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captnjacksparrow · 3 years

Note

if you had to rank your fav naruto characters how would it go? love your blog btw!!

Hmmm... Complicated ask, anon.😂

[My personal life would be splashed here and there. Please bear with me]

Before 5 months, if you asked me about Naruto, my response would be ‘What the fuck is that?’. I absolutely had no idea such a treasure existed. For me, it started out like a blockbuster movie for the sheer variety of fights and the resulting emotions it brought within me.

However, there was a point I stopped and thought, ‘Wait a fucking second. This resembles my family dynamics. This person is speaking the exact same lines I spoke to my parents few years ago. This person’s situation resembles mine. Did this creator a time traveler?’. Naruto is the only piece of media that gave me such feel. Am not even exaggerating, believe me.

I really liked so many characters very much but am going to try my best to list just 10.

The only characters I hate in this series are Danzo, Sakura and Hinata in no particular order. Meaning, I absolutely cannot see any positives in them. They are crassy, cringey and completely detestable.

FAVOURITE NARUTO CHARACTERS

10. Killer Bee

HaHaHa :-) Just seeing this character makes me smile and light-hearted.

It’s a pity that he is the only character who don’t belong to Konoha in my Top 10 rankings who was developed well apart from Gaara.

I loved him from Frame 1 onwards and I sincerely wished Team Taka should be packed up with their ass beaten up mercilessly. And that’s what happened.

Despite being a Jinchurikki, he never bothered to mind his surroundings and filled his heart with love from his over protective Brother alone was nice to watch.

He makes a great Tag Partner with Naruto next to Sasuke. No doubt.

The way Killer Bee treated Team Taka like some annoying flies and his cool and don’t care attitude was top notch. It’s not just with Sasuke, Bee treated Naruto with the same IDGAF attitude at first.

Best Moments:

Lariat punch to Sasuke (TBH, Sasuke deserved it. LOL)

Blasted off every member of Team Taka like a doll

His entire conversation and fight sequence with Kisame (Their banters and exchanges are way too hilarious)

His dynamics with his Elder Brother (God!!!! Whenever Raikage gives him an Iron Claw.... What a hilarious duo!!!!)

9. Hatake Kakashi

Kakashi was my most favourite character when I started the series for simply being ultra-cool with the way he conducted the Bell-Test and taught a valuable lesson for those bratty kids in Team 7 called ‘Team Work’.

Best Moments:

Kakashi vs Obito Hand-to-Hand Combat (the best in the series)

Kakashi in the Gaara retrieval arc (His fight with Itachi & Deidara gave a good start to the shippuden series. His Mangekyou reveal was surprising).

Kakashi & Guy teaming up with Naruto to reveal Obito in a twisty and tragic way. (Kakashi couldn’t handle the truth at all and neither did I)

Kakashi vs Zabuza (That’s when I realized that the series was getting real serious)

8. Jiraiya

Jiraiya was my next favourite to Kakashi during my Part 1 days. His open perversion and his entire dynamics with Naruto was one of the best things during the Chunin Exams arc. Taught Naruto about Chakra Control and about the way of a shinobi by just enduring. Naruto follows this even today.

Best Moments:

Kuchiyose No Jutsu training (Man, I never expected him to push Naruto off the cliff)

Rasengan Training (One of the best arcs in part 1 and it was soo satisfying to see Naruto punching his first Rasengan on Kabuto, He also acted like a quasi parent to Naruto... heartwarming)

Jiraiya Vs Six paths of Pain ( 6 vs 1 was always doomed but still he had the guts of a shinobi and plunged ahead)

7. Uchiha Madara

Geez. What is there to not like him??

Everything he did was absolutely wrong ever since he broke up with Hashirama in a romantic way much similar to how couples break up in my country.

I am an Uchiha. You are a Senju. I wish it had been different.

This roughly translates to how 75% of lovers break up and marry someone else from their own clan in my state. (Duh!!!)

I am from XXX clan, you are from XXX clan. So we can’t love each other and my parents won’t accept this relationship. So let’s break up.

Alright, my first shipping couple in this series is HashiMada for this exact reason. (I started shipping SNS only after episode 478).

Just like Hashirama, Madara had an extensive build up right from episode 1 where Kurama compares Sasuke with Madara. And flashbacks from Itachi and Tobi spiked my curiosity and I wanted to see his face so badly ever since.

But the moment he landed gracefully like a diva in episode 321.... Woaahhhh!!!! He literally danced in the battlefield and ate up 100′s of guys with just a fucking Sharingan.

Best Moments:

Going Shirtless before 1000′s of people with Hashirama’s face, no less (Well, I literally went heart-eyed for 5 minutes. Sorry Sasuke, your ancester was way much sexier than you in the Orochimaru hideout and beats you by a million points).

Screaming Hashirama’s name like a cockatoo for 300 times even till the very end (Sorry Naruto, your obsession towards Sasuke for about 6 arcs is pale in comparison to Madara’s obsession which was established in just 6 or 7 episodes.)

I have 25 clones now. Do you want me to put Susanoo or not? You can’t answer. The answer is yes. (Man, his I don’t give a fuck attitude is just an alien level thing)

Openly admitting Only Hashirama Can Beat Me (Say what you will about Sasuke, Madara has no qualms about accepting his inferiority in terms of power. An absolute Straight Forward diva-queen)

Awakening Sharingan for breaking up with his ‘friend’ rather than for his 3 dead brothers. (Geez, Poor Soul. He is the forefather of a Romantic Uchiha. That romantic blood still flows in Sasuke)

6. Senju Hashirama

Man, I would have placed him somewhere in top 5 if only he was introduced early or had more scenes. I started watching Naruto only because of this very name. There is a local podcaster in my state who goes under the alias of Senju Hashirama and in his podcasts, he hinted about this character and how he was inspired by his ideals. I just googled and saw that this character belonged to Naruto series and I considered watching it. Here I am, making analysis on that very series.

There was this excellent build up for him right when we got introduced to Captain Yamato. He was constantly referred in flashbacks from Itachi and Tobi especially.

But the moment he was reanimated again..... Geez..... It was an hilarious ride all throughout. Out of all the flashbacks we got from this series, Founders Era flashback was my absolute favourite.

From where I come from, we are still under the stupid influence of Clan infrastructure and are not growing up in many aspects like people in western countries do. For me, I hope, one day, someone like Senju Hashirama appears in our state and change our lives for better by uniting all clans as one and treats everyone equally without the shitty favouritism for their own children, friends, parents, siblings.

That’s why this dialogue struck a thunder in my heart

“Be they a friend.... Be they a sibling.... Be it even my own child. I will not forgive anyone who threatens the village.”

Because the clan leaders in our place are absolutely selfish, trash bastards who serves their own needs with no regards for other people from other clans. For a person like me, Hashirama is not just a fictional hero, he is someone who many aspires to become. No wonder that podcaster chose this name as his alias.

He rightfully deserved the title ‘God of Shinobi’. And no one can surpass him, not even Naruto.

Best Moments:

Wood Style vs Eternal Mangekyou sharingan + Kurama powered Madara (He just beats Madara’s ass by a wide margin. This shows he was a whole fucking different level than Naruto + Sasuke combined. In terms of strength, nobody surpassed him YET. Sorry Naruto and Sasuke, you guys are no match even now with your Rinnegan and Kurama lost forever).

His entire banters with Madara (ROFLLLL. Without him, it would have been just another lifeless arc.)

5. Senju Tobirama

Hmmm, let me tell you something about him.

First off, he is not a racist or fascist as many hardcore Sasuke fanatics claims. He is one of the best hokages according to me. He is abso-fucking-lutely practical, rational, logical and holds no grudge. And Sasuke resembles Tobirama with all these characteristics as compared to soft and naive Naruto. If only he had more screen time, he would be easily in my top 3.

Just because he didn’t lick the boots of Uchiha (many people’s favorite clan or may I say the only clan that was given any shit about in this series), it doesn’t make him a racist or fascist.

No, he never persecuted the Uchihas. Danzo, the crass bastard, driven off the Uchihas only after the Kyuubi incident. It was explicitly mentioned in the databook and was clearly explained in the series.

He literally gave the highest position in the village for the entire clan. That is, a military power inside a military village. ‘Shinobi who can cause crimes can only be stopped by shinobi who are even better’. In my state, if a powerful clan decided to persecute another clan, they simply start by cutting off basic amenities like Water and Electricity. Compared to what I’ve seen, Tobirama did nothing but given the Uchihas, the highest position in their village.

Orochimaru only said giving such a power made them conceited (arrogant). Tobirama had a trusted subordinate called Kagami, an Uchiha in his team. He suggested Kabuto to help Sasuke and even teleported him on his request. He even spited Madara for killing Sasuke, an Uchiha. He openly claimed Uchiha clan exceeds Senju in terms of Love. He openly appreciated Itachi and Kagami as someone who sees beyond their clan. In what world, would a racist or fascist do all this for a clan he hates???

Yes, he was cautious of Sasuke at first because he saw him with Orochimaru and even went full-on battle mode because of Sasuke’s carefree threat to destroy the village. But once he decided to go to the battlefield to fight Madara, he simply forgot everything that happened before and started to work with him as a comrade, and even helped him twice. In which world, a racist or fascist behave this way?

Believe me, a person like me who was grown with these clan politics surely can say who is a fascist. He was not. He was just cautious of them because of their ability to attain superpowers with just emotions alone. Let me ask you all this, ‘Would you be okay with people getting crazy powers whenever they are depressed?’. Being cautious is not racism. It really disrespects people who faced real oppression under fascism.

What Madara and Danzo did was a classical example of fascism.

And No, Izuna didn’t die only because of Tobirama. He died because Madara was too arrogant to instigate war with Senju clan. And this was way before forming Konoha. If Tobirama killed Izuna after the alliance between Uchiha and Senju, I would agree that he was a racist. Izuna lost his life just like any other Uchiha and Senju soldiers in that battlefield.

Just because he shitted your beloved ‘Sasuke-Kun’ doesn’t mean he is a racist too. Tobirama saw Sasuke along with that scoundrel Orochimaru who once used this very two hokages to destroy the very village they strived hard to create and protect. What will you do, if you were in his place?? Please don’t lie and say ‘I wouldn’t be judgemental’.

And Imagine you are Tobirama, Sasuke is threatening to commit genocide against the entire village who had no idea about this coup detat instead of going against those old hags. Will you sit quiet as a Hokage??

He was the first person to suggest his brother, Itama, that Revenge against Uchihas are futile. All we need is an agreement to make truce. That gave the idea for Hashirama to pursue his dream. And Tobirama was happy to follow that dream and very supportive.

It’s because of all these reasons I placed him above Senju Hashirama.

Best Moments:

Amazing power display against Sasuke & Co with just an index finger (It was a pleasure to see everyone’s face trembling with mild sweat including Sasuke).

Acted as a decoy to save his young subordinates. (The way he sacrificed his life saying young wills of fire must be protected is just Woow!! I wish his subordinates listened to his words and passed the mantle to the younger ones rather than playing game at such an old age and screwed up many lives. Pfft!!!)

Any time he says ‘Shut Up’ to Hashirama (ROFL)

His absolute ‘I don’t give a fuck’ attitude to Naruto, Sasuke, Hashirama, Minato and Madara (He trolled them all mercilessly and I love it)

4. Senju Tsunade

It hurts me to say that Tsunade is the only female character in my list because every other female characters were written in a much more piss poorly way. Only Konan came close to Tsunade but her role was very short.

Despite her character’s purpose revolved around another male character (Dan) and a blatant objectification of her breasts, I liked everything about her other than those mentioned above.

She is the Second Best Hokage who took Konoha right after the destruction made by Orochimaru, excellently handled the aftermath by making friendly relations with Suna (Sand village), provided her best medical support to Konoha in the Pain Arc and successfully handled the fourth Shinobi world war.

She is such a badass who developed her own original jutsu called Byakugou no Jutsu, which can heal herself.

She is just way too amazing and it’s a pity that we got very less scenes in Shippuden.

Best Moments:

Took 25+ stabs from Madara’s Susanoo like a piece of cake (Man, I simply couldn’t describe that scene. All the other Kages were shocked and even Madara too)

Lifted her advisors like a cabbage sack (Those fucking old hags deserved it. Those shits should’ve died)

Her index finger flick assault on Naruto (Aww, Naruto was definitely bratty in his first meeting and Tsunade didn’t hold back at all)

Played Orochimaru like a basketball (In that same arc, she fought Orochimaru mercilessly like a devil left and right. Someone who claimed to have surpassed Tsunade never even dared to fight Orochimaru’s student and crying for his attention after just receiving one stab from Madara. Just saying)

3. Uzumaki Naruto

Naruto is the titular character and your emotions evolve along with him. He surely deserves a spot in Top 3. The only reason I didn’t place Naruto even more higher is because he didn’t experience something very important which many characters in this list faced. That is, Losing a loved one before his eyes. Every villain in this series became what they are because they lost someone important before their eyes like Nagato, Obito. (Nope, I don’t count Neji as his loved one). I think this tests the mettle of any character and Naruto failed to experience this. The only person he ever lost was Jiraiya and that too from off-screen. That’s why I felt his journey to his dreams seemed little easier compared to the rest of the characters.

His best block of episodes will always be the part 1 Episode 1, 2, 3. Episode 1 is the character defining episode for Naruto and what he learned there will be applied everywhere till the very end of the series. He learned 3 things

Forgiveness, Empathy and Acceptance

Talk-No-Jutsu

Kage Bunshin no Jutsu

From then on, this boy wins many friends to his side, not only from Konoha but from other villages too and even made them to acknowledge his strength only through his sheer hard work.

However, there is this person, whose acknowledgement he wants the most. That person is his most important bond along with Iruka Sensei. He is none other than Sasuke. One day, Sasuke left him alone for some unavoidable reason at the end of part 1 which left a huge scar in him and he vows to bring him back to the place where he belongs. That becomes his ultimate goal rather than becoming an Hokage.

The way he goes to any extent to protect the people he cares about is just simply entertaining to watch.

Every time he makes an heroic entry to save the day was never boring, not once.

Best Moments:

Sobbing from his heart after hearing Iruka Sensei acknowledging him (It just makes me feel heavy for no reason. The anime team did an awesome job to capture his emotions convincingly)

Awakening Kyuubi Mode for the first time after seeing Sasuke die in his arms (Man, out of all the collective hatred he got from the villagers, this moment affected him a lot speaks volumes)

Punching Neji from the underground to win the Chunin exams (God, I honestly believed Naruto lost but he just surprised us heavily from nowhere. And that failure speech was just pure bliss to watch even today)

Pain Vs Naruto (One of the best arc for Naruto. Because unlike other arcs, where Naruto fought with a team, this arc he was all alone fighting a person with Rinnegan. Be it the exuberant landing from the frogs with a dramatic kabuki music, creating multi-step attacks, coming up with novel solution in that difficult situation, finally ending the conflict without killing the enemy, becoming an hero. Superb journey. The only thing I didn’t like in that arc is some shitty selfish proposal. PUKE!!)

Bearing the burdens of his most important person and die along with him (This boy always shouts he will never die until he becomes an Hokage. But for Sasuke, he was ready to die along with him in order to not leave him alone proves how much he loves him. This shows his emotional maturity rather than shouting at Sasuke like he always did before which never reached his ears. This time it did)

Final Good Bye to Minato (Honestly, I was bawling just like Naruto in that scene no matter how many times I watch it. It started out slow but as he speaks more and more, he simply couldn’t hold back and wept a sea of tears 😭😭😭)

2. Uchiha Sasuke

One of the well written characters in this series, with all the flaws and positive stuffs which makes him more of an Anti-Hero. He always subverts my preformed opinions and never ceased to surprise me.

Despite being aloof and cold, his warmer side will always be exposed towards Naruto. This is evident by many things he had done for Naruto which he don’t have to or no reason to. Starting right from roasting Sakura, offering lunch, asking for tips, enquiring about breakfast, protecting him many times and dying for Naruto.

Why I placed him above Naruto is because of his unavoidable decision to tread in a complicated dark path primarily due to the trauma he carried and was stirred up again by collective factors such as Orochimaru’s cursed seal, Itachi’s arrival and Naruto’s growth. Compared to Sasuke, Naruto had an easier path because he never saw anyone die before his eyes and hence he don’t carry any trauma which can divert his path.

Even after watching his entire clan and family members murdered before his eyes at an age 8, he managed to pull himself and never snapped out like many other good characters does. But the moment when he found out that Itachi was good all along, he simply couldn’t tolerate the truth and gave himself to Vengeance. Because, he loved his brother more than he hated him all these years. This shows he loved his brother more than his parents. His resolve to destroy Konoha was perfectly understandable. But is it good? Nope. He can kill Danzo and those old hags but killing other people was never justifiable.

But still, his resolve to have his vengeance was diverted by Naruto and weakened by Itachi, at some point. So, he decided to know the truth and when he heard it, he understood the Hokages also sacrificed many precious things to protect this village just like his Brother Itachi. He understood the mistakes of his clan and decided to protect the village which he swore to destroy. [Many Sasuke fanatics think that he succumbed to the Government and Kishi wrote Sasuke to bootlick them. Their idea was to tackle genocide with another genocide. What a stupid idea!!!!]

And No, I don’t consider him trying to kill Sakura, Karin and Kakashi as his bad moments (though I feel bad for Karin). For the simple reason being, he became a monster by losing himself in the darkness who lost the rationality to differentiate friends from foes. Much similar to how Naruto lost himself to Kyuubi’s hatred against Orochimaru and in Pain Arc. It’s so hypocritical to ignore Naruto and accuse Sasuke here. Plus, Sakura had no business to be there otherwise Sasuke would not have tried to kill her.

But does it mean Sasuke did nothing wrong???

Nope.

He definitely shouldn’t have joined Akatsuki and hunted Killer Bee like an animal. Because, he knew that Tobi was the one who helped Itachi massacre the clan. When fighting Itachi he specifically vowed to kill Madara (Tobi). On top of that, Itachi passed on Amaterasu in his eyes specifically to stay away from Tobi. Why did he ally with him? Plus, Sasuke was one of the few characters who was exposed to the name ‘Akatsuki’ in part 1 itself. He clearly knew that this organization targets Naruto, his closest bond. Why did he join there? This is where the stupid part of Sasuke came out. I was grunting... ‘Oii Where did that clever Sasuke, who faced 1000 soldiers without killing any of them, went??’.

And his plan for Revolution???? I thought it would be reasonable. But his vision was eerily similar to Danzo’s vision. Grrr..... Danzo also wanted to create his ideal village by destroying the current Hokage. He wanted to unite the Five Village and put himself on top of everyone as evident from the Kage Summit arc.

I appreciate him that he finally adopted the Will of Fire, by wanting to protect the village at all costs just like Itachi and Hashirama did. But his methods are not very democratic. Plus, he wanted to do it alone. I was screaming at him... ‘Grrr, Sasuke, did you listen to Itachi at all???. He failed because he did everything alone. Why can’t you understand????’ This is also another instance, Sasuke’s stupidity glanced out.

I am happy Naruto knocked some sense into him by telling him not to do it alone but together.

Many fanatics also ask, ‘What did Sasuke do wrong to atone for his sins at the end?’.

I was like ‘Reallly????’

He joined Akatsuki, an organization which terrorized all the 5 villages and he hunted someone like an international criminal.

He spoiled the Kage Summit and attacked Raikage who lost his arm because of him. I know what happened over there is not Sasuke’s fault. But these are the kages who was loved by many people in their own villages. How can the world forget it and simply let him go?

It’s exactly because of all those lovely stuffs he did in Part 1 and all these mistakes he did in Part 2 but willing to correct his mistakes by sharing the burdens of his other half in the end made him more interesting, complicated and exciting and that’s why I love this character.

I also have a personal bias to love this character sooo much because of the character on top of my list.

Best Moments:

Defending Naruto before Sakura (Awww!!! Such a good boy he was. Eventhough I thought he was a typical arrogant K-Drama hero, he just subverted my opinion in that one scene. I always have a thing for people who stands up for someone even though they don’t have to. This is where I started to like Sasuke)

My body moved on its own. (Is there anything that trumps this scene in terms of emotions and love in this series?. This moment is where I understood the depth of Sasuke’s emotions towards Naruto).

What is a Clan? What is a Village? What is a Shinobi? (I was really hoping for Sasuke to question himself something similar to this. Because he was so self-absorbed in his hatred and failed to look outside him ever since he left the village. It was so gratifying that he did that)

Killing Orochimaru (I always thought Sasuke will kill him only after he tries to take over the body. Never imagined that he will strike the snake first)

Killing Danzo (Man, what an amazing battle!!!. It was so gratifying to see such a crass bastard die many times over and over).

His dramatic confession through his monologue (After the mystery of Who is this Tobi, Sasuke’s obsession towards Naruto remained a mystery for me. Why did he listen to Naruto under the bridge? Why did he protected Naruto in the War? I got the answer only after this confession. It was so heartwarming to see this mellow side of Sasuke)

1. Uchiha Itachi

I could write pages about him. The foremost reason I like Itachi and earns the top spot in my rankings is because he shockingly resembled me in many ways. As I already said, I come from a place where clan politics plays a major role and when I see Sasuke’s flashback in part 1, I was simply dumbstruck by such a detailed similarities.

Elder child of the family - ✅

Have an adorable younger sister who loves me more than my parents - ✅

Same age gap (5 years) with my sister as Itachi and Sasuke - ✅

Parents paying total attention on me while ignoring my sister completely - ✅

Parents constantly comparing my achievements with my sister - ✅

A sister who bear hugged me every time I entered the home after returning from my school - ✅

Despite my mom being a teacher, my sister always prefers me to teach her stuffs as she considers me to be way too better than my mom - ✅

Love my sister more than my parents - ✅

Clan-Obsessed parents - ✅

Used me as a tool for the benefit of the clan - ✅

Sending another person from my clan to spy on me - ✅

Strained relationship with my parents - ✅

Disgusted with my clan - ✅

Most importantly, this dialogue from part 1 episode 129,

Clan? Clan?

Obsessed with the organization, Obsessed with the clan, Obsessed with the name, that’s merely the detestable action that restrict yourself.

I have given up all hope in this worthless clan

Because, people obsess themselves to their clan, a thing so petty, they lose sight of the things that are truly important.

A real change cannot occur under restraints and controls

I confronted my parents with the exact same dialogue (almost 98% similar) in my own native language some years ago.

I didn’t even know the existence of Naruto series at that time. I was simply shell-shocked by all these similarities with this character.

And Yes, The moment I heard these dialogues, I knew Itachi, was a good guy, who had a very strong reason for his actions and I instantly knew Sasuke’s revenge will not bear him any happiness.

It is exactly because of all these striking similarities of myself with Itachi, and my lil’l sister with Sasuke, my family dynamics with the Uchiha family.... I could understand the magnitude of Sasuke’s love towards Itachi.

And precisely because of that, I could understand Sasuke’s love towards Naruto is not fucking ‘brotherly’ one but something that leans towards Attraction.

