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everything-laito · 3 years

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(TW) I don't know if you've answered thus BUT in ep 4 (i think) Laito us clearly harassing Yui and humiliating her in the church. He does the same in the game. But does he r@pe her or just sucks her blood? Cuz it wasn't clear and the scene itself was so confusing

OOH OH!!!! OK!! I’ve been meaning to talk about this for a LOOOONG time LOL! Because it is very confusing going over it for the first time! I’ll break down the scene that it was based off of in the game (HDB Dark 09) and episode 4 in the anime.

Buckle up fellas! I’ll give y’all a brain blast.

For some tangential and/or extra reading, here’s my entire HDB analysis and an analysis I’ve done on episode 4 before. Definitely not required to read this one though!

And as always, more under the cut!

GAME VERSION:

So in Dark 09, we start out with Yui being at the church. She’s reminiscing all the warm memories she had at the church, so she came to pray. However, Laito comes in, teases her that she expected a “knight in shining armor” (although this isn’t important, it’s just funny in an awful way), and asked her if she came to “pray.” However, he says プレイ (purei) not 祈る (inoru- “to pray”). The katakana spelling of “pray” can also be translated to “play” (or even prey) in English. So the double (or even triple, depending on the context) meaning is very interesting. He knows Yui came to pray, but he is considering this time with her to be more of a “playtime.” He uses this same double meaning in his song, “Bloody Sabbath.”

Laito furthers a guardian angel motif by comparing them to his familiars he has watching over Yui. This is how Yui finds out that he has familiars watching her every move. He continues to harass Yui in the same Laito fashion, with rhetoric similar to the one in episode 4.

Laito: Exactly. I don’t think I need to remind you, but on days like this…It aches so badly… Yui: …! Laito: Even the Church is a place I would rather avoid if it wasn’t for these special conditions.But today I am especially greedy. I want you. I want to pin you down and drink your blood to my heart’s content.

Here’s just some snippets of Laito’s harassment upon Yui. In my HDB analysis, I mention this:

On top of him continuing to gaslight Yui, this scene takes place in a church. It’s incredibly symbolic to the shame Yui feels before and especially after she is forced to endure Laito’s games. The church is a home for her, and for Laito to take that away from her by making her ashamed of practicing her religion anymore is soul crushing.

Not exactly related to whether or not Laito rapes Yui in this scene, but I do love this scene so much because of how symbolic it is. So let me compare it to the church scene in the anime.

ANIME VERSION:

This scene is a lot shorter than it is in the game. Laito says a lot of the similar things in Dark 09 like “wanting to expose Yui” and how much he wants to drink her blood, and how he’s getting excited by her facial expressions, etc etc etc. I think most of us know this scene well. It is also revealed in this scene that Yui’s being watched by familiars, but on top of that, we learn how Yui was given to the brothers by the church. This doesn’t happen in the game, but I felt like I needed to put it in anyways.

BOTH SCENES AND CONCLUSION:

Both scenes still have the blood sucking motifs and actions. We all know how blood sucking is still a sexual activity. So regardless of Laito raping Yui, this is still assault, and most definitely sexual harassment and assault given his words that he wants to expose Yui and give her love––which we know is a sexual kind, whether through sex or blood sucking. It’s still making Yui vulnerable in a nonconsensual manner. She’s still going through sexual trauma regardless. Even if they weren’t vampires, this would still be sexual assault.

So in Dark 09, we know that he does not rape Yui. Why? Well, the first time he rapes her is in Maniac 07. We know this because of this exchange and rhetoric that I also mention in my HDB analysis:

Laito: Fufufu…Oh well, it’s okay. Seems like it’s almost the right time. I’ve gotten worked up as well. I’ll do even more pleasurable things to you, okay? Yui: Let me go…already… Laito: Fu…Come on, the starting shot has been fired. (5)

And in Maniac 08, Laito and Yui have this exchange:

Laito: More importantly, hey? How was that thing from the other day? Does it still hurt? Yui: …! Laito: So it really does after all~ Nfu~ Ah…Rather than ‘hurting’, the term ‘aching’ might be more accurate. Did it feel better than usual? Yui: …!

------

Laito: Well, you’d be in trouble if such a small thing already left you in shock.

So we know something different happened than usual. By the wording of Laito treating it as such a “small thing,” it can be implied that this is when he first raped her, considering he’s used to being sexually abused in that manner with Cordelia. Obviously, it is not a small thing, but he’s trying to write it off as one. It’s kind of like saying “oh you didn’t know *insert fact here?* I thought that was common knowledge!” kind of teasing or just general statements.

So from Dark 09, we know that Yui did not get raped in the church. For episode 4? It is harder to tell on that scene alone because a lot of it is meant for interpretation, so I believe you could go either way with that scene. Analysis can’t do much for that scene, unless if you were to argue two ways. In the start of episode 5, Yui’s just remembering what Laito said about how she’s a sacrifice. She does not act like how she acts in Maniac 08. However, that’s just my opinion and regardless, the anime is not as good as the visual novel when it comes to showing and not telling, and it is a pretty short runtime. So they had to cut a lot of it out. But once again, I think you could interpret it either way in the anime.

If you were to base it solely off of the source material, then no, she did not get raped in episode 4.

Hope that helps! As always, if you need clarification on anything or have any questions, please feel free to reach out!

-Corn

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KO-FI | ANALYSES MASTERPOST | ANALYSIS TAG | FAQ

#diabolik lovers analysis #dialovers analysis #dialover analysis #analysis #diabolik lovers #dialovers #dialover #laito sakamaki #sakamaki laito #raito sakamaki #sakamaki raito #laito sakamaki analysis #ask corn

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persepholline · 3 years

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I've read that article about the romanticization of the Darkling and while I absolutely understand people who are pissed off/sad and I agree that it's shitty, I find LB's attitude towards Darkles stans very funny in a "girl what are you doing" sort of way because it's so petty like I've never heard of a bestselling author writing a portion of their fans into their books as a crazy cult before, it clearly hit a nerve

I'm new to the fandom but the feeling I get is she wrote something problematic ten years ago and became very embarrassed about it afterwards so she turned on the fans that liked it as a way to absolve herself. Especially since fandoms in general have become a lot more focused on discussion of what constitutes healthy/acceptable relationships to write about. And in a way I get it I had a huge Twilight phase in high school and afterwards I was super embarassed about it because of how problematic and cringe it was. But now with distance and more maturity I'm able to both still see why it was problematic and also why I was drawn to it (mostly the very unhinged representation of female desire) and like...it's really not the end of the world and no it never made me believe that breaking into somebody's room at night to watch them sleep was actually ok in real life lmao. This feels so obvious to me but apparently it needs to be said.

(More under the break this is turning into an essay, I've been thinking of this a lot recently)

And of course it's good to have these discussions about how historically romance tropes have echoed social dynamics of men's shitty behavior being romanticized and excused. But these days they often are so simplistic and focused on chasing clout that they become this weird new puritanism and moral panic about oh now women are reading novels it's going to make them hysterical or something

So you have these weird assumptions that you can't like a character and also be critical of their actions, or enjoy certain parts of a character and not others, or wish they were written differently and like them more for their potential (which I'm sure stings a bit for an author lol) - it assumes that if you like a character it means you would approve of their actions in real life, or that people just stupidly reproduce whatever they see on TV. That tendency to treat fictional characters like real people is the thing that actually worries me, to be honest, because it indicates a lack of distance and critical capacities regarding how stories are used and received. But people - fans and authors - are so scared of being called out as problematic and harassed for it that they're going to shy away from any nuance.

And yeah I think that it's good that standards of what constitutes an ideal relationship are evolving and becoming more feminist and communicative and all that and we definitely need more of that. But not all fiction has to be aspirational! Sometimes you just want to read about fucked up shit, because it's cathartic or fascinating, even healing at times because with fiction you are absolutely in control and can choose when to close the book. Toxic relationships in fiction can have an appeal specifically because they go to extremes of feeling that we don't want to go to in reality, in exactly the same way as horror movies or very violent action movies - which I don't see a lot of people besides fundamentalist Christians argue that they turn you into violent psychopaths (and that feels very obviously sexist). And for women, who are often taught growing up that love is the purpose of life, the "saving someone with your ability to love" can be a power fantasy in the same way that being a buff superhero who saves the day with their capacity for incredible violence can be a power fantasy for men. Still doesn't mean those women are going to fall in love with actual murderers or that those men are going to start beating up people at night. And love is scary, and weird, and weirdly close to horror at times, with all the potential for loss of self and being vulnerable and overwhelming feelings and potential for being horribly hurt and it should be possible for stories to explore that without anybody screaming about how this is going to Corrupt the Youth or something

And I mean I get it LB wanted to write a cautionary tale for teenagers, but it just did not work for reasons a lot of people have already written about - the fact that the Darkling is the leader of an oppressed minority and is the only one with a real political agenda to end that oppression in the first trilogy, the fact that he helps Alina come into her own power while her endgame LI is someone she keeps herself small for, that she's shamed for wanting power after growing up without any, a generally very wonky conception of privilege, and a lot of other stuff with yucky regressive implications to the point where stanning the villain actually feels liberating and empowering which is a surefire sign that the narrative is broken (unless it's a villain focused story lmao). But of course that Fanside article makes almost no mention of the political dynamics, it's all about interpersonal stuff which is an annoying trend in YA, there are those massive events happening in the background but it's made all about the feelings of the hero(ine) ; war as a self-development quest (which is kind of gross). Helnik is kind of an example of this too - I like them, I think they're fun ! But Matthias spends a big part of the story wanting to brutally murder Nina and her kind, and he mostly changes his mind because he finds her hot. Like you don't feel there is some sort of big revelation that his entire moral system and political framework is completely rotten ; it's all better because of feelings now.

As a teenager that kind of sanctimonious bullshit would have annoyed the hell out of me ; I read those books in my early twenties and I found the ending so stupid I wouldn't have trusted any message or life lessons coming from them. And I liked reading/watching dark stuff as a teenager, as a way to deal with the very intense inner turmoil I was dealing with - and I turned out fine ! Meanwhile I've seen several times women in very shitty relationships being obsessed with positive energies and stories ; they were so terrified of their life not being perfectly wholesome they ended up being delusional about their own situations.

Like personally I think the Darkling is a compelling, interesting, alluring character and also a manipulative, murderous piece of shit and that Alina should get to punish him (like in a sexy way) - but he's also the end result of centuries of war, oppression and trauma and reducing that to "toxic wounded boy" feels kind of offensive ngl ESPECIALLY since the books don't offer any kind of systemic analysis or response to oppression beyond "the bad guy should die" and "now the king/queen is a good guy our problems are solved!!!!"

In Lives of the Saints, we see how Yuri is abused extremely badly and almost killed by his father, and so when his father dies when the Fold swallows Novokribirsk, he thinks the Starless Saint has saved him. Later in KoS/RoW he's turned into this fanatic who explains away all the Darkling's crimes. The other followers talk about how the Starless Saint will bring equality for all men. Then the Darkling comes back and actually thinks his followers are pathetic, which feels again like a very pointed message to his IRL stans. Which is absolutely hilarious to me. Like oh no, if he was real he would not like you and think you're pathetic ! Yeah ...but he's not. Real. Damn right he would not like the fics where Alina puts him on a leash. I'm still going to read them. What is he going to do about it, jump out of the page ? Jfjfjjdhfgfjfj

Anyway I think the intended message is "assholes will use noble political causes for their own gain and to manipulate people" and "being abused/oppressed is not an excuse to behave badly." Which. Sure. But that's kind of like...a tired take, honestly ? A big number of villains nowadays are like this ; either they've been bullied as kids, or they're part of an oppressed group, or they have "good ideals but too extreme". This is not surprising because a lot of mainstream heroic narratives present clinging to the status quo as Good and change as chaotic and dangerous. And like sure in real life people often do bad shit because they're wounded and in danger. But if you want to do a story like that, you have to do it with nuance, talk about cycles of violence, about how society creates vulnerable people to be exploited, about how privilege gives you more choices and the luxury of morals, etc. The Grishaverse does not have this level of nuance (maybe in SoC a little bit but definitely not in TGT). So it kind of comes off as "trauma makes you evil" and "egalitarianism is dangerous" and "if you're abused/oppressed you're not allowed to fight back". And ignores the fact that historically, evil generally comes from unchecked privilege.

I guess my point is that there are many things I like about LB's writing, she knows how to create these really exciting character dynamics, and the world she has created is fascinating. But these stories are not a great starting point for imparting moral lessons. And her best characters tend to be, at least in canon, the morally grey ones. I hope one day she'll be at peace with the fact that she wrote the Darkling the way she did and leave his fans alone but in the meantime I'm just not going to take this whole thing seriously I'm sorry

#darklina #the darkling #alina starkov #aleksander morozova

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relatable-trxsh · 3 years

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In Too Deep

Summary: Youre the new girl in the Lennox and Blue quickly takes a very special liking to you.

A/N: Hi! Sorry I suck at summarys I put a warning before the smut starts and when it ends. My requests are OPEN!

Warnings: S M U T 18+ , Soft Blue, Daddy kink, Male oral reciving, cursing, Name calling.

You scream as the two men drag you into the Lennox. You fight against them with every fiber of your being but they are much stronger than you. That didn’t stop you though, you kicked, scream, you threw your body in every direction praying they would somehow lose grip.

“Please let me go! I didn’t do anything wrong please!” Heads of the staff turned your way, some held a sympathetic gaze others scoffed. Finally, the men stopped walking but your pleas continued, that was until you heard a calm, slightly deep voice speak.

“Now now, there’s no reason to cry.” you look up just as a hand reaches over and wipes a tear from your face.

“Please I didn’t do anything wrong.” your pleas have quieted down as you look at the man before you.

“Unfortunately I have been told otherwise. What they are accusing you with cant be taken lightly, but you should be glad they sent you here and not some prison.” He moves his hand to your chin and lifts your head a little. “My name is Blue Jones, I run this place. Now come I will show you around, introduce you to the rest of the girls. He smiles and gives your chin a little squeeze before the guards return to their firm grip. As you walk you continuously try to fight out of their grip. Blue explains the rules until you reach a dance studio. There are girls lined up doing various stretches. “Vera this is Y/N, she is our newest patient.” She looks you up and down before nodding.

“I have a very strict set of rules girl. You follow them, do as your told and there will be no problems.” She spoke in a thick accent. You look at her saying nothing, only trying to fight your arms from the guard’s grip. Blue smirks and Vera sighs. “The quiet ones always cause trouble.”

“You should have seen the fight she gave the guards coming in.” Vere leans in close to your face.

“I don’t put up with nonsense, I am here to help you but I can’t do that if you fight against me understood?” you nod. “Good, I can take her from here. Go join the rest of the girls.” You silently walk and stand beside them. A girl with reddish hair looks at you with a smile.

“Hi I’m Rocket, this is my sister Sweet Pea, that’s Blondie, Baby Doll, and Amber.” You give them all a small wave.

