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phoenixyfriend · 3 months

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How to Call Your Reps About Gaza

I make a lot of posts telling you to call your reps! Anyway, here's the overall shape of how to argue to them.

Disclaimer: I am not in politics. I do not have experience as a staffer. I am just someone who cares a lot about where things are going, and wants to help. Also, this is specific to the US, because that's where I'm based. Hopefully, people with expertise can add more suggestions on.

Find your elected officials.

My Ko-fi: this took me two days to write up, so uh. If you've got a few dollars, send them my way so I can keep doing this sort of thing, and maybe move out of my parents' house sooner.

General tips:

Be polite, or at least civil. Do not swear or shout at whoever answers the phone. This will quite possibly get your number blocked. Fifty civil calls over the course of several months will do more than one where you shout. You can be frosty, you can say you are disappointed, you can say you find the actions of your reps to be reprehensible or morally bankrupt, sure. But keep calm and aim criticism at the rep, not the staffer.

Keep it short. The staffers who answer call centers are busy. They usually start trying to hurry me off after about two minutes. I've yet to manage a call longer than four or five minutes. Pick one or two topics for the day, and focus on those. Cycle through them every time you call. Stick to just one from day to day if it's a large, ongoing issue like Gaza.

Plan for voicemail. I get voicemail more often than not. My House rep usually has a staffer free, but the Senators are almost always voicemail. This will give you a minute and a half max. Be ready to get your point squeezed into that.

Only call your representatives. The important, powerful word here is "constituent." You will be ignored or even counted against if you are from a different district or state. The first thing you start with is your name and address. A staffer will ask for the information they need. On voicemail, leave your full name, your city and state, and zip code before you go into your message. Do not lie, either. They look these things up in the system when you call. I'm not sure how--I think maybe they have access to a database of registered voters--but every time I call, they ask for my last name and address and at some point say, 'oh, yep, I've got you right here,' which indicates a database of some sort.

Research at least a little bit about their opinions. If they already agree with you, then it's much easier to leave a quick "I support you and want you to know that" to combat anyone who's arguing from the other side. If they don't, then you're best off finding out what specific issue they have so you can know the best kind of comment to leave.

Look up specific bills or arguments. I get daily emails from GovTrack about bills that are on this week's docket or have been voted on in the past day. IDK about anyone else, but being able to say that I disagree specifically with HR 815 or something makes me feel powerful, and possibly like I will be taken more seriously. Sometimes you can start with articles like this one, which include links to specific bills on the official congress website.

Email after if you can. Reportedly less effective, and takes longer, but you are more likely to get a written (canned) response, and it reinforces whatever you called about.

Basic structure of a call, at least as I've been doing it:

"Hi, my name is ____ ____, and I am a constituent from [city, state], [zip]. I am calling to express my opinion on [topic]. I am concerned about [short argument with a clear impact on the topic]. I ask that you support [measure or fellow congress member]/vote [yay/nay on specific legislature]. Thank you for your time, and I hope you keep my opinion in mind."

For this post, the topic can be stated as the war in Gaza, military funding for Israel, or unrest in the Middle East, depending on which you think your elected official will respond to best. That said, the structure should work for whatever your call is about.

Arguments to use against your elected official... or your on-the-fence cousin:

I'll be honest, some of these are not going to do much against your representative. They know the arguments, and have been going over them with each other for months. You just need to have one locked and loaded that they consider relevant instead of a nonstarter, in order to back up your opinion as 'founded' instead of 'nonsense, can be swayed with a good marketing campaign.'

I'll include explanations if I don't think something is self-evident (or needs more evidence to tell your cousin), but in most of them I'll provide some suggested verbiage that you can tweak as needed, and for a few of them, that's really enough.

THESE ARE FOR THE TOPIC OF CONCERN, ONLY. You still need to end each one with "I ask that the [official] votes to [action]" at the end. Give them something actionable (example from Feb. 13th). My go-tos right now:

Both chambers: Reinstate funding for UNRWA

Both chambers: Place mandatory restrictions on any aid to Israel, with contractual threats to cut funding if Netanyahu and his government continue to disregard civilian life

Senate: Put support behind Bernie Sanders and his motion to restrict funding to Israel until a humanitarian review of the IDF’s actions in Gaza has been completed (S.R. 504) (Tabled by the Senate on 1/16, but it is being brought back in as conditions continue to escalate)

House: Put support behind Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s petition for the US government to recognize the IDF’s actions in Gaza as ethnic cleansing and forced displacement, and put a stop to it.

House: Put support behind H.R. 786, introduced by Rep. Cori Bush, calling for an immediate deescalation and cease-fire in Israel and occupied Palestine.

What Not to Say

"There is no threat to Israel." I've talked about this elsewhere, but the short version is that this will be basically laughed out as you not knowing what you're talking about.

Anything generically antisemitic. (I mean, it might work on some of the white supremacists, but do you really want to encourage that thinking? No, so don't do it.)

Facts that you "heard somewhere" but cannot find a reliable source for. If it's being reported by the New York Times, NPR, or the BBC, it's probably trustworthy by government standards. If it's not a super common statistic, cite the journal you got it from by name. Remember, you aren't arguing to tumblr mutuals. You are arguing to your elected official or your 'I don't really pay attention' cousin. When it comes to this, big name news sources are better.

Unrealistic demands for complete isolationism, permanently abandoning Israel to its own devices, supporting Hamas, etc. Again, you will not be taken seriously. Pick an argument they might actually listen to, and use it to press them towards a possible solution. You want them to believe that if they adjust their position, they will be doing the will of most of their constituents, and thus more likely to get reelected.

The Ethics Argument

Third-party reporting has stated that that nearly 29,000 Gazans are dead since Oct. 7th, as of 2/18/24. The vast majority of those are civilians, and over half are children. Palestinians in Gaza are facing an acute hunger crisis threatening to become a full-blown famine.

The International Court of Justice has found that there is credible reason to believe that the state of Israel is committing a genocide against the Palestinians of Gaza.

This does not mean that every single Israeli is complicit. It does mean that the government, particularly Netanyahu and his associates, has been reprimanded by a large, diverse coalition of countries, and has consistently refused to listen to that court since.

This argument will possibly work on your cousin. Less likely to work on your elected official. They already know the numbers. I just wanted to get it out of the way first.

The Re-Election Argument: Michigan vs New York

Meanwhile, this is possibly the most effective. Again, this is not an argument of ethics. This is an argument of "how can I make my elected official do what I want." We do not use only the purest moral argument. We use what works.

What to say to your elected official: Michigan, as a swing state, was won by democrats on the power of the Arab-American vote in the 2020 election. We (either party) are at risk of losing Michigan due to the current Congressional approach to the Gaza conflict, as that demographic is now polling as likely to abstain from voting entirely. The risk of losing several congressional districts due to the Jewish vote is a real one, but the risk of losing the the executive branch is greater, especially after what we saw with Suozzi. Supporting Palestine might lose us parts of New York, but supporting Israel will lose us Michigan.

Explanation: Something that has been taking up a lot of time and space in the election coverage is the situation in Michigan, and more recently, there has been attention paid to the special election of New York's third district, AKA the "who gets to replace disgraced George Santos" competition.

Michigan is traditionally a swing state. While 2.1% doesn't sound like a lot, that is some 211k-278k people (depending on your source), and while not all of them can vote... Michigan was won by about 154k. Arab-Americans are not the only relevant demographic, but they sure are an important one, and they are vocally opposed to the situation. Approval has dropped from 59% to 17%. From that same article:

As Axios notes, Biden won Michigan in 2020 by 154,000 votes, but there are at least 278,000 Arab Americans in Michigan. Biden took Arizona, a state with an Arab American population of 60,000, by only 10,500 votes. In Georgia, Biden prevailed with a margin of 11,800 voters, in a state that has an Arab American population of 57,000.

Democrats cannot afford to lose these states. Pressure your congresspeople about that, especially if you live in one of those states. I assume most Arab-Americans in said states are already calling every day; the rest of you can join in.

Meanwhile, most Jews (considered the most pro-Israel demographic by strategists) in America are concentrated in a very small number of electoral districts. Of the twenty most-Jewish, ten are in New York, which is why I put it up in the section header.

One of those districts was won by a Republican in 2022: George Santos, New York's third congressional district. Following his scandals and ousting, the seat was up for a special election, and the two candidates were Tom Suozzi, a democrat who held the seat previously (he decided to run for governor, and lost), and Mazi Pilip, a Nassau county legislator who was of Ethiopian Jewish background and had been in the IDF. She ran on a campaign that leaned strongly pro-Israel and anti-immigration, and when Suozzi won, she interrupted his victory speech to accuse him of supporting a genocide against Israel due to his rather centrist, rather milquetoast stance on the conflict during his election campaign.

Now, Suozzi's win probably had more to do with Pilip being anti-choice than her pro-Israel arguments, but he still won.

Democrats can better risk possibly losing a few seats in NY than definitely losing three swing states.

"But I don't want Dems to win their districts after what they've been--" Nope. Listen to me. Surveys indicate that Republicans are on average more pro-Israel, because Trump and Netanyahu are buddy-buddy, and we do not have a viable third option.

Also, again, this is about convincing Dems to be better. "If you do not vote to put restrictions on funding to Israel, I will not vote for you in November" is a lot more powerful than "I will not vote for you either way, because of what you've been doing, but you should do what I say anyway."

The Re-Election Argument: Risk of Escalation

So, that thing I said about Trump and Netanyahu?

Yeah, so, while Biden is giving Israel military aid while cautioning them to slow down and be careful, Trump is... complicated, but suffice to say he's much closer to Netanyahu on a personal level than Biden is. Biden's relation with Netanyahu is reportedly pretty frosty, while Trump's is based on relations through the Kushners.

Just from wikipedia:

Netanyahu made his closeness to Donald Trump, a personal friend since the 1980s, central to his political appeal in Israel from 2016.[21] During Trump's presidency, the United States recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and brokered the Abraham Accords, a series of normalization agreements between Israel and various Arab states.

