#I love the idea that they're just little guys whose true form are made of twigs and underbrush

[sunnylolli]

I'm thinking about the countries and how, in the nations revealed au, there would be public discourse about what exactly they are-

And as for the arguement of godhood, I think you asked them, the answers might vary depending on the culture and such, right?-

But the personifications didn't create mankknd, mankind created Personifications - So would that make us the definition of their gods?

Or, because we had absolutely no clue we were creating them or about how to create them, it's some other eldrith shebang going on?

Many thoughts-

[septembersghost]

Some Swifties definitely have superiority complex it's so annoying. I can't praise a single artist without them going "oh but Taylor wrote much better","Taylor did it first","he is not as good as Taylor". I know she is awesome but she is definitely not some goddess and just because I like her doesn't mean I can't like anyone else. Some people think being a fan of her is like monogamous relationship.you can only love her and if you're a fan of her you have to hate everyone else. They make 100 page essay about how Taylor is better than x y z . Again there are good ones too but annoying ones are loud

i genuinely blame stan twitter for the vast majority of this, and the equal/opposite reaction of the intense amount of scrutiny and hatred she gets (i still see the most vile things directed at taylor, and i'll never forget that viral tweet from an ariana stan wishing death on andrea when taylor broke one of her streaming records. i think they got suspended for that. stan twitter is not normal, it's cesspool mentality), so it's like naturally fans get defensive and want to stand up for her - which is totally understandable within reason! if you want to praise her artistry or present facts about her songwriting/career/person or talk about how much she means to you, that's great and fair, i certainly do that right here, proudly, daily! what bothers me is attacking other people, or acting like vicious attacks against her give us the right to be bullies to others. there are clearly some stans who think the only way to show their love or loyalty is by being toxic and that's just the antithesis of the point. not to mention grossly hypocritical.

comparisons are ridiculous anyway - only taylor is taylor! only gaga is gaga! only beyonce is beyonce! only harry is harry! why are we participating in the culture of tearing other artists down to prop our favorite up when they're distinct and unique and all have the space to coexist? taylor, after every struggle she's been through, would be troubled by that behavior, but there's not a thing she can do about it, and it's the same for every intense fanbase. (harries can be shockingly cruel for a fanbase whose artist's motto is treat people with kindness. little monsters do this, the beyhive does this, crj's fans were intensely doing this in october, it's depressing but in every group of fans there will be some of them posting horrible things that you wouldn't conceive of saying in any setting). it's why artists really can't address that, and why, as social media has become more insidious, every single one of them has had to pull away altogether. taylor is special and extraordinary, that doesn't mean no one else is! and she doesn't want to be seen that way, she doesn't want to be put up on that pedestal, it's damaging and dehumanizing and terrifying to be made into a goddess. (thinking about a line from two of my favorite films...i don't want to be worshipped, i want to be loved...you've got to find grace for someone's mistakes and humanity, or what's the point?).

anyway i think a lot of the community is really lovely and warm, i adore all my swiftie mutuals and followers on here, you guys have made this such a fun place for me, but you're right, unfortunately in every group the very annoying, mean, negative people are loud, and their loudness makes them seem more numerous than they are, which gives them a power trip.

subjectively her music means more to me than i could ever say and has literally saved my life on more than one occasion, so i'm not going to pretend i don't care particularly about her and her art, but it doesn't diminish the depth of love i have for many other artists too. it kind of makes me think of that idea that saying "i love you" often somehow reduces instead of underscores its power, like love is a finite resource and we can only put it in one place. that's not true, though! love is inexhaustible and increases and grows the more we love and the more we learn, and every form of it is different and valuable, and that maybe especially applies to art because it's such a pure and personal kind of love. nobody's ever going to love a song or a painting or a book or a character in the same way you do, because it's unique to what we've felt, how we interpret it. that's like. a miracle! it really is. and instead of using that to fester in the weird negativity of the internet, we should be using it to encourage exploration and a blossoming of that love and understanding of how everyone cherishes different things in different ways and how beautiful that is!

[columboscreens]

Thoughts on Revival!Columbro?

okay anon you asked for it--my big boy post

so first and foremost the thing about columbo is that while good columbo is outstanding tv, even bad columbo is still watchable tv. there are exceptions like the universally-detested no time to die, in which nobody even dies (presumably due to lack of time)...

this episode is only good for daniel davis, dan butler, and seeing columbo dance like an animal crossing character in a tux. with an unfortunate dye job no less

...but usually at worst they're just Fine. it's more that the OG series sets the bar so high that you can't help but feel disappointed with the newer episodes. columbo at its zenith contains so many excellent moving parts that the modern episodes feel cheaper, including, probably most upsettingly, falk's performances. sometimes they ring true to our old boy and sometimes they're...pretty phoned in.

that isn't to say that there are no stellar revival columbos! columbo goes to college, rest in peace mrs. columbo, columbo cries wolf, all in the game, amongst others all fall under the scope of (mostly) respectable reboot outings.

now i'm biased because 2003 is still fresh in my mind and it's fun to see columbo in the world that i remember best, but i'm a pretty big fan of columbo loves the nightlife. it's in many ways a final return to 70s form--a little kooky, but rooted in more quiet drama vs the weird screwball tone the 90s was after. also i'm not subjected to swells of cheesy music or a forced THIS OLD MAN motif every three minutes which is a massive plus.

plus he does a ton of bizarre old man shit and it's wonderful

that said, as mentioned in the post linked above, there are many valid reasons to enjoy a latter-day columbo that don't relate to the quality of the episode. yes we know the plot is godawful. yes norm from cheers is a terrible murderer. yes all these minor characters are awful and wooden and this writing is wretched and oh my god whose idea was it to make every musical cue this old fucking man

and yet you still just want to see columbo himself in new situations, which was always like half the joy of the show anyway. we want to see him solve crimes but also maybe fish a rat out of a dumpster or wear crazy pants. you never know

both of these episodes are at the bottom of the heap but worth watching for...well. whatever this is.

so...why is the latter series a nadir for columbo? for lots of reasons, but one i would most culpably peg to falk himself--his egregious flanderization of columbo. between that, the wacky 90s scores, the odious gags, and the cartoonish characters, the new series is borderline a kid's show.

columbo at his truest is a silly little guy with a sense of humor. he doesn't take himself too seriously, but takes his work deathly so. the result is a generally sweet, affable, yet relatively straightforward and subdued disposition. this fine characterization, along with the superb casting around him, made him seem living and breathing, grounded in our world.

reboot columbo is not. he is much of the time a shell, a caricature of his old self. not columbo, merely trying to be. it's my understanding that falk got bored of playing columbo the same way all the time, but the new approaches he tried were more miss than hit. a certain gravitas was lost. his face locked in an infuriating Perma-Squint, he mumbles something incomprehensible, picks up a tuba, and then floats into the sky. he is no longer on the murderer's nerves. he is on yours.

