#we are supposed to like her. like maybe not all dc fans do because shes almost always an antagonist in other books but in her own shes the | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

songsofwaterandnight · 2 years

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I got tagged to answer some questions like half a year ago(oh wow😳) by one of my besties @brotherspankus-streaming (Thank you, King ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️) Please go watch his streams! Sometimes there are cats!

Without further ado(unless you wanted more ado... haha jk... unless?👀):

Last Album?

So I actually haven't listened to all the new music from some of my favorite artists this year because I've been busy but at the start of the year I listened to all of "Ctrl" by SZA. This album effortlessly slides into my top 10 favorite albums. I don't know why I didn't get into SZA before but in January I was like "I need more of her voice", I decided to listen to more of her stuff and now I'm a huge fan. CTRL is such a good album within which SZA allows herself to be vulnerable about her relationships, insecurities and other things that people would generally never admit. My favorite song from CTRL is "Broken Clocks" but every now and then a different one comes back to me that I have on repeat for weeks. Also she casually mentions that she's dated women on this album(which came out in 2017) and confirmed it in a follow-up interview but I never really see people mention her as a queer/lgbt+ artist which is strange to me.

Last Movie?

Last movie I watched was Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness(it's finally available in HD digitally for you to DisneyMinus it). NOW I'M NOT ONE OF THE MCU GIRLIES but I do like spiderman movies and the last one had a end credits trailer(marvel studios, normal movies don't have these!!) for this one so I decided I would watch it too. However, I know marvel movies insist on trying to be some sort of fucked up gestalt so I watched WandaVision and Dr Strange 1 beforehand. DSMOM was not that good imo. The feats of power weren't really that impressive, they BARELY explored the multiverse for a movie that was supposed to be about it(Unlike our beloved All of It All Around At the Same Time ) and I believe they nerfed Wanda so that she wouldn't win her fights before they started. Wanda's lines were very iconic though and I think those saved the movie.

Currently Reading?

I started Chainsaw Man(manga) by Tatsuki Fujimoto a while back but I've been lazy with the reading so I'm not very far(I've become weak;teenage me used to finish entire manga series in like 2 days). I'm like 2 chapters in and it's alright but idk if I'll like it. It's very highly rated and popular among weebs, which isn't really a great vote of confidence, so I'm hoping it's good.

I haven't read any actual novels in while but I think I'll get the next book in the "Chronicles of the Avatar Series" once it comes out in a few days so I can find out the tea on Yangchen.

Currently Watching?

Harley Quinn(animated series). I'm not a huge DC(or marvel) fan because I was a weeb as a teen but it's refreshing to see DC from a modern and relatable point of view. I love observational humor and series that don't take themselves too easily so I really like this one.

I'm also watching Odd Taxi(anime). I don't think it's very popular but it got good ratings and was recommended by a close friend. It's alright so far.

I'm like halfway through Our Flag Means Death(live-action show) but I got busy and forgot about it. It's not bad but pirates and that time period aren't always interesting to me.

As I'm writing this I'm receiving word that season 4 of What We Do in the Shadows has started so I guess that's how I'll be spending my night.

Currently Craving?

Something sweet... a peach tree... Jk I'm not a wild woman and I do get the blues. Anyway maybe something savory like ____ or chicken?

This was fun and an excuse for me to ramble haha

I'm tagging @iridiiscente @badhanddealt @mystiqdreamer @phagethemage @gaybluemage @virgo-dicks @universalinvariant @5eanathan @trekwiz @waterloo-rd @tuna-core @rabid-mr-blobby @taykoutmccleod @marky-g20 @jimothysomebody @bundibird @teruterusky

#thanks for tagging me!#you don't have to do this if you don't want to #also feel free to edit the format or whatever. I don't have a blank one unfortunately as I just cleared out Kyle's answers line by line #rambles of water and night #long post

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arpov-blog-blog · 1 year

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Willie Horton and Me, Again | Bowdoin College

....."Shortly before his death in 1991, Atwater (rather clinically) explained to political scientist Alexander Lamis what he and his fellow strategists were thinking as they developed the ad: “You start out in 1954 by saying, ‘N——r, n——r, n——r.’ By 1968 you can’t say ‘n——r’—that hurts you. Backfires. So, you say stuff like forced busing, states’ rights, and all that stuff. You’re getting so abstract now [that] you’re talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you’re talking about are totally economic things, and a by-product of them is [that] blacks get hurt worse than whites. And subconsciously maybe that is part of it. I’m not saying that. But I’m saying that if it is getting that abstract, and that coded, that we are doing away with the racial problem one way or the other. You follow me—because obviously sitting around saying ‘We want to cut this’ is much more abstract than even the busing thing, and a hell of a lot more abstract than ‘N——r, n——r.’”

I think that stands as evidence; one of the two major American political parties has deliberately, for more than fifty years, fanned the fires and divisions of racial hatred and misunderstanding. As their plan.

Consider a statement made by Trump supporter Crystal Minton, who said to New York Times reporter Patricia Mazzei in reference to Donald Trump, “He’s not hurting the people he’s supposed to be hurting.” She was complaining that the 2018–2019 government shutdown, implemented by Trump, was harming her and the people of her small town, who were largely dependent on government jobs at the federal prison in Marianna, Florida. In Minton’s statement, we hear the revenant of Atwater’s remark: “Blacks get hurt worse than whites.”

But by 2019, the subtext had become the text. Atwater had played a very large role in this GOP battle plan, often referred to as “The Southern Strategy,” architected in 1968 by the Nixon campaign to use race as a wedge issue. But I didn’t know that, not for sure, in 1989. In 1989, it was painful and bewildering. And, looking at it from the vantage point of 2020, I didn’t know that not only would it continue over the next thirty years, but it would get ever more sophisticated and savage, turned to cringing effect against Barack Obama and finding (one must hope) its apotheosis in the mind-numbingly regular statements and taunts of Donald Trump. I have to say, as an intellectual proud of what I think of as my sophisticated irony, it would almost be funny, like a Saturday Night Live or Dave Chappelle skit mocking outdated ignorance, if I were not the parent of a child who has had her childhood blighted by all this.

I also didn’t know as I wrote, and neither did many others, that the officer who apprehended Horton and brought him to justice, Yusuf A. Muhammad, was African American. Muhammad, a corporal in the Prince George’s County Police at the time, shot and wounded Horton, bringing him in. That wasn’t in the ad. It also wasn’t in the ad that Corporal Muhammad was the recipient of two degrees from Johns Hopkins, that he would go on to be a police chief, or that he would finish his illustrious career with the Metropolitan Police of Washington, DC.

The everyday occurrence that the best and worst of our society, a valiant and studious and learned police officer and a vile criminal, were of the same race had been conveniently overlooked by the Republicans in their rush to stereotype Black males. And perhaps it points to what I have come to think of as the general incompetence on these matters of the Democratic Party and their strategists that they did not make an advertisement pointing this out. But what we were left with was a masterpiece of cruel political magic stirring up fear and division that went virtually unanswered and that has been allowed to morph and metastasize over the succeeding decades."

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hobisstar · 2 years

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no more running | dark!bruce wayne x reader

Summary: Y/N was tired of being trapped in the Wayne Manor, Bruce says its for her safety. Was he protecting her or just keeping her to himself?

Warning: Mention of murder, harmful doing, possessiveness, obsession, Evil Bruce Wayne, and Melatonin pills.

A/N: Okay, basically im an DC and Marvel fan also! Ive been reading Batman/Bruce Wayne fics for the past 2 days now and decided to make one. I watched The Batman movie last night and I LITERALLY BECAME MORE IN LOVE. I know Batman is more so like a natural hero so hes like A hero but does villain like things. So i thought what if he was just like Dark all around MORE than usually? This is my first one so thoughts from you guys will be highly needed. Its a one shot so its gonna be a little short! Enjoy!

“Y/N!” Bruce yelled following her through the Wayne Manor. “Look at me when im talking to you!”

“No! Because im sick and tired of you acting like you control me Bruce Wayne, when you in fact do not. What exactly are protecting me of when you are the most Dangerous man in the room right now!” She walked into their shared bedroom or so.

They’ve been bumping heads recently, a lot to to be honest.

He hasn’t been the nicest and to be honest he doesn’t regret it.

The crime rate in Gotham had gotten higher and even the day light was dangerous to be out in.

But last week, something changed in Bruce. Maybe it was the intruders he killed with his bare hands and had Alfred dispose of the bodies.

It was for her protection, they deserved the beating.

“You killed those intruders Bruce... You promised me you’d never kill, ever. To me being out in the city is safer than being in a shared room with someone who’s not even a hero but the same as those people out there.”

Bruce knew his temper, and oh was it rising as the more she badmouths him and compared him to those people.

“I was protecting you. You are fragile and can get hurt. I'm not letting you get hurt because of who I am or what I've done outside the manor. Yes, I've killed two men that dared step into our home. How was I supposed to know that they were just after me? They could’ve spotted you and harmed you.” He stepped closer to Y/N grabbing the so called 'bag' she was trying to pack.

“I told you if something were the happen outside you aren’t allowed to leave the manor. I meant that with every inch of light I have left. “

“You can’t keep me in here Bruce-“

“No I can. And I will. Its not safe out there. Hate me. Dislike me. Want me dead. Do whatever you please but you aren’t leaving this home.”

Y/N huffed and walked out the room.

“Ill get out one way or another.” She thought in her head.

5 hours later

It was about 9pm. Bruce- I'm sorry The Bat was out around this time and for sure wouldn’t be back till 4 am.

“Ms. Y/N are you sure we should be breaking Bruce’s orders like this? What such a hassle to just get outside.” said one of the maids.

Since the morning after the argument ,Y/N has been plotting in her head a few escape routes.

Of course the main ones or either locked or emergency usable only.

She huffed and grabbed the backpack. “Yeah well, I really have other business to attend to outside of this Manor. If Bruce comes back tell him, I'm in bed. He usually won't bother if I'm sleeping. I should be back at 3 am. Call me if he calls Alfred saying Hes on his way back. I'll use the front door to get in. See Ya” Y/N said and ran to the bat cave using the only exit she knew would be open.

She was leaving because her mother called her and said that it was urgent. Her father had been mugged and wasn’t doing the best and she needed to see him if the time was to come if he was laid to rest.

Dealing with Bruce was enough in her plate, but shed do anything to see her family for the last time.

She took his bike and speed off…

At Y/Ns parents house

“Oh my! Y/N dear i thought you said Bruce had the place on lock down?” Her mother said raising her eyebrows.

“He does but I told one of the maids to call me if he gets home before I do. Im willing to risk anything to see my family ma.” Y/N half smiled and looked around.

“Where’s dad?”

“Back here honey!” She heard her dad shout.

“Turns out he just had some bruises and sprained his ankle. Hes fine but because of his old age, it was worst than that.” Mother said.

“Gosh ive been away so long I forgot you are a doctor.” She chuckled and walked to the room.

“Papa!” Y/N said and ran to him.

“Wow you’ve grown my girl. I can’t believe you are even here right now. This city is a mess and I know Bruce would never let you out with the way the crime rate has sprung up.” He chuckled then looked at her.

