#[ she kind of goes with the flow of things and just accepts things the way she sees it ]

[sylvva]

anon said :

to camilla: Luffy didn't fall for Boa Hancock, why would he fall for you? He clearly doesn't care for romance.

send my muse anons // always accepting

❀ 𓏬 Small waves of heat came and went with the crackling of the bonfire. It's sound barely audible, masked music, singing, and the usual chatter that came with the random parties the crew throws. Laughs surrounding her, while all she could seem to muster is a smile.

Her eyes glanced down at the drink in her hand, her second fruity mix of the night. Camilla wasn't drunk, in fact she would barely call herself tipsy. Yet, the alcohol in her system was just enough to derail her thoughts away from the good time she was meant to be having. The intrusive question coming in like a bug buzzing in her ear, and the girl couldn't seem to shake it.

There was little point in debating what the voice was saying. Camilla was not going to fight herself to prove her worth, that was a mind battle she already played several times in. She didn't require new reassurance when the man in question already gave it to her. Besides, it wasn't like the statement repeating in her head was necessarily wrong. Anyone with a pair of eyes could tell Luffy had no bone in his body that felt any sort of attraction. And he was clueless when it came to romance. Those two facts didn't mean he was in capable of love.

The girl's gaze drifted up to the group once more. Brook's upbeat melody had started a new round of dancing. Their captain out of control movements to the beat broke a laugh out of her. It never got old watching him act out, there was a certain charm under all that goofiness. Her feelings for him were unexpected, but now that they had arrived they were probably obvious. And because they were obvious, to an outside eye she probably looked foolish, lost in unrequited love.

An out stretched rubber hand grabbed hers, and without much wait pulled her from her seat. Gleefully Camilla followed, interlacing their fingers in the process of keeping up with Luffy's eccentric dancing. The rest of the unsettling thoughts finally being pushed away from her mind.

It didn't matter if he wasn't able to fall in love with her the same way she had. Just as everything he does needs a better understanding of him, the way he showcases love was no exception. No one would be able to tell her that he didn't show her love.

ooc: camilla and luffy's relation is a complicated, not typical, romance. everything has been plotted with @astherea 's luffy through many many years of rping together. we do our best to navigate feelings with how luffy's sexuality (or lack of) is portrayed in the series. hope this insight helps !!

[hijackalx]

BG3 CHARACTERS REACTING TO BEING CALLED DADDY/MOMMY +18

characters included: karlach, astarion, halsin, gale, gortash

KARLACH

LOVES being called mama/mommy. probably suggests that you call her that before you can even bring it up

kind of plays into the caregiver role but only to an extent. it definitely feels like a character she shifts into. plays it VERY good though

usually something she reserves just for sex. if she calls herself mommy otherwise it’s probably in a nonsexual, playful manner (unless she’s teasing, which will be VERY obvious)

on the other hand…. if you call her mommy outside of sex….. she will be acting accordingly (your hole is getting obliterated promptly)

really, REALLY sweet when she goes into mommy mode 😭 like i don’t think could be a hard dom mommy if she tried. the two just don’t mix for her. consists of lots of praise and kisses and cooing

ASTARION

i’m sure he’s heard it before, but it’s different coming from you. he’s definitely taken aback at first. has to think about how he feels about it LMAO

makes him feel old af 😹😹 but he’s lowkey a sucker for an age gap dynamic so he has mixed feelings

eventually accepts how hot it is. once he sees you falling apart beneath him whimpering “daddy, daddy, daddy—“ his soul is SNATCHED !!!!!!!

loves to refer to himself as daddy to see your reaction— SO obsessed with the effect it has on you. he thinks it’s so sweet. will also use it to get you to do what he wants (using his powers for evil fr)

honestly wouldn’t have thought to introduce it to your relationship but he’s literally a natural. he already has the patronizing soft dom thing down so it flows pretty easily 😹💗

GORTASH

THE DADDY OF ALL TIME. DO NOT EVEN SPEAK TO HIM IF YOU AREN’T GOING TO BEGIN AND END EVERY SENTENCE WITH “DADDY”

refers to himself as daddy CONSTANTLY. will also do it outside of sex. literally a cringe discord daddy dom. but like. sexy. (will call you kitten)

HARD and MEAN daddy dom. can occasionally be sweet with it during aftercare though— “daddy’s so proud of you”

hearing you call him daddy makes him sooo weak. you can honestly get him to do anything for you if you whine “daddy” in a needy enough tone 😈 bonus points if you call him daddy in public. 100% wants everyone to know that you call him that

also super into the sugar daddy thing. loves to shower you in gifts and money. definitely a prominent dynamic in your relationship

GALE

legit stops him in his tracks. he’s like a deer in headlights. has no idea how to react LMAO

never considered himself daddy material before. he’s excited that you do though (he’s pumping his fist in the air and whispering “yesss” 😹😹) it’s a huge compliment for him

kind of awkward using it during sex at the beginning, he just doesn’t want to sound weird or anything. but if you encourage him he gets more confident with it and it’s so, so good

has such a good personality for it in terms of attentiveness/caring for you. plays daddy extremely well but he’d never admit it (still doesn’t believe he’s daddy material 😹)

gets SO flustered if you call him daddy in front of other people. even though he thinks it’s super hot he’d prefer for it to stay your little secret— it’s kind of sexier that way anyway

HALSIN

the most normal about being called daddy. doesn’t think it’s some huge deal or anything— he’s heard it before and it doesn’t phase him

integrates it into your sex life really smoothly (and into your everyday life if you want that). doesn’t care at all if people overhear and lowkey can embarrass you with how much he will readily refer to himself as that in public 😹😹 if you wanted him to wear a badge that said “[name]’s daddy” he would LMAO

always coming up with ways to get you to say it during sex, usually offering some kind of reward for it if you catch my drift 😼

the best at the caregiver role. does it so casually and it seems very normal for him. has such a good, soothing tone of voice for it too

the only downside is that it almost feels like he’s not as into it as you are. i mean he is but he’s so lax about it because he’s just like “kink is normal who cares !!” but like damn a little enthusiasm PLEASE

[pancake-breakfast]

This panel stuck out to me when it showed up in TriMax Chapter 3, but honestly, I wasn't quite sure what to make of it at the time. Or, rather, I wasn't sure where Nightow might be going with it.

Meryl is trying to defend her time with Vash as not being a that bad, but then her coworker (amazingly named Karen) calls her out, telling her that, as a woman, there's no way Meryl could have been happy having her life constantly threatened while running around with Vash.

My first instinct is to defend Meryl, to shoot back at Karen that what defines Karen's life may not define Meryl's, and Meryl might be the more adventurous type who genuinely doesn't mind the danger. And besides, having one's life constantly under threat is psychologically wearing on anyone regardless of gender. So shouldn't she just shut her yap?

But then these words come up again later in the chapter. For (what I think is) the first time in the series, Meryl finds herself with an actual loaded gun leveled directly at her head by a person who fully intends to pull the trigger. She has no known help in sight, and the gunman calling her foolish makes her remember what Karen said.

And Meryl just... closes her eyes, and she thinks about all the danger she's been in with everyone from Gosef to E.G. Mine. She thinks about the Fifth Moon Incident. And she thinks about Vash.

But she doesn't think of gunman Vash. She doesn't think of Vash in a panic telling her to run away from danger, of Vash fleeing for his life over and over and over again.

She thinks of him smiling.

Not only is he smiling, but compared to the darkness and chaos of the other panels, he's a beacon of light in those memories. (You can almost hear the tense, dark music that's been flowing through the scene break into something lighter at his appearance.) And that image of him smiling kindly, still striving for love and peace, grows to dominate her mindscape.

It would be easy to write this off as her growing crush on Vash, or as her seeing him telling her that it's alright and dealing with things like being hunted and having your life regularly threatened aren't actually that bad, that perhaps these things appeal to a sense of adventure and/or what makes life worth living. After all, we've seen similar messages come up in similar fashions in so many other anime and manga series.

But that's not what Meryl concludes from it. Instead, she thinks about Vash's smiling face and concludes her coworker is right. There isn't a way for she, Meryl, to truly be happy when she's constantly getting thrown into these situations.

