#(he's seemingly dependant on his fans trusting and loving him)

[graysoncritic]

A (Negative) Analysis of Tom Taylor's Nightwing Run - Introduction

Introduction Who is Dick Grayson? What Went Wrong? Dick's Characterization What Went Wrong? Barbara Gordon What Went Wrong? Bludhaven (Part 1, Part 2) What Went Wrong? Melinda Lin Grayson What Went Wrong? Bea Bennett What Went Wrong? Villains Conclusion Bibliography

I want to start this essay by admitting I’m actually embarrassed by its length. Why did I spend so much time on something I dislike? The truth is, I did not begin this with the intention of creating such an extensive, formal study of the Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo’s Nightwing run and how it reflects the wider problems with DC’s handling of one of their most iconic characters. I was just trying to organize the thoughts that came up during discussions with other Dick Grayson fans. Before I knew it, I had enough material, enough desire to challenge myself, and enough frustrations to vent to properly create this monstrosity.

I did not begin this Nightwing run determined to hate it. In fact, I was ready to love it. As Taylor promoted the run before the first issue was officially released, I was so excited for it. As I read short interviews where he discussed Heartless, I could not wait to have a new, incredible villain. Foolishly, I believed Taylor when he said he loved Dick Grayson. 

Needless to say, I was disappointed. Then frustrated. Then angry. The beginning of any story is a period where writer and reader form an indirect bond, and as the story progresses, so do the highs and the lows of said relationship. As such, a reader’s tolerance for negative factors will either increase or decrease depending on their experience up until that point.

In other words, if the writer fails to earn the reader’s trust and instead takes their attention for granted, even seemingly insignificant details become irritating in a way they would not be if presented in a better story. In such scenarios, the reader can no longer overlook those minor moments because there’s little good to balance them out with. It is a death by a thousand cuts. 

In the case of Taylor and Redondo’s run, along with those thousand cuts are also broken bones, internal bleeding, head trauma, and severed limbs. A weak plot, simplistic morality that undermines the story’s stated themes, and, most importantly, a careless disregard for Dick Grayson and everything he stands for utterly destroyed my enjoyment of this series. 

It is still too early to tell what sort of impact Taylor’s (as of time of writing, still unfinished) run will have on Dick Grayson’s future portrayals. But just because we cannot predict its long term significance, it does not mean we cannot critique it. Currently, we simply lack the benefit of hindsight. 

If this essay were to have a thesis, then it is this: Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo’s Nightwing not only fails to tell a compelling Nightwing story, but it also exemplifies a cynical, self-serving, and shallow approach to storytelling that prioritizes creating hollow viral moments to boost the creators’ own online popularity over crafting a good story, honoring the character in their care, and respecting his fans – fans who have, historically, often been women, queer folk, and other individuals who felt othered by a cisheteronormative patriarchal society. Taylor and Redondo’s thoughtless and superficial narrative not only undermine the socially progressive ideals they supposedly care for by propagating a cisheteronormative patriarchal worldview, but they also demonstrate a lack of love and understanding for the character in their care. At best, Taylor and Redondo have no interest in getting to know Dick Grayson, nor any respect for their predecessor and their contributions to this character. At worst, they despise Dick so much that they wish to reinvent him into something completely different, tossing away everything that was special to his fans in order to appeal to a readership that never cared about Dick Grayson. 

I structured this essay so that, hopefully, each part will build on the ones that came prior. Naturally, because all aspects of a story are interlaced, there will be overlaps between each of the sections. As it may have become obvious from this introduction, I’ll be focusing primarily on the writing of this run. That is not to say that I will not address the art, but writing is the field I know most about, and so it feels only fair to focus my critique on that. 

I hope that by the end of this essay, I will have successfully proved that this run’s mishandling of different narrative elements betray a cynical appropriation of progressive ideology and a disregard and disinterest in what makes Dick Grayson so special to so many people. This is an attitude that is present within DC Comics’ current ethos as a whole.

Now, who is this essay for? Honestly, it’s probably not for Tom Taylor fans. I do not believe I’ll be persuading anyone with my writing, and, to be quite honest, neither would I say I wish to do so. Taylor and Redondo’s run has won numerous awards and has many dedicated fans who adore it for what it is. If that is you, then I’m glad. I wish I could be among your numbers. I wish more than anything that I could love this story. But I do not, and I know many others agree with me, and it is to them, I think, that I’m speaking to. As Taylor’s run is praised to heaven and back, I needed a safe space to voice my thoughts. This essay became this safe space. And to others who also feel unseen by the constant praise this run is getting, I think this could speak to you, as well. To be cliche and cringe, this will hopefully let you know that you are not alone. 

Finally, I want to acknowledge some people whose thoughts greatly contributed to the creation of this essay. For around three years now I’ve been having wonderful interactions with other Dick Grayson’s fans, and those discussions were not only incredibly fun and cathartic, but also provided great insight into what needed to be included in this essay. My best friend especially gave me a space to vent when I got frustrated, and my original outline borrowed a lot from the messages I sent her, as well as notes I took for our discussions.  

I’ll also be directly quoting four different Dick Grayson fans (identified as Dick Grayson Fans A, B, and C in order to allow them to keep their anonymity). Their analyses were so critical to the formation of my thesis and for a lot of what will be addressed in this essay that I actually feel like they deserve co-credit in this essay. Dick Grayson Fan B especially deserves a shoutout in helping me track down a couple of pages used as supporting evidence, as I knew what pages I was looking for but was having a hard time remembering in which issue they were located. I’m quoting them with permission, and crediting their ideas and contributions whenever relevant. 

Now, without any further ado, let’s get started. 

[justsomeoneintoomanyfandoms]

could get some thing cute just some cute with my top 4 tokoyo debunerk boys haku towa leo and tagia

Hi! Thank you for your request! Sorry it took so long. I really enjoyed writing these! I hope you like the headcanons!

Fandom: Tokyo Debunker

Characters: Haku Kusanagi, Towa Otonashi, Leo Kurosagi, Taiga Hoshibami x gn! Reader (separate)

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Just some cute general headcanons with some of the Tokyo Debunker boys.

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Haku has a different pet name for you seemingly every time you catch up. He’s a big fan of the classics though so dears, loves, and sweeties might show up more often than others.

He’s definitely a gift giver. He has both the eye for things and the money to support it as well so you’ll be sure to get lots of well thought out presents.

Please give this man flowers! He would be head over heels and would do everything in his power to keep them alive as long as possible.

He would also love to do skincare routines with you. He finds them relaxing and enjoys getting to spend some quality time with you.

Towa headbuts you to show affection, much like a cat. He’s usually pretty good at gauging how much force he’s using but sometimes you’ll have him plow his head into your shoulder.

In a similar fashion, he’s a big fan of getting headpats. He prefers if they’re coming from you but if someone like Haru tries to give him headpats, he’s not going to say no.

This might be either cute or creepy, depending on what you think but I think Towa would come and visit you at night so you can talk together. He doesn’t get the chance often so he’s making the most of it.

It’s a known fact that Towa likes giving you flowers. But I think he’s got some crow-like tendencies as well. So you’re getting a whole collection of random objects dropped on your doorstep or into your hands.

You can honestly get Leo to do pretty much anything. Sure he’s going to protest but he’s pretty open minded. Got a viral dance you want to try? Sure. Want him to dress up? Yeah, he can do that.

Despite the impression he gives out, Leo’s surprisingly bad at expressing his feelings. He’s so used to keeping up a facade that it’s only around people he really trusts, like you and Sho that he can be himself.

So when you start seeing him expressing genuine emotions, you know he’s also showing you how much he cares about you.

When he knows your relationship is serious, he’s also giving you his phone password. It’s the biggest display of trust he can think of and really goes to show how much he cares about you.

Cute and Taiga don’t really go together. But there are some things he does that could probably be classified as cute. Like remembering your name even when he forgets everyone else’s.

He also likes leaving presents for you to find. Sometimes they’re expensive pieces of jewellery. Other times they’re squashed bugs. You never really know what you’re going to find…

He’ll also let you get away with more than others, especially when it comes to the casino or himself.

He actually finds your hugs really comforting and they help bring him back when he’s too far gone. They’re not a failsafe and sometimes it doesn’t work fully but it’s something.

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Hey, did you enjoy this? If you like my writing, please consider donating to my Ko-Fi page! This will allow me to make some money off my writing, something I enjoy doing.

ko-fi.com/justsomeoneintoomanyfandoms

Important Note: Please only donate if you are financially able to. If you are currently in a position where you can't donate, a like, comment or reblog will mean just as much.

[eyecan02]

Possible Future Payoffs for Charlastor

This post is meant to hopefully raise the spirits of Charlastors. As we all know, Chaggie is supposed to get a "sexy song" in season 2. It's honestly not surprising but I'll be honest. They could show 20-25 minutes of Charlie and Vaggie having the raunchiest, freakish, loudest sex and I would still rather watch another 3 minute Charlastor touch-a-thon similar to episode 7.

Chaggie getting a sexy song or them being all over each other will not convince me that there's chemistry until Vaggie fixes her co-dependency issues. To me, Charlastor has the more natural chemistry and they'll definitely be getting more scenes together too judging by the line, "She's filled with potential I could guide.:

It's clear they'll be spending more time together as mentor and student. Also, since Alastor needs to maintain Charlie's trust, I'm willing to bet that Charlie is the one that Alastor confides in with his Vox falling out story, and maybe even with his human back story as well.

They don't need to be having sex or have a "sexy duet" in order to show they have chemistry/are intimate. Trust can be a very intimate thing too- literally baring their soul to someone, especially to someone who has been described before as Alastor's "mirror".

Charlastor doesn't have to be endgame in order to have a payoff. A payoff can take on many forms. Here's a few good ones I can see happening. Alastor standing up to Eve/Lilith (after Charlie frees him) by saying the only one he has loyalty for is Charlie, before kneeling before Charlie and calling her his Queen!

A different payoff could be a mutual Charlastor hug where Alastor tells Charlie, "You don't know how dear you are to me." One hand is shown cradling the back of Charlie's head, lying his cheek on the crown of her head while his other arm is wrapped around her waist.

Another payoff could even be one brief kiss. Call me delulu but I think one kiss for the fans could actually happen. Picture it being at a time where Chaggie is briefly broken up and there's a moment before a seemingly hopeless battle where Alastor briefly pecks Charlie's lips to bring her out of a worried/depressed rambling and says, "Forgive me, dear. I've always wanted to try that...with you in particular." -cups her cheek- "Even if all seems lost, I've taught you how to properly wield a smile so let's go forth and turn the tides in this battle. Together."

Be as delulu as you want or keep your expectations very low. I kept mine extremely low for season 1, and look how much we feasted in two episodes plus the hug we got in the finale.

I still can't help but get excited for season 2, though, especially if we keep Amir's interview in mind where an interviewer asked him, "Who is the one person Alastor would do anything for?" Amir of course said that he couldn't answer.

