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aros001 · 3 years

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First time read through light novel vol. 6. Random thoughts.

Hey, can you guess what my favorite episode of the anime is? Here's a hint: it's one apparently a lot of other Subarem shippers hate. I say f**k that! Episode 18 and this book made me love the idea of them as a couple even more! But we'll get to that in a minute.

“By conducting these negotiations, you bear Emilia’s fate on your shoulders. Naturally, everything you say affects her, and it carries the same weight as Emilia’s words. This is not a decision you should make lightly, nor are the words you say easily taken back.”

“...Ah, uh...”

“Moreover, I ask again—should you owe me in this matter, it will mean the defeat of the Emilia camp. Are you truly fine with this?”

It really brings into the focus the problem of Subaru calling himself Emilia's knight without thinking and why the actual knights took such offence to it. At best it was a gimmick with no actual meaning to him and at worst he wanted all the rewards that came with being a knight (or at least what he perceived as the rewards) and not any of the responsibility. That's basically the reality Crusch is making Subaru face; the true burden that is on the one who claims to be Emilia's representative. Being a knight isn't just a game or a fancy title. Whatever he does will heavily impact his lady's future and he never once considered that.

“You hate the Witch Cult. That’s the reason you approached Emilia, is it not?”

Damn.

“—You have not said, ‘I want to save Emilia,’ even once.”

Daaaamn. Obviously, we know the witch cult has nothing to do with why Subaru wanted to hang around Emilia, but it's really telling of his current state that that's what it looks like from the outside. His hatred for Petelgeuse is stronger than his love for Emilia.

The fact that Roswaal has twice now been absent during events that his presence could easily have prevented tragedy is incredibly suspicious. Especially during the mansion arc, where he only left the mansion during the loop Subaru had made a lot of progress in finding the shaman and thus, unlike the previous loops, could have warned him about what was about to happen. It feels like Roswaal is intentionally removing himself as to invite disaster upon his house and Emilia, likely to manipulate her and Subaru.

Priscilla is an oddity to me, because she really feels like someone I should dislike more than I do, as I tend to have an instant dislike for very bratty, entitled, and/or spoiled characters. I'm not sure what it is specifically that's lifting her up so much for me. It's not just the looks, because I've seen attractive female characters I've hated because of their brattiness (I think she and Bitch princess from Shield Hero share the same english voice actor, in fact). I think that, one, there is just this sense of fun and amusement when Priscilla's around, like I just want to see whatever she does next, and two, despite her attitude, I'm not really getting a feeling of shallowness from her. She doesn't feel like she's putting people down just to prop herself up. There is actual strength and depth to her.

Rem followed behind both of them, and he could hear noises coming from her nose every so often. Rem had a keen sense of smell, and she’d apparently picked up some kind of unsavory scent, staring at the back of the iron helm as they walked along.

Well, Al is from another world like Subaru, so it wouldn't be surprising if he also had the witch's scent attached to him, assuming his situation is anything like Subaru's.

“Don’t be silly. You’re Ram, right?”

“I am Rem... Forgive my rudeness, but where have you met Sister, Master Al?”

Rem explained how he’d mistaken her for her nearly identical older sister as she posed the question. However, Al made no reply. He raised up his one arm and touched his helm, busily poking the metal.

“What the hell’s goin’ on here...?”

Al sounded nervous, seemingly unable to process the information. The increasingly rapid tapping offered further proof.

“So you’re Rem...and your sister is Ram?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“This might be a weird thing to ask but...is your older sister alive?”

“...? I do not understand the meaning of your question. Sister is alive, as she should be.”

The instant Rem gave that answer, Subaru, who had been listening to the conversation in silence, felt goose bumps all over his flesh.

“—This ain’t funny.”

Well...that got a lot of theory wheels turning in my head. I was already wondering if Al had his own Return By Death ability, so it's certainly possible he'd met Ram before a restart, though why he'd mix up her and Rem, I'm not sure. Another possibility is that he's maybe experienced Subaru's own RBDs, so while he can't trigger the ability himself he retains his memories from the original timelines. We've seen timelines where Ram has died but also one back at the mansion where only Rem died. Of course, there's also the possibility this story is going to go full Futurama: Bender's Big Score and Al is going to turn out to be a future version of Subaru sent back to the past.

That damn whale is like something out of a horror movie. I don't tend to care for gory horror but I do like movies with unique monsters and killers, so I could easily see myself getting into a movie about a giant flying whale that appears in a dark fog and basically consumes the entire existence of whatever it eats, including its past presence in the world. It's not just memories being erased. The person themselves never was.

You can tell the story is doing a good job of connecting when I know full well that Subaru's going to have another RBD and that everything's going to be fine and I'm still tearing up over Rem basically sacrificing herself to hold off the whale and Subaru is realizing he's allowed her to die four times over.

Huge difference between the books and the anime, as I'm pretty sure in the anime Puck just killed Subaru in the room Emilia died in. There was no bringing her to the witch cult's hidden cave like there was here.

“Unable to even pass a single trial, not even facing a single Deadly Sin, bearing great expectations only to stumble over the first stone in her path...”

The madman looked down at the sleeping Emilia, sighing.

“—Ahh, you were lazy!”

Curious as to what he meant by all that. Now that I think about it, I don't think it's been revealed yet the specific reason the witch cult went after Emilia. Yes, she looks like the Witch of Envy but it that a bad thing or a good thing to the cult? Do these "trials" she was supposed to face have to do with the dragon and royal selection or the witch?

I don't think they said why Subaru can now see Petelgeuse's previously unseen hands. I think I saw a theory about how Subaru's connection with the witch grows stronger with each RBD, beyond just the scent, so he might simply has just accumulated enough EXP to finally level up into seeing them. Then again, I did love Subaru's mocking line to Petelgeuse that the witch has been "cheating" on him with Subaru, so it's certainly possible he just has more of Satella's affection than Petelgeuse and thus he gets more special perks from her.

And finally, we get to the talk between Subaru and Rem at the end. Funny thing, when I first started watching the anime, someone I knew who'd seen it before me told me that, one, it's very different from Isekai Quartet, which introduced me to the characters, so don't go in expecting a comedy, and two, that episode 18 has a Subaru moment that a lot of people hate. Given how the arc had been since before that episode and how Subaru kept falling further and further, I had no idea what was going to happen or what was worse than what he'd already done that'd get people to hate him so much.

And it turns out it's just because of a shipping war. I'm still not sure if I should feel relieved or annoyed. Yeah, I ship Subaru and Rem over Subaru and Emilia, but hating this part of the story just because he still loves Emilia? I feel like everything else except for that one line gets ignored (the line I'm avoiding saying because I don't want a bot to flag this post) and that the lack of all context except Subaru loving Emilia while Rem loves him destroys a lot of why the scene works.

There's just so much to talk about with why I love this part between Subaru and Rem. I'm a big fan of superhero stories and a classic trope I love is when things get dark and everything is brought to its lowest point...only for the hero to make a comeback. And Subaru... The man is broken. He's given up. Not only has he experienced death, failure, and futility multiple times, he's seen the people he cares about be completely slaughtered, with Rem dying, being mutilated, and even erased to protect him and Emilia, the woman he loves, dying directly because of him. He's powerless to change anything, or at least everything he does change seems to just make things worse. He sees himself as selfish, greedy, and arrogant; that he never actually cared about anyone other than himself. He's just spewing all this very justified self-hatred...and Rem counters it perfectly, not saying a single thing that isn't true about what she loves about him. Last volume had her imagining running away with Subaru, so the possible life with him she talks about isn't just something she's pulled out of the air. It's something she's considered and wants, which means it has actual weight when she turns him down.

I think another reason Rem connects to Subaru so much is because she's no stranger to self-hatred. She's also seen her own existence as a blight on everyone and everything around her. That she's selfish and terrible. And the person who helped pull her out of that state, at least somewhat, and get her to start liking herself was Subaru, which is what she's doing for him now. It's what I love so much about the relationship between these two. It's not just that they've saved each others' lives. They've helped each other in incredibly personal ways, despite the fact that neither fully knows what the source of the other's pain is. Subaru doesn't know what Rem felt as she watched Ram's horn get cut off. Rem doesn't know about Subaru's RBD and constant failures. They didn't need to. They simply knew the other needed help and they gave it, with no strings attached. It's why, despite me shipping them together, I'm not upset that Subaru doesn't return Rem's love (yet?) in the same way. There was a great bit of art I saw of the moment, and the words alongside it were "I didn't say I love you to hear it back. I said it so that you would know." Despite her still having some issues, being a little too subservient and obsessed with Subaru, I can believe Rem's love for him is real. When Subaru hated himself and believed everyone else did too, Rem told him that she loved him, not to get anything back out of it, but simply because she wanted him to at least have that to hold onto.

Rem was clearly at least a little upset at the end of their talk, and I can see it being some regret that she turned him down or that he does still love Emilia more, and I'm fine with that. She did the right thing and she is happy the real Subaru is back, but her being a little sad afterwards keeps her human (even if she's a demon).

Honestly, while I do ship them, I think both did make the right call. If or when they hook up, it should be when there's no lingering doubts or regrets they're carrying with them. Where they can have a future where they can smile together and with everyone in their lives they love and can't just abandon. Plus, I want to see Ram as an aunt to Subaru and Rem's kid! That sounds amazing!

And Subaru saying he loves Emilia, even after Rem poured her heart out to him...well, yeah, of course he does. He just found out Rem loves him and has had no time to process it (he was trying to run away with her out of fear and guilt, thus why she turned him down). If his feelings for Emilia were that easily swayed then it'd be hard to say that they were ever that strong or real to begin with, and thus what would have been the point of everything he's been through? It's not like he said it to hurt Rem. Hell, here and in the anime he sounds pretty apologetic as he says it, because he knows it'll hurt her to hear it and he doesn't want that. But it is the truth. So I'm not going to get mad at him for it. It's consistent with his character and everything he's been through and lead to great character moments for both him and Rem. What's there to be angry about?

But yeah, there was a little bit of it in the last chapter but I'm soooooooo looking forward to next volume. I remember just the feeling of hype and "F**k yeah!" going through my chest on my first watch of the anime. Subaru, after hitting his absolute lowest point, pulling himself together with Rem's help and gathering up everything he's got to fight back against the previously hopeless situation and save the day. It made all that heartache and misery so worth the wait.

Original Reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Re_Zero/comments/gr9y77/novels_first_time_read_through_light_novel_vol_6/

#re:zero #random thoughts #reddit repost

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madara-fate · 4 years

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I wasn't trying to pick a fight or anything. My petty comment was just to poke a bit of fun at Kishimoto’s writing. I didn't know you were skipping The Last when making your ranking. And Sasuke Retsuden is full of romance but that's to be expected since they are married now. I was only considering initial romantic development, from friends to married which is why I didn’t bring in anything from the Boruto era for either ship. Sasusaku’s initial romantic development is definitely better than 1.

Firstly, your petty comment didn’t even mention Kishi at all, so it’s rather hard to believe you when you say that it was just meant to poke fun at Kishi’s writing, when the only thing you poked fun at was SS and nothing else. The very reason it was a petty comment in the first place was because you inexplicably felt the need to criticise SS whilst placing NH on this pedestal, when the original topic was never about pitting any of the ships against each other in the first place, but then you decided to make this into a NH vs SS thing for no good reason. Why couldn’t you have just left it as NH having more overall development when The Last is included (which I agreed with)? Why did you then have to go and make those petty and snide remarks at SS? They were completely unnecessary.

Secondly, you keep saying how SS “has always been more centred around Sakura’s feelings”, as if the exact same thing can’t be said about NH. Look Anon, just because the 2nd half of the movie started to focus more on Naruto’s feelings, doesn't suddenly erase the fact that the vast majority of the romantic feelings initially came from Hinata, just like it was for SS and Sakura, so you have absolutely no point here whatsoever. Just like it was with NH, Sasuke’s feelings were explored more in subsequent material - Naruto during the second half of The Last, and Sasuke during the novels that I mentioned.

Thirdly, you repeatedly say how NH pursued each other romantically during The Last, and how that’s apparently different from what SS had, but why was it so different? Naruto realised his feelings for Hinata, and we see Sasuke prioritising Sakura which was an indication of his feelings. Then in the movie, what does Naruto do? He goes to save Hinata because she was in danger, just like Sasuke went to save Sakura because she was in danger, and both actions are given romantic undertones because of the boys’ romantic feelings. The only difference was that Naruto was actually able to explicitly say these things to Hinata, but it would have been rather difficult for Sasuke to do the equivalent when he was travelling the world. But describing Sakura as the “Spring Sunshine” is an alternative which leaves little room for interpretation.

Fourthly, let me ask you these questions again Anon:

Do you think Sasuke just allowed himself to be forced into a relationship with Sakura or something?

How do you even think Sakura would have been able to find Sasuke in the first place, if he didn’t let her know where he would be? It’s not as if Sakura was blindly chasing him, desperately hoping to get lucky and find him in some random and obscure location; It was planned.

If you would think about these questions, you’d realise how wrong it is for you to continuously insinuate that Sakura did all of the chasing in their relationship. Furthermore, you’re now also going off on a tangent, and talking about the subjective quality of the development, rather than the quantity of development itself, which was the entire point of the topic in the first place.

I will say this again - The topic was on the amount of development each couple received, NH received the exact same type of development as SS in terms of the ships being initially being one-sided from the girl’s perspective, and whether or not more focus was placed on Naruto’s side during the 2nd half of The Last makes no difference as the same can be said for Sasuke during later novels. Therefore, for you to say that SS’s development was “poorly written”, while defending NH (despite the fact that their development was very similar) is actually baffling, and that’s not even mentioning how Sakura most definitely did not get pregnant within 3 months of Sasuke’s return during Sakura Hiden - They weren’t even married nor did they conceive Sarada prior to Sakura joining him on his travels.

They were 19 during The Blank Period

They were the same age when Sasuke returned at the end of Sasuke Shinden and then decided to continue his travels shortly after

They were the same age when Sakura decided to join him

They were 21 when Sarada was born

Meaning they had at least a year to get better acquainted. You don’t have to like SS’s development, but you shouldn’t criticise it while praising NH’s either because the pattern of their development was near identical. But again, you’re going off on a tangent to seemingly another criticism of SS, because this was not about the quality of development, this was about the quantity.

#Sasuke Uchiha #Sakura Haruno #sasusaku #Naruto Uzumaki #Hinata Hyuuga

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guinevere-beck-fanboy · 4 years

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Another OUAT Rant

So I thought the way I put my previous OUAT rant could have been improved, so I’m rewriting it here, also with more info and more rant material. Hope you enjoy!

___________________

The four most popular characters on this show are all crap characters and people. They are: Regina Mills, Rumplestilstkin, Captain Hook/Killian Jones and Zelena Mills. All four of them are garbage. And what’s so ironic is that a lot of fans of one character will always hit off on another one of those characters. All four of them are absolute garbage, and for fairly similar reasons.

1. Killian Jones/Captain Hook

Soooo in the first season this character appeared in (season 2) Killian was actually a good character. He did horrible things but he was a villain, so that’s ok. He also had a fairly tragic backstory, so despite how horrible he was, you had sympathy with him.

And then they gave him a redemption arc and made him a hero... Now this redemption arc... Doesn’t work. Like at all.

The reason for this, is that Killian managed to stay alive for hundreds of years. And even then, after the first hundred he was still a terrible person. If Killian lived an average long life like the rest of us he would have lived and died a terrible villain. If you only manage to become a better man because you get to live 200 years.... Then you aren’t a good person.

On top of this, Killian is seriously glamorized. He is portrayed as some selfless hero after all those centuries. Which I think it just.... Not ok...

I mean here is what our apparent righteous and pure hero Killian has done:

1. Was a pirate (the implications of that are clear... stealing, plundering etc)

2. Homewrecked Rumple and Milah’s marriage

3. Assisted Milah in abandoning Baelfire, her son

4. Led Rumple to believe he had kidnapped Milah and was going to sail off with her and rape her. Then said if Rumple could defeat Killian in a sword fight to the death he could go and save her to goad him into said fight despite the fact that Rumple’s death combined with Milah’s abandonment would leave Bae an orphan.

5. He explains when Emma is the Dark One and saves him from falling off a building to his death that he wears two rings on his finger. One of them belonged to a man named Barnabee, who insulted him and so he killed him in front of his wife. The other ring belonged to a man named Egbar, he caught him drinking the Captain’s wine and drowned him.

6. Murdered his father and left his half brother an orphan

7. Murdered two royal guards and then murdered Prince Charming’s father (when Charming was a CHILD, thus leaving him fatherless)

8. Refused to set Belle free from being held captive by Regina and instead tried to murder her

9. Raped multiple women (When Emma travels back in time and talks to Killian’s past self, and flirts with him leaving him with the impression she wants to have sex with him, Killian responds with “if I didn’t know any better I’d say you were trying to get me drunk... *which is usually my tactic*”. Getting someone drunk and then having sex with them is RAPE.)

10. Shot Belle and had all her memories erased

So a serial killer and rapist is being glamorized as some kind of hero. Killian like Regina is not a hero, he is well and truly an evil person. It took him 200 years to stop being a murderer and a rapist. What a great redemption arc!

2. Captain Swan

Killian is shipped with Emma and this ship is canon. The way I see it though, this is a nightmare relationship.

Killian murdered Emma’s grandfather and ruined his father's childhood. And now... they end up married? That’s.... That’s not a healthy relationship, like at all.

3. Charming is held to the standard that he MUST forgive Hook and is not allowed not to

When Emma finds out Killian murdered Charming’s father, she isn’t mad about it. Nope! She’s just mad Killian couldn’t tell her!

In what world should a woman look past her boyfriend being the murderer of her grandfather? Seriously?

Also when Charming begins being unsatisfied with all proposed venues for Emma and Hook’s wedding, Snow suspects he is not fine with Emma marrying him, and she says to him “that ship is sailed deal with it!”. How disgusting is that? “Your daughter is GOING to marry your father’s murderer! Deal with it!”.

4. Regina Mills

This character is like the fan favorite, but she is complete trash.

In the first 2 seasons she was actually a very well written character. She was a villain, and the writers did a great job at making her dislikeable, as a villain should be (well not always, but it’s great to have a dislikeable villain).

But then in the next four seasons of the show, they really began to glamorize her. And I think that’s ridiculous. They act like she has a heart of gold and is an amazing person and refer to her as a hero multiple times.

So Regina this “great hero” has:

1. Tried to murder Snow White

2. Slaughtered an entire village for supporting Snow White (they literally show the thousands of bodies scattered in one area in the woods)

3. Tried to kill Emma Swan when she was a baby

4. Cast a curse on The Enchanted Forest that sent them to a town on Earth with false identities and memories where they would live miserable repetitive lives

5. When Henry, her adoptive son, realizes that the truth about Storybrooke, the curse and all that she tries to persuade him he is delusional even going as far as to book him therapy appointments

6. When Henry’s birth mother, Emma, arrives in town, rather than let Henry have the chance to get to know her, she tries to bully her out of town

7. Raped and murdered Graham

8. Kidnapped Belle and locked her up in a tower for 20 years

9. Trapped Jefferson in Wonderland thus separating him from his daughter and knowingly causing him to break a promise to his daughter that he would return to her

10. Cast a curse on the Enchanted Forest implanting false memories and identities into them and sending them to a town where they would be miserable and separated from their loved ones

11. Tried to murder Emma Swan by giving her a poisoned apple pie

12. Found a man who wanted to kill Prince Charming and turned him into a giant to help him do so

13. Colluded with her mother to murder Emma, Snow and Charming

14. Tried to use this spell on Henry to make him think he loved her out of fear of losing him

15. Tried to murder Marian, Robin Hood’s wife so that she could date Robin Hood (this one in particular I find quite problematic, because a lot of people in the fanbase were sympathizing with Regina here... Why? Yes, Marian was very judgmental to Regina, but Regina had already tried once to MURDER HER! Of course she isn’t going to see her as a saint?)