Her conclusion doesn't end there, though. She doesn't look at the situation and go, "Well, I guess it's time for me, a girl, to throw in the towel so I can pursue a happier existence."

Instead, she concludes that she has to keep doing this sort of thing anyway regardless of any danger or fulfillment.

She realizes that what she dealt with for the time she followed Vash around was crazy and terrifying and, yes, life-threatening. And she realizes that this is how Vash lives all the time. Unlike her, it's not something he has the option to just tap out of when the mood suits. As we were shown in the previous two chapters, Vash genuinely can't just make a new life or career choice or whatever and just... hunt for his own happiness instead. Chaos is going to follow him unbidden wherever he goes.

But he keeps going. And he doesn't just keep going, but through it all he keeps smiling kindly at others, offers them encouragement, and despite all he's seen and been through, keeps trying harder to work for a world with more love and peace. Not because it's safe or happy or appeals to a sense of adventure. It's none of those things. He continues on this path because it's the right thing to do.

Meryl realizes the same thing is true for her. Accepting another assignment from the company to follow Vash around isn't going to bring her the kind of life Karen suggested was ideal. In fact, it's more likely that following in Vash's footsteps (whether figuratively or literally) is going to end up with Meryl in additional stressful situations with her life on the line far more than is truly reasonable for anyone (regardless of gender). It isn't necessarily going to bring her happiness. It certainly isn't going to bring her peace.

But it's the right thing to do, which makes it the only path forward for her, and so she'll embrace it despite all the struggles it brings.

[seafoamreadings]

week of august 4th, 2024

these are written predominantly for the *rising* signs but they are also intuitively "channeled" enough that they should work for any dominant energy you have! (try your sun if you don't know rising, or more advanced readers can try moon, anywhere you have a stellium, etc and see what works best for you!)

aries: while the week's transits are quite earthy at this time, the background is still by and large fire and air. venus into virgo can also be a great time for you to spice up a diet, gym routine, or any form of routine you want to elevate from boring to sacred ritual.

taurus: virgo is where the action is. that's your 5th house of fun! on the one hand, mercury goes retrograde in there this week but on the other hand, your ruler venus graces that region of the sky with her own special sparkly aura. you're just going to have to accept that going with the flow involves getting splashed a little bit. plan accordingly and insist on a good time.

gemini: this week is very "you can do this the easy way or the hard way" vibes. unfortunately it's not always obvious which way is easy. mercury retrograde really muddles things up for you but on the bright side, venus is near by to hopefully soften the blow.

cancerians: if you have a partner, bring them out to some local fun this week and if you don't, hanging around nearby places, no matter how boring your locale may have previously seemed to you, presents good odds for a fun meet-cute scenario or just a really good time.

leo: the new moon in your sign is like a personal new moon in so many ways because the sun is so powerful in your sign. don't let anyone convince you the moon is your enemy or that you should be uncomfortable with lunar themes. use this very magical period to set intentions and level yourself way way up.

virgo: some may try to tell you to dread the ingress of venus into your sign due to her classically debilitated state there. no, she's not at her most comfortable, but that doesn't mean she is suddenly a malefic or that there's anything wrong with you. embrace the beauty of service and the love that is wrapped up in little details.

libra: the week is not comfortable for you per se, but the background astrology is broadly supportive anyway. sometimes support comes in the form of tough love, brutal honesty, or a wrong turn that turns out to be a weird shortcut.

scorpio: friendship weirdness ensues. or if it doesn't naturally occur, you might have to be the catalyst. but stagnation socially is not meant for you at this time. even a little too much comfort isn't always a good thing.

sagittarius: the upcoming week or two or so may be hectic for you. it's not so bad, as you can keep up with any changes of pace. but if you had made plans, don't expect to be sticking to them very much.

capricorn: if you didn't already have plans or projects in the works, it's not a great time to enact them. however, with all that out of the way, things otherwise unfold very nicely for you, especially when it comes to long distance travel or business affairs, and academic endeavors.

aquarius: any esoteric or occult - in any sense - pursuits are at the forefront this week but they are really meant to be kept to yourself, these are not public affairs. lending and borrowing are also to be strongly discouraged at this time.

pisces: mercury retrograde in virgo along with venus's ingress into virgo means for you, the service axis is lit up and so is the self-others axis. don't lose track of your own identity; some people will take advantage of your unconditional love and kindness. even without realizing they are doing so. give love to yourself as well. don't try to pour from an empty cup.

[spop-romanticizes-abuse]

I feel like the idea of “more practical” outfits is kind of overused in ND’s Spop. I mean, come on.

A GIANT cape with wings? Not practical.

Same goes for Glimmer. A body suit, a vest, and a cape? AND wings? It’s a hat on a hat in a hat.

No wonder her wings were so small. Those things were literally stunted.

Frosta wearing this 24/7? Not practical.

This scene. They BOTH should’ve gotten caught on branches and brambles. They’re both wearing long flowing outfits. Not practical.

Exposed tum? Great for looking good. And for stabbing. Not practical. No one living in deserts irl does this. They wear light and breezy robes for breathability and coverage. Shoutout to BFS for also not dressing appropriately.

Cutting holes in SPACE SUITS for hair and tails? Not practical.

Spinnerella’s… Armor? That hardened pink thing that’s only covering her left side and the swirls probably stabbing into her stomach and thigh? Not practical.

These bracers? Either too flimsy seeing how easily they are bent back, or if they worked properly Adora’s wrists can’t bend all the way. Not practical.

This outfit for a guard? Not practical.

Catra, Scorpia, Entrapta…. Hell, DT has TWO. All the windows windows. All the cutouts. I like them. I wear them. I think they look cool. But in this show? Not practical.

agree with all of this!

like,, i know a lot of people are just gonna say “it's a fantasy show, it doesn't have to be realistic!” and i can understand the idea of wanting your characters to have an aesthetically pleasing design but

1. that can be done while giving the characters a practical and secure armor (for example, general amaya from tdp looking hot as fuck while wearing an almost full set of armor)

OR

2. just change the characters into a proper armor when they're fighting. spop only does this ONCE in the entire show, and that was during the battle of brightmoon. and even then, they fucking erased adora's armor so that catra could scratch and injure her. what was the point of the armor then?

and catra doesn't wear an armor EVER, her outfit looks like it's made out of regular cloth but she somehow almost never gets injured while fighting. even when adora slams her into a boulder, she's completely unharmed except for a few scratches. i get that cartoons can't show blood but you can still see that catra isn't injured and exhausted the way adora is.

the main reason i have a gripe with this is because of all the fans saying that the original she-ra wasn't realistic enough. either leave the OG alone and just accept that not everything is perfect or realistic in fiction, or criticize spop the same way you criticize the original. you can't have double standards here.

[allied-mastercunt]

Heyy, if you are still writing can I get some kiss kiss hcs or ficlets or whatever with ellen, gorrister and nimdok please?

I love the yandere am and I'd love to see more of your writing

i'm very much still writing, just happened to make the blog around the time my work got really busy-

Kisses with Ellen, Gorrister and Nimdok

Ellen (book leaning)

Her kisses are tired and in a way. Sad.

After all, she sacrifices for the others, letting them use her body in hopes to keep them somewhat sane.

She needs you to be soft. Kind. To hold her, to assure her it's okay.

She really likes it when you kiss her face. She likes the soft, intimate promises it brings. It's the closest she gets to feeling at peace.

Ellen's favorite kisses to receive are the ones on top of her head. It makes her feel protected.

She often kisses your cheek as she holds onto you while sitting down, your arms around each other.

Ellen craves safety. She craves feeling loved. She misses feeling loved.

Gorrister (book leaning)

Gorrister's kisses have changed over the years.

In the beginning, back when it all started, he was passionate and protective, holding you tightly as he kissed you.

But now, after all those years, he barely kisses you. AM killed his passion, changing the man completely.

He just... stopped caring, went with the flow. This was not the man you knew, not the activist who would speak up at protests, trying to make the world a better place.

