#OBJECTIVELY (objectively) the writing was great this was a well done bittersweet finale | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

uwurakax · 3 years

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boy, i need you ♡

pairing: akaashi x reader ♡

genre: angst // cheating // minimal swearing // suggestive (not explicit) ♡

summary: he knew it was wrong, every fibre of his being told him it needed to end with you. so why couldn’t he bring himself to do it? ♡

♡ sequel to ‘boy, i hate you’ - read the first part here ♡

word count: 2k ♡

author’s note: warning, not proofread or anything! wasn’t planning on part 2, but then it was brought up and i thought “hey i can work w a 2nd pt”. reader has no gender mentioned - but again ig default fem if theres vibes here? idk. also have a note at the end so there’s no spoilers here haha. excuse the crappy writing as always - my 2am brain refuses to work at any other time ty for coming to my tedtalk that no one cares about ✌️ ♡

♡ (inspired by f.u by little mix) ♡

unfaithful

/ʌnˈfeɪθfʊl,ʌnˈfeɪθf(ə)l/

adjective

1. engaging in intimate relations with a person other than one’s regular partner in contravention of a previous promise or understanding

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Akaashi couldn’t say exactly why his infidelity started. Honestly there was nothing inherently wrong with your relationship. You were amazing, loyal, kind and everything he could ever want in a partner. He supposed at one point he was like that to you. Not anymore though. He could never be like that ever again. Not when he found comfort in the arms of another. Another that wasn’t you.

Akaashi knew it was wrong. Wholeheartedly he wanted to free you of the unforgivable. Did he take advantage of your sweet behaviour? Deep down inside, he knew he was. The cheap thrill of loving somebody else while you waited patiently for him back at home. Back at the home the both of you had made together. The home that he had inadvertently tainted with the presence of another.

This is the last time.

How many times would he tell himself that? That the momentary pleasure he got from her was just that. That he’d stop before it went too far.

Over a year later was already beyond what was classified as ‘too far’.

He couldn’t kid himself into thinking it was just a brief lapse in judgement anymore. Not when he didn’t stop. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair to you in the slightest. How could he do that? To the one he promised to love. The one to always be there for you, care for you. To do everything a good boyfriend should do.

To never, ever be the reason for your tears.

He knew he didn’t have the right to feel this way. It was selfish. Completely and utterly selfish. But when he’d come home and find you there waiting for him, while he was whispering sweet nothings, words that should’ve only been reserved for you, to somebody else just minutes prior, he couldn’t help but feel his heart ache. Akaashi, ever so observant, noticed that you stopped faking your smile. He remembers the first time he saw it.

5 months after his unfaithfulness began, something he swore that’d happen just once, he saw the look on your face. The warm smile you had greeted him with just earlier that morning before he left, was now gone. This smile wasn’t as bright, and the shine didn’t reach your eyes. He didn’t like this smile. It was beautiful of course, because it was from you, but he didn’t like how fake it was. You had given him some half-assed excuse.

“I’m just a little tired Keiji”

He knew you too well. Knew you were lying to him, but he couldn’t bring himself to press on further. Day after day, your smile continued to drop. Further and further, until it was some terrible imitation of the one he had fallen in love with years ago. No matter how much you tried to hide it, he would always notice the slight redness in the whites of your eyes. Dark and puffy under-eyes that you tried desperately to conceal. The tone of your voice, no longer lively and cheerful. He supposed after a year, you just didn’t want to pretend to be okay anymore.

This will be the last time.

He’d break it off with you. His silent promises to spare you from anymore pain. The guilt ate away at him, feeling the nausea rise in his stomach. You deserved someone better than him, someone who would treat you the way you should be treated. He used to be that guy. Where did that man go? What happened to him? He supposed he didn’t have the right to be that person anymore.

He was always so tense thinking on what to say to you. On how to finally admit his wrongdoings. Whether you knew of his actions behind your back, finally voicing them out would be the nail in the coffin. The confirmation that he was indeed doing the things that you were suspecting him of. Perhaps thats why you could never ask or actually push forward with it.

Because even if you knew, with great certainty, you could deceive yourself into thinking he was still the boy you had fallen in love with all those years ago.

Akaashi only received a fleeting moment of peace from his thoughts of you when she was around. He absolutely despised it. It was despicable how he could find a sense of safety in her arms. It should’ve been you, only you. It was wrong. Completely and utterly wrong, and yet he couldn’t help but think it felt right. It was wicked and evil, there was no other way to put it. Her hands. Her kisses. Her touch. All the moments with her made him forget about you, if only for a brief period. The gentle feel and traces of her were like invisible tattoos, covering all the places you had marked, kissed and touched.

It was all just too intoxicating for him. From her silky smooth hair to the softness of her skin. However, when he ran his fingers all over her body, he couldn’t help but think of you. God he was pathetic. So, so badly he knew it was wrong. He already had you, had your love, had everything you had to give. So why would he run for comfort to her, only to end up wishing it was you instead? It didn’t make sense, and he couldn’t understand it at all.

“Keiji, why don’t you stay the night?”

“I can’t, I’m sorry”

“It can’t keep going on like this. You guys should break up. Then you wouldn’t have to keep going back there, and then you can finally stay here with me. Isn’t that what you want?”

No, it wasn’t. It was probably the reason why he’d never stay over with her. Because he always wanted to come home to you. If he didn’t want to stay with her, if he didn’t sleep in the same bed with her, if he didn’t want to hold her hand - everything he wanted to do with you - why did he still do it? Why! Why! Why! It constantly plagued his mind. He was just selfish.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

And so, Akaashi sat in his car, with his grip on the steering wheel, thinking of the words to say. He knew he needed to be delicate, but firm. To the point, but not blunt. ‘This will be the last time’, he says to himself. The last time he thinks of the words to say. The last time he sits in his car contemplating about everything. The last time he has to hurt you. He’ll let you go, let you cry, even let you throw any object in reach to let out your frustrations on him. Just as long as he didn’t have to hurt you anymore. With a shaky breath, he unlocks the car door and steadies himself. He makes his way to house you both shared, hand on the handle as he closes his eyes. It’s time to face the music.

He quietly opens and closes the door behind him, setting his belongings on the dark oak table sat next to the door. He hears you in the kitchen, your feet padding around on the tiled floor. He makes his way there and freezes. You’re slaving away in a large t-shirt and shorts just a bit too big for you. They’re his without a doubt. You hear his shoes clicking against the floor and turn around to face him.

“Welcome home Keiji”

He hated that the gleam in your eyes was gone, and that your lips had to form a smile way too forced. He hated what he had done to you.

“I’m making your favourite, it should be ready in about 10 minutes”

With that, Akaashi loses all composure. He steps forward, his long legs carrying himself towards the stove top, situating himself behind you. He reaches around to turn it off, and moves the pot to the next hotplate. You turn around to question him, only to end up surprised at how close he was. You’re flustered, and he can easily tell how nervous you are at the way your eyes dart at anywhere else but him.

The temperatures rising in your body, and you swear that Akaashi can feel it steaming out of you. He closes the distance quickly, and soon enough your tongues are fighting for dominance against each other. He was in such bliss, it was like your lips were moulded to be with his. In moments like this he could forget. When your touch covered the traces of her. When your taste overwhelmed hers. He wanted you imprinted on him again. But he knew, knew that soon enough, he’d wash it away with his mistress. A continuous cycle of you and her. Disgustingly selfish.

This will be the last time.

The last time he takes your hand. The last time he has the pleasure of kissing you. The last time he undresses you. He takes his time, drinking in your form under the moonlight. Not even the darkness could overshadow your light. He knows you do the same, your eyes focused on him now. You push him forward so he falls back on the plush mattress. Why would he ever think about anyone else? He knew this had to be the last. The last time he’d let his eyes fall over you. He needed to save these moments in his head so he’d never forget.

The last luxury he’d have of you.

So he’d soak it all in, ingrain it forever. He needed to remember it vividly so he could look back. Look back at the idiot he was for ever hurting you in this way. He didn’t deserve you in the slightest. He thought that if he could capture every last detail, it could be the least of his karma. To miss what he took for granted.

How many times had he thought that himself?

And at the end of it all, he’ll just lay there. In the bittersweet afterglow of the love you two had shared. He’ll close his eyes and prepare himself to lose it all. Lose you. You think he’s asleep as he’s so still and his breathing so even. You’ll comb your fingers through his hair, just like you always do, and mumble quietly about your devotion to him.

“I love you, so much Keiji”

You pray he doesn’t hear you, but he does. As clear as day, you whisper confessions of love and admiration for him. He knows he doesn’t deserve it. Not in the slightest, not at all.

But the gentle kiss you place on his lips has him reeling, and his resolve cracks. He can’t do it, because he’s just that selfish. He knows that in the end, it won’t be the last time. He’ll go through it all again. The guilt will eat him alive. The feel of bile on the tip of his tongue no longer phasing him - he’s gotten used to the taste. He’ll break your trust, again and again, and then carelessly attempt to put the pieces back together, just to shatter them more. It’s cruel, he knows this. He wishes you’d just insult him. Cuss him out. Do anything, but show him love over and over. He loves you, he truly does, and he knows how horrific it is to do this to somebody you claim to love. He just wants you to hurt him, tell him what a disgusting asshole he is, how he’s a piece of shit, a waste of space. Any and everything you can think of.

But you don’t.

And while you continue to show him affection, he’ll drown in the abyss of despair that he, himself put him in. Because during these moments he could pretend that you actually loved him. That you didn’t know of his cheating ways. That he wasn’t touching you with the same hands that held someone else.

So tomorrow it’ll all start over, and the cycle will continue. He’ll keep on breaking your heart, and you’ll both pretend to be okay with it. No matter how many times he told himself it would be the last.

He hoped that one day he wouldn’t be such a coward. That he would finally cut the strings that tied you both together and just end it. Akaashi knew it was wrong, but he was just that selfish and hypocritical.

extra: IM SORRY! i know this probably wasn’t the part 2 that was wanted but 🤟😭 i couldn’t help myself! pls give any akaashi merch hugs and kithes 🥺🥺 my friend told me this mad him mad at him (i was going for sad, so im sorry if you get angry 😭) 💕✨ tysm if you read it 💝

#haikyuu x reader #hq x reader #haikyuu!! x reader #akaashi angst #akaashi x reader #akaashi x you #haikyuu angst #hq angst

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vaeloops · 3 years

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How to End Your Story in a Way That Feels Right

If you’re like me, you often struggle to come up with endings for your stories that don’t feel cheap. Even if it’s objectively a good ending, it just doesn’t feel right. This is likely due to under planning.

Endings need as much care and thought as any other part of your story, so not getting down to the bare bones of what you need from your ending will make it feel mismatched with your story and disappointing to your audience.

This is the brainstorming process I use specifically for endings. (This method works best for stories with already established plots and characters.)

Step 1 : Determine the core aspects of your story.

What is the theme/lesson/moral you are trying to achieve?

What is the main conflict in your story?

What are your side conflicts (sub plots)?

Identify the goal of your main character(s)

Step 2 : Identify the core aspects you want in your ending.

Which of your characters’ conflicts do you absolutely want to solve?

If you had a theme or moral, will your ending support your it?

If someone asked you to sum up the end of your story in one sentence, what would you say?

How do you want your ending to feel for the audience? (Heartwarming, bittersweet, angry, etc)

Step 3 : Pull Inspiration and break it down

What other works emulate an ending I’m going for?

What aspects of this ending do I like?

Which of these aspects can I incorporate into my work?

Which of these aspects should I incorporate into my work?

Step 4 : Brainstorm

In this step, you are going to use the ideas from the questions above to plot as many possible endings that could follow these guidelines as possible.

Just get a blank paper or an empty word doc and start writing

Don’t worry if the grand finale idea isn’t coming to you right away. If your brain solved how to solve a side-characters conflict, write that out.

The key here is to NOT EDIT YOUR BRAINSTORM

Seriously, don’t edit or force yourself to elaborate on concepts, that will slow your progress. Just write whatever comes to mind until you start to lose momentum.

Step 5 : Refine and Repeat

Alright so you just wrote half a page on possible ideas, and now you’re losing steam.

Look back on your ideas and highlight ones you like. Maybe even cross out ones you hate!

Take a look at the things you have highlighted and elaborate on them.

Start with one idea and expand on it. When you’re out of points for that one, move to the next.

Repeat steps 4 and 5 as many times as you need until you find workable ideas that you are happy with.

Step 6 : Finalize

By this point hopefully you’ve got at least one or two workable ideas.

Compare your idea to your answers to steps 1-3.

Does your ending fit with the goals you outlined for yourself?

If they don’t, is it something you’re willing to compromise on? Or is it central to the story?

You may have to tweak your idea a bit to get it to align with your goals.

Once it matches to your liking, you’re good to go! You now have a well thought out idea that will feel like a proper ending as opposed to something slapped together for the sake of an ending. Congratulations!

A couple things to remember:

Indecision is the killer of good story ideas. Being unsure about aspects of your story will cause it to be messy and frustrating both for the creator and the audience. It is always better to have an idea about how you want your story to end than to just make it up as you go and stumble on an okay ending or wrap it up haphazardly when you feel like it’s done. That’s just lazy writing.

This method may take a long time. It might be done in a night, it might take you a week, it might take a month. You can’t rush creativity so don’t beat yourself up about it. If ideas just aren’t coming, give it a rest for a bit. Take your mind off the task for a bit and let your brain recharge it’s creative juices. Come back to it when you’re feeling more refreshed.

The key to this method is to let loose for a bit. Writing from a stream of conscience is a great way to overcome writers’ block and increase creativity.

This also means that you can’t go into your brainstorm expecting to craft the most perfect, clever, and awe inspiring ending in the history of the world, because that’s likely not going to happen. The goal is to come out with an ending that you can be proud of and that will satisfy your audience.

#writing #author #storytelling #story ideas #how to #how to write an ending #writblr #writing advice #writing with adhd

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darkficsyouneveraskedfor · 4 years

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summertime sadness .9. finale

the last time

Sequel to kiss me in the d-a-r-k

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 (masterlist under construction)

Warnings: non con (rough sex)

This is dark!(dad)Steve and dark(professor!)Bucky and dark!Loki and explicit. 18+ only.

Summary: The reader makes up her mind.

Note: So this is the end, but I am leaving a possible third addition open in the future but not anytime soon. We’ve followed our reader so far and in my head she’s still growing. No spoilers but this one’s bittersweet.💋

<3 Let me know what you think in a reblog, reply, or like. I’m loving the feedback from y'all and the enthusiasm! Also as always, memes accepted.

💋💋💋

You were at the townhouse at eight but you were certain to linger outside till quarter after before you knocked. You checked your phone and slid it in your pocket. Loki was seething as he answered the door, his nose was swollen and purple around his left nostril; close to broken but not quite. You repressed a smile and entered with an apology.

Your chest felt ready to burst. This had to work, though it was never hard to provoke him. You shied away at the door and he grabbed you by your arm. He dragged you towards the stairs.

"Jesus," He snarled. "What, did the old man give you a pep talk?"

"You… you can't think… how can you keep doing this?" You asked as you dug your heels in. “Let go."

"You think he can save you. Too late to start this now, darling." He taunted as he turned back and pulled you to him. "I've had you before and I'll have you until I'm well and done with you."

You struggled with him. "I don't care anymore. Tell them. Tell everyone."

"Oh dear," He snickered. "You don't tell me what to do."

"No, it's over." You tried to yank away from him. "I can't--"

"My dear, I can bend you over right here regardless of what you can't do."

He shoved you back through the archway that led to his front room. Your ass hit the back of the couch and you nearly fell over it.

You tried to slip your wrists free and he spun you around and twisted your arm up behind your back. You let out a grunt and he added pressure. You were forced to bend over the couch.

Your phone slipped from your front pocket and onto the couch cushion. You hissed through your teeth as he held you down with one hand on your contorted arm.

He jerked your body as he ripped your pants down your ass, your panties caught in them.

"I'll teach you to be trite with me," He snarled. "You really think you could sick your old man on me?"

"Stop," You begged. "Stop it!"

"This isn't about your little tryst anymore." He unbuttoned his pants and leaned against you. "This is about you being a little bitch."

He forced himself inside you. He thrust so hard your head was on the couch cushion, your body folded over the back. You exclaimed and the couch scraped noisily on the hardwood with each thrust.

You stared at your phone, a tear leaked from your eye as he kept going. He sank into with zeal. Every tilt of his hips was meant to hurt, to punish you. You grit your teeth and measured your breaths. Let it be over.

His grunts were loud and carnal. They grew with each slam of his hips. He finished just as suddenly as he'd entered you. You shuddered and let out an agonized mewl.

He bent over you, still inside you. He bucked his hips and sent a pang up your spine. His nose brushed your ear as he spoke.

"This is over when I say it's over."

You nodded silently and closed your eyes. Your tried not to smile. That wasn't hard. Don't celebrate too soon. Not yet.

💋

The university always seemed desolate in the summer. Not many rushed to enroll in the mid-semester; mostly continuing education students or those on the fast track. You didn't mind. The pollen was soothing in the warm sunshine.

It was barren in another way. As if ghosts followed you along the walkways and through the hallways. The smell of paper and stuffiness of windows painted shut.

He didn't know you were coming. You hoped he was alone, you didn't want to lose your courage. You took a breath before you knocked on his door. A minute of silence before he answered. He was surprised.

"Hey, uh, what are you doing here?" Bucky asked.

"You're not busy, are you?" You asked.

"No, come in," He stepped back and waited for you to enter.

"Keep the door open," You said. "I won't be long."

"What's going on?" He sat across from you.

"One second." You pulled out your phone and opened the draft. You turned the screen to him and hit send. "I just sent you a recording. I don't think you should listen but if Loki gives you hard time, you have my blessing to send it to any and every publication you can think of."

"What is it?" His phone vibrated on his desk.

"I think you can guess." You said. "And he doesn't have a clue but he will."

"It'll be over." He said. "He'll have you run out of New York."

"That's fine. I'm not staying." You assured him.

"Where-- what?"

"I'm dropping out," You declared and the weight lifted off your chest. "I'm going home. I'm going to write."

"I thought you wanted to be a journalist." He frowned.

"I did but I have a different story inside of me." You said. "I don't need this place to tell it."

"I'm sorry to see you go. Student or otherwise." He sighed.

"We had fun. I don't regret it." You smiled. "Do you?"

"Not at all," He said. "Even if it had all come crashing down, I wouldn't."

"Well, then, I guess this is goodbye," You stood and held out your hand. "Professor."

"No, not for good," He rose and shook your hand. "You let me know when you get your book published. I'll be first in line."

"Sure." You giggled. "I'll send you the Amazon link."

💋

You smiled at Steve. He'd stayed in town to see this through, so he said. You were nervous but it wasn't the same hopeless dread you'd come to know. It was the type that came with change; that which was the precursor to an end.

"I'll be here," He assured you as he turned off the range rover. "You call me and I'm up there in an instant. Wouldn't mind knocking him around one more time."

"I don't think that will be necessary." You scoffed. "Trust me… I should have thought of this sooner. Never should have… well, regrets are the best lessons, aren't they?"