this scene isn't even bad in concept, i would've killed to see 70s columbo whipping out the high school band kid skills. it's just done so cheesily that i can feel my blood pressure rise when i look at it

the old series sort of very lightly paws at the prospect of the paranormal without forcing it. it's interesting, it's thought-provoking. maybe he is just a really sharp guy, but maybe he's got a sixth sense, who knows! lieutenant how did you get into my car

in the new series, columbo at times makes these insane assumptions which dissolves that sense of "chase" and verisimilitude that made the OG series so good. original columbo is sharp and will do everything it takes to catch you. he starts from square one and makes deductions, his conclusions and means to the end seem logical and practical, albeit at times "extra".

neo-columbo knows you did it just by smelling you and shows up in your living room at 3 am cross-legged on a levitating magic carpet with his eyes aglow humming ancient druidic chants

(now that i've described that i kinda wish that were true)

anyway that's what's lost in the newer series, the whole kernel of what makes columbo good--being grounded in some element of reality, respecting the viewer's intelligence, and leaving them to fill in their own blanks as the credits roll.

there were lots of directions in which they could've taken the character in old age. but going from "rambly guy who skillfully pantomimes being a space cadet" to "actual cartoon character who does little but squint and hammily bumble around"--especially when he starts growing old enough to make that less endearing and more concerning--not only doesn't work, it feels like an insult to the character they'd carefully crafted. at the risk of sounding melodramatic, you're almost left with a sense of betrayal.

sorry sir. it's terribly bright in here...

only slightly subordinate to the poor characterization is the writing quality. or lack thereof, that is; between budget constraints, catering to a different crowd, and general dip in quality in american TV, you have some scripts that are irredeemable. the NBC columbo staff treated each episode like a carefully-crafted film and ABC treated each one like a wednesday night sitcom. it shows. instead of holding onto the high production quality that made the show great, they made it like any other middling, budget tv movie series of its time, at times (mid 90s especially) veering into hallmark movie territory.

originally, levinson and link themselves would come up with story ideas, clues, and "gotcha"s, and then forward those ideas to talented writers like steven bochco, peter fischer, et al. to churn out new scripts. in the newer series, they'd recycle old cutting room floor scraps, use old, rejected scripts, and option other mystery/procedural plots into which they'd shoehorn columbo (ed mcbain's 87th precinct birthed two of the most horrendous of them--no time to die and undercover).

what sick fuck asked for this. who ever wanted to see geriatric columbo get sucker kicked in the face. bye

i could say even more but this post is already entirely too long-winded. i guess i'll give an honorable mention to falk's second wife, shera danese, who i consider an underrated thorn in this show's side. her columbo performances are distractingly bad. despite this, he kept nepotistically sticking her in every other episode which wears very thin very quickly. it's the cherry on top.

anyway tl;dr latter-day columbo is generally cheesy and flanderized but not always. it sometimes even pulls off a win, harking back to the glory days of yore. it's still worth a watch (or a skim at least), and there are always things to enjoy about it. even undercover is worth a peep, if only for tyne daly, harrison page, and...this.

lookin good, king

[rosiesung]

7 Days || Y.JW

for @geminirules "Just Friends" collab

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Pairing: Jungwon x Fem!Reader

Genre: Fluff, Slight Angst, Friends to Lovers AU

Words: 3.63k

Warnings: Reader calls Jungwon a dick.

Synopsis: You are dared to pretend to be in a relationship with your best friend Jungwon. Initially, you go through with the childish challenge, knowing it will be insignificant to your friendship. But as the days pass, you begin to realise your true feelings for him. Will your revelations ruin your friendship? Or will something beautiful blossom because of them?

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"I dare you to pretend like you're dating Jungwon for a whole week."

You looked at your best friend with wide eyes, a similar expression of surprise on his face. There was no way you were going to do that. It would be way too awkward.

"Come on y/n. Don't be a party pooper. It's not like you guys are going to fall in love."

Of course things wouldn't turn out that way. No matter what, nothing would change the way you saw Jungwon. He would always remain your best friend and nothing more.

Jungwon looked too embarrassed to say anything. Both of you knew it was just a dare. What was the worst that could happen?

"Fine. Starting tomorrow Jungwon's my unofficial-official boyfriend," you announced, linking your arm with his. Jungwon hid his face in his hands as everyone around you screamed and cheered. This was going to be one interesting week.

~

☀︎ DAY 1 ☀︎

Since you only had to put on a show in front of your friends, you figured the best thing to do would be to hang out with Jungwon in solitude. He didn't have a problem with your plan. You both had been having playdates together ever since you were three. He was comfortable being alone with you.

Both of you met at your secret spot. A small grove behind the schoolyard. It was a place the two of you had found while skipping classes one day. Ever since then, this was where you spent time together whenever you needed some peace and quiet.

"I can't believe you actually agreed to this," Jungwon said, mindlessly plucking the grass he laid on. You sighed, staring at the row of trees beyond. "A dare's a dare. Besides, we have nothing to worry about because we don't have feelings for each other."

Jungwon sat up. "You know that we can't avoid all of them for the entire week right? They're literally planning to hang out at the cafe just so they can see us in the act." He sounded worried. There was no need to be.

"Of course I know that. So what? We'll let them see what they want to. It's not like they're going to make us kiss or something. The most we'll do is feed each other and hold hands."

Unlike Jungwon, you had already thought everything out. You knew how far to go while respecting the boundaries of your friendship. All Jungwon had to do was trust you.

He cringed in disgust at your words. "You're going to pay for landing me in this mess. We've barely even started and I already feel so miserable."

You patted his shoulder, flashing him an assuring smile. "You're not alone in your miser mister. After this is over, I'll do all your homework for you."

Jungwon laughed. "Learn how to do your own first. Then you can come and ruin mine."

~

☀︎ DAY 2 ☀︎

As Jungwon had predicted, your friends called you out to the cafe. Both of you were supposed to show up together. Jungwon met you a block away from the cafe, looking incredibly reluctant. "Are you sure you want to do this," he asked, just about ready to turn back around.

There was a determined look in your eyes. "Remember when he had to play Hansel and Gretel's parents for that play we did in preschool?" Jungwon nodded. He could never forget that day. "If we managed to get through that, we can get through this without a problem."

That made sense. Appreciative of your pep talk, Jungwon took your hand and whisked you away to the cafe.

By the time you reached your destination, both your hands were sweaty. Jungwon was just as nervous as you were. Not only because you had to pretend like you were dating, but also because your friends weren't going to miss the opportunity to tease you.

Seeing you two enter hand in hand, everyone began hooting and cheering. Jungwon's cheeks flushed almost immediately. You had to drag him towards the table you were supposed to sit at. "It's nice to see you two arriving together," one of your friends said, making space for you.

Taking a seat, you watched in horror as they placed a glass of juice with two straws in front of you both. No one had to explain what its purpose was. You glanced at Jungwon whose eyes were fixated on the glass hesitantly.

"If we get this over with now we'll be at peace," you whispered, leaning forward to place one of the straws between your lips. You looked away when Jungwon did the same, feeling the heat in his face on your cheek. You were certain you had never downed a drink so fast in your life. It didn't take long for you to finish the contents of the glass, quickly sitting back up to catch your breath. Your friends couldn't seem to get enough of the event, laughing and clapping avidly.