No wonder, Itachi left Sasuke in Naruto’s care.

Anyways to speak objectively,

Itachi is an extremely self-sacrificial person whose life is full of pain and miseries but never blames it on the world unlike other Uchiha members like Madara, Obito and Sasuke to an extent.

He did things considering the bigger picture which never benefitted himself in anyway and was willing to go to any extent even at the expense of his own family and his brother’s happiness. That is, Uchiha Clan Massacre and Joining Akatsuki. None of this benefitted him in anyways but he did it anyway, for the village of Konoha.

His ideals are shockingly similar to Hashirama, Which Sasuke pointed this out and Hashirama acknowledged that Itachi was a better shinobi than he was. ❤️❤️❤️

Now, does this means I support Uchiha clan massacre?

No way. Even Itachi didn’t.

This massacre happened because of the huge clusterfuck from Hiruzen’s incompetence, Danzo’s paranoid arrogance, Uchiha clan’s devious plan to over throw the government by force rather than approaching it in a peaceful way, say, a peace talk or a protest.

All these people acted on their own self-interest. Itachi and Shisui caught in their whirlpool, bear their burdens and paid for it with their life. Sasuke suffered for it.

But, it’s not the only reason I love this character. It’s because, the moment he decided to massacre everyone, he marked his own death by the hands of his beloved brother. I love people who owns up their mistakes and face the consequences rather than making excuses (even though it’s not entirely his mistake).

Itachi is also the only character in this series who realized his failures on his own without anyone’s interference or Naruto’s Talk-No-Jutsu.

And he apologized for everything he did to Sasuke.

Again, some hardcore Sasuke fanatics criticize/hate him for torturing their poor ‘Sasuke-Kun’ with his Tsukuyomi. I was like ‘Hmmm...What?’.

First off, Itachi apologized to Sasuke for not thinking out from his point of view and also for not telling him the truth earlier.

Second off, Sasuke never even blamed Itachi for anything (even he didn’t hold him for killing their parents). If Sasuke himself, forgiven Itachi... Why are his fans being so rabid?

Third off, for all of his supposed ‘crimes’, he paid for it by dying as a disgraceful Madman rather than a Hero who really saved the village. He is someone who should be celebrated like Naruto but instead died proudly as a Traitor of Konoha.

All in all, One of the wonderfully written character I have ever seen in the media.

Best Moments:

Itachi vs Sasuke (That battle was a pure brilliance and highly emotional especially after knowing the truth. When Sasuke released his Kirin, Itachi showed off his ultimate armour Susanoo like a badass. Seeing Susanoo for the first time gave me chills. No, Sasuke didn’t kill him. Itachi died on his own)

Itachi vs Orochimaru (Man, Itachi may look mellow but when it comes to Orochimaru he is a pure Sass. He screwed that snake up both the times by a wide margin. It seems Uchiha brothers like to fuck up Orochimaru, LOL)

Talk-No-Jutsu’ing Naruto (Geez, Naruto was being completely bratty and was full of saviour complex like he was going to bear everyone’s hatred by himself. I was almost annoyed. Thanks to Itachi, he realised. Probably he is the only character to shut Naruto using his own jutsu)

Izanami’ing Kabuto (Other than Naruto, he is the only character to go out of his way to empathize with a villain and put extreme effort to change him. I think this is why Sasuke loves Naruto, for seeing these similarities??? ).

Goodbye to Sasuke (The first time when he said ‘Forgive me, Sasuke. This is the last’ by poking his forehead and finally closing the distance by butting with Sasuke’s head softly saying ‘I will love you always’.... It always evokes uncontrollable tears in me, no matter how many times I watch it 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭)

HONOURABLE MENTION

Uchiha Obito

God, Am such a sucker for Uchiha guys individually, though collectively as a clan they fucked up big time. I simply couldn’t find the place for him in the top 10. He is a classic example of What Naruto will be like if he becomes a villain?

However, all those horrible stuffs he did just for a girl whom he had a crush on which was never reciprocated seems childish. That’s why I couldn’t put him in Top 10.

And his understandable but weird obsession on Naruto was always enjoyable to watch.

One cute thing I liked about him was, whatever criminal stuffs he may have done, he was never a cheapskate though. He had every chance to take back Kakashi’s Sharingan to activate his own Susanoo. But he never even thought of such an idea. He was a bad guy. But a good friend, no matter what.

Pure Baby!!! But lost his way!!!

Best Moments:

Importance of Team Work (’In the ninja world, Those who break the rules are scum. But those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum’. This very legacy he left to Kakashi came to defeat him later. And Naruto follows this motto even today)

Sacrificing his Sharingan (’I am giving you my Sharingan. No matter what the villagers say, you are a great Jonin. Please take it’. Awww!!! Obito. He left his Sharingan which helped Kakashi to complete a jutsu called ‘Chidori’, which is a go-to jutsu of Sasuke)

Thanks for the ask, anon. I thoroughly enjoyed writing this. ❤️

#ask #itachi #itachi uchiha #sasuke #sasuke uchiha #naruto #naruto uzumaki #hashirama #tobirama #hashirama senju #tobirama senju #madara uchiha #madara #killer bee #kakashi #jiraiya #tsunade #obito #obito uchiha

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norgestan · 3 years

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norandro, eva/nora, amiris 👀❣️

NORANDRO:

i mean, starting off pretty strong with my favorite eskam couple. oh god. THEM. as someone who cannot stomach season 2 and also skipped william's clip and william's clip only when season 4 of skam came to an end... i will ALWAYS love what eskam did for this couple. i think i explain it pretty well on my season 3 review, but to sum up those thoughts: i think this is what noorhelm was truly supposed to be, they're both pretty flawed characters with great arcs who make their get-together super interesting and organic, alejandro is my baby and the most developed william and i'll die on this hill, etc.

especially i think that norandro, for a ship that got way less screentime that all their other counterparts, is by FAR the most developed couple in all of them and up there in eskam too, and although they weren't the focus of most of the show, it's clear as day that the writers really tried to tell a compelling story with these two - and they succeeded. it's shocking to me that eskam actually got to link the "everyone is fighting a battle" motto that has become a meme for how poorly incorporated it is on the skamverse, as alejandro effectively behaved around that motto: during season 3 and onwards, which is where i believe he's fully reformed as a character and love interest, he never hurts nora - nor anyone - in any way. he struggles to tell nora how he doesn't want a relationship because he doesn't want to hurt her, and in the miscommunication fest that their first clip of s3 is, i've always LOVED that nora calls alejandro a "fuckboy" still, and he's clearly annoyed by this, but doesn't bite back. he's always so mindful of her feelings even though he's struggling himself, BECAUSE he understands that his suffering is not the center of the world! because treating people with kindness is a strength in itself! and it continues like that for the rest of the season. like, at his most petty, he just sends a text to nora calling her a "fuckboy", which is honestly hilarious. he deals with a lot of jealousy because of nora's new relationship, yet he values her friendship so much that he never snaps at her, he never lets it show when he's talking to her, and he's never passive-aggressive about it - you can tell that he's so genuinely glad that they're still friends after all. god, the clip where he realizes that miquel is a shit boyfriend while he's talking to nora... imagine the things any other william would've said there. imagine the ways alejandro could've been petty or overprotective and fuck everything up. instead, he recognizes nora needs space and even though it hurts to be away from her, he does it because he understands it's what she needs - and his own feelings and entitlement (that he previously showed, too!) aren't the most important thing. it's beautiful. UGH. what a great character eskam crafted, there.

i like them well enough in s4, too. i think, for what they had to work with, they took them in a good direction and their happy ending feels deserved. it's just that... personally, i wish there was more introspection of nora's aftermath in s3, which is also one of my complaints with season 3 - and where characters like emma could've been SO good. although i understand the intentions, a lot of nora's internal turmoil regarding her abusive relationship with miquel are only tied to her desire to be with alejandro. it's frustrating that it became so boy-focused when the girl squad was the center of the emotional climax of nora's season. to me, the solution is still in giving the pov's to the girl squad and not... random characters lol, but oh well. i think eskam did good there and i still love this couple the most!!! i just wish there was an universe where their story doesn't have to be wrapped up in one season and we can get actual glimpses of a beautiful slow burn where they can finally get together and make their relationship work - and this is where the fanfic part comes in, i guess! as someone who loves the couple, i liked seeing them lovey-dovey in the background of s4, but also i wouldn't have been too mad if they held off from making them completely canon and only hinted their status as endgame, kinda how they did with eva and jorge. oh, and speaking of eva, i guess...

NOREVA:

i guess, the main thing with them is that i love norandro so much that i can't really see nora with any other love interest??????? now, platonically. UGH. 12/10. anyone who's seen season 3 should know and i shouldn't even have to explain it tbh. i love the focus that is put on their friendship and how emotionally charged it is when it comes to miquel and the aftermath of all that. like, a similar thing is done with norandro - because at that point, nora and alejandro were exclusively friends, but it becomes even more relevant when it's about eva. eva who, you know, was in a toxic relationship herself. i love that she herself brings up her relationship with jorge when she's talking about miquel, and how wary she is of everything that happening. the fact that she's the first one to sense it feels so right!!! i love that eskam really made them close and gave them the window scene, which is both so powerful on its message and a true love letter to female friendships.

i think eva is a really underrated eskam character as it is, like... people really don't understand how great of a character she is and how much she's grown. they are quick to call her a boring, ooc party girl once s2 rolls around, like eskam didn't spend TIME making eva herself declare that hooking up with cristian (and cristian ONLY!) was something she did out of fun and she was decided to stop as soon as it stopped being fun for her. moreover, eva is such a perceptive person: she's been that way since s1 and it has only carried across for the entirety of the show since then. and when pairing two really good characters together, like eva and nora, you really can't go wrong. their friendship brings great things out of both of them and it goes through its own arc during nora's season, whereas other seasons either dump eva as noora's bff midway through or just make them really close to introduce character drama but don't really do anything to their dynamic as it is.

romantically... sigh. i'm sorry LOL as much as i love girls kissing and wlw romance done right... i don't see potential for this relationship outside their platonic dynamic. which is, btw, incredibly strong and beautiful. i'm super contented with how eskam handled their friendship and therefore i wouldn't want anything else from them, and it's not like nooreva where the chemistry was THERE. however! i'm always open to see people's interpretations of what romantic noreva could be. wasn't it you who wrote that beautiful fic of nora realizing she's bi and falling for eva after season 3? because now THAT'S the shit i'm looking for. i think there's a lot of potential there which i'd like to see explored in fic, but other than that, i love their relationship how it is and i've never felt a desire to see them as each other romantic interests.

AMIRIS:

first things first: why did eskam NEVER confirm cris having an embarrassing, sweet, confusing childhood crush on amira? i mean, it's my headcanon that she'll later realize it and she'll jolt awake and think "holy FUCK" but like... it's a thing that isaks are into their jonases. why didn't it happen here :(((((

being honest, childhood friends to lovers has never been my thing? a simple friends to lovers doesn't do it for me: i like my relationships rocky, with lots of character moments and whose survival and success depend only on the people involved making efforts to change and do better. if you've seen s4... yeah, that's not really the case. it's just disappointing because damn, amiris is the realest thing indeed, but also... what case are the writers doing for them? because it was only irene and hajar doing the intense gazing and bringing all the chemistry home. s4 cris is a mess and a half, and while i like the idea of the bench scene featuring both of them, and being more about cris reminding amira the reasons she's made it this far instead of lecturing her about sucking it up better... the result is still lackluster. there are SO many issues on their friendship that were introduced and then dropped, and it's really nice that cris finally is there to comfort amira when shit goes down, it truly is! but what else is there? it's just a small part of s4 being a bunch of missed potential. they could've REALLY done something great with their relationship and bring back and close cris' development in the show, but we only got... well, nothing. back to 0. amira has to live with those problems, now. things like that really make it seem like once amira broadens her horizons, she won't really go back to her friendship with the girls, and cris will be a lingering wound of the past. oh well.

ehem. romantically!!!!!!! as i said, cris was totally crushing on amira at some point. like... canon really makes a point at making cris' brother amira's love interest, where dani has nothing to offer to amira than cris hasn't done yet. iftar on a rooftop? ha, loser, cris did it first. admiring her passion and her faith? cris does it arguably way better than dani. longtime pining? dude. go home. okay, i'll cut dani soto some slack since it's not about him lol. point is, if amira was charmed by all of those things, then what tells me that the option of her and cris being a thing is off the table? at the end of the day, they're indeed a relationship that needs a lot of work and patience to last. the 500k slow burn is writing itself, really.

(regardless of amiris' future, i still think irene and hajar have to do a cute romcom romance at some point. their chemistry is off the charts.)

#skam españa #putting a read more thingy because as usual i've gone in too deep #also yes. i did mark 'i want to kiss them' in every ship. and what about it #thank you so much for your ask adelaide!!!!!!!! <3 #answered

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callonpeevesie · 4 years

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Things that bother me about Percabeth

Warning: this is going to be long and I'm not even sure if this will make sense. Also don't read this if you aren't open to criticizms of Percabeth.

Percabeth is a good ship, or at least has potential as one, but it has many legit flaws (this and this go into the flaws. By the way, go check out @takaraphoenix's Riordan crit) and I have some personal grievances. I'll write this out to understand my stance better because I need to get this off my chest.

I believe most people wouldn't agree with me on all this, but this post is entirely self-indulgent and I'm doing this for catharsis, so don't come at me. This isn't an objective analysis, just me trying to clear my thoughts. But feel free to share your opinions if you want.

Evolution in PJO

This is a pretty general point. I love the evolution of their dynamic in pjo. Their bickering, them opening up to each other and becoming so important to each other, the slow and steady buildup, it's great. Heck, I love slow burn. They have some good moments in pjo: Annabeth opening up to Percy on the zoo express, the scene with the sirens, Percy doing everything he did to save Annabeth in ttc, their conversation after Annabeth took the knife for Percy in tlo. (The underwater kiss is not one of my favourite moments, I'll come to that later.)

The romantic evolution, though, I'm not sure. I enjoyed it in ttc, there were small subtle hints like Aphrodite's scarf, or Aphrodite looking like Annabeth to Percy. But it became kind of tiring in botl onwards. Annabeth was extremely possessive and awful to Rachel. And in tlo things became a bit over-the-top.

I think Rick tried to establish them as the Most Important Person to each other. I don't like that. This is more apparent in HoO. I'll come to hoo later, but there is one instance of this in tlo: Percy seeing Annabeth in the Styx. Like one of the posts I've linked above says, it's shippy nonsense. It comes from the idea that one's romantic partner must be the most important. It doesn't make sense. I think Percy should have seen his mother in the Styx. It would make sense for Sally to be Percy's anchor, considering how much she means to him.

In short, their enemies-to-friends evolution was great, their friends-to-lovers evolution started out fine but became too much for me, and their friends-to-Most-Important-Person-to-each-other evolution was unnecessary and forced.

Luke

Luke and Annabeth's romantic subplot didn't need to exist. This isn't exactly Percabeth, but I'll say it here anyway. First of all, there's a seven year age gap, so Luke returning Annabeth's feelings is creepy. And it seems pretty unnecessary to me. It's also a bit of a mess. In tlt Annabeth blushes when Luke is around, and Luke says 'She's like my little sister.' In tlo Luke asks Annabeth if she loved him, and she says 'You were like a brother to me.' This part feels like Rick trying to add last-moment tension to Percabeth by making Luke a potential 'rival' to Percy. In the Staff of Hermes Percy says Annabeth had a crush on Luke, and as she got older, Luke had a crush on her too. Just ... Why?

They and Thalia were each other's first friends. Annabeth looked up to Luke and Luke was fond of Annabeth. That is enough reason for Annabeth to be hurt and for Luke to care about Annabeth. That is enough to set up their post-betrayal dynamic. The romance thing was completely unnecessary.

Rachel

I absolutely hate the way Annabeth treated Rachel. If there is one thing I despise about romantic subplots, it's justifying bitchiness with romantic jealousy. I guess it's okay to feel a little jealous or even possessive, and I can kind of see where Annabeth was coming from, but treating someone like shit because of that, especially in the middle of dangerous quests, is not okay. It's petty and immature. (It could be argued that Annabeth was mad because Rachel got to lead her quest, but let's be honest, she wouldn't have been that mad if it were anyone else. She specifically treated Rachel like that out of jealousy.) It was never called out and Annabeth never seemed to regret it. This bothers me so much. Fanfiction is a good coping mechanism, I suppose, but I'm here to complain about canon, not cope with it.

Speaking of Rachel, Perachel could have been a good ship. A demigod looking for a normal life and a mortal with clear sight. This elaborates on that pretty well. At the end of tlo it really felt like Rick had to get Rachel out of the way to make way for Percabeth.

Annabeth seems to be too demanding

Annabeth's attitude towards Percy bothers me sometimes. She's a good character and has a strong dynamic with Percy, but she's a bit tiring with regards to Percy (in a romantic sense; she's fine as his friend). I mean look at this quote from tlo:

I can't pretend I hadn't thought about Rachel. She was so much easier to be around than ... Well, than some other girls I knew. I didn't have to work hard, or watch what I said, or wrack my brain trying to figure out what she was thinking.

Percy feeling that way about Annabeth - his best friend of four years - just doesn't sit well with me. Percy straight up admits he's more comfortable with Rachel than with Annabeth.

There's more: Annabeth punching Percy when he asked who he should dance with in ttc, the way she treated Rachel, the way she behaved towards Percy regarding Rachel in botl, judo flipping him in moa. It's pretty tiring in general. Now that I think of it, this wasn't a thing before the romance showed up. Their dynamic was better in the earlier books in general.

Also personally I'm not a fan of Annabeth constantly calling Percy Seaweed Brain. This and this nicely sum up how I feel about that. Annabeth making fun of Percy's intelligence even after getting to know him makes no sense, especially as he was insecure about his intelligence. (And yes, I know she thought he was intelligent, as she said in the Demigod Files, but that doesn't cancel out the million times she called him stupid to his face.)

They became too couple coded

I've seen people say that Percabeth is better as friends than as lovers, and honestly I agree, and I've done some thinking to figure out why. I think it's because of the way they were written after they became a couple. They could have been fine as a couple, if they were written differently.

They started out not being able to stand each other, then gradually, they went through a lot together, got to know each other, learned to work together, and became a team. That was a great evolution, like I said before.

And like I also said before, everything I dislike about Percabeth showed up with the romance. Annabeth became catty and possessive. They became a couple. And it was as if the friendship wasn't there anymore, just the romance. They became like a cliche unreasonable girlfriend and clueless boyfriend. This is especially obvious in the beginning of Percy Jackson and the Staff of Hermes. Where's the friendship? Where's the comfortable bantering? Where's the known-each-other-for-years soundness? Hoo Percabeth just doesn't live up to pjo Percabeth at all.

(Also this is a personal bias of mine, but I'm partially romance repulsed. I can't stand cheesy romantic coded stuff. I only like lovers if they're also friends. So I guess I'm kind of pissed about Percabeth becoming so couple coded after becoming a couple.)

Their HoO dynamic

This is a related point. Like I said, hoo Percabeth doesn't live up to pjo Percabeth. All they care about is each other. They literally don't think about anyone else at all. Percy loses his memory and he remembers Annabeth. Why? Does Hera ship Percabeth? If he remembered anyone, it should have been his mom, like in the Styx. The only reason Percy remembered Annabeth, i.e Annabeth was made out to be more important to Percy than everyone else (including Grover and Tyson and Sally 'best person in the world' Jackson) is that she was his romantic partner. Again, it's shippy nonsense.

And there's this reveal that Annabeth had a crush on Percy all along. Are you kidding me? It completely retcons the enemies-to-friends development. Are you telling me that the Percabeth evolution in pjo where they learned not to hate each other was a lie? That Annabeth gradually opening up to Percy and coming to appreciate him was her acting out of a crush? I'm not believing that, no way.

I'm probably not making any sense, but my point is that Percabeth in hoo in cheesy and can't go one day without each other and people love it but I don't. It kind of messes up their previous dynamic, which is a shame because I liked pre-hoo Percabeth.

Rick seems to go overboard sometimes

I'm about to get a little controversial here. Many of the Percabeth posts in those tumblr screenshots going around social media are about the campers shipping Percabeth, or Arachne making Percabeth fanart, things like that. My theory is that part of the reason Percabeth is so popular is that the characters ship it. And Rick kind of goes overboard with that - not just with the in-universe shipping, with the ship itself.

Prime examples of going overboard are Percy seeing Annabeth in the Styx and remembering Annabeth when Hera took his memory, which imply that Annabeth was objectively the Most Important Person to Percy. I've already ranted about these above so moving on to the part about the in-universe shipping. Like I said, I'm not a fan of the underwater kiss. It's because of the situation involved. The campers just won a war and lost their friends and siblings, Clarisse just lost Silena, you'd think they'd have other things to care about than Percy and Annabeth kissing, at least for one day. And why did Arachne make fanart of that? How did she even know? There was also the matter of moving to New Rome - them wanting to move halfway across country to live together, away from New York, doesn't really make sense to me. This post elaborates on that and suggests better alternatives.

Of course, the author has complete control over the narrative, and the author wants you to believe they are making sense. And when the characters believe that too, it becomes harder for readers not to. When all the campers ship Percabeth, it's enough to convince half the readers to ship it too. (And of course, the pjo fandom has an unhealthy thing with canon ships.)

It's pretty much kept up by the fans

While we're at it, let's talk about the out-of-universe shipping. The fandom has always shipped Percabeth, partly just because they are the male lead and female lead of a series. Percabeth was set up to happen, so when Rick introduced Rachel, who actually made Percy feel good about himself and let him be himself around her, and whom Percy was interested in, he had to get her out of the way. I'm not sure I can explain it, but the Percabeth ending in the first series feels very fan service-y to me.

Platonic Percabeth vs romantic Percabeth

I think everything I've said above just explains why Percabeth worked better as friends. The had a great friendship arc and became two friends who know each other inside out, butt heads a lot but love and respect each other deeply. And then when the romance happened, Annabeth began to show these romanticized but actually toxic girlfriend stereotypes - being jealous and possessive, expecting Percy to read her mind and getting pissed when he can't, etc.

The fandom thinks those traits are okay, because they are normalised in society. People think that's how couples should work (it's not). And so the reasons I don't like Percabeth are the same reasons many people do. The date in the beginning of Staff of Hermes makes me cringe, because they were friends first and friends don't work like that. But no doubt there are many people who find it cute because society loves to romanticise the unreasonable girlfriend and clueless boyfriend trope. There are plenty of people who romanticise Annabeth judo flipping Percy or treating Rachel like shit, because things like that are normalised but I personally can't stomach them at all.

Anyway, those toxic traits come with the Percabeth romance as a package deal and there's no getting rid of them. That's why Percy and Annabeth worked better as friends, and why I feel things would be better if they just stayed friends. There was none of that tiring crap pre-romance. I can't stress this enough, I really loved their friendship in tlt or som. But when their dynamic evolved to romance, it messed up their friendship. There was a specific moment in botl when Percabeth began to feel off for me.

