#and then have his storyline end w him completely alone?!

[asweetprologue]

i've seen a few posts defending ted's choice to return to kansas and henry, and I really get where they're coming from

if ted lasso was a real person living in the real world, I would say 100% he should go back to live near his son and help raise him. that's the reasonable and responsible thing to do. I don't get behind the sentiment that you should always sacrifice every part of yourself for your children and always be perfect for them (bc that's impossible and self destructive and worse for them in the long run), but there a strong middle ground between "taking time for me" and "moving to the other side of the world"

but ted lasso is not a real person. he is a fictional man in a fictional tv show, where things like character development and narrative themes should matter. I'm sure that ted would be fine in kansas, because he makes friends everywhere he goes and he probably has lots of family and friends there. but the AUDIENCE doesn't know kansas. the only people ted knows there from our pov are his son (who he feels the need to protect from his own feelings), his ex wife (who expressly asked him to leave), and his ex's new boyfriend who was once his therapist (who probably was partially responsible for ending ted's marriage). the people we have learned to love over the course of the show, all of the relationships that ted's developed that we've invested our time and care in, those are all in england. sending ted back to kansas is unsatisfying because all the relationships that he's been growing over the past three seasons just... end. cut off. and even more than that, it's narratively unsatisfying bc it just puts him right back where he started, raising his son without any real support system, now without even beard to be there for him. there were ways to have ted keep henry in his life more without taking him away from all the people who helped make him less afraid of being a father. how does it make any sense that he would be able to be a good parent without the people who helped him change? it just felt like such a dark ending to me, this guy who was begging for someone to love him and see him the entire show to end up alone without a single friend by his side.

[citrusai]

it breaks my heart that veilguard doesnt care about past storylines & choices. dont get me wrong as a solasmancer im fine w how the game gave us closure and i never expected this to be solavellan: the game and i expected a much worse ending if not a complete erasure of the inq's existence considering the hof and hawke are nowhere to be mentioned. not by wardens, not by people talking about the blight or even harding who was there when hawke either remained in the fade or came out of it (since lace is now an inquisition diary abeg), not even varric. but, there is a reason i chose for alistair & my HoF to remain wardens, there is a reason i left hawke in the fade instead, there is a reason why i had morrigan perform the dark ritual in origins, why leliana was softened, why i reunited briala & celene.

it's very strange & disheartening that ea just bulldozes over all of that by insinuating thedas has fallen. meaning our HoF, Hawke and to an extent the Inquisitor, all suffered for nothing. then with the weird rewrite of the antivan crows, no longer groomers and enslavers, but now an anti dictatorship rebellion?? zevran is mentioned once, but there is nothing to be said about him killing crows to destroy the order & it's terror of abuse against the people in it. there are references to lucanis experiencing abuse, but then they portray it as a familial thing? not a thing the antivan crows have done for ages?

i'm not even gonna unpack the whole thing of morrigan suddenly finding peace w the fact that mythal's taken residence up in her body even though in origins she resented flemeth (as she should) for having her and never telling her that she was born to be a vessel for a god. not to mention she has. sisters? loads of them? where are they?? and then why did we spend all that time in origins, da2, & inquisition learning about the blight, blood magic, the magisters who have malformed into archdemons and etc whilst clawing for power if the main takeaway is "elves did it." and they never really fully explain why the elves would literally pervert their own world but. okay.

elgar'nan and ghilan'nain are solas' sworn enemies yet we know literally nothing about them. what we learn is from frescoes of regret painted by solas; we get the information only he wishes to share. we don't get a codex, we don't get a reason for their thirst for power actually. we get a memory cutscene of ghilan'nain saying i'm gonna be a GOD now! see ya! and we get told everyone, even mythal who sought him out to be her soldier and servant, has turned her back on him and his warnings as the blight grows.

also the thing that like. "healing" the blight? are they not angry titans? would it just not start up again whenever it wanted to? how does solas' lifeforce help heal it if he crafted the prison as a punishment to the evanuris, if the veil itself was fractured and splintering in origins, da2 and again in inquisition when corypheus got that elven nuke.

like. they didn't fix anything. it's either solas, alone, chilling in a prison by his own choice and i guess doing meditational chants for the titans to relax, or he's doing it w the inquisitor (if you romanced him), or he's been bound against his will, stewing in anger and hatred which. makes the whole veil crumbling thing 20x worse, no?

[fromxxthexxashes]

Okay, okay, OKAY. Other long post from Hailey, but who’s surprised?

My thoughts on 7x07:

First of all, I just want to say that I HATE cheating storylines. Always have, always will. I hated when Hen did it, I hated it when Buck did it, and I hate that Eddie is doing it. Cheating is wrong, and that’s that. However, human beings make mistakes all the time, and this doesn’t mean that Eddie is evil or bad. It makes him human. While the show has, admittedly, not done great when it comes to taking certain serious subject matter seriously (see: Dr. W*lls), however, when they’ve done these cheating storylines in the past, it has always been framed as a wrong decision. I’m guessing that’s what’s gonna happen with Eddie.

I’ve also heard the term OOC thrown around, and while I think this is unlike Eddie, in terms of his morality, I don’t think it’s out of character. This whole storyline is Eddie self-destructing. We’ve seen him do it before. The first time is when he got into fighting. He wasn’t a bad guy or a guy with anger issues, he was a man in pain, who didn’t know what to do with all that hurt - so he self-imploded. The second time, was when he had a breakdown. This was a lot more visceral. He had all these feelings and trauma bottled up, and he wasn’t dealing with it, and then it exploded. Then he took a baseball bat to his room - an extension of the self, one might say. And he did it, in part because of all the years of repressed trauma, but also because of all that guilt.

This cheating storyline is Eddie self-destructing. He’s in an unfulfilling relationship that he only got into because he felt he had to be with someone otherwise he was a failure for being alone. He also hasn’t dealt with his grief and trauma of Shannon's passing, clearly. And Trauma has a wicked way of making us do bad things. Along with that, he still idealizes his relationship with Shannon, even though there is a lot more bad than good. I think he is unhappy with certain things in his life, and he’s going about things the way he is, likely because he probably still feels guilty about his mistakes and how his marriage ended. For him, it’s easier to implode than it is to search deeper down and find the issues he’s not dealing with.

It’s not intentional behavior. He holds himself up to such a high standard, that anything he does feels like not enough, like he’s a failure. Because of that, he has a low opinion of himself, and, subconsciously, he wants to punish himself. His idealization of his marriage with Shannon doesn’t help with that, because he probably thinks the problems in their marriage rest on his shoulders - despite the fact that both parties contributed.

While the cheating might be self-sabotage, him picking a woman that looks like his dead wife and mother of his child, is obviously about his constant urge to fulfill this mother and wife role in Chris and his lives. He has a hard time believing he can be a good father alone, so he’s always searching for someone to complete that nuclear family image.

I think he also wants to try and recreate those good moments he had with Shannon with Kim, this doppelgänger woman. He’s put on these rose-colored glasses when it comes to his marriage with Shannon. He’s not fulfilled with Marisol, and he’s desperately trying to find that fulfillment. He wants that fulfillment to come from someone who fits those mother/wife roles that he feels is obligated to pursue, and who fits that role better than Shannon, his wife and mother of his child? Unfortunately, that’s not gonna work. One, because Kim is not Shannon. Two, Shannon and his relationship was a whole mess. Three, the way he’s going about pursuing this is gonna end up even messier.

So while I HATE that they’re doing a cheating storyline, this does mean there will be positive things for us, the audience, and for Eddie’s character development.

Eddiesol is BONES. Say bye-bye transphobic and homophobic actress. You will not be missed!!

Eddie will likely end the season single. There is no way Eddie is going to stay with Kim, because that would be way too traumatic for Eddie and Chris, not to mention no self-respecting women is going to stay with a man that pursued her only because she looked like his wife.

Buck is going to meet Kim, and Buck will find out that Eddie cheated, and will hopefully yell at him for dumb choices. Buck is speaking from experience, so I’m guessing he’ll have a lot to say. I feel like this could mirror their argument over Ana in s5.

Kenny described this arc as a “beautiful disaster” so Eddie will undoubtedly come out of this having learned some valuable lessons.

Eddie is finally going to process Shannon’s death.

Eddie is finally going to admit that his relationship with Shannon was far from perfect.

Eddie will FINALLY realize that he cannot replace Shanon. This will stop his cycle of dating women with the purpose of doing just that.

Hopefully, this will lead to Eddie realizing that he’s only ever dated women out of some kind of obligation, which could hopefully lead into a sexuality storyline sometime in the future.

So, despite the fact that I hate cheating storylines, I have faith that this will result in some positive change for Eddie. Cheating is wrong, but it’s not character death. Hen grew past her infidelity, and so did Buck. Every thing is going to blow up in Eddie’s face, and it will undoubtedly result in some deep self-reflection, hopefully some therapy, and some character growth.

[wolfgiselle]

Character Reaction Fanfictions (watching the show/movie or reading the books) -Recs -

One of my favorite tropes in fanfiction is characters being forced to watch/read/react to their own stories. Unfortunately, a good majority of these are crap. Readers looking for these stories often have to dig through a lot of coal to find just one diamond in the rough. Here's a list of the ones I’ve managed to find. Ones that aren’t just a written recreation of their source material.

Is This The Way It Ends Now? by Seastar98 (Death Note) (Finished) This is one of my favorite Death Note fanfictions for a reason. It doesn’t make us watch or read the dialogue or action of the show along with the characters; It assumes we’ve already seen it and focuses on the character’s reactions (what we’re actually here for) and gives more character development to some of its minor characters (Mello, Near, and Matt being clear examples. I was happy about this in particular since my favorite characters in Death Note are Matt and Matsuda). L and Light end up together, but romance is not the focus.

Hunter x Hunter / Assassination Classroom by EternalQuestForGoodFics (Finished) Basically, Killua ends up in the Assassination Classroom world. To go home, he must eventually allow his classmates to watch the HunterxHunter series to learn more about him and where he came from. These two fandoms are a great matchup, and Killua is one of the best characters to end up in the AssClass world. Seeing Killua bond and make a new friend out of Nagisa made it worth reading alone. Their reactions are part 2 of the series. 

MHA X Hunter by makifinity (My Hero Academia / Hunter x Hunter) (In progress) This is a good fanfiction where the My Hero Academia characters watch the HunterXHunter anime together instead of their own show. What makes ‘this’ great is how different the two worlds are and the morals that hold them together. I love that the villains are also involved in this viewing room since, in most My Hero reaction fics, the villains are left out of the experience and don’t get to have their own voices and opinions about what is happening on screen.

The Journey of the Unholy Trinity by Arremi (Code Geass) (In progress) If you’ve been in the Code Geass fandom long enough, you’ve probably seen a few of these stories. This one is the longest, most well-written, and most complete I’ve found.

Code Geass: The Blame Game: by AllHailThe99th (Code Geass) (In progress) One thing I like about this Code Geass reaction fic is the author’s obvious and stated hate of the character Suzaku. Suzaku is on my list of most hated characters; I like reading people judging and calling him out constantly on his shit. It’s a very therapeutic read. I recommend it to anyone who felt a similar rage when watching the show.

Appearances by McKinney_Wylis (Marvel / Avengers) (Finished) This story has the Avengers going to Asgard to check on Loki when they find a weird video clip online that scares them into believing Loki may have broken free. It turns out the video clip was from a different universe (our universe), and they suddenly had access to the Marvel movies that were available at that time. They watch the Thor movie and learn things about Loki, unknown before. The watching of Thor actually doesn’t take up the whole fic, but this story still counts. It takes place during the Thor: The Dark World storyline.