And that’s only from the top of my memory.

5. Swan Queen

Emma Swan and Regina Mills are shipped. And this is a hugely popular ship... Like... Why??

Regina tried to murder Emma like three times? She tried to murder her parents, and tried to prevent her ever seeing her son again? Why on Earth would you want this person to be with Emma?

6. Regina/Evil Queen serum

In the fifth season, Regina begins being tempted to be evil again. So her solution to the problem? Separate “the Evil Queen” (all the evil in her) from her and then kill her evil self. And then she will be a good person without her evil side.

This is just... What? No. You don’t just rip all your less moral attributes out of yourself and destroy them and suddenly you’re a good person. If you have to do that in order to not be a terrible person, *then you ARE a terrible person!*.

It’s just a really dumb plotline and I hate it.

7. Rumplestilstkin

Onto Rumple. Like the others, he was a fairly decent character throughout the first five seasons. He did crappy stuff, but he was a villain so that’s ok. They did give him decent moral moments at times but that’s just making an interesting character. He’s overall a douche but can do some great stuff.

Then in seasons 6 and 7 they gave him a redemption arc. It fails for the same reason as Killian. *It took him hundreds of years to get there*. You can’t claim someone is a good person if it takes them hundreds of years to stop doing terrible things.

And here is a list of what I mean by bad deeds:

1. Rumple denies a dehydrated seer water as he is offended by the prophecy she gives

2. Rumple murders a bunch of warriors who have come to enlist his son (Baelfire) in a war, despite the fact he had just gained more than enough power to stop them doing so in less harmful ways.

3. Rumple abandons Baelfire and sends him through a portal to an unknown world. Father of the year everyone!

4. Rumple murders Milah, the (albeit terrible) mother of his son.

5. Rumple kidnaps Belle and makes her his slave.

6. Rumple creates the Dark Curse and has Regina cast it

7. Rumple tries to steal Cinderella’s baby

8. Tries to prevent Belle reuniting with her father by tearing down posters she has set up all around town of him and throwing them in the trash. Despite the fact that HE is the REASON Belle is separated from her father in the first place.

9. Makes the residents of Storybrooke part of a storybook (lol that was fun to say/type) where they have fake memories and identities and are separated from their loved ones AGAIN

10. Prevents the Dark One Curse (Which has caused death, destruction and suffering for CENTURIES) from being destroyed

11. Throws Milah into the River of Souls

12. Tries to throw Gaston (albeit he is Gaston but still a human being) into the River of Souls

So like Killian it takes Rumple centuries to not be a serial killer any more.. So I don’t think either of them truly have redeemed themselves.

8. Rumbelle

Remember how I said that Rumple kidnapped Belle and enslaved her? And how he tried to prevent her reuniting with her father after he separated them in the first place? Well Rumple and Belle are a married couple and this is portrayed as a positive relationship.

9. Zelena Mills

Regina’s sister. Shouldn’t be a surprise then that she is also a terrible person, which like all the others is fine until they decide to start glamorizing her.

Zelena murdered Baelfire, who is Henry’s FATHER. She then murders Marian and takes on her form and has sex with Robin Hood. This is RAPE. She has gained Robin’s consent by taking on a deceitful form, consent gained through deceit is not consent.

But hey! Zelena Mills is a badass hero! Forget about the raping and the murdering, she’s actually a pretty decent person!

#once upon a time #ouat #anti regina mills #anti regina #anti hook #anti killian jones #anti killian #anti rumple #anti rumbelle #anti captain swan #anti zelena #anti swan queen

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gabriel-agreste-has-no-rights · 4 years

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Chapter 2: it’s always been you

1 | 2 | 3

Summary: An offhand curiosity leads to Ladybug and Chat Noir riding his baton up as high as it can go. Or, as high as it can go before they get distracted. (It’s just nerves about the height that has Ladybug’s stomach in knots, she swears.)

Chapter summary: Their private party. Two days after Hawkmoth’s defeat, Ladybug comforts Adrien and reveals her identity.

So yeah I guess this is a three-shot now hahaha. The heart wants what the heart wants

XXX

“You’re not joining the party?” Chat—Adrien—asked when Marinette slipped through the hotel room door. He sat on the carpet beneath the window, nearly hidden in the shadow between the wall and the rectangle of sunset spilling in. It felt wrong to see him slouched on the ground and not perched somewhere, like on the king size bed, or the arm of the couch she brushed as she approached him.

“You really think I’d go down there and celebrate while you’re…” She trailed off, not really sure where to go with that. Crying over the fact that we arrested your dad? She knew she could talk about anything with him, but that still felt insensitive.

“Sitting here moping?” Plagg supplied even less sensitively, and she cut him off with a glare. If she hadn’t been suited up, she’d have Tikki go distract the kwami somewhere. But she couldn’t detransform yet, not when she didn’t know if Adrien still wanted her to.

She sat down beside him and took his hand in hers. No claws brushed the back of her hand. Only soft skin, manicured nails at the end of trembling fingers.

“I’d rather be here with you,” she said softly.

He looked up, meeting her eyes with his damp ones. How long had he been here by himself? Well, with Plagg, who for all of his blunt words looked just as worried about his chosen. Of course he would be; the kwami had been Adrien’s only support for the few days he’d been separated from her.

“You’re—you still want to be with me? Even though you know who I am, and you know Hawkmoth’s my...”

“Shh, shh, it’s okay,” she murmured as lingering tears dripped down his face. “I mean, it’s not okay, nothing he did to you was okay—but it’s not your fault, Adrien.”

She wished she could’ve told him that a thousand times already. Wished it hadn’t been two days since she’d been able to see him alone. Wished she could deck Gabriel Agreste again for how much he’d hurt his son.

But no amount of punching supervillains would erase her boyfriend’s pain.

“Should’ve been stronger,” he mumbled. “I was useless.”

“Hey.” She put her hands on his shoulders, forcing him to face her. “No one calls my boyfriend useless.” Besides, it wasn’t even true. Sure, he’d been more reckless than usual—and she’d barely cleansed Hawkmoth’s butterfly before it akumatized him—but he’d given his all to the fight, even knowing it was his father behind the mask.

His lips twitched into something that was almost a smile. “What are you going to do about it? Fight me?”

“Yes.” She put on her most serious face. “I’m going to pin you to this wall and you’re not going to move until you stop blaming yourself.”

A startled snort burst from him. “Trying to threaten me with a good time?”

“Oh—Chat.” Her face burned when she realized how her words had come out. Apparently her ability to embarrass herself in front of Adrien had never completely gone away.

At least he was grinning now. She’d gladly pin him to the wall if that was all it took.

“The point is, you’ve never been useless, Kitty. I was so so proud of you standing up to your… to Hawkmoth like that. I wish I’d had more time to tell you that, before…”

“Before the press basically took me hostage? Not your fault.” He shrugged. “I’m just lucky they didn’t find out I was Chat Noir. And lucky I’m eighteen and they couldn’t try to ship me off to live with Aunt Amalee.”

She shuddered at the thought of that. Particularly considering that would mean he'd be living with his cousin, who she’d be willing to deck in the face a second time. Since Adrien was legally an adult though, once he’d been questioned and cleared as having no knowledge of Hawkmoth and Mayura’s actions in his home, he’d been allowed to stay at the Le Grand Paris. Chloe was making sure he got free boarding, and Marinette had never been more grateful for the girl who used to make her life miserable.

“They wouldn’t. I’d make my parents adopt you first.”

“That’d be hard to pull off, considering we still don’t know each other’s... well, I don’t know your identity, anyway.” He looked down at the carpet, tracing a pattern in it with his index finger. “Sorry for that too. I wanted it to be romantic, not… like this.”

“Again, not your fault.”

She’d been the only one to overhear Chat’s faint cry of “Father?” when Max had located Hawkmoth’s lair below the Agreste mansion. She’d been the one to tell him to hang back, to tell him he didn’t have to fight. But he had fought, even after Hawkmoth nearly akumatized him during the battle. He’d even been the one to hold the villain’s arms behind his back as Marinette tore the butterfly brooch from his throat.

No one else had known why hot, angry tears stained Chat’s face as she did.

And then came the media swarm, and they’d gotten separated as their miraculouses timed out, and… and she’d only been able to visit him surrounded by paparazzi since then. Until she found his room in the hotel while the other miraculous wielders prepared for their celebration in the ballroom below.

“So much for our private party, huh?” He sniffled.

Her face softened at the memory of their promise made while balancing in the sky. Had that really just been three weeks ago? She felt like she’d been dating Chat Noir—Adrien—forever.

“Well… it is just the two of us.” She snuggled into his shoulder, and his arm came to wrap around her middle. “If you don’t want to think about Hawkmoth and everything else right now… we could…”

He looked down at her hopefully. “We could…?”

“You could know who I am,” she murmured. “If it’s not too much for you. I know everything's happened so fast lately.”

“No, my Lady—of course I want to know who you are.” He hugged her tighter, pulling her into his lap. “Nothing would make me happier than the love of my life being by my side through all this, both in and out of our masks.”

“Good, because I’m not going anywhere.” She brushed a lock of his hair behind his ear, her heart hammering so hard she was sure he could feel it. “You better get used to being glued to me until all of this is sorted out.” Did that sound wrong? This wasn’t something that would just go away; this was his family she was talking about. “I mean, I don’t want to ignore how serious this is. I know you must still be freaked out about your father and everything—”

“Ladybug,” he said softly. His finger pressed against her lips before falling away, his hand tangling with hers. “I’m going to be okay. Really. Maybe I didn’t know he was Hawkmoth, but… you know, I’m not really surprised either.” He winced. “I shouldn’t say that. He’s still my father, but… no, he’s not, not in any way that counts.”

Conflicting emotions played out in his expression before he shook his head. “It’s just complicated right now. But the point is, I still have a family. It’s with you, and all the other heroes downstairs. That isn’t going to change.”

This time, when he smiled, it reached his glistening eyes.

“You’re amazing, you know that?” she said, her thumb tracing the edge of his cheek where his mask would be. Adrien. Chat Noir. Her partner, her boyfriend, her friend. Who else could handle the truth about his blood family and still smile at her like that?

“I know you are, but what am I?” he teased.

“My kitty.” She kissed his cheek. “My prince.” His nose. “The light of my life.”

He shivered as her lips brushed his jaw. “That’s my line.”

“You’re not the only one who gets to be sappy,” she giggled before finally working her way to his lips.

It felt just as amazing as kissing him for the first time. Maybe more amazing, because she didn’t have to worry about keeping her balance, about plummeting through the sky. He clearly wasn’t worried either, with the way he tilted his head for better access, ran his hands up and down her back, the suit transferring every spine-tingling brush of his fingers.

“Spots off,” she breathed against his lips.

Adrien jumped, nearly knocking his teeth against hers by accident, but she didn’t stop. He’d have plenty of time to stare at her maskless face, whether in shock or… she didn’t know what. Not disappointment; she had too much confidence in his love to fear that. But for now, she just wanted to savor the feeling of his kiss, of knowing that he loved her no matter who she was, of the last few heartbeats before everything changed again.

“Ladybug,” he murmured through her kiss. “You’re killing me.”

She laughed and finally pulled back, leaning her forehead against his. When she opened her eyes, his were still shut.

“You can look now, you know,” she said, heart beating faster. This would be a moment she wanted to save forever.

He opened his eyes, and if she thought he normally stared at Ladybug with a smitten expression—well, the soft arch of his brow as he gazed at Marinette was enough to melt her like butter.

“It’s you.” He laughed, just as brightly as he had that first day in the rain. “It’s you!”

She found herself laughing too, her heart swelling. “You don’t sound surprised.”

“Marinette, this is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” He beamed, and maybe she was a thousand meters in the air again, because she swore she was falling harder for him than ever.

“You—really?” she asked as he peppered her cheeks with kisses. Tingles ran all through her, the way she imagined they would back when she was fourteen. Would there ever be a time when he couldn’t make her come undone?

He stopped his flurry of kisses, only to surround her in a hug again. Maybe they really would be attached at the hip at this point.

She couldn’t say she’d compain.

“Do you have any idea how many times I thought you were—well, you?” he asked, his breath tickling the back of her neck. “You were too good at protecting your identity, but I don’t think I ever stopped hoping. Not really.”

“Even after Multimouse?” She’d been so sure of that one, too. But did he mean he’d really loved her as Marinette this whole time, too?

“Especially after Multimouse. Only you would be amazing enough to be two superheroes at once.”

“Stop it,” she laughed into his shoulder. “My ego will end up as big as yours at this point.”

As big as Chat’s, anyway. It wasn’t until she’d learned his identity that she realized how shallow some of his self-aggrandizing comments were.

“Come on, Bugaboo. You know I only speak the truth.”

“I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to the fact that Adrien Agreste calls me Bugaboo.” She giggled.

“I hope you don’t expect me to stop. Though I guess I can call you Princess now too.”

“I won’t object to that.”

She smiled, relaxing with her head nestled in the crook of his neck. She was just contemplating the fact that she could now kiss the curve of his collarbone without his suit in the way when Plagg cleared his throat.

“Are you too done being disgusting yet?”

“Plagg!” Tikki crossed her tiny arms. “This is a touching moment for them! You know they’ve been planning this for weeks, even if it didn’t turn out exactly like we expected.”

“Yeah, but at this rate they’re going to miss the cheese platter!”

“Is he always like this?” Marinette asked Adrien, still not making any move to leave his lap.

He chuckled. “Pretty much. Don’t let him fool you though, he actually cares. He knows how much I was looking forward to the party with the rest of our team. You know… before, anyway.”

His gaze grew distant again.

“They’re not going to judge you for being related to Hawkmoth either,” she reassured him with a squeeze of his hand.

She knew they’d be thrilled to see him. Alya at the very least would probably have a heart attack at seeing her OTP of four years finally become “canon.” Nino would go for his and Adrien’s secret handshake. Chloe’s jaw would drop at the fact that she’d talked down Chat Noir so many times before.

“I just don't want them to feel like they can’t celebrate because of me. They’re so happy—they should be happy. If I go down there…”

Of course even after everything he’d been through, he’d still be more worried about everyone else. This was her kitty, who was always the first to comfort akuma victims. Her Adrien, who gave even people like Lila a second chance until they threw it back in his face again and again.

“Hey. This is our team we’re talking about. They’ll want to be here for you.”

“But…” he sighed, slumping a little to rest his chin on her shoulder. “It’s going to be so weird. I just want them to treat me like they always treat Chat.”

“You can always transform back if you want,” Marintte said, ignoring Plagg’s disappointed groan. “No one says you have to reveal yourself. Plagg and Tikki can go down and get some treats now, and then we can suit back up and join the party afterwards.”

“I… yeah, we could do that. That sounds good,” he said softly. “You always have the best ideas, Marinette.”

Her face warmed at the honest praise. She nodded towards Tikki and Plagg, who smiled before zipping through the floor towards the ballroom.

“I just want you to be comfortable.”

He adjusted her on his lap so that she was sitting perpendicular to him, her legs stretched out over the side of his thighs. “I’m very comfortable right now, my Lady.”

“Me too.”

Even if they just sat holding each other for the whole duration of the party, she would’ve been happy. His breaths tickled her cheek, making it difficult to resist kissing him again. But just being here with him, with no walls or secrets between them, was just as sweet.

“Hey, Princess?” he whispered just when she was wondering if he’d fallen asleep.

“Yeah?”

His nose brushed the curve of her jaw.

“I love you.”

Her heart jolted. He was her boyfriend; she’d heard him say those three words almost every day since she’d accidentally confessed to him. Hearing him say it while detransformed shouldn’t have such an effect on her.

(But it did. Oh, it did.)

“I love you too, my Prince.”

Her resistance broke. His lips still tasted of the saltwater he’d cried, and she was determined to remove it even if it took a hundred kisses. He’d asked for that, right? His breath filled her lungs like helium, making her feel lighter than air. She could only hope she had the same effect on him.

(If they were even later to the party than she expected, well, they’d had more important things to do anyway.)

#miraculous ladybug #ladybug #adrien agreste #love square #fic tag #tali writes #if you fall (know i've got you)

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thetailorofenbizaka · 4 years

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Chapter 1–The Tale of the Scissors, Act 7: Fate; Scene 5

The Tailor of Enbizaka, pages 174-183

At the foot of Mount Inasa, Kokutan-douji and his two companions were enclosed on all sides by men wearing suits.

The suited men were all employees of the Yarera Zusco Firm. Douji and the others had been tailing them as they searched for Kayo, but evidently they’d been spotted.

“—What are you following us for? Answer, dammit!” a black suited man yelled coercively at the three of them.

“…It’s not out of any particular malice. We were just trying to meet with Kayo-san,” Douji calmly replied.

But the suited men didn’t seem satisfied with that.

“Sudou Kayo is our prey. We can’t have meddlers like you tagging along.”

“Why are you hunting Kayo-san?”

“We think she killed Kiji’s girlfriend, Miku.”

“On what grounds?”

“…I ain’t gotta answer a single one of your questions.”

Saruteito stepped up before the men. “If you suspect Kayo of being the murderer, then shouldn’t you be telling that to the people at the Magistrate’s office? …yannow.”

“Can’t do that. Kiji-sama’s requested to kill the culprit himself.”

“—So, he still has no intention of giving up on his vengeance…yannow.”

At that moment the men in suits parted, and another person appeared there.

“’I won’t let you off easy if you make a wrong move’…I’m quite sure I told you that, Saruteito.”

“Kiji…Still wearing that tasteless outfit, I see…yannow,” Saruteito said, gazing at the pure white suit that Kiji was wearing.

“I don’t think you’re in any position to be critiquing my fashion sense. How about you stop wasting my time here and go back to your search for your blades, huh?”

“Unfortunately, I need to see Sudou Kayo to search for the blades…yannow.”

Kiji and Saruteito glared at each other.

“…”

Watching them, Inukichi whispered to Douji, “Hey, Kokutan.”

“What is it?”

“Shouldn’t we be beating all these jerks back right here?”

“…Don’t go around needlessly starting fights. Our aim isn’t to beat them.”

“So you say. Looks to me like they wanna kill Kayo-san. We can’t just let them do that, can we?”

“…”

Douji looked to be mulling worriedly over what they should do next.

Kiji for his part appeared to be doing the same.

“—Well, alright. Our first priority is finding Kayo.” Kiji raised his right hand, and all of the men in suits behind him snapped to attention at once. “I’ll allow you to travel with us. We’re chasing after a woman who committed such gruesome murders without issue, after all. She might have some unexpected degree of ability. Couldn’t hurt to have more skilled allies with us.”

“…We have no intention of becoming your ‘allies’, and we’re not planning to kill Kayo.”

“Whatever. Whatever the case you’re the same in that you can’t just leave Sudou Kayo be, correct? Kokutan-douji.”

“…”

“Our destination is a ruined temple set in the heart of the mountain. I received word from my subordinates that Kayo was hiding out there. Our investigation’ll be a lot harder once the sun goes down, so let’s hurry.”

Kiji turned towards the entrance to the mountain path and started walking towards it.

