#the stakes for EVERYTHING get cranked the fuck up

[nexysworld]

Hello!

I hope it’s ok for me to request this (and sorry if my English is not well)😭👉👈

Can I request for Leon and his girlfriend/wife being on a mission together (maybe during re4r, vendetta or re6) and during the mission reader finds out she’s pregnant with Leon’s kid. She’s maybe reluctant on telling him because it might jeopardize the mission or put more weight on Leon’s shoulders, but eventually tells him.

Leon is truly over the moon with the news but at the same time worried since they’re on the mission and was about to call Hunnigan to get her to safety. but girlfriend/wife refuses to abort the mission and leave Leon.

the angst and overprotective and soon to be father leon >u< pls

Thanks so much for the request! The plot for this one actually got away from me more than expected so it's not quite as angsty as I had planned. I had most of it written already so I didn't want to scrap it tho. I hope you like it anyway - I might just redo this one in the future because I like the prompt so much and think I could do it more justice - especially expanding more on Leon's internal feelings. ~ Expectations to Keep Going ~ Read on AO3 🖤 Requests are Open 🖤 Masterlist Pairing: Fem!Reader x Vendetta!Leon Tags: Fluff, Angst, Comfort, Unplanned Pregnancy Word Count: 2.2k

You paced back and forth in the living room of your once-shared apartment. 60 seconds felt like 60 minutes as you watched the timer slowing ticking down, heart racing. With a shaky hand you picked up the stick and to your dismay saw the little + indicating it was positive. “For fuck’s sake, this can’t be happening right now.” Ever have one of those moments where you say ‘at least it can’t get worse.’ Well, this was the universe’s way of reminding you that things can always get worse. 

Leon had walked out on you. He didn’t explicitly say the relationship was over, but he didn’t really need to. He’d shown up drunk, shoving everything he owned into a suitcase, and disappeared on what he called his ‘vacation.’ Except that vacation had lasted weeks now, with not so much as a phone call home. When you attempted to contact him, same thing, radio silence.

You tried remaining calm, knowing what had happened on his most recent mission. You just told yourself he needed time, but with each passing week the feeling that things were over kept washing over you. 

You weren’t one to wallow, freak out, or really deal with your feelings in general. So you did the only thing you knew to cope, you threw yourself into work. Mission after mission, clearing them as fast as you could – that was until weird stuff began happening. Fatigue was the first thing you noticed. You were always tired no matter how much sleep you got. Then came the nausea. Your skin had even begun to break out, your breasts were sore. It was like PMS cranked up to the max – except no period. That in of itself hadn’t been alarming since you didn’t really get one on birth control, the other symptoms though? They had freaked you out, leading you to this moment right now, standing alone in your apartment, positive pregnancy test in hand. 

“I can’t deal with this.” You said to yourself, slumping back onto the couch. Luckily for you, your phone rang. “Redfield? Yeah…yeah…No, I don’t know where he is…yeah, I can help.” 

A mission. Relief flooded through you. Was it a good idea to accept it considering your current condition? Probably not. But a mission would make a great distraction right about now. Besides, with enough willpower, you were sure you could overcome any symptoms for at least a few days, especially if the fate of the world was at stake, right?

That’s the plan. Save the world again and afterward, you’d figure out what to do. 

Your heart stopped when you saw him at the table chugging down another glass of alcohol. He didn’t look great, and he didn’t look happy to see you or the two companions who’d followed. His normally clean-shaven face was now scruffy, the bags under his eyes intensifying the steely blue even more - his hair was dark and greasy. This wasn’t your Leon. You would’ve been happier to not have seen him like this, but Chris and Rebecca insisted on locating him. “Cancel that!” Chris shouted when Leon attempted to order another glass. Leon instantly pulled out a flask from his back pocket with a smirk – of course, he had a backup. It honestly would’ve been funny and so very Leon if the context of the situation didn’t have you feeling so awful. Leon hadn’t acknowledged you once, and you hadn’t tried to speak. What could you possibly say? Now wasn’t the time to talk about your broken relationship or the other elephant in the room - he looked so broken down. “I never plan that far ahead anymore.” He slurred to Chris. “There’s no point. There’s always some new bad guy to fight. My life is just a vicious loop. So what’s the point in thinking about the future?”

Ouch .

Those words definitely stung, adding to the growing barrier between the two of you. Now a new worry bubbled in you that if you did tell him, it would be too much. That would be the thing that sent him spiraling over the edge he was already teetering - you couldn’t do that. Not to him, not to yourself. No. This was something you would need to deal with alone . 

This was a mission. You were a professional. That’s all that mattered right now – let everything else go. Following through on that was hard. Much harder than expected, especially now that you’d found yourself alone with Leon, separated from Chris, and Rebecca abducted.

Nausea had come back in full force, this was the third time you found yourself making him stop his bike so you could lurch behind a dumpster to spill stomach acid and spit. 

“Are you sure you’re alright?” “I’m fine.” You assured standing up. You knew he wasn’t buying it, even a half-sober Leon still remained a great agent, sharp as ever. Moodier than usual - even if you hardly spoke. Slower than usual - almost getting mowed down by the Gatling gun in the hotel. You almost never got sick - now you’d spilled your guts several times. Something was definitely up, and he didn’t need to accuse you for you to see the suspicion on his face. Not to mention how he’d been hovering over you like an overprotective guard dog ever since the attack at the hotel.

Guilt. Guilt is what you felt when he looked at you. He was worried about you and you had the truth of what was wrong kept caged behind closed lips. You took in a few deep breaths to help ease your sour stomach - it doesn’t work and you’re in tears now as more gagged coughs are ripped from your throat. A comforting hand rubs your back as a bottle of water is placed in front of you, not bothering to question where he’d gotten it. Greedily you downed the entire thing, using the last sip to swish the terrible flavor from your mouth. “Were you bitten?” 

You shot him a glance of horror. “No! Of course not.” “Then tell me what’s really going on.” “I’m fine.” “You’re obviously not fine.” “Well of course I’m not fine. I’m stuck alone on a mission with the guy who walked out on me after 10 years together. Now can we go?” You don’t know why you said that, your mood just kept ping-ponging through different emotions. You guessed this time it just landed on anger. When his hand was on your back you wanted to cry from the comforting touch, but now that you had to stand and look at his face you were annoyed. This wasn’t the time or place. You knew that, you’d reminded yourself of it several times, and yet emotions were getting the better of you. Damn these stupid hormones. His brows came together in thought and confusion, you really weren’t acting like yourself. “That’s not what I’m talking about.” He finally responded. “I know. I’m sorry I shouldn’t have – “ “No, I deserved that. I’m surprised you didn’t come into the hotel swinging, honestly, I wouldn’t have blamed you. It was shitty how I left.” It wasn’t an apology, but the acknowledgment definitely helped a little. 

The two of you stood there awkwardly for a while. Leon had radioed Chris for a status report, his team had breached the building and were on a steady path of clearing out the enemy. It bought you and Leon a little more time to continue your awkward stand-off. He brought his gaze to meet yours again. “Look, I know I don’t deserve to know what’s going on with you. I get it. But at least for the sake of the mission, tell me what’s wrong physically. If we need a medic–” “I’m pregnant.” You didn’t know what possessed you to say it after you’d spent the entire time telling yourself that you couldn’t - no - shouldn’t. It was probably the fact you couldn’t stand the way he was looking at you anymore. But there it was, the truth slipped right out.

“What.” “I’m pregnant.” “I don’t understand.” You’d never seen such a stupefied look on him before. It was like you had just spoken in tongues, for some reason that irritated you. You finally confess your big secret in the middle of a super important mission, and that’s all he had to say? “What don’t you understand? I’m pregnant and it’s yours. You got me pregnant. I am pregnant with your baby. You put your –” You were cut off by your own crying, feeling every emotion simultaneously, the tears continued to spill against your will. Damn. Damn. DAMN these stupid hormones. 

“Ok. Ok. I get it, calm down.” He put his hands out defensively as he walked towards you, caging you against the wall. “I can’t!” You shouted. Leon pressed your foreheads together, snaking his arms behind you into a hug. He didn’t say anything, just held you tightly for a few moments letting you sob it out. Once the waterfall of tears was reduced to some hiccups and sniffling, he began to rub soothing circles into your lower back. You dared to glance up at him through wet lashes, there was an unmistakable smile plastered to his face. “It would be just like you to distract yourself from huge news with work. But you shouldn’t be here if you’re pregnant. Let me call Hunnigan, we can have a ‘copter sent in to pick you up.” “No!” You brought your hands up to push him away from you, shaking your head. “No, I am not abandoning this mission. Chris needed my help to unlock the building’s computer systems so they can collect the virus’ information. I’m not going anywhere - wait - why are you smiling like that?” His gleeful look didn’t waver. “Sweetheart…you’re asking me why I’m smiling? Obviously, because I’m happy.” “What?” “I’m happy? You told me I’m going to be a father. There’s going to be a little ankle-biting Kennedy running around. I’m happy! Not quite as happy you knew and came here anyway. I guess that’s my own fault though.” “I don’t understand. You left me. You literally said there was no point in planning for a future.” It was your turn to look absolutely stunned, it was so far from the reaction you had expected it almost gave you whiplash. He reached out and grabbed your hand, squeezing it assuringly. “Yeah, I was wallowing in some deep self-pity. But seeing you almost get killed in the hotel was a sobering reminder of what I can’t afford to lose. Hearing that I’m going to be a father? That doubles it for me. I realized I was looking at things the wrong way. I know I’ll always be running headfirst into danger, but maybe having a future to look forward to is the motivation I need to stay alive while I do it. Wait are you seriously –oh, come on Honey don’t start crying again.” He sighed pulling you close. “I’m calling Hunnigan and getting you out of here.” “No! I have to complete the mission. Just give me a minute.” Your words lacked the bite you intended. “Look, I think I’d already flop at this whole fatherhood thing if I let the mother of my baby get hurt or killed on day 1.” Leon pressed a few soft kisses on your forehead and wet cheeks before finally connecting your lips together. He tasted like alcohol masked with mint and the short hairs on his face scratched you, but it was still comforting. “Let’s negotiate then.” You offered. “This isn’t the time for that. You’re jeopardizing the mission and you could get killed, it’s not safe.” His tone was caring, but stern now. “Look. I know it was stupid of me to take this on while pregnant. You’re right it was a distraction and I thought I could handle it better. That doesn’t change the fact that I’m the only one who can get into those systems.” You managed to finally get the tears to stop, rubbing your eyes dry and raw. You could see he still wasn’t fully convinced. “Leon, there isn’t going to be a future for our baby if we can’t stop this. Please.” “Fine. But only if you promise to stay on the defensive and avoid action as much as possible. Do as I tell you to and let me handle any enemies that his team may have missed.” “Come on Leon, I can handle–” “No. We do things my way or I’m calling Hunnigan and you’re leaving.” You were annoyed despite knowing he was right. You would’ve argued further but the look of worry on his face shut you up instantly. “Alright. Alright. I’ll follow your lead, promise.” 

“Good, and Baby?” “Yeah?” “No more missions for a while. Got it?” “Deal.” You shook his hand as if it were a business meeting, rewarding you with a laugh on his part. He captured you in one more quick kiss before leading you over to his bike, both steeling yourselves back into your professional personas. You hopped onto the back, wrapping your arms around him tightly as he took off in the direction of the building to get the remainder of the mission over with. 

#leon kennedy x reader #leon kennedy x you #leon kennedy x y/n #leon s kennedy x reader #leon s kennedy x you #leon s kennedy x y/n #leon kennedy #leon s kennedy #leon scott kennedy #vendetta!leon #Resident Evil #Resident Evil Vendetta #Resident Evil Fanfiction #Fanfiction #Reader Insert #x reader #Female reader #Fem!Reader #Anon #Ask #Requests

[xarrixii]

Cinder_06 : "Acid Rain" ━━━━━━━━━━━━━

CW: previous chapter | beginning | masterlist

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For the sixth time this year, Harlow’s phone refused to connect to data or cell service. For the fiftieth time this year, he was trying to sleep on the couch in the Flash Fire garage, also an old storage unit his parents had forgotten about the monthly payment for and had kept paying anyway.

He needed a walk.

Harlow pulled an umbrella off an old shelf, trying a few times before it finally cranked open and clicked.

A heavy downpour cascaded everything he could see in an obscuring muck. Only place to really go was the red-light district nearby. Thank God everyone would be inside getting wet on their own terms.

Puddles splashed beneath his boots as he walked forward, approaching the flashing and glittering lights with a pained expression.

“Har! Can I call you Har? Look, buddy, pal, we’ve got some talking to do.” A hand was set on his shoulder and he whipped around, fist getting caught before it connected with their head. Liam chuckled, “Would you believe me if I said that isn’t the first time someone’s tried to punch me today?”

“Yes,” Harlow said, eyeing Liam’s bruise on his cheek. “Don’t call me ‘Har.’ ”

“Fine. Listen, Harlow.” Liam set their hand back on Harlow’s shoulder and pushed him to keep walking forward with him. Harlow instinctively recoiled at the touch, but continued walking. “Matty’s ready to start cutting deals with you.”

“Not in person, of course?”

“Oh, of course not.” His hair was dripping with water, and Harlow handed him the umbrella to set his hands in his pockets. Mostly to get Liam’s hand off of his shoulder.

They walked in silence for a few seconds before Liam cleared his throat. “Right. Look, you’ve got a dead brother and you think⸺”

“Stop yourself right fucking there.” Harlow’s hand clenched in his pocket. “And don’t you dare call me Harlow. I don’t want it rolling off of your tongue.”

Liam’s mouth stood agape before continuing. “I’m not gonna tell you you’re the one with the attitude between you and Raiden. I think you both have an attitude, and I think Matty is too afraid to admit it. But she told me to say that. Now we have to get a move on with this conversation.

“She’s generously offering you a living space for a year. Somewhere that puts your skills in easier access from the little puppet strings I swear up and down she hides on her fingers.”

“No.”

“Oh, come on.”

“What?”

“You and Raiden are like the same people, just one of you is platinum blonde and way hotter.”

Harlow made a full-stop while walking. “Say that again?”

“Keep moving.” Liam pushed Harlow forward again. “I have never seen Matty’s opinion on someone turn on its heel like it has on you before, and it still was decently miniscule.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning, kid, that you made my boss realize she was wrong for once! And I’m pleading with you to please, please do it again.”

“No.”

The lights illuminated Liam’s face starkly red as he half-jogged to keep up with Harlow’s walking pace, gaze darting around everywhere like some scared dog. Harlow unintentionally cocked his head, which caught Liam’s attention.

“How honest do I have to be with you? Cinder needs your intelligence. Your wit, your quick thinking, your ability to find a solution amidst absolute panic. To keep moving despite the stakes, to want to keep living.”

Harlow snickered and turned back to the sidewalk ahead of him.

“Alright, I’ll admit that last one was in poor taste. But Matty’s been focusing far too much on sheer power lately that I think she’s forgotten we can train that, and that it’s harder to train the noggin you’ve already got in you.”

“My answer is still no, Liam.”

“Please tell me what is so horribly wrong with our offer so we can make amends and get past the whole ‘trying to get you arrested and in rehab so we didn’t have to deal with you thing.’ Please?”

After a moment of consideration, “My parents are egotistical maniacs who would never agree to that, and I don’t want you getting attached because I’m only going to be in Cinder for a year. Did you already forget that part?”

“I’m sure they’d be happy to be rid of you.”

“You didn’t mean that in the tone you said it, did you?”

“No. No I did not. Look, my paycheck depends on you in a Cinder complex tonight. That help?”

“Oh no.”

“Okay, kid, what do I have to give you?”

“Why are you so desperate? Do you think me for a joke to believe for a second that Cinder even begins to care about me or Raiden past whatever short-term mercenary use we supply?”

“You will know when we are joking. Which is conveniently quite often when you’re not being a little piece of shit in the red-light district.”

“I’m sure you love it here.”

“Asshole.”

“There you go.”

Liam took a deep breath as a car pulled up beside them both. “Just get in the car, Urban. Don’t make this hard.”

“Oh I’m making it hard?”

“Yes. Very hard, actually, I know that’s very hard to believe. The only nice thing you’ve done in the past five minutes was hand me your umbrella.”

“Keep it. And good luck with your paycheck, I think I’ll just sleep at home tonight, actually.” Harlow hadn’t really planned on going back there, but if it was his only option, he’d take it and deal with whatever his parents had to say.

“Incorrect. ‘Get in the car’ was not an option.”

“Does burning everyone you love sound tempting enough for me to leave you alone?”

“I’d say yes if I had anyone to love.”

“Well, I got nothing.”

Harlow heard the passenger door of the black car swing open and shut, glanced around for only a second, and started bolting down the red-light district. Liam’s voice rang through his head like a gun, I told you it wasn’t an option.

A hand wrapped itself around his wrist and the lighter practically sprang out of his pocket to life, Harlow burning the operatives hand as they flinched it back in surprise. Liam teleported in front of him, and he moved to take off running again. Just to get home as fast as possible.

“I think I need to bring you back to what I said earlier. You’ve got a dead brother, and you think it’s your fault that he’s dead. Am I wrong? I can’t be wrong because I stole those thoughts from your head. Yours, Urban.”

Without even thinking about it, the small lighter flame was about the size of a decent summon and blue, unwavering in his hand as he gripped onto the collar of Liam’s shirt. “That is none of your business.”

Liam’s breathing was uneven, paralyzed and overflowing with the terror flooding his eyes as they flitted between Harlow and his flame.

Harlow dropped Liam, who scrambled back slightly as he dropped the lighter to the floor and the flame sputtered out. Rain still pouring down from all sides in sheets. All of a sudden, Harlow could feel every breath that rose from his throat.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I lost control.” He felt weak, unable to focus on anything. “I don’t… I don’t know how I did that.”

Liam picked himself up from the concrete meticulously, painfully slow.

Harlow felt his arm grabbed from behind.

He barely heard Liam’s voice through the pelting rain shower. “We’ll compromise later, kid. Later.”

Then he went slack.

next chapter

━━━━━━━━━━━━ ▲ missing a content warning? let me know

i have no idea why it took me so long to use my laptop. why did i go like, a week without it? i don't know. oh my god i just found out you can copy-paste a tag list this changes my life

#fiction #original story #science fantasy #original character #magic #fantasy #dystopian #sci fi #here comes the unnecessary tags #science fiction #story #stories #storytelling #creative writing #creative inspiration #writing #writeblr #writing on tumblr #writers #writers community #writing community #writers on tumblr #reading #literature #original post #spilled ink #spilled writing #angst #inspo #i am not sensitive to what needs to be warned about

[captain-lonagan]

Merlin Hard Mode:

merlin except in episode one after merlin saves arthur he goes down to the caves to complain to kilgarrah and kilgarrah tells him that arthur is not only the one to unite albion, but the last hope for magic and if he doesn’t legalize it and defend it magic will be hunted and eventually lost forever.

merlin except kilgarrah tells merlin about the witch trials and the world wars and what the future is if merlin fails.

merlin except that very night kilgarrah tells merlin that no matter how many foes he vanquishes or how many allies he makes, arthur will die at camlann in ten years unless he legalizes magic.

merlin except there’s a clock ticking in merlin’s mind and at every midnight he mentally scratches off a day. one day less before the end, one day less before times up.

merlin except we don’t pussyfoot around with the inevitability of fate or the overwhelming terror of destiny.

because if you really want to put pressure on merlin to save albion then let’s put on some fucking pressure.