“He doesn’t know im here… I promise I’ll be back-“

“You need to get going my girl! You know the city shuts down at 12 am now! There is no reason for him to be out so late.”

“WHAT?!-“

As if it was a que Y/Ns phone rung in pocket.

She picked it up with no hesitation. “yes?”

“Y/N! Mr. Wayne is 20 minutes away! Please hurry back!”

At the Wayne Manor

…

“She’s not home yet!”

“OH MY GOSH”

“We need to make it look like she was here for hours!”

“What if he notices that she wasn’t here?”

“Cave has been opened..”

After are the commotion it settled down when that alert went off.

Was it Y/N?

Was it Bruce?

They were scared shitless. Scared that all hell would break when he gets up here and there is no y/n.

The handle turned and the door opened.

They all released a sigh of relief.

“I made it back in time!” Y/N smiled a little out of breathe.

“Oh gosh Ms. Y/N you had us all covered in fear. Hurry along now he should he arriving shortly.”

She nodded and ran up the stairs to their shared room.

She sighed happily as she sat on the bed. Being out was funny for the little time she could be out.

Seeing her dad being healthy and her mother also doing the same made her so happy.

“Maybe I should start sneaking out more often.” She said out loud since she thought she was alone.

“No. Because I could’ve sworn I made clear instructions that you stay in the Manor.” Bruce said from the chair in the darkness that filled the room.

She jumped up and turned on the lamp looking at him. “W-When did you get home?”

“Y/N I never left. Because I knew you would try to leave so i planned to stay in tonight and watch over you. Alfred told me what you had said to the maids.” He stood up going to sit on the bed.

“Bruce i just wanted to see my mom and dad-“

“Does it matter?! You could’ve gotten hurt!” He yelled looking at her with pure darkness in his eyes.

She jumped back from his booming voice, slightly cowering away but stood her ground.

“But I wasn’t! I told you you dont own me! If I want to leave I should damn well be able to leave!”

He slightly chuckled and that smile soon went away with it. He stood up and just walked out not saying anything.

She signed and fell to her knees surprised she even said everything without once stuttering.

“I need a bath officially” she said and went I the bathroom and closed the door.

In the kitchen

(Warning ⚠️: this part is were the Melatonin will be used. It will be taken with tea for a better nights sleep. You may continue reading at you’re own risk:).)

“You are being to harsh on her Bruce.” Alfred said.

Bruce sighed. “Im not. She got hurt once while being out and I never forgave myself for it.”

“That was 2 years go, Sir. She’s more matured. You trained her to fight and protect herself, yet you have her locked away like she’s Rapunzel.”

“That doesnt matter! She needs to be in the manor Alfred. I rather she be locked up here in safety then locked up some where I CANT find.”

Alfred sighed. “Whatever you say. Here’s the madams tea and melatonin as usually.”

“Thanks.”

Bruce grabbed the tea and pill and walked up stairs to their shared bed room. Usually around this time shed Be in the bathroom getting ready for bed so he went with his gut and opened the bathroom door.

She was relaxing in the tub and sat on the side of it watching her not saying a word.

Gosh, how he just wanted to protect her. So what if he was being protective or possessive I mean he wanted the best for her.

Staying in the house was only for now when the curfew on the city was just on.

“Im telling Alfred to put the manor on lockdown. The maids will be going home tonight.” He said still looking at her no emotion in his eyes.

She looked up at him. “You-You can’t do that!”

He put the tea on the counter with the pills.

“You are not to leave the manor until the curfew on the city is lifted. You will stay in the manor every day and every night. You got hurt once because of me. And that was my fault. I love you to much to see you get hurt again because of my lack of protection. This is most I can do to protect you and Alfred. You two are my World and im not loosing either of you. I will never allow it.” He stood up and walked out.

Maybe one day, She will see that his protection is all he can bring. He loves her and will never let her get hurt EVER AGAIN.

Bruce went down the his cave and just started writing away about a few things for the city but it soon turned Into

Never let her out Never let her out Never let her out

Never let her out Never let her out

Never

Let

Her

Out

Has he perhaps gone mad?

#the batman #the batman x y/n #the dark knight #robert pattinson x y/n #bruce wayne #bruce wayne one shot #battinson #robert pattinson #the batman 2022 #Robert Pattinson oneshot #the vigilante #burce wayne x reader

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metamorphiacreations · 3 years

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Ranting About The Fandoms Treatment of Neito Monoma

Because i am 8 kinds of pissed off

!spoilers sorta kinda maybe! if you’re caught up on this season you’re good

if you agree with the following: cool

if you disagree with the following: cool but dont you dare start some shit in the notes

so i saw a tiktok of the scene from the new ep where Neito is trying to copy Eri’s quirk to no avail and a lot of the comments were along the lines of “the only time hes nice” and “this is the only time i like him” and “hes never this gentle”

LIKE???? NO???? YOU DUMBFUCKS????

i will die on the hill that is Neito is not a bad person you know why? BECAUSE HE’S NOT like did we watch the same show or are you just that willingly ignorant? Neito is a good person he just doesn’t like class A. Sure he doesn’t need to say the shit he does but that doesn’t make him a bad person. Just because he doesn’t like class A doesn’t mean he’s a bad person i’m literally so sick and tired of the fandom villainizing him just because Neito’s dramatically mean to the main cast.

But Bakugo can tell Midoriya to yeet himself of a building and the pomerian gets fans out the wazoo

There was literally a point explaining why Neito acts like he does and people are still like “oh he’s still such a dick tho” or “is that character development i see?” or “omg he does have a heart” motherfuckers, he’s always been like this he’s just upset that the supposed “power balance” that’s the whole reason for a class B is virtually no longer existent because of fckn Deku ex machina and the class’s constant clashes with the League of Plot Convenience.

But nooooooo Neito Monoma will always be seen as the douchebag of the hero course. as U.A.s dark side (a name that, by the way, was given to him by Mirio, a student that is supposed to act as a role model to him and the rest of the first year hero course but sure we’ll just let Mirio get away with telling Eri that someone at this supposed safe haven for her is a bad person she should watch out for him )

It’s ridiculous that the villians who have commited Actual Death Crimes gets less hate than the kid who’s just mad at those who are supposed to be equal yet are not and know it. Whether class A says it or not they know at this point that they’re better than class B and i guarentee you if Neito, Tetsu and Kendo won as much as Todoroki, Bakugo and Uraraka people wouldn’t be complaining as much. if Neito was given more screen time away from class A, people wouldn’t be so hateful towards him. and then there’s the statement of “if this was from class B’s perspective, people would treat Bakugo how they treat Neito now” and while that’s true, i feel obligated to say that Bakugo and Neito are not on the same level. Why? because at least Neito gives a shit about his class. At least Neito isn’t putting his classmates down for no damn reason.

“but Bakugo saved Jiro during their match” bitch and?? he did that for the sole purpose of winning. he needed Jiro for scouting he didn’t do it because he cared about her if that’s what you’re going for. when she thanked him his first response was to tell her to shut up. Bakugo does not care about his class. He cares about doing what he needs to in order to win. Neito at least encourages his classmates even after a loss. Neito made sure that Setsuna did not put all the blame of the match on herself. something i bet the high heavens Bakugo would n o t have done if his team lost the match. (imo they should not have won. Bakugo needs to learn that you can grow as a teammate and still lose im just saying.)

TD;LR

LR;TD

AC;DC

Neito Monoma is not a bad person and I’m tired of the way this fandom treats him.

#metas stuff #class 1b #neito monoma #monoma neito #bnha monoma #bnha season 5 #why do these long posts i make about b class #1) always happen in the middle of night #and 2) take an hour for me to write?#this and the seating chart post both took an hour each #this blog does not tolerate any b class slander #ok any Serious b class slander #good fucking night

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antiloreolympus · 2 years

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10 Anti LO Asks

1. I'm going to put my money on Persephone reuniting with Hades in less than a month. Imagine a few chapters equating a day or two of being sad, then around 25 chapters of those two determined to do something about the "punishment" for maybe a week, then something big and dramatic (possibly Kronos related) interrupts for around 50 chapters, with only like three hours passing, soon culminating in the two seeing each other, running over, and making out.

2. Lore Olympus fans use “it’s a retelling” to defend it but do they realize that by their logic they can’t complain when a piece of media portrays Hades as bad or *gasp* not in a loving relationship with Persephone because it’s also a retelling

Of course I’m not saying it’s ok for Hades to be portrayed as Satan 2.0 but I’m just saying that LO fan can be very hypocritical

3. I follow a pretty prolific fanartist and they posted a picture of a stern looking man with blue skin, red eyes, and dressed in a military uniform, and saw LO fans claiming they "didn't draw Hades right" because he was wearing white and had dark hair (mind you, the artist doesn't even follow webcomics, much less LO) so they were confused over these fans getting mad at them and how they "stole" from Rachel. It turns character was Thrawn from Star Wars, a character that has existed since /1991/.

4. I'm sorry but PURGATORY???? Rachel can't even pretend to try and be remotely accurate, she's literally just doing her standard WASP viewpoint and slapping Greek names on it and claiming it's researched. The Ancient Greeks' view of the afterlife and death was not how Christianity viewed it, but god forbid Rachel show this in her "super researched" GREEK MYTHOLOGY comic.

5. Man, RS didn't even do slavery how the ancient greeks did (which regardless is bad no matter what) but rather how the american south did it, which is objectively even worse/more cruel than a lot of ancient systems' use of slavery. like how did she pick a bad system and pick the worst possible option in that system to base it around?? rachel we know youre white but this is so??? gross???

6. im just focusing on the fact hxp in this had a NORMAL height difference at one point and rachel was like nah that makes her look too much like an adult, better make her like 3 feet tall in heels while he's a skyscraper and start overemphasizing how childish and tiny she is in comparison. rachel stop being weird challenge (impossible difficulty)

7. idk if it's a just a random conciendence but there is something so ... off in how it seems so many of the LO designs are either ripped from Disney (Hades, Persephone, Demeter, Eros, Apollo) or DC's version of the gods (Eris especially seems like a direct rip off).

8. It's kind of disturbing Rachel seems to think Hades actually looks good for thinking the only thing he can do with the Shades is just suffering, worse suffering, or the worst suffering. The afterlife in ancient greece was not seen as a cruel place, yet Rachels seems to think he's looking cool and charming for it?? Even if it's a "Persephone can fix him" idea (which is so awful to be promoting as "romance") how are we supposed to buy he's "changed" from being a violent torturer and slaver?

9. Even if the "unpaid labor" is supposed to be a joke that's gross to joke about?? I'm all for dark humor but there's a big difference in the "comedy" when it's coming from a literal king who prides himself on always having all the power and wealth for himself and is known for his physical violence against against anyone he feels slighted by/doesn't care for. Also, it really doesn't seem like a joke, it seemed like him bragging and being upset Persephone wasn't hanging off his every word.

10. Hades also doesn't pay his interns too, which even the worst companies have been paying their interns for years now. He literally makes sure he gets as much money as possible while the rest rot away for his benefit and yet we're supposed to find it charming. Rachel must be a staunch capitalist because I have never seen someone so into fawning over corrupted wealth and power like she does.

