#And this is without going into the actual plot of the show and all the metaphors but this was obviously long

[waynes-multiverse]

Dude, I was on the edge of my seat during this part!! Holy hell! Like… holy fucking hell! 😳😳😳

I had a strong feeling she was plotting my murder and debating acting on it.

Lmao what did you do, boo? 😂

“This is why married men live longer,” she said to herself, her hands leaving the wheel, going to her hair, running through it, fingers squeezing her scalp. “The single ones are fucking morons.”

So true!! I felt that one. Something I keep telling my husband too 😂💙

You woke up from the beside lounger in Mark’s ICU room when a hand shook your shoulder. You blinked up wearily, Dr. Johanson smiling and nodding for you to follow him. Mark was fast asleep in bed, bandages wrapped around his skull.

I’m getting suspicious here. Hear me out lol…

Look, my initial reaction was, “Yay!!! He actually got the tumor out! They’re gonna be fine!” But then the next paragraph about the details of his surgery made me so fucking wary 👀

Because yes, it’s fucking brain surgery and they poked around in there, so what if the “new hell” is–

Michelle, I swear to God, if you gave that man amnesia, I will find you just so I can sob in front of you 😭

“His original doctor is a fucking moron labeling a tumor as malignent without checking all his facts first. Mark’s tumor was benign.”

But that being said, I love that the general consensus among us writers is that Mark’s treating doctor is a moron. I have something similar in ATS 😂💙

You sat back in your chair, Mark stirring slightly, blinking open his eyes. “Scale of one to ten, how ridiculous do I look with half my head shaved?”

Poor boy lost half his luscious locks lol. Let’s hope he doesn’t have to wear a Sam Winchester wig 😂

“Volchek,” Mark growled. “Pretty ballsy to walk in here.”

Holy shit!!! He just showed up?!?! And he’s taking her again??? WTH!!! 😳

What the fuck does he want with her?! I’m starting to think it really is a personal obsession with reader…

Welp, my relief over Mark still remembering her after surgery went quickly out the window lmao

“I think all fathers still see their daughters as little girls, no matter the age.” You stared at him, Volchek’s smile turning dark. “You are aware you were adopted, correct? I once went to school with the daughter of the American ambassador to Belarus.”

WHAT?!?! Holy hell!!

I so did not see that twist coming! Holy motherfucking hell!! He’s her father?!

Oh boy, I have no idea what’s gonna happen next. I just hope the team can find her and Mark doesn’t do something stupid like bashing his head into wall… 🙈

Can’t wait for the next part!!! 😍

I'm In A New Hell - A Phantom Pains Story

Summary: The reader and Mark go to get a second opinion where they find out some alarming news...

Phantom Pains Masterlist

Pairing: Mark Meachum x FBI Agent!reader

Word Count: 2,400ish

Warnings: Countdown S1 spoilers, language, angst, terminal illness, fluff

A/N: Everything's fine. It's all FINE...maybe?...

Mark POV

The Next Afternoon

I stared at Y/N from the passenger seat of the Bronco, watching her grip the steering wheel tight. She was white knuckling it, barely concealed rage under her skin clawing it’s way out.

I had a strong feeling she was plotting my murder and debating acting on it.

“I get the sense you’re upset with me, honey.” She turned her head slowly, like she was the monster in a horror movie and I was the final girl that thought she’d gotten away only for the movie to end as he grabbed hold. I held up a hand, inching slightly towards the door. “I’d like to point out that if you kill me, that’s pretty counterproductive to all the conversations we’ve had with the doctors today.”

“Swear on my life that you never got a second opinion until today. Swear on it, Mark or so help me-”

“I swear,” I said, Y/N breathing so deeply I swore I felt the truck move with the exhale she let out.

“This is why married men live longer,” she said to herself, her hands leaving the wheel, going to her hair, running through it, fingers squeezing her scalp. “The single ones are fucking morons.”

“Y/N-”

“Four fucking doctors just said you’re treatable, Mark. FOUR. We are walking back in there and signing you up for surgery and radiation.”

“The surgery could kill me,” I said. “I just got you back-”

“If you wait another fucking month the tumor might be too big. Dr. Johanson is one of the top neurosurgeons in the world. If he says you have good odds, we’re taking that fucking thing out,” she said, glaring at me like I was an idiot for even debating it. 

“Yeah? And what if I die? What if they screw up and I’m brain dead? How you going to take care of me? How are we going to pay for this? Insurance doesn’t cover this,” he said.

“You clearly never spent my life insurance money-”

“We have to give that back!” I said. She narrowed her eyes, my own raising. “Y/N, they’re going to notice when you aren’t dead anymore.”

“Mark, I’ll set up a good damn gofundme if I have to. One of the best neurosurgeons in the world has a fucking open surgery slot for four days from now. This is the best shot you’re going to get-”

“It’s my choice!” She went still, an uncertainty to her I didn’t like. “Y/N, I get what they said in there. They can probably take the whole thing out. But it’s going to come back.”

“You don’t know that. Your shitty doctor never did a biopsy. If it’s benign-”

“In what world is a tumor that big benign,” I scoffed, Y/N rolling her eyes.

“If it’s benign and surgery is successful, that means you have great odds of it never coming back.”

“Yeah well how the hell am I supposed to plan a future with you when I might have brain cancer again a year from now, three years?” I asked. 

“We aren’t promised tomorrow. We could both die in this car on the way home today. It does not mean you stop living. I didn’t get to live for three years. You’re right, it is your choice. Maybe you will get sick again. Maybe I get sick someday. It doesn’t mean we give up.”

“Maybe I’m not as strong of a person as you,” I snapped. She sat back in her seat, looking out the windshield, watching a breeze dance in the trees. I sighed, slumping down in my own seat. “I’m sorry.”

“Would you have married me if I hadn’t brought it up?” she asked. I didn’t look at her, the air heavy.

“Honestly? Probably not. I almost got married again you know. Tried to be happy like you would have wanted. Couldn’t go through with it though. It wasn’t fair to marry a woman I didn’t love.”

“You require a stong hand.” I turned towards her, Y/N meeting my eyes, her eyes tired, the fury gone. “You need someone unwavering in their love to you because I know, all you’ve ever wanted is someone to love you to the end of the earth. Give up on yourself if you want to Mark but I won’t.”

“Why?”

“Because I love you, moron,” she said with a quiet laugh. “Even when you’re as dense as a brick, I love you.”

I reached my head over the center console, grasping hers inside it. “...Then let’s go sign me up for surgery.”

“Thank you,” she whispered.

Five Days Later

Reader POV

You woke up from the beside lounger in Mark’s ICU room when a hand shook your shoulder. You blinked up wearily, Dr. Johanson smiling and nodding for you to follow him. Mark was fast asleep in bed, bandages wrapped around his skull.

The surgery had been long and he’d been awake for all twenty hours of it, along with you. You’d talked, joked, kept him engaged while doctors on the other side of a blue curtain poked around in his skull. Not once had Mark faltered in a question or response and you had some small hope that he’d gotten through it all okay.

“I’m glad you were able to get some sleep,” said the doctor when you were down the hall and in an empty waiting room. 

“Yeah, it was a long day,” you said, chewing on your bottom lip. 

“We have the biopsy results.” Your heart was pounding so hard it nearly burst through your chest, anxiety riding high like it had when you’d first been taken. “The cells in the tumor are non-cancerous.”

“It was…the tumor was benign?” you asked, the doctor smiling. “I thought Mark’s original doctor said-”

“His original doctor is a fucking moron labeling a tumor as malignent without checking all his facts first. Mark’s tumor was benign.”

“What about the tumor? Did uh, did you get it all out?” you asked.

“We did,” he said your heart still in your chest. 

“Does that mean…he’s okay?” you asked. He smiled, your adrenaline pumping through your veins.

“It means we will do scans to confirm and put Mark on a small course of radiation treatment but if that all comes back negative, for all intents and purposes, Mark will very likely be fine and live a normal, long life.” 

You exhaled, the doctor catching your arms when you leaned down, your body flooding with endorphins. 

“Mrs. Meachum,” he said, guiding you to sit in a chair. You shook your head, the doctor calling for a nurse. “Are you alright? I understand this kind of news is shocking, in a good way.”

“It’s been a really rough couple of years,” you whispered, Dr. Johanson nodding. “We needed this.”

“We’ll keep you informed of the results of the scans.” You returned to Mark’s room, a weight off your shoulders. It wasn’t fully gone, you knew you still needed those results but if Dr. Johanson said he got it all, then you trusted him.

You sat back in your chair, Mark stirring slightly, blinking open his eyes. “Scale of one to ten, how ridiculous do I look with half my head shaved?”

“You just come out of major brain surgery and that’s what you ask?” He smiled, lazily taking your hand in his. “Eight but you look cute with hats.”

“I think you mean adorable.” He closed his eyes, breathing deeply. “Did you talk to the doctor yet?”

“Yeah, a little,” you said, Mark’s green eyes meeting yours, a singular question in them. “You know…I found a house for sale. It’s way overpriced. The owner is former police. I think between both our sob stories, we could get him to knock off a decent chunk.”

“Why the hell are you talking about a new house?”

“Because we are not spending the next fifty years in that ugly monstrosity you live in now.” He blinked rapidly, his heart rate increasing on the monitors. “They have to do a few tests to make sure but you were benign. Doc thinks you’re going to be just fine.”

