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popitdontdropitwrites · 2 years ago

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"New Invention" Engineer/Medic - Chapter 11

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,

❗ This is a sequel to Mx. Sinister. Events may not make sense if you have not read that fic.

CW: This one is a dark one. It touches upon potentially triggering and upsetting topics. (Gaslighting, past medical trauma, manipulation, emotional pain so on so forth.) Tread carefully, or avoid reading if you have to.

“Sit down, Joseph.” Dell said, his fingers impatiently tapping against the table, betraying the patient, worried expression on his face. “There’s a little somethin’ we’ve got to talk about.” He let out a long, tired sigh. “…I think you know what it is.”

“I have a feeling, yes.”

Joseph, by all accounts, had slept wonderfully, but now that he was awake, he longed to fall into the world of dreams, where nothing could harm him, not even this. His legs resisted every step, demanding that he stop and turn around before it was too late, but despite it all, he made it to the table. He stood uncomfortably behind his seat with his hands resting on the backrest, looking towards his partner, begging for an end to this oppressive, dreadful quiet between them. Silver eyes, once dull with endless kindness, had been set alight with a dangerous, volatile gleam, further stressed by the heavy bags under his eyes, as if he had not slept at all.

It had been made more than clear; Joseph would be the one doing the talking, the justifying, the repenting. “This is about Misha, isn’t it?” How long had he spent with that name on the very tip of his tongue, on the very precipice of being spoken? It flowed out oh so naturally now, as if he had uttered it hundreds of times before and would soon be spoken thousands more.

Dell continued to stare, the shapes and colours of his pupils becoming too much to bear, as if they were closing in on him, entrapping him in chains. “This is all about him.”

“I thought you would have been happy for me. You must have known that my memory was – and still is – affected… does it really bring you no joy to see me coming back to my former self?”

“Not when you’re thinkin’ about another man.” The tapping stopped, and its absence was almost as hurtful as the Texan’s growl. “You’ve been drawin’ him all night and day, fawnin’ over him like you’re sweet on him… and you say you don’t understand why I’m losin’ my temper?”

“He’s merely my friend! I am allowed to have that, aren’t I?” He snapped back. “But then again, I suppose not, seeing as you didn’t even think to remind me that Misha existed.”

“It was better that way ‘cause I didn’t have to stay awake at night worryin’ that he’d take you from me.”

“Dell, please, it’s not like that and you know it.”

“You think I’m crazy, do ya?” The Engineer’s grip on the table tightened, drawing a pained groan from the wood. “You’d run off with him in a heartbeat, I can see it in your eyes.”

“I love you too much to throw it all away with someone else!” He pleaded, the accusation hitting him under the skin, deep into a nerve like the head of a well-aimed arrow.

“Then just forget about him. He doesn’t deserve you.” Dell stood up tall, meeting his level, his posture tense with almost animalistic rage, as if he could lunge at any moment.

Joseph doubled down, despite his every instinct begging him to simply submit. “I… I haven’t seen him in months, Dell. I can’t hurt him like that any longer.”

“Oh, ain’t that cute, you don’t wanna hurt him. Let me tell you a secret, darlin’, he hurt you.”

His heart fell into his guts, kicking and screaming on the way down. “I know him. He could never do so much as lay a finger on me. You can’t say the same.”

“You don’t wanna go there, boy. Don’t you dare make this about me.” He warned him through both gravelly tone and austere expression that such a terrible assault would not go unreciprocated.

“Or what, Dell, you’ll pump me so full of drugs that I can’t sleep? Or maybe you’ll rip both of my arms off this time?”

A crackling, crunching sound erupted from the gunslinger as it crushed the corner of the table, the shards passing through its robotic fingers like dust. Dell did not seem to notice, not even when a flighty gasp escaped Joseph’s lips. “Everythin’ I’ve done was for your own good!”

“Tell me how the totally unethical and lest I forget, completely unmedicated amputation was for my own benefit? There were so many risks and potential complications, but you did it anyway, without training, without anything at all but your own ego to guide you.”

“I was fixin’ you!”

“I am not one of your fucking machines! I am a human being; I don’t need to be fixed.”

“Joseph, you’re not hearin’ me. He was the one to break ya in the first place.”

“I’m not going to allow you to fill my head with lies again. I—I am not turning against the man who has done nothing but help me!”

“I don’t care what you think you remember, but let me tell ya, you’re wrong about him.”

He swallowed thickly, his throat closing up. “There is a lot still missing, but I remember Misha completely – his laughter, his smile, his voice, it’s all there. Not once did he harm me in all of our years together.”

“Darlin’, it’s not me who’s lyin’, it’s that pretty little head of yours.” He said. “You don’t remember, do ya?”

“Remember what, exactly?”

His gaze lost its firmness in favour of an inexplicable sentimentality, but the latter was far more frightening due to the pity hidden in his glistening sclera. “That damned hospital.”

He blinked, once, twice, static undulating behind his eyes, cold, dry, and hypnotically dull like the depths of space. Faintly, from a distant star, he recalled the pricks of needles, the fizz of dissolving, bubbling powder on his tongue, the metallic taste of tools, all of which promised an end to his pain.

“You kicked, screamed and begged, but it didn’t matter. Misha dragged you right to ‘em, right where he wanted you; in a cage, like some kind of fuckin’ animal.”

Joseph weakly stumbled back, his body colliding with the wall, slowly shrinking towards the ground, unable to fight back against remembrance’s onslaught of voices, yellowed and faded with age, bouncing between his ears, distorted, and muffled, as if he were drowning. Faceless men asked him the same old questions, designed to probe, and poke at his fracturing, splitting mind, to name the monster running rampant in his head in hopes of someday leashing it, or perhaps, killing it altogether.

“He told ya that you were sick in the head. He couldn’t see that you’re different, just… curious.”

Tears welled in his eyes, threatening to spill as a beautiful, vivid sound pierced the low rumble of men, the hum of machines and the wails of patients through the mazelike, spiralling halls. Drip, drip, drip – seductively thick, ruby droplets, the very essence of life carved from the flesh, the only beauty in that hell of soothing greens. And oh, the feeling of them falling against his tongue, so delicious and so flavourful compared to the gruel they served him.

“He tried to kill ya then, usin’ the hands of doctors and nurses to shove drugs down your throat until you lost everythin’ that made you brilliant.”

It all came back to him in blinding, brilliant colours, as if the sun were exploding before his eyes, causing the first of many tears to fall on his lip. The taste was tangy like that of the gloved digits pressed against the sensitive tissue of his throat, forcing his burning muscles to swallow down his new pernicious regimen of medicine, hoping to remedy the previous’ meagre results.

“And the worst part? He never visited. You’d cry for him every damned night, thinkin’ your tears could bring him back, but he was always too afraid of what he’d see.”

He sobbed loudly and uglily, with only the coarse kiss of fabric to stifle his screams and hungrily drink his tears; an inadequate substitute for the comfort of another’s shoulder, but the only option in that cold, lonely eternity. The sound and sensation of breath passed through him, rattling and stuttering, as if he were dying, but the sun rose as it always did, beaming from behind the curtains, mocking him from afar, for it had the moon to keep it company.

“They kept you there for years, toiling away in one of their partner’s factories as cheap, disposable labour under the pretence of rehabilitation. The money was just a number, slowly risin’ by the hour. You were just interested in passin’ the time like everybody else.”

Eyes, grey and unrelenting like the metal components he assembled into meaningless shapes bore down upon him, judging his pitiful, grief-stricken form. Joseph worked without complaint, his hands blistered, reddened and clammy from the suffocating skin of his gloves, passing finished parts along to the next man in line. The occasional defective component arose from the man before, who was perhaps too tired, or too delusional to recognise his mistake and though most discarded them, Joseph instead filled his pockets with them – New toys, made of jagged edges and sharp malformations, engraved with stimulatingly rough lettering: Conagher Robotics.

“Somehow, after who knows how darn long, you passed their assessments and met their criteria, all of which had seemed impossible once. They deemed you of sound mind – whatever that meant and sent you on your way.”

He collapsed entirely, just as he had done at Misha’s feet on that day, wailing and fighting to breathe through the bittersweet agony. He was lifted into the car and delivered into a carriage of novel sounds – the crunch of gravel under wheels, the distorted songs of the radio, the purr of an engine and the long-forgotten voice of his best friend. The fantastical colours of the world that had gone on without him failed to seem real in that moment, as if it had all been a dream and he would soon wake up in his cot in a pool of his own tears.

“Misha took ya home, looked after you even, and made sure you weren’t gonna start hurtin’ nobody. And then… you slowly picked yourself back up. You found yourself a job, a proper place to live, and ways around that mind of yours, all the while forgettin’ who had sent you to hell in the first place.”

Dell’s hand wiped his tears, a cruel mockery of the happiness he had shed when he was given the power to forge a pleasant, reinvigorating routine with his own two hands. He worked as a nurse – something he did with a smile – occasionally visited his doctor for a progress report, saw Misha each and every week – the highlight of it all – and slept soundlessly, with dreams of love fluttering about his exhausted mind. But there was something… someone more, cut out of the picture, unable to fit.

“It didn’t last, ‘cause nothin’ ever goes right for you, does it?”

His breath hitched, stifling a scream, the same scream that had been bubbling in his throat when shadows scuttled in the dark of his apartment, breathing down his neck with his belongings in their claws. With them, came the stifling presence of malaise in the place he called home, like a poison leaking from the mind, birthing paranoia, and delusion – madness itself.

“You got sick,” He spat the word out, repulsed by it. “And you tried desperately to hide it, knowin’ it’d only cause you trouble. But Misha found out and it was different this time around. He was angry, angrier than you’ve ever seen him.”

“Stop it, please, Dell, stop. I can’t—”

“—One day, you both drove right past the hospital. He didn’t think to tell you why.” His pleas fell on deaf ears, becoming nothing but noise to be talked over. “He stopped the car and told ya to get out. You walked for a little while, into the fields and it got real quiet all of a sudden. There was somethin’ about his eyes, that just screamed at you to run… but you weren’t fast enough.”

Images, broken, muddled, blurred, and bloodied crossed his mind far too quickly to be caught, like fireflies in a storm. Screams, dissected and rearranged, split across his temples, in tones shrill enough to be his own. The taste of copper melded with that of the dirt, and of primal, unimaginable fear – the fear of death. The moon hung above him, its face twisted and bloated into a smile in his withering, shrivelling memory, reflected in the eyes of the man pursuing him.

“And then, he ripped you apart, like a broken toy.”

His heart wailed in his chest, the metal remembering the violent, lamentable end of its predecessor as it too, was torn apart, this time by betrayal’s powerful, merciless hands. He had been a glorious fountain of life, gushing blood and living tissue until he had nothing more to give, but in this moment, he transformed into a hideous outpour of death, wailing, screaming, gasping to breathe. The pain, too unfathomably tremendous to comprehend then, was somehow equally as devastating now. He begged to be returned to the world below, his fists pounding against the tiles again and again until warm, reassuring blood ran over his skin.

“Why—” He rasped, shaking hands clawing at the ground to find purchase. “Why did you bring me back?” He choked, a fresh flood of tears spilling from him, like gushes of blood from an open wound.

“Because you deserve to be here, safe from him.” Dell crouched down to him, holding both of his hands, his warmth as oppressive as it was comforting.

“I… I don’t want to live without him.” Somehow, through the hiccupping, choking, and gasping, the words made it, scarred, and dismembered, but still comprehendible. “What r-reason do I have if he wants me dead?”

He was held tighter and Dell’s tone, once rough and cold, melted into total and utter love, like the stinging, yet kind touch of healing. “You have me, Joseph. I love you, and I always will.”

That phrase, rich with meaning, turned to dust upon leaving the Texan’s lips. “I-I just want him, even—” He bared his teeth, tasting salt on his tongue. “Even after everything he has done. I… I must truly be mad.” He laughed pathetically, the sound a wet, bubbling gurgle. “But I can’t have him, can I? I may as well just ask for death!” He cackled, emptying his lungs until he heaved. “Would you be so kind?”

The Engineer stopped in place, the loving strokes of his fingers ceasing as he processed that enormous, unthinkable request. His lashes fluttered, the paleness of horror spreading across his face, like a curtain of clouds parting to reveal the alabaster surface of the moon, only its smile had long since died. “Oh, darlin’…” He breathed, pulling him in for a hug, granting him the shoulder he had been so desperate for. “I don’t want you to suffer anymore, but that… that ain’t the way to do it.” His voice cracked, as if he too, had begun to weep. “I can take the pain away, all I need is for you to ask.”

“Help me, Dell. Please…”

A hiss sounded from the cables in his neck, and slowing, slowing, like wax cooling as it ran down the side of a candle, his consciousness faded, a mere whisper in the wind to be carried away. Dell lifted him into his arms, planting a shaky kiss on his forehead, promising him an end to his pain at last; one final procedure.

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askseriousrainbow · 2 years ago

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Alrighty, part 3 of the list. These are numbers 80-71, if you've been keeping track.

Link to part 1. Link to part 2. Link to part 4. Link to part 5. Link to part 6. Link to part 7. Link to part 8. Link to part 9. Link to part 10.

80. Command & Conquer Remastered Collection

Command & Conquer's remaster was a breath of fresh air, bringing in new players to both the original Tiberian Dawn and Red Alert, which are some of the highest rated strategy games ever made. The remaster just makes it easier to play, and you can choose to go back to the older graphics too. Just really good all around.

79. SimCity 2000 Special Edition

Ah, the good old SimCity franchise, back when always-online didn't exist. I'm putting 2000 here because it takes the original formula, adds a water system and specialty buildings like schools and hospitals, more disasters, a better way of doing a budget, and adds bonds/loans for the first time. A great game, with a great Let's Play. I still call the Transit Advisor “Jim” because of it.

78. Yakuza 0

Ah, Yakuza 0. My first playing of this great series. I find myself distracted by the side stories, easily. Kiryu is an interesting character and sympathetic, never breaking his “no killing” rule (if you play him like I do, anyway). Majima is just as endearing and he's given a great backstory in this game. I still need to play the other ones, but this is a strong game to start the series with.

77. Puzzle Agent

A cross between Twin Peaks and a puzzle game? Yes, please! You have to solve a mystery of a missing foreman, and have to solve all types of puzzles to get to the bottom of it. It doesn't really get solved until Puzzle Agent 2, but Puzzle Agent 1 is slightly better, so that's why it's on the list.

76. Another World

Also known as “Out of this World” because of a soap opera of the same name, this cinematic platformer is highly regarded as one of the best. Using a checkpoint system, it's very much trial and error, trying to make sure you don't die. Or your buddy, uh... Buddy.

75. Sid Meier's Civilization IV

Civ IV is my favorite of the Civ games, simply because it was easy to get into. Its expansions are great too. It's great trying to get to Alpha Centauri, and the addition of Leonard Nimoy voicing the technologies is fantastic. It's the last of the “square-grid” Civ games too, all later mainline ones were hexagonal, I believe.

74. Fibbage 4

This is probably the newest game on my list, but I love Fibbage, and this version of it is what I consider the best, what with its differing question types, fan questions, and a great visual style.

73. Evil Genius 2

I'm putting Evil Genius 2 a little lower than the original, but it's still a great base building game that expands its predecessor, with four (later five) evil geniuses to choose from. It also has multiple bases, so you can conquer the world from wherever. Also, the steady flow of your minions is better put together here. It's just a little lower because no Alexis.

72. Scarface: The World is Yours

Ah, Scarface. One of my favorite movies gets a “quasi-sequel” because this game starts with the classic shootout at the end of the movie (and you will die if you don't turn around and kill The Skull) and is about Tony rebuilding his empire and getting revenge on Sosa. The voice cast is fantastic and the music is kicking. See if you can find the PC version, there's a great fan-made patch for it.

71. Shantae and the Pirate's Curse

Pirate's Curse is heavily regarded to be the best of the Shantae games, and I have to agree. The pirate gear adds a lot to Shantae's normal skill set, along with being a different style of play since it doesn't have any genie powers, unlike the other Shantae games. It's still a fun time.

Part 4 should be tomorrow! :D

-SR

Link to part 1. Link to part 2. Link to part 4. Link to part 5. Link to part 6. Link to part 7. Link to part 8. Link to part 9. Link to part 10.