Someone on Twitter (will never call it X) replied with, "He can't say because he knows the fans will go nuts." Amir replied with, "Yes." The first people that come to mind would be his mother and Niffty, but Alastor being a momma's boy and him being "charmed" by Niffty are public knowledge so it can't be referring to either of them. If it were one of them, Amir wouldn't be so cryptic. He would just admit it's one of them if it were one of them but I highly doubt it.

It's an answer that would make fans go "nuts". I'm detecting a note of shippiness. I'm willing to bet that the answer is Charlie. I think Alastor really loves Charlie in his own way and he's determined to prove himself as her friend, mentor, confidante, possibly future advisor and as her "steadfast chum hotelier" for reasons that are more complicated than it simply being that it's because he's leashed and following someone else's orders.

[immortalmsmoon]

Hello:) I just discovered into your in blog and I love your work of persona I hope you don't mind me requesting even after you just drop a post :')

Akira and Goro (separated!) Going to some formal party w Fem!s/o and they got separated later in the party when he is trying to find her he sees her with a girl who was flirting with his s/o and his s/o is oblivious to that even tho the girl is holding her arm and pressing herself to her she thinks it's all friendly talk but the girl is trying to hint she wants a relationship with her that is more then friends and s/o not getting the hint and how will he going to react seeing this sight?

Sorry of it's bit to much or you don't understand that request:')

Have a nice day :3

What A Flirt!

Akira Kurusu and Goro Akechi

A/N: thank you so much for the request, and sorry i got to it so late! i hope you enjoy it!

Warnings: mentions of third semester in Akechi's, other than that, nothing!

Word Count: 830

Akira Kurusu~

he's trying his very best to stay calm.

He can see that your uncomfortable so he tries to get to you as fast as possible

Honestly his reaction depends on his mood

if he's in a bad mood, or is maybe a little less confident with himself, he is quick to take his place beside you, his arm wrapping around your waist.

he chats with you, completely ignoring the person who was trying to flirt with you

if the person finds the courage to speak up, he sends them a death glare. seriously, if looks could kill this person would be 6 feet under

showers you in affection afterwards, and pouts if you don't return his affection :(

if he's in a good mood, and confident (most of the time), then he strides over to you, pressing a kiss to your cheek before politely telling the person bothering you that the two of you are together and you are NOT looking for a partner

kind of a gentlemen about it ngl

Even with that silver mask adoring your face, Akira could still tell that it was you. You stood out to him, even in a room full of masked faces.

The two of you had been invited to a masquerade ball, and you were both incredibly excited to go, to the point that the two of you decided to match outfits.

you looked so gorgeous, that even the person beside you seemed in awe.

the person beside you....

at first, he continues on with what he was doing, gathering drinks for the two of you. He trusts you...its not like you would prefer this girl over him, right?

the slight moment of hesitance has him glancing back over to you, only to see your awkward smile, and the women pressed up against you, with her arms wrapped around your arm.

that's all it takes for Akira swiftly walk over to your side, eyeing the girl who was chatting up a storm with you, before gently yanking the arms of the women off you. he turns to you, pressing a kiss to your cheek. You giggle, pressing one to his cheek in return.

the women beside you cleared her throat, obviously embarrassed. Akira raised an eyebrow, daring them to say anything. The women gulped, before turning away, face burning.

Akira turned back to you, flashing you his charming smile and enjoying your attention that was now only on him.

Goro Akechi~

his response also depends on his mood, and also which version of him your dealing with (before or after 3rd semester)

if your with Akechi before 3rd Semester, then he puts up his princely facade and deals with it in a responsible manner, cheerfully letting the person know that you have a partner.

appears seemingly out of no where

his charming smile puts them at ease

does tell them off in a condescending way about touching things that don't belong to them

not a big fan of PDA, but he will rest one of his hands on your lower back, and occasionally he will lean down to press a kiss to your cheek or whisper something in your ear

3rd semester Akechi is a whole other deal

even more condescending and patronizing

he makes them feel TERRIBLE, and then smiles about it

acts the same way PDA wise, but allows a smirk to rest on his face, and is kind of a tease, whispering about how adorable you are

either way, he stops this person before they can get close enough to touch you

Akechi finally had a break from work.

it had been weeks since the two of you were able to truly spend time together, so he figured a date between the two of you would be perfect. he let you choose.

thats how the two of you ended up at an outdoor ice rink, his brown jacket wrapped tightly around him as the cold nipped at him.

His scarf was wrapped around your neck, and he couldn't help but think how cute you looked, the scarf nestled up against your soft pink cheeks.

he looked away for a second, going over to put on his own skates, before standing back up and searching around to find you. it didn't take long.

You were skating slowly beside another girl, and Akechi tried to think nothing of it, until he saw a flirty smirk cross the girls face, and saw them slowly moving closer to you.

he got over as fast as he could without looking weird, coming up between you and the other girl just before she could come to close to you. he turned to the girl, asking if the two of you new each other. when you said no, he introduced himself, stating quite clearly that the two of you were together. she got the hint, and made up a quick excuse before leaving the two of you alone.

he reached for your hand, and the smiled. Finally the two of you could have some alone time.

[amalthea-13]

Octavia: Sequel and Final Post

Introduction

Hello all, Amalthea here! Yes, the Ultimate Stolas Kinnie has returned to right my wrongs and re-articulate my points in my last poorly worded post!

None of this is an attack on Via, but more so just discussing other points about her!

Both Stolas and Via fans better behave!!

Fans Saying Octavia Doesn't Hate Stolas

When Octavia defends Stolas, I need you all to understand it does NOT mean that she doesn't "hate" him. Speaking from personal experience, I would defend my parent during the divorce but still hated their guts for what they did to my family.

For many people like Octavia and myself, we feel an obligation to our family, but that doesn't mean we cannot hold anger or grudges against them for how they have wronged us.

The reason I do not like how the fandom uses this point as a "oh she doesn't hate him!" is because it kind of dismisses Octavia's feelings.

While yes I do not agree with her and I have made that stance very clear, she is in a place with a lot of big emotions and should be allowed to "hate" Stolas. Even if the fandom doesn't like it.

Divorce is messy, especially when children are involved. Octavia is going through a lot and therefore it shouldn't be expected that she just "doesn't hate Stolas". She clearly hates his guts right now and that's just how it is at the moment even if it ain't the desired result.

Octavia's Relatonship with Stolas's Abuse

Since my Stolas, Via, and Loo Loo Land post I had mentioned my issue with Octavia seemingly being unbothered by her parents and how Stella acts.

However, thanks to individuals in my comments (shout out to @neurospiczzzziee in that regard) I realize that Octavia isn't used to this because she WANTS to be. Initially I read this scene as her lacking empathy for Stolas. As any person I have biases for Stolas and have shown in the past that I deeply care about him and his well being.

But the dynamic here isn't JUST damaging for him, it is INCREDIBLY damaging for Via to the point she is walking by this shit like NOTHING is going on.

She is completely tuning out Stella's abuse and anger. While Stolas is taking the brunt of it.

Speculation wise, this makes me believe Octavia can sound her mother out DUE to Stolas taking the abuse for her. That's what he states during The Circus and it does make me question the dynamics of the home depending on Stolas keeping Stella's mood at bay.

it would explain why Octavia is seemingly "unaffected" (using that word VERY loosely), and can walk by like NOTHING is happening. She knows Stolas will take whatever for her sake and that's some real trust between a father and his child in a chaotic home.

Speaking from my experience and from my fractured memories, I remember when my parents argued that I could walk by or chill in my room purely because I knew they would deal with one another. I didn't have to step in.

Octavia is exercising the same level of trust in her father.

Conclusion

I'm really hoping I did better this time around! I tried my best to articulate my thoughts and be a bit more well rounded for ya'll. Don't worry I made sure to read it over a few times so I don't look dumb or come off cruel/unfair again. I always want to be at my best for you all! I love you all so much!

Toodles! Amalthea Out!

[enbyleighlines]

FE Twitter has been sharing their Hot Takes regarding all the possible paired endings in Radiant Dawn, so I thought I’d do that, too. I’ll go top to bottom, left to right, and rank each pairing out of 5.

Micaiah/Sothe: 4.5/5

Controversial opinion, but I like this pairing! I know it’s Problematic™️ because of the pseudo-incest, but as far as I’m concerned, this pairing is downright tame according to Fire Emblem standards. Plus I just like their interactions. I like that Sothe is like the only person that Micaiah gets all snarky with. I like that Micaiah gets so irrationally jealous over Sothe interacting with or mentioning anyone who isn’t her. Usually Micaiah is just the picture perfect heroine: virtuous, soft-spoken, self-sacrificial, compassionate. But with Sothe, Micaiah allows herself to be jealous and petty, and I love that.

Ike/Ranulf: 4.5/5

Wonderful pairing! Honestly, I only deducted points because, if you choose to go for the Ike/Ranulf paired ending, it locks the player out of some really cool content in the final chapters. I really wish Ike was allowed to have both paired endings. As much as I love Ike/Soren, I also adore how fun and flirtatious Ike and Ranulf’s interactions can be. Ike is usually such a serious person, but Ranulf helps to bring out Ike’s sense of humor, showing us a side of Ike we don’t see otherwise. The chemistry between the two of them is so good.

Ike/Soren: 5/5

The OTP. Perfection in every way. Some people complain that they’re too co-dependent, but damn, isn’t that the appeal? They’re literally the definition of soulmates. And it’s not one-sided, Ike needs Soren as much as Soren needs Ike. They’re a powerful duo, sharing similar values while also complementing one another. Ike is action-oriented and thinks of the big picture, forever striving towards what he wants to achieve. Soren is detail-oriented, and carefully considers every option. The trust between them is so strong. And even then, their relationship isn’t perfect. The arc they go through together, especially in PoR, is so bittersweet. Grief, past trauma, and new revelations put a strain on their friendship, causing Soren to become distant, and Ike frequently mentions it to anyone who will listen. In fact, if you don’t do all three Ike/Soren support conversations, then that plot thread just seemingly resolves itself off-screen, which I have always found funny. Even the game wants you to pair them together.

Jill/Haar: 0/5

The worst paired ending in Tellius. Haar is like twice her age and also long-time friends with Jill’s dad. Haar probably knew Jill when she was in diapers. Moving on…

Astrid/Makalov: 0.5/5

If their paired ending didn’t explicitly state that Makalov never changed his ways, then this pairing might not be so bad. I can sort of understand the appeal of a couple where one person is hated by everyone and the other is the one person who believes in them, but… as it is, it just serves to paint Astrid as a moron for consistently putting up with Makalov’s crap.

Leanne/Naesala: 4.5/5

Very cute pairing! I love that they were childhood friends, and I love that Naesala has a soft spot for her. I love that Leanne is the only person who can see how much Naesala is suffering. And I love that, for all her sweet and naive nature, Leanne has a weakness for bad boys. It’s not too surprising, once you translate all her dialogue. Leanne can be very sassy! Reyson isn’t the only royal heron with a rebellious streak. Just a great pairing all around.

