#and she continues to be... controversial let's say (and i say it with a great deal of affection). it's her most redeeming trait

[vigilskeep]

Hi, I'm sorry if this has already been asked, but I'm fascinated with your character Minerva and was wondering why she didn't betray Jowan to Irving?

ah good question thank u for it!!

minerva is a pragmatist about the circle. she's very aware that a certain number of mages die or are made tranquil and she's in the mindset, at that point in her life, where she's been taught to accept this as a necessary evil. which actually ends up meaning she knows more than anyone that if this is true irving will go ahead with it. she has a very realistic idea of who irving is and what he does. but it's been easier to conceptualise all those losses as um a statistic than it is to face the immediate threat to the person closest to her. especially when her way of dealing with it all has been to say that mages who die or are made tranquil didn't try hard enough, didn't study hard enough, didn't fight hard enough on their harrowings. she rationalises it that way because it means if she just tries hard enough and is polite and gifted and perfect as she always is then nothing's going to happen to her. but she knows how hard jowan tries. so it isn't right. it isn't fair!

the other thing is that in my canon, my amell, halliserre amell, was made tranquil a few months before dao starts. minerva had a bit of a fiery relationship with them (i'd like to summarise it as fierce academic rivals with benefits, jhghsfdgsk) and their tranquillity was a huge and sudden recent shock. that definitely affects minerva's decision-making here. though she tries to rationalise by blaming halliserre themself in that case (halliserre chose to submit to tranquillity rather than undergo the harrowing), she knows deep down there's more to it than that. it's a complicated and painful topic to come up again so soon, it makes her just that bit angrier with the templars and irving, and it makes the danger feel very real

but all of that is kind of blurring the main issue which is that jowan is like minerva's brother and she loves him. the above factors are kind of what allows her to actually do something about that, but the motivation is simply that she cares about jowan, he's her closest friend and the only person more important to her than irving, and she very much thinks it's her job to protect him. she's more skilled than he is, more socially capable than he is; it is and always has been her role to protect him from the templars, even if it that only meant helping him with his studies or calling in favours with senior enchanters. being able to do all that is what has made her feel comfortable with how much she's betrayed herself to be the ideal circle student in the first place. it proves keeping your head down to get influence works, that it's not just selfish, that in the long run it means mages are better off. so if she can't even protect him, then what's the point of it all? it's probably worth noting, too, that minerva's fatal flaw is arrogance: if she's always been able to look after jowan before, what's one more time?

i actually have this really fun um super rough dialogue snippet somewhere in my word doc from when she was little, um, talking to karl thekla actually. and she's being disapproving of anders while hes like benafflecksmoking.jpeg because that's the whole dynamic lmao. she's like, why would you spend time with someone like that, he's an escape artist, the templars hate him, he's not going to make it! (this last said in a kid's deadly serious tone where she expects it to be heard as a totally damning accusation.) and karl is like [in the voice of a very tired young academic] minerva what would you say if i told you, i don't know, your friend jowan wasnt going to make it. and she totally freaks out. shes like thats a lie, dont ever say that, hes trying with the spells, hes going to get it! she's only a kid she's nearly in tears over this immediately even though karl's the furthest thing from a threat and he barely meant anything by it. it's always been the one thing that makes her lose her head. she cares so much about keeping up this perfect image except this one thing, right, she's got this perceived weaker nobody mage trailing after her. she's supposed to be able to keep this one person safe and that will make it all worthwhile. and what she has to learn is that even for all her sacrifices and good behaviour, the circle simply does not care. there's nothing it won't take

[trillscienceofficer]

from Cinefantastique Vol 28 #4/5, November 1996

TABOO BREAKER: Another Trill gender bender, “Rejoined” echoes TREK's legacy of exploring the nature of love.

By Dale Kutzera

Thirty years ago STAR TREK broke a long-standing television taboo by presenting the first interracial kiss—a fact Gene Roddenberry often boasted about. Early in DS9’s fourth season a similar taboo fell. Though not the first lesbian kiss—LA LAW and ROSEANNE have done it, as did PICKET FENCES (albeit with the lights out)—it was certainly the most passionate. For 15 incredible seconds, Jadzia Dax and the wife of a former host kissed. And not a closed-mouth kiss, turned away from the camera as between Kirk and Uhura. This was passion.

The writers did not set out to create a “gay” show with “Rejoined.” The original story involved a male lover of one of Dax’s previous hosts and how their renewed attraction broke a Trill taboo against relationships with lovers from past lives. “We had talked for a long time about doing the show about Dax and a former spouse,” said staff writer/producer Robert Hewitt Wolfe, “and we always suspected that was a Trill cultural taboo. But how do you make the audience understand that even though Dax is doing something they would find acceptable, it’s against the norms of social behavior for her society? The story came before the decision to do the same sex couple. It was always an analogy to the way homosexual relationships are treated in our society. Trills have no reason to be against same sex couples, but what a better way to show that they are a totally different, alien society than to see them reacting in self-righteous indignation just because they were lovers in a previous life? That society should dictate who you should and should not love is a sad thing and that’s what the show is about. We didn't sit down and say ‘Lets do a gay show.”

Credit Ron Moore with taking Rene Echevarria's story and re-shaping it by making the past lover a woman. “Initially it was a man, she was a woman, and here they are,” said Moore. “I remember reading the story and thinking about it. Literally, I was on my way home and started to think this would be a much stronger story—it would really be a stand-out episode of the series—If this was a woman. Play it as a woman and really go for it. I called Ira from my car and he was receptive and the next day we just dumped it on the staff. It got batted around and there were reservations here and there and then everybody signed on board.”

“Ron is the one that made it happen," said Echevarria. “People had talked about doing a so-called lesbian angle in other contexts. Ron is the one who brought it together and said this is the show. The taboo was Michael Piller’s idea and Ron merged it, saw how they tracked and said, ‘We will do the show and never even mention the fact that these are two women. This taboo tracks with our own taboos or many audience members’ taboos about homosexuality and the argument will track straight down the line and it will be great.”’

Realizing that, as in any story of rejoined lovers, it would inevitably lead to a passionate kiss, Moore wrote a memo to Ira Behr and Rick Berman justifying what could be DS9’s most controversial episode. “We knew it was going to be a controversial episode if we went for it, so we clearly had to go to Rick and the studio,” said Moore. “Rick questioned us. He wanted to make sure we knew what we were doing and why. He focused in on it and then he went to the studio and their reaction was the same: “Why? How is this going to work? How are you going to handle it? Is this going to be just salacious? Is this going to be tasteful? And how far are you going to go?’”

The studio was concerned that some viewers may infer that the two women were having sex, and worried that some affiliate stations would not air the episode. “It really boiled down to how far are you going to go and how are you going to handle it?" continued Moore. “The fact that this show was not known as NYPD BLUE and was this shocking the audience and taking them by surprise? I think we pushed it in the kiss scene. That is a powerful, amazing scene. You can’t get around that. That is the show stopper. It was not a gratuitous scene—I thought I would have done it if that character had been a man. So I didn’t think we were doing it to grab attention. It was the right thing to do in the story and it’s going to hit you in a more powerful way. One of the arguments we used was this is part of our franchise legacy. The original series prided itself on TV’s first interracial kiss. We've been priding ourselves on that for 30 years, so why not take the next step and be true to our ideals and convictions. STAR TREK has a point of view, a not completely middle-of-the-road view of the future. This is part of our view.”

Before proceeding, the general premise was run past actress Terry Farrell. “Ira called me last summer to say Michael [Dorn] was on the show and would I mind kissing a woman?" said Farrell. “At the time I said, ‘As long as she’s beautiful.’ I was just being silly. Then I thought as soon as you get the script I want to see it, because if it is anything sensationalized or a joke I don’t want to do it. [Ira said], ‘No it will be a love story with integrity.’ And I thought it was.”

With the green light given, Moore and Echevarria began work on the script. “This was a love story and the trick was to write it as a love story and forget the fact that she was a woman,” said Moore. “The backstory helped in that they were married once. They were husband and wife—write them that way. Two people who really shared something. One of them died. They never got to say good-bye and years later, in different bodies, they run into each other again and play that out. The thing with the Trill taboo was a perfect metaphor for issues of sexual tolerance and intolerance and we played that taboo without really playing our taboo."

The writers tried not to focus on the fact that both lovers were women, and simply wrote the story as a straight romance. “It’s easy to do on paper because the name Lenara is not one you really associate with women anyway,’’ Moore said. “We made it up. So on paper it’s easy to forget and just write this love story and this taboo is what we’re dealing with. It’s not until you’re sitting in the room watching casting sessions that you got two women playing these scenes and you go, ‘Wow, this is really going to hit you in a different way when you see it.’ But we tried to stay true to just telling the story and not going for the easy shots.”

“I was excited, because they were brave,” said Farrell of the writers. “If I were to change the names to Frank and Sara I totally believed that love story. It didn’t matter what the names were, these two people were in love with each other. I was so happy that I was the one who was willing to fight for the love. I knew people would relate to me. And at the end I was so sad. No matter what anybody else says, it made me really proud.”

For Farrell the episode also offered her an opportunity to express on film her off-screen respect for Avery Brooks. In a moment of critical decision, as Dax contemplates breaking the Trill taboo and throwing her future into chaos, Sisko advises her against the hasty decision, but vows to stand by her whatever her choice may be. “I didn’t even need to do homework on that scene. I just used my relationship with Avery. The first year was very difficult to adjust to the dialog. People got impatient with me, other directors and other actors. I was 28 years old. but I felt like I was 18. I lost my confidence. I must have driven them nuts, but Avery was always very supportive and strong. He really helped me build my confidence. He’s strong and silent. I don’t know anything about him personally, but he’s been incredibly giving to me emotionally. We cried a lot on that scene. A lot more than you saw. It felt weird not crying too hard, but holding back. It helped to have a director [Brooks] you trust. I needed his opinion on that.”

Director Brooks had Farrell and gueststar Susanna Thompson (who earned thepraise of everyone involved in the show) rehearse the critical scene up to the momentof the kiss. The actual description of the scene in the script was general, leaving it up to the actors and director to stage. “I said it was a kiss they have been waiting a hundred years for. It’s a powerful moment, let them do their magic on the set,” said Moore. “Avery and the two actresses staged it and pretty much it was left as Avery, Terry, and Susanna wanted it.”

“It described I was touching her face and whispered in her ear—her husband said it turned her on,” said Farrell. “We rehearsed up to the kiss then stopped. I thought it was great Avery directed it. because he was really into being honest and telling the truth, trying to pretend we’re not aliens in outer space, and being honest in the emotions. Avery talked about being passionate and sensuous. What was really hard for me was it starts out in my close-up, then a two-shot and the kiss. She said one word, then gotcha. We wouldn’t dissect this. If I were kissing a man we would say, ‘No tongues? Okay, no tongues.’ Avery didn't want them to cut it down too much. We wanted to make sure that didn't happen. You don't go through telling that kind of story and then say, ‘We can’t be very brave.’”

The writers and cast were pleased and a bit surprised that the kiss was kept almost intact through the editing process. “We saw the kiss and thought, ‘Boy how is Rick going to edit this,” said Echevarria. “We were just so gratified and thrilled to see that he did not pull back on the emotion of the moment. He allowed it to happen. It's by far the most passionate gay kiss I've ever seen on television.”