#Ask Serious Rainbow #AskSeriousRainbow #Top 100 #Command & Conquer #SimCity 2000 #Yakuza 0 #Puzzle Agent #Another World #Out of this World #Sid Meier's Civilization IV #sid meier's civilization #Fibbage 4 #Evil Genius 2 #Scarface #Scarface: The World is Yours #Shantae and the pirate's curse

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prettywordsyouleft · 4 years ago

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To Be Continued - Part 1

Summary: As an author, you had created Brian Kang for your current trilogy series to represent the ultimate man that everyone would love, along with Charli Evers - your female protagonist. What you hadn’t expected was for him to find a way out of the story and begin shaping up your world instead

Pairing: Brian Kang x female writer (ft. Park Sungjin)

Genre: writer au / romance / fantasy

Warnings: fictional characters coming to life / a bit of angst here and there / Sungjin as a cop (or does that only affect me?) >_>

A/N: this story idea was created from receiving two prompts for Brian in the YouxIdol drabble game I was completing this year. In this part, you can find prompt #186, “You don’t have to answer right away. I’d wait an eternity for you.”

Word count: 2252

Preview | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Epilogue

Brian cupped her cheek tenderly with one hand, smoothing out any worried lines across her forehead with the other. He smiled encouragingly, tears threatening to spill from his eyes with his heightened emotions. “You don’t have to answer right away.”

“I don’t?” Charli breathed back, knowing that her response to his question was already formed. Yet it wasn’t the right time for any love confessions right now. Despite this, her answer rushed to the back of her throat, where she tried to swallow it back down repeatedly.

Brian already knew and nodded softly to let her know of this. “I’d wait an eternity for you.”

“Isn’t that a bit too cringe-worthy?” you wondered, pausing to read the words upon the screen with a frown. It wasn’t out of character for Brian Kang and Charli Evers. And it certainly wasn’t the first cheesy line you’d thrown into Captivated either. Still, you mulled over the scene a little longer, deciding whether or not it should be removed.

“What would Charli do in response?” you asked out loud to no one in particular, a flurry of action from your fingers taking place immediately. You followed the scene until completion before taking a break, switching out of the word document and over to your Discord server.

Smiling as you scrolled through the new comments about the upcoming sequel you were in the later stages of writing for Brian and Charli, you let out a rattle of a cough from your chest, groaning at your illness dampening your mood.

“I’m trying to finish this final chapter tonight,” you spoke out into the universe, casting your eyes to the heavens for effect. “I’ve battled through this cold for a week now. It won’t take me down just yet!”

Reaching forward for more cold and flu medicine, you swallowed the capsules down with a painful gulp of water and then felt your forehead. It was hotter than before, though you waved it off as you answered a couple of messages and returned to the final part of the story.

Captivated was the second story in your new trilogy series since your last series Destined had become an overnight sensation. When you sat down to pen the soulmate idea into something more than thoughts in your head, you hadn’t expected the tale to touch so many people over the world. Nor had you believed you would follow it up with To Love You, Forever, And Always either.

You originally felt that Destined was the reason why Brian and Charli’s first story Encounter was easily shared around. The protagonists had their own charms though and you could tell the fan base for this series was different from the last. They were just as eager, however, to find out when the pair would shake free from the star-crossed lovers’ trope and finally give in to the evident love they had for one another.

“Part three it’ll be,” you surmised proudly and somewhat exhaustedly after typing The End onto the electronic manuscript. Leaning back in your chair, you finally allowed yourself to succumb to the illness plaguing you. In a moment of disillusion, your mind conjured up Brian standing before you with concern etched in his eyes. You let the novel scene play out in your head, wishing he was actually here to help you out of your writing office, down to your bedroom and tuck you into bed.

Swinging gently from side to side in your desk chair, you hummed with delight. Brian Kang was your biggest self-indulgence character. You had created Park Jinyoung in Destined to infuriate your main protagonist, but Brian was the ultimate fictional guy. He was playful and kind, caring and thoughtful. He knew when Charli needed him to stand up in her weak moments, and he fought for what he felt was right even when all odds were against him. He also allowed Charli to see his vulnerability and his honesty, gaining him many fans around the world. And if all that wasn’t enough, Brian Kang was incredibly attractive.

You had really created the holy grail of a dream man.

Laughing to yourself in your sick-induced state, you smiled lazily. “Dream men are just that, Y/N. Brian Kang would never exist in this world.”

You nodded to yourself, agreeing with the proclamation, feeling more single in the moment as you did so. It was funny really, you were a successful author of Young Adult romance novels and yet you hadn’t experienced the touch of a man, let alone any ardent confessions since your university days.

“Right, it’s time for bed,” you decided before your mood plummeted further into despair. However, your limbs felt too heavy to move and so you simply closed your eyes once more, hoping a little nap would help you regain some energy to head off to bed later on.

When you opened your eyes next, you found yourself in your darkened bedroom, smiling gently at bringing yourself to bed sometime during the night that you couldn’t remember. Sitting up slowly, you allowed your gaze to adjust to the dim morning light filtering through the small gap in the curtain, before reaching onto your nightstand for your phone.

You blinked. Instead of finding the device, you saw a kitchen bowl and face cloth resting over the edge of it.

Did you bring that with you in the middle of the night? Surely if you had been attempting to bring down your own fever, the face cloth would have been strewn somewhere in among your bedding after falling asleep with it, not neatly placed back upon the side of the bowl. Looking beyond that, you found a bottle of water with a third of the liquid missing. You did vaguely remember sipping on some water overnight, and that eased your mind from your initial confusion.

Shaking your head, and swinging your legs over the side of your bed, you placed your feet in your slippers before padding back into the office in search of your phone. Maybe you had help overnight after all, and you wanted to check if your mother had come over at your request. She had done that one year when you caught a nasty virus and couldn’t cope on your own anymore. Motherly love was definitely needed, and now that you had completed your obligations with Captivated and sent it off to your editor Lily, you would have no restrictions on who entered your creative space.

“Huh,” you said when you saw your laptop screen still open. You had a habit of closing the screen every night after turning the device off and approached it now with some confusion, trying to recollect what you last did the night before. Nothing rose to the surface immediately and you reached for your phone, blindly hitting speed dial on your mother’s number. And when her greeting rang down the receiver, you were more than perplexed.

“Hey, did you come by last night?”

“No, why?” she answered and then gasped. “Y/N, you sound awful! Did you keep working even though you were sick?!”

“You didn’t come here?” you repeated, fingertips reaching for the sticky note upon the computer screen. “Maybe it was Lily.”

“Lily is out of the country isn’t she?” your Mum reminded and you blinked several times before focusing enough to read the note you held.

You shouldn’t have worked so hard to complete it! Your health is important too. How will I cope if you get any worse? Make sure you rest up well and drink a lot of fluids. I need my best writer in tip top shape to see where my world continues.

I made you breakfast. It’s not much, but make sure you eat before you sit down at this desk, hm?

- B.

Dropping the note, along with letting your mouth fall ajar momentarily, you stuttered out a hasty farewell to your mum before hanging up the phone and looking to the doorway. Cautiously, you walked through your house to the kitchen where you stopped in your tracks at seeing a tea towel covering something on the bench. Gingerly peeling it back when you finally approached it, you gasped when you found several dishes underneath, along with instructions on how to heat it up.

For a split second, your mind conjured Brian up again, imagining him in your kitchen preparing all this. It would totally be just like him to make sure Charli was well fed to regain her energy from any illness.

But, you weren’t Charli Evers.

In fact, you hadn’t even based her off your personality at all, rather, a close online friend of yours who you admired a lot. So, whilst Brian would definitely go to all this trouble for Charli, you sure were clutching at straws thinking of yourself in the same situation.

Who came into your home then?

Distractedly, you heated the porridge and brewed up the tea the mystery person had prepared as well. You carried the tray of food over to your dining table when it was done and sat down before taking your first mouthful.

And then you mulled over who could possibly step into your house that had the initial B.

Maybe it wasn’t a B, you concluded when you realised no one had access to your house with that letter, even as a surname. Climbing back to your feet, you rushed to your office where you had discarded the first note and held it up to inspect the handwriting.

“It could be an R,” you mentioned out loud, then shook your head immediately. Even if the handwriting was looser than most that you knew of, it couldn’t be anything other than a B.

After examining it for a few minutes, you sat down with a huff. You’d never seen the handwriting before.

You didn’t know whether or not to be alarmed.

Had there been an intruder overnight?

Jumping back up, you persevered through the dizziness that plagued you from moving so fast, heading down the hallway to the front door. The chain was still latched and there was no sign of forced entry. Again, making your way to the back door, everything was in order.

As was every possession you owned – minus the kitchen where the food had been prepared. But even then, the dishes that had been used were rinsed and stacked by the sink.

You jumped when you heard a sudden mewl at your feet and clutched at your heart, before stooping down to pick up your cat Binks. The black cat nuzzled into you affectionately before meowing again. “I guess you want to be fed, huh?”

Walking around the counter, you stopped when you found his bowl with some food remaining. You knew Binks wouldn’t leave food overnight. Glancing at the cat, you frowned. “Who did this, Binks?”

The feline merely yawned and settled down to nap in your arms. It certainly brought the saying, cat’s got your tongue, to mind and you rolled your eyes at the infuriating situation.

Sitting down on your couch, you stared at the wall ahead of you as you tried to find an answer to all the evidence. Stroking the purring animal in your arms, you nodded determinedly.

“The only answer is that I did it in a sleep-induced state,” you announced and Binks opened his eyes to look up at you before rolling around to start licking at his back leg. You sighed. “Right, Binks?”

You were certain your cat thought you were insane. However, it was all you could find to be the answer.

“I got up and I took myself to the kitchen and prepared the ice water to cool down the fever. And went to bed. Then maybe I got up again, which is when I placed the cloth on the bowl and prepared the food. I washed my dishes, including the ones I had piling up from being too busy with work and-”

Binks leapt from your lap then, sauntering down the hallway from your side. Getting up to follow him, you ended up back in your home office, where he pounced up onto your desk, standing on the keys to your laptop. “Hey! Get off!”

Swatting the cat away from the device, you noticed that it hadn’t been turned off overnight. That was not like you at all. Logging into your account, you sat down in your desk chair and shifted back suddenly when you found a new document open.

I bet you’re in disbelief about now, right? I guess I would be too. It wasn’t you who looked after you all night long, and did your dishes. Wow, you get behind in things when you’re focused on writing.

Don’t worry. I didn’t look around - much.

Your fever went down over a couple of hours whilst I moved back and forth helping you out. It’s the least I can do after you’ve spent so much time with me. Well, we’ve yet to officially meet.

One day.

- B (your biggest fan)

PS. I fed Binks. He really does have quite the personality.

“Okay!” you sounded in an octave higher, laughing a little to yourself at the same time. “Someone was definitely here. Who is B and how does this person know so much personal information?!”

You were too preoccupied to realise the document to Captivated was still open behind the other one.

And instead of saying The End as it once had, it had been deleted and replaced with To Be Continued.

_________________

Part 2

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mightydragoon · 5 years ago

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Tiny Luke and Dad Vader fanfic recs

As of @silvereddaye request .

1 A Simple Twist of Fate By: TheRealThing

Destiny brings Darth Vader's twin son and daughter, who he has believed dead for ten years, into his life unexpectedly.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4292852/1/A-Simple-Twist-of-Fate

2. Force Bond 1: Orphan By: KittandChips

AU After Owen and Beru are killed by a mysterious stranger, young Luke ends up as an orphan on Coruscant. It's a race against time as Obi-Wan struggles to find Luke before Vader realizes the boy is his son.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/347383/1/Force-Bond-1-Orphan

3. Force Bond 2: Threat By: KittandChips

Luke finds himself moving in with a moody, secluded Sith Lord who is also his newly found father. Vader has his own set of challenges to overcome, as he struggles to come to terms with his fatherhood.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/388791/1/Force-Bond-2-Threat

4. Force Bond 3: Son By: KittandChips

Third in the series of an AU where Luke is raised by Vader on Coruscant. Luke is getting older and struggling to come to terms with what awaits in the future.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/562682/1/Force-Bond-3-Son

5. Force Bond 4: Jedi By: KittandChips

AU. Fourth in a series where Luke has been raised by Vader on Coruscant. Luke is caught between his loyalty and love for the man who raised him, and his desire not to become a Sith.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/1037550/1/Force-Bond-4-Jedi

6. The Father By: frodogenic

Ten years after ROTS, tormenting nightmares of his unborn child drive Darth Vader to extraordinary measures with unexpectedly drastic consequences. Clearly, experience has taught Darth Vader nothing... L/V, the gang, and a few OCs for flavor. COMPLETE!

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3092590/1/The-Father

7. Dark Father By: JoieMaris

Four years after ROTS, Vader is haunted by nightmares from the Force. His dreams lead him to two special children. AU.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10806023/1/Dark-Father

8. Silence By: Shy Snootles

AU story, set four years after ROTS. Darth Vader has become the Empire's very image of death and destruction. But a fortuitous encounter with a little boy will shake the until then rock solid foundations of his Darkness and hatred.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2946568/1/Silence

9. Free to Fly By: Mahina

Luke is nine and a slave in Jabba's palace when Darth Vader returns to fulfill an old promise. LV list challenge.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7045903/1/Free-to-Fly

10. Dissociative Identity Disorder By: T. Alana M

Formerly titled "The Good Son". DID: a condition wherein a person's identity is fragmented into two or more distinct personalities. Or, where Anakin Skywalker makes it his life's goal to drive Darth Vader to the brink of insanity. His four year old son spectates.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9706778/1/Dissociative-Identity-Disorder

(Note* Incomplete)

11. Darkness's Son One: But Light Was Always the Son of Darkness By: The Hope Lions

After getting caught at a rebel rally, ten year old Luke Skywalker is arrested and brought to Coruscant. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan Kenobi will do anything to prevent Darth Vader from discovering his son's existence, but will the Jedi be too late?

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11850017/1/Darkness-s-Son-One-But-Light-Was-Always-the-Son-of-Darkness

12. Darkness's Son Two: The Darkness Is There By: The Hope Lions

Sequel to "But Light Was Always the Son of Darkness" Luke Skywalker has been living with his father for four years, but that doesn't mean it's gotten any easier. Now that Luke is no longer a child he has to deal with a whole host of new problems. Sooner or later he's bound to crack under the pressure of what it means to be Darth Vader's Jedi son. Updated daily!

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12011466/1/Darkness-s-Son-Two-The-Darkness-Is-There

13. Far From Over By: Above the Winter Moonlight

COMPLETE AU, Eight years post ROTS. When Darth Vader learns that his son is still alive, he is determined to find him. All the while, Obi-Wan Kenobi is struggling to hide the young boy from his father's prying eyes…FS inside, R&R

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5445132/1/Far-From-Over

14. Second Time By: Brievel

Darth Vader finds a five-year-old Luke Skywalker wandering the dunes of Tatooine, lost, and realizes the child is his son. What is he to do with the boy?

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11326985/1/Second-Time

15. every planet, every star, every single grain of sand --- loosingletters

In which Darth Vader finds 9-year-old Luke on Tatooine, proceeds to have a breakdown, kills Palpatine and makes his preteen son Emperor, as you do. Otherwise known as the Adventures of Teeny Tiny Emperor Luke and his Royal Dad Guard Darth Vader.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22714810/chapters/54283174

16. In Which the Force Finally Becomes Proactive --sparklight

Better late than never, right? This has gone on long enough, and the Son of the Suns need some help to get out of that poisoned swamp he's stuck in. What better help than his own son, and the planet he was born on?

Luke starts out dreaming, first about his father, then about his grandmother. She wants him to help save his father, but his father is dead, isn't he..?

https://archiveofourown.org/works/9109462/chapters/20705959

17. Skywalker Family Values --Ariel_Sojourner

Camp Chippewa is proud to be the Empire’s foremost camp resort for privileged young adults. Located on the picturesque forest moon of Endor, your child will have the opportunity to participate in wholesome outdoor activities and socialize appropriately with their peers. We invite your offspring to join us for the experience of a lifetime and a bright future in service of the greater glory of the Empire.

