#''he reacted to abuse in a way no one likes'' damn right. I don't like it and I don't like him

[depresssant]

Shades Of Cool

NEGLECTFUL!PLATONIC!YAN!batfam x GN!reader

synopsis : growing up with a shit mom and constant step-dads and mom's boyfriends, your view on life has grown pretty bleak. you just want to die, since it doesn't seem to get better than this. things can't get any worse, can they?

so reader is very flawed ppl. i’m trying to make this as gn as possible for pls bear with me. asks and requests r open. reblogs are also much appreciated. now that i’ve gotten my e-begging out of the way, enjoy this pathetic excuse of a story

warnings : child abuse, past sexual abuse, yandere, etc

you want to die.

you always do.

staring at the wanna be thug pointing a gun at you, you sigh and roll your eyes in exasperation. perhaps pissing him off will the best way to get him to curl a finger around the trigger. or judging by his temperament, you won't have to do much.

"you? i should give my money to you?"

"who the fuck do you think you are, bitch?" the thug screams at you angrily. his grip gets tighter and clammier. he's not experienced with this. he's probably ganged up with a bunch of thugs to pull shit like this. it wouldn't take much to disarm him. "give me the fucking money before i blow your head off!"

"to a junkie like you?" you are a junkie, too, so you're not too sure about making fun of him for that. "i don't give money to hobos."

that is wrong, too. but you want to piss him off.

"that's it, you stupid bitch!" the thug's stances becomes defensive. his hateful glare is pointed at you while he musters the courage to actually press the trigger. he doesn't look like he'll do it. you've seen countless like him roaming the streets, holding you at gunpoint. he probably won't do it. then again, this is gotham. you don't expect much. either he'll shoot you dead, forcibly take your stuff, flee the scene out of fear, or be dismantled by one of the city's vigilantes. perhaps he'd shoo—

"stop right there!"

damn it.

you think too soon.

a young robin is quick to have the wanna be thug tied up and beat down. you would've questioned why a kid who seemingly looked twelve can do such a thing, but you've learned to not question most things in your life. you merely sigh in disappoint and pick up your dropped backpack before beginning the journey to hell.

"excuse me? wait! where are you headed?"

gosh, his boy-ish voice grates your nerves. makes you clench your teeth. your gaze narrows, but you know better than to react. reaction gains a reaction—one that will never be in your favor. it'll lead to a fight—one that will never be in your favor. you'll end up broken, bleeding, and bruised. now that isn't something in your favor. now you're thinking of favor too much. forcing a smile, you turn around to face the pre-teen vigilante. "yes?"

"are you alright?" he asks with practiced concern. he doesn't actually care. it's probably just protocol.

"a-okay!" the words are hollow. they lack depth. like you. "thank you for your help. i don't know what would've happened to me if you weren't there."

you do know. you wish you wouldn't.

"you're welcome," robin replies with polished words like he's not exactly convinced. "would you like for me to walk you? the city hasn't been safe for some time now."

"when is it ever safe? but that's okay. i live just around the corner, so i think i'll be fine."

"are you sure—"

"completely."

please. why won't he just leave you alone? there goes your plan spoiled by him again. every time you've been in an attempted robbing, he's been there to destroy your chances of getting shot. of escaping. he always does this. this is a repeated cycle between the two of you. he's a flying bird until you shoot him down. your name clearly wants to escape from his lips, but robin nods his head in understanding.

"this seems to happen to you all the time. my wish is for you to be safe."

"this is gotham." the grip on the straps on your backpack tighten. "everyone's gotta go through this. anyways, i gotta go, you know. thanks for savin' me."

"of course."

you don't spare him a single glance. the sky is wrapped up in black clouds heavy with the burden of rain. icy cold wind sings a melancholy tune through the stiff air. the door to your apartment looks like the gates of hell. it's all futile. no matter how many sighs you sigh, how many wishes you wish, and how many curses you curse, you'll still land up in the same fate. without escape.

that is the summary of your life.

taking a few seconds to prepare yourself for the incoming session, you open the door to be met with radio silence. silence is never good. half the time, it means something is brewing for you, and they're taking their sweet time to scare you into thinking nothing will happen. sometimes. not all the time. the other time, it just means he need to rise from his pile of misery first.

the hand of your mother's boyfriend is instantly wrapped around your neck before you can even register why the hell the apartment looks like a tornado hit it. he squeezes so tightly you feel like blood is gushing out of your ears with how loudly they ring. white spots dot along your blurry sight as you struggle to breathe. you can hear a frantic voice telling him to let you go, but you're pushed up more against the wall. this is the norm. doesn't mean it hurts any less. he'll let you go, give you some time to regain your breath, and then rain down bullets upon you.

that's exactly what happens.

your hand goes straight to your neck as your raspy and shaky coughs wreck your chest. he squeezes hard enough for it to hurt but it not show. and then the kicks and punches come. with how much your chest and ribs are struck, you're a bit surprised at how you haven't broken a bone yet. your potential step-father screams at you, but you can barely hear it over the repetition of words in your head. he grabs your bloody face and shout something incoherent before letting you go to kick you.

leaving you in your own pile of misery.

it's normal. yes, it's completely normal. you're used to this. it'll get better. it always does. but you've got the crushing idea it never will.

gotham heights high school—the school you're forced to attend.

the class division is insane to look at, because it's there even from a short and near prospective. how the richest kids got put in a school with the poorest—you'll never know. the only thing you do know is that every one of these kids are pieces of shit. even the ones that pretend to be nice.

tim drake—or shall you say tim wayne—is no different.

even as he helps up the girl who just got roughly pushed to the floor, causing all her textbooks to scatter, you can only eye him with disdain. if he really cares, then he would've beat the shit out of those athletes. but he doesn't. they're all the same—privileged and all. sympathy shouldn't be given to them. not to drake or the wealthy yet somehow bullied girl.

"but y'know what i heard?" your friend drags your attention back to him. zarian leans against a locker lazily, but excitement practically buzzes off of him. "the bruce wayne is coming to our track meet today!"

your other friend, jaylene, rolls her eyes as she applies her eyeliner using the mirror hanging up on the inside door of her locker. she speaks exactly what you're thinking. "only because his beloved son is gonna be there."

"well, still. think about the connections we can make! all the famous people that'll be there."

"keep dreaming. asshat. i put all my money on the attention being on rich the kid. i don't even know why he joined track. varsity, at that, too. there has to be some sort of bribery going on."

an incoming argument is clearly brewing up, so you take in a deep breath to say something, but a new voice beats you to it.

"excuse me?"

you and your two friends turn to face the guy standing in front of you. charismatic, intelligent,  and optimistic—he's an enigma that shines on everyone. tim drake. his black, messy yet somehow in place hair does no justice for his good looks. he's the complete package. rich, good looking, tall, and empathetic. the mere sight of him annoys you.

zarian is the first to speak up. he quirks a brow and offers tim a grin. "what's up, man?"

"you're leaning against my locker." tim rubs the back of his neck. he smiles awkwardly in the presence of the three of you, and it takes your friend a beat to understand what he's saying before moving away.

"oh yeah. my fault," he says as he moved to stand next to you.

the school's very own bruce wayne only shakes his head and tells him it's okay while opening his locker and grabbing a few things. people flock around, waiting for him to be done with whatever the hell he's doing, so they can be back to his side like leeches sucking on blood. he surely can't be this dumb, no? these people don't want to be his friend...

well, it's not as if it's your problem. you wish it is. you and your friends turn to make way to first period, but drake clearly has other plans. he sandwiches himself between you and zarian with a grin of his own plastered on an unblemished face. one carefree of any worry or pain. "so," tim begins. "first track meet of the year, huh? aren't you guys nervous?"

jaylene merely hums in amusement and shrugs. "it gets better. when you've spent four years in track—in front of all those judging people—it wears off. hopefully, you'll get used to it soon."

that is jab, though, rich the kid doesn't seem to catch on. he laughs casually, but even you can sense the anxiety like it was radioactive. ""i hope so. i've sprinted so much i feel like i'll get shin splits again."

you zone out while he has a conversation with your friends. as if drake has ever had experience with track. it took you all of freshman year to just prove that you can actually be a part of the track team, and here tim drake is, parading around about getting on varsity without a single grain of hard work. he's a naturally talented person. good at everything. that's what makes you hate him so much. people like him get everything handed to them just because they're good at it first hand and leave behind people that actually work for it. you want to tell him to buzz off—that he can't talk about how much he's practiced and how nervous he is, but you keep your mouth shut. that is, until he directly addresses you.

tim's eyes narrow at you with comedic suspicion. "you know, you look like someone i know. a lot. the resemblance is crazy."

"eight billion people out there. you never know." your tone is flat, stoic, lacking any bit of emotion.

"gosh, you even sound like him! that's really terrifying."

"well, whoever, it is, i hope i never meet him," you murmur.

your two friends leave for their classes soon, and you and drake find your seats at the back of high school economics. exhaustingly so, you sit together in one of the many desk pairs, and drake uses this opportunity to annoy you any chance he gets. you give off the vibe that you don't want to talk to him. he doesn't get the hint. you don't tell him, though. maybe that's the problems. his shit-eating grin ticks you off when you look in his direction. "what?"

"let's be friends!"

"no."

"what? come on! don't be so cold!" he whines like a petulant child being told no.

"no."

"too bad! you're my friend now."

"tim," you sigh. it's wrong to scream. it's bad to scream. screaming leads to fights. fights lead to you laying in a pool of your own blood. laying in blood leads to missing practice. missing practice leads to less skill. less skill leads to less of a chance of getting the hell out of here. just smile. forgive and forget. know your persona. know who you are. kind. happy. funny. "fine." so you smile with gritted teeth. you smile like you played a cruel joke on him. "we can be friends... i guess."

his face brightens at your fake words like he is just given the the world.

tim drake wiggles his eyebrows playfully and nudges you with his elbow. "you know, i've been trying to get you to say that since school started?"

"really now?"

"really. i'm glad we're going to be friends. oh! should we go out to eat with zarian and jaylene after the meet?"

... there's a chance your mom's boyfriend will get pissed off. he'll probably beat the shit out of you since the track meet would have happened, and you wouldn't need to have an unblemished body for meets. he'd scream, yell, and punch... like his life depended on it... fuck it.

"yeah," you reply shortly after with a firm nod of your head. "we can go to this diner near the theater. i'm sure you'll love the food."

this doesn't mean you hate him any less. he's still rich scum⏤how you're poor scum. he's stuck up, pretentious, and sickeningly sweet. exactly what you hate. you just hope you can have a good time after the track meet. the mischievous glint in his eyes told you otherwise.

"and this is my dad, bruce wayne."

what the hell are you doing?

the sun is setting along the horizon, the air is getting cooler again, and you want to sink into the floor. the plan was to head straight to the diner after this, but rich the kid somehow roped you into meeting his dad?

nausea pools in your stomach from both hunger and the feeling of thousands of eyes staring at you. cameras are flashing at gotham's billionaire as he smiles and firmly shakes your hand. confidence drips off of him disgustingly. his high-tailored suit radiates wealth and money. his stoic demeanor gives off an aura of mystery. you want to lay on a railroad track with an incoming train speeding along the way.

"it's nice to meet you. tim has ranted about his track teammates quite a lot."

there's an eleven year old standing next to him. his eyes are on you like that of an owl's but you neither glance at him or bother to acknowledge him. you just want to eat some food before meeting your doom at that apartment for not placing first like your mom's boyfriend wanted you to. like a goat getting stuffed before slaughter. it always leads down to that. no matter how many times you try to wish it was different. no matter how many times you imagine it to be different. no matter how many times you try to make it different.

"nice to meet you too." you shake his hand as well with a polite smile on your face. polite. calm. gentle. proper. "and yeah, he seems very eager to be on the team."

"of course, of course. well, it is getting late. why don't you come over for dinner some time?"