Trump's been more all-over-the-place recently, badmouthing Netanyahu for being what Trump perceives as a loser, which complicates understanding what his approach is. It's kind of incoherent right now.

Given Trump's general history of being pro-Israel, though, and the attempts by House Republicans to push through a bill of unconditional funding for Israel. It failed, but notable is that the more recent bill passed in part because it was paired with aid for Ukraine and Taiwan (something Dems are much more invested in having happen).

What to say to your elected official: If Trump is reelected due to his current appearance of being more critical of Netanyahu, there is evidence from his presidency to indicate that he will support Israel much less critically if elected. While he claims to want to settle the Middle East, it seems incredibly likely that he will worsen the situation for Palestinians, and ramp up retaliatory strikes to groups like the Houthis in a manner that will impact non-military parties, igniting tensions that are already tenuous.

The Disrespect/Wild Card Argument

This particular argument is best used against the Very Patriotic Politicians who are more concerned with the US's image and Being The Alpha Nation than with other things. Basically, this might work on Republicans.

This isn't really something I believe in, as a matter of foreign policy, buuuut it might work on your rep, so. Consider it!

What to say to your elected official: With Israel's recent actions in ignoring Biden, blocking US-sent aid like those flour trucks that got stopped at the Rafah border because they'd be distributed by UNWA, and generally Disrespecting The USA and Being Unpredictable is not only making the US look bad for being unable to wrangle a smaller country, but also making it so we are less able to wrangle other countries in the future, because Israel cannot be predicted and might set someone off.

The Europe and Reputation Argument

What to say to your elected official: The United States is losing credibility as a world power known for its military and ability to manage international disputes on behalf of the UN, because it is seemingly unable to influence Israel, and losing credibility as an upstanding moral state that is not doing foreign coups and banana republics anymore, as it appears to be tacitly supporting Israel's ICJ-labelled genocide, which is a really bad look with the other Western Powers.

I'm not entirely sure who this might work on, but there's gotta be at least a few politicians who are really concerned about America's image, more than about actually doing the right thing. Figure out if your politician is one of them.

If necessary, you can bring up how Trump is threatening to pull US support for NATO if Russia attacks someone.

The Middle East Stability Argument: Iran-backed Militias

What to say to your elected official: I'm concerned that the continued support of Israel, and thus the funding of their actions in Gaza, will increase the instability of Iran-backed militias, as we have already seen with the Houthis and Hezbollah. Entire Muslim-majority nations are showing increased displeasure not only with Israel, but with the US by extension. We cannot afford another war in the Middle East when we haven't yet pulled all our troops from the last one, not with the recent and recurring economic recessions. Any situation would also very likely be complicated or inflamed by the growing tensions among Eritrea, Djibouti, and Ethiopia regarding Red Sea access as well.

Use this on the ones that claim to be pro-military or pro-veteran. See what they said about HR 815 before the foreign military funding amendment was added.

The Middle East Stability Argument: Egypt

What to say to your elected official: Egypt's government has been unstable since the Arab Spring, and even now the military government is incredibly unpopular. With that existing instability, the addition of economic strain from the reduced usage of the Suez canal, the international disputes occurring because they're the main throughway for aid into Gaza, and the threat of a sudden influx of nearly one and a half million Palestinian refugees should Israel continue to push south... Egypt is looking at a possible near-collapse as we've seen in nearby nations suffering similar instabilities.

Explanation: It took several years for Egypt to really start recovering from the revolts in 2013, and it has applied for four IMF loans in recent years. The current government is unpopular to such a degree that they are looking to build an entire new capital from scratch in the middle of the desert so that they're less open to the risk of civilian uprisings; one of the primary causes for civilian dissatisfaction is economic issues.

Due to Houthi attacks at the Bab al-Mandab Strait, traffic through the Suez canal is down massively, and since the canal "represents almost 5% of the GNP and 10% of GDP and is one of Egypt’s most important sources of hard currency." (src) Various sources are reporting that trade through the canal is down 40-50%, which is putting more strain on the already unstable economic and political situation.

Finally, Egypt's population is about 110 million, but the governorate that shares a border with Israel and Gaza, North Sinai, has a population of barely 500,000. A push of one and a half million starving, injured people will, very suddenly, nearly quadruple the population of the governorate, and require extreme aid response from Egypt's government to keep alive and prevent a larger crisis in North Sinai and neighboring governorates.

The Middle East Stability Argument: Normalized Relations

What to say to your elected official: I am concerned that Israel's continued attack on Gaza is jeopardizing any chance of normalized relations with the Arab states in the future. American has put a lot of work into trying to get these various countries to normalize with Israel, and our funding of the current attacks on Gaza are sabotaging all that effort.

This one can be combined with the Iran-Backed Militias argument: Israel, in pursuit of revenge against Hamas, is setting itself up to be in more danger long-term, rather than less.

The International Trade Argument

What to say to your elected official: I am concerned about how the war in Gaza is impacting international trade and shipping costs. With the Suez Canal down to half its usual capacity and the Panama Canal raising costs and dropping capacity in response to the water restrictions, along with rising fuel costs in Europe and Asia, global trade is incredibly strained. We are being relegated to the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Horn, and the Malacca strait for much of intercontinental trade, and the macroeconomic projections are looking very bad for America.

The Domestic Economics Argument

What to say to your elected official: Many of the plans for Israeli military funding cause damage to other parts of the budget. For instance, a recent plan put forward by the Republicans of the House suggested IRS cuts in order to move that money, a plan which would impact the US budget negatively in the long term; we need those 14 billion being spent domestically, not supporting an overreaction/possible genocide in Gaza.

Explanation: In general, pick something receiving budget cuts that your congressperson will care about. I care about IRS funding, and saw it mentioned as a target in an article, so that's what I've got in my suggested verbiage up there.

The fewer people that are working for the IRS, the more they focus on auditing poor people (simple, easy taxes) and the less they can effectively audit rich people (complicated, time-consuming taxes), which means rich people are more likely to get away with evading millions or even billions in taxation. So yeah, you want more funding in the IRS if you are poor. They are already auditing you. You want them to audit the big guys.

The Russia and China Argument

What to say to your elected official: I am worried that the current focus on funding Israel without restriction is causing us to lose sight of the international threat posed by Russia and China. Russia is actively invading Ukraine, which continues to put massive strain on the European economy with regards to oil prices, especially with the Suez situation, and China has been testing missiles near Taiwan, and thus testing US responsiveness to those threats, for months now. We cannot afford to support an internationally unpopular war if we want to remain ready for Russia and China.

This is less likely to work on Republicans, since Trump is friendly with Russia, but hey, give it a shot if they're one of the ones who aren't fully in his camp.

EDIT 2/22/24: I'm a bit unsure of this tactic, but I'm putting it out there with hopes that someone with more political experience can offer feedback:

"Congress, and the US government in general, has promised to sanction Russia for the alleged assassination of one man within a week of the suspicious death, after five months of refusing to enact even slight consequences on Israel for the deaths of nearly thirty thousand, half of which are children. This is ethically questionable at best, but for the interests of elected officials, it is a very bad look. The mismatch shows a massive bias by the American government in regards to Israel's ongoing mass murder, with over two million facing famine as a result of Israel's aid blocking, and America's reputation on the world stage, as well as individual politicians' reputations domestically with constituents, is plummeting."

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Finally, my ko-fi again. I spent a long time on this and I'd like to move out of my parents' house sooner rather than later. If you appreciate my time and effort, please feel free to donate a couple bucks.

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davenporttf · 10 months

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Emascatine

Yo, what's up? My names Phil and I'm the quarterback for Boston College. Go Eagles! I love the sport and I'm stoked I get to play QB.

I gotta be honest with you though, I've been having a slump lately out on the field. I haven't been at the top of my game. I've been working out every day but no matter how much training I put in, I'm getting sacked left and right.

I stopped by a local vitamin shop to switch up my preworkout. I don't think this whey stuff is really giving me the boost I need, ya know? The guy at the shop seemed like he was into me. I caught him multiple times checking me out as I was walking up and down the aisles. Not that I care really, a compliment is a compliment but dude could be less obvious about it. He eventually took a break from creepin to ask me what I was looking for in particular.

I explained how I wanted to switch up my preworkout, and he said he had just the thing. It was this black generic bottle with the brand name "Hit Fit." The slogan underneath it said "It'll hit you the first time guaranteed!" I didn't recognize the brand so I looked at the active ingredient, Emascatine. I've never heard of it either but the guy at the shop said it was a new type of drug only sold through his shop.

I was weary of trying the brand but the prospect of fast results was exactly what I needed right now. I caved and decided if I didn't see any results, I'd return it later.

I stopped home and whipped up the preworkout shake and threw it in my bag along with the bottle in case one of the teammates needed some. I made it to the locker room just in time, and setup in front my locker. I took out my preworkout and took my first sip. It tasted like fruit loops which was a nice changeup from my last powder that tasted like crap. I took more sips and really liked the taste so I started to down it.

"So tasty!" my voice cracked as I said it. "You good Phil?" asked my teammate, Drew.

"I'm good, sweetie!" The words just left my mouth without a thought. My voice had raised several octaves and my face was as red as ever realizing what I said. Drew looked at me in amusement. "haha okay, babe" thinking it was a joke.

I refocus on getting dressed, and pulled on my compression pants over my jock. My skin felt so sensitive in the moment. The tightness of the pants felt so good on my legs. I rubbed my legs up and down feeling the spandex material stretch. I was getting aroused by watching my quads flex in them. My eyes were closed sitting on the bench while I rubbed my inner thighs. An inaudible moan came from my mouth as I felt my dick hardened.

What was happening to me?! I look over the Hit Fit bottle and notice a tiny disclaimer at the bottom. "Emascatine may cause side effects of heightened sensitivity, mood changes, sexual stimulation, and emasculation."

