#I ended up writing way more than I initially intended because I couldn't possibly talk about this without getting emotional

[molsno]

one of the reasons I can't really see myself dating a tme lesbian is because so fucking many of them, even if they're trans themselves, think they're incapable of being transmisogynistic. like. there's an inherent power difference between us and sooooooo many tme lesbians want to deny that because they have this gut feeling that they're more oppressed on the basis of being afab and I straight up do not feel safe enough to date someone who thinks that.

and like. that's the thing. a lot of them just never even stop to consider that trans women might feel unsafe around them - they think of it being the other way around. and like, idk, the thought of dating someone who views me as a dangerous man even a little bit, even if they won't admit it and don't think they do, is one of the most terrifying prospects imaginable, because I know that at any time they could turn around and discard me like garbage, tell everyone I know that I'm a dangerous abusive predatory tranny in order to isolate me so that I have no one to turn to.

tme lesbians will read this and think I'm exaggerating, think that kind of thing would only happen if I was actually dangerous and abusive and predatory, completely unaware that I've just described the personal life experience of like 70% of the trans women I know. they don't fucking understand how unbelievably common it is for trans women to be abused, beaten, groomed, and raped by their afab partners, only to have those partners turn around and paint them as the abusers and isolate them. no matter how many times I hear a new variation of this story it never stops making me cry. it makes me want to hold them and give them my unconditional love, tell them they're not dangerous, tell them they deserve gentleness and understanding and safety, make them really believe they deserve someone who will respect their boundaries and desires. if you've ever wondered why trans women mostly only date other trans women, it's because nobody else is doing that for us.

[imtrashraccoon]

This is more of a transition chapter than anything, oh well. I really need to write a Dust-centric fic or oneshot sometime...

@owl-bones

First, Previous, & Next Day

Bad Sansuary II: Dust - Rain

Word Count: 1,360

The rhythmic drilling of rain against the roof was a rude awakening. With a groan, you forced yourself to sit up, feeling a familiar spike of pain as you did so. You had had a feeling you would suffer the next day, so the hangover wasn't a surprise, but it was still annoying.

Reven was tangled up in the bedclothes with his pillow covering his skull. At least he'd had enough sense of mind to remove his chainmail and steel armour before passing out last night. He had also taken off his amulet and shortsword from his belt, leaving them in a heap with his armour.

Similarly, you had shed your hide bracers and greaves, but kept your fur armour on to sleep. Since Reven hadn't actually rented a room and it was the middle of the night, you had decided to let him stay. However, you both agreed it would be best to remain fully clothed and keep to separate sides of the bed. You really didn't want to make another mistake like you had last night.

Speaking of mistakes, you needed to do something about your headache before it got worse. Moving carefully to avoid irritating your head, you put on the rest of your armour and strapped your dagger to your belt again. Despite trying to be quiet, you still ended up making more noise than you had intended, eliciting a groan of pain from Reven's incapacitated form. You decided to let him rest a bit longer, at least until you could bring him something to eat and drink.

With a sigh, you left the room and headed downstairs. It was still fairly early, but you were glad that you didn't have to deal with rowdy patrons just yet. The barkeep was cleaning the dining area as you entered the tavern and quickly moved to the bar when he noticed you. After paying to stay another night and for some breakfast, you decided to strike up a conversation with him.

"I noticed the guards at the gate all had a purple eye painted on their helmets. What's the deal with that?" you asked, trying to frame your question as casually as possible.

The middle-aged man had been wiping down the cooking area but he paused, turning to look at you through narrowed eyes. He seemed to study you for a moment before shrugging and returning to cleaning.

"It's just an initiation ritual," he grunted. "When a guard finishes their training, they paint an eye on their armour to show that they won't turn a blind eye to lawbreakers."

"Really?" you hummed, pausing to finish your glass of water. "I hadn't seen anything like that before and thought it was a little strange."

The barkeep didn't seem interested in continuing the conversation, so you chose not to press further. After finishing your meal, you decided to check out the city and maybe gather some more information.

Unfortunately, you had chosen the wrong day to go out. The moment you stepped outside, you immediately regretted doing so. It was still raining. For a minute you debated just going back inside, but you also didn't want to let the day go to waste. So, you stuck to the overhangs from the buildings to keep from becoming completely drenched.

There were very few people out in the streets and those who were, weren't willing to talk as they were trying to get back indoors as soon as possible. You even tried heading back to the temple, but the priest wouldn't let you in because you were "an outsider". In the end, you ended up just buying some food for Reven and returning to the tavern.