“Wait,” he said, holding up a hand. “Wait. I don’t understand. My tumor wasn’t cancerous?”

“Don’t sound so happy about living,” you said, Mark wide eyed, one hand going to his head. “Sorry to disappoint but you were in fact curable. Now your affliction for shitty dad jokes, that sadly we couldn’t fix. So take a deep breath, let it out, and know that I will be mocking you for not getting a second opinion for the rest of our lives.”

“Always got to be a know it all.” Mark sank into the bed, gripping your hand hard. “I gave up.”

“If it makes you feel better, I gave up that I’d ever see you again lots of times,” you said. 

“Yeah but you always came back around.” You shrugged. “You kept fighting. I gave up.”

“Different situations.” He looked like he wanted to argue and you sighed. “I pick you up when you fall down, you pick me up when I fall.”

“LIke I said, know it all,” he smirked, a shuffling sound outside the door. Both your heads turned, your eyes widening. Mark’s heart rate shot up crazy high, the man in the doorway holding up a finger to his lips.

“Either of you say a word when the nurse comes in and I’ll kill everyone on this floor.” You just stared at him as he stepped out of the way, a nurse coming to check on Mark. He fumbled his way through an excuse of getting excited at seeing the man before the three of you were alone.

He stepped to the end of the bed, his gaze drifting to you. “Hello Mr. Jack Walker. Or should I say Mr. Meachum.”

“Volchek,” Mark growled. “Pretty ballsy to walk in here.”

“Kittens are more dangerous than you at the moment, Mr. Meachum. She is far more dangerous.” You swallowed thickly, Mark’s hand gripping yours hard. “Y/N, come with me or I will kill him. You attempt to leave my side, I will kill him slowly. If you are not difficult, I will consider not turning Los Angeles into a nuclear wasteland.”

“He has a nuke?” you breathed out, Mark nodding very slowly, his eyes closing. Shit, he was still exhausted from surgery. He needed rest and you needed Volchek gone.

“Yes. Your precious husband will remain unharmed if you are cordial. Decide.” You stood up, Mark’s eyes fluttering open.

“No,” he whispered, eyes hazy with fatigue and worry. “I-I just got you back.”

“You’ll find me again. Get your fucking radiation treatment and trust your team to help.” You leaned down and kissed him, Mark using every ounce of strength he had to wrap his arms around you. Volchek yanked your arm though, pulling you back. You glared at him, Mark seething from his bed. 

“Disobedience results in his death. Remember that.” Volchek grabbed your coat, tossed it at you, and then you were walking by his side out the door, getting one last look at Mark before you were gone.

One Hour Later

“Did you mean it?” you asked, sitting across from Volchek in a private jet, flying god knew where in the middle of the night. He didn’t bother looking up from his laptop, your hands tied together in front of you. You easily broke free, tossing the plastic remnants in his face. He gave you an annoyed glance before he went back to his computer. “Hey. Asshole. Did you fucking mean you won’t blow up LA or not?”

“Normally I would say not to trust my word but for you, I believe we’ve established a level of trust over the years. I told you I would never let one of my men touch you or torture you. Did I keep my word?” You crossed your arms, Volchek closing the lid of his computer. “The fate of the city is in your hands. Be good, millions of lives saved. Be a brat, massive death and destruction and I will make sure that Mark Meachum’s body parts are hand delivered to you one at a time.”

“You’re not as cold as you’d like me to believe you are.” He looked off kilter for once and you tried to push it. “There’s no logical reason for me to still be alive therefore the only reason I am is that there is a shred of a soul left in there. A shred to be clear but it’s there. So what is it? Do I look like your mother? A girl you had a crush on? Why am I still alive? And before you shut me out, why don’t you try being honest and just lay your cards on the table like you’ve been trying to for 3 years but never had the balls to.”

“You have a filthy mouth for a pretty girl.”

“Woman,” you corrected, narrowing your eyes. He lifted his chin, a strange quirk of his lip upwards.

“I think all fathers still see their daughters as little girls, no matter the age.” You stared at him, Volchek’s smile turning dark. “You are aware you were adopted, correct? I once went to school with the daughter of the American ambassador to Belarus.”

You stared at him more, eyebrows through the roof. “No fucking way. You’re like…a decade older than me at most.”

“Thirteen years and yes, it’s possible. The American girl was…adventureous to say and older than I. The family left eventually and I was none the wiser she had a baby that was given up for adoption, not until a few years ago that was. You’re correct. If you were anyone else, I would let you burn with the rest of them.”

You sank lower in your seat as he leaned across the table, his hand reaching out and grazing your cheek.

“Blood is important and you are the only blood of mine that remains. Your future can be spent in fresh air and sunshine or in a dark room underground. But we will be family eventually. True, I will only allow so much pain to be inflicted upon you but your husband and the city of Los Angeles? We will be family one way or the other. The choice is yours.”

He slithered back to his seat, opening his laptop while you swallowed down the bile in your throat and prayed Mark figured out a way to find you again.

A/N: Ah, the happiness was nice while it lasted, right? What do you think will happen next now that reader's been taken again and Mark's out of commission? 👀

[sailorblossoms-rankane]

So I think what gets me about people who say that Ranma and Akane don’t like each other is that of course they’re wrong. But also, Akane and Ranma are actually pretty good friends. Like one could even argue best friends. And they’re friends that also happen to be in love with each other. Or at least have strong feelings for each other.

So it just strikes me as very odd when people immediately just say “Well, Akane is mean to Ranma and he has options.” Yeah, they both do but they care about EACH OTHER. That’s the point.

them being friends is even spelled out

A common misunderstanding I see is Akane looking for models of femininity in "the rivals" and so she feels less than them (she doesn't, she looks for them in older women) (for the love of god, release yourselves from the shackles of inconsistent and bad fillers from the old show when you pick up the manga, they're not doing the same things at all). Her struggles with the rivals tend to be about control and power, about being invaded... everything else is unserious provocation that doesn't go anywhere. When it IS serious, the misunderstandings are quickly cleared up. One of them involves, in part, friendship.

In the sauce arc, Ukyo is staying in Akane's house, in Ranma's room no less (invasion, loss of control) a misunderstanding meant to destabilize Akane is that she fears another girl might be closer to Ranma than she is. That they might know each other more, that they might have a better friendship. It really gets to her: friendship is the foundation of her bond, her romance with Ranma.

This is bullshit, of course. Ukyo is often marked as "the one Ranma is actually friends with" but she's not a closer friend than Akane. Ukyo is closer to an acquaintance, a very casual friend, than an actual best friend. Ukyo doesn't even know Shampoo exists and neither knows Kodachi exists either until they're all clashing (or with Kodachi, they're all plotting or attacking together) cuz Ranma doesn't tell them shit, he makes no effort to explain anything about his life to them. Ranma talks to Akane. He wants to explain things to her so she doesn't stay with the wrong idea. He tells her silly things, everyday things, very important things he wouldn't tell anybody else... sometimes when he has solo adventures, the last panels are him telling Akane about it.

While Akane genuinely wants to help others, her motivations for intervening and trying to talk sense into others are ultimately for Ranma's sake.

Part of their friendship is that we see them hanging out all the time. Akane could be minding her business watching a movie when everyone is supposed to be sleeping, and Ranma will show up, looking for her attention.

In the sauce arc, the misunderstanding begins because Akane accurately suspects Ranma fucked up because she knows him, and Ranma says something stupid because he isn't ready to confess she's right, he indeed messed up.

Later, Akane's concerned about Ranma and suspects Ukyo could have something on him, so she talks to her... and is quick to accept Ranma could have gotten into trouble without meaning to, because she actually knows him and Ranma finds trouble or trouble finds him twice per week.

Ranma goes from trying to conceal his mistake, hiding it from everyone, to accepting the best thing he can do is being honest... and Akane is the first person he talks to. It's Akane who he first confesses to and not Ukyo, the person the original mistake screwed over. His main motivations are not even about doing right by Ukyo, but to get Ukyo out of the house, partly cuz having her in his personal space makes him uncomfortable, but it's also leading to misunderstandings with Akane and her family. His guilt over his actions alone couldn't get him to talk.

Then you have Ukyo, and it can be said she's in part refusing anything that can be taken as a rejection... but her response (that essentially victimizes Ranma) also tells you that despite being on friendly terms with both Akane and Ranma, it's not like she knows them that well. They are casual friends, but she doesn't spend that much time with them. Ranma and Akane are together practically 24/7

I was only gonna bring up that panel with Akane in her bed lol I already rambled a lot, so I'm gonna stop here: arcs like this serve to show the suitors are not at all compatible with Ranma and/or Akane (and there's plenty in the manga showing Ranma and Akane's compatibility)

[woah-someone-actually]

I wanna yap about this scene

Most of us know this scene as “Mike-with-big-goofy-smile.37” or whatever. But, I was thinking about the context of this scene earlier, and It kinda dawned on me that this moment is only here as a plot point for Byler (which isn’t new info necessarily)

What i mean by that, is the fact that Wills motivations here are entirely out of character from what we’ve seen this entire season! Will love’s dnd so much, why would he stick all of his dnd stuff into a donate box? Even if there’s nobody he can play with in Lenora, why would that stop him from throwing his dnd stuff in a suitcase whenever he visits hawkins? It didn’t make sense to me, so i started thinking about why the writers even included this moment.

