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brettyimages · 2 years ago

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It’s been 4 weeks since I last caught up with a Record Review Post so icymi, rating everything in my and my family’s record collection lets go

#167 - Paramore mix CD, 6/10 This is everything that was in my iTunes that I didn’t have already aka All We Know Is Falling plus b-sides and covers and stuff. Nothing on it is *bad* but it’s all sort of average and not indicative of how I feel about Paramore overall at all! Highlights: You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man) is a perfect cover

The 1975 - The 1975, 9/10 I got into this band just as the second album was coming out so for a couple of weeks I was just lying in my room listening to this all the time and I still love her.�� Highlights: MENSWEAR my beloved my angel, you cast a spell on me every time and I will adore you forever and ever. Honorable mentions to Sex (the only 1975 song I liked for the first 3 years) and Pressure, the 90s boyband song but somehow Matty

The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead, 9/10 The first album I ever bought on vinyl and it’s a little scratchy in places but that adds to the magic. Highlights: I Know It’s Over breaks my heart. Honorable mentions to the last 3 songs even though two of them are ~funny songs~ and not Serious Music, still love them

#188 - mix CD, 7/10 It’s all 80s music that I rescued from my last laptop in its dying days and there are some classics on here but mostly good with a few great moments and only one that’s perfect. Highlights: I Just Wanted To See You So Bad by Lucinda Williams. I think about this song ALL THE TIME.

AFI - Decemberunderground, 9/10 This was a formative album for me, it came out when I was 13 and AFI really did a lot to inform what kind of adult I became. I listen to it every winter and as I get older I see more of their 80s/90s alt influences and not just the screamo that I appreciated as a teenager. Highlights: 37mm is one of my favourite songs of all time, it’s so dark and sexy and delicious, like “press me to your lips and I’ll suck the poison out and put it in me”???? Inject this into my veins. Honorable mentions to The Interview, Love Like Winter, The Killing Lights and their cover of Head Like A Hole, which should be on Spotify.

High Voltage - A Brief History Of Rock (free with Kerrang! Magazine in 2006), 3/10 I got rid of a lot of my rock mag CDs but held on to a few that I thought were good. It turns out this covers album wasn’t as good as I remembered and there’s now a space in my CD tower. Highlights: Fall Out Boy’s cover of Start Today is what I kept this for, it’s the one great song out of the 15 and I love the way Patrick sings it. I also like NOFX’s cover of Straight Edge even if they do it in a jokey lounge Louis Armstrong style. Lowlights: the rest is average-to-bad but the nadir is Arch Enemy’s Symphony Of Destruction, I find their style unlistenable. I also hated Biffy Clyro covering Buddy Holly by Weezer; this was just before they went commercial so it’s 5 minutes of weirdo math rock shit.

#35 - mix CD, 6/10 All the artists start with A and I reckon this is from about 2008 and I intended to work my way through my entire iTunes library backing stuff up but I only got to C. It’s a real mixed bag of great and terrible. Highlights: AFI’s cover of Just Like Heaven is perfection, my introduction to The Cure and it makes me so emotional. Do Me A Favour by Arctic Monkeys is also on here and also a perfect record. Lowlights: there are a few. Atreyu are on here and so is a dreadful pop-punk cover of Miley Cyrus’ The Climb by a band I’ve never heard of. Both of those are bad but worse still is Attack Attack! - it turns out I am so over that clean vocals/screamed vocals genre. The absolute worst, though, is Kleiner Hai by Almuel, which is a fucking dance record made from that viral video from 15 years ago of the woman singing the (German???) song that morphed into Baby Shark a decade later. Truly the bottom of the pile.

Arctic Monkeys - AM, 9/10 My fave of their albums probably, all killer no filler. Definitely my favourite era aesthetically anyway, the Alex Turner look still has me twirling my hair and kicking my legs. Highlights: No. 1 Party Anthem is maybe my fave AM song, at least top 5. Also perfect are Do I Wanna Know?, R U Mine?, Arabella and I Wanna Be Yours.

#118 - mix CD, 7/10 I drew a venus symbol with an anarchy A inside the circle, which is probably some kind of TERF image now but this mix has some punk and some girl pop on there so that’s what I was going for. Again it’s a real mix of whatever I had downloaded but not backed up yet and just shoved into a CD without much thought. Highlights: Ring Ring by The Skints - I love this song, I want to call it reggae but it’s not quite, it’s in that kind of arena but I don’t know the exact subgenre. Anyway the lyrics are kinda sad but it sounds like summer. Sat In Your Lap by Kate Bush - no explanation needed. You Don’t Own Me by Lesley Gore - I used to be properly obsessed with this song but now it’s been in ad campaigns and has become ubiquitous it’s fallen off my “favourite song ever” list. It’s still incredible though. Lowlights: Real Girls by Chantal Claret - the whole ‘real women had curves’ thing makes me uncomfortable. Cups by Anna Kendrick - I liked Pitch Perfect but this isn’t really a song, is it.

Suede - Coming Up, 10/10 The level of perfection in this album, thank you Richard and Neil! It’s slightly less perfect than DMS maybe but it’s still a 10. Tied to some wonderful memories of seeing them play it in full 6 times last Autumn <3 Highlights: Lazy is potentially my favourite Suede single and is instant serotonin. I think that over half of this album is absolute perfection though so really most of it is a highlight.

McFly - Obviously and Room On The 3rd Floor CD singles, 6/10 I invested in McFly for their whole first album era and then dropped them immediately for the harder stuff (went to high school and started buying Kerrang!) so I have all of the CD singles from the first album. They’re not really worth keeping as the b-sides are just okay. Highlights: Obviously is the best song of the set which is why it was the second single, I guess. Lowlights: They put an Interview on one of the singles which I always find a bit cringe, unless it’s built into music like FGTH did, but there is a cute moment where they call a fan who sent in her number. Their cover of Deck The Halls is throwaway and the live version of Room On The 3rd Floor is patchy.

Timespace - The Best Of Stevie Nicks, 4/10 I rescued this from the discount bin at the charity shop I worked at because I thought I liked Stevie Nicks, but it turns out her solo material is not for me and I’m going to re-donate. Highlights: Edge Of Seventeen is on here, enough said. Lowlights: most of the album is in the ‘fine, but I don’t need to hear it again’ category but there was one ballad called Beauty & The Beast that was worse than the rest.

#10 - mix CD, 8/10 I think this is from 2006 and the surprisingly high rating is largely due to the fact that every second song on here is by AFI. It’s got half of Decemberunderground plus whatever older stuff immediately grabbed me as I was first getting into them. The rest is mostly emo for teenage girls, which is what I was. Highlights: 37mm by AFI, which I already mentioned in my Decemberunderground review, same with Head Like A Hole. Outside of AFI, The Middle by Jimmy Eat World is on here and so is Ruby Soho by Rancid - two Scuzz TV classics. Lowlights: the opening track is Technicolor Eyes by Backseat Goodbye, who was an acoustic emo boy singer off MySpace who I backed. I used to say this was my all time fave song because it was a) obscure and b) full of references to hip stuff like Bright Eyes and Eternal Sunshine. The original version of Sorry You’re Not A Winner by Enter Shikari is here too, and even though I associate it with great memories of teenage nights out (doing the clapping at the start, obv), I don’t need to hear it again.

Lady Gaga - The Fame Monster EP, 6/10 I was a Gaga hater in this era and picked up this album in the charity shop discount bin again. I don’t dislike any of the songs on this EP but I don’t think any of it is exceptional. Highlights: Bad Romance and Telephone are both outstanding pop songs, but you knew that.

Young Guns - Ones And Zeros, 5/10 I listened to the first Young Guns album a lot, and the second one a bit, but by the time this one came around I was just supporting them because they were one of the bands in my orbit. I liked the pre-release singles but I don’t think I ever sat down and listened to this album so even though I have a signed pre-ordered copy, I’m not keeping it. Highlights: the singles - Rising Up, I Want Out, Daylight and Speaking In Tongues - are all catchy, and I like the understated ballad, Die On Time, too. Lowlights: as I have the deluxe edition, it includes demos and a remix of I Want Out, which is horrible. The album came out in the dubstep years so you can imagine how dated it sounds already.

#131 - mix CD, 9/10 This is my dance music mix and it is full of bangers, not a bad song on here. It’s a mix of modern (for the time, 2015ish) and classic. I love! tacky! eurodance! Highlights: so many. Into The Groove by Madonna. Stay The Night by Zedd and Hayley Williams. Mr Vain by Culture Beat. Informer by Snow. Show Me Love by Robin S. I’m A Slave 4 U by Britney Spears. 212 by Azaelia Banks. Amazing. Lowlights: all good but a few aren’t classics and they’re the newer ones - Pound The Alarm by Nicki Minaj. Starstrukk by 3Oh!3 and Katy Perry. The LA Riots Remix of 17 Crimes by AFI. The fact that these are the worst songs on here says a lot for the overall quality.

Set It Off - Cinematics, 4/10 I saw this band supporting Tonight Alive sometime in the mid-10s and was so impressed that I bought the album off one of the band when they were walking around the crowd with a box of them after their set. It’s post-MCR theatrical emo-pop and my love of it was very short-lived, not a keeper. There’s nothing on here that I’d care to hear again. Lowlights: Freak Show has a repeated lyric that goes “I’m a circus freak” or something, which is very teenage. The worst, like with Young Guns, is the dubstep remix of I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead that they’ve tacked onto the end of this deluxe edition.

80s - mixtape, 10/10 I made this mixtape in about 2017 when I was getting heavily into the Trainspotting soundtracks and Depeche Mode. It’s all recorded from 7″s from my dad’s collection. Highlights: Relax and Two Tribes by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. Sheila Take A Bow by The Smiths. Only You by Yazoo. Are ‘Friends’ Electric? by Tubeway Army. The whole thing is great but all of these are contenders for my favourite song of all time.

Suede - Suede, 10/10 Another perfect showing from Suede. This is the first album of theirs that I got into, in fact when I went to see them for the first time this was really all that I knew beyond the hits and I was obsessed with it. I’ve come a long way since then and sometimes I think I don’t love this album but then I listen to it again and I absolutely do. Highlights: Sleeping Pills - any song where Brett sings ‘angel’ was always going to make me weak at the knees, and his moan before the second chorus is exquisite. Metal Mickey - one of my favourite parts of any Suede gig is that drone followed by the opening riff and everyone going fucking mental. Animal Nitrate is my most-played Suede song ever, but I think I actually love Metal Mickey more.

#rachel's record review #once again you're welcome to agree or fight me in the comments

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zealousnightsublime · 2 years ago

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How the COVID 19 Vaccine Reduces Immune Response Before Vaccination

How the COVID 19 Vaccine Reduces Immune Response Before Vaccination.Getting vaccinated against COVID 19 protects you and people around you who may be more vulnerable to severe illness. It can also help limit the spread of the virus. The strength of immunity you build depends on a variety of factors, including the type of infection you have and how long it lasts. WHO is investigating these and other factors to better understand how protection against COVID 19 can be built. Vaccine immunity Vaccines contain antigens that trigger your body's immune system to make antibodies to fight disease in the future. Those antibodies can last for years, or even decades. They also stimulate your body to produce memory B cells, which remember the pathogen and attack it when you're exposed again. Booster doses of vaccine can be given in childhood to ensure that immunity lasts through adult life. This is essential for achieving herd immunity, a situation in which a large group of people becomes immune to the same disease. Immunity is a complex process that involves both short-lived antibodies and long-lived CD8+ memory T cells, as well as a range of other immune cell types, including killer T cells and B cells. Some vaccines require several doses to generate a long-lasting antibody response, while others induce very high levels of immunity in a single dose. Many vaccines are made from weakened or killed versions of a disease-causing germ, so they can't infect you when you get them. That's why they're safe to give to infants or people with weak or failing immune systems, like cancer patients. The mRNA COVID 19 vaccines are better at revving up killer T cells to fight future infection by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, than natural infection by SARS-CoV-2, Stanford Medicine investigators have found. But they've also found that prior SARS-CoV-2 infection reduces your killer T cell response to vaccination. And they've also found that the antibodies in convalescent plasma (the liquid part of your blood) from people who've had COVID-19 don't help improve your survival or lessen your need for a ventilator. These findings raise questions about whether it's safe to vaccinate people who have had COVID-19 and want to get a vaccine for it, or who don't have enough immunity from other vaccines to protect them. It's important to understand the differences between natural immunity and vaccine-induced protection so you can decide if it's right for you. The most important factor is whether you're healthy and can withstand the side effects of a vaccine. That's why it's best to choose a vaccine with the most proven protection. Natural immunity When you get sick, your immune system responds to the germs that caused it by creating a variety of cells, such as white blood cells and T-cells. These cells recognize the virus in your body, identify it and destroy infected cells. They also help prevent future infections by sending special proteins called antibodies to your bloodstream. However, some people may not develop natural immunity if they don't get vaccinated. This is because their immune systems are weakened or damaged by diseases like cancer or other medical conditions. Immunity from natural infection is short lived, and it usually disappears within about 90 days. This is because the antibody levels that were triggered by natural infection decline as time passes, making you more susceptible to getting COVID 19 again. The good news is that natural immunity can be boosted by vaccination, and the vaccines for COVID 19 can create much stronger and longer lasting protection than natural infection. So even if you've had the disease before, getting a COVID 19 vaccination can protect you from severe illness and death. Vaccines can also be used to help achieve herd immunity, a term that means a community is protected from contagious diseases when most people are vaccinated against it. This helps prevent outbreaks of disease, which can be devastating for the health care system and the community. Herd immunity is a key goal of immunization, especially in vulnerable groups. Often, herd immunity occurs when enough people have been vaccinated against a particular disease to develop protective antibodies against it. This helps keep people who can't be vaccinated, such as newborns, safe from the disease and reduces the overall number of people with the disease. But herd immunity is not easy to achieve, especially when a group of people has an unequal amount of access to the vaccines. This can happen if communities in one country have high vaccination rates and surrounding areas don't. Another reason herd immunity is difficult to achieve is that many countries have different distributions of the COVID 19 vaccine. If a certain country or region has high vaccination rates and other countries don't, the COVID 19 virus can spread easily between people in those communities. Hybrid immunity Hybrid immunity is the immune system's ability to generate antibodies and other protective factors against multiple variants of a disease. It's more effective and durable than vaccine-induced immunity alone, which depends on many factors, including the timing of vaccination and a person's sensitivity to a particular virus. In a recent study, researchers used blood samples from people who were previously infected with COVID 19 and those who received the COVID 19 vaccine to compare how they responded to three different live variants of the virus. They found that those with hybrid immunity generated a stronger immune response against the Omicron variant of COVID 19 than those who had a prior infection but didn't receive a vaccine. This is a good thing, because it means they're more likely to survive and not get sick again. However, it also means they need to be vaccinated with another dose of the COVID 19 vaccine. But, before that happens, their immunity is likely to be weakened. That's the result of things like viral evolution and changes in how a disease interacts with the immune system, according to OHSU. When the Omicron COVID 19 variant evades the immune system, it causes increased transmission and breakthrough infections. These are the kind of infections that can make COVID 19 so dangerous and can put communities at risk for long-term consequences, such as death or disability. To better understand the role of immune system amplification in boosting resilience, the researchers looked at a group of 104 OHSU employees who had been vaccinated with a COVID 19 vaccine but were also infected with the virus. The researchers divided them into two groups: ones that had hybrid immunity, which boosted their killer T cells, and those that didn't. The vaccinated participants in the hybrid immunity group were much more likely to have a high-functioning antibody response against the Omicron COVID 19 variant than were those in the vaccine-only group, and they had better protection against hospitalisation or severe illness at 12 months. But, as Dr Niklas Bobrovitz, one of the study's authors told ABC News, the study also shows that "it's really important to be vaccinated because you can't always predict how strong your immunity is and what kind of immune response you have when you have the disease." Vaccine response The immune system is a complex system that reacts to different threats in a variety of ways. Its main function is to fight off viruses and other pathogens that could harm our bodies. This response includes a mix of both natural immunity and vaccines. Vaccines use the body’s own cells to trigger an immune response. They do this by exposing the person to weakened or inactive parts of an antigen (a protein that causes disease) so that their own immune cells can respond appropriately. Immunity from vaccination also depends on the type of vaccine and how well it stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies against the virus. Some vaccines induce antibody responses that last for years, while others cause less-permanent protection. Some people who get a COVID 19 vaccine develop high levels of protective antibodies against the disease, while others may not. This is especially true for people who are older or have a condition that makes them more vulnerable to the infection, such as cancer or immunosuppression medications. Researchers found that the COVID 19 vaccine may reduce the number of immune cells called CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells in the blood. Those cells are important for fighting off the virus and killing any other infected cell that comes into contact with them. This is what’s known as a reduction in immunity response before vaccination, and it’s referred to as “original antigenic sin.” It has been linked to other diseases as well, such as dengue52. Similarly, researchers have shown that SARS-CoV-2 infection can reduce the number of killer T cells in the blood. In a study, SARS-CoV-2-specific killer T cells in the blood of people who had Covid were less than one-seventh as prevalent three weeks after they received two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID 19 mRNA vaccine than they were in blood samples from never-infected patients receiving two doses of the same vaccine. Despite the evidence for reduced immunity after vaccination, it’s still important to keep getting the vaccine and to boost your protection by regularly getting additional primary shots and boosters. This will help protect you from this virus in the future, regardless of your health status or whether you’ve been vaccinated previously. Read the full article

