#I am determined to keep this fandom alive no matter what

[zsbrainrot]

Maybe it sounds silly, but Buddy Daddies was honestly one of the highlights of 2023 for me. Not only did I meet some truly wonderful people within the fandom, but for the first time in years I actually felt motivated to write and draw again.

Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to bring this family to life. Hopefully we get to see more of them in the years to come, but whether or not we ever get more official content, this beautiful little family will always live rent free in my heart.

Happy New Year Everyone!! ❤️💙🩷

Version without text just for funsies

[dollypopup]

everyone in the Lukola fandom spiraling once again (which i only know because as a fan of Luke Newton, I go to his tag and y'all spam the SHIT OUT OF IT) and here I am to say that THIS is why you don't get too involved in your delusions and speculations. The Lukola fandom LOVES to claim that it's all fun and games and just theories. . .until those theories are disproved. and then they turn into a raging hate machine that digs themselves in the dirt of their echo chamber with their fingers in their ears and their hands over their eyes.

putting aside the horrific misogyny his girlfriend has gotten, the very idea that y'all will 'stop shipping when they announce they're with someone else' is ridiculous. they have BEEN saying it, but without words. y'all just don't want to hear it. listen to me closely, if someone doesn't 'claim' you on social media, but you KNOW they've been harassed and stalked and bullied and smack dab in the public eye, but they take you on all their trips and meet your family and hang out with you and introduce you to their friends? you've BEEN 'claimed'. just not to cruel hearted fans, but to those who matter. it's clear to me that Luke is doing what he can to keep his girlfriend from being attacked by a wide audience on social media, and no he's not going to come out publicly with it because he has *learned his lesson*. he has had several public relationships fall to tatters and has had previous partners harassed, even on her work instagram, so one day y'all will have to swallow the pill.

nicola is not pregnant with luke's child (this shit was disrespectful to claim in the first place). her and luke are not married or living together. they are not dating. they are in a relationship with other people, and are yes, friends, but more importantly, coworkers. their financial lives are very much tied into upholding a fantasy for people. so on top of not wanting to expose their partners to the absolutely bananas fandom, they are financially motivated to be amicable about Lukola's disrespectful theories. especially Luke, who was, as he claimed openly, broke and looking for a job as he couchsurfed and part time bartended prior to Bridgerton to make ends meet. he's not letting go of the consistency of a yearly gig or the opportunities it brings. selling the costar love story fantasy is a common pr tactic, so of course they're going to be invested in selling the fantasy people fell for. hence bringing one another up in 'romantic hints' in interviews. they are just doing their job. which is acting. not LYING as some of y'all love to clutch your pearls about when you feel they have 'deceived you'

Luke's entire Sexiest Man Alive interview was very purposefully distanced from him as a person. It's clear in his mind that this was a character he was putting on- he does not feel comfortable describing himself as a heartthrob as he has said outright, and his answers in the This or That portion are clearly from Colin's perspective. It is COLIN'S time to shine and be desirable in this way, not Luke's. Which is what Nicola likely means when she says Luke has no ego in it. but there's something very important to put in place here:

Luke is not Colin. He is an actor playing a character. But y'all TREAT HIM like he's Colin. You treat him like he's fictional. Not a real person. And you do the same to Nicola. They are not Polin. They are not their characters. They are real actual human beings you will never personally know.

this man has been STALKED. someone moved across the ocean to the UK to peek into the windows of his home to determine if he was still living there and with a girlfriend. thank god he'd moved prior to that because the trauma of that is horrific. y'all have turned him and nicola into characters you can speculate about instead of creatives whose personas you enjoy.

you. do. not. know. these. people.

they are strangers. please keep that in mind when y'all hop on this parasocial bullshit. stop convincing yourselves that your 'delulu' and speculation is real. and yes, you do that because if you didn't think it was real, you wouldn't get mad when it turns out to be false.

treat the creatives you claim to support with respect. and accept the reality of things.

or at the very least get out of their tags and keep your echo chamber's door shut

[beanghostprincess]

What’s so fascinating about shuggy that makes you go this wild? Aren’t shanks completely over this guy? And buggy just bitter? Am I interpreting it wrong?

I'm not gonna ask whether you want the short or the long version, because I'm gonna give you the longest, gayest version no matter what you tell me. So. Yeah. I think I'm kind of crazy about them but in a very normal way (I just lied on the internet). I'm gonna answer your last three questions before actually getting into the subject of why Shuggy makes me go so wild:

(Spoilers: manga ch.1082 and that Wano flashback)

Shanks being "completely over this guy" would be a very simple way to put his feelings for Buggy into words, I think. Although the fandom exaggerates the way he feels for him (turning into obsession and just complete depression) for fun or for angst purposes (I must say I don't really dislike it and I do believe Shanks still holds Buggy close to his heart in this way, and if we talk in a shippy way, he's definitely the clingy one) I think Shanks isn't completely over Buggy. At least not in the cynical way some people say. I think that after parting ways, Shanks accepted Buggy leaving him. I don't think he quite understands his reasons (he never will, tbh) but accepted his decision. I think he tried to choose the more mature way (not that he had other options) and moved on. But moving on doesn't mean forgetting or being completely over someone, because I wholeheartedly think that even if Buggy isn't on his mind 24/7, he's still one of the most important people in Shanks' life and story. Buggy is there in the back of his mind like a catchy song you can't get rid of, you know? It itches sometimes, too, but Shanks can't do anything about it so he just lives with it. To Shanks, he would gladly reconnect with Buggy and go back to the way they were in the blink of an eye, but he knows it can't be. I think Shanks has moved on but the second somebody mentions Buggy he goes into nostalgia mode and thinks about their times together back when they were just kids with endless dreams aboard the Oro Jackson. I think Shanks has more things to worry about than his past to be the way the fandom portrays him, but that doesn't mean he has completely forgotten about it and doesn't want Buggy back. Because he definitely does.

Buggy is- He isn't just bitter. I don't think you can say Buggy is just bitter when Shanks' decision was what determined his whole life. Leaving the thing about the map and the devil fruit aside (which also affects the story but we know his resentment isn't really about that) Buggy has every right to feel the way he does towards Shanks. Perhaps it's just that I find this pathetic clown to be very relatable, but I will always be both a Buggy apologist and defender. I'll probably get into a more detailed version of this later, but Buggy isn't just bitter. Buggy is rightfully frustrated at how his life ended up to be without Shanks. "But he's the one who left Shanks"... Is he, though? He did leave Shanks physically, but Shanks was the first to break the relationship. The thing about Buggy that I absolutely love is how his character portrays envy and jealousy into a... I wouldn't say healthy way, but at least not a damaging way to Shanks. Despite fighting all the time, they obviously loved and cared for each other. Being best friends and the youngest of the crew, always together in both the worst and best of their moments, etc. So Buggy, even though he lived as Shanks' shadow, that isn't why he's resentful towards him. He could be angry about that, right? Just bitter Roger chose him to keep his legacy alive instead of him. But no. Buggy chose to follow Shanks instead because he trusted him. Because he thought "Well, I might not be able to follow my dream, but Shanks will do it for us as our captain's legacy". Which makes sense because they were so damn close. They're always together. Like. Just watch/read the Oden flashback. Their presentation was even together, lmfao. And when they talk about them, they mention them together. The whole thing about Shanks not going to Laugh Tale to take care of Buggy? It's just- It's just so obvious that they were best friends and intended to be together forever. Buggy was willing to follow Shanks until the end of the world until Shanks hesitated when asked about following Roger's steps (Buggy doesn't actually say he'll be in Shanks' crew, but the way he reacts to Shanks' words makes me think he would've accepted to go with him as a co-captain until... Well. Yeah. That happened). And like, I get it. Shanks knew they were too young. Shanks knew they needed to grow up and live more experiences as pirates before going to Laugh Tale and for the One Piece. For Shanks it's just a little pause before they actually fulfill their dreams. But for Buggy? For Buggy, his whole world is crumbling down because the person he trusted the most literally told him he wasn't going to follow their dream. For Buggy, Shanks doesn't take the role of Roger's legacy seriously enough, so it's unfair. It's unfair that he had to leave his dream behind for him. It's unfair that he trusted him. It's unfair that Shanks didn't believe in himself. It's unfair that their captain died. It's unfair that now Buggy has to be completely on his own, with no ability to swim and no map to follow because Shanks also ruined that for him. So, yeah, Buggy is a bit more than just bitter, and rightfully so. It's classic miscommunication because obviously, Shanks wasn't going to give up on going to Laugh Tale, but Buggy takes it that way. And he also sees it as Shanks doubting himself and the dream and it's unfair that the one who got the straw hat is the one to hesitate, and the one who didn't get anything is the one who wants to fight for their dream. Buggy is more than just bitter. I know it's played for laughs, but his grudge towards Shanks is deeper than that.

You are not interpreting it wrong, tbh. I think the fandom just exaggerates their behavior and in canon you pretty much have to analyze the characters to fully understand them. If you're not a fan of these two characters, their whole relationship can feel like "Oh, they were just friends in the same crew" even when it's way deeper than that. Although I think chapter 1082 (my favorite chapter ngl I've read it so many times google instantly shows it to me when I look for the page where I read OP) explains what I just said pretty well from Buggy's POV.

So now onto the real question, what's so fascinating about Shuggy?

I'm gonna be honest with you, before writing this I have to say that I have a tendency to love these types of ships. Soukoku (BSD) and Satosugu (JJK) are no exception and they follow the same "former BFFs/partners who turned into enemies and are very very gay". The reason I like these three ships so much is probably because of personal experiences I'm not gonna talk about, but somebody mentioned something very interesting about lesbians/sapphics relating to these ships because we always have this experience about having a really close girl bff that we have a crush on, but since we don't acknowledge the real feelings, it ends up in a very toxic way that leads only to resentment and nostalgia. And, you know, as a lesbian who has been through that I can confirm wholeheartedly that this is why Shuggy is so important to me (considering Shuggy a ship for the lesbians in my heart </3)

Leaving that aside and the fact that childhood best friends to lovers is like my favorite trope, I just think their characters are so perfectly written. And it's surprising because they barely have scenes talking about each other or being with each other (Marineford is Shuggys' Roman Empire atp, although I will always remember that first flashback in episode 8 in the anime. That changed my life fr). But their story is made with so much care and love for the characters (it's obvious Oda likes Buggy a lot) that you can feel it. At least I do. Because although not having many scenes they've completely taken over my heart and soul.

Shanks is a very complicated character due to lack of information and the fact that we know he hides something deeper, but he is, after all, a symbol of hope and dreams. At least for our main character. Shanks is the main reason why Luffy becomes a pirate and there are so many parallelisms between them that I can't count them. I find it so ironic that the symbol of hope and freedom Luffy follows is actually somebody who crushed somebody's dreams and hopes. Talk about irony, right? And then we have Buggy, who's the complete opposite. With Buggy's first appearance (and honestly all of his scenes until the Wano flashback and chapter 1082) we think he's one of the bad guys. And yeah, all of them are like that because they're pirates and yadda yadda. But I'm talking about "bad guy" as in "bad bad person with no hopes and dreams and that is just interested in being feared and powerful". And he is a failguy. A very funny one, too. But he's so much more. And the fact that this comedic relief character that's always played for laughs when it comes to his own misery turns out to be the one who has the biggest of dreams and the biggest of heartbreaks about it? It just shatters my heart.

Shuggy makes me go wild because of Buggy, mostly, ngl. I wouldn't like Shanks this much if it wasn't for Shuggy, probably (I love him a ton outside of his relationship with Buggy, but you know, it makes things a lot easier). I like Shuggy because the topics the ship touches are very emotional and angsty and they crush me completely. Buggy living in Shanks' shadow? Buggy wanting to follow Roger's steps and following Shanks instead because his self-esteem disappeared the moment his captain's legacy ended up on Shanks instead of him? The trust he had in Shanks? The way Shanks hesitates and the way Buggy refuses to follow somebody like that? Buggy running away on his own because he gave up his dream for somebody who doesn't even treat it the way it deserves? It's just heartbreaking. Especially if you have in mind that they just lost the man that raised them.

Buggy then becomes somebody that people make fun of and ridicule, and they don't even think about the possibility of him being part of the crew of the king of the pirates. And when they find out, they can't believe it. They don't talk about this much, but I think that it must hurt so fucking much to be seen this way. He was just as important as Shanks. Roger loved him too. And to this day, being Shanks' shadow still haunts him. I love the angst Shuggy has. It breaks me and I love it.

Then, (and this is something I adore) with the creation of Cross Guild, Buggy has the chance to get out of Shanks' shadow. He's surrounded by two guys who only think about money and stability and business and... It's boring, isn't it? It's not flashy! And I think he has this realization of "this is my chance to prove I'm worth something. This is my chance to actually go for my dream. Mine" because these two idiots keep talking about boring things instead of following their dreams and aspirations and bigger things! And it just shows how much Buggy truly cared about Laugh Tale and the One Piece and how much he has had to wait for it. And this has nothing to do with Shuggy, I just really love this fucking clown.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that I love Shanks making Buggy lose the map and eat the devil fruit. Because, okay, in retrospect it feels very stupid because it was a simple accident. But just hear me out- Even though it was an accident, Buggy lost his ability to swim for powers he didn't want. He lost the ability of independence, because what's a pirate on his own if he can't swim? He lost his individuality that night, and we see him depend on others constantly throughout the show. And Shanks mentioning that Buggy is a great swimmer? Oh, fuck you Oda for making me cry so early in the show. Then, the map. He lost his individuality and then he lost the only thing that led him to a future with treasures and his dreams. Then again, losing his independence because he couldn't just go on his own without a map. Fucking great. The fact that Shanks jumps to rescue him the second Buggy starts to drown haunts me at night, too. They're just so-- Ugh.

