#And like. Especially w/ something that's like. Barely a disability and everyone is confused and idt really gets it when I'm like Yeah

[ranvwoop]

i forgot that while people hate accessibility they love cheating and i was supposed to just look for a cheating mod for the vwoop gets mad about horror games saga . I was just using the wrong keywords

[melo-yello]

📚School Struggles📚 w/ 💥🪨KiriBaku💥🪨 HeadCanons

Pairings: KiriBaku X Black!Reader

Summary: College AU! Reader falls behind in course work, and won’t tell anybody. But Kirishima and Bakugou find out.

A/n: I’m an adult who went most of my life with undiagnosed learning disabilities so this would just be comforting to me. Lil angst! Lots of fluff. Implied ADHD and Dyslexia.

📕🖊 First tests are handed back in four of your eight classes.You’ve failed all but one which you barely passed. You are asked stay back as yet another professor suggests you find a tutor

📕🖊You’re lowkey offended. You’ve never needed a tutor before. Up until recently your performance in other areas compensated for your less than stellar academics. You were in gifted courses all your life. You would just hafta try harder

📕🖊 Kiri and Baku are saving a spot in line for you by the time you meet them at the cafe when you shove the thoughts of failure out of your brain and perk up to your usual self

📕🖊 Kiri’s face lights up as soon as he spots you. “Over here, Babe!” He beams flagging you down. Like it was hard to make out the giant red head in a crowd. Especially with the large lean, continuously pissed blonde scowling at everyone right by his side.

📕🖊 “Hey,Dumbass.” Baku smiles slightly and pulls a hand from his pocket to offer you a hug and a kiss on the temple

📕🖊 Kiri pulls you by your waist into his torso kissing your forehead “What took you so long?” He asks letting you free from the vice grip he had on your curvy hips

📕🖊 “I got a lil turned around again.” You lie pulling Bakugou’s free hand into yours then lean into his shoulder. There’s something very comforting about how warm he is all the time. You wanted to snuggle into his back but PDA really isn’t his thing and you are already pushing it

📕🖊 “It’s a big campus, Teddy, you just have to get used to it. You just transferred. Me and Eiji can take turns walking you from class to class until you get the hang of it, you know?” Baku says trying to read your eyes. He could just feel something is off. Your box braids and the angle itself saves you from any further scrutiny.

📕🖊“You guys, gotta be pretty sprung to do that for me, ya know.” You quip smirking up at him then over to Kiri. “Fuck you too, Teddy Bear.” Baku huffs smirking *maybe he was wrong, unlikely* “Yea basically, Pebs. Liking who you date is super manly.” Kirishima laughs grabbing his tray.

📕🖊 You three finally sit in a small wrap around booth. Bakugou taking the middle spot today. You do your best to not zone out and hyper fixate on your test scores by making sure to laugh at Kiri’s jokes and nod along with Baku’s venting

📕🖊 You slide your fork in and out of your picked over food as you strategize how to fix your current problem without alerting your boyfriends. Before you knew it your table is quiet with two crimson gazes fixed on you

📕🖊 “You’re quiet today, L/n.” Bakugou says fixing you with a deeply fierce gaze which was his way of looking concerned. Sharpness of your actual name drew you from your thoughts in a instant. “Hmmm I think Kats has a point, L/n Y/n.” Kirishima says in between slurps of his smoothie. His red eyes practically dripping with curious concern

📕🖊 You make a quick split decision between the truth and charm. “Wow, my government. I must be in real big trouble.” You pout trying to flirt your way out of a more serious conversation. You poke out your plush bottom at Kiri while slipping a hand onto Baku’s inner thigh and gently squeezing before hitting him with the same seductive pout

📕🖊 Big Mistake!😳 Bakugou’s vermillion eyes widen before becoming instantly stern as he grips your wrist tight enough to hurt. “The fuck are you doing?!! I was being serious, Y/n! And in public?!! You’re fucking priceless!” The ash blonde hisses with angry pink cheeks. Guilt washes over you when you snatch your wrist back. “I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to...talk about it.” You mumble. “Then use your fucking words!” 😤 Bakugou kisses his teeth and stands so Kiri lets him out. “He’s just a little embarrassed, Pebble. I needa talk him down. You can find your next class right?” He sighs watching Baku storm out

📕🖊 “Yea. I’m sorry. Tell him, Kiri. Please.” You squeak sheepishly grabbing your stuff. “He knows but I will. He’s mad about other stuff.” He nods following after Bakugou

📕🖊 It’s intimidating to compete with their history at times. You couldn’t bring yourself to just dump all your issues on them

📕🖊 You’ve only been dating since summer and Kiri and Baku have been dating since their senior year in high school year. You guys are starting your junior year and are still learning each other.

📕🖊 You get lost a couple times before finding the right building. The noise in your head going nearly at light speed to wrap all the problems you’re having. The professor passes the test you’d spent majority of last night and early morning studying for. You felt confident until it was in your hands.

📕🖊 You chew the pen top trying to finish up the last 7 short answer questions when then alarm for 5 minutes left is given. You panic not even having started the true false section on the last page. You scribble down answers just as time up is announced across the classroom

📕🖊 Defeat washes over while you shuffle out the door. You reach in your pocket to dig out the card for Student Accomidation Services your World Civ professor gave you. Maybe this was something simple as a “processing problem” as she had explained when you visited her during office hours

📕🖊 A throat clearing pulls you from your thoughts. You jump stuffing both hands into your jeans card and all. Bakugou stood unreadable propped up on a wall only a few steps away from you. “Eiji, thinks we need to talk about the cafe. Plus he doesn’t get out of lab til 3:45, so you’re kinda stuck with me.” Bakugou mumbles offering his palm as an olive branch.

📕🖊 “He’s probably right. I don’t mind just you, Tuff Guy. I really am sorry though, Katsuki.” You sigh interlocking your fingers with his. “I know, Teddy. I wasn’t really mad about that anyways.” Baku concedes as you two stroll down the hall. “I didn’t hurt your wrist earlier, did I?” Baku asks softly opening the door and meeting your eyes with gentle concern. “Nah, You didn’t, King Explosion Murder.” You laugh giving his hand a firm squeeze before kissing it

📕🖊 The walk to your dorm is quiet and peaceful. He lets you settle your school bag before speaking again “I just feel like you’re still trying to hide parts of yourself from us, especially me,” He says looking into your eyes now, “Like you’ve been pulling back. Eijirou thinks I’m looking too deep, but I doubt it. I know I can be a little rough and mean sometimes...well a lot of the times. I’m not easy to get along with. But you know you can talk to us when you’re upset or if something bothering you... if I’m bothering you. I don’t like you feeling like you have to pretend to be ok if you’re not.” Baku finishes crossing his arms tightly across your chest.

📕🖊 You dig your nails into your palms mercilessly. You open your mouth to reply and reassure him but the words won’t come. Baku notices what you’re doing to your hands and steps closer to take them into his. He rubs slow circles into the backs of them. Hot tears pool at the corners of your eyes as you try to find your voice. “Kats, I’m...I didn’t me...I...Of course you’re not what’s bothering me.” you croak out just as tears roll down your face and Baku pulls you to his chest.

📕🖊 Your breathing hitches and you just let yourself be disappointed, confused, frustrated, and upset about the last month and a half of struggling and wondering why you couldn’t tell anybody and why no one was even noticing. But He did. Baku had noticed. He rocks gently as you tremble in his arms rubbing firm circles in your lower back.

📕🖊 You two stay like that for what seems forever. Once your breathing evens out Baku’s hold relaxes. He kisses both your temples.You reluctantly let go , so you can pull wrinkled failing test pages from your backpack. “Please don’t laugh at me, Suki.” You peep placing the cause of your meltdown in his hands not attempting to have your puffy eyes met his red ones. Lifting your chin so you’re looking him in the eyes. “Come on, Teddy Bear. I wouldn’t dare.” He nods with the most serious face

📕🖊 Bakugou is quiet for a while as he leafs through the exam papers. “Why didn’t finish any of them?” He asks “Time. I’m a slow reader.” You mutter back. “I’ve seen you doing homework for two of these courses and passing those, what’s happening?” Baku says staring in disbelief at the scores at the top of each exam.

