#September | Villain who has a point

[phlebaswrites]

Ladies and Lying

Summary:

Hikaku doesn't know how to be friends with a Senju.

(But he's learning.)

Rating: Teen And Up Fandom: Naruto Relationship: Senju Tobirama & Uchiha Hikaku Word Count: 324 (Complete)

Entry for @asian-drama-tropes

September Hidden room | Cross dressing | Soup and wound tending (go together) | Villain who has a point | "The prettier a lady, the better she is at lying."

Part 9 of Secrets of the Heart

"…finally, the minister of finance seems to be spending far beyond what his official resources would suggest him to be capable of."

"That will certainly need to be investigated." Hidden on the other side of the shoji, Tobirama-sama's voice is dry but unsurprised at finding corruption in the highest ranks of the daimyo's court. "What's he buying, and where?"

"Uh, me actually." Hikaku blushes behind his fan to admit it, but facts are facts and the minister of finance has been lavish by any standard. "My time at least - the ochaya has taken many requests from him."

Read the rest on AO3.

[threeacttragedy]

Entry 7: The One Where the Queen Asked, “Did That Go the Way You Thought It Was Gonna Go?”

I’m probably one of the few people in this fandom who find Antonia entertaining.

Goddammit – put down your fucking pitchforks!

I didn’t say I liked her – I simply said I found her entertaining.

If Antonia’s existence bothers the fuck out of you, you’ll likely enjoy my commentary here.

*And, right about here is when I’ll slip in my disclaimer: this is my opinion only; merely speculation based on information that is out there in the public realm.

Now, where was I?

Oh, yes, Antonia. I don’t find her entertaining because I think she’s a great dancer. Is she? You tell me. I mean, I have two left feet so just about anyone is better than me.

And, I have never seen a picture or video where she’s made me “like” her as a person. In fact, she comes off more like a villain, but not a brilliant villain (I might like her, then). She’s more like an Iago to, say, Deux Mois’ Jafar.

I just find her so fucking reckless, but in the most amusing way possible. If she were a movie, I’d give her 4/5 stars. The movie would be a low-budget comedy, of course.

In my opinion, she loves to troll the fandom and I’m convinced she must have notifications turned on for Nicola. The patterns started patterning early on during the World Tour (and probably before). The problem is, she’s just not great at trolling. Her attempts always fall flat, and she ends up making herself look like, well, a tryhard (hence why her movie only gets 4/5 stars).

I’m not sure what Antonia ever was to Luke but, at a minimum, I will (begrudgingly) say they dated. I know some people don’t want to hear that, but she was a player in this game for a reason. Rumor also suggests she, at the very least, squatted in Luke’s flat (and I don’t mean in THAT way).

That said, I believe she was officially taken out of the game at the end of July. However, that doesn’t mean she wasn’t still making noise from the sidelines.

One of the most humorous (in my opinion) “rah rahs” Antonia pulled was on September 28 when she posted some stories of herself at a theatre. I’m not sure if she could have been any more obvious when trying to show us her phone screen. The screen was lit up, her thumb pressed against it, and angled almost directly at the person taking the picture.  We get it, honey. You want us to see what’s on your screen. Not surprisingly, it appeared to be a blurry ass picture of Luke.

Big whoop, right? Well, actually it was because the Conscientiously Stupid took this as confirmation Luke and Antonia were together (again) and the Sincerely Ignorant swallowed their cyanide pills without water (again). And, the Fact Finders, while trying to resuscitate their dearly beloved Sincerely Ignorant friends foaming at their mouths, immediately called “bullshit” (again). The picture appeared to be old and, to be honest, it was too blurry to tell who was on the screen – although I will concede it could have been Luke. In fact, I tend to believe it was an old picture of Luke based on what happened next.

The problem with Antonia’s play style is that she doesn’t seem to catch on to the rules. She moves her pawn two spaces because she can, not because it advances her game. She has this nasty habit of ignoring, say, the opposing party’s pawn, which is in position to en passant her overly confident pawn.

Nicola had been living high on life throughout the month of September, which, in my opinion, is quite possibly the reason why Antonia seemed a bit unhinged by the end of the month (jealousy can make us do crazy shit). Among other things, Nicola had the Emmy’s (and the Wordle), the Gucci show, and, on October 1, she was presenting Simone with a Glamour Award. By this point, I believe Nicola had had enough of Antonia’s gameplay. The phone screen had struck a chord.

So, what does Nicola do?

She plays the game right back but not like she normally does with Scrabble boards, Dewy Skin Creams, and BTS wedding footage dropped at the perfect moment. This time, she does it with a power move that left her hands virtually spotless.

On October 3, Halley Brisker, Nicola’s frequent hairstylist, posted a set of four pictures to his Instagram grid, three of which showed Nicola casually posing for the camera and one showing Nicola in the process of having her hair done. It was the latter picture (#3/4 in the slide deck) that perked every Lukolas’ ears.

Low and behold sat a man, his face conveniently covered by a hairdresser’s arm, but his hands in full view. Hands that, at this point, we (embarrassingly) know too well. To date, no one has debunked the theory – more like, assertion – that the man in the picture is Luke.

Nicola liked this post by Halley, and even commented, “You legend [red heart emoji].” You’re welcome to read between the lines on that one.

I’ve always believed this Halley Brisker photo dump was Nicola’s very clever, albeit indirect, way of telling Antonia, “Checkmate, bitch.”

The point of this entry is not to convince you that Antonia is a red herring (she is), or that Luke is in the Halley Brisker photo dump (he is), or that Nicola plays the game better than most (she does). No, the point of this entry is to tell you Antonia’s game is over (because it is). Antonia lost.

So why does she remain on the roster?

Because, collectively, we as fans keep her there, sitting along the sidelines in her collapsable camp chair making noise with her cowbell. We pay attention to what she posts. We talk about what she posts. We argue over what she posts. We panic about what she posts. WE keep her in the game.

How about we don’t?

Why not start off this week with a positive change? And, not just for the USS Lukola, but for yourself as well.

If you’re following Antonia on social media (for sinister reasons) – stop. Meander over to Instagram, X, Tiktok, whatever, and unfollow her. Don’t look back. Stop checking her page. If you see or hear she has a new post, ignore it. Move on. The first day will be hard. But, the second day will be easier. You know where I’m going with this…

I mean, Luke can’t quietly unfollow her if we’re constantly looking in that direction, right?

P.S. If you need more convincing that Antonia’s shelf life has expired, I have a CliffsNotes response for that: https://www.tumblr.com/threeacttragedy/767137910999957504/great-blog-but-if-all-was-not-good-with-l-and-a?source=share.

P.P.S. Moving forward, I don’t give two boiled rabbits about what Antonia does. I will most certainly refer back to her in a historical sense (she does fill in bits and pieces of the Lukola timeline), but if she posts a crockpot tomorrow, don’t expect me to comment on what could be in it.

P.P.P.S. If you have any understanding of what the little chessboard I’ve dropped in to my picture means, I salute you.

[roxannepolice]

The thing about Ricky September rising to the top of the chart as the most controversial aspect of Dot and Bubble is interesting, because... welp, as many people have pointed out, he's the surface level white twinky manic pixie nuwho Doctor at their most op on steroids. I've seen people comparing him to s6 Eleven specifically, but the offhand remarks about how much he knows, the interest in history, and most importantly, the proper introduction as the handsome guy who leads our protagonist away from cheap looking monsters and then runs hand in hand with her... that's Rose, the episode. The reason people took a liking to him is because he literally echoes the main character of the show we're watching. He's the Doctor doll in this sci fi dollhouse. That's why it's so shocking when Lindy uses him as cannon fodder.

So the fact that he's no less racist than everyone else in Finetime fits into the general concept of this episode as unpacking the naturalised racism of Shakespeare's Tempest/Forbidden Planet sf conventions, that Doctor Who, and the Doctor themself has been guilty of (welp this is what you get for thinking it's a good idea to turn a brown guy over to WWII villains or not filtering for racism when you random generate a time and space you will hide in with a black companion - you watch aryan bubble folks go to their deaths you bent ass over tits to prevent; not for many people this would have been karma doing its job, but for the Doctor it is).

But I don't think... the show wants us to hate itself, or its main character. Like, there are reviewers clutching their pearls over another cult text getting written by people who hate it, but. criticism isn't hatred, it's often an expression of love, and perhaps one of the highest forms of self-love. Which is why it caught my attention Ncuti Gatwa looks extra-doctorish in the last scene. Yes, clothes are surface, but in a visual medium they're a message too. Fifteen has been the most clothes changing Doctor we've seen so far, and he spends most of the episode in a more everyday casual shirt, but he dons the extravagant yet stylish tartan knee length suit for the end. And he does a Speech(tm), too, and helpless shouting, and finally a stern face (which ironically enough reminded me of fury of a Time Lord Ten). And like, he's not ignorant of why Finetimers look at him this way. They always knew, just never were on the practical not abstract side of the deal.

So Ricky the Doctor Doll works not only as a meta textual self reflexive parody, but also a contrast. Not so much as a "but see, this show, or even this era is not like other girls" masturbation, but more as a reflection on what makes this protagonist who they are. Yes, maybe s6 Eleven was op-ed too much, but that's not what made any Doctor, including this one, who they are. From this perspective the concept that Ricky would not have helped anyone from outside the in-group is... ironic considering how much of a separate chaff from grain sentiment there comes about in response to the Doctor's radical - and often pragmatically wrong! - kindness. Yes, the rationales for when they "should" be less merciful are more solid than skin colour, but I think this element of "this guy is what you WANT the Doctor to be, and not just visually" is there. Can't help thinking of how the destruction of Gallifrey - both in s1 and s12 - gets hailed as "yes, that's what the show is telling us is the RIGHT thing to do, just in general, not to prevent a specific outcome!". Meanwhile Fifteen keeps calling it genocide and remains wistful.