In terms of pairings…well, I’ll read any pairing if it’s written well enough. Even a story with Loki and Steve shacking up. I don’t like Steve, but I like how he was written in this fic. The way he and Loki interact is cute enough that I can look past it.

Part of the Journey is the end by hunkahulkaaburningfudge (Marvel / Avengers) This series starts with the characters watching Infinity War and has been going through the continuing movies and TV shows; with great writing and lots of material, this is definitely one of the best. I loved the Wanda and Loki reactions. And the ‘What if?” storylines were hilarious.

Avengers Watch Snippets by Ifihadatardis (Marvel / Avengers) As advertised, the characters watch little snippets of scenes of each other’s lives. Sometimes, these fics are preferable because the characters can learn about each other without going through their entire movies.

All the Days of Our Lives Series by ElrondScribe (Marvel / Avengers) This series has the characters react to Captain America, Iron Man 1, and Iron Man 2. It takes place after Civil War and has them watching the movies in Wakanda. I like the Tony Stark and Pepper focus in these fics, and I thought the writer did well with the other character voices, even for the ones I didn’t like.

School Watches Assassination Classroom by TheSteinsGateFormula (Assassination Classroom) (Finished) This is not just one of the best reaction fanfictions of all time but one of the best, period. The author not only had the original class and teachers watching the show but the entire school (baring the Principal, thank god) yet still managed to keep everyone in character and give everyone a distinctive voice when trying to keep up with so many people.

Attention is given to situations that were mostly glossed over without consequence in the actual show, like the students who came from abusive households. My favorite characters, Nagisa and the younger Asano, get a good amount of attention.

The only negative of this fic is how long it is. Over 700,000 words. It takes some serious reading time, but it’s worth it. Trust me. But once you start, you might not want to stop. Make sure you have the time to dedicate to it.

Lucifer Reacts to Supernatural by SilverWolf7 (Lucifer/Supernatural) As much as I love Supernatural and wish I had more good recs for it, this is one of the best options I can offer in this category. I haven’t seen the show Lucifer yet (I’ve been meaning to), but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of this fic. Seeing Lucifer’s love of Sam’s character and hearing him rage about many of the things in the show that frustrated me or he thought were inaccurate were giant highlights of this story. Warning: If you’re a Dean fan, you might get defensive about how much Lucifer bashes him (I live for it, but that’s me). One of the other characters that he’s watching it with even rage-quits on him for how much he was dissing her favorite character. If that doesn’t bother you, this might be the fic for you.

Watching You, Watching Me, Watching You by trippedandfellintopurgatory (Supernatural) This is one of the only good Supernatural watching-the-show fics I’ve found. So, of course, it only has 19 chapters, sits at 30,000 words, and has a slow updating schedule.

Blank Disc by TheFallenArchangel (Supernatural) Another of the few good Supernatural watch-the-show fics. This one hasn’t been updated since 2014 and has only seven chapters. Dean and Sam are teenagers, and their father and Bobby watch with them.

The Void by iAnneart (Yugioh: Duel Monster/ Yugioh Abridged) This fanfiction was one that I used to love, and I hate that it still hasn’t been updated and doesn’t look like it ever will be. The characters of Yugioh react to their own abridged series to hilarious effect. This fic was the entire reason I watched the Abridged Series by LittleKuribo - still one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen, and admittedly much better than the actual show. Another fanfiction is more popular and has them watch more episodes. But this fic was much better written with only ten chapters.

Under a Watchful Eye by my secret thoughts (Harry Potter) A story where the Harry Potter characters read the books. It focuses on Harry and Sirius. There is no actual recitation of the books (thank god), but it’s written well enough to tell what they’re reacting to. So far, this is the only reaction fic like this in the Harry Potter fandom I’ve liked. It takes place during their 5th-year, and the other characters are mostly Order of the Phoenix members.

Truth Revealed by Lucifer swift (Full Metal Alchemist) One of the first reaction fanfictions I ever read. It's been reuploaded on fanfiction.net. In this reaction series, the characters are forced to relive the pain they witness themselves having on screen. Any of you who have seen Full Metal Alchemist know that is leading to an agonizing time.

No such thing as a painless lesson by RoseJennison (My Hero Academia) The best My Hero Academia fanfiction that’s actually still going and might eventually catch up with the episodes…maybe. The characters in this are also forced to suffer the pain they see themselves experiencing onscreen. Think about all the times Midoriya breaks himself and imagine him having to feel all that again continuously.

In the Grasp of Schadenfreude by ThoughtSpinner (My Hero Academia) The parents and teachers/heroes watch the show and find out what's been going on with their children and at school. Needless to say, these parents have a lot of thoughts. 

Reaction Ritual by PreshByPyre (Naruto) This is only six chapters, but I hope the author returns to it. It’s a good idea, and well-written Naruto reaction fics are rare.

A number of fragments by eliscool (Naruto) Exactly what the title suggests. Instead of watching Naruto episode by episode, the characters are watching random fragments of the show and have to try and put together what’s happening. This occurs when Naruto and the kids are still in the Academy - but before Itachi commits the massacre.

Old stories, new discoveries by Daniablazin (Discontinued) (Miraculous Ladybug) This is my favorite Miraculous Ladybug reaction fiction. Unfortunately, it doesn’t go past the first season. It’s been discontinued because the author said they didn’t like where the show was going. A real shame. The writing on this was amazing, and it had serious potential.

What are our children up to? by o0Lithium0o (Teen Wolf) The parents of Teen Wolf from earlier in the timeline get to see what their children are up to and their future. The kids aren't actually in the room with them. Probably for the best. They are so grounded for the foreseeable future once they all get back.

As Above is Below by kswriter (Shadowhunter Series)The characters of the Shadowhunter series (pretty much all of them) sit down to read the books. This goes by the book canon, not the show canon. I mainly love this series for the Mangus and Alec content. This is the only reaction fic I've seen with these characters. 

Reaction: Six of Crows by error_404_gender_not_found (Six of Crows) Characters from Six of Crows and Shadow and Bone reading the Six of Crows books. This ignores the TV show canon.

Honorable Mentions: 1.Watching Hunter x Hunter by catnip_riceball 2.HxH watches Hunter x Hunter by bb_bubblepopb33 3.I Have Regrets, but this Just Might be the Worst of Them Series by by IzuochaRay (My Hero Academia) 4.Cheat code central by orphan_account (My Hero Academia)(Villains react to the show) 5. Mansion Of Time: Watching Season 1 by Perez_K (My Hero Academia) 6. Watching as Hope is Lost by GeorgeFredSlytherin (Code Geass) 7. The Trials and Tribulations of Spider-Man, the People's Hero by ironfidus (Marvel/Spiderman) 8. Glee meets Glee By: babeitscoldoutside (Glee) 9. when the teacup shatters by SolusMormont (Hannibal)

[roominthecastle]

so....... RA 301, "Lone Wolf"

high points:

• the two Greys (a middle manager and a trainee acc. to the end credits lmao) tackling human abduction logistics - "Well, you got the 'leave him inside the house' part right." LOL I'm currently in my UFO/UAP phase again, so this little moment (along w/ that hangar full of retrieved alien spacecrafts) was a treat. This whole abduction storyline continues to simultaneously creep me out and delight me to no end. It's an odd but good feeling, and I'm excited to see how it plays out. FINALLY they made me interested in Ben & Kate again -- already one major improvement over last season.

• Alan Tudyk. In a suit. Thank you.

• the interactions btw Sheriff Mike & Deputy Liv retain their golden status. I just love them.

Mike: Look, there goes a damn government drone watching us right now. Liv: I think that's just some mustard on the window. Mike: That's what they want you to think. You gotta trust no one, Deputy. Head on a swivel. You ain't never really safe until you learn to look behind yourself. Go ahead, watch your back. Go ahead. Do it.

• Kevin and her lil' kitty towel awww

• "I had to stop because of you. I will always have to stop because of you." !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! this is the stuff I'm here for. It reminded me of Hannibal: Tell me, Clarice. Would you ever say to me, "Stop? If you love me, you'd stop"?

The feelings, guys... the feelings I have are MANY and STRONG

but:

In general, Harry's characterization continues to frustrate me. We get a reminder how "going it alone" is hard-wired into his DNA. Even the two Greys are a brief counterpoint to this, presented as a team, supporting each other. But Harry still has to keep re-learning -- or more like re-realizing -- the basic tenet that confiding in Asta is the way to go, and we're already in S3. It just feels needlessly repetitive at this point. And hand-waving his behavior w/ "oh he just has the amorality of a child" is so... thin, such a basic cop-out. I know that emotional maturation is built on a long series of missteps, many repeated ones, but please let some stuff stick already so it can be built upon and keep things fresh. We have seen just how much development Harry's capable of in the character of Goliath. He is the best (a future) version of Harry and I'd really like to see him start moving in that direction now instead of coloring over the same lines ad nauseam.

That being said, the glorious clusterfck that is his relationship with Asta remains to be so fascinating. His alien core keeps crashing against his feelings for her and amidst all my frustration these moments somehow keep hitting the right sweeeet twisted spot for me????? I mean, apparently, he violated the Galactic Federation Charter 3 times already - for her. He def betrayed his own species - for her. First he was willing to save Earth - for her, now he would let the whole planet burn - for her. He then contemplates killing her to stop the fracture of his very being only to screech to a halt by her bed -- all of which is just...... WOW. He is so torn and confused yet so viscerally attached to her. He first calls her his kryptonite, then his Lois Lane. His core instinct is to protect her now and then try to fumble his way back to his mission, which is a complete 180 to how he behaved originally. So we def have development, I just wish they stopped trying to drown this precious nuance in a caricature. We have gold here, writers, let it shine.

[positivelybeastly]

What's your take on bendis interpretation of beast?

To put it bluntly, I think it sucks.

And because it's me, we gotta overanalyse, SO HERE WE GO.

For starters, Bendis is just a very . . . limited, writer, in general. If you search his name on almost any comic book related forum that he's done an associated run for, you will invariably find a lot of people talking about some fairly massive characterisation slip, or some intense continuity fumble, or a run that started strong and ended badly.

Superman, the Guardians of the Galaxy, to say nothing of individual characters who have suffered under his pen like X-23, Jon Kent, or Wanda Maximoff - the man just isn't good at writing characters that aren't his own. This may be why his run on Alias is so strong, that's his character, she's acting within the boundaries he set, that's completely fine. But other characters?

If you want to see a more professional level takedown of especially his dialogue, have a look at this. It's a fairly damning examination of the tropes that drive his writing, but try the quiz at the end of the page and see how many of the characters you can identify by dialogue alone. You will be shocked at some of the ridiculously huge deviations from a character's established voice he's responsible for.

But we want to get specific, so let's get specific, shall we?

So, in order to establish why Bendis' characterisation of Beast is out of whack, we gotta establish what Beast was like beforehand. In the past 10 years before 2013, what's he been up to?

Well, Hank's well into his secondary mutation storyline at this point, struggling with a new, more animalistic form that comes with a strong bloodlust, one less finger, new senses, new drives, and a strong sense of body dysphoria/dysmorphia that I, personally, quite identified with. Hank's neuroses are still fairly strong on this, but he is getting better, in no small part thanks to . . .

Abigail Brand. Hank's partner (I don't like to use the term girlfriend or love interest for Abigail because they honestly feel a little beneath her), they have an intense, occasionally combative chemistry, but they love each other to the point where Abigail tells Magneto in dialogue that she wants Hank's children at some point, and Hank has a near nervous breakdown when she's temporarily killed in Si Spurrier's X-Men Legacy.