But Shuggy is not everything about Buggy's resentment and angst. And it's not about Shanks missing him and wanting his best friend back because he doesn't know what happened for him to run away so easily.

It's also about unconditional love, and I am so passionate about that. Shanks care and love for Buggy is something the fandom exaggerates but... These people are not wrong, tbh. Shanks gave up his dream to go to Laugh Tale (postponed it) to stay with Buggy and take care of him because he was sick. Shanks is a very selfless person all the way, and when it comes to Buggy it seems that he doesn't hesitate to put him first (in serious situations. Their usual arguments don't count. They're just stupid, and love to argue and fight like the divorced couple they are). And besides, this happens right in the same episode after Toki gets sick and Oden wants to take care of her but she forces him to follow his dream and leave her behind. Like- What the actual fuck. Ah, yes, parallel the main couple in the Wano arc. I'm sure that's not romantic at all. The difference is that Shanks stayed. And god, does that hurt. Especially when he says they'll go on their own one day, because it shows he cared about Laugh Tale too (I mean, ofc, but from Buggy's POV it's just different).

To end this I also want to say that, leaving the whole deep analysis behind: Their personalities just match. They're funny to watch. They're cute. They have an angsty story behind them. They won't stop arguing like little kids but they care for each other still. They are chaotic. They're just... Perfect for each other.

Hope you liked my tiny essay about them because I could've kept going on and on and on about it, but some people (like me, sadly) have to wake up early tomorrow to work instead of just posting about gay fictional characters (somebody please pay me to do these things and I'll stay on tumblr 24/7).

[aita-blorbos]

(Cw mild brief descriptions of gore)

AITA for knowingly sending my son into a death trap?

I (61M) have owned this rental location for animatronics for several years ago, and have been using them for experiments for a while since one of them killed my daughter and got the restaurant shut down. Now, recently they've been becoming increasingly aggressive towards me, as I give them controlled shocks to keep them in line, and they're partially made from the souls of five children I murdered. And so, I can no longer go down there.

So what I did is asked my son (26M) to head down there, telling him that he could put his sister (died several years ago) back together. What ended up happening was the animatronics down there fused themselves into one being, scooped all of my son's organs out, and wore him as a skinsuit while his body rotted away, before leaving his corpse on the sidewalk. He died, of course, but came back to life, and proceeded to send me a voicemail threatening my life.

Now, I know I do not come across well here. But you must understand, there was much on the line for me. Did I know my son would most likely die if he was sent down there? Of course! He's always resembled me, after all. And was I the one to cause the deaths of the souls haunting the animatronics, including my daughter's? Absolutely. But I am a scientist first and a father, and had I not been able to keep my experiments going... knowledge is an immensely meaningful pursuit. You expect me to give that up, for what?

And my son isn't blameless either. You see, when he was fourteen, he played a practical joke on my other son, and caused his death. And to send me, his father, a threatening voicemail because he's angry I didn't tell him everything is simply disrespectful. Why, that voicemail prompted me to take apart the other animatronics that had the dead childrens' souls, and they proceeded to corner me, making me fear for my life! I went into the suit that I used to kill those children because of their threats, and it painfully slaughtered me, causing me to bleed out slowly and painfully! How could anyone side with him for that? All this grief I've been given, all because my son decided to threaten my life after I sent him into a deathtrap.

Now, of course, I am still alive. My body is bleeding out and barely functional, but one thing you must know about me is that I am an immensely determined man. I refuse to succumb to something as menial as death. Even if it did take me for a moment, even if it took me for several years, I'll never let myself simply fall into its jaws. No matter what, I'll always come back.

This brings up the fact that my son is still alive, and functionally immortal, all thanks to me! Granted, his body is rotting away and he's become a shambling corpse that's just barely keeping itself together, but he is still alive. And my death was far more painful- his organs getting scooped out only hurt for a moment, while I've been left with sharp pieces of metal and electronics piercing my entire body as I bleed out. He has the nerve to think he's entitled to hunt me down after I caused his painful death, while MY death was far worse?

And so, I return to the question I asked at the start of this post. I knowingly sent my son into a deathtrap, and he proceeded to send me a threatening voicemail. I truly and honestly do not think I was in the wrong here, but I find your feedback extremely valuable. AITA?

(Fandom: FNAF)

[tomatocages]

sdgjkal idk if this is the type of meta you'd want to write but I admire so much how knowledgeable you are about GROWING STUFF and about BAKING and I love the fandom's penchant for giving Shiro post-war hobbies to keep the PTSD goblins at bay so like, aside from strictly building headcanon situations i would love to hear your thoughts on his hobbies as META, like, thematically speaking, what will heal, how does he approach it, how does it relate to creativity and growth !!!!!!!!!!

I have been ruminating on this a lot and I hope my answer is something that actually answers your question! it's at the very least the start of a conversation. I give Shiro the same hobbies that I have, in many ways - fiber arts and baking and gardening - because these are the things that I use to hold on to living in a physical world, sometimes by the skin of my teeth. by my fingernails. It's hard to have a body and to be a person, and I always have the haunting sense that Shiro struggles with that in the wake of the war: in the wake of being a prisoner, who had to fight to survive; in the wake of having died and been caught inside the astral plane, becoming a ghost to himself and to others. I don't actually relate to Shiro very much, which is funny because in many ways I think I have a similar approach to responsibility that his character demonstrates (slightly resentful, but determined to do as good a job as he can, given the circumstances, even if that job is sometimes done poorly). The reason I grow a garden, or knit, or bake croissants, is because going through the motions is ultimately convincing to me. I am convinced that this action holds weight. The hat I knit for someone is a commitment I have made to keep them warm, the quilt I sewed when my nephew was born as a way of saying that I wanted to welcome him into a world that was more terrifying than not. These things take the burden of living off my shoulders and grant me some small measure of satisfaction, and I hope that in my writing I'm able to convey that Shiro is open to and deserving of this kind of satisfaction. That he is willing to put in the work that will help him survive and thrive. It's not a sense of ambition, exactly - I get the sense that pre-Kerberos, Shiro was very ambitious and somewhat idealistic - but it's a a kind of hope that has to be held in gritted teeth. Sometimes those teeth are gritted in a smile, sometimes not. But it's the process that matters. It's notable too that even if these hobbies are considered creative, they still have a quality of repetition and practicality; it's following a pattern. Directions for being a human person. Soup is either very creative or very boring, but either way, you'll be fed. Part of this too is my resentful, core belief that I am here on this earth and I should help other people while I walk up and down in it! And sometimes the only way to do that is to make someone dinner. I think that having some small kind of saving-the-world task to fall back on, after being a DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE, after being a champion of a gladiatorial arena, after being a star student in a quasi-military space program, would be a relief. Domestic work feels meaningful to me because it is the scaffolding of everyday life. (I'm not going to go into the religious baggage that I have from my upbringing here because it is too much, but I think these things are important even though for many years I was told domestic labor was the only gift I had to offer. And it was not a gift I wanted to give.) Still. There's something comforting about making something new out of very insignificant parts. I want that little bit of comfort to be present in Shiro's postwar hobbies, because I want all of the paladins to have that mundane experience of grace. Of waking up and getting on with things, not because the universe is at war, but because -- I don't know. You love someone so you're going to knit them a hat. And they're alive to wear it.

[whiskeysmulti]

Written But Never Sent (A KHR Fanfic)

Fandom: KHR Ship: 0027 (Enma/Tsuna) Word Count: 1,017 Prompt: Written But Never Sent Event Host: @flufftober

Tsuna couldn't believe what he'd heard as the truth of the Vongola and Simon families was revealed when the keys were opened and the memories of the first bosses were revealed. They'd been friends the whole time, the Simon only went into hiding because of a threat from Daemon to begin with that nearly cost their lives. Primo had never betrayed them, it was all a lie.

Now the battles were over with and the broken bond between both families was well on it's way to being repaired and the years of trauma and isolation on the Simon ready to begin the healing process, Tsuna sat down at his desk at home, he owed Enma a proper apology at least. But how do you apologize for something that happened nearly a hundred years ago that hadn't been the accused's fault to begin with? How do you explain to them that you had been allies the entire time, you were told a different story than they were, they had just been lied to and used as pawns by one person who had good intentions but did the wrong thing centuries ago. Tsuna had to write a letter.

"Dear Enma,

I'm sorry that your family was lied to for so long. I'm sorry that the Simon family spent years in isolation because one of the Vongola couldn't be trusted because he'd misunderstood his loved one's final wishes."

The more Tsuna thought about it, Daemon couldn't be blamed either if he was being honest with himself about this, grief can make a man do crazy things, but grieving your soulmate can make you do bad things too. Daemon was merely a victim of pain and suffering and simply misunderstood his late loved one's last wish for the Vongola to be made much stronger. Tsuna continued writing.

"I hope we can somehow put this behind us and our families can once again be good friends. I never wanted to become a Mafia Don so I never considered you merely an ally, you were always someone I wanted to be friends with. I saw the same pain in your eyes that I always had. And instead of feeling pity, it made me want to befriend you even more. Because I know how lonely it can get. I don't ever want to see someone else suffer that same pain, I'm reaching out to you in the hopes we can make amends someday at least. The Simon family shouldn't have to live in isolation and fear, I will restore that bond with you again if it's the last thing I ever do."

His convictions and determination would drive Tsuna to do whatever it took to restore the broken bond between the Vongola and Simon. He'd vowed then and there to protect Enma and bring his heart back to the light and keep it there no matter what or how long it took.

"I will do everything I can to protect you and bring your heart back to the light. It's unfair what happened to you and your guardians and the generations before you. I promise that as long as I am alive and still capable, you will never go through that again. I can't heal the suffering you've already been through, but I am damn determined to prevent it from recurring again. You didn't deserve to go through that Enma. I know your predecessor thought it was for the best, but I can see the pain in your eyes and I'm determined to save you no matter what the hell I have to do about it. You deserve love, you deserve another chance. I want the same thing your first boss wanted, for us all to laugh together again in a world that's safe for you guys. Let us put these differences aside, Enma-kun and laugh together once again. I want to be your friend and be there for you always, you will never be forced to hide again."

There wasn't much else to say, Tsuna had poured his heart out in three short paragraphs. Now all that was left to do was sign it and get the envelope ready so it could be mailed to Enma. However, when he got up to go get the envelope, Tsuna didn't expect what would happen next.

He wouldn't even have to mail the letter. Enma and his guardians had stopped by for a visit. There would be no need to mail it now. Fate had determined it was better off not sent and would be easier to just hand deliver it in person apparently. "Enma-kun! So glad you're here. I was just writing a letter to you! Ah, there's so much I wanted to explain but never could and I finally got the time to sit and think and actually write a proper apology note to you." Tsuna bowed in respect. "Please accept my sincerest apologies. Let me get the letter, it's on my desk."

Tsuna rushed upstairs and found the letter, he quickly grabbed the pen and signed it before rushing downstairs to hand it over to Enma. The letter wasn't exactly sent, but more like hand delivered this time, it still should count, shouldn't it? Because it was Tsuna's words that made all the difference right now.

A tear ran down Enma's face as he read it. He felt so bad for how he'd acted before, falsely believing the Vongola were horrible and had caused all the Simon's suffering for decades when they hadn't, the first Simon boss had simply gone into hiding to protect all of them, putting the family's sake first as any good leader would. "Ah, apology accepted, Tsuna. Let's go get lunch together, this time as friends." Enma suggested.

Tsuna nodded in agreement, he was pretty hungry and Enma had just forgiven them and accepted the letter, things couldn't be better right now. "Sure, Enma-kun. What are you in the mood for? It'll be my treat." Tsuna ran and grabbed his wallet, the letter safely delivered now, the two could move on and start over, as best friends this time.

[leprosycock]

please explain what you see in athf 💀

i know this is going to sound insane before i even attempt to make my point but: if you were to take all these very intriguing very real very human characteristics from this incredibly nonsensical surreal universe and put them into the bodies of people, no matter how unattractive, they would have a much bigger fandom/fujo presence than they do. but instead you have to work with the flash animated fast food bodies. so fucking like okay yeah whatever. but i am god's chosen fujoshi. i'll make it work. and i do!!

shake is a deeply fascinating character, horribly insecure and violent and selfish and bitter and mean and bigoted and sadistic and a possible psychopath and determined to destroy the life of his brain-damaged manchild roommate for no reason other than the fact that it thrills him and adds a spark of demented joy to his miserable, frustrated, angry, sexless existence. fryIock is more or less a tortured artist, definitely a tortured scientist, stuck forever in squalor with shake and their illegitimate son because he cannot and will not leave. he's canonically fostered a codependent relationship with primarily shake that's so destructive that no matter what shake does, fryIock won't ever leave because they feed on each other's misery and need it to keep each other alive. sure i know there are plenty of episodes where one dies and the other continues to live his life in continued apathy and boredom amid whatever current chaos has befallen the earth, but there's a reason why they always return to form. i personally choose to believe that it's true love <3

[a-reader-and-a-writer-for-all]

Bleeding Heart (Part 1)

Fandom: The Suicide Squad (Spoilers for Movie), Rick Flag

Summary: Rick has a mysterious new recruit on Task Force X. Without being provided any information, Rick will have to learn about this new team member on the job. 