#look #i know this is cruel #but imagine how fucking awesome it would be #it would be so damn intense #but so goooood #THINK WHAT IT WOULD DO TO FLUFF EPISODES #its not just ‘hey lets fight this bandit and go on a picnic lmao’ #it is WASTED TIME #or is it? #because will it help arthur know more about magic? #the stakes for EVERYTHING get cranked the fuck up #that would be so cool #stressful but so cool #merlin #bbc merlin #arthur pendragon #kilgarrah

[trashcatsnark]

I love that Johnny is the kind of person who would kill for you no problem and fuck you untill you can't walk, but stuff like holding hands or saying geniuine compliments just cause him to short-circuit and he just can't do this. I think it's an interesting part of his psychology, that he's all about grand gestures (kill for you/die for you) and physical intimacy (sex and whatnot) but he's still very closed off and unwilling to engage with just like, small acts of affection that can't be easily brushed off. And, of course, he thinks he's being sooo slick and nobody can see how much of a fool he is around V, like, he's such a clown, I love that about him.

YESS YESSSS YESSSSSS SPOILERS WITHIN, I WENT ON ANOTHER RANT IM SORRY

I read a fic I believe it’s called 505 on archiveofourown, which in general, has had a lot of ideas and concepts I love and has birthed inspiration to some of my own brainworms (the idea of V getting stuck in like 2010-2012 in a like manufactured cyber pocket universe lives rent free in my brain and i really wanna play with that concept in my fic too cause i needed more flashback content,  and like wanted V to properly have some sort of interaction with the past versions of Rogue, Alt, Kerry, and Johnny, like it’s so good and i highly recommend checking the fic out, yeet!) 

And they state that Johnny’s basically the kind of guy who if you called him up, its life or death, he’d be there for you in a second. But, if you just texted to ask how his day is, he’d leave you on seen. He tends to think, act, and operate in extremes. Everything is always cranked up to eleven and high stakes; filled with passion for everything he goes near. Cause those moments revolve more around doing, acting on something, rushing in; whether its attacking Arasaka or fucking, its all about doing something and he doesn’t really have to put his emotions or his heart out there. He feels intensely, extremely, passionately, but he can’t properly articulate that when it comes to people on an individual level. He can scream until the cows come home about his ideas about society and the people on a grand scale, on the big picture, but when it comes to individuals and his intimate relationships the action should be enough, to him, should say everything. He can hide behind the extremes, act on his feelings without having to truly bare his soul. There’s a comfort in that, he can act on his feelings while still keeping his distance. 

But, that’s harder with domesticity, its harder with everyday intimate affection, its harder with someone who knows you inside and out. Because he’s now committed to not only being there in the extremes, he’s there for the mundane and monotony. He’s not just there for hard fucks and terrorists attacks; he’s there for V casually (though they’re also screaming inside) grabbing his hand as they walk somewhere together, he’s there for mornings that start with a kiss and a cup of coffee, he’s there for cleaning the apartment, taking care of a cat, cuddling on a couch while watching bad tv, trying to help V cook (once they get an apartment with a kitchen cause why the fuck doesn’t v have a kitchen cdpr), there for conversations that have nothing to do with life or death, and casual i love you’s being dropped because that word is no longer an emotional bomb, but a simple reality. 

No walls, no barriers, no fucking off until the next time someone needs him to die or kill for them/fuck them. Emotional intimacy becoming a part of daily life. And oh boy is that a fucking scary ass concept. 

Cause being there and sacrificing himself when V could potentially die, feels like a no brainer, of course he’ll do that, that’s what he promised, what’s right by them, and he’d die for them any day. If that’s what they need that is what he’ll do. And he’ll say so to anyone who asks, proudly. Cause he can to an extent hide behind it being the right thing to do, its the right thing to honor his promise, to try to save them from this unfairness, even after mikoshi he can explain it away as he owes V his life, he can hide behind his own moral code. Brush it off as being “right”. In Mikoshi when he tells V he plans to keep his promise; there’s no introspection of the emotional intimacy they built, he’s still trying to keep some walls up. Its’ “we’re sticking to the plan” “I won’t do you wrong.” He can hide and frame it as a promise, what’s right, which is a huge aspect of it no doubt, but we know he has feelings beyond that. His own guilt, he own care and concern for V, hell, there’s apparently even a line where it seems he gets mad at Alt, like genuinely mad that they can’t save V. 

“You promised this poor little shit a new life and you lied! You fuckin' lied!”

It was about more than a sense of duty and keeping his promise, but he can hide behind that. (And with just sex, he can hide behind sexual gratification, paint it as selfish desire)

But holding V’s hair back or rubbing their back when they’re sick and puking; not relic sick, not dying sick, just neurovirus/ate something that disagreed with them/or drank a bit too much, regular sick...is different. Because V doesn’t objectively need him in that moment; they will survive without his hands in their hair or rubbing down their back, They will survive without him checking on them and once they get it all out, carrying them to bed. There’s no right or wrong even, cause its no one elses job to care for V. 

It is a choice born purely out of an unselfish desire to make them feel better, to care for them even in the mundane troubles of life. And he can’t, though he’d try, pretend that it’s anything else. It puts his feelings on the table, bares his feelings in a whole other way. 

#cyberpunk 2077 #cp2077 #johnny silverhand #cp2077 spoilers #Anonymous

[glowyjellyfish]

For some reason, despite not having watched the show in roughly seven years according to when I last wrote thoughts about it, I decided last week to start listening to a podcast about Buffy the Vampire Slayer because October. The podcast turned out to be amazing, and despite being thoroughly disillusioned with Joss and worried that would change how I see the show too much, I started watching along with the podcast. Well, really I’m playing catch-up. I just started the Reptile Boy podcast episode, and I just finished The Pack in actually watching. My perception has changed, but mostly in a more mature/woke direction, I’m seeing more problematic stuff and wanting to deconstruct it, but it’s not hampering my love of the characters. I am trying to use death of the author to try to deconstruct and watsonianly explain things, but sometimes it’s better to just go “the writers fucked up” or “yup, that’s a weird and creepy Joss fetish” and let the characters off the hook and be a Doylist.

Here are the thoughts I’ve had so far, which as you can see cheerfully spanned the entire range of the show, because season one doesn’t give me personally a lot to work with.

-Xander is borderline Nice Guy in season one, and I don’t like it. I am enjoying deconstructing him and figuring him out more than I ever did before, though, despite an uneasy feeling that doylistically it started from Joss’ idea of how a average dorky teenage boy would act when surrounded by awesome girls and then reasons for it were added later. It’s really genuinely interesting that Xander’s the heart of the team and has all the feelings about everybody and wears his heart on his sleeve, crushing a lot because of that leaving him vulnerable in addition to hormones, and that growing up in an abusive and neglectful household led to insecurity and overcompensation and poor coping skills. And it’s a really fascinating idea that he despises vampires because he lost one of his best friends to them, and can’t handle the idea of any being capable of redemption or good behavior because he semi-accidentally staked Jesse while trying that concept out and if they can be redeemable then he can’t forgive himself, but of course the show didn’t want to talk about Jesse and preferred to heavily imply if not outright say that Xander’s feelings about vampires were mostly about jealousy over Buffy, which is the most Nice Guy angle they could have possibly chosen. (I... can’t say I totally mind, as Jesse’s behavior was objectively worse than s1 Xander, but still I think it would have been better to not ignore his impact on Xander.) I’m glad Xander more or less gets over his crush after season one and doesn’t wade any further into Nice Guy territory, if I recall correctly, and I’m not claiming it’s unreasonable for him to have had it in the first place, it’s just so much of his behavior regarding it is so uncomfortable, and it could have been handled loads better.

-weirdly, The Pack is the first episode of season one that I found I still thoroughly liked. I did enjoy the show deconstructing/dealing with some of the Xander problems by cranking them up to eleven, and part of it is that I am a sucker for werewolf and werewolf-like stories, and also a sucker for supernatural things happening to the Normal Harmless People in media, but I honestly think a big part of it is how little the episode uses terrible s1 special effects to play the story out. It’s all in the acting, and there was some really convincing and good acting going on.

-I discovered that the last time I watched seven years ago, I concluded that despite his general attitude, Angel genuinely likes being around fun and lighthearted people. I want to bask in that concept for a moment before I turn it around to an earlier point, and say that if Xander wasn’t constantly openly hostile to Angel, they could very well be bros, and I am bummed the show never tried. I mean, jealousy or not, Xander’s vampire issues should still be a problem. But I like the idea of Angel just silently enjoying Xander’s dumb jokes and his naivety, and logically Angel would also super appreciate Xander being adamant about killing him when he’s gone evil. In fact, even if they never became bro’s in canon, I’m going to declare it headcanon that Angel quite liked Xander as a person, and just did not take kindly to constant jabs at his nature. Although, honestly, Angel probably would be a little jealous of Xander regardless for being the most emphatically human person around, (especially considering what a disaster Angel was when he was Liam? He wouldn’t see Xander and think “what a foolish child”, he’d think “is this what I could have been if I was alive now? if I had a couple good people in my life to protect me and help me grow into a better person?”), and wouldn’t really enjoy Xander constantly reminding him that Xander is human and Angel is not. So here’s the revised headcanon: Angel likes Xander as a person, and would quietly consider him a friend if Xander wasn’t openly hostile to him. Angel does not super enjoy spending time with Xander since it means constant needling and reminders that Xander has what Angel never got, but he does appreciate that Xander never lets his guard down and by extension reminds Angel not to let his guard down, either. I will have to see if that holds up as I rewatch; I am still mired in season 1 and I haven’t gotten up to them even sharing a scene yet.

-I have been thinking a little about the escalation of Willow’s heartbrokenness over the course of the series, and… I know there’s a good topic there but it just makes me sad to think about.

-on willow: I think she’s bi and the show/joss is just bi-phobic. Watsonianly, she just never had a full education in the nuances of sexual orientation, and emphasized her gayness to reassure Tara and to embrace a label to define herself. However, while I think she’s bi, I would describe her as having more attraction to women than men, and might even argue that all her attraction to men is demisexual—Xander’s obvious, and Oz did all the pursuing and showed all the interest early on. I think Willow was excited to be desired and to achieve the milestone of not only “boyfriend” but “cool boyfriend in a band” that helped distance herself from nerdiness, and it took a little while for that to build up to attraction and love. Not super long, but long enough for her to doubt her attraction when thinking about it in hindsight.

-speaking of Oz I have so many Oz thoughts. Oz, I love you, but where did you get the idea that you need to solve all your problems yourself and not talk to anybody about it? Stoicism is cool and all but use your words, Oz. You would solve so many of your problems if you learned how to communicate! WHO TAUGHT YOU TO BEHAVE THIS WAY. I haven’t gotten up to him yet but my fandom brain’s already there, he’s my favorite and I can’t wait to try applying this perception to him in action.

-I would love to peek into the alternate universe where Oz didn’t leave. Hell, I want to know what would have happened both if everything else was basically the same but Oz was still around as a main character (say, he wanted some distance to work on control but didn’t leave town; Willow was very upset about it but perhaps not to the same degree, and still met Tara while looking for a way to train/practice magic and developed feelings for her; New Moon Rising happened similarly but Oz doesn’t leave town at the end; alternately he did leave but just for the first stretch of episodes and he stays after NMR), and also in the different scenario where because Oz isn’t leaving, Xander is picked to be The Gay One. I mean, he’d have to be bi, too, and my mind honestly boggles at the hurdles the show might have had to leap to make it plausible, but I would like to see it. What kind of boyfriend would the show have given Xander, and why am I thinking of Schitt’s Creek when I wonder what a gay romance for Xander would look like?

...but I’m reeeeally getting ahead of myself now. I did not expect to have so many of my thoughts be about a. the dudes and b. Xander, but what can you do? Soon I’ll have material to talk about, for example, how amazing Cordelia is, but for now...

(and yes, I have been pinging from one fandom to the next in order to find The Right One, and doing one or two thought-dumps before I find myself moving on to a different one without finishing the first. I do not control the hyperfixation. I might go back and forth when the newest one loses its shine, but I am really enjoying the concept of revisiting Buffy for October, and might proceed to do the same with Teen Wolf when I’m done if only for a fascinated comparison between the two and what inspired what and what was improved upon or done worse. Might. Hyperfixation, remember.)

#buffy the vampire slayer #btvs

[thebibliomancer]

Essential Avengers: Avengers #216: “... To Avenge the Avengers!”

February, 1982

"Avenge us, Tigra! The Molecule Man must die!”

Eesh, the Avengers plus Silver Surfer have gone full Hamlet’s Dad on Tigra and she’s gonna cat Molecule Man and his plush himself to death. But he’s ready for it.

But why? Well...

Last time: Silver Surfer inadvertently gave Molecule Man the idea to eat Earth. The Avengers and the Surfer teamed up to stop him but he just Molecule Manned their sweet gear into nothing, captured them all, and then stomped them under a giant boot-o-matic crusher! Except Tigra who he kept around because he wanted someone to talk at and because Tigra had claimed that she liked him!

This time: “Tigra... the Last Avenger!”

Nice touch that the book name inside the book has been changed to match even if the cover hasn’t.

That is a tough hat to wear. Did you know its only been a little over a week since she joined the team?

And in that time she got thrown into space by an Elf-Queen, watched a founding Avenger have an emotional breakdown and try to kill his friends to make them like him again, had her soul set on fire, been repeatedly harassed in public, and watched the whole team be killed with her life only being spared because she begged for her life!

Is this the worst week and change in Avengers history? IT MIGHT WELL BE!

“She was spared. The fear of death has drained away now, leaving only emptiness behind. She has never felt so alone.”

This narration set in the same panel where Molecule Man is all but slapping the giant boot and going ‘this bad boy can crush so many fucking Avengers in it.’

Well really, its more like

Molecule Man: “Well, cat-lady, they’re dead! Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and that Silver Surfer guy -- squished flat by my giant boot-o-matic crusher! You know, I made this thing out of molecules from a scrapyard! Yessir, I believe in recycling!”

But that’s about the same level of dissonance between jolly goofus villain rambling and hollow despair.

Anyway, Molecule Man calls her out on being such a bummer because she’s moping over there when he’s feeling good about killing the Avengers and really Tigra try to consider how he feels geez.

So she shakes off the despair and asks hey what exactly is Molecule Man going to do with her?

Tigra: “Am I going to be your mate or...”

Molecule Man: “What? Nah! I never got along with girls! I mean, you know... that way! Yessir, mom always warned me about... that! And she was right! You can be my friend! No! Make that -- my pet! Here, kitty, kitty!”

Wow.

That. That dodged a bullet in a cool Matrix bullet time way right into another bullet.

Let’s please not get too creepy with this, huh? You listening to me, comic published nearly forty years ago? Let’s not get creepy!

Molecule Man decides to be a responsible pet owner and feed his pet. He can control molecules so obviously it should be no trouble to just rearrange them into any configuration he--

Okay, its apparently really hard to make food! Way too complicated!

He’s going to be an irresponsible pet owner and not feed Tigra. And meanwhile he’s going to chow down on some undifferentiated mush or possibly a pile of dust. Its all molecules so its all the same to him.

Tigra didn’t even want food but asks him where the bathroom is.

Molecule Man: “Bathroom? Hmm... well, I really don’t understand how plumbing works, so I couldn’t make a bathroom! If you want, though, I could sort of fake it...”

Tigra: “No, I’ll be all right! i just feel a little sick...”

Molecule Man: “So go be sick for a while! I’ve got to get started on my little project anyway! If I’m going to eat this stupid planet -- I’ve got to prepare by clearing away all the living things from a few square miles of land.”

And he gets started! A giant ridge of land just peels up from the ground, like Molecule Man is skinning a fruit before eating. Also a volcano erupts. Pretty sure there weren’t any volcanoes in New Jersey before now.

Fairly sure.

Outside the dome, thankfully the army has been evacuating everyone in a fifty-mile radius or else a lot of people would be dead. VOLCANO.

Then the Fantastic Four arrive.

Yayyyyy! Oh whoa whoa, Fantastic Fourrr!

They’ve got the best Molecule Man mashing record so they’re here to do what they do do.

Which in this context is fail like champs.

Ben Grimm the Thing tries to shatter the dome with a punch and no dice. Then Human Torch cranks up to nova flame and applies the heat of a sun on one little spot on the dome.

Johnny about wears himself out doing it and still no result.

Guess Iron Man, Thor, and Silver Surfer > a pinpoint miniature sun.

Meanwhile inside, Molecule Man tells Tigra hey get a load of this. And then he levitates a couple billion gallons of water from the Delaware River and dumps it on the Fantastic Four, plus the army, washing them away.

Invisible Woman: “Reed, it -- it doesn’t seem possible!”

Mr. Fantastic: “Everything is made of molecules, Sue! Anything is possible for the Molecule Man!”

Molecule Man far too hax.

But meanwhile, gasp, the Avengers weren’t actually all killed in a book with their name on it! This is unprecedented!

And Silver Surfer is ready to explain their unlikely survival of giant crushing boot.

See, Silver Surfer wasn’t quite as knocked unconscious as the three Avengers so he played possum. When Molecule Man put the Avengers plus Silver Surfer in the crushing boot and when it was just about to crush, Silver Surfer used the Power Cosmic to disintegrate the bottom part of the boot so that the Avengers and him fell to a lower floor. Completely uncrushed!

So that’s good.

The bad is that Silver Surfer has to report that Tigra is still in Molecule Man’s clutches.

The awkward is that Iron Man and Thor lost their armor and hammer respectively so Cap is like ‘wait, what are Tony Stark and Perfectly Normal Dr. Donald Blake doing here??’

So Tony and Don come clean about his secret ID.

Tony Stark, Actually Iron Man: “I feel a little foolish about keeping that secret from you till now! I’m sure Don feels the same way...”

Donald Blake, Dr. Thor: “Right, Tony...”

So now Cap is in on the secret which previously bound Tony and Don together as the Best Friends Avengers Who Aren’t Beast and Wonder Man.

Remember when they discovered each other’s secret IDs? Good times. Well, weird times. That was the issue when that hates-robots group suicide bombed Vision for dating a meat woman.

Also, Tony was only wearing underwear under the Iron Man armor so Don gave him his suit jacket to wear as a loincloth. Mighty nice of him.

Silver Surfer has just been standing on the sides not caring about all this secret ID nonsense or personal drama so he chimes in to point out that Molecule Man is going to eat the planet unless they stop him.

Cap decides that he and the Surfer have to strike before Molecule Man realizes they’re alive. Tony and Don have the important mission to hide somewhere safe.

Tony and Don object to being sidelined. Strongly.

Tony: “You think Iron Man is just a suit of armor, Cap? Is that what you’re saying?”

Don: “I found this rod to use as a makeshift cane! It won’t change me into a thunder god, but it’ll help me get around -- if only to draw fire!”

Tony: “Like it or not, we’re with you!”

Don: “The Avengers stand assembled, Captain America! Now, lead us!”

Cap: “All right! I get the message! I should have known better than to think you’d -- I mean, you two are the best...”

Tony: “Save it, Cap! We’ve got work to do!”

Aww.

This is everything I could have hoped for out of secret ID reveal. Cap starts thinking of them as civilians now that they have real person names but ultimately it brings them closer as teammates.

I love it. Granted, I love it because my favorite form of Avengers is a group of friends and set of interpersonal dramas roughly shaped like a superhero team.

Later, in the nighttime and in the room that Molecule Man made for Tigra.

... Wow, Molecule Man.

Wow.

So we’ve got a giant cat shaped bed. A giant, terrifying cat head on the wall. And a giant ball of yarn. But not giant sized cat tree? Fie and shame.