I snapped out of it long enough to feel my ass stretch the tights even further. My center of gravity shifted as my ass grew into a firm bubble butt. I tried to walk around but felt an itch coming from deep inside my ass. I braced myself with hands on the wall squirming to hopefully scratch the itch. I don't know why it felt so right in the moment but I started to shake my ass faster and faster side to side as if it were on display for my teammates.

Drew had taken notice, yelling over "Yo, Phil. What has gotten into you?!" They watched as I continued moving my ass in their direction. My teammates' demeanor changed the longer they watched. I could see their faces going from confusion to slight interest to lustful. My ass was hypnotizing and they could have stood there all day staring into it's fluid motion.

I loved the look on their faces and called over to them "Hey boysss! You like what you see?"

Drew smiled, "Damn, Phil. Why don't you come over here and we can do some team bonding?"

I thought he'd never ask. I let them line up as I got in position.

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Epilogue:

Coach says I need to take a step back from QB. Something about my performance not being up to snuff. I've been told I'd make a better water boy. I've really enjoyed it so far. I keep my boys hydrated as they take turns slamming my P-spot. Team morale has never been higher.

#gay tf #mental change #straight to gay #jock #gay jock #male transformation #Emascatine #tight clothes

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angelkitty54 · 4 months

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Sonic Prime AU time! (coz this has been everywhere in the last month or so.) Basically just some ideas I had for shatterverse versions of Sonic and Shadow, set after the end of the series.

New Yoke City: Based on the idea in SA2 where it's kinda implied Sonic was also made on the Ark like Shadow (which is never brought up again). Basically Nine stumbles across a pod that contains the New Yoke version of Sonic (Spirit) and excitedly wakes him up. However he quickly finds that this is not the Sonic he met before; Spirit has never been out of his bio-tank thingy before, he is basically a newborn in a full grown body, with the mentality of a newborn too. Spirit is a wide-eyed innocent child, sweet, kind and trusting, a stark contrast to the world around him and the people in it. Nine is having a hard time adjusting, especially since Spirit's keeps chewing on all his power cables. He is also constantly being accused of having cloned Sonic. Which he totally did not! He found this Sonic fair and square thank you very much!

Meanwhile, having lost their power source, the Chaos Council has lost a lot of ground to the resistance. In searching for new power sources and weapons, they discover Project Umbra (three guess who this is). Umbra leans a little more into his alien side than Shadow does, he is also less of an angsty teen and more of a scared, grieving child lashing out at a world that hurt him. He agrees to work for the council only due to the distant family connection, but he doesn't particularly like them or care about their goals. He just wants to see the world burn. Of course, things change when he finds out his baby brother survives the raid on the Ark. Tho he is not particularly happy about this strange fox hanging around, acting all buddy buddy with Umbra's brother. Ugh, the nerve of that guy!

Boscage Maze: Got inspiration from movies like Nausicaa and Origin: Spirits of the Past. So the instead of the prism, the massive jungle was actually caused by a bio-experiment gone wrong which set off an apocalypse. There are effectively three groups of survivors, those that escaped into space (mainly GUN people), those that survived on the surface (whose descendants became groups like the scavengers) that live more or less in harmony with the jungle, and those that made it into underground shelters and were put into stasis chambers where they have slept for several hundred years. The latter two group are often at odds with each other, one wanting their old world back, the other wanting the jungle to stay as is. Dr Nightshade Robotnik and his assistant, Sunny, are among the stasis group.

In this universe Gerald went down the road of cybernetics as well as genetic engineering when creating his Ultimate Lifeform, Nightshade. Their Maria got to live her life to it's fullest, becoming a scientist like her grandfather. Nightshade also dedicated his life to science, wanting to follow Maria's dreams of making the world a better place, even after she passed away. Sunny benefited from their research, as it's thanks to their work into cybernetics that he is able to walk (and run) again. Upon waking in the post-apocalyptic world, Dr Nightshade has made it his mission to find out what caused the plants to grow out of control and hopefully reverse the effects. Sunny, someone who sees the benefits of both the old and new world, hopes that he can help the good Doctor find balance between the natural and mechanized worlds. Meanwhile GUN is up to something rather suspicious up there in space...

No Place Sea: Yay pirate AU!! Honestly didn't have a lot of ideas beyond just pirates tho... Shadow is Captain Blackheart and is like super duper cursed. He is captain of a ghost ship, whose crew is also super cursed and/or undead. All save a single member, his navigator Tempest (Sonic), who is immune to the effects curses due to him being half siren. Tempest does not speak much as his voice is imbued with the charming power of a siren, which he lacks much control over. He has a knack for reading the winds and currents making him an ideal navigator in treacherous waters. He is both drawn to and fears the water, as something in those dark depths keeps calling to him, eager to drag him down down down into darkness... However he can't bring himself to stay away despite the danger, and luckily whatever is hunting him seems to steer clear of the ghost ship. In exchange for shelter aboard his ship, Tempest is helping Blackheart track down and decode ancient sea charts that will lead them to a great treasure he's been hunting. One said to be able to grant wishes: the chaos emeralds!

#sonic the hedgehog #shadow the hedgehog #sonic au #sonadow #sonic prime #prime shadow #prime sonic #tails nine #boscage maze gang #new yoke city gang #no place pirate crew #Talk more about these later

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hellcatinnc · 6 months

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The Reason Why Raeliana Ended up at the Duke's Mansion Anime Review

Includes Spoilers

I'm really glad I took the time to watch this honestly I did because I had seen someone do a sweet video on the duke and Raeliana however I had no clue what it was about until now. It took me less than a day to watch this I was all in the moment I started. So first off I love the idea of murder mysteries especially if you add romance to it. So this story is about a girl who in the real world is pushed off a building her death to be thrown in to a novel that she knows into a girls life called Raeliana. Come to find out who she is supposed to be engaged to he is trying to kill her so she turns to the duke to make a contract with him by blackmailing him into being her fiancé so that she can get away from her current fiancé so she can live another day.

What seemed like a cute cat and mouse game between Noah and Raeliana it wasn't hard to realize he was falling for her so hard and fast. Of course she spent the whole time trying to the main protagonist Beatrice with Noah yet she couldn't find her. She was to be with Noah after Raeliana was murdered but she shifted everything when she stayed alive. Instead of thinking about what she has in front of her she is too busy trying to fix the original story. She has yet to realize its too late his heart is hers. Even after the black mail fell through he still tells his brother he refuses to end their engagement. He even tells her at one point that he wants her to stay by his side forever he doesn't want to see life with out her. When she almost dies several times you can see how it effects him it shakes him up so bad.

I love Noah he is a sweet man to her, and the love he shows in his eyes when he looks at her is unmistakable everyone sees it. He has never showed interest in any woman until her and she even on the last episode as she has been drinking she starts confessing how she feels for him then he kisses her. Honestly this needs another season or I'm gonna go insane, guess this will be a manga series I need to read. I did watch the English version because I loved the English actors voice that did Noah and OMG he is another one that says good girl after Raeliana is caught watching him sleep. Another sexy man that is Kabedon although he didn't per say hit the wall behind her he still leaned into her the same and omg my heart melted.

I literally watched this in less than a day I was hooked from the first episode and couldn't stop and OMG there is some other hotties in this show granted I still love me some Noah more though and their connection beats the rest but look at these hotties.

It really is worth the 12 episodes that are out and hope you give it a chance. Its full of mystery and love and watching them fall for each other. It just came out this summer hopefully we get a second season for this.

#raeliana mcmillan #noah wynknight #shoujo #anime #shoujo anime #The Reason Why Raeliana Ended up at the Duke's Mansion #anime review #reviews #review

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chaseadrian · 2 years

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graze, blaze, haze

—day 4. shotgunning // [kinktober masterlist] Argyle doesn't care that you don't know how to use a bong, and he definitely doesn't care when his lips touch yours. Except, he really does, and so do you.

pairing. argyle/f!reader wc. 2.2k tags. 18+ ONLY, facesitting, making out, first kiss, marijuana use, friends to lovers, nipple play, blowjobs, premature ejaculation

“It just seems overly complicated to me. Can’t you make like, brownies or something? I’d rather eat my drugs.”

Argyle sits between your legs on the floor, a green pipe with scattered burn marks on the glass in his lap, “No can do, my friend, not unless I want the Byers’ kitchen to smell rank for a week.”

You tug a little too hard on the brush in your hand, catching a knot at the back of his head, but he doesn’t give sign of irritation or even acknowledgement. You comb your fingers through the strands where the knot was, a little pang of guilt in your chest. If he felt the pull, he would’ve ignored it anyway.

Argyle was the first guy in your life to even let you touch his hair, much less take a pair of scissors to it. Steve would run screaming, Eddie wanted his wild and unkempt, nothing but soap and water allowed, and you wouldn’t dare try to undermine Joyce’s home haircuts, no matter how dated they were becoming.

No, he was the first, and it’d become so commonplace that he felt comfortable enough spinning out of his mind on his west coast weed while you held sharp scissors to his hair.

You’re spinning out on your own right now, butterflies thumping in your stomach as he sits against you, an arm thrown over your knee. That was another thing about him, the touch. The puritanical culture of Hawkins—with hands by your side and prayers to stave off temptation—was antithetical to Argyle’s whole deal. He didn’t think twice about wrapping an arm around your shoulder, or pressing his palms into your cheeks during an anxious tirade. It was hard not to take it for something more than what it was, your heart in your throat every time he made contact.

“I’m telling you I literally can’t do it, then.” You say, smoothing your hand over his hair, trailing the brush as it breaks through what few knots he has, “I always forget to move my finger or hold my breath too long or inhale an ember and have a full breakdown because I think there’s a hole burned in my throat. I just like, can’t use a fucking bong or pipe or anything.”

You set the brush down, letting out a frustrated sigh, and he pats the side of your knee, “Hey, no worries, I got you.”

He leans down and takes a long pull from the pipe, twisting around to face you, his hand coming to the back of your head, bringing you close. Without conscious effort, your jaw drops and he leans in just enough to blow the smoke into your mouth, his bottom lip grazing yours as he turns away. As if that’s the most normal thing in the world. As if you can’t feel the heat from his mouth still on your lips. As if you aren’t frozen in place while your nerves shake more from the intoxication of Argyle’s lips than the effects of the smoke.