You found the spellsword still in bed when you stepped back into the room. The pillow was still hiding his face from view and you couldn't help but wonder if he had moved at all since you had been away. One of his legs was hanging off the bed and you cringed a little inside at the awkward way he was laying down. Surely his spine must hurt from staying in that position for so long?

Now, you had witnessed him attack anyone unlucky enough to startle him awake before, so you weren't about to take a bone bullet to the face. For a moment, you stood there trying to figure out how to go about waking him. You settled on moving to the other side of the bed, so there would be less of a chance of him falling off and gently patting the mattress.

"Hey," you whispered. "It's past noon, lazybones. Are you going to get up anytime soon?"

When he didn't respond, you decided to try again, moving your paw to the pillow. Slowly, you peeled it from his face, only for his eye sockets to suddenly snap open. You let out a startled yelp, dropping the pillow like a hot coal and stumbling backwards.

Reven groaned, his hand grasping the pillow and flinging it at the wall. He rolled over and rubbed at his temples, inhaling sharply. His eyelights found your face, although the edges were fuzzy and he seemed to be having a hard time focusing. The grooves underneath his eye sockets looked darker than they normally did too.

You crawled over to the bed, propping up your chin on the soft surface with your arms. "Rough night?" you asked quietly.

"yeah... couldn't sleep for hours... feel like death itself."

You grimaced at how scratchy his normally monotone voice sounded. "You certainly sound like death," you chuckled awkwardly. "I brought you something to eat, but maybe you would prefer some water first?"

He gave you a strange look, like something akin to confusion and regret. You said nothing and went to retrieve the bundle of fresh baked bread and cheese. By the time you had turned around, Reven had managed to haul himself into a sitting position, although he was still just watching you.

"What? Did I say something wrong?"

He blinked before slowly shaking his head.

You raised an eyebrow before crossing the room and handing him both the bundle and your waterskin. "Right then... I'm just going to restring my bow or something."

You fiddled with your gear for a couple of minutes while he ate. Needless to say, it was pretty awkward just sitting in the same room, not saying anything to each other. You hadn't had to use your weapons for a few days, so none of them really needed any maintenance for the time being. You ended up just holding the carving you had made of the eye and staring long and hard at it. Maybe you would miraculously figure out what it really meant if you just kept at it...

"what did you do all morning?" Reven suddenly asked.

"Hm?" You blinked and looked up at him. "Oh! Um, I tried to ask about this symbol, but no one had any good answers beyond it being like a weird justice oath. I just don't know what to do now."

He motioned for you to pass him the symbol. "can i look at it again?"

You shrugged and moved to sit on the side of the bed, passing him the carving. He ran his phalanges over the rough grooves in the wood as if committing them to memory. You found yourself watching him for a moment, quietly glad you had thought to bring him something to eat as he seemed in a much better mood already.

"i'll try asking around later and see if i can at least get a name for it," he finally said.

"Then be prepared to get wet if you go out." You eyed the overcast sky out the window and wrinkled your muzzle in disgust. "Should we even bother investigating tonight if the weather doesn't clear up?"

Reven frowned and glanced over at the window as well. "it is annoying to move in wet armour," he remarked. "but we still need to explore more of the city."

"Yeah..." you sighed. "I just really hate having wet fur."

He nodded, "yeah, i get it. nothing good ever happens when it rains anyways."

[farfromsugafanfic]

Sutures - Chapter Six: Locked In Love

Genre: Soulmates AU, Idiots to Lovers, slight Enemies to Lovers

Pairing: Yoongi/Named Reader

Warnings (chapter specific): mentions of sex, therapy, being chased by a cop (no violence occurs)

Synopsis: “A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.” –Jean de la Fontaine

There was only one thing you and Min Yoongi had in common that night. You were both brokenhearted. You only intended to be together for one night, but when you both end up in the hospital the next day you discover that you are soulmates. It could kill you to be apart. As you and Yoongi attempt to sever the bond between you, will another be formed?

Previous | Series Masterlist | Next

"Hello?" you said, as Skype connected you to your client. He said he was a college student in the emails you'd exchanged. When his face appeared on the screen you smiled and waved politely. He bowed, which looked awkward over the screen, but it made you laugh. "Kim Jinwoo?"

"Yes!" he said, his eyes widening his eyebrows brushing the ends of his hair which lay over his forehead. "Nice to meet you, Teacher."

"Please call me, Sumi," you said. "No need for the formality." 

He nodded.

"So, today I'm not going to go over much English with you, but I want to ask you a few questions just to get to know you and find out how I can best teach you."