Anyway, Tigra is sitting on bed lamenting and decrying the Fantastic Four’s failure. Especially as it pertains to her situation.

Tigra: “I -- I just can’t believe the Fantastic Four failed! How could they let me -- and the world down like that? How could they? Right now, Reed Richards is probably locked in his lab trying to invent a gizmo that’ll pierce the dome! Hmf! Who knows how long that might take? The Molecule Man plans to eat the Earth tomorrow morning!”

Nothing like a nice filling breakfast, I guess.

She grants that Reed doesn’t know there’s an everyone’s-deadline so instead Tigra bemoans that it’s all up to her.

Tigra: “I should have tried to jump him today! I can’t believe I didn’t! I was standing right next to him a couple of times! I’m cat-quick! Why didn’t I lunge at him and claw him to shreds before he could move? Could it be because my muscles felt like jelly -- ? I was trembling -- ? In shock -- ? Afraid of him? Hey, shouldn’t I be? I mean, I saw him crush my friends to a bloody smear! And I had a spooky feeling that he was somehow, secretly ready for an attack -- and hoping I’d give him an excuse to dice me into furry cubes!”

And because this is a Tigra character beat page, she also thinks about how easy the hero gig used to seem when it was for smaller stakes. But with the actual literal fate of the world at stake... “I never thought that when the big test came I’d be a scaredy cat!”

But she remembers what Cap said during the Ghost Rider story that its not wrong to be frightened if you don’t let fear dictate your actions.

So she creeps out into the night to Molecule Man’s bedroom.

Oh, that’s a neat touch.

Her shadow on the wall looks a lot like a tiger because her hair curls at the end like a tail.

Neat.

So anyway, she doesn’t understand how Molecule Man can be so confident that he’s just sleeping with his door wide open and with no defenses and wonders if there’s a trap or whether he’s just counting on her to think that there’s a trap.

She’s about five seconds from a full-blown I know you know that I know that you know episode.

The only way to find out is just go for it so she creeps into the room. The garish room.

This is even more wow than Tigra’s room.

But as she creeps into the room and up to the enormous, ridiculous bed, she realizes that she has to kill him. If she attacks and doesn’t kill him with the first strike, what he could do is too horrible for her to imagine.

But what she doesn’t realize is that Molecule Man isn’t sleeping soundly and isn’t unprepared. 

He’s stretched monomolecular filaments across the room, too thin for even Tigra to spot.

Now usually monomolecular filaments is one of those ‘oops I’ve been cut to pieces by invisible wires’ thing. You’ve probably seen it in a couple of anime. But this is more like a bunch of cans on a string.

Tigra breaks one of the filaments while she creeps forward. Something that she couldn’t possibly know but which instantly alerts him.

And his response is a “Oh, ho! Just wait’ll she tries it! This’ll be fun!”

Because Tigra’s instinct was correct. Molecule Man was keeping her around just to kill when she finally tried anything. Its been a game. See how far he can push Tigra and how messily he can deal with her when she loses.

This is pretty tense stuff! Well, it lasts a page so it doesn’t overfocus on this specific tense scenario but still!

Tigra: “I’m in range! All I’ve got to do is spring and... and kill him! He murdered my friends! He’s going to destroy the whole world! I’ve got to kill him! Come on, lady! Do it! What’s wrong? He deserves it! He’s a murderer -- ! A rotten little wimp! He calls you ‘kitty’! Kill him! I hate him! I hate him! but... i just can’t kill him!”

And apologizing to Cap for not being able to go through with it, she slinks out of the room trying to think of another way.

Inside the room, Molecule Man sits up disgruntled, just not understanding at all why she didn’t go through with it. There’s no way she could have known that he was ready for her so why wouldn’t she try to do a murder!

And then as Tigra is wishing she had someone to talk to, someone grabs her and pulls her around a corner.

Boom, a comedy after all that one page of tension.

And it’s Cap because there’s like four people it could have been.

Tigra is elated that the Cap is alive, that she’s not alone anymore! And she tries to confess that she attempted to kill Molecule Man to avenge the Avengers. That maybe she should have because now she might lose them again!

Tony: “You did fine, Tigra! Relax!”

But she doesn’t feel like she did fine so she tries to explain that she let the Avengers down by giving into cowardice. She told Molecule Man she liked him to stay alive.

Cap: “Good strategy, Tigra -- preserving your life so you’d be able to carry on the battle!”

She tries to explain it wasn’t strategy so much as being terrified but she gets distracted because she’s just realized that in this group of Cap and Silver Guy there’s two people she doesn’t know.

Cap: “Dr. Don Blake, who’s secretly Thor and Tony Stark who is Iron Man’s alter ego!”

Her mood immediately flips.

Tigra: “You guys are really Thor and Iron Man? Really? And it’s okay for me to know? Really?”

Tony Stark: “Why not? Somehow those secrets seem pretty trivial, what with the world on the verge of being the Molecule Man’s breakfast!”

He says that but he still looks pretty annoyed at Cap just blurting it out.

And geez, Cap, you gotta let people reveal their own secret identities. Or make up some dumb excuse that everyone instantly believes.

Its the done thing.

In terms of Avengers drama though this is pretty good. Thor, Cap, and Iron Man have been working together for a really long time. Even though Cap didn’t form the Avengers he’s basically been there so long they consider him an honorary founder.

Cap learning Iron Man and Thor’s secret identities can be a ‘we should have told you sooner!’ thing.

Tigra just joined the team! Like a week ago!

They need to work together now and there’s probably no smooth lie that could paper over where Iron Man and Thor went and why these two are here now but its probably still a little galling that Cap just blurts it out to the newest person on the team.

Its great. I’d love to see the repercussions of this.

Anyway, time is short so Tony gets to explaining the plan.

He found his broken armor and managed to scavenge enough bits and pieces to make a little device he’s calling a screamer. It’ll emit a high-pitched noise that should disorient Molecule Man.

And then the device just poofs into smoke in Tony’s hand.

Whoops, Molecule Man overheard their plan to beat up Molecule Man and also heard Tony call him names.

So he pulls together all the loose dust in the room and uses it to strangle Tony.

Wow, they’ve gone from having a “layered assault” to watching someone literally choke on Molecule Man’s dust. That’s got to be the quickest turnaround from hope to nope.

Tigra goes wild, rushing at Molecule Man and screaming that she shoulda killed him before and she’s damn well going to scratch his face off now!

But Molecule Man asks her to talk to the hand. Zing.

Puns.

Although “Don’t scream at me, Kitty! ‘Cause I’ll slap you down!”

Sure. That’s good wordplay too.

Having just been comedically (although seriously) WHAP!’d across the room, Tigra has her own words to say.

Tigra: “You -- you weak, slimy excuse for a human being! How could I have stooped so low as to humble myself to garbage like you? So you’ve got power! Big deal! You were a nerd before -- you’re still a nerd! You were a mistake! You shouldn’t even have been born! You crybaby! All you do is blame the world for your own inedequacy! Go on, kill me, nerd! I despise living in the same world with you!”

Wow. She really took all those personal details he shared and slapped him upside the head with them.

Goes to show. Don’t try to destroy the world. People will have rude things to say.

Meanwhile, Cap and Silver Surfer are trying to save Tony but can’t clear the super condense dust faster than Molecule Man gathers it.

Cap tells Tigra to get Molecule Man because that’s their only chance but Tigra is too hurt from being slapped by a giant hand.

Molecule Man: “I’ve got to hand it to you guys, it must’ve taken some doing to escape my crusher! This time, I’m going to make sure you’re dead! Hmm... someone’s missing! But who?”

And he’s done process of elimination and realized that the guy Thor turned into is missing and figures he ran away when Entirely Normal But Furious Dr. Donald Blake tells Molecule Man to grit his teeth.

And then Molecule Man runs off yelling because Dr. Donald Blake can throw down. He possibly broke Molecule Man’s nose with that one punch.

Good job, Dr. Donald Blake.

With Molecule Man not focusing on the dust thing, Tony is free of the dust thing but unconscious. Dr. Donald Blake tells the others that he’ll take care of Tony and that they should go chase Molecule Man since they can run better than he can.

So Cap, Tigra, and Silver Surfer go off in pursuit of Molecule Man.

Silver Surfer reminds that he can track Molecule Man’s unique energies. Cap helpfully points out that they can also just track the trail of blood drips from Molecule Man’s nose. And Tigra goes ‘also I can smell him’ because its good to have three different ways to find a guy.

They find him in some sort of throne room (curled up in pain on the throne) and charge at him. But he’s not in the mood for their shenanigans.

So he sends a tidal wave of molecules at them.

Cap shouts for Silver Surfer to do something and he does do something indeed.

The Surfer blasts the wave of matter with the power cosmic so hard that it transmutes into raw energy and just explodes through the top of the palace in a beautiful pyrotechnic display.

It also completely exhausts the Surfer and he just kind of plops down for a nap right there on the ground.

Cap tells Tigra to watch the Surfer and then goes to take the Molecule Man on alone.

This isn’t a great plan but also their already small roster has kind of dwindled to this point.

And maybe Cap sort of doesn’t want to throw Tigra at Molecule Man when she’s already been hurt and was voicing all those doubts earlier. Can’t say for sure. She’s about to offer for help but Cap is like ‘WHOOPS NOW OR NEVER!’

Molecule Man must be in a whimsical mood, I mean more so than usual have you seen what he’s been getting up to? Because he converts some of the furnishings into a bunch of stars to shoot at Cap.

Its funny because Cap wears a star. It’d be ironic if he got smacked in the face with one, probably.

But Molecule Man activated Cap’s speechifying and that buffs him because nobody likes hearing Cap talk about freedom and justice and doing right more than Cap probably.

What I’m saying is that he leaps and gambols between the stars and I feel its because he has Stuff To Say that he’s doing so well.

Cap: “You make me sick, mister! They say power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely,  and you’re living proof of it! You might kill me! After all, I’m just an ordinary man -- but men like me have always found a way to bring high-and-mighty tyrants like you to their knees! There’s never enough power to save madmen like you -- from ultimate, bitter defeat!”

WAK!

And perhaps it wasn’t just his agility that was improved by inspirational speeching himself. Because he knocks Molecule Man down with that one punch and he doesn’t get back up.

Or maybe Molecule Man just has a glass jaw.

Don Blake and Tony Stark show up and Silver Surfer wakes up but he runs in with the rest anyway for some reason. Tony tells Tigra to watch Molecule Man while he has an Important Debate with Cap.

See, Tony has realized something. Knocking down Molecule Man is just the first step. If Molecule Man gets back up, he might start eating the Earth again and the Avengers might not be able to stop him.

So he asks Don Blake if there’s a medical way to just sort of keep Molecule Man knocked out.

Don Blake: “How? We can’t just keep hitting him on the head -- this isn’t a T.V. show! I mean, how hard do you hit him? How many times can you do that before causing serious brain damage... or death?”

Realism? In a comic book? What are YOU doing here??

Anyway, Tony doesn’t see any other option but to kill Molecule Man.

Cap protests that Molecule Man is a human being with rights to due process and a trial by jury of his peers!

But Tony is convincing the others. As an Actual Doctor, Don Blake doesn’t like to hear this. He wants to save lives. But he can’t refute Tony.

And Silver Surfer also seems on Team Tony.

Silver Surfer: “I understand what it is to sacrifice one life so that a multitude, a world might live! It seems clear that this Molecule Man cannot be imprisoned or held in check! He... must die to save the Earth... though I could never bring myself to slay him!”

Don’t you have the power cosmic? Surely there’s a power cosmic option available?

To be fair though his the power cosmic might be exhausted at the moment.

Still. Geez, Silver Surfer. ‘He gotta die but 1-2-3-not-it’ is really how you’re playing this??

Meanwhile, Tigra has decided that being asked to watch Molecule Man implies a certain duty perhaps even responsibility to tell him how much he sucks. Which is a lot.

And recall that she’s already told him how much he sucks earlier in the fight. So she has found a second wind in telling him how much he sucks.

Tigra: “You little jerk! Don’t you see? Cap was wrong! Power very seldom corrupts! It usually doesn’t change anything! It just magnifies what’s already there, whether it’s good and noble or evil and petty!”

“You were a nerd before... now you’re a powerful nerd! Big deal! Dummy! The shame of it is that with your power you can build... you can contribute! You don’t have to be a loser anymore!”

“Why are you such a fool? Why can’t you see that killing a planetful of people doesn’t make you even -- it just make you lonelier than ever!”

Wow. It feels like Tigra could hypothetically be talking about all different kinds of entitled nerds who then become the jerks as adults!

Anyway.

Tony and Cap are still arguing.

Tony, at least, isn’t going to ask someone to do something he wouldn’t do himself. I.e., he’s going to kill Molecule Man himself and save four billion people.

Cap: “Tony... please! I can’t let you do this!”

Tony: “You can take me in for murder afterward, Cap, but for now, stand aside! I’m warning you...”

Cap: “You’ll have to go through me, Tony...”

You’re warning him, Tony? You don’t have armor. You don’t even have pants. What are you going to do to supersoldier Captain America?

Logic aside, what strikes me is how much this foreshadows.

Before Civil War contrived that superhero registration, the big hot button superhero debate issue is whether superheroes should kill in extreme circumstances.

Spoilers for the NINETIES but the Regular and West Coast Avengers will come to schism and Cap and Iron Man will basically break up over whether or not to kill the Kree Supreme Intelligence after it engineered a war that killed 90% of the Kree people on purpose.

Shooter is long gone by that point but I guess someone is going to pick up the thread.

Because the debate doesn’t get settled here or rather does, sorta, in favor of Cap but not in a way he expects.

Interrupting the sad fist fight between Cap and a nearly naked man, Molecule Man pops up and tells everyone that Tigra has convinced him to turn his life around.

Tigra: “Guys, Mr. Owen Reece and I have talked, and, well, I convinced him to give himself up!”

Mr. Owen Reece: “Yes, I want to start seeing a therapist!”

Cap: “huh?”

Mr. Owen Reece: “I know I’ll have to go to jail... but that’s okay! It’ll give me time to think things out! I’ll make an opening in the dome now so you can call the authorities!”

Don Blake: “s-sure!”

God, that is just great. I love this as a resolution so much. This is a resolution that Squirrel Girl would bring us, although we’d get more of the actual convincing.

Still very, very good. Good to be optimistic in comics sometimes. Sometimes villains can seek redemption if only a cat yells at them long enough.

Although I think the best part is how baffled everyone is by the plot twist.

So with but a “Soon...” caption, the police have come to pick up Mr. Owen Reece and brought Miss Hanrahan who is going to be his therapist.

Holy crap, a therapist in Marvel who isn’t Doc Sampson but will work with superpowered nonsense!

Can we bring Miss Hanrahan back??

A couple things I like here.

One is that Mr. Owen Reece has changed off-panel into a suit instead of his supervillain costume. Now that’s him making an honest effort.

Two is Very Annoyed Tony Stark in the back of the pack of Avengers. He’s wearing a handkerchief as a mask because someone might recognize him as Tony Stark and then wonder ‘hey why is Tony Stark here.’

Three is the proud smile from Tigra when seeing Mr. Owen Reece meet his therapist.

Melts my heart a little.

Before he goes away to jail, Mr. Owen Reece takes a quick sidebar with the Avengers.

He retroactively feels just awful about ruining their various gadgets so he decides to make right.

He reintegrates Mjolnir, Toomie the surfboard, and Cap’s shield exactly as they were. Original molecules and all! They were so weird that he remembered where they all went.

As for Iron Man’s Iron Man armor.... look, he did his best.

Mr. Owen Reece: “But your armor, with all those complicated electronic gadgets is just too tricky for me to reassemble! You needed something more proper to wear till you get home, though -- so I whipped up some red and gold cloth and made you an Iron Man leisure suit! I hope it’s okay!”

Amazing. Simply incredible.

Although I think my favorite part was Mr. Owen Reece realizing ‘hey Iron Man should be wearing pants!’

Anyway, he also takes apart his Molecule Man Doom Fortress and puts those molecules back where he found them. More or less. He tries.

And, yes, he does rebuild the entire town of Netcong, New Jersey. Except the plumbing.

In a funny call back to Reece admitting he doesn’t really understand plumbing, none of the plumbing in the rebuilt town works.

Later, back at Avengers Mansion, Silver Surfer is offered a spot on the team but turns it down.

FOR THE PATHS OF DESTINY DO BECKON HIM DOWN A LONELY ROAD THAT MUST BE TRAVELED ALONE

Its the only who he has ever known. Except for all the time he spend with Galactus. Or the Defenders. Or later on when he has a companion to take on space nonsense.

Tigra also takes this time to say farewell.

Tigra: “I’m just not in the same league as you guys! I mean, sure I’ve got lots of super-ability, and, usually, I'm even pretty heroic -- but not up to your standard! I mean two of you, without your powers, no less, really showed me what it’s all about back there! And let’s face it, you guys mess with some heavy-duty opposition! I think I’ll quit while I’m ahead!”

=C

Noooooooooo

But but but Tigraaa you were a source of joy and fuuuuuuuun

You only joined at the end of #211! It’s only been about a week in-universe!

Darn.

The three other Avengers all say their goodbyes.

Thor reminds her that she was the one who turned around Mr. Owen Reece but Tigra says she got lucky.

Iron Man gives her one of Tony Stark’s cards and tells her to call Tony Stark who is definitely not him anytime she needs anything.

Jarvis even tears up at her leaving, although he denies it because a good butler never dies on duty and then blames his allergies.

And then Tigra is off. Damn. If I didn’t know who might be joining the Avengers soon I’d be completely inconsolable instead of just very.

So now the Avengers are down to just three members. That’s not a team. That’s a crossover. Probably why Jarvis wonders if a membership drive is in order.

NEXT: The return of... Yellowjacket, the Wasp, and Egghead!

I’m game for Wasp coming back! Don’t think it likely that Yellowjacket is just going to come back to the team just like that! And Egghead? The villain who blew up a city with a killsat and killed Hawkeye’s brother? Unlikely recruit!

(No I know that’s not what the NEXT means)

Hey, follow @essential-avengers​ because the Hank Pym just keeps happening. Like and reblog too please. Be sad with me that Tigra is gone.

#Avengers #Molecule Man #Tigra #Captain America #Iron Man #Thor #Silver Surfer #essential avengers #essential marvel liveblogging #Tigra the Last Avenger #would be a good name for a book #Molecule Man is bad at bathrooms and being nice #never before has a flimsier plan so immediately fallen apart #the Fantastic Four have a brief cameo and they don't enjoy it

[untapanimedraw]

Anime of the Decade 2018

Oh boy, we’re getting close to current day. So much anime, where to start? How about the beginning of the year? Lets get started!

Winter:

Darling in the FranXX - Oh man, what a way for Trigger to drop the ball. For what was set up to be such an interesting show with a cool premise and a variety of characters, they just had to go and pull a typical Trigger ending with SPACE! There’s a lot to like about this show and it gave us an iconic best girl in Zero Two, but the ending is just so lackluster and disappointing that it really casts a sad pall over the whole show. 

Skilled Teaser Takagi-san - I have never seen such a heartwarming, wholesome, calm, low-stakes, enjoyable show like this ever. It’s a just budding romance between a couple middle school kids where all the flirting is cloaked behind Takagi-san’s teasing and Nishikata’s naïveté . Truly a show worth watching. 

Yuru Camp - Speaking of chill shows, this was definitely the laid-back (pun intended) show of the season. This is a very nice slice of life show about a bunch of cute girls camping in the winter. Lots of yuri undertones and a fun cast make this a really fun show to watch. Also season 2 in 2020!