'She will calm down,' Chiron promised. 'She's jealous, my boy.'

'That's stupid. She's not... it's not like...'

Chiron chuckled. 'It hardly matters. Annabeth is very territorial about her friends, in case you haven't noticed. ...'

I don't know why this moment specifically, but this kind of marked a change for me. This is where Percabeth became seriously romantic, and I didn't like the related developments. This was the beginning of Annabeth's jealousy.

So what would I prefer?

I'll be honest, I shipped Percabeth for a while, probably because I love some friends-to-lovers. So I was going to make a list of things I'd change about Percabeth. I wanted to make some self-indulgent UAs (universe alterations) to fix the things I don't like. But then I started writing this thing and read up on other posts and stuff and I realised the list of things that bother me is huge and I could never make Percabeth work for me without messing everything up. So I just gave up shipping it entirely.

What I would prefer is an AU where Percabeth stays platonic forever (@elf-loving-dragon has been encouraging that idea as well). They were great as friends and I want that back. It would be so refreshing to have the male lead and female lead not end up together. Annabeth could end up alone, and still get her something permanent with her friends and camp. It would be so beautiful if something completely romance-free was specifically stated as permanent, because friendships in media deserve as much love as romance.

As for Percy, he could end up either alone or with Rachel. I don't ship him with anyone else rn. While I have made it obvious that I like Perachel, I still don't know if I actually ship it, and the idea of Percy ending up alone is not too bad either. (Update: I stan platonic Percabeth and qpp Perachel now.)

I promise I'm done now. Whew. If you've made it to the end of this long repetitive introspection, congratulations. If you agree, feel free to tell me, and if you want to argue, go ahead, I wouldn't mind listening to others' opinions. If you read this and hate me because of this just keep that to yourself. I have no patience for people who attack those who don't agree with their ship. K thanks, bye.

#pjo #heroes of olympus #hoo #tagging as #anti percabeth #so shippers can avoid this #percy jackson #platonic Percabeth ftw #rr critical #perachel #sally jackson #rachel elizabeth dare #peevesie writes #original content #annabeth bashing

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queen-ofsunflowers · 4 years

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About Klavier and the State v. Gramarye

I apologize in advance, as this was mostly just me ADHD spouting out whatever was going through my mind. Cool? Cool. I apologize if nothing is coherent.

I'm writing out Klavier in a fic of mine (that probably won't get seen for a long time), but I can't stop thinking about all the shit that he probably went through after the State v. Gramarye. We know about all the shit that happened to Phoenix because of Apollo, and we get it from his perspective. But we see nothing about Klavier. He was just as much Kristoph's pawn as everyone else.

It's mostly context about what Klavier goes through during the seven year gap.

He was just a kid when it happened, but nobody sees him like that. They see him as the man who brought down Phoenix Wright, who a good deal of people knew had a strong moral compass. He's a good person who believes in nothing but the truth and will concede to losing a case if it doesn't work in his favor if what happened with Engarde says anything. Or even with Lana. He didn't get her off for any of her crimes, bringing them all to light, but he did prove that she didn't murder anyone. He believes in the truth, and people who know him know that.

So when it comes to Klavier -- a rookie prosecutor who probably has no idea who Phoenix is for the most part, only heard about what he's done... He doesn't know Phoenix. He (thinks) he knows Kristoph. He's going to trust his brother when he tells him something. He goes with what he's told, believes what Kristoph tells him because he's just a kid. He's seventeen. He'll believe his brother more than some man he doesn't know.

So he believes that this is something that Phoenix will do and probably has done before. He doesn't realize what's going on until it's too late.

When people start to turn against him.

This is probably the primary reason that Ema treats him the way she does. She's seen Phoenix for who he is during Lana's trial. He's someone who will pursue the truth to the very bitter end, no matter how painful it was. There was a point where he just about implicated Ema for murder, even if he managed to not do that.

She trusts Phoenix is the point. She knows him fairly well, and hearing about what Klavier did and hearing about how he thought he was right for it... Let's say that she probably wasn't the only one who treated him like that.

There were probably members of the police force and the prosecutor's office that treated him like he was the villain for doing what he did to Phoenix.

And he was a kid when it happened. He was a kid! He was seventeen! It wasn't even his fault! But nobody knows that but Kristoph at this point. Everyone is probably berating him, not bothering their anger and hatred at all.

And again, as a kid, Klavier doesn't know how to handle this.

So he runs away. He runs away from his law career and focuses on his music instead, where people do favor him. They're just fans but at least they like him. He wants to be liked and treated decently so much, that he's willing to go to people who don't know him that well at all.

My case in point to prove this is something that's said during Turnabout Corner during the beginning of the first trial day:

Judge: Prosecutor Gavin. Were you taking a leave of absence?

Klavier: You know that little band I started in my free time? Thing is, we got real popular. Hard to say "nein" to your fans when three of your singles go platinum, ja?

Judge: ...I see. To be honest, I was a little concerned. I feared that you might still be distraught over that one trial.

It's hinted right off the bat that Klavier hasn't been in court for a while and has been focusing on his music career instead. When the State v. Gramarye is brought up -- even for a second, Klavier brushes it off and turns the attention somewhere else.

He's hurt by what happened, which could explain his reaction to what happens during Turnabout Successions.

Klavier starts to panic when State v. Gramarye starts to come up, borderline breaking down when the truth starts to come out. I wouldn't be surprised if he did break down later that day.

When everything that Kristoph did got revealed, Klavier is in tears. He's standing up against his brother and holding himself together as much as he possibly can, but his sprite shows that he's crying.

He's hurt by the fact that all that he's gone through was because of his brother. The one person that he trusted so much... just saw him as a pawn, too.

So, to summerize:

Following Phoenix's trial, Klavier received so much hate and backlash from the people he was to work with and trust that he ran away to work on his music instead. He ends up with trust issues from relying so heavily on his fans and probably turning away from the people who still care about him because of what happened. Those issues only get worse over the course of AA4 because of Kristoph. Also Daryan, but also Kristoph.

I wouldn't be surprised if Klavier's more careful about who he trusts that point onward.

Like Apollo. But that's another case for another time.

#ace attorney #klavier gavin #meta post #i was ranting and wanted to share it #i have a lot of feelings about Klavier #i apologize if none of this is coherent #kristoph gavin #phoenix wright #apollo justice #ema skye #queen speaks #queen rants #maybe??

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kingofkate · 3 years

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Welp. Here I go Ranting again.

This is a rant about an old Manga series called Akuma No Hanayome (Bride of Deimos/Devil). I was super into this a few years ago, looked back on it, picked it up again, ordered the new books, finished what I know to be available. Let it sit for like a year. NOW I have some freaking thoughts about this.

Let me warn you. This is not going to be pretty.

Let’s get into it.

I HATE this series. SO. MUCH.

Don’t know what it is? Let me sum it up for you.

Basically it is roughly 17 volumes and a few more recently published of one guy (a shit head) trying to figure out if he wants to fuck his sister, or a girl who looks just like her but is actually a good person. Still reading? Why?

Anyway, it all starts in ancient Greece or something where Venus and her twin brother are all Gody or whatever. Except get this, they really wanna bone. So they just straight up kiss one day and Jupiter or something is like NO INCEST IN MY HOUSE KIDS!!!! And curses them.

Venus get’s sent to Hades to slowly rot away (a real blow because her beauty is everything) and her brother get’s turned in Deimos, the king of Hades who is ugly because he has horns, wings, and weird ass feet. Not going to talk about how this guy was the closest thing I (an asexual) had to a sexual awakening. He gave me a heart boner. Imma just say it.

Anyway, Venus is all like “ow this sucks. But like... I still wanna bone, you know? So get down there (or up there I guess) and find my reincarnation... or whatever it is, kill her, then I can take over her body and we can totes get it on.”

Deimos thinks this sounds completely reasonable. So he... uh... dicks around for a loooooong time (even though it is shown in issues that she has been reborn like a bunch of times and he’s even met her before!) until we get to where the manga picks up.

We meet Minako. Basically a child (I think she’s in middle school??? Whatever, max age is highschool age). Deimos appears in her dream all cool and normal looking to try to seduce her, which goes south INSTANTLY when she gets a good look at him and he just goes straight into demon mode.

The first few volumes have somewhat of a stable storyline. Somewhat. The basic story is that Minako knows that Deimos wants to marry her and also wants to kill her, that he is a demon, and that he keeps literally murdering all of her friends (or people she meets and likes). Why did he think murder was the best way to win a girls heart? uh...

Yeah, he never really thought this through.

At some point Venus finds a way to turn into a butterfly for some reason and spends the rest of the volumes swapping back and forth between trying to kill Minako and trying to kill Deimos because she rightly assumes he has feelings for Minako.

Deimos on the other hand spends literally 17 full volumes trying to figure out who he loves more. And anyone reading can clearly tell that he likes Minako more even though that’s not how love works at all. Basically, Venus has turned into a vengeful bitch and Minako is still a actually nice person despite how many people in her life have died. It all comes down to one tiny thing: guilt.

Over and over Deimos goes over (usually justifying it to SOMEONE) that he loves Minako (they aren’t dating and any time he spends with her she it telling him to get lost and begging him to not kill her friends) BUT it was his love for his sister that put her in Hades where she is suffering so he feels he owes it to her to kill Minako and give her another chance at life.

Does that sound needlessly complicated? Don’t worry. You have plenty of time to get used to it because this is repeated over in every single issue from Volume 2 onward.

I’m not kidding about that. Every issue starts with Minako doing something different, not referring to the events of the last issue, Deimos shows up, torments Minako about how unfair the world is, kills her friend, then gets all mad she doesn’t want to marry/die with him. Sometimes Venus is in the story. Sometimes it focuses on Deimos where he laments about his sister problems. But for 16 volumes there. is. no. story.

It’s so vague that when reading it online depending where you read it the stories are all mixed up so it’s hard to read it all in one place.

Even when it seems like things are FINALLY going to happen, it doesn’t change. One issue has Deimos finally decides, fuck it, this has gone on long enough, I’m just going to kill Minako and get this over with. Only for a vampire lady to try to kill Manko first, leading to Deimos saving her and deciding not to kill her because the sword he was making to do got burned up in the fight.

In another one Minako gets possessed by the ghost of a dead sister who wants to marry her brother (oh boy) so she wants to transfer her soul into her brother’s wife’s body (OH BOY) and Deimos is like do it, let’s see how this works out. And it seems like he finally has his answer until the brother is like “I love my wife for her soul, not her body” and Deimos is like “YOU CAN DO THAT?!” and the issue concludes with him saying he wants Minako’s soul and body. So no Venus right? WHO FUCKING KNOWS!

The series was dropped for like 20 years or something with no hint of a conclusion until the author picked it up again and a few more volumes were released. I went out of my way to order these from Japan (I do not speak Japanese) so I could see the conclusion but guess what? It was just 4 more volumes of the SAME. DAMN. THING!!!!

Like dammit man/woman just pick one! I don’t even care which one! I’d be satisfied if every single one of them died at this point. I don’t care! JUST END!

I don’t need 3 more stories about Minako actually finding someone who is kind and respects her only for Deimos to make a big deal about “this must be what jealousy is!” until he just pulls some demon crap and kill them in some horrible way. (ex. cured one of cancer so he could be hanged by the state for a murder Deimos tricked him into committing, caused one guy to commit suicide after making him accidentally kill his sister, and I’m sure there is more but I don’t feel like reading the 49 translated issues again to find it)

There is also the point that Minako keeps falling in love with guys who are the complete opposite of him. They are nice, treat her well, respect her, normally blonde I think?, and oh, did I mention they don’t kill everyone around her on a daily basis? No? Well the didn’t. You know.. before they died...

This is just a crazy unending story about a guy unsure just how much he still wants to fuck his sister and a poor innocent girl getting dragged into it. I hate it. I hate how hot Deimos is. I hate how cute and sweet Minako is. And I hate Venus in general. There are no other characters that manage to last more than an issue. (except maybe death but he only shows up a few times and no one likes him)

What is the conclusion to take from this? I was an emotionally horny tween/teen and overlooked incest for a hot guy. Now I’m older and realize that the incest should have been a huge red flag for an already shitty story that wasn’t a story because the author had no idea where they wanted to take it. They just wanted a hot guy doing bad things to a pretty girl for weird sexy reasons.

Rant over.

Hopefully I won’t think back on any OTHER Manga and end up ranting again. None of you deserve this.

#manga #rant #anime #devil #bride #deimos #akuma no hanayome

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jackoshadows · 4 years

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I know you're pretty into Jonerys as a pairing, and you mentioned that the show's special treatment of Sansa, at Jon's character's expense, bothered you. Did you feel this way towards Daenerys/Jon during season 7 and early season 8? As a Jon stan as well, I felt like they just casted him aside/made him her sidekick. I've always loved Dany but that bothered me at that time, did it bother you? Why or why not?

This is a bit long so under the cut it goes ....

First, I think I have made it clear what I think of the trash writing for show Jon. It’s been terrible from season 6 onwards where D&D basically gave him nothing. His parentage amounted to just making Dany paranoid, his white walker storyline ended with him yelling at a dragon while Arya got the big kill and his King In the North arc was more about how he should listen to Sansa because she’s Always Right. All Jon got was jokes about his height and how he was stupid and did not want anything.

If Jon stayed dead at the end of season 5, we could have still got to the same ending because ultimately he contributed nothing. I wish Jon had stayed dead on the show – it would have been a far more satisfying ending to his story arc then being used as a prop to advance the storylines of other characters.

Of course, Jon’s not the only character to have been totally assassinated in terms of plot and characterization. What D&D to Jon Snow is nothing compared to what they did to Bran Stark – arguably GRRM’s central character of the series. They had him sit out a season, gave his WF/North leader role to Sansa, and he had nothing at all to do in defeating the White Walkers other than sit under a tree. They gave him absolutely nothing. And then D&D had the gall to have Tyrion say that Bran had the best story? Fuck D&D and their trash show.

‘Bothered me’ is too understated lol. I loathe show Sansa - one of the most badly written, garbage, self-insert Mary Sue, trash characters ever written for a TV show. The difference between Dany and Sansa is that we have been following Dany’s development over several seasons where she has actually ruled city states, fought at the head of her army and planned battles. She has earned her position as Queen. Sansa on the other hand has done fuck all and then D&D decided that her brain suddenly grew 2 sizes after being raped by Ramsay Bolton and she was now super intelligent and an expert in everything – from armor making to defense planning.

The thing is, we know that Sansa is propped up at Jon’s expense because we have the source books. Jon is a capable and intelligent administrator and politician in the books – taken away on the show to prop up Sansa and give her something to do. It was Jon who rallied the wildlings to go attack the Boltons – taken away on the show to prop up Sansa. Jon is well adept in Northern politics and diplomacy – taken away on the show so that Sansa can ‘advise him’ and call him stupid. If Jon becomes KITN he does so by Robb’s will and as Jon Stark, Lord of Winterfell – taken away on the show to put Sansa in charge of WF and deny Jon an arc as an actual ruler of the North.

Now coming to Jon and Dany in season 7. I admit I did enjoy their interactions. Neither character was propped up at the expense of the other in my opinion and there was the thrill of these characters finally meeting. Jon and Dany meet as equals even though Dany is the more powerful monarch and Jon has gone there to ask for aid. They argue and debate (With Tyrion in the mix) and neither give way. It’s only natural that Dany would not believe and Jon understands this – as he explains to Tyrion. At the same time Dany is charmed by Jon and allows him to mine for Dragonglass. Jon continues trying to convince Dany of his mission.

Jon walks around Dragonstone meeting people like Missandei who tells him that Dany is a good Queen. When Missandei tells Jon these things, we know it to be true. Missandei was rescued by Dany and is now a Queen’s interpreter and councilor. She has genuine reasons to like and admire Dany. Compare this to Arya telling Jon that he should listen to Sansa because she is like the Smartest Person In the World! What has Sansa done to earn that qualification and why the hell would Arya think this after they spend season 7 trying to kill each other?

Jon starts to be equally charmed by Dany at this point. And then Tyrion’s plans fail miserably and Dany loses Highgarden. She rejects Tyrion’s explanations and who does she turn to for advice? Jon Snow. He gives his advice as a suggestion (Instead of making it sound like an order like Sansa does) and she takes it – not attacking KL, but instead the Lannister/Tarly armies.

In contrast Sansa thinks that Jon should do only what she says and compares him to Joffrey when he doesn’t follow her idiotic orders. That’s the difference between Jon and Sansa and Jon and Dany. Jon and Dany’s interactions are that of two monarchs who respect each other’s leadership and intelligence. Sansa on the other hand is a whiny, petulant, selfish brat who constantly undermines Jon before the other houses because she thinks she’s the expert at ruling and therefore wants to be queen. She even mocks Davos who has been a far knowledgeable and capable adviser to Jon than she ever was.

And then we have the end, with the idiotic wight hunt ending in disaster. Dany rushes to rescue Jon and the others, pledges to help defeat the dead and Jon sees what a generous ruler of the people she is and bends the knee.

The whole thing was rushed with hardly any time spend on them, but what we got made sense and I thought they matched each other perfectly in their idealism and desire to help their people.

As for season 8, yeah, I got nothing. It was trash and everyone was trashed. Was Jon sidelined? Yes, he was. But maybe that’s better than what they did to Dany? Because Jon was basically used to seed betrayal and make Dany paranoid and drive her down a path of madness and destruction and finally death. At least Jon got to be free and happy beyond the wall with his true family - the loyal freefolk - and Ghost.

Ultimately Dany is a major character in the series with her rise paralleling Jon’s at the other end of the world on the Wall. They are Fire and Ice and their meeting and uniting to defeat the Others along with Bran and Arya will be a big part of their story and I thought season 7 reflected that even if it was rushed. On the other hand I doubt Sansa and Jon even meet again, seeing as their stories and characters are least connected in the books

Show Sansa was dumped into Jon’s book plot and it then becomes Sansa’s story with Jon as a side character. This happened because D&D found Sansa’s book plot in the Vale to be boring and wanted Sansa at the center of the more interesting North plot in the books. This happened because D&D were writing for Sophie Turner instead of book Sansa. This also lead to the undermining of Jon’s relationships with his other Stark siblings like Arya and Bran. We got Arya supporting Sansa over Jon!! – that’s how shit the writing for the Starks became after D&D centered everything around Sansa. Show Sansa was propped up not just at Jon’s expense but at Bran, Arya and Rickon’s expense as well.

As for shipping, I have always maintained that both Jonerys and Jonarya is possible in the books. There is foreshadowing for both relationships in the books. There is the original outline and GRRM stating he is still heading for the same ending he came up with in the early nineties. But the show also hints at a possible Jon-Dany relationship. So we will have to wait for the books to see where GRRM is headed. Hopefully the next book will give us some more clues.

#Jon Snow #Daenerys Targaryen #Jonerys #anti Show Sansa

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mamaaaauwu · 3 years

Text

[[Harley saves the day!]]

[[and ascends to godhood in the process. Discord thread with writing i’m proud of. starring @cosmosfated!]]

Kairos

Gaunt, unhealthily thin, as if he hasn't eaten well in months, or has been on a diet of punishment for one reason or another and the people who have captured him are using it against him. His clothes hang on him as if they're hanging off pure determination to keep going rather than anything healthy. And indeed there's a sliver of red in his violet eyes as if he had made a batch of DETERMINATION just for himself in the recent months or so, or perhaps in the recent week.

But here and now, Harley Quinn told him to crack a joke. For some reason. "Hey, you." The cat monster looks at him from the other side of the electricity fueled bars that he's leaning up against and feeling the rush of. "What did the faerie tell the priest in response to religion?" The incredulous look and the response of 'what??' is enough for him.

He has very little enthusiasm to his voice when he speaks this time but it's a pun, he knows his dad overhears it. "Well I'm not FAEthless." That earns him an eyeroll from the cat monster but that's not what he's waiting for.

A flutter of hope in his chest. (Save me, itches a dull prayer in his throat like burning a clove in the fireplace.)

Harley Quinn

Harley wasn't expecting to be changed into a halloween fairy costume covered in glitter, but she's thankful that the tutu dress is at least in her favorite colors.

her baseball bat has 'become' a part of a cross, slid through the bottom of a shotgun. she smiles and bashes the monster across the face before cocking the gun. "The power'a Winchester compels you to open this cage."

Kairos

Kairos smiles from his place on the floor and he can't help but give a two finger salute. "Ello, Mx." Carefully not giving out her name to this captor of his but also granting her the awareness that he hears her coming in.

The cat monster had whipped around just in time to be hit right across the face and honestly it hurts like it had more damage upon it. Wide eyes search for a way out of this and reaches out and instead casts a binding spell on Harley in an attempt to keep her still. No need to get violent just yet.

Harley Quinn

"Hiya hon. Just call me Tinkerbell." she winks before feeling the spell hit.

it travels up her body, even squeezing in like ropes, showing off the gymnast physique. "Oooh, kinky. unfortunately only the Missus 'r the otha Missus are allowed to do that." she may be bound, but she has just enough wiggle room to aim the cross and pull the trigger... into the knee.

"Shit; I was aimin' for ya foot."

Kairos

"Tinkerbell it is." The taste is unique. As a name, as an alias. As a savior. It's different from John. It's different from Clemency. It's different from Emrys. Softer, sweeter, with a hint of ash wood and gunpowder. He's not sure which he prefers. Mx. Quinn or Tinkerbell. He'll decide later.

The monster collapses to one knee with a gasp and a cry of pain, and there's a glare. "I've done nothing to you but bind you! Why are you even here? You're clearly not working for us. I should have you arrested for assault of a high ranking magi!"

There's a snort from Kairos. Yeah ok.

Harley Quinn

she wiggles her shoulder blades to make the wings flutter. "i raised a fae and helped em remember their true power; i know the rules better than my own blood pressure." she looks back down to the monster.

"oh, that ain't about what you did, its about what you didn't do. I gave a clear and simple instruction that you failed t'follow, but i'll give you a lil context as an apology for missin' ya foot." she offers a smile that's far too wide, with the wrong kind of teeth for a humanoid mouth.

"Numba one; the only person i work for is me. Numba two; tryin' to have me arrested will result in nothin' but a pile'a magi corpses for some poor bastard to clean up. Numba three, you are gonna drop this chintzy little spell and open the cage like a good kitty, or there ain't gonna be enough of you left to put inta a pet sematery." she cocks the shotgun, as a final warning.

Kairos

Kairos is slow to stand as if he's struggling with the weight of gravity. Or as if something is physically weighing down on top of him. He's almost tempted to wheeze out a name, use his last spell, his very last spell to call upon his dad, so that he can get extra help, but he's not sure how Tinkerbell would take that. So he just stands and grips the bars for a moment before releasing them again. Too much skin to the bars. Ow.

The cat monster hisses for a moment before taking a breath and hobbling to a stand, taking out a ring of keys and going to a rather unassuming one in the ring of pretty and decorated ones that look like they match other doors and unlocking the door. "There. Happy?" They grumble about needing a healer, or days off, now.