The reaction to the episode was predictably mixed. Some affiliates did not air the episode. Others excised the scene with the kiss. Mail to the writing staff was heavier than for any other episode they had been involved in, and much of it negative. "My idea that sci-fi fans are socially far-thinking, that they are in many ways liberal, leftist, humanist, whatever, was totally blown apart by some of the incredible comments we received,” said Behr. “There’s a strong conservative strain in the American soul and maybe it’s there in sci-fi, too. I don’t think we were saying anything that was that extraordinarily out of line, but maybe we were and that's pretty sad.”

Not all the mail was negative, however, as Echevarria remembered. “I would say it was ten-to-one pro—saying thank you very much and you don’t know how important this was. Letters from teachers, counselors, groups that counsel gay teens—saying how important something like this is. My mother was just scandalized. For the first time ever she culled me and said, ‘I can't believe you did that. It's so bad and so bad for the children of America.’ I couldn't have been happier.”

“It was a challenge emotionally for me to have a relationship with a woman,” said Farrell. "It wasn't anything I ever thought I’d want to do in my career. I've taken jobs to pay the rent. It was a great feeling to get to do a show that was that special as an actress. A lot of people go through their whole career and don’t get to do something that controversial or with that artistic integrity. I’m very proud of that.”

[dizscreams]

Hello !! First of all I how are you ? !! I do not know if your request are open (so sorry if they’re not !) I wanted to know if you could make a fanfic where reader is an actress and she get asked the question “who is your celebrity crush” and at first she’s kind of hesitant like she doesn’t want to say it but then she says it and gets all shy and later on Jack comes across the interview and watch it and like make a move by sending or dm OR they see each other at a premiere and they start talking blahblahblah ?? TYSM !! And it’s totally okay if you do not want to make this ! Byee

I LOVE THIS SM AAHH AND IM FINE HRU :))

“I WANNA BE AN OBJECT OF YOUR AFFECTION!”

— Jack Champion ★

PAIRING: Jack Champion x Fem!Reader

TAGS: @wenvierismycomfort @evanpeterswifeyy868 @xyzstar @wekiamo @beary-rambles @h34rtsformilli @c8rdigan @teyamsgirll @aqellano @aesthetixhoe @dizzyscreams @mbankfav

A/N: not feeling great but Jack always fixes that!! 🤭

“So, Y/N..” the interviewer paused and you tilted your head slightly, waiting for them to continue. “Do you have a celebrity crush at the moment?”

You tapped your fingers on your knee while you thought about how to answer. You did have a celebrity crush but you weren’t sure if you wanted to answer the question. You didn’t want a big controversy or anything. I mean you knew how some fans were and you definitely didn’t want to make him uncomfortable.

But then again you weren’t sure he would even know who you were or if he would even stumble across this interview.

Guess you would just have to pray he didn’t.

“Um, yeah I do,” you said softly, “Jack Champion.” The interviewer made an “ooo” noise and you laughed nervously. Please don’t let him see this, is what you kept repeating in your head. “Jack Champion huh? Quite the man! What’s your favorite movie of his?” The interviewer asked sort of teasingly. You tapped your foot nervously and forced a smile, “Scream 6, but he was also great in Avatar.”

“I couldn’t agree more. Would you like to work with him some day?”

“Um yeah maybe. It could be fun.” You smiled again but more genuinely this time. Cause while you were still slightly uncomfortable, you meant what you said. It could be fun, but you’d also be a nervous wreck.

If he did ever see this interview you just hoped he would laugh it off or something. And HOPEFULLY you’d never have to work with him on a movie. As much as you’d want to and as much as you admired him it would just be too embarrassing for you.

Thankfully the interviewer didn’t say anything else on the topic and kept the rest of the questions professional. That didn’t stop you from getting nervous though. But you kept your composure and continued the rest of the interview completely normal.

When you ended the interview you had completely forgot about it. You were so busy with work and everything that you hadn’t had time to watch it. Jack on the other hand did watch it, because what you didn’t know is that he also had a small celebrity crush. On you. When he watched the video he was flattered to say the least. He definitely didn’t run to his mom and ramble about the whole thing or anything

He found himself watching the interview more than once, but he couldn’t help it! You had a crush on him!You were an amazing actor, you were gorgeous, and you were also just really kind. He had never met you, but he’d always wanted to. Maybe now the interview would give him an excuse to talk to you, so he thought about it for a few minutes and decided he was going to dm you.

For some reason he found himself getting nervous when he pulled up the chat. I mean he had never spoken to you before so he just hoped you didn’t find this creepy. He took a deep breath and typed out his message.

Hey! I saw the interview you did for your new movie and you looked really good.

He cringed looking at it and deleted it, “That sounds weird,” he muttered to himself. So, he retyped it and found himself retyping it a good 10 times before he typed something hr was content with.

Just saw your most recent interview and I’m excited to see your new movie! I was also super honored to hear that I’m your celebrity crush haha

Maybe tiktok was right, maybe he was a millennial. Regardless he took a deep breath and sent the text. He threw his phone on the bed and got up to busy himself so he wouldn’t think of your response.

You think your heart leaped out of your chest when you got the notification. Jack Champion had texted you and he saw the interview. You were out at dinner with some of your coworkers so you had to try hard to contain the grin on your face. Obviously you texted him back, you’d be a fool not to.

Oh thanks! I’m glad it didn’t weird you out haha

Was that too simple? You didn’t want to flirt with him right off the bat and scare him off..

You bit your lip as you stared at it. Fuck it, you thought. It’s not like you’d see him in person any time soon. Plus maybe he’d forget about it. You sent it and went back to talking with the person next to you. That was before your phone buzzed about 5 minutes later.

Of course not. You’re actually my celebrity crush too ;)

You had to contain a sequel when you read it. “Hey are you good?” Your costar chuckled as they asked. “Oh yeah I’m fine, I’m just going to head to the restroom.” You sped walk over there and once you entered you pulled out your phone. You looked in the mirror and tapped the side of your phone wondering what you should say back. You weren’t very good at flirting and for some reason this time it felt more nerve wracking then any other person you had attempted to flirt with.

You really wanted to make a good impression. He was a total sweetheart and downright beautiful so a good first impression was important to you.

Is that so? Maybe we should meet up sometime.

He responded to you almost immediately

I’d like that! I’ll let you know when I’m free :)

Your eyes widened a bit in surprise. You didn’t think he’d say yes.

I’ll look forward to it, Jack. 🤍

Jack slammed his phone on the table and cheered like he just won the lottery. And in his eyes he did, you had just asked him on a date! It was a date right? He immediately got to typing to make sure.

This is a date right?

You chuckled at the notification

It is a date! Unless you don’t want it to be!

He smiled as he read your text. It made him happy to know you were just as nervous as he was.

I’d be sad if it wasn’t.

You bit your lip as you held in your giggle. You really couldn’t believe that this was happening.

Can’t wait, Jack. <3

He slammed down on his bed and covered his face with his hands.

Neither could he.

[herejusttosufferalong]

Since this seems to be the day for controversy: I wanna know what signals would it take for folks to leave the restaurant?

And would it hold more significance coming from Nic or Luke? Ie no one is taking A seriously and even as more posts come up with her, everyone keeps moving the goal posts - “ok she’s on vacation with her, but he hasn’t called her his gf / he’s not smiling / his body language is turned away..” so it seems no matter what L does (or doesn’t do), their relationship isn’t going to be seen as “valid” in the eyes of the fandom.

But, if Nic were to step out or (more likely since she is so private) be papped with someone - would people be more willing to support that and back off the shipping with L? Or will we expect the same kind of resetting of expectations… also, would it mean more if she was seen holding hands with JD that people seem split on vs someone most people think could be a serious partner like EF…

Honestly, if N was truly with someone L’s continued relationship with A would make more sense.

Ross and Rachel…

I would still ship even if she announced a relationship unless it was an engagement/marriage announcement.

Same with L. That is the line for me.

Now…

Let’s say, hypothetically, that both EF and JD we’re possible suitors for N.

EF would have my vote every day of the week. I think the optics of N dating JD would not go over well for multiple reasons.

His age being the biggest one but like we have already seen people are also stating how she is only hanging around him to “get back” at L.

I find this to be absurd.

He seems like a great friend and they clearly enjoy spending time together but I don’t believe it goes any further than that.

.

.

I will note however the parallels between N/JD and L/A are something…

JD and A are in their early 20’s.

JD and A both seem to be really integrated within L and N’s respective friend groups.

Both JD and A cryptic post N and L.

N takes pics of JD and he shares them in his stories.

L takes pics of A and she posts them.

When their respective friend groups are hanging out we get pics of them but never together. Only hints.

N likes all of JD’s post and L likes all of A’s posts.

I’m sure there is more and it could all mean nothing.

It’s just… interesting…

[reviewsdefinitionofsatisfaction]

Taylor has been lying on Joe since You’re Losing Me (Important Thread)

I’ve been confident in this theory since Midnights, but didn’t know how to spread it. Taylor is now blatantly lying about Joe and rewriting history. SHE was the one who didn’t want to get married, and Joe broke up with her over it. She chose fame over marriage, and the evidence is all over her music.

Ever since I heard “Mine” I instinctively knew Taylor was afraid of marriage. It’s the classic child-of-divorce case. “You say we’ll never make my parents’ mistakes.” / “Brace myself for the goodbye ‘cause it’s all I’ve ever known.”

Her fear of marriage continues throughout her discography. Don’t let “Lover” and “Paper Rings” fool you—those were false promises to Joe at the start of their relationship. Listen to “champagne problems,” a song she and Joe co-wrote. What couple writes a song about breaking up because the girl is terrified of marriage 4 years into their relationship? Why, one where that’s happening, of course. “Your Midas touch on the Chevy door,” aka how she always references Joe turning things to gold. And don’t forget “Renegade,” a song where in the music video SHE is the one anxiously staring out the window being told to “open the blinds.” (“Is it really your anxiety that stops you from giving me everything or do you just not want to?”, the lyric referring to Joe asking for marriage) This was a song written by Taylor from Joe’s perspective at the time. “I tapped on your window on your darkest night” (referring to Rep era) / “Starry eyes sparking up my darkest night.” … “And then you squeeze my hand as I’m about to leave.” (Joe’s POV) / “It’s on your face, don’t walk away, I need to say…” Taylor was the one always blowing up on him and then apologizing, as illustrated in Afterglow, The Great War, and most obviously her post-breakup behavior. Joe was NOT the volatile one of the two (also supported by articles released by her team, stating Joe’s personality was “great for Taylor” because “he is very calm”).

Then, just look at Midnights. The Bejeweled music video (which Taylor wrote and directed) is the clearest thing. A video all about choosing pop-stardom over a ring from a prince? While she and her boyfriend are having marriage disagreements? Hmmm. Interesting. Seriously, just go watch the intro to that video and tell me Taylor was the one fighting to get married behind the scenes.

