#seriously i have no clue what the context is help

[mockerycrow]

4k! Congrats! 🎉 I humbly request some Rudy x gn!reader with the angst "Call me the second you get this. I wont be mad, I just want to know you're safe."

SAFE (Rodolfo Parra x GN!Reader) — 4K CELEBRATION

a/n; i apologize for how late this is—i hope you enjoy!! i need to write for rudy more tbh.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: bolded italics in conversation are spanish.

[WARNINGS; stalker themes, out of character probably, angst, descriptions of anxiety, open/unhappy ending.]

YOU HAD MENTIONED to Rodolfo about a suspicious person that has appeared in your everyday life. You mentioned it was a big burly man, someone who looked quite intimidating and they certainly used it to their advantage. At first, you didn’t notice him, even as he followed you from shop to shop.

When you first began to notice the familiar figure, standing in an aisle across from you, maybe checking out a few boxes that he didn’t seem to actually show much interest in, you had sent Rodolfo a text. It was first a “men are creepy” text with some quick context, sending assurances to him that you’re fine. It still put on edge; he made sure you were carrying a pocket knife and at least a backup self defense weapon, which you always were.

That first text was not the only text you ended up sending to your dear boyfriend, who could not come home right away to come help due to a different threat in the country requiring his presence. You began to keep track—due to Alejandro’s advice once he was informed of the situation—all three of you knew that the police were likely not going to take this seriously as they nearly never do.. Until something happens. So, a separate chat between you and Rodolfo is made. It’s filled with photos of the recurring man or if you can’t capture a picture, you quickly send a text of where you are and what the man is doing. It went from seeing him once in a few days, to every other day, to literally every single day.

“I just.. I’m afraid to leave home, Rudy—but I have work, and I..” You whimper into the phone, your heart pounding out of your chest as you close your front door after putting a couple of paper bags down on the ground. You had just gotten home from the store where you had seen the man; where the man had the audacity to inch ever so closer to you, as if you hadn’t ever noticed him. “I know, sweetheart, I know. It’s not something you can afford, hm?” Rodolfo soothes you through the speaker, his voice causing a comforting chill to go down your spine and spreading down your skin. “Are any of your friends able to accompany you in public?”

You let out a breath as you try to calm down your hammering heart inside of your rib cage. “No, not all of the time, I asked.” You reply quietly, taking a seat down on the couch for a moment. Your eyes glance over to the open curtains of your home, allowing anyone to peer inside of your house and see some of the layout. You walk over and quietly shuffle the curtains closed. “I see.” Rodolfo utters softly into the phone, a bit muffled on your end. You sniffle, closing your eyes as you sit back down. “Please do not cry, honey. I will figure out a solution as quickly as I can.” Rodolfo murmurs, his voice ever so slightly strained. 

He knows how scared you are—every conversation lately always ends up leading to something about the strange and disturbing man. It hurts Rodolfo that he can’t be there; he’s asked for leave, but he can’t leave his post. Alejandro has tried to approve his request time after time again, but of course.. Someone above him vetoes his decision. Something about the situation at hand is too important—a situation you have no clue about, of course. Rodolfo can’t even tell you about it, even if he wanted to. All he wants to do is protect you from any threat possible and it’s killing him that he isn’t home to do that. 

Rodolfo doesn’t know how much his superior’s superiors decision will maybe cost him. It’s about two weeks later after that incident, of the strange man borderline invading your space. You went out and bought cameras—not ones connected to WiFi, no. Rodolfo taught you better than that to buy cameras that could be easily hacked into. No Ring Doorbell type cameras, of course. You bought cameras, accompanied by a friend; the man missing on this trip. You bought new locks, made sure to not leave any spares outside like with your previous locks. Even when you were forced to venture outside of your home by yourself, the creepy man seemed to be lacking in any of his usual areas. For a week, you were paranoid. Maybe he just found a way to watch you without being noticed; maybe he grew some brains, but you couldn’t find him at all.

After two weeks, one day.. You haven’t texted Rodolfo once. Not a good morning text you usually send his way, no updates about your day, nothing about if you maybe have to work—not even a mention about how the birds on the bird feeder outside are behaving and it’s eating at him. His bones are aching every time he checks for a notification from you; nothing. Absolutely nothing. The anxiety in his gut is brutal, carving it’s way up his throat and threatening to spill out in angry spurts; or maybe actual bile instead.

There’s anger and cold panic settling in his guts, in his muscles—his skin, his bones, his cartilage. There is nothing else but just.. Rage, and worry. His texts were being left on delivered and now they’re not being sent at all, meaning something is going on with your phone. Alejandro shoots him a worried look when he watches Rodolfo furiously typing at his phone, walking away for some privacy. He’s already called you several times; both him and Alejandro, but he has to keep trying. He needs to know you’re okay. Rodolfo is so close to grabbing a truck and going AWOL for you. He clicks the phone symbol to shoot you another call.

Rodolfo curses and his heart drops to his stomach when it goes voicemail automatically. Cold sweat rolls down and seeps down his face down to his jaw when he hears the voicemail he helped to set up for you.. Hearing your wonderful voice; he doesn’t want your voicemail to be one of the last times he’s heard your voice. He inhales shakily—his chest feels tight. “Hey, sweetheart. Call me when you get this. I.. I won’t be mad, I just want to know you’re safe.” He pauses for a moment, and then his lips part; his voice wavers. “Please.”

Rodolfo tries to keep himself focused despite your lack of response. He tries to focus on Alejandro’s words, the paperwork that needs to be done, the ride out to the city that needs to happen to scope out an area for a future endeavor. He knows his heart and mind need to be at work, but all he can think about is you; and that man. Rodolfo only lasts about an hour before he brings his case to Alejandro. He opens his office door on base, Alejandro’s brows already tense and furrowed from Rodolfo’s previous behavior. “What’s wrong, brother?” Alejandro utters, keeping their eyes locked.

“It’s them,” Rodolfo answers easily, making the other man tense. “I think something happened, I.. I do not know what to do, Alejandro. I need to go home.” The air is tense and thick—the intensity radiating off of his usual calm second in command nearly choking Alejandro. He lets out a deep sigh, contemplating. “Go.” Alejandro utters. Rodolfo eyebrows raise for a moment and Alejandro tips his head towards his office door. “I can deal with the bullshit later. Go.”

Rodolfo sends him an appreciative glance before he’s right out the door.

#crow’s 4k celebration #call of duty #cod #call of duty mwii #cod mw2 #modern warfare ii #mw2022 #mw2 2022 #rodolfo parra #rodolfo parra x reader #rudy x reader #rudy parra #rudy parra x reader #rodolfo parra x gn!reader #rudy cod #rudy x you #rodolfo x reader #rodolfo cod #rodolfo rudy parra x reader #rodolfo rudy parra #rodolfo rudy parra x gn!reader #cod mw #mw2 x reader #call of duty mw2 #cod mwii #mwii #rudy angst #rodolfo parra angst

[keegsmcclue]

What I wanna know is how do they expect us to take Eddie's relationship with Marisol seriously when we know nothing about her and they have taken absolutely zero steps to help us know her or set up Eddie's relationship with her? In the clips we got of her, we didn't even actually get introduced to her. If you'd never seen the show before, context clues is how you figure out that's marisol because Eddie mentioned chaperoning Chris' date with her, cause otherwise, she could have been anyone.

Hell, the clips we got of her are in a flashback in a buddie focused scene where Eddie essentially hands the co-parenting stick off to Buck.

In an episode centered around relationships, and all the other canon romantic couples getting romantic sub-plots (with the exception of Hen who seems like she will be next weeks focus), and they focus on Buck and Eddie when we the audience, even the ones who have watched all 6 seasons, barely know the woman Eddie is in a romantic relationship with because there's been no real character established for her outside of "Eddie's love interest".

ESPECIALLY WHEN R*AN SAID IN AN INTERVIEW TIMMY BOY DID AN INCREDIBLE JOB INTRODUCING HER BEVAUSE IS THAT INTRODUCION IN THE ROOM WITH US??

If not buddie canon then explain?

#buck and eddie #eddie diaz #evan buck buckely #911 abc #911 on abc #gay firefighter show #911 spoilers #buddie #911 buddie

[gravitycavity]

[Preview] Sunshine - Chapter 5

Hey guys! Thank you for your patience while I write chapter 5. This chapter might take longer than usual, so I wanted to give you all a longer-than-usual preview to make up for it. I hope you enjoy it!

For context, Pomni and Ragatha are in a ballroom inside of the haunted mansion. They're locked inside and looking for a key to escape, but aren't having very much luck. Having tried everything, they decide to take a break.

Also Ragatha is sitting in a chair. Pomni found her a comfy one :)

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

The long, dusty boxes that Pomni had already sifted through still laid in a messy pile beside the antique chest. Pomni never was very good at putting things back where she found them.

Sighing, she opened the nearest one and cautiously unfurled the bulky scroll stored inside. A series of small, perfectly-cut holes stretched across the yellowed paper. Some existed in isolation, while others were grouped together into long lines — as if a leaf-munching insect had eaten its way through the fragile material.

Pomni’s tonge prodded the inside of her cheek. “Ragatha? You said you played the…” her gaze flicked aside, “...violin, right?”

“Violoncello.” Ragatha deadpanned. “Why?”

“Well, I was just wondering — since you’re a musician, do you have any clue what these weird rolls of paper are for? They seem related to the piano somehow, but…”

“I thought you would never ask!” Ragatha gasped, clasping her hands together. “Those funky bundles of paper are called piano rolls!”

The redhead had responded to Pomni’s question in plain English, but the baffled look on the jester’s face suggested otherwise.  

Ragatha continued. “Back in the day, these were used to play piano tunes without the need for a human performer. Each one plays a different song when loaded into a player piano.”

“Player piano…?”

“Oh, right. Sorry!” Ragatha shuffled her feet, “That’s a special type of piano that plays itself. I’m not quite sure how it works either. But back to the topic at hand — see those little holes cut into the paper? Each one represents one music note. As the roll slowly unfurls, a sensor reads them and tells the machine which keys to strike.”

“Ohh…” Pomni ran her fingers across the parade of perforations that spanned the scroll. Slowly, she nodded. “...So it’s like a music box?”

“Now you’re getting it!” Ragatha beamed. The look on her face as she watched the concept click in Pomnis’ head was a painting of pure joy; was it any wonder that she had worked as a teacher prior to her captivity? 

Pomni sighed. She planted an elbow on the old chest and cradled her cheek against her palm. “Your students must have loved you...” 

“Well, I did receive my fair share of apples.” Ragatha shrugged. “Never had to pack a lunch.”

“Wait, seriously…? That’s a real thing?”

“No. Not really.”

A silly smile teased its way onto Pomni’s lips. Heart stumbling, she turned away, fingers unconsciously fiddling with the old chest’s loosened lock. “S-So, um, is there anything else you can tell me…?” 

“Nah — telling is overrated. In my classroom, I always liked to take a hands-on approach.” Ragatha said. She admired the antique instrument seated on the far end of the stage. “There’s a player piano right there. Why don’t you give it a whirl, Sunshine?”

Pomni felt her whole body melting, all the way down to her soul. Sunshine. She was putty in the ragdoll’s hands. 

“S-Sure thing! I’ll find a good one!” Just about tearing the lid off of the antique chest, she rifled through its tightly-packed contents with purpose, scrutinizing the faded titles printed on each box. She didn’t recognize a single song, much less any of their long-dead composers, so it was anyone's guess as to what the music would actually sound like. She may as well have just swiped a roll at random — and, as a matter of fact, that’s exactly what she did. 