Kairos uses his coat to pull back the bars for the door and step outside. "Oh, hey, can I have that magic to eat?" To which there's a glare so cold it could freeze his soul. "... Nevermind then. Let's go, Tinkerbell. Before people show up from that shotgun blast."

Harley Quinn

She cracks her neck, and the binding magic snaps off, causing her eyes to widen, but no other show of surprise. "no, I'm not at all happy, actually, but i ain't here to play with you neither. pick a god and pray that you don't get put between me an' my goals again." she stops, seemingly listening to something. she purses her lips, considering it deeply. she looks to Kairos.

"If I'm gonna be Tink, that'd make you Peter Pan." she gives him a very serious gaze. it crackles with an energy, a specific one that is nonetheless easy to understand.

"Now answer me somethin, Petey. you and these mage guys, you've been doing this song and dance for a long, long time... your adoptive relative that you mentioned. Does he know about this? That you've been paying for his actions with the very blood and energy of your own body and soul? Does he know this, and still does nothing to protect you?"

Kairos

Within one blink and another, the cat monster disappears, but the sound of limping footsteps are heard running down the hallway. Running, like a coward- or like someone who wants to plot revenge. Whichever comes first.

Kairos however snorts. "Peter Pan? Interesting." But instead of dismissing it entirely he looks at her and considers her words. And then he grows sad at the mention of his adoptive relative. His dad. Why hasn't he told him? It's stupid. Maybe it shows on his face.

"No... He doesn't even know. I haven't told him. He's not... aware. I'm trying to keep this quiet because, well, I thought I could handle this on my own. It's not that he wouldn't be able to help, it's that I don't let him. Maybe I should." He shrugs. "We should get going." He turns and gestures to walk with him but doesnt start walking without her.

Harley Quinn

"i ain't judgin', yanno. that would be a serious breach of psychologist code." she tilts her head.

"but, y'see... i'm feelin'.... i'm feelin' somethin' i never felt before, and if it is what I think it is, then it might change our exit strategy. besides, i've taken out worse than that with one hand behind my back." she gazes down at herself, briefly.

"it's that kinda thing that you can't just shrug off and keep walking... y'gotta stop and give it a proper think through, you know?"

Kairos

"I don't want to bother him with this." He says very quietly. "I can't bring this up to him." He sounds almost... Scared? Like a puppy that's been kicked one too many times. But then he returns to that strong and haughty facade that he presents and grins. "Plus, I have one more spell that they haven't wrested from my clutches and I can use it right now to make sure that nothing stands in our way as we leave. Clean escape! No one gets hurt, and we're free to go! Everybody's happy!" Most of all, he can clean himself up before his folks find out about this little excursion.

"What good is thinking about it going to do anyway? It already happened. We're already here." He kicks at the ground. He wants to go. "I just want to get something to eat. And I know where their stash is and I can grab some before they even know. Easy pickings."

Harley Quinn

"You don't get what i'm sayin' here, Petey." the energy gets stronger, filling the room. its that smile you wear singing along to a song about hunting down a cheating lover, its that tickle you get when you see someone who did you dirty meet with karma, and have karma chew their face off. its the laughter you can't control when some blowhard gets his ass handed to him on a silver platter. its the comedy in others' well earned tragedy.

"what i'm saying is... well... i think you oughta let me take point... maybe stand a few feet back, even." she strides with her two weapons in hand, a murder walk. "lets see if we can't get you a little snack fer th' road first."

Kairos

The energy is so tantalizing. He can almost taste it. It's delectable and sweet and tastes divine. ... Divine. Godlike. Godlike? He reels and goes wide eyed at her. No. No... He shakes his head.

He takes a few steps back and bows to her, allowing her to pass. "Let's get something done shall we?" He can't wait to see what she'll do. He reaches out and plucks a thread and begins to weave a thread to lead them in the right direction. Like silvery strands that disappear into the light around them. Bringing people to steal from. It wouldn't hurt to eat.

Harley Quinn

"now now, no worship from you, Pete." she turns back and boops him in the nose.

"fae and religion don't mix, remember? you're the one who opened my eyes, and now i'm gonna stretch my wings on your enemies to show my appreciation. we're even-steven, got it?" she giggled as she continued onwards.

"yanno, in hindsight it kinda seems obvious; two people went into that vat'a potions and chemicals... and I'm the one who almost drowned in it! why should he be the only demigod? though that would mean two good things came'a that relationshit-show... naaaaaah i dove in of my own free will, he's got no claim to it." she hums as she inserts the bat back into the shotgun, then gasps in laughter.

"hey, it just occurred to me; ya joke about religion just got a million times funnier!"

Kairos

He listens. And he listens. He's become very good at listening to people talk amongst themselves, to themselves, around themselves, even when they don't think that he's around. He's become one with illusion and shadow as he has with light and day, and it's an interesting dichotomy to watch seeing as his main focus is indeed change and disruption. The wayward force that governs the way the tides of chaos and order change and dance on the wind. So he listens. He won't use this against her. That would be uncouth.

He tugs on a silver string and feels the breath be drawn out of him as they walk, and people skid to a halt in their path, only enough to handle, only enough to have heard the buckshot of a shotgun from down the echoing halls of a prison that is only full of SPECIAL prisoners. And he has to gather his breath again, breathe in, hold, let it out, hold. They'd not see him weak. This would make him strong, or so help him. He had to get stronger. He can't just rely on magic his whole life. He WILL get stronger.

The new information is sidebar to him and he hums. The real thing that makes him grin is the comment about his joke. "Didja? I tried really hard on it! I'm glad you liked it, Tinkerbell. Now, leave them at least partially alive for me to be able to eat."

Harley Quinn

the thing about "Tink" is that the whole thing wasn't a soliloquy, but was directed to him. not that she'd quiz him on what she said or anything, but she wasn't talking to anyone but him.... this time anyway.

"Oh no it was a real pissa; i wasn't wearing this before i got here yanno! ya summoned me and gave me a strong gag to work with! now, speakin' of strong gags..." she places the shotgun and bat carefully on the floor with great ceremony.

"here comes a runnin' joke!" she dashes forward and launches into handsprings and flips to get enough momentum to land a neat handstand on a mage in the middle. "Hiya, guys gals an' nonbinary pals!"

Kairos

"Really?" He can't help but laugh. He can't imagine his words summoning someone in such a fanciful get up. It's flashy and eye catching and oh so HIM but that's not suited for this mission. "Maybe I should be a bit more covert next time I summon you." As if this would happen again (and again and again-)

And he then watches her handspring off towards the mages that interrupted.

The magi in the middle squeaks, then growls in indignation and tries to reach up to grab Harley by the forearms and bodily toss her off, seemingly more fit than the last magi she squared up against. It again makes Kairos laugh because Tinkerbell seems far more capable of taking care of herself than these mages do.

Harley Quinn

She grabs the upper arms as they latch onto her forearms, using them as a fulcrum to swing herself down and around to scatter the formation. she lands on her feet and smashes her unwilling helper in the nose with her forehead.

Kairos

The mage stumbles back after being hit in the face and fires off a bolt of fire directly at her, mostly as a deterrent to get her to jump back and away but if she tanks it then she tanks it. This one won't use his big spells on her. He'll just body her as much as possible before being taken down.

Kairos plucks at the silver thread again and the mages behind the main mage lose their footing and fall flat on their ass. Might as well help out some while he can no? Pluck pluck motherfuckers.

Harley Quinn

she leap frogs right over the blast and does another hand spring to drive her heels right into the mage's chin.

"Order up, Petey! bon appetit! unless you like em more tenderized than this."

Kairos

The mage collapses back onto his ass and grunts, rubbing his lower spine for only a moment before going to get up. Kairos is there in a split second however and he smiles sweetly, hand on his shoulder, knelt down next to him. "At least you get something good out of this, aye?"

And with a placing of his free hand on the chest over the mage's heart, the mage's eyes widen before they roll back into his eyes, almost instantly unconscious. Lips curl back to show off his teeth, into a maddened grin, wanting so badly to EAT.

But then he hears the screams of the mages only ten feet away - 'star eater is going on a frenzy' this and 'the hu-ka'li is out of containment' that - and he it centers him. Can't let himself get carried away. He's not his ancestors.

Harley Quinn

"oh his frenzy is the least of your problems. LEMME DEMONSTRATE." she launched onto one of the loud mouths, her face elongating into a snout as she bends down. hyena jaws clamp down on the arm and rip it clean from the socket, crunching the bone in two. she looks back at Kairos with a blood soaked smile.

"take your time and eat your fill. just don't make yourself sick, okay?"

Kairos

Now the screams are more centered on Harley's actions than the fact that Kairos is out of his cell and feeding himself. But that's no matter. They'll cause chaos for themselves in due time.

Kairos chuckles at the blood, but it sounds weary, as if he's slightly discomforted by the sight of it. (Calm down. You expected this. The multiverse is bloody and cold and callous and heartless. Not every place is the way you built your world.) "The only thing that would happen like that is that I would get drunk and then I would actually go on a feeding frenzy and well, we need to try and avoid that." He says as he walks up to the one without an arm who is trying to get away from them both against the wall and just knocks him out via taking some energy from him. Not much but enough to put him out of his misery. Mages are too proud here to admit that they need help. "I'm more surprised you're not asking more questions." He says, something dark and strange dripping from his mouth and teeth like something viscous and heavy.

Harley Quinn

"ain't here to ask questions and pry into your business, Petey." she stands, licking her lips.

"i'm here to bust you out and bust some heads; you're no longer theirs to starve and cage and squeeze for information without so much as a thank you. you're under my protection, and my vengeance is swift, without mercy, and without consideration for their way of doing things." she rattles this off with such a matter of fact tone, as though it should've been obvious from the moment she appeared.

"if you can think of a better way for me to communicate this than what i'm doing, i'm all ears." her ears go from human to hyena, though whether this was a conscious act of punctuation, or the result of her pun, is impossible to distinguish.

Kairos

His gaze goes glassy eyed, distant for a little while as she talks. He registers what she's saying, but he doesn't understand. How could he? Someone not wanting to understand what he is to the point that they go mad with the hope that they can discover something new? Someone not wanting to cut him open and discover what makes him push and pull like a frog on the experiment table in high school biology? He doesn't get it.

But with a thought of his own - You're trying to escape. Don't let lies distract you. - he snaps to focus and he smiles. "Of course, Tinkerbell. That sounds reasonable for you." And for her, perhaps it does.

"But as for a better way of doing things..." He reaches out into thin air and takes out a thick spool of nearly translucent thread that glows with heavenly light. He hands it out to her. "A spool of thread that made some truth telling lasso. It apparently can't break unless you tell it to and lay hands on the thread. Keep them tied up instead of killing them or maiming them. It makes it easier for me to eat."

Harley Quinn

"Oh shit like Wondy! Nice!" She takes the spool and gets right to work trussing up the mages for market. Her ears are up to listen for further enemies

Kairos

He feels bad for the mages, he does. They gave him comfortable bedding, good food, good conversation (though most of it was information based), and they were kinder than most mages. And plus, they don't have to run into his sister here. She doesn't work here. He thinks.

But he IS hungry. And she IS offering.

So he pulls on some strings and brings some more mages to their path. He probably can't do this many more times but he needs to eat something. These ones are tougher, burlier, to reflect his need for more 'protein' in his diet.

Harley Quinn

"Ah, you need some beef, huh?" She smiles and rolls her neck before launching into one big spring, transforming completely in mid air and laying the newcomers flat.

#ooc

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taylorroger-s · 4 years

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the great pretender // billy/four x reader

a/n eyyy first 6 underground fic!!!! this is for @billytheskywalker’s challenge! the quote i chose is “on and on, does anybody know what we are living for?” and it fit the 6u vibe so well i just had to. also i have NO IDEA how crime statistic analysts work. i also don’t know where this came from? i didn’t want to get myself in too deep so there is potential for a part two depending on how this goes. also I have a pretty hefty 6u story in the works so stay tuned

masterlist here! // part two here!

warnings: cursing, existential crisis, lack of logical reasoning from all parties

enjoy :)

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“i’m so fucking done with this.” you were dangerously tempted to flip the table. what started out as an intimate date night with your boyfriend of three years had quickly devolved into a tirade about the pointlessness of life. your life for specifics.

the restaurant was nice. too nice. a crystalline chandelier hung from the ceiling, dark wood flooring reflected the dim lights, and white clothed tables sat at even intervals in the large dining room. what a way to make you feel better, right? cal meant well, but today your patience had run out. the fancy dress clinging to your frame and stiletto nails only added to the collected façade. and that was all it was, all you had ever been. a façade. you were just playing at being content with your role in life. but you were done with the pretending. there was so much pain and suffering in the world that you had the privilege to ignore, and you were over with letting it not bother you.

“with what? babe, you’re not making sense.” cal murmured, doing his very best to calm you down. you had always been volatile at best, and he had perfected the art of calming you down, but you had snapped. the single feather to break your back came in the form of a poorly attended event that you had spent months organizing. for once, you were confident that you would make a difference. but it didn’t come to pass, and you had finally lost hope in your so called purpose.

you were on your feet now, nails digging into the annoyingly silky table cloth. the twin wine glasses on the table shook as the fabric curled around your fingers, slowly pulling the table settings closer to your rage. your hair had come undone from repeated touching, only adding to the emotional unraveling eating you alive. so much bad in the world that you had no power to change.

“who gives a shit! i can’t deal with it anymore. on and on, does anybody know what we are living for? it’s all just bullshit.” people at neighboring tables began to throw looks your way, ranging from anger to sympathy, which only pissed you off further. even the waiters looked concerned. cal was nearly quivering with embarrassment. it did nothing but fuel your passion. what was the point of it all if you couldn’t leave some mark? what was the point of your life, of anyone’s?

“you’re overreacting. just sit down and lets finish dinner.” he placed a warm hand on your wrist, attempting to use the feel of his soft skin against yours to drag you back down to earth. the poisoned, miserable earth. so much suffering all around you, and there you were, eating overpriced portions of salad and complaining about your privileged life. it hardened your heart just enough. you drew your hand back, crossing your arms across your chest. cal looked so hurt that it almost made you break, but then your eyes flicked to the watch on his wrist, the ridiculously expensive glass of wine next to his plate. more useless waste. you couldn’t stand it anymore.

“no. just… no. i’m done. this life we’re living is just so pointless, you know? we have no fucking power out here. we can’t change the world like this!” you could feel the murmurs and eyes of the other restaurant patrons bore into your back, their judgement heating your skin to a nearly unbearable degree. one man in particular seemed invested in your outburst. he wore sunglasses even in the relatively dim restaurant, blonde undercut contrasting with the impeccable suit he wore. he spoke in hushed tones with the people at his table, still watching you carefully.

“who’s to say we can’t? please babe, i promise we can change the world. together, remember?” ah yes, the whispered promises you had made during a much simpler time, even if it was not too long ago. it was an empty promise back then and it was even more so now. you were never good at staying put, and the limit of your anger been reached. the box of all the bad things the world had to offer had overflowed, and you couldn’t pretend to be okay with it anymore.

“i’m sorry, and this isn’t fair to you at all, but i’m done. i can’t live like this. i need to actually do something with my life. and this is exactly what has been holding me back.” you grew quieter, rage morphing into determination. you now knew what you had to do, grabbing your clutch and the thick coat hanging from your chair. cal rose to his feet, reaching out for you again. you drew back, pushing your chair in with a sense of finality.

“y/n, please, i love you. don’t go.” cal pleaded with you desperately, clearly confused. you felt sorry for him. it wasn’t his fault. he was all any woman would want in a relationship. but you didn’t want to string him along for longer than you already had. he deserved someone who wanted him. you weren’t that someone. you heard the whispers from the blond man’s table grow quiet, another one of his party turning around to watch you.

“goodbye cal. i wish you the best. but this is where i have to leave.” you held your chin as high as possible, holding back the tears that yearned to fall. the pressure in your throat rose until you couldn’t stand there anymore waiting for the tension to break. you turned on your heel and strode to the door, subconsciously plotting a path to walk by the mysterious man and his equally mysterious friends.

“wait-” cal called, but you could sense the hopelessness in his voice. when you made up your mind, not heaven nor earth could stop you. with every step, you stood a little taller, knowing you were a few feet away from walking out of the restaurant and walking away from a part of the life you hated. you stopped for a moment right in front of the man, making eye contact despite logic screaming to not encourage him. his sunglasses had slipped down his nose, exposing the most beautiful green eyes you had ever seen. you struggled to force your next words out with his intense gaze on you.

“no. it’s done.” you could just barely hear cal choke out a sob behind you, but you were too focused on the mystery man. he carefully licked his lips, making sure you were watching. a haze started to cloud your mind as the moment stretched onward, his eyes stripping away your common sense. but the little amount you had left urged you to move, tearing your attention away from the gorgeous blond and forcing you to walk out the door.

the cold night air hit you like a punch to the gut, and you took a handful of deep breaths to steady yourself. it was done. you were free from at least one part of your past. but there was so much more holding you down. if only there was a way to erase it all.

you sat down on the curb with a huff, forgetting the thin fabric of your dress and the wildly painful heels you had forced yourself into. maybe this was a mistake. you didn’t even have a plan for what a life of freedom would bring. you wanted to leave some mark, but what mark would that be? what could you possibly do? where was something that you would fight for? but a smooth, accented voice broke your moping before you could spiral too far.

“you seem a little tense, love.” you knew without even looking that it was the frustratingly handsome man from inside. of fucking course he was british. just your luck. you clenched your fists tight against your side, sharp nails digging into the soft flesh of your palm.

“fuck off before i make you.” you hissed, even though part of your brain wanted to turn around and walk right into him. but the pride you held kept you from succumbing. it wasn’t like you to have such an immediate pull towards another person, but there was something about this man that intrigued you like no other.

“compelling offer, but i have an offer of my own for you. you said you wanted to change the world. we can help you do that. all you have to do is die.” he made it sound so simple. oh yeah, just put a bullet in your brain and change the fucking world. any attraction you had for him began to fizzle out. he had to be insane, right? death was… death. as in, erased from the world dead. buried six feet under dead. soon to be forgotten dead. he was acting like death was just another stage of life.

“oh yeah, why didn’t i think of that? just die!” you were nearly hysterical. what insanity was this boy spouting? and yet, something in his voice drew you in further. he didn’t seem to be encouraging an actual death… at least that’s what the side of your brain already entranced by him thought.

“you’re full of shit, you know that?” the logical part of your brain screamed against his magnetic pull, but you still turned around slowly to face him, breath catching in your throat from the devastating look he gave you. his sunglasses hung from his button up shirt where the top buttons hung open, collar fluttering in the nighttime breeze.

“humor me. do you know what happens after you die? freedom, that’s what. no past or future to hold you back. you will finally have a chance to make a difference..” now he was just starting to confuse you further. he might be actually insane, you wondered to yourself, eyes narrowing as your skepticism grew. his bright green eyes locked with yours, not showing even the slightest hint of dishonesty. he seemed convinced that what he was saying was the truth. however, you weren’t won over quite yet.

“wait wait, how does dying have to do with this?” you stood up, stepping back up onto the sidewalk until you were no more than a meter away from him. your question was warranted, and you were going to get an answer. holding your chin high, you took a step closer until you could see the scar stretching from his eyebrow to his temple. it only added to his dangerous mystique, and you found yourself wondering what on earth caused it.

“cutting off all connections is the only way. we won’t be remembered. but what we can accomplish will.” so now he’s talking about more people like him? you broke your gaze with him, looking over his shoulder to see the five people he had been sitting with leaning against the wall. they all wore similar dark, sophisticated clothing and seemed immensely dangerous even from a distance.

“who is we?” you muttered, still looking at the group gathered on the other side of the sidewalk. the person nearest to you gave you a wicked smile, and you quickly looked back up at the blond man just in time to see him lean into you. your breath hitched as he drew closer, senses overwhelmed by the smell of smoke on him. his lips brushed the shell of your ear and you did everything in your power to keep from melting.

“come to this address tomorrow night if you want a reason to die.” he whispered just loud enough for you to hear over the steady wind, effectively capturing your mind completely. at that moment, you would probably do anything he asked. his hand came up and took yours, a sliver of paper passing from his palm to yours. as he pulled back, you curled your fingers protectively around the paper, never taking your eyes off his own bright green ones.

am i actually considering doing this? you screamed at yourself as you slipped the paper into your clutch. this was 100%, totally, ridiculously insane. but you couldn’t seem to find a solid reason not to go where he wanted. he kept his gaze on you as he backed further away, eventually turning and returning to his group. you could only stand there and watch as they threw you cautious glances. there seemed to be a minor argument going on between a handful of their team, the two women with them standing to the side and rolling their eyes.

while you continued your existential crisis, four, one, and three bickered over your usefulness. seven watched with furrowed brows, peeking over the top of his sunglasses. four was determined to get you on the team. he had been following you for a while, watching you with the rest of his ghosts as they infiltrated more government meetings. what first caught his eye was your looks, but billy soon saw the restless energy you had during all of those events, how your practiced smile cracked during every bit of pointless chatter. he could tell you wanted an escape. and he wanted nothing more than to give it to you.

“four, what in the fuck are you thinking? you’re exposing our whole shtick to this random chick having a nervous breakdown!” one loudly whispered, almost hissing at four while they faced off. they both were too headstrong to back down. three clapped four on the back, leaning into his shoulder. their group wasn’t exactly conspicuous, and you were keeping an eye on them while waiting for a cab. “mate, i swear she is an asset! three, back me up.” four was almost pleading with one. it felt like an argument between a father and son. four couldn’t quite grasp why exactly he wanted you on the team so bad. you were well connected and had a job full of important information they could take advantage of, but it was nothing one couldn’t dig up himself in time.

“nah man, i might be with one on this. sure, she’s cute, but what can she do that we can’t?” three just shrugged, clearly uninterested in the conversation. four glared at him, but continued his defense of you.

“she’s rich. also, she works in crime statistics for the fbi. she knows all the crime hot spots, all the places police target. she had the passwords to get us into their directory.” four counted off his reasons to want you on the team, casting a glance over to where you were standing. his face fell when he realized you were gone, suddenly and anxiously doubting whether you would even show. one didn’t seem to notice and just continued arguing.

“first, i’m the rich one. second, i’m also the information finder. third, how the fuck did you discover all this?” one’s voice was steadily growing in volume, and it took multiple dirty looks from five and a kick on the heel to get him to quiet down. despite their attempt at disguises, the ghosts weren’t exactly inconspicuous, and two & five were acutely aware of the attention they were getting on a saturday night in a popular part of town.

“doesn’t matter. all i know is that she is gonna show up. you can make a fucking veto if you want, but i swear she can help.” four sacrificed some of his pride and folded his hands in front of him, turning up the pressure on one. he knew that it was a little insane to pick you from a crowd without consulting one or any of the other ghosts, but four had faith in you and your potential.