"maybe tonight?" tim suddenly adds in. at your hesitant expression, he groans in exasperation. "who do you think we are? blood-sucking bats? come on, we can go to the diner some other time!"

you have just met him... you've just accepted being his friend... you aren't the most social person. you've never had much friends, but even you can understand that dinner with the family doesn't happen until the friend and person have come close in a long period of time. jaylene and zarian have other matters to tend to, so it's going to be just you and tim at a diner. not⏤

ding!

your phone's notification's alarm chimes, and when you check who has sent you a message, you feel like getting on the ground to pray to whatever deity for letting you have a moment of peace.

mom: ⏤he's heavily drunk. don't come home.

a part of you is hit with a strong current full of guilt. this is your mother. you're supposed to be there for her through thick and thin. you're supposed to protect her and be her wall of defense against monsters like him. family look out for each other. you have to take care of her... but she doesn't take care of you. this makes you a terrible person. you know that. she'll probably get beaten to an inch of her life and hide her heavy bruises under makeup that was terribly done in a rush. and then, she'll throw whatever object is in sight at you in a fury of anger.

telling you she made too many sacrifices for you. telling you that you're ruined her life. telling you that she should've aborted you like your father had told her to. telling you exactly what you believe yourself. a curse that should've never been born... she'll be beaten within an inch of her life. but you have already lost yours.

after pretending to text her and sliding your phone into the pocket of your sweatpants, you nod with a sigh of joking resignation. "sure. i asked my mom, and she said it's okay."

"wonderful." mr. wayne nods and gestures to the limo you can see in the parking lot. a bit of overkill, perhaps.

honestly, you're still surprised that gotham's billionaire is inviting you to dinner. this man is the topic of magazines, and you're about to take a ride in his limo. how the hell have you ended up in a situation like this? fate is still fucking with you, isn't it?

you find yourself seated next to tim while mr. wayne and his youngest son, damian, sit on the seats to your right. they're talking about something, but once again, you find yourself half listening and zoning out, staring at nothing until mr. wayne's questions pulls you back to reality.

"so how has school been faring for you?" mr. wayne asks in a cool and collected tone.

you laugh lightly and smile as politely as ever. "pretty good. i hope to leave gotham after graduation to study somewhere else."

"who would want to stay in gotham?" tim rolled his eyes, rolling the first place medal between his fingers. "by the way, remember when i said you looked like someone i know? i was talking about my dad?"

your brows rise in both exasperation and annoyance at his claims. now he's just plain, out right trying to make fun of you in front of a billionaire. your shoulders tense, ready to refute his claims, but mr. wayne surprisingly chuckles and rubs his chin while taking a good look at your face. "well, i can see it, but there's eight billion people out there in the world. i'm bound to look like someone. though, i didn't expect for it to be someone as talented as [name] here."

you force a quiet laugh along at the sound of his tone. foreboding. you know tones like this. like he's hiding something that they all know except for you. it means you've made a mistake in even giving in to tim drake's constant begging. why the hell was he so eager to have you become his friend? why is he so eager to maintain a friendship with you? why the hell has mr. wayne invited you to dinner when he's rumored to be mysterious, secretive, and a literal brick wall that nobody can get past?

"you've achieved so much for a child your age." mr. wayne sets his gaze dead on you. "your father must be so proud."

and his eyes glimmer with that same shine you saw in tim's.

ewwww

this was not proofread so forgive me and uh, i will be turning this into a series

um also making a tag list if anyone wants to be a part of it

[sweetchildcloud]

Pairing Bully!Gojo x nerd reader.

Cw:Gojo here is possessivejealous,ferocious,violent(at others),very fond of you. Reader was abused by ex,needy for attention,broken,heart broke.

Bit of violence in the first part? (Showing you against the lockers forcefully)

||Don't look at anyone but me|| written by me

About:Gojo is your bully but he also feels something for you and his possessiviness grew when he saw you with another guy.

The reader only responds with cuddles and kisses (which are great weakness for the big bad bully Gojo :3)

"You heard me - who is it?"

Gojo said angrily, he shoved you up against the locked door and looked deeply into your eyes.

"Don't think I haven't noticed the way you look at him. Don't think I haven't noticed you two hanging out together."

Gojo's face was only inches from yours now - you could smell his breath. He pinned you against the door with his body - his hands wrapped tightly around your wrists and his muscular chest pressed against you.

You blushed as you felt yourself...protected? "it's just a friend, why? are you jealous?" You asked smirking.

Gojo's expression turned into a menacing scowl, and his grip tightened around your wrists. He leaned in uncomfortably closer and you could smell his cologne as he spoke.

"Damn right I'm jealous. You're mine - and I mean *mine*. You got that? No one's going to be coming anywhere near you but me. Grrr"

You blushed at the last part. 'did he just growled? Oh my god' you tought at that fact wich was both cute and hot in wich you couldn't help yourself but kiss his cheek and snuggling your head on his shoulder.

Gojo froze as you kissed his cheek - it was like he didn't know how to react. His scowl faltered and became more of a sly smile.

He wrapped his arms around you tighter and pulled you into a sweet and tender hug. Your chests were pressed against each other, and his nose was buried in your hair.

"Mine" He whispered in your ear.

As you snuggled into Gojo's body, he pulled you closer and placed his hands behind your head. The smell of his cologne was intoxicating.

"Mine." He repeated - this time as a warning to anyone else who might try to take you away from him.

You giggled as his cute and cold behaviour before pepper kiss his cheek and neck.

A shiver went down Gojo's spine as you kissed him on the neck - his grip on you tightened and he tilted his head to give better access.

His breath caught and he let out a soft moan - he seemed surprised at how easily you'd gotten him to give in.

"You're gonna spoil me if you keep this up." Gojo mumbled, as a smile spread across his face.

You gently caressed his cheek feeling how soft and warm they were like mochi

Gojo was putty in your hands - his scowl was gone and now he just looked like a bashful boy being swooned by his crush.

He let out a soft grunt as you caressed his cheek - he was caught completely off guard by your affection.

"You really know how to make a guy swoon, huh?" Gojo whispered, as he rested his head on top of yours.

"I like you so much, don't leave please" you asked scared "don't make myself feeling special and then leave...I wouldn't take it"

Gojo's face softened once more as you begged him not to leave. He wrapped his arms around you tightly and pulled you into his chest, burying your face into his neck.

"I'm not going anywhere" He said confidently, kissing your forehead. "You're mine now. And I'm gonna make sure no one takes you away from me."

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Me with Gojo:

Also if u want more of bully!Gojo ask me.

[akiizayoi4869]

Been having some Azula thoughts (really, when do I not?) and every time I think about this girl, I'm in awe as well as baffled about how the writers just...got so many things right and wrong at the same time when it comes to her. Mostly in the way how she was abused, and how people both in universe and out react to that. Like, it's very clear that the writers themselves didn't realize that they wrote her as an abuse victim until way after the show ended, and it's evident by the way how she was handled during the show, as well as in post canon content. In universe, the two people around her who could have helped her (Iroh and Ursa) don't realize that she was being abused because Ozai favored her over Zuko, so they figured that she was safe with him, whereas Zuko wasn't. Obviously this wasn't the case at all, but it shows you just how fucked up the kind of abuse Azula suffered really is. Because it's subtle. So subtle that the people around the victim tend to not realize it until much later. And this unfortunately happens in real life too. What's so damn infuriating about this though, is the way how the writers just dropped the ball so damn hard with it. Because it's framed as being Azula's fault. That she rejected any form of help she could have gotten (which is a lie because she was never offered any help to begin with) and her circumstances are her fault. That the adults in her life didn't fail her actually. Even though they absolutely did. And I wish that canon would fucking acknowledge that, because man that would be one powerful story to tell. The adults owning up to their mistakes, and actually trying to do right by her for a change. And yet they just absolutely refuse to. It's almost like they really don't see Azula as an abuse victim because she was mean to people, and manipulated them. Which is such a black and white view of abuse, and a dangerous one at that. It's even more stupid when you realize that Zuko wasn't a picture perfect abuse victim, and yet they were still able to acknowledge that he was abused. Basically what I'm saying is that the writers have a perfect example in their hands of how being the golden child/favorite child of an abuser isn't a good thing at all, but they unfortunately fail to utilize this effectively.

[darkpuppysuit]

PROLOGUE

WARNINGS:  Mainly physical abuse with mental abuse as well.

MATURE 18+ MINORS DNI 

Vague hybrid abuse, DEATH, eventual SMUT, and more if I missed any. Chapter one and future chapters will be a lot longer than the prologue so buckle up buttercup.

There is also a POV change in the future chapters.

Now, onto the beginning of it all.

"How dare you disobey me girl!" He growled, I can't help but flinch but I'm held back by the chains hanging from the ceiling. "Please, I'm sorry I was just, so hungry. I haven't eaten in days. Daddy please." He hits me with the belt again and a small yelp leaves my lips and I fall limp but still conscious and the chains around my wrists twist painfully . "You don't need to be eating all that food, too fat! Why do you think I locked the damn fridge!" He screams only to wave the belt around and pelt me with the end of it leaving behind an instant red welt and I can barely react before he's grabbing me by the jaw his fingers digging into my round cheeks, forcing me to look him in the eyes.

"You better be a good girl to your husband because if you act anything like you are right now he will surely do worse than me! I'll make sure he knows how to discipline you the correct way." He waves his hand around the soundproof basement and roughly throws my face towards the ground but again my arms are cuffed to the chains above me so I don't meet the cold concrete below. "I promise I'll treat him like a king daddy just please, stop hitting me I beg you." I whimper as blood, sweat and tears drip from the cut on my lip and across my brow. He huffs smirking to himself, chuckling even, before throwing the belt to the ground and walking towards me unbuttoning his pants.

The next time I come to was early the next morning, I was back in my bedroom upstairs all my cuts I had received the night before cleaned and bandaged. I try to sit up but I'm stopped by the throbbing headache pounding in my skull, I lay back down with a grunt as I cover my eyes from the sunbeam that just flashed me in the eyes.

"God fucking dammit." I groan and slowly sit up, still groaning in annoyance from my pounding head, then of course my alarm for school had to scream bloody fucking murder in my left ear and I jolt upright. "Son of a bitch! I'm so fucking late! Fuck fuck fuck!" I curse under my breath as I scramble to get dressed for school, nothing fancy just the normal black skinny jeans, black band tee, a flannel and a pair of converse.

I yank my bag off the back of my desk chair and run out of my bedroom like a bat out of hell. Making my way through the living room quietly and just when the front door is within arms reach is when my father clears his throat from his chair. "Forgetting something?" He purrs, obviously still hungover from the night before. "O-of course not d-daddy." I choke on the last word turning around quickly to place a kiss on his cheek before practically running through the door, closing it gently and almost running the whole way to school.

I barely get to first period by the skin of my ass, if it wasn't for the couple making out in front of my locker for two minutes longer than necessary, I wouldn't have to sprint before Mrs. Luce closed her door. "Okay class, today we are going to start reading a book called The Graduate..." Her voice was quickly drowned out by my best friend Emily nudging my shoulder with her own. "So did your father bang you up or did you fall into a thorn bush again?" She asks sarcastically while giving her red hair a flip over her shoulder. "I really don't want to do this with you right now Em." I lean over to whisper to her then take out my notebook.

Now, Emily has been my best friend since my mother died in a car accident coming home from her nursing job across town. A truck driver had fallen asleep at the wheel causing his truck to hit the side railing and flip completely over crushing her car like a soda can, like it was nothing. But that was eight years ago and I wasn't all that close to my mom like I wanted to be because after she had me she went into a deep depression. She had her good days though and those are the days I will never forget.

Does Emily know that my dad beats me for anything I do that he finds wrong?

Yes.

Does she know what happens after he's done beating me?

No.

I could never burden her with that knowledge because knowing her the police would get involved and fuck, if my dad ever found out that I told her I'd be dead within the hour and thrown over a bridge somewhere. I can't help but shiver at the thought as I glance at her for a second before responding. "Even if I did fall into a thorn bush you'd know it was bullshit within a second." I pop back, she rolls her eyes as the teacher clears her throat and our heads snap back to the front. 

"We graduate this year!" Emily yells into the bustling hallway of our local high school with her arms stretched above her head and lets out a yawn. "Just a few more months and we are outta here!" She beams with a bright boxy smile which is infectious and I smile back at her my eyes squinting. "I think I might go live with my grandparents after graduation. They live out on this eighty acre farm far away from the city and I think being out there will just help me get my fucking shit together." I grumble imagining the life I could of had if I stayed with them after my mother died.

"Then you would live so far away from me!" Emily whined as she wrapped her arms around my shoulders in a lazy fashion that has her body slumping into mine. "Girl get the fuck off of me! You're so heavy!" I tease and she feigns hurt by clutching her chest with her mouth hung wide open. "How dare you! Are you calling me fat?" I laugh softly and close her mouth for her with my index finger. "Of course not babes, if one of us is fat it's me" I scoff and keep walking towards the exit with her right arm still over my shoulder.