"You guys are so cute," some said. "Both of you would make such a nice couple in reality," said others.

Sitting there amongst your terribly evil friends, you wondered how you were going to get through the next five days with Jungwon.

~

☀︎ DAY 3 ☀︎

Your friends had invited you to another escapade at the park. You couldn't tell what they had in plan this time but you were sure it wasn't going to be enjoyable. At least this time, you and Jungwon didn't have to show up hand in hand.

When you reached the park, Jungwon was already there. Your friends beckoned you over, making you stand next to him.

"Now that our subjects have arrived, here's your to-do list. First, remain holding hands the entire time we are here. Second, Jungwon, give y/n your jacket if she starts feeling cold. Third, walk her back home and make sure you give her a nice, sweet little kiss before she goes inside."

Jungwon let out a noise of surprise. He wanted to run as far as he could and never come back. Holding your hand was fine. He had gotten used to it because of the previous day. He didn't mind giving you his jacket, but you were already wearing one so he didn't see why he would find the need to. Jungwon could do many things. But kissing you was not one of them. It didn't matter if it was on your cheek, your forehead, or the back of your hand, because there was no way on earth that he would bring his lips anywhere near yours.

What neither of you realized was that your friends were willing to go to the farthest lengths to make sure you went through with their tasks. They made you two walk in front of them so that they could see your hands intertwined. When the sun went down and the air started getting colder, they made you take your jacket off so that Jungwon would be left with no choice but to give you his. Just when it seemed like your night of torture would come to an end, they even made you share a single cone of ice cream. When it was finally time to go home, two of your friends followed behind you to make sure that Jungwon did his bidding. It was awkward enough walking through your neighborhood hand in hand. Those who knew you cast looks of confusion and surprise upon you two. Eventually, you reached your doorstep. Jungwon let go of your hand, standing in front of you. He looked everywhere but at you, avoiding your gaze. You glanced behind your shoulder, rolling your eyes when you saw your two friends filming you from behind your neighbor's car. They weren't even attempting to be discrete.

"Hurry up and kiss me already. This is too embarrassing," you urged, slapping Jungwon's arm. He sucked in a breath, pressing his lips in a thin line. "Do you think it's not for me? I mean, I'm the one who has to kiss you for heaven's sake."

"Stop pitying yourself and just get on with it. The longer we stand here the more reason they'll have to punish us tomorrow."

Jungwon stared at you long and hard. He squeezed his eyes shut and leaned forward, pressing his lips onto yours without a second thought. You froze, eyes going so wide they might have popped out of your head. Even though it was probably only for two seconds, it felt like an eternity. Time froze as you stood in the foreign feeling of his lips on yours. He pulled away almost immediately, skipping down your driveway as fast as he could with a short wave and 'good night'. Still stunned, you entered your home, breaking into a smile when you closed the door.

~

☀︎ DAY 4 ☀︎

The next day, Jungwon asked you to meet him at your secret spot. So far, your friends hadn't made any plans to get you together. You saw Jungwon sitting in the middle of the grove, laying down on the damp grass as he usually did. Walking over, you sat down beside him, flicking his forehead so that he would open his eyes.

He grinned on seeing you, sitting up with a soft groan. "So, how was your night?"

You furrowed your brows at the question. It wasn't like him to ask you things like that. But you decided to overlook it. Maybe he was still feeling a bit awkward after the kiss you both hard shared the previous night.

You shrugged. "It was fine. How was yours?"

"I couldn't sleep," he revealed. It sounded like he'd been dying to tell you. "Why's that," you asked, believing that you had an idea of the reason.

"Last night scarred me," Jungwon shared, pretending to gag. You didn't know why, but hearing him say that made your heart sink. Suddenly, you felt horrible. "Was it really that bad," you asked, genuinely curious to know what he thought of it. Jungwon nodded, making you feel even worse. "It was worse than I thought it would be," he added. Your eyes started stinging. A lump formed in your throat and the longer you held it back, the more it hurt. You knew you hadn't been eager to kiss him, but you would argue about how 'bad' it was. But bringing that up right now would just be stupid. Jungwon would misunderstand where you were coming for and that would just lead to another disaster entirely. You had told yourself that you weren't going to let this dare get to you, but four days in you were already slipping. The longer you sat there, listening to Jungwon whine and complain about everything he'd had to do with you so far, the harder it became to control your emotion. Not able to take it anymore, you got up abruptly and ran away, leaving Jungwon sitting there extremely puzzled.

~

☀︎ DAY 5 ☀︎

You didn't respond to any of Jungwon's calls or texts. You didn't have it in you to face him. He would be disappointed if he found out the real reason behind your sappy mood. So you were gonna wait till you got over it before facing him.

You still couldn't believe that you had been so affected by Jungwon saying that he hated the kiss. Despite telling yourself that you disliked it too, you couldn't help but think otherwise. There was something so magical about it. You had never felt that way because of a kiss before. Whenever you thought back to it, an exciting warmth rippled through your mind. Your heart danced in glee and a wide smile formed on your lips.

But you weren't supposed to feel that way. Jungwon was your best friend. Besides, he hadn't kissed you willingly. You didn't understand why it felt so special to you when it clearly meant nothing to him. You knew you couldn't blame him for that. His mind was wired to see you as nothing more than a friend. You found it hilarious. Here you were, realizing that you probably liked your best friend after having continuously assured yourself and him that something like that would never happen. The sad part was that Jungwon would never reciprocate your feelings. You were all alone in this.

A knock sounded at your window, startling you. Slipping out of your reverie, you glanced towards it, eyes widening in surprise when you saw Jungwon crouched before it. You didn't think twice before letting him in. He entered your room and stood in front of you, crossing his arms over his chest. "You wanna explain what happened yesterday?"

You frowned and turned away shoulders slouching disinterestedly. "Is that what you came here for," you asked, regretting letting him in?

"Well did I have a choice? You've been blatantly ignoring me while all I've been trying to do is make sure you're alright," he said, stepping closer to you.

"I'm fine. If that's all you needed to hear, you can leave now," you replied. You didn't need him prying and prodding at you right now.

Jungwon stood his ground, clearly not satisfied with your answer. "No, you're not y/n. You aren't fine. Tell me what's bothering you."

You sighed and faced him. "Trust me, you wouldn't want to know."

Jungwon furrowed his brows. He didn't know what that meant. "I think I'll be the judge of that."

"It's you. You're bothering me," you spoke, narrowing your eyes at him. Jungwon hadn't been expecting that. But he didn't let the surprise show on his face. "What did I do?"

"You made me feel so worthless and undesirable. But that's not your fault. I can't blame you because you're right to think that way about me. I'm just pitying myself here and there's nothing you can do about it so please, just leave me alone." The tears were coming back again. You didn't want to break down in front of Jungwon. His face fell. He didn't know what to say to that. He thought you knew he was just being overdramatic. He seriously hadn't meant to hurt you. Before he could apologize, you turned to him. "I don't think I'll be good at keeping this a secret, so let me just tell you that I'm starting to catch feelings for you. If that makes you uncomfortable then you can leave. If you have something to say, just say it and go. But don't ask me why I feel the way I do because that's something I'm yet to figure out."