Struggles with ethical and moral quandaries related to mutantkind's survival, as well as the use of lethal force in superheroics. Between the Ghost Box laser strike, the Secret Avengers nuclear bomb, the Endangered Species experiments, and the Secret Invasion Legacy Virus bioweapon, Hank has been involved in quite a lot of ethically dubious things - by his standards, anyway. By the standards of Cyclops or Captain America, Hank literally hasn't done anything wrong, but Hank holds himself to a different moral standard. This is especially important.

A tenuous relationship with the X-Men, to the point where he's only come back to the Jean Grey School to spite Cyclops during Schism/Regenesis. Prior to this, he had left the team, and multiple members were downright hostile to him on first seeing him again afterwards.

So, we start off All-New X-Men #1, and what's up?

Hank is dying because his body has randomly started to mutate.

. . . Why?

Iunno, just is.

The more I think about it, the less sense this really makes, because literally every other time that Hank has mutated, there has been an insanely specific reason why. He ingested MGH, he was experimented on, Infectica/Pestilence touched him, Sage jumpstarted his mutation, etc - but here, it just sort of. Happened? And this really bothers me, because Hank's mutation is really important to his character arc. His relationship to his body and his outward appearance and how he experiences the world on a tactile, emotional level is one of the building blocks of the character.

But because feline Beast isn't drawn consistently, and people are nostalgic for 90s simian Beast, we're getting a new form just 'cause. I feel like a fairly massive rule in writing is that things never happen just because, and yet, this whole thing is happening just because.

It's also killing him. Now, this opens up a really interesting can of worms that I don't think Bendis really thought through, because this is actually a tragic, on-brand thing to happen to Hank - he hates his mutation so much, and now it's literally trying to kill him. He also fairly obviously does not trust the other X-Men to be able to help him (which is proven correct by the narrative) and is in a helpless, depressed enough state of mind that he accepts he's going to die.

I feel like Bendis didn't realise what he'd done here? He's set up Hank as this isolated character (which he is) who doesn't feel like he can trust the X-Men to help him (he can't) and who is in a depressive enough place in his life that he doesn't drop his normal workload to do anything more worthwhile with what may be his final days on Earth. He just keeps trudging on, lugging around heavy equipment to the X-Jet, coming when called, telling his friends he's fine. He's given up on fixing what's wrong.

Fellas, do we call this attempted suicide? Iunno, maybe we do?

And it's in this state of mind that Hank hears Bobby say, man, if only Scott could see himself in the past, he'd hate present Scott.

Now, I don't really accept the conceit that Hank hates Scott enough to blow open the timestream in a fit of pique. I straight up don't think it's his style, he's not been established to have the capability, Hank can occasionally be reckless but mostly with his own life, not other people's. Especially not when we have all of these exchanges to consider. But fine, Hank's in an altered state of mind, he's dying, he's panicking, he's not thinking clearly.

Bendis will promptly forget all of these facts and pretend that this is some grand plan Hank had, and no-one ever even addresses that Hank was about to die. The X-Men are all very happy he's alive again when his younger self fixes him, and no-one ever asks, so hey why didn't you mention you were dying? Which? I think? You would do?

Abigail Brand will also be established to have broken up with Hank off panel for some reason so that Bendis can have Hank make a joke about not getting any in a while.

Bendis has already blown out two of the four main storylines that Hank had through the 00s for basically no reason. Because he doesn't like cat Beast, and because Abigail would logically stop Hank from doing something this stupid and care that he's going off the rails, so they've got to go.

Friends, they were broken up in 2015. We still don't know why. We have never. EVER. Gotten a reason. They apparently still care enough about each other to finger empty eye sockets, but not enough to, you know. Kiss or hug or fuck or be on panel together.

In fact, I'm gonna fuck you up right now. This is from Kieron Gillen's series during Secret Wars.

"Abigail Brand's War Journal.

Today I answered two questions. Firstly, what had happened to Hank. Secondly, of Perfection, the zombies or the Wave; which I hate the most.

I was hoping Hank was still alive. I hate myself for that now. If Doom above listened to my prayer and arranged this, then it's my fault.

I should have hoped he was dead. If he was dead, the Annihilation Wave wouldn't have been able to capture him, and turn him into what tried to break through the Shield this morning.

Killing him wasn't easy, but that'd be just as true if they hadn't changed him. Who would want to kill Hank?

McCoy was a kind man. Kinder than me. Kinder than anyone.

He didn't deserve to end up like this.

I don't want to write anymore."

Abigail Brand is not a women often inclined to sentiment. But Hank inspired it in her because he's so kind. He's soft. He's gentle. He's loving. He's tender. He's moral. He's just.

You can hear the love in Abigail's words, just as I tend to believe that you can hear the writer (my boy Kieron Gillen) loving Hank, too. There's just such a sadness and a sense of tragedy and lost opportunities here. There's a sense of someone so wonderful and so great being lost.

Where is any of that in Bendis Beast? He's just - to put it bluntly, he's an idiot. Not a goof, not a clown, no, he's an idiot (derogatory). He doesn't have any smart plans that save the day, he doesn't provide sage counsel to people who need it, he doesn't have anything constructive to add, he's just an idiot. When Scott turns up on the lawn and calls for everyone to revolution, he just.

Growls?

I'm sorry, what? Is this the same man who has absolutely no fucking shits to give when it comes to chewing out Scott Summers or not?

Hank had no problem giving a page long monologue to past Warren about his actions and why they were necessary a page before, but the instant the target of his derision is on the lawn in front of him, he just? Growls?

Like, just admit that you don't like Beast, Bendis. Why is it that Matt Fraction, who writes a somewhat poor Beast, and Chuck fucking Austen of all people, know that even if Hank is wrong, he should still win the argument through pure rhetoric power because his most notable super power is that he's super fucking smart and he won't shut the fuck up, but you don't, Brian?

Why's Beast got nothing to say? Why isn't Beast bringing up any of the stuff that drove a wedge between them in the first place? Why isn't he bringing up X-Force? Why isn't he bringing up the multiple suicide missions Cyclops arranged for people, including his son Cable and Nighcrawler? Do you not remember those or do you just not care, like, WHAT? Even if you, the writer, do not believe that Hank is in the right, he should at least act according to character and at least try and win the argument.

But Bendis Beast is stupid, so he doesn't try.

I don't even want to talk about the Watcher issue of All-New X-Men #25, or the Uncanny X-Men #600 issue which is a lot of other characters having arcs while Hank gets his shit kicked in by a lot of people who seem to be very much tired and unhappy with him. I legitimately just don't want to cap those issues because they make me sad and I just. Don't. Like it. It doesn't feel like Beast to me.

Hey, you wanna know what the Beast-Storm relationship was like before this issue?

"Henry's voice does that funny little quavering thing. He's still worried."

These two know each other and care enough about each other that Ororo knows what his voice sounds like when he's concerned but doesn't want to push, but sure, she's just gonna fuckin' browbeat him like that. Okay. Sure.

I fucking hate Bendis Beast so much. Without Bendis Beast, we wouldn't have Percy Beast, and I hate that Beast even more, because Bendis at least knew enough that he could make Beast an idiot and not evil and the fandom would swallow it. He had to cop to mind control to justify it.

But that's all it takes, isn't it? The step from, Beast is a good guy, to, Beast disagrees with Cyclops, to, Beast is an idiot, to, Beast is a race traitor, to, Beast is a Bond villain. Every journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and the road to Percy was paved by Bendis. All it takes is an inching up, and suddenly you go from Beast being given maxed out scores for Wisdom and Conscience in a 2010 handbook, to using Wolverine's brain as a fucking sock puppet in 2023.

Oh yeah, and speaking of socket puppets, you want to know something infuriating? This future Beast, who is established here to be a puppet of Charles Xavier II? He gets murdered by Magneto off panel fairly violently because I'm fairly certain that Cullen Bunn just kinda forgot that this version of the Brotherhood is two actual bad people and a load of puppets.

What a hero. Thanks, Cullen, I really feel good about it???

And you know, it's that . . . it's that basic derision for the character, that basic ignorance of continuity, that plagues Hank so much these days. There's just so much that instantly flags as wrong if you know him, if you bother to read his stories, if you actually just read the comics instead of going by Wiki summaries. If editors did their fucking jobs.

Mm, no, he's not a doctor. He's 17. Doesn't have a doctorate yet. And when he did have a doctorate, it was in Biophysics, not medicine. Henry McCoy was not a medical doctor at age 17. Try harder.

The fuck you even sayin' to me, Bendis? Try harder.

A) That's fucking creepy. B) Hank was never in love with Jean. Try harder.

Like, just.

It's the basic facts of the character, Bendis. And I can go on! I can go on and on and on and on and on but I don't want to. All I can say is?

Try.

Harder.

It's just so embarrassing, watching professional comic book writers struggle to try, and fail, consistently, to write Hank McCoy. Because when he's written well, I can buy him doing morally suspect things, because the writer has established that they are trying to challenge Hank, that they are interested in poking at where he will and won't go. Because Hank will cave to peer pressure, and do what his friends think is right. Because Hank is insecure, and needy, and dependent. Because he feels like a person, with an actual psychology.

Lemme show you some things.

Warren Ellis wrote Hank getting more blood on his hands than I can conceive of, but I never call his Hank out of character (except for the occasional ableist slur that Ellis has him drop out of nowhere) because Ellis gets why this matters to Hank. Ellis understands that Hank cares. Ellis understands that Hank does know what consequences are.

Did you just feel the ambient intelligence in the room go up? You sure fucking did. Isn't it immediate, just how quickly you feel the difference when you go from braindead Bendis Beast to Ellis or Hickman Beast? Is there not just an immediate uptick in eloquence, in brilliance, in humanity, in soul?

The things that Ellis or Hickman had Beast do are more monstrous and awful than anything he did during the events of All-New X-Men. But because they had sympathy for the character, and because they bothered to write him as anything more than a sock puppet to oppose Cyclops, he comes across so very differently, doesn't he? One of these versions of Beast invites derision. The other invites sympathy.

Fuck Bendis.

[seriesxwriting]

listen .... everyone likes a good reunion fic. idk if you like taylor swift but it's kind of inspired by "right where you left me." negan's 'kidnapped' during the time gaps in s11, and he ends up in a weird little group, and realises their leader is one of his childhood best friends. they're pretty much the exact same way they always were, whilst neyan's changed completely compared to how he used to be . they admit they've been tracking him for a few weeks after overhearing someone ( an ex-savior maybe ) talking about him. ANGSTYYY duh ... can be any gender & any relationship.

I’m SO sorry this request took me so long, I had no ideas for the storyline but I finally worked it out. Hope you enjoy <3.

Destiny- w negan Smith 

Warnings- swearing, killing of walkers.

Summary- you reunite with negan after all those years and finally cross the boundary of friendship.

Series- Twd (the walking dead)

Paring- negan smith and reader

“Show yourself!” Negan yelled with a gun pointing at the trees. Sneaking up on him would never work, it would just piss him off. Not mentioning the fact that they had ruined his meal now. His eyes scanned the tree line waiting for movement while also watching his back.

A woman edged out the trees with her hands up but he quickly aimed the gun at her clutching it into his chest. His eyebrows scrunched up frowning at the intruder. Then a man follows her out from another tree. His hands were up too asking him subconsciously not to shoot them.

“What the hell do you think your doing” negan spat in a very authoritative voice. “My names Agatha- that’s Terry” the woman began talking. She had long ginger hair but it was tied up behind her head neatly in a low pony. She looked like she was wearing clean clothes, so did the guy.

“That’s not what the hell I asked” negan squinted his eyes never letting up on the gun. “Your sneaking up on me huh- what do you want”. “That wasn’t our intention” terry shook his head still with his hands up. Neither of them had weapons in there hands, Agatha had a knife on her waist and Terry didn’t have a weapon. Not on show anyway.