“you damned millennial… fine. but if this fucks us over i’m gonna beat your ass so hard that you won’t be able to sit for a week, kid.” one hissed backed, finally breaking. four grinned, leaning against the wall with a smug smile. his heart skipped a beat at the thought of you joining the 6 of them.

“deal.” one just rolled his eyes, walking to stand next to seven. after a few moments of charged silence, one sighed, clapping his hands to get the group’s attention - an unnecessary gesture.

“alright cleavers, back to the haunted aircraft shell.” he turned on his heel and started walking to where their car was parked, the rest of the group filing in behind them, talking in hushed words. four ended up next to seven and slid his sunglasses back onto the bridge of his nose. a few passerby spared them a quizzical glance as they walked, but the six ghosts soon disappeared into their car and pulled onto the road. as if they were never there.

“you sure about this billy?” seven muttered, keeping an eye on the back of one’s head. blaine himself had a soft spot for four, but this seemed to be a rash decision with little foresight. four just squared his shoulders and smiled, crossing his arms over his chest.

“sure as i’ll ever be.”

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part two…? lmk if you’re down

permanent taglist: @elle-boll

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seyaryminamoto · 4 years

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Been thinking for a while that I’d like to do a light behind-the-scenes glimpse into one of the themes in the newest Gladiator story arc. While it’s not the very core element of the arc, the source of Azula’s current struggle in the story came from... an unexpected place.

Unexpected as in, it came from LOK.

Okay, in all fairness, it’s not quiiiiiiiite something that came from LOK itself, but it’s a take on an idea I had while pondering the various reasons why Asami’s character wouldn’t really take off for me in the show. Well, beyond the obvious reasons why it wouldn’t *cough* Book 2 *cough*...

I’ve always said I’m more than a little confused by how a character like Asami, with just 20-something years of age at the time of LOK Book 4, has enough talent and know-how to not only be a top-of-the-line engineer (which, yes, is believable enough on its own), but to also be a CEO in her own company (I gueeeess since the company falls into her hands and she mismanages it plenty in Book 2, it’s not that impossible to feature this in conjunction with the first thing?), a clothing designer, an architect AND a urbanist, capable of driving every machine known to man, an outstanding hand-to-hand fighter...!

... If you really think about it in cold blood, it feels like a little too much.

BUT. Instead of boringly accusing Asami of being a Mary Sue (which I’m sure some people might) for having a thousand talents that we don’t really see her work for, that she just developed offscreen, I thought the show would have benefited greatly from actually focusing on how Asami is handling the constant, desperate need of so many authorities in Republic City to have HER resolving all their problems.

Therefore, instead of a Reunion episode with a conflict focused on rescuing a kidnapped Wu (whom I profoundly dislike as a character, not for his role, but his personality is simply barf-worthy for me and the amount of focus Book 4 gave him was, as a lot of things, detrimental to the show as a whole, in my opinion), I thought LOK’s Book 4 could have instead featured a Reunion episode focused on Asami... which, of course, would also be a nice way to fix some of the lackluster onscreen development of Korrasami. So... let’s go onwards with my episode pitch:

Picture that Korra is about to reunite with Mako and Asami for the first time in all those years, same as in canon. Asami arrives! Yay, Korra is happy, Asami compliments her hair, just like in canon... aaaand then Asami says she can’t really stay, she just dropped by quickly because this REALLY matters to her, but there’s this pressing issue going on at the company and she has to deal with it RIGHT NOW, because no one else can. So, woops.

Korra is completely disappointed (and probably doesn’t even understand WHY she’s so disappointed, hinting at deeper feelings for Asami that Korra hasn’t even stopped to reason with yet), but she sees Asami off while pretending this doesn’t bug her (for Asami’s benefit), and ends up spending the evening with Mako but clearly she’s not enjoying it as much as she hoped to. Which could result in Mako being pretty surprised by whatever closeness and bond those two seem to have now, noticing that he seems to have fallen to second place in Korra’s eyes somehow.

So! Skipping ahead, perhaps to the next day, Korra tries to check on Asami again! :D Oh, but she’s got to work on the airbenders’ outfits, some have been having trouble with the aerodynamics of it, and it’s just not working as Asami intended, so more calculations are needed! She takes to studying on the subject frantically, has to figure out what formula she’s missing or messing up, and while Korra offers to help, she knows there’s not really anything she can do to give Asami a hand since this stuff is well out of Korra’s area of expertise.

Then, when Asami is finally finished, OH NO! An emergency in the train she inaugurated at the start of the season! Asami has to go deal with that too! And of course, Korra goes too, while wondering how TF does this damn city even run without Asami...

... And then realizing it actually doesn’t. There’s a president who basically dumps all the difficult issues on Asami because she has the know-how and the resources to deal with all the city’s problems, there’s an airbending master who requested for that same girl to help with the designs of his people’s combat outfits instead of dealing with it himself or finding someone else to help, there’s an entire vehicle company (ranging from cars to AIRPLANES) that depends on HER. And it’s just SO. MUCH. SHIT. For a girl who’s like... 20? 21? How old is Asami at this point? xD I don’t even remember. But the point I’m trying to get to...

Is that Asami should be overwhelmed. She hasn’t had anyone helping her, she deals with everything alone, and it doesn’t matter how hard she tries to work through this, there’s always one more problem, one more obstacle, one more bothersome thing she has to tackle, and nobody seems to stop and think that maybe she could use a break. That maybe she needs a nap because she hasn’t had one in 20 months. That maybe things in this damn city would be in a better place if people didn’t rely on her, and her alone, to resolve the bulk of their problems.

Korra, though, with her latest character growth (... that I’m not really fond of anyhow, but still...), has become a lot better at understanding people’s emotions. And her job as an Avatar is, amongst many things, to help people: someone she cares about deeply, her best friend future girlfriend, is currently going through so much crap and the truth is, Asami needs help. Whether Asami realizes it or not, she needs it. And so, whether it’s Korra’s job or not to help her, that’s all Korra wants to do right now.

So Korra enlists Mako and then all three deal with whatever that train emergency might be! Asami probably rejects their help at first, out of force of habit of doing everything alone lately, until Korra tells her she doesn’t have to do that anymore. And then Asami’s mind is blown because yeah, maybe there’s a bunch of older people in charge who are happy to dump all responsibilities on her! But that doesn’t mean she has to accept it meekly and save all their asses time after time... and it also doesn’t mean she has to deal with everything alone.

After the train problem is resolved, Korra and Asami (maybe Mako too? But for Korrasami’s purposes, it can just be those two) get to have a small chat about what life has been like for Asami since Korra vanished. The conversation doesn’t merely focus on Hiroshi, which... *cringes* let’s not get into that. It focuses on Asami and the hardships she’s dealing with, seeing as the city is basically using her as a non-bender Avatar, in the sense of leaving all the problem-solving to Asami alone. Korra probably apologizes, Asami probably tells her not to feel guilty, because she has had it rough, and Asami understands that better than anyone, especially after what she’s been through lately.

It’s a cute, heartfelt moment, not necessarily romantic yet, but featuring a strong, meaningful bonding scene between these two! Asami wants to go back to work on some pending stuff, and Korra respects that, though she warns Asami not to overdo it. Asami promises she won’t... and the next time Korra checks on her, Asami is asleep on her desk or something like that. Korra smiles and puts a blanket on her shoulders, and when someone else arrives to say something REALLY BAD is going on, Korra shushes them and decides to deal with it herself (as long as she can), and, if she can’t, she’ll find someone else to do it in Asami’s stead so the girl can sleep safe and sound for the first time in ages.

Episode pitch over! :’D

*siiiiiiiiiigh* alright, so yeah, this was something I originally thought of as a replacement episode, to further explore and establish a bond between Korra and Asami that wouldn’t really resolve all of the rushed-Korrasami problems... but it would make it so much clearer that those two share a different bond, and a very special understanding of each other, that the other two Krew members simply don’t have with either of them. It’d deepen their relationship, but the most important element about this for me was that it’d be an Asami-focused episode and plotline. However brief it would have been, my idea was to feature Asami facing her own problems, not problems based on her relationship with other people (be it family or romance). It was also a way to show that she’s not indestructible or just the go-to problem solver with neverending resources and talents that the plot can exploit at leisure whenever it feels like it. And, most importantly, that Asami can’t and SHOULDN’T be the answer to every problem in Republic City, especially when she’s only delivering those answers off-screen, offering the viewers next to no chance to see her in action, kicking ass at all the things she apparently has insane expertise on.

As far as I know, the two LOK comic trilogies haven’t really done much for Asami either. I haven’t read them so I could be wrong, but from what I can gather from comments of people who have read them and the books’ summaries, she’s still Korra’s girlfriend first and foremost, gets kidnapped so she can be used as a hostage to manipulate Korra, and then gets brainwashed into fighting against Korra...? If this is truly how it is, again, Asami just gets reduced to a satellite character, in the sense that she just revolves around other people as though that’s all there is to her character, canon-wise. Which... makes me sad. She had potential, plenty of potential worth exploring, if only the show’s writing had been more paused and allowed their characters to breathe and grow organically, as a consequence of their own actions and decisions rather than by being forced into hellish situations persistently until they broke out of desperation.

So... LOK really had the chance to explore a much more human side of Asami that they’ve neglected to acknowledge so far (from what I know), a chance to deepen her character by displaying that no one of such young age should have so many difficult responsibilities dumped on her shoulders... which, again, could be expanded into a metaphor for the Avatar’s role, showing both Korra and Asami as two highly capable women who could achieve great things... but who need a chance to be normal too, once in a while. From the looks of it, neither of them have had that chance in canon (yes, Korra was stuck in a compound all her life but Asami must have been stuck in constant lessons at every discipline she has mastered? If she can deal with all those jobs of hers as flawlessly as she has, I don’t think she had much of a life before LOK started), and it would have been really nice of the deeper, darker show LOK wanted to be to acknowledge that a bunch of grown-ups, who had relatively smooth lives in their youth, dumping so much heavy work on a pair of girls who are just becoming young adults and barely had childhoods of their own, is just damn nasty :’D just as it was nasty in a show featuring a much younger cast... *innocent whistling*

Alas, this was just one idea that won’t ever go anywhere in canon, as is obvious. I’m sure I mentioned it at least once before, not as thoroughly as I did just now, but this is more or less what I had in mind. If you dump a thousand things on a character, it would only be fair to let them suffer for it, to a fault. Maybe don’t feature them whining because they have soooo much work to do... but turn them into workaholics! Show that they’re struggling to make everything pay off, that this kind of burden isn’t child’s play because in real life, it simply wouldn’t be.

But, as there’s next to no chance Asami will ever get this sort of development, I merely stashed this idea on my back burner, in case it might come in handy in the future...

... And then I returned to it once Gladiator’s Enforcers became a solid reality. Azula has been dealing with challenges that are rather different from those Asami dealt with... but ultimately, the responsibilities both girls have taken up, Asami in canon and Azula in my story, were just insanely big. Azula, in Gladiator, has had very little time to spare for “secondary” pursuits since the previous arc, and in the current one that has become a problem because she simply CAN’T stop working. She goes home and instead of going to bed, keeps on working. She’s constantly on edge, assuming that any time not spent working is wasted time, time she should take advantage of to further improve her projects and endeavors... to the point where people are starting to notice she’s slightly overwhelmed, extremely stressed out, and needs to calm down :’D

I really had wanted to explore these themes in overachieving characters, who take up far too many responsibilities, more than are reasonable. While I’ll always consider it a really big waste of potential that LOK never gave Asami this particular dimension, despite her character 100% warranted it, at least I had the chance to explore this with Azula instead, and I’m honestly really pleased with the result, because it suits her really well too. The outcome won’t be at all like what I just outlined for the LOK episode that never was, and the current story arc will take a vastly different direction... which is why I thought it would be fun to explain where this particular, new dimension of Azula’s character had come from.

Aaaanyways... the bottomline is, Return to Shu Jing is here. And I reeeeeally love this arc. I hope that those of you reading and staying up to date with the story will love it too!

#gladiator #me talking about LOK?#who'd have thought (?)#but it's something I've had running circles in my brain for ages so #it feels good to release it into the wild at last (?)#I really think this is the only genuine link between Gladiator and LOK #... and it's not even 100% a link #but the idea is one I thought of for LOK #and that I now repurposed altogether for my big bulky story #so... indirect link I guess #but boy I really wish they'd done this in canon #would've been wonderful for Asami's character... *sigh*

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linderu · 4 years

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utakata hanabi. - ch 2/2

characters: khun, bam, rak, shibisu pairing: khunbam series: tower of god / kami no tou ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24567637/chapters/59427784#workskin

takes place season 3, right after bam beats the ranker and khun/hwa ryun spread propaganda through the tower. it’s really fluffy. while also dealing with questions of morality, priorities, the plot itself, etc. also shibisu is best wingman ever.

i want to take writing requests so feel free to send me an ask for khun centric or khunbam centric ideas!

s3 webtoon spoilers.

“How’s Bam holding up?” Shibisu’s voice rang over Khun’s pocket, echoing slightly within the large, empty bedroom he found himself in. Khun, who was lying on his back in the middle of a massive bed, stared holes into the ceiling as he contemplated their current situation.

“The same as usual. You know him, Isu.” He sighed audibly, feeling exasperated. “Taking on too much at once because he feels obligated to, and acting like everything’s fine.”

His plan had been successful. Whether that was a good or bad thing, he wasn’t sure yet.

As they spoke, rumors about a C-rank regular strong enough to take down a ranker were spreading like wildfire throughout the tower. Bam’s single fight in the testing center was what had ignited the flames, acting as a catalyst for the mass movement Khun knew was building. Soon enough, all of their ‘pawns’ would line up like dominoes, ready to fall when Bam gave the signal.

It was the work of his and Hwa Ryun’s scheming. The level of propaganda they built up around the great Jyu Viole Grace was enough to make even FUG elders stir.

He should be excited, playing a main role in designing such an event. Truthfully, all he felt was anxious-- like he was sending his best friend to his death. Not that he would show it around Bam.

“Yeah, I do. But I also know you, and I bet you’re doing the same thing, aren’t you?”

“...” Khun scowled at the ceiling, but didn’t bite back. He was too tired. It seemed like everyone had something to say about how he handled things when Bam was around lately. “What I’m doing doesn’t really take that much effort. Especially compared to what Bam has to face, soon. Leading a battle against Jahad’s army…”

“Well, Bam probably feels like that, too. Like what he’s doing isn’t enough compared to what he really wants to do. Y’know?”

Damn. Shibisu, as always, hit the nail on the head. It was infuriating, having his double standards being pointed out like this.

It wasn’t like he was wrong, though. Of course he understood how Bam felt. That’s why Khun would do everything in his power to support him-- so that when he ran into battle recklessly, he wouldn’t be going alone, or acting as some kind of sacrifice.

Khun had to prepare everything perfectly so that wouldn’t happen.

“Why did you call, Isu?” He asked, annoyance seeping into his tone. “I didn’t pick up so you could psychoanalyze me. There’s still things I need to finish before we set the date.”

“Oi, oi. I’m just looking out for my friends.”

“Well, that’s great and all, but if you have so much free time, you should spend it collecting souls. We need all the help we can get before showtime.”

“Yes, my prince.” Shibisu responded sarcastically. “I’ll get going in a minute. Don’t worry, we’ve already stored a lot. Look, I just think you two should find a way to destress before everything goes to shit. You gotta rest your minds as well as your bodies, you know? Overworking yourselves won’t make this plan succeed any better.”

“... Maybe you’re right…” he was pretty exhausted. Not to mention, ever since that other guide yelled at Bam so harshly, he seemed out of sorts. As in… he was way too invested in training with Evankhell, while also spending his downtime sulking on his own.

Khun felt powerless. Like he could only watch. He was terrible at finding the words to give pep talks, so his only piece of advice had been ‘ignore her and push onwards.’

“Even so. I don’t know what we could possibly do to ‘relax’ in a situation like this…”

“Why don’t you try ‘that’?”

“Huh?” Khun quirked a brow at his pocket questioningly, though he knew Shibisu couldn’t see his face anyway. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Be more specific, Isu.”

“Something mindless and nostalgic. Like sparklers.”

“Hmmm.” Was all Khun replied with, not wanting to give his thoughts away. It was actually a great idea when he considered it, a faint image of a younger, brightly smiling Bam with fireworks shimmering in his eyes flashing in his mind.

“Well, just consider it.” As Shibisu spoke, Khun palmed his face. He wanted to groan, but Shibisu already knew more than enough about how he felt, so instead he rolled onto his side to face his pocket and just frowned.

He wanted to see Bam smile like that again.

“Huh, what’s that, Hatsu? Okay, yeah, I’m coming!” Shibisu’s voice was muffled for a moment. “Hey, Khun. I gotta go. Just make sure you two get some rest, alright?”

“Yeah.” Khun acknowledged. “Thanks a lot for what you guys are doing. It’ll probably... determine whether or not Bam lives through this.”

“No problem. See ya!”

---

Khun knocked twice at the door. No immediate answer.

“Bam?” He called, opening the door anyway. Inside, he found Bam sitting by the edge of his bed, staring at the ground.

“Khun…” Bam finally glanced up to meet Khun’s gaze, wearing a solemn expression that tugged at his heartstrings.

Shibisu’s words preaching about avoiding mental exhaustion echoed in his head, and Khun let out a quiet sigh, stepping over to where Bam sat. Perching beside him, his hand reached into his coat pocket where the box of sparklers was nestled comfortably, but he didn’t quite pull it out yet, choosing to fidget with it instead as he contemplated what to do.

“... Bam,” he started, after a moment of heavy silence. “How’s training with Evankhell going?”

“Fine.” Bam replied, though Khun didn’t miss the way he clenched his fists. “I just wonder… if it will be enough.”

“You shouldn’t worry about things like that before they happen, Bam.” He wasn’t good at giving reassurance, but he couldn’t stand by while Bam worried himself to death. “Are you still thinking about what Soo-oh said?”

“Yeah. She was right. I… was selfish, trying to make people throw away their lives for me like that…”

“It’s not as if they didn’t have their own stake in the battle.” Khun gently reminded him. “They might not want to take this next fight with you, but that’s not a reflection of your person.”

“... I wonder how many people will die this time. If I gathered them… for my own battles… wouldn’t it be my fault?”

“The people who show up will be those who have an issue with Jahad already. They’ll be fighting for themselves. You’re only giving them a chance for revenge that they’ve always wanted to take.”

“What if no one comes?”

“That won’t happen.” Khun’s brows furrowed at the thought, knowing exactly what Bam would do if that were the case. He refused to think about it. “Hwa Ryun and I are tracking everything. Unrest has already started-- people are beginning to move. Probably, in a week’s time, the stage will be set…”

“...” Bam’s face fell, and Khun’s heart sank.

“... Bam,” Khun reached a hand up to gently grab Bam’s shoulder in what was meant to be a comforting gesture. As he thought, this was no time to simply pull out the sparklers and suggest to throw a party. He had to be strategic about how to get Bam to relax… probably, just framing it as a favor he could do for himself would be the best way. “Will you do something for me?”

“What do you need, Khun?” Bam lifted his head immediately, and though his expression still seemed sad, he looked determined to help.

Perfect.

“I need you to meet me somewhere tonight. It’s pretty important.” Khun gave Bam’s shoulder a quick, soothing rub, smiling at him encouragingly. “Can you do that for me, Bam? Do you have the time?”

“I do. What are we doing?” Bam inquired, staring at him quizzically. Khun, who fingered the box of sparklers hidden in his coat pocket, just hummed in response.

“A team activity.” He removed his hand from his coat, and stood up. “To make sure we’re on the same page. Does that sound good to you, Bam?”

“Yeah. That seems fine. If you think it’s necessary, Khun.”

“Great. Outside my room, eight sharp.” Khun winked playfully and turned towards the door, lifting a hand in farewell. He didn’t think too long about the hint of a smile he caught pulling at Bam’s lips before he turned his back to him, in fear he might stick around. “See you then-- get some rest, okay?”

“... You too, Khun. Don’t push yourself too hard.”

Khun hid his grin as he departed.

---

“Black turtle! You’re on time!” Rak dabbed excitedly in greeting.

“Rak!” Bam glanced at Khun questioningly, who stood against the wall with his arms crossed, smirking. “Is anyone else joining us?”

“Nope! Just us three. Is that okay with you?”

“Well, I’m still not sure what we’re doing…”

“I see.” Khun flashed a small smile Bam’s way, unable to help his good mood. After spending nearly the whole day thinking about it, he realized how long it had been since they had a calm, content moment to simply exist. From the second he’d woken up, it felt like both time and series of events were passing far too quickly for his liking.

Sure, they accomplished a lot, but he had wasted two years in a coma. Khun wanted to actually spend time with Bam like he had in the past… especially with their situation escalating in such a scary way.

Who knew when the next goodbye would be their last.

“Do you have the box, blue turtle?”

“Iii~diot. Of course I do. Let’s get going, Bam.”

“Box?”

“You’ll see soon.”

---

Outdoors, the ‘sky’ had already darkened some time ago. Despite understanding it was fake, a synthetic creation of the tower, Khun hadn’t lived his life knowing any different. To him, it might as well be the real deal. For Bam, considering Rachel’s original goals, Khun wondered how the sky looked to him recently.

With a floating lighthouse to guide the path, they walked a little ways away from the building, settling near a hill. A cool, comforting breeze washed over them. Khun was glad he wore a jacket, wondering to himself if Bam was chilly without one.

After a moment of thinking about it, he peeled his coat away, but not before removing the box of sparklers.

“Don’t get sick.” Khun draped the coat over Bam’s shoulders with a small smile. Bam blinked at him.

“Won’t you get cold, though…?”

“I’ll be fine, Bam.”

“But your temperature is difficult to regulate sometimes, right? I don’t want you to fall ill because of me.”

“Oi, blue turtle! Are you gonna light the sticks, or are we going to just stand around in the dark?!”

“Don’t spoil it, you dumb crocodile. Geez… now I have to.” Guess there was no point in waiting any longer. Through the faint glow of his lighthouse, he smiled briefly at Bam in reassurance, pulling out the box soon after and removing a sparkler.

“Khun-- are those…?” Khun didn’t miss the way Bam’s eyes widened.

“Do you mind playing with me for a little while, Bam?” He handed a sparkler over to Rak first with a content smile, knowing he would hear complaints if he didn’t, and took out a lighter.

“But… what about the training…?” Bam gave him a look of concern as Khun handed him his own unlit sparkler.

“This is training. I’m calling it, ‘strengthening your mental fortitude.’”

Khun clicked the lighter, and a flame rose from the tip. Wordlessly, and with an excited grin, he lit the end of Rak’s sparkler, and it burst into a bright, golden show of glitter.

“Is this really okay?” Bam questioned softly, gazing at Rak’s sparkler. Khun carefully watched his expression as it transitioned from worry, to interest, and lastly, to fondness. He could feel the tension leave his shoulders at the sight of Bam lightening up, and he knew right then that this exercise was absolutely the right decision.

