In the early days Genji surely must have had a breakdown once in a while. And while Gabe is maybe not the hug-type can he at least provide some feel-good-movies.
Okay I want to talk about this scene, which I have mentally dubbed “The Duality of Keith”, and how it plays into how I think we’ll see Keith develop in s3. Out of all the characters, Keith’s introduction is probably my favourite, because it establishes some key facts about him within a minute of screentime. He’s a competent fighter, able to singlehandedly take out 3 grown, military-trained men armed with nothing but his fists. He knows and clearly cares about Shiro, as evidenced by how his face goes soft and his eyes do the emotional anime shimmer™. The juxtaposition of these things - Keith taking out a bunch of Garrison men, and then getting all soft when he sees Shiro - is something I’ve seen mentioned a lot, but something I’ve never seen brought up is how within a second of seeing and recognizing Shiro, Keith is already working on an escape plan. In the middle gif, his eyes flicker over to where Shiro is bound and he pulls out his knife as soon as he finishes saying Shiro’s name.
It’s a really tiny detail, but imo it’s such a great character defining moment, especially in retrospect. Like understandably, this is an emotional moment for Keith; Shiro is the closest thing Keith has to family and he’s finally here, alive, after being missing/presumed dead for over a year. But here’s the thing: Keith only really gives himself a second to get emotional about it. Then he pulls out his knife, cuts Shiro loose, and is already on his way to carrying him out when Lance shows up.
So here’s where the Duality of Keith stuff comes in - yes, he loves Shiro (whether you interpret that platonically or romantically is up to you). Yes, we’ve seen time and time again how strong Keith’s Shiro Radar™ is, how he’s always at Shiro’s side when he needs it most, how distressed he gets at the thought of losing Shiro. His grief in the wake of the s2 finale would be 100% understandable.
But at the same time, Keith is so much more than his relationship with Shiro. He’s a fighter, a man of action, the determinator trope personified. More than anyone, he’s shown that he knows what’s at stake here. We’ve seen him face every obstacle in his path head-on, we’ve seen him quickly adapt to unfamiliar situations, assessing them and reacting accordingly. (Receipts, if you need them, off the top of my head: adapting to having 4 unexpected passengers during the chase scene that comes right after this one, using the geysers to propel himself in s2e01, using his knife to get through the opening in the floor in s2e08, infiltrating Zarkon’s base alone despite the danger in the s2 finale).
So the notion that he’ll mope around wallowing in despair, unable to function after Shiro’s disappearance is??? kind of ludicrous to me tbh?? It’s weirdly prevalent in sheith content, and I think a lot of this stems from 1) the fact that the show heavily implies that Keith’s expulsion from the Garrison has to do with the Kerberos mission failure and 2) Keith’s own admission about how felt lost after getting expelled. But in the aftermath of his expulsion, Keith took his grief and channeled it into finding the blue lion. He didn’t just sit around in his shack, consumed with grief. This isn’t to say that he’s unflappable and will just take Shiro’s disappearance in stride - he probably will get emotional, because Shiro is undoubtebly the most important person in his life and losing him is a huge blow (and I actually hope he does, because Shiro and Keith’s relationship is hands down my favourite on the show, and because emotional catharsis is a good thing, and because it could make for some solid bonding moments with the rest of the team).
Then he’ll pull out his metaphorical (and literal, lbr) knife, and figure out a game plan for getting Shiro back and saving the universe.
Lance: Their one-sided rivalry kind of died down after, you know, Keith was declared dead in space. And then once Keith’s back (and doesn’t even remember him, wtf), things just aren’t the same. The Keith that came back is honestly kind of scary, and the idea of riling him up doesn’t hold the same appeal as it once did. Weirdly, Lance kind of ends up being someone who holds Keith back when he gets into grey moral territory, like a really annoying conscience.
“Oh yeah, sure. We’ll kill all the guards who are just doing their jobs. That’ll go over well.”
“Slow down, Mr. Stabby. I think there’s a way out of this situation that doesn’t involve impaling people on sharp objects.”
Of course, there are times when he is immensely grateful to have Champion!Keith and all his Arena experience on his side, but he’s not about to admit it.
Hunk: Hunk can be pretty suspicious of people he doesn’t know, and even if he saw Keith around the Garrison, they never really introduced themselves. His initial impression is basically, “Yeah, i feel bad for this guy, but he also seems super dangerous. Maybe we should keep our distance?”
Then Voltron happens and they get to know each other a bit more, and Hunk figures out that Keith is actually a pretty good guy who wants to do the right thing, but his perception of what “the right thing” actually is has been warped by his time spent in captivity. After that, he tries to engage with him a bit more, to help him calm down a bit and enjoy life again.