“We came to talk to you- we saw you on your own, thought we could offer you something but in order for us to talk we need you to put down that gun” Agatha nodded towards it. Negan scoffed shaking his head. “How many of you are there” “it’s just us” Terry swallowed nervously.

“What the hell do you want to offer me” negan asked curiously slowly letting down his guard. “The gun tough guy” Agatha told him putting her hands down finally, having enough of being held at gun point. Negan pulled away from it and dropped it to his side. “Can we- sit?” Terry pointed to the log negan was based at.

“Mmh” he hummed taking a seat himself keeping the gun on his lap. “How long you been here?” Terry questioned with a little bit of a smile now. “A day maybe, I was eating and then was going to find shelter for the night” “we have a better idea” Agatha told him while exhaling sitting down on another log.

“You do, do you?” He chuckled going back to his food not believing them for a second. Though now Terry was so close something caught Negan’s eye. Not only were his clothes clean, he was clean, he smelt good. “You got some sort of camp near by or something?” He wondered sitting up straight and giving the conversation his full attention.

Agatha and Terry smiled knowingly at each other from across the little set up. “Yes actually, we live at the economy and we wanted to invite you back with us”. Negan looked hesitant though his eyes lit up with the thought of not being alone anymore. Not having to be on the move all the time, watching his own back. “Tell me more” he ordered more than asked them.

“There’s not many of us- fourteen -fifteen if you come back, but we have a house not far with a generator- we have water, beds, clean clothes and well- we have a wall” terry smiled. That’s all negan needed to hear. If he’d been the old negan he’d have started crying right there on the spot. But he wasn’t. He was different now.

He just nodded and started collecting his things up in his bag. The two recruiters took that as a sign and happily smiled at each other high on the feeling of success. They walked a mile, maybe a little more. The sky was growing dark the longer they went on. The walk didn’t contain much talk, negan wasn’t exactly a sharer. He nominated himself to kill any walkers that were on their path.

When eventually after a long, silent trudge, they landed at the house. “Welcome to the economy” Agatha smiled walking up to the gate which opened for her almost on call. The guard standing on the brick wall stared at negan hard until something popped into his head and his expression changed.

Negan looked up at the huge brick house in front of him. The windows had crisp white curtains hanging, you couldn’t see in. The door was red and ajar but it looked as if it had been painted recently as well as the porch fence, being a fresh white. There were a few people in the garden they were minding their own business the majority of the time.

“Make yourself at home” Terry smiled nodding towards the house. Negan looked around making sure everything was safe, his eyes lingered on a few standing round the well talking while collecting water. “You have a well?” He smiled fixating his eyes on it. It reminded him of somewhere. But he didn’t wish to share. “Your welcome to check it out, or we could give you a house tour”.

Agatha noticed how his hand was close to his knife on his belt like he was getting ready for a fight. “you won’t need that, your safe here negan” she smiled comfortingly. Negan’s face dropped and he pulled up his gun aiming it at Agatha who knew she’d messed up. She let out a angry sigh.

“How the hell do you know my name” he growled loudly making everyone in the garden look at him. Agatha started with a hand out “Look- -I told her negan”. A female voice from behind made him spin on his heels. His gun aiming at me before he even looked at who it was.

I stood on the porch looking back at him now. After all these years. There he stood. Aiming a gun at my face. It took a few seconds but his face softened his hands dropped off the gun too. It swung on his shoulder by the strap as he let the reality sink in. Negan pulled himself out of the gun and threw it to the ground before running towards me. He snaked his arms around my neck.

I was taken back but at the same time I wasn’t. I hugged him back tightly, feeling a tear slip out of my eye. It had been years since we’d hugged. And it had been never that we’d hugged like this. “What the hell are you doing here y/n- what’s going on?” He asked pulling away but not by much, just so he could see my face.

“I um- it’s a long story- a very long story” I chuckled wiping my tears away but they kept coming. To the point where I didn’t care. “I founded the economy- this is my group- my house” I told him clutching onto his hand. “How’d you find me?” He whispered wiping my tears for me now. “I met someone- his name was Dwight, I’m sure you recognise it” I smiled weakly.

Negan swallowed almost like he was nervous now. He took a step back raising a brow at me. “You ran into Dwight?” “I did- he told me all about the saviours and- and all about you, told me roughly where i could look for you and then the hunt began”. Negan took a sharp inhale looking around to see what everyone else was thinking. “Let’s go sit down” I whispered to him taking him by the hand and leading him inside the house.

I could tell by looking at him how much he’d changed, the old negan never would have impulsively thrown a gun around. He was a look more paranoid now, scatty almost. The only part I recognised was how he was with me. It was almost as if the apocalypse had never happened when we sat ourselves in my office on the sofa together. “What did Dwight say to you” negan scoffed after a moment of silence. It wasn’t awkward though.

“Negan- Don’t” I shook my head getting comfortable against a pillow looking towards him. “I knew I should have killed him” he huffed under his breath. “If you’d killed Dwight I never would have found you” I shrugged looking for a positive. He looked at me and laughed a little. “You haven’t changed, still looking for the bright side in everything”.

“No negan I haven’t- im right where you left me, you have though- a lot” “I know” he replied quickly with a slow head nod. “But everyone moved on y/n” “I stayed there” I shrugged shaking my head. “This world may be broken but my perspective isn’t and it’s not going to change neither am I”.

“People that don’t change die y/n” negan told me looking worried, his hand reached out to rub my knee. “I’ve done alright so far” I chuckled putting my hand on top of his. “Mmh so you have- but I’m sure we have had different experiences, I had to shut it all out” “I don’t know what you went through negan- but don’t compare our experiences” I shook my head welling up again.

He saw that he’d upset me and automatically pulled me into a bear hug. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that” “no your right- I’m living in a fantasy, - I’ve been in here for a long time I’ve become frozen, pretended that shit never happened- that shit isn’t going on outside these walls” I whispered into his chest. I wasn’t indenial. I just needed negan to help me finally say it out loud.

“Some people need fantasy to get by with all the shit going on, it’s not a bad thing” negan told me squeezing me softly. I scooted closer to him so i could lie on his chest and carry on the conversation. I hadn’t felt this happy in so long. To be back in his embrace, I couldn’t describe the feeling. Better than heaven.

“What Dwight told you- about me” “I’m not judging you negan” I cut in shaking my head. “I’d never judge you- it just put things into perspective, you had it hard- those things didn’t sound like you I almost didn’t believe it, but his face when he was reliving the memories sold it to me” I sighed being honest with him.

“What i did…” negan trailed off sighing “I did for a reason, I don’t want to scare you I- -you don’t scare me negan” I chuckled cutting in, shaking my head. “I feel nothing but safe when I’m around you” “you are safe with me, anyone looks at you wrong and I’ll have their teeth turned into a necklace”. I laughed out hitting him gently on the chest.

“Numpty” i cackled making him laugh too. “Gosh are you still hanging onto that word, you’ve said that since we were kids”. “It’s the perfect word I’ll never let it leave my vocabulary” I giggled looking up at him. He was looking down at me smiling. He was so handsome, even covered in whatever muck that he’d picked up from out there. We’d never crossed that boundary.

We were friends we’d been friends our whole life. I didn’t have it in me to tell him I wanted more than that. Then he got Lucille. Then the world went to shit. But right now more than ever I wanted to cross that boundary. As I was day dreaming I felt negan coming closer to me, in the next second we were kissing. I needed a second to ajust- to make sure this wasn’t part of my day dream. It wasn’t.

I held his face with my other hand and pulled him closer kissing him back after all these years. Years of hiding the truth, then the years of being apart. Fate bright Dwight to me. And destiny brought negan back to me. We pulled away panting still holding each other close. “D- do you know how many times I tried to gather the courage to do that?”.

“I- What?” Negan stuttered shaking his head softly. “Years negan, since we were kids” I laughed wiping his lip with my thumb. “But I- I was dropping hints- I liked you too but I thought you- well I never thought you liked me back, I eventually gave up that’s when I met Lucille” “hints?” My head thrusted back. “What hints?” I blinked in disbelief.

But we both looked at each other laughing and pressed our foreheads together. “I don’t want you to change y/n, this is the girl I fell in love with all those years ago” he whispered stroking my hair now. “You changed negan, but the way you are with me that never changed- not once” I told him holding in my excitement. This changed everything.

“It’s destiny” he told me under his breath. “God- that’s what I was thinking”.

Negan Masterlist

All series Masterlist

My Masterlist

[deus-ex-mona]

rating as many hw anime projects as i could find bc i have no life

spoilers? spoilers~~~

the nacchan movie

it was o k. it had a pretty standard and rather unremarkable storyline tbh. but that nacchan confession montage was pretty funny. though i wish we could’ve seen more of mochiaka. easy 6/10.

the shower/bath montage was very much unnecessary though.

the hina movie

as a standalone movie by itself, 4/10. confusing characters (arisa), messy and rushed plot (the middle school flashback sequence was way too long for a 1h movie), and the main couple of the movie (koyuhina) barely interacted. heck, hina spent the majority of the movie running away from yukki. rip tbh :(

as part of the series as a whole, 2/10.

reading the heart no shuchou novel should be a pre-requisite to watching the movie, as it explains why arisa was so darned weird during her interactions with yukki. and speaking of arisa, they got their portrayal of karen completely wrong (rip). granted, otome domoyo. came out after the movie, but still—

though, while we’re on the topic of ✨continuity✨, the fact that there were lxl promos in the burger joint despite lxl having not even debuted yet at that point in the timeline is just. very questionable in hindsight.

also!!! koyuhina interactions where??? gardening club trio w h e r e ??? for a movie with koyuhina focus, this movie was remarkably not about koyuhina.

seriously, just read the ima suki ni naru. prologue manga instead. it’s p much the same story, but it flows much better (like, the setoguchi siblings’ terekakushi shishunki scene takes place at the end of the manga post-rejection instead of how it has occurred right smack in the middle of the movie with no explanation). and there’s no continuity-breaking burger joint scene either s o there—

the midosena short

it was kinda cute, but it also isn’t anything you haven’t already seen in the midosena mvs. 7/10.

the harucouple anime

it’s remarkable how unremarkable it was. the best part of the anime was tokyo winter session tbh, and that was the ending theme.

miou’s character kinda sucked in the anime ngl, with her blaming herself for chiaki’s death, distancing herself from haruki, only to slap him for wanting to give up on his dream following his existential crisis that had resulted from said distancing.

also, needs more mochiaka.

anime-haruki deserves better. 3/10.

the lxl mvm

fruity, while both remaining (kinda) canon-compliant and establishing aizo as the male protagonist of gen 3. plus, sena was really cute in the romeo mv scenes, so she gets points of her own too.

bond girl yujiro (as seen in the pic above) was pretty funny though ngl. 8/10.

the lxl movie

fruity, but canon-breaking, as it completely disregards both the romeo mvm and the romeo novel. plus, the timeline clearly wouldn’t have worked out??? i mean c’mon. you’re telling me that these two complete nobodies managed to get popular enough to fill a live arena over the span of less than half a year just from a pocky collab? if you told me it took them over a year to get that far, sure, but.. they haven’t even filmed their romeo mv yet in the movie… so?? i???? lol???

also, this only further confirmed aizo as the protag (rip yujiro; boy wanted to stand onstage to be seen for himself and his talents, only to be completely outshadowed by his own partner who dances like a 🪳). the anime had dai moments though, so that alone brings the total score up to 6/10. thanks dai. ily <3

the [redacted] anime

i think i’ve made my stance on the [redacted] anime very clear in my way too many posts. in comparison to the other anime projects though? 1/10.

at least the other anime projects kept their characters (or, at least, most of their characters *cough* harucouple anime miou *cough*) relatively close to their original counterparts, instead of completely butchering each and every single one of them. like, seriously, no one was spared. not the main leads (hiyori and lxl), not the side characters (gen 2), and even tamura, uchida, and ft4 were nerfed smh.