Pomni set the bulky scroll inside the automatic piano after a bit of clumsy fumbling — and more than a little help from Ragatha. With the flip of a switch, the paper started spinning, and the premier notes of a lofty, leisurely tune stirred to life beneath the ballroom’s vaulted ceiling. 

Pomni’s fingers drew circles on the mechanical piano’s smooth, wood grain exterior. For a moment, she forgot where she was, utterly fascinated by the simple elegance of the century-old contraption. 

It was funny. The long-forgotten piece it played, humbly subtitled ‘a ragtime two-step’, had set her up to expect something more peppy and up-tempo. As the piano roll steadily unfurled, however, the melodic constellations impressed upon the paper sang a far different tune. 

It was the type of jaunty music one would expect to accompany a silent film, just…polished. Refined. All of the musical tropes of the era were present — the driving bassline, the active, syncopated melody — but the piece’s dignified pace and finely-crafted harmonies would have sounded out of place in a rowdy saloon. 

Here in the ballroom, though, the old-fashioned tune was right at home — at least, that’s what the haunted furniture seemed to think. 

Looking impressed, Pomni tapped her foot, wholly oblivious to the perplexing scene unfolding behind her. “Hm. Not bad.” She remarked, turning to face Ragatha, “To tell you the truth, I actually kind of ohmygodwhat’sgoingon—”

Pomni stumbled backwards, then forwards, then backwards again into Ragatha’s chair. The ballroom’s inanimate denizens — the one-hundred-odd tables and chairs scattered across its marble floor —  moved all on their own, dancing in time with the mellow melody. A backing band of squeaking wood and clinking plates added a percussive flair to the player piano’s charming, just-slightly-detuned sound. 

Ragatha, for her part, was busy cracking up at Pomni’s complete and utter bewilderment. With a quick breath, she managed to compose herself. “Well, when in Rome…” The ghost of a giggle still lingered in her tone as she offered up her hand to the crumpled heap of a woman at her feet, “Shall we?”

Pomni let out a mousy squeak. “H-Huh?” She flinched, head feeling light, dots flitting across her vision, “But—”

“Come on. Don’t make me beg.” Ragatha batted her eyes, “It’s unladylike.”

Pomni blushed. She couldn’t argue with that. Without a word, she swallowed, shuddering like a frightened animal as she reached for Ragatha’s pretty hand.

Her fingers curled snugly around the ragdoll’s plush, doughy hand. Both women’s palms — one big, one small — fit together perfectly.

Pomni slid her other arm behind Ragatha’s back, powerless to stop the little whimpers sneaking out of her as she lifted the lightweight woman into her arms. For a moment, their faces were close enough to feel each other’s warmth — and it took every ounce of restraint Pomni had to resist asking: ‘Can I please kiss you?’.

With a brief, peppy fanfare, the music transitioned to a new section; the enchanted furniture, as if controlled by a single mind, adapted its routine in perfect sync. 

“I, um…” Pomni’s heart sank at the sight. This stupid furniture was making her look bad. “I don’t really know how to dance…” She winced the thought, and then at the sight of Ragatha’s grave injuries, “And even if I did, how are we supposed to—”

“Shh.” Ragatha’s thumb glided across the back of Pomni’s hand. “Just…hold me. Please.”

Pomni exhaled. 

Holding her dolly close, the jester closed her eyes, synchronizing her trembling breaths with every other downbeat. Her foot matched the two-step’s gentle pulse, and before she knew it, her whole body was swaying to the rhythm.

Ragatha nestled her head against Pomni’s chest; a blissful sigh escaped her shuddering smile. The tension in her body dissipated note-by-note, phrase-by-phrase, as her darling rocked her back and forth, here and there, to and fro. 

#pomni x ragatha #ragatha x pomni #ragapom #buttonblossom #jesterdoll #pomnitha #the amazing digital circus #tadc fanfiction #tadc sunshine

[createserenity]

Is there any love in heaven?

I’ve been thinking about writing about this for a while, because it’s a major point in the characters of both Aziraphale and Crowley – although this is mostly about Crowley because it relates to something else I'm writing. It’s also all my opinion, I totally understand why other people have a different opinion and a different reading of things that happen in GO, so please don’t be offended by any of this. I'm prepared for the fact that I might be totally wrong, and that's okay too.

Anyway, is it possible that Crowley feels horribly about his fall because he has been torn from the grace and love of heaven and the Almighty? Well, anything’s possible. But also…

What love?

Look at these angels.

Are you seriously suggesting to me that they in any way feel loved? They haven’t got the first clue about love. They don’t feel it. They don’t experience it. They don’t know what it is. The Almighty does not love them.

Angels in GO were created to be servants of the Almighty. They are there to do her will and make sure the Great Plan is carried out. They aren’t her children. She isn’t coddling them like a parent or even loving them as equals or friends. She treats them as servants, or at best as members of her political party.

How do we know they don’t understand love?

We know from season two that the angels have no idea how human romantic love works. Aziraphale has to explain the concept as “what humans do” and Michael et al clearly have no context for this piece of information. They don’t even understand that “miracles don’t work like that” (even Crowley doesn’t appear to know this interestingly). Later on Crowley is able to trick Muriel, and then by extension Michael and Uriel, into believing human love works in a certain way (“you can only tell if people are in love by waiting a few days because humans are weird and that’s how it works”). So it’s fairly obvious that there is no concept of romantic love in heaven.

So this is all very well, but of course, the Almighty wouldn’t have romantic love for the angels, so it could be plausible they wouldn’t understand that but would still understand other types of love. Except…

The archangels, and even Muriel, see nothing wrong with depriving Job and Sitis of their children. They literally don’t understand the bonds of any sort of love that might exist between two beings.

Aziraphale understands because he has been on earth and has seen first-hand the way in which humans form bonds of love. He knows of the love between two humans and between a parent and child. When he tries to explain this to the archangels all he can come up with is “I think they quite like the old ones”. If there was some parallel to be drawn between any sort of love the Almighty might bestow on the angels then he would absolutely have used that to help explain what Job was going to feel at the loss of his children, but he doesn’t, because the parallel doesn’t exist – the angels know nothing of love.

But Aziraphale recognises love when he feels it in Tadfield?

Sure. He’s been on earth a long time. He knows what love is and as a being of goodness it seems he can sense very strong good emotions. He loves things himself in many different ways (books, food, Crowley, humans) and recognises that what he feels for them is love in different forms. He’s learnt what love is through being on earth.

Also just because the Almighty isn’t bestowing her love on her angels doesn’t mean that she made them without the capacity for love. (Even Gabriel clearly has the capacity to love.) It’s possible she wanted them to worship her, or at least be obedient to her, and that in the early days this obedience was not intended to be the obedience of fear, but the obedience of gratitude and perhaps respect or obligation.

In fact the word that would best describe this would be devotion. The angels were supposed to be devoted to the Almighty and to her Great Plan. They were supposed to be devoted to their purpose, unquestioning and obedient. Devotion is not the same as love, especially when it only goes one way, and of course when a relationship only goes one way the relationship either fades away entirely or becomes twisted over time.

Could this be a new thing?

Is it possible that when they were first created the Almighty did love her angelic creations? Well possibly. I’m sure she was pleased with them. I’m sure at first they were delightful to her. None of this is the same as suffusing them with her love.

When Aziraphale and angel-who becomes-Crowley meet in S2E1 we see them both as they were before the fall happened. Do either of them seem like they are basking in the love of an Almighty being? Not to me they don’t. Aziraphale is his usual lovely self, but he’s already nervous and knows that you can get into trouble, even in this pre-earth era. Crowley appears to have been completely absorbed by his star building project and barely paying attention to the Almighty or what she’s doing. Again, they are servants who have been given orders, or members of a political party who are out working in their constituencies, following the general party line, but mostly just getting on with their jobs. Aziraphale also knows they risk getting fired or punished if they invoke displeasure in their superiors – he’s not a being who is confident in the protection and safety of some divine love.

Also if the angels had once had the love of the Almighty and then lost it you’d think they might mention it at some point? Certainly Aziraphale might mention or hint or act in some way like that had happened. But he doesn’t, because it very likely hasn’t. Also when he thinks he’s fallen after lying to Gabriel about Job’s children if he had some sense of love from the Almighty he would know in this moment that he had not lost that love and that he was not fallen. And note here that he says, “I’m a fallen angel!” because he thinks he’s already fallen. He’s not expecting the fall to happen when Crowley arrives, nor when he actually steps into hell itself, he thinks it’s already a done deal and that it happened the moment he lied. There’s no way he wouldn’t know that falling involved losing the love and grace of the Almighty if it did in fact involve that – it would be a point widely advertised and feared in heaven, it would be something used to keep the angels in line. But it isn’t, because it doesn’t happen. There’s no love to lose.

What does this mean for Crowley’s fall?

Well for a start it means he isn’t carrying around some hang up over having been divinely loved and then having this ripped away from him. At most he is feeling rejected by his employer or his political party leader, which I’m not saying isn’t something that would cause him to be hurt or upset, but it’s certainly less significant than losing something that equates to the human concept of motherly or divine love.

Also to me for all that Crowley says, “I didn’t mean to fall” and “all I did was ask questions,” he clearly chose to do so – he chose to keep asking, even knowing the consequences. He picked a side in the war and must have at least in part known what picking that side meant. He knew he wasn’t siding with the Almighty and he did so of his own free will. Choice is a major theme in Good Omens – Crowley made a choice between two sides and picked the one that he saw as the better option at the time (not the perfect option, he doesn’t much like hell either, but I think he liked that they weren’t pretending to be something they’re not). He repeatedly makes it clear throughout the series that he does not regret this choice. He doesn’t want to go back. He thinks heavens rules and actions are ridiculous. Yes he’d love to get the chance to ask the Almighty a few questions, but only because he wants to know what the fuck they were thinking with this whole ridiculous plan.

When he “prays” to the Almighty it’s not really praying, it’s not a sign of faith, he’s just lamenting at a person he knows exists that he thinks is doing stupid things. He’s basically putting in a complaint to head office, though he knows the CEO isn’t actually going to be replying. He never asks her for anything, he simply asks questions, gives his opinion and makes suggestions. “Show me a Great Plan” – there’s nothing great about this plan, what are you playing at? Show me a better one. “You said you were going to be testing them, but you shouldn’t test them to destruction” – I remember you said you were going to do this, but it completely sucks, it’s rubbish, you’re doing the wrong thing yet again in my opinion.

What Crowley regrets and hates is that any of them were forced to choose sides in the first place. We see this most clearly after he thinks he’s lost Aziraphale in the bookshop fire. He knows where Aziraphale has gone – to heaven – the one place he can’t follow, and it’s then that he laments, “I didn’t mean to fall.” Except he did mean to (he’s an unreliable narrator about the whole thing). What this is is the point at which he regrets falling because he realises that the choice he made so long ago has now separated him forever from the one being he actually cares about. Crowley’s default reaction when something goes wrong is to say he didn’t mean it to happen. It’s ironic that a demon who thinks everyone should get a choice denies his own informed choices at every turn, but then Crowley also believes in second chances for everyone. (Look how many chances he gives Aziraphale, then there’s Elspeth and even Job’s children, who, Jemimah excepted, are self-centred brats – they all deserve a second chance at life according to Crowley). He didn’t get one himself and I think that’s what he’s really upset about. I picked my side but there shouldn’t be sides at all and I shouldn’t have fallen because I should have been given another chance.

Any other points?