Several minutes pass in silence, his head resting on your inner thigh, thumb scraping at the loose threads of torn denim on your knee. You grab the brush and start combing his hair out again, shaking off the moment, reorienting yourself in friendship. You can deal with the longing and the butterflies, maybe, probably.

At the very least, you can survive as long as things stay at the same level as they've been. Your hands on his hair, him comfortable between your legs.

“You want more?” He asks after several more minutes of calm silence, and you consider saying no, but there’s a light buzz under your skin that makes you say, “Yeah, uh, yeah, totally.”

You brace yourself this time, squeezing the brush handle tight in your fingers, mouth open a little wider, hopefully a failsafe against his lips touching yours.

When he brings you down this time, though, you don’t keep them open. You close them for a kiss.

It’s a small peck, barely there, but he stares at you with surprise, and the smoke escapes when his lips fall open, a quiet ‘woah’ in the air between you. You watch his eyes flick up, can almost actually see the gears turning in his brain, and just as you’re leaning back away from him, he starts to smile.

It turns into a full grin, his eyes glassy and shining, staring blatantly at your lips.

You both slip into the next moments with ease, leaning down to kiss him again, mouth warm and bitter and soft. He kicks over the bong as you slide into his lap, murky water and gray ashes spilling onto your carpet.

“Shit, sorry, dude,” He tries to break from you to clean it up, but you pull a dirty shirt from behind you on the floor and throw it over the mess.

“Literally don’t care.” You speak against his mouth, leaving space between kisses for him to relax back into it.

“You sure?” He asks, his eyes still fixed on the lump under the shirt.

“Mhm.” You kiss the corner of his mouth, his cheek, the soft curve of his jaw, and finally you feel him melt into you.

His hand rests over your thigh, fingers pressing into the jeans, and he slides down to the crook of your knee, pulling you closer in his lap. He isn’t firm with his touch, more a guiding hand than a driving force, but you curl entirely into him, your arms slung around his neck.

It’s quickly apparent that he’s content to follow your lead, his tongue only slipping into your mouth after you’ve pushed yours into his, his hand only running over your breast once you’ve put it there.

You pull back, “Argyle.”

His lips are plump and red, and he’s surprised to break away from the kiss, his voice full of air, “Huh, yeah, what?”

“You sure you’re in the right headspace for this?” You ask, running your hand down his arm.

“Y—yeah, no, I’m—I’m—” He starts nodding, his eyes wide, hands pressing firmer against you. There’s nothing to read off him but enthusiasm, and he welcomes you back to his mouth with a full, open mouthed kiss. It’s sloppy and wet, and you want more. You both fall into a sloven, messy rhythm, your mouths too busy to care what your hands are doing until the clothes on your body become restrictive.

Your shirt is the first to go, breasts dropping from under the oversized tee, and Argyle’s hands come quickly over them. He palms them like dough, runs his knuckles over your nipples until they’re taut, the focus that was on your mouth centers instead on your breasts. You don’t know that anyone has marveled at you like this before.

“Unreal,” He whispers, interrupted by a giggle as you slip your hands under his shirt.

You smile at him as you take the layers off, “Ticklish?”

He holds back a laugh, pursing his lips and tilting his head up at you, “I may very well be.” He says, fingertips make their way over your skin until it’s you that can’t help giggling.

“Oh, ticklish?” He mocks, and you wrap your arms around his bare chest, bringing him back for another kiss.

The heat of his chest on yours is unbearable, and it’s not long before you’re both down to your underwear.

You straddle him on the floor, one hand grabbing at the warm flesh of his biceps as his arms lay flat beside his head. You lean over him on one elbow, fingers knotted at the top of his hair, sucking hickeys into his neck. His moans are loud sighs rather than palpable noises, breath shaking and uneven. The firm print of his dick under his boxers grows against your pelvis, and you press down into him, backing away to watch how his features shift. The slow grind of your hips has him grabbing at your breasts again, and he pulls you up to his mouth, sucking kisses around the flesh before his lips close over your nipple.

He swirls his tongue over the pebbled skin, flicking back and forth, a quiet hum vibrating over your skin from the back of his throat. His hands come down to your ass, and he pulls back from you, licking his bottom lip, and almost lifting you up to his face.

“Ope, wait, shit,” You topple over as he tries to bring you closer, catching yourself with a hand on his shoulder. He offers a lopsided smile, and an earnest, “Woah, my bad,” his fingers tapping along your inner thigh.

You stand up beside him and slide the panties off, swallowing hard before you kneel back down over him. This isn’t something you know about from anything other than the jeering ‘hey, sit on my face, sweetheart!’ comments you’d gotten from boys growing up. They felt more like a mockery than a genuine proposition, but Argyle’s hands rest delicate atop the front of your thighs, and he encourages you to settle down against his mouth.

His tongue slips between your lips, flat over the wet stripe of skin, just nicking the top of your clit. Almost immediately, the pressure is insurmountable, and you let your weight drop a little more. He starts slow, with lazy licks up and down, side to side, just slicking you up with spit.

You lean back and rest your hands on either side of his stomach, fingers firm in the plush skin, letting your head fall as he works you. He tilts his head forward, prodding the tip of his tongue against your clit, quick circles around the bundle of nerves, a kiss here and there. His touch is intentional, if a bit hesitant, but you can feel his confidence grow as you push harder into him, almost forgetting to care if you’re suffocating him.

Sharp spikes flock up your body as the pressure mounts, and you lean forward to grind on his face, firm tongue laid flat over your cunt. Again, he’s ready to let you take the lead, but a few well placed licks send you careening into your orgasm, hips sputtering on top of him. He nuzzles his face deeper between your legs as you ride through it, shaking his head back and forth, and you squirm over him trying to get away.

It’s now that he holds you, arms wrapping around your thighs, not letting up until he can hear you trying to catch your breath.

You fall backwards, your head at his waist, hands rubbing over your face with exasperated groans.

“You good?” He asks, and you can hear the satisfaction in his voice. Any nerves he’d had coming into this were well on their way out.

“Yeah, fuck, good.” Lifting your hand in the air, you shoot him a thumbs up before rolling off onto the floor, the carpet colder than your bare stomach. You fold your arms in front of you and tilt your head to look at him, catching sight of the wet patch on his underwear.

“I—uh, well,” He clears his throat and watches you push up onto your knees.

“Are you all good?” You ask, slipping two fingers under the waistband of his boxers and sliding them down to release his softening erection.

“Totally, super good,” His voice catches in his throat when you drag your tongue over his dick. It twitches while you continue to lap up the sticky, salty cum that’s dribbled down the tip, and Argyle lets his head fall back with a thud! before combing a hand through his hair.

You take him entirely in your mouth, surprised at his length, but willing to choke on it for whatever residual bit of pleasure you’re giving him. His fingers play at the back of your head, wanting but not willing to push you down. He threads them instead between strands of hair, quiet, airy moans and involuntary spasms spurring you on.

More than content on your knees, content with the feeling of his hand grazing down your skull, you decide to yourself that the only stopping point here is when his dick starts to soften. You squeeze at his inner thighs with one hand, breaking your lips away to kiss marks that’ll be visible when he wears shorts. You don’t feel entitled to claim him as yours, there’s weed and adrenaline running through you both, but it doesn’t feel like a one-off. Wrapping your lips around him again, you press your tongue to his underside as you bob up and down, moist suction sending tangible shivers through his body.

He taps at your shoulder, and you look up to see him staring slack jawed at the ceiling.

“Yeah?” You mutter, wiping your mouth.

“Maybe I’m not in the right headspace anymore,” His voice is flat, eyes wide, breathing heavy, “Think I’m like, way far out beyond any headspace.”

You laugh, and drag a blanket from your bed, throwing it over your bare bodies.

He slides a hand under you, still staring blankly at the ceiling as you curl up to him.

“Argyle?” You tilt your head to look at him, and he hums.

“That was like…okay, right?”

The question breaks him from his stupor, and he looks at you with gaping awe, blinking a few times before he speaks, “That was so far past okay, I don’t know how I lived without it, know what I mean.”

You press a kiss to his jaw, and settle into him, “Yeah, absolutely I do.”

#kinktober #argyle/reader #argyle/you #argyle x you #argyle x reader #argyle x y/n #argyle fic #my writing #mine

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ltwilliammowett · 1 year

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Broadside

The initial moment when the ship would open fire was under the control of the cpatain, but once the order to fire was given, control of the gun decks fell to the officers commanding them, with little opportunity for communication with the captain on the upper deck, except by occasional runner. Once within 150m of an enemy ship the order was usually sent down to "fire as you bear" which effectively meant fire at will, as targets presented themselves. Although some short ranges of 10-50m.

Second Battle of the Virginia Capes, by V. Zveg (x)

A full broadside, when every gun on one side of the ship would fire was a massive amount of firepower. The effect of all of these guns being fired simultaneously would, however, cause the ship to heel over from the force of all the guns, which would make reloading extremely difficult and might expose part of the hull normally under water to enemy fire, with the risk of receiving a number of shot holes below the waterline. To avoid this, the guns firing in sequence rather than all at once. The part of the enemy ship aimed at varied depending on the deck level they were firing from and also what they hoped to achieve. The lighter guns and carronades situated on the upper deck wer almost invariably used as antipersonnel or anti rigging weapons and fired grapshots or bar shot.

Acheron vs. HMS Surprise

Gun captains here were trained to fire as the enemy's deck rolled towards them, exposing more of the enemy crew and rigging in an attempt to maximise the damage caused. As for the lower deck guns, these could be used against the enemy ship's hull or the masts. The destruction of rigging and bringing down masts with a lucky shot would severely hamper the enemy's movement, leaving them unable to manoeuvre and very vulnerable to attack from the bow or stern where they were themselves at their weakest. This was a tactic strongly favoured by the French and Spanish navies.