#health #lifestyle

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hresvelged · 10 months ago

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These are not the foes she seeks, but they are confronted all the same. Confidence swells in her soul, moving in front of Veyle despite the missed attack. Why must she use Aymr on these opponents? She will not. Does not. While they do not appear to be a part of the church, they stand in her way all the same. Thus, she calls forth the smaller axe at her disposal. Edelgard grips her newfound weapon tightly, surging swiftly in place of where her allies had once attacked. She offers a small smile towards Veyle before she makes her move. The princess spins her axe in the air, forcing her way through.

Edelgard 10/10HP hits ??? A with Short Axe (13/20 → 12/20 ) [ Roll: 10 + 4 = 14 ; -2.5HP, ??? A 2.5/10HP ] ??? A hits Edelgard 10/10HP with Killer Axe [ Roll: 7 + 3 = 10 ; -0HP, Edelgard 10/10HP ] Sesshoseki activates! ??? A 0.5/10HP

She swerves her head behind her— Back towards Veyle and Sephiran. A nod ensues, one filled with utter readiness and grace. These faces feel nothing different than the ones she has encountered before. The enemy stumbles back amidst her powerful throw, ready to keel over at any moment. "We have a goal to achieve," she declares to her companions. "I intend on doing exactly that. No doubt do you two feel the same." Perhaps it is her declaring words that draws them near, or maybe it is something else. She does not know nor does she particularly care. The three surround her in but a moment's time, granting her no room. Left, right, back. As swift as the wind's breeze does she feel a tug at her axe, threatening to take it away. Edelgard cares not to play such dances, and thus, she yanks back. She can't remember how long this parry lasts.

??? B tries to steal from Edelgard [ Roll: 18; Success! Short Axe Stolen ]

Amidst her attempt to keep her weaponry, its ally took such opportunities for itself. The blade of an axe not her own adds to her never-ending reminders. Its sudden and lengthy impact jolts her, grip loosening on what she fights to keep. Her eyes narrow, annoyed at the mere thought of someone stealing from her. Perhaps she is down one weapon, but this foe underestimates her all the same. She is shielded, she is prepared— She stands.

??? A 0.5/10HP critically hits Edelgard 10/10HP with Helmsplitter [ Roll: 14 + 4 = 18 ; -7HP + 2 def = -5HP , Edelgard 5/10HP ] Sesshoseki activates! ??? A 0/10HP ??? A has been defeated! ??? C 10/10HP critically hits Edelgard 5/10HP with Killer Axe [ Roll: 17 ; -5HP, Edelgard 0/10HP ] Edelgard has been defeated.

It is ignorant to think they are done with her— That the remaining will turn their sights elsewhere. They raise their weapon at one whom will bear her fangs the day she becomes emperor in a similar vein as the earlier speech prior to her setout. While she lacks the shorter axe, she still has her defenses and the item carved just for her. She set out here for a reason.

She stands, until she doesn't.

This time, it is her rightmost side. Aymr drops and her fingers slip as she falls with a thud. She can't bring herself to stand back up. It is not remorse she feels, but a heavy weight that follows her even in slumber. She has seen this path before and vowed to never allow it. These obstacles are nothing, and yet, they certainly feel like something. They stop her, once and twice. As her eyes close, only one question remains on her mind: Why?

why do i hear boss music — team zayin

#( thread: why do i hear boss music )#toaapollyonouranos2024 #misericordel #thelightofcreation #this got long. ignore that #AOzayin2024

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a-fix-of-muses · 4 years ago

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Currently Listening To: "Over My Head (Cable Car)" by A Day To Remember

#IFTTT #Spotify #Over My Head (Cable Car)#A Day To Remember #Attack of the Killer B-Sides

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wolfinmine · 3 years ago

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Hahaha. R.I.P. 🪦 🧟‍♂️ 🧟‍♀️

#music #adtr #a day to remember #attack of the killer b-sides #Spotify

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writingpracticetime · 3 years ago

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Interactions with other villains

From the notes of Mitchell Newman:

Let me set the scene.

First, the Discreet Entrepreneur’s Network, or the DEN as it is appropriately titled, is a loosely organized guild of sorts for villains to meet and exchange illegal goods and services. It’s members are vicious, super-powered criminals of all stripes--master thieves, serial killers, unethical scientists, the whole spectrum. They’re dangerous, violent, and not at all kind to non-members, or even new members.

Second, we have Constructor. A famous hero and goody two shoes who only ended up in prison for protesting a mass eviction. More to the point, an (admittedly, not self described) pacifist who at the time was famously bad at combat.

The DEN should have torn Constructor to pieces, and this whole problem should have ended there. Instead our goody two shoes swipes dozens of members and eventually breaks the whole network into pieces.

How?

---

You have always been bad at public speaking.

You don’t stammer. But seeing lots of eyes on you makes you freeze and all of the words you planned slip away. It doesn’t help that at least half of the people in this room are murderers, but they would have the same effect if they were third graders.

You wish Sandy was here again. She was always good at coaching you through these things. The only reason you ever made it through interviews or press talks was because of her prep work.

"The pipeline," you try again.

The Organizer quirks an eyebrow at you. For a second he looks to his assistant, a pale woman whose eyes are fixed on, and then he motions at you. "Go on."

"the pipeline they're building," you try again. "Its damaging to the environment. The people don’t want it there. And it’s. Illegal."

The crowd actually bursts into laughter. You’re too used to talking to politicians.

---

Afterwards, Bonfire nods sympathetically at your grimace on your way out.

“There’s a reason I’m not a member,” she tells you.

“Did you hear? Did I…?”

Did I do good? It’s the sort of approval you used to seek from Sandy. You stop yourself, because you already know the answer regardless. Not a single person in that room approached you to join your next operation.

“There’s still the two of us,” Bonfire shrugs. “Best not to work with too many, anyway. That’s how snitches worm their way in.”

“Yes but…”

“Wait!”

A reedy voice calls after you. You don’t recognize the stick figure man who darts after you, eyes darting.

“Wait, okay okay okay okay,” he says, quickly. “Constructor. I’m--Cyberscout. I, your pitch, I mean--”

You wait. You hear a flare of irritation at your shoulder.

“Okay, your pitch sucked,” Cyberscout says. “Didn’t you used to go on TV? Man. N-not to down you or anything, what I mean to say is, just… I can help you with that. Not with your speaking skills, but getting the word out other ways, and doing some information gathering for you. So I’ll sign on. Pay back the favor.”

“Favor?”

“Yeah, uh. You jailbroke me,” he says. “I don’t work for nothing, normally I’d ask for a favor or cash but… since you already did me a solid… just this once.”

You hold out your hand, and like that you make your second ally.

---

Your second venture into the DEN goes better. You practice with Bonfire and Cyber ahead of time, so your voice is stronger. When you enter the latest venue, you nod at the Organizer and the silent pale woman next to him, taking a deep breath and refusing to feel intimidated.

Again, you describe what you’re opposing as wrong. Again, you talk about the people’s wishes. Again, you call it illegal, and again there is snickering, but instead of falling silent your voice booms.

“Are you going to pretend you all don’t care?” you ask, and you hear yourself echo from the back of the hall. “How many of you have been thrown into solitary Akonite cells for store robbery, for having? How many of you got beaten by guards? Now CEOs are lining their pockets with medications they got from experimenting on prisoners just like you have been, and they go completely free. This is illegal, against the public good, all of the things they say about your own actions--and yet the men doing this go free.”

Dead silence.

“If the hypocrisy doesn’t make you furious,” you say. “That’s because you have no fight left in you.”

---

When you leave the conference, you know Bonfire heard because she’s smirking.

“Better?”

“Better,” she agrees. “Still no takers?”

“They’re probably worried about losing face,” Cyberscout says. “I mean, I was. But after a talk like that, just wait. They’ll trickle in.”

And they do. Days after, a greying old woman approaches you. She seems hesitant to meet your eyes or speak at first but when she does his tone is cold, brusque, and to the point.

“You may have heard of me, you may not have,” she says. “But to the point, I know a few things about unethical experiments, how they are run...and how to help the subj--victims. If you are willing to look past my past indiscretions, I can be an asset.”

“I care more about what you’re willing to do now than anything you’ve done in the past,” you tell her.

She holds out her hand stiffly.

“Call me Asag,” she says. “Dr. Asag.”

---

At your third DEN meeting, the Organizer’s lips thin as he sees you. He once again exchanges whispers with his assistant before glowering at you. You brush him off, and stand to explain your next venture.

“One more thing,” you say. “Before anyone here thinks of joining, this is going to be a no-kill operation.”

“What?” booms a hulking figure in the back. “Are you fucking serious?”

“No interrupting,” the Organizer drones, but you speak up.

“Wait,” you say. “Let him talk.”

The man steps forward, and you have an instant flash of recognition. It would be impossible not to recognize him, actually. You don’t think you've met anyone else that big.

“You don’t know shit about what it’s really like out there!” the giant says. “You really expect anyone to go out and not defend themselves?”

“I didn’t say you can’t defend yourselves,” you explain. “I said you can’t kill anyone.”

“You can’t get shit done if you’re not willing to kill,” the man says, darkly.

“Really. And how has that worked for you? Wait--” you make a show of trying to remember him. “Oh wait, I know. It got you in prison. Where I broke you out, without killing anyone.”

There is actually some laughter. In your favor this time. It makes you grin.

“Hobbes, right?” you ask. “It’s possible to fight and neutralize someone without killing them, and it’s usually better that way because then the feds can’t justify using as much force against you.”

“Then I’d like to see you try to neutralize a real super,” Hobbes spits.

“Alright,” you say. “Come at me then, and I’ll show you.”

“Absolutely not!” the Organizer shouts. “There will be no fights during conventions!”’

You don’t even spare him a glance. “Outside, then”

The Organizer hisses at the entire crowd follows you both, eager to see blood. “This isn’t--the rules--”

After a fight that admittedly takes a lot more out of you than your previous efforts neutralizing low ranking heroes, Hobbes grumpily becomes your next ally.

---

More and more come to you. Some asking for monetary compensation, some asking for prison breaks in the future, and some who seem to be as drawn to your ideals as you are, deep down.

With each venture, the Organizer seems less and less happy to have you appear, until one day when you are about to come to another gathering you find yourself barred.

“You’ve broken enough rules,” the Organizer says, darkly. “You aren’t welcome in the DEN anymore.”

“What rules?” you ask.

There are a few, of course. Some minor things here and there, but nothing that got anyone else banned. He tells you, and you are about to object but someone else cuts in first.

“You’ve been cutting into his profits.”

It’s the pale assistant. Her voice is weak and thready, like she can barely speak up.

“What are you talking about?” the Organizer sneers. “I never--”

“He’s been working with some of those corporations you’ve been undercutting with your, um, stuff,” she says, her voice getting higher. “B-both sides. Always got to work both sides, he thinks. Get some villains to help, sell out the others.”

Other people inside are listening, murmuring. The gathering of villains are getting agitated--clearly, this is news to all of them, as well.

“Please,” the assistant says. “I have proof. I’m a--I read minds. I can tell you everything, just get me away safely and I’ll--”

He turns on her and attacks, hands around her throat. You don’t even have to think about it. You slam concrete into the Organizer’s face, and all hell breaks loose. Someone grapples you--and then Hobbes wrings them off you. Bonfire, always drifting at the edge of the event, darts in and jerks the coughing assistant out of the fray. And with that, your last venture at the DEN becomes an all out brawl.

You decide it’s still better than public speaking.

---

MN: So, real talk for a moment. How did you do it? Money? Threats? Brainwashing? I know there were a few mind control types in your group.

#4598: Hm?

MN: How does a hero go to a bunch of violent crooks and end up leading them?

#4598: The only way you can. With their consent.

#my writing #original writing #oops posted on the wrong blog #fixing that reeally quick #constructor

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myvinylplaylist · 3 years ago

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A Day To Remember: Attack Of The Killer B-Sides 7” EP (2010)

Limited Edition White Vinyl

Victory Records

#my vinyl playlist #a day to remember #josh woodard #alex shellnutt #neil westfall #jeremy mckinnon #kevin skaff #tom denney #pop punk #punk rock #victory records #colored vinyl #record cover #vinyl records #album cover #album art

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bokuroskitten · 3 years ago

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𝔅𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔠𝔥

〈 you and kuroo have been together for years. Bokuto is his closest ally, so what happens when theres a breach.

† genre/pairing: 18+ NSFW MINORS DNI Yakuza AU, Bokuto Koutarou x Fem!Reader.

† word count: 4.2k

† warnings: dubcon (corersion / power imbalance), pining, fingering (f!receiving), creampie, unproctected sex, aftercare if you squint, possessive behaviour.

❦ this lovely piece is for @sugawara-sweetheart decadence collab! I’m slipping in right before the due date hehe! Please check out all the other amazing pieces in collab. Also shoutout to @semisgroupie for beta reading this for me! Ily dee ❦ please let me know what you all think!

You can still remember it, the day Kuroo finally asked to be your boyfriend. Standing outside of the gym, still sweaty from practice. He had come all the way to Fukurodani Academy from his college in Tokyo just to make sure he caught you leaving the gym.

He had been so nervous, taking your hand into his and giving you that classic smirk you loved so dearly.

“I know you have a volleyball team to run, but do you think you have time for a boyfriend too?”

You had been together ever since, even when you graduated, even when Kuroo had to drop out to take over for his father, even when you discovered his father ran a large chunk of the Japanese Yakuza’s underground division.

Kuroo had always been careful, he never brought that life home to you. You were his angel, his precious kitten. Whatever hardships, shady dealings, and dangerous activity he had to do was kept away from home. Away from you at any and all costs.

His job and his life with you was kept separate, for your safety mostly. He has enemies on the other side that would do anything to get their hands on the great Kuroo Tetsuro’s little fiancé and that alone was enough for Kuroo to keep you safe, hidden, and protected with the help of his closest allies.