Yes, a completely contradictory one that goes back to the idea of the withdrawal of love being a new thing where all angels once were loved and this has been withdrawn from them all. I’ve given this some extra consideration partly because whilst there definitely doesn’t seem to be a concept of the fall being traumatic in the original book it’s not totally beyond the realms of possibility that Neil might be retrofitting the story and might play that angle a little in the last series and I wanted to think about how that might go. Since there doesn’t seem to be any love in heaven now I can’t imagine any scenario where this isn’t an all or nothing loss of love.

I’m just going restate right here that for the reasons I mentioned earlier I’m dubious about it ever becoming a thing – pre-fall Aziraphale and Crowley do not seem to be basking in heavenly love, but for the sake of this argument let’s imagine for a second that they are. Let’s imagine the Almighty created the angels and surrounded them with her divine love and grace.

Maybe after the war in heaven the Almighty is so hurt by the rebellion of some of her angels (because nothing can hurt you like the slight of someone you love deeply) that she withdraws her love entirely from all of them. Maybe that’s why the archangels are so bitter and twisted – they were the most loved, they have lost the most. Perhaps all angels are all living under this shadow of having been loved once upon a time but having had that love withdrawn. Maybe that’s why the angels stick so rigidly to the party line – perhaps in a way they are all traumatised. If we can just be good enough, if we can be perfect enough, if we can get the plan exactly right, maybe we will earn back the love of the Almighty.

If that’s the scenario then that’s the greatest tragedy of them all.

#good omens #good omens meta #good omens 2 #crowley #heaven #angels #love #the fall

[writingquestionsanswered]

Hello! This is my first time asking but I could I have some advice on how to write a story that starts in the climax of the plot already? The context is my MC woke up and they are not able to remember anything, but suddenly, he just woke up in the wards of his family (a very strong political figure in their world might I add) whom he told what his life was but the narratives they are telling does not match even in the slightest of the flashback that's plaguing him as the time stretches. And they were in the middle of the war, too. I'm having a hard time to achieve that mind-blowing... thrill I suppose? They also got a love interest that is unmistakably not the one his family claimed ‘their-spouse’ to be.

Starting with Inciting Incident

Remember: your story's climax is the moment your character faces off against the antagonist once and for all. While some stories do start at the climax, and then flashback to the beginning of the story to build back up to it, it doesn't mean you start at the climax and move forward from there.

I think there can be a lot of confusion with the concept of "In Media Res" which a lot of people confuse as meaning starting in the literal middle of the story, or at the inciting incident or climax. Instead, "in media res" simply means starting in the middle of the action. That action can be the inciting incident, the climax, or the literal middle, but again, it doesn't mean the story moves forward from there.

If you're starting your story at the point where your character wakes up without their memories, this isn't the climax but rather the inciting incident. This is the moment when their life and world are turned upside down. Starting at this moment in a story about memory loss is a great way to go, because your reader knows as little about the character and their world as the character does. It puts the reader in your character's shoes right from the start, and they'll be learning everything right alongside your character.

So, that's really the key is to make sure you're filling in the gaps left by not having an exposition. You'll need to make sure to fairly quickly illustrate this character's natural personality, the world they've woken up into, and what their life was apparently like before they lost their memories. If they're being lied to, you may want to build in some clues that hint at what their actual life was like--such as feeling a place is familiar to them even if they're told "no, you would never have been to such a place."

As far as creating that thrill in that opening moment, it's really going to come down to emotional and sensory description. In lieu of recognizing who they are, where they are, and what happened to them, they're going to focus on their immediate surroundings. What can they see, hear, smell, taste, feel? What does that sensory input tell them about who they are and where they are? How does that sensory input--and what they can learn from it--make them feel? What emotions are they feeling as they process this unfamiliar environment and realize they have no idea who they are, where they are, or what happened to them?

I hope that helps!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

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[eightyuh]

some Wick's End chapter 3 development notes!

i thought i'd compile some notes and other things i made while working on chapter 3. a lot of thought went into it!

---

friend asked about how i do pacing:

think of it like checkpoints! i have 30 pages to get from this checkpoint to that. divide it up

freya's dialogue here was not decided until the day ch3 was posted:

i left the space for her to say something important here... but i didn't let it hold me back from writing the rest of the comic! what i chose in the end was intentional.

its implied harry licked glen awake:

i had already done most of the legwork on the illustration before realizing harry should have licked glen to get him to wake up, so i left context clues instead! harry's tongue is out, his expression looks more guilty, and glen has droplets on his head.

intentionally mixed messages:

glen is rarely seem smiling or expressing how he feels, but he is shown being very sincere and open with freya -- hinting how he may view her. freya lifts him up by grabbing his hand in a very brutish way. she brushes off his complement and makes a passive aggressive joke. as a result the reader may read this more as 'oh, glen likes HER, but she ...?' which is then addressed in the following panels ~

--- some panels that were completely redrawn ---

glen needed to look more hungover:

like he was slowly coming to a realization with the reader, not already at it. this helps guide the story pacing more naturally.

harry's posture needed to look more dog-like:

a constant detail i am looking to incorporate is giving harry mannerisms to really sell the idea 'he is a dog in human skin'. here it's as if he's putting his fore-paws on the ground and tilting his head in confusion.

freya needed more aggression, less cute:

in my original concept for Freya she almost has this Amy-Rose-esque fangirl behavior towards Glen... but I felt this would diminish her feelings upon first impression. Giving her a more angry expression next to her dialogue still conveys her passion but we as the audience can take what she says more seriously.

---

i probably have a ton more based on conversations w/ editors but yep !! i see myself as more an artist than a writer, but a lot of thought into the writing goes into what i create.

#WICK'S END #glendale goodwyn #freya ferguson #harry #freya #glen #oc #YEP uhhhh so happy i can infodump about it now okay #let me have this <333 #thanks <33333333

[destinygoldenstar]

How Ninjago Hands Of Time Fails At Dialogue (And how I would fix it)

"Long time no see."

"Wu? You look... old. As if your best days have passed. Unlike your monastery."

"I still have plenty left in me. Care to finish what we started? I've been waiting ages."

"Really? Doesn't feel that long to me."

"This ends now."

That sounds WRONG, right? This is one of the first dialogue exchanges in the entire season, and it sounds wrong.

How Season 7 of Ninjago FAILS at dialogue. (And how to fix it)

Now, just a disclaimer here, this is NOT a review of the entire season. I'm not diving into the story or the characters or the animation here. I'm ONLY focusing on how the DIALOGUE was written.

It's actually much different than talking about the story being written. You could have the best story ever told, but if you accompany it with bad dialogue that feels unnatural, the story gets buried. I feel like that is the EXACT reason why people don't get invested in Season 7's story. It's not because of the actual story, it's the dialogue.

Because there actually IS a good story on paper here. Wu faces consequences for his wisdom and overly-responsible tendencies, Kai and Nya are discovering the history of their family, and overall there's a message of time and age and how that should or shouldn't affect you now.

But the dialogue fails to convey this, and thus what good story there is gets buried. (Not saying Hands of Time is a 10/10 story for Ninjago, but it's not an awful one)

And this seems to be a huge problem that distracts me only in THIS season. This isn't an overall issue Ninjago has. Some of my favorite seasons understands dialogue perfectly well.

"Why would you touch the creepy picture JAY?!"

"I didn't know it would do that COLE!"

That's probably not the best example but I love it.

But Hands of Time is where they really dropped the ball with how to write effective dialogue. I'm gonna show the lines of a scene in Episode 3, in the Krux & Kai fight where Krux tells Kai about his parents being traitors. Tell me if this dialogue sounds natural to you.

"My parents helped Wu and Garmadon defeat you once. I will do it again."

"Is that what you think?"

"That's what I know. Master Wu told me."

"You were not there young ninja, I was. Your parents were. And Wu. He's told you a lie. Your parents were not who you think they are. They didn't fight against us, they fought with us."

"What? Can't be. They were heroes!"

"They were heroes, but heroes for our side."

"I don't believe you. Master Wu would never lie!"

"Surely that's why he didn't want you to know the truth."

That sounds wrong, right? Like these two don't talk like they're currently trying to beat each other against a wall. Which is what's happening action-wise in the scene. The dialogue actively interrupts the fight.

But story-wise, the scene should be quite good and devastating. Krux is telling Kai a harsh truth that his parents were traitors to the elemental masters, and Kai doesn't believe him because he's the bad guy. It's a moment of denial and anger towards the disrespect for his family's 'legacy' for Kai, and a moment of taunting to weaken the opponent for Krux.

But the dialogue fails to convey the emotion that needs to be dealt in the scene.

And I didn't even show the full context here. Krux goes on the BLATANTLY EXPLAIN the clues as to why he's telling the truth. In context, Kai's parents are alive and still his slaves, and if he really doesn't want drive Kai to learn that fact, you'd think he'd leave the truth that they're traitors at that and just use it as an emotional weak point. Seriously, you're basically ASKING to lose your blacksmiths for your army.

(You could argue that he'd use the info to lure Kai and Nya in to force them to get the Reversal Time Blade in the boiling sea for them, which is what they do later, but in context of the story, Krux doesn't know where that time blade is yet)

So how do we fix this scene?

Well one, we make make the dialogue make sense for the character.

"Let's teach these two a lesson on sibling rivalry!"

Nya, you are fighting WITH your brother on equal ground, not against him. LEARN WHAT THE WORD RIVALRY MEANS.

And, we improve on the SUBTEXT of the moment.

Based on Wikipedia's explanation:

'Subtext is any content of a creative work which is not announced explicitly (by characters or author) but is implicit, or becomes something understood by the audience.'

Dialogue is almost always carried by the emotions of the two characters exchanging the dialogue. The setting could play a role, or the action could play a role. Maybe the two dialogue exchangers are in a quiet room together sharing a heart to heart, and I'll get to a scene like that later. Or in this context, they're in a museum, they're to beat each other up, and Krux is using the fact of Kai's parents being traitors to get a weak point.

So I'm going to rewrite this scene, with the only difference is that subtext is now added.

So we have Kai and Krux in the museum in a fight. Cyrus Borg is on the floor tied up and Kai is trying to reach him. He gets kicked away by Krux before he could reach him. Kai gets up and his eyes meet the portrait of his parents. It's shown on his face that his ideology of them motivates him. Krux tries to grab Cyrus and make an escape, but Kai grabs a nearby prop sword to throw at him and get his attention back.

Kai swears to him: "I'll finish the fight they started. I'll stand for what Wu, mom, dad, and all of them fought for!"

And he charges at Krux with a fire-based attack. Krux blocks it and pins him to the floor. In the struggle, Krux gazes at the portrait of Kai's parents and smiles in a very smug way.

Krux then says: "Then you'll be fighting alongside us. Just like your parents did."

Kai is caught off guard by his claim, shock all over his face. All he can give off is a "What?!" Before he's thrown off and slammed into the wall. The portrait of his parents is behind him, and while Kai is down, Krux approaches to add to the taunting, using the painting as a reference.

Krux taunts: "You weren't there, young one. These paintings of honor don't tell the full story of who your family was. What they represented. Wu may not want you to know the truth, but I'll tell you."

The whole time, Kai, on the ground, tries to punch, kick, and spew fire at Krux, but again and again it's blocked, and Krux only approaches closer, his claims echoing in the room, and Kai's head, disorienting him.

"Your parents were TRAITORS. They were DECEITFUL. They were ENEMIES TO THE MASTERS. They fought for OUR CAUSE. They BETRAYED EVERYONE THEY CARED FOR TO SAVE THEIR OWN SKIN."

Kai gets smacked to the corner, and Krux has him pinned again, a smug as ever grin on his face in seeing Kai distraught, confused, scared, and breathing heavily.

Krux asks, "And you want to be like that?"