Midnights lyrics: “He wanted a bride, I was making my own name. Chasing that fame.” (a person who WANTS to get married would NOT be writing this song!!!) “All they keep asking me is if I’m gonna be your bride. The only kind of girl they see is a one night or a wife.” “No deal the 1950s shit they want from me. I just wanna stay in that lavender haze” “I have this thing where I get older but just never wiser.” “I have this dream my daughter-in-law kills me for the money. She thinks I left them in the will.” (accompanied by elaborate scene displaying family-related anxieties in music video)

This is someone who is terrified of marriage and being an adult. I believe she launched herself into a fame-hug to avoid confronting her issues with Joe at this late stage in their relationship. After he broke up with her, she realized how deep of a mistake she made during the Eras Tour. Hence, the big lie in “You’re Losing Me” (which was written THEN, in 2023, conveniently dropped during the Matty Healy controversy) and her daring him to “say something” about the lie. (False God lyric: “I can’t talk to you when you’re like this, staring out the window like I’m not your favorite town.” When they fight, he was always the one ignoring her craziness.) And soon after, her peculiar surprise song choices on June 23: “Paper Rings” (“I’d marry you with paper rings”) and “If This Was A Movie” (“If this was a movie, you’d be here by now”).

The initial breakup article by People (Tree Paine’s mouthpiece) even outlines this story. “According to multiple sources, Swift and Alwyn had been ‘talking about marriage as recently as a few months ago.’ But at the end of the day, the couple wasn’t ready for a future together. ‘Taylor didn’t see them working out in the long run,’ says the insider.” This was before she wrote YLM, trying to provoke him, and now she will be driving it further with this new album I’m certain she wrote during 2023, NOT 2 years ago like she and Jack are trying to push. Her having Jack drop YLM’s “2021 date,” and then liking that tweet implying Sweet Nothing was not about Joe (when it was clearly about Joe)… she’s rewriting the narrative. You can’t trust a word she says.

[badasgirlfriend]

hey, love your fics! can you write something about bada lee x fem idol readers relationship pls

Happy | Bada Lee Imagine

pairings: bada lee x idol!reader

a/n: i kinda hate this but i tried my best hope u like it (i swear this looked better in my head)

Being an idol is fcking hard, Y/N will tell you that. It's toxic, it's draining, and she could sit here all day and tell you about every shitty part of it. She. But she chose this, she knew exactly what she was signing up for.

"This is hilarious," Y/N stated, barely able to control her laughter as she read out the various comments "I'm so disappointed with her, she was such a great idol, but now she's a disgrace!"

The room was illuminated by candlelight as Y/N laid in bed with Bada. The warm glow from the candles cast long shadows on the walls and ceiling, adding an air of intimacy. She could hear the sound of the rain outside, and she felt content and safe as she leaned against Bada's warm body. After finishing her concert two hours ago, Y/N was scrolling through the comments left by everyone. It was obvious that her decision to raise a lesbian flag had caused quite a stir, and the amount of controversy it had generated far exceeded her expectations.

She continued reading the comments, letting out a laugh at one she found particularly amusing. "This one's my favorite: 'I can't believe she supports gay people, she'll never get my money, that's for sure.' Oh no, Bada, my bank account will be empty"

Y/N's phone was suddenly taken from her, prompting her to turn and face Bada. Just as she did so, her girlfriend brought her closer in a passionate kiss. In response, Y/N naturally wrapped her arms around Bada, pressing their bodies together.

The kiss between began with a sense of gentleness and sweetness. In each moment of their connection, Y/N felt her heart fluttering with the same intensity that she had experienced in their first kiss. It was as though the world around them came to a standstill and the rush of emotions overwhelmed her. No matter how many times they kissed, Y/N still savored the moment like it was brand new.

"I told you to stop reading the comments." Bada's words were somewhat overshadowed by the passionate kiss that they shared as she voiced her concerns for her girlfriend. Even though she could recognize the humor in the comments, she also felt the worry and stress that the negative feedback was causing Y/N. She was well aware of the struggles that Y/N endured for her career, and the threats to boycott Hybe until they fired ber didn't sit well with Bada.

"I find them funny though" Y/N replied, responding to Bada's earlier comment. In her relaxed state, she playfully pecked her lover's lips

"But-"

"Bada, I promise you I'm ok. I don't care what they're saying. I love you, and just being near you is enough. I knew the consequences of my actions, and still, I did it without any regret."

Yn was now settled in Bada's lap, playing with the hem of her girlfriend's tshirt "Even if my company fires me, which I doubt because I pay their bills, I wouldn't care. I'd find a new company. What I matters to me is us being happy"

The words from her girlfriend sent chills down Bada's spine. The revelation that Y/N would sacrifice her dreams and ambitions for their relationship was sending her over the moon. In that moment, her thoughts were transported back four years to the start of their relationship. They were a young couple back then, still navigating the world of fame and uncertainty that came with it. Despite all their fears, they had found a connection and a place within each other that made them feel safe and secure. With Y/N's words reminding her, Bada reflected on how much they'd grown together and how far they'd come. It filled her with a sense of pride in their relationship and the trust they'd developed along the way.

Bada had grown accustomed to the rumors around her girlfriend and the various male idols she was constantly linked to, but she never cared. For her, she knew that Y/n loved her and that was enough. Her fans saw Bada nothing more than her friend and choreographer. Bada had become YN's personal choreographer, following her wherever she went. It was true that Bada created all the dances for her, even stepping in to be a backup dancer at times. They even mirrored each other as they wore matching outfits on stage and shared intimate moments during their vlives. But everyone else seemed oblivious to their romantic connection, thinking they were just close friends.

This year, however, something new happened. YN's fans were shipping both of them and the couple found it sweet and endearing It was like a whole new world had opened up for them - where they could be themselves and express their love without fear of judgment or criticism. And that was all they could ask for.

"Earth to Bada" The sound of her girlfriend's laughter was enough to break through Bada's thoughts, bringing her gaze towards her once again. It was hard to ignore the beauty and love of Y/N, as her kind essence and everything she did brought happiness to Bada. As she lifted her hand to tuck a piece ofyn's hair behind her ear, Bada's focus remained on her face as she spoke. "I love you so much,"

Y/N was quick to return her girlfriend's statement with an exclamation of her own. "I love you more, baby," she expressed, her face buried in Bada's neck as she was overcome with shyness. She could feel her lover's laughter and was amused by it, her heartbeat accelerating at the sound of the woman she loved laughing at her.

"I have an idea" Yn was swift to action, grabbing her phone

"Uh oh that's not good," Bada chimed, but only one glare from Y/N was enough for her not to continue talking

Bada watched Y/n bring the phone closer, recording them kissing. "Hoes Mad" played softly in the background, as Y/N mouthed along to the lyrics, kissing Bada on the lips again and grinning at the camera. Bada chuckled at her silliness,

"Annnd posted!"

Bada's grin disappeared at Y/N's words, her expression shifting to one of shock as she realized what she had done. "What-? You actually posted it?" She was genuinely surprised by Y/N's bold move, her voice tinged with concern and disbelief. Before she could question her further, a notification popped up on her phone, with a familiar username. She tapped on the link and was met with something unexpected from the video Y/N shared online.

Bada groaned "no what did you do, you will get so much in trouble"

"Oh calm down, it's not a big problem," YN replied with a dismissive wave. She grabbed Bada's phone and turned it off then doing the same to her phone who wouldn't stop blowing from the notifications. Y/N then casually tossed them on the sofa near them

"Now, let's enjoy our night," YN said with a smug smirk. Her hand reached over and slowly traced the outline of Bada's shirt until she found her way inside.

Bada's lips curved into a sly grin, she was lucky indeed

[pluckyredhead]

Red Hood and the Outlaws #6 (2011)

Hey, remember when I was recapping this series? Well, unfortunately for all of us, I'm gonna do it some more.

I will admit this is a pretty good cover.

This shit, however, makes me so mad. What an absolutely lazy waste of space. This comic is 20 pages long, not including the cover. That means that this two page spread is literally an entire tenth of the story, and it's used to convey...what? That Jason just fought some guys who were trying to smuggle nukes into Miami.

A two-page spread is meant to deliver impact: a crucial moment in the story, a stunning piece of art, an impressive sense of scale (Galactus looming over the Earth, whatever). This does none of that. Most of the page is just a teal gradient; Rocafort didn't even bother to draw an impressive underwater scene. (I kind of don't blame him, because it would have been a waste of his time, since this scene is NOT NARRATIVELY IMPORTANT.)

Also, the page before this is also a splash, and the one after is three panels depicting Jason caught in an explosion, and that's a generous description considering that one of the panels has nothing in it but bubbles. So now we're up to TWENTY percent of the comic, a full FIFTH of the story, and we have conveyed LITERALLY NOTHING except "Jason got caught up in an underwater explosion."

This is lazy writing and lazy art. This is charging the reader for 20 pages of story and delivering maybe seven, content-wise. It's shamelessly ripping off the audience, and they aren't even trying to pretend they aren't doing it. I don't know if Lobdell didn't have enough story in him or if he was trying to give Rocafort more time to drawn stupid little lines all over everything, New 52-style, but it pisses me off.

Anyway, Jason wakes up on an island a few days later (and a narration box on the first page established that this takes place before RHATO #1):

This page has six panels which is a very respectable amount, although I still don't think it's a great use of space. But I guess Rocafort was really busy adding wood texture to all the panel borders for no reason. Anyway the little pile of leaves Kori has graciously dropped over Jason's dick is very funny.

Jason wakes up, tries to demand his pants from Kori at gunpoint, and passes out again. He has a flashback to the world's most hideous Nightwing costume:

Awful. Also, Jason flounces off in a bratty little fit in the next couple panels, but I support him, because if you actually read what Dick's saying, it's meaningless filler.

See, now this is an appropriate use of a two-page spread for impact and scale. Much more effective. Imagine how effective it would have been if every other spread for five issues hadn't tried and failed at this!

Kori offers Jason some clothing, which turns out to be the hideous Nightwing suit, and Jason flashes back to Under the Red Hood: Shitty Version:

Who needs "Because he took me away from you" when we have whatever the fuck this is?

Jason gets all upset. Kori sniffs Dick's costume and says she can't remember his name, but she has fond memories of the guy who used to wear it. There's a flashback of her and Dick and Roy in action together. Okay, so she clearly remembers Dick and Roy at least somewhat, which is probably Lobdell starting to walk back the controversial amnesia bullshit in the first issue.

Jason tells Kori his connection to Dick and asks if she's mad, which...even setting aside Kori's memory issues and general lack of grudge holding in any continuity, why would she be mad that Jason has the same mentor as a guy she remembers fondly? Anyway, she is indeed not mad and they hug it out. If this is supposed to be depicting Jason's smug "I've been with her" in the first issue, it...really doesn't read like they boned.

Jason's narration on the last page further obscures things:

"Friendship and romance are really the same thing. Anyway LET'S TALK ABOUT ROY HARPER." Okay I know that's me reading with ship goggles but it truly is a very funny transition.

So that's how Jason met Kori! She...pulled him out of the water, and they discussed how they both knew Dick. Definitely worth spending a whole issue on that very interesting story!

[whateverisbeautiful]

♥️ Ranking Richonne

#8: Must've Been Something Else Then (S3E16)

I adore this scene to the moon and back. 😍 It's at this moment that Rick officially lets Michonne know she's a part of the family. And of course, he does it with a dash of flirtation. 😋 Truly, this lovely scene feels like the earliest moment of the two hinting that there’s something oh so special between them...