Jungwon was at a loss for words. He stood there, gaping at you like an open-mouthed fish before turning on his heel and exiting through your bedroom door. You heard your mother yelp on seeing him, probably wondering where he had shown up from. A part of you wished that he hadn't left, but the other was glad that he was gone. You felt like a fool for letting all of this happen. You should have never agreed to this dare. Who would have thought it would lead to something like this? There was nothing you could do now. There was no way you could change the way you felt. Because at the end of the day, it was as clear as ever, that you were undeniably in love with your best friend Yang Jungwon.

~

☀︎ DAY 6 ☀︎

Jungwon couldn't stop thinking about everything you had told him yesterday. He would never have imagined that you would catch feelings, especially through such a childish dare. Your friends had called you out to the park again today, but Jungwon wasn't going to go. He knew you wouldn't be there so there was no point. He wished he could tell you that he hadn't meant half the things he'd said about the kiss at the grove that day. He was just trying to show you that the kiss hadn't made him feel some type of way. Not just that, but he was also attempting to persuade himself that he indeed had loathed it. Maybe he should have been truthful instead of lying about it.

This was exactly what he'd been afraid of. Jungwon was always fond of you. He cared for you and he wouldn't lie when he said that he loved you. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that maybe he felt that way because he thought of you as more than a friend. Jungwon didn't want to convince himself that he liked you just because you had confessed to him. He wanted to understand the way he truly felt about you.

He knew every little thing about you. No one knew you as well as he did. Jungwon cherished your friendship and the time he spent with you. Whenever anything bugged him, he always came to you, knowing that you were the only person who could make things better. He relied on you more than anyone else. He couldn't go a day without speaking to you. After yesterday, he realized how important you were to him. The fear of losing you ate at him the longer he stayed away from you.

Jungwon hated knowing that you were sad. It hurt more to know that he was the reason behind it. He wanted nothing more than to hug you and apologize for making you feel bad. He felt guilty for everything he had done. It had only been a couple hours since he had last spoken to you, but it felt longer. He missed you so much.

So he left you a text, asking you to meet him at your secret spot. He kept his phone close, waiting till you replied. But you didn't. You probably wanted nothing to do with him. Nonetheless, he still hoped and prayed that you would give him one last chance to make things right again. He couldn't afford to lose someone as special as you. There was nothing for him if he didn't have you.

~

☀︎ DAY 7 ☀︎

Jungwon laid in the grass, staring at the dull sky above. It was filled with clouds, hiding the sun. The grove felt so big and endless when he was alone. When he was with you, it was much more cozy and bright, even if the atmosphere was gloomy.

He had been waiting for you for quite a long time now. You hadn't replied to his message last night, but he knew you had seen it. Just before he was about to lose hope, he heard the grass crunch a few feet away from him. Jungwon didn't have to look to know it was you. No one else knew the path to get here.

"What do you want," you asked, voice small but laced with malice. You were cross with him. Jungwon wished to change that today. He patted the space next to him. "Let's not pretend like we hate each other. You could do the worst thing to me but I'd still admire you."

You didn't argue and sat down beside him. Other than the tension in the air, everything felt normal. There was a scowl on your face. It must have taken a lot of convincing for you to come here. Jungwon needed to get to the point.

"I'm sorry about everything I said. I didn't even mean half of those things."

You scoffed. "Oh really? They sounded pretty heartfelt to me."

Jungwon sat up. "I was just trying to enforce the idea that I wasn't into you, on myself," he revealed, hoping that you would forgive him. "And being a dick was the only way you could do that? Jungwon, you weren't the only one who was attempting to suppress their feelings," you refuted.

"I know y/n. And it's my fault for not realizing sooner," he admitted, hanging his head. You sighed and shook your head. "This is so immature. I can't believe we're letting a stupid dare get in the middle of our friendship."

Jungwon chuckled darkly. "Maybe it's a sign that our friendship has run its course."

You turned to him. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Jungwon smiled. "I gave it some thought yesterday. We're both attempting to be in denial of our feelings. Obviously, that isn't working out. If it wasn't for this dare, they would've remained buried deep down somewhere. But I guess you could say everything happens for a reason." He took your hand in his, intertwining your fingers. "I never realized how much I loved this feeling until I had to go a whole two days without it."

You couldn't even hide your smile. "Where is this going Jungwon?"

"Maybe we should give this a chance. Give us a chance. Who knows? It could turn out the be the best thing that's ever happened to us," he said, meeting your eyes.

"And what if it doesn't? We would be throwing so many years of friendship away."

Jungwon shook his head. "How long are we supposed to contradict how we truly feel about each other? That would take a heavier toll on us."

You laughed, squeezing his hand. "It doesn't hurt to try I guess."

Jungwon beamed. "That's the spirit!" It felt nice to see you smiling at him again. He was grateful for that. It was funny how a large part of his mood depended on you. If you were happy, he was happy. If you were sad, he was sad. His entire world revolved around you, and Jungwon knew the best thing to do was strengthen that bond.

"So, will you be my girlfriend," he asked, smiling cheekily. You bit your lip, looking at him through your lashes. "Of course I will."

⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼

A/N: I hope you enjoyed reading this fic. Please let me know how you found it! Thank you so much!

[wearenot7withu]

The water drabbles i

pairing : jungkook x f!reader

genre : established!relationship, mostly fluff, slightly angst if you close your eyes

warning : the word fuck like once + mention of blowjob

word count : 1.5k

summary : You're back with your boyfriend as a lifeguard in your little town for another summer. This time however your insecurities are coming up to the surface.

a/n : it's summer again, I was at the thermal again and these two came to my mind so I wrote a little drabble thingy for them. Can be read as a standalone, but I recommend to read the original au, what you can do here. Don't forget to give feedback, they're always welcomed. Reblog, like, comment, do whatever your heart desires. I hope you'll like this little instalment in the wghb universe. Wish you a good day/night, love you xx

masterlist

It was a hot summer day again, with the temperature being so high, one could’ve probably cooked an egg on the pavement. With your red one-piece swimsuit on and the white baseball cap – which wasn’t yours but your boyfriend’s who is refusing to wear it – you were currently looking at the kid’s pool, where all the chaos has erupted today.

Just a moment ago, you saw a little girl turn upside down in the water, but her mother reacted quickly and pulled her out from under the water. A little guy probably pooped in his water-resistant diaper because his mother was making that face and tried to bribe him out from the pool. Then, these twins were afraid of the water but continued to dive under it nevertheless. However, your favourites seemed to be the triplets. One was sleeping in his mother’s arms, the other was trying to push his dad underwater, and the third was diving with her goggles on.

Even though it was loud, so you couldn’t hear your thoughts, something about the kid’s pool made you feel relaxed, maybe because this pool was the only where the kids had their parents with them, whose eyes were looking at over their children like a hunter when studying its prey.