With Kai's body pretty much molded into the painting by this point, there's a few seconds that focuses only on Kai's expression. His teeth get more gritted, and his fist (claw, thing, you know what I mean) is clenched and burning red under his glove.

Kai then grits, the first time in a quiet bit of anger, "You're a liar."

Krux gives a smug, "Hm?"

And suddenly, Krux is thrown back by a punch of heat. Kai is now the one charging at Krux, trying to slash fire from his fist everywhere. The whole time, he's screaming, "YOU'RE A LIAR! A LIAR! THEY WOULD NEVER! YOU LIE!!"

And from his anger getting the better of him, he doesn't notice Krux pulling a smart move to get him off of him and thrown to the floor.

All Krux can give is a reply, "And you're a fool."

Then Acronix shows up.

See that? That's how you use subtext to get the scene's point across.

It's not good. But it's better, it doesn't spoonfeed info, and it doesn't pause the action.

I could go on with nearly all of the scenes in this season, but lets not.

A pet peeve I have is when people talk to themselves for no reason. Sometimes it's effective, other times, it's...

"Wait. There is a better place. A scrapyard. Like the one that belongs... to my parents!"

Jay is talking to NOBODY.

This is blatant explanation on why Jay separates from the group. We the audience KNOW Jay's parents are from a junkyard. So we the audience can FIGURE OUT OURSELVES that Jay's parents are in danger from this. We don't need Jay to tell us.

You just flat out don't need this line. Just have Jay go the opposite way. The next episode SHOWS that Jay is going to his parent's scrapyard. So if that line wasn't said, it would be a mystery cliffhanger for Episode 4 as to why Jay left, if you can't figure it out yourself, and Episode 5 proceeds to answer your question by SHOWING why Jay left by showing him arriving at his parent's junkyard.

In moments like this, sometimes no words is better.

OR, I get Jay is characterized to be talkative. If that's the issue, have him tell one of the other ninja, ANY of the other ninja, doesn't matter who, that he's going to the junkyard to save his parents.

So let's say he tells this to Cole, just an RNG.

Cole notices Jay is driving the other direction, and asks, "Jay, where are you going?"

Jay answers, "There's another place they could get metal. You know where."

Cole, who KNOWS Jay's parents are from a junkyard, realizes what he's talking about. He asks, "Are you sure?"

Jay answers, "Yes. Go with them, I'll contact you if any of those snakes show up."

Then Jay speeds off, and Cole, reluctantly, goes with the other ninja.

Boom. Subtext. AND it's good characterization to show these characters trust each other. Bonus.

And we DON'T have characters TALKING TO THE VOID.

Same with this:

"There's only one person who could possibly understand what I'm going through."

Kai. Buddy. You are talking to a HELMET.

Do you need to see a therapist?

(Clearly the answer is yes after this season.)

The next scene with him SHOWS that Kai is talking to Skylar, so why did they TELL us?

And Kai does not have the excuse of being a talkative character. We KNOW what Kai is like when he does talk to himself. It's when he's parading in a Green Ninja outfit with his head in the clouds. This is supposed to be a serious moment, so why would Kai be talking to himself?

(To be fair, this is far from the worst instance of Kai being OOC in the show)

All I ask is that characters talking to themselves makes sense and is consistent.

Speaking of his dialogue with Skylar, I wanted to talk about that:

"It's just so... shocking. To find out that your father, someone you've idolized your entire life, turns out to be... there's no other word for it... evil. It makes you question everything you know, everything you are. Which is why I came to you. Because you went through the same thing and I-"

This sounds WRONG. Like, nobody talks like this, especially after what Kai's been going through. If you saw two people in a restaurant talking to each other like this, you'd raise an eyebrow.

Because again, SUBTEXT, WHAT'S THAT?!

Skylar is Kai's girlfriend, right? Or, there was nothing that said they were not dating, and they're clearly keeping in touch. Plus, forget we the audience already knowing it for a moment, Kai, the character, KNOWS that Skylar went through the same thing as he is. HE WAS THERE WHEN SHE WENT THROUGH IT. He's talking to her because he knows that, he trusts her, and he needs someone to vent to and talk to. From the context alone, we already KNOW why Kai is here. We don't need him to tell us. Skylar doesn't even need Kai to tell her that she went through the same thing. SHE KNOWS HER FATHER SUCKED. SHE NEEDS NO REMINDER.

There's also an issue with vocabulary. Depending on the character, vocabulary plays a bit of a role in dialogue. If a character is incredibly smart, like Zane, then you can see him using bigger words. (Zane also has an excuse with him being a robot) But if a character isn't characterized as that, then they won't be saying bigger words.

"Someone you've idolized" Is how I expect Zane to word it. Not Kai.

"Someone you looked up to" Works better for Kai.

(I'm not saying Kai is dumb or anything like that. I'm saying he's impulsive and often speaks and acts before he thinks, so he wouldn't be thinking of big words to use.)

And mind you, that's just the OPENING LINE of the scene.

So let me rewrite this bit with subtext, and show the bond between these two characters without telling.

So Kai at first is seated by himself at the table, staring off into space lost in thought.

Skylar then shows up with a tray of noodles for herself, him, and Nya (who shows up later in the scene).

She tells him softly, "Sorry for the wait. It's a busy night tonight. Should've told me you were coming, I would've gotten that spice you liked last time."

Kai doesn't answer, still staring off into space. Skylar notices it, and takes a seat across from him.

She puts her hand on his and asks, "Are you okay?"

Kai, from her touch, notices her and snaps back to reality. He takes a pause to figure out how to approach it, and only sighs, "Oh, you know. Classic ninja truth bombs going off. The usual."

Skylar doesn't buy his poor attempt at a joke, and she's about to ask what he means-

But then he cuts her off and asks, "How long have you known your dad was evil? Before we showed up, I mean."

Skylar, a little confused, answers, "Um... I'd say it's a deep down thing when I knew. Not exactly a social place on his island. Why do you ask?"

Kai then opens up, asking her, "When the person you look up to is... horrible... what went through your head?"

Skylar hesitates to answer. She doesn't know what to say. Her answer gets cut off when Nya shows up.

There you go. It's not Shakesphere, but it's something better. Utilizing Skylar in the scene and having her talk to him.

In the original scene, Nya blatantly states that Skylar is the head of this restaurant they're at.

But with this rewrite of the scene, we actually DO get that information WITHOUT it FEELING like we're being told it.

Skylar is acting as a waitress at the start. "It's a busy night tonight." Tells is that Skylar works at the restaurant place. And we know she's the head of it because in Season 4 she said that was what her dream lied. So we don't need her to say that.

"Should've told me you were coming, I would've gotten that spice you liked last time." This line gives info that Kai somewhat came unannounced, and also tells us that they do see each other. "I would've gotten that spice you liked last time." Tells us that Kai comes here often, and sees her often. It also tells us that Kai like spices, or just he likes his noodles a certain way.

We also see how Skylar puts her hand on him and softly speaks to him that these two are close. That they are romantically involved. Or, maybe that's not explicitly said and vague enough to have that not be the case. But it still says they care about each other. They trust each other. Kai is here because he trusts her, and it's shown to us why he does.

Kai is lost in thought before she shows up because there is a lot going through his head. We know why, so all we need is his facial expression to show that.

"Oh, you know. Classic ninja truth bombs going off. The usual." We can infer he vents to Skylar quite a bit. Especially with the half-baked joke tone he uses, because he doesn't know how to approach it to her.

"I'd say it's a deep down thing when I knew. Not exactly a social place on his island." This is actually NOT information the audience had yet. We knew Skylar's dad was evil, but we didn't know her exact headspace. So this is added characterization. Skylar lived on an isolated island with her father and a snake cult for a huge majority of her life. We could believe her words when she admits she was very lonely there. But her father was her only influence so while she could comprehend he was in the wrong, she felt as though she had no choice but to be like him until Kai showed up.

That's all you need. You DON'T need Nya to say "Look at her, she could've inherited her father Chen's evil empire and ruled the world, but instead dedicated her life to spending her day bent over a hot stove to provide low lost quality noodles to the people of Ninjago City."

Even Skylar, in the scene, is annoyed by her words. Just don't have Nya say that at all. Just have her say "Skylar's right, look how she turned out." And then the scene's dialogue is better and subtext is there.

THAT is how you write effective dialogue.

The worst thing you can do is treat your audience like they're babies and don't understand anything. I know this show is for kids, but kids are smarter than you think. It's even worse in this show's case, because 90% of the audience is people who have SEEN the previous seasons. At this point, they KNOW certain stuff about the show's world. It's really bad when you're THIS late into a show, and then it suddenly treat its audience like idiots. Like they can't possibly understand what's clearly being shown, or what was established before.

Nya blatantly says that she now trusts the new Samurai X and that they're worthy of the armor. Gee, I couldn't tell from her actions. Nya explains why she kept her Samurai form a secret all that time ago. It's not like we SAW her as Samurai for FOUR SEASONS. (No, the character she's saying this to doesn't excuse it. She doesn't know it's P.I.X.A.L, but she knows it's someone she met before at this point. She knows they saw her in action.)

And before you say Ninjago as always done dialogue without subtext. NO. They have NOT. They HAVE used subtext.

Look at Season 8 with the fight between Lloyd and Garmadon. One of the BEST scenes in the WHOLE SHOW. There is very little dialogue here. It's all subtext. We SEE Lloyd refusing to fight and lose himself, we see his emotion, we see Garmdon's cold stone faced expression. It makes the actual dialogue exchange everyone remembers from the scene hit SO MUCH HARDER.

"It's me, your son."

"I have no son."

THAT is a GREAT way to use affective dialogue. That's all that needs to be said.

But again and again, this season fails at understanding subtext, and my gosh does it ruin the story being told here.

(The Wu nightmare scene is, well, a dialogue nightmare)

You know why I hate Delicious Party Pretty Cure so much? Subtext is flat out just not a thing.

The elephant in the room there is the random narrator blatantly telling us what is going on. No charisma. No context as to why this happens. Nothing.

Saying that they're at an art museum. Gee, I couldn't tell.

Saying that Rosemary is sad. Huh, couldn't notice that.

I actually got ENRAGED at a few moments because of this. And it's not just the narrator, the dialogue leaves little to no room for subtext.

It's not all of Pretty Cure. It's JUST this season. This really truly thinks its audience is a bunch of idiots. They can't possibly understand anything.

When I write my dialogue. I like to rely on the emotion needing to be shown in the scene.

For clarification, I'm going to rewrite the scene in Ninjago Hands of Time that I think was RUINED by bad dialogue THE MOST. When if the dialogue did it justice, it would've been emotionally powerful.

That's in Episode 8. The Smith Family Reunion.

Ray: "Who are you? What do you want?"

Kai: "I want justice!" (Fancy line, but not what I'd say to my long lost father who I think is an enemy)

Ray: "You're red like a Vermillion warrior. But you're no snake." (Thanks, couldn't tell)

Kai: "No... but you are. Traitor!"

Ray: "You've messed with the wrong blacksmith my friend." (Just... cringe)

Kai: "I'm not your friend!"

Ray: "Firepower?! No... you're certainly not a guard. You're... my son. Kai?! You've inherited my elemental power." (Ray KNOWS about the Elemental Masters and how descendants work. How is he shocked his son inherited his power?)

Kai: "That's the only thing I'll ever inherit from you."

---

Maya: "Kai! You don't know what you're doing!"

Kai: "I do, Nya! I absolutely-"

Maya: "I'm not your sister, son."

Kai: "...mom? I don't believe it."

Maya: "That makes two of us."

Kai: "Why?! She's just as guilty as he is! They've been working with Krux and Acronix for years! They're the enemy!" (They know that. Everyone in the room knows that.)

