#TBH Pam really forgets that she's a human

[millylotus]

Super Villain Summer Internships [Everlasting Trio, DpxDc]

Everlasting Trio don’t know what they’re going to do for college, so they decide to just bite the bullet and do a few internships. Although they all forget to tell each other that they’re each interning with villains.

Danny is with Mister Freeze, going under the name Blizzard

Danny is basically the one doing a bunch of intern work while also not, at first he was just kinda there cause he liked being cold

But then he and Freeze begin to bond over feeling responsible for things that aren’t really their fault, Danny promises to help Freeze revive Nora

They have a father-son relationship, in how they’re actually pretty similar in personality & powers

Sam is with Poison Ivy, under the name Blood Blossom

Sam is the only one to have a legal internship because Ivy actually wrote her down as her legal lab assistant

She and Pam are very Big Sis-Little Sis energy, Sam is the annoying younger sibling who wants to do everything their big sister does

Pam finds this devotion to their ideals adorable, and supports Sam in their joint endeavors

Tucker is with Bane, going as Ruin

Tucker acting as Bane’s tech guy, he’s been working on a new type of venom for Bane he doesn’t get into many fights but if he needs to he doesn’t back down

They have an Uncle-nephew relationship going on but also Tucker gets a bit obsessive about making the best venom that they have Frankenstein & Frankenstein’s Monster going on too

It’s mainly just Tucker getting to cackle evilly while Bane just say “Alright chiquito, have you eaten breakfast yet? You get angry when hungry.”

The batfam is not prepared to deal with two mini rouges and a secret mini rouge who they haven’t met yet but are still worried about

A couple weeks into their internship the Gotham Rogues have their bi-monthly meeting where The Everlasting Trio is introduced to everyone

Ivy, Freeze, & Bane were also surprised to see that their interns actually knew each other/are dating

The Everlasting Trio are the entire reason why the Gotham Rogues are even talking to each other at the moment

Now the bats are even more confused & concerned because the rogues are usually at each other’s throats

It’s the only thing keeping them from taking over tbh

When the batfam find out that the three interns they’ve had to deal with for like most of June, all know each other and are actively in a polycule, they feel like everything makes so much more sense

The trio do have an ulterior motive to this whole thing, at first it’s just indulging in their less than stellar morals

Until it’s not

They become more enthralled in their ambitions, Sam begins to care less and less about the world outside of plants, she cares less about the civilian casualties, she begins to use ecto-science on plants

Pam & Harley are very concerned because they’re both on their path to redemption and Sam is going in the other direction

Danny becomes just as obsessive as Mister Freeze with trying to bring back Nora, he’s bringing in ecto-science in an attempt to bring her back through re-bonding her soul back to her body

Freeze isn’t against this exactly, but he’s unsure if it’ll bring the real Nora back, he’s still gonna go with it

Tucker has fully fallen into the mad scientist idea, he wants to make Bane the best version of himself the best human possible, his new version of venom is directed by ecto-science and such

Bane of course wants to be stronger but he knows at some point Tucker is gonna go to far, so he’s willing to hold the kid back if need be, but he isn’t going to actually do it he wants Tucker to go bad

By the time the Trio reaches the point of no return their bosses realizes this is not going to go their way anymore

Everlasting Trio: You’re just afraid to take it, One. Step. Further.

The fight to take back Gotham from the Everlasting Trio is a long one

Sam has complete control over Robinson Park [biggest park in Gotham] along with its botanical gardens and such

The surrounding neighborhoods are overrun with plants, she has people asleep and under her control for the most part

Tucker has most of the upper districts running wild on the venom he’s made, people are now more powerful than Superman himself and have lost their minds in their blind rage, they’re all mainly under his control

Danny has the east bays and the graveyards near by, everything is frozen over, the bodies in the harbor and in the ground have been reanimated into ice soldiers and are under his control most of the time

Ivy, Harley, Freeze, & Bane have to call in the bats for help with the Trio and their plans

They split up to go for their kid, with a few bats behind them to back them up

Ivy & Harley pull on Sam’s care for the rest of the world

Bane brings Tucker down from the high, making him think this through

Freeze gets Danny to realize that nobody he brought back is who they first were

By the end of it the trio is subdued after a big fight and some impassioned speeches

They’re admitted into Arkham Asylum, they promise their mentors that they’ll do better, that they’ll get better & make them proud of them

Admittedly I completely forgot to mention the trio’s family back in Amity

Let’s just say they don’t all know the nature of their internship

Jack & Maddie are aware that Danny is interning under an important doctor but they weren’t sure who he is

Angela & Maurice don’t know what’s going on with Tucker he hasn’t given them any stable information, he wanted to keep it that way with them thinking he’s still a good kid

Jeremy & Pamela know exactly what Sam was doing, she made sure of it, she wanted them to know they’re baby girl was running with villains now

Jazz is actually living in Gotham while this is going on, she going to college at GU for psychology, she’s interning at Arkham

She’s actually close with the bats, having met Jason, she’s one of the few psychs they trust at all

She knows that Sam is working with Ivy, she’s tried reaching out to her but Sam refuses to talk to her

She’s only ever seen Blizzard from afar, and was unable to connect him with Danny

She didn’t even know Ruin existed until the bats told her, and even then she didn’t know he was Tucker

When they’re taken down Jazz finds out who they are and she’s crushed, she feels she not only failed Sam, but also Danny & Tucker as well

Since the trio are all 18+ by the time they’re arrested nobody from Amity is sent anything to tell them they’ve been arrested

For about a week Jazz is actually their therapist at Arkham before she’s re-assigned when it’s realized she knows them personally

Jazz ends up telling the Foleys and the Fentons what happened

Then Amity gets the broadcast of their very own Samantha Manson being arrested in Gotham, New Jersey for eco-terrorism

Everything else just blows up in their faces after that, The three families don’t even dare show face around for awhile

They go to Gotham to actually visit their kids in Arkham

The Foleys are so disappointed in their son for what he’s done, Tucker can’t even look them in the eyes as the yell at him about everything

For the Mansons it sprouts into a huge shouting match with Sam almost jumping to table to try and physically fight her parents

All the Fentons do is stare at each other, they try to ask Danny why but he’s not cooperating with his biting remarks and not wanting to even see them for almost a week

Regarding their sentence and institutionalization the trio only has about five years or until they show sufficient mental stability for two years straight

This is another one that's been sitting around for awhile. And I also remembered the the banner i made for Batfam & Everlasting trio content

Main Story Index [It's kinda messy but it's got links to most everything]

[monster-bcrn]

“ Hmm, I seem to remember that once you too were one of these so-called ‘putrid humans’ you lament about. What about the humans you still love? Will you destroy them too if it meant a world where only the Green survived and everything else perished?

Even I know I was human once....if I lost that anchor I would have attempted to conquer the planet many years ago.”

“ That’s not why I’m here and you know it. I’m here to keep you from going into Slaughter Swamp. Believe it or not, I DO care above you, Pamela. To go into that swamp asking for a fight will be the end of you.”

His vines rustled as he moved, red eyes glowing in a sea of vegetation, bone and tissue. His voice ethereal....yet somber.

“ I wept for the lives lost when the Rot consumed everything, Green and the Red alike. When I saw my home turned into pus and waste, I wept. When one Parliament goes out of control, we ALL suffer. You may be doing this to protect your children.....but I’ve seen the aftermath of what destruction can cause...”

He pointed to the swamp behind them.

“ Those who live in there are the last vestiges of a dying line. Destroyed by hubris much like you’re showing now. I won’t let one of my best friends throw herself into a suicide mission......”

" You perplex me, Pamela. You are connected to the Green, yet many of your actions go against what the Green stands for. You have fought to harm lives.....when the Green exists to keep parts of life in balance.

We all need the Green as much as the Red, the Grey, the Melt, even the Rot...."

@adventurepunks

[beware-of-you-98]

BAU as College Professors AU

*cracks knuckles*

Penelope

penelope is a graphic design professor

she loves teaching kids about the wonders of photoshop!!

hates illustrator and indesign with a burning passion

(the illustrator pen tool can fucking choke for all she cares)

(AND HOW THE FUCK DO YOU PUT THE FRONT AND COVER TOGETHER IN INDESIGN!?!?)

(she really hates both applications sm 😭)

is always reluctant to teach them but does it begrudgingly

(she’s just glad there’s other professors in the department that teach editorial and graphic illustration)

teaches photography!!

encourages the students to be as expressive as they want to be with their pictures!!!

she’ll be just as enthusiastic to see a close up of a sneaker as she is to see a sunset landscape shot

teaches the graphic design studio classes too!!

she always has music playing!!

half the time, her students come into the class and her glasses are all skewed, her hands are covered in paint or glue and some abstract art piece is sitting on her desk

when the students ask her what it is, she just gives the projects human names

“hey professor... what did you make there?” “oh, this?? her name is... pam.... yeah, pam”

she doesn’t offer up any further explination than that

and the students just accept it

her office light is always off

but she has multiple fairy lights in various colors hung up

her office is v inviting!!!

students come to her to vent or to talk about their problems bc the campus therapist doesn’t help all lmao

she always has on the most unique outfits but she pulls them off so well

a ray of sunshine tbh!!

Spencer

teaches major science and math courses

he teaches chemistry but only chem for majors in chemistry

it’s not that he can’t teach chem for non majors

but he sometimes gets too ahead of himself and forgets he’s teaching a course for non majors

it’s easier for him to teach for majors because the students can follow his ramblings better

he teaches upper level math courses and usually only has like three students in those classes

he’ll sit up on his desk and debate with the students for the entire hour about the riemann hypothesis

he gets excited because the students are just as enthusiastic as he is

he is two extremes

he either shows up to his classroom like a half hour early and writes out all his notes on the board so that when the students come in, he can go right into lecture

or he’ll show up two minutes before class starts with his hair disheveled, his tie undone and his expression glazed over and just be like “listen up i woke up late and just downed an entire pot of coffee i brewed with several cans of monster energy—i don’t exist on this dimension anymore”

on those days, he lets his students work on other projects for other classes because he knows it’s not fair to ask his students to focus if he’s not

he helps them with their homework

penelope brings him lunch sometimes to make sure he’s eating

he appreciates it a lot because between lesson plans and grading, he sometimes forgets to eat

he’s absolutely the youngest prof on campus

sometimes even his students are older than he is

but everyone addresses him correctly and respects him bc he’s really chill

his office is a disorganized mess

there’s files and papers all over his desk

and a sculpture penelope made for him (she named that one “roger”)

JJ

psychology professor

she really has a passion for teaching and learning about human psychology

(she may have started to become interested in psychology bc her sister was in the psch honors course before she died)

she comes across as a little hostile and unapproachable tbh

but she’s young

and she’s attractive

and she’s not conveniently what people think a professor looks like

she’ll respect her students if they respect her

she didn’t graduate the top of her class and work her ass off for the degree to not be respected

if there’s any inappropriate comments aimmed towards her or anyone in the class, she kicks the aggressor out immediately

she stands at the front of the room and lectures for the beginning part of the semester

once she’s built a good rapport with her students (and vise versa), she becomes more chill

she’ll sit on the edge of her desk and encourage discussion rather than following a book or a set plan

(she finds it’s more interesting that way anyway)

sometimes her students will show up ten minutes before class starts just to talk with her once they’re comfortable with her

she always answers her emails students send her (queen shit tbh 👑)

some kids in the psych major course playfully call her “mom” because she always asks them how they’re doing and about their week

(she hasn’t decided how she feels about it, but she also lets it slide)

always wears pants suits but cuffs the sleeves to the jackets

her office always smells like eucalyptus because she has a small mist diffuser plugged in

she also has a small fish tank with a beta fish inside (its the appropriate size too!!)