“I don’t have many,” He said. “Still, I’ll be here.”

“I know,” You reached over and squeezed his hand. “Thanks.”

He leaned over and you kissed him. There was a pang in your chest as you pulled back. It was hard to keep smiling. “I won’t be long.”

You let go and opened the door. You stepped out, your phone clutched in your hand. You looked up at the tall building. It would be the last time you walked through these doors. Hopefully the last time you would face this man. Your head felt like a cloud, airy and fragile. The first step was the hardest.

The lobby was busy, the flurry of people reflected that in your mind. The elevator ride was both too swift and too slow. Stacy greeted you on the other side of the doors. You returned a curt hello and continued past her desk and several others. You didn’t even look at your own. Nor did you knock on the door before you strode into Loki’s office.

He looked up, his dark brows knitted together. He squinted as you marched to his desk and stopped before him.

“I quit.” You announced.

He chuckled. “Now, darling, how many times must we go over this? You don’t quit.”

“Oh, but I think one last time will clear things up,” You unlocked your phone and hit play. You held it up and your heart pounded. You could barely hear the recording for the pulsing in your ears.

"Oh dear," His snicker rose from the speaker. "You don't tell me what to do."

"No, it's over." Your own voice countered and his eyes widened. "I can't--"

"My dear, I can bend you over right here regardless of what you can't do."

The sound of a struggle followed and the rough scratching of the mic as your phone hit the couch. A low, pained hiss and the creak of the furniture beneath your weight. Another helpless groan.

"I'll teach you to be trite with me," The phone projected his voice clearly. "You really think you could sick your old man on me?"

"Stop," Your pleas were sharp and crackly. "Stop it!"

You hit pause and tilted your head. You lowered the phone as he stood. He looked as if he would lunge across the desk.

“It’s not the only copy. I’ve forwarded it to Professor Barnes.” You tucked your phone away. “Though what should happen with it if you bother him remains to be seen.”

“You little bitch,” He sneered.

“Don’t like being beaten at your own game?” You said sweetly. “You might not have meant to, but you taught me a lot. A great mentor.”

“What do you want?” He asked.

“Only for you to leave me alone. To let me go.” You replied.

“You’re nothing without me.” He growled.

“Maybe, but I never wanted to be anything but myself. My own.” You shrugged. “Freedom is preferable to anything you can offer me.”

“You won’t get a toe in any door in New York if you release that,” He warned.

“Good, I won’t be in New York. Can’t stand to be that close to you.” You backed away with a smirk. “Time’s up ass hat.”

You spun and swept out of his office. You stopped at your desk and took only the golden pen you’d left in the drawer. You tucked it in your pocket as you reached the elevator.

You heard a guttural grunt and the whispers that followed. A bang and the audible snap of some unseen object. You turned back as you stepped through the doors. Loki’s door slammed and the elevator dinged as you were closed in. Good riddance.

💋

The car ride was silent. Your adrenaline was still pumping through your veins and only relented as Steve pulled up to your building. You sighed and leaned back in your seat. He finally broke the silence which held you. As if he sensed the limbo which choked you in it’s grasp.

“You alright?” He asked.

“Fine,” You breathed. “Amazing.”

“Well… what now?” He gripped the steering wheel as he idled at the curb.

“Steve…” You looked down guiltily. “It’s over.”

He frowned and shook his head. He knew. Had known since you hit delete. It was too late to go back.

“I’m not going back to school, I can’t. There’s nothing keeping me here.” You said.

“Kylie…” He began but his voice fizzled out.

“I’ll keep in touch but… I’m going home.” You said. “I’m going to find me. Find out who I really am. Without her, without you, without anyone.”

He nodded and hung his head. “I won’t… can’t ask you to change your mind, can I?”

“No, you can’t.” You said.

“What are you going to do?”

“Write” You pulled the pen from your pocket and held it up as the sunlight glinted across it. “Live.”

You held out the pen and he gently brushed it away. “Keep it.” He said. “You can sign your first print with it. Make sure to save a copy for me.”

“Steve…” You began, suddenly breathless.

“I guess this is goodbye,” He uttered.

“Is it?” You touched his arm. “Doesn’t seem very proper.”

He turned to you and smiled. A smile so sad it made your heart stutter.

“One last time?” He asked.

“One last time.” You confirmed.

💋

It was like that first time; soft, gentle, deliberate. He was careful as if savouring every touch, every kiss. Clinging to the moment as soon enough it would flit away. It was different too. You weren’t afraid, but he was.

He kissed your neck as his hand explored your naked body. He was warm against you, his flesh soft but firm. You felt along his thick arm, admired the shape of him, the sheer strength within. He cupped your breast and toyed with your nipple. His fingers danced along your stomach and he gripped your hip. He squeezed as if assuring himself you were still there.

Then lower. His fingertips tickled your pelvis. You giggled and his mouth followed. A trail of kisses along your skin. His arms hugged your thighs as he lowered himself between your legs. His golden hair, laced with silver, fell forward as he bent to taste you. His tongue set your clit on fire. You moaned and latched onto his head.

You squeezed him between your thighs and arched as he lapped at you. You didn’t want to think about it but you would miss him. You would miss New York. You would miss Bucky. And Kylie. You would miss the life that you would shed for another. To be reborn from your cocoon.

You panted as he suckled at your bud. He grew more and more fervent as he drank you in. You cried out as you came. Your legs shook and every inch of your tingled. He was reluctant to draw away. As he did, he ran his fingers across his glistening lips and tasted them with a hum.

“As sweet as always,” He purred as he pushed himself to his knees. “You ready, sweetie?”

He moved up so that his cock bobbed above your cunt. You nodded and he lifted your legs to lean them against his chest. He grabbed your hips and pulled you close. He slid into you and shuddered as you sheathed his length. He rocked carefully.

You reached out to him and he let go of you to twine his hands in yours. He kept his pace steady as he stared into your eyes. His gaze was smoky as he bared his teeth. Your legs fell and splayed around him. He leaned over you and curled his arm beneath you. He rolled over so that you were atop him.

You kissed him and cradled his cheek. You buried your fingers in his hair and rode him faster and faster. You chased the river flowing through you until it crashed over the precipice. You came once. Twice. Again. Each time speeding up as the pleasure grew more and more intense.

He came with a grunt. He tilted his hips into you and filled you with his warmth. His blue eyes flashed as they rounded and he framed your face between his hands. He rolled onto his side carefully. Still inside you, he hugged you him, your leg slung over his as you basked in his embrace. If only…

And when at last you found the strength to part, you felt his heat seep from you. You sat up and he fell flat on his back. His chest rose and fell with a heavy sigh. He pushed himself up and watched you stand. You turned back to him as his lips curved slightly.

“I know you’re going to go far, sweetie,” He said glumly.

You smiled and looked away shyly. “Thanks.”

“I just… Before it’s… done, I want you to know how proud I am,” He began.

“I haven’t done anything yet,” You shook your head.

“Haven’t you?” He was silent as he rose.

He didn’t look at you as he disappeared into the bathroom. He returned and began to dress. You watched him, confused. You left him to clean yourself up and when you returned, he was by the desk. His fingers tapped on it and he turned to you.

“I should go,” He stepped away from it. “But I can’t without letting you know…” He neared and gulped. “I love you.”

Your lips parted. You searched him and he touched your shoulder.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to say or feel it.” He rubbed your arm. “I just needed you to know.”

“Steve…”

“Goodbye,” He leaned in to peck your lips. “I know I don’t need to say it but take care of yourself.”

“Y-you, too,” You breathed. “Goodbye, Steve.”

He cupped your cheek and finally turned away. The door opened and closed in his stead and you stood staring at it until long after you heard his car drive away. Love, that was fiction and that man was a fantasy. Life was not ink on a page, life was out there waiting for you.

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imagine-that-one-thing · 4 years

Note

Can you please do a Harry x female reader, where the reader is sick so she stays backstage at one of Harry’s concerts. And after there’s a bunch of cuddling and fluff.

Hi!! This has been in my inbox for a while and I’ve been meaning to get around to it. I had to finish this on my phone because my laptop died but here it is. It isn’t as fluffy and as cuddly but I’ve lost my groove but I’m trying to get back into writing and this is how it ended. Thank you for the request and for being patient with me. :) xx

Just Harry.

It's the final show, after tonight, the curtain drops and that's the last of Harry's tour for at least another year. It has been a long ten months, but exhilarating ten months for him as he has bounced from country to country, performing his heart out each night.

Tonight is bittersweet, it's the ending of an era but it is the beginning of something new for Harry, after tonight, he will have time off and he will get back into the studio to start something new. It's meant to be the shows of all shows, Harry is pulling out all the stops for tonight's performance at Madison Square Garden, friends, and family are all in Manhattan for tonight's performance, nobody is missing a single thing.

Harry smirks as he begins to get himself dressed for tonights show while you rest in the dressing room chair, swivelling from side to side, admiring him and taking the minute to ultimately unwind. The last few days have been go-go-go, there has barely been any time to stop and breathe, and today has been no different. You woke up feeling unwell, and you haven't felt much better as the day has gone on, running around doing last-minute errands hasn't helped either.

Harry glances over at you and he cocks his head to the side, "you seem like you're ready to get on that flight home," Harry comments and for a brief moment, you feel guilty that you don't have a smile painted across your lips as you should. You should be just as felicitous and as energetic as he.

You fake a small smile and shake his head, "jus' tired, that is all, you know I love touring with you," you respond. You're being truthful, you do love touring with him when you can, although it can get hectic and tiring, you love being allowed to spend time with him and to watch him do what he loves. There is nowhere else in the world you would rather be than to be where he is, whether that be at home curled up in bed or in an unfamiliar city attempting to find your way to the venue.

Harry hums, "I know, I also know you want to be home in our bed, it's okay... So do I," Harry confesses with a humble grin, "I am so ready to be in my own bed and hibernate for a few days."

"You're going to hibernate for a few weeks, don't think you will want to leave the house," you chuckle.

"I don't need to leave the house, I have you with me, we can have groceries delivered... It will just be me, you and the comfort of not having to do a damn thing or see anybody."

You nod, "How are you feeling about tonight's show? You nervous?" you question, noticing the way he is tapping his foot and taking a little longer than usual to button his shirt.

Harry lets out a breath and lifts his shoulders in a little shrug, "bit nervous, yeah," Harry admits, "little bit more pressure to go out with a bang, ye' know? I am changing it up tonight, different setlist, added a few extra songs, everyone is here, probably shouldn't have invited everyone." Harry begins to fret.

"You will do great. The crowd is getting quite loud out there, might want to hurry up," you inform him with a grin, proud that the crowd can be heard already and he isn't even out there. You are well aware it is boosting his ego and confidence.

"Yeah, might want to get you out there before it gets too late." Harry gestures towards the door, taking note of the fact it’ll take you a minute to get to your seats and to find his sister.

"I was hoping I could stay backstage tonight." You softly inform him, doing your best not to sound uninterested in his performance, you know tonight of all nights he wants you in the crowd, but you don’t have it in you to deal with the crowd and being in an isolated area where everyone can see your every move.

Harry glances at you, surprised by your sudden request, "why? thought you were going to watch it with my sister by the sound booth." He responds, reminding you of how excited the two of you were to dance and sing in the crowd. You and his sister had it all planned out.

"I just... I'd like to stay back here and watch from the side if that's okay?"

Harry nods, "Of course, everything okay? Did something happen? is it-"  Harry begins to question, becoming concerned that you've been scouring social media again.

You quickly cut him off, "no, it is nothing to do with the crowds or anything that was said. Just feeling unwell and don't want to be in a crowd that I can’t easily get out of.”

"Honey, why didn't you say anything? I feel bad, I have had you running around for me."

You shake your head and stand to your feet, "The world doesn't stop on my account, darling," you chuckle leaning up and kissing his cheek, "you're going to be late if I don't get you out there. Good luck my darling, you'll kill it out there, and I am so proud of you and so is everyone else. Have a blast out there, and for the love of God, don't trip on the damn mic cord, this is the last night, don't trip and fall." You gracefully give him your shortened version of the sweet speech you have been meaning to give him.

Harry chuckles quietly, "I will do my best not to trip on the mic, no promises. I love you, wait for me backstage?"

You nod, "of course, wouldn't be anywhere else." you Respond, giving him a hug before a knock at the door sounds, an indication that it is time for him to make his way closer to getting on the stage. He takes a deep breath, gives me a smile before he takes your hand and wanders out of the dressing room.

You observe the show from the side of the stage, and every now and again Harry would glance over to make sure you're still there, watching, and supporting. Even after all this time, sometimes he still wants and needs the reassurance of you to give him that little extra boost.

The lights go out, the crowd stays erratic and he stands on the stage for a minute, taking in the final moments of his show and taking in the atmosphere he has created. There's no better place for him than on a stage, the stage is where he can be whomever he wants to be, where he can sing, dance and so whatever he wants freely, the stage is his safe haven.

He doesn't run off the stage like he usually does, instead, he wanders nonchalantly off the stage. He gives you a smile as he appears backstage and you welcome him with a hug, "So proud of you."

"Mhm," Harry hums, "another world tour complete, I did it, I have done it."

"You have."

"Is it too early to schedule the next one?" Harry questions with a grin.

"I am sure you will schedule it on the plane ride home. You need to get changed for your celebrations."

Harry shakes his head, "Not celebrating, just need my tracksuit pants and a pullover," Harry responds and you take a step back from him, raising a brow.

"What?" you question, "you're not going to go out to even have a drink? This is the final show, you always get piss drunk and celebrate after the initial interviews."

"I do not always get piss drunk," Harry shakes his head, "Which is beside the point, after the quick appearances we are going to the hotel until we have to catch our flight."

"Why? you just-"

Harry cuts you off, "I know I just finished my tour, believe me, I know, but you don't feel well and I would much prefer to relax and cuddle you than to go out and party while you're alone in the hotel room. Don't try and convince me to go party either."

"Harry-"

"No," he shakes his head, "this isn't up for discussion, I need to change, give me ten and I will meet you in the car," Harry kisses your cheek, hurrying towards the changing room and leaving you with security, giving you no chance to object.

You patiently wait for him in the back of the blacked-out SUV, your head resting against the frosted window as it begins to rain, the droplets slowly falling down the glass, streak by streak. You look at your phone and sigh at the time; Harry’s ten minutes has turned into forty-five and you can only assume he was held up with a quick post-concert interview.

You move from leaning against the window to leaning forward and resting your head against the headrest of the seat in front of you. “Not that it’ll make you feel any better, but they just radioed in that he’s making his way here, just a few more minutes to get past security,” the driver announces as he notices you getting impatient in the backseat.

“Thank you, but it’s doesn’t make me feel better. We aren’t going straight to the hotel, he has to tie up a few last-minute things and appearances,” you sigh, “I’m not trying to seem like a brat. I just want to get in bed.”

The driver chuckles and shakes his head, “I’ve had the pleasure to drive you for three days, you’re far from it. Look, here he is,” the man comments as he sits up straighter and places his phone down to get ready to drive.

The door to the car opens and Harry slides in, “I’m so sorry,” Harry breathes out, letting a gust of cold air in before closing the door and getting situated. “Took longer than expected, had to sign a few things and do a quick interview.”

“It’s okay,” you assure him as you look at him, your cheek resting on the headrest still.

“You okay, sweetheart?”

You blink at him for a moment and shrug your shoulders before shaking your head.

Harry slides closer to you and presses his hand to your back, beginning to rub small circles in a soothing manner.

“Is it your migraines again? I know the shows don’t help.”

“I’ve been nauseous all day, I think it’s the same damn bug your sister had a few days ago.”

Harry grows quiet for a moment and continues to rub your back before he moves your hair to fall over your shoulder and presses the back of his hand to your cheek.

“Take us straight to the hotel please,” Harry instructs the driver. “Do you need my jacket? Are you hot? Cold?” Harry softly asks.

“I’m fine, I just want to get in bed, just drop me off and go do what you need to do.”

“No, I’m not leaving. You’re my priority, the tour is over, I’m no longer ‘Harry Styles’ I’m now just ‘Harry’ the man you’re going to marry and the one who’s taking you to the hotel to look after you. Stop worrying about things, it’s over, darling,” he informs you, kissing your cheek sweetly.

#harry styles imagines #harry styles fanfic #imagine harry styles #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles blurb #harry styles blurbs #harry styles prompts #harry styles fanfictions #harry styles fic #harry styles one shots #harry styles preferences

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cityofimagines · 4 years

Text

As Long as it’s You - Fred Weasley x Reader

Request: Hi! If your requests are still open I would like to request for Fred Weasley! :D maybe meeting Reader the first time and fred is all like it’s like love at first sight thing? and maybe fred kid makes a fool of himself to her and she's all like 100% swoon and falls in love too? Thank you for your time!!

A/N: Hi love! I hope I did this request justice, it was super fun to write :) Just a reminder for everyone out there, my imagine/headcanon requests are open for TMR characters/cast and harry potter characters! Also as always my ask box is open for you to rant about your faves, your day, ask me any questions, etc!

warnings: none

word count: 1,155

Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes had just officially opened, and to say it was packed inside was an understatement. It was about the only shop left open in Diagon Alley due to You Know Who’s return causing fear and paranoia throughout the wizarding world.

Fred & George’s bright, optimistic personalities were just what everyone needed right now, so the day it opened, a mass of people all ages flocked inside. You decided to go with your best friend Angelina Johnson to see what all the fuss was about.

You had heard of Fred and George of course, it was impossible not to have if you went to Hogwarts. They were the designated class (school) clowns and you couldn’t walk down a hallway without hearing their laughter, a scolding from Filch directed at them, or the sound of fireworks popping off.

You had always had an eye on one of these certain red haired twins, but you could never build up the courage to talk to him. Somehow you and Fred Weasley had never crossed paths, so you never really formally met him. Now that they were done at Hogwarts, you figured you had missed your chance. Going to their joke shop today was slightly bittersweet; you were excited to get your mind off the impending war, but also disappointed thinking about your missed opportunity to go for the boy you’ve had an eye on for the past few years. That’s if you even saw him of course- you assumed he would be busy making sure everything was running smoothy on the first day of their business being open.

You and Angelina walked through the doors and were greeted with bright orange and red hues, shelves upon shelves of random practical joke objects, the sound of people laughing and yelling, and charming crooked stairs with magical catchphrases written on them. It was like walking into a different world compared to the dreary nature of the rest of the street.

“This...is crazy.” You marveled, looking up to the ceiling to take it all in.

“Crazy in the best way possible.” Angelina continued. “C’mon let’s go!” She grabbed your arm and the next thing you knew you were flying up the stairs and had landed in front of a display filled with pink heart shaped bottles of a love potion.

“Hey, maybe you could sneak one of these to Fred.” Angelina joked while picking one up.

You rolled your eyes. “As if he could be dumb enough to fall for one of his own pranks. And even if he was, there’s no way. I don’t even think he knows who I am.”

“Exactly! That’s just all the more reason to use it.” Angelina coaxed, waving it in your face. You just plucked it out of her hand and threw it back in the pile.

“Come on.” You said smiling and you both headed up to the next level.