"You are not fat Y/n/ m/n! You are curvy and gorgeous! Don't let what your father or anyone else says to heart because that's how they tear you down to their level and nobody wants that." She pouts jutting out her bottom lip for a dramatic effect and for a bonus she gives her best puppy eyes. "Oh come on you know it was just a joke, I know okay." She lets out a huff of air that has her red curls fall against her freckled cheeks. "I just want you to know you're worthy of real love okay? Don't ever doubt that, please."

As we walk out of the front doors the quarterback of our stupid football team comes barreling towards the stairs pushing past me causing me to fall backwards and hit my head on the last step. "Fuck!" I yell slowly sitting up to touch the back of my  head only to pull it back to reveal a dark crimson liquid sitting on my finger tips. "Holy shit Y/n! Do I need to call an ambulance?" Emily the ever caring friend is kneeling above me, the sun suddenly becomes too bright and I close my eyes only for the black void around me to start spinning. I open my eyes again as I try to focus on her face. "I-I'll be f-fine Emmy. D-don't worry about it." I stutter hard and quickly lose consciousness, the last thing I hear is her yelling for help as she called the emergency services.

I wake up a few times in the ambulance as they asses the damage to the back of my head but other than a few fuzzy faces, muffled voices and a faint beeping noise is all I can hear when I'm not entirely lucid. 

Once I wake up again for the second or maybe third time I'm sitting in a hospital bed with an IV hooked into my arm and a blood pressure cuff sitting on the other. I groan at the blinding lights above me as a nurse walks in and turns them down for me. "Good evening Miss, L/n?" She looks to me from her clip board with a fake smile plastered on her face and I give her a slight nod.

"You've received a concussion and there is a few other scratches and bruises around your neck and arms. Not only that but you seem to be very dehydrated and malnourished, although." She looks over at me again this time from the computer located to the left of my bed and instead of her fake smile from before, her face adorns a disgusted look with her brows knitted together. "You seem to be fine." I roll my eyes at her and scoff.

"Well fuck lady next time just call me fat the first damn time why don't you?" I snap glaring at her with squinted eyes, I jump a little when Emily practically breaks the door down and comes rushing to my side. "Oh my god Y/n! I thought you were dead! You've been out for hours!" She sits on my bed and envelopes me in a hug then leans in close to my ear to whisper. "He's in the waiting room, has been for the last two hours, he looks pissed as all hell. What do you want me to do?" I look up at her with tears in my eyes and I hold them back but I know she can still see the fear behind them.

"Tell him that I'm awake because I have a feeling they're going to tell him anyways." I shoot the nurse one more glare before she walks out of the room taking her cheap perfume smell with her. "Do you want me to stay? We can call your grandparents and you can stay there?" She has always urged me to get the hell out of this town and away from my father as soon as I turned eighteen last summer but I always gave her some sort of excuse to stay. "I thought you said it was too far?" I half joked earning a teary eyed smile from her. "There is no distance that can separate two soul sisters." She gave her signature boxy smile but even that felt forced. 

Just when I was about to speak again my mouth instantly shuts when I smell the alcohol pouring from the man I hate the most, my father. "Hey sugar. How are ya feeling?" He asks sickeningly sweet, laying it on much too thick I wince worried it would give me a toothache. "I'm okay, Emily was quick on her feet, calling the ambulance when she did." I say in a hushed tone and pick at my fingers letting my head hang low staring at the off white blanket draped over my legs.

"That's good to hear, thank you so much." He turns to Emily who has to fix her resting bitch face into a small smile as she tries not to scowl at the horrid thing in front of her. "Of course, just looking out for my soul sister." She briefly looks down at me, winking, before nudging my shoulder with her arm lovingly. "Right." He pauses looking between us before he clears his throat to say something but the doctor comes through the door and he quickly shifts his gears to focus on the man." Hello everyone, I'm assuming you're her father?" He asks in his baritone voice like a cowboy with years of roughing it out in nature for a few years, his voice has a nice gravel tone to it as well.

Please keep me overnight, please please please, I repeat over and over inside my head as the doctor looks over my charts again. The next sentence that comes out of the doctor's mouth confirms my worst fear. "Her concussion isn't as bad as previously thought and she seems to be doing better I don't see any sway in her motions while she sits on the bed so I don't see why you couldn't take her home today. Is that something you want to-" my poor excuse for a dad quickly interrupts him at the thought of taking me home early. "Yes, yes please I just want to get my little girl home." My father speaks pretending to be worried about me, I begin to say something in an act of defiance but the words slip back down my throat when he shoots me a warning glare and I quickly shut my mouth. "Perfect, I'll get the paperwork!" He walks out of the room leaving Emily and I with my shit father.

I don't know what day it is, but what I do know is that I'm starving and my stomach is trying to eat itself alive as it roars out a low growl and my stomach flips when I dry heave because of the nausea swirling around my head. I can't keep a coherent thought long enough to collect myself up off the thin mattress on the cold basement floor the only thing shielding me from the cold wisps of air is a single brown, blood stained sheet.

I hear footsteps to my left and flinch hard and scramble towards the corner of the brick wall behind me and try to make myself as small as possible as he stalks towards me. "You're awake. Good." He pats my head as I stare off at the ground behind him and he takes a deep breathe only to sigh in annoyance. "I'm sorry for all of this. You know ever since your mother died I haven't... well, I haven't been the best father to you." He leans down to my level with his hands on his knees but I don't react too lost in my own headspace, still focusing on the growing wet spot from the pipe above.

That's when I receive a blow to the side of my head and I fall sideways onto the ground with a thud. My vision is blurry and I roll over just enough to see something silver in his hand. "Look at me when I'm talking to you bitch!" He yells, I'm shaking with fear and anger as he continues screaming profanities at me. "This is what I get for letting you go to that public school, boys probably touch you all the time huh?" He spats and I flinch when he raises his hand to me and he chuckles. "Pathetic whore. I bet you're even sleeping with your best friend too. You two seem awfully close to just be friends. Tell me sweetheart, how does she taste?"

It's in full view now and my eyes widen at the sight of a gun in his hand, fear clouding my mind and I need to think and fast if I'm getting out of here alive, I can't do this anymore the beatings with starvation all of it. I stare at it for a moment before I quickly stand on my knees and knock him over his head hits the brick wall while the gun slides across the concrete and I scramble to grab it. 

I stand shakily on my feet with the gun in hand and aim it at the asshole sitting at the ground, he looks up at me after he wipes the blood off with his sleeve, fear evident in his eyes. "Now just, hold on a second Y/n." He puts his hands out in front of him as if that would deflect the bullet that I could release by pulling the trigger.

"Please baby, I just- you remind me so much of your mother I- I couldn't help but try to protect you in any way that I could. Please baby I'm your daddy, I don't want to hurt you." I stare at him, tears streaming down my red cheeks as he tries to use my mother as an excuse for me to not pull the trigger and all I see is red. "Hurt me?" I say softly. "Hurt me?" I scream as my hands and body shake with adrenaline coursing through my veins. "YOU WILL NEVER HURT ME AGAIN!"

*BANG*

*BANG BANG BANG* 

I don't remember talking to the police or walking out to sit on the back of the ambulance or the EMT patching up the gash on my forehead near my hairline. What I do remember is Emily running towards me with my grandparents behind her trailing as close as they can at their old age. "Y/n? Y/N! I heard what happened oh my gods are you okay babydoll?" I look up at her my cheeks wind bitten, my eyes red and puffy from crying. "I did it. I killed him. I murdered my own father." My voice void of all emotion and despite how I look I let go of the breath I was unaware I was holding and put my face in my hands taking a shaky breath.

"I'm free." 

After the police have gotten my statement on what all happened and a timeline for what has been going on for the last eight years, when I get to the part about what my father did after he had nearly beaten me to death on more than one occasion, a state of mind where I couldn't say no or fight him off, Emily looks at me like her whole world just came crashing down into an unyielding forest fire.

She doesn't say anything, she knows talking about the bullshit of it all would only makes things worse, turning to my grandparents I greet them and they give me hugs and positive words before they have me pack a suitcase or two and come out to the farm. Standing behind their old hatchback I turn to my best friend with tears in my eyes and hers too.

"Well, I guess this is it huh? You're really leaving me." She pouts and I giggle at her words on her adorable face as she pulls out her boxy smile. "Don't miss me too much okay? When you finally get your license." I give her a knowing look before she waves her hand in front of her face while rolling her eyes, I reach out and grab her hand swinging it loosely between us.

"Please come and visit? I'd hate to live a life without my soul sister next to me." She chokes out a sob and a sniffle before wiping away her salty tears. "Fine, but, if that horse nips at me again like it did when we were kids. I'm turning it into glue." She playfully nudges my side as we share one last hug as my grandfather tucks the last bag into the trunk.

Time flies while helping my grandparents take care of their eighty acre farm. I'm always outside doing something whether that's helping passer by's and their hybrids (which is still something I have to get used to, hybrids I mean) find the right walking trails or simply taking care of smaller hybrids who have come across the farm because they had been running from the hybrid control van, some don't even make it outside of the city and dark alley's much less all the way out here but the ones that do have a remarkable will to get the hell out of dodge. 

My grandfather passes away four years later and the work that has to be done outside takes a toll on my grandma so I tell her to leave the yard work to me. Once she left it to me to keep everything in order outside everything began to run smoothly again, more hybrids seemed to come in for either a quick meal or to rest and leave by morning. It was never more than maybe two or three hybrid's at a time and I got to learn about them from the ones who weren't too scared to talk to humans, I've almost been bitten three times within the first few weeks of being at the farm, lesson learned. 

"Grandma, you know you can't be up and down like this. You're doctor said to stay in your wheelchair if you have to move around and ask for help when you obviously need it." I scold her and she grumbles in defeat, I've caught her trying to reach the top shelf yet again for the third time today. I set my grandfather's old cowboy hat on the hook next to the door as I take off the leather vest and throw it over the kitchen chair at the table.

"I know dear, you were outside tending to the horses and cows, you already have so much on your plate and I didn't want to disturb you. I know how much you love it out there and don't think I don't notice you keeping an extra eye out for any hybrid in need either." I smile down at her very short stature and reach up to grab what she needed from the top shelf, barely but I got it. "I know I just... with the stories I've heard from the hybrids that have come and gone and the endless medical training I've gotten by stitching some of them up. I feel so sorry for them grandma. They've had a shit hand dealt to them, I just wanna help where I can, if I can."

She looks at me with a small smile on her face and taps my cheek with her cold hands. "You are just like your mother, a heart of gold and a willingness to help anyone who needs it, no matter the cost. One of these days you're gonna find a good man who treats you like the treasure that you are doll, I just hope I'm here to see that day." I scoff at her as I take off my work boots and set them next to the front door. "Grandma, you know I hate it when you talk like that. Now, please will you just sit down and eat dinner with me? I'll make some breakfast for dinner, the way you like, crazy lady."

It's not even a few weeks later that my grandmother is admitted to the hospital, the doctors going through every test they could think of as I sit in the waiting room in my work clothes about ready to bust through those double doors and give those so called doctors a piece of my mind for taking so damn long. A few more minutes pass and I feel a tug at my bell bottom jeans.

I look over my phone to see and little coyote hybrid, she's wearing a pretty pink dress and princess shoes with a small crown on top of her head wrap. "Are you a cowboy?" She asks innocently as she pulls the bottom of my pants crumpled in her small pale hand. I lean down to her level as her owner and what looks to be her mother walk up behind her, I lean in close and whisper in her ear like it's the world's most precious secret.

"I'm something better, a cowgirl." I lean back and watch the little girls expression change from curiosity to confusion. "I thought only boys could do that." She states as her mother reaches for her hand. "Girls can do things just as good, if not better, than boys can you just have to put your whole heart into it and never give up." I give her a little high five as she turns to her owner with bright eyes and a new obsession.

"Johnny! I'm gonna be a cowgirl when I grow up!" She jumps up and down as her mother whispers to me. "Thank you, we took Dove out of her room so she could exercise her little legs a few minutes ago. She's been so drained since her last chemo but seeing and talking to you has brought the light back into her eyes, thank you, so much." I give her a small nod as she shuffles to catch up to her daughter and owner but it's when I see him hold her close and kiss her on the lips, maybe he wasn't just her owner but perhaps a lover?

"Y/n L/n?" I hear a male nurse call out from around the corner, his face is pale and I could tell he doesn't do this regularly. "Yes, that's me. So what's wrong with my grandmother?" I ask and quickly close the app I was just on and the man stays silent and I scoff with a small giggle at the end to deflect the worse. "She's okay, right?" I say slowly as I walk towards the nurse and he chokes on air.

