#galaxy immigration

[galaxyofender]

Mmmmmm. Have You Considered Maybe. People Lying? Anyways. You Are Fantastic. Love Your Art. You Seem Like a Very Cool Person

... so birb is back to being a suspect, then. interesting

#this ask isnt signed and the typing is different #so im assuming you are not mystery anon #galaxy answers #the galaxy complementing apparently #birb and two (who i think are) twitter immigrants are my main suspects

[natures-uprise]

#Striking new evidence for mass immigration of stars into the Andromeda galaxy https://t.co/jr0nkbcGGb #IFTTT #Twitter #uprise_s

[suppermariobroth]

In the Sunshine Airport track in Mario Kart 8/Deluxe, three different messages can be heard faintly over the intercom. These are difficult to hear in-game due to being drowned out by the music and the sounds of the race. Here they are extracted from the game's files. In order, the lines are:

"Paging Galaxy Airlines, Flight 2218, passenger Ms. Birdo, please proceed to the information counter on Floor 2."

"Passengers departing on Galaxy Airlines, Flight 2580, bound for Dolphin Shoals, should proceed to customs and immigration at this time."

"This is the final boarding call for Boomerang Bros. International Airline, Flight 117a to Sweet Sweet Canyon, departing from Gate 3."

Main Blog | Twitter | Patreon | Small Findings | Source

#mario kart 8 #nintendo #sound

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: The price of a meter

( Please come see me on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord Every bit helps)   The Klendari War saw the most brutal fighting the galaxy had seen since the days of the Fracture Wars.

On one side you had the Coalition of United Planet, a loose union of several dozen star faring civilizations brought together for economic and military security, and on the other stood the Klendari Empire which had reigned in its corner of the universe for some several thousand years.

The Klendari had survived so long because of their instinctual need to fortify their holdings. Their worlds were labyrinths of fortress walls, gun emplacements, razor trenches, and all other manner of engineering fortification. To try and take a world from the Klendari it was deemed the attacking force would need a minimum of ten times their standard forces to even have the slightest chance to succeed.

Relations between the two powers were cordial for many years. The Coalition had no desire to expand into Klendari space, and the Klendari benefited from wider trade access through the Coalitions standard market system. Events only began to take a downward spin when Klendari immigrants began spreading further and further into Coalition space.

Their travel permits were entirely legal and they established communities on several dozen worlds within the Coalition; often forming small Klendari quarters of larger cities as they would tend to group together. It was here that the nature of the Klendari began to upset their new world’s hosts.

They would begin fortifying their quarters and neighborhoods and turned them into sudo-military fortresses. Blockhouses became guard towers, avenues blocked off by reinforced gates, windows reduced in size to firing slits, etc. Within a few months of several families of Klendari settling on a world their new homes would be an impregnable bulwark of the Klendari Empire.

Naturally the legitimate rulers of the worlds were concerned by the sudden militarization of portions of their cities. Local law enforcement agencies tried to maintain order within the Klendari quarters but found with more and more Klendari migrating to them they began following the Klendari Empire laws instead. It was not uncommon for law enforcement to eventually refuse to patrol those areas as the Klendari began reacting hostile to them, as if they saw them as invaders.

Tensions reached boiling points on a dozen worlds but only when the Klendari Empire made an official statement declaring all Klendari settlements and enclaves within Coalition territory to be in fact part of the Klendari Empire did conflict erupt.

Coalition planets with Klendari enclaves issued ordinances denouncing the notion that they would relinquish sovereign territory and sent military units to demand the surrender of the enclaves. The enclaves refused, the military attempted to repossess the enclaves, and so the enclaves resisted triggering the Klendari War.

Each enclave took several months to reconquer, which was made worse by the fact the Klendari Empire was sending troops to reinforce each of the enclaves. Multiple convoys of troops were intercepted enroute, but a handful making it and further dragged out the war.  

By the seventh month of the conflict and only a handful of enclaves recaptured Coalition Military Command deemed that a new strategy was needed to bring the Klendari to the negotiating table. The idea was put forward that if the Coalition could capture a single Klendari world it would show them that they were not as invulnerable as they believed. Septimus Prime was deemed the perfect target as it was deep enough in Klendari territory to sends shockwaves when captured, but not too far that supplying it would become untenable.

So the Coalition assembled a massive invasion force, diverted 75% of their naval forces to protect it, and dispatched it for the heart of Klendari space. The moment the fleet exited their jump they found the Klendari resilience was well merited.

The first elements exiting the jump found themselves emerging into an orbiting minefield at the edge of the system. The mines were set to roam randomly throughout the system and only target ships that were not equipped with a Klendari transmitter. The “Righteous Fury” super battleship took the brunt of the damage upon emerging as it was the largest vessel. The shields held out as long as they could but by the time the rest of the fleet emerged it had sustained so much damage it had to be abandoned.

From there the fleet elements pressed forward to Septimus Prime while creating a cordon for the troop transports to move through safely. Though the Klendari had minefields in place they had not expected such a brazen attack into their territory and only a few Klendari fleet elements were present. These few ships hugged the orbit of Septimus Prime and used the orbital and ground based defenses to augment their lethality.

Coalition ships fought hard against the Septimus defense network, losing several more ships to ground based energy cannons. Klendari ships held out as long as they could but were eventually driven off when the final Hydron Cannon platform was knocked out of orbit removing the last of orbital defenses. They reduced themselves do hit and run tactics while they waited for the rest of the Klendari navy to arrive. With them driven off the Coalition could begin ground landings to take the planet itself.

There was a large debate about who would be the spear tip of the assault. Projections listed that whoever it was would take massive casualties. As brave as the various Coalition races had been to join the effort, none now were willing to be the first into the grinder.

Humanity did not share such hesitations.

Through the flak and energy cannon fire their drop ships rained down on Septimus Prime. 30% were lost in the first wave before they had even touched the ground. When they did the humans were met with an intense counter assault by Klendari forces that had been waiting to repel the ground invasion which resulted in a further 45% loss of forces before the Klendari withdrew.  

Despite their losses humanity had secured the beachhead and further reinforced it with additional forces. Soon the beachhead was a military compound with scores of humans marching out in columns.

To watch humans fling themselves at Klendari defenses was something beyond understanding. You would watch dozens of armored tanks charge across no man’s land to be wiped out one by one all for the destruction of one reinforced pillbox, or their soldiers crawl through piles of their dead to sneak up on their enemy unnoticed. Lesser species would have broken from the losses but humans simply put their heads down and continued marching forward. The rest of the Coalition contributed of course, but when faced with the stubbornness of the Klendari fortifications it was more often the humans who were brought in to finally break them open.

Meter by bloody meter the Klendari were driven from their strongholds as the death toll continued to mount. Wrecks of vehicles turned the surrounding landscapes into forests of rusting metal and were filled with the stench of rotting flesh. Some Coalition forces suffered such horrendous casualties that they withdrew from the assault, but humanity was one of the few that continued the fight until finally, after almost a year of intense fighting, Septimus Prime surrendered and the Klendari Empire as a whole opened up negotiations for peace.

#humans are insane #humans are weird #humans are space oddities #humans are space orcs #scifi #story #writing #original writing #niqhtlord01

[tmmyhug]

me: trips on my charger for the fourth time in an hour and curses

the 6th dimensional eldritch alien watching me on CUTE HUMANS LIVE FEED 24 HOUR 3 DIMENSIONAL ANIMALS DAILY HABITS FAILS & LAUGHS OBSERVE 3D SLICE OF LIFE [FUNDRAISER!]: awww *warps a galaxy-tipped tentacle to donate one dollar to my great-grandparents immigrating to america*

their neon rainbow glitch baby giggling as it distorts between three different universes: *chews on the memory of the sock i lose to the dryer two years from now*

#is this anything. #projably not #vees train of thought #vee makes posts

[holdbeast]

Damn, why is all the good HSR lore locked behind NPC conversations? Was I really supposed to grill a random shopkeeper in Exalting Sanctum to figure out that the Luofu’s role in the Xianzhou Alliance is basically to be the Trailblazer ship?

Apparently yes!!

Luofu’s bringing in immigrants from other Xianzhou ships (not the least being Baiheng, Yingxing, Fu Xuan, and Sushang). They’re welcoming outworlders. They help planets that were afflicted by abominations get back on their feet. They’ve got trade and cultural exchange.

So that’s why pushing them into an alliance with the Astral Express makes sense. They’re probably the only ship in the fleet that would have welcomes the Astral Express in the first place, and no, that’s not because of Dan Heng.

It also explains a lot about why Jing Yuan decided to become the General. He really is living his dream of travelling the stars and seeing new places - just, with more stress and responsibility than a Galaxy Ranger would have.

#Dammit HSR #Jing Yuan #Honkai Star Rail #HSR #don’t even get me started on how Xuling is a creepy deserted automated ship #WAS NO ONE GOING TO MENTION THAT #Actually they all sound pretty interesting except the Yuque #Tech bro ship can stay where it is #Fu Xuan already rescued herself

[molabuddy]

i'm having Thoughts so. collection of headcanons about the different home planets in pikmin:

Hocotate - Everybody's favourite :] a small planet that's hot and arid all around, and a little bit boring in the flora and fauna department. Notable for brutal summers and so-so winters, an environment really only suited to growing its famous and unfathomably delicious vegetables.

Vegetable cultivation and shipping is its main industry, but it's also a notable manufactuer of sub-par, barely up to code BUT dirt cheap spacegear :]

(extra hc: while pikpik carrots (as well as hocotate onions, garlic and other veggies) can be cultivated on other planets, no matter how closely those other planets can simulate a hocotate climate, the resulting carrots are noticably different and less tasty. Botanists can't figure out why!)

Koppai - kind of an outsider planet in terms of its culture as well as its literal distance from its neighbours. On the outside, it looks very advanced, with sprawling modern cities, but as we know Koppai has been struggling with a food shortage for a while :(

Notable for leading advancements in space technology, as well as inventing the kopad - a model of tablet which quickly became the base for space travel squad tablets built and used all across the galaxy.

(under the cut = some pikmin 4 planets - minor spoilers abound?)