📕🖊 You swallow the lingering fear of judgement. You place a hand at your temple to remind yourself of Baku’s earlier tenderness. “I get anxious. It gets so much harder to read when I’m that worked up, and I can barely focus once I start forgetting answers...I know it’s just a test. I guess...That sounds dumb, doesn’t it?” You sigh shrug off your own explanation.

📕🖊 “Nope. Not dumb at all. Sounds like test anxiety to me. I struggled with that in high school . I didn’t know you were a slow reader, Teddy.” Baku says pulling your hand before you can dig your nails into it. “Yea. One of my professors thinks I have dyslexia and ADHD...but I’m not stupid sooo.” You hum rocking on your heels “That is not what either of those words mean, and I know you know that, L/n.” Bakugou growls he absolutely hates when you or Kirishima talk down on yourselves. “Yea but it feels like it though.” You sigh biting your lips

📕🖊 Before Baku can say a word, Kiri swings the door open. “Babes! Have you two hotties missed me?” The red head shouts coming through the door way smiling until he sees your puffy eyes and tense posture. “Bakugou Katsuki, I know you fucking didn’t?!!” Kiri questions suspiciously leaning down to rest his chin on your shoulder and wrapping a protective hold around your waist.

📕🖊 “The Absolute fuc-” Baku’s defensive rant is cut short as you kiss the hand holding yours to quiet him as you answer Kiri “No Eiji, he didn’t. I’m flunking like half my classes.” You huff meeting his eyes with quivering lips trying your best not to cry all over again

📕🖊 Kiri is stunted into complete silence. The only thing he can think to say is an apology to his boyfriend for jumping to conclusions. Last time he checked your GPA’s a lot more impressive that his. “How the fuck is that even possible? You transferred into the honor courses.” Kiri says completely baffled moving to where he could see your face.

📕🖊 You explain to your boyfriends all the things that have been tripping you up and confusing you. You detail how hard studying has been as far as staying focused and actually understanding lengthy test questions

📕🖊 Kiri has a million questions at first but stops half way through after Baku grabs your overnight bag and leads you out the door. “You’re gonna freak her out all over again, Shitty Hair, if you keep going at her like that.” He could tell you were getting overwhelmed, and might cry again “My bad, Pebs.” Kiri says kissing your cheek as he follows behind

📕🖊 Once you get back to their apartment and Baku askes for your help making dinner. He has you read the directions and ingredients to him. You stumble through most of it, but that doesn’t stop him from praising you as soon as you finish. He has since learned you and Kiri do best when told how well you’re doing vs his typical shouting method

📕🖊 The three of you set an assessment time with the Student Disability Services on campus that doesn’t conflict with the Boys’ schedules, because they insisted that they’d both be there to support their baby and wouldn’t take your bullshit excuses for an actual reason to miss it

📕🖊 Kiri helps you make flash cards for your next test. If he remembers nothing else from Baku’s tutoring sessions the importance of repetition is drilled into him...among other things. Each time you ask him how that went he’ll just shudder. “It was the most intensely terrifying experience of my high school career, and we fought villains pretty regularly.” Kiri deadpans before grinning like the Cheshire Cat and covering his head. “You’re full of fucking shit, Shark Week! I’m the best tutor you assholes could hope for.” Baku yells pushing Kiri’s face into his pages of notes.

📕🖊 The night before your disability assessment you find yourself tossing and turning at like 4:45 in the morning. Kiri repositions pinning you in place so you face Baku’s back. You trace soft shapes into him just before he flips meeting your eyes. “Lil early isn’t it, Babygirl?” He whispers brushing away a few stray box braids covering your face. You don’t bother answering and instead offer him your palm and he takes it without hesitation interlocking your fingers with his. “Nervous?” He hums when he feels the steady trembling of your hand.

📕🖊 “Katsuki, what if there’s nothing wrong with me? What if it’s just me? What if I’m just...” you trail off not sure if you want him to hear how much this subject shakes your confidence. Bakugou moves close enough for your foreheads to touch. “If you’re just not smart? Not even possible. Whatever it is me and Kiri will help you go beyond. I know this is scary, but every first usually is.” Bakugou smiles softly

📕🖊 “Bbbbbuuut maybe I’m just du-” You attempt to argue until a sharp nip on the side of your neck where Kiri was peacefully nuzzled quiets you. “Nope. Not a chance. Pebble, don’t talk shit about my girlfriend again.” He mumbles in a gravelly half sleep voice. He settles again and snakes an arm around hips as he tugs Baku into you with the other. You open mouth your more to defend yourself but KatSuki just bops your nose as he closes his eyes, “You heard, the sexy ass red mountain. You’re fucking smart. Go back to sleep, Kay?”

📕🖊 “Kay.” You sigh digging your face into the crook of Baku’s neck. You lay there out argued but feeling overwhelming loved, so you chose to let them win the debate. The boys hardly agree on most things so they were totally probably right about this one anyways.

📕🖊 You are on a very very short list of people who Bakugou Katsuki repeats himself for. Like boy lets you “huh?” the fuck out of him. He will often cup your face or hold your hands if he needs tell you something important b/c he understands you’re a tactical learner

📕🖊 Best believe that all your future successes in classes big and small will be celebrated you getting taken out for icecream and if it’s a graded paper they’ll put on the fridge like you’re in grade school. You find it a little embarrassing but it really makes you feel like you’re making progress

📕🖊 Kiri brings your favorite snacks for study sessions so he can reward you for right answers and staying on task. You call it “childish” at first until he shrugs “Oh my bad we can try something els-” about to put them away. “Noooooo no those are my favorites.” You nearly jump over the table. Kiri has a shit eating grin the rest of the study session

📕🖊 When giving directions from the passenger seat both Kiri and Baku typically do a good job of remembering you need them to point left and right

📕🖊 If you’ve had long day in tutoring and homework and you guys are watching anime Bakugou will read the subs to you. Sometimes if he’s in a particularly good mood he might even imitate a voice or two

📕🖊 Kiri would politely let you ramble about one of your niche interests and will help you get back to your point when you get lost in a tangent

📕🖊 Don’t let these two hear you call yourself “dumb” or “stupid” Kiri will just act like he can’t comprehend what you’re saying like deadass “Pebs, speak English please. Nope not catching that, Babygirl. Did you say you were a smarticle particle? An intelligent ass motherfucker?! Oh, of course you are!” While Baku is more like “Sorry what was that? I thought I heard a very accomplished and creative thinking ass bitch say something? A incredibly capable ass bitch say something?A smart ass bitch say something?” Your only response is yes and then you get a forehead kiss

[skylarmoon71]

AU Blind Murdock Reader x Leonardo (TMNT 2014/2016) Chapter 4

"Please someone....help.."

You jolted and Leo's eyes darted forward. He dropped his arms, wondering what it was that broke your focus.

"Are you alright?"

During the beginning, you were quite reluctant to join, and he realized he just needed to be persistent. So after you healed, and tried to get out of working together, you finally gave in. Leo knew if you were going to trust them, he would have to give you a reason to, so there was no doubt about showing you the lair. You'd already been there, and he had the sense that you would be able to find them even without his guidance.

At first, it was difficult, going out together and fighting crime. You still tried to operate like you were solo, and he didn't want to risk a casualty, so he asked Splinter for some advice. He suggested team training exercises. It helped with his brothers, so why not you? That's what you were currently doing, until something distracted you.

"I'm fine."

Fine.

You kept saying that. It was starting to get on his nerves. He knew for a fact you weren't fine. But with your very prominent trust issues, getting that information out would be a challenge.