Which consisted of Bokuto Koutarou. You were already well acquainted with the silver owl, considering the two of you had gone to the same high school. Bokuto had gone into the Yakuza around the same time Kuroo did, easily making a name for himself so his father could enjoy the rest of his life without crime attached to his name. Kuroo and Bokuto stayed close, and got even closer when they had to step into this lifestyle.

Allies were important to have, Kuroo and Bokuto knew this and used their long term friendship to their advantage. Bokuto was one of the only people who knew exactly who you were, your true identity and your relationship to Kuroo. He was to look after you if Kuroo had any “business trips” or had to suddenly leave for “meetings.” Kuroo trusted him to keep you safe, and Bokuto promised to do just that.

What Bokuto hadn’t expected was to fall for you.

He had always seen you like a cute underclassman, always trying your hardest to make everyone happy. Never once did he think he’d start to notice the way your hips swayed when you walked, or how plump your lips were when you applied lip gloss.

It had to be your fault. Maybe you were doing this all on purpose. Bokuto knew himself, and he knew he wasn’t the type of person to fall for his best friend's fiance. So that means it had to be you, maybe you were trying to get his attention when you wore those pretty skirts, maybe you were trying to pull him in when you batted your lashes at him.

Bokuto couldn’t take it anymore, not when he started staring at you a little longer than he should, not when he started to get hard in your presence. Especially not when he started to fuck his fist late at night, hips humping wildly into his palm as your name vibrated off his lips.

So he decided to do something about it. The opportunity presented itself when Kuroo called him up, told him he had some last-minute business to attend to and if he could stay the night with you just in case. Of course, Bokuto agreed, reassuring him that you would be completely safe with him.

So that’s how the two of you ended up here, on the couch late into the evening. You were already dozing off, nuzzling your face into a pillow while your legs laid across Bokuto’s lap. Although a movie had been playing, his amber eyes were locked on your legs. He ate up the surface of your skin, eyes lingering until they landed on your crotch which was currently covered in a pair of satin red pajama bottoms.

The ones Kuroo had bought you for your last anniversary.

Bokuto could feel his heart picking up in speed as he smoothed his palm over your leg. Which had been resting on your knee, but he moved it up, rubbing soft circles into your thigh. You stirred a bit, a yawn slipping past your lips.

“Bo, m’sleepy, gunna go to bed.”

He felt his chest tighten, along with the grip he had on your thigh. It made you squirm.

“Don’t go just yet Birdy. Stay up a little longer, yea? We can watch whatever you want.”

“I won’t stay awake.” You rebuttal, attempting to pull your legs away from Bokuto’s lap.

He worked quickly, deciding on tickling your leg. You jolted from the suddenness of the attack, giggles and whines leaving your lips in streams as Bokuto persisted. He worked his way over you, fingers travelling up your sides and continuing the tickling until his hands found your hips.

Your eyes were sparkling with tears when he finally finished the onslaught, chest rising and falling as you tried to catch your breath. That task only seemed more complicated when Bokuto’s large palms pressed your hips further into the couch, his much larger figure looming over you.

In the dimness of the living room, his eyes looked different. Lit up by only the subtle glow of the tv. His pupils were blown out, darting between you and your chest. You suddenly became very aware of his piercing gaze, clearing your throat which made his eyes shoot back up to meet yours.

“Koutarou… is something wrong?”

Bokuto had to hold back a moan at the sweet sound of your pretty little voice. Koutarou. His first name so easily slips off your tongue as if you already belong to him. The scar on the corner of his lip twitched when he grinned down at you.

Before you could ask him again his lips were on yours, smothering any words that threatened to question him again. Your eyes widened, shock and confusion and an odd sense of warmth filling your stomach.

You did the first thing that came to mind, you squirmed, whimpered beneath him.

Wrong. This is all wrong. Bokuto was your senpai, a friend, an ally.

What if Kuroo came home?

“B-Bo--” you managed to squeak out when his lips finally left your own, only to begin pressing wet kisses along your jaw, down your chin. Everything was suddenly a little hazy, and you couldn’t tell whether this sensation was fear or something else.

Something that you had only felt for Kuroo for as long as you could remember.

You snapped back into reality when his lips got dangerously close to your chest, lips threatening to pass the hem of the satin neckline. You yelped, fingers going into Bokuto’s hair and giving a harsh tug.

“B-Bokuto! What are--”

“Birdy--” There was a growl in his tone, one that made your fingertips go numb and your breath caught in your throat.

When he looked back at you he didn’t quite look like himself. This is what you pictured Bokuto looked like on the job. Eyes cold, lips held in a stern line. Not a single speckle of that sparkling gold that his orbs usually held. No traces of a grin that his lips usually graced.

This was Bokuto Koutaruo, a businessman, a potential threat, a possible killer.

“Birdy.” He repeated again, softer this time. He must have felt the way you tensed, the way you sunk further into the couch beneath him. He brought his face close to yours once again and to his displeasure you let out a soft whimper.

“Don’t be scared of me baby, I’d never hurt you…”

“But--”

“But what, pretty, what's the matter, hm? Don’t you want me to show you how much I care about you… don’t you wanna feel special…”

His words were slightly slurred, or so they seemed in your head. His tongue was against your ear, tracing along your earlobe as his warm breath fanned against your skin.

It was a familiar scent, bubblegum. Bokuto’s favourite. It seemed too sweet so close to your nose.

His hands smoothed up your sides, thumbs just inches away from slipping up your tank top and it had goosebumps forming all along your skin.

Wrong.

“We can’t.” You muttered, voice sounding much weaker than you wanted it to when Bokuto pressed another kiss behind your ear.

“Why not?” He was relentless, one knee slowly wedging itself between your thighs despite the way you were squirming.

“Kuroo--”

“Kuroo wants me to take care of you Birdy, and I’m doing just that, aren’t I?” You yelped softly when his teeth suddenly sunk into the flesh of your collarbone. When had he moved down so much? Why hadn’t you noticed his sliver spikes tickling your chin or the way his palms had begun to slide the silky material up your skin.

“I’m taking care of you by makin’ you feel good…”

“But--”

“Kuroo’s gonna be happy…” Bokuto continues, his words suddenly sound distant, your body unbelievably hot as his lips find the tops of your breasts. “His pretty kitty is gonna feel safe and pleased when he gets home…”

Your fingers were no longer lost in Bokuto’s hair, rather they were held loosely above your head, one of his big palms keeping them anchored there as he lifted himself.

You whined, the sudden loss of contact making goosebumps rise along your flesh.

Bokuto had a hard time keeping his grin to himself. Your lips were in a small pout, body squirming, eyes holding a little bit of confusion but most of all.

Desire.

He would get you there. He would hear it.

“I want you Koutaruo .”

“Your heart’s beating really fast.” Bokuto’s voice was low, nothing more than a whisper behind the static of the tv. It made a lump form in your chest.

Your chest tightened the further he pulled away from you. You weren’t exactly sure what you wanted, but you knew you didn’t want him to leave.

“Koutarou.”

There it was.

He leaned back in, his large palm sliding away from your wrists and down your arm instead. All the way down until he cupped your cheek in a large palm. His thumb swiped along your bottom lip.

He had to hold back a groan when your lips opened up just a sliver when your tongue threatened to touch his thumb.

“Let me take care of you, Birdy.”

“Will Kuroo really be okay with it?”

Your voice shook, soft and sweet and oh so innocent. Naive. Adorable.

Bokuto couldn’t wait to have you all to himself. Clearly, Kuroo hadn’t taught you well enough. But Bokuto would, he would teach you to stay away from guys like him.

“Course he will, baby, he always wants what's best for you, isn't that right?”

All you had to do was nod. A gentle, subtle nod. And Bokuto’s lips were back on yours. It was a deep kiss, pressed tightly to your lips and suppressing any chance of denial. Your fingers were back in his hair, but you didn’t tug this time.

Rather you just ran your fingers through silver locks. A bit stiff from the gel, and yet so very soft.

Soft like Kuroo’s.

“Spread your legs, angel.” That dizzy feeling was back when Bokuto’s words vibrated against your lips. Your legs spread open despite your confusion. They were commanded, working on their own.

Working because of the strings Bokuto has somehow placed on them.

“Good girl.” You shivered. That’s what Kuroo always called you.

Was it him speaking to you?

Bokuto was holding back a groan. He should have felt sick to his stomach, looking down at you between his legs with teary eyes and a slightly confused expression. He should have been thinking of Kuroo, his best friend, ally.

But instead, he just felt himself harden, licking along his lower lip and bringing his large palm to cup your sex. You were so warm, even through the fabric of your shorts.

He rubbed it, slow and soft, his eyes widening as he watched you, twitching and whimpering. You were already becoming so pliant, hips rubbing back into his palm. The longer it went on, the warmer you got.

He was so excited to split you open.

“Tell me what you want.” Bokuto looked into your eyes, waited. He knew the words were there on the tip of your tongue.

“C-Can you…” It was so cute, hearing you stutter over yourself despite the way you shamelessly pressed into his hand.

“Can you touch me, Kou...”

Finally he released his groan, loud and guttural. He moved his hands only a moment, just long enough to grip the hem of your shorts. In one swoop they were off your trembling thighs, discarded on the floor.

You were even more beautiful than Bokuto had imagined, one palm covering your flustered face while your thighs glistened in the dim glow of the tv. And there was your cunt, folds slightly swollen and shiny with your desire.

He would have taken a picture if he could have but that could be saved for another time.

“You’re so pretty baby, you’ve got the perfect little cunt.” Bokuto said with one of his signature grins, the ones that used to make your heart flutter back in high school when he would score a point.

His fingers were gentle, rubbing one large strip along your slit. Slowly he split open your lips, holding back the urge to drool. There was your perfect hole, fluttering around nothing.

Basically beckoning him.

“S-Stop staring Kou…” your voice was so whiny, so soft as you looked at him through tear clumped lashes. He hushed you softly, one palm on your cheek so he could have a better view of your face.

He just had to see what you looked like when he finally pressed inside.

“Can’t help it Birdy, you’re just so beautiful…” His thumb pushed past your bottom lip at the same time he pressed two thick fingers into your pussy. Your gasp was adorable, lips quickly latching onto his thumb to hide the whines.

His fingers alone were enough to cause a slight burn, the stretch feeling so much different than the one Kuroo could provide for you. It made you press your hips into his touch, your trembling fingers gripping his wrist with desperation.

Bokuto bit his lip, slowly pumping his fingers in and out. He would push all the way in until he reached his knuckles, allowing the cold surface of his rings to make you yelp every time before pulling out to just his fingertips.

He kept this pace until your hips began to match it, your adorable little body humping along his fingers as you tried your very best to keep yourself quiet.

Bokuto didn’t want that though. He wanted to hear you, needed to hear his name spilling off your lips. So he pulled his thumb from your mouth, gave your bottom lip a little tug as an act of encouragement.

“Feels good baby? Tell me how it feels?”

“F-Feels.” You were still stumbling over yourself. So cute. “Feels good…”

“Yea? I can tell, your pussy is swallowing me up.”

He chuckled when embarrassment flashed over your face, but before you could hide your face from him yet again he pressed the pad of his thumb to your clit. The action had you gasping, back lifting slightly off the mattress.

“That’s it…” Bokuto murmured, gaze locked on your face, how it scrunched up and twisted so pretty as the pleasure took over you. Your cunt squeezed around his fingers, an indication for him to add just one more.

“S’too much~” you tried whimpering at him, but Bokuto brushed it off with a couple of quick kisses to your lips. He had to prep you anyway, his cock was already threatening to rip through his pants.

When your voice heightened in pitch Bokuto picked up his pace. He brought his face close to your pussy, allowing his hot breath to fan over it. That had you grasping the cushions for dear life, a string of pleas leaving your lips.

“Want you to come on my fingers now Birdy. You can do it. It’ll feel so good. Be a good girl and cum.”

Your body reacted for you, lips hung open in a silent scream as his fingertips focused on that spongy spot within you. With a couple more tight circles into your clit you fell apart, walls clenching before gushing around his fingers.

Bokuto’s pupils blew out at the sight, nothing but primal desire flooding his system as he watched your arousal drown out his fingers. It wet his knuckles, coated his rings as he ever so slowly pulled his fingers free. The slick pop had both of you groaning softly, and he couldn’t help but watch as he spread his fingers apart to find strings of your arousal keeping them together.

He had to have a taste and refused to continue the evening without it. So he sucked his fingers into his mouth. His moan was nothing short of obscene, making sure he licked off every ounce of your essence.

You were panting as you watched him, eyes still tear glazed and body tingling as it came down from the high. When he finally noticed you staring he grinned.

But this time it was different. Not the scoring high school Bokuto, or the Bokuto who would flash this grin when he had a little too much to drink

This was different. Darker, carnal. It made a shiver travel all the way up your spine.

And yet you still didn’t say no when he told you to take your tank top off, didn’t say no when he pulled off his own black button up, back muscles rippling in the dim lighting as he pulled you into his lap.

And you definitely couldn’t say no to him when he pulled his cock free, the sheer length and girth making you whine.

He was so much bigger than Kuroo. Thicker, wider, maybe even longer.

“Shh Birdy, hold on tight. It’s only gonna hurt for a few seconds. Then I’m gonna make you feel so very good.” His reassurance puts you at ease. Kuroo had done the same for you, way back when the two of you first slept together.

Would Kuroo really be okay with this--

The gasp that was ripped from your throat made Bokuto that much more excited. Just his tip had pushed past the first ring of muscles and already there were tears in your eyes, nails digging into his shoulders at the stretch he provided.

“K-Kou, can’t, I can��t”

“Shh birdy. Remember I’m gonna make you feel good, promise.” And he really did want to make you feel good but fuck, with the way your pussy already clenched around his tip, threatened to suffocate him as he pressed in inch by inch, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep his cool.

You were already creaming when he finally bottomed out, your legs wobbly when they tightened around him. Bokuto couldn’t tear his gaze from his lap, where he stretched out your sweet cunt. It was already drooling, swollen from just being split open by him.

Absent-mindedly he trailed his fingers over your tummy, fingers cursorily tracing the bulge he was able to form there.

There’s no way Kuroo filled you up this good, Bokuto knew that for certain.

“P-Please.” Your voice snapped Bokuto back to reality, the whine in your tone enough to make his dick twitch inside you. “M-Move Kou, need you.”

He sighed. Of course you needed him.

With his palms firmly grasping your hips he pulled you up his cock, just enough that the tip was still edged inside before he began to fuck you on himself. His arm muscles rippled with each push and pull, his hips thrust upwards every time he pushed you back down in order to help with the momentum.

You were gripping onto him so tightly, leaving red streaks along his shoulder blades. Your moans were sweet, sweet music, filling up the empty space with nothing but babbles and cries of his name.

There was still a part of him that looked at you with disappointment, a part of him that screamed how wrong this was, a part of him that knew if Kuroo walked through the doors right now you’d probably both be dead.

But when you looked at him with a tear streaked face, lips hung in a silent cry, skin rippling due to his relentless thrusts, how could he stop himself?

He was even more thrilled when your nails dug into his skin, along his back and shoulders, even along his forearms and pecks. “That’s it Birdy, you’re doin’ so well, takin’ my cock like this.”

The wet slapping sounds soon filled up the room, along with the moans and whimpers the both of you released. With a grunt, Bokuto had your back against the cushions once more, just so he could thrust within your tight cunt harder, faster.

Anything to feel you coming around him, to feel your walls squeeze him. It was everything he knew it would be, better even.

And he knew, Kuroo couldn’t make you feel this way, no way in hell could he even compare.

You had planned to ask him to pull out. No one had ever come inside you before, except Kuroo of course. It was his way of marking you, the subtle possessiveness always coming through when he would fill you to the brim and then plug you up.