After the Rain - A romance show that’s all about to very different and lost people who come together and find romance, but not in each other. They use their connection to find what love means to them, and it’s a fully underrated and sweet show. The art style is really nice and unique and the sound design is A+. 

A Place Further Than the Universe - And here we have my AOTS and a very strong contender for AOTY. The story plot is really just a group of girls go to Antarctica, but like in almost all things: it’s not the destination, it’s the journey. And that goes doubly so for this show where it’s fully character driven, and the four main girls are all different enough and unique in their own ways that there’s a lot comedy and growth and maturity. So fucking good. 

Ms. Koizumi-san Loves Ramen Noodles - I’m including this for 2 reasons. Number 1, like always, cute anime girls. And Number 2, you get a fairly decent education in styles of ramen. If you like ramen and anime girls, watch this show. I learned there are so many types of ramen in different regions and really just whatever the chefs want to create to make something unique. 

Spring:

Last Period - This is an action/magic/fantasy show that’s not really any of that. It is, but it’s really more of a full on comedy parody of gatcha-games and the related tropes. It’s a really fun comedy with excellent ED and OP songs. 

Megalo Box - Hot damn, how do we in the year 2018 get a show that’s straight out of the 80′s and still look and sound like the best of the year? Absolutely unique and excellent in all regards. It’s my AOTS for sure. 

Comic Girls - This is a show all about finding confidence in what you want to do. Lot of cute girls, fun comedic situations, and just a nice feel-good show. 

Golden Kamuy - Ever been vaguely interested in Japanese history? No not samurais and stuff, but like late 19th and early 20th century Japanese history and some of the indigenous peoples who kinda got pushed out. It’s a story about war, the Ainu people, and a legitimate Gold Rush! Fantastic show that got a second season and I’m holding out hope for a third. 

Hinamatsuri - Definitely the comedy of the season for me, though in the end it almost ended up more heartwarming and adorable than full on comedy. 

Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online - Ever wanted to explore the ideas and games of SAO without the main characters holding the story back? This is the show for you. It’s a legitimately good SAO show without any of the drawbacks and baggage the main story carries with it. 

Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku - One of the most relate-able and honest adult romance stories I’ve even seen. This isn’t some shitty high school rom-com that spends the whole 12 episodes building up to a confession that may or may not turn into anything. This takes care of all that in the first 2 episodes and then spends the rest of its time exploring the ins and outs of an actual relationship. All while both work together and have their own otaku hobbies. 

Summer:

Attack on Titan S3 - The political navigating begins! This aired in 2 parts with a couple seasons between them so I guess it’s technically 2 seasons though not. And part 2 is rightly hailed as the best of AOT so far, but this part 1 has one of the best action scenes I’ve ever witnessed. The Levi chase scene is so fucking good. 

Overlord S3 - There is a whole lot of interesting story that happens in this season and a lot of good, but it almost all gets brought down by some absolutely terrible CGI in the last couple episodes. 

How Not to Summon a Demon Lord - That a stupidly trashy show. I fucking love it. 

Grand Blue - Grand Blue is a diving show! That is like 90% college shenanigains and drinking. It’s also quite funny and has some fantastic faces. 

Asobi Asobase - I’m a big fan of comedies, and somehow this one seems to top everything I’ve seen. The scenarios, the voice acting, the art, the timing, the OP and ED... literally everything about this show is cranked to 11 in order to provide the best comedy experience around. AOTS. 

Fall:

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime - This is a super fun isekai show that is done well. No there’s not an overpowered, black-haired, generic MC; in fact the MC isn’t even human, he’s a slime! Who just so happens to befriend an elder dragon and use the unique slime characteristics to kinda become stupidly overpowered. He just wants to chill and have some fun and ends up building a nation of monster-kin while he’s at it. Lots of comedy, lots of fun, enough well-animated action to keep you entertained, and a lot of heart for this little slime and his family that he builds. 

Sword Art Online: Alicization - More SAO! This is supposed to actually be good though... and I have to agree! 

Goblin Slayer - Goblins are a menace, but they’re not flashy so most of the adventurers just ignore them. However the titular Goblin Slayer knows better, when they gather en masse they are a force to be reckoned with and can even wipe out whole cities not to mention any little villages along the way. He will not stand for that and has specialized in goblin hunting. Are there goblins to kill? He’ll do it. Souka. 

Bunny Girl Senpai - The romance/mystery story that took the anime community by storm. The movie that came out later was a heartwrencher too. So good. 

Run With The Wind - Here we get to my AOTS and strong contender for AOTY. I never thought that an anime about a bunch of boys working towards running a relay marathon would be one of my favorite shows of the entire year, but here we are. It just has so much heart and soul that’s it just ends up being a greater than the sum of it’s parts situation. 

Alright, so we have A Place Further than the Universe, Megalo Box, Asobi Asobase, and Run With the Wind. Like with every year so far, the AOTY comes down to personal preference and this year goes to Run With the Wind. 

#anime #anime of the year #anime of the decade #a place further than the universe #megalo box #asobi asobase #run with the wind

[terry-perry]

Preyed Upon pt. 1

 Yet another piece of fanfiction that is dedicated to @ladyfluff​, especially since I have a few OCs on here that she had created. Give her a follow if you haven’t already to see more of them because they’re the kind of OCs that like to pop up every now and again on her tumblr. Also FAIR WARNING: this oneshot will contain some dark themes to it such as kidnapping, torture, and all that good stuff! You have been warned...

Enjoy the read!

There was no stopping Adam as he swung open the door hard enough to take it off its hinges. He charged over to Raymond sitting in the den and used more of his inhuman strength to lift him off the couch and hold him by the front of his shirt. Everyone else trailed behind not soon after and barely even put a stop to the antics.

“Where is she?!” Adam spat out, his eyes lit up with malice.

“Won’t you come in?” Raymond said with that sneering grin that made you want to punch him in the face.

“Cut the shit!” Peter hissed while standing on Adam’s left. “Where’s our sister?!”

No one had been able to reach Y/N for a little over two weeks. It wasn’t like her to go off the grid for too long, not even when she was busy working on one of her art projects or on the hunt for another addition to her antique collection. She always took the time to give one of them a call and even update them with her progress. Everyone’s concerns were confirmed after they all decided to check for her at her apartment and found her gone. The worry grew only worse when Ava spoke up about what Raymond had been spewing out since he came back into their lives, and how he was ready to give Y/N what she had coming to her.

“Ava told us everything,” Eve explained coldly on Adam’s right. “So don’t bother lying your way out of this.”

Raymond had the nerve to throw his head back and let out a mocking laugh before looking over to Ava, who was peeking from behind Eve’s shoulder like a frightened child seeking solace in their parent’s arms.

She knew this was her fault for bringing him back into the picture. She had heard all the stories about him throughout the several decades he had been around, but she saw it all as more adventurous and exciting than terrifying. She fell for Raymond’s charm and bloodlust; his goal of making every night a party for their kind. Him being Y/N’s ex was just a bonus since they never really got along all that well, and she enjoyed doing what she could to annoy her.

But this trumped their rivalry and whatever Bonnie and Clyde type romance she thought she could have with him. Now it seemed like lives could be at stake because she refused to see what he really was: a monster.

“Oh I sincerely doubt she told you what I have been up to,” Raymond said, pulling himself out of Adam’s grip. “Because she still thought that all this was just another attempt to get Y/N back when she left to warn you guys. And I’ll admit, I did make a final attempt to win her over when I had stopped by to see her. But it really seems like she’s taken by the new pet she has...”

He peered over to Ian standing behind everyone else and giving him an equally cold stare.

“I thought about killing her,” Raymond admitted. “But that seemed too good for her. Even if I took my time with it. So, I decided to give her a taste of her own medicine.”

The group were all paler than usual, but each pair of eyes were still slits of fury and disdain.

“What the hell does that mean?” Ian asked sharply. 

Raymond looked at him with an out-of-place casual smile.

“Have any of you ever browsed online before? I myself thought the internet was a bit of nonsense. Another waste of time these modern zombies created. That was until I found certain sites that only a few can stumble upon when you know the way to access it all.”

He kept his voice in an eerily calm level and still went on smiling serenely.

“One particular website I found was host to a lot of eccentric rich folk. People who were actually willing to pay millions - even billions - for items that are otherworldly or supernatural. Imagine my surprise when I also saw that even creatures could be up for sale. Entities...supernatural beings. Like us.”

“Oh no...” Rowan mumbled.

“You should have seen the bidding war there was over her-”

There was another violent lunge for Raymond, but from Ian this time. He bellowed out a growl-like yell when he almost knocked over everyone to attack him. He got a few hits before he was pulled back by Peter and Rowan. His face was red with fury, and his hair was disheveled. Angry tears spilled out his eyes.

“I’ll kill you!” He shouted. “I’ll fucking kill you!”

“Where is she?” Eve asked, doing her best to keep her own composure steady. “Who did you sell her to?”

“Now, now, she hasn’t been shipped off just yet,” Raymond stated with mock assurance. “Her buyer is some rich widower from the U.K. He’s planning on picking her up and flying back home with her. He should be here in about 2-3 days. Until then, I’m keeping her in a safe place that is on a need-to-know basis for those I do business with. So maybe there’s something better you can offer me for he-”

“This is Y/N we’re talking about, not some item you’re auctioning off of eBay!” Peter exclaimed fiercely. “We are not negotiating or offering anything!”

“Give her back to us!” Adam threatened with a menacing step toward Raymond. “Or else-”

But suddenly, Raymond took out a small remote and immediately pressed a button on it. Not long after, there was a terrible and drawn-out shriek in the room. Everyone looked around the small apartment until Rowan pointed at the cell phone they were all too distracted to have noticed on the couch. With it being on speaker, they all heard Y/N’s pained screams go on as they all began to panic.

“Y/N!”

“Stop it!”

“What are you doing?!”

“Stop!”

Raymond eventually pressed another button on the remote that seemed to put a stop to whatever it was that caused her screams since there was no longer any noise from her end but small pants and whimpers.

“What did you do to her?!” Adam screeched, tears of his own wanting to come out.

Raymond lifted up the remote and looked at it with pride.

“Oh that was courtesy of another neat little thing I found on the web. This baby controls something Y/N has around her neck at the moment. Kinda like one of those shock collars people have their pets wear when they want them to behave.”

Everyone’s eyes widened with fear and surprise, with some even looking like they might be sick. But he just continued to look smug and even had his thumb graze over some of the buttons on the remote.

“This one’s a little more intense. It even has levels! So far, it seems like it’s doing a great job keeping you all in line.” He gave each and every one of them a hard glare. “And you’re all going to stay in line by either scrounging up more than $7 million in three days, or just butt out and let me get the money that’s already guaranteed to come my way. Try anything else, I’ll be sure to crank this all the way up to 11! Then we’ll see what I can do with whatever is left of her.”

They all remained quiet and each felt a good amount of helplessness. What was there to do now that there hands were tied? They needed time to figure out what their next move needed to be. They just hoped Y/N wasn’t gone by the time they came up with a plan.

“Let us talk to her,” Adam demanded softly. “We, at least, deserve to know that she’s safe, for now.”

Raymond gave some thought to the request before deciding to hand over the phone to Adam.

“No tricks,” he said, raising the remote once more.

The group crowded around Adam once he grabbed the phone and called out to his sister in a shaky voice.

“Y/N?”

“Adam?!” They heard her croak out. It was heartbreaking to hear her wheeze. “Adam, I don’t know where I am. I don’t know where he’s taken me! I’m in some sort of basement, but that’s all I know. I’m so scared...”

Adam glanced at Raymond on the couch, but he just looked bored and tapped his fingers against his cheek with impatience. He reverted his attention back to Y/N. Eve did all she could to rub out the tension he was feeling.

“It’s going to be fine, Y/N. You’re going to be okay. I promise, we’re going to do all we can to save you. You just keep hanging on and be the strong person we all know you to be.”

He had to stop to swallow the lump forming in his throat.

“Are all of you there?” Y/N asked.

Peter took the phone from his brother’s trembling hands to answer. “Yeah, Y/N. We’re all here. You’re on speaker, so we can all hear you.”

“Hi everyone. Sorry if I had you all worried...”

Peter couldn’t help but let out a choked-up laugh. “It’s what you’re good at, I suppose. Even when we were growing up, you were always the one that had the habit of wandering off into the woods.”

“Just wanted to see those witches mother would always prattle on about for myself,”

Peter pressed his lips together and shut his eyes tight, doing all he could to keep it together.

“Is Ian there as well?” Y/N asked next.

“Yeah, baby, I’m here,” Ian answered immediately. He grabbed the phone from Peter, who was now being held by his husband.

“Is it all right if I speak with you, in private?”

Ian looked at Raymond to see if this was okay. He gained some agitation, but he only rolled his eyes and gestured towards the bedroom nearby.

“Make it quick,” he ordered. “Leave the door open, and keep it on speaker.”

Ian walked the several feet away and sat down on the bed while listening to her voice, despite the fact that it pained him with the way it sounded so hoarse and strained.

“I don’t know how much time he’s given you, but I wanted to tell you a few important things in case-”

“Y/N, please don’t,” he interrupted her with a small cry. “Please don’t act like this is the last time we’re going to talk to each other. You’re going to be okay. We’re going to find you.”

“I know, I know, but with the chance that something does happen to me-”

“I can’t!” Ian exclaimed tearfully. He couldn’t let this be the end for them. He needed her by his side; to take care of her, and love and admire her the way he always did. His eyes were clamped shut as though he was afraid this all wasn’t just a terrible nightmare he could easily wake up from. He needed to pretend for at least a moment that he’d open his eyes and find himself in her apartment where he would get out of bed to follow the scent of the late night breakfast she would be cooking for him while wearing one of his shirts.

“I don’t want this to be the last time I hear your voice,” he proclaimed. “I know there’s a lot we can’t do together, but there’s also a lot we can still do that we haven’t done yet!” He struggled a somewhat to catch his breath. “We still need to move in together, and travel, and make music.” He huffed and drew a sad smile on his face. “I was even thinking that we could get a dog. You like dogs, right?”

She gave out a broken giggle. “I love dogs. What do you think about getting a labradoodle?”

“Yeah, that sounds good. It’ll have a lot of hair, like me.”

“You know how much I love your hair,”

They shared a soft laugh and had some momentary relief from the dire situation.

“I want to do all those things with you, baby. And so much more,” he whispered, not trusting himself to have his voice break. He needed to be strong for the two of them. He couldn’t let her know how scared he truly was. “Please try to hold on until we find you. Promise me you will. And if you get a chance to escape, you tak-”

“All right, Romeo. That’s enough.”

Ian didn’t care anymore about making a scene once Raymond came into the room to snatch the phone away. He pleaded with a whimper for him to have another minute with her. He needed her to be okay. Last thing he heard was her panicked voice calling for him before Raymond ended the call. The love and worry he was carrying for her was now replaced with a rage and hatred for the man in front of him that was giving him a hateful scowl of his own.

“Pathetic,” Raymond scoffed. “Of all the people she could’ve replaced me with, she decided to go for you.”

Ian didn’t bother responding, only sinking to his knees due to his legs feeling too much like jelly. He was shaking from head to toe and ached as his breathing came out like there were painful stabs to his chest. He could only imagine that Y/N was in a much worse state. Because right now he didn’t care about living or dying. Only that the pain would stop.

#Olla #collab #only lovers left alive #eve olla #adam olla x eve olla #sister!reader #sister #adam x reader #adam olla #adam olla x sister!reader #Ian x Reader #ian olla #ian olla x reader #OC #lee pace #iwan rheon #tilda swinton #tom hiddleston #tom hiddleston imagines #x reader #vampire!reader #fanfiction #angst #fandom #fanfic #peter olla #series

[risingphoenix87]

[ahem] YOU’RE👏🏾STILL👏🏾WRONG.

“Unfortunately that perception of “Q-Slur inclusive, Anti Q-Slur exclusive” is not as universal as people like to think it is.”

Evidence? I mean, if you’re going to make this claim, you ought to be able to back it up. Both Peter/Ethel of Essence of Thought and I have made responses to your video on “slur discourse” as I will call it, and both of us have evidence to back up our claims. Here’s a link to Ethel’s video; they list all of their sources in the video description.

“Aggressive Q-Slur proponents will often claim to be inclusive, and in practice they might be. But I’ve also found them to be extremely vindictive when they don’t get their way and turn on people and devolve into outright bigtory a LOT.”

Well, smart gal, people will tend to get defensive when you accuse them of being self-loathing and “fetishizing their own oppression.” And I don’t really think you are in any position to label anyone else “vindictive” when all you do in your videos and blog is bitch and moan about people you hate and blame for the media you see not being exactly what you want.

“One of the most emphatic supporters of the Q-slur I’d ever met was a raging narcissist who proudly spewed truscum rhetoric, harassed trans people who contradicted them, and slandered other LGBT creators constantly.”

That wouldn’t happen to be a certain former friend of yours who you got pissy with when they stopped spoon-feeding you and doing everything you wanted, and has since moved on from your toxic ass, would it?

Naaaah...couldn’t be.

“By contrast, many people who use the Q-slur but ARE inclusive tend to be people who don’t actually have a stake in that argument, and who only use it because they’ve been told it’s the correct term. Not everyone who uses the Q-Slur is necessarily someone with an investment in it as an umbrella term. A lot of people just use the language they’re told to use.”

My god, this is fucking condescending. Listen, it’s one thing to not like the label “queer” and not identify it, but you’re just pulling this stuff out of your ass, Lily. Most people who self-ID as “queer” do so because we connect with it. Who are you to look down your damn nose at us and just make shit up to justify it?

“It’s why proponents go out of their way to slander those who tell them otherwise, because it is actually very easy to get people to stop doing it.”

No one is slandering you, Lily. You’re being a selfish, condescending bitch, and I and other people are asking you to stop.

“Like I said: The Q-slur is 100% about self-deprecation and presenting self-deprecation and self-othering as a “core element of LGBT culture.” It’s right alongside the vampire/werewolf fixation and the obsession with reptilian nonbinary people and bigoted wastes of time like Rocky Horror. People who have become addicted to this self-destructive behavior present their personality defects as “part of a culture.””

Oh, Lord have mercy, FUCK OFF with this shit. I may write or make a video about the LGBT community’s tie with spectulative fiction (sci-fi, fantasy, and horror), as it’s a topic that interests me as both a member of the community, a writer, and a fan of it myself. I feel like I’m feeding a fed dog with this, but “queer” is not about self-loathing; it’s a “fuck-you” declaration of “maybe I’m not your idea of ‘normal,’ but that’s okay! I’m still human, and I still demand my rights!” I’ve done actual self-destructive things in my life, such as adopting unhealthy eating habits, staying in environments that were psychologically damaging, and even outright self-injury; calling myself “queer” didn’t happen until I STARTED embracing my true self. If you have a problem with that, I have a pair of socks in my pants that you can suck.

“And they resist pushback to that because it’s easier than accepting that they need therapy.”

Get fucked, Lily.

“Let me make something quite clear: A TERF saying that the Q-slur is a slur is what’s known as a “Stopped Clock Moment.” A stopped clock is right twice a day, and cranks can sometimes accept basic fundamental realities. It’s no different than if a TERF said “the sky is blue” on a sunny day. The Q-Slur has been a slur for DECADES. It’s supposed “reclamation” is less than ten years old.”