Giya - Home Planet of Shepherd, Russ and Colin, as well as the Rescue Corps HQ. a Big planet, definitely in terms of population and industry, possibly even in terms of literal size.

Its a major hub of space travel facilities and technology, as well as a big hub for planetary immigration! Lots of people from other planets move there, so its got a very diverse population. It also has a large variety of climates as well as flora and fauna (Giya is generally a very "earth-like" planet I think)

Ohri - Home Planet of Dingo and Yonny (though both probably live on Giya most of the time.) A planet famous for its extreme climates both hot and cold, and the abundent and occasionally deadly wildlife in every nook of the planet barring the most developed cities

Ohrians(?) are very passionate about the natural habitats on the planet, and many places have remained protected and undisturbed, but it means that off-planet tourists and Ohri locals alike are just one wrong turn away from danger.

(extra hc: the reigon Yonny grew up in is notable for its poisonous creatures. he discovered his love of medicine while being taught how to make remedies and antidotes by his mother)

#pikmin #pikmin 4

[quiltofstars]

M79 // Reggie Jones

This is yet another globular cluster, although this one is likely extragalactic! Astronomers believe that it immigrated to our galaxy from the Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy, which the Milky Way is currently swallowing.

Discovered by Méchain in 1780, Messier noted that "this nebula is beautiful; the center brilliant, the nebulosity a little diffuse."

#astronomy #astrophotography #messier marathon #stars #star cluster #globular cluster #messier #messier 79 #M79 #NGC 1904 #lepus

[millerflintstone]

Burn Notice is fun but I straight up CACKLED at the notion of a white redneck-y gang leader out of CAROL CITY. The actor is the guy who plays Yondu in Guardians of the Galaxy.

This guy, Michael Rooker

I went to Carol City elementary for first grade. By the time I was a teenager in the 80s, you stood out in that area if you were a white non Spanish speaker. That was a minority race. I used to daydream about what it was like to have white friends that didn't have a parent that was an immigrant. There were only a few kids in my elementary school and a few teachers that weren't.

What's also so telling about the way the cast the show is how few brown folks show up as extras in general.

#I'm sure the landscape of Miami has changed #heck i would stand out now in Carol City #I've been gone way too long #i do not have JLo delusions

[master-of-47-dudes]

So I showed the early stuff off a bit a few months back, but I've finally completed the first draft of Act 1 of my Lancer adventure path, Kindness of Strangers! The deets can be found on the pilot net discord, but:

LRBT-III, otherwise known as Blanche to the locals. This sun-baked dustbowl of a planet has the high honor of being one of the few habitable terrestrial bodies that anyone has discovered in the Long Rim- and probably the only one that's actually any use to anyone. Luckily- or not so luckily, if you ask some people- it was Union that found it first. Well, about 70 years ago when they stumbled across this star system they got it in their heads that the Long Rim's days were numbered. There’s untold millions living out there scattered along the emptiest shipping lane in the known galaxy who'd need a way out once no one needed to pass them by, and by Christ the Buddha Union was gonna be there for them waiting with open arms.

All of that is background, though. You? You’re a bunch of mercenaries who got their hands on a couple of GMSes, decided to make your manna selling violence for pay. Worlds like Blanche don't take to colonies very well, so even two generations in there's still plenty of frontier out there being settled and railroad tracks being laid. The people out there struggle day by day to survive, and people like you are there to protect them from those who got sick of the hard life. Not everyone out there has the guts to stand up for the little guy- that's why you're called Lancers.

A setting and a campaign all in one, Kindness Of Strangers and its (eventual) follow-up Dancing With the Devil are a series of Wild West-themed 2-mission adventures intended to take players from 0-12 as they find themselves embroiled in the midst of a corporate conspiracy to overthrow the Union-backed government of the isolated colony of Blanche and a ploy to seize control over a nearly completed Blinkstation. All the while, a strange religious movement worshipping an eons-dead alien civilization grows ever more influential in the background...

This campaign tackles themes of colonialism, nationalism, corruption, and conflict between indigenous peoples, settlers, and immigrants, all in a world where well-meaning intentions have gone sour and the ghosts of the past have come back to haunt it. It comes with:

- A setting guide for LRBT-III and its weird-as-hell star system!

- A 0-12 campaign split up into two books, Kindness of Strangers and Dancing With the Devil, that are made up of three 2-mission adventures each. And then a final mission to tie things up.

- 4 Alt-Frames: the IPS-N Nemo, the SSC Painted Lady, the Horus Roper, and the HA Grant (still working on these)

- New Reserves! (still working on these)

- New Exotic Gear (still working on these)

- New NPCs! (still working on these)

Things to look forward to:

- Rallying a town to fight off a horde of bandits!

- An epic duel at sunset!

- Accidentally walking into a partial metavault and escaping with the only scars being mental ones!

- A weird amount of references to the works of Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller, like a probably legally dubious amount!

- Exploding plants!

- Exploding wildlife!

- The **CHRISTHEBUDDHASAURUS**

- Helping striking miners fight off Pinkertons!

- Investigating the bombing of a water filtration plant!

- AND MORE

...so this is really my first time doing this kind of thing so I don't entirely know what all to put here BUT I've put together first drafts of both the Field Guide to LRBT and Kindness of Strangers Act 1: A Streetcar Named Desire. They're not in any state where I can charge for them- I'd call them "playtest and editing ready" rn- but I figure I can share them here so people can give notes. If people think it's cool I could possibly do a kickstarter or something to get the money needed for art and help with editing and lcps and such.

Field Guide to LRBT:

Kindness of Strangers Act 1: A Streetcar Named Desire:

#lancer #lancer ttrpg #lancer rpg #third party content #huge success for me!!! #im happy to finally be ready to share it

[jesncin]

Have you read/heard of the two DC Graphic novels, Galaxy: The Prettiest Star and Bad Dream: a Dreamer Story? (PS: If DC ever let you 2 do a graphic novel I would probably buy a million copies and never shut up about it adhksks)

I have heard of both Galaxy: The Prettiest Star (because Lunar Boy's been compared to it!) and Bad Dream: a Dreamer's Story (because Lunar Boy was on a Queer Books To Read in 2024 list with it!) and I'd love to read both!

Oh man!! Their MG/YA graphic novel imprint is so interesting to me, and probably the best fit for my writing and art style. I'm still probably not an exact match for DC overall but if I were to pitch something to that line (if you'll entertain me being a pitch salesman for a moment!):

I know people probably want me to do a Superman & Lois graphic novel, but with Smashes the Klan and Girl Taking Over, I'm sure Lois Liando would be a hard sell as it is! Not a bad thing, since both graphic novels are already excellent with great creatives attached!

Supersons MG graphic novel that focuses on both boys struggling with school life as a background supervillain plot looms. There's already a Supersons (behated) graphic novel so I'm sure I wouldn't be given this but I'd love a Supersons story that focuses on slice of life more, especially exploring both Damian and Jon's backgrounds as kids of the diaspora.

MARTIAN MANHUNTER MG/YA graphic novel give me either MG or YA I'm flexible!! If I'm not trusted with big-name characters, give me the obscure blorbo. Smashes the Klan committed to the portrayal of Superman as an immigrant, I want a graphic novel that portrays J'onn and Ma'al as first gen immigrants too! But unlike Superman, they don't pass as human and have far more othering alien customs. I can either give the twins space adventures or culture shock adventures on Earth. All while they're hunted by some martian bounty hunter! Would love to team up with a Black deaf creative for this. Martian deserves a good book,,,

Conner Superboy YA graphic novel ! Re-contextualize the 90s run's themes of superhero child celebrity shenanigans into a contemporary context that teens can relate to. Influencer culture, the way identities are sectioned off and commodified in the capitalism machine, Livewire as the reactionary villain with her own youtube channel/podcast, Conner going to school and NOT getting yanked out of it constantly! So much potential to refresh his cast for the modern age. Would also love to team up with a Black creative for this!!

Stay with me. John Constantine MG graphic novel. I know there's already a YA graphic novel (that isn't particularly beloved) but listen. Send young 12 year old Constantine to a haunted boarding school with an occult conspiracy mystery at the center of it. Imagine the vibes of Gotham Academy with the energy of Goosebumps meets the tone of Series of Unfortunate Events. Who is the golden child who haunts Constantine?? What is this mysterious backstory he has?? How will he upset his newfound school friends this time?? It's tragic you should look away,,,look away,,,

SO IF ANY OF THOSE SOUND INTERESTING, DC, HIT ME UP lmao. I'm often told "DC should pick you guys up" and that's always flattering! I have complicated feelings about what it would mean as a fanartist to get picked up, and the possible red tape that means for me interacting with fandom (that I've grown to love), but hey. We can have fun and imagine an Elseworld where I got picked up!

#askjesncin #this was honestly really fun to brainstorm since I've had these “what if” pitches in my pocket for a while #my constructive criticism for their DC's GN line is the focus on getting big name writers is a hit or miss #sometimes the writer cares for the character and has bespoke interpretations. other times the writer has no clue who the characters are #give marketing more budget so you don't have to rely on the clout of your writers. Many of my peers are there and I'm excited for them!

[selkra-souza]

This solar system is the main setting for the spaceship alien roommates Rutan, Vertex and Donelja. This is a draft I've been working on the past few months that's set in stone for the most part, but potentially could get some future adjustments. The planets don't quite have names yet.

To put the image summary in text: The Spectrum Solar System is the home to Rutan, Vertex and Donelja. It orbits a main sequence star that’s a bit larger and hotter than Earth’s Sun, and exists within the nebula where both galaxies of Broken Yolk impact. It’s a colony system with a higher population and sophant diversity than the average system due to having two Goldilocks zone planets, easily terraformable moons, and an abundance of metals to mine from two asteroid belts. Many immigrate here from neighboring systems into terrestrial or space colonies to enjoy the system’s abundant resources and rich multicultural societies.