I love the staging of the scene as it opens with Michonne looking up at Rick as he walks down the stairs. And there's just something sweet to me about the way they walk alongside each other in those color-coordinated outfits. 😊

It’s always commendable seeing that Michonne is so understanding of the difficult position Rick was put in with the Governor's deal about her. And it’s great that she directly addresses it rather than tiptoe around it.

Not only is Michonne understanding, but she’s still so completely on Rick's side and it shows how much she has always seen Rick for the good man he is. They trusted each other before they knew they trusted each other, I’ll say it over and over. 😊

And it’s nice that Rick gets to be met with compassion when so many other times characters have not given him this kind of genuine compassion.

Then it’s good to hear Rick give a sincere sorry for how close he came to giving her up. Michonne proceeds to do what she’ll do many times in their relationship and reminds him of the good in him when she tells him “But you didn’t.” She’s confident that giving her up is really not what Rick wanted, and she’s right.

Once they got past their initial sussing-you-out tension, Michonne really did become Rick's bond that flowed with the most ease of all the characters. And she built him back up at every turn, even here in season 3 by affirming he's still a good person.

It’s nice cuz I feel like Rick is a character who can take on a lot of guilt, so it’s great seeing another character so assuredly relieve him of guilt to remind him that he might make controversial choices but he’s not a monster.

(& I have a feeling in TOWL, Rick will again be wrestling with a lot of guilt since he feels like he "failed" at getting home, but fortunately, the one person who can most restore him and relieve his guilt is on her way to save him both literally and emotionally 🤗)

So Rick nods and then I love this silent little lingering look they have. The chemistry. 😏 I always think one of the cutest elements of Richonne's pre-canon days is the way they both so clearly feel this attraction to each other but are trying to keep it at bay - but like that passionate tension between them can’t help but seep out because...

And in this subtle lingering moment, you can feel that while Rick and Michonne are in the early stages of their relationship, something more is absolutely brewing between them underneath. Anytime they look at each other long enough, that becomes clear.

Then Michonne acknowledges she never thanked him which is kind that after everything with the Governor deal, she actually wants to thank Rick. And it's also nice cuz the first thing Michonne ever said to Rick was, 'I didn’t ask for your help.' So it shows she's had some growth since then to now want to thank Rick for the way he helped her. And he significantly helped her by bringing her into this new family.

Rick asks, "For what?" and Michonne says, “For bringing me out there that day. Taking me in.” And I know they’re talking about the initial day he brought her in but “taking me in” also feels like thanking him for the way he slowly brought her into the fold of their family.

I’ve always felt that part of the Clear run with just him and his son was Rick's attempt to really know that he could bring Michonne into the fam like he deep down wanted to. And I think Michonne knows that despite all his talk of sending her away, Rick really did continue to take her in more and more.

Also, I just like the wording of it cuz Rick’s eyes also always seem to be taking her in too, as he does in this very scene. 😋

Rick responds saying, “If you didn’t have that baby formula, I wouldn’t have.” And Michonne and us both know...

(Also I love that this early pre-canon scene features Rick and Michonne talking about the baby formula for their daughter 😋) 

And again, I love that Michonne doesn’t let Rick run from the good man he is when she looks at him and perfectly delivers the line, “You could’ve just taken the formula” It's true tho. And people like the Governor would have done just that. Michonne knows that in this world, what Rick did for her was a gracious act, and she doesn’t let him downplay it.

And then hearing Michonne say that is truly all it takes for Rick to drop the act and let her know that she’s right. I love how quickly he folds here. 😋 And why this moment makes this list is largely because of what Rick says next.

Cuz those Richonne tones make an appearance as Rick looks at her and just sends my heart soaring when he says, “Well, must’ve been something else then.” 

I hadn't happy danced in these Top 30 posts yet, but this line right here is gonna do it for me every time. 😋 Ahhhh, I adore this response and the delivery of it. This is such a classic line in Richonne's story. 👏🏽

It's so special, especially because after these 5 words, Rick really fully accepts Michonne and is never hostile to her ever again. Richonne's connection has been powerful and magnetic since they first laid eyes on each other, and this is the moment they stop actively resisting that undeniable connection. And from here on out, they never look back. They only grow more and more fond of each other until they fall head over heels in love.

Low key, if I could ask a fictional character from the show something, I’d be Iike, Rick, friend, what exact thoughts were going through your head when you said this line right here? Like...

Because no matter how I look at it, it just feels like it’s a moment of Rick deep down knowing something special draws him to Michonne.

I mean it’s factual to say the man is super attracted to her and, as I've often said, their love story was a slow burn but the attraction was instantaneous - so this line just felt like Rick coming close to telling on himself that he might like her more than he even understands at this early stage.

I love that there’s something flirty about the fact that Rick makes the statement more ambiguous. He’s not showing all his cards just yet, but he’s clearly okay with Michonne knowing at least “something” is there between them. 

I know my Richonne brain is going to see this as so romantic-coded, but even if I were to turn my Richonner side of me off, this still just feels really telling that Rick can sense deep down that Michonne is something special and that he has a unique connection to her.

I'm just looking at Rick in this telling scene like I definitely know you are feeling her, and since it's still early...

So I love the line but then I especially love Rick's reaction after he says it. 😊

To me, Rick's reaction after is almost more telling than the line. Because some would say the "something else" he was referring to was strictly Carl making the call, and that is definitely the larger aspect of it for sure, which is sweet in and of itself - but Rick's look after the line suggests that the "something else" really could have to do with his external and internal attraction to Michonne as well.

First Slick Rick looks down and then not so slickly tries to play off checking her out by looking up and around. Idk, if you ask me, I feel like something in him knows what that look down was about, and that’s why he so quickly tries to play it off by unsubtly looking every which way. Like what was on the ceiling that homeboy needed to look all the way up like this lol??

Y'all, all that looking around was because of "something else" between them, if I do say so myself. 😋

But then, as Rick often did at the beginning of his relationship with Michonne, he tries to play off his own liking of her by letting her know that his son also has grown fond of Michonne.

It's sweet to see Rick give credit to his son Carl, who is also Michonne's future son and bff, for making the call to bring Michonne in.

Rick tells her, "He said you belonged here." And I like how talking about Carl and baby formula for Judith makes this whole moment with Rick and Michonne feel even more familial. #DestinedToBeFamily.

And then I always loved that while Rick lets Michonne know it’s Carl who embraced her and made the call to bring her in, he then says, “You’re one of us.” 

He could have added, 'that’s what Carl said,' or whatever, but instead Rick says it as an outright statement because Carl isn’t the only one who thinks this. Rick knows it’s true that Michonne is one of them, and I love that he tells her this directly as something he also believes.

And, of course, it’s extra great knowing just how true the statement will become as Michonne becomes Mrs. Michonne Grimes, the invaluable and beloved Grimes family matriarch.

Michonne, who always can communicate so much even without words, just gives Rick a look in response to this, and I love the look.

Michonne is someone who can read people really well so I wouldn’t be surprised if in this exchange she somehow could read that the energy between them here is different.

Her look at Rick before she walks away is low-key giving...

Lol no but being for real, I am not saying Michonne or Rick are yet aware of their deeper feelings for each other at this point. And they’re definitely still in a healing stage from their past traumas that would prevent them from fully realizing that their ultimate love story is right in front of them.

It's just that Michonne's look suggested that somehow she sensed a little something between them, even if not yet cognizant of what exactly that something was.

And I mean, Rick couldn’t really ever hide that she has an effect on him so it's not like he was all that subtle - which I’m always here for whipped-out-loud Rick. 😋

I know Michonne also really appreciates receiving this ultimate seal of approval from Rick that she truly is a member of tf and a very valued member at that. She's officially home. And you just knew Rick and Michonne would remain united through thick and thin after this.

Then Michonne walks away after their lingering look and Rick silently watches her and I love the little entranced spell Michonne seems to always have on him. And the scene ends with Rick following in her direction, as he’ll do many times in their journey going forward. 😊

Y’all, this moment is just top-tier, and the spark between them was evident as early as s3. Like, you can't tell me this scene didn't shine a blinking neon sign that said Richonne’s story is a love story.

Season finales pretty much always ensured we were fed with great Richonne content and this is the first Richonne season finale, setting the tone for all the greatness to come. I love that Rick and Michonne always end each season closer.

This moment, with Michonne showing so much understanding and compassion, and Rick so willingly telling on himself by letting her know that on the kismet day the universe brought them together there was something else, something deeper, that led him to bring her in, is a wonderful contribution to their love story and a glimpse into what they will become to each other.

And I’ll forever be grateful that Rick and Michonne weren’t brought together just to be partners in crime but rather to be something else too - to be soulmates with the best possible love.🥰

[girls-alias]

Have A Little Faith - Dean Winchester P9

Title: Have A Little Faith - Dean Winchester Part 9

Words: 998

Relations: Dean Winchester X Reader

TW: SPOILERS S1E12

Taglist: @deans-baby-momma, @qinnroki, @moldyorangees, @creative-writing92, @lokischickadee, @take-it-on-the-run, @daisy-the-quake, @ilikw, @selfdestructionandrhum

Part 8

We pulled up to a tent in the middle of a muddy field. Dean instantly groaned in annoyance. I smirked to stop myself from laughing. Sam climbed out of the car and rushed to Dean's side to help. Sam helped him out of the car as I climbed out the other side.

"I've got it," Dean protested not wanting his help. Dean thought this was as ridiculous as I did. I walked around to be with Dean, he smiled at me weakly but rolled his eyes at Sam. "Man, you're a lying bastard. I thought you said we were going to see a doctor." Dean groaned as he slammed the car door.

"I believe I said a 'specialist'. Look, Dean, this guy is supposed to be the real deal," Sam argued but Dean sighed wrapping his arm over my shoulder and letting me help him walk.

"Man, I can't believe you brought me to see some guy who heals people out of a tent," Dean groaned as he walked, most of his weight resting on my shoulders.

"Reverend le Grange is a great man." Some old woman commented as she walked past. I raised an eyebrow stopping myself from laughing.

"Yeah, that's nice," Dean's tone showed how enlightening her comment was. I chuckle, earning a smile from Dean. Sam watched as someone argued with a police officer. "What do you say we leave Sam here," Dean whispered in my ear making me giggle as I shook my head continuing to lead him to the tent.

"Look, when people see something they can't explain, there's controversy," Sam commented not noticing that Dean and I were talking about something else.

"Yeah but come on, Sam. A faith healer?" Dean questioned.

"Maybe it's time to have a little faith, Dean," Sam commented but Dean scoffed. Dean seemed to think for a second before he spoke.

"You know what I've got faith in? Reality. Knowing what's going on." Dean seemed to burst so I stopped to look at him. He seemed surprised that I stopped so pulled away to look at me confused.

"If you know evil is out there how can't you believe good's out there too?" Sam asked but Dean's eyes were on me. Searching my face to find the answer as to why I stopped.