This is exactly what I’m talking about; you’re just making shit up. Reclamation of the slur goes back to the 80s, which, for those who can’t math, is four decades ago, not 10 years. Hell, the episode of the Simpsons, “Homer’s Phobia,” that made a joke about the slur’s reclamation, premiered in February 1997, two months before my 10th birthday (23 years ago).

And yeah, the “stopped clock” rule doesn’t even apply here. TERFs are right about the mainstream sex industry being exploitative (see PornHub’s tomfoolery); that’s a better example.

I need a drink...where’s my diet soda...?

#lily orchard #slur discourse #this bitch #LGBT

[hellzyeahthewebwieldingavenger]

Absolute Carnage #1 Thoughts

Absolute Carnage is an Absolute Triumph!

Do not get it twisted. I will not be covering older or future issues of Cates’ Venom run. Nor will I be covering every tie in issue for this event. In fact I was not planning on covering the main book in the first place.

But after reading it I now will be and have put it on my pull list.

Cates’ Venom work has been tremendous despite the detractors.

There have been some writing issues with older Venom continuity, but those issues are the by product of Cates desperately loving this character and the symbiote franchise and wanting to make Eddie Brock and his version of Venom a viable anti-hero protagonist character going forward.

To be clear I still fundamentally oppose that direction for the character, but if it must happen (and sales practically demand it happen) then yes we should have good writing accordingly. Cates has thus reinvented Brock and Venom (without a total overhaul) and rendered them fascinating, sympathetic, but still with plenty of edge and moral ambiguity.

He has not done the same for Carnage. He has simply taken Carnage and made him true to what he always was. A force of nature, a force of chaos and death with a Freddy Krueger wisecracking personality.

However what Cates has done for Carnage is reframe him in this story.

Whereas before Carnage was a spikey, sharp obstacle heroes needed to band together to bring down, now he’s beyond that. As he says, he is a God now, or at least almost Godlike. A Red Grim Reaper that even a monster like Venom is rightly afraid of.

Heroes might be able to stall him for awhile, but never stop him.

Much like Freddy Krueger, or Jason Voorhees or any of the classical slasher villains then, Carnage has been reframed as a horror monster. But imagine Jason, Freddy or Michael Myers with the almost Lovecraftian raw power behind them.

Scary right? And that’s what Absolute Carnage is. It’s a superhero horror story.*

It gets scarier when you consider Carnage isn’t even himself the real horroer, he’s the harbinger of it. Knull, the literal GOD OF THE SYMBIOTES is the ends through which Kasady is the bloody red means. Knull has recently appeared in Cates’ Silver Surfer run and it only just struck me writing this that in a sense Carnage is to Knrull what the Surfer was to Galactus.

Carnage is the Herald of Knull.

Kasady has all the over the top immense abilities he had before as Carnage, only now they’ve been cranked up to 11. Which considering the whole point of Carnage was that he was cranked up to 11 makes Absolute Carnage 22? He’s less vulnerable to sonics and fire and injury in general. His anatomy is contorted to the point where when bonded with the symbiote his waist is as thin as his spine and he’s HUGE. He can generate other symbiotes and bond them to others making them his footsoldiers.

He’s seemingly Absolutely unstoppable.

In this sense Absolute Carnage is a true blue sequel to Maximum Carnage. Like so many sequels of the time it is BIGGER. Whereas in Maximum Carnage the question was how far should the heroes go to stop Carnage, in Absolute Carnage the question is rather how on Earth CAN they stop him?

It’s Carnage taken to his absolute logical conclusion and I love it.

Now in fairness all that is contingent upon you liking Carnage in the first place. I’d still recommend regular ASM readers skim the issue as events from it will be relevant, but if you don’t like Carnage in general maybe don’t buy this.

However the issue holds other merits.

Cates is a unique beast amidst symbiote writers because he actually seems to unrepentantly LIKE them.

In the history of all the symbiote comics writers have either approached the characters as enjoying Venom and/or Carnage or parts of their lore but being very selective. Flash Thompson’s run on Venom for instance carried an undercurrent of, if not contempt, then elitism towards Eddie Brock and all the other symbiotes hence Remender (or was it Bunn?) sought to clean the slate of them. Bendis infamously didn’t even want to do Venom in Ultimate Spider-Man, rarely used him after he did and totally reframed the symbiotes in Guardians of the Galaxy to be glorified gooey Green Lanterns.

And I will be the first to admit I fall into the cadre of people who are extremely selective when it comes to symbiote lore. My love for them is through the lens of how they fit in and enrich Spider-Man’s  mythology, not appreciating them on the basis of their own mythology.

Cates is entirely different. He is first and foremost a Venom/symbiote fan. He is someone, and there are interviews corroborating this, who as a kid had one of his formative comic book lover experiences with anti-hero 90s Venom and stories like that.

This is why so many of the Web of Venom comic books that have been setting up this event have directly or indirectly referenced those 90s Venom books, even if it’s just in the name of the comics. Unleashed. Funeral Pyre. Cult of Carnage. Carnage Born. I mean he’s the first comic book creator to have ever expressed adoration for Carnage Mind Bomb, the first ever true blue Carnage horror story that is his equivalent to the Killing Joke. It’s obscure, macabre, twists and gruesome. But it lays out for you everything about who Carnage is. He hasn’t got layers. And that is the point.

Cates’ love for those stories, for the symbiote lore oozes (pun intended) in his Venom work and this comic. He WANTS to use every corner of that lore that he can and add to it. He wants to tell the greatest symbiote epic of our time. He wants to do the ultimate Carnage story, the ultimate Venom story.

Hell he WANTS to do a Maximum Carnage tribute because he unapologetically loves that piece of hot trash.

And he wants you to love that stuff too. I don’t agree with the decision to do stories like this because I feel Venom and Carnage should be just about the only symbiotes around and be nothing more than Spidey villains at that. And yet...I feel his enthusiasm pulsing from the pages of this comic.

His love and excitement for using these characters and doing something this big is as palpable as it is infectious. And so he’s won me over. I don’t agree with doing this story but I’m so onboard for enjoying the ride.

It helps that it’s honestly very well written.

He’s done his homework (and symbiote canon is a fucking mess let me tell you so that is impressive), he throws out deep cut references to stuff like Marvel Knights or the Life Foundation. More than that when you look at this issue and his Venom run up to this point you can see how meticulous he planned it. it could go way off the rails of course, but right now he’s firing on all cylinders. Carnage was appropriately foreshadowed and built up, his escapades were well documented in various issues preceding this event. The Knull mythology was clearly established, the stakes were appropriately set up.

And just in case you disagree he spells it all out for you concisely in the first few pages of this oversized issue. I’ve been reading the run and even I appreciated the refresher course.

He doesn’t just give us a larger than life doomsday scenario though, or even a ‘a bad guy is doing bad things we need to stop him’ plot. By making everyone to have bonded to a symbiote a target it means characters we are emotionally invested in, even if they are villains we love to hate, are in jeopardy.

And at the beating heart of it all is the story of a father and a son.

Eddie Brock and his son, unbeknownst to the boy of course. On a thematic level this is relevant because Dylan and Kasady/Carnage are both the products of Brock and the Venom symbiote. But the fact that this is all about Knull, the ‘father’ if you will of all symbiotes makes this a metaphorical family drama.

And Peter Parker to my surprise and delight is a part of it. I didn’t expect him to show up or to seemingly have the starring role he will have, and yet here he is. That’s what got this onto my pull list.

If there are any criticisms to be had it relates to Spider-Man continuity.

Peter is nonchalant over Brock knowing who he is.

Spider-Man in costume refers to Normie as his Godson multiple times in front both Normie and Dylan.

Norman Osborn may or may not still have the Carnage symbiote (the art makes this a bit unclear).

Spidey is very chill with Brock.

These do bother me, they are objectively writing issues I will not deny that, even though my thrill at the rest of the comic means on a pure enjoyment level I can’t bring myself down by sweating them.

My only defences would be that Peter upon learning Brock is once more aware of who he is would probably not react that badly to the information for a few reasons. First of all he was already living with the distinct possibility that Brock already knew the truth about him. The symbiote had known for a long time and had been bonded to Brock for awhile now so it was always a possibility. Second of all the Brock/Venom of the 80s and 90s is not the Brock of the current run. That is to my personal chagrin, but nevertheless Peter knows Brock and the symbiote are nicer more moralistic folks now and if they still held a grudge they’d have come after him, with or without knowing who he was.

My other defence is that this is not a Spider-Man story. It is a Venom story. It is in essence Spider-Man/Peter Parker filtered through the lens of Venom and the needs and requirements of serving Venom’s character and narrative. Whilst a major problem in Maximum Carnage was serving Carnage and Venom at Peter’s expense, that was a Spidey story in his titles, this is Venom’s story so giving him the spotlight, short-changing Peter’s continuity for the sake of propelling the plot along, that’s fair game. I don’t like it but it’s fair game.

Similarly Peter becomes Brock’s supporting character in this story and an effective one at that.

Brock recognizes Spider-Man is his best ally to resolve this situation even though he hates him. We learn more about Brock as a person through his feelings towards Spider-Man. Where once irrational hatred flowed now there is surprisingly...jealously. Spidey often gets a bum rap in the press and yet Venom is envious of that because in and out of the costume it’s much better than his lot in life.

There is also two wonderfully poignant moments between the two. The first is where Peter learns Dylan is Brock’s son and that Dylan doesn’t know this. We see the hurt Peter feels when he relates how terrible it is to not know who your father is. The second poignant moment is when Brock is distraught that Carnage must have desecrated the body of his deceased ex-wife and Dylan’s mother. For a character like Eddie Brock who’s so often (unfairly frankly) been dismissed as lacking depth this is a shocking moment of sadness, compounded by the fact that Dylan doesn’t know who Ann was. In this same moment Spider-Man looks remorseful too, which is a subtle piece of continuity porn done right by Cates. Ann was first introduced in ASM #375 (the issue setting up Brock’s solo series actually) and later died in ASM vol 2 #19.

What follows is another Spidey/Venom team up but arguably the best, or at least one of the best ever, as they encounter the Maker a.k.a. Ultimate Reed Richards which is a historic moment as Spider-Man finally gets to meet the counterpart to his old friend. There is plenty of other connections between hem too. The Ultimate Universe is innately associated with Spider-Man more than anyone else, the Maker like him was a young genius and they were both among the Secret Wars 2015 survivors. We get Normie Osborn returning for the first time since Fresh Start, a welcome return at that as I always love seeing his relationship with Spider-Man acknowledged. Then we get a nightmarish sequence set in Ravencroft with yet more well done continuity porn. John Jameson, veteran of Carnage Mind Bomb, Carnage: It’s a Wonderful Life, Conway’s Carnage run and 90s Ravencroft stories shows up to pay off his appearance in Cult of Carnage earlier this year. Norman Osborn returns in what will hopefully fix the asinine Red Goblin story arc. Spidey and Venom have their backs up against the wall (literally) and facing down Carnage, an army of Carnage infected psychos and Norman Osborn with the Carnage symbiote.

It’s been a very long time since I’ve ended a comic thinking ‘How WILL they get out of this?’

To tie aaaaaaaall this together is Ryan Stegman’s stellar art.

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, Stegman is the best new Spidey artist of the 2010s. He’s Bagley, JRJR, Frenz levels of awesome. He’s also the perfect fit for symbiotes as his art seems to be somewhat influenced by McFarlane co-creator of Venom despite what fucking fools (like RDMacQ) might think. His style here is dynamic, detailed, funny when it needs to be, scary when it needs to be, awe inspiring when it needs to be.

His double page spreads are eye candy and the one depicting the pit of bodies feels straight out of a late night drama. It’s just brilliant.

Never before has there been a Carnage or a symbiote story that’s felt this epic, this ambitious, this sheer mad and audacious in scale.

I can’t wait to read future installments.

Cates in this issue, and his run in general, has somehow managed to recapture the allure of the symbiotes that I think 80s and 90s fans felt when they first fell in love with them.

If you don’t like Carnage or symbiotes inherently I strongly recommend you skip this. If you even vaguely like them though I cannot recommend this enough. 

*Carnage has been making the transition into a horror character for awhile now. Carnage U.S.A., which is recommended reading for this event, felt very similar to a Dark Horse horror comic only with Marvel superheroes. Gerry Conway was explicit about how his Carnage ongoing series was effectively his take on Tomb of Dracula.

#Absolute Carnage #Carnage #Carnage symbiote #venom #venom symbiote #symbiotes #eddie brock #Cletus Kasady #Spider-Man #Peter Parker #Dylan Brock #Ann Weying #Norman Osborn #Green Goblin #normie osborn #Gerry Conway #Donny Cates #Ryan Stegman #Maximum Carnage

[artificialqueens]

Bad Girls Club (Branjie) Chapter 3 - Joley

a/n: read on ao3 here

“So, you just straight up laid there and listened to her get off while thinking of you? And she still has no idea?” When Yvie said it back to her, Brooke Lynn supposed she could understand why it seemed so strange. It was as embarrassing as she feared it would be, if she were being honest.

“Well, what was I supposed to do?” was her defense. Brooke shoved her hands into the pockets of her shorts and huffed. “Hop in bed with her and see what happens?”

Yvie stared at her incredulously. “Yes, stupid.” With an exaggerated eyeroll, she continued. “You guys probably won’t ever see each other again. There’s literally no downside to fucking her… if you’re not worried about catching feelings, that is.”

Brooke’s cheeks flushed red and her eyes pointedly avoided the other’s face. What she wanted to say would be something along the lines of ‘of course I’m not going to catch feelings,’ but her mouth refused to adhere to that lie, only allowing her to squeak out an “I’m not!” Shit, she couldn’t even convince herself with that one. “Is that what’s going on with you and Scarlet?”

“Scarlet and I have been together for six months. Which you would know if you listened to me when I told you instead of making heart eyes at Vanjie every thirty seconds. Christ, it’s like you think if you stop looking at her, she’s gonna disappear.”

If she had been that obvious, though, why hadn’t Vanessa said anything to her? Was she intentionally playing dumb or had she sincerely missed what was apparently clear as day to Yvie? She must have been exaggerating, that was the only explanation. Sure, Brooke could get lost in Vanessa’s warm eyes and melt at her sweet smile. And yes, maybe her heart skipped a beat every time they touched. And maybe every time she caught sight of her in a state of undress, the overwhelming desire to pin her to the nearest surface crept up on her.

Okay, maybe Yvie was on to something.

“It doesn’t matter, this sort of thing is playing with fire. If things go south, we’re still sharing a room together until the end of the program,” Brooke explained after a moment. She didn’t have time to get caught up in feelings – that was what she always told herself. Even if she admitted her attraction to her roommate, it didn’t mean anything would come of it. Besides, if it wasn’t for what had happened the other night, she wouldn’t even picture herself as Vanessa’s type.

Again, she was getting a dumbfounded look from Yvie. “You really are stupid.”

——

With Brooke Lynn outside with Yvie, Vanessa and A’keria had the room to themselves. They were both sat on Vanessa’s bed while she did her friend’s hair into cornrows. “And like, I know she know, but she too polite to say it, you feel me?”

“In her defense, how the fuck do you bring that up to someone without lookin’ like a full creep?” A’keria scrolled aimlessly through her phone as she sat cross-legged and upright. “Everyone’s just waiting for the pin to drop with y’all.”

Vanessa furrowed her brow as she finished the first tight braid. “What you mean? We’re both hot, yeah. I’d wanna see us fuck too if I wasn’t us,” she mused, shrugging it off.

“What’re you waiting for then? She been lookin’ at you like a cat in heat for days.” She winced as Vanessa yanked at her hair. “Don’t act like I’m wrong – just let her get at your kitty and we can all move on with our lives.” Another sharp pain and yelp. “Ow! I stand by it though. Y’all as bad as Ms. West and Monét.”

This gave her pause. “Wait, how do you know about that?” She did recall Brooke Lynn mentioning their closeness, but she had warmed up to the idea that it had been their secret.

A’keria shrugged. “I’m more astute than you give me credit for.” She didn’t need to see Vanessa’s face to know she had that confused expression loosely resembling a gassy infant. “Anyway, maybe that’s something y’all could bond over – being matchmakers or whatever.”

“Well, shit.” Vanessa exhaled with a dry laugh. “Might be the smartest thing you’ve ever said, Kiki.”

——

While gossip was commonplace within Brooke Lynn’s community, actually weaseling into it to change the next chapter was beyond her realm of understanding. But that’s what Vanessa did best, she supposed – she brought a new prospective with her on even the most mundane of situations.

And it was one of her favorite things about her – she had grown to love hearing her go off on borderline nonsensical tangents because she was so damn passionate and excited about every thought that popped into her head. It was like she was a wind-up doll and Brooke had developed an affinity for turning the crank.

“This is your last chance to bail, blondie,” Vanessa remarked when they were just feet away from the home economics room.

Brooke let out a deep breath and shook her head. “No, no I’m good. Let’s do this.” Cautiously, they walked into the room. She watched from behind the closet while Vanessa made her way to the desk on the far side of the room.

But just as Vanessa placed the sealed envelope on the desk, they heard the distinct sound of high heels clacking down the empty hallway. “Shit, hide!” she whispered in a panic as she watched Brooke duck into the closet. Not knowing what else to do, she dove in after her, leaving her sandwiched between her body and the door.

Vanessa had, in the past, dealt with minor bouts of claustrophobia, but that wasn’t what had her face flushed and heart pounding now. The four-by-four closet would normally be enough to comfortably fit two thin teenagers, but they were competing with boxes upon boxes of supplies and left with no way to avoid touching each other.

It wasn’t easy for her to stand there and keep her legs from shaking. She could feel Brooke’s breath hit the back of her neck. The familiar, sweet citrus scent of her shampoo filled her nose. It was hardly moments until her head was spinning and Brooke had clouded her mind. “Your knee’s in my crotch,” was what she decided to whisper instead of, perhaps, literally anything within the realm of flirtation. Though she did shift and inadvertently rub against her thigh in the process, a soft gasp slipping out and a hand promptly being clamped over her mouth.

“Deal with it or we’re fucked,” Brooke whispered sharply, lips grazing the shell of her ear as she spoke. While picking up on the hints Vanessa had been dropping thus far – aside from the one that she still held as a secret – hadn’t been her forte, ignoring that response was impossible.

She knew she was playing with fire, but the adrenaline pulsing through her combined with their unresolved sexual tension propelled her forward. Her lips traveled up and down Vanessa’s neck, leaving soft, slow kisses in her wake. Her hand grazed her breast – seemingly by accident at first – only to purposefully grope it the second time.

And Vanessa reacted just as she anticipated. She bit down on her lip and started to writhe against Brooke’s thigh. Part of her wanted to remind the other girl what was at stake, but that part was easily quieted by her body begging for more. Every touch and kiss lit another spark of desire inside her and it showed in the way she ground herself into her, craving what little friction she could get.

While Vanessa was successfully distracted, Brooke noticed the sound of the door opening and closing and the same heels walking back down the hall. Her hand started to reach for the handle but stopped short – she had no idea if she would ever be able to work up the courage to do this again, to get that same uninhibited surge of adrenaline that subdued her fear of consequences. So, she pushed her leg up, bare skin pressed against the soft cotton of her shorts.

“Fuck…” Vanessa exhaled in a whisper before biting down on her lip to keep herself quiet. Her body was trembling, and her face was on fire. In any other circumstances she would have been mortified – she was beyond humping a pretty girl’s thigh like a bitch in heat, wasn’t she? But Brooke Lynn was into it – she could tell from how tight the other girl held on to her, the fervor in how she groped her, the heat in the kisses she left along her skin.