The men in suits, as well as Douji and Inukichi, all followed after him.

--But Saruteito alone, still standing where she was, looked toward the mountain and shouted, “Wait! …yannow.”

Upon hearing that, everyone turned back towards her.

“What’s up, Saru? Do you hafta go to the privy?”

“You really are an idiot, Inu. That’s not it—someone’s coming down the mountain.”

Saruteito pointed up to the mountain.

“Really? I can’t see them that well…” Inukichi replied, squinting in the direction that Saruteito was pointing.

“—It’s Sudou Kayo.”

It was Kiji who replied next.

“You’re certain, Kiji?” Douji asked.

“Yeah. I’ve got confidence in my eyesight—but…her appearance…Looks like she’s heading this way.”

As he spoke, a faint tremble appeared in Kiji’s eyes.

Just as Kiji said, Kayo was coming down the mountain towards them…And eventually, she was near the base where Douji and the others were.

Once she had gotten that far, everyone else outside of Kiji could clearly see what Kayo looked like.

And everyone was frozen to the spot, speechless.

“…”

Kayo’s entire body was stained black.

A black kimono, a black obi, a black hairpin.

Black arms, black legs, black face.

And everyone could tell that this was a result of discolored blood spray.

“…Kayo-san.”

Douji spoke with great difficulty, in a hoarse voice.

Kayo appeared to have noticed Kiji and those assembled with him, leisurely making her way toward them.

When she saw that Douji was among the group, Kayo looked sad for a moment. But that quickly changed to a befuddled, relieved smile.

“Oh my…Nice to meet you, everyone.”

Kayo stood before the group, and then spread her arms wide and bowed, as though to show herself off to them all.

And then said, in this way:

“How is it? Aren’t I—beautiful?”

--Kiji immediately drew his sword and went to slash Kayo with it, but was stopped by Kokutan-douji. While the two of them were quarreling, people from the magistrate’s office arrived from town and took Kayo under arrest.

“…”

Elluka continued to write in her notebook, silently listening to the story.

The next day Kai’s miserable corpse was discovered at the mountain temple. One month later, Kayo was charged for all of her crimes at a trial held by the magistrate’s office…and she was sentenced to be executed. One week after that, Kayo was beheaded at the one execution site at the top of the hill, and that head is now on display before the site.

“…”

And with that, my story has now come to an end.

Elluka stopped writing.

“…Pardon.”

Yes, what is it?

“You’ve been talking at length this entire time, but now that we’re finishing up you’re ending things in a hurry.”

The time after Kayo was arrested is unique. I don’t have a lot of details I can tell you about it…

“That so? But the way I hear it around here there were various troubles after Kayo’s execution was determined?”

…To tell the truth, around the time that Kayo was captured for some reason my awareness would grow weaker more often. So…this last part of the story is something I merely gleaned from the rumors the townspeople were telling of it.

“Your awareness grew weaker? Is that still happening?”

No…I had almost completely lost all consciousness right before Kayo’s death, but then at some point after that my mental state returned to its usual vivid awareness. –However, at that time Kayo’s head was already put up before the execution site, exposed to the air.

“I see…” Elluka once more started to think. “—I wonder if it was ‘anti-demonia’…”

…What is that?

“The other ‘Vessel of Deadly Sin’ that you mentioned earlier that wasn’t the scissors or the mirror—it has a unique power that the other vessels do not. The ability to weaken and degrade the power of the ‘Demons of Deadly Sin’ that dwell in the other vessels…I have named that power ‘anti-demonia’.”

So you’re saying that the change in my awareness was due to that power?

“You aren’t a ‘Demon of Deadly Sin’. …But given that you exist inside a ‘Vessel of Deadly Sin’, there’s no guarantee that you can escape from ‘anti-demonia’’s influence. Or, it’s also possible that ‘anti demonia’ weakened the ‘Vessel of Deadly Sin’ itself, and as a result you inside it were influenced by that. –All of this is just conjecture, however. There are still a lot of things I don’t know about that ‘Vessel of Deadly Sin’.”

…

“—Well then.”

Elluka closed her notebook and stood.

Yes…With that, the entirety of my story was finished.

In other words, that meant that I was no longer of any use to her.

Elluka picked up the two scissors.

You…are going to erase me, aren’t you?

But--Elluka shook her head, and smiled.

“No…Not yet.”

…Hm?

“I’ve still got a little more time until the ship departs. Before that—there’s one other person I must meet with.”

Elluka put the scissors into the folds of her outfit.

“Even you must have a few things you’d like to say to ‘her’ before you disappear, yes?”

…Elluka-san. You--know, don’t you. Who I am.

“The affection you held for Kayo that I could glimpse during the pauses in your story—I’m not so thick-headed that I couldn’t pick up on that.”

Passing under the sign, Elluka exited the tailor shop.

The sky was without a single cloud, and there were many people walking about Enbizaka.

Among the people walking from the top of the hill, I saw the monk that Kokutan-douji had been speaking to earlier.

“The weather’s nice…The sea should be calm on a day like today.”

You know…where she is staying?

“I wouldn’t be looking for her if I didn’t know her true identity. After resting carefully for a whole year I have now regained my magical power, the same as it was in my heyday. My investigative abilities have risen as well. …Well, they failed when it came to the mirror, albeit.”

Elluka lightly patted on her breast pocket, wherein she had placed the scissors.

“Come then, let’s get going, shall we—Kagura-san.”

She began to walk towards the sea.

<<prev------directory------next>>

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desperatelyseekingdennis · 5 years

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Captain Marvel

I went into this expecting mediocrity, and was not disappointed. About on par with Ant Man and the Wasp, but without Paul Rudd to make it enjoyable.

Surprisingly, the soundtrack is absolutely the worst part of the movie. That's usually one area Marvel nails, but but here. They kept trying to use pop songs to tie the movie to the 90s, but none of them really fit the scenes. It's obviously possible to pull this off (Edgar Wright comes immediately to mind for another Ant Man comparison, or else various Iron Man scenes) so there's really no excuse.

Action and effects were passable, and the plot not the worst I've seen but still pretty bland. Despite getting a lot of screen time, I never noticed Jackson's de-aging. All told it wasn't a complete waste of money, but I definitely wish my girlfriend hadn't insisted on seeing it in the theater.

From here on out spoilers ahoy as I did deeper into my feelings about specific scenes.

(I started this right after the movie was released, and wrote a giant ten page analysis of the entire plot scene by scene. I saved it to my drafts, forgot about it, then just now erased the entire thing and am going to try and be more focused on just the bits that don’t make sense to me)

So first of all, the “surprise twist” that drives the entire plot doesn’t work in the MCU. The Kree have been villains in several live action properties at this point. The entire plot to the first Guardians was that the Kree are so militaristic that a bunch of them refused to honor a peace treaty. That they’re the put upon victims of the oppressive Skrulls just doesn’t work in this context. Maybe if you’re a comic book fan who knows the Skrulls are *also* villains, but most viewers aren’t going to know that. So it was obvious before they even reached Earth that Jude Law was the bad guy. They’d have been better served picking some other random alien race for her to be a part of. Yes, I know Mar Vell is historically Kree, but he’s also historically male so clearly they don’t care that much about source material. In a pinch, just make Mar Vell a Kree and these new guys are after her research.

The premise that Danvers doesn’t know she’s human also doesn’t make much sense. Did she never bleed in the six years of combat training? Also, and maybe I’m overlooking something, but have there ever been any other white Kree? There’s the one black guy, but even he has a sort of bluish tint. Then there’s Jude Law and Carol being straight crackers. ????? Again, making not making them all Kree would have gone a long way towards fixing this.

Why did SHIELD show up at all? Fury doesn’t believe Danvers is an alien when she claims to be one, so what exactly did they think was worth investigating? They should have MIBed this bitch. Either Fury is a cop that gets taken into SHIELD as a result of him killing a Skrull without training, or he’s the SHIELD agent that takes over after the cop on the scene does so. I’m pretty sure Agents of SHIELD established that Coulson was an analyst before becoming a field agent, so using him for that roll doesn’t work well. But given this was a GURL POWER movie, this would have been a fantastic opportunity to give Agent Hill some back story.

In the train scene, how did she know to punch the old lady? They’ve already established the Skrulls are so good at pretending that the Kree have to implant safe words deep in your subconscious to prove your identity, but for some reason she can spot one in a crowd of (what to her are) aliens? For that matter, if they are telepathic, why could the one guy not identify that Fury doesn’t go by Nicholas? That whole scene where he specifies that he only goes by Fury should have been pretty close to the surface. Even so, that scene was so bad. It was so obviously tacked on to use as a plot device later. The writers are aware that Fury has appeared in other movies, right? That he’s not an original character? What happened in the next twenty years that made him reevaluate people calling him Nick? <Danvers reads his ID> “Thank’s Nicholas” “Only one person calls me Nicholas, and you aren’t my momma. Its Fury.” Was that so hard?

The scene with the biker was so bad.. It could have worked if they’d done something with the “why don’t you smile” line, but they didn’t. He said it, end scene. ??? It also felt like it might have been a Terminator reference that also fell flat, but that might just be my imagination. As it stands, it only serves as a wink and a nudge at their SJW targets, without actually providing anything for the rest of the audience.

Why is the light speed engine so important? Mar Vell seems convinced it will bring peace to the galaxy, and Jude Law at least pretends to think it will allow them to conquer it. But they already have the weird window portal things. I guess the weird portals are static in space, so I can see where FTL travel independent of them would be beneficial, but hardly the game changer its being made out to be.

On the subject of pointless McGuffins, lets review the history of the Tesseract prior to this movie. Odin loses it on Earth, where Red Skull discovers it The Real Captain steals it from Red Skull, but loses it in the ocean where eventually Howard Stark will recover it and give it to SHIELD. It stays with SHIELD until Loki steals it in the opening scene of the Avengers. Its stolen like five more times before eventually Thanos uses it to murder Spiderman. Nice chain of possession, no unexplained gaps.

Post Captain Marvel, we learn that along the way somehow the Air Force gets hold of it, where an alien managed to steal it and hide it on her space ship for at least six years before SHIELD, completely unaware of its existence, stumbles upon it. Again, the writers are aware that there were other MCU movies before this one, right? This isn’t really a problem per se, its just dumb. Its answering a question nobody had, complicating a narrative for no reason except that they couldn’t come up with a non-Infinity Stone McGuffin.

When they fly into space and can’t find the space ship, Danvers is just like “Open sesame” and the ship decloaks. ??? How worthless is Kree cloaking technology if it can be turned off remotely by somebody who doesn’t even know its there?

It was pointed out on Twitter that the song the Supreme Intelligence dances to that she pulled out of Danver’s memories would have been released after Danvers moved to Hela. I can’t confirm that because I don’t remember what song was playing, but if true that’s pretty bad writing. People will write it off as “she probably heard it in the car with Fury” but you can’t just invent a scene to fill in a plot hole. That’s the writers’ job, and they didn’t do it.

There’s more to unpack in that Supreme Intelligence scene, but they mostly come down to “what are the rules of this technology?”

Then the climax. Oh my god the climax. She thinks real hard and destroys the little chip that’s been blocking her powers (bee the dubs, until they explained otherwise I thought the little chip was the source of her powers), then suddenly she’s God. No ramping up, no learning curve. Just “oh, I can fly now and direct fire from a fucking attack cruiser doesn’t hurt me” and the movie is over. What the actual fuck. I can’t even put into words how bad the last act was.

So I won’t. Instead, I’ll talk about Thor: Ragnarok. At the beginning of the movie, he’s cocky as hell. He’s stupid over powered, and he knows it. So when his sister appears he ends up losing his hammer because he’s so sure of himself that he doesn’t take a moment to think about the situation. Then he winds up on the Junk Planet, and he’s still cocky. He’s going to fight the champion and get off the planet then go kill his sister no big deal. But he loses there, too. He’s starting to lose faith in himself, but it doesn’t matter because he’s the only one that can do what needs to be done. Finally he’s able to get off planet and back to his sister... Where he loses again. Now he’s hit rock bottom. His people are going to die because he wasn’t strong enough to save them. At that moment, he has a literal deus ex machina moment (in that Odin is a literal god) and regains all his power and proceeds to kick all the names and take all the ass. (that was meant to be an Infinity War reference and not a suggestion about what his intentions re: Valkyrie, honest)

At this point in the movie, he’s basically at the same level Danvers is at the end of hers. Completely unstoppable, unreasonable power levels all around. The difference is he earned his position. He fought for it, almost died for it several times. Danvers just... thought real hard. At any point in the movie did she lose a fight? Was she ever in any real danger? Even in the opening scene when she’s sparring with Jude Law its made clear that he’s incapable of beating her which is why he’s pushing her to learn to hold back. And that’s with the power dampener. Thor Ragnarok has *so* many problems, but at least they gave the hero a journey to go on. And that’s accounting for the fact that he starts off pretty ridiculously powerful.

I’m officially out of time and this is getting out of hand so I’m just going to wrap this up. This was actually shorter than what I originally had.

#captain marvel #thor #MCU #reviews

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sariahsue · 5 years

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What Will You Do When Everyone Knows? Chapter 5

Ladybug and Cat Noir are having trouble with the newest akuma. She’s dressed all in black, hardly speaks, and keeps slipping through their fingers. To make things worse, she exposes Ladybug’s identity to the world. Which should Marinette be more concerned about? The world’s reaction, or her partner’s?

Rated PG for action. Chapter word count: 3,200.

Read chapter 1 here. Read chapter 4 here.

Alya didn't even wait for them to reach the bottom step before literally pouncing. Marinette was knocked backward into her partner, who somehow managed to keep all three of them from falling. Marinette had to awkwardly push herself off of Cat Noir, and she caught the beginning of a blush start to blossom on his cheeks before she was distracted by Alya grabbing at her face and pigtails.

"It is true! Look at you! You look just like her!"

"She looks like me, you mean."

"I look like myself," Cat Noir offered helpfully. He seemed to have mostly recovered from the Marinette sandwich incident.

"You!" Alya said, turning. "Hi, I'm Alya! I run the Ladyblog."

"I know," he said. "I read that blog."

"Really?" Alya looked beside herself with glee.

"Really, Cat?" Marinette deadpanned. "Uh, do I not need to introduce you two, then?"

"So you're here for moral support, right?" Alya didn't even acknowledge the question. Marinette took that as a no.

"Any excuse to spend more time with My Lady." He quickly glanced at Marinette. Wait. Was that what she thought it was? It was far more subdued than his usual style, but that definitely sounded like flirting. Or was he just being nice?

Alya had started gushing about being best friends with Ladybug, so she didn't notice his comment. "I can't believe I didn't realize it! It's so obvious now!"

"And it was a pain in the butt to hide from you, I'll have you know."

"I was so close with the history book, too!"

Tom and Sabine attempted to save their daughter from Alya's onslaught with an offer of lunch. They were only mildly successful, though Marinette didn't really mind. It was a nice distraction from the dismal future that awaited her. Having Cat Noir there was comforting, but Alya's good mood was contagious. Even the rain seemed to be affected. A few minutes into their lunch, sunshine started peeking through the window. Marinette didn't have much of an appetite, but her friends stayed at the table long after they'd finished as she continued to nibble on her food.

The next few hours were a mix of anxious laughter, some honest laughter, video games (Alya lost, badly), and lots of bad cat puns. Marinette even made a few of those herself. Though Alya had come over after promising not to pry, the temptation quickly proved too great. The questions started out simple enough. "So this is why you're always late, huh?" And, "What's it like having super powers?" And even, "Think you guys can snag me a miraculous?" As the hours dragged on, her questions eventually became more serious.

"So what do you think Hawk Moth's plan is?"

"I'm... not really sure?" She glanced at Cat Noir, who just shrugged. They hadn't really talked about it, but she did have her own suspicions.

"Really?" Alya asked. "No ideas whatsoever?"

"Um, no?"

"I don't believe you." She leaned forward, like a fox closing in on a rabbit. "You two have more insight into Hawk Moth than anyone else. You must have some idea about the game he's playing here."

"You know, this is starting to sound suspiciously like an interview."

Alya threw up her hands. "You've been lying to me about this for as long as I've known you, and you're destroying one of my favorite ships. I deserve answers!"

"What ship?" Cat Noir asked.

Marinette tried to the keep her face cool by focusing on just the first part of Alya's complaint. "Hey, I was completely honest for the first, um, six hours of our friendship? Maybe?" The three of them were sitting on the couch, game controllers abandoned. Her parents had gone into their room an hour before and had yet to resurface. They'd mentioned wanting to call family and talk to them personally about the news. Marinette expected they'd be a while.

"You still owe me answers."

"Fine," she finally said. "But this isn't going on the blog."

"Deal." Alya tucked her legs underneath herself, gripping her phone tightly in excitement. "Off the record."

Marinette, sitting in the middle, was forced to put her back to her partner in order to face her friend. She didn't mind. She was sure her face was still a little bit pink from the shipping comment.

"I'm thinking he's trying to get one of us akumatized," she said.

"Really?" Cat Noir asked. "I thought he was going for more psychological warfare. Make us sloppy by making us worry."

"Oh," Alya said, wide-eyed. She was absentmindedly fiddling with the phone in her lap. "So that's what the goofing around's all about. I wondered. Would those plans work?"

Marinette was leaning on Cat Noir slightly and felt him shrug. She shook her head. "Neither would. We've had a lot of practice focusing on a fight through nerves."

"And what happens if he akumatizes one of you?"

"It's a stupid plan," Marinette said.

"We've already discussed what to do if that happens," Cat Noir said. And they had, months ago. "We're not even certain he can." He twisted and reached an arm around each side of Marinette so he could tap on his ring where the girls could both see. "Magic sometimes affects us differently." With his arms on either side of her, it felt almost like he was giving her a loose hug, but he pulled back to his original position quickly. Was she getting mixed signals because he was sending them, or because she was just really bad at interpreting?

Words! She needed some words. "Do you remember when Nathanael was akumatized?" Marinette asked. She was leaning her back against Cat Noir's arm again, and she felt him shift at the name. "He didn't try to hurt me, not once. And Mylene didn't go after Ivan when she was akumatized. It doesn't completely erase who you are." She jerked a thumb back over her shoulder, pointing to her partner. "We'd make terrible akumas. Neither of us wants to fight the other. Hawk Moth probably knows that."

"That's why I like my idea better," Cat Noir said.

"Girl, you do realize what you just implied, right?"

Cat Noir went rigid. Marinette pinned Alya with her best Ladybug glare.

"Anyway, civilian Chantal hasn't shown back up, last I checked," Alya said quickly, attempting to cover a smile with the back of her hand. "Can he have more than one akuma at a time?" She glanced down at her phone, but snapped her head back up almost immediately, trying to pretend like nothing had happened.

"I don't think so..." Marinette trailed off, staring at Alya's phone suspiciously.

She crossed her arms, tucking the phone out of sight as she did. "Next question, how are you planning on-"

"Alya, are you recording this?"

"No!"

Marinette lurched forward, hands grasping, but she was too slow. Alya had already jumped off the couch and out of reach.

"Let me see that phone then."

"I don't trust you with phones!"

Alya had darted to the far side of the room before Marinette had even gotten around the coffee table. She waved it above her head, as if daring her to try to take it. Marinette wasn't about to turn down a challenge. Unfortunately, she turned out to be no match for her own natural clumsiness. On their second circuit around the room, she got her foot caught in a controller's wires and almost fell. Her friends both laughed as she spun her arms wildly to keep her balance.

"What's your plan to defeat Hawk Moth, Ladybug?" Alya held the phone out at arm's length like a microphone, then dodged as Marinette got close.