"You asked to keep me if you survived," I reminded and he placed a hand on my cheek, clearly noticing my eyes filling at the thought of Dean not even willing to try anything to be cured. He stepped towards me. "I just thought you'd be willing to fight. We've all seen what evil does to good people from hunting and we're always the ones fighting to save them. We're the good in the world, we save them when no God does but to save you we need help, Sam and I are fighting for you like he always does on hunts but this time praying to some idea of hope is better than doing nothing at all," I ranted and Dean smiled as he sighed. He licked his lips and nodded. I smiled, searching his face.

"I'd like to kiss you right now," He commented staring at me deeply, his eyes searching for the tiniest bit of evidence that I didn't want him to. I glanced at Sam seeing him smiling and turning to look the other way. I grinned before grabbing the back of Dean's neck and guiding myself to him. He smiled as he leaned down to kiss me. It was slow but full of meaning. I pulled away to smile up at him, and he seemed to just smile at me for a moment, it was plain to see that he was happy.

"Aw, what a beautiful newlywed couple," An old woman commented as she passed us. I rolled my eyes, God I hate religion buffs. Dean chuckled as he watched me.

"Let's just get this over with so we can leave," I sighed making Dean chuckle as he put his arm over my shoulder again we were about to walk in when a woman stepped in front of us.

"God works in mysterious ways," The skinny blonde with a fake smile beamed at Dean. Is this bitch blind? Is that why she's here she clearly mustn't see me standing here.

"Maybe he does," I replied mocking her voice slightly. She didn't even look at me she just kept smiling at Dean. My Dean! My focus was on the woman but I could see Sam trying not to laugh. "You've convinced him, maybe you should move out the way so we can get in and you can put your umbrella away," I don't why I was saying it, she just looked stupid. The high-maintenance type cries if her hair gets wet.

"I'm Dean, this is Sam-" Dean started introducing and I questioned if he even remembered I was there. This boy is trying to be killed. "And this is my beautiful girlfriend, Y/N," He finished and I smiled to myself realising I was so annoyed at this bitch flirting with Dean in front of me that I thought too soon.

"I'm Layla," She added shaking Dean's hand and no one else's. I ran my tongue across my teeth. I will hit her, I will make out with Dean right now to mark my territory. Maybe Dean's too attractive. She went to speak so I coughed loudly and walked through Dean and Layla's eye contact as I marched into the tent. Dumb blonde thinking she can have Dean if she makes googly eyes at him. I took a seat saving space for Sam and Dean but right now I didn't care if someone took the seats.

Dean's too attractive! I rolled my eyes as I crossed my arms. I sunk into my chair huffing and puffing as I waited for the service to start. Who am I kidding? Dean is too hot. Everyone is going to fall in love with him.

Masterlist

Working On

Taglist

Part 10

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

So basically there was no plausible way Azula, or any other character, could have been not straight because heteronormativity?

It wasn't because of heteronormativity, it was fulll on HOMOPHOBIA. Cultural homophobia and network homophobia, that were a result of literal decades of full on censorship and legally enforced homophobia on TV and films.

Until 2003, just two years before Avatar, it was totally okay for every state to have laws that were openly anti-gay, and some of them took full advantage of that. We're not talking just "No getting married or adopting kids" here, we're talking "You could get fired because of it. You could go to prison for kissing your partner in public."

Obscenity laws are still a thing today in some states. What are obscenity laws you ask? Basically a legal loophole that allows authorities to go "This thing you did is not illegal, but it offends me personally, so I can treat you like a criminal anyway." When asked to describe what even is obscenity, because that's a REALLY vague concept, one of said authories even said "I know it when I see it" and that was it. That was all you needed then, and if the "criminal" doesn't know their way around legal technicalities, it's all you need now. One dude getting offended at a song, movie or, you guessed, cartoon aimed at children, could make the thing ILLEGAL where he lives.

Nickelodeon would not allow non-straight characters in 2005. There were writters that had been trying to go there since the freaking 90s, and at best it'd result in banned episodes/episodes never got greenlit, and at worst in their shows getting cancelled - likely as a result of decades of the Hay's Code being legally enforced, and still having an effect on TV and film once it was no longer mandatory.

What did the Hay's Code forbid you ask? Oh, just a few things like showing married couples sleeping on the same bed, or interracial romances, or any mention of gay people - unless they were the villain AND the story not only highlighted that they were evil BECAUSE of their sexuality but also killed them in the end as punishment for their sins. That's where the "Bury your gays" trope came from.

Nickelodeon's primary goal is to make money. They were not going to spend money on a show that would result in angry parents, boycots, and episodes or the entire series becoming ILLEGAL in parts of the country.

Bryke themselves said they didn't even think to ASK PERMISSION to make Korrasami a thing until the very last second, almost a whole decade after the original show, because "Any kids network is gonna say no, and if you ask multiple times they might get mad and fire you" was the rule and everyone knew it. And even when they got permission to do it, it was just the two of them holding hands, in a season that was mostly only shown online because of the shows poor performance on actual TV. They didn't get explicit with the "THEY ARE A COUPLE" thing until it gave the show a HUGE popularity boost - aka when corporations like Nickelodeon FINALLY realized "Ooooohhhhhhh, gay stuff is PROFITABLE now, not something that will make us lose money."

It's great that gay characters being straight up illegal/something deeply controversial that could sink an entire series is not the reality anymore (for the most part, again, obscenity laws still exist), but lets not kid ourselves into thinking it was always common to see LGBT+ characters in children's shows.

It's totally valid to reimagine characters from Avatar as being gay or bisexal or whatever you want, but to claim it was CANON is pure delusion AND shows complete ignorance of the history of LGBT+ rights. I'm not even from the US and I know that shit, people, learn a bit of history for God's sake.

Oh, and lets not forget: now that Avatar CAN get away with gay characters, they made Kyoshi openly bisexual. Azula meanwhile continues to only show interest in boys and want only boys to think she's attractive, even after ships like Tyzula became so popular that the voice actresses themselves started to like it. It's almost like the writers ALWAYS INTENDED FOR HER TO BE STRAIGHT, STILL VIEW HER AS STRAIGHT, AND WILL LIKELY ALWAYS THINK OF HER AS STRAIGHT!

We can make headcanons and ship her with whoever we want, but let's not pretend the message isn't loud and clear here. It took years for her to finally be allowed to be written as anything other than just a walking ableist stereotype of a mentally ill person and be treated with any shred of humanity in the comics. Bryke literally said Azula fans are like a cult for feeling sorry for her. They are not interested in almost any reading of her as sympathetic. Not once have they ever so much as acknowledged the popular fanon idea of lesbian Azula.

They're not giving her a girlfriend, guys. It's already a minor miracle that Spirit Temple finally acknowledged she was also a victim of Ozai, and it still ends with her all alone and convincing herself that she is Totally Not Sad about it and will find herself a new group of friends that will Totally Not Leave Her even as she relapses into bad habits. Stop setting yourselves up for failure.

[missywritesfor7]

❤️‍🩹Lifeline | MYG❤️‍🩹

Synopsis: It’s long been controversial for idols to date, but idols dating each other can be really beautiful or a complete nightmare. When Yoongi's relationship with another idol is discovered, he decides maybe it’s time to break the taboo and show people it’s ok for idols to date. Instead, they find themselves caught in the midst of one media frenzy after another and struggle to keep their relationship as strong as it had been the past 2 years. Yoongi finds a self destructive way to cope, and it causes even more problems than it solves. As they fight for their relationship and their careers, they discover that sometimes, the only way to truly be free is to let go.

Pairing: idol!Yoongi x idol!OC

Warnings: nsfw, alcoholism, cheating, depression, anxiety, Yoongi goes through a bisexy ho phase, Yoongi is also in his alcoholic phase, post-military BTS

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Ch 32: Insecure

BTS is getting deeper into their comeback preparations as the release date gets closer. With that also comes increased stress from everyone. It’s a time of their schedule getting gradually busier and their energy being constantly drained. Promo shoots and numerous interviews are stuffed between dance practices, meetings about merchandise, and now world tour preparations.

Yoongi feels like a lot is riding on this comeback. The guilt he carries towards Army regarding the last tour is great and he will do everything in his power to make it up to them. At the same time he owes it to his brothers and Hyeri that he can get through the tour without fucking everything up.

Hyeri is feeling positive about the way things are going between her and Yoongi. She’s gained a bit more trust and feels more and more optimistic about the future. Things between them continue to strengthen and Yoongi can feel it. Just knowing that Hyeri trusts him even a little more than before is more than enough to make him feel smitten like a school child. The only problem is this school child still has a few things to work on. Like his own trust issues and insecurities.

Hyeri’s drama shooting has been going great. It’s been a bit of a challenge, but she’s been acing every scene. The chemistry between her and her costar Na In-woo is better than anyone could have asked for. The director, writers and producers love their chemistry so much that they decide to make a slight change in the script to show just how strong their on screen relationship is.

“So you have to do what? With who? For what reason?” Yoongi asks Hyeri as they face each other across the dinner table. Yoongi got home early and made them a simple dinner of bulgogi and veggies. What he wasn’t expecting was Hyeri coming home to tell him the script change that was presented to her.

“It’s like the climax of the show,” Hyeri says, only repeating what the show runners told her.

“They can’t come up with anything that doesn’t involve you fucking your costar??”

“It’s not like we’re actually fucking,” she justifies.

“You’re going to be naked!” He pouts.

“That’s not the same as fucking,” she defends.

“Close enough.”

“Says the person who got his dick sucked in damn near every city on tour,” she huffs.

“That’s…ugh…Hyeri…” he stutters knowing he can’t counter that.

“What?” She challenges with furrowed brows.

“I just…ugh,” he huffs. “Why is it even necessary for them to add that to the script anyway? They can’t just suddenly decide you’re going to be naked.”

“I’m not even going to be fully naked,” she rolls her eyes. “The cameras aren’t going to show anything, it’s a tv drama not porn.”

“So why is the scene necessary??” He fusses. He never had a problem with Hyeri playing roles that involve her kissing her costars, but never once did he think about the possibility of her being asked to do a sex scene. Something in him isn’t quite prepared to see her being touched by someone else in ways that only he should be touching her, whether staged or otherwise.

“Because it is, Yoongi. Even if I try to explain why it’s necessary you’re still going to be upset about it.”

“So tell them no.”

“Are you not hearing a word I’m saying??” She’s starting to get aggravated by the conversation. She figured he’d be a bit apprehensive about the idea, but she didn’t think he’d push back this much.

“I hear you,” he defends. “I just don’t see how it’s fair for them to spring this on you in the middle of shooting. They should have said something from the beginning.”

“It doesn’t really matter now, I’m doing it anyway,” she says grabbing her empty plate and getting up to put it in the sink.

“No you’re not!” He says following behind her.

“Says who?!” She shouts. “This is my decision to make and I decided that I’m going to do it!”

“Why??”

“Because I want to!” She stomps. “It’s part of my job and I’m ok with doing it!”

“Fucking on screen is not part of your job!”

“Neither is fucking everyone on tour and getting robbed, but here we are!” She shouts throwing her hands up. She didn’t want to go there. She didn’t want to go anywhere this conversation-turned-argument has gone, but she can’t believe his audacity after all he’s put her through that wasn’t an act.

“So you’re just doing this to get back at me?” He huffs.