Mist/Boyd: 5/5

I’ll admit, I am a big fan of this pairing. I just love the three brothers, and their role in the Greil Mercs, and that includes the unique dynamic between Mist and Boyd! It’s established from the first chapter of PoR that Boyd’s love language is dunking on people. He’s the perfect encapsulation of 2000’s teens, just constantly trying to bond with people through sick burns. It’s a good thing that Boyd is surrounded by people who are excellent at throwing shade right back at him. But no one is as good at it as Mist. Mist dunks on Boyd like she’s getting paid to do it. Their constant back-and-forth is so fun. And yet, even with all their bickering, it’s still made clear that Boyd and Mist care a lot about one another. I love them so much.

Elincia/Geoffrey: 3.5/5

I honestly don’t have strong feelings about this pairing, but it is perfectly wholesome and cute. I like that Geoffrey is normally pretty calm and capable, but he becomes a worrywart when it comes to Elincia’s safety. He does have some good malewife potential, ngl. And so yeah, Geoffrey is kinda boring, but he makes Elincia happy, and Elincia deserves to be happy.

Lucia/Bastian: 1.5/5

Now, I do like that their relationship isn’t explicitly romantic. Their paired ending specifically mentions Lucia having a continuous “affair” with Bastian, which suggests a more friends with benefits situation. However, I’m still not a fan, especially with the way their dynamic in-game seems to be Bastian just trying to wear Lucia down like a self-proclaimed nice guy who complains about being friendzoned. I mean, he’s more classy about it, but still. Lucia deserves better.

So yeah! That’s my final ranking on every paired ending in Radiant Dawn. To end this post, I’m just gonna list some ships that I think should have gotten a paired ending:

Tibarn/Reyson

Nailah/Rafiel

Oscar/Kieran

Sigrun/Tanith

Micaiah/Pelleas

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk!

[macchiatosdumptruck]

it's intriguing to me how people view the Fandom with the differences of the show being your first entry to the Fandom vs the movies. For me personally the movies were mine. The first karate kid movie was mine. My family rented the movie from Blockbusters and I loved it! Especially considering I was a lonely kid who was being bullied like Daniel, more so because I was a girl with autism and had a single mom(with taste for asshole boyfriends). So I related to both Daniel and Allie when dealing with an asshole guy like Johnny Lawrence. And when the movies would come on ABC family, I'd binge the series all the time. I loved it. So guess I'm kinda bias . It's funny/ironic when I first heard about Cobra kai, I was like who would want to watch a show about the asshole bully from first karate kid movie? The show has its good points and potential. But over all I guess I know why I'm so critical to Ck. The first karate kid movie is always in my head you know.

Yeah, it's interesting, because my first interaction was with the fandom, tbh. Then the show, then the movies.

Depending on how you are introduced to it really affects any sort of bias. It's not a surprise to me that many Daniel critical fans are fans of only the show, which has a bad habit of minimizing Johnny's actions from the first movie in an attempt to humanize him, and exaggerating Daniel's negative traits in an attempt to make things more morally grey.

Which, Ive said before they didn't need to do. A character doesn't need to have done only good things to be interesting or worth following. To have sympathy for. But it's something I see a lot of lately. With the way people consume media now I see less and less nuanced takes, or well meaning intellectual discussions, it's all about who's better, depending on whose favorite character is better.

It's as if certain writers don't trust audiences to be able to make their own decisions and opinions on the characters. Like people need to be told, "this person is good" or "this person is bad."

And the quickest way of doing that is to place them opposite someone and compare. Which is why it seems they tried to make Daniel a bit less likeable in the first season.

That's how we get takes like "Daniel is secretly rascist and a class traitor" where he does anything objectionable because someone has to be wrong for the other to be right.

For Johnny to be likable Daniel had to be unlikable, which is just blatantly untrue. But it's that sort of thinking that has led to reframing the original conflict. Reframing it as a rivalry.

Bullying is wrong. That's not a hot take.

A character can do something wrong and still be complex. We don't need to erase the wrongdoing.

What Johnny did was wrong. That doesn't mean that he as a character is bad, or that he can't learn or move on. There is a really quick moment towards the end where he seems to really respect Daniel, "you're alright LaRusso" and realize that he had been acting inappropriately that they have seemingly cut from canon? That is crazy because that is the entire basis for the show for me.

Knowing nothing of the movies and only interacting with fandom made me shocked when I watched the first movie due to truly how brutal it was. Because instead of "here's the pov of the antagonist" I was led to believe that "he actually wasn't the antagonist at all " and that's blatantly incorrect when you look at the movie.

And, yes, a large part of why he acted the way he did was because he was under the influence of Kreese, who has now become the ultimate antagonist for the series, but that doesn't mean he wasn't hurtful in his own right.

Many fans have spoken about how seasons one and two were their favorite for his character because I feel like those were the seasons that showed him as an actual person. They allowed him to admit when he fucked up. He still fucked up, tbh. But then they also allowed him to learn from that. In his own, slow, stubborn way. It made him feel like an actual person worth getting to know. It made viewers excited to see him take steps towards accountability.

And then the show got more popular, especially with certain types of fans, (known in online spaces as cobros) and that stopped. ( But also with some fans who seemed less interested in the characters as themselves and more for the possible shipping potential. Who, yes, I have noticed, are usually younger.)

It shifted to "he actually never did anything wrong to begin with."

Which then shifted to "if you acknowledge his wrongdoings you don't actually like the character and you're a bad fan."

And I understand because it's easy to get defensive when someone is being critical of a character you love.

The show was never meant to undo the movies. They are a series. You can choose to interact with only one of them, but as it stands they should be seen side by side. And originally, the trilogy had been meant to be the only source of canon. Hell, originally, before they knew what a hit it would be, only the first movie was meant to be canon.

Anyways, it's all led to some pretty childish infighting that has pitting fans of characters against one another.

[eggothefan]

Thinking about Loser's first elimination compared to his second and I'm sad

[pansy-picnics]

how did unknighted dream react to varian coming out/bringing home hugo lol

LMAOOO OK so this is one of my favorite things ever solely bc theres SO MANY different ways it can go and literally all of them are fucking gold

i feel like they always knew varian was Not Straight. im a big fan of the idea that varian transitions after qfad and has a big mental breakdown haircut when his dad gets trapped and considering his feelings towards both eugene and cass i think it was always this unspoken thing all of them knew about. rapunzel and eugene however were obviously Not expecting him to bring home a whole ass boyfriend

of course varian wrote tons of letters home so they both heard everything about the new friends he was making, but varian was insistent on not telling them ANYTHING about his crush because god knows how rapunzel would react if she found out about That. she was suspicious when he came back for the light trial but decided to keep her mouth shut until they were all finished with their work there

i love rapunzel and eugene being super supportive but also a Little protective. and its not really anything to do with anything hugo’s done, they’re all about second chances after all but they’re obviously not ready to see their baby brother grow up so fast. ive seen a lot of fics where one or both of them are very defensive and suspicious towards hugo and it ends with a VERY yummy confrontation from varian where he tells them they need to learn that he’s an adult now and is able to make his own choices and they have to be okay with that. but the route of them being so excited and supportive that it ends up being overbearing is also super funny and in character

i think rapunzel at first would be super excited varian is finding love, and very welcoming towards hugo on a surface level- but as time goes on the tiniest things start to make her paranoid, and she worries a lot about varian getting hurt in some way. cue her snooping around a lot just to make sure he’s okay, varian eventually confronting her about it and her apologizing and promising to recognize varian’s maturity and be more accepting of his choices.

when rapunzel actually starts to see hugo on a deeper level she starts to recognize a lot of his similarities to varian, eugene, and especially herself, and she’s now basically like “oh ok!!! new baby brother!! :)”

she then tries to be a lot more welcoming towards hugo, trying to help him settle into the castle without being too overbearing. of course from hugo’s perspective her seemingly constant mood swings make him very hesitant to trust her, but eventually through varian the two are able to bond and find a lot of common ground

eugene on the other hand is fun bc he’s way more versatile and it can go a LOT of different ways depending on how they’re introduced or how their past together is established. i love the idea of him basically becoming Cass 2.0 and being super overprotective of varian but i also like to imagine he’s mostly just so hostile towards hugo bc he recognizes so much of his younger self and is Cringing about it (he would literally NEVER admit it though). like he’s like “i cannot STAND that kid he always acts so cocky and like he’s sooo much better than me” and cass is like “lmao yeah right? he’s exactly like you when you first came here” and eugene’s just “😐”

anyways they’re best friends (they literally cant stand each other)

no they do start to get along eventually though and i have so many thoughts about the potential friendship between the former thieves, lance hugo and eugene would be SUCH a dynamic and this fandom is sleeping on it fr

and then theres cass. GOD cass is my favorite in this situation by far bc shes way more logical and is like the only grounding force between rapunzel and eugene. new dream are the overemotional parents/older siblings in this situation and cass is like. the wine aunt.

bc see cass already ran into varian at some point during his journey and has already processed most of these changes ahead of time. she already recognized how much varian had matured and how much this trip had changed him. and most importantly she recognized what was going on between him and hugo a Long time ago and literally Did Not Care

in fact cass’s main concern is literally just that she thinks hugo is annoying. its not like she’s suspicious of him at all bc she fully trusts varians judgement and also knows varian is capable of handling himself. she’s aware that varian clearly saw something in hugo and chose him for a reason. she just doesn’t like him solely out of personal bias

cass doesn’t straight up tell raps and eugene what the problem is because she knows they need to hear it from varian more than anything but she does try to kind of push them in that direction. she reminds them like “hey maybe you should try to give the kid more credit. i think he knows what he’s doing” yk that kind of thing.

ironically enough though hugo is WAY more scared of her than he is of anyone else. shes like on the same level as quirin on his list of threats which is hilarious because they are the main 2 people who have like, basically nothing against him

hugo: so is this the part where you tell me you’ll kill me if i hurt varian

cass: ? what?? oh no that bitch is fully capable of killing you himself if he wanted to

hugo: …….yeah thats fair actually.

[apocalypticgargoyle]

I read the edgy!karl, I’ve just finished reading the alt!dream, WHEN IS GEORGE GONNA BE NEXT 😩😩

*cracks knuckles* the hcs that everyone has provided me with has hella prepped me and I'm ready. this is dedicated to 🍭 anon, whose fanart always steals my entire heart. i love u babe

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐌𝐄. ᶤ 𝐩𝐮𝐧𝐤!𝐠𝐧𝐟

± pairings: punk!Georgenotfound x fm!reader

± word count: ~3300

± warnings: smut (18+), language, tattoo work, sadism, pain kink (if you squint), domination, mentions of needles, asphyxiation

song recommendation: Cent Fois by Alice et Moi

George’s mind wandered to his curiosity of the shop across from his tattoo parlor; bright neon signs advertising the local psychic. It was a stark contrast to the dark, wet city housing the businesses. Each night he locked up, he found himself standing on the other edge of the street, staring at the signs and draperies peeking from behind the glass windows and considering shedding his skeptical nature just for one night.