Then i thought about what Will says. “I’ll just use yours when i come back”.

This moment is here entirely to tell the audience that Will doesn’t plan on ever abandoning Mike. Nomatter how far away he is, he will always be a person that Mike can hang out with and play dnd or video games with. And it tells us that Will does plan on coming home every chance he gets. This moment is a turning point in their relationship. Where they are on the verge of a goodbye, and Will is reassuring Mike that he isn’t moving on without him, and that he’ll always be there for him in one way or another. Hence big goofy smile Mike. (There’s also something to be said about Will purposely donating it so that he has an excuse to be close with Mike while using his dnd stuff)

But what happens right after this scene?

This moment. The most awkward moment in literally all of stranger things 💀 They fumble around talking about holidays and scheduling times to see each other. Mike even mentions how he is probably going to annoy the shit out of her on the walkie. Its all so forced and its like theyre trying to mold their relationship into something that makes sense. But it doesn’t come naturally like it does with Will.

This is essentially the two sides of this love triangle being shown to us. El and Mike have to put on a little performance with eachother, while Mike and Will are able to actually show each other love in ways that make sense to the two of them. We’re even shown this by the way Mike leaves both these scenes. After Will says that its not possible for him to want to join another party, Mike gets this big silly grin on his face. But, when El kisses him… he’s left standing there, not sure what to do. And when we see Will and El as theyre driving away from the house, Will is shown sobbing, while El is sad, but hopeful.

AND THIS ISNT EVEN MENTIONING HOPPERS SPEACH BTW

[anisswife]

BABY, IT’S ALRIGHT

SYNOPSIS in which wanting to help anakin wake up from his nightmare turns into something more than a simple help masterlist

PAIRING anakin skywalker x fem! reader

WARNINGS mdni!! smut, porn w/ plot, nudity (obvi), fingering (barely), eating pussy, mention of girlcum.

FROM ME it’s my first ever smut… ik guys it’s horrible… y’all can give me the harshest truths and im the comments i won’t get upset… i kinda need help with writing those i think… yeah…

ANAKIN TOSSED AND TURNED on his bed, still asleep, his chest fell and raised in a fast motion, his forehead sweaty, just like his hair, damp from the heat his body was on right now.

he was having a nightmare, an intensive, scary dream that held him in his embrace and didn’t want him to wake up from it, torturing his brain and soul worse than anything else could. he couldn’t stop thinking about his mother, still remembering what he saw back then when he came back for her, when she…

his dream became worse and worse with each passing moment, more dark and scary. even for a jedi like him. he still care about his mother, he couldn’t just forget her, could he? maybe it was his weakness but god damn it. his mind was giving him worst images possible, twisting and turning the memory of her death into more and more terrifying each time the dream replayed over and over again.

he wriggled more in the blue covere, the light from the moon that crept in through the half open blinds illuminated on his sweat damp skin, making it shine. his dream became not only visual but also verbal no, whimpers and quiet screams escaping his lips as he called out for his mother.

meanwhile in a different room you woke up, hearing his screams through the walls. you got a bit worried, knowing by now your master had those dreams every night, but they were never intense enough to make you wake up form your deep sleep. something had to be off.

you quickly put your feet down from the bed, your bare feet touching the cold floor as you slipped on a robe over your night gown, holding it closed with your hands as you exited your room in a hurry, running through the shared house, your feet clicking softly on the ground as you moved, securing the robe on you with the silk belt over your waste just as you got to anakin’s room.

without knocking you walked inside, knowing he must be still asleep if he isn’t stopping the screams and you were right. he lay on his bed, sweaty, shirtless and… incredibly hot, like always…

shut up y/n it’s not time for this now!

“master” you said, not coming close at first, hoping your voice wouldn’t be enough to bring him out of his deep slumber, but it wasn’t. “master!” you repeated louder, this time taking those few steps closeee to his bed and blacking your hand on his bare shoulder, gasping when his big, veiny hand grabbed your wrist, staying it on his body, his eyes opening up as he looked around, panting.

“y/n” he mumbled, calming down slowly as he realised all he saw was just a dream, followed by a feeling of dread washing over him like every time he thinks about this topic when awake.

“what are you doing here?” he asked finally, plopping himself on his elbows, releasing your wrist before he finally sat on on his bed “it’s late” he was surely trying to act like he is fine now, but you knew your master way too good to know it’s not true at all.

“i’ve heard your screames… i though i’ll come check on you…” you said, looking down at your bare feet that started to feel cold form the floor against them.

“thank you, but you should go back to sleep, i planned our training for tomorrow already” he said, showing you. did he just say ‘thank you’ to you? hold on, something is defeniteky wrong. anakin barely thanks you for anything ever.

“but master—“ you tried to argue, not liking how he is always to stubborn to actually ask for help and let you help him.

“y/n” anakin said firmly, looking up at you fully finally. there was a pause, you didn’t wanna speak to not anger him any more and he… his gaze cought your body just a tiny bit too intensely when he realise what you are wearing.

your nightgown was silk, making you look all innocent, and pretty, the robe on you was tied loosely, in a rush, not covering too much, just simply sitting on your body, and your hair down, laying on your shoulders in those god damn perfect locks. he had never looked at you from this side… well, not exactly in real life at least.

instinctively, anakin’s hand went down to fix the covers that lay on his lower body, to make sure his growing bulge wasn’t visible at any point.

he always knew you were pretty. so fucking pretty, but he had never let him act on it… he did think about… stuff, but he would never let himself admit it either. he was your master for god damn sake. but nothing, not even the jedi order, not even himself could stop himslef from admiring your beauty maybe a bit too much sometimes.

but fuck, when you stand before him like that right now he can barely stop himself from just throwing himself at you and kissing those pretty lips of yours.

“but—“ “go” he said, knowing he won’t be able to stop himself for long if you won’t just go “master i want to help you for once” you said

“help me?” anakin scoffed, his hand extending to grab your wrist without thinking, pulling you just a tiny bit closer to his bed, making your legs press onto the mattress as you stand beside it, your face close to his now.

“what is—“ before you could mumble out the surprised words he pulled you down onto his bed, making you squeal as your back hit the soft mattress gasping as he got on top of you, his hand grabbing your waste, fingers boring into yours skin. “what are you doing master?” you said, eyes wide in shock.

“y/n…” he said, his voice low, making a shiver ran down your spine and right into your core. “y/n in sorry” he said as his lips crushed onto yours, making you inhale sharply.

his lips then trailed down your jaw and neck, stopping at your collarbone, the robe on you lose, exposing it to his mouth, his teeth gently pinching your skin there. “tell me to stop” he growled agaist your skin, his face stopping right above your breast, kissing the skin between the mounds, his hands holding your body down to the mattered by your hips.

“i-i don’t want to” you replied surprising even yourslef but fuck, you did wanted it and you knew it. your pussy was already throbbing at the new touches and feelings.

“fuck y/n, don’t say it” he frowned his hips bucking forward, pressing his erection to your thigh through his sleep shorts, making you whimper “there’s no going back from this” he said his mouth pepper kissing your shoulders and chest.

“say you want it” anakin said, needing a verbal agreement before he fucks you. “i want it!” a small scream escaped your lips as you gave in to all of his kisses and touches, melting in his embrace.

“good girl” he prised in a low voice, making your body shiver.

he practically ripped the robe off of you, throwing it somewhere, not really caring where. his hands lowered your night gown’s straps, revealing more and more of your cleavage before your breasts were fully on a display for him “jesus” he breathed out, captivated by the sight, his sleep shorts getting even tighter than they already were.

your breasts we’re fucking perfect. his thumbs rubbed your skin just under your mounds, his lips kissing all around them as his hand moved down the silky robe, running from your stomach to your hip and your thigh, reaching the end of the sleep done that had rolled up from laying down and he pushed it up slowly “say you want it baby” he growled against your breasts, his fingers rubbing circles at your thigh.

“want it” those words came out of you in a mumble. aroused and needy mumble as you looked down on what he was doing, your gaze darkened by lust long ago.

now that he had his confirmation he pulled the material up your hips more swiftly and confidently, revealing your bare pussy to his gaze. “no panties?” he chuckled his hand running over your body at the height of your hips “you’re naughty girl y/n”

he grabbed the silky material rolled up on your stomach and pulled it over your head, wanting you bare under him as he traced a path of wet kisses down your stomach, making you shiver and finally let out a moan. the prettiest moan he had ever fucking heard.

he paused, his face facing your pussy now. “let me hear that pretty moan again y/n, let it out baby” he almost cooed, blowing cold air from his lips right at your clit, making you squirm and mumble his name out “that’s sight baby, say my name again” he smirked, his thumb parting your soaking folds.

“ani.. fuuuck!” your moans we’re getting louder as his thumb teases you and pleases you, rubbing your pussy in circles up to your clit and when he touched it… gosh you almost screamed in delight. “so sensitive princess? how are you going to survive it if i start a real thing?” he teases you, turning you on more as his thumb worked magic between your legs in a fast peace.

he teases you more and more just to hear those perfect moans coming out of your mouth as you wriggle underneath him.

suddenly he withdrew his hand from your pussy, making you whine at the sudden absence of the pleasure “ani… please” you begged him, wiggling on the bed “master…”

“want me so bad honey? well i guess it’s time for a night snack then” he said, eagerly diving face first back between your legs, making you gasp as his wet, hot mouth made contact with your pulsing folds.

