brushed it off like “nah, happens all the time”, what the fucK kind of bullshit is that?

Number 3: The Entire Grundy Storyline

I guess my biggest issue here is that there was absolutely no point or resolution to this plot at all. she rolls into town, manipulates and rapes a child, rolls out of town and everyone's just fine with that? You’re telling me no ones parents wanted to press charges? You’re telling me Archie just forgot that he was supposedly in love with this woman who was twice his age? She wasnt even necessary to the wider plot in anyway, once she left, nothing else happened with that story at all, the only conceivable reason they needed her was to put Archie at Sweetwater on the 4th and they could have come up with literally anything else for that. Also even beyond the fact that they shoehorned in a pointless statutory rape plot for no reason, why did they make her look so suspicious if she was completely uninvolved with Jason’s murder? Basically, why the fuck was that necessary? The answer; it. fuckin. wasn’t.

Number 4: The Beronica Kiss

This has been explained and complained about a million times so ill keep it short and sweet but basically, why? There was no reason for the to do that, and if Cheryl’s ‘lesbian kissing isn't taboo anymore’ comment was meant to come across progressive, it didn’t because it was immediately undermined by the fact that Betty and Veronica went on to never have any romantic feelings for each other and ended up with ‘boy problems’ by the end of the episode. Why? Just, why was it necessary to have them kiss? It doesn't make sense. Even if they did end up together it doesn't make sense because making out has nothing to do with cheer leading unless you're on PornHub. Y’all writers just think you can trap the gays with shit like this and then lead us to heartbreak when nothing happens and you’re fucking right so please stop.

And finally: 

Number 5: The Aftermath Of Cheryl’s Icebreaker

BITCH SHE JUST TRIED TO KILL HERSELF AND Y’ALL JUST GONNA GO TO THE JUBILEE LIKE AIN’T NOTHING HAPPENED??????I have so many angry things to say about this because it made no sense and it was again, bad writing. Why didn't they take her to a hospital? Shes obviously not stable and she just took a dip in ‘Cold As Balls Lake’, why would you not immediately take her to a hospital where there are people who can watch her to make sure she doesn’t... i don’t know... burn down her house? No you're right, just take her to your house, sit her by the fire, and fuck off to a jubilee because that’s what’s important, she’ll be fine. Oh, and just chuck a gas station bandage on Archie’s hands, I’m sure he didn’t fracture or break anything when he smashed through thick god damn ice with his hands until they were gushing blood, you guys are so s m a r t. “Oh, they're just kids, they didn't think of it” you say, buT HERMIONE DIDN'T EVEN THINK TO TAKE HER TO HOSPITAL. This grown ass bitch, walked in and sees Cheryl Blossom, fully clothed, saturated, shaking, by the fire with a dead look in her eyes and goes “It’s aight, probably just had a water fight in the snow or some shit, kids are weird’ bitch didn't even ask, didn’t find out what was wrong, just shrugged and left her alone in the apartment because shes a god damn responsible adult. I’m so infuriated by this part because literally none of it makes any sense what so sever why is everyone so dumb wtf.

Anyway, I guess the point I’m trying to make here is that Riverdale definitely has its pitfalls and it definitely has things it needs to work on, however, I’m just hoping that they don’t continue down the path the promos seem to indicate because its a pretty good show but they toe the line already and i don’t want to see it go completely to shit because they're trying to be edgy.

If they want to take it dark im all here for it, i don’t mind but there is definite room for improvement What I want to see next season is, consistency, development, proper address of mental illness, actual friendships, and god damn mother fucking common sense.

What I don’t want to see,

IS THIS EDGELORD, 2003, RAWR IS I LOVE YOU IN DINOSAUR, BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR IS THE PINNACLE OF MUSIC, YOU DONT UNDERSTAND ME, IT’S NOT A PHASE BULLSHIT WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS BILLBOARD. IT MAKES ME WANT TO DINER.

That’s all, goodnight, thanku for ur time.

[inappropriatefangirlneeds]

Gotham s4ep2 “The Fear Reaper” Personal Review

“It's like I'm wearing nothing at all.”

Warning spoilers below 

* Bruce Wayne has a limited get out of jail for free card. It was all a misunderstanding, he was on the rood looking for Selina. So Jim lets him go before the lawyer even really started to earn his salary.  ALFRED PENNYWORTH says he won´t stop BRUCE WAYNE from going out again, Bruce feels more alive than ever he says (Alfred understands), that´s why he won´t stop him but Alfred isn´t ready, and won´t stand by while he gets shot, yet follows and saves him anyway.  On a side note:  “You know we got licenses for this, kid? We're all above board. Penguin gets his share. That's right. It's within our rights to do anything we want to you.  Anything.” This is just one example the nastiness of that whole Licence crap that stands against all the nice talk.  And why do they (almost) all have the same awful cap?! If you pick a uniform, think about it for a second .. * “Be careful on those rocks .. it´s a dangerous sport” LUCIUS FOX is a cinnamon roll. I don´t know why they played the scene for suspense and though, and painted Lucius knowing that their story doesn´t fit together as doomy and gloomy? He´s full on been in and on their side. And he of course still is, bringing Bruce a nice fancy and secure suit, while keeping the rock climbing facade.  Alfred puts a mask on top. 

* I have to give WARDEN REED a couple points for thoroughness. He´s shredding and burning documents. And since he´s obviously got to cover dirty deeds and footprints I´m really asking myself where do they keep finding those guys? Indian Hill and Hugo Strange were supported by the Court of Owls, is there again some weird so called research going on funded by someone in the background? Probably not because Reed then might have thought he had protection against Penguin when crossing him and would he have sold a patient for money then? Is he just a really awful person on his own? But why would he keep so much records then? What did he do? Something like selling crane would need records to cover up, not some to burn and why would he even write down evidence of that money exchange? Seems more like it´s not that kind of crime but goes more in the “research” direction, thinking of that line that he finds Jonathan Crane´s fear of the scarecrow a convenient thing to control him, if it´s that would he burn everything so quickly instead of finding a spot to hide it? * I´d really like to see what the Warden is afraid of, I hope it´s something amongst the line of revenge from his victims/patients, or being treated like he treated them, okay nope it´s a clown .. a clown .. really ?!   “Face your fears, face your fears and defeat them” really that´s all the encouragement it needs for someone under the fear toxin to go after their fears with a gun instead of cowering in a corner petrified? * “I don´t wanna leave Warden” It´s really hard not to be on the side of the horror scarecrow  “Did you know my father was a genius? He wanted to end fear. For my sake. Because he loved me.” Did JONATHAN CRANE even have any issues with fear or was it his father perceiving him as such? Sounded more like a personal pet project of his father, rooting in his guilt of not saving his family. He´s put his own issues onto his son. * So the fear toxin either can make you violent and dangerous, scared and helpless or of course if you´re JIM GORDON you just push through it. I don´t know what I think about Jim´s deepest fear (Lee killing herself because of all and everything she suffered because of Jim) and him overcoming it through his confidence that Lee loves him and doesn´t want him to commit suicide as well.  I really don´t.  Jonathan Crane claiming Jim lies about overcoming his fear is telling about him, he couldn´t overcome it he´s still very much in the grip of his fear, not like he used to but he could not leave it behind. Leas the seems to be aware of that “You can't just stop being afraid. You can only become your demon like I did.” His father taught him “we can live our entire lives imprisoned by our fears, or we can embrace them.” I´m not sure if there wasn´t a message mix up.

 * “Play nice” “No”  HARVEY BULLOCK says and doesn´t follow his own words. OSWALD COBBLEPOT has another entrance in the GCPD, but not even remotely as impressing as those before, what is it that this time it doesn´t make you hold your breath?? He´s standing with JIM GORDON on the exact same spot Jim gave his best heroic speeches and most defeated or disappointed looks into the crowd of his colleagues.  Now Oswald is the personification of all doubts on their work. He´s asking about Jonathan Crane, he know about him because people trust him to get things done and tell him things. The Gcpd doesn´t. Bullock mocks him with the chicken or penguin newspaper article. And S1 Penguin would have when alone beaten him to death, while in public been really not that nice. He turns away from Bullock and addresses the failings of the GCPD some more. “And outdated, ineffectual and corrupt institution.” “How much longer must our citizens suffer their incompetence?” “This, coming from a man who takes money from criminals in exchange for a license allowing them to victimize innocent people.” “And it is working. Jim, why can't you see that I am not here to destroy your beloved GCPD, but to save it. And, through that, Gotham.”  “Your licenses are illegal and I will arrest anyone I find who is issued one.”  “So sure your Boy Scout morality can protect this city, Jim? How well has that worked in the past? Should I list the victims of your antiquated righteousness? Instead, let me make you a deal.” Wooow this is like one of those pubic wedding proposals, Oswald is putting all the pressure of the public onto Jim. (Boy scout he said, boy scout! )  Find Jonathan Crane in 24 hours or hand over things to Oswald, and important admit his failure.  Later Jim says “You made a demand in front of your cronies in an attempt to undermine me and this department. There was no deal.” and for once is right, there have been favours he tried to not recognize but that indeed was no deal.