[sunshowersanddandelionwine]

Hi regarding your Haunts post. It was so cute! Ghost got immediate brownie points for taking care of Soaps sister, I hope the rest of the group leave needing a change of cloths.

Haunts are usually seasonal right? (Idk I’m not American) So Ghost could be working at it whilst on leave as a favor or it could be one of those community outreach/recruitment things the army sometimes hosts or a family fair/expo they also attend.

What would everyone’s costumes be?

Would there be a competition on who could get the most scares? (Excluding ghost) who would win?

If Soap joined Ghost the next year would they do a couples costume?

Anyway cool post thank you for sharing it.

thank you!!! :D and yeah, ghost might be dressed as a crazed masked killer but hes not gonna just let this kid sit in the middle of a dark maze with a bum ankle lol he might play a monster but hes not actually one. and while its against policy to stalk guests through the whole grounds (something something harrassment something something liability blah blah blah), price lets this one slide because he heard maggie backstage and was very much not impressed. gaz and roach might have joined ghost in the stalking. just a little ^-^

and yeah, most haunts (at least in the US) are seasonal! they typically run from sometime in september through halloween or occasionally early november. there are a few year round houses thought! a local haunt in my city actually runs all year, and its located inside a mall! but youre right, he could just be on leave for a month or so to help out with community outreach! i think id want the rest of the riley family to be alive in that case just so he and tommy could cause a ruckus together XD

as for costumes... i definitely see ghost as a slasher villain type character, sort of in the veins of jason voorhees or michael myers. its probably cliche but i think it fits the vibes! gaz would kill (hee hee) as a vampire, either in just stage makeup or full special effects and prosthetics. price is probably either a werewolf or in a ghillie suit for jumpscaring. nikolai doesnt work as a scare actor himself (he works backstage) but if he was forced to, hed want to be a victim lol. laswell is a mad scientist type, no question. roach pulls of a zombie way too well. once she joins the haunt, maggie would be a slasher too as ghost's protege. (dont tell anyone but he teared up a little when she told him.) if soap joined the team, hed probably work backstage with nik, and like nik he'd want to be a victim XD

oh for sure theres a competition for the most scares, and theres also a competition for the most creative scares! like you said, ghost wins the most scares almost every year, but roach has come very very close many times! hes a sneaky little bug, and he always catches people completely off guard :D the most creative scare the last year went to nikolai, who did some wizardry with the lights and sound effects and nearly gave price a heart attack.

a trophy is waiting for anyone who manages to scare laswell. no one has ever been able to claim it skfjhsdlkfhsdl

OHHHH ABSOLUTELY GHOAP WOULD!! i love that :DDD i think the whole haunt has a costume contest for the end of the season afterparty, and its the most ridiculous thing ever. ghost gets soap to come as his plus one, and its adorable! idk what their costumes would be tho so if anyone has suggestions please let me know!

[fae-morrigan]

Some of my scattered notes from Sina & Nicole's super son live:

Secondary Title of Super Son is "Dreams So Real"

Damian and Galaxy (taylor barzelay) cameos!

On those two, Nicole referred to Damian as being like Jon's brothers, and hinted at the superqueers sort of forming their own team (with Jayjonia at the center). Described as like, 'the mystery gang but they hate each other' LOL

"Its really trippy and surreal" <- Said several times over the course of the lives

30 pages of the oversized oneshot are Sinas, 10 are Nicoles. Sina has John Timms, Nicole has Travis Mercer.

Reitered several times: "This is sort of teeing these three characters (jon, nia, jay) up for the next two, three years."

Another comparison of Jayjonia to scottjeanwolf LMFAO. We love to see it!

Sina sort of points out that up until this point, Jay's sort of been the ultimate soft boy. He's put a lot of himself aside, he's constantly accomodating, but he's still scrappy, and right now during Super Son he's kind of feeling his anger.

On the above point, Sina and Nicole affirm this one shot really gives Jay the space to feel what he's feeling. With jayjon, "One of the things that Jon fell in love with about Jay was his idealism, and how he saw the world." and "[they've] just been through such intense trauma, [how do they] be there for each other?"

Core of the story is about Trauma. How do you deal with Trauma when you're still in it? What do you do when it overwhelms you?

Jay, Jon and Nia are all canonically in the 18-19 years old range. Young adults, as we suspected.

Sina on writing teen clark vs. jon: "He's more aggressive ... Being this mixture of his mother and his father, he's headstrong, and he takes a lot after his mother, he's not just half human, he's half lois lane"

NICOLE PITCHED A BRAINY & NIA SPINOFF AND THEY FUCKING SAID NO. Also, she originally wanted Brainy on the Dream Team lineup! However she assures me (lol) that Brainia will eventually happen in the comics.

Someone pointed out how interesting it is that Jon's the son of the "big blue boy scout" but his villain is CONSISTENTLY systemic oppression, and Nicole was like, "UGH AND WATCHING HIS LIVED EXPIERIENCE BE IN CONFLICT WITH WHO HE HAS TO BE AS SUPERMAAAAAAAN"

Here's the sneak peak panels we saw.

Be sure to preorder Absolute Power: Super Son by the 26th of August, and then pick it up in stores September 18th!

[pianostarinwonderland]

Red Flowers: Rambles About Camp 2, Glomas, and Chapter 7

[JP spoilers ahead, you have been warned]

HI I’M SO MAD BECAUSE WDYM CAMP VARGAS 2 FORESHADOWED GLORIOUS MASQUERADE????????

For context, in this part of the event, Film Studies Club and Board Game Club just shoo’d away the forest fairies, and then they talked about why they were trying to put out the campfires. Then they started talking about the forest fire that happened back then: a miner’s campfire accidentally got too big and the fire happened. And then that screenshot comes up.

Vil also says “red flowers” in the JP.

This is insane to me because in the JP version, Camp Vargas 2 was the event directly before Glorious Masquerade. Camp happened late September 2022. Glomas happened the next month.

THIS IS SO INSANE….. THEY LITERALLY JUST DROPPED THIS SO INNOCUOUSLY AND THEN MAKE IT THE BIG THING IN THE NEXT EVENT…….

But it’s also so interesting too because!! A friend and I were talking about it because the red flowers that Rollo grew in Glomas are forbidden flowers! They were a thing in the past at one point. Fae would have known about the flowers, because in the first place, they’re fatal to them. The red flowers absorb magic and they will keep absorbing magic until the mage user has no more magic. And as beings literally made of magic, this is definitely deadly for fae. So in a way, this tidbit of information packs so much worldbuilding, not just about the forest fire, but also the perspective of fae.

Worth interesting to bring up here: Red flowers most likely came from Maleficent: Mistress of Evil. In the movie, humans made red dust from it to kill fae in the human-fae war. As that war is canon in Twst, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Silver Knights (the humans) used them against the faes. So with that context, fae would see red flowers as a horrible thing, and to conflate it with fire, which kills living things too… yeah.

And now that we’re on this topic, we have to talk about chapter 7 because I am haunted by the fact that in the Maleficent movie, the faes do win against the humans.

But in Twst? We clearly see that that’s not the case.

Briar Valley was once called Land of Briar, as seen in the title cards showing the location in Lilia’s dream, connoting that it used to be much bigger. If you look at the map of Briar Valley, you’d also see that there are division marks on the country itself.

Literally the human-fae war has been twisted in this game. And that’s so fucking beautiful because in the original Sleeping Beauty, the humans won against Maleficent. Fae was the villain in that movie. But in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, it’s the faes who won. Humans were the villain. And THEN you see here that the humans won, but now you can’t really tell who’s hero or villain. It’s easy to say the humans because fae like Lilia are protagonists in this game… but remember too that Silver is fully human And may or may not be descended from the Knights and Sebek is half human. Ffs, Yuu is human.

Anyway, consider that Maleficent lives despite the red dust used in the war. But now think: if the silver knights Do use the red flowers, that may have been what killed Malleus’ mother… and the one who lives is Lilia.

Consider too that in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, one of the three fairies died to that red dust protecting the other fae :-) the blue fairy specifically. Noteworthy too that she’s the one who lifts Aurora’s curse such that she doesn’t die but just sleeps till she’s given true love’s kiss. Kinda… like how Malleus was born. Needs to be given love to “wake up”, to be hatched, to live. Like how Aurora needs to wake up via true love’s kiss to live. Merryweather in that sense is kinda like Lilia.

How haunting then that if Twst didn’t twist (heh) Maleficent surviving the war and made Mallenoir live, it could have been Lilia (who was the one who helped Malleus hatch) who died from the war.

Anyway, next chapter 7 update is probably gonna be so fire (haha) !!! But now it’s food for thought for glomas 2

[iridescentxstars]

｡˚ ꕥ 𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐱𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬' 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 '𝟐𝟒

Kinky season is coming and I thought I'd get a head start. From today until the end of September, I'll be taking kinktober requests while also working on some other fics that I hope to have done and ready soon (yes, the wolf fic is at the top of the list) This event is split into two different types: typical NSFW and dark, spooky NSFW because as someone kept making a point of, it's kinkTOBER and lines up with spooky season and I should have fun with that.

Idols allowed: Jongin, Bangchan, Minho, San, Seonghwa, Juyeon, Sangyeon and Irene

RULES:

Must have all qualifying factors to the prompt otherwise it will be deleted.

Drabbles made that are on the darker side will be tagged and properly trigger warned. Do not read them if you are uncomfortable. Every post will state everything used.

Always take care of yourself and be aware of what you read. This is all for fun and is not designed to upset anyone. Nothing written is believed to be how someone may behave and is all fictional.