“master— nggmh!” you growled out loudly, your back arching so hard like it never had before.

he didn’t spare you, no. he full on devoured you, sucking and nipping at your lips, being only more and more pushed to continue by the symphony you were singing solo, only for him, and thanks to him.

anakin couldn’t get enough. you tasted like heaven and sounded like an angel. he pushed your legs more apart, his tongue dance joined by a finger rubbing at your hole, before he pushed it in, earning a well deserved “anakin!” screamed out of your mouth on full volume, voice dripping with pleasure.

he was quite shocked when he felt your walks clench around his finger almost immediately. he had barely started and you were already close? well… he can’t say he didn’t enjoy it that way too. “so sensitive” he chuckled against you, the vibrations sensing shiver and another wave of pleasure over you.

soon enough you cummed with his name on your lips, your girlcum coating his lips and finger as he sucked it all out to the last drop, not wasting any. “good girl” he prised you, hissing his way up to your lips, letting you taste yourself from his lips.

“i was yo help you, not you me, master” you said when you both came off of it and lay together on his bed, his shirtless body pressing against yours as he rubbed your stomach soothingly.

“believe me sweetheart, your taste and sounds helped me more than anything else could” he whispered to your ear, his teeth gracing your earlobe “i’m counting on more soon enough”

[batsandbirdbrains]

This AU is bouncing around my head and won’t leave me alone. I have like no real plot just several scenes I can’t stop thinking about.

I think Dick would maybe go nonverbal for a while after Grant and Joey bring him home. Which isn’t a problem necessarily, because they all know sign language for Joey, but they’re still worried about him. Because he’s clinging to Adeline and not speaking and barely eating. Adeline is worried he’s going to wither away, and it’s twisting her heart.

Then after just a couple days, the Justice League snatches him from them. Brings him to the Watchtower, tries to get him to talk about what happened in the Labyrinth.

He’s still injured and he’s still covered in bruises and bandages, but they won’t stop questioning him. They won’t stop demanding answers. They won’t stop asking why he left in the first place, as if they hadn’t been the ones to push him away.

He’s sitting in a glorified interrogation room, and the panic is starting to really set in, and he’s still scared and in pain from what happened in the Labyrinth. They keep asking him about what happened, and he keeps seeing flashes of the time he spent held captive by the Court of Owls. Of being strapped down on an exam table while they tried to inject him with electrum. Flashes of electrum spraying across his face as he killed Cobb once and for all.

“I want my mom.”

His voice is hoarse, shaky. He’s trembling and staring off just beyond Bruce’s shoulder.

And he finally breaks.

“I want my mom,” he repeats.

He has tears running down his cheeks. His chest is heaving. He’s cradling his still-sprained wrist to his chest.

“I want my mom,” he begs, eyes squeezing shut when Bruce actually moves to hug him, hold him.

He hasn’t spoken in over a week. The only words he can manage to get past his lips are I want my mom, I want my mom, I want my mom over and over and over again.

He loves Bruce. He’s always going to love Bruce. But Bruce pushed him away and hurt him, even if it wasn’t physical.

“Please, chum,” Bruce whispers, brushing Dick’s hair out of his face. “We just need to know what happened.”

Dick is shaking his head, trying to hide inside Bruce’s arms, wishing he’d wrap the Batman cape around him like he used to when he was little. He whines, a desperate sound bubbling from his throat.

That’s when Deathstroke shows up, guns blazing. He’s in a rage, having heard from his ex-wife how their son was kidnapped. Again. But this time from the Justice League. How they barged into her home and a Green Lantern locked her, Grant, and Joey in a glowing green box, how they subdued Dick even though he tried to fight back, how they had to have aggravated his injuries that still hadn’t healed, and then they took him and left without so much as an explanation.

When Dick sees Deathstroke, he just starts crying even harder. He feels like he’s going to just keep getting passed around, kidnapped over and over again, they’re never going to let him go home. They’re never going to leave him alone.

There’s a fight, of course. But it ends with Dick curled up in the corner of the room, knees to his chest, burying his face and wrapping his arms around his head, tugging at his hair.

“Mom, mom, I want my mom,” he keeps whispering frantically, even when Slade kneels in front of him.

When Slade reaches out for him, he flinches back, hitting the wall, letting out a desperate, terrified whine.

Slade feels his stomach flip. Because his son is afraid of him. And he knew, in the back of his mind, that it was the most likely scenario. But thinking it and seeing it are different. Nothing could have prepared him to see the way his son was so terrified of him.

Even if he knows it’s not really just him who Dick is afraid of. Adeline had been clear on the phone that Dick was withdrawn, clearly traumatized by whatever had happened to him.

So he tries his best to make things easier for him.

“I’m going to take you back to your mom,” he tries to tell Dick. “She’s the one who sent me here.”

Dick just keeps shaking his head, still repeating, “Mom, mom, I want my mom,” with more and more urgency.

Adeline told him how Dick hadn’t been speaking.

He hates that the only words he can manage to get out are a desperate plea for someone to come help him, and there’s nothing Slade can do to help.

“Go get his mother and bring her here,” he orders the bat. “Now!”

Adeline is storming into the room not half an hour later. Her eyes are blazing and her face is set in stone, but then she sees her baby curled up in the corner and her face falls. She rushes to him, holding him close to her chest, tucking his head under her chin.

She whispers to him, “Mommy’s here now. I’m so sorry I let them take you, I’m so sorry. But Mommy’s here now, you’re okay. Everything will be okay.”

Dick burrows closer to her, grasping at her shirt, twisting the fabric between his fingers.

“My baby, you’re bleeding,” she gasps, taking a gentle hold of his left hand. “Why are you bleeding?”

He’d been clawing at the floor while he was curled up. His fingernails have dried blood caked underneath, the tips of his fingers are scraped and dirty. She brings his hand up to her lips, kissing his knuckles, wishing she could kiss the pain away like when he was really a baby.

“Mommy will make them all pay for hurting you, my baby.”

She’s going to start by trying to shoot Slade’s other eye out.

Regardless of if Dick was Slade's bio-kid or not, I think he would have been able to find out more information about the Light/Reach than Artemis did if he went undercover instead. Possibly even enough that he was able to prevent the Reach's last attack and Wally doesn't die. I think he's just a better detective than Artemis.

However, if everyone is still hating on him afterwards and he's revealed as Slade's kid, I would actually like to see Dick not even go to Slade. Especially if he learns that Slade somehow knew too. So now literally nobody knows where he's gone, even if some of the Team are convinced he went running to his father.

I just can't decide how it should go from there. Does Dick just start hoping from place to place and lives almost in the run from the League/Slade? Does he go back to Haley's for answers? Does he get abducted by the Court of Owls and everyone has to team up to save him? I would like your opinion on this.

LOVE the idea that Dick was able to pick up on more intel if he was the one undercover, I totally believe it. Especially if it means he was able to prevent Wally’s death because of it.

Even if he doesn’t want to stay with Slade though, I could see him going back to question him like, “Is it true? IS IT TRUE?” And Slade just looking exhausted as he says, “Yes.”

Because in this scenario, Slade never stopped looking for his son. Slade wanted his child back. But maybe he was a little afraid of telling him the truth, too.

But I could see Dick needing space after everything. I could see him hiding away, trying to process everything that happened. Maybe he’s in the run because both JL members and Deathstroke keep trying to run after him.

The Court of Owls still insisting that he be their next Talon would be fascinating though. Maybe Cobb even sees it as a sign almost, considering he kidnapped his own son from his mother and left him with the circus. Maybe he thinks Dick is a parallel of his child, and that’s why he’s the fabled Gray Son.

But I kinda wanna see Dick rescue himself. I don’t want him to have to rely on the others to get out of a sticky situation. Maybe by the time the others team up because they realized the Court of Owls took him, by the time they get to the Labyrinth, Dick has already destroyed everything. He’s already escaped.

Or maybe he’s sitting in the middle of the Labyrinth, looking at the destruction all around him. Looking at the broken body of the man who insisted he call him Grandfather. His hands are covered in electrum instead of blood. The training uniform they gave him is disheveled and ripped and bloody. His breathing is heavy, uneven.

They’d tried to inject him with electrum. Tried to immortalize him. That was the final straw.

And now he’s sitting there, surrounded by nothing but death and destruction.

He doesn’t realize he’s crying until someone is kneeling in front of him, wiping away the tears from his cheeks.

“Let’s go home,” the person says.

“Where’s home?” he asks.

Who is it that’s cleaning him up, talking to him? Well that’s up for interpretation I guess.

[all-pacas]

okay so. simple terms. doyalist is "out of universe" commentary on a work. recognizing other factors that went into making decisions in the work. watsonian, by contrast, is entirely concerned with the universe as it is. the names come from sherlock holmes. if you ask dr. watson "why did this happen?" he might give you an explanation of characters and motivations. if you asked arthur conan doyle, he might explain "well, i read about this idea and i thought it would be interesting in a sherlock holmes story."

but that is not to say that doyalist is "character motivations and writing do not matter, writing does not matter." it just looks at outside contexts for part of why that matters.