“Y/n, can you please go pick up our lunch?” Mei, your lifeguard partner for today, asked you, and even though she was next to you, she was shouting as if you were in a club. You nodded your head and made your way towards Ricki’s bar, where yours and all the lifeguards’ meals were made. But before you went there, you stopped at the Laguna pool, where Jungkook, your boyfriend, was on duty.

He had his red swimming trunk and white sleeveless top on, which made both his thighs and arm muscles visible for everyone. The waves were currently on, so all the youngsters acted like grown-ups, swimming closer and closer to the wave-making machine. Therefore your boyfriend stood with his hands on his hip and whistle in his mouth, blowing it every other second. This pool was the calmest when it wasn’t show-time because of its cold temperature, but the pool turned into a circus when it was the waves time to shine.

You walked up to Taehyung, who was guarding the life of those who wanted to swim. “How many minutes left?”

He looked at his watch on his wrist. “Like four” So you sat next to him and waited for the main attraction to pass.

You know your boyfriend takes his job genuinely because the first time he saw you was only after the waves stopped, even though you were practically sitting in front of him for minutes. “Hi, baby” He gave a quick peck on your lips, which you received happily. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m going to get our lunch with Mei. Do you want to come with me?” The reply came quickly, and after saying bye to Taehyung, you walked away hand in hand with the boy next to you.

On the way there, he successfully convinced you to eat your lunch with him at the bar. While he asked for the four serving – two in containers and two on plates – you searched for an available spot. “How are the little devils?” Asked Jungkook while putting your lunch down in front of you.

“I don’t know why you hate them,” You said with your mouth already full of French fries.

“Because they’re loud,” He said matter of factly.

“What will you do if you have your own child? Are you going to hate them just because they’re loud?” You stole some baked potatoes from his plate and dipped them in the hot sauce on the side of it.

“They won’t be loud. They’d have us as their parents.” The fact that he referred to you as the mother of his kids made your heart swell, and your eyes soften. No matter how long you were together, how good you are together, and how you plan on having him next to you for the rest of your life, you never dare to think too far away in fear of something not going as you planned for yourself and your relationship with him.

“Honey”, You called out to him, putting your palm on the back of his hand, stopping it to bring the food to his mouth “, You would be their father. They’d be the loudest kids in the whole country.”

He throws one baked potato at you, but his smile was undeniably on his face. “You’re lucky I love you.”

You put your hand dramatically on your heart, acting like he just said something which made you surprised. “You do? I had no idea.”

He rolled his eyes at your actions. “Put your mouth to a better use and eat your food.”

You gasped at his words and aggressively put a french fry in your mouth, but one corner of your lips was tugging upward, and you were so hard on suppressing the smile that was forming on your face.

“By the way, don’t look at me like that when I’m talking about our future and kids”, Jungkook casually told you, and you choked on your water. With your eyes wide open, you looked at him, not knowing how to react to that. “I’ve been dating you for years. What do you think, why am I still with you?”

He continued eating, not even looking at you, and after the years you’ve been with him, you know, this is him making a serious talk seem as it’s not bothering him. “I don’t know, the apartment we live in is cheaper like this,” You said, trying to light up the mood with a joke, but he just - finally - looked up at you with a piercing gaze. You sighed, knowing you won’t climb out of this hole easily. “It’s not that, and I know you love me just like I love you. And I also picture my life with you, I wouldn’t be here with you if I wasn’t. It’s just – “

You took a deep breath, looking everywhere but Jungkook because you didn’t know how to compose what you want to say or how to make your insecurities not get the better of you. Jungkook sensed your panicked state and took your hands in his, rubbing the back of your hand with his thumbs. “I’m not forcing you to talk. We can discuss this when you’re ready. Just know that I’m here.”

“I know. Fuck, I know. I’m just scared because I want the whole ordeal with you, you know. Marrying you, having kids with you, the entire process of growing old with you and sitting in the hammock in our backyard with our grandchildren playing around, but then I have these thoughts on how this could all end. Because who are we to control our feelings and what if one day you wake up and you’re– “ Your tears were threatening to fall at this point. You were surprised you could go this long actually talking about this issue. “I don’t know, feel like you had enough, or that you’re not in l –“

“Stop, stop, stop,” Jungkook said with a stern voice, making you halt in your rambling. “That’s not going to happen. Not now, not ever. I love you. I want you. We live together, and our friends are already saying we’re like a married couple. And to be honest, it’s true. You are my soulmate, the one for me — the only one for all of my remaining days on Earth. So don’t worry what the future brings, because I’ll be next to you every step of the road. Got it?” You nodded your head, tears streaming rapidly down your face. “Now come ‘ere” He pushed his chair further from the table and opened his arms wide. You didn’t waste a second, falling into his arms immediately. Hiding your face in his neck, inhaling his rosy scents mixed with the chlorine from the poolside made you calm down within minutes. His hand was drawing different shapes on your tighs, while the other going up and down on your back.

After you’ve calmed down and eaten your lunches, you two went back to your places, bringing your partners their long-awaited lunch.

Jungkook made sure you were alright, so that night, when he dropped you off at your parent’s house, he told you to be ready in an hour because he’s taking you on a date. He recreated his first official date with you at the park, where he rented a little boat, and you two paddled to the middle of the lake and watched the stars cuddled up to each other.

You didn’t want the night to end, so this time the date didn’t end with him dropping you off and awkwardly kissing you on your cheek, but him sleeping over at your house and waking him up with the best blowjob he got in his life from you so far.

[theangrypokemaniac]

Sinnoh has massive flaws as an era, although it's starting to feel like the good old days compared to the present piss-poor offerings.

The major drawback is the amount of 'recurring characters', ones not good enough to be in it fully, but inflicted upon us nevertheless.

I did care about Ash. I did care about Team Rocket.

I was prepared to care about The Misty Replacement, as in the girl shipped with Ash.

I was prepared to care about The Brock Replacement, that is the older brother figure who does all the cooking, carries the medicine, and knows about Pokémon.

I don't give a toss about extras who outstay their welcome.

Hoenn only had Drew and Harley. What was wrong with that?

There are just too bloody many.

Why does Dawn require so many opponents, as if she's of the greatest importance? Why won't Jessie suffice?

I accept the necessity of Paul as The Rival, and we were at least permitted to resent him initially, before the writers fanboy'd like there was no tomorrow.

I admit I liked two of them. They therefore featured the least.

Typical.

Nando

The Blondel of Iberia

A softly-spoken, raven-locked troubadour, roaming the many pathways of life, playing his songs for those weary travellers he encounters on the road.

He's wearing a cloak! The finest use of material to ever be invented!

All this ethereal grace considering the dub lumbered him with the most appallingly unsuitable name possible.

It could've been Raphael, or Dante, or Leonardo.

Oh no, let's name him after a restaurant chain. That adds gravitas.

His lyre pays tribute to Mew, because Nando knows she's The Rarest Of All Pokémon, thus refuses to be impressed by any deformed horse like Arceus throwing its weight around.

Damn straight.

Ursula

A pretty girl with lovely clothes and the spark of a proper personality.

You're not wanted round these parts, love.