Try to be original and fun. If a kink/prompt has been picked too many times, I will not do it

If you don't like a particular prompt/kink, feel free to ignore it, do not send snarky remarks to belittle what someone may enjoy

Some will very clearly work well together, some will not, while I do like a challenge, please be mindful about how it would work as I only have around 500 words to make it make sense

Please do not make the prompt too restrictive. These are meant to be drabbles and there needs to be creative freedom

Format: Must contain the following: Idol, AU, trope/dialogue/prompt, kink

You can have a trope OR a dialogue OR a prompt OR all of it. Mix and match. Requests that spark inspiration might get a longer piece written. You can choose up to 3 kinks but only 1-2 AU, tropes and prompts/dialogue to keep it easy!

All these prompts have been either thought about or found on other accounts because sometimes it's hard to remember or think about different ideas. The darker/spooky choices are coloured red to separate them from the safer choices.

Note: They can be interchangeable in the right circumstances. Mafia can be considered dark or maybe having a werewolf boyfriend is softer than we think.

AU: (some found here)

Roommates!AU

Mafia!AU

Werewolf!AU

Vampire!AU

College!AU

Angel!AU

Demon!AU

Hunter!AU

Co-Workers!AU

Friends With Benefits!AU

Superhero/Villain!AU

Yandere!AU

Monster!AU (specify what kind)

Killer!AU

Circus!AU

Stalker!AU

Mythology!AU (specify what kind/who)

Hybrid!AU

CEO!AU

Alien!AU

You Choose (will allow 3 max of this)

Tropes: (found here)

Enemies to lovers

Fake Dating/Marriage

Only one bed

Love potion

Kissing as a distraction

Jealousy

Blind Date

Taking care of them

Forbidden Love

Confessions

You Choose (will allow 3 max of this)

Dialogue/Prompt: (some found here)

“Don’t act innocent when we both know where your mouth was two minutes ago.”

“I could make you feel better.”

“My tongue still remembers the way you taste.”

“Come on, you have to work for it.”

“We won’t be missed for a couple hours, we should take advantage of that.”

“Hmm, is that a threat or a promise?”

“Let’s commit some sins.”

“Jealousy is not a word I’m familiar with.

“This is your work place, leave the boyfriend at home next time.”

“This seems like such a bad decision, but I just can’t help it.”

"You'll scream? Oh, baby, I really hope you do~."

You've been hearing noises for a while now, shuffling under your bed in the wee hours of the night. Most people would be scared to check whether it's their cat or not but you? You decide to lure the monster out by having a little fun.

There are no such things as monsters in your closet, that's what's always been told to you but how do they explain the eyes that watch you as you touch yourself? Or why you can't seem to stop doing it?

Everyone has a pet, a cute kitty cat or a puppy dog but you? Well, you have something that can't be found in a pet store... or... on this earth, actually.

A new haunted house has opened up and everyone is dying to go! You are scared, you won't deny that but what do you find scarier? The house and all its horror or the fact that being chased turns you on?

They told you that they would kill for you but you didn't think that they were serious... or did you?

You always joked with your extremely hot best friend that you would flirt and fuck your kidnapper because you read a lot of dark romance. So, they decided to make that dream a reality. Oh no, whatever will you do to gain your freedom?

Two words: Masked Men

You go to a party with your friends on Halloween and spot a handsome guy, walking around, shirtless, covered in fake blood with a mask on. Little did you know that it isn't quite a costume...

The dare was to enter the creepy, abandoned, possibly haunted asylum... not make out in it.

You Choose (will allow 3 max of this)

Kinks:

Oral

Toys

Knotting

Primal Play/Predator/Prey

Bondage

Praise/Worship

Degradation

Orgasm Control/Edging

Roleplay

Breeding/Creampie

Knife play

Blood play

Fear play

Dom/Sub

Impact Play

Overstimulation

Public

Dacryphilia

Free use (established/consensual)

Breath Play/Choking

Somnophilia

Owner/Pet

Voyeurism/Exbitionism

Photo/Video

Sensory Deprivation

Size Difference

Age Gap

You Choose (will allow 3 max of this)

I won't be putting the pressure on myself to do one a day as I do also work and everything else BUT I will try to do them every few days so there is no limit on what can be sent in as I'll go through and post like 1-5 at a time when I'm online and writing!

[wrestlingisfake]

Why are you booing me? I'm right!

If you're worried about who's the babyface/heel in the Hangman Page/Swerve Strickland feud, keep in mind that "babyface" doesn't exactly mean "good guy" or "hero," and "heel" doesn't exactly mean "bad guy" or "villain."

The bottom line is that AEW decided to do a double-turn back in February, and the live crowds have (generally speaking) bought into it. Arguing that Swerve's actions were indefensible, or that Page's retaliation is justifiable, is beside the point. What matters is that fans want to cheer for Swerve and boo for Hangman. The question isn't whether either character deserves that reaction, but why they're receiving it.

Swerve's face turn is subtle, but clear. When Hangman complained that he lost the first two matches due to interference, Swerve didn't have to tell Nana to stay out of the third match, but he did anyway. When the match went to a draw, Swerve wanted more five more minutes, just like the fans. When both of them failed to beat Samoa Joe for the world title, Swerve didn't waste time with excuses and grudges--he just focused on getting another chance to beat the heel and win the big one. These are all things fans appreciate, even if you're a total scoundrel. Fans like wrestlers who want to do something cool, and then get it done.

Page's heel turn is more nuanced than the typical routine of "I'm Blair St. Claire, and I'm a bad girl now!" He's right to be angry about what Swerve did to his family, but (in kayfabe) his family can't possibly be better off living with his all-consuming obsession. He's right to be frustrated that he hasn't defeated Swerve in the ring, but that attitude has only hurt his win-loss record and made it harder to avenge those defeats. It's understandable that he wants revenge, but that does not justify what he's done to various people who innocently happened to be between him and Swerve. More crucially, nothing Page can do to Strickland on September 7 is going to solve any of these problems. Fans generally turn on wrestlers who can't get the job done, or interfere with the wrestlers who can.

In light of that, Swerve's crimes and Hangman's crimes actually start to seem fairly different. I'm not trying to make excuses for Swerve here, but realistically no one got hurt when he left a T-shirt in that crib. He wanted to play mindgames heading into the match, it worked perfectly, and he knew he wasn't going to hurt anybody (except Page, later, in the ring). On the other hand, Hangman had no way of knowing--and clearly couldn't care less--if his arson might get some innocent person killed. And for what? Even if he wins the match, it won't fill the void Swerve carved out of his soul last year. For better or worse, Hangman can't really win as long he's consumed with vengeance--all of his actions are ultimately self-defeating. And people want to root for a winner.

[twelvedimensional]

incredibly weird episode that to my surprise has knocked out "boom" as my favorite of the season so far. some very scattered thoughts below:

"hey what if we had another dr-lite episode? what if sally sparrow was a supercilious spoiled brat?" - writer of this episode, probably

what LAYERS this ended up having. walked into it expecting a thinly veiled metaphor for "kids these days and their devices," ended up with a thinly veiled metaphor for "everyone these days and their devices and the echo-chamber bubbles they create for themselves that blind them to the real world injustices (and killer slugs) and enforce an artificial homogeneity."

from the start i clocked how White everyone in finetime seemed to be but at first i just brushed it off as the bbc making poor casting choices. then came the loaded statement of "don't worry, he's not as stupid as he looks." and then and then and then. did not expect that to be a plot point but my god. a busload of rich kids in the prime of youth lobbed at an "untamed" land to send resources back home? very uh, colonizer indeed (albeit an interestingly imperfect metaphor for colonization, leaving out those from less-wealthy backgrounds who seized the apparent opportunity colonization offered them to seize and claim land and status for their own)

how many times this season has the "villain" turned out to be "ai/computer/device that is supposed to help you now turning against you"? space babies, boom, dot and bubble makes 3/5 so far? not sure if this is meant to be a Thread. stretching it more broadly to "someone/something you trust turning against you" this encompasses 73 yards too (the way everyone turns away from Ruby after the old woman following her speaks!). that said the devil's chord bucks this pattern so i might just be reaching.

i can't make heads nor tails of ricky september but it was wildly amusing how he seemed to almost show up out of a different genre. the presumably heroic pop star who's Not Like The Rest Of The Milieu -- he turns off his dot! he reads in his apartment! he's different and flouts rules in a way that makes him more desirable -- not different in the way that makes the people of finetime look down on the doctor. and oh, swoon, he tries to protect lindy from the ugly truth of everyone on homeworld being dead, oh, he tries to protect lindy from dot until lindy throws him to the metaphorical wolves. because if you are lindy pepper-bean, if you think you are better, most worthy of being saved -- of course you would, even to someone as within the norm as you.

the fact that the doctor couldn't even get INTO finetime -- i have to wonder, is it that the technology protecting finetime from the outside is SO adept at its inbaked racism it could even keep the tardis out? horrifying!

throughout the episode i was also wondering at how mystifyingly patient the doctor was being with these people. by twenty minutes in i was waiting for him to chew lindy out for being so stupid, so narrow-minded, so resistant to self reliance. we've seen the doctor do this before -- it's not the first time they've tried to save someone utterly intentionally inept or someone hostile to them, it's not the first time he would have yelled at a human for being a "stupid ape!". but i wonder now, with all these pieces in mind -- did the doctor realize from the start that finetime was biased against him? was he playing that deferential balancing act marginalized people often feel they have to resort to in an environment dead set against them? listen to me right now, I'm not a threat to you or your view of the world. i just need you to listen to me right now.

and of course the doctor keeps on trying to save them because the doctor always has hope that people can change, even the most awful ones. it could have been possible for even some of the people of finetime to recognize the cruelty of the sort of society they'd built, the biases that have been entrenched in them. it's possible for all of us to realize these things. but finetime says no. finetime says, thanks for saving us. finetime says, that was your duty. and finetime says, fuck you.