On opposite sides of the galaxy, on opposite sides of a civil war, Darth Vader and Padme Amidala unwittingly send Luke and Leia to the same camp during school break. Chaos naturally ensues.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14258124/chapters/32883750

(note* Comedy freaking gold)

18. The Necklace By: Ellisaed

What if Padmè's japor snippet hadn't been buried with her on Naboo? What if it had somehow been able to bring together the children that had been torn apart? And with her husband - now a notorious Sith Lord - on a endless search to regain the necklace back, will it end up being the galaxy's greatest mistake? *NEW: Chapter 10!*

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8765936/1/The-Necklace

19. Chiaroscuro -- SpellCleaver

A series of oneshots focusing on Luke and Vader's relationship, with other characters occasionally thrown into the mix.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16363772/chapters/38293637

20. Visiting Shmi Skywalker’s Grave --Iva1201

Darth Vader decides to visit his mother's grave one last time to finally get rid of all his attachments. Can he succeed when there is one more person visiting the tomb at the same time, this person being his own young son? Or will Anakin Skywalker resurface when meeting the boy?

https://archiveofourown.org/works/8239112/chapters/18881579

21. Glove --Superheronerd_1

It wasn't as though he wanted to murder the younglings, that he wanted to murder those around him that he had seen in battle. Those who have had his back, who have saved him and he then countless of times.

But sacrifice was necessary.

“-dodged a large rock-”

Yet this, this he could not sacrifice.

He will not sacrifice.

“-flew over, no Luke, don't nibble my cape.” Vader said, amused.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/6430528/chapters/14719456

22. Imperial Babysitters -Laivaaja

Star Wars Fan Comic: Luke Skywalker is raised by his father Darth Vader on a star destroyer. The young officers Piett and Veers are Luke’s awesome uncles who constantly end up babysitting him (and worrying too much when he gets into trouble).

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11621658/chapters/26131065

23. Between the Light and Shadows: Luke & Vader One-Shots -SilverDaye

One-shot collection focused on Luke and Vader. All AU.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15128117/chapters/48583628

(Note* Silver has a bunch of these so here we go, not all but godamn I would say the vast majority of these are. )

24. Sent Out for Safety-- throwawayflames

At the age of eight, Luke Skywalker and his sister, Leia, are split up for their safety. Leia stays with their Uncle Ben, and their mother, to learn how to be a Jedi. Luke, on the other hand, is sent to the Organa's, where he will pretend to be their adoptive son who was orphaned. Ben had only given Luke one rule to live by while he was away from his family, don't tell anyone his last name, and he followed that.

It wasn't his fault that Darth Vader sensed that he was a Force Sensitive and now he wants to train him, as a Jedi no less. That's the complete opposite of what Ben had told Luke. And after asking Darth Vader about his dad, Luke can't help but say yes to Darth Vader training him. After all, Luke's always wanted to be a Jedi like his father.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22659655/chapters/54159751

25. For Want of a Skywalker --acuteneurosis

After the miracle of having survived Bespin, Piett does not ask why they are stopping on Tatooine. Or why Lord Vader suddenly has acquired a small child. Or why this child's name is Luke. Or how long they are going to keep him.

He probably should have.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22044874/chapters/52612567

26. Where Our Intrepid Hero Doesn't Get Away- sparklight

One-shots surrounding either AU situations of canon/legends works where Luke would normally have gotten away (or Vader is simply inserted into the action to come pick his child up) but in these instances doesn't, or completely new scenarios of the same. Any time an AU is mentioned to be based on a comics issue it's from the new Marvel Star Wars comics (2015) (unless otherwise noted).

There are no deep ruminations on consequences of the situations here, just our awful Sith dad picking his son up when he'd rather not be.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/4837094/chapters/11078918

(note* again not all include Little Luke but they do involve Luke and Vader)

27. Runaway SilverDaye

Imperial Prince Luke runs away from home to escape his overprotective father Emperor Vader. Jumping from planet to planet he finds himself creditless on Tatooine. While working for more money to leave the planet, Luke meets an old man named Ben Kenobi. But Luke knows he can't stay in one place for long for surely his father is hunting him down.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14630196/chapters/33813027

28. Bring Him Home -- KeeperofSeeds

Vader is sent to Tatooine by his Master after a series of failures. While there he discovers the existence of Luke. He meets Luke, convinces him to come with him off planet, and manages to hide him away for a while. He knows his Master won't tolerate a powerful force sensitive like Luke running around as a free agent once he's old enough to be a threat, and he also knows exactly how horrible it is to serve Palpatine. He won't let Luke be taken and used like that.

Eventually though, his deception is discovered.

Vader knows he isn't powerful enough to protect Luke on his own, and he isn't ready to overthrow Palpatine yet. He decides the only safe place for Luke is with the Rebel Alliance, the very people who've managed to stay out of his reach so far. So he takes Luke and defects.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15994967/chapters/37317818

29. Stranger Danger LadyVader23

When Vader is suddenly given custody over the five year old son he didn't know he had, he attempts to get his daughter, Leia to befriend him. But as soon as his back is turned, Luke runs away, hiding in the mall that Vader owns. Vader tries frantically to find his son while Luke enjoys exploring the mall on his own. Shenanigans ensue.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/23010670

30. A Mother's Decision -- Valerie_Vancollie

What if Padmé had brought Luke to Vader when Luke was only nine months old?

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12915687

Other Links

Luke and Vader

Founder: Moyima - Stories: 198 - Followers: 573 - Staff: 3 - id: 5265Stories featuring the father and son relationship between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader a collection of fics inspired by the vivicious yahoo group: The Luke Vader Writers.

https://www.fanfiction.net/community/Luke-and-Vader/5265/

(Note these ones include Luke and Vader though not all are Tiny Luke. Good place to start though)

Luke and Darth Vader Tag

https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Luke%20Skywalker%20*a*%20Darth%20Vader/works

#dad vader #darth vader #luke skywalker #luke #star wars #sw #fanfic #fanfiction #fanfic recs #fanfiction recommendation #long post #luke skywalker and darth vader

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baratrongirl · 4 years ago

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My Ace Attorney Works in Progress

1. working title: I'm Eighteen (But I Know What I Want) - Clay and Apollo read an interview with Klavier from when he was 18. Apollo gets rather flustered. Rating T.

2. working title: interview - Another music magazine interview. Klavier's somewhere between 18 and 24. May be abandoned or rolled into another fic. Rating T.

3. working title: The Amazing Wingman Clay Fic - Clay approaches the Klavier/Apollo problem from both ends. Features an old Gavinners video clip in which Klavier is asleep. Rating T or M. "Sleep" for Klapollo Week 2021.

4. working title: Theme and Six Variations (since I've “never” called a story this before *cough*) - Klavier packs too many condoms before travelling to Khura'in. Rating T or M.

5. working title: Runnin' With The Devil - A hostile witness triggers severe Kristoph angst and Klavier ends up leaving work early, plagued with intrusive thoughts, and collapsing in the street outside a coffee shop. Apollo gets him home. Far more of this fic exists in my head than on the laptop. Rating T. "Protection" for Klapollo Week 2021.

6. working title: mute OR About To Crash - Klavier's so upset he can't speak. Rating T (for now). May become part of the Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence series (see below).

7. working title: Role Reversal - Klavier and Apollo have an argument where Klavier assumes he is the only one of the two who is bilingual. Rating T. May get abandoned because it hurts too much.

8. working title: Hotel Lounge (be the Death of Me) - a dream I had yesterday. Rockstar Konrad Gavin has everything he wants - fame, fortune, and he's about to get married to the woman of his dreams and start a family - when a deranged fan deliberately causes a car crash to kill his pregnant fiancée because "if I can't have you, no one else can either". After a mental breakdown he retires to a hotel and renames himself "Klavier". Eventual Klapollo. Rating T or M, I have no idea yet, this thing will be 50k+ no doubt when I eventually get around to writing it.

9. working title: Do You Like My Stupid Hair? - Klavier has a trial which really upsets him. He sees parallels between the couple in court and his relationship with Apollo. So he goes home and asks Apollo a series of really weird questions, trying to get to know him better. Rating T. "Firsts" for Klapollo Week 2021.

Adult fic for a Mature Audience (tw: PTSD, sexual assault)

1. Wounds Hidden Beneath My Skin - Klavier has a PTSD flashback at a crime scene when trigger him into remembering when he was assaulted aged 14 (tw: sexual assault). Ema and Daryan help him. 2/3 chapters complete on Ao3. Part 1 of the Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence series. Rating M.

2. A False Sense of Urgency - Klavier has a panic attack in court because a witness looks like his attacker (tw: sexual assault). Apollo gets him home and they talk in detail. 7/9 chapters complete on Ao3. I'm a little annoyed that this now needs nine chapters because I have already renamed all the chapters once, but I simply cannot shove the remaining plot into a single chapter and call it done. Also I really hate quite a bit of the first couple of chapters, but I'm not rewriting them again when they've already been published. Part 2 of the Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence series. Rating M.

3. working title: the inevitable sequel - Part 3 of the Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence series. Klavier tells Apollo more stuff about what happened when he was 14. Rating M.

4. working title: sex sex sex - Part N of the Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence series. Klavier and Apollo talk about what Klavier's abuse means for his adult sexuality. Rating M or E.

#klapollo #fanfic #klavier gavin #apollo justice #ace attorney #klapolloweek #plot bunnies #ao3 #can people like... interact with me about these ideas #it might help get them written faster

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sweetiepie08 · 4 years ago

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Rebel Z (Chapter 10 Final)

nvader Zim fanfic

While analyzing Zim’s PAK for weaknesses, Tak discovers strange coding that sends her on a search for answers. The clues lead her to uncover a conspiracy that governs all of Irken society. When the truth sends her on the run, she has no choice but to return to the one place the Tallest would never willingly go: Urth.

Meanwhile, Dib has noticed odd changes in Zim’s behavior. Has the invader simply grown bored of his mission over the last few years, or is there something more interesting going on?

People who asked to be tagged: @incorrect-invader-zim , @messinwitheddie, @reblogstupids, @cate-r-gunn

If anyone else would like to be added to the tag list please let me know.

Chapter 1. Chapter 2. Chapter 3. Chapter 4. Chapter 5. Chapter 6. Chapter 7. Chapter 8. Chapter 9. Chapter 10.

Thank you for reading! I do plan to continue the story in a sequel fic, but I may take a short hiatus first. I hope you enjoyed this!

Be on the lookout for the next book in the series, RevolutionZ! In which Zim and Tak attempt to join the Resisty and gain new companions! Dib fills his gap year by joining an alien rebellion! Gaz gets dragged in too! And what happened to Zim in Death Melee is explained!

However, I will most likely only be posting links to Ao3 than full chapters to Tumblr. Again, Thank you everyone for reading!

[-]

“So, what exactly the fuck was all that stuff with the punch about?” Dib asked once they were a comfortable distance away form the Massive.

Zim glared straight ahead at the stars. “It’s nothing that concerns you, human.”

“Bullshit!” Dib slammed his hand down on the control panel. “Your little stunt could have gotten us killed. Out with it!”

Zim gritted his teeth and gripped the steering mechanism until his knuckles quaked. Dib braced himself for the inevitable screaming denial. Instead, Zim let out a pained sigh. “Fine, if you must know, I figured out three Urth years ago that my mission was a sham and my leaders were trying to have me killed, so I took revenge. Happy?”

“We know all that,” Tak snapped. “And anyway, I told you your mission was a lie a long time ago. What I want to know is how you managed to betray the Tallest without your treasonous thoughts setting of your life clock.”

“Yeah, and who’s Spek?” Dib added.

“You wish to hear Zim’s tale of woe?” He clenched his fist and heaved out another sigh. “Fine. Three Urth years ago, the Tallest contacted me, telling me they selected me to participate in Death Melee, an inter-galactic event that all would be watching.”

“The one where they throw criminals on a planet together to fight to the death?” Tak deadpanned. “That was your first clue?”

“They told me the rules had changed and it was now a contest of elite warriors. For my partner, they gave me a Spek, a smeet just shy of his cadet years. He hadn’t even seen his first cycle yet…” Zim’s fists shook as he cut himself off.

“Since you’re still alive, I’m assuming you won,” Dib said.

“Yes, but…” his gaze fell to the floor. “Yes. Anyway, throughout the Melee, it became clear to me that the Tallest lied. This was still a game for criminals, but Spek…” Zim narrowed his haunted eyes, “he was only there to lessen my chances.”

Dib watched, mesmerized. He thought he’d seen the many moods of Zim. He’d seen everything from proud boasting, to spiteful rage, to pathetic schmooping. But this, this was something else entirely, something he never expected to see from the alien. True remorse.

“On my journey back to Urth,” he continued, “I had too much time to think and when made it back to m base, I was done with all of it.” Rage grew in his voice with every word. “I knew they lied. I knew they’d been lying. For a moment, I thought, if they didn’t want my genius, maybe someone else would. And that thought was enough to set off my life clock. Instead of simply ripping out my feedback chip, I infected it with a virus that sends the Control Brains a loop of my Urth memories, preventing it from receiving new thoughts and experiences.” A bitter, satisfied smile came to his face. “As far as I can tell, it hadn’t noticed anything was off until now.”

“And the machines I saw you building?” Dib pressed.

Zim drew himself up. “I have a contract with the Resisity. I build them machines, they appreciate my genius and send me monies.”

“And that’s what you’ve been doing for three years?” Dib asked, voice sripping with skepticism.

Zim nodded and said nothing more.

Dib stared at him, trying to get a read on this whole tale. He wasn’t sure what to believe. Zim’s reason for existence seamed to be pleasing his Tallest. The little green monster talked of nothing else since arriving on Urth. He couldn’t imagine Zim wanting anything else and he’d fallen for the schmoopy act before. But this was not schmoop. It was too subtle, too quiet. And that betrayal of his Tallest couldn’t be denied. Something had truly changed.

Dib looked to Tak to gauge her opinion, but her face revealed nothing except careful calculation.

“I’d heard the Resisty had been growing and gaining power,” she mused. “New technology granted them upsetting victories and made them more of a problem than they once were. They could be the key. We need to fight if we ever want a chance of defeating the Control Brains and freeing our people, and for that, we’ll need an army. With your connection and my information, we could pose a real threat to the Empire.”

Dib expected Zim to launch into another tirade about how he wasn’t in it for the politics. That this was all a personal mission and he had no interest in going rogue. That did not happen.

Instead, Zim said nothing for a long time. He simply stared through the windshield in tense silence. But then, a grin grew slowly on his face. “I’m in.”

[-]

When they made it back to Earth, they found that Gaz made use of MiMi and Mini Mouse as gaming companions, Dad bought her excuse that Dib was hanging out at Zim’s house, and that he hadn’t even stopped home long enough to notice the two additional robots in the living room.

Dib went straight to his room and laid out all of his recording devices. He had the notes he took the night Zim and Tak rambled drunkenly on the couch. He had the audio recording of the old man Irken that he couldn’t wait to translate. And he had the spy camera he’d been wearing to capture the whole experience. He never got so much undeniable proof on one mission before, and no one, to his knowledge, had this much evidence of this quality ever. He’d be king of the Swollen Eyeball network if he showed even a fraction of…

His eyes drifted to the Swollen Eyeball emblem pinned to his bulletin board and he let out a sigh. The Swollen Eyeball… what a joke. They’d been reduced to a bunch of anti-science conspiracy nuts. The organization became a competition to see who could shout their wildest theory the loudest. What were they compared to a real evil alien empire, a real soul-sucking, Lovecraftian horror, and a real space alien rebellion?

No. This was bigger than some crack-pot conspiracy group. This rebellion universe-shattering consequences. And he was going to be part of it.

[-]

Out in his ship, Zim stared at his PAK connector with warry eyes. He wasn’t sure what held him back now. His stunt on the Massive already solidified his traitor status, but this felt different, more official. It was one thing to enact vengeance on those who betrayed him. It was quite another to completely detach himself from society.

He’d been unwaveringly loyal to the Empire since his conception, but they didn’t want him. He’d seen that years ago. So what was he waiting for?

He disconnected the PAK from his back and ignored the lifeclock in the corner of his eye as he plugged it in. He opened the hatch, clicked a pair of tweezers in his fingers, then reached them toward his feedback chip.