But now, as Bokuto drilled into you, showered you with praises and sweet groans you lost all thought. All you thought of was the sweet sting, the stretch his cock could provide. The way he was able to smack into your sweet spot with every thrust.

So when he grunted out a “gonna cum.” you couldn’t find the words to stop him, rather you just let your eye roll back, let out a sweet cry when one of his calloused thumbs pressed into your clit.

Bokuto’s hips smacked into you once, twice more, before his balls twitched and his load filled you up. Rope after rope of warm cum spilled into you, one last strand being milked from him as you clenched up around him, finishing only seconds after he did.

His arms were around you, holding your trembling form so tightly to his chest. He had to look though, had to see exactly what it looked like when you were filled to the brim. So he pulled up just a little bit, moaned out loud at the sight of his cock, how when he slowly pulled it out it was covered in a layer of milky slick.

“Fuck, you’re so beautiful…” He murmured, fingers scooping up the beads of arousal dripping from your used hole, only to push them back in.

He didn’t want a single drop wasted.

You were finally starting to come down from the high when Bokuto lifted his weight from you, the loss of contact making you shudder. In your right mind you could have covered up, but instead, you stayed sprawled out, lips tilted into a dumb little smile.

“K-Kou…” You murmured to him, making him look down at you as he stretched out, wincing from the marks you left that managed to break skin.

“Kuroo is gonna be so happy, you took great care of me…” Bokuto hummed, his smirk growing. He was so lucky, so lucky you were so sweet and naive.

He scooped you up then, carrying you bridal style up the stairs. As much as he would have loved to leave you there on the couch, a nice mess for Kuroo to come home to, he had to play it safe. He made sure to clean you up properly, tuck you into bed with fresh and clean clothes.

Bokuto couldn’t lose his closest ally just yet. So until then--

“I’ll make sure Tetsu knows. But you baby, I want you to keep it our secret okay? Can you do that for me?”

That sat funny with you, made your stomach tighten, just how it had at the beginning of the evening. You wanted to question him, ask why you couldn’t be a part of the discussion.

But when Bokuto loomed over you once more, one of his much larger palms easing itself over your neck, you were reminded yet again. Reminded of Bokuto and his power, his power over you.

And now over Kuroo.

“It's our secret. Remember that Birdy. Kuroo has always kept you in a cage, away from the world so others couldn’t hurt you, isn’t that right? Well now I’m going to do the same, keep you in a cage of my own, just the two of us…”

❦ @hqintheclub {check out the network}

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writers-worst-nightmare · 3 years ago

Text

Delaying my nightmares:

Pairing(s): L x reader

Glossary:

y/n = your name

y/f/c = your favorite color

y/f/o = your favorite outfit

y/h/c = your hair color

A/N: this is a collab piece for @elektrosonix here you go love ❤️

Summery: L has a rough day at work but you cheer him up with some good old nostalgia

Warning(s): mentions of death, L being out of character, minor cussing

Your eyes screwed tightly before opening as you saw L leave his bed. L’s messy black hair flew all over the place as he grunted and stretched his hands in the air to make himself looser then he already was. You almost immediately perked up and sat up on the bed. “Where are you going?” You asked finally, choosing your words carefully. L looked back and softly smiled at you before he gently patted your y/h/c hair.

“Work, somebody has to catch up on this Kira guy.” The male answered plainly, you rubbed your eyes. Tiredness hung thickly in the air and you desperately needed L’s warm and comforting scent. He smelled like fire just beginning to start and there was always a hint of liquor scent on him even though you knew very well that he hasn’t drank liquor in his life.

“But it’s like three in the morning...” You grumbled sleepily, getting out of bed and wrapping your arms around L’s slim shoulders.

“Yeah, I am running late,” L stared plainly before kissing you on the cheek. You sighed in defeat, turning around and seeing L go off into the distance of your house. You stayed where L had once been. Refusing to believe that he actually left you again.

It wouldn’t be anything out of the normal that he did, it is just that usually he would stop for breakfast. But ever since this Kira guy has been popping up all across Japan L has been spending more time at the office. Hell, Light knew him better then you did at this point. It was for a good purpose. It is going to all play out for us... you thought before getting a text by L.

Grumpy panda😡🐼: what are you doing still standing around the room?

You let out a sigh in defeat before waving at the camera that L had placed in your guy’s rooms

Y/n👸: I was just thinking baby

Grumpy panda😡🐼: ok then…

You decided to get out of the bedroom and get in the shower. As you undressed you began to think about all that has happened with Kira.

Kira was a now well known killer who killed his victims in a strange way. He didn’t need to be near the person to kill them. But the death was usually in a case of heart attack. His victims that he killed where always criminals, his first murder was a mere test to see if whatever power he holds works.

You stepped into the shower and turned on the hot water, waiting patiently for it to warm up before you stepped inside and began to continue your train of thoughts.

Everyone in person called Kira a monster, however, everyone online seemed to agree with the Kira. It was logic, if somebody does something illegal they deserve to get punished. It might seem wrong on the outside, but, we are all secretly glad that somebody did the work that tons of others feared to do. Your thoughts on Kira? Same but different as everyone else’s. If someone does something bad and gets punished by going to jail to something bad happened in their lifetime then it’s not that enough? They don’t deserve death! That’s the main reason that you sided with L, a lot of times you disagreed with your husband. A lot of times you argued with him (or didn’t even have time to argue with him). So Kira brought peace in the marriage of L and you, and you silently thanked Kira for that. Sighing to yourself you slipped out of the shower and grabbed a robe to wrap around your body. The robe was y/f/c colored and very fluffy. Sometimes, you used it as a blanket when all the other blankets that you owned where being dried/washed. Stepping outside the bathroom you gripped a pen tightly in your hand and pulled out Life Note. Life note was something that was passed down from generation upon generation in your family. Life note had a white book cover and spine, there was silver lettering that read “life note”, on the back of the book there where introductions on how the life note worked.

You needed to picture somebody in your head and write down their name, if you do it less then a minute then the person you wrote in the journal would come back to life.

You needed to reverse Kira’s work, he had destroyed what you where working on in a instant and you where pissed to say the least.

“Haruto will come back to life at 7:00 PM”

You wrote out hurriedly, your hand now use to writing fast that your handwriting was almost unreadable to everyone except yourself (and sometimes L). You where about to write another name when Tenshi showed up and stopped your hand.

“You should focus on L more sweetie,” Tenshi suggested. Yoy clenched your jaw tightly and narrowed your eyes before sighing and nodding your head reluctantly. Gently you put down your pen and closed life note. You stored the life note in a secret compartment that on you knew. Not even L knew about this spot. Only you. You and nobody else. That is how it has always been in the family, if someone finds it then it will be snatched from the grasp of the l/n family and into another’s. Somebody who might use it for evil or their own selfish needs and desires.

“Fine…” You mumbled, a slight pout forming on your lips as you got up from the desk and went to the living room. Your living room was to your left and the kitchen was to your right, their was a narrow front door (you owned a bar so you and L decided to live in the basement). Looking around and thinking back to your husband L, the first thought that came to

Your mind was that he didn’t have much of a childhood. He was always separated from everyone at a young age. So, the most logical and childish thing to do was to build a pillow and blanket fort. You smiled widely at the idea, L wouldn’t be able to hold back and he would have to cuddle you! You happily gathered the pillows and blankets and made a tunnel that went around the coffee table and led to the guest room. In there you spread out the pillows wide enough that is almost took up the whole room. You brought into the opening a blow up mattress, twinkle lights, and lots of blankets. You then backed out and quickly changed into y/f/o and began to bake some vanilla cake.

You had been making cakes for L since you could remember. You where the only friend that L was allowed to have because you where equally as smart as him. Unfortunately for your parents you dropped everything and became a bar owner with a side job of professional cosplayer. And from time to time you went with L on meetings if the crew had their eye on annoying L. You popped the cake into the oven and waited for a few moments.

The oven alarm alerted you that the cake was done, you silently thanked the gods and brought the cake out for it to cool down a little. As it cooled down you pulled up some recipes for orange icing and began to make the icing.

Once the icing was finally done the cake was more then ready to be decorated on with icing and other things that bakers may put on it. You coated the cake with light orange icing and lemon yellow sprinkled on it. Happy with the result you brought the cake to the big opening of the fort and then brought some plates, knives, forks, and napkins. Your phone ringed the tone of “Arcade” in violin and you quickly answered. Knowing that you picked the ringtone especially for L.

“Hey L!” You chirped on the phone, grunting as you got up and left the fort. Ready for L to say that he was ready to come home or that he missed you so much.

“Hey y/n.” L answered back, his voice quivered slightly and you could tell that something was up with him.

“What’s wrong?”

“Something happened…”

Your eyes widened as you forgot everything you where planning and grabbed your purse, your breath hitched in your throat and tears started to bubble at the corners of your eyes. But, just as you swung the door open you saw L standing there in front of the door. He looked perfectly fine and he still had the phone to his ear, hanging up the phone and glanced at you and giggled softly.

“Light got mad at me for not taking care of my beautiful significant other so of course I had to prove him wrong and show up…” L smoothed, looking at you and smirking knowingly.

“L!!!” You exclaimed, jumping into the black-haired man’s arms with excitement buzzing through your body. “Come on, I have something to show you!!” You explained, grabbing L’s wrist and dragging him to the entrance of the fort. L cocked his head to the left slightly and stared at you for a few minutes with a confused expression on his face.

“What is that?”

“That is a pillow fort! Since you didn’t have much of a childhood, I thought I would show you them…” You trailed off, now suddenly thinking that the idea you had in your mind was pretty stupid now saying it out loud.

“REALLY?!” L exclaimed, his eyes uncharacteristically beaming with joy. His voice all of a sudden got playful and childish. “How do you get in?” L inquired, bending down and trying to see if there was a gap but enough for him.

“Over here, you open this pillow and it opens into a tunnel! Follow the tunnel and you will get to the main part.” You showed L, opening the pillow door and smiling at him. L went directly in and crawled to get where he was suppose to go. You followed closely behind and heard a happy Yelp from the pale skinned male as he jumped in pure excitement. You followed closely behind and had to push him forward so you could go in as well.

“And you made cake?!” L asked, stars seemed to gleam in his eyes as he saw all the effort you out in. You chuckled slightly and scratched the nape of your neck before giving a coy smile to L.

“Yeah, it’s vanilla cake with orange icing and lemon sprinkles!” You answered sweetly, L still kept on a smile as he climbed on the blow up mattress and grabbed a piece of cake. You silently called it a victory for yourself to see L so happy at your house.

“Can you cuddle me?” L requested in a baby voice that made your heart squeeze. You gave your husband a warm smile and flipped over L so he was laying on your chest. L happily obeyed and even let out another smile as he ate the cake.

“How was work?” You hummed, not really wanting to know the answer but still wanting to hear L’s soothing voice that brought the angels at peace.

“Boring, more and more paperwork. You would think that in my job I wouldn’t complain about being bored but…I guess that’s just how it plays out!” L responded, his tone deepened a little. Like his hopes slowly drained away from him. You rubbed circled on his back to reassure him that everything is fine. L looked up at you and giggled playfully before playing with your hair. You hummed in contentment as he twirled your hair in his fingers. Rain started to patter on the window, making the sound echo through the walls, the silent sound of the bar coming through to the fort.

#Elek’s stargazing #death note #l lawliet #l x you #l x oc #l x y/n #l x reader #l lawiet #l death note #collab #writing inspiration #writing #fanfiction #writeblr #writing stuff

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zealousnightsublime · 2 years ago

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How the COVID 19 Vaccine Reduces Immune Response Before Vaccination

#health #lifestyle

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peachcitt · 4 years ago

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falling, flying

a miraculous ladybug fic

for @softkwami for @mlsecretsanta

Tags: Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Ladrien, Adrinette, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, MLB Wing Au

Summary:

“It’s not supposed to hurt,” she said softly. “Flying, I mean. It’s not supposed to hurt.”

His jaw worked. His mouth settled on a smile. “I know.”

in which marinette and adrien speed toward a foreseeable end on purpose. and also a little bit on accident

read on ao3

enjoy :)

Marinette felt, all things considered, that this situation was not her fault.

Granted, she was the one who threw herself into the fight without coming up with a plan, but how was that supposed to be her fault when this akuma had started making problems exactly seven minutes before her chemistry exam? She’d stayed up nearly all night cram studying (that much, she’ll admit, was her fault), and she’d be damned if she didn’t show up on time to at least get a B minus on it. So she’d barreled into the fight without Chat because she really wanted to get this all over with. She could hardly be blamed for that.

And she certainly couldn’t be blamed for the fact that she was currently speeding toward the hard cement ground right outside a posh business building in the heart of the city at terminal velocity, hands, legs, and wings bound tight.

Sure, there was that comment she’d made to the already very upset akuma about his nose, but, well.

Okay, so maybe this situation was a little bit her fault.

But, like, that was just the nature of being a superhero.

Sometimes, you ended up speeding toward a very foreseeable end, knowing that it’s going to hurt, but not quite knowing how to avoid it. And that’s just life, too.

Not that she was going to let herself become a smear of sidewalk gum. She had her miraculous to protect, after all, and she also had this Daedalus-damn chemistry test that she was going to get a B minus on - no, screw that - a B plus on. There was also the matter of dying at the tender age of seventeen, but that existential dread didn’t touch her as she watched her pissed-off reflection follow her down, down, down on the polished windows of the building she had been thrown off of.

It’s not like she could rely on Chat to get her out of this one. Who knows when he’d show up.

She twisted around in the air, trying to maneuver her bound arms to her hip, where her yo-yo was. If she could grab it, she could summon her lucky charm, and she could stop her fall with the help of a handy-dandy polka-dotted tube of chapstick, or something.

The tips of her fingers brushed against her yo-yo, and her arms ached. Icarus above, the akuma couldn’t have tied her arms in the front of her body? At least then she wouldn’t have to try and bend her left arm at a weird angle to get around her wings.

This, as it turned out, was becoming a dire situation.

She had about ten floors to go before she would eat cement. Her left arm was cramping, and her fingers could only brush up against the feathers of her bound wings instead of anywhere near the yo-yo. She tried to stretch her wings out, test the binds, and only ended up crying out in frustrated pain.

Well. She could always aim for a clumsy rolling landing.

She squeezed her eyes shut, taking a shaking breath through her nose, and braced herself for the inevitable impact. The bitter cold air whipped past her cheeks, and she released the breath she was holding.

This was fine.

She’d had more than a few landings that had left her battered and bruised throughout her lifetime, and this was just another one.

Not that she’d ever fallen off of a thirty story building before, but, like, semantics. She would probably be fine.

Unless she died.

Just as the thought occurred to her, her body connected with something hard, a jolt traveling through her bones, and she sucked in a punishing breath, eyes flying open.

But she hadn’t hit cement, like she first thought. She’d hit-

She’d been caught in someone’s arms.

There was a familiar smell - mint and spice - and she relaxed into familiar arms. “Nice of you to fly by, Cha-”

The person holding her looked down, and her words caught in her throat.

It was Adrien who had caught her.

Not Chat.

Adrien. Adrien Agreste. Adrien with the beautiful wings he never used to fly, Adrien her classmate, Adrien with the green eyes that sparkled in sunshine and glimmered still on cloudy days, Adrien with the kind smiles, Adrien with the nice hands, Adrien with the nice hands that were currently holding her as they soared up into the air. Adrien freaking Agreste.

“Ah,” she said, and she could feel his hand, gentle, cradling her wings, fingertips light and steady on her feathers.

“I thought you might,” he started, his cheeks coloring, “uh, need a hand.”