Brooke kept her own body pressed up against Vanessa – she wanted to feel every twitch of her body, to know just how desperate she was. It was unclear how much time had passed, but before she knew it, Vanessa was jerking erratically, her back curving up and breath hitching in her throat. Then, everything was still, and they stood in silence for a moment before she reached her arm out from behind her and opened the door. She smoothed out her shorts that still didn’t cover much of her thighs and watched in mild amusement as Vanessa haphazardly tried to get her hair back in its original style.

Forgoing the next part of their matchmaking plans temporarily, the two of them left the room. The walk back to their room was silent and devoid of eye contact. They were both red-faced and disheveled, but actively refusing to acknowledge it. Unlike the previous incident, this couldn’t be ignored forever.

But, in a subtle movement, they finished the walk holding hands – perhaps all hope was not lost.

——

“Wow, is that a French braid?” Monét asked with casual interest as she made her way around the classroom. “That’s a new look for you.”

“Your girlfriend do it for you?” A’keria chided.

Vanessa huffed and elbowed her friend in the side. “How many times I gotta tell you Brooke ain’t my girlfriend? We just friends.” It’s not that she hadn’t considered it over the past few weeks, especially with their supply closet rendezvous, but that was for her to figure out on her own.

Monét scoffed and shook her head. “Oh please. Vanessa, stop pretending Brooke Lynn’s your friend, we all know that she loooove you.” That elicited a few laughs from the rest of the group, as well as Scarlet shaking A’keria while mouthing ‘I told you so’.

Vanessa bristled and rolled her eyes. “Yeah?” Her voice was high and strained. “Where’d you hear that from? Ms. West?”

The teacher was taken aback by her pointed tone. “Girl, you better watch it,” she warned, though she remained lighthearted. With that, she kept moving to the next set of pushed-together desks.

On the other side of the room, Brooke Lynn was trying – and failing – to be subtle with her eavesdropping. “I heard my name, shut up,” she defended as she felt the judgmental gazes of the rest of her group burning a hole through her head.

“You are the textbook example of the ‘useless lesbian’ trope. I just want you to understand that.” Yvie’s remark fell on deaf ears as Brooke continued to unsuccessfully try to pick up on the conversation across the room. So, she just shook her head and continued on with their work.

Once class ended, Vanessa waited by the door for Brooke – the daily habit that didn’t exactly help the ‘not girlfriends’ argument. Still, they made their way to the dining hall for lunch as if everything was normal.

Brooke looked around to find an empty table. “Let’s go eat by the lake.”

“Don’t mind the chance of people talking?”

“You talk more than anyone and I don’t mind you.”

Vanessa giggled and looked down. “A’ight, let’s go.”

By the time they had finished setting up their meals a few feet from the water, it felt like their own little picnic. Well, if picnics consisted of stale pizza, limp carrot sticks, chips, and water. And yet neither of them would have traded any part of that moment for the world.

“We need to talk about what happened.” Brooke Lynn looked out at the lake as she spoke, knowing she would chicken out the second her eyes met Vanessa’s.

Vanessa was looking at the grass anyway, eyes trained on each individual blade in her field of vision. Just because she was right didn’t mean they had to do it, she thought. This wasn’t even like her – normally she was ready to put her heart on the line at the drop of a dime, being the type to wear her heart on her sleeve. She couldn’t explain why Brooke Lynn was so different from every girl she had ever dated or slept with – aside from the obvious social class.

“How d’you even label what happened?” she asked with a weak laugh. “Two horny bitches got hyped on adrenaline and fucked around in a closet?”

The mood lightened, but the girls still kept a cautious distance. “That is what happened, yes…” After what felt like ages, Brooke turned to face her. She gingerly placed her hand on Vanessa’s knee and waited for her to look up. “But where do we go from here? If we keep trying to ignore whatever’s going on here, things are going to get very awkward very fast.”

“What do you wanna do?” Vanessa didn’t want to answer her question first, in fear that she may come on too strong and expedite the awkwardness they were already trying to avoid. Besides, Brooke was articulate and chose her words carefully – it was simply the better choice to pawn it off on her as far as she was concerned.

Brooke shifted closer to her and cupped her face with one hand. “I am very attracted to you, Vanessa. I’m pretty sure everyone on campus has figured that much out. And I think… we did things a little out of order, and we should at least start there.”

“Out of order?”

“I gave you an orgasm in a broom closet and we haven’t even kissed.”

They were both able to laugh at that, and suddenly the air around them felt less heavy – they could both exhale for a moment. “So, you gonna kiss me now?” Vanessa arched her brow and looked at her expectantly.

“Kind of ruining the moment, babe.” Brooke pulled Vanessa onto her lap. “But yes.”

The kiss was nothing like the heated, passionate moment they had shared a couple days before. It was tender, affectionate. Brooke could taste the strawberry flavored lip gloss on her lips, and she could feel how the sun had gently warmed her skin. She lost herself in the picture-perfect moment, and Vanessa was just as swept up in the embrace.

Neither of them wanted it to, but the kiss did come to an end. Vanessa’s fingers were still tangled through Brooke’s hair, and Brooke’s arms were still looped around her waist. A few more kisses followed that – both of them were pretty sure they could have spent the rest of the afternoon kissing and cuddling in utter contentedness.

At the end of the day, the label of their relationship was no clearer than it had been at the start. Feelings were complicated and the quasi-date on the lake only scratched the surface – much to the chagrin of Vanessa. But this was the start of something – a summer fling, a budding adolescent romance – all either of them knew was that whatever they had would be kept under wraps – lest they face a myriad of ‘I told you so’s’ from everyone around them.

#rpdr fanfiction #brooke lynn hytes #vanessa vanjie mateo #branjie #lesbian au #teen au #bad girls club #joley

[missjanjie]

Branjie Fic | Bad Girls Club (3/?)

Title: Bad Girls Club Summary:  Los Angeles’ new program, the Juvenile Female Rehabilitation Program (JFRP) was created with the purpose of taking at-risk girls in the county and send them to a summer-long program located where a sleepaway camp once stood. There, they will take classes in ethics, behavior, and other courses to help mold these young minds. Brooke Lynn and Vanessa have been sent there for wildly different reasons, but with the same result - a clean permanent record. Being roomed together, the pair might find an unlikely alliance (and maybe more) in each other. Word Count: ~2.6k (this chapter)/~7.8k (total) Relationship: Branjie (Brooke Lynn Hytes/Vanessa Vanjie Mateo) Rating: E

Read on AO3

------

“So, you just straight up laid there and listened to her get off while thinking of you? And she still has no idea?” When Yvie said it back to her, Brooke Lynn supposed she could understand why it seemed so strange. It was as embarrassing as she feared it would be, if she were being honest.

“Well, what was I supposed to do?” was her defense. Brooke shoved her hands into the pockets of her shorts and huffed. “Hop in bed with her and see what happens?”

Yvie stared at her incredulously. “Yes, stupid.” With an exaggerated eyeroll, she continued. “You guys probably won’t ever see each other again. There’s literally no downside to fucking her… if you’re not worried about catching feelings, that is.”

Brooke’s cheeks flushed red and her eyes pointedly avoided the other’s face. What she wanted to say would be something along the lines of ‘of course I’m not going to catch feelings,’ but her mouth refused to adhere to that lie, only allowing her to squeak out an “I’m not!” Shit, she couldn’t even convince herself with that one. “Is that what’s going on with you and Scarlet?”

“Scarlet and I have been together for six months. Which you would know if you listened to me when I told you instead of making heart eyes at Vanjie every thirty seconds. Christ, it’s like you think if you stop looking at her, she’s gonna disappear.”

If she had been that obvious, though, why hadn’t Vanessa said anything to her? Was she intentionally playing dumb or had she sincerely missed what was apparently clear as day to Yvie? She must have been exaggerating, that was the only explanation. Sure, Brooke could get lost in Vanessa’s warm eyes and melt at her sweet smile. And yes, maybe her heart skipped a beat every time they touched. And maybe every time she caught sight of her in a state of undress, the overwhelming desire to pin her to the nearest surface crept up on her.

Okay, maybe Yvie was on to something.

“It doesn’t matter, this sort of thing is playing with fire. If things go south, we’re still sharing a room together until the end of the program,” Brooke explained after a moment. She didn’t have time to get caught up in feelings – that was what she always told herself. Even if she admitted her attraction to her roommate, it didn’t mean anything would come of it. Besides, if it wasn’t for what had happened the other night, she wouldn’t even picture herself as Vanessa’s type.

Again, she was getting a dumbfounded look from Yvie. “You really are stupid.”

------

With Brooke Lynn outside with Yvie, Vanessa and A’keria had the room to themselves. They were both sat on Vanessa’s bed while she did her friend’s hair into cornrows. “And like, I know she know, but she too polite to say it, you feel me?”

“In her defense, how the fuck do you bring that up to someone without lookin’ like a full creep?” A’keria scrolled aimlessly through her phone as she sat cross-legged and upright. “Everyone’s just waiting for the pin to drop with y’all.”

Vanessa furrowed her brow as she finished the first tight braid. “What you mean? We’re both hot, yeah. I’d wanna see us fuck too if I wasn’t us,” she mused, shrugging it off.

“What’re you waiting for then? She been lookin’ at you like a cat in heat for days.” She winced as Vanessa yanked at her hair. “Don’t act like I’m wrong – just let her get at your kitty and we can all move on with our lives.” Another sharp pain and yelp. “Ow! I stand by it though. Y’all as bad as Ms. West and Monét.”

This gave her pause. “Wait, how do you know about that?” She did recall Brooke Lynn mentioning their closeness, but she had warmed up to the idea that it had been their secret.

A’keria shrugged. “I’m more astute than you give me credit for.” She didn’t need to see Vanessa’s face to know she had that confused expression loosely resembling a gassy infant. “Anyway, maybe that’s something y’all could bond over – being matchmakers or whatever.”

“Well, shit.” Vanessa exhaled with a dry laugh. “Might be the smartest thing you’ve ever said, Kiki.”

------

While gossip was commonplace within Brooke Lynn’s community, actually weaseling into it to change the next chapter was beyond her realm of understanding. But that’s what Vanessa did best, she supposed – she brought a new prospective with her on even the most mundane of situations. 

And it was one of her favorite things about her – she had grown to love hearing her go off on borderline nonsensical tangents because she was so damn passionate and excited about every thought that popped into her head. It was like she was a wind-up doll and Brooke had developed an affinity for turning the crank.

“This is your last chance to bail, blondie,” Vanessa remarked when they were just feet away from the home economics room.

Brooke let out a deep breath and shook her head. “No, no I’m good. Let’s do this.” Cautiously, they walked into the room. She watched from behind the closet while Vanessa made her way to the desk on the far side of the room.

But just as Vanessa placed the sealed envelope on the desk, they heard the distinct sound of high heels clacking down the empty hallway. “Shit, hide!” she whispered in a panic as she watched Brooke duck into the closet. Not knowing what else to do, she dove in after her, leaving her sandwiched between her body and the door.

Vanessa had, in the past, dealt with minor bouts of claustrophobia, but that wasn’t what had her face flushed and heart pounding now. The four-by-four closet would normally be enough to comfortably fit two thin teenagers, but they were competing with boxes upon boxes of supplies and left with no way to avoid touching each other.

It wasn’t easy for her to stand there and keep her legs from shaking. She could feel Brooke’s breath hit the back of her neck. The familiar, sweet citrus scent of her shampoo filled her nose. It was hardly moments until her head was spinning and Brooke had clouded her mind. “Your knee’s in my crotch,” was what she decided to whisper instead of, perhaps, literally anything within the realm of flirtation. Though she did shift and inadvertently rub against her thigh in the process, a soft gasp slipping out and a hand promptly being clamped over her mouth.

“Deal with it or we’re fucked,” Brooke whispered sharply, lips grazing the shell of her ear as she spoke. While picking up on the hints Vanessa had been dropping thus far – aside from the one that she still held as a secret – hadn’t been her forte, ignoring that response was impossible.

She knew she was playing with fire, but the adrenaline pulsing through her combined with their unresolved sexual tension propelled her forward. Her lips traveled up and down Vanessa’s neck, leaving soft, slow kisses in her wake. Her hand grazed her breast – seemingly by accident at first – only to purposefully grope it the second time.

And Vanessa reacted just as she anticipated. She bit down on her lip and started to writhe against Brooke’s thigh. Part of her wanted to remind the other girl what was at stake, but that part was easily quieted by her body begging for more. Every touch and kiss lit another spark of desire inside her and it showed in the way she ground herself into her, craving what little friction she could get. 

While Vanessa was successfully distracted, Brooke noticed the sound of the door opening and closing and the same heels walking back down the hall. Her hand started to reach for the handle but stopped short – she had no idea if she would ever be able to work up the courage to do this again, to get that same uninhibited surge of adrenaline that subdued her fear of consequences. So, she pushed her leg up, bare skin pressed against the soft cotton of her shorts.

“Fuck…” Vanessa exhaled in a whisper before biting down on her lip to keep herself quiet. Her body was trembling, and her face was on fire. In any other circumstances she would have been mortified – she was beyond humping a pretty girl’s thigh like a bitch in heat, wasn’t she? But Brooke Lynn was into it – she could tell from how tight the other girl held on to her, the fervor in how she groped her, the heat in the kisses she left along her skin.

Brooke kept her own body pressed up against Vanessa – she wanted to feel every twitch of her body, to know just how desperate she was. It was unclear how much time had passed, but before she knew it, Vanessa was jerking erratically, her back curving up and breath hitching in her throat. Then, everything was still, and they stood in silence for a moment before she reached her arm out from behind her and opened the door. She smoothed out her shorts that still didn’t cover much of her thighs and watched in mild amusement as Vanessa haphazardly tried to get her hair back in its original style.

Forgoing the next part of their matchmaking plans temporarily, the two of them left the room. The walk back to their room was silent and devoid of eye contact. They were both red-faced and disheveled, but actively refusing to acknowledge it. Unlike the previous incident, this couldn’t be ignored forever.

But, in a subtle movement, they finished the walk holding hands – perhaps all hope was not lost.

------

“Wow, is that a French braid?” Monét asked with casual interest as she made her way around the classroom. “That’s a new look for you.”

“Your girlfriend do it for you?” A’keria chided.

Vanessa huffed and elbowed her friend in the side. “How many times I gotta tell you Brooke ain’t my girlfriend? We just friends.” It’s not that she hadn’t considered it over the past few weeks, especially with their supply closet rendezvous, but that was for her to figure out on her own.

Monét scoffed and shook her head. “Oh please. Vanessa, stop pretending Brooke Lynn’s your friend, we all know that she loooove you.” That elicited a few laughs from the rest of the group, as well as Scarlet shaking A’keria while mouthing ‘I told you so’.

Vanessa bristled and rolled her eyes. “Yeah?” Her voice was high and strained. “Where’d you hear that from? Ms. West?”

The teacher was taken aback by her pointed tone. “Girl, you better watch it,” she warned, though she remained lighthearted. With that, she kept moving to the next set of pushed-together desks.

On the other side of the room, Brooke Lynn was trying – and failing – to be subtle with her eavesdropping. “I heard my name, shut up,” she defended as she felt the judgmental gazes of the rest of her group burning a hole through her head.

“You are the textbook example of the ‘useless lesbian’ trope. I just want you to understand that.” Yvie’s remark fell on deaf ears as Brooke continued to unsuccessfully try to pick up on the conversation across the room. So, she just shook her head and continued on with their work.

Once class ended, Vanessa waited by the door for Brooke – the daily habit that didn’t exactly help the ‘not girlfriends’ argument. Still, they made their way to the dining hall for lunch as if everything was normal.

Brooke looked around to find an empty table. “Let’s go eat by the lake.”

“Don't mind the chance of people talking?”

“You talk more than anyone and I don’t mind you.”

Vanessa giggled and looked down. “A’ight, let’s go.”

By the time they had finished setting up their meals a few feet from the water, it felt like their own little picnic. Well, if picnics consisted of stale pizza, limp carrot sticks, chips, and water. And yet neither of them would have traded any part of that moment for the world.

“We need to talk about what happened.” Brooke Lynn looked out at the lake as she spoke, knowing she would chicken out the second her eyes met Vanessa’s.

Vanessa was looking at the grass anyway, eyes trained on each individual blade in her field of vision. Just because she was right didn’t mean they had to do it, she thought. This wasn’t even like her – normally she was ready to put her heart on the line at the drop of a dime, being the type to wear her heart on her sleeve. She couldn’t explain why Brooke Lynn was so different from every girl she had ever dated or slept with – aside from the obvious social class.

“How d’you even label what happened?” she asked with a weak laugh. “Two horny bitches got hyped on adrenaline and fucked around in a closet?”

The mood lightened, but the girls still kept a cautious distance. “That is what happened, yes…” After what felt like ages, Brooke turned to face her. She gingerly placed her hand on Vanessa’s knee and waited for her to look up. “But where do we go from here? If we keep trying to ignore whatever’s going on here, things are going to get very awkward very fast.”

“What do you wanna do?” Vanessa didn’t want to answer her question first, in fear that she may come on too strong and expedite the awkwardness they were already trying to avoid. Besides, Brooke was articulate and chose her words carefully – it was simply the better choice to pawn it off on her as far as she was concerned.

Brooke shifted closer to her and cupped her face with one hand. “I am very attracted to you, Vanessa. I’m pretty sure everyone on campus has figured that much out. And I think… we did things a little out of order, and we should at least start there.”

“Out of order?”

“I gave you an orgasm in a broom closet and we haven’t even kissed.”

They were both able to laugh at that, and suddenly the air around them felt less heavy – they could both exhale for a moment. “So, you gonna kiss me now?” Vanessa arched her brow and looked at her expectantly.

“Kind of ruining the moment, babe.” Brooke pulled Vanessa onto her lap. “But yes.”

The kiss was nothing like the heated, passionate moment they had shared a couple days before. It was tender, affectionate. Brooke could taste the strawberry flavored lip gloss on her lips, and she could feel how the sun had gently warmed her skin. She lost herself in the picture-perfect moment, and Vanessa was just as swept up in the embrace.

Neither of them wanted it to, but the kiss did come to an end. Vanessa’s fingers were still tangled through Brooke’s hair, and Brooke’s arms were still looped around her waist. A few more kisses followed that – both of them were pretty sure they could have spent the rest of the afternoon kissing and cuddling in utter contentedness.

At the end of the day, the label of their relationship was no clearer than it had been at the start. Feelings were complicated and the quasi-date on the lake only scratched the surface – much to the chagrin of Vanessa. But this was the start of something – a summer fling, a budding adolescent romance – all either of them knew was that whatever they had would be kept under wraps – lest they face a myriad of ‘I told you so’s’ from everyone around them.

#branjie #branjie fic #rpdr rpf

[seouledbysisi]

Ambitious Dreams

Chapter Six

Hyoeun ran up onto the stage. Nori was very captivated by his very presence. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him. Her phone had been vibrating all day but she didn’t care. All she was worried about was supporting this talented man that was onstage. She had never seen him exhume this type of energy and it made her see him in a new light.

Hash ran up to them through the large crowd. “Sorry, I’m late. My interview ran over a little.”

Nori glanced over at him speaking to Changmo.

He hadn’t realized she was there yet.

Nova waved to him from the other end.

He decided to walk over to where she and Elle were. “What’s up?! Wasn’t expecting y’all to be here.”

She nodded as she wiped her mouth with a napkin. Ash had bought her some loaded fries. He insisted that she eat something even though she wasn’t hungry. “Yeah, Hyoeun invited us. He gave us tickets so here we are!” She yelled over the music.