"Spit it out." I close my eyes and take a deep breath. "Please, I'm begging you dude." I bring my hands together in front of me and he finally says the words I had been dreading to hear. "Your grandmother passed away a little while ago. The cancer-" I hold my hand up to keep him from uttering another word.

I knew my grandmother was sick but I didn't know she had cancer. "Why type of cancer?" I cross my arms and look up at the man who seems to have sobered up after I snapped at him. "Breast cancer, st-stage four." He stutters and I fall to my knees with my face in my hands bawling as he awkwardly tries to comfort me. 

A few weeks later her funeral is held out by the weeping willow I planted when grandpa had passed away, in four years it's grown quite a bit easily making it the biggest tree out by the small pond out on the back forty acres. I sit there and stare at the cold headstone my tears have long since dried up and all those who had came long gone for about three hours now.

I sniffle and lay the flowers on both of their graves. "You weren't supposed to leave me yet." I let out a sob as I start to cry again. "You were supposed to, see me healthy, and happy with someone I love and who loves me just as much in return. You s-said- y-you sa-" I break out into a full crying meltdown and our new grey mare I've named Dove after the little girl from the hospital starts nudging me with her nose and I can't help but giggle.

"I know Dove, it's just all so sudden. They left me literally everything they had in their name. The house, the trucks, the endless amount of money that came from who knows fucking where. The equipment, the entire eighty acres? It's a lot, how am I supposed to do this all myself?" I ask Dove like she could answer me, she just shakes her head. "I know baby. I'll get it done, no matter what, for them."

For the next three years I do my best to keep the farm up and running. I keep my horse and the neighbors horses in the stable during the winter just around the large hedge separating it from the backyard of the house. I didn't have to but I sold the other two horses to make the workload a little easier on myself and about a quarter of the cattle to keep my head from spinning. I got a few little chickens and put them in the hen house located at the edge of the big empty backyard.

I stand on the wrap around porch one early morning with an energy drink in hand instead of coffee because I have a lot to do before the storm rolls in later tonight. Buckling my spurs into place over my boots and get to walking to the stable where Dove sits in her pen waiting for the morning workload to begin. "Hi sweetheart, ready to get started?" I pat her neck and she chirps with what seems like excitement then she happily shakes her head and I take her bridle and saddle off of the nearby wall with a big smile and get her strapped in before we start with herding the cattle to the feed mill. 

By the end of the day the storm clouds have rolled in and it's slowly starting to rain. I have to quickly close the cattle gate before the calves can high tail it out of there, it's their first big storm I have no doubt they can feel it coming to a start. I put a lock on the gate and run over to Dove and jump onto her back grabbing the straps and pull her to the left when the rain really starts to come down." Come on sweetheart let get the fuck out of here and get you back to your pen." I urge her to go faster when I hear the impending thunder and I catch a glimpse of lightning closer than I would have liked.

Dove is settled in with a weighted blanket and her eye shield on. "Don't worry love Dove, you'll be okay, I wish I could take you inside with me." I rub her nose and down her jaw and neck before a deafening crack of thunder booms over head making me jump two feet into the air, my hair standing on end and I quickly move around trying not to be struck by lightning and lucky for me my hair starts to lay flat on my head again.

"Okay, that's enough for tonight. I'm leaving now." I pull my jacket over my head and start running towards the house, once inside I take my wet jacket off and toe off my boots as I shiver. "Fuck it got cold fast, that has to be a new record." I light the logs in the fireplace and take my soaked pants off, laying them over the gate in front of the fire to dry out so I can wear them in the morning to fix the damage this storm is no doubt going to cause.

Taking a deep breath to relax and unwind I sigh when my stomach growls loudly, the only thing I had today was that energy drink. "Ugh, this whole eating to survive thing is so annoying." I grumble as I haul my big ass off the floor and pick at the fire before walking towards the kitchen and I feel eyes on me and I freeze in front of the sliding glass door leading out to the stable.

Looking out to my left afraid to see a face or glowing eyes staring back at me, lucky for me I only see my reflection against the darkness outside before a bolt of lightning strikes a nearby tree scaring the shit out of me. "Fuck! Calm down Thor this isn't a competition!" I shout softly from the safety of my house when a loud clap of thunder shakes the ground under my feet. "Okay! I'm sorry!" I shrink back into my kitchen scared I could be smited (smoted?) at any given moment. 

After I make breakfast for dinner, which I made a little more than I had originally planned because the storm outside kept distracting me from the task at hand. I look back out at the stable from the window above the sink and catch a glimpse of something or actually, a few somethings, run into the big red barn where Dove is housed and my heart jumps into my throat.

What if they steal my horse? Not to mention the amount of farm equipment located in that barn that will cost an arm and a leg to replace if any of it comes up missing. Then there's my grandparents old trophies and pictures from when grandpa would ride bulls and grandma being a barrel runner.

All those memories that could be destroyed within a matter of minutes if I didn't go out there and find out who or what those shadows are. I growl a few curse words as I jump into my pants and slide my boots on then grab my hat off the hook before throwing my thick jacket over myself and zipping it up. I take a deep breath as I grab the handle to the back door and brave the storm to get to the barn across the way. 

Tag List: @socksfirst1

[doodlegirl1998]

I'm honestly appalled at the ending of this manga.

It's so mean-spirited of Horikoshi to drill it into the narrative that Izuku can't be a hero without a Quirk, and when he does have a Quirk, he's only a liability with it so he should just give up. Then for him to take that Quirk away from him when that's all he ever wanted is just a slap in the face to Izuku and what little character development he had.

Not only that, but for how much 1A is supposedly close to one another, they sure were quick to forget about Aoyama when discount Goob replaced him. He's been nothing but an asshole to them, so why are they so excited to see him?

Why can't the adults get off of their asses and be the primary ones helping with rebuilding? Why rope the second years into it? Furthermore, why the fuck are they having school so soon after a near apocalyptic war?

Also, I love how Bakugou is supposedly praised for his "effort" when all he did was nearly get himself killed because AS USUAL, he charged ahead without a plan, and just waited for AFO to rewind out of existence. Meanwhile, Izuku's just left by himself with All Might, because God fucking forbid anybody actually give Izuku the time of day for the right reasons.

Bakugou can go fuck himself for making Izuku's Quirklessness about himself and their "rIvAlRy", and Horikoshi can go fuck himself for making Izuku's attitude towards losing the thing he dreamed of having for 12 years: 🤷.

PS: So much for Aizawa's "apology" towards Izuku meaning anything. All he said was sorry, used Izuku's first name without earning the privilege, and then onto the next scene.

Hi @nutzgunray-lvt 👋

You and me both.

Hori hates Izuku. It is as plain a fact as the sky being blue at this point. It is intensely mean to have Izuku suffer for being quirkless (especially at the hands of Bkg*), gain OFA and work so hard with it only to lose it by the end of the story and then Hori doesn't allow Izu to have any form of upset about this. Instead, he is forced to comfort BAKUGOU about this*- the same Bakugou who calls him Deku (useless) for being quirkless! The same Bakugou who abused him for a decade largely for this!?! What the fuck is this Hori? Get boo-hoo'ing Bak-U-Go out the damn door! Focus on Izuku for once! This is traumatising! Let Izuku actually feel it instead of being puppeteered to make Bkg look good!

This is one of the reasons Izuku feels kind of flat now (I hate to say it as an Izuku fan but he doesn't react in a way that makes sense and we haven't seen in his head in so long...)

I don't buy "Class 1A is a Family," not after they chased down Izuku in the Dark Deku arc and certainly not now. Look at how easily they let Aoyama go! No crying or anything? Like wow...

And for Shinsou? Who has canonically only been an asshole to all of 1A this whole time? And no one has a problem with him or is gutted about Aoyama leaving? Nah... that's some B.S. right there.

To add Ochaco, making fun of Izuku's new hair and saying not to talk to her with that hair was in very poor taste. They were all in a WAR, Izuku didn't just have poor luck with barbers. She comes off like a bitch here not gonna lie...

Having school so soon after a whole WAR and floating UA occurring is so unrealistic... 😑 The fact that students are helping proves the school shouldn't be open yet. But Nedzu gives no shit - who is one of Japan's smartest beings, apparently...

Bakugou being praised for his "effort" over Izuku is simply laughable but sadly nothing new.

Aizawa's "apology" was hollow, simply an item on the checklist for Hori, and it shows. Also, using Izuku's first name was OOC for him and rude for him to use without asking.

In addition, we have seen the Bakugou's, but where is Inko? Hori gives no shit to her, clearly. At least she isn't there for Izuku to be forced to comfort alongside Bakugou - about a traumatic thing that happened to HIM! What is this mess Hori?!

[furiousgoldfish]

Actually all abuser's justifications for abusive don't hold up. If a child is being loud, annoying, selfish, rude or disruptive, how is abuse going to help? How is violence, yelling, unfair and disproportionate punishments going to rectify this or resolve the issue? Obviously the solution is to be adults about it and understand that this is a child, they are by nature disruptive, loud, selfihs, annoying and rude, that is literally any child because nature makes them like that! The abusers have been the same as children, they have no right to expect a child to be obedient little servant there to satisfy everyone's needs and never be annoying once, what the actual hell? No natural child is like that!

They'll also act like the child hurt them first, hit them first, provoked them, asked for it, so they 'deserved it', um what the damn hell are you talking about? Are you an adult or a helpless pile of mushed crap who gets provoked by a kid being a kid? Do you not know how to deal with an aggressive kid without bringing on trauma and violence? If you have actual beef with a freaking child as an adult, you are 100% in the wrong, every single time, what do you mean you didn't learn to control your violent impulses after the age of 15. Even children are more capable of handling a situation than you are, you stupid justifier of abuse, your arguments rely on everyone believing that you are a fucking incapable idiot. Telling how you never react the same from provocations from your friends or your boss, somehow in those situations you can keep you calm? Act maturely? Not scream or beat the shit out of those provocateurs? It's almost like you have perfect control but want to abuse children anyway.

Then there's also 'I had a hard childhood too', and you went out of your way to create more hard childhoods for other people? Oh not just other people, for children, your children, who are your own flesh and blood, who you took responsibility to protect and care for, to give them a good life and safe future? These are the people you decided should have a hard childhood because you had one? If a guy gets hit by a bus, can he now legally hit you with a bus and it's ok bc it happened to him first? Can every person in the world who had it tough now take it on you, and it's ok because they are the victims and you should just have understanding that it's okay they're now doing it to you? No you don't like that? Then shut your filthy mouth about your childhood, if you're bringing it up to justify your abuse instead of trying to dismantle it to make SURE you never do it to anyone else, I don't wanna fucking hear about it. Do not bring up your own abuse as a defense for when you abused someone else! It's not relevant! Bring it up in therapy! When you're not actively victimizing someone and asking for compassion and support from a person you took these same things away from!

Abuse helps nobody. It accomplishes nothing good for anyone. Desire to abuse is never justified. You can do every single thing in your life without abusing anyone. Do not fucking act otherwise. Nothing that ever happened to you gave you the right to hurt someone who couldn't fight back.