[beautifulscreaminglady]

I think it's interesting how many people were able to clock Lindy as an awful person and then feel satisfied at the end of the episode because she was revealed to be a massive racist, but ignore Ricky September.

Ricky September, I think, is an example of the types of nasty, evil people who fly under our radar. We trust him because he's good looking and he smiles and he asks consent to hold Lindy's hand. We think it's kind that he walks Lindy through the path that's bordered by giant slugs. We don't like it when nasty, evil people don't look or act like like cartoon villains. It boggles our minds.

But it happens all the time. We meet people and we get surprised when a racist, or sexist, or homophobic, or transphobic comment comes out of their mouth. We feel betrayed. We might feel stupid for trusting them. We feel angry.

But when we come from cultures which teach us that evil people look a certain way (a way that has historically been based on marginalized people), we can get to a point where we ignore the evil standing right in front of us, because they look like us.

Of course there are layers to this. The people of Finetime are an extreme case. But if you think you've never met a racist, maybe you haven't been paying attention. Step out of your bubble.

[asian-drama-tropes]

A Year of Asian Drama Tropes 2024 - Wuxia Edition

A year long celebration of Asian tropes, this multi fandom event has a monthly selection of prompts for you to choose from!

The theme for 2024 is Wuxia! Rules and FAQ can be found here!

January

Riverbank

Sect/clan conflict

Blood sworn siblings

Amnesia

"When the Sandpiper and the Clam fight each other, it’s the Fisherman who benefits."

February

Go/Shogi/Xiangqi (politics optional)

Flirting through poetry/literature/music

Secret text training upgrade

Drinking under a full moon

"Heaven’s Net is wide, and none can escape its mesh."

March

Peach blossom forest (fight scene optional but likely)

Flying while flirting/fighting (is there even a difference?)

The master chef/burns water couple

Limited time left to live

"The weak are prey to the strong"

April

Big gathering (always ends badly)

Recovery from poisoning (either antidote or internal energy)

Pressure point activation for healing/bondage

Leader of the good aligned martial arts schools

"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind."

May

Mountain pass (always an ambush)

Disguise that really shouldn't work (but somehow does)

Musical instruments as weapons

Going berserk (for revenge or protective impulses)

"Flying flowers and picking leaves can hurt people"

June

Roof (moonlit fight scene optional but likely)

Confession in the rain (bonus umbrella optional)

Revenge (bonus if intergenerational)

Aphrodisiacs

"No one is killing me but you"/ "No one is killing you but me"

July

Tavern (fight scene optional but likely)

Lovers fighting back to back

Prosaic objects as weapons

Sweeper monk

"2 jin (1.2kg) of cooked beef and a pot of alcohol"

August

Mountaintop

Falling off a cliff (assumed to be dead but actually not)

Reclusive master training upgrade

Ancestor worship

"In the world of martial arts, no technique is faultless, only speed is invincible."

September

Hidden room

Cross dressing

Soup and wound tending (go together)

Villain who has a point

"The prettier a lady, the better she is at lying."

October

Prison (always a rescue)

Coughing up blood

Sleeves as pockets

Harem politics

"The mountain is tall, the river is long, we will meet again."

November

Open windows (secret plan/confession optional but likely)

Repaying a debt (sometimes across generations/time/reincarnation)

Heartbroken alcohol consumption

Shifu

"The truth will eventually show itself."

December

Lake/mountain pool/hot spring (sex optional)

Kneeling in snow/storm as a show of penance/devotion

Gifts of hair care items as courtship

The student becomes the master

"The will of Heaven."

[annah-kitathryne]

It has come to my attention that some are not aware of the double bat teen titans elseworlds run. [Post Here] made by @saturnsickle

So I'm here to explain a bit to everyone.

When was the series?

From September 1st 2001 to March 1st 2005, an elseworlds Teen Titans run started.

The series was 43 issues plus a 2004 annual.

Line-Up

Yara Flor (Wondergirl)

Jackson Hyde (Aqualad)

Cassandra Cain (Batgirl)

Jason Todd (Robin)

Roy Harper (Arsenal)

It was a bit out of nowhere, seeing as the lineup featured two brand new characters, a newly established character, a then considered dead character, and a former teen titan turned titan.

Retrospect

In retrospect, this series can be seen as a world building series as well as a device to introduce more heroes within a similar age group and adding more younger heroes into the mix, bridging the gap between the titans of Dick Grayson and Donna Troy and the younger generation of young justice soon teen titans Tim Drake and Cassie Sandsmark.

This series also reintroduced Jason Todd to a reader base that had known him as dead at this point. Adding new characterization that would be later used in the Batman: Hush storyline and lead into the Batman: Under the Red Hood series.

Interestingly, we see that this series of Teen Titans ended the same month that Red Hood's identity was revealed to Batman in Batman #683.

That is no coincidence. Fans have long since known that the series ended when Jason Todd was introduced back into the main line story.

However, while well planned, this left the elseworld's Teen Titans run to end abruptly and feel incomplete in some places.

Features

Some features of this series were a phenomenal number one cover that would later inspire the cover art for World's Finest: Teen Titans #1, an interesting dynamic between Batgirl and Robin that wouldn't show in mainline stories until New 52, and Roy in another mentorship role that we had been starting to see become more prominent at the time.

The introductory arc in the story (issues 1 through 4), where we were introduced to the characters in their separate contexts and got to see them come together in a way that explained how they got to that point, instead of just showing us them together as a team. It was also interesting to see Joker used as an introductory villain instead of someone else. It really set up the idea of a larger world outside of Joker and the scale of threats that would continue to increase throughout the series.

One of my favorite subplot that continued throughout the series was the character and moral conflict between the two bat characters (Cass and Jason) and their views on Justice, superheroing, and the right way to go about it. Although Jason's characterization is not exactly the same as his pre-death in the family personality, it provided a good sense of transition that got us from PreDitF to the UtRH personality. Cass and Jason often found themselves at odds with each other throughout the series. Cass, who believed in redemption and was stark and steady in her belief that no one should die, contrasted Jason's harsher view on crime and how to handle it.

It was also nice to see Cass on a team of people similar to her age. Although we got to see her work on the Justice League: Elite team, the elseworld's teen titans run got to show her in a more light-hearted run where she got to learn to be herself. Mirroring her then running solo series, we got to see Cass start to form a life and connections outside of the suit, and meet people who tested her belief in the symbol, this time with her peers.

Her growing friendship with Yara was really fun to read even at its worst writing. I especially enjoyed issue 25 and 26, where the two of them teamed up with the elseworld's version of Starfire and Donna Troy in a timeless issue of powerful female heroes.

Some of the negative from the run was the forced upon romantic subplot from 27 to 36, where it took up too much space on the panels and caused unnecessary character drama in a style that hadn't been seen in the run up to that point.

By the time of issue 40, there were three issues to wrap up the plot of the story before the run would come to a close. The story structure was there, but it was rushed and needed a couple more issues to really dive into the plot. The team disbands after Jason Todd/Robin murders one of the lesser villians they were fighting and caused the team to split ways to deal with the events of the arc. It culottes perfectly into the reveal later that month in the main books.

There was a top heavy focus on the two bat characters, which left less room for the other's. That didn't mean that the others didn't have central arcs throughout the run. It is just meant by the proxy of having two bat characters. Their drama was brought up the most.

Arcs

Issues 1 through 4 Jason focused introductory

Issues 5 through 8 was a Yara focused arc

9 through 12 was a Roy centric arc

16 through 19 was a Cass centric arc

20 through 22 was a Jason centric arc

23 and 24 was a Jackson centric arc

25 and 26 was Cass and Yara

30 through 34 was another Roy centric arc

The annual plus 36 was a Jackson arc

37 and 38 was another Yara centric arc

40 through 43 was extremely focused in Jason with Cass as a close second.

Conclusions

It was a really interesting story to read, and it was fun to see what having Batgirl on a team does to the dynamics of a normally Robin only sort of line-uo. It's interesting that Jackson was the first of the two original characters to make the jump to mainline comics (2010) and Yara was later in 2021, having been the last of the team brought into the main timeline. It would be nice to see them come back together for a special crossover again, fill the niche group of fans that follow the limited fan material on this series.

[lucykuoart]

So I've been through the mod PRHVL nights and I have very strange thoughts, again…

I appreciate the work that was put into this mod as it is not the easiest task

But my thoughts don't fit the views of this fandom, so writing on Twitter is dangerous. And now I put myself at risk. After all, I am the main villain here, the hater and the monster! Although it would take some effort to get me to that point

So, on to the bright side. Hooray, yes, I can complete Olivia's quest as Marcoh and go to the ball with her! Great, although I thought it would be harder, as I always imagined

And when playing as Olivia…you can't invite Marcoh. Almost immediately you see how Daan speaks to you, although, for example, this was not the case with Marcoh. Hmm, why is that and why is it one of the three options? I pretend I don't know, I'm a terrible person, a hater! (no)

I understand that this is a mod, it is from a fan with his own views, and developing a huge number of options is expensive in every sense. But I saw the best moment when Marcoh gives the bracelet to Olivia, talking about his sister and…after we hear that he can't, because he's going with him. Okeeyy… Honestly, this could have been made into a quest, and the event was unexpected and pleasant.And you probably expect this from a romantic mod