"I need to go." Leo narrowed his eyes. It was Saturday afternoon. You didn't have school, and he was positive when you agreed to come, you did so because your schedule was clear.

"Where are you going?"

Your fist tightened at your side. "I didn't realize this was an interrogation. I just need to go. Or do I need permission to leave sir." He internally winced at the venom in your voice. He'd stepped on a bomb, he knew that now. "Sorry, I don't mean to be nosy. I was just under the impression that we were going to practice. I'm just a little worried, I want us to work well when we're out there. I can't do that if we aren't familiar with each other. "

"We'll be fine." You spoke flatly. You were already turning before he could say much more. You only made a few steps before his hand grabbed your wrist. Effectively halting your movements.

"Let me help you." you bit down on your lip. Asking for help would take a while, Leo understood that. That just meant he had to pay attention. He supposed you were used to being ignored, so it was easy for people who didn't pay mind to miss the subtle expressions on your face. He was getting better at reading you. "Something is bothering you, it's been that way for a while." He could feel you tense in his hold.

"I'm right." So it wasn't just a hunch on his part. At the start of the session he could tell. You were a bit antsy, and some of your hits were delayed. He'd seen you fight, you were calculated, strong and agile. Today you weren't as quick. Your shoulders slumped, and he loosened his hold, watching as you turned to him slowly.

"There's a girl in my building. She's..in pain. I can't seem to help. Every night she cries out for help and I..I can't do a thing."

"Did you try talking to the police, maybe they can help." you frowned.

"I've called child welfare and they didn't do a thing."

"Child welfare..." The child was being abused.

"(Y/N), are they beating on her?" your jaw clenched, and you turned abruptly.

"Are you going to help me or not."

You didn't answer his question, that wasn't good. Something told him that it was better to just go along with you. If he didn't, he'd be stuck worrying about what could happen. He didn't want you acting rash and getting hurt.

"I'll help."

He wasn't sure what he was getting himself into, but at least this way he was in the loop.

~~~~~

As darkness overtook the sky, you and Leo stood on the roof of your building. You kept flexing your fingers. Leo realized that watching you filter through all the sounds around you was intriguing. You seemed to react like an antenna, picking up signals until you found the right one. Your head would turn at every quick noise you caught. Your outfit really was a clever choice, the black blended nicely for the activities you need to carry out, and your eyes were completely covered, so the chance of someone even catching a glimpse of your eyes was impossible.

"How do you deal with it, all the conflicting sounds. It can't be easy, hearing all that you do."

A pause.

"It wasn't always easy, at first it was chaotic. They weren't sure what to make of me, so they placed me in an orphanage. Some of the nuns thought I was possessed. " you muttered. Leo swallowed. This was dangerous ground. Sometimes you'd give him little pieces of your past.

"This world isn't that pretty anyway, people think this disability is a curse, but it's a gift. My gift. I see everything through my other senses. I try to fix it. But everyone else, they see it all. The death, destruction, yet they are the ones truly disabled. Because they choose to be blind. "

You knew what your purpose in the world was, and this was it.

"Please don't.."

"Be quiet."

Leo straightened, and you turned to him. "Did you hear that?"

He nods. "He isn't sure what it is he just heard. It was an obvious cry for help, but the other voice came from inside the room. So it had to be a family member.

"I don't understand, why would they leave that relative with her if he's hurting her."

"It's because he's her step dad." Now he was even more confused. "She's a kid, what could she be doing that warrants abuse. I know parents are strict with their kids but-"

"He raped her." Leo's eyes widened. He took a step back, disbelief in his eyes. You couldn't see him. But there was no doubt genuine surprise.

"Your father, Splinter, I figured he sheltered you guys from a lot, and you've probably only been dealing with the minor threats. Bank robberies, common assaults. There's a lot more out there. Far more than you guys realize. You have no idea how much restraint it's taken me not to smash that man's face into a wall. It's been going on for weeks. I called the police, left notes for the mother. Even tried to get the girl to talk to me. Nothing. "

You tried getting him alone at night, you'd been studying his routine the moment you knew what was up, but there was rarely an opportunity. The hours he worked clashed with when you attended school, and every other chance he was always surrounded by someone. A friend, coworker, or his family.

"But he's...he's her.." Leo felt sick to his stomach. He couldn't comprehend it.

You just let out a dry chuckle. Dark, emotionless.

"The world isn't that black and white Leonardo. In this line of work, if you can't stomach the sight, you might as well be one of the other blind sheep."

Leo was still trying to gather himself. He finally registered that something was about to go down when he heard the sirens not too far away. "Their on time for once."

"W-Wait what are you.."

"If I can't get him for one crime, I'll just have to make him pay for another." he couldn't even ask what the actual plan was. You jumped over the edge of the building and Leo panicked.

"(Y/N)!!!!!!"

Gripping the ledge, you catapult yourself through the window, crashing into the glass. It broke, startling the man in the bed. He jumped off the girl in shock, and you tucked and rolled, cushioning your fall.

"What the hell!" He barely had a chance to pull up his pants. You drove forward, punching him square in the jaw. He took it, grunting and backpedaling as he crashed into the door.

"H-Honey!! Honey are you okay!!" you could hear the mother frantically yelling on the other side of the door.

"Mommy!!" your head whipped to the side. "I'm not going to hurt you." you said softly. You could hear the rustling of the sheets, she was cowering into the bed. "He hurt you." the girl didn't say anything, and you could hear the labored breathing of the step dad. He was still slightly disoriented from the hit.

"H-He said if I told anyone they wouldn't believe me. I-I was bad. I deserved it." It broke your heart to hear those words come from her mouth. "He's a liar. There's nothing you could have done to deserve any of this. He's a monster, you hear me, there's nothing wrong with you."

"Bitch!!"

That was becoming a frequent title. You just smirked when he picked up a bat from the corner. He raised it, striking in your direction. You dodged, moving in as punched him in the gut. He tried to use the lack of distance to get a hold of you, but you elbowed him in the jaw. He yelled out in pain, dropping the bat. You gripped the back of his scalp, driving his face harshly into the wall. It wasn't enough. You drew back. Clenching your teeth as you smashed his face harder. The crack of his nose was satisfying. Blood gushed down his face, and you released your hold on his hair, letting him face plant. He curled into a ball, wailing.

"Pussy." you sneered.

You shifted from the door, moving back to the shattered window. You could hear the police coming up the staircase. It was then that the mother finally forced her way into the room. She kicked in the door, standing in the doorway partially paralyzed at the sight of her spouse bleeding on the floor. "Mommy!!" the girl raced off the bed, right into her mother's arms. She caught her easily, hugging her protectively to her chest as she watched you wearily. It's then that she seemed to really take in the scene. Her husband's pants were down, and her daughter wasn't wearing any.

"No..." you sighed.

"Protect your daughter, if I see him back here again, I won't be so generous. " You raised your leg, stepping on the edge.

"NYPD OPEN UP!!" She could barely say much, the minute she turned at the call, you were already gone. Police flooded the house, and the little girl just held unto her mother, crying softly in her arms.

~~~~~~

"How did you...what did they take him in for." You and Leo were on the roof. You watched the aftermath of all that went down. Leo felt useless. He'd couldn't do much at that point but stay there and hope you got out before the police got there. The number of officers aware of his existence was pretty small, drawing in a larger audience, especially after his family was almost exposed, it was dangerous. He couldn't take the chance. That wasn't the only reason. Somehow he could still barely process the prospect of what that poor girl went through. From her own family no less.

"I planted some weapons I recovered from a russian mob a few weeks back. My plan was to just dump them at the nearest dock, but I guess there was a reason I held unto them for so long. Didn't think I'd need it, but it came in handy. Those guns have been used in numerous crimes around the city. That doubled with the charges his wife is gonna file, he won't see the light of day anytime soon. "

Your only wish is that you'd been able to do something sooner. Nothing was going to make up for the innocence that was stolen from that girl. Hopefully, with the help of her mother she'd be okay. Leo was quiet.