Hash looked around and noticed Nori standing beside a female that he didn’t recognize. “Hey Nori!” He pulled her attention.

Nori smiled. “Hey! “ she waved then turned her attention back to Hyoeun.

He smiled a little. “Tell me something?”

Nova returned his attention. “What’s up?”

“She really likes him, right?” He asked as he nodded towards Nori.

Nova gave him a sad smile. “Yeah. She does. But it’s not that she doesn’t like you it’s just-“

He shook his head still smiling. “No, I get it. He’s more of her vibe. I’m cool with it.”

“Really? You’re such a great guy and some girl will be lucky to have you for sure!” Nova reassured him.

He smirked. “I know. I think Hyoeun will benefit from having her around. He needs someone whose going to spice his life up.”

Nova nodded. “Well I don’t wanna be rude, this is my coworker, Elle. Elle, this is Hash Swan.”

“You can just call me Hash.” He held his hand out.

Elle grinned. “Nice to meet you! You have good music.” She said excitedly as she swayed to the music.

“Well thank you. I try. What do you do?” He asked.

She smiled. “I’m a junior style consultant.”

He nodded. “Sounds cool.”

“There’s never a dull moment for sure!” She responded.

Hash nudged Nova. “I like her energy. Keep her around.” He said lowly and walked back over to Changmo.

Nova glanced over to Elle who was oblivious at this point. She didn’t want to read too much into what Hash was saying because after all he was a really nice guy so compliments didn’t necessarily mean that he liked someone.

Marz came onstage afterwards. When he performed I Can Be Your Rockstar he kept staring at Nova and there was no way that he could hide it.

Ash latched his arm around her waist as if to say back the hell up cause she’s mine.

Marz girlfriend’s eyes moved from Nova back up to Marz. She wondered if something was going on between the two but she couldn’t be for sure and she surely didn’t want to cause a scene or make Marz angry with her. After all she needed him like her life depended on it. At this point maybe it did, because when he wasn’t around she felt like she was barely hanging on.

Nova bobbed her head to the music but made sure she didn’t make eye contact with him. Ash had already damn near staked his claim on her so to save the drama she was going to do everything possible to stay away from it.

“Why aren’t you eating?” Ash asked in her ear.

Nova shrugged. “I told you I wasn’t hungry!” She yelled over the music.

“We’re going out after this. You gotta eat something, okay?”

She nodded.

He scooped her from behind and rocked her hips with his. “This isn’t too much for you, right?”

She shook her head. “Not yet.” She leaned her head back on his shoulder and swayed with him.

Nori looked in her direction and her eyes nearly popped out of her eye sockets. She snatched her away and pulled her into her embrace. “Are you drunk or are you high?” She asked frantically.

“Now you know I don’t have anything in my system! What’s the big deal? Y’all been trying to put me on him for the longest.” Nova laughed.

Nori threw her hands up. “I’m all for this but I’m making sure you know what you’re doing.” She laughed.

“I do. He’s cool and I’m pretty sure he’s tired of being rejected. Plus he’s pretty cute when he’s possessive!” She snickered.

Elle cornered in with them. “I knew you liked him!”

“We’re friends. That’s it!” Nova rolled her eyes.

“Yeah sure y’all are-.” Elle started.

Nova held a finger up, “BUT I’m not totally opposed to spending more time with him.”

“Finally you admit it. We all knew! What about Marz?” Nori asked as her eyes dragged to the stage that he was on.

Nova shrugged.

“Wait- what about Marz?! I want the tea!” Elle interrupted.

“Well they-“

Nova shook her head to cut her off. “There is no tea. He has a girlfriend and I’m not in the business of stepping on other people’s territories.” Suddenly a loud crash was heard and equipment from one of the rides went flying everywhere.

Everyone screamed and began to run. It was so many people trying to get away that you could barely see which direction was safe. Nova felt a hand grip hers and pull her away. She wasn’t sure who it was but at this point she didn’t have time to think. It was a now or never situation. She just prayed for safety.

Hyoeun leaped off the stage. “Nori!” He began to yell frantically searching for her. He wasn’t worried about his own safety he just wanted her to be okay. “Nori!”

Elle was pushed to the ground. She heard a loud groan as she hit the gr- it was Hash. Her eyes widened. She immediately began to cry. “I’m so sorry!” She yelled and tried to get herself up. She was a mess at this point. She looked up at the huge crowd and became so overwhelmed.

He held his hand out and jerked her up. “Hurry, lets go!” They ran together with the crowd.

Emergency sirens were ringing from every direction. Everyone had been split up.

Nova began panicking when she searched the parking lot and couldn’t find Nori.

Ash held her and rubbed her hair to calm her down. “She’s fine. Hyoeun is looking for her.”

She shook her head. “I won’t be okay until I see her!” Tears blurred her vision.

Ash pulled his phone out and began to call Hyoeun. He held Nova close with his other arm. Her arms were wrapped around him so tight he could barely breathe but strangely he was okay with that. Her warmth was keeping his calm. Hyoeun wasn’t answering.

Nova looked up at him. “No answer?”

He shook his head and held her head into his chest. “They’re okay. They have to be!”

She was beginning to shake. “But what if-“

“Nova!” Elle yelled as she walked hand-in-hand with Hash.

Nova tore away from Ash and ran to her. “You okay?” She grabbed her cheeks to check for any cuts or bruises. She had a small cut above her lip. “Elle, I’m so sorry.”

Elle shook her head. “I’m fine. I just got knocked over and my face made friends with the ground.”

Nova passed a look between the two who were still holding hands. “No more making friends with the ground.” She rubbed her shoulder.

“I can’t make any promises but I’ll try not to. You know I’m super friendly!” She giggled.

Nova couldn’t help from being distracted by the two still holding hands. Like she understood him being a gentleman and getting her to safety but damn, she was safe now. “You sure you’re okay?”

Elle looked over at Hash and finally realized that their hands were still interlocked. She snatched it away. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry.” She spoke to him quickly as she fiddled with her fingers.

He slid his hands in his pockets. “It’s cool. We’re all shook up and caught in the moment.”

“Hey! I found them!” Ash yelled in their direction. He had kept trying to call Hyoeun but still was getting no answer. He was relieved when he saw Nori and him emerge from the crowd. He ran to them quickly. “Dude, why the fuck haven’t you answered your phone?”

Hyoeun shook his head. “I dropped it somewhere back there when I was looking for her.”

Ash noticed him limping. “You okay? Do you need to get that checked?”

Hyoeun shook his head fast. “Nah, I’m good. Let’s just go!”

Nori grabbed his arm so he could settle his weight on her a bit. “You saved me so now it’s my turn to help you out.”

He gave her a warning look.

“Let me do this! Don’t give me that look.”

He smirked. “You’re gonna be the death of me.” He chuckled.

They all gathered into Ash’s green expedition.

Ash opened the front seat door for Nova and shut it behind her. He jumped in and cranked the vehicle. He hooked his phone up to the Bluetooth in the vehicle. His phone began to ring. Marz. He answered it. “Hey, y’all good?” Marz asked over the big speaker of the truck.

“Yeah. Y’all?” Ash answered as he turned onto the freeway.

“Yeah. We’re heading to grab some food. Y’all got the girls? I didn’t see them. We looked for them.” Marz revealed.

Ash sighed. “Yeah they’re with us. Is Jangmi and Lee okay?”

Lee? Who the hell is that? Nova thought to herself. She couldn’t remember anyone else being around but then again Ash had occupied all of her space.

Marz got quiet. “Yeah they’re fine.”

“Alright, we’ll see y’all at the house. We gonna grab some food and head there.” He hung up. He looked over at Nova whose leg was trembling. He reached over the middle console and grabbed her hand. He laced their fingers.

She tightened the grip and caressed his hand with her free one.

They went inside a McDonald’s to order food. Ash ordered himself two burgers and a large fry. Nova just stood behind him slightly quietly.

“What you want?” He pulled her next to him. “You gotta eat, Nova.” He rubbed her shoulder.

“Just a nugget and side salad.” She spoke quickly and stepped back with Nori as he paid for the food. He handed her a large cup.

Hash ordered his food and then pointed at Elle.

She looked around. “Me?”

He nodded and beckoned for her. “I got you. Order whatever you want.”

“No no! I’m good. I can buy my own food.” Elle became flustered. Why the heck is this man being so nice to me?

“Order. I’m not taking no for an answer.” Hash pushed.

She finally ordered a burger and fry.

They got back in the vehicle and headed to the guys house. They pulled up to huge house. It was nice.

Nova’s eyes widened. “Do y’all all live here?”

Ash grabbed their food and nodded and headed to the front door. They all followed him to a big room with a huge tv and two sectional couches in it.

Nova’s eyes blinked a few times when she saw a familiar face. She stiffened.

Ash noticed her hesitation. “What’s wrong?”

Lee. When he had asked Marz about Jangmi and Lee,this is who he meant. The devil herself. She rolled her eyes and continued over to one of the couches.

Ash sat beside her and handed her the food. “You sure you’re okay?”

She nodded. “Yep! Just be prepared to take me home soon.”

He eyed her. “Let’s just enjoy the moment. We could’ve died tonight. I just want to be beside you and share your comfort.”

She nodded with a slight snare.

Jangmi stood from the couch and walked out.

Marz just watched her. He didn’t dare follow. Quite frankly he wasn’t too interested in her nor her friend’s drama.

Lee walked near Nova. “What the hell are you here for? Have you not tortured my friend enough already?”

Nori’s attention caught quickly. She stood up to be sure her friend was okay.

“What exactly have I done to your friend?” Nova questioned. Now she was really irritated!

Lee cocked her head to the side. “You want what you can’t have. Marz doesn’t like you so back the fuck off! They’ve been together for years, nothing you say or do will change that!”

Nova laughed. “I’m not trying to get him, what imaginary world are you and your friend living in?”

“Just stay away from him!” Lee continued.

Nova stood. “Let me make something clear, I’m all the way over here minding my own business. If your friend is threatened just by my mere presence then that sounds like a personal problem to me! Now you back off!”

Nori walked up. “Walk away little girl. You don’t want these problems!” She directed at Lee.

“Lee, you and Jangmi are dismissed. Take her home. I’ll talk to her later.” Marz spoke up.

Lee’s eyes widened. She was fuming. “Are you fucking kidding me? You’re going to dismiss your girlfriend? You’re a disrespectful asshole. She should dump your ass!”

Marz shrugged. “Been waiting on that anyway.” He said under his breath.

Lee whipped her head around. “What did you just say?”

He simply shook his head. “Nothing. Take her home.”

Lee walked out the room to find her friend.

Nova sat down with her face in her hands.

Ash grabbed their food up and held out his hand. “Let’s go to my room.”

Nova nodded. As soon as they made it to his room her emotions fell apart. She was livid. She wasn’t a home wrecker. “I don’t deserve that. I don’t, Ash!” Tears fell onto her cheek.

“No you don’t. Don’t worry about it. Jangmi is insecure.”

“But why? I’ve never even made an advance at him. Barely talk to him! And on top of all of that I’m here with YOU!”

Ash sat on his bed and patted the space next to him. “It’s not about you. They’ve had problems for a long time. They’re just finally being brought to the table I guess.”

Nova looked up at him. “They act like I’m the problem.”

“You’re not. That’s been a sinking ship for about two years now.”

“So why does he keep her around? He doesn’t seem happy anyway!” She rolled her eyes.

Ash exhaled deeply. “Circumstances.” He said plainly.

Nova laid back on two of his pillows staring at the ceiling.

He laid on his side and cozied up close to her. They laid in silence. He caressed her soft coils on her head. He’d never been happier lying next to someone who wasn’t even his. For all he knew Marz and his girl could break up and pull Nova right from under him. He wanted to savor this moment as long as he could.

[raynaperryart]

Alright, @emeraldwaves, I did your request for Kacchako #14, the bashful kiss! I hope you enjoy because I write really cute shit, I gotta say lolololol It’s also here on AO3: Perfect

Perfect

Fuck, why did she look so cute?

He was out on a date with Uraraka, making their way toward a restaurant for dinner. They'd been dating for the last month or so now (he wasn't exactly keeping track), and so far, well, he'd actually really been enjoying himself.

They were in their final year at U.A. when everything was much more intense and the stakes of everything were much higher. There wasn't really any time to think about dating someone, and yet when she'd asked him during one of their training sessions, he'd, first of all, been shocked that she asked him, and second, said he could try it, if nothing than to rub it in Deku's face.

He knew the nerd had liked her for a long time their first year at school, but now? Now Deku was off doing whatever the hell he was doing. Bakugou didn't particularly care. As long as Deku didn't stand in his way, that was all that mattered.

But now that he'd been dating Uraraka for the past month, he actually found that he... really liked her. He wasn't about to make any huge leaps and bounds or anything, but this was definitely more than tolerance of her on his part, and it definitely felt more than just friendship or camaraderie between classmates.

It felt... fuck, he couldn't think of how it felt. He didn't try to dwell too much on the emotional shit; it just wasn't his style. But logically? Logically his mind wouldn't stop cranking out about every scenario he'd had with Uraraka over the years, of her stupid smile and stupid cheeks and stupid, pretty brown eyes, and what it would be like to kiss her.

Yeah. They hadn't done that yet.

He scowled at the thought. How the fuck had he not kissed her yet? He glanced at her walking next to him, taking in every detail he could: she had a yellow headband in her hair that matched her yellow and white striped shirt, one of the sleeves hanging off of her shoulder so her thick strap of her undershirt could be seen, black shorts, dark pink sneakers, a light blush on her cheeks, a smile on her face, and--

Fuck, she was looking at him now.

"Is something wrong, Bakugou-kun?" She titled her head slightly at the question, the motion doing something to his chest.

Fuck, what was that?

He looked straight ahead again, clenching his fists in his pockets, the scowl back on his face. "Nothing."

Uraraka didn't say anything more as they turned the corner and came upon the restaurant they had been looking for. It was home to a famous chef in the area who made a lot of different kinds of meat in a special way and with special spices. Luckily when they walked inside - the aroma wafting over them - there were two spots for them and they took their places across from each other.

They each placed their order and sat in silence for a minute, Uraraka looking around at the various papers on the walls and the other customers in their seats, even watching the chefs prepare the food in the center of the room. But Bakugou's eyes kept drifting to her and he was getting annoyed with himself that that kept happening.

He liked her, yeah, but why was her pull suddenly so strong? Why couldn't he stop looking at her? Thinking about her?

He ran a hand through his hair, grumbling as he looked away from her to the wall beside him.

"This is a nice place, Bakugou-kun," she said cheerily, and he turned to face her. She smiled happily at him and he thought his heart damn nearly stopped. Fuck. What the hell was that? Uraraka was none the wiser to what was happening internally, though, as she kept going. "Are you sure it's not too expensive? I don't want you to put yourself out for me." Her eyebrows turned down, worry crossing her face.

Bakugou scoffed. "The meal isn't just for you, you know. I need to eat, too."

She nodded, looking down at the table, her cheeks turning a shade brighter. "I know. I just don't want to inconvenience you, that's all."

"Hey, Uraraka," he said, and she looked back up at him, the worry still on her face. He had to take a breath to calm whatever the fuck his nerves were doing, because dammit, why did she look like that? He frowned. "You're not an inconvenience to me, so get that shit out of your head, got it?"

Uraraka blushed even redder and she nodded, looking away shyly.

Luckily their food arrived pretty quickly and the two ate, Uraraka happily chattering away now that she had food, and Bakugou listened to every word she said, putting in his own input when needed.

They'd gone on four dates, he realized, once per week. Each time Uraraka would seem to get braver, more comfortable with him and talk more and more. And even Bakugou was talking more. That was the weirdest thing of all, actually. He didn't like to waste his time talking about shit that didn't matter, so how the hell was she able to get so much out of him?

Fuck it if he knew.

Once they finished their food, both having thoroughly enjoyed their meat, they headed out to walk back toward campus. It was about an hour walk from where they were, but they could take the subway to cut it in half, although when he'd suggested that, Uraraka had declined. Why? He wasn't super thrilled, but the night air did feel nice, even to him.

Their conversations slowed the longer they walked. It wasn't an awkward silence though, which Bakugou was thankful for, but it was just... comfortable.

"Say, Bakugou-kun?" He glanced over at Uraraka, who was still staring straight as she caught his attention. "Are you glad that you agreed to go out with me?"

He fully looked at her now as they still kept walking. "Huh?"

She looked up at him, her eyes widening slightly, before she smiled a little nervously. "I just mean, you've always been such an individual. I'm just surprised you agreed to go out with me and then have taken me on dates each week and have just... talked to me so much more." She looked down at the ground at the last second, a soft smile playing on her lips.

He looked ahead again. It was true: he had been talking to her more: through text, in class, more training sessions together, even a few phone calls over the weekends. It was weird. Hell, he didn't even talk to his parents as much as he's been talking to her lately. But, even he could stubbornly admit to himself that he didn't mind it. In fact, he'd found himself anticipating seeing Uraraka and talking to her on the daily in between classes, at lunch, after classes. It was strange. So strange.

"I-I'm not saying it's a bad thing," she stuttered, waving her hands at him a little, flustered, before she held them together in front of her. "I've just really had a great time these last few weeks, is all."

She was speaking so quietly now that he barely heard the end of her sentence, but his chest still managed to do that weird thing again. What the hell was that?

He clicked his tongue against his teeth, his eyes shifting away from her. "Yeah, well, you better fucking have." There was no bite to his statement, it was simply just that: a statement, with his own flair, of course.

They were quiet for a few more moments, just about ten minutes away from their dorm and the school now. "Bakugou-kun?"

"Hmm?" He continued to walk, but stopped when he turned to look at her and saw she had stopped already. He frowned again, raising an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

Uraraka looked up at him, a bright smile on her face, and holy shit, his chest was pounding at the sight. He should've brought some damn sunglasses with him, for fuck's sake. "Will you go on another date with me next week?"

His cheeks instantly heated up, his ears feeling like they were on fire, too. His eyes widened slightly. She looked so happy, so expectant of his answer, so sure of his answer. He cast his gaze away from her. She was too fucking bright, too fucking perfect for him.

That thought snapped inside of him, causing him to swing his gaze back to her.

She was too perfect for him? His heart was pounding as he took one step forward, then another. No, she wasn't too perfect. He stopped in front of her, looking down at her expectant and very red face. He swallowed and said, "Of fucking course."

Uraraka beamed up at him so brightly, her smile and happiness so contagious, that he had to look away again. Fuck it. Looking back at her, he leaned down and plopped a kiss right on her lips.

She froze under the kiss, her eyes wide when he pulled away, staring at him. She looked like a tomato now.

His face wasn't feeling so cool, either. He turned on his heel and started to walk again toward the dorm. He called over his shoulder, "Does that make you believe me?"

When there was no response again he turned and instantly said, "Oy, Uraraka!" He toward where she was now floating above the ground several feet in the air, her hands covering her face. He sighed grumpily and jumped, using his quirk lightly to propel himself toward her and grab her before coming back down.

She didn't uncover her face. "Oy, Uraraka," he grumbled, taking each of her arms and pulling them apart from her face. That was a mistake because now she was looking at him with the brightest eyes that was so full of happiness despite the very shy look on her face that his face heated up again.

He swallowed and ground out, "What do you think you're doing floating away like that?"

She smiled at him from her spot still above the ground, and whispered, "I can't help it."

A slow smile spread across his face at her statement. His heart was racing, but he didn't fucking care anymore. He leaned in close to her, staring into her beautiful brown eyes, and whispered back, "Then it's a good thing I've got you."