Well, at least I almost made a visualization of my fanfic eee

They can tell me that here are Caligula's words in the game, here is Marcoh's behavior, here is the future update… So what? There is no exact yes or no right now, that's all. And also believe Caligula, the most reliable person, yeah. It's as if the unreliable narrator and similar techniques have died out or never existed. And here he is with Tanaka, with Daan together… Yes, together he can be, as with Olivia, as with anyone who is over 18 years old. Why have we reached a point where, let's be honest, a section of the fandom pushes their own views on a character without regard for the interests of others, when a compromise could be reached for everyone? Until December 2023 (wow, a year has passed) and after, I calmly looked at art or read fanfics with Marcoh and not Olivia, like that (There are some cool art and fanfics with Marcoh and Daan, everyone should watch them!) (You may have also seen my content on Marcoh/Pav. And everything is fine, I am grateful to the author for these drawings, everything is fine (sorry, I made Pav badly twice in the mod. But when I found out that we are talking about Pav as an option, playing as Marcoh I smiled, you immediately think about a specific author). There is nothing stopping me from doing this, being a terrible creature who loves the opposite sex. I'll probably be cancelled for these words, but am I lying? We have to compromise. I never said that Marco should be with Olivia, but I don't want the opposite extreme either. Everyone should be comfortable, as long as it doesn't break the law. Let me remind you, Olivia is 20, that's all

Oh, yes, I went to extremes again, but what can I do, I don’t understand anything. So, I wasn't the only one passing through, my fandom friends were there too. I really want to believe that this is not so, some kind of mistake, but when you try to make Daan/Karin in this mod… it won't work. It may also depend on the character, like Marcoh can, but Olivia can't, but I was told this. I want to be wrong, but if not…what has this rather sharp option done to prevent it? I don't want to say anything bad to the author, he doesn't owe us anything and did a great job, I also enjoyed it. But this trend of good and bad thorns, pleasing and unpleasing…is sad. When I joined the fandom in September 2023, everything was fine, everyone did whatever they wanted in this ship sandbox. But it seems to me that after more than a year the situation is getting worse and worse, ultimately dividing people for some absurd reason. Shouldn't we have fun and let there be absurd options? Again, yes, I may be too fanatical, but I will never insist on Marcoh and Olivia together as the truth, EVER. I try to show charm, everything, although yes, I failed, making it only worse, as well as what I write. I'm trying, but it's getting worse and worse, as always, I hate it, this is how life is…. It would probably be even better if I were to be subjected to a barrage of criticism. But I wanted the best, I thought people might find a neutral option…

Yes, in the end it turned into more of a personal record of thoughts, what can you do… I really don't want to offend anyone, please believe me. If I offended anyone in this fandom, said something wrong, forgive me, I never wanted and don't want to. I would rather apologize for everything, I often scare my friends with this So, about the mod at the end… Marina's quest with the mannequins is broken, you need to click on the option with questions if you have the necessary item esc

[sixosix]

do you think maybe you could do a relationship dynamic with izuku as uber famous celebrity x the one cafe barista who doesn't know who they are?

( a/n ) anon i don’t know if ur even here anymore cus this ask was sent september last year but just know that i always thought about you. I LOVE KOTA so he’s here

“listen, i get it,” you say, sliding to the left to cram the bagel into a small, brown paper bag with the shop’s logo printed unevenly on the front, “lo-fi’s not your thing. that’s cool. but you’re really the only one complaining about it.”

the lo-fi isn’t even that bad. sure, you can’t differentiate songs from another if you tried, but it’s a fun game to try when you’re bored, and your only company are the flies and warm sun filtering through. the top fifty songs haven’t changed for too long, and you’ve gotten sick of it, so it’s better this than that.

you give kota his order, put on a winning smile, and pray that he spares you from a headache.

he slams his payment on the counter. his money is always paper, never a bunch of coins as what kids his age usually have. it’s a little curious. it’s like he's making money himself.

“i’m your only customer anyway; what’s the big deal?” he gestures grandly at the space behind him, making a huffy noise when you don’t bother looking up from counting his change.

the big deal is that you don’t go around demanding baristas to do that, but kota has a point. he’s one of your only customers, aside from the lost students who order a medium coffee to use the bathroom. they never come back.

the shop you work in is tucked away in the corner of hosu city, past where the buses stop and far from train stations. it’s an unfortunate placement, but it’s safe from villain attacks because not even they would want to walk this far. kota only found it because he got lost, too, and you felt terrible so you gave him a donut.

the difference is he comes every day since then.

you level kota with a look. “how can i attract other customers if we’re blasting your awful playlist in this quiet space?”

his cheeks turn pink in embarrassment. “my playlist is not bad! you should be thanking me i told deku about this place!”

“right, right. ‘cause you’re best friends with the lead of that super famous hero series! pardon me for forgetting.”

kota looks like a baby kitten hissing with his far-from-threatening growl. “you’re lucky the bagel tastes good,” he says and pointedly bites on the bread. “we would be enemies.”

you laugh, leaning against the counter. “how long did you say you’re staying at hosu for?”

“we’re leaving in two days.” kota looks longingly at the bagel.

“alright, well,” you bend closer and whisper conspiratorially, “let’s make a deal. come back here tomorrow one last time, and i’ll treat you the belgian waffle you’ve been eyeing since you first came here. if there’s no one else, i’ll play you your favorite song.”

kota’s eyes sparkle, despite his insistence on looking unaffected. “fine. i’ll come back.”

“tell mandalay i said hi!”

you thought that’d be the last interesting thing to happen, but minutes later, a young man with comically oversized sunglasses and a shirt saying ‘shirt’ enters the shop, looking around in amazement.

“welcome!” you call out with a customer-friendly grin. you’ve never seen this man, but based on his top, you can tell he’d entertain you well.

he pads over to the counter, somehow looking like a lost child despite his eye-pleasing build based on his thin, white tee. “good afternoon!” his smile is as warm as the orange lights hanging over the counter. “sorry, was kota here earlier?”

he reminds you of the man on kota’s wallpaper with a face that made you stare a little too long. kota asked you if you were struggling to read the time. no, you were just struggling not to blush. 

“you know him? he was chiding me for the lo-fi.”

he laughs, tugging his sunglasses up hesitantly. “kota can be really picky, sorry. um, i like the lo-fi.”

“you’re cute,” you say, admiring his green eyes. “what’s your name?”

“you don’t—” he blinks slowly, his cheeks darkening, “sorry, i didn’t mean it like i was assuming—”

“wait!” you exclaim, leaning closer to study his face, “are you kota’s brother or something? no, you don’t look like brothers… except for the shoe thing you have going on.” you gesture at his bright sneakers.

“i bought him that!” he says, smiling warmly. “midoriya izuku.”

“midoriya,” you say, grinning coyly when his cheeks flush as you say his name, “what can i get for you?”

he scratches the back of his neck. “regular iced latte, please.”

you make sure that it’s the best goddamn latte midoriya izuku drinks in his life so that he thinks of coming back again.

kota comes back the next day with a skip in his step, and a man right behind him.

“my favorite customer!” you already have his waffles prepared, but you weren’t informed that the handsome maybe-cousin, maybe-uncle, related-to-kota-somehow guy was coming along. immediately, you get to work on his latte.

“only customer,” kota says pointedly, scanning the room triumphantly. standing next to the cute guy with their matching shoes that makes them look more like close brothers that happened to not look similar in anywhere else possible.

“hey,” midoriya says with fond exasperation. “you can’t just say that.”

you laugh, shaking your head. “it’s alright. i know kota’s a sweet kid; he makes my day.” kota makes himself comfortable on the table nearest to the counter, looking much happier than he usually does coming here alone.

kota beams when you walk over and give him the plate of belgian waffles. he digs in the second he gets his hands on it. near him, midoriya chuckles, heading over to the counter. his outfit is a little different from last time: fancier and no more unnecessary captions.

“what can i get for you, midoriya?”

“regular iced latte, please,” he says, blinking up at you in a way that made your heart do something strange.

bingo. because of your headstart, his order comes in quickly, but you pretend to take it slower just to keep them longer.

“you don’t have to pay,” you say, unable to keep staring at how his coat makes him look charming. “i’m treating you two. are you also leaving hosu tomorrow?”

“i want to pay,” midoriya says, and you swear his smile gets wider when you head over to serve him his drink. “yeah, we have to leave for a shoot! it’ll take a while, but now i’m not looking forward to it as much as i was two days ago.” when you glance at him, he looks away, looking shy.

you couldn’t even react or analyze his second comment because you hone in on what the hell he means by—

“wait, shooting?”

“yes… for—wait, hold on.” midoriya frowns at kota, who has half a waffle hanging from his mouth. “i thought you said you weren’t hiding it.”

“i waf’n!” kota insists. midoriya tells him to please don’t speak while chewing, so he spits it out, and you watch in disgust as it flops back onto the plate. “y/n just doesn’t know! technically, i wasn’t hiding it.”

midoriya looks horrified, and this conversation is about you, so you ask, “can someone explain?”

midoriya is blushing, but he speaks as if he’s confessing a crime. “have you seen the hero series?”

“no! i’ve heard about it because kota likes this one guy a lot. think it was deku or something.”

“he’s deku, idiot!” kota says. “you know, the one who you said looked cute when i showed you my wallpaper!” he digs back in on his waffle, pouring more syrup.

“what!?” you and midoriya exclaim.

“why would you say that?” you groan at the same time midoriya asks, “you said that?” wide-eyed and grinning.

“go back to the topic at hand!” you slam your hands on the table. kota’s intense EDM music is blasting, fueling you even more. “why didn’t i— deku’s face is literally on billboards!”

“my face in those is usually covered by the mask, to be fair,” adds midoriya meekly. “but kota-kun is my co-worker…”

“what!”

“you’re just stupid,” kota says, grinning devilishly. “we’re flying out of hosu to film together somewhere else.”

“oh my god.”

midoriya laughs, gazing at you with an intensity that makes your throat feel dry. “it’s not your fault, y/n-san.” he nudges kota, who’s stealing sips on his latte and grimacing. “it’s his for pranking you.”

“and,” midoriya adds, smiling shyly, “it was… nice to know you’re interested in me even without knowing who i was.”

kota hums around the straw, “maybe this’ll finally convince y/n to watch the series.”

ok um the ending is lame i know but i rlly didnt know what 2 do w this LMFAO also dont judge idk what baristas do so just play along. mayb ill make a part 2 cus theres a lot unpacked but not rn i just want to let anon know i didnt delete this ask thx for reading rb or comment to make me happy omg!