You opened up your notebook where you had previously written down the questions you wanted to ask. It would certainly be possible to have your clients fill out a form with all of this information beforehand, but you liked to ease into it and allow them to get comfortable. You couldn't help but smile when you felt the familiar weight of the pen in your hand, something familiar in such an unfamiliar place. 

"Why are you learning English?"

"I'm studying abroad in America in a couple of months," he said. "I want to have a good grasp on the language before then." 

You nodded and wrote down his answer. "Have you ever taken an English class before?"

"The required ones in school," he said.

You continued on with the questions pausing only to write them down. Your first meeting went well and you waved goodbye to the boy. He smiled at you, his lips full and his teeth white. 

"I'm excited to begin our sessions," he said. "I wasn't expecting my tutor to be someone my age."

"I'm still older than you," you said, laughing. "Even if it is only a year." 

The boy joined in your laughter. "I'll send you my schedule so we can set up our next meeting."

"Sounds good."

"I'm looking forward to it," Jinwoo said, his voice slightly deeper than before. "Noona."

---

You and Yoongi sat on a plush love seat. Each of you clinging to either arm to prevent your thighs or arms from brushing. Yoongi barely looked at you; his face settled in a pout. 

"So," the therapist said. "I've already talked with both of you individually and now we will focus on dual therapy. If either of you needs individual counseling, feel free to contact me."

The therapist was a young woman, older than both you and Yoongi, but too young to be either of your mothers. She had a friendly smile and a voice that cut through the air like a knife through butter; but you still found yourself fiddling with your fingers, digging your fingernails into the skin of your fingertips. 

You'd thought about bringing your knitting needles giving yourself somewhat of an escape from the stagnant air surrounding you, but you didn't want to be rude. So, rather, you stewed in the stagnant air.

"Have you had your first urge yet?" The therapist's pen was poised on the notebook and her eyes flicked between both of you. 

"Y-yes," you both managed to say. 

"The first one is usually the hardest to control. Were you able to stop things before they went too far?"

"We didn't have sex if that's what you mean," Yoongi said. Your eyes widen and you want nothing more than to sink into the couch cushions. "Other than when we first met."

The therapist nods and writes something down on her notepad. "This will continue to be difficult for both of you, which is why it's important to have a close relationship, even though the end goal is to break this biological bond between you. What would each of you say is the hardest part so far?"

You both remained quiet. You still fiddled with your fingers wishing now that you'd brought your needles along. You felt a warmth come over your left hand briefly. You caught the sight of Yoongi's hand moving back to rest in his lap. His gaze, however, was still on you and your now still hands, his momentary warmth calming your restless limbs. 

"We don't really know each other," Yoongi said. "We met only a few days ago and it's hard to find comfort in each other if we don't really know each other. And--"

"And we both got cheated on," you said. "It's hard to trust someone again."

Yoongi's gaze was on you again, burning a hole in your profile. You secretly wanted to reach out for his hand again and cling to it, because even if you weren't friends, even if you hated each other, there was still something that made you feel safe when your hand was in his. 

"That's understandable," the therapist said. "Why don't each of you plan a date? Don't look at as a romantic gesture, just something you can do together to get to know each other a little better." 

You nodded, but Yoongi shifted uncomfortably beside you. 

"I thought the point was the break whatever bond there is."

She nodded towards Yoongi. "It is," she said. "But, you have to remember it's imperative to build an emotional connection with each other, because as the biological bond breaks it can cause severe mental health issues, which is why I'm here to help you. If you have a separate emotional bond, even just as friends, it will make severing the biological bond easier."

You and Yoongi nodded and you felt as he relaxed back down into the couch. Despite saying he didn't know you well, it seemed like he didn't want to know you.

Yet, you remember waking up that morning on the couch in his studio. At first, you didn't know where you were, not able to see much in the dark, but then you caught the faint glow of the computer screen and Yoongi's huddled shape in the chair. A blanket curled around his form and he clicked away aimlessly on the desktop, unknowingly bouncing his head to a beat you couldn't hear. 

It was early in the morning. He either had gotten up early to work or had stayed in the studio with you the whole night. You weren't sure which was worse. 

"You must be careful not to develop romantic feelings because the bond can still break and if someone has lingering feelings, it can cause them to continue to experience the withdrawals, which often in those cases is deadly."

You glanced at each other and smiles broke on both of your faces, the previous tension in the room dissipating into the air.

"I don't think that will be a problem."

---

It didn't take you long to figure out what you wanted to do with Yoongi on your "date". You saw him slouch as soon as the two of you stepped onto the bus. He'd worn a hat and a mask attempting to hide his identity as much as he could. You couldn't help but crack a smile at the way the boy sat at the very back of the bus. You sat beside him, the rough fabric of his black jeans brushing against the bare skin of your knees.