(okay and then i just started talking about house md / media analysis in general enjoy ig)

as the most basic example: "why does house md end in s8?" you could say "well, wilson gets cancer, the story can't continue with him dead, so obviously they ended the show." the more doyalist question would then be: okay, why does he get cancer now? why did the writers make that decision here and not in season 9 or 10 or 5? well: because hugh laurie announced early in s8 that he wanted to be finished with the show.

this doesn't invalidate the "it ends because there's no show without wilson;" if anything it proves that point! writing and characterization still matter, obviously. if there weren't eight seasons of the show proving time and again that wilson is the most important person to house, then his impending death would be irrelevant (and nothing to end the show with). if the show hadn't proven house struggles with change and sacrifice, then him being able to change and sacrifice for wilson wouldn't make such an impact. does this mean the writers always knew the show would end with wilson having cancer? probably not (although you can make an interesting case it may have been an idea someone had). but that doesn't lessen the impact. that doesn't change anything. we all know the writers didn't sit down and write all 177 episodes of house in 2005 and spend the next decade doling them out to us. the job of a writer is to write, to use what came before to set up what comes next, to be consistent with character and themes as established at the start and carry them through to the end.

watsonian and doyalist are just names for ways to look at writing choices. but the writing choices, the writing is always what matters most of all.

"why did kutner kill himself?" the watsonian answer: he was secretly depressed. the blunt "bad doyalism" answer: kal penn needed to leave the show. the holistic doyalist approach: kutner had some threads indicating inner darkness and perhaps a future plot; isn't it interesting that they chose to off him with suicide and not an accident/act of god? what could that hint about his character?

"cameron's crush on house in s1 and her relationship with chase in s3 were obviously not planned in tandem and have nothing to do with one another" from a bluntly doyalistic approach: true. from an actual writing standpoint: false, because cameron the character exists in both and acts the same way. her past decisions and characterization influences her decisions and relationships going forward. she is internally consistent and well-written, and acts remarkably similar in both arcs (afraid of vulnerability, running rather than face her own feelings). "but s3 wasn't planned when the hameron arc happened!" i agree! that doesn't change the fact that a good writer develops their characters and uses that development to their benefit.

house has themes. it has motifs. "can people change" and "changing after death" comes up in just about every season. love and fidelity and questions of sacrifice are repeated notes; change and fear of change and complacency are present as character beats and story arcs from season one. wilson's cancer doesn't have to have been planned from the pilot, because by the time they needed it, every step to make it work had long since been in place. some people might say that's "proof" it was always planned; i say that's just good writing.

it doesn't matter if it was planned. to me, as someone who writes, i find it almost more impressive if it wasn't: i know what it's like to be writing and go "wait, wait, this slots in perfectly with this detail." i often find the doyalist reading interesting and sometimes helpful, especially as a way to explain the moments of the show that are weaker (cuddy's abrupt departure, as an example, does make more sense when you realize the writers didn't plan for it: david shore has said he would have not done the car crash had he realized it was edelstein's final episode, and the episode does ring more harshly with the hindsight that cuddy is never seen again). too, i think it can be tempting to over read canon, to … get a bit "this is the word from on high," to see an odd writing choice and go digging for foreshadowing and symbolism that simply isn't there.

as a fairly meaningless example: in s7-8 chase has a few subplots where he is established to be rather vain and obsessed with his appearance, most notably being hurt he isn't chosen as a billboard model. in s4-6, he has several subplots where the opposite is true: he is notably shy and awkward around the cameras in ugly, and in private lives, much of the episode is focused on his realization that he is good looking and judged on those looks and not his personality, and this idea bothering him. it's quite a jarring shift: why would chase go from camera shy and upset at the idea of being perceived as a pretty boy, to a year later being offended when he's not? you could write a whole thing about how chase is a people-pleaser and now that he knows this is his "identity" and what people want from him, he has chosen to lean in and become vain, to fulfill this expectation. or you can also pick the doyalist option, which is: it's a retcon; s7 is kind of weird.

the first option can be a lot of fun. chase is consistently written enough that we know he is a bit of a people pleaser; it isn't entirely out of the realm of possibility. but… let's face it… the second option is probably correct. this doesn't mean you can't also say "he's a people-pleaser and his self esteem took a huge hit in s6 and this is chase changing in a natural way," but. the context helps.

"a doyalist reading" doesn't mean "lol you're talking about characterization don't you know it's scripts written by writers? nothing was planned, nothing is consistent, why bother." (for one, again: that's not how writing works.) likewise a watsonian reading doesn't mean "everything has to have been planned and fated and created from on high, and to question the word is to be cast from heaven." they're just different ways of media analysis. they work best in tandem.

of course wilson got cancer.

from the start of the show, house has been struggling with change and love and sacrifice: is it possible? is it what anyone wants? he has seen people he cares about die and struggled in the aftermath; he has seen others suffer near-fatal accidents, try to change and reinterpret themselves, and fail — house, all the while, crowing about how it proves his thesis about lack of change too. we have seen house try to change and fail, shoot himself in the foot and give up, and pretend he never wanted to be different anyway. the only ending that makes sense is one where he finally sticks the landing, where all these struggles and questions pay off with one selfless act.

we have seen time and again that house's Most Important Person — romantically, platonically, however you want to read it — is wilson. how as house loses others, he refuses to lose wilson, but also how as house begins to drive away the people who loved him most (cameron, cuddy), wilson — despite his justified frustrations and antipathy and awareness this isn't healthy — always stays. the only ending that makes sense is one of the two of them together; to end the show with house and chase pal-ing around or wilson married to wife #4 would feel disingenuous; unearned after so much of the show makes the point of the two of them as a unit.

but also: at the start of s8, hugh laurie announced he was done with the show, and the writers shifted gears and had to start writing not a season but a series finale. of course wilson got cancer.

[piracytheorist]

Overanalyzing Spy x Family | Episode 1: Operation STRIX (part 3)

masterpost

Part 1 | Part 2

Following the tension, we see Twilight is off with Anya in his arms, who of course didn’t make a fuss because she knew it was him. And while he once again berates himself for the risk he took, Anya starts crying, which I can assume is in relief that she’s being saved. This whole ordeal must have actually been terrifying for her.

Although he’d just found her tied up and gagged, he as Nguyen reassures her that he won’t hurt her, and Anya ends up grabbing onto him and burying her face in his neck as she continues crying. And while at first he looks confused by that reaction, he then starts thinking about how much he hates the sound of children crying… 

until he has his revelation that it’s not because he hates kids, but quite the opposite.

And to be honest, I think it was a combination of things that caused this revelation.

First was, of course, the sound of Anya crying. But it was not just that. It’s safe to assume he hadn’t been close to kids for years due to his job, but it’s impossible that he hadn’t heard a child crying. You go for a supermarket run and you’re likely to hear a child crying. It’s just that when isolated like that, it wasn’t enough to trigger the reflection but it was enough to upset him, ergo why he would be led to think that he hates kids.

Second was the fact that Anya was in trouble because of him. He doesn’t know that she got caught because she messed with his equipment, and even if he did it was still on him for involving a kid with a spy in the first place, so in a way, he’s responsible for her. So that serves as a reminder that children being in danger is something he wants and works hard to avoid.

Third, and that’s a little more of a theory of mine, is especially because of how Anya grabbed onto him. The manga shows a separate panel of her grasping onto his shirt, and that’s when he has his “Oh” moment.

Because in his flashback, the point that he was all alone with no-one to help him is driven even further by showing him grasp onto his own shirt, because he didn’t have anyone left to hold onto.

And that was what he didn’t want to remember, his loneliness and despair, the fact that he was so powerless he didn’t know what else to do other than cry.

And then he sees Anya, who was scared, but thanks to him she wasn’t alone or desperate, she was being taken to safety. Who clutched onto him the way he had wished he’d someone to clutch onto.

And I believe that all that combined was what reminded him of his purpose.

In a very not subtle way, we see him walk from the dark building out into the light through an EXIT sign.

The EXIT sign is not that visible in the anime; instead as he walks out we can see that in the background there is a ruined building, but unlike the ruined buildings in his flashback, there is a crane truck and construction sounds. Something broken is getting fixed. A little more subtle in this version.

Twilight plops Anya down - literally -

and calls her “little girl”. Bringing back the very first pin I mentioned - She tells him her name is Anya… and this time, as he pretends to be someone else, he calls her Anya-chan.

There is just so much that can be communicated through the use of honorifics in Japanese that I am actually sad that they don’t include them in translations and localizations anymore. You can’t transfer the difference between Twilight as Loid not using the “chan” and Twilight as Nguyen using the “chan” in plain English. I would prefer that they kept them, it would help transfer the different dynamics in each case and provide an opportunity for anyone not from Japan to get a little more context about the culture.

Anyway, he devises an absolutely ridiculous plot about how those guys totally didn’t kidnap her, they totally just wanted to play tag with a five-year-old without telling her. Anya pretends to believe it and he just goes on and I’m like… I know you think she’s not super smart but really. Dude.

He writes her what could constitute a letter of recommendation which I’m very curious to know what was in that would make the police get the girl to a better orphanage. But it’s actually kinda sweet that he did that, that he wanted her to have a better chance away from him.

He thinks about how he wants to rework the mission in a way that won’t involve a child, and Anya panics once she hears that. I wonder if that face was because she feared that he didn’t want to involve her because he thought she wasn’t good enough.