A Rhodo Nation-inhabited sol system rich in resources often has continentoids, which are dwarf planet sized supermegafauna bioengineered by Rhodo scientists, because populating the universe with as much life as possible is a common and prominent core value of theirs. They are mostly found in the Goldilocks zone orbit or closer, in order to maximize access to starlight for photosynthesis. There are unique species in this system, and they’re the charismatic face of this system to the wider galactic community :)

For the trio of roommates, they usually take their ship to and from the Rhodo Nation colony to one of the Igneous Nation moons for Donelja's masaka taxon environmental conservation work. They also make trips to the Aurora Nation for reasons I'm not totally sure of besides Rutan likes traveling in it's metropolitan cities. Vertex mostly tags along complaining the whole time and wanting to hoard knick knacks.

#selkra scribbles #my art #broken yolk galaxy #brokenyolkgalaxy #donelja #vertex #rutan #igneous nation #smazel #delorix #nedal #masaka #zrai #aurora nation #rhodo nation #speculative biology #speculative zoology #speculative cosmology #alien #aliens #alien oc #sci fi art #scifi art #world building #worldbuilding #xenofiction #xenobiology #astrobiology #science fiction #sci fi

[kenobihater]

javert is WRONG: the thesis of les mis is that legality and morality aren't synonymous!

i just found the internet's most unbelieveably dogshit hottake that makes anything woobifying javert written by Die Girlies Auf Tumblr Und Twitter galaxy brained in comparison. rest is below a cut because i got Wordy in my goal of ripping this motherfucker a new one.

The point about “fault” is very important here. Following Rousseau, Hugo believes that the poor become criminals out of necessity. They “fall” (i.e., become poor) and then become morally “degraded.” Therefore, our response to crime should be “charity,” not punishment. This is a classic Romantic view that became the basis for modern liberalism. According to Rousseau, people are basically good and are corrupted by society, committing crime only out of ignorance and desperation; the solution to crime, then, is education and welfare. Christians obviously worry that this view has no place for the doctrine of original sin, and conservatives object to this view because it leaves out personal responsibility for crime.

i know this is a christian publication but the concept of original sin even factoring into criminality and criminal justice genuinely pisses me off. stop forcing your shitty worldview that everyone is popped outta the womb an evil sinner, i beg. the seperation of church and state is a vital part of democracy. also, you can believe people are shaped by society and driven to crime through desperation without taking away personal agency. those two things are not contradictory.

If I am right about the Rousseau subtext, then Javert is not necessarily a villain; he’s just a conservative, albeit a liberal caricature of a conservative. There are two good examples of a liberal bias in Les Mis. First, notice that Valjean’s position in his society is roughly analogous to an illegal immigrant in our society. When he leaves the prison, Valjean can’t get work because he doesn’t have the right papers. He’s an undocumented worker. In a scene from the musical cut from the film, a farmer allows Valjean to work for him, but then only pays him half as much as the other laborers. The farmer reasons, “You broke the law….Why should you get the same as honest men?”

i've never seen anyone, even javert fans, try and argue he isn't a villain. this is breaking new ground here, folks. it's a hell of an assertion, but it's demonstrably false. jean valjean is the main character. we root for him and wish to see him succeed. javert is hunting him for the entire narrative. thus, he is the antagonist. there may be some moral ambiguity on both their parts, but he structurally is the villain and that is a narrative fact.

next, as an american i am fucking BEGGING on my HANDS and KNEES for other americans to learn about the differing political terms for different countries and times if they are speaking about them with any supposed credibility. i'm not asking you to memorize every country's parties and political intricacies, but at least acknowledge that even if there is some overlap between 21st century american conservatism and 19th century french politics, that there is no one-to-one analogy!! modern american christian conservatism is a consequence of hundreds of years of unique geopolitics and religion stewing together, and you can say similar things about french politics of the time! you CANNOT just say shit like "javert is a liberal caricature of a conservative" without sounding like an utter clown because hugo was not an american liberal and javert is not an american conservative. now, if you were to alter your language a bit and say something like "javert is a leftist caricature of an arch-conservative," you'd sound less foolish (hugo's politics are hard to pin down but leftist is i believe the best label for him at the time of LM's publication. and to my understanding javert isn't really a fervent arch-conservative but it is at least a plausible reading bc he's a traditionalist, deeply religious cop and 19th century french arch-conservativism actually existed in 19th century france (shocker, i know!)). but that change in language would require actual intellect and effort to learn about other times, places, and worldviews on the part of the author, and judging by his ignorant politics, something tells me he's lacking that!

then there's the bit about illegal immigration. hoo BOY is this fucking stupid. jean valjean is a white, culturally catholic, working class french male citizen. he's an everyman of the time, his name and story of class struggle couldn't be more generic unless he was named john doe or jean dupont (the french equivalent) from nowheresville, france. hugo had a point here, and that is that as a member of the wretched poor, les misérables, valjean, representing a large swath of the french populace, is so removed from education and self reflection and truly living life that he's more akin to an animal or an object, that he's so beat down by the daily grind that he verges on inhuman. this is only magnified by his time in toulon. i'll stop there, but it is very important in jean valjean's story that he's impoverished, yes, but a french citizen. he is as french as the king, but treated like dirt because of his social status and criminal record. this sets up a dichotomy in the france of 1832 between the wretched poor and those with privilege, which is an important part of the novel.

the issue of "illegal immigration" both in france and america is a modern one. there was still bigotry and xenophobia, obviously, but the discourse around the intersections of border control, the nation state, and citizenship is a very modern one. to say "valjean's position in his society is roughly analogous to an illegal immigrant in our society" is ignorant. yes, both jean valjean and many undocumented immigrants are faced with similar abuses, but that does not mean it's intended by hugo to be a reading of the text or political commentary because let me restate this: 21ST CENTURY AMERICAN POLITICS DIDN'T EXIST IN 19TH CENTURY FRANCE!

also, valjean is the opposite of undocumented. he has his yellow papers, which are quite literally documents that are the root cause of the daily discrimination he faces, hence why him ripping them up is a radical act of freeing himself from the control of an unjust state. i don't even know how you miss this, it's stressed in the movie musical multiple times.

“Men like you can never change,” he tells Valjean. But Javert is not simply being prejudiced here. He knows from his own experience that it is possible for the poor to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. Javert, too, was born in poverty. He is “from the gutter,” as he puts it, but he embraced law and made something of himself.

oh, of course the bootstraps ideology rears its ugly head. not even gonna waste my breath on this one other than to call it stupid and wrong. all javert made himself was a class traitor and a bootlicker, and that's honestly tragic.

Consider a second example of liberal bias. The character of Fantine is designed to elicit the viewer’s sympathy for “welfare mothers.” Fantine, a young, unwed mother in Valjean’s factory, faces persecution from her coworkers. The factory foreman expresses a conservative attitude toward charity: “At the end of the day, you get nothing for nothing.”

this part. this part was so unbelievably cruel and so far removed from the empathy that this narrative bleeds that i had to step back from writing this and take a smoke break. firstly, fantine is NOT a stand in for "welfare mothers", which is, once again, a modern conservative strawman! the welfare state did not exist in 19th century france. there was little to no support for mothers in fantine's position, and to my knowledge, none stemming from the state. hugo was writing her character to bring to light the unfairness of her position. she had a lover who left her flat out, with a child to care for and no financial support. she was ostracized, eventually fired, and resorted to survival sex work.

Fantine shouldn’t expect special treatment, but rather should take responsibility for the consequences of her own sexual license.

fuck you, john. where in the text did she ask for "special treatment". where in the text did she do ANYTHING but take responsibility for her child. she sold her hair. she sold her teeth. she sold her body. she got sick because of her living conditions. she died. all out of love for her child. also, framing children as "a consequence" is disgusting, and you should be ashamed of yourself and reflect on why you think that's an alright way to view a living, breathing, human being. if you don't wanna take my word for it, psalm 127:3 clearly states "children are a gift from the lord; they are a reward from him," so your stance is decidedly unbiblical. children aren't punishment.

Likewise, when Fantine turns to prostitution to feed her child, Javert is unmoved by excuses. Valjean’s family was starving, and Fantine’s daughter was sick, but these facts don’t excuse them for breaking the law. Theft and prostitution are wrong, and it is Javert’s duty as police officer to arrest them.

how is theft to feed a starving child immoral. how is sex work to ensure your child lives immoral. give me ONE reason aside from your and javert's religious worldviews that either of those things is wrong. "but the bread didn't belong to valjean!" and would inaction, watching his nephew die simply because a windowpane and empty pockets separated him from a piece of bread be more moral? is watching a child die when you believe you can save them the better option? the whole point of this damn book is that legality is NOT synonymous with morality. javert may have the legal high ground, but he does NOT have the moral high ground, and when he realizes this, the thesis of the book, he fucking kills himself! for an example outside the text to perhaps get it through your thick skull: slavery was legal. biblical, even! does that mean it's morally right? no!

Thus Les Mis is designed to get us to see Javert’s conservatism as cruel and to elicit sympathy for Hugo’s liberal social policies. It should be noted, however, that Les Mis is a caricature of the conservative position. Conservatives agree that we ought to treat the poor with dignity and compassion. They think that compassion programs, however, should be administered by the church instead of the state, and they think true dignity requires personal responsibility and submission to the law.

how can javert both be an exaggerated, cruel conservative caricature and be right? i'd argue he's both an accurate portrayal of the inherent cruelty and misanthropy present in the politics of the political right, and that he's decidedly wrong as proven in the text. jean valjean is a good man, despite it all, but javert couldn't see that because of his worldview and chose to relentlessly hound him until he finally realized his mistake, a realization that overcame him so strongly that his only solution in his mind was to kill himself!

and do conservatives actually agree they should treat the poor with dignity and respect? it's in the bible, sure, which christian conservatives hold as the absolute truth, but in this very article you, a christian conservative, have expressed nothing but contempt and cruelty for undocumented immigrants, for unwed mothers, for thieves and sex workers. for les misérables - the wretched poor. and why shouldn't the state handle "compassion programs" as you call them? the gov't is electable and manageable (in theory), unlike the beast of untraceable wealth and power that is the church. we don't live in a theocracy, so the only reliable way to ensure people get the help they deserve is through the state, which can actually be held accountable for these expectations (again, in theory). that's more than you can say for the church.