Even though it wasn't a real date, there was part of you that wanted to date again. Not Yoongi or anyone in particular, you just wanted to feel cared for again. You wanted to have someone who would wrap their hands around yours when you didn't have your knitting needles and felt anxious, someone to tell you everything will be okay. Another side of you wanted to be single, you'd been with Minki for three years, you'd forgotten what it was like to be alone.

The bus neared your stop and you softly tapped Yoongi's knee to signal it was nearly time to get off. The bus pulled into the stop and the two of you climbed off. 

"We'll walk the rest of the way," you said. "It's not far."

"Would it have killed you to use one of the company cars?" he asked.

"This is my date," you said. "Now come on."

You were in central Seoul in the middle of the city and you felt Yoongi tense beside you. You looped your arm through his and walked in the direction of Namsan Tower. 

"Hey!" he said, his arm squirming in your grip. "If someone gets a picture, this will look bad."

"We'll just look like a normal couple," you said. "If anything they'll pay less attention to you." 

Yoongi sighed, his arm relaxing. You heard a small grunt of disbelief from underneath his mask, but he relented and allowed you to interlock your elbow with his. 

You approached Namsan Tower--a large arrow-shaped building that jutted out from the middle of the city--and felt the wave of deja vu wash over you. The last time you were here you were gripping Minki's hand, a smile on both of your faces. You weren't really happy, you didn't realize it then, of course. You always told yourself Minki was the one, you told yourself that Minki was perfect. But, if the boy next to you now was any indication, you'd been lying to yourself. 

"Don't tell me we're doing one of those stupid lock things," Yoongi said as the two of you entered the elevator and you pressed the button for the second floor. 

"No," you said. "We're removing one."

---

When you got to the Locks of Love, there was more than you remember, locks running all along the rooftop deck. There were so many locks it looked as if the walls of the observation deck were made from the locks. 

Despite the mass of locks, it didn't take you long to find the one you and Minki had picked out. It was near the top of the short wall, pale pink in color with yours and Minki's initials written on it and a heart drawn around them. The rain had caused the Sharpie to fade slightly, but the initials were still clearly visible.

You removed a bobby pin from your hair, a shorter piece of your hair falling into your face. You tucked it behind your ear and wiggled the bobby pin into the lock. 

"I'm guessing you didn't keep the key?"

You smiled sheepishly and laughed at your own stupidity. "We threw it in the Han."

Even though Yoongi still wore a mask, you could see his plump lips forming a smirk underneath it. 

"What?" you asked. "We thought we were in love."

"You weren't?"

You sighed. "I don't know. I at least thought I was." 

Yoongi didn't react, but you felt his eyes watching intently as you wiggled the bobby pin back and forth, trying to get the lock to release. After a few minutes of struggling, Yoongi stepped in front of you, his keys in his hand. 

"Sometimes if you have a similar key you can trick the lock into unlocking," he said. He tried a few of his keys, a small one eventually slipping in the lock. He jostled it, but to no avail. 

"How do you know that?"

He raised his eyebrow. "You really want to know that?"

You noticed a few people looking at the two of you suspiciously. The last thing you needed was attention, it was a risk to come to such a busy place with Yoongi anyway. You nervously turned the bobby pin around in your fingers.

"You think if we just pulled on it long enough it would come off?"

You laughed, only causing more eyes to dart your way. You sighed and tried the bobby pin again, not managing to unlock the lock. Frustrated, you threw it to the ground. 

"I should've made a copy of the key," you said. "I couldn't have been so stupid to think it would really last?"

You knew you had been that stupid. You thought Minki was the one even though the moths in your stomach always told you differently. 

"Hey!" you heard someone shout from the other end of the deck. "You can't remove those!"

You noticed the man--a cop--run towards the two of you and before you could process what was happening, you were running down the stairs and back down to the street.

At some point, your hand had fallen into Yoongi's. His hand gripped yours tightly as you followed only slightly behind him. You eventually fell into the crowd of central Seoul and ducked into an alleyway. 

You both breathed heavily and Yoongi pulled down his mask to breathe more freely. His lips and face red, his lips in a pout. His hand still holding yours and your bodies mere inches apart, feeling each other's warmth. 

"I'm so sorry," you said. "I didn't realize it was illegal and I thought it might be therapeutic to remove it. If we get caught, I'll take the blame, cause you're an idol and I've already caused you too much trouble..."

Yoongi laughed. "Shhhh, we'll get caught if you keep rambling." He let go of your hand and wrapped his arms around your shoulders, pulling you into his chest. His chin rested comfortably on the crown of your head. His heart beat against your ear, in near rhythm with your own. 