“I’m Y/N” Sweet Pea looks at you and chuckles.

“She’s never gonna make it in here.” Rocket swats her sister’s shoulder.

“Hush, she must be terrified it’s her first day here.”

“Yeah well, it one gets worse from here so you better toughen up Buttercup.” Blondie smiles.

“I like that buttercup I think it suits her.”

You spend the rest of the afternoon practicing dancing, you didn’t fully understand why but the girls told you they would explain after chores.

You felt lost walking around the building, you were desperately trying to find the rooms where the beds were but somehow you ended up at Blues office. You knocked quietly, your heart rate picking up when you heard him sigh from the other side of the door.

“Come in.” You walked in quietly, staying in the doorway.

“I’m sorry to bother Mr.Jones but I’m lost. I was trying to find the room.” He quickly sits up.

“No no you aren’t bothering at all. Come in, close the door.” You nod and do what he says before walking further into the room, standing in front of his desk. “How have the other girls been treating you?” You bite your lips

“They have been very kind Mr.Jones, they even gave me a nickname. Buttercup.” He chuckles. Blue couldn’t lie, he loved the way his name sounded coming from your mouth. “But I do have a question Mr.Jones if that’s alright…” He nods sitting back in his chair, taking a sip of his whiskey.

“Ask away buttercup” His voice sent shivers down your spine.

“Why does Dr. Gorski have us dance?” He seems a little taken back by your question but doesn’t hesitate.

“On the weekends we do something special, you girls earn me some extra money by putting on a show for some special people, and if those special people spit out some more cash they get a night of fun with one of you, sometimes two.” You were completely shocked by his words.

“You’re going to whore us out?” your words come out with a harsh edge. Blue stands up and walks over to you.

“You don’t get to judge me Y/N.” he grabs your jaw again and you can’t stop tears from welling up in your eyes front the harshness of his grip. “It’s all part of the game.”

“Sir” your voice is barely a whisper. “Blue please I cant…” You look down at the floor embarrassed, tears falling down your already pink cheeks.

“And why not? Look me in the eyes when you speak to me Y/N” you eyes reluctantly meet his again.

“I’m a virgin Mr.Jones” He couldn’t stop the smirk from falling on his lips, the vulnerability in your eyes excited him especially since it was a complete 180 from the way you were acting earlier.

“My my, sweet little Butter Cup a virgin.” He clicked his tongue and used his thumb to wipe away a tear from your cheek. “You know a lot of men would pay a pretty penny to fuck a virgin especially one as beautiful as you.” Your lip quivered at his words. “But I have half a mind to keep you all to myself. I always have to share my toys, I never get to keep one for myself, but you,” he sighs. “You are something special and I don’t want to share you.” He leans his forehead against yours, you can’t stop the tears from falling.

“I don’t want to be a whore Blue.” Your voice shook as you closed your eyes.

“If you’re a good girl for me buttercup then you won’t be. I will keep you all to myself, my own little toy.” his hands slid down your shoulders and laned on your waist pulling you closer. If sticking with him meant that you didn’t have to be at other men’s disposal that it’s something you could handle. You open your eyes and look at him.

“Promise I’ll only be yours Blue, promise you won’t let anyone else touch me.” you were terrified he wouldn’t keep his word. Blue says nothing, he just kisses down your jaw to your neck where he starts to bite and suck on the soft untouched skin.

*SMUT*

“Let’s see how good you are for daddy first.” He runs his thumb across your lips before pressing it into your mouth. You take it without protest, swirling your tongue around it and sucking it causing a small moan to leave Blues lips. “Are you sure you’re a Virgin Buttercup?.” You gulp a little before nodding. He smirks. “Get on your knees I want to see what else that tongue can do” You do as your told and sink to your knees. Your hands quickly find the buttons of his pants undoing them with ease, just as you are pulling down his pants, taking his boxers with them. Your eyes widen as they land on his thick large cock.

You lean forward, looking up at Blue as you run your tongue on the underside of his already hard member, he moans as his hand finds your hair tangling into it.

“Come one princess, stop teasing Daddy and take me in your mouth already.” You bite your lip before leaning forward again, taking as much of him in your mouth as you could and using your hand on the rest. “Now bob up and down princess and use that soft tongue of yours.” You hum in response which causes a low moan from Blue. You start slow, moving your head and swirling your tongue a bit, you wanted to please Blue, you wanted him to want you so you begin to quicken your pace taking him as deep as you could. Your eyes welled up as you tried not to gag.

“Fuck, such a good girl. You look so beautiful with daddy in your mouth.” Blues moans and praises were intoxicating. He pulled your hair harder and you jerked your hands faster. “You want daddy to cum in your mouth” Blue moaned through gritted teeth.

“Yes, daddy please” You moan and bob your head faster, taking Blue cock in your mouth till he hit the back of your throat. It didn’t take long for his seed to coat your throat as he thrust into your mouth. He slowly pulls out, leaving your mouth with a pop.

“Now swallow like a good girl.” You do as your told and open your mouth showing him. Blue taps under your chin signaling you to stand you. You do so, rubbing your knees from being down so long. Blue runs his thumb over your bottom lip and smiles. “You did good buttercup. Now let’s get you taken care of before you have to go off to bed.” You bite your lip getting nervous.

“You don’t have to do that Blue, Dr.Gorski must be wondering where I am” You straighten your dress but before you could do anything else Blue grabs your by the waist with one hand and slide the other under your dress, teasing your clit from the outside of your underwear.

“Nonsense Y/N don’t you worry about Vera, you seem to forget who’s in charge here.” He leans in close and kisses just under your ear before whispering. “Plus I can’t leave my good girl all bothered after she took me so well.” You clung to Blue panting into his neck as he rubbed your clit. He pulled down your underwear and picked you up, setting you on the edge of his desk. Blue leaned in and kissed you rough and full of pure lust. You pull him close tangling your fingers in his hair.

“Please Blue, please fuck me” He chuckles at your eagerness and pulled your dress over your head before kissing down your neck to your chest, taking one of your nipples in his mouth and rolling his thumb over the other hardened bud. He looks up at you with a smirk.

“More, beg me more pretty girl. Show me how badly you want to be my little pet.” You moan as he swirls his tongue around your nipple.

“Please Blue, I want you to fill me up. God Blue fuck me make me your whore” Your words drove Blue absolutely wilds. He stood up and pulled off his shirt before spreading your legs, before slowly pushing his cock inside you, stretching your walls. You dig your nails into Blues back and bury your head in his neck.

“B-Blue its hurts” you whimper and he gently cups your face kissing you softly.

“Shh baby girl just give it a second and then it will feel much better I promise.” You holding him tighter. It surprised you to see Blue being so gentle, he even surprised himself. It wasn’t like him at all to treat someone with such softness but he couldn’t help it with you. Blue began slowly thrusting into you until your whimpers became moans. Your head fell back as you arched your body into his.

“Please Daddy go faster, fuck” Tangled your fingers in his hair and wrapped your legs around his waist trying to pull him deeper.

“Fuck baby girl you feel so good on daddy’s cock. So tight and wet” you moan louder pulling his hair a little hard which earns a deep moan from Blue.

“I can’t last much longer daddy” you moan putting your face back in his neck.

“Come for me baby girl, come on daddy’s cock.” His words completely undo you and you clench around his cock as your legs shake. It doesn’t take Blue long to cum again, filling your tight pussy up with his seed.

END OF SMUT

You both stay like that for a moment, a panting, sweaty mess in each other’s arms. Blue was completely beside himself, he could believe the infatuation he had growing for you. He saw you with such vulnerability in your eyes that all he wanted to do was keep you in his arms, and that’s exactly what he planned to do. You were going to be his and only his. Blue pulled away brushing his thumb over your bottom lip.

“Let’s get you cleaned up and to bed buttercup. Tomorrow we have some meetings to attend to.” You look up at him confused.

“Meetings?”

“Yes, i told you you are my little pet. I will Inform Vera to get your outfit ready.” you bite your lip and nod not wanting to argue. He walks away for a moment and returns with a warm wet towel, withing up between your legs before putting back on both of your clothes. “Now get to bed Buttercup it’s down the hall to your left.” You nod and give him a quick soft kiss before going to the rooms. The rest of the girls were already there most asleep except Sweet Pea.

“He’ll get bored of you. Toss you aside like you were nothing to begin with and then throw you away like a whore.” There was a harsh resentment in her voice. You take a deep breath nervously biting you lip.

“Well im in too deep now arent I?” Sweet Pea lets out a dry laugh.

“Yeah I guess so.”

#blue jones #blue jones x reader #blue jones imagine #sucker punch #blue jones smut #oscar isaac

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killianmesmalls · 3 years

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On your comments about Jack: ye-es, in the sense that Jack is a character who definitely deserved better than he was treated by the characters. The way Dean especially treats him reflects very badly on Dean, no question. But, speaking as a viewer, I think the perspective needs to shift a little bit.

To me, Jack is Dawn from Buffy, or Scrappy Doo. He’s an (in my opinion) irritating kid who is introduced out of nowhere to be both super vulnerable and super OP, and the jeopardy is centered around him in a way that has nothing to do with his actual character or relationships. He’s mostly around to be cute and to solve or create problems — he never has any firm character arcs or goals of his own, nor any deeper purpose in the meta narrative. In this way, he’s a miss for SPN, which focuses heavily on conflicts as metaphors for real life.

Mary fits so much better in that framework, and introducing her as a developed, flawed person works really well with the narrative. It is easy for us to care about Mary, both as the dead perfect mother on the pedestal and as the flawed, human woman who could not live up to her sons’ expectations. That connection is built into the core of SPN, and was developed over years, even before she was a character. When she was added, she was given depth and nuance organically, and treated as a flawed, complex character rather than as a plot device or a contrivance. She was given a voice and independence, and became a powerful metaphor for developing new understandings of our parents in adulthood, as well as an interesting and well-rounded character. You care that she’s dead, not just because Sam and Dean are sad, but for the loss of her development and the potential she offered. So, in that sense, I think a lot of people were frustrated that she died essentially fridged for a second time, and especially in service of the arc of a weaker character.

And like, you’re right, no one can figure out if Jack is a toddler or a teenager. He’s both and he’s neither, because he’s never anything consistently and his character arc is always “whatever the plot needs it to be.” Every episode is different. Is he Dean’s sunny opportunity to be a parent and make up for his dad’s shitty parenting? Yes! Is he also Dean’s worst failure and a reminder that he has done many horrible things, including to “innocent” children? Yes! Is he Cas’s child? Yes! Is he Dean’s child? Yes! But also, no! Is he Sam’s child? Yes! Is he a lonely teenager who does terrible things? Yes! Is he a totally innocent little lamb who doesn’t get why what he is doing is wrong? Yes! Is he the most powerful being in the universe? Yes! Does he need everyone to take care of him? Yes! Is he just along for the ride? Yes! Is he responsible for his actions? Kinda??? Sometimes??? What is he???

Mary as a character is narratively cohesive and fleshed-out. Jack is a mishmash of confusing whatever’s that all add up to a frustrating plot device with no consistent traits to latch on to. Everything that fans like about him (cute outfits, gender play, well-developed parental bonds with the characters) is fanon. So, yes, the narrative prioritizes Mary. Many fans prioritize Mary, at least enough that Dean’s most heinous acts barely register. To the narrative (not to Cas, which is a totally different situation), Jack is only barely more of a character than Emma Winchester, who Sam killed without uproar seasons earlier. He’s been around longer, but he’s equally not really real.

I debated on responding to this because, to tell the truth, I think we fundamentally disagree on a number of subjects and, as they say, true insanity is arguing with anyone on the internet. However, you spent a lot of time on the above and I feel it's only fair to say my thoughts, even if I don't believe it will sway you any more than what you said changed my opinions.

I'm assuming this was in response to this post regarding how Jack's accidental killing of Mary was treated so severely by the brothers, particularly Dean, because it was Mary and, had it been a random character like the security guard in 13x06, it would have been treated far differently. However, then the argument becomes less about the reaction of the Winchester brothers to this incident and more the value of Jack or Mary to the audience.

I believe we need to first admit that both characters are inherently archetypes—Mary as the Madonna character initially then, later, as a metaphor for how imperfect and truly human our parents are compared to the idol we have as children, and Jack as the overpowered child who is a Jesus allegory by the end. Both have a function within the story to serve the Winchester brothers, through whose lens and with whose biases we are meant to view the show's events. We also need to admit that the writers didn't think more than a season ahead for either character, especially since it wasn't initially supposed to be Mary that came back at the end of season 11 but John, and they only wrote enough for Jack in season 13 to gauge whether or not the audience would want him to continue on or if he needed to be killed off by the end of the season. Now, I know we curate our own experiences online which leads to us being in our own fandom echo chambers, however it is important to note that the character was immediately successful enough with the general audience that, after his first episode or two, he was basically guaranteed a longer future on the show.

I have to admit, I’m not entirely sure why the perspective of how his character is processed by some audience members versus others has any bearing on the argument that he deserved to be treated better overall by the other characters especially when taking their own previous actions in mind. I’m not going to tell you that your opinion is wrong regarding your feelings for Jack. It’s your opinion and you’re entitled to it, it harms no one to have it and express it. My feelings on Jack are clearly very different from your own, but this is really just two different people who processed a fictional person in different ways. I personally believe he has a purpose in the Winchesters’ story, including Castiel’s, as he reflects certain aspects of all of them, gives them a way to explore their own histories through a different perspective, and changes the overall dynamic of Team Free Will from “soldiers in arms” to a family (Misha’s words). In the beginning he allows Sam to work through his past as the “freak” and powerful, dangerous boy wonder destined to bring hell on earth. With Dean, his presence lets Dean work through his issues with John and asks whether he will let history repeat itself or if he’ll work to break the cycle. Regarding Cas, in my opinion he helps the angel reach his “final form” of a father, member of a family, lover and protector of humanity, rebellious son, and the true show of free will.

From strictly the story, he has several arcs that work within themes explored in Supernatural, such as the argument of nature versus nurture, the question of what we’re willing to give up in order to protect something or someone else and how ends justify the means, and the struggle between feeling helpless and powerless versus the corruptive nature of having too much power and the dangerous lack of a moral compass. His goals are mentioned and on display throughout his stint on the show, ones that are truly relatable to some viewers: the strong desire to belong—the need for family and what you’ll do to find and keep it.

With Mary, we first need to establish whether the two versions of her were a writing flaw due to the constant change in who was dictating her story and her relationship to the boys, which goes against the idea that her characterization was cohesive and fleshed-out but, rather, put together when needed for convenience, or if they both exist because, as stated above, we are seeing the show primarily through the biased lens of the Winchester brothers and come to face facts about the true Mary as they do. Like I said in my previous post, I don’t dislike Mary and I don’t blame her for her death (either one). However, I do have a hard time seeing her as a more nuanced, fleshed-out character than Jack. True, a lot of her problems are more adult in nature considering she has to struggle with losing her sons’ formative years and meeting them as whole adults she knows almost nothing about, all because of a choice she made before they were born.

