Expect me to not stop talking about Halo when Campaign Evolved comes out. Bro I love [most of] these games. New halo content. Hell yeah. Excuses to draw Halo again. And shove it down the mootsâ throats
being a halo fan in 2025 is so embarrassing. yeah this game series has been run into the ground. yeah the fanbase is absolutely abysmal. but. mmy odst :)
So what does introducing the topic of orphanhood do for our understanding of Bede's character arc? Why fixate on Bede's orphanhood separate from his class identity (which would beg the question of a Marxist lens/reading of his characterization, but I'm not here for that lmao)? Well, dear reader, Bede's identity is multivalent. His orphanhood is a result of the family policing system--as opposed to a "child welfare system," which is the uncritical language most uninitiated folks use--and he was forcibly systematized by an orphanage and ostensibly the Galarian family policing mechanism. Family policing serves a racist, capitalist power structure that privileges certain families and family structures over others. Think your typical middle-class nuclear family, complete with heterosexual parents and a white picket fence.
Nevertheless, Bede is indelibly shaped by his orphanhood and exposure to family policing. Even if Bede's parents died by tragic natural causes--something that is never confirmed--being shuffled around like an eyesore or inanimate object through an orphanage, and then being exposed to the troubling philanthropy that is Rose's endorsement (and notably not adoption) makes Bede a product and victim of a ruthless system that profits off of children.
I would be remiss to avoid the topic of Rose.
Rose is not Bede's father. He never has been. I shudder to imagine that relationship and its ragged, heartbreaking complexity. That's not to say Rose wouldn't have been a good dad--perhaps he would have been. Perhaps he would be kinder to his own child and not dump them at the first sign of failure. Who knows? But at least as an endorser, patron, and pseudo-employer of sorts, Rose is a complicated figure in Bede's journey. He abandons Bede the second he does something unaccountably "wrong." He sees no issue with cleanly breaking off his contact with an orphaned teen who looks up to him as if he hung the stars in the sky.
Whatever your thoughts are on Rose, he remains very much a hero-turned-villain in Bede's story. He is the antagonist and obstinate obstacle in Bede's way. When he abandoned Bede, Bede relived trauma that stemmed from losing his parents, which is why I'd argue he's so distraught at Stow-on-Side when he loses his endorsement. Importantly, Bede is not confusing Rose with a father figure here--rather, he's thinking of job security, which is what would guarantee Bede a home at the end of the day. Bede doesn't want a father; he wants a home. Home isn't a white picket fence or warm afternoons spent lazing in the sun, either--it's peace. Bede wants peace. What orphan doesn't want peace?
I'm waxing a little poetic here now (or I'm tooting my own horn), so I'll stop and return to Bede's character arc. Let's look at a screenshot of a pivotal scene in Bede's journey.
Bede's language here is insolent (and not to mention fucking hilarious, but I digress) and insubordinate. He's standing up to Oleana, who is the righthand woman of his patron-employer. He's so confident that he's going to secure what he needs in Stow-on-Side.
Maybe I'm just talking in a biased, handwavy way now. Regardless, I think Bede's eloquent insults aren't a marker of his supposed "posh" or snooty tendencies (although yes, he is a snooty bastard), but rather they represent how obstinate he is about carefully articulating why others have failed him. His censure is artful because he's fought so hard to make it an art form. You make enough shitty pots and over time you master them, right?
This brings me to his hard-won peace at the final arena: Wyndon Stadium. The Bede we see here is still his obstinate self, but he's come to terms with something important: loss. He lost again, and again, and again. He lost battles, he lost his endorsement, and yes, he lost his family. He's lost so much at such a young age.
Loss shapes orphanhood. As an adoptee, loss--and the grief that comes with it--powerfully shapes the way I move through the world. Because adoption is loss. Family separation is loss.
The Bede we see in Wyndon Stadium has accepted that loss is a part of life. He fought so hard, for so long, just to learn that aching lesson--a lesson that some adults scarcely ever learn.
Bede is an obstinate orphan, and when I say obstinate, I don't just mean it in the cute alliterative way. I mean he's fiercely stubborn and terrified of change. To lose is to change. What could be more frightening to an orphaned kid than change?
I have no fucking clue if I managed to say anything significant with this essay. I just know that Bede inspires the garrulous granny in me (Opal would be proud). This scrawny, peaky tit of a boy is my favorite character, and his ferocious determination to achieve peace and security and a sense of belonging and home means the world to me. I see myself in his story. I see myself in his arc.
Oh, and yes, I did draw Champion Bede one time, just for shits and giggles. He'd never actually become Champion, lol. But just imagine how cool it would be.
i cannot do another round of "is shaving feminist?" discourse again, i simply cannot do it. is shaving feminist? no! do feminists shave their bodies? yes! is this a deep betrayal of principles? not really! do some women actually shave for the mythical "sensory reasons"? well, considering that my number one reason for shaving my legs in the summer is because my ceiling fan blows on the hair and i'm constantly having mini freakouts that i've got a bug crawling on me, i'd imagine some do! is it okay for a woman to say to herself "i realize i'm mostly doing this because i don't want to be treated worse by people in the world who find my unshaven legs disgusting, but i'm still going to do it because i don't think suffering for no reason is virtuous" and shave? yes! will yelling at her to "think critically about her choices" until she agrees with you actually work? no! does any of this make it any easier to get an abortion in this country? nope! have we replaced the "is this pop star a feminist?" discourse of the 2010s with "are your personal choices antithetical to the tenets of feminism?" discourse in the 2020s, none of which is conveniently focused on the actual loci of power?? hahahahahahaaaaa
I would literally be unstoppable if I didnât have that persistent pit in my stomach that everyone in a room is just a little bit annoyed by my presence
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Pocket Monsters: Black 2 & White 2 | Pokemon Black 2 & White 2 Versions, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Adeku | Alder & Cheren, Bel | Bianca/Cheren
Characters: Cheren (Pokemon), Adeku | Alder, Bel | Bianca, Banjirou | Benga, Homika | Roxie
Additional Tags: Character Study, Coming of Age, Spans from just before BW2 past its endgame
Summary:
After being called a fussy nerd his whole life, how else was he supposed to respond to being ârugged and uncivilized?â
Cheren tries to settle down. And tries, and tries.