Word Count: 4191

TW: Powers that Allow Transference of Injuries, Blood, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, Canon Injuries, Reader Death

Part 1, Part 2

Series Masterlist

In all the years he had been in command of Task Force X, Rick Flag had thought he had seen everything when it came to new recruits. Every file that crossed his desk provided detailed descriptions of the new members including their relevant skills or abilities, assets to the team, reason for imprisonment in Belle Reve, and remaining time on their sentence. He had grown so numb to the bizarre and impossible material, that he barely glanced at the information as he thumbed through the files anymore. That was, until he came across your file. He made it to the third page before he registered something amiss. Flipping back to the start, he stared at line after line of black stripes that filled the page. And the next page, and the next, and the next, all the way to the end. Excluding the small information box on the front, every line of the file had been redacted. All he was left with was an alias, date of birth, and physical description.

Rick wasn’t sure what to make of it. Sure, other files had contained some information that had been deemed too top secret for his eyes, but it was usually just a name or location. Occasionally, a few lines or even a paragraph may be omitted, but never entire pages. Gathering the file, Rick stormed off to get some answers.

He found his boss in the control room preparing for the next mission. Throwing your file on the table, he demanded, “What the hell is this?”

Amanda Waller didn’t even glance at the file. “Your newest recruit.”

“There’s no information here. I have an alias. That’s it. What am I supposed to do with that? I know nothing about her abilities, her skills. Hell, I don’t even know what she did to get thrown in here or how long she’s going to be staying.”

“Doesn’t matter. All you need to know is that she is very important, so you need to keep her safe. She doesn’t have the training your usual members have, so keep a close eye on her.”

“You expect me to babysit an unskilled, inexperienced inmate while in the middle of a war zone?”

“I expect you to do your job. Keep her alive. At least until she has time to do her job.” Waller walked off towards her office, signaling the end of the discussion.

All Rick could do was scowl at her retreating form. He knew that nothing good came from trying to argue with Waller. He just hoped this new girl didn’t get him killed.

It turned out, Rick was right to worry. From the second the team touched down, you were a trembling mess of nerves and fears. Placing a hand on your shoulder, Rick tried to calm you down. “It’s okay. I’ve got your back.” You nodded frantically, eyes wide as saucers, but you gave Rick a small smile.

However, within minutes, you were cowering behind a burning car, hands pressed firmly over your ears as you rocked back and forth anxiously. Rick had more important things to do, but he was forced to stand by your side and take out any assailant who approached your location. Cursing under his breath as he took down yet another enemy, he heard you cry out in warning. Before he could react, he felt a sharp pain sear down his side. Turning, he watched a man smile wickedly as he pulled his knife out of Rick’s side. Rick used his gun to make short work of him, but the damage had already been done. Stumbling slightly, Rick collapsed to the ground. Blood gushed through his fingers as he desperately tried to apply pressure to the wound. But it was of little use, the knife had gone in too deep.

Suddenly, he felt you at his side. As he looked up, he expected to see fear and horror painted across your face. Instead, you had a sweet yet determined smile on your lips, sporting a confidence Rick had not seen in you since the two of you had been introduced. Without a word, you gently placed your hands on his side. Closing your eyes, you took a deep breath. Rick felt a strange, warm pulling sensation deep in his wound. Glancing down, he could see the gush of blood slow to a stream then to a trickle. As you fell back with a hiss, Rick watched as blood began staining your shirt in the exact same spot as his wound. As he glanced back and forth between the two identically placed wounds, you smiled weakly up at him, “Don’t worry Colonel, I’ve got your back too.”

Later, once the mission was over and the surviving members of Task Force X were on the plane heading back to Belle Reve, Rick had examined his side. While there was still a small gash, it appeared to be little more than a graze compared to the deep puncture he knew it had been. He glanced over to where you were currently sitting, hunched over and half-asleep.

He had seen when the medics had removed your long sleeved, high collared shirt and gloves to work on your injury. Your torso and arms were covered with hundreds of scars of various sizes and severities, many of which overlapped each other. Scars, Rick had a feeling, that someone else had earned. It had taken five stitches and a pint of blood to stabilize you. And Rick noticed that even though you had been terrified during the mission, you didn’t even bat an eye when the medic pulled out his needle and began sewing you up. Like you had done this a thousand times before. But this time, it was all because you had taken his injury.

Rick walked over to where you were sitting. You smiled up at him through sleepy, half-lidded eyes. “Colonel.”

“Are you going to explain what the hell happened out there?”

You blinked sharply, rousing yourself awake. “Um, I’m not sure what you mean?....Colonel? Sir?”

“I’m talking about the gaping wound in my side that somehow ended up on you.”

“Oh, that. I can absorb an injury from someone to myself, taking as much or as little of it as I want. But however much I heal it, that much is inflicted back onto me. I figured this would all be in my file.”

“Your file contains almost no information about you. Nothing about your powers, why you are in Belle Reve, or how long your sentence is. I’m not even sure of your real name. All I have is your alias, Aceso.”

You shook your head. “I guess I’m not surprised she hid all my information. Oh, and I’ve never gone by that name outside of Belle Reve. That’s just the name Waller assigned me to help her hide me in the system. Apparently, she said Aceso was the Greek Goddess of the healing process, or something like that.” You rolled your eyes. “I never had an alias. I never did anything where I needed one.”

Rick’s brow furrowed in confusion, and he crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Then what did you do to get thrown in here?”

“I was born,” you said sarcastically. When you saw Rick seemed even more confused than before, you elaborated. “I can’t prove any of this. I’m only going off of things I saw, or Waller has said to me, or I’ve overheard. But what I think happened is she got wind of my abilities and what I was capable of, and she wanted that power for herself. So, one night, a bunch of henchmen for various Gotham villains – you know the Joker, the Penguin, the Riddler, guys like that – broke into my apartment demanding that I heal them. Before I even knew what was happening, the police showed up and arrested everyone. I was charged with being an accessory after the fact to any of their charges, and by association, the villains’ charges as well. I lost count of how many life sentences they finally settled on. I know Waller was behind the whole thing, but she was smart enough and connected enough to hide her tracks extremely well.”

“But why do you think Waller was behind everything?”

“Well, she came to see me three days before I was arrested. She was asking me all kinds of questions about what I could do, how big of an injury I could transfer, how long it took me to heal afterwards, stuff like that. She wasn’t the first person to find and ask me those sorts of things, but she was definitely the most powerful one. I could practically see the gears grinding in her head as I talked, and it scared me. Then, as the police were leading me out to the squad car in handcuffs, I could swear I saw her watching from across the street. That’s when I knew I was screwed.” You shrugged. “And I was right.”

Rick let out a long, slow breath as he sat down in the chair next to you. He knew Waller was ruthless, but this was a whole other level of underhandedness. “Do you have any evidence?” He saw you bristle, and so he clarified. “Don’t misunderstand me, darlin’. I one hundred percent believe that you’re right and she orchestrated that whole situation. I’ve seen her do some pretty shady things in the past, but I had never imagined she could get away with going to this extreme. And I know you said you can’t prove any of this, but if you have any sort of evidence of any kind, I know some people who might be able to help you out.”

You blushed. “I appreciate the vote of confidence and the offer, Colonel. It means a lot to me that someone actually believes me for a change. But no, I don’t have any proof.”

Rick nodded. “You don’t have to call me Colonel when we aren’t on a mission. Rick or Flag is fine. And that’s okay. I can still have some contacts look into it. Maybe they could find out if Waller slipped up anywhere. You never know. They might get lucky.”

Your blush deepened. “You would really do that for me….Rick?”

Rick smiled. “You saved my life out there today. I think making a few phone calls is the least I can do to repay you.”

You waved him off with a smile. “Oh, like you hadn’t saved me from like ten guys before I distracted you. Besides, that’s why I’m here. I might not be able to fight or shoot but I can help those who can!”

Rick chuckled. “So, what do I call you if you don’t go by Aceso?”

“Waller won’t let me use my real name. The one time she found out I had shared it with one of my guards, he was immediately fired. So, I guess I’m stuck with Aceso.” You stuck out your tongue. “Ugh, I just wish she would have picked something cooler or easier to pronounce. And I’m not even Greek! My family was originally from England.”

“Well, what about a nickname? I mean the most obvious would be A, Ace, Eso, something like that. But you can really go for anything. Just pick something that feels a little more you.”

“I kind of like Ace. I know it seems like I should be a pilot in Top Gun or something, but, I don’t know, there’s just something about it….”

“Then Ace it is. Honestly, that’s a relief. I had to google the pronunciation of Aceso like three times and I’m still not sure I said it right.”

“Don’t look at me! I had never heard it before Waller told me it was my new name.”

The two of you laughed, shoulders slightly knocking against each other in the cramped space. Noticing as you stifled a yawn, Rick offered you his arm as a pillow. Shyly, you took him up on his offer and soon you were fast asleep. Looking down at your peaceful form, Rick thought about everything you had just shared with him. He hated the story about how you got here. He hated how Waller basically turned you from a person to her own personal pawn. He hated that someone as sweet and upbeat as you were in a hellhole like Belle Reve for something you hadn’t done. And, most of all, he hated himself for the feeling of happiness he had knowing that you would be by his side once again on the next mission even if it meant you would be in danger.

Rick stood in the doorway of your hospital room. You were curled up in the bed with you back towards him, but he could still see the bandages which covered most of your body. Rick sighed. The last mission had quickly gone from bad to worse. He had only been able to watch helplessly as his team dropped like flies around him. Waller had screamed repeatedly in the coms for you to heal everyone you could reach, but there had been just too many injuries. As you grew weaker, you had begged Waller to let you stop but she had insisted you heal as many wounded as possible. It wasn’t until you had finally collapsed that Waller had reluctantly backed off. Rick had carried your broken body back to the chopper, stopping twice to perform CPR. It was a miracle you had made it back to Belle Reve alive.

This had been their twelfth mission together, and each time you seemed to come back in worse and worse shape. And it killed Rick to see you like that. Your shallow breath hitching in your throat, your eyes fluttering weakly, your skin pale and clammy beneath his fingers. And this last mission... there was a moment when he thought he had lost you for good. And it was in that moment that Rick knew that he loved you. He had tried to fight his feelings for so long. After June, he promised himself he would never let himself get into a personal situation where Waller had that much control ever again. Yet, as he was frantically trying to restart your heart for the second time, he knew that he had broken that promise.

Rick noticed as you shifted slightly in the bed. “How are you doing?” When he didn’t get a response, he sighed and tried again. “Come on Ace, talk to me. I know you’re awake.”

Slowly, you rolled over and Rick felt his heart shatter. Besides what was covered by the bandages, fresh wounds littered your cheeks and your bottom lip had been taped multiple places where it had split open. The slice on your neck that you had received from healing Harkness was currently bleeding through your bandages, staining them a bright crimson. Your eyes were red and puffy with tears still silently streaming down your face.

Rick hurried to the bed and gathered you protectively in his arms. “Oh Darlin’, it’s alright.”

He rubbed your back as you began to sob desperately into his chest. “It was too much! I tried to stop, but she wouldn’t listen! I begged her, and she still made me… I’ve never taken that much before. I thought I was going to….” You don’t even finish the sentence as another heart wrenching sob tore from your lips.

Rick squeezed you tighter in his arms and he gently rocked you back and forth. “I know, I know, baby girl, but you didn’t, okay? You’re still here, and you’re going to be fine. You just need some rest.”

“Yeah, this time. But what about the next mission or the one after that? Waller is going to keep making me get closer and closer to that edge until I just…” You hesitated for a moment before continuing in a voice so soft, Rick had to strain just to hear you. “Since the day I discovered my powers, I knew that it was how I was going to die. That someone would force me to go past my limit or I would heal too many people until my body just couldn’t take it.” You picked your head off of his chest and stared deeply into Rick’s eyes. “I don’t fear dying. But I want it to be on my terms. Not anybody else’s. I would rather her use the bomb in my head than repeat what happened today. If I ever do make the decision to go all the way, it needs to be because I want to, not because I’m forced to.”

Rick ran his finger lightly across your cheek. “Ace, listen to me. I’m not going to let that happen. I’ve been reaching out to some of my contacts in the government. Waller set you up. You should have never been here in the first place. I need a few more months, but I think I might have found a way to get you out. For good.”

Rick watched as your eyes widened in surprise. “Rick! How? Why? If she finds out….”

“I don’t care. You don’t deserve to be here. You’ve never deserved to be here. And I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure you get out.”

You buried your face in his chest once again, muffling the words as you asked, “Why are you doing this for me?”

“Isn’t it obvious, darlin’? It’s because I love you.”

You went still in his arms. “Really? Do you honestly mean that?”

“I do.”

You lifted your misty eyes to meet his. “I love you too. I have for a long time. You’re the only thing in my terrible life that makes it worth living.”

Rick gently placed his finger under your chin and pulled you close to him. Then, mindful of your split lip, he softly kissed you.