Sometimes, very rarely, but sometimes you manage to see a spark of his old passion when you pull him in for a kiss.

For a brief moment, you feel the same, secure grip he had on your thigh.

But then he goes back to his cruel apathy.

It's heartbreaking, but you have hope.

Nimdok

Nimdok is an old man. He's an old man with regrets and a dark past.

He's not a very kissy person. He's not a very affectionate person.

He accepts your kisses, but very rarely returns them.

The few times he does kiss you, it's almost never your lips.

Usually it's your forehead or the crown of your head.

He lets you kiss his cheek, it's about as close to his mouth as you can get.

He's much more accepting of leaning against each other or holding hands.

Kisses, though? Those aren't really his thing.

[lonelywolfinthemiddleofnowhere]

So I'm reading HOO again

And I decided to share some insights and observations that I gather as I read. First, let's begin with Book 1: The Lost Hero.

Here we meet the new trio. They are new characters, people we have never seen before.

First we have Jason POV: at this point, in chapter I, Jason is mostly confused, doesn't know where he is or where he came from, he doesn't know anyone and there are two kids stating they are his close friends.

My boy Jason is very stunned throughout the whole first chapter, and he kinds of just goes with the flow cause he doesn't really know what else to do.

Interesting observation #1: His description of the other new characters that will eventually become his actual friends, but atp are just strangers (for him)

He describes them very superficially, what gives the impression that Jason isn't much perceptive and doesn't have the inner will to look closer, so he just focus more on the surface stuff of his "so-called" friends.

His first thought about Piper is that she is "cute". Than, after when he really looks at her he thinks she is "seriously pretty", which is very cute and all but that's about it at first. He notices her eyes immediately.

Than we have Leo's description

He basically calls Leo an Latino Santa Claus Elf, with a very troubling kind of smile and very hyper.

Interesting observation #2: Leo reminds us of someone

Leo's description makes us remember another character that has a very troublemaker smirk and is hyper 👀

Leo and Percy are very different, but at the same time very similar. I really wish we got to see them more together, but alas, things happened. Anyway, we will talk about Leo and Percy more eventually, but I just thought it was funny how similar his first appearance is with Percy's first description of himself.

Interesting observation #3: The beginnings of the very messy Jason/Piper relationship

Jason/Piper are very messy throughout the whole series. They share very cute moments, but very awkward and tense moments too. And if you read all TOA books, you already know it doesn't end well for them, but here in HOO, specifically in TLH, they relationship are all over the place and they are emotionally unsettled with each other. Very angsty.

First we have THREE occasions where Jason physically withdraws from Piper.

1 - First Occasion: right after he wakes up:

2 - Second Occasion: when she is worried and tries to take his hand again:

3 - Third Occasion: when she asks his help to free her from Dylan and he kinda of ignores her to talk to Coach Hedge

In Jason's defense, I wouldn't want a stranger in my personal space all he time too. Especially an intimidatingly beautiful girl like Piper.

But for her, it just seems like her boyfriend avoiding physical contact, and that is never flattering, so Piper is quite worried and a bit hurt. And Jason can see he hurt her but he can't actually do anything about it, can he?

They are so messy u guuuuuys. She had inside jokes with illusion!Jason man

For her, he is behaving very differently from the Jason she knows and loves.

Which takes us to...

Interesting observation #4: Jason is not a delinquent.

I don't know how accurate Hera's Mist Version of Jason was to the real thing, but Jason is definitely not a delinquent. He isn't the kind of boy that frequents the Wilderness School. He gets amazed at the way the Coach shouts at the students, man! My boy is prim and proper, thank you very much.

Interesting observation #5: Jason seeks Leo more than he does Piper

At least in the first chapter. Leo is his promised partner for this first part of the book. They share cute lil friendship moments in the Grand Canyon excursion. He just has an easier time accepting that Leo is his best friend than the fact that Piper is his girlfriend and I find that very funny lol:

Another cute snipped of Jason & Leo's friendship:

Interesting observation #6: Jason has good instincts

Jason has moments in the very first chapter where he proves right off the bat that he has good instinct. For example, when his mind tries to remember the Gods after an afterthought about it:

PS: It happens to Percy too in the next book.

Than we have him feeling he is going to need his magical weapon very soon (spoiler: he does):

He is also shown to be a protector at heart, doesn't like bad kids and his gut tells him to protect Piper when the girls get mean to her:

Golden boy with a golden heart fr fr

And at last but not least

Interesting observation #6: Jason is Hera's "special package"

Throughout the series we will see Hera claim Jason as hers multiple times. The very first time it happens is indirectly, when she communicates to CHB about her "special package", which turns out to be Jason.

Hera & Jason have such a complex and intriguing relationship, we will dive deeper as I read the other chapters.

If you like my insights follow for more!

[demontobee]

Parallels between Lord Jim and Good Omens (2)

I have rewatched GO2 at least 10 times now (still counting, obvsly), and every time I notice new easter eggs that emerge from the massive web of intertextuality that Neil Gaiman created for us here.

So today, I wanted to focus on the way Aziraphale came up with the “undercover” name “Jim” for Gabriel. He read it on the spine of a book: Lord Jim.

That book was written by Joseph Conrad (a Polish-British writer with dubious ideas about colonialism) and published in 1900. The plot basically follows the life of a young idealistic seaman called Jim who has to defend himself in a trial that concerns a sinking ship which he and other members of the crew abandoned in a storm, leaving it and the helpless passengers to their fate. The ship did not sink in the end, and he was the only member of the crew who was held accountable for his deeds by stripping him off his naval certificate. The trial is where he meets the narrator of the story, Marlow, who is strangely intrigued by the young man, who seems to be engulfed by guilt and shame over his morally wrong decision to leave the boat. The narrator tries to help Jim to his feet and lands him a job as a post manager at some remote colonial outpost. There he becomes a hero by capturing a local bandit. Later he falls victim to a scheme against him, and a pirate raids a neighbouring community and kills the son of their chief, Jim’s close friend. Jim then goes there, and the chief shoots him as a revenge for his son.

I mean, the most obvious parallel is that Gabriel gets named after Jim. He, too, abandoned his ship (Heaven; and the question here is, did he know it might be a sinking ship as well?) and was put on trial and lost his position as archangel before he came to Aziraphale for help. But that’s not all there is to it.

Let us start with the formal (concerning style and structure) aspects:

narrative structure:

“Marlow has complete control over the story … and he exercises his power in increasingly complicated ways. Time is broken up: in a single paragraph of narration, Marlow will reference the past, the present, and the future. By manipulating the flow of the narrative, Marlow is able to create juxtapositions and contrasts that highlight particular aspects of the story. He is a master at withholding information …” (Source: Sparknotes)

As I have already discussed in another post, this is more or less how narrative structure works in GO, too (S2 maybe more than S1, but this still applies to both). We get minisodes from the past that directly reference and juxtapose situations in the story that takes place in the present. Take, for example, the Job minisode, which gives us information about the development of Crowley and Aziraphale’s relationship, but we also see how devastating and hard it was for Aziraphale to realise that sometimes he had to lie (or do something considered wrong in heaven) to do the morally right thing. This sequence is juxtaposed with the relative ease he exhibits in the present day when he has to lie to heaven on a regular basis (in this case, about the miracle and hiding Gabriel, which is kind of a big lie, too). The show also plays with our understanding and expectations of how time works, as S2 starts with a scene that takes place “before the beginning,” which undermines dramatic structure as it has been known and accepted since Aristotle. It is also interesting to note that in S1, we have a strong sense of an almighty narrator, since god herself is narrating the whole time and she sure lets us know that she is playing her own ineffable game here. In S2, however, we don’t have a clear narrative voice. This might make it seem like the narration is more neutral or less meddled with, but in reality, it just makes things even less reliable and situations more ambiguous, as we have no single voice to interpret them for us. Someone is definitely “withholding information” here, and I guess we’ll have to wait for S3 to get the full picture.

language/style:

“Marlow constantly ponders the "message"--the meaning of Jim's story. His language is dense with terms like "inscrutable" and "inexplicable," words that denote imprecision and indecipherability, but which also possess a certain quality of uncertainty in themselves, as words. He struggles to name things, and is often reduced to wondering if there even is a meaning to Jim's story and his fascination with it. Sometimes he concludes that the meaning is an "enigma"; sometimes he decides there is no meaning to be found at all. Words are constantly being contested in this novel; at least three major episodes center around the misinterpretation of a single spoken word.” (Source: Sparknotes)

I mean, “inscrutable” and “inexplicable”? Why not just call it “ineffable”? I also love how Crowley seems to wonder about the meaning of things (especially the distinction between “good” and “bad”), as one of the first things we here him say in S2 is something like: “Do you ever ask yourself what’s the point. I mean angels, demons, heaven, hell … it all seems a bit … point … less.” And obviously, the whole show is full of misinterpretations of words (e.g., “what does your exactly mean, exactly? I feel like my exactly and your exactly are different exactlies”), or, as we are all painfully aware, a whole way of communicating with one another (“aim for my mouth, but shoot past my ear”).