You continued looking around at all of the different types of candy and snacks that surrounded you. Angelina had made her way to the other side of the store. You picked up a box of puking pastilles and were about to run and show them to your best friend when it was suddenly knocked out of your hand.

“It’s not even that bad Freddie, it will go away in an hour- oh! So sorry about that!” A familiar voice said after you got knocked into a shelf. You picked up the box and dusted it off quickly. You looked up and immediately your eyes widened.

“Oh- um...it’s not problem.” You stuttered out quickly. The culprit of the action had turned out to be George Weasley, not quite your crush but over the years you had learned that the two of them were attached at the hip. If George was there, so was his older twin.

“Sorry for bumping into you just now.” He leaned in closer and whispered, “my brother here got a little upset from a prank gone wrong. I thought it was clever but he certainly didn’t.” He said with a smirk.

“Oh I bet it’s not that bad...” You trailed off, unsure of how to attack this conversation. You wanted Fred to come over to you, and maybe this conversation with George was your ticket. You couldn’t mess it up.

“No I’d say it’s pretty bad.” George laughed. “Fred get over here!” You felt your heartbeat quicken. You heard a groan before a second Weasley twin slowly walked over with his head down; long hair covering his face. “Let’s see it then.” George said.

Fred slowly lifted his head up to reveal a face full of large red boils all over his skin. It took everything in you not to laugh. You recalled just a moment ago when you said to Angelina how he could never be thick enough to fall for one of his own pranks, and here he was a few minutes later; doing just that. Maybe you should’ve gone for that love potion after all.

“Oh my...” You began. “That looks...”

“Horrifying? Awful? Disgusting?” Fred said with his eyes still closed.

“No. I think it’s quite funny actually.” You said sweetly. Fred finally opened his eyes to look at you. They widened once you both made eye contact.

“Oh...Oh my gosh...(y/n), George didn’t tell me you were here. Hi.” He said. He knew your name?

“Yeah! Um, Angelina and I came together.” You said.

“This is just great.” He mumbled under his breath. “Well, wow um...you look really nice.” He said, scratching the back of his neck.

George let out a chuckle. “Good luck brother.” He said with a wink. You were confused.

“Oh, thank you.” You paused. “This is all incredible. You should be really proud of yourselves.”

“That’s really sweet (y/n).” He paused this time. “I...Well I know this is kind of horrid timing but I feel like it’s now or never.” He took a deep breath. “I guess I just wanted to let you know that I’ve fancied you for ages. I think you’re really beautiful and adorable and I’ve wanted to get to know you for a while but I’ve been nervous.” He confessed.

Your jaw must have dropped to the floor. After a few seconds and a shake of your head, you came to your senses. “Fred...I’ve felt the same way about you for years.” You whispered.

“Really?!”

“Of course.” You nodded sincerely.

“Oh wow...well...that couldn’t have worked out better!” He said, returning to his usual joking demeanor. You smiled uncontrollably. He wasn’t wrong.

You reached up on your tiptoes to give him a light kiss on the cheek, on a spot that wasn’t taken over by a red bump. You saw his cheeks heat up red as you pulled away.

“The boils will go away soon, promise.” He said putting a hand on your waist. You moved into him closer.

“With or without, I’m good as long as it’s you.”

#fred weasley #fred weasley imagine #harry potter imagine #harry potter imagines #harry potter requests #harry potter imagine requests #harry potter #george weasley #wealsey twins #fred weasley x reader #fred and george #weasley twins #harry potter preferences #imagine requests

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newmayhem · 3 years

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Reading and ranking the entire Den of Shadows series

Check out my other Den of Shadows reviews HERE.

After a year such as this one, I wanted to close it out with something fun so I spent the past month marathoning the entire Den of Shadows series- rereading the original quartet and then reading for the first time the new TDOS books. I was originally going to post reviews/reactions for each book, but that got too cumbersome. Instead, I’m doing one big post of my personal ranking so I can discuss each book and talk about the series as a whole.

Spoilers for the entire Den of Shadows series below.

Personal Ranking

I based it on several different criteria but mainly: 1) How much I enjoyed it, 2) Writing/storytelling quality, 3) If there was anything glaringly ‘problematic’ (which I’ve found is usually a big factor in how much I enjoyed it), 4) How it fits in context of the entire series.

9. Shattered Mirror It hurts to put this one last on my list because Shattered Mirror was my intro to The Den of Shadows and to ahar’s work. Reading this again as an adult was frustrating because I can see why I loved it the first time around and how most of that doesn’t hold up today. Sarah was a great main character who deserved so much better than the ending she got. It was just wall to wall rape culture and misogyny. I hated Christopher and how he was a creepy pedophilic stalker framed as a romantic hero, I hated how Nikolas got some copout backstory so he would look like a good guy even though he beat a girl to death for rejecting his brother, and I hated how Nissa was enabling both of them. I really hated that this was meant to be a racism/prejudice metaphor because that doesn’t work out when the ‘oppressed’ group does actually harm innocent people. Aside from that, I felt like the pacing was really off- the events unfold over the course of a little over a week and we’re supposed to believe that after hanging out with them twice Sarah’s developed a bond with these vampires strong enough to override the prejudice she’s been raised with since birth (and that Christopher’s in love with her). And then there’s that whole anti-climax when it turns out that the ‘villain’ was Kaleo all along, but instead of having the book end there, there’s another 20 pages where we have to watch Sarah get attacked and changed against her will and then have it framed as a happy ending. I did like that she decided to not stay with Christopher in the end, though.

8. Midnight Predator I was actually surprised by how much I liked this one because I didn’t remember anything from it at all except for like, two scenes and some character names. It felt more mature in writing style, thematic content, and aesthetics. I also liked that we got a main character who was a little older and that the world was, for the most part, very removed from the human world. It was a good way to close out the original quartet in that it touched on a lot of the themes that had been explored in the books previous. That said, I had a lot of problems with how the issue of slavery was handled and also with how victim-blamey the moral of the story turned out to be. It just didn’t sit right with me that at no point did anyone bring up the idea of, you know, ending slavery at Midnight, which Jaguar had all the power to do. I hate that we were supposed to be sympathetic towards Jaguar and treat him like a good guy because he doesn’t abuse his slaves (for reasons that center on him) like everyone else does when he easily could just...not own slaves. Tying in with the victim blaming stuff, it felt like we were supposed to be satisfied with Turquoise freeing herself but being ok with letting slavery continue. And the big character arc that leads to her getting revenge on Daryl was framed as her ‘not letting herself be a victim anymore’, which is an objectively terrible take on this issue. Aside from that, I also had issues with the pacing here. We were promised a story about Midnight and a mission to assassinate Jeshickah, but all of that goes out the window in an anti-climax about two thirds of the way through the book (and two days into the timeline), and then the rest is a plodding montage leading to a very abrupt end. I also didn’t like how Daryl was supposed to be the real villain of the story but was also portrayed as a snivelling idiot that no one liked anyway, because that lessened the impact of Turquoise finally getting up the courage to kill him.

7. Demon In My View This was a good followup to ITFOTN in that it struck a balance between being standalone and having ties to the previous book. That said, I found the tone to be surprisingly more immature. I mainly didn’t like how the main character and the antagonist were handled. Jessica, while being a great reader insert/power fantasy, wasn’t very interesting because she didn’t go through any character development or have to sacrifice anything, but still got everything she wanted in the end. Fala was too much of a buttmonkey and her motives were too weak to be taken seriously. It also didn’t sit right with me that she’s the only canonical woc so far and she’s being portrayed as this incompetent cartoon villain even though objectively, like, she does have a point. But I do love the introduction of my favorite underappreciated side character, the ultimate MVP: Caryn Smoke!

6. Token of Darkness This book had a lot going against it, mainly in that it’s the most disconnected from the other TDOS books in terms of not only characters and setting, but also with introducing beings that hadn’t been mentioned before (in text, at least). I think especially as one of the new TDOS books, it would’ve helped to at least offhandedly namedrop some people/events/places. My second problem with this book was that everything felt very underdeveloped. I loved the new characters that were introduced, but I was disappointed that we didn’t have a lot of time to get to know them. I would’ve liked to see Cooper actually start training under Ryan, I would’ve liked to learn more about the LeCoire family and what it means to be a sorcerer. I also just wanted more Delilah because she’s such a fascinating character (I loved her reckless and unapologetic ambition). Kind of like ITFOTN, I felt like this lacked an Act 2. I think the story should’ve started earlier so we could see more of the investigation part of it, so we can get all the characters together earlier and have them working together (while Delilah has her hidden agenda on the side) to figure this out and build towards that climax. Even with the pacing and development problems, this is higher on the list because I just really enjoyed it- it was light and fun and I hope we get a chance to see these characters again.

5. Poison Tree This was something that I really wanted out of a new TDOS book- it delved deeper into parts of the world that had been mentioned before- the Bruja Guilds, SingleEarth, the Mistari, and all of that serves to set the scene for Promises to Keep. The concept was this cool deconstructed/reconstructed whodunnit story. It was more complicated than the typical TDOS plot, so I appreciate the ambition. That said, the execution wasn’t great- I often had to pause and go back in order to keep the facts straight and figure out who knows what, which was distracting. Another reason why this didn’t rank higher was that for some reason, I didn’t connect as much with these characters as I have in other books. The pacing was odd, I didn’t like that it came to a point where everyone had figured the main part of the mystery out, but instead of going directly to the climax, it took a detour into relationship drama, which slowed down the momentum. I think it would’ve made more sense to put Sarik and Alysia into a situation where they were forced to work together (rather than that brief but drawn out thing with Sarik and Christian). There would’ve been more tension, conflict, and forward momentum, and because they’re the two leads that were supposed to be focused on, it would’ve felt less like a detour.

4. Persistence of Memory This was a very good return to TDOS. It feels very familiar in how the new characters fit into the world. It struck a good balance between introducing new characters and having them coexist with concepts and characters that we’ve heard of before. I felt the same spark while reading this as I felt when I first read the original quartet. Like, this entirely new book made me feel nostalgic, and that’s not to be underestimated. I really loved the two protagonists and I was very invested in both of their stories. I particularly loved Shevaun because her struggle with her fear of becoming human again is one that we don’t often see in vampire fiction. I also think both she and Adjila are the perfect embodiment of beings who’ve been around for centuries and just don’t have the same morals and boundaries that humans do. I don’t normally read these books for the romance, but both canon ships here were really well done and believable, and also paralleled each other in an interesting way. And I loved the oddly wholesome focus on found/chosen family. Also, this gets extra points for everyone dunking on Alexander every time he’s mentioned.

I didn’t rank this higher because I wished Erin was more involved in figuring out what was going on with her. I didn’t really like that after a certain point, it felt like Sassy took over as protagonist. Still, I really enjoyed it, the ending was very satisfying (I loved that it was a straight up happy/optimistic ending instead of a bittersweet or abrupt one like most of the TDOS endings had been so far).

3. Promises to Keep This was a bold ending to the series. It took a lot of guts to basically blow up the world that you spent nearly 20 years creating and I admire that. It was a really engaging story that truly showed the full extent of what ahar was capable of as a writer at that time and the full extent of what a TDOS book could be. I think this time ahar really nailed the pacing (which was something that had always been a bit shaky in the past). We got to spend enough time with Jay and get to know him (it was a good choice to have the protagonist be a character we’ve met before but could still get to know more). I liked seeing everything we’ve learned from all the previous books come together and come into play. And I especially loved that our MVP Caryn got the HEA she deserves. The little epilogues at the end were fun to read (only, I’m mad we didn’t hear anything about Risika. Especially because she does get mentioned (and we finally know that 1) she found out about what happened to her mom, and 2) she and Kaleo have active, ongoing beef over it)). It really felt like a finale, but at the same time, it felt like a new beginning and I can’t wait for new books in this post-Promises world.

This could’ve ranked higher, but I did have a problem with Brina. In terms of personality, etc., I loved her and she was fun to get to know, but I can’t get past the whole slave owner thing and how that aspect of her was handled. I wished that her character arc was more about realizing that enslaving people is objectively bad rather than having her keep pointing out Jay’s incidental hypocrisy as if it weren’t a false equivalence. Her happy ending just felt a little unearned- the only real ‘penance’ she performed wrt being a slave owner was a tacked-on apology during the ritual and a sentence about how she freed her own slaves (again, no mention of whether or not all slavery has ended), and even though she was turned human, it’s not framed as a great or permanent loss, and on top of that she also gets witch powers.

2. In The Forests of the Night I admit, this ranking is mostly based on nostalgia...but it’s still a very solid book to kick off the series, set the vibes, and introduce us to this world and what kind of series this will be. It’s not the best of the series in terms of writing quality, plot, or scope, but of the original quartet, I think ITFOTN holds up the best. For a YA book of that era, especially one written by someone of its own target demographic, this felt very mature. It wasn’t trying to talk down to its audience and that meant a lot to me. It showed me that YA could be dramatic without being overwrought, serious without being an ‘issues’ book. It tackled questions of identity, morality, faith, power, and freedom, all framed within a fast-paced revenge story. Most of all, Risika is such an interesting, complicated character and her journey was both relatable and entertaining. Of all the endings in this series, the ending of ITFOTN was the most satisfying for me in that the main character had to change and sacrifice, and in the end she got what she truly deserved even if it wasn’t entirely happy. My only complaint is that we don’t see more of Risika throughout the series, especially when there’s clearly more to her story.

1. All Just Glass The TDOS books are fine as standalones and it’s cool that each one makes it feel like whoever you’re reading about is just a small part of a bigger world, but All Just Glass shows how good it can be when we go deeper into a particular story and give it more time to develop. That said, I don’t think it would’ve been as good as it was if it was written right after Shattered Mirror. There’s a very clear improvement in writing quality and storytelling that can only come from 10 years of experience.

While it didn’t fix all the problems I had with SM (mainly, I would’ve preferred it if Sarah didn’t go back to the Ravenas in the end), AJG made a great choice in shifting to a different, more cohesive theme and illustrating it across a compelling ensemble cast. It cleverly plays on our expectations of the Vida line that were based on the limited scope of SM in order to show that contrary to what we’ve seen previously, this is actually an institution that’s in decline. The Vidas aren’t this great power ruling over the rest of the Macht witches- they’re actually these fundamentalist/extremist outliers who are on the fringes clinging to the ‘old ways’ while everyone else kind of does what they want and their decline is directly related to their obsessive adherence to tradition at all costs. What’s so great about this is that it’s not just a sequel, it’s a subversion of SM that also sets the tone of the new TDOS series in anticipation of the inevitable end.

General Notes

I loved reading these all back to back and watching ahar grow as a writer, watching the world unfold right before my eyes.

It was interesting to see the difference between the two series. I found most of the books in the new series to be generally more engaging because they’re based around a central mystery (What’s the connection between Erin and Shevaun? Who is Samantha? Who attacked SingleEarth? Who’s the shapeshifter?). I also liked that rather than shy away from mentioning technology and trying to pretend that it doesn’t exist or that we’re still in the early 2000s, ahar really leaned into it and in doing so, made the stories feel more realistic.

The original quartet was very aesthetically cohesive, it was a series of vignettes that purely aimed to explore a particular piece of the world. The new series, however, felt cohesive in that each of the books is building towards the end and showing a piece of the puzzle that sets the scene for PtK (PoM gives us more about the Tristes, ToD gives us the elementals, AJG and PT are about groups that are on the decline with their fates based on whether or not they choose to align with the rising power of SingleEarth).

On kind of a petty note, I wanted to mention how much I hate all the new covers (both for the new TDOS series and for the re-release of the original quartet) and I was really disappointed in how low-effort the marketing was for the new series. Even just reading the synopsis for PT and PtK was painful because they seemed slapped together at the last minute like no one cared. I think it was a real missed opportunity to draw in a new audience because they were coming out just as the YA boom, particularly in vampire fiction, was happening.

The biggest takeaway I got from this marathon is a huge respect and appreciation for this extensive world and cast of characters that ahar built (and then had the courage to entirely upend). I know mainstream attention isn’t everything, but I just really hope ahar gets their flowers because this is a great (and highly influential) body of work that’s so different and even ahead of its time.

Anyway, that’s my take on the series. I might make this re-read an annual thing because this was fun. Also, as I was reading, I made sure to note factual info about the world and the characters, so I’ll be making new additions/edits to the reference materials soon.

#Nyeusigrube #amelia atwater rhodes #Den of Shadows #In the Forests of the Night #Demon In My View #Shattered Mirror #Midnight Predator #Persistence of Memory #Token of Darkness #All Just Glass #Poison Tree #Promises to Keep #reviews #digressions

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strxga · 4 years

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Thoughts & Review on V7C12

This is my personal review for the latest chapter of RWBY. I tried to keep my points objective and organized, and to not take too much time discussing each, and I would sincerely appreciated if it could be given a read. Thank you if you do read it.

Well. It’s finally happened.

After a hazy but relatively positive start, I can say that Chapter 12 is yet another tipping point in a direction. The last chapters of Volume 6 were certainly… A lot, but compared to this one, Volume 6 pales in comparison. This one is… A doozy for several reasons. Let me preface by saying this: I love this show.

I sincerely adore it and the characters, and the reason I’m writing this think piece is precisely because of that. Because it could be so much better, it could be truly a love letter towards Fantasy, anime, and its fandom… But the writers specifically seem to not know how to balance that… But enough ranting. Off to the meatier sections, which I will progressively go from what I liked the most to what I liked the least.

Penny & Winter Scenes

This was, by far, the best written scenes in the episode, and coming from an unlikely pair of friends. Penny has always been emotional despite being a robot while Winter, despite being human, has always acted mechanical. This episode provides a nice contrast between the two, with Penny emphasizing with Winter and trying to get through to her only for Winter to refute her claims, but doing so with a sadness to her face because deep inside she knows James Ironwood’s plan is flawed. In a way, one acts as the other should, but doesn’t. Their awkward but working friendship makes that its mold and comfortably rests atop it.

It’s flawed, but realistically, it’s the best option to take over having to fight Salem with depleted and exhausted forces. The two play off one another marvelously, and this keeps up until Cinder’s entrance (which is another point I’ll discuss later) and the entire time they keep up this great dynamic. Penny asking if it’s going to hurt Fria to transfer her Aura directly to Winter, only for her to once more act as Penny’s foil and say that it doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is following orders and keeping the Relic and Maiden Powers safe.

Team ORNJ Scenes

Thankfully this time, it doesn’t take an entire episode to figure out where Oscar is. Frankly, there isn’t much to talk about here, but what little there is of it is good! A problem is established, and then it’s swiftly solved by Neopolitan’s confidence only for everything to fall apart when the real Oscar appears, confirming he wasn’t taken away but had been actually fighting solo against Neopolitan for the lamp.

It establishes he’s no longer the wimp he once was and is making full use of Ozpin’s cane, but I honestly do feel like it was mostly a cat-and-mouse game with Neopolitan stealing the lamp and him chasing after her, because I don’t think he could’ve beaten her on his own. Team ORNJ then sets up to fight Neopolitan, spicing up the fight between them that’s going to take place in the upcoming chapter.