(she let a student name the fish—it’s name is sir bubbles of argon)

she also has a sculpture from penelope (“her name is maxine”)

her desk is very organized and clean!!

there’s a small couch in her office and her door is always open

sometimes, students will come in if they’re having a hard time and need someone to talk to

they know jj is there to listen and she always seems to understand (she doesn’t judge them either)

Emily

teaches three languages, both for majors and non majors

spanish, french and russian

(she’s also quite fluent in arabic and italian and can hold her own if she’s speaking in german or mandarin, but the students don’t need to know that)

she’s actually very intimidating lmao

students are so scared of her 😭

she’s serious af

(she smiles in class sometimes though!!)

(besides, she’s only serious inside the classroom)

(outside the classroom, she might even be as approachable as penelope)

always dressed in expensive black suits, polished heeled shoes with very dark makeup and a “don’t fuck with me” steely attitude to match

she also wears expensive watches

she always stands at the front of the class and slowly paces the entire hour

one time someone decided to fuck off in her spanish 101 class

she didn’t even yell at him, she glared

rumor has it the kid was never spotted on campus again after that

(BOY SHE SCARED HIM SO BAD HE DROPPED TF OUT)

despite that, her classes are some of the easiest to take

one because emily has a way of teaching that helps all students understand

and two because her voice is naturally very easy to listen to

students taking her french 101 are going to leave the class speaking fluent conversational french

she also doesn’t tolerate people being racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, etc in her class

if she catches a bigoted comment someone makes in her class, she kicks them immediately

she brings in her cat sometimes

he’s all black and his name is sergio

(he’s her esa that she brings in when she’s feeling really stressed out)

he’s clipped on a harness and sits on her shoulder or on her desk

if he meows, she accepts it as an answer

it’s the only time the students ever see professor emily prentiss as soft

well

other than the days she has the class watch foreign films because the students can tell emily has a fondness for them

her office is pretty organized like jj’s

instead of it being light and inviting, emily decorated her office on a more dark side

she has a few animal skulls, crystals and other gothic memorabilia on her desk or bookshelf

she has a small cat bed on the corner of her desk that sergio sleeps in

on the other corner is a sculpture penelope made her

(it kinda looks like a crow and emily named it kurt)

really, the only colors in her office are dark, deep purples and the small lesbian pride flag sticker on the back of her laptop

Derek

teaches history classes

but like modern history

from like 1940s to present

he refuses to follow most western history books bc they’re not accurate like at all

in his first year of teaching, the dean of his department made him use a book and he hated every second of it

how accurate could the information be if they portray king tut as a white guy???

he graduated under one of the best historians in the country

he also traveled a lot after he graduated and met a lot of people that had first hand experience with major historical events

that’s really what he bases his teachings off of—first hand experiences and encounters

every two weeks or so, he’ll invite in guest speakers to his classes to talk about what they went through (depending on his lesson plans)

that’s how he likes to teach and learn (bc he always loves to learn new things!!)

this is random, but also he is the type of professor to randomly box jump up onto a desk

he also sits in chairs backwards and has a more laid back style to teaching

his exams are based on what the students can learn from history rather than the information itself

he’s always dressed super casual!!

solid color, short sleeve button ups are a favorite!! (no tie)

he gets along with all the students

he’ll talk to the athletes about their games but sound just as enthusiastic and genuine talking with students who are majors in fine arts about their projects

he’s just a v down to earth professor tbh!!

he brings in clooney so much

like... every friday

it’s just another bonus of taking his history classes!!

he and penelope are dating

his office is full of sculptures she makes for him 🥺

he drops by her graphic design studio class with clooney to help out or even to just watch

he’s supportive and encouraging of penelope and her art!!

other than the sculptures penelope makes him, his office is a bit more disorganized than jj’s or emily’s, but cleaner than spencer’s

he has a few papers scattered on his desk but mostly he’s a little more put together

his office door has a small basketball hoop attached that he plays around with if he’s bored (and if penelope is busy)

both he and penelope have a dog bed in their office and water bowls for clooney when he comes in

Hotch

law professor

is the most intimidating professor on campus

like

seriously

if students think professor prentiss is intimidating, they haven’t met professor hotchner

he stands in the front of the room and goes over his lecture without pausing or asking questions

his voice is naturally low and intimidating and he actually never smiles

his attire and appearance is always so professional

suits

ties that are tied so tight, they look like they’re choking him

shoes so polished, he can see his reflection in them

hair always styled neatly

pants and jacket are always wrinkle free

his classes are difficult

not just because of the subject matter, but because he has a very organized, straight forward method to his teaching

students wouldn’t dare act up in his class—they’d be absolute idiots to

he’s quiet and reserved outside the classroom

if the others hear anyone talking shit about hotch behind his back, they’re always quick to come to his defense

they actually know hotch

they know he puts on a hardass exterior, but really he’s just a softie

he always lets them hang in his office with him

he listens to spencer’s ramblings and is extremely patient with him

he has lunch with emily every other day

even if she’s a pain in his ass 99% of the time, he likes that she sticks around and that he can trust her

he shows up to all of penelope’s art shows

and sometimes sits in on derek’s lectures when he has guest speakers

jj brings him pastries from the coffee shop on campus sometimes

he knows that he can come to her if he ever has anything he needs to talk about

(he never opens up to her but he really appreciates the sentiment nonetheless)

penelope has definitely made hotch a few sculptures

(he keeps them at home, but he does have one of her paintings hanging in his office)

speaking of his office it’s hands down the most organized out of all of them

his desk is so clean besides the picture of his son he proudly displays at the corner

he always has his lights off and his door shut

he seems so unapproachable, especially in class

but sometimes his lecture notes have crayon scribbles all over the page

or a small sock will fall out of his briefcase

and maybe, even for a moment, his serious demeanor falls when he spots them

and it almost reassures the students that he is human

Rossi

actually he’s the only one besides maybe reid i can see being a criminology professor

is a retired fbi agent

and successful author

so like that hasn’t changed from canon

but because he doesn’t work for the fbi anymore, he has absolutely no chill and tells all secrets

he’ll be like

talking to his class about a case he worked on in ‘83

and be halfway talking about details of cases that were supposed to be confidential

he’ll pause and go “oops” but keep talking lmaooo

penelope actually never made him a sculpture

instead she made him a coffee mug she made on the wheel and glazed herself!! (she even made her own glaze bc she’s extra like that)

carved on the side is “world’s best italian dad”

(this is because when emily introduced rossi to the group she was like “yeah he’s kinda like my dad” and now everyone calls him “dad”)

(he loves it so much though and proudly accepts his title)

he loves his mug so much and uses it every single day!!!

he’s the only professor besides penelope that let his students refer to him without the title of “professor”

he gives off kind old grandpa vibes

and that he’s only teaching because he really doesn’t have anything better to do during his retirement

but he’s chill and his class is interesting to take

(plus he really does love to teach)

he’ll ramble on and on about his “golden years” as an agent

he will especially talk a student’s ear off if they come up to him and tell him that they read one [or all] of his books

he writes a different quote on his board every single day

his attire is always business casual

he sits on the edge of the desk or on a swivel chair because it’s comfy

he was doing a lecture on jack the ripper and just pushed himself around on the swivel chair, slowly spinning around the front of the room

his voice kept changing in volume every few words because of him facing the wall and then a few moments later facing the classroom

his students refer to him as a “living breathing meme”

he has no idea what the fuck that means

but he take it as a compliment

his office is empty because he goes home after he’s done with classes lmao

he doesn’t do paperwork

or fuck with technology (he never fucking responds to emails smh)

so he has no need for an office

[celiabowens]

Book recommendations, Literary Fiction edition(?)

A companion to this post (which should be updated, at some point lol)

Short Story Collections: 

Salt Slow by Julia Armfield: grotesque and disquieting collection about women and their experience in society, how they view and perceive their own body and desires. Pretty strong mythic, magical realism, body horror elements in here.

The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks: fascinating collection in which Sacks reminishes some particularly odd stories of patients who had to cope with bizarre neurological disorders.

Home Remedies by Xuan Juliana Wang: a collection focused on the Chinese millennial experience. Stories about love and loss, family, immigration and the uncertainty of the future. (also there’s an extremely beautiful short story about a pair of Chinese divers that broke me forever!!!)

Bestiary: The Selected Stories by Julio Cortázar: unforgettable selection of short stories that mix surreal elements to everyday life and apparently ordinary events. Would also recommend All Fires the Fire by the same author.

Novels:

How Much of These Hills is Gold by C. Pam Zhang: one of the biggest debuts of 2020, it follows two recently orphaned children through the gold rush era. An adventurous historical fiction piece that focuses on themes like gender, identity and immigration, this is one of my favorites 2020 reads so yeah, I’d really push it in anyone’s hands to be honest.

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent: historical fiction inspired by the last days of a young woman accused of murder in Iceland in the 1820s. A quite bleak, but beautiful novel (the prose is stunning).

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave: historical fiction novel set in Norway in the 17th century, following the lives of a group of women in a village that recently (barely) survived a storm that killed all of the island’s men. 

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead: the 2020 winner of the Pulitzer Prize. The book follows the lives of two boys sentenced to a reform school in Jim Crow-era Florida. A bleak, but important book, with a shocking final twist (side note, I’ve been recommended The Underground Railroad by Whitehead as well, but I haven’t gotten to it yet. If you’re looking for something quite peculiar, if a bit less refined when compared to The Nickel Boys, The Intuitionist is a quite odd pulpy noir set in an alternate NY about...elevator inspectors *and racism*). 

The Leavers by Lisa Ko: haunting book about identity and immigration as the main character is apparently abandoned by his own mother (an undocumented Chinese immigrant) during his childhood. Mainly a story about living in between places and constantly feeling out of place. 

The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa: when everyone would probably recommend Murakami (not much against Murakami besides his descriptions of women and their boobs), I suggest checking out some of Ogawa’s books. The recently translated The Memory Police, published in Japan in the mid 90s, is an orwellian dystopian novel set on an unnamed Island where memories slowly disappear. Would also really recommend The Housekeeper and The Professor, a really short novel about a housekeeper hired to clean and cook for a math professor who suffered an injury that causes him to remember new things for only 80 minutes. 

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong: Ocean Vuong’s debut novel, following a son writing a letter to his illiterate mother. The book seems quite polarising due to Vuong’s writing style (his poetry background is really quite clear and the book doesn’t really follow a regular narrative, rather than portrays events and memories in brief flashes), but I loved it and I’d really just recommend going into it without knowing much? It’s a beautiful exploration of language, family history, trauma, sexuality and more.

Exist West by Mohsin Hamid: this book was fairly popular when it came out (in 2017 I believe) and was often incorrectly marketed as magical realism. Hamid’s book is a brief and quietly brutal journey with a few fantastical elements, following a couple trying to escape their city in the middle of war, as they hear about peculiar doors that can whisk people far away. The doors are, of course, a quite effective metaphor for the immigrant experience and the book does a great job at portraying the main characters’ relationship. 

Family Trust by Kathy Wang: this has a really low rating on goodreads which...wow i hate that. Family Trust is a literary family saga/drama about a Chinese-American family residing in the Silicon Valley. It’s often been compared to Crazy Rich Asians, but I believe it to be more on the literary side and definitely less lighthearted. 