“No! For fucks sake Yoongi stop being so unreasonable! This isn’t about you! I’m not looking for revenge, because believe me if I were I would have done it long ago and it would have been much worse than me ACTING in an intimate scene.” She turns away from him and begins storming to the bedroom.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!” He asks following behind her.

“It means get over it,” she says trying to put the conversation to rest before she says anything else that could further ignite the flames blazing between them. It’s not easy though because while they’ve been working on trust issues, she’s not fully healed from his betrayals and she is very close to exploding in a way that would hurt him. She doesn’t want to hurt him, but she’s tired.

“Get over it? Hyeri what the fuck? I thought we agreed to discuss shit like this before you make decisions!”

“You have some fucking nerve, Min Yoongi!” Her last ounce of peace has gone out the window. “You are being a big fucking hypocrite right now! You sent me through hell and fucking back! Do you know how many times I stopped myself from going out for revenge? Do you know how many times I had the chance to go home with someone else but I didn’t because despite you not giving a shit about being faithful, I still chose to come home to the drunken cheater you were?! Now you want to make it seem like I’ve committed some huge fucking sin by doing this scene for my job because you’re too fucking insecure to handle it!”

Yoongi stands cemented in place by her words, he can’t say anything in response because she’s not wrong. He fucked up and he shouldn’t be so upset with this, but two wrongs don’t make a right and he feels she’s only doing this to get back at him. To him it’s like a low blow, and though justified, he still doesn’t like it. He’s also a bit upset that she can completely read right through him so easily and now he has to deal with his feelings of insecurity that he was hoping had subsided, though it’s clear it hasn’t.

“I’m going to sleep in the guest room,” Hyeri huffs grabbing her phone charger and storming out.

Yoongi lets out a heavy sigh and throws himself on the bed with a grunt of frustration. He feels like no matter what he says she’s going to use his cheating as a justification for anything she does that he doesn’t like.

Hyeri feels no matter what she says he’s not going to be ok with the scene until he deals with his insecurities himself. It’s not about getting back at him or trying to hurt him, it’s about work and she truly does not care about being in a sex scene. She made her boundaries clear to the film crew and they agreed to respect it. At the absolute most there may be a little cleavage visible, but other than that the most erotic thing about the scene would be in the sounds and movements she makes.

Since Yoongi wants to be completely unreasonable about things, she decides those sounds she’ll be making will be her best, most arousing, sounds of perfectly choreographed dry humping ever broadcast on prime time television.

Yoongi slept on it and woke the next morning not feeling much better about the situation. There’s not much he can do though because he knows he’s not going to change her mind, and she’ll bring up his insecurity again if he tries to fight it again. He also knows that he’s not entirely in the right. This is her work and he knows she’s great at it no matter what role she plays, but fuck seeing someone else touching her like that. What if she likes it? Maybe too much? Can he handle that being on screen for the world to see? He’s not sure, but still he tries to talk to Hyeri when he catches her in the morning before she leaves. He tried apologizing but she didn’t seem to want to hear anything he had to say. He gave her one final “I love you” as she grunted an “I love you too” through her teeth on the way out the door in response. Yeah, that hurts.

When he got to his studio, Yoongi spent about two hours stuck in his mind. He decided to send Hyeri a text attempting another apology. He simply let her know that he’s sorry for the way he reacted and he respects her decision to agree to do the scene, he just wishes she would have at least discussed it with him first. It took a few stressful hours before she responded to him also apologizing for not bringing it up to him before making her decision, but she also reiterated that it’s still her decision to make and he needs to realize what she does on screen has no bearing on their relationship. She feels better now than she did before because she just finished shooting the scene. She left everything she was feeling out on that set so that she could respond to Yoongi without any remaining animosity. He won’t be too happy when the scene airs, but she’s definitely feeling better right now.

The following day is filled with meetings for Yoongi and the guys. Hyeri was already asleep when he got home the night before and she was gone by the time he woke in the morning. They continued to text but haven’t had a face to face conversation since their argument, though he really wishes they had a chance to. Instead, he’s hoping his day of meetings will fly by and he can get home to catch her before she falls asleep.

Before their first meeting Hobi offers to bring everyone something to drink from the coffee shop. Nothing sucks the ever living life out of Yoongi like a day full of monotonous meetings, so he orders the same delicious cake-like coffee for a sweet boost to get through the day.

“You decided to get your own this time?” Jimin jokes once Hobi delivers the drinks to them in their meeting room.

“I just got it for later, I’m going to drink yours first,” Yoongi teases.

“You won’t!” Jimin playfully snaps.

“I feel like you just like that drink because it tastes like cake and you can cheat on your diet without cheating on your diet,” Taehyung says looking at Yoongi with suspicion.

“Yoongi doesn’t cheat with sweets, he cheats with noodles,” Jin chimes in.

“Why is this suddenly about me?” Yoongi chuckles turning red from the attention. “Aren’t we supposed to be talking about some BT21 rocks or something?”

“It’s TinyTan jewelry,” Jin laughs. “Do you not read anything on the calendar before showing up?”

“Can we get started?” Yoongi takes a sip of his coffee and slumps in his chair.

Everyone laughs and gives Yoongi a hard time for a few more minutes until the team of varying staff members arrive to discuss Tiny Tan merchandise. Yoongi is thankful for his coffee as the meeting progresses. He enjoys the creative process when it comes to merch, but a lot of that has already been done and they’re only fine tuning the little mundane details that usually puts him to sleep. The following meeting is a bit more interesting as they are getting the final look at their upcoming album. They get to see everything put together as it will be when the physical albums go out. They wanted to try a few new things with the goodies included in the album and everything seems to be looking great.

By late afternoon Yoongi is feeling an enormous boost of excitement with all of the comeback talk. The announcement will be going out the next day and that’s when things really start happening. The secret will no longer be so much of a secret and all of these preparations will finally be out for the world to see. Then the tour. Something Yoongi dreaded before, but now at this point in his healing he’s beyond ecstatic. He has to prove himself to everyone and even if he has moments of doubt, he’s at least confident in himself and how far he’s come. He’s so pumped that by the time he makes it to his final meeting that evening he’s on his third cup of coffee and ready to marathon his way though time just to get to their comeback day quicker.

What makes things even better is Yoongi getting home that night to see Hyeri there and still awake. She’s laying across the couch scrolling her phone when Yoongi notices her then runs to wrap his arms around her. She’s a little taken aback by his sudden love assault, but she enjoys it nonetheless.

“I take it you had a good day?” She asks returning his squeeze as best she can while pinned between his body and the couch.

“I’m just really excited!” He beams. “I’m ready for this comeback. I'm ready to perform. I'm just ready to do everything right this time."

"Right?"

"This is my comeback comeback," he giggles childishly. "I have a lot to prove to make up for the past and I'm feeling really good about it because I know I wont let the guys or our fans down, and most importantly I wont let you down." He gives her a barage of pecks on her lips as she giggles from his clearly caffiene fueled energy.

"Really? This is the most excited I've seen you in a while." It's cute to her, but also refreshing. Especally after the fight they had the other night.

"You think so?"

"Yeah," she replies. "I mean, you've been excited before, but it seems like a bit of a different excitement this time. It makes me excited too," she smiles.

"You should be, because I'm going to steal your heart and blow you away," he laughs.

"What?" She laughs.

"I had coffee."

"Really?" She says sarcastically. "You don't say. Did those meetings bore you that much?"

"Yes," he laughs. "It is what it is. It just got me excited for our comeback. The announcement is going out at midnight so I want to check online to see how everyone reacts. I really hope they like everything we've put together for this album and tour."

"I'm sure they will," she assures him. "But I'm starting to lose the feeling in my legs." She pokes his shoulder to get him to ease some of his excited weight off of her.

“Right,” he laughs kissing her once more then sitting up next to her. “Are you going to be at our first show?”

“Yes,” she says sitting up. “I’m not going to miss it this time.”

“I’ll make sure it’s perfect for you,” he smiles.

He means that. Every practice he thinks of Hyeri watching him from within the crowd. He wants to make her proud for once after letting her down so much. This comeback has to be perfect.

[the-eclectic-wonderer]

This is not prepared at all, so it's likely going to be messier than usual, but I was in the shower earlier thinking about the Golden Girls (as one does) and I drew a couple of conclusions on the topic of how many children does Blanche actually have? that I wanted to share with you all.

So, first of all, let me sum up the controversy. The issue lies with one of Blanche's statements in S3E3 Bringing Up Baby, when she's trying to convince Dorothy to keep the Mercedes she bought with the money they'll supposedly get after Baby's death:

"I want that car, Dorothy. I will give you anything. [...] I'll give you one of my sons. I have given this a lot of thought. I have had four kids, I have never had a Mercedes."

Ok, everything tracks so far. Blanche has had four kids, some of which are sons. We meet her two daughters, Janet and Rebecca, a few times during the series, so the natural conclusion is that Blanche has four kids, two sons and two daughters.

Which is great, except... her next line in S3E3 is this:

"What do you say? Which one do you want? Biff, Doug, Skippy? No, don't take Skippy, he's got asthma."

She names a Biff, a Doug, and a Skippy, so... three sons. Which, in addition to the two daughters we see in the show, makes for a grand total of five kids. Huh.

Alright, we know that Blanche wasn't the best mother ever, but I find it hard to believe that she forgot how many children she has, so: what's going on here? The obvious explanation is, as always, that this is a continuity error (although it's a really egregious one!), but you folks know I prefer to find a Watsonian explanation wherever I can, so let's see if we can figure out anything interesting.

One thing that struck me when I first realized this discrepancy is her use of the words 'I have had four kids'. Not I have, I have had. Why does she use the past tense here? The sentence flows better with it, but it doesn't make a lot of sense in-universe -- unless you think that she's using 'to have a child' to mean 'to bear a child'. If that's the case, then what she's saying translates to 'I have physically given birth to four kids, I have never had a Mercedes.'

I'm sure I don't have to point out the implications of this, do I? If the number of kids Blanche has given birth to is four, but her total number of kids is five, then that means that one of her kids is not hers in the strictly physical sense, i.e. one of Blanche's kids is adopted. This would solve the discrepancy without breaking the canon elsewhere (as far as I can tell, at least).

For a while, this idea remained in the back of my head to examine at a later date, because it still has a number of issues to work through. For one, why would Blanche (and supposedly George) adopt a child? They had kids of their own apparently without any issues -- why adopt another child, instead of, well... making another child, if they wanted one more? I guess it's possible that fertility issues might have arisen at some point, but that seems unlikely for a number of reasons; that kind of problem is generally genetic in nature, and it tends to be diagnosed upon first try, not after four successful pregnancies. So, then... why?

I was stuck on this point for a long while, until I suddenly remembered this conversation between Blanche and Virginia, her younger sister, during S5E11 Ebb Tide:

"I remember when you were 16 and didn't come home for Father's Day." "I was away at school!" "Oh, yes. The Good Samaritan Academy for the Knocked-Up. Two, four, six, eight, all us girls are three months late."

It seems Virginia got into a spot of trouble when she was 16, and was away 'at school' for a while to take care of it. While this might imply that she was sent away to have an abortion, there's also space to hypothesize that she was sent away to carry her pregnancy to term and actually have a baby to then give out to adoption. If this is the case... I wonder if this baby is the one that Blanche and George adopted?