“Right,” she said rather weakly. They stared at each other for a moment longer, and then he looked away, looking for a suitable place to land. She bit the inside of her cheek, eyes following the strong line of his jaw, up the smooth curve of his cheek, over the sharp bridge of his nose. Her eyes caught on a little crease in between his eyebrows, and she frowned.

Her eyes flicked down to his lips, and she saw they were pinched tightly, as if he was in pain but trying to hide it.

“Are you-” she started, and then stopped, breath catching in her throat. His wings. She was only just now looking at them properly.

“Am I what?” he asked, glancing down at her as they landed gracefully on the next building over from the one she’d been thrown off of. He tucked his wings back in their normal, perfectly straight posture, and his pinched expression relaxed.

But she couldn’t get the image out of her mind. His wings - his golden, regal wings she so admired but had never seen spread - had been littered with spots that had been rubbed raw. Feathers falling, skin red. Raw.

“Your wings,” she said, and she felt his grip tighten on her legs, but he just as quickly relaxed, setting her down with a smile.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” he said, moving around her so that he could untie her hands and wings. “Not really.”

“It looks like it hurts,” she said, shaking out her wings once they were free and bending down to untie her ankles.

“It doesn’t,” he said, and she looked up at him, at his perfect posture that hid his injuries.

She stood, and his gaze followed her. She reached out a hand, shaking fingers just barely brushing along his smooth outer feathers. Her eyes met his, and he took in an unsteady breath. “Doesn’t it?” she asked, and he shrugged half-heartedly, feathers bristling.

“Not usually.”

“Oh, Adrien,” she whispered, pained, and he blinked. And she remembered.

She wasn’t supposed to know him. Sure, she’d saved him a couple times with the mask on, but she wasn’t supposed to whisper his name like she knew him, like she felt for him.

“S-sorry,” she said, stepping away, and she saw, belatedly, that his hand was reaching for her. Her heart ached. “I- you- we.” She stopped, taking a deep breath. “I have to get back to the fight. You should get to safety.”

“Yeah,” he said.

Neither of them moved.

Marinette bit the inside of her cheek. “It’s not supposed to hurt,” she said softly. “Flying, I mean. It’s not supposed to hurt.”

His jaw worked. His mouth settled on a smile. “I know.”

Chat showed up not long after that, and they made quick work of the akuma. Marinette avoided any more comments about his nose, rolled her eyes along to Chat’s dumb jokes, and tried not to think about Adrien.

During her chemistry exam - which she showed up ten minutes late for - she also tried not to think about Adrien. But he was sitting right in front of her, and every time she looked up to think, his wings were right there. Regal, golden. Raw.

How many people had seen his wings spread up close like that? Adrien never flew anywhere - he never had to. Perks of being the son of a famous fashion mogul who owned fancy cars and private jets. In gym, he always ran laps because of a daily doctor’s note - who knows what it said. He always took the stairs instead of flight paths, and his wings were always tucked neatly away, glimmering underneath the crappy public school fluorescents.

She tore her eyes away from Adrien’s wings, staring hard down at her test. Icarus, she’d be lucky if she scraped by with a C. Today sucked.

---

“I’m going to spend the entirety of winter break curled up in a blanket nest,” Alya groaned, flopping down at their picnic table. Marinette scooted to the side to make room, hardly looking up from her lunch. “These tests are killer. I think our teachers are out for blood this year.”

“Speak for yourself,” Nino scoffed. “I have my literature exam on lock.”

“Yeah?” Alya asked, raising her eyebrows. “And what about pre-cal?” Nino made a face. “That’s what I thought,” Alya replied.

Adrien looked away from his friends, eyes focusing on Marinette. She’d been acting strange ever since chemistry - she’d shown up late, no doubt caught up in the akuma attack just like half of their class, including him - but this quiet from her seemed more heavy than the quiet dejection of a student afraid of midterms. She kept on shooting him looks and then looking away, like there was something on his face that made her want to cry.

“How have your exams gone, Marinette?” he asked, and she jumped, not expecting to be spoken to. Her eyes met his, and she quickly looked away, a smile forcing itself onto her lips.

“Oh, you know. Terrible. But that’s fine, I guess.”

“I’m sure you did better than you think,” he assured. “We’re our own worst critics, after all.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” she said, and she squinted her eyes at him, as if trying to mimic a smile reaching up to her eyes, before looking away again.

Well, he was sure she hated him.

Okay, so maybe he was overreacting.

He was definitely - probably - overreacting.

It was just something about Marinette - something about her that always made him think a little too much. He supposed it was a residual rub from the way they had met a couple years ago what with them starting off on the wrong foot, and, yes, he was aware that if he was a healthy person, then he wouldn’t still be overanalyzing their first interaction every time Marinette’s face fell in his presence, but that was beside the point.

He just.

Well. He wanted to be liked by her. And that was natural, to want to be liked by a friend, to want to be liked by someone as amazing as her.

He didn’t want to see her upset. He wanted to see her smile, as much as he was able. She had a wonderful smile, after all.

Marinette’s strange behavior extended through the rest of the week, and on the Friday before break, Adrien mustered up his courage to ask. She normally flew home, so Adrien raced up the stairs to the roof, only just catching her as she was saying goodbye to Alya. Her eyes caught on him, the same color as the bright, cold winter sky, and her eyebrows twisted in something akin to pain.

Alya followed her gaze to him, and her eyebrows raised. She looked back to Marinette, said something that Adrien couldn’t quite hear, squeezed Marinette’s arm, and then lifted off the roof, rust-colored wings causing a wind to rustle through Marinette’s hair. Marinette looked after her for a moment, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, before turning back to Adrien.

“Hey,” he said as he walked closer, and a small smile twitched at her lips - almost as if on instinct.

“Hi,” she replied, tilting her head at him. “You’re flying home?”

“Ah, no, not today,” Adrien said, shaking his head and ignoring the itch of the binds hidden beneath his feathers. “I just, well. Uh.”

This was new. He was normally very good at talking.

Marinette watched him, gaze careful.

“I wanted to ask,” he continued, running a nervous hand through his hair, “if there was anything I’d done. To upset you.”

Marinette blinked. “What?”

“Because,” he said, clasping his hands behind his back to avoid fidgeting, “I’ve noticed that you’re more, um, quiet around me than usual, and I” - he remembered his father normally kept his hands clasped behind his back, cold, professional, and he unclasped his hands, stuffing them in his pockets - “I just wanted to know, I suppose. If it was anything I’d done. So that I could apologize.” The air was cold, and a biting breeze nipped at his cheeks and nose. He swallowed. “I don’t want you to be upset with me.”

“I’m not!” Marinette said, hardly before he finished his last sentence, and he blinked. Her cheeks, red with the cold, became a little redder - no doubt from the new gust of wind that brushed past them both. “I’m not upset or angry with you or anything at all like that, not even a little bit! You haven’t done anything wrong, you’re perfect, I promise, I just-” She stopped, biting on her bottom lip, her shoulders travelling up to her ears. She didn’t continue.

“Is there anything I can do?” Adrien asked, and Marinette’s expression travelled somewhere between a smile and a pinched frown.

“Just…” She trailed off, and she reached over, dainty hand settling on his shoulder. He was sure her fingers flexed, brushing along his feathers. “Have a good break, okay? Spread your wings a little bit for me.” She gave his shoulder a squeeze, and then she let go, lifting off from the roof of the school. Her pretty brown wings, speckled with white, carried her through the cold winter air, and Adrien stared after her silhouette.

Spread his wings.

Somehow, Adrien thought, Marinette always seemed to say just the things that made his chest ache.

---

Marinette spent the first half of her winter break thinking. She also spent that first half of her winter break trying not to think. She made dresses and sweaters and pants from old clothes and bedsheets, trying to keep her hands busy so her mind wouldn’t take over. She pricked her fingers more times in those first few days than she had all year.

She looked forward to Morpheusmus by making her friends gifts and dropping them off at their respective houses, determined to keep her spirits high for the holiday.

It was winter, and Morpheusmus was supposed to be all about cheer and friendship and good dreams. Giving gifts to friends and family to encourage peaceful nights through the long dark hours, while nature slept in its cold. And she was giving her gifts with a damn smile on her face, no matter how much she kept thinking about-

She held Adrien’s wrapped gift - a warm red sweater made from the softest fabric she could find - tightly in her arms as she dropped down to the ground in front of the gates of the Agreste mansion. She dropped the package in the drop box, checking twice to make sure she’d signed her name, and then looked up at the mansion. Towering and cold, colder than the winter air.

She’d done some research, on those nights when she couldn’t avoid thinking.

About wing binding.

It was a common practice in well-off families to encourage good posture and to show off wealth. In excessive amounts, it could cause pain and long-term injury to the person binded.

She bit at the inside of her cheek.

So, she was doing something stupid.

It’s not like she decided - right then at the gates to the Agreste mansion - that she’d do what she’d decided to do, but staring up at that awful mansion had certainly encouraged her. It wasn’t her place, to intrude on family affairs, but Daedalus be damned, she didn’t give a shit.

She lo-

She cared about Adrien. It was awful to think about him hurting, every day, all the time. She couldn’t have another friend that meant so much to her living a life of pain - not when she knew that she might be able to do something about it. If she went in and didn’t find any bindings, then she would take her leave and that would be it. But.

But if she did find bindings, then.

Well. It was a stupid plan. A disaster in the making.

But Marinette was quite used to being a step away from disaster.

She found it quite nice, in fact, to step close so disaster for the sake of someone else. It was a nice change of pace from her own disasters.

---

On the last night of Morpheusmus, Adrien walked into his room from a late night kitchen raid to see Ladybug standing before his bed, arms crossed. He froze.

The moonlight stumbled through his windows, reaching out for her, just barely managing to catch its fingers on her red wings, on her dark hair. She turned her head to look at him, bright blue eyes reflecting the stars of the night, and then she looked down at his bed once more.

He realized then that there were things on his bed that hadn’t been there before he’d left for the kitchen.

His bindings.

Each one of them, their unforgiving lines of gold-colored vines, laid out on the bed. But they looked wrong, somehow. He stepped closer, frowning, and he realized, eyes wide, that they’d all been cut apart, each and every one of them.

Ladybug watched his face as he looked over his useless bindings. “Are you wearing one now?” she asked, voice quiet through the night, and Adrien nodded, speechless. He hadn’t gotten the chance to take off the one he’d worn throughout the day. “Come here,” she said softly, beckoning closer, and he followed the sound of her voice as if on instinct.

She turned him around, and he noticed idly that she only came up to his shoulder. But he felt small, smaller than her, and she seemed to know it. But she didn’t do anything with that knowledge, like other people in his life might’ve. She simply moved her hands through the feathers of his wings, gentle fingers finding the clasps of the bindings and undoing them. The bindings fell to the floor, and he turned around, watching her bend down and pick them up.

For a moment, she seemed to consider them for a moment, so little and heavy in her hands, and then she took the pair of scissors she’d left on the bed. And she slowly and methodically cut it apart.

He shivered at the freedom.

“I’ll leave a note for your father, if you’d like,” she said, setting down the remnants of the bindings on the bed and admiring her handiwork. “Say it was me who did this.”

“No,” he said, and she looked over at him, furrowing her eyebrows. He felt his cheeks heat up. “I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

A slow smile spread across her lips, and she touched a fleeting hand to his cheek. “He wouldn’t know where to find me,” she said, and then she looked back down at the bindings, her smile turning a little satisfied. “And besides, I chose to get in trouble.”

“Thank you,” he said, and she turned her smile to him, soft and sweet.

“Merry Morpheusmus, Adrien,” she said, and she turned to leave.

“Wait,” he said, and he caught her wrist in her hand, so small and strong. She turned, raising her eyebrows. “Why?” he asked. He didn’t need to elaborate.

For a moment, it seemed like she wouldn’t answer. And then she sighed, turning and sitting down on his bed. He sat down next to her, heart racing.

“You know of my partner, Chat Noir?” she asked, and he felt himself smile.

“I might’ve heard a thing or two about him,” he said, and her lips twitched up into a smile before it faded.

“When we first met, he was absolutely terrible at flying,” she said, and Adrien raised his eyebrows. She’d never told him that before. “He was like a toddler,” she said, and Adrien bit back a retort. She didn’t seem to notice. “He was all crash landings and giddy laughter, like he was doing it all for the first time. And his wings…” She trailed off, shaking her head.

“His wings?” Adrien prompted, and she let out a small sigh.

“Well, they looked like yours. Damaged. Raw.” She shook her head again, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “At first I thought that was just what the miraculous did to him for his disguise, but the more I thought about it, the more I thought that maybe… That maybe outside of the mask, he probably didn’t fly.”

She paused, and Adrien ached.

“I asked him once, if it hurt,” she said softly. “He told me it didn’t. Not then. Not with the magic.”

He remembered. Remembered the way her expression broke.

“Chat gets to fly - during fights, yes - but still. He gets to fly. Without pain.” She turned her eyes to him, and he saw all the weight of the world there in her eyes. “I saw your wings, when you rescued me, and it reminded me of him. And the more I thought about it, the more I thought…” She trailed off, letting out something that might’ve been a laugh. “Sorry, it’s silly.”

“Please,” Adrien said, voice breaking of its own accord, “tell me.”

“I just thought,” she started, eyes finding his again, “that if I couldn’t help him, then I might be able to help you.”

And, like, Adrien was no stranger to the rush of emotion in his chest; of course he wasn’t. But he always chose not to act on it most days because he was always afraid - afraid of losing her.

He leaned in.

This was a bad idea.

She leaned in, too.

But sometimes.

Well.

Sometimes it was perfectly understandable to act on a bad idea, wasn’t it? It’s not like he could be blamed for doing so, not when she was in front of him, soft and vulnerable, powerful and beautiful. She’d given him more than he could ever have asked for, and she’d done it simply because she cared.

This was a bad idea, but that was alright.

Their lips met.

It was a gentle, fragile thing - their kiss. It was soft and it was hesitant, and Adrien hoped even as he didn’t that she could feel how much she meant to him. His hand reached up, and he cradled her cheek, thumb tracing along the edge of her mask. She let out a small sigh against his mouth, pushing closer.

He felt, almost, like she was trying to tell him something. Something important.

And then she pulled away, blue eyes heavy on him. She stood, and she cupped his face in her hands, something sad and indecipherable travelling across her face. She rubbed her thumbs along his cheeks, and he reached up, holding on to her wrists, loosely. He wanted her to stay. He knew she had to go.

She brushed the hair away from his forehead, and she pressed a kiss there, soft and caring. “Sweet dreams, Adrien,” she whispered against his skin, and he closed his eyes. Her hands left him, and he mourned the loss. “Spread your wings a little bit for me, okay?”

His eyes flew open, but she was already gone, his window open and welcoming in the cold night air.

He ran to the window, leaning out and letting the wintry air bite at his cheeks as he stared after her silhouette.

“Marinette,” he whispered.

He was probably wrong.

But he didn’t feel wrong.

He felt - awfully, terribly, wonderfully - right.

---

Marinette spent the next few days thinking about mint and spice.

It’s what Chat always smelled like - not that she’d, like, made an active effort to notice. It was just that in the heat of a battle, he’d catch her or she’d catch him or they’d be huddled close and she would smell it. Mint and spice. That was what Chat smelled like.

It was also what Adrien’s room smelled like.

What Adrien himself had smelled like - when he’d caught her, falling mid-air. When he’d kissed her, sweet and gentle.

Against her better judgement, Marinette was having thoughts. And feelings.

A whole lot of feelings.

So when Adrien showed up at the bakery, wearing the soft red sweater she’d given him for Morpheusmus, Marinette had done what any rational person would do.

She sprinted out the back door of the bakery.