Marinette turned back to Cat Noir. "Aren't you going to help me?"

"Not really," he said, smiling.

It ended a few seconds later when Marinette finally fell on her face next to the couch. She rolled over only to find Alya had stolen her seat and was looking very smug. The phone was nowhere in sight.

"Traitor," Marinette said to Cat Noir. "Abandoning your partner in her time of need."

He smiled down at her quietly, eyes soft, before quickly wiping the expression off his face and getting up to lend her a hand. She took it, wondering.

Why is he looking at me like that? His teasing already proved he doesn't like me that way.

When she was upright, she let go of his hand quickly. They helped each other up all the time on the job, but this time she couldn't meet his eye when she thanked him. Instead she looked at Alya, who raised an eyebrow at the exchange.

"I bet I could beat both of you combined," Marinette said, snatching up a controller and tossing it to Cat Noir. He caught it with ease.

"Which game?" he asked.

"All of them."

Alya eventually convinced Marinette to allow a blog update. “You need to make some sort of statement. Show Paris this doesn't bother you.”

“But it does. That's just like lying.”

“It's an image thing,” Cat Noir said. “It's more important now to show the people we're strong, so they don't start to worry about their safety.”

“I promise I'll run it by you before I post it.”

All five of them, her parents included, were sitting at the table and finishing up dinner. Marinette was propping her head up in one hand, pushing around what was left of her meal with her fork. Her parents both gave her encouraging nods. “Fffffine,” she finally said. “Even though I'm sure you're only doing this for views, not for the good of Paris.”

“Hey,” Alya said, getting her phone out and beginning to type. “I care about Paris. It's only 95% for the views.”

Marinette's eye roll was interrupted by a loud beeping. “Please tell me that was your phone.”

Cat Noir jumped up, staring at his ring, before glancing at Marinette. He clearly looked alarmed.

Tom gave a mock sigh as he stood up. “Destroyed anything lately, son? I hope it wasn't valuable.”

“I've never been transformed this long before. Have you?” he asked.

She shook her head, standing as well. “I guess our special powers aren't the only things that are exhausting. What do you need?” She wasn't really sure what to do. Alya was still fiddling with her phone, though she was obviously not typing anymore. Marinette got the distinct impression that she was resisting the urge to start recording again.

“Got any cheese?” he asked quietly.

“Preference?” Marinette walked over to the fridge, but when she heard another beep, she quickened her pace. She took the chance as she was opening the door to look over her shoulder. Cat Noir hadn't moved, his eyes darting to the door and windows. Whatever he had said to her about wanting to share his identity, it obviously didn't extend to her family and friends. It was strange to see her normally brash partner so nervous.

“Cheese?” Sabine asked, looking baffled.

“Don't question the magic, Maman,” she said. “It doesn't help.”

“We'll make due with whatever, but the more disgusting the better.” He wrinkled his nose. They didn't have much of an assortment, but Marinette grabbed what she could for him. She made a mental note to start packing cheese as well as spare cookies, just in case.

“Do you, uh, want to go home and come back?” she asked. “Is it close enough?” She let the cubes tumble out of her hand and into his, making sure their fingers didn't touch.

“It's really close, but..” His ring beeped a third time. “I could just stay right here. Don't you want to meet my paw-some alter ego?” His laugh had a slight shake to it.

“No,” she said. They both knew he didn't mean it, not in front of everyone else. “You could go up to my room, or the bathroom's right over there.” She jerked her head across the room.

He opted for her room, and he shot out of sight before she heard the fourth warning. Marinette watched him go until the trapdoor thumped shut.

“You don't know?” Alya asked. She was practically vibrating in her seat.

“Don't know what?”

“His identity,” Sabine said. “We thought you both knew who the other was.”

“He found out who I was along with everyone else,” she said. She started grabbing plates off the table. Cat Noir must be on his last paw print by now, right? She was trying not to pay attention to it, or that nagging question. Who was he? She never really wondered until now.

“Do you want to know who he is?”

Marinette turned toward Alya, who was walking slowly toward the stairs. “Alya, no. Don't you dare.” Marinette's initial panic launched her across the room, and her burst of speed got her to the bottom step before Alya, who – Marinette realized too late – was grinning mischievously. Alya took a step closer, forcing her up a step.

Marinette glanced up at the closed trapdoor. Alya noticed. “So you are curious,” she said, and stepped closer again.

“I'm not,” she said.

Alya leaned forward, further into her friend's space, and Marinette went up another two steps to avoid her. As long as she could stay between her and the bedroom door for a few more minutes, everything would be fine.

Alya didn't stop advancing until Marinette's hair brushed the door. Unless he was standing on the door itself, all she had to do was push. He'd probably let her in. She faintly heard his final warning and looked up just in time to see a green flash outline the door. She heard a new voice, first talking and then cackling. It was followed by a loud “Shh! She'll hear you!” and then a high pitch squeal of joy that was probably Tikki.

“Girl, civilian Cat Noir is right there. Don't you want to see who he is?”

Maybe.

Marinette stared her best friend down, barring the way with her arms. “It's a secret identity. Emphasis on the secret.”

“How did he know where you lived, then?” Tom asked. “He was here less than a minute after the announcement. We thought he must have known beforehand.”

“He did know,” she said, unsure of how much detail she should go into. “I, uh, kind of got asked out by an akuma once.” She could still hear excited chattering coming from above her. She willed them to hurry up. Her arms were getting tired.

Her parents were naturally alarmed. “Did you say yes?” “What happened?” “Marinette, that was dangerous!” “You wouldn't have been able to transform if something had gone wrong.” They stared up at her from the bottom of the stairs.

“Cat was right there. I was fine.” She glanced Alya for help, but she looked content to watch Marinette get herself deeper in trouble. While the brief interrogation by her parents was something she would have rather avoided, Alya seemed more entertained with Marinette's current predicament than she was pushing her farther up the stairs. If she could only hold out a little bit--

Another green flash leaked around the door, shining a thin line on the walls around her. Finally.

The door creaked open. “Oh, did you all miss me that much?” he said. They must have been a sight, all bunched around the stairs.

She put her arms down. “How can we miss you if you won't go away?”

Cat Noir didn't go away, not that Marinette had wanted him to.

The summer sun had long since set when Alya announced that she was tired and going to bed. “Marinette's tired, too,” she said, grabbing her by the wrist and practically yanking her to her feet.

Her parents wished them both sweet dreams without getting off the couch, but Cat Noir jumped up and caught Marinette's free wrist. “We'll meet up tomorrow after school?”

“Sure, unless she shows up again before that.” She made a face. “Guess I won't have to lie about why I'm leaving class anymore.”

“I like your positive cat-titude,” he said, winking at her.

Alya shooed him away. “That's enough flirting for one day, fur ball. It's girl talk time. No eavesdropping.”

Marinette's last image of Cat Noir was the picture of innocence, face angelic and crossing a clawed finger over his heart. It was only marred by his black ears perking up in anticipation.

“So what's your relationship status with the cat?” Alya asked as soon as she dropped the trapdoor.

“Shh!” Marinette glanced at the door, like she would be able to see her partner's curious face beyond it. “He's got very good hearing,” she whispered. Alya continued to stare at her expectantly. “Our relationship status is that he came up here and teased me about having a crush on Adrien.” She walked around her chaise and picked up the framed picture off her desk. Adrien knew who she was, too. Cat Noir had mentioned that several of her classmates had sent her texts. Had he been one of them?

“I think he likes you,” Alya said. She pulled open a dresser drawer and started helping herself to Marinette's pajamas. “Just judging from how much he was flirting with you all day.”

Marinette snorted. “That was really mild compared to what I normally have to deal with.”

“Oh, girl, then he must really like you, teasing or not.”

She used the picture of Adrien she was still holding to wave Alya's comment off. “He just flirts like that all the time, and not just with me.”

“Okay, well you know him better than I do,” she said, sounding completely unconvinced. She made her way to the bathroom, and Marinette was sure that wasn't going to be the end of their discussion about it. Just before she shut the door, she added, “I have it on good authority that Adrien's got a lot of Ladybug posters in his room. Can't wait to see him tomorrow. Can you?”

Marinette's heart fluttered at the thought. She'd been trying to get his attention all year. Maybe she finally had it. As for Cat Noir's attention, he didn't mean it personally, so she wasn't going to take it personally. Though, she thought as she changed and climbed into bed, waiting for Alya to reemerge, I wonder why he didn't try flirting with Alya today.

Downstairs, Cat Noir was not eavesdropping. He wasn't. Really. He was talking with Marinette's parents and having a nice conversation and trying to ignore the fact that he thought he'd heard both of his names whispered several times.

“It's been an honor to help,” he said, after they thanked him for everything, again. “I just wish it'd been me this time instead of her. I mean, I've always wanted to know, but...” She'd been so upset. “I think I'd have rather gone on forever without knowing if I could have spared her this.” He'd always been the one who was okay with a reveal. It should have been him.

To his surprise, Tom and Sabine stepped forward and wrapped him in a hug. He stayed until the girls stopped whispering.

Read chapter 6 here.

#miraculous #fanfiction #marichat #marinette dupain-cheng #adrien agreste #ladybug #chat noir #alya cesaire #akuma #reveal #half-reveal #multi-chapter

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swan2swan · 6 years

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The issue of bloodlines and their burdens is not limited solely to Star Wars. Another story that tackles the issue perhaps even better than the Original Six (and a heck of a lot better than the Sequel Trilogy) is Avatar: the Last Airbender.

I know you’re all thinking of the same character, but we’ll get to him in a bit, because first, we need to study our Original Three protagonists, starting with Aang.

1. Aang is the Last Airbender, but he’s not some Air Nomad Prince; we still have never met his parents, and their legacy is irrelevant because of the monastic order he was raised in, but his heritage is one far more significant than blood: he is the Avatar. He is a reincarnation gifted with the ability to push past the boundaries of those already deemed exceptional. He can bend all four elements, he can enter the Spirit World at will, and he is capable of communicating with his past lives for advice and counsel. This is power people would kill for...and the theme of his story is coming to grips with it. Throughout his story, he rejects it, embraces it, runs from it, succumbs to it, and finally finds a way to balance it with himself. He decides that he is both the Avatar and the Last Airbender, the protector of all four nations and the one responsible for preserving the culture of Air. During all of this, he also balances himself with his titles, retaining his connection to his friends and his love for his family. We learn in the next series that it was a struggle up until the day the died, but he managed to do it...this is what makes him an Epic Hero. From the day he was born, he was destined to save the world, but he did it his way, and never allowed his responsibilities to erase his identity, or his personal attachments to let the world fail. He trusted in those around him and was able to save the world by sharing the burden.

2. Said burden, of course, falls on the shoulders of Katara and Sokka--or rather, into their willing hands. They are, amusingly enough, royalty themselves: Sokka is the son and heir to the chief, and Katara (like Luke) is the last practitioner of a power she inherited from her deceased parent (of course, Kya wasn’t ruling the Fire Nation, but we’ll get to that later). What does this royal lineage get them?

Absolutely nothing. When the Fire Nation ship rolls in and the soldiers storm their village, Zuko doesn’t go around saying “I need to speak to the chief!” and then sit down in a tent with Sokka for a diplomatic discussion: he has the villagers all lined up and bullied without regard for rank or status. It’s highly doubtful that Hakoda even had any royalty in his bloodline--he was probably just a big, strong man with a smart head on his shoulders who a lot of other villagers decided “hey, let’s follow him and listen to him and let him protect us,” and that’s how he became the chief. With some good strong genes and excellent parenting, he was able to raise his children to be strong, too...and that sums up what those two have going for them. The Northern Water Tribe doesn’t let Katara train because she’s a fellow princess; she fights and claws her way to the top (and then is trained anyway because Necklace Ex Machina, but the fact that it’s a Northern Water Tribe tradition and her grandmother’s migration are all well-done plot points makes it work), and her superpowered healing abilities are also something she masters with a lot of hard work...okay, so Katara’s a little OP, but she works hard, and she’s an example of someone who comes from nothing becoming a superhero.

Sokka, on the other hand, waltzes right into the first derelict island village he finds and says “Wassup, ladies, I’m the most powerful warrior among my people, feel free to ogle!” and is promptly trussed up and tossed to the floor...where he then returns to beg for forgiveness and training, because he learned that his rank, privilege, and power don’t mean a thing in the real world, and if he’s going to survive, he needs to be willing to humble himself and learn. And learn he does--studying hunting strategies, making traps, shadowing guerillas, infiltrating cities, protecting princesses, doing chin-touches, strumming guitars, faking diseases...all until he goes to train with a master swordsman, who does little more than help him to produce a weapon, because by this point Sokka’s seen so much action and drama that he’s a full-fledged warrior. Sokka’s journey is one of a boy earning his position as the heir to his father’s seat: he’s left with almost nothing, but keeps learning and adapting until he’s strong and clever enough to rescue his father from prison. Sokka began with the responsibility of having to inherit his father’s position, and he earned it.

3. Toph and Suki, the other members of Team Avatar, are also special, but neither of them really has responsibilities; Toph is wealthy and privileged, but her privilege is a cage, and she chooses to reject it to pursue her own goals. She trains Aang, she fights for freedom, and eventually opens a school and forms a security group...and then dumps all that on her daughters and runs away to a swamp, but that is yet another essay. Suki, on the other hand, is very similar to Hakoda: she’s in charge of a bunch of fighting women on some shanty island off the coast of the Nowhere Peninsula, a place so worthless it was the final tidbit on some ancient conqueror’s wishlist, and then it just broke from the land and moved away so it didn’t have to be involved with any drama. Suki runs the gym there. That’s literally what she does. She’s a part-time fitness instructor, part-time policewoman, and eventually she decides that she’s going to go off and help police other parts of the world, because what the heck else is she going to do with her life? Then she hijacks an airship and rescues other heroes during the apocalypse or something. The point is, Toph and Suki could have both stayed home and done nothing the whole time if they’d wanted, but they chose to do more.

4. All right, now it’s time for the one you’ve all been waiting for: Azula! Oh, sorry, were you expecting Zuko? Nah, we’re starting with his sister. Because she is everything Lucasfilm wants a bloodline legacy to embody: wealthy and privileged, proud of her genes and her talents, taught by the best, raised to be the best, and completely ruthless and uncaring...even cruel. It’s Azula who delivers one of the greatest speeches in the show, the speech that sounds like it belongs anywhere besides a Nickelodeon Cartoon: “I can see your whole history in your eyes. You’ve always had to struggle, and claw, and connive your way to power. But true power? The divine right to rule? Is something you’re born with.” The creepiest thing about the speech is that it uproots the classic literary promise of “Anyone can be a hero!” while still maintaining the theme of the show. It can be argued that Azula is right. She’s a main character, one with her own design and color palette, with more than two outfits to her name; the world isn’t going to be saved by Chong the Nomad or the hapless cabbage merchant, and it’s not going to be destroyed by one of the Rough Rhinos or Fire Nation Soldier 13. She coldly delivers a smackdown and leaves not only the lesser villains, but the audience questioning everything: are there those born to lead, and those born to serve? The grim answer the show provides...is yes.

5. This is where Zuko comes in. Prince Zuko. Royalty. Strength. Discipl...disciplin...dis...hehehe...”Discipline”. Zuko. HA. *ahem* No, but really, when we meet Zuko, he’s a fantastic villain. He has a giant metal ship, glittering armor, rippling black hair...and a menacing, terrifying scar. Fire comes from his fingertips, he seethes with rage, and he is Prince Zuko of the mighty Fire Nation: all of the world will tremble at his coming. But for a moment, a soft moment, we see his armor hidden by a cloak in the middle of the night, as he quietly seethes to his uncle about finding the Avatar and restoring his honor, and we hear him muse about his father to Aang, and see hints of a person beneath that.

Everything becomes clear in the third episode. Prince Zuko’s ship, which dwarfed Sokka’s village, sits timidly in the shadow of a line of much larger vessels. Commander Zhao towers above Zuko and wears much fancier armor, and then outplays Zuko in a mindgame. We see suddenly that Zuko’s status as a prince is all but worthless...his own father has rejected him. The scar on his face is not some amazing battle scar, but a mark of shame from a duel he lost--a duel we later learn was lost to his own father. Zuko triumphs in a fresh duel, showing honor and restraint, and a glimmer of kindness and mercy...but he continues to try and defeat the Avatar throughout his journey. Time and again, we see Zuko, this privileged prince, try to overcome the heroes...and he loses it all. He barely escapes being collected by his smarter, deadlier sister, and spends a whole season on the run, forced to conceal his true identity from everyone he meets out of fear and shame. He bears witness to the crimes his people have committed: broken villages, scarred legs, starving refugees. He’s given a choice, then, to stay among them...or to betray them all and return home. In his fear and impatience, he chooses the latter: he rejects goodness and chooses the privilege and power. He returns home, he is a hero, he has his father’s respect, his girlfriend’s love, everything he ever wanted...and this is a story that could not be told if he were anyone else.

Because then he realizes that this isn’t making him happy--he, too, has responsibilities. So he throws it all away, and marches to his father and tells him, straight-out, that he cannot live in safety and comfort while the rest of the world cowers in terror. He won’t turn a blind eye to the suffering of others. He leaves, flying off, and risks death time and time again, until finally he fights to win back the crown...and almost loses it to save the life of one of those peasants he’d tormented back in another life. Then, he stands tall and takes his place on the throne, and vows to use his privilege and power to better the world...and we see that he does. How? Because he’s royalty. The story is not about how “a good person can make a difference”, but that “people who can make a difference need to be taught how to be good”. Azula boasted about the “divine right to rule” giving power...yet Zuko’s mind was swayed by a peasant girl with a scarred leg, a boy who decided to fight soldiers with a knife, and a young rebel who couldn’t stand the sight of starving refugees. The core of power can be swayed by many who work together...and that’s the point of the show. Everyone has power. It’s how you use it that matters.

#atla #the world isn't saved by lee the earthbender who threw some rocks and started an avalanche #I may do a part 2 where I talk about yue mai and ty lee who are ALSO privileged individuals who contrast one another #especially yue because princess and sacrifice and blessing and SO MUCH #but this will do for now #my brain just died #tlj #tlj criticism #long post

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thekraziesreside · 6 years

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OK hopefully this will be the last sketchy post about Boku No Hero Academia / My Hero Academia Em’s background and information

Also like help me decide who to ship her with and like idk @doodlingclown @baileythebailer am I too much? Yea? Ok I’ll bury myself k bye

Name: Em Hyde Saiaihime Aliases: Zentai Sato (as UA student) Pre Mo (Previous Villain before All Might injury) Eyes: Blue (green/brown) hazel Height: 5′6″ Weight: 130 lbs Age: 27

Short backgrounds on her Aliases

Pre Mo:

A villain given a Premonition Qurik [functions by being able to predict one move forward of the opponent that they are looking at and can look at up to five people’s next moves]

The villains thought the reason he didn’t get negative affects was perhaps he had special DNA that allowed it to bond without draw backs to the new quirk

His job with the “league of villains” was to gather information about heroes, rogue villains, or anyone of interest who would not be easy to fend of if they caught you following them.

History goes that he attacked a hero (the hero ended up making up this story but most people believe the hero over rumors)

He did kill a few people: but they were intense situations one of the people he did kill was a hero who Pre Mo tried to help but they refused and backed up into more villains who killed him but he took the blame. The others were people he was stalking and the cards were not in his or his prey’s hands because he tried to save them but still failed.