However, her personal struggles being more “mature” in nature (as they center primarily on parental battles) doesn’t necessarily mean her story has layers and Jack’s does not. They are entirely different but sometimes interconnected in a way that adds to both of their arcs, like Mary taking Jack on as an adoptive son which gives her the moments of parenting she lost with Sam and Dean, and Jack having Mary as a parental figure who understands and supports him gives him that sense of belonging he had just been struggling with to the point of running away while he is also given the chance to show “even monsters can do good”.

I’d also argue that Jack being many ages at once isn’t poor writing so much as a metaphor for how, even if you’re forced to grow up fast, that doesn’t mean you’re a fully equipped adult. I don’t want to speak for anyone else, but I believe Jack simultaneously taking a lot of responsibility and constantly trying to prove to others he’s useful while having childish moments is relatable to some who were forced to play an adult role at a young age. He proves a number of times that he doesn’t need everyone to take care of him, but he also has limited life experience and, as such, will make some mistakes while he’s also being a valuable member of the group. Jack constantly exists on a fine line in multiple respects. Some may see that as a writing flaw but it is who the character was conceived to be: the balance between nature or nurture, between good and evil, between savior and devil.

Now, I was also frustrated Mary was “fridged” for a second time. It really provided no other purpose than to give the brothers more man pain to further the plot along. However, this can exist while also acknowledging that the way it happened and the subsequent fallout for Jack was also unnecessary and a sign of blatant hypocrisy from Dean, primarily, and Sam.

And, yes, Jack can be different things at once because, I mean, can’t we all? If Mary can be both the perfect mother and the flawed, independent, distant parent, can’t Jack be the sweet kid who helps his father-figures process their own feelings on fatherhood while also being a lost young-adult forcing them to face their failures? Both characters contain multitudes because, I mean, we all do.

I can provide articles or posts on Jack’s characterization and popularity along with Mary’s if needed, but for now I think this is a long enough ramble on my thoughts and feelings. I’m happy to discuss more, my messenger is always open for (polite) discussion. Until then, I’m going to leave it at we maybe agree to disagree.

#long post #long ask #so long answer #guys it's 1 am #i hope this made sense #watch me read this after sleep and register things i wish i said #oh well #jack kline #mary winchester #spn #supernatural #spn critical #supernatural critical #kinda?#eh just in case #spn meta #supernatural meta #jack meta

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imaginariaextraordinaire · 3 years

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Episode 8 is one hella packed episode and it is an absolute joy to unpack it, beginning with this:

Clever, clever idea to have Ji-Woo repeat the line that Mi-Joo just said to indicate Ji-Woo is taking charge of things as far as Assemblyman Ki is concerned. It's also a good reminder of how tone and intent can change the meaning of a sentence even if the words are exactly the same (which is why we need good translators).

Seeing Mi-Joo stride across the screen with Seon-Gyeom behind her, it struck me that we've seen a variation of this many times before, beginning with the credit titles. While Seon-Gyeom is the sprinter, the one we see constantly trying to up the pace and charge ahead is Mi-Joo. She's always intent on moving ahead faster — perhaps to outrun the past that she finally makes peace with during the marathon? — while Seon-Gyeom moves at a slower pace, disentangling himself from the constraints of his troubled past and troubling father. The only one time we see him race ahead (in episode 2), we also see him come back and slow down.

What I particularly love about Park Shi-Hyun's writing is that in addition to all the layers and complexity she's written into the scenes and characters, she's also written a very, very funny show.

Both Shin Se-Kyung and Kang Tae-Oh do such a fantastic job with both the physical humour (without being over-the-top) and the timing that's needed to play up the wit in the dialogues. Not that Siwan and Soo-Young do a bad job — the scene in which Dan-Ah proposes to Seon-Gyeom is hilarious. My favourite is still May, who is very funny throughout this episode (the shot in which we learn she sleeps with her eyes open! GOLD).

The transitions in this episode are so well written. The insights from one scene ricochet off the next. For example, Dan-Ah in the scene at the bar — where she tells the bartender she can't risk keeping the book in her own study because she can't risk people guessing she has anxieties — gives us a look at the problems of the privileged. This is followed by a scene in which Yeong-Hwa and Mi-Joo discuss student debts, which is a relatable middle-class problem. This in turn is followed by Tae-Woong saying that he takes selfies because he's addicted to the validation he gets from the likes each of those photos gets him — a Gen Z problem. And so it is that we get a spectrum of problems that people face and hide behind performative façades.

The likes that Tae-Woong talks about pop up with manic frenzy at the end of the heartbreaking scene with Dan-Ah in the parking lot, presenting the viewer with a terrible contrast — driving away from him is the love and acceptance that he yearns for from a sister who (he hopes) knows him. All he has to hold on to is the superficial attention of the love professed by a fandom that doesn't really know him at all. Soo-Young's performance is fantastic in this scene, especially when she asks in a voice tinged with desperation why Tae-Woong keeps coming back to her despite her treating him so badly. For the first time, you realise how much it takes out of her to lash out at this desperately-sad boy. "It takes effort to hate someone," Tae-Woong tells her. My heart!

Another fantastic set of transitions comes later on in the episode, when Mi-Joo and May are unwinding at the end of a long day at the film shoot.

This is such a great example of writing inter-generational female friendships. When May remembers not being paid for working overtime, it's an acknowledgement that things are better for working women (especially in film) than it was before, but as Mi-Joo's experiences show, there's still a lot to be done because women are still driven by a certain insecurity and anxiety to push themselves way too hard (as we see a sick Mi-Joo do later in the episode).

Of course a man tries to break this gathering up — because he wants to go to bed. Superb excuse, particularly because these women are talking how much they have to work — and it is deeply satisfying to watch all three of them shut him down and establish their right to unwind.

This scene of female friendship is followed by one that shows the friendship between the three runners. Then we get to see a fight scene full of male actors. The machismo of that performance is a sharp contrast to the awkward tenderness of Woo-Sik and Yeong-Il's conversation.

While on the subject of toxic masculinity, this is the episode in which we find out Dan-Ah's father forged Myeong-Min's birth certificate to make him legally older than Dan-Ah even though he's actually 10 months younger than her. All to ensure he has a male heir. It's a nice detail that Myeong-Min's mother is the one laying out the memorial service for Dan-Ah's mother because it hints at a sense of solidarity.

Also dismantling traditional notions of masculinity is Seon-Gyeom, whom we see at his most domestic as he cooks and packs meals for May and Mi-Joo, and does chores around the house once they're gone. It's very much an inversion of the standard male-female gender roles with the woman going out to work and the man as the homemaker. To underscore this point, we see Seon-Gyeom consider the leopard-print shirt (that May and Mi-Joo hang to give strangers the impression they've got an alpha in the house) for a second before putting it away.

Speaking of alphas, Mi-Joo's really got a thing for wild cats. In addition to that shirt, her blanket is also a leopard-print and when we see her calling Seon-Gyeom, she's standing in front of a painting of a tiger. All these seem to be digs at her posturing that she's strong and invulnerable and I burst out laughing when Seon-Gyeom folds the leopard-print blanket while muttering, "I'd have guessed this is hers even if she hadn't told me."

As disinterested as Seon-Gyeom may be in films, they play a big role in sustaining him emotionally. In this episode, it's the film set that helps Mi-Joo and him come together after their stupid disagreement. Equally importantly, the film set is where he gets the time and space to reconnect with his mother.

Run On has so much fun being meta with the film bits. The film shoot within a drama is indeed an old fake.

There are two film sets we see in this episode — one with Ji-Woo and the other with Mi-Joo. While Ji-Woo's set feels relaxed, the one Mi-Joo's working in is chaotic and taxing. The two women are also at different ends of the professional spectrum. Ji-Woo is a star while Mi-Joo is not just working behind the scenes, but she's come to fill in for the person who was the juniormost member of the crew.

When pointing out the main players of their film crew to Mi-Joo and May, Hui-Jin describes the cinematographer as "a bit racist, but still a gentleman". (Mi-Joo's response is superb: "Weird.") It's an interesting choice to make the cinematographer racist because that's the crew member who decides how subjects and scenes will be framed. "Racist but a gentleman" feels like a precise summary of the orientalist perspective which (aside from being overwhelmingly masculine) shows the East through stereotypes that are often superficially beautiful, but also reductive and damaging. Not surprisingly, this cinematographer is the reason Mi-Joo flounders while translating on set.

The film set is also the first time that Seon-Gyeom sees Mi-Joo's vulnerable side when she falls ill. It's such a clever choice to have Mi-Joo stop performing in a setting that's all about performances. Not only does Mi-Joo give up the alpha act when she's sick, she admits to Seon-Gyeom that when she's feeling helpless, her instinct is to resort to a performative lie — calling out for mom because that's what she saw other kids do as a child in a sick ward (imagine how isolated and neglected she must have felt to do this. Also, she's felt this way so many times that this performance has become second nature to her).

The anecdote suggests Mi-Joo's mulish championing of her self has its roots in past incidents when she tried to fit and either failed or was rejected. And yet, for all her strength and confidence, she's chasing phantoms and has been doing so since she was a little girl. All because she was alone and didn't have anyone she could reach out to for help. Which is why what Seon-Gyeom tells her at the end of the episode is so relevant. He helps her to reorient.

To which Mi-Joo, bless her leopard-print-loving heart, responds with

But my favourite part of this episode is the conversation that Ji-Woo has with Seon-Gyeom when he visits her set. First of all, Ji-Woo is playing a "vegan murderer", which is brilliant as ideas go and it's adorable how delighted she is about her violent roles.

I love how Run On doesn't punish Ji-Woo for sacrificing her family life for her work. Instead, it holds out the possibility that it is ok if you have that imbalance. In this scene, we see Ji-Woo's family reforming at the film set with Eun-Bi sending the coffee truck and Seon-Gyeom showing up just because Ji-Woo asked him to be there.

The mother-son conversation gives us a glimpse of Seon-Gyeom's bleak childhood and we learn that everything Seon-Gyeom did for his father was actually him doing what his mother had asked him to do. It comes as a surprise to Seon-Gyeom that his mother has noticed what he's suffered and that she understands how he'd hoped silently suffering would keep the family together. It's almost as though he's feeling seen for the first time.

Much like Dan-Ah, Ji-Woo may seem self-centred because of her ambitiousness, but she does notice what's happening beyond the obvious, especially when it comes to people she cares about. Both women are up against the worst of patriarchy. Also, I love that when she's talking about motherhood, Ji-Woo is blood-spattered — after all, being a working woman and a mother in a patriarchal is nothing short of fighting a war.

In previous episodes, it seemed as though Ji-Woo was the 'bad' (or at least not ideal) mother while Director Dong was the ideal, modern mother. Yet in comparison to how Director Dong later reacts to her son coming out, you can't help but feel Ji-Woo, with her unconditional support for her kids, might just be the better parent. What is great about Run On though is that that the script doesn't pit the two older women against each other as competing examples of motherhood or femininity. The point is that everyone's struggling, making mistakes and trying to learn from them. Ji-Woo is doing that and so will Director Dong eventually.

Love that the scene ends with Seon-Gyeom effectively declaring himself his mother's son. Take that, patriarchy.

#Run On #Episode 8 #Rewatch #Kdrama #Mothers #mother series #Smash the patriarchy #Im Siwan #shin se kyung

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opinions-of-loki · 3 years

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Loki - Episode One, Summary bullet points in form of an unnecessarily detailed opinion

- What I found sort of funny was Loki, who immediately hit the dessert and immediately hurried to the next higher stone, as if this were the pedestal that was his equal, only to be able to explain / present himself to the Mongolian inhabitants, only that they did not understand him and asked again who he is. It kinda gave me Hela vibes. Black haired Odin children have a tough time getting heard.

ALSO! THE SASS! Yet staying polite despite him being confused of what is going to happen to him - Trying to be all intimidating, but nobody takes him serious, as always! You can’t scare the time space cops my boy :/ Finding out how the company works and being all confused was honestly a very sweet and funny moment

- What’s up with the soundtracks??? Someone give this dude a raise who composed these Blade Runner-que music for the TVA followed with those cool bagpipes traditionally used for Scandinavian folk music? FUCK YES! Also the end credits music, it’s just excellent!

- Loki questioning if he’s a robot or not! I mean, he was told to believe he was an Aesir but in the end wasn’t. So who knew if Odin adopted a robot son? Better check on this one - I kinda got cute vibes from Mobius and Renslayer, they seem to perhaps have a closer connection towards another, especially after he greeted her with a formal Hi and talking to her on a somehow personal level - Mobius at first seemed like a very kind man and being patient with Loki, even supportive, but he is an experienced cop and knows how to handle complicated people, especially Loki variants. Mobius gives off a vibe of an older Blade Runner who takes his job very serious. But in the middle I kind of started to hate him a little

- The story of why Loki is an American crime legend D.B. Cooper just because he lost a bet to Thor when they were younger! Hilarious! Most of the most legendary pranks ever! I would have been more happy about the details of why Thor demanded this, or if it went like ” Loki! Cause some chaos on Midgard. Humans are easy to impress.” ” Say no more, Brother!” - Though Mobius seemed like the only person ever who had the ability to call out Loki to his actions: That he isn’t a God of mischief, because he confronted Loki about if killing innocent people is part of his fun, if it brings enjoyment to him to torture people who had nothing to do about Loki’s past. Loki denying that it’s not true, Mobius harshly confronts him about his earlier maniac like expression when removing someone’s eyeballs, if this is still harmless mischief-making. - BUT! Where is it mentioned he was controlled by the mind stone and the thriving fear of Thanos to get killed??? Loki was under pressure, to get killed by the Mad Titan, and he wasn’t thinking rationally when he invaded New York? For someone who studied Loki’s life so well, Mobius sucks to get a point to this one, or it will be mentioned in the future, I better hope so - Loki doesn’t trust easily, because “Trust is for children and dogs.” Gave me Natasha vibes. Because she and him were sharing a quite similar conversation a few hours earlier.