[hiveswap]

Warning: Far too long, only kind of filtered notes app analysis that i couldn't sleep last night unless i typed out:

Just finished reading old Man Quill and also the Wastelanders volume about him. Tbh i liked it a lot, i already knew the rest of the team were dead but the reveal still hit really hard.

Peter is a sensitive soul, one of his defining traits has always been that he feels responsible for everything that ever goes wrong and stops at nothing to make it right again. (That and substance abuse, but this is the farthest that concept has ever been taken) It's been like that since he gave himself up for mass murder before Annihilation.

If i understand correctly, this timeline separates off when he leaves the Guardians to rule Spartax for a while, but that option leaves us with a continuity error since he namedrops Infinity Wars. The other option is that after they take down the future!universal church in the 2019 run, he goes to Spartax to take over the throne, since his father died there. This would fix one continuity error, and also pick up at a point where Nova is already back from tentacle hell (more on him later) This would however cause another continuity error with the spaceship they are using, since by then they didn't have the Milano. However, this is nitpicking.

50+ years in complete solitude must have messed with his head enough for the news to break him the way they did. The Guardians were some of the last people he loved that he knew were at least somewhere out there, even if they have spent the vast majority of their lives apart.

I also find the idea that he had a family very interesting, because he seems to want that so much, but duty will always call, either an external force or his own restlessness will get between him and peace. The 2020 run starts similarly, his attempt at settling down is interrupted by an old friend asking for help, and he could never let Nova go to war alone. After he dies there, he is given the chance to settle down as an immortal on Morius, but he grows restless after 200 years of it.

In the Old Man storyline, the death of his family on Spartax works in a similar way. He grows restless, he leaves them to fight (for them as an emperor and a father), except this time they die in his abscence while it was his responsibility to protect them. Not only does this reach into his pre-existing insecurities and flaws but it also gives him an extra layer of motivation: throughout the story he is very protective of children who get caught up in the crossfire.

I find the Wastelanders Starlord issue extremely interesting. It is about how he very much still has to move on from the past, stop thinking back to a romanticized version of his loved ones and allies, stop thinking of how those idealised figures would hate him if they really saw him now.

Nova's presence in both this sequence and the ending is a clear signal that he needs to pull his head out of his ass: one of the people whose "ghost" he saw that degraded him is literally still alive! And look at the other people, all of them people who must be happy to hear from him after 50 years of locking himself away.

The way he breaks from the illusion calls to mind his tendency to reject peace: While the previous illusions call him a failure, Kitty promises to love him just like she did in the past. He rejects this to save himself, accurately noticing that it offers him a romanticised version of their relationship made up to hit him right where it hurts. Stay, like you've always failed to do, it says. Leave like you always do.

In the end he moves on successfully, building on the things he's lost and not letting them out of sight (holograms of the dead Guardians, ship renamed after Kitty Pryde)

Another thing I realised is that he'll risk his own safety but only if he's alone. One of his loved ones being around/doing something stupider than him immediately overrides his own stupidity and turns him into a responsible person who is going to come up with a better plan.

But if he's alone/backed into a corner it is potential suicide mission o'clock because he doesn't think he has value other than his relationships to others and believes that there is no one else who would do this "absolutely neccessary" thing if it wasn't him.

I enjoyed this story a lot, it felt consistent with characterisation i've grown to like. Deeply caring, softly ruthless, guilt weighing on his mind like a stone. I can easily compare his motivation and behaviour to the 2008 run, Moondragon even sums up a lot of what i've had to say:

Which is great! I know everyone says the 2020 series is the first true sequel to gotg2008, but for an alternate universe, Old Man Quill does well and should be given a chance.

[casualhedonists]

firstly i apologize for how long this is going to be 😭

i was so emotional as i read attention cuz i just KNEW that there would be an ending eventually, and ofc, i never wanted attention to end. but you wrapped it up SOOOO beautifully! i feel so bad that i can't capture HOW amazing of a read that was in words!! trust me, attention means so so much to me. whenever i thought "i can't wait until chapter 6 comes out!" my anxiety kicked in because i knew that when chapter 6 came out.... it would be over. and that day is here

reading this was like eating your favorite chocolate. every single bite being enjoyable... something you'd think back on days later and crave for more. never getting tired of it.

honestly, its amazing how there is SO much creativity and wonderful fanfics on tumblr... for free? ITS INSANE. as i was reading it i kept saying "this is crazy!" i mean, i couldn't believe?? the plot twist?? the dialogue?? the pacing?? the list could go ON! forever. also you are SO sweet and kind 🫶🫶

i honestly thought she would be furious about what happened to greene... like my jaw dropped as SOON as her mom told her that he was sent to be a peacekeeper. at that moment i KNEW it was all snows fault. i seriously felt like it was over for them... like a whole fight scene was about to take place and she would move out, leading to snow being destroyed, alone, teary eyed and begging her to stay... that wouldve crushed me. i'm so glad she felt the complete opposite.

it's was SO interesting to think back on and see her progress. at first she was desperate, trying to win snow over by playing his games, trying to turn the tables and make snow become weak for her. but eventually she got the idea, and now SHE dominates HIM. it was neat seeing things come full circle!! now he's getting a taste of his own medicine (pun intended?)!!

also medicine is like... god i mean, do i even??? one of my top harry songs. SO GOOD!!!! do you also listen to him?? if so i can recommend other (more unknown) songs of his that give the same vibe if you'd like!

i am REALLY excited for your future works!!!! i admire your writing style and how talented you are. tbh you're the reason i'm inspired to start my own fanfic. but honestly, i'm scared because it is SO difficult thinking of a good storyline and plot... my brain is blank. i feel like every thing i think of sounds generic and cliche which puts me in a writers block. (do you have any tips?)

thank you so much for taking the time to read this!! i hope you have an amazing day!!

-💐

flower nonnie you. can have my whole heart here *carves it out walks it to fedex and mails it to you w next day delivery*

i read this first thing yesterday and it MADE MY WHOLE DAY i swear. like im so happy you enjoyed the fic so much, this is so much more than i could ever hope for as a response and it means the world to me that you’d set aside time to type out such a sweet message. it’s bittersweet to say goodbye to attention bc it is The Fic that brought me into this fandom (and out of my fic writing block) and it means so much to me bc it’s been so fun and it makes me so happy to know people feel that way when reading it. i had the final line written since (chapter 3?? i think) so i always knew that’s how i’d close it off and it was SO satisfying getting to type that last line in.

also it was sooo much fun to write her little mastermind by taylor swift moment (what if i told you none of it was accidental etc etc) and also yes omg i love harry (mostly his unreleased songs tbh!! like baby honey, medicine, talk, complicated freak) and ofc the usual suspects like kiwi and sign of the times and harry’s house. i am so so open to more song recs!! esp unreleased or lesser known ones!

in terms of writing tips, i wrote down a little thing a while back here but my main thing is to write what you want to read. that’s all i’ve ever done in fic and personal writing projects/poetry of mine. if you write for only yourself you can never go wrong imo, everything else is just topping. so start there, doesn’t matter if it’s been done before, so long as it makes you happy!! (one day i should tell the story of my first fic that actually got read by people online it was a whole journey that started with me assuming nobody would ever see it but me)

okay this is getting long i’ll close out now but thank you sweet anon for the kind words, i can’t even tell you how much they mean to me!! you are truly too kind!! 🤍🤍🤍

[spatio-rift]

was there a theme that stuck out for each member of ichibans partys storylines in rgg8.... i remember really liking that almost everyone in 7 had something going on with a sibling or sibling-like figure (major ones were ichiban and masato of course, nanba and his brother, and saeko and nanoha, but there was also zhao and mabuchi and han joongi(7) and han joongi(6)).... honestly by the time the person i was watching got to play the drink links i was already so annoyed that the game had become all about kiryu that i stopped really paying attention. more thoughts under the cut spoilers obviously

my main gripe with it really was that at some point ichiban completely felt like a minor character in his own game lol. my main concern when i first heard about kiryu coming back in this game was that it would be like dual protags so when kiryu first joined ichibans party i was so relieved. and then he went back to japan and the party was completely split in half (which i hated) and all of the plot revolved around kiryu. or at least thats how it felt to me watching it.

in the first place i genuinely dont understand why ichiban faced bryce, even though it was kiryu who kept seeing haruka in lani and as such wanted to save her from bryce no matter what, and why kiryu faced ebina, even though his grudge against the yakuza comes from a grudge against arakawa masumi specifically, and he goes on a fucking monologue to kiryu about himself and ichiban, arakawa masumis two sons, one who idolizes him and one who hates him, etc. it felt like such bullshit to me that kiryu got to have the emotional end fight just so hed have his "im sorry 😭😭😭 its all my fault😭😭😭 i shouldnt have run away when i was the 4th chairman😭😭😭" it was sooo weak to me it just felt like the entire thing was just an excuse to arrive at an endpoint where kiryu decides he wants to live.

it was so annoying too that the game felt somewhat self aware like when it spent a little too much time on kiryu he would always be saying some shit like "ichiban is the future" "ichiban is the only one who can save us" but in the end ichiban felt like a grunt who just did as kiryu told him to

(long calming sigh) i should think of some positive things to say. like in 7 i did really like the conversations the party had w each other i feel like its the main strength of the ichiban games in general. and im glad akane turned out to be a normal woman i was worried shed be exceptional cuz then i would have been so over it. the new allies were great i loved chitose tomi and yamai.

i loved the giant shark and the giant squid i wish they showed up earlier when i wasnt forcing myself to continue watching even though i wasnt enjoying myself at all. i didnt care for any of the villains but dwight especially was a really odd case because they first humiliate him and then i gotta take him seriously? nuh uh even at the very end he was always pee boy to me. and whyd they bring back sawashiro for... nothing much really? i lowkey wish they had left the whole thing alone it was great as it was in 7. though the dramatic reveal that masato didnt trust sawashiro was funny asf to me.

all in all would i call the time i spent watching it a waste of time? not really because i was playing an idle farming game while i was watching it and i made a lot of progress. but other than that well. its not like my life is better having watched it

[pico-digital-studios]

Into, Across and Beyond! Scripting: Many Alike

After a rather heated battle between Bently Forceloyed and Benjamin in the expansive dreamscape shared by Boyfriends, Benjamin backed up, worried for Bently.

Benjamin: I get you're upset, but hurting me isn't going to resolve your problems!

Bently: You're just saying that to break me, aren't you? You're saying that just like EVERY illusion that pathetic curse threw at me to crush my hopes!

Benjamin: H-Hey. I'm the REAL Benjamin. Not an illusion, not some tactical hope-crusher. Would I really be trying to help you if I was fake?

Bently: I... I guess not, huh.

Benjamin: You... must've been through a lot in your world, huh? If you need to, please explain what went on. I'll understand and I'll offer my support.

Bently: A-Alright, then. I'll explain it for you...

Bently's storyline started during More than One Universe.

Bently: If you're really my old self, you remember the whole push to cure all those interdimensional evils, right?

Benjamin: I do, yeah.

Bently:

Alright, so, that attempt to possess you from that horrible Puhoi curse? Well, I got off worse. I was forced to watch everybody I loved and cared for die, and I was isolated alone in my mind with no salvation. I was given a second chance, yes, but I was forced to leave my universe and integrate into a completely new one, and a new name; Bently Forceloyed.