Faked his own death shortly after the supposed death of All Might’s foe because he didn’t want to be under the rule of the villains any more.

His death basically annihilated his body so investigations didn’t think it was strange when they couldn’t find a body. But because most of his body was annihilated the dna with the quirk was gone.

Villains did not know his true identity, no one was ever able to tie him with the Em Saiaihime. They also thought Pre Mo was quirkless before given the quirk which he gave himself the villain name from. So no one had a second thought when he died because a blast like that, even if he saw it coming he probably couldn’t avoid it.

It took a while over 6 months for Em’s body to regain it’s complete functionality after basically destroying it.

Zentai Sato:

Applied for UA saying they had an “invincibility” quirk and was put into one of the other classes (and transferred to class 1-A *see 6)

The school did find it strange that Sato didn’t have much educational history but it was explained away by him being an orphan and it getting lost because it was viewed as unimportant.

Even if she had solid answers for everything while she was hiding in plain sight she was so anxious and seemed pretty aloof until people started opening up with Zentai first.

Though one of the things that made other’s more comfortable was when someone pointed out his name was basically Hentai, and seeing his react as not some scary dark dude made the other students feel like they weren’t a threat.

Some of the teachers found him suspicious, but they thought it would be easiest to keep a watch on him at school so they let it slide.

They were only transferred to the class due to recommendation

The transfer date was one day before the USJ attacks

Reasons for going to UA were to honestly try and start over, because she knew what she did was wrong, though not all of the deaths were her fault the blame was put on her and she’d take the downfall for it even if it wasn’t true. I’d say she’s kinda a glutton for punishment because of how lowly she views herself, but she just wants to do something right.

Reveal of Em Hyde Saiaihime:

When Nomu was crushing Aizawa Shouta Em’s instincts were screaming at her to do something but she was trying to help the other students with the villains at hand but as soon as Tomura reached for Sue’s face she snapped [ and example it would look like is this . 3:00 to 3:15 ]

She didn’t care if she had to reveal herself and her back story she couldn’t let people die, not again, that’s the whole reason she came to this school. To do better, to do good things.

The students were obviously probably confused, like “dude why is one of our class mates trying to fight that thing and his boss when it just crushed sensei?” And Thirteen had a bad feeling, also where did he get that power? Like he’s just invincible not super strong?

Continuity: When Shigaraki is talking to All Might how it’s not fair that hero’s can be violent and how Midoriya was going to kill him but to Em hopefully All Might wouldn’t get involved in this weird AU way of looking at it. Em would be the one he’s talking to and she just snarls and tells him he’s wrong. “Because I’m not some kid who is trying to be a hero who went to attack, I went to make you go down, because you’re trying to hurt the people I want to protect.”

She’d have to go all out to beat Nomu and get the villains to retreat as the pro heroes are on the way and man is she hurt but her [quirk makes wounds heal / time and energy build up too] body had healed enough on the outside to where when the heroes came in to help clear up the other villains and help the students she ran away.

A note about her quirk: She’s indeed invincible / indestructible (to a point I mean) but her quirk is more so time/space so her body still takes the damage but it heals quickly. The pain does not, so sometimes the pain is enough to make her black out and half the time its just determination that keeps her up. She’s usually in so much pain and especially in battles where she get’s banged up like that, the pain only stacks, but she has to stay conscious to keep fighting. If she even relaxes for a moment she basically passes out again. Her wounds can reopen too, so like a stab wound, while it will go away in a few moments she’d still cough up blood. It’s not a fun time and she’s not really built for endurance fighting but that’s still what she does. The extent of her physical attacks would be that in the above clip, like strong, could kill a person but not that strong that someone who is trained to fight cannot stand their own against her.

Reveal Part 2:

She makes it back into the school, her id still worked to get her in because they suspected she’d try to come back and play it off like Zentai.

Instead she came back as herself and sat in the class room before class started and formally apologized to the students for deceiving them and explaining that it’s what she thought was the right thing to do for herself and that she’s going to accept any form of punishment that the school will go through with. All this before Aizawa makes it into class.

She doesn’t resist at all when the students are asked to get help, she doesn’t want to fight. As a few students are standing off as defense and others get help from other pro heroes and teachers she apologizes to Shouta [there are tears but she doesn’t even notice she’s crying]

Could she easily get out of being captured? Very well, like escape artist hero is something she could very well be but she looks so down on herself she’d not even try to fight to defend herself against the heroes who she looked up to and care about.

She offers herself up to go on a trial (ok now here’s a head cannon / idea for someone to take as an OC if they want to like hit me up) by the quirk of someone else. Their quirk is like a lie detector but rather it makes you tell the truth about what ever question is asked [also think Truth or Punishment Star Vs the Forces of Evil] but like even if you tell the truth it’s still really painful and dangerous like #bitch you could die from your injuries. And if you try to fight the truth it’s like your body being torn apart. So it’s not a fun time but she assure them that it’s the quickest way to prove she’s not lying about certain past events. And the only reason they agree is because she says that being indestructible it won’t do much damage.

When in all reality it hurts a whole lot, like she’s coughing up blood because she doesn’t want to say anything about her past and try and excuse herself like “yeah my mother, the one person in the world who is supposed to care, hated me.” She refuses to let them know that, she doesn’t deserve their sympathy right. So she’s crying and bleeding and in a hell of a lot of pain but the trail started and she “tricked them into it” (They probably wouldn’t have agreed seeing as how inhumane it is).

After the trial it turns out that, yeah she’s done bad things, and she’s still got a lot to learn but she’s not a villain, I mean, not really?

She has to spend like a week in Recovery Girl’s office, the first two days she’s still occasionally spitting up blood and in so much pain that she’s crying and doesn’t notice (because the trail happens after she fights the Nomu too so she’d still be healing from that too because her quirk doesn’t make the pain heal any faster than it would for most people so she’d probably be in that pain for a month or two the most severe being then)

Another note on her quirk: Certain physical wounds/injuries don’t get undone (physically erased like when she gets a cut and such her skin will heal and the bleeding will stop but still holds the pain). Like a burn doesn’t threaten your life so she’d retain it like any other normal human. Same goes with if she loses an eye, her eye will probably not come back unless it’s a fatal wound. She can scar, bleed, break bones, and such as long as it’s not fatal her quirk won’t fix it. Then again if the limb with the scar get’s cut off, and it comes back (through basically regeneration due to space rewinding/loop/worm holes) then the scars that would have been on it are gone because it’s a new limb basically. I’m not sure if her quirk makes sense, the only reason it would be time/space correlated is like a the pause in a game or a save point would be her healthy body parts. So like if she gets an injury it’s like you reload the save but the codes still have the idea that the body is in pain. So she’s back to physical standards if she has to “recall” to it, but the pain doesn’t change and can stack. That’s why wounds that aren’t severe won’t activate her quirk to go to the “Save” because she can’t just control her quirk like that. The one thing about it she can control is ignoring the pain with her determination to protect those she cares about but her body will eventually have to face the pain and actually heal. An Angsty Idea: There is a point where the Villains get her, they cut her head off (it comes back, but the pain would be something kind of unimaginable, she might not be able to feel her body/ be kind of paralyzed. Her motor skills will be like a new born, trying to relearn and stuff. It might not take as long as other wounds to heal but it will be an awkward couple weeks for her and her pain would probably come in waves and make her pass out /spinal injury ya know?). They probably torture her, and end up brain washing her, she becomes a puppet, and loses her eye somehow (but not being such a deadly wound her eye would just reform and she’d have to tend the wound). The heroes probably won’t have a choice other than killing her at some point. Or maybe the refuse to kill her but the small part of sanity she has finds a way to make them kill her. (Like someone pulls a sword away and she’d just follow through and kill herself either way, she does this in the Bleach AU). Either way, she somehow manages to get her head re-cut off. Her eye would be normal because again, “a new limb” kinda of deal, and the same goes for her brain. So she wouldn’t be brain washed anymore. But I mean, just imagine the toll of injuring your nervous system like that twice in the span of maybe a month. She’d need a lot of help, rehabilitation will probably be a must if the heroes got her back. There’s an old myth that your birthmark is how you died in your past life, mine and hers is on the back of the neck under the duck tail part of hair. So like neck injuries scare me, but what scares me the most is like, the myth doesn’t say it would take the shape of the wound. If it did, then I’d say it was a shot to the back of the head, but if not, it could be any neck injury, like getting it cut through by a sword in the Bleach AU.

#Krazie shush #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #mha oc #bnha oc #Boku no Em

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thelifetimechannel · 7 years

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Well, us lgbt peeps are getting our youth centers set on fire, we're being kicked out of the military, and the SCOTUS is just about to let businesses discriminate against us, but i'm glad we have people like you to erase what little positive representation we get! When only bigots are pissed about rosemary "Trying to make everyone happy" equals "Trying to make the bigots happy". You don't have to answer this, just think about it. Your work already has that reputation. Do you want it to stick?

Let’s assuage one concern right off the bat. Rosemary is going to be fine. Rose talks about backing off, but in the same conversation she admits she’s being silly and overreacting. Earlier in canon, she assumes Kanaya wants to break up with her and claims “my girlfriend thinks I’m an idiot”. With her insecure belief that Kanaya is disappointed in her, a brief consideration of following in her family’s footsteps and bailing seemed in character to me. But she knows that’s kneejerk and prompted by insecurity rather than reality, and instead, she’s going to talk to her about their issues. A truly revolutionary move, to be sure.

I have those conversations written. I did research, to more confidently write about how addiction can strain relationships and hurt the people you love. I wanted to explore what their dynamic looks like now with all those stressors in play and give them a chance to talk it out and make their relationship stronger. So Rosemary will be fine. Don’t worry about them.

With that out of the way, I’m tucking the rest of our responses under a cut.

Pal. Anon. Buddy.

Yes, these are scary fucking times right now. A lot of people are frightened and for very good reason. A lot of people feel powerless to do anything against the soulless wastes of skin in the US government. A lot of people are lashing out at things they think they can control instead. I understand turning to fiction when times are stressful; if someone finds solace in my work, even for an hour or two, that makes me more glad than words can properly express at 2 AM.

However, what I’m not appreciating is taking that stress out on queer content creators themselves. Further more, I get the funny feeling - something I’ve been getting for a long time now - that your message was made less as a letter to the editor from a genuinely concerned reader. Because, you know, we’ve gotten messages like this before. Instead, it sounds like a blatant co-opting of these very real, very scary issues in order to moralize why you don’t like a fan fiction that has less than 250 favs on MSPFA.

This is not the first time we’ve received a message like this on this blog and I suspect it won’t be the last. But I’m writing a draft response this time instead of Kat because I saw this first and it’s 2:30 AM and I am very, very, VERY tired of this goddamn concern trolling.

Canon, Anon, is always going to be there, will always have Rosemary, and will literally always be fathoms more popular than my dorky fan comic. Rosemary will continue to be an extremely popular canon ship. Rosemary ain’t going anywhere because of one fanfic that doesn’t have as much of a focus on it. Emphasis: as much of a focus. It’s what we call a “gen fic”. Calm down.

I get getting defensive about your ships when people are assholes about it. But if homophobic a-holes are drawn to my comic because we’re not heavy on gay ships because that’s where the story is right now, that is on them. And there are much better ways to deal with that problem than sending passive-aggressive notes to small fry like us because we’re not dropping everything and scrambling to get more shipping content onscreen. Yeah, we’re right there. Our inbox is open. I get it, it’s easy to take our your fear and your anger with messages like this because we are such small time members of the community. But will you please grab some patience? Holding off because it’s not the right moment for it to be in the story =/= erasure, we will get there, and we will get there after I get some freaking shut eye so I can wake up so I can draw the next flash and the next update. Rinse. Repeat.

Also literally every time I have drawn Rose onscreen for months now she’s been in one of Kanaya’s shirts. If you’re going to criticize my comic, at least do me the decency of sounding like you’ve read it first.

-Gill

For once, I’m going to be the crankier one.

Simply, how dare you? How dare you waltz into our inbox pretending that any of this is new to us? Neither of us is cis or straight. I select nonbinary on anonymous surveys and then turn around to put female on official paperwork because my state doesn’t include sexual orientation or gender identity as protected categories for employees. I came home from rallying in front of my scumbag senator’s local office for health care and called him up about the military ban. I have poured so much mental time into this project partly because it’s a relief to have a distraction from the world falling down around me. And you pop in to compare two queer content creators to the people in power stripping their rights away. You even write that you’re not looking for a response. You’re not looking for a conversation. I’m 99% sure that you’re the same anon we’ve gotten over and over again claiming we have a “bad reputation” when you’re the one person who keeps yelling at us, and you completely ignore everything we say to you in favor of harassing us. Do you go through AO3 leaving these comments on everything that doesn’t meet your specifications? Is this fun for you?

I have tried many responses every time you reappear in our inbox. I have expressed sympathy toward your frustration. I have provided detailed explanations of why our project is the way it is. I pointed you in the direction of projects that might be more your speed. I’ve offered to write fic for you personally, for god’s sake. But I’m done. I’m tired. I get it - you’re scared. I’m scared. We’re all scared. And when it seems like no one’s listening and there’s nothing you can do, you want to hit out at something. You want to find an enemy and slay it so you stop feeling so powerless. I can relate. Take that impulse and do something constructive with it. Call a representative. Volunteer at a local activist group, if you’ve got the time, accessibility, spoons, etc. I know it feels like spitting into a wildfire, believe me, but it can help lift a little of the emotional weight of feeling entirely helpless. But us tearing each other apart isn’t going to help anything, and life is hard enough right now without me allowing myself to be your punching bag.

Further asks on this will go unanswered.

- Kat

#Anonymous #tlc mail

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lilacmoon83 · 7 years

Text

The Enchanted Island

Chapter 4: Face to Face

George Spencer put on his best face and shook Johanna's hand, as they arrived at his facility. Mary Margaret Blanchard held the small blonde child, as she was helped into a wheelchair. She was already too weak to walk and she looked to be at death's door. They had mere hours, before it would be too late for any transplant to work. If Lance didn't come through and return his property very soon, he knew there would be hell to pay.

"Miss Blanchard, it is lovely to see you. I just wish the circumstances were better," George greeted. She nodded with a thin smile.

"As do I, Mr. Spencer," she replied.

"And this must be little Emma," he said, as he looked at the tiny girl, who hid her face in her mother's chest.

"It is...my pride and joy," Mary agreed.

"Come. There are preparations to make and our facility has accommodations prepared for your daughter and her nanny as well," he said, as she was led inside the top level of the facility.

The boat gently lapped along the waves. The Captain of the ship had allowed them to use the ship's cabin to take a nap. They hadn't slept since the night before and that had been in the forest so it wasn't at all a restful sleep. But this wasn't proving to be much better, as they were both plagued with dreams, which they were convinced were memories

Snow giggled, as she felt his hand slide down her back, while their lips moved passionately together in a rhythm that was quickly becoming their favorite dance. They had sneaked away from their posts again and made love several times, tucked away in her quarters. Red and Hook were covering for them though, so they hoped no one was any the wiser. Not that either of them could be bothered to care if they were. They were in love and didn't understand how that could ever be bad. The apocalyptic event that had made this way of life necessary had a very strict set of rules. Their King insisted they operate under this martial law for their own protection. What they were doing was expressly forbidden, but love never followed any set of rules and they weren't about to give up something this amazing because of some rule.

"Charming..." Snow cooed, as he kissed her neck.

"Mmm..." he responded, as their eyes met.

"Do you think we'll ever be free someday? Will we ever be able to leave this place?" she wondered.

"I hope so...the way I figure, the world can't be contaminated forever. If I was sure going out there didn't mean certain death for us, I'd take your hand and we'd leave right now," he replied. She smiled.

"It would be wonderful not to live underground...to be free to be together whenever we want," she mused. He smiled and pecked her on the lips.

"Someday, my love...someday we will have that. I'll take you somewhere far from here. We'll find a little town, like in the books you read. It will be by the ocean and we will...have a family," he said. She smiled at that.

"Do you really think we could ever have something so wonderful?" she asked. Oh how she wanted to believe it.

"I do...I have faith and so should you," he replied, as he kissed her again. Oh, it was a wonderful dream, but then like all her dreams, it quickly changed to something terrible.

This time, Charming was gone and she was confined to her quarters. Her belly was quite distended and she glared at King George, as he entered her room with a smug smirk on his face.

"Well...how is our lovely surrogate today?" he goaded.

"Where is Charming? You can't keep me from him...he deserves to know about our child!" she cried.

"Charming doesn't even remember you," George said coldly. Her face fell and she felt empty inside, his words had dealt her a blow she almost could not bare.

"You're lying!" she cried, as the tears came.

"No my dear...his memory of you has been completely wiped away. And as soon as you deliver this child, so shall yours. It's best this way...you can't keep her, after all," he stated.

"She's mine...Emma is ours! You can't do this!" she sobbed.

"Sedate her immediately. The stress isn't good for the baby," he ordered, as two orderlies restrained her. She cried and fought, but then she felt nothing, as her vision went black...

Snow awoke with a start and she saw Charming was already awake.

"Hey...another nightmare?" he asked. She nodded wordlessly and rested her head on his chest.

"They're not dreams, Charming...they're memories. I'm sure of it," she cried.

"Tell me," he requested.

"It's very happy at first. We're together...making love and then it changes. I'm alone...in a room and George is there. I'm...I'm pregnant and he tells me that you no longer remember me. And then he tells me that I can't keep her...I can't keep Emma," she cried. He kissed her forehead.

"Emma..." he said reverently.

"Our baby...I named her," she sniffed. He smiled.

"Emma," he repeated with more certainty.

"Do you like it?" she asked.

"I love it," he replied.

"Charming...what if we never find her? What if we never find our baby?" Snow lamented.

"We will...we will find her. I have faith," he assured her and she smiled at that.

"I love you," she gushed.

"And I love you too, my darling," he replied.

"We should probably go above deck. I think I can feel us slowing," he mentioned.

"Charming..." she said, as she grabbed his hand, before he could go above deck and he turned to her.

"What happens if your...if James doesn't want to help us?" she asked. He sighed and laced his fingers with hers.

"Then we keep going. If keeping you safe means running for the rest of our lives, then that's what I will do. If he tries to hurt you...then I'll have no choice," he said. She nodded.

"I don't want to make that choice, but if I'm honest, it's already made. And it's you, Snow. I'll always choose to fight for you...for us," he confessed. She closed the distance between them and he folded her into his arms, as he kissed her passionately. As their lips parted, she gazed into his eyes.

"I've been having dreams too," he blurted out.

"What kind of dreams?" she asked. He caressed her face.

"Dreams of being with you. We're in bed..." he said, with a fondly, enjoying her coy smile.

"I've had those dreams too," she said, as she looked up at him.

"But like yours, mine also turned bad," he said, as she frowned.

"What happened?" she asked, though she had a pretty good idea.

"We were together and then George ripped us apart. Then I was in a room and they had me strapped down. I was calling for you...but he said in a few moments, I'd forget I ever knew you," he confessed, as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"These aren't dreams. We met before...we were in love and then they took our baby away," she cried.

"They're memories and they erased them...or tried to," he realized, as she looked at him.

"I think so..." she said, swallowing thickly.

"We'll find her, Snow. We'll find Emma and then I'm going to make good on that promise. We'll be free and live in a little town by the ocean. We'll raise our baby and maybe even have more," he said. She smiled and their lips met again, as he picked her up and spun her around.

"We're getting ready to dock!" Killian called. He placed her on her feet and they joined hands, emerging from below to face what was to come.