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee: historical family saga (one of my favorites tbh, I’m absolutely biased, but this book deserved more hype) set in Korea and Japan throughout the 20th century, following four generations of a Korean family. While I wasn’t the biggest fan of the prose, the book has really great characterisation and absolutely fascinating characters. (I’d suggest checking out eventual TW first, in this case). 

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker: another recent read, The Silence of the Girls, while not faultless, is a pretty good retelling of The Iliad, narrated through Briseis’ perspective. The prose can feel a bit too modern at times, but it provides the reader with some really strong quotes and descriptions. 

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng: and also Little Fires Everywhere by the same author, to be honest. If you’re looking for really really good family dramas, with great explorations of rather complex and nuanced relationships? You should just check out her stuff. Vibrant characters, good writing, and some superb portrayal of longing here. 

Nutshell by Ian McEwan: i’m starting with this one only to grab your attention (if you’ve even reached this part lol, congrats), but McEwan’s one of my favorite authors and I’d recommend almost everything I’ve read by him? Nutshell, specifically, is a really odd and fun retelling of Hamlet...told from the pov of an unborn baby. But really, I’d also recommend Atonement (of course), The Children Act, Amsterdam? All good stuff. 

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles: I’ve read this book this summer and, while I’m still unsatisfied with the ending, I’d thoroughly recommend this? The novel follows Count Alexander Rostov, who, in 1922, is sentenced to a lifetime of house arrest in the Metropol, a luxurious hotel in the center of Moscow. A singular novel, funny and heartbreaking at once, following a vibrant cast of characters as they come and go from Rostov’s secluded life. 

Human Acts by Han Kang: from the bestselling author of The Vegetarian (which honestly, I thoroughly despised lol), Human Acts focuses on the South Korean Gwangju uprising. It’s a really odd (and at times grotesque) experimental novel (one chapter is narrated from the pov of one of the bodies if I remember correctly), so one really has to be in the mood for it, but it’s a really unique experience, worth a chance.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon: sort of a really chunky historical adventure novel following two artists in 1940s/1950s NY, who create a superhero and use him to wage a one man war on the Nazis. A bit slow in places (the pace can be uneven at times and the book is quite long), but an enjoyable novel that does a pretty good job when it comes to exploring rather classic themes of American contemporary fiction: the American dream and the figure of the artist (I think there’s a particularly interesting focus on how the artists navigates the corporate world and its rules) and their creative process.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel: this is a pretty classic rec, the book really got a lot of hype when it came out? It’s a dystopian-ish novel set after civilisation’s collapse, following a post-apocalyptic troupe (of Shakespearean actors). It’s a really odd, but surprisingly quiet book. Not sure if a pandemic is exactly the right time to read it, but I thoroughly recommend it. 

The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng: I feel like this book is extremely complex to summarise to be honest. In short, it’s a book set in Malaya at the end of the 1940s, following a woman who, after surviving Japanese wartime camps, spends her life prosecuting war criminals. But truthfully this book is about conflicts and contradictions and in particular about remembering and forgetting. Lovely prose. 

The Secret History by Donna Tartt: and also The Goldfinch. I’m sure no one really needs me to introduce Donna Tartt?

The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton: quite cerebral mystery set in New Zealand in 1866. Honestly you have to be a patient reader who enjoys novels with a pretty complex structure to like this, but if you’re into this sort of challenging read...go for it? It’s a book of interlocking stories (with 10+ pov and main characters) with a really fascinating structure based on astrological charts, which provide insight to the main characters’ traits and personality as the mystery unfolds.

The Hours by Michael Cunningham: ok...do not watch the movie first. The Hours is an incredibly difficult novel to describe to be honest: it begins by recalling the last moments of Virginia Woolf’s life, as she’s writing Mrs. Dalloway. The book focuses on three separate narratives, each one following a specific character throughout a single day of their own life. Goes without saying that I’d suggest being familiar with Mrs. Dalloway itself first though.

An Artists of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro: not one of Ishiguro’s most famous works (most start reading his work with Never Let Me Go or The Remains of the Day), but probably my favorite out of those I’ve read so far. The novel follows  Masuji Ono, an artist who put his work in service of imperialist propaganda throughout WWII. Basically a reflection and an account of the artist’s life as he deals with the culpability of his previous actions. 

Stoner by John Williams: I feel like this is an odd book to recommend, because I don’t think someone can truly get the hype unless they read it themselves. Stoner is a pretty straight-forward book, following the ordinary life of an even more ordinary man. And yet it’s so compelling and never dull in its exploration of the characters’ lives and personalities. Also, I’ve just finished Augustus by the same author, which is an epistolary historical fiction novel narrating some of the main events of Augustus’ reign through letters from/by his closest friends and enemies. Really liked it. 

Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien: back to integenerational family sagas (because I love those, in case it wasn’t clear lol), Do Not Say We Have Nothing follows a young woman who suddenly rediscovers her family’s fractured past. The novel focuses on two successive generations of a Chinese family through China’s 20th century history. While not every character got the type of development they deserved, the author does a good job when it comes to gradually recreating the family’s complex and nuanced history. 

There’s probably more but I doubt anyone’s going to reach the end or anything so. There’s that lol.

[organabanana]

Leaves of three, let it be [1/?] || harlivy

Chapters: 1/?

Fandom: DCU (Comics)DCUHarley Quinn (Comics)Harley Quinn (Cartoon 2019)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Graphic depictions of violence

Relationships: Pamela Isley/Harleen Quinzel

Characters: Pamela Isley, Harleen Quinzel, Selina Kyle

Additional Tags: Mentions of alcohol, mentions of batman fucking bats, most of this is straight up idiocy tbh, i just finished watching the cartoon so everyone swears like a sailor i'm sorry, rated for (ahem) happenings later on, ivy/harley/catwoman frenemies

Series: Part 1 of the Cliché a Week 2021 series

Summary:

Aided by a terrible hangover and a severe lack of impulse control, Harley accidentally drinks an unknown substance at Ivy's apartment and suddenly remembers why Ivy goes by Poison Ivy in her professional life. Luckily for Harley, she's immune to Ivy's toxins. Unluckily for Harley, she may not be immune to her love pheromones, and turning into a human-plant hybrid is not her idea of a good time.

Telling Ivy so she can give her an antidote may seem like the obvious course of action, but there are very few things Harley hates more than disappointing Ivy with her poor decision-making skills. Besides, like Selina said, if she'd drunk pheromones she'd be in love with Ivy by now, right?

And Harley Quinn is absolutely not in love with her best friend.

Notes:

This was (loosely) inspired by Prompt #1104 by @promptsforthestrugglingauthor: “Hey, do you know if potions expire?” “I think it depends on the potion. Why?” “Well, I was really hungover this morning and grabbed the wrong glass and I feel super weird right now.” And "Everyone knows they’re dating except them” from the Cliché A Week Challenge by @montocalypse. The plan is for this to be 4-5 chapters at most BUT I'm not ready to commit to a number just yet so we'll see how that goes!

[ao3 link]

Harley wakes up with a pounding headache that makes her wonder if someone stole her bat and tried to crack her skull with it last night. 

"Ughhh..." she groans, squeezing her eyes shut. Her mouth feels like sandpaper. Her throat feels like... like sandpaper. Listen: she's not in any kind of mood for elaborate, imaginative similes right now. Everything is pain and/or sandpaper. Deal with it.

"Fuck me." It comes out in a whiny, pathetic little voice, and Harley is almost more pissed off about that than about the hangover itself. Where is she, anyway? She forces herself to sort of... perceive  the world around her without moving a muscle or opening her eyes, which may not be the best approach but it works anyway because she totally knows Ive's apartment by smell.

As friends do.

Once that's settled, and she knows she's in fact safe (how could she not be? She's at Ivy's!) Harley moves her right hand and feels around for the bedside table, but apparently she didn't climb into her usual side of the bed (friends have sides of their friends' beds, obviously) because what she feels on her right side is soft and warm and definitely not a bedside table.

"Sorry." She mumbles, affectionately patting Ivy's ass before turning over to the other side and trying again. She does find a table this time, and she nearly cries in relief when she finds a little water bottle waiting for her parched lips to drink.

Score.

It's only when she's downed the whole thing that she realizes two things:

One, that did not  taste like water.

And two, there is a reason Pam goes professionally by Poison  Ivy.

"Shit," Harley stage-whispers, blue eyes now wide open as she stares at the empty bottle in her hand, "shit, shit, shit."

Harley knows she's not dying. She knows she's immune to toxins, and she's cuddled the fuck out of Ivy (as friends do) on enough occasions to know she doesn't break out in hives at Ivy's touch. But the thing about Ivy is, she's kind of an overachiever. There aren't just toxins to worry about. Harley could be about to turn into a fern or something, and nobody could do anything to prevent it.

Well, except Pam.

But you know what? Considering the kind of mood Ivy gets in when Harley makes a less than stellar choice, she's gonna risk turning into a plant rather than waking her up.

"Morning, sunshine." Selina walks -- nay, prances  -- into the bedroom looking flawless as always, which is pretty fucking unfair considering her presence at Ivy's can only mean she was there for whatever hangover-causing shenanigans they all happened to get into last night. But of course, Selina Kyle is above looking like shit while hungover. 

" Selina ," Harley all but hisses (which is fitting, considering Selina's... you know), showing her the empty bottle, "I fucked up."

"When do you not  fuck up, Harley?" It comes off as both smug and somehow charming, which is, again, pretty fucking unfair. "What did you do this time?"

Harley shows her the empty bottle once again, shaking it slightly like she cannot  believe Selina isn't getting the gravity of the situation right away.

"What? I don't get it-- ohh ." Selina lets out a quiet chuckle that sounds almost like a purr. "Yeah, you fucked up."

"Dammit, Selina! What if I turn into a fucking succulent?"

"Oh come on, don't be dramatic. What color was it?"

Harley stares at her. "Don't you think I'd have known not to drink it if I'd looked at it?"

"I mean, I tend to assume people look at things  before putting them in their mouth. But you did  fuck Joker, so..."

"Hurtful." A beat. "Fair, yes, but still. Hurtful."

As if on cue, Ivy rolls over in her sleep, draping her arm across Harley's lap. Harley smiles, momentarily forgetting the bottle and its contents and the potential result of her having drunk them, because Ivy is just such a good friend. Protecting her from Selina's... well. Selina-ness even in her sleep.

"You guys need some privacy?"

Harley doesn't stop gently tracing the vines on the back of Ivy's hand, but she does look away from soft green skin to shoot Selina a teasing look. "Aw, does someone need scritches? Here, pussy pussy..."

Selina rolls her eyes. "Fine. Turn into a fucking sequoia for all I care. At least you'll be good for climbing."

The soft movements of Harley's fingers stop as Selina's words fully sink in. "Wh- what?" Harley's voice sounds a bit deflated, like one of those sad clown balloons after a sad balloon fart.

"I'm just saying. Pheromones and chill forever as a human-tree abomination? Kind of her signature move."

Harley just stares at Selina, horrified at the prospect of spending the rest of her life as a brain-dead tree and trying (and failing) to come up with a plausible reason why there is no way Ivy's pheromones were in that bottle.

"Anyway!" Selina sighs, stretching her arms up over her head. "I should get going. I have cats to feed."

"Wait. Wait!" Harley stage-whispers, and she's suddenly extremely thankful for Ivy sleeping like a log.

Heh. Like a log .

"You can't leave me, Selina! What if you're right?"