Maya: "Is that what you think?! We're not the enemy."

This scene SHOULD have been one of THE most POWERFUL scenes of the ENTIRE season. And yet bad dialogue BUTCHERS it.

So I'm going to do it justice right now.

So we start with Kai barging into the blacksmith shop.

His father is there. There's a look of solitude and despair on his father's face as he hits his hammer on the metal he's working on. The sound of the hammer on the metal adds to the uneasiness of the scene.

Kai stands there, unsure what to do. He's hesitant, his hand tightened on his blade (or whatever that thing is).

Ray looks up, assuming it's a guard. He says, "The next load is on the shelf. I'll have the next batch by morning, as you wished."

Then he goes back to hammering the metal.

It's louder this time.

From under Kai's mask, his eyebrows are tightened. He shuts the front door and locks it. (Because this is an assassination attempt. That's what he's trying here.)

Ray stops hammering and notices the 'guard' locking the door, and he goes, "What? Was it something I've done?"

That's when Kai gives a sneer. "Yes."

Then Kai, no other words, no patience for his father's reaction, charges at Ray and tries to strike him with the blade.

Ray, with the hammer in his hand, defends himself.

The two engage in a fight, with Kai trying to take him out, and Ray acting out of self defense. Ray holds his own very well, and even knocks Kai back a bit. (Showing the audience he's capable of holding his own.)

When Kai is on the ground, Ray, in a moment to breathe, asks, "Who are you?!"

(Showing the audience he's detected Kai is not a guard)

Kai, on the ground, catches his breath, and shoots the question right back. "Who are you?! You traitor!"

Kai gets up and continues the fight, and Ray again, defends himself. All Ray can get out is a confused, "Traitor?!"

Kai, in his rage as he tries to assault his dad, vents to him (because that's in character) "I thought you were a hero! I looked up to you! I wanted to BE you! I was a fool!"

Ray, again, gets the upper hand and knocks Kai to the ground, throwing away Kai's weapon (thing).

Ray demands, as an act of mercy, "I don't know what you thought of me, but stand down. This doesn't have to end badly."

Kai flinches from his spot, emotions of rage, confusion, sorrow, and vengeance written all over him.

He takes off his mask to catch his breath.

Ray's eyes widen a little, but he still can't recognize his kid. (Because Kai was left as a toddler. He wouldn't know right away.) Confusion starts to ride his face as well. (We can tell from just his expression that he's detecting this is a young fellow, a teen, in a state of grief.)

Still, Kai clenches his fist, now in resolve on his stance.

Ray sees and raises his hammer. He tries to demand again, "Stand down-"

Then Kai's hands start spewing fire.

That's when Ray, having it all hit on him at once, drops the hammer.

Kai gets up and holds out his fiery hand towards Ray.

Ray is devastated by this. He's stepping back. He's breathing heavily. And as he stares into his attacker, he says a soft, "...Kai?"

Kai then slashes fire, and Ray is barely able to defend himself from a nearby helmet on the shelf.

At this point, Nya is on the other side of the locked door, and she's trying to break in. Her pleads are heard muffled in the background. "Kai! Stop! He's our father! Kai, please! Don't do this!"

But the focus is still on Kai trying to strike down his now unarmed father, who has stopped trying to fight back.

Ray pleads, "Kai, I can explain! It's me. Your father!"

Kai screams out, trying to strike him, "My father wouldn't have left me! My father wouldn't have turned his back on Ninjago! My father would've been there for me!"

Then he manages to pin Ray to the wall and grab him. His face is filled with grief. Kai finishes it with a sad, "He wouldn't be my enemy."

He raises his fiery hand.

And then Nya busts in the room and spews water at Kai to put the flame out.

She pleads, "Kai, put him down!"

Kai demands, "Stay out of this, Nya!"

Nya, instead of engaging, BEGS, "He's my father, too."

Ray, in another wave of shock, says weakly, "Nya...?"

Nya's beg touches Kai, and his serious angry face softens in regret.

Ray touches that regret more by saying, "I missed you so, so much... your mother and I, we wanted to come back to you, I promise we did, but... Krux... I wasn't a father. I... I'm so sorry... If I could undo the past... I'd put up a better fight to be there for you."

Kai is touched, almost changing his mind about taking down Ray.

Almost.

It's only for a few seconds, as Kai decides, "That doesn't matter now."

Kai holds up another fiery fist.

Nya screams in plead, "KAI-!"

But then, before Kai could do any more blows, Maya storms into the room.

And the first thing she does is throw her arms around Kai in a tight hug.

It lets Ray go, and it leaves Kai in a stunned shock. All Kai can do is give a soft, "...mom?"

Maya continues to hug her kid tight, emotionally overwhelmed. She begs, "Please stop this, son..."

Nya, still standing by the door, also in surprise, realizes, "Mom?!"

Maya then notices Nya, and parts one arm from Kai to allow Nya to run into the hug.

It's worth of note that Kai isn't hugging her back. Kai's hand was still sparking from flames when Maya came in. But now with both water-powered family members in this hug, we see the sparks from his hand get extinguished as he's overwhelmed by their embrace.

Kai then tries to wrap his head around it. He asks, "Why did you leave us? Why did you leave me?"

Maya parts with her kids, explaining briefly, "We were forced to. Your father and I, we..."

Kai processes, "Krux."

Maya says, "It doesn't matter now. Whatever happened, it doesn't matter now. You've grown up. Both of you. I could never imagine..."

Nya hugs Maya again, but Kai holds back.

He looks over at Ray, who is still by the wall trying to catch his breath. Kai looks over at the girls, then back at his dad, then the girls again.

He backs up into a corner, clearly sick with dread over what he had almost done.

This is his family, and he almost assassinated them. It was a state of him giving in to Krux's taunts and a corrupt mindset.

He covers his mouth with his hand and crashes into the shelf of helmets. The helmets clatter before him, which draws the family's attention to him.

He's kneeled down and dreadful, and a single tear falls from his face.

(Kai has never cried in the show up until this, so it would be effective.)

All he can get out is a tearful, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... I'm sorry dad... I'm sorry..."

Over and over again.

As this happens, Ray gets up and approaches his kid. He softly ruffles his boy's hair to get his eyes onto him. Ray sheds a smile of forgiveness, and he hugs his kid tight.

Soon Maya joins in as well to help calm down her son.

The three of them share a warm embrace in their reunion.

(Seriously, am I the only one who was bothered that Kai didn't apologize for trying to assassinate his family? I know they'd forgive him, but still.)

Once they part, Nya asks, "Did Krux force you to do all of this?"

And then we get Maya telling them essentially the same story from the original about how they forged the time blades, Krux wanted revenge so he took them away, yaddy yada.

By the end of said flashback story, Kai has calmed down, and they're seated by the helmet mess together, so there's easy access to the 'helmet stamp' part of the story.

Bada boom.

The original scene was SO CLOSE to being great. Dialogue and subtext makes all the difference to being the power of the scene home.

Dialogue makes ALL the difference, doesn't it?

#ninjago #writing dialogue #dialogue #ninjago kai #ninjago nya #kai smith #nya smith #ray smith #maya smith #ninjago jay #jay walker #cole brookstone #ninjago cole #ninjago krux #ninjago skylar #skylor chen

[cosmic-herbal-tea]

In the Defense of Saw Gerrera......

Ever since I've rejoined the fandom few years ago, my blog gets notice for a lot of pro-Jedi arguments and sentiments but I don't always get the time to talk about another character in the franchise who gets grossly mishandled by fans: Saw Gerrera.

A lot of fans like to prop up his character as a showcase of "extremism" that makes the Rebels not the quissitessinal good guys and vindicate the Empire, giving them a legitamate reason why they do what they do.

Today, I'm going to call out some things I believe are important to remember about the character.

"Saw's methods hurts the Rebellion more than it helps"

I've seen this sentiment come up a lot, especially after his appearance in The Bad Batch. In canon, there are certainly people who think that, chiefly Mon Mothma (The Rebel Files, Rebels) but the consensus within the Alliance until it's official formation is that they cannot be picky and that he and his PARTISANS are KNOWN for getting jobs done.

And say what you want about his methods, but the Alliance themselves have more than one time asked for his help and even when they didn't like him whatsoever. And when they didn't, it hurt THEM badly.

In Leia: Princess of Alderaan, Bail is big mad because he killed Moff Panaka, believing he was more sympathetic and didn't like how it almost costed his wife/daughter's life (despite the fact the Partisans had no clue they were meeting). Despite all the hubup and Bail getting bigmad, it actually saved Leia, as he was about to reveal to the Emperor that based on the resemblance, she had to be Padme Amidala's daughter.

In Rebel Rising novel, Saw explicitly talks about how he doesn't like how they prioritize things but remain critical about his methods. One of his former Partisans, Idryssa, went to form her own group in the Rebel Intelligence but found when she wanted to help liberate Tamsye Prime of slavery, the Alliance High Command didn't believe it was worth their time to fight, prioritizing other unnamed dilemmas. She ended up going to Saw in hopes he could do a recon mission that'll give her valuable intellgience. He lambasts her for it, telling her it's ironic she had all the ideas to help the galaxy but could only hope people like him do the dirty work. For context, that part of the story is where Saw gets invited to the Alliance (despite doing the worse thing he's done in canon), which he accepts the mssion for FREE, and it is that mission that created the reason why Jyn was abandoned (ill get to that later).

In the episode "In the Name of the Rebellion" for Star Wars Rebels, the Jaliandi Station the Empire established essentially made it possible for the Empire to quickly respond to any distubances, including a mission Hera was on that was botched unexpetedly. The episode, while grooming over Gerrera's methods, also mentioned that he already warned them about it and they ignored it, paying the price for it. This stems from the fact all their tactics are going to, ultimately, come to a "peaceful resoultion". They also try salvaging this by wanting to plant a tracker so they can also listen into communications and adjust their strategy. Both Ezra and even Hera herself believe it's a damn useless tactic and destroying it was the best option. Plot tiwst: it was. Empire took a L.

Rogue One had a big point that the Rebel leaders were unwilling to act decisively and Rebels had shown that for YEARS, Saw warned them that the Empire were building a superweapon. The reason he wasn't listen to? According to The Rebel Files, Mon Mothma dismissed him entirely on grounds that it was too extreme even for Palpatine and that she doesn't like his line cynicism. It took confirming the Death Star to convince her and High Command to talk to Gerrera and/or take him seriously, who has since cut contact with them altogether.

The Bad Batch is the most recent of these examples as his attempt to kill Tarkin and higher up leaders of the Empire led to a series of events that cumilated to Tech's death and TBB's eventual capture. A lot fans wanna blame Saw despite the fact that they interrupted HIS operation and he was planning to assassinate both Krennic and Tarkin included. Tech has a "counterpoint" but as the audience, we know thsoe two are instrumental to the Death Star and given Rogue One's context, the Empire wouldn't have been able to have a Death Star BECAUSE the research on kyber crystals came from Galen, who was a FRIEND of Krennic (to an extent; Galen wasn't favoring him that had especially later), and after Order 66, a lot of experts on that field were killed or they hid because they knew anybody involved with Jedi was gonna get hunted too. Saw would of killed two importantfigures in the Empire in one fell swoop and lets not forget it was TBB that alerted the Empire in the first place and he was doing it in YEAR 2, when the Empire was still up and coming and had a leadership deficit.