I have no particular animosity towards Dawn, but it irritates me how the world revolves around her whims, where if she's lost in the woods, it's a major disaster, and if an attack heads in her direction, she must be protected in case she shatters.

It makes a refreshing change to find someone firmly inoculated against the lures of the temptress.

Also, alongside Ursula from Dinosaur King (the real Jessie), I'm glad of any attempt to reclaim that name, considering most of my generation, upon hearing it, think only about evil old octopus women.

As for the rest?

It's that bad I prefer the Unova bunch to these.

Reggie

Reggie is even more of a knob than Paul. As above, being Ash's enemy meant that, if only by narrative, he was intended to be somewhat disliked.

Not Reginald. No, he's the kind one.

Oh really?

When Ash and Paul have their showdown, Reg starts wittering that it's just as well Chimchar took up with Ash, since he wasn't suited to Paul's 'battle style'.

Battle style.

Is the what he calls mental and physical cruelty?

In Reg's amoral cesspit of a mind, there is no right and wrong, so do whatever you feel.

Reggie is quite aware of how his brother tortures Pokémon, and not only is he unconcerned, he excuses it with euphemism, hoping the audience will obligingly forget too.

What's more, he implies it's Chimchar's fault for not pulling his weight, and Paul abandoning him was the compassionate thing to do.

Cynthia

Suffering severe Bridge Nose Syndrome.

She may be Champion, but I don't remember Lance turning up all the time where he wasn't wanted.

She doesn't even use her influence properly. Rather than give it straight to Paul, order him to shape up and stop spanking the monkey, she fannies about with her cod mysticism, emptily preaching about how Ash and Paul are spiritually linked, with magical, beeyewteefull events taking form just because they met.

That's right, don't bother about Paul clearly being a psychopath, for 'tis ART!

It's the same as trying to convince me that Ash, Dawn and Brock were the Divine Trio because they all saw Something Nasty In The Lake District, as if they have an intrinsic bond foretold in ancient prophecy.

The writers pull this knowing two thirds of the Holy Trinity, plus Paul the Fallen Angel, will be leaving, at which point we'll be expected to stop being overawed at the great majesty they all apparently possess and transfer allegiance to their usurpers.

What's the point?

Angie

Yet another smackhead from that lunatic stare.

What shining genius decided giving all the characters contracted pupils was a good idea?

She looks like one of those kids whose parents dealt with nits the traditional way:

Shaving the entire head and painting it purple.

A barnet resembling privet hacked at by a paralytic gardener before he conked out.

I've seen her arc three or four times, and I still remember nothing about her, except for the amazing skill she possesses to make Ash sneeze on command from a distance.

Conway

One word: nonce.

A clichéd weirdo fitting into Pokémon's Four-Eyed Freaks fixation, where anyone with a slight visual impairment is a weedy, know-it-all bastard or on a register.

Oh yes, and this lad comes with hidden delights, because his glasses gleam like a giant cockroach, just in case he wasn't creepy enough.

Zoey

The human black hole. Has the incredible ability to suck all the joy out of a room just by appearing. A personage of absolute lead.

Too nice and over familiar, lacking a single detectable personality trait.

Bland, empty, and with the charisma of vomit-sodden cardboard.

Sinnoh is a prolonged saga as it is, padded with nonentities like her and Kenny.

Alright, episodes must be devoted to Dawn's Contest career, however tiresome it is, but why exactly do we need any about Zoey and Kenny? Why should we care?

Every time I sat through a competition Dawn lost, I resented that she was no further along on her quest, equating to another episode eaten away by this shallow, blackened hymn to superficiality.

Compare this indulgent treatment to the sneering disrespect shown to Jessie, an actual main character, who not only had to win her Ribbons practically off screen, but the writers delighted in hammering home how worthless she was in only scraping into the Grand Festival because Princess Salvia took pity on the deluded wretch.

They favour their own inventions over the original cast, then dump 'em as soon as the next generation arrives, so how could they ever matter if even the creators eagerly cast them aside?

After all the effort on my part to put up with the entire witless farce, Zoey beats Dawn in the finals!

Why?!

I understood the unspoken law of Ash not being allowed to win a League until the very last series, for fear whatever came after would be anticlimactic, but why should this deadening failure apply to May and Dawn?

By the culmination of the Contest rigmarole, it's obvious they'll be making their exit for the next region's Girl, so why couldn't either bid farewell to the fans with a victory?

Why must they be incompetent too?

Even if achieving their dream dampened any hunger to carry on, they're departing anyway, so what difference does it make?

At least Ash will continue, but for May and Dawn, it's the end.

How could any fan be satisfied with a smarmy vacuum of a creature like Zoey succeeding instead?

Barry

Eyes of molten evil.

The second-worst character ever created (Iris is top of the ranks), Barry is a smug, arrogant, screeching dweeb jabbering his oh-so endearing catchphrase about fining anyone who slightly irks him, so sure is he that his feelings should come above everyone else's

He truly believes he has a God-given entitlement to demand lesser lifeforms should arrange themselves to suit his pleasure, that they are morally compelled to shield him from  meagre inconvenience.

Twat.

Knocking the little geck out of the League was the most noble thing Paul ever did. It practically redeems him.

This is what I cannot comprehend:

Ursula is openly conceited, rude to Dawn, and brags about her own excellence even after losing.

We're asked to dislike her.

Barry slags Ash off constantly, is convinced of his own divinity, and jeers at Team Rocket.

We're supposed to see him as a 'good guy' and welcome his arrival.

Why? Are Ash and Team Rocket fair game, but offending Saint Dawn's intolerable?

Again, it astounds me how temporary, region-specific stars seem to count for more than those who've been here since the beginning.

Whilst they're here, that is. Once gone, you wouldn't know they'd existed.

Kenny

He wears a matador outfit to compete.

It's a crying shame Tauros was never given the opportunity to gore him.

As usual, it's Piplup I blame.

Each generation likes to flaunt the starter Pokémon, presumably in the hope of flogging more games, that's why Ash usually catches all three, or they're spread out amongst his friends.

It's about time Team Rocket had one.

Can't do that, they only appear five times per series now.

Piplup is a whiny attention whore who refuses to evolve. In consequence, he can't advertise the next stages in the evolution chain, so we have to keep seeing Barry and Kenny instead, that's why Empoleon and Prinplup are always walking about.

This equates to three characters having the same Pokémon, albeit in different incarnations.

There's variety.

However, Kenny's true purpose is much more grim than that.

Fans will ship Ash with The Girl, a useless endeavour when it's destined to come to nothing when she's kicked out.

In Hoenn and Sinnoh, an effort was made to wean shippers off in preparation for the upcoming split, so alternative suitors were introduced, with the girls effectively pushed on to them.

May got Drew.

I don't mind that. He had some refinements.

Dawn got Kenny.

...

What, you want me to cheer for such a revolting couple?

Have I not suffered enough?

What unpardonable crime did Dawn do to deserve such a horrible fate?

She's not a bad-looking girl. She can do better than an ugly, portly, shrunken, pie-faced cretin! 

You do this to me when Nando exists?

Sod the age gap, that never concerned anyone here.