"Oh, come on, kitten," Selina says over her shoulder, already on the way to the door, "if it was pheromones you'd be in love with her by now."

The sound of the door slamming shut behind Selina is enough to finally wake Ivy, and Harley feels her best friend's arms tighten around her as Ivy stretches awake.

"Mmmhey, Harls." Ivy mumbles, voice rough and heavy with sleep as she moves even closer to Harley. 

Normally, Harley would've just sunk back into the most comfortable bed ever (there's a reason she rarely sleeps in her own!) and gone in for a round of lazy morning cuddles. She'd have basked in the smell of Ivy in the morning (freshly cut grass sparkling with dew drops) which is so different from the floral notes of Ivy at any other time of the day. She'd have pressed a kiss or two to Ivy's warm skin, felt her lips tingle with the sweet taste of a poison she's very much immune to, and maybe even fallen back to sleep listening to Ivy's heartbeat and the soft rhythm of her breaths.

You know. As friends do.

But today, thanks to Selina (the fact that nobody forced Harley to drink that stupid bottle is irrelevant, of course), Harley can't relax. She stiffens, even, becoming virtually un-snuggable and making Ivy fully open her eyes to give her a questioning look.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, of course, Ive!" The enthusiasm is as fake as her smile, and the way Ivy's eyes narrow tells her it's been very much noticed. "Bit hungover, that's all."

It takes a couple of seconds for Ivy to speak. Like she's pondering whether to mention there's never been a hangover bad enough to keep Harley from getting her cuddle on or to just let it go for now. Harley's delighted to see the second option win in the end.

"Want me to give you something for the headache?"

"Nope!" Harley's on her feet in two seconds flat, practically jumping away from Ivy's warm body and her warm eyes and the warm offer of some nice natural drugs. "Thanks, though. You're sweet as pie, butter...fly."

"Butterfly." Ivy deadpans from the bed, looking more and more like she's mere seconds away from researching actual mental health facilities in Gotham (Arkham does not  count).

"Buttercup doesn't rhyme with pie. Listen, I should go. I have so much to do. There are-- well, you know! Havoc won't wreak itself, right? Gotham needs me."

"To... wreak havoc."

" Pre cisely. Gonna wreak it real good. You know me! Won't settle for a half-wroken havoc." 

"Wro... ken?"

"Oh, for sure, for sure!" What is she even saying? Harley grabs her bat and swings it a little like she's holding a purse and not a weapon, but thankfully she doesn't break anything in Ivy's room, which is great. "Text ya later, yeah?"

Ivy looks like she's struggling to even begin to process everything that's happened in the five minutes she's been awake. And honestly, Harley's grateful for it. She hasn't noticed the missing bottle, and she's not forcing Harley to stay and answer questions, so it's a win/win/win situation if you ask her. You know... other than the potential mutant tree issue.

"Okay!" Harley grins. "Good talk. Bye, Red. Love ya!"

Shit . 

Harley freezes for a moment. She's told Ivy she loves her before. Of course she has! She loves Ive, and Ivy loves her. They're pretty vocal about that. But today isn't just any other day. She always loves Ivy as a friend, of course. As her best friend she adores and would absolutely kill and die for. The most important person in her life. The one person who's ever made Harley feel safe and loved and appreciated unconditionally. She loves Ivy in a way that makes her feel like her heart is a bit too big for her ribcage and sometimes it gets so crowded in there she's afraid she may pop a rib out of its socket or something, but then Ivy holds her and everything settles again.

You know. A friendly kind of love.

But does she love  Ivy? Harley looks at her hands like she's expecting a few leaves to have sprouted there already. 

"Harley. Seriously, are you okay?"

Ivy's voice snaps her out of her funk, and Harley knows she needs to get out before she's forced into a whole conversation about this thing. 

"Peachy keen, Pam-a-lamb." Harley forces herself to walk towards the door without looking back, just in case. Just in case suddenly Ivy's surrounded by a pink fog of love, or whatever the fuck people see when they look at her while under the influence of her pheromones. I mean, she can't look even more  beautiful than she does normally, right? That's not even possible. So it must be like... a heart emoji filter or something. She really  doesn't want to find out. "Talk later!"

***

Harley looks at the melting cheese on her third egg sandwich like she's expecting it to hold the meaning of life. Or, at the very least, an answer to today's big conundrum. Is she or is she not turning into a tree?

And sure. Sure! She could ask Pam. This would be solved immediately, she knows. She could just ask Pam what was in the bottle and confess she's drunk it and just... put up with her mood for a while. No big deal! Except she really fucking hates disappointing Ivy, you know? When she gets all... cold and detached, and feels more like lettuce than lush tropical foliage. 

Listen, trust her, okay? Sad salad buffet lettuce Ivy is just the fucking worst.

So she takes a bite of her sandwich and tells herself whatever she drank can't have been anything too dangerous. It's been a couple hours now, so she should've felt some kind of effect, right? She should be feeling a bit plant-y, at the very least. Maybe a bit nauseous or something. But she feels fine. 

Well-- not fine , fine. She's still kinda rattled, but that's Selina's fault.

She's fine.

***

"Are you sure you're up for this?"

Ivy lets Selina handle the entry point (you'd think Gotham millionaires would've given up on skylights by now) and looks at Harley with a mixture of concern and distrust in her eyes. She clearly hasn't forgotten about their conversation in the morning.

"I'm fine!" Harley swings her bat around just to loosen up her bat-swinging muscles. She's fine. Not a plant, not in a love fog, not in any way dying. Totally fine. And , most importantly, not dealing with limp lettuce Ive. "It was just a hangover."

Ivy's eyes narrow just enough to make it crystal clear how little she trusts Harley right now, but for once Selina Kyle makes Harley's life easier instead of harder when she speaks.

"Ladies. This is a truly riveting conversation, but I have shit to do.”

“Like fucking a bat-fucking bat?” It may be a cheap shot, but it makes Ivy stiffle a laugh, and Harley kinda thinks that makes it the best joke ever.

But Selina simply cocks an eyebrow at Harley. “Are you sure you want to discuss regrettable sexual partners?”

Ouch. “Fair enough,” Harley concedes, already jumping through the hole Selina’s cut in the glass, “come on, we have an oil tycoon to kill.”

“Not an oil tycoon, Harls.” Ivy glides down on a vine, looking all majestic like some kind of forest nymph, and Harley simply has to stare and smile because how can she not? Look at her friend! “He’s been using an experimental fuel that causes—“

“Does it matter?” Selina sighs like even interrupting Ivy is exhausting, plucking a shiny gold ornament from a nearby table and making Harley wonder (honestly, not for the first time) if she just keeps shiny trinkets hidden in her catsuit like a magician to make it seem like she’s finding them everywhere. “Guy’s loaded.”

“It matters to me, Selina. Not all of us have the moral compass of a magpie.”

Harley giggles at Ivy’s joke. You know what? It may not even have been a real joke, because Ivy’s sense of humor is not exactly her best quality. But it was funny anyway.

“And if it matters to Ive, it matters to moi .” Harley points at herself with her bat and winks at her best friend, and honestly, who the hell cares what this guy does, exactly? Maybe he’s single-handedly destroying the Amazon, or maybe he just happens to walk through the grass instead of using the little paths when making his way across the park. Whatever it is, it’s important to Ivy. And if it’s important to Ivy, it’s important to Harley. And if it’s important to Ivy in a way that makes her smile like she does when Harley winks at her? Well, then this is absolutely Harley’s top fucking priority.

Things get interesting as soon as they turn a corner and step onto the plush carpet of the experimental fuel (hey, she actually listens when Ivy speaks) tycoon's private wing. And you know what? Harley's delighted to hear the alarms go off and a bunch of goons crawl out from their hidey holes like buff armed cockroaches. She knows Ivy and Selina prefer the whole... well, you know. In and out, clean and easy kind of approach to murder and robbery, respectively. But Harley's an action gal. She has the energy to burn and a bat to swing, and most of all, she has shit to not think about.

So she's delighted when this guy's goons happen to be relatively okayish at fighting, which is much more than can be said for most men she fights in this city. 

"I'll go deal with him before he can escape," Ivy says, already walking towards the door to his office. "You guys all right out here?" 

"We're great ." Selina says in that tone she has where she pretends she's annoyed but you can tell she's having a blast. 

Honestly. Who wouldn't  be having a blast? It's like whack-a-goon!

"So," Selina says as soon as Ivy's out of earshot, which Harley can appreciate as an act of friendship, "no pheromones, I take it?"

"Nope!" Harley punctuates the word by slamming her bat into some guy's face. "None at all."

"Huh."

"What?" She's distracted enough by Selina's reply that she actually takes a punch to the face, which only manages to piss her off. She turns to look at the guy who delivered the blow just so he can see the look in her eyes before she completely obliterates his face. "Holy shit, dude. Can't you see we're having a fucking CONVERSATION !?"

For the next few minutes, Harley focuses on getting rid of the last few men around them so they can finish talking. Sure, beating up idiots is fun, but that little 'huh' was just mysterious enough to grab Harley's interest. What could possibly be so huh-worthy about her being fine? 

By the time they're done, there are a number of unconscious goons scattered all over the place. Harley pants, using her hand to wipe blood (mostly not hers) and sweat (mostly hers) off her face as she catches her breath.

"Whew. That was fun, right?"

Selina, as usual, manages to look spotless even if Harley saw her deal with several men with her own two eyes. Is Selina Kyle secretly magic? 

Could be.

"I've had better." Selina uses one of her claws to unlock an ornate little box and gather the jewels inside. Can she smell  expensive stuff? "Come on, let's go get Ivy."

"No, no, wait." Harley lowers her voice like she's scared Ivy may hear them somehow. "What did you mean earlier?"

"What do you mean, what did I mean?"

"You know," Harley motions in the general direction of the spot where Selina was when they were talking before, "with the huh."

"The what ." 

"The huh, Selina! The huh!" Dark olive eyes narrow in confusion (and annoyance), and Harley groans because she can't believe Selina Kyle is being this thick. "I said no pheromones. And you said huh."

"Oh, that." Selina uses a polished silver platter as a mirror to reapply a lipstick Harley is frankly not sure where one would even carry in a skin-tight leather jumpsuit. The more time she spends with Selina, the more convinced she is she just doesn't abide by the laws of physics. 

And the more time she waits for Selina to elaborate, the more Harley realizes she just... isn't going to, apparently.

"Uughhh!" Harley groans and uses her bat to smash a nearby sculpture. "You're killing me, Selina! What the fuck did you mean!?"

Selina cocks one perfectly manicured eyebrow (Harley can tell it's happening under the mask) and gives Harley a look like she can't believe she'd have the audacity to speak to her in that tone. 

"I meant," Selina's tone is a warning, like she wants to make it clear she could have made Harley suffer more if she wanted, but she's choosing not to, "I found it surprising. You looked a bit loved up to me."

"What? Pffft." Harley lets out a chuckle and nudges one of the pieces of the sculpture with her foot. "Cut back on the catnip, Selina."

Loved up. Ridiculous. Does she love Ivy? Of course. Is she loved up? Of course not . There's no heart emoji fog. None at all.

"If you say so." Selina gives her A Look. The kind of look says she doesn't believe Harley, and she wants Harley to know that even if she won't engage in an argument about it right now. Selina Kyle can say a lot with one look. 