Both the Rebels and TBB show gave counter points with comparing his tactics to instead using it to gather intel. I wanted to address the fact that despite what Tech and one of the guys in High Alliance state that ultimately, they were WRONG: the Jailandi relay being destroyed was a all out positive and Tarkin and Krennic's respecitve connections is what brought to fruition two big parts of the Empire and you couldn't replace the leadership capability Tarkin had. It is literally no surprise in canon, the Empire fell apart in 4 years even if they were close to winning but even in that timeframe, both Sidious and Vader had to be more direct in their approach and the galaxy was quickly against them.

One of the real reasons the Alliance had problems was because of their leadership; it was a known fact that in general and especially after Bail's death, High Command would only act dependent on Mothma or otherwise be indecisive and stall. Her core belief was on searching for a peaceful resolution and she stood on that hill to the point she ERASED Saw contributions while being okay with it if it were her friends that did it, as according to Bloodlines, there have been at LEAST 2 instances prior to the destruction of the Death Star the Rebellion under her leadership engaged in "terrorist tactics", one that involved slaughter.

In fairness, Mothma had a problem with her camp (Rebel Intelligence) using those tactics but at the end of the day, guess what? She endorced Draven, even when he got on his mysoginistic bullshit with Jyn. The Alliance's own propaganda department had to start lying/exageratting because they found out ignorant people will not listen to the truth (shocker). [Star Wars Propaganda: A History of Persuasive Art in the Galaxy] And guess what? She signed off the destruction of the Death Star, which totalled to about 1.5 million deaths, the majority being civilians and low-ranking officers dedicated to maintaining it. (Bloodlines) Mothma spent YEARS ignoring, underplaying, and erasing Saw's influence, contributions, and her problem with him was personal, as essentially, she didn't like how Saw both underline the very methods she will have to endorce/support/perform one way or another and that his actions didn't benefit HER, as he was on that "IDGAF about her methods" team. All that and she ended up having to support doing the more morally repugnant things he said she would have to do.

In short? It's complex but Saw doesn't inheretly actually hurt the Rebellion in any special way, despite what the Empire propaganda in universe claims and some opinions of characters (typically Mothma).

"He is a short-sighted fool who just blows stuff up"

Another big claim I see fans put out here is that Saw lacks forsight and doesn't think things through. It's a hilarious thing because the "short sighted fool" was the only one who saw the the Death Star coming YEARS before anybody suspected otherwise. Characters spent so much time writing him off, trying their hardest to contend with it, and wanted so badly for him to just do things their way even when he told them they were fighting an enemy who plays dirty and didn't care about people.

Funny enough, Leia in canon (by the time she led the Resistance) doesn't actually hold too must amnimosity for Saw because at that point, the New Republic paid the price for playing with Mothma's mindset, the First Order took advantage of her compassionm, the Rebellion/New Republic's still possessed indecisiveness without a clear leader telling them what to do, and the Rebellion/New Republic did not learn their lessons when it comes with dealing with the Empire when they were the leading government. Leia had to create her own militia to fight the First Order and they didn't have no allies for a while. She actually thinks they owe him a lot (The Rebel Files)

Saw said it in Rebel Rising: it'll take a tragedy, the galaxy can't ignore it to get people actually united. And guess what? It happened...3 times over: the 2 Death Stars got people working together after the destruction of Alderaan (Jedha too except in universe, a lot people still bought Jedha being destroyed in a "mining accident") and Palpatine publically announcing himself alive was the only thing that got people to come together against the Empire/First Order/Final Order. The latter happened 35 YEARS AFTER HIS OWN DEATH.

I don't personally agree with his actual methods typically but lack of foresight my ass. Dude had foresight on a level comparable to a Jedi and he has no Force sensitivity. He called out the Death Star and knew what it'll take for the Alliance to get their shit together.

"He's a hot-head, self centered, paranoid leader who hurts his own allies"

I've seen a combination of things, especially regarding his character youthful appearances in Clone Wars/TBB, that suggest he is a hot-head, that he is paranoid (usually spoken in retrospect to his later appearances), and that he doesn't care for his allies. I've seen people in fanfiction try to say he burns people when they outlive their usefulness or claim he on'y is worried about his own skin.

That's especially not true. There's a reason why he parallels as a non-Force senstiive version of Anakin Skywalker; they are both hot headed, they are both competent leaders, they hate slavery and indentured servitude with a passion, their best trait is the care and compassion they have for others in which they subvert with logic and reasoning and it isn't always easy for them, and they are respectively feared in similar ways. With that said, there are some difference

Saw does possess compassion even with his darkness; he is willing to protect his Partisans and not risk their lives. Even though he loves them, he also KNOWS some of them are on that "Fuck them kids" team (which he is not all okay with) and typically tries doing good things for them, he "abandonded" Jyn (she knows why but she refused the explaination) because his own group were wanting to use her as a extortion tool for Galen, which didn't sit right with Saw. He genuinely likes Ezra and Sabine too. He likes Megyn. He was willing to help refugees displaced by the Empire way back since TBB. There's a reason for his own databank saying "Saw loses much in his decades of combat, but occasional flashes of the charismatic and caring man he once was shine through his calloused exterior". Even in his more morally bankrupt decisions like adopting Jyn as a child soldier, he explains he does it because he recognize that child innocence will not protect her from Stormtroopers and evil who don't care and rather teach her how to survive and fight for herself. And he genuinely teaches her everything he knows. She is a good foil for Leia for a myraidof reasons.

That man had inhailed Genosisian insecticide from a mission and chemical burns from saving Jyn's life and that man still fought. He apprently lost his leg the same year he died in and he was almost willing to keep fighting even when he was going off his rockers towards the end.

In all, it's again complicated when you get all things but he is not this cold man who abandons his allies at the first sign of trouble. He is one of the first original rebels, the Empire's most wanted person that isn't a Jedi or in the Alliance (tbf, he was dead then), and one of the most deadliest rebels the Alliance had without factoring in Jedi.

The real reason fans don't like him

Let be for real; a lot of people don't like Saw is because he parallels a lot with Mon Mothma, who is a white privilege woman who emobdies the traits associated with heroes (restraint with enemy, peaceful resolutions, "rising above to be better") though unlike Jedi, she is going to be judged differently because she won't have to worry about the responsibility of the Force and it's relation to a character's mindset. She is on the side of the protagonist whe emobody these similar traits so Saw is always going to be seen as "wrong", even when the good guys run headfirst into his methods like gundarks seeing headlights. That's not to say she doesn't have her own points, reasons, stife, and whatnot but fans in this fandom wanna side with "Mommy Mothma" for a reason.

Another reason is that he is a black character and unlike Mace Windu, he HAS crossed lines and does things morally repugnant and distasteful. That I will never argue. However, people love having black characters like that to vindicate and excuse their racist behavior; there were people on tumblr making actual comments about having a mob and lynching him after bein blamed for Tech's death and tried to pass it off as a joke. I have never seen peole wanna lynch mob Anakin Skywalker for killing younglings but they'll go talk about it for their residental, white-washed favorite boi (he's my favorite too btw) onto Saw and thought they were slick all the while pretend Tarkin isn't there or "Well he's a villain so it's expected". Got people out here making headcanons about how all the Clones hate Saw for what happened to Tech or xyz knows when most likely, they don't know or don't care like the way they think their faves would.

What personally frustrates me about this and why I'm invested in even calling this out is because, in all, this fandom will have people ask for nuance and looking at things beyond the surface but the moment the concept is rooted in ideas outside Western ideals or the character in question is a person of color or at least is "coded" as such, they lose their mind and spread the most surface level of misinformation and Saw is no exception.

Saw doesn't represent the favored protagonist; he does not follow their logic and mindset, isn't conventinally attractive to people in ANY iteration, and he is a BLACK MAN in a story about fighting oppression and tyranny using some of the Empire's curelty against them. It aint no surprise and yall not slick.

#saw gerrera #star wars #racism #fandom menace

[princess-of-the-corner]

Amnesia!Dabi

Just some random thoughts, mostly, feel free to take or leave

So, like, when I first thought about this, it’s like … Dabi doesn’t necessarily have ongoing memory problems. You’d think he might, but no, his memory retention is okay. He doesn’t have any problems FORMING new memories, he just can’t remember much from before he wakes up in the clinic. Or the things he DOES remember, don’t have context. Like, he loves soba (I Headcannon the whole Todoroki clan does) but he doesn’t remember when he first had it. He has a lot of survival skills, but doesn’t know where he would have picked them up. Little bits and pieces of a puzzle, but no clue where they fit.

Now, certain things trigger feelings or sensations that can help spark memories, but it isn’t consistent. Like, you’d think fire itself would be a trigger, but no, that doesn’t do anything. Dying his hair red, however briefly, does make him mad, but he doesn’t know why. The first time he tries to make soba himself, he gets a very clear memory of a voice telling him not to over cook the noodles, but can’t recall the person the voice is attached to. The best way I can describe it is a dam, a massive block on his memory, and a strong enough trigger can briefly punch a hole through it, but the dam will kind patch itself, so unless Dabi really pokes at it, he isn’t getting anywhere fast.

Part of the reason Dabi would latch onto Toga would, in fact, be that she sets off a bunch of different feelings that kick that dam HARD. She’s vulnerable, like Shouto, she’s often ignored, like Natsuo, and (fudging this a bit) she has just enough physical similarities to Fuyumi that, altogether, it sparks something for Dabi. He doesn’t know WHAT, but she’s triggering all his Brother Instincts. Now, Himiko is her own person, so while those similarities START rattling the barrier, they can’t do more than that, no matter how much Dabi comes to care for her in her own right. But they do make it so, when Dabi gets a good look at Shouto during Katsuki’s escape (When Dabi decides, “actually, not cool with kidnapping, I’m taking the two traumatized blondes and LEAVING”) the dam in his head gets a cannon ball through it that doesn’t patch up.

The memories aren’t exactly coherent, or you know, linear, but Dabi gets at least one good, clear memory of Shouto as a young kid, a toddler, and that is probably the first clear memory he’s ever gotten. So, instead of just taking Himiko and fleeing the country altogether (which may or may not have been a half-baked plan he was maybe-sorta thinking about) Dabi decides to risk it and approach U.A.. To reiterate UA, not the Todoroki residence itself, for two reasons.

first, and probably obvious, Shouto is the only Todoroki he’s really seen in person at this point. He doesn’t know any of the others, Shouto is the one he’s reacting to, and he knows the kid goes to U.A.. Plus, he doesn’t imagine approaching the civilian residence of the number 2 hero would go over well with anyone. Dabi’s pretty sure that’s a good way to instantly end up in prison. The second reason is Himiko herself. I like to imagine that, while it’s probably better than being homeless, Himiko is still not doing to great. Yeah, the League was actually trying to help her (for their value of help) but Himiko was coming off several months of being homeless, predated by TWEVLE FUCKING YEARS OF STARVATION. She’s a hot mess of malnutrition, dietary deficiency, and Dabi knows she needs a hospital sooner rather than later. And, well, U.A. has several students that could be considered “villains”, they have a teacher with a Quirk that’s similar to Himiko’s, so Dabi’s hoping they’ll be a bit more sympathetic to Himiko’s situation, and actually help her out, not immediately lock her up. (He’s correct)

*On a slightly more comedic note*

to expand on Dabi waking up in the clinic, he wakes up to a nurse trying to check his vitals or something. Nurse is spooked, and asks “Dabi” how he is (seriously, calls him Dabi-san, cause that’s what’s on his chart). Dabi, confused, is like, “who are you? Who am I??” and the nurse figures he’s just coming off the anaesthesia, so puts a bit more in his IV to knock him out again. Goes to tell the main doc what happened, and the man figures this is a good sign, clearly Touya’s more robust than they thought! They’ll keep him sedated so he can rest a bit more, be in better shape, then call in AfO.