#anti lo #anti lore olympus #lore olympus critical #lo critical

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maxwell-grant · 3 years

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Cass wouldn’t even begrudingly tolerate [the Black Bat], because she’s even less lenient than Bruce on killing and far more willing to throw down.' - THANK YOU for remembering that.

Cass is my favorite Batfam member, the only one really that I have an active interest in reading about. I'd be incredibly ignorant to not bring bring up such a crucial aspect of her characterization. And even if I didn't personally care for her, well, last thing I'd want is to be another source of frustration for Cass fans. Lord knows there's enough of those to go around.

mousebrass also asked: On that note, how do you imagine a meeting between Cass and the Shadow going?

Fair warning: This one took me 6 hours to write, and it became a hell of a lot longer than I imagined. I liked Cass a lot, but I never quite realized I had this many feelings regarding her until I was tasked with writing this, and a lot of things clicked for me regarding my plans for The Shadow thanks to this ask. @mousebrass, thank you. I mean it. I think I may have found something here I've spent years looking for. Hope you enjoy the post.

I'm thankful that this scenario is only really taking place in a hypothetical fanon where both characters can get a fair shot, because I wouldn't trust DC with this premise. I don't trust DC with either of them as is.

There's a lot of ways that this crossover could go on about taking place naturally, initially because Cass is already connected to some of Batman's pulpier elements, due to her connections to Lady Shiva and the League of Assassins, and one could connect Cass to Myra Reldon (who really should just be race swapped if ever brought back so she can stand out as the cool character she is, without the yellowface gimmick holding her back). There's two things I think are crucial to making the most of this idea, and the first of which has to do with the subject of killing. I usually don't like to come up with hypothetical team-ups for The Shadow that focus too much on the fact that he kills, because it's far from the most significant aspect of his character to focus on, much of it is written from a wrong understanding of the character, and it never amounts to anything other than perfunctory. But here, not only is it completely unavoidable to discuss, here there is actually a very, very substantial grounding as to why this has to be such a big part of the story.

The first and foremost thing that's gotta be established to everyone reading that doesn't know already is this: Cassandra Cain, more so than Batman, more so than any other DCU hero, has a tolerance towards murder lower than zero, and this is completely non-negotiable. She will throw herself on the path of an assault rifle to stop men trying to kill her from accidentally killing each other. The defining moment of her incredibly grim backstory is that she was trained from birth to be the world's greatest murderer, and her first kill traumatized her so badly that she has pivoted as far away from that as possible. I stress a lot that the Shadow should not be written as the trigger-happy maniac comics made him into and that the pulp version killed mostly to defend himself and others, generally left criminals to the police if possible, offered plenty of second-chances, had stories dedicated to the rehabilitation of criminals and so on, but none of this would matter to Cass.

Cass has literally chosen suicide over the prospect of living with murder on her hands time and time again, and The Shadow kills. When he kills, he does so without remorse, with unshakeable certainty. He hates death, he doesn't want lives to be at risk in the first place. But people will die if he doesn't do anything, and what he can do, what he exists to do, is turn the tools of evil against evil, and murder is the oldest tool of evil there is. He doesn't kill because a war scarred him, he doesn't kill because he's got a demon in his soul, he doesn't kill because he's mentally off balance, he doesn't kill because he's evil or sadistic or arrogant or anything of the sort. He kills because the men he fights chose death when they sought to harm innocents and fire guns at him. He kills because he is Death itself.

Regardless of how compassionate he is or can be, regardless of the fact that he's motivated by a desire to protect people, regardless of how justified he is, he is still dropping corpses and laughing maniacally doing so. Cass's real arch-enemy isn't Shiva or David Cain, it's Death, it's the thing that she's fundamentally most opposed to. And guess what The Shadow gets compared to often enough? Literally the very first line of the very first book where we get to see him, this is how we are introduced to him:

So the premise here is that we are taking a character who is defined by her fundamental opposition to death with every fiber of her being, who understands death on a level no other human being does, who is traumatized and hard-wired to detest death at all costs and to choose suicide over it, and asking her to team up with The Grim Reaper.

Even if he received the most abject lesson conceivable on the sheer wrongness of murder, even if he does put down the guns around Cass out of respect for her, he cannot protect his agents and others if he cannot shoot or kill those who try to harm them, and the protection of the agents is absolutely non-negotiable and not at all something he's willing to fuck around with by trying out gadget kung fu superhero alternatives. The Shadow has chosen to throw his life away for their sake time and time again, and no matter how appaling or disgusting Cass finds his deeds, even if he concedes that she's right and should be right on all accounts and that he is fundamentally a monster who has no right to judge others, he would not concede on his mission and he would make it very clear she would have to put him down violently to stop him from protecting others this way, and death has not stopped him before.

And to be upfront in case there's anyone who doubts it, Cass would kick The Shadow's ass, if they had to fight. She is the strongest fighter in the DCU, she lives and breathes fighting and combat in a way no one else does. And The Shadow's not one of those characters who is supposed to be invincible and the best at everything all the time always, he can and does lose fights and scrapes to people far less adept at it than Cass. He's a great fighter, obviously, he hauls bigger men than him through doors and was disabling people with Vulcan neck pinches decades before Spock, and he would definitely have an edge in other areas, but he's out of his league here. Frankly, I don't see The Shadow raising a finger against Cass unless she's been brainwashed into killing people by bad writing. Not because she's a woman, that doesn't really stop him from dealing with evil. But because, for one, she's practically a child compared to him age-wise. Two, he'd obviously know beforehand of her capabilities and how futile it would be to fight or even provoke her. And three, the Shadow's whole thing is knowing. The Shadow Knows and all that. Knowing comes with understanding.

He'd understand very quickly that there is no way someone this young could grow so quickly into the world's greatest fighter without horrific treatment that no one should ever be subjected to. He'd see the movements too practiced and quick, the self-control, the strength and speed far beyond even the trained warriors he's seen, the places where she's been scarred and is good at covering it up. Assuming he doesn't already know about her life story, any meeting between the two would lead to him very quickly figuring out that there's something much deeper about her opposition to killing than just moral reservations, something deeper than Bruce's own gun trauma.

Denny O'Neil's 2nd Batman and Shadow story was about The Shadow secretly helping Bruce overcome gun trauma, and Bruce rejecting The Shadow's intentions to hand him a gun. And to make it clear, people tend to assume that The Shadow only helps people for utilitarian reasons, which is not true as I've tried to demonstrate many times now. I don't want to convey that he would want to help Cass overcome her trauma just so she could be more efficient or something, absolutely no, he'd help her because he helps people in any way he can. I think a story with The Shadow and Cass might involve a similar premise, The Shadow understanding that she has been traumatized very deeply by death and refuses to accept it on any terms, trying to help her overcome it, only to learn that she does not want to "learn" anything she doesn't already know, that she has weaponized her trauma into a source of strength, and wishes nothing more than to help others with it.

And here's where we get to the part that allows the two to be on less antagonistic terms, because one thing that also very strongly defines Cass, at least the Cass I like reading most, is her stubborn, almost desperate need to believe in the best of people, that people can and will change for the better. Like The Shadow, her strength too is knowing, it's perception, the things that she knows about people that words cannot convey. Just as there are many things The Shadow would grow to understand about her that others would not, there would be many things that The Shadow would not be able to conceal from her. Things that no one but her would figure out. Things that, despite her age and lack of experience compared to him, he would have to defer to her knowledge on, which reverses the usual dynamic The Shadow has with people. And perhaps one aspect of that reversal, it's that maybe it's she who winds up secretly manipulating The Shadow into overcoming a deeper issue.

Cass's perspective on killing is shaped not just through trauma, but from a painfully intimate understanding of not just what happens to someone at the time of death, but the cost of murder upon the human soul, the ways it warps people into things they never should have been. Killing is a deeply, deeply serious matter, much more so than fiction seems ever willing to go into. Of course we suspend disbelief for fiction, there's nothing wrong with that, but if a story starts asking questions, starts poking holes into fantasies, they should not be disregarded.

And so it begs a question: How has it affected The Shadow? Is he really as remorseless as he appears to be? Is the fact that he's only killing evil people really of that much use? What's the cost of living as someone who has to know so much about so much evil in so many hearts? Knowledge never comes without price, and knowing evil is his tagline. When he enlists Harry Vincent, he makes it very clear that he has lost lives as he has saved them. From when is that regret coming from? What lives did he lose then? Is he saving people by damning his soul or merely prolonging the inevitable by piling corpses on another end of the scale?

If there's a character that could meaningfully start bringing these questions forth, who could ever truly get The Shadow to stop and reveal things to the audience he never would otherwise, maybe Cass could be that character. A girl who was raised to be a monster, who is treated as a monster and an aberration in-universe (and even outside of it), and turned that into a strength she uses to help others, who cares about everyone and refuses to let others be dehumanized as she was. Who better to know what lurks in the Shadow's heart?

Sometimes when I get an ask, I bullshit my way through infodump walls of text until I can structure it into something vaguely resembling a point. And sometimes, and I know it sounds crazy, but sometimes I get a very, very clear word on my mind related to it before I start writing, that almost seems to be a beacon pointing where I need to get to, and I work my way into getting there. Once you sent me an ask about crossing over The Shadow with Cassandra Cain, the word that came to mind the very second was Language.

It's an interesting relation the two have with language. Language is of course a very substantial part of Cass's character, who does not process language and linguistic development the way most people do, and instead reads body language to the point of superpower. Many stories revolve around Cass's relation to the concept of language, the help she may require from others in getting around things beyond her upbringing, and ways in which she has mastered beyond anyone's scope. Though she is mute, language is her power, what makes her what she is, and she is someone that Batman freely admits could kick his ass if she ever felt like it.

For The Shadow, language is also his power. He speaks all languages and connects allies all over the world, he is an expert ventriloquist, he is able to project his voice beyond what's physically possible, he can imitate voices perfectly to the point of being able to conduct group conversations single-handedly well enough to fool even the people whose voices he's imitating, much of his presence and terror and manipulation are done through his voice, arguably the very reason he exists in the first place is entirely because a radio actor's voice performance was so good and captivating that it tricked people into thinking the character was a real star and not just a glorified narrator. The man you cannot see, but only hear, the perfect hero for radio. And then of course the laugh, which I have a whole separate post on and which, in many ways, acts as a substitute for language in the novels. He uses the laugh so often as a substitute for statements or words, even to himself, that it's pretty much his own personal language. And language is at the core of how he deals with people, as he knows the right language to use to manipulate and move and help them. He knows what to promise, what to reveal, what to omit. He knows what to say, how to say it, when to say it. Language is the strings by which he puppeteers the world around him (and he can talk to animals, at least of one kind).

The Shadow and Cassandra Cain have mastered two different types of Language as throughly as anyone can possibly master them. The Shadow can talk a group of hardened criminals into killing themselves, Cassandra can punch a heart into stopping without killing it. The Shadow echoes his voice "through everywhere and nowhere at once" to whip crowds of thugs into frenzies, Cassandra outraces missiles and was tanking bullets as a child. The Shadow can lie and usurp lives so masterfully to fool even the families of those he's passing off as, Cassandra is a living lie detector who gleams inner conversations from miniscule reactions. The Shadow can speak every language known, Cassandra is the greatest master of the world's most universal language other than music. The two are supposedly human, but every now and then, something comes along to call that into question because of the things they can achieve. They cannot hide secrets from each other the way they do to everyone else. They are driven by a deep desire to help others, to make something out of the circumstances of their lives. To weaponize that which dictates they should be evil and monstrous into a relentless force of good.