For a moment, Harley considers pushing the issue. She could insist. She could give her a list of reasons why she's absolutely not loved up at all whatsoever. She could tell Selina how what she shares with Ivy is actually true friendship, and Selina would know if she was capable of bonding with anything other than cats and jewelry. She could tell her how there's nothing even remotely mind-foggy about her feelings for Ive (she could bring up she's seen that mind fog in action the many times Ive's put Batman under her spell, even). Harley could tell Selina how her brain always feels a bit foggy in a vague kind of way -- just foggy enough to keep Harleen quiet and let Harley take the wheel -- but being with Ivy makes her feel more lucid, more real , than anything else in the world. How when Ive says she loves her Harley feels it right in her bones, in the very marrow of them, in the deepest, darkest, longest-forgotten parts of her brain where no other feeling can ever reach.

She could tell her how wildly different all that is from a silly potion-induced love fog. But she doesn't think Selina would understand their friendship even if Harley actually spelled it out. So she doesn't.

Instead, she silently follows Selina towards the office where Pam's been doing her thing. Where Pam's still doing her thing, actually, and Harley can't help but smile and lean against the doorframe to watch her best friend doing what she loves most (after Harley) in the world: eco-conscious murder.

"I fucking swear ," Ivy hasn't realized they're there, so she must be talking to what Harley can only assume is the tycoon himself even though only one of his legs can be seen outside the enormous mouth of a very happy-looking carnivorous plant, "how hard is it to not print out e-mails? Look at all this shit. Do you know how many trees had to be killed so you could print out your shitty... whatever the fuck this is?" 

Ivy groans like she's frustrated she can't use her powers to just will all the papers scattered everywhere to turn back into trees. There are vines everywhere -- like nature reclaiming the furniture and the walls and the floors and really every surface of his office. There's a strange beauty to it, Harley thinks. Haunting, like those pictures of abandoned buildings covered in grass and moss and weeds. Even when she's angry -- and oh, she's angry  right now -- Ivy really can't help but make the world a more beautiful place, can she?

Even when she was on the other side of the reinforced glass, wearing her glasses and her white coat, Harley never fully understood why Poison Ivy was lumped in with the rest of the psychos in Gotham.

Harley doesn't know how long she stays there. Selina's happily working on the safe next to the carnivorous plant, and Harley's more than content to just watch Ivy in her element for a while.

And then, it happens. 

Ivy's going on a rant about a bunch of single-use coffee cups she's found in the trashcan by the desk when she suddenly stops in her tracks. Harley can't see what she's looking at until Ivy turns around with a small flower pot in her hand, a sad-looking, mostly dry plant limply hanging off its side.

"Fuck him."

Ivy touches the plant and her brow furrows, and Harley knows she's feeling the thirst and the pain in the little plant as if it was her own. "You're okay now," Ivy says as the plant starts to recover, and her voice is so soft -- so full of love for a dry, nearly dead plant -- that Harley swears she feels her heart grow at least a couple sizes. She watches her best friend breathe life into a little plant, watches it turn from brown to green, brighter and taller, watches it sprout new leaves that make it look like it's stretching after a long sleep. And then she watches a bright yellow flower bloom, and when Harley finally manages to tear her eyes away from the flower to look at Ivy instead, she swears she feels her heart stop dead in its tracks.

Ive's always beautiful. Always, without fail, no matter what time of day or night, lounging at home or brooding in an Arkham cell. Pam is beautiful always. But Harley doesn't think she's ever seen her look more beautiful than she does right now, with her hair slightly disheveled after a fight and some blood (not at all hers) splattered on her face and clothes. It's the way she's smiling at that little plant. The way her smile grows and softens when she notices Harley looking at her. Harley's so enthralled by Ivy that she doesn't realize what she's thinking until it's been running through her mind for a while.

God , Harley's in love with her.

And that's when she realizes. That's when she hears the proverbial record scratch in her brain and her eyes widen in horror because there it is. There's the pink fog before the botanical mutation, right? I mean she can't exactly see a literal pink fog, but she may as well. She can feel her heartbeat all over the place. The butterflies in her stomach. The nearly all-consuming need to grab Ivy and kiss her until neither of them can breathe. 

"Shit. Shit, Red, shit, shitshit shit ."

Ivy's no longer smiling. At all.

"Oh God, Pammy. I fucked up." Harley feels her eyes well up with tears as she rushes towards her best friend because this is no longer a hypothetical: this is happening. She did  drink something dangerous. And suddenly keeping Ivy from finding out and getting mad at her feels less important than fucking surviving. "I fucked up, Ive, I drank a potion and now I'm turning into a fucking plant, please  tell me you have an antidote."

"Harley. Harl, look at me." Ivy looks so genuinely concerned Harley's sure the ridiculous amount of love she can see in green eyes must be part of the potion's effects. She's hallucinating, isn't she? "What potion? You're immune, Harley, you know that. Calm down."

"No, no! Not poison, I mean--" Harley shakes her head but has to stop when Ivy places her hands on Harley's cheeks to hold her head steady and look into her eyes like she's wondering if Harley's on drugs or something. "I mean a love potion, Ive! Shit, I thought it was water and I just drank the whole thing and I thought maybe it was nothing because I felt fine but now I know for sure  I fucked up because I'm so in love with you like-- just feel this!" Harley grabs one of Ivy's hands and moves it from her cheek down to her chest, pressing it right where her heart is still skipping all over itself. "Right?"

"I-- I don't-- Harl, what potion ? You're immune to all of my--"

"The pheromones! I don't know what it was! God I'm such a fucking fuck-up and now I'm just-- shit I hope I at least turn into a rhododendron bush or something because I don't want to be a succulent, Ive. Don't let me turn into a succulent." Harley's really crying now, black mascara running down her cheeks and staining Pam's hand as she struggles to breathe through her words. "I know I should've told you but I didn't want you to be disappointed and now I'm in love and it's just-- Selina, you tell her!"

"Selina?" Ivy turns around like she's just realized Selina is still in the mansion, let alone in the room with them. "What's going on?"

Harley was expecting Selina to tell Ivy exactly what happened that morning. She was expecting Selina to tell Ivy all about Harley being an idiot who drinks things without looking first, about the pheromones and chill, about Harley's refusal to tell Ivy right away. Instead, Selina looks... almost like she's the one who's been caught in a lie.

"Selina, what the fuck did you do?" Ivy's voice sounds like she's mere seconds away from feeding Selina to the plant, too. Harley can feel the anger like tingles where Ivy's hands are still pressed against her skin. "What did you give her?"

Selina lets out a sigh. "Margarita mix."

"What?" Harley feels a lightbulb go off inside her brain. That  was the weird taste when she drank whatever was in that bottle. Fucking margarita mix. But just.. "Why? What the fuck, Selina? Why would you let me think it was pheromones? I know Batman doesn't actually fuck bats, probably. Come on, it was a joke! Mostly!" 

"Will you relax?" Selina sounds like she can't believe Harley may be a bit agitated after spending a whole day thinking she's going to die and/or mutate into a plant. "I'm sick of watching you two idiots pretend that ," she points in the general direction of Harley and Ivy, "is just a couple of gals being pals. Figured I'd help you out."

"Help!?" Harley could just-- God , she could just smash Selina's face in with her bat. But she suddenly realizes there's a much more pressing issue to handle before revenge can even begin to be considered. "Shit, Red," Harley takes one step back to look at Ivy, and for the first time ever she's surprised to see she can't read the look in her eyes, "I didn't mean-- you know I didn't mean any of it, right?" For a split second Harley swears something like pain flashes behind green eyes, but it's gone as quickly as it appeared. "I was just worried and I-- I got in my head about it. But you know I didn't mean it. You know , right? Pammy?"

It takes Ivy a few seconds to answer, and when she does she sounds... different. "Yeah. Yeah, I know."

For some reason, it doesn't sound as reassuring as Harley though it would.

"Come on, Ive--" Selina tries to keep talking, but Ivy cuts her off.

"Listen, we're done here. So I'm just gonna..." Ivy shakes her head like she's trying to physically clear it of thoughts and feelings and general clutter, "I'm just gonna go home."

Harley feels like she's stuck to the floor. She just stands there, silent and frozen in place as she watches Ivy leave. She knows this isn't right. She knows something  just happened -- something she can't quite wrap her brain around right now. All she knows is Ivy's leaving, and she wants her to stay but she doesn't know how to make her body move or make any noises until her gaze drops to the desk and she sees the little plant right there.

"Ive!" Harley grabs the pot and runs out just in time to see Ivy's vines lifting her up through the same skyline they used to get in. "Ivy, you forgot the plant!"

But Ivy doesn't come back.

[starrysupercell]

Okay. So I had the file on my phone previously. But I had forgotten I did a phone wipe and transferred my stuff to my laptop. Currently, I can't find the old complete list. 🙄 So I had to start from scratch throughout the day when I had time.

Luckily, I remember most of them, and for others I came up with entirely new ones, because you know. More fandom knowledge and stuff. Also, I had fun coming up with newer Brawlers.

I was worried about spoilers for my fanfiction series, but whatever! Theories are theories. I'll still write anyway. Keep in mind that my fanfictions that isn't Take Your Shots will have different interpretations of the characters. [Afternote: I skirted around some topics, lol.]

Oh, yeah. For context, this post is based on my theory (but I'm sure it's common) that the Brawlers had different names before Starr Park hired/kidnapped them. I take it too seriously and most of the names have research done behind them.

That said, @aroacenita and @enderbot-magic tagging you two because you said you were interested in my name list. :3c

☆☆☆☆

Shelly- Stephanie. The first name that came to mind, and I like it.

Colt- Cameron. Same reasoning as ^

Bull- Bruce. One of the original names too. Tough sounding. Maybe too obvious?

Crow- One of the names I can't recall. But I do imagine he used to be human. The bird-man thing is Starr Park induced.

Bibi- Bindy is perfect omg. (VA.)

Piper- Elise or Eliza. (VA + variation. Maybe a Hamilton reference because I'm weak.)

Pam- Tiff/Tiffany. It was her concept name + really fits her. Was previously different.

Nani- one of the few I can't remember, but I had one. Headcanon: also used to be human. Which is why she's the only robot on this list.

Jessie- always had the same name. She grew up in Starr Park, and was named by Pam, of course. Interestingly she is one of the few Brawlers who doesn't have a punny name. (...unless I'm somehow missing an obvious joke? Please correct me if I'm wrong.)

Dyna-Mike- Same? (Minus the Dyna-, lol) But still up in the air. Jas is his VA name but it doesn't sound right for him in my opinion.

Jacky- June, Jana? A strong simple name fits her. Jacky is nearly perfect already.

Mortis- Mason. Came up with this before knowing the voice actor. (Ed doesn't seem fitting. But it's funny that his VA's last name is Mace.)

Frank- honestly I know it's based off of the monster but this is so perfect for him. Probably the same. Interestingly enough, the author is named Mary SHELLEY, who was friends with a man named Lord BYRON. Just some trivia.

Emz- Sandra, Emma? (VA, or variation. I know Shelly + Max have the same VA, but it fits Emz more.)

Penny- hm... well, in my headcanon Darryl renamed her upon finding her one night and deciding to keep her. I haven't come up with a former name for her yet.

El Primo- Since I'm weak to nostalgic references, Oscar. Can you guess why? 😆

Amber- Leah. (VA) It's just cute and fitting for her.

Bea- Beatrice is too easy, isn't it? It's fine. She's a little suspicious anyway.

Mr. P- I think Corbin Peltoh is canon? 👀 I theorize he used to be human too.

Gale- Likely Dean. Seems fitting. (VA) might be a placeholder.

Colette- Katie. (VA) even her last name fits, if I'm being honest.