At a light tug, his computer’s voice gave an automated warning.

You are attempting to remove the feedback chip. Doing so is an act of treason against the Irken Empire. Are you sure you want to proceed?

Zim closed his eyes and pulled the chip free.

[-]

Tak’s footsteps echoed as she walked across the concrete garage floor. MiMi’s metallic feet clacked beside her. Apart from that, the room was silent. She was used to silence. One grows accustomed to it when traveling alone through space. But these last few days had been anything but. And with Zim as her dubious ally, silent moments like this were certain to be few and far between.

And yet, this moment, she felt the need to fill it with something.

She popped open the windshield of her ship and hopped inside. “MiMi, my disc please.” Mimi reached into her head and took out the Urth data storage disc. Zim wasn’t the only one with a secret stash.

Tak took the disc from Mimi and placed it in a tray on the ship’s control panel. “Ship, track six please.” As she hopped out, music began to play. Smooth, jazzy horns filled the air and the singer began crooning.

Maybe this time, I’ll be lucky. Maybe this time he’ll stay…

The song was from an Urth performance art piece. The vocalist sang about some male mate. That part didn’t interest Tak in the slightest. Still, there was something about it...

Not a loser anymore, like the last time and the time before…

The song continued to play as Tak opened the engine access panel and began her work. While manipulating the many gears and wires, she found a few interesting repair methods that the human implemented over the years. Many employed the use of an Urth bonding strip called “duct tape”, which she had to admit came in handy. The human didn’t do a bad job, even if it was pretty slap-dash.

All the odds are in my favor, something’s bound to begin…

She finally untangled a mess of wires and reconnected them.

It’s gotta happen, happen sometime…

She fused together the final wire and the ship hummed to life. Fuel Regulation Systems online.

Tak smiled, “Okay Mimi, looks like we’re finally getting somewhere.” She ducked back into the access panel as the song his its crescendo.

Maybe this time I’ll win.

#invader zim fanfiction #invader zim #iz fanfiction #iz fanfic #zim #dib #tak #gaz #gir #rebel zim #rebel leader tak #zadf #sweetiepie08 #sweetiepie fanfic #sweetiepie writes #invader zim fandom

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sz-amare · 4 years ago

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7. My Top 15 Anime List

I have watched a lot of anime in the past four years, but one thing that gives me great enjoyment is ranking my top anime. Here I will rank my top 15 favorite anime, along with some honorable mentions that couldn’t make it. However, I won’t be going too in-depth on the analyses; I just want to give you a general idea of why the particular anime is where it is on my list. In general, I rank my anime depending on a combination of factors: 1) how brilliant I find the anime to be written, 2) if the themes resonate with me, 3) if it is categorized in my favorite genres, and 4) my general enjoyment level. Anyway, to the list.

Number 15

One Punch Man

When I first watched One Punch Man, it seemed nothing more than a mindless comedy anime. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed it and laughed a lot, but I found it to be forgettable. But one day, I heard that the genre of One Punch Man was seinen, which made no sense to me. It had no dark and mature themes, and as I mentioned, it was nothing more than a senseless comedy. But then one day, on a whim, I watched One Punch Man again. And I REALLY enjoyed it. I still laughed a lot, but something felt different to me this time. I actually felt like I had a deep connection with each of the characters. The story seemed to be more structured and enjoyable this time, and finally, I could actually see the themes that One Punch Man was trying to explore. It made sudden sense to me that One Punch Man is indeed a seinen and that it had a lot more to it than on the surface. Of course, the difference in experience is because of my new understanding of anime and the experience I gained.

Number 14

Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple

Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple is probably one of the most unknown, underappreciated, and underrated anime on this list. Someone recommended it to me, and I had never heard of it, so I assumed it was a mediocre anime. But when I watched it, I had so much fun which I hadn’t felt in many months. It is a training shōnen anime where the main character tries to learn martial arts. That is all I want to say for now because I don’t want to spoil anything, so go watch it. I highly recommend it.

Number 13

A Place Further than the Universe

I don’t see many people talking much about A Place Further than the Universe. But, I must say, it is absolutely phenomenal. It is, hands down, the most inspiring anime in existence. The basic premise is a high school girl wanting to do something significant in her high school life. I won’t say anymore because, again, I don’t want to spoil this anime, and I recommend you check it out if you need inspiration in your life. Let me just say that it is now an aspiring goal of mine to visit Antarctica.

Number 12

Plastic Memories

I made a whole analysis on the previous post so go check it out. But for a quick recap, the life lesson I learned from Plastic Memories has permanently changed my behavior for the better. I found it to be the saddest anime I have ever watched.

Number 11

Steins; Gate

Once again, I have already made an analysis on Steins; Gate, but this time I only covered the first episode. I also ranked Steins; Gate a 10/10 so that must mean that the rest of this list must contain masterpieces. But to be honest, that is not really the case. You see, to me, even if I consider something a masterpiece, the enjoyment factor plays the most significant role in ranking high on my list. For example, I found Death Note to be brilliant, but I really struggled to enjoy it and therefore, it is not ranked that highly. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed Steins; Gate, but I just enjoyed the rest of these anime way more. Anyway, if you want to see why I loved Steins; Gate so much and why I find it so brilliant, check out blog post 4.

Number 10

Berserk (Manga)

Almost everything I found In Berserk is brilliant (except its adaptations, that’s gas station toilet). Guts is a 10/10 protagonist, Griffith is a 10/10 antagonist, the cast is a 10/10, the story is a 10/10, AND THE ART!!! Holy shit!!! I can actually picture an entire museum dedicated to each panel of Berserk.

Again, the only reason this anime is not any higher is simply because I enjoyed the others on this list so much more. However, I am yet to review any analyses on it so there is a possibility that it will bump-up several places higher when I truly understand the brilliance behind it. Great read though!

Number 9

Haikyuu

I LOVE Haikyuu. Each season gets progressively better and better. It has a lot of controversy around it because of its fan base and because it’s a sports anime. But to be honest, I find Haikyuu to be a better shōnen than My Hero Academia, Black Clover, Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer, and most other modern shōnen anime. It has its amazing moments, its cast is amazing, the character development is amazing, the themes are amazing, and the antagonists are amazing. I am not bluffing when I say that the antagonists in a Volleyball anime are better than the antagonists in many shōnen anime (I’m going to develop haters before I can even develop fans). I plan on making an essay on what most shōnen strive for yet fail to achieve, and Haikyuu somehow delivers.

Number 8

Oregairu

Best romance. Hands down. Oregairu, or SNAFU, or My Teen Rom-Com is Not What I Expected (yes, so many titles) is a masterpiece in its own right. If you are a guy and you watched Oregairu, don’t act like you didn’t imitate Hachiman a couple times. He is a beautiful protagonist, which most of us guys relate to. His inner monologues result in us treating them as gospel. The sub-text is confusing as fuck, but end up making sense in all sorts of ways once decoded. Yukino is best girl, but man I love Yuigahama almost just as much. The general enjoyment I got out of Oregairu is so far through the roof that I once forced myself to stop watching it so that I could savor the show a little more. It is a little difficult to get into at first, but you will most likely end up enjoying it.

Number 7

Re Zero

This is the most recent addition to the list. I often don’t add anything new to my list; I just switch the places between some of them. But ever since season 2, Re Zero jumped significantly in rank. It is the best anime of 2020 (including sequels), and I enjoyed each episode to the max. I was considering adding Re Zero to my top 10 since the first half of the second season finished, but I was a bit hesitant because I am easily affected by recency bias. But my love for Re Zero would just not die down: my love for it grows after each episode airs. It is the only anime on this list that I watched weekly other than One Piece. I actually prefer watching a series I love weekly rather than binging it all, except for One Piece, pacing is constipation (slow and painful). Other than the vast enjoyment I got out of Re Zero, the main reason it made it to this list is because of the light novel comparisons I watch. Aninews is my favorite source. He compares the episode to the light novels, mentioning what was left out and further describing the emotions and thoughts of the characters. He tends to release the “Cut Content” videos a week after the episode airs, but the content and quality are incomparable. I found the videos to be so amazing I am basically just as excited for the weekly videos as the Re Zero episodes themselves. If you love Re Zero, the Cut Content series is a must watch.

The fantastic details and emotions the light novels are able to portray are stunning. I decided to read the light novels recently, but the only issue is that I am very short on time. But for each novel I complete, I will release a post on it.

Number 6

Mob Psycho

Although I said I found Haikyuu to be better than most modern shōnen, Mob Psycho is hands down the king. Its quality far surpasses all modern shōnen and a lot of older generation shōnen too. Funny thing is, I believe Mob Psycho’s primary genre is slice of life, not shōnen. I also believe it to be the best take on an overpowered protagonist. One of my favorite things is that Mob, who is the strongest esper we have seen, seems to be so weak. That is exactly how he should be portrayed; he is still a child with mental challenges that he is constantly trying to overcome. The themes that Mob Psycho explores are some of my favorites. The animation is a bit weird at first, but after watching it, you suddenly realize how brilliant it is.

(Honorable Mentions)

Attack on Titan

I am going to get a lot of hate for not including this in my top 5, let alone my top 15. Attack on Titan is still releasing episodes, so that opinion may change soon but let me be clear about one thing: Attack on Titan is a masterpiece. It is absolute greatness. The hype and enjoyment I get out of Attack on Titan are out of this world. But, a) the enjoyment feels a bit short-lived for me personally. It is a fantastic week after airing, but I tend to forget about it the next. b) Attack on Titan is simply not my type of show. Again, I do love Attack on Titan. Again, it is a masterpiece. And again, it may bump up a bit after a few episodes release, but as of now, Attack on Titan isn’t in my top 15.

(Honorable Mentions)

No Game No Life

Similar to One Punch Man, I thought No Game No Life was an anime for senseless fun and enjoyment. But then I watched the movie. The movie is canon to the light novels, but it is irrelevant to the plot and only contributes to the understanding of the world. However, since I watched that movie, I felt the world of No Game No Life to be more realistic. Of course, a world where games resolve all sorts of conflicts like war is ridiculous. But after watching the movie, that ridiculousness somehow turned to reality. The world of No Game No Life became fascinating to me, and what seemed like dumb games began to turn into political machinations.

(Honorable Mention)

Magi & Yona of the Dawn

All I have to say about these two anime is that they seemed to be very fascinating premises and concepts, but the anime sadly stops for both. I am considering reading the manga for both of them sometime soon, so this list may change once I do.

Number 5

Hunter x Hunter

If you like shōnen, I don’t see why you would hate Hiatus x Hai—I mean Hunter x Hunter. The only thing it slightly lacks is a strong main cast, which many people like anyway. Otherwise, absolute perfection. They have most of the best villains in all of anime: Hisoka, Chrollo, Meruem… How can you not love Meruem? And the way he parallels with Gon but in the opposite direction: just perfection. The arcs are hard to rank because they are all perfection in their own right. The best power system in anime is nothing short but perfection. If it weren’t for the Hiatus, it would be ranked fourth. I doubt it would scratch my top three.

Number 4

Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood

I know I kept saying perfection when talking about Hunter x Hunter, but I actually believe that Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood is the perfect series (Note: I am not saying that no one can love it and that it has to be your #1; obviously there are preferences. I’m merely saying that it perfectly crafts what it is trying to portray). The only two arguments you can bring is that the beginning is weak. But if you watch the 03 version, there are no issues whatsoever, in my eyes. Keep in mind, when I say it is the best, I mean from a narrative standpoint. Yes, the animation isn’t the greatest, and the gags are kind of bad, but from a general narrative standpoint, it is the best writing I have ever seen. The plot was brilliant and well-crafted. The world is beautifully bound by their power system: alchemy. The philosophical discussions and themes it explores always have you thinking. The characters are very likable and are all top tier characters. The mysteries keep you in a cycle of confusion and excitement. Since I love science and chemistry, alchemy was so fascinating to me. This show is definitely well-deserving of the number one rank in My Anime List.

Number 3

Kill la Kill

After listing a lot of the best anime/manga with the best stories and narratives, I can see why someone would be upset that I brought up Kill la Kill. This one is certainly the odd one out. However, remember me mentioning that the enjoyment factor is the biggest decision maker in my list placement? Kill la Kill gave me the most enjoyment out of all the anime on this list, even more significant than the obvious #1. I didn’t find anything to be all that brilliant in Kill la Kill, and I can completely understand if someone hated this particular show. But there was something about Kill la Kill that made me feel nostalgic in a weird way. It also gave me one of the weirdest yet most immense feeling of satisfaction I have ever felt. I love Kill la Kill.

Number 2

Konosuba

Okay yeah, this one is also the odd one out, but it is a little more acceptable. I find Konosuba to be the best comedy anime of all time. Not necessarily because it is the funniest anime (I think it is the funniest but comedy is subjective), but instead because, unlike most comedies, like Nichijo, the characters in Konosuba are absolutely brilliant. Kazuma is one of my favorite characters of all time, Megumi is best girl, but I still love both Darkness and Aqua. Their interactions are absolutely entertaining on both a comedic scale and a general enjoyment scale. Their assholeish-type relationship reflects my relationship with my friends (we are complete assholes to each other, but we also love one another).

Not only that but from the comedy focused anime that I have watched, the plot in this one is actually delightful. The Konosuba movie is my favorite movie of all time, right after A Silent Voice.

Number 1

One Piece

If you read a couple of my previous posts or recognized my profile picture, you probably knew that One Piece is my favorite anime of all time. My love for One Piece is so extensive that I would rather forget all my experiences with anime than forget my experience with One Piece. One Piece inspired me and changed my life. Not in the typical way where I learned a life lesson from the story like Plastic Memories, but simply because I found the writing to be so brilliant. So it was more that Eiichiro Oda, the author of One Piece, inspired me. The characters are the best I have ever seen, the villains are well crafted, the world-building is literally the best in all of fiction, the build-up is fascinating, the questions from the mysteries somehow keep piling over, the symbolism fleshes out aspects of the anime even more, the backstories make characters more relatable and understandable, the general dynamic flow of the world feels like reality, the themes it explores are great learning experiences, the originality never ends, the hype moments keep you energetic for more, the foreshadowing is so phenomenal to the extent where it shouldn’t exist, and the general planning of the story makes it obvious how amazing of an author Eiichiro Oda is.

This series has been airing weekly for nearly 22 years now, the manga for 25. How in the world is Oda able to create this monster of a story, planning certain elements a decade or two in advance? This is brilliance. This is beauty in writing. And I want nothing more than to create a masterpiece of my own.

Final Notes

Emotional, I know. I believe my list here is a bit diverse in terms of genre: shōnen, seinen, romance, comedy, sports, slice-of-life, and mystery. I think it’s a great thing to widen your horizons a bit by exploring various types of genres. Anyway, there are many anime I haven’t watched that could easily replace and dethrone some of the anime on this list. I plan on watching and reading Hajime no Ippo, Gintama, Vagabond, Oyasumi Pun Pun, I”s, etc. I heard these anime/manga are considered the best for their respective genres by many people, and I will probably finish reading and watching these anime/manga in about six months. So I will make a top 15 anime list once again around that time.

If you have any questions or you want to discuss something, feel free to ask in the “Ask Me Anything” tab on my Tumblr page.

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let-it-raines · 5 years ago

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let-it-raines cs fic masterlist

AO3: |Here|

Multi-Chapters:

Betting on the Bullseye: Emma Swan loses a drunken bet that means she has to ask her celebrity crush - if you can call him that - to be her date to her office’s annual fundraising gala for Boston’s Children Shelter. Killian Jones is that celebrity. She expects all kinds of humiliation and for her dignity to be completely lost all because of the ridiculousness of the situation. What she doesn’t expect is for him to say yes.

What she truly doesn’t expect is to actually like the man.

Found on AO3 | Here |

Bonus Scenes: 1 | 2 |

Catch Me If You Can: 298 days. That’s how long Killian Jones was away from a baseball field. It’s less than a year, only part of a season for him, but it might as well have lasted a decade as he alternated between physical therapy and spending an excessive amount of time sitting on his couch.

But then he came back and won the World Series.