Language is the root of understanding. And if nothing else, as impossible as a conciliation of their approaches to crimefighting may be, I think there could be an unique understanding between the two. Perhaps, and this is a bit crazier a concept but one that seems to be where I might have been heading towards all along, even Cassandra Cain finding a calling away from the frayed dynamics of the Batfamily, away from the Bat's looming presence, to become The Shadow's successor, swearing to uphold a mission of justice through non-lethal tactics while he stays on the backseat guiding her. If The Shadow could trust the safety of his agents and the protection of the innocent at the hands of someone as capable and selfless and good-natured as Cassandra, I think he'd be all too happy to be able to trust someone in such a manner, to no longer be the Master of Darkness, but instead to serve the next generation that's weaponized darkness without submerging in it. To achieve, and perhaps return, to his strongest, highest self: A disembodied voice heard, but not seen. Once again the narrator, not the star.

It's a concept I've thought about very extensively for the years I've been a Shadow fan, but now it occurs to me that, if I had to appoint a successor of The Shadow, someone who could take up the mission but shine on their own right, even improve it with the right guidance and circumstances, it would be Cassandra Cain. The Orphan, The Shadow of the Batgirl. Daughter of the greatest assassins, meant to be the world's most lethal murderer, instead pivoted to being one of it's greatest heroes, but never allowed to shine as she should. But in the darker, less restrictive and wilder world of pulp heroes, in The Shadow's world, a beacon would shine all the harder. Perfect strengths attached to perfect opposites, joined together for a greater good, unstoppable after together having weaponized that which most take for granted: the power of language to move worlds.

#replies tag #pulp heroes #comic books #the shadow #cassandra cain #batgirl #i always had a feeling that a successor to the shadow should not be modeled on batman but someone within that range #i never quite found a character i would be happy with taking that role or a similar role #aw shit i just talked myself into a new favorite character #that just so happens to be another character brimming with potential that's denied them by corporate overlords #who could have seen that coming

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hellyeahheroes · 3 years

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You know, at this point in current DC books is there ANYTHING that Cass actually gains as a character in a story from being part of Batfamily?

Her friendships have been erased (Tim) or twisted to ensure she is always seen as lessen and inferior to other partner (Steph, Duke).

No one treats her as part of the family but something between an unpaid intern, creepy fangirl that is allowed to be here out of pity and Steph’s friend with personality of “responsible (read: boring) Asian” stereotype. She is certainly NOT treated as Bruce’s daughter.

Her entire origin and core motivation to be a hero have been mangled to erase her intolerance for killing because othertwise she could not coexist in one “team” with Jason, Kate, Damian and fucking Ghostmaker. Instead they made her entire origin and motivation revovle around Harper because they wanted Cass in Batfam and nothing beyond it. If you need to take away core aspect of a character to make them fit a team maybe that character should not be on a team?

Fuck, the whole REASON why she ever took on the bat symbol, which was because Batman was literally only person on the planet with as much hatred for killing as her, is gone. Batman who inspired Cass to become a hero was a man who was going to fire her on suspicion she may consider killing an option on the table, a man who would attack Huntress on sight because she kills people. Now? His no killing rule applies to him alone unless Harley Quinn writers wants to stirr up drama in her book. This is no longer Batman who would inspire Cass.

Relationship she had with Barbara is gone, Babs too treats Cass at best as unpaid intern she needs to boss around.

Cass is no longer a hero. She has no desire to save lives because that would overshadow Barbara. She is there because Babsgirl needs cheerleaders and that’s it.

Desire to be Batman? Gone. Not even recognized as a runner up by anyone, less alone Bruce.

Her skills are nerfed to the point she can no longer fight her way out of wet paper bag, losing to literally every character she fights with because writing her properly could derail the edgy “plots” and overshadow white people. Making her lose every fight makes, in mind of bad writers, the baddies look strong. In reality it makes her look weak and incompetent. And no, beating mooks doesn’t count, anyone in ficiton can beat hordes of ninjas, there is an entire tope about it. Alfred the cat could replace her in League of Shadows and nothing would change, ninjas would die like flies because that’s what ninjas in comics do.

Also, Tynion made Cass a killer, destroying core concept of her character even futher. So her compassion is gone too, as one does not work with the other, not for Cass.

Her disability is gone too because we needed to make her speak perfect english to make popculture references and read text messages.

Her being best martial artist? Informed ability with nothing to back it up at this point. Her being omitted from Lazarus Tournament (thus sending a message she was deemed not worthy to participate) while Damian was admitted also gives him more legitimacy than she has in current canon.

There is literally nothing she gains from being in the Batfamily. As bad as Teen titans books have been I think at least one of them would let her shine more than she was allowed to in any book since 2015 except Outsiders. Then again I wonder if damage done to her to push rest of the Batfamily isn’t so extensive it may be beyond fixing. At this point I fear killing her off may be more merciful than further debasement for sake of white people.

I mean, what DOES she gets from being in Batfamily at this point? Being infantilized for stupid groupchat jokes? being a backgroud prop to Steph and Barbara and maybe Ryan? Endless promises a Batgirls book that is clearly NOT happenning andan idea a book like this is coming may have been made up by fans altogether? Slowly turning into racist stereotype of a meek, submissive doormat that we have seen in Future State, an event that was supposed to show us what is DC’s “endgame” plan for all their characters and in which only Shazam and Wally West got more fucked over? Being in the background of group shots with white people or some shallow “family” moments? Gove me something.

-Admin

#Cassandra Cain #DC

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lady-griffin · 3 years

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Technically Trigon (and by extension Raven) is not a demon because he is from a hell like dimension but not hell. He's a poser.

Sorry, I disagree with that, and for me, that seems like such a pointless technically :)

But like you said, DC has pointed out Trigon is not from “The Hell” and technically isn’t a demon.

However, at the exact same time, he’s still largely considered to be a demon by DC.

Which makes sense, seeing as he’s an immortal malevolent entity that has all the bells and whistles of a demon (+ more) and lives in a dimension, that for all intents and purposes is hell or a hell-dimension.

It just seems very silly to me, to say Trigon’s technically not demon.

I think Hell (demons) should go beyond Lucifer or I guess really, human/earth religion in the DC world. I mean, why the hell not? (ha!)

What is hell? What is a demon?

Does hell and demons only exist in relation to more western-centric religious ideas? What about other religions, on earth and otherwise?

What about all the other planets in the universe? Other dimensions?

Are demons only applicable to humans and earth?

Do other planets/dimensions have afterlives specific to their religions? Hells or heavens, or something else altogether? What about their Gods or God?

Or is that all false and there is only one “God?” The Judeo-Christian-Islamic god?

For me, that limits so many possibilities. Especially considering how wide and complicated the DC universe actually is.

Furthermore, what’s the difference between a hell-like dimension, a hell dimension or simply hell?

While I don’t see Trigon or Raven being related to Lucifer, “God,” or Hell (specifically the Hell we see other DC heroes deal with), the two 100% count as demons.

Especially, since I think that complicates the idea of what demons are and makes demons go beyond Earth and more specifically, Christianity.

Slightly related (not really), I was never fan of how in BTVS and Angel, only crosses worked against vampires and no other symbols of religion. Why was Christianity the only religion that could hurt vampires?

Personally, I just like the idea of Raven being a full-on demon (or part-demon).

Again, her classifying as one, just expands the idea of what demons are and makes things like religion, far more confusing in the DC world (like our own).

I mean, if you know there are angels and demons, and that holy water and crosses absolutely work on demons, doesn’t that just make Christianity an objective reality?

Isn’t it more interesting, if yes that stuff can work on some demons, but not for others? That you get the very frustrating answer, of - “it depends on what kind of demon.”

I think so.

I like the idea of someone who thinks they have a solid idea of what demons are and what works on them, have all that put into question once Raven comes into the picture. Because some of those things do apply to her, but others simply don’t.

Throwing holy water on Raven will only get you one very annoyed and wet demoness. But blast some holy magic at her and you might get a different story.

This might just be me.

But I think saying Raven isn’t a demon, creatures that are objectively evil in DC canon, kind of takes away from the fact that Raven is this kind and caring individual, who is ultimately good.

Because, if she isn’t a demon (or a "true demon" as we think of them), then her being good isn’t necessarily this revolutionary idea.

It can still be one, for sure.

But it seems like someone can easily explain Raven being good, by simply saying - children aren’t their parents. Just because Trigon is evil, doesn’t mean Raven is.

Raven being born a good person (or neutral) who has this darker side that can take over her is all well and good (I’m certainly not complaining).

But that isn’t nearly as interesting to me as the concept of Raven, because she is part-demon, was born this malevolent entity, and aside from sheer power/being Trigon’s portal, is technically no different than any other demon.

And yet, she literally rewrote her very nature, by choosing to be good. She consistently chose the harder path for herself, literally defying the universe, and made the moral waters of good and evil, all the murkier.

And maybe it wasn’t just hard-work.

Maybe Raven got lucky because she was raised on Azarath or because of all her power / soul-self (or whatever); maybe she simply had an advantage over other demons, because she had so many more opportunities to learn how to be good.

I don’t know, I just love the idea that Raven was born half-demon (full on objectively evil demon) and was fated to destroy everything – either by freeing Trigon or by destroying everything herself.

And that’s it. No surprise twist or anything, no secret fate where she was also supposed to defeat Trigon.

No. Raven (and Trigon) were supposed to be how everything ended, no ifs, ands, or buts.

Except, that didn’t happen. This young woman fought tooth and nail to be someone else, to be someone who is good and kind.

And she succeeded.

The forces of the universe, that everything else has to bend to, were challenged by this small, stubborn woman; and one of them broke, and that one wasn’t Raven.

There’s also the added beauty of free-will.

DC's Main Villain Darkseid, main thing is to completely enslave the universe and destroy free-will with the anti-life equation. And while Raven has nothing to do with Darkseid, free-will being a factor in other DC stories, puts a smile on my face.

Sorry, anon. You didn't ask for any of this.

You sent a message sort of at the wrong time (or right time, depending on how think about it), as I was writing down my ideas/headcanons of what demons and hell are in DC, or at least how I think of them.

And while you didn’t bring up religion and earth, I was already thinking about this stuff, so that’s on me.

I just like the idea of magic and demons/angels going beyond Earth and humanity, because usually in DC, that stuff seems to stay with Earth.

You are right though.

While DC does classify Trigon as Demon, they do seem to specify (or fans in charge of the wiki specify) that since he’s not from The “Hell,” he’s simply more akin to an entity that can be called a demon, rather than an actual one

But I find that to be boring, and again, a very silly and pointless technicality.

I would personally rather DC be like - Hell, Demons, and all of that nonsense are far more complicated than what we humans or mortals can possibly understand.

In my view,

Demons are the only creatures that can not only come from hell, but can also survive and thrive there as well.

Hell is a singular dimension that is made up of billions of different hell dimensions that simultaneously overlap and never interact with one another. Some of these hells are afterlife-dimensions that are the final destination for certain mortal souls, and others go beyond such simple ideas.