editing is so funny because it's like "damn, i wrote 'before' two times within three paragraphs. they are going to stone me in the town square for this"
Rating: General Audiences
Fandom: Halo
Relationship: John/Kelly
Characters: John-117 | Master Chief, Kelly-087, Olympia Vale, Edward Buck
Summary: Vale openly gaped at the sight before her, of the Master Chiefâthe Master Chiefâand the woman beside him, Kelly-087, doing what she could only assume was some sort of Spartan display of affection.
Link(s): AO3, FF
To say it had been a long, weird day would have been an understatement.
But this.
This.
Vale openly gaped at the sight before her, of the Master Chiefâthe Master Chiefâand the woman beside him, Kelly-087, doing what she could only assume was some sort of Spartan display of affection. Thankfully, her helmet kept her her open gape from being too open, but that she had not moved from where she had been standing at the Gateway when Blue Team had descended unharmed from their Cryptum prison was plain for all to see. Again, thankfully, no one was paying her much mind.
Locke was talking in hushed tones with Fred, about what Vale wasn't sure but prayed was something along the lines of a way to get them off of the organically artificial planet that was Genesis. Linda was on watch, her sniper raised, Tanaka standing opposite her with her DMR. And Buck wasâ
âDidn't your mother ever teach you it's rude to stare?â
Vale nearly jumped out of her skin, spinning around and bringing her SMG to bear without a second thought. Buck threw up his hands and took a step back.
âWhoa, easy there, now. It's me. Buck. Your teammate.â
âDamn it, Buck,â Vale snapped. Holstering her weapon, she let out a shaky breath. âDon't scare me like that.â
âDon't scare me like that,â the former ODST countered. âI merely said hello. You nearly filled me with bullets.â
Sighing, Vale ran a hand across the top of her crimson helmet. âI'mâI'm sorry, ok? Today has been...weird. And...and that...â She nodded her head back at the living legends behind her. âAre they...allowed to do that?â
Buck's head moved ever so slightly, his shoulders moving up and down in a slight shrug. âI don't see why not.â She could just imagine him raising a curious brow. âWhy? Jealous?â
âNo, Iââ Vale stopped short. She what? Hadn't expected the myths, these gods amongst men, to be...human? It was a ridiculous thought, one she dared not voice. Because logically she knew that they were human, flesh and blood, made the way they were through science and a clever mind; there was nothing mystical or magical about them. They could bleed and die just like the rest of them, like her. And yet...
Buck cocked his head to the side, waiting. When she failed to respond after a full minute had passed, he opened his arms.
Vale blinked at the gesture. âWhat?â
âYou look like you need a hug. And, to be honest with you, I could really use one too. Completely platonic and teamly of course. But, to be on the safe side, justâŠ.don't tell my girlfriend.â
Vale rolled her eyes.
~*~
Despite the combat exoskeleton that separated their skin, John was glad for the light, reassuring pressure that was Kelly's fingers twined around his. The contact, simple though it was in nature, was all that was keeping him tethered to reality in that moment.
She stood before him, silent and caring, waiting. There was little that needed to be spoken between them, and now was one of those times, when her presence was enough, when their years of service together exchanged words for them in the form of body language and touch.
The part of him that was the Master Chief was telling him to pull it together, to join Locke and Fred as they conspired to escape this planet that he had foolishly dragged them to in an attempt to right a wrong he'd never had the power to correct in the first place. Guiltâover putting his team and Locke's in jeopardy for a whim, for breaking a promise, for failing to stop herâheld him back. His judgment had been compromised.
The part of him that was John was just happy that Kelly, Fred, and Linda were alive.
His fingers twitched, Kelly's hold on him becoming more solid in the form of her entire hand clasping his firmly. His helmeted stare lifted, meeting hers.
That she was there, that she was alive, realâŠ
He took a centering breath, concentrated on the facts.
They were stuck, without a Pelican to fly or even a Covenant ship to commandeer.
Exuberant Witness and her Constructors had disappeared inside her reclaimed installation for purposes unknown.
Ammo was of short supply.
Everyone was, miraculously, uninjured.
And Cortana wasâshe wasâ
âJohn.â
And there it was. His name. So much said with so little.
Kelly reached for his other hand, catching it in her unbreakable grasp. He could feel her penetrating stare behind her visor and imagined that her sharp blue eyes that saw everything, saw him, would have been beautifully offset by the stone cold caps that surrounded the platform on which they stood.
When this was all overâand it would be over and they would surviveâmaybe they'd find some peace for a change. Maybe they'd visit some world not torn apart by war. And maybeâjust maybeâhe'd get to see all the colors the universe had to offer reflected in her eyes, bringing out the flecks of grey, the shadows of silver, the highlights of baby blue.
He felt her grip tighten, and he squeezed back in response.
Together.
That's what she was saying. What he was saying back.
Together.
They would face it.
Together.
Their lull was interrupted by a shoutââStop it, Buck!ââby the Osiris member known as Olympia Vale, and then the Master Chief was back, purposefully striding over to where Fred and Spartan Locke stood, leaving his heart in the capable hands of Kelly-087.
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