It’s something no one saw coming, and it’s certainly not something anyone who knows about his arm would predict. Now it’s a new season with new possibilities, and anything could happen. On-field reporter Emma Swan will be there to cover it all even if she is not his biggest fan right now.

Asking her out live on-air will do that.

Found on AO3 | Here |

Tumblr: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35| 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40

Extra scenes: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |

Not Your (soul)Mate: Killian Jones doesn’t like the idea of soulmates. He sees how happy his friends are with theirs, but he still doesn’t like the idea, not when he’s found love and lost it time and time again only to still not know his sign. He has no markings on his skin, no voices in his head, but then one day he meets Emma Swan and everything changes. Because, well, he may not have ink on his skin to tell him who to love, but the very first time that he hears Emma’s voice he knows that she’s the one for him. Then again, that could simply be his desire talking. After all, for every word she speaks, he becomes aroused.

It’s not the worst thing in the world to be incredibly attracted to a beautiful woman, but things aren’t that simple when she doesn’t have any interest in being his soulmate.

He’s screwed. And not in the good way.

Found on AO3 | Here |

Found on Tumblr: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16

Rising From the Ashes: When her husband died, Emma wasn’t sure that she could ever move on. He left her with a broken heart and a baby who was only three-months old. It’s enough to take most people down, to make them not want to keep going, but Emma Swan isn’t most people. She’s stronger than she has any right to be. And after years of heartache, she’s found ways to move on…one of those being in Neal’s best friend, Killian Jones. As she’s always known, however, things are more complicated than they ever seem to be.

Found on AO3 | Here |

Found on Tumblr: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21

Second in Command: Life as the “spare to the heir” isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be when you’re the supposed screw-up of the family, but people don’t know what really happens behind closed doors.

Found on AO3 | Here |Tumblr Chapters: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Sequel (epilogue) Parts: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15

Extra scenes on AO3: | here |

Extra scenes: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

another kind of green: Emma Swan spends her days in pretty white dresses and heavy layers of makeup. Day after day and dress after dress, she poses for pictures and acts like she’s in love and having the happiest day of her life with the man standing next to her.It’s not. This is all a gig, and at the end of the day, she’s no longer the girl in the pretty dress who’s faking getting married for a magazine cover or a wedding convention. Instead, she’s the girl who probably never wants to get married.Little does she know, she already is.

| Based on two-trope game forgotten first meeting + accidentally married |

Found on AO3 | Here |

Found on Tumblr: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

Single Riders Won’t Stay Single: Emma Swan gets in the “single riders” line for a rollercoaster only to be paired with a handsome stranger for what turns out to be the ride of her life.

Found on AO3 | here |

Found Tumblr with artwork | 1 | | 2 | | 3 | | 4 | | Extra

Christmas one-shot: A Single Riders Christmas

One shot: Look Ma, I’m on the Internet

No Longer Blue: Killian Jones met Emma Swan on one of the worst days of his life. That day continuously plays over in his mind, and as much as he wants it to stop, he never wants to forget.

Found on AO3 | Here |

Sea Dogs: Emma Swan and Killian Jones met as children and have been friends ever since, learning to navigate all of life’s ups and downs together. They’ve always known that when they have no one else, they have each other. It’s been a constant in their lives, so when their futures are up in the air, will that constant stay the same?

Found on AO3 | Here |

One, Two, Three Shots:

At Least For Now: Detective Killian Jones is fond of his partner on the force, David Nolan. They work well together, and he thinks it’s a nice partnership. He’s also fond of David’s sister…who he didn’t realize was David’s sister when they met. He and Emma have an entirely different kind of partnership that David knows nothing about. At least for now.

Found on A03 | Here |

Indirect Deposit: It’s the oldest story in the world, isn’t it? Falling in love with your neighbor. Killian’s sure that he’s seen hundreds of books and television shows starting off that way, and he’s always thought them all to be entirely unrealistic. That is until he started getting to know Emma Swan, who just so happens to live across the hall from him, and he has absolutely fallen for her in a way that he hasn’t fallen for anyone in a long time.

It’s the oldest story in the world…until it isn’t. Because it’s not just Emma he’s fallen in love with. It’s her unborn child too, and while everyone he knows thinks he’s crazy for falling in love with a pregnant woman, he knows that he’s not. Some things in life are worth taking the risk.

Some people are worth loving. And some things about life may surprise you.

Found on AO3 | Here |

Found on Tumblr: Part One | Part Two | Part Three

Drabble | Here |

Additional Artwork | Here |

Frozen Peas: Emma Swan and Killian Jones are not coworkers. Okay, they kind of are. Emma Swan and Killian Jones are not friends either. Okay, maybe they kind of are. Honestly, Emma’s not sure what’s up and what’s down when it comes to Killian Jones…well, that’s also not true. She knows one thing that’s up.

Found on AO3 | Here |

Seasick: Sometimes moving home when your life falls apart isn’t a bad thing. But sometimes moving home does lead to things you never thought were possible. Or so Emma Swan learns.

Found on AO3 | Here |

Found Tumblr with artwork | Part 1 | | Part 2 |

Palms and Recreation: Bartenders at hotels are just supposed to serve you drinks, not change your entire life, but Emma Swan’s life never seems to go as planned.

Found on AO3 | Here |

Found Tumblr with artwork | Here |

His Voice Keeps Calling: They were together…and then they weren’t. But just because you’re not with someone anymore doesn’t mean you stop loving them. And it doesn’t mean that their words stop playing over in your head, even if new ones are being said.

Found on AO3 | Here |

Found on Tumblr with artwork | Here |

Lunchboxes and Taxicabs: Sometimes strangers steal your cab from right under your nose. And sometimes those strangers aren’t strangersanymore.

Found on AO3 | Here |

Found Tumblr with artwork | Here |

Unraveling the Thread: Returning home is never something anyone wants to do when they’ve been trying to leave for their entire life, but it seems to happen to most everyone. It’s just not something Emma ever thought would happen to her. But after getting let go from her job and refusing to work in another office answering phones for the next ten years of her life, she moves back home to Storybrooke and has to deal with all of the loose threads that she left behind.

It’s easier said than done. She’s still going to do it.

Found on AO3 | Here |

Found on Tumblr | Here |

Magical Rings and Mystical Donuts: Discovering you have magic in a world where it doesn’t exist is scary enough. Having yourself exposed as some kind of magical being because onion rings are falling from the sky might be even worse.

Found on AO3 | Here |

Found Tumblr with artwork | Here |

A Simple Favor: Killian Jones is a pirate. He’s no longer a Naval man or an admirable man as he once was. He’s a pirate, and that’s all he’ll ever be to the outside world. That is, until he meets a woman who changes his entire world…and then who changes it again when he has an encounter with her father.

Found on AO3 | Here |

Found on Tumblr with artwork | Here |

Mistress of the Sea: He comes into the tavern whenever he’s docked in Misthaven, always following his crew and settling down at the table in the center of the room, ordering a rum before falling into telling a rousing story that has the entire room roaring with laughter. It’s like that for years, and Emma gets used to watching Captain Killian Jones in his element on land, idly wondering what he must be like when at sea. They speak to each other, enough to know names and to be comfortable in conversation, but he’s rarely around long enough for her to truly know him, his mistress of the sea always calling him home.

And yet he always returns to Emma.

Found on AO3 | Here |

Found on Tumblr: Part One | Part Two | Part Three

Striking Out: For someone who has never picked up a bat, Emma Swan knows more about baseball than some of the guys on the field. To be fair, she’s that way with every sport. It’s her job, and it’s one she takes seriously. She’s been an on-air sports broadcaster for the past four years, and she’s damn good at it, better than some of the former professionals and pundits that she works with every day.

So when she gets a chance to cover the World Series, a chance to follow her home team, she knows that nothing is going to stop her from doing her job.

Well, except for Killian Jones asking her out on live television.

Found on AO3 | Here |

Found on Tumblr | Here |

Another Bad Christmas Movie: Emma Swan’s life is not a Christmas movie. Sure, there are some aspects of it that are similar, but that’s true for everyone who has a pulse and has ever heard All I Want For Christmas is You (don’t lie, you probably sing along to it). So maybe she’s a little frustrated and annoyed with some holiday traditions, especially the cheesy ones in the movies, but Killian Jones is going to help change all of that.

Found on AO3 | Here |

Found on Tumblr with artwork Part 1 | Part 2

I Have a Method: Finding your neighbor drunk and nearly passed out in the snow isn’t exactly a great way to become friends. But that’s exactly how Killian Jones becomes more of a friend to Emma Swan than he has been in their years of knowing each other. And it’s exactly how the both of them learn to be a little less alone.

Found on AO3 | Here |

Found on Tumblr | Here |

The Writing is on the Other Side of the Wall: Emma Swan’s favorite author is her next door neighbor, but just because she loves his writing doesn’t mean she loves him. She doesn’t even like him. In fact, one could say that she absolutely hates Killian Jones and the way he blares his music through their shared walls and how he is always incessantly flirting with anything that breathes.

He drives her insane, and she’s about one three am wake-up call away from breaking into his apartment and throwing his speaker out the window. Or maybe she’s one three am wake-up call or one knock on her door away from her life beginning to change forever.

Found on AO3 | Here |

Found on Tumblr | Here |

Pitching A Tent: Emma Swan does not want to go camping. Who even goes camping anymore when things like air conditioning, indoor plumbing, and the internet exist? Why would anybody in their right mind sleep on the ground instead of the softness of a mattress? David says that it’s an adventure, and while she doesn’t believe him those first few hours of trekking through the wilderness, she does once she drunkenly wanders into a British man’s tent in the middle of the night.

Created by the 2 trope game of | wilderness + awkward first meeting |

Found on AO3 | Here |

Found on Tumblr | Here |

Every Monday Morning: Emma Swan likes her routines. She wakes up at four in the morning, goes to work as a host on The Morning Show, spends her day doing segments about cooking and this season’s fashion trends, and then she goes home to spend time with her son and help him with his homework. She’s finally found something stable, and she doesn’t like change.

So when the show’s regular chef retires and is replaced by Killian Jones, it throws Emma for a loop that she doesn’t necessarily like.

At least not at first.

Found on AO3 | Here |

Found on Tumblr | Here |

Storybrooke Haunted Farms: “Want to be chased through a corn maze? Take a ride in a trailer full of hay in the middle of the woods? Play paintball with zombies? Explore a haunted ghost ship? If this sounds like fun to you, come to Storybrooke Haunted Farms where the fun is cheap and the thrills are terrifying. Open from October 1st - October 31st.”

Emma Swan has been working at Storybrooke Haunted Farms for the past four years, and she’s done everything from work the haunted hayride to chasing paying customers through a corn maze with a fake chainsaw. It’s always been a good way for her to make a little extra cash for the holidays for her son, and it’s most likely the best time she’s ever had working.

That is until her assignment changes and she’s made to work on the pirate ship exhibit with Killian Jones, quite possibly the most obnoxious man alive.

Found on AO3 | Here |

Found on Tumblr | Here |

it’s all an act (until it isn’t): High school drama teacher Killian Jones doesn’t have time for drama off the stage. He’s had enough of it in his life, and no part of him is searching for more. But then the day before his theater class’s modern day interpretation of a fairytale begins its four-week run, his two leads get sick. There are no understudies, no one to fill the roles, but as they say, the show must go on.

With him in it, apparently.

Having Emma Swan, the music teacher and woman who has avoided him since her first day of work at Storybrooke High, fill in as the starring role opposite him is the complete opposite of what he expected.

Found on AO3 | Here |

Found on Tumblr | Here |

Yellow Flowers In Your Hair: Emma Nolan has been raised in a privileged household and has never wanted for anything other than freedom to live her life on her own terms. Her parents want that for her as well, at least to a certain extent, but when her father unexpectedly passes, Emma is left with two options: marry a man she doesn’t love or lose the home filled with memories of her beloved father as well as memories of her first love, a man with blue eyes and a kind smile who left for the Navy years ago and hasn’t been home since.

But what if her first love were to come back?

Found on AO3 | Here |

Found on Tumblr: Part One | Part Two | Part Three

Tell Me It’s Real (it’s real): Killian Jones has done a lot of stupid things in his life. The stupidest, however, was telling Liam that he and his best friend Emma Swan are dating after Liam presses him on why he hasn’t started dating again after his last breakup. It’s fine. Liam lives an ocean away, and Killian has time to figure out how exactly he’s going to deal with this before there are any actual consequences.

That is until Liam shows up at Emma’s parents’ house in Storybrooke four days before Christmas thinking that Killian and Emma have been dating for months.

Emma’s going to murder him.

(A Fake Dating AU)

Found on AO3 | Here |

Found on Tumblr | Here |

what a plot twist you were: Emma’s life is solid. She has her few friends, a job that pays decently enough, and a schedule that works for her. She doesn’t want any of that to change. But when she gets a call saying she’s been left a house in Storybrooke, Maine, she ends up leaving Boston intending to deal with the house and then return to her life like nothing has changed.

Intentions never quite work out, however, especially when she runs into a blue-eyed bartender who just might entice her to stay.

Found on AO3 | Here |

Found on Tumblr | Here |

The Spectacular Ms. Swan: 1959. New York City.

Women aren’t supposed to have their own voices and opinions, and they certainly aren’t supposed to be funny. Emma Swan, however, has a lot of opinions and is damn funny. She also doesn’t care what anyone thinks.

Except maybe Killian Jones, a comic who has been her supporter since the day she bailed him out of jail after one of his comedy routines.

Found on AO3 | Here |

Found on Tumblr | Here |

Tumblr Prompts:

Found on AO3 | Here |

On Tumblr on my page under the header “prompt stories”

I’d list them here, but Tumblr won’t let me add in all of those links on one post 😊

#cs fic #cs ff #cs fanfic #captain swan fic #captain swan ff #captain swan fanfic #let-it-raines #let-it-raines masterlist

104 notes · View notes

gale-gentlepenguin · 5 years ago

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Gale’s Top 10: Favorite Rivals

For this list, I will be picking my favorite Rival Character’s in Media. Video games, anime, manga, comics, etc.

Now the question is, What makes a character a rival?

For this list I will be making clarifications:

1. If one of the goals of one of the characters is to surpass another character, battle multiple times, state that this person is their rival, and/or have the same objective as a character but puts them in conflict.

2. Moral alignment doesn't mean anything. They can be friendly rivals or even hero/villain rivals as long as their main objective is to best their opponent.

3. Bonus points if the rival is equal in strength and find themselves on opposite sides.

4.There are differences between Archenemies and rivals. So likely Super villains, Like The Joker (who do exist to defeat batman, are more like nemesis rather then rivals).

5. One per franchise

_______________________________________________________________________

10. Dark Pit/ Pittwo ( Kid Icarus Uprising)

Dark Reflections are often seen as cliché when it comes to rivals, but I have a soft spot for this dark copy.

Dark Pit is a copy made by Pandora to be Pit’s equal and defeat him for the sake of the underworld. But the process of making him resulted in his obedience being... shattered.

Dark pit doesn't side with the underworld or Skyworld. He does his own thing and wants to be his own person. Even achieving unlimited flight for a brief period, making him superior to Pit.

Equal in strength, speed, power, and abilities. Dark pit is a pinnacle of dark copies. But he is even seen being more observant and smarter then Pit. Since he is more self reliant, he is shown to see things more objectively.

His connection to Pit is revealed that if Pit falls, He will fall as well. So it makes for an interesting dynamic that Dark pit wants to prove his superiority yet still bound to Pit. Which leads to an interesting dynamic.

(also if you have not played Kid Icarus Uprising, for the love of Palutena DO IT!)

9. Metal Sonic (Sonic the hedgehog)

Oh I can see the anger from the Shadow Fans. ‘Why did I pick Metal Sonic?’ ‘Why not Shadow?’ ‘Shadow and Sonic have more of a rivalry?’

Here is my response. Metal Sonic is Sonic’s greatest rival and vice versa.

Created by egg man to be Sonic’s equal, to learn and grow with each fight. Metal sonic always pushes Sonic to his limit.

There are even cases where Metal Sonic has Surpassed Sonic going so far as to have sonic need the help of others to best him.

His goal of defeating Sonic goes beyond programing. He will even find a way to break free of Eggman’s control just to achieve his goal of besting sonic.