- SEEING FRIGGA’S DEATH! Loki giving great speeches about wanting to free everyone, being a ruler of the Nine Realms to hide away what he truly desired and that nobody would understand his thoughts and emotions, but seeing 2012 Loki seeing that HE gave the coordinates to the Dark Elves, unknowing Frigga would be on this very wing, you can see how hurt he was and panicked! He completely lost all trails of thoughts, asking where she is, if the TVA also kept her, if she is okay! He wanted to save her so badly, he doesn’t want to become the version who will kill her once again. - Mobius saying that there is nothing he can change and that Frigga HAS to die to get back in the flow of time, OUCH! - I get more TTDW vibes when everything that has been explained to Loki, that he will only bring death and chaos no matter what he does, that not only Frigga is destined to die, but Loki is about to die at some point, it made me think of Odin’s words:

Mobius said the same things, Loki’s destiny is to bring death or to ultimately die himself, no matter if he goes the bad or good path. It left me with weird vibes about Mobius being like Odin, just less of an abusive father mentor thing. He was made to cause pain, death and suffering. It hurt. Knowing those weren’t Loki’s goals, he came to the realization that Mobius is right, but doesn’t want to admit it, or at least denies it, but agreed in the end in a very subtle way - MOBIUS AND LOKI FIGHTING!! ” Do you enjoy killing?” “I will kill you!” “Like you did to your mother?” MOBIUS! FUCK YOU! At this point, he lost any sympathy from me towards him. He was guilt-tripping Loki, perhaps even gaslighting him. But this is also part of his job. He isn’t supposed to be Loki’s friend, he is a cop after all. Loki is an emotional and vulnerable being, so hitting him at the worst spot to get out more of him probably wasn’t the kindest thing to do, but probably the most effective for Mobius. Loki likes to pressure other people, but doesn’t like to be the pressured one. - Loki’s purpose is to bring those together he ultimately tried to remove according to Mobius, Loki brought together a team of legendary superheroes together that barely knew each other, and they grew strong together thanks to Loki’s wrongdoings. It somehow hurt a lot, but in the end, Mobius was speaking the harsh truth - "I will gut you out like a fish!” “What's a fish?!” BLESS CASEY!

- Endless Infinity Stones! I am in love with this idea! I don’t know why I saw people getting confused by it because even though the Stones are what hold the universe together, the TVA doesn’t live in that very universe, they are beyond that very space and time we don’t know and can’t grasp, they visit timelines after timelines, so of course it happens they find stones and keep them, either knowing or not knowing what they are, or they simply don’t care, because they have no purpose in the TVA. Perhaps these stones are variants too and don’t belong to a certain timeline and needed to be removed, such as Loki’s Tesseract

- What got me the most, and we all know what I mean, Loki crying privately when he once again viewed the life of his alternative self, viewing the loss of his family, the loss of his own life. I don’t really know if he mourned over Odin too, but in this series, Odin never threatened to kill or imprison Loki which perhaps didn’t cause any damage towards his anger. Though he was aware that Odin took the other Loki in a cell, but it was a destiny he could avoid now that he knew how things will turn out when he returns to Asgard. He will never get arrested, Frigga probably wouldn’t die because of him, though I get a feeling the Dark Elves will come nevertheless, but this time, it shall be Thor’s problem not to screw it up. Though it was a relief to see him smile soon after when he realized Thor was the only one believing in him, even though their relationships always has been kinda weird, as Loki always was jealous of him being everyone’s first choice, but in the end, Thor was alive, everything that was left, and Thor didn’t hate him - End of File - I don’t know why, but reading this, Loki himself reading this, the very end of his life, it made me shiver. He saw his memories of what could be, what MUST happen to him, and that there are more happy memories. But in the end, there are no memories anymore - end of file. That’s it. That was his life. - I can’t imagine how many thoughts must have been go through his head to see Thanos again, Loki’s try to kill him, just to see his neck and wind pipe getting cracked. He currently recovers from the effects of a full year of torture, both mentally and physically, just the same he would treat his ‘Children’. I can imagine Thanos promised him the world, something small to rule over to expand over more realms. Thanos triggered Loki’s fear and anger, who had to deal with the information he never belonged to Asgard in the first place. Whenever Loki would try to flee or play games with Thanos, I can imagine Loki got punished for it, he never even spoke sassy with Thanos during Infinity War. Loki is terrified of him for good reasons. I imagine this young man, feared, terrified, trapped on a rock with daily mental manipulation and pain. Loki became obedient and would have done anything for Thanos, whatever he ordered, including an exchange of power. Even if Thanos never fully was on his side and used Loki as a puppet with power and sorcery, being useful, I get a feeling Loki clung to his words and promises to rule over Earth as a savior and liberator, which completely went wrong - His laughter following after could have many reasons, relief, stress or disbelief. He was still crying between those laughs, which could be taken as desperation about no matter what he does, his actions will lead to harsh consequences. Disbelief of what he just saw, as if it felt so unreal to even believe what he had just witnessed, that it was all real, a destiny that was meant to him. But what else did Loki do during serious situations? He avoids them, he doesn’t want to acknowledge problems and shoving them away with a sassy comment or a smile to cope with it - which could mean this laughter could be part of his coping mechanism

- Him opening up, addressing why Loki hurts people, was honestly the best scene to me. He spoke about his inferior complex, his fear of not being strong enough to survive, building up a facade, a fake personality to survive also with the help of his magic. He thought he can be superior to anyone if he could scare everyone, gaining respect and love in form of war and destruction, as he perhaps thought of Odin being a former warlord, he would prefer a son who is able to conquer, being merciless. He doesn’t want to get hurt, he doesn’t trust anyone easily, that’s why he has to hurt people, to avoid of getting hurt or betrayed in the end. He became a double-edged sword I’m open for opinions and private chatting if you guys want to add something ! :DD

#Loki #loki spoilers #tom hiddleston #mcu #marvel #disney plus #owen wilson #agent of asgard #hiddlestoner #avengers #black widow #thor

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strawberry1212 · 3 years

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Kdrama Sexist/Toxic Male Lead Tropes

(originally made this post as part of another post about Run On but it got to be so long I just thought I’d made this list it’s own post)

-Possessive and easily jealous, and this is often played off as romantic. For a large portion of kdrama watchers who are younger, and for the majority of us who aren’t chased all the time by hot men, this toxic trait can easily be sold to us as an exciting and flattering trait. But this is in fact not respectful of the female lead’s autonomy. I enjoy the little humorous jealousy moments, (I am reminded of Crash Landing on You) but too often this leads to the classic “two male leads each grab the innocently wide eyed female lead and glare at each other” trope. Women are not ropes to play tug of war with! If jealousy over the instances like the girl simply having a conversation with another guy rupture into real problems in the relationship it is not romantic, but possessiveness is often mistakenly portrayed as an expression of love, when really possessiveness is just that: possessiveness over an object.

-Uses violence to solve problems. This is another thing that can be easily seen as flattering--someone is willing to go to great lengths to protect you/defend your honor/whatever the reason is for the male lead to use violence. This trope was deconstructed in the American movie 500 Days of Summer, where the male lead punches a guy “to defend the honor” of the female lead, but she when she is upset and embarrassed at the situation, he gets angry at her for not being excited over his violent sacrifice.

-The typical “tsundere” narrative of abusive language, but paired with romantic gestures, usually the Grand Romantic Gesture trope. I see this all the time, where the guy berates the girl, sometimes to point of just full on bullying, but then he throws his jacket at her when she’s cold, holds the umbrella over her while he gets wet, etc., In other words he may be verbally abusive but it doesn’t matter because he Truly Loves her. And that she should accept that and understand that about him and not expect him to be polite and respectful.

-He treats everyone but the female lead like trash. Well...he often treats the female lead like trash at first too, but this quality is also marketed as flattering. He treats everyone badly but you’re different! In reality this is super toxic. In fact, it is essential that a person treats *everyone* with decency if they are to meet the baseline requirements of being a person capable of giving and receiving love in a healthy relationship.

-He chases her one sidedly. Oftentimes he chases her even when she rejects him, which shows that dominating, male persistence is a behavior to be rewarded. Again, this is a fantasy easily marketable when many of us aren’t chased around by hot men. It is flattering for a person to be so interested in us that they are incredibly persistent, but this fantasy had very unhealthy, and even harmful real life connotations. There is a very important line between friendliness/respectful attention/flirting, and creepy and domineering. I think it is also equally important to note that in this toxic trope, it is important to teach both men and women that no means no and yes means yes. Not that you can’t have playful/teasing banter, but playing hard to get when you really want to be gotten, is an unhealthy coping mechanism for cowardice in relationships.

I think for this one as with other tropes on this list, it appeals to our childish, insecure, and relationship-immature side of ourselves that would rather have everything fall into place than be honest, vulnerable, and have agency in our romantic interactions. What I mean is, the fantasy of a hot male lead persistently pursuing us after a destiny meet cute is a fantasy where we don’t ever have to put ourselves out there. Where don’t have to consciously try to meet new people, express interest in others, set boundaries, i.e. do the hard work of negotiating our place within other people’s lives.

The hallmark of a bad drama for me is when the give and take between the male and female lead is: the female lead has to put up with the meanness and constant mistakes of the male lead as he hurts her (usually in tangent with the Noble Idiocy trope, where he breaks up with her and steps all over her “for her own good” for some bs reason), but in return she gets the Grand Romantic Gesture, and the male lead does most of the chasing. In a healthy relationship, there aren’t constant hurtful arguments, and both do an equal share of the “chasing,” or a better term would be meeting each other halfway in expressing interest in the other.

-Power imbalance. It really disturbs me how Kdramas fetishize power imbalances between male and female characters to create the helpless/incompetent/somehow indebted but also plucky/cheerful/abuse-taking female lead. This can manifest itself very overtly in the many Kdramas between CEOs and secretaries, which I still cannot believe are popular in 2021. Secretary Kim did a better spin on the usual trope--the secretary holds the power of being very good at her job, and therefore indispensable and respected in her own right, but it remains a mystery to me why these super narcissistic and childish CEOs are played off as “adorable manchilds” that always need a little soothing of their ego. But to return to the power imbalance, besides obvious power imbalances of wealth/power/etc., oftentimes the guy has supernatural powers, or by nature of his job has abilities that render him the “protector” in the relationship (My love from another star, descendants of the sun), or the girl is infantilized in some way to need to protection from the male lead (legend of the blue sea, she is a mermaid and therefore dependent on the male lead for guidance in the human world, bring it on ghost as well). I think these latter power imbalances are constructed into the setting of the story because more overt forms of power imbalances are frowned upon now, but they serve the same patriarchal purpose.

This power imbalance inevitably leads to the female lead putting up with some abuse from the male lead because she “needs” him for some other end, and him holding his power over as a way to keep her close. It fits very well into the enemies to lovers trope in this way, especially some contractual enemies to lovers, where due to the power imbalance he is able to exploit/use her in some way, and keeps her close, and she hates him but has to put up with it for her own survival in some way, but they slowly fall in love. It’s super toxic and not at all romantic because they didn’t choose each other at all, they just were pushed together by circumstance, but again it buys into our fantasy of falling in love due to circumstance, rather than our own agency.

-Overly protective (OP) vs respectfully supportive. (RS) Essentially I can divide Kdramas into these two categories, OP and RS. OP romances can commonly be found in love triangles (where jealousy flourishes) and high school romances (where characters usually have less of a personality lol), and RS relationships are more common in working adult romances, where each character is pursuing their career/dreams and they support each other in those dreams. OP relationships infantilize the female character, render her as just an object in need of saving, and power dynamic between the leads is usually he constantly needs to save her, and in return she “softens”/“heals” him which, under deeper analysis, reveals itself to be quite an insidious and harmful stereotype, the kind of psychology that keeps women in domestic violence relationships. RS relationships are also better in that the leads have something going on outside of their romance, and are motivated beyond just ending up together. My favorite of RS relationships are Miss Hammurabi (two judges that work together to confront injustices in the judicial system), Run On (two leads from v different career fields, but they take interest and support each other throughout career ups and downs), and Hello My Twenties (probably my favorite example of an RS male lead--Sungmin supports Song as she uncovers her past traumas and stands up to an abuser, but does so following her lead and not doing her work for her, but rather simply staying by her side supportively).

Conclusion

This is not all the toxicity in the kdrama world--this is just what I can come up with off the top of my head as my least favorite tropes that disempower women and glorify toxic men and toxic relationships. And of course this is not a problem unique to Korea, and is by no means a condemnation of Korean culture, etc., but I simply happen to enjoy the aesthetics and innocence (compared to American shows haha) of Kdramas, so that is the entertainment world I am familiar with, and feel able to comment on.

#miss hammurabi #run on kdrama #jtbc run on #hello my twenties #feminism #kdrama #kdramas

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ververa · 4 years

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“Everyone Finds True Love Or At Least A Dancing Partner” part 1

A/N: This idea is based on the movie Dirty Dancing. In fact it was supposed to be Dirty Dancing, but my unpredictable mind came up with something else. I would never figure it all out on my own - this is all thanks to @misssmephisto and @emilyprentissisababe who bear with me all the time. Thank you so much for your help and motivating me to keep going!!! <3

I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Also wish me luck with writing further parts.

Cordelia Goode x fem!reader

Word count: ~5,000

Heartache. Nothing, but a heartache. That’s what accompanied Cordelia her whole life. Ever since she could have remembered people were breaking her heart. And it was going on like that in a loop. First it was her mother, then Hank and if that wasn’t enough to break her, burning Myrtle at the stake undoubtedly was the last straw.

She knew that the only way out was through, but it was hard. Cordelia felt broken. At times she was barely holding on. She craved love, affection and acceptance, but all she got was betrayal, lies and unredeemed promises. Whatever she did, it never was enough. Apparently her heart wasn’t the right advisor. So she didn’t want to follow it ever again. She stopped trusting it, which seemed to be the safest, the best thing to do to protect what was left of her heart. She had been through so much and was forced to face it all on her own. All that made her built up walls. The walls that became her new home. She didn’t want to fall again, knowing that she was always the one to end up being broken and hurt. Cordelia began considering love as a weakness and she didn’t want to be vulnerable ever again. Though, there was something so strong inside her, that made her believe she would get up no matter how many times she would be brought up to her knees. She had been pushed way past the point of breaking, but there she was - still standing. Times were hard, with no doubt, but she was built tough and she was capable to pull through. She thought she was ready for everything, yet as it turned out, she wasn’t quite ready for you.

Just when she moved on, convinced herself that she preferred to be on her own and decided she didn’t need anyone, you waltzed into her life. You came in all your glamour and beauty, doing nothing, but your thing. And that was enough. Nothing could rescue her. No matter how hard she tried to stop those thoughts, there was that something. Something inside her saying that the two of you could belong together.

You took what was left of her heart hostage. She was trapped in your love, yet she hadn’t felt freer ever before and she didn’t want out. You freed her from the dust she was buried in. You fixed her heart piece by piece and she was bound to you. Your love felt different. It wasn’t like anything she had ever experienced. Your love was sweet and pure and unconditional. You made her embrace her fears and all the things she was carrying inside for years. You made her stronger. You took her for what she was - and that was the only thing she had ever desired. Yet still, she knew that all the good things, sooner or later, had to come to an end.

Even though the two of you had to part you didn’t let her fall. Not completely at least. You didn’t break her heart. What you did was what had to be done and she knew it. She accepted it and agreed on it, because no matter how badly you wanted to be together there was no way to do it. No plan that could work. All you could do was to let each other down gently.

At first Cordelia was sure she was fine. She came back to her routine, or rather she thought she did. Though in reality it wasn’t possible. Not since the summer. Since that damned vacation she spent with you. She couldn’t live like before. She couldn’t move on, because there was no way to run away from her mind and the memory of you. The worst thing about that was probably the fact she couldn’t grieve, because you hadn’t hurt her. There was no wound, yet it still caused her a lot of pain.