(Upcoming) Neopolitan vs. Team ORNJ

There honestly isn’t much to talk about this regarding on what happened in the episode, but what it did amazingly is set up the fight. We know Neopolitan is an experienced fighter, and strong enough to go toe-to-toe with Cinder without her using her Fall Maiden powers. We also know that Jaune and Ren aren’t the strongest fighters, but they can still hold their own, and them accompanied by Oscar who is slightly below-average but still powerful enough to hold his own and Nora who is, now that Pyrrha’s gone, the strongest member of what remains of Team JNPR, I think the battle between them and our favorite ice cream girl is going to be a highlight of this season, especially with how it was set-up.

Cinder’s Entrance

This is when we start to get into the ‘meh’ section of this episode. Cinder is usually compelling in small doses, but extremely dull, boring and irritable in extended scenes due to how confident, smug and self-assured she is despite her multiple failures ever since the Fall of Beacon. But from a writing perspective, she was amazing. She showed how fearsome she is yet again and that her cleverness is part of her character and not just a plot device. She sent Ironwood into a paranoia and then tracked Winter knowing he’d send her after Fria.

Now, the only thing I don’t get, but this might be just me having forgotten, is if there was one point in which Cinder actually learned Winter was the next candidate to be the Winter Maiden… After all, prior to this point, Cinder had never met or encountered Winter or even less have known of her affiliation with Ironwood in the sense that she is her second-in-command. I have difficulty following that thread of logic… Unless Neopolitan told her at some point? I don’t know. Not knowing is what makes me ‘meh’ about this scene.

Clover, Qrow & Tyrian’s Fight

Taking away the connotations and context from the fight and looking at it purely from a choreography perspective, the fight was amazing and showed all of the fighter’s individual styles and strengths. As per usual, Tyrian was shown as crazed and psychopathic. There is no rhyme, reason or logic to his moves, and therefore there is no pattern or proper way to attack other than improvise. Qrow was versatile in using both his hand-to-hand skills and Harbinger to get the job done, but who stands up the most to me is Clover.

Clover really shows why he’s the leader of the AceOps. He was strategic in using Kingfisher to constantly tie-up Tyrian a few times (I cannot remember if he caught Qrow though) and managed to actually keep up with both of them for a long time! Had it not been for Tyrian’s interference while Clover and Qrow spoke, well… I’ll mention that later. But the point is, Clover was an absolute king in the battlefield and despite his weapon being a fishing rod, he was able to use it tremendously.

Furthermore, what surprised me the most is the fact Qrow and Tyrian worked so well together. They made-up for each other’s flaws whenever Clover had one of them against the ropes, and this surprises me even more considering the fact Tyrian was responsible for Qrow’s closest brush with death. It was… Surprisingly bittersweet.

(Upcoming) Cinder vs. Penny & Winter

Nothing much to talk about here given that this hasn’t yet happened, but as per usual Cinder is flaunting and showing off her power while severely underestimating her opponents. It has been approximately three years since she last saw Penny and since she was rebuilt stronger than before, not to mention the combat experience she’s accrued defending Mantle from the Creatures of Grimm and the occasional bandit and the like.

Winter has also presumably gotten stronger since then, but the scope of her abilities are still unknown since she only engaged in combat once and it was against Qrow all the way back in Volume 3. There’s so many ideas up in the air regarding this upcoming fight that nothing’s stopping me from theorizing Fria will wake up and use her Winter Maiden abilities to kick the snot out of Cinder.

But I am looking forward to what the fight has to offer. I don’t think any of them will die though. Cinder is still too important to the plot as are Penny and Winter for as long as the setting is Atlas.

Clover, Qrow, Robyn & Tyrian Scenes

Yeah. This whole encounter was… It wasn’t exactly ‘bad’ but I felt like the characters here acted completely out of character. Well, sans for Tyrian of course, given that at his core, he is simply a psychopath.

Clover has always been one who acted as one of the most morally-upstanding member of the AceOps as well as the one who was, arguably, given the most screen time. But for some reason, this episode had him betray everything he stood for and wanted to arrest Qrow even though Qrow… Well, what did Qrow even do for Ironwood to want him arrested? That’s another minor nitpick I have about the situation. But with how closely Clover and Qrow had bonded, you’d think he’d try and make sense of the situation instead of acting as a drone even though before he had never done so.

Robyn went from a pragmatic and understanding leader-like figure to, well… Whatever that was. I sincerely can’t understand her character because she isn’t cohesive at all. The only trait about her that remains is her loyalty to Mantle… But that’s it. One moment she’s against Ironwood, the next moment she’s siding with him… Then she sides against him and then once more sides with him. It’s honestly very boring and for someone who is supposed to be based on Robin Hood, she’s never done anything Robin Hood-esque. Even her aesthetic doesn’t match him. She feels like an incomplete character and the only side of her we see is a temperamental, indecisive leader. She couldn’t even tell it wasn’t Penny who attacked her at the election party even though almost every single part of her, weapons included, are bioluminescent. It’s frustrating, really. She should’ve known something was wrong from the get-go when Ironwood gave the order instead of immediately resorting to blind anger.

Qrow… There has never been an instance in the show when Qrow reacted with direct violence ever since Volume 3 while he was drunk. He saw Robyn attack Clover first and decided that he was going to attack Clover when he was the one being assaulted. Robyn and Qrow, as far as I know, never even had a single interaction together one-on-one, and even if he did, he’s always been one to stand against wrongdoings despite his shady demeanor. It honestly sucked seeing him being so out of character this entire chapter because he is a fan-favorite and for good reason. He has had a good amount of development. But he acted on violence instead of simply sitting down and having a talk with both Clover and Robyn. It simply didn’t make sense to me.

AceOps vs. Team RWBY

Just like before, I will focus entirely on an unbiased analysis of how this fight went and criticizing the things that particularly stood out for me whether bad or good. I’ll also be dividing this into subsections because it’s going to be a more direct and easier way for me to do so, and in case anyone’s reading this, that way they can skip ahead to their favorite fight. I watched this battle several times in an attempt to breakdown as best I could. So, let’s start with the main show and the one we saw the most of:

Ruby Rose vs. Harriet Bree

Arguably the most balanced fight out of the four short ones we saw. While I am apprehensive of aspects such as Ruby’s Semblance being able of breaking through iron barricades so easily despite never having alluded or shown her Semblance doing something like that before… I can give it a pass if anything because it made the environment more malleable. Despite that, however, I did like the fast paced match between the fastest members of their respective teams. It’s a very fast battle, but we can see it fully and what we see… Is a fight in which Ruby is on the defensive the entire time, and a battle she should’ve completely lost.

Ruby landed exactly zero hits on Harriet. Zero. Well… Not entirely. She does push Harriet down once but Ruby… Isn’t good at hand-to-hand combat and it’s been shown time over time that she’s not very physically strong so I’d hardly say that counts as a hit… But it does happen. Yet we’re supposed to believe that she was taken out by running into an ice wall created by Weiss at the last moment and that her Aura broke from that? Harriet landed exactly 5 very powerful attacks on Ruby and yet her Aura never even budged. I find that hard to believe. First Ruby got kicked on the face with enough strength to send her flying towards an elevator and break the doors off the wall.

Then he got double-kicked by Harriet on the gut and sent flying back. Then she got punched right on her back by Harriet’s weapon, Fast Knuckles, which are basically Yang’s gauntlets. An attack like that should’ve, at least, done significant damage to her Aura given it was strong enough to buckle her legs and crash her against the floor, which in and of itself should count as another impact given how hard she hit it. Then after that, Ruby got headbutted on the face by Harriet and then choked on the neck by Harriet with her legs and once again slammed with tremendous force on the floor. But her Aura is unscathed for some reason?

Then in comes Weiss, puts an ice wall in front of Harriet for her to crash into, and somehow that takes her down and breaks her Aura. Objectively, this battle was amazing, but Ruby never even once had the advantage. Ruby should’ve been knocked out by Harriet when her Aura broke, but for some reason… That didn’t happen. Good choreography, however.

Weiss Schnee vs. Marrow Armin

I frankly can say this one was expertly choreographed as well. We finally get to see a fight in which Weiss gets to use her Semblance at its full capacity, and this time she doesn’t abuse ice dust only. While it’s still in the vast majority of her attacks, she also relies on fire dust, which does add a degree of excitement and a fresh take to her battle style. Not to mention she now isn’t as reliant on the Arma Gigas only. It was a good balanced diet of everything Weiss can do! There still was very little of her in actual close-quarters combat, but that’s never been her specialty. She’s more of a mid-ranged fighter than anything else with lots of tricks and gimmicks. As for Marrow– well, Marrow… Could’ve made things so much easier if he had used his Semblance effectively.

When it comes to the battle itself though it was… Very lackluster on Marrow’s end, but then again it is heavily-implied by Harriet that he’s not fighting seriously at all and was purposefully holding back, so perhaps the fact he was defeated so easily really isn’t that hard to believe considering his heart wasn’t on the fight and even then he still put up a good fight. But like with Harriet… I find his Aura breaking so easily to be… Weird? He only got hit one time by Weiss’ homing fire dust… Flames? Bullets? Rays? I don’t know what to call it, but he got hit just once with Weiss’ dust and I don’t really count it as a hit but he got pushed to the wall once, but nowhere with near the same intensity as Ruby getting slammed and thrashed all over the environment by Harriet.

But ultimately while it is a nice fight… Again, I find Marrow going down to a single attack borderline offensive and humiliating for one of the members of the AceOps, but then again this was the only battle that felt like a member of Team RWBY deserved to win, and that’s saying something given Weiss’ battle track record isn’t exactly the cleanest and she’s lost the most fights out of any Team RWBY member when it comes to one-on-one encounters.

Blake Belladonna & Yang Xiao Long vs. Elm Ederne & Vine Zeki

Honestly, this is probably the best fight out of the ones regarding Team RWBY vs. the AceOps. It is nice to see this fight’s choreography because it was quite enjoyable. It was very dynamic and there was a lot of movement which made it flow just like a river of water, but there were also… Lots of inconsistencies regarding the character’s power levels and how they performed in this fight, especially regarding Elm and Vine who, from an objective standpoint if one sits down and analyzes the fight as I did, it’s also easy to tell that… Elm and Vine should’ve won.

While it’s disappointing that we didn’t get to see Vine’s weapon in this final bout, we did see Blake and Yang working together as well as Elm and Vine despite their personality conflicts. There really wasn’t a lot of team coordinating, but both sides performed admirably. Yang & Elm with their brawn and ferocity as well as Blake & Vine with their strategic minds and nimbleness. Now… While I can only praise the dynamics, the battle was, again, stacked against Blake and Yang. Like I did with the battle between Ruby and Harriet, I went through this one thoroughly and counted the amount of hits each character received.

Yang landed a total of three direct blows against Elm. A punch to the face that sent Elm staggering back a few steps, and then she didn’t land a single hit on Elm until she punched the ground with her Semblance, destroying it and sending her flying, but this doesn’t count as a hit because Elm wasn’t harmed when Yang did this. She was only sent flying in mid-air and then Yang and Blake both delivered a single attack on Elm before she fell to the floor, shattering her Aura. Now, we know Elm is basically the Yang of the group, except bigger, stockier and presumably stronger, so with how tough she’s been portrayed up until now, that she was defeated so swiftly surprises me… Especially when she herself beat Yang down to the point her Aura should’ve broken as well.

First she headbutted Yang, knocking her off-balance and later swinging her hammer with enough strength to send Yang, the strongest and bulkiest member of Team RWBY, flying a considerable distance with her massive hammer. This didn’t happen just once, twice or thrice though. Elm hit Yang on the chest with Timber, her hammer, four times, and every single time she was sent flying. We’ve seen the ridiculous feats of strength Nora Valkyrie’s performed with Magnhild. Well, Elm is at least twice stronger than Nora. The fact Yang’s Aura never even budged despite getting hammered on the chest with the heaviest and most powerful hammer we’ve seen in the show is beyond me. It doesn’t help that she got also hit directly by Vine with a rock the size of her entire body and pushed back. If anything, Elm and Yang’s fight is the most balanced one so Elm being defeated is not the issue. The issue is how despite receiving double the punishment, Yang’s Aura never broke while Elm’s broke with just three hits that didn’t pack the same punch and power all of Elm’s attacks which connected did.

Now regarding Blake’s encounter with Vine… Like Ruby with Harriet, Blake landed a total of zero hits against both Elm and Vine. Coincidentally, however, Blake also was also hit the most in this battle to the point her Aura actually did break. Why only her’s though is not something I can answer. I could describe how Blake got hit, but two of those times she got crushed by Vine’s Semblance and slammed against the wall twice, the second time enough to break the wall as well, and the one time she got hammered on the chest by Elm with enough strength to send her several feet on the air, which likely hurt a whole lot since every single one of Elm’s hits pack two massive punches. Now if any of you are curious about how many hits Vine took before his Aura broke…

It was one. He got sent flying to the ground by Yang and his Aura broke. I don’t count the explosives that detonated near him because he was using his Semblance to hold onto them, reducing the explosion’s power and size, but it still destabilized him and sent him careening to the air for Yang to grab. But Yang’s explosives aren’t exactly the strongest anyways so even if they did do some damage, it was still extremely minuscule damage for his Aura to break from a single hit like Marrow’s did. It was honestly disappointing, especially after we got to witness how strong they truly are by perfectly fighting against a Geist in the earliest episodes of the Volume.

My overall rating of the fight is that, objectively, it was amazingly choreographed… But the power level in RWBY is still awful and largely-irrelevant, since there is no instance in which Team RWBY will actually lose a fight even if throughout the encounter they are taking more hits than their opposition. This is an issue they still need to fix…

Team RWBY’s ‘Plan’

This one is… Upsetting. Even more so than the above because, at this point, Team RWBY is devoid of any and all potential consequences of their actions, and frankly I’m tired of it. Ever since Volume 6 their ‘plans’ if they can even be called that, have been compromising even more things for the sake of their so-called righteousness. In Volume 6 they endangered all of Argus and attacked an entire military base, and to this day they’ve suffered exactly zero consequences for their actions. If anything, they got rewarded for their criminal activity by getting a free pass to Atlas. Ironwood didn’t even look in their direction after they did that too. All for their selfish righteousness too, which in most occasions isn’t even right. They just do whatever they can even if it comes at the cost of other’s safety as long as it serves them

Now they even refuse to even see where Ironwood is coming from. They don’t offer him help, all they do is judge him and criticize him both to his back and in front of him and only side with him when it benefits them. They are, physically, mentally and emotionally incapable of sympathizing with others yet they want others to sympathize with them and their hypocrisy only continues to go rewarded. The narrative is very obviously in their favor and attempts to sway the viewers into thinking Ironwood is the villain for… Doing the only few remaining things he can do to try and keep not just Atlas and the Mantle survivors safe, but all of the world. They don’t even bother to see his point. At no moment during that confrontation do they go ‘we see your point and where you’re coming from, but that’s just playing into Salem’s hands and we can’t do that.’ No, all they do is yell at him and tell him he’s wrong, that he’s an awful person.

They don’t see the greater scheme. All they see are their own lofty ideals. They physically cannot save all the people of Mantle. They physically cannot keep the Lamp and the Staff, and they certainly, at this point in time, physically stop Salem if she is coming. They need ships to save the people of Mantle, they need to be on guard duty to protect the Staff and the Lamp. They need to keep Fria safe to keep the Winter Maiden powers from being robbed, but how are they physically going to do that? By ‘standing their ground?’ That is such a nonsensical, idyllic solution. They can’t do all of those things, but somehow, someway, they are ‘right’ because they want to do ‘the right thing.’ Except. There is no right thing thing to do. Not everything is as black and white as they want it to be. And every single time they do this and experience zero consequences while reaping many rewards for their hypocritical and catastrophic reckless decisions, the more faith I lose in the writers and the show.

Team RWBY defeating the AceOps

Like I said above, this was something I really didn’t enjoy… As I’ve mentioned above, it seems Team RWBY’s recklessness and inconsiderate behavior that endangers far more lives than they save will always go rewarded, and here is no different. I’ve gone through the battle several times and the only fight which deserved to be won by a member of Team RWBY was Weiss’ battle against Marrow, and this was largely because Marrow was holding back and implied he could push Weiss more against the ropes if he wanted to. Not to mention that it was due to Marrow’s hesitation Team RWBY even had a fighting chance. Had he used his Semblance at the very beginning he could’ve frozen all of Team RWBY where they were and have them apprehended immediately because they’d be unable to move.

Besides that one, the only other one who could’ve gone in Team RWBY’s favor is Yang’s fight against Elm, but even so it was… 75/25 in Elm’s favor. But the proof is in the animation, and it shows Elm landing far more attacks on Yang than Yang ever did on her, but since Team RWBY’s victory is required for the plot to progress, they were able to defeat the AceOps. Blake’s fight against Vine and Ruby’s fight against Harriet is not something I can even justify if I tried to do so because it was entirely one-sided on the AceOps’ favor. I try to give a lot of leverage to the show and its writing, but I cannot suspense my disbelief for such a one-sided fight, especially when the AceOps dished out punishment after punishment for Team RWBY and none of their Auras broke nor did they look even remotely tired while the AceOps all went down with two-to-three hits that I find hard to believe would take down the most elite Hunters in all of the Atlas continent.

We don’t know the AceOps’ members’ age, but what we do know is that they’ve been serving directly under James Ironwood for years now, and as the most elite, that makes them the strongest military platoon in all of Atlas with several years long specialized training years under their age while Team RWBY received not even a year of formal training at Beacon Academy and fought some Creatures of Grimm on the way to Mistral, had very limited and minor training under Ozma/Ozpin and then had small bouts against Salem and Raven’s forces in the Battle for Haven. Then after that they faced off against more Creatures of Grimm on the way to Atlas except for the one time they teamed-up to fight against Caroline Cordovin’s Colossus. Compared to the AceOps’ rigorous daily training and constantly having to carry out extremely difficult tasks under Ironwood’s leadership, Team RWBY’s training really pales in comparison.

There are many other ways that Team RWBY’s physical, mental or emotional strength without having them win fights they don’t deserve, because at this point it simply feels like no matter what happens, no matter how gray the situation the writing team behind RWBY attempts to portray, the narrative always tries to portray Team RWBY as being in the right even though for the past two Volumes they have been wrong in their methods without suffering any consequences. It’s exhausting and frankly, not good writing. I understand this is said a lot, but in this case, it can really be attributed to bad writing. Team RWBY doesn’t have to win every fight, they don’t have to always come out on top. They don’t always have to be right. And they most certainly don’t have to always be at the center of everything. That’s what side characters are for, side characters that they rarely use at all but keep around and keep increasing the amount of side characters for the plot. It’s overwhelming in all the wrong ways.

By the way, it was Team RWBY who attacked the AceOps, not the other way around. They could’ve stood down, they could’ve calmed down and realized they were in the wrong in this scenario, and Harriet herself said it first. They decide what happens next. Ruby draws out her weapon and escapes the room, forcing Harriet to chase her. They were the ones who forced the AceOps into acting, not the other way around. But the next moment Ruby is begging Harriet to team up with her to fight Salem even though a moment ago she was challenging Harriet to a fight because of her arrogance and unjustified massive ego. At this point, Ironwood might be paranoid and making bad decisions, but Team RWBY certainly poured gasoline all over his paranoia.