Whether its the Comics, the games, movies. Metal Sonic is seen as Sonic’s most dangerous rival.

And proof? He is a character in the game Sonic Rivals! So that shows he is a rival of sonic.

Not to insult shadow, but the OG shadow wasn't focused on fighting sonic, he had his own goals and sonic just happened to be involved. While later renditions have him more of a vegeta knock off to sonic. I find these interpretations lame.

I also considered Scourge, but that would give acknowledgement to ken Penders and honestly I aint gonna do that.

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8. Sasuke Uchiha (Naruto/Naruto Shippuden)

Yes, cue the cliche gasps. Despite how obvious he was that he is on the list, it makes sense why he is here. His and Naruto’s dynamic is iconic. Best friends, rivals, enemies, brothers in arms.

The two went down two different paths, striving to surpass the other to achieve their dreams.

The main reason I put him on here is simple.

I could write several essays about why Sasuke is on this list, but that would be boring. You all know why he is here.

He is an iconic rival and that is a fact

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7. Kim Ban Phuong (Sun-Ken Rock)

Now I know what you are thinking. Who the f*** is this guy? Time for gale’s obscure pick.

And that is understandable, since this is a manga that wasn't made into an anime (despite DESERVING TO BE ONE) (though to be fair, it is MEGA DARK, a lot of messed up themes in this. Really nails how corrupt people can be)

A man that became a monster for the sake of surpassing Kitano Ken (the main character of the manga)

A man that was one of the only two people to have ever beaten the main character in a fight (and the only one to do so when the main character was trying to be a boss)

Formed an assassin guild to destroy Ken’s gang.

The tragic backstory of this character is enough to give the reader the understanding on how he is Ken’s shadow. Why he is fighting against Ken so hard. All the way to the tragic end he faced. Something which I dare not spoil here.

The fight between him and Ken is nothing short of breath taking and this is written by the guy that did the Dr.Stone Manga.

Seriously, while the fan service can be grotesque at times, the plot of the story about Korean gangs, race relations and asian history are something to behold. The fact that its so underrated is a travesty. (but skip the idol arc, it does capture how messed up the entertainment industry can be.)

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6. Ryoga hibiki

The undisputed king of getting lost. The man of many misfortunes. The half piglet half man. Ryoga.

For those who have seen Ranma 1/2, What you see here is top tier best boy in the series.

If you go strictly by the anime, you would believe that he is a better match for akane (or Ranma depending on what side of the fandom you are on)

Ryoga puts Ranma as the focus of all the misfortune he has faced, he is mostly self taught and is acknowledged by Ranma as his only true rival.

When it comes down to it they are constantly on a seesaw on who is stronger. Despite all of the hardships, Ryoga does see Ranma in a friendlier light as the series goes on, even considering him a friend. They actually have helped each other on occasions, The manga showing times where Ranma tried to help Ryoga with his date with another girl. Or Ryoga putting his feelings for Akane aside to stop Brainwashed Ranma from marrying shampoo.

The back and forth between the two and the unspoken connection of having a jusenkyo curse has really made the two have a strong bond.

Ryoga deserves a spot on this list because of his strong character.

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5. Henry Cooldown (No more Heroes)

For those of you unfamiliar with the series of No More Heroes, Henry is the Scottish Half-brother of the main protagonist. Cool, confident, a kick ass accent, and a masterclass assassin. He is the final boss of the first No More Heroes.

The rivalry between the two really takes head when the main character, Travis, finds out that this cool customer that stole his kill and saved his life was his half brother and wants to settle it in a duel to the death. Henry was a rival that was always one step ahead of Travis. Travis wants to bang Silvia, (the woman that set up the assassin ranking system) She was Henry’s Ex-wife. Travis wanted to be the number one assassin, Henry was the original number one. Travis has a beam Katana, Henry has one that looks even cooler.

In terms of the cool rival/ brother rival archetype, Henry Cooldown is the best fit, and he even helps travis out again in the sequel.

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4. Paul (Pokemon Diamond and Pearl)

For those of you that have seen the anime, You understand EXACTLY why Paul is on this list.

In Ash’s journey through Sinnoh, there was a Pokemon trainer that always seemed to one up Ash, no it wasn't Gary Oak, it was Paul.

But what made Paul so different? Why not pick Gary?

Paul was Ash’s antithesis.

Ash loved his Pokemon and battled with instinct and trust.

Paul evaluated his pokemon’s potential, he released any that failed to meet his standards. He was focused on attaining power and would use any means necessary to attain it.

He saw how his older brother failed, and refused to give up like his brother did. Paul wanted to prove himself better.

Ash saw Paul as a strong trainer but HATED the way he treated his own Pokemon. Ash even ended up asking Paul’s Chimchar to join his team after Paul abandoned it, which allows for a more dynamic clash in their beliefs.

Battle after battle, Paul kept proving better then ash, until the Sinnoh League tournament. Where they faced off in the quarter finals.

(Which is personally my favorite anime Pokemon battle of all time)

Ash gets to show Paul the importance of Loving and respecting one’s Pokemon. And that is pretty beautiful.

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3.Shego

Shall we talk about my favorite character in Kim possible? About time we had a lovely Lady rival on here.

Yes, we shall.

The former Super powered Hero turned Villain, the Number two of Dr. Drakken.

Shego is a self interested individual that loves to pamper herself and to do bad.

Whenever she is involved, it is guaranteed that she and Kim are going to be fighting.

The fights are always intense and always show the capabilities of both fighters. In a way Shego is a dark reflection of Kim.

Capable, sassy, fashionable, and a total threat to anyone that gets in her way.

Not to mention, (I TOTALLY WAS CRUSHING ON HER AS A KID)

Shego’s only reason for not being the most evil villain out there is simply because she couldn't care less about actually ruling the world, Not that she wouldn't do it if she had the opportunity (a stitch in time showed she totally would) She is just more relaxed, even willing to help Kim.

There is even an episode where Shego turned good and she and Kim got along legendarily.

When it comes to rivals, Shego’s got sass, class and can whoop ass.

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2. Seto Kaiba (Yu-Gi-Oh!)

Don't act like you don't love this arrogant douche.

Seto Kaiba is one of the most iconic characters in Yu-gi-oh.

This Blue eyes dragon fetishist is the head of his own company and wants to prove that he is the greatest duelest in the world.

His obsession with besting the Pharaoh (Atem / Yami Yugi) is documented and the lengths he is willing to go.

He advanced the technology of the world so far just so he could find the long dead pharaoh who went back to his time/ spirit world and he nearly did it.

He even found a way to counter magic using technology.

Though despite his ego that could rival MOUNTAINS in size, Kaiba does care about his little brother mokuba, willingly sacrificing himself just to protect him. Even willing to put his life on the line to save him.

When it comes to showmanship, Seto Kaiba is number one, and likely the inspiration for EVERY BADASS ANIME OUTFIT TO EXIST

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1. Vegeta (Dragon ball Z and Dragon Ball Super)

When one thinks the word Rival, one man pops into my head. Bar none, the Prince of all Saiyans. Vegeta.

The prince of all Tsundere’s, the walking Napoleon complex. The genocidal warrior to defender of earth and father of two.

Vegeta’s goal was to be Number one, and Kakarot/ Goku is the one that stands in his way.

After Frieza’s defeat, Vegeta’s goal was to surpass Goku, to prove he is number one.

His actions and antics could hardly be considered good, not until the end of the Buu saga would he even be considered a good person.

But the reason why vegeta is number one is because of what happened during Super.

Vegeta has gained a LOT of character development during the sequel series. Especially in the super Manga.

Vegeta shows that he has grown to care about the planet that he has lived on, even feeling guilty of his actions back in the Namek saga, doing his best to make things right.

He still wants to beat Goku, but he has more reasons to fight then simply his pride.

Vegeta is arguably the most developed rival on this list.

There are other iconic rivals that could have hit number one, but Vegeta is the text book definition of Rival.

Thats why the Prince of all Saiyans is finally number one

#rivals #gale's top ten #gale's top 10 #vegeta #sasuke #Henry cooldown #seto kaiba #hibiki ryoga #shego #rival paul #metal sonic #dark pit

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moonlightjongin · 5 years ago

Text

MASTERLIST

Notes: A ‘✔’ besides a chapter or story indicates that it’s published. Anything else is in the process of being published, and will link directly to the chapter when published.

*Any 18+ content in any of my works is clearly indicated. Do not interact with that content unless you’re 18+

EXO (mostly Jongin) & SHINee (mostly Taemin) --

SEPARATION (Exception Sequel. Kim Jongin x Reader, Lee Taemin x Reader) Primary genres: Romance/Smut, Drama. ✧ Summary: It’s been a year and a half since graduation, and a lot has happened. Naively believing you could split the time 50/50 between them not only led to you getting hired by Jongin and his mother’s company, but getting scouted whilst accompanying Taemin on set, rising to a level of fame that has Hollywood knocking at your door. Which in turn led to you missing work commitments and schedules and resulted in Jongin firing you, deciding the seas between his Corporate Korea and your newfound residence in Hollywood would be apt reprisal for the ways your indecision had hurt him in multiple areas. But when fame gets to be too much, Taemin tells you to take a break, convincing you he’ll hold up the fort on his own for a while. You find yourself dialling Jongin’s number almost out of instinct, half expecting him to ignore your call. He answers your call, and gives you the shock of the century by welcoming you back, under a few conditions. In your time away, things have changed. A familiar face has taken your previous position in the company, and a new romantic rival who’s about to give you a run for your money has arrived onto the scene. It’s not as cut and dry as simply choosing between Jongin and Taemin anymore, you know you’re going to have to earn Jongin’s time and affection this time around. And he’s not going to make that easy - he never does. ✧ AUs: Corporate/Fame!AU, Coworkers!AU ✧ Chapters: Prologue | Separation 1 | Separation 2 | Separation 3 | Separation 4 | Separation 5 | Separation 6 | Separation 7 | Ending *The events of this story are Sequel Specific and don’t affect the Exception ending(s), if you’d prefer to leave your Exception experience there. More about this will be covered in the sequel’s separate masterlist.

RESCIND (Lee Taemin x Reader, Kim Jongin x Reader). Primary genres: Supernatural, Romance/Smut, Angst. ✧ Summary: Two Vampire Kingdoms, Two Warring Factions. As the only daughter of the King and Queen of the present Aandiel line, your existence is paramount to the survival of your race of peace-seeking vampires, at constant threat by the chaotic, bloodthirsty counterpart, the Faenraehl. When the arrogant, exceedingly ambitious and highly cunning third son of the Faenraehl kingdom, Lee Taemin, learns of your existence and actually begins to take the thought of your future reign seriously, he’s intrigued. In desperate need of something that will set him aside from his elder brothers who currently have a stronger claim to his kingdom’s throne he realizes destroying you would be his golden ticket. With a cunning array of methods hidden up his sleeve, he’s determined to meet his end game. By any means necessary. What he isn’t expecting is the existence of Kim Jongin. Though widely unknown due to his drafting into the marriage lottery for a chance at winning your hand in marriage, in his blood courses the treasured and exceedingly rare gift of True Magery, and in a kingdom heavily reliant on its dying magic, he may prove to be the savior of all your kingdom holds dear. And he certainly isn’t expecting his mother to send him on an extended mission to Aandia, as payback for all his reckless actions -- to lead as the head of the peace treaty, a role he’s beyond unfit for... ✧ AUs: Vampire!AU, Royalty!AU, Love Triangle!AU ✧ Chapters: Prologue | Rescind 1 | Rescind 2 | Rescind 3 | Rescind 4 | Rescind 5 | Rescind 6 | Rescind 7 | Rescind 8 | Rescind 9 | Rescind 10 | Rescind 11 | Rescind 12 | Rescind 13 | Rescind 14 | Ending

WHEN I WAS YOURS (Kim Jongin x Reader, side Professor!Taemin, side Ex-crush!Sehun). Primary genres: Romance/Smut. ✧ Summary: Let’s say you have a history with Kim Jongin. A tumultuous, drama filled history that didn’t end on the best of notes. Let’s also say you’re in a predicament you never saw yourself in – à la sleeping with your college professor. Let’s say he finds out about it in the worst of ways and isn’t happy with his discovery. What happens next? ✧ AUs: College!AU, Professor!AU, Best Friends-To-Enemies-To-Lovers!AU ✧ Chapters: Prologue (✔) | When I Was Yours 1 | When I Was Yours 2 | When I Was Yours 3 | When I Was Yours 4 | When I Was Yours 5 | When I Was Yours 6 | When I Was Yours 7 | Ending

CLIENT (Lee Taemin x Reader). Primary genres: Romance/Smut, Fluff. ✧ Summary: You’re an elite companion, or in other words, an escort. You’ve never really questioned your line of work, and you’re never anything other than strictly professional; never mixing business with pleasure. But then you meet the quirky businessman Lee Taemin. And that changes. ✧ AUs: Escort!AU, Businessman!AU ✧ Chapters: Client 1 | Client 2 | Client 3 | Client 4 | Ending

BALLERINA (Lee Taemin x Reader). Primary genres: Suspense, Romance, Angst/Tragedy. ✧ Summary: From the moment he saw her dance, Taemin had had a fascination with the ballerina across the street, and eventually, when they embarked upon their relationship, that fascination blossomed into the deepest of loves, but is that love strong enough to survive the tragic odds the world begins to pay them? Only time will tell. ✧ AUs: Established Relationship!AU, Crime/Justice!AU, Hurt/Comfort!AU ✧ Chapters: Prologue | Ballerina 1 | Ballerina 2 | Ballerina 3 | Ballerina 4 | Ballerina 5 | Ending

AU REVOIR (Kim Jongin x Reader). Primary genres: Suspense, Angst, Romance. ✧ Summary: Many think your life is perfect, and on the surface, you suppose it is. You’re well liked, you’re in a happy relationship, you get good grades, you have a bright future ahead of yourself. But the surface isn’t everything. You also have a lot of secrets, and a past that haunts your every waking moment, once the curtain falls. There’s a new kid, Jongin. He’s a loner, seemingly by choice. He goes unnoticed a lot, which surprises you, seeing as you keep noticing him. You have no idea that inviting him to a party is going to have the repercussions it does. You have no idea what his world actually entails. ✧ AUs: Crime/Justice!AU, Hurt/Comfort!AU, High school!AU ✧ Chapters: Prologue | Au Revoir 1 | Au Revoir 2 | Au Revoir 3 | Au Revoir 4 | Au Revoir 5 | Au Revoir 6 | Au Revoir 7 | Ending

LOVER (Lee Taemin x Reader, side Choi Minho). Primary genres: Satire, Humor, Romance. ✧ Summary: Meeting the man your boyfriend’s cheating on you with goes a little differently than you’d expect. ✧ AUs: Neighbors!AU, Unlikely Camaraderie!AU ✧ Chapters: Lover 1 | Lover 2 | Lover 3 | Lover 4 | Lover 5 | Ending

115 (Taemin x Reader, Jongin x Reader - connected but separate stories). Primary genres: Sci-Fi, Angst. ✧ Summary: They say that when a person is on the bridge between life and death, there’s the possibility of reaching a state that is infamously known as the ‘115’. Little is known about this state, but one desperate scientist is willing to put everything he has into discovering more… ✧ AUs: Alternate Dimensions!AU ✧ Chapters: 115 Taemin version | 115 Jongin version

EXILE Series (Kim Jongin x Reader, Lee Taemin x Reader, Taekai). Series of standalone Supernatural and Angst one shots (loosely) based on Hurts’ Exile album.