I wasn't alone there, though. On my way in, I met a sweet young kid named Livie, who was like a little brother to me, and I also met my new girlfriend, Isabella Fondsmith. I had a good life ahead of me, but it didn't change the fact that I was still stuck with that god-forsaken curse.

In my dreams... well, more like nightmares, given their nature... I met Audrey, who was stuck there as many more before him, and he eventually broke out into my apartment, still horribly scarred from it all. No matter what he said to me about the curse, I just could NOT see it as any "gift", and just didn't want to heed that call of heroism again.

I ended up getting school to meet new friends, got a rival out of Koda, who's quite akin to Pico, and me and Livie, who's really willing to help others just out of the goodness of his heart, had to look after Audrey consistently because of that curse. It got to the point that I got Audrey to the house of a younger friend named Otto for residence.

I f-feel that was my worst mistake ever, even after the time I stopped a war from breaking out... Audrey was really down when I saw him again after two months, and... and I felt like I had just d-dumped him! I have r-reconciled with him since, but... I feel a-ashamed to call myself a f-friend towards him, even if he doesn't look d-down on me for my actions...

Benjamin: H-Hey, Bently, you're NOT useless.

Bently: (tearing up) Y-Yes I am! I've been stuck in shame for s-so long that I CAN'T see any l-light at the end of the tunnel, OR t-take that first step to peace! (feeling down) T-Those illusions were right, w-weren't they...? I'm just weak, p-pathetic, unable to truly h-help a close one, a-and a walking piece of m-misery... (looking up glumly) I c-can't choose between living my l-life as I want to o-or needing a friend t-to rely on me for w-who knows how long...

Benjamin, concerned, walked up to Bently.

Benjamin: Bently, listen. I know how horribly you've having it at the moment, and I can still relate. The harsh truth is... a friend can't rely on you forever, though I'm sure Audrey understands. You've done the best you could for him, and I'm sure he couldn't ask for anything more from you.

Benjamin: Besides, you're a better person than you think you are, Bently, hero or not. Whatever aspirations you want in life, you CAN achieve it. You just have to take that first step to finding it, and you've got your friends there to support you through it.

Bently teared up, hugging his original counterpart tight while quietly sobbing.

Bently: I-I'm so sorry...

Benjamin: Hey. I got you, don't worry.

They parted their hug as Grace and Isabella arrived next to the two.

Bently: Wait, Isabella? Is that really you here?

Isabella: Of course it's me, Bently. After what happened before, I got worried.

Benjamin: Yeah, I forgot to mention; this dreamscape's shared by any Boyfriend's crush or supporting companion, too!

Grace: What happened?

Benjamin: Well, Bently here's been going through a lot in his universe, and he's been in self-loathing from it.

Isabella: Hey, Ben?

Bently: Yeah?

Isabella: I know you've been going through a lot in those three months, but hero or not, you've still got a happy life to live, especially after you and Audrey reconciled. Besides, no matter what, you'll always have friends like me around to help you!

Grace: She's right, Bently. You've got so much ahead of you, so don't waste the opportunities you have.

Bently: Thanks... all of you. Heh, I feel a lot better after all of that. I'm sorry about the misunderstanding there, Benjamin.

Benjamin: Nah, it's all good! I'm kinda used to it.

Grace: So, what's your new home like, Bently?

Bently: Honestly, it's just amazing. I can show you these pictures of me, Isabella and our companions while we talk about it. I won't do it too long, though. I am gonna have to wake up shortly.

Benjamin: That's alright. It's been great meeting you, Bently. And besides, maybe one day we could meet in person!

Isabella: Hehe, that'd be wonderful!

And with that, they got to talking about Bently's new home in Dimension URB-2023, showing these pictures along the way:

Bently himself (the swap-in for BF)...

Isabella (based around GF, to idolising Bently's singing voice and becoming his girlfriend)...

Livie Vernal (based on Skid, being a cheerful child who's always there for Bently)...

Koda Terrafirm (based on Pico, a government agent trainee who's Bently's friendly rival in their universe)...

Otto Maypole (based on Pump, loves spring and is Livie's best kid friend)...

...and Bently's school teacher, Aiobhe Goodwin.

(All pics made with Picrew)

[codes]

HAHAHWHAHHA I DIDNT SEE THAT YOU WERE THE OP OF THAT POST . ALSO I KNEW HIS NAME WAS ARJUNA BUT FROM . THE MAHABHARATA ... ?? i remember reading that as a kid and only registering the part where they all marry the same girl and also when they all die ANYWAYS i would like to hear abt him if youd like to talk abt him i am intrigued by his pretty brown boy swag

HEHEHEH YESSS it was me all along! sorry i ... idk what came over me

most of fates major characters come from very famous, ancient stories (karna, rama, and ashwatthama are also in there along w some other flop fucking characters designs) or are notable historical figures.

the series is weird (for so many fucking reasons) but one part of it is that most characters are based off the stories they come from so while they have the knowledge and experiences from their pasts, their personalities can be completely different from how they acted in these stories or in real life. sometimes its for the better, most of the time its to fit a specific character trope.

arjuna is ... a case study bc we get rlly weird reductions to his character that take away from how he was in the original text. arjuna in fate is a character that had everything handed to him and thus feels that he needs to go twice as hard in proving himself which manifests in a very... messy hero complex that is further exaggerated by his perfectionism. he struggles in accepting the "evil/darker" (i dont even know where to begin w this part of the story) parts of himself and when he finally does learn to w the help of the MC its the equivalent to him learning to be vulnerable w others (or at least to the MC) and not deny who he is or become fixated on imperfections.

its a huuuuge change in his personality and after u do his story the dialogue that he says to u changes from saying he wishes to be alone forever, until the end of time to wanting to help the MC forever, until the end. hes a lovely guy

admittedly the quality of his writing varies greatly depending on which chapters you focus on but most of his characterization is based off his relationship w karna... which is honestly a bad thing bc that ends up being a major focus and leaves little for his own self to grow and develop. in its essence, he became too fixated on his duel w karna and felt that it was unfair that he was able to beat him as it was through a dishonorable and hollow victory. it messed too much w his own feelings of perfectionism and so he rlllllyyyy hates (?) karna and wants to battle him again. personally i think the distress over killing his own brother in such a "cowardly way" messed w him too much to create a horrible horrible relationship btw the two. theyre much better now tho in the storyline, not perfect and not even close to good but arjuna doesnt try to kill him on sight anymore. sometimes.

fate is horrible. i genuinely dont recommend it to anyone, but arjuna is great on his own. look at this pic of him, karna, and thomas edison (the lion in the back)

[sslow-dancer]

hi! can i request a one shot with polnareff x reader but he’s still stuck as the turtle but a twist like the princess and the frog? the reader kisses the turtle and he comes back to being his old (part 3) self because the reader is the one? lots of fluff plzzz? ty ;w;

A/N: Okay but this idea is so unbelievably cute?! I apologize for taking forever to get it done. I went a bit deep and overboard with the storyline on a request that is so simple and I’m pretty sure this is my longest one up to date actually BUT- it’s whatever. There’s plenty of fluff near the end, I promise. I enjoyed writing this and I hope you enjoy reading it too!! 🤍

(If this flops, I will be so sad omg)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You’re The One, My Love.” (Jean Pierre Polnareff x Reader)

Warnings: mentions of drug abuse and depression

tags: gender-neutral, gender-inclusive, jean pierre polnareff x reader, turtle pol, magical, kiss, twist, slight angst, sfw, fluff

Description: One day after having to escort Polnareff as orders from your boss, you begin to grow quite fond of him. During your usual hangouts, you jokingly offer to kiss him as a way to recreate one of your favorite fairytales.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You giggle as Jean pulls you into a kiss, you feel him smile as he holds your face gently. You’re happy to see the man you love not be as serious and hurt as he was when you first met him. Your expression reminiscent of the memories shared between you before this moment.

~A Year Before~

Your personal servant had drawn the curtains. Your eyes fluttered open, body awaken by the bright sunlight shining from your windows and murmurs outside your bedroom. You groaned in frustration as you threw a pillow at him, he managed to catch it and place it back by your bed frame. You huffed,

“Didn’t boss say I have the week off? I’m allowed to sleep in.” you stated blankly, remembering how you had the strong urge to strangle him for ruining your slumber. He shook his head as he sat by the edge of your bed and pointed at the clock that stood on top of your nightstand. You distinctly remember the screen marked 7:25AM exactly. You sighed as you thought you could’ve at least slept in by 10. You sat up and criss crossed your legs and played with the lose strings of your blanket as he replied.

“Technically you do, but today is last minute and different. Sr. Giovanna wants you to escort out a close individual he works with today by 8.”

Frustrated, you plopped your hands down onto your lap and rolled your eyes as you said back,

“Not to be bratty but...can’t he just do that himself or get one of you to do it?” you raised your pointers and middle fingers to create air quotations “This individual must be pretty important if not even the boss can take care of it.”

Your servant shut his eyes and sighed. After what you had just told him, deep down you felt bad about how much he had to deal with your bull on a daily basis- not to mention your constant grumbling in the morning whether he woke you or not. Either way, you were pretty grumpy most mornings. He shook his head again.

“It’s not that either. Sr. Giovanna could easily lead him out but he’s currently finishing business with other people in the country. Sr. Mista is with him as well so you’re the only one we have present. They both must attend all meetings, they are not to miss one.

“Okay, but that still doesn’t answer my question. What’s so important about him or her or whatever the hell they go by?”

“I’ll let you figure that out for yourself.” He said finally as he patted your bed as a way to non-verbally tell you to get ready.

You huffed when he exited the room, plopping your back down hard into the foamy mattress. You roughly grabbed at the pillow you had thrown earlier and placed it over your face, you screamed into it for a good 10 seconds.

Looking back, were you being a little too dramatic? Yes, sure- of course. It’d make anyone cringe if they were to had witnessed it though you didn’t really mind. You were still maturing anyway. You were still getting used to the life Giorno Giovanna and Guido Mista had offered and gladly given to you.

Before meeting your boss Giovanna and his right hand man Mista, you had been living life miserably at home. Though before anyone asks, no: your parents were not abusive, no: your siblings weren’t either, no: nor were your friends or teachers. You had just become very distressed with the life you were leading on. You didn’t like the person you were and were expected to become. Anxiety took over rather unexpectedly. So what did you do when you had enough? You moved on to drugs.

You were surprised to find out how easy it was for a person in their late teens to gain access towards those terrible substances. But none the less, you later learned your dealer was from the mafia known as “Passione.”

Was it dangerous for you to have figured out that information? Yes. However, you remained cautious and never told a soul...until one day you bumped into the now late capo, Bruno Bucciarati.

You were walking down your local dealing alleyway, hands in pockets and school bag still in sight. You usually dealt after school as many adults were distracted by the kids that filled up the streets. Thus making them barely notice the illegal activity going on as a large number of students would walk down alleyways as a shortcut to their home. You were swift in paying back and receiving your desired substances anyway.

All of a sudden you heard a distant call, a call out of your name. You stopped dead in your tracks and turned around to look at the direction from where the call was coming from, that’s when you saw him. He stood a few feet from you.

“I’m glad I was able to find you...my name is Bruno Bucciarati. Your parents sent me to look for you, they’ve mentioned to me that you’ve been coming home late from school lately.”

You only shrugged and completely ignored his claim. You began walking away but were stopped again when he said,

“Leaky eyed Luca deals with you, doesn’t he?”

You kept your gaze forward and your back turned away from Bruno. Turning your head slightly over your shoulder, you mumbled,

“If I say yes, will you leave me alone?”

Without having to look at him, you knew he had tilted his head when he answered.

“That depends. If you answer honestly, no trouble will occur. I’ll remain calm with you, that is a promise.”