[pleathewrites]

bellow the fire into my deadened lungs

chapter 1 excerpt — what are your thoughts on child abuse? + burncare read full story here

September

Meeting semi-regularly with Hawks has been… ‘Strange,’ Dabi thinks. 

The Number Two’s got a bad temper, hates being out of the loop, and hates it more when Dabi can’t be bothered to spare more than a few words at him. Dabi mostly makes Hawks do small jobs — gather bits of mild information and tail certain lower-ranked heroes. Dabi doesn’t ask for any top secrets because he has a feeling Hawks would only feed him lies. ‘Why?’ Because that’s what Dabi does. 

But the Bird has interesting thoughts. 

Dabi will admit — seeing Hawks’ speech during the Hero Ranking ceremony was wildly entertaining. Dabi assumed the hero had a flair for the dramatic, but he never thought the guy would be so bold to make such a scene on national live television. 

“Who’s gonna be happy hearing that? Stain?”

Dabi remembers Spinner’s spit-take at Hawks’ interruption of Edgeshot trying to seem oh, so humble. 

“You don’t think we need to change how we do things?... Why are those less accomplished than me playing it safe?”

Dabi remembers the way Toga’s eyes sparkled, the way even Shigaraki started to tilt his head in consideration. Dabi thinks the raining feathers were a bit over the top since the guy was already fucking floating, but he’ll admit it was a nice touch.

But his favorite — “Now, go ahead, Number One Hero, with a lower approval rating than me.”

Dabi actually let out a snort, at that one. 

It’s been a few weeks since that broadcast, but ever since, Dabi’s interest in the hero has been considerably piqued. 

He sent Hawks a set of coordinates and a time to meet about an hour ago. He’s late himself, but only by thirty minutes, and, well, he’s a villain.

He immediately spots the stupid little bird because, in an industrial town full of grey, that stupid yellow suit is an absolute eyesore. 

“You don’t own any other clothes, Hero?” 

Back turned, with only crimson wings in his view, Dabi hoped the guy would have jumped. Dabi’s been told he can be as quiet as a ghost, but then he remembers Hawks telling him something about telepathic feathers and sound vibration. 

“Dabi!” Hawks twirls halfway with that stupid grin of his, “You’re actually early. For you.”

“Say my name louder, would you. Might as well dial up the Commission right now and let ‘em know you turned, while you’re at it,” The words are worried, but Dabi’s tone stays neutral because they both know the Commission is already informed about every single one of their meetings. It’s just Hawks who thinks Dabi’s dumb as rocks. 

“We’re in a literal alleyway in one of the sketchiest towns in Japan, dude.”

“Tch,” Dabi’s nose scrunches in a sneer, ‘Of course he’d consider this town to be sketchy, just because it’s a little run down.’

Hawks scratches at the back of his head, “Though, I guess you got a point. I — uh, heh, I didn’t have time to change. Patrol and all.” 

Dabi deadpans, “You can spare ten minutes. It’s not gonna kill you,” and Hawks still looks weirdly apologetic so he adds on, “Birdy, you’re acting like I’m the one who’s gonna be waitin’ up on you. Has that been the trend, so far?”

“You know, now that you bring it up…” And Dabi just thinks, ‘oh, Gods, no,’ while Hawks puts a gloved finger to his chin, “Why are you always late?”

Dabi doesn’t answer. 

Hawks puts his hands up in mock surrender, “Alright, fine. Be mysterious, whatever,” Then clasps his hands behind his back. Dabi thinks that’ll be the end of that, but Hawks loves the sound of his own voice too much, “You villains are so dramatic.”

Dabi gapes, and lays his hand over his chest in offense, “I’m dramatic?” He scoffs — he cannot stand half the shit that comes out of this smart-ass’s mouth. His hand leaves his chest to point at the Number Two, “This coming from the guy that not only interrupted a rank ceremony but made it rain feathers while he did it? Braggin’ about his own approval rating while floating in the fuckin’ air?”

And — ‘oh shit’ — Dabi should have kept his mouth shut. 

Because he sees the bastard’s golden eyes fucking gleam, and crimson feathers ruffle, “Eh? You keepin’ tabs on me, Hot Stuff?” and he starts to lean in, close enough for Dabi to feel the need to reel back, his nose a mere inch away from Dabi’s own, “Ya like watchin’ me?” Pale eyelashes flutter.

Dabi’s had enough. 

He hears a muffled ‘oomph!’ as his scarred hand pushes Hawks’ face away, “Don’t fuckin’ flatter yourself, the ceremony was national news.”

Hawks pulls back and laughs a little. It’s a breathy sound, almost a rumble with how deep the guy’s voice is, but it’s always quiet. Tired. 

Dabi’s stomach chooses that moment to let out a loud and horrifying grumble. 

Hawks’ bushy eyebrow lifts in question, and Dabi can feel the blood gather in his cheeks, humiliation warming his usually cool skin. 

“So, there is a reason you look like a bag of bones,” Hawks says.

Dabi knows the guy is trying to be cheeky, but it hits harder than intended because, ‘Yeah, I haven’t eaten all fuckin’ day,’ and the only thing he does remember eating is cheap instant udon, yesterday. He put a boiled egg in it for protein, but that stuff only goes so far.

Luckily, Hawks continues without needing a response from Dabi, “C’mon, I’m hungry, too, and I saw a chicken place around here. On me, the place is probably cheap, anyway, considering,” and waves his hand around broadly, referring to their current location.

Usually, this is the part where ‘Person B’ says something like, ‘I don’t need your charity!’ but Dabi isn’t prideful enough to deny free sustenance, especially since he can’t even remember the last time he ate real meat. 

So, he shrugs, “Lead the way. But first, button up your fuckin’ jacket and take off your glasses, for fuck’s sake. I know you can move your feathers, so — I dunno, move ‘em under your jacket, or somethin’. Hide them.”

And Hawks actually has the audacity to pout, “I hate compressing my wings.”

“Gods,” Dabi groans to the sky, “It’s just for the walk there.”

After grumbling some more, mostly to himself, Hawks relents and leads the way to a mostly empty chicken shop with neon signs and shiny wooden floors. They sit in a booth at the farthest corner, and order. 

Hawks is somewhat right — food is cheap in a town like this. Dabi’s not well-versed in all things economics, but he knows an underfunded town is a wanted-villain’s safest haven. The residents of such towns rarely call for police — police mean heroes, and heroes mean collateral damage; the residents of this town already struggle to make ends meet with their healthy bodies and standing businesses. One bad fight can end in dozens of collapsed buildings, and an overflow of the nearest already-at-capacity hospital. 

‘As long as you don’t cause too much trouble, the residents here won’t even bat an eye at you, no matter how wanted you are.’

Dabi takes off his facemask and hood when their food is served, and Hawks lets his wings out with a ruffle. The hero begins to dig in, but his gloves stay on.

“Isn’t this cannibalism, for you?”

The previous expression of excitement on Hawks’ face drops, “Ha ha. You’re so clever. I’ve never heard that one before.”

“Fuck off.”

“No, seriously, you should be a comedian.”

“Go to hell. It was actually a semi-serious question.”

A smile quirks at the corner of Hawks’ lips, “Just let me eat in peace, man.”

And so, they eat for a bit, mostly in silence, until Dabi decides the silence feels suffocating. Hawks isn’t asking any questions, not his usual, ‘so whaddya got for me, today?’ and it leaves Dabi with his own thoughts.

After finishing about half his plate, Dabi finally asks what’s been on his mind since watching the Bird on television. 

“What are your thoughts on child abuse?” 

Hawks freezes, a chicken piece halfway through his open mouth when he looks up at Dabi, muffling out, “What?” 

Dabi lets his chin rest on his palm, curling his greasy fingers inwards to avoid his seams, “Humor me, Hero. Got a penny if ya need one.” 

Hawks swallows and puts down his fork — ‘eating chicken wings with fuckin’ utensils, what a priss.’ 

“Uh, gonna need a little bit more context here, man…”

He looks so wary.

Dabi sighs and spells it out for the dumb bird, “What would you do, as a hero, if you received a report of child abuse?”

Hawks takes a moment, scratching at his goatee, “Well, investigate, then hopefully make an arrest,” He shrugs, “Abusers should be jailed. I dunno what you want from me beyond that. Random question, dude.”

Dabi, more or less, ignores the confusion in Hawks’ eyes, but he does take note of how Hawks hasn’t continued eating. The hero is sat back, waiting for Dabi to provide the clearly missing context. 

Dabi has to know what kind of person he’s dealing with, because meeting Hawks this past month and seeing his actions on live television make Dabi… tentatively hopeful — about what, he’s not sure, but Dabi doesn’t like surprises, so he has to ask.

“Mm. But, what if that same abuser shows kindness to everyone else, outside those few people?” 

At that, Hawks lets out a scoff, “It’s usually an act, man. Why are you asking me this? I mean, like, yes, yeah it doesn’t matter if they treat others differently. Doesn’t make up for what they’re doing, the people they’re hurting.”

“Uh-huh,” Dabi’s eyes never leave Hawks’ face, noting the expressive curl of blonde eyebrows, bushed up in earnest to match his glinting frown, “And if other people are, say, ‘counting on them’?”

Those blond eyebrows furrow closer, wild hairs almost touching, “What do you mean?” 

Dabi tilts his head away from the palm it rests on and unfurls those fingers one-by-one to count off, “World leaders, presidents, peace figures.... heroes,” and even Dabi knows his voice took a sharp turn at the last item, and he doubts Hawks had missed it.