Only Dabi doesn’t give them the chance. His metabolism is apparently through the roof, so only a hour or two later, he wakes up. Now, this is Dabi’s experience. He briefly woke up in a place he doesn’t recognize. He doesn’t where he is, who these people are, or even who he himself is. When he tried talking to the nurse, they knocked him out. Waking up AGAIN and getting a closer look, this place doesn’t look REMOTELY like a professional hospital. He’s pretty sure it,s a renovated concrete basement. Yeah, Dabi ain’t sticking around. He gets up, takes his IV out, strolls out in his stupid hospital clothes, fully expecting a fight … and NO ONE STOPS HIM. Middle of the fucking night, Dabi just casually walks out the front door. Was there an emergency? Is this place just poorly staffed? Dabi does not know or care, he is OUT, thank you. 

it takes almost a full fifteen hours before anyone realizes he’s gone.

-

Oh yeah absolutely!

The people and the actual experience is gone, but the memory of it is still somewhere in there and can be brought forth.

muscle memory is going to be the biggest trigger at first. This can apply to some reflexes. Even before he realizes that his Quirk hurts him, he’s naturally trying to keep the fire away from his body, only bringing it close when he thinks to. It’s the other things that were mentioned before, flinching when people get angry and expecting them to get physical, or feeling happy when eating what used to be a favorite meal that he’d eat as comfort. His body is used to these things even if his mind no longer is.

I think the Himiko-Fuyumi trigger should be less that she’s physically similar to Fuyumi(because honestly I can fudge it some but....). It should be because she’s a young /girl/ and a touch childish. Sure, it’s been years since he heard the phrase “hey big brother help braid my hair!” but some part of him remembers it and remembers brushing someone’s hair and he remembers exactly how to braid and for just a moment as he’s sitting with Himiko blonde hair flashes to white and red.

also that ‘escape’ is fucking hilarious

#submission #amnesia!dabi

[gryficowa]

Thomas confirmed "Marinette's" diagnosis in the ADHD fandom just to keep the fadom from trashing his imaginary daughter

The proof are the words from the intro suggesting that "Marinette is a normal girl with a normal life", neurodivergent people are the opposite of "Normal", it is not without reason that many people with ASD and ADHD end up with low self-esteem (And they mask it, which unfortunately harms their condition mental)

Neurodivergent people see themselves as "Abnormal", especially if "Marinette" was supposed to be a scapegoat, such people withdraw from people and avoid them, so even Marinette shouldn't have friends (Luz Noceda only gained them in another world, and many of them 100% of them are neurodivergent people)

Such small things prove that Marinette was supposed to be able-bodied, and "ADHD behavior" was something that Thomas considered "Funny imperfections of the main character" and this context is worse, because if you mention that Chloe has symptoms of ASD, Thomas will probably not accept it and he will quarrel with you

Yes, Marinette points out that she was supposed to be able-bodied, but the fact that "ADHD" helped avoid many charges was Thomas using it

Chloe is closer to neurodiversity than Marinette, because with her it wasn't used as an excuse (And unfortunately, Thomas trashes her so much that many people from the fandom bought it) + She has almost no friends and does a lot of things that many are quite sus (Which is more fitting for a neurodivergent person than Marinette)

Seriously, as someone on the autism spectrum, I can spot things like this and it's disgusting that Thomas uses people with ADHD as characters who stalk and do a lot of things that sound like a crime story

Seriously, neurodivergent people? Have you stopped respecting each other and are happy with the worst representation because the creator said that this is what happens when the series suggests something different? You should have expectations, because the representation of disability is seriously terrible and without a fight it can get even worse, because you are rewarding the creator for not sanctioning you

Do you seriously want to be represented by a stalker and a person who builds a relationship on a fucking lie?

Honestly, Chloe wasn't a bad person, it was Thomas who was such a pain in the ass that he tried so hard to antagonize her (And it's sad that people bought it), this isn't Chloe from the first season or the second one, she's a caricature, which is something the creators do with little writing skills

Was Chloe good? Neither, she's best described as an anti-hero, but she's 100% not what Thomas did with her

So yes, Marinette's writing is fucked up, just like the fact that you want the guy who bans black people on Twitter (Because they pointed out the racism in his cartoon) to confirm something he has no fucking clue about

Seriously, neurodivergent people, do you have such low expectations for any representation?

#miracolous ladybug #marinette dupain cheng #miraculous marinette #mlb marinette #marinette dupen chang #marinette cheng #miraculous ladybug #miraculous fandom #ml critical #ml fandom salt #ml ladybug #ml salt #ml writing salt #ml writers salt #thomas astruc #anti thomas astruc #adhd #neurodivergent #neurodiversity #why?

[aita-blorbos]

AITA for joking about a traumatic experience I went through?

Hi. Recently I (17M) got into a bit of a spat with a guy who I thought was my best friend, and so I’m looking for opinions.

For some context, a while back I took some freaky drugs. Some can’t-even-look-it-up-on-the-internet, top-secret type of shit. Something-something quantuam nanotechnology CPU.

Listen, I don’t really get it, but all you need to know is that they put a computer inside my brain. And the computer told me what to do. It helped me to be cool. It helped me rule.

That’s how I befriended stupid J (My “friend,” 17 M) in the first place. Before I took those drugs, I had NO-ONE. I was a LOSER. A dork who didn’t have a clue! But my computer brain made me POPULAR. Suddenly, I had all sorts of buds, and he was my favorite of them.

Real cool, badass sort of guy. A little bit dumb sometimes, but nice, too. I appreciated his friendship.

…However, eventually, things went tits up with my computer. Stupid thing started harassing me and I realized I wanted it GONE. It was going to, like… drive me insane or something if I left it be. I came to this realization in the midst of a party J was hosting, and desperately tried to get rid of the computer. But the only way to shut it off was with some long-discontinued nerd soda, and I didn’t have any of that! No-one did! So I did the next best thing.

I set a fire and I burned down J’s house.

Listen: I know how nuts that sounds… but you’ve gotta understand how desperate I was! I HAD to get that thing out of my head. Right then and there. And if the only way to do that was, like, ending my life or whatever in some terrifying inferno, then so be it.

And I DID almost die— passed out from smoke inhalation and everything. But stupid J had to intervene. Initially, he evacuated at first signs of the fire like everyone else, but then he realized I was still inside and decided to play hero. He ran in to rescue me, desperate to save my life.

He did manage to drag me away from the center of the fire, but just as he was nearing the exit, the house collapsed on him. Both of us survived, but we were pretty badly burned, and J broke both his legs.

Obviously, I felt pretty shitty about that. But it’s not like I could apologize right away. I was in the HOSPITAL.

And while I was in the hospital, some nightmare shit went down at school.

J and some other kids were putting on the school play (apparently, he felt well enough to be discharged early, albeit in a wheelchair), and unbeknownst to him, some jackass spiked the punch bowl they were using as a prop. Because of this, all of the actors in the school play, J included, were infected with the stupid computer pill brain drug, and they went on a rampage.

Eventually, another kid (I’ll call him LamerJ) managed to stop the madness. He found that long-discontinued nerd soda and shut off all of the evil computers, including the one inside my head (We all, like, had a psychic link via our computers. Long story).

Before he did this, though, like a complete dumbass, J stood up. Instructed by his computer to try and stop LamerJ, he GOT OUT OF HIS WHEELCHAIR AND STARTED MOVING AROUND.

The good news is this didn’t hurt him because the computer shut off his nerves or whatever. The bad news is walking around while you have already fractured legs is going to do irreparable damage to your body and he ended up SERIOUSLY messing himself up.

In just a few minutes, J’s prognosis went from “Your legs are going to need some time to heal” to “You will probably never recover fully. You are going to have a semi-permanent condition for life.”

J was… uh, pretty gutted about this. Dude was big into sports, and so that kinda damaged his prospects.

I apologized to J, OBVIOUSLY, and he said it was good. That we were all good. He said he wasn’t upset with me and he got I wasn’t in my right mind, and after that things were supposed to go back to normal. He was going to be able to get to know the real me.

But here’s the thing: I was struggling with some shit, too, and you know how I cope with that sort of thing? Through humor. I’d make jokes where I called myself stuff like “flaming hot’ and all the other kids loved it. Helped me feel a lot less shit about my burn scars. But apparently J had an issue with that.

He pulled me aside into the boys’ bathroom one day and, out of the blue, started demanding I needed to stop making jokes about the fire. All of a sudden, it was upsetting to him. I told him that I got why he was so crabby about things, but that the fire traumatized me too, and that I deserved the right to laugh at myself if it helped me cope.

I told him it wasn’t me he should be mad at for his injuries, anyways. He should have been mad at LamerJ or YetAnotherJ, who were responsible for letting the punch bowl get spiked. If it weren’t for that, the damage wouldn’t have been anywhere near as serious. They were to blame. Not me.

But he said that wasn’t true, and that as his friend, he expected more of me. He reminded me it was trying to save me he was even hurt in the first place.

I told him I never ASKED him to rescue me. That was his decision. I said I was sorry I didn’t go and factor his feelings into my GODDAMN SUICIDE ATTEMPT.

He started getting really angry. I got angry too. He said I ruined his life, and I said he must have wanted his life ruined. Something about those computer chips is they can’t make you do anything you don’t truly want. Therefore, at least SOME part of him wanted to stand up and shatter his legs. Maybe to get out of the responsibility of having to decide what he wanted to do with his future or whatever (Since he’d always been SO flaky about that).

He said if that were true, then clearly I wanted to burn down his house and hurt him. I told him the computer didn’t make me make that decision and he said that was even worse. He said I NEVER thought about how my actions affected the people around me, and then stormed off, saying he never wanted to see me again.

…AITA? I wasn’t trying to…— shit! I was just trying to cope with everything that happened. I didn’t realize he’d be such a stick in the mud about it. But maybe I am still a dipshit? For, like, being so stubborn or bringing him into all of this or whatever? I dunno. I feel really stressed.

This all sucks, man. Wish he’d just left me in that fire. Bet he’s wishing that, too.

#aita #am i the asshole #unreality #HOUSEFIRE #SUICIDE #nonconsensual drugging

[reylogirlie]

“That’s abusive”

“That’s manipulation”

I’m gonna explain why it’s not in this context:

Now, is this how you should address your love interest irl? Definitely not. Is Ben Solo truly back to the light at this point? No. Is Kylo’s mindset still twisted? Yes. However, some don’t seem to understand what Kylo/Ben meant.

“You’re nothing.” Kylo/Ben didn’t mean Rey was actually nothing. Hell, he legit tells her she’s anything but that. “Nothing” , in his terms, means she’s seen as worthless by the people who are supposed to love her.(I know Rey’s parents are actually good people, I’ll get into that) means that they saw her as someone- something, honestly, to get rid of.

This is what Ben thought Leia and Han saw in him; that he was worthless and they needed Luke to off him. That nobody loved him. At least, that’s what he felt before he met Rey. He knows Rey grew up thinking no one loved her, and thought that she possessed nothing of value.

At this point, Ben hasn’t fully come back. He still feels like he was a victim to the light (when he was actually a victim to the dark) and he’s telling Rey “those people”- her parents, his parents, Luke, etc consider her nothing. “Real abusers brainwash victims into turning on their friends and family” Kylo/Ben doesn’t consider the resistance Rey’s friends. He thinks they’re just going to use and discard her the way he thought he was. He thinks he’s looking out for her. Real abusers typically know their victims loved ones care but wanna get rid of them so they can have said person all to themselves.