You blinked, sighing as you kicked at the small pebbles near your feet, staring at your shoes as you thought about what he said.

You had been dealing with Luca and you knew that his business was risky. Though you didn’t care. You felt that you needed to get the drugs you wanted pronto and Luca was the only one who would give them to you quickly. You shook your head, deciding to give up as you didn’t want anyone to notice you both speaking. You turned to face him and quietly replied,

“Yes, he deals with me. He’s the provider, I’m the receiver.”

Bruno smiled, satisfied with your answer.

He followed up with informing you that Luca had been killed at a local airport and was told to investigate his death. He didn’t provide too many details as to the cause of his death but you didn’t feel like asking anyway. Bruno admitted he came to speak to you as hours prior one of your parents really did come to speak to him about your behavior. After connecting some dots, he suspected you had something to do with Luca’s death as you were not attending school and were gone for most of the day. Not to mention, your teachers had called your parents that day as well.

Luckily, he was able to clear you out as a suspect as you cooperated with him and weren’t sweaty or completely jittery. He also gave you a little talk about using drugs. He promised he wouldn’t tell your parents that you got yourself involved in that abusive life if you promised to not buy more again.

You truly felt at the time that he was the only one who understood and cared for you in just the short time you met him. Your eyes watered as you complied with Bruno, promising to do what he suggested. A promise you have held onto forever.

After some investigating of your own, you found out that it was your future boss that killed Luca. You were rather impressed than angry that he was able to kill him. You honestly believed Luca would never be caught.

Back to the day you had to escort this individual- after some more complaining and grumpy remarks towards everyone in the household, you were finally ready to meet them. Your personal servant led you to the front door. He made sure to quietly remind you to be polite.

Your attention turned to another servant walking down the stairs towards your direction. A pillow in hand with a piece of cloth covering whatever was on top it. You furrowed your eyebrows in confusion, laughing as you sarcastically remarked,

“Is this some kind of joke? It’s not April, is it?”

“No, but I guess this household treating me with the upmost respect is.”

Your eyes widen. ‘Did that thing under the cloth just speak?” you asked yourself.

The servant removed the cloth and there revealed a turtle. A turtle with a key-shaped hole embedded on its shell. You almost assumed that the turtle smirked at you when he added,

“I know, don’t be too surprised. I plan to get out of this animal once my soul decides to give up. I haven’t always looked like this, ya know.”

Your mouth gaped open as to say something, but you quickly shut it as you didn’t know how to reply. He chuckled,

“Hand me over to them, we’ll talk more when we get to my destination.”

You hesitantly took the pillow from the servant’s hands and remained in shock as you walked out the door. You were careful not to drop him as you got down to the front gates. Gulping as you asked,

“So...my servant wasn’t that specific on me having to leave you in the car or actually riding with you. It’s kind of my fault as I don’t like to listen and talk in the morning...”

You nervously laughed as he looked up to you. He replied,

“It’s quite alright. I was told you have to ride with me. But don’t worry, you won’t have to stay for long. It’s only around a 10 minute ride.”

“Yeah, okay.”

You sat behind the passenger seat and placed the pillow in the middle, right next to your side.

The ride was relatively quiet, you looked out the window as you kept a fist under your chin. Your expression showed that of concern. You were too nervous to say anything. Even though he had joked back earlier, you were afraid he didn’t like you as his voice stayed stern throughout your small talk. You were afraid you had offended him in some way.

Your mood changed when the driver alerted that you had arrived. You thanked him as he opened the door for you, your hands grasped the pillow tightly so the talking turtle wouldn’t fall. You asked him with a small voice.

“Is there anywhere you’d like for me to set you?”

“Yes... put me on top of that balcony over there. I want to look at the lake.”

“Of course.”

You did as he said and sat him on the balcony. Your eyes gleamed when you caught sight of the glimmering water and greenery of the setting. You’ve always known that Italy is one of the most beautiful places in the world but at that time you had forgotten and were fascinated all over again. Like when a child sees a playground for the first time.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” he asked, you nodded.

“Yes, it really is. It’s no wonder you asked me set you on here.”

“Yes... I wanted to look at one more beautiful sight before I go. Like I said earlier, my soul is no longer fit to be here, so I might as well admire my surroundings for now.”

Your mind quickly became curious after he said that. You wanted to know more behind what he meant. You weren’t going back to that car until you got answers. So to make things easy, you started off with asking his name.

“If you don’t mind... would you like to tell me your name?”

“It’s Jean. Jean Pierre Polnareff.”

‘So he’s French.’ you remember thinking, his accent wasn’t too thick but you assumed and your assumption was right. After that, you went on to tell him your name and your experiences before meeting boss Giorno Giovanna. He shared the same with you.

You talked for so long in fact that you paid off the driver of your assigned car to go back and finish his shift early, promising them that you’ll find a ride later yourself.

You ended off the chatty night with placing Jean under a nearby bench and waving at him. You were saddened but Jean said he enjoyed your company so much that he’ll try to stay for longer and that you’re welcome to come him visit him everyday.

And so you did.

For months you came by to talk to him. You were happy to see that his soul wasn’t giving up yet- you knew you would cry if it were to one day. You had come to realize that you love him but you didn’t know if he felt the same way about you. You had only seen his face once- that was the day he decided to show you the physical embodiment of his soul.

You thought (and still think) he was so beautiful. The missing of bottom limbs and blindness in one eye did not bother you at all. His white-silver hair, style and personality is what did it for you. What it did to make you fall in love with his vanity and him. Just him. Jean himself.

~A Year Later~

It’s been a year now and as per usual, you spent half your days speaking to Jean by that same lake you were ordered to drive him to.

Boss Giovanna and Mista have noticed how fast you are in missions since then. They appreciate that you get things done but they still remain curious as to why you’re more happy and less grumpy than you were before. Though they don’t bother to ask, as they’re kind and don’t want to ruin your pure joy.

Today isn’t particularly different. All you had done earlier in the day was speak to a few citizens in town and dealt with giving details to your boss about a certain drug epidemic at a school. Nothing too out of the ordinary, a situation like this occurred at your old school too years back. Your duties were basically done once you learned information got to police.

You drive down to the park where the lake is at, smiling when you see a familiar small green circle on the balcony, looking over the glimmering waters. You park in the nearest lot and lock your car after getting out. You excitedly run over to Jean and smile when he turns his little head to greet you.

“I’m glad you’ve come again.” he says with a smile.

“Of course, why wouldn’t I?” you reply in a genuine tone.

You go on to talk about random topics and subjects as you always do. The conversation moving onto favorite pieces of literature and genres.

You roll your eyes in embarrassment as you tell him your most favorite one- one that is a fairytale and goes by the name of “The Frog Prince.”

“Well... it’s very fem of me but I really enjoy fairytales. Especially the ones from the Grimm brothers. My favorite is actually “The Frog Prince”

You place your elbow on the rail and use a hand to cover your burning cheek. Hoping that the redness rushing to your face won’t be noticed by Jean and that the sunset covers it up. Jean only laughs and hopes to comfort you when he says,

“Oh, that’s fine. Who cares if it’s feminine? They’re very well written stories and people shouldn’t be ashamed for what they like. I admire that your favorite genre is fairytale, you don’t hear people say that as often, you know?”

His words do comfort you and you thank him for that. He welcomes you and you feel like you’re actually looking into his sapphire eyes. The ones you fell in love with so long ago. You speak up before you’re even able to fully think.

“Say, the frog prince and the princess kissing, huh? Why don’t we kiss and see if it turns you back?”

Shit.

‘Did I really just ask that?’ you ask yourself ‘What the actual hell is wrong with you?!”

“I don’t see why not...”

“Huh?”

You’re stunned. You thought he would get offended for spurting out such a stupid thing. Of course your request won’t work- that shit is from a story book. It’s pure fiction. This is real life.

He’s a turtle now and you’re a human. You can’t and you won’t kiss him. You raise your hands up in defense.

“Hey, no! No need to play along after saying something so stupid to make me feel better. I just blurted that out I’m so sorry-“

“No, it’s okay. And I’m not playing along, I’m being serious. Go ahead. I’ve grown to like you a lot, a small kiss wouldn’t hurt.”

This answer is not what you expected. You nervously fiddle with your fingers as you look around. You sigh as you give in.

“Fine. I like you a lot too and I’ll do it. Let me just-“

You lift up the top half of Jean, his front turtle legs up in the air and his little face staring up at you. You take a deep breath and close your eyes, you slowly lean in and- kiss✨

The turtle falls out of your grasp. You stop puckering your lips and open your eyes. In a panicked state, you frantically look over the balcony and both sides of you to find him. You look forward and gasp. You grab at the railings to hold you steady.

There sits a groaning man on his knees. He rubs at his neck as he silently curses to himself, blinking fast and harshly as he tries to understand what’s going on around him. It’s dark now but the moon shines bright enough for you to get a better glimpse of him. You furrow your eyebrows as you slowly recognize who he is- Jean.

He has that same white-silver hair, sapphire eyes, big stature though the only difference is no eye glass in sight and his “legs” aren’t made out of metal.. they’re completely real. Flesh and all and you know that blood flows right through them like the rest of his body.

“J-Jean?” you whisper.

The man doesn’t hear you. All he does is groan and cross his legs in front of him. He stretches his arms and looks over any possible injuries on him.

“Jean.” you say again, louder this time.

He finally looks up at you. And there they are, those sapphire eyes you love so much. That face you’ve grown to be so fond off. His expression more than surprised. Though that expression quickly changes and softens- his eyes crease and a small smile appears. He says your name. And you tear up after he does.

He attempts to get up but his legs give up on him. You sprint to his side before he falls, letting him use your shoulders as support. He blushes.

“I’m sorry... I haven’t had real legs in years. Apparently I forgot how to use them...”

His voice is softer than before, the sternness isn’t there. He sounds younger almost. You giggle, as you use a hand to wipe at the tears of your eyes.

“Okay, I think I can stand now. Let go of me so I can look at you fully.”

You do as he says and as you watch him wobble, you reach out to help again but he shakes his head, waving your hands off as he’s able to maintain balance. You grin proudly when he does.

Jean turns to face you, he clasps your hands together and brings them up to his lips. You blush as he proceeds to hold them over his heart. He looks at you with pure love in his eyes.

“Thank you. Thank you so much. What you suggested was silly but it worked.”

“Yes, you’re welcome...” you say softly, looking down. He makes you look up again.

“You’re the one, my love. You always have been and always will be. My feelings for you started when we first met, I meant what I said. I have grown to like you a lot though it’s more than “like”- it’s love. And I’m so happy to know you feel the same way.”

You tear up at this and hug him. He hugs you back and you can’t believe that he does.

The turtle is no more and you have your true love back to human form.

He raises your chin up with his thumb and pointer, he kisses you and you kiss him back. The kiss long and meaningful.

You’re happy to know that the man you love, loves you too.

[insomniactalks]

I think maybe EJ will realize he’s into Val but is fighting it because he’s with Gina, meanwhile Gina is realizing she’s into Ricky but fighting it because she’s with EJ, until it leads to both of them admitting whatever they had has run its course and mutually breaking up. I hope I’m wrong but something in my gut is feeling that terribly predictable cop out storyline coming this season.