And there she was, in her office. Trying to work, but failing. Spending each minute of the day on recalling you. On recalling that pure feeling of bathing in your love. All that she wanted was to have you next to her - every day and night, just always by her side. Just like then, but the time you had together was over.

Convincing Cordelia to take some time off and go on proper vacation was challenging to say the least. In point of fact it seemed impossible, pointless. Handling the Academy and students entrusted to her care was Cordelia’s priority. It was always like that. Her work had always been very important to her, but after she rose as the new Supreme it practically became her whole life. To say that Cordelia turned into a workaholic wouldn’t be an exaggeration. But she wasn’t working just for the sake of work. It was her way of remaining sane, while having a hard time adjusting to the new role, dealing with her emotions and the loss of her dear aunt - Myrtle.

She barely left her office - unable to stay out of duty, worrying that if she takes some time off and allows herself to fully embrace the power she had, she may turn into her mother. The thought of it itself was causing her a lot of distress. And work seemed to be the only escape, the only way through it. The way to prove herself.

There was always something that needed to be done, something more important than her private life, especially that the former Supreme - her larger than life mother, neglected many things. And Cordelia wanted to fix it. Fix everything and get back to the glory days of the Miss Robichaux's Academy. She didn’t even realize that she got so preoccupied by the great idea that she almost completely forgot that beside being the Supreme, she still was a human. She pretty much didn't have life out of the Coven. Of course, Cordelia didn’t consider it a problem, but at some point and in some way, it began bothering her girls. Especially Zoe, who, after Myrtle’s death, was probably the closest with the Supreme.

"You always take care of us. Let us take care of you for once" Zoe practically begged

"I'm good, but thank you"

"Come on, Cordelia! You never treat yourself” Madison interfered

“I understand that being the Supreme and the headmistress means that you have a lot of responsibilities, but once in a while you should be a bit selfish and take care of yourself" Zoe kept trying to convince her

"Zoe, I already told you, I'm not going anywhere"

The younger witch rolled her eyes at her stubborn friend.

"Don't make me do that"

"Do what?"

"If you don't take at least three weeks off, we'll riot"

"You will what?" Cordelia asked dumbfounded

"We'll stop working and the girls will stop attending classes and then whether you like it or not, you'll be forced to take a break yourself"

The Supreme sighed. She put down her pen, took off her glasses and looked at the girl for the first time since she had entered her office.

"You can't do that" she frowned

"We can and we will" Zoe stated crossing her arms across her chest

Cordelia thought for a moment. She remembered all the times when they had tried to convince her and considering that they kept on pestering her for over three weeks or so, she knew they could indeed riot. They had been basically begging her to take a break, but she kept thinking of all the things that could possibly go wrong without her being there.

"Stop overthinking" Zoe said "We'll be okay"

"Fine" Cordelia said rising her hands as an act of capitulation. A few days off didn't sound that bad after all.

"I'll take a few days off. I'll just stay in the greenhouse and take care of my plants. It's been a while since I-"

"No! You're not staying here. You're going on proper vacation" the younger witch cut her off

"Zoe..."

"No! We'll take care of everything, while you go to that nice holiday resort we found for you. I'll book you a room and organize everything. All you need to do is pack up"

"Or I'll stay right here"

"Cordelia" Zoe said sternly "No"

"What if I promise I'll stay away from my office?"

"If you stay here you'll not do that. And that's why you're going"

Cordelia sighed. "It's preordained already, isn't it?"

"Yes. Yes, it is. But it's only for your own good, Cordelia. We're worried about you. You keep working and barely rest. You almost never leave your office, so a trip can only do some good for you" Zoe assured

The Supreme wasn't thrilled, but she gave in knowing there was no use trying to stand up to her girls.

It had been a long time since Cordelia went on holiday. And she couldn't even recall the last time she went anywhere on her own. There was always something more important to do - the Academy, her students, her ex husband - who wasn't a fan of traveling, then Fiona and all the troubles the Coven encountered before Cordelia became the Supreme. No wonder she felt a bit anxious about the whole vacation thing.

The moment her chauffeur opened the door and her eyes set on enormous complex of buildings, Cordelia was shocked, outraged in fact. That was not what she had seen in the pictures the girls had showed her. That was not what she had agreed on. She wanted peace and quiet not over one thousand people in one place. But it wasn't about the place. It was about the feeling it gave her. The feeling that reminded her why exactly she didn't like going on holidays. The massive buildings, the tide of people, the noise, the chaos - it was all overwhelming. So much that she was ready to hide back and head back to the Academy or anywhere. Just anywhere seemed to be better than that place.

Cordelia looked to Zoe and Madison, who accompanied her. She wanted to ask if there was any other option, but before she could, an older man, all dressed up in an elegant suit, appeared.

"Miss Goode! I'm Gerald Castle, the owner" his resonant voice greeted them "Welcome to the paradise" he chuckled proudly pointing to the building

Cordelia sighed and gave him a half smile. In this very case the luxury and splendor of the place were rather annoying.

"You're our special guest" the man added "let me show you around"

Cordelia looked between the man and her girls. Still considering the escape, though, yet again, the decision was made for her. She was practically forced into the "garden" as they called the place with only one kind of flowers, which state was so poor that looking at them itself caused Cordelia great pain. While she was considering all the ways in which she could possibly fix all the damage done to the plants, the man kept dragging-pushing her farther. The Supreme turned her head to look at Zoe, voicelessly screaming for help, hoping that maybe they'd change their mind and let her go back. But they were relentless.

It was such a ridiculous situation. She was the Supreme, which seemed to mean nothing at that point and regardless of all the power she possessed she was the one taking the orders.

Was it because she couldn't stand her ground or because deep inside she actually wanted to stay there. She couldn't tell which one was it and her thoughts were soon interrupted by Gerald

"We prepared for you one of our best suites"

Cordelia tried to smile. She really wanted to like all of it. Gerald seemed to be nice and put a lot of effort into making sure she liked everything. But despite all that she hated it. It was too much. Too many people. Too many too huge buildings. Too little plants. Too little green.

She tried to find some positives, but there were none.

"And this is my grandson Adam. He'll accompany you throughout your stay. Whatever you need tell him and you'll get it" Gerald said finally freeing her from his embrace

Cordelia nodded, offering a small smile to the younger man. Madison looked him up and down. He was nothing like Gerald and had no idea how to pair his clothes, so that he'd look presentable. He was wearing suit and a shirt with pineapple pattern.

“He looks ridiculous” Madison whispered to Zoe, earning herself a nudge in the arm

"Hello. It's nice to meet you ladies" he tried to be charming, but failed "Let me tell you about our attractions here-"

"Take it easy, man” Madison cut him off, even she could notice the tiredness and impassivity hidden behind Cordelia's perfect smile “Our little old lady needs some time to relax after the trip. Do you have any idea how long it takes to get here from New Orleans? Besides nobody cares about what you say. Just let her be and if she wants your boring babble, she'll for sure let you know. So, just give her the key to her room and leave her alone"

Normally Cordelia would chide Madison for her behavior, but at that time she was actually relieved and grateful there was someone who was rude for her.

"Of course" Adam nodded and without saying a word led them to Cordelia's suite

As soon as they entered Madison threw herself on the king sized bed.

“Madison, get up! We don’t have time. We need to go back” Zoe said

“Do I really have to stay here?” Cordelia asked looking out if the window

“Yes”

“But-”

“No! Gosh, no. You’re staying here and you’re going to rest”

"Are you sure you don't want me to come back?" Cordelia looked at the younger witch pleadingly

"Yes" Madison said

The Supreme sighed

"But you know you can call me anytime and I'll come back?"

"Cordelia Goode, stop worrying and start enjoying your free time"

“In fact, Cordy, you could use some company. If you know what I mean…”

“Madison!”

“Just chill and have some fun”

Enjoying free time and having fun... What did that even mean? What was she supposed to do? And how other people managed to survive with such amount of spare time? Cordelia had absolutely no idea what to do. She couldn’t find herself a place. She was having a really hard time and couldn’t even enjoy the simplest things such as reading. There was nothing she could occupy her mind with, so she decided to go on a walk and explore. She hadn’t planned on drinking, but since she came across the restaurant and a bar it actually seemed to be a good idea. Definitely better than wandering aimlessly at night.

The place she found herself in was really fancy. Too fancy in fact, but that stopped surprising her. Apparently everything there was overdone and bereft of tastefulness. The only good thing there was probably music. A middle-aged singer singing Crazy by Patsy Cline, accompanied by the band made the atmosphere more bearable.

Cordelia sat at the bar - watching couples dancing to the slow, pleasant rhythm. That was the first time she actually felt a bit lonely. Maybe Madison was right. Maybe some company could do her good.

A few drinks, or rather bottles later Cordelia’s mind went further. She began thinking about her whole life. Hank never liked dancing. He lacked tenderness that Cordelia found crucial to be able to dance the way people there did. In fact he lacked many things, but she only realized it when they weren't together anymore.

The Supreme shook her head, trying to get rid of the intrusive thoughts that flooded her mind. She might already have had too much wine, but it still didn't feel like enough, so she ordered another glass.

"It's not good wine" a woman from the other side of the bar said smiling sympathetically

"I don't care" Cordelia sighed

She felt pretty blue that evening and if the alcohol was the only thing that could actually help her, she definitely was going to go for it.

The bartender poured her another glass of wine. She forced a smile and thanked the woman before taking a sip. The night was young, so she still had pretty much time to figure out what having fun mean. Cordelia stared at her glass, when the band started playing another song. She felt funny. She was a bit dizzy and for some reason everything made her want to laugh. The wine took its toll on her, but she regretted nothing. After all, she was finally enjoying her time. That was until Adam appeared to check on her and then stayed to keep her company. How she wished Madison was there to use her snarky comments and make him go away. But in the temporary state of euphoria she was in she didn’t really mind bearing with him that much. It was probably because his words were barely making any sense to her and he definitely knew that. It was impossible not to notice that Cordelia was drunk. That was the only explanation for her agreeing to dance with Adam.

He held her close - closer than she would ever let him if she was in a sober state of mind. And for a few minutes he might have her full attention, but then you appeared and you stole the show.

There were many things Cordelia’s drunk mind didn’t register, but even being in such a bad state she could not miss you. It took you only a few minutes to got all the attention.

People began cheering and clapping appreciatively as you and your dancing partner moved doing more spins than they could keep the track of and all kind of different figures none of them could copy. Cordelia stopped immediately, trying to regain the ability of thinking clearly. She felt a flow of power, which - in her state - struck her as being strange. Yet somehow it made her a bit more sober.

“Who’s that?” she asked

“Oh.. them…They’re the dance people” Adam tried to brush it off, but Cordelia looked at him questioningly demanding more information “They’re here to… umm keep the guest happy”

Cordelia smiled looking at you. She couldn’t gather her thoughts and failed to comprehend whatever Adam was saying. All she knew was that he kept trying to dance, but his moves didn’t even resemble dancing. That’s why watching you was far more better.

You really knew how to move. And Cordelia couldn’t help, but stare in awe. She was absolutely enchanted by your spins and all the other things you did… She had no idea that anyone could be this flexible. Cordelia couldn’t take her eyes off of you. She was hypnotized by the way your body moved. You seemed so light as your partner lifted you up so effortlessly. You seemed so free, yet completely focused and in total control of what you’re doing. You moved so gently and easily. Almost as if you were just walking - not jumping, spinning around or throwing your legs up in the air higher than she had ever seen. Not to mention that the way you looked was pleasing to the eye. Your short, airy dress lifting up every so often, showing off more and more of your skin, didn’t left much to the imagination.

Cordelia was in completely agreement with what Adam said. She was the guest and she was happy thanks to you. And at that point it seemed to be the only relevant information that Adam had delivered since her arrival. But all of that didn't matter as you finished the sequence and bowed to the spectators - who were cheering even louder. It didn’t matter, because her eyes met yours and you proceeded to walk towards her. At that moment her heart skipped a beat. There was some undefined power attracting her to you, drawing her to you like a moth was drawn to the light. Cordelia didn’t know what it was, but she was willing to throw herself into the flames.

The last of her sobriety had to be used to resist Adam, who desperately tried to drag her out of the room. He was stronger than he looked and it was a real struggle. Cordelia knew she wouldn’t manage to withstand for too long, as her mind was slowly getting blurry again. But there you were - to rescue her.

“Adam, leave the poor lady alone” you shot him a warning look, but the professional smile remained on your face

“Piss off, Y/N”

You looked at him, your head tilted to the side. “Rude” you said frowning

“Shouldn’t you be on the dance floor?”

“I am on the dance floor”

“Then dance with someone. I don’t care. Just stop bothering me and our special guest”

“Being around you is already bothering enough, besides, as far as I’m concerned your duties do not include spending time with any of the guests outside the restaurant” you smiled with satisfaction knowing he couldn’t argue with that.

“May I?” you offered Cordelia your hand, which she happily took

She didn’t mean to giggle, but it was stronger than her. She was really drunk and just as you led her to the dance floor, away from Adam - the alcohol hit her once again. You tried to dance with her, made her move, but she kept stumbling.

‘Oh Lord…’ she heard your thoughts

‘I’m so sorry!’ she said, not realizing she did it mentally, when she stepped on your foot

“It’s fine” you said, not aware she didn’t really spoke up

Cordelia tried to follow your moves, but ended up pushing against you more and more. Her legs felt funny, kind of weak. Too weak to carry her. She was relying on you almost completely. And as hard as you tried, you couldn’t hold her like that. Cordelia heard your sigh and felt your hand moving - you waved at someone. She watched intently as a man with whom you were dancing earlier approached you.

“Elliot, you need to help me take her to her room”

‘Oh no. I’m not going anywhere’

“Yes, you are”

Cordelia even in her drunk state, could notice confusion on the man’s face. You shook your head, apparently it was your way of telling him not to ask, so he remained silent.

“Come on, you need to lie down” you said letting her lean against you, not wanting to draw other guests’ attention

She didn’t resist. She had only just met you, but would do absolutely anything you said. Why? She had no idea. She just felt like she could trust you. As if she had an immediate connection with you. Cordelia was so close to you. Your grip on her waist was strong, yet still gentle. And something about the way you held her like that was so intoxicating that even the Supreme couldn’t resist.

“Lift her up” you said breathlessly after a few minutes of practically carrying her

“W-what?”

“We don’t have time and she clearly can’t make it to the room on her own. C’mon, Elliot!”

“Do you know who she is?”

“Trouble?” Cordelia could feel how you shifted to look at her “Yes, I’m aware” your cold hand brushed a strand of her hair from her face

“No. I mean in your case probably yes, but… She’s Cordelia Goode. Gerald’s special guest”

“Uhym… And because she’s his special guest, his grandson obviously can lay his hands on her?”