The fact that Les Mis contradicts evangelical theology does not mean apologists shouldn’t use it—on the contrary. We can help non-Christian fans of the musical see how the vision that draws them toward the story can only be fulfilled in Christ.

his conculsion is LAUGHABLE. personally, the "vision that drew me to the story" at age twelve was my attraction to men. i'm a flaming homosexual, you see, and a transgender one at that. the overwhelming majority of musical theater fans i've encountered are some variety of queer. at age 22, ten years later, i'm drawn to the story still partially because i find these characters attractive and magnetic, but much more so for the literary and socialist political value i find in the narrative. i'm an unrepentant leftist as well, as are literally every other les mis fan i've ever met (besides yourself, of course). i've found more fulfillment through reading les misérables than i have in my exploration of the new testament, and i'm not even done with the book yet!

i don't really know how to conclude this other to point and laugh at john and his publictaion, because somehow i stumbled upon a conservative fan of les mis and the lack of self awareness is more baffling than i could have ever imagined it being

#len's meta #les mis #les mis meta #les miserables #les misérables #les miserables meta #les misérables meta #javert #javert meta #god this took forever to write up bc i had to keep taking mental health breaks. it ticked me off THAT much

[starfleetisapromise]

Some thoughts on Picard Season 2 and why it's unpopular.

So I had a bit of an epiphany yesterday. I'm rewatching Picard Season 2 in preparation for a discussion about it with a colleague next week and I was constantly reminded that a lot of fans are very visceral in their dislike of this season.

To be honest, there are parts of it that I don't like. I think the whole Soong/Kore story was a totally unnecessary distraction and was only done, once again to shoehorn in Brent Spiner and the Picard/Data relationship - which I never found compelling in the first place. But that's just me.

However, I realized that Picard Season 2 does something that no other season (or show) of Star Trek does, it centers the entire narrative on humanity. By making the protagonists AND the antagonists humans, there is no subtle (or not so subtle) use of alienation to map contemporary adversaries or conflicts onto the Federation's adversaries. This is important, because, as I have argued in a multitude of research papers, Star Trek is very, very guilty of framing future conflicts through the lens of contemporary adversaries. This was done very explicitly in TOS - both Roddenberry and Coon overtly asked for the Klingons to be modeled on an "Asiatic Communist" trope. Communism was again the enemy in TNG, through the medium of the Borg and "assimilation" and loss of individuality. DS9 has its Cardassian "Nazis"; Voyager and Enterprise the chaotic post-Cold War existential threat of non-state actors and by the time we get to Discovery, the Klingons have been recast as Jihadist extremists.

The fundamental problem with this is that no matter how much Star Trek might talk about the Federation being a "future better us"; by casting recognizable real world adversaries as the Federation's foes, it automatically casts the contemporary US as the Federation (that's just how TV works, especially through the manichean lens of US culture).

So, if you don't want to think too hard about the ways in which the US interacts with the world. If you don't want to think too hard about American exceptionalism and Neo-imperialism and the misuse of force (and capital) without and within the US. If you cloak it all in the surface progressiveness of visible diversity - and I'm not claiming that diversity and representation isn't important, of course it is, but diversity does not equal progressive politics - then you can happily watch Star Trek without ever having to grapple with the uglier parts of the American experience. If we are the Federation, and clearly we must be because the Federation's foes are recognizably our foes, then we are already the galaxy's "good guys"; the Federation is just a future extension of the American now.

Season 2 of Picard blows that all apart. The bad guys are the Confederation and, by going back to the 21st century and exposing the roots of the Confederation in all the ugly, racist, greedy, unequal, venal, corrupt layers of 21st century America, the Confederation is a direct consequence of that present (our present) being allowed to play out into the future. We are the enemy in the 21st century and we become the enemy in the 24th century.

And the show pulls absolutely no punches. We get ICE brutalizing detainees and explicit discussions of people being disappeared because they are dehumanized as "non-people". Homeless encampments and immigrant clinics amid glittering towers and sumptuous parties. We get quips about the ridiculousness of pledging allegiance to a flag (thank you Ríos) and monologues about exchanging white hoods for suits (thank you Guinan). Some of the despair is directed to the behaviors of everyone on the planet - climate change - but the vast majority of the political commentary is explicitly about the contemporary US.

Not only that but it's done by a diverse cast that speaks Spanish, and is brown and queer and female and empowered (thank you Queen Agnes) and where the only white men are aging and feeble.

It is (the wandering Soong/Kore storyline notwithstanding) fucking brilliant television and it's the first time that Star Trek is ever explicitly - textually AND subtextually - progressive. There is no ability for the audience to elide the message by hiding in the fiction that we are the Federation and THEY are the bad guys (the Klingons, the Borg, the Romulans, the Breen, the Cardassians).

So no, let's get rid of the bullshit that people don't like Picard Season 2 because of "the writing", the writers room for Seasons 2 and 3 is almost identical (Matalas, Appel, Monfette, Maggs and Okomura) and the writing for both seasons was taking place almost at the same time.

Whether it's subconscious or not, the disproportionate degree of hate leveled at Season 2 (often by the same fans that love season 3 for it's "great writing" and overt nostalgia) exists because the storytelling in Season 2 leaves fans no place to hide. Because for the first time Star Trek really dives into the core of science fiction, which, as many, many sci-fi writers have explained (Margaret Atwood most recently), is not to predict the future but to critique the present.

I may come back and edit or extend this later, but right now I'm going to leave it as is and post.

Edited to clarify that you can hate Season 2 for any reason you want to, personal taste is just that, personal - but the (for the first time) explicit social commentary cannot be divorced from the unusual levels of vitriol hurled at this season by a substantial group of very vocal fans.

#picard s2 #picard meta #star trek meta

[danceswithsporks]

Calm- Part 1

Part 2 of 6 in the Complete Series!

Wrecker x Seamstress Reader

Warning this fic will contain spoilers for the season 2 finale.

Story About: You love how calm and peaceful your life on Pabu is. When trajedy strikes the island, a handsome clone pulls you into his world and you discover there’s more to the Galaxy then you realize.

Chapter About: A tsunami shakes the island and you require the help of someone strong to help you out.

Authors note: Well here we are everyone!! Calm is finally here! I’ve honestly been a bit nervous to post this first part, kinda worried that it won’t be as good as Warm, but I still want to give y’all a great story. So I hope the wait was worth it!

Also! Here is a height comparison reference to put into perspective Wreckers height. I’m basing the other persons size off of the average height for women so feel free to alter that however you want! But damn is our boy TALL!

Now. Without further ado! Here’s the opening chapter to Calm!

Calm, that’s how you’d describe Pabu. The weather was always perfect, save for a rare storm every few months, and the waves always crashed against the rocks of the island in a calming rhythm. Standing on the patio of your shop in upper Pabu, you could easily watch the fishing boats on the horizon bob up and down against the waves while the sun silhouetted them. You were born here, raised on the sea life brought in daily by the fishermen. While others had escaped whatever horrors they experienced out there in the galaxy by coming here, you’d learned to walk on these cobblestones. Scraped your knees in the plaza at the top of the island and learned to swim in the bay on the back of the island.

While others had brought their businesses with them when they immigrated to Pabu, like the tea shop family or the sweet girl who ran the inn, your shop had been there for generations. Your grandmother had opened it when she immigrated from Coruscant and then passed it to your mom, who passed it to you. While your parents had decided to stay in Pabu, your aunt on her side had moved back to Coruscant. Determined to bring fashion and style to Pabu, though those trends were far above what anyone would want to wear here. She was doing well for herself there and had offered for you to live there countless times. But you loved Pabu and loved how calm it was here. You wouldn’t trade this peace for anything in the Galaxy.

You stood at the stone wall of your patio and looked down as another boat left the port. It was the Chief's boat, his daughter, and the blonde girl you’d seen walking around earlier the only passengers. From the whispers of the elder women who helped in your shop, the ship that had arrived carrying Phee had been filled with clones. You’d seen them briefly as they walked by, the three men were unique in their sizes and looks, weren’t clones supposed to look the same? Briefly, the large one had turned his face and stared for a moment before he continued, and oh how your heart fluttered for a moment. The shoulders alone on him had your mind swimming with ideas, you liked a big boy.

The glass of water next to you trembled against the stone and you stood back with a confused look on your face. That…didn’t seem right. All around you the wildlife screeched and scattered away from lower Pabu and towards the top. Well, that wasn’t normal either. You stepped away from the wall and made your way back inside. “Animals are acting weird.” Left you nonchalantly as you made your way back to the gown you were working on.

“What do you mean by that, dear?” One of the elder women, Magda, looked up from the quilt she’d been knitting.

“After that little shake, they started rushing toward the top of the island. Sea birds took off too.” You walked over to the woman and looked over the blue and gray quilt she was almost finished with. How she did it was beyond you. Sitting there and knitting the same rows over and over again for hours a day seemed so monotonous. To your surprise, the woman looked up at you seriously. “What?”

“What did the water look like?” Sue, another of the elder woman who worked with you, asked. The pants she’d been hemming, were now left forgotten.

“Like water?” The ground shook once more and you suddenly felt a wave of dread wash over you. Maybe you should go check the water? The memory of something you’d learned in school ran through your mind. Stepping outside, you realized something was very wrong. All across your patio were countless moon-yos, their large eyes staring down toward the water. It took you a moment to shuffle your way towards the wall once more but when you did, your heart jumped to your throat. “Tsunami”

The water of the sea receded away from the shore and before you could even scream for those around you to run, the warning system roared across the island. In theory, you would be safe up here, right? In school, they’d told you that the waters wouldn’t get as high as upper Pabu. It was lower Pabu that could be wiped away completely. Already you could see those below rushing upwards. “Ladies! Time to go!” You made your way back inside and found Magda and Sue continuing with their work. “We need to go.”

“Oh darling, don’t fret. The waters won’t reach us here. The last time we had one of these lower Pabu was only partially destroyed.” Sue waved you off as she stuck another pin in the cuff of the pants.

You grimaced at her in uncertainty. “Yeah, I’d rather be safe than sorry. Let’s go.” You shooed the two women eagerly and after another ‘Let’s go’, they finally got up. Following behind them, you made sure to lock the door of your business. As cute as the moon-yos were, you’d rather they not seek shelter within your inventory.

“Grandma!”

“Mom!”