"And I told you that if you can't handle the deal, then I'll find someone else who can," James Nolan snapped, as he discussed a business deal on the phone. He made his way to the liquor tray in his living room and poured himself a drink.

"Just get it done. If we lose this deal, because of your incompetence, then you're fired," he growled, as he hung up the phone and then let the stinging liquid slide down his throat. He wasn't supposed to be drinking at all and most of his foul mood had little to do with this deal. It was Mary Margaret. No woman had ever gotten under his skin like her. He had a well known reputation as a womanizer and the last woman he had gotten pregnant had easily been made to disappear with a very large check.

But Mary Margaret had been different from the beginning. James Nolan didn't love anyone...he didn't let himself. After his parents untimely deaths due to alcoholism and cancer, he promised he'd never let himself feel love for anyone else again. Then he met Mary Margaret Blanchard and a whirlwind romance had ensued. She was well aware of all this character flaws and loved him anyway. He had actually considered finally settling down and marrying her. Then she was diagnosed with cancer. He had visited her, but his selfishness to protect his own heart had led him to mostly closing her off. When he found out about Emma, he had promised his support and did love his daughter. But it was too painful for him...especially now that Mary was dying. He was hoping that she could be saved, just as he hoped he could when his own liver gave out. If Mary died, there would be this tiny human dependent only on him and he wasn't the kind of man for that job.

He cursed when he heard the doorbell ring, having given the butler the day off. He didn't like witnesses when he was in one of his drunken, self pity streaks.

He stalked to the door with the bottle of scotch in hand and when he opened it, he was stunned to find a man that was identical to him standing there with a woman that looked exactly like Mary Margaret. If he didn't know that she was at the Misthaven research facility, he would have thought it was her.

"What the fuck..." he uttered, as the bottle of liquor crashed to the floor.

"I...I know this has to be a shock," Charming said, as he held his hand up, just as the other clutched Snow's hand.

"Shock? Why the hell do you look like me? And herâ€¦" he said, gazing at the raven haired beauty.

"I'm...well I guess you could say I'm the organs you paid for," Charming said.

"By the look on your face...I'd say you didn't know," Snow added. James turned away to hide the fury on his face. If Spencer had lost control, then that meant Mary wouldn't be getting the organs she needed to survive.

"I suppose you should come in. Help yourself to a drink," he said, as he poured himself another. But the two sat down uncomfortably on the edge of the sofa. He took notice of how they had not let go of each other's hands even for a second. If his heart wasn't so hardened, he might have found it romantic, albeit ironic that his and Mary's clones were in love.

"So I guess that whole spiel George fed me about my organs being in an amniotic sac was just a bunch of lies," he stated.

"I'm sorry...but it's true. There are many more like us. They were going to take Snow's and I couldn't let them do that. So we escaped," Charming explained.

"Snow?" he asked.

"My name is Snow White," she said. This made James chuckle in amusement.

"Why does everyone laugh when I tell them my name?" she whispered to Charming.

"Because Snow White is a fairy tale," James interjected. Snow cocked her head to the side, her face a mask of confusion.

"Snow White is a fictional story. About a Princess trying to escape the Evil Queen. She eats a poison apple and then is awakened with true love's kiss by her prince," James explained.

"Let me guess...you're Prince Charming," he mused.

"Umm...I'm not a Prince. Just Charming," the other replied. James chuckled again.

"George has a sense of humor," he stated.

"So you and...Snow escaped and came here," James continued.

"We were told that finding our...sponsors and alerting them to the truth might be the only way to stay alive," Charming said.

"You were told right then," James replied, as he turned back to them. Snow and Charming exchanged a glance.

"You'll help us?" she asked.

"I just need to make a few calls. Then we'll get you two out of the country," he replied. They smiled at each other.

"Thank you," Charming said, as James took out his phone and walked into the other room.

"Don't think me yet," he muttered, as the receptionist at the Misthaven Research facility answered.

"Yes...this is James Nolan. I need to speak to Mr. Spencer immediately. It's urgent," James stated.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Spencer has asked not to be disturbed. Can I take a message?" she asked.

"Yes...you can ask him why two of his clones are sitting in my fucking living room," James growled. There was silence on the other.

"I'll...I'll patch you through to Mr. Spencer right away," she stammered.

Mr. Gold got out of his car and limped toward the building with the aide of his cane.

"Mr. Gold...I'm Jacqueline, Mr. Spencer's assistant. I'm afraid he is busy dealing with a situation," she greeted him.

"That's just as well. I know my way around," he replied.

"Mr. Spencer doesn't usually let visitors have free run of the facility," she reminded.

"And yet I am no ordinary visitor, as I'm sure he has told you. That will be all, Ms...Jack," he said, leaving her behind. The Black Knights parted for him as well, giving him a wide berth, as he entered the facility. Gold stepped into the elevator and took it down into the bowels of the facility, all while observing the day to day workings of the facility. Once the elevator touched down, the doors slid open and he hobbled into the stark white hallways of the laboratory until he reached the end of the corridor. The door before him opened and he observed the hundreds of pods, filled with amniotic fluid and human clones in various stages of development. He came to stand next to the other figure also observing and they stood in companionable silence for several moments.

"Do you have it?" Gold asked. His counterpart let out a shrill giggle.

"I've done my part, dearie. Have you done yours?" Rumple asked.

"Oh yes...they are on the path we have laid out for them," Gold replied.

"And the product?" Gold asked.

"She's here...with the Blanchard woman. They're worried...the clock is ticking and soon, not even Snow White's organs can save her," Rumple replied.

"It is unfortunate. She is a nice woman, but her purpose has been served," Gold stated. Rumple reached in his jacket pocket and produced a vial with a blonde colored hair inside.

"I assume you managed to do your part?" Rumple asked.

"One hair from Snow White," Gold said, as he dropped the hair in the vial.

"To be joined with one from her Prince Charming," Rumple said, as they watched the hairs entwine and glow with a pink light.

"True love in a bottle," Rumple mused.

"The most powerful magic of all," Gold added.

"Then it's time..." Rumple said, as he extracted a wavy dagger from his jacket pocket, along with another bluish potion. Gold took the dagger and the bluish potion.

"And you're sure this is the opposite of the separating potion?" Gold asked. Rumple giggled.

"Guaranteed to rejoin your Jekyll side with my Hyde," he joked. With that, Gold poured the bluish potion over the dagger and held it before Rumple. The potion coated dagger glowed and Rumple became nothing more than tiny particles, as Gold absorbed his "clone" back into his own being. He slipped the dagger and the pinkish potion back into his suit jacket and turned back toward the elevator. Everything was falling into place.

George slammed the phone down, an evil smirk marring his face. Those two idiots had just walked into their own demise. They had gone to James Nolan of all people for help and he had turned right around and called him.

He had already called Lance and ordered him to kill Charming, promising Mr. Nolan he would grow him a new clone, free of charge. Then Lance would be bringing Snow White back and there would still be time to save Miss Blanchard. He chuckled.

"I hope you enjoyed your little adventure, Snow and Charming," he hissed.

James had led them to a guest bedroom and bath, so they could freshen up. He offered some of Mary's clothes to Snow and his own to Charming for a change.

"Um...I'm going to take a shower," Snow said, as she bit her bottom lip.

"Okay...I'll take my turn after you," he replied. But she took his hand and he looked up at her, finding desire lidded emerald eyes searing into him.

"I'd much rather you join me," she leered, as she led him into the large bathroom with her. He pressed her up against the closed door and kissed her passionately. She broke the kiss, just long enough to lift her arms and let him divest her of her blouse. His lips crashed against hers again and her nimble fingers undid the buttons on his flannel shirt. It fell to a puddle at his feet and her hands slid down his shredded torso to his belt. Charming's lips traveled down her neck, nipping feverishly and slowly making his way to her breasts. She pushed his jeans down and he kicked them away, as he resumed his conquest on her body. His hands gripped her hips and slid sensually up her taut abdomen, until his hands became filled with her breasts, still hidden from him by her bra. She gasped and writhed against him, her back arching against the door.

_Snowing_

"Charming..." she cried, as she felt the growing arousal between her legs. She yelped, as he turned her over and she panted rapidly, as he snapped the clasp on her bra and then slid his hand down to her underwear. She moaned and grinded her ass against the bulge in his boxers. He growled and slid her underwear down her shapely legs.

"Oh Gods..." she cried, as he dipped two fingers into the wet folds of her sex.

"Shower..." she uttered, as he tossed her bra away and kissed at her breasts, while slowly backing her toward the shower. She fumbled with the door and then the knobs, turning on the water.

"Ahh..." she cried, as he pressed his fingers against her clit.

"So beautiful..." he rasped, as he worshiped her breasts with his mouth. She stepped into the shower and he ripped his boxers away, before following her in. Steam rose around the entwined bodies and she cried out in excitement, as he lifted her against the shower wall and plunged inside her. She hooked her ankles around his waist, as he began moving inside her, thrusting hot and deeply.

"Oh Charming..." she cried, as he made love to her intensely for several long moments. He watched, mesmerized, as she came and fell apart around him. He continued to search for his own climax, while Snow planted repeated, loving kisses on his face, his lips, and his neck. A few more sharp thrusts and he came too, sending them collapsing together against the shower wall.

_Snowing_

She smiled at him and they exchanged several more tender kisses, before they started to sensually soap each other and get clean. As they dried off in the bedroom, he held her close and love shined in their eyes. There was no doubt any longer. This was true love.

Snow finished putting on a clean pair of black leggings and a long stylish white tunic with a thin black belt around her waist. As he was putting on his boxers and clean jeans that James had offered, he managed to notice two black vehicles pull up on the street and several men get out.

"Snow...we have trouble," he warned, as she came beside him and saw what he was seeing.

"He lied to us..." he growled.

"What are we going to do?" she asked fearfully. He looked at the blue button down shirt he had laying out on the bed, but then went to the closet and picked a black one instead. It was the same shirt James happened to be wearing and he quickly put it on. He took her hand and they sneaked out to the foyer, as Lance walked into the house. He had ordered his men to stay outside, probably to prevent them from running.

"Good...it's about time you got here," James grumbled, as he downed another glass of scotch. As Snow and Charming crept toward the living room, they passed another liquor tray and he carefully poured a glass of scotch.

"Stay here," he whispered.

"Charming...be careful," she whispered back, as he waltzed into the room.

"There he is," James hissed, as he pointed at his counterpart. Charming held his breath and gulped the glass of liquor down. It was awful, but he managed to drink it convincingly.

"He's lying. That's Charming..." he accused. James looked at him in disbelief and then chuckled in amusement.

"That's cute...you really think you can convince him that you're me?" he challenged. Charming was eternally grateful that Snow had insisted they read up on James Nolan.

"I am James Nolan, CEO of Nolan Technologies. I was born on a farm, poor as dirt, to Ruth and Robert Nolan," Charming said. James scoffed.

"He's just reciting my life! You can get this crap from Google!" James shouted.

"I believe you're here for this, Mr. Knight, is it?" Charming asked, as he pulled Snow into the room.

"What the hell...he's not me!" James cried.

"If you don't get her back to that research facility, the mother of my child is going to die," Charming spat. James looked panicked now.

"Damn you..." James cursed, as Lance's gun wavered between the two.

"Shoot him...I'm the real James!" James cried.

"He's just saying that so you'll shoot me and he can save his precious Snow White!" Charming shouted back. Lance's gun wavered back and forth a few more times and Snow screamed, as he took his shot. James fell dead to the floor and then the gun was leveled at them.

"You're not very convincing, Charming," Lance stated.

"You knew?" he asked. Lance smirked.

"You may look alike, but your eyes are much too kind to pass as James Nolan. In my days as a mercenary, I have found the eyes are a dead giveaway to the soul," Lance replied.

"Then why did you shoot him?" Charming asked.

"I'm afraid the moral dilemma that George Spencer has presented me with is one I cannot ignore," Lance stated.

"And as noble as I would like to seem, I have also been paid twice as much by another source to make sure you two survive," he added.

"By who?" Snow asked.

"Mr. Gold of course. And you may not believe me, but I wouldn't have been able to go through with letting George enact the plan he has in store for you both, even without the money Mr. Gold paid me, " Lance replied.

"Then that's why we have to go back there," Snow stated.

"Snow?" Charming asked in disbelief.

"Charming...we can't leave our friends to that kind of fate. We have to take George down," she replied. He smirked.

"You want to take back the compound?" he asked. She smirked back.

"There is a corrupt King that needs to be dethroned. Let's take back his Kingdom and free our people," she replied. He smiled and kissed her tenderly.

"Is Miss Blanchard at the facility?" Snow asked. Lance nodded.

"She is...and I'm afraid that even if I really were to offer you up, it is likely even a transplant at this point wouldn't work," he replied. Snow felt bad. If Leroy was right, Mary Margaret Blanchard was a nice woman. But it also meant their daughter...their baby girl that was stolen from them was there too.

"Charming...she's there too. Emma...our baby," Snow said.

"We'll find her," he assured. Lance looked between them.

"Wait...the child is yours?" he asked. Snow nodded.

"George tried to wipe our memories of our time together, but we've been having dreams. Emma is ours. I think Mary Margaret wanted a child, but she was too sick to conceive. That's where we came in," Snow explained.

"Then I think we had better be on our way. I think I have a plan. Do you think you can pull off pretending to be James Nolan?" Lance asked. Charming nodded.

"Enough to get us in," he assured. Lance nodded and led the pair out to his vehicle. He didn't need to alert his men to the plan. They would follow whatever order he gave without question. Snow and Charming gripped each other's hands tightly, as they drove off. It was time to stop running and stand against the tyrant that threatened their lives...

#Snowing #snowing fanfiction #feat baby emma #feat rumplestiltskin #AU #feat lancelot #feat appearances by most Once characters

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babygirl06301 · 7 years

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Buffy moments that made me cry

Oi! This post contains spoilers, read at your own risk or whatever.

So, this is gonna be a fun, happy time.

Sike, because I’m gonna crush your hearts. And keep you here for a long time, because damn is this long. It’s important to understand that, when making this list, I was going off of memory so that could be a reason as to why not every terribly sad scene is in here. Another reason a scene could be left off is because I don’t like certain characters, so their sad moments didn’t cause me to emotionally explode like these did. For example, I’m not a huge fan of Faith, Joyce, Dawn, or Riley. I like them all, but I wasn’t invested enough in them as characters to warrant their hard times breaking my soul. Make sense?

Also, you will notice a common theme here, and if you’ve been following me for a while, this will come as no surprise (and neither will me talking about scenes I’ve already talked excessively about a million times): Spike, Spike, Spuffy, Spike. Spike is my all time favorite character from any show. So, it stands to reason that I feel his pains and woes more heavily than the other characters. Building on that, Spuffy is my ultimate ship. Ergo...you get it. In fact, most of this post will be about Spike, Spuffy, Twillow, and Xanya (is that their ship name?). You’re probably tired of hearing about the same scenes everyone (me) talks about, for example, a lot of the stuff from S7. And honestly, I’m getting a little tired of talking about them, but this list wouldn’t be complete without it, so bear with me.

So, I’m also gonna rate these by level of tears and soul-breakage (whether for happy or sad reasons). A scale of 1 to 5. Allow me to demonstrate with Dean Winchester gifs.

1 - Prickly eyes, very deep feeling of sadness

2 - Eyes brimmed with tears about to spill over

3 - Tears fall

4 - Tears won’t stop falling

5 - All hope of composure is lost

Fair warning: there are only two 5s on here. So. And keep in mind that a 1 doesn’t mean it’s a bad scene. Think of 1s as very good scenes and 5s as mind-blowing, fuck me up scenes. Also, they’re just how I reacted. I know some of these hit harder with some or fell flat with others. And of course, there’s other scenes that were very sad to watch but didn’t quite make me tear up. For example, when Willow first sees that Glory took away Tara’s sanity or when Spike tells Buffy he’d risk his life to go after someone that hurt her. Okay, let’s get into it.

Okay, before the Buffy, I want to start with a few scenes from Angel that really got me. Not a lot in Angel did get me because I wasn’t as invested in it, but these were hard.

Doyle dies

The episode: “Hero”

My rating: 1/5

The moment: There’s a magical bomb about to explode so, Doyle decides to sacrifice himself to save everyone.

Why I cried: Doyle is one of the few characters on Angel that I had a really protective attitude with. Much like I did with early seasons Willow or with Tara, sort of just a sweet character that I want to keep safe. So, because we see Doyle struggle since the beginning with his identity as half-demon, this heroic last act means so much for his story. Not to mention, his last goodbyes with Angel and Cordelia were very heartfelt and sad.

Buffy forgets Human!Angel

The episode: “I Will Remember You”

My rating: 3/5

The moment: Angel had become human for this episode and was able to spend a whole day with Buffy, consequence free. However, realizing he couldn’t protect the world as a human, he opted to erase the previous day. This moment is Angel explaining to Buffy that only he would remember their day together.

Why I cried: This scene got me for a number of reasons. One of the primary reasons is the behind the scenes information surrounding it. Sarah couldn’t hold herself together, David whispered her name (that you can hear in the scene) to calm her. That proves the power of this moment. Additionally, understanding that Angel will have the bear the memory of this day, cut me pretty deep. So did seeing Buffy so broken and panicked. All together, a gut-wrenching scene.

Fred dies

The episode: “A Hole in the World”

My rating: 4/5

The moment: Fred has a run in with an ancient coffin containing the Old One, Illyria. She kills Fred by cooking her organs, causing her to slowly fade away while being watched over by Wesley, her current love.

Why I cried: Fred is another one of those pure characters that doesn’t deserve the fate she receives. Wesley and Fred spend so long dancing around each other, being with other people before finally connecting...only to have it violently ripped away from them. Requited love resulting in immediate tragedy is something Joss Whedon is a master of, and this certainly isn’t the last example on this list.

Wesley dies

The episode: “Not Fade Away”

My rating: 4/5

The moment: Wesley fights his final battle for Angel and the greater good, resulting in a serious wound that took his life. In his final moments, Illyria transforms herself into Fred to give Wes peace as he dies.

Why I cried: Honestly, the main thought running through my mind with this scene is that Wes and Fred will finally be together. His end is bittersweet for me, as he struggled so much in Angel. Adding on to this, seeing Fred weep over Wesley and knowing that it was equal parts Fred and Illyria feeling grief for him hits home as much as anything else.

Okay, that’s Angel done. As I said, I wasn’t as invested so I don’t remember all the intense scenes, for one, and I also didn’t care about the story as much in general. Let’s move on to Buffy.

Buffy quits

The episode: “Prophecy Girl”

My rating: 2/5

The moment: Buffy overhears Angel and Giles discussing the prophecy that Buffy is to die if she faces the Master. She makes her presence known and decides to quit her role as Slayer because she’s afraid of dying.

Why I cried: This is the first time we see Buffy terrified of anything. Really terrified. And understandably so. I think the thing about this scene that gets me the most is that Buffy is supposed to be this tough girl, not afraid of anything, least of all dying. Which is quite unfair to ask of anyone. So here, we see the rational reaction to dying that we don’t expect her to have. Hearing her tell Giles that she’s sixteen and doesn’t want to die is almost shocking because she’s right, but that’s something we don’t totally register before this scene. And it’s almost made sadder by the fact that we know she doesn’t really have the choice to walk away from her calling. No matter how hard she fights, it doesn’t matter.

Buffy and Giles cry together

The episode: “Passion”

My rating: 1/5

The moment: Right after Giles goes after Angelus for killing Jenny, Buffy pulls him out of the burning factory and screams at him for risking his life.