“Nooo… Of course not”

“Then lift her up and let’s go, before someone notices”

Cordelia heard every word, though couldn’t keep her eyes open. She didn’t know what was going on any more, but somehow she felt calm. She felt calm as long as you were there. The last thing she heard was Elliot’s sighing before he carefully took her and lift her up as you ordered. She could feel you moving away and before you could move too far she grabbed you by your wrist.

‘Don’t leave me…’

“I’m not going anywhere” you put your other hand on hers, which made her relax a bit

Cordelia tried to open her eyes as Elliot carried her to the hotel. She definitely had too much alcohol. Your face looked so blurry. As if she was looking at you through water from the bottom of a pool. Plus you were bouncing, or rather seemed as if you were which made her laugh.

“What? What’s so funny, Miss Goode?”

Your question made her laugh even harder. ‘You look as if you’re bouncing’

“Well, I’m not bouncing”

Next time Cordelia forced herself to open her eyes she actually recognized the place - you were going through that horrible garden.

‘It’s an awful place… How can anyone be so cruel to the plants?’

“I ask myself the same question”

‘It’s time to redecorate’

“To what?”

Cordelia waved her hand. She didn’t see anything, but she could feel her powers flowing around. And your reaction was the confirmation she needed.

“Wow…” she heard your gasp

‘How does it look?’

“It looks great. Someone should have done that long time ago”

‘I guess, I’m the first Supreme that visited... ‘

“Apparently”

“What the hell is going on with the two of you?” Elliot asked as he stopped

“Nothing” you answered quickly “I’ll take her upstairs. Wait here, I’ll be right back”

For a moment Cordelia felt like falling down, but instead of hitting the ground she found herself in a familiar embrace. You were holding her yet again.

“Alright, Miss Supreme, let’s get you to bed, shall we?”

‘You can do to me whatever you please’

“Is there any chance you could actually cooperate and help me with that? Like… I don’t know teleport us or something?”

‘Pff… Of course I can… I am the fucking Supreme’

Cordelia tried to stand on her own, but stumbled and almost fell down.

“Easy, ma’am. I was just playing… I can carry you upstairs”

‘No no no. I’m the-’

“The Supreme. Yes yes, I heard that already”

Cordelia could feel your hold tightening and soon she heard the click of the door. She opened her eyes and saw her room. You were moving towards the bed, but she remembered something and stopped.

“What?! What’s the problem now?”

‘I can’t sleep in my clothes on…’ Cordelia looked at you and smiled. She didn’t know what was so funny, but laughed anyway. ‘undress me’

“I will not”

‘C’mon… Be a dear and undress old little lady’

“I swear… The should pay me more”

Cordelia giggled as you began unzipping her dress. She shivered when your cold hands touched her skin.

‘Your hands are cold as ice… Are you cold baby girl?’

“Sorry. Was not expecting that I’ll have to undress someone tonight”

‘Oh… If getting laid is a problem I can help with solving it’

“Woah, Miss Supreme-”

‘You could stay here. With me’ Cordelia smirked wrapping her legs around your waist

“How much did you have? How much did you drink?”

‘Not much… Two bottles. Maybe four’

“At least, now, you know your limit” you said freeing yourself from her hold “You need some sleep”

‘No’

“Yes” you gently pushed her onto the bed “Goodnight Miss Supreme” was the last thing Cordelia’s mind registered.

Tag list: @midnight-lestrange, @natasha-danvers, @stopkillinglilyrabe

#Cordelia Goode #cordelia goode x reader #AHS #ahs imagine #ahs coven #ahs apocalypse #sarah paulson #sarah paulson imagine #american horror story #ahs fanfiction

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monaownsmyass · 4 years

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A Rant about Chapter 11 (From a Zoey Stan)

Disclaimer: I talk about the racism in this chapter which might be triggering for some. I’m also not black and don’t intend on talking over black people so if anything I say comes across that way, I apologise in advance and pls feel free to correct me.

Ever since day one, Zoey was treated like crap. We barely had any other interactions with her besides talking about Kingsley and her give us clothes. Zoey, despite being a confirmed LI, didn’t even have her own diamond scene until chapter 10, much later than when even Poppy, who’s not an LI, got a diamond scene.

But this is the breaking point. How tf are you gonna sideline a confirmed LI and then insert her into the bigger picture only to embarrass her, destroy her reputation, make her a laughing stock and make her publicly humiliated and not call it mistreatment??? To top it off, she’s also a black wlw. How anyone can victim blame Zoey here is beyond me.

For the benefit of the doubt, at first I thought PB was just clueless about what they did and didn’t realise it (it comes across that way in multiple books) but then, then they go ahead and put this in...

So you’re telling me, you’re fucking telling me that they knew how racist this sounded and still fucking went along with it??? If they were gonna make a subplot about how she got racially profiled, fine, good job, you know what the sad reality is like for black people. But to get publicly humiliated and embarrassed for it? That’s fucking RACIST! Idk how you’re gonna justify this when it’s clearly unjustifiable. I bet PB added that dialogue to show how woke they are but congrats, somehow you managed to do the complete opposite.

Poppy

Now let’s talk about Poppy. PB honestly never ceases to amaze me. They took a very complex character with depth and a lot of potential and just chucked all of that out of the window. It’s beyond salvageable at this point. And to make matters worse? The way PB wrote Poppy in that animal shelter scene (where we see a more vulnerable side to her) seems to be hinting at a redemption arc for her. I would’ve been all for it if this hadn’t happen. After this, there’s no way to save her character, I’m sorry but I can’t see it.

Going into detail now, I just wanna say, what. the. actual. fuck. I don’t even know where to start. Actually, I do, let’s take a look at how sad and pathetic this sounds:

Regardless of race, this shit is beyond messed up. But the fact that PB actually acknowledges it was about her race (as shown earlier), makes it baffling. I genuinely don’t understand how they didn’t see this as a problem. The way Poppy went after Zoey for absolutely no reason whatsoever makes it obvious that this is no longer a self-defence mechanism she uses for coping, this is cruelty.

And then we have the whole calling Zoey a ‘human sacrifice’. They do not only mention this once but MULTIPLE times. Poppy even labelled her folder as it. This made me the most upset. Getting a little historically literal here, actual human sacrifices were normally slaves, outcasts and criminals. I think it’s pretty self-explanatory why this was very wrong.

Zetas and Alphas

What a bunch of self-entitled, self-absorbed, low-life pricks that put others down to make themselves feel better.

So public humiliation wasn’t enough for poor Zoey apparently. She now has to endure tomatoes and wine thrown at her. Y’know how this entire scene reads and comes across as? A criminal getting stoned for their crimes. She was a young girl who was pressured into shoplifting by her peers and she was the only one that got caught cuz of her race. Need I say more? I will, that’s fucking RACIST!

MC is a little complicated for me. In my playthrough, I chose the good girl route and so my MC wasn’t as harsh as I’d assume the bad girl MC would be. I’m not excusing what she did because it was still wrong of her. She should’ve immediately gone to save Zoey. I’m just upset in a book called Choices, we couldn’t even choose between exposing Poppy’s credit cards and saving Zoey.

We’re always given the least important choices and we’re always asking for PB to give us choices that actually matter. This would’ve been the perfect opportunity. I’m playing as black!MC and even though I chose the good girl route, it still felt really... off. I can’t imagine how much worse it would be if players were playing the bad girl route with a PoC character especially if they’re playing as black!MC.

Zoey

Zoey. Poor Zoey deserves so much better. Fuck Poppy and the Zetas and even MC. The image of Zoey covered in tomatoes was so heart-breaking. MC’s convo with her... ugh.

If PB did anything right, it was making Zoey mad. She was right to be angry at MC (regardless if we took the good or bad girl route) and leave the posse. MC doesn’t deserve her. And to people saying Zoey should have known, it doesn’t matter! People are literally throwing things and publicly humiliating her so no it doesn’t matter if she should’ve known better. They shouldn’t have done that!!

I’m so fed up with PB sidelining and mistreating her and most female LIs and it’s even more disappointing that this is still happening after PB released their statement saying they’ll improve.

Idk how they messed up this badly after everything that’s happened, after all of our complaints and suggestions on how to improve. I just want to see Zoey thrive after this, with or without MC. It’s the least PB could do for her.

#zoey wade deserves better #zoey wade #qb: zoey #zoey qb #qb #queen b #choices: qb #qb choices #choices #choices: stories you play #pb #pixelberry #im so mad

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narcissasdaffodil · 3 years

Note

what are the things you like and dislike about Marisol and what makes her your favourite?

I love any excuse to ramble about Marisol, so this one will likely get long. In addition, I do ramble a lot naturally, I work my way through all of my thoughts first, so some stuff I write about might appear unrelated, but I promise I’m going somewhere here! As a second note, this has already started turning into a self analysis thing, but I feel that’s the easiest way to do this. Parts of what I’m writing are very personal here.

- Marisol’s a character who’s really close to my heart. When I first played the game I fell for both her and Lottie at first sight. Her route is my favourite route, I struggle with simple and easy routes and am a sucker for a good slow burn. When I first played Season 2, I was starting to recover with my own mental health issues and building myself as a person while learning to not treat myself badly for my own mental health. I’ve experienced further self growth in that time, but the game itself helped me go further with my self journey. Having a distraction that absorbed me so fully and got me interested in the journeys of the characters was appreciated during that time.

- It took me a while to fully come out myself as a lesbian and to sort out who I believed I truly was from the mess in my head. Part of that was due to having a heavily homophobic ex bestfriend so for my own safety I came out as bisexual and let myself believe I was bi, so I could avoid extra questions. Once I was free from her, I came out fully as a lesbian, as I realised how much of my beliefs about myself with my sexuality were a lie and that it was okay to not be attracted to men at all. The reason I’m mentioning this is mainly that I understand her fear about coupling up and why it took so long for her to face her fear there. I saw so much of my younger self in her, and I do relate to her heavily in addition. Actually coming out fully can be difficult, especially if you’re uncertain at the start, or have doubts whether the people around you will be accepting.

- I do understand her commitment issues, especially if she’s been burned in the past. I’ve never been in a relationship at all myself, and am in no rush to do that. I want to do it in the future, but on my terms and when I’m comfortable enough with myself. Being single and never having had a relationship isn’t something I’m ashamed of either, real life isn’t how they portray in the media and wanting to wait and being single in general shouldn’t be stigmatised. People have judged me for waiting before, but I just block that out. Marisol pretending she doesn’t want commitment is likely a defence mechanism to prevent herself getting hurt again. When she finally couples up with MC, she lets go from her previous reservations and becomes very loving and fiercely loyal, which proves she does want commitment but is scared of it.

- I relate to her with the analysing people too. I do that myself as a defence mechanism as I’ve been hurt in the past multiple times by ex friends and other people. So I have to gain an accurate reading on people before I can trust them fully. That still does cause issues for me as I mess up still, but most of my readings on people have been accurate, especially recently. I base whether I like someone on their interactions with others as well as myself, mainly as people can and do be two faced. I’ve had people suck up to me, and be rude to my friends and I’ve also had the reverse.

- I love her growth during her route and it helps give me hope myself that I can eventually get better at trusting people and allowing myself to be more vulnerable with people. I was so happy when she finally coupled up with MC, I found myself doing a happy squeal and was relieved to have the house to myself! It takes a lot for me to have a connection to a character, but once I do I care with all of my heart.

- To follow on from the analysing people point, something else I remembered. Analysis can definitely come from being isolated, which I can confirm there. From Year 1 until Year 4 of primary school, I was entirely alone as my only friend had left me, which had a serious impact on me. It landed me with a fear of rejection so I preferred to be alone. I’m still working through that and helping myself grow. Having connections with people does scare me, a lot, so I do find myself scaring people off by accident or not trying at all. Connections usually appear from people seeking me out, I’ve gained actual people recently through that. People abandoning me will always be a worry for me, which is why I do find myself apologising far too much and doing everything I can to maintain connections with people until there’s a valid reason to let them go.

- I also struggle with being open and vulnerable with my feelings so I can relate heavily to her there. I have to have a strong connection with someone or trust them enough to properly be honest with them. Meaningful connections do take a while to develop for me. She also feels so real and true to life, that’s something I’d likely say about most of the characters of this game.

- She’s also very observant and picks up the subtleties of people in general. I do that too, but I don’t base my entire reading off my observations and what I hear from others. A weakness for her is likely her tendency to rely heavily on reading people over getting to know them herself, and basing her perceptions of people on her observations.

- She can come across as quite cold on first impression which I relate to. I’m like an onion or a pineapple, my spiky exterior/ multiple layers put people off getting to know me, but once they get past my walls and spiky exterior I’m a very warm and loving person. That observation there is based off what people have told me. I do scare people off without meaning to. Marisol as a character does divide opinions herself, which makes sense. I tend to lean towards characters who are more underrated and divide opinions, the more popular characters don’t tend to draw my attention. There’s been exceptions to that rule, and it’s not deliberate either, it’s just the type I automatically default to. Once Marisol trusts people and lets down her walls she’s so loving and so warm. That’s definitely something I’m drawn to in a LI, someone who you have to work through their layers to find who they truly are.

-She’s also very ambitious, which is something we do share there. I do have life goals and have been called intelligent by a lot of people. She’s pretty stubborn and set in her opinions too, which I also relate to. I have experienced personal growth opinions wise, but it has to be me making the decision and coming to that realisation myself. Marisol’s like that too, I feel.

- Right, this is getting so super long! If you’re still with me, wow. Anyway, something I dislike about her is definitely the game playing. Having her use Graham to try and make MC jealous is pretty cold, especially when Graham actually liked her. Playing through Casa did hurt for that reason. I was slightly hesitant about taking her from him, as they seemed to be really compatible during Casa, but I worked through that pretty quickly due to her being the only one I was compatible with.

I think that’s finally it, in terms of analysis points. This has been sitting about for a while, so I’ll finally publish it!

#litg #litg marisol #love island the game #litgs2 #answered asks #asks

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loveisnotadagger · 3 years

Text

Love Is Healing - Chapter Six

Chapter 6/?

Rating T

Arianna's life went on undisturbed by the fact that Loki was in it. She still took trips to hospitals to heal the wounded, and she didn't hate the fact that she was living in the same building as Natasha. Tash was her best friend, but they didn't usually get to spend a lot of time together because they weren't usually called on the same missions. The Manhattan fiasco had been an exception. They usually weren't called to do anything so large scale as that had been.

Aside from Natasha, the other Avengers were good company as well. Steve kept to himself mostly, but he was nice and polite when he did talk with Arianna. He sometimes treated her like a kid, but she chalked that up to the time jump he'd had to deal with after being frozen for seventy years. Bruce spent most of his time with Tony in the lab in the basement. Natasha and Clint spent their time together with Arianna unless she was with Loki, though they remained nearby when Arianna was with the Asgardian.