The Royal Navy and the Americans preferred to fire at the hull of a vessel, the cannonballs penetrating the hulls at such short ranges and causing carnage amongst the enemy gun crews, particularly from the cloud of huge razorsharp splinters sent flying through the air in all directions, slicing through flesh like butter. The cannonballs would also hopefully damage the enemy guns or their carriages putting them out of action. Some cannonballs would still have the power at such short ranges to punch through the other side of the hull, or would embed themselves in the stout frame of the ship.

The French and Spanish tactic (x)

The most dangerous, however, were those that rebounded from the opposite hull and bounced around the deck, destroying everything in their path. Even when coming to the end of its travels, a cannonball rolling along the deck still retained the power to tear a foot off. Another tactic was to fire at the enemy ship's roll, at or just below the waterline, causing the ship to take on water and become less manoeuvrable, and large numbers of the crew would be forced to leave their guns to man the pumps. This was, however, very difficult to do with any accuracy as the ships rolled in the swell.

The Royal Navy generally recommended firing on the up roll rather than the down roll of the ship. Their reasoning for this, was that when firing on the down roll, with any delay in the gun firing, the gun would have dipped too far and would fire harmlessly into the ocean. If on the other hand, the gun was fired on the up roll, just as it pointed at the waterline, any delay in the gun firing would see the shot strike higher up in the hull or it might cause damage to the masts and rigging, with less chance of it missing completely.

#naval history #broadside #naval warfare #age of sail

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7serendipities · 1 year

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The Less Mystical Side of Fairy Witching

The last couple of posts I’ve made about my work with the Fair Folk have been pretty woo, so I thought I’d share another anecdote that’s decidedly more… mundane.

It's spring now by most people's reckoning (though I personally tend to see the equinoxes as the midpoints of their respective seasons), and as I write this it certainly feels like it, too - 65 and sunny and breezy. Which means I now need to fulfill a promise I made last year to my local Fairy Queen.

When we moved to our current house at the very beginning of the pandemic (no joke, our closing was three days before the governor shut the state down), there was a flowering cherry tree in the front yard that was clearly on the wane. Some of the branches were dead and there was a hole in the trunk that revealed rotten wood inside. Still, that spring, it flowered. And again, in 2021. And again, in 2022. We trimmed away some of the dead branches, and tried to prune it gently each year, but when it failed to put out a full crown of leaves last spring, we got a notice from the HOA - dead trees weren't allowed, particularly not in front yards, and it would need to be cut down asap. I had hoped we'd be able to let the tree die gracefully over a winter, but despite the few leaves it did have, there was no convincing the HOA it was still “alive enough” so we conceded.

As I usually do when I have to make major changes to my yard, I explained what had transpired to both the land spirits and our local fae — and was met with disapproval. I understood — I didn't really like it, either — but caught between the two powers, I attempted to negotiate a fine price for the tree, instead. I was told I would need to replace the tree the following spring, before a year and a day had gone by, and that it would need to be a tree that bore both flowers and fruits, and should be in the Rose family, as wild roses are the symbol of my Local Queen.

So this week's fairy witching task was calling several local tree nurseries and garden centers to find one that has something like a crabapple or wild cherry or upright serviceberry, that will plant it for us, and has some kind of guarantee to replace the tree if it dies… that fits my somewhat small budget. And once I do, I'll need to schedule the tree to be planted before the beginning of June.

I think I’ve decided which nursery, I just want to go in to select the tree (likely a crabapple), and then I think they should be able to schedule the planting sometime before Bealtaine, which would be ideal! And then the lonesome stump in the front yard will have a friend, and hopefully the Fair Folk won’t blight my vegetable garden.

But yeah, word to the wise… these connections and agreements do have measurable effects on my personal mundane life as well. So keep that in mind, if you’re interested in doing this work.

#fair folk #fae #fairy witchcraft #land spirits

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nashidakyouko · 12 days

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Girl Talk ~Resident Alien ~ Jay and D'arcy friendship

Also on Ao3.

Summary: Jay stumbles upon D'arcy kissing a woman and they become confidantes 2 years pre-canon. // Platonic Jay and D'arcy, D'asta as a major topic.// T // Word count: ~3000

It was early to be drunk for most people. No matter how frequently she drank, people still acted like it was shocking to see D'arcy wasted by 1 PM. Their pitying concern only annoyed her. She grimaced as she knocked back the rest of her flask. It was no one's business if she wanted to escape for a while, time of day be damned.

Before she even knew what was happening, a preachy Ben found her stumbling outside The 59 and promptly attempted to coax her inside—trying to ensure the town's image by removing the drunk from the streets. He kept muttering about how This is bad behavior and We don't want anyone to think Patience is a place where people get drunk all day and roam the streets. D'arcy rolled her eyes at his knit brow and twiddling hands. Of course he was more worried about the town's fragile little image than about his childhood friend's emotional state. He was a real buzzkill since he became the mayor.

Nonetheless, D'arcy allowed him to lead her back in The 59. Before he could ask if she was okay, D'arcy was already filling several shot glasses with whiskey and downing them one after the other. It wasn't long before Ben fled, not wanting to deal with a heavily drunk D'arcy.

After the 3rd shot, D'arcy ran a hand through her dyed-blonde hair and exhaled harshly. She was glad she didn't have to explain anything, but she was going to explode soon from the weight of her own silence. Since no one in town knew how she felt about Asta, though, there was nobody D'arcy could vent to.

Asta was on a getaway with Jimmy for a few days. D'arcy always drank herself stupid when those two went somewhere, unable to deal with thoughts of them together. This whole one-sided love thing was the fucking worst.

The sound of someone clearing their throat drew D'arcy's attention. A woman D'arcy didn't know sat at the bar, all sultry with her plunging v-neck showing plenty of cleavage. The woman could be just good enough for a distraction, D'arcy supposed. She offered to pay for D'arcy's next drink and gave her a coy smile.

A few minutes later, the two of them were in the back alley making out. D'arcy wasn't usually so careless when she was with women. Patience was a small town, and when she was a kid it was obvious that being queer was frowned upon. Granted, it had been almost 20 years since then, and times had changed. She still typically hid her soirees with the fairer sex from the town's eyes, if mostly out of habit.

In her current state, however—moping and beyond wasted—she just didn't care if the whole damn town knew.

The following day, the same kid showed up at the bar just as D'arcy's shift started. The girl looked down at her bouncing feet, chewing her bottom lip with her arms firmly crossed. Dammit. If she was that anxious, D'arcy feared whatever was coming.

Or so she thought until she heard a small gasp and caught sight of a local kid—Jay, was it?—dashing away. Shit. The stranger D'arcy was with didn't notice or didn't care, slipping her tongue deeper into D'arcy's mouth and effectively chasing away thoughts of being caught by a random 15-year-old.

D'arcy put on a customer service smile and pretended nothing was amiss. “Hey there, kid! It's Jay, right?” The girl nodded, her eyes still lowered. “Okay, well, you're not getting any alcohol, but we do have soda. Just let me know if you need anything.” This was more courtesy than D'arcy usually showed at The 59. Hopefully, acting like the teen hadn't seen anything would do the trick. She did not want to deal with a kid she barely knew in any capacity, much less concerning her queerness.

When Jay didn't immediately respond, D'arcy took the opportunity to skedaddle... to the other end of the bar. It was her damn shift, so a full escape wasn't an option. She scanned the room, but no one else was in the bar except an older man napping at a table. She peered at him, trying to will him awake so she had an actual customer to keep her unavailable. No dice. Stupid midday lull.

“S-so, um... you like girls...?”

And there it was. Exactly the conversation D'arcy wanted to avoid. She looked around again for any acceptable distraction, finding none at a bar at 2:30 in the afternoon.

With a grimace, D'arcy confirmed through gritted teeth, “Sure do. Got a problem?” She turned to the kid with a glare that she regretted instantly. There was such unmasked vulnerability in Jay's dark brown eyes. Oddly familiar eyes. Kind of like Asta's.

D'arcy reflexively softened like she always did around Asta, even though her best friend wasn't there. “Shit, sorry... I thought you were gonna be a dick about it. Looks like you've got something on your mind?” As much as D'arcy didn't want to play senior queer with a possibly-questioning teenager, the girl's warm eyes had sufficiently weakened her resolve to send Jay packing.

The girl stuttered a laugh. She forced herself to meet D'arcy's eyes. “I think I have a crush on my friend. Who is a girl.”

Without thinking, D'arcy chuckled and commiserated. “You and me both, sister.” She frowned, then added. “I mean, my friend for me. I'm not creeping on kids—promise.” Probably shouldn't have said that, D'arcy feared. At least Jay didn't really know D'arcy or who her friends were.

The way Jay's eyes lit up at the admission of queerness once again nagged D'arcy with a sense of familiarity.

Over the next few months, D'arcy and Jay talked regularly—late nights spent drinking soda (though often D'arcy's was laced with alcohol) and staring at the stars while discussing their queer experiences. Jay had long since told D'arcy about the girl she liked, but it became increasingly obvious that D'arcy wasn't keen on sharing her own crush.

One day, Jay spied D'arcy out in town with a group of friends. Jay had met Asta once before, as well as Judy, the curly-haired peppy one scampering alongside D'arcy like an eager puppy. Jay's introduction to Judy that day had been shortened when D'arcy and Asta had to remind Judy that certain topics weren't cool to share with a high school kid.

“Whaaat? But we were doing all that at her age, what's the big deal? I mean, D'arce, when didn't at least one of us have our hands down some guy's—“ Judy's retort was cut off by Asta clamping a hand over her mouth and then dragging Judy away as if it were Asta's job to protect Jay... Weird.

Today, a few others were tagging along, but Jay didn't really know them. And none of them had noticed Jay half-lurking near the baseball field. It was the perfect opportunity for her to get a look at how D'arcy was with her adult friends. Maybe pare down the list of potential girlfriends for her good buddy.