The families of your two helpers rushed towards all three of you and sighed in relief.

“They were giving you lip about leaving, weren’t they?” Sue’s daughter rushed to her mother's side and wrapped a shawl around her shoulders.

“You know how they get. Nothing I couldn’t handle though.” More people rushed up the path and you silently thanked your parents for adding on the enclosed patio. Without it, you’d all be overtaken by the crowds in no time.

“We would have been fine.” Magda waved off her granddaughter's extended hand. “The waters never come this high.”

Blue eyes rolled as the granddaughter, Lacey, crossed her arms. “Grandma, you know the Chiefs rule. Everyone heads to the top just in case.”

Magda scoffed as you walked behind her, shooing her and the others towards the main road. “How would you know about these rules? You weren’t even alive when the last one happened!”

Lacey slid her arm around her grandmother and helped steady her as people rushed by. “They teach us about it in school, grandma. Plus we just had a drill last month.”

“Did we?” A humph left Magda as she looked around at the crowds.

Shaking your head, you continued to herd your little group upwards. You felt like you were herding cattle with the way you were moving around your group to keep them all together. All around you, people were rushing towards the top of the island. The island shook as the large wave finally hit and your group staggered for a moment before resuming your hike up the mountain. Everyone around you seemed to freeze and while you wanted to turn back and look as well, the two elder women in front of you seemed to be spurred on and were now rushing to the top.

By the time you and your group had reached the top of the island, people had begun to settle down. Across the courtyard you could see the chief speaking with the men from before, Phee standing close by. A part of you wondered what was being discussed, but Magda drew your attention instead.

“There weren’t as many survivors the last time this happened. My mother was lost.” She looked around at the groups of people huddled together.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Your group continued your path toward the Archium. You could see more of the elders settled down with their families. To think this could be their second or third or even fourth sea surge was wild to you.

“Last time we didn’t have the wall to protect us.” Sue shooed her daughter away as the girl fussed over her once more. “But the needs are still the same afterward.”

You tilted your head as you finally arrived at the Archium. “What do you mean?” You offered your hand to Sue and helped her sit against one of the arches next to the building.

“People have lost their homes, their livelihoods. They have nothing now. They’ll need places to stay and supplies to get through these next weeks.” Magda sat with a huff next to Sue.

You squatted back on your heels and began to chew your lip. “Supplies, huh?” A hum left you as you thought for a moment before an idea began to form. “If I got the supplies, do you think you and the others could make some blankets, clothes, stuff like that?” You watched as the two women looked at each other and then the others around you for a moment before nodding.

“Bring us whatever you can, we’ll get those who know how to knit and sew together and begin working.” Magda hummed as she leaned back against the wall, her eyes closing. “For now, I think I’ll take a nap.”

“Sounds like we have a plan. I’m gonna go talk to Shep and see what he thinks.” With a slap on your thighs, you stood and made your way across the courtyard. Passing by the tree you noticed many people resting in the small patch of grass. Pausing for a moment, you looked at everyone settling in and smiled at the sight of the large clone from earlier and the small girl that was with him curled against each other. A part of you began to wonder if she was his daughter, if somewhere out in the galaxy he had a wife. You could have sworn you’d heard something about clones aging fast, but who knew how accurate that was? People were always saying things that weren’t true.

Someone called your name and with a final look at the large man, you made your way to the source. “Shep, Phee. Good to see you two made it out ok!” You smiled happily as you hugged Phee who looked you over quickly.

“Everyone from the shop make it out ok?” Phee watched as you nodded and then motioned toward your group. “Took some convincing but I got them up here.”

“Phee” One of the clones from earlier, the one with a face tattoo, a bold choice but who were you to judge? “Tech and I talked it over and we think we’re gonna stay. If you’ll have us?”

“Yes!” You covered your mouth quickly as soon as the words left you. All eyes turned to you and you chuckled quickly. “Sorry. It’s just that extra help will be needed. They look strong and capable. Plus with their ship, it would be helpful to get supplies from the other islands. Which brings me to why I’m here.”

Shep crossed his arms and chuckled. “Let’s get some introductions out of the way first.” He motioned to the two clones. “Tech and Hunter, meet one of the island's seamstresses.”

You finished the introduction for him, letting the two know your name, before extending your hand to each of them. “Nice to meet you both.” Smiling, you nodded towards the tree. “Saw your other two friends sleeping over there.”

“That would be our sister Omega and our brother Wrecker.” Tech adjusted his goggles and looked past you and towards his siblings before his gaze shifted toward the woman he’d just been hanging over the ledge with.

So she was his sibling and not his child. That sent a surprising wave of relief over you. “Wow, unique names.” You chuckled as the men shrugged.

“You said you were here for a reason?” Phee wrapped her arm around Techs shoulder and drew his attention back to the conversation. He was practically drooling over the tea shop owner.

“Ah, right!” With a clap of your hands, you told the group your idea. “I have more than enough stock to supply the ladies with. We should be able to get a few blankets and basic clothing out of that. I can call my suppliers on the other islands as well and see if they can spare anything.”

“You’d do that?” Phee watched as you shrugged with a smile. “Of course. A community stands together through all the good and bad. Mom said that all the time.”

“We’ll find a way to pay you back for the supplies.” Shep reached over and grabbed your shoulder gently. He was glad to see you stepping into the same role your mother used to have. So many times she’d stepped in and taken care of refugees arriving with nothing. To see you helping in the same way was heartwarming.

Smiling, you shook your head and patted his hand. “Don’t worry about it, Shep. I’m just glad to help. Which is something I will need to get everything over here, some of the bolts of fabric can be pretty heavy.”

Phee nodded with a smirk. “I’m sure our new friends here will be happy to help.” With a slap to Tech's back, she caused the clone to stumble slightly before he regained his footing and adjusted his goggles.

“Indeed. Allow us to get Omega settled and we will be available to help.” He tapped at his datapad a few times. “It seems the seismic activity is subsiding. I estimate the waters will recede fully in approximately two days. However, a more pressing matter needs to be addressed.”

“What’s that?” Hunter looked over Tech's shoulder and at the datapad. His eyes ran over the information on the screen and he quickly understood the problem. “Your water is most likely contaminated. That’s gonna need to be figured out quickly. Make sure your people know not to drink anything not already bottled or in containers.”

A long breath was released from you as your hands found their way to your hips. “Well, I’ll let you guys handle that. I’m gonna let my group know and then head to my shop.”

The two clones, Phee and Shep all nodded to you before you turned and headed back to your small group. You let them know the current plan as well as the new information about the water. Lacey took on the job of spreading the word to the others about the water and agreed to look for others to help with the clothing. Satisfied that everything was under control, you headed back to your shop.

-*-

The moon-yo’s had done a number on your patio, fruit and other ‘gifts’ were scattered across the ground. With a sigh, you sidestepped some of the mess and made your way to the stone wall, and looked down at the calming waters that now covered the lower half of your island. The buildings below the waves would survive, they were built sturdy and with the possibility of a tsunami in mind. But everything inside, people’s belongings and prized possessions, would be gone. You realized at that moment how lucky you were to live in upper Pabu. Your home would almost always be safe and secured here. The wall from which you now looked over would always protect your beloved home and generations of hard work and memories. You’d do all you could to help those affected by the tsunami.

The squeak of the gate drew your attention away from the sea. Turning to greet the new arrival, you smiled brightly. “I was hoping they’d send you.”

Wrecker had finally fallen asleep beneath the large tree, his precious sister safe and sound beside him, when he felt Hunter shake his shoulder. With a groan, he’d tried to quietly pull himself away from the small blonde who woke for a moment before settling back into a restless sleep once more. His Vod had quickly filled him in on what was currently happening and before he had a chance to ask for a rations stick, he was so kriffing hungry, he was sent off to find the island seamstress who needed help.

What he hadn’t expected to find was the woman he’d passed earlier in the day looking over the edge of the island wall. Unafraid and unconcerned by the height. It had been the smile on her lips that had caught his attention earlier, for the briefest of moments he found himself lost in them. But then Omega had drawn his attention away from the woman and he’d quickly been distracted. That smile had stayed in the back of his mind though. Now he was staring at that smile once more. “You were hoping they’d send me?”

You nodded as you stepped forward and extended your hand to him, your name falling from your lips as you watched him shake your hand back. “I was. Gonna need someone tall and strong to get some bolts of fabric down. You seem to fit that bill perfectly.”

“O-oh.” Wrecker watched as your hand practically vanished inside his, your name rolling around in his mouth like a piece of candy. “Glad I can help.” He smiled as he released your hand and waited for you to lead the way inside. Instead, you turned and headed back towards the wall. After a moment of looking down, you looked over your shoulder at him and motioned for him to join you. Swallowing the fear already building inside him, he made his way over.

“Crazy how so much can change in the blink of an eye.” You hummed softly as you crossed your arms and leaned against the wall, your eyes skimming the ocean for any boats.

Wrecker stood a few steps away from the wall and focused on you instead. How your curves moved with your body as you found a comfortable position to lean against the wall in. He took in the way your hair was pulled up and away from your face, a multicolored hair clip holding the strands in place against the back of your head. It looked soft, Wrecker wondered what it would feel like sliding through his thick fingers. Your voice pulled him from his thoughts and he nodded carefully. “Happens more often than you think.” He’d experienced that a lot lately.

Looking over your shoulder at him once more, you found him more steps than expected away from you. “What are you doing over there? I won’t bite.” You smirked playfully at him. “Unless you’re into that.” A blush crept across his cheeks and you bit your lip. Oh, he was cute.

“I..well…” Wrecker tried to find the right words to explain that he wasn’t a fan of heights, but then you made the comment about biting and he felt his head swim for a moment. Were you flirting with him? Him of all people? You giggled while turning to face him. He watched as you placed your hands behind you and boosted yourself up onto the wall, your back now facing the wide sea. “You should be careful.” It left him quicker than he intended.

“Don’t worry, Wrecker.” You purred his name as you leaned back a little and allowed a warm breeze to dance around you. “I’ve been doing this since I was a little girl. Now please, come closer?”