While an adoption seems a bit out of character for young!Blanche (to me, at least: she wasn't interested in her kids, why would she agree to adopt another one?), I think there's some space to consider it. For one, George might have convinced her! We don't know enough about the man to draw clear conclusions, but he did send money to the one child he had out of matrimony (see S5E18 An Illegitimate Concern), so maybe he feels more responsible towards kids near him than Blanche did -- and, well, if he'd asked, Blanche would have agreed immediately, of course. I feel like Big Daddy might have also played a part in this scenario: he could have wanted to keep the child in the family (a Hollingsworth is still a Hollingsworth!), and asked the youngest married couple among his children to take on the responsibility, to shield Virginia from the shame.

Note that this theory has a few issues anyway. For one, while Virginia is Blanche's junior, according to Wikipedia she's only one year her junior, which would put Blanche at 17 when all this happened -- and we know she met and married George much later, when she was already a university student (see S6E9 Mrs George Devereaux). However, I can't find any confirmation for this difference in age in the show itself, so I feel like the hypothesis still deserves some consideration.

As for which of Blanche's children is adopted, well... we can for sure rule out the boys, since she mentions them all by name in S3E3. This leaves her two daughters, Janet and Rebecca. All throughout the series Blanche has a rocky and painful relationship with Janet, even more than she has with the rest of her children:

I would love to have a chance to raise David. I might make up for the mess I made with Janet. [S1E6 On Golden Girls]

Well, honey, I really do want to see you. I think we have a lot to talk about, Janet. I've been thinking a lot about you, lately. [S2E16 And Then There Was One]

"I just talked to my daughter, Janet, and she and my granddaughter, Sarah, are coming to visit in a couple of days. Oh, I've never been so happy!" "Janet? Isn't she the daughter who hates you?" "[...] She doesn't really hate me, Sophia. We just don't see eye to eye." [S7E23 Home Again, Rose: Part 1]

As for Rebecca, while we know they stopped talking for a few years due to a disagreement, she seems remarkably closer to her:

We were always so much alike, and so close, just like Siamese twins. [...] I have missed her. She's always been my favourite. [S3E14 Blanche's Little Girl]

Although Rebecca herself seems to have a different perception on their relationship:

You're not happy, Mama. You're doing it again, you're telling me how to live! [...] Nothing's ever enough for you. I had to be the prettiest, I had to be the most popular, I had to be the brightest... [S3E14 Blanche's Little Girl]

I think there's two possible theories here, neither of which paints Blanche in a good light (but hey, we love these characters because of their qualities as well as their faults, don't we?). If Janet is the child she adopted, I think it's possible she might have been especially neglectful towards her (especially in her first few years); she might have taken her frustration with being convinced to adopt her out on her, as a lack of affection when compared to her other kids. This would explain why the relationship between them is so fraught (certain wounds last a lifetime, I'm afraid).

If Rebecca is the child she adopted, on the other hand, she might have wanted to overcompensate for her abandonment and sort of one-up Virginia ('see, how well I can take care of your daughter? aren't I the better mom?'). She might have showered her with affection (and with expectations, judging from what Rebecca says!) to the detriment of her other kids, which would explain the issues in her relationship with Janet as well.

I don't know. It's obviously very clear that, for all her faults, Blanche adores her children and is deeply pained by her mistakes as a mother; she often expresses regret for her actions and wishes she'd been a better mother:

I realized, too late, that I'd put myself ahead of my children. I've never made up all the time I didn't spend with them. [...] deep down, I wish you were really mine. So I could try again with what I now know. [S2E16 And Then There Was One]

For all that might have happened in the past, it's evident that Blanche loves all her children equally and considers all of them her own, so she's clearly gotten over any issues she might have had -- but that doesn't excuse her past actions, of course.

There's a whole lot that could be said about Blanche's approach to motherhood, how it connects to the way her parents treated her as a child and to her own internal issues, but as for the question of how many children she has, I feel like this is a satisfying possible answer. It's not airtight by any means, and I'm sure there's other ways to explain the discrepancy (they might have adopted a child from George's side of the family, for one, which would change a lot of dynamics); this is just the one that occurred to me. As always, I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts, so do let me know your ideas about all this!

[deltadex]

Something I'd like to talk about is how some argue that "Vi is being hypocritical. How can she team up with an Enforcer when her parents were killed by them?" and "her and Caitlyn's relationship progressed too quickly because Vi is supposed to have a lot more resentment for those from Piltover, the people who have oppressed her her whole life". I understand these views. But the way I see it, the whole point of their relationship is about overcoming personal biases.

And let's not forget that, in Episode 8, Vi actually did bring their relationship progression to a halt, DUE TO her personal bias/insecurities that say the Undercity and Piltover will never be able to work together. The writers didn't ignore that aspect.

I think they did a great job of conveying Vi's internal struggle towards accepting Caitlyn as an ally. At one point in her mind, she must have run out of excuses to distrust her, because Caitlyn keeps proving them wrong. It's a hard thing for Vi to wrap her head around, but she's wise enough to see that Cait has good intentions.

In the end, I think they showed a nice balance of "Vi being cynical towards Caitlyn" and "Vi realising Caitlyn is an inherently good person". You could say the same thing about Caitlyn and her initial doubts of Vi's trustworthiness. This is why I love their dynamic, because it encourages them to grow as individuals and see past their preconceived notions.

GIF by orphanmaker

Another hot topic of debate is that of Vi becoming an enforcer herself, which is slathered with the same critique: "How could she given her backstory?". But the important point people are missing is that Vi isn't going to become the type of enforcer that kills innocent people out of pure ruthlessness. She's not going to be an "asshole criminal" in a "fancy uniform". She's going to become an enforcer in order to HELP those in the undercity and PROTECT her sister. Is she really being hypocritical if what she's doing aligns with her own values? It's simply the external image that seems controversial: Oh look! A Zaunite has betrayed their own people by becoming a Piltover Enforcer. But once you dig deeper, you see that her loyalties lie in the right place.

Another point to mention is that we don't even know how the story is going to go about this. Is she going to join the current system of enforcers out of the urgent need to protect her sister? (I don't really see how that would be possible though, unless Jayce appoints Caitlyn as the new Sheriff and Vi accompanies her as a "collaborater" rather than an "enforcer".)

Or maybe they're going to be playing the long game and have Vi and Caitlyn reform the enforcers first before she officially joins them. Either way, they'll be seeking to bring about justice in their broken world.

By thinking that "all enforcers are inherently bad", you would be projecting the very same bias that people from the Undercity have towards Piltover (which is justified to a large extent because of how they've been treated). But what wouldn't make sense is to continually see an enforcer as corrupt even after they've proven themselves different.

[electricprincess96]

Asking out of curiosity, but why do ya dislike Damian Wayne? I ask this not in a acussitory manner mind, as my only exposure to Damian is in non comics material such as those animated movies he popped up in. More so curiosity cause he seems to be a very controversial character among the main comics fandom itself.

He is controversial. There are a few reasons, some I could change my mind on with better writing and others would take a lot more for me to get behind him. I'll start by saying if you're reading this and are a Damian fan don't continue, you aren't gonna like what I have to say so don't both hate reading for the sake of it.

Firstly the concept of the Bat Family for the most part up until that point was about Found Family. Let me be clear I'm not saying it was sunshine and rainbows and they all got along great all the time BUT it was about broken people finding each other and trying to work together to make a difference. The very concept of giving Bruce a blood son ruins that, you need only look at most Damian fans when the debate on who should be Bruce's successor comes up, they will always say Damian despite the fact he has shown NOTHING to prove he deserves it, their only reason is he's the blood son. While yes being both biological and adopted kids is a thing that exists and most real people can do it and it works most DC writers are not adopted parents and dont know the specifics of how you depict that balance and it shows. It reeks of weird blood purist, anti-adoption vibes that just aren't good. Like the rise in "bad parent Bruce Wayne" towards Jason and Tim and some of the others (not sure he knows Cass's name anymore) conveniently corrolates with demon brats creation. Coupled with the fact on more than one occasion writers have seemed to make it seem like Damian does indeed mean more just cause he's blood related. I just don't like it. I wasn't overly fond of Helena Wayne (although she was better cause she was from another world instead of the canon one) and I don't like Damian for the same reason.

Secondly he was forced as Robin. As I said in a recent post up until Damian the role of Robin had only really been changed when it was necessary. Jason was made Robin because DC wanted Robin to be a kid again but readers liked the storylines they were getting with young adult Dick Grayson so they promoted Dick from sidekick and created Jason Todd. Likewise when Jason died there was no Robin, Dick wasn't about to go back to being Robin and Jason was dead thus Tim was created to fill a role that needed filling. Even Stephanie was made Robin due to Tim being unavailable for a long period of time (i dont remember the specifics but i think it had to do with his family finding out about Robin) so even when she lasted not even a year, she was still filling a vacamcy instead of being forced into a role that was already filled. Damian however was just created. They had not taken the proper steps to develop Tim out of being Robin naturally (and before people come at me with "oh he had plenty of time" Dick Grayson got FORTT YEARS and Damian is coming up on nearing 2 decades so shut up) and thus his creation has directly led to the problem we have right now in DC were we have TWO Robins cause they demoted Tim back to being Robin when Red Robin didn't work out (and 3 batgirls but that ones Barbara Gordon's fault). Coupled with the fact his introduction came right after the revival of Jason Todd thus basically screeching to a halt any real meaningful development that plotline could have had because suddenly DC had a shiny new toy to play with. Damian's creation was a turning point for Batman comics and not a good one, because it contributed to the derailing of multiple characters arcs and plotlines and some have still not fully recovered.

Thirdly his character upon introduction was already redundant. He's a child raised by assassins.... OK well we already have Cassandra Cain. He's a Robin willing to kill and will really test the Bat Fams moral compass. OK well as I said we'd already revived Jason Todd and he was already taking the fight to the Bat on the no kill rule. Literally the only unique thing he had upon introduction was that he was a blood relation to Bruce which I personally do not think should mean anything. But DC starting from that point going forward started to have a horrible undercurrent of blood purity. The only thing I can think that he is semi unique on is being biracial but even then not entirely his since Cassandra is biracial as well AND they never do anything with him being biracial. Plus if they really wanted to they could have reconned one of the existing Robins to be biracial without derailing multiple other characters plotlines.

Fourthly. He's an obnoxious and annoying brat 90% of the time. Like I get it, being raised by Talia (although there's conflicting information on of he was actually raised at all since the timeline does not seem to add up for his age and at one point he was grown in an artificial womb and artificially aged but that's been retconned but the timeline still don't add up if he's not artificially aged somewhat. His back story is a mess I ain't gonna make heads or tails of it) will inevitably result in a very arrogant child afterall Ra's and Talia's egos rival Lex Luthors. BUT they want us to believe at times he can back that up. And I'm sorry I don't care how skilled you are as a child assassin, you are still a child. Like in the Animated movies he should not be able to beat Deathstroke in a straight 1 to 1 fight. He just shouldn't. Both are highly skilled assassins sure but Slade is like 6 times Damian's age, double his size and at least 3 times his weight. There is also the fact that his dark, brooding, arrogant, cruel character sort of worked when he was Dick Grayson's Robin cause it was flipping the established dynamics for Batman and Robin. But when he's Bruce's Robin it doesn't work, we no longer have that little bit of sunshine that Robin is meant to bring to Batman (and don't think I haven't noticed how Batman's character has got crueler and darker since Damian became his Robin) while Batman is meant to be a guiding hand for Robin to keep him on the right track.