Now for some similarities concerning informal (aka content) aspects:

moral balance and “naïve heroism”:

“Even more tortured is the analysis of idealism and heroism that lies at the center of Lord Jim. Jim is a young man who enters the world motivated primarily by fantasies of daring and noble deeds lifted from cheap novels. His ideals break down, however, in the face of real danger; they are, in fact, untenable when applied to any form of reality.” (Source: Sparnotes)

That sounds like both Crowley and Aziraphale in a way. They both set out as naïve idealists, and both of them learn (Crowley earlier and faster that Aziraphale) that their (heavenly) ideals do not hold in the complex reality of life. A lot of what we see in S2 is Aziraphale coming to terms with accepting that doing the “right thing” on earth often involves breaking his heavenly rules and allowing for “shades of grey.”

struggling to comprehend own identity and moral consequences of own actions:

Both the narrator, Marlow, and the protagonist of his tale, Jim, are trying to figure out their identity. Marlow seems to tell the story mainly to kind of make sense of identity itself but also of him personally, while Jim tries to make amends for his morally wrong behaviour and tries to manifest his identity (as a hero) through action.

In GO2, we have a lot of identity struggles and questions of “who am I?”: Jim the amnesiac angel is the most blatantly obvious case, but we also have Aziraphale negotiating his identity constantly, e.g., in the Job episode when he asks “Then what am I?” after having lied to heaven for the first time . And I mean Crowley is just on another level of liminal identity entirely, isn’t he?

As a bonus (and I am probably going overboard here, but well), this is the description of Jim’s death:

“Then with his hand over his lips he fell forward, dead.”

  The imagery reminds me of something…ahhh yes:

Feel free to add your thoughts in the tags or comments!

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

WIBTA if I sent my mother articles about murders unprompted to manhandle her into feeling basic sympathy?

TW mentions of transphobia.

What it says on the tin. My (20NB) mom (55F) is transphobic, the type that just thinks trans people are “ruining their bodies” and shouldn’t “expose kids to their agenda” and has routinely told me it goes against her religious beliefs. She’s going down the alt right pipeline and it’s been scary to watch, but she’s not so far that she would advocate for any human beings to be targets of violence.

She’s a conservative transphobe in ideology, but in the past she’s also provided a home for closeted trans women I’m friends with who have discriminatory parents, done their makeup, and made them feel accepted when no parental figures in their lives would. While she is not exactly supportive of my transition, she does respect my bodily autonomy and has made efforts to gender me correctly and call me her son. She’s made efforts to educate herself in some ways, but the issue is she’s being bombarded with a constant flow of transphobic misinformation and horrifically biased journalism because of algorithms and echo chambers, as well as the people she surrounds herself with. She’s vented to me before that she hates how her friends speak about my transition, and how refreshing it’s been to make new friends who are supportive of me. I don’t know how I feel about this.

All this is to say she has absolutely awful beliefs, but she treats my trans loved ones well and has openly defended us when it comes down to it, and I honestly don’t believe she’s beyond redemption or growth as a person if i get to her before my mother is gone. It’s like seeing snippets of the supportive mother that could have been and used to be, but the second we talk politics it shatters. All this is just background.

One thing that endlessly pisses me off is that she’s vocalized doubt that anyone actually faces violence or homelessness for being trans, certainly because literally none of the news media she consumes reports on it. I think it could genuinely change the way she views things at least to some degree if every day I sent her an article about an anti-trans hatecrime to force her to wake up to reality. Even if it doesn’t change her opinions, honestly, it’d absolutely upset her and tbh as someone advocating for policies that get people killed, it’s kind of warranted to make her see what she’s advocating for, and more importantly, the America her political party is moving towards. Either she wakes up or she feels like shit about the bleak reality I have to face daily. I see this as a win-win scenario.

Where I might be the asshole is that I’m going to be bombarding her (someone who is very sensitive and cries easily) with horribly triggering content daily, and also it does make me feel a bit icky to think that I might be using real peoples’ suffering and deaths to try to change her opinion or make her feel guilty.

What are these acronyms?

[alliiepaz]

One reason I will forever love Aloy is because even though she's learned the scientific and therefore "real" reason behind the way their world works, she never really tries to discredit the way one tribe or another talks or believed things.

She meets Zo and although Zo is kind of hostile to this newcomer who isn't following their directions for her to rest and heal and immediately refers to one of their landgods as an it, Aloy respects that to the Utaru "Re" is a "she" and that she is their landgod and immediately offers to help put Re at ease by finding what's wrong with her her and fixing it.

She just goes with the flow no matter who she meets, accepts the way this new tribe thinks, and continues on in her adventures while being respectful of the culture in the other tribes, including the Nora despite growing up an outcast.

I love the little red haired bitch so much.

[ficbrish]

Part of my Kinktober 2023 one shot collection

"You were my first."

[Ao3] | [Tumblr]

cw: Blood, cptsd, self-hate, alcohol

Tav Vistri, Act I, right after Bite Night

Big moment, that following morning was. Pleasantly enough, none of the others tried to drive a stake through Astarion’s heart upon learning his true nature. Nor did Vistri suddenly change her mind and call for a mob. She even stood up for him. Showed a suspicious amount of understanding.

But that’s how she’d always survived.

A bit of kindness tinged with charm, and lying back, goes a long way.

Astarion seemed the happiest that Vistri had ever seen him. Although, to be fair, they’d journeyed together less than a tenday, and not under the most pleasant circumstances. She’d seen him smile, but not like that. Not like the way he’d been smiling since—

His lips on her neck…

“Augh!” Vistri exclaimed, walking unannounced into Shadowheart’s tent, “I feel like a ripe pile of shit!”

“Were you raised in a barn?!” Shadowheart cried, startled and put out by her new friend’s sudden appearance.

“No, the Underdark—But that’s not important right now,” Vistri answered, too obsessed at the moment to exchange a bit of back and forth, “We don’t have time for an ethics debate.”

“An ethics debate? You just barged into my tent!”

“Because I needed to talk to you!” she explained, as if that answered everything sufficiently.

“I swear, if you hadn’t saved my life…”

“I know, I know! I’m insufferable. Do you have wine?”

“It is just passed sunrise.”

“Yes, and I’m very thirsty.”

Somehow, Shadowheart’s exasperated refusal to indulge her self-destructive habits prompted Vistri to spill everything. How she never felt anything.

How much she felt last night.

“You like the vampire?”

Vistri looked as if Shadow had just spat in her face, and protested, “I do not!”

While she had her crisis at Shadowheart, Astarion was literally skipping through the woods. He couldn’t remember a day where he felt better than he did this morning. With her blood flowing through him, giving back life.

Was this what it felt like to be Vistri? he found himself musing, watching the dapple of shadows dance across his hands as the sunlight trickled through the trees.

Which was a very ironic conclusion for him to draw, considering that she was just now sobbing wildly on Shadowheart’s awkward shoulder.

But Vistri never let him inside her mind despite pushing into his, not after that first initial taste; when they met on the ground in his arms, while his blade pressed into her. Too much was happening then for Astarion to really notice anything, and he only felt a hint of someone else before she instinctually shut her mind off from his. They’d shared a memory, but it was like the directions of a play read aloud, not the feelings of an actor emoted through their eyes.