This being the Kenny who spends four years belittling Dawn by constantly reminding her of a humiliating childhood experience, even giving her a nickname too!

Dawn is visibly distressed when he does this, but he's a fine candidate for romance?

She has to settle for a sweaty, lecherous herbert like him, who doesn't even try to atone for his unfortunate mug by being kind?

I suspect the whole Sinnoh adventure was really him wearing down her self-esteem until she believed he was the best available, wanting her to be grateful for his slobbery attentions.

It won't stop there either. He'll trap her for the rest of her life by isolating her from friends, followed by accusations of how undeserving she is of his 'love'.

Such is Dawn's lot: absent father, pushy mother, whinging penguin and abusive boyfriend.

Kenny's already a perv:

He's not looking at her face.

She knows he's not.

Ash and Pikachu have noticed an interesting feature further down.

Aipom likes it too.

[thealphabetmurders]

for the fanfic asks- 1, 3, 9, 10, 14, 17, and 20? (sorry for so many lmao they're all really interesting questions)

Anon, please never apologize for sending me lots of questions for a writing ask. Someone actually being interested in my writing is more validating than you can even imagine. 

1. If you’re an author, how many WIPs do you currently have? (Be honest!)

This is a bit tricky. Short answer; 2. Long answer; I have 2 WIP that I am periodically publishing, a WIP that I may never publish, and an outline for a fic I may never write. 

3. Do you prefer canonverse or AUs?

It really depends on the fandom, but in general I prefer AU’s because you have more creative freedom and you can really world build and make the characters your own (even if they are not). 

9. Fake dating or arranged marriage?

Fake dating. 100%. If anyone out there is reading this, then, let me tell you that off the top of my head, fake dating AU’s are my favorite tropes of all time. I have not slept for 26 hours so my mind is a bit foggy, but I really cannot think of any other trope I like better than fake dating. 

10. Mutual pining or enemies to friends to lovers?

Good one, anon. That is tricky. Again, all depends on my mood. For writing purposes, enemies to friends to lovers is better for long form/chaptered fics while mutual pining I use more for one shots. For reading purposes, however, it really depends on circumstances. For E2F2L, I need to know: why do they hate each other, is this something they can overcome, was there an incident or just blind ignorance, what do those close to them think of the rivalry. For mutual pining: are we in a limited POV or is it omniscient/changing, how long have they liked each other, what event has brought about a story to shift the mutual pining to dating. 

14. (For authors) Post a line of dialogue from one of your WIPs without context.

The inferno reflecting in his glasses and lighting up the partially dark parking lot they were sat in, but only in their little corner.

Ooh, what could that be from, hmm. 

17. Describe a fic that is still in the ‘ideas’ stage.

I mentioned an outline earlier so I will just go off of that. I won’t say fandom/character names just yet. 

This is set in a superhero universe. We have our hero. Cold, brooding, but a good guy, it just takes a bit for him to open up. We have a late night shock-jock whose radio show is all about heroes: calling them out when they do bad stuff, talking about their powers, updates with humor. Our Brooding Hero thinks it is funny. But he also enjoys company with the barista at the local coffee shop where all the superheroes go to avoid press/crazed fans. He hates this local vigilante who does not really follow the best moral code and always like to taunt and get a rise out of those stupid Lawful Good heroes. Well, guess what. All three of them are the same person. 

I really like the idea, I just need a place to put conflict in, that is when I can start writing. 

20. Do you have a favorite fanfic or author? If so, tag them/post a link and share the love!

Goddamn, I like a lot of authors. I will divide them up into the two fandoms I am in right now. Be careful, it is going to get long. 

BNHA: 

@jello-fello: I love Regenerate, Fate, it is one of my favorite fics. I began reading a little bit ago and you used to update like a mad-man. You updated every day, I could not believe it. I commented on a chapter once and asked you to take care of yourself and thank goodness you are now. You are an incredible writer and vigilante Izuku has my heart. 

@/midorito on AO3: Their fic called Webcams, Fries, and Heterochomatic Eyes is quickly becoming one of my favorites fics ever. 

Sanders Sides (this one is going to be a bit longer): 

@centrumlumina: All of your fics make me feel a lot of emotions. World building and character development are always spot on. I began reading your fics with No Starting Over and then I read them all. Incredible. 

@impatentpending: Kill the Lights is my favorite Sanders Sides fic of all time. The smoky noir style that you have developed while staying true to the characters makes it truly a work of art. 

@rosesisupposes: Your fics make me laugh and they make me cry. You write a lot of Logince which I do not get enough of, and your shorts are always incredible. 

@maxiswriting: I have read a lot of your fics on AO3 and one day I decided to click on your page and I realised that so many incredible fics are written by you. “Oh god, I need a drink”? Amazing, I love drunk shenanigans. Look Into My Eyes (It’s Where My Demons Hide)? I was never too big of a fan of supernatural fics, but because of you, I love Vampire!Logan. With This Dream, I Inflate (Painted Skies In My Brain) has got to my my favorite Logince one shot ever conceived . You are a fantastic all around writer. 

@mystrangedarkson: I started my journey reading your fic Fun and Games (which is my all time favorite) and then you kept pumping out more amazing content. Lost Ourselves in the Bright Lights is incredible, another incredible fic, it is almost too good. Too Much made my heart ache. Moxiety is not even one of my main ships and I adored Cinderfella. Wonderful. 10/10.

Thank you Anon, for sending me that. This was a lot of fun. 

Send me Fanfic Asks. 

[motorcyclegirlfriends]

man, i don't understand their insistence on shading lena so much(not her grey moral side, that's pretty cool and shows a yin/yang balance with kara), presenting her like a bomb ready to go off anytime. If they're so intent on making her evil why not actually have Lex show up, make her choose between her beloved brother and Kara so she can choose Kara and let supercorp be endgame like... i'm p sure the writers realize where it leads if they make Lena choose, so they just shade her "evilness"

They’re playing with the morality and darkness of the character because that’s who the character is.

Not who the person is—I’m not trying to say if you pop this person into reality that it’s inevitable that she’ll turn evil or even struggle in the same ways. I’m saying that when you take a character with her history and her issues and her fears you have to explore them for the story to work.

Who the character is defines what their story is about, and vice versa.

Let’s say you’ve started with an interesting premise and an awesome world, and all you need are some characters before you can get to the story. So you take your protagonist and begin throwing some of your favorite traits (and some other traits to play off of them in interesting ways) into a blender to see what sticks.

Perhaps they’re awkward, but funny. Insecure yet ambitious. Smart, but struggle with getting certain things. And then you go a little deeper. Where does the character’s insecurity stem from? Being socially awkward? Perhaps not. Perhaps you don’t feel you have a take on that idea that isn’t cliché.

Maybe the gaps in their intelligence, then. But why? It’s not interesting if it doesn’t go deeper. Absent parents who must be impressed for attention? Critical parents who are disappointed with anything less than brilliance? A formative experience in which the gaps in their intelligence resulted in something truly terrible?