Your hand raised to him, beckoning for him to come closer to you and to the edge. “You could fall.” Was spoken carefully as he took a tentative step closer. Come on, Wrecker. A cute girl is flirting with you and calling you closer. The little voice inside his head was screaming at him to get the lead out of his boots and move all the way to the wall.

A happy hum came from you as you watched him take another step closer. Was he afraid of the ledge? “I guess it’s a good thing you’re here then. If I f-“ The island shook once more and due to the way you were balancing on one hand, you lost your balance and began to fall backwards.

“No!” Wrecker shot forward and grabbed your wrist quickly before pulling you against him and holding you tight, grounding you both to the island with his large frame. The tremor lasted for only a few seconds and when it finally ended he realized he’d squeezed his eyes shut.

Your heart felt like it was in your damn throat! Maybe he did have a point. The tightness in which he was holding you wasn’t painfully tight, which was surprising given his size, it was pretty nice. Against his body like this, you felt so small. Like a child hugging her father. Tilting your head back to look up at him, you realized he had to be at least six foot six. Stars, how could a man be so tall and so stacked? You noticed his eyes screwed tightly shut and with a little wiggle, you were able to free one of your arms and place it against his chest. “As I was saying, if I fall, you’ll be here to catch me.” Standing on your tiptoes, you tried to place a kiss on his cheek. But you were far too short to reach him.

Wrecker heard you clear your throat as he finally opened his eyes. Your hand patted his chest gently and he hoped you couldn’t feel his heart racing. Looking down at you he smirked, you were so little against him. He watched as you bit your lip and curled your finger up at him, beckoning for him to lean down. “Yes?”

With a happy hum, you closed the distance between you two and placed a lingering kiss against his cheek. “Thank you for saving me, Wrecker.” His hand around your back loosened and you used the opportunity to wiggle free from him. “Come on, let’s get you something to eat.”

His hand raised to his cheek as he watched you bounce away and towards your shop. It didn’t go unnoticed to him that your breasts bounced with your movements. “Wait, how did you know I was hungry?”

“I felt your stomach rumble against my chest just a few moments ago.” With a wink, you headed inside your shop.

When you said you felt it in your chest, did you mean your boobs? The thought made his cheeks flush once more while something stirred below the belt. More importantly, you were going to feed him? Wrecker quickly followed you into your shop. Maybe he could flirt back?

-*-

Compared to him, your shop was small and intimate. He had to duck to enter the shop and had to be even more careful not to knock over a stack of boxes near the door. You disappeared behind a curtain while the large clone tried to find a place to wait without being in your way. Wrecker liked how your shop smelled, it reminded him of incense and the tea Tech made. He hummed softly as he leaned against the wall, it was comfortable and warm in the shop. No doubt he could easily fall asleep here. “S-so you make clothes?”

“Yeah!” Your voice carried from behind the curtain. “My family’s been in the business for generations.” Opening a jar on the counter, you pulled out a few of the cookies you’d baked the day before. Usually, you set them out for the kids that came through with their parents, but you could make an exception for the cutie in your shop. Moving over to the fridge, you pulled the sandwich you’d prepared for lunch out and placed it on the plate next to the cookies.

Wrecker nodded as he listened to you, the sound of something clanking against porcelain made him look at the dark blue curtain. “You must be good at measuring then.”

Was he trying to flirt with you? With a giggle, you picked up the plate and two sealed bottles of water. “That’s kinda part of the job.” Passing through the curtain, you held out the plate to him. “Why, you need help measuring something?” Wrecker coughed at your comment and you couldn’t hide the laugh that left you. He was so cute.

“N-no. Yes. I mean…” Wrecker picked up two of the cookies and ate them quickly. Another laugh left your lips and he found himself chuckling as well. Your laugh was contagious it seemed. “You have a nice laugh.”

Your cheeks flushed at his comment. “Thank you.” Looking down at the bottles of water, you bit your lip shyly. No one had ever complimented your laugh before. “Yours is nice too.” It was deep and full. When he laughed once more it felt like it was in your belly as well. Making warmth spread through you. “I should…start figuring out what we’re gonna take back.” Passing one of the bottles over to him, you pointed to the counter next to your register. “You can eat over there if you’d like, Wrecker.” You liked saying his name, it felt warm in your mouth.

Wrecker smiled as he looked over the plate of food. Cookies and a hearty-looking sandwich. His favorite kind of meal. Would it be weird if he said that he loved you? He watched you pick up a datapad and begin to look at the walls of fabric. He’d never actually flirted with anyone before, not on purpose. But you were cute, funny and nice. Plus you seemed to already know what he liked to eat! How exactly was he supposed to flirt with you? Maybe he should ask Hunter? For now, he’d have to do this himself based on things he’d heard from the other clones. Women liked compliments, didn’t they? “I like your shop. It’s cozy.”

“Thanks.” Looking up from your datapad, you watched as he took a happy bite from the sandwich. “Good?” When he smiled and nodded with his cheeks full of the food, you giggled loudly. “Good.” Smiling brightly, you looked back at the datapad and ran through your inventory. You had a good amount that you could give to the island. Not to mention you had a few blankets already done that you could donate as well. You’d take a decent hit doing this but you thankfully had savings that should cover most of the lost inventory. “So, Wrecker. Interesting name.” This time you didn’t look at him, your eyes scanning the wall of material trying to now locate the ones you needed. But you heard him chuckle and that warmth spread through you once more.

Swallowing the food in his mouth, he chuckled while opening the water. “My brothers picked it for me. I used to break things a lot and wreck things. So they picked that name.”

“Used to?” You smiled over your shoulder to him, earning a cute crooked smile back. Your dad was around his size and before he died he was accidentally breaking things of his size.

“Yeah. I guess I still kinda break things.” He reached behind his head to rub it awkwardly with a smile, knocking one of your shelves and sending a few of the trinkets on it flying. “Oh! Sorry!” He turned to fix the shelf and knocked a few of the items on the counter.

You let out a surprised squeal as you watched him turn multiple times, trying to fix the mess he was slowly growing. Laughing excitedly, you dropped the datapad and quickly moved over to help him. “Woah woah woah. Slow down there.” You raised your hands and grabbed his arms quickly, stopping him from loving anymore. Another laugh left you as you took in the growing blush on his face. “You’re kinda like a little wrecking ball, huh?”

He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck as he looked down at you. “Sorry.” Now he’d made a fool of himself in front of you. “I can pick it all up.” He moved to kneel down and hit the empty plate in the process, causing it to fall. His hand shot out and grabbed it before it could hit the floor, earning another giggle from you.

Stars, he was adorable. Giggling, you knelt with him and began to pick up some of the items that had fallen. “You’re really funny.”

Wrecker really hadn’t been trying to be funny, but knowing that he’d made you laugh made him laugh. “Sorry about the shelf, I’ll fix it.” He passed you a few of the items that had fallen. So much for flirting with you flawlessly.

You took the items from him and placed them up on the counter. “Oh don’t worry about that. I’ve been meaning to move it.” He just helped the process along. You watched the clone stand carefully and chew his lip. Oh man, he was so cute.

“You should get back to the materials. I can pick this all up.” It was the least he could do after making such a big mess.

“Oh, how sweet. But you don’t have to do that.” You waved your hand dismissively at the mess. “I can pick it up later.” Raising your hand out to him, you beckoned him towards you. “Besides, I have a different job for you.”

Wrecker swallowed as he moved around the counter and towards you. His hand slid into yours and he happily followed you towards the larger wall of fabric that spanned the length of the back of your shop. “How can I help?”

“Well, you can start by pushing me against this wall and kissing me.” You watched as he stared at you in surprise while squeezing your hand. A laugh left you as you quickly patted his hand. “I’m kidding. You’re not that lucky. Not yet at least.” He squeezed your hand once more, making another laugh leave you.

He smirked at your laugh. It reminded him of birdsong. “Not yet?” He hoped that meant what he thought it meant.

The way he smirked made your heart flutter. “Probably should know you for more than an hour before we do something like that.” Releasing his hand you moved closer to the wall and tilted your head back to locate the first bolt of fabric you’d need.

“So about two hours?” He watched as you placed your hands on your hips in thought. Oh, you had nice hips. He wondered how they’d feel in his large hands. To his delight, you laughed once more while looking over your shoulder at him.

“You’re really funny.” He sent you a happy smile making your cheeks flare. Was it wrong to want to just continue to hang out with him? He was funny and sweet and made you feel safe. Those arms of his looked like they could hold you in the warmest of bear hugs. But that would be wrong wouldn’t it? With a slightly sad sigh, you returned to the task at hand. “We should probably focus on getting back to the others.” Pointing up to a bolt of fabric, you smiled. “Can you use your exceptional height to grab that blue one? Careful, it’s a little heavy.”

Wrecker smirked as he easily reached up and pulled the fabric from its slot on the wall. “Don’t worry. Nothing is too heavy for me.” He easily adjusted the bolt onto his shoulder with one hand, a casual smile on his lips. “What other ones do I need to grab, sarad?”

Oh, so those muscles were for use and not just for show. “Sarad? What does that mean?” You moved down the wall and spotted another bolt you needed. Pointing to it, you watched as he easily strolled over and once more pulled it out with one hand and placed it on his shoulder. Your heart fluttered at how easily he threw his strength around.

“I’ll tell you next time we hang out. Give you something to look forward to.” He watched as your eyes went wide with excitement. If Crosshair was here he’d probably tell Wrecker that he was being smooth. But Wrecker just really wanted any reason to spend time with you again. He watched you bite your lip while a blush crept across your cheeks. Kriff you were cute. You pointed to another two bolts and he quickly pulled both of them. “Got anything heavier?”

“Let me see what I can find, strong man.” You moved around him and towards a different wall. Excited to see how much he really could hold.

-*-

An hour later the two of you returned to the top of the island. Wrecker easily carried two crates full of materials and supplies on his shoulders while you walked a few steps behind with a bag full of knitting needles, scissors, and other smaller supplies. Were you a few steps behind for any other reason? Of course not. Definitely not to enjoy the view of Wrecker carrying the crates. Nope, not at all. You definitely weren’t imagining him shirtless carrying the crates either, his muscles on full display and rippling while covered in sweat. Phew, you were starting to get thirsty.