Cause as much as she looks like she wants to help and to prove her worth, she does try to run away. The whole experience gave her enough of a scare that proving her material worth isn't much of a priority anymore.

But then, right on time, Twilight has his Defining Moment™, where he thinks that it wasn’t wrong to waltz into enemy territory to save Anya, but was wrong to put her in danger in the first place. Because his very reason to choose to become a spy was his hope of creating a world where children don’t have to cry.

And as Anya hears this, she realizes why he’s done all he’s done. It’s not that cool to be a spy, and it’s certainly very dangerous to even be associated with one. But he’s not giving her up because he thinks she's useless or a burden, or because he doesn’t care for her, but because he wants to protect her, and to create a world where all children, not just her, will be safe and happy. He doesn't expect to get something from her (since he was willing to relieve her from the mission for her own sake) unlike her previous experiences, and, I believe, most importantly, he resonates with her. The reason he has his flashback is because he sympathizes with her feelings in that moment. So she realizes this guy not only recognizes the fact that she has feelings, not only is he willing to put those feelings first, he's willing to risk everything to protect them.

Remember what I said about her not having expectations for someone caring for her emotions? Here she’s faced with a guy who actively puts himself in danger in an effort to secure the emotional well-being of all children out there. Even if she had expectations prior to that, Twilight surpassed them by a mile. He may not be good at directly showing he cares, but his deep-rooted motivation is about caring for children.

And so she seems to decide that, you know what, maybe it’s worth it.

I certainly don’t put a lot of weight into that decision, I mean, she’s a little kid. But this is the pin I mentioned earlier, about the major reason why this kidnapping had to happen, because up to that point Anya simply thought that spies are cool and exciting and she’ll live great adventures with this guy as her dad. Getting kidnapped gave her a real taste of danger, but it also showed her how far Twilight is willing to go to keep her safe, up to the point of risking his own life and cover. So next, when she asks him to take her back home, she is a little more aware of the actual risk she’s taking, and of how much Twilight will protect her. Again, not putting a lot of weight into that, but her mind-reading and this experience give her an amount of agency that she wouldn’t have otherwise.

And I genuinely believe that agency is one of the story’s main saving graces, because if it was any other kid without mind-reading powers, it would simply be them getting used by Twilight, and I don’t think that would have sat well with most audiences. I know I wouldn’t be here analyzing it if that was the case, for sure. Anya’s mind-reading powers aren’t just a fun tidbit to spice up the story, it’s literally what makes this story work as a wholesome found family story instead of a dark, the-end-justifies-the-means abuse story.

All that is, of course, assuming the secrets of all three members will be revealed to each other and they will keep trusting and caring for each other. I am very much looking forward to this identity reveal and its aftermath, both angsty and heart-warming :D

Masks-Ripping Tangent #2

So this whole scene is not just character-defining for Twilight, it’s also vulnerable. Because of all the reasons I mentioned before, he was reminded of his own childhood, which was obviously traumatic for him and something he doesn’t seem to have healed from.

But when this happens… we don’t see his real face. We don’t see the real reaction from him as he’s brought back to that painful time of his life. We see a mask.

And when he rips that mask off, reminding himself of his purpose and re-dedicating to it… we see his back.

In both cases, we are not allowed a clear glimpse of his face, we’re not shown an honest front.

And I believe that this is because the narrative is telling us to not get comfortable with this guy being open with his feelings. He will still hide them with professional accuracy, he will remain in denial and pretend he’s not getting attached. So, you know. Strap in and enjoy this emotionally constipated guy take that slow burn path to loving and being loved.

~

Again why I believe Anya’s mind-reading is essential to the story is that we would have heard those thoughts of his anyway, but Anya being there makes them diegetic. It makes them part of the story, part of her own choice to stay. Which is why it doesn’t feel so detached for us to not see his face during those moments – they are for his development as much as they are for Anya’s. We see Anya’s reaction to them, and the choice she makes over them, and from the empathetic motive behind Twilight’s choice, we can hope we’ll see him slowly break down his walls and show more of his real self, so we don’t really need grand expressions and declarations right away. They wouldn’t have felt earned that way so early on.

And it’s also kind of a set-up of what this story will be like. A slow burn. It will take its sweet time, and from a realism perspective, I appreciate that. Humans don’t change from one day to another, especially when trauma is involved, so it’s nice to see that recognized here.

Allow me to go back to Twilight’s motivation for a moment. So from the start we get to see a glimpse of his tragic past, and while it’s natural to feel bad for him knowing what he went through, it’s not there to make us be too forgiving of him. It’s there to explain to us where he’s coming from, because even he recognizes that he’d reached the point of forgetting his core reason to become a spy. His flashback is what reminds him of it, because as he says, he’d thought he’d put all that behind him, but his very past was what was driving him on all along, because even when he forgot his reason, subconsciously he still wanted a better world that would provide better for the next generations. A better world than he had.

And that becomes his first and main redeeming quality, where despite working in the shadows, where he lies to, cheats, hurts, and kills people, the audience can find something to relate to and to root for him for. Because it’s an incredibly empathetic reason – it’s not just a plain “Fighting for world peace”, because we all want that, right?

… Right?

In his case it’s a fight for no other child to suffer like he did.

And on that note, I also find interesting how his wish is worded. “A world where children don’t have to cry”. Simply put, it can even sound naïve. Children WILL cry, even under the best circumstances, for something as simple as losing a sticker to something as heavy as losing a loved one to an accident or an illness that even great circumstances cannot defeat.

Sadness is a part of life, and all children will have to feel it at some point. But since Twilight lived through a war as a kid, something that he’s actively working to prevent from happening again, his words could be interpreted as “A world where children aren’t given more reasons to cry. A world that will provide its children with as few reasons to cry as possible”.

But, if you take into consideration Twilight’s deep thinking, his attention to detail, his perfectionism… such a mantra sounds half-baked for him. You would think that his main motivation that powers him through everything would be a little more defined and detailed. I mean, he’s more meticulous about the identities he assumes, down to changing his face and voice.

My interpretation is that he words it simply because it would be too upsetting to go into more detail. Because more detail would make it like “I want a world where children don’t get to experience the loss, the pain, the fear, the danger, the hunger, the destitution, the violence, the inhumanity a war brings.” But that would poke at his own emotional wounds too much, so maybe that’s why he avoids going too deep and keeps it simple.

This scene lasted less than two minutes and yet I wrote over two thousand words breaking it down. That's how good this writing is, damn.

Next, somehow Twilight proves able to move with the speed of light, since he sets up an elaborate trap for Edgar and his goons – I assume the flour was there because the place used to be a supermarket – but honestly, when it was all set up doesn’t matter to me.

He uses flour, which is flammable and potentially explosive, to keep them from shooting at him as well as limit their vision. This is why I forgive the timing nonsense, because while I’m sure this scene was set in an abandoned supermarket so that Twilight could find flour, the fact that he knew to use it not only as a cover but as a deterrent for getting shot at shows his quick thinking and adaptability. It could have worked the same if he hid on top of a shelf and cut open the flour sacks himself.

I do miss that line he says in the manga. Especially with his form in the shadows with the nightmare eyes, it fits the vibe a lot.

He takes out the goons one by one, before he addresses Edgar himself.

This time, all sarcasm has left Edgar and he calls Twilight without a honorific, as he truly feels.

Twilight does use the honorific “-san”, however, as he knocks the pistol off Edgar’s hand which was omitted from the manga for some reason.

Twilight moves on to what he knows will catch Edgar’s attention, so he starts talking about Karen, Edgar’s daughter. And, there IS a line there…

Which, unless he posed as a dermatologist she went to to check for skin cancer – I don’t know if they would even do such tests in that fictional time – it only implies one thing, that he as Robert was intimate with Karen.

Of course, we know it didn’t mean a thing to him, and we can easily assume he didn’t derive any pleasure from it, he only did it because it would benefit his mission of spying on her father, buuuuuut since he did lie to her and thus slept with her under false pretenses… it wouldn't be far-fetched to call this rape by deception.

Now, I am not saying this to condemn Twilight. He also kills people in that job, so, you know. It was never meant for us to see him as a paragon of virtue. It is simply a sign of how dark his job has to become to get things done, and how he has dedicated himself to it so much he considers such things necessary evils, that he’s not even phased by such actions anymore.

In a way, it is kind of tragic because he’s led to such choices in his effort to create a better world. I wouldn’t say it’s a “the road to hell is paved with good intentions” thing, though. I think it can be used as commentary for how inhumane people can get when the threat of war is looming over their heads. "Everything goes in war" can apply to cold wars, too. I'm not saying I condone it, but war, whether as active conflict or international tension, is an extreme situation humans aren't really meant to live through, so when it happens, we are led to extremes.

Because, that’s the thing. The war that is shown in Twilight’s backstory is over, but a cold war remains, and that still impacts the people around it, both civilians and armed forces, official or underground. And same way a soldier in the front lines will kill, a spy in a cold war will lie and deceive. And kill.

And to be honest, considering the stance on war that the whole story has… It sounds like an outright critique of war. That it’s wrong that people are driven to such horrific actions, that if given a peaceful, fair world, we wouldn’t need to hurt each other.

And in a way, Edgar is an example of that, of a man who is willing to kill in cold blood and use a child hostage to get what he wants, but he still cares a lot for his own daughter. Through his crimes, he still cares for her to have a safe and happy future.