Making Trigon and Raven, 100% all demon. Or, I guess in Raven's case, 50% all demon.

#Raven Roth #Rachel Roth #Teen Titans #Trigon #DC Raven #DC Hell #DC Demon #DC Demons #dc lucifer #DC Trigon

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theliterateape · 3 years

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We Killed Jason Todd

By Matt Markman

In 1988 my friends and I killed a kid.

He was just a boy really. We had help it wasn’t just me and my pals. there were adults involved, lots of them. I mean we were young we were just thirteen and really couldn’t comprehend the ramification of our actions, the adults knew what they were doing. I’m painting it to sound way more sinister than it was, and in today’s society, wouldn’t trend on Twitter but maybe in the ’80s, it was probably considered quite ominous.

To set your mind at ease, it was Jason Todd. You know, Batman's sidekick, The Boy Wonder, Robin—well, the second Robin anyways. And I helped kill him.

I was big into comic books but my favorite was, The Dark Knight, The Caped Crusader, The Batman… He donned the best costume, he had all the money and was the most intelligent of all the superheroes. That last trait right there, the fact that he was considered a superhero and he had no actual super powers made him cooler than the other side of the pillow. You know how The Big Bang Theory has convinced the world it’s an Emmy-winning sitcom worth watching? I think it’s the fact that Batman was someone any one of us could actually be. Sure we needed to start with a base coat of genius followed by a splash of handsome billionaire playboy then train overseas in martial arts for several years, but if you had those things you, too, could be a vigilante. You ask me today and I'd stand by the fact that Batman would beat Superman in a fight, say ten out of ten times. This is not debatable because super beings from another planet are not real.

My favorite thing about Batman, though, is his ability to balance out good and evil. He spawned one of the greatest comic book villains and fictional characters ever created, The Joker. They have tried and tried again but in my opinion never got close to the Clown Prince of Crime—maybe Negan from The Walking Dead, he's pretty ruthless. The Joker is what would happen if a stand-up comedian became a criminal mastermind, so basically the plot of the 2019 film Joker.

My love for Joker made sense because growing up I was always more into the bad guys than the good guys. Watching and playing with G.I.Joe, I was always on the side of Cobra Commander, the twins Tomax and Xamot, and Zartan because they were always more glamorous and eye-catching than the boring ass Joes. Just once, I’d like that “knowing is half the battle” part at the end of the cartoon to have been Storm Shadow giving us kids a tip on how to fuck up Shipwreck and his stupid Parrot. Megatron, Skeletor, Shredder, Mumm-ra…

The list goes on, but the antagonists always resonated with me. they had a much better and more intriguing agenda than the good guys did. I know that wasn't the purpose, we were supposed to cheer on the good guys, like the idea of saving the world and all, but the mayhem… It’s like Alfred Pennyworth said, “Some men just want to watch the world burn.” It’s odd because the bad guys in my life were real, the bullies and I didn't like them at all. They tormented me daily unprovoked because I was short and had big ears. Perhaps my love for the dark side stemmed for my desire to be on that side because in real life there was no Superman swooping in to rescue me from the clutches of Lex Luthor.

There were two sides, and good had a lack of champions looking out for the weaker, smaller good guys. The bad guys in my neighborhood, well, they were real and never really foiled and more importantly, they always got the girl in the end. Fuck the good guys!

My admiration for evildoers achieving their agenda was tested in 1988, Batman was running a four-part series called A Death in the Family. It was your typical Batman arc. Somehow, The Joker was going to get the upper hand on The World’s Greatest Detective only to be bested in the end by Batman. But this time, the third comic decided to do something nobody had never seen in the industry. The writers were going to give the fans the opportunity to decide where they were going to go with the story, only it was an option between two different roads, one quite unconventional. Apparently a few years earlier, one of the writers, Dennis O'Neil, had seen a sketch they did on SNL where Eddie Murphy held up a Lobster—Larry the Lobster—and was asking viewers to decide whether Larry was boiled and eaten or was to be set free. The choices were offered in the form of two phone numbers both costing fifty cents a call. One number was a vote for him to be freed and the other number was a vote for Larry to be murdered, smothered in butter, and devoured by Axel Foley. Ultimately, after nearly 500,000 calls, the people voted for Larry the lovable lobster to be pardoned with a 12,000 call margin. The popularity of this bit intrigued O'Neil and A few years later he decided to implement it in his Death in The Family storyline.

In the third book, The Joker had taken Batman's sidekick, the Boy Wonder, hostage. He’d beaten him bloody with a crowbar leaving a cliffhanger to be wrapped up in the fourth book. The last page of the comic was full page and at the top read in true ’80s Do the Right Thing fashion: “Robin will die because The Joker wants revenge, but you can prevent it with a telephone call!” They even phrased it to steer you down the hero’s path, like you can literally be Batman with one phone call. Underneath the imploring verbiage were two numbers, dial one number; The Joker fails and Robin lives, Batman would once somehow saves the day. However, call this other number and The Joker succeeds and Robin dies. Gruesomely.

Wow! They were going to let the fans decide the fate of Robin, really this was one of my earliest introductions to a reality voting competition type show. In my opinion, it was a bad idea. Robin was always the worst. Go back and read through an adventure or two involving Jason Todd and tell me he wasn't always whiney and bellyaching. He was never going to be iconic or cool like Bruce Wayne or even his predecessor Dick Grayson—the first Robin. See, Dick got pissed off, decided he was tired of being in Batman's shadow, ditched the Robin costume, threw on a black blue and gold costume, moved to another city and became Nightwing. Dick was a go getter, ambitious. Grayson’s Robin was a winner, Todd's Robin was an irritating little bitch; he was not an innocent lobster.

I went to my mother and asked if I could make a call that was going to cost just fifty cents and I would pay her back or she could just take it out of my allowance. She wanted to know what it was for and mostly wanted to confirm it wasn't for an adult sex line, which costs more than fifty cents a minute, but that’s a different story. It was nothing as tawdry as phontercourse, I just wanted to help murder an annoying teenage sidekick. My mother response was “Oh, yeah, that’s fine.”

I think after it was exposed that it wasn't phone sex anything else I said went in one ear and out the other, surely she didn't think I was actually voting for a plucky comic book sidepiece to be murdered by The Joker. So that’s what I did. I cast my vote along with a majority of DC comic book fans that shared my detest for the boy wonder. Ten thousand votes were recorded with a narrow margin going to Robin dying. I think the writers never suspected that fans would go that route.

O’Neal himself voted for Robin’s stay of execution. A man of his word, Batman issue #429 was released and Robin was killed by The Joker in an explosion and we were to blame for it. Sad to say but you give a bunch of comic book nerds the power I think it would go bad every time. That day we were all proud to be The Joker's henchmen. I felt like a soldier at the end of Star Wars cheering madly while The Joker received his metal shouting, “I helped that happen!”

So many shows these days embrace our fascination with the anti-hero with the success of The Sopranos, The Shield, Breaking Bad, hell Narcos had me rooting for Pablo Escobar—Pablo fucking Escobar. I wouldn't say I was a bad person growing up. Quite the contrary, I was a shy nerd with no power to do anything but pick my books up after they were smacked to the ground. What I’m saying is don't give me the power to make important life or death decisions with your franchise because myself and the other dorks will have the bodies of Orko, Snarf, and Jimmy Olson lying in a shallow grave, just tell me what number to dial… or text.

Matt started performing standup comedy in 2004 in Las Vegas and is now a regular at every major comedy club on the Las Vegas strip. He released his first comedy album in 2016 titled Uncut available on iTunes. More about Matt and his upcoming appearances can be found on MattMarkman.com.

#Matt Markman #Matt Markman Comedian #Matt Markman Comedian Las Vegas #Las Vegas Comedians #G.I. Joe #Skeletor #Joker #Batman #Joker kills Robin #Jason Todd

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creativeashproductions · 3 years

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Banjo Riff // Platonic!Reggie Peters

IN WHICH: Luke rejects Reggie’s ideas for country music one too many times leading to the friendship fracturing and putting the bands future in question. Luke, with the help of his girlfriend the reader and his friends scramble to make it up to the bassist.

Warnings: Swearing, hurt!Reggie, Luke being an ass, fighting, angst, and fluff

Words: 3.2k

A/N: This idea has been sitting in my notes for MONTHS now. Song referenced is Lay Here With Me by Maddie & Tae (featuring Dierks Bentley)

TO BE TAGGED SEND AN INBOX/ASK PLEASE!

Masterlist

If there was one thing Sunset Curve, then later Julie and the Phantoms would rely on, it was the battle between Luke and Reggie. Since the conception of a band between the friends, Reggie had always wanted to play a country song. He had learned how to play the banjo in preparation, but Luke rejected both the idea and songs as always.

"You said our sound was vintage '80s and '90s rock music Luke. The band evolved into a pop-rock sound-"

"Because our band changed from Sunset Curve to Julie and the Phantoms. I love you, man, but there's no way we're going country." Luke finally snapped with a heated glare on his face. Luke didn't mean to snap so severely, but it happened.

Luke watched as Reggie's face completely dropped into the kicked puppy expression that tore everyone apart. Instead of making light of the conversation, Reggie mutely nodded in response before turning to grab his bass for the band practice. Luke's stomach dropped at the rather odd behaviour, but Luke blamed his response on his current writers' block.

"Let's start with Flying Solo." Luke proclaimed, hoping Reggie's favourite song would cheer him up. Alex's curious gaze bounced between the two other males in the band just as Julie wandered into the garage.

Before Julie could even question the tension, Reggie had started the beat on the pad stationed on the keyboard. The young female immediately jumped into the first rehearsal song with ease. Every attempt Julie was about to question Reggie's uncharacteristic quiet, the bassist started a different song.

"What's his problem?" Julie questioned as Reggie packed up his stuff and practically sprinted out of the studio. He'd rejected the offer of a pizza movie night.

"Luke here decided to be an asshole again." Alex's tone of voice was sugary sweet in comparison to the glare he sent his guitarist.

Luke flinched at the furious expression on his bandmate's face. It wasn't a secret Julie and Reggie gravitated to each other in sibling bond. The two had been friends since infancy through their parents; Julie was there when the Peters started fighting. Reggie was there when Julie's mom passed away.

"Don't kill me!" Luke pleaded, scrambling around the piano from the intimidating Puerto Rican who had a solid punch. Julie's anger faltered at the guilt on the boy's face, "I was frustrated, and I shouldn't have taken it out on him!"

"What did Reggie do to deserve it?" Julie asked from the other side of the piano, acting as a barrier between the teenagers.

"He asked about the band doing a country song," Luke admitted with a grimace. His hazel eyes dimmed once more.

"What is your issue with country music? Your girlfriend is literally a country singer Luke!" Alex cried, stepping in between the two feuding bandmates.

Rock n' Roll Luke Patterson had been dating a well-known country singer for close to two years now. Luke had always been adamant that country wasn't all it was cracked up to be, but if you looked in the false bottom of the console in his car, you'd see a different story. Beneath the Eagles, Nirvana, AC/DC, and Gun N' Roses CDs, you'd find countless CDs of his girlfriend. He even had a playlist with a name that concealed the music in it.