As always, Jay noted how D'arcy never strayed far from Asta. In fact, more often than not, the two of them were touching in some way—holding hands, hugging, arms over each other's shoulders, even sharing kisses on the cheek. Obviously, that was the relationship to watch.

Even with all that physical contact, though, Jay wasn't 100% sure. After all, D'arcy was very physical in general, and it was clear she cared deeply for all of her friends. She acted like Judy was a nuisance, but Jay knew that the second Judy needed someone, D'arcy would be there. Intense loyalty was the very thing that defined D'arcy.

Just as Jay started considering who else D'arcy might like, she saw it.

Asta curling in on herself, cackling at one of D'arcy's quips. And D'arcy watching her joy with the softest, warmest expression Jay had ever seen. It didn't last long, melting into D'arcy's own laughter. But Jay had seen it, and that was all she needed to know.

What surprised Jay more was when Asta opened her eyes and looked at D'arcy the exact same way. Like D'arcy was her sun. Like nothing else mattered as long as Asta could hear D'arcy laugh.

“There's my main underage squeeze!” D'arcy exclaimed when Jay entered the bar.

It certainly seemed to Jay like D'arcy's love wasn't as unrequited as she thought.

“You sound like a deviant when you say things like that.” Jay smirked as she set her bag down next to her. The kid showed up before nightfall pretty often. There was an advantage to missing the crowds.

“Whatever, no one's around! Exactly why you come at this time, right? So, what's up, kid?” D'arcy's smile was bright. She found she actually enjoyed the teen's company—far more than she expected. Before Jay could order, D'arcy slid a custom limeade soda in front of her with a grin.

“I just wanted to ask... who's the friend you have a thing for? I think I know, but...” Jay took a long sip of her soda.

D'arcy quirked an eyebrow. “What do you mean you know? You've barely met any of my friends—just Asta and Judy. And Judy was being gross... and Asta was being... weird.”

“Okay, yeah, but I've seen you around town with people, and it's pretty obvious, isn't it?” Jay already sported a shit-eating grin.

“Is it?” It damn well better not be.

“Oh, come on! It totally is Asta.” D'arcy burned red, leaving little room for doubt. Jay victoriously pumped her fist. “Called it! You're just different with her. Honestly, you're way nicer to her than you are to anyone else.” The kid's smug-as-fuck smirk added insult to injury.

D'arcy wanted to sink into a hole. “Me being nice to my best friend is that weird? I knew I could be an asshole, but that's unfair.”

“It isn't just that. It's like... I've seen the way you look at her. Like she's perfect. And you talk about her all the time. I mean, are you even trying to keep it on the DL?”

“I thought I was!” D'arcy threw up her arms. “She's married! The guy is a douche-bucket, but she's not exactly leaving him. I think she should, but I've pretty much given up on that.”

“I've seen him. Jimmy, right? He's a total dong. She'll wake up and hopefully smell the homo-eroticism eventually.”

“Ha! I wish. Even if she left him, she wouldn't want to be with me.” D'arcy vigorously cleaned glasses to avoid Jay's eyes.

“Why do you say that?” Jay cocked her head in confusion.

“Why would she pick the town drunk? She's a freaking nurse, and I bar-tend.” There was no doubt in D'arcy's mind that she wasn't worthy.

Jay scoffed. “Whatever, you're just scared. I'm rooting for you whether you like it or not.”

“... Thanks, Jay.” D'arcy smiled softly. It was good that someone finally knew. At least she wasn't alone anymore.

–

For two years, D'arcy and Jay shared everything about their relationships. The feelings D'arcy had for Asta never faltered, and Jay was always disappointed when D'arcy dated other people—even if the teen understood that Asta was unavailable. No matter who D'arcy was with, it was painfully obvious that she treasured Asta so much more.

“So, I'm working at the clinic now,” Jay said one afternoon.

D'arcy looked at her sharply. “Are you serious? How did that happen?”

“You know how I've been looking for a job for that work credit thing for school? I barely got a word out in an interview before Asta hired me,” Jay shrugged. “I guess they must be short-handed or something, because she seemed kinda desperate. Works for me, though. Now I've got a reason to talk to her, which means I can trash Jimmy. Maybe push her towards you a little.”

D'arcy fidgeted behind the bar-counter. “Y-you shouldn't do that. I mean, it'd be weird, right? Suddenly having some kid she barely knows commenting on her love life...”

“Isn't that exactly how we became friends?”

“Well... yeah... but...” D'arcy sighed. “I just don't know if it's such a good idea, Jay.”

“Too bad. If it bugs you that much, I'll only trash Jimmy when she brings him up... or when he hits her again. I won't even mention you. I still think it could help a little.” Jay stuck out her tongue, grabbing her things and leaving for the day.

Sometimes, even little gestures like the exact way Jay poked out her tongue struck some chord in D'arcy's mind. After all this time, she still couldn't quite place why in some moments Jay reminded her of her best friend. All she knew was that the perceived similarity made D'arcy feel all the more protective of, and endeared to, the 17-year-old.

–

A handful of months later, D'arcy found Jay brooding during the teen's shift at Dan's diner. She'd never explained her sudden job change to D'arcy. Now, a frown deep enough to age Jay ten years darkened her face. D'arcy couldn't recall ever seeing Jay so morose. She sauntered over to the diner bar and sat down, cocking her head to the side and waiting for Jay to speak.

Those brown eyes that always tugged at D'arcy's heart were full of hurt and rage.

After a long moment, Jay expelled a harsh breath and managed to say “Asta's my mother.”

D'arcy wasn't sure what the joke was, but surely Jay was kidding. “Ha! And Sheriff Mike's my father.”

The serious look on Jay's face remained. Oh shit, she wasn't kidding. D'arcy sobered. “Holy shit. You're the baby.”

“I'm not surprised she didn't tell you. She's been keeping it a secret.”

The calculations going through D'arcy's mind were visible on her face. “Yeah... Yeah, she has...” Could this be what Asta had been keeping from her recently?

“I don't know what to do. She's my mother, and I don't even know how to act in front of her... Not to mention my...” Jay's face screwed up in disgust as she spat out “father.”

D'arcy rolled her eyes, understanding all too well. “Oh, right. Jimmy.”

“It's so messed up. What am I supposed to say to someone like that? I mean, I'm gonna see him. I can't talk to Asta. I can't talk to my parents. Maybe I shouldn't even talk to you,” Jay's tone escalated with every word, anger bubbling over. Then she quieted as she looked imploringly at D'arcy. “But I feel like I am losing my mind and you've always listened before...”

“Hey, hey!” D'arcy took both of Jay's hands and looked her squarely in the eyes. “You know you can totally talk to me. Always. This is a little different than our usual, but you know I've got you, okay?”

Jay almost cracked a smile, but her mind was still reeling too much and she began another spiral. “I can't do this alone. I can't—“

D'arcy tugged Jay's hands to cut her off. “You are not alone. I can help you. A bit. Can't do magic or anything, but I have a way to let Jimmy know how you feel, at least.”

That finally did earn a little smile from the overwhelmed Jay. D'arcy tacked on, “Hey, can you get free onion rings? It's part of the plan.” Her teasing grin was infectious, and for the first time all day, Jay laughed.

“Yeah, sure... Can we do this plan of yours later, though? I think I need to keep talking right now.” Jay came over from behind the counter, sitting next to D'arcy.

“You know it, kid. I'll be right here.” On seeing the flicker of a twinkle in Jay's eyes, a long-standing mystery was solved. D'arcy exclaimed, “Holy fuck, that's why your eyes look just like Asta's! I should've figured it out ages ago! Jesus, you're the right age and you always remind me of her. How did I miss it?” It had been so obvious, but what wasn't obvious when you looked at it in retrospect? Maybe D'arcy had been so sure she'd never meet Asta's kid that she automatically ignored the possibility. Either that, or D'arcy was a special kind of idiot.

“Everyone missed it. Including me, and I've been working with her, like, every day for months. About that—it's pretty sketchy how she hired me at the clinic. How weird is it that she never said anything? I'm so pissed and confused and I don't know what to do about any of it.” Jay glowered and rested her forehead on the counter.

Nearby, Dan took note with a frown. He knew Jay needed to talk to someone uninvolved, so he simply pushed a chocolate milkshake towards Jay and made himself scarce. It would be okay, eventually. And for now, the shake might help ease the anger. At least a little bit.

For the next half hour, D'arcy listened to Jay working through her feelings, only commenting enough to assure Jay she was paying attention. Eventually, Jay ran out of steam, deflating in her seat. She leaned over and rested her head on D'arcy's shoulder. Immediately, D'arcy wrapped an arm around her good friend. It was all so much, and it wouldn't be made okay right away. All she could do was provide support. She was going to need to talk to Asta soon.

With the initial shock of Jay's revelation settling down, another, more embarrassing thought occurred to D'arcy. Before she could help herself, she blurted:

“Oh, shit. I've been talking to you about your birth mom for the past two years. That's...”

Mortifying. Inappropriate, maybe. Definitively weird. By some measures, even gross.

Jay did a spit-take with her milkshake, eyes wide. “Oh, God. Yeah, that's...”

Awkward. That was the best, most succinct word for it.

A damning silence suffocated them.

Eventually, blessedly, Jay spoke.

Once she heard the words, however, D'arcy wondered if Jay should have just kept to the harsh quiet.

“... Y'know, I still want you two to end up together, Step-Mom.”

Mouth gaping wide, D'arcy could think of no other action but to quickly flee while her brain short-circuited.

I'm adopted, and I'd NEVER call my birth mother “my mother.” But Jay did *sigh*

A/N:

I altered the scene where Jay tells D'arcy about Asta, because being friends for 2 years is going change that conversation to an extent. I kept as much of the original dialogue as I found fitting.

Oh and keep in mind I did not “make” Jay queer. She had boyfriends in s1, but a girlfriend in s3.

Last thing, I went with D'arcy's blonde hair with the blue tips for the whole fic, rather than bouncing around.