Qrow

I think most of the FNDM can agree that what they did with Qrow makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. There are a lot of things wrong with his character this chapter. For starters, at no point since he was introduced did Qrow try to solve the problems he faced with outright violence. He always preferred the diplomatic and peaceful approach because that’s what Ozpin taught him to do and what he genuinely believed was the right step today, because violence leads to panic, and the panic leads to Creatures of Grimm… Except in this case where he… Decided to rely on violence.

But the greatest offender was the fact he teamed up with Tyrian of all people– that’s right. Qrow willingly teams up with Tyrian, the same person who has tried to slaughter both Ruby and himself and has successfully murdered dozens of innocent civilians for his own amusement to attack Clover… What? Then he has the audacity to blame Clover for what happened and feels awful when, to no one’s surprise, Tyrian betrays him and stabs Clover with Harbinger when it was him who knocked out Clover’s Aura in the first place.

It’s awful, and I can understand why so many Qrow fans are enraged by this, because even I was and I don’t relate to Qrow that much. Just as the meme goes, ‘everything happens so much…’

Clover’s Death

Didn’t need to happen. Literally that’s my entire point on this section. It didn’t need to happen, it shouldn’t have happened, and this was RWBY’s writing team attempt at shock for the Volume. Because Qrow is just not allowed to have happy endings or friends. Qrow has no rights mourning Clover’s death when he himself was the direct catalyst for it to occur in the first place. But there is something else that is horrifyingly atrocious in the writing department going on with Clover in the last moments of his death. Seconds before getting stabbed with Harbinger, Clover states that he would trust Ironwood with his life… Then, all that changes right after he is nearing the end of his life.

The moment he realizes his life is fading away, once again, Clover goes against anything and everything he stands for by wishing Qrow good luck when the other claims he’s going to make sure Ironwood takes the fall for what happened, when Ironwood is doing nothing wrong. Ironwood keeps getting painted as the villain even by his most loyal soldier, the one who claimed he would trust the general with his life, but that ultimately doesn’t matter based on the show’s writing. Clover previously also talked about how Ironwood was doing the right thing by making the toughest decisions, the decisions that realistically could and would save thousands of lives unlike Team RWBY’s lofty goals.

Goals which by the end of the episode continue being unanswered. How are they going to accomplish all the naïve promises they want to fulfill? From a non-biased opinion and how they tend to solve the writing’s plot holes in past volumes, what most likely’s going to happen is yet another Deus Ex Machina. In Volume 4 it was the ‘random’ troops that just happened to arrive to Kuroyuri on time to escort the group all the way to Mistral and seek medical first aid for Qrow. In Volume 5 it was Blake showing up with an entire militia of the reformed White Fang as well as Vernal, somehow, still living to get that cheap shot in for Raven to have an opening to knock Cinder off the vault’s cliff. In Volume 6 it was Ruby’s empty speeches somehow convincing Cordovin to give them a free ship so they could travel to Atlas even though Team RWBY and company were responsible for everything bad that happened to Argus because of their selfishness.

#rwby #rwby7

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ziezie13 · 4 years

Text

Fics of the Week

Betrayal is a Thorny Crown (You Wear It Well) by Snegurochka

Five years after taking his fifteen-year-old godbrother's virginity, Teddy has done everything he can to avoid James. He is definitely not supposed to look this good when Teddy finally runs into him again, but Teddy is pretty sure the kid will never forgive him for disappearing like that.

Words: 8648, Chapters: 1/1, Fandoms: Harry Potter - Rowling, Ratings: Explicit, Last Update: 04 Mar 2010

Relationship(s): Teddy Lupin/James Sirius Potter

Characters: Teddy Lupin, James Sirius Potter

Katsudon for Gold by cROAissant

Somewhere along the road, “I might never like you” morphed into “I would die for this child”, and Yuri Plisetsky would be six feet under before Victor fucking Nikiforov would lay his thirsty hands on his precious student.

Words: 4548, Chapters: 1/1, Fandoms: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime), Ratings: Teen And Up Audiences, Last Update: 19 May 2017

Relationship(s): Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov, Katsuki Yuuri & Yuri Plisetsky, Victor Nikiforov & Yuri Plisetsky

Characters: Yuri Plisetsky, Katsuki Yuuri, Victor Nikiforov, Otabek Altin, Yakov Feltsman

Additional Tags: coach yuri au, Younger!Yuuri, Younger!Victor, Aged-Up Character(s), Characters Aged Down, Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Coach Yuri Plisetsky, Mild Language

Twenty-Five Hours by 0lizzybennet0

In which Yuuri spends a 25 hour flight next to Victor Nikiforov, skating legend, and feels it might simultaneously be the best and worst thing that has ever happened to him.

Words: 22861, Chapters: 3/3, Fandoms: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime), Last Update: 10 Apr 2017, Relationship(s): Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov

Characters: Katsuki Yuuri, Victor Nikiforov, Yuri Plisetsky, Yakov Feltsman

Additional Tags: Angst, Miscommunication, Getting Together, Flirting at 40000ft in the air

baby photos by drakefeathers

Dick shares his childhood circus photos, and begins to wonder what Damian looked like as a baby.

Words: 2481, Chapters: 1/1, Fandoms: DCU (Comics), Batman (Comics), Rating: General Audiences, Last Update: 02 May 2014

Relationship(s): Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne

Characters: Dick Grayson, Damian Wayne, Barbara Gordon, Tim Drake, Bruce Wayne

Additional Tags: Past Child Abuse, (because of bby damian's combat training with assassins)

Behind bars by Sophia96

After spending years gaining control of the prison, Victor has gotten bored with his life. Nothing exciting happens when you're on top.

But one day, a new face comes into the prison and changes Victor's life completely. A pretty face like his couldn't possibly belong in there...

Victor decides to get to the bottom of it, and a love story slowly starts to form in the prison.

Words: 10346, Chapters: 7/?, Fandoms: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime), Rating: Mature, Last Update: 16 Apr 2019

Relationship(s): Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov

Characters: Katsuki Yuuri, Victor Nikiforov, Christophe Giacometti, Yuri Plisetsky, Yakov Feltsman, Phichit Chulanont, Minami Kenjirou

Additional Tags: Prison AU, Mafia AU, Russian Mafia, Yakuza, Mafia boss Victor Nikiforov, Mafia Victor Nikiforov, Mafia Yuuri, Mafia heir Yuuri, Pining, Fluff and Angst, Love at First Sight

Expomise by thankyouforexisting

Expomise: a transformation spell that bonds two objects together. Yuuri is at Hogwarts. So is everyone else.

“Hey,” Yuuri dares to say, voice low, “Maybe we should write this down…?”

“Oh,” Victor blinks in surprise at him, his long fingers wrapped around a long dark brown wand, “Sure, you can take notes.”

Pause. Yuuri doesn’t really want to say anything, but he powers through. He’s going to make new friends and be more outgoing, he has to. “Aren’t you gonna do it, though? Do you have a really great memory?”

The boy stares at him as if he’s from another planet, “I’m Victor Nikiforov.”

Yuuri stares back, uncomprehending, “Yeah, you have a cool name.”

“No, I mean,” Victor purses his lips, frowning in confusion, glancing to check if their Professor’s looking at them, “I’m like, Victor Nikiforov.”

Words: 81356, Chapters: 7/?, Series: Part 1 of Expomise, Fandoms: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime), Rating: Teen And Up Audiences, Last Update: 27 Jun 2017

Relationship(s): Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov

Characters: Katsuki Yuuri, Victor Nikiforov, Phichit Chulanont, Leo de la Iglesia, Nishigori Yuuko, Nishigori Takeshi, Mari Katsuki, Okukawa Minako, Celestino Cialdini, Yakov Feltsman, Lilia Baranovskaya, Yuri Plisetsky, Mila Babicheva, Seung Gil Lee, Guang-Hong Ji, Kenjiro Minami, Christophe Giacometti, Georgi Popovich, Jean-Jacques Leroy, Otabek Altin

Additional Tags: Hogwarts AU, Harry Potter AU, Humour, Fluff, Slow Burn, Slow Build, Friends to Lovers, Magic, Magical Figure Skating, Exchanging Culture, Disregards Canon, Friendship, Phichit and Yuuri BROTP, Panic Attacks, Social Anxiety, body image issues, Growing Up, Angst, Ballet, Pining, innuendos, Rating May Change, Jealousy, Mutual Pining

learn to love the skies I'm under by LinneaKou

The day after the Sochi GPF banquet, Katsuki Yuuri disappears without a trace.

The day after the Sochi GPF banquet, Viktor Nikiforov finds a stray poodle and takes it home with him.

These two events are, oddly enough, connected.

Words: 37827, Chapters: 3/3, Series: Part 1 of strange beasts (Hopeless Wanderer), Fandoms: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime), Rating: Mature, Last Update: 31 Aug 2017

Relationship(s): Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov, Victor Nikiforov & Yuri Plisetsky, Christophe Giacometti & Victor Nikiforov

Characters: Katsuki Yuuri, Victor Nikiforov, Yuri Plisetsky, Makkachin (Yuri!!! on Ice), Yakov Feltsman, Mila Babicheva, Georgi Popovich, Christophe Giacometti, Phichit Chulanont, Katsuki Mari, Katsuki Hiroko, Katsuki Toshiya, Okukawa Minako, Nishigori Yuuko, Nishigori Takeshi, Nishigori Triplets

Additional Tags: Magical Realism, Curses, Dogs, Animal Transformation, Angst, Fluff and Humor, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Anxiety, Depression, Missing Persons, Presumed Dead, Miscommunication

call you by name by LinneaKou

Drunk, depressed, and lonely, Viktor Nikiforov makes a wish that has unforeseen consequences for himself and many people around him.

(an alternate take on the premise of learn to love the skies I'm under)

Words: 13648, Chapters: 1/1, Series: Part 3 of strange beasts (Hopeless Wanderer), Fandoms: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime), Rating: Teen And Up Audiences, Last Update: 30 Dec 2017

Relationship(s): Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov

Characters: Victor Nikiforov, Katsuki Yuuri, Christophe Giacometti, Yuri Plisetsky, Yakov Feltsman, Katsuki Mari, Katsuki Hiroko, Katsuki Toshiya, Okukawa Minako, Nishigori Yuuko, Original Female Character(s)

Additional Tags: Animal Transformation, Wishes, Magical Realism, Dogs, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Depression, Anxiety, Touch-Starved

Uneven Odds by NotMoose67

“Hi, there, little fella. Whatcha doin’ all the way out here in space, huh?” Lance asked the baby as he carefully walked away from the rubble. Keith cleared his path to the door, occasionally getting very distracted by the adorable baby in his husband’s arms. Now was not the right time to find his husband more attractive than ever, but damn it if Lance holding that baby didn’t make Keith’s heart swell with a truckload of feelings.

Basically, Keith and Lance unexpectedly find a baby on a mission and have to channel their inner parent nature while they figure out what to do next.

Words: 9693, Chapters: 1/1, Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender, Rating: Teen And Up Audiences, Last Update: 24 Dec 2017

Relationship(s): Keith/Lance (Voltron)

Characters: Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron), Pidge | Katie Holt, Matt Holt, Allura (Voltron), Coran (Voltron), Hunk (Voltron)

Additional Tags: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Fluff and Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Future Fic, Married Klance

Jealous by TrisPond

(Spoiler) Hinata definitely wasn't expecting this answer. Unlike he had thought before, Kageyama wasn't very jealous and he could count on his fingers the times that the other had felt like this. Not even when they had to part ways to live on different countries, that has been an issue. But of course if there was one person that could make him like that it was Oikawa. If there was someone who could make him insecure, it was him.

Or Kageyama and Iwaizimu react to Hinata and Oikawa selfie.

Words: 1155, Chapters: 1/1, Series: Part 1 of Hinata in Brazil, Fandoms: Haikyuu!!, Rating: Not Rated, Last Update: 12 Nov 2019

Relationship(s): Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru

Characters: Hinata Shouyou, Kageyama Tobio, Iwaizumi Hajime, Oikawa Tooru

Additional Tags: Canon - Manga, Established Relationship, Jealousy, Brazil

A Bittersweet Reunion by Sarcastic_Metaphor

A Good Omens AU with Archangel!Toshinori who happens to encounter a very familiar demon from his past.

Unfortunately, said demon wants nothing to do with him.

Words: 3816, Chapters: 2/2, Fandoms: 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia, Rating: General Audiences, Last Update: 29 Jul 2019

Relationship(s): Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead/Yagi Toshinori | All Might, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead & Yagi Toshinori | All Might

Characters: Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Yagi Toshinori | All Might

Additional Tags: Good Omens AU, Alternate Universe - Good Omens Fusion, Angel!Yagi Toshinori, Angel!All Might, Demon!Aizawa Shouta, Demon!Eraserhead, Past Relationship(s), Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Mild Hurt/Comfort

Study Session by byesweetheart (ConstantComment)

They’re going to fail their test tomorrow.

Words: 1319, Chapters: 1/1, Fandoms: Haikyuu!!, Rating: Explicit, Last Update: 19 Nov 2017

Relationship(s): Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio

Characters: Kageyama Tobio, Hinata Shouyou

Additional Tags: Underage, Roughhousing, Wrestling, First Years, First Time, Coming In Pants, Frottage

20 notes · View notes

bluepenguinstories · 4 years

Text

Happiness Overload Chapter Sixty

Finally: cotton candy. Held in my hands, stacked high, almost a mile wide. Or maybe like a foot long. Or some odd centimeters (but not the even ones). Such sweet, cottony candy.

“There’s something bittersweet about finality, isn’t there?” I asked the guy at the cafeteria who gave me the cotton candy.

“Dunno what you’re talking about,” he grunted.

I shrugged and told him, “yeah, me either. I mean, it’s bittersweet when things come to an end no matter the outcome. But when it comes to cotton candy, it’s just sweet. That’s why I love it. That, and fruit snacks. Say, which would be better: fruit snack flavored cotton candy or cotton candy flavored fruit snacks?”

“Cotton candy isn’t a fruit. It’s just sugar.”

“Oh yeah. What would you call sugar, anyway? It’s a crop, right? So, is sugar a vegetable? Or a seasoning? Could sugar be considered a spice? But then again, spices are bitter and sugar is sweet.”

“I don’t have time for philosophy. I make food and serve it.”

“That’s fair!” I snapped my fingers. “For me, I can’t even be sad even if I wanted to. My whole cotton candy journey was a long and arduous one. It must have taken the length of two characters’ arcs just to find the cafeteria. Can you believe that?”

He groaned. Jeez, tough crowd. I took a bite out of my cotton candy and the taste was so good that more cotton candy formed from out of the space where I took my bite. As long as eating cotton candy made me happy, I’d get an unlimited amount of cotton candy, which was guaranteed to be unlimited, because being full only made me happy when I felt like being full, and I never got upset stomachs, because it has the word ‘upset’ in it and being upset didn’t make for a happy Blanc.

“Say, what makes you happy?” I asked the cotton candy maker, who I was sure made other food, but everything else paled in comparison to cotton candy. Well, cotton candy paled in comparison to fruit snacks. It’s all relative.

“Making food,” [insert guttural adjective here] the cafeteria worker.

“Great!” I waved finger guns at him. “Then that’s all you’ll be doing for the rest of your life! Hope you at least get a chance to eat what you make, but I don’t make the rules!”

“Yeah,” his face crinkled into a smile. “MAKING FOOD MAKES ME HAPPY!” He bellowed.

I took a bow.

“You’ll do great. I probably won’t see you again. I gotta meet up with a couple of friends, though there’s no telling how long that will take. Then some things will happen. Probably. Happy things I’m sure, because those are the kind of things I like to happen!”

I skipped off, cotton candy in hand, in search of Velvet and Coriander. As much as I wanted to cross their names off of my happiness list (which I never really conjured up, it was more of a mental list. Sure, I could have, but I wasn’t a big fan of work, and writing things down on a piece of paper was just too much work for this human-shaped happiness), something told me that they weren’t quite out of the woods. I put my finger (not the index finger, the happy one (obviously, the pinkie)) on my chin and got to thinking.

“Now, that whole artist thing sure created an ethical dilemma. One that I don’t want to boggle my mind with, but I’m going to have to figure this out one way or another.”

I had to think of that artist. Dr. Katsushika. She didn’t go by that name, at least not often, but that’s what it was. Or that’s what it would be if she went by that name. To be honest, I would have felt bad for Velvet, and doubly bad for Coriander. Sure, there were folks like that in The Flashbulb. Many more than those two faced, but there was only so much time in the void, even if time in the void didn’t quite exist. But I didn’t feel bad for them, because feeling bad wouldn’t have made me feel good. But that would have made me feel bad, if I could feel bad.

All that said, Dr. Katsushika didn’t quite make me feel good either. Retract that. Dr. Katsushika would have made me feel bad, if I could feel bad about anything. She wasn’t what I’d call someone who made others happy. Even if she liked that word almost as much as I did. When it came down to it, she was the ethical dilemma: if dying didn’t make her happy, but it put Coriander at peace, was that OK? On one hand, it was probably better if she had died, but on the other hand...happiness comes first.

“I knew it! I fuckin’ knew it! You can’t make everyone happy!” I stamped my foot. Then my left hand formed a mouth. Y’know, like a hand puppet.

“SURE YOU CAN! BOTH PARTIES DON’T HAVE TO BE HAPPY RIGHT AWAY!” My left hand told me. On the other hand...cotton candy.

Ah, yes. My Left Hand was right. It was all clear now that the pieces would soon come together. I just had to disregard any sort of ethical dilemma, disregard logical conclusions, and let things run their course. That course being a corrected one.

Hey! Would it come off as a surprise to say that I’ve had a hand in everything this whole time? Specifically, My Left Hand. More specifically, Euphy! Maybe a better question was: would it ruin the impact of everything that’s transpired? Hmm...probably. But it wasn’t like it was anything major, really. Euphy’s hands were long and could find their way anywhere. That said, most of my friends’ actions were their own and for the most part, I was hands-off. The best explanation I could give was that I tossed around a few metaphorical breadcrumbs here and there.

So with that out of the way, let’s just say that a few more breadcrumbs were about to snow down like dandruff.

Tick-tock, knick-knack, knock-knock.

Those were the sound effects made once my little bug found the correct door (and no, they were not behind door number three, but game shows really were the pinnacle of television). Of course, neither of them answered. All the better. As far as I figured, neither of them wanted to see me. Especially not the spice rack. Which, given what I put her through, was understandable.

All the same, thanks to all my spare time locked away from all the other Flashbulb employees, I once learned the fine art of lockpicking. Not to say that I could have just broken free of my enclosure any time I wanted to, but I sure was glad I learned the craft all the same. If not, I might not have gotten into their room.

Like a thief in the night (not that there was any sense of day or night in our headquarters), I slipped into their room. To my surprise, they both must have been heavy sleepers. There they were, hand in hand, holding each other close. Like still life models. It brought forth the urge to chuckle, something I had to surprise in order not to get caught. Even asleep, they continued to be an inspiration.