I don't actually think ej and val are going to have some big romance that'll be the end of portwell, but I 𝘥𝘰 still think that there will be a rina romantic plot this season... idk I just have a gut feeling ricky will realise he has feelings for her and that she'll find out that maybe she's not completely 100% over him... 😞

Both anons have similar concerns, so I'm answering y'all together. Are these scenarios a possibility? Sure. It could be some interesting angsty drama, and had this been any other teen drama show, I could totally see this happening. However, Tim ultimately wants the show to be about “basically good people basically be good to each other,” as stated in this interview. If EJ and Gina realize they have feelings for other ppl while they’re dating e/o (which does happen in life), then the show has to make the effort to make sure no one gets hurt in the process. They didn’t have EJ and Gina have all this character progression for no reason. If Portwell break up in S3, it must be a mutual decision that both agree is for the best. Tim also acknowledges in this post-S2 interview, "[Ricky] is really afraid to be alone." For Ricky to have any chance to be a good romantic partner for anyone, including Gina if that’s the plan eventually, he has to realize that being in a relationship does not equate to personal happiness. By the S2 finale, he’s not quite there yet. He admits he “thinks” he’s happy to Miss Jenn in 2.12 before “Second Chances,” but he’s still thinking he needs/wants to be in a relationship, like his mom w/ Todd and his dad w/ Miss Jenn, to be truly happy. In the 2 weeks at camp, I think Ricky will finally realize it’s okay to take some time for himself. The “second chance” to “begin again in the summer wind” for Ricky might mean him taking a chance on himself this time. Last summer, when he and Nini were on a break/break up, he was still “talking to some girls” (1.01), so he wasn’t completely unattached. This summer, maybe Ricky’s second chance is actually on himself? Last thing, for Ricky and Gina to have any chance at being in a relationship, they have to mend their friendship first. I think this is more likely than anything else this season for them. Of course I’m biased, I admit, but in only 2 weeks, I doubt Ricky will be prepared to enter his next relationship post- whatever he’s got going on with Lily. We have to keep in mind that storyline isn’t over yet with the way S2 ended. Who knows what Tim has in mind in S3? LOL               

[kaiparker-avengerssmut]

Their Doll 5

Throw a punch

B.Barnes x Reader, S.Rogers x Stark!Reader

series synopsis:  y/n Stark, all records of her non existent, and yet Hydra still find her. When she is kidnapped by a certain super-soldier and no one believes her, she finds herself searching for unexpected familiarity in her not-so-distant past.

Series Warnings: smut, violence, torture, swearing

Chapter Summary: y/n finally beats Bucky, he has a surprise for her when she returns from her first mission.

Warnings: smut, violence, mention of death/murder

A/n: The timeline in this has been altered, as there I things I wanted to include but I also wanted this fic to follow the storyline/timeline of Winter Soldier and Civil war.So for purposes of this fanfic, Peter Parker was discovered by Tony at a much younger age - when he was bitten - and has been an intern with him since, almost like a protégée.(For the purposes of this story Peter was bitten much younger too - more like when he was 9 or ten rather than 14/15)

Masterlist | Series Masterlist

3 years. 3 godforsaken, bloody torturous years. That's how long I'd been in this hell hole. How long I'd been repeatedly beaten up by my only form of solace daily. How long I'd been whipped for simply not being good enough to beat a super soldier. How long I'd endured endless torture. And today, today is the day that it will all end.

If there was one thing the last three years taught me, is that I should duck and run rather than throw a punch. At least that's what I thought, and I'd never really been willing to risk a broken jaw to prove my theory. That is, until today.

Come on, y/n, you can do this. The words were repeated in my mind, my own mantra, in order to psych myself up for what I was about to do. There was a fire grip on my arm - arguably much tighter than necessary - as the guards dragged my down the hollow hall to my training session with the Winter Soldier. Pft, more like two hours of humiliation and a sore ass, I though, a little smirk spreading on my lips at my own joke.

"What're you laughing about? Something funny, Stark?" The guard who had the grip on my arm spat through gritted teeth and the smirk was instantly ripped from my lips, instead reverting back to the hard expression I had been trying to maintain while around anyone who worked for HYDRA.

So basically everyone.

We walked in silence the rest of the way, like normal, and the guard roughly shoved my into the room by a hand between my shoulder blades, like normal. But today wasn't like normal - no, today was the day I was the one to throw a punch.

They removed the silencer from my head and let me take a gulp of water before The General was barking the order for us to begin.

I walked into the centre of the room, shoulders back and stare cold. The soldier's gaze matched mine as his cerulean eyes bore into my own, his jaw clenched and hands already curling into fists as I stood before him. We maintained the stare for a moment - almost as if the other was waiting for the other to make the first move, an open opportunity to take the win.

And so I did.

Using the speed I'd worked up to over time, I farted towards the soldier, ducking on a seconds notice as his metal fist flew out. I landed a jab to his stomach, one hard enough to make him cough slightly with the knocked up air but far from hard enough to actually make him stumble. Distracted, he barely noticed me as I slipped under him - through his legs out by his back, which I was quick to jump on. I let my legs wrap around his muscular waist and my left arm wrap around his throat, making the soldier grit his teeth and attempt to pry my arm away from his neck as he began to choke.

When he attempted to fling my forward, I tangled my right fist into his brown locks, yanking painfully and making the soldier cry out as I lowered my lips to his ear. Another thing I'd learnt in the past three years is that the soldier was only affected by my powers under two conditions:

One, he was off-guard or vulnerable - hence the choking - and two, I was as close to him as I could possibly get.

I began to him a soft tune - one I had discovered was most effective in lowering my opponent's defence and lulling them into a false sense of security. I practically smirked irksomely when I sensed his eyes rolling back in defeat and his assault on my arm falter - body falling limp and relaxed under the quell of my voice.

When I was sure I'd lowered his defences enough, I slowly climbed down from his back and admired my handy-work.

The Winter Soldier, stood dopey and barely lucid before me, without so much as the energy to even move his arm, let alone land a heavy punch like he normally would. I took my chance, the man nothing more than a pile of flesh and bones as my leg swept through his, bringing the soldier down the the ground with a loud noise that resembled a mixture of a crash and a thud.

Of course, the impact made my tune immediately ware-off and the soldier was now fully lucid, but I could barely contain myself as I punched my fists into the air triumphantly and a grin curled across my lips.

A lonely applause filled the tall room, bringing me back to earth as I realised the situation. Footsteps angled towards me, slow and calculated as the claps slowed to a stop, The General standing before me with a tight-lipped smile.

"Well done, Miss Stark." He congratulated, looking around him and outstretching his arms. "It only took you, what? Three years?" He mocked, the taunting laughter of the guards making me feel nauseous. But I kept my composure, returning his mocking, tight-lipped smile that didn't even dare go near my eyes - which were alright with anger. "And now your training is complete. We shall have to teach you how to use a gun, I suppose?" He said lazily. I clenched my jaw.

"I knew how to use a gun perfectly fine, General." I gritted and his eyes brows shot up as he turned to face his comrades.

"Did you hear that, gentlemen? Looks like she doesn't need another three years to learn to fire a gun? My, my, haven't we lucked out with this one?" He mocked cruelly, coming back to face my burning eyes. He smirked, grabbing my chin between his thumb and his finger and angling my head up to meat his eyes. "Take her away, and get her ready for her first mission." He demanded, eyes churning with something that resembled pride, but darker. He kept his eyes on me as he spoke, before roughly jerking my chin away and letting the guards refasten the silencer over my mouth before they were grabbing and arm each and dragging me from the  training room.

The pulled me back down the hollow hall - passing my usual cell.

"W-where are we going?" I asked, swallowing heavily as they halted to a stop in front of an unfamiliar door and we shoving me inside. There was nothing gentle about the HYDRA guards, not that I ever expected there to be.

Once I was in one of them tugged the door shut, the other throwing a bundle of clothes at me, which I fought as the flew at my chest. I opened the ball of fabric out, finding a skin-tight leather tactile suit - red HYDRA symbol embellished on either arm and over my heart - along with underwear and some black tactile boots.

The men stared at me expectantly, eyeing me up and down by never making the move to leave.

"Aren't you supposed to give me privacy to change?" I asked sheepishly. As humiliating it had been to be whipped for three years the sight toppled in front of these men, the idea of willingly getting changed while they were stood staring at me like I was a piece of meat made bile ride in my throat.

"I highly suggest you get to it, unless you'd like us to help out, of course." One of the guards said with a sickening expression, making me grimace and begin to tug my shirt over my head.

"And how about you do it...slowly, if you don't mind, Miss Stark." The other remarked, arms crossed over his chest as he bit his lip and glued his eyes intensely on my body.

I gulped, continuing to pull the shirt over my head. Oh boy, this was gonna be a long day.

…

Blood and soot cakes my nails, the icky feeling of the grime a haunting reminder of what I had just done. I was in the shower room, scrubbing the mud and blood from my body as quickly and efficiently as I could. I was used to cleaning my own blood from my skin, but the feeling of someone else’s just made me want to-

I shivered, hands shaking the the brush tumbling out of my grasp and clattering to the floor. I braced a hand on the wall, letting my head hang forward as I took a deep breath, before looking back up and wincing as the cold water streamed over me.

No hot showers at HYDRA. I hadn’t felt the feeling of warm water rush over me since the last time I had a long bubble bath back home...

I shook the thought off, carding my fingers through my hair and attempting to pick the dirt and gravel out of it. My breath was ragged as I felt a hot steam of air on my neck, the faint tickle of fingers brushing over my hips and up my body until two large hands - one flesh, one metal - caged my head to the tiled wall.

“Soldier...” I moaned breathily, letting my eyes slip shut at the feeling of his hot breath hitting the back of my neck. It was an intoxicating feeling, really, especially after being void of affectionate human contact for so many years. The soldier buried his nose in my hair, inhaling deeply before bringing his lips to my eye.

“I can’t stay away from you.” He murmured, flesh hand coming down to grab a handful of my ass roughly before letting go. I almost whined at the loss of contact before I felt a harsh spank against my right ass cheek. What surprised me the most was the expected cry of pain did not escape me, but rather a moan of pleasure.

I could feel the soldier’s smirk against my skin at my reaction, my eyes still shut as his hand trailed over my hip once again, before slipping down my front and running a finger through my wet folds. I jerked away as his fingertip brushed over my sensitive nub, pressing my lips together to surpress a needy groan at his low chuckle, the sound going straight to my core and causing a pang of arousal to dance through me.

“Ever been touched here before?” He husked in my ear and o shook my head, almost in embarrassment. “No?” He checked and I shook my head again. “I’ll try to be gentle.” He muttered, but before I could protest his cold with gliding through my folds, now coated in my wetness and slowly sheathing itself inside of me.

A raspy moan tore from my throat, the soldier groaning behind me as his hand moved to my hip in a vice-like grip. His cock stretched me beyond my limits, and to say it was painful was an understatement. After a moment of keeping his cock fully seated within me, the soldier pulled his hips back slowly before slamming back roughly. A burn formed in my cunt and I let out another moan, dropping my head forward to to cool shower wall when he thrusted into me again.

After a few more thrusts the pain started to dissipate, instead turning into a delicious and pleasurable burn that sent tingles through me. When one of my hands reached backwards to grip onto the soldier’s thigh, he took it as a signal to speed up snapping his hips into mine until the only thing that could be heard were our skin slapping together, my breathy and broken moans and the soldier’s frankly feral and animalistic growls and groans in my ear.

A sharp gasp crawled up my throat when his hand transferred from my hip down to my core, two fingers flicking at my bungle of nerves. I could feel every vein, every ridge, every part of him as I clamped down around him, throwing my head back to rest of his shoulder as his pace somehow increased again - fingers drawing tight and fast circles on my clit in time with his thrusts.

My knees buckled as I came with a shout, falling back into him as my legs gave up on me. He let out a growl as his thrusts faltered, a few more strokes and he was shooting his load deep into me. I winced as he pulled out, falling forwards into the wall as I tried to catch my breath - breathing laboured.

As I turned to face the soldier, maybe pull him into a kiss, he disappeared. It was like he had gone into thin air. The only trace of him left was his cum dripping down my thighs, tickling my skin.