SANDMAN (Kim Jongin x Reader). Genre: Dark/Supernatural, Smut, Angst. ✧ Summary: All that’s known about the Sandman is that finding legitimate leads and lore on him is incredibly difficult, that he hunts his prey in mysterious ways. Seeking out the truth of him has been a favorite past-time of yours and seeing as tales of him have swept across your city for hundreds of years, you know that if the truth of him exists anywhere, it’s here. And although you’ve been with your boyfriend Jongin for a while now, even you have no idea how close the Sandman actually resides… ✧ AUs: Sandman!AU

ONLY YOU (Taekai). Genre: Fluff, Elements of horror. ✧ Summary: Despite the worry it evokes in his friends and family, Jongin won’t let go of his childhood doll, Taemin, nor will he let go of the insistence that Taemin’s not like other dolls. ✧ AUs: Doll!AU, Friendship!AU

CUPID (Taekai). Primary genres: Post-apocalyptic, Dystopian, Angst. ✧ Summary: In a post-apocalyptic, barren future, society has split into three factions: Caretakers, Scientists and Entertainers. With an ever expanding death toll due to citizens not heeding the warnings presented to them, things are about to get that much worse. A new catastrophe is about to make itself known, but no one is paying attention, having turned a blind eye to the Others that have been sneaking out of the shadows, claiming they’re the future and that they have foolproof methods of survival because everyone’s too busy arguing over resources that are reaching a critical point. Many respected Scientists argue that the Entertainers are the most disposable and contribute the least to their current world, and if they want any hope of surviving, an extermination should start -- and end -- there. Kim Jongin, a Scientist who’s kept his morals in tact, is vehemently against taking such measures and not just because his boyfriend Taemin happens to be an Entertainer. Will he be able to save him before the Scientists in favor of an extermination get to him, even if it means sacrificing his much sought-after place in their dystopian world? Or will the Others get there first and change him for good? ✧ AUs: Post Apocalyptic!AU, Hybrid Vampire!AU

THE CROW (Lee Taemin x Reader). Primary genres: Romance/Smut, Angst. ✧ Summary: You’d never known love until you met Lee Taemin, you never knew pain until you loved him. ✧ AUs: Bad Boy!AU, Heartbreaker!AU

MERCY (Taekai). Primary genres: Supernatural, Angst. ✧ Summary: Taemin tells him it’s pointless trying to save the world and a lost cause trying to save him, but Jongin feels he must try one more time, as he promised he always would. ✧ AUs: Angel vs Demon!AU

THE ROAD (Kim Jongin x Reader). Primary genres: Supernatural, Angst, Romance. ✧ Summary: All your life, you’ve been catching glimpses of a hauntingly beautiful man, completely unaware that it’s Death you’re coming face to face with. He’s not allowed to play favorites, so you can only guess the amount of trouble he gets into every time he prolongs your death date, simply because he can’t stand the thought of watching the light leave your eyes. ✧ AUs: Death!AU

EXILE (Taekai)*. Primary genres: Supernatural, Angst. ✧ Summary: Taemin would crawl to the ends of the earth if it meant seeing Jongin again, even if it results in his exile. ✧ AUs: Immortality!AU, Fallen Angel!AU, Betrayal!AU * Mercy’s prequel. MIRACLE (Lee Taemin x Reader). Primary genre: Supernatural, Romance/Smut. ✧ Summary: You hurt him and now he’s here for his revenge. What he doesn’t expect is how hard it’s going to be to enact said revenge when his eyes fall onto the face he hasn’t seen for many, many years... ✧ AUs: Immortality!AU, Revenge!AU, Immortal Lovers!AU BLIND (Taekai). Primary genres: Supernatural, Angst. ✧ Summary: Taemin’s an immortal being, Jongin’s mortal. Taemin’s faced a lot in his long life, but there’s something he’ll never get the hang of, something that just does not get easier no matter how many times he goes through it, and it’s loving something that death can touch. ✧ AUs: Immortality!AU, Reincarnation!AU SOMEBODY TO DIE FOR (Taekai). Primary genres: Angst. ✧ Summary: Taemin used to wonder what was wrong with him, if he had an overactive survivor’s instinct, self-preservation on overdrive, kept himself up at night asking what people meant when they said they’d die for someone and how they swore they meant it lovingly. Then he met Jongin. ✧ AUs: War!AU THE ROPE (Kim Jongin x Reader). Primary genres: Angst, Romance. ✧ Summary: Life is so tiring, but Jongin tells you to keep living, that if he could change one thing about his experience on the earthly plane, it would be how it ended. You tell him if he’d done that, the two of you would’ve never met. He tells you he would’ve found his way to you somehow. He just wished he could’ve been alive to do it. ✧ AUs: Ghost!AU, Soulmate!AU, Angst!AU HELP (Lee Taemin x Reader). Primary genres: Angst/Romance, Fluff, Implied smut. ✧ Summary: No one understands loneliness better than Lee Taemin, at least so he thinks. Then he meets you. ✧ AUs: Healing!AU HEAVEN (Lee Taemin x Reader). Primary genres: Dark/Supernatural, Horror, Smut. ✧ Summary: He swears he’s always thrived in dangerous situations but that was prior to meeting you. ✧ AUs: Demon x Human!AU GUILT (Kim Jongin x Reader). Primary genres: Romance, Angst, Implied smut. ✧ Summary: He never should have met you, never should’ve wandered into your line of sight, but something propelled him to do so, now you’re both paying the price. ✧ AUs: Time Traveller!AU

MOONLIGHT Series (OT9 EXO x Reader). A series of one-shots in a connected universe. Genres include: Fantasy, Supernatural, Romance/Smut. ✧ Moonlight: Kyungsoo ✧ Moonlight: Sehun ✧ Moonlight: Chanyeol ✧ Moonlight: Baekhyun ✧ Moonlight: Junmyeon ✧ Moonlight: Minseok ✧ Moonlight: Yixing ✧ Moonlight: Jongdae ✧ Moonlight: Jongin

CEO!EXO Series (Excluding Jongdae because it’s smut based). A series of smutty one-shots where the EXO members are your bosses in differing situations. Genre: Smut/Romance. ✧ CEO: Minseok ✧ CEO: Junmyeon ✧ CEO: Yixing ✧ CEO: Baekhyun ✧ CEO: Chanyeol ✧ CEO: Kyungsoo ✧ CEO: Jongin ✧ CEO: Sehun

SLEAZY (Byun Baekhyun x Reader, side Jongin). Primary genres: Smut/Romance. ✧ Summary: You’re a brown-nosed architect who’s so set in your ways and current life of luxury, that it takes meeting a struggling musician by the name of Byun Baekhyun for you to reevaluate your perspective in life. ✧ AUs: Architect!AU, Musician!AU BETTER OR WORSE (Kim Jongin x Reader). Primary genres: Fluff, Romance/Smut, Angst. ✧ Summary: You’re on the brink of a divorce. What happened to ‘for better or for worse’? ✧ AUs: Marriage!AU, On-the-brink-of-a-divorce-but-why!AU DEVIL (Kim Jongin x Reader). Primary genres: Dark/Horror, Smut. ✧ Summary: July 24th started out like any other day. July 24th ended like no other. Now you’re sired to one of the most powerful creatures in existence. You know it’s the furthest thing from wise to be making a bargain with the devil, especially one he swears he’s tweaked in your favor, but you’ll be damned if you don’t try bring yourself to justice here. Literally. ✧ AUs: Devil!AU ONE THOUSAND LIFETIMES (Kim Jongin x Reader). Primary genres: Fluff, Romance. ✧ Summary: If only he had a way of proving the eternity that encompasses your love, in the lifetime where you doubt it most. ✧ AUs: Soulmate!AU

SERIES OF LOVE (Kim Jongin x Reader), (Lee Taemin x Reader). Primary genres: Romance/Smut, Fluff, Angst, Dark/Supernatural. 🏹 Summary: A series of one shots based on different types, concepts and representations, moods and expressions of love. 🏹 Pairing(s): Kim Jongin x Reader, Lee Taemin x Reader 🏹 Genre(s): Romance/Smut, Angst, Fantasy, Fluff, Dark/Supernatural.

JONGIN ღ S T O R G E — (familial love; natural affection) ✔ Description – “(concept) ‘Storge’ is the Greek word for the natural affection people feel for those closest to them. Storge is a love that exists between parents and their children but can go beyond this, storge can also be displayed in companions, and exceptionally close friends. It is said that storge is a casual form of love usually based in memories; storge is an underlying love driven by the desire to compassionately care for another. (summary) …Your Guardian Angel Jongin, who has been guiding you from afar all this while, hopes with everything in him that he’s done a good job with that, vowing to continue doing so as you take upon yourself a very new challenge, working alongside him in the realms of aether.” ღ p h i l a u t i a — (self-love) ღ p h i l i a — (platonic love; the love of friendship) ღ l u d u s — (playful love; uncommitted love) ღ p r a g m a — (enduring love; practical love) ღ e r o s — (passionate, sensual love) ღ a g a p e — (unconditional love) ღ m a n i a — (obsessive love)

TAEMIN ღ c u p i d ’ s - h o m e l a n d — (in contemporary popular culture, Cupid is shown drawing his bow to inspire romantic love, often as an icon of Valentine's Day) ღ c o u p - d e - f o u d r e — (a sudden, unexpected event or instantaneous and overwhelming passion, particularly an instance of love at first sight; lit. ‘a stroke of lightning’) ღ r a z l j u b í t — (to fall out of love, to lose a feeling for someone once loved but no longer feel the same for) ღ h e a r t w o r m — (a relationship or friendship that you can’t get out of your head, which you thought had faded long ago but is still somehow alive and unfinished, like an abandoned campsite whose smoldering embers still have the power to start a forest fire) ღ y u á n f è n — (a relationship brought by fate or destiny; the blinding force which eventually links two people together in love) ღ s a u d a d e — (a deep, nostalgic and melancholic longing for something or someone, it often carries a repressed knowledge that the object of longing might never be had again) ღ k o i - n o - y o k a n — (lit. ‘premonition of love’; the sense one can have upon first meeting another person that the two of them are going to fall in love; this differs from the idea of ‘love at first sight’ in that it does not imply the feeling that the love already exists, rather refers to the knowledge that a future love is inevitable) ღ r e t r o u v a i l l e s — (the happiness of meeting or finding someone again after a long separation)

...(Oneshots in development of moodboards + adequate summaries, to be updated as such, mostly just the titles + pairings for now).

MY SPRING. (Kim Jongin x Reader).

I’M NOT HIM. (Lee Taemin x Reader).

FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY. (Kim Jongin x Reader).

PLAY ME (Sonata). (Lee Taemin x Reader, side!Kim Jongin).

REBOUND. (Kim Jongin x Reader).

CATCHING FEELINGS. (Lee Taemin x Reader).

SPELLMASTER. (Kim Jongin x Reader).

HEARTBREAK HOTEL. (Lee Taemin x Reader).

HUNTED. (Kim Jongin x Reader).

ROSES & THORNS. (Lee Taemin x Reader).

INCUBUS. (Kim Jongin x Reader).

Taemin Album Fic Series -- ✧Criminal ✧Black Rose ✧Strangers ✧Waiting For ✧Famous ✧Clockwork ✧Just Me And You ✧Nemo ✧Impressionable ✧Exclusive ✧Be Your Enemy ✧Shadow ✧Truth

Jongin Album Fic Series -- ✧Mmmh ✧Nothing On Me ✧Amnesia ✧Reason ✧Ride Or Die ✧Hello Stranger ✧Peaches ✧Vanilla ✧Domino ✧Come In ✧To Be Honest ✧Blue ✧Rover ✧Black Mirror ✧Slidin ✧Bomba ✧Say You Love Me ✧Sinner

Requests: ✧ ‘WHAT IF’ (Baekhyun x Reader) (✔) | When Baekhyun has unrequited love with the reader but with a happy ending. Genre: angst, fluff. 883 words. +(adding)

RUN (TBA x Reader). Primary genres: Suspense, Horror, Angst. ✧ Summary: Having been close friends with the parents you lose tragically, (tba)’s family takes you in. Just as you seem to be settling in, you stumble upon their well kept secret and find out that all isn’t as it seems... ✧ AUs: Horror!AU

Groups by Request Only --

Extras --

✧ Moodboards tag (✔) ✧ Gifs tag (✔) ✧ Edits tag (✔) ✧ Requests tag (✔) (Note: both requests and any gifted gifsets/moodboards/written pieces will be under this tag) ✧ Yet to be added to the masterlist tag (Note: anything published but not currently mentioned on the masterlist is in this tag until added to the masterlist)

#jongin scenarios #taemin scenarios #jongin smut #taemin smut #exo x reader #shinee x reader #kpop masterlist #kpop scenarios #bts scenarios #there'll be moodboards/edits for each but including them all will make this too long #masterlist #masterlists

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readersguidetotheuniverse · 5 years ago

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TOP 10 PRIDE EDITION

June is LGBT pride month internationally, a very needed celebration to remind everyone that LGBTIQ+ people exist, their feelings are identity are valids and they deserve the same rights and recognition as anyone else. Today is the day chosen in many countries to celebrate the Pride and, also, today marks the 50th anniversary of the very first Pride parade in New York City, after the Stonewall riots in 1969. A very special day in an already very special month. So we thought, what better way to honor this beautiful celebration than to share some of the best LGBT young adult novels of recent years?

I don’t consider myself LGBT, but I do love reading LGBT stories. I personally believe it’s important to read stories of/by people from different backgrounds and going through different struggles than our own. It’s important to educate ourselves, especially considering how f*cked up the world is and how slowly we advance in terms of human rights. Reading these stories may help you understand the way other people see the world and how the world sees them. And we could do with a little more empathy and kindness these days, to be honest.

So far, I have mostly read stories with gay/bisexual male characters, so I will focus on that for this post, but I will continue educating myself reading stories with trans characters, lesbian characters, non-binary characters, etc…

Here’s my TOP 10 gay YA novels:

#10: Autoboyography, by Christina Lauren

Christina Lauren are great just in general so a book of theirs is always a great choice. About this one, I just loved it. Very well written, one of those books you just want to keep reading and when you get to the end you wish you would’ve gone a bit slower so it wouldn’t be over so soon. I love that the main character is bisexual, cause these books mostly include gay men but very rarely bisexual men and they deserve representation too!

#9: Captive Prince, by C.S. Pacat

This series is not for everyone, let me warn you now. It does touch some very delicate, controversial issues (rape, slavery, abuse…) but I promise you, it is way better than it sounds and I’m sure it’s better than you imagine. It’s dark and intense and passionate but tender at times, especially around the third book. You’ll have to wait for romance but it’ll be worth your while. If you give it a chance, keeping an open mind, it may surprise you.

#8: Two Boys Kissing, by David Levithan

Today it’s very easy to find amazing LGBT YA books but a few years back it was way harder, simply because there was no market or opportunities for them. This one I consider a classic among these great new LGBT novels for teens or young adults. A good story that really gives visibility and history of LGBT people the importance that they deserve. I also recommend checking out other David Levithan books, he’s got many great novels!

#7: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, by Becky Albertalli

You probably heard about this one already, considering how well its movie did: Love, Simon. So well that they’ve done a TV show inspired by it, too! This is absolutely one of the must reads on coming out and finding your place in the world. Simon and Blue are cute as can be and the rest of the characters are also great, some even got their own book! You’ll love all of them and will root for Simon and Blue from minute 1. The movie is also really good and funny!

#6: Heartstopper, by Alice Oseman

This comic series (or graphic novels, however you wanna call it) is the cutest I’ve ever seen, I swear to god. It will warm your heart and will have you smiling through the whole thing and you’ll just wish for more. The characters are so relatable, their story is just adorable and the drawings are so lovely. Even if you are not into graphic novels, this one is almost a must. There are three volumes out, volumes 3 and 4 are expected for 2021 and 2022, and I’m already desperate for them.

#5: Red, White & Royal Blue, by Casey McQuiston

This is the most recent one of the bunch. A really good, fresh, modern story that defies classic values and the status quo and just makes you happy. This book has been so well received, has won many awards, and I’m so happy about it, because it’s rare to see LGBT books being recognized as romance novels and not in their own separated category. And it’s time to recognize that romance is romance no matter who you are and appreciate good stories. She’s got a new book coming next year and I just can’t wait to have it.

#4: They Both Die at the End, by Adam Silvera

This is not your typical LGBT story. Well, I don’t think this is typical in any sense, and that’s the appeal of it. In case the title is not enough for you, I can assure you this story is very original and well written. This is not a love story per se, this is a story about life, and love’s a part of it. The characters are so cute and realistic. You’ll wish page after page that the title got it wrong. If you like it, I also recommend checking out other Adam Silvera books like History Is All You Left Me and More Happy Than Not. They’re unconventional and great, too!