Stopping in front of the large tree, you watched as he bent over and placed the crates down with ease. Damn, he looked good bending over too. Smiling, you walked next to him and placed the bag down on one of the crates. You placed your hand on his upper arm and squeezed gently. “Thanks for the help.”

Wrecker easily flexed his arm, making you giggle quietly. “No problem, Sarad. If you need help bringing them back down, let me know.”

“I will.” You heard your name called and looking over your shoulder towards the Archium, you realized Sue and Magda were staring straight at you with knowing smiles. “I should check on my group.” Wrecker nodded to you and you began to walk away. Stopping you turned back towards him. “If you ever get bored of the soldier's look, let me know. I’ll make you a new outfit.” His face lit up as you turned to walk away. Deciding to have a little more fun with him, you looked over your shoulder at him while pulling the clip out of your hair. Your locs fell free and with a mischievous smile, you made eye contact with him. “After all, I’m good at measuring.”

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#clone wars fic #the bad batch fic #clone wars #the bad batch #wrecker x you #wrecker x reader #tbb wrecker #wrecker tbb #bad batch wrecker #Spotify

[yellowocaballero]

Feel free to ignore this ask but I would absolutely love to hear about your 4 season rework of green lantern

YOU'RE MY FAVORITE ANON YOU'RE MY FAVORITE ANON OF ALL TIME GO TO BED KNOWING I LOVE YOU MOST.

OK. This isn't all of it. This is season 1. But it's SUPER LONG, so I'm putting it under a cut. I have rewritten the Emerald Knight/Zero Hour thing and completely rewritten Kyle Rayner from scratch you are SO fucking welcome.

TL;DR:

Kyle is a furry wannabe Steven Universe storyboarder who trips and falls on a ring some weirdo green guy dropped on his head. Using the power of his influencer girlfriend, nerdy neurodivergency, and being an insane attention whore, Kyle becomes the world's first influencer superhero.

And in which we learn how justice isn't so just, that a peacekeeping institution without humanity is cruel, that social structures that give men absolute power and brainwash them with superiority complexes are recipes for mass shootings, and that an immigrant kid is the only person left who can tear down the idealized image of the American Dream and expose the rotten corruption within.

Emerald Knight

I'll phrase this as if you are a normal person who makes good use of your limited time on Earth and doesn't know anything about Green Lantern:

Hal Jordan is an All-American military test pilot, star member of the intergalactic police force The Green Lanterns, and a hero to Earth. He's had a long and illustrious career as a superhero, from founding the Justice League to serving as the star warrior of the Green Lanterns. Hal Jordan's the cornerstone of an institution. The institution known as peace. His ring can create anything and do anything, so long as he has the will. If he wants something bad enough, his ring can make it. The ring runs on an all-powerful battery that's powered by bravery, free will, and sheer focus.

Tragedy strikes. Hal Jordan loses a fight, to catastrophic consequences. His home Coast City, a city that's enjoyed his protection for over twenty years, is destroyed. Nuked. All that's left is a crater. Everyone Hal Jordan has ever known or loved - everybody he's ever fought for - is gone. He has failed everybody. His ring has failed him.

Hal approaches the Guardians of Oa, the leaders of the police force he's served. He asks them for help - if they can use their incredible power to remake Coast City and set things right again.

The Guardians say it's not their job. They fight crime, they don't rewind time. They aren't a humanitarian organization. Ask for other help.

Hal asks for other help. He asks every superhero he can find, every friend he's ever made - there's nothing anybody can do. Desperate, he returns to the crater of Coast City. He makes a wish. He wants something harder than he's ever wanted anything before: his home back.

For a minute, it works. Coast City is there again. They're alive. He's home.

Then his ring is shut off. A Guardian of Oa appears before him, a leader of the Green Lantern Corp and the head of their home planet and home base known as Oa. He's broken an essential rule of the Green Lantern Corp - that you never, ever use your ring selfishly, or for personal gain - and he's being brought back to Oa for a disciplinary hearing.

Even at his hearing, Hal asks for help. He tells the Guardians that he doesn't understand. They sit on the Green Lantern battery, the largest and most powerful energy source in the galaxy, why can't he use it to resurrect his town? It's not for you, the Guardians say, it's for everyone. But Hal worked for the police force for 20 years! He put his blood, sweat, and tears into the Corp. Doesn't he deserve something back? It's not about you, the Guardians say. It's about truth, justice, and harmony. Our obligation is to defeat evil. They're focused on the greater good, they can't sweat the smaller stuff. Their purpose is to fight evil, not create good.

For the last time, Hal asks them for access to the battery. They say no.

Hal snaps. His ring bursts. His power reflects his will - what he wants more than almost anything. And almost every Guardian is sliced in half.

He put 20 years into this organization and they threw him away. He fought for Truth, Justice, and Harmony and look where it got him - he lost everything. The greater good did nothing for him. The greater good did nothing for his town. The greater good is resurrecting his town. So if he does some smaller stuff it's justified, because he's going to act for the greater good of Earth and his people.

If they won't give it to him, he'll take it. He'll charge himself in the battery, attain full power, and serve the greater good. The entire Green Lantern Corp (GLC) tries to stop him, and he destroys their rings. He pushes them aside. More and more GLs are called in, and he defeats them all. He's the greatest of them, and what he wants he's going to get.

Hal's always had a best friend, named Kilowog. He was a corpman through and through. If Hal was their strongest warrior, Kilowog was their most dedicated. He believes in what they do. He's a very good person. Hal knows he is a better person than Hal ever was.

Kilowog gets through to him, just a little. This wouldn't just destroy the battery. It would hurt people. He's a warrior, he has to uphold their values. Even if the GLC has failed him, the people haven't. He makes Hal stop and think.

So Hal thinks. All the GLC has ever cared about is fighting evil, no matter the cost to themselves. But they have to be the evil ones. They aren't allowing Hal to create good. Evil has to be fought, cannot be tolerated, and nothing else matters as long as good is created. He can't tolerate it. He has an obligation not to tolerate it. He has to destroy the Green Lantern Corp.

His friends and his warriors - they chose to participate in this evil. They were warriors of the system that failed him, and he has to punish them too. You punish bad. Everybody's bad, because they hurt Hal and never healed him, and you punish bad.

Kilowog tries to stop him. Hal kills Kilowog. Hal stands over his friend's corpse, the best man he ever knew, and realizes that he's bad too.

He's done it. He's found the battery. He steps inside the battery and supercharges his ring. If he wants it bad enough, he can do it. And he wants it so, so -

But Hal's always known. The ring can do anything he wants, but it cannot ressurect the dead. He knew. But it was his only shot. And it was a failure. Evil is all that's left. Good is gone.

Hal blows up the battery. Oa, everybody on it, and himself.

Everything is destroyed. Every lantern on Oa dies and every deployed Lantern loses their ring. The records, history, system, home - everything once known as the GLC is wiped out. Only one ring remains - Kilowog's ring, the one thing Hal couldn't bear to destroy.

Miraculously, one Guardian clings to life. He follows Hal Jordan's trail, on the brink of death, searching for nothing but the next wielder of the ring. The rings choose the wielder, but this ring is grieving and can't search. There will be no chosen one, no special hero. Anybody will do. The GLC just has to survive.

The last Guardian of Oa lands in the back alley behind a nightclub. A human man is standing there, fighting the urge to throw up. He's a lightweight, but he really wanted to look cool in front of his girlfriend and win that drinking contest. When he sees the little blue man, he's pretty sure he's hallucinating.

"Are you, like, okay?" the man asks. He's mildly concerned.

The dying alien needs to tell the man everything. About the GLC, about how to keep it alive. What happened to them and how to avenge them. What a ring is, how to charge the ring, how to use it, anything.

But he spends his dying breath on something else completely:

"Help them."

The alien dies, and his body disapears. The man blinks at the empty alleyway, distantly aware that he just got Obi-Wan Kenobi'd.

"I should drink less," Kyle Rayner says, and goes back inside the nightclub.

KYLE RAYNER: WHO THE FUCK IS KYLE RAYNER?

Kyle Rayner is nobody.

Okay, that's a lie. Kyle Rayner is somebody to Kyle Rayner. And his girlfriend Alex. That's two people! He's practically popular!

Kyle immigrated from Korea to Los Angeles about a year ago. He's twenty three, permanently enthusiastic, and learned English through being SUPER overly online. He spends all of his time on Overwatch, MMOs, Twitter, and FurAffinity. His life is Hollywood, Triple AAA games, American comics, and Cartoon Network. He was kind of a big name in the Steven Universe fandom, not to brag. He worked as an animator in Korea (on his fifth favorite American show! No, he was not credited.), but the pay was complete shit and he was tired of doing the grunt work for somebody else's dream. Kyle's going to write his own comic book, show run his own cartoon. He's going to taste the limelight and experience complete Creative Freedom. Those are the two most important words in the world to him: Creative and Freedom.

America's where the action is. Why not move there? Kyle doesn't exactly have any friends or family in Korea. Nobody knows or loves him. It's Hollywood time, baby! He's making it big!

Kyle's creative, independent, a free thinker. He's also an obsessive and compulsive nerd. He'll draw for ten hours completely focused, and he can't be disturbed or distracted. His brain never stops churning out new ideas. He wants a million things, he knows just how to make them, and he has the focus and self-discipline to sit down and get to work.

This will make him the perfect Green Lantern. He doesn't know this. He's just completely sure it'll make him wildly successful in America!

What? No, he doesn't know much about superheroes. They aren't comic characters, why should he care. Didn't Superman save a town or something the other day? He doesn't watch the news. Anyway, Alex, check it out! This green Obi-Wan Kenobi dude gave me this fucked up ring! Isn't it cool, Alex! What is it?

ALEX DEWITT: WHO THE HELL IS ALEX DEWITT?

Alex Dewitt is somebody. Or she will be. Any day now.