"Don't worry about the lock," he said, whispering, his breath tickling the skin of your ear. "Just because it's there doesn't mean anything. You don't have to love him, or ever have."

His arms loosen around you and you look up at him. You'd never seen him like this before; his voice deep and calm, his eyes calm and kind, his fingers lightly twisting the ends of your hair. His skin shone in the dimly lit alley and his back was against the wall. 

"I think we're safe, now," he said. "I'll get us a taxi." He pulled the mask back up and held his arm out for you, allowing you to loop your arm through his again. 

You walk down the street to find a taxi, most of which were full in the late afternoon. People push past you and vendors yell out their prices to potential costumers. You don't pay much attention to anyone or anything as you walk, but your eyes flit to a newsstand with its glossy magazine covers and airbrushed celebrities. 

You suddenly catch sight of your face on the top right of a magazine cover. It was next to Yoongi's. You stopped, even the tug of Yoongi's arm didn't startle you from your thoughts. 

You picked up the cover and felt tears coming to your eyes as you take in the headline, "Jang Sumi Cheated On Her Long Time Boyfriend With Min Yoongi?!" A small mention of Yoongi's ex was mentioned as well. 

"Sumi," Yoongi's voice cut through your thoughts. "Come on, I'll explain everything in the taxi." 

He tugged on your hand lightly and after a moment you place the magazine back on its rack and follow him, his hand completely enveloping yours. His hand was your only anchor in the choppy sea. 

Eventually, Yoongi manages to wave down a taxi and the two of you climb in. His hand leaves yours as he tells the driver directions and suddenly you are overboard. 

Everything that had threatened to spill over on the street now spilled over on your cheeks. You turned away from Yoongi, quickly wiping away the hot tears, wondering why it seemed you always cried in front of him when he was the last person you wanted to see you cry. 

"I didn't want to tell you," he said. "I was hoping it would die down before you found out." He paused, taking a deep breath. You turned to face him, it was barely evident you had cried at all, but you felt some tears still threatening to spill over. "After everything with the shoes, Minki's been saying some things. He's saying you were still in a relationship with him when you slept with me. Don't worry, we haven't confirmed anything, most people think he's just a jealous ex, and intend to keep it that way, okay?"

"Everyone knows we slept together?" you asked. "They think I cheated?"

Yoongi reached out and moved the piece of hair your bobby pin freed and tucked it behind your ear. "I'm going to take care of it," he said. "Don't worry, everything will be over when we come back from Japan."

You nodded, wishing more than ever you'd saved the key, so you could unlock the lock and destroy it. Never having to think about Minki again. 

[spookyboywhump]

Okay so I was rereading some things recently and I couldn't shake that mention Zander makes of the one replacement that Cain allegedly killed. Could you tell the story behind it? Mostly curious about Zander and Cain's feelings on this, but go into as much detail as you possibly can/want to :D!!!!

Hi Boa I Would Die For You Because I’ve Been Wanting To Talk About This So Bad But Haven’t Been Able To Figure Out How To

You’d think this would get brought up more since it was. A pretty major event for Cain and Zander. For the sake of this we’ll just call this replacement A. 

this got really long and rambly and I’m so sorry I just hope it’s Coherent

Content Warnings: Death, Dehumanization, Pet whump

 OKAY So. This happened when Zander had only been there for maybe. Three years. This was one of the first few replacements Cain ever got, and really he was more of a threat to Zander than an actual plan to replace him. Because of this, Cain didn’t. Put a lot of thought into the dog he picked out, and the one he got was very much so a fighter, he hadn’t signed up for this willingly, and he fought with Cain constantly.

 Zander and A didn’t get along well at all. Zander did what he could, he tried to tell him all the rules so he wouldn’t have to find out the hard way, he tried to tell him it was easier to just do what Cain says, and frankly, A thought Zander was ridiculous for not fighting more than he already did. They argued often, they’d gotten into at least one physical fight, but Zander still didn’t want to see anything bad happen to A. 

 They kind of co existed for a while though, eventually came to understand they wouldn’t agree and if they could avoid it they barely even talked to each other. They were always together but still. Very much so alone because they didn’t have the kind of relationship Zander and Wren have, they couldn’t rely on each other, and even though Zander tried early on, A wasn’t as accepting of his efforts and he eventually understood that A just wanted to be left alone. 