There is a lot of talk about the question of who is benefiting Gotham most again. “You really think Penguin is gonna make this go away?! He's just getting rich off the same low lives you guys used to hate as much as me! Ah, forget it.” What could they change they ask, moreover the badge only gets them spit and bullets.  HARVEY BULLOCK won´t come with Jim either, if he loses them the new captain will be someone of Penguins choosing.  Jim is on his own looking for Jonathan Crane. Later he explains further they need the GCPD; they need to win the whole war not just one battle. Harvey is clever like that.  “How many of you are sick of risking your lives every day just to see criminals escape? How many times has this very building become a war zone? ..I say it is time to start anew. To police ourselves. I will triple the wage of any cop here who wants to work for me in insuring the safety of this city's people. The future is now. Follow me into it.” (Oswald) “Police yourselves. He just wants to pay you to look the other way.” (Jim) In front of Jim and Whiskey he voices some more doubts about their work though. Yet he still keeps resenting Penguin more.   “What makes you think those cops back there were wrong? Are we really making a difference? One worth risking our lives over? We'd need an army to take on Penguin. Makes me miss Falcone. I mean, I know he's a vicious bastard but he was, he was fair. He ran the criminals of this city with an iron fist.There was, there was, there was honour.” Jim quickly jumps on board, despite him killing Mario Falcone he thinks Carmine is the solution. Carmine must resent Penguins doing as much. “We need an army, he´s got one” Really? What did CARMINE FALCONE do differently than Penguin. He did not broadcast what he did, he did not put everything into the public, he kept the façade that the GCPD was a working police force. But it was the police force Jim wanted to desperately change when he came into the city. The corruption sickened him and now he paints the man having the highest criminal power during that times as solution. Wow time really makes you sentimental and forget all the bad stuff.   Falcone kidnapped (still even in Jim terms good) Barbara, he risked all and everything trying to take him down with just one shotgun basically.  It´s been argued more than once that Penguin represents the old system and values as opposed to someone like Jerome, the only thing he is doing differently now is the press and publicity part. That´s of course a whole new brand of damage. Undermining law enforcement and judiciary not “in secret” but out in the open and with support of the public is a whole new kind of issue. Putting that much power in the hands of one vivid public figure is disturbing, but is this enough to have Jim want to go back have the same just hidden away?   

* Glad they keep continuing the it´s Gotham, dead isn´t dead jokes, but please put some variation in it.  BARBARA KEAN left TABITHA and SELINA KYLE an “opportunity awaits” invitation. That´s almost Penguins style! On a side note, as much as I dislike her hairstyle I love her new place like omg prettty.  She says she is sorry. Would change things if she could. They will provide Penguins criminals with weapons and find out what they will do. But she won´t proceed with the both of them. “This is our way back on top” And there it is she didn´t change. Same old story....  But that doesn´t seem to be Tabitha´s issue, she can´t forgive what Barbara took from her. OSWALD COBBLEPOT visits her new place. VICTOR SZASZ is a pretty muffin with a weapon boner. “All enterprises pertaining to the criminal underworld shall, from this time forth, be approved, monitored, and taxed by me” Barbara acts like she is fine with it but Oswald will keep an eye on her. “Couldn't have been cheap. You lost your money on The Sirens Club, then went missing. Rumour was you were dead. And now you're back with a brand-new fancy place. Who paid for it?“  Yes that! Same question. But I assumed that was either show magic, or clever rich girl with a stunning clock tower flat and view over Gotham city had some secure money stored somewhere aka rich people magic. But seems that´s gonna be a plot point. Who could it be?!  Oswald says he will find out .. and I´m reminded of season 1 Oswald ..  [Who could it be: Crack Idea just because it rhymes: Lee. Lee knows medicine she could have helped Barbara survive, and both now having been though some crap and having done some darkTM things, also having something in common with having loved Jim they can bond, it´s like a moment where they both are just so done with everything that they can absolutely surprisingly find something they like in the other person, and they figure out how they want to proceed Lee tries to resume her outside Gotham life, Barbara figures out her strive for the top is still something she wants and Lee finances her, because Mario Falcone made sure that she had sufficient sums of money for herself once they got engaged, just because he is a muffin that wants his wife be secure no matter what and because it makes himself feel better, the extra money he can give away so easily is mostly from his father´s business, he hasn´t touched it before because crime wasn’t his path and he earned enough, and now giving it to his wife seems to be the morally great and generous enough thing that cleanses the crime away from the money and makes himself feel better about using it.]

* IVY PEPPER is also with them, instantly recognizing that Barbara would seek alliance with Selina and Tabitha she offers she could talk to them but  Oswald only brought her if she´d keep her mouth shot. Dear, there´s some more lights going to go out.. Also didn´t they investigate why the lights went out and made all that chaos just probably a couple says ago?

IVY PEPPER then goes to SELINA and TABITHA  “Because I'm sick and tired of not being taken seriously. Of all those selfish guys out there who treat me like I'm stupid. Alone, I can't do much about it. With Barbara maybe. But with you and Barbara? The three of us could give all those creeps a run for their money.” (Selina) IVY wants in “There's nothing I wouldn't do to get back at the men who've treated me like garbage. Nothing.”  “Not buying it.” Tabitha isn´t having Ivy, Selina doesn’t stop her despite believing her, Tabitha however thinks about dealing with BARBARA.   She takes her hand. Ha! I knew it. Or like I  was afraid they´d do that. Let this be a bluff please. “Both Butch and I lost a hand due to Penguin's Machiavellian war games. I believe it's your turn.” Okay hand is still on. Selina is not happy about the whole gory business.  

IVY meanwhile visits a store in china town. She got supplies there but never paid. She already had the perfume then and it sounds like she still made the perfume herself but now she tries to go another route and take potions other people made.  “I'm done with perfumes I'm here for the good stuff. ..  Word is you have potions here. Ancient, mystical potions made by shamans all over the world. .. I'm done playing nice. I need a change, a big one. I need strength, power.”  Ivy doesn´t care about all warnings and just drinks potion after potion, which makes me think of toddlers drinking cleaning agents. Really what is this?! This is a way to get killed not strong. Having made the perfume Ivy must know that much about shady substances in bottles.  

Also yes Indeed “not buying it” Any of it. Selina would try to get Ivy in when she believes her, her close connection to Penguin could be an asset, I don´t know why Tabs would rather trust Barbara than Ivy? This all just feels like a huge mess of motivations. I´m not buying SELINA´s feeling of selfish guys trampling over her, that´s more Barbara´s history. She´s “just” got that certain who partly didn´t take her serious and this feels too much like a trying to win after a breakup thing?! Like ugh. Moreover I´m still not convinced of her sudden strive for more? Like I could get the more as in better living conditions, especially after now knowing that this can be rather nice. But she´s been  so self sufficient, she´s had that very strong notion that she is someone despite her living conditions. Now she would feel the need to show everyone that she is someone though gaining power and stuff? I could see how this could be seen as “showing Bruce” , but it´s not really doing any benefit with the story with her mother, it´s more like she´s following her in some way. Power doesn´t grant you recognition and love. I always cherished Selina as someone who would understand that, someone who found strength in herself, someone who would not rely on others to give her self worth. I saw her backstory as one that taught her that lesson not one that made her vulnerable like she seems to be now? Of course her only caring about number one credo has been a mask too, she´s shown great care for others but I though she´d had a strong sense of self worth rooted inside of her that would make her resent those who claim otherwise more and not have those voices make herself doubt herself?” Also IVY, why Ivy? Why do you need that strength. You already have it?!  I understand that she understands that by just perfuming those who treated her like garbage and make them act differently she would not really change them, Oswald would not really cherish her if the perfume made him say so but neither would forcing him by strength ?! Ivy should know as much by witnessing GABE and Oswald. (still a garbage story but okay .. ) Oswald has had that strength/power but as soon as he lost it he was treated badly again. No perfume, no potion can force another person to respect you, and if it´s just about revenge and making them aware that they fucked up Ivy could already do that with her perfume.Why is that show acting like that damn perfume is nothing?!   3x17 Was freak family, now Ivy calls Oswald freak ..   why, show why ?!