Ruffs- Blythe fits really well tbh. (VA) but rather than former name, it's his first name. (In the military you refer by rank + surname.) Oh, and important note: I see him as actually the inverse of Crow. He is a dog that became sentient. (Maybe. Still playing around with him.)

Squeak- Named by Ruffs. (Squeak Ruffs?? Cute.)

Tara- I want to say that I had a name for her that I'm forgetting, but I'm now a fan of this being her original name. In my head, Tara is... someone who was human once too, but unlike Crow and Mr. P, her inhuman dimensional powers transcends Starr Park.

Gene- Originally had no true name. Was affectionately called Gene by Tara when she freed him, and it stuck. His Lamp is named Sliver. (A different entity.. and... I think I'll save this for stories, lol.)

Sandy- Mysteriously appeared one day. Was also nicknamed by the other two in the Mystic Trio, and it stuck. He doesn't mind.

Spike- Since the day he was brought to life, his name was Spike. Who brought him to life and named him, you ask? 🤔 Good question. I'm also saving this for my story~

Byron- (Complicated jerk.) A really big mystery. On one hand, Byron is a really good name that fits him. And, while I wouldnt be surprised that he chose to be in Starr Park and as a result COULD keep his name, there's evidence showing that... he isn't entirely 100% of his own accord. So, I did some digging and research for him. There was the aforementioned association with Frankenstein's author, but also he's based off of the VERY amazing villain in "The Last Action Hero" named Benedict. But I think it's too on the nose. So, I'm inclined to go with the actor's real name- Charles. (Also fun fact, I might use his voice actor's full name for his parents' name, Steven and Kelly, lol.)

Belle- *inhales* Belle is perfect, but just as (if not more) mysterious. I thought I had more to say, but I'm still trying to figure her out. I'll just leave this here. (Someone pointed this out on Reddit. I did not find it myself.) vvv

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belle_Starr

Ones I couldn't come up with yet:

Edgar, Brock, Max, Poco, Rosa + The Shaman Trio

I hope I haven't forgotten anyone... Up for discussion and input!!!

[ruffiorocks]

Kelly Olsen and Kara’s secret

Sooo i’ve been thinking about what the character of Kelly Olsen is going to bring to Supergirl. All we know so far is she’s James’ sister, has a large heart and joined the military in order to pay for medical school. Having recently been discharged, she is now finishing her training to become a psychiatrist. (from IMDb) 

So a lot of people are speculating that she will be Alex’s new love interest. I mean that does make a lot of sense, both soldiers/ex soldiers, both have large hearts, both have medical training and both will no doubt come into contact due to their connection to James. 

I have no issue with that scenario, it would be nice to see Alex with a girlfriend again. Having some actual representation rather that just the character saying she’s gay and that being the end of that. Plus Alex deserves to have some romance in her life again. I will say however, that i would have liked to have seen Alex have a girlfriend outside of any Super friends connection.  

One thing that is nagging at me though, is Alex will eventually get her memories back, and if she is in a relationship with Kelly will that lead to Kelly being the next in a ridiculous long line of random people who know who Kara is? If Kelly is a soldier, James’ sister and in a relationship with Alex she may have some suspicions about Kara and may put two and two together. Or James may take his season one attitude like with Lucy and ask Kara if he can reveal the Super sect to his sister. He was totally fine with wanting Lucy to know because well Lucy was sick of him running off to join Supergirl and was probably jealous. There was no question (that i remember) of it being considered dangerous for her to know. She was a soldier after all and Kara needed her help to save Alex and Jonn. Kelly is a soldier (ex soldier) and will probably have an inquiring mind. 

I swear to RAO if Kelly Olsen finds out that Kara is Supergirl before Lena does i will flip my wig! Kara’s excuse of it being to dangerous just doesn't cut it anymore since EVERYONE knows now! She’s even telling people she’s known for 5 minutes because she felt empathy with them. Before anymore flips out i LOVE Nia! But Kara was far to ready to give up her secret to her. Know who else she has felt empathy for and has known for years and is her ‘so called’ best friend and has proven to be a valuable member of the team, but only when she is needed? LENA! 

One other reason i have a feeling Kelly will find out if she becomes Alex’s girlfriend (post Alex getting her memory back) is because i realized every member of the Super friends and their significant others have at some point found out or been privy to Kara’s secret! All except Adam, but he doesn't really qualify as an ex since he and Kara only went on one date (kind of like Kara and James’ but ill just leave that there) and of course Lena, both as a friend and as James’ girlfriend.

1. Alex - Knows for obvious reasons

2. Maggie - Alex’s ex, found out because she guessed. Which Alex didn't try to deny. 

3. James - Knows because Clark told him and took the decision away from Kara. Then James became her love interest. 

4. Lucy - James asked if he could tell Lucy, due to relationship issues. Kara gave him permission if i remember right? But ended up telling her herself anyway because she needed her help and trust. 

5. Winn - Knows because Kara told him. 

6. Lyra - now im not sure about this one, we never really saw Lyra with Kara and we never saw a secret reveal. But Kara was at the alien bar a lot and she didnt even try to keep a low profile there, drinking alien alcohol with Mon El, no discretion. 

(im leaving Siobhan out because she and Winn werent together, just having casual sex) 

7. Mon El - he knew from the very beginning. Which i find odd tbh, Kara already took an instant dislike to him because he was a Daxamite. But she was fine with immediately telling him her secret human identity? What if he had turned out bad? Plus this was all pre- her getting together with him. She could have looked after and guided him without letting on who she was.

8. Jonn - Well Jonn knows for obvious reasons.

9. M’gann - Jonn’s significant other (sort of?) She just knew. probably because of Kara not being discreet at the bar and the fact that she is psychic. 

10.Clark knows because obviously

11. Lois Lane, Clarks other half knows because obviously. I wonder if he spoke to Kara before revealing that? Or he just introduced her as his alien cousin, like he did in Smallville with Lana. 

12. Imra - Mon El’s wife. Knows because Mon El told her in the future and history etc. 

13. Briany - knows because Mon El told him, the future etc. 

14. Nia, knows because Kara told her impulsively, and she will probably be Briany’s significant other soon. 

15. Barry - Well Barry did take of his mask first, but Kara met him at Supergirl and wasted zero time in letting him know her civilian identity, again like Mon El what if Barry had been dodgy? Kara has zero impulse control. 

16. Cat Grant - Well Cat figured it out it on her own. 

17. Every single hero and side kick in the multiverse! Oliver, Cisco, Sara etc. Really Kara? NO IMPULSE CONTROL! 

18. Did Sam ever learn Supergirl was Kara? I forget. 

19. Every single person at the DEO, Pam from HR. Oh but this randomly became like 6 people when it came time for a mind wipe. 

20. Eliza and Jeremiah because obviously 

So, did i miss anyone out? I could add the people outside of this circle that know/knew who know Kara is. 

1. Maxwell Lord - still sitting on that secret. Figured it out through the relatively easy task of putting a camera in Alex’s purse.

2. Lillian Luthor - figured it out on her own and because of Jeremiah. Is waiting for Lena to stop being so oblivious and realize it for herself so she will hate Kara. Is currently in prison and was left with this knowledge?? Really Kara? Really Jonn? I know you’re not a fan of mind wiping but here that would have been the thing to do. 

3. Rhea - figured it out on her own. Knew she was Kara Danvers friend of Lena Luthor etc. Deceased. 

4. Coville - figured it out on his own. Kept it a secret though. Deceased. 

5. Old Highschool guy that kidnapped Alex.

So in conclusion, Kara Danvers sucks at keeping a secret. The excuse ‘Lena could get hurt and it puts her in danger’ is null and void when literally EVERYONE Kara knows, their significant others and even her enemies know! If Kelly Olsen finds out, Kara may as well just come out to the public all Tony Stark style! 

Final note - maybe given the fact that Kelly is a Psychiatrist Kara may finally get the therapy she so desperately needs! 

[themanicgalaxy]

SPN 4X10 Heaven and Hell

hey isn't this one important

boy I sure can't wait to find out how

Uriel why are you so happy about this

Cas: no ur right we're heartless" ??CAS?

Uriel: beats up Dean for Funsies

Cas: just *go sleepy bye* Sam

AnNA WHAT DID YOU DO TO YOURSELF

DRAWING SIGILS IN YOUR OWN BLOOD IS SO METAL THO

ah they stick her in Bobby's panic room

Ruby and Dean being civil is kinda fun tbh

Dean Eldest Daughter Syndromes it up: yeah no we're all good

"confusing reality with porn again" WHAT WAS THAT FACE

"nice job watching her" "I'm watching her" pffttt ahaha

Pam teases Sam and tHEN DEAN'S FUCKING SMIRKS AHAHA

I'm glad Pam's doing...ok? after Castiel blinded her?

Dean just got YEETED

the light thing was cool though

aw she was their leader

Fallen Angel HELL YEAH

Ruby: heY FUCKERS WE'RE STILL SCREWED

Dean not a single word you just said made sense

ah the meteorite set up

hey wait how the HELL does Ruby know all the references

Dean: WHY AM I H E R E

heheh the "why would you be human" question ohoho

look I don't get chemistry, but I do get like...Sad Connection?

hey look angels don't feel...HEY W A I T IS THIS WHERE HE GOT THAT IDEA

Dean: I would like to Never Feel Again

Believe or Die

this feels like two soldiers who went through Different Shit talking to each other

wheee absent father parallels

again, I don't get chemistry, it's jUST SAD

grace being pure creation is Neat tho

well this is a severely awkward car ride

"it's like an opening to a bad joke" look he IS right, that's an angel and a demon

I really appreciate how much fucking shorter the girls are compared to the guys, gotta love the Masculinity

ooo the light flickering is a nice touch

the fucking panic on his face about going back to hell oh NOOO

"maybe I don't deserve to be saved" nooo that's the trigger

ah she knows what he did in hell

poor Dean oof

"last night on earth" *deep deep beleaguered sigh*

no seriously people were right, there's no chemistry??

ahhh yes impala sex scene I heard about that one

I...don't know what notes I'm supposed to take from this

ah the handprint, ... WHY DID THEY DO THIS I HAVE TO KNOW THEY ENDED UP BRINGING CASTIEL INTO THIS I DON'T UNDERST-

aw she at least...tries to protect them both

oop poor Ruby

"he has this weakness....he likes you" AHHHH

~free will

It's so fun how he calls people's bluff though

Dean...Dean damn ur pretty good at lying but you're TERRIFIED

oh good the Girl Torture Scene, how could I forget

....look I don't like that she's naked or being tortured,...but gen is like also very attractive

THE WIND BLOWS AND CASTIEL A P P E A R S

"Hello Anna" and the smile WAIT NO THAT MAKES ME SAD

hey why the FUCK DID THEY KISS THEN INSTANTLY CUT TO CASTIEL LOOKING SAD WHAT THE HELL?? THAT'S NOT NORMAL SADNESS THEY'RE NOT EVEN FOCUSING ONLY ON ANNA WHAT IS GOING ON

of course the demons

what the hell is the hierarchy, who's where, what's happening?