#3: Carry On, by Rainbow Rowell

This is basically Harry Potter if Harry Potter was gay. Kind of bordering gay Harry Potter fanfiction. And it’s magnificent. The magic and fantasy of the Harry Potter world with the inclusion that modern world craves and lovable characters you won’t get enough of. A bit of enemies to lovers as well, which I just love. If you like fantasy, this is definitely for you. I promise you, you’ll love it. It has a sequel I’m dying to read and there are more on the way!

#2: HIM, by Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen

This is possibly the most mature book on this list and one of my absolute favorite books ever. For starters, I love their writing style. Also they give us both characters’ point of view so we get a full picture of the story, which is great. We can see two young adults figuring themselves out, what they feel, who they are, in a sports world where LGBT people are not usually welcome. And it’s just fantastic. The sequels are also really good.

#1: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

This, right here, is one of the best books I have ever read. Period. Nothing I can say will suffice. The story is so human, the characters are so real and go through so much and you feel every little bit of it. So relatable, adorable, painful sometimes, but mostly just pure emotion. The only thing I missed in this book is more pages, I just want more and more. I just couldn’t stop reading so it was over too soon! But no worries, there’s a sequel in the making!

Happy Pride! Whoever you are and whoever you love, happy reading!

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thequeenofpixels · 4 years ago

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Choices ask game

Thank you for tagging me @julia-highstorms ♥

1. What book(s) did you think were too overhyped but everyone loved? Desire and Decorum. I played book 1, but I simply can not play book 2. I can stand it at all.

2. What book(s) do you think deserve more hype? Love Hacks! The book is cute, is closer to real life... There are amazing and interesting characters.

3. What was a book series that you think did NOT need a sequel or more than 1 sequel? TRR! TRH SHOULD NOT EXIST! TRR ending was satisfactory, and tbh I would rather miss the gang in that way, than reach a point that I don’t even want to play even thought they are right there. And I could not forget about Baby Bump, for God's sake, wtf that shit getting a sequel?????

4. What book(s) did you think needed a sequel/another sequel? Nightbound! I’ll always miss it! =(

5. What LI(s) do you think are overrated? Of course Ethan, Beckett, Damien and Marc Antony, I roll my eyes every time they show(ed) up on my screen.

6. What LI(s) do you think are underrated? Hayden (both male and female), Sloane, Shreya, Aster, Vera.

7. Which LI’s were most forgettable? I love Griffin, but I recognize it.

8. Who would be in your dream threesome 30 diamond scene? Zig and Drake for sure!

9. Finally, what book do you think would have been better/more popular if it WASN’T genderlocked? (This goes for both LI’s and MCs). Platinum, Wishful Thinking. Although I didn’t enjoy Witness I didn’t understand why it was genderlocked.

Tagging: @boowoomuu @lorirwritesfanfic @missameliep @nanieuniverse @ladylahela

#tag game #choices game

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fandumbstuff · 5 years ago

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ranked Best to Worst.

Why watch a movie when you can experience it? And that’s what the MCU demands you do. These films are less about settling in to watch a movie. It’s about getting together your family, your friends and making an entire event of them. Marvel Studios has forever changed cinema going, and boy am I eager to get back to them. So with that, let me break down the franchise and my take on the best and worst it has to offer.

1. Iron Man 3 Directed by Shane Black

Iron Man 3 still holds up as one of the MCU’s strongest screenplays. It’s their first (and one of their only) real character study of a superhero, and the psychology behind being one. Tony Stark suffers from PTSD and struggles to understand his relationship with Iron Man. He is forced to contend with human issues and find what it is that truly makes him a hero. It’s also a movie chock full of incredible action set pieces- the Air Force One scene still holding up as one of my favourites- and wickedly funny dialogue. It continues to be my most satisfying re-watch out of the MCU.

2. Black Panther Directed by Ryan Coogler

Marvel’s best villain, best score, best production design, and best picture candidate. It’s the movie that forced Hollywood to take them seriously. Ryan Coogler showed the world that he can perform even within a studio system that had largely been criticised for being too overbearing. The world may have always known that Black Panther existed, but Coogler showed us why he matters so much. The story is the MCU’s most inspiring yet. Killmonger forces not just T'Challa, but every audience member to consider his motivations seriously. It shows humanity that heroism doesn’t come from superficial acts, but from overcoming our own flaws and learning hard lessons from our history.

3. Thor: Ragnarok Directed by Taika Waititi

In letting Taika Waititi have free reign over Ragnarok, Marvel is given their most unique film yet. The movie feels very much like Waititi’s own vision, chock full of his signature wit and charm. And its within this vision that we finally see Chris Hemsworth come into his own as Thor. Finally at ease, he’s allowed to be funny, and absurd, and play the emotional scenes without any melodrama. Waititi really makes the character dynamics in this film memorable, introducing us to the Grandmaster and Valkyrie, and fleshing out Banner and Loki. It’s a cast that charms us enough to consider staying with the MCU and seeing where they go.

4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo

Chris Evans finally comes into his own as Captain America, as Winter Soldier gives him a captivating character arc to work through. Steve Rogers is placed in a conflict that makes him question his own motivations. The morality that he stands for is in direct opposition to the authority he serves, leaving him to question what it means to be Captain America. We also see him learn from his relationships with the supporting cast- with a franchise best portrayal of Nick Fury and Black Widow and a particularly strong introduction of Falcon. The Russos create something truly remarkable by taking a character that has been criticized for being too traditional and show him learn and change significantly. But in addition to all this they direct what is easily the MCU’s best pure action movie yet, showcasing the franchise’s best car chase (Fury vs Cops) and its best fight scene (THAT knife scene).

5. Avengers: Endgame Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo

Stunning, momentous and joyous, Endgame is the theatrical experience that Marvel has spent over 10 years honing to perfection. Just one year after Infinity War, the MCU brings together their iconic, colossal cast for their grandest, most ambitious adventure yet. And while Endgame is chock-full of some stunning action sequences and gleeful references, it carries a genuine heart to it. These heroes struggle with PTSD from the events of Infinity War. We see them at their very lowest, and watch their desperation mount and grow to determination. This epic struggle is what has made superheroes so compelling for so many years. By breaking these characters down, the Russos show us just what makes them great. We’ve witnessed writers, directors and certainly the actors take these characters on journeys that have seemed at times thrilling, at time out of touch, but in Endgame, they’re at their very best. The moments of reprieve in the action where we simply sit with them to listen in on their banter are the best. Building to it’s inevitably emotional ending, Endgame winds up being one of the most wholly cathartic experience I have had with a film.

6. Guardians of the Galaxy Directed by James Gunn

At the time of it’s release, Guardians was the franchise’s best-looking movie yet, and it still holds up. The slick space opera designs set to the now iconic soundtrack made the first Guardians an aesthetic marvel. It’s the substance that comes with this that makes the movie one of the MCU’s best. The ragtag group are misfits who find their purpose by banding together, and while the sequel may have drawn this out to nauseating lengths, the first movie made it succinctly effective. It found the right balance of humour and sentiment, endearing us to a cast of characters that seemed too obscure to be popular- and guaran-damn-teeing that Marvel can do whatever the hell it pleases moving forward.

7. Avengers: Infinity War Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo

To handle ten years of storytelling and world building and bring it to such a satisfying crescendo is commendable. The Russo brothers handle each character well- each new introduction is a pleasing moment of familiarity and excitement to the fans that have stuck with this franchise. It’s a perfect match to the comic book format. And ultimately Infinity War is as good as any major comic book event. A chance to see our favourite characters interact with each other with conceivable motivations, and face a threat that is alarmingly critical. Its in this respect that Infinity War outshines its predecessors. For the first time, the Avengers face real emotional consequences if they fail. The Russo’s pull no punches to make this clear and despite a fair amount of signature MCU levity, Infinity War winds up being their darkest film yet.

8. The Avengers Directed by Joss Whedon

There’s no questioning the milestone achievement that The Avengers accomplished. As a superhero ensemble, it never once feels congested or jarring-something that most blockbusters consistently suffer from. Instead the protagonists are given clear goals, and their obstacles make real sense. Their hostility towards each other stems from their innate character flaws that they need to address to face the true antagonist in Loki. It highlights what Marvel does so well- offer us adventures that don’t tie up all their loose ends but rather leave them dangling to set up more ambitious stories.

9. Spiderman: Homecoming Directed by Jon Watts

I’ve long considered Spider-Man an uninteresting superhero, so it is highly commendable that Homecoming manages to change that. We skip the origin story and meet a Peter Parker that is inexperienced and has a lot of growing up to do. He contends with Michael Keaton’s Vulture- a villain that is simultaneously charismatic, intimidating, and relatable. Supported by what is probably the best supporting cast in any MCU film. Martin Starr, Hannibal Burress, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Jon Favreau and Marisa Tomei flesh out Spidey’s own universe of Queens- wholly believable and charming.

10. Captain America: Civil War Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo

In all respects, this should have been the second Avengers film. The Russo brothers do what Joss Whedon couldn’t. They show these characters change and clarify their motivations based on the 8 years that we’ve been watching them. They introduce new characters like Spider-Man and Black Panther in seamless fashion. They provide exciting action set pieces and compelling moments of drama. The payoff at the end truly shows us how much of a battering these heroes take- emotionally and physically. We see their vulnerability more clearly than any other MCU film, forcing us to address the question that they can’t keep doing this forever.

11. Captain Marvel Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck

The biggest issue that this movie suffers from is that it seems very episodic to a larger MCU. Its hard to get around this though, with it’s release date being less than 2 months away from Endgame. It feels like there are some key world building details that had to be gotten across. Had this not been the case, perhaps they could have explored Carol’s character a bit more. She does seem interesting, and Brie Larson does an expectedly great job, but it seems like we’re only getting a taste of a much larger character study. From what we see though, it is refreshing to see a female character who simply goes out and kicks ass without ever being sexualised, even in terms of costume design. The highlight of the film though, is undoubtedly Samuel L. Jackson’s incredible portrayal of a young Nick Fury, through the most magical of magic tricks in VFX.

12. Iron Man Directed by Jon Favreau

While I do feel like the movie has lost some of it’s lustre since it’s release, there’s no denying that Jon Favreau achieved something remarkable with Iron Man. Forever considered one of Marvel’s B-characters, Favreau brings Tony Stark into a modern era and instantly relevant setting. This is obviously due in large part to his gamble of casting the debilitated Robert Downey Jr. in the lead. Downey Jr. pays off in spades, revitalising his career and sadly typecasting himself forever with a roguishly charming performance.

13. Doctor Strange Directed Scott Derrickson

Doctor Strange is proof of the amazing world-building prowess the MCU has. They introduce key elements to the universe that seem incredibly important, without ever overwhelming the story. Benedict Cumberbatch puts on his best American accent yet and capably sells Stephen Strange as one of the MCU’s more level-headed heroes. The rich mythos of Doctor Strange fits immediately into the greater MCU framework while telling it’s own compelling narrative culminating in my favourite climax to any MCU film- “Dormammu, I’ve come to bargain.”

14. Spider-Man: Far From Home Directed by Jon Watts

The real standout from this film is Jake Gyllenhaal with his pitch-perfect performance as Quentin Beck/Mysterio. He threads that line of MCU humour extremely well, but also manages to come off as wholly and realistically threatening when he needs to. Far From Home had the tough task of following the monumental Endgame, but it fulfills its purpose of truly setting the tone for the future. A lot rests on Peter Parker’s shoulders and Far From Home shows him having to deal with it responsibly, maturing and growing to fill a greater role in the MCU.

15. Ant-Man Directed by Peyton Reed

If you ignore the fact that this movie was almost directed by Edgar Wright and how amazing that could have been, Ant-Man still delivers as a very entertaining movie and one of the franchises strongest origin stories. Scott Lang is instantly the MCU’s most relatable character- not a god, not a spy, just a thief with no powers and no resources (initially). And there is no one who could have played this character better than Paul Rudd. Bringing his signature charm and impeccable comedic timing to the franchise is a breath of fresh air and a brand-new dynamic.

16. Captain America: The First Avenger Directed by Joe Johnston

Ultimately my biggest problem with Captain America has always been his origin story, so I have some natural issues with this film. It is also bogged down with some cliched romantic drama between Steve and Peggy which takes away from its otherwise engrossing plot. Hugo Weaving proves to be an effective Red Skull, showing us a deeply disturbing quest for power. The movie excels in its WW2 setting, laying down real consequences and motives behind Captain America’s heroism. It takes a few movies for Chris Evans to settle into the role, but this is a strong start.

17. Iron Man 2. Directed by Jon Favreau

Iron Man 2 consistently threads the line of poignant storytelling. Ivan Vanko’s vengeful motives, Tony Stark’s descent into alcoholism and the nature of war profiteering. It’s especially unfortunate then that the movie gets bogged down with a persistent need for levity. More than any other film in MCU, the humour in Iron Man 2 seems particularly cumbersome- taking away from what would surely be strong performances from Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell. As a result, we’re left with villains who don’t seem to be a threat at all- mere caricatures for Iron Man to dispatch without ever really pondering their motivations.

18. Ant-Man and the Wasp Directed by Peyton Reed

My initial reaction to this movie was pretty positive, but given time I realise it’s totally forgettable. While it does feature some integral world building to the larger MCU, there’s very little done to explore some of their characters, particularly the Pym/van Dynes. There are still a lot of great aspects, including some clever action set pieces that explore Ant-Man’s powers more. Scott’s relationship with Cassie is expanded on and Paul Rudd and Abby Ryder Fortson do a great job selling this, making it seem truly endearing without ever being corny. Also Randall Park is in it and he might be the greatest actor of his generation.

19. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Directed by James Gunn

More of the same, but not nearly as fresh is what Guardians 2 serves up. It rehashes a lot of its predecessors joke formulas, action montages and even the basic emotional tone. It’s hard for any of this to seem anything other than repetitive and I’m left wanting these characters to go on real adventures rather than wallow in their own angst. Without offering any new developments to these characters and a rather uninteresting plot, the movie is another totally dismissible filler episode in the MCU.

20. Thor Directed by Kenneth Branagh

It’s really baffling that with as big of a name as Kenneth Branagh attached to it, Thor winds up being one of the MCU’s most poorly directed films. Poorly constructed shots framed on a dutch tilt and coloured with a gaudy high contrast palette make this movie a downright eyesore. It’s especially unfortunate because it’s got some great moments of storytelling in it. While the first three quarters of the movie seem tedious, it pays off in the last 30 minutes- exposing a complex family drama that drives most of the film. While Chris Hemsworth took a few films to polish his acting chops, Tom Hiddleston and Anthony Hopkins provide strong performances to really sell their characters and make us care.

21. The Incredible Hulk Directed by Louis Leterrier

This movie has easily become the sore thumb in Marvel’s formula. It seems entirely different from the rest of the movies. This is due in large part I believe to make it similar to the original TV series. None of this is a good thing. The movie has a largely meandering plotline, with no sensible character development. Bruce Banner goes back and forth between being tortured by the Hulk and accepting him. In a world populated by poor villains, Tim Roth’s Abomination might be the worst one. At no point do his motivations make sense or seem clear at all.

22. Avengers: Age of Ultron Directed by Joss Whedon

It seems like Joss Whedon decided to make a sequel to The Avengers without taking into consideration the four other movies that came out after it. Ignoring most of the character development and brushing aside key plot points, Whedon instead tries to explore their team dynamic by sewing seeds of hostility and testing them against a new villain. However, as good as James Spader is, Ultron never feels like a real threat. The real antagonist for the Avengers winds up being themselves, constantly bickering over right and wrong- and while this isn’t necessarily bad, Civil War would do a much better job of this just a year later. This makes Age of Ultron a dispensable entry in the MCU, and Whedon’s extremely poor handling of Natasha and Bruce’s relationship make it an arduous rewatch.

23. Thor: The Dark World Directed by Alan Taylor

The Dark World suffers from some bizarre shifts in tone and horribly forced humour. They reduce Jane Foster and Thor’s relationship to a cliched romantic comedy and then use it to add unnecessary comedy to the family dynamic established in the first Thor. Even the performances seem poor here- as if the actors never truly felt comfortable in their role. They posture and exaggerate to sell a script that offers them very little to work with. With a caricature of an evil villain and a generic McGuffin to chase, The Dark World is everything you could criticize the MCU of, rolled into one movie.

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