Just as you had feared, over the next few months Waller continued to push you far beyond your breaking point. A few times, she had even pulled you directly from your hospital bed, broken bones and all, to join the next mission. Rick tried everything to protect you, but there was only so much he could do when your job was literally to get injured. And they hadn’t nicknamed the team the Suicide Squad for nothing. Grave injuries were more common than not on the missions. But to make matters worse, most of the other members of the squad (with the exception of Harley) had come to see your abilities as something that was owed to them, not as the gift it was. Soon, they were demanding you heal even the smallest scratch or tiniest cut. And being the kind, caring soul that you were, you always obliged. You and your god-damn bleeding heart. You just couldn’t stand seeing others in pain when you knew you could help. Which had just made the members more reckless since they knew they had an easy fix in their back pocket.

So, injuries became more frequent and more severe as time went on. Most missions ended with Rick having to carry you in his arms back to the plane, dripping blood and half-unconscious. Then he would cling to your shattered body as you struggled to survive until they could get you to a hospital. Rick had seen you take on almost every injury known to man, the most common being broken bones, punctured lungs, lacerations, bullet wounds, burns of all degrees, and concussions. And though you healed about 50% faster than the average human, your body could only take so much.

Rick refused to let you heal him unless it was absolutely necessary and, even then, only enough to get him back on his feet. But more often than not, as he laid curled around you in your hospital bed, he would feel a sudden warmth as all his aches and pains disappeared. This would always be followed by his deep disapproving growl to which you would just smile and say, “I’m already hurt this badly. What’s a little more?” And Rick would always pull you into an intensely affectionate kiss. It had happened so often now, it had almost become a ritual between you two, a way to express your feelings for each other without having to say the words.

So when Task Force X was given a mission to Corto Maltese, Rick had been relieved to see you were not assigned to his team. It had only been a few days since you had been released from the hospital wing after your last mission and he knew you still hadn’t fully recovered. He had wanted to find you to say goodbye before he left, but Waller had rushed him through his briefing so quickly he never got the chance. But it was ultimately for the best. If you knew he was going on a mission alone, you would have done everything in your power to force your way onto the team.

Which was why Rick wasn’t really that shocked to see you peeking out from behind Nanaue the next day after Task Force X’s second team came bursting through the tent he had been sitting in with Sol Soria. Rick was furious that Waller would send you here, especially as he noticed your limp as you hurried to his side, but he had to admit he was happy to see you. As you slid into his arms, he immediately felt his side mend back together as you flinched beneath him. Pulling back a little, Rick shot you a dirty look, but you just smiled slyly from under your eyelashes as you stood on your tiptoes to plant a kiss the tip of his nose. Rick couldn’t help but chuckle as he shook his head. God, he loved you. Throwing his arm gently around your shoulder, he steered the two of you back to the group so you could plan your attack on Jötunheim.

Everything had gone according to plan, until it didn’t. Now Rick was laying on his back, the shard of porcelain Peacemaker had stabbed him with protruding from his chest. Ironically, he knew it was the only thing that was keeping him from bleeding out instantly. But as he felt his heart stutter and slow, he knew it wouldn’t matter for much longer. It was just helping to prolong the inevitable.

“Rick! Oh my god! No!”

Ace? Rick’s vision had already begun to blur when you came into view. He silently chuckled to himself, noting how the haze he was seeing just made you look even more like an angel regardless of the tears and dirt smudged across your panicked face. He was just glad he could see you one more time before the end.

But all the happiness drained from his body as he saw you reach for his chest. He recognized that determined look in your eye and realized what you were about to do. He willed his body to move, to stop you before it was too late, but his strength had completely left him. He was barely able to twitch his fingers. So, he tried silently begging you with his eyes, Don’t do this! This isn’t what I want! Please, Ace, stop! But if you understood what he was trying to convey, you paid it no mind. Instead, you smiled lovingly down at him as you ran your hand over his sweat drenched hair. “It’s okay, baby. It’s all going to be okay.”

And you jerked the porcelain out of his chest, immediately replacing it with your hand.

Rick bucked at the violent movement, a groan of pain ripping from his lips. Then he felt the warmth of your power surging into him, felt his heart knitting itself back together. But as he grew stronger, he could only watch in horror as you grew weaker. Blood blossomed across your chest as a fresh wound opened up there. You began wilting before his very eyes, slumping further and further over until you were almost doubled in half. But still, your hand maintained its firm position over his heart.

Finally, just as he regained enough strength to move his arms, your strength gave out and you toppled over. Rick managed to catch you just before your head hit the floor. Pulling you into his lap, Rick watched as a ghost of a smile flickered across your lips. With tears streaming down his face, Rick demanded, “Why, darlin’? Why would you do that?”

You silently moved your lips a few times before finally managing to rasp out, “It was always going to end this way….. I was always going to heal a wound... that was just too big for me to handle….. And if it was going to be for someone, I want it to be for you…..” You lifted your hand, your fingers barely brushing against Rick’s cheek. “Besides, my heart has always been yours.” And with a final smile, your hand slipped from his face and Rick watched as the light softly drained from your eyes.

[mithrilhearts]

For the writer asks, all questions with a 2 in them, please. :-)

Alright, okay, holy shit lmao this is gonna be a big one. AND I AM UP FOR THE CHALLENGE!! Thank you Fizzy!!

Throwing this under the cut as there are a LOT of questions.

2. Do you plan each chapter ahead or write as you go?

I already answered this one here!

12. how does receiving or not receiving feedback/support impact you?

I think every writer loves feedback. All we want to do is yell about our stories with people - that being said, not everyone has the time to leave a comment and I understand that. However, I feel engagement is super important to keep a fandom alive. I try not to get stuck on that though - I feel like I get a decent amount of feedback, and then there's some fics that receive little to none. It's just how things are. Feedback encourages me to work faster on certain pieces, and a lack of engagement makes me feel like I can be slower on others.

20. Have you noticed any patterns in your fics? Words/expressions that appear a lot, themes, common settings, etc?

Yes. I use various headcanons, phrases and themes throughout my stories. It's how you know they're mine I guess lol - I always include blueberries in some fashion, I always describe Bilbo's hazel eyes meeting Thorin's blues, fireflies and freedom, etc. I love fluff, hurt/comfort, etc. So I like to stick to my wheelhouse and use styles/phrases I know that work.

21. Would you ever collaborate with another writer for a story?

idk @sunnyrosewritesstuff, would I?

22. Are there certain types of writing you won’t do? (style, pov, genre, tropes, etc)

I won't do reader inserts, or change from 3rd person pov. Those aren't my wheelhouse and I feel uncomfortable trying to do those. As for tropes, pregnancy fics, love triangles, a/b/o, and I'm sure some others, they just aren't really what I'm looking for as a writer.

23. Best writing advice for other writers?

Don't compare yourself to other writers - no one does a fic just like you. You may have a similar concept, but no fic is exactly the same because no author is exactly the same. Also, stats do not determine what is a good or a bad fic. Do not obsess over them, they mean NOTHING.

24. Worst writing advice anyone ever gave you?

See above and reverse it.

25. What fic do you wish you got more of a response on?

Probably my TRSB fic from 2022, Between Vices & Virtues. It's a 40k multichapter I worked very hard on over the course of 2-3 months and it just feels like it didn't do as well as I'd hoped. I love it anyway :) which is what matters.

26. Which of your fics would you call your wildest ride?

Where The Shadows Lie, definitely. It's a crackshit fic, as I call it. But Fuck Thy Neighbor is creeping up on that list as my very fun rom-com fic lol

27. What is your most and least favorite part of writing?

The planning and actual writing is my favorite part. My least favorite part is the summary/tags/title lol honestly, my bane!

28. On average, how much writing do you get done in a day?

Some days are better than others. Some days I write 0 words, others I can pump out nearing 3k. It depends on my mood.

29. What’s your revision or editing process like?

I go through my chapter/fic with spelling/grammar in mind. Then once all that is done, I read it aloud (most of the time) to check for flow and what not to make sure it sounds right to my own ears. It's pretty simple, but time-consuming.

32. Name three of your favorite fanfic writers.

I love so many writers???? But the first three that came to mind were @i-did-not-mean-to @sunnyrosewritesstuff and @ahufflepuffhobbit

42. What’s the last fic you read? Do you recommend it?

So, I am a very slow reader. But the last thing I was working on reading was a WIP by @theladygreiwolf, already, I definitely recommend it, but it's not ready yet 👀

52. Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

Yes. I try to respond to as many comments as possible - I do this because I like to engage with other people about xyz story. I also want people to know how much I appreciate that they took the time to leave a comment, it's the least I can do in return!

62. Thoughts on cliffhangers?

I love cliffhangers. I use them now and again in my own works!

72. What order do you write in? front of book to back? chronological? favorite scenes first? something else?

Chronological 99% of the time. I think there was (1) whole case where I wrote the end of a chapter and then went back to do the beginning. I was in the mood to write that content, and it had to come out or I'd explode.

[lillyontheborder]

Laughter.

// Okay so this is the first writing prompt to kind of- show more of Lilly and how she is human. If you would support me that would mean a lot, I really want to fit into this fandom and not in a way that makes my character seem overly perfect, I think I have been stressing about that lately.

Anyways thanks for supporting and enjoy

Writing 1/?

"I don't want to die yet. I don't.... no I... this isn't fucking fair!" Lilly screamed out, collapsed on the floor during a game. The timer was running out quick and she had no idea how to help. It was a clubs game... yet she barely helped out, letting others do the work while she helped when they gave directions.

She hated herself for it.

She wasn't like these people. She couldn't step up when someone needed a hand, and she was too scared to sacrifice herself for the greater good. She wasn't athletic, she wasn't smart, she couldn't read people. She didn't have any skills that would come in handy when playing games like this.

"Come on! We have to keep trying! We still have time!" Another player shouted, trying to help Lilly up.

She slapped his hand away and glared at him. "Keep trying what? What am I supposed to do?" She cried. "I'm fucking useless. I can't help you guys."

A girl walked up next to them and glared down at Lilly, scoffing and shaking her head. "Seriously? Seriously. This is what you're doing? Having your own fucking pity party? We are all working our asses off to save the entire group, and you're over here crying about dying. If we live and you survive, I'm going to be pissed. The least you could do is try to help us. Let's go. Leave her here." The girl said. The guy next to her looked at Lilly with pity before walking off with the girl.

Lilly could go help. She could stand up right now and be a better person. 'Hey. She's right. I should go help them and apologize. I can do better. I'll help the group as a whole instead of thinking about myself.' Is what she could have done. But no. Instead she lay down, her head swirling with the same thoughts that shouldn't have mattered in a world like this.

They hate me. They'll hate me forever. Gosh I'm so stupid. And useless. Why am I here? I hate this. Yet... I don't want to die. They hate me. Everyone hates me.

Sure, these thoughts could cause someone to pity her, or feel sympathy for her, but they shouldn't. Why? Because no matter how sad the thoughts were, they all were about... herself. Everyone hates her. Everyone hates me. I don't want to die. For Lilly, people disliking her was worse than dying. However, both were pretty bad.

The average human being would be like Lilly in this kind of situation. Crying, praying, and soon, giving up. However, those that made it out alive tended to be a little more. They were given an extra pinch of salt while the rest were left with food a little less seasoned. Lilly wanted more salt. But didn't everyone? Salt could be... hope. Salt could be... determination. Salt could be... perseverance. Salt could be... strength. Strength comes in many forms. Not just big muscles.

Lilly lay there, tears rolling down her cheeks. She couldn't get herself to move. Her limbs felt like heavy weights.

Huh.

Without light pollution... the sky looked really beautiful. So many stars. One thing movies always discussed was how big the universe was... and how small that made her. All humans were really small. According to 2021, the earths population was 7.8 billion people. Yet here Lilly was thinking.

About.

Herself.

Lilly's pathetic nature gave her a reality check on just how selfish humans can be. How scary death is. Just how many out of the 7.8 billion people were here? In the borderlands? How many helped others? How many lay on the ground, looking at the stars, waiting for the work to be done for them?

A happy tune interrupted Lilly's emotionless state. She didn't need to look away from the vast sky to know what that meant.

"GAME CLEAR. CONGRATULATIONS."

She lived. Thanks to the sacrifice of other people. She lived. She didn't do anything. She lived. And only thought about herself. She lived. And slapped away the hand of the one trying to help her.

A laugh. "Haha... hahahaha.... HAHAHAHAHA!" Lilly bust out into laugher.

It wasn't happy laughter.

[she-karev]

The Doppelganger (Maya x Carina Funny/Sweet Imagine)

Previous Part Here

Age Rating: 12+

Chapters: Four of Four

Fandom: Station 19

Ship: Maya Bishop x Carina DeLuca

AN: Hey guys I hope you all are having a great Pride Month and I hope you enjoyed my story so far, comment down below and tell me what you think.

One Shot Requests: If you guys have any requests for more Maya x Carina content please share.

Summary: Maya and Carina are in bed and talk about Mia.

Words: 1005

June 6th, 2023

Maya is sitting on the floor of the living room playing with Liam. She holds up a Bluey doll and speaks in high pitched Australian voice.

“Now fly Chunky!” Liam giggles at the voice causing Maya to join in, “You’re an alright mate Liam, everybody knows it especially your mama’s.” The front door opens, and Carina enters the house in her casual clothes. She enters the living room smiling at her family who look back at her with smiles, “Hey babe how did it go? Did Mia have her baby?”

Carina kneels down on the floor and kisses Liam’s head, “She did, she and Spencer are with their new baby boy right now. Five pounds, 14 ounces and they already named him David after Spencer’s father. Their sons were debating which one is gonna teach him to play baseball when I was leaving.”