[cdroloisms]

I still think saying that ctommy deserved to be tortured and beating him up is odd considering the framing of the scene but I've been reminded by others that c!dream wasn't suddenly void of empathy and regret in the scene and it's not like c!tommy was jesus

i get that--but it's important to recognize that in the scene, the one who is being above and beyond empathetic and trying to get c!dream to open up is c!tommy, and the one who is rejecting the truth in favor for the lie is c!dream. which is kind of the exact roles that they should embody, here. notice how c!dream fights c!tommy on the idea that he's not always been the villain--c!dream does get to a point where he's able to have a civil conversation with c!tommy by the very end, yes, but that was not the case when the finale streams started. c!dream in the finale might not have been actively pursuing c!tommy, but he by no means had let go of the massive goddamn grudge he had against this guy and they were still very much antagonistic towards each other. to be honest, c!dream calling exile torture and justifying it with "you deserved it" isn't actually what i'd consider something that makes him like. less understandable in this scene? c!dream isn't just anyone with any relationship to the statement "you are being tortured, and this is because what you deserve" you know--this is literally exactly what he went through in the prison. using the same terms and justification for exile specifically, a circumstance that was obviously awful and abusive and still. not. the same intensity as the prison, i think is fair to say, objectively, i would argue more communicates a subconscious level of acknowledgement of how damn badly he fucked c!tommy up rather than a genuine belief that exile was just #deserved #fuckyoutommy. even killing c!tommy is specifically addressed in this stream as being something directly connected to c!dream's killing himself--immediately upon being revived, c!tommy tells c!dream that he can't just do that, he doesn't know how much it hurts, and c!dream's rebuttal is that he does know how much it hurts and that's the point! yes, c!dream treats c!tommy terribly in this finale stream, he kills him and says that he tortured him and he deserved it...and all of this is quite explicitly happening in connection to c!dream's pain, as well. oftentimes, c!discduo narratively is framed by the fandom as this like, "versus" relationship where one person's shitty actions and one person's pain actively detracts from the other's, right, but the exact opposite is true? c!dream is a much worse, much more evil character than c!tommy, yes, but a lot of these very intentional parallels were being drawn because in a lot of ways, they are very similar characters and the decisions they made and the ways they were hurt and reacted to their pain provides more insight to both characters, even if we only see the one--such as how c!tommy's vine covered little bunker was drawn in direct parallel to the prison crumbling around c!dream. honestly, i wasn't expecting c!dream to accept what c!tommy was saying that quickly at all--i was definitely expecting him to double down. the fact that c!dream was willing to come to an understanding with c!tommy at all speaks volumes on his character and how badly he really just needed someone to talk him off his tower, tbh--i don't think his initial rejection of it detracts at all from the final understanding. c!dream definitely needed to fight the truth, because that hammers in how deeply he'd internalized the L'manburg Story and the idea of dream-as-villain and how much his self-identity had ended up tied into the Plan and Villain and Evil of it all, and his willingness to reach for it at the very end despite all of that is the reframing that the finale stream was meant to provide

[mrs-barnes-rogers-writes]

The Fate Of A Fae - Part 5

Marvel AU

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader x Steve Rogers

Soulmate Match: Theme: Soulmates / Monster/Fantasy AU

You know on sight. Friends also know when they meet you if you're a match for one of their friends.

Summary: Natasha Romanoff is a meddling, pain in the ass Sprite, who you wrongly thought would leave you alone once you introduced her to your best friend, Darcy. News flash, she doesn’t and she won’t. Not when she thinks you’re a perfect match for two of her best friends. Could she be right? Maybe. Just don’t tell her that.

“Never tell Natasha Romanoff she was right” - Clint Barton

Chapter Summary: We see a little of Bucky's perspective.

Chapter Warning: Mentions of past historic abuse and blood.

Bucky Barnes was born with dragon's blood running through his veins. His mother and father both from the purest dragon stock that still survived.

His American father had met his American - Russian mother whilst serving in the military, and they had known the moment they set eyes on each other that they were a match. Days of the Cold War surrounded them and Bucky's father, George, was concerned as to how his family would react bringing home a wife and mate that was part Russian but once his family and friends had met Winnie, and discovered that she was also from a strong dragon bloodline, hers even with a smidge of Russian royalty, there was nothing to worry about. George and Winnie had let this acceptance of themselves set the tone for how they accepted their children's presentations and that of their soulmates.

Nearly two weeks ago when Bucky had rushed into their home, his phone in his hand saying he'd found his soulmate, there had been a flurry of excitement. His nieces had squealed when they'd heard him mention you were a fairy.

"How are you gonna play this son?"

"Natalia will arrange something to introduce us, hopefully in the next couple of days."

"Don't come on too strong." His sister Becca had interrupted.

"Nobody asked you Becca." He grunted.

"I'm just saying....."

"NOBODY ASKED YOU!!!" He replied, raising his voice.

"This is exactly what I mean."

Bucky went towards her only to be stopped by Winnie's hand softly going to his chest.

"Sit down Yasha."

Bucky sat down with a huff and Becca pulled a face at him and stuck out her tongue.

"Rebecca Barnes-Smith may I remind you that you are not a child and you don't actually live here anymore, go home and make dinner for that very patient husband of yours." Winnie said, not even needing to turn to know her daughter was trying to provoke her eldest child.

"Now, as much as it pains me to say this, your sister does have a point." Winnie said, watching as Bucky rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Look son" George started "your mother and I know how much you want this. How much you want to get settled, be bonded, start a family, move upstate and all of that, but"

"But what?"

"But you're a dragon and we tend to be possessive of our things. Fairies are different to us. You come on too strong and she'll flit off, and I know how meddlesome sprites are. Don't let Natalia get too involved."

Bucky didn't listen and two days later he was walking into Natasha's Brownstone after you'd point blank refused to meet him or Steve.

Steve had taken your refusal a little too well for Bucky's liking, saying they should take this slow and let you come to them. Damn griffin, what did he know anyway? In Bucky's eyes, he'd given up way to easily as he'd left to go on an art finding trip for Tony and Pepper. But this also left Bucky almost unsupervised in his pursuit of you.

And it wasn't going well. You weren't talking to him or Nat. Steve on the other hand received a very short message that said you were fine and asking him to tell Bucky to back off.

Bucky hated being wrong and had a continued in his chasing but it wasn't working and he'd tried plenty. Gifts, that you sent back. Messages, that you ignored.

But today something was off and Bucky was going to come to your apartment, not just watch you from the rooftop across the street, whether you liked it or not.

Steve had tried to talk him out of it, even going as far to ask Tony to talk to you instead. You'd briefly worked as an office temp for Stark Industries and Tony and Pepper had grown to know and like you whilst you covered for Pepper's assistant whilst she took an extended honeymoon. They'd also sensed you'd be a match for their friends but decided to not play with the fates and let things take their course. Unlike a certain Natasha Romanoff.

Bucky had contemplated waiting for Tony to speak to you but before he'd even had a proper chance to, he felt a need to get to you. That something was wrong.

As he ran up the stairs of you apartment, the smell of blood wafted up his nose and his dragon knew immediately that it was yours, and Stark was with you.

What the fuck was going on? He slowly opened the door, leaning in to see you curled up on the floor with Tony. The latter making eye contact and signalling for him to wait.

“That the asshole family had something to do with your lacking of wings and pointy ears.”

Fuck. Bucky hadn't even noticed. So caught up in his pursuit of you, in his possessiveness to have you, he'd not even noticed your hair always covering your ears and that none of the photos he'd seen of you, hundreds across your social media hadn't shown your wings.

“They won’t want me Tony. They won’t want me when they know.”

Bucky was torn between comforting you and flying off to confront your family. It'd probably only take one call to Romanoff to find them. Right now though, his dragon made the decision, he wanted to hold you, to clean the cuts on your legs and feet. The possessiveness wanted you out of Tony's lap.

“Doll?”

[flightfoot]

Hello! By any chance, do you have any outsider pov ml fics to rec? As in, fics focusing on a side character being like "damn these guys are acting WEIRD and i'm mildly worried about that." Or maybe identity reveal fics where the reveal is for someone who isn't marinette or adrien?

Hmmm... let me see what I've got...

Also I'm a little confused about you asking for "the reveal is for someone who isn't marinette or adrien?" Do you mean for it to be TO someone who isn't Marinette or Adrien, or are you actually asking for someone who isn't Marinette or Adrien to reveal their identity? I'm tossing Hawkmoth in there as well, because if I included Hawkmoth reveal fics, there'd be way too many. (..okay so I might have included a Hawkmoth Reveal as well, the Markov Alliance is too good to pass up)

Anyway, I'll see what I can come up with!

So after looking through, I have a lot that fit at least some of the criteria, including a lot of older fics. I hope you enjoy! I've got 22 fics for you to peruse, all completed.

---

Shellter Chat by Bridgetinerabbit

A peek inside Adrien's school bag gives Nino some very unexpected insight as to what makes his good friend tick, but leaves him in a very delicate position. He never expected to strike a deal with the Kwami of Destruction, but now he and Plagg are working together to relieve some of Adrien's (and Chat Noir's) burdens for his own good. But being Adrien's guardian angel isn't as easy as it seems; other secret identities start falling apart, and there's no telling where the falling dominoes will stop.

---

Just Act Normal by hazel562

After a body-swap akuma sees the return of Lady Noire and Mister Bug, Alya can't work out why Adrien, and particularly Marinette, are behaving so strangely…

---

Chasing a Dream by @generalluxun

Things don't quite go Felix's way at the end of S4, leading to a second attempt of the 'First Love' Tour. Lila plans to use the tour to wheedle her way into Gabriel's confidences and secure Adrien's hand. Marinette overhears Lila's plan. Marinette reacts in a calm and rational manner. Who am I kidding? She stokes Chloé's bruised ego to enlist her help to chase after the tour, in the hopes of foiling Lila's plans. Akumas spring up along their path, texts with Adrien grow more deep, Cat Noir appears where he should not be, and through it all Marinette is forced to interact with a girl who has been a huge part of her life in all the worst ways up until now. What truths can be discovered though, halfway around the world and away from prying eyes?

---

A Small but Stubborn Fire by @cardiac-agreste

What if you were the parent of a teenage superhero, but didn't know they were? All you know is the nightmares, the panic attacks, and the bruises. She's missing school, she's disappearing on you, and she's not telling you anything. So you assume the worst: Assault. Depression. A permanent rift in the family. And what do you do when you realize you weren't thinking dark enough? Because your fourteen-year old daughter is the hero who flirts with death on the nightly news. -- Come inside and read about one mother's struggles to raise her daughter in a dangerous world while avoiding the mistakes her own mother made with her.

This is a more serious take on the consequences of Hawk Moth's war on Paris, with actual bloody, painful deaths as a consequence of many akumas, and Parisians developing PTSD because of what they've gone through. Ladybug can fix all the physical scars, but not the mental ones, including her own.

I love the focus on Sabine here. She's not just presented as being a mom - though of course that IS an important role she has. But she's explored as a character in her own right, one with a lot of emotional baggage as a result of her abusive mother, and trying to not fall into her mistakes, but sometimes doing so anyway out of fear for Marinette's safety. She's a really fleshed out, humanly flawed character, sometimes admitting that she would do something selfish if it means protecting the people she cares most about, like her daughter, even if its at others expense. She grows and changes a lot throughout the course of the story, her perspective on many matters changing multiple times as a result of getting new information or seeing the consequences of her previous approaches, and adjusting as a result.

If you want a fic that more realistically explores the dark consequences of Miraculous's setting, that fleshes out Sabine, or just develops a character in a complex way, then I highly recommend you check "A Small but Stubborn Fire" out!

---

theory bored by @14muffinz

You’re not supposed to theorise about who your partner is, Tikki had scolded, glaring at Luka as he continued to map out his entire theory, abbreviating as many miraculous-related names as he could feasibly remember. To be fair, it’s a lot, so it’s not like this would be much if anyone were to get their hands on it. He’d sighed, capped his marker, and turned around as though he was going to clean up the board. And then, because Tikki unfortunately taught him just how stubborn he could get if he really wanted to, he calls for his transformation while facing the other way. [OR: Ladybug Luka, Black Cat Juleka, and a reveal.]

---

You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess by @mexicancat-girl

With Team Miraculous now full-time holders, Ladybug has them patrolling in pairs like her and Chat Noir. New partners Pigella and Purple Tigress get along phenomenally, their easy banter and similar wavelengths making working with each other a joy in and out of combat. But sometimes Tigress is surprised just how close she is with her partner. Sometimes she tries not to feel too guilty thinking about it.

There’s some nice Julerose here! I love them kinda getting into a lovesquare with each other, though it’s not as much of a problem as it is in canon since it’s reciprocal in every relationship and they’re both down for a poly. It’s fun, and I love the “Luka attempting to woo some of his love interests” plot going on in the background XD.

---

the funniest coincidence of them all by shireith

“I wore it just for you,” Adrien told Alya. “So you don’t have any trouble telling me apart from Chat Noir.” “You’re so annoying right now you might just have convinced me you’re Chat Noir.” “I am Chat Noir.” “And I’m Rena Rouge.” What the hell was happening and why did it look so familiar? ---

Or, in which Marinette, Adrien and Alya share several brain cells, problem is they’re all Alya’s.

---

Alya Cesaire Should Be Allowed To Swear by stripesandblossoms

Akuma attacks don't stop just because Alya is no longer a Hero, but that's fine, because she can still help clear civilians from the danger zone. Even celebrity-friends like Adrien Agreste.

Hey guys this is an amazing one-shot, even with as short as it is. I love how it goes into Alya’s thoughts and feelings about why she doesn’t swear (because you can’t do that on-air as a journalist and she has little sisters that she can’t swear around anyway) and her coming up with ways to suppress her swears when she’s tempted.

Then of course, she finds out a secret that makes all of that go out the window…

Seriously this is really funny, please read it!