"You've done this already. "

Until now, Leo felt like he was making a difference, but he wasn't so sure anymore. You dealt with this often, no wonder you were so insistent on being left alone. If he had to deal with people like that regularly, he probably wouldn't trust anyone either.

"Don't doubt yourself. You're a good guy Leo. "

You could deal with the dark, it was a part of you. But Leo, he was pure. He still had hope in humanity. In some weird way, you kind of hoped he'd always be that way. You had no problem dealing with scum. It just meant that someone else wouldn't have to worry about it. You didn't mind suffering, it's all you'd known. You could bear it.

[whyqueerbaitingisbad]

movies & shows

cracks knuckles* alright this is going to be more of a rant than an analysis because i’m basing this on both my research, but also how it felt to personally be baited by these shows. there are obviously more pieces of bad (almost every horror movie) and good ones but these are the ones i’ve watched.

please keep in mind that i am but one queer and everyone has different opinions.

Supernatural (CW) 2005

This show is 15 years old and just ended. From season 5 till 15, there has been tension between two of the lead characters. They were constantly shipped together and not only did the entire fandom know about this ship but so did almost all of Tumblr. On top of that, the actors and show runners knew about it as well. Which is why it makes it ridiculous that it was constantly pushed aside while the romantic coding  kept happening, even after show runners dismissed it as being intentional. The Destiel (Dean x Cas) case has been going on for years, and as the show came to its end, many fans had hope. But N O P E. Instead, we got a love confession from Cas where Dean looked like he was near constipated and the Cas was killed and sent into a fiery place that was not hell but s u p e r  h e l l.

… w hy.

Sherlock (BBC) 2010

Just like Supernatural, this show was renown on Tumblr for not only how good it was, but its hinting at a potential relationship between Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. But again, like Supernatural, the intentional tension between the two characters was denied by producers. This caused an uproar within the fandom, and even left some people believing that, after the last season aired, it had been a joke and the producers were hiding a “secret, unaired season” because they had felt so robbed by this show that had implied something and denied it.

The 100 (CW) 2014

We got lesbians. We got background gays. We were happy. Then, all of a sudden, one of them is killed for no reason. Did it advance the plot? No. Was she fighting and died in battle? lol no. She was doing literally nothing and got shot and died. And then the producers kept bringing her back once a season in the form of a ghost or illusion because why? Because she was a fan favourite queer character. ✨bury your gays and sparingly bring them back for profit anyone?✨

Voltron: Legendary Defender (Netflix) 2016

*deep breathe* This one is a special disaster. Not only was there romantic tension and romantically coded scenes for 7 seasons, but producers, voice actors and artists working on the show repeatedly said “don’t worry klance (Keith x Lance) shippers, you’ll be happy”

. … w h e r e??? You code one of their scenes with a sunset in the background while they talk about love and then one of them goes on a date with someone who has declined his advances for 7 seasons but now in season 8 decides to do a full 180. Not only that, but you announce at a Comic Con (a convention) that a character is gay and has a fiancé, only to kill off the fiancé and never make it explicit in the show except at the last second of the last episode where he marries a no name character. 

Personally, i’d like to say a big fuck you to the show that strung me along for 2 years and never stopped saying we’d be happy to then pull the rug out from under us and call us crazy for thinking anything from the past 8 seasons was intentional.

Scooby-Doo (2002) 

While not being outwardly queerbaiting, this movie’s filmmaker has just revealed some shocking news, which wasn’t at all shocking to the gays who had watched this movie over the years. In July of 2020, James Gunn, the filmmaker of Scooby-Doo, revealed in a podcast that, initially, Velma was explicitly gay in his script, but then the studio watered it down until it became nothing. This isn’t an example of baiting as much as it is changing a character’s initial design to “better fit an audience”. The worst part of all this is that with Velma’s character having been written with a l i t t l e queer subtext, people had been theorizing about if since the movie came out, but were always yelled at by the internet for “imagining something that isn’t there”. But now, even with it being said that the initial point was for her to be gay, people have no objections to still refusing to accept it. Why?? So we can’t get the subtext gays OR the confirmed gays?? Make it make sense.

Brooklyn 99 (NBC) 2013

To have the queer characters firstly introduced without mentioning their sexualities and have it brought up naturally was so goddamn nice to see, because no one does a big deal about it unless they ask for that. This show is amazing in general but the way they show their queer characters is *chefs kiss*.

She-ra and the Princesses of Power (Netflix) 2018

This. Show. My heart SOARS. It's just a remake of an old show so absolutely nothing was ever expected, but then it was sprinkled in and ENDED WITH A BANG. And it was so beautiful and real to see the struggle of two friends who care for each other and want to be together but have different visions of the world fall in love. And they also had characters with disabilities, a non-binary character and jUST SUCH A GOOD SHOW.

Kipo and The Age of Wonderbeasts (Netflix) 2020

This is a case where you go into it not expecting anything and are BLOWN AWAY by the bare minimum. And not because it’s bad!! It's mind blowing because this is the simple representation we need!! Not something over the top, but an every day relationship. It’s just two boys falling in love and going on dates and being nervous around each other, yet i was so stunned. Because it’s not shown enough. I should not be this excited over something that should be this normal. 10/10 though this show is so good for all kinds of representation.

Steven Universe (Cartoon Network) 2013

This show did so much for queer representation with its general message of loving everyone and loving who you want. Especially since it was aired on Cartoon Network, a channel for kids, it was able to help normalize something so looked down upon in some circles. It made it easy to watch for s o m e people because it's a cartoon but it's so beautiful to see these ladies so in love with each other, both platonically and romantically and we see them have a family dynamic that isn’t a “nuclear family”. Rebecca Sugar (creator) really said “lemme just break all stereotypes real quick”.

Adventure Time (Cartoon Network) 2010

It's the “knowing a fanbase shipped something so hard that the creators made it canon” for me. This relationship had been theorized by fans for years, but it had never been explicit in the show. When the finale episode came out and the two shared a kiss, it was a moment of celebration. The producer of the show said that it had not really been planned but when the episode was being made, the choice of what happened was given to one of the artists (bless your soul Hanna K. Nyströmthe). And as the show releases little bonus episodes, its latest was centered around Marceline and Bubblegum and their relationship. AND WE LOVE TO SEE OUR DOMESTIC LESBIANS BEING HAPPY AND IN LOVE.

Yuri on Ice!!! (anime) 2016

The fact that an A N I M E gave us a love story between two men is mind boggling and it makes me so happy!! Especially because it's a Japanese show and they’re very conservative about these things just makes it more emotional. The creators said they wanted to make the anime take place in a world where gay/straight isn’t a thing, it’s just love (ladies, you’re going to make me cry). So as the weekly episodes came out and fans start speculating, THEY GAVE US THE LAST FEW EPISODES FULL OF ROMANCE AND EMOTIONAL SCENES BETWEEN THE TWO AND THEN THEY GET R I N GS?!???!! You watch for the figure skating, you stay for the figure skaters that are in love.

Shadowhunters (Freeform) 2016

*insert me being frustrated that the actors are straight so we can move on from that disappointment*

This show really said “let’s name a whole episode after this couple because they deserve it”. But seriously, they gave us two characters whose entire plot does not center around their sexualities while still showing us the differences in a relationship between someone experienced and someone new at this. They were both powerful and amazing characters apart from each other, with their own story lines and goals but they loved each other so much omgs. SO MUCH. 

It was so great to watch.

Love, Simon (2018) 

There’s a lot of disagreement on whether this movie is good representation or not. However, we need to take into consideration that this was Hollywood’s first movie with a main character that was gay, where the story’s focus was on Simon’s love story. The biggest problem, for me at least, was that the actor playing Simon is a straight man and not queer. My problem is not with him, but the fact that there are other actors that are gay and that could have played Simon just as well. (the love interested was however played by a queer actor so ✨progress✨)

All in all, this movie does represent what a lot of queer kids have to go through: being outed at school, how they then come out, the bullying and doubt they go through.