 Ivy & Selina up to a certain extent have been such great minding and having their own business characters, they´ve been both tied in and got involved into bigger stories successfully but still keeping their own thing, yet now somehow everyone and their aunt got mashed up into a “I wanna be on top (or at least topish)” thing, this boring .. why do they have to tie everything together so tight it´s just a mess .. 

> Barbara´s seemingly following a pattern to, she messed up tried to apologize to Jim and make up for it by helping  (The “The Lady” thing) now it seems we´re going through the same with Tabitha .. or something? > “Brother´s and sisters, the enemy is here” Criminal recruits and army. Experiments/Substance/Cult Indoctrination makes people violent and dangerous.  I´m having flashbacks, how many variations of that can Gotham do ?!  >  33.19  Is scarecrow clutching his scythe, this is adorable >  As much as I agree with the show runners that you just can´t hide a pretty face like that, but Jim buddy, you´re on your own against a fear toxin spreading Scarecrow that harbours very personal feelings of revenge for you maybe, just maybe consider a gas mask. You could see the benefits of the rubber boots, why not a gas mask? > ”Also, people can often carry grudges after you shoot their boyfriends.” Yeah Oswald, same with girlfriends ..

[nonevahed]

The Dangers of the Crusade Against Russian Subversion

The panic over Russian subversion has been extremely counterproductive for the liberal cause.  First, it detracts from the many clearer issues with Donald Trump, from his absurd economic policy to his dangerously short temper.  By focusing on the rumor that his campaign was in secret collusion with Russia, we abandon factual issues for a hypothetical that, if the election is any proof, most people don’t care for.  Furthermore, by blaming Russian propaganda for Trump’s electoral successes, we ignore the real flaws in the Democratic Party that have driven people to feel like taking a risk on Trump is a reasonable course of action.  Finally, the atmosphere of paranoia over Russian subversion and proposed methods of fighting against “fake news” in fact could easily be turned against us, and also increase the risk of nuclear Armageddon.

A year and a half ago, the entrance of Donald Trump into the Republican primary was widely considered to be a bad joke.  That peculiar orange man can’t possibly have enough support to be the president, can he?  His constant stream of gaffes would certainly cause his campaign to implode, right?  And yet, no matter how many “killer blows” were landed against him, he just kept going, destroying establishment candidates that appeared to be shoo-ins.  He defied all apparent rules of politics, and came out stronger for it.  So, how could this happen?

In the past few decades, the white working class has been devastated by the loss of jobs and economic opportunity.  Where once there were thrumming factories and vibrant communities, now those factories lie abandoned, and the communities ripped apart by poverty and drugs. Despite all the cheer about how America’s greater than ever, these people have been left behind.  

Instead of trying to protect their livelihoods, or create a social safety net to support them, the liberal elites have instead left the white working class to rot.  In many cases, the working class is mocked as a bunch of uncultured rednecks and seen as an enemy of progress.  So, of course, the white working class chose to turn towards the establishment Republicans who at least claimed to respect them.  When someone came along who not only offered them respect, but also claimed he could bring back order and prosperity, of course they abandoned the establishment.  Meanwhile, the DNC broke their own rules in order to push the elite, Wall-Street backed candidate Hillary Clinton over the populist Bernie Sanders, going as far as to launder money meant for down-ticket races to her campaign (Sainato).  But with all that support, she only barely managed to squeak out a victory over the formerly barely known Sanders.

Clinton promised the white working classes eight more years of the same devastation.  Donald Trump, on the other hand, claimed he could change things.  And such, despite being one of the most repulsive candidates in American history, Trump not only was not crushed in a landslide, but managed to squeeze out a win.  The areas that Trump managed to gain over John Cain and Mitt Romney were largely those that had defected to the Democrats back during Barack Obama’s Hope and Change campaign in 2008 (Monkovic).  Sanders is still one of the most respected public politicians in America, polling far over Trump and Michael Pence (Robbins).   But, of course, the establishment cannot admit that their elitist policies enabled Trump’s rise, so the rise of Donald Trump must instead be a result of an insidious Russian plot to destroy America.  

Since the summer, there’s been constant shouting over how Trump is a traitorous Russian puppet.  The DNC hacks mean that Russia’s hacked the election!  Trump is gaining power because of fake news being spread by Russia!  Trump is a Manchurian Candidate - no, Siberian Candidate!  And yet, it all seems to slide off Trump, as if he were made of Teflon.  The people who support him believe that the mainstream media is corrupt and bias, and going into a frenzy over a conspiracy theory only confirms that belief.  There is still no solid evidence.  There’s some hints that Russia was involved in the leaking of the DNC emails, but nothing has been established (Morris).  But often, these stories spin into wild conspiracy, from claims that the Russians hacked a Vermont utility to the legendary Christopher Steele dossier, with none of its claims substantiated despite months of investigation (Taibbi).  There are so, so many other issues to press Trump on, from his refusal to release his tax returns to his plan to expand the already oversized defense budget by another 10 percent (Eland).  But instead, we continue to desperately chase after the vain hope we may find some deep conspiracy between the Russians and the Trump campaign.  And if it ultimately turns out that there’s nothing there but the occasional political contact, then the reliability of the main stream media will take another massive blow.

Not only does the obsession with Russian interference in the elections waste the Liberal establishment’s effort and resources, and distract from the real problems in the Democratic party that managed to drive people to vote for a shouty reality TV star, it also has created a dangerous atmosphere of fear and censorship that could easily be used against the Democrats.

In 1934, the Special Committee on Un-American activities had been founded by the Democrats Samuel Dickstein and John McCormac to investigate possibly Nazi-spread propaganda in the US.  However, in 1939, it would be reorganized into the House Committee on Un-American Activities, which would focus on investigating suspected communist sympathizers, which ultimately meant anything from labor union officials, to anti-war activists, to liberal Hollywood directors (House).  At its height, the HUAC would be able to destroy lives with a mere accusation, with blacklisted entertainers unable to find any work in the studio system.  Their companion in the senate, Joe McCarthy, would use similar accusations to menace politician and civilian alike (Parry).  

Once again, liberals are creating disturbingly dangerous tools to fight their enemies.  In November, the Washington Post published the infamous “PropOrNot” list, which accused two hundred alternative media websites of being Russian propagandists on no evidence at all.  Later that month, the New York Times “called for leading news companies to marginalize web sites deemed to be publishing fake news. (Parry)”  Then, on December 23rd, President Obama signed the “Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act,” setting aside $160 million to create a Global Engagement Center to “to lead, synchronize, and coordinate efforts of the Federal Government to recognize, understand, expose, and counter foreign state and non-state propaganda and disinformation efforts aimed at undermining United States national security interests.”  In other words, the United States government is now creating an agency to counter whatever they might see as propaganda from non-state actors and foreign states alike.  Needless to say, it is ridiculously dangerous to the freedom of the press that gives the US government a legal right to fight against what it declares as propaganda.  And, most absurd of all, this was done a mere twenty nine days before the swearing in of President Donald Trump (Sterling).  

In addition to gifting our new Commander-in-Chief dangerous weapons against the freedom of the press, the actions of the Democratic Party in encouraging this new Russian panic bring us dangerously close to nuclear war.  By accusing Russia of interfering in the United States elections, which would be an act of war, the Democratic establishment is playing a dangerous game.  Furthermore, in demonizing Michael Flynn’s contact with the Russian Embassy as somehow indicative of conspiracy, instead of merely the normal way of figuring out what the Russians are thinking about an issue, the Democratic establishment has threatened an important avenue for communication between powers.  (Davies) Having unofficial avenues of contact between powers is important to enable them to communicate plans and see conflicts before they hit, without making any official statements or commitments.  If merely having such important communication is threatened as being a sign of collusion, it will be that much easier for an unforeseen conflict to trigger Armageddon. With that prevented, it is that much easier for an accidental conflict to trigger Armageddon.  By taking such an aggressive stance against Russia, the Democratic establishment also encourages Trump himself to take an even more aggressive stance against Russia to prove himself to be a loyal red-blooded American.

Over the past few decades, the establishment of the Democratic Party has become increasingly estranged from its natural working-class base.  But instead of confronting this problem, they’ve instead focused on blaming Russian subversion for Trump’s rise.  In this process, they’ve menaced the freedom of the press and created dangerous amounts of antipathy for Russia.  If the Democratic Party is to survive these coming years, we must confront the sources of the deep issues within our own party instead of trying to escape it by blaming a foreign bogeyman.

[ooc-but-stylish]

There’s a lot that gets me about the love story in FFXV and how it relates to the characters, or rather, what gets me about the characterization and how it relates to the love story, but it’s going to be a long read.