Was it the best possible thing she could do in that situation? No, absolutely not. She knew that. And that was fine.

She was speeding toward an end, an end she wasn’t quite sure if she would like, so she squeezed her eyes shut and pretended that she was alright with free-falling just so she wouldn’t have to look down at the fast approaching ground.

“Marinette!”

Her eyes snapped open, and she looked up at the sky, following the sound of her name. It was Adrien, above her, beautiful frame backlit by the bright winter sky. His wings looked better - still a little raw, but better.

Marinette considered running.

Adrien landed in front of her, graceful and intentional, and his eyes searched her. “Why did you run away?”

“Bug,” Marinette answered immediately, her mouth providing her with a lie. “On the cash register. A bug.”

He tilted his head at her, stepping closer, slowly, carefully, like she was a flighty bird.

Which.

Yeah.

“You mean it wasn’t because of me?”

So that was super rude of him, to look so honest.

Marinette let out a strained sound from the back of her throat, throwing her hands up into the air and turning away from him.

“It’s because of the- the Daedalus-damned mint!” she exclaimed, whirling around to face him again. He had a confused sort of smile on his face. “And the- the stupid spice! And your wings, a little bit- no, a lot a bit. It’s all so much- which is. Which is absolutely-” She cut herself off with a frustrated groan, shaking her head and meeting his gaze.

His eyes were so green. His hair so gold, the strands wind-blown and familiar.

“It’s all just so much like him,” she said, her voice breaking into quiet.

Something in his expression cracked open, and he smiled, bright and honest as the sun. “I knew it,” he said. “I knew it!” He laughed as he said it, throwing his arms around her and pulling her close.

“Adrien-”

“You said the same thing that night,” he said, pulling away and holding her by the shoulders, grin wild. “‘Spread your wings a little bit for me.’ I didn’t want to hope I was right.”

She felt like she was falling.

She felt like she was flying.

“You know,” she said, and he nodded, excited.

“And you know, too,” he said, “don’t you?” And she realized that she did. She’d known for a while.

“Oh, Icarus save me,” she breathed, and then she grabbed Adrien - Chat Noir, her partner, her best friend - by the collar of the soft red sweater she’d made for him, and she kissed him hard.

And he kissed her back, just as hard. She could feel his smile, pressed up close to her mouth, and she laughed, breathing in the wonderfully familiar mint and spice.

---

Looking at this rationally, Adrien was absolutely certain this was a bad idea. His father wasn’t going to be happy about him getting a girlfriend, let alone getting a girlfriend that cuts up all the new bindings he buys with a gleam in her eyes that is, quite honestly, downright terrifying.

However, Adrien didn’t like being rational. He did like this bad idea, though, and all it was speeding toward.

And Marinette felt far from a bad idea, she felt like soft feathers and softer kisses, gentle smiles and quick laughs. She felt like everything absolutely and totally right, and he couldn’t exactly fault himself for falling - flying toward her.

It was only natural.

That much, at least, he was sure of.

hey apple i hope you loved this as much as i loved writing it (can you tell i got carried away a little bit? because i did. i totally did) and i hope anyone else reading this enjoys at least one sentence. it doesn’t really matter which one

happy holidays everyone!! i hope you’re able to spend this winter, no matter what you celebrate, safe and happy and surrouned by things you love

thank you so much for reading<3<3<3

#ml secret santa #softkwami #miraculous ladybug #mlb fic #adrinette #ladrien #mlb wing au #tbh? i saw ladrien on your likes list and blacked out and now we're here. god i love ladrien so much #also YES if youre wondering i DID look up mythological beings with wings to create a new holiday for fanfiction bird people #so. if you're wondering. morpheus is the greek god commonly associated with dreams and sleep and he is commonly depicted with wings #why greek? it followed the daedalus/icarus theme #see? i think about things sometimes #ANYWAYS thank u so much for reading (if youre still reading these tags) happy holidayds love u goodnight

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majorgarrett93 · 3 years ago

Text

Big 4 Ranked from Worst to Best

Metallica/Lou Reed - Lulu (2011)

OK, lets get rock bottom over with ASAP. Lou Reed’s vocals going out with old age, Metallica playing music and Hetfield occasionally on vocals. At least it wasn’t like Queensryche, the darkest depths in cringe factor. 2011 was a bad year for new music, I gave up on modern music for a while actually. Looking back on 2011, yes Queensryche’s Dedicated to Chaos was as terrifyingly bad as I remember but I just laughed at Lulu. The View is actually alright, rest is downright bad, a mistake that’s hilarious. Morbid Angel sounding like a bad Rammstein tribute band singing in English was rather comical too. Pumping Blood is a comical disaster.

Yes it’s terrible, only one I did like was The View because of Hetfield’s contribution on vocals. Lulu is something else, not in a good way.

Metallica - St. Anger (2003) As bad as people say? Maybe not quite but with it’s bad production, no guitar solos and snare drum, it was a disaster and hard to make a good album out of nothing. Even for nu-metal standards, it’s not good. Frantic is a decent opening track and I personally like Some Kind of Monster, rest isn’t so good and Invisible Kid might be their worst song to date, one guy I knew said it was and I’m not going to disagree or fight him on it.

Megadeth - Supercollider (2013)

Megadeth on autopilot, few songs are alright but not memorable. Risk had some horrible tracks but some good ones that made it passable, this isn’t cringe worthy but nothing is memorable with maybe two exceptions. Kingmaker and Supercollider start the album off well but then it’s all downhill, forgettable fillers that sound like unreleased tracks that weren’t released for a reason. Absolute autopilot at it’s worst.

Anthrax - Attack of the Killer Bs (1991) Mostly just the band joking, screwing around and it’s not that funny (even on par with I’m the Man). Sects is a great b-side, I’m also a fan of old-school rap/hip-hop and their collaboration with Public Enemy is a killer rap-rock gem. Huge KISS fan and they do a killer cover of Parasite. Aside from the three tracks, it’s just really filler and forgettable. Hardly worth your time, just a pointless album TBH.

Slayer - Undisputed Attitude (1996) Slayer doing punk rock covers? Slayer were influenced by punk rock but it comes off as mainly just noise. Abolish Government is memorable and even more relevant today with politics today. Comment about Bill Clinton at the end is a moment I always find hilarious. In the media growing up, remembered a lot of celebrities being political/anti-Bush but haven’t heard of many bands that were anti-Clinton when he was still president (maybe Ted Nugent?), was too young I guess. Mr. Freeze and Gemini are decent, obscure tracks but the rest is forgettable filler. Considering this is the only Slayer album I dislike isn’t saying much as it’s just covers.

Metallica - Beyond Magnetic (2011)

Lulu left fans disappointed as Metallica were getting back on track with Death Magnetic, Beyond Magnetic was the leftovers and all decent tracks. I’m not one of those “Black Album was their last good album” people. Hatetrain straight up rocks and is somewhat in the vein of Reload, fast-paced and up-tempo. Rebel Babylon, Just a Bullet Away, Hell and Back... They’re not Master of Puppets but on par with Sad But True and the Black Album. Is there any flaw? Maybe the odd production of DM and being only four tracks but that’s really it.

Metallica - Load (1996) OK, so everyone shouted sellout when Load was released but let's be honest, Black Album in general wasn’t anything to write home about. The band only continued to mellow out and go for a more mainstream sound. No longer metal but rather southern and hard rock with alternative elements. Ain’t My Bitch and 2X4 are passable, Until It Sleeps is a good ballad actually and like King Nothing a lot, one of the heavier, more metal-ish songs. The one song that I hate more than anything off St. Anger, more than Lulu TBH is Hero of the Day. Feel sick just thinking about it, ever wonder what it would sound like if Gath Brooks and a random one hit wonder alternative band of the ‘90s teamed up then got a lobotomy and huffed paint...Hero of the Day is the answer. Reason I didn’t rank it lower is for a good reason actually, the slow-burner ballad Bleeding Me is an underrated gem which makes up for the piece of crap excuse of a song HOTD. Wasting My Hate and Outlaw Torn are alright, skip the rest and only consider Load if you’re a diehard Metallica fan. If you’re looking for any amazing metal album of the mid-late 1990s, wouldn’t recommend any of the Big 4. Check out Testament’s Gathering (1999) or Overkill’s Killing King (1996), those are both gems and the latter incredibly underrated.

Anthrax - Stomp 442 After the rebirth of Anthrax in 1993 with John Bush on vocals, they go for a more straight-forward/simple sound. Random Acts of Senseless Violence is a solid, raw, aggressive opening track. Fueled is a fast paced rocker that I enjoy a lot, love the speed/up-tempo and American Pompeii is among my favorites of the Bush-era, underrated masterpiece IMO. In the Zone and Perpetual Motion are alright. Band kind of sounds like they’re on autopilot throughout the rest, Stomp 442 has it’s moments but is mainly forgettable, mediocre tracks.

Anthrax - Vol. VIII: The Threat Is Real (1998)

Stomp 442 was autopilot, average...Vol VIII is the opposite: some really great gems (Inside Out, P&V, Born Again Idiot, Killing Box) and some absolutely cringe-worthy ones (Big Fat, Hog Tied, Toast To the Extras). Crush is a good, heavier mid-tempo that straight up rocks and Catharsis might even be my personal favorite Bush-era track. Later ‘90s wasn’t a good time for thrash, Vol VII is overall a pretty average record and some really cringey tracks that keep me from placing it higher. Heavier and more diverse than Stomp, not necessarily better though.

Metallica - Reload (1997)

When it comes to Metallica in their low point, Reload is the best of the three by a long shot. Fuel is an underrated hit and how a more modern Metallica song should be; fast paced, intense and a slight return to metal, certainly not thrash but an improvement over Load. Memory Remains is another gem, although slower and more melodic but just as great. Devil’s Dance and Where the Wild Things Are take a more slow-burn approach, a sort of post-grunge edge. Bad Seed is one I do enjoy, sort of a weird, offbeat-ness to it. Price Charming is my personal favorite, it might not have the heaviness of Justice or trashiness of KEA but the speed and intensity is back big time; fast, upbeat, manic... everything Load lacked. Reload isn’t a great album by any means or a metal masterpiece but it’s one I personally enjoy. Songs certainly aren’t heavy metal classics like Battery or For Whom the Bell Tolls but I’d say they’re on par with the Black Album’s moments at times.

Megadeth - Risk (1999) Metallica went southern rock and alternative in the late 1990s, Megadeth went industrial/techno. Breadline, Ecstasy and I'll Be There downright, pure cringe. Insomnia is an alright opener and industrial rocker followed by the heavier Prince of Darkness which I personally enjoy, love the satire on heavy metal being satanic stereotypes. Crush ‘em is an alright track but Seven is my personal favorite track. Love the up-tempo and take on the seven deadly sins as well as the drums toward the end as it slows down to a more mid-tempo, Seven has enough speed as well as melody that make it a catchy, overlooked gem. Doctor’s Calling has a doom metal-ish tone which I personally enjoy a lot, slower and heavier approach. Wanderlust is unique too. Risk is worth it if you’re a hardcore Megadeth fan, experimental album not for casual fans. Supercollider was full of mediocre tracks, Risk is the opposite that has mediocre, overlooked gems and downright cringe worthy, three songs that make it almost impossible to make up for, the good tracks do but just barely make Risk passable.

Megadeth - Cryptic Writings (1997)

Megadeth slipping into mediocrity. Youthanasia was a departure from heavy metal and they were no longer a thrash band, CW continues even more so. Trust was a smash hit and successful as well as a decent opening track, Almost Honest is solid. Secret Place is pretty good actually and Have Cool, Will Travel had Mustaine taking on current issues addressing school violence which is kind of eerie as the Columbine shooting was about two years later (Mustaine also predicted the COVID19 quarantine ten years early, we’ll get to that). She-Wolf totally kicks ass, heavier/harder rocker with interesting lyrics, more fantasy theme (opposite of the darkly realistic HGWT, guess Mustaine wanted to have a little fun writing after). FFF is OK as well as Vortex but unfortunately the demo version with the original lyrics was miles better. CW was sort of Megadeth’s Black Album but getting closer to their Load. Considered ranking Risk higher at times but CW has enough moments that make up for the mediocrity and I think Risk’s low points totally suck, pure cringe.

Megadeth - The World Needs a Hero (2001)

Mustaine had a kidney stone removed, given painkillers and relapsed. Drugs can make you create better music, never heard of heroin helping someone write better music though. Still, Mustaine manages with his habit to return to heavy metal, not thrash but still metal. Moto Psycho is a cool track with it’s biker theme, Burning Bridges isn’t bad, title track is an offbeat but solid one (half spoken/half sung), Dread and the Fugitive Mind is a modern Megadeth gem...but the real stand-out is Return to Hangar. Sequel to Hangar 18, first album since RIP to feature Vic on the cover as it was a semi-return to their glory days. Unfortunately they almost broke up when Mustaine was high on dope and fell asleep with his arm over a chair, fortunately he recovered (both injury and addiction) and well, we’ll get to that later. TWNAH has Megadeth doing their first real metal album since CTE, taking a more modern approach that works. Promises is rather cringey, Megadeth can do good songs but Promises is a poor excuse, on par with bad metal ballads like Warrant’s Heaven and Poison’s Every Rose Has It’s Thorn. 1000 Times Goodbye is just a bunch of nonsense about a breakup, Warhorse is a strange one that’s quite mediocre, When is a forgettable closer. Now to think of it, there’s only one track I hate and three I skip. TWNAH is overall a satisfying effort from the band and has aged well considering.

Slayer - Diabolus in Musica (1998)

Diabolus tends to be a little nu-metal for my taste which Stain of Mind sounds like a bad Korn rip-off, Slayer have higher standards than that. With the down tuning of the guitars though to a drop-d and taking a more modern direction, Slayer knew what they were doing and found a way to fit into the late ‘90s. Sometimes the songs kind of fail at Slayer attempting to be modern but Bitter Peace is intense, downright heavy and brutal. Kicks the album off on a high note. Death’s Head is one track that I absolutely love, more mid-tempo than Bitter Peace but still quite heavy. Stain of Mind is one I’ve never liked which seems to be a fan favorite, especially fans of Diabolus. Never cared for it, sort of like what I mentioned earlier about Metallica’s Hero of the Day but Stain isn’t even near as bad. Overt Enemy has a weird distorted sound which is a heavier, slow-burner and an underrated gem followed by Perversions of Pain, another criminally underrated one. Love To Hate is pretty mediocre but I do really like Desire, In the Name of God is alright and Point has a little more aggressiveness similar to Bitter Peace. Diabolus isn’t quite classic Slayer, few fillers but not bad at all.

Slayer - Repentless (2015)

Slayer didn’t go out with a bang or whimper, just anti-climactic and sounds like the B-sides of WPB (which isn’t bad as I loved WPB myself). Pretty mediocre in comparison to the two awesome albums they put out previously but doesn’t make it bad. Chasing Death, Implode, Piano Wire, Vices and Repentless are some gems that make up for some mediocre ones. Slayer seem confused like they’re stuck between a rock and a hard place, trying to sound modern like God Hates Us All at times yet also sounds like something that didn’t quite make WPB either, trying to sound like a more modern Seasons that almost works at times yet doesn’t. Slayer never had any bad albums but this album confuses me, just doesn’t quite hit the right note to make it a swansong for the band. Yes, there’s good tracks if you’re a diehard Slayer fan like me but Slayer are supposed to shock and push the limit of what’s allowed in mainstream metal.