The book is also really good.

Call Me By Your Name (2018)

This movie is so aesthetically pleasing and was able to capture the confusion and heartbreak felt by a boy who’s struggling with his own feelings towards a man. His inner conflict and joy and l o v e he feels but doesn’t know how to deal with is so well communicated through the screen and just breaks your heart because it feels so real.

But again, they could’ve gotten gay actors to play gay characters…

through having this list here, i want to show you that it’s not hard for creators to give good queer representation. the LGBTQ+ community isn’t asking for much, we just want to be well represented on screen as just a regular character, not some token queer kid there for the diversity points. having been exposed to so much queerbaiting and just not seeing any representation on screen, i always get over-excited when i see a queer character, and that’s not how it should be. it should be a normal thing, something you can find in most pieces of media, just like there’s a straight white cisgender person in everything.

and they seriously need to start casting queer actors for queer characters...

[paipayaseeds]

When Shuichi came back, he'd be met with a sullen faced Kaede sweeping the room. Where the broom had came from? Unknown. The girl perked up upon the Detective's return, hand here her heart would be seeing the sensor hadn't gone off, meaning the mastermind hadn't attacked just yet.

"So no mastermind activity yet huh?"

------------------

The girl would sigh upon Rantaro's suddenly leaving, heart aching in guilt from the forehead kiss she just received. As much as she wanted to believe Rantaro..

She somehow knew that he wasn't going to the restroom. Especially not at a time like this.. Then again what would she know about his bathroom -

Off topic.

The time to act was now. She needed to get to him before he gets to the library.. So she can end this..

So she can protect Rantaro just as he did for her. No more crying.

No more hiding.

It needed to be done.

She'd silently tear out the note from her notebook, leaving behind however her notebook and pen on the pool table before taking advantage of Tenko and Kaito's arguing. She scurries over to the door and slides out of it carefully before making a dash to where Rantaro went.

Unbeknownst to her however,

Keebo had been looking in confusion.

"That's odd. Ms. Anya forgot to bring her writing utensils." He'd announce suddenly.

--------------

Anya had caught up with Rantaro in secret, though she was nearly almost too late.

The door to the library was almost within Rantaro's reach had he kept walking.. But she couldn't allow that. She's doing this for his own good the violinist chanted mentally, closing in on him from behind with a brick before closing her eyes, jumping and striking the back of his head with all the strength she could muster—a good amount it turned out to be.

With shaky hands and teary eyes she quickly wiped, the girl would apply the note*into his hands,closing the fingers around the paper and kissing it softly.

'Im sorry Rantaro.. I hope.. You can..-'

No.

'You can feel bad later.' Rantaro's gadgets in hand and memorizing his plan, the girl walked through the library door. She quickly grabs a pre-placed wooden pole she acquired from the warehouse from behind a bookshelf, sticking it through the door handles. This should prevent the mastermind or anyone from barging in. Her legs took her towards the secret door, just about to get to work before jumping at a sudden bright light.

'Huh?What the.. A camera?'

With an annoyed pout, the girl would use her free hand to try and disable the flash.

-----------

*what the note says

Rantaro, if you're reading this, it means uhm.. I knocked you out.. Sorry. This sounds stupid but, the day that bear gave that motive was the day I started having these.. These visions of your dying,

In the library. Crazy right?

I overhead you talking about your plan when you thought I was asleep on the last day.. I'm sorry. But, I'm not. If this means I can protect you then.. I won't regret it! I won't be scared this time! I'm gonna stop this and then.. And then we can go home.

So I ask you this last time,

To trust me.

To big bro Taro,

From your lil sis,

Anya Hoshiyama

p. S. I will consider letting you ruffle my hair after we get out of this 🙄

----------

It's about to fucking happen I hate it I hate it-

Kaito looked at the spot where Anya had been seated earlier, eyes widening by barely an inch as K1B0 had been right. "Oh, well, I'm sure she'll come back and get it." Tenko jerked her head towards him, an almost offended look in her eye, "Of course a degenerate male would be that inconsiderate of a woman's needs!" Tenko, without another thought, grabbed Anya's leftover things and made her way to the door, huffing as Kaito followed like a lost puppy behind her path. "W- wait, I can give it to her!"

Tenko, ignoring him, slid open the door and walked through, only to halt in her step as a distressed detective, and a panicked pianist nearly crashed into them and caused them to tumble back like dominoes.

--

As soon as Shuichi found Kaede... sweeping? Um, anyways- He shook his head in slight relief, and strangely, disappointment. “No... N- not yet—” Shuichi yelped, entire body jumping and tensing up as the receiver he held in his hand, started going off. After juggling the receiver—and almost dropping the damn thing—he caught it, and looked at Kaede with an alarmed expression, “The alarm! It went off! We have to go- Kaede, hurry!” With his voice booming in assertively and urgently, he sprinted out of the classroom.

Leaving Kaede behind without another thought, he called out for her to hurry, before hurrying down the stairs himself, for the second time. Shuichi had gone into a full-on sprint, nearly barrelling into Kaito and Tenko who had been standing there in confusion, yet also determination—and pride, for whatever reason.

"Oh hey, Shuichi! We were just about to go find Anya to give her, her supplies!" Shuichi shook his head, seemingly out of breath from sprinting down a single flight of stairs. "I- N- no! There's a chance t- the mastermind is in the library right now!"

Brushing past them, he immediately started rushing towards the library doors, only to jerk back and skid to a halt as he saw Rantaro's unconscious body, lying stiffly in front of the library doors. Kaito turned to see why Shuichi had made such an icky noise with his shoes, only to gasp and take a step back himself. "W- what the hell!?"

Tenko let out a blood-curdling scream, "Oh my god, he's dead!" Shuichi gulped down his own nervousness, inhaling a breath as he tried to remain level-headed(as if he was level-headed before smh). Unsure of whether to leave Rantaro there or to catch the mastermind, he inhaled once again and made a split-second decision; something he would never do if it hadn't been a life-threatening situation. "Kaede- just- all of you! Get into the library through the other doors, I'll- I'll check on Rantaro!"

With his voice commanding and strong, he signalled to the doors; sure, it probably would've been better if the only detective within the 17 students witnessed the scene himself, he wasn't thinking properly and there was only so much time before the mastermind escaped.

After the fast tapping of everyone busting into the library, he wasted no time approaching the green-haired male with shaky, but stable steps. Shuichi crouched down to put his hand in front of his mouth to check for breathing, sighing as he felt air exit from Rantaro's mouth.

Shaking the male awake, Shuichi felt a heavyweight lift off his shoulders as Rantaro groaned; another sign that he was alive, something the detective didn't know he needed.

"Wh-" Rantaro creaked his eyes open, only to shoot up as everything seemed to hit him at once, just like that brick. His plan! Feeling around for his pockets for the survivor perk, he felt a panic rise up in him, as well as a throbbing pain at the back of his head. Did the mastermind find out his plan? Had he just been a victim of attempted murder? What about the time limit? Why weren't they all dead? How long had he passed out for?

"No, no, no, no-! Shuichi! T- the time limit! What happened!?" Rantaro whipped his still aching head towards the worried detective, holding onto the wall for support as he got up with the help of the door handles of the library he hadn't even set foot in.

Shuichi panicked, "D- don't you need to sit down-?" Rantaro ignored him, pulling against the doors frantically in a surge of adrenaline-evoked panic. "Why is it locked!?" Rantaro huffed, suddenly feeling a shortage of breath as his arms went limp on the doors. A wave of frustration and exhaustion washed over him, as well as a feeling of failure.

Furrowing his brow at the frantic, yet currently heavyhearted and tired man, Shuichi found himself questioning Rantaro's panic-induced actions. "Why do you need to get into the library...? Do... Do you know about the secre-"

Tenko's blood-curdling scream interrupted Shuichi's suspicion.