TL;DR the characterization tried to lift tropes from previous Final Fantasies ( particularly VII and X ) but XV’s version just seems like a hollow echo that takes the tropes on the surface without actually figuring out why they worked for the characters and their plot, instead banking on telling us that everything is supposed to work out and be coherent and letting nostalgia pull some weight. It also didn’t help that any use of those tropes was completely shot to pieces by the story being a forced tragedy requiring ( in my opinion, unnecessary ) character deaths to be “touching” ( read: edgy ) and playing that tragedy straight instead of subverting it, exposing the writing as having a juvenile lack of vision.

First off, Luna’s character is badly written. So is Noctis’s -- he got “the most” development from being the main character, but he still suffered from terrible writing and his “I matured into a man by taking a ten year nap and interacting with 0 people” thing was... it just was. But let’s just talk about Luna. Characters within the game tell us that she’s doing amazing things and we see brief glimpses of the aftermath of her actions. Characters also tell us that she loves Noctis, or that she must love him because she did X Y and Z. 

That doesn’t come close to being a proper substitute for good writing nor is it a sub for actual development of a love story, starting with “she must have loved him/been strong because she did things”. She did things and was imbued with the standard “strong willpower and determination” typically found in characters that in reality have zero agency of their own in order to affect their destiny and are usually made to suffer.  

She's basically the shadow of a strong woman - she's what people THINK strength should be, in she’s only around to briefly pay lip service to the idea of a strongly-written character yet she’s more or less completely powerless where the actual strength is needed, but the fact that she puts faith in something “greater than herself” to guide her actions and is “determined” to stay the course and effectively be a pawn to these forces and “sacrifices” something that the story is taking from her to begin with ( her happiness, her life ) is what makes her Pure and Good and Strong. Basically “she’s strong because the story guts her and she takes it with a smile”. A mule can carry a load and take a beating too, but people generally do not respect beasts of burden. They’re used until they die, and people breed more of them to repeat the process. 

The extent of just what she did is only hinted at, leaving plenty of room for exaggeration ( as in, people frame Luna forming covenants as if she were in physical combat with the Astrals the same way Noctis was doing, instead of just talking to them ) or otherwise overblown or completely undermined by the plot itself. Such as Luna deflected Leviathan’s attack in Altissia and it looks badass, but then she immediately defaulted to “Noctis will come and settle things!” which, okay, it sure is easy to talk shit and “be strong” when ultimately someone else is coming to sort out the issue.

Even if narratively speaking, “Noctis couldn’t have done a lot without Luna’s intervention, he saves the world because of her”, that’s to be expected when Luna’s character is that of a walking plot device whose purpose is wrapped entirely around Noctis and getting him ready to do his duty. This is what highlights the difference between story and plot. Story is what happens around the characters, plot is what happens because of the characters. The story dictates that Luna acts in ways that directly benefit Noctis and prepare him for his ultimate role. She’s supposed to succeed in this regard because the hero needs to vanquish the villain. Luna’s character in particular has nothing to do with the direction the story goes in and neither does her “strength”, in the sense that she’s not personally pushing everything to go in the direction it went into because of her own interests. She’s pushed by the story to behave in that way. It’s in her role as Oracle, dictated to her since before she even became an Oracle. Anyone else could have had her job and they’d have to do the same thing. (1)

Luna’s role is not just “helping Noctis”, but doing so to her clear detriment and not expecting anything in return. Since people still haven’t let go of stuffing women in fridges like that’s a valid thing to do in storytelling, here comes unnecessary death number one ( Noctis makes the second ). The entire plot was set up to kill her when she was done doing her duty and not a moment sooner. Luna was done story-wise after Altissia, and needed to die to a) heighten the sense of drama and b) make Noctis sad and facilitate “character development” (2). Tellingly, we have no clue who she is as a person outside of whatever she was doing for Noctis, so they probably literally ran out of anything for her to do in the case that she’d lived. 

The story then tried to insult the player and justify Luna’s murder by presenting her as “doomed from the start”-- after she dies we get a scene that reveals that the contact with Astrals was physically draining for her-- a.k.a., nothing anyone could have done would have saved her, short of her not carrying out her divinely mandated role and instead putting the rest of the world in danger, so that’s just the way it had to be. How convenient! It’s addressed absolutely nowhere else and Noctis himself never learns about it, so it was just for the audience. I guess so we feel less bad about Luna? Or more bad about her? Or act like her killing herself in service of a boy she met 12 years ago is proof that she was such a “Strong Character” and that she “loved him”? I don’t know. Considering the game already told us that she was set to die no matter what because it was her job, even if she’d never met Noctis at all she would still need to do it. Trying to argue in that instance that she had to have been in love would be asinine. Noctis himself dies in the end for all of Eos and arguing a romantic love between him and every person in Eos would be just as dumb.

Then the game further tried to present it as a good thing that Luna died, because if not, then she wouldn’t be in the Astral Realm to pop in and touch Ardyn for a grand total of one second to weaken him conveniently and then fuck right off to nowhere. She could’ve been omitted from that ending and left it as Noctis pulling off his Knights of the Round summon with the Lucian Kings, and not a single thing would have been wrong with that, firstly because we received no word that Luna even was supposed to be in the Astral Realm or able to act in that way, and secondly because if it only took one second of arm-holding to paralyze Ardyn after all, what was she doing with the other thirty the first time around, when she was dying? Just fucking around with him and having herself a giggle? He was more offended about her trying to heal him than wounded from it. 

Anyway, she pops in just in time for Noctis to deal the finishing blow ( and again, the brief glimpses of her doing things open themselves to exaggeration, so when fans try to sell that Luna was particularly strong because of this scene it’s framed by fans as if she were a major character in the party or that she was waiting for Ardyn to show up so she could kick his ass, like she was cracking her knuckles with a smirk on her face, or something ). We literally do not see her with a presence in the Astral Realm beyond “help Noctis” and later on “marry Noctis”. She has no individual personality, no ambitions, no presence unless Noctis needs it.

In my mind, none of this could go hand in hand with a love story. If a love story is what the game wanted to get to with Luna’s and Noctis’s interactions, it is poorly told. Luna’s character as a person took a backseat to her other roles which are ( again! ) wrapped around Noctis’s other roles. Oracle? Serves the Chosen King. Princess? Marries the Prince ( at least by the time of FFXV, because there’s no word on previous Nox Fleurets having married Lucis Caelums ). Luna is committed to fulfilling both roles and has been ever since she was a child (3), and all of her actions were based on the roles to the point where I’d be hard pressed to say that any of that was actual proof that she loved Noctis in a romantic sense, or that she loved him in a special way that would have followed him no matter what role he was in that wasn’t already chosen for him by birth. Even if the story did need the romance for Luna and Noctis, it didn’t necessitate that Luna have no individual personality of her own in order to benefit Noctis’s story. Unfortunately for us, the characterization and writing behaves as if the previous Final Fantasies didn’t happen. Obviously not in a narrative sense but in terms of tropes. Luna’s characterization is a mix of Aerith and Yuna, except individually, Aerith and Yuna were better written. 

Like, Yuna had to form pacts with summons too, with the ultimate purpose being to attain the Final Aeon and defeat Sin. There was also a sense of “doom” in the story in that the Final Aeon would kill the Summoner that used it, bringing peace at the cost of their life, and Yuna knew that and had come to terms with it by the time she set out on her pilgrimage. That was her story. But her plot was different than that, thanks to her characterization. She was portrayed as self-sacrificing, but to a clear point. When it turned out that the Final Aeon thing was more or less a hoax and that she needed to effectively kill one of her friends in order to defeat Sin and then die anyway, she rejected the Final Aeon ( unlike the Summoners before her ) and she and her party set out to change fate and bring the Eternal Calm. We see Sin die for good, and the Aeons disappear because they’re not needed anymore, but we’re left with a prosperous people ready to finally live their lives without fear of Sin ever coming back. (**)

In contrast, XV’s heroes simply accept that they need to die because they’re told that it’s a permanent solution to the Starscourge problem, but we are shown no evidence that they did anything except turning the lights back on in a landscape devoid of people and that’s it. Everything is empty. Sunny, yes, but empty. It obviously can’t be permanently daytime, so nighttime would have to fall. But we are shown no instances of existing daemons burning up and dying, or of people afflicted with Starscourge recovering ‘miraculously’. There’s no reason we can’t just think everyone is fucked as soon as the sun goes back down. There is no more King or Oracle, no protective Wall, and Insomnia is still in ruins. That’s happy?