Megadeth - Thirteen (2011)

Endgame was one of their greatest albums ever, straight up rocked and downright heavy and brutal. Endgame was like a giant fire, Thirteen is like a fire still flaming but going to ashes smoldering. Been over a decade since 2011 which I mentioned wasn’t the best year, kind of disappointed at first, then revisited years later...Thirteen is among metal’s greatest sleeper hits. Public Enemy #1, Whose Life Is This Anyway? and Black Swan are the standout tracks, don’t miss Sudden Death or We The People either. Thirteen is still classic Megadeth even though not on par with the greatness of Endgame.

Metallica/Black Album (1991) OK, think it’s incredibly overrated but still enjoy it. People scream sell-out at the Loads but it was starting to show by the Black Album. Band became more hard rock than metal and certainly far from thrash. Enter Sandman is overplayed and get tired of it, if you hate Enter Sandman, you’re probably a Metallica fan. Same theory like how all Radiohead fans dislike Creep. Sad but True, God That Failed and my personal favorite Wherever I May Roam are slow-burning gems which make up for many forgettable songs. Wherever I May Roam is actually one of my personal favorites of theirs, can relate to even more today due to moving often growing up and going on hitchhike roadtrips. Wherever I May Roam followed by Of Wolf and Man are overlooked classics that make the album worthwhile. Unforgiven and Nothing Else Matters while overrated are still decent as well and Don’t Tread On Me is the perfect antithesis to all the neo-Marxist political music out there as well as the offended SJWs.

Metallica - Death Magnetic (2008)

“Black Album was their last good album.” Every ‘tallica fan ever, then you ask them about DM or Hardwired (we’ll get there) and they’re a deer in the headlights. DM was a solid return to heavy metal, not great but good. Heavier than Black Album and more in the vein of Justice which is miles better. DM is what a modern Metallica album should be: Cyanide, Day That Never Comes and my personal favorite Broken, Beat and Scarred are underrated, forgotten hits. Can understand why fans gave up on Metallica after St. Anger (especially the older fans), luckily I’m a late millennial and was only ten when St. Anger was released. Didn’t really know much of Metallica, when I first heard many of their hits and started listening to more than that, DM had been released and it still has nostalgic value. Day That Never Comes to my generation was what the Unforgiven was to gen xs and Cyanide was the closest thing to a modern master of Puppets. Yes, I said it; I prefer Death Magnetic over the Black Album.

Metallica - Hardwired..to Self-Destruct (2016)

‘tallica back and their finest work since the 1980s, after slipping up on Lulu they’re on the right track again. Hardwired kicks the album off with a spark, in the vein of Justice and their heavier works yet there are some slow burner gems like my personal fave Halo On Fire, similar tone to the Black Album era like Wherever I May Roam. Am I Savage is another particular standout. Atlas, Arise!, Spit Out the Bone and Moth Unto Flame also make it more than worthwhile. Worth a shot, even if you gave up after the Black Album (you’ll be surprised). Still remember the day I heard Hardwired while living in Vegas, got off Friday night and was hanging out, high and going out to have drinks (pretty much gave up on Metallica releasing an album they kept mentioning since like 2012), just when I thought my day couldn’t get better, hear new Metallica on the radio and find out they’re releasing a new album finally.

Anthrax - State of Euphoria (1988)

Have to admit, Anthrax are my least favorite of the Big 4. SoE is the worst of any during the 1980s which is still pretty good. Had the band focusing on more serious themes that would be solidified better by Persistence. Be All, End All is a solid opener as well as the hit Antisocial. Don’t miss Out of Sight, Out of Mind or Who Cares Wins. Like I said, weakest 1980s album but there was no bad album released in the ‘80s by any Big 4 band.

Anthrax - Fistful of Metal (1984)

Anthrax at their rawest, production is a little rough but thrash isn’t about being clean and polished. Only album with Neil Turbin, Excellent Rob Halford-like, high pitched scream in songs like Metal Thrashing Mad. Deathrider, Death from Above, Subjector and my personal favorite Soldiers of Metal standout. Only flaws are the dated production and the band is still finding their sound.

Anthrax - We’ve Come for You All (2003) Post-911, people wanted to them to change their name but they refused. Finally a solid album after 2 forgettable ones. Black Dahliah and Strap It On are my favorites but it’s got other highlights: What Doesn’t Die, Nobody Knows Anything... Weird, Jenna Elfman starred in Black Lodge video, Keanu Reeves stars in Safe Home video. Somehow manage to get Hollywood actors for their videos. WCFYA is heavier than their last three and packs a punch, Bush’s final album with the band was also his best contribution, band would be on hiatus for a few years though after which we’ll get to. Anthrax - For All Kings (2016) OK, 2016 I was mostly working, gambling, drinking and getting high so I kind of missed this one but have been revisiting and a solid album, need to listen to more. Worship Music upon it’s release was one that I had mixed feelings towards as well but only got better with every listen. For All Kings continues in the same direction with their signature thrash but with a modern edge. You Gotta Believe, title track and Evil Twin are my highlights but not a weak moment. Only gets better with every listen.

Megadeth - Youthaniasia (1994)

Megadeth go for a more melodic direction, far from their thrash roots but it’s grown on me throughout the years. Reckoning Day is a solid vengeful, slow burn opener and Train of Consequences is an underrated hit, perfect blend of heaviness and melody. Toute Le Monde is a more personal ballad about Mustaine’s mother who had recently passed away, first time he wrote a song like this since In My Darkest Hour dedicated to Cliff Burton but more so here, more emotional. Thought I Knew It All, Elysian Fields and Killing Road are some other highlights worth checking out.

Megadeth - Hidden Treasures (1995) Mid ‘90s/first half of the ‘00s was a low point for a lot of thrash, at least when it comes to the Big 4. Youthanasia took a while to grow on me TBH but Hidden Treasures was a nice compilation of previously unreleased covers and some killer covers for sure. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a Sabbath fan but Mustaine totally killed it on his cover of Paranoid that I personally like even better. Cover of Alice Cooper’s No More Mr. Nice Guy is another solid cover and yes, I personally like it better than the original (by a hair). Angry Again is still occasionally played on the radio as well. Not for casual fans but if you’re looking deeper than RIP, CTE, PSBWB...you won’t be disappointed with HT..

Slayer - Divine Intervention (1994)

First after Lombardo’s departure, solid but they were trying too hard to go back to the raw days of Reign in Blood. 213 was about Jeffery Dahmer (his apartment number) and a standout, love Serenity in Murder and Dittohead is the perfect song to send any SJW/snowflake protester to the hospital with a stroke, perfect antithesis to all the anti-capitalism bands heard throughout the 1990s and early ‘00s. South Park got it spot on with the hippies aside from the fact that Slayer aren’t death metal despite influencing the genre.

Slayer - God Hates Us All (2001)

Now we’re talking. Slayer make a comeback in the early 2000s, released on 9/11 actually. Opens with a spark, Disciple which totally packs a punch. God Send Death is good, Slayer fitting in with modern day metal. Bloodline, Seven Faces, Cast Down. Don’t miss this one, Paul Bostaph’s drumming improved a lot as well, less sloppy and cleaner.

Megadeth - The System Has Failed (2004)

Mustaine recovered from addiction and made quite the comeback in 2004, return to the thrashier roots. Exodus and Overkill had better albums around this time but they blew ‘tallica not just out of the water, off the face of the earth. Interesting political direction he took from here on, strange cover too. Usually agree with his views, not brainwashed by the liberal media. Strange though as the cover looked a bit anti-Bush as well... Anyways, the music was top notch. Guitar riffs/solos, best since Countdown. Die Dead Enough, Kick the Chair, Back In the Day and my personal favorite Something That I’m Not. Only flaw is that sometimes the lyrics are a bit mediocre, everything else rocks.

Megadeth - United Abominations (2007)

Mustaine returning even more politically charged than on TSHF from the title track to Amerikastan. Sleepwalker is a solid opener with it’s somewhat dark, satirical lyrics of a sleepwalking killer. Lyrics are an improvement from TSHF, mainly war and politically themed. Play For Blood is a solid blend of heaviness, melody and rhythm (probably my personal favorite) followed by the reimagined, more uptempo version of A Toute Le Monde featuring Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil. Burnt Ice is an intense, anti-drug themed closer. UA has some classic Megadeth moments for sure and worth while, definitely a sign of things to come.

Metallica - Garage INC (1998)

Metal Hammer writers must’ve been huffing spray-paint or something to put St. Anger above this. GI kicks the album off with a spark, kickass cover of Diamond Head’s It’s Electric which I’m really into speed metal myself. Cover of Bob Seger’s Turn the Page is an exception which I personally think is better than the original. They nailed it on their cover of the classic Whisky In the Jar, a traditional Irish song covered by many rock bands but Metallica’s is my favorite of any rock cover (although Thin Lizzy and Dubliner’s are solid too). Now lets get to why I really rank this album so high, disc 2 which is a compilation of all their covers throughout the 1980s. Covering Motorhead, Sabbath, Diamond Head... Garage INC is classic Metallica despite being covers and I’ll always place it over any studio album they’ve done since the 1980s.

Slayer - Show No Mercy (1983)

OK, not quite great yet or classic Slayer but still really good. Speed metal with proto-thrash and blackelements. Antichrist is probably my favorite although Evil Has No Boundaries, Die by the Sword, Black Magic and Tormentor stand out as well. SNM is Slayer in their humble beginning, just a bunch of musicians into heavy metal and punk rock with plenty of drugs and booze to fuel their insanity heard in Tom Araya’s screams as well as the lyrics throughout, mostly written by King and Hanneman. Slayer - Haunting the Chapel (1984) HTC has Slayer solidifying their sound and a sign of things to come. Definitely a lot of drugs (coke mainly) and booze that fueled the insanity kicking the album off with Chemical Warfare, first war-themed song and of course themes of hell (probably Kerry King’s contribution). Slayer becoming the band every metalhead knows and loves. Captor of Sin honestly sounds like it could’ve been on HA which is greater than anything off SNM (maybe Antichrist as an exception), a sign of things to come.

Slayer - Christ Illusion (2006)

Slayer returning to their roots as well as Lombardo returning to the band. Perfect combo of classic thrash with some modern elements. Flesh Storm kicks it off with a spark, the anti-government Confearacy stands out too along with my personal favorite Supremist. CI manages to retain some of the modern metal edge of their previous couple works still despite the band returning to their thrash roots, won early fans back and kept newer fans interest as well. Black Serenade, Jihad and Eyes of the Insane are some other memorable tracks. Among the greatest metal albums to come out of the early 2000s TBH.

Slayer - World Painted Blood (2009)

Even closer return to their roots than CI and prefer it just by a hair, finest since Seasons. Lyrics have all the classic themes of what they’re known for: politics (Americon), religion (Not of This God), death/homicide (Public Display of Dismemberment, Psychopathy Red)... classic Slayer start to finish and the 2000s went out with a bang, not a bad moment here and among Slayers best work.

Megadeth - Countdown to Extinction (1992)

Megadeth totally kicked Black Album’s ass in the early 1990s and their biggest seller at the time. No longer the same 1980s progressive thrash but unlike Black, still heavy throughout and still metal. Shorter, more accessible but not even close to a sellout. Kicking off with the dark/morbid humor of Skin O’ My Teeth followed by the classic hit Symphony of Destruction, there’s not a weak moment. Although my all time favorite would have to be the fast-paced, intense High Speed Dirt, written after Mustaine’s experience skydiving. That Was Just Your Life, the cheesy but catchy Psychotron, classic hit Sweating Bullets and the underrated That Was just Your Life...not a weak moment, it was just hard to follow up such an amazing album like Rust In Peace.

Megadeth - Dystopia (2016)

Mustaine returns with a strong album after the disappointing Supercollider. Fans have said it’s the finest Megadeth since RiP and they’e not too far off but there’s still one newer Megadeth album I like better. Threat Is Real kicks the album off with a perfect start, title track, Bullet To the Brain, Post-American World and my personal favorite The Emperor are modern Megadeth classics. Lyrics are top notch as well, everything wrong today with the world and politics. Megadeth - The Sick, The Dying...And The Dead (2022) Modern Megadeth classic, best in over ten years and only my second favorite of their 21st century albums. Mustaine is back on par, in the vein of greatness that Endgame was. Only have played it straight through a couple times but it’s got everything you’d look for in a solid, quality Megadeth album: heavy, thrashy, melodic, top-notch guitar solos, lyrics taking on social issues and what’s screwed up today from politics to drug addiction... TSTD&TD delivers and among Megadeth’s greatest works.

Megadeth - Endgame (2009)

TSHF was great, UA was great...Endgame is a near modern metal masterpiece. This Day We Fight is the perfect intense, brutal opener followed by the mid-up tempo yet just as brutal 44 Minutes based on an infamous bank robbery in the 1990s. 1,320 lets the band have a little fun, like it’s theme: fast, intense and totally shreds. Endgame was another prediction from Mustaine, the most infamous mass fear propaganda in American history: “cough” covid “cough” (no pun intended) as well as a dystopian future for America. Right To Go Insane is the ultimate anthem for the Great Recession I grew up during as well.

Still remember downloading this online weeks before out, will always be among my favorites for nostalgia purposes as well, like to rank higher but there just happens to be some earlier Megadeth classics slightly ahead.

Anthrax - Worship Music (2011)

Anthrax return with Joey on vocals as well as a return to their classic thrash but with a modern edge. Saw them in concert and they blew 99% of all the “core”, screamo and post whatever bands at the time (thankfully those genres are about extinct now). Devil You Know and Fight ‘em ‘til You Can’t are modern Anthrax classics as well as some other gems: The Giant, In the End, I’m Alive.

Anthrax - Spreading the Disease (1985)

Anthrax’s debut with Joey Belladonna on vocals and not a bad moment from the melodic thrash of AIR and Madhouse to the manic speed of Gung-Ho. Lone Justice and the Enemy are my personal favorite but like I said, not a weak moment. Again, want to rank this one higher but Anthrax aren’t nearly on par with the other 3.

Megadeth - So Far, So Good...So What? (1988)

OK, I prefer Megadeth over Metallica but there was one moment that ‘tallica were ahead (we’ll get there): Mustaine totally strung out on smack (other drugs too), peak of his drug use as he acted like talking to a puppet in an interview was normal? Lyrics are out there at times like the paranoid, apocalyptic themed Set the World Afire (technical musically as well, first dabble with progressive elements) as well as the insanity of Mary Jane and 502 which was about Mustaine being pulled over for driving drunk and tested positive for five substances. In My Darkest Hour was their first ballad and a cool tribute to Cliff Burton. Last but not least, the amazing cover of the Sex Pistols’ iconic classic Anarchy In the U.K. which is equally good, a little better TBH. SFSGSW is unique, technical and as odd/out there as the cover depicting Vic not even being on earth (in the far background) but classic Megadeth no doubt.

Slayer - South of Heaven (1988)

Really wanted to place this higher but there’s a couple moments just above average: Read Between the Lies and Cleanse the Soul which aren’t bad but not classics. On the other hand, the other songs either great (Silent Scream, SoH, Ghosts of War) or excellent (Live Undead, Behind the Crooked Cross, Spill the Blood). Tempo is a little slower, often more mid-up tempo rather than all-out speed. Lombardo is able to show his rhythm skills here and not just his skills at bullet fast drumming. More technical guitar solos, more diversity lyrically taking on more war and political themes rather than occult, devil, killing, torture... Everything from the title track and controversial Silent Scream that would unleash vege-burger fueled rage on SJWs to the final doom/thrash closer Spill the Blood...SoH delivers despite being the weakest of Slayer’s ‘80s works.

Anthrax - Persistence of Time (1990)

Anthrax first serious album, darker than early releases and more progressive/technical. SoE had the band take on a more serious direction but Persistence solidified their new direction. Last album of the classic line-up and probably their best on a technical level. Lyrics are no longer about mental institutions and mosh pits but take on themes like racial discrimination (H8 Red), violence (Blood, Keep It In the Family) and political/social injustice (One Man Stands). Got the Time is a killer cover of Joe Jackson as well, Persistence delivers.