Likes/comments/reblogs are love! Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: RA isn't mine

#Resident Alien #RA #D'arcy Bloom #Jay #Jay Resident Alien #Asta Twelvetrees #D'asta #Kyou's fic #my fanfic #a wild Kyouchan appeared

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ohmycale · 1 year

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of trust, betrayal, and maybe some accountability (long read)

Been gone. Life happens. Now back. It's a long read and I will put a (hopefully) good TLDR at the bottom

Okay, first off. I guess the TCF/ fandom can all agree on one thing - the Henituse family does love each other but are very bad at displaying or communicating it. Just like in any human relationship, communication matters, and I believe we could have a somewhat functioning happy-ever-after family ending if that happened. But then again, where will be the lovely angst if everything went the ideal and happily ever ending? The familial love that exists among the members of the said famous (or infamous) family is unassailable and is widely acknowledged. While love is extremely important, many people seem to forget that another element is missing, which is also crucial (but not exclusive to love) in functioning relationships - trust.

I guess we can also agree that love makes a good foundation for good and ideal outcomes, especially in familial or romantic relationships. Based on the family's history, it's easy to say that trust is lacking, if not severely lacking, in those particular members. Distrust is also not farfetched to imagine in their interactions.

Of course, the family patriarch caused the said problems. Whatever one thinks of the said patriarch, we call agree that he screwed big time in forming bonds and bridges in his family. Another sin he commit is his habit of kicking the issue down the road hoping it will be resolved somehow because of time. Let me be clear, time does mellow done the effect of anything (good or bad) that happens in a relationship. That is just the good side that can happen. But it can also produce a negative effect - the long, awkward silence of waiting it out can also create perceptions that are not healthy for the people involved and deepen the existing negative things. For me, the negative effect is what happened in the Henituse family. The problem started when ogCale was 8, and somehow the issue continued well before he reached his supposed 18th year (when KRS took over his body). So we have bad communication, mistrust connected to this faith of hoping things will sort out and waiting for the best (if that even exists at all).

Okay, back to trust. For me, the deterioration of the father-son relationship was triggered by two events. First, Deruth left his child because he could not stand to deal with his grief and harbored feelings of resentment of his son over some physical resemblance the said son cannot control. Two, he brought a wife and child into his and og!Cale's home without any consideration of his own child's feelings. He created a relationship with two new people (cool) but also forced a relationship between og!Cale and the new addition to the family (not cool). (Sorry, Deruth fans but your boy does know how to mess up his self-confessed priorities in life.) Just one of those events can cause massive distrust and resentment. Some adult children that I know (yes, anectodal I know) cut off their parents for one of these reasons (even for less). That is how serious these actions can mean and how severe the consequences are if the said issues were not addressed.

I guess even those who never had experienced any form of abandonment or neglect would not recognize that these two events, in og!Cale's eyes can be outright actions of betrayal from his father. And from distrust or lacking trust come forth feelings of further resentment and betrayal. Both are self-explanatory and extended not just to Deruth but to Violan, and the whole family unit. Of course, the biggest share of both goes to Deruth along with a particular feeling called parental rejection. And from this, it becomes a cyclic process where og!cale rightfully does feel mistrust even if his family is trying to reach him. After all, how can somebody envision that the same people who hurt him are trying to make amends if the said family still relies on bad communication (aka not initiating communication because how does someone expects a child to bring this complex situation and terrible power dynamic to his elders) that wasn’t addressed and no forms of remorse on their part were given to him?

Some fans will bring out that og!Cale self-isolated him and that is the reason there has been no communication or progress in reconciliation. Point taken, but who doesn't practice self-isolation/distancing when somebody hurts them? This reasoning justifies that og!cale has to lead and do the legwork in repairing the relationship. That is unfair to expect for the injured party and the child in this scenario. The reason also excuses or displays the increasing lack of accountability from Deruth (and in a smaller instance Violan) as parents and adults.

I will concede that the family does try to reach him but inefficiently. I don’t feel that they tried enough and exhausted every effort they had. I understand their fear, but the situation is hardly sustainable and beneficial to all. Everyone is on eggshells with a constant cloud of mistrust. The only reprieve everyone has is to continue with their fractured set-up.

TLDR – trust is not love but is an important element ignored by everyone, Deruth loves kicking things down the road and crossing fingers on his relationships, distrust/lack of trust amplifies the negative feelings and interactions, and please stop asking for responsibility/accountability for the character who tries to be the mature adult (even if he wasn't the adult in the situation).

#tcf #lcf #trash of the count's family #og cale henituse #ogcale #henituse family #deruth henituse #tcf deruth #henituse family drama

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paxesoterica · 1 year

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Some Thoughts on Episode 13 (Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury)

(spoilers & long)

*Most of the new footage included in the Season 2 trailer seems to have been taken from this episode, so you could think of the trailer as effectively a preview.

*There’s a few ways in which this episode hearkens back to Ep. 01, the first being an establishing shot of Asticassia from a descending elevator; Elan Ceres (aka No. 5) then starts narrating about Suletta fighting a serial duel, due to the special arrangements Shaddiq had previously made to delay challengers to Suletta’s title while Aerial was being repaired.

*Due to Guel's disappearance, Lauda's promotion to CEO, and Shaddiq's father forbidding him from being involved with dueling, there's a new Dueling Committee roster:

“Elan Ceres” (Enhanced Person No.5) - Peil House

Sabina Fardin - Grassley House

Renee Costa - Grassley House

Felsi Rollo - Jeturk House

Secelia Dote - Burion House

Rouji Chante - Burion House

*For those not familiar with Revolutionary Girl Utena, there was a similar shakeup of the Student Council from the first arc, with a couple members absent, and a new member declaring herself the next president, so this was a development I was anticipating and am pretty happy with since it looks like it will highlight some of the supporting cast.

*I am curious if Renee and Felsi are estranged half-siblings or cousins, or if they just happen to be two people with similar appearances and mannerisms who despise each other as a running gag; either way, between them and No. 5′s jaunty manner, the new Committee is shaping up to be a lively bunch.

*We learn from Rouji’s Haro that there is a rule that ”the Holder must accept a duel once every two weeks”, which is probably something that should have been mentioned earlier but does add a bit of nuance to two past events.

There was a brief exchange between Lauda and Guel in Ep. 01, when Lauda questioned why Guel accepted Suletta’s challenge, since he could have ignored her for 2 weeks at that point. However, given the Holder rule and Guel’s impulsive nature, it makes sense that he would rather deal with an annoyance now than be challenged again later (coupled with the loss of face in front of his flunkies and the fact that Suletta likely seemed to be a new ally for Miorine to use against him).

There was also the convoluted way that No. 4 challenged Suletta, which likely means that Ep. 5 took place less than 2 weeks after Ep. 3, or else No. 4 could have simply challenged her directly, and she wouldn’t have been allowed to refuse.

*Another thing that hearkens back to Ep. 01 is that Suletta absolutely thrashes her 5 consecutive opponents without breaking a sweat; at least two of them seemed to be girls, which means we have another low-key queer moment, which I always appreciate.

* We have a new opening, set to “Slash” by Yama. There’s a lot of shots of major characters, peppered with symbolism and foreshadowing that I’m going to wait on analyzing until a few more episodes are out, with two exceptions:

1) There’s an opening shot with Suletta and Miorine staring at the sky, at a distance from each other; there are ruins on Suletta’s side and trees on Miorine’s side. Towards the end, Suletta runs toward Miorine, who smiles at her (Suletta continues to be the source of 90% of Miorine’s smiles), and the two stand together looking toward the sky. This seems likely to be foreshadowing that Suletta will abandon the dark path her mother is trying to set her on, and instead rejoin Miorine (hopefully sooner rather than later).

2) Aside from Miorine and a group picture of the Earth House kids, nobody else (except Sophie Pulone) is smiling in the opening, which is understandable for Guel in particular, but is odd for Shaddiq and No. 5, since, presumably their plans are going well, so this is likely foreshadowing future troubles for them.

*Despite the smiles above, Earth House has been having a rough time since Plant Quetta, with several visibly flinching while watching Suletta’s duels. The Benerit Group has issued a cover-up, declaring what happened at the Plant to be an accident and threatening expulsion to any student who says otherwise, which effectively means none of them can talk about their experience with professional therapists (assuming any are even available). Chuchu is pissed off, especially with the terrorists (which greatly undermines any theories that she’d ever consider joining Dawn of Fold), Nika is quietly withdrawn due to guilt, and Ojelo and Lilique are huddled on the ground, seeming to be the most visibly distressed. I sigh once again at my inability to offer fictional characters hot cocoa, headpats, and therapist recommendations. Suletta, at least, seems in oddly high spirits (which is remarked upon by others) and tries to be encouraging.

*Fortunately, there’s an upcoming open campus event which might help distract Earth House, which also technically makes this a school festival episode (but with giant robots and, as we’ll see, attempted murder, since this is Gundam).

*There’s a short scene with Miorine, who is absent from school and at the Benerit Front, looking after her father during his recovery. She’s wearing a dark business dress and apparently hasn’t been sleeping properly, poor girl.

*Meanwhile the Benerit Group is investigating the Plant Quetta incident, with Sarius and Shaddiq seemingly in charge, because of course they are. They’re avoiding outright war (for now), and instead sending a small fleet to Earth to punish any terrorists (real or otherwise) they can find. Of course, anybody familiar with the real world history of the U.S.’s so-called War on Terror is likely horrified right now at the potential atrocities that are likely to occur, made worse by the fact that Benerit’s media blackout will ensure most Earthians don’t even know *why* they’re being punished.

*”I wouldn’t lie to you, Father,” lies Shaddiq.

*Shaddiq seems intent on continuing to cause chaos for the Benerit Group, summoning Sophie & Norea to infiltrate Asticassia as students.

*Suletta wonders if she did the right thing at Plant Quetta and her mom reassures her that she was right. Prospera continues to be a very effective manipulator, since she cleaves to technicalities; she’s *technically* correct that Miorine and Delling could have been killed, and realistically, killing the terrorist was probably the best way to protect them, but acting like killing at all is unambiguously good, instead of a necessary evil, and the fact that Prospera coerced her daughter into that position in the first place, instead of using her own piloting skills to help people, undermines any claims Prospera makes to being morally justified.