Like Luna, Aerith was also tasked with powers passed down by her bloodline, and was the last of her kind. She died at the hands of the villain that showed up out of nowhere. The world wouldn’t have been saved without her actions, and she also had some kind of presence post-death. The key difference was that her presence lasted longer than one second in the afterlife at a convenient moment to the hero (***). She controlled the lifeforce of an entire planet to stop Meteor when Holy didn’t work. She showed up in spirit and gave Cloud the last boost he needed to defeat Bahamut-SIN. She pulled off Great Gospel in order to cure Geostigma ( first Cloud, then eventually all the people in Midgar exposed to the healing rain ). Yes, Cloud fought Sephiroth physically and that’s important, but in both the game and Advent Children, fighting Sephiroth alone did not solve the entire issue/danger of the story. Defeating him in a swordfight didn’t reverse the course of Meteor or eradicate Geostigma. Aerith was the one who performed the actual world-saving contributions, so it was more like Cloud and the rest of the party was there to make it easier for her to do her thing. 

And even though Aerith, like Luna, was killed by the villain of the plot and it made the hero sad, Sephiroth stabbed Aerith because she was literally the only person in the entire world capable of thwarting his plan. Luna wasn’t particularly threatening to Ardyn -- at that point, no one in the story was a real threat to his plan given his absurd OPness. Luna’s ability to keep the Starscourge and its darkness at bay wasn’t a real concern because of the plot revelations that happened on the side (4). He stabbed her to spite Noctis when the story put her on death’s doorstep anyway and felled her with an inconvenient coughing fit. Not even the healing touch was of real threat to him outside of the one-second sneak attack in the ending. Luna held on to Ardyn’s arm for a good half minute in her last living moments and he wasn’t reeling from her touch. He backhanded her so hard she turned back into Stella Nox for a second. That’s the opposite of threatening. 

Anyway, XV forgot that a love story involves people. If we don’t care about the characters as people, we’re not going to be as involved in the romance which will inevitably feature more of them. And Luna wasn’t a person. She was a plot device, with a forced tragedy that made the whole thing pointless.

(1) Luna as Oracle and as Princess had a duty to help the Prince and Chosen King and help him become the True King of Light. If it’d been literally any one else in Noct’s shoes as the Chosen King like, say, Prompto, Luna would still have to do her quest because of destiny, not because she loved the guy. She’d still be expected to heal people of the Scourge, to awaken the Astrals, to protect the King from the Astrals if need be. None of that requires a love for Noctis or even for Noctis to be Noctis, nor for Luna to be Luna, or for the bond between them to be a love story. Let’s say it this way: the story could have been about their parents. If events transpired so that Regis had to go on the quest and Sylva was the one to go around awakening the Astrals, the story would be that Sylva would have to do Oracle things regardless of whether she loved Regis or not unless the plot seriously wanted to make their kids into stepsiblings. That’s what Oracles do.

(2) one strike in particular against Lunoct is how Luna’s death was handled and Noctis’s character development was framed in light of it. Frankly, the way the scene was presented didn’t seem like he lost Luna as someone he loved and thought of as a peer, but that he lost Luna as a parental figure who shielded him from the rest of the world’s evils. They’re shown as children, then Luna suddenly transitioned into an adult, and Noctis remained as a child. So her death was more like him losing his sense of safety and being orphaned, forcibly unmoored from his innocence and made to “finally grow up/become an adult”. Their unmatching mental states were so obvious that Noctis had to be aged to 30 before he and Luna ( now perpetually 24 years old ) looked like “an actual couple”. Also, Luna never even got a proper funeral. She got stabbed, she drowned, and then her body was conveniently lost at sea because the story stopped giving a crap about her.

(3) the second strike is that the story is set to kill these characters right off. Luna was “dead no matter what” thanks to the Astrals’ covenant taking a toll on her body at the tender age of 24 even though Regis had a literal “age yourself to death” plot device in his use of the Ring of Lucii and still lived to, like, 50 while constantly maintaining a Wall. Anyway, Noctis was also fated to die and short of him not doing his divinely mandated task to wipe Ardyn and the Starscourge off the map and instead dooming the world to a hellish landscape with daemons running loose, there was nothing else he could do. It was a suicide mission. It’s one that not only Regis, but Luna knew about and didn’t tell him, robbing him of the chance to come to terms with it as she undoubtedly had. He thought he was going to be a King and retake/rule over Insomnia only to find out in the eleventh hour that he was actually a pig led to the slaughter. No one stops to think about how ethically fucked up this all is. It just seems like tragedy for the sake of tragedy that’s not earned nor treated like what it is by even the characters within the game ( you have to hunt down the Dawn trailer to see Regis actually mourning his son’s fate, because otherwise, not a damn peep about it. But he knew ). I don’t know about you, but if I loved someone and knew they were going to die, I’d let them know about it. It’s understandable if Luna withheld information about her own death from Noctis because it’s her life and not his, but withholding information about his death? No. Unacceptable. This doesn’t make any sense unless we just assume that no one has particular feelings around death and suicide to begin with.

(4) Not that we find out this detail in any immediate place that would show its importance even though it was set up in the beginning that way, but the problem of the nights getting longer and the days shorter came about from the least likely place -- a friggin’ note in Takka’s diner. Killing daemons would release the photophilic particles of the Starscourge into the air, thereby spreading the darkness instead of making it better. That’s it. Now, the Empire's been manufacturing demons and Magitek soldiers in great numbers, even prior to the start of the game. They were going it so much that 30 years before XV took place, it overwhelmed the 112th King of Lucis and forced him to shrink his wall to being just around Insomnia instead of covering all of Lucis, in order to preserve what was left of his lifespan. Then the Crystal being moved from Insomnia during Kingsglaive also caused longer nights. So, with absurd amounts of daemons being forcibly made, the daemons that already existed possibly attacking people, the removal of the Crystal, the killing of daemons, and even the Oracle’s ( by FFXV’s point, obligatory ) death all contributing to the darkness basically made sure that the Oracle’s living presence alone meant absolute piss all in terms of combating it, and ultimately it’s Noctis who used the Light of the Crystal to banish the Scourge completely. Until he did, Ardyn stuck everyone in a lose/lose situation that made Luna’s contribution meaningless as hell outside of, of course, whatever benefited Noctis. So it’s hard to argue that Luna’s task of staving off the darkness was especially hard considering the story itself tries to make it meaningless.

(**) Mentions of Tidus are completely absent in the comparison between Yuna and Luna because none of Yuna’s plot required using her power as Summoner to serve him specifically, nor did the story go to great lengths to portray him as the Only Chosen One to defeat Sin. They both did it. The story presented them more or less as equals. We’re also given a chance to view Yuna as a person and see that while she’s possessing of good traits-- kind, loyal, and full of conviction-- we also see her flaws, or even the way those good traits backfire on her. As Auron said, “she’s naive, serious to a fault, and doesn’t ask for help”. She’s overly apologetic. She’s secretive. She doesn’t allow herself to show negative feelings in front of her friends. We eventually see her show anger and disgust, and in both X and X-2 she openly challenges the plans of other people who think they know better than she does and with it the idea of senseless self-sacrifice and the constant hammering of “There���s no choice”. 

(***) None of what Aerith did necessitated “being useful to Cloud” or serving his story-mandated “higher duty to save the world”, with this obligation passed down through generations. She saved the world, and Cloud just happened to be living in it. There was the brief scene where she visited Cloud in his headspace more or less, and that was honestly optional on her part. We also learned about her as a person throughout FF7 and witnessed her virtues and vices. She was kind and forgiving and playful, but she also expressed jealousy, uncertainty/doubt, a reluctance to find out more about herself ( at least in the beginning ), overconfidence, stubbornness, and meanness/insensitivity in certain moments. And they at least waited until the sequel movie to make her into Jesus 2.0 instead of canonizing her out the gate, so there’s that. Luna’s characterization in contrast was just a collection of good ideals and virtues, with the one scene of her actually expressing doubt/reluctance in her role amounting to “I might not be as useful to Noct as I’m supposed to be, maybe Ravus should take the Ring to him instead”. And I suppose that one scene in Kingsglaive where she pulled the bafflingly stupid stunt of jumping out of a moving plane and nearly getting herself killed in the process for no reason. That too, I guess.

[d2kvirus]

Dickheads of the Month: October 2019

As it seems that there are people who say or do things that are remarkably dickheaded yet somehow people try to make excuses for them or pretend it never happened, here is a collection of some of the dickheaded actions we saw in the month of October 2019 to make sure that they are never forgotten.