Maya chuckles and pulls Liam to her lap, “Wow three boys can you imagine?”

“Well, I can I already love our little boy so much and I am just fine with you teaching our sons how to throw a football while I make lemonade for you.” Carina smiles at the thought, “Of course I will teach them the different surgical specialties they should consider.”

Maya chuckles, “Wow you’re determined at keeping the doctor family tradition alive. Not that I wouldn’t mind, if at least one of our kids is a surgeon we’ll be set for after retirement.”

Carina chuckles, “That is very positive thinking bambina, now that we’re both home how about we get Liam ready for bed?” Maya nods and puts Liam in her arms before standing up and following Carina to the bathroom. They give Liam a very playful bath where he plays with rubber duckies while his mom’s shampoo and wash him. He gets slightly fussy when they drain the tub, but he calms down as Carina puts him in his pajamas while Maya gets his crib ready. Carina sings to him in Italian and gently rocks him, this lasts for a few minutes until Liam starts to fall asleep. Maya smiles at the sight of her pregnant wife singing to their son before she puts him inside the crib. Maya covers him with a blue blanket and kisses his cheek, Carina kisses him too and Maya turns on the nightlight that projects blue light and stars all over the room. They stand by the door and whisper good night to Liam before closing the door.

After showering and putting on their PJ’s the wives get in bed ready to fall asleep. Maya is lying in bed staring at the ceiling with Carina next to her closing her eyes. The day that they had where she saw a version of herself married to someone else and having three kids has her mind running scenarios. It’s not something she would consider doing ever but it has her innocently asking herself what if? She turns to her wife and asks her this question.

“Can I ask you something?” Carina groans lightly but opens one eye indicating yes, “Did you really not see a resemblance between me and Mia? Because I saw some, but I didn’t think we were the exact same like the others did. How did you not freak out when you met her?”

Carina grins and props one hand up on an elbow smiling down at her, “I saw a similarity, I’m not blind but I know that no matter how much you look alike there will never be another Maya Bishop in this world. The woman I love and married and have children with, she is one of a kind. She is the same tough, beautiful, determined woman who made my world turn upside down the moment I asked her if I would buy her a drink while she tells me the story of how she carried a discarded nose into an ER. There is no one who would give me that experience.”

Maya grins smugly, “Yeah I am pretty unique, aren’t I?”

“You are and that is why I didn’t see you when I was treating Mia. What she has on you is appearance and that is it.”

Maya props her hand up on an elbow, “Yeah but it makes me wonder what if? Like what if Mia decided to join the fire department here and suddenly met this gorgeous Italian woman in a bar one night? Would things be exactly the same and you two would be married and pregnant raising a baby? And what if I went to UCLA on a track scholarship instead of competing in the Olympics right after high school? Would I have met this geeky and cute physics major on the field one day and ask him for coffee? Would I be married to him and having three boys after a gorgeous OB examines me? Would things be the same as they are now if me and Mia made different decisions?”

Carina inhales and thinks for a moment, “I think life goes the way it’s meant to, and we’re meant to be led to our fate. We’re meant to live the life we’re supposed to live. And the life I have with you right now, I wouldn’t want that with anyone but you bambina.”

Maya grins at her wife, “Me too, there’s no one who would give me this family and the love I didn’t even know existed. You did that for me, and I am so thankful I wouldn’t change a single thing in my life if it meant I didn’t meet you.”

Carina smiles, “Ti amo.”

Maya squeezes her wife’s shoulder thankful she knows Italian, “I love you too, come here.” They kiss so tenderly it feels like their souls are physically touching. After they kiss Carina cuddles up against Maya who wraps her arm around Carina’s back pulling her toward her. Maya and Carina cuddle up to each other as they let the night take them in a blissful sleep wrapped in each other’s arms.

[timdrakeinorder]

"I'll come back for part 2 after work" well it's been over a month and I'm unemployed now, whoopsies

I am once again banging on the walls, begging the dc fandom, movies, cartoons, etc to give Harvey Dent more attention. He's SUCH a fascinating character! I'm so bored of Joker, man. Two Face is way more terrifying to me because he's much more grounded. There's also the tragedy of being a close friend of Bruce's that he failed to save. He's the murderer of Jason's father! He's been rehabilitated at least once and we see multiple times that there IS a chance for Harvey to be Harvey again, to live a good and honest life. The real tragedy is that it never sticks. Harvey can never escape this. I'd love to see more Batman media that explores the idea that Batman and Two Face are two sides of the same coin (pun absolutely intended) and they are both "cursed" to be what they are

Another fun thing here, Two Face has no idea that Tim isn't Jason. I haven't read enough of Jason's robin era to know if they have more development, but Two Face was Jason's first rogue! Jason went absolutely ape shit on him and just barely saves his life soon after. I also absolutely love how much the scrap metal Harvey is using looks like a crow bar, it adds so much more weight to this

I think Two Face starts puzzling out that this isn't Jason here. He can't put his finger on what's changed yet, but he's on the path

This nearly brought me to tears! This scene mirrors Jason's death so heavily, but Alfred was here this time! He could save Robin this time! After how hesitant Alfred was to let him do this in the first place, I can't imagine he didn't feel great responsibility and guilt here

They care about each other so much it makes me sick!!!! I'll say it to my dying day, Alfred deserves more credit than he gets for Tim's training, he had Tim's back from day one!

god </3

The guilt complex and need to self-sacrifice came pre-installed, Bruce didn't need to do shit but teach him how to hit good

He's only 13!!! He feels so much undeserved responsibility for these two. He's just a random civilian kid who knows too much, and they're highly trained vigilantes who have been doing this for 10 years plus! I don't even know how long Bruce has been Batman at this point, but ALPOD happens soon after the nightwing comic where he says it's been 10 years since his parents died

Bruce still hasn't even met Tim!!!

Dammit Tim, why are you like this?

God I miss the way comics used to use color, this is so tasty!

Alfred and Dick teaming up to talk Bruce into letting Tim be Robin! Tim isn't even advocating for himself to be Robin yet!!! Bruce is stressing out so hard right now and they are NOT helping

And here's where Alfred advocating for Tim to be Robin really starts to make sense. At this point, being Batman is Bruce's slow burn suicide, nothing Alfred can say or do will make him be more careful. Alfred's priority will ALWAYS be his boy, no matter what. And if having a Robin is what keeps Bruce alive, then so be it.

Tim is so little against the looming shadow that is The Batman but he's holding so strong. He's so determined

I think THIS is where Tim really starts endearing himself to Dick. I think he sees a lot of himself and, painfully, a lot of Jason in Tim. Dick is just as dedicated to Bruce as Alfred is

Cue Tim shifting strategies bc hunting down criminals matters to Bruce infinitely more than his own life ever will

Aaaaaand hit the image limit, part three incoming (in less than a month this time)

Batman #442 (My thoughts)

Alfred has known him for ONE NIGHT and he already gets Master Timothy status. It's unreal how fast he got endeared to this little shit. Alfred and Tim's relationship is so underrated and I will never stop saying it! In a way, Alfred mentored him before Dick or even Bruce did. Alfred has such an important role in teaching him how to be a support for Batman, and accepting how dangerous what they do is as someone on the sidelines

Alfred is so strong, he really doesn't get enough credit for how hard being Batman's guy in the chair, emotional support, nurse, and father is. He could lose his son every single night and he just has to sit at home and hope for the best

Right of the bat (hehe) Tim has SO much respect and appreciation for Alfred and it's really nice to see.

Hey look, it's the profile thumbnail!

It's like Tim can't physically restrain himself from jumping in to help when he sees a problem. He's so worried

This is where we get into one of my biggest gripes with fanon, the "tim forced batman to make him robin" thing, and also a bit of the "bruce was irresponsible and chose to endanger a random civilian child" thing, although the 'are robins child soldiers?' discourse is too heavy for me to get into.

The biggest problem I have with it is when Dick and especially Alfred are portrayed as being against the decision and forced to accept it by Bruce

As with a lot of fanon, it's rooted in canon and then horribly exaggerated. Tim talks Alfred into taking him to save Bruce and Dick, despite multiple attempts to talk him down both in the cave and in the car. Tim followed Dick all the way to Haley's circus to try and talk him into being Robin, if Alfred didn't drive him the little shit absolutely would've found his way to the fight anyways the second the man turned his back. He's extremely stubborn. And, as established in earlier installments, Batman has been reckless to the point where it is VERY likely he'd die out of his own lack of self-regard any day. I really can't blame Alfred for having a moment of weakness here. Bruce means more to him than anything in the world and Alfred can see that in Tim.

This is also where we get into the "did Tim stalk the bats and take pictures of them regularly?" fanon discourse. I definitely don't think there's canon support that he was following them every night on patrol as an extremely young child (he didn't even figure out their identities until he was 9. I've seen writers make him as young as FOUR trying to follow them and as a big sister to a 4 year old, y'all are insane) That being said, I think his use of the word "followed" could be interpreted in a few ways. It would be a perfectly valid interpretation that he means 'followed' in the way one follows the news, as in keeping track of. However, he does have A LOT of pictures of Batman and Robin and, in my opinion, a lot of them don't look like newspaper clippings. Plus Batman and Robin are rarely caught on film, I don't think the newspapers would catch them often enough for Tim to build a collection that big.

Tim also knows when Titans meetings are, where Dick's apartment with kori is and the fact that they're together as well as knowing what angle to peep through the window at and where to view both the tower and that apartment stealthily. He knows where Dick's New York apartment is, he knows how to get in, he knows how to get into Dick's safe.

He DID manage to follow Batman to that fight on the dam and photograph it.

I think that's too much evidence to completely dismiss the idea that he's followed them before

And here's the real kicker about the 'Tim forced them' thing. TIM DID NOT GO IN WANTING TO BE ROBIN! TIM SEES THIS AS THE ONLY SOLUTION TO BATMAN'S SELF-DESTRUCTIVE VIOLENT SPIRAL!

Tim is selfish. He is stubborn. He's reckless. He wants to help no matter the risk. He sees a problem that affects him deeply out of a VERY parasocial relationship and demands to be able to fix it no matter what anyone else has to say about the matter. And he's a 13 year old boy with a heart too big for his chest. Tim was made to be robin

(coming back for part two after work. we're still only on page seven and I have MUCH more to say)

[a-reader-and-a-writer]

Bleeding Heart (Part 1)

Whumptober 2021: #10. Hospital, #19. Stabbing, #22. They Made Me Do It, #29. Too Weak to Move, #31. Hurt & Comfort

Fandom: The Suicide Squad (Spoilers for Movie), Rick Flag

Word Count: 4191

Note: The angst in this one may have gotten away from me.....

Part 2

In all the years he had been in command of Task Force X, Rick Flag had thought he had seen everything when it came to new recruits. Every file that crossed his desk provided detailed descriptions of the new members including their relevant skills or abilities, assets to the team, reason for imprisonment in Belle Reve, and remaining time on their sentence. He had grown so numb to the bizarre and impossible material, that he barely glanced at the information as he thumbed through the files anymore. That was, until he came across your file. He made it to the third page before he registered something amiss. Flipping back to the start, he stared at line after line of black stripes that filled the page. And the next page, and the next, and the next, all the way to the end. Excluding the small information box on the front, every line of the file had been redacted. All he was left with was an alias, date of birth, and physical description.

Rick wasn’t sure what to make of it. Sure, other files had contained some information that had been deemed too top secret for his eyes, but it was usually just a name or location. Occasionally, a few lines or even a paragraph may be omitted, but never entire pages. Gathering the file, Rick stormed off to get some answers.

He found his boss in the control room preparing for the next mission. Throwing your file on the table, he demanded, “What the hell is this?”

Amanda Waller didn’t even glance at the file. “Your newest recruit.”

“There’s no information here. I have an alias. That’s it. What am I supposed to do with that? I know nothing about her abilities, her skills. Hell, I don’t even know what she did to get thrown in here or how long she’s going to be staying.”

“Doesn’t matter. All you need to know is that she is very important, so you need to keep her safe. She doesn’t have the training your usual members have, so keep a close eye on her.”

“You expect me to babysit an unskilled, inexperienced inmate while in the middle of a war zone?”

“I expect you to do your job. Keep her alive. At least until she has time to do her job.” Waller walked off towards her office, signaling the end of the discussion.

All Rick could do was scowl at her retreating form. He knew that nothing good came from trying to argue with Waller. He just hoped this new girl didn’t get him killed.

It turned out, Rick was right to worry. From the second the team touched down, you were a trembling mess of nerves and fears. Placing a hand on your shoulder, Rick tried to calm you down. “It’s okay. I’ve got your back.” You nodded frantically, eyes wide as saucers, but you gave Rick a small smile.

However, within minutes, you were cowering behind a burning car, hands pressed firmly over your ears as you rocked back and forth anxiously. Rick had more important things to do, but he was forced to stand by your side and take out any assailant who approached your location. Cursing under his breath as he took down yet another enemy, he heard you cry out in warning. Before he could react, he felt a sharp pain sear down his side. Turning, he watched a man smile wickedly as he pulled his knife out of Rick’s side. Rick used his gun to make short work of him, but the damage had already been done. Stumbling slightly, Rick collapsed to the ground. Blood gushed through his fingers as he desperately tried to apply pressure to the wound. But it was of little use, the knife had gone in too deep.