DEAN SAVED CAS! AHHHH

oh good Anna's back

and she killed everyone!

heh according to plan, not bad Sam, not bad

I love the Knowing look Ruby and Dean exchanged

FORTY YEARS

He was FUCKING TORTURED FOR FORTY YEARS, OVER AND OVER

and told him it would stop if he tortured...oh no he said no for thirty yeaRS OH MY GOD

ah the Fear

boy he's REALLY good at repressing things

hey at least he gets to cry, thank god for that cuz JESUS

"I wish I couldn't feel anything" so he didn't have to deal with the pain, ok this makes...a lot of sense

someone please give him a hug

Sam PLEASE

WHY WAS THE LAST SHOT SAM COME ON

i...wrap up:

1. NO WONDER PEOPLE SHIPPED THEM! LITERALLY- YOU BROUGHT CASTIEL INTO A THING WITH DEAN AND ANNA T W I C E ! DEAN SAVED CAS'S LIFE AND NO ONE ELSE OF THE SUPERNATURAL CREATURES! CAS LOOKED SAD TO SEE ANNA GO

GUYS WHAT ELSE WAS I SUPPOSED TO READ THAT AS

2. Yeah I see where the fear comes from. Like Dean messes with fear and showing it, but that's because he feels he has to. Like he's keeping a LOT locked up

and also he thinks he's Tainted and Bad because of what he did in hell, so when anyone knows he Freaks out or does the intimacy or-

Seriously was I NOT Supposed to read it as that? WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO READ IT AS?

LIKE I THOUGHT AH, MUST BE CASTIEL FEELING BAD FOR ANNA BUT WHY L I N G E R? WHY HANDPRINT? W H Y L AM P

GENERALLY I CAN TELL BUT THIS WAS A LOT

3. It was a lot of fun having Sam's plan just be "yeah go FI GHT"

and they played it convincingly too

and having girls around was fun! please keep them around more!!

Also I like how tall the guys are compared to the girls it's so funny

4. I see what people mean when they say Dean and Anna have no chemistry. They have like...a sad bond, but not chemistry

unlike a certain some-[gunshot]

5. Boy this was a lot

[cearamorran]

If you could tell me more about Ivy!Jason and Gardeninghoe!Tim please.

@absolutely-flabbergasted

ah, yes, the famous gardeninghoe!tim AU ahahafirst of all thank you for asking cause i’m dying to rant about this, and also sorry this is so long but i think way too much about this AU and have talked about it with a lot of cool people who gave me even more ideas so I have a lot to say;

i thought about a ton of ways of how Jason could have gotten his powers, but my most developed one was that it could be Poison Ivy‘s doing. Like she could have found him while he was brain dead and wandering gotham, and didn’t have the heart to leave him to himself so she took him in for a while and tried to help him using her own powers.A lot of it didn’t work so she finally resolved to using more drastic measures, thinking that it wasn’t as if anything she could do could make it worse. That ended up not working either, but Jason gained some of her powers and she didn’t know about it until he came back to her after the League took him from her and tossed him in the Pit.

He started planning his revenge on Bruce and discovered by accident that he had powers and since they were plant related he went to her to get answers. She was just as surprised as him and they talked and bonded and sorta became plant-bros, like at first he was kinda mad at her but soon realized she was only trying to help this kid she found on the street and didn’t mean to make him a meta at all.

They’re mostly friendly after he’s done with all the Bruce drama; he doesn’t stop her and she doesn’t get in his way, they even hang out sometimes with Selina or maybe even Harley (though that’s a whole new can of worms. They could totally bond over their clown related issues after Jason gets over his immediate distrust for her, with Ivy acting as a mediator between them at first?)He mostly doesn’t use his powers unless it’s a life or death situation or it could really help him with one of his cases, and also maybe if he used them too intensely he could go full Ivy and stay greenish for a extended period of time?? He wouldn’t be able to turn back and his eyes would keep glowing and he’d have the green veins 24/7, and that wouldn’t do since he doesn’t want the Batfam to know for a number of reasons.

Then, one time when he’s working a case with Tim, he uses his powers to get some info or smth, thinking that Tim’s busy fighting goons elsewhere or whatever, but he’s not and Tim sees him. So Tim being Tim he wants to know all about it, of course, and even though Jason’s reluctant at first he starts to open up, and Tim’s so enthusiastic it’s hard to act all broody so he soon warms up to him. They bond over that shared secret and he even starts using his powers in front of him more regularly, even for stupid things, and he gets mad at Tim when he goes to his apartment and sees all his plants are almost dead because he’s a human disaster and always forgets to water them.

Then there would be some scenario that i’m too dumb to elaborate perfectly, but the idea is that Poison Ivy would start acting up, and Bruce would just think she’s being the usual villain but Jason would know she’s being weird, like he hasn’t heard from her for a while and when he went to see her she tried to attack him, so he knows there’s something wrong and either he goes to Tim for help or Tim goes to him when he understands that Ivy’s acting weird too, and they team up to discover what’s going on and help her get back to her usual self. That would eventually lead to the whole Batfam finding out about Jason’s powers (and to him and Tim fuckin realizing their feelings for each other if you want, cause this AU could be shippy or not it doesn’t matter, I just want Jason going to a sleepover with Pam, Selina and Harley tbh ahaha)

[kaotikreviews]

WEBTOONs Time

Since I’ve found the platform, I’ve been nothing but OBSESSED. I’ve read a lot of different webtoons by now, and caught up with several. The highlight of each day has become 9pm when the newest batch of webtoons come out. 👌🏼

Today, I read the new episodes for my subscribed comics. Here are my thoughts (WARNING - may contain spoilers):

At Arms Length, by Zushi - Chapter 9.2, Trapped: I recently found this series and binged all the previous episodes, so the story still feels fresh in my memory. This comic is unique because it tells you up front the two characters that end up together and let’s you know they are healthy and happy later on. The author uses a pretty slow story progression towards that end and focuses on emotions and mental health in each episode. Since the comic is more about processing thoughts and feelings, the pace of real world events is much slower. Even so, the epis feel a bit too short (but the art is amazing, so I get it). Full disclosure, it looks like this series can get a bit raunchy at times. 👀 I was a bit torn about this comic because of my own morals and world views (I really want to say the main characters need Jesus AND all the healthy things they are doing👌🏼), but a lot of the episodes about depression really resonated with me since that’s something I’ve struggled with for literally my whole life. Long story short, I’m hooked, so 💁🏻‍♀️. Today’s epi is more of the female lead’s back story and her previous relationship. I guess it was good. I’ve literally never been in a romantic relationship, so can’t relate to the situation directly, but it’s just one of the many reasons why I wanna be forever alone. 😳 I think I always refresh like a lunatic hoping for one more episode at the end, but today’s episode did feel pretty short. Then again, every time I catch up on a webtoon, the episodes that come out after that always feel short anyway. 😂

WEBTOON GREENLiGHT - Escape from Oz: tbh, I’m not the biggest fan of the art style and the surreal take on the storyline threw me for a loop at first, but also, super hooked ngl. 😏 I love a good sci-fi. I mean, we are in the world of fantasy and fiction and break real world rules CONSTANTLY, so why not just lean in and go crazy with it? 😌 I bet you guessed, but 3rd epi definitely got a fancy 🤍 from me and now I’m hoping for it to get green lit so I can find out what happens next! 👀

My Magical Maid - Ep 9: another recent find, it only took me a couple minutes to catch up and be wanting more. 🤩 As mentioned before, fiction/sci-fi is my jam. I can get weird about witchy story lines if they wanna be really like creepy and demonic and offensive to my beliefs and world views, but if it’s balanced enough, its nbd to me. I like the series because I like stories with people with powers. How fun would it be to have super powers? It’s fun to imagine, so I love seeing other people’s takes on a day in the life of a super. Our super (a witch in this particular story world), is a maid/personal secretary type person/doctor/friend of the ruler of the land. The relationships and interactions feel very modern, but the setting is like, fairy tale times. Like, our girl is supposed to be a maid, but she’s on peer terms with the king and can speak her mind openly. It’s different, so I like it. Very interesting dynamics, I can’t wait to find out more about their back stories. Today, they closed up a story arch that threatened our otp but now.. does that make our main dude an even badder guy? lol 🧐 I mean, second lead just made main dude look kinda awful in comparison. And I never get second lead syndrome, so this is a bit of a strange perspective for me. (I don’t get second lead syndrome because the otp has a pull to it. Good relationships take time, but also chemistry.) I’m not opposed to a bad boy redemption story, so super excited to see this all play out and glad the triangle is going away. 😅 I have no idea what this gif is from, but it looks cool so ~

Lost in Translation - Ep 18: I mean, is every comic coming out this year gonna be bout stalkers?! 👀 Today’s epi was wyld (haha, pun). After reading the beginning of #killstagram and starting up It’s Mine, this plot twist is starting to feel super familiar. There’s been a stalker story arch in several other comics in my deck as well. Can’t say I’m a big fan, tbh. I hate the fact that things like that really happen, and the fact that it could happen to me or someone I care about. I’m terrible for this, but I prefer not to think about the grittier and scarier side of humanity too much. Of course, I said “too much”. A little here and there isn’t so bad, and so overall, I’m still pretty hooked on this comic. Hopefully things start to improve for our MC soon, and I’m so glad he’s getting some support from his friend.

I Love Yoo - Ep 127: bout time we got back to the sister arch! 😂 I binged this to catch up a while ago now, and so the story is starting to fade a bit. It still blows my mind how far we’ve come in the story and yet how little progress we’ve made. I mean, the family dynamic hasn’t been sorted yet, and I’m missing the friend dude, the one with red hair (I think?) yeah, it’s been so long I am forgetting his name already! 😅 I normally am super against any form of “stealing” people in relationships, but when the relationships are super toxic and bad, I sometimes find myself shipping the better relationship. (Jim and Pam from the office for example.) Truth be told, the main girl and the red head are my favorite ship, and I hope it’s the otp. All the other dudes in her life just don’t compare to the tension, chemistry, and mutual respect those two have. They bring out the best in each other and redhead really needs some help just like our MC did in the beginning. I hope she reaches out to him more (and that he ends that shell of a ship he is currently in.)

Choco Latte - Ep 38: another recent find. It’s a silent comic, which is kinda brilliant. Sometimes I read ahead on my favorite comics on Naver in the original language, but since I only really know English, it’s a very similar experience to this comic. You rely more on the expressions and context to understand the situations and how the story is progressing. I like it. I also liked how wholesome all the characters are. There isn’t a lot of nastiness between people so far and I hope that continues. It’s refreshing given the world we live in and most of the comic I read, tbh. Recent epis (including today’s) have me a bit worried tho. I hope they ain’t breaking main ship 😬 or creating a rift that would destroy the innocence and optimistic world view of our MCs. I’m a pretty gritty, glass half empty type of person a lot of times, and I call it being a realist. Fact is, life is often cruel. But in story world, it doesn’t have to be. I hope the author preserves the sweetness of this comic, but even if not, I’m down for the ride. (Unless they break up the otp, then I may quit for real.)