In a really, really mature move proven liar Boris Johnson sent a letter to the EU to request a Britait extension but didn’t sign it, in a feeble attempt to try and say that an official letter from his office doesn’t count if he didn’t sign it and he absolutely should not have to fulfill his promise of claiming he’d rather be dead in a ditch than request an extension

Of course Priti Patel would try and claim the Tories are the party of law and order during her conference speech in spite the minor issue her speech came a week after the Tories were ruled to have unlawfully suspended parliament, because what else did she have other than a strawman about he “North London Liberal Elite” to say for herself?

...although we can thank Geoffrey Clifton-Brown for completely undermining Patel’s speech by his being arrested at the conference due to getting into a punch-up with event security  an hour before Patel even took to the stage

Hapless businesswoman Jennifer Arcuri would look a lot less like she’d been handed a script if she asked what business of ours is it to ask why a six-figure sum of public money ended up in her bank account courtesy of proven liar Boris Johnson, rather than the narrative she attempted to spin asking who we are to ask whether or not he had an affair...because the actual question is a matter for the courts instead of the court of public opinion, as whoever wrote her script knew all too well

In the latest bout of the Liberal Democrats showing how they’re definitely not Tories in disguise, all nineteen of the MPs abstained on a vote to keep the NHS out of Britait negotiations and, in the process, handed Boris Johnson his first-ever parliamentary win over Jeremy Corbyn - which Jo Swinson attempted to defend by squawking “something something antisemitism” in an attempt to distract people from noting the day before she couldn’t stop talking about the handful of Labour MPs who voted in favour of the proven liar's Britait timetable as she continues to try and delude herself and others into believing she’s a kingmaker and not a Tory enabler

...although she’s not alone in that regard, as Gavin Shuker took to Twitter to say how The Independents would do anything in their power to prevent Jeremy Corbyn getting into Downing Street, which only serves to justify him losing a No Confidence vote from his constituents when standing as a Labour MP 

It says a lot about Blizzard that their response to Hearthstone streamer Blitzchung voicing support for the Hong Kong protestswas to boot him out of an upcoming Hearthstone tournament, suspend him from any further Hearthstone tournaments for a full year, and withhold the earnings he had made - and attempting to hide behind their competition rules does not adequately explain why they also ditched the two commentators who happened to be hosting when Blitzchung made the comments in spite their cutting to commercial as soon as he made them, which definitely does not make it look like Blizzard are shit scared of losing the Chinese esports market or anything considering they didn;t do a damn thing to any American players or commentators who subsequently spoke up on Blitzchung’s behalf...

It didn’t take long for the BBC to start gaslighting the public during the election campaign, with Fiona Bruce telling a Question Time audience member that Vote leave was cleared of breaking electoral law in spite the fact that they were found guilty of breaking electoral law, at which point panellists Paul Scully and gaslighter extraordinaire Isabel Oakeshott piled in to continue the bullying somebody who showed more aptitude for journalism than Bruce, Oakeshott and Scully managed between them

I have no idea how Rudy Giuliani managed to give a journalist on the Orange Overlord’s no-no list reason to further investigate the Trump regime leaning on foreign governments to dig up dirt on their opponents when his right buttcheek somehow dialled their number, but what I do know is that it does not surprise me in the slightest that the stop fell into a journalist’s lap because Giuliani was so careless he managed to butt dial them

I’m sure it’s a coincidence that both James Cleverly and Mark Francois both used their Tory conference speeches to threaten rioting on the streets if Britait isn't done, which definitely isn’t a well-worn trope of the Leave camp by this point and certainly not something the police should look into

Isn’t it interesting how Lib Dem staffer Steve Wilson was quick to accuse Dawn Butler of making up incidents of experiencing racist abuse, which not only undermined the Lib Dems’ attempts to portray themselves as anything other than the Tories under a different coat of paint, especially considering the fact that Wilson just so happens to be husband of recent Lib Dem appointee Angela “funny tinge” Smith?

I’m sure we’ll be hearing a lot about how Matt Hancock tried to claim that the 20,000 new police officers the Tories claim will be on the streets by 2025 will replace the 21,000 they have laid off since 2010 in an interview with Good Morning Britain, just as I am sure people will mention he kept repeating his soundbite even when being told that the UK will still be 1000 police officers worse off than they were ten years ago several times until he started to look like a malfunctioning computer

Of course Louise Ellman responded to a vote of no confidence being called against her by her local party by resigning from the Labour party and using the usual “Corbyn is an antisemite” arguments we heard numerous times before from people facing deselection.  It’s passed cliche and is rapidly headed towards high camp at this point

...especially when Karen Pollock of the Holocaust Educational Trust posted a video to her Twitter telling her followers how terrible it is that Labour are looking to have Jo Bird replace Ellman and regurgitated the exact same claims of antisemitism...yet never once deigned to mention that Bird is Jewish, which looks uncannily like the “wrong type of Jews” argument we’ve heard more than once from the Board of Deputies

Of course Anne Sacoolas expressed regret at her reckless driving being responsible for the death of Harry Dunn...after she legged it back across the Atlantic as soon as humanly possible, waiting a few days for the heat to die down, and then issuing a press release saying she regrets her actions but will not actually face consequences for them due to scurrying to hide behind diplomatic immunity in record time

On paper it looked as if WWE had merely given wrestler Jordan Myles a really unimaginative shirt design because the character they gave him is Smiley Guy Who Is Happy To Be Here 708...but the thing is that, on paper, the design didn’t look uncannily like something from a minstrel show, which Myles was particularly vocal about when he saw it - and even more vocal when WWE’s statement in response was the usual ass-covering gaslighting they issue when the company is shown in a bad light 

It appears that the BBC are taking the threats against politicians so seriously that they invited Julia Halfwit Hartley-Brewer onto the Question Time panel little more than a week after she shared the home address of Jo Maugham on her Twitter account so her followers could happily dogpile

You would think that Bethesda would have learned that Fallout 76 has been nothing but a humiliation conga line for them by this point, but apparently not, as they had the genius idea of charging $99.99 (or £99.99, because fuck British players amirite?) for a premium subscription for a game that came out to critical derision and commercial stagnation a year before someone hit on this idea, and if that wasn’t humiliating enough it soon transpired that the supposed benefits of paying $13 a month didn’t work to the point where players paying the premium were losing items while those who weren’t had no problems at all  

Once again it seems nobody told Extinction Rebellion that there’s a way to protest that doesn’t mainly involve being a bunch of dickheads and generally pissing people off with dickheaded stunts, with James Brown taking the prize for most dickheaded act after he climbed on top of a plane at Heathrow, although the bloke at Canning Town getting a shoeing after trying to hold up the train runs him a close second

I have no idea how Roland Rudd imagined his boardroom coup to take over the People’s Vote campaign would have gone, but I’m going to guess the mass walkout of staff when his plan to make the campaign a fully-fledged political party who would position as pro-business “liberals” in an obvious bid to try and split the Labour vote may have had something to do with it

The sheer spinelessness of the BBC was exposed for all to see when it emerged that a solitary complaint from a viewer was all it took for the corporation to reprimand Naga Mulchetty for suggesting that Donald Trump saying non-white congresswomen should go back where they came from, yet when Brendan O’Neill saying people should take to the streets and riot if Britait isn’t delivered received over 600 complaints no action was taken.  And as if that didn’t make it any clear, when Priti Patel was called out by Andrew Marr for smirking through an interview when a list of businesses facing bankruptcy due to Britait drew a couple of hundred complaints, the corporation issued a grovelling apology that said they should not make light of Patel’s natural facial expression, even though there’s a wealth of evidence that smirking is not her natural facial expression

Funny how the dogwhistling boneheads have nothing to say about Jess Phillips’ mental flub during an interview when she claimed she'd knocked on the doors of 25,000 doors in the previous two weeks when she meant to say 2500, yet have spent the past two years continuously howling about the one time Diane Abbott flubbed her sums in an interview.  Hmm, I wonder why the white middle-class Phillips gets better treatment than the black working-class Abbott...

Luckily for Rebekah Vardy it isn’t exactly difficult to do a disservice to the image of footballers wives, but her being caught out leaking stories that Coleen Rooney planted on her Instagram to find out who was leaking stories to The Sun wasn’t the logical defence of trying to claim that The Sun hacked Rooney’s phone as they have previous in that regard but to reel off ever-more spurious attempts at a denial and threatening legal action

In a desperate bid for attention Tracy Ann Oberman accused Jeremy Corbyn of stalking her at her place of work by posting a selfie of herself standing near a table where Corbyn, his wife and Shami Chakrabarti were having a cup of tea at a theatre in Corbyn’s constituency, and to prove she’s definitely not unhinged this soon degenerated into her getting into the usual vicious Twitter spats that occur when her behaviour is called out

Pity poor Savid Javid for having to endure the pain and humiliation of Hugh Grant not shaking his hand at a film premiere.  Of course, maybe if Javid didn’t publicly dismiss the concerns of those who have been victims of press intrusion, maybe he wouldn’t be in a situation where a victim of press intrusion such as Hugh Grant would not want to shake his hand at a film premiere...