You settle on something, and then you… write a story with nothing to do with their insecurity? I think not. The story is about your character, and your character is about this. (If you want your story to be about something else, instead create characters which are About that journey.)

Lena Luthor is about a deep ache, a need to be good.

Kara Zor-El Danvers is about finding home.

Alex Danvers is about being true to oneself.

We know this because of how they were built, the events which shaped them. Because of the setup before the real story begins:

Kara lost her entire world. Her home, parents, culture. Everyone and everything she knew. How could her story be about anything other than finding a home after that?

Alex had difficulty carving a space for herself as a kid because doing so would often result in Bad Things happening, and a heavy dose of perfectionism left her with very little room to be anything other than what she Had To Be. Do we not now want to watch her learn how to be healthy and to be assertive of her needs and to be imperfect and to just be?

And Lena. Lena Luthor, the emotionally abused kid in a family of terrorists, whose mother made her feel like she was never good enough, and who the world now never sees as good, full stop. Who fears becoming the monsters which hurt her above all else. Isn’t her story meant to be about recognizing and cultivating her own goodness to feel safe in her own skin?

Each of these characters strive to find happiness, but they all have different journeys to go on to get there. And these journeys examine the foundation of those needs to say something about them.

Lena can be good. Kara can feel at home. Alex can be true to herself. But, like in an essay, one must set up and address the counterarguments. This is where the story comes in. The story is the act of addressing the theme of the character’s counterargument.

If you have two characters in a fanfiction who do cute things with each other with no conflict internally, between each other, or otherwise externally, then you don’t have a story. You have a piece of a story (which people do love to consume anyway, because they’ve experienced the set up in canon that makes it feel satisfying).

But trust me, a 50 chapter fanfic of just this is not satisfying. Fluff only goes so far. It’s like eating only candy for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The characters must struggle and then surpass these struggles in order for the story to say, with confidence… anything. If you want to say that the intelligence of your character doesn’t matter as much as their heart, you have to prove it. Give them an obstacle they try to solve using their head and show them failing miserably. And then show them getting back up and using their empathy or their will to win the day, instead. Without that first failure, winning in that way falls flat.

And then with each success, offer a different counterargument. Another obstacle.

Your character who lost her world—who you wish to prove that one can overcome great loss through—is happy? In a relationship with a guy from a sister planet to her lost world who makes her feel pretty normal and at home? Rip it apart. Don’t just take it away, but make her feel worse than she was before he came into her life. And then have her build her life back up from scratch, with another angle to the argument.

“What if you tear away that answer? Can she still find a home? If the Romantic Love is destroyed, what is left?” the villain inside all of our brains asks.

Answer the question. Answer it a hundred ways.

Tell us the wrong thing: Supergirl. Just Supergirl.

Tear it down. Offer another: “And if I don’t have Supergirl, what do I have?” “You got me.”

The villain asks another question: “What if her home becomes sick at its heart? What if it becomes foreign to her through its hatred?”

It asks more: “What if her relationships became strained?” “What if someone she loves dies?” “What if she feels she doesn’t deserve her new home?” “What if this physical planet were destroyed?”

Answer them. Answer all of these questions with your story until your audience believes, “Yes, of course. She’s home. She’s home.”

Because once the character wins, really wins forever, the game is over.

If Lena Luthor is good, believes she’s good, is impervious to temptation or moral tests and doubts and the whole world believes in her goodness (or she finally feels free from needing that), her story is over.

Until then, this is the character playground we’re living in. Lena’s issues are about trying to defeat the monsters she fears within and have been since day one. The story can take breaks from tackling this theme so directly (slow burn, baby) but it’s always, always going to come back to this.

But it’s not always going to look the same! And it doesn’t mean she’s Secretly Evil or a time bomb.

The question is, “Can Lena rise above her emotionally abusive and ideologically toxic upbringing and be Good, or is she destined to be evil?”

Sometimes it’ll be about Lena wondering if being intelligent and cunning means she’s like her mother in other, nefarious ways. Or if she is responsible for what her intelligence results in down the line. Or it’ll be about proving to the outside world that she isn’t what they think.

Sometimes it’ll be about making mistakes which hurt people and how she can still be good even if she’s imperfect. Sometimes it’ll be about learning to recognize the parts of herself which need work—emotionally, relationally, and morally—and addressing those without self destructing because of her fears. Sometimes it’ll be about the nature of goodness. Maybe one day, it’ll be about helping someone with similar struggles while staying true to the lessons she’s learned.

Often, it’s about how healthy love can help her be good, and how refusing that kind of love can set her astray.

So, to address what you’ve said, of course the writers know what Lena would choose, in the end.

(Though the question isn’t really about two people, or choosing who she loves more. Even if Supercorp were canon, Lena would still be dealing with this until the story was over. Supercorp itself would be a tool to answer Lena’s goodness question.

And even without the shippy angle, Lena choosing Kara is a no brainer. Their relationship is clearly valued by the show and by Lena, and she has addressed how wrong her brother is already. That’s not her current struggle, nor the hardest one she’d face at this moment in time. Now, throw the perception of betrayal into it via Kara’s secret identity, and you’ve got something a little more interesting.)

It’s just that Lena has to keep making these types of choices until the show is over. Otherwise, she’s just furniture. A setting. Her real story is over.

If you’re not interested in various angles of Goodness™, or if you just love the character so much you can’t stand to see her morality under scrutiny all the time, I feel for you.

Personally, I think certain beats are a bit overdone (and that some of the undertones—like Lena fearing her own intelligence, for instance—could have been highlighted more to make it more dynamic) and that what we’ve seen so far could have been drawn out over more time while other, less obviously core issue-related things are happening.

But generally, I like it. This question of goodness is what drew me to the character to begin with.

Not just because of the Lex comparison—although it is connected to it.

It’s because it’s a story about emotional abuse and how it can get into your head and nurture qualities you abhor but fear you can’t escape emulating. It’s about feeling all twisted up because of what you’ve been through, and the struggle to keep those demons from hurting others while they whisper in your ear that it’s all useless anyway. That you’re just bad.

That’s something I’m interested in seeing, and one I haven’t really seen told this way before?

But it’s not enough to have her fear being evil and then just be good anyway. That doesn’t represent the insidious nature of emotional abuse nor the real work one has to do to overcome it. It’s complicated, and I want to see it be complicated, because when she overcomes all of that it will mean something.

Because the villain in our brains are already asking these questions (doubly so if you relate to Lena).

“What if she does do something bad? Really bad? Does that mean she’s evil? That she was evil all along and can’t escape it?”

I want the show to say, “No. She can come back from this. Goodness is a choice.”

Because I fully believe that their intent isn’t to make Lena evil, it’s to prove that she isn’t. To subvert our expectations set up by what happened between Clark and Lex. 

To say “No, this time friendship wins. Hope wins.” To refute that dread of inevitability caused by the familiarity of the story and, for Lena herself, that dread of inevitability because of who her family is and how she was raised.

It’s a hopeful show by design, and so it often has their main character try to get through to people, to change them for the better. Logically, this is the sort of story they’re going to tell, and personally, I’m here for it.

But it’s not going to go away.