It piqued his curiosity now that he spent a little time in her company. Had a taste of her.

And like a cat discovering a closed door, he was suddenly possessed by the need to pry it open.

Turns out, things were working out for Astarion better than he could have ever imagined. He could get used to his luck turning around like this. Not only did the rest of his companions accept that he was a vampire without much complaint, Vistri offered to let him feed again.

Before he accepted, it was important for Astarion to make clear that nothing would ever happen again without her say so. He could be better than Cazador ever was—wanted to be better.

“I shall wait patiently until you suggest we… dine together.”

Vistri could feel heat rising in her face. Cheesy little comments of his like that previously grated on her nerves, and now she wanted to giggle.

What the fuck was wrong with her? Did she really want him? Could she really… imagine that as a possibility?

“But until then: No more late-night surprises, you have my word on that,” he promised. Rather sincerely, actually.

It was probably due to some vampiric thrall she must be under, but Vistri decided to trust his words. Every night could be its own test, and a sick part of her hoped he’d break his vow. That he’d prove it was all good to be true; show her who she really was. Prove that neither of them were worth it.

“Thank you,” she said, biting her lip, “And if you don’t mind, I have a vow of my own to exchange.”

“Oh?”

“Pushing into your mind… I wasn’t sure if you were going to kill me, but in finding out, I also… That was for you to save or tell. Not for me to find out. Not like that. I swear I’ll never do it again. Not without asking first.”

Astarion looked a bit devastated; shook it off with a smirk, and then said, “We’re even.”

Vistri was taken aback, “Even?”

“I've only tried to stab you when we first met, and bite you while you’ve slept. A little wriggling around with my mind worm… Well, you’re not better than me after all! In fact, you’re just like me.”

She smiled and looked at her feet, “I wouldn’t go as far as that.”

Even the teasing mention of closeness was too much for Vistri to endure, and she hated him for it.

So of course she didn’t want to appear too eager! She waited a whole other day before proposing another late-night snack. Astarion took it to be a reward for his good behavior; not coming back for seconds before he was asked.

The anticipation ate at them even worse after they agreed it would happen that night, and it itched at them all day. Unfortunately, Astarion was a bit of a stress-eater, and quite literally bit off more than he could chew with a large bear that evening before they met up. Draining it just barely replaced what he'd lost, which left him punch drunk and dizzy from his own bloodlessness. Their fun was put off for another night.

Much to the vexation of both.

He didn’t want to wake her that second time, not because he didn’t want her to be present, but because he was doing his best not to be an inconvenience. Vistri wasn’t offended either; he was so obviously sure he was doing her a favor. Oh, but she wanted to be awake for it! Not asleep, not in trance, but there feeling his—

Shit. Bad thoughts! No, no, no.

It was nothing. He meant nothing. She was nothing but a source of sustenance. Vistri had a purpose, and that was that.

She was food.

But then… So was that bandit earlier. Now he was food. Astarion drunk him dry with little grace. Ripped his screaming throat from out of his neck, and the spray went everywhere! Tonight he would gently creep up to her in the dark, at her behest, and take only a little while trying his best not to cause her to stir. It was quite the contrast.

That bandit was a meal. Vistri was a treat.

Then what was this even all for?

Vistri shooed away her curiosity before it meant she had to answer that question herself.

Waiting impatiently in her bedroll, eyes shut tight, Vistri could feel her heart pounding as if it was berating her for their present circumstances.

Oh, hush! she thought, arguing back.

This wasn’t her best performance, pretending to be in the midst of trance as she was. Her focus was elsewhere, searching for his presence through her pores. Her mind froze when Astarion finally began to approach. Even without seeing, she knew he was there; could feel his proximity before he touched her. The very air changed around him, like a storm cloud. Her senses filled with something herbal and sweet, then brandy and heat as his chest crept over hers.

She held her breath, even though deep breathing was the telltale sign of trance. Vistri thought he caught her, sensing him pause for a moment. Then she reasoned she was probably making that up.

But she didn’t. He did pause. Not because he noticed she wasn’t breathing, but because he still wasn’t quite sure this was all really happening. Not just some mad trick of the tadpole.

He swallowed and let himself lean carefully down, until his body pressed into hers. He could feel her heart beating frantically, but in his distraction, it didn’t give her away. Astarion just took it as a sign she was alive. That this really was all real.

His lips met her neck before his fangs. Vistri held back a shiver, taking a deep breath against it. She stifled a moan as one hummed quietly in Astarion’s throat. She could feel it vibrate on hers, neck to neck. Feel her life and power flow into him and through him. Power. Pleasure.

It was palpable.

Astarion’s tongue moved against her skin, swallowing her.

She even lost herself for a moment. As her mind flew blissfully away, her fingers, those sluts, found their way up into his curls.

Her hands grasped the sides of his head. Vistri wasn’t trying to push him away, she just needed to brace herself against the loss of gravity. Astarion didn’t even notice at first. It just felt like part of the whole thing. It was her sudden movement as she jerked them back that brought his attention to her wakefulness.

“Are you not in your trance?” he asked in the crook of her neck.

“No,” she answered with her eyes still closed, “Do you want me to be?”

She was truly the most curious thing to him. Was she pretending to be in a trance to please him? While allowing him to drink from her? Who does that? Astarion smirked, shaking his head, “I thought you’d prefer…”

Vistri opened her eyes and looked into his. She’d been warned her whole life about elves with red eyes.

“No, I—” she blushed, “I mean, it’s quite fun. Is it not?”

“It is?”

Curiouser and curiouser.

She nodded.

“Well, that’s nice to hear.”

“Do you want to-?” Vistri gestured to her neck.

“Right, yes,” Astarion said, clearing his throat. Regaining his cool, he slyly suggested, “Why don’t you crawl into my lap?”

Vistri couldn’t breathe.

Her non-answer was a glorious victory. Astarion could tell he had an effect, a sway over her somehow. He tilted his head back, smiling with confidence, “You do want it, don’t you?”

Lightheaded, Vistri gave in and sat across his knees. Grinning, Astarion grabbed her up into his arms and dipped her dramatically with a slight growl. Vistri giggled, too loudly, and he cupped a hand over her mouth.

He shushed her, “Be still now.”

First, he brought his lips back to her throat. Then his tongue. Then his fangs.

A moan escaped Vistri this time. One, warm hand cradled the back of her neck as he drank from the front of it.

He promised it would be just a taste, and it was just a taste. She didn’t even have to hold him back this time. Astarion stopped on his own accord, before she was ever in any real danger.

When she opened her eyes, Astarion had stars in his. Just a little bit of her, and he was an entirely new person.

Self-satisfied, Vistri grinned, “You’re welcome.”

Sitting up, her head swayed forward like a drunkard and almost smashed into his skull.

“Oh, there you go,” he muttered, steadying her.

Vistri looked up at him, her face so close to his. “I’m okay,” she answered before he could ask.

“Don’t try to get up just yet. You’ll take another tumble, and who knows if I’m feeling generous enough to catch you again.”

“Bastard,” she laughed weakly.

Vistri could smell her blood on his breath. She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes so the only thing in existence was the scent lingering between them. She couldn’t imagine liking this so much with anyone el—She shot up so fast, suddenly standing to escape those thoughts.

“Careful!”

Astarion must have been feeling generous because he caught her a second time.

“Oops,” she said, embarrassed.

“You ought to take better care of yourself, darling. I’m invested now.” Funny thing, that wasn't even a lie. He'd never met someone like her before.

Vistri met his grin with performative suspicion, “How heartening.”

Astarion's eyes followed the words as they bounced off her lips. He smiled realizing they were perfectly painted instead of washed clean.

She either swayed or leaned closer. Even Vistri couldn't tell if it was blood loss or an intentional inching of her feet.

“You look a bit peaked,” Astarion said nervously.

“Yes,” Vistri sighed, standing so near, “Off to bed I go.”