Anthrax - Sound of White Noise (1993) Anthrax’s debut with John Bush on vocals and a total change of pace. White Noise had the band depart completely from their thrash roots and take on a more groove-oriented sound as well as experiment with some more modern elements to fit in with the 1990s, oddly it worked. Potter’s Field packs a punch followed by the grungier, more melodic hit Only. Sodium Pentothal, Black Lodge and Hy Pro Glo are some other standouts. Lost some fans, gained new...I’m a fan of both Belladonna and Bush though as well as Armored Saint so I have no problem with this era. Different but variety is the key, Anthrax’s later-day masterpiece.

Megadeth - Killing Is My Business...and Business Is Good (1985)

Low budget production, raw, unpolished and pure thrash. Albums starts off with a spark with the intense Loved You To Deth with the jealousy/vengeful theme as well as the title track written from a hitman’s perspective. Rattlehead and Mechanix are my personal favorites, These Boots is solid although a far cry from amazing covers they’d do in the near future like Anarchy In the UK. Thrash masterpiece.

Metallica - Kill ‘em All (1983)

Metallica when they were actually thrash, rawest and one of their finest. First hit Seek & Destroy, Whiplash and Four Horsemen are my personal favorites but no a weak moment, Anesthesia isn’t great but not bad and is just an interlude/instrumental. Mustaine is credited but Hammett replaced him right before recording. Maybe not the first thrash album but hands down, the most influential.

Metallica - Master of Puppets (1986)

Album that solidified ‘tallica, moving into a more progressive, refined and mature direction. Not my personal favorite but a metal masterpiece, no doubt and unfortunately Cliff’s last with the band. Personally get tired of hearing the title track but the other tracks are what make the album: Battery, Damage Inc. and my personal favorite Leper Messiah make it worth it alone. Not a weak moment and essential for any metal of even rock collection.

Anthrax - Among the Living (1987)

Anthrax at their absolute best. Thrashy, fast, lyrics ranging from serious to comical...everything that makes Anthrax awesome. Also popularized the term “mosh”. Persistence and SOWN are great albums but this was as good as it got. I Am the Law would have to be my favorite and among Anthrax’s finest, think it was written about someone which I remember reading in the lyrics years back. Anyways, whoever it was, sounds like a total badass. Caught In a Mosh is a thrash metal staple and lets not forget Skeleton In the Closet, Indians and Imitation of Life.

Slayer - Seasons In the Abyss (1990)

Slayer solidifying their more mature, technical direction taken on SoH and blending with the thrashy elements of RiB. Their finest lyrically which rarely mention the devil, hell, occult... Subtly at times but the band took on more issues on the streets like the gang violence addressed in Expendable Youth, injustice in Blood Red written about the Tiananmen Square incident in the late ‘80s. Dead Skin Mask written by Tom Araya who takes interest in true crime and study of killers, written about Ed Gein. War Ensemble kicks it off with a spark, Hanneman (my favorite member) contributed lyrics which like a lot take on war themes. Seasons is technical, diverse ranging from mid-tempo to all-out speed and thrash. Among the finest albums of the 1990s and the last classic Slayer for over a decade.

Slayer - Hell Awaits (1985)

Now this is how a sophomore album should be. Took all the elements in SNM, proto-death/black metal, speed, NWOBHM and turned it up a notch. More technical and layered, darker lyrics, heavier, faster, more diverse...the band came into their own and developed a unique style of thrash and influencing death metal bands. HA is a perfect opener starting off with the eerie reverse chanting of “join us” then taking off full speed. Crypts of Eternity is my all time favorite but don’t miss Praise of Death or At Dawn They Sleep. Thrash masterpiece start from start to finish.

Megadeth - Peace Sells...but Who’s Buying? (1986)

Mustaine solidifying the sound of Megadeth. PSBWB is darker, more layered, diverse and not a sophomore slump whatsoever. IMO, this gave Metallica’s MOP a run for its money in ‘86 and since Mustaine has (with one exception) been a step ahead. PS kicks the album off with the classic Wake Up Dead followed by The Conjuring, my favorite track and among my favorites of Megadeth. Title track is an early thrash masterpiece. Bad Omen is an underrated gem followed by a metal cover of the classic I Ain’t Superstitious which is a solid one too although one of the more forgettable ones, don’t worry though, the album goes out on a high note with my favorite track right after Conjuring, My Last Words.

Metallica - ...and Justice for All (1988)

‘tallica’s last true masterpiece. AJFA has the band at their heaviest, darkest, most technical and layered yet raw production wise. Death of Cliff Burton didn’t impact the quality on the band at all, matured a bit musically as well. Newstead is alright but the bass is one flaw, although not his fault. Starting off with the first lyrical contribution from Newstead in the paranoid, dark, apocalyptic Blackened. Title track and Eye of the Beholder perfectly portray America and politics today with one of my favorite lyrics “you can do it your own way, if it’s done just how I say” (perfect slogan for the mandate). One is another masterpiece with it’s dark theme based on real events about a soldier left paralyzed, deaf, blind, mute and on life support. Harvester of Sorrow is a slow burning, doom-ism metal track and downright brutal. Dyer’s Eve is my personal favorite, Justice is generally slower tempo than previous albums but it picks the speed right up along with it’s dark subject matter on child abuse and trauma.

AJFA is nearly a perfect album from start to finish, one little flaw that I personally don’t mind is the under production but that’s it.

Metallica - Ride the Lightning (1984)

Noticed one thing about people, you can tell people’s music taste in music from their favorite ‘tallica album. Lightning seems to be the one liked by all fans whether casual or hardcore, even non-fans will say Lightning was alright. I’m more of a Megadeth fan but Lightning was perfection. Cleaner production, more layered than their debut yet still thrashy and their last true thrash album. Opening with a nice acoustic intro then taking off into an all-out thrasher Fight Fire With Fire followed by the more melodic, progressive title track and For Whom the Bell Tolls. Fade to Black is a metal ballad at it’s finest followed by the intense, thrashier Trapped Under Ice. Creeping Death is my personal favorite and final vocal track followed by the Lovecraft inspired instrumental Call of Ktulu which displays Cliff’s classical inspired bass playing and an improvement skill wise over Anesthesia. Thrash metal masterpiece and clearly one of the five greatest albums in the genre.

Megadeth - Rust In Peace (1990)

Maybe the greatest heavy metal album, hands down the greatest of the 1990s. Mustaine got clean and wrote his greatest lyrics to date, ditched the 1980s satanic and occult themes, taking on war and politics as well as religion in the opening classic Holy Wars with the flawless guitar of Mustaine and Friedman. Hangar 18 is another flawless followed by an overlooked masterpiece Take No Prisoners that used to be my favorite track but not longer, that would go to Tornado of Souls which is probably my all time favorite Megadeth track as well. This had the band going more technical and progressive, maturing musically as well yet still retaining a hint of thrash that would be absent throughout the rest of the 1990s for the band. RiP is a flawless masterpiece from start to finish, only forgettable track (even decent) is the interlude Dawn Patrol.

Slayer - Reign In Blood (1986)

If there is one perfect thrash album, absolutely no flaws at all...that would go to Slayer’s Reign In Blood. It shocked people in the 1980s and is an important part of music history for that, like what Alice Cooper to the ‘70s and what Screamin’ Jay Hawkins was to the ‘50s, Slayer were to the ‘80s. Slayer had already perfected their sound on HA, blowing their debut out of the water yet they’d manage to surpass that even. This was their first sign of changing direction from stereotypical occult themed lyrics, obviously in parts still like Altar of Sacrifice but started war themed songs like the horrors of Auschwitz in Angel of Death. Piece By Piece and Necrophobic go by like a bullet, not a bad track but Raining Blood and Postmortem are the highlights (saved the best for last). RIB is fast, thrashy, shocking, intense, brutal and a milestone in the heavy metal genre, death metal and black metal wouldn’t be the same today without RIB.

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solo-23 · 3 years ago

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I'd debated about whether or not to post this because it's definitely a rant and there is definitely a lot of negativity, but I need to vent after last night's episode (with some leftover issues from earlier this season, too). If Betty is your favorite and you don't like to read anything negative about her, you will not like this post.

1. The way the voicemail has been blown completely out of proportion by the writers, reviewers, and some shippers is ridiculous. We keep hearing about how it was terrible, emotionally abusive, toxic, and something that Jughead definitely needed to apologize for, but nothing he said was actually out of line. There is absolutely nothing in that voicemail that Betty should have been surprised about, let alone treating it like it somehow turns her into the victim in the fall of Bughead.

It's not surprising that Jughead has now apologized twice for the voicemail, even if he doesn't actually remember all of it, because he knows that it hurt Betty. He can also probably guess what he said because he knows what he feels and how it can be exaggerated when he's feeling depressed or under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Generally if you actually admit what you're thinking or feeling when you know it would hurt someone, you feel bad about it. It doesn't matter if it's true or not, or if you're under the influence. A good person apologizes if they know they hurt someone. Jughead is a good person.

Just a note here, I've seen other people saying that Betty's actions while high should be excused just like people have said Jughead's voicemail should be excused because he was under the influence. Being under the influence DOES NOT excuse the voicemail.

The fact that Betty cheated on Jughead, did continue to sneak around with Archie while debating whether or not she wanted to "officially" pursue him, hid the whole affair until Jughead actually caught on and she had to make up a direct lie to his face or confess, never actually explained anything to Jughead (things like she was the one who stopped the affair, she wanted to stay with Jughead, etc.) even after he asked if they could talk about it, stood him up at Pop's a year later, and then stood him up again at the book release party justify Jughead's voicemail. And he has apologized for it twice.

2. That is why it was so intensely frustrating for Betty to just brush off his apology (again) and then turn the conversation to her, but without actually apologizing for anything. When Jughead mentioned not really being able to remember the voicemail, she could have brought up what bothered her in it so (a) he would know and (b) they could actually discuss the issues, which could have led into Betty actually explaining what happened with the cheating, including how the affair ended, and she could have apologized for that. It still wouldn't have been fully satisfying because Betty never apologizes first for her actions, but it would've been better than nothing. She also could have apologized for standing him up, although at least she explained why she didn't make it to the book release party.

3. However, she still didn't admit to or apologize for giving away Jughead's manuscript. The entire reason Jughead relapsed into drinking and almost plagiarized Cora is because Betty gave Jessica his manuscript. No, Betty does not get credit for "saving" Jughead because she was present when he got a phone call from Samm and admitted that he wasn't the author. She's the reason he was in that position in the first place. Yes, she had been drugged. Yes, Tabitha was present and didn't stop her. No, neither of those things excuse it. It also doesn't excuse her from sharing the voicemail with Tabitha and Jessica.

Why not? She and Tabitha were still shown as functional when all of this happened. Jessica admitted that she drugged them to try to get the manuscript. They were both capable of thinking and arguing. Betty chose to give the manuscript to Jessica. It wasn't until afterward that Betty and Tabitha started being really impacted by the drugs. Jughead's manuscript wasn't Betty's (or Tabitha's) to give away and doing so completely screwed Jughead over.

There are some questions here--did he switch over to his typewriter and that's why there was no backup? did he forget to save a copy on his laptop? did his laptop crash or get lost? who knows, but in the story it doesn't matter. There was one copy and Betty gave it away, placing Jughead in the position of losing his agent or plagiarizing another author.

Also, for playing the voicemail, Jessica had just brought the drugged fries to the table. No one is shown as having felt the effects of the drugs until Tabitha made a comment about being warm after the voicemail is over. Betty had been reluctant to help from the beginning, before Tabitha mentioned the "don't be a Betty" line, and made fairly rude comments about Jughead throughout the episode. I don't think she needs to apologize to Jughead for sharing it, but I also thought that playing the victim and having some people blame it on "being high" was ridiculous.

4. You cannot convince me that Betty cares about Jughead in the slightest when he was telling her he was an alcoholic and he's trying to get better and he's clearly drinking alcohol right in front of her and her response is "I'm an addict, too. I'm addicted to serial killers." She's struggling, yes, and it's good that she's opening up, but if she cared about Jughead at all an appropriate response here would be "So, why are you drinking?" or "are you okay?" Show some sort of concern for someone who is relapsing in front of your face. Jughead does it for Betty when he suggests she should take a break, even though he's in a moral quandary caused by Betty, depressed, and drunk.

Also, no, chasing serial killers is not an addiction in the same way as drugs or alcohol and it's insulting to say they're the same. Chasing serial killers could be described as a compulsion for Betty, or a hyperfixation, but it's not the same. It's difficult, but you can choose to not follow a compulsion without experiencing the often severe physical side effects experienced by actual addicts. I'm glad Betty recognized that she has a problem, but no, that is not an addiction.

5. The entire conversation is extremely awkward. It's clear that it isn't what Jughead had in mind, but his life that he had just been starting to get back together fell apart. He sank to new (or at least different) lows. Betty seemed like she wanted to leave as soon as she got there (understandable given how awkward it was, even secondhand) and disappeared once Jughead was distracted by a phone call. It's understandable, but disappointing. The part that was really frustrating, though, was that after talking to Jughead about how unhealthy her serial killer obsession is and how she's worried about her mom, she still goes out. Alice was passed out on the couch, which Betty paused to acknowledge. That should have been a turning point for Betty and it just wasn't. Screw these writers.

6. I loved that Tabitha and Jughead had mutual apologies, discussed their issues, and genuinely seemed to care about each other. I also loved that Jughead still cares and worries about Betty (frustrating as it is when it seems unreciprocated) because it's so true to Jughead's character.

7. It is absolutely fine and understandable if Betty has moved on from Jughead. She seemed to believe that if he found out about the cheating in their senior year, it would be the end of their relationship. She started shutting him out and trying to move on the next day.

However, as a Jughead fan, it's intensely annoying to see him still struggling with the lack of closure and continuing to have feelings for Betty after all of that. I would have preferred to see either both of them move on, then rediscover each other later (or not, depending on where the show is going), or have Betty be the one who still clearly has feelings for Jughead and have her regret blowing up the relationship.

8. Overall, I hate a lot of what the writers have done this season. I don't particularly like any of the backstories for the characters during the time jump, I don't like each character following a separate plot line(s), the lack of interaction between characters, and how disjointed everything feels.

The mothman plot was interesting, but seems destined for a disappointing end. There have been a lot of missed opportunities to bring storylines together (Jughead went missing while Archie was looking for escaped prisoners, he could have found Jughead; Jughead hitchhiked with a random trucker, even without the trucker attacking him he could have seen clues or found Polly; Sweet Pea or Fangs could have seen Betty playing hooker and organized an intervention instead of having the weird cult plot line; I'm sure there's more). Maybe it'll be better with a binge watch, but I'm having trouble maintaining interest in the final three episodes, let alone rewatching this mess of a season.

BONUS: I was relieved that the Bughead talk did not go with my worst case scenario. Based on the possible B/A return, I was a little bit worried that Jughead would apologize for the voicemail and remember what he said, then talk about how he always knew Betty had feelings for Archie. Betty, who said she'd been "wanting this since high school," would then nod along and say she was sorry for hurting him, but acknowledge those feelings. Then Jughead would ask why they never acted on those feelings after the breakup, Betty would talk about the FWB, and Jughead would go full B/A cheerleader and tell her to give it a chance (like the Pacey and Joey chat about Dawson at Mitch's funeral in Dawson's Creek). I was dreading that possibility and I'm so glad the show didn't go there. I'm sorry if I've given anyone nightmares.

#anti betty cooper #rd fandom negativity #riverdale writers negativity #anti barchie

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