 The last couple of replacements Cain had gotten, he usually threw away, they were either returned or given to somebody else and Zander kind of expected the same to happen to A. He didn’t. Really think a punishment would go wrong. Cain didn’t even expect it, he never wanted to kill anybody. There were a lot of factors that played into his death, he was already weak, he likely hadn’t been eating enough, he was injured from past punishments and when Cain tried to beat the defiance out of him his body just. Couldn’t handle it. 

 Zander tried to stop Cain, he had tried to take the punishment for A initially but. Because A died he feels like he’s somewhat responsible. He feels like if he had tried harder, begged more, attacked Cain even, then A would still be alive, maybe even have gotten free. He was always a protective person but this event specifically led him to believe he needs to put other dogs before himself, that if anything like this happens again then it has to be him because he couldn’t stand to let another person die. Before this event, he never would’ve attacked Cain the way he has before, but now he knows it’s possible for Cain to make this mistake, and when Cain goes too far he’ll do whatever he can to stop it before it results in another death.

 A good example of this is this piece where he does hit Cain for what he did to Wren. He knows that could’ve easily killed Wren, he knows Cain was getting close to that line again and he knew if he didn’t lash out somehow then Cain could end up crossing it again whether he intends to or not. 

 As for Cain, he didn’t handle this. Well. It’s the kind of thing where, before it happened, he thought he could’ve handled it. He’d been raised and conditioned to be heartless, to not see these dogs as people but as things, and to an extent he does, however. He is very much so still human. He never made it to the point his father wanted him to, he was never able to truly disregard somebody’s life like that. He never would’ve intentionally killed anybody, and when he realized what he’d done he didn’t know what to do.

 He panicked, he had a whole breakdown over the situation, and Zander. Wasn’t really helping because he was lashing out at Cain because that was all he could think to do since he was just as panicked as Cain was. Zander never thought Cain would’ve done this, and while he still holds Cain accountable for it, he knows it wasn’t intentional and he knows that Cain is not meant to be a killer. He worries more about accidents than Cain actually murdering somebody else. 

 Cain eventually calmed down enough, he knew who to call to have the situation handled, and if he was anything like his father then that would’ve been the end of it. The body was disposed of, any evidence was gotten rid of, and the entire thing was covered up, if he was like his father then he would’ve forgotten about it completely, probably only mentioning A in passing conversations about disobedient pets.

 He’s not like his father though. It weighed on him for a long, long time, it still does really. Even when it comes to more drastic things he’s done, they’re more often done in bouts of extreme emotion, when he’s thinking clearly, when he’s actually planning, he does make sure to take measures so that something like this won’t happen again. It’s when he’s lashing out and unpredictable that this becomes possible again, and Zander is really the only thing making sure nothing goes that far- and the only reason it’s very unlikely Zander would ever fall victim to this is that Cain genuinely depends on Zander in several ways and he knows Zander’s limits and while he might push him sometimes, he is more careful than he would be with Wren because he could not bear to lose him.

 Zander has a lot of guilt from this situation. He feels guilty that he didn’t try hard enough, he feels guilty that it wasn’t him who died, even though he and A never got along he still feels like A deserved to live far more than he does. It’s one of several things that contribute to his intense self hatred, he feels like he’s a bad person because his efforts just. Weren’t enough to save A. It’s a big part of why he protects Wren and Cathal the way he does, and especially a big part of why he acts out to keep their owners’ attention while insisting they behave and avoid getting in trouble. 

 It’s been nearly four years and Cain is still incredibly guilty over this. He doesn’t enjoy death, he has too much of a conscience to kill intentionally, and it’s one of several things that keep him up at night. He still has serious nightmares about this event, he still feels like he deserves some sort of punishment for this event but the obvious answer is just. Completely unfathomable to him and part of it is that he’s genuinely too much of a coward to ever speak up about it.

 Zander and Cain don’t talk about this event. It fucked up both of them in different ways and Zander knows that bringing it up won’t do anything but make things worse- which he especially avoids now that Wren is here. Zander couldn’t protect A when he should’ve, and so he’s done his best with the replacements before, and now that he has Wren and he’s actually formed a genuine bond and a close relationship with him, his self sacrificing and his need to protect have only gotten stronger. Cain can’t take back what he did to that man, he can’t undo the fact he killed him, but he can do his best so it doesn’t happen again- which is why Zander is almost never punished when he makes it clear that Cain fucked up big time. 

 This is such an important event and it’s a damn shame my brain hasn’t let me write it in detail before because it’s. Kind of a major thing. But I’m so glad I got the jist of it out here and I’m so thrilled I got to talk about it so!!! Big thank Boa!!!!!