Pidge: Unlike Shiro, Keith didn’t get amnesia as part of the PTSD package (his mind found other ways to protect itself), so he’s able to tell Pidge more about where her family might be, along with how he tried to protect them when they were captured together. Keith put himself through hell trying to keep the rest of the crew safe, and Pidge will never forget it.
Keith is dangerous and riddled with scars, both physical and mental, but he is also her fucking hero. There’s not a lot she’d hold against him. And honestly, they’re both very pragmatic people. Remember that Pidge is the first paladin we see outright kill someone face-to-face in battle (RIP Haxus). If Keith thinks that killing some otherwise innocent guards will save lives in the end by letting them move faster and more freely on a mission, she’ll keep it in mind as an option even as she searches for alternatives.
She understands better than either Lance or Hunk that Keith isn’t trying to be cruel; he’s just very used to making hard choices in situations where there is no “everyone lives” option. He’s seen what the Empire is capable of and is willing to do whatever is necessary to put an end to it.
If that photo doesn’t terrify you then you don’t understand what’s going on
This photo is more threatening than the ones where they were being pulled out of their chairs and zip tied
[Tweet from ADAPT reads, “he had them sent to jail without their wheelchairs clearly senator portman doesn’t care!”
Image is a police officer pulling an empty motorized wheelchair (mobility scooter?) down the street. Another officer and empty chair are in the background.]
Imagine if they’d kept an able-bodied prisoner in a jail cell but kept their legs (and possibly their hands) bound, so they couldn’t stand up, move around in the jail cell, get out of bed or off the floor.
That would be considered inhumane, and torture, right? If that news got out, humanitarian organizations like Amnesty International would be up in arms. You know they would.
That’s what it means when you take away a person’s wheelchair. That’s why it’s terrifying. But because it’s happening to disabled people, no one except the victims is noticing.
Also note: Power mobility aids like those in the photo can cost as much as a brand-new automobile. And if they get damaged because the authorities don’t know what the hell they’re doing (or they do know, and are motivated by spite or malice), then the person will be just as helpless after they get out of jail.
And Medicare will not replace a damaged or broken wheelchair unless it’s at least five years old.
Now imagine being helpless in a jail cell, unable to move, and having that worry in the back of your mind.
And
no one except the victims is noticing.
I don’t like shaming people into spreading things.
First of all, saying that there’s no way is ignorant because there IS a way to fix it, if only people knew about it publicly and breed clubs embraced it.
These are called Retro Mops (website here), and they’re pugs bred specifically to be longer-legged, leaner, with smaller eyes, longer muzzles, and more open nostrils. And while the project is still a work in progress, it’s heading in the right direction.
This new breed type started in Germany, and developed from the selective breeding of purebred pugs with longer muzzles and a longer legged frame.
From the website:
“We want to prove that a pug does not have to be short of breath and phlegmatic, but a very sporty and docile family and companion dog”
And there’s also the Old English Bulldog, which is a muscular and athletic bulldog that can actually clean itself, mate, and give birth on its own (something that mainstream Bulldogs cannot do)
This should be the goal of EVERY pug breeder and owner, to have a healthy dog that doesn’t struggle to breathe and walk.
I’m sure you’re a pug or bulldog lover, which is why you’re so eager to defend them, but you’re not helping these dogs out by ignoring the problems in the breed. This is not a “little problem”, it’s a HUGE issue that’s killing dogs, and it’s prefectly preventable if pugs were outcrossed to have longer muzzles and wider nostrils.
Just look at the difference and tell me you’re not horrified:
As long as people stay blind to these issues, nothing will change. Which is why I’m saying this here so at least some people will see that there IS an alternative, and that wheezing pugs and bulldogs are not cute. When the public realizes the difference, the demand for these mutants will stop and more healthy, longer-lived alternatives will replace them.
But it starts with someone talking about them, and not just thinking there’s nothing to be done. Although if there were a time machine at my disposal you bet I’d use to pinch the nostrils of the original Victorian breeders and see how they like it.
Help the pugs yall
Finally a post that summarizes why pugs make me so uneasy…
They really are lovely dogs with great personalities, but these health issues can’t be ignored.
Healthy breeding to restore animal self-viability is something I always support.
Yoooooooo. This is lit. Like, actually really lit. Thank you for sharing this news.
If I didn’t it doesn’t look like anyone was going to lol
I didn’t hear a thing about it (but again, I’m NOT up to date with really anything nowadays it seems). Again though, thank you so much for sharing this.