“You’re working yourself too hard, Bam.” Smiling his way, he activated his lighter once more, bringing the flame close to the firework in Bam’s hand. It lit up in a flash, coloring the space between them with a soft, yellow glow.

“You are too.” Bam looked over his sparkler at Khun, his brows furrowed as if he had remembered something. “You’ve been working nonstop since I fought that ranker… no, before that. From when you woke up from your coma. Right, Khun?”

“Well…” he tilted his head, expression slightly sheepish. “It was necessary.”

“You’re the last person who should be lecturing me about working too hard!” Bam was almost pouting at this point, and Khun bit back a laugh at the sight.

It was refreshing, to be scolded like this. He pondered over what had changed with Bam’s priorities in the time he’d been missing. Honestly, Khun was accustomed to watching over Bam, and not the other way around-- after all, for the longest time, Bam had his sights set on one person only and it hadn’t been him.

A moment of silence passed. As he looked to the sky once more, thinking about the stars Bam had once been seeking, a wave of nostalgia hit him, and all of a sudden, Khun felt like lighting his own sparkler. Not a minute later and there were three fireworks sputtering, illuminating the dark night surrounding them.

His eyes fell on Bam once more, feeling a strange sense of intimacy undoubtedly influenced by his memories of the past. While watching him, he couldn’t help but remember the Bam he knew from over a decade ago, when they had first met-- staring at his sparkler in mesmerization, simply happy to be alive, surrounded by new friends, and chasing after his goals.

“Hey, Bam…” Khun murmured, his voice soft.

“Hm?” Bam lifted his gaze, and their eyes locked. Khun paused, the cool breeze gently blowing at his hair, tickling against his cheeks. After spending a moment enthralled by the way sparkles darted in and out of Bam’s golden irises, illuminating them in a rich color that made Khun feel like he was home , he finally opened his mouth, and asked--

“Why do you still want to climb the tower?”

It was a loaded question, Khun knew. Although it sounded simple, when unpacked, it held implications about all sorts of things.

How did Bam feel about Rachel? Why did he want to continue climbing the tower if he decided to stop chasing her-- his initial ‘rule,’ his entire reason for forcing the door open in the first place as an irregular? Just what were his motivations, when the journey they currently faced, already challenging to begin with, was no longer simply an ordinary path up?

When every corner they turned further and further endangered their lives, as they pissed off FUG and Jahad alike?

When the people Bam loved were being stripped from him one by one by elite rankers who would stop at nothing to kill them all?

Wars were literally starting for the simple reason that Bam wanted to protect his mentor. It was baffling, yet incredibly understandable, how so many people-- weak and strong alike-- were captivated by Bam; influenced by him into action.

Khun knew he felt Bam’s natural attraction the strongest out of anyone.

“I…” Bam hesitated, staring at Khun with wide eyes. “I just… want the strength… to protect you.”

“Me?” Khun blinked, his lips parting slightly in surprise. “Bam…”

Bam’s eyes fell, and a bittersweet smile tugged at his lips. “I realized… when I lost both you and my mentor so quickly, that I was putting everyone I cared for at risk. Pretending to be selfless, running around saving anyone who needed help, while using my friends to chase after Rachel… I was really just being selfish. It wasn’t selflessness at all.”

“So then, Rachel-- …” Khun trailed off. When he had woken up from his coma, he had talked to Bam over the pocket about it briefly, so he kind of understood his thoughts-- Rachel was no longer his primary goal because she had tried to kill Khun.

Even so. It hadn’t clicked until now what that meant in terms of what Bam was putting everything on the line for. He hadn’t simply stopped once his ties to Rachel were cut. If anything, Bam had become more driven, more desperate.

“I want to go up the tower with you, Khun.” Bam smiled affectionately at him. “And everyone else, of course. I just want to be able to protect everyone who means something to me-- no matter what it takes.”

The last of Khun’s sparkler faded, leaving them with no other light but the purple glow of his lighthouse. He was acutely aware of Rak silently watching them, and he felt a sense of déjà vu-- but he also couldn’t bring himself to care.

Bam’s sights were set on him. The thought permeated his mind.

“Let’s go, Bam. To the top.” Khun said abruptly, the words spilling from his mouth. He found himself reaching an arm out longingly, his hand resting on Bam’s shoulder in a platonic gesture-- but feeling it wasn’t quite enough , he took a step in, and slid his palm up to cup his cheek.

Bam sighed quietly in response, tilting his head into the touch; almost welcoming it.

This was uncharted territory for them, but Khun didn’t care.

“I’ll make sure no one ever hurts you again.” Bam promised.

“I’ll follow you anywhere.” Khun murmured his reply, leaning in and pressing their foreheads together. Through the dark, he couldn’t see Bam’s full expression too well, but he knew he wouldn’t be pushed away-- that they both wanted this.

How many years had he spent waiting, pining?

Their lips delicately brushed together, and Khun immediately craved more. It felt so right, and long overdue. Sturdy arms circled around his waist, fingers clinging to the shirt on Khun’s back, and to his surprise, it was Bam who leaned in, reconnecting their kiss.

He felt he could stay like this forever and be perfectly happy. But they had to get back inside.

Pulling away from the kiss, Khun’s thumb smoothed over Bam’s lips, which were slightly parted. They shared a look through the dark, communicating something silently, and then Khun stepped back completely, wearing a serene smile.

“Let’s go back inside, Bam.” He hoped the implications were clear. If they weren’t, he would make them clear once Rak was gone.

“Okay.”

“I’m so proud… of my turtles… as your leader…!” Khun deadpanned, turning around to meet a sniveling Rak. “It only took you ten years, blue turtle!”

“I’m going to kill you, you damn crocodile--!” He immediately moved to kick him, horrified. Bam didn’t need to hear he’d been waiting for that long, dammit! “What do you think you’re saying, huh?!”

“Khun--” he paused, feeling Bam tug on his hand. “Let’s go back. I want to keep talking.”

“... Consider yourself lucky. Your life’s been spared.”

---

“I heard the big event’s going down in a week. How are you feeling, Khun?”

“I think we’re ready.” Khun smirked in the devious way he often did when he schemed. “I’ve done all I can to build up the best army possible for Bam. Whatever happens from here, happens. At the very least, we’ll get out with our lives. At the most… we divide and conquer, squashing their ‘war of attrition’ strategy. They’ll underestimate us. We have to use that to our advantage.”

“We’ve definitely been monitoring the tower’s activity on our end. It seems promising. Good work, captain.” Shibisu said encouragingly. “... You sound a lot more energetic. Did something happen?”

“None of your business, Isu.” He retorted, checking the time. Bam would be done with training soon, he should wrap things up and get cleaned up.

“Ah! I know…” Shibisu’s tone became teasing over the pocket, and Khun glared in its direction. “I understand everything now! To be young and in love… oh, I’m so jealous~!”

“I’m hanging up. Bye.”

#khunbam #tower of god #kami no tou #tog #khunbaam #drabbles

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wizisbored · 3 years

Note

What are some of your favorite lines you've written for your fics? (Also I'm sorry things aren't going well right now. Sending love 💜)

right its time to go diggin im using this as an excuse to reread everything because i cant think of any lines off the top of my head even though i know theres a shitton

premptively putting a cut here because this will probably end up long as shit and you know what fuck yea to that because fuck yea to being proud of what youve made

hallelujah, first thing i posted:

If those bastards want to make her part of their shitty musical, then she’s going to make it difficult. Or at least inconvenient.

The hive is not inconvenienced in the slightest.’

- idk if this is as funny as i think it is but i find it funny

"Nobody dies with dignity, Emma. There's no honour in the thing, however you dress it up."

- wrote that to sound creepy and now i cant decide whether i actually think its true

But he’s holding her like she’s his salvation, as if it’s his life hanging in the balance.

- salvation is just a good word tbh

It’s hopeless, but she refuses to be killed by a game of fucking ‘got your nose’.

purgatory, intended to be a shitpost but now i unironically think of it as the best thing ive ever written

After a few years (or maybe seconds, it’s not clear) / it takes a moment (or maybe it doesn’t, who knows?) / An undocumentable amount of time passes. / They might have slipped into an uneasy silence lasting millenia - or milliseconds - if it wasn’t for the jolly tune that suddenly fills the air. / for minutes or years or millenia or maybe even eons / After a brief, indescribably long nap / But the incomprehensible amount of time seems somehow shorter this time.

- 2 in one of fucking with the concept of time and hinting at an unreliable narrator, hell yea. its about the weird atmosphere, baybeeeee

“Does one day of trying the hardest we could outweigh years of not trying at all?” Emma wonders aloud. Paul squeezes her hand.

“I damn hope so.”

He doesn’t ask if she believes in Hell.

- even without context i like this line but in context it really helped set the sombre tone so i could do a full 180 at the end of the chapter

Emma wonders whether they’ve been sent to musical hell for failing to stop the musical apocalypse

- love the implication that there is a hell dedicated to annoying people via musical theatre

“You said- you told her you’d never be in a musical?”

“Yes.”

“And then you died performing a musical number?”

“I- yeah, I did.”

“Brilliant! Now, that is stupid!”

- probably my best characterisation of death, sounds like something that would be said in a stupid deaths bit, i can hear it in his voice

teachers pet

“It’s only blatant if people know about it. So in actual fact this is secret favouritism.”

- hidgens gives absolutely 0 shits about the ethics of the situation good for him

“And if that is kidnapping, well, consider yourself kidnapped.”

- once again ethics simply do not matter

“Oh, where is your sense of adventure? Are you not curious about the results of washing baked beans?”

- this line hants me when im trying to make stew or just have some fucking beans on toast because I am curious about the results of washing baked beans

“Well, if it isn’t, and we both die, then I’ll be quite disappointed. We did spend all evening on this, after all.”

- priorities

finishing what we started, actually originally a scrapped ending idea for igtlt that i liked too much to abandon entirely

“How many bullets?” He eventually asks.

“Enough.”

- they just know what theyve got to do

Only thing left to say is a big ol’ fuck you to… God, everyone else in the fucking world. Oh, and God. Fuck you God, you prick.

- gotta love them tto refs

wildfire, almost 20,000 words of angst that im going to read through because fuck it why not

She doesn't understand the order, at least not yet; a dog doesn't understand the first time she's called to heel. But that can change. Though, from the bared teeth of this dog, the trader guesses it may take a while.

- this is actually something i really like doing in narration, calling a character something in dialogue or comparison and then directly calling them it in the narration

He understands; she doesn't want to show weakness to someone who could exploit her, doesn't want to show gratitude to someone she hates. But the tribeswoman is tired and scared and hurt, and it's obvious. She's broken, at least for today.

The loneliness, however, refuses to wane. It settles in her chest like a physical need, a craving for closeness.

- got inspiration for this description by thinking about hugging my partner while i was stuck in lockdown

"You can say that again," the older woman mutters, shaking her head. "God-fuckin'-damnit, Lauren, why d'you never think about the implications?"

Jemilla turns to her with a questioning look. "Who's Lauren?"

"She-" Molag begins to explain, then pauses. She thinks for a moment, then shakes her head. "I don't even know."

- crossover jokes hell yea

He’s tolerable, she’s decided, at least relatively so, but not trustworthy. If she could truly trust him then he wouldn’t be involved in all this. If she could trust him, she wouldn’t know him.

The thinly-veiled threat in his grin

She stares up at the man, shaking, whimpering, pleading. Wordlessly begging for him to stop.

- gotta love reaching the breaking point

She probably looks insane, bruised and bloody and laughing quietly to herself in a cage. She doesn’t care. They can think she’s insane, just as long as they don’t think they broke her.

laughing as they rediscover half-forgotten days spent as children let loose in a world that seemed so huge and yet so small at the same time

“You know, kids like Zazzalil - scrawny little things born as Autumn died - they’re not supposed to see Spring.”

- i will see any character without a detailed fleshed-out backstory and say ‘is anyone going to make headcannons about that’ and then not wait for an answer

Maybe the pain will shock her out of her head.

im going to live twice

It feels more like a bag of broken crockery than a human.

- this was the only time ive ever had to describe something really gory and decided to make it as uncomfy as possible

she notices with a concerning level of non-concern

Paul Matthews is gone, boy. And if I catch you using a dead man’s name again, well.

- its about the ✨forced disconnect✨

It stares at him, and for a moment he sees the young man that Benny used to be, silently pleading for the agent to tell him he'll be okay.

"In my defence, that was the Colonel's idea.” The man raises his hands in surrender. “I wanted to call you Lauren. I was outvoted.”

- i will take literally any chance to make a 4th wall joke and that is a threat

“I’ll see what can be done,” he assures it, knowing full well that nothing will be.

- xander doesnt flat out abuse emma in the way mcnamara and shaffer do but hes still cruel in subtler ways

“No chance of being hurt?”

Xander nods. “No chance of you being hurt.”

- ✨foreshadowing ✨

If only he was free, free to just get up and go find Blue and tell her - actually tell her, out loud, with words - that she’s going to be okay. If only he could say that and have it be the truth.

She holds onto that piano. Right now, as she kneels crying into the tabletop, it's all she has.

- ‘sir thats my emotional support near-complete stranger’

smoke and feathers

Irony can be a cruel, twisted bitch.

- probably the best opener ive written

There’s a sort of pathetic irony in the fact that she slipped on a stone while wading across a shallow stream and broke her neck.

The stars move across the sky, and she still doesn’t know why.

- sounds poetic and all while also being a fuck you to the chorn twist because i hate it

It seems like every time she looks away the moon goes from waxing to waning and back again, time marching onwards in one unending night, swallowing one unending forest.

Even with her limited view of the person’s face, Zazzalil can see the softness in their expression. She’s hit with a pang of longing for Jemilla.

They share those tender looks that make Zazzalil long for home.

The kind of silence only shared between people who can appreciate the simplicity of each other’s presence

aaand thats pretty much all of em. i know when you said ‘some’ you probably meant less than this but i will give a consice answer to a question when pigs fly. i was going to do the double e au too but its past 1 am now and im going to bed. thanks for this ask because whether intentionally or not you just made me read 48,860 words of fic and thats a damn good distraction when things are getting a bit shitty :)

#igtlt fic #wildfire fic #teachers pet fic #sf fic

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oforamuse · 4 years

Text

i had a dream (i got everything i wanted) chapter 2/?

mickey milkovich hasn’t seen ian gallagher in over 9 years, not since the day he broke his heart and they shipped him off to prison for a crime he didn’t technically commit.

the last place he expects to bump into him is new york fucking city.

or, the one where two broken puzzle pieces find a way to fit themselves back together.

au from 5x12/6x01 onwards.

read and comment on ao3 / CHAPTER ONE

Living with Mandy definitely isn’t like the fucking Brady Bunch, or whatever you’d expect between two siblings. They get by mainly because they stay out of each other’s crap and each other’s way. Mickey will go out if Mandy brings home some guy she wants to fuck (and vice versa), Mandy will leave Mickey dinner if she’s cooked enough and he’s getting in late from work, and they both surprisingly take turns in the cleaning jobs - it’s simple and it works. They operate more like convenient roommates than two people from the same childhood home and bloodline. They’ve never been particularly close and they don’t really pretend to be. Sure, they have their moments where they laugh and crack open a beer a few nights a week but they don’t come crying to each other about their problems. Mickey can count the number of times Mandy visited him over 6 years on one hand, which he pretends doesn’t hurt, but it does.

He knows he could've been a more supportive brother when he was younger too. They both kind of failed each other in that respect.

By the time Mickey pulls himself off the floor, the kitchen is dark, and he must’ve been lying on the floor hours. He thinks he fell asleep at some point but he can’t be sure, everything is confusing and everything aches.

He stumbles into his room and switches on the light, his eyes taking a moment to adjust. He finds his phone on the side, still plugged in where he’d left it this morning on what he thought was a quick grocery store trip. His stomach swirls at the memory, which is quickly followed by an angry growl and Mickey remembers he hasn’t eaten anything all day. He checks his phone to see the time and there’s a text on the screen from an unknown number a few hours ago.

4:41pm: from UNKNOWN SENDER

‘Mandy gave me your number, I just want to talk.’

‘Fuckin’ traitor.’ Mickey mutters, weighing up whether or not to respond or to throw his phone into the East River. He can claim that on insurance, right?

His stomach growls again and his fingers itch to type out a reply.

Ian’s always been a persistent fucker. Unfortunately for Mickey, he's always ended up giving in to the younger boy. Whether it was putting up with him even when Mickey tried his hardest in the beginning to act like he didn’t want him around or suggesting community college or pushing and pushing and pushing until Mickey grew a pair and came out, Ian always seemed to be nagging about something. Up until those last few months where his mania was getting out of hand, he’d always been the one with the steady plan and expectations, or so Mickey thought. Reluctantly, he knows Ian won’t give up until Mickey gives him a straight answer or hears him out properly, his persistence used to be endearing but now it’s just fucking inconvenient. He sighs, the phone as heavy in his hand as the feelings in his chest and suddenly he feels 19 years old again.

They agree to meet an hour or so later at a bar Mickey frequents a few blocks down, a smaller slightly less sticky version of The Alibi run single handedly by this woman born and raised from Brooklyn. Mickey spent an embarrassingly long time choosing an outfit to wear (which he'd argue was because of having not done his laundry), swapping his shirts multiple times before he just gave up and chose something random. Heck, he even put some cologne on, though he’d never actually admit it.

When he leaves his apartment is tension is palpable and he's somewhat worried he might even break a sweat. Mandy didn't show her face for the rest of the evening, hr door remaining firmly closed, so luckily he didn't have to avoid any suspicious questions.

As soon as Mickey turns the corner and the bar comes into sight, his hands uncharacteristically clam up, instantly regrets giving into the Gallagher’s request. He stops underneath the Heineken sign in the window, basking in the green neon glow as he fishes out a cigarette. He’s already a few minutes late and he figures Ian can live with waiting an extra few minutes whilst he has a smoke to calm his nerves. Mickey had to wait 9 fucking years, the guy can deal with Mickey taking a minute. The smoke fills his lungs, warm and familiar, it’s the only thing normal about this weird fucking day. When Mickey Milkovich woke up this morning he did not expect to come face to face with the guy he’s spent so fucking long trying to move on from, it was absolutely at the bottom of the list of possibilities for the day. He smokes right up to the end of the filter, squeezing out every last moment of peace he can before he flicks it to the ground and stomps on it.

It’s now or never, Milkovich.

He takes a deep breath and pushes the wooden door open, stepping into the busy dimly lit bar.

‘Mickey!’ Rosa calls from behind the bar when she sees him, her smile huge and her hand is already pulling down a pint of Mickey’s usual beer.

Great, announce my fucking presence to the whole room.

He winces, maybe he does come here a little too regularly.

Mickey throws her a forced smile and scans the room for Ian, spotting him sitting in a back corner booth looking at his phone. As if he'd called his name, Ian's eyes flicker up just as Mickey catches him and they meet, Ian holding his hand up awkwardly in greeting. He takes a deep breath and goes over to the bar to get his drink, Rosa throws him a questioning look.

She gestures her head towards Ian’s table. ‘First date?’ She asks innocently, handing him his pint, ‘You meet him online? He’s hot.’ She wriggles her eyebrows suggestively and Mickey wants this all to be over.

‘Stick it on my tab.’ Mickey says steadily, swallowing down a biting response. He ignores her prying questions and chooses to flip her off as a thank you instead. He walks over to Ian’s table, his eyes pinned to a point on the wall above his head so he conveniently doesn’t actually have to look at the guy on his journey over.

His heart thumps. Thump, thump, thump.

He gulps.

There's a moment of blink and you'll miss it hesitation before he slumps down into the booth opposite, then Ian looks up from where he’s been fiddling with the label on his beer. His eyes get drawn to Ian’s slender fingers picking at the paper and he notes that the beer has an incredibly low alcohol percentage, barely even being able to call itself beer.

‘The fuck you drinking that piss for?’ He asks, unable to let the opportunity to poke at the other man pass him by. It's a good icebreaker apparently, because Ian smiles shyly. Mickey's never been one for small talk, especially not when he’s nervous.

‘My meds.’ Ian says simply, his forehead creasing ever so slightly, ‘It took a while getting used to it, but it basically tastes the same.’

He remembers the conversation they had with the doctor, Ian sitting opposite him with dead eyes and not saying a word. Falling further and further away from him with every single description of meds he had to take, or things he couldn’t drink or do because of his diagnosis.

‘Fuckin’ doubt that.’ Mickey grunts casually, taking a swig of his very alcoholic beer. He stares at Ian from over the glass. The other man shifts and reaches a tentative hand out on the table between them. There's a beat.

‘I-, uh, I’ve missed you.’ Ian offers hesitantly, his voice low and uncertain.

‘No you haven’t.’ Mickey says bluntly, his right hand gripping his glass tightly. Ian sighs, sitting up properly from where he’d been slouched over.

‘I have, Mick.’ Ian replies, and there it is again, that fucking nickname.

‘Miss me enough to come visit me, yeah? Or how about even a fuckin’ call?’ Mickey says bitterly, running a hand through his hair. ‘Miss me fuckin’ enough to leave me high and dry for 6 years?’

Ian scrubs his hands over his face, ‘I’m sorry’ he offers. ‘I shouldn’t have done that to you. I shouldn’t have left you there.’

‘Why did you?’ Mickey asks, and it falls out awkwardly. He's got to know. He's got to know why he wasn't enough.

‘I was a kid and I was fucked up.’ Ian says, pulling his arm back into his lap. Mickey is momentarily shocked at the honesty - he thought Ian would’ve put up more of a fight like he did when he was younger. ‘I was a kid in over his head and I thought I knew best…I thought you were better off without having to deal with me.’

‘Bullshit.’ Mickey spits, anger and hurt beginning to simmer in his belly. Nothing about what he had to go through left him better off.

‘I know that now.’ Ian says, meeting Mickey’s eyes. There isn’t a hint of blame in Ian’s eyes, but his face is held tight with regret. ‘It was bullshit.’

His words rolls over him like a cascading landslide.

God, Mickey can’t even count the amount of time he spent wishing those first few years of being locked up that he’d hear Ian say those words. Mickey rubs at his eyes, breaking their eye contact. He sits there for a second, letting his vision go black and spotty. It kinda looks how he feels. He wishes he could fall right into that dark pit and blink out of existence.

Ian pulls him back.

‘I wanted to come see you.’ Ian confesses and Mickey drops his hands. ‘I really did.’

‘Why didn’t you?’ He asks and Ian looks away, ashamed.

‘I figured you didn’t want to see me.’ He says, quietly, his fingers going back down the ripped up label. ‘It was hard picturing you there…’

‘Bullshit.’ Mickey repeats, this time with more obvious anger. Ian looks up at him, pained.

‘No, Mick, I-’ He stops and swallows. ‘By the time I had managed to sort my shit out, it had been a while. I figured you must’ve hated me.’

‘I didn’t.’ Mickey says firmly, his eyes threatening to well up with unwanted tears. He scrubs them furiously away.

The silence hangs between them, only broken by a bar full of bustling noise.