---

You Don't Have to Pretend with Me by @kasienda

Nino didn’t not like Chat Noir. He thought the dude was cool and hilarious. His sense of humor reminded him of Adrien. Things hadn’t always been tense between them. When they fought back to back during Heroes’ Day it had felt like they were brothers. But it was clear to him that Chat Noir wasn’t his biggest fan. The other hero was always welcoming and kind to Rena Rouge when she joined the team, but he had always been somewhat aloof with Carapace. And Chat Noir had been especially different around him after Rocketear. but it wasn’t like Chat Noir knew that Nino and Carapace were the same person, so why had he started avoiding Carapace? … Adrien couldn’t figure out why things between Adrien and Nino had always been so easy when things between Chat Noir and Carapace felt so hard. Like, he knew he was different as Chat, but he was far less different as Adrien with Nino than anyone else. Or he had been before… Rocketear. And now? Now, he had no idea how he was supposed to act. Had no idea what Nino wanted from Chat Noir, but it was very clear he wasn’t measuring up.

---

The Markov Alliance by CrochetJellybean

Slight spoilers for season 5! Markov was excited to use Max's class time to learn more about the AI system within the Alliance rings. In his exploration, he accidentally discovers a chat room of 14 non-humans connected to the Alliance network, so he decides to join it.

This was hilarious and fun and heartwarming. Markov accidentally stumbling across the kwamis and them hinting as best they could about what to do and who to tell about them (as best they could without spewing out bubbles) was great, along with the Miracuclass’s reaction to finding out about them.

Also their groupchat name is “plagg is oblivious” due to Plagg not figuring out that Nooroo was in the same house as him all this time, which is just perfect XD. I’ve reread this fic several times, it’s so good and bite-sized!

---

The Investigation by @11jj11

Adrien and Marinette are finally dating-- which is what Alya has always wanted... but yet this sudden transformation in their relationship overnight? Things aren't adding up. They are suddenly so much closer than they ever have been before, Adrien is apparently a flirt, Marinette is no longer a stuttering mess, and not to mention the nicknames that came out of no where. Alya is happy for her friends, but she knows there's something more going on, and the reporter in her is going to get to the bottom of it.

---

I Know, You Know by @mirrankei

They weren't technically a couple, but Alya knew one day they would be. Ladybug loved Chat Noir, but they had a job to do, and relationships could be dangerous. Alya could accept that. She knew in her heart that on the day the five of them (eight, ten, twelve of them) defeated Hawkmoth once and for all, Chat Noir would take Ladybug in his arms - no, wait, Ladybug would take Chat Noir in her arms - and finally share that romantic kiss all of Paris was waiting for. They would tell each other who they are and fall in love all over again, safe in their victory. Then it turned out Ladybug was Marinette, so that went out the window. Because Marinette only had eyes for Adrien, and Alya was way more invested in that ship than any superhero stuff.  --- for prompt "Lovesquare"

---

caline bustier and the heroes' awful mental health by lollyposp

Caline liked to think she was a good teacher - she’d adapted well to the systems put in place by the akuma attacks, she’d adapted to the various incidents within her classroom, and learned the best way to seat her students, in order to minimise the risk of arguments within the classroom that could potentially draw Papillon to her room once again. Sometimes, though, she felt powerless to help her students. OR: in which madame bustier tries to help her students, but she's missing a key part of the puzzle (hint: it's their identities)

---

Everything I Need by @coffeebanana

When Ladybug asks Pigella to care for her injured teammate, she wants to refuse. She's not the best person for the job, and she's not sure if Purple Tigress even likes her. But Ladybug insists, so Pigella fights through her fear and tends to Tigress' injury. It doesn't make things any easier that Tigress keeps reminding her of Juleka.

---

Walking That Mile by @nomolosk

Nino and Alya wake up in the wrong bodies. Several things result from this, including, but not limited to, identity reveals and a better understanding of what their respective best friends are going through.

Never knew I needed Nino!Plagg and Alya!Tikki in my life, but there you go XD. It’s not all fun and games though, this is a Hawkmoth Takedown fic as well, and dealing with the effects of that.

---

Off the Mark by @buggachat

Ever since Nino's (frankly embarrassing) akumatization into Rocketear, Chat Noir's behavior had taken a strange and sudden turn in the presence of Carapace, and Nino could only think of one possible explanation: Chat Noir hated him. Somehow, Adrien didn't seem to agree.

---

Markov Knows All by @11jj11

Markov has a few questions.

---

Shipping Status: In Transit by @katieykat513

Shipping wars, they get the best of us, don't they? Even these four friends....

---

Aspik Hate Club by MyImaginationFlows

Ladybug just cannot get over how horrible Aspik looked like with the snake miraculous. Frustrated by unmet expectations, she decides to rant to Chat Noir about it. Suddenly, he’s being accused of being a terrorist and is strapped to a chair surrounded by Carapace, Ladybug, and Rena Rouge. How did a conversation about himself end up with him being put on trial for being Hawkmoth?

---

A Reveal of Necessity by alexanderxbetsey

Alya walks in on Chat kissing Marinette

---

Strategic Missteps by Platonic_Ideals

Sabine wanted to plan a spa trip for her daughter, but it ended with her hiding from an akuma with her daughter's crush. Now Sabine has the responsibility of supporting Adrien's alter ego while managing her fear for his future.

---

questions she knows by finleyblue

Carapace laughs uneasily. This is bad. “Sorry, I’ve really got to skip.” He jabs a finger behind him, making no move to leave. Alya folds her arms and raises one eyebrow. “Nino. I am not that dumb.” _____ Alya interviews Carapace for the Ladyblog, and Nino panics.

[danwhobrowses]

One Piece Chapter 1114 - Initial Thoughts

And we are back

TCB uploaded on a Thursday for the first time in yonks, but it had to be midway through my trip back from work

but anyway, GLOBAL WARMING! Vegapunk is pouring the tea, the world is sinking, so what more does he have to say and how will the world react?

Spoilers for the Chapter, Support the Official Release Also!

Yamato's pilgrimage involves taking the long way around Wano to bring Yasuie's sword to the Enma shrine (the god of the underworld not Zoro's sword)

We'll likely encounter a bunch of characters on the trek but it surprises me that he's bringing back Yasuie's sword and not Shusui to Ryuma's grave. Either are still fine but I feel like that had more narrative significance, though if that was the task then Zoro wouldn't have been able to visit his grave off-screen - which should've very much been on-screen!

You know the tea is spilling when the chapter title is 'The wings of Icarus'

Naturally, the world takes in the revelation we left off on

The Navy reacts first, the Vice Admirals in disbelief but Akainu silent

Mock Town of all places is next, filled with nonbelievers of dreams, they mock the smartest man on the planet and deem themselves wise

Water Seven are shocked too, finding it difficult to believe that it's the whole world and not just them

Paulie and Pepe Lulu cameo too (love Franky but in another life I would've liked to have seen Paulie as a Straw Hat, would've been a perfect foil for Sanji too since he's a bashful perv, plus Nami would totally abuse how bad he is with gambling)

Doflamingo of course is revelling in the news, mocking Magellan about how this affects Impel Down

It's so surreal to me how we all know that Doflamingo is a menace, his debut literally involved him pitting marines against one another, but now he's in Impel Down he's just chilling, on his back just vibing with people like Magellan and Tsuru

It seems the Mother Flame's flooding did cause some problems for Impel Down

Doffy predicts that it'll take 5 more meters for most of the world to be flooded

He also implies evacuating 'somewhere high up' - like the Red Line maybe?

Fishman Island also reacts to the news, like everyone else they find it hard to believe

Back at Egghead though, the Buster Call don't care if it's valid, it's coming from Vegapunk so it holds weight but either way it's bringing unrest and discourse

The Gorosei meanwhile are livid, even considering going scorched earth to stop it

York is also annoyed, suck on it

Vegapunk makes a prediction, accurately pointing out the weather effects of Lulusia being wiped out

That for sure has got people more convinced, given how it's pre-recorded

Surprise Smoothie and Mont D'or cameos too!

And another already flooded island is surprised how much to a tee Vegapunk got the prediction right

Damn even Tonjit from Long Ring Long Land is getting a cameo!

Aokiji bandaged up also listens from Fullalead

Vegapunk also calls out that the earthquakes were not natural, which really sets the Gorosei off

The Straw Hats continue to fend off Saturn to protect Robin, with Lilith also in on the fight

Most of them get knocked away though, being caught by Robin's Spider Web

Saturn does still appear to be showing some damage, so still props to the crew for doing the job

Because Saturn has shifted his priority from Robin, making his way to the power station to protect it

Saturn crashes in, as Vegapunk explains his obsession with finding an unlimited energy source

Back to his 'human' form, Saturn basks in the Mother Flame

I was expecting something different, but it is a tiny flame kept in a giant tank

I wonder if the S-108 and the A&Mu stand for something? The latter are not elements on the Periodic Table

Also it's a flame inside liquid, A FLAME INSIDE OF LIQUID!

The Sleeping Giant still is on the move, passing unfazed through fire and flame

Even the Giants are struggling in the flames, still in pursuit by Warcury

Luffy however is back in Gear Fifth, that fermented shark meat must've done the trick

Marejois is stirring though, because Vegapunk has just brought up the void century

Most of the Celestial Dragons are in uproar, blaming the marines and feeling big enough to take on Vegapunk to kill him themselves

Though, interestingly, Saint Shalria - Charloss' sister - seems almost intrigued, it appears not all the Celestial Dragons know about the Void Century

Vegapunk goes on to talk about how the Poneglyphs are key to the void century

In a woodland a giant lounges as he takes in the news, the familiar laugh of Dereshishishi coming from him

I'm still not certain it's Jaguar D. Saul mind you, why hide his face for so long?

Man we're even going as far back as Orange Town!

With the Mayor and Chouchou!

The benefits of having a 20+ year manga is how you can bring back so many minor characters briefly to just show the entire scale of the world that's been built

We also see Margaret from Amazon Lily, her face seems conflicted

Vegapunk however explains that his second sin was trying to decipher the Poneglyphs, using documentation gathered from Ohara

Since Luffy could hear the broadcast I'm sure Robin is hearing it too, I wonder how she feels about Vegapunk about to lore drop a bunch of Poneglyph stuff she didn't get to discover herself

Brook is also calling for Zoro and Jinbe, not sure what their status is, same with Franky, Bonney, Atlas and Sanji vs V. Nusjuro

'History is a story, after all' is a lowkey banger line

But the Labophase is behaving differently, the clouds are stretching

Edison's plan has come into action, making the clouds wider so the Sunny can drop off into the ocean

Credit to Usopp for figuring it out too

Seems like the little tyke isn't making it out, it may end up being just Lilith at this stage

Vegapunk keeps going, stating that he only knows little about the void century, so he'll give the world some of the only facts he knows

Luffy strikes Warcury again with a Gear Fifth big punch, but the result hurts his hand all the same

Meanwhile Vegapunk details the story of a person born 900 years ago to a bountiful and advanced kingdom

Just like Nika, he had an elastic and stretchy body - which the world will very much connect to Luffy - called Joy Boy

Joy Boy was the first man to take to the seas: The First Pirate

But a break again next week, I know last week was a SJ break than an Oda break but c'mon I feel like he does this every year!

Oda sure loves to set a stage huh? What do you mean Joy Boy was the first pirate? That'd imply he's rebelling against something right? Was the advanced kingdom too restrictive maybe? So much still yet to be said

For the most part, what the characters were doing this chapter were secondary to this announcement built up, it's still cool that the Straw Hats deterred Saturn away from Robin - though we are overdue seeing Jinbe and Zoro do something of substance. Ju Peter and Mars are still kinda floating around, Doll and Bluegrass were circling the island last we saw them too. But yeah, lots of unique and surprising cameos, the mystery deepens as the plot continues somehow to thicken.

[nex-kyit]

II2 EP 17 SPOILERS

A list to sort out my thoughts after episode 17. I did one for the finale of III so I want to do one for ep17, even though I'm desperately hoping that this isn't the finale.