While your business was alluring in and of itself, his true draw to the place came after he had spotted you moving into the apartments above. Your clean appearance completely juxtaposed the business you ran. In his opinion, all natural healers and psychics were born scam artists only focused on the quickest way to pinch a penny.

Yet day after day, he found himself having to tear his eyes from your business just to get home or he would actually venture inside. He was rather subtle about his fascination when it came to his co-workers and regular customers, but each day he prayed you would wander in, requesting some kind of tattoo in a place hidden from outside eyes.

A place he’d like to see again in a less professional setting.

You flipped the textbook page after finishing your paragraph, highlighting a date you were looking for before leaning towards your notebook and scribbling down the fact. You gnawed on the end of your pen absent-mindedly, positive you still didn’t know what your professor had been rattling off about in class a few hours prior. Your sights drifted up to the incense burning across the store from you, the stick on its last few centimeters of wood as the smoke went stale.

You chew on the inside of your cheek, debating if you should light another or wait until morning. You capped your marker and stretched your back, the bell over the door letting out a telling chime as a man peeked in.

You leaned over the counter, closing your books. “Good evening! Welcome to After Life. Can I help you find anything?” You rambled, your mind flashing to the sheet of paper tucked into the frame of your bathroom mirror so you didn’t forget the basics of customer service.

The man stepped further into your view, stuffing his fists in his jean pockets as he walked closer in a cautious motion. His dark t-shirt advertised a band you had vaguely heard of, but couldn’t think of a song even if your life depended on it. What really drew your attention were his tattooed arms; branches from a grand tree twisting every which direction to peek out from beneath his sleeves; bright floral designs and litters of birds decorating the dark wood limbs. You bit back a smile at the small mushroom tattoo near his wrist that seemed to be out of place.

The laces of his Chuck Taylors grazed the floor before he was standing in the middle of your store, looking around briefly. “I actually co-own the parlor across the street. I realized I never welcomed you officially,” he stated, hints of nervousness reflecting in his tone. His accent was calming and husky from the season change.

At the mention of the tattooist across the street, your memory flashed to the various walks of life that found themselves in your store after getting work done. You also thought of the fact that you had seen the man before you break up fights in the street stretching between your properties. The tall muscular people seemed to have no effect on him as he’d pull them apart like school children on the playground.

You pushed your books further to the side. “Oh yeah, that’s right! I should have come over and introduced myself, so don’t worry about it,” you eased, swatting the air of his comment.

He chuckled softly before reality seemed to snap into his head, making him step forward and extend a hand to you. “I’m George, by the way,” he introduced. You took his hand, muttering your own name and hoping your attention span would hold for long enough that he would be entered into your long-term memory.

His hand was calloused in yours, something that you wondered came with the job or if he was some kind of carpenter in a past life of his. You gently pulled his hand closer to you, slipping your hold out of his to look at his palm. He tittered nervously, peering at the flesh with you. Your finger traced along the mounts in his hand, finding Jupiter to be the most prominent. “That checks out,” you mumbled to yourself, nodding softly.

His eyebrows perked up. “What? Am… Am I gonna meet a tall dark stranger and take a trip across the sea?” He joked, making you smile as you looked at his Sun line.

“I didn’t peg you as an Outlander fan,” you chided.

His brows flattened for a moment, chewing the inside of his lip and playing with his snake bite piercings. You found it hard to look away from him. “Honestly, I wasn’t. A girl I was fooling around with really liked it. I don’t know…” he trailed off, making you giggle.

Your nail grazed along his heart line. “You guys were just fooling around?” You quirked, eyes meeting his. His expression narrowed smugly as if urging you to continue. “Your heart line begins below your index finger. You’re not the fooling around type.” He let out a snort. “You fall in love easily too.”

He sighed with a slight sparkle in his eyes as he looked at you. You couldn’t tell if he was amazed or mocking you again. “Well, yeah. That’s…” He paused with a swallow, biting back a grin as if he was uncomfortable, but didn’t retract his hand from you. “... That’s why we’re not anymore,” he admitted. He leaned his elbows on the counter as you sat in your chair. “What else does it say?”

Your lips curled into a soft smirk, his curious eyes trailing over your face as if to watch your brain work. “You have a fire element hand which indicates that you’re confident and passionate. Maybe a bit cocky sometimes,” you teased, making him chuckle with you. You could feel his eyes on you, sending heat to your cheeks as you tried not to focus on the mount of Venus under your touch.

You wanted to ask him about his sexual indulgences, mainly because of the prevalence of Venus in his palm. “You have a mount in Jupiter, which means you’re a natural leader, and rather dominant.” You looked up at him again, watching as he bit back a smirk, seemingly understanding the subtle innuendos behind your statements.

George seemed to have some kind of effect on you, your thoughts clouding with the idea of what his snake bites would feel like against your lips. He smelled like cigarette smoke, but there was no discoloration to his skin to suggest he was the one smoking. He watched you through the hair threatening to dangle over his eyes, his gaze hinting at an attraction he had for you below his collected form. “Go on,” he murmured, voice soft and wispy as the space between the two of you seemed to warm.

You made a conscious effort to keep your sultry thoughts at bay as your thumb brushed over the area you had been avoiding telling him about. “You’re driven by desire,” you answered, voice barely above a whisper. “You’re… very in touch with your sexuality and you thrive on your indulgences.”

You couldn’t help but meet his eyes, the dark irises swimming with some kind of cocky smugness at what you had just told him. He pulled away from you, gently standing up. Part of you wished the counter between the two of you would vanish just so you could be pressed up against George at the mercy of his driven mind. “I feel it's only fair I tattoo you now,” he quipped, making your eyebrows raise. Your confidence shriveled yet you swore you wouldn’t let him know that fact.

You chewed on your lip, looking up at him with a hint of suspicion. “Oh, I’ve never been tattooed,” you avowed, voice carrying the slightest bit of your coaxing nature.

He smirked. “I’ll take care of you, I promise,” he cajoled, teeth playing at his piercings again as you were sure he was already undressing you with his eyes. “You read me, I’d like to do the same.”

And how could you refuse such an appealing offer?

You leaned back on your elbows, your skin sticking to the leather chair beneath you as you watched him pull back his hair, elastic band dangling from his white teeth. Despite securing back his locks, bits of his bangs still hung over his forehead. You liked the interior of his parlor, maybe because it was only the two of you.

George began to fill small caps of dark ink. “I think you should get some crystals in here,” you teased, making him smirk. “I could hook you up.”

“What, like a salt lamp?” He joked, pulling on a pair of dark plastic gloves.

You snorted, lying back and looking up at the ceiling. “It might be good. Lighten the place up a bit.” George swiveled his chair closer to you muttering some kind of line about only getting them from you, but his words fell silent on your ears as his hand pushed up your shirt. You were silently thanking whatever divine force above for swaying you towards slinkier lingerie earlier that morning.

You knew he could see the lacy edges of your bra by the way his eyes nonchalantly flashed up to you before laying out his template on your ribs. You could feel hints of his warm breath against your skin as he studied it. “You can look at it if you want,” he stated.

You shook your head, wanting him close to you as long as he could be. “I trust you,” you muttered, your eyes meeting his again. His tongue pressed against his cheek as he struggled not to smile at your statement. He had promised to cover a small scar for you and by the way he explained it, you were ready to be in his hands. You wet your lips as he adjusted the speed on his tattoo gun. “Will this hurt?” You asked, tucking one of your arms behind your head.

The look of unadulterated lust that he gave you made your toes want to curl. “Probably a bit. It feels good sometimes, though,” he answered. He came closer to you, resting his forearm on your stomach to angle himself in the right position. At the feeling of his skin pressed against yours, you swore your body was on fire. It took everything in your power not to moan. It could have been the adrenaline pulsing through your veins, but his soft breath and the anticipation of the needle made you feel like a junky. “I’ll be gentle, darling,” he leered, his accent muddy and low. He let the needles drag against your skin and you bit your lip, trying not to hiss at the pain. His eyes met yours. “See, not bad.”

You let out a breathy wheeze. “Shut up, you sadist,” you quipped, his chuckle coming out rather roguish as he focused on the work in front of him. Your nerves were more focused on the way George’s hands were barely caressing your body as if teasing and hinting at what he could do to you.

You drew in a sharp breath as he hit a particularly sensitive spot. “Shhh shh. It’ll be over soon,” he cooed, his voice sending goosebumps spreading across your body as his lips tugged into a light smirk. By your palm reading, you knew he was enjoying having this much control over you.

Part of you found it almost torture when George would look at you with soft and lusty eyes for merely a second before his gaze jutted back down to his work, murmuring soft praises about how well you were taking the pain. You would go under the needle anytime he asked, just to receive the sultry treatment he gave.

He was so close, you could have driven your fingers into his dark hair if you wanted. “How did you get this scar?” He asked, cleaning off some of the ink before continuing.

“A knife fight,” you answered without missing a beat, making him scoff. “Actually, I fell into my grandma’s glass table one time. My cousin was teaching me the Electric Slide,” you corrected, making him laugh, shaking his head slightly as he filled in a spot.

He let his tongue dart across his lips. “That’s so cute. Did you ever get it figured out?” To this you shook your head, the both of you laughing. You let out a groan as the needle dug into another area on your ribs, the sound making his eyes dart up to you. He leaned off of you, slipping one of his gloves off. “Wanna hold my hand, sweetheart?” He joked, but you took his offer, squeezing his hand in yours when it got painful enough. You held it close to your chest, hoping he would feel your heartbeat quicken each time he looked at you.

As he finished up his work, his thumb brushed against your hand absent-mindedly. You could tell by the way he gripped your hand as well that he enjoyed that the tattoo hurt you. Most of your mind was excited by how easily he was stirred up by you, while the rest was completely unsurprised and even threatened to bite out that he was a cliché.

When he was finally satisfied, he cleaned you up and stuck on a SecondSkin, biting back a grin at his work as he pulled you up by the hand he was holding onto you with. You couldn’t help but smile at how excited you were to see, swinging your legs over the side of his hair and walking towards his mirror. You held your shirt up, chewing on your bottom lip as you grinned at the ink. George rested a hand beside the mirror, watching you beam at his work.

All of his lines were flawless, your scar completely disappearing within his shading. You’d pitched the idea of an ode to the Creation of Adam. While it was cliche, what better to fit in the space below your breast and give George the impression that you were cultured. Yet you told him he could do whatever he wanted to it, resulting in one of the hands resembling a skeleton and the other holding a sucker. As you praised him, he shrugged off your comments, murmuring about it being his pleasure. He reached out his free hand, letting his thumb smooth over one of the edges of this bandage, which brought you closer to him.