It was finally revealed how mug salesman Steven Crowder looks borderline informed when in debates with other people.  It’s because his father prevents him from taking part in debates against opponents who will show him up as the ill-informed blowhard that he is.  Yes, really

Sentient testicle Toby Young decided this month’s dogwhistling about Meghan Markle would be how she obviously can’t be depressed as the rich and famous are never depressed, which plumbed new depths of ignorance even for him 

Britain’s most triggered man Piers Moron Morgan thought he was being clever when asking Good Morning Britain viewers to vote in a poll about whether he should be fired or not.  The look on his face when 56% of voters said he should be sacked revealed how clever he actually is... 

And of course, what would a month be without Donald Trump being utterly moronic, on this occasion saying it’s okay for the Kurds to be attacked as they didn’t help the US in World War II in spite the act that a.) They did, and b.) KURDISTAN IS NOT A COUNTRY.  But then again, he does seem to be running out of material as the best he can say about Joe Biden is “But his text messages!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

[citizentruth-blog]

Undermining Democracy, GOP-Style

Brian Kemp is a disgrace. (Photo Credit: Office of U.S. Senator David Perdue/Flickr) When it comes to the present-day incarnation of the Republican Party, always beware the shell game.  Per Dictionary.com, shell game is defined as "a sleight-of-hand swindling game resembling thimblerig but employing walnut shells or the like instead of thimblelike cups." If you're familiar with the setup of three-card Monte, the logistics are essentially the same, only with cards instead of shells. Find the pea (or the Queen of Hearts) under the shell. Double-down on your ability to find it again. If you're successful, you win big. If you're not, the opposite happens. With Donald Trump, Con-Man-in-Chief, working in cahoots with a party whose agenda seems increasingly predicated on deception—so that you don't discover how bad their policies actually are for you or the country at large—this diversionary tactic is alive and well. Before your eyes, numerous issues await your attention, but energy/money/time being limited, you can only pick one on which to act at the risk of having all three suffer. Concerning the events of the last week and change, three "shells" jump to mind being of national import, especially fresh after Election Day. All merit scrutiny as threats to democracy, and yet, there aren't enough hours in the day. That press conference President Trump has had some stupendously bad press conferences during his tenure, but his post-election presser, if not the outright worst, ranks right up there. There's a lot to unpack here, so let's get to the nitty-gritty, shall we? The great and powerful Republican Party: First things first, Trump started by lionizing the GOP's "achievements." Apparently, not losing control of the Senate and ceding control of the House qualify. At any rate, they were achievements because the Democrats had an unfair advantage in fundraising from special interests and wealthy donors and because the media is so gosh-darned mean to Republican candidates. Also, we had a bunch of retirements. But we had big rallies! And we did better than Obama! The country is booming! If the Democrats don't screw everything up, we'll all be united and thriving together! On bipartisanship: With the whining about the Republicans' handicap thus dispensed with, it was time for questions. First up, about that spirit of bipartisanship he and Nancy Pelosi talked about. Like, that's not really going to happen, right? Especially with all the investigations expected to be going on and unless y'all compromise? Trump demurred on the issue. No, we're totally going to be able to work together with the Democrats. Of course, if we can't, they're the ones in control of the House, so you know—their fault. Oh, that border wall... We're gonna build the wall. We've already started building it, in fact. Just try and stop it. The American people want it. The Democrats want it—they just don't want to admit it. Fine by me. I'll take the political capital and run with it. But the caravan is coming, ladies and gents. I can't say for sure that I'd advocate shutting down the government for it. But come on—I totally would. On the ever-tumultuous Cabinet: Trump is totally happy with his Cabinet. Good Cabinet. Great Cabinet. As long as no one suddenly displeases him, he has love for all. At this point, in a completely unrelated move, the President pushed a button revealing a pool of sharks underneath the floor and lowering a human-sized cage suspended above it from the ceiling. The Jim Acosta portion of the program: If there's one moment of the press conference you heard about, it was likely this. CNN's Jim Acosta, established persona non grata among Trump's base, pressed Trump on referring to the migrant caravan in Central America as an "invasion." Trump was all, like, well, I consider it an invasion. Acosta was all, like, but that caravan is hundreds and hundreds of miles away and you're demonizing immigrants by showing them climbing over walls, which they're not going to do. And that's when things got really interesting. As Trump settled into Attack Mode, Acosta tried to ask a follow-up question. Trump was all, like, you've had enough, pal. Nevertheless, he persisted, trying to ask about the Russia investigation. Meanwhile, a female aide tried to grab the mic away from Acosta, which he stifled with a "Pardon me, ma'am" and a hand on her arm. Before Acosta relented, Trump called the investigation a "hoax" and called Acosta a "rude, terrible person." Fun times. More about the Jim Acosta portion of the program: NBC News's Peter Alexander came to Acosta's defense as next reporter up—only to get harangued by the President in his own right—but the implications of this kerfuffle and the subsequent revocation of Acosta's press privileges in covering the White House are serious. I don't care what you think about Acosta personally, even if you feel he's a self-aggrandizing hack. Judging by the smarmy attitude of other CNN personalities like Anderson Cooper and Chris Cuomo, elevated self-appraisals seem to be a fairly common occurrence there. I also don't care what you think about Barack Obama's frosty relationship with FOX News and the questionable treatment its reporters received at the hands of the Obama White House. On the latter count, two wrongs don't make a right, and if Trump and Co. want to distinguish themselves, they should do it by being better and less petty—not the other way around. To that effect, squelching Acosta's voice in a dictatorial way should be concerning no matter where you stand politically in the name of journalistic integrity and a free press. And let's not start with the whole "Acosta assaulted that young woman" narrative. If you're relying on a doctored InfoWars clip to make your argument, you already should take the hint you're probably on some bullshit. More on bipartisanship: After Jim Acosta was given the ol' Vaudeville Hook, Alexander questioned Trump on why he was pitting Americans against one another. To which Trump asked back—and I am not making this up—"What are you—trying to be him?" He was referring to Acosta, of course. Even after what just happened, it was stunning. For the record, Pres. Trump gave a dodgy "they're soft on crime" answer and suggested the results of the election would have a "very positive impact." So, um, yay togetherness! If the Mueller investigation is unfair to the country and it's costing millions of dollars, why doesn't Trump just end it? I'm posting the whole question here, because the President sure didn't answer it convincingly. On voter suppression: "I'll give you 'voter suppression': Take a look at the CNN polls, how inaccurate they were. That's called 'voter suppression'." Um, what? On the individual mandate: You know, I could tell you what he said, but do you have any confidence that, regardless of how people feel about the individual mandate, Republicans have a plan in mind which will allow them to keep premiums down and cover preexisting conditions? Neither do I. When all questions by women of color are "stupid" or "racist": Speaking of three-card Monte, here's a shell game within the shell game in which you get to pick which one is the most flagrantly dog-whistle-y. PBS NewsHour's Yamiche Alcindor asked Trump about whether his claim to be a "nationalist" has emboldened "white nationalists" here and abroad. Trump said it's a "racist" question. Putting aside the notion held by many that racism implies power and Trump therefore has no idea what he's talking about in this regard, it's a legitimate question. Trump pivoted to his overwhelming support from African-American voters—a fabrication, at any rate—but his lack of an appropriate response betrays his complicity on this issue. More on denigrating black female reporters: While the dialog with Alcindor was the only such interaction with an African-American female reporter during the press conference, it's not his only recent unflattering characterization herein. In response to a question by CNN's Abby Phillip about whether he appointed Matthew Whitaker as acting Attorney General, he called her query "stupid" and opined that she asks "a lot of stupid questions." As for April Ryan, Trump recently referred to her as a "loser" and someone "who doesn't know what she's doing." If these comments were isolated incidents, one might be able to give Trump the benefit of the doubt. In such close proximity to one another and based on his track record, though, Trump deserves no such consideration. He's attacking these women of color because he has a problem with being challenged by strong females and because it's red meat to throw at his base. Other odds and ends: Trump evidently can't turn over his tax returns because he is under audit. This is complete and unmitigated bullshit. Trump likes Oprah. Even if she, too, is a loser. If anything is going to be done with DACA, it will apparently have to be dealt with in court. Whose fault is that? You guessed it: the Democrats. Trump claimed to have a lot of trouble understanding people from foreign news outlets. If there were anything to make him seem like more of the "ugly American," well, this would be it. What did Trump learn from the midterm results? Seeing as he learned that "people like him" and that "people like the job he's doing," he obviously didn't learn a damn thing. Will Mike Pence be Trump's running mate in 2020? Yes. Glad that's settled. Nice hardball question there. How will Trump push a pro-life agenda with a divided Congress? Like a mother trying to give birth, he's just going to keep pushing—don't you worry, evangelicals. Did China or Russia interfere in the election? The official report's, as they say, in the mail. How can we enact a middle-class tax cut alongside the existing corporate/high-earner tax cut? With an "adjustment." What kind of adjustment? Trump's "not telling." YOU HAVE NO IDEA. JUST SAY IT. Per "Two Corinthians" Trump, God plays a very big role in his life. He's also a "great moral leader," and he loves our country. On an unrelated note, a lightning bolt ripped through the ceiling during the press conference, narrowly missing Trump as he delivered his remarks. Au revoir, Monsieur Sessions Politics makes strange bedfellows. If you're thinking how strange it is to be protesting the firing of Jeff bleeping Sessions, you're not alone. Sessions' aforementioned removal as AG in favor of Trump loyalist Matthew Whitaker—assuming he actually was fired and didn't resign, though how would we know?