Oh. There would be questions.

“How did you survive? Didn’t I slam you into the floor and kill you?” The outraged, or horrified Coriander (the art formerly known as Mavis) would ask me.

I would smirk all smug, close my eyes, with my index finger (a very smart and astute finger, the one finger who puts the most work into every craft) pointed up, and then tell her:

“Simple: I created an android of myself to pull the strings while I watched in a hidden space. You really should have paid better attention. Not that it would have done you much good, as I had packs of blood stored up in the android set to spill out upon a fall. It’s true: I really do think of everything!”

She would probably yell and/or scream, “I HATE YOU,” and I wouldn’t know what to say to that. I had no smug remark. As far as I was concerned, she had every right to hate me, to wish me dead. Hell, I’d wager that she’d try to kill me all over again.

But alas, I was alive, and I’ve had my fill of both of them. I’ve painted so many paintings, and sent one of my little flies (microscopic robots) to scout out the area and find them for me. All in the span of time that they spent lovemaking. Yes, I knew about that too. But rest assured, I had my fly leave the room as soon as it went in. Say what you will about me, but I respected others’ privacy.

Case in point, I slipped underneath the bed. I was in no rush and the cold, metal floor was really quite comfortable. Those two also had all the time in the world. The problem was that their world didn’t have much time left. That was A-Okay, though. Because I told them I would help them and damn it, I meant it!

It wasn’t like I woke up between a rock and a hard place. In fact, the bed I was on was quite soft, and Coriander’s back was also quite soft. But even still, I felt like I was between an unstoppable force and an unmovable object; the unstoppable force being the comfort of being on a bed, and the unmovable object being my cute girlfriend who was currently asleep on top of me.

Well, if my time awake was time wasted, so be it. I couldn’t be any more satisfied knowing that I held in my arms both the one I loved, and the one who loved me. There was still a world to save, somewhere out there, with however much time it had left, but let’s face it: I was too tired. So I smiled as I stroked her back, then turned my head to fall asleep once more.

Whether sleep was for the weak or I was weak without sleep, one thing was clear: I didn’t get enough of it. Then again, how could I even tell? Trick question, I couldn’t. It was all a wild-ass guess based on how tired I still was. I was so tired that when I lifted my head, I didn’t have the strength to get up all the way, so I lowered my head back down onto Velvet’s chest. Big mistake that was. As soon as I did so, I felt a wet spot on my cheek and for a hazy moment, I thought nothing of it. Until I did. And started to freak out.

“Oh no! That’s drool! I drooled on her boob! She’s always saying I do that and I always say that I don’t do that but I just did! What am I supposed to do?” My words spilled out in a panic. Spilled out like drool. Ew. No. Stop.

I stared down. She was still asleep. I poked her cheek for good measure. Nothing.

“Okay. Good. I can use this to my advantage,” I mumbled. I could get a tissue from the bathroom. Wipe her boob down. Wait. What if that woke her up? Well shit, too late to consider that, I was already up and out of bed.

Ugh. What if she wakes up and notices and points it out and I wouldn’t have anything in my defense! I’d be caught drool handed. Ew. At least I’ll wash my hands.

I got into the bathroom and washed my hands. To my surprise, there was a stack of folded clothes on the counter right next to the sink.

“Was this here before?” I muttered. Well, I was too tired to think about it too hard. Maybe if I was less tired, I could have asked questions like, “is this an automatic feature of The Flashbulb’s technology?” or “was this here this whole time and I just didn’t notice?” and of course, the most important question would have been, “did someone sneak in here?”

But no. Call it stupidity, tiredness, or a lapse in logic, because I just took the clothes and put them on. They fit quite well. Not too tight, not too baggy. Really, if there was any complaint, it was how generic they looked. Plain white shirt and pants. Nothing much else to say. I wasn’t even sure why describing them at all was worth mentioning.

Once I left the room, clothed and cloth in hand, I froze in place. Lucidity took hold and all the thoughts I should have had weighed down on me as I stood face to face with the one I thought I had killed. The same one who put me through such torture.

“You…” I forced the words out. My blood was boiling, but I just couldn’t bring myself to move. “You can’t be here…” I was about to say, “...you aren’t real. You’re not here.” But the rest of my words didn’t come. I closed my eyes.

“Surprise! Bet you thought you’ve seen the last of me!” Her words rang through. No, there was no mistake: it was her.

I opened my eyes and looked around for something to use as a weapon. Not that it would have done me much good. I should have just kicked her face in and whaled on her, but for whatever reason, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Worse yet, I started to tremble where I stood.

“Really, this wasn’t how I expected our meeting to go down. I wanted to wait until both of you were awake, but maaaan, that Velvet is one heavy sleeper! You’re welcome for the clothes, by the way. Did you know that I’m quite the seamstress? Quite the tailor? It’s true! Just one of the many art forms I’ve learned throughout the years!”

I growled. That was all I could bring myself to do. I wanted to lose all control and beat her to a bloody pulp. I should have been allowed that after all that was done to me. She shouldn’t have been alive, she should have been dead. All the pain, everything she caused, and there she stood, without so much as a scratch.

“Huh? What’s going on?” Came a voice beside me. Hoarse and droned, but unmistakably Velvet’s. I looked over and when she saw who was there, she too got on the defensive.

“You! How...how did you get in here? For that matter, how are you alive?” Her voice changed to that of more serious and harsh in tone.

“Finally!” Dr. Popsicle grinned. “I’ve been waiting for someone to ask that! It’s simple, really, I –” The mad artist never got the chance to finish. Velvet shut her down quick.

“You know what? I really don’t care. It doesn’t matter how you’re still alive, but I won’t forgive you for what you’ve done to me or my girlfriend. So I’ll make sure to kill you this time.”

“Your girlfriend? Oh, congrats! You made it official!” Popsigirl chuckled. I managed to break free of whatever mental restraints were placed on my physical being. I began to charge at her and gave her a swift kick in the shin.

She seethed, but even in pain, managed to keep a smile. “Right...I deserve that,” she winced.

“Velvet!” I yelled. “Grab something to throw at her! No mercy!”

She gave me a nod in response and felt around, then grabbed a knife. Blessed. I continued the beat down as I shoved the artist to the floor and began to kick her repeatedly.

“I’ll kill you!” I yelled. After a few kicks, sure to at least bruise up her sides, she put a hand up in the air.

“Wait! Wait!”

I didn’t want to wait. How dare she tell me that?!

“You guys can kill me if you want, but you might want to think it over!”

“What?!” I stopped for whatever reason.

“OK. So. Imagine: you kill me, I’m on the floor. My body rots. The smell gets real bad. Either someone notices my body, ups the security and finds out who killed me, or, let’s say hypothetically, you manage to defeat the whole Flashbulb, which I can’t imagine you guys doing without my help. You’ll probably have to kill many others along the way, too, of course. All of those bodies, that smell, it all tends to add up. If you’re going to be stuck here for the rest of your lives, is that really what you want to walk around smelling all the time?”

Such drivel. As if she really believed she could weasel her way out with some loose logic that anyone could poke a hole into.

“Of course,” she went on. “You could dispose of the bodies. The question is, where and how.”

“Enough,” Velvet interrupted once again. “First off, what is this wet spot on my chest?”

Really? You’re really going to focus on that when we have more important things to worry about? Even still, I guess it would be bad on my part if I told her it was drool.

“It’s probably sweat. We were going at it pretty rough,” I told her.

“Ah, that makes sense,” Velvet replied, and I was saved.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t watch!” Popsigirl chimed in, much to my disgust.

“Second off!” Velvet hushed the intruder. Although I suppose as a whole, Velvet and I were the intruders. “Bold of you to assume I have a problem with the stench of death. Sure, I’d probably vomit every time I passed by a dead body, but I’d rather make that sacrifice than know someone like you would still be around to hurt the one I love.”

“Oof. Well, you raise a find argument. Some sacrifices may be necessary, after all. Gee, I’m getting a kick out of discussing these things with you! We could have some really creative debates!”

“Screw that,” Velvet spat. “It’s bold of you to even be in our presence right now!”

“That it is!” The art fanatic proclaimed. “And you two have every right to hate me.”

“Good, because we do,” I found my voice once more. Velvet nodded along.

“But even if that’s the case, I’d like to make it up to you guys. The way I see it, neither of you have much time left before your version of Earth is kaput. And if you just flail around the headquarters randomly, you’re never going to save anything. Hard truths, y’know?”

“Here’s a hard truth: you can’t make it up to us. I can only speak for myself, but even if it takes longer, even if I fail, I don’t want to stoop so low as to accept help from someone like you. Besides, you’ve already claimed to want to help us before, and I remember all too well how that went.”

Both of us were on the same page, but I started to feel a little mixed about it all. The whole reason I wanted to get to the headquarters was to exact revenge on the ones who made me who I was. Yes, I knew that the world was ending, but that wasn’t my main reason. But I knew there were better reasons to defeat them besides revenge, which Velvet had those better reasons, and yet she was willing to sacrifice them for my sake. Not only did I not deserve that, but if we had a chance…

No. I knew better than to think about that. The one in front of us was the one who had traumatized me, used both Velvet and I for her amusement. We had no reason to trust that someone like that could help us, and even if she could, I didn’t want to be in her presence. It hurt so much just to stand there. Worse, I was wearing clothes that she had made for me. Total red flags right there.

“I...I feel sick,” I said at last. “I’m going back into the bathroom.”

“What about dealing with the other person in the room?” Velvet pleaded.

Really, what about it?

“I trust you to make a decision,” I replied.

“But I don’t want to make a decision without you!” She called for me, but I already closed the door. I sounded so bitter even though I knew I wasn’t mad at Velvet. I just didn’t know what else to do. So I locked myself in until I felt safe enough to come back out.

Gee, things were going to be harder than I thought. Well, according to the ancient art of boxing, “sometimes you just gotta roll with the punches.” So that’s just what I did: I reached into my shirt and pulled out a pile of clothes. Voila! I threw them at Velvet and got into my most Serious Person impression.

“Put these on. You’re not modeling for one of my drawings, and besides, you two don’t wanna be running around the headquarters naked,” I commanded.

“I bet you have it rigged so the clothes have some kind of mind control or body control thing, or it’s got some explosives attached, or there’s tracking devices, or –”

“All good ideas,” I stopped Velvet from listing other things. “See? Even now you give me such good ideas! But no: they’re just clothes.”

She eyed me, but gave in all the same. As she did so, I decided to sit on the floor. Not to worry, it wasn’t to better enjoy the view, I just figured the floor was a good place to be. Once she was all dressed, I got back to business.

“Now, I don’t doubt your guys’ resilience, you two displayed it quite well back there,” I chuckled. “But as I said, you can’t just run around and hope for the best. That’s even worse than how others have tried to overthrow us in the past, and their organized efforts didn’t pan out well. Do you know why?”

She said nothing, but continued to glare.

“It’s because everyone could see them coming, so just as the groups were prepared, so too was the company. Which meant they could hire all the guards, janitors, death squads, you name it. Traps and gadgets, weaponry beyond your comprehension. No offense, of course, but the only thing you two got going for you is that no one sees you as a threat. Sure, you had guards after you, and they saw you as intruders, but after you fell down and into my domain, everyone just walked on and figured I killed you guys.”

Still no response. Well, I had more to say, so good.

“But really, it’s a matter of time. The more it seems you have a chance of winning, the less of a chance you actually have. I mean, you don’t think there’s cameras in this room? And listening devices? You’re lucky I’ve disabled them, but still, there’s bound to be other cases where such things weren’t disabled, and you two were caught sneaking in a room or two. Hmm?”

“I get that evil monologues are what you guys are good at, but can you just get to your point?” At last! Velvet spoke! Hurrah!

“What you guys need to do is simple: just run up to the front of the ship, say that it’s been taken over, and do so before your guys’ world is destroyed. Easy enough, right?” I may have skipped a few steps in my head, but she did want me to get to the point, so really, that was on her.

“How did you get to that conclusion?” Velvet sounded baffled as all heck, which was baffling to me, to be baffled at all.

“Because I’ll take care of the rest! See, once you get up to the ship, either they don’t take you seriously at all, or they see you as an actual threat, and if it’s the latter, they’re going to want to throw everything at you. But if they can’t get a signal to contact any guards or anything, they won’t have anything to throw at you. Meanwhile, I’ll be organizing various Flashbulb members to revolt and we’ll open up portals and kick the guards into those. It’s really funny that we had a Morale Department seeing as worker morale here isn’t very high.”

“I see. And the guards won’t overpower the workers because…? I doubt the ones in front care all that much about killing their own in order to maintain power.”

“Ah! Yes! Power! See? That’s something I didn’t think about! Aren’t I glad I have you around?”

She growled. Sheesh, I expected that from the other one, not the velvety person.

“The Flashbulb’s hierarchy goes as follows: the workers, the scientists in the departments, and then the Grandmaster Flash. Everyone answers to Grandmaster Flash, except I’ll let you in on a little secret: there is no Grandmaster Flash. There never has been a Grandmaster Flash.”

“So what? It’s a conspiracy within an organization shrouded in conspiracy theories?”

I snapped my fingers. “Bingo! But also, it’s not the wisest of decisions! See, it was born from a rumor spread by those at the front of the headquarters. Apparently they got together and wanted to get out of work, so told the other departments something like, ‘Grandmaster Flash says I don’t have to do anything.’ At first, the others must have been confused, but as the rumor spread, the ones at the front cleared up the manner by saying, ‘Grandmaster Flash is secretive and makes all of the decisions. Maybe if one of your departments is really good, you will be recognized and one of you will become the next Grandmaster Flash.’ But yeah, it’s a con to keep everyone working hard and to allow the ones at the front to do whatever they want!”

Her eyes widened. Good. She was catching on.

“So basically, if we want to defeat them, we just gotta get them to admit that there’s no leader?”

...Swing and a miss. I rolled on the floor.

“No, silly! Instead, just say ‘we’ve taken out your leader’ or something. That will make them take you guys a little more seriously. And then, when they call for backup and nothing comes, bingo! You’ll have them pissing their pants and I’ll be laughing at them from afar!”

“That still sounds really far-fetched and way too convenient. And besides, how can we even trust you to follow through on your end and do all those things?”

“Good point! You can’t trust me! For all you know, I could rat you guys out and watch your downfall! That’s the poetic nature of all this! Such revolutions like this really are a work of art!”

Velvet shook her head. “This doesn’t sound good, no matter how hard you explain. The fact that you’re even alive…”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” I sighed. “You want me rolling in my grave instead of on the floor, which, there are no graves here, so why would I be?”

“You did all those things, unrepentant –”

“What can I say? An artist should never apologize for their art.”

“Good,” Velvet crossed her arms. “Because here’s another hard truth: I will never forgive you. No one is obligated to forgive you for the things that you’ve done to them and the sooner you learn that, the easier life will be.”

“Duly noted. But don’t you worry! You don’t have to actively work with me or anything. Just run to the front and say that you’re overthrowing the whole organization, and I’ll do the rest.”

“You say that, but…”

“...Or...you two can run around naked and get killed a horrible death and fail miserably in your mission. Choice is yours, really.”

“I don’t want to do this. If I do, it will feel like I’ve gone against Coriander. If I can find another way, with her, I will.”

As she said that, the one and only spice girl (in the void. Not to discount the infinite amount of spice girls out there across an infinite amount of universes. Also not to discount the infinite amount of Spice Girls, either. I was particularly fond of the version of them where they put out an EDM Folk Death Metal album. Truly ahead of their time) stepped out of the bathroom.

“Let’s just do it, Velvet,” Coriander announced in a dull and lifeless tone. “If there’s more of a chance with this, I’d rather go with it.”

I put my hand on my chest and smiled. So it seems I was forgiven after all! Good! Even though when I looked over at Coriander, her face looked like it was filled with hate and sadness, but I’d take what I could get.

“Now!” I took one good look at the both of them. “Before you two start running off, perhaps you’d like to know how much time you have left.”

“Don’t we have plenty of time, though?” Velvet objected. “Seeing as time doesn’t flow the same here, plus all those time travel devices. I think we’re allowed to take our time, given all that.”

“You’re going to apply logic to a sci-fi setting? What’s wrong with you?” I countered. “I’m sure you can understand how things work if you think about it for more than a few seconds.”

Velvet groaned, Coriander grunted. They must have understood once I said that: time still flowed down on their version on Earth, and maybe even at a faster rate than in here.

“For all you know, your Earth could already be destroyed,” I added. “And you can turn back time, that would just make an alternate Earth, which means there would already be a Velvet occupying there, and…”

“Okay, okay, I get it,” Velvet grit her teeth.

“So in order to figure out how things are going down there, I’ll send my little bug to see if there’s anyone I can talk to! That way I can confirm that there’s at least some people still alive, and that they can tell me what the situation’s like!”

I put a little earbud in my ear, then sent one of my little bugs out from my pocket and watched as it warped away, using a built in fragment of a time cube, and waited until it found someone. After a little while, I heard the bug beep. That was my cue.

“Hey! Is anyone still alive on this planet?!” I yelled, as I had no idea how loud I should have been.

“Oh, just little old me,” a voice on the other end came up. I just about jumped for joy! There was life! And with a pleasant voice like that person’s (a soothing mix of baritone, treble, and alto), it seemed like my two muses were in luck.

“Hi there! Yes! This little thing I sent down was one of my art projects! Good to see it was a success!” My heart was racing so fast I could have entered it in a horse race, except hearts weren’t horses. Not unless you did some genetic experimentation, but that was neither here nor there.

“If only I got to hear this conversation from your memories,” he crooned. It really got me thinking: did he know who I was already? Well, I didn’t even know if the voice was a ‘he’, but I just figured such a disembodied voice being a ‘he’ would have been a nice thought, and then I started thinking about how I might have gone about drawing that. Oh, but I was getting distracted once again.

“Then I could see who you are and what your motive was. I could even taste you, just a little,” ‘he’ continued. While some may have found that to be just a bit creepy, I imagined ‘he’ must have thought of me to be a mix of paints.

“Yes! That would be so artistic! Maybe it could mix together at once like a collage!” My excitement might have been showing a little too much. Restraint, too, was an art.

“Where did you send this little bug down from?” ‘He’ asked, which seemed obvious enough to me where I sent it from. Maybe obvious to ‘him’ as well, if ‘he’ called my art project a ‘little bug.’

“I think you know already!” I replied, still with as much cheer as before. Restraint never was my strong suit.

There was a pause before either of us said anything else, so maybe I should have just cut to the chase.

“Are you really the only one left?” I asked. “How’s the situation on Earth?”

The voice on the other end came in once more:

“There were many booties a clappin’,” spoken in a sing-song voice. “But yes, I may be the only one left. There might be a few others. Not sure. Probably won’t last long, though. I’d give it...what? A few more months? A year? Then everything, so happy it could all die.”

“Oh, that sounds so beautiful!” I would’ve been this person’s biggest fan had I been down on that version of Earth and in that specific period in time. “Say it again!”

“It does, doesn’t it?” My next source of inspiration agreed.

“But! And this is a big but!” I had to get myself back on track, else I’d be in awe the entire conversation.

“...You cannot lie?”