Your cheeks warmed at the close proximity to him as his eyes grazed over your body before meeting your own. His hand moved from the bandage to your back. You leaned on your toes, pressing your lips to his. The tension between the two of you dissipated as he hungrily reacted, pulling you against him and savoring your moans as his tongue slipped into your mouth.

George’s hands moved down your body, swiftly hooking around your thighs and wrapping your legs around his waist to bring you back to his chair. Your hands moved into his hair, letting it loose and wrapping the band around your wrist. The leather was cold as your back pressed to it. George leaned back to pull his shirt over his head, revealing more of the tree painting the expanses of his skin.

If you weren’t so eager to be touched by him, you’d be studying the work of art.

As his lips met yours again, you ground your hips against his, eliciting a moan to vibrate through his chest. You raked your nails down his back, trying to further draw out reactions from him as his hands attentively played with the lace of your bra, fingers ghosting over the skin pressing against the cups.

His lips left yours only to travel the length of your jaw and inch his way toward your waistband. Your pants were discarded with a swift tug from him before he pulled your thighs flush against his, grinding his hips against yours, hands gripping onto your sides to keep you in place. You tilted your head back, relishing in the friction as your body screamed to finally feel him take advantage of you.

You reached between the two of you, tugging at his zipper as your hunger for him escalated. His tongue flattened against your collarbone before his teeth pressed into your skin. You could feel his arousal through his jeans at the sound of your whimpering.

He pumped himself in his hand before pressing into you, the feeling of him inside of you making your head spin as if you were on some kind of ecstasy. Your moan came out needy and desperate as he thrust into you, gripping the edge of the leather seat as his breath hummed against your skin. Your fingers threaded into his hair, raking your nails down his neck as he groaned in your ear at the feeling.

One of his hands grasped your wrists together, pinning them above your head while the other wrapped around your throat. His eyes burned into yours as he leaned back, leaning his weight on your wrists and squeezing your throat, the lack of oxygen making each of your senses more heightened as he pounded into you.

Your moans of George’s name were grated as they slipped through your mouth, his relentless pace and intense hold nearly making you drool from the stimulation. By the practice of his actions, you wondered how long he had been stewing on demolishing you in this way.

He loosened his grip on your neck, leaning down to press his lips against yours, dragging his teeth along your bottom lip just to hear you groan from the rough action. You rolled your hips against his, letting him slow his pace to reach deeper within you. A sadistic grin spread across his face as he rubbed a thumb across your cheek, wiping away the makeup smudging around your eyes from his antics and the heat between the two of you.

He pressed his lips to your neck, wrapping his hand around the edge of the chair again to drive himself into you, the new angle muddling your mind and vision as your body ached to come undone. You sank your nails into his back, earning his low, raspy whispers of your name.

At his praises, you came, tugging on his hair as he bit into your shoulder again, basking in the feeling of you clenching around him.

The next day, George stretched his shoulders, peering through the front window of his shop. His mind sparked with the feeling of your legs around his waist and the softness of your skin beneath his fingertips. He could practically hear you whimpering his name in his ears as he went back to touching up a fading tattoo on his friend’s arm.

“OW, George,” Clay rumbled, thigh flinching at the jab from George.

George snorted, his mind still on the high he got from your pure trust in him as you laid out on his chair. “I’ll give you something to bitch about,” George grumbled, releasing just how gentle he was during your tattoo. The way your voice got soft and quiet when he rolled over a spot that was rather tender already would most definitely be a guilty pleasure of his.

Clay barked at him again as George jerked his hand, fulfilling his promise. “I’VE BEEN NICE TO YOU ALL MORNING.”

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[object-show-analysis]

Sketchpad: a full behavior analysis

Alrighty so this last part of The Nightly Manor sure was a big one. So I figured I’d stay ahead of the game for once and talk about something that I personally found very interesting that part 4 really expanded on.

(Before I start this I would like to say for the record that Sketchpad canonically uses all pronouns, however to avoid confusion I will only be using the pronouns that they use to refer to him in the show, which are he/him)

Sketchpad was always played as the joke character of The Nightly Manor and I really did love seeing this new side to him. Especially because it went in depth as to Why he acts like a joke character.

When Sketchpad is introduced, it’s obvious that he’s not taking things as seriously as everyone else. Our first example of this is when Speaker is seemingly knocked unconscious, and Sketchpad shows little to no concern (asking if he’s ok in a bright and cheery tone, before walking away with no intent to help) Then, when the room shakes, he’s the only one who shows no concern, and he barely shows anything more than mild confusion when the floor disappears from beneath them.

But this is basic cartoon hijinx. It’s nothing too notable until the first death happens.

Now; when Speaker tells Sketchpad that Ring’s body has been found, he doesn’t seem to shaken either. But this behavior makes sense, as they’re both detectives. They both acknowledge that it’s a bad thing, but don’t show as much horror as someone without their work experience would.

The thing that stands out is Sketchpad’s reaction after he sees the body for himself

Despite showing visual concern, he nonchalantly references Recovery Centers, (which, as anyone who follows this blog should know, is a common object show trope.)

Now, Sketchpad will later establish that he is an object show fan (despite being in one himself) as he discusses Woody from Battle For Dream Island, which provides context for this scene. But it was very clearly not an appropriate response, just as it wouldn’t be in real life, as Tophat is horrified by what Sketchpad says.

Even afterwards, while Sketchpad is with the biggest suspect for the murder at the time (Spraypaint) he continues to make jokes and tries to keep a fun atmosphere. He continues this behavior up until the very end when he sees his own partner’s dead body.

So clearly when it comes to topics that should be taken seriously, Sketchpad brushes them all off. He keeps a smile on his face no matter what. This behavior continues into part 4

Even after the loss of his friend, Sketchpad drags Tophat along on a silly trip to the store, steals a ton of things and holds onto a belief that he can magically bring Speaker and GPS back to life. (However I must say the fact that Sketchpad’s *only* goal is to bring back Speaker and GPS and never once mentions bringing back the other people that died in the manor is very interesting on its own) Even when the plan doesn’t work, he stays positive, keeping an “at least [something bad] didn’t happen!” attitude no matter how bad things get.

But as we all know, that’s not the full story.

This is where part 4 makes things Really interesting.

Because all of those times in which Sketchpad was keeping things light despite the scary situation, he was around other people.

When he’s alone, it’s a lot different.

Sketchpad is plagued with nightmares about Speaker, as we see in the opening scene to part 4. When he wakes, we see how sad he is about Speaker’s death. He looks longingly at pictures of his partner. He’s far different than he has been in the past.

It’s from here that there’s seems to be a pattern of Sketchpad changing behavior depending on who he’s around.

When he’s next to Tophat, he’s still cheery and looks on the bright side. He keeps his sadness to himself. He even lies about his job, saying he’s still on the investigation team even though he either quits or gets fired at the beginning of the episode.

But he quickly changes his behavior whenever he’s alone, and we see him make a conscious effort to hide his grief, as he checks to make sure Tophat isn’t around before pulling out the picture of Speaker.

So we know this is how Sketchpad behaves. But Why. Why does he put on this positive front. Why does he pretend to be happy when he’s very clearly hurting.

Well it seems very clear to me its part of his inability to let go of Speaker.

At the end of the episode Sketchpad admits that the very concept of keeping a smile on your face no matter what the situation was taught to him by Speaker

Sketchpad clearly cared about and trusted Speaker a lot. He says himself that he learned so much from Speaker, including his positivity. It’s his connection to Speaker that moves him to take such innocent advice to such extremes.

The Nightly Manor Part 4 was all about holding on to those who you’re grieving. Sketchpad could not let go of Speaker, and the things that Speaker taught him.

For Sketchpad, part of letting go is going to be learning that sometimes it’s ok to hurt. Being open an honest with Tophat was the first step to that. He allows himself to grieve and accept that Speaker is never coming back. He’s finally moving on, just as Tophat is.

The way part 4 dealt with grief and holding on to those you love was exceptional. And I’m super glad that I have the chance to discuss all of the subtle details regarding Sketchpad and his grief.

[saintaemond]

Hi, since you seem to be quite the Alys/Aemond fan, I want to share with you some hints in the show that I feel I have discovered in regards to Alys and Aemond’s relationship.

Aemond may have been fond of Helaena, a dreamer. So, I’m not a shipper towards these two, though I don’t have anything against it, so hopefully nobody comes after me, but lemme just say something. I think Aemond did admire/love his sister at one point as a child and wanted to be the one betrothed to her. I think this because of that casting call leak that was shared on Reddit where it accurately described Aemond, but also mentioned that he loved his sister as a child. It’s odd, but in a house where your own mother betroths your two older siblings, I wouldn’t completely put it past little Aemond. He clearly defends Helaena against Aegon and seems to watch her with curiosity, even as she speaks prophecies. She also seems a bit connected to him, knowing he’s gonna lose an eye, and seemingly relaxing in her body language when he’s around. She even stands way nearer to him during the coronation, and he watches her carefully when Jace dances with her. Now, I think this could also just be sibling love and trust, which would still work anyway. Even if little Aemond liked little Helaena, but abandoned such feelings for the sake of duty later on, he is still linked to her regardless. A key element to all of this is Helaena being a dreamer…seeing “much and more.” Many shippers take this detail and often say that it could mean Alys will be cut and Helaena will take her place as Aemond’s love interest. I disagree. I think it’s quite the opposite. They are hinting that Aemond is drawn to dreamers, ones who are considered odd or strange. That’s Alys. If little Aemond was intrigued by Helaena and liked her, even in spite of her unusual gifts and behavior, then I imagine when he meets Alys, we will not share the same disdain and suspicion that the historians clearly held for the “evil witch” Alys Rivers. Aemond will understand her, and perhaps even be drawn in. End of hint one.

Hint two is that strangely placed brothel scene in episode 9. I’m going to be honest, that scene feels so unnecessary in the grand scheme of things based on how Aegon is eventually found. Aemond and Criston make no progress. Aemond tries looking for Aegon at one brothel and then basically gives up mentally, gets lost in the city, and finds Aegon by chance after wandering for who knows how long. So, what was the point of that brothel scene if not to develop Aemond in some way? Or hint at an issue he has? Because that’s what it did. We learned that he’s basically repulsed by sexual promiscuity in complete contrast to his brother, who started that distaste when he took Aemond to a brothel on his thirteenth birthday. It’s clear that this was a nasty, uncomfortable experience for Aemond, who thought as a child that his big brother just wanted him to learn about something important and necessary for the sake of education. It humanizes Aemond further and adds to his story, but I think there’s also a hint here about Alys. The woman he is implied to have had…a bad experience with, is clearly a much older lady. Literally a motherly-type. I don’t think it’s a coincidence, and I think they have set up a particularly vulnerability in Aemond’s character that would potentially balance out the power difference between him and Alys. He may be the one that descends on her home with the dragon, but on a more intimate level, she would possibly have the upper hand because of her age. Now, it could be creepy or it could be good. It depends on where the writers go. If they want Alys to manipulate Aemond, then they’ll utilize his childhood sexual trauma, but if they develop the relationship in a more romantic way, they’ll have Alys help him heal in his weak area. It just depends, but I don’t think that brothel scene with the older woman was there for no reason. I also think Criston being there was important because it might be Criston who is suspicious and weary of Alys later on, because of what Aemond revealed to him during that scene. The tension between them on the subject could be what makes the historians think that they were rivals for Alys’s attention. However, I think Cole will simply be concerned for his younger son figure falling for an older woman that could potentially be manipulating him. That would be a fascinating dynamic.