*Curiously, Prospera seems to be investigating the source of something that’s not explicitly stated; the only current possibility that comes to mind is that Prospera doesn’t know where Lfrith Thorn and Ur came from, and since there was previously speculation that Prospera herself was the source, if true, it raises some interesting questions.

*Suletta to Nika: “You’re a precious friend to me”, aww. While Suletta and Miorine are unquestionably my favorite characters, I also enjoy seeing their friendships with the other characters; Nika in particular, is the second person Suletta met at Asticassia, and since then has helped Suletta join Earth House, and led the mechaincs who have repaired Aerial several times. Recent events have prevented them from interacting much, so it’s great to see them have a friendship moment.

*Suletta describes her mother as “a gentle magician”, which is accurate, but I kind of hate it.

*Sophie and Norea arrive, and join Earth House.

*Sophie and Norea are *tiny* compared to Suletta, on par with Miorine.

*Big Sister Suletta!

*There’s was zero need for me to include the picture above, I just think Suletta’s facial expression is hilarious and adorable (also it somehow matched my expression with the return of this show).

*To anyone who, somehow, thinks Suletta’s bond with Miorine is ‘sisterly’, this episode is an excellent example of how Suletta interacts with someone she explicitly regards as a sister; it is notably not even slightly the same.

*Nika is less than pleased at the latest additions to Earth House, since she knows too well who they really are. She questions Norea in private, who threatens Nika with a knife (yup, just like the trailer) and tells her not to expose them. We also learn that Nika has long wanted to act as bridge between Earthians and Spacians, which is probably why she put her father in contact with Shaddiq, only to find out later that this was a terrible idea, and has been regretting it since; if Nika survives everything, hopefully she can pursue her original dream with the help of Suletta and Miorine.

*There’s a montage of Sophie and Suletta having fun at the open campus festival, with Sophie acting like a little gremlin all the while. Despite being on an undercover mission, Sophie genuinely seems to enjoy spending time with Suletta, though how much of that is genuine affection and how much is excitement with someone new and shiny (until she gets bored), is currently anybody’s guess.

*Hey, No. 5? Stop trying to take advantage of Suletta’s inexperience with sexual harrassment (due to her isolated upbringing) and pressuring her into dating you, go jump out the nearest airlock instead, kthnxdie.

*Fortunately Sophie rescues Suletta, and instead Elan encounters Norea, who has some bleak drawings, says vaguely sinister things, and steals No. 5′s datapad. No. 5 seems intrigued by her, and on the one hand, an alliance between the two would be a match made in hell and probably terrible for anyone around them, but on the other hand, it might get him to stop creeping on Suletta, so, possibly worth it.

*In another nod to the earlier episodes, Felsi & Petra get a scene! They bluster and threaten to take Suletta down during the Rumble Ring, a mobile suit mock-battle royale held at the end of the open campus event, which the Holder is required to participate in. So it looks like we’ll finally see Felsi get to pilot a suit, and might see the return of some or all of the Grassley girls as pilots, and hopefully Chuchu as well. Poor Suletta, girl does not get a break (and yes, despite her recent confidence boost, Suletta still hides behind other people sometimes).

*This is such a small, but sweet, character moment. Ojelo usually gets comedy bits, which is fine I guess, and here he’s seemingly back to his normal self, talking about money, but then makes it clear he’s doing his best to act normal to try cheer up Lilique, whom you’ll recall was displaying distress similar to Ojelo at the start of the episode, and I just...I did not expect to get attached to Earth House kids like I have, but they’re such a good-hearted bunch, who, despite the occasional disagreement, try their best to care for each other, even now after one of the scariest situations they’ve been involved in, and this is yet another example of that. I truly hope they all manage to survive the series, but I also worry.

*Speaking of worry, I legitimately thought that Nika was going to die when she confronted Norea & Sophie while they were trying to steal the Pharact. It’d be shocking for a character death like hers so soon, but the endings of Ep. 06 & 12 made it very clear that it’s a possibility, and it’s actually something I really like from a craft of writing perspective, even though it makes me squirm, about Witch from Mercury’s precise, surgical use of violence in its narrative thus far; having many, relatively light-hearted moments occasionally and unexpectedly punctuated by violence creates tension and dread at the first sign of possible conflict that constant and continual depictions of violence could never achieve.

*But Suletta arrives to save the day, speeding on a scooter, and then using its momentum to kick off into a powerslide, grabbing Nika just before the Pharact stepped on her, and then princess-carrying her to safety.

*Suletta Mercury is a character with a lot of nuance: she’s an anxious mess, an adorkable goofball, and a terrifying killer. But beside all that, one should never forget (despite the fact that it hasn’t been directly mentioned in the show, unfortunately) that she is someone who trained since her pre-teens as a rescue pilot in one of the most hostile environments in the entire solar system; to many, despite everything, she is a hero, and I 100% agree with this post that refers to her as ‘strong and gallant’.

*Before Norea guns her down, Suletta quietly apologizes to Miorine in absentia, and challenges Norea & Sophie to a duel; Sophie accepts, disagrees with Suletta’s belief that GUND technology’s purpose is to save lives, and promises to prove to Suletta that Gundams are nothing more than killing machines.

*I’ve seen some folks concerned over Suletta losing this next duel, and while possible, I don’t think it will be in a way that would cause her to lose Holder status. Consider the following:

The nature of duels in The Witch from Mercury are largely inspired by the duels from Utena, in which they were actual fights, yes, but also character studies of the participants, something that Witch has continued, using them to flesh out Guel, Elan, Shaddiq, and now Norea & Sophie as well. In this sense, the threat of loss is mostly unnecessary, with the protagonist of Utena losing only 2 of the 23 duels she fought during the TV series and movie combined. In other words, it’s not the threat of failure that makes the duels interesting, it’s what we learn about Suletta and her opponents.

...

There’s also the matter of the technical stakes versus the actual stakes of the upcoming duel. If Suletta loses the duel conventionally, then Nika would likely be killed, which I doubt will happen next episode since if she was going to die soon, it would have been this episode, and either Sophie or Norea (or both?) would end up as the new Holder and Miorine’s groom(s), which would make for a funny omake but doesn’t really feel like it would mesh with the story’s current direction. Aside from that, it also ignores the actual stakes: the clashing ideologies of Gundams as life-saving vs. Gundams as killing machines, and Norea & Sophie don’t need to technically win to achieve the victory they desire; all they need to do is put Suletta in a position where she is either forced to kill someone or let them kill someone. This is complicated by the fact that, despite Suletta’s stated beliefs, she has killed, and I suspect this duel may act as a catalyst that forces her to actually think about her actions at Plant Quetta, and just how far she’s willing to go to protect people she cares about, which may lead to the first step for Suletta in a painful but necessary journey to reconsider her mother’s role in her life, and that’s a far more interesting outcome than her losing Holder status.

*I also appreciate the parallel between Suletta squishing a man to death with her Gundam last episode, and now being on the opposite end and saving Nika from a similar fate; it’s another reason why I expect her duel with Norea & Sophie to have an impact on her character development. The Earth Witches are also shaping up to be interesting foils to Suletta, and I kinda hope they survive the conflict to see where that goes.

*There’s a new outro, featuring the song “Red:birthmark” by Aina the End, and I am currently obsessed with it.

*UTENA!

*Ahem. Witch from Mercury continues to show off its Revolutionary Girl Utena influences, while putting its own spin on them, and it’s great, and I love it. The scene above is a visual reference to one of the characters magically pulling a sword out of another’s chest for the latter to use, and given the imagery that follows, it seems to be an allegory for Aerial pulling Suletta free of Prospera’s influence and allowing her to transform into her own person.

*You should honestly just watch the video, but Suletta looks very stylish with her hair down, both as a witch in a black dress dancing with her GUND-bits, and as a dancing partner for Miorine.

*Miorine looks a bit uncertain about Suletta, but ultimately follows her lead, and it makes sense that she’s nervous since it’s a perspective of Suletta she’s never seen before (although, I personally think there’s also a tiny bit of Miorine feeling really, really gay while looking at Suletta).

*Speaking of Miorine, there’s an after-credits scene featuring her and Prospera.

*While it seems Miorine hasn’t been answering Suletta’s e-mails, she’s definitely been contemplating that dorky keychain Suletta got her.

*Miorine’s already figured out that Prospera manipulated Suletta, and Prospera responds with her typical gaslight/gatekeep/girlboss routine, pointing out that Suletta did it to save Miorine, admitting that Suletta went too far (which is very much *not* what Prospera said to Suletta), and then correctly guessing that Miorine wasn’t planning on abandoning Suletta despite this (while Prospera phrases it as ‘remaining friends’, I’ve heard this was an inaccuracy of the sub, similar to another one back in Ep. 10 that incorrectly inserted the word ‘friends’, so I’m going to trust that Prospera wasn’t being homophobic here and that the dub will be more accurate).

*Prospera then mentions to Miorine that, with Delling inactive, she wants Miorine to help her with the Quiet Zero project, which will supposedly create a world without war.

*And so the battle of wits between Miorine and Prospera begins; Miorine knows Prospera can’t be trusted, and in normal circumstances, I’m sure she would turn her down. But Miorine also knows that Prospera has some sort of influence on Suletta, and is clearly plotting something, and unfortunately the best way to find out and save her groom will involve walking straight into the spider’s parlor and accepting the offer. Miorine has repeatedly demonstrated she’s one of the smartest characters in the show, but so has Prospera, and despite being suspicious of Prospera, Miorine is also vulnerable due to her recent trauma, and her worries over both her groom and her father. If she loses, Prospera will likely either kill her or worse, but Miorine has little choice if she wants to be with Suletta (and the show makes it pretty clear that she does).

*Whew! What a way to come back from hiatus; thanks for reading, and I hope you’re enjoying the show as much as I am.

#text #mobile suit gundam: the witch from mercury

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