Suddenly, he felt you at his side. As he looked up, he expected to see fear and horror painted across your face. Instead, you had a sweet yet determined smile on your lips, sporting a confidence Rick had not seen in you since the two of you had been introduced. Without a word, you gently placed your hands on his side. Closing your eyes, you took a deep breath. Rick felt a strange, warm pulling sensation deep in his wound. Glancing down, he could see the gush of blood slow to a stream then to a trickle. As you fell back with a hiss, Rick watched as blood began staining your shirt in the exact same spot as his wound. As he glanced back and forth between the two identically placed wounds, you smiled weakly up at him, “Don’t worry Colonel, I’ve got your back too.”

Later, once the mission was over and the surviving members of Task Force X were on the plane heading back to Belle Reve, Rick had examined his side. While there was still a small gash, it appeared to be little more than a graze compared to the deep puncture he knew it had been. He glanced over to where you were currently sitting, hunched over and half-asleep.

He had seen when the medics had removed your long sleeved, high collared shirt and gloves to work on your injury. Your torso and arms were covered with hundreds of scars of various sizes and severities, many of which overlapped each other. Scars, Rick had a feeling, that someone else had earned. It had taken five stitches and a pint of blood to stabilize you. And Rick noticed that even though you had been terrified during the mission, you didn’t even bat an eye when the medic pulled out his needle and began sewing you up. Like you had done this a thousand times before. But this time, it was all because you had taken his injury.

Rick walked over to where you were sitting. You smiled up at him through sleepy, half-lidded eyes. “Colonel.”

“Are you going to explain what the hell happened out there?”

You blinked sharply, rousing yourself awake. “Um, I’m not sure what you mean?....Colonel? Sir?”

“I’m talking about the gaping wound in my side that somehow ended up on you.”

“Oh, that. I can absorb an injury from someone to myself, taking as much or as little of it as I want. But however much I heal it, that much is inflicted back onto me. I figured this would all be in my file.”

“Your file contains almost no information about you. Nothing about your powers, why you are in Belle Reve, or how long your sentence is. I’m not even sure of your real name. All I have is your alias, Aceso.”

You shook your head. “I guess I’m not surprised she hid all my information. Oh, and I’ve never gone by that name outside of Belle Reve. That’s just the name Waller assigned me to help her hide me in the system. Apparently, she said Aceso was the Greek Goddess of the healing process, or something like that.” You rolled your eyes. “I never had an alias. I never did anything where I needed one.”

Rick’s brow furrowed in confusion, and he crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Then what did you do to get thrown in here?”

“I was born,” you said sarcastically. When you saw Rick seemed even more confused than before, you elaborated. “I can’t prove any of this. I’m only going off of things I saw, or Waller has said to me, or I’ve overheard. But what I think happened is she got wind of my abilities and what I was capable of, and she wanted that power for herself. So, one night, a bunch of henchmen for various Gotham villains – you know the Joker, the Penguin, the Riddler, guys like that – broke into my apartment demanding that I heal them. Before I even knew what was happening, the police showed up and arrested everyone. I was charged with being an accessory after the fact to any of their charges, and by association, the villains’ charges as well. I lost count of how many life sentences they finally settled on. I know Waller was behind the whole thing, but she was smart enough and connected enough to hide her tracks extremely well.”

“But why do you think Waller was behind everything?”

“Well, she came to see me three days before I was arrested. She was asking me all kinds of questions about what I could do, how big of an injury I could transfer, how long it took me to heal afterwards, stuff like that. She wasn’t the first person to find and ask me those sorts of things, but she was definitely the most powerful one. I could practically see the gears grinding in her head as I talked, and it scared me. Then, as the police were leading me out to the squad car in handcuffs, I could swear I saw her watching from across the street. That’s when I knew I was screwed.” You shrugged. “And I was right.”

Rick let out a long, slow breath as he sat down in the chair next to you. He knew Waller was ruthless, but this was a whole other level of underhandedness. “Do you have any evidence?” He saw you bristle, and so he clarified. “Don’t misunderstand me, darlin’. I one hundred percent believe that you’re right and she orchestrated that whole situation. I’ve seen her do some pretty shady things in the past, but I had never imagined she could get away with going to this extreme. And I know you said you can’t prove any of this, but if you have any sort of evidence of any kind, I know some people who might be able to help you out.”

You blushed. “I appreciate the vote of confidence and the offer, Colonel. It means a lot to me that someone actually believes me for a change. But no, I don’t have any proof.”

Rick nodded. “You don’t have to call me Colonel when we aren’t on a mission. Rick or Flag is fine. And that’s okay. I can still have some contacts look into it. Maybe they could find out if Waller slipped up anywhere. You never know. They might get lucky.”

Your blush deepened. “You would really do that for me….Rick?”

Rick smiled. “You saved my life out there today. I think making a few phone calls is the least I can do to repay you.”

You waved him off with a smile. “Oh, like you hadn’t saved me from like ten guys before I distracted you. Besides, that’s why I’m here. I might not be able to fight or shoot but I can help those who can!”

Rick chuckled. “So, what do I call you if you don’t go by Aceso?”

“Waller won’t let me use my real name. The one time she found out I had shared it with one of my guards, he was immediately fired. So, I guess I’m stuck with Aceso.” You stuck out your tongue. “Ugh, I just wish she would have picked something cooler or easier to pronounce. And I’m not even Greek! My family was originally from England.”

“Well, what about a nickname? I mean the most obvious would be A, Ace, Eso, something like that. But you can really go for anything. Just pick something that feels a little more you.”

“I kind of like Ace. I know it seems like I should be a pilot in Top Gun or something, but, I don’t know, there’s just something about it….”

“Then Ace it is. Honestly, that’s a relief. I had to google the pronunciation of Aceso like three times and I’m still not sure I said it right.”

“Don’t look at me! I had never heard it before Waller told me it was my new name.”

The two of you laughed, shoulders slightly knocking against each other in the cramped space. Noticing as you stifled a yawn, Rick offered you his arm as a pillow. Shyly, you took him up on his offer and soon you were fast asleep. Looking down at your peaceful form, Rick thought about everything you had just shared with him. He hated the story about how you got here. He hated how Waller basically turned you from a person to her own personal pawn. He hated that someone as sweet and upbeat as you were in a hellhole like Belle Reve for something you hadn’t done. And, most of all, he hated himself for the feeling of happiness he had knowing that you would be by his side once again on the next mission even if it meant you would be in danger.

Rick stood in the doorway of your hospital room. You were curled up in the bed with you back towards him, but he could still see the bandages which covered most of your body. Rick sighed. The last mission had quickly gone from bad to worse. He had only been able to watch helplessly as his team dropped like flies around him. Waller had screamed repeatedly in the coms for you to heal everyone you could reach, but there had been just too many injuries. As you grew weaker, you had begged Waller to let you stop but she had insisted you heal as many wounded as possible. It wasn’t until you had finally collapsed that Waller had reluctantly backed off. Rick had carried your broken body back to the chopper, stopping twice to perform CPR. It was a miracle you had made it back to Belle Reve alive.

This had been their twelfth mission together, and each time you seemed to come back in worse and worse shape. And it killed Rick to see you like that. Your shallow breath hitching in your throat, your eyes fluttering weakly, your skin pale and clammy beneath his fingers. And this last mission... there was a moment when he thought he had lost you for good. And it was in that moment that Rick knew that he loved you. He had tried to fight his feelings for so long. After June, he promised himself he would never let himself get into a personal situation where Waller had that much control ever again. Yet, as he was frantically trying to restart your heart for the second time, he knew that he had broken that promise.

Rick noticed as you shifted slightly in the bed. “How are you doing?” When he didn’t get a response, he sighed and tried again. “Come on Ace, talk to me. I know you’re awake.”

Slowly, you rolled over and Rick felt his heart shatter. Besides what was covered by the bandages, fresh wounds littered your cheeks and your bottom lip had been taped multiple places where it had split open. The slice on your neck that you had received from healing Harkness was currently bleeding through your bandages, staining them a bright crimson. Your eyes were red and puffy with tears still silently streaming down your face.

Rick hurried to the bed and gathered you protectively in his arms. “Oh Darlin’, it’s alright.”

He rubbed your back as you began to sob desperately into his chest. “It was too much! I tried to stop, but she wouldn’t listen! I begged her, and she still made me… I’ve never taken that much before. I thought I was going to….” You don’t even finish the sentence as another heart wrenching sob tore from your lips.

Rick squeezed you tighter in his arms and he gently rocked you back and forth. “I know, I know, baby girl, but you didn’t, okay? You’re still here, and you’re going to be fine. You just need some rest.”

“Yeah, this time. But what about the next mission or the one after that? Waller is going to keep making me get closer and closer to that edge until I just…” You hesitated for a moment before continuing in a voice so soft, Rick had to strain just to hear you. “Since the day I discovered my powers, I knew that it was how I was going to die. That someone would force me to go past my limit or I would heal too many people until my body just couldn’t take it.” You picked your head off of his chest and stared deeply into Rick’s eyes. “I don’t fear dying. But I want it to be on my terms. Not anybody else’s. I would rather her use the bomb in my head than repeat what happened today. If I ever do make the decision to go all the way, it needs to be because I want to, not because I’m forced to.”

Rick ran his finger lightly across your cheek. “Ace, listen to me. I’m not going to let that happen. I’ve been reaching out to some of my contacts in the government. Waller set you up. You should have never been here in the first place. I need a few more months, but I think I might have found a way to get you out. For good.”

Rick watched as your eyes widened in surprise. “Rick! How? Why? If she finds out….”

“I don’t care. You don’t deserve to be here. You’ve never deserved to be here. And I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure you get out.”

You buried your face in his chest once again, muffling the words as you asked, “Why are you doing this for me?”

“Isn’t it obvious, darlin’? It’s because I love you.”

You went still in his arms. “Really? Do you honestly mean that?”

“I do.”

You lifted your misty eyes to meet his. “I love you too. I have for a long time. You’re the only thing in my terrible life that makes it worth living.”

Rick gently placed his finger under your chin and pulled you close to him. Then, mindful of your split lip, he softly kissed you.

Just as you had feared, over the next few months Waller continued to push you far beyond your breaking point. A few times, she had even pulled you directly from your hospital bed, broken bones and all, to join the next mission. Rick tried everything to protect you, but there was only so much he could do when your job was literally to get injured. And they hadn’t nicknamed the team the Suicide Squad for nothing. Grave injuries were more common than not on the missions. But to make matters worse, most of the other members of the squad (with the exception of Harley) had come to see your abilities as something that was owed to them, not as the gift it was. Soon, they were demanding you heal even the smallest scratch or tiniest cut. And being the kind, caring soul that you were, you always obliged. You and your god-damn bleeding heart. You just couldn’t stand seeing others in pain when you knew you could help. Which had just made the members more reckless since they knew they had an easy fix in their back pocket.

So, injuries became more frequent and more severe as time went on. Most missions ended with Rick having to carry you in his arms back to the plane, dripping blood and half-unconscious. Then he would cling to your shattered body as you struggled to survive until they could get you to a hospital. Rick had seen you take on almost every injury known to man, the most common being broken bones, punctured lungs, lacerations, bullet wounds, burns of all degrees, and concussions. And though you healed about 50% faster than the average human, your body could only take so much.

Rick refused to let you heal him unless it was absolutely necessary and, even then, only enough to get him back on his feet. But more often than not, as he laid curled around you in your hospital bed, he would feel a sudden warmth as all his aches and pains disappeared. This would always be followed by his deep disapproving growl to which you would just smile and say, “I’m already hurt this badly. What’s a little more?” And Rick would always pull you into an intensely affectionate kiss. It had happened so often now, it had almost become a ritual between you two, a way to express your feelings for each other without having to say the words.

So when Task Force X was given a mission to Corto Maltese, Rick had been relieved to see you were not assigned to his team. It had only been a few days since you had been released from the hospital wing after your last mission and he knew you still hadn’t fully recovered. He had wanted to find you to say goodbye before he left, but Waller had rushed him through his briefing so quickly he never got the chance. But it was ultimately for the best. If you knew he was going on a mission alone, you would have done everything in your power to force your way onto the team.

Which was why Rick wasn’t really that shocked to see you peeking out from behind Nanaue the next day after Task Force X’s second team came bursting through the tent he had been sitting in with Sol Soria. Rick was furious that Waller would send you here, especially as he noticed your limp as you hurried to his side, but he had to admit he was happy to see you. As you slid into his arms, he immediately felt his side mend back together as you flinched beneath him. Pulling back a little, Rick shot you a dirty look, but you just smiled slyly from under your eyelashes as you stood on your tiptoes to plant a kiss the tip of his nose. Rick couldn’t help but chuckle as he shook his head. God, he loved you. Throwing his arm gently around your shoulder, he steered the two of you back to the group so you could plan your attack on Jötunheim.

Everything had gone according to plan, until it didn’t. Now Rick was laying on his back, the shard of porcelain Peacemaker had stabbed him with protruding from his chest. Ironically, he knew it was the only thing that was keeping him from bleeding out instantly. But as he felt his heart stutter and slow, he knew it wouldn’t matter for much longer. It was just helping to prolong the inevitable.

“Rick! Oh my god! No!”

Ace? Rick’s vision had already begun to blur when you came into view. He silently chuckled to himself, noting how the haze he was seeing just made you look even more like an angel regardless of the tears and dirt smudged across your panicked face. He was just glad he could see you one more time before the end.