What I liked:

The sheer emotional impact of the ending. The emptiness and defeat when everything was erased, Mephone4 just in the center of where the hotel used to be, alone. Cobs, there to take him home. And after years of running, Mephone goes back to his abuser, having lost everything else he loved. Chills, last time I felt like this was with HFJone's ending. I even had a moment when I looked at the time and was like "oh god the episodes almost over they are not going to get a happy ending"

Honestly I felt like this episode was a big step up from the last two. Maybe its just me, but the last two episodes just weren't that great. Ep15 just felt like a cheap way to solve some character conflicts (then again I really hate the whole "characters are forced to tell the truth" trope) and Ep 16 was more of a set up for Ep 17. Big step up from III ending's too

What I didn't like:

Okay so it's been a while since watching III, but one of the major themes of III was not hiding from your problems and healing, right? A lot of III was repairing past relationships and most notably, that Mephone can't hide from his problems forever. Infact, III seems to be really pushing Mephone to HEAL from his trauma. And II2 major theme was that the contestants should become their own people and how the competition controls the person you are. Alright the exact wording might be off bc. re. I haven't rewatched III or II2 in a while nor do I have the time to, but I hope I'm getting the idea across. Basically, both seasons are building up for an ending where Mephone finally breaks free from Cobs and that the contestants get to learn to be themselves. Instead, Mephone is back with his abuser and the contestants are ERASED from existance? Thematically, the ending just doesn't make sense. For hfjONE, I still don't agree with its ending but at least it makes sense for the story, because the situation was from the start hopeless (a reminder for myself to rewatch hfjONE and do a write up as well). Meanwhile, the entirety of II, up until this episode, seemed to be about healing and growing. This ending throws ALLLLL that growth away. Like damn I'm all for bittersweet endings but this is straight up tragedy.

I also hate how MePad and the contestants abandon Mephone. I get it, most of them are upset, but you're telling me not one of them has any sympathy or understanding for him? Not even a, "yeah what you did sucked but we should deal with that later and not now when you're our only possible hope are reviving the dead contestants." Like damn MePad you could've at least brought Mephone with you, you think Mephone will get better in Cobs care? Ughh I get that MePad probably didn't expect Cobs to get Mephone and he is just angry and Mephone, but it really feels as though we never get the end of MePads character arc, if this really is the ending. How does he react about the contestants being erased? About Mephone returning to Cobs? Much like we don't get any closure on the few contestants that were still alive and how they felt about being erased or the whole thing with Bow's tail, or even what the Shimmer's were thinking when they arrived. They seemed pretty eager to get the remaining egg, are we just going to forget that they returned to Earth or?

Re. the contestants abandon Mephone, for some contestants it honestly seems kinda unlike them to do so? Like Microphone was just talking about forgiveness and saying sorry with Taco, this wasn't the first time Cabby and Candle saw Mephone in a similar situation. Well at least Fan and Paintbrush didn't seem mad, but it sucks that MePhone wasn't there to see it.

Maybe it's just me, but I don't really see how unplugging the wire=everyone dies! IIRC Cobs said by adding the wire to Mephone allowed him to hack into Melife and delete the contestants, but why does unplugging this completely seperate wire = everyone dies? Unplugging this wire shouldn't disconnect the contestants to Melife, otherwise Mephone should've always had a wire hanging out from him. Why are their bodies erased completely? In other words, the wire being there makes no sense, why tf is there a wire, it only seems there and works that way bc "I said so," and seems to contradict that Mephone is made out of the egg itself?

This one is very minor but there were no Floory crumbs :(. I had a little hope because Floory was a cohost and other III contestants made an appearance. Ahhh, there goes another character with missed potential.

Ok once again I think I focused a bit too much on the negatives. I think its an ending I can live with. The ending itself was pretty powerful, I just don't think it suits the story it was for.

[artificial-red-head]

Hell Bent For Leather Part 3

Pairing: Bucky Barnes X Reader, Minor Steve Rogers X Natasha Romanov

Summary: Bucky talks to you again to convince you to come back the the clubhouse. But can you trust him?

Tags/Warnings: Biker AU, Paste Abusive Relationships, Dialogue Heavy

A/N: I'm not dead. I did finish this at 3 AM so I make no promises on how good this is.

Chapter 3: All await, engine is ticking over

Bucky had another talk with Steve and Natasha in the morning. After talking with Nat about her possibly still alive, long-lost sister, she finally gave them a name.  

Y/N. 

The name replayed in his head. He remembers a couple of months prior to him leaving Hydra that Rumlow was throwing that name around. Back then, Bucky did not care about whatever woman Brock was trying to pursue, but now he wished he would have done something. Anything to prevent this mess of a situation from happening. 

He wishes he would have shot Rumlow right between the eyes the night that he left. 

Both Steve and Bucky agreed that if the woman from the diner was who they thought she was, then Bucky would take her to the clubhouse–if he could convince her. If she were anything like Natasha then she was definitely stubborn, but that was not going to stop him. 

Bucky went back to the Maximoffs first, not wanting to go all the way past the motel to the diner if you were not there. 

Pietro sat behind the front desk with his feet raised on the desk and flipping a butterfly knife around only stopping when he saw Bucky. He was more than willing to tell him that you had gone to the diner early that morning and were not going to be back until dark. 

Bucky was not a patient man–something his ma told him quite often–and was not going to wait until you got back. He needed to talk to you now.   

Under any other circumstances, he would have not been this terrified to talk to a woman. James Buchanan Barnes was a smooth talker and could get his way with just about any woman, and damn did he know it. But the more he thought about the situation the more freaked out he was, not even the rumbling of the engine in his motorcycle was enough to calm his nerves. 

He sat in the little parking lot in front of the diner for a couple of minutes, mauling over his thoughts. 

How would you react? 

Was this a good idea? 

Could he convince you? 

After convincing himself that he could convince almost any woman to do just about anything he wanted–jesus, he sounded like a man whore–he finally got off his bike and went into the diner before he could psych himself out.   

Upon entering the door he noticed that you now had a name tag attached to the little retro dress that you had been wearing, neither of which he had not noticed before. He stepped closer to read the name tag. 

Y/N. 

It could not have been a fucking coincidence he told himself. 

He needed to talk to you now but from the way that you were avoiding him, he knew that you definitely did not want to talk to him. Instead of waiting for you to come to him, he sat down at one of the booths in your area, keeping his eyes down on the table until you had to come up to him.

“Why are you here?” You asked him harshly and in a lowered tone. 

“I needed to talk to ya.” 

You furrowed your eyebrows, “I don’t even know you.” 

He took a deep breath, “I’m Bucky Barnes of the Howling Commandos Motorcycle Club.” 

Your eyes widened a bit at his name. You looked back at the kitchen before placing your hands down on the table and leaning over, “I'm on the clock.” 

“Fine, then I would like a coffee.” 

You left his table and returned with a mug and a pot of coffee–who knows how long ago it brewed–and started pouring slowly. Bucky took this as his sign to talk. “Look, I got an offer for you.” 

You looked up from the coffee pot with a look in your eyes that he could not pinpoint, uncertainty maybe, but he continued, “You don't have to take it, but I think it will be better than your situation here. The club owns a bar in the next town over and we’re understaffed. You’ll be paid a hell of a lot better there and we can offer you a room at the clubhouse.”  

He could see the panic on your face as soon as he mentioned the clubhouse. You placed the coffee pot roughly on the table, for a moment he thought that it would break. “I don't want a room in the clubhouse.” You stated. 

“Sit down,” Bucky whispered. This was not going how he planned. “Please.”

You looked back at the kitchen again before deciding to sit down across from him. 

“You were a part of Hydra.” He stated bluntly. 

“How did-” 

He cut you off, “It doesn't matter how I know. You're far enough out to be safe but take the job at the bar and me and my club will protect you.”

There was nervousness in your eyes as you scanned the restaurant. “No, no more clubs.” You said still not looking at him.

Bucky snapped his fingers in front of you on the table to get your attention. “Look at me, sweetheart. We’re nothing like those sick bastards, I know of the horrors that happened there because I’ve also witnessed it first hand. I’m sure you’ve heard of the Howling Commandos from someone or other that strayed from Hydra.” His voice lowered even more when he mentioned Hydra.

He took a deep breath, “If you don’t want the job that’s fine, at least come with me to our territory, you’ll have plenty of job options and I can keep an eye on ya. Please.” 

You looked away from him again as you thought about it. He knew what he was saying was a lot to take in at once considering you had just recently left Hydra territory. But he was trying his hardest to convince you that you would be safer with them. 

“I’ll take it.” You said, making eye contact with him but there was still nervousness in your voice. 

Bucky looked you gently in the eyes and said in all sincerity, “I promise you doll, nothin’ gonna happen to you.”

Before Bucky left the diner he told you that he would meet you at the Maximoff’s after you got off of work before he took you back to the clubhouse. You had asked him how he knew that you were there and he explained to you that they were technically their territory since they were under the Camandos’ protection. And he also mentioned that Pietro had called and said that there was a possible gang member in the area. You had just huffed a small laugh at him and told him to leave before he could have gotten you into trouble. 

Bucky had called from the Maximoff’s phone to tell Steve that he was successful and would be bringing you back in a couple of hours. 

“Where was she?” Steve had asked. 

“Working down at Peggy's old place and stayin' at the Maximoffs.” 

“Sharon owns it now, doesn’t she?” Bucky could hear his sigh from the other end of the line.

“Yeah, and you should go talk to her and tell her that we just snatched one of her waitresses.” 

Steve scoffed out a laugh, “And ya couldn’t have done it while you were there?”

“I was too busy trying to convince this poor girl that she should come with me to the clubhouse. She was scared out of her mind and probably thought that I was gonna bring her back to that hell hole for steppin’ in our territory.” 

Steve ended up hanging up on him after he mentioned that he should have gone to see Sharon a long time ago. Better two years late than never. Steve had scoffed at him again and told him to mind his damn business. 

He was sitting in the motel lobby looking at a magazine when you came back. He told you to change your clothes and pack up and he would tell Pietro and Wanda that he was getting you out of their hair. You ended up rolling your eyes at him when you thought that he was no longer looking at you. 

Wanda had asked him if that was Natasha’s sister after you left. He questioned the woman and she had just told him that it was intuition. Bucky called her a witch and she shrugged her shoulders and smiled. 

You came back to the lobby about fifteen minutes later with wet hair and a small bag. Bucky raised an eye at you before remembering that you were quite literally on the run from Hydra.

He told you to follow behind him on the way to the clubhouse. By now the sun was setting and the look on your face before they had rolled out of the parking lot he could tell that you were tired. Tired of working a double shift or tired of being on the road, he was unsure. 

You followed quietly behind him, Bucky had to look back every once in a while to make sure that you were still there. He had made it this far and he did not want to lose you now that he was so close. 

By the time you had both made it back to the clubhouse, he could tell that you were barely awake. He offered to take your bag and you did not even put up a fight, just nodded your head and held it out for him. 

You followed him into the clubhouse, waking up slightly from the lights and looking around.

He saw the look in your eyes the exact moment you saw her. Your eyes had started to water. 

“Natalia?”

Taglist: @vicmc624 @emmabarnes

[crayonfears]

My friend and I discussed this so we need your help 🙏 What do you think of the idea of Han Seo and Han Seok switching roles because I once read a fic like that and was really interested in it. We discussed about how different they relationship would be and how that it would affect they future? And we thought about how they canon character would react of each other because damn my friend physically assaulted me 💀 when I said that I want to see a psycho Han Seok and a psycho Han Seo in a room together 🤩 or how a normal Han Seok and a normal Han Seo would react to each other? I’m sorry if this question is a little boring but it’s really interesting If you think about it 🥲 like always patiently waiting for your response 💕 (and your fics :) btw my friend said hey 👋😂

hi there, friend(s)! sorry it took me so long to reply, i've been busy ;; i really appreciate these stray kids memes you keep putting in the ask haha always brings a smile to my face 😂

this is actually a very interesting question! at first i thought you meant role switch like sibling role, ie. han seo being older and han seok the younger one. i think that could be very interesting too because personally i think han seo, the way he was portrayed in canon, could fit very well as an older brother, and likewise, han seok has that youthfulness, that insolence to him that you'd find in a younger kid. besides, the dynamic would be so fucked with han seok manipulating and controlling his big brother, don't you think? it's absolutely delicious hehe

other role switch as you mentioned, psycho han seo/normal han seok, or two psychos and two normals - all so good too. for two psychos, imagine han seok seeing that spark of something in han seo's eyes the moment they first met on that hunting trip. their father doesn't know yet, but han seok does; he does because he has that spark too. maybe han seo does things without realizing - being too cruel with the neighbor's dog; the stray animals coming into their yard, and he never feels guilty, especially so with han seok there encouraging him on. they'd be a goddamn power house when they grow up too hehe. so very into the idea of han seo doing the murders when they were young, han seok watching, han seok telling him they should take trophies (the watches) and han seok being caught because of it, never implicating his darling dongsaeng ("keep out legacy alive when i'm away, yeah, dongsaeng? hyung'll be back real soon."). thinking about han seo straight up planning to murder vincenzo without asking for permission first because he thinks it's right. he's not so afraid of what his brother might do to him - learning about consequences is never his forte.

for two normals, personally i think han seok without his psycho is pretty boring. like that's the spice of his character, but if i must. i'd say them fussing over the taboo of their relationship can be fun. angsty but fun. them knowing it's wrong but can't really help themselves. them coming back to the other at every turn - maybe even cheating on their current partner because the high they get from each other is something they cannot keep themselves from wanting hehe.

for psycho han seo and normal han seok... hmm. idk if han seo would be the abusive type - he was only ever imitating his brother in canon. maybe han seok could teach him to be "normal". get him to act right so he won't be sent away; won't raise any suspicions. han seok doesn't want them to part - doesn't think han seo would be able to fare much without him. the codependency would be absolutely insane here. with han seok thinking he has a responsibility with his baby brother and han seo looking up to him because he's older, he must be right all the time. thinking about han seo slipping sometimes, getting himself bloody from a fight, from something more and han seok's always there to patch him up, make things right. "your mom asked me to take care of you. i don't want to break my promise to her. let hyung take care of you, alright?" i am insane now hahaha

[hopefulromances]

maybe kind of angsty? but "Opening up about trauma/past negative experiences", i've been thinking about how jamie would react with the other person also having an alcoholic / abusive parent, if he would "relax" because they can identify with his experience, or would he recoil because of his own trauma

TW: Talk of abuse, drunkness, angst

You stared at your phone. The voicemail notification was taunting you. It was a call from a number you hadn't heard from in a long time, one you thought you'd never hear from again. Knowing Jamie would be home in a few minutes, you wanted to get this over with before he got him. He didn't need to deal with this, he already had enough going on in his life.