And he planted another kiss on her lips, this time much softer, much longer, and wow. Much better. Her lips were soft and wet, her nose lightly touching his cheek as his did on hers. He pulled her closer, grabbing a hold of her waist to keep her close, which made her squeak, her hand coming to rest on his shoulder.

Which activated her quirk on him from her emotions going crazy.

Which meant they were both floating now.

And neither one of them seemed to give a damn as they kissed in the cool night air, Uraraka wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and shoulders, Bakugou wrapping his arms around her back and waist and letting that feeling in his chest expand and grow because, fuck yeah, this was perfect. She was perfect, and he was fucking glad he had said yes those few short weeks ago because there was no way he was going to let her go now.

#kacchako #fanfiction #my writing #ask #answered #emeraldwaves

[thefantasticm]

Establishing Angst in AGBM

I am by no means a master of angst or conveying tension, and a lot of the times some of what I write that affects people the most was completely incidental. But I do try, and meet varying degrees of success depending on the scene. Here are some dank tools/things/advice I use and constantly keep in mind in order to help crank up the FEELS, and can apply to pretty much anything if you want some ideas as to how to do so.

1. Showing and Telling First thing’s first: ‘Show, don’t tell’ is absolutely ATROCIOUS advice. It is vague and unhelpful and wrong. Some things must be told. If everything were shown, every story in the history of man would sink to the bottom of the ocean, weighed down by a bloated scrotum of tedium and pedantry. There must be a balance, and yes, showing should be favored, but never to an extreme. I personally aim for a 70:30 ratio when it comes to showing and telling in my writing. It is a good ballpark to aim for because landing at 60:40 is still fine and 80:20 is also perfectly readable. Falling to 50:50 and below is where things start to get... bad. Anything below will usually be noticeably boring to even unpracticed readers. When it comes to conveying angst and tension in writing, emotions are key (so Cage has the right idea, but his execution is... well). It is fine and good and proper to tell the reader what the character is feeling, in simple terms. Yet it is something that must be balanced, as we’ve established. It is not enough to say “Hank was sad.” We must say “Hank was sad ABLOOBLOOBLOO.” And by ABLOOBLOOBLOO, I mean describing the physicality of that reaction. We’ve all been sad before, know what it feels like, so describing that churning gut, that beating heart, that sinking feeling - all of it helps to establish that sadness, and can make the reader feel it in turn. Maybe Hank will lash out with that sadness in an unhealthy attempt at emotional release. Maybe he’ll think about wanting to drink, or holding his gun, etc - and describing all of that becomes a showing of where that emotion takes him, depressive, reactionary thoughts that the audience can relate to. I say all that, but it’s also sometimes okay to just say “Hank was sad” and leave it at that. Sparingly, mind you... And exactly when those moments are most appropriate is a whoooole different discussion. 2. Third Person Limited This is less advice and more... information, since something like this is really at the mercy of the writer. Everyone has different preferences for how they narrate a story. I personally despise first person narration, I adore second person (in short bursts, it’s hard to carry a longer story with it), third person objective can be interesting or the exact opposite, and third person omniscient... well. In my very humble opinion, there is no easier way to suck all the emotional tension out of a story. If you are trying to tell an emotional story, third person omniscient is just... heinous. It can be great for grand, sweeping adventure stories, but when trying to establish an angsty emotional creep? Noooo fucking thank you. Holding the audience’s hand when it comes to how every character is feeling, giving information too freely - what a great way to remove any and all emotional stakes! Pick a character. A. One (1). Beyond that character, there can be no ‘outsider’ information. Everything must come through that one character’s eyes. They can infer, they can guess, they can assume the feelings of other characters. They might even be right most of the time! But the audience must never be told this through any other means. Which is why... Keep the narrating character uninformed. Nothing can dispel tension faster than certainty. Emotional tension and angst is most readily mined in what is uncertain. And God, this is such a fucking pain in the ass with ROBOT characters - not impossible, but fuck, I digress. Hank’s emotional hang-ups and struggles become more real and relatable when he does not know what Connor is thinking - when he projects, when he guesses, when he assumes. Hank does not KNOW Connor is in love with him, he simply perceives it, and convinces himself it is true, and thus convinces the audience. They see only what he sees, what he observes, and even when Hank is oblivious to it at the start, the audience is given the room and space to fill in their own conclusions because Hank does NOT know everything, and so when Hank has his ‘realization,’ the audience is even more convinced than he is! Absolute 9000 IQ shit, I know (it’s not). And so when Hank falls away from what he convinced himself of, which is separate from what the audience knows, it’s a little... gut wrenching? No, Hank, don’t doubt it! He does love you! But Hank can’t hear your screams from where he is... And when he comes back to it, when it is far more obvious, it has a much stronger effect. Can you imagine how fucking boring that shit would be if Hank was absolutely 100% certain Connor loved him from start to finish? Jesus. However, it’s important to give the audience a bit more to work with than just everything the main character perceives. Bits and pieces that the audience will pick up on, that the main character technically observes, but is something they do not out and out notice or give much thought to. Not every insight can and should be shared between the main character and the audience. The audience should have just a bit more information that allows them to draw conclusions that characters in the story might not otherwise think of. Which leads us to... 3. Dramatic Irony Mmm... Dramatic irony is just... *chef kiss* Mwah! It is beautiful and glorious. This is what makes the collective sphincter of an audience shiver with fear. I would not say it is my bread and butter, and good angst needs it not, but when it comes to a hard hitting tragic turn of events, no tool will smack an audience in the face harder than dramatic irony. Quick rundown: Dramatic irony is when the audience knows something the characters do not. Some of the most memorable tragedies make use of dramatic irony. Romeo and Juliet? The audience knew Juliet was asleep, not dead, but Romeo... did not. Oedipus? We know that’s his mom... Oedipus... Oedipus no! Dramatic irony is so powerful because the audience is given time to sense the impending doom but they are powerless to do anything about it. They want to stop it, but cannot. Helpless to watch things go wrong. The cold sinking feeling of your heart dropping to your feet. Dramatic irony can be hard to handle, since it will have little to no effect if you cannot get the audience invested in the story and the characters. It is also difficult in the sense that it can become somewhat silly if it is made too obvious. If the feeling of ‘oh god, x is probably going to happen’ comes too soon, the tension when it happens will not be as strong. On the flip side, if it comes too late, or god forbid, it’s not picked up on at all, it will fall flat. Not saying I did it perfectly by any means, but I did try. If you are looking to pull any sort of twist, or just fuck with the audience in general, dramatic irony is a great way to do so, without being hamfisted and preachy, or sudden and purposeless (like Alice being an android).

4. Repetition This is also highly personal choice, but over the years in writing I’ve found that pieces in which I used repetition tended to have better reception than those that did not. Repetition, whether it’s purely through language (which is mostly what I do) or theme, can help really really really drive home a point or emotion to an audience. Repeating certain phrases. Or just one word. Maybe a character says something they said once in the beginning of the fic. Of course, all of this must be done in moderation, and the timing of it has to line up with whatever you are trying to convey to the audience. Sometimes the ‘thing’ you are trying to convey can even be nebulous and mysterious, but then the point becomes to make the audience think more about it, which makes them more invested, which makes the hurts a bit hurtier... I do this a lot by repeating questions. What would he change? How had they arrived at this point? Honestly when I put it out like this I feel a bit silly, and it doesn’t work for everyone, but it works for some, and that is what matters. Mostly... it works for me! 5. The Short Short Long ‘Something was holding him back, a lump lodging itself in his throat. He thought of Connor at home and the way he called him Hank, Hank, Hank. There was nothing unusual about it, but beneath Wilson’s scrutiny it felt private, it felt intimate, and Hank could not find it within himself to lay open something that all of a sudden felt so profoundly raw.’ ‘Connor was the one that was embarrassed. Intensely so, to the point it had rubbed off on Hank. This was not a situation he would normally give much thought to, but Connor’s reaction made him feel as if he had done something wrong, as if he had broken some unspoken trust between them; and as he stood there watching the android, so human in the smallest of ways, Hank felt dirty.‘ ‘Hank wasn’t sure whether he dreamt those words or not. It felt like he did, with the hazy dreams that followed. In them, it was not Hank who left, but Connor - the one that could not be held down by the words that boiled in Hank’s chest but lacked the strength to be spoken; the outline of his body as he stepped through the front door, bathed in sunlight, warping the vision of him until there was nothing left.’ ‘In what capacity? It didn’t matter, did it? Hank needed him and his chest felt light; how easy it was to admit it now, all of a sudden, as if the past ten days, those agonizing ten days, had never happened.’ ...Get it? I’m not sure if this actually does anything. But I like it, so I’m putting it in. Long Short Shorts are also valid. Really the idea is that the rhythm of the tension suddenly gets much faster in the final point, thus making it seem more desperate, and driving it home more. But. I could just be imagining things? Hmm... 6. What Remains Unsaid Sometimes a character will want to say something, but doesn’t. Or they’ll think something, but say something completely different. Or they will infer a hidden meaning, unspoken sentiment, from another character. The things that aren’t said should still be told to the audience! However you want to do it. As much as these things can work in comedy, so too can they work in angst. It’s a very simple thing, but this can serve to drive up the tension, and have the audience clench their teeth from it. Deceptively simple! The feeling of ‘just say it, dammit!’ is a near universal one and should not be ignored! 7. DURRRRRRRRRR MUH CLICHE There is no such thing as an ‘original’ story anymore. You can add your spins and your twists and your little tweaks, but the fact of the matter is that every ‘core’ of a story has already been written. There is NOTHING wrong with cliche. NOTHING. Themes and plots and twists that are common are common because they are usually effective. Anyone who insists otherwise is... as much as I’d like to call them stupid, I really would, what they need is to be educated. The reason people tend to shy away from ‘cliche’ is because when it is done poorly, it is often excruciating. It can be really awful. But one should not shy away from cliche for the fear of doing it poorly. Embrace it! Write it to the best of your ability! If a ‘cliche’ is where a story leads you, then it’s not wrong! Why did I include this? Because most of all this fear of cliche applies strongly to angst, sad tropes, tragedy, etc. After that? Fantasy adventure stories and romance. 8. The High Highs Angst is worthless without a counterweight. Personally I think I’m god awful at writing fluff, but you will never be able to write good angst if you can’t squeeze out some manner of happy scenes. And going back to point #1, you have to show at least one of these happy scenes. It doesn’t have to be over the top. It can even be bittersweet. Hope over happiness, in case you don’t want to go full joyous. Once you start really getting into the angst the happiness and the hope will likely start to diminish, but I say it is usually a good idea to leave ONE good upwards scene interspersed in there somewhere. My final hopeful scenes in AGBM were Connor returning from Washington DC, and to a lesser extent the beginning of their final argument. I used a lot of loaded language in that small span of time to make the drop-off even worse, but that is an entirely different post...

9. Never Reward Your Readers Never reward your readers. Never reward your readers! NEVER REWARD YOUR READERS!!!!

Tell your story how you think it should be told.

NEVER REWARD YOUR READERS.

10. Alliteration Doesn’t actually do anything. I just like it.

#fantastic writes

[blairtrabbit]

Thoughts on Goddamn Voltron

1. The treatment of Shiro and Adam as a couple was the stupidest shot at “representation” i think I’ve ever seen and it honestly made me angry. We don’t know anything about Adam. We don’t know anything about him but his name and that he possibly has some sort of relationship with Shiro. We are never even allowed to see them physically touch (because this would be gross I suppose) and when Adam is killed off immediately in the initial invasion there is no emotion to it other than he was someone we were supposed to care about because Shiro cared about him. Or ...so its suggested. Not only is Shiro denied any sort of emotional catharsis after being forced to be stoic and endure unimaginable amounts of physical and mental trauma there is no one waiting for him to come home. They are killed for absolutely no reason aside from creating some bizarre boyfriend in the refrigerator for a character who certain has enough anger at the Galran empire that he doesn’t need anymore. If Adam was introduced to show Shiro was gay then that failed. If Adam was introduced to heighten the stakes that failed too. Adam was created to die for no damn reason and unless he somehow appears in season 8 this kind of shit queer-baiting is un-acceptable...hell even IF he comes back who cares? we aren’t even given the chance to know him as a person so whats to come back? Sidenote: Don’t make Shiro sick with some terrible wasting disease and then NEVER mention it again. What the SHIT. 2. The treatment of Lance is unimaginably cruel and I don’t understand it. In season three Lance proves himself to be a mature member of the team and not only does he help Allura who took his lion he becomes Keith’s right hand after a rocky start. He has shown multiple times that he is vulnerable, once to Keith’s face, and yet his leader and his team constantly question his choices and insult him. It went beyond ribbing this season. It felt like everytime there was a chance for the writers to do it they stuck in a Lance barb. I kept expecting a breakdown a moment where he finally defended himself, walked away or told them that he was tired of it. But that moment never happened. Instead the strong right hand of voltron just takes it and continues to do his job. No matter how many great shots or encouraging comments he makes he never gets fucking complimented. Also the writers seemed more determined then ever to give him absolutely no arc or focus. Which leads me too- 3. Why the hell did Hunk have Lance’s story arc. Theres this thing in writing called “setup and payoff” Its a super simple concept that all writers,especially in film and television, know how to use. You set up a concept early and later on it pays off with an emotional revelation or a character change. In seasons one two and three...even four? Lance was the only one on the crew besides Pidge who talked about his family. We saw them in his memories. he had a scene with Coran where he talked about missing earth. He talked about his mom and so on. That was his starting point and when he gets back to earth it should have been his family in the camps, his speech about being angry about coming back to a peaceful earth and a closed end to his talk with Keith about being a leader and how he respects him as one back in season 3. Having Keith compliment his bravery would cement him as his right hand the person hes SUPPOSED to be closest to on the team. Hunk had no set up for this. He never mentions his family or how much he misses them. He talks about food but for some reason he was given the ending arc that Lance EARNED but wasn’t given. In fact it feels like it was even written for Lance but was changed because they goddamn hate him and decided he doesn’t get an arc fuck you. 4. Hey. Hey Voltron. Its called fucking character development.  If you wanted to make Allura and Lance have a relationship you can’t make them blush in ONE EPISODE and call it development. Why don’t you cut down on the 90 fucking minutes of brain melting action sequences and put in some more character development. You can’t just dedicate the first half of your season to some goofy (lance abusing) comedy then spend the last half in one constant exhausting battle and expect us to give a shit about the cadets or anyone you introduce on earth. To me the stand out episode this season was the one where everyone is floating in space. They had to...INTERACT with each other but even this episode felt empty because Keith was the only one allowed to act out...AGAIN. Where was Lances righteous anger? Or even Allura’s? Why is Hunk stepping into this role as mediator all the sudden? What even lead to that? Was he literally just written into the Lance roles? If you wanted to tear the group down to have them be built back up then you have to do so on equal footing and it felt....tame. Like you didn’t want the kids to worry too much. Stress makes people act in cruel ways sometimes and overcoming it is a part of good character development. Instead it was just some lame foreshadowing about the deux ex machina that was lion summoning. It had so much potential-SO MUCH.

5. Not everybody has to end up in a fucking relationship. Axca? Seriously? Man are you gonna crank out some romance bullshit in season 8 aren’t you voltron? Is that what your gonna do? Make sure everyone gets a set of corresponding genitalia to wrap everything up in a nice straight bow? I’m sure you’ll give Shiro some kind of significant other right? Or maybe just have him smile at a dude ala live action Beauty and the Beast because that's what representation looks like in 2018. 6. Coran not getting to build the spiritual successor of his grandfathers work is kinda bullshit.

He spent literally every season waxing lyrical about how great his pop pop was and how much he wanted to be the one to build something like he did and then the castle is destroyed and I’m like oh man so cool Coran is gonna get his wish.Thats so emotionally rewarding that after all the hero-worship Hes gonna have the opportunity to build a new castle even better than the one his grand-oh -no...ok Sam did it. Yeah ok.

7.YOU CAN’T SPEND ONE EPISODE ON EARTH BEING DESTROYED AND SHOW MAYBE THREE PEOPLE AND EXPECT ANYTHING TO HAVE EMOTIONAL WEIGHT. Hey, remember the movie Independence day? Not a great movie but it actually felt like the world was being invaded. It felt like peoples lives were being interrupted on a large scale and it accomplished this by showing the invasion from multiple pov’s worldwide. Would that have been so hard? Maybe show a little girl at school seeing a Galra ship. A man in Africa? A mother in Russia? Just quick shots. Thats all you need. A few establishing shots to show that people are experiencing something foreign and terrifying. I know its a kids show and you gotta what...keep it Y-7 but the Galra literally killed thousands and thousands of people-possibly millions you can’t just gloss over that. STAKES CAUSE TENSION. WITHOUT STAKES OR JUSTIFICATION A BATTLE IS EMPTY AND POINTLESS.OH ON THAT NOTE. 7. THE BATTLES IN THE LAST EPISODES BECOME RIDICULOUSLY BORING AND REPETITIVE. You can tell what the writers wanted to write. They wanted to write whole scenes where people star trek groaned in chairs and shouted about how much time they had.Because of the season lack of setup or stakes buildup in the previous episodes theres no tension whatsoever. Do I care about the people of earth? No I haven’t even seen them. I care about Shiro and the mains ...not even the cadets. I haven’t seen them interact enough with each other to even establish their personalities. So if the whole earth fries eh...I care more if Shiro is ok because i’ve gotten to know him over time. If the entire battle was to save Shiro from a falling ship (HOW THE FUCK DID HE SURVIVE THAT BTW I GUESS BEING A CLONE MADE HIM IMMORTAL) It would have more weight to it than the entire Hour long clusterfuck that was the battle for Hunk’s Parents, literally the only humans we care about. 8. WORLDBUILDING? HOW ABOUT FUCK YOU. Wow...so WW3 huh. That sounds interesting Voltron you wanna...no? Alright so...Russia is still a country this far in the future? Is China still communist or? Hey...why is this lady the queen of the Garrison? Why is her position so important? Who funds the Garrison? Is it the United States? The UN? Is it an international organization? Who pays the bills? The funding must come from some government who would be curious why you asked for millions of dollars towards all these bizarre supplies that could be used to build the biggest ship ever made.Why is Admiral Sanda god? She keeps threatening to go over their heads in the chain of command but that means that SHE has to report to someone? WHo?? THE PRESIDENT? SOME KIND OF WORLD LEADERSHIP COUNCIL? I know this shit is hard but come ON. Earth is NOT like these alien planets Voltron has been on that have a centralized monarchy or singular race with one central government. If Sanda is worried about causing wars and global panic thats fine but shes the one commiting treason by not reporting to her own superiors and letting the leaders of the free world make decisions on behalf of their own people. One person can’t make all the decisions we call that LAAAAAAAAZZZZYYYYYY. Oh and about Admiral Sanda? 9. Admiral Sanda is the worst villian Voltron ever faced Why did you try and give her a redemption arc? Every decision she made was stupid every choice was just...so dumb. She betrayed everyone and her level of power kept making me go...why...is she the queen of earth? When she died I was like good. What a dumbass. Don’t try and redeem someone who did nothing good in the first place especially if you never established enough world building to show she might have been correct. We can’t just trust TELL you have to SHOW us. 10. If you think the racism against immigrants is bad now I can’t even imagine the civil wars when actual aliens just invite themselves over. 11. Thanks for fucking up our tide systems by parking a fucking Balmera directly in our atmosphere assholes. In conclusion:THANKS I HATE IT.

#fuck this #fuck everything #voltron #vld #season 7 spoilers #season 7 #voltron legendary defender #lance deserved better #again