At least everyone else was having a normal night, Mickey thinks, at least everyone else doesn't have to deal with their entire everything being turned upside down and thrown out for the entire world to see-

‘You should’ve.’ Ian says, finally, breaking Mickey's internal dialogue.

‘Yeah.’ Mickey says, not meeting Ian’s gaze. ‘I probably should’ve.’

He’s exhausted, this is exhausting. He wants to tell Ian that he hated him, that he still hates him. Mickey knows it would be a lie. He wants to tell Ian to fuck off, to get the fuck out of New York and leave him alone.

He can’t. He won’t.

Because try as he might, and he’s tried so fucking hard, everything always comes back to Ian.

‘I’ve never hated you.’ Mickey says subconsciously, finally bringing his eyes up to meet Ian's desperate gaze, ‘Could never hate you.’

And it's true. He never could, never in a million years.

They look at each other. Their years and years of history spread on the table between them. Souls bared and vulnerable.

‘Why didn’t you come find me?’ Ian asks, so quiet Mickey almost misses it. Ian’s gaze shifts awkwardly as he explains as Mickey can feel himself scowl. ‘When you got out?’ Why didn’t you come find me?’

Ian looks at him so earnestly and Mickey almost bowls right over. He can’t fucking believe what he’s hearing.

‘Are you- are you fucking kidding me?’ He bites, jaw clenched so tightly he thinks he might break a tooth. ‘Are you seriously asking me right now, why I didn’t come find you after waiting six motherfuckin’ years for you to come find me?’

Ian shrinks back, ashamed and wounded. He doesn't even try to fight it. ‘I guess I deserve that.’ He says after a while and Mickey raises his eyebrows, surprised once again at Ian’s lack of self defence. ‘I know I fucked things up.’

‘Yeah.’ Mickey breathes, ‘You did.’

He puts his beer to his lips and drinks. It stings.

‘I’m on meds, have been for the last few years.’ Ian confesses. ‘It took awhile to sort out, I, uh, had a rough time at first, but I’m good now.’

Mickey’s heart twinges. He remembers Ian’s mania, him bringing in all kinds of shit into their home, running miles every morning and fucking Mickey long into the night. Fucking other guys between that too. He aches at the thought of Ian barely wanting to get out of bed, going days without food or showering. Not saying a word to anyone for hours.

Mickey runs a hand through his hair, unsure of what to say. He wants to take Ian by the shoulders and apologise for how he acted back then, he wants to slip his arms around his neck and breath him in, pull him close. He settles for a small smile.

‘Good.’ He offers, ‘Better than havin’ your crazy ass running around.’ and Ian laughs weakly.

There’s a bitter taste in his mouth that’s not from his beer. It’s the realisation that Ian got himself better without Mickey’s help, that perhaps Ian was right after all and that one of them was better off without the other.

Fuck, he needs a smoke. His hand comes down to feel the packet in his pocket and he lets it ground him. He'll get through this, he'll get through this and go to the bodega and get his pack of smokes. He just needs to make it through this conversation without completely breaking down.

There’s a pregnant pause, neither man sure of where to step next. He takes a sharp breath and jumps.

‘What the hell are you doing here anyway? Didn’t think they let Gallaghers leave the fuckin’ state.’ Mickey says plainly, shifting the subject. It's been nagging on his mind since their first encounter - what the fuck is Ian doing in New York City of all places?

‘Didn’t think they let Milkovichs either.’ Ian quips back, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards.

Mickey rolls his eyes, ‘Fair enough.’

‘Fiona’s, uh, Fiona’s actually getting married here.’ Ian explains, ‘She met some rich guy from upstate a year ago and they’re tying the knot.’ Mickey snorts, remembering the string of guys Fiona would always have trailing after her like lost fucking dogs, it’s surprising that one has finally managed to pin her down.

‘She pregnant?’ He asks, both as a genuine question and a jab. Given the Gallagher parent’s rep for popping out a kid every other year or so, he wouldn’t be surprised.

‘Nah.’ Ian replies, ‘In love apparently.’ He chuckles wistfully before his eyes catch Mickey’s for a moment and they shift pointedly away.

‘Good for her.’ He says uncomfortably, and he somewhat means it. There’s a pause and Mickey wonders if it’s time to call it a night because he can not deal with this right now because God. fuckin’. damn. he needs a smoke. Apparently his mouth hasn't caught up with his nicotine addiction, ‘How’d she meet the dude?’ He finds himself asking.

‘He’s some business man or something, he was in town on some job and I dunno, they hit it off.’ Ian shrugs, ‘Lip’s got a kid now, though.’ Mickey’s eyebrows shoot up in genuine surprise. He knows that Lip used to be an important part of the Gallagher household but fuck, Mickey would never give that man a kid of his own.

‘Who the fuck gave him a kid?’

‘A broken condom.’ Ian says bluntly, ‘Debbie’s got one too.’

‘A broken condom?’ Mickey quips back, somewhere between confused and somewhat disgusted at the idea of Debbie actually having sex considering the last time he saw her she was practically an infant.

Okay, like 14, but whatever.

‘A kid.’ Ian rolls his eyes almost fondly and it throws Mickey back ten years, as if they were back underneath the bleachers at the dugouts. It’s easy to forget that literal years have passed between them.

‘Jesus Christ , you Gallaghers have been fuckin’ reproducing like rabbits. There’s enough of you in the world as it is.’ He swallows uncomfortably before continuing, ‘You got a kid hiding somewhere?’

‘Fuck no.’ Ian laughs and something uneven in Mickey’s gut he didn’t even know was there settles pleasantly.

He glances quickly down to Ian’s left hand, no ring.

Interesting.

No kid, check. No ring, check. Boyfriend?

‘So the entire clan is back in town then?’ Mickey asks in an attempt to distract his thoughts away from Ian and other people.

‘Yeah, we’re all here.’ Ian replies.

‘Fuck, I’m not gonna be able to leave my apartment without bumping into one of you goddamn Gallaghers.’ Mickey jokes, taking a swig of his beer. There’s a beat and Mickey takes a moment to simply enjoy being back in Ian's company. He's missed him so fucking much he feels like he could drown in it, it rolls over him like waves. Over the years he's barely let himself admit it - he's always gotta be the cool and unbothered one, never the one to harp on the past. He doesn't think he's even mentioned Ian to anyone except Mandy since moving to New York, his name always painful and heavy whenever he does rarely come up. Neither one of them mention the Gallaghers or Chicago really, for that matter. They both silently agreed to leave it behind them.

‘Come to the wedding.’ Ian blurts out. It slams Mickey right back into reality harshly and he almost falls out of his seat, his beer spilling everywhere. Ian looks at him uncomfortably, painstakingly waiting for a response. Neither man moves to grab a napkin.

Is he about to vomit? Are they both about to vomit?

‘What?’ He mutters, Mickey must’ve heard him wrong cause there’s no fuckin’ chance he just asked him to-

‘Come with me to the wedding.’ Ian breathes, offering a hand out on the table. ‘I can have a plus one, I mean it’s Fiona.’ He shrugs self consciously.

Mickey can’t actually believe the words coming out of Ian’s mouth right now. He just told Mickey that he’s on his meds right now, his mania should be under control, did he fucking lie?

He must be on crack, he’s drunk, he’s high out of his fucking mind. That’s the only explanation.

‘Are you-’ Mickey starts, but Ian stops him with a protesting hand. Mickey swallows hard, what the fuck is going on?, ‘Are you out of your mind?’

‘Hear me out, I know it sounds fuckin’ insane.’ He levels, his eyes pleading and is face so fucking earnest and open.

‘Yeah, it fucking does.’ Mickey says incredulously, really hoping that Ian his catching his clear message of what the FUCK.

‘It’s been years, Mick.’ Ian presses, ‘I’m sure everyone would be surprised- love to see you.’ He corrects himself.

Mickey literally has to hold himself back from laughing in Ian’s face, he barely succeeds and he knows his face must be a picture of absolute surprise. He takes a moment and regroups himself, all the humour gone. He knows why they'd be surprised to see him.

‘Years because I was in fuckin’ prison and none of those bastards came to see me.’ He bites, and Ian looks like he’s been slapped.

‘Mickey…’

‘Your family fuckin’ hated me.’ He states plainly, and it’s true, he knows they weren’t his number one fans. In their defence, Mickey found them fucking annoying too. ‘I ain’t wasting my time in a place where I ain’t wanted.’

‘That’s a lie!’ Ian protests, ‘Carl has always liked you, Debbie too, I know Lip can be a dick- and Liam you have to see Liam-’

‘You’re crazy.’ Mickey mutters in disbelief, but Ian holds up a hand in protest. The idea of being thrown back into that... It makes him feel sick.

‘I want you there.’ Ian admits, and it hangs there heavily as he tries to gage Mickey’s reaction. Mickey’s heart pounds inside his chest and he feels like he might vomit on the table between them. ‘I just want to spend some time with you Mick, it’s been…’

‘I want you there.’ Ian repeats, holding his uncomfortable gaze and Mickey really thinks he’s going to vomit this time.

‘You don’t owe me anything, Gallagher.’ He bites back stiffly, attempting to swallow down the lump that’s building slowly in his throat. His hands start to slightly shake and he wraps them around his empty glass to steady them. Ian’s eyes catch onto the quick movement. ‘And I sure as hell don’t owe nothin’ to you.’

This is too much, this is all too much.

‘I want you there.’ Ian says for a third time, his fingers coming to rest hesitantly on top of Mickey’s hands and Mickey surprises himself by not instantly pulling away. The touch blazes like fire, sending sparks through his hand and up his arm.

‘Heard you the fuckin’ first time.’ Mickey mutters, ‘Like a goddamn broken record.’

His gaze shifts down and fixes on their point of contact. Ian’s slim fingers lightly tracing the dark angry ink on his knuckles. He can feel his resolve chipping away, years and years of shutting everything out comes falling to the floor, like his heart is a fucking piñata. He always found it difficult to say no to Ian, even when he was a closeted asshole kid it didn’t come as easy as it must’ve seemed. Even in the most terrifying moment of his life, when Ian asked him to put everything on the line and jump quite literally headfirst out of the closet, he couldn’t say no.

‘Mickey.’

‘I, I just don’t know, okay?’ He pulls his hand away and pinches the bridge of his nose. He really should fucking run, go back to his apartment and book a flight to somewhere fucking far away. His breath hitches. ‘It’s been nine fuckin’ years, I can’t just…’

‘I know.’ Ian breathes, ‘and that’s why I want you there.’ Mickey looks up at him and his eyes are sad, his eyes are so so beautifully sad. ‘Please give me the chance to make it up to you.’

The brick fortress around his heart crumbles around him and comes tumbling to the floor.

‘When is it?’ He sighs, exasperated, and Ian’s eyes light up in disbelief, like he’s just handed the guy a million bucks.

‘Tuesday.’ Ian answers, grinning that same fucking smile. His fist bumps the air playfully, and Mickey’s heart clenches because he looks so young.

‘Tuesday? Tuesday like two days from now?’ Mickey says, scowling and he cannot actually believe he is buying into this shit. ‘You are giving me two days to prepare to see your fuckin’ family? I’m gonna need at least another five years.’ And he’s being 100% serious.

Ian laughs and something warm in Mickey stirs. He doesn’t know what to do with it.

‘It’s gonna be fine.’ Ian says, ‘once they get over the shock of seeing you again.’ He takes a swig of his piss beer and grins at Mickey from over the bottle.

‘Fuck off.’ Mickey says, but there’s zero bite behind it. It's casual and warm, like the old days. He flips him off, ‘I’m gonna get so fucking drunk.’

‘What else is there to do at a wedding?’ Ian says breathlessly, ‘You’re gonna get to meet all the kids!’

‘Whoop di fuckin’ do.’ Mickey sing-songs unenthusiastically, raising his eyebrows at the other man. ‘You’re supposed to be sellin’ this shit to me Gallagher, not makin’ me want to run for the hills.’

Ian laughs, throwing his head back which exposes his pale neck and Mickey gulps. The amount of kisses he has pressed into that very skin, he knows the exact point that drives Ian crazy. They used to spend hours just going at it, Mickey going to town on his neck, licking and biting. His hand comes down to shift himself uncomfortably in his pants as his crotch responds like an inexperienced teenage boy. He can’t fucking believe this is happening.

‘Fiona won’t mind?’ He asks, trying unsuccessfully to shift his focus away from the blood stirring in his groin. Thinking about Fiona Gallagher should definitely make him go soft. It works.

‘Nah’ Ian dismisses easily, ‘I’ll tell her beforehand, so there are no surprises.’

‘Good.’ Mickey finds himself saying, the last thing he wants to be is an unwanted surprise - much like the ones the Gallaghers have apparently been racking up. They find themselves, for the first time since they bumped into each other earlier, in a comfortable silence which neither one of them know what to do with.

‘I’ve missed you.’ Ian admits again, just as Mickey is about to open his mouth to say how he should go get more beer. He tenses, pressing his back into the booth. ‘I- I know I don’t get to say that.’

‘You don’t.’ Mickey mutters, his fingers reaching down to trace the seam of the booth’s fabric. Ian winces, but nods sadly.

‘I’m sorry.’ Ian whispers, ‘I-’

‘Ian.’ Mickey says firmly, and he takes a deep breath, he feels like he’s on the edge of a cliffside about to jump, ‘I’ve missed you too.’

They hold each other’s gaze. Now that’s out in the open. It’s heavy, daunting and too much to handle. His breath hitches and he feels like he could scream. Or cry. Or both.

‘I should go.’ Mickey says, cutting off their eye contact by moving to shift out from their table. Ian’s shoulders drop down.

‘Yeah.’ He says, bringing his hands down to wipe his palms on his thighs.

Is that disappointment Mickey can sense in his voice? Is Ian allowed to be disappointed?

Ian pulls himself out of his seat to meet Mickey standing, making them much closer now than they had been with the table between them. Without that safety distance, Mickey can smell his cologne, it’s not too strong and smells delicious. Mickey wants to bury his face into it.

Fuck.

‘Thanks.’ Ian says, awkwardly bringing up an unsure hand before deciding to place it on Mickey’s shoulder.

‘Yeah, whatever.’ Mickey says as he shakes it off, unable to deal with the closeness right now. ‘Text me the wedding details, if you still want me there.’ He waves his hand dismissively, unable to look Ian in the eye. His throat constricts at the thought of Ian changing his mind on him, again , and Mickey needs to get out of there before he really does scream.

‘Yeah, Mick.’ Ian breathes, ‘I do.’

Mickey nods, and steps backwards, ‘I’ll see you then, I guess.’ He says awkwardly, turning away quickly before Ian can respond. He walks straight out of the bar, onto the sidewalk and right around the block before he doubles over, attempting to get his wrecked breathing under control. He feels like he just ran a marathon or hiked up fucking Everest.

His breath comes out in shaky stutters, his chest hurts. He just wants to go to sleep, or drink, or find some twink to fuck. Anything to get his fucking mind off of the last hour’s conversation. He spits onto the sidewalk then leans his full weight against the brick wall as he pulls out a cigarette and lights it.

A shaky hand brings it to his lips, and he breathes it in.

#shameless #gallavich #ian gallagher #mickey milkovich #gallavich fic #shameless fic

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drivelings · 4 years

Text

TWtaH - Plot

Just in case work absolutely decimates me and I can’t finish the story somehow. Below is pretty much every single plot point from chapter 16 onward. It's not that I've given up, but I've been spinning my wheels and I am reaching my limit. This has almost everything I wanted to write about minus some specific details.

The Watchpoint now faces a dilemma: their food supply is dwindling and they know they’ll have to either go out to buy food everyone (which increases their conspicuousness) or get Chef’s arrangements back in order. The latter is not an option anymore since Chef effectively sabotaged the relationship between the restaurant and Overwatch.

Additionally, Overwatch still has Talon agents they have to feed.

Overwatch ultimately decides to dump the Talon agents over the border of Gibraltar (the Line) and have contacted Coeur d’Artichaut for help because of Asim’s logistic connections.

Asim refuses and basically makes it clear that he’s sacrificed a lot and did not ask to be involved in an international crime or get a whole restaurant business dumped on him. He’s tired and just wants to be left alone to pick up the scraps of a business that Chef just threw upon him.

In the end, Asim gives Overwatch a contact for them to sort things out. There’s a moral dilemma here where it’s unclear who is in the wrong, but both sides have their own reasons.

McCree sorts things out in person.

It’s decided Overwatch will drop Talon off over the border in a few days.

Meanwhile, in Overwatch’s kitchen:

Several things have been destroyed and needs replacement. Lot of utensils, glassware, etc.

Brigitte volunteers to fix it all up and Torbjorn helps out when he gets the chance.

Because the kitchen’s stuff is old, lots of the old styles can’t be replicated or found in production anymore, so they all do some Frankensteining and the kitchen is repaired with spare parts. Everything works, just looks weird.

Some agents are clearly uncomfortable with being in the kitchen, especially the veterans who know it’s supposed to be off-limits.

No one really goes into the Cellar except Fareeha and Torbjorn. They have a job to do down there, but Athena still warns everyone to keep things respectful for Chef’s sake.

The Cellar is slowly getting security upgrades, but it takes some time to order the supplies. So as of now, Athena’s systems are connected to the Cellar’s systems via cables running through the Cellar door.

Symmetra set up some turrets over the Cellar door. She’s disgusted with the way the kitchen looks now because it’s disorderly. She organizes things to the best of her ability.

Rotation cooking schedule is implemented via lottery. So far, Lucio, Mercy has been cooking.

On Lucio’s turn, everyone finds out that Symmetra is vegetarian and can’t have meat.

On Mercy’s turn, they find out she’s not a very elaborate cook. Dry toast, yoghurt,

Zarya, Junkers, and a few others have issue with this.

Lots of tension because it’s hard to go out constantly to buy more food for the big eaters and there are people with very specific food preferences.

Tracer reminisces that it wasn’t like this when Chef was cooking. She wonders what’s different--is it because Chef knew all their food preferences or is it because there was someone dedicated to handling such a basic need?

Hanzo’s turn is coming up.

Overwatch has their internal meetings. Almost everyone is back on base. Genji is running around and Hanzo is clearly avoiding him still. But he thinks about Genji a little more now.

Winston is also debating about what to do about Chef.

Solider: 76 isn’t talking about getting rid of Chef now--it’s way too late and risky.

Ana talks to Hanzo a little about the current situation, teases him and tells him to talk to Chef about cooking. She’s heard that he’s not a great cook and hints that after Mercy's attempt, she wants something a little more substantial.

Hanzo talks to Chef, finally. His feelings are vaguely making itself known, but when seeing someone you are starting to care about so down in the dumps, the conversations are a little awkward.

Chef has been left in the dark about all the decisions that are taking place and isn’t aware about what’s happening with the kitchen.

You have absolutely any idea how terrifying it is to have raison d’atre getting yanked out from under you?

Chef’s basically cut off from the restaurant by choice of Asim and Argus who can’t keep playing middleman in an international crime between two morally dubious organizations and the world government and a bunch of regulators while still trying to run a charity restaurant.

And the agents are cooking their own food (who are realizing it’s not as easy as just ‘cooking your own food’, but it’s normal for Chef, so it’s not like it’s particularly recognized as difficult).

Hanzo swallows his pride a bit and asks Chef for some help to grab some ingredients. It’s a secret from Mercy who doesn’t want Chef running around.

Chef is on board because it’s freedom.

Chef was visited by a lot of people who has been instructed very strictly not to talk about stressful stuff.

They leave some clothes with Chef because McCree started it.

Hanzo comes to pick up Chef before the ass-crack of dawn. They’re sneaking out, so it’s best to do it when no one is around.

Chef is wearing some weird clothes--McCree’s serape, D.Va’s cap, Mei’s yeti slippers, Ana’s sunglasses, all worn over hospital clothes. Hanzo is in business casual clothes (because that’s all he has) and even he disapproves of Chef’s appearance.

Look, Chef didn’t have a lot of clothing choice being stuck in the medical bay.

Hanzo insists on Chef changing--they are both supposed to be incognito. This weird outfit is anything but.

Hanzo accompanies Chef to get clothes because he doesn’t actually know where they are. So, to his horror--because Mercy was very, very, very explicit in not inducing stress--they’re headed back to the kitchen.

Chef gets the surprise of a fucking lifetime because the kitchen is not the same kitchen anymore.

But anyway, that gets pushed through quickly enough. Chef leads Hanzo into the Cellar. Hanzo, remembering that Chef may remember the site of being gunned down, just rushes down the hall past where the blood stain is still chillin’.

Stopping in front of a door, it’s revealed that it’s a dorm room. Hanzo waits while Chef changes.

Chef takes a moment to think about the gunshot wounds, debates whether it’s worth it or not to bring pain medication on the trip.

Nah.

They go down the tunnels again because they figure they might as well if they’re trying to sneak out.

Chef stops at the tunnel fork that leads to the weird vault-thing that the Junkers were spending all their time in.

Chef doesn’t actually know the Junkers are there.

They don’t take the truck when they go past it. Hanzo insists he’s strong enough to bring back all their shit, but Chef insists on taking a dolly. It makes them more conspicuous, so Hanzo refuses.

Basically, it’s a date.

They talk on the shopping trip, Chef reminiscing about the past while pointing out different stalls and teaching Hanzo different things about ingredients.

Hanzo’s enjoying himself, actually. He’s mentally taking notes about the stuff Chef is teaching him. He gets to taste samples of fruits and stuff. They’re surprisingly good and somehow better than the stuff he had when he was with the Shimada clan. Sure, they don’t look very pretty, but they’re flavorful and juicy and crisp and--they’re just good.

They talk about what Hanzo wants to cook and Chef gives some tips as Hanzo talks through how he’s going to make his meals.

They’re picking up bulk ingredients.

Eventually, they pick up rice--the huge sacks of them. Hanzo basically flexes and shows he can carry all that, the ingredients, and Chef, if necessary.

Chef gets tired eventually. The pain is beginning to kick Chef’s ass and out of stubbornness, refuses to take a break.

Hanzo pulls a, “But I’m hungry,” and forces them both to stop at a breakfast place. Chef still can’t eat anything, so he just gets Chef a drink.

They talk a little bit more about a few more personal things. Like what Chef plans to do now and what Hanzo wants to do with his situation with Genji.

He doesn’t really want to talk about it in a public place, but Chef indicates that Genji cares--Genji talks to Chef and mentioned a few things.

At some point, Hanzo holds Chef’s hand. Originally, it’s to make sure Chef can keep up the pace, but eventually, it’s just forgotten about.

At some point, Chef is staring off in the darkness, thinking that there’s something there. Hanzo’s danger senses are going off, so they are forced to return back to the Watchpoint.

Mercy, Genji, and Zenyatta are waiting for them and greet them before they get to the Watchpoint. Genji, for protection purposes, Mercy for medical reasons, and Zenyatta to keep the peace.

Hanzo brings all the stuff into the kitchen to start on breakfast without speaking to Genji while Chef gets escorted back to the medical bay for more pain meds and treatment.