Why I cried: It’s just the combination of knowing Giles’ pain is so real and seeing Buffy’s fear of losing him. Giles, being a Watcher, hadn’t really had the opportunity to live a life outside of books and Slayers. Jenny was his chance to do that, and he lost her. He lost her right after he’d decided to take her back after the whole Angel/Angelus debacle. Remember that requited love turns to tragedy thing? On top of that, it isn’t often we see Buffy express her affection for Giles. This rare moment of vulnerability, for both of them, makes this scene crushing.

Buffy kills Angel

The episode: “Becoming: Part 2″

My rating: 3/5

The moment: Buffy resigns herself to killing Angelus, as it appears they won’t be able to ensoul him, and he plans to release Acathla and destroy the world. At the last moment, after the door to Hell is opened, Angel regains his soul. Unfortunately, the only way to close the portal is to the kill the one who opened it. Buffy, then, is forced to kill her love.

Why I cried: The acting. That’s what it is. Other than the fact that it’s terribly tragic that they have to lose each other after so long apart,--*coughs* requited love--it’s just the fact that I can see it all on their faces. And Angel is so confused by what’s happening, and Buffy doesn’t explain. She just says goodbye, a goodbye cloaked in loving words. And then Angel’s confusion turns to shock, and Buffy’s expression of responsibility overrun with pain...it’s all a part of why this scene is so, so sad.

Buffy cries in Willow’s lap

The episode: “The Prom”

My rating: 3/5

The moment: Just after Angel breaks up with her, Buffy confides in Willow. She conveys that she’s trying to keep from dying, that she feels like she can’t breathe. Willow holds her head in her lap while she cries.

Why I cried: On a personal note, for me and I’m sure many others, this spoke to me. It related almost exactly to one of my break-ups in the past. Because of that, it was more than just watching these characters bleed and cry on TV and trying to understand it. This, I did understand. And it hurts. And seeing our hero weep like this over something so...mundane...that’s pain.

Willow and Oz break up

The episode: “Wild at Heart”

My rating: 3/5

The moment: Oz has made the decision, after a few nights with a fellow werewolf, that he will leave Sunnydale to try and tame the beast inside of him. As a result, he has to initiate a painful goodbye with the woman he loves.

Why I cried: This is the ever-present struggle with relationships. You want to be together, you want to be with them, but when it comes down to it, sometimes you need to take care of you. And that’s a tough choice to make. The thing about this scene is that neither of them fell out of love with the other (despite Willow asking Oz if he had). Oz had to tear himself away from the one thing he’d loved all his life so that he could better himself. Which means, for me anyway, that you can’t blame Oz. And an ending relationship where neither party is to blame, well that’s a hard blow.

Oz’s final goodbye

The episode: “New Moon Rising”

My rating: 2/5

The moment: Oz returns to Sunnydale, hoping to reignite his flame with Willow. Upon returning, he realizes that Willow has fallen in love with someone else--Tara. In his final scene, he says a tearful and final goodbye to Willow.

Why I cried: You know that feeling when you’re watching something and you just know that this is the end for a character? Like, you feel the deep sorrow that this is the last you’ll see of them? That’s what I was feeling. And I’m sure that’s what Willow was feeling. Because Oz didn’t fall out of love with her, it’s saddening to see him so wilted because he wasn’t able to get back together with Willow. But at the same time, it’s amazing to see how understanding and caring he is regarding Willow’s love for another person. Happy goodbyes can be just as tearful as the sad ones.

Willow chooses Tara

The episode: “New Moon Rising”

My rating: 1/5

The moment: After leaving Oz, Willow goes to Tara’s dorm room. Tara worries that Willow is coming to tell her she’s chosen Oz. She assures Willow that she should be with the one she loves, to which Willow replies, “I am.”

Why I cried: Oh my goodness. Tara is just so happy in this moment. And so is Willow. After all the confusion, after all the concern and tiptoeing and worry, Willow and Tara finally choose each other.

The gang defends Tara

The episode: “Family”

My rating: 2/5

The moment: Tara’s family comes to take her home because they claim (falsely) that she is part demon. She’s prepared to leave to spare her friends the shame of knowing her. In a twist, the Scoobies--even Spike, to an extent--defend Tara and protect her against her family.

Why I cried: This is the first time Tara is ever officially welcomed into the unofficial family of the Scoobies. And we get to see characters come to her defense, not because she’s connected to Willow, but because she’s connected to all of them. It’s a very warm family moment that gives me the warm fuzzies.

Spike comforts Buffy

The episode: “Fool for Love”

My rating: 3/5

The moment: After a long night at each other’s throats, Spike vows to kill Buffy despite the complication of the behavior chip. Upon arriving at her house, Spike finds Buffy crying because of her mother’s worsening illness, a fact unbeknownst to him. He asks what’s wrong, if there’s anything he can do and ends up sitting silently with her in the moment.

Why I cried: Why would I cry so much over such a small thing? Well, because of the little things. Spike looks...curious. Instead of this big, swanky, know-it-all vampire, Spike is intrigued and curious concerning Buffy and how he feels about her. It’s almost like Buffy is this magical, foreign creature that he can’t look away from lest it run away, never to be seen again. And when he pats her back, he’s so gentle with her, somehow understanding what she needs without knowing the situation. And it helps. You can see Buffy’s face, see that she’s comforted to have someone to be with her there. It’s a very serene, tender moment.

Buffy finds her mom dead

The episode: “The Body”

My rating: 2/5

The moment: Buffy comes home to find Joyce lying on the couch, dead. In a panic, she calls 911. After that, she calls Giles. All the while, moving from confusion to alarm to shock.

Why I cried: This is a very real reaction to death. Especially the death of a close loved one. And it’s very strange for us to see Buffy this shattered, even with all the pain she’s gone through before this moment. It’s a hard scene to pick at, but we feel the same sort of surreal blankness that Buffy does.

Buffy tells Dawn about Joyce

The episode: “The Body”

My rating: 2/5

The moment: Buffy goes to Dawn’s school to tell her about their mother’s death.

Why I cried: It’s just...I didn’t and don’t care for Dawn very much...so that alone should tell you why this scene made the list. Seeing her that sorrowful and knowing that she still feels, if only in this case, like a little girl that still needs her mommy...it makes this scene heartbreaking.

Willow and Tara embrace

The episode: “The Body”

My rating: 3/5

The moment: Willow worries over what she should wear to the hospital to meet Buffy and Dawn. Her sadness and cries escalate until Tara goes to her, and they share their first (on-screen) kiss.

Why I cried: For one, it’s a good reminder that Joyce touched more people’s lives than Buffy’s and Dawn’s. Also, it’s a good moment for us to be there with Willow and Tara and feel their love and compassion. Just the way that they hold each other and breathe into each other’s embrace...it’s beautiful.

Anya asking why Joyce died

The episode: “The Body”

My rating: 4/5

The moment: Tensions raise between Willow and Anya, as Anya doesn’t completely understand the actions taken by humans when a loved one dies. Anya soon breaks down and exclaims that the mortality of humans is nonsensical and stupid.

Why I cried: Anya is meant to be this confused, blunt, and uninformed character that never really grasps the spectrum of human emotions and mannerisms. But here’s the thing: in her ramblings about the stupidity of death and her confusion over why Joyce had to die, she makes the most sense of all. The beauty of her confusion and bluntness and uninformed nature is that she hits on the exact thought that everyone has when someone passes on: why?

Buffy cries with Dawn

The episode: “Forever”

My rating: 1/5

The moment: After Buffy stops Dawn from resurrecting their mother, she hears a knock on the door and runs to it, hoping it’s her mother. Dawn tears the photo of Joyce up that was used to bring her back in the first place, cancelling the spell. Realizing that they are truly on their own now, the two break down in front of the door and cry openly together.

Why I cried: It’s some of the first common ground we see with the two of them, especially since Joyce’s death. It’s horrible yet heartwarming to see Buffy and Dawn, at least for the time being, come together as sisters.

“I know you’ll never love me.”

The episode: “The Gift”

My rating: 3/5

The moment: Spike and Buffy return to her house to pick up some weapons for their fight against Glory. Upon arriving, Spike offers to take the weapons over the threshold, having been locked out of Buffy’s house previously. Buffy invites him in for the second time and tells Spike she’s counting on him to protect Dawn. He replies that he will--“’til the end of the world,” even if he dies doing so. He then tells her that, even though he knows she’ll never love him, he’s grateful that she treats him like a man.

Why I cried: Oh my God, so many reasons. From the top, Spike’s willingness to cooperate with Buffy’s wishes to stay out of her house and then Buffy’s subsequent invitation to enter back in says volumes about how far they’ve come in such a short time. Spike’s facial expression when she invites him back in began the trail of tears for me. When Spike proclaims he will protect Dawn “’til the end of the world,” that solidified the notion that he’d really changed, which overwhelmed me with emotion. And finally, when Spike says “I know you’ll never love me. I know that I’m a monster, but you treat me like a man and that’s...” That moment really touches me, firstly, because of the respect you can see on Buffy’s face. Whether or not she even likes Spike, she respects him now, after it all. Secondly, Spike is expecting to die. Whether by himself or alongside everyone, he’s expecting that this night is the end for him. And his final words to Buffy tell her: it’s alright that you don’t love me, I’m just happy to be in your life. He doesn’t try and convince her one last time, doesn’t try and persuade her. He’s a complete gentleman, and that’s the best part.

Willow finds Tara

The episode: “The Gift”

My rating: 3/5

The moment: Willow is finally able to get Tara back after so long without her because of Glory’s magic keeping Tara from being in control of her own mind. In a rush of joy, the two embrace, Willow telling a previously lost Tara that she’ll always find her.

Why I cried: The happiest tears come from this scene. Can you imagine being separated from your true love for so long without ever actually being physically apart from them? Having to see them every single day struggling against their own mind? That must be the hardest fate you could have. But Willow stuck with Tara, and it paid off in the end. The found each other in one of the happiest moments of the show’s run.

Spike sees Buffy dead

The episode: “The Gift”

My rating: 4/5

The moment: After a long and hard fight against Glory, Buffy sacrifices herself to close the portal opened up by Summers blood. Her friends and family show varying signs of grief for their loss.

Why I cried: So, Willow and Spike had the two strongest reactions to seeing Buffy dead. Dawn was crying, but she’d already talked to Buffy and knew she would be dead when she reached the bottom of the tower. Anya was blank, seemingly because Buffy dying was almost expected. Xander and Giles showed emotion--sadness--but didn’t cry. Willow and Spike were sobbing. But why does specifically Spike make me cry? Two reasons. First: Willow is known to be very sensitive, so it’s expected that she’d break down immediately and not need time to register that Buffy had died. She went instantly to grief. Spike is known to be sensitive as well, being a poet and often shedding a tear when Buffy rejects him. But this. Spike doesn’t do this. He doesn’t absolutely break. His body doesn’t heave and convulse with sobs and sorrow. The reason Spike reacted so violently leads into my second reason, a reason James Marsters himself has stated: Buffy wasn’t just a loved one; she was his only loved one. The only person he had. That’s why what I said earlier on comes into play: Spike expected to die alone or die with everyone. He never expected to be left alone in a world without Buffy. Never.

“Be brave. Live. For me.”

The episode: “The Gift”

My rating: 4/5

The moment: As Buffy is preparing to sacrifice herself to save the world, she gives her little sister, Dawn, some final words of advice to live on with after she’s gone.

Why I cried: I think it’s safe to say that this scene is one of the most remembered scenes from Buffy. And rightfully so. The reason I found this scene to be tear-inducing isn’t because Buffy is leaving her little sister or even because she’s dying willingly not only to save the world but to save herself from life. The reason this scene is so powerful is because it speaks to everyone. It tells everyone that they can be strong and live in a world so prone to kicking us when we’re down. It tells us that we can all choose to be like Buffy--a warrior. So, when I watch this scene, Buffy is speaking to me. And hearing something like that come from one of my greatest heroes, that’s a dream come true.

Spike sees Buffy alive

The episode: “After Life”

My rating: 3/5

The moment: Spike storms into the Summers home, frantic to see if Dawn made it home safely. After scolding her for running off previously, Dawn draws his attention to a newly resurrected Buffy walking down the stairs.

Why I cried: Two words to describe his expression: shocked and elated. It is so phenomenal the amount of emotion communicated through Spike’s eyes here. As soon as he sees her, you can see so many things pass over his face. Joy, disbelief, the effort not to cry, the urge to touch her, the need to be careful with her. All of that combined makes these few seconds something to talk about. No words, just...them.

“147 days yesterday. Uh, 148 today.”

The episode: “After Life”

My rating: 3/5

The moment: Buffy asks Spike, who is examining her bloody hands, how long she had been gone for. Spike replies, “147 days yesterday. Uh, 148 today. Except today doesn’t count does it?”

Why I cried: Let’s just...he counted the days. He counted the days. Not weeks. Not months. Days. And the way he’s looking at her. His expression screams that he’s so happy to see her...but also that he’s not going to hurt her or push her. Which is the very first time this season that Spike does something for Buffy that no one else can or could. This man was so broken when he saw her lifeless body, and yet he’s able to compose himself enough to make sure Buffy is comfortable and safe. That’s love right there.

Spike blames Willow

The episode: “After Life”

My rating: 1/5

The moment: Spike corners Xander after a pointed comment about Spike returning to his days of stalking Buffy now that she was alive again. Spike expressed anger that no one told him about the plan to revive Buffy. Xander, unable to come up with a reason as to why they didn’t tell him, is baffled when Spike proposes that Willow kept it from him on purpose. Spike suggests that Willow knew Buffy could come back from the grave other than herself and they’d have to send her back. However, since Spike wouldn’t allow that to happen if any part of it was still Buffy, he guesses that Willow kept him in the dark to keep him from interfering in the case that Buffy’s reprieve was brief.

Why I cried: This is a little moment, I understand. But the fact that it’s implied that Spike, of all people, wouldn’t allow the gang to get rid of a rabid Buffy, that’s pretty impactful. In fact, I would’ve guessed that Spike would be the one to opt for putting Buffy back in her grave, that he wouldn’t want Buffy to live and suffer. The shocking revelation that Spike wouldn't do just that is what rocked my emotions enough to include it on this list.

“Every night, I save you.”

The episode: “After Life”

My rating: 4/5

The moment: Buffy visits Spike in his crypt, likely looking for a break from the Scoobies. After an attempt from Spike to make small talk, he sits down and begins telling her what it’s been like since she died. He tells her he blames himself for her death and that ever since that night, in his mind, he never stopped saving her.

Why I cried: Aside from character deaths, I’d put this scene in a top 5 list for Buffy’s saddest moments. He reminds her that he never stopped protecting Dawn, but then he backtracks on that idea, talks about the night she died. The way he blames himself...he erases everything else and only sees that he should’ve died protecting Dawn so Buffy wouldn’t of had to jump. And then he tells her he did save her, like it’s a sure fact, before saying he didn’t save her when it counted but he has every night since. This part is so easy to imagine: Spike laying in bed at night, maybe thinking, maybe dreaming about doing something different. About finding some other way to save Buffy, about pretending the last 147 days didn’t happen. He loses himself in his explanation, finally assuring Buffy, “Every night, I save you.”

Giles and Tara’s duet

The episode: “Once More, With Feeling”

My rating: 2/5

The moment: Willow and Giles share a song, both expressing the need (but not desire) leave the one person they love the most. Giles, singing as a father; Tara singing as a lover. Both grieving the future loss of a relationship they wish they didn’t have to let go.

Why I cried: This little tidbit of a song gets me every time. Individually, Giles and Tara singing about losing Buffy and Willow respectively is heartbreaking on its own--but together...they both have to leave but for separate reasons, they both don’t want to leave for separate reasons, they both recognize the ending of their separate relationships. The power in this song is how a father and a lover can sing about a daughter and partner, say the exact same thing, mean the exact same thing, but for completely different circumstances.

“You have to go on living, so one of us is living.”

The episode: “Once More, With Feeling”

My rating: 2/5

The moment: As Buffy is dancing, about to go up in flame, Spike catches her. He sings to her about life and tells her that, even though it’s hard, she has to keeping living because that’s the only way she’ll heal.

Why I cried: This is another moment where Spike seems to know just what to say. He’s simply telling Buffy to keep fighting, like she’s always done. He’s telling her that she has to live so at least one of them is living. It’s as close to selfless as we’ve seen from Spike thus far or will see from him until his soul. It’s all for Buffy.

Tara realizes the truth

The episode: “Tabula Rasa”

My rating: 1/5

The moment: Xander accidentally steps on the crystal used to facilitate the memory spell, thus breaking it. Tara, realizing Willow had again cast a spell to affect her memory, cries for the loss of their relationship.

Why I cried: It’s a very sudden moment, and that makes it harsher to watch. Willow had previously fallen on top of Tara and was still there when the spell was broken, so Tara shoved her off and stood up immediately. The jolt of the movement punctuated the possible finality of Willow and Tara.

“Goodbye To You”

The episode: “Tabula Rasa”

My rating: 4/5

The moment: As Michelle Branch sings “Goodbye To You,” we see two endings and a beginning. Giles flies out for London and Tara leaves Willow. Simultaneously, Buffy and Spike indulge in each other for the second time.

Why I cried: Let’s start with Giles. So, the saddest part about Giles’ portion of this moment is that he’s alone now. No more Buffy, no more magic shop, he’s totally alone. Dawn feels betrayed by the crumble of Willow and Tara’s relationship. Tara feels guilty about that, but she also feels sorrow for having no other choice but to leave. Willow feels remorse and pain. Meanwhile, Buffy seemingly turns Spike away after he tries to comfort her from the spell being broken, as she was slammed back into her life that she’d described before as “painful”--until she decides she wants him. And Spike gets to indulge in his need for her. Through all of these goodbyes, at least someone got the (albeit brief) happiness that they needed.

Willow’s breakdown

The episode: “Wrecked”

My rating: 3/5

The moment: After meeting with Rack, a black magic dealer, Willow crashes a vehicle with Dawn in the passenger seat. Dawn subsequently is nearly killed by a demon, saved just in time by Spike and Buffy. Spike takes Dawn home as Willow has a breakdown, exclaiming that she can’t stop using magic, that she ruined everything.

Why I cried: When you see a character, especially one you love, completely shatter in front of you, that has an impact. Willow was just so limp and weak in that moment, a moment where she admitted that she was wrong and that she needed help. I can’t imagine how hard it must have been for her to come to that conclusion, how much the guilt of nearly killing Dawn was eating at her. And yet, in this moment of weakness, she asked Buffy for help. And that is the strongest thing she could’ve done.

“I could never be your girl.”

The episode: “Dead Things”

My rating: 2/5

The moment: Johnathan, Warren, and Andrew devise a plan to frame Buffy for the accidental murder of Warren’s ex-girlfriend. After their plan was successful, Buffy planned to turn herself in. Spike, however, wasn’t going to let Buffy throw her life away because of an accident. She began hitting him as Spike egged her on, told her to put it all on him. When she did, he said, “That’s my girl.” To this, Buffy hit him faster and harder, screaming that she could never be his girl because he was a soulless, evil “thing.”

Why I cried: The first part of why this scene is so emotional is because Buffy is trying so hard to deny that she enjoys being with Spike. Combine that with the guilt from “killing” that girl, and Buffy’s portion of this scene is extremely intense. Now, for Spike’s. Seeing Spike get insulted and beat on and emotionally torn up, crushes me. Considering all he’d done in the past, yes, he deserved it. But considering that he was trying, he definitely didn’t deserve it. And even after all that, he still tried to keep her from going into that police station. And Buffy looked horrified when she took in what she’d done to Spike. “You always hurt the one you love, pet.”