(And before you come at me like “actually a lot of abusers don’t get what they’re doing but it’s not an excuse” yea I got that, doesn’t apply here)

“But not to me”- This is Ben telling Rey that their view on her is wrong. That she’s not nothing. That’s she is, in fact, everything. To him especially. He’s not just saying this so she can be on the dark side, that’s not his main concern here even if he still is on the dark side. His main concern is what’s best for Rey, and he believes joining himself is what’s best for her.

His mind set isn’t “I’m gonna isolate her from her friends so I turn her evil and use her for my growth” it’s actually “Those people tried to kill me and use me for my power and they’ll do the same to her so I’m gonna protect her while I still can” he thinks he’s helping her. It’s pretty fucked, but he’s not trying to manipulate her.

“He lied about her parents” no he didn’t. Was Kylo/Ben wrong about Rey’s parents? Yes. But what you people fail to remember is YOU REALLY SHOULD NOT USE THE FORCE AS A FORTUNE TELLER. The future/ past visions are often vague and altered. He only saw parts of what happened. He had no clue that her parents were actually protecting her from evil, he saw them leaving and going to shady ass places and thought they were actually trading her for alcohol. That’s why when he found out the truth he told her!!! If he was manipulating her so he could have her all to himself, he would’ve never told her the truth. Notice how when she left at the end of TLJ he let her and didn’t form a plan to force her back or hurt her. He aggressively tried to persuade her, yes, but he never seriously threatened her. He even snitches on the dark side for Rey and offered to kill Palpatine instead of killing her to complete his mission.

So, bottom line- When Kylo/Ben called Rey nothing, he wasn’t saying she was actually worthless. He was saying that’s what her parents and the people who felt turned on him saw her as, but he considered her to be everything and the most important thing to him. You don’t have to like Reylo or agree with me, but I could go on about how Rey and Kylo/Ben don’t exactly fit the “toxic relationship” boat.

#star wars #star wars sequel trilogy #rey nobody #rey skywalker #ben solo #rey x ben #reylo #rey x kylo ren #ben x rey #the last Jedi #you’re nothing #but not to me #OTP #i will die on this fucking hill #i will die on this hill #pro reylo

[kennacore]

WE NEED MORE BENATAR DRABBLES POOKIEE

QUICK AUTHOR NOTE: YOURE ACTUALLY IN LUCK!!!! I wrote a drabble for him like FOREVER ago and didn’t post it anywhere so here’s my chance to post it! I didnt proof read this but yeah lmaoo hopefully this like old ass drabble is okay👍🏻also reader is gn!! :D

warnings: none!! its just fluff :] for context you’re apart of the band. why or how?? I have no fucking clue man I wrote this in like 2022 LMAO.

—

You’ve noticed lately that Benatar seemed down in the dumps, which concerned you. You cared deeply for all of your bandmates, so seeing them down would always make you worrisome. Currently, you were sitting next to the previously mentioned blonde on the couch, pondering if you should question him. The two of you were drinking tea together; the truth was you hated tea. You never had the heart to tell him that though, since the poor boy would already be preparing you a cup before you could ever deny it.

You began to get anxious wondering if you should even pry; maybe he didn’t want to tell you? You figured you would ask anyways to at least say you tried. “Hey um, Benatar… are you okay? You’ve seemed down lately… it’s worrying me.” The question seemed simple enough, yet Benatar was silent. But only for a moment.

“Yeah I’m okay love, it’s just well…” he trails off with a sigh. You gently place a hand on his thigh to encourage him to continue, flashing him a smile in the process. “Puff said somethin’ quite nasty to me the other day, and I’ve been gutted since. Usually I don’t pay much attention to what he says but… it really stuck to me.” He admits, a frown on his face.

So this was Puff’s fault? Man oh man, once you get your hands on that four eyed prick he’s dead meat. But, that wasn’t your main concern right now. “Oh Benatar sweetie, don’t mind him. You know he’s a complete dickhead,” you joke and take a sip of your tea that you hated oh so much.

This gets a chuckle out of the blonde as he copies your action, bringing his own tea cup up to his lips. “Ah I suppose you’re right, thanks for caring enough to check on me…” he smiled sheepishly at you, his cheeks tinted red.

You can't help but grin back, he was so adorable. “Anytime my dear, now why don’t you come here, we don’t have to talk about it anymore. Just let me take care of you,” you open up your arms, inviting him to your embrace. The blonde seems flustered at the gesture, but didn’t hesitate to scoot closer to wrap his thin arms around you. Benatar was so gentle with the way he held onto you, he treated you as if you were a fragile doll. He was such a sweetheart, it made your heart swell.

He seemed tense at first, but it doesn’t take long before he’s melting into your embrace. “You’re so cute, you know that, right?” You comment as you begin to sway side to side gently into the hug. You could feel Benatar tense up again at your comment, you could only imagine how red his face was. You just had to see how red his face was, so you slowly break the hug and surely enough you were correct. His face was lit ablaze with a bright red shade.

“You… you think that I’m cute?” The blonde questions, stumbling over his words in the process. You giggle as you nod your head, “Of course! I think you’re so talented too. Everytime I get to watch you play an instrument or sing I’m always so impressed. You’re the coolest guy ever,” you praise while grabbing his pale hands; deciding to hold them.

The blonde looked like he was about to explode from all of your kind words. The poor guy probably wasn’t used to such kindness. “Oh gosh… thank you, truly! Your words flatter me,” Benatar looks downwards with a shy smile on his lips.

Impulsively, you lean in and give him a kiss on his blushing cheek. As you do, a gasp of surprise left his now parted lips. You could feel his hands shake slightly in yours, his hands were also getting rather sweaty. Was he this nervous over a little affection? Oh he was seriously the cutest thing ever.

“Now, are you feeling better?” You question. Benatar nods with a large smile “yes, I feel much better. I quite liked your nice words, thank you once again, lovey.” The blonde's smile is contagious, you can’t help but break out into a grin of your own. You hope you can have a moment like this again with him sometime soon.

#your favorite martian #yfm #benatar #benatar yfm #benatar x reader

[freneticfloetry]

tarlos top five

@rmd-writes asked for my top five tarlos scenes, and after some soul searching (because season four shook some shit up), my list is as follows:

4x16 | “Hi. You’re TK, I’m Carlos, and we’re soulmates.”

GAMECHANGER. Yes, it confirmed what most of us already knew: Carlos was gone from the first second. But the execution is so beautiful, from the impetus to the ease and certainty of Carlos’ declaration to TK’s confession in turn (“why do you think I ran?” is the most TK Strand way ever to do this, and oddly enough, the easiest to believe). My favorite thing, though, will forever be the exact way this was worded and performed — that “Hi,” which is unrivaled levels of perfection (seriously, it sits somewhere between addressing a lost child and a spooked puppy, which is just brilliant as a line read, and every time I hear it I want to toss flowers at Rafa’s feet), but more than that, the fact that he says “you’re TK” before introducing himself, because the most important thing to Carlos is that TK know who he is first. True love at its finest.

3x04 | “Hey, baby. Breathe. Breathe, breathe.”

This was, up until the season three finale, the most fanfic shit I have ever seen aired on national television. Seriously, this is straight out of somebody’s multi-chapter slow burn whump fic wet dream, and watching it live, I was living. His raspy voice. Those hands clenched into terrified little fists. That breathing. The script said “he takes a deep breath” and Rafa was like “BET.” But beyond that, we had that whole bedside missive with Carlos lamenting about consent — that he couldn’t hold TK’s hand, run his fingers through his hair, kiss his head. And the fact that coma TK heard all this, woke up and reached out his hand as permission, and then Carlos did all those things, in that order… Deceased. It still gives me fits. (I am also counting the Tarloft reveal as part of this favorite moment, because I can’t not. “Push” is just perfection.)

4x18 | “We both ended our vows with ‘heart.’”

The vows. The dancing. The Sondheim serenade. The cake cutting (which I’m counting as aired-in-canon, dammit, because it is beyond precious). The honeymoon hand holding. Just, the wedding. All of it.

3x13 l “I love you.” “I know.”

They went Han and Leia on me and it wasn’t even cheesy. Honestly, this whole episode was so important to their growth — their sense of security, their confidence and understanding in each other — to their story, that it couldn’t be left out. Carlos realizes that the best way to help TK is to let him get help where he needs it, even if it leaves him feeling a little helpless, and TK realizes that he still has someone in his corner who’s invested in him, his sobriety, and his happiness, even with his mom gone. The fact that that “I know” holds so much meaning (all while “Transatlanticism” plays on)… Gah. Just beautiful. And on top of all that, Carlos got to be funny!

3x18 | “Marry me.”

“For the first time in my life, the love that I feel is infinitely more powerful than the fear of losing it.” Yep, that’s where I lost it. Because I thought back to baby TK in 1x08, who was being a dick to a cancer dog because he couldn’t fall in love with one more thing that he could lose. The growth. The maturity. The love. 3:18 am, y’all. (The engagement reveal counts as an extension of this as well, because that entire adorable “yes way” exchange between Team Tarloft, with Carlos grinning and TK bouncing and everybody figuring it out from context clues but Mateo is officially the most fanfic thing I’ve ever seen aired on national television, and I love it beyond reason and measure.)

Honorable mention shoutouts to the police station and the airport tarmac, which were knocked down the list by season four things. I still love you!

Tagging @ambiguouspenny, @hoko-onchi-writes, and @mixtapestar, because I know they haven’t been yet.

#tarlos top five #meme #tarlos #911 lone star

[substantial-exposure]

The 3x09 blurb has now turned into two WIPS that are tearing me apart!

I started reading Shatterpoint and I've been listening to the RotS audiobook, and it's been doing things to me. I feel like I'm really getting into this bitchs head and omg!

- sneak preview from WIP #1-

Dasibri dodged people, carts, and children all during her mad dash back home. As she thought about what it could be, she didn't like where her head went. 'It's the Empire. They're here. Kriff, what if something happened to Crosshair? I cant lose him again. I cant. No wait! What it something happened to Omega? What if she got hurt? What if Omega is like seriously hurt? Can I save her? What if I cant stop it? I can stop it. Of course I can stop it. I have to." In her own self induced panic she found herself picking up speed until finally she let the force pull her to the entrance of the cavern by the shore.

Dasibri felt danger in the air, she felt it and then she could hear it. The sound of scuffling, of grunting, blasterfire, and then finally the constant and steady hum of a lightsaber.

Finally, inside the cave and seeing with her own eyes, Dasibri nearly doubled over from the sight. Crosshair, Wrecker, and Hunter wee huddled up and shooting at a woman with a yellow lightsaber. The air smelt of electricity.Her eyes narrowed in on that woman. Dasibri would know her anywhere. She would be able to know her while blind.

Asajj Ventress.

-

-sneak peak of WIP #2-

Crosshair crouched down beside her, hand on her shoulder and tried to speak. He didn't have an inkling of a clue as to what was going on. Not really anyhow. "Whats…." he had started. He had always been terrible with emotions. His own and others. He never knew what to do or say, he always found himself growing increasingly uncomfortable anytime he was caught in the crossfires of someone else's emotional outpouring. No matter the context. And now, sitting here, despite just how deeply he cared, he still hadn't a clue as to what to say.

He doubled down on himself. This woman, Dasibri Taraay, Jedi Knight, noble hero of the Republic, was his wife. A woman he had once understood and knew like the back of his hand, was sat crying beside him. He needed to fix it. He needed to help her. Just as she always helped him. Without delay and without fail, he would do the same for her. He had vowed to after all.

-

I'm so excited to post these later in the week! I'm just hoping I get them done in time!

#star wars #the bad batch #bad batch #star wars fic #crosshair #star wars oc #jedi oc #dasibri taraay #asajj ventress