Chef basically knocks out for the rest of the day--it was exhausting.

Wakes up near dinner time and finds a covered dish sitting on the bedside table.

It’s curry from Hanzo.

Chef, despite the nothing-by-mouth order, begins to eat the curry and rice.

It’s a lukewarm, overly thick, too salty, and the rice is a little dry. It’s not conventionally good or gourmet, but Chef begins to cry. It’s fucking delicious for some reason.

It’s the first time in years that anyone has cooked anything for Chef for the sake of goodwill. Chef begins to remember Head Chef Richard talking about love again.

Usually, when Chef eats, it’s either leftovers the Chef made out of necessity or test creations from other chefs who want a critique or just test dishes for the restaurant.

Remember the title of the story? The Way to a Heart? Yeah, this wasn’t just about the way to Hanzo’s heart.

Chef gets sick because, again, ‘nothing-by-mouth’ order. So, Mercy is angry. However, when Hanzo comes back, Chef lets him know the curry is delicious. While Hanzo is sure it’s not 100% sincere, he feels good about it. He gets a glimpse into the satisfaction one can get from just serving food to others.

Chef is back in the kitchen to clean and get things back in order with Symmetra while everyone else is discussing strategy.

Chef is making tamales because it’s easy and just to have something to give to the agents for the big mission. It should be easy, but knowing Talon, it might get tough.

So the mission to get rid of the Talon agents is underway.

Hanzo, Genji, Ana, Soldier, Lucio, and McCree are off to escort the Talon agents they have as their prisoners away.

McCree, Ana, and Soldier insisted on going because Talon.

Surprise. Reaper’s waiting for them.

It becomes a hell of a brawl.

Ana and Hanzo are at their perches while both Soldier and McCree are trying to chase after Reaper who was apparently assigned to get back those Talon agents who, by now, know Overwatch is almost fully operational.

Reaper is also a great distraction because there is an attempt by Talon to get into Overwatch’s Watchpoint.

Yeah, the remaining agents at the Watchpoint isn’t about that life and puts a stop to that real quick. Though it’s not like Talon tried very hard.

Later, it’s revealed that Reaper wasn’t taking the attack on the Watchpoint too seriously. It’s an apology to Chef. He’s the one who has been keeping tabs ever since the whole attack on Chef happened.

At some point, Genji is overwhelmed try to clean up after Soldier’s and McCree’s asses, and inevitably gets damaged to the point to temporarily being unable to move.

Hanzo rushes down and throws himself into the midst of a fuckton of enemies while facing his own flashbacks and eventually the past and present overlap and he gets some breakthrough where he unleashes his dragons on the battlefield.

Ana is exasperated because she can’t fucking believe she’s babysitting so many people. Lucio is doing his best to keep up.

Reaper is cornered by McCree at a point who throws a tamale at Reaper.

Why? Because McCree has an inkling about what’s happening and the tamale is to remind him about what matters. Reaper makes a telling comment about the Chef (”dishwasher”) that indicates he’s been watching and very aware of what’s happening.

Reaper insists he doesn’t need to be lectured by a kid and disappears after a few more choice words about McCree’s life choices, pulling back and giving Overwatch a victory.

It’s not much of a victory when you have both Shimada brothers wiped out and McCree emotionally shaken. Soldier’s also a bit shaken but he has to keep it together. Lucio is fucking exhausted because healing these fools and keeping up with them is exhausting.

They return to find out the Watchpoint was attacked, but no one was seriously injured. The Shimada brothers get emergency care and Chef is immediately concerned.

When Hanzo wakes up, it’s been a day or two. Genji, already functional, yells at Hanzo for being a moron. Who would be happy about him attempting to sacrifice himself like that?

This is their reconciliation scene. It’s awkward, it’s painful, but Hanzo finds himself a little lighter and not as full of regret as before.

The brothers talk a bit and Hanzo finally takes that first step toward recovery.

Chef comes to visit, still recovering, but not unwell enough to not cook up something for Hanzo’s recovery.

Artichoke soup.

It has great sentimental value to the chef, not that Hanzo knows this, but it’s easy to consume and warm.

Hanzo’s feelings get a bit deeper.

When Hanzo gets a moment to escape the medical ward, he finds Genji chilling somewhere in the Watchpoint, humming a familiar song their mother used to sing.

They talk a bit about the past, agree that it’s a work in progress, and they’ll work through it in small steps.

SURPRISE. THIS WAS A HANZO REDEMPTION FIC ALL ALONG.

Eventually, the Watchpoint gets itself back into order.

Winston plans on announcing Overwatch’s return to the world.

Chef returns to the kitchen, now on a schedule--those who do not eat in the designated time will be dragged down to eat. This is so Chef finally has a healthy sleeping schedule.

There’s more group meals.

Hanzo and Genji have their meal together. Chef joins them for this one. D.Va’s taking pictures of Hanzo and Chef smiling at each other in that really tender way that no one’s ever seen before.

Fuck, I almost forgot: as thanks for the curry, Hanzo teaches Chef the curry recipe and they make it together.

Cue me describing my absolutely favorite curry of all time. Chewy, beautiful and fragrant short-grain rice, thick gravy that coats every grain and filled with shreds of pork and onion. Crunchy, crispy, and juicy pork katsu that is just full of flavor. Absolutely fucking delicious.

After talking with Winston and some advice from Hanzo, Chef decides to open up the kitchen and tell everyone about the secrets of the kitchen. Chef is now the master of it, after all, and shouldn’t be held back by the past.

Before that, Chef visits the vault.

The Junkers are there, sheepish at being found.

The vault contains a hydroponic plant that’s been restored with Junker technology.

This is the secret of the Cellar. An indoor, self-sustaining garden that acknowledges Gilbratar’s import issue and takes it upon themselves to create nutrient-rich and delicious ingredients.

Chef reveals the Cellar’s secrets, providing everyone with the map, talking through every room and its purpose. Overwatch debates repurposing the rooms since they will likely be moving from Watchpoint to Watchpoint once Overwatch becomes official.

It’s then that Hanzo realizes what the real treasure of the Cellar is.

Remember the dorm? Yeah. It’s heavily implied that the treasure is no alcohol or gold. It’s the chefs who serve the Watchpoint and Overwatch’s agents. The Head Chef was a huge sap for his employees, if a hard-headed sap.

Oh yeah, Coeur d’Artichaut?

McCree visits them while undercover as Joel Morricone and finds that they have a new owner: the previous Overwatch Head Chef Richard Sauveterre.

Richard sees through his disguise and grabs McCree by the neck for a cigarette break.

McCree tells him about Chef and Richard laughs at him, saying he doesn’t care about a child who left him such a huge mess to clean up. However, Richard implies that he cares very much and knows how hard Chef has been working and expresses some regret over having taught Chef in the way he has, leading to this outcome.

But Richard is happy for the chef who has now found the light.

Richard tells McCree not to tell Chef about his appearance here or else he’ll turn McCree into his “Meatload Surprise”.

Chef has come to terms with having fucked up everything, and while it’s not satisfying, does not contact Argus or Asim again except to leave an apology.

Chef has finally chosen to stay with Overwatch.

Back at the Watchpoint, Hanzo and Chef are talking. Chef finally uses the miso that was kept in the fridge and Hanzo breaks out the cheesiest and most roundabout way of confessing:

“Will you make me this miso soup for the rest of my life?”

It’s a traditional (or antiquated) Japanese proposal, okay?

Yes. It’s something new and scary, but they’re both okay with it. Yay, the deal is sealed with a kiss.

Great. Story ends.

Nope. Epilogue.

Epilogue is two years later where Hanzo is sent with Baptiste and Mercy to go to a jailhouse. They take a car and Hanzo is dressed all business-like. Hair down, long trenchcoat on his shoulders, etc.

SURPRISE. Chef was finally arrested shortly after the end of the story for international crimes of assisting Overwatch during their time of exile, money-laundering, setting up a fake charity, and other financial related crimes.

DID YOU REALLY FUCKING THINK YOU CAN DO THIS WITH NO CONSEQUENCE?!!

Not to say that Hanzo didn’t try to save the Chef. He tried, but Chef decided to face everything head-on. No more running away.

It’s basically a long flashback about how everything led to this.

It ends with Hanzo and chef meeting each other again, Chef jumping into Hanzo’s arms and forehead touches and kisses.

They’re finally bringing Chef home and now their relationship can really start.

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hellzyeahthewebwieldingavenger · 5 years

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Secret Wars 2099 #1-5 Thoughts...kinda

As I have no memories, nor apparently any records, of covering this story when it originally released I figured I’d do it as part of my re-reading project.

So the first things I should make clear is that I DID read these issues cover to cover...but in the trade. So if the recap pages of the original issues did something wonky I don’t know about that. Also I’m not covering these issue by issue. There are a few reasons for that.

For starters that’d be more time consuming and whilst I’m never going to make this deadline I’m trying to blast through Spidey 2099 volume 3 as early into the upcoming 2099 event as possible. My pie in the sky plan was to get it done before ASM #833 but that’s not happening now because shit got in my way. Secondly I’ve already read these issues as they were coming out and so I wanted to make the experience more novel for myself and see how they held up as one big story not a set of individual ones.

Due to this I’m likely not going to get into the nitty gritty of this story as I would issue to issue, pulling out ‘this one panel was weird’ and so forth. I’m going to try and discuss the story as an overview.

And from that perspective this was very enjoyable but does have you scratching your head when trying to reconcile it within continuity. On that fro there are three ways to view it.

a) Within classic 2099 continuity

b) Within the then current 2099 continuity off the heels of Spidey 2099 volume 2

c) And within the continuity that’s yet to come. Maybe I even mentioned that in the posts I did for Spidey 2099 volume 3, I don’t remember and don’t want to spoil myself by checking. I DO remember Roberta/Captain America returns which makes continuity confusing

In fact continuity from all 3 POVs is confusing. I think the best thing to do is to treat this as kind of like the RYV Secret Wars continuity. That is to say it’s not about the ACTUAL versions of the characters you’ve come to know and when we next see the new characters introduced here those will be alternate versions of these guys.

In a sense this is a kind of conceptual part of PAD’s over all story. It exists so you know that there are/could be versions of these characters and concepts ‘out there’ and they could show back up in his main story. Similarly the All-New X-Factor issue that hinted at this series did so more conceptually. The idea being a big corporation who own their own superhero team. This series doesn’t directly pick up those plot threads but it’s conceptually similar, maybe even the intention is that Miguel got the idea for his Avengers from that story.

I don’t know though because this Miguel is drastically different to the one we’ve been following from Superior onwards. Now I’m not familiar with the 90s 2099 stuff much but IIRC Miguel does become the head of Alchemax and his father Tyler Stone is wheelchair bound so is this supposed to be diverging off that? I dunno.

Enough about continuity though, taking this story in isolation as I said it’s enjoyable. There isn’t much wrong with it beyond one notable thing and a few nitpicks.

Nitpicks would be stuff like how the ending feels kind of weird. It bookends the start of the story but I just feel outright showing us something that we already knew (that Black Widow 2099 acts like a literal black widow and kills her lovers) just wasn’t a fitting end for this story. It’s not that it is gross so much as it just feels odd and out of place. Like there was a more fitting coda for this story than following the minor exploits of a minor character amidst this story.

The more notable problem is a plot one. This isn’t a deal breaker but I just don’t really understand the relevance of Mordo 2099’s business card being in the Specialist’s pocket. It’s the instigator for most of the plot and yet the Specialist didn’t seem to have anything to do with Mordo. Was it just a coincidence? Was it planted there to throw the Avengers off Tyler Stone’s trail? It’s never explained. I suppose it could be a coincidence but then that’s rather lazy writing beneath PAD’s usual talents.

Beyond that the story is fun but fairly simple.

Essentially this boils down to the Avengers and Defenders meet, fight, interact a bit more, fight some more (with some Avengers siding with the Defenders) and then they team up to beat a bigger threat.

Not much else goes on, but that’s not a bad thing.

This story didn’t need to be Kraven’s Last Hunt or Watchmen.

It was just a fun superhero action story, which frankly is usually all that Avengers or Defenders stories ever amount to. Substance is a rarity for ether team, you want that check out the F4 or X-men.

What this series excels at is filling in some blanks from the original 2099 universe line, revisiting some old characters from it, introducing some new versions of old faces (like Silver Surfer and Hercules) and just giving you enough for each character for there to be some fun interactions. Maybe that’s all a bit basic but fun is fun.

We never had an Avengers nor Defenders 2099 back when the line exists, at least not as far as I know. And the idea that classic characters like Hercules, Valkyrie and the Surfer would still be around makes a lot of sense. The 2099 reimaginings of older characters are also quite fun. Black Widow literally being a woman who eats her lovers was obvious and yet novel. Hawkeye being a hawk/human hybrid was something different from the 616 version. Hercules being a standing for Thor was a brilliant balance of something new yet familiar. Iron Man and Vision 2099 were novel twists on the classic characters. The characters bounced off each other nicely (especially Hercules and Sub-Mariner) and there were some fun match ups.

The stand out (possibly because PAD had plans for her) though is Roberta Mendez, a.k.a. Captain America 2099. If anyone was the main character in this it was her. She was the most out and out heroic and a worthy heir to Steve’s legacy.

In recent years there has been much, shall we say, ‘heated debate’ regarding female characters, poc characters, female body depictions in comics and legacy characters.

Roberta has oddly been left unmentioned in this discussion which is strange as she ticks all the above boxes and yet is also one of the best examples of how to do such characters.

She is not stereotypically sexy, and the story points out the ‘wrongness’ of that. But it places it in the mouth of a minor character who is bad, and beyond that doesn’t dwell on the topic. I think this is smart because it acknowledges potential backlash but also doesn’t become self-indulgent in calling it out. I think that’s part of the umbridge a lot of people feel. The lack of subtlety and the frankly obnoxious degree to which a lot of modern comics attempt to call out bad actors or problematic views. PAD demonstrates the right way to handle this rather than Jason Aaron’s tactics in his Jane Foster Thor run for instance.

More importantly Roberta isn’t built up as heroic or better than her peers or anyone else through unearned tactics. This isn’t Riri Williams or Rey from Star Wars who’s acclaim in story is rather handed to them. She is a corporate stooge and a tool (one who’s literally activated and deactivated), but one with a conscience. And that conscience lets her fight back and make the right choices, but she isn’t a true blue enemy of ‘the system’. She’s morally and ethically compromised as Captain America and entirely clueless and vulnerable as Roberta. But she still saves people, she still helps people, she still has a moral code and she still believes in Steve Rogers’ values. She is a capable combatant and yet far from invincible.

In short...she’s a flawed super hero. It’s a feat of balanced writing that is worth of applause on PAD’s part as I count myself a fan of Roberta a lot actually.

The second most interesting character in this is Miguel.

Miguel’s portrayal here is interesting in general because it’s a departure from what you would expect having read volume 2 or possibly 2099 in general. He is absolutely the head of a big bad corporation. And he uses people. He is willing to enforce his corporate authority unethically. He is NOT a good person. In volume 2 you could describe him as anti-hero lite. He was more violent and clearly more willing to take life than Peter Parker but he wasn’t the Punisher or Wolverine. He was on the side of the angels but wasn’t one of them basically. Here though he’s definitely not on the side of the angels...but he’s also not on the side of the demons either. Rather he occupies this interesting spot in the middle as his Alchemax Avengers are doing good things and he does let the Defenders go at the end of everything. And yet he does safeguard Alchemax’s safety and legacy and manipulates Roberta.

This is another feat of writing as Miguel can’t be easily put into a box marked good nor bad or even anti-hero.

As for the art, I feel it’s a step down from what Sliney was doing in Spidey 2099 volume 2 but it’s still good, it gets the job done and the reinventions of older heroes works.

All in all if you have the time and cash, and aren’t expecting anything mind blowing I’d recommend checking this out.

#Marvel 2099 #Secret Wars 2099 #Secret Wars 2015 #Spider-Man 2099 #Peter David #Miguel O'Hara #roberta mendez #Captain America 2099 #Avengers 2099 #Defenders 2099

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thorinkingoferebor · 5 years

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aaaand it’s done - some parting thoughts that didn’t fit into the live blogging behind the cut, oh boy i’m mad :)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

the writing is so bad. so freaking bad. like i wouldn’t have thought this level of bad writing was possible without consciously trying to be terrible. see what i’m angry about (and i’ve mentioned this earlier) is not where all of this is headed. i’m ok with mad queen dany. i’m ok with cersei and jaime dying together. both of that hurts but i’m ok with it because it could have made sense (and i believe it will in the books) but it makes no sense in the show. not the way it’s done. you can’t show us dany for 8 years with not a hint of madness and then expect us to believe she flips within one episode at the freaking sounds of bells. you have to build this up and they didn’t. they mentioned targaryen madness several times but nothing dany has ever done falls into that category and this is coming from someone who really is not a big dany fan. she fucked up plenty of times, she’s got nasty traits but nothing so far suggests she would spend 40 minutes roasting children. then there’s cersei and jaime. because believe it or not: i love cersei/jaime! it’s fucked up and toxic and horrible but they are my original got pairing. thing is though as the story goes on, especially in the books, they change and at some point they just don’t work together any more and THAT’S A GOOD THING! grrm as confirmed it for the books and the entire jaime arc in the past 8 years of the show has lead us to a point where the next logical conclusion would be being with brienne. that doesn’t mean he doesn’t love cersei anymore, doesn’t mean he wouldn’t try and rescue her. and honestly, jaime killing cersei would be fucked in the show, especially if she’s pregnant. BUT THE SHOW DID NOT EXPLAIN A THING HERE! NO MOTIVATION! jaime’s just suddenly back with cersei and she’s just suddenly back with him and you’re just supposed to fill in the gaps like with so much else this season and it DOES NOT WORK. it’s sloppy. they’ve really, really messed this up with the whole SUBVERTING EXPECTATIONS! and i don’t get how that can happen. these people are experienced professionals and yet they forgot the key elements of storytelling! you can’t show one storyline consistently for years and then just go GOTCHA at the last minute. that’s not a plot twist, that’s bad writing! you can have plot twists that still follow a logical narrative (e.g. red wedding) but that requires work, that requires time and well-written dialogue so that you can go back afterwards and go “ohhhhhhhh!”. but apparently, that was too much so they just did a “whoopsy, we just all forgot about our character arcs” and then rocks fall and everyone dies

speaking of dying: i cannot get over how little i care about jaime and cersei dying. i always thought that would completely wreck me. those two together are stellar and heartbreaking and if you took that scene out of context and showed it to a younger, less bitter me, i’d be heartbroken. but all the shit they’ve pulled to get to this point has made me so numb. and that’s what will stick with me. not necessarily the bad plot or the abandoned storylines but the fact that they managed to make me care so little, that i barely felt a thing when my faves died...

What was the fucking point of Cersei’s baby???? Like it didn’t stop Jaime from leaving? It did nothing for Euron (he would have just kept trying anyway?). And it didn’t even matter to Jaime when he came back. WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THIS DUMB SUBPLOT AND WHY DIDN’T THE BABY EVEN SHOW A TINY BIT AFTER WHAT? 4 MONTHS???

i am utterly terrified because lena’s body double did some work for season 8 and we haven’t seen it yet. i hope it was for a cut sex scene with euron but if they start episode 6 with dany dragging dead and naked cersei and jaime through the street i will riot

What was the fucking point of Brienne/Jaime. Like I’m so angry about this. So fucking angry. I’ve mentioned that both show and book were always pointing towards brienne/jaime being endgame even if one or both end up dying but you know what’s even worse than not getting that in the show? What they did to Brienne. She’s basically just his little sexual adventure now and I swear to god if they show her pregnant next week I will lose it!!!!! (and let’s also remember that brienne never once said his name without the titles. not once. i’m so mad) But even if they don’t, they’ve damaged her beyond repair! Not only did she start her journey crying over a man she loved now she also ends it that way? And this time it’s worse because Jaime actually loved her back and she got to experience what mutual affection can be like? Not to mention she’s now “tarnished” in the eyes of her peers because she’s no longer a virgin (expected of a high born lady like her) and the guy she slept with is the freaking Kingslayer! How will she ever live that down? That will follow her for the rest of her life and she won’t even have the secret knowledge that he loved her?! Like the show won’t address this because I guess by next week she will have simply forgotten that Jaime ever existed but realistically she’s now LITERALLY the Kingslayer’s whore from the early books. I cannot believe this.

Where’s Yara? I guess she was busy and she probably forgot about her brother. Reek who?

It honestly boggles my mind how this could happen. The show has been shitty for years now and everyone with book knowledge or some investment in the asoiaf world knows that BUT casual viewers still enjoyed it! I would have still been able to enjoy it if it went on like season 7. Sure it had massive flaws but it was watchable. All they had to do was not destroy the world they’d built for 8 years. i didn’t expect an in-depth answer to the mythical aspects (though tbh they could have just freaking asked GRRM! maybe it wouldn’t have made it into the show but at least they would have known the context and it would have made more sense then. it’s so obvious that they literally don’t have a clue about what to do with the supernatural elements) so all they had to do is bring it to the finish line. Instead, they all but bulldozed every single character arc into the ground to (pre-) season 1 state?????????? and while i do get a certain satisfaction from seeing it all crash and burn and seeing reviews and casual viewers finally realize what a shitshow got is, it still breaks my heart because i care about these characters and that’s probably the only adaptation i’ll ever see. so i wanted them to succeed despite everything, i wanted something that was watchable. instead i got this. something that has ruined years of character growth within two episodes. how can you fuck up this badly?!

WHAT. IS. THE. FUCKING. POINT. OF. BRAN? What did he do? Why is he still here? Why should I care? What did he tell us that Sam couldn’t have found in a freaking book? What was all that “you need to help us in the war Jaime you’re important” bs about?! Jaime did fuck all?!

For all their “this is not a fairytale” and “SUBVERT EXPECTATION!” bullcrap you know what? This ending is utterly predictable. With the exception of Dany now (who will die next week) who’s still alive, that isn’t either a Stark or hasn’t been morally righteous and good from their very first appearance onwards?! No one. Every bad or morally grey character is dead? Even SANDOR HAD TO FREAKING DIE FOR HIS FREAKING REDEMPTION ARC. For a show that’s been trying to tell us for years that the world is full of complex people it sure looks like they only ones getting out of this fight are the original sympathetic heroes.

House Lannister deserved better. SO MUCH BETTER. I know, I know I’m biased here but come ON! Cersei is a fantastic character and what did they do to her? Not only did they hand her back to some creepy dude who forced his way into her bed no she didn’t even get proper screen time this season. Lena is absolutely stunning and this is what they give her???? jaime’s arc had to potential to be absolutely groundbreaking. he went from the most hated guy in episode one to a fan favourite. his arc is tragic and beautiful and represents the conflicts at the very heart of got and YET HERE WE ARE. i honestly dread to think what they will do to tyrion next week. but great job turning him into the character with the best lines into a clueless idiot and killing the one person he loved :))))))))))

#text posts by thea #thea watches got #got spoilers #god i'm angry

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