And you know what? The fact that Twilight says “I know how much you care about your daughter” after what he went through with Anya… sounds a little like he may now understand a little better.

Of course, he says that to then immediately threaten Karen, so… I don’t know. Maybe I’m reaching here a bit.

But yeah. He gives off nightmare eyes, telling Edgar to leave him alone or else!! and just lets him go with that threat. He knows it’s effective enough, and it’s proof that Twilight isn’t a fan of needless bloodshed. He could kill Edgar, and as the top spy in his agency he certainly has the means to cover the murder. But he instead chooses to not disrupt things and to leave him be.

Dark mood fades away, the anime audience is treated to a bit of eye candy as Twilight walks through the sunset-lit backstreet,

and then he realizes that Anya was waiting there all along.

And we get the family theme in the soundtrack!!!

And now that Anya saw how much he cares for her emotional well-being, she finally exhibits affection towards him, by running at him and hugging him. She’s realized he provides for her a safe place to express her emotions.

This exchange is a little funny, though, because they’re both lying through their teeth, they both know that the other is lying, Anya knows he knows she's lying… but they instead silently choose to ignore what happened and pretend it never did.

And I just find it funny, that basically their connection starts with a “let’s pretend this never happened, ok” and it’s just silently and mutually accepted.

But back to the feels. This is the first time that the family theme plays in the series, and of course it’s not a coincidence.

At that point, Anya is determined to stay with him, confident in his good heart, that he will protect her if she ever gets in danger. And she honestly wants to help him protect the peace.

And, even if he doesn’t truly accept it in himself, this moment touches him too.

And so, the family theme plays for the first time, showing that it’s their first moment they bond as a family. A fake and very wobbly-on-its-feet family, but still.

This is actually the first time that he acts soft with her, and he’s even a little taken aback by how she leans closer to him for comfort and asks him to take her home with him.

Once again, Twilight asks her if she really wants that. And now it’s different, because it’s with the new knowledge of what can potentially happen to her under his care.

When she insists, he remembers what Franky told him, about how she was fostered out and returned four times and has been through three orphanages.

And he realizes, it’s not a better orphanage that will save her, or give her a better chance. The Williams family didn’t keep her, the Levskis didn’t, the Roches didn’t, the Kleins didn’t. And at that moment, I truly believe his one thought, the reason that he took her back, was not because that had been his first option (since he said he would rework his mission), nor because it was easy (he was already getting a taste of the hardships a parent faces), but because he simply didn’t want to abandon her. Four foster families and three orphanages didn’t keep her, what would guarantee the next one would?

For all he knew, he was her best choice. As distant as he would be, as easily as he would walk away from her once the mission was over (or so he thinks!) as demanding and potentially dangerous as her life would get as part of the mission, he sees her clinging to him and realizes the Forger family is her best choice.

And so the music blooms into the Forger family – in particular! – theme, and he says let’s go home.

Again something that can only be shown through video format: Twilight thinks of the other names Anya had (only in the anime, by the way!) but he doesn’t include “Anya Forger” in his thoughts. Because those previous names are those she didn’t get to keep. The music introduces the Forger family theme right then. The music is what establishes that she’s now Anya Forger, that this is the name she’ll get to keep.

Twilight makes up a lie that he found a poisonous snake in their apartment, so they have to move. Of course Anya knows it’s a lie, and that they have to move because that apartment was compromised, but she thinks that her papa is a big liar… but he’s a cool liar. And in her age, that’s what matters most, really.

Exam time! Twilight sits outside, nervous but deeply hoping Anya will do well. Anya activates her powers but realizes it’s not as easy as she thought it would be. And I understand considering one of the questions asks them to find the AREA OF A TRIANGLE—those are six-year-olds!! Some of them probably don’t know what a triangle is!!

But, thanks to Loid’s meticulous memorizing session, Anya is able to whip up a few enough answers to pass. And even if just through her memorizing the answers, she manages to pass through her own abilities.

I like how we see various reactions from the families afterwards.

A boy is crying and I'm like, he'll honestly be far better off in another school. (I have a lot of thoughts about how Eden works but all in due time)

Loid sees that Anya has passed, and for the first time, we see his genuinely, absolutely adorable side.

And I’m like, look at that face. Look at that bright smile. You can’t tell me that this is all mere satisfaction that the mission is going well. There is some pride there that this little girl managed to pass an actually difficult exam thanks to his guidance. And it’s not just for cover; we see other families congratulate their children with hugs and pats on the back. Twilight’s reaction is over the top, something he as a spy would actively avoid in order to not attract attention. But apparently, he couldn’t help it, he was so happy.

The anime takes it a step further and has him spin her around in his joy.

I also like the softness of this scene in the anime. The green around them, along with the soft shade of the trees over them makes for a calming environment, and a more natural one. I think it drives even further the point that this wasn’t just progress for the mission. It was a moment of pride.

And aside from that, the genuineness in his reaction shows when he immediately collapses. His control over his tired body slips for a moment, when he relaxes in relief and joy, and so his body gives out in exhaustion.

I actually find it interesting, through the wackiness of the scene, that Twilight was aware that he was exhausted. He only reprimands himself for relaxing, enough for his control to slip. Apparently part of his training includes the kind of discipline needed to work on limited sleep, but he must have reached his limit here.

After a short version of the end credits we cut to an accurate depiction of what it’s like coming back from work.

Twilight is dressed differently, so I don’t know if that happens the same day or a day or so after, but then the mailman comes and makes a mistake that someone who works with children very quickly learns to avoid; mentioning mom or dad.

Seriously, every year with every new batch of students I get I try to use even the general word “parents” as little as possible because, you know, some kids have one parent, some have none. So while I know this was used in a light manner – to point out that the family doesn’t have a mother (yet) and to also use the same line as a final punchline for the episode – the guy’s awkward reaction is also pretty accurate because, yeah, when you talk to a child you don’t know, using the words “mom and dad” can be tricky.

Something I noticed is that Twilight has a cup of coffee on the table, but only in the manga. He apparently had the energy to make one but collapsed as soon as his butt found the couch. Too tired to even realize Anya is trying to slap him awake with the letter.

And then we get this.

OH MY GOD.

There's just so much pouring from this panel. There's love and there's care and there's honesty. It's not tacky or cheesy. There isn't a hint of sarcasm or even haha soft dad funny kind of thing. It's fully embracing that this is what it is, and it's made with SO MUCH LOVE. MY GOD.

If the entire chapter/episode didn’t hook you into this story, this moment will. And should. I mean, if you’re here and read all through these posts, I guess it did.

Anyway. Adorable, cute, wanna cry my eyes out, 10/10. You just know we deserve to see a version of this where Twilight actually accepts his feelings and hugs her back in honesty.

But then, the music fades out in the anime and Twilight’s emotional constipation kicks in.

I notice quite a difference here between the manga mood and the anime mood. In the manga, it cuts immediately from the snuggles to Twilight jerking away, throwing Anya off the couch, and going all “huff huff” in an exaggerated manner. I’m picking up comedic vibes here. Especially with Anya’s face and the way she just falls off the couch.

In the anime, the music has just cut off, throwing us into a more serious mood. We see Twilight snap his eyes open and realize what happened, before he gets up. The slow reaction and the focus on all the inbetween movements – him waking up, dragging himself up and yelling – and also the tone of his voice as he does that – allow us to focus a little more on his panic, on his feelings in general… and those are not happy feelings. Also, Anya doesn’t fall from the couch, she barely even reacts to his outburst, so we’re driven to focus even more on his reaction.

Finally, the expressions themselves – in the manga they’re a little more exaggerated, in the anime they look more realistic.

I appreciate both ways, to be honest. The manga keeps the light-heartedness because it is, at its core, a comedy, and is saying “Hey chill, there still are laughs to be had” after the quite emotional third act. The anime allows a little more seriousness that I think is fitting for this moment, where Twilight doesn’t allow himself a single moment of vulnerability even in front of a tiny child he chose to take with him for her sake. Like… it’s sad. And how he berates himself over it, like I understand his training and his job require him to be alert at any given moment, but… it’s sad.

I’m not complaining, I’m thirsty for angst and oh boy does this story deliver. I like it a lot.

Twilight opens the letter to realize that for the next phase of the admission process, they’ll need your average nuclear family. Because schools like Eden shall not accept children with a single parent, no matter the reason why the second parent isn’t in the picture. Widowed? Find a second spouse, pronto! How dare you raise the child without the only two gender figures that exist! Divorced? Shame on you! How dare you take one parent figure away from your child! Re-marry immediately! Had a child out of wedlock? ... They’d probably stone you to death.

So, yeah. That simple fact, that they ask for both parents with absolutely no exceptions… is a little sketchy. (Guess they’re trying to avoid the awkwardness of telling a child “What does your mother do for a living” and getting a response of “I have no mother”) On a serious note, it really speaks for a snooty, conservative, and honestly, exclusive attitude. And from my perspective, as I’ve been working in education… it feels like the worst kind of environment to raise a child in. As we’ll see later, the most important criterion for admittance to Eden is the image a family presents, not what lies beneath. A child can have both parents but they can be cold and distant and outright cruel to the child, and Eden will accept them because they’re high-class and the epitome of a nuclear family.

And… that is not what education is about. How the school's image is "impacted" by the family statuses of its students should be the absolute least thing an educator should care for.