Buffy confides in Tara

The episode: “Dead Things”

My rating: 3/5

The moment: Buffy had previously asked Tara to test her and see if she’d come back from the grave wrong. When Tara confirmed that nothing was wrong with her, Buffy broke down, insisting that there must be for her to let Spike touch her. Tara assured her that it was alright and that she understood. Buffy, not wanting to be forgiven, laid her head in Tara’s lap and begged for Tara not to forgive her.

Why I cried: The small thing here is that Buffy and Tara’s relationship is being built up by this, which is the one positive thing. But, it’s just overwhelmingly sad that Buffy feels so horrible for being with Spike and increasingly more sad that she thinks she should be punished for it. Of course, there’s more in her that’s broken aside from her attraction to Spike, but the sheer shame in her eyes is completely heartbreaking.

“You glow.”

The episode: “Hell’s Bells”

My rating: 1/5

The moment: Spike and Buffy attempt to be civil after their break-up. Spike tells Buffy that it’s nice to see her happy, even if it isn’t with him, because he doesn’t get to see it a lot. He tells her she glows, and then she does.

Why I cried: The thing that kept running through my mind during this scene was that if they had simply treated each other like this before, they would’ve been beautiful together.

Xander leaves Anya at the altar

The episode: “Hell’s Bells”

My rating: 4/5

The moment: Xander, afraid of ending up like the man in his falsified vision or even like his parents, leaves Anya at the altar on their wedding day.

Why I cried: Anya was supposed to be the one to leave. Anya was supposed to be the scared partner, afraid of getting hurt. Instead, Xander was the one to leave. Because he was afraid of hurting her. Unfortunately, both Xander and Anya did or got exactly what they didn’t want.

Xander and Buffy catch Anya and Spike

The episode: “Entropy”

My rating: 2/5

The moment: Due to a camera put in the Magic Box by the Trio, Xander and Buffy see Spike and Anya having sex. Xander, determined to kill Spike, is chased down by Buffy who stops him. Xander and Anya argue about Xander’s choice to leave Anya at the altar. Xander says he can’t look at her anymore because she’s been with Spike. It’s at this moment that Spike reveals his previous involvement with Buffy, causing a rift between all four of them.

Why I cried: It’s just one of those scenes that all you can do is sit back and watch as it all crumbles in front of you. You want to agree with Buffy and Xander because they’re the traditional “good guys,” but they are the ones who left Anya and Spike out in the cold. A lot of conflicting emotions for the viewer.

Spike attempts to rape Buffy

The episode: “Seeing Red”

My rating: 3/5

The moment: Spike goes to apologize to Buffy for hurting her because of his encounter with Anya. Buffy tells him that, although she has feelings for him, it isn’t love. This is misconstrued by Spike, leading to an attempted rape that is quickly derailed by Buffy kicking Spike off.

Why I cried: I could go on about this scene. The very first time I watched this, I didn’t cry. I didn’t do anything. I just sat there, completely frozen. I felt helpless, hopeless. I couldn’t stop what was happening, I couldn’t look away. I understood fully and entirely what was going on in this scene, what the point was. I knew that Spike instantly regretted what he did, that he didn’t even register until afterwards what it was that he’d almost done. I knew Buffy knew that too. But all I could think was, “This is it. This is how Spike and Buffy’s story ends.” And it just saddened me so much. It made me so empty to think that this was how the greatest love story I’d ever seen before got it’s end. I just felt like the world drained away and all that was left was hopelessness. I remember I had to shut off my computer afterwards and sit in silence for hours, not moving, not thinking, just hurting. And then the tears came. Because of all that I mentioned above, it all hit me and once and I broke. I couldn’t and, really still can’t, touch that scene. To this day, it just brings back the feeling that nothing matters and hope is lost.

Tara dies

The episode: “Villains”

My rating: 5/5

The moment: After Tara is shot and killed by Warren, Willow weeps over her body.

Why I cried: It’s Tara. It’s Tara and it’s Willow and it’s not fair. It’s not fair that they only got to be happy again for a moment before it was all ripped away. It isn’t fair that Willow has to feel pain like that. It’s just not fair.

Yellow crayon

The episode: “Grave”

My rating: 3/5

The moment: Xander goes to Willow, who is bent on destroying the world. He tells her that if she plans on destroying the world, he’s going with her. He repeats that he loves her, angering her at first, but eventually getting through to her as he tells her one last time.

Why I cried: It’s just a very powerful moment coming from Xander. After all both of them have been through: losing their loves together (whether that be Cordy and Oz or Anya and Tara), growing up together, staying together through all the pain. Of all the relationships on the show, Xander and Willow have got to have the strongest one.

Willow cries in Xander’s arms

The episode: “Grave”

My rating: 4/5

The moment: After talking her down, Xander is finally able to embrace Willow as she comes back to herself.

Why I cried: He did it. Xander saved the world. Xander, the guy who always considers himself useless. He saved the world. And he saved Willow. How amazing is he?

The church scene

The episode: “Beneath You”

My rating: 3/5

The moment: Spike reveals to Buffy that he got his soul back. He first tells her that his soul has been torturing him ever since he got it back, that he doesn’t blame her for not loving him, that he feels terribly for trying to hurt her. He then asks why everything isn’t fixed, confused by the fact that his soul is causing more trouble than it is fixing him. He then rests on a cross, burning himself as Buffy watches in the distance.

Why I cried: The whole scene, Spike is saying seemingly nonsensical things that all add up to him telling Buffy about how miserable he’s been since he got his soul back. Knowing the pain he went through to get his soul in the first place and that he’s in pain still is enough to tear anyone up. But my pain comes when Spike says he wasn’t a good man--or rather, a man at all--before he got his soul. That moment when his voice breaks and he tells Buffy he got his soul for her so that he could be worthy of being. And then he lays himself on the cross, a symbol for the fact that he’s still a monster, still worthy of pain and unworthy of love. And Buffy looks to be a combination of horrified and guilty as she stares on at this man that went through Hell for her and can’t find his way back.

“Stay here, and help me be quiet.”

The episode: “Help”

My rating: 3/5

The moment: Buffy comes down the basement to ask Spike for his help in saving a girl that is meant to die on that day. She asks Spike if there is any evil in the basement, and he identifies himself as the evil because he hurt Buffy. Once Buffy realizes he has nothing useful for her, she begins to walk away. Spike calls after her and asks her to stay with him to help him be quiet. Buffy replies that it’s worse when she’s there and walks away.

Why I cried: Spike just looks so beaten. When Buffy speaks to him, he uses her voice to ground him and keep him in reality. You can see him trying to think, trying to stay there in the moment. Trying to understand what she’s asking of him. And he says that he’s paying (with the pain from his soul) because he hurt Buffy. He doesn’t want to hurt the girl. Finally, as Buffy walks away from him, he pleads with her to stay there, to help him keep the voices out. She denies his plea and leaves him sitting alone.

“It’s still all about you.”

The episode: “Sleeper”

My rating: 2/5

The moment: Buffy accuses Spike of killing the girl he went out with the night before. Spike tells her he couldn’t have, because he got his soul. Furthermore, he’s offended that she thinks he would go to the trouble of getting his soul back just to kill again. He tells her he does go out and talk to women, but only because he can’t talk to her. Spike continues, saying that, unlike the chip, the soul he got on his own, for her. As Buffy’s telling him she knows that, Spike says that he only passes time with other women because at the end of the day, it’s still all about her.

Why I cried: Spike is trying so hard here to make her believe that he’d really, undeniably changed. And he looks so hurt that she really thinks he’d kill someone after all he went through to be better. More than that, he’s so terrified that somehow he did do it. Because he doesn’t want to be the bad man anymore. This whole scene is just pure emotion.

“Do it fast, okay?”

The episode: “Sleeper”

My rating: 3/5

The moment: Spike asks Buffy to kill him in this scene. He mentions that “He” said she would do it, prompting Buffy to ask him what he remembered about the killings. Spike, upon saying that he doesn’t remember anything, begs to forget what he’d done. Buffy tells him that something mystical has been messing with him, to which Spike responds by asking her to help him, and Buffy agrees.

Why I cried: He looks so small. That’s not something we’re used to seeing. This big, bad, 100+ year old vampire is cowering in the corner, begging for death by the hands of the Slayer. And the way his voice breaks when he asks Buffy, “Do it fast, okay?” just breaks my heart. All he wants to do is stop the pain, whether that means ending his life or forgetting it ever happened.

“I believe in you, Spike.”

The episode: “Never Leave Me”

My rating: 4/5

The moment: Spike insists that Buffy kill him before he can hurt anyone else because of the First. Buffy assures him that if he hadn’t really changed, he’d already be dead. She tells him that he fought every evil instinct he had to be the good man standing in front of her. Right before the Bringers break in and kidnap Spike, Buffy looks at him and tells him she believes in him.

Why I cried: During this scene, all I think about is how much they’ve grown, namely Buffy. I think about all the negative feelings she had towards Spike, how she realized that she didn’t need to feel those things anymore. She let go of the hate she had for him and instead put faith where hate had previously resided. Faith for Spike. That’s a damn big change. Just the way Spike looks back at her... He is totally and completely surprised by what she’s said. It’s hard to put that into words, but he’s so taken aback by the fact that she believes in him. In my opinion, it isn’t, “You believe in me?” It’s, “You really believe in me?” That’s what makes it magnificent.

Spike resists the First

The episode: “Bring on the Night”

My rating: 2/5

The moment: The First interrogates and tortures Spike, who refuses to give over to whatever the First has planned. The First challenges him, asks him why he thinks he’ll be any good at all in the world as something other than evil. Spike simply says, “She does. Because she believes in me.”

Why I cried: So, for one, resisting the most powerful force of evil ever is hard enough, especially since Spike, as a vampire, is supposed to be evil by nature. But Spike isn’t resisting because the First hurt him. He isn’t resisting because he wants to be a good man. He's resisting because Buffy believes he can be a good man. And that’s enough.

Buffy saves Spike

The episode: “Showtime”

My rating: 3/5

The moment: Spike, becoming doubtful that Buffy would risk her life to save him, looks up to see her standing in front of him with a knife in her hand. Sure that it’s the First playing with his emotions again, he insists she’s not real. Buffy, without a word, cuts him free of his bonds. They look at each other, relieved, and walk out of the cave, free.

Why I cried: Look at his face. He was so scared that Buffy wouldn’t come for him, even though he’d tried to convince himself that she would. When she does come for him, he just looks so happy. Almost in awe of her and his love for her and his elation at seeing her and knowing she cared for him enough to save him. And Buffy. I think upon seeing Spike that joyful, she got overwhelmed herself. Almost assuring him with her eyes that, “I’m here,” but also feeling that heavy emotion with him. All together, a peaceful and beautiful scene.

“I’m not ready for you to not be here.”

The episode: “First Date”

My rating: 2/5

The moment: Spike suggests that he leave town in the case that the First wasn’t done using him yet. Buffy tells him he’s not going to leave. Misunderstanding, Spike tells her that with Wood around, she won’t need him in the final fight. But Buffy corrects him and tells him that’s not why she needs him to stay. Spike asks her what her reasoning is and she says, “’Cause I’m not ready for you to not be here.”

Why I cried: Let’s talk Spike first. He looks as though he’s discovered for the first time that Buffy feels something more for him. And I think it confuses him. Buffy doesn’t just disregard the idea that she only needs Spike for the fight, she doesn’t even make that a possibility. She could’ve said she needed him for the fight as well, but also because she just needed him. But instead she implies that the only reason he has to stay is because she needs him. That is...wow.

Andrew closes the Hellmouth

The episode: “Storyteller”

My rating: 1/5

The moment: Buffy tells Andrew that, unlike other people’s blood, his will close the Hellmouth rather than open it. Andrew fears that Buffy is going to kill him, and Buffy makes him see how horrible it was that he’d killed Johnathan. She holds him over the Hellmouth as he cries, and as his tears hit the Hellmouth’s opening, it closes.

Why I cried: Andrew’s redemption arc was something that I took very well and appreciated. Knowing the First’s affect on people can shed some light onto why Andrew would’ve killed Johnathan, no matter how bad of a decision it was. So, seeing him repent like this is hard. At the same time, you can see Buffy feels a little bad for causing him pain, even though she was mostly only doing it to close the portal to the Hellmouth. It’s also the first real time we see Andrew gain any acceptance from Buffy. It’s very touching.

Buffy gets kicked out

The episode: “Empty Places”

My rating: 2/5

The moment: The potentials, Buffy’s friends, and fellow Slayer, Faith decide to vote Buffy out of her leadership role. They state that she’s too reckless and controlling and that they’d much rather be under Faith’s command (much to Faith's dismay). Buffy then leaves with one last plea for Faith to protect them.

Why I cried: Here’s the thing, it’s hard to watch because everybody in this scene is right. Buffy is right about the vineyard holding something important to their battle. The group is right that she’s been too brash and bossy about her decision making. Buffy is wrong in assuming that her opinion is the only one that matters, and the group is wrong to throw her out of her house. Just knowing that there’s a better solution to this situation makes it horrible to watch.

Spike gives Buffy strength

The episode: “Touched”

My rating: 4/5

The moment: Spike finds Buffy in an abandoned house, saddened by the realization that she had lost herself in her journey as Slayer. As a part of Buffy confiding in Spike, she mentions that he only wanted her because she was unattainable. This prompts Spike to sit her down and tell her why it is he loves her, giving Buffy back the confidence that she needs to finish the fight.

Why I cried: All this scene is, is Spike totally and utterly being there for Buffy. He’s not doing it for selfish reasons. He’s not doing it as a backdoor way to tell her yet again that he loves her. He’s only saying these things to Buffy for Buffy. He only wants for her to see herself the way he does, the way many do. And, for the first time, he tells her why he loves her, not just that he does. Which is something I don’t think he could articulate before his soul. And Buffy is just so touched by what he’s saying, she’s washed away by this man sitting in front of her. There’s nothing better.

Spike holds Buffy

The episode: “Touched”

My rating: 3/5

The moment: As Spike prepares to sleep either in another room or on a chair in the same room as Buffy, she calls to him and asks him to hold her. The two spend the night together in each other’s arms.

Why I cried: It’s just lovely, isn’t it? To see them be intimate? Especially amidst every other character in this montage making love. Spike and Buffy had their turn to be physical, now they get the chance to just be with each other. Spike goes to Buffy with no hesitation after she asks him to hold her, at first prepared to do whatever made her comfortable. It’s another moment where Spike removes himself from the situation, only there to be there for Buffy. Absolutely lovely.

“Terrified.”

The episode: “End of Days”

My rating: 2/5

The moment: Buffy asks Spike how he felt about the night before, the night they spent together. He tells her he’s terrified. He says that the night before was the best night of his life. Buffy tells him she was there with him just before the two decide to leave the rest of this discussion until after they “go be heroes.”

Why I cried: Goodness, where do I start? Both of them are afraid the previous night didn’t mean as much to the other as it did to them. Buffy finally decides that she wants to lay out her feelings for Spike and know his feelings for her. Spike is terrified that he loves her so much, that he might lose her, that she may not want him. And when Buffy tells him she was completely in that moment with him...oh my God, Spike’s face. He’s just so hopeful. After all the Hell they’ve both been through, they find hope in each other.

Buffy calls Spike a champion

The episode: “Chosen”

My rating: 2/5

The moment: Buffy comes home, after her talk with Angel, with an amulet that is meant to be worn by a champion to save the world. The champion is meant to have a soul but be more than human, so Spike tells Buffy that if Angel wasn’t staying to wear it, then he should instead. Buffy tells him that it’s meant to be worn by a champion, and Spike’s expression falls just before Buffy steps forward and places it in his hand.

Why I cried: Buffy set that up on purpose specifically to show Spike how deeply she felt about him and to make him happy. You can see in her eyes that she’s trying to convey the way she feels, and Spike glows when she implies that he is a champion. This little moment between them is breathtaking.

Buffy and Spike spend their last night together

The episode: “Chosen”

My rating: 3/5

The moment: Spike and Buffy look at each other fondly before spending the night--what they assume to be their last night alive--together.

Why I cried: All together, these silent few moments mean so much. They could’ve spent their last night with anyone, but they decided to spend it with each other. That alone shows how much they mean to one another. A happy moment to preface the end of their story on Buffy.

Anya dies

The episode: “Chosen”

My rating: 4/5

The moment: In her heroic effort to save Andrew’s life, Anya sacrifices her own.

Why I cried: Anya finally got to be brave. She wasn’t running away anymore, she took her stand and became a warrior. It’s a bittersweet goodbye knowing that she and Xander could’ve come together again, but in the end, Anya died a hero.

Spike and Buffy’s goodbye

The episode: “Chosen”

My rating: 4/5

The moment: As Spike’s amulet activates, Buffy rushes over to him. Spike tells her he’s staying behind to finish the job, and Buffy grabs his hand, igniting a flame. Buffy then says a long awaited, “I love you.” Spike responds, “No you don’t, but thanks for saying it.”

Why I cried: Why did I cry? I cried because Buffy loved him as soon as their hand’s clasped. I cried because Spike didn’t believe her. I cried because they’d come so far just to lose each other. I cried because within this tragic moment, this made me happier than anything. I cried because it’s Spike and Buffy.

Spike dies

The episode: “Chosen”

My rating: 5/5

The moment: Spike sacrifices himself to save the world.

Why I cried: I was in denial that he was dead up until the end. I couldn’t believe it. Spike’s journey is the single most amazing thing ever to be shown, not just on Buffy, but anywhere. In his final moments, he gets to be a good man--a champion. Spike isn’t just a secondary character. He isn’t just someone Buffy had a relationship with. Spike became so important to the show and to its viewers that he got to save the world in the biggest, baddest final battle. And he didn’t just save the world, he saved himself. And he saved Buffy. He saved his world, and that was enough to give him peace in this final moment.

“That’s my girl.”

The episode: “Chosen”

My rating: 2/5

The moment: Andrew tells Xander what happened with Anya, that she died saving his life. Xander bears a sad smile as he says, “That’s my girl.”

Why I cried: Xander didn’t get angry or cry or break down. He was just proud. And even with all the pain Xander and Anya caused each other, she never stopped being his girl.

“Spike.”

The episode: “Chosen”

My rating: 3/5

The moment: Buffy reunites with the gang, and Giles asks what caused the massive destruction left behind after the Hellmouth was destroyed. Buffy simply replies, “Spike.”

Why I cried: Spike deserved to be the last word said from Buffy’s mouth. And, much like Xander’s reaction to Anya’s death, Buffy looks to be a combination of sad and proud. So proud that Spike saved them all in the end, even if she had to lose him.

The End

The episode: “Chosen”

My rating: 4/5

The moment: Buffy looks on at the remains (or lack thereof) of Sunnydale, her home, destroyed. But, as the gang asks what they do now that the battle is over, Buffy smiles, excited for this end and for another beginning.

Why I cried: Because this is the end. It’s that feeling of punctuation, of finality. You reflect on all that has happened before this point and all it’s done for you. And then you realize that it’s over. But at the same time, you know that nothing ever really ends.

Okay, I hope you enjoyed this depressingly wonderful post, and I hope I made you cry. Honestly, I do. In all seriousness, it’s everything about this show, not just its sad moments, that made me (and so many others) better than we were. I’ll always look to Buffy because, even in its tragedies, it makes me stronger.

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