But all the happiness drained from his body as he saw you reach for his chest. He recognized that determined look in your eye and realized what you were about to do. He willed his body to move, to stop you before it was too late, but his strength had completely left him. He was barely able to twitch his fingers. So, he tried silently begging you with his eyes, Don’t do this! This isn’t what I want! Please, Ace, stop! But if you understood what he was trying to convey, you paid it no mind. Instead, you smiled lovingly down at him as you ran your hand over his sweat drenched hair. “It’s okay, baby. It’s all going to be okay.”

And you jerked the porcelain out of his chest, immediately replacing it with your hand.

Rick bucked at the violent movement, a groan of pain ripping from his lips. Then he felt the warmth of your power surging into him, felt his heart knitting itself back together. But as he grew stronger, he could only watch in horror as you grew weaker. Blood blossomed across your chest as a fresh wound opened up there. You began wilting before his very eyes, slumping further and further over until you were almost doubled in half. But still, your hand maintained its firm position over his heart.

Finally, just as he regained enough strength to move his arms, your strength gave out and you toppled over. Rick managed to catch you just before your head hit the floor. Pulling you into his lap, Rick watched as a ghost of a smile flickered across your lips. With tears streaming down his face, Rick demanded, “Why, darlin’? Why would you do that?”

You silently moved your lips a few times before finally managing to rasp out, “It was always going to end this way….. I was always going to heal a wound... that was just too big for me to handle….. And if it was going to be for someone, I want it to be for you…..” You lifted your hand, your fingers barely brushing against Rick’s cheek. “Besides, my heart has always been yours.” And with a final smile, your hand slipped from his face and Rick watched as the light softly drained from your eyes.

[makeste]

BnHA 326: What’s up Kids, It’s Me, Your Old Pal Stain

Previously on BnHA: Ochako shamed the U.A. Clown Mob into letting Deku go back inside his own fucking school by giving them an hour-long speech about how not to be humongous dickheads. Kouta and Gigantic Fox Lady saved the manga by being the only ones brave enough to give Deku a hug. Shouto was all “man, all this togetherness sure does remind me of that promise you made that we would handle Touya together which you immediately bailed on, doesn’t it, Dad.” Aizawa was all, “for the one and a half people out there who thought that my losing an eye and a leg might actually make me less sexy, I’m very happy to prove you wrong.” All Might was all, “[standing outside the U.A. fortress alone in the rain talking to someone or something??].” Like seriously, what was up with that though.

Today on BnHA: All Might is all “here I am in Kamino having a belated mid-life crisis because Deku abandoned me and I’m a terrible mentor and everything sucks and I hate myself.” Stain is all, “don’t make me come over there and give you a ten page speech about why you’re still the goat while menacingly holding you at swordpoint the entire time” because idk if you knew this guys, but Stain is pretty crazy actually. Anyway so he does that, and then All Might gets all emotional, and then the lady from chapter 92 shows up and gives All Might’s statue an encouraging pep talk, and then Horikoshi is all “and it even stopped raining lol can you believe this shit I’m not even a little bit subtle,” and he really isn’t. But I still got emotional anyway, because seeing people reassure All Might that everything he’s struggled for his entire life hasn’t been in vain just got to me okay. Horikoshi knows I am weak to the All Might feels and he just goes for the jugular every time, that bastard.

lmao. “in the neverending downpour, All Might is...” yeah, thank you, glad we’re getting right to that then

“All Might is driving 95 mph in his busted ass car in the pouring rain, is what he’s doing.” huh

so basically a day or two after his adopted child refused to accept the handmade bento that he packed with love, my man is out here acting like he’s got nothing to live for anymore. this sure bodes well for certain prophecies on which the clock is still ominously ticking down

his fucking face though omg. is it weird that I’m kind of hoping more people ambush him just because I think it’d be funny to see them get their asses kicked like the last bunch

(ETA: or maybe he will just stand there openly not giving a fuck and basically daring them to stab him!! get it together please All Might.)

side note, “anti-hero supporters” is such a strange way of saying “people who hate heroes”, which I’m assuming is what they actually wanted to say?? this makes it sound like it’s a group that really loves antiheroes. “these Hannibal stans have been a real menace lately. time to go deal with them”

ha ha ha, fucking ouch

are you really gonna do it Horikoshi you bastard. are you really going to let that be the final encounter between the two characters whose relationship you once described as the vertical axis of the entire fucking story. are you really gonna?? huh??

huh

you’re telling me you were driving 112 mph and you still didn’t get there in time. you’re losing your touch old man. lol Todo’s ice is almost fully melted already, how late were you

(ETA: so apparently this is taking place after the end of chapter 325, meaning he went to U.A., hung out for a bit, saw the kids come back with his bedraggled half-dead protégé in tow, watched as they shamed the civilians into some long-overdue character development, and then was all “welp, time to go argue with the hero-hating faction or something because I’m feeling useless.” and Edge just let him go, just like that. though to be fair I have to imagine it’s pretty hard to say no to All Fucking Might.)

also belated lol at the fact that the kids were all “yeahhhhhhh we are definitely not gonna touch that thing, let’s just leave it here, he doesn’t need it anyway.” probably the right call to make since they couldn’t get a hazmat team on such short notice

fuck. ha ha ha fucking ouch part two

All Might please put that thing down before you get gangrene. also yeah, you dropped the ball, good for you to acknowledge it. nobody’s perfect and you did your best. but yeah you could have handled a lot of things completely differently. but I still love you

is Horikoshi really putting this flashback here. are you serious. what kind of fucking sadist

look, I swear I’m not one of those people that runs up and down the street shouting “DEATH FLAG!!” at every third panel lol. but this shit screamed Death Flag when we originally got it, and it’s screaming DEATH FLAG!!! even more now. like with the capital letters and exclamation marks and all. and that’s just a fact. I don’t like it but that’s how it is

ffkdjslk

“DID YOU READ THE SIGN??!” Horikoshi asks while zooming in maniacally because he thinks we’re blind or something. lol what

-- though actually, it only just occurred to me that this sign is actually written in English. I never really paid attention up until now and had been assuming it was written in Japanese and translated by the scanlators, but the writing here is clearly part of the original image. anyway so maybe that’s why he’s zooming in?? just to make sure everybody pays attention lol

okay fuck this

see, this is the whole problem right here. once again All Might is all on his own. Deku’s self-destructive angst spiral was fortunately brought to a grinding halt because he actually has support from his friends and family and teachers and classmates. but All Might never had that same kind of support, and it’s made all the difference between the two of them, and not in a good way. Katsuki wasn’t wrong when he said All Might and Deku were both cut from the same cloth. but now when it’s All Might’s turn to go all “I WALK A LONELY ROAD~~” once again, there’s nobody in sight

just, after forty plus years of him carrying this torch, I just wish someone would finally come along to let him know he doesn’t have to. all those things that he wanted to say to Deku are also things that he needs and deserves to hear himself. Aizawa was making a little progress there, but now he’s got his sad zombie cloud boyfriend situation to deal with, and we can’t expect him and his perfect hair to solve all our problems. someone else has gotta step up

oh my god

“you rang?” never mind I take it all back sob

omg why am I laughing. shit

this man truly has the best PR game in the series. we were truly convinced he was gonna suddenly become a good guy and defend All Might against the other villains or some nonsense. as if this wasn’t the same man who decided on a whim that Iida Tensei deserved to be paralyzed, and that his fifteen-year-old brother deserved to die for daring to be upset about it

lol even All Might is all “I genuinely never saw this coming” lmao

just want to say, for the record, I have always harbored a very sensible hatred toward Stain. feeling very vindicated right now. good job Past Me

adsfklwkfsdwgkj

ffffwefjslkg. ghsdlkg. dsfkkkslkjldwkjrg

STAIN: heard you talking shit old man

ME: smh that’s what I thought you’d say you dumb fucking Stain

STAIN: how dare you talk about All Might that way

ME: gljfljgk

(ETA: in hindsight I have no idea how I didn’t clue in sooner that he didn’t recognize him -- or, well, ~didn’t recognize~ him, to be more accurate lol. I think it was the whole “is that a slight against the heroes?” thing that threw me. Viz’s translation makes it much clearer that he’s offended on behalf of All Might specifically, not heroes in general. anyways.)

sob. so All Might is all “yeah I don’t blame you for not recognizing me in this sweet leather jacket”

good thing he still knows how to do this party trick

A+ reflexes on Stain’s part presumably pulling the sword back a few inches to keep this dumbass from impaling himself with his whole pufferfish routine. can you imagine if that was the gruesome death Nighteye foresaw. and he was just too embarrassed to say anything

lol anyways guess I was wrong about Stain everyone

way to fucking go, Past Me. you really biffed this one

oh wait

Stain sure is one wacky rollercoaster ride

oh fuck me lol I forgot how much I did not miss this

(ETA: “this here is the sacred ground where All Might gave up the last of his power and turned into a shriveled old man!! please ignore the part where I admit to knowing all about that, and yet pretend not to recognize said man when he’s standing two feet in front of me.”)

Past Me, I know we’ve had our ups and downs these past ninety seconds, but I’m really starting to think you were on to something. this dude has always been kind of insufferable. always acting like his high horse is a fucking giraffe when it’s actually a Shetland pony

dammit now he’s got All Might going off on a depressed monologue

oh my god my heart

shit

why the fuck does that hit so hard. he became a hero because he couldn’t bear to just sit back and let bad things happen to people who didn’t deserve it. I mean that’s basically the same as every hero ever, right? so why does it still hit so fucking hard every single time though. what is it about seeing someone so determined to stand up for other people and fight on their behalf. it just never loses its impact no matter how many times I see that determination mirrored in so many of my favorite characters

“I wanted to make the world a better place.” omg. but you did, though. like seriously, I feel like people are always dogging on him for not being 100% perfect, and fandom really doesn’t give him enough credit for everything he still managed to accomplish. this man came of age at a time when Japan was by all accounts a total shitshow, and singlehandedly managed to bring about an era of peace that lasted for four fucking decades. can you imagine having peace for that long?? that’s longer than I’ve been alive. shit

and he gave people hope. he inspired them and protected them and made them feel safe. and no, he couldn’t save everyone, because he’s only one fucking dude (and also because the whole time AFO was also out there desperately working to undermine him so that he could keep preaching his narrative of “heroes are bad actually”). but you know what he did do, is inspire multiple new generations of heroes who, if they can all manage to work together, will finally be able to accomplish everything he never could

so yeah. forty years of peace, and inspired the “that’s how we all became the greatest heroes” generation -- that’s a fucking win in my book. talk about having a net positive impact on the world. lol anyways now I’m all fired up and ready to fight anyone who tries to talk any shit about you, All Might

“but what if I talk shit about myself” okay listen up All Might I’m gonna need you to try just a little bit harder to work with me here okay. please calm down and stop blaming yourself for every single bad thing that’s ever happened in the world. do you remember that time Bakugou was blaming himself for Kamino, and you gave him a hug and told him it wasn’t his fault, and that he was only a boy, and that even though he was strong, even strong people can struggle with the burdens they place on themselves, and that you were sorry for not seeing that earlier? do you remember all of that? that’s what I want someone to tell you too, dammit. anyway please stop breaking my heart please and thanks

wtf

are you dead All Might

um

I don’t even have the slightest idea what’s happening lol

oh snap did he grab him so they could hide??

hold the fucking phone. don’t tell me this person in the background with the umbrella is here to actually do something decent??

oh my godddd

and here come the feels. oh boy. okay don’t mind me, I’m just gonna sit here sobbing over this fictional lady and her simple act of kindness in this weekly shounen manga that I care about way too much

FUCKING DAMMIT AND HERE’S A SECOND HELPING

DON’T MIND ME, I’M JUST GETTING DISPROPORTIONATELY EMOTIONAL OVER THIS WOMAN’S DETERMINATION TO HONOR A MAN WHO SACRIFICED EVERYTHING TO SAVE HER AND COUNTLESS OTHERS. I’M JUST HAVING SOME FEELS OVER HERE ABOUT HER HEARTFELT, DOESN’T-EVEN-KNOW-ANYONE-ELSE-IS-WATCHING FEELINGS OF GRATITUDE THAT COMPELLED HER TO COME OUT HERE AND MAKE THIS SMALL BUT POWERFUL GESTURE. I’M JUST OUT HERE GETTING ALL PROFOUNDLY WORKED UP ABOUT STATUE MAINTENANCE AND THE HUMAN RACE. NEVER MIND. JUST IGNORE ME AND CARRY ON

holy shit. I was not even remotely prepared. you can’t just do that to me. you can’t just leave all these death flags on my lawn and then suddenly shift gears to show me the best of humanity in a chapter where I was expecting the worst. that fucks a person up lol

OH ARE WE STILL GOING

my heart. you see that, All Might. your legacy is so much more powerful and meaningful than you think

...has. has Stain actually been giving All Might a pep talk this entire time

I give up lol. this dude is a fucking enigma

YAYYY

it may just be a metaphor panel, but I’ll take it lol. I missed them. nice to see the traffic light trio front and off-center. I know the whole “this is the story of how we all became the greatest heroes” thing had left some questioning whether certain characters would continue to play a central role in the narrative, and hopefully this will help to ease those concerns just a bit

anyway, so idk if it’s getting a bit chilly down there in hell, but damned if Stain didn’t just give an actual decent fucking speech

I have to say, earlier when I was whining about All Might not having a support squad, I really was not expecting Stain to be the one to come over and pat his head and reassure him that he made the world a better place