“I… No, no, it’s still wrong. It’s complicated, yeah, but... it doesn’t matter how much good someone does if that same person is going off to abuse someone else. Especially their own family.”

Dabi doesn’t know why, but hearing that come from a hero does something to him, speaks to a too-short past life, and validates the soft blindspot of his otherwise iron conscience.

Dabi picks off a piece of his own chicken and takes a bite, “Yeah, we’ll see.”

Meanwhile, Hawks looks completely out of sorts. He’s biting his lip, his hand coming up to rub the knuckle of his gloved index right underneath it. 

Dabi waits. 

“I… I didn’t spend a lot of my life with my birth parents. They were abusive. And they were… y’know, what everyone would call ‘bad people’. Drug addicts, thieves. Probably other things, too, I dunno,” and Dabi is listening to every single word, food completely forgotten. Hawks isn’t looking at him, lidded eyes are directed more towards Dabi’s shoulder, and that’s okay because Dabi hasn’t spoken a single word of his own abuse, so he’s not going to judge how others do it. 

The blond’s head shakes, “Ah,” and clearing gold eyes look back to Dabi, “Point is, even they didn’t face consequences for what they did to me. My dad… He’s in jail, but it’s not for what he did to me. And my mom… Commission paid her a hefty check to adopt me, so she's probably off living an even better life — or maybe dead from overdose, I dunno.” 

“Sounds hard,” it’s a shitty response, but Dabi doesn’t know what to say. He doesn’t want to reveal his own story, but for all that’s broken and wrong and rotted inside of him, he still feels empathy towards this guy, towards the Number Two Hero.

‘Birds of a feather, ‘n all that.’

“Yeah, well. Just makes me think, if apparently ‘bad people’ can get away with the crime of child abuse — people with practically zero social or economic influence — then, how do the same institutions hold someone with real status accountable?”

Against his desire to appear aloof, Dabi feels the sharp tug of his own lips pulling into a small smile, “Askin’ all the right questions. Best ones have no answer.”

Hawks laughs, and it's the same one as the alley, low and quiet. Soft. 

Dabi wonders if the guy lets himself laugh often. He smiles a lot, that’s for certain, but smiles are always easier to fake than laughter.  

“I have a feeling a lot of villains have this kind of backstory, or something similar, huh.”

“As you?” Dabi raises a brow, the easiest kind of expression he can do to the lack of staples there, a constant reminder of his ‘backstory,’ like he’s a fucking manga character,  “Maybe. ‘Cept they weren’t saved by anyone. No one’s jumpin’ up and down to take care of us. That’s the difference between us,” his index finger flicking back-and-forth in the space between them, “Heroes ‘n villains.”

The laugh that leaves Hawks is wrong this time. It’s bitter and booming — dark, and not nearly as lovely as Dabi found the others.

“Saved. Yeah. Yeah, you’re right.”

Dabi’s stomach churns something sick. He hopes it’s the chicken.

*

The next time Dabi is supposed to meet Hawks, the skin around the staples of his hands feels like it’s on fire. Red, itchy, and, ‘Oh Gods,’ Dabi thinks he’s starting to see something white seep out the seam of his right wrist.  

He used up the last of his supplies two weeks ago. Right now, the only things he has in his apartment are gauze, soap, and tap water that can be boiled. 

Dabi thinks about calling one of the League members, any of them, but after Kamino, there’s been wanted posters of their faces plastered everywhere, mostly definitely around cities nice enough to have open pharmacies.

He calls Hawks. 

“Hello! Where are ya, hot stuff? I’ve been waitin’ for half an hour, and I even took the time to change my clothes.”

Dabi rolls his eyes at the nickname and grips the phone tighter. It makes his wrist burn. He doesn’t waste any time, “Do you have access to any antiseptics or disinfectants right now? Strong ones. Or maybe even antibiotics, like silver sulfadiazine?”

“Burn cream? Uh… not, like, I don’t have any on me. I could get some? Is everything alright?”

Dabi closes his eyes and rubs his brow, “Yeah, I’m gonna send you some new coordinates. Bring the supplies here. And hurry.”

He hangs up and sets to boiling some water. 

Three loud knocks later echo through Dabi’s apartment, and he yells, “Come in!” as he pats his wrists dry with a paper towel. 

“Dabi?” Hawks’ voice rings through the apartment and his large wings come into view from where Dabi stands in the kitchen. Hawks takes his shoes off at the entryway — ‘how well mannered.’ — and perks up when he spots the scarred man.

“Hey! So, I got an assortment of things. Hydrogen peroxide, saline, antibacterial ointment, got the silver sulfadiazine like you asked — that shit is expensive without a coupon — and, oh! I got these, like, film coverings, pharmacist calls ‘em ‘nanocrystalline silver dressing’ , supposed to be better for fighting infection,” He shrugs, “I also went ahead and got some other things like gauze, dressing, Q-tips, pins,” and sets the plastic bag on the countertop,  “Here, take a look.”

Dabi does, with his eyes because he doesn’t want his freshly cleaned wrists getting even more infected with whatever bacteria could be on the plastic bag or any of these items. 

“... Damn. Thanks, Birdy,” He’s honestly shocked Hawks got this much stuff. 

He ignores the way his heart beats faster, ‘Might finally be the sepsis.’

When Dabi looks back up at the guy, his feathers are wiggling again, something Dabi has come to understand what the hero does when he’s somewhat pleased, “Uh, can you wash your hands over there in the sink and pull out the… Hm, the silver dressing, white dressing, and the gauze? Just set it on the counter, I’ll be right back.”

Dabi walks over to his bathroom, hearing the affirmative, “Sure!” from the hero, and closes the door with his elbow. 

He needs a minute. 

‘I can’t believe I just let an undercover hero into my apartment. Am I going to have to move? Fuck… fuck, fuck!’

“Shit,” he whispers to himself as he opens his medicine cabinet and fetches a pair of tweezers and a box of latex gloves.

‘I can’t believe he bought all that stuff. Dude’s loaded, that’s fine and all, but… what the fuck? I only asked for the burn cream…’ 

Dabi shakes his head, closes the medicine cabinet, and is greeted with the reflection of his own confused expression, etched by a small crack at the upper left side. He takes a minute to look at the man staring back at him, looking at his scars and his freshly dyed roots. He knows he’s a frightening sight, something out of nightmares and horror movies. 

He hates looking at himself, sometimes. He knows others do, too. 

Some nights, the vulnerability of his upsettingly-human psyche will claw its way out like the vicious beast it is, and force him to understand his loneliness. On those nights, he will understand why people turned away a half-dead teen, why store owners chased him out with their bats and mops, and why heroes will always, always attack on-sight upon seeing Dabi’s face. 

He will understand why the League’s bar is really the one place he can ever sip his drink in peace and enjoy the burn at the back of his throat without some prick trying to slip him paper bills in exchange for things he can’t even say out loud. On those nights, the righteous anger will leave his body like steam from boiling water, and leave him hollow and cold and so, very, very alone. 

He wonders if tonight will be one of those nights. 

“Uh, Dabi? You alright in there?”

Dabi blinks out and away from his reflection, ‘Maybe not,’ and leaves his bathroom. 

When he comes back to the kitchen, all the supplies he asked for are out and ready to use. Hawks sits on Dabi’s only stool, waiting.

Dabi didn’t get a chance to really look at the guy, until now. The hero did end up changing his attire for tonight — black sweatshirt, normal jeans that are still on the baggier side, and black boots closer to the kind in fashion magazines than those hideously yellow rainboots he normally tends to wear. When Dabi lifts his eyes back up, he notices the hero’s hair looks a bit different, a little more chaotic, and a little less stiff — it looks soft. 

‘Oh, pull it fucking together.’

Dabi clears his throat and hands over the box of latex gloves, “Do you mind helping me out? I just need you to do this wrist, and then I can work on the other.”

Hawks is nodding and stretching the gloves over his hands before Dabi even finishes his sentence. 

“Y’know, your place isn’t anything like I’d thought it’d be. ‘S nice. Clean.” 

Dabi hears a snap! and a muttered, “shit.”

He opens his mouth to ask what’s wrong before he looks at Hawks’ hand, and sees matte black claws curving out fingers loosely lined with tattered blue latex.

“Oh.”

“Heh,” Hawks laughs, a bit nervously, “Sorry ‘bout that. My own gloves are so thick, I forget I have these.”

“Why am I just now seeing these?” Dabi wonders out loud, eyes glued to the tips of talons he could have sworn that, for a split second, sparkled at him, “Shit. Those are fucking sharp, man. You’re tellin’ me you don’t fight with ‘em?” He doesn’t really pay attention to broadcasts of hero fights but from the ones he’s seen, the Number Two’s hands were always gloved.

“Ah,” Hawks starts to pull a fresh latex glove over his hand again, leaving some space between the ends of each finger for his talons this time, “That wouldn’t be very heroic, would it? There’d be a lot of… blood. Kids don’t need to see that kind of gore in the news, y’know.”

Dabi raises an eyebrow, “I… guess....” 

Honestly, Dabi thinks that’s a bullshit excuse, to not use something so clearly advantageous in serious combat, especially when the hero's life is on the line practically every day, ‘Even if he doesn’t want to use them, why does he cover them?’

He lets the matter be, for now, and looks over the directions on the box of the nanocrystalline silver dressing. He reads it twice, just to make sure. 

Hawks speaks up, apparently needing to hear his own voice again, “The directions say that for exudative wounds, you should apply the dressing dry.”

“Yeah, I see that.”

“So... Let’s get started!” 

Dabi huffs. He hates that he needs help but he’s always been shit with his right hand, and he doesn’t want to risk dropping anything. He lays his left hand out towards Hawks and critically watches every move the man makes. 