“I can’t! One of the greatest artistic achievements! Aha! I am among a true scholar! Oh! But I didn’t go on! See, I’ve got a couple of muses with me who would like to possibly save Earth. Think there’s any way they can do that?”

“Let’s say I could pull a few strings. Buy some time.”

“Great!”

“But, and this is a big booty, I can only delay it for so long. If your pals can’t do anything soon, then I’m afraid my hands are tied.”

“Sounds good! I’ll let them know! They’ll be so excited! Hold on just a sec!”

I put my hand over my ear and said to Velvet and Coriander.

“So someone on Earth says you’ve got time, and could even buy you guys some more time! Isn’t that great!?”

Whether they were excited or my imagination was telling them that they were, I was excited enough just to tell them the good news. Then I uncovered my hand and spoke once more to the jolly fellow.

“Hey! Hey! I’m still here, are you?”

“Indeed, good friend. I have a feeling you and I would get along quite well. Which means I would probably not get along with you at all. But if only I could have found out.” Gee, what a friendly person. Like a star-crossed friend that I never would have met, because if there was anywhere on Earth I’d have wanted to go, it would have been back in Japan, with my father.

“That’s okay! There’s artistic merit in mystery! Leaves some for the imagination!” I assured the good-natured spirit.

“Well, before you depart, I just want to ask a favor of you.”

“Sure!”

“If you could give me an audience, that would be great. I think I’m done being in the shadows. It’s gotten quite boring. So, I would like it if I could speak with others.”

I thought about it. I could already do quite a bit with disabling communications, so opening up a line of communication didn’t seem too hard, either.

“Not a problem!” I assured ‘him’.

‘He’ laughed hysterics. “It’s good to know I had your permission, given I already had the ability to do so.”

“Oh, you sly devil!”

Then, without so much as a good-bye (although I’ve had worse phone conversations), my little bug left and within a few moments, had returned to me.

With that out of the way, I took the earbud out and grinned.

“So basically, you’re already pretty close to the front of the headquarters! I suggest you get going, because it’s hard to tell how long you guys have even after all that! All I can tell you is that there is still hope!”

Velvet and Coriander looked at each other, put on their shoes, then were about to get going. But before Velvet left the room, she turned to me.

“Why are you doing this?” She asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. “I just started thinking that even though art has been my life ever since I was a child, if I have to hurt others to make art, then maybe I should find a different path.”

“That’s good, but that still doesn’t absolve anything you’ve done,” she spoke in a low tone.

“I wouldn’t count on it!” I grinned.

“Maybe the right question I should be asking is this: just who were you before you joined The Flashbulb?”

I shrugged once again. I wasn’t good at being concise, but I’d try.

“Also an artist. Someone’s daughter. Something like that. Hey, I have a favor to ask you and you don’t have to accept, but I just thought of it!”

“Yes?”

“If you ever figure out who I was on Earth, please don’t think of the other versions of me as evil. My actions are my own.”

Velvet nodded. I wasn’t sure if that was her agreeing to my favor or not, but both Velvet and Coriander left at that, without so much as another word. I looked out the door and watched the two run off, then I went back in. It was time for me to do what I did best.

#happiness overload #scifi #writing #stories #cotton candy #finality #the end of all things

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rakuyokoyo · 4 years

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Heroes:Rising Notes - Deku and Kacchan

My BNHA story, TBE, is currently on hold. However, I am planning on releasing a Heroes:Rising oneshot on FanFiction.net with my OC incorporated in it.

It’s been almost two weeks since I’ve last seen the movie but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it so I’m going to write a series of notes + reviews on Tumblr, as well as an eventual oneshot (story acronym will be T:B).

[MAJOR SPOILERS—this post will spoil the entire movie!]

I don’t ship BakuDeku in BNHA (or any other pair except KamiJiro) but Heroes:Rising will definitely be a treat for those who do and for those like me who simply love their rivalry.

—

[Climax Transcript] (note: I’ve never learned Japanese so the translations may not be 100% accurate).

B: Bakugo, D: Deku, YB: Younger Bakugo, YD: Younger Deku, N: Nine

B: “This will be the end of your dreams.” D: “That’s fine. There’s no other choice. And even if it’s All Might, he would say that it’s okay [to pass down One for All] if it’s you. ...If it’s you, who shared the secret with me... if it’s you who’s always admired the same person as me... if it’s you—”

YB: “All Might really is cool!” YD: “He’s a really... cool hero!”

YB: “No matter how bad of a pinch, in the end he always—” B: “—I will win!” YD: “No matter how many people are in need of help... with a smile—” D: “I will save!”

N: “Don’t make me laugh!” D: “Detroit... smash!” N: “What... what is that power?! Don’t stand in my path!” D: “Let’s go, Kacchan!” B: “Huh? Don’t order me around!”

[Fight continues]

D: “This will be my final... my final... SMASH!”

D: Goodbye... One for All... thank you.

This is pretty bare-boned considering the sakuga, pacing, and soundtrack makes these lines quite epic, but I really wanted to break down the first few lines as well as Deku’s last inner monologue.

—

‘Deku’ and ‘Kacchan’: There’s been a lot of rumours on Twitter/Tumblr on what Bakugo says to Deku with some of it blown way out of proportion or just simply untrue (though I have heard that the novelization of the script may be more BakuDeku heavy. I do have the book with me but there’s no furigana, so I unfortunately can’t translate it).

But the first line that Bakugo says, “This will be the end of your dreams” really got to me in the theatre. I may be self-projecting, but I think it’s a line that’s both accurately culminated their relationship thus far as well as an acknowledgement of Deku by Bakugo.

I absolutely love the latter simply because he’s one of the most consistently-written characters I’ve seen in anime who’s not just a mindless, senseless jerk, which makes his growth very organic and fun to watch.

What’s significant about that line is that if he really doesn’t care about Deku (and objectively speaking, there really hasn’t been a lot of moments in the canon where he’s shown to care for Deku’s wellbeing—only a gritty rivalry), he wouldn’t care about the fact that he got One for All.

I’m not quite sure if Bakugo’s ever expressed his desire to get One for All, but I’d argue that he wouldn’t want it because he wants to surpass All Might, which is something that the non-canon character, Tokuda Taneo, also echoed in the recap episode of Season Four. Basically, Bakugo is the type of person to say ‘I don’t need your stupid power because I’m going to be the best hero with my strength alone’. The voice actors of Midoriya and Bakugo have also noted that their fight at the end of Season Three was due to a series of ‘why’ questions from Bakugo: why was I the one who ended All Might? Why am I now chasing the back of someone who was always behind me? Was the way that I admired All Might wrong? (I will be writing a separate note on this episode in the future).

But what changed with the line “This will be the end of your dreams” is that there’s a lot of hidden nuance behind it. This is solely my opinion, but in the movie it felt like Bakugo was (1) acknowledging Deku as his rival, (2) feeling sorry that his dream has ended in this manner, (3) pitying him instead of absolute loathing, like he usually does.

The reason why I believe this to be true is because the first half of the movie opens up a lot with Bakugo watching Deku and really seeing what he’s like as a person who aims to ‘save to win’. He eavesdrops on a conversation between Deku and Katsuma (the little boy), a scene that does a really good job portraying the type of person that the hero Deku is. He’s empathetic, patient, understanding, and kind to someone that Bakugo can get irritated by, and this impatience is almost fatal later when Bakugo almost hangs up on Mahoro when the villains attack, thinking it’s another prank. Basically, the first part of the movie does a good job showing both the audience and Bakugo what sort of person Deku really is.

That line is basically saying ‘I may not like you, but I’ve seen you grow up next to me. I know how much you wanted this and how hard you’ve worked for it—that’s why you’re my rival, no matter how much I despise you. But this isn’t how I want to see your dream end.’

There’s no love lost between the two but just that one line made me positive that Bakugo was fully willing to work with Deku (something he’s either always refused to do or has done so extremely begrudgingly) not simply because Nine was too powerful, but because the entire premise of the movie and Deku’s decision to end his dream just to save Katsuma has once again shown that his once Quirkless, crybaby of a childhood friend really is a hero that he must acknowledge as well.

He knows this wasn’t an easy decision to make and one done out of pure desperation, but the interesting thing is that he asks this question after the power has already been transferred.

As if to ask, ‘Do you really think I can have this, even if it means that your dream will end?’

More surprising to me was how quickly and affirmatively Deku is willing to pass OfA to him. Over the series, he’s said multiple times of how unlikeable Bakugo can be, but he was the person who he respected the most growing up, because Bakugo was someone great that was always near him, unlike All Might.

“If it’s you, I trust that you’ll be able to recognize both our dreams.”

Deku doesn’t even give Bakugo a chance to hesitate, quickly listing out all the reasons why he was willing to hand down One for All—and his dream—to his childhood friend.

I don’t think the movie showed a lot of new sides for Deku, but that one line from Bakugo really made me feel that he cared for his childhood friend in an unexpected or different way than other typical shonen rivalries. It’s different from Kageyama/Hinata’s in Haikyuu!!, or the brother-like relationship between Sasuke and Naruto, or the one between Asta and Yuno in Black Clover, where both sides acknowledge their strengths even if others don’t.

Deku has fought so hard for so long, chasing something impossible despite all odds and actually gained the opportunity to realize his dreams. He’s gone through every roadblock, none of which were easy or handed to him, and deep down, I think Bakugo’s always acknowledged this. But I think it’s only from this fight that can really see that he needs Deku.

All Might told them that they will become the greatest heroes if they can both win to save, and save to win. I’m not sure about Deku, but the ‘save to win’ part probably never registered in Bakugo until he began to see Midoriya as a true rival.

But now, with this seemingly endless fight, Bakugo is about to witness his other half—as a friend, a rival, and as heroes—take his final stand. But unlike Kamino, he can fight with the person that he respects this time, rather than just watching from afar like he had to with All Might.

—

Heroes:Rising was emotional for me for many different reasons, but this line really got to me (although I will once again say that I may just be projecting my own feelings). The rivalry between Midoriya and Bakugo has always been filled with so much conflicting feelings such as envy, pride, antipathy, fear, admiration, and rejection (All Might, chapter 63), but this fight felt like those emotions could now culminate into one of pity, acknowledgement, rivalry, trust, equals, and acceptance. Which made the fight even more bittersweet for me.

Thanks for reading this stupidly long post—it’s been on my mind for days now and I just had to spit it out somewhere. I don’t know if I could even call them ‘friends’, but I really love watching their relationship grow in unexpected ways.

My next note will be on Kamino vs. Heroes:Rising.

#bnha #mha #deku #bakugou #bakugo #heroesrising #movie #tbenotes #tbe #hrnotes #bakudeku #midoriya #kacchan

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jaimetheexplorer · 5 years

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Oh, let’s go back to the start

WARNING: negative review ahead!

Game of Thrones is over, and it’s never coming back.

I think many viewers all over the world thought that once this day came, they would wish they could do it all over again because boy, what a great journey it was. Or they would be eager to rewatch the whole show and look out for all the little clues they missed and revisit characters and storylines they might not have previously paid attention to.

Instead, most of us are left with a bitter taste in our mouth, and many of us are left wondering why we even bothered investing our time and emotional energy (not to mention money) in the first place. This is because the final season of Game of Thrones did not make fans wish they could go back to the start and do it all again, but, rather, took many of the plots and characters people knew and loved back to their start, at best, if not to an even worse place.

Game of Thrones changed television as we know it, but this has never been a flawless show. Plot holes and questionable adaptations had been criticized for many years. Book readers in particular have been very vocal about the quality (or lack thereof) of the show’s writing. Yet I feel people kept coming back to see how it all would end, because, surely, the endgame would still be worth the investment.

Season 8 then came. Much criticism can be raised to the first half of season 8 for having wrapped up the Night King/fantasy storyline too quickly and with almost nothing in the way of explanation. While I understood and shared some of that grievance, I also thought that it was perhaps not that overwhelmingly disappointing, and that it could make some sense from a narrative and logistic perspective. Little did I know, however, as the credits rolled on the third episode of the season, that that instalment was symptomatic of a much more dangerous problem that was just around the corner, which would butcher most of what people loved about this story that had been built up so slowly across years (i.e. its characters), at lightning speed, in the remaining episodes.

From a character perspective, at least the deaths in the battle of Winterfell were mostly well earned and actually wrapped up their characters’ arcs in a meaningful way. Jorah died protecting his Khaleesi. Theon died protecting the home he helped destroy, fulfilling his redemption. Lyanna died taking down a giant. Melisandre died after having fulfilled her purpose. Edd died to protect one of his best friends. Beric died to protect Arya so she could save humanity. While Jon and Dany were not the saviours of mankind, like everyone expected them to be, they were still instrumental in helping humans to victory; Jon having done all the work to bring together almost the entire continent to fight the threat and Dany providing valuable help with her dragons and armies. Underwhelming, perhaps, but it didn’t damage any character.

I never expected things to go smoothly afterwards. I enjoyed the political tensions between Jon, Dany and Sansa and was looking forward to seeing Dany become greyer as she struggled in a different continent and with competition. I knew Jaime was going to be in King’s Landing again at some point, to wrap up his storyline, and wouldn’t just shack up in bliss with Brienne for the entire rest of the season. I knew beloved characters would probably die (even though I had hopes for several, not just mine). But I did not expect that, from episode 4, the story would begin spiralling into a cruel, sadistic and nihilistic mess that would continue until the very end and spare almost no character that wasn’t named Stark. Nearly all the evolution, all the progress, all the journeys that people kept coming back for, year after year, were invalidated in the span of three episodes, bringing them back to square one, if not worse.

Jon, assassinating his aunt/lover, broken by the fight and taking a black for which we don’t even understand the need for anymore. Dany, her long journey to Westeros ending with being murdered by her nephew/lover for having gone from grey to Mad Queen in the space of two episodes. Jaime, apparently accepting that all these years have only taught him that his true self is a hateful man, obsessed only with his sister to the point of destroying anything that is good, pure and innocent and does not deserve to be caught up in their mess. Brienne, essentially ends up right back where she started, serving in a celibate order after learning that love is not not meant to last for women like her and failing to prevent the death of the man she loved (and having to write her rejection down, to add insult to injury). Cersei, trying to pass off Jaime’s child as someone else’s, her prophecy discarded completely and facing no comeuppance for her actions. Missandei, freed from chains to end up executed in chains. Sandor, dying in the fire that traumatized him his entire life. And even the ones who did not face bitter endings did not move much from where they either started or had been for a long time: Tyrion (who lost much of his charm and intelligence this season just to watch the world burn around him) and Davos ended up in the same sort of advisory position they were in all along.

The ending was advertised as a bittersweet, Lord of the Rings type ending, but there was a lot more bitterness than there was sweetness in this. Especially when it comes to romance. Rarely is life so cruel to couples, and the only sweetness was reserved for Sam and Gilly, who everyone knew had been safe for years and who, let’s face it, never elicited particularly strong emotional investment from anybody to qualify as a payoff.

Sansa came out perhaps the strongest in the end, which is well deserved. But this was not just the Sansa story. There were a dozen other plots and characters people cared about, and they almost all were served a fate that made you feel like there had been no point in their journeys all along. And for a show that wanted to subvert expectations (!!!1!1!), it ended ticking the most predictable boxes in terms of characters fates: all the bad guys are dead (and the one “good guy” that died broke bad in order to justify her assassination), all the redemptive characters are dead too, and only the good guys are left.

So here we are, at the end of the biggest show of all time, with an ending that retroactively ruined most of what made it so big in the first place and left little room for excitement, if any.

The sad thing is that all of this was easily avoidable. When people say that delivering an ending that satisfies everyone is impossible, that is very true, especially for a show with such high expectations. But delivering an ending that disappoints nearly everyone, is actually equally as hard, if not harder, and yet... they managed to achieve it.

Finishing a story is never easy, but I think the important thing to keep in mind is that what makes people stick with a series is the journey they are taken on (especially when they are asked to invest years of their lives into a story). If the journey starts to suck, that’s when you lose numbers. So if you have a good enough journey, with all the ups and downs and angst and drama you like, which makes people stick with it for years, you’ve accomplished 90% of the task. The ending is just the icing on the cake and it needs to provide a payoff that is consistent with that journey and does not make the audience feel like they never want to eat what’s underneath that icing ever again.

This does not mean handing out fanservice left and right. But there’s a difference between succumbing to fanservice and destroying literally everything that made people come back for more and that the story had been building up towards. There’s a difference between fanservice and delivering an ending that is unpredictable not because it emerged from a subtle thread woven within the story that was always present if only people paid attention, but because it came out of nowhere and/or had little to no buildup within the story, and/or went in the completely opposite direction to where the buildup was pointing towards.

I see some complaints about the criticism this season is receiving saying people are too emotional about it and therefore not being objective. And yes! Of course people get emotional about stories! What kind of writer doesn’t want people to become emotionally invested in their story, and just see it as a giant, sterile, plot-driven spectacle? This is why humans are attracted to stories in the first place! And this is particularly true of a story like ASOIAF which is entirely built upon the concept of character perspective. This is why, while slow, the first two episodes were still highly rated: they were character-driven. This is why, despite The Long Night being criticized for an underwhelming conclusion to the WWs storyline, it was not even remotely near the huge dealbreaker the last three episodes were for the audience. That is because The Long Night disappointed in wrapping up the plot, while the rest of the season crashed the characters. I feel like D&D’s never really understood how crucial character-driven perspective was (they didn’t even remember Sam was a major POV character!) and so wrote the show as a sterile, shocking, plot-driven spectacle that eventually made people sick due to the total lack of care with which the characters they know and love were handled.

And let’s stop pretend that misery and nihilism at all costs is “adult storytelling” while hope and a sense of fulfilment is for children. Adults need hope too, perhaps more than children, because we know just how tough life can be, whereas children often don’t. Dramas can be great tools to show how people face and overcome tragedies and conflict, find the silver linings and some comfort in the chaos, even if things ultimately don’t end the way they expected they would at the start. All Game of Thrones has shown us, in the end, is how people fail and how little changes. No matter how hard the journey, no matter the effort, no matter the loss, most of these beloved characters might as well never have set off on their journeys at all, given the results.

While this kind of storytelling can work and be compelling for a single season, or a single book, or a single movie, once you ask people to invest years of their lives, you will never land the ending with this last minute, bait-and-switch approach.

So who wants go back to the start, now, and rewatch the story of these characters once again, knowing most of them end back to square one? Who thinks that it was worth the journey, if we end up exactly where we started? I certainly don’t.

#game of thrones #game of thrones meta #review #this is the end

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chanagun · 4 years

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top 5 bl asian mlm dramas / series and 5 honorable mentions you would recommend

tagged by the real mvp @bl-archer <3

1. HIStory3: Trapped (Taiwan, 2019)

I’m a big fan of all the HIStory series, but this one takes the cake. Despite the extraordinary circumstances that bring Shao Fei and Tang Yi together, their relationship is so realistic to me. Problems arise and are solved with proper communication. The storylines outside of the romance are WILD and I love a crime series. Just an all-around great watch. (My Incorrect Quotes series started with the crime gays)

2. He’s Coming to Me (Thailand, 2019)

I watched this show way after it actually aired, so I got to binge it all at once. Singto is an adorable bunny and I loved seeing him in a role opposite someone unexpected. Which bring me to Ohm; he impressed me so much with this series. I never actually watched Make It Right (?) but I was not expecting him to blow me out of the water with this performance. The series was such an odd concept to me going in, and the ending could have been done in a bittersweet way and I would have been a-okay with it, but overall, this series was amazing. And of course, the portrayal of the lgbtq+ community really set the bar for other series to come. He’s Coming to Move proved that shows don’t have to pander to fujoshis (ugh) in order to make a ‘good’ show.