"A- ANYA!?"

Rantaro darted his head back up to the sound of Anya's name, coming from inside the library. Moving to run, he found a wave of new pain hit him, and he had to hold onto Shuichi for help. "I- H- her name, she- We need to get into the library now!" Rantaro cut off his near panic attack, instead, settling for using Shuichi as a cane as he practically 'ran' to the other door of the library.

Bursting open into the doors, they somehow lumped in with Gonta, Korekiyo, Himiko and Angie who had come running to the sound of the scream.

[gone4neow]

MIGHTY | ⓅⒸⓎ

c h a p t e r t w o

- park chanyeol x oc

- mulan rewrite [very loosely inspired by the disney version]

- warnings : cursing, dark themes, extreme violence

- work count : 2,814

previous chapter or next chapter

——————————————————————————

Eunyeong shot up in bed the next morning when she heard a loud knock come from the front of the house. Quickly, she rolled out of bed and dressed herself before slipping out into the main quarter of the house. Her parents had just opened their bedroom door when she slid the entrance door open for their visitor. There stood her uncle. His hands fidgeted nervously as he looked down at her. It couldn't be, she thought to herself. There was no way her uncle would allow her to come back to the farm so soon, so why was he standing on her porch this early in the morning? Instead of addressing her, he looked over her shoulder and found his brother's eyes. Even with the dim lighting of the fresh morning, Eunyeong could see worry in her uncle's facial features.

"Everyone's expected to gather at the village's center by the time the sun rises completely," her uncle announced. Eunyeong looked over her shoulder to get a good look at her father's expression. Was something happening that she was unaware of? Before she could ask her uncle, he had already turned and walked off. She watched as he retreated further and further away from the house.

"So soon?" She heard her mother ask quietly from behind her. Eunyeong turned to look at her parents. Her father was leaning on her mother for stability to stand. There was not a doubt that his leg was hurting him at this point. Time and time again she had tried to get the village's only doctor to give the man some crutches, but crutches were a rarity in a small area like the one they lived in.

The eyes of her father averted from the floor and found Eunyeong's, which were a splitting image of his own. A few seconds of silence passed before the man released a small, exhausted sigh. His daughter analyzed his expression, looking for any clue that would explain what was happening.

"Eunyeong, you should get ready. We will head out in a moment and there will be officials there," her mother told her. Without another word, the woman and her husband turned and retreated back into their bedroom to get ready to go. Eunyeong lingered in the doorway of their home. A cool breeze made itself welcome in the home, brushing against the skin of the young woman as she stood as stiff as a statue. The word 'officials' echoed through her mind as if haunting her. It never meant anything good when the king sent officials to visit.

When the small family arrived to the busy village center, their eyes were alert and their hearts were pounding. Eunyeong was used to the villagers and their judgmental glares, but she was surprised to see most of them hardly paid any attention to her with her father next to her. Their eyes held admiration instead of resentment. It made her skin burn with anger at the way everyone refused to respect her when they were ready to drop at his feet with praise falling absentmindedly from their lips. Of course her father deserved such recognition, but she knew that if she had been born a son then the town would be fawning over her, too.

Eunyeong held onto her father's arm in an attempt to support him as he walked. His head was held high, despite the embarrassment he felt at his disability. Pain shot up his body as he forced himself to put weight on his leg to try to hide his obvious limp. All of these people looked to him as a hero, and yet he saw himself as a weak man who could barely even walk.

The sun eventually found itself settled in the sky. It was already warm out, but that could have been due to the large crowd gathered around the group of officials who stood in the center of town. Eunyeong's eyes widened at the sight of soldiers accompanying an important looking man who was sitting on top of a horse adorned with gold. In all her life she had never seen someone wear gold, especially not a horse. Curiosity ate away at her and she had to control her tongue so that she would not ask her father what was going on. The chatter around her suggested that everyone else was just as lost as she was. All the noise around her died down immediately after one of the soldiers called out for their attention.

"I see on your faces expressions of confusion. You're lost as to why officials are here, yes?" The man began, humming as he paused and let his eyes scan over his audience. "Our country is prepared to embark a new chapter in our history. The world as we know it has been threatened by terrorists who have invaded our home."

The man paused as the crowd began to grow angsty. They spoke in hushed mumbles to one another. Eunyeong couldn't help but tense at the man's announcement. War? Terrorists? In her country? She bit her tongue to stop from scoffing out in disbelief.

"I know you must be angry. I can feel it in the air. We are all desperate to cling onto normalcy. To do so, we must fight. Blood will have to be spilled onto our hands to protect our country from corruption. A war must take place!" The man continued after a moment. His voice grew louder with each word and by the time he took another pause his voice echoed across the entire village. The crowd roared with passion. Hands lifted into the air, punching at the sky as if celebrating victory before the fought had even been won.

"I have been sent here directly by our king, though we all wish it was under better circumstances. Today I am here to grant you a place in this war. We must stand together as one to behead our enemy before it's too late. It is your civic duty to sacrifice your life to save our country. Help me, my friends, in defeating the monster that threatens the lives out of wives and children!"

After a few minutes of watching as the crowd cheered with a newfound bloodlust, the man began to call out names. Eunyeong recognized more than half of the names. Fathers, sons, and even grandfathers walked up to the man to receive their scrolls. They clutched their official documentation of enlistment for war tightly in their hands as they retreated back into the crowd to stand with their families. At first her mind was blank and all she could do was stare at the officials ahead of her as chaos erupted around her. That was before the man called out her father's name. That was before she realized her father would have to go to war because he had no son to go in his place.

She winced at the sound. Her father could predict her every move. Just as she went to step forward with intentions of protesting, his hand reach out and grabbed her shoulder. Their eyes met for a brief second before the man shook his head sternly and began to push past her. Her hands balled into fists as she watched her father limp up to the officials. They greeted him without smiles on their faces. Their eyes scanned him from head to toe. With a clenched jaw, she watched as her father received his scroll. As he turned to make his way back to his wife and daughter, the officials shared an amused glance with one another as they snickered. The sight of the men laughing at her father made her want to march right up to them and give them a piece of her mind, but she knew her father wouldn't approve of such behavior. So, she analyzed the features of their faces and promised herself that if she ever came across them again she wouldn't forget this day.

The rest of the day for the small family was tense. Eunyeong's mother had locked herself away in her bedroom as soon as they returned home. The younger woman tried her best to ignore the sobs coming from the room, but it was hard to pretend they weren't echoing throughout the entire house. Her father sat silently in the kitchen. Her eyes flickered over to his distant expression ever so often as she prepared dinner for the evening. Everyone in the house knew what the man's enlistment meant, including him. Eunyeong's hands trembled as she tried not to focus on the fact that her father was silently preparing himself for death. There were few things in life that she feared, but this day had made her realized she was mortified of losing her father.

The man didn't meet her eyes as she placed his food down onto the table in front of him. In fact, she wasn't sure if he had noticed her presence at all. The woman swallowed her nerves and tried her best to wear a brave face for the man. Coming to terms with death was hard enough, but having to watch your loved ones struggle to come to terms with your death was torturous. So, she blinked away her tears and allowed a small smile to form on her face as she sat down next to the man.

"Dad," she called out lightly. When this didn't catch his attention, she reach out and gently pushed on his shoulder. Slowly, his eyes fluttered as if he had just woken up from a deep slumber. He met her eyes this time. He took in her expression and sighed softly. His hand reach up and landed on the top of her head.

"You're being so brave for me," he spoke quietly, his voice full of admiration. Eunyeong looked away from him, afraid she would crumble under the weight of his stare. She nodded down at the food she had prepared for him.

"I made your favorite," she announced lightly. His hand disappeared from the top of her head. It sat in his lap for a short moment. He tried to ignore the way it shook with emotion, but he couldn't hide it from his daughter. She let her hand find his and squeezed it assuringly.