Not Even Bones - so I haven’t been reading this on webtoons for a while. I found out there was a book, and when it hit a cliffhanger, I scoured the internet until I found it online for free. I finished the book in a very short period of time and then the sequel. There’s still another one out that I want to read, but I needed a break. Not sure where the webtoons version is at, but I mean, this story gets DARK. Wondering how I reconcile this with all my aforementioned morals? I don’t. I believe all humans are kinda terrible, which is why I believe we need saving from ourselves and each other. I don’t believe all the stories with hopeful endings and super hero’s and saviors are just from our wishful thinking, I believe that a part of our souls is wired to respond and reach for our creator, who is actively speaking and reaching for us. Since we’ve been effectively “kidnapped” and trapped in a broken world system, it’s like we are birds that were born in cages. It’s in our nature to do certain things that just don’t make sense for our current environment but makes total sense for the environment we were created for. I believe it’s in our nature to search for something that’s missing and to fill that void with whatever and whoever we can find - many people think it’s just the way things are and don’t think about why, or they become contented with the void inside. No matter what we try to use to fill that emptiness inside, it’s never enough. Well, not until we connect to our creator and escape from “captivity”. I’ve been a Christ follower my whole life and even so, it ain’t easy. I have mad depression and I’m not necessarily a “good” person. But I’d probably be dead if I didn’t have Jesus in my life, and that’s after doing all the self help I could. No matter what I did, it wasn’t enough until I experienced hope and love for the first time in a spiritual experience. 👌🏼 I mean, if humans are terrible, and we all are constantly trying to self destruct, who can truly help us but God? People can’t be the cure for other people, and as much as self help stuff, well, helps - it isn’t a cure either. Self help can be like relying on a flaky and unstable individual to save your life - eek! 😂

For the record, my goal isn’t to stuff my beliefs down people’s throats, just sharing my thoughts. If you find it offensive, then please skip on by or think of it as a nice story (but for me, it’s as real as breathing, so I can’t help but talk about it. 👌🏼)

Anyone else reading these comics? What are your thoughts? Are there other comics that you recommend? Are there any that you fast passed on? I was super tempted to fast pass a few, but I hate having to wait longer for a new update. 😂

Today’s top song (thanks for sending it to me, sis! 💯):

[ohh-kaye]

My favourite TV shows

I think this may be an appropriate time to write this because I’m looking at the shows I’m watching next, none of them stand out (obviously the selection is good but I don’t think they’ll be my favourites). So, here’s my updated list.

1. Friends (1994-2004)

This show is my favourite show ever. In most shows, there will always be a bad season but Friends is perfect from Season 1 to 10. I think they had a really good Pilot and an absolutely amazing Finale. Ugh.

My phone wallpaper is actually the purple door with the yellow frame. I think when I live on my own, I will paint my door purple and add that frame on the peephole. I’m kind of obsessed.

This is one of the shows that every time I watch it, I will laugh the same way. Almost as if I’m hearing all the jokes for the first time (even though, I know what they’re going to say).

Ohhhh and the characters. The Chan-chan man (Chandler Muriel Bing in case you didn’t know) is my favourite. He’s just so funny. I’m legit laughing while I type this because I’m recalling all of Chandler’s best moments. I love all the characters but Chandler is the best.

I could talk about this show all day tbh. Too bad that none of my friends have a burning passion to this show like I do.

Since I’ve watched this show, I’ve NEVER EVER missed the 4 claps during the opening credits.

2. Parks and Recreation (2009-2015)

PARKS AND REC WHERE DO I BEGIN? aaaaagggghhhhhhhhhh

I have a timeline written up of how and when I discovered Parks and Rec (which isn’t at all significant in my life btw) and it began with a video Andy and then progressed into watching a lot of videos on this show until I owned a copy of the whole series. Ahhh the good times.

I love this show so so so so much that I even considered working for the government and the government sucks.

Parks and Rec is so fun and is also one of the shows that I could watch over and over again. The characters are just so original and unique and hilarious.

There are so many moments in the show that I absolutely adore and they made me laugh so hard and I sometimes cry excessively.

I want to rant about each character individually but I ramble. However, April Ludgate is my spirit animal. But I also love Leslie Knope because she’s so positive that it’s infectious and this also spawned my forever love of Amy Poehler. She’s the best human.

BENSLIEEE oh my god. Most people would love Andy and April or Jim and Pam (The Office) but Benslie will be my most favourite ship.

3. Sherlock (2010-present?)

I put “?” on the date above because as of now, nobody knows is they’re making Season 5 but they’re not saying that the show is officially over.

I’m pretty late on the bus with Sherlock. I got into it when “The Abominable Bride” was released. However, I did watch it from the beginning. I’m actually happy I was late because I only had to wait a year before Season 4 started instead of having to wait 2-3 years like the other fans did.

Holy shit this show. I fangirled so hard with Johnlock. Especially with Sherlolly. If you’ve watched the Season 4 finale then YOU KNOW THAT SHERLOLLY IS REAL. SHERLOLLYISFUCKINGREALGUYS. Oh my heart. my poor poor heart cannot bear this.

I’ve been a fan of Benesnitch Cumberdict for so long even before I knew about Sherlock and I fell in love with The Hobbit because of Martin Freeman. So basically, I love these two.

I could go on and on and on about how much I love this show because Benedict has a beautiful face with cheekbones that could slice through butter but I should stop because I will start crying.

4. Adventure Time (2010-present)

One of the best cartoons these days. I know I’m too old to be watching this but admit it, you’ve enjoyed this when this is on. If Adventure Time is on, I will reject the other things I’m doing just to sit down and watch this. Ridiculous, I know.

I don’t ever think I’ll get sick of Finn and Jake especially because there’s still so much material for this show to go on forever.

I haven’t caught up to the recent episodes yet (which is so stupid considering every episode is 11 minutes long, you would think I’ve caught up) but I haven’t been seeing much of Marceline. She is my favourite character. Her story arc with The Ice King/Simon will always be one of my favourites (plus she sings too). The songs she sings are so soooo deep. “All Gummed Up” is my favourite song. It’s not by Marceline though haha but I love it. Just saying.

Finn and Jake’s adventures are so over the top and I love it and they have lessons in the end too which I like.

I’m still scouting for dogs that look like Jake and personally, I would buy merch from this show and not be embarrassed to use them in public.

5. How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014)

Okay, so before I start I just need to explain why this situation makes me laugh. I watched this show before Friends and I love this show soooo much. I saw a video that compared Friends and How I Met Your Mother and I remember saying with such an indignant tone “What the fuck? HIMYM is obviously more superior”.

It’s just so funny to me now because of the state of this ranking. There are many things similar to Friends but this is a show all on its own.

I watched Season 7 or 8 first and experienced my first binge-watching disease. This show is my introduction to the wonderful world of TV. I continued watching until the finale from then on. I only had the chance to watch Seasons 1-6 until after the finale so there were times during 8-9 that I didn’t get any of the inside jokes.

But yes. This show is sooo good and sooo horrible (not in a bad way though). I loved all of the seasons but Season 8 has a sweet spot in my heart. Season 9 was okay and the finale was betrayal but post-finale, I think I’m okay with the result now. I’ve let it sit in for a while and now I understand so no hard feelings.

The Mother’s version of “La Vie En Rose” on the ukulele will always be my go to sappy song to sing.

6. Pretty Little Liars (2010-present)

If you’ve been a part of the PLL fandom since the beginning, you’d understand how done we are of this show. HAHAHAHA.

I’ve been watching since the Season 1 and as upset as I am of this show ending, I think it’s time. The reason this is on the list is because I do love the show to my very core and it will always be so special to me because 13-15 year old me would we anticipating the release of an episode every Wednesday after school and be so fricking happy to discuss the show with her friends the next day.

I think this show would’ve had the perfect send-off after 6A when A was finally revealed. They even had their emotional goodbyes and I’ll admit that I was bawling my eyes out. But nooooooooooooooooooooo they had to release 6B.

The only thing that gives me hope is Spoby. SPOBY. I love spoby so much you don’t get it. Spencer and Toby should be together. Like WTF Marlene?

The earlier seasons were good and I loved those and hopefully they redeem themselves with these last 10 episodes (I think they will). I can’t wait.

7. Game of Thrones (2011-present)

I’m playing the opening credits in my head.

Okay so I’m sorry I fell into the hype that is Game of Thrones. I promised myself I wouldn’t but whoops.

I didn’t think I’d like it hence, the downloading of Season 1 and ONLY SEASON 1. But as soon as Ned’s head fell off, I went ahead and downloaded everything. Sorry.

However, I am proud of myself that I watched this after the Season 6 finale because I wasn’t trying to catch up with everybody. BUT!!! It sucked that I knew the ending of Season 6 when I watched Season 1 because it was every where on the Internet. Thankfully, that didn’t spoil anything because I didn’t know who anybody was.

I just find this show so interesting with all the plots of the characters and I’m so invested in it. I love everyone on the show too but people keep dying like wtf?

There’s this funny thing I read before that says “If Sansa can make it to Season 7 then I can get through anything”. HAHAHAHAhahaha it’s not that funny. soz.

Oh! Also, am I the only that ships Jaime and Brienne so fucking much?

8. The Office (2005-2013)

I finished this yesterday by the way. I only cried like more than 10 times. Not that much.

Like the Friends/HIMYM thing, I also judged this show a little too early because they were comparing it to Parks and Rec with the whole mockumentary type thing going on and I adore Parks very much. However, this show was really funny and I actually liked it.

It took a while for me to get around it at the beginning because I thought Michael was a douche but as all the characters developed, they all fell into their own and they became likeable characters anyway. Dwight is the best character btw.

I have a lot of favourite moments in the show and stuff I didn’t enjoy very much. Jim and Pam’s wedding will always be my favourite episode. I mean honestly, how could you not love that wedding march when they all danced to “Forever” by Chris Brown?

Seasons 2-7 were really good seasons. Season 8 wasn’t. Season 9 was a little rocky with the whole Jim and Pam thing and why would you introduce this Brian guy so late into the show????

I know it went downhill when Michael left but there were really good episodes and they also had one of the best finales. Season 9 redeemed itself towards the end.

9. The Mindy Project (2012-2013)

OOOOOO I discovered this show around the same time I discovered Parks. After watching a gross amount of Benslie videos, I came across one of Mindy and Danny’s stuff and I became so invested in them even though I haven’t watched the show yet.

As of recent, it’s not going well. I’m having the same kind of reaction with PLL where it started off well and now the show is losing me kind of. BUT I STILL HAVE HOPEEEE.

UUUUUUGGHHH I just want Mindy and Danny to stay together. They were doing so well though and whyyy did they do this?

Danny Castellano was so perfect and then the show had to give him this fucking attitude of “No, you have to stay home and be a mom and forget your career” bullshit. uuuuuuuuuuuu betray me TMP.

The second half of Season 2 until the first half of Season 4 are the best parts of the show. Season 1 was fine but I was more invested with Dandy so my favourite episodes begin with them first getting together. mihihihi. Let’s just forget the last half of Season 4 up to Season 5.

I’m staying with the show until it ends mainly because I love Mindy Kaling/Mindy Lahiri so much. I just want to be her. I want to be a doctor in my own practice and have a lot friends and be hot and confident af.

If I die, tell Mindy Kaling I love her.

10. Rick and Morty (2013-present)

This show is amazing. If you’ve watched this you know why.

I was a bit hesitant with this because it was a cartoon and I didn’t get into cartoons anymore because I’m 19. Except for Adventure Time because I watched it at a reasonable age where it was not shameful to enjoy cartoons.

But okay going back to Rick and Morty... this show is so messed up and so funny. It’s the funniest bunch of characters.

Rick so fucked up and drinks and burps and is so smart and Morty is so gullible and he stutters and they’re such a funny duo. I love their adventures and all their alien encounters.

There’s this scene (which if you’ve seen it you know why) that’s so messed up. It’s where Morty went to the toilet and there was this alien thing and things went bad really quickly. It’s sick.

I can’t wait for Season 3. It’s next month I think?? I know what’s probably going to happen but it’ll be great to see Rick and Morty together again and doing all kinds of crazy shit together.

Re-reading this and holy crap I talk too much. But yes... SPECIAL MENTIONSSS (because they didn’t get into the top 10 but I really love them): Mr. Robot, Stranger Things, Masters of Sex and Hannibal. Ok done.