But let’s leave that for the respective episode.

For now, that’s it! We reached the end of the episode! 🥳🥳

If you're new to my blog and you couldn't tell already, I really love this story, and it has so many juicy details for me to sit down and talk about. After all this time of loving it I may be biased, but I genuinely believe this is an absolute masterpiece of an introductory chapter/episode. It sets up pretty much everything you need to know about the story:

- The main plot - Two of the main characters and their motivations - The political climate - The aesthetic - The mood, which can get from the wackiest humor to the deepest tragedy - The topics it will tackle, like cold war, active war, espionage, violence, murder.

And even manages to have a whole separate subplot, with setup, action and resolution, which also helps develop the characters and their relationship.

IT’S REALLY GOOD. I LOVE IT SO MUCH.

It basically prepares you for the whole story. It’s like, you read this chapter/watch this episode (and preferably the next one as well) and you have all the information you need, to know if you’ll like this story or not.

It’s… so good. Mwah.

(no manga spoilers please)

[emeraldskulblaka]

Thank you all for your thoughtful responses, I really enjoyed reading through all of them! Please forgive me for not replying to you individually 🫣 The consensus seems to be that it always depends on the character, what kind of statement the director wants to make and how the creatives justify their choices and implement changes, if applicable. Gender *matters*, and creatives should be intentional about it.

The reason for this post was, in fact, Jesus Christ Superstar at Hollywood Bowl, and I agree with @elphabicone and @osvaldvanstein in that Cynthia Erivo as Jesus keeping he/him pronouns worked exceedingly well! I'd been so curious as to how they'd go about it, and this seemed to be a very good decision overall. @osvaldvanstein also mentioned Operation Mincemeat, which, unlike JCS, doesn't break with traditional casting within the show's history, but has instituted cross-gender casting for particular roles compared to the historical persons they're based on. Both examples, I think, do highlight the gender dynamics quite a lot "despite" the lack of textual changes.

If you do change the text (pronouns), you often tell a completely different story. The Company revival also mentioned by @osvaldvanstein has a completely different angle than the original version: an unmarried man at 35 faces different challenges than an unmarried woman at 35. The boyfriends in the revival had a different flavour than the girlfriends in the original; and adding a gay relationship by way of Amy > Jamie certainly affected the plot as well. Company revival my beloved.

Less of a statement with regard to gender are probably the Finnish LotR play mentioned by @fitzrove, which had Sam and Pippin played by women without adjusting the pronouns, the LotR Musical mentioned by @mischieffoal, which had/has Pippin played by a woman, but *did* adjust the pronouns, and the London Newsies mentioned by @theriverpointace; to me, they read more as an attempt to get more women into male-dominated shows. @theriverpointace brought up suspension of disbelief here; naturally, you're changing something, but the overall influence on the audience's perception of the story is not really significant.

The general trend seems to be casting different genders in male roles, probably because there are quite a lot of those in theatre 😅 @cataglyphisnodus would like to see more male actors in traditionally female roles, which is extremely rare, yes! Certainly interesting as well; I suppose Operation Mincemeat's Hester is an example of that, and I saw a production of Hamlet last year in which all roles except for Hamlet were played by men (no pronouns changes). However, this didn't work out very well, unfortunately, because the actor playing Ophelia was visibly uncomfortable, and the director's vision didn't really work for me because it was impossible to tell what that vision actually was :/ I really hope there will be more positive examples in the future.

Finally, I'd like to draw your attention to @mischieffoal's X and @mornyavie's X reblogs, both with excellent examples!

I've been thinking a lot about non-traditional casting in theatre with regard to gender lately. For example, if somebody who isn't a man is cast as a male character, there are two options for pronouns: keep the original he/him pronouns, or change them to suit the performer, therefore (likely) changing the character's gender identity.

I'm not sure which option I like better; I can see benefits and downsides to both, non-traditional casting is an interesting tool for sure. Does anyone have any strong opinions on or feelings about the subject?

[mamawasatesttube]

every time im forced to remember that t*mberkon exists an angel loses its wings. violently

[aroaceleovaldez]

full on feel like pjo tv s2 is not gonna hold up so they need to drag as much attention to the series as they can by using nico as a sock puppet w tsats2

im fully expecting the show to go the way of the movies. it doesnt help Sea of Monsters is almost unanimously the least favorite book of the first series. People frequently forget it even exists or what happens in it, especially more casual fans.

Heck, just look at how little fanfare the second season has gotten so far as compared to the build up to s1. I wouldn't be surprised if s2 totally flops. It would be a little funny.

[moeblob]

OC again gomen ... (her name is Yuma)

[empty-blog-for-lurking]

I was thinking about what Veronica and Shiro's relationship would be like in post s8 au and come to a decision it is Shiro thinking that Veronica is much more rule-following, responsible, strict, and dutiful person especially compared to Lance only for Veronica ending up doing whatever she wants.

[hanzajesthanza]

pro tip: give into working on that fic you wanted to work on again, because nearly as soon as you start outlining it, you will run into such plot conundrums that you can't solve, that you will want to drop it just as quick as you picked it up, and will go back to being productive and doing actual work

[gods-favorite-autistic]

Good evening if you are spoiling the Percy Jackson series for people who haven’t read the books on purpose you’re an asshole

[melorasmushrooms]

Thinking about how the Bad Kids and the Rat Grinders are the perfect example of book learning vs real world application. Sure the Bad Kids haven’t been “following the rules”, but they’ve been out there putting their skills to good use in a practical setting. By only working on gaining XP, the Rat Grinders haven’t actually prepared themselves for real world scenarios and I wouldn’t be surprised if that came up later in the season.

[tf-warbound]

I am peak interested, have you started writing things about your continuity yet? Like a masterlist? If so I have some questions to ask:

How is the main cast going to look like?

What about the relationships of each characters?

So far the main cast consists of:

The Autobots, with Optimus, Prowl, Jazz, Ratchet, First Aid and the Protectobots, Red Alert, Ironhide, Wheeljack, Bumblebee, Cliffjumper, Arcee, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Smokescreen, Bulkhead, Hot Rod, the Dinobots, Jetfire, Perceptor, Blaster, and Ultra Magnus

and the Decepticons, with Megatron, Starscream, Soundwave and his cassettes, Shockwave, Knockout, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Thrust, Dirge, Ramjet, the Rainmakers, the Constructicons, the Combaticons, the Stunticons, and the Vehicons.

There are a few neutral mechs, made up of former Decepticons. The insecticons, Predaking, Darksteel, Skylynx, Ripclaw, and the HWD + Lightwave are all considered neutral/unaligned

Gonna put the relationship talk under the cut bc there is a lot going on with these guys :]

MegOp is canon. They once cared about each other, but not as much while the war is going on. Optimus is sad, and doesn’t have a whole lot of hope that he’ll ever see the mech that he knew again, and has been focusing on his adoptive sons, Bumblebee and Cliffjumper to try and take his mind off of the relationship he and Megatron once had. Megatron is consumed by rage and paranoia. He’s not in a very good headspace, and has been prolonging the war just to try and be petty and prove to Optimus that he’s the better mech. Meg’s arc is majorly tied to getting him to retire.

Soundwave and Starscream’s relationship with Megatron is complex to say the least. Starscream does not like Megatron. He does not think Megatron is fit to lead at all, and that he’s a bloodthirsty maniac who deserves to be put down. Soundwave, on the other hand, is a hypocrite. He’s loyal to Megatron. He wouldn’t be a very good Amica otherwise. He defends Megatron’s actions with tooth and nail, always excusing them with “it’s for the cause” while calling out Autobots on shitty things they did. Starscream thinks that Soundwave is a suck up.

Soundwave and Shockwave are conjunxes, but their relationship has become a bit strained. Shockwave is not the biggest fan of Megatron, and sees that, logically, there should be someone else in charge of the Decepticons. Maybe not Starscream, but anyone other than Megatron who isn’t outright stupid would be better. The cassettes (and Lightwave) are their delinquent kids.

Starscream and Skyfire were lovers once. Not fully conjunxes, but they almost were. Their relationship started falling apart as the war went on, with Skyfire really not enjoying being part of the ‘cons. Sadly, the Decepticons landing on Earth was Sky’s breaking point. He didn’t want to participate in the destruction of Earth, so he left the ‘cons and became an Autobot. He misses Starscream a lot, and has yet to encounter the seeker on any patrols or missions.

Thundercracker and Skywarp are just trying to be good brothers to Starscream while he processes the divorce.

Knockout and Breakdown are absolutely conjunxes no one can tell me otherwise.

I view the relationship between the Constructicons and the Combaticons differently. The Constructicons are siblings. They treat each other like annoying younger siblings even though they’re all the same age. The Combaticons, however, are like a group of besties. They didn’t really know each other that well before the war, but once the war started and they were put into the Gestalt program together, they hit it off. Blast Off is absolutely trying (and failing) to court Onslaught, while Vortex has some freaky shit going on with First Aid.

Bumblebee, Arcee, and Hot Rod are besties and no one can change my mind

Prowl and Jazz are two smart mechs who become absolute dumbasses around each other. Add Smokescreen into the mix as Prowl’s little brother and you’ve got absolute chaos. Things are on fire and Ratchet and Ironhide are having an aneurism over how crazy they are when working together.

Edit: Astrotrain and Blitzwing are part of the main Decepticon cast too