Even the air between them pounded. They stayed very still. His breath turned into her breath.

Then Astarion broke the spell, stepping back with narrowed eyes, “Sweet dreams, then.”

“Sweet dreams.”

But there were no dreams.

Just forbidden thoughts that ran endlessly through their minds, until even their muscles ached.

[raguna-blade]

Finally got around to watching the Anime Movie Belle and I gotta say that even though it had a bunch of plotting problems That I think i would normally be a bit more annoyed about - It never does anything particularly egregious, but I feel that some things move a little too quickly or are glossed over a bit in a way I don't quite like, or the this is an outgrowth of the internet and technology that felt a bit eh, but those moments also ultimately don't matter so- it's hits me as a really just...aggressively sincere movie.

Like I had to had to tell my brain to not go lmao this bit is dumb because XYZ because like...No, that's so nakedly obviously not what's important here.

"Oh but this makes no sense it's basically a social media platform that does XYZ" It doesn't matter IDIOT, it exists to support the theme of you being part of the world and how you HAVE to expose yourself to see the changes in yourself that you want to see, if you want to help people.

"Ok, but how does it all work though? Like, Yeah Beast...Beats people so badly that he's able to break their data? THat's just a thing he can do? Nobody can find his secret castle for some reason?" YOU ABSOLUTE MORON, none of that is relevant. It works because it's fantasy twitter but cool and functional and owned and controlled by 5 cool old ladies who may as well be fairy godparents. But the tech-No, it literally is unimportant. While I'd like it a bit more if they gave a less technical explanation, the tech works because it does, homie is able to fuck things up the way he is able to because pain is pain, And for him his ability to fight is basically the equivalent to belles ability to sing. An Ability WILDLY INSANELY INCREDIBLE to an unreal degree (like Her arc does follow a viral sensation arc for the initial flow, but it takes effort to capitalize on that, and on top of that she's apparently making money? yeah no.)

I mean hell, most of the people in this movie actually do seem to have some legit super powers. It's kinda glossed over and is again relatively unimportant, but like her bestie? Kind of scary capable of dealing with things, especially if we take the textual difficulty of finding Beast as true. Kayak dude? Homie hits nationals....on strength of a club that consists of himself and himself alone? What? Like yeah ok, that's normal sure.

Anyway.like...man, once and if you just buy in and accept the technical aspects as just "it fucking works" the movie really just constantly goes "Here are the feelings and why they're being felt and yes it's goofy and weird in places" but damn if they don't just mean it and it does hit.

[lily-alphonse]

for the rarepairs:

hear me out, Haley x sandy, they just have so much potential omg.

also another ship that has been on my mind is robin x Haley, I don't even know why.

After getting this ask I edited my masterlist post to specify only one ship at once bc these posts would be way too long otherwise, so Im glad someone else asked for Haley x Sandy so I could answer both of these! Check that one out here for the first part of your question.

Haley x Robin

Making Haley a homewrecker smh lol

I'm wracking my brain rn trying to think of when they would literally ever even cross paths, Haley doesn't even go to the saloon. They have no reason to speak to each other. Haley doesn't hang out with Seb or Maru. She wouldn't need Robin to build anything.

Ok mind is taking me to Robin's friends. The aerobics class. And they gossip outside all the time in the square. Ok ok ok getting somewhere, I think.

Haley has another fight with Emily about not pulling her weight and how she has to grow up and do something with her life. In an effort to prove that she can be mature she joins Caroline, Robin, and Jodi outside to chat thinking its gonna be boring as hell but it's NOT.

It starts out that way. Boring and awkward because the women aren't sure how to be around her at first. Jodi asks Haley if she's doing anything for work and that goes about as well as expected. But Robin asks about her photography and Haley lights up, talking about how she got a new lens that can take macro photos of flowers and insects and she's having a great time with it.

Things are less tense then, and the ladies end up gossiping, and it's actually kind of fun. Robin is the coolest of the bunch, Jodi talks the most but she's so judgemental (which can be fun in small doses but gets old) and Caroline is the quietest and most high-strung. They invite her to aerobics class and she gives a noncommital answer.

But she keeps joining them outside to chat, and it's nice. She doesn't always have much to say but Robin at least always engages her, and she finds herself gravitating towards her. When Caroline brings out teas for all of them, she feels really included and adult.

She joins them for aerobics and its the first time Haley starts to consider she might have a thing for Sebastian's mom. Not only is she fit as hell (those carpentry arms go crazy) but she's silly and fun and gets Haley dancing around without doing any particular moves and just vibing. Haley's got heart eyes for her by the end of it. Watching her leave, she decides to jog up next to her, asking if they can walk together since she could go for a walk in the fresh air to wrap up the workout. Robin obviously accepts and they finally have a moment to talk alone.

When Haley asks her where she learned to dance like that, Robin laughs. She got around in her day. It turns out, a young Robin was quite similar to Haley. And it's easy to believe. She's still gorgeous, and has this sort of effortless cool girl energy that has only gotten mellower with age.

Conversation flows as they talk about their exploits, and the walk ends too quickly. The lake near Robin's house is beautiful, and Haley suggests she might have to come take some pictures up here sometime. It's only a little stretch of the truth...

Haley continues to meet with the women of the town, actually beginning to feel more mature. She's inspired to start looking into college courses. The aerobics class is the highlight of her week, because she gets to let loose. Afterward she makes a habit of walking Robin home, sometimes even challenging her to a race, and Robin even feels a little younger for it.

Sometimes she comes across her when she is up on the mountain taking pictures, and Robin invites her in for lemonade.

On one occasion taking pictures of a nesting falcon by the lake, Robin storms outside, slamming the front door behind her and stomping into the woods. She doesn't see Haley at first, and crouches behind a tree with her head in her hands.

“Robin?” Haley approaches hesitantly, stowing her camera.

Robin starts with a sniffle, quickly wiping her face. “Oh! Haley! Hi, you surprised me.” She clears her throat.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh,” Robin shakes her head and waves her away, “Nothing, I’m being silly.” She sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. “I don’t suppose I can convince you to just forget you saw this?”

“No, what’s wrong? You know you can talk to me.” Haley sits next to her in the grass, giving her an encouraging smile when she looks at her again.

“No, it’s… adult stuff. Nothing I should be telling you.”

Haley is a bit hurt at that. Robin has always treated her like an adult, encouraged her even, when she felt like she wasn’t mature enough to handle what life through at her. “Are you saying I’m not an adult now?”

But from Robin’s perspective, how are you supposed to explain you can’t vent about marriage trouble to a girl your son’s age. It wouldn’t be right. She sighs. “No, Haley, that’s not what I’m saying, I’m sorry. You’re right, and we talk about adult stuff all the time, this is just… this is personal.”

“We talk about personal stuff all the time, too,” Haley encourages.

Robin looks down at the grass for a beat, thinking. “Just… marital stuff. Marriage… shit. Arguing.” She growls and put her head down on her bent knees.

Haley scoffs. “Boys.”

It makes Robin laugh and lift her head again. “Except not, since, you know, adults.”

“Boys never mature,” Haley shot back snidely, to Robin’s amusement.

“I’ll give you that!” And then she’s quiet again, chin resting on her knees now to look out at the lake in reflection. “Don’t get married, Haley,” she murmurs. “And don’t get stuck here. You’ve got your whole life ahead of you.”

“And you don’t?” Haley asks right away, catching Robin off guard.

She lifts her head to look at Haley again. “Well… no, I don’t think so. I’m stuck.”

“Um, excuse me, who are you and what have you done with the badass woman I know? From where I’m standing I feel like you could do anything you wanted.”

“That’s really kind of you to say, Haley,” she responds with a sad smile.

“I’m not kind. I don’t say things to be kind, I say them because I mean them.”

Robin’s smile widens. She’s always liked Haley’s spunk. “I know. Thank you, anyway.”

“Why did you get married?”

She sighed again, her smile dropping. “Being a single mom is so hard. Don’t do that either, by the way. I actually… I would’ve been happier, I think, if Demetrius was alright being my boyfriend instead. I didn’t want to get married again, but image is so important in small towns, you know? And especially with young kids it just makes life easier.”