Kyle's girlfriend as of a year, met at a ComicCon. L.A. B-list influencer. The worst kind of influencer. She does alright, enough to make a living. Her job involves being a hot woman posing on a beach. And a hot woman drinking a latte. And a hot woman promoting a brand of jewelery. And a hot woman on a boat. And -

She's tired of doing the grunt work of pretending to live somebody else's dream. Her only freedom is what sponsored dress to wear for the next shoot. She's a hot face in an attractive crowd and she hates it. There's no room for freedom of expression, no room for individuality. Every time she tries to talk about politics or justice or morality or truth or immigration policies on her Twitter she gets a thousand replies about how she can't know anything about it, get back to posting thirst traps.

Alex wants to do something nobody's ever dreamed of before. She'll get famous for her mind and her talent, not just her body. Alex will create something amazing. Any day now. She'll make it. Eventually.

Alex and Kyle haven't been dating for too long, but they love each other fiercely. Alex loves Kyle because he's free thinking and creative where she's linear and straight-forward. Kyle introduces a creative mindset to her art, and she introduces a business minded and hustler approach to his. She's not good with the big picture ideas and he's not good with the details. Kyle dreams it, Alex achieves it. Nobody on Discord believes Kyle when he says he's dating a model. They shouldn't. But he is. Kyle is also surprisingly hot.

Alex, who does watch the news: "Holy shit, that's a Green Lantern ring." Kyle: "It's not grave robbing if the alien guy gave me it and then died, right?" Alex: "Green Lantern's an American superhero! He helped found the Justice League! Nobody's seen him since his city's blown up, but -" Kyle: "Wait, that hole in the ground we took aesthetic pics in front of was a city?" Alex: "The aesthetic is a social commentary." Kyle: "Barely know what that is! So does this mean we can keep it or what?" Alex: "Depends on if you want superpowers or not." Kyle: "Highly photogenic superpowers? :D"

Should they find one of the other few human GLs and give it back? Probably. But hey, nobody's looking for it. This is LA, baby. It's finders keepers. And they just scored the find of a century. This is the big break they're looking for. This is their ticket to the big time.

This…is going to make Alex go ABSOLUTELY VIRAL.

GREEN LANTERN GOES VIRAL.

Turns out, when two attention whore Los Angeles twenty three year olds score the flashiest superpowers in existence, they get as many clicks as they want. As everybody knows in L.A.: if you want it hard enough, you can get it. #grindallday #hustlelife

Kyle is the first superhero with a TikTok. He's the first superhero with an everything. Being an influencer is being a businessman, and Alex has always known how to play the cut-throat game. She bills him as the first Gen Z Superhero and books him on everything. YouTube celeb videos, TikTok after TikTok where he makes 3D glowing green memes, charity Twitch livestreams, Instagram lives where he has his ring create suggestions from the comments. Kyle collabs with some of the biggest Korean influencers. He's gone international.

He also, like, fights supervillains. He's actually really good at fighting supervillains. His determined will, his absolute focus, his unbounded creativity - he's a genius of a Green Lantern. Kyle doesn't know this. He just thinks being a superhero is kind of easy. But do you know what's not easy? Building a website. With Squarespace, you can -

Alex has found a schtick. She has the unique billing. Who else can put "superhero girlfriend" on their Insta bio? She's an A lister in no time. She's created a dream life and it's flying off the shelves: who hasn't fantasized about being a superhero's girlfriend? Who hasn't wondered what that's like? If you click on her Insta, you can see that it's so totally awesome!

They don't have secret identities. They are incredibly irresponsible. But that was obvious.

Kyle is adored by the entire 12-25yo male demographic, but Alex is respected now (and adored by the 12-25yo female demographic). Nobody cared about the opinions of yet another L.A. B-list influencer. But a superhero girlfriend? Advocacy is practically her job. People are listening to her. Now people want to hear her opinion on everything, from immigration issues to enviornmentalism. She could probably start her own charity or something! She can #raiseawareness of anything!

She does not #raiseawareness of Hal Jordan. Nobody really knows where he is.

His friends knew he was going insane with grief, and the world knew he disapeared. The other Earth GLs (John Stewart and Guy Gardner) had their rings broken, and they both had to retire in grief for the loss of their superhero identities. And for Hal, who everybody is quietly sure killed himself.

And then.

THIS ASSHOLE.

Whose ring didn't break. Who came out of nowhere. Who's never even spoken with another superhero ("Uh, there's, like, Superman?" Kyle says, sweating. "And…Batman? Is Batman real? They were joking about Batman, right?"). Who his shamelessly exploiting the Green Lantern reputation and legacy for clicks and ad revenue. Whose influencer girlfriend is posting TikToks of them going out for romantic moonlit flighs. Who, infuriatingly, is excellent with that ring.

The Justice League didn't take action for a while. He probably wasn't even a real Green Lantern, just a copy riding off the image. Somebody from the GLC will come down and take care of it. And if he is a real GL, then they'll drag him back up to Oa by the ear for boot camp. But time passes, and nobody comes.

Guy and Kyle can't raise their old comrades in the Corp. They can't get in touch with Kilowog. Everybody's vanished. The only Green Lantern seemingly left in the galaxy is that fucking TikTok kid.

Finally, Guy and Kyle knock on Kyle and Alex's door. They tell them to come back with a warrant. Kyle's ring starts going nuts. They let them in. And, finally, after months, Kyle learns what the fuck the Green Lantern Corp is. John tells him that he has to use the ring as intended, or to give it to somebody who will. You're carrying a sacred duty and you're using it for clicks.

Kyle: Kyle: Kyle: Kyle: "I'M A FUCKING COP?"

Obviously, Kyle will not be a cop. But he does feel guilty, and he does know that the world needs an actual superhero. Not whatever the hell he is (he did save LA from a lava monster yesterday, though!). He tries to give John the ring back, but it won't work for him. Kyle's the only GL they have. They're kind of depending on him. Kyle hates this.

At the very least, he promises to travel to Oa and just see if anybody's alive over there. Kyle can tell that Hal Jordan was 10x the guy he was, and his friends deserve to learn the truth about what happened to him. And, maybe, the world can get a real Green Lantern back. Even if everybody and the kpoppies agree that the new guy is way better than the old guy, since he didn't shoot promotional videos for the US Military and isn't a bootlicker. And SPACE, BABY!

#GREENLANTERNINSPACE TRENDS

After a while of Space Adventures (Kyle takes a wrong turn at Space Albuquerque and ends up teaching Lobo what hentai is (Kyle is now Lobo's hentai dealer)), Kyle finally shows up at Oa. Time to finally figure out this mystery, ask all the cop motherfuckers what's going on, and - OK, worng coordinates. Where's Oa. Anybody? Anyone?

As Kyle floats in the atoms of a destroyed planet - as Kyle still feels the ghost of its heat - his ring speaks to him, for the very first time. The ring spoke to Hal and Guy and John, but it never spoke to him. And it speaks with Kilowog's voice.

The ring acts as a black box recording of Kilowog's final moments. It tells Kyle that he deserves to learn the truth. Kilowog was such a brave person that his personality must have imprinted into the ring matrix - or maybe it's like a dog that really loved its person.

It shows Kyle the final moments of Oa, just as Kilowog experienced it. It shows Kyle how it felt to have his best friend murder him, to see his life's work destroyed. It shows Kyle everything - Kilowog's passion for the GLC, his life as a warrior, his history and friendship with Hal. Kilowog's entire life, and how amazing it was. And what Kyle feels most of all was his dedication and spirit, and how deeply he believed in right and wrong. And how Hal killed him, and how Hal killed them all.

Kyle, having secondhand experienced a tragedy, goes HOLY SHIT. MURDER? BEST FRIEND MURDERED ME? I MEAN KILOWOG? DEATH?

Kyle knows he has to tell people about this. That the world has to know that their platonic ideal of a superhero, the best Lantern in the Corp, a founding member of the justice League, a superhero of 20+ years - they have to know that he murdered his best friend and destroyed the GLC, killing thousands.

And that Kyle, the immigrant Korean twenty three year old TikTok influencer slash Twitch livestreamer has to be the one to tell them.

Nobody will believe him. Kyle knows that. Who the hell would believe an all-American hero did this? Even if they did believe him, it could destabilize the entire superhero community. Maybe even America. What would they think about him? They'd call him a liar. Is the truth worth putting his own image in danger, hurting his grieving friends?

It would mean speaking up against the corruption and atrocity at the heart of an institution that is load bearing on society and civilization. It would involve tearing down the ideal image of an American, the American hopes and dreams that he used to believe in, and exposure the ugly and cruel reality of a cruel institution that drove a man insane.

Kyle knows everybody would turn on him. Nobody would believe him. Hal was influential, he literally helped found the Justice League. If Kyle writes that callout post, he'll get cancelled big time.

Kyle's goofy, but he's not dumb. He's lived in America for one and a half years. He has nobody on his side but Alex. He can have all of the followers he wants, but they'd turn on him in an instant. The internet, the public, the government, the Justice League. They'd all turn on him.

Kyle gets scared. He can't do it. The ring has a suggestion.

Ring: "Maybe the truth'll mean more coming from a real GL, kid! :D" Kyle: "Great idea Mr. Kilowog Ring! Where do we find this guy?" Ring: "I'm just a ring buddy :D" Kyle: "Useless :D"

But it's the best idea he has. There has to be satellite outposts, Jedi Temples, surviving rings - there has to be somebody who actually knows what they're doing, who's a real warrior. They can tell the truth. He just has to take a life-changing field trip to find them.

Kyle, calling space long distance home to Alex: "Hi honey! Having a weird one in space right now!" Alex: "Be weirder if you were having a normal one in space. Are you going to be home soon, I finally scored you that collab with BTS" Kyle: "FUCK" Kyle: "Alex please reschedule the collab with BTS I have to have an existential crisis slash mental breakdown and run away into space and chase down evidence of an intergalactic conspiracy" Alex: "Can't you do that after BTS" Kyle: "I WISH I COULD ALEX"

Somebody in the galaxy can tell the world the truth. Kyle just has to find them.

#green lantern #kyle rayner #hal jordan #guy gardner #john stewart #my writing #you ever go insane in your sibling's DMs for like two hours #and then look at it and know that this is the coolest thing you will never write #anyway there are still seasons 2-4 but jesus this post was long enough #i read kyle's introduction TPB went 'hm you know how this could be better' and improved everyone's lives #thank u anon i got so much shit like this that i feel like an idiot for just dropping