"Eat up," she instructed. "I'll take mom's to her."

Their hands disconnected as she stood from the floor. Her father watched her closely as she picked up her mother's food and walked away. When she was out of sight, he looked back down at his own food and took a deep breath. He had lived a long life. He had served his country well, married a wonderful wife, and had a child he couldn't be more proud of. Death did not scare him and he knew his family would manage without him. Eunyeong always made sure everything was taken care of so he had no worries. Though, he couldn't help but wonder why he still felt so unsettled. His stomach twisted into knots and he felt as if something far worse than death was on the way.

That night a harsh thunderstorm rolled into the village. The rain pounded against the roof of their home with such intensity that the sound echoed through ever corner of the room. Eunyeong knew that the farm would be havoc come tomorrow morning, but tonight she was on a mission and because of that she was grateful for the violent rain. Her footsteps were inaudible as she made her way out of her room. She didn't bother to slide her door back shut as she silently stepped towards her parents' shared room. A burst of lightning shook the house as she slid the door open. For a brief few seconds she could see her parents wrapped up against one another, clutching onto one another as if they would never see each other again. Still, they slept. Eunyeong sighed with relief.

At the center of the wall adjacent to her sleeping parents was a wooden table. On top of it sat a chest that her father had shown her several times during her childhood. She could recall the pride in his voice as he explained how it had been given to him by his father, who had fought a war just as he had. Inside there were family heirlooms and a sword - the same sword that both her father and grandfather had used to fight in battle. She walked over to the chest quietly, lifted the lid, and released a shaky breath at the sight of the sword. It reflect the moon's glow as if it were flaunting it's beauty for the whole world to see. For a moment she forgot that it had been used to take the lives of men. At first she was hesitant to touch it, afraid that it would end her own life if she did so.

With one glance over her shoulder at her sleeping parents, she realized that she had no other options. So, her hand reach into the box and wrapped around the sword tightly. It felt heavy in her grasp. Her eyes scanned over the weapon for a few seconds as if in disbelief of its existence. Perhaps it wasn't its existence alone, but the fact that it was sitting so soundly in her hands at that moment. She shook her head to rid her mind of those thoughts and reach into the chest a second time. This time she dug out her father's old military uniform. Unlike most soldiers', her father's had been preserved for the most part. There were a few tatters here and there accompanied by stains that could never be completely erased. Aside from those few flaws, the stitching still held strong - only now history was woven into the material.

A clap of thunder rang throughout the house. The loud noise was enough to bring Eunyeong back to reality. She turned slowly to take a final look at the two people who had raised her. She drew in a deep breath, blinked away the tears in her eyes, and muttered a silent goodbye before she crept out of the room. The sound of heavy rain gave her something to focus on aside from her thoughts as she got dressed in her room. Her hands worked slowly as she wrapped medical bandages around her upper torso. It wasn't that she had much to hide in the first place, but she was paranoid that her feminine features would give her identity away no matter how small. Once she felt her breasts were hidden, she cautiously threw on her father's uniform. On her father the material fit perfectly but on her it was loose. Praying that it wouldn't be too obvious, she turned her attention to her hair. It took a few minutes for her to gather her dark locks in a perfect ball. Growing up she had seen her father wear a similar hairstyle several times when he was attending official duty. His hair had always been so long and glowing - she had always hoped hers would grow to be just a beautiful.

When she finished dressing, she sat completely still with her legs tucked neatly underneath her. The sun would rise soon and she would have to go. For the first time in her life, she would be completely own her own. What she was attempting to do with be risking not only her life, but her entire family's as well. Perhaps she was selfish, but her heart was burning with a passion that she could not ignore. All these years she had tried to provide for her family. Though she hadn't failed in doing so, it never felt like enough. Compared to everything her father had done for her family, sacrificing her life for his felt like a small task. Her head was bowed as she prayed one last prayer. The rain had not let up any by the time she was fully ready to leave, but she knew a journey in the rain was nothing compared to what she was about to get herself into. She rose to her feet, placed her father's sword in its sheath that hung around her hip, and slipped out into the early morning.

It was still dark out, but the sound of the roosters on the farm could be heard even over the pounding rain which meant the sun wasn't too far behind. Eunyeong ignored the way her feet splashed against the muddy earth beneath her. She ignored the cold of the rain that attacked her exposed skin without mercy. She ignored the pain that lingered in her heart as she grew farther and farther away from her childhood home. There was no going back now. She would take her father's place in the war or she would die trying.

—————————————————————————— a / n : hi! i know everyone is probably wondering where chanyeol comes in, but he will be coming very soon so please bare with me. this is eunyeong’s story more so than just a cheesy, romantic fanfic and i really want to make sure her story is told completely. hope everyone enjoys this chapter! xx 

[hysterialevi]

Lotus pt. 13 (Batjokes)

Author’s note: This one’s a shorter chapter, but I hope you guys enjoy it regardless. As always, thanks for taking the time to read this story, and I appreciate all the support.

From Tiffany’s POV

DIVINITY CHURCH

Holding the photograph in my hand, I struggled to let it go as I replayed the paused memory in my head, almost able to hear my dad’s laugh fluttering in the background. I was just a little schoolgirl when he took this photo, and to see where we’ve ended up ever since that time...it hurt.

All that innocence, all that joy, all those years spent together -- and all that was left of us was a burning city.

Dad was gone, Luke was living in his own world, mom had locked herself in the house...and now, Bruce was also slowly drifting away -- plummeting deeper and deeper into Lotus’ irrevocable clutch.

If I was being honest, I didn’t even know if “Bruce” existed anymore. It seemed like Lazarus was his only identity now, and every shred of humanity he ever held in him...had vanished. Bruce himself might’ve “returned” from the dead, but the Bruce I knew was still sleeping in that morgue. And I’d be foolish to believe he’d ever wake up.

Taking a deep breath, I finally followed the actions of the other people attending the vigil around me, and laid the photograph down with care, lighting a single candle next to it. Countless candles had already been set aflame outside of the church, and even more people had gathered around to remember their loved ones.

There were photographs of late husbands, wives, parents, and even children -- all of them killed either by Lotus...or Lazarus himself. It was a sight I never thought I’d see, and I would’ve given anything to forget it.

Glancing off to the side, I averted my attention from the vigil for a moment when I noticed a mournful Blake standing not too far away from me, staring lifelessly at a photo of Avesta as he silently said his goodbyes.

He wasn’t wearing his Agency uniform tonight, and instead, wore a simple t-shirt and jeans, along with a dark jacket and fresh bandage plastered on his cheek. He appeared even more desolate than when I last saw him, and it seemed as if the emotion in him was gradually disintegrating further and further as the days flew by.

I couldn’t deny that his recent behavior worried me. I mean, everyone was being pushed to their limits because of this chaos, but Blake seemed especially damaged. I feared he would break soon.

Quietly making my way over to the agent, I patiently stood by as he placed Avesta’s photograph down, giving it its own spot of esteem among the clusters of candles. He didn’t utter a single word or shed a single tear, and the longer he remained without displaying any type of sentiment, the more worried I became.

I abruptly broke the disturbing silence and faintly cleared my throat, barely getting Blake to even look at me.

“Shouldn’t you be in a hospital?” I asked in a light-hearted manner, trailing behind him as he wandered off to a more private location away from the vigil.

“No,” he replied bleakly. “There are enough people in there.”

I shrugged. “I just thought you’d want to rest after everything that happened at City Hall. I know Lazarus roughed you up quite a bit.”

Blake’s expression sank grimly at that, and his eyes fell to the ground in reproach as he leaned against a tree, barely touching the candles’ light.

“Psh, I was one of the lucky ones. It’s true, Lazarus gave me a thrashing, but at least I didn’t get my stomach torn open.”

I blinked both out of confusion and disgust for a few moments, thrown off-guard.

“Wait, w-what do you mean?”