[fly-pow-bye]

Powerpuff Girls 2016 - “People Pleaser“

Written by: Haley Mancini, Jake Goldman

Written & Storyboared (sic) by: Jaydeep Hasrajani, Leticia Abreu Silva

Directed by: Nick Jennings, Bob Boyle

YouTube videos! To-do lists! Evil goo!

This episode, which became the season finale whether the writers knew it or not, starts with a lesson on what biomes are from a fake YouTube personality. Said personality seems to be stuck in the worst part of the 90s.

Braeden: This is Biomes with Braeden! We talk about biomes 24/7! (sudden cut to him playing an electric guitar) diddledodiddledodiddledo-wreeeeeeeeeeeooooh!

Yeah, he's no Strong Bad. He never appears after this scene, his only purpose is to teach the kids at home what a biome is. They could have had Blossom explain what it is, but it just wouldn't be hip if we aren't down with the Yous and the Tubes. He also introduces the Make Your Own Biome set; so easy, a baby can do it.

Bubbles is apparently less than this baby, as she can't get a tree to stand up. This still unnamed outside of the three seconds in one of the shorts school has given our girls another Science Project. Bubbles is doing a taiga biome, Buttercup is doing the egg drop, and Blossom is doing nothing. I guess she got a free pass after making that animal ray reversal button.

Bubbles: I got the tiger! (stock tiger roar)

Bubbles can actually do this with her special power of speaking animal, but it's hard to tell if this joke was made with that in mind. Since Bubbles can't build the biome herself, Blossom promises to Bubbles that she'll help her out after school. In her words, it's her top priority, as she puts it as number one in her cell phone's to-do list. After school, she helps her out, and the rest of the episode is about the girls punching monsters in the face.

At least, that's what could have happened, but what about this? During school, Miss Keane calls on Blossom to do a favor for her. She needs someone to write a speech for a guy that runs a bean resturaunt. Apparently, Blossom is literally the only person in the entire class that won't make fart jokes.

Blossom puts it in her to-do list, and being the loving sister she is, she immediately puts Bubbles below the bean enterpeneur. Anyone can guess where this plot is going at this point. Most PPG 2016 episodes seem to take plot points from the original, but in this case, it's taking the plot from Run, Blossom, Run. The big difference, is that in that short, Blossom felt the need to do everything immediately so she can get to class without guilt.

In this episode, she constantly takes on new favors, and instead of doing them, she just puts it on her to-do list. In her mind, any new favor should be her top priority, no matter what. Of course, this comes at the expense of poor Bubbles. She doesn't even care, and this will be far more apparent later.

I'll give one example, because it really shows how forced this plot is. One of the favors she decides to take is to deliver a pizza to a bunch of “hangry” astronauts. They really rub in that word, too; they have this mission control say what it means, and then has some yelling astronauts repeat it in a cutaway "gag". Huh, delivering a small box to a satellite in space quickly. A perfect job for someone who could fly really fast and survive in a vacuum.

This seems like something she can do instantly, but because of this episode's plot, she puts it in her to-do list. Those astronauts can starve while she fills her list full of silly things like deliver clowns to the clown college. Get it, clowns? Yeah, I don't get it, either.

It's long after school, and Bubbles is rightfully sad that Blossom isn’t helping her out. Out of luck, Buttercup shows up. Oh yeah, that Buttercup subplot about the egg drop. The egg drop simply consists of finding out how to drop an egg without breaking it. The running joke is that Buttercup's experiments consist of throwing eggs at her sisters, because that's what humans do.

Buttercup wonders why Bubbles is crying, and Bubbles explains her situtation. That rascally little green princess decides to help her out in Blossom's place. All this episode needs is a sitcom "wah wah wah" sound effect, but they thankfully wasted those in the last episode.

We get a montage, cutting between Buttercup helping out Bubbles, and Blossom finally doing her favors. I guess after getting 500 of them, she finally decided to do them. If there's one improvement over the short: at least some of these favors actually involve superpowers. For example, she uses super speed to fix the library, and eye lasers to light up the Non Copyrighted Multinational Sports Event's torch.

Of course, Buttercup's help doesn't go too well. Buttercup shoots the paper trees like shuriken, pours soda all over the taiga, and drowns the entire project in marshmallow goo. Bubbles initially laughs, and then starts crying that her project is "terrible".

Buttercup: There's only one thing that can cause Buttercup to be terrible.

It is way too easy to respond to this line, so fill in the blank: "____________________? No, she's referring to Blossom." She leaves, not realizing the biome project is slowly expanding. This will have an explanation, but it will not be a satisfying one.