On this particular morning Arianna was in the kitchen making herself some toast and a fruit salad to go with it. She was making enough fruit salad for everyone, actually. She'd been the first one up and had made a pot of coffee. The aroma had pulled Tash out of bed as well as Steve. Arianna almost grinned at the mess that was Tash's red hair. She hadn't even taken the time to brush it.

Steve's hair wasn't in place either, but it didn't matter. It was so unfair that people with short hair looked okay even if their hair was a mess.

"Jarvis, can you tell Tony and Bruce that there's coffee if they want some?"

"Yes, Miss Grace."

Arianna smiled, remembering the first time Tony had spoken to Jarvis in front of her. She hadn't known what to think when Jarvis had responded. She'd basically praised Tony's genius after he'd explained what Jarvis was exactly.

Over the few weeks that she had been there, Tony had taken to treating Arianna as if she were a kid sister, which basically meant that he teased her constantly but was also protective. In fact, he was protective to the point of being almost paranoid. It didn't really bother Arianna at all, so she let him get away with it. If knowing she was safe gave Tony Stark a small amount of security in his mind, she would allow him to do what he deemed necessary.

"Is Clint still asleep, Jarvis?"

"He hasn't left his room, Miss Grace."

"Okay. Thank you."

"You know he likes to sleep in when he can," Natasha said.

Once the fruit salad was prepared Arianna took some of it and her toast to the living room where she sat on the couch and began to eat. After she was done, she took a medium sized bowl of fruit to Loki's room. He had yet to come out and socialize with the others, though he did leave the room at night when most of the others were sleeping.

He barely talked to anyone who wasn't Arianna. She didn't know what to make of that, but it probably had something to do with the fact that Loki seemed not to trust anyone else but her – if trust was the right word for what he felt for her.

She knew that he at least enjoyed her company. ----------

Loki was reading when Arianna brought him his breakfast. The Man of Iron had bought him a set of books that would help Loki learn more about Earth. He had to admit that Midgardians were adept enough, considering they didn't know magic existed. From how many wars he'd already read about, it was probably a good things humans couldn't do what Loki could – or what he'd been able to do before he'd been made mortal.

It seemed Midgardian leaders would fight over anything. It reminded him of the time Thor had raced off to Jotunheim to declare war on them. It would've caused war against all of Asgard had Thor's antics worked. Loki had played his own part in getting Thor to go, but he had hoped he'd be able to talk his way out of a fight. Thor had been impulsive then and quick to anger, quick to fight, and words were said that Thor had reacted badly to. That was when the battle had begun.

He looked up from his book when Arianna came in. She gave him a small smile and came over to the bed to sit on the edge. She offered him a bowl of fruit, which he accepted and began to pick at. Some of the fruit he recognized because they were also grown in Asgard, but others he had to ask about as he came across them.

For instance, he had no clue what a banana was.

"We're going to have to get you acquainted with the kitchen so you can learn to make what you want and not just what I make."

"I like the food you make."

Arianna never made any complicated meals, but they always satisfied. Besides, as a prince, Loki had no knowledge of cooking.

"Be that as it may, you still need to know. And it's okay to come out of your room when the others are awake. It isn't meant to be a prison cell."

"I'm under constant watch," he reminder her. "And I am still not at my best."

"Well, no one's going to attack you," she said gently. Then with humor, she said, "I think everyone is afraid of what your mother would do if something were to happen to you here."

Loki shook his head. "It would depend on whose fault it was."

Arianna stayed long enough to let Loki finish eating and then she immediately stood up. Before leaving she said, "In all seriousness, you should come out. We could watch a movie or something."

Loki had read about movies – moving pictures – but hadn't yet watched one. Maybe he could try just once. If he didn't like it, he would just say so and he wouldn't have to watch another one.

Loki carefully got off the bed and went to his closet to pick an outfit. Arianna had ordered him clothes the first day he'd agreed to stay with the Avengers. He had to admit that Midgardian attire was easier to get into, but it left Loki feeling vulnerable and exposed. How did Midgardians feel safe without armor on at all times? On Asgard, the only time Loki's armor came off was at night when he was sleeping or when he was bathing and, even then, he took precautions to ensure his safety.

He decided on a dark blue sweater and a pair of black jeans, which he had to admit he looked good in. He went without shoes and found the sensation not unpleasant. He'd seen Arianna go around barefoot at all times of the day; many times she had visited fully clothed aside from her lack of shoes.

She'd definitely made herself home in Stark's Tower. ---------- Arianna had just put a movie in the DVD player when Loki came into what would be the living room in a normal home. The room had since been fixed from when it had been destroyed by the war that had been brought to Manhattan.

Tony had taught her how to use the TV because he had a remote that controlled all the electronics in the room – even the lights. Arianna didn't know why Tony couldn't have just invested in some light switches. When she'd voiced her opinion, he'd given her a sarcastic grin and had called her cute.

"You said I could join you," Loki said as he appeared out of the hallway.

She nodded, not surprised by his sudden appearance as she could feel his presence when he was close by. Side effect of being connected to him for so long even though it had been almost a month now.

The movie she'd chosen was the first Harry Potter movie. She'd chosen it in the hopes of Loki coming out of his room to watch it with her. She hoped he'd like it because of the magic in it, even if it wasn't the type of magic he was used to.

"The type you're accustomed to then?" Loki assumed when she tried to describe the movie without giving too much away. It was about a boy who found out he was a wizard and was allowed to go to a school for magic.

"I can do some of the things in the movie."

"So you can make things float?" Tony asked, suddenly appearing in the room. Bruce was with him. They had just come from the lab.

"Depends on what I'm trying to make float. And I've never actually done it, but theoretically, I know how."

Arianna wasn't surprised that Tony had known what she and Loki had been talking about. There were cameras everywhere in Stark Tower and Tony could pull up the video feed from pretty much anywhere.

"Would you mind testing that theory while you're living here?" Tony asked. "I just wanna know why you can do what you can do."

Arianna knew Tony was coming from a place of genuine curiosity and that he didn't want to use her for anything. She also knew he was asking her respectfully. If she'd been anyone else, he probably would've mentioned that he was letting her live there for free while also having her every need met with his money, but he hadn't said a word.

"I don't mind furthering your research," she said. "Better you than Fury and the science team at SHIELD."

"And Banner? He'll want to take your pulse and check brains waves and such."

Bruce looked uncomfortable for a slight moment. He'd obviously known nothing about Tony's request until just now. It was kind of cute and ironic that the guy that could turn into the Hulk was so bashful when he wasn't green and smashing things.

"It's fine," Arianna said. "I have a few conditions, though, because I've heard about how excited you get when you start a new project. You act like a kind with a new toy."

Tony looked as if he agreed with that statement, so Arianna felt confident enough to continue.

"I am not a toy and I'm not a machine. I have limits, so . . . I guess these are my conditions. One, I want to know what we do before we do it, and two, no pushing if I say no."

Tony agreed almost immediately and then said, "What exactly do you think I want to force you into? I gave up my dreams of world domination years ago."

Arianna rolled her eyes at Tony's joke and responded with, "Just covering my bases." ---------- After Arianna and Tony came to an agreement, which didn't take too long. Arianna was finally able to play the movie. Natasha watched the movie with them, even though Arianna knew Natasha wasn't much into movies – especially ones like Harry Potter. She didn't know why Natasha was being so protective when Loki really wasn't a threat at the moment. If he'd had his powers, Arianna would've completely understood, but as it was . . . even Arianna could beat Loki, and she couldn't fight to save her life.

By the time the movie ended, Arianna had decided to get Loki the Harry Potter series for him to read. She knew he liked to read because he had responded well to the encyclopedias she'd gotten him already – or that Tony had gotten him, at her suggestion.

After having been inside Loki's head, she'd found out more than he'd probably be comfortable with, but she couldn't help that. It had helped her decide how to approach Loki. Helping him understand the world he now lived in would make him feel less helpless.

He could learn their culture and try to fit in if he so desired. She could introduce him to other movies, her favorite ones and ones she thought he would like. She could bring him music, see if he liked it. She didn't even know if Asgard had music, but she knew music helped her relax. It could settle her when she felt anxious or it could help her have fun if she felt like dancing around. She'd even hopped around to Tony's music a few times when she'd stumbled upon him jamming out.

That night before Arianna went to bed, Natasha stopped her and asked to come into her room.

"Sure, Tash. What's up?"

"Loki."

"What about him?"

The two women sat down on the bed and Arianna gave Natasha her undivided attention.

"Loki is better now, right?" the red head asked. "I mean, there's nothing more you can do for him. He has to build up strength himself."

"Yeah. I mean, I could share energy with him, but there's no need. He's awake and able to eat and drink. It would sort of be a waste of time."

Natasha smiled slightly. "Yes. It would be."

"What's this about?"

If Natasha was taking the time to have this conversation, it meant she had something to say. Tash wasn't one for idle chitchat.

"Aries, you are good. Loki is not. He killed eighty people in two days. He didn't blink; he didn't flinch. That's not counting the people that were hurt during the battle."

"You mean the battle where the people we worked for were going to bomb the city? That would've killed a lot more than eighty people. And correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't those eighty people that died the ones that were buried beneath the rubble that Fury himself decided to bring down?"

"To try and keep Loki from getting away."

"I know that. The point I'm trying to make is that we're responsible for some of the blood that was spilled."

Natasha didn't say anything to that, but she looked as if she'd had the same thoughts go through her head at least once.

"Besides, it's not like I like him or anything."

She didn't trust many people enough to get close to them and Loki was no different. Arianna had known Natasha for a long time. It had taken Arianna two years to get close enough to consider her a friend and not just a co-worker.

"All I'm saying is . . . don't coddle him. He's not a pet."

"I'm not coddling him."

"You bought him books. You're watching movies with him."

"I didn't buy him anything. Tony did. Besides, Fury said I needed to help Loki acclimate to life here. He needs to know things about this world."

Natasha sighed and her body deflated from losing its purpose for being in the room.

"All I'm saying is be careful, okay? I've been alone with him. He can get in your head."

Arianna smiled. She knew her friend was coming from a place of love and that Natasha was only looking out for her.

"Tash, I think you're forgetting the fact that I can get inside his head too." ---------- Over the next few days, Arianna and Loki spent time going over things he would need for everyday life

He had learned about the shower within the first few days he'd been strong enough to stand on his own. Loki preferred baths, and until arriving on Midgard he'd never taken a shower. No such thing existed on Asgard. Loki had always had servants to draw his bath for him. On Midgard there was plumbing and they had knobs that controlled the temperature of the water.

It was practical and convenient. It beat having to boil water to pour into a tub and then having to wait so one wouldn't scorch oneself.

Loki had also been introduced to an invisible person named Jarvis – or at least he'd assumed the voice had belonged to a person until Arianna had explained what exactly Jarvis was. It was brilliant. Loki didn't like the fact that Tony Stark could pull up an image or video from anywhere in the Tower, but he did appreciate the genius behind it.

This particular day, Arianna was showing Loki around the kitchen. Mostly she was just letting him know where everything was, so if he needed something, he would know where it was located. That was easy enough to remember.

On Asgard there wasn't anything remotely like an oven, a microwave, or a refrigerator, but they were all brilliant inventions. Loki was used to a pit of fire for cooking – not that he knew how to cook, but he knew what was needed – so the oven was a nice touch. One was able to control the heat by setting the degree one needed for a specific dish.

The refrigerator was practical and kept things from spoiling when left over. Asgard should invest in such things in the future.

He wasn't sure about the microwave. It was brilliant, of course, but it didn't seem healthy. He didn't understand how it worked, so he didn't trust it.

As it was, Arianna had shown him how to use the toaster and they were both slathering butter and jam over the toasted bread.

"Is there anything you want to do today?" Arianna asked. "Maybe watch another movie or something. I have to go down to the lab, but I can set you up before I go. I can show you how to use the DVD player and the TV. Or I can show you how to use the computer."

Loki didn't really want to do any of those things. He didn't mind movies or TV, though he thought people needed to be careful in choosing what to watch. Some of the things he'd seen could only be called moronic and probably lowered the intelligence level of the people who regularly watched them.

He didn't mind reading, but it seemed to him that the only thing he'd been doing was reading.

"Do you mind if I come with you? I'm interested in what Midgardians consider science. Maybe you could teach me the computer later."

Arianna smiled softly. Loki's gaze fixed on her face when he noticed that when she was genuinely happy her green eyes would dance with light.

He didn't know why she was still being so nice to him. He'd heard her arguing with her red-headed friend. He knew Agent Romanoff didn't agree with Arianna treating him as kindly as she was, but Arianna hadn't changed despite knowing how her friend felt.

Loki didn't know what he would've done had Arianna begun to show hatred or indifference towards him. She was the only thing making his stay on Midgard bearable. He didn't really miss Asgard, but it was his home; it was what was familiar to him. His mother was there, and he did miss her.

Arianna was what was familiar here. She was what he clung to so that he would not be completely alone.

"I'll teach you the computer. Will you teach me about you and your people? I mean, you're from a different realm."

Loki could see the obvious curiosity Arianna was expressing. She was sincerely interested in learning for the sake of learning.

"How about you let me come with you and I'll tell you more about Asgard."

"I don't mind you coming with me. You probably should explore the building a bit. Although the lab is usually off limits when Tony is working."

Loki did want to explore, but he wasn't up to his usual strength yet. He didn't know what his usual strength was anymore. He would no longer have the strength of a god. He would have only human strength. He wasn't sure what that meant. He knew he would probably be one of the weakest ones there.

The patriotic one had the power of science making him strong; Dr. Banner became a green beast when angry enough; Agent Barton was an excellent archer and a fair fighter; Agent Romanoff knew how to fight and could probably wield any weapon one put in her hands; Stark had his suit of metal that he could call on in an instant; Arianna had her powers even if she didn't know how to use them to her advantage.

Loki could fight, but he'd always had his strength and magic to rely on. He'd told Arianna once that he'd preferred magic to fighting, and he hadn't been lying. Most of the men on Asgard were big and burly like Thor. They had their build to work with, whereas Loki was tall and lean.

He was brought back to himself by hearing the cling of dishes being put in the sink. Arianna was done with her breakfast and she was waiting for him now.

Without a thought, he took a large bite of his toast. It wasn't polite to keep a lady waiting. ---------- The first thing Tony did when Arianna and Loki got to the lab was attach her to a heart monitor. He was also going to scan her brain waves so he could record activity while she did whatever it was she could do.

Tony explained what everything was before getting started. That had been one of the conditions of their arrangement, and he didn't mind upholding his end.

The first thing he said was, "Why's Reindeer Games here?"

Arianna mock-glared at him. "He wanted to come see the lab, and that's not his name."

"Right. Loki. My bad."

Loki didn't seem offended in the least. Tony was sure Loki didn't care what anyone thought of him, let alone what Tony thought. In fact, Loki seemed uninterested in anyone that wasn't Arianna Grace.

"I am here to speak with you, Man of Iron," Loki said. "If you had directed your question to me, I would have more than happily answered."