Finally, I think the last hint is Aemond’s casting. I personally don’t think he looks that old, but a lot of people do. They say he looks like the eldest of the three siblings that we’ve seen, and I have to wonder if that was intentional. He’s supposedly 19 as of right now, but if they cast an older actress for Alys…they may want the two to look closer in age, or rather…they don’t want an uncomfortable difference in age between two actors that may have intimate scenes together. They didn’t bother with this for Aegon or Helaena because those two are just already together and we don’t see much of their marriage. Aemond and Alys may end up being a big on-screen relationship, so the actor for Aemond had to have been over 18 at least. I mean, Milly Alcock and Matt Smith were 22 and 40 during their scenes, but Milly looks her age. She looks young, so it looks kinda wrong and weird when they started getting close, like how it looks wrong when Viserys and Alicent have an intimate scene. With Daemon and younger Rhaenyra, it never went anywhere because it still had to be a relevant relationship that fans could enjoy watching at times. Hence why with Emma and Matt? 30 and 40 years of age? They went right for the intimate scenes. If they have an actress closer to 40 for Alys, it’s going to be a bit odd, but if Ewan Mitchell is really 25, while looking older than his siblings, it won’t be as uncomfortable. It’s definitely kinda iffy, but that’s nothing new on this show. Age gaps are a thing, and Aemond/Alys are pretty tame compared to some. But hey, it’s still got some messy elements and honestly, that’s not a bad thing. The more complex it is, the more interesting it will be.

Ok, that’s all I got for now. Sorry for the essay, but lemme know what you think!

HI HELLOO

i do love them! but i know as much as you do.

I just see the potential the pairing have as these two people who are dark, broken and damaged when they meet and in a twist of events, find a mirrored soul in each other, someone that takes them as they are, scars, bad reputation and all 1. I personally don't know if it adds more to the story to include the love triangle theory with Helaena. I would appreciate (1) platonic sibling bond here, for ME personally! But if they do go with this, it still works, I agree. Because once he's on the war path and he meets Alys Rivers, and falls for her, it implies he's finally growing out of those childhood feelings of inadequacy.

When he chooses to be with Alys Rivers it means he's moving on from that Second Son syndrome of wanting what Aegon has always had, and finally chooses a partner that challenges everything he once thought he needed (titles, targ traditions, etc) to prove himself as worthy or better than.

2. Yeah, the brothel scene says a lot about how he did have a bad experience and it just breaks my heart but idk how to guess what it's meant to set up, because they could go in so many different ways.

(This scene also kind of makes the theory that Aegon's children are his seem kind of preposterous to me.) But anyway, I can't know for sure where they're going with it so we'll just have to see.

I think Criston will be wary of her no matter what (love potions theory is so lame i cant) and he'll just want to protect his son from being naive like he was once with Rhaenyra 3. I'm not sure what else to add about the ages for casting but I'm just glad they chose Ewan and whoever is going to be his love interest will have to match that intense energy, so I'm pretty excited to see who it is, holding a prayer vigil every night for that insane chemistry istg

[yandere-mha]

You don't have to write it if you don't want to, but after reading the Hawks and Mirko sharing an SO, I wanted to see what it would be like for yandere! Tamaki and Mirio to share one!

Bro literally anything you could request I will happily do. Just as I do for the lovely @im-here-only-for-yandere-dabi who also made beautiful fanart, you’ve got both got a fan outta me 🙏 Also I’d LOVE doing this because there’s not many poly yandere pairings that (while ever entertaining) would end up being a “productive” pairing, but these two are Different and it’s Refreshing.

ALSO, I do wanna bring up for anyone requesting a multi-pair that I consider “poly pairing” and “shared s/o” to be two different things and the way you word the request may end up changing the results so keep that in mind while requesting (poly means they’re all thirsting each other and shared mean they’re both thirsting you).

TW: KIDNAPPING, ABUSE, UNHEALTHY DYNAMICS, MENTAL ILLNESS, SUICIDE THREAT MENTION.

READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.

Yandere Tamaki and yandere Mirio x shared!reader:

One of the only yandere parings I can see being able to be in the same room with you as each other. They’re already friends with an established, seemingly unbreakable trust in each other while being almost cosmic opposites. 

What’s always been special about these two since the beginning is that, though they’re very different, they use those differences to improve upon their friendship. They admire and acknowledge each other’s strengths while Mirio they encourage each other to improve upon their weaknesses in a positive way. This would also apply for their “business partnership” with you and will probably end up being both good and... bad.

Something that they both have in common is their fierce protectiveness of you and, like two angry dogs, they would feed off of each other’s aggression and bring out a very scary side to both of them that would’ve been hidden from you otherwise. They’ll take their plans of brutal torture into the other room because neither of them want to scare you, but you’ll hear Tamaki’s enraged shrieking reverberate around the house. Though Mirio will almost always successfully get him to Calm His Shit and remind him of the possibility of you hearing him, you don’t need to be a super sleuth to hear that. 

The way that Mirio will always be able to calm Tamaki is through encouragement and validation in a way that only he seems to be able to do. Unlike you, he is more willing to accept these kinds of compliments in a way that almost makes you feel jealous. However... the way Mirio goes about doing this is definitely not conventional. His encouragement is less like “It’s okay dude you don’t have to literally kill her enemies to be worthy of her presence” and more like “We’ll protect y/n... together! I want to make sure they don’t feel that pain anymore too, but I’ll need your help!” 😬

This is why Tamaki becomes so much more visibly enraged around him whenever you get hurt. Before, he would still be unable to control his emotions, but he would feel guilt about “showing the monster” around you. Now that Mirio, someone he admires, is here to be angry along side him and validate his anger, he doesn’t feel nearly as guilty.

A good thing about this though is that one of the biggest drawbacks of being Tamaki’s s/o is his self-hating rants, mental breakdowns from guilt, and suicidal tendencies. However, with Mirio present, stopping this where it started is a lot easier. He just has a way of dealing with him that no one else does.

I don’t want to say whether this is a good or bad thing depending on your needs, but another drawback to Tamaki that would be “remedied” would be the fact that he would almost always keep a safe distance from you and never touch you due to feeling guilty. Mirio, however, is very touchy-feely and you definitely wouldn’t end up being as touch starved and lonely rather than if you were with Tamaki alone. Tamaki wouldn’t feel jealous by this, considering the fact that he thinks of Mirio as almost equal to you in godliness. If he’s the sun then you’re the moon, the night sky, the planet Venus, and all the stars in space. However... I could see this bringing up an issue.

One thing that Tamaki will never tolerate, even from Mirio, is anyone hurting you in any way. Mirio would never hurt you on purpose, but there are times when he gets... too affectionate and forgets his strength. While Tamaki sees you as an angel, Mirio sees you as a victim he needs to protect. Because of this, he’ll feel the need to embrace you as tightly as possible in order to “make you feel safe”. If Mirio breaks a bone by accident, and he will, Tamaki would go ape shit. I could even see him trying to kill him in a blinded rage to fall down on his knees and beg for forgiveness from both of you afterwards, offering to kill himself. Mirio would forgive him, encouraging him as always, but he’d be on edge whenever he entered the room after that, seeing him as a danger to you even though he was the one to break your wrist. Tamaki takes on too much guilt while Mirio doesn’t want to see his own. 

Another upside to them sharing you is that, if you were only with Tamaki, you’d be having to deal with a lot of boredom while, if you were only with Mirio, you’d literally never get a break from him. Tamaki is shy, quiet, and too paranoid of you getting hurt to let you do anything fun while Mirio loves quality time and will actively try to get all three of you to do something stimulating. He’d never have you do anything dangerous per say, but he might make a weekly tradition of you three playing Mario Kart with each other. He’d see it as his two greatest loved ones having fun together rather than a prisoner and an anxious friend being pressured into playing games with him. Due to Mirio now having two separate people to bug for entertainment, you would not have to shoulder all of that responsibility.

I’ve said before that if you feel nauseated by excessive compliments, you will need a barf bucket living with Tamaki, but hooo boy you don’t know pain until you’ve lived with both of them. They’re both very obsessive and very verbal about their affections, so you’re going to be getting that times two. They’ll even agree with each other and compliment each other on their compliments... 🤮

[purplepenntapus]

Rating Versions of Harry Osborn: Updated

Wanted to redo this post with a more comprehensive and inclusive list of Harrys

616 Comics: 

Just such a good and complex character. The OG Harry. His relationship with Peter just adds so much depth to every Green Goblin arc because of the inherent conflict of Peter knowing he needs to take down Norman Osborn, but not wanting to hurt or lose his best friend. (If you’ve read Kindred no you haven’t.) He’s still... ugly... I’m sorry 616 Harry... I love you so much but they did you dirty... Some artists do their best with what they have but... I’m not a big fan of western comic style in general so that doesn’t help. Has three failed marriages by the time he’s 30 because he’s gay and deeply closeted.  8/10

Spider-Man the Animated Series (1994):

The Harry plotline in this show reeeeally doesn’t feel earned, because the first time we see Harry having an active role in the show, he asks Peter to move in with him because Norman wants him to have a responsible studious roommate  (a detail from the comics I was EXTREMELY excited to see play out), and Peter comments that they barely know each other. Ultimately they live together for all of one day before Peter decides to move back in with Aunt May. The next time we see Harry, MJ calls him Peter’s best friend, despite the fact that we haven’t seen Peter hanging out with—or even MENTIONING—Harry since the last episode when they were basically strangers. Really it feels like he’s just there to cause romantic drama as the guy MJ graciously settles for when she gives up on Peter. I found the whole goblin plotline kind of boring and lacking in depth.  3/10

Raimi Trilogy:

I was never interested in Raimi Harry until after I started liking and exploring other versions of Harry, because I just thought he was kinda a shit friend. He’s a pretty strong character overall, but his motivations aren’t as obvious. He’s torn between his love of Peter as his best friend, and his bitterness towards Peter for being the man his father wished he was. I don’t think Raimi Harry really wanted MJ, he just wanted to get back at Peter in a way by taking someone that HE loved. However I feel like his characterization kind of sways back and forth between sympathetic and not depending on how he’s written in the scene, and it disappoints me that the thing that gets him to stop tormenting Peter is the butler telling him out of nowhere that Norman died from his own blade, rather than any real character development on his part. 6/10

Spectacular Spider-Man:

I still haven’t watched all of this show because I... can’t STAND this version of Peter... but I’ve watched many clips with this boy and he’s just... so sweet... He only wants to be loved and keeps getting his heart broken. Deserves better. On everything. He deserves a better father, a better best friend, better love interests, everything. I do really enjoy the way they incorporated 616 Harry’s drug abuse into this show with the Globulin Green, it was a very clever way to incorporate that aspect of his character, but tone it down for younger viewers. I’ve watched the scene of him getting “unmasked” as the Green Goblin about a million times it’s very good. 8/10 

Ultimate Spider-Man:

I love him. Most people fear drifting apart from those close to us, so watching Harry struggle with the new and increasing distance between him and Peter as Peter seemingly makes new, “better” friends is downright heartbreaking. Especially when he overhears Sam implying that Peter only hangs out with him for his money which is something he’s clearly experienced a lot. (Seriously Sam what the fuck.) I also love his struggle with Venom throughout the series as a metaphor for his anger and bitterness, it’s never truly gone even when they work hard to remove it. It’s always there to bubble back up under extreme amounts of stress, especially when Norman is involved. (Also this isn’t a Norman review, but USM Norman is the only version of Norman Osborn that has rights and he works hard to be the father Harry deserves.) Had an honest to God meet-cute with Peter like come on???? Its unfortunate how much they cut back Harry’s role in the third and fourth season, I really would have loved to see more of him. Threw a party specifically so he could ignore Peter to his face because he was jealous and I respect that level of pettiness. 9/10

Spider-Man: The New Animated Series

I didn’t think it was possible to create an uglier Harry than 90s Harry but this blonde, fuck-boy lookin creepass came and proved me wrong. Who the FUCK is this?? Doesn’t have any recognizable characteristics of Harry Osborn besides being rich and hating Spider-Man. Also just... look at him. I wouldn’t trust this man anywhere NEAR my drink at a party. #NotMySon -3/10

The Amazing Spider-Man:

He’s okay. I think he has some very emotional scenes and good chemistry with Peter, but it’s dampened by the fact that he wasn’t present in the first film and had to share the second with like two other main plot lines. Ultimately ends up being the least sympathetic version of Harry Osborn because he became the original Green Goblin and killed Gwen, rather than following in his father’s footsteps. That’s not to say he’s a completely unsympathetic character. He has a strong motivator in his fear of death, and I do think the choice they made for his character were interesting and could have developed really well, but they didn’t get the chance since the franchise was dropped. 5/10

PS4 Spider-Man:

ABSOLUTELY ADORE HIM. WISH WE GOT MORE OF HIM. HAVING YOUR EXPECTATIONS OF HARRY OSBORN BROKEN AS YOU SNEAK AROUND NORMAN’S PENTHOUSE AND LEARN THAT HE’S BEEN SECRETLY STRUGGLING WITH A GENETIC DISEASE HE’S BEEN HIDING FROM HIS BEST FRIENDS FOR YEARS WAS -chef’s kiss- GENIUS. PLEASE GIVE US A SECOND GAME WITH VENOM HARRY. 10/10

Marvel’s Spider-Man (2017):

Still easily my favorite version of Harry Osborn. When I first began watching the show I was startled by their decision to make Harry a science genius like Peter because it was so different from their usual dynamic, and many people who aren’t fans of the show point to this as something they dislike. But I actually ended up really loving the decision. It gives a different flavor to Harry in how he reacts to the events of the show and how we interpret his character traits, while still being very inherently Harry Osborn. Harry is jealous of Peter, he loves him dearly, but there’s always this ember of bitter envy ready to burst into anger whenever the plot creates friction between them. This is one of the defining traits of their relationship and in most versions it’s not hard to understand why. Peter has what Harry wants. He’s intelligent, he has potential, and most importantly he’s loved. Peter is the son Harry knows Norman wishes he had, and that creates a wedge between them. Marvel’s Spider-Man changes this dynamic. Harry can easily stand toe-to-toe with Peter in terms of intelligence, and in fact they often work together to create things or solutions Peter couldn’t have come up with on his own. That initial wedge between them isn’t there, creating a very endearing and loving friendship that we know is doomed to sour because it isn’t enough. MSM Harry could be the person Norman wants him to be, and that places the full weight of his father’s impossibly high expectations on his shoulders, always within reach but never quite achievable. So it makes a lot more sense why Peter initially has a low guard towards Norman (as opposed to some other series where Peter seems oddly dismissive of Harry’s justified complaints) and Harry’s own steadfast loyalty to his father. On the surface Norman seems like a perfectly loving parent, he encourages his son, he created an entire school for him when he was wrongfully accused of sabotage, it’s only when you start to dig deeper into their relationship that you see the subtle manipulations and the issues Harry has from constantly chasing his father’s approval. This creates a Harry who is desperate for validation and extremely sensitive to rejection, which colors his relationship with Peter throughout the show. I’m still mad he got nerfed in the second and third seasons because Disney is homophobic. TLDR: I may be biased ... Infinity/10

MCU:

Where is he? Who knows? Man missing in action.  ?????/10

[ditch-witches]

asa butterfield x reader

request: wasn’t requested, but we wrote this in march and decided to post. we’re opening our inbox to other actors and characters, so feel free to send us a request :)

warnings: mentions of sex (slight), crude language, a family gathering

word count: ~2000

Your grandmother threw open her front door, hair in curlers to match her fuzzy pink slippers. Her face brightened at the sight of you, yet once her eyes fell to Asa it was like you were last year's ham. She nearly hooted in excitement before throwing her arms around him and dragging him inside, Asa’s face furrowing as he looked back at you. You smirked slightly, hanging your jacket on the already full coat tree by the door and kicking off your shoes before meandering through her gigantic house in search of your boyfriend. There were various cousins sprawled out around her living room and hanging out of the archway to the kitchen while watching whatever sport was on TV. 

You furrowed your brows at the group and half of them pointed down the hallway where a round of hollering and an old crackly radio was sounding off. You nodded and moved in the direction they sent you, turning a few corners before going through the sliding glass door in the back, spotting Asa being shown off to several of your uncles from different generations and your older cousins by your small grandmother. You sighed, coming out from behind them and capturing the attention of the group who greeted you with smiles and a few pinches on the arm. The stereotypical conversation questions were thrown around briefly: How is school? How’s the job? Are you hungry? 

Some of the guys were talking to Asa and shaking his hand a ridiculous amount until you finally had enough. “Oma, maybe you should go get ready?” You suggested, finally taking hold of Asa’s arm to pull him from her grasp. She inhaled sharply as if forgetting she was walking around in a housecoat while her guests continued to fill her house. You were sure Asa would already be overwhelmed, him being whisked off was not what you had expected, but he remained smiling, talking to whoever started conversations with him. You couldn’t really believe it but Asa was prospering. 

Before you knew it, the two of you were sat beside each other at a long table of most of your cousins, separate from the massive group of adults, passing food amongst yourself and talking over the polka music that seemed to always be playing from the radio in the living room. You leaned over to Asa as he passed you a basket of rolls. “Are you all right?” You whispered, passing the food again. 

He smiled at you slightly, his icy blue eyes seemingly lighting up even more. “Never better. Relax, okay?” He mumbled, sending you a wink. You hadn’t realized how tensed up you were as you dropped your shoulders at his words. If you weren’t surrounded by family members, you would have kissed him. The meal went on without ripples, listening to how people were doing in school and sitting through several of the members of the family closer to your age tell embarrassing stories about yourself to Asa like it had happened last week, not when you were three and still wearing Garanimals. 

“You’re Asa, right?” One of your middle school aged cousins asked from across the table. She put her chin in her hand, her makeup more intricate than you ever could master. He shook his head hesitantly. “You’re probably so good you don’t use protection. Am I right?” Her almost seductive glance and question made you choke on your water and Asa’s mouth dropped open a bit as the man beside her cackled heavily. 

“Oh, my God,” you breathed. “You can’t say that,” you hissed and she shrugged. 

Her eyes trailed him from across the table. “I don’t hear a ‘no’.” 

You groaned, telling Asa to ignore her through gritted teeth. “You should always use protection,” he answered instead, attempting to hold back his own laugh as you kicked him under the table, sending the man next to her into even greater fits of laughter. 

“Are you staying at oma’s tonight?” Another asked, thankfully one that hadn’t heard the previous topic. 

You chewed on the inside of your cheek, debating if it was too late to get a hotel. “No, I haven’t drawn a card yet…” You mumbled, trying not to alert Asa beside you. 

Your actions were for nothing as he piped up. “What is drawing a card?” 

At his question, several of the cousins attempted to answer at once, urging you to let him be the one to draw this time and you shook your head. “My grandmother has a deck of cards that have locations written on them and whenever there’s a family gathering, you draw a card to figure out where you’re staying. It’s because my dad’s generation all fought over who was staying with Uncle Mike,” you answered, closer to his ear to combat the several voices. “But we should just get a hotel room-” 

“That’s breaking the rules and you know it!” Another cousin yelled, pointing his fork at you. 

You shook your head. “You’re a grown ass man and you still want a shot at staying with Uncle Mike?” You almost snapped, making him shrug. 

“You’re just pissed because you never get it!” He snapped back. 

You shook your head almost dramatically. “What if I didn’t want to stay with Uncle Mike?” 

“Liar!” 

“I like staying with oma!” 

He sent you a sarcastic smile as if to call your bullshit. “Fine then, we’re taking bets on who has to sleep in the tent.” 

You had almost forgotten Asa was there until he piped up. “I have ten on you then,” he quipped and your heart slightly fluttered at him as your cousin pointed to him, leaning over the table aggressively to shake Asa’s hand as the other cousins began saying it was other people. One got up to grab an old pad of paper to take down the bets and you pinched the bridge of your nose between your index finger and thumb. Asa was loving every minute of this. 

After dinner, half of your great uncles were passed out on the couch and your grandmother was shuffling her beat up deck of cards, long past the date it should have been retired. Your heart began to beat slightly, the adrenaline rushing through you as you thought about the bets that were made and the possibility of having to sleep outdoors. You sat on the couch, watching closely as the deck was brought around, shuffled and fanned out for each of the kids. Meanwhile Asa leaned his elbows on his knees, playing Cat’s Cradle with one of your younger cousins. Your leg rested against his as you focused on the cards, maybe it wasn’t the chance that you would have to sleep in a beat up old tent, but rather the rush of competition. So far, most of the spaces in the upper level of your grandma’s house had been taken as well as the spots in your cousin’s. Uncle Mike’s had yet to be completely claimed and the tent still hung in the air. 

The deck came towards you, your grandmother swooping down slightly for the cousin that was entranced by the string game. She drew a card: the top bunk of one of many stacked beds at Uncle Mike’s. Her older brother cheered, knowing that you now had an even bigger chance of getting the tent. The deck was offered to Asa, your grandmother raising an eyebrow. “No, I don’t trust him,” you quickly stated, ignoring his sarcastically hurt expression. The deck was turned to you. “I love you, but you have some of the worst luck.” Your mind raced at what was left and then you realized that Asa would be sleeping with you. Then you prayed to whatever higher being could help you to not give you an upper floor. “We have a lot riding on this,” you muttered as she fanned the cards for you. You drew your card, quickly turning it over and snapping it around towards your cousins who all groaned at the fluent, swirling writing your grandma was known for. 