Fifthly. For Damian's character arc to really work/make sense ot has to be acknowledged that Talia is not a good mother. At best she's deliberately raising him in a dangerous environment and at worse she is actively abusive. It's the only way you can justify half of his character traits and why he's even here in the first place. Here's the issue for all I dislike Talia as a character... I don't believe she's an abusive mother. One thing that seems to be consistent for Talia was that she did love her family. Talia's flaws for me are in her inability to choose a side and her entitlement towards Bruce and other men (well and the whole worldwide genocide of anyone not League of Assassins). Now I am more willing to accept this one as just being how new Talia is but I don't blame some of her fans who feel miffed about this however they do have to acknowledge that there's no real way to do his story without her either being an incompetent parent or a down right bad one (but don't worry Talia fans Bruce is also awful nowadays so she's not alone there....)

Now his arrogance and overall unlikable character can absolutely be fixed with good writing. I hated him in the Animated movies (kid you grew up in the mountains leaving to kill you SHOULD NOT BE LECTURING BRUCE FUCKING WAYNE ABOUT STOCKS) but I'm quite liking him in Boy Wonder where it's actually tackling his own sense of entitlement and showing that he needs to learn from his predecessors rather than acting like he's better than them purely because he shares dna with Bruce.

BUT the conceptual issues I have won't go away quite so easily. It's why if I'm asked if I could wipe one Robin from existence, it will always be him. He could be written wonderfully, he could get a comic run that is the best written thing ever and I will still always say him when asked that question. And I know I'm not alone on that.

[aokuro-san]

Recommending fanfics (III): In progress or incomplete.

It's been 84 years or something like that… But today I woke up wanting to recommend fanfics, so I continue with this small collection that started with:

Complete fanfics: https://www.tumblr.com/aokuro-san/714582391192272896/recommending-fanfics-i-complete-fanfics?source=share

and continued with

One-shots: https://www.tumblr.com/aokuro-san/723176474909327360/recommending-fanfics-ii-one-shots?source=share

And before continuing,

I want to remind you that… In general I like to read fanfics x reader (or with inclusion of reader) because I enjoy imagining that I'm inside the story, however, you'll see that there are some that I didn't take that way and I still love them.

I hope you like it!

Part 3: In progress or incomplete.

shiratorizawa antics, by mooshys

(Haikyuu!!) AO3

I said it at the time and I'll say it again: SHIRATORIZAWA is my favorite Haikyuu!! team, and this was one of the stories I was most eager to recommend; not only because it was one of the most elaborate ones I read on the subject, but because it's a great slice of life that's worth reading, even if it's not finished, that deals -again- with the experiences of the fictional Shiratorizawa manager with the peculiar members of this team. In general, stories full of light humor, but that can also deal with more human/adolescent themes such as fear of the future and what we will be in it.

Anyway. A little gem that I always come back to and that can even be read as if it were an anthology related to each other (I think?).

26/28 (at first, because the author always changes the final number of chapters, haha).

Belligerence, by SecretPuddin

(Jujutsu Kaisen) AO3

Apparently, while I was "away", this fanfic increased its number of chapters and seems to be about to end. But, since it is not yet, I will take advantage of it and recommend it to you here (in fact, I just noticed that the last publication date was in 2023, but, well, that should not discourage anyone either). Because, like everything I recommend to you, in general and in my eyes, it is more than worth it!

In this case, the story is presented as a story of love, violence and family found between the reader (male, in this case), a lover of fighting with good feelings (typical shonen protagonist, but with hidden depths and a traumatic past as the plot progresses) and the unfortunate Junpei Yoshino, while the parents of both have their own romance in the middle; which, inevitably, complicates and uncomplicates things at the same time.

It is… BRUTAL. I mean, when you start reading this story, you certainly don't know how much it will impact you and how well the author will treat the themes and her characters (within the context she offers us). Especially Junpei, who always seemed like an interesting character to me and…, for those who were left with a bitter taste with his ending in the original story, this fanfic could be the answer!

However, keep in mind that it deals with topics, perhaps taboo, perhaps controversial, perhaps tricky, depending on the reader's sensitivity (which is excessively high lately xD) and there is some sexual scene involved (especially when the healthy relationship between the reader and Junpei inevitably turns into these areas), so, unlike me at the time, I would tell you to read the story tags to get an idea of ​​what you will read… or not.

21/24 (again, for now).

Vivisection, by death13

(Blue Lock) AO3

Ok, maybe I'm taking a risk here, but it won me over after just one chapter and I think it deserves to be included in this post. Also because it's rare to find fanfics that include or are, directly, horror (my favorite genre) and that, in addition, start in such a potential way as this one (that it catches your attention and is good, let's say).

The plot introduces us to the new manager of her high school's football team, where weirdos seem to abound, and the tension and bad vibes (or feelings) are present almost at all times! Even if you can't pinpoint exactly what's wrong, you know something's wrong, the protagonist's friend knows something's wrong (and her last sentence is quite revealing (although also prejudiced)… And this is just the first step of what seems to be one of the best horror fanfics that could be born around here. Well, as I said, I can't say much because only the first chapter is available… But I think it was worth including it for the reasons already mentioned.

1/15 (in principle! The truth is that it's the one I hope continues the most of all, haha).

PS: I don't know why the suggestiveness of certain Shirley Jackson stories, mixed with the typical j-horror, came to my mind… So, there you have it! If you like both things, I think you'll appreciate it even more.

Well, look, for now we'll leave it like that. I know that there are fewer fanfics than the ones I usually recommend… But, in general, most of the stories I read are usually complete, so I didn't have much material, although, it's true that I have more unfinished stories out there. However, right now it seems risky to recommend them, since, when I go over them, they don't seem as good to me anymore or I feel that, despite the good story, the protagonist is somewhat weak compared to these three here (even within their simplicity). So we'll be content with these three (the best of the best, haha, and what will be easier for you to find).

Well, I'll see you later (if I feel like it and I'm not busy with my own work, lol)! 😇

[itsscromp]

the venom scene with Harry Peter and MJ at the table but with reader replacing Harry with the symbiote😶

Peter Parker x Venom Reader

OOOH I love a good role reversal, This will be interesting. Thank you for this anon. Word count:943

It was a race against time for Peter to save you, He just managed to get the symbiote off of him, he went back to you and tried to warn you about the dangers of it rebonding with you. But you didn't want to hear any of it, you were more concerned about yourself and fought peter to get the symbiote back.

But when you did, he was horrified by what you became, you became this hulking monster. A more sinister version of what he endured with the symbiote suit. You raided times square and even killed Kraven soon after. What have you become y/n...

Back in Queens, MJ was reading the comments about her latest story from when Peter was under the influence of the symbiote, Considering to delete it now knowing the truth, she was interrupted by a video call from jameson.

"I hate this.." She sighed as she answered the call.

"I love this !!" Jameson greeted her.

"You do ??"

He chuckled "You've hit the nail on the head, FINALLY. Top story, Everybody's talking about it. This is EDITOR material."

"Editor" MJ was a little shocked.

"Congratulations, Your first assignment: write more juicy stuff by tomorrow morning !! Drama, controversy! Just like this"

"Like this..??"

"Get writing !!" And with that Jameson hung up, Crap this was not was she wanted, to continue to spread lies about Peter. She then picked up her phone and began to face time Peter.

"MJ.." Peter greeted.

"I, uh... didn't get fired from the Bugle, In fact, I think I got a promotion."

"Hey! That's what you wanted, right ??"

"Yeah, I... I thought it was"

Then that's... Great... Hey listen, something's gone... wrong with y/n"

"Wha... What happened ??"

"Well..."

But before Peter could answer fully, she got a knock on the door. "Hang on, someone's at the door."

"It's kinda hard to explain, just... Promise me you'll stay away from them, okay ??"

But when she answered the door, you were there, standing in front of her with a threatening look on your face.

"MJ ??"

You then raised your arm and tendrils emerged, slithering to her as you hung up the call. Shoot, you were there, Peter then swung as fast as he could to the house, he needed to stop you before you hurt MJ.

"Y/n, What the hell ??"

He tried to ring MJ again "Come on MJ, pick up !!"

But it went straight to voicemail. "Hey, it's MJ! You can leave a message, but why would you?? If it's important, just, you know... text"

"Dammit !! Please be ok"

He swung as fast as he could, finally making it to his house and rushing to the door.

Barging inside, he frantically looked for her. "MJ ??!! Where's..."

He then saw her... and you at the dining table... what were you planning.

"Y/n..."

"Pete, You look tense" You were disturbingly calm, the nerves striking Peter.

"Coffee ??" The tendrils wreathed from your back, reaching the coffee mug and pouring it into the mug, MJ gave Peter a Do what they say look.

"We need to talk" Peter tried to maintain his composure.

"You must get tired of making the world a better place. Every. Single. Day" You interrupted as you stood up. Going over to the counter and picking up a photo of Peter and Aunt May. "But I can help, All you have to do is let me" You turned to him.

"This isn't you..." MJ shook her head.

"Wrong" You turned to her. "This is the real me" You froze for a bit before going back to the conversation at hand. "I finally have the power to realise our vision... Are you... Giving up on me ??"

"Y/n... We need to get that thing off you."

Tendrils emerged from your arm, smashing the dining table, frightening MJ as she moved away.

"Do not... Call us... A thing..."

"Y/n...

"We are not y/n"

The symbiote gradually began to consume you, Spreading all over your body, making you taller and muscular. Bringing back the hulking monster that Peter faced earlier... seeing you lose yourself.

"We..." Your voice began to change "Are..." Then... the transformation was complete. "Venom"

They were mortified by what you had become, But they didn't have time to think as you tried to attack Peter, MJ then protected him as they were both pushed into the kitchen, with the fridge falling on Peter as Venom began to drag MJ away. The tendril were consuming her as Venom planted a Symbiote in her.

Peter frantically got the fridge off of him, Rushing over to find MJ now consumed by the symbiote. Peter grew angry seeing this, what you turned her into. "Let her go !!"

But then MJ's symbiote gripped him and tossed him outside, causing everyone to flee in panic about what was happening. Venom soon went outside and saw the two about to fight "Show him what he's missing" Venom then leaped from the house, Beginning his plan.

Peter soon managed to help MJ fight off her symbiote "Am I... I'm OK!!" "You did it !!" The two shared an embrace before MJ realised she had one final task to do, Picking up the phone, she rang a certain someone. "WATSON !!! Where are you with my apple fritters !!! I'm starving and.."

"Jonah... Kiss my ass, I quit !!!"

"WATSO.." She hung up as soon as he could go into a rant.

The two shared a tender moment together before then having to begin to stop you from enacting your plan to 'heal the world' Peter didn't want to lose you too...

Taglist: @callofdudes @fun-k-board