Tony was shocked, to say the least. Loki had barely spoken to anyone aside from Arianna, and now he was requesting a conversation with Tony.

"It can wait until you are through with this . . . session of experimentation."

"Research," Tony corrected. "Not experimentation."

None of it would be documented. Tony was just curious. Plus he didn't want to risk SHIELD hacking into his database and stealing information on their littlest Avenger. He wouldn't endanger her that way.

The elevator doors opened to reveal Dr. Branner, who was in a lab coat. He stepped forward and quietly greeted everyone, even Loki.

"Is it all right if Bruce takes a blood sample?"

"Sure, but I can already tell you I'm A positive."

"That's good to know if you're ever bleeding to death," Tony quipped. "That's not why I want a sample, though."

Tony gestured for Bruce to begin. All in all, Arianna was only in the lab for about thirty minutes. Tony was only testing her normal responses at the moment. He wanted to know what her heart rate and brain activity were when she was relaxed. Only then could he compare it to results he hoped to get at a later date.

"You're all set," he said.

"That's it?" Arianna asked, a cute and confused look on her face.

"Yup. We can do other tests later."

She hopped off the hospital bed she'd been sitting on, looked at Loki, and raised her eyebrows a bit.

"You don't have to wait for me," Loki said. "I'll find my own way back."

She nodded and sent them all a quick smile before heading to the elevator. Tony found the bond between Loki and Arianna interesting – troubling, but interesting nonetheless. Arianna hadn't given voice to her question, but Loki had understood her facial expression. He'd known her a few short weeks and whether Arianna would admit it or not, she'd formed an attachment to the former god of mischief.

Tony didn't know what that meant.

"I mean her no harm," Loki said. Apparently Loki was just good at reading people.

"Good. Because if you hurt her, the kid gloves will come off and you'll be given to Fury so fast you won't know what hit you. And you're not immortal anymore."

Loki nodded soberly. "That's why I wished to speak to you."

Tony looked at Bruce, who was pointedly pretending to study a drop of Arianna's blood that he'd placed on a slide and onto the plate holder of a microscope.

"Go on," Tony said.

"I am mortal now. I don't know what that entails. I don't understand myself in this form."

Loki stepped forward.

"I'd like to learn. I'll need your help. I need to know my strengths and weaknesses, my limitations." A small grin graced Loki's lips. "Research, Mr. Stark."

Because Tony Stark was ever the curious genius-playboy-philanthropist, he gave in.

@smallangryandpink, @purplekitten30

#loki #loki x reader #loki/oc #Loki/OFC #love is healing #chapter six

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demivampirew · 4 years

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The mistake

Henry x Amy (OFC) one shot

Summary: Henry encounters an ex-girlfriend with who things ended badly due to a mistake he made.

Triggers: Crying; heartbreak; cheating; drinking; midly smut ( no description of sexual acts, just mentions of love-making) (and fluff as well)

Henry took Kal for a walk. It was a beautiful sunny morning and the park flowers were looking gorgeous. He breathed deeply, allowing the oxygen to fill his lungs. He was sending a message to Charlie when he noticed that something was wrong with Kal. The dog started to cry and move anxiously, wanted to run, but Henry was stopping him from doing so. The dog didn't give up and after struggling to calm him down, the man decided to release the puppy's leash, to prevent for chocking him after the dog started to run away. He ran after the dog and stopped when he saw him excitedly play with a woman. The Akita was so happy, letting the woman pet him and jumping to lick her face. Henry couldn't see her face. She had kneeled to play with the dog and her hair was on the side, covering her face. But, all he needed to see was her unique curls, red as fire, to know who she was. The animal's reaction was understandable for him now, she was Kal favourite person after him. "Amy" he whispered and realising a big sigh after that. There, just a few meters away, was the love of his life. The woman that he loved above all. The person he wanted to spent the rest of his life with until he made that stupid mistake that took her away from him. Almost a year ago, after finishing filming the first season of his show The Witcher, Netflix set up a party for the cast and crew to celebrate all the hard work put into the series. He and some friends were a bit nostalgic for the old times in which they would drink until morning, partying like "rockstars", so they decided to have on a more crazy night like they used to do. What he did not think beforehand, was that now, after years of drinking responsibly, his tolerance has changed. He got completely wasted and woke up in his hotel room next to a lady that worked on the show as an extra. When he got back to London and got to see her again, she made the recounter hug and kiss to last as long as possible, for he knew it would be the last. There was no doubt on his mind that she would leave after he told her what had happened, but he needed to tell her, he would never be able to live with himself knowing he was unfaithful to the love of his life and lie about it. The right thing to do was to tell her the truth, even if that cost him everything. Looking at her play with his four paws son and knowing that she was there and he couldn't run to embrace her and kissed her hurt enormously, although it didn't hurt as much as it did when he confessed his mistake and saw her crying desperately, battling for air as she repeated: "I don't deserve this" "I deserve better than this" over and over with a crack voice. He always promised her and to himself that he would treat her with anything but love and he'd spend his life doing anything to make her happy but now there he was, breaking her heart into a million pieces without being able to comfort her. She was suffering because of him and he hated himself for that. When she said that she never wanted to see him again, he felt an agonizing pain. After that he spent days just sitting on the couch, watching tv without paying any attention, he lost all appetite. The only thing that made him feel some happiness was the Akita, who didn't leave his human daddy's side. He was there, crying because he knew Henry was sad. It took him months to be able to feel kind of okay, being the release of the show his main source of happiness after his dog and the support of his family. He tried to move on, to find someone else, but the only experience with other woman was short-lived because he couldn't take Amy out of his mind and in his heart, she was still his love and being with someone else felt wrong. So he decided to take a long break from dating. The redheaded young woman stood up and look to her side, seeing him waiting for Kal from some distance. They stare at each other for a minute, before the woman turned to face the puppy and told him to go with his dad. The doggy sat there, looking at her with sad eyes, like knowing she was about to leave. She walked away but went back to Kal, after hearing him cry out loud. She petted him some more and hugged him, repeating " I'll miss you too, buddy". Then she grabbed the leash and walk towards Henry, extending her arm for him to take the leash. They both looked at one another without saying a word. She set her eyes on the puppy and said "Goodbye, my good boy" and then rushed to leave the park. Henry and Kal stood right there, both heartbroken from seeing her disappear. Henry was on the couch with his buddy next to him. Both were upset. He had a Guinness on his hand. He tried to forget her but seeing her that day reminded him how much he still loved her. He would have given everything up just to have her again on his arms. Suddenly, Kal, who had his head resting on the furniture, raised it in a sign of alert. That could only mean that someone was coming to the house. He ran to the door and started barking and moving his tail from side to side. Henry stood up and said, "What's going on, boy?" "Who is it?" By the reaction of his companion, he realized that must be somebody they know, so he waited for a minute in front of the door until the bell rang. He opened the door and saw Amy. They looked at each other for a long moment in silence. Finally, she spoke, asking him for permission to enter the house. He moved aside to let her in. As soon as he closed the door and turned around, she threw herself into his arms, grabbing his face and engaging in a long, passionate kiss. One of his arms was on her waist, the other in her back with his hand on the back of her head. He put some strength into that hug, not to hurt her, but to pull her as close to him as he could. "Am I dreaming?" he thought; the feeling of her sweet lips colliding with his while their tongues danced on each other's mouths was indescribable. He longed for that moment to last forever. They kiss for some time, before she broke the kiss, resting her face on his shoulder. He felt his shirt getting wet and sensed her body moved which allowed him to know that she was crying. He pushed her away enough for him to cup her face with his hands, forcing her to look at him. Her eyes were red and tears were filling them and rolling down her cheek. It felt like a stab, or a million. Seeing the love of his life crying again in front of him was the most painful way of torture for him. " I swear to you, if I could take your pain away and feel it for you, I'd gladly do it. I'll suffer for both of us if that were possible, so you could be happy. You deserve to be happy." he said to her as he pressed his forehead against hers. She kissed him again. He could feel the wetness of Amy's cheeks and the saltiness of her tears. She tried to take off his shirt, but he stopped her, putting distance between both of them. He took a deep breath. Doing that, cost him all the strength he had. "I don't want to do it, not with you like this, baby." he said "I love you more than any other woman I've ever loved. You are the only in my heart and believe when I say that there's nothing I wish more than taking you to bed and make love to you. What I wouldn't give to feel the softness of your naked body next to mine. To let my lips explore your body. To caress that soft skin under my fingers. But I cannot do it now, with you in this state. You're vulnerable and I'd feel like I'm taking advantage of you and that I cannot do, especially to you." he explained. She stood there, looking at the floor. She was caught in her thoughts than didn't even notice that Kal was stroking her legs with his head, comforting her. She kneeled and petted the dog and hugged him. Then, she stood up and just nodded to Henry and left without saying a word. He put both his hands and his head on the door, feeling crushed after seeing her leave once more. He'd probably never see her again and he felt like if he was about to die from the heartache. Two days after that he received a message. Amy still had the same phone number. He opened it and read it "Could you come to my place tonight? I want to talk." it took him almost no time to reply "I'll be there." The woman with the fire-coloured curls opened the door letting him into her house. She invited him to sit on the sofa. She sat next to him, leaving some space between them. "I know why you did it, but I still cannot believe that you would do it. That's not you. That's not the man I love." she said "How would I know that you won't do it again?" she asked. "Because like you said, that was not me. I was wasted and that's not something I'll ever do again. I've learnt my lesson. It cost me everything, but I took a life lesson from that. After hurting you, I know that I'd die before doing something that causes you pain" he confessed. "I love you. I love you so much." She looked at him and the turned her head looking at the space in front of her. A huge sigh left her body before she spoke again " Not so long ago I read a book, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. In this book, the main character is having a conversation with her mother and the topic was her father's infidelity when they were younger. Her mother said something that I stood with me "At an early age I learned that people make mistakes, and you have to decide if their mistakes are bigger than your love for them.” ," Amy turned to face Henry again and continued talking "My love for you is bigger than you mistake. But I don't give third chances, so please, don't screw it up" she begged him. "I won't. I swear to you, baby girl, I'll never hurt you again." He replied and moved closer to her and kissed her. He was lucky the love of his life loved him as much and gave him another chance. Kissing her, tasting her sweet lips; smelling her delicious perfume; touching her soft skin as he made love made him feel like if he was on paradise. There were fireworks inside of him. He finally had, once again, everything he could ever need.

#henry cavill #henry cavill fanfic #henry cavill fanfiction #henry cavill x ofc #demivampirew

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skyartemis · 3 years

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miss sloane review

"i rather choose career suicide than suicide by career"

this line among the many lines in the movie stood out to me the most , the way how elizabeth ended things in order to make things right aka passing the heaton-harris bill in her own way by career suicide is beyond genius. Its not how she was just one or two steps ahead like a chess game, she had the whole scenario with different plans in place despite the random man pulling a gun on Esme , which i think was somewhat planned by Kravitz & Waterman but I'll go into that later.

This movie was tight, thrilling and witty. Before going into the movie I knew the word Lobby but I didn't know what the term lobbyist meant. From wikipedia, it means 'people whose business is trying to influence legislation, regulation or other government decision...on the behalf of a group or individual who hires them', which basically means sway the decisions of the senators to pass or stop a certain bill. What made this movie spectacular was how it was a slap in the face to corrupt senators and a huge f* you to those on the hill.

The character Madeline 'Elizabeth' Sloane, where only her mom used to call her Madeline and everyone calls her Elizabeth was a complex, cocky character that you'd either hate or love. That was me hating her for being so cold and calculating, using everyone as a pawn and keeping every ace in her sleeve as close to her heart as possible. Everyone was disposable and she rarely or doesn't trust anyone. She also crosses lines that should not be crossed, she claims it as leverage. But I rooted for her when I saw a method to her madness.

Everyone questioned why she wanted to support the Heaton-Harris bill, thinking that she had a friend or family member who was gunned down. But she merely saw it as a challenge that she wanted to conquer, chalk it up to cockiness or overconfidence she would do anything to win. She did.

I appreciated how the movie gave us glimpses into her breaking at the seams, we always had her going hard, heavy and fast infront of others her persona of being the woman who had everything in control and infamously ruthless. Having her moments in the toilet taking her pills to get her an extra few hours of energy, her throwing the papers off the desk and her worried frantic shouts when she realised that Esme was in trouble. It showed that even though she was a tough cookie, she was still human under all that hard exterior.

I'd assumed that moments with the escort darling Ford was nothing more than a breather from the intense workplace, it ended up telling us more about who Sloane was. Obviously escort services are all about sex and comfort, Ford was a good guy through and through and he could see she was someone lonely and needed more than just a quick shag. He reached out and talked giving her information on his various 'covers' which he worked as while being an escort, this was him being vulnerable to her in exchange for her to be vulnerable with him. She did but she immediately backtracked with her walls back in their place. At the very end, I'm glad Ford was a good guy and didn't get swayed. I'd actually think he'd be a good influence on Sloane but then again this isn't a romance movie.

Esme was pawn and I feel for her especially when Sloane pieced together that she was a survivor of gun violence. She used Esme by propping her as high as possible and you know what happens when someone is that high, they crash harder. The accidentally reveal on national television that she's a survivor might swing some votes for gun control but it exposed her to such a great risk. Considering how this lobbying thing is and all the shit that Sloane is willing to risk or do, I had almost thought that someone set the whole thing up. Esme thought that Sloane set up the crazy man who held a gun to her head, I thought that someone at Kravitz & Waterman had set it up. I don't exactly think Sloane set up the whole scenario but propping her up she definitely disregarded the dangers of doing so. This shows how ruthless again Sloane is and how she doesn't exactly understand when to not cross the line.

The former assistant or right hand person of Sloane had me questioning her loyalty the whole movie. How could you do that to your former boss, unless she treated you that badly but I thought their relationship was good. When she delivered the final blow by handing in her resignation, that final click landed in place. The pieces had fallen where Sloane the master strategist wanted it to fall. She was a hundred or thousand steps ahead in a chess game and she had more backup plans than one could imagine.

Back to when she told Rodolfo that she'd do anything to win, I hadn't anticipated it to career suicide as well. She really brought the whole hill down with her in Sloane fashion.

The movie entwined the past and the present perfectly, showing how different players and situations landed her into the position she was presently. It didn't feel like whiplash as other movies had tried, but rather a built up of anticipation and will she be able to get out without damages?

The script was witty and tight, pulling no punches on insulting how the gun laws were shit aka 'Welcome to America, where you'll wait six months for an x-ray but you can buy an AR-15 in five minutes flat'. & also how she laughed that that white politician trying to get women votes with his ridiculous proposal.

This was a movie I learnt, laughed and pondered on. I'd give it 1000000/10 for relevancy to today's society, Jessica Chastain for giving the movies so much life and i love the script so much

#miss sloane #films #reviews #movie reviews #i'd recommend it in a heartbeat #jessica chastain #more of these movies please #badass females

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