3. Until We Meet Again (Thailand, 2019)

This show also did a really good job at also portraying the lqbtq+ community currently (casually in the present and hidden in the past) and it just hits so different. The show ripped my heart out, helped heal me, and also gave me a wonderful amount of fluff AND comedy. Another of my favorite parts of this show are all the friendships! I want to see these college kids having fun and hanging out AND search through family secrets and dissect the existence of reincarnation.

4. 2moons2 (Thailand, 2019)

The first ever thai drama I watched was the original 2moons (hence my url lol), so after sifting through the garbage fire that was the process of making this second series, I think it was well worth it. The real scene-stealers are MingKit (JoongNine are adorable and I really love them and their friendship) and we finally got the ForthBeam we deserved. Some downsides are that I really stopped caring for PhaYo, but if you can tough it out, I think it’s worth it.

5. SOTUS (Thailand, 2016)

Okay, so, objectively, sotus is not a great show. But it is another of the shows that hold a special place in my heart. The show’s cast has some real superstars (Singto, Off, GUNSMILE THE LOVE OF MY LIFE), gave me a hint of a wlw lady, and gave me my most favorite ship PremWad. Am I known as the premwad lady? I feel like that’s my ultimate goal in life. This show is mainly on the actual top five list because after ages of not writing, premwad revitalized me with the inspiration I needed to get back to it originally.

Honorable Mentions

HIStory3: Make Our Days Count (Taiwan, 2019); would be higher if not for the ending (if you disregard the last episode, its a phenomenal series)

Dark Blue Kiss (Thailand, 2019); I’m not going to lie, I jumped onto this series for MorkSun and they did not disappoint

HIStory2: Crossing the Line (Taiwan, 2018); would absolutely be a must-watch if I could do more than 5 (but that step-brothers thing knocked it down to honorable mention)

Why R U (Thailand, 2020); SaifahZon owns my entire heart. Obviously the whole Novel thing and the fact Zol exists is why this show isn’t up higher. If anyone needs some links to this show with all the fujoshi shit cut out, let me know because I made that

2gether (Thailand, 2020); since this show is still airing, we can never know if it will suddenly become terrible, but just know it is ramping up to being Numero Uno. Not only is it another show that is great with inclusion regarding lgbtq+, Bright and Win are my lifeblood when it comes to being Intellectuals and making my own queer heart swoon

I’m tagging @kxrn7knxck and @weilongfu (even though you both already do reviews, it’s still pretty fun)

#annie rambles #this took longer than expected because i tried harder than expected #lmfao #tag games

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walkingshcdow-a · 4 years

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Hey, sorry to bother! I wanted to ask if you had any advice on how to write angst. It's probably what I struggle most with, and I really enjoy your writing and how you write yours. Thank you!

Hi! Sorry for the delay - you’re not at all a bother! I don’t know if you saw my post when I received this, but I was waiting on a copy of one of my favorite writing advice books before answering your question because it has been my guidebook to writing angst and when I went to reference it, I realized I’d left my copy on campus or at my parents’ house. But before I get into all that, I want to thank you for reading and enjoying my angst writing! I know I haven’t messed with angst in a while (since January 2020, suspiciously…) so it will be good to refresh my memory as to what I believed does and does not make good angst. Like all my writing advice, you can take it or leave it.

Let’s get started!

So the first thing to remember is that good angst (indeed, good writing) is rooted in character and character emotions. Secondly, all characters feel all feelings over the course of a lifetime to some degree* but that those emotions will manifest very differently in two different characters, or even in the same character under different circumstances. Some people will tell you to use an emotions wheel and be done with it.

But that does you no good if you don’t understand the nuanced difference between “resentful” (which is under “angry” feelings) and “hurt” (which is under “sad” feelings) or don’t see how anger and sadness can overlap to create both these feelings in the character(s) you’re writing. It also doesn’t help that I can stand over here, screaming until I’m blue in the face, that my character is sad, but if my writing lacks authenticity and freshness, I’m telling the reader how my character feels, not showing them. There is, of course, a place for telling - sometimes you need a shorthand filler sentence, especially when outlining. So, what can you do?

If you go on Amazon right now, you can order a cheap, used Ann Hood’s “Creating Character Emotions”. (A new copy will run you about $24, but used copies are being sold for under $2!). I am neither Ann Hood nor a paid spokesperson for her, however, this book has been my writing bible. Full disclosure: I usually skip the first part of the book. The intro and first part are worth reading a small handful of times, but it’s when Hood gives you writing workshops on each emotion that you get your money’s worth. Each chapter in the second section of the book is divided into four parts: an introduction/reflection on the emotion being discussed, “Bad Examples” where she shows you what not to do and why, “Good Examples” from published literature that showcase the emotion and why they work, and lastly, writing exercises and objectives. I still use these exercises to this day as a crutch when I haven’t seen a character experiencing a particular type of emotion and I want to know what he or she would look like feeling a certain way. I used an exercise from the section on “Anger” to showcase my OC, Masha’s, fury at being relied on by her 4-6 siblings (have I ever specified how many she has? No…) as an extra parent and source of financial support as well as her jealousy that her youngest sister, who she regards as being selfish and immature, is having a baby before she does and that she’d kept secrets from her ten years ago and was now telling her that she hadn’t confided in Masha sooner because Masha would have been judgmental, which then fed into Masha’s anger being towards herself for having played a part in the dysfunction of their relationship. Is it my most angsty piece? No, but it was a great character dive and it allowed me to explore other feelings that nestle within “anger” (as well as “sadness”, “fear”, “badness”, and “disgust”). I’ve used these exercises this way to generate some really awesome angst in the past and I actually plan to use some of the exercises with my creative writing students in the fall.

What if you don’t want to order a book?

That’s fine! But here are some takeaways from it that have taught me to be a better writer of angst (and of many things) over the years:

Emotions are like nesting dolls - there are always more on the inside than you see on the surface. You could (though I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it) have a character say, “I’m mad!” but if you opened her up, you’d see that she’s frustrated things didn’t go her way and jealous someone else was promoted instead and worried what it’ll mean for her family if she doesn’t make more money than she does now and she’s, at the heart of it, wondering if she’s even good enough. Characters, like people, aren’t always self-aware enough to pinpoint exactly what they’re feeling and why to say it out loud (or even in first-person narration) without being somewhat unreliable. You, however, are the author. You have to know as many of the layers as you can and you have to get it across to the reader without saying “Actually, she was feeling frustrated and jealous about the other person’s promotion and scared that she won’t make enough to support her family and worried that she isn’t good enough.” That’s a laundry list, not good writing. You want to instead show emotion through action and fresh language/imagery. What can your character do to show his feelings? Say you’re writing a funeral scene. A man’s wife has died and he is very sad. If you have him throw himself on the casket, weeping, you’ve shown some action, but is it the most appropriate one for that character? Or is it just another cliche? In my fic, “Kiss of Death”, Nadir Khan awakens to find Erik, who has been his best friend and almost-lover, has passed away in the night. It is only in Erik’s death that Nadir knows his kisses will not distress Erik and it is only now that they can never have the conversation of “So, what are we?” that Nadir finally knows the answer. He kisses Erik and buries him himself, saying “Au revoir, mon amour”, mimicking canon dialogue upon their last parting in Persia (“Au revoir, mon ami”) to show the change in the relationship. Nadir is a practical man, somewhat serious, but kind and loving and also religious. It wouldn’t make sense for such a man to throw himself onto Erik’s casket and weep. But it makes sense for him to conduct the funeral himself and to say bittersweet farewell - and one that indicates he believes he will see Erik again in the next life. What can your characters say or do that is unique to them? The less “emotion language” (re: “Nadir was sad. Nadir missed Erik. Nadir was angry. Nadir regretted not saying he loved Erik sooner.” Yikes. Who are you trying to convince: your reader or yourself?) the better.

The second thing that comes to mind is often fresher and more interesting and more accurate than the first. A lot of times, we’ve been conditioned to think in cliches. And cliches make great placeholders, but when you edit, think about ways you could say it better, more specifically, and more emotionally. You want to use fresh language and imagery! Don’t be scared to let a paragraph or a story sit with you until you have the right words. Connotation is everything! You want to choose words that are appropriate to the character and their feelings, but also the feelings you want the reader to have about your writing. What emotion do you want a reader to walk away with?

Make your setting and “props” work for you. If your character has been grieving, show the state of their house. Unopened mail, empty wine bottles in the recycling, and stray tissues on the floor do more for you than “Sarah was grieving.” I did a modern AU with Nadir (always Nadir!) in which his son, as per canon, dies. The props I remember using were the stack of video games Reza had not put away before being taken to the hospital, the unanswered message machine (it was set in the early 00s), an origami swan that Erik had folded up in agitation and slipped into Nadir’s pocket to make him smile later. These all did more for me than “Nadir was sad his son died” than him thinking he wasn’t ready to put away the video games because it would be like admitting his son was gone, him not answering his siblings’ telephone calls, him not smiling at something that had never before failed to make him smile just a little. Pick props and settings specific to your character and make them count for something!

Angst writing should be done not because you are here solely to torture your readers with feels. That should be a bonus! What you should be focused on is character development and plot, like you would with any other story. The advice that Hood gives (and the advice I give, even though it’s just Hood Lite) can apply to any type of writing. The key thing is to remember who your characters are, what does the “angsty emotion” look like for them in particular, and what can you as the writer offer to the readers to make more of an impact. One thing you can always offer is upping the stakes. Sure, it’s angsty for your lovers never to get together, but it’s better if there is a good reason for it. Yes, it’s sad when a major character dies, but what did that character mean to those left alive? How does the angst move your story along (both the emotional story and the plot)?

As with my other writing advice, I can only recommend reading and watching a lot of media and seeing how stories are handled when dealing with the emotions you want to write. What can you do to emulate your favorite writers and one-up those that ring false for you?

Happy - or angsty, I suppose! - writing! If you have any questions or want to talk about anything else, hmu!

Peace!

#x. asks #x. anon #x. answered #;;told by an idiot | {out of character}#;;signifying nothing | {personal}#Anonymous

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ruoyeming · 4 years

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My Fav Books, another chaotic list

Another quarantine review fest! I know I ranked my top anime but this is seriously too hard so I’m just going to list them to avoid hours of debate. Enjoy!

1) The Skulduggery Pleasant series

This whopper of a series (now at 15 books jesus christ I didn’t know there were that many I’ve only read about twelve) has a special place in my heart. I was FULLY obsessed with it throughout my tween - and teen - years, and for a reason. This shit just butters my bread like nothing else. The story follows a young girl Valkyrie Cain (who eventually becomes a young woman through the series) and her partner in crime, a fashionable living skeleton called Skulduggery Pleasant. They’re MAGICAL DETECTIVES!!!! Bitch!!! They use elemental magic - water, earth, fire, air - to fight off magic-wielding bad guys and look good doing it. The duo is hilarious and seriously shaped my sense of humour, the dry wit and comedic writing style stuck with me and influenced my own writing style to this day! As the series progresses we get a massive cast of characters but to me they’re all memorable, likable (mostly) and well-developed so that’s not an issue. I have no fukcing clue how Derek Landy comes up with his stories because every book in the series has an absolutely wild (yet unique) plot with its own twists and turns. It gets REALLY dark and depressing at times, gory, brutal etc etc especially in the later books I have no idea why this is labeled as a kids series.

10/10 for badassery, humour, and MAD codependency issues

2) The Feverwake series

This bitch is one hell of a YA series. It’s actually only a 2 book-series which is rare, but that’s not the only thing that sets it apart from other creations of its genre. It’s hard to explain the setup without waffling so I’ll just quote the blurb of the first book: “In the former United States, sixteen-year-old Noam Álvaro wakes up in a hospital bed, the sole survivor of the viral magic that killed his family and made him a technopath. His ability to control technology attracts the attention of the minister of defense and thrusts him into the magical elite of the nation of Carolinia.

The son of undocumented immigrants, Noam has spent his life fighting for the rights of refugees fleeing magical outbreaks—refugees Carolinia routinely deports with vicious efficiency. Sensing a way to make change, Noam accepts the minister’s offer to teach him the science behind his magic, secretly planning to use it against the government. But then he meets the minister’s son—cruel, dangerous, and achingly beautiful—and the way forward becomes less clear.”

As you can tell from this, the series is heavy on its politics but in a grounded, realistic and relevant way which is different to many other YA series. Marxist theory is brought up, and you can make some pretty strong links between the books and real events. The magic also has a semi-scientific explanation which is cool and adds to the realness. Anyways this series is action packed and full of twists, plus there’s a bisexual main character and queer romance at the core!! Wig!!! Very good for moral debate - how far is it acceptable to go to protect the oppressed before you become one of the oppressors? Dark and exciting series.

10/10 queer representation and political themes.

3) Spin the Dawn

It’s probably obvious that I’m biased towards YA books but they’re just so exciting and cool! Anyways this is about a girl living in a kind of alternate universe ancient China where magic exists. Maia Tamarin is a skilled seamstress who dreams of being the Imperial Tailor, a position that can only be held by a man. She poses as her brother to go to the royal palace and enter a competition full of skilled tailors, all vying for the role of imperial tailor. She also meets Edan; a mysterious, annoying, but SEXY mage who seems to know her secret identity? Oho? IMO this would be an elevated book if Edan had been a girl but that’s just me being gay. As the final challenge Maia is tasked with making 3 dresses from the sun, moon, and stars - a mission that takes her to the ends of the world in search of these magical materials (obvs Edan goes with her and they kiss kiss fall in love). It’s a fairly classic YA plot and characters but the combination of Project Runway, Mulan, and kind of Lord of the Rings(??) vibes makes for a very entertaining read. It’s also really fun to imagine what the clothes look like, plus the romance between Maia and Edan is very cute. Second book is yet to be published but sounds lit.

10/10 magic fashion and romance (despite its heterosexuality)

4) Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Usually I steer clear of angsty gay stories because I’ve consumed too much of the depressing narrative which is all about suffering because of being gay, but fuuuuuuck this book is like the definition of bittersweet. Mostly bitter to be fair but it has a happy ending which was lovely after the emotional torment of the book. It’s about two teen boys - Aristotle is angry and repressed, Dante is eccentric but kind, and the two eventually form a strong friendship after meeting at the local pool. It’s kind of obvious that Ari is in denial about a few things, which leads to some real sad boi hours. There’s also a devastating moment around halfway (not sure) through with a car accident which makes the whole thing 10x heavier. Despite all this, the book has its sweet moments - parents play a big role, but not in the way they usually do in queer stories - and like I said the ending is the bandage for your broken heart. I’m not sure what it is about the writing style, maybe the way it just cuts between scenes randomly or perhaps the way the dialogue and actions are so realistic, but it’s so different to any other book I’ve read that it’s stayed in my mind for a while after reading it.

10/10 really good philosophy plus supportive parents

5) The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue

Okay if this was a ranked list, this bad boy would be on its way to the top spot. It’s got everything: historical setting, gays, pirates, alchemy, humour, adventure, angst, character development, and some healthy second-hand embarrassment. It’s not complicated or philosophical but reading this book all in one go is like taking five shots and diving into a pool. It’s exciting and witty, but deals with darker themes like child abuse too. One of the MCs also has a disability and doesn’t treat it as something to be cured, which is a lesson our protagonist has to learn. Speaking of protagonists, Henry ‘Monty’ Montague is a great main character. He’s obnoxious, oblivious, and hedonistic yet quick-witted and passionate, and he has a good heart. Sometimes you just want to grab him by the shoulders and shake him for being such an ignorant idiot, but throughout the book he grows and learns to open his mind more (as well as becoming more humble). He’s a great example of a flawed yet likable main character. He is also a bisexual icon.

Oof forgot to even talk about the story. Monty embarks on a tour of Europe, usually taken by lads his age to get all cultured before they settle down and inherit the family company or whatever. With him are his younger sister Felicity, a girl with a brilliant mind for science who isn’t taken seriously by anyone because of her gender, and the lovely Percy, Monty’s lifelong best friend (and crush). Monty ends up stealing a very valuable object that turns the Tour into a manhunt across Europe, and drags the trio into a big ol’ conspiracy involving something that may or may not be the philosopher’s stone????

Issues of race, gender, and disability in historical context are really well done, and it’s an absolute banger of a book.

10/10 very exciting adventure, plus GREAT GAY ROMANCE

6) Heaven Official’s Blessing

HOOOOOO BOY. This is probably my absolute fave on this list. It’s a webnovel (originally Chinese but the full translation is online). Set in ancient china in the cultivation world (difficult as shit to explain if ur not into all of that but I’ll try), basically there’s three realms - the heavenly realm, the human/mortal realm, and the ghostly realm. If a mortal reaches a certain point (good deeds, power etc), they ascend to become a god - or if they fall far enough, they become a ghost.

I’ll just quote the author’s description again cause I don’t have the brain cells required:

“Eight hundred years ago, Xie Lian was the Crown Prince of the Xian Le kingdom. He was loved by his citizens and was considered the darling of the world. He ascended to the Heavens at a young age; however, due to unfortunate circumstances, was quickly banished back to the mortal realm. Years later, he ascends again–only to be banished again a few minutes after his ascension. Now, eight hundred years later, Xie Lian ascends to the Heavens for the third time as the laughing stock among all three realms. On his first task as a god thrice ascended, he meets a mysterious demon who rules the ghosts and terrifies the Heavens, yet, unbeknownst to Xie Lian, this demon king has been paying attention to him for a very, very long time.”

It’s hard to describe the enormity of this story and all the emotions it encapsulates, you really have to read it for yourself. But bitch the undying, pure, Hozier-devotion-level LOVE is by far my favourite part of this story. If you’re looking for an epic, god-tier gay romance, then this is it baby!! This story has comedy, action, and downright harrowingly depressing moments, but throughout is this achingly beautiful love between fallen god and last believer.

I don’t wanna give too much away cause there are some big ol’ plot reveals, but oooh this shit made me cry. The protagonist is MY FAVOURITE EVER I didn’t think it was possible to like a protag so much!! He’s legit my fave character! At first he seems oblivious and carefree but he’s just doing his goddamn best after all he’s been through and he’s so fukcing kind and just wants to help everyone for fuckcs sake excuse me I need to go have a breakdown.

Okay I’m back, anyway there’s a great cast of characters, even the background characters are all incredibly memorable and all given their time to shine and develop. My faves include Quan Yizhen, a rowdy himbo who just wants to fight, and Shi Qing Xuan, a friendly genderfluid god who controls the wind. Read this shit I’m not joking it’ll change your life.

10/10 for everything

#book review #book recommendations

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