“Are you kidding!” 

“How?” 

“Fuck! I could have bought a ton of M&M’s with that money.” 

Your grandma whipped around to the last cousin to speak, yanking on his ear quickly and hissing, “Halt deinen Mund!” He put his hands up in defense looking at her with wide eyes and you smirked. 

“Yeah, Halt deinen Mund,” you mocked and she snapped her fingers at you, making you close your mouth quickly before she moved on. You all broke out into a fit of giggles silently, relieved that no one had the tent yet. The one who made the bet with Asa was who you hoped would get it, in all honesty. You finally let out a breath, relaxing completely. 

You snuggled into your seat, crossing your legs and throwing an arm around the section of the back of the couch where Asa was sitting. He leaned back, tucking under your arm slightly, raising an eyebrow in your direction. “And where did we get?” 

You handed him the card. “Oma’s back basement room. There’s a waterbed, but other than that, it’s a win.” 

He chuckled, flipping the card between his long fingers. “That could be fun,” he whispered slightly and you pushed his face away with your hand as he laughed. As the party died down enough that people were heading to their designated spots or out back to set piles of leaves on fire, you and Asa grabbed your bags and headed through the maze of a house to your room for the night and possibly the next. It really depended on how much Asa could actually take of your family. 

Your room was just off the retro bar that was always used around the winter holidays. You thanked whoever was looking out for you up above as you threw your bags down on one of the dated couches and peaked into the newly renovated bathroom. “So, how are you feeling?” You asked, putting your hands on your hips as he slipped his sweater over his head and readjusting his t-shirt. 

“I’m exhausted,” he stated, biting back a wide grin before plopping down into the middle of the bed, it sloshed around under his movements and he giggled slightly before laying back. You perked an eyebrow. “I’m ready. Fuck me on a waterbed,” he jeered, smirking up at you. 

He tucked his arms beneath his head, and you sent him a tilted expression. “You are so strange.”

[mymostimaginaryfriend]

between a heart & a hard place

♛ 5x05: Teresa and James plan the heist (1.9k words; rating T; tags: missing scene, weaponized jazz music, angsty dancing)

➢ read on ao3 or below the cut:

The Van Gogh was beautiful. It was a shame they’d have to cut it from the frame, yet Teresa knew better than most that no beauty survived long in this world without collecting a few scars. So while it was a shame, it wasn't enough to stop her. Indeed, it’d be one of the only decisions she’d been forced to make lately that she wouldn’t lose any sleep over tonight.

Losing Kostya wasn’t an option. The pain of lost beauty was nothing compared to the pain of lost power.

They gathered in the hotel lobby, using the private concert by a semi-famous jazz pianist as cover for some recon. Kelly Anne gamely chatted up the hotel owner while Pote stifled a yawn and nursed his beer. James leaned casually against the bar, seemingly entranced by the music. It was only because she knew him so well that she could see the relaxed demeanor hid a man at work, busy formulating a plan. He hadn’t said much about his time away, but it was hard to believe any of it had involved art heists.

She felt a frisson of worry about putting him in unfamiliar, possibly dangerous territory but she knew better than to underestimate him. It was a lesson she’d learned the first day they’d met.

She followed his gaze to the piano, wondering what he was studying there. Teresa had never thought herself a jazz fan before moving to New Orleans, but it had become the soundtrack of her triumphs and heartaches over the past year. She found herself drawn to the melancholy of it, the soaring heights of a trombone, the plaintive pleas of a piano. Rising, falling, rising again. Even now, each soulful note plucked at her heartstrings with the simple strike of a key.

The song was beautiful, perhaps James was merely getting lost for a moment in the music. He’d said she’d changed and she had, but she wasn’t the only one. When he’d left, there’d been sharp edges, edges that should have been honed to lethal blades by his work with Devon and yet the James who had returned had a softness she was unprepared for. A sort of fragile vulnerability that made her want to shelter it from the wind like a flickering candle flame, to nurture and feed it until it was strong enough to warm her too. Her throat ached at the knowledge of how easily it could be snuffed out.

She’d almost done it herself this past week. It’d hurt to see the light in his eyes dim when he looked at her but that had been what she wanted, hadn't it? This distance between them. If it wasn’t easy, it was necessary. She’d rather let the sun set between them than watch the light in his eyes permanently go out because of her.

Emotional attachments equaled vulnerability. Romantic attachments could get you killed. She had needed someone once and his loss had nearly destroyed her. She felt in her bones she wouldn't be able to survive losing James. If she let him into her heart, his death would take that vital organ with him. For as much as she thought about the future these days, there was a part of her relentlessly certain in the knowledge that they’d never get there. Not in one piece.

That didn’t stop her from wanting to reach out to him though—for comfort, maybe, or reassurance.  Perhaps it was the thought he no longer understood her that hurt the most, that made her want to seek communion with him skin to skin if not soul to soul. But that wouldn’t be fair to him, to push him away then pull him close just because she desperately needed someone—him—to tell her it’d be okay. That it was all worth it. She suspected his silence these last few days was answer enough.

It was for the best. The higher the climb, the longer the fall. She couldn’t afford weakness and neither could he. If he was no longer able to be as ruthless, then she would have to be ruthless enough for the both of them.

The song ended and she turned back to James to find that he wasn’t studying the room anymore. He was studying her, his expression inscrutable.

His gaze, like the silence between them, was heavy with unsaid words, words that might never be spoken at all but most certainly not here in public. Best to get back to business.

“You have a plan?” she asked, grateful that her voice remained steady.

He nodded.

“Walk me through it,” she murmured, eyes drawn back to the painting in question.

“Dance with me.”

Her attention snapped back to his face at his surprise counter offer. She’d expected a cool recitation of information—sight lines, security cameras, escape routes—not a softly uttered invitation to be close to him, to touch him for the first time since that night in New York.

“James,” she began, not sure if she meant it as the prelude to a warning or an apology.

A flash of emotion was quickly smoothed away by his normal mask of professionalism. “Relax,” he said, pushing off the bar. “I just need a reason to be in the northwest quadrant of the room.”

She shot him a questioning look and the corner of his mouth ticked up in muted amusement. “The dance floor,” he clarified, holding out a hand.

Right. Of course. The plan. Just business, just how she wanted it. She ignored Kelly Anne’s double take and took James’ hand, letting him lead her to the far side of the small dance floor.

Once it would have been a simple thing to step into his arms, but as the first few notes of the next song began, she hesitated. He might not recognize the tune, but after being a bar owner in New Orleans for over a year, she sure did.

They’re writing songs of love, but not for me. A lucky star’s above, but not for me.

If he noticed any significance, he hid it well, guiding one of her hands to his shoulder and holding the other against his chest. His other hand found her waist and turned her smoothly in the direction he needed to surveil.

She didn’t speak, letting him work in silence. She tried to concentrate on the people around them, the sound of the piano, the lights of the city beyond the windows, anything but the warmth of his body, not under the usual leather jacket, but the expensive fabric of his suit, his scent of new cologne and old cigarettes as foreign as it was familiar.

After a moment, he pulled her closer, leaning down to murmur near her ear. “We’ll do a smoke bomb, smash and grab. Extract the painting, ditch the van. Travel by motorcycle to the drop-off.”

“We?” Teresa asked, a little breathless. Some not small part of her wished she could watch him in action, especially in the kind of situation when no one was shooting back at them.

“Me,” James corrected. “You’ll be at the rendezvous point with Pote. I’ll use a two-man team—”

“One of the men?” Teresa asked. She trusted the crew that had accompanied her to Berlin to handle security but wasn’t sure who she’d recommend for a job that required the finesse of art theft.

“I know a guy nearby,” James told her and she let out a breath of laughter. Of course he did.

“You know everyone.” She turned to smile up at him but was taken aback by the seriousness of his expression.

“Not everyone.”

His words, or maybe the weight behind them, had her wondering if he was thinking of her.

She had done her best to hide her inner turmoil over the events of the last week. Suppressing her guilt and remorse over turning in Marcel. Hiding any misgivings she had about ordering the hit on the crooked cop with defensiveness or dismissal. She was la Jefa, it would do no good for anyone to see her doubts. So she'd put on strong front but hadn’t realized until now how much she’d depended on James seeing through it.  He always had before.

“You think we made a mistake,” she ventured, allowing space for his answer to clarify what was specifically bothering him the most. Perhaps it was vindictive of her to use “we” but distance or not they were still in this together.

James looked away. “It’s over now.”

“That’s not an answer,” she pressed.

He frowned, hesitating. “I did. I don’t know. You were right, the feds were ready to raid us. Bringing in Gamble would have been their next step.”

It was almost shameful, the intensity of the relief that washed over her at his words. But by James' grim expression, it seemed he grew even more troubled by the admission. 

“But?”

He glanced at her, eyes bleak. “His wife was home. She found him while I was still there.”

Teresa’s heart dropped in her chest. She knew from the news reports that there’d only been one victim that night but looking into James’ eyes she saw that it haunted him. The future that might have been. He’d have killed the wife too if she’d caught him. He’d have killed her for them.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured, letting her hand find the tender skin of his neck and the staccato rhythm of his heart beat. “I’m sorry. But…”

His eyes briefly fluttered shut. “I know.”

If she couldn’t help herself from holding onto him a little tighter, it seemed he welcomed her momentary lapse. His hand sliding to the small of her back to draw her nearer until they were touching the entire lengths of their bodies, their only attempt at dancing a slight swaying from side to side.

“I just want to keep you safe,” he said, resting his cheek against her temple. She felt the old familiar panic at the implied even from yourself, but this wasn’t like Phoenix. He wasn’t trying to make decisions for her.  

Couldn’t he see that she wished the same safety for him? That everything she did was in pursuit of this shared goal?

“I didn’t think I’d be back here,” he continued, slowing their sway until he was just holding her. “And now...hope is a dangerous thing. It draws your attention to the horizon instead of keeping it on the danger right in front of you.”

She wondered if he was feeling it too: the walls closing in from every angle, the same echoing dread that haunted her midnight hours.  The ever narrowing window of daylight to that future someday.

But as the final notes of the song were played, even as the distance between them didn’t seem as vast anymore, even if for a moment she entertained the idea of not letting go, of leading him back up to the suite to finish repairing with their bodies what she’d bruised with her words, she knew that if they had any hope at all of that other life, they had work to do now.

James, as always, understood that better than anyone. He released her and smiled, eyes once again lit from within.

Many, many hours later while she waited in a safe location as he once again risked life and limb and freedom at her request, Teresa tried not to give too much credence to the sickening feeling in her stomach that the danger he’d mentioned earlier, the danger right in front of him that threatened their much dreamed about future…

....might end up being her.

(ao3)