Hestitantly, you pressed play on the voicemail.

"Hi (Y/N), it's your mum. I know we haven't talked in a while and I understand why. I just... I wanted you to know that I've been going to meetings and working on getting better. I've heard about you and you're doing... god, you're doing so well, darling. I just want to talk. Give me a call back. Love you."

You hadn't realized you were crying until a splash of a teardrop hit the phone. It'd been years. Years since the argument that sent you fleeing from her house, vowing never to talk to her again.

"Babe?" Jamie's voice surprised you by how close he was. How long had he been in the room? Had he heard the voice mail? You frantically started to get up, wiping at your tears to try and hide them.

"Hey, Jamie!" You walked over to him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "How was training?"

You tried to walk past him but he grabbed you by your arms and forced you to stay in front of him. "Are you crying?"

You let out a fake laugh. "What? No! No, just my allergies you know how I get."

He stared at you. Damn this man. He could see right through you. You bit your lip, willing yourself not to cry anymore.

"I just... I got a call from my mum," you explained, looking down.

"Your mum?" he echoed, cocking his head. You didn't talk much about your mother. Bad memories.

"Yeah... she... she wants to see me," you said lamely. "And I haven't seen her in probably ten years."

A few minutes later you were sitting at the kitchen table with Jamie bringing you a cup of your favorite tea. He sat across from you giving you space but still having his hand on the table for you to grab if need be.

"The last time I saw my mom... she was drunk. Growing up, since my dad died, she was always drunk. But I learned how to manage. But this one day, I was... 15 I think? I just snapped. I was tired of it. Of her.. ridicule, telling me I wasn't pretty like she was when she was my age. That I was a slut everytime I tried to leave the house. How I wouldn't amount to anything."

You closed your eyes, remembering the insults that she'd hurled at me. A jealous mother, wishing she could be her child. "So I left, and I never looked back. And now she's calling me. Telling me she's changed that she wants to see me, and I dont... I don't know what to do."

Jamie stared at you as he tried to understand his own emotions. His own father had managed to slither his way back into his life once he got famous and squeeze him for every good thing he had. No way he was going to let someone do that to the woman he loved. He scooched his chair over, awkwardly loudly, so he was sitting next to you.

Hesitantly, he brought his arm around you and as soon as you felt him, you buried yourself in him.

"Whatever you do or don't do. If you want to see her, great, if not, also great. I'm here. I'll make sure she doesn't hurt you." He told you firmly, keeping you wrapped up in his arms. "I'll make sure no one ever hurts you again.

[danmeiconfession]

See. The thing with SJ is he's a lot more closely related to the other MXTX main characters than SY himself. SJ worst deeds to the people really were all rumors or misunderstandings because those deeds specifically were him trying to do good and the world sort of fucked him over. When it comes to the cycle of abuse I don't factor SY in at all because why I should I he's essentializing an outsider roleplaying a character he got everyone to fall backwards for. He isn't in the equations he didn't do the abuse SJ did. Personally, I think it's a low bar to compare SY and SJ simply because one is obsessed and the other unbothered and uninterested. I mean that SY doesn't view these as genuine real people as he sees only himself and Binghe his idol as important and the rest as fodders. He views himself sorta like he wants plotpoint in PIDIW to happen only he not be taken center stage as the villain. Let's be real for a second, any person in the modern world have better ethics and morals than in PIDIW altogether because of the setting they live in why should we compare Shen Yuan who is lower than average when it comes to being good to Shen jiu in a setting where it normal to whip your disciples and not be called out for it as abuse because it's the norm.

Like what praise is there when it's a low bar to start with.

 SJ was a victim of harassment, physical assault, and social and verbal bullying for years when he was a disciple in CQ. LQG was compliant in letting his fellow disciples physically attack SJ throughout their disciple years, YQY was an enabler to both SJ and the others who spread rumors about him, SJ himself was isolated on Qing Jing, and both Qi Qingqi and Liu Qingge did not give SJ the respect he, as their senior, deserved. Also, the previous Peak Lords were enablers as well, considering they never set anyone straight about their behavior.

You all can easily say what SJ did wasn't right I'd fucking agree but look where they live do they have proper services for victims like him. He is a highly scarred trauma victim reacting and acting like a traumatized individual who never received treatment, received only continual stigma and abuse, was gaslit and isolated by everyone around him, and condemned as sinister, scheming, evil, lecherous, and immoral largely because he wasn't acting nice enough by their standards (again, trauma victim displaying traumatized behavior). Does he not deserve compassion because he acts like a real trauma victim rather than a fictionalized fantasy version of a trauma victim who is just sad and timid instead of realistically angry and defensive?

This poor man life was utter shit what peace did he get it. It sucks he took it out on created a bigger monster but damn I'd fucking blacken and kill myself for even less if I lived even a part of that life.

I'm not surprised they like SY more and it's funny because a lot of the shit they accuse him of being a rich spoiled it's SY right here. Like it kind of fit the memo SJ didn't really belong in the upperclass because he can't hide from his past he can't hide his scars and the way he fights dirty to survive because it's a part of him. But SY can he fits the bill well because he was a rich millennial kid with no additional baggage why wouldn't they choose him am I right (sarcastic) ?

.

[midnightkens]

i keep these longings locked

CW: Implied alcoholism, implied abuse, toxic parents

The bar is already bustling with activity by the time Colt decides to enter.

It's just after dusk on a Thursday, but that doesn't mean much in Los Angeles. Colt's eyes scan the room for an empty seat at the bar. He can't remember the last time he went to a bar alone. Loneliness creeps over him as he watches the other patrons, all accompanied by others. Any of his own friends would've come; it's a lively karaoke bar, and none of them have ever passed up a night of drinks and karaoke. But he feels raw and exposed; one wrong move and he may completely unravel.

Visits from his parents tend to do that.

He locks eyes with an empty seat and makes a beeline for it, ignoring the twinges in his back. Stress, he's learned, causes chronic pain flare ups. It doesn't matter that he actively tries to manage it. He dealt with his family for a week, and now he's paying the price.

Colt's drawn out of his brooding by the bartender trying to get his attention. Colt blinks and sits up. "Sorry. What were you saying?"

The bartender doesn't even react. He deals with drunk people every night; surely this interaction doesn't even rank in his Top Ten Worst Bar Interactions. "What can I get you?"

"Gin and tonic. Thanks."

Belatedly, Colt remembers that it's his father's drink of choice. Parts of his childhood flash in front of him, his father passed out on the sofa, his mother ignoring him, his older sister desperately trying to shield a six-year-old Colt from all of it. Colt's never properly unpacked his childhood. After all, why would he have to? His parents come for their annual visit, they play happy family for five days, and Colt can return to pretending like they don't exist.

The weeks after, though, are always the hardest.

The bartender places Colt's drink in front of him, and he takes it with a quiet, "Thank you." He takes a small sip.

"Colton," his mother huffs. Colt is six-years-old, and he and Dad are supposed to go to a baseball game. "Your father's sick. I already told you, you're not going."

But Dad's not sick. He never is. "He's not sick! He's not even home-"

"Colton! I already told you, you're not going! God, get out of my damn sight."

Colt blinks the memory away and puts the glass back on the bar. He won't be drinking the rest of it.

There's a man at the karaoke machine now. Colt can just hear him over the crowd, and he tenses. Drunk guys always pick the weirdest songs, or the most stereotypical. If he has to hear Margaritaville one more time, he'll combust.

Only the man doesn't sing Margaritaville. Doesn't sing Love Shack, I Want It That Way, or Sweet Caroline. Colt turns to face the man, eyes wide.

His eyes widen as soon as he locks eyes with the man singing Guilty As Sin?.

It's rare that men publicly admit to liking Taylor Swift. He's been roasted for crying over her music far too many times to count. The man has a deep, almost raspy voice. Colt licks his lips. He hasn't been with a man in a long time, but raspy voices do something to him.

He's also extremely attractive. His hair falls in short, golden-blond waves, and his eyes are an electric shade of blue. He's not as muscular as Colt, but he's toned, and his smile as he meets Colt's eyes is crooked and -

Wait.

Hot blond guy is looking at him.

Without ever touching his skin, how can I be guilty as sin?

The other man smirks at him, and Colt raises an eyebrow. We're playing that game, huh? Okay. He reaches for his drink and takes a sip, keeping his eyes fixed on the man in front of him. The man dances in places as he sings, and Colt grins. He has a way of captivating an audience, of commanding attention. Colt wonders if it's all natural, or is he doing it on purpose?

The song ends, and the man is met with eager applause. Colt joins in and stands. Might as well shoot his shot now, right?

The singer slips away from him, but Colt finds him at a table. His head is in his hands, and he's surrounded by two women and one man. Shit. Does this guy have a boyfriend?

The other man's voice gets louder. "He was, like, the hottest guy I've ever seen and I wanted to go up to him, but what if he thinks I'm weird, and - "

"Ken." A woman with long blonde hair reaches over and grabs his hand sympathetically. "Come on. Stop doing this to yourself. You'll never know unless you actually try!"

"I know, but..."

It sounds like he's single. Good. Colt squares his shoulders and approaches the table. The two women and the man look at him eagerly, and Colt is pretty sure the blonde woman kicks her friend under the table.

"Ouch! Barb, what the fu-Oh." The man - Ken? - bites his lip nervously, looking everywhere but at Colt. "Um. Hi."

"Hi." He's pretty when he's flustered. There's a flush creeping up his neck. "You sounded awesome."

The man's eyes widen in surprise, and he gestures to the seat next to him. "Um, thanks. Wanna sit?"

Colt doesn't hesitate. The other man smells like lavender. "I'm Colt."

"Ken."

So he heard correctly. Colt grins. "Hi, Ken."

The others leave, the blonde woman giving Ken a thumbs up as she goes. Ken squirms in his seat and averts his gaze. "You think I sounded good, huh?"

"Uh, yeah!" Colt all but bounces in his seat. "It's Taylor Swift. You know how many men I've heard sing Taylor Swift? None."

Ken brightens and looks Colt in the eye at last. God, his eyes are so pretty. "Dude! Same! I cried to All Too Well the other day - the ten minute version, duh - and I was being hardcore judged! By my own family! They don't get it, I swear."

"I get it!" Colt gives Ken a dopey grin. He's a goner already. Fuck. "Except it wasn't my family who roasted me."

Ken winces sympathetically. "Lemme guess. Ex? That's rough." He reaches for his drink - Colt doesn't know what it is, but it looks sweet - and clinks his glass on Colt's. "Been there. Buuuut....That means you're single?"

Ken looks away and raises an eyebrow, trying to appear disinterested. Colt leans back and smirks. "Depends on who's asking."

Why did Colt originally come in here again?

He doesn't remember, but Ken gives him a devilish grin, and suddenly it doesn't matter anymore.