Luke was a secret country fan, but he'd take that to his grave before he let anyone other than you know that.

"I don't have an issue! I don't think our band would benefit from branching into that music genre!" Luke argued with his bare arms crossing over his chest. Both Julie and Alex were about to respond when the studio gained another inhabitant.

"Would anyone like to explain why Reggie stormed into my house holding his songbook? He literally dropped it in my garage and tried to light it on fire?" You asked from the double doors with said book in your hand.

All three out of four members of Julie and the Phantoms recognized the book with a country landscape. The sight caused all their stomachs to drop at the obvious symbol of Reggie's hurt feelings.

"Funny story-"

"Luke Patterson...did you hurt his feelings about his love of country?" You asked through clenched teeth. Your response was Luke wincing at the anger blistering in your tone, "Did you ever think that country music is his comfort music? Fix this, Luke. Reggie, of all people, doesn't deserve your frustration."

You turned on your heel with Julie following in the attempt to find the forlorn bassist, most likely being hard on himself. You checked the beach house Reggie's dad had gotten in the divorce to no success. The school auditorium was empty, and so was the stable where Reggie worked part-time for the horses. You had returned back to Julie's house to sit on the porch to brainstorm.

"Isn't this the week he's with his mom?" Julie questioned with a furrowed brow. You could only shrug as Julie pulled up the calendar she shared with Flynn.

Reggie's parents had somewhat amicably divorced two years ago after attempts of reconciliation through therapy. Reggie had sat down with them to tell them how he felt with them fighting, if you recalled. They decided to do a trial separation for a few months and, in the end, had mutually agreed to divorce.

"I think Mr. Peters is taking care of his mother in a different state. She broke her hip, and now she's being moved into a retirement home." You offered the girl the encapsulated sunshine in just her smile.

"I suppose we'll try the Carter-Peters home." Julie breathed, bouncing on her feet to your car parked in front of her house. Julie's fingers tapped the screen in a chat thread she hadn't touched for months.

Your keen eyes easily read Carrie Wilson's name at the top of the thread that had been dormant since the end of their friendship. Apparently, Julie received little help in the frustrated sigh she released and the increasingly violent tapping of her screen.

"As usual, Carrie is no help," Julie announced with disgust in her voice. She squeezed the hand you placed on her knee before your hand returned to the wheel.

"One day, you'll have to tell me what happened between the two of you."

"Old news. Happened just before you moved back from Nashville." Julie once more avoided talking about the issues.

It was the same response every time you questioned the friendship that had fractured in the few years you'd been in Nashville. Before you left, Carrie and Julie had been attached at the hip, and when you came back, they were at each other's throats. Well, mostly Carrie was because Julie had too big of a heart to stand up to her former friend.

"Well, the beat-up van is still there." Julie caught the van, more of an eyesore, to be honest, sitting in the three-car driveway. The van was shared between Reggie and Flynn as a joint gift from their parents when Reggie's mom moved in with Flynn and her father.

"We both know Reggie-"

"Would walk to work through his problems. The number of times I've found in walking downtown…" Julie trailed with a shake of her half up half down hairstyle she left uncovered by a hat. Another symbol of her finding herself outside the grief that had concealed her.

"Oh, thank god." Flynn moaned from the front porch with her headphones resting on her shoulders instead of her ears, "He's been playing his old bass that makes that odd high pitch squeak noise. I couldn't take it. Get him out!"

You opened and closed your mouth with the inability to find the words, but Flynn knew already, "Doors unlocked. He's in his room."

"Thanks." You informed the fashionable teenager before brushing passed into the house. Not much had changed since Reggie had moved part-time into the house; his parents shared custody.

Flynn was right; the sound of that screech was like a bread trail to the last bedroom in the hallway to the left. The door opened a smidge to reveal Reggie sitting in the dim room with just his bedside lamp on. He was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Hey, Reggie." You breathed from leaning against the door jam, "I'm not sure what Luke said but don't give up on writing. Your songs mean something, Reginald."

"Then why doesn't Luke even read my lyrics? He barely read the title of my last one before tossing it aside!" Reggie whined before taking on a caricature of Luke's voice, "'Home is Where my Horse Is'? Reggie, stop putting your songs in my book!"

You couldn't help the snort at his interpretation of Luke, "That's a...uh...an accurate voice?"

Reggie didn't even crack a smile.

"Okay, maybe don't push Luke's buttons but imagine turning this hurt into songs!"

"Okay. Can I be left alone?"

"Sure." You sighed, turning to leave the room again, "But first. Don't get rid of this Reg. You have good songs."

You left Reggie's songbook on the dresser by his door on your way through the Carter-Peters household. Flynn sighed in relief when Reggie didn't continue using his old bass and even waved as you and Julie pulled away from the curb.

Reggie's eyes had stayed on the songbook you left on his second-hand dresser as if it would get up and bite him. All he could see was Luke rolling his eyes when Reggie had opened the book to show him a new song he'd written. Reggie was tired of only being known for playing bass.

"I brought you some leftover pizza." Reggie wasn't aware he'd been staring at the songbook for hours by then. He was only aware of Luke when he offered a peace offering in the form of Reggie's favourite food.

"I-"

"I'll go grab a soda from the fridge." Luke retreated just as quick as he had entered the bedroom. Seeing Luke was like rubbing salt in the open wound, and once more, Reggie's emotions flared.

Reggie was already at the fire pit in the backyard when Luke had argued with Flynn overtaking one of her sodas. The soda that had dropped on the back porch as Luke saw Reggie's fingers about to drop the songbook in the crackling fire.

"Reggie!" Luke shouted, ignoring the cold spray of soda on his bare arms. The hazel-eyed guitarist shoved Reggie away from the fire.

"What the hell, dude?" Reggie groaned, rolling onto his stomach to push himself to his sit on his knees. His blue eyes seeing Luke stomping the ignited corner of the songbook that had caused them issues.

"What the hell were you doing, Reggie?" Luke demanded with the songbook held tight in his grip. The glare on the messy-haired teenager directly pinned on his best friend, "Why would you try to destroy the book?"

"What's the point of having something our band won't branch into?" Reggie shrugged, moving to sit with his knees pulled to chest, "I've tried to keep the peace but Luke. I'm starting to understand why Bobby left the band."

Luke's heart clenched at the honesty Reggie was revealing, "What do you mean?"

"Screw the blood pact." Reggie grumbled, recalling the oath Alex, Bobby, and he had done to keep the truth from Luke, "Bobby didn't leave because he got an early acceptance into Juilliard."

Luke's eyebrows furrowed together, "What?"

"Luke...you tend to get possessive over the music we make. You brushed off Bobby's opinions, and we all didn't want to hurt your feelings. You've had a shitty time with your parents, but like Bobby, I feel like you don't appreciate our talents."

"What? Dude, you're killer on the bass! Alex's insane on the drums!"

"We know that. Maybe Bobby should have told you the truth on why he was leaving. I don't think you noticed but

"Luke. The songs we perform are all written by you. It was fine, but then when Julie joined, all of a sudden, you were okay with someone else writing with you. But you've never even looked at the songs I've written."

Luke silently listened as Reggie rambled on about how he, along with Bobby, felt underappreciated by the guitarist.

"And now you've been bit by the writers' block bug, but I think the band should take a break. Get our heads back on straight. Before we destroy the band, destroy our friendships." Reggie told his best friend with tears rolling down his face, "Just a week or two."

Luke's mouth hung open as Reggie circled around him to enter the household, but the telltale sound of the lock engaging broke the teenager. But Luke wasn't one to give up, so he created a group chat with Alex, Julie, Flynn and you. A single text that had all of them meeting at the studio.

"He quit the band?" Alex demanded, taking the songbook from Luke's hand, "What the hell?"

"One second he's in his room, and the next he's about to burn that! I may not like-"

"Luke, have you even read a single song he wrote?" You asked your boyfriend with your arms resting down on your knees. The boy in question half-heartedly shrugged with his eyes on his battered shoes.

"How are we gonna fix this?" Julie asked with a frown marring her pretty face usually lit up with sunshine. Her question was left to waft in the forlorn atmosphere in her family's studio.

"Give me that." You demanded towards the band's drummer with determination lit up in your eyes. Alex hesitantly handed over the songbook to your grabby hands.

The other individuals in the room watched as you settled into a chair with a stray acoustic guitar you'd left. Your eyes focused on the notes Reggie had placed around one of the unfinished songs. The soft melody was played a few times before you noticed Alex creating a beat with his drums.

"If I just tweak the song to make this piece the verse instead of a chorus." You mumbled under your breath with a pen scratching the paper. In a different colour, you jotted down the lyrics of a song you'd been working on previously. It was a song you'd struggled with the ending.

Alex huddled around you to add his own notes for the drums, "Definitely a song with a soft backing beat."

"Perfect. I just joined what he has with a song I'd given up a while back. The two songs are the last two pieces of a puzzle." You informed the drummer. Both of you unaware as Julie, Luke, and Flynn watched your brainstorming.

Luke felt out of sorts not being included in writing a song, but he thought it was suitable to not work on it. It gave Luke insight into how Reggie felt not being included in songwriting.

"I have an idea." Luke interjected with a grin, "Reggie's always wanted to see a real ranch. Do you think your uncle would be okay with us staying at the ranch?"

Your eyes flitted up to the mischievous hazel of your boyfriend's scheming gaze, "My uncle adores having people on the ranch. He'd enjoy teaching Reggie the ways of ranch life out of a city."

"How are you gonna get Reggie out to Nashville without it being band business?" Flynn questioned from her position on the couch, "He did just ask for a break from the band."

"Uh...I could pretend to enter a music competition." You offered hesitantly as you'd never actually performed on a stage for the group. You'd kept your personal life separate from your successful career as a country musician.

So you conspired with your friends to make amends with the bassist.

One Month Later, Nashville

The beat-up van pulled into a parking spot in front of a building. The band had seen the building in pictures on your Instagram. Alex, Luke and Julie all shared a look Reggie couldn't catch with his mouth wide open at the city.

"So, where's this competition?" Reggie inquired with his steps in line with Julie. The distance between Reggie and Luke is still noticeable.

True to Reggie's word, the band had come back together after two weeks of a break, but the bassist and guitarist's friendship was still fractured. A particular cloud of awkwardness followed each attempt; Luke tried to branch it together.

"Uh, not here. Y/N invited me to tour the recording studio she uses through her label." Luke offered to the confused bassist. As usual, Reggie barely cast a glance at the guitarist.

"C'mon!" Alex called out from the open doorway with the new addition of you by his side.

Luke was quick to nearly tackle you in a hug and a lingering kiss on your lips. The band all made sounds of feigned disgust. Even Reggie joined in the usual banter within the group.

"Hey, Reggie, do you want to see how us country artists do it?" You quipped with your arm interlocking with his. The cold leather of his jacket raising goosebumps on your arm as you dragged him to the recording booth.

As soon as he was comfortable on one of the spinney chairs by the producer's side, he watched like a hawk. The band had never been in a real professional recording studio owned by a label. It was interesting to everyone, but mostly they all watched Reggie's reactions.

"I was working on this song." You spoke from inside the booth. With a nod, your producer began playing a portion of the song.

"Is...is that-" Reggie was cut off by as Luke interrupted him.