“You don’t have young kids anymore. And you don’t actually strike me as someone who gives a fuck about her image, no offense.”

Robin is quiet again for a while, mulling over her words. “You’re right.” She stands and Haley follows suit. “Sorry again you had to see this.”

“Don’t apologize.”

“Okay,” Robin huffs a chuckle. “Thank you?”

“You’re welcome.” Haley smiles, and Robin suddenly reaches out and hugs her tightly. She smells like sweat and pine and wood shavings and Haley wants to burn the feeling of her flannel into her skin.

Haley wraps her arms around her waist, her face in the crook of her neck, and squeezes her close, and suddenly the air has changed. It doesn’t feel like a platonic hug anymore. But neither of them are letting go and it’s gone on a second too long.

Haley clutches at the back of her flannel. Lifts her head to be level with Robin, cheek to cheek. She can hear Robin’s shallow breathing.

“Haley…” Robin says hesitantly. Almost a warning, if it wasn’t dripping with a breathless lust.

Haley pulls back, just enough to kiss her.

Nyaha chew on that lmao pls note I do not hate Demetrius/Robin in any way I think theyre good together but you see how the asks force my hand! I only do what the little anon faces ask so nicely for me to do

Send me any Stardew Valley rarepair and I will tell you how I would make them work! (Even non-marriage npcs) If youre lucky you may get a mini fic out of it. Check the list below to see if Ive already answered yours

Rarepair Masterlist

[kryptonbabe]

Welcome to Madam Brawn's Crime School for Delinquent Girls

A review of Plastic Man's story in Police Comics #4 (1941) by Jack Cole

I've been working my way through Plastic Man's early comics, and this was the first one that stood out to me. The story had my attention from the beginning for the early introduced character of Madam Brawn is just so magnetic, her morals so complex, her ways so compelling. She runs her school for delinquent girls, accepting women fresh out of prison with nowhere else to go.

Things were hard enough for male ex-cons, I can only imagine the stigma women had to face after getting out of prison in the 1940s. In Madam Brawn's school they must go through intense physical training and practice shooting (using cop manequins as targets), the group is also forbidden to smoke, only Brawn is allowed that.

However, there is a price for Brawn's protection and the day her group of women "graduated" from her teachings, Madam Brawn sent two of her "dames" to take over the protection racket going on in the city nearby. She was so confident in her training only two women were necessary for the take over, and they succeed, sending a message to Lefty, the leader of the rival gang.

This is still pretty early in the story and, noting Plastic Man's overall absence of it, I felt myself rooting for Madam Brawn's gang of delinquent women, and I think that is the intention of the writer and artist, Jack Cole. Later in comic book history this kind of sympathetic criminals would not be possible anymore, that's one of the reasons the golden age has such a different tone, when the Comics Code Authority censorship was established it changed everything, a context that makes this story even more interesting.

Brawn's gang had to face the consequences of their takeover and later that day the whole rival gang went to Brawn's farm, even their leader, Lefty, tagged along to threaten her in person with a pistol. Brawn's response to that came very naturally: she broke his arm and sent her dane dogs after the rest of the gang. They fled, but Lefty's pride was injured.

I love how Jack Cole portrays the movements in his panels, there's a dynamic flow to his art that makes the action in the comic stand out, which combined with his talent for drawing face expressions and gestures, makes it for a very fluid reading experience.

And that's where Plastic Man comes in! All this time Plas was infiltrated in Lefty's gang in his criminal persona, Eel O'brian. At this point in continuity he is an undercover cop while also maintaining his criminal connections, a double agent of sorts. He was hanging with Lefty's men and keeping an eye on this gang war situation, that was until Lefty proposed to invade Madam Brawn's farm with WAR TANKS. Escalating things in an insane proportion. Where did he find war tanks? Brawn only broke his arm... what a sensitive pride Lefty must have had.

So Plas goes straight to Brawn's farm to warn her and her gang of the danger they're facing, their response is to torture Plastic Man and have much fun while doing it. Meanwhile Brawn prepares for war, quite literally, she had an arsenal of guns and what I believe were grenades in her farm. Good for her.

"Ain't had so much fun since I poisoned granma!"

This is no morally ambiguous group of women, they are unapologetic vicious and I love them for it. Especially thinking how it must have been for their community to develop in that farm and how accepting they must have learned to be of one another in order to live and thrive together.

That being said, they basically kill every single one of the goons that tried to invade Madam Brawn's property, including the leader Lefty, that must've been so upset about being hit by Brawn that he could not resist the temptation to destroy her place himself.

After things calm down it's time for Madam Brawn vs. Plastic man, and she's really not a suitable opponent for him, at least without the rest of her gang. She loses the one-sided fight against Plas, who let's her go free despite several murders she and her delinquent girls perpetrated that night, all in self-defense so it's cool, different times you know?

I loved this little tale of female empowerment and gang war, it was an unexpected story for sure and even though Madam Brawn's gang of delinquent girls was very obviously not heroic, they were not really portrayed as absolute villains either. They train and seem very professional and prepared compared to Lefty's gang, the men are only shown playing cards and drinking.

I'm aware Madam Brawn is possibly more appealing to modern audiences than in her own time, however I do wonder if the public was not even a little charmed by this female gang leader even back then, she got another story in the sequence (I'll make sure to check that out), but sadly those were Madam Brawn's only two appearances. She remains an obscure oddity and the reason I decided to write this, thanks for reading!

[shizzlesisntevenaword]

Okay so hear me out: evajacks has to be endgame and have their HEA because not only is it satisfying from a storytelling standpoint, it also makes the most commercial sense. Yes, as in real life commercial sense.

1. Jacks has repeatedly said that a HEA just isn’t possible for him and Eva. Are the constant reminders for him just as well as Eva, just because he doesn’t trust himself with what he could do if there was even the slightest chance that he could truly be with Eva? Yes. But that’s also why the series ending in tragedy for them would feel incomplete. Recall: Jacks has done this before. Maybe he hasn’t yearned for anyone the way he yearns for Eva, but he has desperately tried to push away girls he had feelings for, only to end up kissing them and then killing them. If that were to happen to Eva, she would just be another girl - another flag claimed in his endless cycle of deathly romance, and Jacks would be right: that he doesn’t deserve love, that he’s incapable of it, and the cycle would just continue. What would be the point of dragging readers through not one, not two, but three books only to have the self-loathing main character gets his loathing affirmed in the most tragic way possible and then have him - his traumas, his issues - unresolved, just as it was at the start of Book 1? It would be gravely dissatisfying.

Yes I’m aware that there’s a chance the book could take a more sinister turn and have Jacks die instead, but that would be even worse. Evangeline is largely a character that just, lets stuff happen to her. Of course, she makes the most of it and she’s resolved to remain kind and spread kindness and cheer etc wherever she goes but the point remains: most of her actions just stem from what other people want. The only exception is perhaps when she prayed to Jacks, but even then, she chose to turn herself to stone rather than let someone else eventually do it. Why does she go to the North? Because Scarlett and Tella ask her to. Why is she marrying Apollo? Because Jacks forces her to. While it’s true that some of these situations were forced upon her and didn’t just come about by her meekly complying, she accepts all of them and goes with the flow. Luc doesn’t love her anymore? Okay, move to the North and find a new love. She has to marry Apollo? Well then maybe she can be his true love. Jacks is the only thing she has selfishly wanted that no one else wants her to yet she remains resolved and steadfast in wanting. To have jacks die and then Eva moving on would make her remain the character just lets stuff happen to her, going with what other people dictate is best - even if that other person is Jacks himself.

2. It makes the most commercial sense to have the series end in HEA. Stephanie has confirmed that there will be multiple, alternate endings to the series, but the ending on the regular version AKA the vast majority of the copies will be the canon ending and also the one she loves the most. The fandom has made it no secret that we love Jacks and we want evajacks to be endgame. It just wouldn’t make sense to hide the most satisfying ending (ergo the one readers will want the most) behind a Special, limited edition. They’d sell way more copies and make more money to have the best ending accessible to everyone looking to purchase.