There might be someone who is thinking, "well, maybe this is all against Blossom's will, and she's desperately trying to get to that Bubbles favor!" Well, that's not the case. Buttercup confronts Blossom on not doing the favor of the one person that truly matters.

Blossom: The Professor?

Buttercup: NO! Bubbles!

Blossom: Oh no, I forgot!

Yeah, she completely forgot about Bubbles. I guess she was too busy adding things to her to-do list than to be a caring sister. To try to rub it in, Buttercup tells her that she had to help Bubbles.

Blossom is more concerned that Buttercup decided to take her place, because Buttercup is incompetent! Buttercup tells her to relax, because insert obvious joke about character talking about something that can't possibly happen but will happen after the character talks about it.

Buttercup: It's not like marshmallow goo turns biomes into giant rampaging monsters!

Yes, marshmallow goo turns biomes into giant rampaging monsters, who knew? Blossom treats this as if this is supposed to be common knowledge. She does throw in a line about chemical composition, but that's all we get. Hmm, there is this magical chemical they could have used that would make a better explanation.

Come to think of it, I don't remember if Chemical X ever appeared in this reboot beyond the opening of the music video. Now that's one part of the original that could have been expanded upon. All we know about it is that it creates life, causes superpowers, and has an antidote. Wait, I'm rambling again. Quick, get me a non sequitur scene that adds nothing to the episode.

Oh yes, it's completely necessary to have a random scene where Buttercup pours marshmallow goo out of an oil barrel. Seems to be a staple of Hasrajani and Silva episodes to have poorly animated scenes that only serve to make this cartoon worse than it already is. Well, there is a giant monster, so can we get a giant monster battle?

Buttercup tries to defeat the monster by throwing eggs at it. Remember, that funny running joke that isn't funny or a joke? One of the eggs lands in the marshmallow goo covered portions of the monster, and doesn't break. This gives Buttercup an epiphany on how to drop an egg without breaking it, finishing her homework assignment. The Buttercup subplot ended, and the world became slightly happier because it did.

Blossom's Plan B: actually punch the monster! Wait, "the toughest fighter" didn't think of that first? The bigger shock, unlike every other time they tried this strategy in this reboot, it succeeds! The monster doesn’t even land a hoof on her, it’s just like the old days. Well, except for the hit flashes. Better hit flashes than previous episodes, but still.

Unfortunately, this turns out to be a bad thing, as Bubbles is sad that her biome looks even less like the picture. Finally doing her favor to the second person she cares about the most, she uproots some trees from the nearby forest, steals a water tank to give the taiga a river, and uses her ice breath to make it snowy. She apparently had learned nothing from the Snow Month incident. Average for the show, really; how many times did Buttercup have to learn to not be selfish?

This ends up making a biome big enough for the whole class to experience. Buttercup isn't too impressed; she was the one that made the biome a gigantic monster in the first place. It turns out those stolen trees, stolen water, and climate change-causing superpowers were put on the monster, apparently making it habitable and friendly. Eh, I'll take anything at this point, thumbs up.

Bubbles gets an A on her project, she turns into one of those chomper plants from Super Mario World, and those astronauts probably died of starvation. The episode ends with Blossom putting "get the monster out of the parking lot" on her to-do list, showing that she has learned nothing. Honestly, after watching 39 episodes and 4 shorts that might have counted as one, the biggest lesson I've learned is that I shouldn't take Cartoon Network's quality for granted.

Remarks:

Is the title accurate?: One could say that Blossom is pleasing people by doing them favors, though that title could refer to any time Blossom does a favor to someone. I could mention that this episode didn't exactly please me, a person, but that's kind of a foregone conclusion with this show.

Clarification: According to Buttercup’s paper, her and apparently Blossom’s nickname for Bubbles is actually spelt “Bubbz“. I will not use that spelling.

Come to think of it: One of head writer Haley Mancini’s previous works was an internet show called Raptor Raptor. According to the credits, it was directed by Matt Chapman, one of the creators of Homestar Runner. Maybe it could be a tribute to Bubs after all.

Final Verdict:

The season was going to either end with a bang or a whimper, and this one falls in the latter category. However, I feel like being a little charitable to this one. I liked how the biome monster ties to the ending, I do like how Blossom was actually using her powers, making the superhero part of the show necessary, and it didn't have any bad memes. Also, it's because it's the last episode of Season 1, and I can finally say that this blog completed something. This episode gets...

Uh, Buttercup. I said it wasn't that bad. Come on, try to straighten that face.

Oh dear. I guess after judging this whole season of the PPG 2016, her face got stuck in a permanent scowl. I could imagine 2016 itself didn't help. Maybe I should try to fix that up; I'll put that on my to-do list.

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