"Your song? Yeah."

Reggie stared at his best friend, "What?"

"You were right, Reggie. I didn't appreciate what you could bring to the band, and I'm so fucking sorry about that. You have excellent songs even if I'm not a fan of country music." Luke genuinely informed his best friend with his hands clasping his, "I want you. Both you and Alex to have a bigger role because we started this band together. We all share responsibility."

"So for now. Alex and I finished one of the songs you had written. I was wondering if you'd like to make it a duet? Release it as a single with a full writing credit."

Reggie absolutely beamed in response to your question. He was in the recording booth beside you in mere seconds.

For the week the band stayed on your uncle's ranch, Reggie was in the studio with you going over the song. It is a song you released as the leading single for your upcoming studio album with Reggie and cemented his career. It wasn't the last time you did a song with Reggie. In fact, he set himself up as a sought after country songwriter.

"Holy shit!" Luke shouted as soon as Reggie told him the success of one of the songs had brought interest to Julie and the Phantoms, "I could kiss you! I'll never doubt your skills!"

Reggie and Luke's fractured friendship healed with the promise of a yearly visit to the ranch in Nashville. Plus, Reggie impressed Luke and Alex with the banjo riff in a country song the band released on their third studio album featured by you. Reggie would always be thankful he had the chance to record ‘Lay Here With Me’ with you.

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#reggie peters #reggie peters imagines #julie and the phantoms imagines #luke patterson imagines #luke patterson x reader #platonic!reggie peters #platonic!reggie peters x reader #julie and the phantoms #reginald peters #musician!reader x luke patterson #alive!luke patterson #alive!reggie peters

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themosleyreview · 3 years

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The Mosley Review: The Suicide Squad

There's only 1 of 2 ways this film could've gone. It could've gone the easy route and maybe killed off 2 or 3 characters, tell a decent action story that's blinded by the butter glazed popcorn shaped glasses OR go balls to the wall with the amount of gruesome violence the DC villains are known for, have a balanced story that’s full of comedy, heart and will leave you with a satisfying film that defies the norm. What I love about all the DC films is that they don't pull their punches in delivering grittier and more violent stories that fit the DC Comics brand and gives them a unique signature. The past Suicide Squad film had the framework, but really didn't hit the mark since it was a poor plot that was shackled inside a PG-13 cage. This film was not and we finally get to see villains do what they do best and I loved that each one had a chance to shine before their painful and surpising demise. The action in the film was executed in gloriously violent set pieces. You are not supposed to be rooting for these people, but you do because they are you heroic villains for the time being. I can't tell you how much fun I had watching these characters in a story that reminded me of the original 1978 version of The Inglorious Bastards. The slogan is true though, don't get too attached because a lot of these characters die.

There are a bunch of characters and they’re all great, but I'm only gonna focus on the main cast. Viola Davis returns as Amanda Waller and she is even colder and more sadistic than ever. Viola scratched the surface of the character before, but this time we really get to see Waller become unhinged and I loved it! Joel Kinnaman returns as Rick Flag and I loved him more this time because of his natural leadership presence. Flag gets alot more to do here and he shows that he is more of a hero than villain. Idris Elba delivers an excellent performance as Robert DuBois / Bloodsport and even though his story is pretty much the same as Deadshot's from the past film, there was enough of a difference. His motivation was pure and I loved that he cared about his team. Margot Robbie returns as Harley Quinn and she delivers yet again. I liked that she was more violent and you see her moral code in a dark and yet poignant scene. She kicks ass in the film and it was fun to see her do it. David Dastmalchian is a fantastic actor and he was no different as Abner Krill / Polka-Dot Man. I really loved his arc from being the quiet one to a full on hero by the end of the film. He has some psychological issues that are twisted in origin, but are used to hilarious extents. John Cena steals almost all the scenes as Christopher Smith / Peacemaker. Although he was one of the most violent characters in the film, he has some great chemistry and comedic moments with Bloodsport. This character was tailor made for Cena and he was so much fun to watch. Sylvestor Stallone was great and fun as Nanaue / King Shark. He may be a bloodthirsty shark that rips people apart and eats them whole, but he has a sweet and lovable side to him. I liked Peter Capaldi as the Thinker and his version was a bit more under powered this time and I found it refreshing. He was probably the most grounded amongst all of them. Now the real heart of the film was brought to life by Daniela Melchior as Cleo Cazo / Ratcatcher 2. She keeps the group humble at times and I loved her brighter side at looking at the world. She was not afraid to show how much she cares for the team and her chemistry between Bloodsport and King Shark was perfect. I really loved her rat companion Sebastian and he gets to shine in many cute and funny scenes.

The bombastic and badass score by John Murphy was outstanding and introduced a fun theme for Task Force X. The soundtrack of the film was excellent as well and plays over some truly beautiful and gloriously gory scenes. The main big bad of the film is a DC Comics fan favorite and it was perfectly brought to real life. Writer and Director has made a magnificent successor to the first film that is completely unhinged and free of all constraints. I truly loved this action comic book epic and this is definitely top tier DCEU and one of the best action films of the year. There is one mid credits scene that you'll either love or hate for its weirdness and I loved it. This is a must see on the big screen but if you can't make it out, it's also currently streaming on HBO Max. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

#the suicide squad #idris elba #joel kinnaman #margot robbie #sylvester stallone #david dastmalchian #john cena #peter capaldi #Alice Braga #viola davis #nathan fillion #james gunn #jai courtney #DC comics #dceu #daniela melchior #sean gunn

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reidgraygubler · 4 years

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and they said speak now... (spencer reid/reader)

Title: and they said speak now... Request: no Couple: Spencer Reid/Fem!Reader Category: fluff w/ some angst Content Warning: swearing (if any), leaving someone at the alter, Word Count: 3,803 Summary: Spencer Reid is getting married and Reader is in love with him. Reader shows up at his wedding, uninvited, to try and win him back before it’s too late. A/N: this is based on speak now by taylor swift. thanks for the love and support! check out my masterlist

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My body refused to work when my eyes opened. I just laid still in bed, watching as the ceiling fan spun. There was no work today, so there really should be no reason for me to be awake right now. Why was there no work? Because my best friend, Doctor Spencer Reid, was getting married. And I was uninvited by his not so lovely bride-to-be.

Everyone would be wondering where I was and why I wasn’t there. I suppose it’s not exactly my place to say why I wasn’t invited or why I wasn’t there. I should be there. She didn’t invite me because she doesn’t like me. She thinks I’m a threat. It’s probably a good thing I’m not there. Mostly because I’m in love with Spencer Reid and I’m too late. She was right not to let me be there. I’m no more a threat than JJ is. JJ loves Spencer, but I suppose it’s different for her. She’s already married, and I’m single.

I remember the day Spencer told me he was engaged and getting married. My heart broke into a million pieces, but he didn’t know that. Spencer couldn’t know my true feelings for him. It’d ruin everything we had together, and I didn’t want to lose my friendship with Spencer. But, I suppose I am losing my friendship with him because of his wife-to-be.

My stomach churned as I rolled to look at the clock. The ceremony would be starting in two hours. And in two hours, Spencer Reid would be a husband to someone who isn’t me.

“Screw this,” I muttered as I pushed myself out of bed. I made way towards the closet and pulled out a dark blue, knee-length tea dress. I made sure to be quick with a shower and getting ready to leave. If I took my time and doddled, I would be late and I'd lost my chance to show up.

I grabbed the last few things I needed before leaving my apartment. The church that the ceremony was being held at was across town. From what I’m told, by JJ, the bride wanted the wedding to be in Baltimore. But, Spencer wouldn’t have that. He wanted the wedding to be right here in DC. I was happy about that.

I parked my car down the street from the church. It was a cute building. A place where I’m sure a lot of brides would love to have their wedding. I rolled my eyes at the sickening thought of his wife-to-be, begging him for their wedding to be at a place like this.

When I stepped into the church, I smiled when I saw our friends and co-workers waiting in the foyer. They looked happy to see me too. JJ, of all the people, seemed the happiest. She peeled away from the group to embrace me.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, her baby blue eyes staring into my soul. She knew exactly why I wasn’t invited. She even knew how I felt about Spencer and the bride. JJ shouldn’t be surprised that I’m here. I’ve spent many nights with her, or with Emily, or with Penelope. Many of those nights were spent with my drunk and blubbering about this whole thing. The day after I found I wasn’t invited to my best friend’s wedding, I told JJ that I was going to show up anyways and break them up… She said I shouldn’t. Well, look at where I am now.

I stared back at her, staying silent. The bride’s family was scattered around the room. They were all wearing different shades of pastels and snotty expressions on their faces. In fact, everyone here was wearing pastels… Except for me. I stood out in my dark dress.

“He can’t marry her,” I kept my voice low as I scanned the room. My eyes landed on Diana. She was standing by the doors to the sanctuary. The expression on her face told me that she did not want to be here, that she was confused, and that she did not like what was going on with Spencer. My heart broke for her. “You know that. He’s too good for her,” I whispered as I looked back at JJ. JJ looked back at me and nodded.

“Are you-”

“Yes,” I cut her off before she could say another word. She nodded and looked around the room. Shouting could be heard from a back room. I could only assume the bride was shouting at one of her bridesmaids. I wrinkled my nose and looked at JJ. “Don’t stop me if I tackle that woman to the ground when I see her,” I whispered.

“I will, most definitely, stop you. We don’t need you in jail.” She whispered before pulling me into a hug. I nodded and pressed my face into her shoulder. I was happy that our other friends didn’t come over and talk to me.

“Save me a seat,” I winked at her. She smiled and chuckled lightly, but nodded.

“Good luck,” she smiled before allowing me to sneak away.

I walked past the group of our friends. They noticed me and my expression, taking it as a sign to not talk to me. I was on a mission and couldn’t be stopped. That was until I heard my name being called from a familiar person.

“I’m so happy you’re here,” Diana spoke as she wrapped her arms around my body. I froze stiff. What am I supposed to do right now?! I can’t just tell Diana off and leave her. “I wasn’t sure if you’d come or not,”

“Yeah, I almost wasn’t going to come,” I spoke as I stepped back a step. Diana looked at me with a relaxed expression on her face. “Listen, Diana, I’d love to chat, but I have to get to my seat,” I lied with a smile. I felt bad for lying to Spencer’s mother. But, I didn’t want to be caught by anyone from the bride’s family. I’d be kicked out in an instant. I couldn’t leave, I still have to speak my mind.

“Spencer can’t marry this girl,” she whispered as she hugged me again. I felt tears well up in my eyes as she spoke. “I love him, but this girl is not for him,” she continued. I nodded and backed away from her.

“I know,” I whispered before walking away from her. Again, I felt bad for lying to her and just walking away. I knew if I stayed with her, she’d cling to me. And, I couldn’t just be by her side. Spencer still had to walk her to her seat before the official start of the ceremony. He can’t know that I am here.

The sanctuary was… beautiful… Sure, that’s a word that could be used. Flowers decorated each of the pews with ribbon and bows. A pastel pink carpet lined the center aisle, with pink rose petals on top of it. The windows were covered with curtains that were drawn back, except for the back two. I looked around for a place to hide before giving up and just tucking myself behind the curtain.