Someone please tell me I’m right and not just gaslighting myself.

[lonelyandyearningbitch]

Writing Snippet #2

i.

The first time that they had met, Hero had taken one look at Villain and declared:

“I’m going to save you.”

It’s something Villain will never forget. The way she had looked amongst the clouds, hair softly flowing in the wind, the sun haloed around her form. How the light softened her edges, painted her in gold and oranges. Her arm, muscled and bare, outstretched to point at him.

The way it had felt as if she had plunged her hand into Villain’s chest and held his breath prisoner.

She had thrown him off. Knocked his compass’s needle askew. He was adrift amongst her waters and he did not like it. He did not like it one bit.

And so, he responded by doing what he always did to things he didn’t like:

“I’m going to destroy you,” Villain snarls, and Hero’s reply is a smile that is all teeth.

ii.

For all that Hero is sunny optimism and kind words, her fighting style is ruthless.

She’s all powerful fists and heated fingers. Villain has to dodge by the skin of his teeth every time he makes the mistake of letting her get close, always leaves the encounters with singed clothes and bruised flesh. She’s a supernova, all that power condensed in such a small being.

(No, not small. Not exactly.

Shorter than him, yes. Narrower. But that presence-)

“You don’t hold back, do you!” Villain exclaims, rolling out of the way of her swinging arm; her fingers hit, then sink, into the asphalt below them.

“I don’t think that you want me too!” Hero replies back, steam rising from her skin.

“My seamstress would like to disagree,” he drawls, and Hero stops, throws her head back, and laughs.

There’s that feeling again. Gooseflesh rising. His lungs crushed between her fingertips. Like he’s standing at a ledge and she’s got one foot at his back, pushing, pushing.

Villain raises his gun and shoots her in the face.

The blast knocks her back a few feet, blows out the glass of a couple cars around them. Hero snaps her head back into place and smiles.

“You see why I don’t hold back now?” she teases, roillng her jaw; Villain’s lips press into a thin line, “I respect you enough to not underestimate you.”

Teetering. He’s teetering. She’s got one knee on the ground but he’s the one scrambling for purchase, trying to keep from the inky depths below. She looks up at him from beneath her lashes and he shivers from head to toe.

“And I expect you to respect me enough,” she says between blood soaked teeth, around steaming breath; his grip is tight around the gun to hide the tremors beneath, “to accept it when I give you my all.”

Ah-

Maybe he’s not at the edge. Maybe this is what it feels like when you’ve already fallen, the weightlessness, the time held still. Of that rush before everything goes splat.

“Bring it,” Villain says with shaky breath, and Hero dig her heels into the ground and charges.

iii.

Villain stares at Hero from across the grocery aisle.

“Ah-“ Hero says, sounding entirely unbothered, while Villain’s eyes scramble for an exit, “This was bound to happen at least once.”

She starts to walk up to him and Villain is struck by just how- un-hero-like she looks right now. Swaddled in an oversized hoodie, she looks almost small, dainty. Muscles hidden in fabric, her neck craned back to look at him. Hair untied and loose around her face, cradling her cheeks. Messy. Soft.

Suddenly, Villain’s fingers began to itch with a ferocity.

“You look different, without all that armor hiding you,” Hero hums, taking a lazy circle around him; heat gathers at the tip of his ears, the back of his neck, “Really different.”

Villain’s top lip curls back, ready to snap and bark. If she has a problem with it, she might as well say it-

She stops in front of him, her hands are clasped behind her back. She’s close, in a way that is entirely foreign and familiar, that has his hackles raising and his heart rate rocketing up. She’s maskless and armour-less but her smile is sharp, her gaze even sharper. The overhead lights make her eyes look like they’re glowing.

How did he ever think for even a moment that she was delicate-

“I like it,” she finishes, and Villain burns like he always does when he’s around her, from skin to bone to marrow.

iv.

Lust.

That’s obviously what’s going on with Villain. Why he can’t get Hero out of his head. Nothing more, nothing less.

It’ll go away on its own.

(He dreams of big hoodies and fuzzy hair and bright, bright laughter. Of fingers intertwined with his own, heat blooming in the spaces between. Soft eyes.

It’s just lust-)

v.

“Oh,” Hero suddenly breaths, sounding wistful, “I’m going to miss it.”

They’re in the middle of a fight but Hero is looking away from him, gazing out into the sky. Villain’s eyes follow her path but he doesn’t see what she’s looking for, the only thing there is the clouds and a slowly sinking sun, kissing her lashes with gold-

“-Sunset,” he whispers incredulously, “Are you talking about the sunset?”

“Yes,” she says, and he lowers his fists, blinks owlishly at her, “I always try to catch it when it happens.”

She continues to look out, somber twist to her lips, longing in her eyes-

God, she’s actually serious about it-

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Villain deadpans, “It’s just a sunset. You don’t have to be so-“

Sad, he doesn’t say. Like you’ve lost something precious, something special. Like you can never get it back.

“You- you can see another sunset tomorrow. Another one after that,” he blurts out, feeling off kilter, lost at sea, he can’t stop the words from spilling from his mouth; he’s so fucking uncomfortable and he doesn’t know why, “They’re all the same anyway, why are you so- so-“

He doesn’t finish. She continues to gaze out at the horizon for a quiet moment, before she turns to face him, expression open. She’s got his breath in her hands again.

“You’re right,” she agrees, “Every sunset is essentially the same thing, with the same beats. The sky darkens and turn orange. The sun sinks just like everyday.”

Her lips press into a thin line but her gaze does not harden. Her eyes are wide, soft and wet under the warm rays and Villain wants to run. Hide. He’s feels like a butterfly put under a microscope, wings pinned to the table.

“But if every sunset is the same,” she continues, “Then isn’t it my choice whether or not to make them special?”

“Hero-“ Villain chokes out, because what else can he say to that?

She steps to him and he reflexively jerks backs, heart in his ears. Why is he running-

“Come with me,” she whispers, “Let me show you what I see.”

And then she’s grasping his hands, pulling him close. It’s too much- too much-

(It’s not enough-)

“Do you trust me?” she asks and Villain thinks no.

Because whatever this- thing is between them, that wraps around them like thorny vines, it’s doesn’t erase what’s been done to Villain. What keeps him up at night and follows him in his dreams. That coats his every breath.

He has so much hate and anger in him that’s he’s absolutely drowning in it. And cruelty is the only thing keeping him afloat.

He shakes his head but she doesn’t look surprised, doesn’t look mad. He doesn’t know if that’s worse or better than if she was.

“Then,” she presses on, and her hands are steadily raising in temperature, though he can tell she’s not doing it consciously; he’s suddenly struck with the realization that she might be as nervous about this as he is, “Do you respect me enough to understand that I wouldn’t trick you?”

Respect. There’s that word again. Hero was the first person to say that she respected him. The first person to actually treat him like they did. And he knows how much weight she holds that word with, the connotations to it.

That’s why he knows her pride as a hero, that she wouldn’t sully it with petty tricks.

“Yes,” Villain says and Hero’s answering smile is brighter then the Sun itself.

She turns around, offers her back to him and isn’t that ironic? He has to swallow the laugh that would sound too much like mania at the sight.

Just what in the hell are they doing?

He gets on her back, his legs around her waist, her hands around his thighs and oh; there’s that heat that he always feels around her, bubbling up from his chest, trying to escape through his mouth. He wraps his arms around her neck and this time, the heat comes from her.

She carries him like he weighs nothing, flying through the air until they reach a tall skyrise, facing the sinking sun. She lets go of him and runs to the ledge, hair whipping around her, eyes bright, smiling so wide it threatens to split her cheeks.

“See?!” she exclaims, throwing her arms wide, laughing loud and blazing, “Isn’t it beautiful?”

She’s a wonder, silhouetted by the sunset. All gold and oranges, curving around her cheeks, the dip of her lip. He feels if he touched her now, she would melt in his hands like young morning dew, fleeting and heady on his skin. She stretches out her arm, beckoning him closer.

(“I’m going to save you.”)

“Yeah,” Villain says, “Beautiful.”