-- okay LISTEN

YOU CAN’T JUST COME INTO MY HOUSE AND HIT ME WITH THOSE ALL MIGHT TEARS AGAIN GODDAMMIT THIS ISN’T FAIR. my god. first 317 and now this

holy fucking shit

“I’m just gonna pretend like I haven’t been stalking him for two days and didn’t see the entire Deku bentogate thing go down, and then I’ll give him the whole big speech that I rehearsed, and then I’ll turn around and be all ‘BUT IF YOU’RE A TRUE HERO’, and then I’ll toss him the super-secret AFO wifi password that I stole from Tartarus. god I’m such a badass. fucking give myself chills”

so basically what you’re telling me is that this whole time my “what’s up kids” characterization of Stain from this shitpost has actually been 100% accurate. just want to make sure I’m understanding this right. okay then

“and then I’ll dramatically spin around and be all NOW COME KILL ME BITCH”

it must be so much fun to write Stain. drawing this coked-out maniac who talks like a chatbot that was trained to speak by reading Alan Moore monologues. that must be a trip

anyway so All Might is still crying, the awesome lady from chapter 92 is admiring her handiwork totally oblivious to the batshit insanity going on fifty meters to her right, and it’s finally stopped raining lol

“THE RAIN WAS A METAPHOR YOU SEE” yes, yes, we got it lol. thanks for that Horikoshi. don’t think we needed any help putting the pieces together on that one but I appreciate the effort

so that’s the end! and as I mentioned in another post, I had the count off by one chapter, but next week should be cliffhanger week! so break out your U.A. Traitor bingo cards, friends and fiends. either that or something else happens that I’m completely not expecting at all. which, based on my success rate with Stain predictions, I’d say is more than likely lol

mmm but anyway, so now that the Hug Deku 2021 campaign has finally come to an end, what’s it gonna take to get a hug for my struggling bento-preparing jacket-rocking world-weary death-flag-waving husband who is the worthiest man to ever live and deserves the fucking world, goddammit

[tmntxthings]

so, I just watched the new tmnt movie on netflix! i had not watched any of the (26?) episodes… pretty much went in blind!

I am shell-shocked to say the least (pun intended hehe) like W O W. The roles in the team are switched?? I’m used to Leo being the caring, leader and Raph being the cocky/impulsive one

Their roles definitely aren’t just straight up reversed, the more I watched the more I saw what Leo could possibly be like if he never had that pressure Master Splinter put on him, and that Leo put on himself to be a great leader. It would mean he never really learned to care about the team, because that’s what leaders do, he’s got more of a spunky, sarcastic personality, honestly he cracked more jokes than Mikey! Maybe that’s what disappointed me the most, Mikey’s role as the hilarious, no matter the tense moment was kind of given to Leo in most cases here. Donnie was pretty consistent though with what I’ve seen in other tmnt movies/shows, a know-it-all with the stats to back it up, crazy wiz genius with out-of-the-world technology, nerdy and we love it

I don’t know how to feel, on the one hand, I would have loved to see what I’m used to. Not saying to stick with the same ole lines, just nothing wrong with Raph threatening to go off on his own and being all aggressive, competitive(ready to diss but also super protective)/Leo knowing and saying Raph ain’t going anywhere and that we do this as a team, being all mature, cautious, determined (yet he’s still a teenager who isn’t all-knowing and relies on his brothers just as much as he leads)

On the flip side of things, I ended up really enjoying the way the movie turned out at the end. No deaths (thank god! there were a few jump scares… SPOILER ALERT?) major character development for Leo, coming to terms with his responsibility as a hero and as a brother in a team, beautiful ending that had me wanting more <3 I started watching the first episode of Rise of the Turtles but ended up here on tumblr to see if anyone else had a similar or different opinion from mine???

What do you guys think? I find that any tmnt content is pretty much better than nothing c: it keeps the fandom alive and it’s been so long (at least for me!) Any and all thoughts are welcome, don’t be shy ;D

[princeescaluswords]

You completely missed my ultimate point. It doesn't matter if the headcanon isn't malicious. I don't think it is malicious. It's just racist.

It ignores and degrades the relationships portrayed in canon by aligning with hostile fanon interpretations.

For example, one of your major points is that Derek, in your application of this headcanon, is respecting Scott's desire to be "as normal of a teen as possible." That was absolutely true in Season 1, when Scott was being hunted by the Argents and the alpha. But I actually watched Season 2, where we get these three scenes out of many that show us that things have changed.

In Ice Pick (2x03):

Scott: What am I supposed to do? I can't just stand by. I can't pretend to be normal. Allison: I don't want you to be normal. I want you to be alive.

And this one in the same episode.

Stiles: All right, all I'm saying is maybe this one isn't totally your responsibility. Scott: They all are. And you know this thing's gonna get out of control. That makes me responsible.

And this one from Venomous (2x05):

Derek: I don't know why you think you have to protect everyone now, Scott ...

That doesn't sound like someone whose primary desire is to be as normal of a teen as possible. But what that interpretation that Scott's primary goal is to be normal does do is reinforce the fanon criticisms that the True Alpha arc 'came out of nowhere' or that Scott 'rejected the wolf.'

Derek did indeed try to keep Scott out of it, but not because he was respecting Scott's desire to be normal or respecting Scott's statement that he wasn't part of his pack. Derek told us why in Tattoo (3x01):

Derek: A rival pack. It's my problem. I know you wanna help, and you did. I owe you one. Now go home. Go back to being a teenager.

He's trying to protect Scott here from the Alpha Pack. And I asked, why would he want to protect Scott and not Stiles? That headcanon does, however, play into the constant fanon refrain that Scott's relationship with Derek isn't one he needs.

And then there's summer school, which I don't know what is like in your part of the world, but in California is not a 24/7 situation. But emphasizing summer school as a reason that both Derek and Stiles don't want Scott to help does happen to reinforce the 'dumb Scott' stereotype.

As for Stiles deciding that Scott need a break, I have to ask -- who the hell is Stiles to determine that? You don't treat it as a misstep for Stiles to make that decision for Scott in contravention of Scott's and Stiles's Season 2 behavior (and their Season 3 behavior and their Season 4 behavior, etc.). This part of the headcanon reinforces the fanon racist talking point that Stiles should be the one in charge.

This headcanon doesn't exist in a vacuum. On one side there is canon, with which this headcanon doesn't conform in any significant way. On the other side is a fandom that has spent a decade implying that Scott is stubborn, aggressive and more trouble than he's worth -- "Why would Derek ask for help he doesn't need yet from someone who isn't in his pack," -- that Scott is dumb and a poor student "someone who is trying to bring his grades up," -- and that Scott doesn't have the right attitude to be the lead protagonist. -- "and someone who doesn't want to be a part of the supernatural world to begin with?"

When a single glance -- and only a signal glance -- tells a large part of the fandom that it's most likely that Derek turned to Stiles over the summer and that Stiles turned to Derek over the summer, and that both Stiles and Derek -- who canonically love Scott -- decided to deceive him forever for Scott's own good, I can't help but think that there's a little more at work than just good feelings.

Almost Universally Accepted

If you ever wonder why people like me think the Teen Wolf fandom has become fundamentally corrupted by racism, you simply need to recall that there is, as one person on this site remarked recently, an 'almost universally accepted' headcanon among the fandom. Based on a single glance near the end of the first episode of the third season, Tattoo, a large number of people in this fandom believe that Stiles Stilinski helped Derek Hale and his pack look for their kidnapped betas over the summer between Scott's and Stiles's sophomore and junior years. In terms of the television production, this would be the hiatus between Season 2 and Season 3.

At first, it seems a perfectly harmless headcanon, but I believe it's a blatant example of how fandom racism degrades media literacy. Allow me to walk you through my reasoning. To start, most headcanons exist in a neutral state with regards to canon. When you speculate on a character's favorite ice cream flavor or whether they spend Christmases with their grandparents, it is most likely not going to affect how you view the canon. This particular one, however, modifies a crucial canon event, one which establishes both the relationships and a major part of the plot for an entire season. Coincidentally, those relationships and that plot are primary motive forces for the lead protagonist's character arc. Thus, accepting this headcanon requires the viewer to radically reinterpret the starting point of an entire season differently than the production's actual intention. It's such a radical change that any critical thinking requires a person to ask what the goal of this headcanon could possibly be, since it simply cannot fit within the canon itself.

Point One: The headcanon is entirely unsupported. Consider the image at the top of this post. That look on Stiles's face is, as far as I can tell, the sole trigger behind the creation of this suspect headcanon. Stiles makes eye contact with Derek and, apparently, looks guilty to the fandom. From this, Stiles is supposed to be sharing a private moment of remorse with Derek, to which Scott is not privy, about their inability to find Boyd and Erica over the summer.

Even given the possibility that the look on Stiles's face could also be interpreted as genuine concern for the fates of Boyd and Erica, regret that something new is coming for Beacon Hills, or even frustration that Scott is getting involved once more in something dangerous, the headcanon's interpretation does not in any way mesh with the actual lines spoken in the scene.

Derek: A pack of 'em. An Alpha pack. Stiles: All of them? How does that even work? Derek: I hear there's some kind of a leader. He's called Deucalion. We know they have Boyd and Erica. Peter, Isaac, and I have been looking for him for the last four months. Scott: Let's say you find them. How do you deal with an Alpha pack? Derek: With all the help I can get.

If Stiles has been working with Derek all summer to find and rescue Boyd and Erica, this dialogue makes no sense. Wouldn't Stiles already know about the alpha pack and how it works? Why would Derek not list Stiles among the people searching? It would require Stiles and Derek (and later Peter and Isaac) to deliberately decide to exclude Scott. Those who adhere to the headcanon never actually explain why that Stiles and Derek would want to conceal Stiles's participation in the search from Scott, but that's not their point.

Yet, while a conspiracy might explain why they don't reveal the secret here, it doesn't even begin to address while it is never mentioned elsewhere during the season (or any season). It also renders the dialogue between Derek and Stiles and between Peter and Stiles in Chaos Rising (3x02) incongruous. It makes the relationships between Stiles and Isaac and Stiles and Boyd incoherent. It makes the way Stiles treats Derek throughout the rest of the season nonsensical. But that's not all.

Point Two: It shreds characterizations for everyone but Scott. Take Stiles. In the last appearance of Stiles in Season 2, he tells Scott that "you still have me," in an incontrovertible statement of support. Why would a Stiles who made that promise hide this information from Scott; not just in this scene but in every scene about the Alpha Pack to come. If he was trying to keep Scott out of the supernatural things, then he didn't do a very good job; after all, he's the one who tells Scott about the Darach once Stiles discovers it. If he's secretly angry at Scott for something (whether it be not finding him when Gerard kidnapped him or some other fandom-conjured reason such as Scott 'ignoring' him all summer), then why wouldn't he use it when he argues with Scott in Unleashed (3x04), Frayed (3x05), Motel California (3x06) or Currents (3x07)? For this headcanon to be even remotely valid, it has to suppose that Derek and Stiles established a positive working relationship, but Derek is the one person to whom Stiles doesn't bring his ideas about the Darach. Why the sudden and unexplained change in regard?

Take Derek. If Derek trusted Stiles enough to have him help his pack look for Boyd and Erica over the summer, why would Derek so casually and cruelly dismiss Stiles's assistance after the recovery of Isaac ("Not You!"). If Derek is simply trying to keep Scott out of this -- which is actually seen on the screen -- isn't it callous of him to not have tried to keep Stiles out of it? And if Derek is angry enough with Scott not to seek his help over the summer (though this emotions doesn't stop him from accepting and asking for Scott's help visually on the screen), why doesn't Derek ever bring up that he trust Stiles enough to help but not Scott?

Keeping this a secret throughout the entire season doesn't match anyone else's character, either. Why didn't Peter use it to needle Stiles in Chaos Rising or needle Scott in Unleashed? Why does Peter, who is consistently portrayed as manipulative and using other people's misdeeds to excuse his actions ("I'm not the only dysfunctional family member.") not use it to undermine Derek's or Isaac's trust in Scott? For that matter, why doesn't Isaac use it in any of the conflicts he has with Stiles? It simply doesn't fit in with anyone else's behavior or characterizations.

Part Three: It does, however, serve to undermine Scott's role as lead protagonist. This is, at the base, the point. It's not really a starting point for Sterek that they claim it to be; a massive conspiracy doesn't really establish the impetus for their relationship considering how they both canonically treat Scott later. It does, however, serve as a coded way to establish the white male characters in the show as a social group in and of themselves, one from which Scott must be excluded, perhaps because of his inadequacies (he has to go summer school, see, which in Beacon Hill seems to be envisioned as a boot camp-slash-gulag) or his sins (not sacrificing Allison) but there has to be a reason. When you take in the way it doesn't fit into anything happen and doesn't really help what they want to happen, the only logical reason for the creation of this headcanon is that it demonstrates their belief that Scott does not deserve his position as lead protagonist, and that Stiles's professed loyalty is slowly being transferred to a man he had on a list of people responsible for human sacrifices twice.

But it is inevitable that such headcanons go against the themes of the show, the plot of the show, and the established characterizations of the cast, because consistency is not really important to parts of the fandom. What is important is that it suggests the true focus of the story should be where the believe it belongs: any white male character. This ill-fitting whim has become almost universally accepted, to remove a character of color form his position as lead protagonist with a subtext so deep it appears for exactly 2 seconds.

It is indeed racism.