This is not how I thought my day would be. And, I’m sure Spencer is expecting a totally different outcome for his wedding day. This is not what he thought it would be.

I pressed my back to the wall behind me and closed my eyes. A memory came to my mind and caused tears to roll down my cheeks. The day I realized I was in love with him. It seemed like everyone but Spencer and I knew that. But, that was probably for the best. I knew from that day on I would forever be screwed. I was right though. I’ve never been more screwed in my entire life until now.

I thought about what I was going to say when it came time to disagree with this holy matrimony, though I would disagree and say unholy matrimony. Like, would I say “Spencer, I love you. Please don’t marry her.” Or, alternatively, would I say “She’s the wrong person to marry. You should be marrying me.” Or, “Don’t say yes to her. Runaway with me. Don’t spend the rest of your life regretting this.”

The sound of the organ started to play the wedding march, it sounded like the death march to me, pulled me out of my thoughts, and to the realization of current events. I poked my head out from the curtain. The sanctuary was filled, except for the back pew. I quickly stepped to sit there. JJ and everyone was sitting more towards the center of the room. I had to be quick as I moved towards them. I closed my eyes as I sat beside her. She looked over at me before grasping my hand.

I looked towards the front of the room and saw the bridal party and Spencer. My heart raced as I looked at him.

He wore a baby blue suit with a baby pink bowtie. He hated it. I could tell by the expression on his face that he hated it. Hell, I hated it too. It made him look flushed. Or, maybe that was the fact that he was about to marry a self-center bitch.

He isn’t the type to marry someone like this girl. He should be marrying me. Would that also make me a self-centered bitch too then?

Suddenly everyone around me stood up, causing me to shyly stand to my feet. The bride and her father entered the room and started down the center aisle. I kept my eyes on Spencer. He looked at her like he loved her, but something was off. I wish it was me walking down in an elegant wedding dress instead of this woman. And something told me he wished it was me too. That has to mean something, right? I’m not just projecting my feelings on to him, am I?

She walked past me, her gown shaped like an oversized cream puff. The way she walked was similar to a pageant queen who won the pageant. I'm sure that's how she thought too. She probably thought that since I wasn't invited, I shouldn't be here. Therefore, I couldn't ruin her perfect day. Boy, was she wrong. I’m about to ruin everyone’s day. Or, make it better. That entirely depends on what happens. I shook my head to get rid of those thoughts of her winning and turned my eyes back to Spencer.

Everyone sat back down and the ceremony started. The priest went right at the start of it all and I stopped listening till I needed too. I didn’t want to hear about how the priest was so blessed to be marrying Spencer and his bride, and how he was so fond of their shared love. I wanted so desperately to scoff and roll my eyes. But I knew it was an entirely inappropriate time to do that.

“For those who disagree upon this marriage, speak now or forever hold your peace,” the priest spoke. I shot my head back up to look at them.

The silence in the air was tense and I knew this was my last chance. I'm not missing this moment. JJ squeezed my hand as I nervously stood up. My stomach dropped to the ground and I suddenly felt like I was going to throw up. My hands were shaking and sweaty. All eyes were on me. The horrified expressions on everyone’s faces, except for my friends, made me feel even sicker. But I just kept my eyes on Spencer, who kept his eyes on me. The bride kept looking between Spencer and I. She wanted to stop me from saying something, but she couldn’t. I disagreed with this marriage. I get my chance to speak.

“I’m… I’m sorry,” I whispered as I slowly sat back down. I noticed how Spencer was staring at me like he was surprised that I’d be here. My face twisted up as I stood back up. “You know what, no… I’m not sorry… I’m not at all sorry.” I bit my lips together and nodded. “Now,” I stepped out of the pew row and stood in the center aisle, “I’m… I’m not the type of girl who just shows up, rudely barging in, uninvited to a white veil, white dress event… But, Spencer, you’re not the kind of boy to marry the wrong girl,” I stopped talking and swallowed roughly. Everyone was still staring at me, but I was still staring at Spencer. The tension in the air was tight, and I felt like I needed to throw up. “I love you, Spencer,” I wiped my eyes as tears started to roll down my cheeks. “So, don’t say yes… Don’t marry her. Please… Runaway with me, Spencer… I’ll meet you outside… Just, please don’t wait, don’t say a single vow… Runaway with me, please. I… I love you,” I spoke out loud, just for Spencer. I wasn’t exactly pleased that I had to pour my heart and soul out to Spencer in front of my best friends and her family.

The priest looked shocked as he turned to Spencer. Spencer was still staring at me, confusion and shock on his face. The bride was definitely in shock and anger that I’m ruining her wedding day. I won. I don't care if Spencer says anything after… I ruined her wedding day… therefore I won. Though that was a lie, I did care if Spencer said anything. Because, even if he didn’t feel the same, my day would be further ruined. So, in the end, she would win.

“Do you… Do you have anything to say,” the priest finally spoke after what felt like hours of silence.

I placed my hand over my stomach, trying to hold back the feeling of being sick. Spencer just stared at me, his mouth opening and closing. I wiped my eyes and nodded, understanding I messed up and should just leave. Just as I turned to leave he spoke. “Let’s… Let’s run away… Right now,” Spencer spoke out, catching my attention and turning me back to look at him. I widened my eyes and opened my mouth, but no words fell out. Spencer pulled his hands from the bride’s and kept his eyes on me.

“Spencer,” the bride started to whine. That was the first time Spencer looked away from me, only to glare at the bride. I held back the inappropriate laughter.

“I love you too,” he spoke as he turned to face me, “I’ll meet you outside, let me… I’ll meet you outside in a minute,” he spoke as he stepped off the platform and towards me. He walked closer to me, keeping his eyes on me. “You’re right, I’m not the type of boy to be marrying the wrong girl,” he whispered just loud enough for me to hear. Spencer stood right in front of me and held my hands. I nodded and smiled.

“You better be outside,” I muttered before pecking his cheek and running out of the church and towards the side. I needed to hide from the onslaught of the bride’s family that was bound to come my way. I hid in the bushes, away from everyone. I could hear the shouting and yelling coming from the inside of the church as the doors swung open. I looked over the bushes and saw Spencer sprinting down the stairs. He was no longer wearing his light blue suit jacket and a light pink bowtie. He was just wearing his white button-up, suspenders, and light blue slacks. I smiled as I stepped out of the bushes.

I ran into his arms and he embraced me before kissing my lips. I melted under his touch. The way he held me close to his body made me feel warm and safe. He held my cheeks in his hands and kept my head still so I couldn’t move away from him. But even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t. I was content staying here. We stayed still, kissing each other right in front of the church he was going to get married at, where he left his wife-to-be at the altar.

I kept my eyes closed because I was scared that if I opened them this dream would be gone and Spencer would be married, and not to me. I’d wake up and still be in bed where I was before I came over here. But, when we finally separated from each other and I opened my eyes, I was looking at Spencer. My heart fluttered at the sight of him, happy that he was standing in front of me.

“I didn’t say my vows… I didn’t say anything to her…” he whispered once we were in each other’s arms. I smiled and nodded. “I’m so happy you were there when the priest said speak now,” he smiled, keeping his hands on my face.

“My car… It’s just down the street… We can go, go to my place, your place, anywhere. Anywhere but here,” I whispered and nodded. Spencer looked over his shoulder towards the church where more shouting came from. I followed his gaze just as the doors were pushed open. I was worried that it’d be the bride, coming to shout at Spencer, but more importantly me. I relaxed when I saw JJ and Emily’s faces.

“You guys should go if you’re going to leave! Derek can only hold her back for so long,” JJ looked down at us. She seemed pleased that Spencer was here with me. No one liked her. But no one wanted to tell Spencer that. He loved her. But, I guess he loved me more.

“Honestly, Aaron and David can only do so much to hold back the bride’s family. Her father wants to rip you a new one, Spence,” Emily laughed. I looked back at Spencer and smiled.

Just as we were about to tease back, the door was pushed open again and the bride stepped out. She was staring at Spencer and I with anger in her eyes. I looked at her with terror on my face.

Spencer picked me up in one easy movement and threw me over his shoulder. I held back the laughter that I so desperately wanted to let out. But, instead, I looked at the bride with a smile. She looked back at me, the anger exploding on her face. JJ and Emily held her back so she could chance after Spencer and I. I won. I flashed her my best smile as Spencer walked further and further from the church.

The bride just stood behind JJ and Emily, staring at us. Her face was twisted up. They kept their arms up to keep her from chasing after us. I smiled as I watched them try to deescalate the situation but ultimately held her back. There was no saving the day from this situation.

Spencer walked down the street towards my car. He kept me over his shoulder. I finally laughed once we were at my car. He set me down so I was sitting on the hood of my car. “Where do you want to go?” he asked, resting his hands on the hood of my car on either side of my hips. I smiled as he leaned closer to me.

“My place,” I whispered before pressing a kiss to his lips. He hummed and nodded. “My place, she doesn’t know where I live. She can’t storm in and scream at us. She’ll do that at your place,” I whispered.

“Your place it is,” he smiled at me before kissing my lips again. He helped me off the hood and then into the car.

“Does this mean we have to get married now?” I looked at him. Spencer laughed as he started the car. “Can we get married now?” I asked, keeping my voice low. Spencer glanced at me and smiled. “Too soon?” I cracked a smile at him.

“No, not too soon.” Spencer smiled as he started my car and drove away. “I suppose that means we can get married now,” he reached out for my hand. I let him hold it as I stared at him.

“Wow, not even going to ask me out on a date before you propose to me?” I smiled before pressing my lips to his cheek. He glanced at me for a moment. Pure bliss and happiness was on his face as we drove away from the church.

“Well, actually, I think you’re the one that proposed to me,” he grinned. I rolled my eyes and nodded.

“I guess you’re right,” I threw my head back in laughter. Spencer glanced at me again and smiled. “Although, I never technically asked the question… That being, will you marry me?” I turned to face him. He stayed silent, laughing through his nose as he shook his head. I stared at him and cocked an eyebrow. “So, will you?” I asked out loud when I realized he thought I was just joking.

“Oh, you were being serious,” he looked over at me when he stopped at a stoplight. I stared at him and slowly nodded.

“I was being serious, Spencer. I mean, I didn’t just spill my heart and soul out in front of that amount of people I don’t know, nor like, and you’re now ex-fiance for no reason. I’m being more than serious,” I whispered and nodded. He looked down at our hands and raised an eyebrow. “Marry me, Spencer Reid,”

Never in a million years did I ever expect to be proposing to my best friend on his wedding day. I don’t think he was expecting it either. Honestly, no one should have seen this coming. But, here I am, sitting in my car with Spencer beside me, asking him to marry me, after he left his wife-to-be at the altar.

“That’s going to be one hell of a love story to tell people, you know,” Spencer smiled at me. I looked at him as a smile grew on my lips. I shook my head but kept the smile on my lips.

“Is that… Is that a yes?” I whispered and kept my eyes on Spencer. He glanced at me and smiled.

“You don’t just stop the wedding of your best friend and not expect me to say yes,” he laughed. I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “Of course I’ll marry you,”

“You’re not wrong though, it will be one hell of a love story to tell people,” I half-cackled.

I’m so happy I was there when they said speak now.

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