“Lazarus was torturing the Mayor,” Blake explained, his voice low and flat. “Just...cutting and slicing him open like a bloated pig...but I didn’t save him. I didn’t intervene. Instead, all I did was use him as a distraction so I could get away, and disabled the EMP generator while the Mayor was screaming in my ear, crying for mercy.”

Blake’s rough tone softened with guilt. “I...I let the Mayor die, so I could live. It’s the only reason I’m here now -- and the only reason he’s dead.”

The man gazed hopelessly at me with heavy eyelids, almost as if he were looking straight through me.

“...How do you forget something like that? How do you justify your fight against crime...when you’re as heinous as your enemies?”

I frowned out of sympathy and carefully approached Blake, offering him any kind of reassurance I could give.

“Blake, you can’t blame yourself for the Mayor’s death. Lazarus killed him. Not you. It’s not your fault.”

Contrary to what I expected, that statement only ended up sparking his grief into annoyance.

“I may not have killed him, but it’s the Agency’s job to protect people, dammit!” He snapped back. “We came to Gotham to save lives, and yet, the death toll over the past week has been higher than the death toll over the past year! What are we even doing here if we can’t help for shit? Avesta is dead. The Mayor is dead. And now even Waller’s in the hospital, ready to slip away at any moment -- all because I failed to do my job. Not to mention we have no escape at this point, considering Bane blew up Gotham Bridge. We’re trapped in a living hell, and so long as Lazarus lives...it’s never going to end.”

I raised my volume slightly, hoping to break Blake out of his enraged trance.

“Hey, Blake, stay with me, okay? I know things have been difficult, but we can’t give up now. Lazarus is murdering defenseless civilians, and unless we step up to fight back, we’re all going to die. We can’t let that happen. We can’t allow him to kill anymore innocents.”

That didn’t seem to help much, and Blake only continued to carry on with his rant.

“What does ‘innocent’ even mean anymore...? Am I��innocent? I’ve killed people, Tiffany. Do you understand that? People just like you and me who had families waiting for them at home -- families that never got to see them again...until they lowered them into their graves. The Mayor was brutalized and tortured because of me, for god’s sake! Because I valued my own life more than his. Do you still think I’m innocent?” Blake shook his head. “...No. You only label me as such because I claim to do it for the greater good. But guess what? That’s the exact same goal our enemies are fighting for.”

The way Blake was speaking admittedly sent me into a state of alarm, and at this point, I didn’t even know what I could say or do that would calm his nerves.

Desperately trying to think of something, I hurriedly jumped in before Blake’s psyche could deteriorate anymore, and found myself mindlessly stepping closer and closer to him as we argued.

“We are not our enemies, Blake,” I said sternly. “We both kill people, yes, but we kill murderers. They kill innocents. That’s the difference.”

He scoffed, unconvinced. “And how do we know who’s who? Let me tell you something, Tiffany. If our war with Lazarus has taught me anything, it’s that there are only two types of people left in this world. Those who have blood on their hands, and those who lie. It’s just how the world works now, and as much as I want to see that maniac’s head roll off his shoulders, he is right about one thing: this road is leading to death’s door no matter how hard we fight, and there’s not a damn thing we can do to change that.”

Blake began to roam away from me before I could say another word and distanced himself from the vigil, waving a quick goodbye as he vanished into the night’s shadows, disappearing more with every step.

“...It’s like Lazarus said, Tiffany. There’s no crueler method to torture a man than giving him the illusion of choice.”

From Gordon’s POV

GCPD, COMMISSIONER’S OFFICE

“Due to yet another devastating attack conducted by Lazarus, City Hall is now in ruins after being hit by a number of missiles,” the news announced, “and the Mayor has officially been confirmed dead. Reports say that multiple agents and police officers were severely injured during the attack -- including Director Waller herself -- and I’m afraid the condition of Gotham Bridge is no better. The notorious Bane struck again tonight and detonated a series of bombs on the structure, completely decimating its architecture. At the moment, there is no way out of Gotham by car.”

Shutting the television off with a remote, I slapped the device back down on the table with a bit more force than intended and took a seat at my desk, contemplating on just what the hell to do from here.

Waller was stuck in the hospital, City Hall had been destroyed, and as of tonight, there was no way we could evacuate Gotham’s civilians -- not efficiently, anyhow. The weight of leading the Agency and the police force both fell on me now, and with the heavy amount of losses we just suffered, morale was lower than low. 

Fortunately however, there was a bright side in all this. We knew where Joker and Lazarus would most-likely be hiding, thanks to Quinn. The Bonus Bros’ Carnival, she told us -- at the funhouse, specifically. Apparently, Joker had turned the abandoned park into his own personal base of operations, and guarded the perimeter better than his own life. If we were going to infiltrate that place, it was going to take every single one of our people. And even then, things would be dicey.

I just wished I could’ve heard the whole of what Waller had to say about Bruce and Batman. It sounded like she knew where the caped vigilante was sneaking around, and to say I was concerned about Batman’s safety would’ve been an understatement. That man was a hero to Gotham’s people -- a hero to me. If someone like Lazarus was able to take him down...we were in some serious, serious trouble. 

Fighting a war without Batman was like firing a gun with no bullets. If there was any chance we could relocate him, I’d be the first to take it.

“Commissioner?” Someone suddenly said, snapping me out of my thoughts. It was Montoya.

“Renee,” I greeted, bringing my mind back to business. “Something you need?”

Closing the door behind her, Montoya took on a more empathetic tone. 

“Actually, I just wanted to see how you were doing. Y’know, with everything that’s happening. That fight with Bane was intense, and City Hall didn’t do so well either. As tough as it is, it’s important we keep our heads high in times like these. So, how are you feeling?”

I let out an irritated sigh, tugging at my collar. “If I’m being honest -- like hell. In all my years working with the GCPD, I’ve never seen something like this. At first, I didn’t take Lazarus too seriously, since he was nothing but a CEO, but I can see now what a goddamn mistake that was. I guess Wayne has more of his dad’s blood in him than we realized. Why couldn’t he have turned out like his mother instead?”

Renee sat on the edge of the desk. “Because people like her don’t survive in Gotham.”

I nodded at that, rubbing my chin in thought. “Sad, but true. If we’re lucky though, tomorrow will be the day we finally gain the upper hand. According to Quinn, Joker and Lazarus are skulking somewhere inside that deserted carnival just outside of town. They’ve got a lot of people guarding their little hideout, and even more guns. I’m not gonna lie -- it won’t be easy. But we can’t back down now. Not after all the damage they’ve dealt.”

“I hear you, Commissioner,” Renee agreed. “I just hope our men still have the strength to fight. Lazarus certainly knows how to drain morale, and it doesn’t take a genius to see that our chances of success aren’t great. But if Gotham has been able to survive for this long, I'm sure it can survive this. Even with Lazarus at the top.”

“You’re right,” I replied, “it’s just difficult to see victory as a possibility when a dead man is doing better than us. Despite there being no guarantee of survival though, I promise you I’ll do everything I can to smoke that son-of-a-bitch out of his hole, and put an end to him for good. I’d rather cure Bruce than kill him, but that might not be an option at this point.”

Renee stood up from her seat. “Whatever you think is best, Commissioner. I’m with you.”

“Thank you, Montoya. As tragic as things are, it’s good to know you’ll be here through it all.”

She beamed warmly at me, smiling out of gratitude. “I have faith in you, Gordon. Now try to get some rest, would you? You’re gonna need all the strength you can get for tomorrow.”

I chuckled and followed Renee as she headed out the door, the two of us secretly terrified of what was about to unfold the next day.

“Don’t need to tell me twice. Though, maybe someone should remind Lazarus what the word ‘dead’ means again.”

Renee’s face lit up with courage. “If it comes down to it, we’ll be there to show him.”

I smirked at that, taking one last look at my office before flicking off the lights. 

“You’re damn right we will.”