Hawks is extremely gentle, and he dresses the wound as if he’s done this a thousand times over. The hero’s eyes never leave Dabi’s wrist, except for the few times he’d go over and read the instructions again to make sure he’s doing everything right. He cradles Dabi’s forearm with one hand as he uses the other to smooth the silver dressing on, the pressure of his fingers light around the staples and firm around the skin. After he applies the secondary dressing, he briefly looks up at Dabi to ask, “You alright?” 

Dabi can only nod. 

When the gauze is wrapped and firmly pinned in place, Hawks finally lets go and Dabi takes a step back to breathe.  

He immediately sets to work on his other hand, moistening the silver dressing with the clean water he’d boiled earlier on. 

“You sure you don’t want help with the other hand? I’ve been trained in this kinda stuff, first aid. I don’t mind.”

‘Well, that explains a little.’  

Still, Dabi shakes his head, “I prefer to do it myself,” and there’s truth in that, it’s the absolute truth, Dabi likes to do things himself. He likes things done his way, and he doesn’t like being touched. 

But the gentle feeling of Hawks’ fingers on his skin urges him to reconsider. 

He won’t, but some part of him wishes he would. 

As he starts to apply the silver dressing with his tweezers, he hears Hawks ask, “Can I ask you something really personal? Like, probably boundary-crossing?”

Dabi’s eyes never leave his working hands, “You got a lot of nerve, Birdbrain, thinkin’ we’re cool like that.”

He hears a small squawk, “C’mon, dude! I’m in your apartment, per your request! I think we’re along the lines of something, ‘like that’.”

Dabi snorts, “I won’t stop you, but don’t be surprised if I tell you to fuck off.”

Hawks laughs — the same small breathy one that makes Dabi’s own mouth quirk up.

Hawks asks why his body is full of scars.  

And Dabi… Well, every passing day, Dabi feels himself getting closer to death and, tonight, it makes his lips a little loose. Maybe he just wants someone to know his story, maybe he wants to try saying it out loud. And if he’s gonna tell his tale, it might as well be in the company of his favorite little double-agent.

When he finishes wrapping up the gauze around his right wrist, he digs for the cigarette packet deep in his pocket, takes out a stick, and lights it up. 

“My father,” He begins, “He’s the reason I’m like this, the reason I look like this, act this way. I know the whole ‘daddy issues’ thing is overrated but, well,” He shrugs, not daring to look up from his apartment floor. He takes another puff, the nicotine in his veins calming him, the smoke down his throat grounding him. He remembers his conviction, “That man took everything from me, left me like this, and he only ever got rewarded.”

He briefly glances at Hawks, the man’s gold eyes filled with an empathetic sorrow that only people like them could give each other, “I’m sorry.”

Dabi shakes his head and looks away, because he can’t deal with this, can’t have someone looking at him like that, not after all these years, “Not your fault. Nothing to be sorry for.”

“He’ll burn,” Hawks says, and Dabi sees the man’s fists clench from the corner of his eye, “Wherever he is, one way or another, he’ll burn.”

Dabi doesn’t know what kind of feelings are running through the hero right now. He thinks that maybe if he looks up, he might see.

‘Is he angry? Is it for me? Does he pity me, feel sorry for me? Is he triggered by my story the way I was by his? Or is he just telling me what he thinks I want to hear?’ — but Dabi doesn’t want to see. 

Because if Hawks only knew who Dabi’s father was, who made him like this, and did this to him, he doesn’t want to know if the hero would look at him the same way gold eyes do now. 

“I don’t wanna talk about this anymore, Birdy.”

Dabi walks over to his worn-out couch and sits down with a tired sigh. Hawks follows. 

For the next ten minutes, Dabi relays small bits and pieces of League information to Hawks, and the hero returns with tidbits of hero business. 

It honestly just feels like a way to fill the time. 

When a moment of silence reaches them, and Dabi’s cigarette has burned all the way through the filter, Dabi speaks up about something he kept quiet to himself last time, “Say, since you asked me a deeply personal question, grant me the same privilege?” 

“Sure, as long as I get the same privilege of tellin’ you to fuck off if I want.”

Dabi snorts and ashes his cigarette, tilts his head towards the hero.

“Was I wrong? Back then, about the Commission saving you?” 

He sees Hawks bite his lips and sink deeper into the sofa cushions, tilting his head back. He sighs, “You’re an observant fucker, aren’t you?”

Dabi smirks, “What villain isn’t?” 

“The ones that get caught.”

And at that, Dabi barks a laugh and is honestly shocked at the sound of it. He thinks Hawks is, too, by the way his blond eyebrows round up, and his previously conflicted eyes soften. 

Hawks lifts one of his clawed hands up, and if Dabi didn’t know better, he’d think the gesture was some kind of show-and-tell, but at the way Hawks’ own eyes glaze over his talons, Dabi thinks the movement is more for the hero’s own comfort. 

“I lied earlier, about the reason I don’t fight with my claws,” Hawks finally says, softly, almost as if he were speaking to himself. 

Dabi knows to keep quiet. 

“I do care about wanting kids to live in a safer world, to… spare them. Of the horrific consequences that come from battles, traumatizing images ‘n all that stuff. Of course, I care about that. But… But I know my abilities. If allowed, I know I’d be able to use my claws in ways that wouldn’t end in some kind of, fucking , feral episode.”

Dabi’s eyebrows slowly knit together, “Allowed?”

Golden eyes flick over to Dabi’s and the vulnerability swirling in them makes the scarred man want… something.

To gasp, reach out, put his own wrapped hands over the talons, and warm them up a bit, just — something.

He’s horrified at these new and intrusive thoughts. 

Instead of doing anything, he waits. 

“The Commission,” Hawks drops his hand to his lap and averts his eyes there, “They have an image of what they believe society wants a hero to look like, along with other things. They… told me they were ‘correcting’ my flaws.”

There’s a beat of heavy, waiting silence.

“They appreciate my quirk — it’s strong and versatile, good for offense, defense, rescue — stuff like that. But they don’t… They hate my raptor genes, the mutations. Like, the only thing I’m allowed to have and show are my wings — everything else has to be hidden or removed. I’m a mutant, but I have to do everything I can to look as ‘humane’ as possible.”

‘What is even considered ‘humane’, in a society of quirked-people?’ 

Dabi is immediately reminded of his hatred towards hero society, “Shit, what the fuck, Birdy. Is that why you wear those stupid-ass gloves?”

Hawks sends a bitter and sad smile to Dabi, “Was the only way to convince them to let me keep my talons. They used to clip ‘em or file them down, but that fucking hurts and they grow back wrong, so. Yeah, got these gloves and told them I’ll never take ‘em off.”

“Tch,” Dabi feels so disgusted right now, at the people who run this society, “So they make you nice ‘n pretty for everyone to look at while they profit of’a’ya. Sick.”

“Yeah, well,” Hawks huffs a laugh, and it’s the one that makes Dabi feel sick to his stomach, “I’m the Number Two Hero, with my own agency! All at the tender age of twenty-four — oops, sorry, twenty-two, Commission fudged my age to make me look even more impressive. An eighteen-year-old success story is prettier than a twenty-year-old one.”

Bile threatens to well up in Dabi’s throat at that — the effort to make this hero fit into society’s obsession with the ‘barely legal’ trope.

“I should be grateful, right?” Hawks bitterly smiles, “Everybody wants to fuck me and every hero wants to be me.”

“Fuck outta here if you’re gonna talk like that, Birdbrain.”

Pink lips bite themselves into a smile, one so much more shy and on the edge of mischievous, “Wanna see my feet?”

“What the fuck?”

He does. He really does.

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BOOK REVIEW: If We Were Villains - M.L. Rio

★★★★★ - 5 stars

"You can justify anything if you do it poetically enough."

Oliver Marks has finally been released from prison, after serving 10 years for a crime he didn't commit. As Detective Colborne goes into retirement, he wants to know the story - the real story - of what happened. 10 years ago, there were seven. Seven friends making their way through their final year of university together. Seven drama students living in their respective Shakespeare roles on and off stage. There were seven, until one was found dead in the aftermath of altercations caused by changes to the casting list. However, for the remaining six, they found that the play was only just beginning; convincing everyone around them, and each other, that they are innocent of murder may just be their greatest acting challenge yet.

You say Shakespeare gays and Dark Academia murder gang in one book and you have my undivided attention... It's September and in my world September means Autumn and Autumn, well, Autumn means I become emotionally attached to oversized jumpers and addicted to Dark Academia. That's how we ended up here, where I became completely and utterly addicted to If We Were Villains.

This book is the dictionary definition of pain and you go through the seven stages of grief. At several points I genuinely wanted to kill Richard myself and at other times I was on the verge of tears with my Shakespeare-obsessed "If I Killed Someone For You" type of tragic lovers. The foreshadowing was immaculate, but also so subtle that it's near impossible to predict (unless you actually are Sherlock Holmes). To summarise, M.L. Rio's writing is beautiful, heartbreaking and hilarious all in one - it's completely and utterly wonderful, and astounding that this is only her debut.

Unlike in Donna Tartt's The Secret History, a reasonable point of comparison (just with more Shakespeare in the case of If We Were Villains), the characters were actually bearable. Almost everyone in this book (excluding Richard) are characters you can genuinely sympathize with and feel emotions other than an extreme need to throw a chair at their head. It's definitely a large part of what makes If We Were Villains so emotionally difficult to read - you become attached to the characters and then have to witness them undergo all sorts of physical and emotional pain. Yet, it's also undoubtedly what makes it so thrilling to read; your love of the characters makes you turn the page or think "I'll just read one more chapter".

It's commonplace in the dark academia community to describe the aesthetic (and the books) as a whole as 'be gay, do crime'. If We Were Villains is this phrase in summary. It's a tragic love story, it's a tale of murder and pain and it has pretentious drama students who quote Shakespeare as though it's a common turn of phrase. Buy it, read it, love it - that is what I implore you to do.