—is not something that anyone feels bad about for Sessions's sake. You make a deal with the Devil, and eventually, you expect to get burned, no? Given his profile as a notorious anti-drug dinosaur who infamously once professed that good people don't use marijuana, some drug reform activism groups are even happy he's gone. Outside of this context, though, the larger partisan hostility toward Robert Mueller and his investigation matters. I'm not going to even get into whether Trump has the right to remove Sessions and replace him with someone like Whitaker who wasn't confirmed by the Senate, or whether it matters if he was fired or if he quit. Honestly, these questions are above my ken as a citizen journalist. If past statements are any indication, however, putting Whitaker in charge of the DOJ is suspect. The man didn't exactly write the book on how to limit the scope of the Mueller investigation, but he did pen an opinion piece for Trump's favorite news outlet on how it should be done. As with invalidating Jim Acosta's White House press privileges (a move which has prompted another lawsuit against the Trump administration, mind you), such is a line the president should not cross, no matter what side of the aisle you're on. As Americans, we should all be worried about the fate of the Mueller investigation as it comes to a head, and should implore our elected officials to safeguard the inquiry's results. The ghost of the 2000 election Oh, those hanging chads. It's somehow comforting—and yet actually deeply, deeply disturbing—that not much has changed since the fracas surrounding the 2000 recount that captivated a nation and prompted cries of a "stolen" victory for George W. Bush. Then again, that Al Gore didn't win his own state and that thousands of Florida Democrats voted for Bush puts a bit of a damper on pointing to these shenanigans and Ralph Nader as the only reasons why Gore lost. As with Hillary Clinton losing in 2016, alongside legitimate concerns about Russian meddling and James Comey's untimely letter to Congress, it's not as if strategic miscues or lack of enthusiasm about the Democratic candidate in question didn't play a role. Now that I've set the scene, let's talk about 2018. There were a number of close races across the country this Election Day—some so close they still haven't been certified or conceded. Depending on your views, some were either disappointments or godsends. If you were pulling for Beto O'Rourke in Texas, while you still should be encouraged, you were nonetheless dismayed to find that enough voters willingly re-elected Ted Cruz, famed annoyance and rumored Zodiac Killer. If you were pulling for Kyrsten Sinema in Arizona, meanwhile, you likely were over the moon once the race was finally called. Of the key races not yet called at this writing, those in Florida and Georgia loom particularly large. In the Sunshine State, the candidates of both the race for U.S. Senate between Rick Scott (R) and Bill Nelson (D) and the race for governor between Ron DeSantis (R) and Andrew Gillum (D) are separated by less than half of 1%. Meanwhile, in the Peach State gubernatorial race, there are enough outstanding votes that Stacey Abrams (D) and her campaign are convinced they can force a runoff election based on the margin. In all three cases, despite the razor-thin vote disparities, Republicans have been quick to cry fraud or try to expedite certifying the results. Scott, with Trump throwing his own claim around wildly in support, has made accusations of electoral malfeasance without the evidence to back it up. And this is just speaking about what has happened after the election. Leading up to the election, DeSantis caught flak for telling voters not to "monkey this up" by voting for Gillum, dog-whistling loud enough for racists across the Southeast to hear. Brian Kemp (R), meanwhile as Georgia Secretary of State, oversaw the purging of voters from rolls, the failure to process voter applications, and keeping voting machines locked up—all primarily at the expense of voters of color, a key Democratic constituency. Depending on how far back you wish to go, the antics of DeSantis, Kemp, and Scott are only the latest turn in a long-standing American tradition of voter suppression aimed at blacks. Carol Anderson, professor of African-American studies at Emory University, provides a concise but effective history of keeping blacks from the polls—by hook or by crook. We may no longer be threatening prospective voters of color with tar and feathers, but voter purges, closure of polling locations, and disenfranchisement of felons from being able to vote aren't much of an improvement. This is 2018, after all. As Van Jones and others might insist, Kemp et al. can only win one way: by stealing. To put it another way, if these Republicans were convinced they had won legitimately, they wouldn't need all the chicanery, subterfuge, and insinuations of impropriety. Even if they do prove to have the votes necessary to win, their conduct is a stain on the offices they have served or will serve. Like it is with the White House's revocation of Jim Acosta's privileges following Trump's press conference or the suspicious installation of Matthew Whitaker as head of the Department of Justice, the injustice here is such that it should, ahem, trump partisanship. Instead, our "winning is the only thing" mentality and emphasis on results over process all but ensures bipartisan inaction. Assuming a shell game is run fairly, the customer playing need only follow the correct shell amid all the movement. This itself might be a chore depending on how much and how fast the shells move. Going back to the Wikipedia entry on the shell game, though, there's an important note about how, frequently, games of these sort are not on the up-and-up: In practice, however, the shell game is notorious for its use by confidence tricksters who will typically rig the game using sleight of hand to move or hide the ball during play and replace it as required. Fraudulent shell games are also known for the use of psychological tricks to convince potential players of the legitimacy of the game – for example, by using shills or by allowing a player to win a few times before beginning the scam. In other words, it's a con. You've been following the wrong shell all along because the eyes deceive. In the context of President Donald Trump's unbecoming behavior, his DOJ shakeup of questionable legitimacy, and the Republican Party's stacking of the electoral deck, while all of these matters merit your justifiable outrage, they are yet a distraction from something else not even on the table. For one, shortly after the press conference, Trump issued a directive designed to halt asylum-seeking at our southern border. It's a particularly problematic order, in that it appears to fundamentally misunderstand asylum law and makes it yet harder to apply for asylum than it already is. It's also reactionary policy that overstates the dangers of the migrant caravan and illegal immigration in general, and further puts us out of step with international standards on safeguarding refugees/asylees. This executive order comes on the heels of Trump's stated desire to end birthright citizenship, another move which would be of dubious constitutional validity and subject to challenge in court by civil rights advocacy groups, not to mention having U.S. troops stationed at the border with Mexico. It's easy to dismiss these as political stunts designed to fire up his base when you have no skin in the game, so to speak. For immigrants and would-be applicants for asylum/visas, this rhetoric is more worrisome. Owing to our country's poor track record of acting on behalf of vulnerable populations—I'll bring our sordid history of intimidating voters of color and otherwise acting in official capacities to deny them their rights back up, in case you need reminding—this is more than simple hand-wringing based on the theoretical. In the miasma and noise of a Republican agenda fueled by the views of FOX News talking heads, Koch-Brothers-funded legislative influence, obeisance to moneyed interests and religious conservatives, Tea Party railing against deficits, and Trump's own prejudicial outlook, it's legitimately hard to cut through all the bullshit and focus on what we can do as possible influencers. By now, the sense of fatigue is real, especially because when we act to counteract said agenda, there's also half-hearted Democratic Party policies and media clickbait designed to offend around which to work. So, what's the answer? Assuming my words are even that useful in this regard, I'm not sure. As noted, all of the above merits scrutiny, but we have our limitations. It may be useful to zero in on one or a handful of issues that arouse your personal political passions. Plus, if you can afford it, so many causes spearheaded by organizations devoted to the betterment of society deserve your donations, though throwing money at these problems does not automatically equate to solving them. At the end of the day, though, what is abundantly clear after decades of failed policy initiatives is that tuning out is not a viable option if we want meaningful change. Indeed, people-powered solutions will be necessary if we are to fix our broken democracy—and there's a lot to fix, at that. Recognize the shell game for what it is, but don't refuse to play. Instead, change the game.   Read the full article